Scripture calleth this cause The spirit of faith or the spirite â—f beleeuing Gods second cause of our â—eleeuing is his blessed and â—oly word read and preached 〈◊〉 the ordinarie means of our â—ith which worketh vpon â—wo forcible and perswasiue â—enses the eye and the eare â—he one for the reader of the word the other for the hearer of the word preached or read For the eare God hath ordayned a voyce to call vpon â—s by the paynes of preaching For the eye his sacred word is written or printed that it may be read and vnderstood of vs and our children and this is the cause of our beleeuing which is called The word of Faith Aske a Christian then why he beleeues the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie his answer is because the Scripture records it there is the word of faith but reply vpon him and aske him why he beleeues the scriptures his reason is without reason in himselfe for he saith The finger of God is there If you vrge and say Why doest thou beleeue and I do not I heare the word as well as thee Saint Paule will answer with an out crie O depth That is a matter of amazement not of argument saith S. Ambrose But what might be the cause that stayeth and vpholds the hearts of the sonnes of men along the misery of this life in this word of beleeuing Surely eternall life the saluation of our soules the last article of our Christian faith is the finall cause and anchor-holde of out beleeuing in Christ Iesus For the hope whereof the holy ones of God purge theÌ„selues both in soule and body that they may be acceptaâ—le vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thereâ—ore S. Peter calleth eternall â—ife the end of our beleeuing â—uen the assured glorification â—f soule and body which by â—aith wee expect in the other world In respect whereof also it is that this faith goeth not alone like some bankrupt but is royally attended with a troupe of good works semblable to the causes thereof For the spirit of faith is not barren but is in continuall motion in stirring and quickning vp the harts of gods children euery day to goodnes Neither is the word of faith verball onely But liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword enters throgh euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the maâ—row and is a discerner of the thought and the intents of the heart The people of God therefore whose hearts are thus powerfully moued by the spirit of faith to beleeue and thus effectually counselled by the word of faith to liue well endeauour nothing else but that their liuing may be answerable to their beleeuing that so their soules might bee saued For this sacred faith of Christ first of all purifieth the heart now if the fountaine be cleare and cleane the whole streame that issueth thence will be cleane also Secondly this faith of Christ worketh by loue and bringeth foorth good workes I should euer therefore distrust that I neuer was a true beleeuer vnlesse I felt my heart sanctified by grace and my and working the deedes of haritie This doubtlesse was â—he faith of the primitiue â—orld while the bloud of Christ was yet warme in the â—earts of those beleeuers Witnes all those Churches â—olledges Hospitalls Enâ—owments Rents Reuenews â—ands Liuings Pensions and â—â—l other such donations and â—onsecrations appropriated â—nd giuen to the maintenance of religion and learning to â—he succour of the poore and â—o the perpetuating of Gods worship here on earth vntill â—he second comming of Christ. For the people then liued and beleeued as men knowing that the faith of Christ is not fruitlesse and that by the fruites therof they are assured of their election past and of their perfection by Christ to come that their good deedes should follow them where nothing else â—ould and that according to the proportion of their workes wrought in earth by grace in Christ they should through the mercie of God and not of merit bee allotted a portion of happines hereafter in the heauens And therefore vnderstanding their weldoing here to be necessarie to their well being for euer they studyed nothing else but to goe on in that race of goodnesse that they might attaine at the last the blessed end thereof euen the reward of mercy promised vnto them by the word of faith written vnto them in the bloud of our faith sealed assured vnto theÌ„ by the death of our faith stirred vp moued herevnto by the spirit of faith Christs vicegerent on earth whose they were encouraged thereunto by the bloud of so â—any faithfull beleeuers that â—yed for the faith of Christ â—nd continue therein vnto â—heir liues end by the exubeâ—ant and abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus their Ruler and Redeemer O Blessed Paule faithfull and beleeuing was the world when as yet the bloud of Christ was warme in meâ—s hearts and when the faithfull beleeuers inflamed with the loue of God and ouerioyed with the glad tydings of the Gospell thus bespake Gods seruants that preached thâ— faith vnto them Blessed in thâ— Lord will our goods pleasâ—â—â— you Behold we lay them dowâ— at your feete will our eyes 〈◊〉 you good Take ought of ouâ—â— that is neere and deere vnto 〈◊〉 euen our right eyes Will our liues steede you Wee esteeme theâ— not for the testimonie of the faitâ— of Iesus Christ as for all manner of tribulations that can happen for Iesus Christ sake We accompt them not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory that shall bee receiued A blessed and beautifull â—ace of time it was O Paule when the prime beleeuing Christians had no other fault â—ound in them no not by â—heir verie enemies as Plinius â—ecundus an heathen testifieth 〈◊〉 Traian the Emperour but his was all hee could certifie â—gainst them to the state that â—hey oft times assembled â—emselues together before â—ay in the caues and holes of the earth to sing Psalmes â—nd prayses to the Lord of â—ife Christ Iesus which seruice for feare of persecution they durst not performe publikely O then was the time hoâ—y Paule that faith wrought â—y Gods loue and not by selfe loue by good workes and not by goodly wordes what time the beleeuing Christians were knowne not â—o bee of the tribe of Naphtaâ—â— giuing goodly wordes but of the tribe of Ioseph beeing fruitfull boughes euen fruitfull boughes by a Well whose branches run ouer the wall When Placilla the wife of Theodosius a beleeuing Empresse would resort vnto the Almes houses and Hospitalâ—s of the poore to see them succoured and releeued and when her nice Gentlewomen that wayted oâ— her would dehort and disswade her not to debase her selfe to come into such meane places and neere such nastie people shee with teares in her eyes would reâ—ply and say O I wouâ—d not doe thiâ— and this onely
thereof which is maruellous and in respect of the manner which is miraculous The matter maruellous that we for lorne wretches and dust creeping wormes blinded in our own vnderstandings hardned in our hearts and infected in our affections should euer become coheires with Christ the Sonne of God taken out as a remnant from among all other creatures which God seemed to passe ouer and to neglect in respect of vs for God hath not communicated this mysterie in such neernesse no not to the blessed Angels for To which of the Angels sayde God at any time Sit on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies â—hy footestoole The manner miraculous that fleshâ— and bloud should become such holy seruants enlightned in their vnderstandings mollified in their hearts reformed in all their desires yea sanctified throughout both in spirit soule and body and should become such resolute souldiers in Gods battels vpon such hard tearmes of intertainement as were proclaymed by Christ to his followers beeing conditions so offensiue and contrariant to the nice nature of men and women which were That if they followed Christ and would liue godly in this present world they should suffer persecution they should be hated of all men they should be whipped and murthered yea they should fare as Lambes among Wolues In a word their swords of Reuenge must be euer words of Grace and Edification their fightings patience their wealth ofttimes greeuous want their feasting fasting their whole life very miserable in respect of others they being abridged of many outward things and their ende in the sight of men oft-times most lamentable Great therefore doubtlesse is this mystery of godlinesse which for all these hard conditions or whatsoeuer heresie schisme apostasie the world the flesh or the diuell could doe to crosse it discerneth truth from falsehood by Euangelicall reuelation the effect of Preaching and by doctrine the effect of knowledge which Saint Angustine calleth Christian Doctrine by the patient sufferings of Gods Saints in the bloudie butcheries and persecution of the Christian Church Great is the mysterie of godlinesse yea so Great that God became man and man became God that this God-man was manifested in the flesh so great was it that it was iustified by the spirit both of power and puritie so bright that the Angels desire to behold it so great that the Iles a farre off heare it preached the harts of men are subdued there with to beleeue it and the nature of man in the person of the Sonne of God is receiued vp in glory Great is this holy mysterie that mâ—n therby should haue a new birth by Regeneration a new heart by Sanctification new desires by holy Resolution and become good godly and piouâ— men from out all obliquities defects and euills of their sinfull nature which is wholly corrupted as of infidels to become beleeuers of vncleane persons to become chaste of drunkards sober men of lyars truth loueuers and in a word of sinfull and sensuall miscreants to become fast and faithfull Christians Yea it is so Great that it is miraculous for in despight of Sathan and all the powers of darkenesse it worketh miraculous effects in our weake and feeble natures It enlightneth our vnderstandings with the sight of God by faith in the mirrour of Iesus Christ for being puâ—ified in heart wee shall see God It abandoneth all multiplicitie of gods in Paganism for in vntruthes there is no end of lying It detecteth all Turkish impostures and all Mahumetan dreames of their Miscelanian mongrill Alcaron It cleereth the oraâ—cles of Gods will the sacred Scriptures from all the Talmudicall muddie glosses of the Iewish Rabinicall Sanheâ—drim And in a word it refuteth all Popish innouations and misguiding traditions and whatsoeuer else dependeth thereon For the Antiquitie of this godlinesse is the Ancient of dayes and wee may easily answer all our opposits brags of Antiquitie with this It was not so from the beginning The counsels of this Godlinesse are Apostolicall Orthadoxe not Trentall or Lateran for the voyce froÌ„ heauen was Heare him The fathers hereof Saint Paul and Saint Peter and others the fathers of the fathers This is a mysterie indeede and a great mysterie and more then that the mysterie of Godlinesse not the curious querees of mans vain greatnesse to wit the secret mysteries of nature either of the firmamentarie orelementarie world for abstruse knowledge we leaue to Aristotle Lemnius Cardanus Cornelius Agrippa Albert us Auerhoes Trismegistus such like the searchers inquisitors of natures niceties the end whereof for the most part is vaine Phylosophy they that spend their dayes in such triflings eyther fayle of this happy end to bee Godly like those that seeke with the expence of witte and wealth the Elixar of the Philosophers stone the Worlds woodcocke or fal away from God in Astrologicall calculations with the curious Chaldeans and Egyptians But this Godlinesse is the Great Riches for albeit it hath nothing of the World yet it possesseth all the thinges of God That 's a mysterie indeed It dignifieth vs with the grace of Sanctification aboue our wretched nature and diefieth vs with the happinesse of Glorification aboue the visible Heauens That is a great mysterie It is the salt of the earth seasoning vs and all the acts wee doe that we and they may bee rationall sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ yea and it is the fauour of Heauen breathing into vs the breath of eternall life whereby wee are made partakers of the Diuine nature in beleeuing on God in this Worlde and in louing him shall liue for euer in the other world This Godlines must needs be great when the great God by his holy Spirit is the worker thereof for who can repaire the ruines of our rotten and corrupt nature but the God of nature Hee it is who onely can take away the stony heart and giue vs a fleshie plyable and penitent heart that onelie can rid vs out of sathans snares restore vs to a sound mind Great is this Godlinesse seing nothing could moue God to doe this for vs but his owne great loue to mankind and the death and Resurrection of that great Prophet Christ Iesus the Sonne of God Great in respect of the means wherby God conuayed this Godlinesse vnto vs for the faith of this Godlines conuerteth vs by the doctrine of the Law to know our selues our sins by the preaching of the Gospell to know our selues in Christ Iesus to bee saued and oft times by afflictions wee are weaned from the World and are made to take liking of God and godlines So wee see that in the first act of our becomming good wee are meerely passiue for what can a dead man doe to quicken himselfe and wee were all dead in sinnes and trespasses but after wee are thus quickned by Gods acte wee know that we are aliue and reioyce in
