noted And his words are words of salutation and words of commission In the salutation hee wisheth or rather commandeth peace to come vpon them they should haue much trouble in the world but in Christ they should haue peace And withall they might thence gather that as any men doe more further and dispatch the worke of Christ so they shall more abound in inward peace and quiet of heart and conscience and if we haue peace within we should not greatly care what troubles or difficulties we meet withall without The words of commission declare both the authoritie of their office in preaching to Iewes and Gentiles and the confirmation of the successe of their ministerie both by signe and by promise The dignitie of their office is great for as God sent Christ so Christ sends them on embassage to the world They doe no other worke than what God laid vpon his owne Sonne The signe that should confirme them was that Christ breathed on them and said Receiue the Holy Ghost And this might confirme them two waies viz. both in respect of themselues and in respect of their hearers In respect of themselues they need not feare the difficultie of the worke for their sufficiencie should be from the Holy Ghost The Spirit of Christ should qualifie them and inspire them to do all that was required of them In respect of their hearers they must take comfort for that God that made a creation of life in man by breathing vpon him could and would breath spirituall life into the dead world by their preaching The promise annexed to their commission is that whose soeuer sinnes according to the tenor of the couenant of grace in the Gospell they should publikely or priuately remit their pardon should be ratified in heauen and contrariwise whosoeuer should for their impenitencie and contumacie be by them bound ouer to the Iudgement of Christ according to the tenor of the couenant of works and according to the malediction pronounced against all such as despise the Gospell Christ would ratifie their act in the day of death and iudgement and for the present account of them as persons reiected of God Thus of the fiue Apparitions on the day of the resurrection In the rest of the 40. dayes we reade of six other Apparitions The first was the eighth day after the resurrection to the Apostles Thomas being present Ioh. 20. 24 c. Where I note only two things the occasion of this Apparition and the manner of it The occasion of it was the vnbeleefe of Thomas which was very grieuous as containing in it many faults viz. forgetfulnesse of the doctrine of Christ that had foretold his resurrection and wilfull blindnesse for though he be told by them as had seene the Lord that Christ was risen yet he professeth he will not beleeue and withall an insolent limiting of God that vnlesse he may see and feele the print of the nailes and speare he protesteth he will not beleeue Which as it sheweth what wickednesse may lodge in the hearts of good men so it exalteth the praise of the compassion and patience of Christ that will shew mercy in curing such Christians But yet obserue the iustice of Christ vpon such wayward Christians First he is kept a long time viz. eight dayes without comfort and besides he loseth that glorious doctrine was deliuered in the former Apparitions to the rest of the Apostles In the manner of the Apparition obserue both the circumstances and the words of Christ The circumstances are reported vers 26. and are the same with the former Apparition of purpose to helpe the faith of Thomas when hee should see it done as the Apostles had before told him The words of our Sauiour are directed either by way of salutation to all the Disciples or by speciall appellation to Thomas in the salutation he wisheth them peace as he did before to shew them that in this world in doing their worke it was enough for them if they could possesse a heart and conscience within that was at peace though in all outward things they finde trouble In the words to Thomas I obserue what our Sauiour said and the effect in Thomas and our Sauiours reply In his first words to shew that he knew all things and heard euery word Thomas had said in his absence he cals to him to do according to the words of his own wilfull limitation but withall giues him a lash for his vnbeleefe vers 27. It is the portion of wayward Christians euen when God doth most comfort them to meet with secret ierks from God and withall they may see that though men would forget their wilfulnesse yet Christ remembers it And as appeares by the reply afterwards when they reforme and doe their best yet their comfort is mixed with their dispraise The effect in Thomas was an excellent confession excelling the most confessions had beene made before expressing more than was in question and much tendernesse of heart both in beleeuing in Christ and resoluing to be ruled by him when he said with such words My Lord and my God Which shewes how Christ can glorifie his power in making weake Christians sometimes to expresse more life of faith and knowledge than stronger Christians In the reply our Sauiour commends that faith most that resteth least vpon sense and feeling The second Apparition was to seuen of the Disciples as they went to fishing Ioh. 21. 