God but without that is forth of the Church are dogs enâ—hanters whoremongers adulterers c. And the Arke out of which all perished figured the Church out of which al are condemned And for this cause Saint Luke saith that the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued And the reason hereof is plaine for without Christ there is no saluation but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ and therefore no saluation Againe forth of the militant church there are no meanes of saluation no preaching of the word no inuocation of Gods name no Sacraments and therefore no saluation For this cause euery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular church beeing a sound member of the Catholike church The third rule is that the church which here we beleeue is onely one As Christ himselfe speaketh My doue is alone and my vndefiled is the onely daughter of her mother And as there is onely one God and one Redeemer one faith one baptisme and one way of saluation by Christ onely so there is but one church alone The Catholike church hath two parts the church Triumphant in heauen and the church Militant on earth The Triumphant church may thus be described It is a companie of the spirits of iust men triumphing ouer the flesh the deuill and the world praising God First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it because the soules onely of the godly departed as of Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid c. are as yet ascended into heauen and not their bodies Furthermore the properties of this companie are two The first is to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh the deuill the world for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations kinreds people and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes in token that they had beene warriours but now by Christ haue gotten the victorie and are made conquerours Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of God as it followeth in the former place saying Amen praise and glorie and wisdome and thankes honour power and might be vnto our God for euermore Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no Ans. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ because they are not vnder him as he is their redeemer considering they can not be redeemed which neuer fell and it can not be prooued that they now stand by the vertue of Christs redemption but they are vnder him as he is their Lord and King and by the power of Christ as he is God and their God are they confirmed And therfore as I take it we can not say that Angels are members of the mysticall bodie of Christ or of the triumphaÌ„t church though indeed they be of the coÌ„pany of the blessed The church Militant may be thus described It is the companie of the elect or faithfull liuing vnder the crosse desiring to be remooued and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole bodie of the elect but onely that part thereof which liueth vpon earth and the infallible marke thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes The first is that the members of this companie liue vnder the crosse and profit by it in all spirituall grace And therefore it is said that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen And our Sauiour Christ saith If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse euery day and follow me The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ as Paul saith We loue rather to be remooued out of this bodie and to be with Christ. And againe I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Where yet we must remember that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely but in two respects I. that they might leaue off to sinne and by sinning leaue to displease God II. That they might come to enioy happines in heauen and to be with Christ. Touching the generall estate of the Militant church two questions are to be considered The first how farre forth God is present with it assisting it by his grace Ans. God giues his spirit vnto it in such a measure that although the gates of hell can not preuaile against it yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners For that which is true in euery member of the church is also true in the whole but euery member of the Militant church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of minde and ignorance and to the rebellion of their wills and affections whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise Againe that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches vpon earth all beeing in one and the same condition but this may befall one or two particular churches to faile either in doctrine or manners The church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first loue whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke And the church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred churches which befell these twaine Lastly experience sheweth this to be true in that generall Councels haue erred The Councell of Nice beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops and Elders would with common consent haue forbidden marriage vnto them thinking it profitable to be so vnlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures In the third Councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha as the booke of Syrach Tobie and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon and yet were excluded by the Councell of Laodicea And the saying of a Diuine is receiued that former Councels are to be reformed and amended by the latter But Papists maintaining that the Church can not erre alleadge the promise of Christ Howbeit
noise like to that of charriot wheeles suddenly passe away and the elements with the earth and all therein shall be dissolued with fire 2. Pet. 3. 12. Lâ—â—king for and hâ—â—sting vnto the comming of the day of God by which the heauens beeing 〈◊〉 shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt with heate 13. 〈…〉 new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein d 〈…〉 ousness At the same time when as all these things shall come to passe 〈◊〉 sound of the last trumpet shall be heard sounded by the Archangâ—â—â— And Christ shall come suddenly in the cloudes with power and glorie and a great traine of Angels III. Now at the sound of the trumpet the Elect which were dead shal arise with their bodies and those very bodies which were turned to dust and one part rent from another shall by the omnipotent power of God be restored and the soules of them shall descend from heauen and be brought againe into those bodies As for them which then shall be aliue they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and this mutation shall be in stead of death And at that time the bodies shall receiue their full redemption and all the bodies of the Elect shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus and therefore shall be spirituall immortall glorious and free from all infirmitie IV. Last of all when they are all conuented before the tribunall seate of Christ he will forthwith place the Elect seuered from the reprobate and taken vp into the aire at his right hand and to them being written in the booke of life will he pronounce this sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Matth. 25.33 He shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left 1. Thess. 4. 17. Reu. 20. 12. whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement THe last iudgement beeing once finished the Elect shall enioy immediatly blessednes in the kingdome of heauen Blessednes is that whereby God himselfe is all in all his Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. When all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that did subdue all things vnder him that God may be all in all And it is the reward of good workes not because workes can merit but by reason of Gods fauour who thus accepteth workes and that in respect of the merit of Christs righteousnes imputed to the Elect. Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Reu. 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shall be Blessednesse hath two parts Eternall life and perfect glorie Eternall life is that fellowship with God whereby God himselfe is thorough the Lambe Christ life vnto the Elect. For in the kingdome of heauen the Elect shall not neede meat drinke sleepe aire heat cold phisicke apparell or the light of the Sunne and moone b but in place of all these shall they haue in them Gods spirit by which immediatly they shall be quickned for euer Perfect glorie is that wonderfull excellencie of the Elect wherby they shal be in a farre better estate then any heart can wish This glorie consisteth in three points I. In that they shall still behold the face of God which is his glory and maiestie Reuel 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their forheads Psal. 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine anger II. In that they shall be most like to Christ namely iust holy incorruptible glorious honorable excellent beautifull strong mightie and nimble 1. Ioh. 3.2 Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things to himselfe III. They shall inherit the kingdome of heauen yea the newe heauens and newe earth shal be their inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 God hath begotten you to an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you Mat. 25.34 Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father possesse a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid Reu. 5.10 Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne on the earth Reuel 21.7 Hee that ouercommeth shall inherite all things and I will be his God he shall be my sonne The fruit that commeth from both these parts of blessednes is of two sorts Eternall ioy and the perfect seruice of God Psal. 16.11 Thou wilt shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 36.8 They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures 9. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall we see light The parts of Gods seruice are Praise and Thanksgiuing Reuel 21.3 And I heard a great voice out of heauen saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them Chap. 5.12 Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise c. 13. Chap. 11.17 The foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thanks Lord God Almightie which art and Which wa st and Which art to come for thou hast receiued thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome The manner of performing this seruice is to worship God by God himselfe immediately In heauen there shall neither be temple ceremonie nor Sacrament but all these wants shal God himselfe supply togither with the LaÌ„be that is Christ. Reuel 21.22 I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it This seruice shall be daily and without intermission Reuel 7.15 They are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple A Corollarie or the last conclusion THus God in sauing the Elect doeth clearely set forth his iustice and mercy His iustice in that he punished the sinnes of the elect in his Sonnes owne person His
wherein we must rest as it were for a night as a straunger doth in an Inne and so away but the second house is eternall in the heauens an euerlasting seate of all felicitie and happinesse And therefore our dutie is aboue al things to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse as Christ himselfe biddeth vs. And if the Lord haue there prepared such a place for vs theÌ„ we must in this world vse all good meanes whereby we may be made worthie the fruition of it and also fitte and readie at the day of death to enter into it which at the day of iudgement we shall fully possesse both in soule and bodie and there raigne eternally in all happinesse with God Almightie our creatour the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost But some may say how shall a man so prepare himselfe that hee may bee fitte for that place Answere This the holy Ghost teacheth vs for speaking of this heauenly Ierusalem he saith There shall enter into it none vncleane thing neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies The meanes then to make our selues fitte is to seeke to bee reconciled to God in Christ for our sinnes past and withall to endeauour to haue an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come we must remember what Saint Iohn saith Euery one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe meaning that he which hath hope to raigne with Christ in heauen vseth the meanes whereby he may purifie and keepe himselfe from sinne as also he saith after that he which is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Signifying that all such persons as are truely iustified and sanctified carrie such a narrowe and straite watch ouer the whole course of their liues and conuersations that the deuill can neuer giue them deadly woundes and wholly ouercome them Nowe the man that iâ— resolued in his conscience of the pardon of his sinne for the time past and hath a steadfast purpose in his heart to keepe himselfe vpright continually to walke in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life this man I say is prepared and made fit to enter into the heauenly Ierusalem come death when it will he is readie And howesoeuer he must not looke for heauen here vpon earth yet he is as it were in the suburbes of this heauenly cittie and at the end of this life the king thereof the Lord Iesus will open the gates and receiue him into his kingdome for he is alreadie entred into the kingdome of grace To conclude this point let euery man in the feare of god be mooued hereby to set his heart to prepare himselfe that when God shall call him hence he may be fitte to enter into that glorie Secondly seeing God hath prepared the third heauen for vs it teacheth euery man in this worlde to be content with the estate wherein God hath placed him whether it bee high or lowe rich or poore why so because here he is but a pilgrime and liues in a cottage of clay and in a tent wherein he must abide but a while as a pilgrime doth oftentimes carrying his house about with him and we shall in better sort accept the afflictions which God sendes vs in this life if we remember that there is prepared for vs a place of ioy which must bee our resting place and perfect felicitie for euermore This was the practise of the chidren of God especially of Abraham for when the Lord called him out of his own country he obeyed and by faith abode in the promised land as in a straunge countrie as one that dwelt in tents with Isaac and Iaakob heires with him in the same promise and the reason followeth for he looked for a cittie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God They beleeued that these things which the Lord promised were shaddowes of better things and hereon staied themselues beeing well content with that estate whereto God had called them So Paul was coÌ„tented to beare the afflictions which God had laid vpon him and his reason was Because saith he we looke not on things which are seene but on things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall And in the next chapter We knowe saith he that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a dwelling giuen vs of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And for this cause his desire was rather to remooue out of this body and to be with the Lord. And thus much concerning heauen Nowe followeth the second part of Gods creation in these wordes And earth Earth signifieth the huge masse or body standing of sea and land on which we liue and all things that be in or vpon the earth whatsoeuer as Paul saith For by him were created all things that are in heauen or in earth c. In other Creeds which were made since this of the Apostles beeing expositioÌ„s of that there is added maker of all things visible and invisible Here we haue occasion to speake of all creatures but that were infinite therefore I will make choice of these two good Angels and Men. I. That Angels had a beginning it is no question for Paul saith that by God all things were created in heauen and earth things visible and inuisible whether thrones principalities or powers And in respect of the creation angels are called the sonnes of God But the time day of their creatioÌ„ cannot be set down further theÌ„ this that they were created in the coÌ„passe of the sixe daies For Moses saith Thus namely in the compasse of the first sixe daies the heauens and the earth were fashioned and all the hâ—ast of them that is all varietie of creatures in heauen and earth seruing for the beauty and glory thereof whereof no doubt the Angels are the principall II. Touching the nature of Angels some haue thought that they are nothing but qualities and motions in the mindes of men as the Sadduces and the Libertines of this time but the truth is that they are spirits that is spirituall and inuisible substances created by God and really subsisting for the Scripture ascribes vnto them such kinde of actions which can not be performed by the creatures saue onely such as be substances as to stande before the throne of God to behold the face of the Father to carie mens soules to heauen c. yet must we not imagine that they are bodily substances consisting of flesh and bone And though they tooke vpon them visible shapes and formes and did eate and drinke in the companie of men and thereupon are called Men in Scripture yet they did this by diuine dispensation for a time that they might the better performe the actions
people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the church of Rome And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospel by our gracious Prince the same people turned from poperie and embraced the true religion againe And thus with the Iewes one while they crie Hosanna to Christ and receiue his Gospel and shortly after they crie Crucifie him crucifie him by embracing idolatrous poperie Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God by the ficklenes of the Iewesâ— that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space to acknowledge our inconstancie and weaknes in the matter of religion whereby if God leaue vs 〈…〉 â—itle to our selues we shall straightway forsake Christ his Gospel and all Tâ—â—â—â—â—ch of the accusation Now followeth Christs examination before â—oâ—â—â—us Pilate for when the Iewes had thus falsly accused him then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall and asked him this question Art thou the King of the Iewes Now Christ beeing thus examined made as Paul also testifieth a good confession The summe thereof stands in foure heads The first is that he confesseth himselfe to be a King not such an one as they accused him to be yet a true King Whence we may learne diuers instructions first that euery Christian man in the midst of his miserie and affliction hath one that is most sufficient euery way to defend him against all his enemies the world the flesh and the deuill For this King can doe whatsoeuer he will and therefore when the legion of deuills would enter into a herd of swine they could not without his leaue And when the Centurions daughter was dead he but spake the word and shee arose And when Lazarus was dead and had lien in the graue foure daies he but saide Lazarus come forth and he came forth bound hand and foote Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word and nothing can resist his power And therefore he that is a true member of Christ needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many And againe as Christ is able so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects which no King would doe and shedde his blood for their redemption which he would neuer haue done if he had not desired their saluation Secondly whereas Christ is a mightie King which can doe whatsoeuer he will let all such among vs that haue hitherto liued in ignorance and by reason of ignorance liue in their sinnes at length begin to come vnto him and doe him homage and with penitent hearts fall downe before him otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions let them know whatsoeuer they be high or low that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces their soules shall smart for it as both Pilate Caiphas and the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies be sure at the houre of death he will breake thee in pieces like a potters vessell This must we learne in regard of the first point that he said plainely He was a King Now follows the second part of his confession namely that his kingdome was not of this world Where he sets downe what kinde of King he is he is no earthly king his kingdome stands not in the power of men nor in earthly and outward gouernment but his kingdome is spirituall and his gouernment is in the very hearts and consciences of men His kingdome is not outward to be seene of men but inward in the heart and â—oule and therefore it is onely begunne in this life and is continued and accomplished in the world to come in the kingdome of glorie where Christ shall be all in all in the hearts and consciences of all the Elect. Now then if this be so howsoeuer Satan haue heretofore raigned in vs and made our hearts as it were his pallaces yet now let vs prepare a roome for Christ that he may come and dwell in vs let him rule our hearts wills and affections that they may become conformable to his will let vs resigne our selues wholly to be ruled by him that his spirituall kingdome may be in vs. This kingdome in the heart and conscience is the pearle and hidde treasure which when a man findeth he sells all that he hath and buieth it Let vs therefore in the feare of God esteeme it as the most pretious thing that may be and so liue in this world as that Christ may rule inwardly in vs by his word and spirit And againe seeing this regiment of Christ is heauenly and the full manifestation of it is reserued till the life to come we must therefore vse this world and all things in it as honour wealth ease and libertie as though we vsed them not As a trauailer vseth his staffe in his iourney as long as it doth further him so long he will carrie it with him but when it hindereth him then he casts it away so must we vse the things of this life namely as long as they are helps to further and make vs fitte for the kingdome of heauen but if they be any hinderance to this spirituall regiment of Christ we must renounce them and cast them away be they neuer so pretious to vs. The third point of Christs confession is concerning the meanes whereby he gouerneth his kingdome I came saith he into this world to beare witnesse of the truth that is to preach the Gospell and doctrine of saluation and hereby he teacheth that the outward administration of his kingdome stands specially in the preaching of the word which is a principall ordinance of his seruing to gather his Church from the beginning of the world to the ende thereof And for this cause he hath in all ages set apart chosen ministers for the publishing of the doctrine of the Gospell And hence it is manifest that the gift of prophecie is the greatest gift that God bestowes on his Church for the building thereof And therfore it ought to be most highly esteemed as a most pretious iewell And for this cause also the schooles of learning are to be reuerenced maintained all other meanes vsed for the furthering of them because they are vnder God the fountaines and welsprings of this gift of prophecie The last point is concerning the subiects of Christs kingdome expressed in these words They which are of the truth heare my voice In which he sets down the true marke of his seruants and subiects that they are hearers of that heauenly and sauing word which he reuealed from the bosome of his father It may be alleadged the most wicked men vpon earth yea the deuils themselues may be hearers of the truth of Christ. Ans. There be
heauens the extraordinarie change of the whole world The second opinion is that the ende of the world shall be three yeares and an halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist And it is gathered out of places in Daniel and the Reuelation abused Where a time and halfe a time signifie not three yeares and a halfe but a short time And therefore to take the wordes properly is farre from the meaning of the holy Ghost For marke if the ende shall be three yeares and a halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist then may any man knowe before hand the particular moneth wherein the ende of the world should be which is not possible Nowe the trueth which may be auouched against all is this that no man can know or set down or coniecture the day the weeke the moneth the yere or the age wherin the second comming of Christ and the last day of iudgement shall be For Christ himselfe saith of that daie and houre knoweth no man no not the angels in heauen but God onely may Christ himselfe as he is man knew it not And when the disciples asked Christ at his ascension whether he would restore the kingdome vnto Israel he answered It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And Paul saith Of the times and seasons brethren you haue no neede that I write vnto you For you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lord shall come euen as a thiefe in the night Nowe wee knowe that a man that keepeth his house can not coniecture or imagine when a thiefe will come and therefore no man can set downe the particular time or age when Christ shall come to iudgement This must we hold steadfastly and if we read the contrarie in the writings of men we are not to beleeue their sayings but account of them as the deuices of men which haue no ground in Gods word To come to the third point namely the signes of the last iudgement they are of two sorts some goe before the comming of Christ and some are ioyned with it The signes that goe before are in number seuen recorded distinctly by the holy Ghost The first is the preaching of the Gospel through the whole world So our Sauiour Christ saith this Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall the ende come Which place must thus be vnderstood not that the Gospell must be preached to the whole world at any one time for that as I take it was neuer yet seene neither shall be but that it shall bee published distinctly and successiuely at seuerall times and thus vnderstanding the words of Christ if wee consider the time since the Apostles daies wee shall finde this to be true that the Gospel hath beene preached to all the world and therefore this first signe of Christs comming is alreadie past and accomplished The second signe of his comming is the reuealing of Antichrist as Paul saith The daie of Christ shall not come before there be a departure first and that mā of sinne he disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is Antichrist Concerning this signe in the yeare of our Lord 602. Gregory the eight pope of Rome auouched this solemnly as a manifest trueth that whosoeuer did take to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop the same was Antichrist Now fiue yeres after Boniface succeeding him was by Phocas and Emperour entituled Vniuersall Bishop pastour of the Catholike Church in the yeare of our Lord 607. and of all Popes he was the first knowne Antichrist and since him all his successours haue taken vnto thē the same title of Vniuersal and Catholike Bishop whereby it doeth plainely appeare that at Rome hath bin and is the Antichrist And this signe is also past The third is a generall departing of most men from the faith For it is saide in the place before named let no man deceiue you for the day of Christ shall not come except there be a departing first Generall departure hath bin in former ages When Arius spread his heresie it tooke such place that the whole worlde almost became an Arian And during the space of 900. yeares from the time of Boniface the popish heresie spread it selfe ouer the whole earth and the faithfull seruants of God were but as an handfull of wheat in a mountaine of chaffe which can scarse be discerned This signe is in part already past neuertheles it shall continue to the ende because men shall continually depart from the faith And the nearer the end of the world is the more Satā rageth seeks to bring mē into his kingdō Therefore it standeth vs in hād to labour for the knowledge of true religiō hauing learned it most hartily to loue the same The fourth signe is a generall corruption in manners This point the Apostle sets downe at large saying Toward the latter daies shall come perilous times wherein men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy and without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good◠traytours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of god c. This generall corruption in the manners of men is noted by our Sauiour Christ when he saith When he commeth he shall scarse sinde faith vpon the earth This signe hath bin in former ages and is no doubt at this day in the world For it is hard to finde a man that walketh iustly soberly and faithfully doing the duties of his calling to God and man The fifth signe of Christs comming stands in terrible and grieuous calamities For Christs disciples asking him a signe of his comming and of the ende of the world he saith There shall be warres and rumours of warres nation shall rise against nation and realme against realme and there shall be pestilence and famine and earthquakes in diuers places and men shall be at their wittes endes These haue bin in former ages In the first three hundred yeares after Christ were tenne most fearefull persecutions and since in Europe the Church of God hath bin wonderfully persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome in the hundred yeares last past The sixth signe is an exceeding deadnes of heart so as neither iudgements from heauen nor the preaching of the word shall mooue the hearts of men So Christ saith It shall be in the comming of the sonne of man as it was in the daies of Noe and in the daies of Sodom they knew nothing till the flood came and fire from heauen destroied them all This signe vndoubtedly is manifest in these our daies howsoeuer it hath beene also in former times For where are any almost that are mooued with Gods iudgements or touched at the preaching of the word nay rather men harden their hearts and become secure and careles The small
of Christ It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie And Paul saith There is one glorie of the sunne an other glorie of the moone an other glorie of the starres for one starre differeth from another in glorie so is the resurrection of the dead In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection Furthermore if we may coniecture it may be the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuerse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel But it may be obiected that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen some shall want glorie Ans. Not so though some haue more and some lesse yet all shall haue sufficient Take sundrie vessells whereof some are bigger and some lesse and cast them all into the sea some will receiue more water and some lesse and yet all shall be full and no want in any and so likewise among the Saints of God in heauen some shall haue more glorie some lesse and yet all without exception full of glorie And wheras it is alleadged that all the labourers in the vineyard receiue each of them a pennie equally for their hire the answer is that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equalitie of celestiall glorie and what shall be the state of the godly after this life but the very drift of the parable is to shew that they which are called first haue no cause to bragge or insult ouer others which as yet are vncalled considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them Thus much of life it selfe now followes the continuance thereof which the Scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting And to this end Paul saith that Christ hath abolished death and brought not onely life but also immortalitie to light by the Gospell And this very circumstance serues greatly to commend the happines of the godly in that after they haue made an entrance into it they shall neuer see tearme of time or end Suppose the whole world were a sea and that euery thousand yeares expired a bird must carrie away or drinke vp one onely droppe of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though very huge shall be dried vp but yet many thousand millions of yeares must be passed before this can be done Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying vp he would thinke his case most happie and blessed but behold the Elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not onely for that time but when it is ended they shall enioy it as long againe and when all is done they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy as they were at the beginning Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is let vs now come to the vse of the article And first of all if we beleeue that there is an eternall happines and that the same belongs vnto vs then we must vse this present world all the things therein as though we vsed them not and whatsoeuer we doe in this world yet the eyes of our minds must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for vs in heauen As a pilgrime in a strange land hath alwaies his eyes toward his iournies end and is then grieued when by any meanes he is out of the way so must we alwaies haue our mindes and hearts set on euerlasting life and be grieued when we are by any way hindered in the straight way that leadeth thereunto we haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out vnto vs in the Patriarke Abraham who beeing called of God obeyed to goe out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whither he went and by faith aboad in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting for the text saith He looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And we ought euery one of vs for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life neuer setting our hearts vpon them but vsing them as a pilgrime doth vse his staffe in the way so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney he is content to carrie it in his hand but so soone as â—t beginneth to trouble him he casteth it away Secondly all that â—rofesse the Gospel of Christ may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflicâ—ions which God shall lay on them in this world It is Gods vsuall manneâ— to begin corrections in his owne familie vpon his owne children and as Pâ—ter saith Iudgement beginneth at Gods house Looke at a mother that weanes her child laieth wormewood or some other bitter thing vpon her breast to make the child loath the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the misâ—ries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heauen As rawe flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euery sinner and vnmortified man loathsome vnto God till the Lord by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this world But when a man is afflicted how shall he be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lord hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and choosed rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god Here then behold a notable president for vs to follow In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring vnto vs a cup of afflictions and bid vs drinke a draught thereof to the very bottome the
