in thought word and worke O Lord our God we must needs confesse with mourning and sorrowing hearts and spirits that we were all borne in sin all conceiued in iniquity and that all our life hitherto hath beene most fearefully corrupted and stained with all manner of sinfull transgressions to the great dishonour of thine owne Maiestie to the great discomfort of our owne soules and to the euerlasting confusion both of soule and body in thy iust iustice and iudgement in the world to come Yea O Lord we cannot but confesse that so soone as euer wee came into the world thou mightest iustly for our sinnes haue taken vs both body and soule and giuen vs our portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone it is thy great mercy that thou hast spared vs hitherto and not consumed vs from the face of the earth To thee therefore God of endlesse compassion we most miserable wretches make our pitious mone to thee in Christ Iesus wee come now for mercy heare vs heale vs helpe vs and haue mercy vpon vs pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes let shine thy fauourable countenance towards vs and say vnto our soules that thou art our saluation Thou hast promised in thy holy and heauenly Word that a broken and a contrite heart thou wilt not despise Fulfill therefore now O Lord this thy gracious promise to vs that are weary and laden with the affrightments of sinne and that offer vp our prayers with grones that cannot bee expressed Wash vs O Lord in the bloud of Iesus Christ make vs cleane within and without by thy sanctifying and renewing grace preserue vs both in body and soule from the guilt and punishment of all our mis-doings assure our consciences of the same by faith and seals vs by thy good Spirit to the day of redemption And heauenly Father wée humbly intreate thee to worke thy good worke in euery soule of vs to giue vs faith in thy promises zeale to thy glory loue to thy truth obedience to thy will care and conscience to walke vpright before thee in all our wayes and to offer vp our soules and bodies a liuely sacrifice to the seruice of thy Maiestie in holinesse all the dayes of our life to come And in these our prayers we craue also at thy mercifull hands thy gracious blessings for all thy faithfull Children and elect persons wheresoeuer dispersed and howsoeuer distressed vpon the face of the earth and more especially for these thy churches amongst vs of Great Brittaine France and Ireland replenish the Kings most excellent Maiestie with all necessarie graces meet for so worthy a Personage Redouble thy gracious Spirit vpon our most hopefull Prince and multiply thy blessings vpon all His Royall Issue Blesse all the Nobility of our Land all the reuerend Clergy from the highest to the lowest all of the ciuill Magistracy all Schooles of learning with the two Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxford and all the Commons of this Realme shew pitty vpon all thine that are in any kinde of tribulation or affliction especially vpon all those that suffer persecution for thy Gospels truth comfort all those that lye languishing in spirit Soule-sicke at the heart for remorce of their sinnes say vnto their Soules that thou art their Redemption Blesse moreouer we beseech thee all that are deare and neere vnto vs in the flesh as our Parents Father and Mother Brother and Sister and Kinsfolke together with our deare Friends and Christian acquaintance absent or present Lord bee present with them and keepe them as the apple of thine owne eye from euery euill worke and way to thy euerlasting Kingdome and saluation And holy Father we finally entreat thee to redouble thy gracious blessings vpon euery one of vs at this time humbled in Prayer before thee blesse vs bodily and spiritually giue vnto our bodies comfortable rest and sleepe that so wee may be the fitter to do the works of our seueral vocations before thée and grant vnto our soules the continuall assistance of thy grace that they may neuer sléepe in sinne but that they may be alwaies waking and wayting for the comming of our Lord Iesus to Iudgement that so Soule and body may bee preserued from the euill of sinne in this life and from the euill of damnation in the world to come and that for Christ Iesus his sake our sole Sauiour and onely Redéemer to whom with thée and thy blessed Spirit thrée glorious persons but one Essentiall God we offer vp all possible Thanksgiuing and praise this euening and euerlasting Amen FINIS Tormenting TOPHET OR A TERRIBLE DESCRIPTION of HELL Able to breake the hardest heart and cause it quake and tremble Preached at Pauls Crosse the 14. of Iune 1614. The fifth Edition corrected and amended Esay 30. 33. Tophet is prepared of old it is euen prepared for the King he hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire c. Printed at London by George Purslow and are to be sold by John Clarke 1620. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull and my verie deare friends Sir Lestraunge Mordaunt of Massingham Hall in the Countie of Norfolke Knight Baronet and Lady Frances Mordaunt his most louing Bed-fellow HENRY GREENVVOOD Wisheth all increase of Grace in this Life and Eternall Life in Life to come IT is and hath beene long since Right Worshipfull the custome of the Learned that when they commended to publike view therein ayming a◠common good their Christian pains and diuine indeuors knowing that the truth hath and alwayes had many oppositions and detractions to present them to men of high place and well affected in Religion that so their works might passe with lesse feare and danger of disgrace and opprobry I though vnlearned making bold to imitate their Christian policie herein haue presumed to present that doctrine to your Worships eyes that lately in publike place was sounded in your eares both of which senses are great instruments in the furtherance of our soules in the way of Gods Kingdome for as the eare conuayeth grace to the affections of the soule so the eye bringeth much matter to the vnderstanding of the minde nay the eare cannot so often be an Andito as the eye an Oratour to the Conscience For which cause your Worships nothing more affecting than growth in grace and Religion I haue attempted to commend to your often consideration Tormenting Tophet for as nothing allureth the heart to grace more then Gods mercies so nothing is more preualent against sinne than his fearfull and terrible Iudgements If therfore your gracious Worships shall vouchsafe to accept of these my poore presented pains it will giue much content to mine own heart doubtlesse answerable comfort to your owne soules And to conclude as the Lord hath aboundantly blessed your Worships with graces internal blessings externall So to vse the words of the Apostle the very God of peace sanctifie you still throughout and I pray God that your whole spirits and Soules
glorifying the Lord God by our holy conuersations in this world we may be eternally glorified of the Lord our God in the world to come So run that ye may obtaine Text. The last thing to bee obserued in this heauenly Race is Praemium promissum The promised reward to all those that runne lawfully so great a reward it is as should stirre vp euery Christian to run in the Race of Godlinesse If the King of his Princely bounty would offer 10000. pounds to him that should first come at a miles end would not thousands hazard their liues and aduenture a surfet willingly that they may obtaine the same But the Lord hath offered vs a Kingdome Yea it is the pleasure Luke 12. Heb. 13. 14 1. Pet. 1. 