1 c. Where the things I would obserue either concerne the time of this Apparition or the persons to whom or are taken from the substance of the Storie it selfe About the time I may take occasion to cleare a doubt which is this The Disciples were commanded immediatly after the resurrection by a message sent them by the women from Christ that they should meet him on a Mountaine in Galile Matth. 28. 10. 16. Now it appeares by the time of this and the former Apparition that they tarry many daies in Ierusalem The answer is that they were bound to tarry in Ierusalem eight daies because of the Passeouer and it seemes they were now going into that place in Galile Now for the persons to whom he appeares they were seuen of them of different conditions Peter and Thomas had fallen shamefully Nathaniel was no Apostle but yet a man without guile the sonnes of Zebedee had beleeued after they had seene the Lord two other Disciples are not named and toward all these in a different respect is the loue of Christ shewed Christ will manifest himselfe not only to constant Christians but to such as haue fallen and repented nor only to Apostles but to priuate Christians not only to knowne and eminent Disciples but to such as we know not Now for the substance of the Storie the things I shall obserue for the letter of it either concerne the estate of godly men in outward things or the demonstration of the Diuinitie of Christ About the estate of godly men I note three things First that
be in this world 7. In the case of publike dangers and distresses vpon the Churches of Christ and the seeming prosperity of his enemies for from this Article we may gather and must beleeue that all the enemies of Christ and his Church shall come to confusion and that the Church shall be deliuered as these and many other Scriptures shew Eph. 1. 20. c. Psal 110. 1 2. 1 Cor. 15. 25 26 27. Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. The seuenth Article From thence he shall come to iudge both quicke and dead ACTS 10. 42. And he commanded vs to preach vnto the people and to testifie that it is hee that is ordained of God a judge of quicke and dead HItherto of the three degrees of the exaltation of Christ Some haue thought that this Article containes a fourth degree of his glory but I am rather of their minds that take it to be a declaration of the former especially of his Session at the right hand of God as shewing one point of his greatnesse aboue men and Angels that hee is appointed Iudge of all the world and so of all men and Angels Some diuide these foure Articles thus One tells of what he did on earth viz. Rose from the dead The second tells how he went from the earth the third tells of his estate in heauen and the fourth of his returne to the earth againe There is great need of teaching and explicating of this Article both because it is a thing so much vrged in so many places both of the old and new Testament and because it was made one of the most fundamentall principles of the Apostles Catechisme Heb. 6. 2. Act. 10. 42. and especially because it is a doctrine of all others most effectuall to awaken the carnall secure hearts of men Act. 24. 26. and if it may be to bring them to repentance Act. 17. 31. and the more proper for vs vpon whō the ends of the world are come not only because it is now at hand but because men are in so high a degree forgetful of it yea because there are so many scoffers against it according as S. Peter foretold 2 Pet. 3. 3. Concerning this iudgement I intend to shew by way of explication 1. What kinde of iudgement it will be 2. Who shall be the Iudge 3. Whence he shall come to iudge 4. When the day of iudgement shall be 5. Where the place will be 6. Who shall be iudged 7. The signes of this Iudgement 8. The forme or manner how it shall be performed For the first what kinde of Iudgement this shall be may appeare by the properties of it and the properties are seuen First it is certaine It is such a Iudgement as will certainly come vpon men There must needs be a Iudgement in the end of the world First because so many Scriptures haue foretold it it hath beene proclaimed and men warned and summoned from the beginning of the world Henoch gaue notice of it Iude 15. so did Moses Deut. 32. and Dauid Psal 50. and Salomon Eccles 11. 9 and Daniel ch 7. 13. and Ioel ch 3. and Malachi ch 4. so did Christ himselfe Matt. 24. and Paul 2 Thess 1. and Peter 2 Pet. 3. Iohn Reu. 20. and Iude v. 6. here is a cloud of witnesses Secondly because we see that in this world full Iudgement is not executed and therefore it stands vp ō Gods iustice that there should be a generall Iudgment for in this world many times godly men be in great affliction as Lazarus wicked men be in great prosperity as Diues Now if God be iust he wil render to euery man according to his works which because it is not done in this world it remains that we are yet to expect such a iudgement as will giue euery man his due If iudgement begin at Gods house in this world then certainly will God finde a time to auenge himselfe on Satans family Thirdly there must needs be a iudgement in the end of the world for the declaration of Gods iustice which is now in many things hid Rom. 2. 