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A12466 A map of Virginia VVith a description of the countrey, the commodities, people, government and religion. VVritten by Captaine Smith, sometimes governour of the countrey. Whereunto is annexed the proceedings of those colonies, since their first departure from England, with the discourses, orations, and relations of the salvages, and the accidents that befell them in all their iournies and discoveries. Taken faithfully as they were written out of the writings of Doctor Russell. Tho. Studley. Anas Todkill. Ieffra Abot. Richard Wiefin. Will. Phettiplace. Nathaniel Povvell. Richard Pots. And the relations of divers other diligent observers there present then, and now many of them in England. By VV.S. Smith, John, 1580-1631.; Symonds, William, 1556-1616?; Abbay, Thomas.; Hole, William, d. 1624, engraver. 1612 (1612) STC 22791; ESTC S121887 314,791 163

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principall measure thereof is for all such as are called to this waighty charge of being Gods Messengers and Interpretors vnto the people For if no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. then who can preach worthily of Iesus and of the doctrine of saluation but by him And if this key of the Spirit be requisite for the opening of all points of doctrine then is it thrice necessary to reueale mysteries Beloued this point of doctrine concerning the Incarnation and Office of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is not onely a mystery but a mystery of mysteries that is a most deep and hidden mysterie which the Patriarches saw in a glasse and as it were in a darke speaking the Prophets searched after the very Angels desired to behold And therefore not onely we that take vpon vs to vnfold the same haue need to pray with the Prophet Dauid Lord open thou our lips that our mouthes may shew forth thy praise and speake worthily of this high mysterie but also you that are here present before God this day to heare words from my mouth ought to pray with all manner of prayer and with all instance that he that tooke away the scales from Pauls eyes and is called by Daniel The Reuealer of Secrets would so open the eyes of your vnderstanding that that which shall be deliuered vnto you may not be as a booke that is sealed or clozed fast but that you may know Christ and comprehend him for whose sake you are also comprehended of him This short Preface I thought good to make vnto you in respect of the excellency and diuinenes●e of the Argument or Theme vndertaken by me to stirre vp your godly deuotion that there may spring vp in you no root of profanenesse nor cold pang of wearinesse oppresse you to make the Word vnprofitable For if they escaped not that despised Moses his Law much lesse shall we escape if we despise the Gospell that is if wee shall not reuerently heare and religiously lay vp in our hearts this most gladsome tydings concerning Christ manifesting of himselfe in the flesh to communicate himselfe vnto vs and to draw vs vnto him But let vs come to the glad tidings it selfe Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. Three notable things or rather wonderfull are contained in this short verse 1. A wonderfull Conception 2. A wonderfull Birth 3. A wonderfull Coniunction of the Diuine and humane nature in one person A Virgin shall conceiue This is the first of the wonders A Virgin shall beare a Sonne This is the second His name shall be called Immanuel that is G●d with vs because of the assuming of our nature vnto himselfe This is the third A Virgin shall conceiue This truth is contradicted by two sorts of men especially by the wrangling Iewe and by the doubtfull Infidell The one saith It was not so the Prophet did not meane that shee should be a Virgin that should be the mother of Immanuel The other saith It could not bee how can a Virgin conceiue c These be the obiections of the vnhappy miscreants the Iewes the Gentiles the Atheisticall scorners whom I will not answer diligently or at large lest I should seeme too much to honour them but I will confute them briefly that I may furnish you with some reasons against the day of battell against the time I say that your faith shall be shaken with such kind of persons To the Iewe therefore this I say That though we take no aduantage of the Etymon of the Word vsed by the Prophet and yet as the Learned know the Hebrew tongue doth excell all other tongues in fitting the nature of things with proper fit names yet forasmuch as the word signifieth one that is kept close and secret who else but a Virgin can be meant But to omit this aduantage and to omit also the authority of the seuenty Interpreters which were Iewes and so translated it before this matter was in controuersie and therefore not excepted against for partiality Let vs consider the matter it selfe Doth not the Prophet in Gods name promise to shew them a signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a prodigious and strange thing surpassing the course of nature Quale autem signum erat adolescentulam non Virginem parere saith Origen against C●lsus What signe were that what wonder were that for a young woman that lyeth with a man to conceiue This were a wonder not to be wondred at Therefore either the Prophet Esay spake absurdly and called these things which were not such as though they were such which was farre from that wisdome and eloquence that was in him or an extraordinary Conception and which exceeded the bounds of nature and the experience of the world is here signified This is enough to beat downe the Iewes enough in this place for if I should stand to refute all their canils I should seeme to forg●t mine Auditory To the Infidels that cry out It is impossible that a Virgin should conceiue this I answere euen as Christ did in the like case That with men indeed it is impossible but with God all things are possible Whatsoeuer God will that hee doth both in heauen and earth or speake I this after the manner of the Scripture and saith not Nature the same Yes verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are easie to God c. for if any thing were too hard for God then he were not God but that which is too hard for him should be God rather since by reason hee that is strongest and aboue all hee onely deserueth the name of God It remaineth therefore that all things a●● subiect to God subiect to his pleasure subiect to his motion then Nature specially then he may alter it as it pleaseth him Indeed Beloued though he hath made a Law for all his creatures yet he hath not made a Law for himselfe he will be brought vnto subiection to none He is and will remaine Liberrimum agens a most free Agent Therefore let no man say no Infidell nor any whatsoeuer This is not wont to be done therefore it cannot be done I doe not see how it may be done therefore it is impossible for surely he speakes rather madly then foolishly that speaketh so since there be infinite examples and in all ages to the contrary Why naturally we know the Lord hath made the sands for bounds to the Sea and hath appointed the same to checke the billowes thereof c. and yet many aliue haue seene the same to range ouer its bankes and to carry away with it whole Townes and Shires c. So naturally man onely hath the gift of speech and not presently after his birth but he must stay a certaine time but yet when it pleaseth God to shew a miracle euen Asses haue spoken and Oxen at the Plowe and a child in his mothers belly I doe not tell you fables but stories So