Euen because this sacred spirite of the eternall God Rebuketh the world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement It rebuketh the world of sinne because the wicked world beleeueth not which is the Sinne of Sinnes as I may so say but is fraught with furious spirits of blind ignorāce and desperatefolly which cast thousands into fires and waters of misperswasion and misbeleefe and these worldlings are caught away with vnpure spirites of sensuall security which possesse them both with dumbnes deafenesse that they can neyther speake of God but in their blasphemous cursinges and swearings nor heare of God without great wearisomnesse and discontent This sacred spirite also rebuketh the world of righteousnesse because sayeth Christ I goe the right way vnto the Father but the world is ledde by witte worshippes will worships and other such deuises of singularity conceited righteousnesse of mans many inuentions Some with Anabaptisme which is the diuell in an Angell of light and some with Iesuitisme which is a subtil slie Antichrist in the Church And this holy spirit rebuketh the world of Iudgement because the Prince of this world is iudged already and the vnbeleeuers his vassalls and slaues are iudged with him and are reserued for the further iudgement and vtter darkenesse of these vnpure spirites that are already in chaines to be brought forth in the great audite of Christ and end of the world For what deuoute soule trembleth not yea shuddereth not with horror to know that Sathan is the God of this world and to conceiue that seuen spirites of euil yea Legions of vncleane spirites may obsesse possesse and hellifie the soule and bodie of one man or of one woman I wonder that the whole frame and fabrique of nature shaketh and quaketh not to beare and heare those hellish and diuelish miscreants that when the seruants of GOD preach solemnely soberly seriously in the power zeale and abundance of their spirit say to them as Festus sayd to Paul This man is beside himselfe much learning makes him mad and say to others as the Iewes to the Apostles when they had receyued the gift of the holy spirit These men are drunke with wine or else take vpon them in the diuelish and damnable pride of their owne hearts to direct the whole world in the misperswasion of their own singular and priuate spirite not in order to God as they pretend but in confusion to the diuell as the ende shewes So did Iohn of Leidon Nipper Doling Chreiton and others of that crew of wretched miscreants who at Munster in their enraged and rebellious route cryed out being led by a cursed spirite of their owne nothing but Depose kill murther meaning those sober and moderate Christians that withstoode their brainesicke fury and Anabaptisticall fanaticall folly and in all that outrage pretended nothing but that they were guided thereunto by the spirite So doe those that are engaged into the spirite of Antichrist and enraged with the poysoned cup of the strūpet of Romish Babylon her spiritual fornication who speak write and practise prepensed wickednesse as did Cardinal Como to Parrie the traytor what time hee intended nay receyued their consecrated host with the saide Cardinall to kill our late Queene Elizabeth of pretious memorie signifying by letter vnto him that the then Pope Gregorie the thirteenth as by the Credentiall note included in the letter he might see doubted not but that the same spirite which moued him to so good a worke as to kill the Queene would certainely assist him to the performance thereof Oh barbarous spirite of brutish Popery So do those that scoffe at the gifts of the Spirite in their brethren saying to those whom they see reuearing and yeelding obedience to the power of Gods grace and counselling others to be guided gouerned thereby Oh Sir you are so full of the spirite that it runs out of your nose Oh sir the spirite moueth you This and the like hellish language I say is an amazement vnto good men to thinke there should be any fo damnably prophane and so desperately wicked especially among Christians who professe in their holy Creede to beleeue in the holy spirite and acknowledge that in the power of that spirit They liue moue and haue their being yea and they feele themselues oft times quickned from the dulnesse of sinne by the same spirit vnto the motion and life of grace wherby they are made vnexcusable And professe further that they beleeue that they shall bee raysed vppe out of their dust and from the bands and fetters of the graue by the operation of this powerfull and blessed spirite vnto eternall glory by that mighty working whereby it is able to subdue all things vnto it selfe This I say is a great consternation and amazement vnto a Christian heart and causeth oft times many good soules to quake and shudder to see and behold such desperate scornings and reprochful contumelies among such as professe they beleeue in God The serious consideration whereof I am perswaded would eftsoones trouble the mindes of many other with grieuous distractions and disturbances had not the holy booke of God in two most pregnant places of the new Testament set foorth to the life both of the Apostacie of faith and irregularity of good manners which the spirit of God prophesyeth should happen in these last and worst ages of the world For Saint Paul teacheth the Bishoppe of Ephesus That the spirite speaketh euidently That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede to spirites of error and doctrines of Diuels The spirites of error are such in whome there is no sound trueth of GOD but mingled and mangled with humane traditions no conscience of good but iustifyings of their owne inuentions The doctrines of diuels are prohibitions of marriage and superstitious abstaining from meates as the Text speaketh And I take those spirits of errors and doctrines of diuels are no where to be foūd in the Christian Church more pregnant for we must not looke for them among Turkes and Pagans because this Prophesie reuealeth what shall happen in the Church and amongst professors of Christ but in the Papacy only which in the later times that is some sixe hundred yeares agoe or thereaboutes vtterly fell away from the verity of the faith of Christ and gaue heede to the spirites of errors doctrines of diuels intending nothing else thereby but the subuersion of the Primitiue purity of Religion and conuersion of the internall beauty of the Church of Christ into an externall and pompous lustre of humane policie And againe Saint Paul sheweth by the euidence of the same spirite That in the last dayes which are these worst dayes of ours should come perillous times wherein men should bee louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affections truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of
hold faste our profession For wee haue not an high Priest that cannot bee touched with our infirmities but was in all partes tempted like as wee are without sinne And albeit wee reade that Moses and Samuel Noah Daniel and Iob those holy men were not powerfull to preuayle with God in some cases for others yet no where can it bee found that our Lord Iesus Christ had euer the repulse for his chosen For hee is the Sonne in â—hom the Father is well â—leased Let the curious questioner come hither and if hee aske How is Christ with vs vnto the end of the world as he promised if he be receiued vp in glory I answer that hee who Was before Abraham is with vs by his grace and power of his holy spirit that liue in the faith of Abraham His departure hence into heauen beeing for our exceeding great Comfort and benefite For where should an aduocate bee but before the Iudge pleading his Clyents cause where should a Captaine bee but fighting with the enemies without the Citie And the father of a great family doth not alwayes reside at home but trauelleth into a farre country about his affayres to prouide for his houshold So Christ himselfe testifies That vnlesse he depart the Comforter should not come Not vnlike the glorious sunne of the firmament which when it is furthest from vs in locall distance it is neerest vnto vs in power and effect as appeareth in the Summer season For then the beames of the Sunne are more pâ—ercing albeit it bee further of because then they are direct and perpendicular which in the Winter though the body of the Sunne bee neerer yet the rayes thereof are oblique and aside Semblably the bodyly presence of Christ on earth wrought not so effectually in his Apostles and other the faithfull as his holy spirit did after his departure which hee powred out on them in great measure as hee promised for then were their hearts throughly resolued their willes fully purposed and their zeales feruently onflamed Yea let the most Seraphicall and most Cherubicall soules that liue come hither and see what the Angels of heauen admire at who beholding Christ Iesus ascending with this glorious conquest of his redeemed church say but by way of admiration Who is shee that looketh foorth as the Morning bright as the Sunne pure as the Moone terrible as an Armie with ensignes Nay blessed soules to which of the Angels sayde God at any time as hee doth to our Lord Christ Emanuell thou art my sonne And againe I will bee thy Father and thou shalt bee my Sonne yea the Angels are commanded to adore him and the son is bid to sit down at the right hand of the Father in the glory of heauen Lastly lâ—t the simple and honest soule come hither and learne not to seeke Christ on earth in a Wafer Cake as the Popelings doe but as the Apostle counselleth in heauen saying If you bee risen with Christ seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and where hee must bee vntill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world beganne Set therefore your mindes on heauen and heauenly things and not on earth and earthly things Heauen is now opened enter thou into the holy of holyest for thou art O my soule past the vtter and inner Court Thy Mediator is in heauen pray thou here in earth that hee may heare in heauen and speake for thee Our â— flesh is in heauen in the person of Christ whereby wee see that the glory wee haue won by Christ is greater then the disgrace and curse that the malice of the diuell brought vpon vs by Adam The diuels maliceâ— and our sinne cast vs out of Paradice but Christs loue and sufferings for sinne makes vs sit in heauenly places with him In a word our triumph is in heauen who would not fight the battaile manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell being assured by the captaine of the victorie Wee may also hence perceiue how God tenderly and louingly dealeth with vs euen as Moses sayth hee dealt with his owne people the Israelites And how was that euen as the Eagle sayth hee doth with her young The Eagle couereth her young with her winges so God doth with the winges of his safe protection She sometimes perceiuing her young ones dull and drooping gently peckes them with her becke to stirre them vppe so God by afflictions doth quicken his children yea sometimes the Eagle taketh away her young ones meate and flyeth vp into the ayre to entice and prouoke them to practise and endeuour to soare on high-euen so God the Father hath receiued vp Christ Iesus our heauenly Manna into glory that wee should learne to aspyre and soare vpwards that where hee is there wee might bee also And to this ende the two Angells tolde vs at his receiuing vppe into this glory that hee should in the same manner descend to iudgement in the ende of the world which wee expâ—ct with patience nay long and looke for and crye in our hearts Comâ— Lord Iesus Come quickly and wee doe nothing more seriously while wee are on earth but call to minde in holy meditations the Lords death and shew it to the eyes of our faith vntill his comming againe in partaking of his blessed body bloud in the Sacrament that by the power thereof wee may bee established that we turne not this great grace into wantonnesse nor neglect our Lord Iesus who is thus exalted into the highest glory not for himselfe for he had that glorie before the world was but for vs his redeemed people so that now here is the exaltation and supereminent height of faith euen euerlasting life The Being whereof is called Glorie and our Estate there Glorification To this doe all the goldly aspire that they may bee where Christ Iesus is to beholde his Maiesty and his glory in the Kingdome of GOD the father The Metropolis of which Kingdome is the Heauen of the blessed the Confines are Eternity the chaire of Estate is the thrones the houses of the Courtiers are the visions of Angels and Saints God is there as the King Christ as the Prince the Church as the Queene the Virgines as the Handmaides the Nobles are the Patriarkes and Prophetes the Notaries are Euangelists the Prelates are the Doctors of the Church the Souldiers are Martyres and the Subiects are all the blessed In which Kingdome are all things to bee desired Desire you riches Glorie riches are in his house Desire you gold The Citie it selfe is of pure gold Desire you honour O God such honor as this glorie haue all thy saints Desire you pleasures At Gods right hand are pleasures for euermore Desire you knowledge In Christ are al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge Desire you Libertie Ierusalem which is aboue is free Loue
