his workes of creation and redemption and preseruation of his people though he may not read Gods priora yet he may know Gods poâ—teriora beholding him in his wonders in his words in his sacraments in his sonne principally being the brightnes of his glory and expresse character of his person as Christ in our text he that hath seene mee hath seene also my father I am in the father and the father in mee Hereby prouing himselfe to be God 1. For that we must only beleeue in the Creator and not in any creature 2. Because God only knowes the secret perturbation of the heart and if ye beleeue that I am God ye must also confesse that I am a present helpe in trouble willing and able to relieue you for if God be with you who can stand against you Why then are your hearts troubled as if he should haue said albeit I am to suffer death as man yet I will on the third day raise my selfe againe from the dead as God it is expeâ—hent for you that I dye for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and so prepare a place for you in my fathers house that where I am there you may be also mansionsâ— Saint Paul hauing at large disputed of the resurrection in his first Epistle to the Corinthians 15. Chapter prouing that the dead shall rise againe by manifest and manifold arguments taken out of the bookes as well of nature as of Scripture concludeth in fire therefore my beloued brethren 〈…〉 sumoutable 〈…〉 alwayes in the 〈◊〉 of the Lord for as much as we know that your labour is not in vaine So Christ in the Gospell vnto his â—ollowers In the 〈…〉 and all the wicked of the world â—all hate you for my names sake they shall scourge you in their Synagogues and persecute you from City to City not affording to much as an hole Wherein to rest your head in peace yet let not your hearts be troubled as long as in my fathers house there be mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you The Church militant on earth is often called in holy Scripture Gods house wherein he hath a great many mansions as dwelling in our hearts by faith and we likewise haue many places of preferment some being Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes 4.11 It is true that God and we too dwell here but it is saith Iob in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust or as Paul speakes in earthly tabernacles set vp to day and pulled downe to morrow non habemus hic manentem ciuitatem in this world we haue no continuing City For our kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Our habitation which is euerlasting Luke 16.9 Our inheritance that fades not away 1. Pet. 1.4 Our dwelling place mentioned in our text by Christ is not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Our best houses on earth albeit neuer so gorgeous and neuer so glorious hauing if it be possible walles of gold and windowes of Saphire are not withstanding no better then Innes for strangers and pilgrimes 1. Pet. 2.11 Our mansions and places of abode for euer are in Hierusalem aboue which is without either death or danger Apocalyp 21.4 Wherefore seeing we beleeue in God and looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ who when he commeth againe shal reciue vs vnto himselfe that where he is in his fathers house there we may be also let vs say with Dauid â—â— by art thou so heauie O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee O put thy trust in God and hee shall one day satisfie thee with the plenteousnes of his house for there is not only roome for Christ in Gods house but also place for all his followers the mansions of heauen are many the least of all his souldiers if they fight a good fight and continue faithfull vnto death is rewarded with an incorruptible crowne of glory hauing for his inheritance no lesse then a whole kingdome Againe these mansions are many because the Saints in heauen haue diuerse degrees of glory So Paul 1. Cor. 15.41 There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Starres for one Starre differeth from another in glory so likewise in the resurrection of the dead A great vessell and a little dipped in the same well hold notwithstanding diuers measures according to their capacity so in Gods house euery chosen vessell of honour is filled vp to the brim with the water of life but the better hath vndoubtedly the bigger mansion he that held more charity here shall haue more clarity hereafter Yet as Au gustine notes vpon our text Non erit aliqua inuidra imparis claritatis quoniem regnab it in omnibus vnit as charitatis I goe to prepare a place for you It is said Matth. 25. 34. That the mansions in Gods house were prepared before the foundation of the world how then is it true that Christ at this time goeth to prepare a place Answere is made that the mansions indeed are prepared from all eternity but the men who shall inhabit them as yet were vnprepared It was expedient therefore that the redeemer of the world should die for their sinnes and rise againe for their iustification and ascend into heauen to take possession of this kingdome and to set open the doores of these prepared mansions vnto his followers as also to send vnto them a conforter and a conductor euen the spirit of truth who might leade them in the right way to this place So Saint Augustine acurely Parat quodammando mansiones mansionibus parands mansores Hee prepareth a place by making men sit for the place For election is in Christ and through Christ and so consequently none come to the Father but by the Sonne wee passe by the kingdome of grace to the kingdome of glory for without holinesse it is impossible to see God Touching other readings I referre you to lansen concord cap. 134. and Erasmus annot in loc Lord we know not whether thou goest S. Thomas and S. Philip were so good proficients in Christs schoole that their master in the former chapter at the 10. verse said of them and of the resâ— of their fellowes excepting Iudas the traitor ye are cleane and Saint Peter as the mouth of the company professed openly to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life and we beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the sonne of the liuing God And yet their faith in the houre of tentation as you see was so weake that Saint Thomas said Lord we know not whither thou goest And Saint Philip Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. Now these things
〈◊〉 And the 〈◊〉 in ourage who following the 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 hold it lâ—â— full to distemble their faith 〈◊〉 the Magistrate As also the Nicodemâ—â—es ashamed of Christ and expâ—â—â—cating 〈◊〉 forswerring their Pâ—ieâ—hood and the Pope their holy father vpon eâ—eâ—y pretended occasion of danger In a word all weather â—ise professors adueâ—tring no more for the glorious Gospell then one â—â—tely did for his horrible blasphemie who being bound to the stake suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessaâ—ieâ— not only 〈◊〉 morris at the point of deâ—h as Liraâ—us or in the daie of persecution as Lombard but at all time and in euery place when occasion is offered lustly â—aith 〈◊〉 Forseeing it is an afâ—â—rmâ—tâ—ue prâ—cept 〈…〉 As Christ in his Gospel expresâ—ely 〈…〉 Whereas 〈…〉 〈…〉 the faith not sufficient vnto 〈…〉 mouth and other â—odâ—◠〈◊〉 as efficient cause concure with it in the 〈…〉 may be taken out of his old Schoole 〈…〉 and Cardinall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth af 〈…〉 confession 〈◊〉 act of faith according to that of the Pâ—â—miâ—â— I 〈…〉 haue I spoken And in his second 〈…〉 this Chapter he that is 〈◊〉 by faith ought to be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam salâ—tem And Cardinall Tolet in plaine termes Oris confessio nâ—s non iustificat à peccato c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palà m profiteri c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vs but being iustified wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation Herein agreeing with our Protestant Interpreters affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith as if Paul should haue said here we are iustified by faith onely but yet this faith is operatiue bringing foorth liuely fruits as the confession of the mouth and the profession of the life for they be necessarie to saluation albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification as you may see further Epist. Quinquages and Sund. 2. in Lent In the words and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead three points are considerable namely Faiths Act Obiect Subiect Faiths act is to beleeue and to beleeue hath these degrees as the Schoole teacheth out of Augustine Credere Deo credere Deum credere in Deum A wicked man and a wretched deuill may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God and in grosse to beleeue God but a true Christian endued with a sauing faith ascends higher and beleeueth in God also That is he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word acknowledging him onely for his God and thereupon put his whole trust in him applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed with the heart vnto iustification and confessing the same with the mouth vnto saluation He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils Ab what haue we to doâ— with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to torment vs before the time but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour saying with the Church in her loue-song My welbeloued is mine and with Paul Christ is become to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hâ—s bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth and heere doe I feele it mine his word is in mine eare to beget him mine his Sacrament is in mine eie to confirme him mine his spirit is in mine heart to assure him mine Angels are mine to fight for mee Prince mine to rule for mee Church mine to pray for me Vniuersitie mine to studie for me Pastour mine to pâ—each for me all mine whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Faiths obiect is all holy scripture the summe whereof is the Creed and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead is nexus articulorum omnium as it were the bond or tying knot on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend For if it were not true that Christ is risen againe then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In a word the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God or the Church his spouse Now the raising of Christ from â—he dead is the worke of God the Father Acts 2.32 of himselfe being God the Sonne Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also Rom. 1.4 Christ as God only raiseth and is not raised as man he is onely raised and raiseth not as the Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie both the Father raiseth him and he raiseth himselfe