vnto Dauid a righteous Branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and in his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord of righteousnesse This is he that was promised Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah vntill Shiloh come And to Abraham and Adam before that The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head In thy seed shall all generations of the earth be blessed And to Dauid and Symeon afterward All Nations shall blesse my Sonne and bee blessed in him Thou shall not see death vntill thou hast seene the Lord Christ. Briefly this is He that being appointed for the fall and vprising of Israel for the gathering of the Gentiles for the ioy of the whole earth was when the fulnesse of time came made of a woman borne vnder the Law that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the Law that so we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Will you vnderstand a little more of his nature Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to be equall with God he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant the substantiall forme not the accidentall there be his two natures Diuine humane Will you heare of his Person whether it be two or one because of his natures The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs Here begin againe his ●●o natures and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Lo Son he calleth him not Sons for all that he was called Word flesh that is God and man Will you heare of his kindred of the time of his comming of his behauiour of his miracles of his Doctrine of his doings suffrings of the effects of his doings suffrings The time was prophesied of by the Prophets by the Euangelists he is set forth to haue beene of the Linage of Dauid in the Towne of Dauid vnder the gouernment of a stranger in great humility and meekenesse with powerfull Doctrine with great signes and wonders with great and wonderfull obedience euen vnto death Finally to haue triumphed ouer Principalities and Powers and led Captiuity captiue to haue deliuered man who for feare of death was all his life time subiect to bondage to set at peace by the blood of the Crosse both things in heauen and things in earth In a word He dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification This is the blessed Babe of whom my Text occasioneth me to speake the memory of whose Natiuity we celebrate this day But how doe we celebrate it We put on our best apparell that we doe and that wee may doe but doe we decke our selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde with purity and integrity c. that wee should doe Wee draw neere vnto God with our lippes that we doe and that we may doe but doe we draw as neere with our hearts with hearty thankesgiuings for Gods mercies in his Sonne with hearty acknowledgement and repentance for our sinnes and wickednesses that we should doe Wee stand here before the Preacher as they that would be edified in their holy faith and to learne their duty that we doe many of 〈◊〉 and that wee ought to doe all but doe wee care to carry any thing away and to lay it vp in our hearts and to ponder it in our minds and to expresse it in our liues and conuersations that we should doe that is the thing that is necessary So we will fare well as many as are able and we will lade our tables with dishes and haue plenty of wine and strong drinkes c. but will we remember withall the affliction of Ioseph as it is in Amos will we send vnto them for whom nothing was prepared as it is in Ester that is will we helpe and releeue them that haue need of our comfort then we shall doe well Lastly we will laugh and be merry and reioyce and shout as in the dayes of Haruest as it is in Esay wee will call for the Violl and the Pipe the merry Harpe and the Lute as it is in the Psalme we will sit vp long haue many conferences with our neighbours and many songs and this we will doe and this we may doe But shall our songs be of the praises of the Lord and our talking of the most Highest Shall our watchi●g be vnto prayer not vnto vnthriftinesse our ioy in the holy Ghost not in worldly vanities our pastime a sober recreation not wanton daliance c Then we shall doe well then we shall please God then the Lord will say of vs as he did of Ierusalem Hephzi-bah that is My delight in her Indeed as the Apostle Saint Paul calleth vs away from the Iewish obseruation of the Passe-ouer to a Christian and spirituall keeping thereof not for a day or a yeere onely but thorowout our whole life saying Christ our Passe-ouer is sacrificed for vs therefore let vs keepe the Feast not in old leauen neither in the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the sweet bread of sincerity and truth So are we to be called vpon Beloued and waightily charged in Gods name and so I doe charge you that in this Feast you beware of all heathenish profanity and all carnall loosenesse and intemperancie and as they that looke for the comming of the Bride-groome and are carefull to shew forth the vertues of him that vouchsafed to be borne and to become man for their sakes see that we walke in newnesse of life The Gentiles indeed at this time of the yeere celebrated diuers feasts in honour of their Idols as Saturnalia Vacunalia c. wherein they allowed themselues and their seruants too in one of them all kinds of loosenesse and knauery But the Apostle doth declare and testifie vnto vs that wee henceforth should not walke as other Gentiles in vanities of their mind and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them For the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and commandeth that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke iustly and soberly and godly in this present world They that sleepe saith Saint Paul elsewhere sleepe in the night and they that are drunke are drunke in the night but now we are the children of the light and of the day and God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto h●linesse Therefore it becommeth vs to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light and as he that hath called vs is holy so we to be holy in all ma●ner of conuersation This know that meat and drinke apparell doth not commend vs to God much lesse doth sporting or reu●lling much lesse doth chambring or wantonnes gluttony or drunkennes strife or enuying or the like but if any will be in Christ he must be a newe creature and
