it containeth three points The first that Christ beeing now to ascend lifts vp his hands and blessed his disciples In the Scripture are mentioned diuers kinds of blessings The first when one man praieth to God for a blessing vpon an other and this blessing doe Kings and princes bestow vpon their subiects and parents on their children and for this cause children are well taught to aske their fathers and mothers blessing that they may pray to God to blesse them There is an other kinde of blessing when a man doth not onely pray for a blessing but also pronounceth it This did the priests in the old Testament and thus Melchisedeck when he met Abraham blessed him saying Blessed art thou Abraham of God the most high possessour of heauen earth And this was the ordinarie duty of the priests prescribed by God himselfe therefore the very forme of words which they vsed is set downe after this maner The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee c. The third kind of blessing is when a man doth not onely pray to God pronounce blessing but by the spirit of prophecie doth foretell a particular blessing vpon any Thus Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau particularly foretelling both their estates And Iaacob blessed the twelue Patriarks by the same spirit foretelling them what should befall them many hundred yeares after Now our Sauiour Christ did not blesse his disciples any of these three waies and therefore there remaineth a fourth kinde of blessing which he vsed that was after this manner Christ in blessing his disciples did not onely pronounce or foretell a blessing that should come to his disciples but did conferre giue the same vnto them For he is the fountaine and author of all blessings And therefore Paul saith that God the father hath blessed vs in all spiritual blessings in Christ. Hence we learne first that al those which denie themselues flie to Christ and put their affiance in him shall be freed from the curse of the law from the wrath of God due vnto them for their sinns whatsoeuer they are Secondly that the curses of men must not discourage vs from doing well For though men curse yet Christ blesseth and for this cause he saith Woe be vnto you when all men speake well of you as if he should say then you want the blessing of God And we must remember that when men shall curse vs for doing our dutie euen then the blessing of God shall be vpon vs the curse causeles shall not hurt And God saith to Abraham he will curse them that curs◠him Thirdly we learne that no witchcraft nor sorcerie which often are done with cursing shall be able to hurt vs. For looke where Christ will blesse there all the deuills in hell can neuer fasten a curse This is found true by experiēce For when Balaam the wizzard should haue cursed the people of Israel had assaied to doe it many waies but could not at length he said there is no sorcerie against Iacob nor soothsaying against Israel This is a notable comfort to the people of God that witches and sorcerers doe what they can shall neuer be able to hurt them It may be that their badde practises may annoy mens bodies and goods yet the Lord will turne all to a blessing vpon his seruants either in this life or the life to come The second point is that Christ went apart from his disciples and ascended vpward toward heauen in their sight For the right vnderstanding of this sundrie speciall points must be obserued The first that the lifting vp of his bodie was principally by the mightie power of his godhead and partly by the supernaturall propertie of a glorified bodie which is to mooue as well vpward as downward without constraint or violence The second that Christ did goe from earth to heauen really and actually and not in appearance onely The third that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples The fourth that he went locally by chaunging his place and going from earth to heauen so as he is no more on earth bodily as we are now on earth It may be obiected that Christ made a promise that hee would bee with his Church to the ende of the world Answ. That promise is to be vnderstood of the presence of his spirit or godhead not of the presence of his manhood Againe it may further be alleadged that if the godhead be on earth then must the manhood be there also because they are both vnited together Answ. It is not true that of two things conioined where the one is there must the other be also For the sunne it selfe and the sunne-beames are both ioyned together yet they are not both in all places together For the bodie of the sunne is onely in the heauens but the sunne-beames are also vpon the earth The argument therefore followes not Christs manhood subsists in that person which is euery where ergo his manhood is euery where And the reason is because the Sonne of God subsists not onely in his diuine nature but also by it whereas he doth not subsist at all by the manhoode but onely in it for he subsisted before all eternitie when the manhood was not Nay rather because the manhood doth subsist by the person of the Sonne therefore the person extends it selfe further then the manhood which is assumed and sustained by it and hath his existing thence For that very thing whereby any other thing either essentially or accidentally is extends it selfe further then the thing whereby it is As the humane nature