5. Many things we see not the reason of and many things are hid in darknesse which then shall be brought to light Mens hearts now boile against many things they heare in Gods word or obserue in Gods workes now the Lord will ouercome in iudgement Psal 50. And therefore he hath appointed a time wherein he will cleare himselfe before all men and Angels Fourthly Gods workes of iudgement done already shew that he conceiues such an infinite wrath against sin as he must needs finde a time to be reuenged on the sins of all men Such as are the drowning of the old world the burning of Sodom the destruction of Ierusalem the tormenting of mankind with a world of diseases and miseries the sweeping away of many thousands together by Pestilence or sword the irreuocable sentence of death vpon all men shews that God will take an account of mens waies and will not put vp the transgressions of his Lawes Besides euery mans conscience naturally feares a supreme Iudge and therefore since there shall be a iudgement men should liue so as to prouide that it may goe well with them in that day 2. It is immediate God himselfe shall iudge There is a iudgement in this world which is called Gods iudgement but that is a mediate iudgement when God iudgeth by man as Deut. 1. 17. Psal 72. 1. Psal 50. 3. It is the last iudgement men haue receiued their doomes sometimes from men sometimes from God either iudging them by his word or afflicting them by his particular iudgements but these are all the first things but this is the last iudgement after which there shall be no more triall or sentence or execution and therefore the more terrible for wicked men because there can be no reuersing of this sentence as in this life vpon repentance there may be of other iudgements Ier. 18. 7 8 9 10. And for this sentence there will be no appeale 4. It is a generall and vniuersall iudgement 2 Cor. 5. 10. all must appeare both quicke and dead as will be more distinctly shewed afterwards God hath his particular iudgement vpon man in this world both in life iudging both the righteous and the wicked euery day Psal 7. 12. and in death when he passeth a particular sentence vpon euery man but this is iudgement of all men together 5. It is an open and manifest iudgement where all things shal be brought to light euen the secret and hidden things of all men euen the hidden things of darknesse God hath his secret iudgements vpon wicked men in this world when he consumes them like a moth Esay 51. 8. and plagues them in their soules or bodies or states in the things the world obserues not But at this day of iudgement all shall be done and opened before all men and Angels Which serues for exceeding terrour to impenitent sinners Is it such a shame to doe
penance before one particular congregation for one fault when the punishment is inflicted for their amendment and it may be men will pray for them forgiue them What wil the horror be then whē they must be shamed before all men and Angels for all their sins and this iudgement must be for their confusion and no eye shall pity them And so it serues for the singular comfort of the godly if it be a comfort to be praised and cleared of aspersions before a great assembly on earth as say it were at the meeting of Parliament and done by the mouth of a King with the applause of all the hearers What shall their euerlasting comfort be when at that day by the voice of Christ himselfe they shall be praised for all the good they haue done and cleared from all aspersions censures suspitions and wrong iudgements on earth before all the world of men and Angels 6. It will bee a sudden iudgement Christ will come vpon the world like a theefe in the night that doth not vse to knocke at the doore and giue men warning He will come as the snare doth vpon the bird Luke 21. 35. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. Which serues to shew the wofull estate of wicked men that liue in securitie for while they say Peace peace sudden destruction comes vpon them either by particular or generall iudgement 1 Thess 5. 3. and it should serue to warne wicked men to take heed of those sins which doe especially harden the hearts of men and breed securitie and indisposition in them Our Sauiour himselfe instanceth in surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of life Luk. 21. 34. and it should teach all men to watch and daily to pray to God for mercy and grace that they may be alwayes ready as our Sauiour vrgeth in the same place Luk. 21. 34. 7. It will be a righteous Iudgement Rom. 2. 5. Reu. 19. 11. Psal 9. 9. for God will iudge according to his owne righteousnesse which is infinitely perfect Psal 7. 9. and it will be true iudgement without error or mistaking either by euidence or the law or the sentence Reuel 15. 5. and 19. 11. He will not respect any mens persons 1 Pet. 1. 17. nor will he iudge according to the outward appearance and colours of things Esay 11. 3. and it must be righteous because it shall be according to mens wayes and workes Ezech. 18. 30. Rom. 2. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 10. and hee cannot be corrupted with bribes for riches will not auaile in the day of wrath Iob 36. Nor will he regard the false testimonie of the world either for the wicked or against the godly for though it be true that Christ saith As I heare I iudge Ioh. 5. 