in the Pharisie whose thoughts were these when he praied thus within himselfe O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican c. And as this was in him so it is in vs till God giue grace for so that men may haue praise glory in the world they care not for Gods glory though it be defaced We must therefore learne to discerne this hidden corruption and to mourne for it for it doth poison and hinder al good desires of glorifying god so long as it doth or shall preuaile in the heart 2. Secondly wee are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright and from discerning the glory and maiestie of God in his creatures Mark 6.52 The disciples through the hardnes of their hearts could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loaues though themselues were instruments of it and the foode did increase in their hands Our redemption what a wonderful worke is it but how few consider of it or regard it If we see a man haue more wit wealth or honour then we haue wee straight wonder at him but beholding Gods creatures we see nothing in them because we doe not goe higher to acknowledge the loue power wisdome and iustice of the Creator And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men 3. The third corruption is our great ingratitude for the Lord hath made heauen and earth and all other creatures to serue man yet he is the most vnthankfull of all creatures Bestow many iewels or a kings raunsome on a dead man he wil neuer returne any kindnes so men being dead in sinne deale with God Commonly men are like the swine that run with their groines and eate vp the mast but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth But the godly are with Dauid to feele this want in themselues and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lips that they may indeauour to be thanfull to God Psal. 51.15 4. The fourth is the vngodlines the innumerable wāts that be in our liues and the sinnes committed in the world Psal. 119.136 Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because men keepe not thy lawes The reason is because he which liues in sinne reproches Gods name euen as an euill childe dishonours his father Now some will say that this cannot be because our sinnes cānot hurt God True indeed yet are they a cause of slādering Gods name among men for as we honour him by our good workes so we dishonour him by our offences Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe graces to be desired and to bee praied for at Gods hand are three The first is the knowledge of God that is that we might knowe him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word works and creatures For how shall any glorifie God before he know him Our knowledge in this life is imperfect Exod. 23. Moses may not see Gods face but his hinder parts 1. Corin. 13.12 We may see God as men doe through spectacles in his word sacraments and creatures And therefore as Paul praied for the Colossians Col. 1.10 That they might increase in the knowledge of God so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petition 2. We desire that a zeale of Gods glorie may be kindled in our hearts and that we may be kept from prophaning and abusing of his name Psal. 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Psal. 45.1 My heart shall vtter or cast vp a good matter I will speake in my workes of the king Here the spirit of God borrowes a comparison from men thus As hee which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomacke is neuer quiet till he haue cast it vp euen so the care desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burden and he is not to be at ease and quiet with himselfe till he bee disburdened in sounding forth Gods praise Luther saith well that this is Sancta crapula that is an holy surfet and it is no hurt continually to haue our hearts ouercharged thus 3. A desire to lead a godly and vpright life before God and men We see men that in some great calling vnder honourable personages will so order behaue themselues as they may please and honour their masters euen so must our liues be well ordered and we are to labour to walke worthie of the Lord as Paul speaketh that we may honour our heauenly father Thy kingdome come 1. The Coherence THis petition dependes on the former most excellently For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first Gods name must bee hallowed among men but howe is it done by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit 2. The meaning Thy This word doth put vs in minde that there is two kingdomes one Gods and that is the kingdome of heauen the other the deuils called the kingdome of darknesse Coloss. 1.13 For when all had sinned in Adam God laide this punishment on all that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator they should be in bondage vnder satan so that by nature we are all the children of wrath and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men This kingdome is spirituall and the pillars of it are ignorance errour impietie and all disobedience to God in which the deuill wholly delights which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts they spit at the naming of him and say that they defie him with all their hearts but whereas they liue in sinne and practise it as occasion is offered though they cannot discerne of themselues yet they make plaine proofe that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse and are flatte vassels of Satan and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him and cast him out And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate and to pray that he would giue vs his spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne Kingdome Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies First generally and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things yea euen the deuils themselues Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer And in the Psalme 97. vers 1. The Lord raigneth let the earth reioyce Againe it is taken more specially and then it signifieth
the administration of Christ the head of the church in which he frameth men by his word and spirit to the subiection of the same word And so it is taken in this petition In a kingdome there are foure things to be noted 1. There must be a king 2. There must be subiects 3. There are lawes 4. Authoritie In this kingdome Christ is the king it is he to whom the father hath giuen all authoritie in heauen and earth In this kingdome all are not subiects but such as are willing to giue free and franke obedience to Gods word or at the least though their hearts be not sound make an outward profession of it The lawes of this kingdome is the word of God in the bookes of the olde and new Testament Therefore it is called the kingdome of heauen Matth. 13. The Gospell of the kingdome Mark 1.13 The rodde of his mouth Esay 11.4 The arme of God Esay 53.1 As a king by his lawes brings his people in order and keepes them in subiection so Christ by his word and the preaching of it as it were by a mightie arme drawes his elect into his kingdome and fashions theÌ„ to all holy obedience The power and authoritie is that whereby Christ conuerts effectually those which are to be conuerted by the inward operation of his spirit and glorifies himselfe in the confusion of the rest Kingdome being taken thus specially is also twofold The first is the kingdome of grace of which mention is made Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God standes not in meate and drinke but in righteousnesse that is the assurance of our iustification before God in the righteousnesse of Christ Peace of conscience which proceedes from this assurance and ioy in the holy Ghost which comes from them both In this kingdome all men liue not but onely those that are subiect to Christ obedient to the lawes of his kingdome and ruled by his authoritie and are continually taught in his word by his spirit But those that refuse to liue according to the lawes of this king and choose to liue at their owne libertie are in the kingdome of darkenesse that is sinne and Satan The second is the kingdome of glorie in heauen which is the blessed estate of all Gods people which God himselfe shall be all in all vnto them And the former kingdome of grace is an entrance and preparation to this kingdome of glorie Come Gods kingdome comes when it takes place and is established and confirmed in mens hearts and made manifest to all people the impediments beeing remooued Quest. This comming implies a stopping but how should Gods kingdome be hindred Ans. Kingdome in this place is not taken for that absolute and soueraigne power of God whereby he rules all things for that can not be hindred but for the kingdome of grace which in the vsing of the outward meanes as ministers word and Sacraments may be hindred by the deuill the world and mans corruption 3. The wants which are to be bewailed The wants which we in this petition are to mourne for are of two sorts some concerne our owne selues some others That which concerns our owne persons is a bondage and slauerie vnder sinne and Satan This bondage indeede is weakned in Gods seruants but none is wholly freed from it in this life Paul complaines that he is sold vnder sinne and cries pitifully O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Question What difference is then betweene the godly and the wicked Ans. The euill and vngodly man in the very middest of his bondage hath a merrie heart sinne is no trouble to him nay it is meat drinke to him But the godly man is otherwise minded who considering the power of the deuill and hiâ— craft in manifold fearefull temptations and seeing the pronenesse of his rebellious nature euer and anon to start away from God is grieued and confounded in himselfe and his heart bleedes within him that he doth offend so mercifull a father Many men liue in this world and that many yeares and yet neuer feele this bondage vnder Satan sinne Such vndoubtedly cannot tell what this praier meanes but he that would haue the right vse of this petition must be acquainted with his owne estate and be touched in his conscience that the flesh and the deuill beare such sway in him As the poore captiue is alwaies creeping to the prison doore alwaies labouring to get off his bolts and fetters and to escape out of prison so must we alwaies crie to the Lord for his spirit to free vs out of this bondage and prison of sinne and corruption and euery day come nearer the prison doore looking when our blessed Sauiour will vnbinde vs of all the fetters of sinne and Satan and fully erect his kingdome in vs. 2. The wants which concerne others are twofold The former is the want of the good meanes which serue for the furthering of the kingdom of Christ as preaching sacraments and discipline When we shall see a people without knowledge and without good guides and teachers or when we see one stand vp in the congregation not able to teach here is matter for mourning This petition puts vs in minde to bewaile these wants Our Sauiour when he sawe the Iewes as sheepe without a sheepheard he had compassion on them and he wept ouer Ierusalem because they knew not the things which belong to their peace Luk. 9.11 Therfore when preachers want to hold vp the scepter of GOD before the people and to hold out the word which is as it were the arme of God to pull men from the bondage of the deuill to the kingdome of Christ. Then it is time to say Lord let thy kingdome come 3. The third want which we are to bewaile is that there bee so many impediments and hinderances of the kingdome of grace as the deuil and all his angels their instruments the Pope the Turke and all the rest of the professed wicked of the world which by subtile intisements and tyrannie keepe backe and repell the meanes whereby Christ ruleth as a king in his Church When the deuill sees one that was sometime of his kingdome but to cast a looke towards the heauenly Ierusalem he straightway rageth against him and labours quite to ouerthrow him Wherefore in regard of all these impediâ—ents weâ— must pray Thy kingdome come 4. Graces to be desired 1. IN this petition we are taught first that we are to haue a feruent desireâ— and to hunger that god would giue vs his spirit to raigne and rule in our harts and to bow them to all obedience and subiection of his wil and further wheras our hearts haue beene as it were filthie sties and stables of the deuill that he would renue them and make of them fit temples to entertaine his holy spirit Psal. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit in me c. Stablish me with thy free
because hee is absolute professour and owner of all things that are and also hath soueraigne rule ouer all things at his will Nowe out of this first propertie of God we may gather a strong motiue to induce vs to praie vnto him alone For seeing all things are his both in heauen and earth whatsoeuer therfore we must come to him for the graces and blessings which we desire The power Oftentimes earthly princes haue kingdomes yet want power but God hath kingdome and power also yea his power is infinite and he can doe all that he will and more then he will as for those things which come of impotencie he can not doe them and if he could he should not be omnipotent And as he is omnipotent in himselfe so all the power which any creature hath is from him alone Question How can this be seeing the deuill hath power to sinne which is not from God Ans. To sinne is no power but rather a want of power otherwise all the strength and power Satan hath is of God And froÌ„ this second propertie is taken another motiue to mooue vs to pray vnto God Because all power beeing his we can neuer doe any of the things which we aske but by power receiued from him Thine is the glorie This third propertie of God ariseth from the two former for seeing the title and interest in all things and the power whereby they are disposed and gouerned is of God therefore it followes that all glory is his yea in him is fulnesse of glorie and the glorie of the creature is all of him To sinnefull men belongs nothing but shame and confusion Dan. 9.7 This third propertie ministreth a third motiue to induce men to pray vnto God alone For seeing all glorie by right is his therefore we must inuocate hiâ— holy name that in so doing we may giue him the glorie due vnto him For euer The words in the originall are for ages Now an age signifies the space of an hundred yeares but here it is taken for eternitie because eternitie is nothing but multiplication of ages And as eternitie is here noted by ages so on the contrarie we read that eternitie is taken for a certaine and distinct time Gen. 17.8 God promiseth Abraham to giue him the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession that is for a long season For els Abrahams seed should inherit the land vntill this time which it doth not Wherefore as often the whole is put for the part vz. eternitie for a certaine time so here the part is put for the whole ages for eternitie This also makes a difference betweene earthly princes and the mightie Iehouah They haue kingdome power and glorie for a short time but he absolutely and for euer 2. The vses 1. HEre we learne in praier to abase our selues before God and vtterly to denie all that is in vs. Kingdome power and glorie is all his not ours we are no better then rebels and traitours to him if we haue any good thing it is from him euen the grace whereby we pray And he that in prayer will not confesse this shall no more be heard then the insolent begger that will not acknowledge his want 2. Secondly in prayer we learne that we must be perswaded of two things and build vpon them Gods power and will his power in that he is able his will in that he is carefull to performe our requests as it was noted in the preface the first of these is signified by kingdome and power the second is noted in that glorie is his 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen vnto the glorie of God 3. Again we gather that praier thanksgiuing must go togither for as in the sixe petitions we made request vnto God so in these words we praise him thereby giue him thankes Phil. 4.6 But in all things let your requests be shewed to god in praier and supplication with thankesgiuing There is none but in want will be readie to praie but when we haue receiued wee are slacke in giuing of thankes but he which will praie aright must ioyne them both togither And the summe of all gods praise stands in these three points 1. That he is an absolute King 2. That he hath absolute power to rule all things 3. That hauing power and a kingdome he hath glorie also which appeares in the holding of his kingdoâ—â— and the shewing of his power in gouerning of it 4. Whatsoeuer wee aske we must referre it to Gods glorie this is the first thing which we are taught to craue and the last wee are to performe because it is noted both in the beginning and in the end of the praier Thus much of the vse of these wordes altogither nowe let vs make vse of them particularly 1. Whereas we say Thine is the kingdome Magistrates rulers must knowe that all the authoritie and rule which they haue is from the Lord therefore they must remember to order themselues as Gods vicegerents vsing their power to bring men in subiection to Gods lawes and referring all their callings to his glorie 2. Where we say Thine is the power wee are admonished when wee are to performe any worke as to doe seruice to God to keep our selues in the compasse of our callings and that we haue no power of our selues for this cause we must aske power at gods hands that we may be inabled to walke vprightly before him and doe our duties 3. In saying Thine is the glorie we learne that if we would haue a good report and praise among men wee must aboue all things seeke Gods glorie not regarding so much our owne If hee giue thee praise among men giue him thankes if not be content because al glorie is his Amen 1. The meaning VVEe haue heard the preface and the petitions what they are now followeth the third part which is the assent or testification of faith required in praier in this word Amen And it containes more then men at the first would imagine It signifies certainly so be it or it shall be so 2. Cor. 1.20 It is often taken for a bare assent of the people saying Amen to the minister but in this place it containes more for euery point in this praier is not onely a direction for publike praier but for priuate also and must be said as well of the minister as of the people Now then there being two principal things in praier the first a desire of grace the second faith whereby wee beleeue that God will grant things desired The first is expressed in the sixe petitions the latter is set forth in this word Amen carrying this sense in effect As we haue craued these things at thy hands O Lord so we doe beleeue that for Christs â—ake in thy good time thou wilt grant them to vs. Therefore this part is more excellent then the former by how much our faith is more excellent theÌ„ our desire
perfumed with sweete odours before they can assend vp sweete and sauorie into the nosthrils of God And Paul said of himselfe he did that which he disliked not that hee was ouertaken with grosse sinns but because when he was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly soundly according to his wil desire euen as a man who hath a iourney to goe his mind is to dispatch it in all haste yet when he is in his trauell he goes but slowely by reason of a lamenesse in his ioynts III. The spirit on the contrary kindles in the heart good motions and desires and puts a man forward to good words and deedes as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season IV. The spirit rebukes a man for his euil intents and desires represseth the force of theÌ„ as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke ye in it when thou turnest to the right hand when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the worlde of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did any euill his heart smote him 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked and the godly In the godly when they are tempted to sinne there is a fight betweene the heart and the heart that is betweene the heart and it selfe In the wicked also there is a fight when they are tempted to sinne but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience The wicked man whatsoeuer he is hath some knowledge of good and euil and therefore when he is in doing any euil his conscience accuseth checketh and controuleth him and hee feeles it stirring in him as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body gnawed vpon his heart and therupon he is very often grieued for his sins yet for all that he liketh his sinnes very well and loueth them and could finde in his heart to continue in them for euer so that indeed when he sinneth hee hath in his heart a striuing and a conflict but that is onely betweene himselfe and his conscience But the godly haue an other kind of battel and conflict for not only their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne but also their hearts are so renewed that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Satan they feele a lust and desire to doe that which is good LIV. The second temptation is a disquietnes in the heart of a Christian because he cannot according to his desire haue fellowship with Christ Iesus he is exercised in this temptation on this manner I. Christ lets him see his excellency and howe he is affected towards him II. Then the Christian considering thisâ— desireth Christ his righteousnesse III. He delighteth himselfe in Christ and hath some enioying of his benefits IV. Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-seller that in the word and Sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. V. But he falls loue-sicke that is hee becomes troubled in spirit because he cannot enioy the presence of Christ in the sayd manner as he would VI. In this his spiritual sicknes he feeles the power of Christ supporting him that the spirit be not quenched and he heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart as a man speakes to his friend when hee is comming towards him a farre off VII After this Christ comes neerer but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him then a man enioyes the company of his friend who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or latteise VIII TheÌ„ his eies are opened to see the causes why Christ so withdraws himselfe to be his owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ his slacknes in spirituall exercises as in prayer and thanksgiuing the deceitfulnes and malice of false teachers IX Then he comes to feele more liuely his fellowship with Christ. X. Lastly he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end LV. The third temptation is trouble of minde because there is no feeling of Christ at all who seemeth to be departed for a time The exercise of a Christian in this tentation is this 1 The poore soule lying as a man desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate praier and meditation but it will not preuaile 2 He vseth the helpe counsell and prayer of godly brethren yet Christ cannot be found 3 Then he seekes to godly ministers to receiue some comfort by them by their meanes he can feele none 4 After that all meanes haue bin thus vsed and none will preuaile then by Gods great mercie when he hath least hope he findes Christ and feeles him come againe 5 Presently his faith reuiueth and laieth fast hold on Christ. 6 And he hath as neere fellowship with Christ in his heart as before 7 Then comes againe the ioy of the holy Ghost and the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falls vpon him 8 Then his heart ariseth vp into heauen by holy affections and praiers which do as pillars of smoake mount vpward sweete as myrrhe and incense 6 Also he is rauished therâ—â—ith the meditation of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen 10 Hee labours to bring others to consider the glorie of Christ and his kingdome 11 After all this Christ reueales to his seruant what his blessed estate is both in this life and in the life to come more cleerely then euer before and makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him 12 Then the Christian praieth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirit that he may bring forth the fruits of those graces which are in him 13 Lastly Christ granteth him this his request LVI The fourth temptation is securitie of heart rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the worlde The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this 1 He slumbers and is halfe asleepe in the pleasures of this world 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures and to make him more hartily receiue his beloued 3 But he delayeth to doe it beeing loath to leaue his â—ase and sweete delights 4 Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures 5 He then begins to be more earnestly affected towards Christ. 6 With sorrowe he sets his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his old manner and this
shall come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen Eph. 4.10 He ascended farre aboue all the heauens The end of Christs ascensâ—on was that he might prepare a place for the faithfull giue them the holy ghost and their eternall glorie Ioh. 14.2 In my fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you c. 16.7 If I goe not away the Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you III. His sitting at the right hand of God the father which metaphorically signifieth that Christ hath in the highest heauens actually all glorie power dominion Heb. 1.3 By himselfe he hath purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places Psal. 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole 1. Cor. 15.25 Hee must raigne till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Act. 7.55 He being full of the holy Ghost looked stedfastly into heauen and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Mark 20.22 His regall office hath two parts The first is his regiment of the kingdome of heauen part whereof is in heauen part vpon the earth namely the congregation of the faithfull In the gouernment of his Church hee exerciseth two prerogatiues royall The first is to make lawes Iames 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy The second is to ordaine his ministers Eph. 4.11 He gaue some to be Apostles others Prophets others Evangelists some Pastours and teachers c. 1. Cor. 12.28 God hath ordained some in the Church as first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers then them that doe miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours diuersitie of tongues Christs gouernment of the Church is either his collection of it out of the world or conseruation being collected Eph. 4.12 Psal. 10. The second part of his Regall office is the destruction of the kingdome of darknes Col. 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the kingdome of darknes Psal. 2.9 Thou shalt crusâ— them with a scepter of yron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Luk. 19.27 Those mine enimies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me The kingdome of darkenesse is the whole company of Christs enemies The prince of this kingdome and of all the members thereof is the diuell Eph. 2.2 Ye walked once according to the counsell of the world and after the prince that ruleth in the aire enen the prince that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience 2. Cor. 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the eies of the infidels 2. Cor. 6.15 What concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidel The members of this kingdome and subiects to Satan are his angels and vnbeleeuers among whome the principall members are Atheistes who say in their heart there is no God Psal. 14.1 And Magitians who bargaine with the diuell to accomplish their desires 1. Sam. 28.7 Psal. 58.5 Idolatours who either adorâ— false Gods or the true God in an idol 1. Cor. 10.7.20 Turkes and Iewes are of this bunch so are Heretiks who are such as erre with pertinacie in the foundation of religion 2. Tim. 2. 18. Apostates or reuolters from faith in Christ Iesus Heb. 6.6 False Christs who bâ—are men in hand they are true Christs Matth. 24.26 There were many such about the time of our Sauiour Christ his first comming as Iosephus witnesseth book 20. of Iewish antiquities the 11,12 14. chapters Lastly that Antichtist who as it is now apparant can be none other but the Pope of Rome 2. Thess. 2.3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne bee disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Reuel 13.11 And I beheld another beast comming out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the dragon And he did all that the first beast could doe before him and he caused the earth and them that dwell threin to worship the beast whose deadly wound was healed There were then first Antichristes at Rome when the Bishops thereof would be entitled Vniuersall or supreame gouernours of the whole world but then were they complete when they togither with Ecclesiasticall censure vsurped ciuill authoritie After that Christ hath subdued all his enemies these two things shall ensue I. The surrendering ouer of his kingdome to God the Father as concerning the regiment for at that time shal cease both that ciuil regiment and spirituall policie consisting in word and spirit together II. The subiection of Christ onely in regard of his humanity the which then is when the Sonne of God shall most fully manifest his maiestie which before was obscured by the flesh as a vaile so that the same flesh remaining both glorious vnited to the Sonne of God may by infinite degrees appeare inferiour We may not therefore imagine that the subiection of Christ consisteth in diminishing the glorie of the humanitie but in manifesting most fully the maiestie of the Word CHAP. 19. CONCERNING THE OVTWARD MEANES of executing the decree of election and of the Decalogue AFter the foundation of Election which hath hitherto beene deliuered it followeth that we should intreat of the outward meanes of the same The meanes are Gods Couenant and the seale therof Gods couenant is his contract with man concerning life eternall vpon certaine conditions This couenant consisteth of two parts Gods promise to man Mans promise to God Gods promise to man is that whereby he bindeth himselfe to man to bee his God if he breake not the condition Mans promise to God is that whereby he voweth his allegiance vnto his Loâ—d and to performe the condition betweene them Againe there are two kindes of this couenant The couenant of workes the couenant of grace Ierm 31 3â—.42.43 Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a now couâ—nant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not aâ—cording to the couenant I made with their fathers when I tocke them â—y the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake alâ—hough I was an husband to them saith the Lord. But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people The couenant of works is Gods couenant made with condition of perfect obedience and