18. of our heauenly Father to giue vs a Kingdome an habitation not made with hands nor purchased with gold and siluer but with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe And shall not wée labour and straine our selues with might maine to run the race that is appointed for vs How wil men toile and moyle for a little trash How will men vse all their wits and bend all their studies to bee worldly rich Alas those are dung in respect of this reward shall we not therefore much more labour for the meat that shall neuer perish for this glorious reward that shall neuer be taken from vs The greatnesse of this reward is painted out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures by the diuersity greatnesse of the names thereof For first it is called by the name of Regnum coelorum i. The Kingdome of Heauen for there they enioy great liberty honor power pleasure glory and all good things whatsoeuer Secondly it is called by thâ— name of Regnum Dei Christi id est The Ephe. â— 21 Kingdome of God and of Christ because that Iesus Christ hauing ouer come death hell and damnation together with all the enemies that did oppose vs in the way to heauen doth rule there and gouerne his Church triumphant with heauenly peace and euerlasting tranquillity Thirdly it is called by the name of Paradisus id est Paradise in respect Lukâ— 23. of the aboundant plenty of all good and pleasant things which the Saints can either wish or possibly desire Fourthly it is called by the name of Caelum tertium id est the third heauen 2. Cor. 12. which is called Coelum Empyraeum i. igncum not in respect of fire but in respect of the glorious light that shineth therein For it is Situ altissimum quantitate maximum naturà purissimum luce plenissimum capacitate amplissimum id est High in situation great in quantity pure in nature full of light and exceeding large Able to receiue ten thousand times more persons theÌ„ there are drops of water in the sea or sâ—â—d lying by the shore Fiftly it is called by the name of Sancla Ciuitâ—s an holy Citie built Apoc. 21. 10. with most precious pearles because the company that dwell therein are holy and pure shining in holinesse and glistring in purity as the portals of the burnish Sun Sixtly it is called by the name of Summa be â—titudo inestimable blessednesse Because the Saints inioy the full presence of the blessed Trinitie wherein true blisse consisteth Seuenthly it is called by the name of Vita aeterna Life euerlasting because there shall be no more death nor lamentation no more crying nor sorrow but the Saints shall enioy these blessed ioyes so â—ong as God shall be God which is for euerlasting This is the reward promised to all those that will runne in the race of Godlinesse holding out to the end A large reward and no man knoweth it but he that enioyeth it Adeò magna est quod nequit numerari adeò pretiosa quod nâ— quiâ— comparari adeò diutina quòd nequit terminari id est So great is this reward as it cannot bee numbred so precious as it cannot be valued so lasting as it is euerlasting it is great without quantity swéete without quality infinite without number euerlasting without end So great is this reward as neither â—e hath seene nor eaâ—e hath heard of 1. Cor â— he like neither can it bee exprâ—sted of 〈…〉 â—aâ—â— of man Quod 〈…〉 saith S. Augustine Diligentibus se Augustine Deus side non capitur spe non attingitur charitate non comprehenditur desideria vota transgreditur adquiri potest aestimari non potest id est That which the Lord hath prepared for those that loue and feare his Name is not fully attained to by faith neither fully retained by hope neither fully contained by charity it farre surpasseth the desires of men Angels It may be in some measure bee obtained but valued it can neuer be Deus saith S. Bernard est mel Bernard in ore melos in aure iubilus in corde i. God is honie in the mouth melody in the eare ioy in the heart Ibi nihil in tus fastidiatur nihil foris quod appetatur ibi rex veritas lex charitas possessio aeternitas id est In heauen there is nothing that may seeme fulsome or loathsome out of Heauen there is nothing that may bee wished or desired for then were there no perfection in heauen for Persetium est cui nihil addi potest i. There is perfection where can bee no addition there the King is Verity the law Charity possession Eternitie Saint Augustine speaking of the ioyes of heauen saith thus Ibi laetitia sine Augustine tristitia locus sine dolore vita sine labore lux sine tonebris ibi iâ—uentus semper vigescit nunquam senescit ibi dolor nunquam sentitur nec gemitus vnquam auditur ibi tristitia nunquam videtur sed aeternum gaudium possidetur id est There is mirth without mone place without paine life without labour light with out darknesse there youth alwayes flourisheth and neuer decayeth there is no torment felt no howling heard no sorrow seene but possession of euerlasting ioyes Ibi est summa certa tranquillitas Augustine tranquilla foelicitas foelix aeternitas aeterna beatitudo beata Trinitas id est There is great tranquillity tranquill felicitie happy eternity euerlasting blessednesse and the blessed Trinitie O gaudium super gaudium vincens omne Augustine gaudium extra quod non est gaudium quando intrabo in te vt Deum meum videam qui habitat in te id est O ioy a boue all ioyes farre surpassing all ioyes without which there is no ioy When shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee This holy man Augustine considering the greatnesse of the ioyes of heauen sayth on this manner Faciliùs exponi Augustine potest quid non sit in coelo quà m quid sit in coelo id est A man may sooner tell what is not in Heauen then what is in Heauen for the ioyes
which are there are innumerable Euen as a learned Geometrician finding Hercules his foot 's length vpon the high hill Olympus drew out his whole picture by the proportion of the same though farre vnequall to it so we may ghesse at the greatnesse of the ioyes of Heauen though far vnequall to them As the Quéene of Sheba hauing heard the wisedome of Salomon which before shee beleeued not sayd to Salomon Loe the one halfe was not told mee So the Saints of God inioying the vnspeakeable ioyes of Heauen may say it is true which we haue heard concerning the ioyes of Heauen by the mouth of preaching Ministers but loe the thousand part of them was not told vnto vs. The greatnesse of these ioyes doe appeare in the entertainment of the faithfull Seruant into ioyes by our Lord Iesus saying Enter into thy Masters ioy Our Sauiour saith not Let thy Masters ioy enter into thee but Enter thou into it shewing vnto vs that the ioyes of Heauen are so many as the thousand parts of them cannot be contained in the soule of man Thus at large haue I spoken of this reward the more to allure all men to runne in the Race of Christianitie which is the high way to this glorious reward Foure things there are that being well considered are excellent motiues to cause men to leaue the broad way of iniquity and to betake themselues to runne in this Race Celestiall The day of death The day of doome The ioye of Heauen and the torments of Hell Let euery Christian therefore as he tendreth his euerlasting saluation cast his eyes vpon this reward and runne in the race of Godlinesse so long as life shall last that whensoeuer it shall please the Lord to call him out of the vale of teares hee may hauing his name written in the booke of Life be welcommed into his Masters ioy with this blessed haruest song Come thou blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for thee from the beginning of the world To the which thrice-blessed Kingdome he bring vs that hath so dearely bought vs euen Iesus Christ the righteous who hath taken away the sinnes of the world To whom with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost thrée Persons but one eternall and euerliuing God we ascribe both now and euer as is most due all power glory dominion and thanksgiuing Amen A MORNING PRAYER O Most glorious God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our Father the Fountaine of all our wel-fare and the giuer of all grace wee thy poore children according to our bounden duty are at this present assembled together before thee in Prayer to offer vp euen from the ground of our hearts the Morning Sacrifice of Thanks-giuing for all thy louing mercies and tender kindnesses whatsoeuer bestowed vpon vs. We highly blesse thy Maiesty for electing vs in thy Christ to life eternall before all worlds for creating vs after thine owne most glorious Image in purity and perfection of holinesse for iustifying vs by the perfect obedience of thy Sonne for sanctifying vs by thy holy Spirit and for the hope that thou hast giuen vs of our future glorification with thée hereafter in Heauen We also returne vnto thée all due and possible praise for preseruing of vs hitherto of thine especiall goodnesse and mercy supplying abundantly all our necessities both in soule and in body and at this present wee heartily magnifie thy name for thy watchfull prouidence ouer vs