30. yet that is meant of what he heares from his Father and his booke of prescience and remembrance and not of what hee heares from the world and no multitude nor power can be able to daunt this Iudge for he is a Lord of hoasts Ier. 11. 20. and will iudge by his strength Psal 54. 1. and therefore woe to the Hypocrite that makes a shift to scape the iudgement of man by his deceitfull colours and woe to the mightie men that now breake the net and scape and no man dares controll them and woe to all those foolish men that beleeue not Gods iustice because they like it not or seemes to be against their reason at that day God will ouercome euen in the things he is now iudged Psal 51. 6. Rom. 3. 4. and woe to all them that haue pronounced wrong iudgement on earth their sentence shall not stand but themselues shall come to iudgement for their ill iudgement on earth Eccles 3. 17. and in generall if God will iudge in righteousnesse then no wicked man shall euer be able to stand in iudgment Psal 1. 5. 8. It will be an eternall iudgement for so it is called Heb. 6. 2. not because the Iudge shall sit for euer in examining of causes and sentencing of men but because the effect of this iudgement shall be for euer Looke what happinesse is by sentence of the Iudge appointed for the godly that shal last for euer and so what miserie the wicked are adiudged to shall last for euer Which should serue greatly for reproofe of the carelesnesse of most men that so thinke of a present estate in this little space of time on earth that they forget to take order for eternitie and most wofull is the case of the wicked that so esteeme the pleasures of sinne here which are but for a season that they care not to plunge themselues into estate of torment which shall neuer haue end Ob. But how can this be iust that they should be punished for euer that haue sinned but a little time Sol. Diuers things may be answered to this 1. That no Iudge limiteth his torments to the time of the doing of the fact or crime he measures his punishment by the greatnesse of the offence not by the length of time As in the case of treason murder whoredome c. which may be done in an instant or short time and yet the punishment be for a long time as men punish by death which is a remouing of the malefactor from the societie of men for euer and shall not God haue the like allowance for his proceedings Secondly we must consider of the greatnes of sin by the person against whom it is committed men sinne against God who is infinite and therefore must suffer punishment that is infinite in continuance Thirdly if two men bargain together one selleth another buyeth the buyer will haue his bargaine for euer though the contract be made in a quarter of an houre now sinning is a selling of mens soules and bodies to the deuill for a short pleasure and therefore why should it not be iust that the deuill should haue them for euer Hitherto of the Answer to the first Question The second question is who shall be the Iudge The answer is to that that Christ shall be Iudge euen the same person that is Mediator and of whom all the former Articles of the Creed affirmed which is apparent by these and other Scriptures Ioh. 5. 22. 27. Act. 10. 42. and 17. 31. Not that the Father and Holy Ghost is remoued from this Iudgement for the authoritie of iudging belongs to the whole Trinitie but because the Sonne shall appeare in the Humane Nature and speake and pronounce sentence but when he speaks God speaks and when he iudges God shall iudge not only because he is God but because the Father shall speake and iudge by him so that the Iudgement belongs to him in respect of the visible proceeding in Iudgement and the promulgation and the execution of the sentence Dan. 7. 9. 13. and the like may bee said of his iudging as Man not that he is not Iudge in his Diuine Nature but because that which shall be seene and heard in the Iudgement shall proceed from his
be an Hypocrite page 365 I. I Dols are false Gods page 165 Christ suffered at Ierusalem page 325 He was buried neere to Ierusalem for two causes page 435 Iesus whence this word comes page 214 Why Christ was called Iesus page 215 The word Iesus is a short Gospel page 216 That Iesus may be our Sauiour wee must doe three things Ibid. The saued by Iesus must shew it in seuen things page 217 Diuers men know not Iesus Ibid. Calling of the Iewes page 414 Christ suffered Ignominie and disgrace in three things page 323 Hee bore this for foure reasons Ibid. Ignorance no plea. page 488 Immutability of God See God Gift of Illumination page 540 Humility of Christs Incarnation page 318 He sustained Infirmities of all sorts for foure reasons page 322 Christs Innocency page 37â— 440 God can giue testimony to the Innocencie of his page 373 Insufficient Ministers page 487 Christs Intercession shadowed out in the Law page 484 Incarnation of Christ page 248 How one Person is Incarnate and not the other Ibid What Christ assumed in his Incarnation page 249 When he was Incarnate page 250 Why Christ was Incarnate page 251 Gods glory shineth in Christs Incarnation page 257 Christ makes a threefold Intercession for vs. page 248 His Incarnation teacheth vs diuers things page 258 It is comfortable to the godly Ibid. Doctrine of Christs Incarnation terrible page 259 Christ like vs in all Infirmities page 258 Day of Iudgement shall bee in the end of the wâ—rld page 