you peace My people sayth GOD shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the Tabernacles of my protection Desire you dainties You shall be satisfied when his glory shall appeare Desire you wine You shall bee filled with the plentie of this house and shall drinke of the riuers of gladnesse Doth Musicke delight you Here Cherubin Seraphin continually doe crie Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Saboth In a word what delectable thing soeuer can come into mans imagination It is here in full aboundance to be found For God hath spoke it Come and I will shew thee all good O wretched sonnes of men whose teeth are sette on edge with the crudities of this world that they cannot taste of the delicacies of that other world For the Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge as Ezechiel speaketh Wee must therefore abstaine from the rawe and vnwholesome thinges of this Life if wee meane to confirme our teeth and conforme our taste to sauour Heauen and these glorious thinges of God The best of Gods people that euer were in the world could expresse the glory of this place but by Negatiues albeit they had an extraordinary inspection into it Aske the Prophet Esaias and Saint Peter the Apostle they will tell you That the things which eye hath not seene neyther hath eare heard neyther came it into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him And Saint Augustine sayeth That the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Our faith cannot conceyue our hope cannot comprehend our charitie cannot apprehend for it surpasseth our thoughts our vnderstanding our desires Let this bee our comfort that this glory may be obtayned expressed or conceyued it cannot be Augustine sayeth that he can tell sooner what is not there then what is there When the Queene of Sheba came to Solomons Court and heard his wisedome saw the house which hee had built obserued his dyet viewed the dwellings of his seruants noted what seruants robes the manner of their service and recounted the whole burnt offerings which were offered in the house of the Lord euerie day The text sayth that shee stood amazed and there was no Spirit in her and when shee came to her selfe shee vttered these words It is true that I heard in mine owne land of thee O King howbeit I beleeued not the report vntill now I see it but the one half was not told me for thou hast more wisedome and prosperitie then I heard by report Right so O my soule shalt thou say when thou commest into this heauenlie Court and beholdest and knowest God as he is known and seest the new Hierusalem the Feast of the Lambe the Mansions prouided the milke white roabes of the Saintes their attendants vpon God and the continuall Alleluiah sung by the quire of Heauen thou wilt say O it was not the least particle of this glorie that wee heard of beneath when we were in the earth for this glorie farre surpâ—sseth all that euer wee heard or could imagine neyther indeed could wee beleeue the same but now O King of Heauen assuredly they are fully blessed that alwaies stand before thee and behold this thy Maiesty and surpassing glory Hence was it that Holy men of God oft sighed and earnestly desired when they meditated of this glory to be with Christ. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ sayeth Paul Aye mee that I am constrayned to dwell with Mesech sayeth Dauid And in another place When shall I come and appeare before the presence of the Lord If I haue found grace in thy sight O Lord shew mee thy face sayth Moses And to this purpose God sendeth his dearest children bitter pilles of affliction oft-times in this life to weane them from the pleasures of this world The world troubleth mee saith S. Augustine and yet I loue it what would I doe if it did not afflict me Surely it would befoole vs as it doth too many who rather then they would forsake any part or parcell of the World they will desperately and diuelishly forsake their God and the glory of heauen and in their hearts wish God to keepe it for him selfe and let them enioy their pleasures and pastimes in this present life O blinde and barbarous folly of the sonnes of Adam who hath bewitched you Would you see the inuisible things of God They are seene sayth Paul by the visible God being considered in his workes Christ is receyued vp in glory ascend thou by these degrees vnto Christ O my soule that he hath reuealed vnto thee Say vnto thy selfe when thou viewest the world and the glory thereof both in the frame of Heauen and in the fabrique of the earth If O Lord thou grantest vnto vs such goodlie thinges in this our prison what hast thou prepared for vs in thy pallace of Heauen If here thou affoordest so liberally thy blessings both to friendes and foes what hast thou prouided in heauen for friendes onely When thou beholdest the surpassing beauty of the heauens say O my soules How delectable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts my Spirite fainteth for desire to dwell in the Courts of thy house for euermore For all Nations are before thee as nothing and they are accounted lesse then nothing and vanity When wee consider again that there are three principall places in this vniuerse to witte Hell the World and Heauen The first vnder the earth the second aboue the earth the third aboue the visible heauens The first a place of darkenesse the second a place mixt both with light darknesse the third is altogether light The 1. a dungeon of despayre the second a vale of teares the third a Paradise of incomparable delights and delicacies whose heart desireth not after those water-brookes whose soule seeketh not after those ioyes of Heauen where is the fulnesse of ioy and happinesse for euermore For there is health without sicknesse youth without age fulnesse without famine plenty without penury gâ—ory without infamy peace without warre and in a word all good without euill Now therefore O yee sonnes of men Marke Sayth Saint Augustine Heauen is to bee solde and God requires no other price for thee to buy it but thy selfe it is worth so much as thou art giue God thy selfe and thou shalt haue it But obserue thou must not present thy selfe to God in this exchange a worldling a sinner a cast-away but thou must become iust good holy and worthy of the same not of thy selfe but beeing iustified sanctified and bettered by the holy faith and Spirit of thy God in Christ Iesus in whom wee all are accounted worthy so shalt thou by his merites obtaine a Kingdom where the fire dooth not burne nor the ayre infect nor the water drowne noâ— the earth tremble vnder thee where there is no commet to presage thee euill no thunder to terrifie thee no lightning to daunt thee no thunderbolt
the Apostle Sapere ad sobrietatem The iolly Counceller that learnedly argues titles of land pleas of debt dammages of clyent cause may hereby bee counselled to call to minde what claime or challenge he hath to heauen what plea hee ought to make for his owne debt which hee oweth to his Creator and if the damnage or wrong of his Clyent were his owne what plea what care what diligence would â—e vse to redres himselfe The disturbed yea oft times the poore miserable distracted Clyent that is delayed crossed encumbred snibbed many times ouerborne may herewithall endeuour to qualifiè and settle his wearyed and perplexed heart and looke vp vnto the master of requests in heauen and to referre his cause vnto the Iudge of the world Christ Iesus who iudgeth righteously And if his cause goe well with him yet hereby hâ—e may bee caused to remember in what passe his case is with God and to know who it is that lets a man see his desire vpon his enemies All what soeuer they be if they will be pleased to be aduised may herein see as in a viewe what Creation is that tendeth to saluation And so to abandon from their holy intentions all needelesse controuersies and fruitlesse contentions according to the reference of the prefixed context For the lamentable Controuersies about Religious Godlinesse are so many in number and so intrâ—cate in nature that the studious labours of any one man were he neuer so well qualified cannot sufficiently no not all the time of his life so much as enter into all the ambiguous laborinths thereof much lesse bee euer able to compose or conclude them For it falleth out in this kind as it doth in the quirks and quiddities of law cases and that 's a thousand pitties for the more lawyers retained oft times the more suites pleas counter pleas demurrers in Law and many other such like quaint deuises so the morewriting of controuersies the more subtilâ—ies euasions distinctions personall aspersions mistakings with all maleuolent stirrings and striuings to make good either part Such also hath beene the rotten condition of mankinde that when one hath once hatched brought foorth neuer so absured an opinion yet he findeth wits in the world ready to deuise trickes and shifts by nice distinctions and doubt full differences to mainetaine withall possible glosses the absurdities and shadowes thereof Besides if we consider the impossibilitie of composing and reconciling the controuersies of the setimes by reason of the auerse and setled resistance of the opponents both foraine and domestick together with the irreconciliable natures of the things controuerted and questioned and the little hope of any meanes to bee expected either from them that striue or from others their well-wishing neighbours or from both to reconcile and pacifie the furiousrage of either partie wee may euen despayre of expecting any certaine and setled ende of these miseries vntill the Lord Iesus come himselfe from heauen in his second and most glorious aduent and Consume with the spirit of his mouth all the gaynesayers and impostors of his sacred truth and abolish with brightnes of his comming all the mistie fogges of misperswasion and mis-beleefe Doubtlesse therefore in the meane while the best and most assured way for vs that loue and looke and long for Christs comming to finde rest to our distressed soules amidst such perplexed distractions and laborinths is to haue recourse to the pillar and foundation of all Christian faith the director to heauen which is the written word of God the one and onely way to the word begotten wherein many places wee shall finde couched in in few words the summe and substance of all our hope and happinesse in Christ both in nature grace and glory and that summe of Christianitie in so compendious an abridgment oft times reported that the shortest memorie may recount it and so playnely set downe that the weakest capacitie may conceiue it Such is this Scripture prefixed in which as in a running stream in some place the Elephant may swim for deepenes and in other the Lambe may wade for shall ownesse Leauing therfore behind vs the hellish afronting of all Godlinesse to the damned Athiest that sayth in his hart There is no God which some Achrists of Spaine I would they were not in England most Lucian-like and Iulian-like haue tearmes to the griefe of many good harts their Peccadillos or little sinne and appropriating the circular Diuinity of Temporizers-who goe in a Maze to painted Hypocrites Who are euer learning and neuer come to the acknowledgement of the Trueth because they feele not the power thereof nor endeauour to practise it together with all neutralizing staggerers and Cassandrian Courtiers who neyther cleaue to God nor to Baal but are like Ephraim a cake on the harth not turned which needes must be dough on the one side and burnt on the other hote in their singed zeale and lue warm in their fringed hypocrisie lastly abandoning from vs all nouell sectaries who eyther with the â—nostiques and Donatists challenge to themselus an impropriation of all reformed doctrine and discipline or with the Cathari boast of a Monopolie of perfect sincerity or with the rare illuminates of the world the Iesuites Iesuini Scofiotti Presbyteri Sanctae Luciae Reformati Sacerdotes or by what other titular denominations soeuer they bee tearmed who vndertake to haue the onely direction for all Christendome in ordine ad Deum or with the Capucini who aspire the onely mortification forsooth in a patched Capouch and with them vtterly forsaking all other rabbles and swarmes of monasticall and secular nominals who neglect the truth and the light thereof Let vs flie homeward with the distressed doue into the Arke which is the holy Scriptures to saue our selues from the general deluge and cataclisme of ambiguities questions and ouerflowings of vngodlinesse which assault vs here in this life the Ocean and sea of sorrow and hide from vs the brightnesse of Iesus Christ with the mists of impietie and fogs of vanity And let vs call to minde that all vnderstanding in Godlinesse is eyther Opnion Faith or perfect Knowledge Opinion beeing like the Twilight neyther certaine nor euident Faith as the dawning certaine but not euident and perfect Knowledge as the Sunne-shine both certaine and euident Opinion beeing the Conduite pipe of all controuersies the mother of heresies the seede of schisme and the heade of a Foxe and perfect knowledge onely proper to our triumphant and glorious estate in Heauen wee must here in this Life walke by faith This faith must haue a foundation to build vpon What 's that must it bee built on the Church that 's to generall so the Sarazens or Hagarens rather as Zozomene obserued a thousand yeares agoe haue their Masters Vppon the Fathers that 's too rusticall so the Iewes haue their Rabbins Vpon the Pope that 's too Phythagorical so the Gentiles had their Philosophers of their seuerall sects Vpon suddaine and fancifull
