was his not trusting in God The same point hee amplifyed in the verse following The Aethiopians saith he and the Lybians were Ver. 8. they not a great hoast with Charrets hors-men exceeding many Yet because thou didst rest on the Lorde he deliuered them into thy hand Therefore doth Iehosaphat exhort his people to the like trust in God and assureth them of deliuerance from their enimies therevpon Put your trust on the Lord your God saith he and yee shall be assured Chap 20. 20. We heard of the Reubenites before that the Hagarins were deliuered into their hands because they trusted in God 1 Chro. 5. 20. That the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the Israelits Because they beleeued not in God trusted not in his helpe Psal 78. 22. To this trust is blessednesse ascrib'd Blessed are all that Psa 2. 12. trust in him Yea with such a blessednesse as shal neuer fayle them They that trust in the Lord shall bee as mount Psal 125. 1. Syon which cannot be remoued but standeth fast for euer Tast and see saith the Psalme how gracious the Lord is Psal 34. 8. blessed is the man that trusteth in him Such a man will not be afrayd of euill tidings his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord. This is to beleeue to saluation euen to haue his heart settled and to repose himself wholly and only Ps 112 7. Act. 16. 31. vpon Iesus Christ As for that perswasion which euery man must haue and wherein some woulde haue faith consist it followes him that is iustified and goes not before any mans iustification as faith must needes doe for the condition to be performed on our part to iustification is to Beleeue So then to beleeue in Christ is to rest vpon Christ but what is it To beleeue in his name Must his name bee rested vpon as if there were some especiall vertue in it In which of his names In IESVS or in CHRIST For of Imanuell it is needlesse to say any thing because hee is not once so called in all this Gospell and if the Euangelist speake of a name doubtlesse hee speakes of such a name as was knowne and ordinary neither woulde hee haue omitted it in the history if it had beene of such importance and vse It may seeme perhaps that Iesus is the name in which all men that will be saued must beleeue For that is it by which Saint Iohn commonly calls our Lord in his gospell and by which he was well knowne amongst men as hauing beene giuen him at the time of his circumcision Luk. 2. 21. and continued according to the custome of the Iewes We haue found him saith Philip to Nathaneel of Ioh. 1. 45. whome Moses did write in the law and of whome the Prophets writ Iesus the Sonne of Ioseph And of this name Iesus many excellent things are spoken in the Scripture That is said to haue cured the man that had beene a cripple Act. 3. 16. 6. from his mothers wombe At that name euen at the name of Iesus must euery knee bow By that name wonders haue beene Phil. 2. 10. wrought according as the Apostles prayed to God that healing and signes and wonders might be done by the name of his Act. 4. 30. holy Sonne Iesus Neither is this name effectuall for bodily cures only but as the Apostle Saint Peter profeseth Ver. 12. There is giuen no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued But is there indeed such power in the name What then needed our Lord to haue come himself in the flesh seeing there were more then one of that name many yeeres before he was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed virgin in his mother Iesus the Sonne of Iosedec is Hag. 1. 12. famous in Hagge being high Priest after the peoples return out of the Captiuity But much more famous was osua 1. 1. 2. 3. the other Iesus who brought the people of Israell into the Land of Canaan and diuided to euery Tribe his proper in heritance That the names are all one though some would make a curious and an idle distinction betwixt them both the nature of the wordes shewe and the holy Gost in the new testament hath made it manifest by calling Iosua Iesus without any kind of difference in the name If Iesus had giuen them rest Afterwarde Heb. 4. 8. the Apostle in the same Chapter hauing occasion to name Iesus our Sauiour that hee might bee vnderstood to speake of him and not of Iosua addes his title Iesus the sonne of God What should that haue needed Ver. 14. if the name it selfe had afforded sufficient note of difference betwixt them But it is plaine in the originall Greeke and in the Syriake and Latine translations as also in our English that there is none The 70. Iewes that turned the olde Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke so exprest the names both of that Leader and of the high Priest Iosua 1. 1. Nowe after the death of Moses the seruant of the Lord the Lord spake vnto Ioshua Iesus sayeth the Greeke and so through out that whole booke So of Iehoshua the highe Priest Zach the third and the first And hee shewed mee Iehoshua or Iesus the high Priest so in the 3 6 and 8 verses of the same Chap. If the name giuen to our Sauiour Christ by Gods owne appointment had been diuers from the other surely the holy Ghost would not haue confounded them But now of purpose the same is retained that all men might vnderstand the reason of it as it is partly signified in that place to the Hebrewes concerning another Rest into which Iesus Christ hath brought the people of Israell the true children of God Hebrewes 4 8. For if Iesus had giuen them rest who was this Iesus but Ioshua then woulde hee not after this daye haue spoken of another What should I trouble you with many wordes of this matter By the name the partie whose name it is is signifyed Let the Apostle Peter expound himselfe His name hath made this man sound through faith in his Act. 3. 16. name Is it the name or faith in the name Iesus and not rather Iesus himselfe and faith in him And the faith which is by him sayeth the Apostle hath giuen him his perfect health The like wee haue touchinge the same matter in the next Chapter By the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth by him doth this man stand heer Chap. 4. 10. before you whole This sheweth that the Miracles which were wrought proceeded from the power of Christ not from any vertue in his name How then should saluation come from or by it Hearken what the Angell sayth when hee giues the name Thou shalt Mat. 1. 21. call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Not his name but Hee For the name had neither bloud nor life to giue in
goodnes in man Let vs goe forward Iohn saith e Chap. 5. 35. Christ was a burning and a shining candle Not for any extraordinary knowledge in humane learning whereof he was vtterly voide as his bringing vp shews but for his innoceÌ„t life preaching of the Messiah of whom as f Chap. 1. 7. our Euangelist saith he came to beare witnesse and that was the light wherein as it followeth g Chap. 5. 35. the Iewes for a season would haue reioicâ—d namely in taking him for the promised seed sent from heauen for their deliuerance h Chap. 1. 19. as it appeareth in this first chapter I am the light of the world saith our Sauiour As long as I i Chap 8. 12. am in the world I am the light of the world What To shew k Chap. 9. 5. them the way to the wisdome of this world No such matter The things that our Sauiour declared l Luk. 10. 21. were hid from the wise and men of vnderstanding and reuealed to the simple that had no learning I will not weary you too much with turning your books or stuffing your memories looke ouer the whole Gospell the Epistles of this Euangelist Apostle at your leasure you shal neuer find the word otherwise vsed vnless perhaps once or twice for the outward light of the sunne or a torch or candle Whom may not these obseruations suffice If need be there is yet more proofe left and somwhat more direct if any thing can be more direct to the place in question For Saint Iohn proceeds to expound that he had said of the light Iohn the Baptist came to beare witnesse of the light m Ioh. 1. 7. Of what light but that which was mentioned presently before And what light was that The supernatural light which is not to be seene with the eies of the body not vnderstood by the discourse of reason but beleeued by the vertue of faith He came for a witnesse to beare witnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeue Beleeue what n Chap. 12. 1â— While yee haue light beleeue in the light that yee may bee the children of the light Is it not as cleere as the sunne-shiâ—e that the light Saint Iohn speakes of is neither the sunne nor naturall reason but more excellent and glorious then either of these in their greatest height and perfection Shall I goe yet one step furder Follow me I pray you a little way and I shall bring you where you may rest your selues after this long trauell Where may that be but in the same signification of light which before I gaue in particular of the life that was affirmed to be in Christ The life of grace or sanctification which is the fountaine of holines in vs appears euidently in the light of our conuersation God is light and in him is no darknes If wee say that wee haue fellowship with him and 1. Ioh. 1. 5. walke in darknes wee lye and doe not truely But if we walk â—er 6. in the light as hee is in the light wee haue fellowship one with an other and the bloud of IESVS CHRIST his ver 7. Sonne cleanseth vs from all our sinnes Would you see thi more particularly For the enlightning of the vnderstanding call to mind that the Apostle Saint Paul labouring to draw the Heathen out of their ignorance to the knowledge of GOD to their saluation tells them that hee was sent to open their eyes that they may Act. 26. 18. turne from darknesse to light The reforming of the flection is signified by the same kinde of speech Yee were once darknesse but are now light in the Lord Walk â—â— 5. 8. as the children of light So is the out ward conuersation also The night is past and the days is at band Let vs Rom. 13. therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and put vpon vs the armour of life So that wee walke honestly as in the Verse 13. day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse neither in Chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying But eut you on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for â—â—14 the slesh to fullfill the Iusts thereof I confesse the life of glory in heauen is not so plainely exprest by the name of light yet both God is said to dwell in light which no man 1 Tim. 6. 16. may come vnto and the place of torment is called darknesse whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that the contrarie to is light and brightnes The children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknesse They are wandring vat 8. 12. starres saith the Apostle Iude of certaine wicked men to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer Iude ver 13. And this may suffice to shew that by light in this place supernaturall light and not naturall light is signified Which being granted we may by it discerne why it is called the light of men which was the second thing to bee considered in this point They that by light vnderstand August in Ioan. tract 1. Beda m loan 1. naturall reason can giue no sufficient satisfaction why the Euangelist should make mention of men rather then of Angels who are furnisht with that vertue no lesse if not more then men Expound it of supernaturall light and the reason is euident For the redemption which is by Christ is proper to men and belongeth not to the Angels who as S. Peter teacheth vs are east 2. pet 2. 4. downe into hell and deliuered into chaines of darkenesse to bee kept vnto damnation namely vnto the iudgement of the Iude ver 6. great day To Abraham and his seed were the promises made Not to the Angels For he in no sort tooke the Angels but Gal. 3 16. Heb. 2. 16. he tooke the seede of Abraham Therefore is he called the light of men not of Angels nor any other creatures who haue no need or no part of the spirituall life and light which is by and in him Looke not that I should magnifie the mercy of God toward mankind in this respect or so much as put you in minde how infinitely wee are all beholding to his Maiestie for so vnspeakeable and vndeserued a fauour Of that in due place as yet wee haue but searched out the true sense of the words From which I passe now to deliuer the Euangelists meaning conteined in them And that life was the light of men What is it that the holy Ghost would teach vs by this kinde of speech Doubtless either hee sets out the benefits wee reape by our Sauiour in an other particular or els he intends to shew vs how we come to the obteyning of them I will speake shortly of both Life is the chiefest of all outward blessings as vpon which all the rest so farre depend that without it they cease to bee What doth any man injoy in this world apperteining