this night and for thy blessing vpon vs and ours keeping vs from diuers dangers that might iustly for our sinnes haue come vpon vs both spirituall and corporall O what shall wee render vnto thée for all these thy mercies done vnto vs what are we that thou shouldest thus respect vs or what are our deseruings that thou shouldest thus esteeme vs To vs O Lord to vs most miserable sinners there nothing belongeth but shame and confusion If thou Lord markest strictly what is done amisse who is able to abide it O how farre doth thy mercy exceede thy iustice O the deepenesse of thy fauours towards vs So vnsearchable are they as no man can expresse them so vn-vtterable as no man can declare them And most mercifull Father wee humbly intreat for thy Christs sake the continuance of these mercies towards vs blesse vs this day and euer with thy heauenly protection and benediction guide vs by thine owne Spirit into all godlinesse that wee may profitably and conscionably walk before thee in our vocations both generall and particular blesse vs in the house and blesse vs in the field blesse vs in the basket and blesse vs in the store blesse vs in our out-goings and in our commings in compasse vs on euery side with thy mercies guard thine Angels round about vs keep vs from the euill of this world and euery worke of darknes and sanctifie both our soules and bodies with thy feare to thy seruice that as heretofore we haue serued the Diuell and the World by prophanenesse so euer hereafter redeeming the time wee may apply our selues vnto holinesse To which end we most earnestly craue O heauenly Father the presence of thy Spirit alwayes to direct vs the powerfull preaching of thy Gospell alwayes to instruct vs the holy vse of thy Sacraments alway to confirme vs that all heresie and vngodlinesse remoued farre from vs by these meanes sanctified vnto vs wee may glorifie thy holy Name by our holy conuersations in this life and be glorified of thee euerlastingly in the life to come And because by reason of our sins in stead of thy mercies we haue deserued thy furious indignation against vs we therefore seriously begge at the Throne of thy mercy in the meritorious mediation of Iesus Christ that thou wouldest remoue farre from vs and our Land all thy fearefull and heauy iudgements whatsoeuer as famine pestilence sword and the like and giue vs all grace from the King to the beast that we may be truely humbled for all our iniquities that wee repenting vs of our euill which is sinne thou maist be pleased to repent thee of thy euill which is punishment for sin Heare vs O blessed Lord God in these our Petitions pardoning our sinnes and granting to vs all our requests with all other thy graces that wee stand in need of that may make for thy glory and the sauing of our poore soules at the dismall day of Iudgement and that for Christ Iesus his sake To whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit three glorious persons but one immortall God we desire to returne all possible praise power Dominion and Thanksgiuing this morning and euerlasting Amen AN EVENING PRAYER O Most gracious God and in Iesus Christ our most louing and most mercifull Father the Father of all mercies and God of all consolations wee thy poore seruants do most humbly cast downe our selues before the Throne of thy dreadfull Maiesty confessing and acknowledging our manifold sins from time to time most grieuously committed against thee
with the sheep on his right hand and singing this blessed haruest song vnto you Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world To the which most blessed place of glory the Lord bring euery Soule of vs at the day of our death and dissolution and that for IESVS CHRIST his sake to whom with God the Father and God the blessed Spirit thrée glorious persons but one immortall God be ascribed all honour and glory both in Heauen and Earth this day and euer Amen * ⎠* FINIS An Earnest and zealous Pray er to be saued from the damnation of TOPHET O Most glorious euerliuing and euerlouing Lord God the fountaine and well-spring of all our happinesse wee thy poore seruants vnworthy in regard of our manifold transgressions of the least of thy blessings doe most humbly fall downe before the throne of thy dreadfull Maiesty confessing in the bitternesse of our soules the basenesse and vilenesse of our estates by sinne O Lord ashamed wee are to come before thee that are nothing but sinfull corruption and abomination but thou a Maiesty most pure in comparison of whom the Angels themselues are counted impure we dare not therfore being thus lothsome and abominable presume to present our selues before thee as in our selues but in thy manifold mercies and thy Son Iesus Christ his merits in whom thou art delightfully pleased with all that faithfully call vpon thy name Lord in thy Son behold vs we humbly beseech thee accept vs in his worthinesse clense vs in his blood iustifie vs in his righteousnes sanctifie vs with his spirit and in his most precious death frée vs from the damnation of hell O till these comfortable tidings be sealed vp to our soules how perplexed are we O how do our harts quake and tremble till we haue found the saluation of thee our God! Reiect vs not O heauenly Father that faine would as be saued of thee so vprightly serue thee we plead now and euer for pardon so for grace whereby wee may in plentifull manner bring forth fruits worthy of amendement Lord kéepe vs in body and soule to thy euerlasting Kingdom and saluation Lord preserue vs from the terrible torments of Tophet O what shall become of vs if we for our sins when we dye be thrown into that Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone so bitterly as forceth screeching and screaming continually Lord deale not with vs according to our sinnes and thy iustice but in the multitude of thy mercies saue our soules aliue O consider the terrors of our troubled Soules Let not the grones of our hearts be despised but suffer them to pierce the heauens for a blessing O thou that art the God of endlesse compassion cast vs not away from thy presence we are the workmanship of thine hands O Lord confound vs not O Lord that delightest not in the death and damnation of a sinner bee moued to shewe pity vpon vs O Christ our blessed Sauior make intercession to God the Father for vs speake by thy gracious Spirit peace to our disquieted Soules bind vp our broken hearts giue vs that wée may cléerely sée our names written in the Booke of Life and our soules released from the fearefull damnation of Tophet To this end gracious God remoue all sinne from our soules and plant in the garden of our hearts all those spirituall and heauenly graces that are proper peculiar to thine Elect that we may be alwayes a swéet smelling sauor before thée giue vs faith in thy promises loue to thy Maiesty zeale to thy glory obedience to thy lawes and guide vs daily by thy blessed Spirit into all truth and godlinesse Lord giue vs to bee out of loue with the vanities of this life to hate euery worke of darknes the little sin as well as the great quicken vs O Lord by thy quickning Spirit O giue vs hearts to bee inflamed with the loue of thy truth O that wée could hunger and thirst after grace as the chased Hart doth the running Brooke O that wee could experimentally say with thy seruant DAVID that all our delight is in thy Commandements Thus O Lord we receiuing grace from thy Maiesty to repell the fiery darts of the diuell to flye euen from euery apparition of euill so doing we may reap much comfort to our soules in this world of trouble and at the fearefull day of Iudgement wee may be freed from the lamentable tortures of Tophet where howling and yelling shall be for euermore and that for Iesus Christs sake thy Sonne our Sauiour to whom with thée and thy most glorious Spirit we desire euen from the bottome of our hearts to haue offered vp all thanksgiuing and praise both in heauen and earth this day and euermore Amen FINIS A IOYEFVLL TRACTATE OF The most blessed Baptisme that euer was solemniz'd VIZ. Of the Baptism of our Lord IESVS by IOHN in Iordan The fourth Edition corrected and amended IOHN 3. 5. Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God LONDON Printed by George Purslowe and are to be sold by John Clarke 1620. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull M. ROBERT MORDAVNT of Massingham Hall in the County of Norsolke Esquire and Mistris AMY MORDAVNT his mostlouing Bedfellow All increase of Grace in this life and of glory in the life to come SEldome or neuer Right Worshipfull doe we finde Tractates either Humane or Diuine passe without their particular Dedications that being shrowded vnder the safe-garding gourds of honorable and right godly dispositions they might the better bee preserued from the parching detractions of malignant Cynicks I make bolde therefore discarding all selfe-humour and irregular singularity to commend this poore Present vostrum ad patrocinium to the worthy patronage of your well-affected Worships two especiall reasons mouing me hereunto First that mine vnfained gratitude entire affection and most humble duty for all your fauors inexpressible might heereby bee made apparent Secondly it being deliuered at that solemne baptisme of Charles your first born and hopefull heyre none I know more worthy of this Dication than your worthy and right Christian persons I present it to your religious considerations as a louing and friendly New-yeeres gift for it aymes at that blessed New birth and happy New life liuely in baptisme represented without which it is not possible for either of you to possesse the Kingdome of God Accept therefore I humbly beseech you and take in good worth this short Treatise short both in line and learning respect not as is that Prouerbe the measure of the gift but the minde of the giuer what is wanting in the one I dare boldly promise is made vp in the other At your best leisures vouchsafe I pray now and then to peruse it and I trust that your Christian paines herein shall bee well reguerden'd with heauenly pleasures herefrom The Lord God make this with all other like
yeeres in the sight of God that is in respect of the eternity euerlastingnesse of God are as a day It is therfore spoken on this maner to expresse the eternity of God as if hee should say A thousand yeeres with mâ—n in respect of the eternity of God aâ—â— but as a day for as many as are haue bin and euer shall be the dayes of man so many thousand yea so 〈…〉 thâ—n sand thousands yeeres is the Câ—â—â—nitie of God He is Alpha and Omega the First and the Laâ—â— before all beginnings and shall neuer haue ending Againe they alleage that place of Genesis In that day that thou eatest Gen. 2. 17. thereof namely of the forbidden fruit thou shalt dye the death Now saith the Heretique that Ob day they dyed not but liued many hundrd yeeres after Therfore by a day is vnderstood many hundred yeeres Ans But I answer that that day wherin ADAM did eate of the forbidden fruit euen that day did hee dye that is that day by sin he was separated from God then the which separation no death is greater for Vt vâ—â—a corporis est anima 〈◊〉 vâ—â—a 〈◊〉 est Deus Augustine tolle animam 〈◊〉 corpus tolle Dâ—â—â—â— mâ—ritur animaâ—â—d est As the soule is the life of the body so God is 〈◊〉 of the soule take away the soule the body dieth take away God the Soule 〈…〉 So Adam that day dyed in Soule â—eing separated from the Lord yea that day Adam was made subiect to death in this life and in the life to come that day hee had the beginnings of death seazing vpon him for hee was presently cast out of Paradise into the ragged world he was cursed and all his posterity yea hee should haue gone to hell had not the second Adam broken the head of the subtill serpent that inticed him to sinne Yea the Thiefe vpon the Crosse had Paradise that day in his soule in which he suffered in body although hee had it not in so full measure as hee shall at the generall day when his Soule shall take vnto it the body againe Hodie to day thy soule with my soule shall be in Paradise that is in my Fathers Kingdome Where is now the Heretique that confoundeth particular iudgement Where is now the Epicure that thinketh there is no iudgement at all Where is now the ignorant Papist that dreameth of â—uâ—gaâ—ory and he that â—ondly thinketh that there is Limbus Patrum and Limbus Puerorum and where are those that imagin of a place of aboad betwéene Heauen and Hell I turne them altogether to the Hebrewes for wisedome in this Heb. 9. 27. point where they shall find that after death the soule of man is iudged Would Paul haue so earnestly desired Phil. 1. 23. to haue béen dissolued if he should not presently haue been with Christ He saith That in this world we see in 1 Cor. 13. 12. a glasse darkely Wée sée but Gods back-part as Moses did that is but a little of the fauor of God But then Ex. 33. 23. that is after this life ended wee shall see God face to face that is wée shall haue the full fruition of him Wée reade of Diues and Lazarus Luk. 19. 22 that after death the one was iudged to heauen the other to hell which is a Parable to signifie the truth of this particular iudgement And to conclude this point wée Eccl. 12. 7. read in Salomon That the dust returneth to the earth from whence it came and the Spirit to God that gaue it So that wée may learne from hence the vncertainty of the day of Iudgement The vse hereof Bernard Well saith Bernard Nihil certius morte hora mortis nihil â—â—certius that is Nothing is more certaine then death and there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre of death Let euery Christian therefore that wisheth the saluation of his Soule at the day of death and Iudgement beware of security and carelesse liuing let no man deferre repentance and amendment of life lest death come when hee looketh not for it and so being vnprepared he be cast into hell fire The old world had 120. yeeres to Gen 6. 3. Ionas 1 â— Psa 9. 5 1â— repent in Niniâ—e had 40. dayes to repent in Israel had 40 yéeres to repent in but thou O man knowest not how long thou hast to liue thou hast no lease of thy life thou art here to day gone to morrow when the houres of thy life bee ended and the glasse out-runne thou must away death waiteth for thee in euery place and at all times therefore wâ—ite thou for it playing the fiue wise Virgins that had the candle of saith burning in the lamps of their hearts nourished with Mat. 25. 4. the oyle of loue and workes Ierusalem because she could not be brought to repentance shee was destroyed many hundred thousands of her children were â—amisht to death and many hundred thousands taken captiue by Titus Vespatian the Roman 〈…〉 Emperour many cast to wilde beasts and deuoured The children of Israel because they were a stiffe-necked people and a froward generation and would not be brought to Repentance how many thousands of men lay slaine in the Wildernesse 600000. Males except Ioshua and Caleb The old world because they would Gen. 7. â—â— take no warning and could not bee brought to amendment of life the sâ—oud drowned them all except faithfull Noah and his godly family And except thou repentest thou likewise shalt perish according to that of Luke Except yee repent yee shall all likewise Luk 13 3 perish Beware therefore and repent betimes Fâ—lix quem â—â—ciunt aliena pericula cautum Happy is hee whom other mens harmes doe make to beware Refuse no good motions knocking at the dore of thy heart but entertaine them willingly according to the counsell of Augustine If hee offereth Augustine thee grace to day saith hee take it make much of it for thou knowest not whether hee will offer the same to morrow Make no long tarrying to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day the longer thou remainest in thy sinne the hâ—râ—er it is for thee to repent for Qui 〈…〉 craâ— Poet. minus aptus â—rit If thou bâ—â—â—l not fit for amendment to day thou wilt bee lesse fit to morrow Therefore while the Lord speaketh to thee make him answere while he calleth vnto thee let there be an eccho in thiâ—e heart as was in the heart of Dauid Seeke ye my Psal â—7 â— face thy face Lord will I seeke And while it is said to day harden not your hearts in no case deserve repentance for the day of death and iudgement is vncertaine as saith Chrysostome Poenitenti veniam spospondit sed viuendi in crastinum non spospondit that is The Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but to liue till to morrow he hath not promised Obiect But some there