vnderstand how to bee godly Such are they that haue Iacobs voice in prating of Godlinesse but Esâ—us hands in practising vnhappinesse Such are they that professe a Linzie woolsâ—y Religion beeing hatefull to God because they are not reall hatefull to the World because they are religious albeit they be but in shew and hurtfull to themselues because they are hypocrites and deceyue themselues with seeming Godlinesse These are such as are misled with the mysterie of iniquity such a one was Pope Paul the third who at his end sayde Now shall I know three things whereof I doubted all my life to witte whether there bee a God or Hel or whether the soule be immortall O damned Infidell Such another was Leo the teâ—th who accounted the Gospell of Christ a Fable and shewing his Fauouriâ—es saide See what heapes of treasure I haue gathered by that fable of Christ O wretched miscâ—eant The doctrines that pleaseth those that are thus misled with the mystreie of iniquity are traditions amphibolous equiuocations mentall reseruations and the like deuises Their Religion is policy their faith eyther implicite or wauering like that of Lucius consisting of words or wonders with Moses Egyptius as Ruffinus recordeth would not admit of nor endure that Lucius should lay his handes vpon him but tolde him that hee would rather beleeue his eyes then his eares that is he would rather embrace the Religion which is seene then that which is only heard And for them that without blushing say There is no God and blot out all Religion with one dash or with Zenaherib Holofernes and Phâ—raoh scoffe at Godlinesse or with Rufus entertaine the Religion of the place where they liue what euer it be or turne Religious godlinesse into worldly policie by practising as I sayde Machiauels Prince Bodins Commentaries Lipsius Politiques and such like Discourses That of Saint Paul is verified of them For if oâ—r Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Chrict who is the Image of God should shine vnto them For to these it is euen yet a hidden mysterie And in such fearefull case are all light headed Zebuls scoffing Iebusites scorning Cains vile Iulianists impious Lucianists and contemners of all piety religion and godlinesse But Beleeuers consider That the vngodly shall bee turned into hell and all the Nations that know not god and the whole creation on groneth to bee deliuered from such burthens as these miscreaÌ„ts are Who tread vnder foot the son of God and account the bloud of the new testament as an vnholy thing whereby they are sanctified and do despite the spirit of grace And Beleeuers see euen by the veâ—y glimpse of right reason that nothing but man maketh account of greatnes God doth not for with him is no respect of persons Nature doth not for the children of Princes are borne naked as wel as the Cottagers and death assayleth the Court as well as the cart Goodnes onely is that wherein God delighteth and good men tender it as their breath Godlinesse beeing the gracious mother and goodnesse the holy daughter Lastly they that beleeue know that godlinesse hath the promise of this Life to be gracious in Christ and of that to come to bee glorious in Christ and therefore it is the onely thing they desire to know It is the one thing necessaâ—ie they practise it is the Manna of their soules the ioy of their hearts the touchstone of their actions the Gynosura of their affections the Dauids harpe for their â—ares the Word for theyr mouthes the Mirrour for their liues the path for their feet the station for theyr watch the salue for theyr griefes the Key of Heauen and the Heauen on Earth To thee therefore O Lord doe I lift vp my heart in the mercies of thy Sonne Christ Iesus Doubtles O holy and heaueÌ„ly father man disquietâ—th him selfe in vain for thou didst make him righteous but he after the vanity of his owne hart which is falne from thee haue sought many inuentions Thou O God canst not please vs with thy patieÌ„ce nor humble vs with thy present and future iudgements nor allure vs with thy gracious promises Such is the peruersitie of our infirm natures such is the pâ—euishnes of our corrupt condition such is the euil of guilt action that we haue in vs Thy lessous are al of peace and wâ—e runne counter into controuersies euery day deuising to our selus an opinion a fancie a faction and to make good these what stone do we not mouâ— what corner do we not raâ—sâ—ckâ— what earnestnes and acrimonie do we not apparantly reueale or else like some stupid or dul beast we haue no sence or feeling at al of thee or of thy greatnes but liue onely to liue and to delâ—ght our selus with our selus in our grosse mistakings If we pretend religion Satan tempteth vs with faction if puritie with hypocrisie if zeale with vncharitable ioaloâ—sie O Lord some yeares haue I liuâ—ed wretched man that I am among other of thy seruants knew not whether there were a Iesus a Christ an holy Ghost or no So besotted haue I bin with the loue of the world so befooled with mine own fancie so plunged into the darke deepeues of the diuel and so transported with the fashions of others who know as little and vnderstand as little or lesse then my selfe But now O Lord God loâ—king backe into the misery of my selfe I shudder and tremble seeing a far of a mystery wherof as yet I could neuer attain the knowledge albeit I haue obserued many of my brethren with great diligence and zeale to abound in all Godlinos forwardnes saÌ„ctiâ—ony gladly hearing frequenting conferring following after the light that shined vnto them in the darknâ—s of this Life yea aduenturing their liues their liuelyhoodes their credite and esteeme among the sonnes of men and accompting all things else as dung in respect of the knowledge and seruice of their heauenly Maister To me O Lord among other the rest of thy seruants this is a great mysterie that haue felt in my selfe no minde no meaning thereunto What shall I doe O Lord in this my misse led and misperswaded estâ—te I now perceiue O Lord by that glimpse of right reason which maketh euery man vnexcusable and by that sparke of light which enlightneth euery one that coÌ„meth into the world that my sinnes my sinnes my great and griâ—uous sinnes like to some huge mountaine haue vpreard themselues betweene me and this most glorious light dimming vp mine eyes that I cannot see and damming vp that heauenly splendor which should enlighten mee and haue set such a controuersie betweene thee and me that my soule is like vtterly to bee diuâ—rced from thy loue vnlesse thine eye of pittie consider me O looke vpon mee deere and tender hearted Father
in the face and fauor of Iesus Christ my Sauiour and for his sufferings sake dispell the mystie clouds of my wreatched nature with the light of thy countenance and shew me this Mysterie of Godlinesse Illuminate mine vnderstandings with the glorioâ—â— rayes of Sion Blesse mine imagination that I mâ—y thinke of no euill but of goodnesse continually Incline my will that it may bow it selfe to the obedience of thy commandements Put this Mysterie of Godlinesse into my heart by the invisible singer of thy sacred Trinitie that it may make me good by shining vpon mee and piercing into mee that I may be sanctified thereby both in body soule and spirit O Lord let not the Mysterie of iniquitie misleade me nor the deepenesse of Sathan deceiue me nor the deceitfulnes of sinne by flesh and bloud carry me away to forsake or neglect thy goodnes but let this light of thine O Lord be euer more pretious vnto mee then the balme of Gilead more magnificent then the royaltie of Solomon and more deare then the apple of mine eie That thereby I may be acceptable vnto thee in thy Christ in whom thou art well pleased That my seruice in this sacred Mysterie of Godlilinesse may bee as Physicke for to cure miâ—e vngodlinesse as my Counseller to direct me in the affayres of my life and as my casuist to resolue the cases of my distressed conscience So shall I euer magnifie thy name O Lord that hast shewed mee such louing kindnesse in a strange cittie in reuealing to me to me I say the vnworthyest of many thousands the Mysteries and light of the kingdome of heauen in the darkenesse and shadow of death So shall I be euer telling of thy truth and mercy to the as sembly of thy Saints and to the generations which aâ—e yet for to come Grant these fauours vnto me O King of heauen God of all peace Father of mercies Fountaine of wisedome and goodnesse for the vnspeakeable merits and sufferings of Iesus Christ our onely Mediator and Redeemer Amen GOD MANIFEsted in the Flesh. Explication GOD is the height of this Mysterie God in the flesh is the depth of this Mysterie God manifested in the flesh is the length and breadth of this Mysterie Of God it is reuealed that hee is one in nature and three in persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is a Trinitie in Vnitie an Vnitie in Trinitie Euen as in the nuÌ„ber of three are one number and yet three vnities in a triangle are three angles yet one figure in the Sunne are body brightnesse and heate yet one Sunne in the fire light flame and heate yet the fire cannot bee diuided in the soule our memorie vnderstanding and will and yet one soule all these shewing that three may bee one and one three So likewise in God are three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet one God who is blessed for euermore For vnlesse I vnderstand when I heare the name of God that it is meant of the holy and vndeuided Trinity wherby I am sauâ—d mine vnderstanding shall content me nothing The supereminency of which Mysticall Beeing of God passeth mans vtterance and therefore wee can better thinke then speake of God Let vs not then be ouer curious to search out this mysterie For God is exâ—ellent and wee know him not sayeth Elihu in Iob Our thoughts comprehend him not sayeth Ieremie And his wayes are past finding out saith Saint Paul These secrets belong vnto the Lord our God and the reuealed things thereof belong vnto vs and to our children for euer Let vs then here content our selues with a touch rather then with a taste of this secret of the essence and will of God For God the Father in himselfe is the Fountaine of the Deiâ—ie which no curiositie can finde out Perfection of himself which no man can comprehend God of himselfe whom all adore and Life of himselfe in whom we all liue God the Sonne in himselfe is the very engrauen forme of his Father in whom the whole Godhead dwelleth bodily And God the holy Ghost is in himselfe the fulnesse of them both by procession God I say whose power is all puissance whose sense is all knowledge whose essence is the principal good whose worke is euery good whose scites beneath al things without substractioÌ„ aboue all things without elation within all things yet not included without all things yet not excluded aboue al things as president beneath all thinges as sustinent within all things as coÌ„plement without all things as compreheÌ„dent The first mouer yet notmoued in local scite yet not circuÌ„scribed ordering al times yet not changed in Essence infinite incoÌ„prehensible in Maiestie in goodnes soueraigne in wisedom wonderfull in counsels terrible in iudgmeÌ„t righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alwayes the same eternal immortal vnchangeable not to bee expressed by speech not conceyued by thought of whom al the Angels of Heauen doe stand in feare whom all dominations and thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers do shake God I say being thus of himselfe is also reuealed towards vs to bee of power incomprehensible creating all things by his owne power ordering all things by his owne will directing all things to his owne ends of his owne good pleasure of wisedome vnsearchable by which hee spreade the heauens diuided the waters setled the earth for in wisdome hath he made them all of mercy vnspeakable by creating vs of nothing and by redeeming vs when wee were worse then nothing And of iuslice vncontrouleable leauing no good vnrecompensed no euill vnpunished This then indeede is a surpassing incomprehensible mistery that thus God should bee manifested in our weake flesh that God and Man should be in one person And that of the same God the holy Scripture should say in respect of this his manifestation in the flesh The child increased in wisedome and knowledge and in fauour with God and man And Emanuel God with vs should say of himself The Father is greater then I And of the same God in respect of his Dietie he hâ—mself sayth Before Abraham was borne I am and that hee was the first begotten of euery Creature And further in respect of the vnion of both natures in the person of the Sonne of God the sacred word sayth That God redeemed his Church with his bloud That the Iewes crucified the Lord of glorie and that he gaue his life for vs So that the Catholike conclusion of all is this That Christ Iesus Emanuel consisting of two distinct Natures in the person of the Sonne of God without confusion was incarnate and became our Mediator according to both Natures that the same hand that wrought the institutioÌ„ of the world should also worke the restitution of the same For it was impossible that the World should be saued without the Incarnation of the Sonne of God For God in Christ