cleerely So shall euery particular mans comfort be the greater There was a time as it is not vnknowne I hope to any man in this Auditorie when the Iewes onely were the people of GOD To whome as the Apostle saith the Adoption and the Glorie and the Couenants Rom 9. 4. and the giuing of the Lawe and the seruice of GOD and the promises appertained They onely were the Children all other Nations whatsoeuer but dogges Math. 15. 26. The bread belonged to them the most that other people could haue was but the crums falling from then Table What should I proceede in amplifying of this point I spake of it at large in a former exercise Serm. 7. vpon the eleuenth verse when I shewed that the Iewes were Christs owne though they receiued him not As for vs the Gentils what were we The Apostle Ephe. 2. 12. tells vs that we were Alians from the common-wealth of Israell strangers from the Couenants of promise hauing no hope beeing without GOD in the world It is worthily thought a singular fauour of God that Iacob was preserred before Esau the yonger brother Gen. 25. 23. before the elder yet were both sonnes What a kindness grace bounty no wordes are able to expresse the worth of the thing is it to make seruants Sonnes to adopt them for children that of themselues were no better then dogges The Iewes thought it a strange matter and a great wrong to their Nation that the Gentils should bee taught the worde of God Will hee goe to them that are dispearsed among the Grecians Ioh. 7. 36. say they of our Sauiour and teach the Grecians And when the Apostle Paul tolde them that hee was appointed to preach the GOSPELL to the Gentils they were not able to indure it but sared like madde men crying out casting off their clothes and Act. 22. 23. throwing dust into the ayre What speake I of the Iewes that might easily bee blinded with enuy and pride We heard euē now what account was to be made of the Gentils by the testimonie of the truth it selfe Therefore our Sauiour directly affirmeth that He was not sent bat to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell And accordingly Mat. 15. 26. when hee sends forth his Disciples to preach hee forbids them to goe into the way of the Gentils or Mat. 10 5. to enter into the Citties of the Samaritans This opinion was so deepely settled in the hearts of the Apostles Act. 10. 28. that Peter thought it vnlawfull for him to impart the Gospell to the Gentils Yea so generall was this conceite that after Saint Peter had by the commandement of God preached to Cornelius hee was accused for Chap. 11. 23. it as guiltie of some hainous crime Such was the estate of vs that were Gentils by nature wee were so farre from beeing Sonnes that we were not admitted to haue the lowest office or place in the house of God Now by the comming of Iesus Christ this honour is vouchsaf't vs that euery one of vs that beleeues in him doth thereby become the childe of God They that before might not bee admitted to wash dishes in the kitchin may now seede on the Lords owne dish at his table There is now no difference betwixt Iewe and Grecian but all are one in Gal. 3. 28. Iesus Christ It is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith and circumcision through faith But some man Rom. 3. 30. perhaps will say that this Prerogatiue was alwaies afforded the Gentils for whom it was lawfull to ioyne themselues to the Iewes and to be made one with the people of God It is true indeede that the Gentils were neuer so excluded but that if they offered themselues to bee circumcised they might be receiued and numbred amongst the Iewes What new fauour then is vouchsaf't them by the comming of Christ A full right and interest to all the promises of euerlasting life which before generally did not concerne them Now the Gospell offers our Sauiour Christ no lesse to the Gentils If not more then to the Iewes Hee came to his owne for to them he was Act. 13. 46. first and principally sent his owne receiued him not the Multitude Rulers and People refused to take him for their Messiah and Sauiour What then Shall his comming be to no purpose The Iewes indeede had a conceite that none but they or at the most such as adioyned themselues to them could bee the Sonnes of God But they were much deceiued For as many a◠will now beleeue in Christ though they bee no Iewe◠by nature or profession are made the Sonnes of God What remaines then but to put you in minde of that exhortation of the Prophet Esay Reioyce O barren that Isai 54. 1. diddest not beare break forth into ioy and reioyce thou that diddest not trauell with childe for the desolate hath more Children then the married wife saith the Lord Let me adde to this the caueat of the Apostle and I will conclude this point Beholde the bountifulness and Rom. 11. 22. seueritie of God toward them which haue fallen that is which receiued him not seueritie but towards thee bountifullness if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els shalt thou also be cut off Wee haue that honour happy men if wee can keepe it and if wee will wee may It were in vaine to speake generally of the Gentils in this place The exhortation belongs to this Kingdome this Citie this Auditorie Wee are all Gentils hauing no interest in those ancient priuiledges of the Iewes yet are wee vouchsafed by fauour to bee the Sonnes of GOD if by faith we trust in IESVS CHRIST Can wee despise or neglect so rare a kindness so great an honour Doe wee preferre the profits the pleasures the aduancements of this World before the Inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Let vs remember what wee were men without God without hope See what wee are people to whome Iesus Christ hath a long time offered and doth euery day euen now at this hower in this place offer himselfe Consider what wee shall bee if wee will be the Sonnes of God Heyres of Heauen Will none of these things moue vs Oh the senseless desperateness of men O the wilfulness of them that will not learne None receiue Christ but they that beleeue in him It is not enough to giue him the hearing or to bee perswaded that hee is the sauiour of the world they only are sonnes that truely rest vpon him without hope or desire of any other helpe All such whether they bee Iewes or Gentils haue the Prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of GOD. What All Yea all without exception of any man woman or childe whatsoeuer Wee heard as much erewhile out of the Apostle There is neither Iewe nor Gal. 3. 28. Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in CHRIST IESVS Doe
you marke how Saint Paul layes out the point in diuers particular differences that hee may take away all exception and doubt Looke but two verses before and you shall see he speakes of the matter wee haue now in hand of beeing the Sonnes of God for yee are all saith hee to the Galathians Ver. 26. that belieued in CHRIST the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESVS Who may shut out any where the Apostle sets open the doore to euery one Me thinkes if any sort were to be excepted against seruants especially should bee excluded The Apostle naming seruants meanes not such as wee haue among vs which serue for wages or be apprentices for tearme of yeeres but bondslaues who were wholly their maisters and reckoned as part of their substance to bee employed and disposed of by sale or otherwise as it pleased them whether themselues woulde or no. Euod 21. 21. This the Apostle himselfe knew very well and therefore he forgets not to mention seruants where hee hath occasion to intreate of these differences By one spirit 1. Cor. 12. 13. saith he are wee all baptized into one body whether wee be bond or free Know ye that what good thing so euer any man doth saith the same Apostle other where that same Eph. 6. 8. shall hee receiue of the Lord whether hee be bond or free These are still remembred because by reason of their meane account in the world they might bee much doubted of That appeares by an other place of Saint Paul where hee doth especially apply himselfe to assure seruants that beeing in CHRIST they are safe and well enough though they contitinue slaues still Art thou called saith hee beeing 1. Cor. 7. 21. 22 a seruant care not for it yet if thou maist bee free vse it rather Hee that is called in the Lord beeing a seruant is the Lords free man It is euident then that the condition of a mans life bee it neuer so base cannot keepe him from this Prerogatiue of beeing the Sonne of GOD if hee beleeue in Christ Is it not an admirable kindness an incredible fauour that bondslaues whome the World accounts of as they doe of their cattle and housholde stuffe should be vouchsaf't the honour to become the sonnes of God Hee that would esteeme it a great part of happiness to bee made a free man in the world hath offer made him of beeing the Sonne of God That which I say of this one kinde of difference the baseness whereof seemes to hinder a man from beeing made the Sonne of God I beseech you conceiue and apply to all other like matters which bring contempt or neglect of men in the world Pouertie lameness blindness deformitie meaneness of parentage simpleness of capacitie and all other naturall Chrysost in Ioa. â—omil 9. imperfections and infirmities whatsoeuer are couered with the riches beauty nobilitie and wisdome of Christ in as many as trust in him Goe out quickly Luke 14. 21 into the streets and lanes of the Cittie saith the Lord that made a great supper and bring in hither the poore and the maymed the hault and the blind What doest thou vexing thy selfe with the consideration of thy meane estate Set thy thoughts vpon the honour thou mayest attaine to Lift vp thine eyes that are cast downe vpon thy bodily imperfections and feede thy selfe with the sight of heauen that is offered thee Art thou ashamed because thou bearest no armes to make thee a gentleman Throwe thy selfe into his armes who will make thee the Sonne of the most high Poore and miserable men most miserable because they refuse to be happy sit without the church doores begging of an halfe-penny whereas they might come in and obtaine a Kingdome For as many as receiue him haue a Prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God We finde euery day by common experience in our selues and others that if a man haue a Sonne that is blinde lame deafe dumbe or any other way deformed hee will bee ready and desirous to take some course if hee be his heyre to settle his inheritance vpon some other of his Children Surely I thinke the man is hardly to bee found that if hee had no heyre would adopt such a one for his Sonne to succeede him in his Inheritance How should wee then valewe the inestimable fauour of God that makes offer of an Adoption and Inheritance to the most contemptible wretches that liue vpon the face of the earth Heere is loue heere is bounty The fauours of the greatest Princes are but fancies not so much as shadowes if you compare them with the kindness of God I confesse they had neede to looke to their owne estate Their Dominions and their treasures are finite The greatest Monarchy that euer was diuided amongst as many as woulde accept of it could afford but very small shares to euery one Oh that all men would receiue Iesus Christ There is roome enough wealth enough in heauen to giue full content to as many as can desire it Come then I beseech you let vs settle forward to meete Iesus Christ that wee may receiue him Let Non magna relinquam Magna sequar-Ouid metamorph lib. 7. not Farmes Oxen or wiues holde vs backe They are no great matters wee shall leaue They are infinitly great wee shall attaine to Is it not better to exchange them now while wee may doe it with such profit then to forgoe them no man knowes how soone when wee can make nothing of them What is it wee mislike To be Sonnes No man is so base or so foolish as to thinke bondage better then freedome To bee the Sonnes of God It were against reason and nature not onely against Religion to refuse such an honour What should I say Eyther wee beleeue not that there is any such Prerogatiue to bee had or wee thinke it is not worth the paines we must take to get it Wee dare not bee knowne of the former for the very shame of the world seeing we professe Christian Religion If wee pleade the later our owne heart will condemne vs which if wee bee once perswaded that there is any such thing esteemes of eternall glorie in heauen as the greatest happiness that can bee obtained or imagined But what if the paines bee nothing in comparison of the courses that wee would set our selues to the obtaining of this honour let vs see what they are and then iudge What is then required of vs that wee may become the Sonnes of God The holy Euangelist hath answered vs that Beleeuing in CHRIST will make vs the Sonnes of GOD. What it it to beleeue in CHRIST To trust in him or to rest vppon him For as we haue learned out of this twelfth verse As many as receiue Christ by beleeuing in his name haue the Prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God Can any man looke for I will not say such a Kingdome but the least kindness that may bee vpon easier or better conditions