bee in the world that will say the more it is to bee lamented I am young I will liue a while after my hearts desire and in my old age I will repent mee of my sinnes for God hath promised who will be as good as his word At what Eze. 18. 2â— â—2 time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. And will pray to the Lord for forgiuenesse of their sinnes as Augustine Augustine said before his conuersionâ— Ignosce pater ignosce mihi at noli modò Forgiue mee my sinnes but not now let mee sinne in my youth and pardon me in mine age Thus they would desire to dye the death of the righteous but they would not liue the life of the righteous but let these gracelesse persons that thus defer repentance beware of two things 1 Let them beware of suddaine death let them take héed lest they be cut off in the middest of their sins as Iobs Children in the middest of their Iob 1. 18 banquetting and ryoting were suddainly slain by the fall of a house and as the Floud came vnlooked for and drowned the old world Liuie reporteth a fearefull example 〈…〉 of suddaine death saith hee There were two old men that frequented two Harlots and presently vpon the fact committed they both suddainely dyed the one was thrust thorow with a dagger the other dyed suddainly of an Apoplexy which is a disease ingendred of abundance of grosse humors which doe fill those vessels and receptories of the head from whence commeth feeling and mouing of the bodie as saith Galen and therefore 〈…〉 they that haue this disease are depriued of all sence feeling and moouing Let euery lusty Younkeâ— and desperate russian set this fearefull example before his eyes Againe the young man dyeth as soone as the old the Lambs skin is brought to the Market as well as the old Crones true is the saying of Augustine Vita dum crescit decrescit vita Augustine mortalis mors vitalis id est Life while it increaseth decreaseth life is dying and death is liuing â— Let all men that refuse the mercy of God and deferre their repentance know that repentance is not theirs at command but it is the great mercy of God and it is to bee â—â—ared that they that haue refused it offered when they would haue it they shall go without according to that country Prouerbe If you will not when you may when you will you shall haue â—ay And it is commonly seene that Qu 〈…〉 a â—â—â—â—s ita as a man liueth commonly hee dyeth Hee that will liue without repentance must look to dye without repentance 〈◊〉 God spared the Thiefe at the laâ—â— gaspe yet let no man presume of that for that was a medicine against desperation and not a matter of imitation saith one God spared one that no man might despaire hee spared but one that no man might presume Let euery man therefore in the feare of God without all delay seeke for amendment of life let them as Gregory wisheth Plangere plangenda Bewayle their sinnes that ought to bee lamented and as they haue giuen Rom. 6. 13 their members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to iniquitie so let them now giue them as weapons of righteousnesse to holinesse Repent deare brethren betimes Viâ—e Deo gratus toti mundo tumulatus Poet. Crimine muÌ„datus semper transire paratus That is Liue vnto God a thankefull wight And to the world dye Cleanse thy selfe from wickednesse Alwayes ready hence to flye Play the wise Steward lay vp treasures in heauen for thy soule imitate the Pismire which gathers in Summer whereby shee may liue in Winter Damascene reporteth an excellent Damascene History touching this purpose saith he There was a country where they chose their King of the poorest and basest sort of the people and vpon any dislikement taken they would depose him from his Throne and exile him into an Iland where hee should bee staâ—ued to death Now one wise fellow considering hereof sent money before into that Iland into which hee should be banished and when he was banished he was receiued into the Iland with great triumph So against thou be banished by death from this world without penny or farthing for naked thou camest and naked thou must goe thou must prouide wâ—â—le thou art in this life whereby thou mayst liue in Heauen hereafter Let nothing therefore make thée 〈…〉 erre thy amendment but whilesâ— Christ calleth thee runne vnto him Put on Ieromes resolution who said If my Mother were hanging Ierome about my necke if my brethren were on euery side howling and crying and if my Father were on his bare knees kneeling before mee to detaine mee in their wicked and sinfull course of life what would I doe I would shake off my Mother to the ground I would despise and hate all my kindred and kins-folkes and I would tread and trample my Father vnder my feete thereby to flye to CHRIST when hee calleth mee So shouldest thou resolue the amendment of life The Lord of heauen for his swéet Sonne Christ Iesus his sake grant to thée deare Reader and mee to both of vs his holy Spirit that wee may stand vnblameable before the Iudge at that great and generall day that we being â—lâ—athed with the long white robes of righteousnesse may bee in the number of those to whom it shall be said then Come yee blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world Grant this deare Father for thy deare Sonnes sake Christ Iesus our only Lord and Sauiour to whom with thee and the holy Spirit wee ascribe all Power Glory and Dominion and sing Halleluiah to thee O blessed Trinity for euer and euer Amen A True and Comfortable Exposition of the Lords PRAYER FOrasmuch as Prayer to the Soule is as necessarie as the â—eele to the Ship the Foundation to the House the moisture to the Tree and the sinewes and ioints to the body and forasmuch also as wee can haue neither grace to beleeue nor grace to obey without feruent and faithfull prayer I haue thought good as briefly as I can for the helping of the Ignorant in the performance of this Christian duety to expound the Prayer of our Lord being the perfect ground of all our prayers that so we praying in wisedome may pray with comfort for alacke thousands it is to be feared that haue this prayer Ad vnguem at their fingers ends are altogether ignorant of the worthy contents of the same Concerning which prayer I obserue these foure things First the occasion hereof and that â— was vpon the complaint and suite of the Disciples who being weake in this gift entreated Christs help saying Master teach vs to pray as Iohn Luk. â—â— â— â— also taught his Disciples And hee said
there wil come a day when ye shall cry Lord Lord and his eares shall bée shut to your prayers and his Iustice shall cast you into the déep dungeon of Tophet there to remaine till Mat. â— 26. ye haue payed the vttermost farthing The fourth part of the Description The 4. part And large of Tophet mentioned in this word Large As the Lord hath made hell Deepe so hath he made it Large in regard of the great number that shall be tormented Oecolam in Esay Obserâ—â—â— Esay â— 14 in her as saith Oecolampadius This word is vsed in the fift Chapter of this Prophesie Hell hath inlarged her selfe and hath opened her mouth without measure It hath set open her mouth as it were with a gag and all to receiue the great multitudes that shall discend into her It is called Lacut magnus in the Reuelation 14. 9. A great Lake That this doctrine is too true witnesse that of the Gospell of Mat. 20. 16. Multi vocati Many are called but few conuerted Many called but few chosen The most High made this world for 4. Esd 8. 1. many but the world to come for very fewe Obiect But some man may obiect against these Scriptures other Scriptures to proue the great number of them that shall be saued and so by consequence the small number that shal be tormented in Tophet Saint Mathew saith That many Math. 8. 11 shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God many an innumerable company shall be saued Saint Iohn in Reuelat. 7. 