The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne â—nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God As for the Church our Apostle sheweth elsewhere that Christ died for her sinnes and rose againe for her iustification and that ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts as to be Catholike holy knit in a communion and prerogatiues in her soule namely remission of sinnes in the body resurrection of the flesh in both euerlasting life Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead not exclusiuely but synecdâ—checally because this one article presupposeâ—h all the rest and takes them as granted as if hee rose from the graue then he died and his death is a consequent of his birth Or because this article was and is most doubted in the world for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection Or because the rest vnlesle Christ had risen againe would haue profited vs little for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death hell damnation opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers And so the meaning of our text is plaine If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord that is that Lord of whom all the Prophets inquired as being the desire of all Nations euen the light of the Gentiles and consolation of Israel And if thou beleeue in thine heart that this Iesus whom almightie God hath made both Lord and Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice to purge thy conscience from dead workes and take away thy sinnes putting out and fastening vpon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vs and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill he
salt for if wee shall vnderstand this of the whole mystery of Christ manifested in the flesh it is certaine that Abraham with faiths eye saw Christ and was glad and the Prophets enquired and searched when or what time the spirit which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come to Christ and the glorie that should follow Nay the very common people did expect the consolation of Israel as it is apparant by that of the Samaritane woman I know well that Messias shall come which is called Christ. Or if we construe this of that part of the mysterie which onely concernes the vocation of the Gentiles it is as plaine that Abraham beleeued all the families of the earth should be blessed in his seed And the Prophet Haggai calâ— the Messias expresly the desire of all nations And in the first lesson allotted for euening praier on this day Thus saith the Lord Behold I will lift vp mine hands to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people c. Kings shall be their nursing fathers and Queenes their nursing mothers c. Answer then is made that this mysterie was opened in times past vnto the sonnes of God but not as it is in the text here to the sonnes of men It was knowne vnto the spirituall lew but not vnto the carnall For the Prophers spake not as the sonnes of men but as they were moued by the spirit of God 1. Pet. 2.21 Other thinke this mysterie was opened vnto the lewes as hauing the Law and the Prophets testifying of Christ and that it was hidden onely to the Gentiles as wanting the light of Gods word to direct them in their night of ignorance Other say that the Prophets in old time knew that the Gentiles should be partakers of Gods promise concerning the blessed seed but they did not vnderstand how this could be without circumcision because God said Euery person which is not circumcised should be cut off from his people Yea the knowledge in this mysterie was hidden vnto the chiefe Apostle till it was in a vision reuealed vnto him as we reade Act. 10. Other finde a direct answer couched in the words of Paul here which mysterie was not in times past opened vnto the sâ—aues of 〈◊〉 as it is now declared vnto his holy Apotles and Prophets by the spirit It was opened before but not as now not so fully manifested vnto the Paâ—â—iarkes and Prophets in the old Testament as in the light of the Gospell vnto blessed Apostles and Preachers in which respect Iohn the Baptist is said to be greater then a Prophet For whereaâ— they shadowed out Christ in figures obscurely he shewed our Christ with his finger openly 〈…〉 of God which taketh away the sinne of the world So Christ himselfe to his Disciples Blessed 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 you that many Prophets and Kings haue desired to see those things which ye see in 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 them and to heare those things which yee heare and haue not heard them The blessed Apostles are called in the fifth verse Prophets as propheeying in their Creed of things to come to wit of the resurrection of the 〈◊〉 and euerlasting life or Prophets as being expounders of the Prophets as the word is vsed elsewhere Rom. 12.6 Ephes. 4.11 1. Cor. 14.1 See Epistle second Sunday after the Epiphanie That the Gâ—ntâ—les should be follow-heires and of the same body and partakers of the same promise The Gentiles are said to bee follow-heires in respect of future glorie repectulum futuri because they shall be heires of saluation and inheâ—itors of the kingdome of heauen so well as the Iewes euen heires of God and ioint heires with Christ Rom. 8.17 Of the same body in respect of present grace respectu boni praesentis as being built together in Christ and made one Church and habitation of God Ephes. 