vpon his words doubt of the holy Euangelists credite and doctrine that had been so many hundreds of yeares continued and confirmed by so many glorious Martyrs with their bloud and maintaitained against all the wisdom power of the world before Mahomet was euer heard of And yet what brings he but ignorance and impudency against the eternitie of our blessed Sauiour All he can say is this that if God haue a Son he must needes haue a Wifeto not vnderstanding in his wilful ignorāce that the Lord God hath no more neede of a Wife to the begetting of his Sonne then of hands to the making of this world Yea if comparison might bee made it is easier for God to beget a Sonne like himselfe which is naturall to him then to make the World which dependeth vpon his will and hath no other necessity of being Thus wee are faine to speake according to our poore vnderstanding wee knowe that God hath a Sonne how himselfe knoweth As for the Iewes we will send them to be taught of their owne country-man Iohn the Baptist whome they worthily magnifie as a man sent from God He it is d Ioh. 1. 27 sayth Iohn of our Sauiour that commeth after me which was before me whose shoo-latchet I am not worthy to vnloose But if their owne long continued and greeuous calamity with the destruction of their owne City and Temple in which they trusted be not of force to draw them frō the blasphemous errors of their wicked ancestors surely there is no possibility for any man to perswade them Therefore we will leaue them to the gracious mercie of God to be conuerted to the truth in his good time e Phil. 3. 21. By that mighty power by which he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe and commend our selues to his fatherly blessing that we may bee strengthened in faith against all the assaults and practises of Satan and his instruments and may neuer doubt of the eternity of our most glorious Sauiour but alwayes ascribe to him with his Father and the holy Spirit one true immortal inuisible and onely wise God all glorie power obedience and thanksgiuing for euer and euer Amen THE SECOND SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Iohn 1. Verse 1. 2. 1. In the beginning was the VVord and the VVord was with God and the VVord was God 2. The same was in the beginning with God IT is generally thought and I thinke not vntruly that the blasphemous heresies of f Anno 85 Ebion and g Anno 95 Cerinthus who denyed that our Sauiour was God or had anie being before he tooke flesh of the holy Virgine his mother was one especiall occasion of writing this Gospell To root out that impious conceit and to establish the faithful in an assured beliefe of our blessed Sauiours eternall God-head our Euangelist truly and with Apostolicall authority affirmeth that the VVord was in the beginning Neither doth he content himselfe therewithall but for the further instruction of them that belieue hee addes that The VVord was with God and was God yea that The same VVord was in the beginning with GOD. The first point of our Sauiours eternitie was expounded as it pleased God to enhable mee in my former exercise I am now by his gracious assistance to goe forwarde with that which followes The VVord was with God Wherein for the words themselues first wee must enquire what is meant by God then what the Euangelist woulde teach vs when hee sayth The VVord was with God 1. h Orig. in Ioa. lib. 2. Chrysost in Ioan. hom 2 God when the word is properly taken not applied to a creature signifieth either the Diuine nature in all three persons The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost or only the first of the three The Father Examples of the former are in euerie leafe and page of the Scripture Let vs alleage one or two out of this Gospell i Ioh 4. 24 God is a spirit Not God the Father onely but the Sonne also and the holy Ghost For this spiritualnesse is a propertie of the diuine nature not of anie one person therein else should not the other two bee spirituall The k Ioh. 16. 2. time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you vvill thinke he doth God seruice Surely no man that killeth Christians for beleeuing in CHRIST IESVS can thinke hee doth seruice to the Trinity For our Sauiour CHRIST is one of the three But the idolatrous heathen and the superstitious Iewes make accompt that they performe acceptable seruice to God namely to the diuine nature when they destroy them that acknowledge the three persons to bee one God or deny that there are more Gods then one or worshippe our Sauiour Christ as God Of the later the old Testament affords vs few examples or none the new very many and to make short wheresoeuer God and the Sonne or Iesus Christ are mētioned together there by God the Father is signified l Ioh. 3. 16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne God what not the diuine nature For that hath no Son to giue else should the second person haue a Sonne and the third to because both the Sonne and the holie Ghost are the diuine nature or God no lesse then the Father But euery mans owne reason teacheth him that the Sonne is the Fathers Sonne So that by God which gaue his Sonne God the Father is vnderstood The same Father is also meant by the name of God when hee is mentioned with Christ m Rom. 1. 8 I thanke my God sayth the Apostle through IESVS CHRIST euen him whom in the next Verse before he had called God our Father Verse 7 Verse 9 and whose Sonne in the ver following he maketh Iesus Christ God is my witnessewhome I serue with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne Of the same kinde are all those places where there is any mention of praying to God in or thorough CHRIST For to him hath our Sauiour taught vs to pray n Luke 11. 2 VVhen yee pray saie Our Father vvhich art in heauen o Ioh. 16. 23 VVhatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you Now let vs see in whether of these two significations the word God is to bee taken in this place Surelie not in the former because then The VVord should haue beene with himselfe which is no reasonable speech For who vnderstands not that euery thing which is said to be with an other is diuerse from that with which it is sayde to bee Therefore if the VVord vverewith God the VVord was not God But the Euangelist directly auoucheth that the VVord vvas God What remaines then if by God wee will haue the Diuine nature to bee meant but that wee must confesse there are two Gods The VVord and hee vvith vvhom the VVord vvas But it is certaine in Religion and reason that there is but one God And therefore God
and certaine meaning of the Euangelist and that according to the true iudgement of some auntient and later writers Here Arius bestirres himselfe and hearing that our Sauiour The VVord was with God hee dreames that Hee vvas nothing else but a created Spirit created indeede before the world but yet created as sayth hee it may euidently bee gathered because The VVord being with God was not God with whom he was Who is so blind as hee that wilfully refuseth to see Euery childe can answer Arius that The VVord was not God the Father with whome hee is sayde to haue beene yet was the same God distinct in person all one in nature so then hee was truely with the Father as another Alius nou aliud person not of a diuerse nature from the Father a◠another God Giue mee leaue heere I pray you to beginne a short examination and refutation of our Rhemists annotations vpon their Testament I will take them in my waie as I goe from verse to verse * Genebrard d◠Trinit lib. 1. Lindan dialog 2. Petrus Cams le Ioa. Baptista in praesat Some of the Papists of more reading then iudgement raysed a slaunder of Caluine as a blasphemer because hee denved CHRIST to bee God of God the Father and affirmed that being Iehouah hee was in that respect of himselfe This our Rhemists lay hold on and boldly enough censure him for blasphemy I haue no purpose to dispute the question with them neyther indeede do they so much as offer eyther to refute Caluines opinion or to confirm their own If shal be enough therfore to controll their malapertnesse and to ouer-waigh their presumption that a Bellarm. tom 1 de Chrisio lib. 2. cap. 19. Cardinall Bellarmine where he disputes the point of set purpose after he had considered all that the authours of that slander bring out of Caluin and examined Caluins writings himselfe refuseth to condemne him of anie such heresie as Genebrard Lindan Canisius and these Rhemists charge him withall Yea hee proceedes to alleage proofe out of Caluin that hee conceiued truely and writ accordingly of our Sauiour Christs diuine nature and person The summe of that which Caluine holdes touching this point is thus deliuered by Bellarmine that our Sauiours diuine nature is so of himselfe that if you remoue from the Son all relation to the Father there will remaine nothing but the diuine essence which is of it selfe That is in playne wordes If you consider our Sauiour as GOD onely not as the Sonne hee is not of the Father but of himselfe This is that daungerous heresie for which our iudicious Rhemists haue giuen sentence against Caluine as a blasphemer Bellarmine cleares him of the fault and condemnes onely the tearmes wherein hee deliuers his minde But it were easie to iustifie both the one and the other by the writings of b See Thom. de error Graec. cap. 4. Guliel Occhā Centilog Theolog conclus 62 Holkot in detec q. 5. art 2. ad 6. contra 1. concl q. 10. art 3. the most subtill Schoolemen if it were fit for this place and auditory In priuate I will bee readie to giue anie man satisfaction But to leaue these matters whereinto the peruerseness of men hath drawn vs to return to the Euangelists purpose It is to be held for an vndoubted truth in diuinity that our Sauiour the VVord was with God before the beginning of the world will you heare him say as much of himselfe c prouer 8. 27 Ver. 29. 30 VVhen he prepared the heauens I was there when hee set the compasse vpon the deepe A little after when hee appointed the foundations of the earth then was I with him Not onely reioycing to see the glory of God his Father but beeing himselfe full possesser of that glory which shone so bright that when he came into the world ouer-shadowed with the darkenes of our humane nature yet all the Angels of God discerned it and d Heb. 6. 1. fell downe to worship him The comfort of a poore distressed soule is in e 1. Cor. 2. 