beare them and when you shall stretch forth your handes I will hide mine eies from you and though you make many praiers I will not heare for your handes are full of blood 2. Tim. 3.5 Which haue a shew of godlines but denie the force thereof such therefore auoyd VII The manifest prophanation of the Sabboth in pampering the belly surfeting adulterie and other like prophanenesse which is nothing els but to celebrate a Sabboth to the diuell and not to God CHAP. 24. Of the fifth commandement HItherto we haue spoken of the commandements of the first table nowe followeth the secōd table which concerneth the loue of our neighbour Rom. 13.9 Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not couet and if there be any other commandement it is briefly comprehēded in this saying namely thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Our neighbour is euery one which is of our owne flesh Esa. 58.7 When thou seest the naked couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh The manner of louing is so to loue our neighbour as our selues to witte truly and sincerely when as contrarily the true manner of louiug God is to loue God without measure The second table containeth sixe Commandements whereof the first in the order of the ten commandements the fift concerneth the preseruation of dignity and excellencie of our neighbour The words are these Honour thy Father and thy mother that they may prolong thy daies in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee The Resolution Honour This Word by the figure signifieth all that dutie whereby our neighbours dignitie is preserued but especially our Superious This dignitie proceedeth of this that euery man beareth in him some part of the image of God if we respect the outward order and decency which is obserued in the Church and common wealth In the Magistrate there is a certaine image of the power and glory of God Dan. 2.37 O King thou art a King of Kings for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome power and strength glorie Hence is it that Magistrates are called Gods Psal. 82. 1. In an olde man is the similitude of the eternity of God in a father the likenesse of his fatherhood Math. 2◠9 And call no man your father vpon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in heauen In a man is the image of Gods prouidence and authoritie 1 Cor. 11.7 For a man ought not to couer his head because he is the image of the glory of God but the woman is the glory of her husband Finally in a learned man is the likenesse of the knowledge and wisdome of God Nowe therefore that person in whome euen the least title of the image of God appeareth is to be be honoured and reuerenced Thy father By a figure we must here vnderstand all those that are our superiours as Parents and such like of our kindred or aliance which are to vs in stead of Parents Magistrates Ministers our Elders and those that doe excell vs in any gifts whatsoeuer The kings of Gerar were called Abimelech my father the king Gen. 20.2 Gen. 45.8 God hath made me a father vnto Pharaoh and Lord ouer all his house 1. Cor. 4.15 For though ye haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue ye not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you 2. King 5.13 But his seruants came and spake vnto him and said Father if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing◠wouldest thou not haue done it 2. King ◠12 And Elisha sawe it and he cried My Father my Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof And thy mother This is added least we should despise our mothers because of their infirmities Prou. 23.22 Obey thy father which hath begotten thee and despise not thy mother when shee is olde Here we are put in mind to performe due honour to our stepmothers and fathers in law as if they were our proper and naturall parents Ruth 3. 1. and 5. Afterward Naomi her mother in lawe said vnto her My daughter shall not I seeke rest for thee that thou maiest prosper And shee answered her All that thou biddest me I will do Exod. 18.17 But Moses father in law said vnto him The thing which thou doest is not well 19. Heare nowe my voice I will giue thee counsell and God shall be with thee 24. So Moses obeied the voice of his father in law and did all that he had said Mich. 7.6 For the sonne reuileth the Father the daughter riseth vp against her mother the daughter in law against her mother in lawe That they may prolong Parents are said to prolong the liues of their children because they are Gods instruments whereby their childrens liues are prolonged for oftentimes the name of the action is attributed to the instrument wherewith the action is wrought Luk. 16.9 Make you friendes with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations 1. Tim. 4.16 For in doing so tho◠shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee But Parents doe prolong the liues of their children in commanding them to walke in the waies of the Lord by exercising iustice and iudgement Gen. 18.19 For beeing become godly they haue the promise both of this life and the life to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Further they effect the same thing by their praiers made in the behalfe of their children Hereby it plainely appeareth that the vsuall custome of children saluting their parents to aske them their blessing is no light or vaine thing Moreouer in these words the reason to mooue vs to the obedience of this commandement is drawne from the ende which reason is also a promise yet a speciall promise Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first commandement with promise I say speciall because the promise of the second commandement is generall and belongeth to all the rest of the commandements And God promiseth long life not absolutely but so farre as it is a blessing Eph. 6.3 That it may be well with thee and that thou maiest liue long on earth For wee must thinke that long life is not alwaie a blessing but that sometime it is better to die then to liue Esay 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come But if at any time the Lord giueth a short life to obedient children hee rewardeth them againe with eternall life in heauen and so the promise faileth not but changeth for the better The affirmative part Preserue the dignitie of thy neighbour Vnder this part is commaunded First reuerence towards all our superiours the actions whereof are reuerently to rise vp before any man which passeth by vs. Leu. 19.32 Rise vp
they which speak euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of thy visitation II. To exhort Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Rom. 1.12 That I might be comforted togither with you through our mutuall faith both yours mine III. To comfort 1. Thess. 5.14 Comfort the feeble minded beare with the weake be patient towards all men Iam. 5. 16. Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed 20. He that conuerteth a sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes 1. Thess. 4. 18. Comfort your selues one another with these words IV. To admonish Rom. 15. 14. I my selfe am perswaded of you brethren that yee also are full of goodnes and filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one another 1. Thess. 5. 14. We desire you brethren admonish them that are vnruly They shall obserue an holy manner of admonition who in the spirit of meeknes and as it were guiltie of the like infirmitie themselues doe admonish forthwith all their brethren of such faults as they certenly know by them and that out of Gods word Gal. 6.1 Brethren if any man by occasion be fallen into any fault yee which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meeknes considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Matth. 5. 7. Thou hypocrite cast out first the beame out◠of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see to take the mote out of thy brothers eye 2. Tim. 4.2 Preach the word be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Math. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother Rom. 15.14.2 Tim. 4.2 Leuit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Reliefe peculiar to the godly among themselues is a dutie whereby the rich doe out of their plentie supplie the wants of the poore both according to their abilitie and sometimes beyond their abilitie 2. Cor. 8.3 To their power I beare record yea beyond their power they were willing Act. 2.44,45 All that beleeued were in one place and had all things common and they solde their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euery one had neede CHAP. 48. Of the fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue and of the estate of the Elect after this life THe fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue is Glorification Roman 8.30 Glorification is the perfect transforming of the Saints into the image of the Sonne of God Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe 1. Cor. 15.44 It is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie there is a naturall bodie and there is a spirituall bodie 45. And it is also written The first man Adam was made a liuing soule the last Adam was made a quickning spirit 49. And as we haue borne the image of the earthly so shall we beare the image of the heauenly Psal. 17. 15. I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine image The beginning of Glorification is in death but it is not accomplished and made perfect before the last day of iudgement The death of the Elect is but a sleepe in Christ whereby the bodie and soule is seuered The bodie that after corruption it may rise to greater glorie The soule that it being fully sanctified may immediatly after departure frō the bodie be transported into the kingdom of heauen Against the feare of death note these preseruatiues I. Death it freeth the godly from the tyrannie of Satan sinne the world the flesh and eternall damnation yea from infinite both perills and losses and doth place vs both safe and happie vnder the shadow as it were of Christs wings II. Christ by his death hath sanctified vnto vs both death and the graue III. Christ is both in life and death gaine to the godly Phil. 1.12 IV. Those consolations which the spirit of Christ doth suggest to the soules of the faithfull doe by many degrees surmount the dolours of death V. The desire of that most bright and glorious beholding of God and the presence of those Saints which are departed before vs. VI. In stead of our bodies we shall be clothed with glorie 2. Cor. 5.1 VII The stings of death namely sinne is then so taken away as that that serpent can no more hurt vs. 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Heb. 2.15 That he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage VIII We should not so much thinke of our death as to take an exact account of our life For that man can not die ill who hath liued well and he seldome dieth well that hath liued badly IX The Angels they stand at our elbowes that so soone as a Saint departeth they may with all speede immediatly transport his soule into heauen Soules being once in heauen remaine there till the last day of iudgement where they partly magnifie the Name of God and partly doe waite and pray for the consummation of the kingdom of glorie and full felicitie in body and soule Reuel 5.8 And when he had taken the booke the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lambe hauing euery one harpes and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints 9. And they sang a new song saying Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery kinred and tongue and people and nation Reuel 14. 2. I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps 3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and they cried with a loud voice saying How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth CHAP. 49. Of the estate of the Elect at the last day of iudgement THe last day of iudgement shall be on this manner I. Immediatly before the comming of Christ the powers of heauen shall be shaken the Sunne and Moone shall be darkned and the starres shall seeme to fall from heauen at which sight the Elect then liuing shall reioyce but the reprobate shall shake euery ioynt of them II. Then the heauens beeing all set on fire shall with a
by some circumstances inherent in the person is mooued to doe this or that Now as for God he did vpon his meere pleasure elect some and reiect others eternally not mooued or vrged thereunto by any thing whatsoeuer out of himselfe II. He is debter to none but may by good right doe with his creatures what seemeth good vnto him in his owne eyes III. It is one thing with God to accept of persons and another to make choice of men This if we should not graunt it would follow that God must be deemed blame-worthie because he made not all his creatures most glorious Angels Obiect VIII If God decreed to reiect certaine men then did he hate his creature Answ. God decreed to reiect his creature and workmanship not because he hated it but because he appointed it to hatred And it is one thing to hate and another to appoint to hatred And indeede God doth not actually hate any thing but for sinne That saying of Augustine to Simplicius is fitte for this purpose When God maketh the wicked whome he doth not iustifie vessells of wrath he doth it not to hate that which he made for in that he made them vessels they haue their vse namely that by their paines to which they were ordained the vessels of honour might reape profit God therefore doth not hate them in that they are men or vessels neither any thing that he made in them by creation or ordination For God hateth nothing which he hath made But in as much as he made them vessels of destruction he did it to instruct others As for their impietie which he neuer made that he hateth vtterly As therfore a iudge hateth theft in a mā but he doth not hate his punishment that he is sent to worke in the mines For the theefe doth the first the iudge the latter so God whereas of the companie of them which perish he maketh vessels of perdition he doth not therefore hate that which he doth that is the cōdemnation of those which perish in their due punishment for sinne Obiect IX The reprobates are said in many places of Scripture to be redeemed by Christ as 2. Pet. 2.1 Ans. First we must not vnderstand such places meant of all reprobates but of such as are for a time in the Church II. They are saide to be redeemed iustified and sanctified both in their owne iudgements and the Churches also in as much as they make an externall profession of the faith But this is a iudgement of charitie not of certentie Obiect X. God might be thought cruell if that he had ordained the greatest part of the world to destruction Answer God could well enough haue decreed that euen all men should vtterly haue beene reiected and yet he should haue beene neuer a whit either cruell or vniust Reasons I. He adiudged all and euery one of those soule and wicked spirits which fell from him to eternall torments II. He decreed also as is apparant by the euent that men should liue by the slaughter of beasts and yet God is not therefore cruell against them and surely God is no more bounden vnto man then vnto the very bruit beasts Exception God appointed all to be saued with this caueat and condition If they beleeue Answer This is absurd to affirme for I. by this meanes the decree of God should depende vpon the will of man◠when as contrarily Gods decree doth limit and order all inferiour causes II. It quite taketh away the certaintie of Gods decree because a conditionall proposition doth set downe nothing as beeing or it doth not certainly affirme any thing Obiect If the merit of Christ did not extend it selfe as farre as the fall of Adam then is not the head of the Serpent broken nor Satans kingdome abolished by Christ. Ans. This brusing of the Serpents head is seene in them onely which are at enimitie with the Serpent namely in such as truly beleeue Gen. 3.15 compared with Rom. 16.20 To conclude that is not true which they say namely that this opinion of an vniuersall and effectuall redemption of euery singular man is a notable remedie to comfort afflicted consciences For I appeale to the iudgement of all men whether there is in this manner of consolation any great comfort to the conscience afflicted Christ died for all men Thou art a man Therefore Christ died for thee The II. errour God did foreknow the fall of Adam but he did not by his eternall decree foreordaine the same and therefore that his fall was without the agent permission of God The Confutation It is false For I. there is not the least thing in nature but it commeth to passe by the decree and will of God Math. 10.30 Wherefore such as affirme that God did onely foreknow this or that they doe either quite ouerturne the prouidence of GOD or at the least imagine that it is a very idle prouidence II. The fact of Herod and Pilate in deliuering Christ against their own consciences to be crucified may seeme to be as heinous as was Adams fall and yet they are said to haue done that which the hand of the Lord had fore-ordained to be done Act. 4. 28. Againe the fall of Adam was two manner of waies by Gods actiue or rather operatiue permission I. In as much as the fall was an action for in God alone we liue we mooue and haue our beeing II. In as much as that his fall was but a bare triall of his loyaltie to God whereby God would trie both the power and will of his creature The III. errour God by reason that he did foresee the disobedience of some or that they would contemne the Gospel did decree their destruction and condemnation The Confutation We vtterly denie that the foreseeing of the contempt of grace in any was the first and principall cause of the decree of reprobation Reasons I. Paul Rom. 1. doth deriue the common condemnation of the Gentiles from hence namely that they withheld the truth in vnrighteousnes that is because they did wittingly extinguish that light of nature by their wicked doings which they had of the knowledge of God and would not obey their consciences inwardly checking them for the same II. If that faith foreseene be not the cause of the decree of Election it can not be that the want of faith foreseene should be the cause of the decree of reprobation but rather as faith doth in order of causes follow after election so must incredulitie reprobation For there is the like reason or proportion of contraries III. Many infants depart this life both beeing out of the true Church and before they haue any vse of reason and againe many there are which albeit they liue long yet being either idiots and fooles or borne deafe they cannot come to the true vse of reason in all which it is not credible that their should be suspected any contempt of the Gospel which they could not learne IV. Esau was hated of God for none other
man doth by nature so long doth he shewe himselfe to be the liuely childe of the deuill And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharises Ye are of your father the deuill and the lusts of your father ye will doe And true it is that no child is so like his father that begat him as euery man by nature is like the deuill and the whole tenour and course of his naturall life without grace is a liuely resemblance of the disposition of Satan Secondly euery one that beleeues God to be a Father and in Christ his father must as a good child be obedient to his fathers will So Salomon saith A wise sonne maketh a glad father How by doing his will and therefore when one told our Sauiour Christ that his mother and brethren stoode without desiring to speake with him he said Whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which is in heauen the same is my father my sister and mother where we may note that he that will haue God the father to be his father and Christ Iesus his brother must doe the wil of God the father And hence God saith If I be a master where is my feare if I be a father where is my honour Where is plainely taught this second dutie that if God be our father then as good children we must shew obedience vnto him but if we disobey him then we must know that that former saying of Christ will be verefied vpon vs that because men doe the lusts of the deuill therefore they are the children of the deuill But least this fearefull sentence be verefied of vs it is the dutie of euery man that maketh this confession that he beleeues God to be his father first to labour to know Gods will and secondly to performe continuall obedience vnto the same like vnto a good child that would fain please his father and therefore is alwaies readie to doe the best he can And without doubt that man which vnfainedly takes God for his father is then most grieued when as by any sinne he displeaseth him and no other crosse or calamitie is so grieuous vnto him The greatest griefe that the prodigall sonne vpon his repentance had was that he had offended his father by sinning against heauen and against him the same also must be our griefe and all our care must be set on this to consider how we may be obedient children to this our louing father Thirdly that man that beleeues God to be his father must imitate and follow him for it is the will of God that his children should be like vnto himselfe Now we follow God especially in two things I. In doing good to them that persecute vs so saith our Sauiour Christ Pray for them that hurt you that you may be the children of you father which is in heauen for he maketh the sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust II. Our heauenly father is mercifull for he is a father of the fatherlesse and therefore he that will be a sonne of this father must be mercifull to his poore brethren as Iob saith of himselfe I was the eyes to the blinde and I was the feete vnto the lame I was a father vnto the poore Fourthly seeing we beleeue god to be our father we are hereby taught to vse moderate care for the things of this life for if a man know himselfe to be the childe of God then he also knowes that God will prouide for him as we know in a familie the father prouideth for all Now God is a father and his Church is his familie therefore if thou wilt be a member of Gods Church and a child of God thou must cast thy care on God and follow the counsell of Christ. Be not too carefull for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke And marke his reason drawne from the point which we haue in hand The fowles of the heauen saith he they neither sow nor reape nor carrie into barnes and yet your heauenly father feedeth them are ye not much better then they But alas the practise of the world is contrarie for men haue no care for the knowledge of Gods word nor the means of their saluation all their mindes are set on the things of this life when as Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof and all these things shall be ministred vnto you If you should see a yong man prouide for himselfe and no man else for him we would presently say surely his father is dead euen so when a mans care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life it argues that God hath either cast him off or else that he takes him for no father of his Fifthly if God be our father then we must learne to beare any crosse patiently that he shall lay vpon vs either in bodie or in minde and alwaies looke for deliuerance from him for whome the Lord loueth them he chastiseth and if ye endure chastising saith the Apostle God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto children which may appeare more plainly by this comparison If two children should fight and a man comming by should part them and after beate the one and let the other goe free euery man that seeth this will say that that child which he beates is his owne sonne Euen so when God chastiseth vs he sheweth himselfe vnto vs as a father if we submit our selues Now if our earthly fathers corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence taking it patiently should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits that we may liue Therefore the conclusion is this if we displease God be ye sure he will correct vs and when his hand is vpon vs we must not murmure against him but beare it with a milde spirit and furthermore when we are vnder the crosse we must alwaies looke for deliuerance from this our father onely If a sonne when he is beaten should flee to his fathers enemies for helpe and counsell it would argue that he were but a gracelesse childe Sundrie and diuers calamities and crosses befall men in this life which they can not brooke and therefore it is a common practise of many among vs in thâ—se daies when Gods hand is vpon them to goe for helpe to the deuill they seeke for counsell at witches and wise men as I haue said but let them looke vnto it for that is the right way to double their miserie and to shew themselues lewde children Lastly if we confesse and beleeue God to be the father of Christ and in him our father also then in regard of our conuersation we must not frame our selues like vnto the worlde but the course of our liues must be in righteousnesse and true holinesse Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselues from Idolaters alledging the place out of the old
Ghost createth and so we may say of the works of gouernment and of redemption and of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures But some againe may say howe then can the worke of creation beeing an outward action of God to the creature be peculiar to the first person the father I answere the work of creatiō is not so proper to the first person the father as that it cannot also be cōmon to the rest for all the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing only they are distinguished in the maner of creating For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke the sonne puts it in execution the holy ghost is the finisher of it And againe the father createth by the sonne by the holy ghost the sonne createth by the holy ghost and from the father the holy ghost createth not by the father nor by the sonne but from the father the sonne And this is the reason why the worke of creation is ascribed here vnto the father because he alone createth after a peculiar manner namely by the sonne and by the holy Ghost but the Sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him Thus hauing answered the obiection we come to speake of the creation it selfe In handling whereof we must withall treat of the Counsell of God as beeing the cause therof and of the Gouernment of the creatures as being a work of God whereby he continunes the creation And the order which I will obserue is first to speake of the Counsell of God and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell which hath two speciall branches the first the creation the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created The Counsell of God is his eternall and vnchangeable decree whereby he hath ordained all things either past present or to come for his owne glorie First I call it a decree because God hath in it sette downe with himselfe and appointed as soueraigne Lord what shall be what shall not bee I adde further that all things whatsoeuer come vnder the compasse of this decree as Paul saith He worketh all things according to the counsell of his will And our Sauiour Christ saith that a sparrowe cannot fall on the ground without the heauenly father yea further he tels his disciples that the very haires of their heades are numbred meaning that they are knowne and set downe in the counsell of God And considering that God is King of heauen and earth and that most wise yea wisdome it selfe and most mightie yea might and power it selfe it must needes bee that he hath determined how all things shall come to passe in his kingdome with all their circumstances time place causes c. in such particular manner that the very least thing that may bee is not left vnappointed and vndisposed The counsell of God hath two properties eternitie and vnchaungeablenes It is eternall because it was set downe by God from euerlasting before all times as Paul saith God hath chosen the Ephesians to saluation before all worldes And he saith of himselfe that hee was called according to the purpose of God which was before all worldes Againe the same counsell once set downe is vnchangeable God saith I am Iehouah and I chaunge not With God saith S. Iames there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of chaunge Nowe such as God is such is his decree or counsell And beeing vnchangeable his counsels also are vnchangeable Gods counsell hath two parts his foreknoweledge and his wil or pleasure His foreknowledge whereby he did foresee all thinges which were to come His will whereby in a generall manner he wills and ordaines whatsoeuer is to come to passe and therefore such things as God altogither nilleth cannot come to passe Now these two-parts of the counsell of God must be ioyned together and not seuered Will without knowledge is impotent and foreknowledge without will is idle And therefore such as holde that God doeth barely foresee sundrie things to come no manner of way either willing or decreeing the issue and euent of them doe bring in little better then Atheisme For if we say that any thing comes to passe either against Gods will or God not knowing of it or not regarding it we shall make him either impotent or carelesse and rase the very foundation of Gods prouidence And this decree of God must be conceiued of vs as the most generall cause of all things subsisting being first in order hauing all other causes vnder it and most principall ouerruling all ouerruled by none Thus wee see what is to be held touching Gods counsell nowe for the better clearing of the trueth three obiections of some difficultie are to be answered First may some man say if God decree and ordaine all things whatsoeuer then he decreeth and ordaineth sinne but God decrees not sinne in as much as it is against his will and therefore he decrees not all things Ans. Wee vse not to say that God doth simply will or decree sinne but onely in part adding withall these caueats I. That God willeth and decreeth sinne not properly as it is sin but as it hath in it sundry regards and respects of goodnes so farforth as it is a punishment or chastisement or triall or action or hath any existence in nature II. God can so vse euil instruments that the work done by them beeing a sinne shall neuerthelesse in him bee a good worke because hee knowes howe to vse euill instruments well If it be further alleadged that God willeth no wickednesse Psal. 5.5 we must knowe that Gods will is two-folde generall and speciall Generall whereby God willeth and decreeth that a thing shall bee and by this kinde of will he may be saide to will sinne and that without sinne For though he decree it thus yet doth he not instill wickednesse into the heart of any sinner and his decree is onely for a most excellent ende For in regard of God which decreeth it is good that there should be euill To this purpose Augustine saith excellently By an vnspeakeable manner it comes to passe that that which is against Gods will is not without his will Nowe the speciall will of God is that whereby he willeth any thing in such manner that he approoueth it and delighteth in it And thus indeede we cannot say without blasphemie that god willeth sinne Thus then we see in what manner and how farforth God may be said to decree sinne that is to will and appoint the permission of it Againe it may be obiected thus If all things be determined by the vnchangeable decree of God then all things come to passe by an vnchangeable necessitie and men in their actions haue no freewill at all or libertie in doing any thing Answer This must be learned as a certaine rule that the necessarie decree of God doth not abolish the nature of the second causes and impose necessitie vpon the will of