2.14.22 Partakers of the same promise in respect of mercie 〈◊〉 die respectu boni praeriti forasmuch a Gods Couenant made to father Abraham apparantly concerned all the nations of the world Genes 12.3.18 18 22.18 Heere the Gospell and Epistle meet and both are well accommodated vnto Christs Epiphanie for the Wisemen shewed that in deed which our Apostle heere saith in word Vnto the rulers and powers in heauenly things Whether this ought to be construed of damned deuils or blessed Angels I referre you to S. Ambrose Erasmus Marlorat Or if spoken of the good Angels onely whether it concernes all at all times or in times past only such as were not imploied in the publishing of Christs incarnation I desire you to reade the Commentaries of Hierome and Haymo vpon this text Lombard sent lib 2. distinct 11. Alussiodorensis Aur. sum lib. 2. Tracti 5. quaesi â— 6. Sixtus senensis bibliothec lib. 6. annot 165 182.29â— And whether this knowledge be reuealed or experimentall only Thomas part 1. quast 117. art 2. Lexicon Theolog Astenstanc verb. Angelus Perkins exposit Creed art 1. Tit. Creation of Angels Aretius Marlorat Zanch. in loc For mine owne part where I see not my selfe I loue not to leade other If these cited Authors afford your vnderstanding good paiment I shall be so well pleased as when I borrow ready coine of one friend to lend it vnto another If not I say with Hierome Non parum est scire quid nesâ—as and with Augustine Non videtur mihi quisquam errare cum aliquid nescire se scit sed cum putat scire quod nescit The Gospell MATTH 2.1 When Iesus was borne in Bethlehem a Citie in Iurie in the time of Herod the King behold there came Wise-men from the East to Ierusalem saying who is he that is borne King of the Iewes c. AFter the celebration of Christs birth and circumcision it seemed good vnto the Church to constitute a Feast in honour of his Epiphanie that his glory might be manifested in the flesh so well as his infirmitie Now this Feast is called by three sundry names according to the three principall appearings of our Lord in this kinde on this day 1. Epiphania because Christ as this day did appeare to the Wisemen that sought him by the leading of a starre 2. Theophania for that as vpon this day 29. yeeres after his birth his glorie appeared in his baptisme by the witnesse of the Father speaking from heauen this is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased and by the descending of the holy Ghost vpon him in a visible shape like a done 3. Bethphania for that on the same day twelue moneth after his baptisme his glorie appeared at the marriage in Cana by turning water into wine Iohn 2.11 We must according to the present text onely treat of his appearing to the Wisemen in whom I note These 7. circumstances 1. At what time they came to
complement or habit only but in heart for as the wiseman telleth vs there be some that being about wicked purposes doe bow downe themselues and are sad whose inward parts burne altogether with deceit â— he looketh downe with 〈◊〉 face and fameth himselfe deafe yet before thou perceâ—â—◠〈◊〉 vpon thee to hurt thee Christ wouâ—d not haue vs imitate him in his mi 〈◊〉 as â—n walking vpon the waters in raising the dead â—n making a new world but in his morale in his meeknes and lowlines especially for these vertues are the lessons he â—eacheth in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome 2nd knowledge it is so great a thing in our owne eyes to be little that no man is able to learne it of any but of him only who being in the forme of God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and became man yea a worme and no man a very scorne of men and outcast of the people termed Apocalyp 1.8 the first and the last in maiestie the first in meeknes as the last his whole life being nothing else but an open booke or rather an open shop of humility descend then if thou wilt ascend if thou desire to build high and to seeke the things aboue lay thy foundation low humblenes of mind is schola and scala coeli the schoole teaching and the scale reaching heauen Quo minor est quisquis maximus est hominum I will ease you the world crieth ego deficiam I will leaue you the flesh crieth ego inficiam I will corrupt you the deuill crieth ego interficiam I will destroy you but he which is verax verus veritas euer speaking the truth as euer being the truth opposeth himselfe against all these mortall enemies and saith ego reficiam I will ease you this one clause then is the very close yea the very summe of the whole gospell in as much as all our learning and labouring is for this end that we may find refreshing and rest vnto our soules in the end the latine refâ—ciam hath three significations 1 Reficere is to repaire or renew Mat. 4.21 reficienres retia Iames and Iohn were mending their nets c and so Christ as being the brightnes of Gods glory and expresse character of his person restoreth againe Gods Image defaced in vs through Adams fall vt recreatio creationi responderet saith Aquine that the redemption of the world might answere the creation he who first made now mendeth vs all of vs being the workmanship of God in Christ as creatures and as new creatures as Creatures for in the beginning was the word all things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made as new creatures for Christ Iesus is the new man we must put on of whom wee must learne meeknes and lowlines that we may walke