in heauen We must all learne of him and that diuers points out of his prayer The one is to flie to Christ only and to rely vpon him alone for saluation Another is to deale particularly for ourselues and euery one to say as he did Lord remember me Thirdly he may teach all the Christians in the world how to exercise their faith euen to beleeue though it be against all sense and aboue reason for this Theefe beleeues these great things of Christ when there was no outward appearance of any of them but rather of the contrary It is the greatest praise of our faith to beleeue when we haue no sense or feeling And the practise of the Theefe in this point doth greatly condemne a number of Christians now adaies The Theefe worships him and honours him beleeues and repents when Christ was on the Crosse in extreme ignominie What shall become of them then that will not worship him now especially such as blaspheme him and dishonour him now that he sits at the right hand of God Here is consolation also for if this be all the suit to Christ that he would remember vs when he comes into his kingdome this we may be sure of if we be truly godly for he hath now an infinite memory and he loues vs with an vnspeakable loue and he must needs remember vs for it is his office to be our Remembrancer before God and he being our High-Priest hath all our names written on his Brest-plate so as he cannot chuse but be still looking vpon vs besides he hath bought vs at such a price that hee hath good cause to remember vs and therefore howsoeuer it goes with vs here and though all the world forgets vs yet we may be sure that Iesus Christ remembers vs in heauen and if wee would haue our faith confirmed in this point we were best to doe as the Theefe doth viz. put him in minde of vs in particular and pray him to remember vs and withall it will much helpe if we remember him here on earth to confesse him before men and to stand for his honour and glory desiring to know and remember nothing more than Iesus Christ setting our affections on things aboue where he sits at the right hand of God But on the other side if men be workers of iniquitie and will not repent and be such as loue not the Lord Iesus and can spend daies weekes months and yeares without Christ in the world he will not remember them He cannot think of them in heauen if they forget him on earth Yea if they had beene acquainted with Christ on earth and eaten and drunken with him and beene of in his company as Matth. 7. 22. yea if they had died with him at the same time and the same kinde of death which was the case of the other Theefe when Christ shall come from heauen againe he will let them vnderstand that hee did not remember any such thing he knew them not all such naked relations vanish out of his minde if they had repented of their sinnes he would neuer haue forgotten them The answer of our Sauiour is Verily I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise In which answer we may obserue diuers things concerning prayer as also diuers things concerning heauen 1. That the prayer of penitent sinners gets great suits here is a Kingdome giuen for asking 2. That poore men may speed in great suits as well as great men A poore Theefe here speeds as well as if hee had beene a Patriarch or a King What could Abraham or Dauid haue had more than is granted to this Theefe 3. That poore sinners obtaine speedy Audiences they are not put to long suits when they seeke the greatest things This day thou shalt be with me If we speed not presently with God it is long of our selues or God delayes for some respect of vs Esay 65. 24. Dan. 9. 21 23. 4. That Christ stands not vpon the length or eloquence of our prayers he will heare a short prayer as well as a long he loues a plaine heart if wee speake the words of our hearts and aske according to Gods will in the name of Christ we shall speed Now concerning heauen it is described by the terme of Paradise The Scripture makes mention of a two-fold Paradise The Terrestriall where the first Adam was placed and the Celestiall into which the second Adam was now about to enter And that by Paradise is meant the Heauen of the blessed or rather the blessednesse of glorified soules is plaine because it is the kingdome mentioned by the Theefe and Saint Paul shewes that when he was caught vp into Paradise he was in the third heauen 2 Cor. 12. But here are two questions Quest 1. How could the Theefe vnderstand what our Sauiour meant by Paradise seeing no place of the old Testament did speake of heauen by that name of Paradise Answ The earthly Paradise was a Type and shadow of the heauenly or of the glorie of heauen and it seemes that by Tradition that was so commonly knowne among the Iewes that our Sauiour is assured he shall be vnderstood in the Terme Quest 2. But why doth our Sauiour call heauen Paradise at this time why Paradise and why at this time Ans He calls heauen Paradise because it was that which was shadowed out by the earthly Paradise In the earthly Paradise was a Tree of life in the middest thereof in the heauenly Paradise is Iesus Christ the true Tree of life by whose vertue and grace we shall liue for euer The great pleasures in that first Garden the Trees of all sorts did shadow out the vnspeakable variety of heauenly delights in the kingdome of Christ In the earthly Paradise was a Riuer that diuided it selfe into foure heads and so runne euen without the Garden What is this Riuer but the abundance of holinesse flowing from the Holy Ghost for the qualification of the Elect gathered from all the foure parts of the world the streames of which Ocean runne in the hearts of the godly in this life euen on the outside of Paradise And at this time did our Sauiour fitly vse this Metaphor for thereby he signified that though this world were but a place of banishment yet in death Gods banished should returne After all the labours and trauells and sorrowes they haue felt in this cursed world they should in death come to a place of pleasure and eternall rest and that as by the first Adams meanes all were cast ouâ— of the first Paradise so Christ was the second Adam that hauing at that time satisfied Gods wrath for the sinne of the first Adam would let all the godly into the celestiall Paradise and that hee had now driuen away the Angell with the flaming sword and so the passage into Paradise was open Yea fitly doth Christ talke of Paradise now because now was the very time in which the second Creation was beginning to be
such as are deare vnto God and sometimes of great place in the Church may befor a time exposed to great wants in outward things As here the Apostles that were called to be conquerors and commanders of the world are faine to goe a fishing to get them meat to sustaine their liues Secondly that men may take great paines in a lawfull calling and yet many times get little or nothing as here they are a fishing all night and can catch nothing Thirdly that great wants and disappointments in the ordinarie meanes of life doe sometimes forerume extraordinarie supplies from God They that can catch no fish in the Sea finde fish broyling on the Land The Diuinitie of Christ was demonstrated three waies by all which they might plainly see he had lost none of his power by death First that by his direction they catch a great draught of fish that could themselues catch nothing Secondly that the net was not broken though it dragged great fishes to the number of an hundred fiftie three The third was that on the shore was miraculously prouided a fire with fish broyling on it Thus of the literall sense of the Storie It is very probable that our Sauiour that tooke occasion when he first called his Disciples from their fishing to instruct them about their office in being fishers of men did likewise intend by this manifestation of himselfe to them now they were fishing againe to giue them first instructions from what fell out then concerning their mysticall fishing which they were to goe about within a little time after and so the comparison holds in many things The Disciples are the Ministers of the Gospell the ship is the Church the world is the Sea the fishes are the people of the world where the Gospell is the casting of the Net is the preaching of the Gospell the shore is heauen or that estate into which we are brought by the power of the word in outward profession Now about this fishing we may be instructed in many things from this Storie as 1. That the proper end of the labours of Ministers is to catch soules 2. That there is difference of gifts and qualities in Ministers as there was in these Disciples went a fishing 3. That the best place to fish in is the Sea and not small Riuers or Brookes The places to catch soules are those where there is the greatest multitude of people 4. That in the spirituall fishing we fish in the darke as they did in the night we cannot see where our nets fall or what hearts of our hearers our words fall vpon 5. That godly Ministers may take great paines and yet catch nothing as they fished all night and caught nothing 6. That Christ is present with his seruants in the worke or when they haue not successe though they discerne him not 7. That it is the speciall prouidence of Christ if any soules be caught and comes by his direction 8. That many of Gods deare seruants may take great paines and yet scarce get meat to keepe them Children haue yee any meat 9. That after long fruitlesnesse Christ may blesse the ministerie of his seruants to effectuall conuersion of soules but then vsually they must turne to the other side of the ship get them to other people 10. That sometimes God doth shew his power in giuing great successe to the ministerie of his seruants euen when it is not looked for but it is very rare as was the great draught of fishes 11. That a powerfull and succesfull ministerie is one of the most effectuall meanes to manifest and discouer Christ and his presence on earth 12. That godly Ministers that seeke Christ in their preaching may differ much in zeale and yet all meet in the end with Christ vpon the shore Peter leaps into the Sea which seemed a kinde of vnwarranted singularitie of Peter and yet he did not ill the other Disciples came slowly in a Boat to shore and yet are not blamed for want of loue to Christ 13. That it is great deale of businesse to get euen godly people to heauen as here the Disciples haue a great toile in it to drag the fishes after they haue caught them to bring them to shore 14. That the best fishing is to fish for great fish For though it be a blessed thing when the poore receiue the Gospell yet if we could catch the great ones of the world they would bring much more glory to God 15. That in places where many are caught by the preaching of the Gospell it is a wonder if the net be not broken that is if diuision and some rent in vnitie follow not It is the great power of Christ if it be otherwise but yet note it is not humble Christians the small fishes but either great men or such as are growne big with conceit of their gifts that breake the net Yea note that men may continue long in profession and yet breake the net in the end as great fishes doe that fall a bounsing when they come neere the shore In generall here is intimated that great concourse of hearers indangers the preaching the net payes for it the fish escape but yet wee see Christ can preuent all this when please him 16. The end of all this fishing is a sweet dinner with the Lord Iesus in heauen which sweet fellowship with Christ is beyond all similitude and therefore the Euangelist doth not striue to set out the dinner in many words The third Apparition was to the eleuen Disciples on a Mountaine in Galilee concerning which both S. Matthew chap. 28. 16 c. and S. Marke chap. 16. 14 c. make report Concerning which Apparition if both the Euangelists be compared together we may obserue 1. The place where Christ appoints his Disciples to meet him viz. a Mountaine as a place neare to heauen and further from worldly distractions and where he might more freely discourse with them 2. The condition of the Disciples when Christ comes to them he finds them as S. Marke saith sitting together and it is likely they sate so expecting the cōming of Christ to them being wearied with trauell to the place herein the Disciples are a fit resemblance of the condition of our assemblies what are we all when we meet in the house of God but poore disciples that sit here to watch when Iesus will appeare amongst vs we are desolate creatures cast out of the world that haue no happinesse but in the presence of Christ with vs. 3. The effect of the Apparition in the Disciples viz. some beleeued and worshipped him but some doubted Mat. 28. 17. The right faith in Christ and knowledge of him doth breed adoration and the worship of Christ And herein the inward manifestation of Christ to the hearts of true Christians differs from illusions in Hypocrites that in true reuelations of the presence of Christ the effect is a greater care of the worship of Christ and practise of all holy duties whereas illusions
Martialis Ignatius Irena Tertullian Origen and those of their times did not proceede further then the Trinity In the first book of Socrates his Eccless Hist. Chap. 19. we finde The Creed thus recited We beleeue in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne begotten of him before all worldes true God by whom all things were made which are in heauen and which are in earth Who descended and was incarnate and suffered and rose againe and ascended into Heauen and from thence shall come againe to iudge the quicke and dead and in the holy Ghost in the Resurrection of the flesh in the life of the world to come in the Kingdome of Heauen and one Catholique Church reaching from one end of the earth to the other In Saint Ambrose his time the baptised was asked three questions as first dost thou beleeue in God the Father Almighty and the baptized answered I beleeue and then hee was dipped vnder the water secondly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and his Crosse and hee answered I beleeue and then was dipped againe thirdly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the holy Ghost and he answered I doe beleeue and was the third time dipped Ambrose lib. 2. de Sacram. cap. 7. so that 't is probable that the Creed was not fully finished in this forme it now is till about the fourth age after Christ And thus of the Authors of the Creed To conclude therefore this point concerning the Authors of these Articles the Creed is called the Apostles Creed in two respects first to distinguish it from all other Creeds There haue bin diuers Creeds made in the seuerall ages since Christ some by particular writers some by Councells of particular writers Athanasius Creed doth most excell which is the Creed set downe in the booke of Common Prayer next before the Letany and of Councells these are the chiefe Creeds the Nicen Creed which you may finde in the booke of Common Prayer also set downe in the order of the Communion as also the Creed of the Ephesian Synod and the Creed of the Calcedonian Synod reade Am. Pol. synt Theol. lib. 2. cap. 2. Now this Creed is called the Apostles Creed to shew that the Churches did hold it to bee of greater authority then any other Creed and that other Creeds are but as it were expositions of this Creed Secondly it is called the Apostles Creed to giue it authority aboue all humane writings euen those that haue much or most excelled The confession of Nationall Churches haue been worthily had in great request so haue the Creeds of the Councells and so haue the Apocripha Scriptures but yet none of these haue attained to the honour of this Creed The translation of the Canonicall Scriptures in respect of the words are humane though in respect of the matter and order they are diuine and these of all humane writings are the best yet not without the defects of the Translators whereas the originall in both Testaments is diuine both for matter order and words also Thus of the Authors The kinde of writing followes Creede Symbolum is the word vsed in the most Christian Churches and is plainely agreeable to the originall word the Creed being first penned in the Greeke tongue If the word bee deriued of Syn and bolus then it may signifie two things first a morsell or as much as a man may well swallow at once and so the whole Scriptures containing but the diuine furnishing of Gods Table as it were the Creed containes each particular Christians morsell so much as hee may and must swallow and receiue downe into his heart without leauing any of these Articles out secondly a draught euen as much as a net can take at once The sea is the Word the fisherman is the Christian man the Net is faith the Creed is as much as the faith of the Christian can take at a draught out of the Sea of doctrine contained in the Scriptures But it is more likely the word should be deriued of Syn and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it may signifie all or any of these fiue things 1. A Shot it containing the reckoning which the Apostles made for the Churches being deducted or cast in out of the seuerall writings of each of the Apostles 2. A Watchword or any signe in the time of warre by which the Souldier might be distinguished from spies or strangers and so might shew to what captaine or colours hee belonged so the Creed is the Military signe by which the true Christian is distinguished from all spirituall spies and forreiners 't is Gods Watchword 3. The Motto or Poesie or word giuen in mens Armes so the Creed is the Christians Motto his word which is set in his Armes being made noble in bloud by Christ and so able to giue the Armes of his spirituall house and kindred 4. A token or Bill of Exchange by which a man is enabled to trade or receiue commodities By the Creed the Christian may trade for any spirituall commodities 5. A Passeport Christians are strangers and Pilgrims a great way from home and the gouernment of the Christian world will not let a man passe without his authenticke Passeport Now by his Creed the Christian man may passe and finde entertainement in any part of the Christian world As for the name Creed it is not easie to tell when it first came vp in our Language but it is certaine it comes of the first word which is in Latine Credo rendered I beleeue But by the way if these Articles be a Creed then they are not a Prayer nor to be said as a Prayer as the ignorant multitude doth abuse it Thus of the Title I Beleeue Marke 9. 24. IN the Creed it selfe we must consider first matter of dutie which is in the word Beleeue which is the hand or claspe that takes hold of all and euery of the Articles secondly matter of doctrine which may be cast into two Heads as it concernes God or the Church for the Lord doth not vouchsafe to comber Religion with the whole doctrine that might concerne the estate of all men out of the Church concerning God the Articles looke vpon all three persons and in the doctrine of the Father amongst his attributes singles out his Almightinesse and amongst his workes lookes vpon his making of Heauen and Earth In Christ faith lookes vpon his Person and his Office In his Person it acknowledgeth his diuine Nature as Gods onely Sonne and his humane Nature in these two words viz. conception by the holy Ghost and birth of a Virgin His Office is considered according to his estate both of Humiliation and Exaltation In his Humiliation is considered his sufferings first in body in that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was dead and buried and then in soule in that he descended into Hell In his Exaltation faith viewes his Resurrection Ascension and Session at the right hand of God
should take heede of reasoning against the Iustice of God in disposing of men to conditions of lesse honour in this life or in damning of wicked men in hell for they are all the worke of his hands and as the clay to the Potter Rom. 9. 21 22 23. 5. Our Originall from the dust of the Earth should teach vs to carrie our selues humbly towards God and men towards God when we speake to him we should remember we are but dust and ashes Gen. 18. and when we conuerse and discourse with men wee should take heede of pride and vaine glory and say as he did in Iob I also am cut out of the clay Iob 33. 6. as also wee should take heed of excessiue cares for the clothing and pampering of our bodies of clay 6. Especially we should striue to answer the end of our Creation Man was made and set in this visible world that God might haue a creature to know him and what hee had wrought and to acknowledge him and serue him and to resemble him in all holinesse and righteousnesse till this be done by man he doth nothing that answers the end of his being he dishonors God that made him And seeing God made both soule and body wee should serue the Lord in both 1. Cor. 6 10. We are not at our owne disposing to doe what we list we are his to command that made vs our very countenances set so as to looke vpwards shewes that we should not be like the beasts that see and regard nothing but earthly things let vs pray God that made vs to direct vs and enlighten vs to do his work and glorifie him Psal 119. 7â— Secondly from the serious meditation of the doctrine of our Creation we may finde many things for Humiliation vnto all men especially to the wicked It may humble all men to consider that they are but men of dust earthly creatures 1. Cor. 15. 47 48. made of myre and clay Iob 13. 12. and that they are in continuall danger of dying They dwell but in houses of clay earthly Tabernacles Iob 4. 19. 2. Cor. 5. 1. 't is as easie for God to destroy vs as it is for the Potter to breake an earthen vessell our breath is in our nostrills if our mouthes and noses be stopped we fall downe as dead carkases especially all men haue cause to bee extreamely grieued to thinke how wofully they are fallen from the glory in which they were created whether they look vpon their soules impurities and filthines or the bodies deformity diseases or the miseries inuade iustly their outward condition with all the fearefull losses spirituall and temporall which haue befallen them for their sinnes More especially the wicked haue cause of grieuous sorrowes that remaine still in that wofull estate of degeneration hauing God and all creatures against them and carrying about bodies and soules so full of sinne and lyable to such fearefull danger Woe to him that striueth with his maker shall the Potsheard striue with the Potter and be safe Esay 45. 9. and the rather they should be afflicted if they consider no part of their wickednes can be hid from God Hee that made them knowes euery part about them there cannot bee a vaine desire thought or lust but God sees it and no darkenesse can hide from him Psal 139. 12 13. Lastly there is great consolation in this doctrine of the Creation vnto godly men that are restored in Christ to the priuiledges of their first Creation for vnto them will God bee for the substance of true happinesse all that he was to Adam their right to Gods fauour and fellowship with God and dominion ouer the creatures is restored they are againe made like to God in Christ Iesus Colos 3. 10. their bodies and soules are the Temples of the holy Ghost They need not feare any aduersaries for God keepeth all their bones and the haires of their heads are numbred Psal 34. 20. and though they haue many frailties bodily and spirituall yet God will pittie them he knowes the mould they are made of and that they are but dust Psal 103. 13. 17. Esay 64. 12. and seeing God hath made vs he accounts himselfe bound to helpe vs and sustaine vs and prouide for vs Isay 43. 7. and will not forget vs Esay 44. 21. The second Article And in Iesus Christ 1. COR. 3. 11. For other Foundation can no man lay then that which is layd which is Christ Iesus HItherto of the Nature of God and the workes of Creation Now it followes that we consider of the Articles that concerne our Redemption by Christ and so the workes of grace And so in the Redeemer Faith lookes vpon foure things First his Titles Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God and our Lord. Secondly his Incarnation wondering at both his Conception and Birth Thirdly his Humiliation for our sinnes as hee suffered vnder Pilate was crucified c. Fourthly his Exaltation as hee rose from the dead and ascended in Heauen c. But before I come to breake open these glorious Mysteries It is conuenient to consider of three things 1. What neede we haue of a Redeemer to be thus incarnate or thus humbled c. 2. By what right we can be capable of any interest in a Redeemer 3. In what manner wee must beleeue these Articles For the first there are two things in the condition of euery man by nature which may shew euidently that hee doth infinitely neede some course to bee taken to free him out of that misery he is in the one is his sinnes the other is the punishment either is vpon him or he is liable to And first for sinne euery man 1. Is guilty of Adams sinne Rom. 5. 12. 2. He is possessed by originall sinne by which hee is two waies vilely plagued for he hath lost all that righteousnesse and integrity of nature man had in the Creation which he may feele by his want of seruent loue to God awfull feare of God confident trust in God affectionate delight in God shining knowledge of God c. and so by his strange deficiencies in his disposition toward his neighbour and besides he is poysoned and infected with corruption in his nature which is the more grieuous because all men are infected Rom. 5. 12. all are so from the wombe Psal 51. and this insection is in the whole nature of man which he may feele by the very disorder of his naturall appetite to foode sleepe procreation by the corruption of his very senses his eyes ready to wander after vanity Psal 119. if they bee not guarded and watched Iob 31. 1. and so his taste and other senses in his vnderstanding he may feele a strange kinde of power of darknes and disability to thinke of any good things pronenesse to a world of vanities and euil in his affections he may daily perceiue a very vassalage to euil concupiscence giuing lawes of wickednesse to his members Rom. 7. 3.