is a creatour of heauen and earth of both which wee will speake in order and first of the creation of heauen Heauen in Gods worde signifieth all that is aboue the earth for the ayre wherein we breath is called heauen And according to this acceptation of the word there are three heauens as Paul saith He was taken vp into the third heauen The first of these heauens is that space which is from the earth vpwarde vnto the firmament where the starrs are Thus the birds which flie in the aire betweene the earth and the starres are called the foules of the heauen and when God sent the flood to drowne the olde world Moses saith the windows of heauen were opened meaning that God powred downe raine from the cloudes aboundantly for the making of a flood to drowne the world The second heauen is that which containeth the Sunne the Moone and the starres so Moses saith that God in the beginning created the Sunne the Moone and the starrs and placed them in the firmament of heauen Besides these two heauens there is a third which is inuisible and yet it is the worke of Gods handes and it is that glorious place where Christ euen in his manhoode sitteth at the right hand of the father and whither the soules of the faithfull departed are carried and placed and in which at the ende of the world shall all the elect both in body and soule haue perfect ioy and blisse in the glorious sight and presence of God for euer But for the better conceiuing the trueth wee are to skanne and consider diligently three questions First whether this third heauen be a creature for many haue thought it was neuer created but was eternall with God himselfe but it is a grosse errour contrarie to Gods word For the Scripture saith Abraham looked for a cittie meaning the heauenly Ierusalem this third heauen hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God Further if it be eternall it must either be Creator or a creature but it is no creator for then it should be God and therefore it must needs be a creature But some will say the Lord is eternall and this third heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lordes aboade and therefore it is also eternall Answer True it is indeede that God doth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the third heauen but yet that cannot possibly containe his Godhead as Salomon saith Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee Wherefore though God doth manifest his eternall glorie in this third heauen yet doth it not followe that therefore this place should bee eternall for hee needes no habitation to dwell in hee is euery where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place The second question is where this third heauen is Aâ—â—were There are some protestants say it is euery where and they holde this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes bodie in or about the Sacrament But if it were euery where then hell should be in heauen which no man will say but heauen indeede is aboue these visible heauens which wee see with our eies so the Apostle saith Christ ascended on high farre aboue all heauens c. And againe it is said of Steuen that beeing full of the holy Ghost Hee looked vp steadfastly into the heauens and sawe them open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Thirdly it may bee demaunded why God created this third heauen Answer God made it for this cause that there might bee a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men for the which cause it was created a thousand fold more glorious then the two former heauens are and in this respect it is called Paradise by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father because into it must be gathered all gods children It is called the kingdome of heauen because God is the king thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie True it is God hath his kingdome here on earth but he ruleth not so fully and gloriouslie here as he â—hall in heauen for this is the kingdome of grace but that is the kingdome of his glorie where he so raigneth that he will be all in all first in Christ then in the elect both angels and men Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen First if God created it especially for the manifestion of his glory vnto men that at the ende of this worlde by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence there they might haue perfect ioy and felicitie we haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse and forgetfulnesse that raigneth euery where among men which onely haue regard to the estate of this life and cast all their care on this worlde and neuer so much as once dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen If a man hauing two housesâ— one but a homely cottage and the other a princely pallace should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing vp of the first would not euery man say he were a madde man yes vndoubtedly And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that takes place euery where among men for God hath prepared for vs two houses one is this our bodie which we beare about vs which is an house of clay as Iob saith We dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust which shal be destroyed before the moth as Peter saith a tabernacle or tent which we must shortly take downe and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and straungers Againe the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath prouided for vs a second house in the third heauen wherein wee must not abide for a time and so depart but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of clay whose foundation is but dust but for the blessed estate of the second house which is prepared for them in the kingdom of heauen they haue little regard or care They will both runne and ride from place to place day and night both by sea and land but for what Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem Nothing lesse for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to vse any meanes whereby they may come vnto it but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences whether as I haue said this be not more then senselesse madnesse Againe the bodie is but a tabernacle
practise the corruption of their owne hearts Thus much of the parts of Gods prouidence now follow the kinds thereof Gods prouidence is either generall or speciall Generall is that which extends it selfe to the whole world and all things indifferently euen to the deuills themselues By this prouidence God continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature in the creation and he preserues the life substance and the beeing of all and euery creature in his kinde The eâ—peciall prouidence is that which God sheweth exerciseth towards his Church and â—hosen people in gathering and guiding them and in preseruing them by his mightie power against the gates of hell And therfore Gods Church here vpon earth is called the kingdome of grace in which he shewes not onely a generall power ouer his creatures but withall the speciall operation of his spirit in bowing and bending the hearts of men to his will Thus much concerning the doctrine of Gods prouidence Now followes the duties First seeing there is a prouidence of God ouer euery thing that is we are hereby taught to take good heede of the transgression of the least of Gods commandements If men were perswaded that the Prince had an eye euery where doubtlesse many subiects in England would walke more obediently to the lawes of the land then they doe and durst in no wise worke such villanies as are daily practised Well howsoeuer it is with earthly princes yet this all-seeing-presence is least wanting in God he hath an eye euery where wheresoeuer thou art there God beholdeth thee as Dauid saith God looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God Therefore except thou be brutish and past shame take heede of sinne If men had but a sparke of grace the consideration of this would make them loath the practise of any euill worke Eliah saith to Ahab As the Lord God of Israel liueth before whome I stand there shall be neither dewe nor raine these three yeares Where the Prophet confirmeth his speach with an oath saying As the Lord of hosts liueth it shal be so And least Ahab should think he made no conscience what he said he addeth this clause that he stood in the presence of God As if he should say howsoeuer thou thinkest of me yet as it stands me in hand so doe I make conscience of my word for I stand in the presence of God and therefore know it as the Lord liueth there shall be no raine now dew these three yeares So Cornelius hauing an eye to Gods prouidence doth mooue himselfe and all his houshold to a solemne hearing of the word of God deliuered by the mouth of Peter saying that they were all present before God to heare all things commanded of him As these men had regard to Gods prouidence so we likewise must behaue our selues reuerently making conscience of our behauiour both in words and works because wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of God Secondly if there be a prouidence of God ouer euery thing then we must learne contentation of mind in euery estate yea in aduersitie vnder the crosse when all goes against vs we must be content because Gods prouidence hath so appointed So Dauid in the greatest of his griefes was dumbe and spake nothing his reason was because thou Lord didst it And when Shemei cursed Dauid Abisha would haue had the king to haue giuen him leaue to haue slaine him but Dauid would not suffer it but said He curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so In whose example we may see a patterne of quietnesse of minde When a crosse commeth it is a hard thing to bee patient but we must drawe our selues thereunto by consideration of Gods especial prouidence Thirdly when outward meanes of preseruation in this life doe abound as health wealth honour riches peace and pleasure then we must remember to be thankefull because these things alwaies come by the prouidence of God Thus Iob was thankfull both in prosperitie and aduersitie The Lord saith he gaue and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeede to bee patient in euery estate and thankefull to God is a very harde matter yet will it be more easie if we learne in all thinges that befall vs in this life neuer to seuer the consideration of the things that come to passe from Gods prouidence For as the bodie and the soule of man though we see only the bodie are alwaies togither as long as a man liueth so is Gods prouidence ioyned with the thing done wherefore as we looke on the thing done so we must also in it labour to see and acknowledge the good pleasure appointment of God As for example a mans house is set on fire and all his goods consumed this very sight would make him at his wits end but now as he beholds this euent with one eie so with the other eie he must at that very instant looke vpon Gods blessed prouidence When a man beholds and feels the losse of his friendes he cannot but greiue thereat vnlesse he be more senselesse then stocke or stone yet that he may not be ouerwhelmed with griefe he must euer with one eie looke at the pleasure of God herein This practise wil be an especiall meanes to stay the rage of any headstrong affection â—r all our afflictions In the world the maner of men is if healthâ— wealth and ease abound to thinke all is well but if crosâ—es come as losse of friendes losse of goods then men crie out as beeing straught of their wittes the reason is because they looke onely at the outward meanes and tie Gods prouidence to them not beeing able to see any goodnesse or prouidence of God out of ordinarie meanes Againe when a man is stored with riches honour wealth and prosperitie he must not barely looke on them but behold withal Gods goodnes and blessing in them for if that be wanting all the riches in the world are nothing Likewise in receiuing thy meate and drinke thou must looke further into the blessing of God vpon it which if it be away thy meate and thy drink can no more nourish thee then the stone in the wall And the same must wee do in euery busiâ—es of our callings which if men could learne to practise they would not so much trust to the meanes as honour wealth fauour c. but rather to God himselfe The Lord by the prophet Habaccuc reprooueth the Chaldeans for offering sacrifiâ—es vnto their nets which sinne they committed because they looked onely vpon outward things and like blind moles had no power to see further into them and to behold the worke of God in all their proceedings And this is the very cause why we are vnthankefull for Gods benefits for though we beholde the bare creatures yet are
this order touching man that what euill or defect soeuer he brought vpon himselfe he should deriue the same to euery one of his posteritie begotten of him and hereupon when any father begets his childe he is in the roome of Adam and conueies vnto it beside the nature of man the very guilt and corruption of nature Now for the preuenting of this euill in Christ God in great wisdome appointed that he should be conceiued by the holy Ghost without any manner of generation by man And by this meanes he takes substance from the Virgin without the guilt and corruption of the substance But it may further be obiected thus All that be in Adam haue sinned in him but Christ was in Adam as he is man therefore he sinned in him Ans. The proposition is false vnlesse it be expounded on this manner All that were in Adam haue sinned in him so be it they come of him by generation Paul saith not out of one man but by one man sinne entred into the world to shew that man propagates his corruption to no more then he begets Againe Christ is in Adam not simply as other men are but in some part namely in respect of substance which he took from him and not in respect of the propagation of the substance by ordinarie generation other men are both from Adam and by Adam but Christ is from him alone and not by him as a begetter or procreant cause The second part of sanctification is the infusion of all purenesse and holinesse into the manhoode of Christ so farre forth as was meete for the nature of a redeemer The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ was sanctified in the wombe of the virgin Marie we likewise must labour to be sanctified in our selues following the commandement of God Be ye holy as I am holy S. Iohn saith that he which hath hope to be with Christ in glorie in heauen purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure no doubt setting before himselfe the example of Christ as a patterne to follow in all his waies And because our hearts are as it were seas of corruptions we must daily cleanse our selues of them by little little following the practise of the poore begger that is alwaies peecing and mending and day by day pulls away some ragges and puts better cloath in the roome And if we shall continually indeauour our selues to cast off the remnants of corruption that hang so fast on and make a supplie thereof by some new portions of Gods heauenly grace we shall be vessells of honour sanctified and meete for the Lord and prepared vnto euery good worke Christ could not haue beene a fit Sauiour for vs vnlesse he had first of all bin sanctified neither can we be fit members vnto him vnlesse we be purged of our sinnes and in some measure truly sanctified The comfort which Gods people may reape of the sanctification of Christs manhood is great For why was he sanctified Surely if we marke it well we shall finde it was for the good and benefit of his Elect. For Adam and Christ be two rootes as hath beene shewed Adam by creation first receiued Gods image and after lost the same for himselfe and his posteritie Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the second Adam and the roote and very head of all the Elect. His manhood was filled with holinesse aboue measure that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members And therefore by his most holy conception our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified and his holinesse serues as a couer to hide our manifolde corruptions from the eyes of God Yea it serues as a buckler to award the temptations of the deuill for when he shall say to our hearts on this manner no vncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art vncleane therefore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen we returne our answer saying that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse seruing to make vs stand without blame or spot before God And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessing so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus and present our selues in it vnto our heauenly father we shall obtaine his blessing which is eternall happines Now remaines the third and last part of the conception which is the Vnion of the godhead and the manhood cōcerning which many points are particularly to be handled The first is what kinde of Vnion this is Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sorts of vnions vnion in nature and vnion in person Vnion in nature is when two or moe things are ioyned and vnited into one nature as the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost beeing and remaining three distinct persons are one and the same in nature or Godhead Vnion in person is when two things are in that maner vnited that they make but one person or subsistance as a bodie created by God and a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man as Peter Paul Iohn c. And this second is the vnion whereof we intreat in this place by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite vnto himselfe the humane nature that is the bodie and soule of man so as the Godhead of the Sonne and the manhood concurring togither made but one person The second point is in what thing this vnion doth consist Answ. It consists in this that the second person the Sonne of God doth assume vnto it a manhood in such order that it beeing voide of all personall being in it selfe doth wholly and onely subsist in the same person As the plant called Missell or Misselto hauing no roote of his owne both growes and liues in the stocke or bodie of the Oke or some other tree so the humane nature hauing no proper substance is as it were ingrafted into the person of the sonne and is wholly supported and sustained by it so as it should not be at all if it were not sustained in that manner And for the better vnderstanding of this point we must consider that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures The first is his generall presence and it may be called the presence of his prouidence whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures and giueth vnto them to liue mooue and haue beeing and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad The second degree is the presence of grace wherby he doth not onely preserue the substāces of all his creatures but also giueth grace vnto it this agreeth to the Church people of God vpon earth The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the Saints and angels in heauen and this stands in three things for God not onely preserues their substances and giues
it also an imperfit sacrifice because it is repeated and iterated for vpon this ground doth the author to the Hebrues prooue that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfit because they were daily offered And whereas they say there be two kinds of sacrifices one bloody once onely offered vpon the crosse the other vnbloody which is daily offered I answer that this distinction hath no ground out of Gods word neither was it knowne to the holy Ghost who saith that without blood there is no remission of sinnes The third question is what is the fruit of this sacrifice Ans. The whole effect thereof is contained in these foure things I. the oblation of Christ purgeth the beleeuer from all his sinnes whether they be originall or actuall so it is said If we walke in the light we haue fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne purgeth vs from all sinne whether they be sinnes of omission in regard of our duties or of commission in doing euill II. the oblation serueth for the iustifying of a sinner before God as Paul saith We are iustified by his blood and are reconciled to God by his death This being here remembred that in the passion of Christ we include his legall obedience whereby he fulfilled the law for vs. III. the oblation of Christ serues to purge mens consciences from dead workes How much more then shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God IV. the oblation of Christ procures vs libertie to enter to heauen By the blood of Christ Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh By our sinnes there is a partition wall made betweene God and vs but Christ by offering himselfe vpon the crosse hath beaten downe this wall opened heauen and as it were trained the way with his owne blood whereby we may enter into the kingdome of God and without the which we can not enter in at all The last questioÌ„ is how this sacrifice may be applied to vs. Ans. The meanes of applying this sacrifice be two I. the hand of God which offereth II. the hand of the beleeuer that receiueth the sacrifice offered The hand of God wherby he offereth vnto vs his benefit is the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper and wheresoeuer these his holy ordinances are rightly administred and put in practise there the Lord puts forth his hand vnto vs and offereth most freely the vertue and benefit of the death of Christ. And then in the next place commeth the hand of the beleeuer which is faith in the heart which when God offereth doth apprehend and receiue the thing offered and make it ours The third thing to be spoken of is the altar whereon Christ offered himselfe The altar was not the crosse but rather the godhead of Christ. He was both the priest the sacrifice and the altar the sacrifice as he is man the priest as he is both God and man the altar as he is God The propertie of an altar is to sanctifie the sacrifice as Christ saith ye fooles and blind whether is greater the offering or the altar that sanctifieth the offering Now Christ as he is God sanctifieth himselfe as he was man and therefore saith he for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe by doing two things I. by setting apart the manhood to be a sacrifice vnto his father for our sinnes II. by giuing to this sacrifice merit or efficacie to deserue at Gods hands remission of our sinnes the manhood of Christ without the Godhead hath no vertue nor efficacie in it selfe to be a meritorious sacrifice and therefore the dignitie and excellencie which it hath is deriued thence As for the chalkie and stonie altars of the Church of Rome they are nothing els but the toyes of mans braine Christ himselfe is the onely reall altar of the new testament And in stead of altars which were vnder the law we haue now the Lords table wheron we celebrate the Sacrament of his bodie and blood to shew forth his death till he come The fourth point is concerning the time of Christs oblation which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yeare of the Lord alluding vnto an other yere vnder the law called the yeare of Iubile which was euery fiftie yeare among the Iewes in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe all that were bondmen were then set at libertie This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliuerance which was to be obtained by Christs passion which was not temporarie deliuerance for euery fiftie yeare but an eternall freedome from the bondage of sinne hell death and condemnation And the preaching of the word is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth vnto vs freedome from the kingdome of darknes and inuites vs to come and dwell in perfect peace with Christ himselfe Well if the yeare of perpetuall Iubile be now come in what a wretched estate all our loose and blind people that esteeme nothing of that libertie which is offered to them but choose rather to liue in their sinnes and in bondage vnder Satan and condemnation then to be at freedome in Christ. Now follow the vses which are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith that the second temple built by Zorubbabel was nothing in beautie vnto the first which was built by Salomon and the reason is plaine for as the Iewes write it wanted fiue things which the first teÌ„ple had I. the appearing of the presence of god at the mercie seat between the two Cherubims II. the Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high priest III. the inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets IIII. the Arke of the Couenant for that was lost in the captiuitie V. fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices Yet for all this the Prophet afterward saith The glorie of the last House shall be greater then the first Now it may be demanded how both these sayings can stand together Ans. We are to know that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our â—innes and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first And by this we are taught that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues vnto our houses and kindred either before God or before men we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person how base soeuer we be in the eyes
will teach you the feare of the Lord shewing his desire that the same benefits which it had pleased God to bestow on him might also in like manner be conueied to others Therfore it is a great shame to see men professing religion carried away with euery company and with the vanities and fashions of the world whereas they should rather drawe euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued That which the Lord spake to the prophet Ieremie must be applied to all men Let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune and not the rest to it Againe in that he checkes hi fellowe it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offend God But to goe further in this point let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation In which words he rips vp his lewdnes euen to the quicke and giues him a worthie item telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse had beene the want of the feare of God And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence For if we enter into our hearts and make a through search wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences Wee miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe Abraham comming before Abimelech shifting for himselfe saide that Sara was his sister and being demanded why he did so answered because he thought the feare of God was not in that place insinuating that he which wants the feare of God wil not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer Would we then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God and become new creatures then let vs learne to feare God which is nothing els but this when a man is perswaded in his owne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be he is in the presence and sight of God and by reason therof is afraid to sinne This we must haue fully settled in our hearts if we desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisdome But what reason vseth the theefe to draw his fellow to the feare of God Thou art saith he in the same condemnation that is by thy sinnes manifold transgressions thou hast deserued death and it is now most iustly inflicted vpon thee wilt thou not yet feare God Where we are taught that temporall punishments and crosses ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God for that is one end why they are sent of God It is good for me saith Dauid that I haue been chastised that I may learne thy statutes And Paul saith When we are chastised we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the prophet Micah to say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him The second fruit of his conuersion is that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes saying Indeede we are righteously here for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done that is we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie and against our brethren and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes the manner of men is to condemne others and to crie out that the world was neuer so bad but bring them home to themselues and you shall find that they haue many excuses and defences as plaister-worke to cast ouer their foule and filthie sinnes and if they be vrged to speake against themselues the worst will be thus God helpe vs we are all sinners euen the best of vs. But certen it is that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sinnes both can and will speake more against himselfe for his manifold offences then all the world besides Thus Paul when he was conuerted calls himselfe the chiefe of all sinners And the prodigall childe confessed that he had sinned against heauen and against his father and was not worthie to be called his child The third fruit of his conuersion is that he excuseth our Sauiour Christ and giueth testimonie of his innocencie saying But this man hath done nothing amisse Marke here Pilate condemned Christ Herod mocked him all the learned Scribes and Pharises condemned him and the people crie away with him let him be crucified and among his owne disciples Peter denied him and the rest ranne away there remaines onely this poore silly wretch vpon the crosse to giue testimonie of Christs innocencie whereby we learne that God chooseth the simple ones of this world to ouerthrow the wisdom of the wise and therefore we must take heede that wee be not offended at the Gospell of Christ by reason that for the most part simple and meane men in the world embrace it Nay marke further this one theife beeing conuerted had a better iudgement in matters concerning Gods kingdome then the whole bodie of the Iewes And by this all students may learne that if they desire to haue in themselues vpright iudgement in matters of religion first of all they must become repentant sinners and though a manâ—haue neuer so much learning yet if he be carried away with his owne blind affections and lusts they will corrupt and darken his iudgement Men which worke in mines and coale-pits vnder the earth are troubled with nothing so much as with damps which make their candle burne darke and sometimes put it quite out Nowe euery mans sinnes are the damps of his heart which when they take place doe dim the light of his iudgement and cast a mist ouer the mind and darken the vnderstanding and reason and therefore a needefull thing it is that men in the first place should prouide for their own conuersion The fourth fruit of his repentance is that he praieth for mercy at Christs hands Lord saith he remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom in which praier we may see what is the propertie of faith This theife at this instant heard nothing of Christ but the scornings and mockings of the people and he saw nothing but a base â—state full of ignominie and shame and the cursed death of the crosse yet neuerthelesse hee nowe beleeues in Christ and therefore intreats for saluation at his hand Hence we learne that it is one thing to beleeue in Christ and another to haue feeling and experience and that euen then when we haue no sense or experience we must beleeue