2. Iesus Christ crucified But the glory of a Christian is in Iesus Christ reigning with God his Father Therefore when the ende of his life approached f Iohn 17. 24. He prayed that all which his Father had giuen him might be euen where he was that they might behold his glory which God had giuen him But what glory meanes he Any new honour of late vouch saf't him No no. It is the same glory which he alwayes had and shall haue Glorifie me thou Father with Verse 5. thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Let mee speake now to thee poore soule whosoeuer thou art that findest thy selfe grieuously vexed and daungerously assaulted by Sathan concerning these great mysteries of Religion would hee haue thee doubt whether our blessed Sauiour was before his mother or no The holy Ghost assures thee by the penne of our Euangeiist that The word was in the beginning Doth he presse thee farther to tell him where he was as if he could not be because there was no world for him to be in Herein also the wisedome of God hath preuented him The Word was with God Thou art perswaded assuredly that God was before the world else how should hee haue created the world Canst thou tell me where he was or doest thou thinke hee is any where now where hee was not then This goodly frame of the world which thou beholdest and wonderest at not without great cause is not any new house built for God to dwell in but a faire peece of workemanship that thou mightest see a little shadow of the workemans skill power and glory God is a Spirit infinite in all perfections that cannot remooue from one place to another because hee is euery where If thou canst beleeue these things which the very light of Nature can teach thee thou hast wherewithall readily to answere Satan The Word was with God If thou Satā dar'st not nor canst for very shame deny or doubt that God was before the foundations of the world were layd where thou seest God I see the Word my appointed Sauiour with him This I take to be the true natural sense of the words and the very proper meaning of our holy Euangelist S. Iohn Now let vs adde the other obseruations rather then interpretations which as before I signified are not directly intended but necessarily followe vppon the former doctrine And first we will consider that which shewes our Sauiours Diuine Nature then we will deliuer those poyntes which concerne his person both shortly and plainely as it shall please God to vouchsafe assistance Now the Diuine Nature or Godhead of our Sauiour Christ appeares in this that being with God when as yet there neuer had bin any thing created he culd be no other but God For how is it possible that when there is nothing but God that
vessell Therefore are they aduised and charged to kisse the Son least he be angry to their destructiō Verse 12. There is good cause then why he should be stiled the Lord of lords and King of kings What though he be the Lambe meeke and tender yea bound and slaine yet * Reuel 17. 14. shall he ouercome the 10. kings that fight against him For he is the Lord of lords and King of kings yea a Reuel 19. 16. he hath that name written vpon his garment vpon his thigh The king of kings and Lord of lords His glory his strength shew him to be no lesse And can we doubt whether hee bee God or no If I should recite the Attributes or Epithets which being proper to God are belonging to our Sauiour Christ If I should but name those admirable effects of his which are aboue the strength of any and all creatures the time would sooner faile me then varietie of matter which doth offer it selfe to me so plentifully that it is harder to find where to make an end thē what to say Do you wonder at the eternity of God as a thing not to bee reacht vnto by the conceit of man Behold him that is b Reuel 1. 8. A Ω the beginning the ending which was which is and which is to come What say I was is is to come Thus indeed hath it pleased our gratious Sauiour to speake of his eternall being to our capacity But let vs heare him speake more like himselfe that is more like God c Iohn 8. 58. Before Abraham was I am This is a speech better beseeming his maiesty For nothing can be properly said of him concerning his being but onely that he is That which was either is not at all or at the least is not in all respects the same that it was That which is to come as yet either hath no being at all or surely no such being as is signified it shall haue in time to come But what stand I repeating that which before I deliuered Let vs passe from this infinitenesse in time which wee call eternitie and come to another like attribute which wants a name but belongs to quantity and might be tearmed Immensitie if our eares and vnderstanding were acquainted with it As eternity signifies the infinitenesse of God in time so doth Immensitie in greatnesse d Isai 61. 8. Thus saith the Lord The heauen is my throne and the earth is my footstoole There is no number of yeeres that can expresse the Lords Eternitie no compasse of place that is able to containe his Immensitie e Psal 139. 7 Verse 8. Whither shall I flee from thy presence saith the king of Israel that had choice enough of roome wherein to hide himselfe If I ascend into heauen thou art there If I he downe in hell thou art there Let me take the wings of Verse 9. Verse 10. the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea yet thither shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me But what need many particulars Hee that is present in heauen and in earth can be shut out of no place whatsoeuer our Sauiour is ascended into heauen yet is he still present with his children here in earth f Matth. 28. 2◠Behold I am with you till the end of the world By his power you wil say not by his presence Doubtlesse an infinite power such as protecteth the Church of Christ cannot be in a finite nature Let vs heare him speake more plaine g Matth. 18. 20 Whersoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Or if this also may applied to power yet that place is without exception h Iohn 3. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe frō heauen the Son of man which is in heauen He came downe frō heauen because being God he became man he was for all that still in heauen because being man he ceased not to be God Therefore also while he was aliue on earth before his passion he doubted not to auouch that hee was euen then in heauen i Iohn 17. 24 Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold that my glory Where is that to be seene but in heauen For so hath our Sauiour said himselfe before in that prayer And now glorifie me thou father with thine Verse 5. owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Not as if heauen or neuer so many heauens were able to conteine that his infinite glory which can be no way bounded by any meanes but because there i◠shews it self most apparātly Shal I need to add hereunto his power or rather Almightinesse k Reuel 1. 8 I am A Ω the beginning the ending saith the lord which is which was which is to come euen the Almighty And twice afterward in the same booke he is called l Reu. 4. 8. 11. 17. The Lord God Almighty But if the Scripture had not said any such thing of him yet his admirable works sound out his power glory The heauens m Psal 19. 1 sayth the Prophet declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands Yea the signs which he did in the sight of his friends enemies were so high aboue the power of man that they may assure vs n Ioh. 20. 31 that our Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God But of these in the Gospell oftentimes hereafter if it please God euen God the Sonne IESVS CHRIST of whom we speake But ere I proceed any farder I must againe encounter the Arians who bend all their forces to ouerthrowe the God-head of our Sauiour Christ Do you not perceiue say they that although hee be called God yet he is not so indeed by nature but by fauour Haue you not obserued that in the second clause where the true God is spoken of there the article is added in the text o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word was with the God as you would say The true God but here in the third part the same article is omitted as if the holy Ghost would haue vs know thereby that he hath his God-head such as it is onely by grace and that diuers from him that is the true God O that foolish men should take such paines to kick against the prickes and to procure their owne destruction Can there be more force in the omitting of one poore letter to make you denie our Sauiours diuine nature then in so many reasons to wring out of you a confession therof p Origen in Ioa. lib. 2 Too much curiosity in an opinion of this learned obseruation hath deceiued you Is not Iesus Christ the true God because the article is not added Or is the article neuer omitted where
the lesse because they are generally so well knowne to all men and describ'd somewhat largely in the hystorie of the creation Yet thus much I may and must say that if wee did more aduisedly consider either the whole frame of the world how each part serueth and beautifieth other or the particular creatures euerie one by themselues wee should discerne the power and wisedome of the Creator in a farre more excellent sort then euer yet wee sawe it But I will not enter into so large a fielde least the varietie of most admirable workemanshippe make mee forget my selfe and stay mee too long in the course of my present iorney to the ende of this whole verse Onely I will commend to your priuate meditation for this purpose the later ende of the booke of Iob from the beginning of Chapter 38. to the ende of 41. Where the Lord himselfe from heauen thunders out a wonderfull description of his diuine power and wisedome in the varietie of his workes and the incredible strength of some speciall creatures to the vtter confusion of m August de â—aeros cap. 46. the wicked Maniches who blasphemously gaue the glorie of these wonders to an Idoll of their owne senselesse deuising and setting vp But they that haue either the light of true reason or the direction of the holy spirit cleerly see and willingly acknowledge that the least and meanest creature in the world could neuer haue beene but by the infinit power of God and being is a sufficient proofe of that power by which it is This I speake the rather because n Aâ—crroes aly some learned fooles being inforced by the light of nature to discern the Creator in the creatures and yet being not willing to assent to the truth of Religion in the Scripture haue presumed to denie both the creation and prouidence of God in the smaller and inferiour creatures and in ordinary matters of no great moment Why so Because forsooth they were too base for God to make or meddle with O the nicenesse of vaine men As if the Sun that shineth out of the heauens were defiled or abased by casting of his beames vpon any place though neuer so homely or vncleanely But of the prouidence of God vpon some fitter occasion hereafter For the creation of such small and meane creatures wee haue authoritie of Scripture to assure vs they are GODS workemanshippe and strength of reason to proue that they are worthie to bee acknowledged for his And for Scripture what better warrant can wee desire then the testimony of the holy Ghost by o Gen. 1. 20. Moses in the report he makes of the first creation God said Ver. 24. Lette the waters bring foorth in aboundance euery creeping thing that hath life And of the earth afterward God said Let the earth bring foorth the liuing thing according to his kind cattell and that which creepeth There is not any creature in the Sea or on the Land of lesse woorth then that which creepeth Is it not a part of the Serpents punishment to go on his belly p Gen. 3. 14. Because thou hast done this thou art accursed aboue all cattell and aboue euery beast of the field vpon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life Is there any baserfood then the dust of the earth And yet that is the ordinary meate of such thinges as craul vppon the land As for those that creepe in the water mudde and slyme is their ordinary sustenance Yet are both the one and the other created by the Lorde Therefore also haue they their part in praising and magnifying their heauenly creator q Psal 148. 10. Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and feathered foules Yea they are not only the creatures of God but howsoeuer for a time they were ceremonially vncleane by nature cleane good So did the Lord himselfe teach and informe r Act. 10. 10. Peter by a voice from heauen The holy Apostle was hungry and while meate was dressing for him fell into a trance wherein he saw a vessell come downe from heanen in which were amongst verse 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. other creatures creeping things Then there came a voice to him willing him to kill and eate Is not this a sufficient proofe of their creation and cleanness They came now downe from heauen and Peter was will'd to eate of them But Peter remembring that they were forbidden to bee eaten as vncleane began to excuse himselfe The Lord to cut of all obiections answers him againe The thing that God hath purified pollute thou not This was so done thrice saith the Text. Why so often but that all doubt of their vncleannesse might be cleane taken away Well say you let them be cleane forvse especially in acase of necessity yet they are not worthy to be held for the creatures of God Not worthy and yet haue being mouing and life Any one of these were sufficient to make them shew some part of his greatnesse from whom they are Take the least of the 3. Is there not an infinit difference betwixt not being and being Or can any power lesse then infinit giue being where there is none Do not all things as it were speake sound out the excellency of being when they feare and striue against nothing more then least they should not bee What hath made some profane wretches that had no hope of life after their death in this world to wish that they might liue though it were but in the forme nature of Todes or Spiders It is an old and true obseruation euen of the heathen that euery thing is naturally desirous to continew its being by all meanes possible But these fond wise men shall be condemned by some like themselues Let vs heare Pharaohs in chaunters giue in their verdict When they all crauled with lice saw that God who had suffered the Diuel for a time to deceiue them with vaine shewes would no longer endure his and their damnable presumption they cried out to Pharaoh Å¿ 〈◊〉 3. 19. This is the singer of God Surely if making lice of dust be not dishonourable to God but the wretched sorcerers are inforced to acknowledge his power in them what madnes is it to deny him the creation of the smallest and meanest things Yet I would not be so vnderstood as if I thought that euery kinde of such creatures was made at the first creation within the compass of those six daies It is enough for vs to beleeue and acknowledge that all things had their being from God both for their nature and their properties and that no kind of creature hath bin is or shal be at any time bred but according to the appointment of the Lord and by the meanes which he from the beginning ordained fitted to that purpose Thence it is that diuerse liuing creatures are daily bred of dust mudd slyme and such like Not as if these
vs. Hee is the husband we are the wife Eue was bone of Adams bone not Verse 30. he of hers Yet when they were ioined together in marriage they were both but one flesh It is then apparant verse 31. by this similitude that we being thus spiritually become one with Chr. haue the same life which is in him as the Verse 32. wife hath the same flesh or rather is the same flesh with her husband The other similitude is of the head body which liue by the same spirit of life resting originally in the head and from thence dispersing it selfe into all the members of the body This also the same Apostle setteth forth in the same Epistle It will be sufficient to rehearse his words Let vs y Fph 4. 35. 16 saith he follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head euen Christ By whom at the body being coupled kint together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue Therefore doth he often call the Church the body of Christ * Fph. 1. 22. 23. God hath appointed him ouer all the head to the Church which is his body a Fphâ—â— 5 23. Christ is the head of the Church the same is the Sauiour of his body b Col. 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church Giue eare now with attention and take knowledge of the assurance of your life Why do you shrinke and quake at the mention of death Euen when your are dead you are still aliue Are you not one with Iesus Christ Are you not bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Are not you and he one flesh Doth not euery man nourish cherish his owne flesh And will Christ thinke you suffer his flesh to be destroied by death What dost thou tell me of the decay of thy strength that thy sight waxeth dimme thy leggs feeble thine armes weake and all thy senses begin to fayle thee Is not Christ aliue Or canst thou dy as long as hee liues Thou art but the least part of thy selfe thy husband is thy head and thy life And whereas thou art now a-dying it is not for thy destruction but for the abolishing of that which makes thee subiect to dy Christ thy husband doth not meane to forgoe thee but to ioyne thee neerer to him Wouldst thou bring a mortall carcase into heauen Wouldest thou bee continually in danger of dying Is it not better once to endure it then alwaies to feare it A quarter of an howers worke will rid thee of all paine for euer How wilt thou wonder at thy selfe when thou shalt behold the glory of that body which thou left'st naked and miserable Shal I need to put thee in minde of thy happinesse Dost thou remember that thou art a part of Iesus Christs body Hath he any dead part trow'st thou Thou canst not imagin that any man of reason would suffer his enimies to dismember his body or to depriue the least finger he hath of life or sense How then should Christ endure such a mayme But what talke I of bereauing his members of life As if it were any way possible that deathshould be in that part in which life is continued Wait the time that God hath appointed for thy quicking Thou art but dressing attiring that thou mai'st be a fit Bride for an immortal Bridegrome As for condemnation to hel fire the second death be not so iniurious to the Maiestie of Christ as once to think that any member of his body can bee lyable to damnation c Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ VVho shall laye anything to the charge of Iesus Christ Canst thou bee condemned and hee acquited Can the head bee in heauen and the members in hell Father d Iohn 17. 24. saith our Sauiour I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Can the first fruites bee holy and the lumpe vncleane Can the head raigne in glory and the members bee plunged in the pit of damnation Assure thy selfe if there bee life in Christ thou one of his members thy part is in it He bought thee too deare now to lose thee or let thee be taken from him Besides hee hath openly confest that hee receiued a charge from God his Father to see that none shoulde perish that belieu'd in him and e Ioh. 6 40. hee hath profest that hee will discharge the trust reposed in him I will raise him vp at the last day Hee that eateth my flesh and Verse 54. Ver. 56. drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I n will raise him vp at the last day In him as it followeth Christ dwels and he in Christ Then must hee needs be sure of euerlasting li'e that lodgeth such a guest A guest that hath life in him as in the fountaine therof from whence it floweth to al those that are ioâ—ned to him For although our Euangelist say In him was life not Is life yet he may no more be thought once to haue had it now to be without it theÌ„ once to haue bin God now not to be so But that all doubt of this matter may be taken a way we must call to minde that which we heard before of the reasons why this maner of speech is vsed First then for I will now sett it in the first place because it is the plainest hath least need of any explication we may well reasonably imagine that the Evangelist continues his former kind of speech The word was in the beginning was with God was God All things were made by him nothing was made without him was it not fitter then to say In him was then in him is life that the whole description of him may bee deliuered in the like tearmes This might serue in my poor opinion to satisfy any man concerning the worde Yet because there are some other reasons of it alleaged those both true for the doctrine they teach not vnfit for the text it selfe I will make bold to stand a little vpon them the rather because I perceiue I shall not end these 2 verses in this one exercise as I purposed and desired to do The former reason of the word was depends vpon the like course the EuaÌ„gelist takes in the rest of his description those that now I am to handle concerne the time either before our Sauiours being in the world or while he was in the world The time before either reaches to eternity before all beginning or at the least makes it self equall to the continuance of the world after the fall of Adam til the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh If wee apply it to eternity who
a mislike of Iohn and his ministery into any mans hart Did he nourish any such conceit or incline any man to the retaining of it It is true indeed that Iohn was to execute his office only in Iewry and not to seeke out the Iewes in the seuerall Countries where they were dispersed But this doth not proue that his ministery therfore belongd not to them There was great reason why he should abide in those parts There was our Sauiour to bee borne there to bee baptised by him there to be showne to the people That was the lande in which the people to whoÌ„ Iohn was sent had their ordinary and proper dwelling And though many were dâ—sperst here and there yet this was the generall rendez-vous to which all were to resort for the worship of God the expectatioÌ„ of the Messiah If their worldly affairs occasions held theÌ„ir other places that they â—aÌ„e noâ— to heare Iohn preach veâ— was Iohns ministery in respect of the common end therof as free for them as for any other of the Iews whatsoeuer that they might haue beleeued And shall any of them that haue perisht through their own default or shal any Proctor for them open his mouth to blame the iustice or deny the mercy of God in prouiding for their saluation What dost thou climing vp to heauen and prying into the hidden counsaile of God to accuse him or excuse them Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that all men might beleeue Did he not accordingly shew himselfe to all that would see him Did he forbid or discourage any man from hearing If at any time he seem'd to driue men from him it was to driue them to Christ I graunt he was meane in his apparell homely in his diet solitary in his conuersation sharpe in his reproofes But he was faithfull and painefull in his ministery Though hee rebuked many that came to his baptisme yet the refused none that confest their sinnes It was not his purpose to with-hold baptisme from any man but to prepare all men that they might bee fit receiuers of it But what spend I time in defending of Iohn These mens quarrell is not to him but to God Alas poore wretches Whome do they prouoke How will they be able to maintaine their quarrell Nay rather O desperat miscreants O prophane blasphemers Was God in fault that they beleeu'd not Did he not promise them often that the Messiah shoulde come Did he not send his Angel euen Gabriell to foretell the precise time of his comming Did hee not prouide that Iohn should preach vnto them That hee might Mal. 4. 6. turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers least he should come and smite the earth with cursing And as if all this had beene a small matter did hee not take order that his promises should be left in writing to the ende that all men might know them Where was the fault now that these things were not knowne and beleeued Many of them could not read these prophecies But God had made euerie one of them capable of skill to read If their parents neglected the meanes or if themselues reguarded not the knowledge shall God beare the blame of their sinne and folly Will you except against the hardnesse of the points as they are deliuered in the prophecies of the olde Testament Nay rather condemne the hardnesse of their hearts that would not vnderstand that which as for those times was plainly and manifestly taught There was none so simple or ignorant amongst them but he had heard of the Messiah None almost so carelesse but lookt for his comming None so desperate but hoped for some good by his comming Why then did they refuse him Refuse him said I Nay why did they denie him disgrace him hate him persecute him murther him Because they knewe him not Did they not know him But they might haue done if they had beleeued Moses and the rest of the Prophets that testified of him But let all them goe Admitte they Ioh. 5. 46. had giuen no tokens by which the Messiah when hee should come might be knowne I will vrge none but Iohn Baptists testimony or rather I will not vrge it but name it Iohn is sent to them as it is generally knowne amongst them after an extraordinarie manner his father and mother being very olde and she all her life time time verie barren An Angell brings his father a message from God that his wife should conceiue and appoints him to call the child Iohn The father makes doubt of this promise is threatned and stricken with dumbnesse thereupon which according to the Angels threatning continues till the child be born The eight day after when hee is to bee circumcised the mother names him Iohn the kindred except against it because none of their Auncestors or stocke haue beene so called His fathers opinion is required Hee makes signes for a payre of writing Tables and confirmes his wiues direction by his consent thus written His name is Iohn Presently hereupon his mouth is opened and his tongue loosed and by the spirit of prophecy hee breakes out into a psalme of prayse and thankesgiuing to God These things are noysed all about those parts and there is great muttering among the people with wonder at the child what manner of man hee will prooue To increase this admiration the course of this childes life is yet more extraordinarie hee withdrawes himself from the company of men and liues in the wildernesse many yeares together at the last about the thirteth yeare of his age as it were vpon a sodayne He comes into all the Coasts about Iordan preaching the baptisme of repentaÌ„c for the remission of sins In a short time his fame growes sâ— great that the Rulers of the Iewes are halfe of opinioâ— that he is the Messiah yea there wanted nothing buâ— his owne word to make him beso acknowledged Heâ— cleares it and sayes plainely I am not the Christ No many dayes after this message euen the next day while these thinges were fresh in memorie hee tell them directly that Iesus whome also hee shewes them being now present with him is the Messiah after whom they inqure Consider now I beseech you a little the strange and wilfull blindnesse of this people Iohn the Baptist was a man in that credit and fauour with them that hee might haue beene taken for the Messiah if hee would haue taken the office vpon him Hee tels them he is not the man he assures them vpon his reputation that Iesus is hee to whome hee doth so much submitâ—e himselfe that hee holdes not himselfe worthy to vntie his shooe Tell mee nowe and speake boldely so thou wilt speake reasonably whosoeuer thou art what canst thou saye against the Lorde in this case Deuise a more likely meanes if thou caâ—st to perswadâ— them by Doth Iohn want authoritie to moue them All men held Iohn for a Prophet Lackes
hee credite with them or fauour The Scribes and Pharises durst not so much as denie that his ministerie was from God for feare of the people Perhappes his austeritie in his priuate carriage and publike preaching made them growe into some mislike of him Nothing lesse They flockt after him by heapes But they might suspect that it was a sette match betwixt Christ and him for the aduantage of them both They were perswaded of his sinceritie they hearde his profession that hee knew not him to bee the Messiah but by the signe that God himselfe had giuen him They had seene the education of them both in diuers places and courses of life What should I say I am euen amazed to thinke vpon so rare and incredible shall I cal it ignorance or obstinacie Let me repeat the matter in a word or two that you may be Iudges whether I haue cause to be astonied or no. A people liuing vpon the hope of the Messiah seating their happinesse in deliuerance by him hearkning prying gaping after his comming hauing him shewed to them by one whom they iustly admired for his parts and graces as a man indeed sent from God like wey warde children reiect that when it is offered them which before they cryed for Who can giue mee the reason of this refusall But what speake I of reason in a matter so vnteasonable who can tell mee what pretence or colour they had for it Shall wee conferre with some of them about the point I would faine heare what they canne say for themselues If Iohn say true why do you not beleeue him If hee deliuer that which is false why doe yee not reproue him Either leaue following him if hee teach vntruths or if yee will needes follow him giue credite to that he speakes Is his report of Iesus vntrue Then why doe you wonder at him as a Prophet sent from heauen Dooth hee vtter that hee knowes not How is hee woorth the hearing Doth he speake contrarie to his knowledge Hee is to bee hated not hearkned to How vnciuill are you to speake as sparingly as I can who suspect his faithfulnesse whome you neuer founde in any fault How irreligious are you that condemne him of errour whome God sent immediatly for your instruction Bethinke yourselues in time whome you refuse and despise Through Iohns sides you strike at God himself Of him Iohn receiued his commission From him hee had instruction what to teach you By him hee was directed in teaching In other points you acknowledge it to his singular commendation Why not in this too which was the maine ende of his Embassage At the least bee not so vnthankfull iniurious blasphemous as not to acknowledge that Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that yee might all beleeue I haue beene longer in this discourse then I purposed yet it repents me not because I doubt not but you all perceiue that those thinges which I haue handled touching the Iewes may concern vs also as wel as thē For although I perswade my selfe that these All as I haue sayd are the Iewes onely yet I make no question but it was the good pleasure of God that wee also should bee helped forward to beleefe by the Euangelists recording this office and testimony of Iohn His bearing witnesse did properly informe them that heard it but the knowledge of his extraordinary sending birth education conuersation preaching and baptizing may and must confirme the faith of all vs that dayly heare of it Ignorance in the nature of the Messias office proud conceipt of their owne goodnesse doating vpon worldly pleasures and preferments were great causes of their infidelitie If wee be blinded with such conceites and drowned in such gulfes we shal not see nor come to Christ for saluation But wee are better instructed in the redemption which is wrought by the Messiah and looke not for any temporall kingdome by him Therefore wee cannot choose but discerne that which the Iewes would not see that Iesus is hee by whome the sinne of the worlde is taken away Onely let mee giue warning that seeing God affords vs the Gospell that wee might beleeue no man be so wicked or desperat as to except against the mercy of God or his owne saluation vpon pretence of I know not what conceite erroneously grounded on the eternall decree of predestination It is enough for the present to name it I will say more of it hereafter if it please God vpon euerie iust occasion In the meane while let vs proceede with that which followes Hee was not the light but was sent to beare witnes Ver. 8. of the light Where the Euangelist describes the office of Iohn by denying that which is contrarie vnto it and repeating the substāce of it He denies him to be the light he tels vs againe that hee was sent to beare witnesse of the light This later point hath beene expounded and inlarged If the time which is almost past will giue mee leaue perhappes a word or two shall be added In the handling of the former I will speak shortly to these two points that Iohn is not the light why our Euangelist addes this caution in the describing of his ministery For I holde it altogether needlesse to shew that Iohn is hee of whom this being the light is denyed There is no man but vpon the reading of the text discerns as much Neither is it greatly needful to inquire in what sēse Iohn is denied to bee the light seeing our Sauiour professeth of him that Hee was a burning and shining Candle Ioh. 5. 35. A Candle may bee without light and a burning Candle may giue very little light that it shal be very hardly perceiued but a shining candle is light indeed It may bee whelmed vnder a bushell and so hid not from shining but from being seene to shine but Iohn spred his light round about that as it followes in the same place the Iewes for a season would haue reioyced in it But Cyrillus in Ioa. lib. 1. cap. this doubt is easily satisfied Iohn was a light But not the light What is a Candle to the Sunne But the difference was greater and of another kinde The light shineth of it selfe by nature as the Sunne dooth A light is like the Moone which shineth indeede but by a borrowed brightnesse receiued from the Sunne which is the fountaine from whence all that light streames So was the Baptist a light so were the Apostles the light of the worlde Not shining of themselues Mat. 5. 14. but deliuering abroade as a glasse doth from the Sunne by reflection the light which Christ the true light powred vpon and into them for the inlightning of others Now that Iohn was not the light himselfe continually not confessed onely but professed The rulers of the Iewes were ready to haue accepted him for the Messiah and to that purpose they sent Priests and Ioh. 1. 20. Leuites which by their secte also were Pharises to make offer