Scripture acknowledgeth no other propitiation than the passion of Christ nor can there be need of any other seeing it is the passion of him that is God Secondly hence we may be confirmed against the scandal of the Crosse of Christ though Iewes and Gentiles declaime against Christ for that very cause because he was so vile and contemptible in the eyes of the world yet we see there was great reason for it he should be so abased for else our sinnes had not beene satisfied for nor heauen purchased Thirdly hence we may see the difference betweene Christs sufferings and the sufferings of the Martyrs For first the sufferings of the Martyrs were not punishments for sinnes but only trials or chastisements whereas Christs sufferings were maledictions and punishments laid vpon him for our sins Againe the sufferings of the Martyrs were not meritorious they deserued nothing for others because they are considered but as priuate men but Christs sufferings were meritorious because he vndertooke them as our suretie and was sustained vnder them by the immediate assistance of the Diuine Nature in respect of which they were the sufferings of God Fourthly hence we may take occasion to be grieued at heart for our sinnes for our sinnes were the cause of the sufferings of Christ and brought vpon him all the miseries he endured when we see Christ crucified we see him who was so pierced for our sinnes Fifthly seeing we are bought with such a price as the sufferings and bloud-shedding of Iesus Christ we should therefore not be the seruants of men seeing Christ paid so deare for vs we should be ashamed to applie our selues to the humours and lusts and vanities of the men of this world as if we were still their seruants He knowes not Christ or the price of his redemption that for base and corrupt respects will leaue the sinceritie of Christs seruice to humour or please men 1 Cor. 7. 23. Sixthly seeing Christ laid downe this price to redeeme and saue his people from their sinnes wee should goe away resolued to sinne no more and to walke worthy of so great redemption Shall wee againe crucifie the Sonne of God by returning with the dogge to our vomit or the swine to the wallowing in the mire Seuenthly how should we admire the loue of Christ to vs that hath washed vs from our sinnes by his owne bloud Oh glorious medicine Oh how vnspeakable was that loue What tongue can vtter it What heart can conceiue of it Reuel 1. 5. But the especiall vse is for consolation for these ends of Christs sufferings doe manifestly import the fruits and benefit of his suffering to vs which is so great as we should euer exult and glory in the Crosse of Christ aboue althings and desire no better a way of liuing than to liue by the faith of the Sonne of God that gaue himselfe for vs Galat. 2. 20. and 6. 14. For since Christ did suffer for those reasons before specified it will manifestly from thence follow 1. That the hand-writing that was against vs is cancelled our bond which we forfeited cannot now be sued against vs Col. 2. 15. 2. That God is pacified and well pleased with vs Mat. 17. 5. 1 Ioh. 2. 12. 3. That death and damnation is now swallowed vp into victory that we need not liue in such feare of them Ro. 8. 1. 1 Cor. 15. Heb. 2. 14 15. 4. That the deuill being but Gods Sergeant or Iaylor hath now no power ouer vs Heb. 2. 14. 5. That we are absolued and discharged from the guilt of all our sinnes and may by faith lay hold vpon all the promises of grace and pardon in the Scripture 6. That sinne shall haue no more dominion ouer vs for the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes as well in respect of vertue as in respect of merit and against the power of it as well as against the guilt of it Rom. 6. 7. That we shall be sure of heauen when we die And in generall the passion and bloud-shedding of Christ doth ratifie and assure to vs all the good things of the new Couenant or Testament Heb. 9. 16. c. and for matters may be needfull for vs in this life how can we doubt for if God haue giuen vs his Sonne how shall he not with him giue vs all things Romanes 8. 32. Thus of the fourth point The fifth point is what he suffered for vs and this will be large in the explication of it For though his sufferings vnder Pontius Pilate be mentioned and his suffering of what fell out at the end of his life be called the Passion by an excellencie yet in as much as Christ suffered nothing casually or for himselfe but for vs therefore we must reckon all the parts of his sufferings as parts of his Passion for vs and so remouing the Synecdoche which is in the words of the Creed and considering at large of Christs sufferings euen those parts which are not menâ—ioned in the Creed as well as those that are the whole Systeme or Method of the doctrine of Christs Passion may be disposed as followeth The Passion of Christ is both Priuatiue and Positiue His Priuatiue Passion did consist in this that he wanted that glory ioy and felicitie which he might and ought to haue had if he had not voluntarily for the redemption of man depriued himselfe of such glory and felicitie and this kinde of Passion did extend it selfe to both Natures For first his Diuine Nature suffered as it were an eclipse of glory all the time of our Sauiours dwelling on earth it was hidden as it were behinde the veile for if his Diuinitie had shone out in the brightnesse of the glory of it when he came to dwell amongst vs Iohn â—â— 14. it would haue beene as wonderfull on earth amongst men as it was and is in heauen amongst Angels And besides though the glory of Christs Diuinitie be so infinite as nothing can be added to it or taken from it in it selfe yet is it said to be glorified or obscured according to the conceptions of it in the minds of men and so he suffered a priuation of glory or rather a defect of it in that light came into the world and the darknesse of mens hearts was such as they did not compâ—ehend it Yea it was a great Passion that the Diuinitie of Christ should be so slowly and by so few acknowledged al the dayes of Christs being in the flesh on earth And as for his humane Nature there was due to it all abundance of glory and happinesse and ioyfull life in as much as he was a iust man and did perfectly fulfill the whole Law of God for he that doth that should liue the meaning is he should liue a most pleasant and happy life for euer But this glory also for our sakes he was contented to want for a time to his very humane Nature Of this kinde of Passion is spoken Ioh. 17. 5. Phil.
make men more proud and carelesse of holy duties But how is it to be vnderstood that some doubted Interpreters are diuided in opinion Some say that they that doubted were other Disciples that had neuer seene Christ not the Eleuen that had so often seene him Some answer that this doubting is to be referred to some other time not to this Apprition S. Matthew for breuitie sake giuing a touch of what fell out in all the Apparitions And so some doubted must be expounded Some had doubted as Thomas for one But I thinke their opinion is the most probable that hold that none of the Disciples here doubted whether Christ were risen but that at the first they did not know whether he that appeared were Christ or not which was no new weaknesse in them for when he stood on the shoare at the sea of Tiberias it was a good while before any of them knew him 4. The words our Sauiour spake to them and those if the Euangelists be compared are 1. Words of vpbraiding or reprehension Hee vpbraided them for their vnbeleefe Mark 16. 14. and for their hardnesse of heart in not beleeuing them that had seene him after his Resurrection which hee doth most wisely and seasonably First it would doe them good to be humbled before they receiued so glorious a commission they might know it was not for any merit in them that they were so aduanced Secondly it might warne them to take heed of that sinne of vnbeleefe not only as that which was most hatefull to Christ but as that they would be often tempted to when they went about their worke by reason of the oppositions and troubles would befall them Thirdly most fitly doth he now tell them of their vnbeleefe that they might be the more compassionate and patient when they were to deale with the Nations about their vnbeleefe and not think it much if their report were at first reiected seeing they themselues had been so slow of heart to beleeue what was written In generall we may see here what comes of peruersenesse in any infirmitie We may perhaps heare Christ vpbraiding vs at such times when we looke for nothing but comfort and therefore let all men and women be warned to take heed of this sinne of way wardnesse and vnteachablenesse we may heare of it when we thinke Christ hath forgiuen and forgotten it 2. Words of declaration All power is giuen me both in heauen and earth About these words we may enquire both about the sense of them and about the end or vse of them For the sense had not he all power before and from eternitie as God Or if it be meant of a power communicated to the Humane Nature how is it that he had it not from his Incarnation The answer is that he speakes of a power he had both as God and man and such a power as he had not before because this is the power he obtaines as Redeemer of the world and the price was not laid downe actually till he had giuen himselfe as a Sacrifice for sinne and had humbled himselfe to the death euen the death of the Crosse Now he had purchased the inheritance of the Nations now he might lawfully send them to take possession for him and if he were resisted he might winne his owne by a spirituall conquest of this power is spoken Psal 2. 8. and 110. 1. Esay 49. 6 8 9. Dan. 7. 13 14. Phil. 2. 9 10. Now for the end or vse of this declaration of Christs patent or power it might serue for perpetuall vse both to the Apostles and all Teachers of the Gospell and to their hearers too To the Apostles this declaration was necessary because of the greatnesse of the things they were charged to proclaime to the world for he had need to haue a name aboue euery name that should in his name offer giue eternall life to the world and should challenge all the world to come vnder and doe homage to him and should send such a message in his doctrine as should subdue euery high thing and should lay all mankind as it were at his foot And though the conquest of the Nations might seeme an impossible worke yet they need not doubt to goe about it seeing they are sent from him that hath all power And the like comfort may all faithfull Ministers gather from hence against all the difficulties of their worke they serue him that hath all power And so in generall this is a doctrine of admirable comfort to all true Christians of any degree that will be perswaded to serue the Lord Iesus they cannot serue a better Master No master hath such power to preferre them He hath all power on earth but if he did it not here yet he hath all power in heauen they shall be sure of preferment in another world 3. Words of commandement and so his charge concernes either the doctrine they should teach or the signe by which they should confirme it viz. Baptisme As for their doctrine Saint Matthew saith Go teach all Nations Saint Marke saith Goe preach the Gospell to euery creature The obseruations are diuers that if many times God did not send the Gospell to vs we should perish before we would go and seeke it Secondly that preaching is the ordinary meanes to conquer the world to God Thirdly that all Nations need to be taught and euery creature of euery Nation They that thinke they can finde the way to heauen without teaching are certainly in the direct way to hell Fourthly that the principall worke for the highest Ministers in the Church to do is to preach the Gospell Fiftly that the doctrine of our Recōciliation with God in Iesus Christ is the principall doctrine to be taught or learned Sixtly that grace and mercy in Iesus Christ from God is offered to euery creature vpon condition of faith and repentance None is excepted Thus of their doctrine The signe by which they should confirme their doctrine was Baptisme which was added as Gods broad seale to assure vs the good things promised in the Gospell and in particular if they did beleeue as certainly as the water did wash away the filth of the body so should the bloud of Christ wash away the sins of their soules About the forme of Baptisme the Trinitie must be expresly mentioned it must be done in the name of the Trinitie both in respect of Authoritie to signifie that they were authorised to baptise by all the Trinitie and in respect of Confession that no saluation could be had without the beleefe of the Trinitie and especially in respect of fellowship with the Trinity as a fruit of faith and Baptisme for they had power to signifie to true Christians that in Baptisme they were married to the Trinitie and receiued into an euerlasting fellowship with the Father Son and holy Ghost As the wife at her mariage receiues the name of her husband so all Christian soules are transferred from the names of their owne
society that is in heauen that is to that family of adoption which is the house of our Father in heauen of which family and society Christ is the head Sixtly the witnesses were first Angels Act. 1. and that for diuers reasons for it was very fit to make vse of their testimony now that he was to shew the greatest worke of his diuine Maiesty seeing he had vsed them and their testimony and seruice at his Conception Natiuity Tentation Death and Resurrection and beside their testimony is vsed to appease the griefe of the Disciples for their separation from so meeke and louing a Lord and Master And further to reach them that though he be absent in body yet would protect his by his Spirit and by the ministery of his Angels The other sort of witnesses were the Disciples themselues This Article containing one great part of the mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. it pleased our Sauiour to giue them first teachers of it assurance of it by the testimony of their senses that with the more liberty power they might vrge faith in their hearers seeing they brought them what they had not onely heard but seene and felt 1 Ioh. 1. 2. If any aske Why our Sauiour would not ascend in the sight of the whole Nation of the Iewes as well as in the sight of the Disciples I answer they were not worthy so much as once to see the Lord in his glory that had made no vse of his doctrine and miracles when he was amongst them in his estate of abasement And besides here by all the world is warned to take notice of it that the ordinary meanes to breed faith and saue their soules is the hearing of the Word and therefore doth our Sauiour of purpose withhold from men other waies of information The end of his Ascension were diuers 1. To fulfill the Type The high Priest once a yeare was to goe into the most holy place The most holy place was a type of heauen and the high Priest of Christ and his going into the most holy place shadowed out Christs Ascension and going into heauen Heb. 7. 26. and 6. 20. and 8. 4. 2. To shew that all things were fulfilled and accomplished by him which were written of him and that he had perfectly performed all that concord our reconciliation and the victory ouer our enemies and therefore his Ascension was a most glorious manifestation of his triumph and spirituall and heauenly glory after his most absolute victory and conquest 3. That hauing ouercome death hee might now enter vpon that glory which was prepared for him before the foundation of the world Ioh. 17. 5. for then was the singular glory of Christ made manifest when as Homo-deus or God-man hee entred into heauen which was a sight the Angels had neuer seene before whither may belong that of the Psalme Psal 24. 7. Open ye Princes your gates that the King of glory may enter in 4. That he might lead Captiuity captiue and before God and Angels exercise a perfect triumph ouer the spirits in the Aire that had assaulted him and whom hee had spoiled and now made to attend the Chariot of his triumph 5. That thereby he might shew that Angels and powers in heauen were also subiect to him 1 Pet. 3. 22. 6. That in heauen he might make intercession for vs with the Father Heb. 9. 24. 1 Ioh. 2. 1. Rom. 8. 34. which was shadowed out in the Law The high Priest went into the holy place alone and caried vpon his shoulders and brest the names of the Tribes in pretious stones but the people stood a great way off shut out in the vtter court of the Temple making their praiers there which were caried in by the high Priest sprinkled with blood So it is with vs wee are here in this world a great way off shut out of heauen here we make our moane and prayers with hearts lift vp to that heauenly Sanctuary and there doth Iesus cary our names on his breast and shoulders and presents himselfe for vs sprinkled with his owne blood to couer and make propitiation for our sinnes and imperfections 7. That he might open heauen for vs and make a way into the most holy place for vs which sinne had shut vp Heb. 10. 19. 20. Ezech. 44. 1 2 3. and so he saith he ascended that he might prepare a place for vs Ioh. 14. 2. 3. and 20. 20. 17. for by lifting vp our flesh into heauen therby as by a certaine pledge he being our head and wee his members we might haue assurance to ascend thither also in due time Eph. 2. 6. 8. That from thence he might send the holy Ghost the Comforter as a most diuine token of his loue to his Spouse the Church and by him might fill vs with vnutterable assistance and qualifie vs with diuers gifts Ioh. 16. 7. Psal 68. 19. Eph. 4. 10 11. 9. That our affections might not be misplaced on earth or on his bodily presence but might be drawne vp to heauen and the minding of heauenly things Col. 3. 1. The Vses follow and are 1 For information and so we should striue to be affected with the great glory of Christs triumph in ascending from earth to that glorious heauen in so glorious a manner But perhaps some one will say Elias ascended vp to heauen before and therefore it seemes this ascension of our Sauiour was no singular thing Answ There was great difference betweene the Ascension of Elias and this of our Sauiour for first he ascended by vertue of the merit of Christ which had couenanted with God to make satisfaction and so did open heauen from the beginning of the world But Christ ascended without the helpe of the merits of any other Secondly Elias went to heauen hauing not first tasted of death but Christ died and was buried and rose againe before his Ascension Thirdly Elias ascended by the helpe of Angels being not able to ascend by his owne power but Christ ascended by his owne power Fourthly Elias ascended into heauen but as a Citizen of heauen but Christ as Lord of heauen hauing a name aboue euery name Fiftly Elias went into heauen onely for himselfe Christ opened heauen for vs also 2 For consolation and so this Article ought to bee a fountaine of great consolation to vs if we consider especially the fruit and profit comes to vs by it which may bee partly gathered by that which hath beene declared before for first wee get heauen open for vs by it since the sinne of the first Adam heauen was shut against vs which was shadowed out by the Angell with a flaming Sword stopping the way into Paradise which was a type of heauen The first Adam shut heauen and the second opened it opened it I say for vs for Christ entred into heauen in our person to take possession for vs so as we doe actually possesse heauen in that our flesh is there and our head is there God
hath made vs to sit in heauenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 1. 6. for as he left vs the earnest of his Spirit so he tooke from vs the earnest of the flesh and caried it into heauen as a pawne to assure that the whole should be brought after him So that his ascension into heauen works our ascension into heauen and so a threefold ascension For first heauen is opened for a spirituall ascension of our minds while our bodies are on earth our hearts taking vnspeakable comfort by faith in our vnion with Christ and so with God whereas otherwise without Christ our very thoughts are shut out of heauen our hearts hauing no cause of comfort but rather of sorrow to thinke of our losse of Gods fauour and so glorious a place Secondly heauen is opened for our soules to enter in when we dye our soules being to bee caried by the Angells into heauen that before in Adam kept vs out of heauen Thirdly heauen is opened for both soule and body at the last day 1 Thes 4. 14. 17. Ioh. 17. 24. Thus of the first benefit Another benefit comes to vs by the ascension of Christ and that is the leading of our enemies captiue for his triumph ouer them when he led captiuity captiue Psal 89. 19. extends to vs. That we may vnderstand this the better wee must know that Christs victory ouer his enemies had fiue degrees First it is the ordination of it and so he conquered from eternity Secondly the prediction of it and so his conquest was a foot in all the ages of the old Testament and began at the promise in Paradise after the fall and was plainly renewed in that place of the Psalmes quoted before Thirdly the operation of it in his owne person and so he conquered on the Crosse and triumphed in his Ascension Fourthly the application of it and so he conquereth and hath in all ages conquered in his Members making them able to ouercome Sinne and Sathan and the World but this is but in part and in the beginnings of it Fiftly the consummation and full accomplishment of the victory and so the Deuils and the Graue and Death and Sinne and the World shall be for euer vanquished at the last day when Christ shall appeare in glory and wee be made like vnto him in an euerlasting freedome from all misery The third benefit is the daily helpe wee haue from the intercession of Christ in heauen that perfectly remembers vs and appeares before God for vs to make our persons and praiers and workes still accepted before God as hath beene shewed before The last benefit is the sending of the holy Ghost to be with the Church to the end of the world in a speciall manner to qualifie vs with all needfull gifts and to be our Comforter as hath likewise beene shewed before Thirdly this Article serues for confuration of diuers sorts of men as 1. Of those that say the very body of Christ is present to the bodies of men in the Sacrament of the Supper whereas the Article is plaine he is in body ascended into heauen 2. Of the Papists about merit of workes They say Christ merited our Iustification but wee must merit our place in heauen Whereas our Sauiour saith He went to heauen to prouide and prepare a place for vs. 3. Of such as say they must giue way to an insufficient ministery because able men cannot bee had Whereas Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore if all lawfull meanes were vsed able men would bee found by his blessing 4. Of such as thinke because they were not brought vp to learning or haue liued long in ignorance therefore knowledge must not bee required of them nor can they attaine to it whereas if they had honest hearts and would conscionably vse the meanes they might bee led into all truth by the Comforter which Christ hath sent 5. Of such as say they may liue in some sinnes and they can neuer bee seduced in this life which is a varne excuse for their negligence and wilfull indulgence ouer their corruptions for Christ ascended to lead captiuity captiue 6. Of all worldlings that professe they are Christs and yet minde nothing but earthly things whereas if they were true Christians their hearts would haue ascended with Christ by seeking those things that are aboue Col. 3. 1. A fourth sort of vses are for instruction and so 1. This Article should make vs willing to dye seeing it is the highest point of our preferment to ascend to heauen and seeing to dye is but to ascend to heauen and goe to our Father and that Christ ascended to take possession for vs. 2. It should teach vs not to mourne immoderately for the losse of our dearest friends seeing they are ascended to heauen and wee can neuer lose so much as the Disciples did when such a Master and Sauiour was parted from them and went to heauen 3. It should stirre vs vp to all possible care of an holy and contented life it should seeme to vs a monstrous base thing to serue sinne or the deuill or the world that are such shamefull captiues to be a slaue to a slaue is a matchlesse basenesse and yet this is the condition of the most and which makes it more wofull man likes it and desires to continue so still Lastly it should worke vpon vs a strong impression of desire to carry our selues as strangers here and pilgrims and to haue our conuersation in heauen where Christ is and â—â—om whence wee looke for him to come and vnite vs to himselfe when he shall change vs and make vs like himselfe in glory Hitherto of the Ascension of Christ The third degree of his exaltation is his Session at the right hand of God The first words of this Article are ambiguous because they are not taken in their proper sense for properly God hath no right hand as being a Spirit and Christ may not be thought to vse no other gesture in heauen but sitting and therefore we must enquire of the Scripture for the sense as it is figuratiue and so first what sitting may signifie then what the right hand of God signifies and then what it is to sit at the right hand of God For the first Sitting in a figuratiue sense in Scripture is vsed two waies First to note habitation abiding or resting as when the Apostles were willed to sit in that City till they were endued with power from on high Luk. 24. 49 Secondly to note Soueraignty and Iudiciarie power and when Solomon is said to sit vpon the Throne of his Father 1 King 1. 30. so Prou. 20. 8. Isa 16. 5. The right hand of God when it is spoken of about earthly things notes his power and helpe as Psal 44. 3. and when it is spoken of as in heauen it notes supreme glory and Maiestie and authority Now to be at the right hand when it is spoken of men it signifies to helpe as Psal 142. 5.
nor Herod his lust nor Iehu his Idols c. 3. That they are apt to fall away from the liking they haue of Religion which they may finde in themselues when they are at the best if they examine themselues in these questions Whether for these things they would loose the fauour of their carnall friends and their credit in the world whether they would suffer for these things if times of persecution should come whether if they might haue their hearts desire in worldly or sinfull things they would not aband on the care of these things And they may finde it by this that if they fall out with any that are the chiefe for Religion in the places where they liue they meditate not onely a forsaking of such as they are fallen out withall but euen a relin quishing of their forwardnesse or care for profession of religion it selfe those that finde such corruption in their hearts had neede to take heede to their standing least they fall for though a timely reconciliation with men restore them to their former course of profession againe yet this tryall of their hearts may tell them that at length for such or the like occasions they will fall cleane away if they get not better footing in the Kingdome of God 4. That all this profession is vndertaken for carnall and corrupt ends as either to get credit with religious persons or to auoid the penall Lawes of Princes or to couer some vices they are prone to or guilty of or to aduantage their estates in worldly things or out of desire to excell others in gifts or the like 5. That the ioy which they feele is but a false ioy and vnsound which appeares both by the causes of it and by the effects By the causes for they ioy in hearing the Word for these or the like reasons because the doctrine is new or because it is handled with vnexpected learning or wit or because it fits their humors or affections or because it is doctrine that is generally comfortable and sets out the happinesse of such as are of their Religion or because the things spoken of are admirable in themselues or because the doctrine makes against such and such as he likes not And such as are the causes such are the effects For this ioy makes them more proude and carelesse and conceited and contemptuous many times of others Whereas the true ioy ariseth from the solid application of the things heard to himselfe and from the perswasion of his right vnto these comforts by and through Iesus Christ. And withall this ioy doth soften the heart as the dew from Heauen doth the ground and makes the true Christian more humble and mortified and more desirous to be rid of sinne and more to loue God and goodnes and godly men Now if all these sorts bee cast out it is easie to coniecture that few will remaine to bee reckoned for true beleeuers Secondly this doctrine of beleeuing should moue all sorts of men in the Visible Church to try and examine themselues whether they be in the faith or no 2. Cor. 13. 5. And to this end euery Christian may profitably imploy himselfe if in his examination he looke to foure things 1. He must be sure that he be not guilty of any of the things that be repugnant to faith There are some things so contrary to faith that where they are faith is not Such as are 1. Naturall infidelity whereby the heart is not onely void of the knowledge and beliefe of God and true Religion but also when the meanes of knowledge is offered hath habituall struglings and desires that there were neither God nor any bond of Religion 2. Carnall security when the soule is at rest and securely contemnes Gods Iustice in the threatnings against his sins 3. Resisting of the truth when men that daily heare the Word doe with hatred of the truth either oppose it outwardly or reiect it inwardly 4. Presumption and confidence in our owne strength works merits righteousnesse or worthinesse 5. A professed resolution against the assurance of faith when men bring in an Academicall doubting and perswade themselues that no man ordinarily can know or be assured of his Saluation 6. Notorious wickednes and prophanesse when men drowne themselues in lewd courses and follow their lusts without care or remorse 7. Apostacie when men fall away from the Religion they haue professed with a Totall disregarde of the knowne truth 8. A generall kinde of wauering in the doctrine of faith and continuall vnsetlednesse both of iudgement and affection 9. Desperation when a man rageth and is tormented with the horror of Gods Iustice without respect of Gods Glory or any hope or desire or prayer for Gods Mercie in Christ He therefore that would try whether hee haue a true beliefe or no must in the first place try whether none of these contraries of faith possesse not his soule for if they doe it is certaine he hath not faith 2. He must carefully separate and distinguish faith from such things as haue some kinde of likenesse or agreement with it and yet are not faith In his Tryall hee must take heede that he take not some other thing for faith such as are rash Credulity Hypocriticall profession Presumption opinion humane Knowledge experience or Hope For the first there is a light kinde of assent which men giue vnto doctrines in Religion without any knowledge of the warrant and proofe of them from Scripture whatsoeuer effects this Credulity haue yet is it not faith because that is euer grounded vpon the Word of God Nor may hee mistake an outward hypocriticall profession of the true Religion for faith Profession of Religion when it is destitute of the loue of God hatred of sinne trust in Christs merits charity to men and patience in afflictions doe no way commend a man to God much lesse is it true faith Thirdly many Christians entertaine Presumption insteede of faith They are resolued vpon it that God is their Father and Christ died for them and they are the children of God and true Christians and all this without any word of God rightly applyed Fourthly Opinion in matters of Religion may bee taken by some for faith but yet it is not for Opinion is naturall faith supernaturall and giuen of God Opinion is founded vpon humane testimonie faith vpon diuine Opinion is doubtfull and wauering faith is firme and certaine Fifthly nor may humane Knowledge be taken for faith for though they agree in this that they are both imployed about things true and such things as sense cannot reach to yet they differ manifestly faith is Gods gift and a light supernaturall but knowledge is a habit gotten by vs through the helpe of the sparkles of the light of nature and exercise and teaching for the comprehending of the things of faith there is daily neede of the inspiration and illumination and quickning of Gods spirit But the
Saints in heauen know him by vision they see God face to face that is they haue a perfect knowledge of Gods Nature according to their condition in heauen and doe behold him in some most glorious representation of his presence fourthly to men on earth hee is knowne by reuelation and so after a different manner to diuers men As to some holy men by Inspiration to all godly men by Christ to all men in the Church by the Scriptures and to all men in the world by the creatures and Reason The fourth point it remaines to consider how farre forth God may be knowne by these all or any of them I answer first more generally and then more particularly In generall if we thinke of the full knowledge of God the Trinity is then onely knowne to God himselfe and Christ man God hath a Name that is secret and wonderfull this can bee knowne by no creature by his Name reuealed he may be knowne so as we remember that in this world he appeares to whom he will and as he will and not as he is The most men conceiue wonderfull little of Gods Nature The diuers formes of things in the world are beames as it were of the diuinity but yet they shew rather that he is then what he is or whence they are rather then what he is Distinctly to consider of it we must note that God is knowne in this life 1. But in his backe parts 2. But according to our modell or capacity God hath extracted so much out of the Ocean of the infinite knowledge which concernes his nature as may bee taken in by our vnderstandings 3. This that may be attained to for that part which is set out by words is exprest not by words that tell what God is directly but by such words as being in vse amongst men might leade vs to some happie manner of discerning concerning God 4. The neerest knowledge wee haue is by effect as it is either described in Scripture or wrought in prouidence and so what God is in himselfe himselfe onely knowes but what hee is to vs that in some measure hee makes vs know his glorious Nature is onely knowne to himselfe Wee see the Sunne not as it is in it selfe but as it inlightneth we look not vp vpon the body of the Sunne but vpon the beames of it that shine vpon the hill or vpon the wall or the like so is it in the knowledge of God our natures cannot looke vpon his nature but we discerne him by the shining of his working and by the beames of his presence The difference also of the descriptions that haue bin of God are to be thought on for there hath bin a Philosophicall consideration of God and a Theologicall The Philosophicall was had among the Gentiles by the wisest of them The Theologicall hath onely bin had in the Church The one looked vpon God onely by the light of Nature and experience and the other lookes vpon God by the light of Scripture and Faith But that Philosophicall Light was extreamely deficient and farre short of the Ecclesiasticall Light for besides that the wisest of the Philosophers had much adoe to seperate the true GOD from the many Gods worshipped by the Nations they were altogether blinde in the Mysterie of the Trinity and ignorant altogether of the highest praises of God viz. his mercies vnto man in Iesus Christ yea there was scarce any Attribute of God that was rightly knowne with any life without the Pale of the Church Now that knowledge that is to be had of God may be gathered three waies by Negation Eminencie or Causation By Negation when wee denie vnto God whatsoeuer is of imperfection in the Creature and so wee denie death measure Mutation c. and say that God is Immortall immense immutable c. By eminencie when we giue vnto God in the highest degree what we finde to bee good in the creature and so wee say he is most holy most wise most iust c. By Causation we may finde out God by reasoning from the things hee hath done The last thing to be considered of is the Rules to be obserued by vs for the attaining of the knowledge of God for All meanes will be ineffectuall to vs if we be not rightly prepared and disposed we neede a Religious minde in all knowledges that concerne our happinesse but especially when any thing is spoken or thought concerning God because all words are insufficient to tell vs easily and fully what God is Commandement 3. Hee therfore that would reach to the comprehending of the knowledge of God must bee sure to keepe these Rules 1. Hee must cleanse and purge and scoure his heart from the filth and drosse of false opinions and strange and Atheisticall conceits concerning God yea hee must wholly empty himselfe of all opinion concerning his owne sufficiencie to conceiue of God of himselfe for if it bee true of other knowledges in Religion that a man must become a foole that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. it is much more true in this doctrine concerning God 2. He must then addresse himselfe to Gods Word and resolue to learne from thence how to conceiue of God God is not to be accounted of by others assertions but to be measured by his owne words We shall neuer learne what hee is by asking what others say of him but must heere what hee saith of himselfe for God is not knowne without God as one saith Of God wee must learne whatsoeuer of God wee would vnderstand 3. He must resolue to spare no paines that is requisite for this studie hee must imploy himselfe with great diligence to drinke in his knowledge for God will appeare onely to studious mindes 4. A heart full of desires is requisite to these conceptions The desire of the soule must be after God Esay 26. 8 9. He must be sought with a mans whole heart Psal 119. 10. else the minde will wander extreamely And because wee want that admiration and delight wee should haue in this doctrine therefore wee must iudge our selues for our deserts and labour by prayer to forme these desires in vs Especially when in hearing or reading any thing concerning God we finde our hearts begin to be affected we must striue to nourish and inflame these desires or delights or Rauishments for then God is neere for vsually a fire goeth before him as the Psalmist speaketh aswell when hee comes into our hearts as when he comes into the world 5. He must be a godly man for the pure in heart onely see God Mat. 5. 7. and without Holinesse it is impossible to see God Heb. 12. 14. This knowledge requires holinesse else of all doctrines it proues the dullest discourse and disputation doth not comprehend God but holinesse as one saith and the Reason is because there must bee some assimilation or likenesse betweene our mindes and the knowledge of God for as no parte of the bodie receiues the light but
sort of Attributes are the easiest and by reason of their either effects daily amongst vs or likenesse to some thing in vs may be profitably first studied And so the Nature of God excells in foure dreadfull and matchlesse prayses or there be foure things in Gods Nature we should euer thinke on with admiration and adore with all Reuerence and Deuotion and studie to conceiue of as fully as we can from the singular Vse they haue in the course of our liues First of the Life of God Life in GOD is admirable and to bee adored in these respects 1. Because the life of all liuing creatures in generall is in him and so God is the life and light of the world Iohn 1. 4. as he giueth being and life to all things The whole world had bin a Chaos of darknesse if God had not giuen it life which hee planted in seuerall creatures by his admirable working 2. Because in particular hee is after a wonderfull manner the life of vs men Whether we respect our life naturall or spirituall for our naturall life it is hee that inlightens euery man that comes into the world and gaue senses motion and reason to all men Acts 17. 28. and for our spirituall life t is he that quickens all the members of Christ by the speciall mouings of the holy Ghost in their hearts begetting them againe after a strange manner by ioyning his spirit to their spirits and thus Christ liues in vs Hence this life is called the life of God Ephes 4. 17. and the life of Iesus 2. Cor. 4. 11. Gal. 2. 20. 3. Because that life by which hee liues in himselfe hee inioyes after a most matchlesse manner who can describe the glory and shining of that life in respect of which God is said by an excellencie to be the liuing God Daniel 6. 26. 1. Thes 1. vlt. Reuel 4. 9. and as a doctrine of singular glory the Lord is pleased to sweare by his life Ezeck 33. 11. Some of the glories of this life of God we may in some measure distinctly conceiue of with admiration And so we should adore that God whose life is 1. Independent God hath life in himselfe He receiued it not from any other Iohn 5. 26. 2. It is Eternall he liues from Eternity to Eternity Dan. 4. 34. He is immortall he cannot die 1. Tim. 1. 17. 3. It is not seated as in a part of God as life is in vs but it is the whole essence is not onely in it but is the essence it selfe 4. It is most perfect in blessednesse and glory hee wants no means to nourish it nor helpes to content it or make it happie but is God blessed for euer Rom 11. There is Vse of this Knowledge of God for 1. It shewes the Vanitie of Idolaters that serue Gods that haue no life Ieremie 10. 9 10. 14. 2. Woe be to wicked men that sinne securely as if God was not or had no life It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God If he liue they must die Heb. 10. 31. Ier. 23. 36. 3. Let all men bee afraid and take heede of sinning and remember his presence for God is a liuing God Daniel 6. 26. 4. Since GOD is all Life wee must bee as liuely as is possible in his seruice our consciences must bee purged from dead workes seeing we serue a liuing God Hebrewes 9. 14. 5. Wee are bound in swearing especially to remember the Life of God Thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth Ieremie 4. 2. 6. Wee must not greedily couet after the riches of this world seeing our God liueth to reward such as serue him and trust in him 1. Tim. 6. 17. Heb. 12. 22. 7. Vnto him we should goe for all succour support strength and preseruation both of naturall and spirituall life for with him is the well spring of Life Psal 36. Psal 42. 3. Deut. 30. 19 20. and it should comfort vs against all the desperate miseries of this life It is inough for Iob if his Redeemer liue for he knowes he will deliuer him c. Iob 19. 25 26. Iohn 14. 19. Lastly the through Meditation of the glorious life of God should breed in vs a desire to adore and admire him and praise him while we liue as they did Reuel 4. 9. for this very Reason Who would not wonder at that Father that had a 100. or a 1000. children to whom he had bin an instrument of Life Oh then why worship we not him that is Father of spirits and Fountaine of all the life is in all the creatures in the world and besides liues in himselfe a life full of infinite shining and perfection Thus of the Life of God His Knowledge followes The Knowledge of God is to bee admired and adored as wonderfull and matchlesse in many respects 1. Because God is a seipso sapiens wise of himselfe he hath not his knowledge infused into him or any way giuen him nor gets he it by the instruction of others or by the benefit or experience or obseruation This glory of his knowledge he pleades Esay 40. 13. Rom. 11. 34. 2. Because he is the Author of all that vnderstanding skill or wisedome is found in any of the creatures As the Sunne is the Fountaine of all the Light is in any of the Corporall creatures so God is the Fountaine of all that Light is in all vnderstandings of men or Angels It is God that furnished Christ man with al those treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge Esay 11. 2. 'T is from his Light that the Angels and Saints in Heauen see Light as the Father of Lightes and all the spirituall knowledge godly men haue is from aboue Iames 3. 17. Iohn 6. 45. Yea all the skill any men haue in their callings is taught them of God as the Prophet Esay shewes in the verie case of Husbandmen Esay 28. 6 26. 3 Because all his workes are done with matchlesse skill and wisedome none can doe like him nor is his knowledge onely Theoricall Psal 104. 24. Esay 40 28. Euen those things that seeme to vs to be done so as we cannot conceiue a reason of them or seeme contrary to vs and our rules yet haue wonderfull depth of shining glory and Iustice and wisedome in them Rom. 11. 33 34. 4. Because his knowledge is infinite Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 147. 5. He is omniscient he knowes all things his vnderstanding penetrateth into all things Hee knowes himselfe one person each other exactly Mat. 11. 27. 1. Cor. 2. 10. and knowes all things without himselfe Heb. 4. 13. 1. Iohn 3. 20. Iohn 21. 17. All the creatures that were are or euer shall be he knowes them Acts 15. 18. Esay 40. 26. Mat. 10. 26. 30. He knowes all that is said or done in the whole world Psal 139. 1. c. He knowes things to come aswell as things past or present Esay 41. 22 23. 26. Hee knowes the very thoughts of the hearts
Romanes 8. 32. 3. In their Sanctification both in respect of the matter of grace as also in respect of the meanes of it he hath dealt bountifully in the matter of sauing grace because hee is the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. and euery good gift proceedeth from him as the Father of Lights Iames 1. 17. and so doth his bounty shine in the meanes of grace 1. In the word giuing gifts to men sometime extraordinary as Apostles Prophets and Euangetists and ordinary Pastors and Teachers sent abroad to preach the Gospel to euery creature Ephes 4. Mat. 28. 2. In the Sacraments adding to his word and oath his seales to assure his Immutablenesse Heb. 12. and in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper feeding his people with the flesh and bloud of his owne Sonne A foode better then the bread of Angels Iohn 6. 3. In Prayer promising to grant whatsoeuer shall be asked of him in the name of Christ Marke 11. 24. Iames 1. 5. 4. In their Saluation prouiding for them an inheritance immortall incorruptible and that in the most glorious place of the whole world the Heauen of Heauens when they shall liue in his presence for euermore enioying Riuers of pleasure at his right hand 1. Pet. 1. 3. Psal 17. Tit. 2. 12. The last thing that she weth the goodnesse of Gods nature is his Patience and his Patience is admirable 1. If we consider the prouocations to moue him to implacable displeasure and these arise either from the consideration of the persons that prouoke him or from the things by which he is prouoked there are foure things that might irritate extreamely if wee looke vpon the persons prouoking The first is their Number worlds of men by their sinnes daily transgresse and offend against God if he looke downe from heauen he may see what to loath in the works of all men scarce one of a Cittie or two of a Tribe that haue any care to please God The second is their enmity God is prouoked by men that are his professed enemies and therefore might conceiue iust furie against them there being no reason why he should pittie or spare them Thirdly it adds to the prouocation that they are his creatures the worke of his owne hands they rebell against him that were made by him and therfore the indignity of the offence is the greater Fourthly their impotencie he needs not feare them he might blow them away at once as a little dust of the Ballance he could destroy them with frogges and lice and flies and for the euills by which he is prouoked what man or Angell can describe the haynousnesse of them what heart of man can conceiue the horror of the sinnes of the whole world All the Commandements of God being broken by euery man many of their sinnes committed with an high hand crying to heauen for vengeance Treasons daily and euery where and these committed before the very face of God no place so sacred but wretched men dare offend there the frame of transgression beginning from the womb and holding on to the graue and the offendors relapsing by breaking their vowes and couenants from time to time and to make vp all that Trayterous man should yeeld himselfe to bee wholly gouerned and led forth against God by the diuell the Arch-enimy of God 2. If we consider who God is that endures all this hee is infinite in Holinesse and Iustice infinitely hating sin and conceiuing wrath against sinners and whose Office it is to bee the Iudge of the world and hath power to Plague all oftenders at his will Nahum 1. 2. 3. 3. If we consider the manner how hee exerciseth his patience where obserue 1. That hee is slow to anger hee is not easily prouoked Psal 103. 8. 2. That he can suffer exceeding long Exod. 34. 6. as in the case of the Israelites they had tempted him more then tenne times before he Plagued them Numbers 14. 12. 18. 19. 20. 22. 3. That where hee doth enter into iudgement hee doth not poure out his whole displeasure but proceeds by degrees 4. That hee sent a Sauiour as a remedie for their sinnes and punisheth those persons but not till they haue reiected the Saluation offered Iohn 3. 16 17. 5. That hee sends to his very enemies before they seeke to him and sets vp his ordinances amongst them as meanes to reclaime them and with great importunity and continuance vrgeth men to saue themselues from so great destruction 2. Cor. 5. 19. 20. 2. Chron. 36. 15. Esay 65. 2. c. 42. 14. 6. It appeareth that he is infiniâ—ely patient that puts off the day of Iudgement to so long a day 2. Pet. 3. 9. and thus of the manner of his Patience 4. If we consider the effects of his patience or the ends Hee is patient that men may repent and be saued 2. Pet. 3. 9. Yea thousands of men are saued by Gods forbearance that had else bin damned if God had called for their accounts sooner â— Pet. 3. 15. Lastly if we consider the cause of his patience Some Iudges spare to punish some offendors but it is because they are Alyed to them or because they giue bribes to be freed or because they are great persons c. but Gods Patience and forbearance is not wrought by any of these meanes but it ariseth meerely from the goodnesse of his owne Nature hee doth it for his owne sake not for any thing in them Thus of the Doctrine of Gods Goodnesse The Vses follow and so the knowledge of Gods maruellous goodnesse of Nature may both informe vs and teach vs and comfort vs in diuers things As it serues for information so it should compell vpon vs a most setled and resolute iudgement especially in foure things for since there is such a transcendent glory of good nature in God whatsoeuer can be said or obiected or whatsoeuer God doth we should vnmoueablie bee established in full assurance 1. That God can doe nothing that is ill or vniust He cannot be the Author of any thing that is euill so good a Nature cannot decree or effect any thing that is cruell bloudy or tyrannicall Iames 1. 13. 17. 2. That in afflicting punishment vpon offenders hee takes no delight in the death of the very wicked Ezek 18. 3. That no men can bee saued by their merits That great Saluation hee prouides for men is meerely out of his owne bounty and not from their merits Romanes 6. vlt. 1â— 6. 4. That there can be no goodnesse in any creature comparable to the goonesse of God all the goodnesse loue bountie mercy clemency Patience or grace that can bee found in Princes Parents Husbands Wiues or Friends is nothing in comparison of Gods goodnesse which appeares if wee remember what was before taught 1. Because all their goodnesse was receiued from God they had it not of themselues 2. Because it is not so great as Gods goodnesse which is immense they may bee said to bee louing