505 Why it is deferred so long Ibid. The precise time of this Iudgement vnknowne and why page 506 Christ did not know the day and houre of it how it is meant page 507 Place where the Iudgement shall bee Ibid. Who shall be Iudged page 508 Signes of Christs comming to Iudgement page 513 Euents no signes page 112 Corruption of manners a signe of Christs comming to Iudgement how page 514 Preparation of the Iudge to Iudgement hath in it foure things page 416 Preparation of the Persons ' Iudged hath in it foure things Ibid. The world summoned to Iudgement Ibid. Wicked men shall be Iudged according to their workes page 519 Diuers obiections answered Ibid. Infants how Iudged page 520 By what lawmen shall be Iudged â—â—0 Doctrine of the last Iudgement terrible to the wicked page 532 Comfortable to the godly page 534 Iudas his treason six things obseruable in it page 327 Why it was necessary that Iudas should betray Christ page 329 Iudas sin Informes vs of diuers things Ibid. Iudas meant not to haue Christ killed probable page 330 Good Iudges must learne expedition page 360 Christ Iudged in a polyticall court for foure reasons page 362 Church-men must abide the Iudgement of lay Iudges page 363 Why Christ Iudged by Pilate page 362 Iudges no accusers page 363 Iudges must haue cleane hands page 377 Needfull to vnderstand Christs comming to Iudgement page 496 Seuen properties of this Iudgement Ib. Particular Iudgement page 498 Last Iudgement manifest Ibid. It is sudden Ibid. Christs Iudgement a righteous Iudgement page 499 It is an eternall Iudgement how page 500 Christ shall be the Iudge page 501 This is comfortable to the godly Ibid. Terrible vnto the wicked page 502 How Saints and Apostles Iudge the world page 501 Whence Christ shall come to Iudgement page 502 When the day of Iudgement shall bee diuers opinions Ibid. Memoriall of the Iust blessed page 440 Iustice of God See God K. KIngdome of Christ page 229 Kingdome of Christ not of this world page 365 Christ clothed in habit of a King in way of scorne page 379 Christs Kingdome scorned page 380 Iesus that King by an excellency page 400 Kingdome of Christ deliuered to God page 532. 490 That Christ is a King appeares by seuen things page 229 Christ excells all other Kings in thirteene things page 230 Lawes of Christs Kingdome page 232 Christ our King what we learne from hence page 234 Diuers kinds of Knowledge in Christ page 253 Knowledge of God See God L. PVrge out the old Leauen page 310 Christs Legacy page 422 Lightnings Gods arrowes page 171 Liue not to our selues page 417 Iewes cast Lots vpon Christs garments for fiue reasons page 393 Beleeue that Iesus is our Lord. page 240 Christ is our Lord by a fiuefold right page 241 Excellency of Christs Lordship in six respects page 241 This teacheth vs diuers things page 243 Seuen Rules for the seruing of this Lord. page 244 Diuers vses of this point page 245 A threefold act in Loue. page 64 M. OBey Magistrates in the Lord. page 243 Malice in the wicked cruell page 327 372 Man the Epitome of all Gods workes page 194 Man miserable in respect of the euill of punishment diuers waies page 205 Christ the Son of Man page 268 Man hath eight prerogatiues aboue the creatures page 199 Notorious Malefactors may repent and be saued page 405 Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene page 460 Christ Manifested three waies page 270 Whether Mary may be called the Mother of Christ. page 267 Matter of Christs Body page 261 The sanctification of that Matter Ibid. God not tyed to the vse of Meanes in what cases page 559 Religion is vaine without Mercy page 528 How Mercy better then piety page 526 Ministers corrupt page 329 How Ministers betray Christ page 333 Qualifying of Ministers page 539 Publique Miseries to bee bewailed page 385 Christs care for his Mother page 421 He calls her woman Ibid. Mortality and Immortality in the same person page 256 Merit of workes confuted page 487 Meteors in the ayre page 169 Fiery Meteors page 170 Watery Meteors page 174 What vse God puts them to Ibid. N. Christs Natiuity HE was Borne three waies page 269 Bethlem the place of his Natiuity page 270 Time of his Natiuity Ibid. Christ borne poore why page 271 Borne of a Virgin why Ibid. Christ a first borne how page 272 Signes about the time of his Natiuity page 272 Three things haue relation to Christs Natiuity page 269 Diuers effects of Christs Natiuity page 271 Son of God tooke the Nature of Man page 248 He tooke it into vnion with his diuine Nature page 258 Mans estate by Nature hath need of mending page 205 No worke of Nature to beleeue in Christ page 207 Christ fastned to the Crosse with Nailes for foure reasons page 390 To destroy Niniuey a conditionall will in God page 108 O. CHrists Obedi nâ—e to his Father in death page 421 Auoid Occasions that leads to sinne page 353 Christs threefold Office page 226 Originall sinne page 204 A threefold Opposition page 120 P. PApists sin against Christs prophecie page 226 A twofold Paradice page 411 Paradice a Type of the glory of heauen page 412 Our life a continuall Passeouer page 310 Christ the true Passeouer page 428 Why Christ suffered at the Passeouer page 325 How Passion is in God page 107 Passions of two sorts Ibid. Christs primitiue Passion page 315 Extended to both Natures Ibid.