in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 2. Reficere doth signifie to strengthen with meat in which acception a common hall in a colledge where the society meet and eat together is called a refectorie now Christ hath a twofold refectorie for all such as come vnto him one in his kingdome of grace when he prepareth a table for vs in despite of our foe refreshing vs with the food of his word of his supper of his examples vntil we are made fat Prouerb 28.25 euen so full and faire that the Church in admiration hereof asketh her best beloued shew me where thou feedest another refectorie Christ hath in his kingdome of glory Luke 22.30 Ye shall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome there God hath prepared for those that loue him a banquet of such delicates as eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither heart of man able to conceiue 1. Cor. 2.9 Sentiri potest dici non potest Come then vnto me all ye that hunger and thirst after righteousnes and I will feed you feast you fill you feed you with the sincere milke of my doctrine feast you with a cheerefulnes of conscience which is a continuall feast fill you with an ouerflowing cup in the state of glory come to me nay if ye will open the wicket of your heart when I knocke and desire to come to you I will sup with you and you shall also sup with me Apocalip 3.20 3. Reficere signifieth as our text runneth here to refresh and to ease such as labour and are laden and this expresseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 best and is most agreeable to the clause going afore labour and laden and the words following after rest easie light as if he should haue said I will ease such as labour and giue rest vnto such as are laden I will make their heauy burden light and their hard yoke easie so that they shall count it exceeding ioy to fall into diuers temptations Iames 1.2 as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing 2. Cor. 6.10 blessed in eating the labours of their hands as men of the world are infeliciter felices vnhappie in being so much happie so the children of God are feliciter infelices happie in feeling their load and vnderstanding their vnhappines for God is faithfull and will not suffer his children to be tempted aboue their ability but will euen with the temptation make away to escape that they may be able to beare it This ease Paul found vnto the rest of his soule 2. Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on euery side yet are we not in distresse perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but yet not cast away A Physitian albeit he be neuer so skilfull in his arte cannot absolutely promise that he will ease you his comforts are I will endeuour to giue you rest if I can I will helpe you neither inuention of wit nor intention of will I assure you shall be wanting but Christ heere saith I will I can as hauing all things giuen vnto me of my father and I will as being sent into the world to comfort such as mourne in Sion Ye shall finde rest vnto your soules some finde rest in their body but not in their soule as the glutton mentioned Luke 16. his body was richly clothed and deliciously pampered euery day but his soule so full of sores as Lazarus at his gate found no rest one drop of a bad conscience did drinke vp as it were the whole sea of his worldly delights some finde rest in their soule but not in their body so the seruants of God are said to reioyce in tribulations as the blessed Apostles Act. 5. afflicted in body reioyced in spirit because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name some neither in body nor soule as the damned in hell hauing poenarum diuersitatem vniuersitatem a fire to torment the body a worme to torture the soule Esay 66.24 some both in body and in
of Remaliahs sonne For albeit they determine to depose thee and to dispose of thy Kingdome purposing to set vp in thy throne the sonne of â—abeal vers 6 Yet thus saith the Lord God their counsell shall not stand neither shall it bee for the head of Aramis Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and fiue yeeres Ephraim shall be broken from being a people As if he should say these two kingdomes shall haue their limits and their two Kings must be content with their owne greatnesse they both aspire to the Crown but I haue set them their bounds which they shall not passe Beleeue my words and it shall goe well with you but if ye will not beleeue surely ye shall not bee established vers 9. And therefore that Ahaz and his people might giue credit to this promise the Lord saith our text spake once more to Ahaz Where note Gods long suffering and patience toward an Idolatious and a wicked King who did not vprightly in the sight of the Lord his God 〈◊〉 Dauid his father â— but made his sonne goe thorow the fire after the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel and offered and burnt incense in the high places and on the hilles and vnder euery greene tree The Lord desired not the death of a sinner but that he may turne from his euill waies and liue speaking to him as heere to Ahaz againe and againe turne you turne you for why will ye die O yee house of Israel He doth inuite to mercie not onely such as are godly men according to the prayer of Dauid Do well O Lord vnto those that be good and true of heart But he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and sendeth his raine on the iust and on the vniust Matth. 