3. Especially what heart of man can looke vpon Iesus Christ the Sonne of Gods Loue and consider his grieuous Agonies when he felt the wrath of God Hee was but a suretie for sinne had neuer done any thing to offend his Father and yet when hee feeles Gods wrath it makes him sweat for paine yea he sweates bloud Oh can it be that men should be so ouercome with spirituall dotage as to thinke Gods Iustice may be more easie towards them that are the parties offending then it was towards Iesus Christ And as the Iustice of God towards the wicked is terrible so it is vnauoidable If they say their riches shall ransome them they must be answered that a great ransome cannot deliuer them God will not esteeme their riches nor their gold nor all their forces of strength Iob 36. 19. Ezek. 7. 19. Besides riches can flie away in the day of Gods wrath Iob 20. 28. and if they remaine yet God can bring men into straits in the middest of their sufficiencie and raine vpon them the furie of his wrath euen they are is eating Iob 20. 22. 23. Nor will their sinnes be forgotten for they are written with a penne of Iron and with a point of a Diamond yea they are grauen vpon their owne Hearts and rather then God would want witnesses the heauens should declare their wickednesse and the earth should rise vp against them Ieremie 17. 1. Iob 20. 27. Nor can it ease them that they see that godly men suffer the same afflictions that they doe they may not gather from thence that God is no more displeased with them then hee is with the most Religious for there is a great deale of difference betweene the fire with which God melts his owne seruants as in a Furnace and the fire of his enemies for in the one God onely intends to refine and purifie his seruants in the other hee intends to consume his enemies hee respects the strength of his seruants but respects the sinne of his enemies Esay 26. 11. Ier. 46. 28. Nor may they say there are no Passions in God and therefore no wrath for though it be true that Passions are not in God as they are in man yet that little helpes them but rather increaseth the terror because wrath is in God after a way agreeable to his nature farre aboue that wrath can bee in man Mans anger is mutable and finite Gods anger is immutable infinite And to beate this into the heads of wicked men God doth ascribe to himselfe not onely the words of anger and wrath but of loathing with his soule iealousie furie smiting with the hands c. Psalme 11. 5. Ezek. 22. 13. 38. 18. 19. and the more to affect men when God is described as angry a consuming fire is said to goe before him and darkenesse to bee round about him the earth trembling vnder him and the hills melting at the presence of God and the heauens remouing out of their place c. Psalme 97. 2 3 4. Esay 13. 13. Nor may they thinke to finde meanes to escape for the Lord hath a mighty arme Psalme 89. 14. and hee hath his sanctified ones and his mighty ones whom he commands for his Anger Esay 13. 3. and to shew that there can be no resisting he is compared to consuming fire and to a continuall whirle-winde vpon the head of the wicked which shal not returne till it hath accomplished the minde of God Heb. 10. 29. Ieremie 30. 23. â—4 If they say wee haue escaped hitherto I answer that though his heart be set in wickednesse because sentence is not speedily executed yet he shall not prolong his daies though he doe euill an hundred times the wrath of the Lord hangs ouer his head and will fall downe at length Eccles 8. 12. Iob 31. 3. Iohn 3. 36. Nor will their going to Church or outward seruing of God somtimes serue their turne for God wil not accept of thousands of Rammes nor Riuers of Oyle nor if they would Sacrifice the Sonnes of their bodies for the sinnes of their soules yet it will not auaile them Mich. 6. 6 7. If they thinke that God that made them will pittie them and not destroy them they are deceiued for the Lord hath answered long since that he would not spare them though he made them yet he would not haue compassion on them Esay 27. 11. If they thinke to escape because they are such a multitude they are therein also deceiued for the vision is concerning the multitude and wrath is vpon all the multitude Ezek. 7. 12. 13 14. the glory and pompe and the multitude shall goe downe into hell Esay 5. 13 14. Nations that forget God shall be turned into hell Psal 9. 16. Nor will it ease them to thinke how hard a course this will be thought to be by all sorts of men for God will be iustified in his sayings and cleare himselfe though they condemne him Psalme 51. 4. hee will not respect the wise in heart Iob 37. 24. Neither may they persist in their wilfull pretending that God is mercifull and they can shew it by diuers Scriptures that God hath bound himselfe to shew wonderfull mercy to sinners for all that mercy belongs to the godly onely and besides God hath expreslely declared himselfe that if any man hearing the curses of Gods Law shall blesse himselfe in his heart God will not be mercifull to that man Deut. 29. 19. Finally they may not be confirmed against the feare of Gods Iustice by the testimonie of such Ministers as haue publikely or priuately incouraged them by promising peace and mercy and contradicting the Doctrine of other Ministers that haue soundly vrged the seuerity of Gods Iustice for God by the Prophet Ezekiel doth at large threaten that hee will breake downe those walles of vaine confidence which haue bin built in the hearts of wicked men he will finde a time when their daubing with vntempered morter shall be found by the sinner himselfe to bee vtterly without any foundation of Truth see the place at large Ezek. 13. 13 14 15 c. Thus you see the portion of the wicked and this is the Heritage he shall haue from the Almighty Iob 20. 29. The consideration of Gods Iustice toward wicked men may serue for wonderfull abasement and humiliation to men that liue in their sinnes without repentance Oh is it possible can thy heart indure to heare all this or can euer thy hands bee strong when the Lord shall haue to doe with thee Ezek. 22. 14. Oh woe to him that striues with his Maker Esay 45. 8 9. Oh but what must we doe is there no remedie for vs must we despaire I answer no but rather feare this dreadfull God for according to his feare will his anger bee Psal 90. 11. and with all possible speede and earnestnesse humble thy selfe before the Lord and insomuch as by this doctrine thou maist see what neede thou hast of a Sauiour to quench
all this heate of Anger flie to Christ Iesus and neuer cease begging of mercy from him to thy soule The wrath of God is such a fire as all the water in the Sea cannot quench It is a fire can bee quenched onely with bloud and teares No bloud will doe it but the bloud of Christ and no teares but the teares of the offender himselfe And let men take heede of Procrastination for euen the longer men stay in sinne the fiercer will his fire grow GOD heapes vp wrath as men heap vp sinne It may come to that at length that Gods anger may come to that degree as to be expressed by these words to be called Ira furoris sui magni the anger of his great fury Ira indignationis the furie of his Indignation Deut. 29. 24. Psal 78. 49. then God may sweare they shall neuer enter into his rest Let men therefore take heede how they abuse Gods patience and mercy any more Godly men also from the consideration of the fearefull Iustice of GOD towards wicked men may learne foure things 1. To get out from amongst them and euery one deliuer his owne soule from the fierce anger of the Lord which will fall vpon the wicked Ier. 51. 45. 2. Neuer to freâ—â—â— their prosperity seeing so fearefull things abide them 3. When they see Gods hand vpon the wicked they should sanctifie and exalt the God of Iudgement Esay 5. 16. 4. Euer the more terrible the wrath of God is towards the wicked the more heartily they should kisse the Sonne and make much of Christ by whom they are deliuered from so great wrath Psal 2. vlt. Hitherto of the Iustice of God The Glory of God followes The Glory of God is his wonderfull excellencie aboue all things and so his Glory is either absolute or Relatiue The absolute Glory of God is that in which hee is glorious in himselfe without relation to any other and so he is glorious foure waies 1. In the Excellencie of his Nature 2. In his Blessednesse 3. In his Liberty 4. In his Maiesty 1. The Glory of his Nature is nothing else but his surpassing Excellencâ—◠〈◊〉 all the praises belonging to his Nature and so he is gloâ—â—â—s in knowledge goodnesse Iustice greatnes omnipotencie c. And this glory of God is described in the doctrine of his Attributes and was the glory shewed to Moses Exod. 33. 18 c. 2. His Blessednesse is his essentiall glory whereby he is after a matchlesse manner most happie in himselfe 1. Tim. 1. 11. and his happinesse is to be adored 1. Because he abounds with all that can be possibly good to him any way and is seated in such felicitie that no euill can come neere him 1. Tim. 6. 15. 1. Ioh. 1. 6. 2. Because he perfectly knows all his happinesse and so hath infinite liking and ioy in his condition 3. Because he is sufficient to himselfe and from himselfe so as he needs not any good thing from vs or any thing without himselfe Psal 16. 2. 50. 7. 14. 3. He is glorious in his liberty and so he excells in a threefold liberty as he is free from compulsion from seruitude and from miserie He is free from compulsion because he is not tyed to second causes nor maistered by any higher cause but is and doth whatsoeuer he will without the Coaction of any necessity without himselfe Psal 115. 3. Esay 40. 13. Daniel 4. 35. He is also free from seruitude he is bound to none indebted to none subiect to none Rom. 11. 35. 36. He is also free from the burthen of miserie hee alone being such by nature that no kinde of miserie either of fault or punishment can befall him 4. He is glorious in his essentiall Maiesty which is an vnconceiueable splendor or beauty and shining brightnesse beyond all that Maiesty can befall any creature Thus God is said to be light and to dwell in the light which no man can approach vnto 1. Tim. 6. 16. and thus hee is the King of all Kings And in this absolute Glory God doth excell all the Kings of the earth 1. Because his Glory is aboue all praise and blessing so is not theirs Nehemiah 9. 5. Psal 145. 3. 2. Because the Kings of the earth doe giue him glory and praise him owe their Homage to his glory Psal 138. 4 5. God exceedes them in Glory more then they exceede their meanest subiects Daniel 4. 35. and no wonder seeing the glorified creatures in heauen throw downe their crownes before him as acknowledging him onely worthy to receiue honour c. Reuel 4. 10. 11. 3. Because their Glory is mortall but God is a King immortall and his Glory endureth for euer Psal 104. 31. 1. Tim. 1. 17. 4. Because hee hath it in himselfe and from himselfe as was shewed before Thus of his absolute Glory The Glory of God as it is in relation is either internall or externall The internall Glory of God as it is in relation is the personall Glory and so is the Glory either that is proper to each Person in the Trinity or else that peculiar Glory of the second Person in the Trinity as he is called the brightnesse of his Fathers Glory Heb. 1. 3. The externall Glory is that which comes vnto God from the creatures as hee stands in relation to them and so his Glory shines 1. In his workes which are therefore called his Glory and so both his works of Creation Psal 19. 1. and his workes of Iustice vpon the wicked Exod. 15. 6. 7. and his workes of Mercy in deliuering and sauing his people Psal 85. 9. 102 15. 16. 108. 5. Zach. 2. 5. and workes of omnipotencie and wonder Rom. 6. 4. 2. In the signes of his presence such as he gaue extraordinarily on earth as the cloud and pillar of fire Exod. 16. 8. 11. or that likenesse of consuming fire on the toppe of the Mount Exod. 24. 17. the cloude that filled the Temple 1. Kings 8. 10. 11. or the formes mentioned in Ezek. Chap 1. 28. 3. 23. 10. 4. 18. 11. 22 23. or else such as hee giues in heauen in the presence of his Glory to the Saints and this was that Glory of God which Stephen saw Acts 7. 55. 3. In his word especially the Gospel which is the doctrine of the Glory of the blessed God 1. Tim. 1. 11. 2. Cor. 4. 4. 4. In his children Israel he calls them his Glory Esay 46. 13. and so are the godly called because they resemble God and in that respect excell all other people All other men haue therefore failed of Gods Glory because they haue failed of his Image Rom. 3. 23. And in these foure waies of relation God is glorious but it is with a glory which himselfe hath printed and stamped vpon these things There is another way of glory which is in a speciall manner also called Gods glory and that is the glory which the reasonable creature giues vnto God
from him 2. God renewes our natures and begets them to bee like his Nature for being regenerated we partake of the diuine nature being made to liue Gods nature in holines and righteousnes and he may well be called a Father that begets that which is like to himselfe besides by Faith we put on Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. 27. 3. God giues vs the right and priuiledge of Sons and therefore is fitly called our Father for first hee findes vs foode and rayment Mat. 6. and teaching Esay 54. 13. and attendance not onely setting his Angels to looke to vs Psal 34. Heb. 1. but himself also carrying and bearing vs in his armes when any thing ayleth vs Esay 63. 9. 46. 4. Secondly he layes vp for vs as Fathers do for their children Psal 89. 28. 31. 19. and appoints vs the inheritance of Sons to be inioyed when we be of full yeeres Rom 8. 16. Before I passe from this point one thing must be added and that is that howsoeuer God be the Father of all men in respect of the Creation of their soules yet Faith lookes vpon him as a Father in Christ and so by Adoption and regeneration and therefore wee must diligently examine our selues whether we be sons and daughters to God by grace in Christ or no for all such as are by grace truely the Children of God haue in themselues such signes as these 1. They were borne by promise the preaching of the Gospell did mightily work vpon them to the renewing of their natures and infusing spirituall life into their soules Gal. 4. 29. Rom. 9. 8. 2. They are all beleeuers they come to Christ for happinesse and rely vpon him and so haue power to be the Sons of God Iohn 1. 12. 3. They lay hold vpon Gods couenant and consecrate themselues to his seruice and loue his name and to be his seruants and in particular are carefull to keepe his Sabboths Esay 56. 4. 5. 7. 4. They are children that will not lie they are noe Hypocrites they desire to be as good as they seeme to bee they abhorre counterfeiting and dissimulation their spirits are without guile Esay 63. 8. 5. They are led by the spirit and mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. 14. 6. They cry Abba Father they haue the spirit of prayer they can call vpon God in secret with affection and confidence esteeming nothing more then the Loue and fauour of God And thus how God is a Father and to whom The Vses follow and so In the first place this should teach Gods children many lessons as 1. To giue this glory to God to acknowledge him as a Father and daily so to call him from their hearts The first thing a childe speakes in nature vsually is the name of his parents and so the first thing in Religion should bee to call God Father we can doe nothing in Religion till we can call vpon God as vpon a Father this is the very foundation of the Church because all effectuall Religion is built vpon this principle that God is our Father 2. Thes 1. 1. Rom. 8. 15. 2. We should liue without care as our Sauiour shewes Mat. 6. for we haue a Father to care for vs and hee is a heauenly Father and therefore both knowes what wee need and is fully able to helpe vs and besides he daily feedes the foules of the ayre and yet he is not a Father to them how therfore can hee neglect vs whom hee hath begotten as children to himselfe ver 26. 32. 3. If God be our Father then we must honour him for wee are bound to honour our father and mother all our care should be to obey him and honour him and please him and doe our worke so as others might glorifie our Father which is in heauen Mal. 1. 6. Mat. 5. 16. liuin◠〈◊〉 â—as we shame not our fathers house 4. If God be our Father we must striâ—â—â—â— be like him and to imitate his nature and carriage and so we are vrged to follow and imitate him in mercie Mat. 5. 45. 48. in Loue Ephes 5. 1. 2. and in holines 1. Pet. 1. 14 15. 5. If God be our Father wee should be quickned vnto prayer wee should runne to him to make our moane in all our wants But withall it imports two things we should looke to in prayer first that we auoide vaine bablings and repetitions and affectation of length of prayer and the like for wee pray to a Father that needs not vaine and tedious discourses The words of a childe should bee humble and earnest and direct to the point but not tedious as our Sauiour shewes Mat. 6. 7. 8. secondly that wee pray in faith and not wauer because wee aske of a father If earthly fathers can giue good gifts to their children what will the heauenly father denie to his children Mat. 7. 7. 16. Yea if God himselfe should fight against vs with his terrors yet we must in prayer stick fast to this that he is our father and alwaies keepe this in our pleadings to wrestle with God by this Argument as the Church did in those straites mentioned Esay 64. 8. 4. 6. If God bee our father wee must then patiently beare his corrections seeing we indure correction at the hands of the fathers of our bodies who many times correct vs for their owne pleasure therefore much more should we submit our selues to the father of spirits who neuer corrects vs but for our profit And to desire to be without correction is to be in the condition of bastards and not of sonnes if we would haue God to loue vs we must be willing to let him correct vs Heb. 12. 4. to the 10. 7. If God be our father then nothing should more grieue vs then that wee haue offended him by our sinnes Ier. 31 18. Luke 15. 18. 8. If God be our father then wee must sort our selues with his children and auoid all needlesse societies and vnequall yoaking with the wicked of this world who are as like the diuell as euer childe was like his father Iohn 8. 2. Cor 6. 14 18. 9. We should in all welldoing rest in his praise as being our father that seeth in secret A childe seekes no more then to be accepted of his father Mat. 6. 1. 4. 10. We need not therefore the helpe of Saints or Angels to bring vs to God He is our father wee may goe to him our selues Esay 63. 16. 11. Therefore we should call no man father vpon earth hauing so great and gratious a father in heauen Mat. 23. 9. 12. Therfore also we should liue in peace one with another seeing we haue all one heauenly father Ephes 4. 4 6. Thus for instruction Secondly many consolations arise from hence if we beleeue that God is our father for then 1. He will spare vs as a father doth his son that serueth him he will beare with our infirmities Mal. 3. 17. 2. Though hee should correct vs yet hee
3. Yea thirdly this glory of God should swallow vp all the glory of men this very work of making Heauen and Earth should check vs for admiring and esteeming so much of the creature whatsoeuer since we haue such a perpetuall and surpassing cause of admiration of the Creator Acts 14. 16. 4. Since God made all things we should submit our selues to him and let him dispose of vs and all his creatures as he will he hath iust power in Heauen and earth to giue or take away or dispose at his owne pleasure Ier. 27. 5. 45. 3 4 5 6. 5. It should teach vs not to set our hearts too much vpon the world for that God that set vp this mighty frame of nothing can and will pull it all downe againe 6. It should breed in vs the feare of God and care of seruing him and obeying him that hath not onely supreame right vnto vs being his workemanship but soueraignty ouer all things Psal 119. 73. Psal 33. 8 9. 95. 6. all creatures else doe his will 7. It should teach vs in all straights and neede to flie to God for helpe as Dauid shewes our helpe standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made Heauen and Earth Psal 121. 2. 124. 8. 8. We should learne hence not to abuse the Creatures of God to ill ends seeing God hath assigned his Creatures to their right ends for his owne glory It is abominable to fight against God with his owne weapons Thirdly the Doctrine of the Creation of the World ought to be terrible to wicked men because God by his workes hath reuealed so much of his glory as they will be left without excuse Rom. 1. and besides hauing appointed them to certaine ends in which they haue corrupted themselues hee will destroy them as a Potter that sees his vessell will not be made fit dasheth it to peeces And besides hence they may know that God can want no meanes to destroy them seeing he hath such Armies of his owne creatures in Heauen and Earth which are all as his mighty ones and sanctified ones for his anger against them There is no way for them but one which is to meete the Lord betimes by Faith and true Repentance Amos 4. 13. Lastly this is very comfortable doctrine for the godly for from the Creation of the world they may gather 1. That God will not cast them off because they are the worke of his hands Iob 10. 3. 2. That all aduersaries shall be defeated whatsoeuer is prouided against them shall not prosper because God made the Smith that bloweâ—h in the Coales and he will suffer no creature of his to be turned against them Esay 54. 17. 3. That God is able to prouide for vs seeing the earth and heauens are his and all that is therein Psalme 146. 5. 6 24. 1. 4. That all the spirituall worke that belongs to our soules may bee effected hee that created the world and made vs good at the first can create the fruit of the lippes to bee peace and can create cleane hearts in vs Esay 57. 19. Psalme 51. 8. 5. That our bodies shall rise againe that God that could make all things of nothing can restore them out of the dust of the earth Thus of Creation in generall Now wee are in particular to consider what was made viz. Heauen and Earth Heauen By Heauen is ment all that part of the world which is aboue the Earth and so it is taken Genesis 2. 1. 24. 5. And so Heauen consists of three parts and euery parte beares the name of Heauen The first part next to vs is the Ayre and all that is betweene vs and the Moone so foules of the Ayre are called the foules of Heauen Gen. 1. 26. The second part is the Firmament in which are the Starres Sun and Moon Psal 19. 7. The third part is the Habitation of God and Angels the seate of the glory of God and his blessed one where the body of Christ now liues Marke 16. 19. and is called the third heauens 1 Cor. 12. 2. and this is the Heauen especially meant Gen. 11. for when there he saith God Created heauen and earth and the earth was without forme c. he notes that God vsed a twofold way of Creation some things he made immediately of nothing as the Heauen of the blessed some things he made of matter which was first made of nothing for out of that Chaos mentioned Gen. 2. did the Lord extract and forme all this visible world both the firmament and light and the elements and all creatures only spirits and the Heauen of the blessed hee made of no praeexiâ—â—ing matter and that honour haue the soules of men which are immediately created of nothing First then we are to intreate of that Heauen where God in his glory Christ in his glorious body are and seeing by Heauen is meant al that is contained in it by Creation we are there to consider of the Angels too and both that Heauen and the Angels belong to the inuisible world and the rest to the visible Concerning that blessed Heauen wee are to wonder at the glory of the Lord in creating it if we consider 1. The names giuen to it It is called the Heauen of Heauens Deut. 10. 14. 1 King 8. 27. Psal 11â— 16. The Temple of God Psal 11. 4. â—8 7. Paradise Luke 23. 42. The heauenly Ierusalem or Ierusalem that is aboue Gal. 4. 26. Heb. 12. 22. and in the same place Mount Sion The most holy place Hebrewes 10.9 Our fathers house Iohn 4. 2. The place of the Habitation of God and his holinesse Deut. 26. 15. Psal 33. 14. Abrahams bosome Luke 16. 22. The Citie of the Liuing God Heb. 12. 22. a Cittie hauing foundation whose Maker and builder is God Heb. 11. 10. our Countrie Heb. 11. 13. 14. 2. The substance of it which is conceiued to be of a marueilous excellent nature farre more perfect and subtile then the substance not onely of the Elements but of those visible heauens which diuers gather thus As any creature is higher then the earth so is the substance of it lesse grosse and materiall As the waters are thinner then the earth and the Ayre then the waters and the Element of fire according to the common opinion of Diuines and Philosophers purer then the Ayre and the Essence of the mighty Firmament yet more pure then the foure Elements as consisting of a fift Essence as they say in Schooles and accordingly we see creatures fitted to each of these places Fishes that cannot liue in the bowells of the earth liue in the waters and foules of a more spirituall being flie in the Ayre Now when we are ascended so high as the highest visible heauens then do our minds conceiue of that glorious place of the blessed made of a more pure Essence then any of these And though Diuines say that the sustance of these heauens must needs be corporeall and