commencement of the Gospell Twelue Patriarches the fathers of the Law Twelue Apostles the Patriarches of the Gospel Ten commandemeÌ„ts giuen on mount Sinay Ten petitioÌ„s on mouÌ„t Horeb. Iudah the Patriarch selleth Ioseph Iudas the Apostle traytor selleth for thirtie peeces the true Ioseph Iesus Christ. Christ is taken in a garden by the Brooke Cedron Man sinâ—ed in the Garden of Eden Ioseph the innocent is imprisoned Pilate imâ—â—â—â— prisoneth the innocent Lord Iesus At noone Christ suffered at noone man sinned The first Adam by transgression shuts vp heauen the second Adam by his passion openeth heauen to all beleeuers Ioseph the Patriarch burieth Iacoh Ioseph of Arimathea burieth the true Israel Daniel is sealed vp in the Lyons denne the true Daniell Christ is layde in his sepulcher and the Magistrates seale the stone yea the very circumstances of this manifestation are most exactly set downe The time limited to wit When the scepter shall depart from Iuda the place designed At Bethlem in Iudaea The miraculous manner published A virgine shall conceiue a sonne His presentation in the Temple verified The Lord whom ye seeke shall suddenly come into his Temple His price valued A goodly price was I prized at of them saith the Lord. The treason against him foretold That his owne familiar friend in whoÌ„ he trusted and did eate his bread should list vp his heele against him In a word all things euen to the very vineger and gal in his last suffrings were at sundry times in manifold maner long before certainly prophesied of as they were manifestly in their determinate times of Godperformed So that this manifestation was the accomplishment of vision and prophesie the body of type and shadow the ende of Law and Priesthood the perfection of Sacrifice and Sacrament and the vnion of mankind with God in Christ and thereby life euerlasting Is God then thus abased inâ— our flesh Oh the great bountie of Gods fauor vnto vs. Oh then let vs submit our selues vnto God For the Lord will haue an eye to none but to such as are of a broken and contrite heart and trembleth at his word But if wee bee meeke and lowly in heart We shall finde rest vnto our soules Yea our chife seruice consists in this To humble our selues to walke with our God Remembring the excellent dignity of our sanctified nature beeing now vnited to our God and pertaking of his holy nature by filiation according to the Euangelicall precept Be mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull See God is become our father by sanctificatioÌ„ For if wee being wretches can giue good gifts vnto our children how much more shall our heauenly father giue graces and blessings to them that all vpon him By adoption For to as many as receiue him he hath giuen power to become the sons of God Let not the vnbeleeuing Iewes demaÌ„d how this vnion should be or how God could bee manifested in our flesh But let them tell how the dead rod of Aron could beare blossomes how a virgin should conceiue and beare a son how a bush could burne not consume how Gedeons fleece could be wet at one time in the floore all the floore about it dry and another time dry and all the ground about it wet in answer of these this vnion wil be eueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ manifest â—or all these things they vâ—doubtedly beleeue Let not the damnable Atheist discusse this mysterie asking reasons how and which way but let him tell me this one thing how the Sun beames pierce through the glasse and yet the glasse remains whole And if he cannot tell this let him adore and reuerence in sacred silence not explore in curiositiâ— this secret Mysterie And let all Infidels and miscreants know that both heauen and earth and hell doe all witnes against them and doe manifest this mysterie which is God in the flesh In earth besides the trembling thereof at Christs passion the rage of the Sea qualified by a word of his mouth the crosse that had the ordinances and hand writing that was against vs fastened vnto it and the life and the death of the Lord Iesus so famoused throughout the Christian world which was as wonders in heauen and earth filling both with the sweet odours thereof the very heathen Emperour Augustus the then Monarch of the world when this manifestation was in the fulnesse of time accomplished ' made a decree in the Senate of Rome not to be saluted by the name of Lord as if he had been taught by some diuine inspiration for the holy ghost ofttimes hath spoken by the mouth of his enemies as in Balaam Caiphas and others that now there was manifested in the earth one that was indeede the Lord of Lords In heauen also appeares at the time of this manifestation as Albertus Magnus citeth out of Aâ—bumaser the great Astrologer in the first aspect of the sign of Virgo a faire and chast virgin hauing two eares of corne in her hand and a childe in her arms which child some natioÌ„s do call Iesus not as if he that made the starres were any way subiect to the motion of the starres but that he which stretcheth out the heauens as a scrole of parchment where he wrote the booke of nature might not want witnesse out of the booke of nature of that which was contained before in the booke of Eternitie which was his secret decree That a virgin should bring forth a child and so he should be described to vs to be a naturall man albeit not borne after a naturall manner Thus heauen and earth witnesse apparantly this mysterie Yea the very diuels of hell beleeue this and tremble confessing in the Gospell Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are ye at what time some counterfeyt exorcists tooke vpon them to call ouer the possessed the name of the Lord Iesus And the Oracle of Delphos beeing the diuels mouth did at the time of this manifestation take their last farewell in these words Meâ—puer Hebraeus diuos Deus ipse gubernans cedere sede iubet tristemque ridere suborcum Aris regno dehinâ— tacitus aboedito nostris And in steede of the darkenesse of this kingdome Sathan which had almost ouer spred the whole world this glorious Sunne-shine of Gods manifestation with vs appeared which was so effectuall that euen as in the spring time when the Sunne returneth all things beginnes to waxe greene the earth brings foorth the trees are cloathed with leaues and the whole surface of the earth is renued so at the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse the whole frame and fabrique of the world was spiritually altered For then arose out of the former Hellish darkenesse quires of holy ones men women virgins martyrs confessors Preachers holy people whole nations countries and tongs declare the wonderfull mercies of the Lord in the reuelatioÌ„ of Iesus Christ Who is
the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the vallies Moses of old posed the whole world with this question Enquire of the dayes of olde which were before thee and froÌ„ the day that God created man vpon the earth yea euen from the height aboue to the depth beneath if euer the like thing were knowne That a people should heare the voyce of the Lord speaking out of the middest of the fire But now we may pose Moses say O Moses then God spake by an Angell out of the middest of the fire but now O man of God was euer the like as this heard That God himself in the nature of man should sit amidst his disciples and teach the. This is that the spirit of God so magnifieth That at sundry times and in diuers manner God spake heretofore in his Prophets but in these last dayes by his only Sonne And if the word deliuered by an Angell was stedfast what shall become of them that refuse and neglect the Sonne of God now speaking vnto them O most ingratefull and brutish are the sonnes of men who seeke not to vnderstand this mysterie so anciently prophesied of so fully performed and so manifestly declared Me thinkes I heare all other creatures of heauen and earth say Oh that God had vouchsafed vs such a blessing such a tie such a fauour for then had wee had beene most happy The quires of Angels say Oh that God had ordayned to vs so vnspeakeable a fauour as to haue beene vnited to our nature But Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels but tooke vpon him the nature of children that being tempted himselfe and suffering hee might succour them that suffer and are tempted Who would not then in consideration hereof giue himselfe a whole burnt offering vnto his God and consecrate his whole life if the terme thereof were euen from the first Adam vnto the ende of the world as a votiue seruice vnto the glory of this God Oh vncircumcised hearts and eares of those who neither care to heare nor to vnderstand this blessed mysterie For if they would diligently seeke they should find that God would manifest himselfe vnto them euen in their indiuiduall flesh by the sanctifying power of his holy Spirit and by pertaking of his diuine nature whereby they should see with open face as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory euen as the spirit of the Lord. In no wise shold they be as those wretches in whose flesh Sathan and not God is manifested who are indeed incarnate diuels as the prouerb is whom Sathan hath so sifted to the bran and winnowed to the chaffe that no remainder of any godlinesse or goodnesse is leaft in them in whom Sathan is Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte as Aquinas saith of the soule Their imagination euill their minde ill their meaning ill their will obstinate their vnderstanding darkned their eares itching after vanities their eyes adulterous which cannot choose but sinne their mouth blasphemous their an open graue of fulsome slanders their hands rough and cruell their feete swift to shed bloud their whole body a cage of vncleane birdes their life and conuersation a stye of stinking swines flesh an Acheldema of oppression a Caluarie of dead spoyles their ende a puddle of loathsome impieties But those that secke God doe vnderstand this mysterie and shew forth this manifestation in themselues hauing lift vp their heads as gates their minds as dores and the king of glory is come in vnto them and is manifested in them by their faith in Christ by their good workes among men by all the fruites of his graâ—ious spirit and by their ioyfull departure hence being assured of a farre better rest and happinesse in their maisters kingdome The custome of the Aethiopian Church which liue vnder Prester Iohn is to obserue the feast of the Epiphany as their chiefe and principall festiuitie at which time God shewed himselfe both to Iew and Gentile in this manifestation by a starre Thereby acknowledging and that most truly that this blessing is the beginning and fountaine of all other blessing in Christianitie whatsoeuer and ought most sollemnly to bee obserued and most diligently to be considered especially of vs that were Gentiles Goe foorth therefore yee daughters of Sion euen all religious and denoute soules and behould King Solomon your Christ with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart Go foorth I say from out the fashions and fancies of this world both with readinesse and resolution as men do to meete their new king If you be malefactors he will pardon you vpon repentant reconciliatioÌ„ throgh Christ Iesus and will receiue you to fauour If you bee already his seruants and citizens of the citie of God goe foorth to meete him with your presents of good workes and holinesse as your homages of fealtie If you be friends and allyance as are all deuout Soules doe that often which hee hath bidde you doe in remembrance of him that is offer the sacrifice of thankefulnesse receiue the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord that so you may shew the Lords death all your life long vntill his comming againe So shall your eyes bâ— opened that you shall not onely vnderstand this Great mysterie of Gods manifestation in the flesh but also see it Iustified in the Spirit Oh blessed Emanuell encrease our faith O Eternall and most mightie Iehouah Elohim whose seate is in heauen whose footestoole is in earth whose chariots are the clouds whose might is in the great waters whose power is euery where whose displayed glory is in heauen where angels are they attendants and where all the blessed dominations and thrones doe thee dayly homage where the innumerable company of elected Saints doe vncessantly prayse thee where thine habitation is light that none can approach vnto thy cloathing Maiestie and honor thy wisdome incomprehensible thy mercy vnspeakeable and thy iudgements past finding out Looke downe looke downe most mercifull Father in Christ from thine holy place the seate of mercie vpon me a most miserable distressed wretch O hearken thou to my prayers which I sinfull soule powre out from an vnfained heart Open vnto my soule this great mysterie of thy manifestation in our flesh that I may know and comprehend with all Saints the height length breadte and depth of the vnsearchable riches of thy grace in Christ Iesus our Lord. For thou diddest so loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten Sonne that who so beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This diuine loue of thine is incomprehensible this gift inestimable this deliuerance vnutterable and this felicitie incomparable My heart burneth with in me and the sparkes of deuotioÌ„ arise from the center