honour of Christ where we learne that if we truly loue Christ and our hearts be â—et to beleeue in him we will neuer refuse to performe the basest seruice that may be for his honour nothing shall hinder vs. It is further said that he was a good man and a iust and also a rich man And the first appeareth in this that he would neither consent to the counsell nor fact of the Iewes in crucifying Christ. It is rare to finde the like man in these daies From this example we learne these lessons I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a seruant of God and also be saued for riches are the good blessings of God and in themselues doe no whit hinder a man in comming to Christ. But some will say Christ himselfe saith It is easier for a cable to goe through the eye of a needleâ— then a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Answ. It is to be vnderstood of a rich man so long as he swelleth with a confidence in his wealth but we know that if a cable be vntwisted and drawne into small threeds it may be drawne through the eye of a needle so he that is rich let him denie himselfe abase himselfe and lay aside all confidence in himselfe in his riches and honour be as it were made small as twine threed and with this good Senatour Ioseph become the disciple of Christ he may enter into the kingdome of heauen But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thornes which choke the grace of God Answ. It is true they are thornes in that subiect or in that man that putteth his trust in them not in their owne nature but by reason of the corruption of mans heart who makes of them his God Saint Iohn saith further that Ioseph was a disciple of Christ but yet a close disciple for feare of the Iewes And this shewes that Christ is most ready to receiue them that come vnto him though they come laden with manifold wants I say not this that any hereby should take boldnes to liue in their sinnes but my meaning is that though men be weake in the faith yet are they not to be dismaied but to come to Christ who refuseth none that come to him Draw neere to God saith S. Iames and he will draw neere to you Christ doth not forsake any till they forsake him first Lastly the holy Ghost saith of him that he waited for the kingdome of God that is he did beleeue in the Messias to come and therefore did waite daily till the time was come wheÌ„ the Messias by his death and passion should abolish the kingdome of sinne and Satan and establish his owne kingdome throughout the whole world The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man and feared God and waited for the consolation of Israel This was the most principall vertue of all that Ioseph had and the very roote of all his goodnes and righteousnes that he waited for the kingdome of God For it is the propertie of faith whereby we haue confidence in the Messias to change our nature and to purifie the heart and to make it bring forth works of righteousnes There be many among vs that can talke of Christs kingdome and of redemption by him and yet make no conscience of sinne haue little care to liue according to the Gospel which they professe and all is because they doe not soundly beleeue in the Messias and they waite not for the kingdome of heauen therefore there is no change in them but we for our parts must labour to haue this affiance in the Messias with Ioseph and to waite for the second appearance that thereby we may be made new creatures hauing the kingdome of Satan battered and beaten downe in vs and the kingdome of God erected in our hearts Touching Nichodemus Saint Iohn saith that he came to Iesus by night Many men build vpon this example that it is lawfull to be present at the Masse so be it in the meane season we keepe our hearts to God and indeede such men are like Nichodemus in that they labour to burie Christ as much as they can though now after his resurrection he should not be buried againe But though Nichodemus durst not opeÌ„ly at the first professe the name of Christ yet after his death when there is most daunger he doth and by this meanes he reformeth his former action Thus much of the persons that buried Christ. The third thing to be obserued is the manner of Christs buriall which standeth in these foure points First they take downe his body from the crosse secondly they winde it thirdly they lay it in a tombe fourthly the tombe is made sure Of these in order First Ioseph taketh downe the bodie of Christ from the crosse whereon he was executed but marke in what maner he doth it not on his own head without leaue but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the bodie of Christ and craueth libertie to take it downe because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilates hand he beeing deputie at that time whereby we learne that in all our dealings and actions though they haue neuer so good an end our dutie is to proceede as peaceably with all men as may be as Saint Iames saith the wisdome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle c. Againe this teacheth vs that in all things which concerne the authoritie of the Magistrate and belong vnto him by the rule of Gods word we must attempt or doe whatsoeuer we doe by leaue And by this we see what vnaduised courses they take that being priuate men in this our Church will notwithstanding take vpon them to plant Churches without the leaue of the Magistrate beeing a Christian Prince Hauing thus taken the bodie of Christ downe they goe on to winde it And Ioseph for his part brought linnen cloathes and Nichodemus a mixture of myrrhe and aloes to the quantitie of an hundred pounds for the honourable buriall of Christ. His winding was on this manner they wrapped his bodie hastily in linnen clothes sweete odours put thereto Besides all this in the Iewes burialls there was embalming and washing of the bodie but Christs body was not embalmed or washed because they had no time to doe it for the preparation to the Passeouer drew neare And whereas these two men burie Christ at their owne cost and charges we are taught to be like affected to the liuing members of Christ when they want we must releeue and comfort theÌ„ liberallyâ— and freely It may here be demanded whether men may not be at cost in making funerals considering euen Christ himselfe is with much cost buried Ans. The bodies of all dead men are to be buried in seemely and honest manner and if they be honourable they may be buried honourably yet now there is no cause why mens bodies should be washed anointed and embalmed as
namely his ministers to shew all the passengers a straight and readie course into the kingdome of heauen And though Christ haue done all this for vs yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such that none almost walketh in this way nor careth to come into this mansion place but in stead of this they walke in by waies according to the lusts of their owne flesh When they are commanded to goe eastward to Ierusalem they turne westward an other way when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen they turne againe backeward and goe straight to hell Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen but when the houre of death commeth then they call for the guide whereas all their liues before they haue runne out of the way many thousand miles but then alas it is too late vnlesse it be the vnspeakable mercie of God For they haue wandered so farre astray that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe Yet generally this is the state of most among vs whose securitie is so much the more grieuous and fearefull because Christ hath done all that heart can wish There is nothing else required but onely that by his grace we should walke in the way There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies but he will graunt that this is most true which I say Besides as by this we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age so we may further learne our owne duties Is Christ gone to heauen before hand to prepare a place for thee then practise that which Paul teacheth Haue thy conuersation in heauen The words which he vseth are verie significant and the meaning of them is Ye are free-denizens of the citie of God and therefore as freemen in Gods house let all your cares and studies all your affaires and doings bee in heauen In the world if a man make purchase of an house his heart is alwaies there there he pulls down and builds againe there he makes him orchards gardens there he meanes to liue and die Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vs the most blessed purchasse that euer was and hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paide euen his own pretious blood and in this citie he hath prepared for vs a dwelling place and made vs free-denizens of it therefore all our ioy and all our affaires ought to be there It will be said howe shall a man vpon earth haue his conuersation in heauen Ans. We must conuerse in heauen not in bodie but in heart and therfore though our bodies be on earth yet our hearts ioy and comfort and all our meditation must be in heauen Thus must wee behaue our selues like good freemen in Gods house It must be far from vs to haue our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world Thirdly the consideration of this that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vs in heauen also hath trained the way with his owne blood must make euerie one of vs to striue to enter in at the straight gate as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vs and that as wrastlers doe which striue for life and death Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vs. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spaine or Turkie so as if he would but come thither hee might inioy it would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea and of his enemies also if neede were that he might come to his owne Wel behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vs in heauen there is nothing required of vs but that we wil come enioy it Why then should men refuse any paines or feare in the way nay we must striue to get in It may be we shall be pinched in the entrance for the gate is both strait and lowe and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behind vs and the pleasures of this life enter we must though we should be constrained to leaue our flesh behinde vs. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worldes And besides if we loose it by fainting in the way our purchase shall be the blacknesse of darkenes for euer with the deuill and all his angels who therefore would not striue though he lost his life in the gate The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies There is striuing enough for worldly preferment but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen he shall haue none to beare him company And where are they that striue to enter in where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen where bee the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist. Fourthly if Christ haue prepared a place for vs in heauen then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter As straungers and pilstrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule He that doth esteeme himselfe as pilgrime is not to intangle himselfe with the affaires of this worlde nor put in practise the behauiour thereof but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries according to the fashion of their owne And therefore in thought word and deede in life and conuersation hee must so carrie himselfe as thereby he may appeare to al the world of what countrie he is An ancient diuine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire biddeth them consider whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no and wheras they adorned themselues with winckles made of other womens haire he askes them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be he further demandeth howe it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God The like may be said of all other sinnes they that be of Gods house must behaue themselues as freemen there And when God hath made vs free it doth not beseeme vs to make our selues bondmen of sinne and Satan and of this world Fifthly seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him here is a good dutie for parents Many of them are very carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses and they are not to be blamed therefore but if they would indeede be good parents to their children they should first endeauour themselues to get roomes for them in heauen they that doe this are good parents indeede Some will say howe shall we get this preferment for them Ans. God hath two houses his Church and the kingdome of heauen The church
a candlesticke Nowe howe much more carefull ought we to be to entertaine God himselfe who is content to come and dwell with vs and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace that he may lodge and suppe and dine with vs as hee hath promised but on the contrarie if wee defile our bodies with sinne wee banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts and inuite the deuill to come and dwell with vs. For the more a man defileth his bodie the fitter and cleaner it is for him And to coÌ„clude this point let vs remeÌ„ber that saying which is vsed of some that Christ when he went hence gaue vs his pawne namely his spirit to assure vs that he would come to vs againe and also hee tooke with him our pawne namely his flesh to assure vs further that we should ascend vp to him Thus much for the benefits of Christs ascension Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued and they are two First we must be here admonished to renounce the vbiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords supper as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascensioÌ„ into heauen For it is flat against the nature of a true bodie to subsist in many places at once Secondly as the Apostles then did when they sawe Christ ascending vp into heauen so must wee doe also while hee was present with them they gaue him honour but when they saw him ascending they adored him with farre greater reuerence and so must we now for the same cause bowe the knees of our hearts vnto him Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now followes the third in these words And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling whereof we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church thirdly the duties that we are mooued vnto For the meaning of the words if we speak properly God hath neither right hand nor left neither can he be said to sit or stand for God is not a bodie but a spirit the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right handes whome they purposed to aduance to any speciall office or dignitie So King Salomon when his mother came to speake with him rose vp from his throne and met het caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand and set her vpon it in token no doubt of honour which he gaue vnto her To the same purpose Dauid saith Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold And the sonnes of Zebedeus made suit to Christ that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome Thus we see it is manifest that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authoritie and honour and therfore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things First his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie honour and glorie and in this sense it is saide that to him is giuen a name that is aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bowe Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth So Dauid saith The Lord said vnto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Which place beeing alleadged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase is thus set downe He shall raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feete And to speake in briefe the scope of the wordes is to shewe that Christ God and man after his ascension is aduanced to such an estate in which he hath fulnesse of glorie power maiestie and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued The first is the place where Christ is thus aduanced noted in the former article he ascended into heauen and sits namely in heauen at the right hand of God The place then where Christ Iesus in both his natures as he is God and also man doth rule in full glorie power and maiestie is heauen it selfe To which effect Paul saith God raised Christ from the dead and put him at his right hand in the heauenly places And in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide He sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in highest places This â—oint well considered serues to discouer the ouersight of sundrie Diuines which hold and teach that to sit at the right hand of God is to be euery where in all places and not in heauen onely that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christs manhood which neuerthelesse the heauens must containe till the time that all things be restored The second circumstance is the time when Christ began to sit at the right hand of God the father which is to be gathered by the order of the articles For first Christ died and was buried then he rose againe and ascended into heauen and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father This order is also noted vnto vs by S. Paul Who shall condemne saith he it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God And S. Marke saith when Christ was risen againe he appeared to his disciples and after he had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God But it may be demanded how this can stand with truth that Christ should not begin to sit at the right hand of his father before the ascension considering he is one God with the father and therfore an absolute and soueraigne King from all eternitie Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father he is coequall and coeternall with him in the regiment of his kingdome and hath neither beginning middle or ending thereof yet as Christ is God incarnate and in one person God-man or Man-god he began after his ascention and not before to sit at the right hand of his father as S. Peter saith was made Lord partly because as he was God he did then manifest himselfe to be that which indeede he was before namely God and Lord of heauen and earth and partly because as he was man he receiued dominion or Lordship from the father which he had not before thereby was euen in his manhood exalted to be king of heauen and earth and in this sense Christ saith of himselfe All power
is giuen to me in heauen and earth The third circumstance is concerning the person at whose right hand Christ sits noted in the words of the article of God the father Almightie whereby is signified that he receiues all the honour power glorie of his kingdome from his father as he that is set at the right hand of a prince receiues the honour authoritie which he hath from the prince Nowe if it be alleadged that by this meanes Christ shall be inferiour to his father because he which receiueth honour of another is inferiour to him of whome he receiueth it the answer is that in Christ we must consider his person and his office in respect of his person as he is the eternall sonne of God he is equall to the father and is not here said to sit at his right hand yet in respect of the oâ—fice which he beares namely as he is mediatour and as he is man he is inferiour to the father and receiues his kingdome from him As he is God he is our king and head and hath no head more then the father as he is mediatour he is also our head yet so as hee is vnder the father as beeing his head And we must not thinke it strange that one and the same thing should bee both equall and inferiour to another diuers respects considered Nowe in that Christs placing at the right hand of his father argues inferioritie betweene the father him hence we learne that they are deceiued which from this article gather that in the glorification of Christ there is a transfusion of the proprieties of the godhead as omnipotencie omniscience omnipresence c. into his manhood For this is to abolish all inferioritie and to make an equalitie betweene the creature and the creatour And whereas againe the word Almightie is repeated it is done vpon special reason because Christs sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose omnipotencie For in vaine were all power in heauen and earth giuen to him vnlesse he were omnipotent as the father to execute the same And therefore the song of the Elders was on this manner Worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise The benefits which redound vnto vs by Christs sitting at the right hand of God are two one concernes his priesthood the other his kingly office The benefit rising from his priesthood is his Intercession for vs for this is one of the endes why Christ is now exalted in glorie and sits at the right hand of his father namely to make request in the behalfe of all that come vnto him as Paul saith Christ is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. Nowe that we may rightly vnderstand what his intercession is wee are to consider these points First to whome it is made secondly in what manner thirdly whether it be made by Christ alone or no fourthly what be the fruits and benefits thereof fiftly the duties whereunto wee are mooued thereby For the first Intercession is to make suite request or intreaty in some ones behalfe to another and this is done by Christ for vs vnto God as Paul saith there is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus Here at the verie first ariseth a difficultie for in euery intercession there be three parties the person offended the person offending the intercessour distinct from them both Now if Christ the sonne of God make intercession to God for man then hee maketh intercession to himselfe because he is true God which cannot be howe then shall Christ be mediatour Ans. This point hath so troubled the Church of Rome that for the resoluing of it they haue deuised an errour auouching that Christ is mediatour onely as he is man not as he is God which is vntrue For as both natures doe concurre in the worke of satisfaction so likewise they doe both concurre in the worke of intercession and therefore a more meete and conuenient answere is this Christ Iesus God-man in both natures is directly our mediatour to the first person the father as S. Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished The partie offended is God the Father the partie offending is man thirdly the intercessour distinct froÌ„ them both is Christ the secoÌ„d person in Trinitie For howsoeuer in Godhead he the Father be one yet in person they are really distinguished and hee is as it were in the middle betweene the father and vs for the father is God and not man wee that beleeue in Christ are men not God Christ himselfe both man and God It may be further replyed that this answere will not stand because not onely the father is offended but also the sonne and the holy Ghost and therefore there must be a mediatour to them also Answer The intercession of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediately nowe the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost haue all one indiuisible essence and by consequent one and the same will whereupon the father beeing appeased by Christs intercession the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are also appeased with him and in him Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie but yet immediately and directly to the first person and in him to the rest The second point to be considered is the maner of his intercession vnto his father We must not imagine that Christ nowe in heauen kneeles downe on his knees and vtters wordes and puts vp a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father for that is not beseeming the maiestie of him that sits at the right hand of God But the manner of his intercession is thus to be conceiued When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalfe of another first of al he must come into the presence of the king and secondly make his request and both these Christ performeth for vs vnto God For the first after his ascension he entred into heauen where he did present vnto his father first of all his owne person in two natures and secondly the inualuable merits of his death and passion in which he was well pleased And we must further vnderstand that as on the crosse he stood in our roome so in heaueÌ„ he now appears as a publike person in our stead representing all the elect that shal beleeue in him as the holy Ghost saith Christ Iesus ascended vp into heauen to appeare in the sight of God for vs. And for the second Christ makes request for vs in that he willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that the father would accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of al that are giuen vnto him And that he makes request on
is manifest in Pharao for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt yet would he not submit himselfe saue onely for a fit while the hand of God was vpon him for after he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie he feeles no miserie And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing reâ—oycing And to come neere to our selues it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies For where is any â—uâ—ning to God by repentance Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse We haue had the word preached among vs a long time but it taketh no place in mens hearts They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil which the more it is beat with the haÌ„nmar the harder it is But in the feare of God let vs seeke to be changed and take heede the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues a man may haue good gifts of God as the gift of knowledge the gift of prophecie the gift of conceiuing a prayer I say not of praying truly and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart For this cause it standeth euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoid the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes and be touched in conscience for them euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof this is a token of grace II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ we say indeede that we feele it but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe and as it were gape after Christ as the drie and thirstie land where no water is Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much and many other gifts of God yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes and the want of Christ and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill and confound all those that be his enemies and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kind of desperation is not euill For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation it tends to his eternall comfort But finall desperation is when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe and in Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues This sinne is caused thus So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge waight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie God said to Cain If thou doe amisse sinne lyeth at â—hy doore Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face and rend out his throat In like maner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the doore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance God will make thee to feele them once before thou die and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our â—innes and become the friends of Christ that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen earth we are bound to performe vnto him three duties reuerence obedience thankfulnes For the first Paul saith God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus which name is his exaltation in heauen in full power and glorie should euery knee bowe We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently what reuerence then do we owe vnto Christ the king of heauen and earth Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment when he might haue slaine him because he was the Lords annointed On then howe much more ought our hearts to be touched if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king SecoÌ„dly we are here taught to performe obedience to him to do him all the homage we can The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed nowe the Church of Christ is a family and we are members thereof therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things for all his commandements are iust When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel certaine men which feared God whose hearts God had touched followed him to Gibea and brought him presents but the wicked despised him the same is much more to be verified in vs toward Christ our Lord. Wee must haue our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vnto him if not we are men of Belial that despise him If this obedience were put in practise the Gospel would haue better successe in the hearts of the people and the Lords sabbath would be better kept and men would beare greater loue both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe The third dutie which we owe vnto him is thankfulnesse for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vs. When Dauid waxed olde and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead al the people shouted and cried God saue king Salomon God saue king Salomon so as the earth rang againe Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vnto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie though
and there must be iudged Furthermore the second comming of Christ is sudden as the comming of a thiefe in the night He will come when the world thinketh not of him as the snare doth on the bird The consideration whereof must teach vs the same duties which our Sauiour Christ taught the men of his time First he teacheth them what they must not doe for he knowing all things knew also the disposition of mans heart and therfore he saith Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and the cares of this life least that day come vpon you vnawares For these sinnes benumme the heart and steale away all grace This exhortation in these our daies is most needefull For mens hearts are like the smithes stithie the more they are beaten with the hammar of Gods word the harder they are Secondly he teacheth them what they must doe Watch therefore saith he and pray continually that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the sonne of man But you will say how may we be found worthie to stand before Christ at that day Ans. Doe but this one thing for your liues past be humbled before God and come vnto him by true heartie and vnfained repentance be changed and become new creatures pray vnto him earnestly for the pardon of your sinnes in Christ and pray continually that God will turne your hearts from your old sinnes euery day more and more and then come the last iudgement when it will ye shall be found worthy to stand before Christ at his coÌ„ming The repentant sinner is he that shall find fauour in the sight of God at that day The consideration hereof may mooue vs to chaunge our liues Those which were neuer yet humbled for their sinnes let them nowe beginne and those which haue alreadie begunne let them goe forwarde and continue But the deuill will crie in the hearts of some men that this exhortation is as yet needelesse for the day of iudgement is not neere because all the signes thereof are not yet passed Ans. Suppose the day of iudgement be farre off yet the day of thy death cannot be so for the common saying is true to day a man to morrowe none Nowe looke as death leaueth thee so shall the day of iudgement finde thee Impenitent Cain died long since and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth shall finde him impenitent still The same thing may bee said of Saul Achitophel and Iudas They died desperatly and impenitent the Lord shall finde them so at his comming So will it be with thee whatsoeuer thou art that repentest not Death may come vpon thee the next day or the next houre therefore watch and pray Prepare thy selfe against the day of death that at the day of iudgement thou maist be found worthie to obtaine fauour in the sight of the Lord. Securitie doth ouerwhelme the worlde but let vs for our parts learne to prepare our selues daily for if the day of death doe leaue thee vnworthie then the Lord Iesus at his comming shall finde thee vnworthie and the deuill shall stand before thee and accuse thee thy conscience shall condeme thee and hell shall be readie to swallowe thee vp If this admonition take no place in thy heart then at the day of iudgement it shall stand against thee and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation The second point followeth that Christ after that he is come in the clouds shall sit in a throne of glorie as the soueraigne iudge of heauen and earth after the manner of earthly kings who when they will shewe themselues vnto their subiects in maiestie power and glorie vse to ascend into the thrones of their kingdomes and there to shewe themselues and appeare in state vnto all the people Nowe what this throne is and howe Christ sits in the same the scripture hath not reuealed and therefore I will not stand to search Yet here must we further marke that this appearance of his in endlesse glorie and maiestie shall be most terrible and dreadfull to the vngodly and therefore in Daniel his throne is saide to be like a flame of fire and at the very sight hereof men shall desire the mountaines to fall vpon them and the hills to couer them The third point is the citing of all men and of the angels before his maiestie in that day there to answer for themselues This citing shall be done by the voice of Christ as he himselfe saith In that day all that are in the graues shall heare his voiâ—e they shall come forth And here we are to consider two things I. the power of this voice II. the ministerie whereby it shall be vttered For the first no doubt the power of this voice shall be vnspeakable and therefore it is compared to a trumpet the lowdest and shrillest of all musicall instruments and to the crie of the marriners whose manner hath beene in the doing of any busines with all their strength at one instant to make a common shout And sensible experience shall manifest the force thereof For it shall cause all the deade euen from the beginning of the world to rise againe though they haue lien rotten in the earth many thousand yeares and all vncleane spirits shall be forced and compelled will they nill they to come before Christ who shall be vnto them a most fearefull and terrible iudge neither man nor angel shall be able to absent or hide himselfe all without exception must appeare as wel high as low rich as poore none shâ—ll be able to withdrawe themselues no not the mightie Monarches of the earth Furthermore this voice shall bee vttered by angels As in the Church Christ vseth men as his ministers by whome he speakes vnto his people so at the last daie he shall vse the ministerie of Angels whome he shall send foorth into the foure windes to gather his elect togither and therefore it is likely that this voice shall be vttered by them And by this which hath beene said wee must be mooued to make conscience of all sinne For there is no auoiding of this iudgement we can not absent our selues no excuse will serue the turne euen the most rebellious of all creatures whether man or angel shall be forced to appeare and therefore it standes vs in hand while we haue time in this life to looke vnto our estates and to practise the duties of christianitie that when we shall be cited before his glorious maiestie at the last day we may be cleared and absolued The fourth point is the separation of the sheepe from the goates the good from the badde for when all the kinreds of the earth and all vncleane spirits shall stand before Christ sitting in the throne of his glorie then as a good sheapheard he shall separate them one from another the