bodies bee here our prayers and all the parts of Gods worship should sauour of this knowledge Phil. â— 20. Colos 3. 1. 2. 5. By a voluntary forsaking or contemning of the profits and pleasures of this world being content to finde here but the entertainement of Pilgrims and strangers euen such as are farre from their owne home Heb. 11. 13 14. 6. By inuincible Patience in bearing all the assaults of life here not wearied with afflictions considering this eternall weight of glory in heauen not dismayed with any terror of Sathan nor perplexed with any scornes of the world seeing the time will shortly come wee shall bee deliuered from all these things and possesse an inheritance that is vndefiled and immortall in heauen and the lesse should we be troubled about the dissolution of our bodies or rather wee should desire to get out of this earthly Tabernacle that wee might come to dwell in that heauenly building 2. Corinthians 5 1. 2. 7. By our diligent labour to carry our Treasures to lay them vp in heauen that is our best house and the onely sâ—fe place where neither Rust no Moth can corrupt nor theeues breake through and steale What we haue in heauen is safe kept by the power of God What we haue on earth is vncertaine and therefore our greatest care should be to send as many prayers and good workes to heauen as accounting it the best treasure and the wisest course so to imploy our selues Mat 6. 20. Thus of the Heauen of Heauens Before we leaue that inuisible world we must intreat of the Angels which are the Hoste of the Lord in that vpper world That the Lord did a most glorious worke when hee made the Angels may appeare many waies 1. By the names and Titles giuen them They are called spirits Starres of the Morning Sonnes of God Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions Seraphim and Cherubim yea Gods all which shew they were wonderfully made and of great excellencie 2. By the substance he made them to be for the substance of Angels is not corporeall and therefore purer then any bodies in Heauen and Earth and so pure as no senses can discerne them for though God onely be simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immateriall yet Angels are Immateriall in respect of any Physicall composition for they consist not of matter and forme as other Creatures doe but haue onely that kinde of composition which they call Metaphysicall for they are compounded of essence or act and power 3 By the place where he sets them when he had made them for he seated them in heauenly places Ephes 3. 10. hee made them to liue about himselfe in the Chamber of his presence alwaies before his face They were Creatures made of purpose to liue in the Court of the King of Kings 4 By the numbers he made of them Daniel said hee saw thousand thousands of Angels and an hundred times ten thousand thousand Daniel 7. 10. Heb. 12. 22. It is said there is an innumerable company of Angels Hee meanes they are more then man can number not more then God can number and the number is the more to bee admired because the Angels doe not marry and so are not increased by propagation 5 By the manner of their being and working in respect of time and place for Angels are in place definitiuely not circumscriptiuely as they say in Schooles that is they are so in place that wholly they are there they cannot bee said to be in another place but yet while they are there it cannot be told by any creature what roome they take vp or how much place they fill for length bredth or height or depth and so for time they doe not worke in a moment as God doth but yet in respect of vs they worke strange things in an vnperceiueable time and to shadow that out they are described to haue wings not that they haue but by way of signification or resemblance 6 By the gifts with which God endowed them when hee made them I will instance in their knowledge and power for knowledge it must needes be great in Angels for besides the knowledge they had naturally by Creation they know strange things by reuelation from God and by experience gather many things from the course of things in the world or their causes in nature and the manifold wisdome of God is made knowne to Angels by the preaching of the Gospell which they see into with wonderfull ability though men be so dull and blockish in hearing 1 Cor. 11. 10. Ephes 5. 10. Iohn 8. 44. Daniel 8. 16. 9. 22. adde to all these wayes their supernaturall knowledge of God by which they are inabled to stand for euer without falling from God Great also is the power of Angels especially in working vpon bodily creatures One Angell could kill almost all Senacheribs Army in a night by an Angell was Peter fetched out of prison Acts 12. 7 8. and Philip carried from place to place Acts 8. 39. and the Sodomits smitten blinde Gen. 19. and the Host of the Syrians frighted with a noise they made 2 Kings 6. 28. and without doubt they can doe strange things about the soules of men They haue appeared to men in their dreames and as euill angels can tempt men internally so may good Angels incourage and counsell godly men though they discerne not who raiseth those comforts or counsels onely Miracles of themselues they cannot doe nor can they know the thoughts of the heart of man of themselues 7 By the language in which God hath made them able to treat one with another or with man or God for it is cleare they vse not any fleshly or corporall language in as much as they haue not bodies and so no tongues but they speake one to another by a spirituall and heauenly language without any audible sound or vocall speech or noife I say after an vnutterable manner angellically they insinuate instill and communicate one to another or to the vnderstanding of men what they will The deliuering of the sense of the minde by voice is an inferiour kinde of meanes because it agrees onely to bodies such Spirits as are onely mindes and haue no bodies can conuerse one with another without sound of words in their owne vnderstandings as in a most cleere Looking-glasse shewing what they will one to another Before I come to the vse of this part certaine questions men might aske about Angels are to be resolued as Quest 1. When were Angels created Answ It cannot be certainly gathered but it is probable they were created the first day when the Heauen of Heauens was created and thence are called the Angels of Heauen Moses speakes nothing of the Creation of Angels because that is not a knowledge that properly belongs to vs for if the Theology for Angels were written we should neede another Bible The Creation and gouernment of Angels conteining as great variety of matter as doth the Religion of mankinde Quest
2. What are the offices of Angels or what vses did God make them for Answ Angels serue for many vses They are Apparitors or seruants about God ready to receiue Commandements from him and they worship God by lauding and praising him in Heauen Psal 104. 4. 148. 2. Esay 6. 3. Luke 2. 14. Reuel 4. 8 9. 5. 13. and they are appointed as speciall attendants about CHRIST as the MESSIAH Mat. 4. 11. and they serue also as ministring spirits to keepe and attend vpon the Elect men Heb. 1. 14. and manifold are the seruices which Angels doe for men both in life and death In life they defend and keepe them as a strong guard about them Psal 34. 91. and plague their enemies 2 King 19. 35. besides the vnknowne seruice they doe about the soules of the godly by counselling or comforting them And in death they are about them and carry their soules to Heauen as they did Lazarus his soule and in the end of the world they will gather all the Elect from the foure winds of Heauen and bring them to Christ Quest 3. But why doe you not intreat of Deuills here also Answ There were no Deuills by creation GOD made them not as Deuills and therefore it belongs not to the Doctrine of Creation to speake of the euill angels because that belongs to the Doctrine of the fall of the reasonable Creatures Quest 4. But hath euery particular man a good Angell and a bad Answ It is probable that euery Elect man hath a good Angell as may be gathered Mat. 18. 10. Acts 12. 15. but yet God is not so tyed but that he sends them extraordinarily more Angels many times to helpe or attend vpon it may be one man Psal 34. 8. As for euill angels we reade that sometimes one Angell hath vexed one man Iob. 1. 12. sometimes one Angell hath haunted diuers men 2 Chron. 18. 21. sometimes many Angels haue haunted one man Luke 8. 30. But that euery man should haue a bad angell assigned him of God is no where to be found in Scripture The consideration of this Doctrine of the making of the Angels in such a nature and for such ends as before should serue for diuers vses 1 It should informe vs concerning the wonderfull loue of God to vs that hath made such excellent creatures to do vs such admirable seruice as to attend vpon vs and keepe vs Heb. 1. 14. 2 It should breed in vs a great longing after the world to come where wee shall not onely enioy the knowledge of and fellowship with such glorious Creatures but shall be made our selues in glory as the Angels in Heauen 3 It should teach vs diuers things as first not to worship Angels for they were all created by God God made the Angels and therefore worship is due to him and not to them that are but our fellow seruants Colos 1. 16. Reuel 19. Secondly we should therfore carry our selues orderly in all places especially in the Church because of the Angels who are about vs and marke what we doe 1 Cor. 11. 10. Thirdly we should therefore be patient and of good hope and full of faith in all afflictions arising from the oppositions of men or temptations of Satan as being satisfied with this comfort that they are more that are with vs then can be against vs and if our eyes were opened wee might see so much as was shewed to the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6. 16. Hitherto of the Heauen of the blessed and the Hoste thereof the Angels and so of the world that is now inuisible to vs we next come downe to consider of this visible world this world I say which is in our view or may bee seene and before I come to speake of the other two Heauens I would briefly consider of Gods glory in the generall in the making of this visible world not so much for the matter of the creatures or their naturall formes or properties or their next causes which belongs properly to the Philosophers but for such things as concerne their first cause which is God or their end which is Gods glory or their vse which is rather spirituall then corporall in demonstrating vnto the soule of man the praises of God The maker of this visible world was GOD as well as of that inuisible world as is manifestly proued Genesis 1. at large The end of making a world of bodies as well as of spirits was not the punishment of spirituall substances for their sinning against God as Origen dreamed but the setting out of Gods glory in shewing his wisdome goodnesse and power Psal 19. Rom. 1. and the furnishing of man for his happy being That our hearts may be affected with wondering at this great world which God hath made we may profitably consider of it either by thinking what it is like or by serious pondering what it is indeed This great world is like a great Garden throughly furnished euery creature being as a pleasant flower exquisitely ranked in most comely order the onely weedes that grow in this Garden are wicked men as it may be likened to a great Booke in which God hath written glorious things that concerne the praise of his goodnesse wisdome and power Euery creature is as it were a distinct lease of that Booke and the properties and vses of these creatures are as it were the seuerall lines and letters of that leafe and the more admirable because it is a Booke the writing whereof is indelible and the vses whereof are vniuersall the Booke so opened that all men in all parts of the world may see and read Againe this visible world may be likened to a great and faire house most exquisitely buil and contriued into seuerall roomes and euery roome richly furnished the Heauens are the Roofe the Earth the floore and the Elements the seuerall roomes and the hosts of creatures in each of them the rich furniture and this house is the more admirable for vs because it is a house that euery man dwels in out of this house no man can be put it is kept at the charge of the Land-lord and the Tenants pay no rent But to leaue similitudes there are in the generall consideration of this visible world diuers things may bee briefly touched which we ought to wonder at and to glorifie God for his making of things so as 1 The apt disposition of euery creature in his owne place which place is so fit as a fitter cannot bee inuented if the Starres were fixed in the Earth or the Trees in Heauen how disproportionable and vncomely would it be 2 The exactnesse of the Cteatures in their working in keeping their times and seasons how punctually doth the Sunne dispatch his race in 24. houres and so the Moone in her seasons the Plants keepe their seasons of the yeere for bearing fruit and the Starres for shining as they haue receiued commandement and order from their great Commander
Pro. 30. 19. 6. The Vses they serue for both in respect of God for the Foules praise God in their kinde Psal 148. 10. and in respect of men to whom they are giuen not onely for their foode and seruice Gen. 9. 2. but as the companions of their liues and therefore it is noted as a iudgement to haue the very Foules of the Ayre taken away Ier. 4. 25 9. 10. Especially God hath giuen to the Kings of the Earth a supreame rule ouer the Foules of the Ayre in the places where their subiects dwell Dan. 2. 38. 7. The naturall order among the Foules euery kinde knowing his season Ier. 8. 7. From the Contemplation of the Foules of the Ayre the holy Ghost in Scripture raiseth diuers Vses both to teach and reproue and terrifie First for matter of Instruction hee shewes that the very foules may teach vs first to know that there is a God and that he gouernes the world Iob. 12. 7. secondly to liue without carking care for foode and rayment and trust vpon God for the successe of all our labours Mat. 6. 26. thirdly with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge Gods goodnesse to vs that hath made vs wiser then the Foules of the Ayre Iob 35. 11. and giues vs power ouer them Psal 8. 8. and that hee hath made a couenant with them in our behalfe that they shall not hurt vs Hosea 2. 18. and for that now in the New Testament God hath taken of these ceremoniall restraints and pronounced that all the Foules are now cleane and lawfull to be eaten or vsed Acts 10. 12. Secondly Man is reprooued by the Foules for not obferuing the seasons of grace in that the Foules in their kinde obserue the seasons of nature for their appearing and breeding c. Ier. 8. 7. Thirdly man is threatned that if he sinne against God that God that gaue the carcases of the Foules for meat to man will giue the carcases of men for meat to the Foules Deut. 28. 26. Thus of the Foules The Meteors in the Ayre are certaine impressions God by his power makes in or by the Ayre the Lord framing wonderfull things thence and there for the seruice of his glory The Scripture considers of these Meteors either as altogether extraordinary importing their vse but not the causes of them or else more ordinary God hath strange things in this Heauen vnknowne to vs and of which he giues no account to vs in the booke of Nature Thus wee reade of fire rained downe from Heauen Gen. 19. 2. Kings 2. 10. and oâ— great stones throwne downe from Heauen Iosh 10. and also that God opened the dore of Heauen and rained downe Manna Psal 78. 23. and by experience it hath bin knowne that God hath rained downe liuing creatures from Heauen also as frogges or the like The more ordinarie Meteors may for order sake be cast into three sorts some fiery some ayrie some watery The fiery Meteors in Nature are many which are seene in great diuersity and often as pillars of fire the fire we call the falling of the Starres the fire they call Ignis fatuus or fooles fire the fire that will hang about mens garments or the sailes of ships blazing Starres or the Lightning But the Scripture doth especially single out the Thunder and Lightning to make obseruations about it for our vses And so first of Thunder and Lightning both together the Scripture would haue vs take notice 1. That they are in a speciall manner of Gods making though the Philosopher say much to tell vs how they are raised and framed by nature yet God challengeth a peculiar honour in the making of them aboue what wee can reach too and therefore they are called his Thunder and his Lightning Psal 77. 17. 18. 104. 6. 7. Iob 38. â—5 2. That they are both Officers vnto God in a speciall place about him seruing about the Lord when there is speciall occasion to shew the terror and greatnesse of his Maiesty as when the Law was to bee giuen and the Lord was to come downe vpon Mount Sinay Exod 19. 16. and so when the Lord as King would come downe amongst vs here in the world the Thunder and Lightning doe not onely giue notice of his comming but as his high Marshalls they make roome for it and compell people of all sorts in their places to expect the comming of the Lord Psalme 97. 1. 3. 4. Secondly each of them are magnified apart as 1. The Thunder is called the voice of God the sound that goeth out of his mouth which God directeth vnder the whole Heauen as a wise man directeth his speech to the Hearers It is a roaring voice called also the voice of his Excellence because he speaketh when he speaketh by Thunder with speciall Maiesty The Lord is said to thunder maruellously with his voice all this in Iob 37. 2 3 4 5. Hee speakes in Thunder as the God of glory Psal 29. â— This voice of the Lord is powerfull and therfore called the Thunder of his power Iob 26. 14. Psal 29. 4. 2. The Lightnings are called Gods Arrowes 2. Sam. 22. 14. 15. and so they are wonderfull if we consider that it is God onely that diuided a way for the Lightning Iob 38. 25. 28. 26. and that God can by these Arrowes discomfit an Armie of enemies Psal 144. 6. and that God can shoot so farre with them viz from one end of the Heauen to another Mat. 24. 27. and that God doth make the Lightnings with the raine at the same time when one would thinke the raine should quench the fire of the Lightning Psal 135. 7. and this obseruation of the Psalmist the Prophet Ieremie twise alledgeth Verbatim as a matter of wonder Ier. 10. 13 51. 26. Lastly it is wonderfull that God should shoot with such strange Arrowes as inlighten the world Psalme 97. 3. 4. 77. 17. 18. What vse we should make of the Thunder and Lightning we are likewise taught in the booke of God for the Thunder being Gods voice we are enioyned when God speakes in such Maiesty to heare him attentiuely yea and to speake of his glory in the Temple Psal 29. 9. Iob 37. 2. and what the meaning is of his voice he hath told vs in his Word so that as often as we heare the Thunder wee should know that God by that mighty voice doth tell vs 1. That he is the true God and there is none so great as he Ier. 10. â—0 13. Psal 77. 13. 18. 17. 2. That he raigneth and gouerneth all things and can doe what he lists Psal 97. 1. 2. 3. 3. That wicked men are sure to be destroyed and that their strength shall not preuaile 1. Sam. 2. 10. 4. That the mightiest men on earth must doe their Homage to God and now acknowledge his Glory and Maiesty and worship him with all possible deuotion Psalme 29. 1 2 3 c. 5. That the heart of all men should tremble at the
terror of his glory Iob â—7 1. 6. That the godly shall be preserued and that God will giue his people strength Psal 29. 11. Thus of the fiery Meteors The Ayrie Meteors follow and they are the winde and the Earth-quake Concerning the windes these things are noted as admirable in Scripture 1. The originall of them No man knoweth whence they come nor whither they goe Iohn 3. 7. Yea God challengeth it as his owne speciall glory to create the windes and reckons that worke with the forming of the Mountaines and the telling of man what he thinkes Amos 4. 13. but where God puts the winds after he hath created them wee know not onely that he bringeth them out of his treasure Psalme 135. 7. 2. The direction of them in their Motion no man can hold the winde in his fistes nor turne them out of the way to alter their Motion yet are the very windes subiect vnto Gods order either to be still Mat. 8. 27. or to goe on as he shall direct both when and whither and as he will in all things It is admirable that such bustling and vnruly creatures as the windes should bee made to pace orderly yet it is said that God weighs euen the windes and before he sends them out he looketh to the ends of the whole earth and seeth exactly vnder the whole Heauens to appoint their Motion and their way Iob 28. 25. 3. The vse God puts the winde to sometimes they serue to bring the raine 1 King 18. 45. sometimes they serue in steed of posts and messengers so they fetched Locusts Ex. 10. 13. and quailes Numb 11. 31. sometimes God vseth them to draw his Charriots The clouds are Gods Charriot and it is drawne by wings not by horses and the winges are the winde Thus God rideth on the wings of the winde 2. Sam. 22. 10. Psal 104. 3. sometimes they are set to driue away the Raine and to cleanse the clouds Iob 37. 21. Prou. 25. 23. sometimes he vseth them to punish the sinnes of men by hurting or destroying their houses cattell corne or the like yea sometimes he sends the winde to fetch away the wicked and to hurle them out of their place Iob. â—7 21. All which should teach vs to acknowledge Gods glory in these things and to lift vp our hearts to the contemplation of Gods wonderfull working especially we should prepare our hearts to meete God and not dare to prouoke him by our sinnes Amos 4. 12 13. Thus of the wind the Earth-quakes followes which is supposed to be caused by the Ayre getting into the hollow places of the earth and wanting vent doth by force striue tâ— open a passage for it selfe which causeth the trembling of thâ— Earth The Earth-quake is iustly to be reckoned amongst the wonderfull workes of God that can by so weake a creature as the Ayre moue so vast a body as the Earth and therefore the Scripture giueth the power of shaking the earth vnto God This Meteor is magnified in Scripture also for the seruice it is put to It sometimes is vsed to shew the terror of Gods Maiesty sometimes to signifie Gods wrath vnto wicked men sometimes to assure Gods loue to his people as will appeare in the vse and sometimes to foretell the last Iudgement The consideration of the Earth-quake may serue for diuers vses as 1 To shew Gods power and greatnesse and the terror of his Maiesty Exod. 19. 18. so the Earth-quake was one of the wonders to shew the diuinity of Christ at his passion 2 To comfort Gods seruants and to let them know that God is highly displeased when they are wronged Hee makes the Earth quake when hee is angry for the wrongs done to his Seruants especially if they make their mone to him by Prayer as was shewed in the case of Dauid Psal 18. 6 7. and the Apostles Acts 4. 31. and Paul and Silas Acts 16. 25 26. 3 To proue how fearefull the estate of wicked men is and how sure it is they will be consumed out of the earth and how easie it is for God to be rid of them seeing if hee but looke on the Earth it trembleth Psal 104. 32 c. yea by this worke Iob proues no man could euer harden himselfe against God and prosper seeing he shaketh the earth out of his place and the Pillars thereof tremble Iob 9. 4 5 6. and Nahum hence concludeth that no wicked man can stand before his anger Nahum 1. 5 6. Sure it is GOD can neuer want glory that can make the earth shake if he but looke vpon it and the Hils smoke if hee but touch them Psal 104. 31 32. and we should sing of his glory all our dayes Lastly wee vpon whom the ends of the world are come when wee see the Earth tremble should remember the approach of the generall iudgement the Lord by that signe giuing warning vnto men to awake out of security and prouide for their accounts Luke 21. 11. Mat. 24. 7. Thus of the Ayrie Meteors The watry Meteors follow and those are Clouds Snow Mist Deaw Frost Haile and Raine and hither I may referre the Rainebow and these are most frequently mentioned in Scripture and though men for the commonnesse of these things doe neglect the study of Gods glory in them yet the Lord euen from these things doth for our vse gather many excellent obseruations to teach vs and to shew vs his glory These things are commended in Scripture 1 For the wonder of their originall who can tell who is the Father of the Raine and who hath begotten the drops of the Deaw out of whose wombe came the Ice and who hath gendered the hoare Frost that comes from Heauen who can shew the secret of hiding the waters as with a stone and freezing the face of the deepe who can lift vp his voice to the Clouds that abundance of waters may come downe Iob 38. 28 29 30 34. 2 For the wonderfull working of God in the placing and ordering of them as that God should binde vp the waters in his thicke Cloud and yet the Cloud not to bee rent vnder them Iob 26. 8 9. and that God should shake the Pillars of Heauen and yet Heauen falls not verse 11. that God can fetch vp and cause the vapours to ascend from the very ends of the earth Psal 135. 7. that hee weigheth the waters by measure when he maketh a decree for the raine seeing to it and preparing it and searching out all things that concerne the falling of euery drop of the raine so as not any of it falls in vaine or in a wrong place Iob 28. 25 26 27. 37. 12. 3 For the worth and excellency of these things called the blessings of Heauen and the precious things of Heauen Deut. 33. 13. Gen. 49. 25. 4 For the vse he puts these things to for 1 By these when he pleaseth he can iudge his enemies either by shutting vp the Heauens that they fall not or by
his Truth Psalme 146. 5. 6. 2. When men are in vproares and the World full of commotions and warres the consideration of Gods power ouer the raging of the sea is an incouragement and comfort vnto men that waite vpon God that hee can also still the Tumult of the people as the Prophet gathers Psal 65. 7. 3. Such men as haue callings to doe their businesse in the Sea may hence gather comfort for their safetie there for God is the confidence of them that are a farre off in the Sea as the same Prophet shewes Psal 65. 5. We may trust God for our preseruation on the sea aswell as on the drie land seeing his command is as great in the one as in the other Lastly hence the Apostle Peter gathers an vnanswerable confutation of Atheists that thinke all things will continue alike and that there will be no breaking vp of the world for the last iudgement and that things are carried meerely by a naturall course for that the Earth stands out of the waters and in the waters if there were no higher cause then nature the world would presently bee ouerflowed if God let goe his hold of the waters as manifestly appeared in the destruction of the old world 2. Pet. 3. 5. Thus of the Waters The Earth is considered of in the Scriptures either in it selfe or in the fruits of it or in the Inhabitants of it The glory of the Lord is exceeding great in respect of the Earth considered in it selfe 1. That he could make the Earth Gen. 1. 1. Psal 121. 2. 2. That he could make it so that is 1. So great and vast a creature Iob 11. 9. 2. That he could make it be only by his word 2. Pet. 3. 5. Psal 33. 9. 3. That he could make it hang in such a miraculous manner vpon nothing that is able to beare it vp founding it vpon the waters and Ayre Iob 26. â— 38. 4. 5. 6. Psalme 136. 6. 4. That he hath diuided it and set borders throughout the whole Earth diuiding it for the vse of the seuerall Nations that should inhabit it Psal 74. 17. 5. That he hath made it so vnmoueable there being nothing to fasten it Psalme 104. 5. 33. 9. 119. 90. being of such weight and hauing so many Citties and buildings vppon it and being a creature so round and therefore by nature moueable 6. That he hath made it a creature that lasts for euer and outlasts a world of other creatures Eccles 1. 4. Psalme 78. 69. The Vses are diuers for 1. Hence we may gather the maruellous glory of the Lord in his power greatnesse wisedome prouidence soueraignty and eternity Iob 12. 8. His power in being able to make so mighty a creature hee must needs haue a mighty Arme Psal 89. 11. 13. His greatnesse in that he is bigger then the Heauens and the Earth seeing they are the worke of his hands Iob 11. 9. His wisedome that hee could finde out such a secret way of founding so vast a creature Pro. 3. 19. 8. His prouidence is most manifest in that so mighty a creature can abide which it could neuer doe if it were not vpheld by the Word of his power 2. Pet. 3. 5. and his soueraignty is matchlesse he is a great King aboue all Kings for he alone is the Lord of the whole earth Neuer any King was King of the whole Earth but hee so as all the Earth and the fulnesse thereof belongs to him and he hath the highest and absolutest right ouer all things in the Earth Psalme 47. 7. Mich. 4. 13. Zach. 4. vlt. finally hence is proued the Eternity of God he made the Earth and therefore was before the foundations of it and if he could make a creature that lasts so long how euerlasting is he himselfe Psal 102. 25. 26. 2. It is not inough to know these things but wee must giue God the glory of them our hearts should alwaies say with the Psalmist Blessed bee the Lord God which onely doth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious name for euer and let the whole earth bee filled with his glory Amen Amen Psal 72. 19. 18. Psal 47. 7. and the rather because our vowes and thankesgiuing are as it were all the Rent we pay vnto the Lord of the whole Earth of whom we hold in chiefe Psal 50. 12. 3. Iâ— should teach godly men contentation in all estates if God be the King of the whole Earth then all his children are the great Princes of the world Psal 47. 9. and can want nothing that is needfull for them because the Earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. Zach. 4. 14. which if it be seriously considered all men haue cause to say verely there is a reward for the righteous Psal 58. 12. and if wicked men breake their bonds and breake in vpon their possessions they haue a comfortable recourse to that God that set the borders of the Earth and gaue the lot to his people Psal 74. 17. 18. and if the earth can last so long then the children of his seruants shall much more endure for euer Psalme 102. 25. 26. 28. and if the Word of the Lord bee so vnmoueable that by it the earth is vpheld then wil the word of his promise to his seruants be sure to all generations Psal 119. 90. and therfore of all men Oh ye Righteous ye are blessed of the Lord which made Heauen Earth Psal 115. 13 14 15 16. and therefore also in all the occasions of our liues we should remember that our helpe commeth from the Lord which made Heauen and Earth Psal 121. 2. 134. 3. 4. It should teach vs to giue God the glory of disposing of the Kingdomes of the Earth He is the supreame Lord of the whole Earth and therefore hee may set vp and pull downe what Kings and Princes he will and if he set Sion to thresh the Nations and to take away their substance yet it is done by right seeing God is the Lord of the Earth Mich. 4. 13. Psal 47. 9. 5. The Kings of the Earth should remember to do their Homage to God and to sing of his praises and of the surpassing excellencie of his glory Psal 138. 4. Psal 72. 11. 6. Woe to wicked men for if the Earth be his and they his Subiects he hath more power to subdue and punish them as rebells then any of the Princes of the Earth and therefore can easily consume them out of the earth Psal 104. vlt. 58. 12. and if hee can make the very earth tremble if he but look vpon it Psal 104. 32. then where shall they appeare and how shall they stand before his Indignation Nahum 1. 5. 6. and if they be borne with for a time and get great estates on Earth yet must they be brought to iudgement as vsurpers because the Earth is the Lords and they neuer had a Title from him for what they hold and