Hieronym against the Luciferians Quae est ista simplicitas nescire quod credas c What simplicity is this to beleeue you cannot tell what He beleeued simply what did he beleeue By which places you see that as the knowledge of Christ is required if we meane to be acknowledged of his Father so this knowledge must not be a generall conceit or notice onely that there is such a one and that some thing he hath done for so we shall shoote but at an vncertaine marke striue as they that beate the ayre as Saint Paul saith but we must know in particular what great things he hath done and from what aboundant loue hee did it and with what fierce enemies he encountred in doing it and for what kind of persons he did that which he did and lastly in what miserable estate we had beene if he had not done it And is this so easie a faith that it may be gotten with once opening of our eyes or conned by one stans pede in vno or haue we not need rather to search the Scriptures as Christ spake and to Take vp and read Take vp and read as Augustine was admonished and to attend to those things which the Preachers teach vs as Lydia did to Pauls Doctrine As I say we are to giue our diligence that we may be skilfull in the whole booke of God in the whole doctrine of our Saluation so especially it shall behoue vs to get by heart and haue in a readinesse such Sentences as doe summarily and briefly containe the mysterie of Christs Incarnation and the chiefe benefits of his Mediatorship And such a place of Scripture is this that I haue in hand yea such a word is this Immanuel so rich so effectuall so full of Doctrine and consolation if you doe not so much tell the syllables as prize the waight and doe not so much content your selues with the outward barke and rinde as with the inward substance and pith Consider therefore of it againe and againe and marke me opening and vnfolding of it This therefore I say that in this word is couched together both Christs Nature and his Office His Natures of two kindes both Diuine and humane and yet but one Person his Offices though diuers for functions yet all tending to this one end to set vs at peace with God and to vnite him vnto vs. he shall call his name Immanuel or God with vs. Now to proue vnto you Well-beloued that Christ is God very God as Saint Iohn speakes God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him I hold it superfluous before Christians since not onely the whole Scripture being giuen by inspiration from God doth auow so much The Law the Prophets the Psalmes the Apostles the Euangelists c. but also the Father himselfe the Word himselfe and the holy Ghost himselfe those three in heauen and vpon earth the works that he did farre exceeding the power of any creature and especially the raising himselfe from death the third day together with the bodies of many Saints that had slept longer Thus as Aratus saith of Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All streets are full of Iupiter and markets and the Sea and Ports c. So is it true of Christ and his Deity that he hath filled all places with the glory thereof so the same needs not to be proued or demonstrated no more needeth his humanity whereof besides his birth shape growing his hunger his thirst his faintnesse and wearinesse his feare and shrinking his stripes and buffetings his reuilings his cruell and bitter death and lastly his burying be abundant witnesses So be there also euidences enow of the vnity of his Person in two Natures euen in these two places of Scripture Iohn 1. The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory of him c. He doth not say of them though he were both God and Man Word and Flesh. And Iohn 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man which is in heauen he doth not say Sonnes as of many but Sonne though hee speake of such a manner of existence which is not incident to one nature Christ therefore is but one but his Natures are two Diuine Humane both true both perfect yet vnseparable and vnconfused For neither hath the Deity swallowed vp the humanity so thought that wicked Hereticke Eutyches neither hath the humanity made a new person from the Deity as thought that vile miscreant Nestorius But howsoeuer according to his Deity he be equall to his Father inuisible impassible incircumscriptible c. and according to his humanity he be like to vs euen of the same nature with vs corporall visible reall hauing flesh and bone and a reasonable soule as wee haue yet as is truly taught by Athanasius Hee is not two but one Christ for if there were two then the Prophet should not haue said in my Text She shall call his name but She shall call their names And the Apostle should not haue said to Timothy There is one Mediator betweene God and man but There are two Mediators the Sonne of Mary and the Sonne of God yea then he could not haue said truly as he doth that God was in Christ that God was manifested in the fl●sh or that the Princes crucified the Lord of glory which places doe most strongly euince the Deity not to haue beene separated from the humanity being once assumed but in death nor the humanity to make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe but both together concurring in the person of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet was a perfect Person before he assumed our nature to make vp the Head of his Church euen the Sauiour of his body that is the Sauiour of all that beleeue Now hauing spoken so much which was contrary to my promise and contrary to my meaning of the vnspeakeable vnion of two Natures in one Immanuel let vs consider a little of the causes hereof to wit why God would descend into the world and become man and then adde something touching the vse of the Doctrine and so an end For as touching his Offices I haue spoken of them out of another Text vpon pregnant occasion and so I may doe againe vpon the like Touching the fi●st Augustine hath a good speech Tali auxilio natura nostra indigebat causa Our nature and our cause stood in need of such an helpe Vt repararet genus humanum nec sine Maiestate posset humilitas nec sine humilitate Maiestas that neither humility or base estate could repaire man-kind without a Maiesticall nor a Maiesticall estate without an humble or base one And why so Fulgentius will tell vs D●us verus viuus imo Deus veritas vita c. God being true and liuing nay truth and life it selfe if he had not beene true Man could not haue tasted of death and if he