as a closed booke but then it shall be so touched and as it were opened that he shall plainely see and remember all the particular offences which at any time he hath committed and his very conscience shall be as good as a thousand witnesses whereupon he shall accuse and vtterly condemne himselfe The consideration of this ought to terrifie all those that liue in their sins for howsoeuer they may hide couer them from the world yet at the last day God will be sure to reueale them all Now after that mens workes are made manifest they must further be tried whether they be good or euill And that shall be done on this manner They that neuer heard of Christ must be tried by the law of nature which serues to make them inexcusable before God As for those that liue in the Church they shall be tried by the Law and the Gospel as Paul saith As many as haue liued by the law shall be iudged by the law And againe At the day of iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of our hearts according to his Gospell And By faith Noah builded an arke whereby he condemned the old world If this be true then we must in the feare of God heare his word preached and taught with all reuerence make conscience to profit by it For otherwise in the day of iudgement when all our works shall be tried by it the same word of God shall be a bill of inditement and the fearefull sentence of condemnation against vs. Therefore let vs be humbled by the doctrine of the law willingly embrace the sweete promises of the Gospel considering it is the onely touchstone whereby all our words thoughts and works must be examined The sixth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is the giuing of sentence which is twofold the sentence of absolution and the sentence of condemnation both which are to be obserued diligeÌ„tly that we may receiue profit thereby And first of all Christ shall begin his iudgement with the sentence of absolution which shewes that he is readie to shew mercie slow to wrath In this sentence we are to consider foure points I. a calling of the Elect to the kingdome of heauen II. the reason thereof III. a replie of the Elect IV. the answer of Christ to them againe The calling of the Elect is set downe in these wordes Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the words are to be obserued one by one Come ye blessed Though Christ nowe sit in glorie and maiestie in iudgement yet he ceaseth not to shew his tender aâ—fection of loue vnto his chosen And this ouerthroweth the opinion of the Church of Rome which would haue vs rather to come vnto Christ by the intercession of saints then by our selues immediatly because he is now exalted in glorie and maiestie But marke when he was here on earth he said Come vnto me all ye that are heauie laden and I will ease you And when he shall be most glorious in maiestie and power at the day of iudgement he will then also say Come ye blessed of my father and therefore we may resolue our selues that it is his will now that we should come vnto him without any intercession of Saints Ye blessed of my father The Elect are here called the blessed of God because their righteousnes saluation and all that they haue springs of the meere blessing of God Nothing therefore must be ascribed to the worke of man Inherit that is receiue as your inheritance therefore the kingdome of heauen is Gods meere gift A father giueth no inheritance vnto his sonne of merit but of his free gift wherupon it followes that no man can merit the kingdom of heauen by his works The kingdome that is the eternall estate of glorie and happines in heauen therefore in this life we must so vse this world as though we vsed it not all that we haue here is but vaine and transitorie and all our studie and endeauour must be to come to the kingdome of heauen Prepared Here note the vnspeakable care of God for the faithful Had he such care to prouide a kingdome for his children before they were then we may assure our selues he wil haue greater care ouer them now when they haue a beeing For you that is for the elect and faithfull Hence it appeares that there is no vniuersall election whereby as some suppose God decrees that all and euery man shall be saued Indeede if he had said Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for all but receiued of you it had bin something but he saith onely prepared for you and therefore all were not chosen to saluation The reason of this calling is taken from workes as from signes in these words For I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. When he saith for I was hungrie he meanes his poore and distressed members vpon earth and thereby he signifies vnto vs that the miseries of his seruants are his owne miseries Thus the Lord saith in Zacharie He which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And when Saul was going to persecute them in Damasco and else where that called on the name of Christ he cried from heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And this is a notable comfort to Gods Church and people that they haue an high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and if he account our miseries his owne miseries then no doubt he will pitie our estate and make vs able to beare the worst And ye gaue me meate Here we note that the principall works of men are those which are done to the poore members of Christ. We are indeede to helpe all in as much as they are our very flesh and the creatures of God but the rule of S. Paul must be remembred Doe good to all but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith Many are of mind that the best works are to build Churches and Monasteries but Christ tells vs here that the best worke of all is to releeue those that be the liuing members of his mysticall bodie The third point is the replie of the Saints to Christ againe in these words Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fedde thee c. They doe not denie that which Christ auouched but doe as I take it standing before the tribunall seat of God humble themselues hauing still an after-consideration of the infirmities and offences of their liues past Here note then that it is a Satanicall practise for a man to bragge of workes and to stand vpon them in the matter of iustification before God And we must rather doe as the Saints of God doe abase our selues in regard of our sinnes past The last point is the answer of Christ to them againe in these words Verily I say vnto you in as much as
the head to the foote and the throat also cut yet so as life is still remaining wee may better thinke their foule errours considered and their worship of God which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme that it is a rotten and dead corpes voide of spirituall life And therefore we haue seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vpon iust cause neither are we schismaticks in so doing but they rather because the ground and the proper cause of the schisme is in them As for the assâ—mbliâ—s of Anabaptists Libertines Antinomies Tritheits Arrians Samosateâ—â—â—ns they are no churches of God but conspiracies of moÌ„strous heretickes iudâ—â—â—lly condemned in the primitiue Church and againe by the malice of Satan â—â—â—ued and reuiued in this age The same we are to thinke and say of the Familiâ— of loue As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes they are to be reputed of vs as the true churches of God Though their Angustane Confession haue not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches yet haue they all the same enemies in matter of religion doe alike confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the office of the Mediatour of faith and good workes of the Word the Church and the Magistrate are all of one iudgement They differ indeede from vs in the question of the sacrament but it is no sufficient cause to induce vs to holde them as no Church for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lords supper we al agree and we ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that he doth truely feede vs with his verie bodie and bloode to eternall life and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hand of faith they adding thereto the corporall whereby they imagine theÌ„selues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie And though to maintaine this their opinion they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a disparition whereby his bodie beeing visible becomes inuisible yet in the maine points we agree that Christ ascended into heauen that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vs that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might and that whatsoeuer good thing we haue or doe proceedes wholly from the grace of his spirit Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reuiueth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith but that was priuate to some men as Brentius and others and was not receiued of whole churches and whereas the men were godly learned and we are vncerten with what affection and how long they held this errour we rest our selues in condemning it leauing the persons to God Againe Popish Transustantiation and Lutherian Consubstantiation are both against the trueth of the manhood of Christ yet with great difference Transubstantiation is slatte against an article of faith for if Christs body be made of bread and his blood of wine which must needes bee if there be a conuersion of the one into the other then was not he conceiued and borne of the virgine Marie for it cannot both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the virgin Againe it abolisheth the outward signe in the Lords supper as also the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified and so ouerturnes the sacrament but Consubstantiation doth not so neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion but onely a maine point of Philosophie which is that A bodie doth occupie onely one place at once Furthermore the Churches of Helvetia and Savoie and the free citties of Fraunce and the lowe Countries and Scotland are to bee reuerenced as the true Churches of God as their confession make manifest And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland For wee holde beleeue and maintaine and preach the true faith that is the ancient doctrine of saluation by Christ taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles as the booke of the articles of faith agreed vpon in open Parliament doe fully shewe and withall now we are and haue beene readie to testifie this our faith by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power and especially the Spaniard and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giue vnto vs the hand of fellowship And whereas sundrie among vs that separate and indeede excommunicate themselues giue out that there is no Church in England no Ministers no Sacraments their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient ground are but as paper-shot They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities Ans. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished and they bee either in doctrine or manners Againe corruptions in doctrine must further be distinguished some of them are errours indeede but beside the foundation and some errours directly against the foundation and these ouerturne all religion whereas the former doe not Nowe it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raseth the foundation and consequently annihillateth the truth of Gods Church Indeed there is controuersie among vs touching the point of Ecclesiastical regiment but marke in what manner We all ioyntly agree in the substance of the regiment confessing freely that there must bee preaching of the word administration of the Sacraments according to the institution and the vse of the Power of the Keyes in admonitions suspensions excommunications the difference betweene vs is onely touching the persons and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution and therfore men on both parts though both hold not the trueth in this point yet because both holde Christ the foundation they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners they make not a Church to be no church but a badde church When as the wicked Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moses chaire taught the things which he had written the people are commanded to heare them and to doe the things which they say not doing the things which they doe And whereas it is said that wee hold Christ in worde and denie him indeede that is answered thus deniall of Christ is double either in iudgement or in fact deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie makes a Christian to be no christian deniall in fact the iudgement still remaining sound makes not a man to be no christian but a badde christian When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life they still remained a Church if any vpon earth and notwithstanding this their fact the Apostles acknowledged that the couenaÌ„t the promises stil belonged vnto theÌ„ they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues till such time as they had bin sufficiently coÌ„uicted by the Apostolicall
benefits which God bestoweth on it which are in number foure The first is expressed in these words The communion of Saints Where communion signifieth that fellowship or societie that one hath with an other and by Saints we vnderstand not dead men inrolled in the Popes calender but all that are sanctified by the blood of Christ whether they be liuing or dead as Paul saith Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Iesus Christ Saints by calling And God is the God of peace in all the Churches of the Saints Now if we adde the clause I beleeue vnto these words the meaning is this I confesse and acknowledge that there is a spiritual fellowship societie among all the mēbers of Christ beeing the faithfull seruants and children of God and withall I beleeue that I am partaker of the same with the rest This communion hath two parts fellowshippe of the members with the head and of the members with themselues The communion of the members with their head is not outward but altogether spirituall in the conscience and for the opening of it we must consider what the Church receiueth of Christ and what he receiues of it The Church receiues of Christ foure most worthy benefits The first that Christ our Mediatour God and man hath truely giuen himselfe vnto vs and is become our lot and portion and withall God the father and the holy spirit in him as Dauid saith Iehoua is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot the lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue a faire heritage And My flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer The second is the Right of adoption whereby all the faithfull whether in heauen or earth are actually made the children of God The benefit is wonderfull howsoeuer carnall men esteeme not of it If a mā should either by election or birth or any waie else be made the sonne and heire of an earthly prince he would thinke himselfe highly aduanced how highly then are they extolled which are made the sonnes of God himselfe The third benefit is a title and right to the righteousnes of Christ in his sufferings and his fulfilling of the lawe The excellencie of it is vnspeakable because it serues to award the greatest temptations of the deuill When the deuill replieth thus thou art a transgressour of the lawe of God therefore thou shalt be damned by means of that communion which wee haue with Christ wee answere againe that Christ suffered the curse of the lawe to free vs from due and deserued damnation and when he further replies that seeing we neuer fulfilled the lawe we can not therefore enter into heauen we answer againe that Christs obedience is a fulfilling of the law for vs and his whole righteousnesse is ours to make vs stand righteous before God The fourth benefit is a right to the kingdome of heauen as Christ comforting his disciples saith Feare not little flocke it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome and hence it is sundrie times called the inheritance and the lot of the Saints Furthermore for the conueiance of these benefits vnto vs God hath ordained the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments specially the Lords supper and hath commanded the solemne and ordinarie vse of them in the Church And hereupon the Lordes supper is called the Communion The cuppe of blessing saith Paul which wee blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ that is a signe and seale of the communion Againe the things which Christ receiueth of vs are two our sinnes with the punishment thereof made his by application or imputation and our afflictions with all the miseries of this life which he accounts his owne and therefore doth as it were put vnder his shoulders to beare the burden of them And this communion betweene Christ and vs is expressed in the scriptures by that blessed and heauenly bargaine in which there is mutuall exchange betweene Christ and vs he imparts vnto vs milke and wine without siluer or money to refresh vs and gold tried by the fire that we may become rich and white raiment that we may be cloathed and eye-salue to annoint our eies that wee may see and we for our parts returne vnto him nothing but blindenes and nakednes and pouertie and the loathsome burden of our filthy sinnes The second part of the communion is that which the Saints haue one with an other And it is either of the liuing with the liuing or of the liuing with the dead Nowe the communion of the liuing standes in three things I. the like affection II. in the gifts of the spirit III. in the vse of temporall riches For the first communion in affection is whereby all the seruants of God are like affected to God to Christ to their owne sinnes and each to other They are all of one nature and heart alike disposed though they bee not acquainted nor haue any externall fellowship in the flesh As in a familie children are for the most part one like another brought vp alike euen so it is in Gods familie which is his Church the members thereof are all alike in heart and affection and the reason is because they haue one spirit to guide them all and therefore Saint Peter saith The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his own but they had al things cōmon And the Prophet Esay foretelling the vnity which should be in the kingdome of Christ saith The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie with the kidde and the calfe and the lyon aud the fat beast togither and a little childe shall leade them The cowe and the beare shall feede and their young ones shall lie togither and the lyon shall eate strawe like the bullocke The sucking child shall plaie vpon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand into the cockatrice hole By these beasts are signified men that be of a wicked and brutish nature which when they shall be brought into the kingdom of Christ shall lay aside the same and become louing gentle curteous and all of one minde And S. Peter requires of the Church the practise of brothely loue and that is to carrie a tender affection to men not becanse they are of the same flesh but because they are ioyned in the bond of one spirit with vs. Furthermore by reason of this that all the children of God are of one heart there follows another dutie of this communion whereby they beare one the burdens of another and when one member is grieued
as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue and wholly rauished therewith for which cause as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe Againe the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof but in this life God is knowne of man onely in part and therefore is loued onely but in part but after this life when the Elect shall knowe God fully they shall loue him without measure in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope howesoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue The fourth prerogatiue is that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen In this life it is kept but euery seuenth daie and when it is best of all sanctified it is done but in part but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath as the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay From moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetuall seruice of God Fifthly the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shal be like the glorious bodie of Christ so Paul saith Christ Iesus our Lord shall chaÌ„ge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie Now the resemblaÌ„ce betweene Christs bodie and ours standeth in these things as Christs bodie is incorruptible so shall our bodies be void of all corruption as Christs bodie is immortal so ours in the kingdom of heauen shal neuer die as Christs bodie is spirituall so shall ours be made spirituall as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall bodie it is raised a spirituall bodie not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit for it shall remaine the same in substance and that for euer but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and diuine manner For in this life it is preserued by meate drinke cloathing sleepe physicke rest and diet but afterwarde without all these meanes the life of the bodie shall be continued and bodie and soule keepe togither by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer Thus the bodie of Christ is nowe preserued in heauen and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of iudgement Furthermore as Christs bodie is nowe a shining bodie as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright alwaies remaining the same for substance Lastly as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes to passe from the earth to the third heauen beeing in distance many thousand miles froÌ„ vs and that without violence so shall the bodies of the Saints For beeing glorified they shall be able as well to ascend vpwarde as to goe downewarde and to mooue without violence and that very swiftly The sixth and last prerogatiue is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy â—â— Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pâ—â—â—ares for euermore It is said that when Salomon was crowned king the people reioiced exceedingly If there were such great ioy at his coronation whiâ—h was but an earthly prince what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ when they sawe the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was were exceedingly glad howe much more shall the elect reioice when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wherefore this ioy of the elect after this life is most wonderfull and cannot be vttered The propertie of life eternall is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ who is the only begotten sonne of the father Hence it followes necessarily that in the Scriptures it is called a reward not because it is deserued by our workes as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth but for two other causes First because life eternall is due to all that beleeue by vertue of Christs merit For his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so conâ—equently the merit thereof is also ours and by it all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God The second is because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward For as a reward is giuen to a workeman after his worke is done so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended The degrees of life are three The first is in this life when men beeing iustified and sanctified haue peace with God Many imagine that there is no eternall life till after death but they are deceiued for it beginnes in this world as our Sauiour Christ testifieth saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This being so we are hence to learne a good lesson Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life we must not deceiue our selues lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe but we must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this world and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death But how is that done we must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father God the sonne our redeemer and God the holy Ghost our comforter For as Christ saith this is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And we must goe further yet endeauouring to say with Paul that we liue not but that Christ liueth in vs which when we can say we haue in vs the very seede of eternall life The second degree is in the ende of this life when the bodie freed from all diseases paines and miseries is laid to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the day of iudgement when bodie and soule reunited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie Againe in this third degree of life there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glory Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life saith They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Now we know there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres Againe there be degrees of torments in hell as appeares by the saying
meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let vs receiue this as from the Lord and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of liâ—e euerlasting giuen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer we be it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an ende of their miserie but man if he loose euerlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to draw to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the inuocation and intercession of Saints c. which arâ— the greatest points of religion It is true indeede we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall and the very grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creede we beleeue the Church and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with vs as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friendsâ— are to comfort theÌ„selues in the communion of Saints and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends IV. Against bodily captiuitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseasesâ— we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished VI. If a man feare death of the bodie let him consider that he beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children VIII Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer IX Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed if we consider that God is a Father and therefore much in sparing and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes Trin-vni Deo gloria AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER In the way of Catechising seruing for ignorant people Corrected and amended Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul taken out of his Epistles By W. Perkins Printed for Iohn Porter and Ralph Iackson 1600. To the right Honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace be multiplied RIght Honourable if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you it wil appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and prayer For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and
spirit If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the godly and their corrupt hearts togither we shall see little difference but in this that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne but the godly doe wrestle as for life and death with their temptations and doe resist the deuill and doe desire the grace of Gods spirit and crie to heauen to bee freed from this bondage howesoeuer their hearts are alwaies readie to rebel against God 2. Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods Church here vpon earth in this petition we are coÌ„manded to pray for the Chruch of God and the parts thereof Psal. 122.6 Praie for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Esay 62.7 Ye which are the Lords remembranceâ—s giue him no rest vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world And that Gods Church may flourish and be in good estate we are to pray for Christian Kings and Princes that God would blesse them and increase the number of them For they are as nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church And wee especially are bound to pray for the Queenes most excellent maiestie as also for the French king that they may be blessed and Gods kingdome by them aduanced And againe because ministers are the Lords watchmen in the Church we are here also put in minde to seeke their good and to praie that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome for the beating downe of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and for the sauing of the soules of his people And the rather because the deuill laboureth night and daie to ouerthrow theÌ„ in this glorious worke and to resist them in their ministerie as appeareth in Zachaâ—ie 3.1 When Ioshua the high priest stood before the Angell of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand namely to resist him Therefore also wee are to praie for them that the Lord would keepe them and furnish them with gifts and with all make them faithfull For where vision faileth the people are left naked saith Salomon 2. Thess. 3. 1. Brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a free passage and be glorified Thirdly we must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning Howsoeuer some thinke but basely of them yet they are the ordinarie meanes to maintaine the ministerie and so the Church of God A man that hath diuers orchards wil also haue a seminarie ful of young plants to maintaine it Schooles they are as Seminaries to Gods church without which the Church falles to decay because they serue to make supplie of ministers 3. Thirdly we are to desire that the Lord would hasten the second comming of Christ as the Saints in heauen praie Come Lord Iesus come quicklie and therefore the godly are said to loue the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8 A penitent sinner so abhors his own corruptions and the irkesome temptations of Satan that in this respect he desires that Christ would hasten his particular comming to him by death for no other cause but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing of God Thy will be done 1. The Coherence IN the second petition we desired that God would let his kingdome come vz. That he would rule in our hearts If he then must raigne we must be his subiects and therefore here we craue that beeing his subiects wee may obey him and doe his will Mal. 1.6 If I be a father where is my honour If I be a master where is my feare 2. The meaning VVIll Here it signfieth Gods word written in the olde and new Testament For in his word his will is reauealed Of the whole will of God there be three speciall points which are in this place meant 1. To beleeue in Christ Ioh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life 2. Sanctification of body soule 1. Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God euen your sanctification c. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life Rom. vers 29. Those which he knew before he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his owne sonne Phil. 3.10 That I might knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable to his death Thy will Not mine for mans owne will is wicked and corrupt yea it is flat enmitie to God Rom. 8. v. 5. Done That is obeyed and accomplished of men Then the effect of the prayer is this O Lord seeing thou art our King giue vs grace to shewe our selues good subiects in obeying thy will 3. The wants to be praied against 1. HEre first we are to bewaile this that our hearts are so prone to rebellioÌ„ and disobedience of Gods commandements Put a match to a heape of gun-powder on a sudden it will be all on a flame and as long as we adde matter to the fire it burnes so by nature we are most readie to sinne so soone as the least occasion is giuen Dauid had experience of this when hee praied Knit my heart to thee O Lord c. Psal. 86. 11. and incline my heart to thy commandements Psal. 119.37 Those which finde not this want in themselues and the like affection to bewaile it are in a miserable and dangerous case euen as a man that hath a great disease vpon him and knowes not of it 2. Againe wee must here bewaile the sinne of the worlde as ignorance schismes hipocrisie pride ambition contempt of Gods word couetousnes oppression want of loue of God and his word c. 2. Peter 2.7 Lot was vexed and his righteous heart was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites from day to day so ought our soules to bee vexed and grieued continually at the wickednesse of our time and we are to send vp our praiers to God for vnbeleeuing vnrepentant sinners that they may be brought to the obedience of Gods will Ezech. 9.4 In a common iudgement vpon Ierusalem They are marked in the forhead that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest of it 3. Here also we must humble our selues for our vnquietnesse of mind impatience wheÌ„ god laies any crosse on vs. It is Gods wil that we should suffer affliction and withall humble our selues vnder his mightie hand Our Sauiour praied that the cup might be taken away but with submission to his Fathers will Luk. 22.42 And this Dauid had learned when he said But if he thus say behold I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.26 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe first thing which we are here to desire is that we may haue grace to denie our selues wils and affections because herein wee are vnlike to God and like the deuill This is the first lesson that our Sauiour doth