vanquished him Insomuch that the very diuels cry Torment vs not before our time and aske leaue to goe euen into sordid swine Thus was he iustified in the power of the Spirite in â—anquishing the powers of darkenes His Iustification was also declared by the spirit of power against his enemies as appeared by the fower Herods Asâ—alonita Archelaus Antipas and Agrippa who being Tyrants and persecutors of Christ in his infancy and of some of his followers there appeared vppon them the strong hand of God that brought them to pittifull and lamentable confusions But most notably and most notoriously the Iustification of the same God Christ Iesus our Lord in the Spirit of power appeareth most euidently euen at this day to the viewe of the whole christian world in his continued iudgements vpon the whole nation of the Iewes who were subuerted and vtterly ouerthrowne by the Romans at the very time of the yeare wherein they crucified Christ which was about Easter For at that very time of their great festiuity the Romanâ—s came and besieged Hierusalem And as from Mount Oliuet they appreheÌ„ded Christ so from that Mouâ—t was their City entered and surprised And as they hurried the Lord Iesus from Pilate to Herod so they were hurried vp and downe during the siege from Iohn to Simeon and from Simeon to Iohn two notable villaines that did mutinize within the City to their vnspeakeable torment vexation and vtter subuersion And as they whipped the Lord of Life and attired him in despicable maner in contempt and scorne Euen so they were whipped vp and downe the holy City in great villany and reproach by the Romane souldiers And as the Lord Iesus was solde for thirty peeces of siluer by Iudas a Iew euen so thirty of the Iewes in the sacking of the City were solde for one peece of siluer by the Souldiers And euen yet the hand of Gods power to iustifie his sonnes innocency is not shortned but stretched out against them still The holy bloud of Christ crying against them and against their children as they themselues desired for vengeance They liuing as a forlorne and scattered people vpon the surface of the earth without Priest or Prophet King or Scepter comfort or compassion In a word tell me who did euer striue against the Messias and did prosper or band himselfe against Christ or Christian and was not confounded Christ was also iustified by the spirit of sanctifying puritie beeing pure and spotlesse in himselfe both in body and soule for there was not any guile in him and also pure in his redeemed people effectually In himselfe pure his conception pure by the holy Ghost his birth pure of a Virgin his life pure both in word and deed in life and death pure for hee offended not no not so much as in his tongue and he is perfect that so offendeth not In his redeemed people pure by the effects of the same iustifying spirite For whereas all the whole world else is set vpon wickednesse hunting eyther with profite as with a bloud-hound or else beeing befooled or besotted with pleasures as theyr Helena these two beeing as it were the two Poles wheron the whole world else is turned the spirite of Christ hath wrought in those that are his â—uch a measure of sanctification that they minde and breath nothing but Heauen and heauenly things If it thuÌ„der that say they is the voyce of our heauenly Father If they cast their eyes to those visible heauens there say they is the curtaine or base court of our inheritance among the Saâ—nts If they heare musicke Oh say they what harmony do the Angels make in Heauen If they behold the earth and the glory therof they say If God haue prouided such a place of pleasure for vs on earth in this our prison What glory is that hee hath layde vp for vs in heauen In all occurrences of their life they sauour nothing but of God and goodnesse In a Word they liue not but Christ liueth in them For this is indeed the true beeing of Christians wholy to giue ouer themselues to bee guided by Gods holy iustifying Spirite Their life is to liue in the Spirite their passages are to walke in the spirite If they resolue their station is in the spirite If they bee deuoute They pray in the Spirite Al their whole seruice of God is to Worship him in spirit and truth Otherwise those that haue not this spirite that is are not guided thereby are none of his For as in the creation of the World The spirite of God moued vpon the waters So certainely now in the Regeneration and new birth of the Christian World the Spirite of God moueth vpon the affections of our harts to turn the riuers in the south that is to turne the streame of our actions and courses of our life to the Ocean the liuing God For hee hath made vs for him selfe and therefore our hearts are neuer quiet vntill wee returne vnto the Lord our God againe When Christ therefore speaketh hee speaketh by the spirit to the Churches for the Scripture sayth Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the spirite sayth to the Churches The Comforter also of Gods Church is the spirite which is Gods gift vnto his and doth Witnesse with the spirite That wee are the sonnnes of God There is the certainty of the subiect of our Faith The spirite doth make intercession for vs with sighes vnutterable There is the breath of our prayers and doth helpe our infirmities There is the stay and pillar of all our happinesse The first Adam being a liuing soule but the second Adam a quickning spirite For they are quickned in whom this blessed spirite dwelleth both toward God in the spirite of faith and holy vnion and in the spirite of zeale being rauished for the hope of Heauen as appeared in the blessed Martyres and also quickned towardes others in the spirite of charity keeping the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace in the spirit of meekenesse and placabilitie being easie to bee entreated for Christs sake Quickened in themselues in the Spirit of sanctification purging themselues for their assured hope of Heauen and in the spirit of sinceritie Doing iustly in all their actions with all men To this purpose the earnest of the Spirit is giuen the Elect euen in this life neuer to be taken away but to bee made vp for that is the 〈◊〉 of an earnest and the pledge of the spirite as an hostage to secure them the seale of the promise to sanctifie them and the spirit it selfe being the Doctor of trueth to leade them into all truth that their sensuall part may bee guided by right reason theyr reason ordered by faith and their faith illuminated sanctified and ledde on by the Spirite of God Indeede to them that seeke not after God this directioÌ„ of his most holy spirite is hateful and the reason is very plaine
a mans voyce onely why doth God vpbraid the world That hee hath called when men haue but preached and yet ye haue refused and why doe the Prophets when they preached inâ—ulcate so often in all their writings Thus sayeth the Lord of Hosts when notwithstanding the Prophets onely in the voyces of men spake and preached vnto the people Yea but sayth a second If it were Gods worke it would not bee fruitlesse and vneffectuall in the issue therof As if that were not as good seed which fel among thorns as that which fell on good ground and as if Paul did not testifie That to some Preaching is the oder of Life vnto life and vnto some the sauour of death vnto death And Euangelicall Esay tels you That as the raine commeth downe and the snow from Heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seede to the sower and breade to him that eateth So shall my Word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voyde but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it sayeth the Lord God almighty Neither is this all for a third puts in his obiection and sayeth If indeed Paul and Peter did preach there were no doubt to be made of the happie issue thereof I answere Yet we know that some say dâ— to Paul and Peter his Master euen Christ Iesus when hee preached vnto theÌ„ thus Thou hast a Diuel At what time hae rebuked them of sinne but these were crucifiers And Peter they sayde was drunkeÌ„ wheÌ„ he spake out of the plenty of Gods spirite which he had lately receyued but they that sayde so were Infidels and Paul was accouÌ„ted mad when hee preached of righteousnesse of temperance and of iudgement to come but he that so esteemed him was but a Pagan Therefore wee may see that all such cauils as these are but the suggestions of flesh and bloud and the delusions of the Diuell of hell â—agans shall condemne such â—espisers in the iudgement For the people of Lystra and â—erbe Cities of Lycaonia reâ—eyued Paul and Barnabas as â—f they had been Gods from Heauen calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurius But beleeuing soules entertain these Messengers of saluation as Angelles sent from God So did the beleeuing Galathians receiue Saint Paul albeit he preached among them in great infirmity as he himselfe confesseth yet had not the Law of God and nature for bad them they would haue pulled out theyr own eyes to haue pleasured Paul Oh what is becom of the kind acceptance of the former ages that left all the endowments now visibly to bee seene in the Christian world for the continuance and propagation of Religious preaching for the seruice and ordinance of God for the proclamation of this mystery and for the dissemination of the blessed seede of godlinesse into all the world Surely the entertainement of our forefathers of the wodden Priests of Babylon who were indeede but Balaytes will rise vp and condemne the sonnes of their irreligious profane and base contempt of the cleare earnest preachers of this sacred Mystery But we will cease to vrge our owne case and appeale from our condition among the sonnes of men to our Master which is in Heauen to whom we eyther stand or fall Blessed bee his goodnesse for euer and his inheritance shall neuer fayle that we are assured of Oh the vnspeakable riches and bounty of Gods faâ—our that did thus reueale it â—t self vnto vs miserable wretâ—hes that were Pagans And now that wee may â—ot errâ— or bee ignorant we must vnderstaÌ„d that we we I say of the English Nation among others were these Gentiles To vs to vs I say that inhabite the vtmost westerne Isles of the World is the dore of holy faith opened and Christ the expectation of the Gentiles reuealed our hearts being purified by faith wee are now become the sheepe of Christs pasture and hee is become the chiefe Bishoppe and Shephearde of our Soules Our English Nation being at the first deliuered from the blacknesse and darkenesse of Gentilisme by their preaching of this mystery of Godlines eyther by Ioseph of Arimathia or by Philip the Euangelist or as some recorde by Priscilla and Aquila or by all of these A remainder of that wretchednesse wherein we were then plunged is continued yet amidst our Nation for the dayes of the weeke which our children name retayne yet the brandes of infidelitie wherwith our whole nation was then marked The Heathen Saxons and such were we once had gods for euery day of the weeke The Sunne for the Prime day of the weeke and thereof called it Sonday The second of the Moone Moonday The third of Tuisch for so they called Mars Tuisch day Of Wooden theyr Idoll Woodensday Of Thor their Iupiter or Thur another Panim god Thursday Of Freer which was their Venus Freersday now Fryday And the last day of the Weeke they named of the slowest Planette Satursnday or after some Seâ—ersday another Saxon Idoll From out of this Heathenish infidelity and bottomlesse misery of blindenesse and impiety Loe the mercy of God hath deliuered vs by this preaching of this mysterie of Godlinesse the Gospell of Christ and hath made vs Citizens of the Saints the family of Faith and light in the Lord from out of the bondage of sinne and sathan from out the confusion of Idolatrie and darknesse of of extreame ignorance That the promise of GOD made to Abraham as Tertullian reasoneth might bee performed which was That in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed and the prophesie of Rebâ—â—caes twinnes might come to passe of whom it was sayde The elder should serue the younger which was indeed fulfilled whereof Esau his seruice to Iacob was a figure when the Iewes were reiected and serued the Gentiles their yonger brethren The vse of this Saint Paul doth largely exemplifie in the ninth to the Romanes The Iewes were the true vine we the Gentiles were the wilde branches of a wild Oliue Are they eiected that wee might bee receyued are they broken off that wee might be engraffed Then let vs feare for if God spared not his own true vine questionlesse he will not bee indulgent to vs that are wild â—liues And let vs know ' 〈◊〉 when the fulnesse of the â—entiles is accoÌ„plished God 〈◊〉 againe receyue his owne â—â—ople and remoue the canâ—â—sticke that both Iew and â—â—â—entile that beleeue may bee â—ued by the Lord Iesus â—hrist euery one in his acâ—â—â—ptable time Now is our time now is 〈◊〉 time of the Gentiles saluaâ—â—on now is the time that by his preaching of this Gospell â—nd misterie of godlinesse God will bee reuealed vnto â—s that wee may beleeue and â—e saued God therefore perswade Iaâ—heth to dwell in the tents of â—em Amen O Lord God and most grâ—tious Father in