5.45 Hee is not slacke faith Peter in comming to iudgement as some men count sâ—â—icknesse but is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance Wherefore thou whosoeuer thou bee which art in the gall of bitternesse selling thy selfe to worke wickednesse nay giuing thy selfe to wantonnesse to commit all vncleanenesse euen with greedinesse How dost thou thinâ—e thou shalt escape the iudgement of God or despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The Lord spake to Ahaz againe yet not onely for his sake nor for the wicked alone but rather to prouide for the weake which had some seeds of Godlinesse For albeit they did offend the Lord very much in their distrust and Idolatrie yet God as being the father of mercies in wrath remembers mercy Habac. 3.2 Compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit wee haue rebelled against him Dan. 9.9 Require a token of the Lord thy God As if Esay should haue said I perceiue you giue credit to my report entertaining my speech as the words of a meere man and not as the word of God Wherfore to demonstrate that I come not in mine owne name but from the Lord of Hosts Aske a signe not of Idols or of strange gods vnable to helpe thee but of thy God Aske a signe not of me but of the Lord which onely doth wondrous things Aske of him Ahaz and thou shalt vnderstand that it is the Lord who speakes vnto thee God for the confirmation of our faith addeth vnto his promises as proppes of our infirmitie signes and tokens which Augustine calles aptly visible words And these signes are of two sorts extraordinarie whereof the Prophet in our present text and that which was giuen to Hezekiah in the 38. chapter of this prophesie vers 7. Ordinarie in daily vse as Baptisme and the Lords Supper the which are signes and seales of Gods holy couenant with vs. And wee must so ioyne faith vnto the word that wee despise not the Sacraments which Almighty God offereth as helps for the strengthening of of our faith It is a true saying that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And this saying ought by all meanes to bee receiued and one chiefe meane is the ministration of the Sacraments and therefore the frantick spirits in our time who make no reckoning of Baptisme nor of the blessed Eucharist but esteeme them abces onely for little children are worthily censured by reuerend Caluin to separate those things which God hath ioyned together Whether it be toward the depth beneath or toward the height aboue The Prophet prescribes not what token Ahaz should aske lest happily the truth of the miracle might be suspected but hee leaueth it to the Kings owne free choice whether hee will haue it toward the depth or height that is in earth or heauen Or it may be the word depth is of some deeper signification as if Esay should say God will openly shew thee that his dominion is farre aboue all the world yea that it reacheth euen from the heauen of heauens to the very depth of depthes insomuch as hee can at his good pleasure fetch Angels out of heauen and also raâ—e the very dead out of their graues Here then obserue Gods omnipotencie who can doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all deepe places Psal. 135.6 O God the great and mighty great in Counsell and mighty in worâ—e Behold thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing hard vnto thee This doctrine is comfortable to the godly who dwell vnder the defence of the most high and abide vnder the shadow of his wings hauing his spirit for their guide and his Angels for their guard But it is very terrible to the wicked in that all the creatures in heauen in earth and vnder earth attend the Lord of Hosts euenmore readie to fight against such as fight against him noneâ— This argueth his pride rather then humblenesse Or as other his trust in the strength of the King of Ashor rather then his affiance in the King of Kings And yet hee colours his foule contempt hypocritically with a faire pretence saying I will not tempt the Lord alluding doubtlesse to the text Deut. 6.16 ye shall not tempt the Lord your God He forgate the words in the some chapter a little before yee shall not walke after other gods c. and only wrested that clause which he thought would fit his turne wrest I say for to require a signe when God inuiteth and inioyneth vs is not to tempt the Lord but to trust and obey which is better then sacrifice Gedeon is commended for asking signes of the Lord Iudges 6. the Pharities on the contrary condemned euen by Christ himselfe the wicked generation and adulterous seeketh a
with God hee did ascend farre aboue all heauens and is saith our text on the right hand of God To sit as Ardens vpon the place pithily quiscentis regnantis Iudicantis est ergo bene redemptor noster post passionem ascensionemg suam sedere describitur quia post laborem requiescit post pralium regnat postquam indicatus est iudicat Is Christ ascended on high then let vs seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Albeit our bodies be tied with the fetters of flesh on earth yet let our soules ascend with the winges of faith into heauen euen to the place from whence commeth al our helpe and hope Saluator noster ascendit in coeluÌ„ non ergo turlemur in terra ibi sit mens hic erit requies as Augustine sweetly The way to make a ladder vp to heauen as the same father teacheth in his 3. sermon preached on this day is to trample sin