vnto them we must not be euery one a wolfe to his neighbour according to the Prouerb Homo homini Lupus but euery one as it were a God vnto him Homo homini Deus forasmuch as God hath made all of one blood to dwell vpon the face of the earth And as the Prophet saith Haue we not all one Father hath not one God made vs why doe we transgresse euery one against his Brother c This much and a great deale more we are to learne hereby that the Son of God is our maker Now from his Diuine estate acts the Apostle riseth higher to his Diuine Nature and Person in these words Who being the brightnes of his glory and the expresse Image of his Person c. The Iesuits that write the life of their Founder Ignatius Loiola report that Christ forsooth appeared to him at the Eleuation as he was at Masse in a Church at Venice as I remember and there he discerned the Hypostaticall vnion of two natures in Christ and the reall distinction of the three Persons in the God-head Doe you beleeue them No● nor I thinke their owne disciples doe beleeue them more in this than they beleeue their Saint Thomas of Aquine telling them that the Crucifixe commended him in these words Bene scripsisti de me Thoma Thomas thou hast written well of me well for their kitchin but not well for their conscience for the edifying of it in holy faith in holy doctrine Miserable companions was it not enough for them to be grieuous to men but they must grieue our God also Esay 7.13 was it not enough for them to beguile the people with lying vanities but they must abuse them also with lying miracles or apparitions saying with the lying old Prophet 1 Kings 13. An Angell spake vnto me in the word of the Lord when there was no such matter and with the false Prophets Ieremy 23. I haue dreamed I haue dreamed But what saith the true Prophet in the same place The Prophet that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame let him deliuer it for a dreame and for no better and hee that hath my Word let him speake my Word faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord God hath no need neither doth he like that one should make a lye for his sake Iob 13. Neither that his truth should abound to his glory by any mans lye Rom. 3. This one part of my Text doth more clearely open the truth and may more soundly settle our consciences than a thousand Legend-tales The Apostle saith that C●rist is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the brightnes of his glory It is well translated as well as it might be in so few words but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth somewhat more than brightnesse euen such a bright thing as hath a lustre cast vpon it from some other thing For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie the act or quality of singing but a song the song it selfe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie the act or quality of imagining but the thing that appeareth to the imagination ●pect●um visum so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the thing that hath brightnesse in it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that which receiueth his brightnesse from another So then now you see what a fit word the Apostle made choice of euen such an one as then which none could haue beene deuised by many yeeres study more pregnant to expresse the euerlasting generation of the Sonne of God For though Christ be the true light that enlightneth euery one that commeth into the world yet as he i● the second Person in the Trinity h● hath this light of his Father and he is as God of God so light of light euen a light springing from the Father For this cause he is called by Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Day-spring or Sunne-rising yea he is called so by Philo the Iew in his booke of the c●nfusion of tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Father of the world Gr. the Father of things that be made his Sonne to spring forth or arise as the morning or Sunne doth a strange testimony of one that was borne Iew and dyed Iew. For though Hierome doth reckon him among Ecclesiasticke writers yet we doe not finde that he ioyned himselfe to the Church of God or turned Christian But the truth is that he liued in the time that the Apostles did and therefore might learne of them to write more piously as Theodoret I remember doth obserue that the Philosophers that wrote after the Gospell was promulgated did correct many of their errors and euery where inserted many Sentences sauoring of truth and godlinesse But to returne to Christ the true Light He sprang from the Father but not as our light doth from the Sunne in time but before all beginnings neither yet as a quality our light is a quality but as being a substance and the Authour of all substance being neither was he euer separated from the Father as the light of the Moone is separated at the least to our appearance from the Sunne in the night and the light of the Sunne from the Moone in the day but He is and was alwayes in the Father and the Father in him and both in the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost in both Vnum non vnus tres non tria that is One thing not one Person three in number not three in nature So saith Prosper Aquitanicus that worthy Scholler of that excellent Master Augustine Cum Pater in Ve●bo sit semper in Patre Verbum Sitque i●●m Verbi spiritus atque Patris Sic de persoxis tribus est tibi non dubitandumV num vt docta fides confiteare Deum that is For as much as the Father is alwayes in the Word and the Word in the Father and one and the same Spirit common both to the Word and to the Father thou must in such O learned faith he meaneth a man that hath a learned faith be farre from doubting of the three Persons that thou doe conf●sse one God So said Nazianzen before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I doe no sooner think vpon one but I am compassed about with the light of three I doe no sooner distinguish the three Persons but I am brought backe vnto one God-head So before them both Iustine Martyr or a learned ancient man bearing his n●me in the best times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Sonne being a light shone forth out of light by way of generation The holy Ghost being also a light went forth out of light not by way of generation but of proceeding So Mathew of Vandome though he liued in a very corrupt age yet that you may acknowledge it to be true which the Apostles affirme Acts 14. Euen that that is verified of the later times