scriptures call those the Worlde whom God hath thus called out of the world because for their sakes onely this world was made and this world is as yet preserued and all things continue as from the beginning But when God hath his full number of these his chosen people out of the world then this world shall haue an end and there shall bee a new Heauen and a new earth wherein shal dwell righteousnesse To these his redeemed people in the world God made his promises both of the promulgation extension and augmentation of this Kingdome of Iesus Christ his Sonne First that the extention thereof should be as large as is the expansion of the Heauens and so great that it should encircle and surround the earth Secondly that the dominion thereof should bee from sea to sea And from the riuers vnto the end of the world The kings of Tharsis and of the â—sles should bring presents yea all Kings should fall downe before him at nations should serue him Thirdly that Christ should â—edeeme vs to God by his bloud â—ut of euery kindred and tongue and people and Nation Fourthly that there should â—ee so great a multitude of beleeuers of all Nations Kindreds people and tongues which stand before the throne and before the â—ambe that no man should bee â—ble to number them The performance of which â—rophesies and promises God shewed most powerâ—â—lly in the very commencement of this conquest of faith â—or Peter conuerred in one â—ermon three thousand and 〈◊〉 another Sermon fiue thouâ—and soules that beleeued and â—â—â—â—rned to God from their inâ—quities So mightily yea so â—uddenly grew the word of God and preuayled yea 〈◊〉 is ttuely obserued both by Suetonius in the life of Nero and by Tacitus in the first booke of his Historie beeing enemies to Christ Christians and also by Tertullian a friend to Christians in his Apologeticall exhortation to the Gentiles that the multitude of beleeuers was so great in the Primâ—tiue Church euen amidst those furious bloudy butcheries and wofull persecutions that their strength and puissanâ—e if they should haue waged warre was oft times a feare and terror euen to the veâ—ry persecuting Emperours themselues This was exceeding strange that a World of people so dissonanâ— so dissolute so aliant so repugâ—nant to God and to goodnesse should become so plyable so flexible so obedieÌ„t 〈◊〉 submit and subiect themâ—â—lues to the yoke of Gods ceâ—â—estiall direction And albeit this very acte â—f beleeuing may seeme very â—aruellous vnto vs in it selfe â—et the strange means whereâ—y this victorious conquest was wrought by Christ in â—educing the world to the act â—f faith was indeed incompaâ—ably wonderfull and aboue mans capacitie to conceiue For Christ Iesus the Sonne of God when hee made this conquest of the World by faith did not proclaym to the world as king Cyrus did wheÌ„ he intented his conquests great pay worldly promotions magnificent titles and honourable entertainements for his voluntaries and Followers neither did Christ proffer as the diuell did All this will I 〈◊〉 thee shewing all the kingâ—omes of the world if thou wilt fall downe and worshiâ— me nor as the licentious Turk doth grants libertie of wiueving to what number of women men will of thriuing by what callusions and deuises men can so they doe no violence to all that embrace his Mahumetanisme nor yet as the most Turkish Pope vseth who grants pardons and indulgences from all kinde of punishments to all his Peccadilloes whatsoeuer For then Christ doubtlesse might haue had followers on a sudden more then enough But behold and consider the iniunctions motions and perswasions that Christ vsed to moue the world to beleeue and then tell me Beloued in our Lord if this be not a secret and hidden Mysterie The very first mandate that Christ ienioyned to those that meant to follow him was Reâ—â—nt yee that is Bee of another â—inde and leade another life 〈◊〉 you haue done heretoâ—â—re Become new creatures â—â—at is leaue off to doe euill 〈◊〉 learne to do good This was no lesson for the â—â—lfe louers of the world to â—â—arne and of these there is an â—â—finite number By this doctrine Christ â—â—ight lose all the nice of the world and all that were wedâ—ed to their owne selfe liâ—ings Another iniunction was â—n the world if you will bee mine you shall haue augariation and your hearts shall bee pierced â—hrough with many sorrowes This was no coppie to bee taken out by the effeminate delitious and delicate persons of the world A third was You shall bee hated of all men for my names sake saith Christ. This was no condition to obligue faint and false hearted cowards of the world A fourth was He that loues his life shall lose it This was not the way to winne a worldling notwithstanding all these and other such like more conditions and entertainments euen to exquisite torments yeâ— I say what euer could be sayd or done to the contrary by the infidell party in all the bloud and but chery of Gods Saints behold yee the power of God in this wonderfull conquest of the world by faith For a Centurion beleeueâ— euen to life albeit Christ is absent from doing any act speakes this in the words of a beleeuer Say the word onely O Lord and my seruant liueth A Canaanitish woman beleeues to health if she might eate but the crums thâ—â— fall â—â—om the table or touch but â—he hemme of Christ his veâ—ure The good theefe beleeues 〈◊〉 saluation in Christ Iesus â—hom he beheld fastened to â—â—rosse laden with disgraceâ—â—â—l reproches and scoffings forlorne and forsaken of the â—hole world strugling in his 〈◊〉 dolours gasping gaping 〈◊〉 weltring in his owne â—oud Oh wonderfull power 〈◊〉 faith Oh maruellous work â—f God! Is there any reason 〈◊〉 bee yeelded hereof Are â—â—ere any causes of this so rare 〈◊〉 maruellous a change in the â—eart and resolution of man â—o surely Mans reason in this â—ynt is but as a beast as Iereâ—ie sayth But Almightie â—od hath his reasons for it â—ost pregâ—ant most powâ—â—full For this beleeuing in â—hrist being an act of the vnderstanding assenting to Gods diuine truth at the commandement of the will so moued by the grace and spirit of God sheweth that it is the power onely and spirit of God that inclineth our hearts to beleeue as the first mouing cause thereof This was the reason why Lydia the Thyatirian hearkned to Paules preaching which many other did not that heard the word notwithstanding as well as she For the Text saith God opened the heart of Lydia that she attended the the words of Paule that is to say She attended not vntill God openeth her heart The inuisible finger of God being as you see a golden key to vnlocke our steely hearts that may see perceiue and be moued to seeke after God for our saluation And this is the reason why â—he
more in his doctrines both of grace and glory Sixescore witnesses were present at the place in whose â—ight he was receiued vp Two Angels from heauen spake vnto them that were present and preached his returne to iudgement The words were specified which â—e and the Angels vttered at â—is departure The sequell â—hereof related at large to wit whither the multitude went which saw him ascend and â—nd what they did and many â—ther things which followed â—re as a cloude of witnesses to the confirmation hereof For as the truth of his ascension is irrefragable so the effects thereof are vnutterable For first by his ascention he hath opened heauen vnto vs that was shut against vs and hath Made vs sit together with him in heauenly places Secondly hee hath taken possession of heauen for vs in our nature and in our names as he told his disciples before Saying I goe to prepare a place for you and I will come againe and take you vnto me Thirdly hee hereby accomplisheth our Christian comfort in triumphing ouer Hell all the powers of darkeâ—â—nesse hauing led Captiuitie captiue and giuen gifts vnto men by sending downe his holy spirite the informer and â—omforter of his choâ—â— And lastly his Receiuing â— hath filled all things as the â—postle speaketh the earth â—ith his mercie hell with his â—stice heauen with the maâ—festation of his glory euen the blessed Angels And now there hee is â—â—r aduocate with the Faâ—â—er our intercessor in all â—â—r necessities our master of â—quests in all our suits there â—â—e turneth away the eyes of â—â—d the Father from our â—nes to looke vpon his â—â—edience and meritoriâ—s righteousnesse and dayâ—â— prepareth a way for vs â— to the throne of grace For these causes hee is â—scended into the height 〈◊〉 that Maiestie where â—â—d vouchsafeth to display his glory to the view of men and Angels in the face of Iesus Christ. The perfect knowledge of the superexcellency of which place of happines we caÌ„ in no wayes attain vnto in this life but in possessing it in the other world we shall fully enioy it In the meane while our holy faith is confirmed hereby which for the corporall presence of Christ embraceth the spirituall that we may not be troubled with doubtings and say in our hearts Who shall ascend for vs into heauen Our hope is ascertained of obtayning heauen and of the perfection of our ioy therein and our loue is enflamed that our conuersatioÌ„ tending towards heauen where our treasure is our heart may be there also MAnifold is the vse of this his glorious exaltation Let therefore the â—ealous soule come hither â—earne to forsake the world â—nd to be receiued vp on high â—or where the head is of neceâ—sitie there must the members â—e also Let vs ascend the degrees of this great mysterie â—rom the manifestation thereof in the flesh let vs go on to â—e iustification in the spirite â—rom iustification spirituall â—o vision Angelicall FroÌ„ Anâ—elicall reuelation to Propheâ—call promulgation From the â—reaching thereof to praying â— faith and so to the exaltaâ—ion in glory For thus it was â—â—eete that Christ by these â—eanes of suffering might â—ring his chosen to rest For 〈◊〉 he had gone any other way â—ee might haue entered himselfe but could not haue brought vs in with him Let vs then stand as it were vpon the poynt of the promontorie of Nebo and looke into the holy land and revew the lowest step in this Iacobs ladder which is Christs exinanition in the flesh and see how the power of God hath made it knowne vnto Aâ—gels by celestiall vision and vnto men by degrees of holy Christian faith vntill it hath brought vs vp vnto the supereminent glory Goe I say from his humanitie in the flesh to his diuinitie a glimpse whereof was seene in his transfiguration on the mount from his passion on the crosse in his humiliation to his power in his resurrection from his minoritie in respect of his Father to their qualitie in the height of glory Not that the deitie in his ascent could bee exalted but that our nature in the person of the Sonne of God was first raysed vp from the dead and then receiued vp in to euerlasting glory When therefore we reade that Christ was receyued vp by a cloude wee vnderstand the cloudes of obsequiousnesse not any helpe it afforded him as the fierie chariot did Elias wee conceaue the clouds seruice not any ayde it yeelded the cloudes ministery not any assistance that it occasioned For the matter or subiect that ascended is â—properly the humane nature of Christ for the deitie is neither contayned in place nor subiect to motion So the auncient Fathers spake The Sonne of God had of ours whereby hee hanged on the crosse and of his owne whereby he ascended into heauen For the humane nature ascended and the ascent was wrought through the power of the diuine nature And this is the cause that Tertullian calleth Iesus the sequestrator of God and man for of either party he had that was committed vnto him and he keepeth the pledge of the flesh in himselfe the earnest of all mankinde For as he hath left vnto vs the earnest of the spirit so he hath taken from vs the earnest of the flesh carryed it into heauen as a pledge of the whole family which hereafter shall bee brought thither also Thus is Christ our treasure in heauen and assuredly where our treasure is there will our hearts be also If Christ bee our treasurâ— let vs follow him in heart where hee is in body let vs follow him with paces of loue because his returne in the iudgement day will bee terrible The hand writing that was against vs is now cancelled the curse was Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne But the blessing is purchased This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Christ therefore in this life by his grace doth ascend vnto our hearts when the feare of the Lord of hoasts receiueth therein plantation hee descendeth into our hearts when wee take his counsels to heart hee issueth from our hearts when wee runne afrer him in our affections in the sweete perfume of his pretious oyntements feeling our owne defects and againe he ascendeth aboue our hearts when by the eyes of holy fayth wee see as with an Eagles eye the prey a farre of as Stephen did euen Iesus standing at the right hand of God Let the sanctified soule come hither and see it selfe in heauen three manner of wayes whiles it is on earth First in conuersation for Our conuersation is in heauen saith the Apostle Secondly in our affeâ—ctions For they that abide in charitie abide in God Thirdly by right of possession For Christ is ascended to prepare vs a place Let the oppressed and distressed soule come hither and looke vp Seeing wee haue an high Priest which is passed into the heauens Iesus the Sonne of God let vs