to inlarge his Dominions and to pull downe the Kingdome of Antichrist 4. To endeuour to carrie themselues as may become their Relation to Christ either as his Subiects or as made Kings by him as his Subiects they should consider that it behoues them 1. To study the Mysteries of his Kingdome Mat. 13. 11. 2. To send their Lambe to the Ruler of the whole earth Esay 16. 1. to doe their Homage and to acknowledge their King 3. To bow at the Name of Iesus Phil. 2. 11. making of legges will not serue the turne they must bee subiect with all feare and reuerence and submit themselues to his will 4. To shew themselues sensible of his dishonor and not bee silent or carelesse when they heare their King abused 5. To shew all meekenesse and patience for their King though he be a great King yet is meeke and humble Mat. 21. 5. 6. To obserue whatsoeuer he commands Mat. 28. vlt. prouing themselues to be his subiects by fearing to displease him in any thing Hosea 3. 5. 7. To seeke to him in all our necessities seeing hee is so highly exalted and able to helpe vs and delights to receiue petitions from his Subiects And in asmuch as we partake of his holy Oyle also and are by him made Kings vnto God wee should shew our selues to the world as spirituall Kings and that first by subduing our owne passions lusts inordinate desires carnall reason maintaining continuall warre against the remainders of corruption in our natures He is a King indeed that can rule ouer his owne perturbations secondly by shewing our selues resolute not to bee brought in bondage by the diuell or the world by the Baits of profit or pleasure or by the inforcements of scorne threatning or punishment we should let the world know they should assoone conquer the kings of the earth as win vs from our sincerity and fidelity to Iesus Christ thirdly by our conuersation in heauen wee should alwaies order our liues as if wee were presently to bee Crowned in Heauen Lastly such as are Kings Rulers or Gouernors ouer others should hence learne with feare and trembling to confesse the glory of Christ and acknowledge that they haue their Scepters and Authority from Iesus Christ and accordingly reckon their kingdomes on earth to be but as places of seruice in which they doe the worke which Iesus requireth of them Psal 2. 11. IOHN 1. 14. And we beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father His onely Sonne HItherto of the Titles Iesus and Christ now followes the third Title and so our Redeemer is called Gods onely Sonne About which ground of Faith wee haue these things to consider 1. The Proofes that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God for to beleeue God hath a Sonne is not inough we must beleeue that Iesus Christ is that Sonne of God Psal 2. 7. compared with Heb. 1. 5. Ioh. 10. 36. Mat. 16. 16. Rom. 1. 3. Iohn 9. 35. 2. What kinde of Sonne Christ is to God God hath many Sonnes some by Grace and one by Nature The sorts of sonnes which God hath by Grace see in the explication of the terme Father in the first Article of the Creed But Christ is his naturall Sonne because God the Father did communicate to him his owne nature so as he is by nature the Son of God he is the begotten Sonne of God because he receiued his Fathers Nature by Generation He is the first begotten Sonne of God so called in Scripture because hee hath the right of the first-borne ouer his brethren and was begotten before the world was he is the onely begotten Son of God because by Generation God hath no other Sonnes but he 3. In what Nature Christ is the onely Sonne of God It may be conceiued that he is so in respect of his humane Nature for no other Sonnes of God were conceiued of the holy Ghost or borne of a Virgin but hee onely but wee must vnderstand that Christ in his Incarnation hath the same Nature with vs it differs onely in the manner of receiuing it Now he is called the onely Son from the nature which hee receiues from the Father and he onely and so he is the onely Sonne of God as he is the second Person in the Trinity and in respect of the manner of receiuing his diuine Nature This is mightily opposed by the antient and moderne Arians who striue vehemently to carrie it that hee is called in Scripture the Sonne of God onely as he is man and that God hath no Son that was before Iesus was borne or conceiued Now to establish our Faith against their Heresie we should often thinke of these Scriptures where mention is made of a Sonne of God before Iesus was borne or was greater then man could be as Iohn 3. 16. God sent his Sonne into the world and God had a Sonne by whom he made the world Heb. 1. 2. Colos 1. 16. God had a Sonne of whom it was said that hee onely reuealed the Father Mat. 11. 27. now either he was before he was incarnate or else the Church in the Old Testament knew not God the Father and vnto the Sonne he saith Thy Throne O God is for euer and euer then he had a Sonne was God as well as man Heb. 1. 8. besides it is cleare he had many brethren as man Heb. 2. 12. and therefore as man could not bee the onely Sonne 4. How he was begotten To this question a perfect answer cannot bee giuen by vs in this mortality Pro. 30. 4. It is a Mystery exceeds all mortall capacity Yet the Lord is pleased to let fall certaine similitudes in Scriptures that giue vs some glimpse of it as when Christ is called the Wisedome or Word of his Father Pro. 8. Iohn 1. thereby we gather that as the soule begets reason or the word that is afterwards to be vttered beget I say within it selfe without ioyning with any other creature so doth God as an eternall minde beget his Sonne in himselfe so when Christ is called the brightnesse of his Fathers glory it imports that as shining is begotten of the Sun so is Christ of the Father Heb. 1. 3. So when Christ is called the Character or Image of his Fathers person is imported that as the print of the seale is set vpon waxe and doth resemble it perfectly without loosing any part of the seale so doth God communicate his whole Nature to his Sonne without loosing any thing from himselfe Heb. 1. 3. And as the minde of man begets an Image of what it conceiues so God that eternall minde when hee conceiued of himself he begat that Image of himself which we call the Sonne of God perfectly resembling the Father See in the Notes vpon that word Father in the first Article of the Creed seauen things wherein this eternall geneneration of Gods Son is vnlike to our generation by earthly parents 5. Why our Redeemer needed to be the Son of God
aswell as the Son of Man It was requisite he should be the Son of God for diuers reasons first because there must be a proportion betweene the sinne of man and the punishment due to his sinne and the satisfaction made to God for the sinne and punishment due Now mans sinne being infinite as in other respects so because it was committed against God who is infinite his punishment must be infinite also Now no finite creature can performe an infinite satisfaction in a finite time and therefore it was requisite hee should be infinite in person that suffered which as man he was not secondly the benefits necessarie for vs require that the Mediator should be God for to deliuer man from spirituall enemies sinne and Sathan and to restore to man the Image of God lost to performe by one a Righteousnesse able to iustifie many could not bee done by any one meere man Nor can any one mans righteousnesse deserue the opening of the Kingdome of Heauen for many men thirdly he that must mediate betweene God and man had need to be God to treat with God in things that concerne him and man to treat with man in the things that concerne man And as it was a way most necessary so was it most comely who fitter to make vs sonnes of God by Adoption then he that was the Sonne of God by Nature and who fitter to restore the Image of God in vs then hee that was the substantiall Image of his Father The Vses follow and so First we should make conscience of it to receiue this doctrine with our whole hearts with all life of affections for hereby wee shall improue wee are Christians and not Iewes They could beleeue Iesus was a man but could not indure it that he should call himselfe the Sonne of God Iohn 10. and the diuell hath mightily also laboured to make the Diuinity of Christ suspected As when he came into the world by making men think of a worldly kingdome then stirring vp the Priests and Pharisees to seeke to kill him as a blasphemer in saying he was the Sonne of God And in the beginning of the Christian Churches he raised vp pernitious Heretickes to denie his Diuinity and at this day hath raised many in other countries that write and teach most dangerously in this point And therefore we must hold fast this Truth against all the power of hell This confession is the Rocke vpon which the Christian Church is built Mat. 16. 16. 17. If we acknowledge the Son we haue the Father 1. Ioh. 2. 23. Secondly it should wonderfully quicken and establish our Faith in relying vpon him for Saluation and all happinesse vpon him I say that hath vndertaken for vs and is so full of merit and power his Satisfaction and Righteousnesse must needs be perfect and sufficient that is the Sonne of God Ier. 23. 6. God cannot but bee infinitely well pleased in his satisfaction and hath signified so much Mat. 3. 17. and therefore wee should settle our consciences in all peace and ioy in beleeuing in him Yea in all passages of our liues wee should make vse of our Faith in the Sonne of God whatsoeuer we want for soule or body or the preseruation of our liues we may with much confidence goe to him for out of his fulnesse wee may receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1. 14. 18. And seeing God hath giuen vs his Sonne how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Rom. 8. 32. Yea it should much establish our Faith against the feare of our falling away before wee come to possesse eternall life for he is stronger then all and no man nor diuell can take vs out of his hand and therefore we shall not perish Iohn 10. 29. 30. Thirdly it should much inflame vs to the Loue of God that hath had such mercy to such miserable creatures as wee were as to send his owne Son to redeeme vs Ioh. 3. 16. Oh it should make vs to loue God aboue all things and to esteeme of his loue as better then any thing else in our liues Fourthly God the Father himselfe from Heauen taught vs a maine vse of this point when hee proclaimed him to bee his Sonne for then he charged vs to heare him None abler to instruct vs for the Son hath his knowledge out of the bosome of the Father Mat. 11. 27. and none hath better right to rule vs because he is the first-borne and therefore ought to rule ouer his brethren It should therefore bee our conscionable care all our daies to attend to his voice and to do whatsoeuer he commands vs Mat. 17. 5. Fifthly we must hence also learne to ioyne Christ with the Father in all religious seruice for when God brought forth his first-begotten Sonne into the world he said let all the Angels of Heauen worship him and therfore much more we must doe it Heb. 1. 6. Ioh. 5. 23. Againe from hence we may gather the wofull estate of all vnbeleeuers that weare out their time and do not lay hold vpon the way of Saluation by Iesus Christ for this increaseth their condemnation because they doe not beleeue now that GOD hath sent his owne Sonne to bee the Sauiour Iohn 3. 36. Finally two things about the Diuinity of our Sauiour are here implyed first that he is God for if he be the Sonne of God then he hath the Nature of his Father and so is God which though the Creed doe not expressely mention yet the Scripture doth acknowledging him for God equall with the Father Rom. 9. 5. 1. Iohn 5. 20. Phil. 2. 6. but because the Creed doth not expresse this I forbeare the explication of it resting satisfied to haue treated of that which the Creed mentions Another thing implyed is that hee is a person distinct from the Father for if he be the Son of God then he differs in person from the Father ACTS 2. 36. Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made Iesus both Christ and Lord. Our Lord. HItherto of the three former Titles the Last Title of our Sauiour is that which is here exprest viz. Our Lord and concerning this Title diuers things are to be considered 1. That it is a thing that God chargeth vpon our Faith to beleeue distinctly that Iesus is our Lord. Thus Dauid in spirit called him Lord and this all the House of Israel must know Act. 2. 35. 36. and Luke 2. 11. he is stiled Christ the Lord and Act. 10. 36. he is proclaimed Lord of all yea it is a Title so proper to Christ as sometimes hee hath no other name giuen him but the Lord as 1 Cor. 6. 14. GOD hath raised vp the Lord meaning Christ And 1 Cor. 12. 3. It is accounted a worke of the Holy Ghost in any man to professe this point That he beleeueth that Iesus is the Lord. 2 How Iesus comes to be our Lord by what right and title and so he is our Lord by a fiuefold
right First by the right of Creation he made vs all and so he is Lord of Heauen and Earth and all things therein for hee hath made them all Ioh. 1. 2. Col. 1. 16. Secondly by the right of redemption we were all in most miserable bondage to sin Satan and Gods Iustice Now Iesus Christ redeemes vs with his bloud paying that matchlesse price for vs and thereby makes vs his owne 1 Pet. 1. 18. Thirdly by the right of preseruation and maintenance hee keepes vs and maintaines vs by his power and all wee enioy we hold as Tenants vnder him as our Land-lord from him wee haue protection wages apparell and dyet for both soule and body Fourthly by the right of ordination God hath giuen him all power and made him Lord Act. 2. 36. God hath giuen his Elect vnto Christ as their Lord and head Iohn 17. 6. Ephes 1. 22. Fifthly by particular Couenant hee is the Lord of Christians for both by our vow in Baptisme we binde our selues to his seruice and by effectuall vocation we consecrate our selues and as it were hire our selues to be seruants to Christ and righteousnesse Rom. 6. 3 In what Nature he is Lord I answer howsoeuer in respect of Creation he made vs all as God yet in respect of Redemption he paid the price in his humane Nature and in respect of ordination he is made Lord in both natures both as God and man and by Couenant we are bound to the whole person The Lordship of Christ is a name of office and so belongs to both natures 4 The excellency of his Lordship and so there is no Lord like to Iesus 1 Because he hath no partners in his dominion though there be many administrations yet there is but one Lord 1 Cor. 12. 5. and though there be many Lords yet to vs there is but one Lord 1 Cor. 8. 6. as there is but one God so there is but one Lord Ephes 4. 5. Hee is the blessed and onely Potentate 1 Tim. 6. 15. 2 Because all other Lords are his seruants and tenants he is Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. Reuel 19. Ephes 6. 11. Col. 4. 1. 3 In respect of the extent of his dominion for hee is Lord ouer all Act. 10. 36. Rom. 10. 11. 4 In respect of the continuance of his dominion hee onely hath immortality other Lords dye 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. his honour and power is euerlasting 5 In respect of the excellence of his glory and Maiesty He dwelleth in the light which no man euer had or can approach vnto no man euer saw or can see such glory in any other 1 Tim. 6. 16. 6 In respect of his goodnesse to his seruants Tenants and Vassalls for he hath abased himselfe to serue and minister to his seruants Luk. 12. 37. He hath bought them at such a price as no other Lord could giue 1 Pet. 1. 18. Hee is rich to all his seruants that call vpon him he hath no seruant that gets not great preferment by him euen his meanest seruants as well as his highest Officers Rom. 10 11 12 13. He hath no seruant that euer asked him the Kingdome of Heauen it selfe but hee gaue it him yea all that this Lord is or hath he bestowes it vpon his seruants freely 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Gal. 2. 20. And besides his seruants neuer forfeit their estate He puts out no Tenant nor turnes away any seruant Nothing can separate betweene them and their Lords loue Rom. 8. vlt. The vse may be both for information and instruction For information and so it should informe vs First that hee dwelleth not in temples made with hands that is that we ought to conceit of him to bee more excellent then that those materiall buildings should answer to his greatnesse or that he hath no houses to put his head in but these Churches for hee is the Lord of Heauen and Earth and so may dwell where he will and no earthly building can set out sufficiently his greatnesse Act. 17. 24. Secondly that all our obedience to earthly Lords and Masters and Gouernours must be with due respect of Christ and his authority we must obey them in the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 5. that is so farre as they command vs nothing that is contrary to Christs will Thirdly it shewes that Christ hath power to doe what he will with any of his creatures belonging to men Thus the owner of the Asse and the Colt of the Asse is told that he must let them goe because the Lord hath need of them Mat. 21. 3. The Vses for instruction are these For if CHRIST be our Lord 1 We should acknowledge him and confesse that Iesus is the Lord for no man can make this confession but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. But because Hypocrites may say so in words let vs labour from our hearts to yeeld our selues vnto Christ as to our onely Lord to bee ruled and gouerned by him all our dayes to be wholly at his disposing euen to liue to him that dyed for vs and by the sound Couenant of our hearts to yeeld our selues as seruants to obey him in all righteousnesse 2 Cor. 5. 15. To say Lord Lord will not serue turne Mat. 7. 21. vnlesse we say it with our hearts and proue it by our obedience which if wee doe then it is from the holy Ghost as the Sanctifier whereas the generall outward confession is but from the common grace of the Holy Ghost which may be found in Hypocrites Let vs then with Thomas from our hearts say vnto Iesus My Lord and my God Yea let vs giue our selues to the Lord as the Macedonians did 2 Cor. 8. 5. For why should we any more serue strange Lords Haue we not reason to confesse that we haue serued sinne and Satan and the world all this while and it did not profit vs Iob 33. 27. What greater preferment can we haue then to serue the Lord of Lords Did Dauid a great King account it his greatest glory to bee the seruant of this Lord Psalme 36. 1. Was it not his comfort to call him his Lord Psalme 110. 1. Haue wee not tasted how bountifull the Lord is 1 Pet. 2. 3. Did our hearts euer feele any thing more sweet then the entertainment he hath giuen in his Word and Sacraments and Prayer Haue we not bound our selues by solemne Couenant when wee receiued the Sacrament What then should hinder vs but that wee should with all our hearts consecrate the rest of our liues to his seruice which if you meane to doe by the way take notice of these rules 1 First that you must with all diligence sudy the Will of your Lord to know it and accordingly must labour that the Word of CHRIST may dwell richly in you Col. 3. 16. 2 That you must forthwith and for euer separate your selues from all the seruants of strange Lords and come out from amongst them 2 Cor. 6. 17. 3 You must resolue to obey your
as the sailes are in the ship nor by affectioÌ„ as two friends are one nor in respect of ioynt worship as if onely the humane nature had the honour to be worshipped with the diuine nor in respect of Harmonie or consent as if onely the diuine and humane will of Christ did agree nor in respect of Title only as if the flesh of Christ had no more but the honour to be called by the same Title his Diuinity is as the Sonne of God or Christ or the like nor by mingling the humane nature with the diuine to make a certaine third thing but the humane nature is fastened to the diuine nature in the vnity of person after an vnconceiueable manner so as the diuine nature is not changed nor either nature altered nor separated by distance one from another The eight point is the effects of this personall vnion of the diuine and humane nature in this worke of Incarnation The effects I meane in Christ not in vs. Now many things flow from this vnion as 1. The communication of proprieties and that is the attributing of such things as are proper to either nature vnto the person of Christ because that these natures doe subsist in that person so as that is truely said of Christ which yet is to be vnderstood with a respect to that nature vnto which that property doth belong Thus the Sonne of Man is said to haue power to forgiue sinnes on earth which is the propriety of the diuine nature Mat. 9. 6. and to bee called the Sonne of the most High Luke 1. 32. Thus the Sonne of Man is said to ascend where hee was before Now he was not in heauen in his humane nature before Ioh. 6. 62. and so he saith hee was before Abraham was Ioh. 8. 58. and his bloud is called the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. The like speeches are found in other Scriptures as Colos 1. 17. Heb. 1. 2 c. 2. The pouring out of gifts vpon the humane nature which were as great as could be receiued by a created nature and these were giuen both to the body and soule of Christ His body obtained the highest degree of perfection could be fall a body which glory for our saluation was with-held from his body during his abode on earth in respect of his office and so his body was subiect to infirmities passions of diuers sorts and death and buriall but that worke being finished which he vndertooke for vs in his body it now shineth in Heauen in greater glory then any bodily creatures doe or shall attaine vnto Vpon the soule of Christ by vertue of this vnion with the diuine Nature were powred out gifts aboue the glory of the gifts which are in men or Angels and to make this a little better to appeare I will instance in his knowledge and in his Charity There were diuers kinds of knowledge in Christ Hee had an eternall and vncreated knowledge and wisdome which did belong onely vnto his diuine Nature but it is the created knowledge belongs to this place and that vnderstanding and knowledge is either from experience or from reuelation or from vision 1 There was in our Sauiour an experimentall knowledge by which our Sauiour knew all things could be knowne by the light of Nature and though hee had not expeperience of all things yet by reasoning from the like or the contrary or from the causes or effects he perceiued things hee had not experience of As by the infirmities he felt and by the things he suffered he knowes all the things we suffer in the full nature of them Heb. 2. 18. 4. 15. and in this kinde of wisdome it is that hee was said to grow vp in or profit and increase in and in this kinde of wisdome he was able to discerne more then any man in the world 2 There was in our Sauiour a knowledge infused which they call the knowledge of Reuelation by which heauenly things are vnderstood by a light they call the light of grace And by this knowledge our Sauiour did discerne in his soule spirituall things more exactly then euer man or Angell did of this is spoken Esay 11. 12. 3 The third kinde of knowledge in Christ is the knowledge by vision which is called the knowledge of the blessed in Heauen by which God is seene face to face and in this Christ excells all men and Angels for it is hee that brings all iust men to this happinesse of seeing God in Heauen Heb. 2. 10. And besides this personall vision his soule is neerer vnto God then men or Angels can bee and therefore sees GOD more cleerely then they can doe As a man that hath a good sight doth see a thing that is hard by him more exactly then another man that is farther off from it Yea this knowledge in the soule of Christ doth not fully comprehend God for that which is infinite cannot be comprehended by that which is finite he seeth God whole that is all tâ—at iâ— in God but not wholly that is not by an absolute comprehension of it And in as much as all iudgement is committed vnto Christ as the Sonne of man it is most probable that as man hee doth see the thoughts of all men that are to be iudged by him as man though not by any naturall efficacy in his vnderstanding as man yet by a supernaturall infusion of light from his diuine nature Ioh. 5. 27. Thus of the gift of knowledge Charity and loue was powred out vpon the soule of CHRIST aboue all the measures of Charity in men or Angels Iohn 13. 1. Romans 5. 6 7. Thus of the gifts were powred out vpon the humane nature of Christ Yet by the way it is not amisse to note that certaine gifts were not powred out vpon CHRIST or not till his glorification as faith and hope were not in CHRIST at all for in as much as the obiect of faith is things not seene faith it selfe could not be in CHRIST who did inioy the vision of GOD by vertue of the personall vnion with the diuine nature euen from the beginning of his Incarnation by that kind of knowledge which I called before his knowledge of vision or the knowledge of the blessed yet to want faith did not argue imperfection in CHRIST but rather remoued imperfection as hee that wants Spectacles when he needeth them not is no whit inferiour to him that vseth Spectacles because of the weaknesse of his sight The like is to bee said of hope for as Faith beholds things that are not seene so hope lookes to things which are not yet had or possessed Rom. 8. 24. and the cheife obiect of both is the chiefe good which is GOD now CHRIST enioyed GOD yea euen in the very instant of his death but if we looke to secondary obiects and by hope vnderstand an expectation of some kinde of helpe promised by GOD then such a kinde of hope may be granted to haue beene in