The like may be said of many others in the Scriptures The like also of many of our English names They be not by and by crafty that be called Foxes nor mild that be called Doues nor sauage that be called Wild nor foolish that be called Geese nor vnthrifts that be called Carelesse There was a Carelesse that was so carefull of the Kingdome of God that he chose rather to be burnt at a stake then to make shipwracke of his faith And so there was a Goose Ioh Hus by name that made so so cleere and sweet confession of the Truth that neuer Swanne in the world made a sweeter On the contrary side there haue beene Constants that haue beene vnconstant and Hardings that haue beene timorous and Loues that haue beene vnlouing c. All which together doth more then proue that though Conueniunt rebus nomina saepe suis though mens names doe expresse their natures many times yet it is not so alwayes they are giuen being good rather of wish then of Prophesie and being bad rather vpon occasion then for cause and rather mockingly then truly Thus I grant it is with men and their names that they giue they be not certaine demonstrations no nor prob●ble arguments of the dispositions of any And why Because man hath no power of himselfe neither to foresee what shall betide his child neither for wealth or woe nor to instill vertue into him nor to reclaime him from vice But it is not so with God hee is of another insight in matters and of another ability The darknesse hideth not from him the darknesse is as cleere as the light Psalme 139. He declareth the last things from the beginning Esay 46. He saw Nathaniel vnder the Fig-tree Iohn 1. All things are naked and bare vnto him with whom wee haue to doe Hebr. 4. Thus neither place nor time nor couering excludeth Gods prouidence no more doth any thing exclude his power or hinder the executing of his purposes When Metellus a Tribune sought to crosse Cesar in a determination that he had Cesar looking sternely vpon him bade him be quiet if he loued his life and added these words that he could more easily put him to death then speake the word Now if this be the power of a fraile mortall Prince that he can most easily make good his word euen as easily doe as speake Then how can we without sacriledge without horrible sacriledge robbe God of this honour being true in his saying and true in his calling And so calling the Mediator Immanuel why should we doubt but that it is as good as if he had said The Sonne that the Virgin shall conceiue shall bee very Immanuel Verily though man giueth names but at aduenture as the blind man casteth his staffe yet Gods naming doth collate and bestow the gift or ability that is promised by the name as appeareth by the example of Abraham the father of the Faithfull who together with the name receiued the assurance of being the father of many Nations according to the signification of the said name As may appeare also and that especially by the name of our Sauiour in the Gospell who doth as truly saue the people from their sinnes as he hath the name of a Sauiour giuen vnto him Well hitherunto you haue learned two things The one why it is said She the mother shall giue the name namely because the blessed Babe was to haue none other parent vpon the earth and therefore by reason shee the fittest and onely fit to appoint the name The other point is this that it is nothing derogatory to the truth of Christs Deity that it is said in my Text Hee shall be called Immanuel and not said He shall be Immanuel since with God to call so or to cause to be so is all one and so is it to be such indeed or to be called such Let vs now come to the third and last place to the name it selfe Immanuel What it signifieth you haue heard me tell you more then once and you may read your selues Mat. 1. Therefore I stand not vpon that but this I will stand to and doe assure you that of all the names that are giuen to our Sauiour in the holy Scripture none doth so fully and plainely expresse both his natu●e and Office as doth this He is called I grant Shiloh the Branch and a Child and the Sonne of man but those shew onley his humanity So is he Iehovah the Word the Father of Eternity c. but these shew onely his Deity so is hee Iesus ●hrist and the Councellour and the Lambe of God and our Passeouer and Amen c. But these shew onely his Office or the end of his comming into the world But now Immanuel it doth shew and expresse neither Christs Deity onely nor his humanity onely nor yet his Office onely but together with his Deity his humanity and together with his humanity his Deity and together with both natures the identity of his person and together with the vnity of his Person and the diuersity of his Natures the whole summe and complement of his Offices In somuch that as Saint Paul saith The whole Lawe is comprehended in this one saying Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe So we may say The whole Gospell is comprehended in this one word Immanuel And to the end that you may be satisfied that I offer no violence to the Word nor seeke to draw from it that which is not in it doe but consider with me the very Etymon or deriuation of it Doth it not signifie as you haue heard euen Grammatically God with vs Now in that this is deliuered but by one name what doth this but imply that he is but one person for if more persons had beene here meant more names would haue beene here giuen And in that he is called God what doth this proue lesse then his Deity And in that he is said to be with vs that is in our nature what doth it proue else but the truth of his humanity And lastly in that the whole name is giuen as a pledge of Gods fauour and reconcilement towards vs what other thing but the end of all his Offices of Kingdome of Priesthood of Prophesie is expressed and comprehended Now therefore Beloued consider with your selues whether this Word be worth your consideration and whether if we stand longer vpon it we shall either mis-spend the time or abuse your patience It is profitable certes nay necessary to saluation that you be rightly perswaded concerning the Nature and Office of our Sauiour Christ. For God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and this life is in his Sonne as Saint Iohn saith And this is eternall Life to know Thee the onely God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ as Christ himselfe saith And to know Christ and the vertue of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions c. The same Saint Paul preferreth before all aduantages whatsoeuer Phil. 3. And