to consume thee no tempest to affright thee no colde â—o molest thee no heate to offend no plague to kill thee no calamity to afflict thee O Christian soules endeauour to ascend to your Christ Iesus vnto and into this glorie and bee not discouraged eyther with the long distance from you or with the maruellous height aboue you For with as much faciâ—itie as the Diuels were deâ—ected from Heauen in Gods â—ispleasure you shall be lifted â—p to Heauen by the fauour of Christ. The hand of the Lorde of Hostes that cast them out â—nto the bottomlesse pitte â—hall bee stretched foorth to â—eceyue you vp into glorie â—nd that in a moment in the winckling of an eye Oh how amiable are our goings towardes the Lorde of Hostes Sanctuarie in the progresse of diuine vertues Humility doth lift vs vp aboue the earth Pouertie in Spirite aboue the water Contrition aboue the ayre Good workes aboue the fire Faith Hope Loue Discretion Constancie Temperance Righteousnesse aduanceth vs aboue the seuen Planets our conuersation aboue the Emperiall Heauens Purity of heart dooth bring vs vp to the sight of God and vnto the glory of the blessed For three places God hath appointed hâ—â— Children to liue in the Wombe this Earth the Heauens In the wombe in a narrow place for a short time some nine monethes In the earth a place of greater extent and a longer season some seauentie yeares And lastly in Heauen a place of extent without limit and for terme without time euen for euer and euer And as the second place farre exceedeth the first both in largenesse of Extent and in continuance of time so the third place of our most happie being incomparably surpasseth the second in both for it is without limmit of locall scite and without all determinatioÌ„ of time for length of dayes O Christ come vnto vs and into vs with these thy graces that wee may come to thee and into that glory where thou ruâ—est and raignest with God the Father and the Holy spirite for euermore O Lord lift vp mine heart vnto theâ— O Eternall God and most mercifull Father in Christ Iesus who dwellest in the thrones of immortality and blisse vouchsafe to looke vpon vs thy humbled Creatures that lye here beneath and groane to bee deliuered from the bondage of our corruption into the freedome of thy goodnesse Thou hast taken vp from vs our Lord Iesus and hast set him at thy right hand in Maieâ—ty and great glorie O when shall wee come â—nd behold the beautie of thine â—ouse and the blessednesse of thy Saintes Lâ—sten Lord vnto our supâ—lications and for our Aduocates â—ake that pleades our cause beâ—ore thee in heauen Let vs be dissolued that we â—ay bee with thee and with our â—eloued Iesus Who for vs men â—â—me downe from Heauen and â—as humbled to deâ—th that wee might liue with thee for euer Behold O Lord God how wee runne after him in the sweet sauour of his diuine perfumes WheÌ„ hee liued here with vs on earth he disdayned not Matâ—eâ— a publican hee abandoned not Peter a denyer of him nor cast away Paule a perâ—ecutor nor despised Marie Magdalen a courtezan nor refused to hear a Cananaatish woman the blinde the lame the dumbe the deafe yea the possessed with diuels hee had compassion vpon Therefore now wee wretches here beneath albeit our conâ—â—tion is farre worse then any of those yet wee conceiue comfort that now in his glorified estate he will also grant vs his pittie and compassion and by the power of his grace whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe will conquer our stubborn and disobedient hearts and makâ— them plyable and conformableâ— to his sacred Lawes That we may not reason in our vnderstanding nor enclineâ— our affections downewards but as he is receiued vp in glory so we may set our selues and soules to seeke and search after him in all heauenly things O Lord the dead prayse thee not they that goe downe into the pit doe not remember thee what benefit is there in our blood what glory is there to thee in the land of obliuion where thou art not once thoght vpon O God let the deuouring and despayring gulfe bee the portion for the diuels and the damned that neuer seeke thee in thy beloued Let that vale be for the children of Hinnon that bottomlesse pit for the Locusts that lake of brimstone for thy Christs enemies that second death for the desperate that weeping and wayling for the heathen that hath not knowne thee that hell for the dâ—spisers of thy Sonnâ— that euerlasting fire for the Abaddon and his seruants but as for those that sue for fauour vnto thee and lye at thy mercy gate for grace and beg but the crums let them be deliuered because of thy beloued let them reioyce on thy saluation let them see the sight of thy saints and bee glad with the light of thy countenance for euer O speake comfortably vnto their soules and let their hearts euermore reioyce before thee Oh tender hearted Father giue them a tast in this life of the happinesse of the other and a glimpse of that glory wheâ— into Christ Iesus is receiued That so our hearts may bee enflamed our wills enclined our affections setled and our whole selues knit vnto thee that neither sinne nor Sathan life nor death things present nor things to come may separate vs from the loue and exceeding thirst and desire of beeing where Christ our treasure is Let not the diuell with any of his subtill and slie delusions carrie vs downeward in tempting vs with our vnworthinesse our euill our wretchednesse in putting into our mindes that we are predestinate and ordayned of old to destruction and that whatsoeuer we do â—r say or pray it auailes not for â—t cannot alter thy decree and so â—y this meanes cast vs into desâ—erate carelessenesse But O Lord â—each our soules to reason and â—ommune with our owne hearts 〈◊〉 going vpwards where Christ â—esus is receiued vp in glory that â—e beleeuing and louing thee our God liuing in thy grace calling â—pon thee dayly may worke out â—ur saluation with feare and â—embling And do thou O God ascertain â—ur conscience that these things â—re the actions and affections of â—ose that are ordayned to blisse â—â—d life euerlasting in the merits of thy deare Sonne Christ Iesus our Lord. To this blessed purpose assist vs O God in all the occurrences of our life at home and abroade in businesse and in leasure in prosperitie and aduersitie in sickenesse and in health that we may still haue our minds lift vppe vnto thee through the power of our Prince of peace Christ Iesus and euer vse these things of this life to further our saluation in him that at the last when wee shall come 〈◊〉 our fatall and finall dissolution iâ— this world the way of all flesh we may bee receiued vp by thy goodnesse and ministerie of thy blessed Angels into those
of my soule in musing on this so holyâ— and so happy a mysterie which I doe adore in the retirednesse of my spirit continually and the fire of thy zeale O Lord encreaseth in my heartâ— and the flames thereof bursts forth and I crie to thee O King of heauen and of earth that thy goodnesse would vouchsafe me a blessing among thine holy ones in whose flesh thou art manifested by the power of thy spirit of sanctification and other graces of thy goodnesse For O my God I haue perceiued sinne and Sathan a long time to haue ruled and raigned in my flesh In my heart by auersenes from thee in my vnderstanding by misled iudgments in my wit by wayward purposes froward desires in my fancie by foolish imaginations designes and my thoghts by rebellious affections in mine eyes by adulterous wanderings in mine eares by itching after vanities in my forhead as in the whores brow by impudent outfacings in my mouth by blasphemous swearings and curses and in my whole masse of nature by lewde and loose conditions Now therefore I come vnto thee O Sauiour of mankind the Phisition of soule and body and lie groueling in mine owne dust before thy footestoole humbly praying thy goodnesse for thy Christ his sake that thou wouldest vouchsafe to manifest thy selfe by thine almighty power in my flesh in my wretched flesh in my rebellious and rotten flesh in mine haughty naughty and hellish flesh That it may by thy thy power become a vessell of holinesse of puritie of grace and of glory To this blessed ende mortifie in me O Lord the deedes of the flesh adulterie fornication vncleanesse laciuiousnesse Idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies enuyings murders drunkennesse reuellings and sucâ—h like and in stead thereof manifest in me O God thy selfe by bestowing vpon me a principall portion of thy Spirit in loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meckenesse temperance and what else thy holy wisedome knowes fit for me in my vocation and ranke Restraine sinne that it may not raigne in my mortall body and Sathan that hee may not rage ouer me Set vp thy selfe O God aboue the heauens and thy glory aboue all the earth That thy beloued in whom thou art manifested by thy graâ—ious spirit of sanctification may euer praise and magnifie thy Great name amiddest the Congregatigations And I the vnworthyest of all thy creatures shall euer bee telling of thy goodnesse towards me for redeeming me with thy bloud for sanctifying mee by thy grace for vniting thy selfe mystically vnto mee thine humbled Votarie and for sauing mee from those many and manifold euills of the flesh whereinto thousands are faine also had not thy gratious assistance O Lord vpheld my weake and feeble flesh â—N Lord there hath no sinne beene committed since Adams fall vnto this day by any the sonnes and daughters of men but I had done the like if thy sweete fauour in Iesus Christ had not preuented mee O Lord then let mee liue in thee let mee wholly resigne my selfe vnto thee that neither sinne nor Sathan nor shame nor confusion may come neere my dwelling but that thou mayest dwell in mee here by thine owne spirite of holinesse that hereafter I may obtain the happinesse of thy glorious kingdome through Iesus Christ mine onely Lord and Sauiour Amen GOD IVSTIFIed in the Spirit Explication GOD manifested in the Spirit not as man iustified whose sinnes are remitted for Christ his sake whose vnrighteousnesse is couered with Christ his merits whose wretchednesse is not imputed for Christ his obedience as Saint Augustine diuinely discanteth vpon the 32 Psalme but iustified in the spirit by diuine iustice such as is properly to God only In which sence his iudgements are sayde to bee iustified that is they are true and righteous al together albeit to vs they are secret and vnsearchable His wisedome is sayde to bee iustified of her children that is it is knowne to bee true and infallible wisdome In this phrase spake Dauid to God saying That thou mightest bee iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest That is that no liuing creature could taxe implead or touch the resolutions and performances of Gods decrees with any the least preiudice or impeachment of iniquitie for they were euer most iust and sacred albeit they are vnknowne to vs Is there any vnrighteousnesse with God sayeth Paul In this phrase also Saint Peter vrgeth the Iewes that they had denyed The holy one and inst and desired a murtherer to be giuen them The manner of this Iustification was in the spirit that is to say Hee was iustified in that which was in his sacred person diuine and aboue the humane nature So S. Paul teacheth the Church of Rome affirming that albeit hee was the sonne of Dauid according to the flesh yet was hee declared to bee the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead which seemeth vnto mee to intend two arguments to this purpose The first is that neuer any in our flesh liued spotlesse and voide of sinne but Christ onely There is the iustifying Spirite of Sanctification The second is that neuer any of himselfe but Christ Iesus loosed the bandes of death and arose from the fetters of the graue There is the Iustifying Spirite of power in the Resurrection and euen in this very phrase Athanasins speaketh to witte That Christ was iustified not after the manner of men but by diuine puritie To this end that he should bee honoured and worshipped not as a meere man albeit hee was truly man but as the eternall God in our flesh This therefore is the Catholique Faith which whosoeuer doth not beleeue cannot bee saued That Iesus Christ is knowne by his power in the spirite to be the very son of God against the Maâ—cionites Gods sonne by nature not by grace against the Arrians that hee was begotten of the Father against the Bonosians that froÌ„ euerlasting against the Natiuitarians that hee was God of himselfe against the Donatists and that hee was coequall with the Father and consubstantiall against the Macedoans This Iustification of the Sonne of God was declared in the spirit of power and in the spirite of purity as I haue sayde out of Saint Paul to the Romanes In the power of the Spirit it was declared against al the powers of darkenesse which flesh and bloud could not abandon For besides the generall cessation of Oracles at his comming the particular Idols were euery where defaced and confounded Astorah of the Sydonians Melchom of the Ammonites Chemosh of the Moabites Belzebub of Ekron Remphan of the Sirians Dagon of the Philistines Moloch of the Egyptians and many others were in all places of the world put to vtter confusion Because the God of this world which is the diuell was cast out and the stroÌ„ger man surprised the strong man dispossessed him dispoiled him and vtterly