9. doth point out that great number that shall be saued with that nota stellifera that starry note Behold I saw a great multitude of all Nations and 〈…〉 and People 〈…〉 tongues 〈…〉 before thâ—â— Throne and 〈…〉 the Lambâ— â—lothâ—â—â— in long wheâ—◠〈…〉 and 〈…〉 â—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 whiâ—◠〈…〉 â—â— wâ—â—â— of â—â—â—â—â—y and 〈…〉 iâ— thâ—i◠〈…〉 in 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 It may séeme by these 〈…〉 that â—any shall â—e 〈…〉 and noâ—â—â—â—â— a multitude damned I 〈…〉 that though the nâ—mber 〈…〉 of the Elect â—e great by â—â—â—â—lfe considered to 〈…〉 praise of 〈…〉 mercy be it 〈…〉 yet if it bee 〈…〉 to the number of those that 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—â— God 's 〈…〉 〈…〉 Alas â—hen â— re 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—heâ— are â—â—â— a handfull and t 〈…〉 hell will be made eâ—â—éediâ—g 〈…〉 â—his great â—estruction of 〈…〉 in helâ— is liuelily shad 〈…〉 〈…〉 to vs in the iudgements of God on 〈…〉 〈…〉 with mercy as in the 〈…〉 of the old world â—◠〈…〉 holy 〈…〉 〈…〉 there aliue only N◠〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—â— the destruction of 〈…〉 by â—â—â—â— how few â—sâ—aped there aliue onely Lot with his daughters in the destruction of Iericho by the sword how few escaped there aliue only Rahab with her family that Ios 6. 22. intertained the Israeliticall Spies To come to later times in the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian how few escaped there aliue Many hundred thousands of them were starued to death many hundred thousands of them taken captiues to the Roman Empire some put to one death some to another and few escaped aliue and those of the meaner sort agricolae vinitores Husbandmen and labourers in Vineyards If beloued in the iudgements of God in this world so few haue escaped aliue how few thinke you shall scape at the dreadfull day of iudgemeÌ„t when of euery idle word that men shall Mat. 12. 36 speake a great account must bee made for the same yea when Inquisition Wâ—â—d 1. 9. shall bee made for the very thoughts of the vngodly If the Iust shall scarce bee saued where shall the sinner appeare Againe that great is the number of those that shall to Tophet and therefore Tophet made large to giue them fiery intertainment it appeareth in the very liues of men vpon earth for where there is one that commeth to the profession of the truth truly with the sincere heart of Nathaniel there Ioh 1â— are ten yea twenty yea more that walke in the way of sinne in the road to Tophet without any check of conscience remorce for their sinnes or reclamation from their sinfull courses in the world some in the way of Atheisme some in Paganisme some in Epicurisme some in Brownisme some in Anabaptisme some in Mahometism some in Papisme yea some in Diuelisme a matter with many teares to be lamented But wouldst thou not be with this 〈…〉 large company in this large place of torment O then follow not a multitude to doe euill Reuel 18. 4. Come out from amongst them for if thou beest partaker with them in their sinnes thou must be partaker with thâ— in their punishments Fashion not thy selfe after the wicked fashion of this world rather walke alone by thy selfe to heauen than goe with the multitude to hell Walke in the narrow way of grace to saluation shun the broad and large way for that will bring thée to Tophet which as thou hearest is made excéeding déepe and large The fift part of the description of The fift part The burning therof is fire hell in these words The burning therof is fire expressing the bitternesse of the torments of Tophet There is great controuersie among the learned about this fire Whether it be true An in inferno ignis substantiall fire or fire allegoricall if it be true fire whether it be materiall corporall or spirituall If it be Corporall whether it burneth the body only or soule and body also Whether there be true fire in hell Quaestio 1. or whether these words the burning thereof is fire bee taken allegorically Caluin would haue it taken allegorically Caluin in Esai and thinks there is no true fire in hell His reason is this If Wood and the Worme be taken metaphorically why not then the fire also But this is no argument to proue 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 this fire allegoricall For in the holy Scriptures things spoken together are not alway taken in the same manner and nature For example sake CHRIST is called a Dore a Vine a Rocke a Stone figuratiuely and doth it therefore follow that hee was not God and Man substancially Againe in S. Lukes Gospell our Luk 〈…〉 Sauiour saith I appoint you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my Table in my Kingdome Eating is allegoricall but will you say that the Kingdome is allegoricall also I confesse that wood in hell is taken allegorically but that fire is taken so I vtterly deny Bullinger holdeth true and substantiall 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 fire in hell and so do the most and best of the learned Christ punished with fire in this world Sodome and the Mâ—â—murers Gâ—â— â—9 in the Booke of Numbers Chapâ—râ— Numb 1â— and called thâ— name of that place Thâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— because the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them And
〈◊〉 the Theognidis gnome blacke gates Eustathius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustath in 1. Iâ—adâ—s Hell is a darke place vnder the earth The darknesse of Aegypt was wonderfull Exo. 10. 21 and fearefull Wonderfull because it was so thicke as it might bee felt Fearefull and therefore made the ninth plague of Pharao yet that darknesse was nothing to the darknesse of hell which is called the Black darknesse Iude 13. The Poets in regard of the darknesse thereof do compare hell to a certaine territory in Italy betwixt Baiae and Cumae where the Cimerij inhabit so inuironed with hils that the Sunne neuer commeth to it wherevpon this Prouerb commeth Cimeris Cimerae tenâ—brae tenebris atrior Darker then the darkenesse of Cimeria Whosoeuer hee be that loueth darknesse more then light shall haue his heart full of darknesse in Tophet Thirdly Our elementall fire burneth the body only but the fire of hell burneth both soule and body as yee haue heard at large Fourthly Our elementall fire consumeth that which is cast into it but the fire of hell doth alway burne and neuer consume Fiftly Our elementall fire may be quenched but hell fire can neuer bee quenched The chaffe will hee burne Mat. 3. with vnquenchable fire their worme shall neuer dye their fire shall neuer Esay â—6 goe out As there is nothing that maintaineth it so there is nothing that can extinguish it From all this we may obserue the Obseruatio extremity bitternes of the torments of Tophet Yea minima poena inferni Tho. Aquia maior est maxima poena huius mundi that is The least torture in hell is greater than the greatest torture that euer was deuised vpon the earth That Hell-hound that murthered the King of France had as heauy a punishment as this world could affoord for his arme that did that cursed act was taken from his shoulder his nailes pulled from his hands and féet his flesh piece by piece pulled from him with hot burning pincers and in the end rent in pieces with foure horses all this is nothing to the least torment of Tophet Chrysostome ad populum Antiochenum Chrysast aâ— poâ— Arâ—â—â—ch â—â—â— 49. saith That fire and sword and wilde beasts or any thing more grieuous than these are scant a shadow to the torments of hell And this bitter torment slandeth in these two In poena damni that is In the punishment of losse and in pâ—nâ— sensus that is in the punishment of feeling the former wherof is the greatest as sayth Saint Chrysostome this poena damni this punishment of losse is more bitter then the paines of hell yea worse then a thousand hels This poena damni though it be a priuatiue Poeâ—a damni punishment yet it hath a positiue effect For to be depriued of ioy cannot but bring intolerable sorrow euen as the absence of the Sunne causeth Simile darknesse so the want of Gods presence bringeth inexpressible griefe When the Arke of God was taken by the Philistims old Eli with griefe 1. Sa. 4. 18. fell backward and died Demosthenes tooke his banishment 〈…〉 in vito Demostheâ—is so heauily that many times he would weep bitterly when he looked towards Athens though he found much kindenesse at the hands of his enemies Tully when he was banished from Italy though he were in Greece yet hee wept bitterly when he looked towards Italy Absolon tooke his banishment from 〈…〉 14. 22 his fathers presence very grieuously If these exiles breed such sorrow how fearefull will it be to be banished from the presence of the Lord Who is 2. Cor. 1. 