27. and this priuation of glory he suffered that wee might be brought to perfect glory in heauen and that wee may see how hatefull the clouds of our sinnes were that could darken and hide from shining the beames of such glory and to teach vs to be content though our liues be also hid with Christ as his was when he liued in this world expecting the reuealing of our glory when he appeares in glory Col. 3. 3 4. Thus of his priuatiue Passion His Passion considered positiuely comprehends both the euill was imputed to him and the euill was inflicted vpon him His suffering by way of Imputation was very grieuous for the Lord Iesus standing before the Iustice of God as our Suretie all our sinnes were charged vpon him as if he had committed them himselfe and this was a most fearfull kinde of Passion which the Scripture takes expresse notice of Saint Paul saith he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs 2 Cor. 5. 21. and the Apostle Peter saith hee bare our sinnes in his owne body on the trce 1 Pet. 2. 24. and this is a consideration of great necessitie and vse for hereby the hearts of the godly may be wonderfully setled in coÌ„solation so as to liue out of the feare of Gods wrath for our sins All our sinnes are charged already vpon Christ and therefore God in iustice cannot charge them vpon vs and it is an increase of comfort to know that therefore our sinnes were imputed to him that his righteousnesse might be imputed to vs 2 Cor. 5. 21. And withall we should hence learne seeing all our sinnes are taken off our shoulders and laid vpon him therefore to spend our daies in righteousnesse and holinesse of life 1 Pet. 2. 24. And thus also of his imputatiue Passion Concerning the Euill he endured for vs which was inflicted vpon him it is true that the Scripture doth most frequently mention his death and bloud-shedding but yet that must be vnderstood Synecdochically for into the Doctrine of the Passion ought to be taken all the things he suffered from his Conception to his Resurrection and that for these two Reasons First It is most manifest he suffered nothing for himselfe but for vs and if all he suffered were for vs then all his sufferings must be reckoned as concurring to the price of our Redemption Secondly Hee was to suffer the Curses and malediction of the Law which was due to vs for our sinnes Now by our breach of the Law wee deserued not only death but a miserable life also and though it is true that such punishments as are inflicted vpon men considered in their particular persons and not common to the Nature of man he was not bound to suffer as hee was not bound to suffer the paines of the stone or gout or other like diseases which are not the maledictions which belong to the whole Nature of Man but speciall iudgements God inflicts vpon some men yet the common Miseries of mans life which may stand with the Libertie and freedome of the execution of his office in the chiefe sorts of them he did sustaine to increase the merit of his Passion in some things he extends his sufferings further as will appeare afterwards Now the contemplation of the Miseries our blessed Sauiour suffered which were positiuely inflicted vpon him may bee diuided into these parts viz. 1. The Humiliation of his Incarnation 2. His abasement from his Birth to his Baptisme 3. His sufferings from his Baptisme to his last Supper 4. His Araignment 5. The miseries he endured after his araignment which are comprehended in the words of the Creed Crucified dead c. First for the Humility of his Incarnation He did not only take the Nature of Man but he tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was borne in a most meane and contemptible condition of a poore Mother not allowed the common entertainment of an lnne but thrust out to be borne in a stable amongst the beasts and laid in a very manger not looked after or regarded either by his own or by strangers Phil. 2. Luke 2. And thus he was abased for diuers reasons For first hereby the second Adam paies for the extreme arrâ—gancie of the first Adam The second Adam is thrust downe below the ordinary condition of a man because the first Adam affected a condition aboue the Angels euen to be like to God himself Secondly he thus hides the glorie of his eternall Natiuity in a meane and temporary birth that he might purchase for vs an heauenly and eternall birth Our Lord takes vpon him the forme of a seruant that we might enioy the states of sonnes Thirdly he refuseth the glory of greatnesse and pompe of entertainment at his birth to reach the great ones of the world not to be proud of their births in Nature but to seeke after the heauenly new birth as the only true glory And the poore of the world may be comforted against the meannesse of their prouisions for themselues and their children by remembring that the Sauiour of the world had not so good entertainment as vsually the poorest of their children haue For the second to wit his Abasement from his Birth to his Baptisme two things are to be reckoned as parts of his Passion namely his exile and his contemptible condition A little after the birth of our Sauiour wee reade that Ioseph and Mary were forced to flie out of Iury into Aegypt and in this suffering he beares the similitude of the first Adam As the first Adam shortly after he was created in Paradise was banished out from thence So Christ the second Adam shortly after he was borne in Iudaea is driuen out to goe into Aegypt And this also he suffered that the prophecie might be fulfilled that said long before Out of Aegypt haue I called my Sonne Hosea 11. And this part of his suffering had also comfort in it for he therefore lost his liberty in his owne Countrey that he might purchase for vs the right and libertie of our heauenly Countrey and that such godly men as suffer banishmeÌ„t might comfort themselues in his example Now for the other Branch we may obserue that for thirty yeares which was the greatest part of our Sauiours life on earth he liued in a most obscure condition reckoned euen in Israel but as the Carpenters sonne and made subiect to the authoritie of that poore man Ioseph In all which time no man regarded him or once acknowledged his glory either as the Sonne of God or King of the Iewes or Sauiour of the world and in this time was the old prophecie fulfilled He was as a Root growing vp out of a drie ground he hath no forme or comlinesse and when we shall see him there is no beautie that we should desire him he is despised and reiected of men and we hide our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Esay 53. 2 3. And hence godly men may learne to
it is a thousand times more easie to suffer the death of a Martyr than for Christ to suffer bare death of any kinde because Martyrs in death are freed from the guilt of all their sinnes whereas Christ in death as our surety stands charged with sinne but it was not the feare of death thus troubled our Sauiour he had many other more dreadfull things to thinke of As first the tyrannie of Sinne Death and Sathan that had preuailed ouer mankinde Secondly the great ingratitude of the greatest part of mankinde who would not regard redemption though made in his bloud Thirdly the dispersion of his Disciples and the scandall that euen they would take at his death Fourthly the ruine would come vpon the Iewish Nation by making themselues guilty of his bloud Fifthly and especially the sense of the most horrible wrath of God against the sinnes of the world which he must endure and did begin to feele for our sakes as being our surety It was not death then simply that he feared but death ioyned with that powring out of the dreadfull wrath of God vpon his soule this bred that incredible and deadly sadnesse and paine and inward feare in our Sauiour Now this mournfull consideration of his grieuous feare and agonie may serue vnto vs for great consolation and that in diuers respects For first herein we may see his loue to vs that can be content to take vpon him our infirmities euen those that are most troublesome such as this dreadfull feare and perplexitie was he was here truly transfigured for as on the Mount by transfiguration hee shewed what glory he should haue in heauen so in the Garden by this transfiguration he shewes what weaknes cleaues to his members on earth only we must still remember that he tooke vpon him only vnblameable infirmities for in this he sinned not If any aske how could such vnspeakable feare and sadnesse be without sinne seeing the affections were so violently moued and troubled I answer that the perturbation that was in our Sauiours heart was like to cleane water in a cleane glasse if it be shaked neuer so violently yet it is cleane still because there is no mud in the bottome But on the other side if cleane water be put into a cleane glasse and mud withall be setled in the bottome then the least stirring that is makes it foule and so it is with vs there is sinne in almost all perturbations that arise in our hearts because euery shaking of our hearts stirs vp some corruption that is in our nature but it was not so with Christ Againe fearefull Christians may take some comfort from hence to see that their Sauiour was afraid as well as they His Agonie may comfort them against their pusillanimitie and further such as finde strange accidents in prayer and are suddenly oppressed with feares and doubts or terrors may profitably remember what befell their Sauiour when he went to pray Lastly such as are afflicted in conscience vnder the sense of Gods wrath may wonderfully from hence be releeued First by considering that Christ himselfe did feele the same or much greater sorrowes than they doe and therefore doth pitie them and will suocour them Secondly by considering that Christ hath borne in his owne soule the brunt of Gods displeasure for sinne and therefore they should not be so dismayed but behold his soule as made a sacrifice for their sinnes And thus of his Agonie There was yet another great discouragement befell him in his prayer and that was the maruellous senslesnesse and drowsinesse and want of compassion in his Disciples who were so farre from comforting him or mourning with him that they could not watch with him one houre That Peter that a little before said If all men were offended in him yet he would neuer be offended yea he was ready to die for him yet now he doth not resist his very sleepe but neglects his Sauiour in his greatest distresse And from this obseruation we may gather diuers Vses For hereby it is manifest that the whole burden of satisfaction lies vpon Christ only Here is no bodie to helpe him to pay one farthing nor so much as pitie him or incourage him when our ransome is in paying the great Apostles are a sleeping Besides men in misery must learne to trust vpon God only for there are none so neare or deare to vs but in times of distresse may come farre short of that compassion or succour which we may expect from them and if any such thing befall vs in our paines or other miseries we must labour to comfort our selues with this example of the like case of our Sauiour Moreouer men that are giuen to bodily sleepinesse in time of Gods seruice should be warned from hence Euen such a bodily infirmitie if it be nourished may bring vs into fearefull temptations and makes vs guilty of grieuous offence against God and Christ as is imported by our Sauiours milde reproofe of the sleepie Disciples Matth. 26. 4. The forme of prayer hee vsed and that was Abba father let this cup passe from me if it be possible yet not my will but thy will bee done Mark 14. 36. In which forme we may note three things First the Titles he giues to God Secondly the substance of his suit to God And thirdly the clauses limiting his petition 1. The Titles are recorded by Saint Marke and wee shall finde them giuen to God in three places of the new Testament viz. in this prayer of Christs and Rom. 8. 15. and Galat. 4. 7. The tearme Abba is an Hebrew or Syriacke word and the other word Pater is both a Greeke and Latine word Now in that Christ calling vpon his Father giues him his title in diuers languages it is thought that thereby Christ would intimate that he was the God of both Iewes Gentiles and in as much as the time drew on in which the partition wall was to be broken downe and God was to bee beleeued on and called vpon by both sorts of people Christ himselfe first beginnes to treat with God in both languages And it may well be that being now in infinite torment he would intimate by these tearmes that he suffered them both for Iewes and Gentiles 2. As for the substance of the petition a great doubt may arise in a mans mind how this could be in Christ without sinne or contradiction to himselfe He that had foretold his death and professed so often to bee willing to die and was sent into the world for this purpose and if he died not all the Elect were vndone how can it bee that now hee prayes that if it be possible he may not die I answer this obiection two wayes first that he doth not expresly pray against his death but his words may be vnderstood as well as I conceiue of the Agonie he was in in his soule and so what inconuenience can follow if we grant that hee desired of God that it might passe from
him or bee quickly remoued if it were possible and might stand with Gods will there was no necessity that his Agonie should abide still vpon him Secondly if it be vnderstood of his death yet all that might bee without sinne because they are the words of Christ now astonished and amazed his vnderstanding and memory by the violence of the paine being interrupted in their working for a short time As a Clocke may be perfect and yet stand by reason of some outward cause as a mans hand or the weather or the like so the frame of our Sauiours affections and desires was most perfect though by the violence of the hand of God vpon him for a time his nature remembred only the preseruation of her selfe From this frailty of our Sauiour shewed in the matter of his petition weake Christians may gather much comfort and perswasion that their weaknesse and frailties in prayer shall be passed by of God and Christ 3. The clauses limiting his petition are two Frst if it bee possible Secondly not my will but thy will be done which as they shewed the holinesse of Christ in desiring to auoid the requesting of absurd contrary things and to submit himselfe his desires to Gods will notwithstanding the tormēt he was in so it is a notable example to teach vs what to do in all distresses yea the bitterest crosses can befall vs euen to striue vehemently to beare Gods sharpest stroakes with all humble submission to his good will and pleasure Thus of the fourth point in his prayer The fift point is the issue and euent of his prayer and that is reported partly by the Euangelist and partly by the Apostle to the Hebrewes The Euangelist saith that an Angell came from heauen and comforted him in his Agonie Luk. 22. 43. which may teach vs to know that when God will not presently deliuer vs from the crosse yet he is able to comfort vs vnder the crosse and if ordinary meanes faile he can supplywith extraordinary If men on earth will not pitty vs he can send his Angels from heauen to releeue vs. The Apostle to the Hebrewes further tels vs euen that this prayer was heard of God as he reports Heb. 5. 7. Now from hence ariseth another great scruple and that is how it can be said this prayer was heard seeing hee was not deliuered but did suffer death I answer if you vnderstand his prayer only of the speedy taking off of Gods hand then there is no difficultie or doubt and if it bee vnderstood of death wee must fly to a distinction which is thus God heareth prayer two wayes the one when he directly grants what we expresly aske the other when he giues vs so much of our suit as is good for vs and what he denies recompenceth in some other thing which is answerable thereunto and more profitable for vs. So he dealt with Christ here though he did not free him from death yet he did free him from the hurt of death so as he was able to beare it and was deliuered from it in due time which was all that which the nature of Christ in distresse in effect sought viz. the preseruation of it selfe and this may bee very vsefull for vs to obserue God may seeme to deny vs many things which yet he grants and our weakest prayers may get vs some blessing though wee feele it not for the present and if God change with vs and giue vs that which is better for vs than that which we aske he doth vs no wrong In hearing prayer God considers not so much the pleasing of our wills as the furthering of our Saluation And therefore wee must take heed we grow not froward or discouraged and iudge that God heareth vs not because he lets vs pray often and yet according to the letter of our praier we see not that we are heard let this example of Christ that prayed thrice and the like of Paul praying thrice against the temptation of the Deuill stay our heart and teach vs as to get skill and resolution to pray so to seeke the skill of Gods different manner of hearing of prayer Thus of what Christ did now followes to consider what was done to him and that both by the Iewes and by his owne Disciples Concerning the behauiour of the Iewes in the apprehension of Christ I obserue two things First how they came to Christ and met him Secondly how they laid hands vpon him and bound him and led him away About their comming to Christ three things would be noted 1. Who came 2. How they came furnished 3. What communication passed betweene Christ and them when they were come For the first The persons that came to Christ were the Iewes and Iudas souldiers and feruants all sent from the High Priests and Pharisies and Elders of the people Matt. 26. 47. Iohn 18. 3. And they were a great multitude of them So naturall is the hatred that the men of the world beare to Christ that it is easie to get men enow to beare armes against Christ or to doe hurt to Religion or religious persons but wee see in our times what a wonderfull hard thing it is to get men or money to doe any seruice against Antichrist For the second Iudas and the Iewes came thus furnished They first get a band of men which being not in the power of the Priests they must needs haue them as borrowed from Pilate And with this Band they send their owne officers and all were furnished with weapons swords and staues and the Text notes that they were a great multitude of them Now what was all this to doe It was to take Christ Christ I say that was knowne to be so peaceable a Man and so quiet as no man came neere him for meekenesse and lowlinesse and besides he was vsually in the Temple and so easie to be taken at any time or in any place if they will needs lay violent hands vpon him But obserue two memorable things First the effect of an ill conscience in Iudas and the Priests they knowing the cause to be so naught suffer such a conflict with an armie of feares in their owne hearts that fearing lest both God and men should be against them they raise an armie of men for the effecting of their wicked purpose Oh the force of conscience What a fearefull basenesse is it to be wicked or to set vpon wicked purposes It is a very troublesome and chargeable thing to be engaged for the effecting of mischieuous deuices Secondly note how iust God is these sinfull men haue drawne their swords and bent their bowes against the Iust one How deseruedly therefore afterwards did God make the sword enter into their owne brests These men that entertaine but one Band of Romans against their Lord and King euen Christ shall afterwards receiue into their owne bowels and bosomes the swords of the whole armie of the Romans to reuenge their rebellion not against them but against
is that straines at a Gnat and swallowes a Cammell that is precise and superstitious about small matters and yet makes not Conscience of grosse sinnes 3. What they charged vpon him They charged vpon him three things First seducing of the people as one that had peruertedâ— their Nation and stirred vp the people throughout all Iudea beginning from Galile to Hierusalem Luke 23. 2. 5. Secondly sedition as one that deceiued and forbade the paying of tribute to Caesar Luk. 23. 2. Thirdly high treason against Caesar in saying hee was a King Luke 23. 2. Ioh. 19. 12. The first of these was vaine and the two last false For the extraordinary mouing of the people is not in it selfe a fault vnlesse they be moued without cause or by ill meanes or to ill ends The other two are false for he paid tribute himselfe though as a Prince of the bloud hee was free Matth. 17. 27. And when the people would haue made him King he refused it Ioh. 6. 15. Hence we see that euen Christ himselfe hath beene liable to the same accusations and slanders are cast vpon his poore seruants which should the more comfort the godly when they are slandered and charged with Innouation Schisme Sedition or to be enemies to Princes or the like But especially hence should the godly take comfort in the hope of the forgiuenesse of all their sinnes against God how great soeuer for to this end was Christ charged with these great offences vniustly that he might make atonement for our sinnes that were guiltie euen of high treason against God Thus of his Accusation The proceeding of the Iudge followes where we may note two things First how Pilate exammed Christ Secondly what meanes he vsed to deliuer Christ For the first when the Iewes had thus accused our Sauiour Pilate went in to Christ and examined him only vpon the three points whether he were a King The first as a businesse concerned their owne Law hee would not meddle with And the second either he beleeued not or accounted it to be comprehended in the third Now to this question of Pâ—late our Sauiour giues an answer wherein we should take notice of soure things which he thought good to testifie and auouch at his Arraignment as truths most needfull and not to be denied or controuled at any time First that hee was a King Secondly that his Kingdome was not of this world Thirdly that the end of his comming was to beare witnesse of the Truth Fourthly that his subiects were such as were of the Truth and did heare his voice Ioh. 18. 36 37. These parts of the confession of Iesus should not passe without liuely vse in our hearts For first if Iesus be King why are we discontented with our estates why liue we not out of feare and care Is there not a King in Sion Mich. 4. 9. and the rather because our King is a King vniuersall and all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and earth and besides he is a King immortall and of his kingdome there is no end and therefore we should seeke to him in all our necessities who is so able to helpe and trust in him And for the second if his kingdome be not of this world wee should not expect to haue the glory of our Religion to be liable to outward obseruations but rather pray that God would open our eyes to see wherein the true glory of Christs kingdome lies Eph. 1. 19. And withall it should teach vs to imploy our selues about spirituall things and not about earthly for the wealth of his kingdome lieth not in earthly things our trading must be about heauenly commodities Coloss 3. 1 2. And further seeing his kingdome is ouer the spirits of men wee should labour to get spirits without guile and to serue him in spirit and truth And poore men should not be discontent with their estates His kingdome is not of this world hee neuer promised great things in earthly matters to his followers they should rather reioyce that they are exalted to get the preferments of his kingdome in spirituall things Now for the third point if the end of Christs comming were to beare witnesse of the Truth we may gather diuers things from thence As first it may informe vs of the entertainment Truth findes in the world It is more villanously neglected and opposed and wronged when the Sonne of God must come from heauen to giue euidence in the behalfe of truth It imports the truth is more often questioned than error and wickednesse Againe it may intimate that Truth is great and will preuaile God will send from heauen to helpe it rather than it shall be supprest though it be opprest And besides we may gather hence that the preaching and publishing of diuine Truths is a most excellent worke in that the chiefe office of the Son of God was to beare witnesse of the Truth and so it should teach vs to receiue the word of truth with all reuerence and gladnesse and good conscience as accounting truth to be the most precious treasure God sends to men And from the practise of Christ both Ministers and People should learne with all wisdome and constancie to stand for the truth though it were to death and neuer to be ashamed to witnesse to the truth by holding out the light of the profession of it and shewing our sound obedience and subiection to it howsoeuer it be taken in the world As for the last point our Sauiour giues an excellent mark to know his subiects by They are of the Truth and heare his voice They are of the Truth not only as they take part with Truth to defend it but as men that were borne and bred by the power of truth they were regenerated and sanctified by the force of the sound of Truth and accordingly the chiefe comfort and treasure of their liues they account to be the hearing of the voice of Christ Hearing of Sermons is the Character of a true Christian But it is not all hearing but a hearing of such Sermond as haue the voice and power of Christ in them and such a hearing as placeth such felicity in the voice of Christ as they could be content as it were to doe nothing else but heare Christ still and such a hearing too as will giue glory to Christs voice in the hardest times when it is most scorned and opposed in the world and especially it is such a hearing as containes obeying and willingnesse to be ruled by the voice of Christ And this was the answer which our Sauiour made to the Gouernours question but Saint Matthew notes that when the chiefe Priests accused him he answered nothing and though Pilate said vnto him Hearest thou not how many things they witnesse against thee yet he answered not in so much that Pilate maruelled greatly Matth. 27. 12 13 14. He thus constantly forbare and refused to answer 1. Because he needed not any apologie being knowne to be innocent and thus it