vnder our feet de vitiâ—s nostris scalum nobis facimus si vitia calcamus tread pride vnder thy feet and thou shalt instantly passe one step he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted tread couetousnes vnder thy feet and it will proue another step how hard is it for them who trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God tread maliciousnes vnder thy feet and thou shalt approach as yet neerer vnto heauen for God is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Grant we beseech thee almighty God that like as we doe beleeue thine only begotten sonne our Lord to haue ascended into the heauen so wee may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell Amen The Epistle ACTS 10.34 Then Peter opened his mouth c. THe former part of this text is expounded on Easter Mâ—nday the contents of the latter on Whitsunday The Gospell Iohn 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life c. IT is reported of a noble Lantgraue Fredericke by name that the very gingling of his spurre was a terrour to his foes And so the very repeating of this sweet text is able to make Satan our greatest enemy to quake for it is as one calleth it a common armory for the Christian as it were the tower of Dauid a thousand shields hang therein and all the targets of the strong 〈◊〉 Apply this one sentence to thy soule and thou shalt in thy most grieuous agonie quench all the fiery darâ—s of the deuill It brancheth it selfe into 3. considerations especially who God loued what the world how so that hee gaue his only begotten sonne c. Ambitious men in the court loose their time their liberty their estate yea sometime with Iscariot they sell vnder hand their owne soule their owne Sauiour to gaine the Princes respect or else some fauour of his chiefe Fauourite But behold a greater then Salomon in all his royalty higher then the highest immortall almighty without beginning or end loued vs and his loue must of necessity bee greater then others loue for that himselfe is the greatest of all God loued and herein heâ— neither expected any correspondence of loue for saith our text hee loued the world That hee should loue the glorious Angels is not strange because they be his messengers ministers executing his pleasure That he should loue good men is not strange because they loue him O thou whoÌ„ my soule loueth Cant. 1.6 That he should loue both his witlesse and his senselesse creatures is not strange because fire and haile snow and vapours wind and storme fulfill his word But herein appeares the greatnesse of his loue that he loued the world mundum immundism the worthlesse world lying in wickednesse casting out its malice saith the Prophet as the fountaine casteth out her waters A world as Augustine describeth impuris vâ—lupratibus illerebosies nefandis c udelitatibus furiosus 〈◊〉 bus terroribus inimieus A bad world a mad world a deceiving world a blind world that knew him not Ioh 1.10 A bloody world that hated him and all his Herein God setteth out his loue toward vs for that he reconciled vs to himselfe euen while we were his enemies Rom. 5.10 he loued vs first euen before wee would yea before we could loue him He that is most high and most holy debtor vnto no man and wenting no thing loued vs which are but dust and ashes conceiued in sinne and brought forth in iniquity corrupt in ouâ— conuersation and abominable doing no good and inâ—ected with euery kind of euill euen from the sole of the foot vnto the head there was in vs nothing whole but wounds and swelling and sores full of putâ—ifâ—tion Esay 1.6 But how did hee loue so loued that is so fatherly so freely so fully that he gaue Hee did not sell or let or lend but giue Not in Angell or a Prophet or any seruant but a sonne And that not anothers but his and his sonne not adoptiue but naturall his begotten sonne and further not one among many but his onely begotten sonne If a man had 32. sonnes as Babo or seuenty sonnes as Gideon Iudg 8.30 Or 80. sonnes as Scilurus or if a man had as many sons as a woman in Paris called Yoland Baillie from whose body while shee liued as we read issued 295. children yet he would hardly part with any to his friend much lesse to his foe When the Patriarke Iacob had conceiued that Ioseph his sonne was deuoured of some wilde beast he rent his cloathes and put sakcloath about his loines and sorrowed for him a long season And when his other sonnes and his daughters rose vp to comfort him he would not bee comforted but said I will surely go downe into the graue vnto my son mourning How bitterly did Dauid lament the death of a rebellious sonne O my sonne Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon would God I had died for thee O Absalon my sonne my sonne How did an harlot pitie the fruit of her wombe before King Salomon 1. King 3. Oh my Lord giue her the liuing child and slay him not Almighty God then manifested the riches of his mercy toward vs in giuing his onely sonne not onely to bee borne but also to die for vs and that vpon the Crosse most ignominiously So Christ in the words immediately going before this our present text as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man bee lift vp probatio dilectionis exhibitio operis his exceeding great gift is a demonstration of his exceeding great loue Thus in briefe you see the fact let vs examine now the fruit for what end God gaue his onely begotten sonne That whosoeuer beleeueth in him