3. the Father of mercies and God of all consolation in whose presence is ioy in whose pleasure is life to bée banished from the presence and louing countenance of the Lambe from the fellowship of Saints and Angels from all ioyes and felicitie with that Mar. 25. bitter sentence Goe from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his angels Goe from me these are words of separation ye cursed these are words of obiurgation into euerlasting fire these are words of desolation prepared for the diuell and his angels these are words of dolefull exemplification This is the greatest part of the second death for as the first death separateth the soule from the body so the second death separates soule and body from the presence of the Lord for euermore Oh what weeping and wailing will Luke 13. there be when yee shall see Abraham Isaac Iacob intertained into the Kingdome of God ye your selues shut out He therefore spake truly that said The teares of hell are not sufficient to bewayle the losses of heauen Infoelicissimum genus infortuniâ— meminisse fuisse foelicem that is it is the vnhappiest thing of all to thinke that euer we were happy Dura satis miseris memoratio prisca bonorum Poeta It is misery enough and though there were no more misery to remember the ioyes we haue lost As the old man in the Poet sayd I. Terent. haue a sonne nay alas I had a sonne so the damned may say We haue a heauen nay alas we had a heauen Lysimachus King of Macedonia Lysimach warring against the Scythians béeing inforced by extreme thirst to yéeld himself into the hands of his enemies after he had drunke cold water brake out into these lamentable words Good God for how short a pleasure how great a Kingdome haue I lost So the damned soule may say Good God for how short a time of pleasure how great a Kingdome haue I lost And surely this is iust with God that those that separate themselues from him here should bee banished from him hereafter That those that hate the Saints here should be debarred their company hereafter that those that crucifie the Lambe here should bee cursed of the Lambe euerlastingly hereafter The second thing that maketh Hell torments so bitter and intolerable is poena sensus the punishment of feeling Poena sensus Euery member of body and euery faculty of soule together tormented for euer The eye afflicted with darknesse the eare with horrible and hideous out-cries the nose with poysonous and stinking sauors the tongue with gally bitternesse the whole body with intolerable fire a fire that shall burne so violently that the damned shal prize a drop of water aboue tenne thousand worlds The faculties of the soule also shall bee most pitiously tormented the memory with pleasures past the apprehension with paines present the vnderstanding with ieies lost and in this faculty shal lie the worm of conscience Misâ—ria reproborum maxima gnawing which the Scriptures so often threaten to sinners this worme is a continuall repentance and sorrow full of rage and desperation by reason of their sinnes and this worme or remorse shall chiefly consist in bringing to their minds the meanes and causes of their present calamities how easily they
Mark saith that the heauens were clouen in twaine Marke 1. 10. Maâ— 1. 10. But by this visible scissure and cleft of the heauens is signified 1. The presence of God 2. That Christ himselfe came from thence to reueale to man the secret will of his heauenly Father 3. That hee it was that should reconcile all things both in heauen and earth to God Colos 1. 20 Col. 1 â—â— 4. That Christ Iesus opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers which Adam by sinne had shut 5. That all that are effectually baptized haue heauen opened vnto them and the Lord God ready to imbrace them to glory O the power and force of baptisme it opened that which all the creatures of heauen and earth were not able to open Lord shew the like power in baptisme this day open the Kingdome of Heauen to this Infant that shall be baptized and receiue it for thy Christs sake into thine euerlasting fauour and saluation Thus much for the first vision The Spirits descension And Iohn saw the Spirit of GOD Tâ—â—t descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him That wee may the better lay open the true sence of these words foure questions must be propounded First how Iohn is said to see the Spirit of God the spirit of God being inuisible Ans It is impropria locutio an improper spéech for Iohn could neither see Spiritus essentiam nor virtutem neither the essence nor yet the power of the Spirit of God but here the Spirit of God is said to be seene quia praesentiae sue signum demonstratur cernitur because the signe of his presence namely the Doue was seene by Iohn it is locutio me tanonymica an etanonymicall speech whereby the name of the signified is giuen to the signe as the bread is called Christs body and Baptisme regeneration Secondly how is the Spirit of God said to descend vpon Christ when he was in Christ before and is being infinite euery where Ans This also is an improper speech but because Christs authoritie might bee declared among men and now Christ being to performe the office of a Redeemer might bee answerably furnisht with the power of Grace therefore the Spirit of God is said in visible signe to descend vpon him Esayes Prophesie is here fulfilled The Spirit of the Lord is vpon mee Esa 61. 1. therefore hath the Lord anointed mee to preach good things to the poore c. Esay 61. 1. Thirdly why did the holy Ghost descend in the forme of a Doue rather than in fiery forme as sometimes he somtimes he did vpon the Apostles Ans This was done as it is coniectured not only to demonstrate the Doue-like qualities of the Spirit of God and of Christ but especially to shew quà m blande comiter Christus vocaret in spem salutis peccatores how kindly louingly and gently IESVS CHRIST should call sinners to repentance and saluation The truth whereof maintained is by the Prophet Esay A bruised reede he shall not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench Fourthly whether was this a naturall Doue from the common slight or onely a spectrum an apparition and no body or a body substantiall out of the elements formed by God of all birds likest a Doue Ans Luke saith it was like a Doue Luke 3. 22. therefore not a naturall Doue Luke 3. 22. And surely it was not an apparition without substance but without all doubt it was a substantiall creature much like a Doue vel ex nihilo vel eâ— elementis formata formed either of nothing or out of the elements as was that Starre that led to Christ and resolued againe into his first matter the pleasure of God performed by it Vpon euery one therefore that is effectually baptized this Doue-like Spirit descendeth making vs of Lyons Lambes of Vultures Doues of crooked and peruerse harmelesse gentle and kinde bringing vs likewise newes with the Doue of Noah that the floud of sinne is downe and that all is well twirt God and vs. Lord let thy Done-like Spirit this day descend with the Oliue leafe of thy fauor vpon this thine Oliuâ— plant and of the childe of wrath make him in Christ heyre apparant to the crown of saluation Thus much for the second vision Now for the voyce that was heard from heauen And loe a voyce came from heauen c. The voyce of God concerning Christ hath thrée times swéetly sounded from heauen In his Agony and Passion Iohn 12. 27 28. propter nostram redemptionem For our redemption In his transfiguration Math. 17. 5. Mat. 17 Propter nostraâ— glorificationem For our glorification And héere in baptisme Propter nostram adoptionem for our adoption And lo a voyce came from Heauen saying c. Aperitur hiâ— mysterium Trinitatis saith one In this Scripture the Trinitie of Persons with God is manifestâ—â— expressed For Patris vox auditur 〈…〉 humanitas conspicitur Spiritus 〈…〉 signum perspicitur the Father is heard the Sunne seene and the Holy Ghost in visible signe perceiued The foolish Papists say that there is no such mention of the Trinity in the Scriptures Indéede the litterall word is not found in the Scriptures but if they would put on their spectacles and look they should soone finde the substance of the same namely the vnity of essence and Trinity of persons that is with God As in Deâ—teronomy Audi Israel Deâ—t â— Deus Deus noster Deus vnus est God our God is God onely Deut. 6. Why doth Moses mention the name of God thrice but to shew the distinction of the persons Diuine why doth he put the word vnus that is onely but to shew the vnity of their Essence why is noster that is our put to God in the second place not in the first or last but to shew that the second person should take our nature vpon him Againe in â—say Sanctus sanctus sanctus Deus exercitiâ—um plena est omnis â—erra gloria câ—â—â— Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts heere is the Trinity of the Persons the earth is full of thy glory thy here is the vnity of their Essence For though God bee simplicissimus most simple in respect of his Essence yet is he trinâ—s ratione personarum three in regard of his persons One example or two more let mee giue you hereof In the first verse of the Booke of God Creauit Elohim Coelum terram GOD created the Heauen and the earth Gen. 1. 