on their children it is vaine and friuolous For it is Gods will that we should not cast the care of heauenly things onely but all our care vpon him 1. Pet. 5. 7. And he hath elswhere commaunded that earthly things should be asked at his hand 1. King 8.35 and the same hath beene asked in praier of Iacob Gen. 28.10 and Salomon Prouâ— 20.7 And wheras the Lords praier is a perfect platforme of praier temporall blessing must haue some place there vnlesse we will ascribe the hauing and inioying of them to our owne industrie as though they were no gifts of God which to thinke were great impietie By bread then we must vnderstand properly a kind of foode made of the floure of graine that is baked and eaten and thus it must be taken in those places of scripture where bread is opposed to water or wine by a figure more generally it signifies all things whereby temporal life is preserued in this sense goates milke is called bread Prou. 27.27 and the fruit of trees Ier. 11.19 and all things that passe to and fro in trafficke Prou. 31. 14. And so likewise in this place by this one meanes of sustaining our bodies and temporall liues all other meanes whatsoeuer must be vnderstood as meate drinke clothing health libertie peace c. And whereas our Sauiour Christ vnder the name of bread and not vnder the name of any other plentifull or daintie food teacheth vs to aske temporall blessings he doth it for two causes The first is that we might hereby learne frugalitie and moderation in our â—â—et apparell houses and be content if we haue no more but bread that is things necessarie to preserue life which Paul comprehends vnder food and clothing For we are taught in this petition to aske no more We must not with the Iâ—raelites murmure because they had nothing but Manna Question Must we then vse Gods creatures onely for necessitie Ans. We may vse them not onely for necessitie but also for honest delight and pleasure Psal. 104. 15. God giues wine to make glad the heart of man and oyle to make his face shine And Iohn 12.3 our Sauiour Christ allowed of the fact of Marie which tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly and annointed his very feete so that all the house was filled with the smell though Iudas did esteeme it wast Yet if it so fall out that the Lord doe graunt vs but bread that is so much as shall holde bodie and soule together we must thankfully content our selues therewith 1. Tim. 6. 8. Therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs be therewith content This contentation was practised of Iacobs Gen. 28.20 A second cause is to teach vs that there is a particular prouidence All men willingly confesse the generall prouidence of GOD ouer all things but beside that we must acknowledge another more speciall prouidence euen in the least things that be because euery morsell of bread which we eate would no more nourish vs then a peece of earth or a stone vnlesse God giue his blessing vnto it Daily The word in the originall is thus much in effect Bread vnto our essence or substances then the meaning is giue vs such bread from day to day as may nourish our substances Thus praieth Agur Prou. 30. 8. Feede me with foode conuenient for me Some there are which put an Angelical perfection in fasting but we are taught in Scriptures that as aboue all things we are to seeke for life eternall so we must in this life haue care to sustaine and maintaine our naturall life that we may haue conuenient space and time to repent and prepare our selues to the kingdome of heauen Fasting in it selfe as it is an abstinence from meate is no part of Gods worship but in it owne nature a thing indifferent and therefore it is to be vsed so farre forth as it shall further vs in Gods seruice and no further And seeing we are taught to pray for such foode as shall preserue nature and maintaine the vitall blood we ought not to vse fasting to the hindrance or destruction of nature Our bread 1. Quest. How is bread ours Ans. Paul shewes how 1. Corinth â— 22 Ye are Christs and all things are yours So then by meanes of Christ bread is called our For GOD hauing giuen Christ to vs doth in him and by him giue all things else to vs. 2. Quest. How may I know that the things I enioy are mine by Christ and that I doe not vsurpe them Ans. 1. Tim. 4. 4. Paul saith that the creatures of God are good and that the vse of them is sanctified to vs by the word and prayer Then if we haue the word of God to tell vs that wee may enioy and vse them and also if wee pray to God for the right and pure vse of them we are no vsurpers but indeede right owners of them not onely before men but also before God 3. Question If the creatures must be made ours by Christ how comes it to passe that the vngodly haue such abundance of them Ans. We lost the title and interest of the creatures in Adam yet God of his mercie bestowes temporarie blessings vpon the vniust as well as vpon the iust but for all that vnlesse they be in Christ and hold the title of them by him they shall in the ende turne to their greater condemnation And whereas we call it our bread we learne that euery man must liue of his owne calling and his owne goods Here also is condemned all oppression stealing lying cogging and other such deceitfull meanes which men vse to get wealth and goods Many thinke it no sinne to prouide for their families in such order but in saying this petition they pray against themselues 2. Thess. 3. 10. He which laboureth not let him not eate Eph. 4.28 He which stole let him stealeâ— no more but rather labour with his hands the thing that good is This day We say not here this weeke this moneth this age but this day what meanes this may we not prouide for the time to come Ans. It is lawful yea a man is bound in good manner to prouide for time to come Act. 11.28 The Apostles prouided for the Church in Iudea against the time of dearth foretold by Agabus And Ioseph in Egypt in the yeares of plentie stored vp against the yeares of famine Wherefore in these words our Sauiour his meaning is onely to condemne all distrustful care that distracts the minds of men and to teach vs to rest on his fatherly goodnes from day to day in euery season this is noted vnto vs Numb 11. where the Israelites were commanded to gather no more Manna then would serue for one day and if they did it putrified Whereby God taught them to rest on his prouidence euery particular day and not on the meanes Giue vâ— Not me This serues to teach vs that a man must not onely regard himselfe but also be
Lead vs not Or carrie vs not into temptation To be led is to be ouercome of the temptation when it preuâ—iles and wholly gets the victorie so as men tempted are brought to perdition Then the meaning is thisâ— When wee are mooued or entised to sinne Lord keep vs that we bee not ouercome and giue thou an issue with the temptation Quest. God is iust and cannot sinne but if he lead men into temptation shal he not be the author of sinne Ans. Indeed many fearing to charge God with sinne read the words thus Suffer vs not to be ledde But the text is very plaine Lead or carrie vs not And the scriptures elsewhere vse the like phrases of god Exod. 7.3 God is said to harden Pharaohs heart 2. Sam. 24. 1. The Lord mooued Dauid to number the people 2. Thess. 2.11 God sent strong delusions that men might beleeue lies These and such like places haue a speciall meaning thus to be gathered There is no action of man or of the deuill absolutely euill but although in some respects it be euill yet in some other it is good for wee are not to thinke that as there is a maine or absolute good so also there is a maine or absolute euill Thus then temptation being an action it is not in euery respect euill but in some good in some euill And so farre forth as it is good the Lord workes it but as it is euill he doth not worke it but willingly permits it to be done by man and Satan 1. And there be foure respects in which God may be a worker in temptations and yet be free from sinne I. First he tempteth by offering occasions obiects to trie whether a man will sinne or not A master suspecting his seruant which in word professeth fidelitie laies a purse of money in his way to trie if he will steale it which if he steale he hath found by watching him a secret thiefe and so hath laid him open for deceiuing any more Nowe this trying of him is no sinne though he sinne in stealing In the same manner tempteth God his owne seruants to prooue and trie them Deut. â—3 3 Thou shalt not harken vnto the wordes of the prophet or dreamer of dreames for the Lord thy God prooueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart 2. Secondly God leades into temptation by withdrawing his grace Neither can this be a sinne in God because he is bound to no man to giue him grace And here is a difference between the tempting of God and Satan God holds backe grace when he tempts the deuill suggests euill motions 3. Euery action so farre forth as it is an action is good and of God Act. 17. 28. In him we liue mooue and haue our being Therfore god is a worker in temptations so farre forth as they are actions One man kils another the very moouing of the bodie in the doing of this villanie is of God but the wickednes of the actioÌ„ is from man and the deuil A man rides vpon a lame horse and stirs him the rider is the cause of the motion but the horse himselfe of the halting in the motion So God is authour of the action but not of the euill of the action 4. The fourth way is in regard of the end God tempts his seruants onely to correct and humble them for their sinnes and to trie howe they will abide the crosse and to mooue them the more to loue him Deut. 8.2 God afflictes the children of Israel to trie them whether they would keepe his commandements 2. Chr. 31.31 He trieth Ezechias to see what was in his heart The deuils ende in tempting is onely to bring the partie to destruction Thus we neede not feare to say that God in some respects doth tempt his owne seruants Deliuer vs from euill That is free vs from the power of the flesh the deuil and the world Some take euill in this place onely for the deuill but wee may take it more largely for all spirituall enemies 1. Ioh. 5.19 The whole world lieth in euill vz. Vnder the power of sinne and Satan These words as I haue said are a proofe and explanation of the former for when a man is deliuered from euill he is not led into temptation the cause being taken away the effect ceaseth 3. The vses 1. HEnce we learne what a righteous God Iehoua is that can worke in euill actions and yet be void of sinne 2. Whereas we say lead vs not c. Wee note that the deuill in temptationâ— can goe no further then God permits him 3. We are not to pray that temptations be quite taken from vs or that wee be wholly freed from them but that they doe not ouercome vs. For it is the Lords wil that his Church should be tempted Nay Dauid desired some kind of temptations Psal. 26.1 Prooue me O Lord. And Iames saith Account it for exceeding ioy when ye shall fall into diuers temptations Iam. 1.2 4. Note also that euery man by nature is the bondslaue of sinne and Satan For where is deliuerance there was a bondage first This confutes the Papists who maintain free wil for we are dead in sinne by nature as a man in a graue and we must still pray thus till we be fully deliuered 4. Wants to be bewailed THe corruption which in this petition we ought to mourne for is the coÌ„tinuall rebellion of our wicked natures and our pronenesse to yeeld vp our selues in euery temptation to sinne Satan And the remnants of the old bondage vnder Satan must be grieuous and irkesome vnto vs and wee must bewaile them bitterly The Iewes in a bodily captiuitie wept when they remembred Sion Psal. 1.27 How much more should wee weepe when wee feele the lawe of our members rebelling against the lawe of our mindes and leading vâ— captiue to sinne 5. Graces to be desired THe contrarie blessing to be desired is that God would stablish vs by his free spirit Psal. 51.12 Which is so called because it sets vs euery day more and more at libertie out of the reach of sinne and Satan For thine is the kingdome the power and glorie for euer 1. The meaning THese wordes containe a reason of all the former petitions whereby wee are mooued to craue things needfull at Gods hand Thine is Earthly kings haue kingdome power and glorie Dan. 2.37 Yet not from themselues but from God whose vicegerents they are on earth Therefore to make a difference betweene Gods kingdome power and glorie and those of earthly kings it is said Thine is the kingdome c. that is that God hath all these in himselfe and from himselfe and men from him The kingdome These words 1. Chro. 26.11 are fully expounded Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and victorie and praise and all that is in heauen earth is thine thine is the kingdome and thou excellest as head ouer all c. The kingdome is said to bee Gods
Had not these men so yea I warrant you had they And the want of loue which you deeme of the Gospell of Christ knoweth not that a man should begin at himselfe and then descend I wot not by what steps Loue seeketh not her owne profit but maketh a man to forget himselfe and turne his profit to another man as Christ sought not himselfe or his owne profite but ours This tearme my selfe is not in the gospell neither yet father mother sister brother kinsman that one should in loue bee preferred before another The loue that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man neither putteth difference betweene one another In Christ we are all of one degree without respect of persons Notwithstanding though a Christian mans heart be open to all menâ— and receiueth all men yet because his abilitie of goods extendeth not so farre this prouision is made that euery man should care for his owne housholdâ— as father mother thine elders that haue holpen thee wife children and seruants When a man hath done his dutie to his houshold and yet hath further aboundance of the blessing of God that he oweth to the poore that cannot labour and cannot get work yet are destitute of friends to the poore I meane which he knoweth and to them of his owne parish For that prouision ought to be had in the Church that euery parish prouide for the poore If his neighbours which he knoweth be serued then is he a debter to the brethren a thousand miles off if he heare of their necessitie and haue himselfe any plentie yea to the very Infidels he is a debter if they neede â—s farre foorth as he doeth not maintaine them against Christ. Thus is euery man that needeth my helpe my father mother sister and brother in Christ euen as euery man that doth the will of the father is father mother sister and brother vnto Christ. Timoth. Now ye somewhat perswade me of that which me thought at the first blush was against common sense Euseb. By Gods grace I will perswade you more yet Howe if our Sauiour Christ Iesus should now dwell vpon the earth in pouertie and want coulde not you be contented to bestowe halfe your goods on him Timoth. Halfe my goods Nay truely all and my heart blood for I know if I should loose my liâ—e for him I should saue it Euseb. Very wel Christ is al in al. Euery Christian man to another is Christ himselfe and whatsoeuer is done to the poore is done to Christ himselfe and therefore your neighbours neede hath as good right in your goods as hath Christ himselfe which is heire and Lord ouer all And looke what you owe to Christ that you owe to your neighbours neede to your neighbour owe you your heart and life and whatsoeuer you haue or can doe Timoth. We need not giue our reliefe except the poore require it Euseb. Aske or not if they want you are bound to releiue them As Christ loued you so loue them Christ loued you being his enemie when I am sure of it you neuer asked remission of sinnes Timoth. We neede not releeue them often neede we Euseb. Yes as long as you are able and as oft as they want If Christ should forgiue vs but once we should come short of heauen Timoth. The world is full of naughtines and lewd people take pleasure in doing wrong and in slandering in hindering their brethren how can you liue among them in quietnes doe you vse to giue like for like Euseb. No you must vnderstand that there be two states or regiments in the world the kingdome of heauen which is the regiment of the gospell and the regiment of the worlde which is the temporall kingdome In the first state there is neither father nor mother neither master mistresse maid nor seruant nor husband nor wife nor Lord nor subiect nor inferiour but Christ is all each to other is Christ himselfe there is none better then otâ—er but al alike good all brethren and Christ only is Lord ouer all neither is their any other thing to doe or other lawe saue to loue one an other as Christ loued vs in the temporall regiment is husband wife father mother sonne daughter mistris maid manseruant subiect Lord Nowe euery person is a double person and vnder two regiments In the first regiment I am a person of mine owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine and may neither hate nor be angrie and much lesse fight or reuenge but must after the example of Christ humble my selfe forsake and denie my selfe and hate my selfe and cast my selfe away and bee meeke and patient and let euery man goe ouer me and tread me vnder foote and doe me wronge and yet I am to loue them and pray for them as Christ did for his crucifiers for loue is all and whatsoeuer is not of loue is damnable and cast forth of that kingdome In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of another thou art husband father mother daughter wife Lord subiect and there thou must doe according to thine office If thou be a father thou must doe the office of a father and rule or else thou damnest thy selfe thou must bring all vnder obedience whether by faire meanes or by foule thou must haue obedience of thy wife of thy seruants and of thy subiects if they will not obey in loue thou must chide fight and correct as farre as the lawe of God and the lawe of the land will suffer thee Nowe to the purpose whether a man may resist violence and defend or reuenge himselfe I say nay in the first state where thou art a person for thy selfe alone and Christs Disciple there thou must loue and of loue doe studie and enforce yea and suffer all things as Christ did to make peace that the blessing of God may come vpon thee which saith Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be the children of God If thou suffer and keep peace in thy selfe onely thy blessing is the possession of this world but if thou so loue the peace of thy brother that thou leaue nothing vndone or vnsuffered to further it thou shalt possesse heauen But in this worldly state where thou art no priuate man but a person in respect of other thou must and art bound vnder paine of damnation to execute thine office Of thy seruants thou must exact obedience and must not suffer thy selfe to be despised If thou art a ruler thou must take imprison and sley too not of malice and hate to reuenge thy selfe but to defend thy subiects and to maintaine thine office the ruler must not oppresse his subiects with rents fines and customes at all neither pill them with taxes and such like to maintaine his own lusts but be louing and kinde vnto them as Christ was to him for they be the price of his blood I will shewe my minde more plainely by one example You are in your fathers house among your brethren and
liuing in the yeare â—46 acknowledged Lotharius the Emperour for his prince 4 No Bishop may be called vniuersall 5 The Church of Rome hath no more authoritie ouer other Churches then other Churches ouer it 6 A Priest and a Bishop were in times past all one 7 The Pope hath no power to giue or sell pardons 8 There can be no merit by fasting or abstinence from flesh 9 The masse is nothing but the forme of diuine sacrificâ— By this which hath beene said it doth in part appeare that the religion of the Church of Rome is repugnant to it selfe and it could not so be if it were from the word of God A Corollarie gathered out of the former assertion 1. A man being indued with no more grace then that which hee may obtaine by the religion of the Church of Rome is still in the state of damnation A DIALOGVE CONTAINING THE CONFLICTS betweene Satan and the Christian. Sathan OVile helbound thou art my slaue and my vassall why then shakest thou off my yoke Christian. By nature I was thy vassal but Christ hath redeemed me Sathan Christ redeemeth no reprobates such as thou art Christian. I am no reprobate Sathan Thou art a reprobate for thou shalt be condemned Christian. Lucifer to pronounce damnation belongeth to God alone thou art no iudge it is sufficient for thee to be an accuser Sathan Though I cannot condemne thee yet I knowe God will condemne thee Christian. Yea but God will not condemne me Sathan Goe too let vs trie the matter Is not God a Lord and a King ouer thee and may he not therefore giue thee a lawe to keep and punish thee with hell fire if thou breake it Christian. Yes Sathan And hast thou kept the lawe of this thy Lord and King Christian. No. Sathan Let vs proceed further Is not the same Lord also a most righteous iudge And therefore a most sharp reuenger of sinne Christian. Yes truely Sathan Why then wilt thou flatter thy selfe thou hypocrite God cannot winke at thy sinnes except he should be vniust Wherefore there is no remedie thou art sure to be damned hel was prouided for thee and now it gapeth to deuoure thee Christian. There is remedie enough to deliuer me from condemnation For God is not onely as thou affirmest a Lord and a iudge but also a sauing and a most mercifull father Sathan But thou firebrand of hel fire and child of perdition looke for no mercie at Gods hands because thou art a most grieuous sinner for 1 Original sin runneth wholly ouer thee as a loathsome botch or leprosie 2 Thy mind knoweth not the things that be of God 3 In the law of God thou art stark blind sauing that thou hast a few principles of it to make thee inexcusable 4 The Gospel is foolishnes and madnes vnto thee thou makest no better account of it then of thine owne dreame 5 Thy conscience is corrupt because it flattereth thee and excuseth thy sinne 6 Thy memorie keepeth and remembreth nothing but that which is against Gods word but things abominable and wicked it keepeth long 7 Thy will hath no inclination to that which is good but onely to sinne and wickednes 8 Thy affections are set onely on wickednes they are as mightie gyants and princes in thee they haue thee at coÌ„mandement RemeÌ„ber that for very anger thou hast bin sicke that the lust of thy flesh hath driuen thee to madnes forget not thy Atheisme thy contempt of Gods word thy inward pride thy enuie hatred malice thy couetousnesse and infinit other wicked desires which haue led thee captiue and made thee outragious in all kind of naughtines 9 Thy actuall sinnes committed partly in secret partly in publike are most filthie and most infinite Remember how in such a place at such a time thou diddest commit fornication in another place thou diddest steale c. God saw this I warrant thee yea all thy sinnes are written in his booke wherefore thou cursed wretch all hope of mercie is cut off from thee Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes and I can not be so infinite in sinning as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning Sathan Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie why the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me or dismay me Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the crosse euen for me that I might be deliuered from condemnation which was due vnto me Sathan If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee perswade thy selfe he would neuer lay so many afflictions and crosses on thee as he doth What is this want of good name this weaknesse and sicknesse of thy bodie these terrours of the minde this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy heart what are all these I say and many other euills but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of hell Christian. Nay rather my afflictions are liuely testimonies of my saluation For God as a louing father partly by them as with scourges chasteneth my disobedience and bringeth me into order partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ and so by little and little laieth open to me mine owne sinnes that I may dislike my selfe and hate them and maketh me to renounce the world thy eldest sonne and stirreth me vp to call vpon him and to pray earnestly with grones sighes which I am not able to expresse with any words as I feele them Sathan Thy afflictions are heauie and comfortlesse therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour Christian. Indeede their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule but I haue had ioy in the midst of my afflictions strength sufficient to beare them and after them haue bin many waies bettered which befalleth to none of the wicked and for that cause it is a great perswasion to me that I shall not be damned with the wicked world but in spite of all thy power passe from death to euerlasting life Sathan After these thy manifold afflictions thou must suffer death which is most terrible and a very entrance into hell Christian. Death hath lost his sting by Christs death and vnto me it shal be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life Sathan Admit thou shalt be deliuered from hell by Christ what will this auaile thee considering that thou shalt neuer come to the kingdom of heauen for Christs death onely deliuereth thee from death eternall it cannot aduance thee to euerlasting life Christian. I am now at this time a member of Christs kingdome and after this life shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome Sathan Thou neuer didst fulfill the law therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Christian. Christ hath perfectly fulfilled euery part of the law for me and by this his obedience imputed vnto me I my selfe doe keepe the
and vndiscret companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regard they maintain vile sinnes in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the word and this is great contempt of Gods benefits and vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had neede to bee catechized the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue all things seeke the kingdome of GOD then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seeke the righteousnesse thereof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatnings of the lawe and the comforts of the gospel to their own consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod sir I know the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lord he knoweth it after the manner of the world in all the lusts of my filthie flesh then I was neuer troubled but it hath plesed GOD of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vpon his own necke and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Satan is to be possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darkenes and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are is peace Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the deuill and his angels in their full strengthâ— to stand vp against him and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion Sinner But this my trouble of mind hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You would be freâ— from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you will go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hel If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must bee with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the fâ—aile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can be Gods bread You are one of Christs Lambes looke therefore to be fleeced and to haue the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture but you are for Gods owne occupying therfore you must pasture on the bare common abiding stormes tempests Sathans snatches the worlds woundes contempt of conscience and frettes of the flesh But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vnto you to helpe you to carrie your crosse so be it you will reueale your mind vnto me Christian. I will doe it willingly my temptations are either against my faith in Christ or against repentance for my sinnes Minister What is your temptation as touching faith Christian. Ah woe is me I am much afraid least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour Minister What causeth this feare Christian. Diuers things Minister What is one Christian. I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation and so it comes into my minde to thinke that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God Minister But you must knowe this one thing that he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued and that hee which beleeueth in trueth feeleth many doubtings and wauerings euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele Christian. But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation Minister What will you then say of the man that said Lord I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure Yea hee goeth on further as a man in despaire And I said this is my death Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith may haue not onely assaults of doubting but of desperation This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place Why art thou cast downe my soule Why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes he is my present helpe and my God And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but vnreasonable men that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without any doubting of their saluation Christian. But Dauid had more in him then I haue for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine but rebellion against GOD nothing but doubting of his mercie Minister Let me know but one thing of you these doubtings which you feele doe you like them or doe you take any pleasure in them and doe you cherish them Christian. Nay nay they appeare very vile in mine eies and I do abhorre them from my heart and I would faine beleeue Minister In man we must consider his estate by nature and his estate by grace In the first hee and his flesh are all one for they are as man wife therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth that is in subiection to the flesh yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth beeing in this estate with the flesh a louing couple they are they liue and die together But in the estate of grace though a man haue the flesh in him yet hee and his flesh are diuorced asunder This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh and the euil fruits of it this separation