That we haue not here an abiding City but are to looke for another What account then shall we make of those things which we are not sure of while we liue here and we are sure to leaue when we depart hence A mans soule that is himselfe and that is true life not which lasteth for a day or two Who will make account of the life of a Summer Bird nay of a Summer flowre that is fresh to day and to morrow cut downe but that which abideth for euer Therefore giue me that Doctrine let me learne that which will saue my soule and that is the Gospell which we preach vnto you Socrates is thought to haue brought Philosophy downe from heauen because hee trained men to the study of vertue and to the reformation of their owne liues without embusying themselues so much to find out the naturall causes of things So Moses is commended to haue beene in speciall fauour with God for being trusted with the Law which is but a Schoole-master to Christ So Iohn Baptist is preferred to all the sonnes of men for pointing to our Sauiour more demonstratiuely then any other But now in the Gospell we may behold Christ with open face yea wee may taste Christ how good he is yea we may feele and feed vpon the vertue of his death the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his afflictions euen be changed into his Image nay be made partakers of his Diuine Nature 2. Pet. 1. And consequently be saued Therefore the Gospell that is the Doctrine of our Saluation by Christ should be our first study and our last our plaine-song and our discant it should be all in all vnto vs. If the vessell be saued though the wares be spoyled with the Sea-water or cast ouer ship-boord yet we may arriue vnto the hauen and there be in safety So if the field bee gotten by vs as Alexander told Parmenio our baggage horses will be recouered againe with aduantage So if a tree be sound at the root there is hope that it will sprout forth notwithstanding it should be lopped and shred neuer so much but now if it be rotten at the root then fare it well In like maner if the soule be safe if it liue by faith in the Sonne of God if it fight the good fight of faith and winne the field all other losses are not to be reckoned of wee are more then gainers more then conquerours but if the soule perish and it will perish except it be fed with the Word of the Gospell and it will make shipwracke if Christ sit not at the Sterne and it will be ouercome in the day of battell if Christ be not his Captaine his Sauiour his deliuerer then all the world is gone with vs it had beene good for vs if we had neuer beene borne One thing is necessary saith our Sauiour Mary hath chosen the better part That is the thing that will sticke by vs euen the fauour of God apprehended by faith in the Gospell when all the world besides can doe vs no good What may I doe to be saued That was the thing that the Gaoler in the Acts was desirous to learne when he was affrighted with the earth-quake c. Send men to Simon Peter hee shall speake words vnto thee whereby both thou and all thy hous●hold shall be saued That is the true wisedome and knowledge that is the true blessing happinesse and without it nothing is worthy to be accounted of Therefore Beloued accept this the greatest fauour that God euer vouchsafed you that he hath reuealed his Sonne vnto you in the Gospell whereby you may learne to liue and beleeue in him and be saued by him euen saued perfectly not onely directed as the Pelagians taught not onely holpen as the Papists The Gospell is the power of God vnto Saluation and no lesse but now whom doth it saue or how doth it saue not by being tyed about the necke or carryed in the bosome for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Sorcerers and silly superstitious people haue vsed the matter but being beleeued and embraced by faith If thou couldest beleeue all things are possible to the beleeuer saith Christ. The Word did not profit some because they did not mingle it with faith saith the Apostle Indeed the Gospell consisteth not in sound but in sense not in hearing but in beleeuing He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Whereby we see that though faith be a free assent and perswasion assent to the truth of God perswasion of his goodnesse toward vs in his Sonne yet for all that we are not free nor at liberty whether wee will beleeue or no no for this is the worke of God which he especially requireth that we beleeue on him whom he hath sent except you beleeue surely you shall not be established and he that beleeueth not is condemned already because hee beleeueth not in the Name of the onely-begotten Sonne of God Therefore wee must not forget that the Apostle speaketh here expressely and precisely that the Gospell saueth such as beleeue them and none other For what if a man reuerence the vtter side of the Bible as if he were to handle a heauenly thing and care not for the contents thereof which fault Chrysostome noteth in some or doe put it to their head for the head-ake as Augustine witnesseth that some did in his time or doe make as much of it in outward semblance as the Iewes doe of the booke of the Law which they giue a good summe of money to be preferred to the handling of and doe bragge that they haue handled of the Tree of life for so they call it Gnets hachaijm What I say if we haue in singular esteeme the barke the rinde the sheath the superficies of the Gospell will that saue you No no as it maketh no matter how neere we come to God with our lippes if our hearts be farre off and as when the multitude thronged vpon our Sauiour yet one onely a woman that had faith touched him and as the most blessed Virgin her selfe was not so blessed for bearing Christ in her wombe as for beleeuing on him as Saint Augustin speaketh So if we meane to be saued by the Gospell we must bring faith to the hearing of it to the reading of it to the embracing of it to the digesting of it and without it we shall but deceiue our selues claspe the ayre in stead of a body feed vpon ashes in stead of bread imbrace a cloud in stead of Iuno as Ixion did Neither is Gods mercy in the Gospell the lesse free because it requireth the duty of faith to come now to the third point of my amplification for who will except against a mans charitablenesse because he saith to the poore man that craueth an almes Reach thy hand or hold open