1. the Verbe singular Gen. 1. 1. Creauit noteth out the one and most simple Essence of God the substantiue plurall Elohim not El singular points out the Trinity of persons Againe in the same Chapter Faciamus Gen. 1. 26. homâ—em ad imaginem nostram Let vs make maâ— after our owne Image Gen. â— 26. faciamus sheweth the plurality of persons and nostram the vnity of Essence Againe in the Gospell of Mathew Baptiz◠〈…〉 Spiritus sanâ—tâ—â— Bâ—ptize them in 〈…〉 Name
dreadfull Maiesty bewayling bitterly all our offences committed against thee and quaking and trembling for feare thou shouldest in thy Iustice vtterly cast vs from thée into that wofull Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Lord we confesse by birth our foule pollution by life our manifold transgression and therefore ashamed wee are that are but dust and ashes yea worse most lothsome and abominable sinners to come before thée or commence the least sute vnto thee that art a Maiesty most pure abhorring and seuerely punishing all that worke iniquity Therefore oh Lord our God wee most humbly beséech thee not to deale with vs according to thy iustice and our owne merits for then shall we be vtterly condemned but comming vnto thée as a child that feareth to bée beat for thy Christs sake with the eyâ— of pitty and fatherly compassion look thou graciously vpon vs behold vs in him in whom thy Iustice will soone turne it selfe into mercy thy frowne into fauour thine indignation into euerlasting saluation Lord for thy fauour now and euer we craue grant therefore to vs that aske for pardon of our sins at thy hands alone we séek grant that we may finde at thy gate of Saluation we earnestly do knocke good Lord therefore open vnto vs. But because thy sacred Word doth tell vs that thou wilt looke to none but those that are of a contrite heart and tremble at thy words Lord fit and prepare vs all by true humiliation to imbrace the sauing health of our soules grant gracious God that we may mourne our sinnes thorowly and lament our iniquities bitterly not so much because they might iustly condemne vs as that they haue so highly displeased thée and moued thy Maiesty to anger that hast béene so merciful a God vnto vs O giue vs hearts to grieue for that we cannot sufficiently grieue for our sinnes committed against thée And gracious Father we further intreat that we may not â—nely taste of the sowre of thy Law but likewise receiue in thy good time and in good measure the sweet and vnspeakable comfort of thâ— Gospell grant that thy Sonne Iesus may bée Iesus to vs all that his righteousnesse may couer our vnrighteousnesse that his death may bring our soules to life that in him and for his sake thou wouldest â—e well pleased to make vs thine by adoption to witnesse the same to our soules by the infallible testimony of thy blessed Spirit to work in our hearts a strong and resolute perswasion of Faith whereby we may graspe and hold fast this thy great mercy in Christ towards vs to the peace of our consciences in this life and the saluation of our soules in the life to come And holy Father for as much as all those that haue put on Christ are become new creatures grant vnto vs a new heart and renew a right Spirit within vs purge vs from our sinnes wash vs from our iniquities infuse thy sauing grace into our Soules whereby wee may dye to all that is euill and liue to all godlinesse of life all the dayes of our life to come Frame our hearts deare God to true and perfect obedience obedience being the best sacrifice that thou requirest oh grant that all our delight may be in thy Statutes that it may be euen our meate and drinke to walke in thy Commandements indeuoring alwayes and in all places to keepe a cléere conscience both towards thee and man Teach vs blessed Father to rely vpon thée alone by faith to feare loue honour and truely obey thee in wisedome and true sanctity to giue no worship from thee that is onely proper to thee reuerently to thinke and speake of thy most glorious name and word carefully to sanctifie thy Sabbaths and wholly set them apart for thy seruice Giue vs grace also thou that art the Author and giuer of all grace to carry our selues dutifully to man to honour and reuerently respect all our superiours both in nature and place to preserue and maintaine the good name goods and bodies of our brethren amongst whom we liue and not impaire hurt or maliciously massacre the same to keepe our selues chaste and vnspotted from all fleshly lusts and euery act of vncleannes iniuriously to take away no mans right or due to speake the truth and not to beare false witnesse against our brethren to be content with our owne estates more or lesse and not to repine at or couet that which is others O grant that our liues may bee vnreprouable before thée and men But because O Lord of our selues we are able to doe no good thing but it is thou that workest the will and the deed Lord therefore stand euer by vs with thy preuenting assisting and consequent grace whereby we may be able in some measure to do thy will on earth as thy Angels doe it perfectly in heauen Moreouer heauenly Father wee fully beléeuing our selues to be true and liuely members of that body mysticall whereof our blessed Sauiour is the Head doe earnestly desire at thy gracious hands the like mercy for the whole body of Christs Church as we beg for our owne soules Lord blesse and defend thy Church and Chosen in all Kingdomes of the earth wheresoeuer inlarge the bounds of thy Gospell increase the number of thy Saints daily adde vnto thy Church such as shall bee saued Blesse the Kings most excellent Maiesty with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus meet for so great and worthy a personage with the Prince and His whole issue in this Kingdome and beyond the Seas Grant that He may neuer want one out of his own loynes to sit vpon his Throne for the maintenance of thy Gospell till the comming of Christ in the clouds Blesse all afflicted members whether grieued in conscience troubled in body or persecuted for the Gospell according to their seuerall ocâ—â—sions and need Blesse those that are neerer and dearer vnto vs in the flesh as are our Parents and kindred whether father or mother husband or wife brother or sister or childe with our Christian acquaintances and friends kéep them all and vs with them to thine euerlasting kingdome and saluation And in mercy good Lord this night looke downe vpon vs preserue vs and ours from all dangers bodily ghostly within doores and without giue vnto our bodies a comfortable rest and sléepe that they may be more able to do the works of their particular vocations before thee and swéet Lord watch euermore ouer our poore soules kéepe vs from sin and euill both sleeping and waking and when that sléepe of death shall fall vpon vs grant that our soules may wake to thy glory and saluation euerlasting and that for Christ Iesus his sake our onely Lord and euerlasting Redéemer to whom with thée and thy good Spirit three persons but one God wee heartily desire to offer vp all thanksgiuing and praise this euening and euerlasting Amen THe grace of our Lord and Sâ—uiour Iesus Christ and the loâ—â— of God our heauenly Father and the most blessed presence of God the holy Ghost bee with vâ— all and within vâ— all both in Soule in Spirit and in body and with all things that remaine or belong vnto vâ— either within dores or without this â—ight and euerlasting AMEN FINIS