God Let mee reason with thee a little and take that I shall say in good parte For I doe it not to weaken thy perswasion but to strengtheÌ„ thy faith Hast thou euer confidered this point seriously and debated it aduisedly with thine owne heart Dost thou truly discerne and acknowledge that thou art naturally the child of the Diuell What Doost thou start at this Doe I seeme to wrong thee in abasing thy estate so much Thou art content to say thou art a sinner and it may bee thou doost indeed thinke thy selfe to haue deserued the wrath of God but thou canst not abide to haue it thought that thou wert at any time the Sonne of the Diuell This opinion would disgrace thee too much and affright thee too sore It were a harde matter for thee indeed euer to beleeue that God woulde make thee his Sonne if thou hadst this perswasion of thy selfe that thou art the childe of the Diuell I I am naught saist thou as other men are and I haue neede of Gods mercy and I hope hee will bee as good to mee as to any other But neuer thinke to make me beleeue that I am so bad Then indeed I had small cause to hope for any fauour at the handeâ— of God Tell me I beseech you Are not these the very thoughts of your hearts Doe you not thus flatter your soules If you knewe throughly what you are it were vnpossible you should so easily beleeue what you may bee But perhaps though you are not willing to knowe the worst of your selues in your estate by nature yet you are desirous to vnderstand the vttermost of the honour you may aâ—taine to by grace Well let vs conferre of this a little How many weekes or daies or houres haue you spent in the search of this Adoption which is vouchsaf't you in Christ Haue you learnd what it is to bee a Sonne Haue you made any estimate of the inheritance that is promised Doe you knowe the difference betwixt a seruant and a Sonne Is not al your trust in the plea of seruants If I doe my good will saith one I knowe God will accept of it What though I be ignorant of the mystery of my redemption Alas I am no Diuine no Scholler not booke learned God lookes for no such greate knowledge of mee I can tell that I must loue God aboue all things and my neighbour as my felfe If I doe this I am sure God will bee mercifull to mee and I shall goe to heauen O the blindnesse the wilfull blindnesse of ignorant men How long will yee despise the kind offer of the Lord When will yee begin to consider what honour he hath vouchsaf't you When will you haue any care to vnderstand your own happinesse The Lord God would haue you his Sonnes you wil continue obstinatly in the conditioÌ„ of seruants Hee would bestow heauen vpon you as an inheritance you will needes haue it as wages Hee offers to giue you title to it by adoption you striue to lay clayme to it by your owne purchase Would you choose to be seruants rather then Sonnes if you had any knowledge of these 2. estates You haue heard somewhat of the ioyes of heauen and you haue accordingly a plaine confused motion of the good estate of them that are there From hence ariseth a kinde of desire to bee partakers of those pleasures and by the flattery of selfe loue some manner of perswasion that ye shall enioy them But yee are as farre from knowing what it is to bee the sonnes of GOD as I shewed you were from beleeuing that you are the Children of the Diuell Is it any wonder then that wee make so light account of it who can desire that hee knowes not Where mens treasures are there also their hearts are Mat. 6. 21. Who is there that had not rather bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter then the brother of Iesus Christ To whome doth it not seeme a greater honour to bee the sonne in lawe of Saul then the adopted sonne of God A Lordshippe vpon earth is counted more worth then a kingdome in Heauen O the basenes of our thoughts O the error of our iudgement O the vilenesse of our affection wee bury our selues in the earth liker wormes then men Wee esteeme more of the pleasures of sinne for a season then of the euerlasting Heb. 11. 19. ioyes of God in Heauen Wee haue greater desire to the vaine titles of worldly honour then to the high prerogatiue of the sonnes of God prophane Esau Gen. 25. 32. that sold his brithright for a messe of pottage was a holy man in comparison of vs. Hee was driuen to the sale by a kinde of necessitie Wee by wantonnesse depriue our selues of this dignitie Hungeâ— made him part with that which was demaunded of him Fulnesse makes vs despise that which is offered to vs. It was in his conceite but a temporall possession that hee should haue enioyed It is an eternall inheritance that wee might possesse He remained Isaacs sonne still though hee lost his birth right wee by neglecting the prerogatiue of sonnes are vtterly shut out of Gods presence and fauour It were som what yet if we might be seruants For there is no place in the house of God that is not honourable But the case stands so with vs that we must either be sonnes or nothing I am sory the time cuts me off that I cannot follow and presse these matters as the worthiness and necessitie of them requires The Lord vouchsafe a blessing vpon that which hath bin spoken and prepare vs to a farder meditation of it in hearts to his owne glorie and our present and euerlasting comfort in Iesus Christ To wnome with the Father c. THE NINTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 12. But to as many as receiued him to them he gaue the Prerogatiue c. THere are two thinges that ordinarily make men colde and negligent as in the pursuit of that they haue some minde to so in the desire of that which is offered ignorance of the worth thereof and a conceite that to them it will bee of small vse or profit To what end shoulde a man spend his time and labour in the search of that which when hee hath found it is not worth the taking vp and carrying away Or though perhaps it bee of some value in it selfe yet if I know not how to make any benefit of it I were as good spare my paines as lose my labour That neither of these two hinderances might holde vs from receiuing Christ by faith that we might become the sonnes of God and heires of euerlasting life in heauen In my last exercise I shewed both the excellency of this prerogatiue in it selfe and the inualuable profitte that would arise to vs thereof What greater honour can there possiblie bee imagined then to bee heyres apparant to the kingdome of heauen what higher aduancement can the conceite of men or
bee ignorant that hath had any desire to learne vnlesse like a man that lyeth in a ditch and streâ—cheth out his hands calling for helpe to all them that passe by hee refuse to set one finger to the ground for the raysing of himselfe Doo wee then despise so great an happinesse Though wee could bee so vnthankefull to God and yet that were monstrous yet howe canne wee bee so iniurious to our selues What shall I say Or vpon what shall I lay the blame It would bee verie strange and haâ—sh to most men if I should accuse them of not beleeuing Who would not be foreman of the Iurie to finde him guilty who would make daintie to giue sentence against his life that doth not beleeue whatsoeuer is deliuered in the Gospell Not beleeue sayeth one Hee is worse then a Turke or a Iewe that beleeues not I confesse it seemes scarcely credible to my selfe that any man professing religion should not beleeue But I holde it altogether vnpossible that a man should indeede bee perâ—waded in his heart that by beleeuing in Christ hee shall become the sonne of God and yet should bee altogether carelesse of beleeuing It is not vnlikely that wee haue a generall opinion of the â—uth of the Scripture but either wee neuer markt or neuer considered this and such like points that we might be throughly rooted and grounded in the bleefe therof O that I might intreat so much of you all and euery one as that you wold be pleased to bestow a little time â—n the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no question but if once you did stedfastly beleeue it you would neuer giue ouer till you had made your selues sure of so happy and blessed an estate The Prophet Esay considering a little the backewardness of the Iewes in receiuing saluation by the promised Messaih and a great forwardness to other matters reproues them for it in this sort Wherefore doe yee lay out siluer saith hee and not for Isay 55. 2. bread And your labour and are not satisfied May not we insâ—ly take vp the like complaint against the peruersenesse and vnto wardnesse of this age Doe not men beate their braines spend their spirits breake their sleepe wast their time shorten their liues by carking caring for the momentary trash of this world We rise erly we go late to bed we fare hardly we cloth our selues simply we toile moile like horses al for nothing What is all the wealth in the world to the riches in heauen What are all the possessions of the earth to the inheritance of that kingdome What is all the honor that the world can heape vpon a man in comparison of being the Sonne of God If it continue with thee as long as thou continuest aliue yet leaues thee when thou diest whereas that heauenly preferment abides with thee attends vpon thee after death or rather lifts thee vp and carries thee aliue to heauen For what though this sinfull earthly carcasse be destroyed yet the soule mounts immediatly vp to heauen taking possession of that inheritance and inioying it with al freedome comfort in assured expectation of proportionable glory wherewith the body in due time shall be clothed and beautifyed And doe wee still lie groueling vpon earth Wee shewe thereby whose children wee are vpon thy belly shalt thou goe said the Lorde to the olde serpent the Diuell and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life See Gen. 13. 14. if wee doe not as much as may bee resemble him in this curse Wee roote and digge into the earth like Moles and feed vpon the white and yellow clay which with infinite labour and no small daunger we rent out of the very bowells thereof yea a shame to bee spoken though wee are not ashamed to doe it our immortall soule that hath nothing in it of any affinity with earth imploies her vnderstanding bestowes her affections perswades incourages strengthens thrusts forward her seruant body to so wearisome and so fruitlesse a labour Think you that a miserable wretch wheÌ„ he sits in his counting house looking ouer his bonds when his vsury mony will come in let them be as many thousand pouÌ„ds as they are hundred pence can take half that comfort in his trash that a poore Christian doth in his meditation when hee finds himselfe to be the Sonne of God Set thy selfe vp to the chin in the heapes of thy gold tumble and wallow in the midst of all thy pe lfe shouell it vp by bushells into quarter sacks stuff thy chists as full as thou canst till the sides and bottome are ready to fly out reccon vsury vpoÌ„ vsury to the vtmost farthing but heark doost thou not heare a fearfull voice that cries out vnto thee O foole this night they shall fetch away thy soul from thee then whose shal these Luk. 12. 20. treasures be that thou hast prouided What a man of thy state and aboundance in a moment come to nothing quaking and trembling at the very thought of it in the midst of al thy wealth Wouldst thou do so couldst thou do so if thou knew'st thou wert going to a most glorious kingdome in heauen Is it possible any man of indifferent discretion should be loth to change a Chamber in an other manâ— house for a royal palace in his own Realme and gouernment But why should I so much distrust your capacities or suspect your aflections I see you are able to compass great matters and haue strong desires to those things you like if I may but entreate so much of you as to vouchsase a little time to the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no doubt but you will both conceiue and affect it I doe not goe about to depriue you of any naturall faculty but as it were to lead you to the right vse of it I seeke not to roote out your affections but to grift vpon them such seions as may bring forth pleasant and lasting sruit Is thy vnderstanding great Here are greate mysteries in the search whereof thou maist imploy it For what wit what iudgement what conceit is able to sound the depth or valew the worth or comprehend the extent of this honour To bee the Sonne of God Is thy capacity but weake What is plainer what is easier then to vnderstand that by beleeuing in Christ thou shalt bee made the Sonne of God and ioynt heire of heauen with Christ Yea this doctrine wil teachthee how to satisfy thy most insatiable desires Doth ambition prick thee forward with loue of honour Why wilt thou not set thy minde on that which is true honour indeed The foolish vanity of men hath bewrayed itselfe that the conquest of the whole world would not suffice them All the autority and glory that the Emperours of Rome attain'd to could not quench their thirst of honour but that some of them would needes be worshipâ— as Gods If they could once haue attained the dignity of being the