not beseeming him a sinne of all other to be detested Reasons I. A blasphemer is viler then the rest of the creatures for they praise God in their kind and shew forth his power goodnesse and wisdome but he dishonoureth God in his wretched speech II. He is as the madde dogge that flieth in his masters face who keepeth him and giueth him bread III. Custome in blasâ—hemies sheweth a man to be the child of the deuill and no child of God as yet A father lying on his death bedde called the three children to him which he kept and told them that one only of them was his owne sonne and that the rest were onely brought vp by him therefore vnto him he gaue all his goods but which of these was his naturall sonne he would not in any wise declare When he was deade euery one of the three children pleaded that he was the sonne and therefore that the goods were his The matter beeing brought before a Iudge could not be ended but the Iudge was constrained to take this course he caused the dead corpes of the father to be set vp against a tree and commaunded the three sonnes to take bowes and arrowes and to shoote against their father and to see who could come neerest the heart The first and second did shoote at their father and did hiâ—â—e him the third was angrie with both the other through naturall affection of a child to a father and refused to shoote This done the Iudge gaue sentence that the two first were no sonnes but the third onely and that he should haue the goods The like triall may be vsed to know who be Gods children Such persons with whome blaspheming is rife are very deuills incarnate and the children of the deuill who rende God in pieces and shoote him through with their darts as it is said of the Egyptian when he blasphemed that he smote or pierced through Gods Name Magistrates and rulers seuerally punish such as shall abuse their names and they doe it iustly how much more then should blasphemers of Gods name escape without great punishment Againe here we must be warned to take heede of that customable swearing and also of periurie It is a very straunge sinne for the periuried person doth not onely sinne himselfe but withall he endeauoureth to intangle God in the same sinne with himselfe Further take heede least thou dost either make or recite the iests which are contriued out of the phrases of Scripture which are very many and very vsually rehearsed in companie The oyle wherewith the tabernacle and the arke of the Testament and the Priests were annointed was holy and therefore no man might put it to any other vses as to annoint his owne flesh therewith or to make the like vnto it Pilate a poore Painym when he heard the name of the Sonne of God was afraid and we much more ought to tremble at the word of God not to make our selues merrie with it And therefore the scoffing of Iulian the Apostata is very fearefull who was wont to reach Christians boxes on the eare and withall bid them turne the other and obey their masters commandement Whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also And he denied pay and like reward to his souldiers that were Christians because he said he would make them fit for the kingdome of heauen considering that Christ had said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Here also men must learne to take heede of all maner of charmes and enchantments which commonly are nothing els but words of Scripture or such like vsed for the curing of paines and diseases both in men and beasts As for example the first words of S. Iohns Gospel In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God c. are vsed to be written in a paper and hung about mens necks to cure agues But the truth is such kind of practises are deuillish Patrons of charmes hold that in such words as are either diuine or barbarous is much efficacie But whence is this efficacie from God from men or from the deuill If it shall be saide from God we must know that the word vsed in holy manner is the instrument of God to conuey vnto vs spirituall blessings as faith regeneration repentance but it doth not serue to bring vnto vs corporall health Well then belike words take vertue from the speaker and are made powerfull by the streÌ„gth of his imagination Indeed of this opinion are some Phisitians as Avicenna and Paracelsus who thinke that phantasie is like to the sunne which worketh on all things to which his beames doe come and the latter that by imagination miracles may be wrought But this opinion is fond and the reasons alledged for it are without weight For imaginations are no things but shadows of things And as an image of a man in a glasse hath no power in it but onely serues to resemble and represent the bodie of a man so it is with the phantasie and conceit of the mind and no otherwise And if imagination haue any force it is onely within the spirits and humours of a mans own bodie but to giue force to worke in the bodies of others it can not no more then the shadow of one bodie can ordinarily cure the bodie of another on which it lighteth Wherefore words vsed in the way of bodily cure be they in themselues neuer so good are no better then the deuills sacraments and when they are vsed of blinde people he it is that comming vnder hand worketh the cure and by turning himselfe into an angel of light deludes theÌ„ But it were better for a man to die a thousand times then to vse such remedies which in curing the bodie destroy the soule Lastly auoide all imprecations and cursings either against men or other creatures for God in iudgement to punish such cursed speaking often brings to passe such imprecations as may appeare in the Iewes who at the arraignment of Christ cried saying His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children which imprecation is verified vpon them till this day At Newburge in Germanie a certaine mother cursed her sonne saying Get thee away I would thou mightest neuer come againe aliue the very same day he went into the water and was drowned Againe a mother brought her child to the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge by reason he was possessed with an vncleane spirit beeing demaunded how it came to passe shee answered in the hearing of many that in her anger shee said The deuill take thee and thereupon presently the child was possessed And in our countrey men often wish the plague the poxe the pestilence to their children their seruants their cattell and often it falls out accordingly In the daies of king Edward certaine English souldiers as I am certenly informed by a witnesse then present being by a tempest cast vpon the sands on the
said religion is against the Catholike principles and groundes of the Catechisme PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir William Bowes Knight c. Grace and peace RIght Worshipful it is a notable pollicie of the deuil which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be reunited as in their opinion they were before Writings to this effect are spread abroad in the French tongue and respected of English protestants more then is meete or ought to be For let men in shew of moderation pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as long as they will this Vnion of the two religions can neuer be made more then the vnion of light darknes And this shall appeare if we doe but a little consider howe they of the Romane Church haue rased the foundation For though in wordes they honour Christ yet in deed they turne him to a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine They call him our Lord but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may chaunge and adde to his commandements hauing so great a power that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will and bind the verie conscience with his owne lawes and consequently be partaker of the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour but yet in Vs in that hee giues this grace vnto vs that by our merits wee may be our owne Sauiours and in the want of our own merits wee may pertake in the merits of the Saints And they acknowledge that he died and suffered for vs but with this caueat that the Fault beeing pardoned wee must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this world or in Purgatorie In a word they make him our mediatour of Intercession vnto God but withal his Mother must be the Queene of Heauen and by the right of a Mother commaund him there Thus in worde they crie Osunna but in deede they crucifie Christ. Therefore wee haue good cause to blesse the name of God that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage and hath brought vs to the true light libertie of the gospel And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs not to stand out against the present Church of Rome but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise which I present to your Worship desiring it might be some token of a thankfull mind for vndeserued loue And I craue withall not onely your Worshipfull which is more common but also your learned protection beeing well assured that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truely taught Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience I take my leaue Cambridge Iun. 28. 1597. Your Worships in the Lord William Perkins THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader BY a Reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holdes the same necessarie beads of religion with the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the said religion is corrupted Howe this may be done I haue begun to make some little declaration in this small Treatise the intent whereof is to shewe how neere wee may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion and wherein we must for euer dissent My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefolde The first is to confute all such Politikes as hold and maintaine that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance and consequently that they may be reconciled yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane Church to our religion The second is that the Papists which thinke so basely of our religion may be wonne to a better liking of it when they shall see howe neere we come vnto them in sundrie points The third that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome and know in what manner and how farre forth we condemne the opinions of the said Church I craue pardon for the order which I vse in handling the seuerall points For I haue set them downe one by one as they came to mind not respecting the lawes of method If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright I answer that their bookes be at hand and I can iustifie what I haue saide Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion I take my leaue and make an ende The places of doctrine handled are 1 Of Free-will 2 Of Originall sinne 3 Assurance of saluation 4 Iustification of a sinner 5 Of merits 6 Satisfactions for sinne 7 Of Traditions 8 Of Vowes 9 Of Images 10 Of Reall presence 11 The sacrifice of the Masse 12 Of Fasting 13 The state of perfection 14 Worshipping of Saints departed 15 Intercession of Saints 16 Implicite faith 17 Of Purgatorie 18 Of the supremacie 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Of faith 21 Of Repentance 22 The sinnes of the Romane Church REVELAT 18. 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets downe a description of the whore of Babylon that at large as he saw her in a vision described vnto him In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter he foretels her destruction and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter hee goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainely withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same in all the verses following Nowe in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God that they may escape the iudgement which shal befall the whore and the words containe two parts a commandement and a reason The commandement Come out of her my people that is from Babylon The reason taken from the euent least ye be partakers c. Touching the cōmandement first I will search the right meaning of it and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned one is Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer Euphrates where was the confusion of Languages and where the Iewes were in captiuitie which Babylon is in Scripture reproched for Idolatrie and other iniquities The second Babylon is in Egypt standing on the riuer Nylus and it is now called Cayr of that mention is made 1. Pet. 5.13 as some thinke though indeede it is as likely and more commonly thought
though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Nowe as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists 1. Isay 56.4 The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth him will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters Nowe say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vowe of chastitie and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie Answ. If the wordes bee well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lords sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mark 16.12 Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie do willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9.21 Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood a strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question importeth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all but especially to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee Gen. 12.2 IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7.8 Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marrie and this he speakes by permission not by commandement v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 Paul preached the gospell freely and that was more then he was bound to doe and for so doing hee had a reward Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it but in Corinth vpon special circumstances he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did by reason of the false teachers who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery and haue hindred the glorie of God Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god and if he had not so done he had abused his liberty v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required For an action indifferent or an action in our libertie ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall in the case of offence What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood 1. Cor. 8.13 The XIV point Of the worshipping of Saints specially of Inuocation Our consent Conclus I. The true Saints of God as Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and such like are to be worshipped and honoured and that three waies I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth that all nations shall call her blessed Luk. 1.48 When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ he saith this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world Mark 14.9 This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses Aaron Phineas and the rest that are commended Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1.13 And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meeknes repentance the feare of God and all good vertues wherein they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worship The highest they call Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worship they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the body to them being in heauen in inuocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbaths and festiuall
sentence of damnation against vnbeleeuers and reprobates Q. What state shall the godly be in after the day of iudgement A. They shall continue for euer in the highest heauen in the presence of God hauing fellowship with Christ Iesus and raigning with him for euer Q. What state shall the wicked be in after the day of iudgement A. In eternall perdition and destruction in hell fire Q. What is that A. It stands in three things especially first a perpetuall separation â—rom Gods comfortable presence 2. fellowship with the deuill and his angels 3. an horrible pang and torment both of bodie and soule arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God powred forth on the wicked for euer world without ende and if the paine of one tooth for one day be so great endelesse shall be the paine of the whole man bodie and soule for euer and euer FINIS A GRAINE of Musterd-seede OR The least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation Printed for Ralph Iackson 1600. TO THE RIHGT HONOVrable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Margaret Countesse of Cumberland Grace and peace RIght Honourable the kingdome of heauen of which the Scripture speaketh so oft is properly a certaine state or coÌ„dition wherby we stand in the fauour and loue of God in and by Christ. And this kingdome is compared to a graine of Musterd-seede to teach vs that a man is euen at that instant alreadie entered into the kingdome of heauen when the Lord that good husband-man hath cast but some little portion of faith or repentance into the ground of the heart yea though it be but as one graine of musterd-seed Of this little graine I haue penned this little treatise in quantitie answerable thereto and now I present the same to your Laâ—â—ship not to supplie your want for I hope you are stored with more graines of this kinde but to performe some dutie on my part Hoping therefore that your Ladiship will read and accept the same I take my leaue commending you to the blessing and protection of the Almightie Your H. to command William Perkins A Graine of Musterd-seede or the least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation IT is a very necessarie point to be knowne what is the least measure of grace that can befall the true child of God lesser theÌ„ which there is no grace effectuall to saluation For first of all the right vnderstanding of this is the very foundation of true comfort vnto all troubled and touched consciences Secondly it is a notable meanes to stirre vp thankfulnes in them that haue any grace at all when they shall in examination of themselues consider that they haue receiued of God the least measure of grace or more Thirdly it will be an inducement and a â—purre to many carelesse and vnrepentant persons to imbrace the Gospel and to beginne repentance for their sinnes when they shall perceiue and that by the word of God that God accepts the very seeds and rudiments of faith and repentance at the first though they be but in measure as a graine of musterd-seede Now then for the opening and clearing of this point I will set downe sixe seuerall conclusions in such order as one shall confirme and explaine the other and one depend vpon the other I. Conclusion A man that doth but begin to be conuerted is euen at that instant the very child of God though inwardly he be more carnall then spirituall The Exposition IN a man there must be considered three things the substance of the bodie and soule whereof a man is said to consist the faculties placed in the soule and exercised in the bodie as vnderstanding will affections the integritie and puritie of the faculties wherby they are conformable to the will of God and beare his Image And since the fall of Adam man is not depriued of his substance or of the powers and faculties of his soule but onely of the third which is the puritie of nature and therefore the conuersion of a sinner whereof the conclusion speaketh is not the change of the substance of man or the faculties of the soule but a renewing and restoring of that puritie and holinesse which was lost by mans fall with the abolishment of that naturall corruption that is in all the powers of the soule This is the worke of God and of God alone and that on this manner First of all when it pleaseth God to worke a chaunge in any he doth it not first in one part then in an other as hee that repaires a decaied house by peece-meale but the worke both for the beginning continuance and accomplishment is the whole man and euery part at once specially in the minde and conscience will and affection as on the contrary when Adam lost the image of God he lost it in euery part Secondly the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought all at one instant but in continuance of time and that by certaine measures and degrees And a man is in the first degree of his conuersioÌ„ when the holy ghost by the means of the word inspires him with some spirituall motions and begins to regenerate and renewe the inward powers of the soule And he may in this case very fitly be coÌ„pared to the night in the first dawning of the day in which though the darknesse remaine and be more in quantitie then the light yet the Sunne hath alreadie cast some beames of light into the aire whereupon we tearme it the breaking of the daie Nowe then the very point which I touch is that a man at this instant and in this very state God as yet hauing but laid certaine beginnings of true conuersion in his heart is the very child of God and that not onely in the eternall purpose of God as all the elect are but indeede by actuall adoption and this is plaine by a manifest reason There bee foure speciall workes of grace in euery childe of God his vnion with Christ his adoption iustification and conuersion and these foure are wrought all at one instant so as for order of time neither goes before nor after other and yet in regard of order of nature vnion with Christ Iustification and adoption goe before the inward conuersion of a sinner it beeing the fruite and effect of theÌ„ all Vpon this it followeth necessarily that a sinner in the very first act of his conuersion is iustified adopted and incorporated into the 〈◊〉 caâ—â— body of Christ. In the parable of the prodigall sonne the father with ioy receiues his wicked child but whenâ— surely when he sawe him comming a farre off and when as yet he had made no confession or humiliation to his father but onely had conceiued with himselfe a purpose to returne and to say Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. And Paul saieth of many of the Corinthians that he could not speake vnto them as spirituall men but as carnall euen babes in
Christ. 1. Cor. 3.1 II. Conclusion The first material beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner or the smallest measure of renewing grace haue the promises of this life and the life to come The exposition THE beginnings of conuersion must bee distinguished some are beginnings of preparations some beginnings of composition Beginnings of preparation are such as bring vnder tame and subdue the stubburnenesse of mans nature without making any change at all of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the lawe feares and terrors arising thence coÌ„punction of heart which is the apprehension of gods anger against sin Now these and the like I exclude in the conclusion for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion followingâ— yet are they no graces of God but fruites of the law that is the ministerie of death of an accusing conscience Beginnings of composition I tearme all those inwarde motions and inclinations of Gods spirit that follow after the worke of the law vpon the conscience and rise vpon the meditation of the Gospel that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth and of this it consisteth what these are it shall afterward appeare Againe grace must be distinguished it is twofold restraining grace or renuing grace Restraining grace I tearme certaine common giftes of God seruing onely to order and frame the outward conuersation of men to the lawe of God or seruing to bereaâ—e men of excuse in the daie of iudgement By this kind of grace heathen men haue beene liberall iust sober valiant By it men liuing in the Church of God haue beene inlightened and hauing tasted of the good worde of God haue reioyced therein and for a time outwardly conformed themselues thereto renewing grace is not common to al men but proper to the elect and it is a gift of Gods spirit whereby the corruption of sinne is not onely restrained but also mortified and the decaied Image of God restored Now then the conclusion must onely be vnderstood of the second and not of the first for though a man haue neuer so much of this restraining grace yet vnlesse he haue the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart and to sanctifie him he is as farre from saluation as any other Now then the sense and meaning of the conclusion is that the very least meanes of sauing grace and the very beginnings or seedes of regeneration doe declare and after a sort giue title to men of all the mercifull promises of God whether they concerne this life or the life to come and therefore are approoued of God if they be in trueth and accepted as greater measures of grace That which our Sauiour Christ saieth of the worke of miracles â—f you haue faith as a graine of Musterd seede ye shall say vnto this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place and it shall remooue must by the lawe of equall proportion be applyed to faith repentance the feare of God and all other graces if they bee truely wrought in the heart though they bee but as small as one little graine of musterd-seede they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes for which they were ordained The Prophet Esay 42.3 saith that Christ shall not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede Let the comparison be marked fire in flaxe must be both little and weake in quantitie as a sparke or twaine that cannot cause a flame but onely a smoake specially in a matter â—o easie to burne Here then is signified that the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that are both for measure and strength as a sparke or twaine of fire shall not be neglected but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise but of outward and ciuill righteousnes he looked vpon him and loued him and when he heard the Scribe to speake discreetely but one good speach that to louâ— God with all his heart is aboue all sacrifices he said vnto him That he was not farre from the kingdome of heauen Therefore no doubt hee will loue with a more special loue and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome those that haue receiued a further mercie of God to be borne anew of water and of the spirit III. Conclusion A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to beleeue and to repent if it be in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation faith repentance it selfe The Exposition LVst or desire is twofold naturall and supernaturall Naturall is that whose beginning and obiect is in nature that is which ariseth of the naturall will of man and anecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature And this kind of desire hath his degrees yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature Some desire riches honours pleasures some learning and knowledge because it is the light and perfection of the minde some goe further and seeke after the vertues of iustice temperance liberalitie c. and thus many heathen men haue excelled Some againe desire true happinesse as Balaam did who wished to die the death of the righteous because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe But here nature staies it selfe for where the minde reueales not the will affects not Supernaturall desires are such as both for their beginning and obiect are aboue nature for their beginning is from the holy Ghost and the obiect or matter about which they are conuersant are things diuine and spirituall which concerne the kingdome of heauen and of this kind are the desires of which I speake in this place Againe that we may not be deceiued in our desires but may the better discerne them from flittering fleeting motions I adde three restraints First of all the desire of reconciliation the desire to beleeue or the desire to repent c. must be constant and haue continuance otherwise it may iustly be suspected Secondly it must be earnest and serious though not alwaies yet at sometimes that we may be able to say with Dauid My soule desireth after thee O Lord as the thirstie laÌ„d And as the heart braieth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen the liuing god Thirdly it must be in a touched heart for when a man is touched in conscience the heart is cast down and as much as it can it withdrawes it selfe from God For this cause if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto God they are without doubt from the spirit of God Thus then I auouch that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ is reconciliation it selfe the desire to beleeue is faith indeede and the desire to repent repentance it selfe But marke how A desire to be reconciled is not
law Sathan Be it so for all this thou art farre enough from the kingdome of heauen into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter then although that Christ hath suffered death and fulfilled the law for thee yet thou art in part vncleane thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holy Ghost and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me euen as Iaacob put on Esaus garments to get his fathers blessing so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ as a long white robe couering my sinnes and making me appeare perfectly righteous euen before Gods iudgement seate Sathan Indeede God hath made promise vnto mankinde of all these mercies and benefites in Christ but the condition of this promise is faith which thou wantest and therefore canst not make any account that Christs sufferings Christs fulfilling the law Christs perfect holinesse can doe thee any good Christian. I haue true sauing faith The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan THou saiest that thou hast true faith but I shall sift thee and disprooue thee Christian. The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against my faith doe what thou canst Sathan Tell me then doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued Christian. No. Sathan What shall some be saued and some condemned Christian. So saith the word of God Sathan Thou then art perswaded that God is true euen in his merciful promises and that he will saue some men as Peter and Paul and Dauid c. and this is the onely beleefe by which thou wilt be saued Christian. Nay this I beleeue and more too that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued by the merit of Christs death and passion and this is the beleefe that saueth me Sathan It may be thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee but that God will saue thee that is that he hath determined to aduance this thy bodie and this thy soule into his kingdome and that he is most willing to performe it in his good time herein thou wauerest and doubtest Christian. Nay Sathan I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded that I shall be saued and that Christ is specially my redeemer and O Lord for Christs sake helpe thou my doubting and vnbeleefe Sathan This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie and a strong imagination of thine owne head it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest Christian. It is no imagination but truth which I speake For me thinkes I am as certen of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures as Dauids and Pauls are to be an elect vessell of God and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ assuring me inwardly of my adoption and making me with boldnes and confidence in Christ to pray vnto god the Father Sathan Still thou dreamest and imaginest thou louest and likest thy selfe and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe Christian. Yea but God of his goodnesse hath brought forth such tokens of faith in me that I cannot be deceiued I. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes in which somtime I haue delighted and bathed my selfe Rom. 7.15.24 II. I purpose neuer to commit them againe if God giue me strength as I trust he will III. I haue a very great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth IV. Those that be the children of God if I doe but heare of them I loue them with my heart and wish vnto them as to my selfe 1. Ioh. 3.14 V. My heart leapeth for gladnesse when I heare of the preaching of the word VI. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus that an end may be made of sinning and of displeasing God Apoc. 22.70 VII I feele in my heart the fruits of the spirit ioy loue peace gentlenes meeknes patience temperance the works of the flesh I abhorre them fornication adulterie vncleannes wantonnes idolatry strife enuie anger drunkennes bibbing and quaffing and all such like Gal. 5. 19,20,22 All these cannot proceede from thee Sathan or from my flesh but onely from faith which is wrought in me by Gods holy spirit Sathan If this were so God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this world I am sure of it because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies then it hath beene in times past I haue sinned heretofore with full purpose and consent of will but now doubtles I doe not Before I commit any sinne I doe not goe to the practising of it with deliberation as the carnall man doth who taketh care to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but if I doe it it is flat beside my minde and purpose in the doing of any sinne I would not doe it my heart is against it and I hate it and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it afterward when it is committed I am grieued and displeased at my selfe and doe earnestly with teares aske at Gods hand forgiuenes of the same sinne Sathan Indeede this is very true in the children of God but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne and louest it with thy whole heart otherwise thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance and commit euen one and the same sinne so often as thou doest Thou hypocrite this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee Christian. Indeed it is dangerous to fall againe into the same sinne after repentance yet it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God and from the repentance which they professed and God in thus calling them putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people and for particular men both for their ignorances and their voluntary sins which signifieth that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his childrē though they sinne often Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife Ioseph sware twise by the life of Pharao Dauid committed adulterie often because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba Vriahs wife and also kept sixe wiues and ten concubines Gods will is that men forgiue till seuentie seuen times and therefore he will haue much more mercie And for my part so oft as I shal fall into the same sinne so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the Father for me who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me I will abstaine from externall iniquitie and I will not make my members seruants vnto sinne and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne me for Christs perfection is reputed to be mine by