the Maiestie vncreated the Maiestie created which is in Christ the one belongs to the Diuine nature the other to the humane The good that comes to vs by his exaltation is threefold the first is the confirmation of our faith and hope for his exaltation shewes plainly that hee hath fully satisfied for our sinnes and conquered all our enemies Sinne the Law Death the Deuill the Graue and Hell and that hee hath purchased Gods fauour and all that concernes our eternall saluation 1 Pet. 1. The second is the perpetuation of his office both as the Prophet and Apostle of our confession Psal 22. 23. Ioh. 17. vlt. as our Priest to make intercession for vs Psal 110. 4. Rom. 8. 33. and as our eternall King Psal 45. 4. 5. and 89. 36. Dan. 7. 27. Luk. 1. 33. Rom. 14. 9. and in all these by his glorification hee hath procured a larger donation and effusion of the Holy Ghost which makes the times vnder Christ more happy than those before Ioh. 7. 39. In all his gifts he giues now as he that is exalted aboue euery name that is named in heauen and earth The third is our owne exaltation he was therefore exalted that he might exalt vs to the glory of heauen Eph. 2. 6. 7. The consideration of the exaltation of Christ may serue greatly for our comfort for besides the former benefits it may raise vp in vs an assurance of hope of preferment by him seeing our Brother is so highly preferred and withall it may greatly encourage vs in all our suits to God seeing wee haue Christ with him that is so high in his fauour and further in all the straits and distresses of the Church here on earth this may ioy our hearts that Christ is so highly preferred that he is able to preserue and deliuer the Church when pleaseth him But yet we must remember two things if wee would haue benefit by Christs exaltation the one is that wee be true Christians for else his preferment will not reach to vs onely such as are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh haue part in his glory and such are none but true beleeuers The other is that if wee will reigne with Christ wee must suffer with him wee see here how it was with him first he was abased and then exalted so it must be with vs Luk. 24. 26. Heb. 2. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Thus of his exaltation in generall The first degree of his exaltation was his Resurrection from the dead Concerning the Resurrection of Christ diuers things are to be considered of 1. That he did rise from the dead 2. What of him did rise 3. When he rose 4. How he rose 5. Why he rose from the dead 6. His Apparitions after his Resurrection 7. What good comes to vs by his Resurrection That Christ did rise from the dead we beleeue against all Iewes Turkes and prophane Mockers and are enduced so to doe by testimony both diuine and humane The diuine testimonies are three first the Spirit of God which testifiech two waies first by the Apostles and Euangelists in the Euangelicall Story which wee ought to beleeue if the Apostles had neuer beene eye-witnesses for if the witnesse of men be receiued the witnesse of God is greater Secondly in the heart of euery beleeuer that relyes vpon the Gospell Ioh. 15. 26. The second testimony is the witnesse of Angels who were sent from heauen of purpose to signifie so much Luk. 24. 5. as by Angels the conception and birth of Christ was testified from heauen so was his resurrection The third was the Apparition of Christ shewing himselfe many times aliue from the dead The Humane testimonies were three first was the testimony of Mary Magdalen and the other women that came to annoint the body of Iesus Ioh. 20. 1. as a woman was the first that brought from the Deuill the tidings of sinne vnto the first Adam so a woman is the first that from the good Angels brings the tidings of the Resurrection of the second Adam by whom we are iustified from our sinnes The second was the testimony of the Apostles and fifty Disciples and S. Paul who all saw Christ after hee was risen 1 Cor. 15. 6. The third was the testimonies of the Souldiers that watched the Sepulchre wherein obserue the great prouidence of God that makes the high Priests against their wils from these men to know that Christ was risen from the dead who were set of purpose to hinder the report of the Resurrection by watching the Sepulchre lest his Disciples should steale away his body by night The second point is quickly opened If any aske What of Christ did rise The answer is That the body of Christ onely did rise his Deity could not and the sould did not For the time of the Resurrection Christ did rise the third day after the end of the Sabbath on the first day of the weeke about Sunne rising and concerning this answer diuers things are to be considered of First it was necessary Christ should not rise from the dead sooner or later than the third day from his death and buriall for so it was foretold Hos 6. 2. He shall restore vs to life after two daies viz. the Messiah shall doe it and the third day hee shall raise vs vp viz. in his owne person which was a pledge of our Resurrection and wee shall liue in his sight It is thought S. Paul had respect vnto this place when he said He rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 4. and besides this was prefigured by the type Ionas the Prophet as our Sauiour himselfe shewed in his life time Mat. 12. 40. Thirdly he could haue risen as soone as hee was buried but he would not lest the truth of his death should haue beene questioned and beyond the third day hee would not tarry lest the faith of his Disciples should faile and lest any should haue cause to thinke that he brought not the same body was dead but some other Further obserue that as Christ died the same day Adam was created so he liued againe the same day the world began to be the same day God made heauen and earth the same day he filled the earth with the grace and heauen with the ioy of the Resurrection of Christ and therefore this day was called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Thirdly hee rose at the rising of the Sunne to shew that he was the true Sunne of righteousnesse that was now rising to enlighten the new and Christian world after the long night of darknesse and legall shadowes and that hee had brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. For the fourth point to wit how Christ rose diuers things are to be answered first that he rose by his own power He raised himselfe vp from the dead Ioh. 2. 19. and 10. 18. and 5. 25. for though other Scriptures attribute resurrection to God the Father the Holy
of the Lord God Almighty when by the sword of Princes hee shall destroy that City of Rome which hath beene the very Throne of the Beast and of the Whore Rev. 16. 14. 16. and 17. 17. The sixt signe is a fearfull corruption of manners in the men of the world foretold 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3. This I reckon as a signe because I see all sorts of Writers haue a great minde to it but I take it to be so not because the sinnes there mentioned shall be then found in the world for they haue been alwaies in the world but in a threefold respect First because all those sorts of sinne shall reigne at once in the world Secondly because men shall grow in a high degree abhominable in sinning so as to ouer-passe the formet times in the vnheard excesse in sinning Thirdly because the corruptions of manners shall bee found in all estates and degrees of men and this signe I thinke belongs to this age I suppose there was neuer any age wherein men were growne generally so monstrous drunkennesse whordome swearing falshood and deceit besides the sinnes mentioned in the Apostles catalogue and these things do so prouoke the Iudge and dare him to his face that sure his comming cannot be long deferred but he will hasten the rest of the signes to be reuenged of so wicked a world The seuenth signe is yet to come and that is the calling of the Nation of the Iewes which that it shall be is plaine by the Prophecy of S. Paul Rom. 11. but how this shall bee performed and when I suppose it cannot be determined by Scripture The last signe I take it will bee but a very little time before his comming and that will be some fearefull alterations in the powers of heauen and in the ayre and in the earth and seas but what these will be it is hard to coniecture and the rather because S. Iohn tells of the noise of seuen Thunders that were vttered before the end of the world but he was forbidden to vtter them but to let them be sealed vp and kept vnknowne from the world yea and from the Church too Rev. 10. 5. Matth. 24. 29 30. It is very probable that this signe will be accomplished in the very letter as it is recorded by the Euangelist Thus of the signes going before our Sauiours comming to iudgment The signes ioyned with his setting out to come to iudgment are these the first is a speciall signe of the Sonne of man which shall bee in heauen and visible to all men on earth but what this signe shall bee is vnknowne and I am vnwilling to trouble the Reader with rehearsing the seuerall coniectures of Interpreters seeing they are without warrant from the Word The second signe is the wailing and lamentation of all Nations when they behold Christ comming in the clouds of heauen Matth. 24. 30. Some Diuines make the firing of the World to be a signe belonging to Christs comming forth to iudgment but that cannot be so because it is not probable that deuils and wicked men shall be in the new earth or the new heauens for there must dwell nothing but righteousnesse and therefore this firing of the world is to bee reckoned as a consequent of the Iudgment Thus of the Signes The last point to be opened is the forme and manner of the last Iudgment and here foure things are orderly to be inquired into 1. The manner of the preparation to the Iudgment 2. The manner of the triall of the causes to be tried there 3. The manner of the sentence vpon all sorts of men 4. The execution of the sentence The preparation to the Iudgment concernes either the Iudge or them that are to be iudged The Preparation as it respects the Iudge hath in it foure things 1. The Commission or singular power giuen to Christ for the execution of this iudgment vpon all the world Ioh. 5. 22. This Commission was granted him in his first comming and shall now be manifested to all men and Angels before he enter vpon the Iudgment as we see is done by earthly Iudges 2. The cloathing of the Humane nature with vnsearchable glory and maiestie aboue the glory of all men and Angels which glory our Sauiour calls The glory of his Father when he said He should come in the glory of his Father Matth. 16. 27. 3. The attendance of thousand thousands of Angels that shall shew themselues in the perfection of their glory waiting vpon him Iude 15. Dan. 7. 10. 2 Thes 1. 7. Matth. 25. 31. 4. The erecting of a most glorious Throne wherein he will sit as Iudge which hee calls The Throne of his glorie Matth. 25. 31. which is resembled by the glory of earthly Princes which sit in Thrones of Estate when they would shew their Maiestie to their people Which Throne will be the more glorious because before the erecting of it all earthly Thrones shall bee cast downe Dan. 7. 9. We must not be curious to enquire what this Throne shall bee made of Daniel saith It is like a fiery flame Dun. 7. 9. Thus of the preparation of the Iudge The preparation in respect of the Iudged hath likewise foure things viz. 1. The Citation of the world to come to iudgment and the world is three waies summoned to come to iudgment First by the ministery of the Fathers and Prophets in the old Tâ—stament that from the beginning of the world cited men to appeare before the iudgment Seat of God Henoch began before the Flood Iude 15. and others followed in euery age as hath beene shewed before Secondly by the ministery of Christ himselfe and the Apostles and the ordinary ministery of the Preachers of the Gospell in all the ages vnder the Gospell till the end of the World Now the last summons is this which shall be giuen at that instant when Christ is come in the clouds of heauen and set in his Throne and this shall bee performed by a shout from heauen and by the sound of the last Trumpet This cry or summons is called The voice of Christ Ioh. 5. 28. 1 Thes 4. 16. and yet it seeme sit shall be performed by the ministery of Angels Matth. 24. 31. Hee that imployes the ministery of men to call the World to repentance in this life will vse the ministery of Angels to bring those men to iudgment especially such as haue not repented of their euill waies 2. The Resurtection of the dead vnder which I comprehend the change of the liuing for vpon this voice all dead men shall receiue their soules into their owne bodies be quickned and rise out of the Graues or other places of the earth or waters wherin they haue lyen Rev. 20. 13. and those that shall bee then aliue shall bee changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the sound of the last Trumpe and this change shall bee in stead of death and a kind of resurrection they shall bee changed
iust It is in vaine to plead the mercy of God and Christ to proue the saluation of the wicked for he is iust as well as mercifull and that they shall know fully at his comming In the sentence of condemnation obserue foure things First the reprobation of the wicked vers 41. Secondly the cause of this reprobation vers 42 43. Thirdly the Apologie of the wicked for themselues vers 44. Fourthly the answer to their Apologie vers 45. In the Reprobation of the wicked I note diuers things as 1. In that speaking of the Iudge his title of King is left out which was mentioned vers 34 40. I gather that wicked men euen at the Tribunall when they shall see Christ in his greatest glory yet they cannot truly loue him or â—steeme of his glory The naturall hatred of Christ will continue vpon them euen at that day 2. In that he saith Depart yee from me it shewes that it is a grieuous misery to be thrust out from Christ it were an euerlasting fearfull punishment if wicked men did suffer no more but the absence of Christ for euer to liue without that Sunne of Righteousnesse is worse than to liue without the shining of the Sunne in the firmament and herein note the iustice of Christ in that wicked men could not abide the company of Christ and true Christians in this world they shall now be paid in the same kinde they shall neuer more enioy the presence of Christ or any one true Christian Woe to Hypocrites at that day though now they seeme to be ioyned to Christ yet let them thinke what it will be when they shall be made to depart 3. In that he calls them Cursed it shewes that euery wicked man is a cursed creature and withall that to be vnder Gods curse is the quintessence of misery And therefore godly men haue little cause to enuy the prosperitie of any wicked man nor wicked man to be so drunken with the estimation of the fading glory of earthly possessions 4. In that he saith Into euerlasting fire it notes the vnspeakable horror of the paine of wicked men in Hell If a man knew he must lie in a burning fire but one day oh how would he be dismayed Oh what senselesnesse hath bewitched vngodly men that are not frighted with euerlasting burnings They are wonderfully blinded that striue to beleeue that there is only Poena Damni not Poena Sensus in Hell That there is no paine in Hell but only losse of good things as the presence of God and Christ c. 5. In that he saith Prepared for the Deuill and his Angels we obserue 1. That God neuer purposed to shew mercy to the Deuills 2. That there is one Deuill is chiefe and hath power ouer the rest 3. That from the beginning God intended to shew mercie vnto mankind though not vnto deuils 4. That the eternall companions of wicked men shall be deuils such as loue wicked company in this life may here see what companions they shall haue in Hell From the description of the cause of the Reprobation we may note 1. That it is not enough to refraine from euill but we must doe good Not bearing of fruit will be a cause of cutting downe the Tree 2. All Religion is pretended in vaine by such as are able and doe not shew mercy to the poore It is a sinne that Christ shall finde only in the wicked From the Apologie of the wicked we learne 1. That men may be very innocent in some things in their owne sight and yet be very guiltie in the sight of God They did thinke verily they neuer saw Christ naked c. and yet in his members they did 2. That it is the propertie of the wicked to remember the good they doe and forget the euill they can remember their prophecying working of miracles and eating and drinking with Christ Matth. 7. 22. but forget all their sinnes of vnmercifulnesse and the like No ma ruell if they iustifie themselues before men that shall dare to doe it before Christ himselfe From the answer to the Apologie we learne plainly that all the iniuries done to the godly yea euen to the poorest and meanest of them Christ reckons as done to himselfe and will accordingly punish them at the day of Iudgement yea not only iniuries but the neglect of honouring and succouring and relieuing of them Hitherto of the manner of the Sentence The execution followes Vnto the execution of the Sentence foure things belong 1. The deliuery of Possession of eternall glory to the godly 2. The detrusion of the wicked into Hell 3. The creation of the new Heauens and new Earth 4. The deliuering vp of the Kingdome of Christ into the hands of God the Father For the first after the sentence ended the Elect shall be all taken vp to heauen with Christ there to reigne with him in eternall blisse where they shall presently be possest of foure incomparable benefits The first is the immediate vision of God so as neuer man saw him in this world If to liue in the presence of great Princes on earth be such a preferment what is it to liue in Gods presence for euer and if to see the Monarches of the earth in their glory so much affect men what is that eternall sight when men that once were but dust and clay are now admitted to behold that infinite perfection and fountaine of all goodnesse In God wee shall behold most perfectly all those things that can be of power to stirre admiration all those beauties and praises that the nature of man can delight in The second is the perfection of their owne natures both in soule and body Then shall their countenances shine like the Sunne in the firmament then shall their very bodies be like spirits able to passe whither they will in a moment then shall they possesse health without all infirmitie or power to feele paine or defect nor sorrow sicknesse or weaknesse shall any more assaile them but greater things than those shall be bestowed vpon their soules for then shall their knowledge be made perfect Here wee know but in part there we shall know as we are knowne there we shall enioy an euerlasting day It is darke night with vs in this world in comparison of that celestiall light of knowledge Here we are groaping in the darke to finde out some parts of truth but there God who is whole truth it selfe shall fill our mindes with the shining beames of his light Then shall all the faculties of the soule be made perfectly glorious in all righteousnesse and true holinesse all impotencies being remoued God himselfe being all in all in the Elect for euer The third is the acquaintance and most glorious societie with all the Angels of Heauen and all iust men of all ages and degrees which fellowship shall be made perfectly comfortable all things that may offend being remoued from them both in their natures and workes The heart of man
with eternal punishments why page 500 Sins remitted and retained how page 463 Sitting what it signifieth page 489 Christs Sessio at the right hand of God is comfortable in seuen respects page 492 Christs Soule how produced page 263 Excellency of mans Soule aboue other creatures appeares in seauen things page 197 Soule of man made in the Image of God page 197 Soule immortall page 198 What the Soule workes in the body Ibid. Soule resembles God in the Creation Ibid. Condition of our Soules in death page 449 Soule of Christ in his death indured a priuation of what it had before Ibid Soules of the righteous cry vnder the Alter Ibid. Our greatest care must be for our soules page 422 Christ the Sonne of God page 335 God hath many Sonnes page 336 Where the Spirit is there is liberty page 541 Spirit quenched by two sorts of men page 546 Happinesse of Christs subiects page 233 Christs subiects must doe seuen things page 234 Sufferings of Christ Suffering attributed to the diuine nature in respect of personall vnion page 305 Christs Sufferings full of wonder and amazement Ibid. They teach vs six things Ibid. He suffered not for all proued against the Arminians page 307 He Suffered from all sorts of enemies Ibid. To teach vs three things Ibid. Who haue part in Christs Sufferings page 308 Christs Sufferings a matchlesse patterne of his loue page 309 Iust Suffers for the vniust Ibid. Seuen reasons why he suffered page 310 Scriptures fulfilled in his Sufferings Ibid. His sufferings teach vs patience page 311 Two obiections against his Sufferings answered page 312 Difference betweene Christs Sufferings and Martyrs page 313 End of Christs Sufferings teach vs diuers things Ibid. Benefit of his Sufferings appeares in seuen things page 314 Hee suffered by waie of Imputation page 316 Hee Suffered from his conception to his resurrection page 317 What he Suffered from his Baptisme to his last Supper page 320 Where he Suffered page 325 When he Suffered Ibid. Hee Suffered Voluntarily page 326 348 421 Hee Suffered meane vsage why page 356 Christ suffers two things from Herod page 370 Christs Sufferings should make vs afraid of sinne page 397 We should Suffer any thing for Christs sake page 417 Superscription ouer Christs Head page 399 Pilates meaning in it Ibid. God by this giues testimonie to his Son Ibid. Superscription written in three Languages page 402 Deriuation of Symbolum with signification thereof T. ALL men need be Taught page 471 Teares haue power ouer Christ page 385 Christ Teacheth diuers waies page 221 Excellency of Christs manner of Teaching page 222 Christ Tempted for diuers reasons page 320 Christs Temptation teacheth vs fiue things page 321 Christ dwels not in Temples made with hands page 243 Thiefe conuerted page 404 Abuse not his example to procrastination page 405 Three fruits of his conuersion page 406 Thiefes confession page 408 Thiefes prayer hath in it three things obseruable page 409 Christs answer to the Thiefe page 411 How the Thiefe vnderstood what was meant by Paradise Ibid. Profitable to teach the people the whole body of Theology page 2 Thomas his vnbeleefe page 464 Thomas his confession page 465 Christ crowned with Thornes page 381 Thankefulnesse to God for the blessings of Heauen page 176 Thunder and lightning page 170 Times and seasons left to God page 427 Worldfull of Treachery page 334 Christs apparition to his Disciples the doores being shut no proofe for Transubstantiation page 462 Truth of God See God Christ beares witnesse to the Truth page 365 Truth will preuaile Ibid. Constancy for the Truth page 366 Christs subiects are of the Truth Ibid. Christ fastened to a Tree for three reasons page 390 Doctrine of the Trinity page 115 Proofes of the Trinity page 116 In handling the Trinity wee must bee wise to sobriety page 117 Trinity Essence Persons all brought in in the Primitiue Church page 123 Eleuen obiections against the Trinity answered page 124 Doctrine of the Trinity vsefull page 126 We must speake of the Trinity in vnity page 127 Vnsound speeches of the Trinity Ibid. What Heretikes haue assaulted it Ib. V. ORiginall of vegetable creatures page 185 Their variety and vse page 186 Vaile of the Temple rent page 413 What it was Ibid. What it signified page 414 Vbiquitaries confuted page 502 They gaue Christ Vinegar to drinke for three reasons page 398 Virgin Mary not conceiued without sinne page 265 Virgin ouer-shadowed page 265 Christ tooke his Body of a Virgin page 267 Wofull estate of vnbeleeuers page 35 240. Christ vpbraided his Disciples for vnbeliefe why page 470 Vnity of God See God W. GOds dearest seruants exposed to outward Wants page 466 Great Wants fore-runne extraordinary supplies Ibid. Christ speakes to Women page 285 Comfort for Women in Child-bearing page 269 Women chiefe witnesses of Christs death page 419 What wholsome words are page 3 Wicked men incorrigible page 348 Wicked desire Christs miracles not his Word page 369 Wicked men of more account then godly page 371 Wicked men within the Church may be as vile as they are without page 376 Wicked men are impatient vnder Gods hand page 386 Wicked men are like a dry Tree Ibid. Wicked men in a wofull case page 397 Wicked men how condemned already page 509 Wicked men are Goats page 418 Wicked men are cursed creatures page 527 Wicked men forget their sins page 528 Wicked men taste the Word of God without digestion page 540 Difference betweene godly and wicked men in their desire after Christ page 369 Great World a little Garden page 161 It is like a Booke Ibid. Like a faire House Ibid. Fiue things wonderfull in the making of the world page 162 Workes of God of two sorts page 144 Externall Workes of foure sorts page 145 When the world was made page 148 Giue God the Glory of his Workes page 149 Meditate on Gods Workes not delight in idle shewes Ibid. World fiered at the last day how page 531 Word doth not euer presently worke page 354 God Workes sometimes by vnlikely meanes Ibid. How the Word was made flesh page 251 Vnion of the Word and flesh differ from other vnions Ibid. Gods Wisdome moderates betweene his Iustice and mercy â—8 Three beare Witnesse of Christ in Heauen three on earth page 430 LONDON Printed by G. M. for R. R. P. Stephens and C. Meredith and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1626. Pro. 335. * So much as now is published comes vnto thy hands as it was left fully perfected by the Author in his life time 2. Waies of Preaching 1. By Text. 2. Without Text. And both expedient The Apostles Patterne The method intended What the Creed is What wholesome words are Vnwholesome doctrines of two sorts 1. Corrupt doctrine Diuers sorts of corrupt doctrine How many waies true doctrine may be vnwholsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How the Creed is a Patterne Note What great respect we should haue of the doctrines