or no. Let mee reason against thee as thy selfe didst ere while God will not haue all men to bee Schollers Therefore will I neuer bestow any paines in study I may say the like of Marchants Marriners Mercers Grocers and of euery trade So that by this gay reason no man shoulde euer betake himselfe to any course of life but wander idly vppe and downe or rather lye still and sterue And yet such are the goodly argumentes by which prophane men blaspheame the vnsearchable counsails of God and procure iust damnation to their own soules That which they may cleerely see they will not looke vpon That which they cannot possibly discerne they wil be alwaies gasing on They are curious to search out what God hath determined of them in himselfe Careless to vnderstand what he hath appointed for theÌ„ in his word It is set downe in plaine words and often that God will haue all men to bee saued and to come to the â— Tim. 2. 3. Tit. 2. 11. knowledge of his truth that the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared The Scripture is full of such speeches All these are past ouer as many anâ— as plaine as they are and wretched men to cloake their owne wickednesse wil heare and thinke of nothinge but Gods secret predestination I haue been too long in this point already let me conclude in one worde where the light shines if any maÌ„ be not inlightned it is because he cares not for the light not that the light hides it selfe from him Then maist thou conceiue good hope that sighest gronest vnder the burden of thine ignorance seeking by al meanes to come to knowledge VVill hee thinkst thou that offereth his light where it is refus'd despised withdraw it where it is desired and sought for He came as himselfe professeth to seeke and to saue Mat 18. 11. 12. 28. that which was lost And wil he cast away those that seek to him Com to me al ye that labour are heauy laden Doth he cal them to him that he may beat them away when come No no the promise followes And I will refresh you Him that comes to mee I cast not away saith hee in another Iâ—h 6. 37. place But I cannot come to him saist thou for want of knowledge Nay say I thou wouldst not come to him but that thou hast knowledge knoweledge that thou art a sinner knowledge that hee is a Sauiour Art thou not inlightned The darknesse doth not comprehend him No man acknowledgeth him truly to be the Lorde of life but hee that hath learned of God that hee is so It fares with thee as it did with Peter when the Angell brought him out of prison Hee rose and followed the Angell and knewe not that it was true Act. 12. 9. which was done by the Angell but thought it had beene a vision And it is said of the Iewes in the Psalme that they Psal 126. 1. were like men that dreamt when the Lord brought againe the captiuity of Sion Thy case is much like these mens Thou hast receiued light and knowst it not But admit thou wert not inlightned Surely thou maist bee if thou wilt The light thou seest shines all about thee wherefor but to bee seene and receiued why not by thâ—â— aswell as by an other It lights it inlightneth euery man Plucke vppe thy hearte wipe the teares from thine eies that dymme thy sight Doe not thinke thou hast no light because a farre of thou seest a greater then thine is If an other man haue a Torch or a Cresset to light him and thou but a candle to shewe thee the way yet thou art not without light Perhaps he hath farder to goe perhaps his way is more daungerous It may bee if thy light were greater thy care and heedfulnesse would be lesse God hath proportioned out thy light according to thy need thou hast light though not so much as thou wouldst haue If thou haue none thou shalt haue He inlighttens Act. 12. 9. Psal 126. 1 euery man that commeth into the world Such is the effect of the light in its owne nature such would it be in the hearts of men if it were receiued as it desires and ought to bee The Evangelist told vs before that the light shineth in darknesse but without any good intertainement The darknesse comprehended it not Those two points he amply fieth farder in these verses first the offer which the light makes of it selfe Hee was in the world He came to his owne Then the refusall of that offer the world knewe him not His owne receiued him not I will handle the verses as they ly and speak seuerally of His being in the world and not being knowne of his comming to his owne and not being receiued by them So that each verse hath two partes our Sauiour Christs kindnesse in offering and mens vnkindnesse in refusing In the former verse the offer is in these wordes Hee was in the world the refusall in the rest For the vnderstanding of the offer we must consider these 2 things what is meant by the world what by being in the world is signified The knowledge of these two points will discouer the Euangelists meaning First therefore of the world which hath diuers significations in the Scripture as this oneverse may teach vs where it is taken in two different senses at the least if not in 3. That I may speake of it as orderly and as plainly as I can wee are to vnderstand that The world generally signifies the whole creature or whatsoeuer was created The inuisible things of God saith the Apostle are seene by the creation of the world This is that Rom. 1. 20. world which in this verse is said to haue beene made by Christ The same a little before was called All things By him were all things made Only it may Verse 3. well be thought that in the former place the Angells are not signified because Saint Paul speakes of the knowledge of God by the light of nature which perhaps will not serue to shew vs the Angels In this sense also it is to be vnderstood wheresoeuer there is speech of the beginning or foundation of the world As hee hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world Eph. 1. 4. that is before any thing was created All other significations of the worde flowe from this one which is the first and principall varyed as necessity required or delight perswaded The next most generall obseruation is this that the worde is put for some part or member of the whole Sometimes for the whole frame compasse of heauen and earth wherein the rest of the creatures are contained So speakes the Apostle God Act. 17. 24. that made the worlde and all things that are therein If euery thing that Iesus did should bee written I suppose saith Saint Iohn the world would not containe the books Ioh. 21. 25.
that should be written VVhat worlde may bee said to containe or not to containe but the space of heauen and earth Sometimes it is taken more particularly for the earth where men liue and this Mat. 4. 8. is very common The Deuill shewed our Sauiour all the kingdomes of the world As long as I am in the worlde saith our Sauiour I am the light of the worlde Ioh. 9. 5. In what worlde was our Lorde when hee said so Heere on earth amonge men whose light hee vvas Into this worlde hee sent his disciples Goe into all Mat. 28. 15. the worlde that is into all partes and coastes of the earth To this signification of the worde belonges that in the verse next before and such other places Euery man that commeth into the world that is Verse 9. Ioh. 16. 21. borne In an other text it is more plaine A woman when shee is deliuered of child remembreth her anguish no more for ioy that a man is borne into the world These significations are common and well knowne as comming neere to the ordinary and first vse of the worde Besides these it is very often taken more especially or Men who are the principall parts of the world and for whome the whole was made VVhen the worlde 1. Cor. 1 21. in the wisedome of God knewe not God by wisedome Knowledge is proper to men and belongeth not to any other of these visible creatures God was in Christ 2. Cor. 5. 19. reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes To whome are sinnes forgiuen but to men Who are reconciled vnto God by Christ but men IIee tooke Heb. 2. 16. not the Angells who shall euer remaine vnreconciled But hee tooke the seede of Abraham Thus the world signifieth in generall all kinde of men whatsoeuer But because that naturally men are naught and wickked the worde is sometimes put in particular for the wicked and almost for wickednesse You are of the world saith our Sauiour to the Iewes that woulde Ioh 8. 23. 77. not beleeue I am not of this worlde The worlde cannot hate you saith hee in an other place but mee it hateth They are of the worlde saith Saint Iohn of tâ—e false teachers that denyed Iesus to bee come 1. Ioh. 4. 5 in the flesh Therefore speake they of the vvorlde and the world heareth them In this respect is the Deuill called the Prince of the worlde Yea the world is as it Ioh 12. 31. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. were the fountaine of naughtinesse All that is in the worlde saith Iohn as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the worlde I may adde in the last place that the riches honours pleasures and such like that the worlde affordes are tearmed sometimes by the name of the worlde though they bee not so much partes as appurtenances thereof VVhat should it profit a man though he should winne the whole worlde if hee lose his owne Mar. 8. 36. soule VVhat is this whole worlde but the honours pleasures and riches of the world But I haue stood too long vpon this matter Let vs now apply it to our present purpose for the vnderstanding of the holy Ghosts meaning But we cannot certainely determine in what sense the world is here spoken of till we knowe of what being in the world the Euangelist is to be vnderstood Now our Lord may be said to haue beene in the worlde in two respects either as he was God or as he was the Messiah In the former sense he was alwaies and is still and euer shall bee after the same sort in the world In the later he was not in the world till he tooke flesh of the Virgin his mother nor since his ascension into heauen As God by his prouidence power and wisdome he maintaines and gouernes al things As the Messiah he taught and informed the world of his Fathers will touching the saluation of mankind His being in the world as God was and is for the preseruation of naturall life His presence as Messiah was to bring supernaturall life by the light of grace Whether of the two is it moâ—e likely the holy Ghost meaneth in this place If we vnderstand it of the former seeing hee speakes not of the nature of the Godhead which is the same in all three persons but of the person of the Sonne how can the world be iustly condemned for not knowing him wheÌ„ he was present For it is a rul'd case in diuinity that the mystery of the Trinity cannot bee discerned by the light of nature or gathered from any contemplation of the creatures It is true indeed that since it pleased God to reueale this incomprehensible secret many men haue labored to set forth the point by similitudes and to apply somethings in the creatures to the manifesting of the trinity in vnity But all the light they bringe to this point is such as rather shewes that themselues were perswaded of that truth then is of force to conuince their Iudgement that will not beleeue In one worde they giue vs to vnderstand that such a thing in likelyhood maye bee they doe not demonstrate that of necessity it must bee As for those shadowes of this mystery which seeme toly hid heere and there in the writinges of some Philosophers neither are they sufficient to argue that the penners of those books acquainted with the doctrine of the Trinitie and they are so sparingly and fearfully deliuered that a man may easily see they were altogether vncertaine of the truth and almost of the meaning of that they writ And in what authors doe wee meete with any shewe of these matters but onely in theÌ„ who profess they receiued their instruction from the Egyptians and Chaldeans who learned those points by Tradition from Noah and so from Adam to whom God reuealed the knowledge thereof or else are knowne to haue beene the Schollers of the Hebrewes from time to time Neither doth it suite well with the course of our Euangelists writing to expound this being in the world of such naturall maintaining thereof For the whole discourse from the beginning of the fourth verse as I haue shewed is a description of the Messiah Such was the life that wee haue in him such the light wee receiue from him wholly supernaturall Of that Iohn beares witnesse not of his creating or preseruing all thinges That was it which he laboured to haue all men beleeue That is the thing which our Euangelist denies of the Baptist Hee was not the light In regard of that is our Sauiour called the true light Who shall perswade mee then to apply this verse to his diuine power of preseruation and not to the gratious worke of his medâ—ation especially considering the next verse is generally for the most part so interpreted and as it is apparant by the verse following ought to be Wherfore I willingly subscribe