a Christian Thus Augustine And to the same purpose Chrysostome who liued but a little before him Where haue ye read this saith he Forasmuch as he hath not read it written but speaketh of himselfe it is euident that he hath not the holy Ghost And to be short Irenaeus who liued before them both shall be instead of all others To sticke vnto the Scriptures which containe Lat. are a certaine and an vndoubted truth that is to build ones house vpon a strong and firme Rocke Thus he whereby ●e ●heweth that they that build their faith vpon any other foundation as namely vpon Tradition they build it but vpon sand which will not abide the least blast oftentation nor the least push of strong reasoning but will soone fleet and fall to the ground To shew the vanity and vncertainty of Tradition let this one Story that I shall recite vnto you suffice and then I will proceed to that which remaineth In the Primitiue Church by the report of Eusebius there was a sharp contention and betweene such as would not be counted babes or obscure fellowes but Fathers and Pillars touching the celebrating of Easter The Easterne Church went one way and the Westerne another And what was the cause of their iarre The Easterne Church pretended a Tradition as from Saint Iohn the Euangelist that he forsooth should command it to be kept vpon such a day The Westerne Church a Tradition as from Saint Peter that he should ordaine it to be kept such a day vpon a Sunday by all meanes What shall we say to this were Saint Peter and Saint Iohn diuided that yea should be with them nay and nay yea No but their Disciples misse-heard them or misse-remembred them or misse-reported them and hereupon they brake forth into quarrell Now i● in the best times when many that had heard the Apostles or Apostolicke men were yet aliue when the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost as the miraculous curing of the sicke and the casting out of Deuils c. were yet to be seene in many by the testimonies of Iustine Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian c. if this were done say I when the Church was yet a Virgin as it were by the iudgement of Polycrates in Eusebius what can we looke for in the latter perillous times when she had abandoned her selfe to Spirituall fornication I meane not onely to superstition but also to Idolatry Is any mans word to be taken that Christ spake thus or thus by his Apostles when he hath not their writing to shew Thus much against Papists Traditions now in the words that follow I pray you obserue with me how Angelically or rather Diuinely the Apostle doth mount and cause●h his speech to grow Sermo crescit in describing the Sonne of God by his estate by his Acts by his Nature Person c. He hath taught vs saith the Apostle by his Sonne would ye know what Sonne Not an ordinary Sonne such as we are but the Heire and Owner of all things nay the Creator of heauen and of earth nay the very brightnesse of Gods glory and the ingraued forme or expresse Image of his person distinguished onely in person not separated or diuerse in nature nor inferiour to him Is this all No he preceedeth bearing vp all things by his mighty power therefore not onely the Creator but also the preseruer of the world Is that all No it had beene to small purpose at least to small benefit to vs if God should make vs and preserue vs onely and there stay but that which is a greater matter for vs he hath redeemed vs by purging vs from our sinnes yea and for the full consummation of his victory and our Redemption he sitteth at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places from thence to oppugne our spirituall enemies and from thence to reach-out his hand to helpe vs and supply vs. And what can be spoken more fully more richly more comfortably Christ called the two sonnes of Zebedee sonnes of Thunder Augustine speaking of a certaine Sentence of Ambrose exclaimeth ô sensum hominis Dei ex ipso haustum fonte gratiae Dei that is O sense of a man of God drawne out of the very fountaine of the grace of God! Hierome calleth Hilary a Rhodan that is a most swift riuer of Eloquence Theodoret calleth Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Ocean of Diuinity I cannot tell what I may call this third verse else but a very depth of mysteries a fountaine of Water of life that can hardly be sounded to the bottome I find that the Iewes haue a booke which they call Tse●ormor that is a bundle of myrrh that they haue another which they call Tsemach Dauid that is The branch of Dauid that they haue another also which they call Orach Chaiim that is the path-way of life False titles the bookes be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe not deserue such glorious names But surely he that should say that this one verse deserueth all these Elogies and Titles should not speake a whit out of the way For it is no lesse than a bundle of most fragrant odoriferous flowrs refreshing the inward man and preseruing the whole soule from putrefaction it describeth also the true branch you know Christ is called so by the Prophet Zechary so expressely that fewe places of the Scripture may be compared with i● Lastly it sheweth the path of life namely wherein our true Life consisteth to wit in the Sacrifice and bloody Offering o● Iesus Christ which purgeth vs from all our sinnes But let vs come to the particulars that remaine yet to be handled The first is that God hath made hi● Sonne Heire of all things This place is abused by two sorts of Hereticks Anabaptists and Romanists I will but point at their err●rs The former vrge Christ is made heire of all things therefore faithfull Christians onely they meane specially such as be of their stampe haue interest in the things of this world all others are but vsurpers and therefore may lawfully be stript of them But they should know that the heauens euen the heauens are the Lords the earth hath he giuen to the children of men to the children of men promiscuously he doth not say precisely to the children of God indeed he that made Abraham and Isaack rich which were faithfull and the Fathers of the faithfull made also Laban and Nabal which were prophane he that causeth the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the iust did and doth the same for the vniust Briefely he that gaue Caesar a mercifull Prince gaue before him Marius a cruell Tyrant Caesar was not to be iustled with being chosen by the people and Marius was to be stooped vnto while he had Lawe on his side Now whereas they would make their claime by Christ Christ was heire of all things therefore they rightly beleeuing in Christ are the onely true heires
of darkenesse that they testified of the former darke times to wit That God left not himselfe without witnesse he writeth most soundly in this argument Et Pater natus sic Spiritus est Deus vnus Non plures tres sunt non tria tres idem that is Both the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God not more Gods three Persons nor three things three and yet the same thing Thus they And as Saint Paul saith of Epim●nides This testimony is true so may we say of all these mens sayings I could produce an hundred such testimonies if it were needfull from the first vnto the last that they are faithfull and true But now if you aske with Nicodemus How may these things be Iohn 3. How can God haue a Sonne how can he that is a Sonne be God I answere that this is a secret that the very Angels if they did desire to behold cannot comprehend so saith Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let the generating of God be honoured with silence It is a great matter for thee to know or learne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was begotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as for the maner how wee will not allow the Angels much lesse thee to conceit Will ye needs haue me tell you how The Father knoweth that did generate The Sonne knoweth who was generated that which is aboue this is hidden by clouds which it is a hard thing for thy dull sight to pierce thorow Thus Nazianzen godlily modestly wisely To the like purpose speaketh Hilary The mystery of this generation I doe not know nec requiro that is neither doe seeke after and yet I will comfort my selfe with this Archangeli nesciunt c. The Archangels doe not know it the Angels haue not heard it the worlds d●e not vnderstand it the Prophet hath not perceiued it the Sonne himsel●e hath not vttered it cesset dolor querelarum that is Be not longer grieued nor complaine of the matter Thus much we are to beleeue and God forbid that we should liue longer than we doe beleeue it that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ ●s the Sonne of God and therefore God For if he that is beg●tten of man is man then he that is generated of God is God by the very light of reason euen very God as Saint Iohn calleth him 1 Iohn 5. Euen God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him Rom. 9. This also you are to vnderstand that in this generation nothing corrupt o● carnall or after the maner o● this world or temporall is to be imagined God forbid God forbid but that the Father did beget or generate that is did truely communicate his substance vnto the ●onne that is that whereby the Sonne is a Sonne after an vnspeakeable maner nay after an incomprehensible maner I say aboue all conceit or reach of man or creature and before all time yea and before all eternity The same may be further considered of by the adiunct or property that followes namely that he is called the Character of his Person that is the stampe print and forme of him Would you see the forme or fashion of a mans seale the print in wax doth shew it that is his character Would you see the image of a mans minde his speech doth declare ●t that his character index est enim sermo saith one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith another So would you see the Image of God the Father looke vpon the Sonne in him you may see him he is his Character you know what is written Iohn 14. when Philip had said to our Sauiour Lord shew vs the Father it sufficeth Iesus answered and said Philip he that hath seene me hath seene the Father c. Thus it is No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of God which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared him How by his words of doctrine reuealing Gods will by his works of wonder manifesting Gods power but specially by taking our nature vpon him in becomming man thereby he manifested himselfe and consequently his Father vnto vs by vniting his manhood vnto his God-head in identity of Person as from euerlasting his God-head was vnited to the Father in identity of nature By this meanes it is come to passe that he said well that said Irenaeus reporteth it to be the saying of some ancient Father Bene qui dixit ipsum immensum Patrem in filio mensuratum that is The Father which is immense or that cannot be measured is measured in his Sonne The S●n as he is God is the Stampe of his Fathers Person and is the same in nature The Son as he is man is the Stampe of his Fathers power wisedome and will but different in nature For he is not man alone nor God alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man-God God-man in whom are hid all the Treasures of wisedome and knowledge nay in whom dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily that is really truely substantially Scrutari hoc temeritas est credere pietas est nosse vita est vita aeterna that is To search this too curiously is rashnesse to beleeue it is godlinesse to know it is life and life euerlasting Christ then is the Image of God begotten of his Father that is hauing that whereby he is a Son communicated vnto him by the Father before all worlds as he is man made after the image of God as all men be but in a farre more excellent degree of perfection beyond all comparison And indeed if our Sauiour Christ had not bin both God and man he had not bin a fit Mediator I meane he had not beene a fit Person to reconcile man and God together for as Fulgentius well saith Deus verus viuus imò Deus veritas vita c. that is God being true and liuing or rather being truth and life eternall if he had not beene true man he could not haue tasted of death and if the same that tasted of death had not beene true God and life eternall he could not haue ouercome death Thus Fulgentius To which purpose I could produce many other Fathers of like note and worth as also I could reckon vp many other causes why it was necessary for our Mediator to be both God man but the time being past I cannot stay longer vpon that point and for that that remaineth of my Text I thinke it better to leaue it vnhandled than to handle it insufficiently Praestat de Carthagine tacere quàm pauca dicere To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE TVVENTIETH OF THE PROVERBS THE TVVELFTH SERMON PROVERBS 20. verse 8. A King sitting in the Throne or Seate of Iudgement scattereth away or fanneth away all euill with his eyes Hebr. Melec iosheb