whereby Peter is a man extends it selfe further then to Peter namely to all other men and the whitenesse whereby the snow is white extends it selfe further then to that snow which a man holds in his hand The third point is that in the ascension a cloud tooke Christ from the fight of his disciples And whereas he caused a cloud to come betweene their sight and himselfe it signified vnto them that they must now be contented with that which they had seene and not seeke to know further what became of him afterward and the same thing is taught vnto vs also we must content our selues with that which God hath reuealed in his word and seeke no further specially in things which concerne God For the like ende in the giuing of the law in Sinai God appeared in a cloud and when he did manifest his glorie in the temple which Salomon made a thicke cloud filled the same The fourth point to be considered is concerning the witnesses of his ascension which were his owne disciples in the mount of Oliues at Bethanie and none but they Now it may be demanded why he would not haue all the whol natiō of the Iewes to see him ascend that so they might know that he was risen againe and beleeue in him
6.27 For him hath the Father sealed The second is his blessing of it whereby he by the recitall of the promises and praiers conceiued to that ende doth actually separate the bread and wine receiued from their common vnto an holy vse This doth seale that action of God by which he did in the fulnesse of time send Christ to performe the office of a Mediatour vnto the which he was fore-ordained The third is the breaking of the bread and powring out of the wine this doth seale the passion of Christ by which he verely vpon the crosse was both in soule and bodie bruised for our transgressions The fourth is his distributing of the bread and wine into the hands of the communicants This sealeth the action of God offering Christ vnto all yea to the hypocrites but giuing him indeede vnto the faithful for the daily encrease of their faith and repentance The action of the receiuer is double The first is his taking the bread and wine in his hand This sealeth a spirituall action of the receiuer namely his apprehension of Christ by the hand of faith Ioh. 1. 1â— The second is his eating of the bread and drinking of the wine to the nourishment of his bodie This sealeth his application of Christ by faith that the feeling of his true vnion and communion with Christ may daily be encreased 1. Cor. 11.16 The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ That doctrine of Transubstantiation which teacheth that the bread is turned into the very bodie of Christ and the wine into his blood is a very fable the reasons why are these I. In the first institution of the Supper which was before Christ his passion the bodie of Christ was then eaten as alreadie crucified Now how the bodie of Christ crucified should after a corporall manner be eaten he himselfe being not as yet crucified it is impossible to imagine II. The bread after the consecration is distributed into parts but the whole bodie of Christ is receiued of euery singular communicant III. The bread is the communion of Christs bodie therefore not his very bodie IV. By this meanes the bodie of Christ should not onely be made of the substance of the Virgin Marie but also of the bakers bread V. Let the bread wine be kept for a time and the bread will mould and the wine turne to vineger after the consecration by which we may conclude that there did remaine the substaÌ„ce of bread and wine VI. This opinion quite ouerthroweth the sacramentall vnion namely the proportion which is betwixt the signe and the thing signed Thâ— lâ—ke may be said of the Lutherans Consubstantiation whereby they bâ—â—re men in hand that there is a coexistence by which the bodie of Christ is eithâ—â— in or with or about the bread Against this these reasons may suffice I. The â—hoâ—â—â—ction of the Supper is done in remembrance of Christ now what 〈…〉 f the bodie of Christ were really present II. Act. 3.21 Whom the heauens 〈◊〉 containe vntill the time that all things be restored III. This is an essential propertie of euery magnitude and therfore of the bodie of Christ to be in one place and circumscribed or compassed of one place IV. If that Christs bodie were eaten corporally then should the wicked as well as the faithfull be partakers of the flesh of Christ but to eate his flesh is to beleeue in him and to haue eternall life V. It were very absurd to thinke that Christ sitting amongst his Disciples did with his owne hands take his owne bodie and giue it wholly to each of his Disciples Such as will in an holy sort prepare themselues to celebrate the Lords Supper must haue First a knowledge of God and of mans fall and of the promised restauration into the couenant by Christ. 1. Cor. 11.26 So often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shew the death of the Lord till he come 29. and discerne his bodie Secondly true faith in Christ for euery man receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth Heb. 4.2 For vnto vs was the Gospel preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Furthermore true repentance of their sinnes Esai 66.3 He that killeth a bullocke as if he slue a man he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an idol yea they haue chosen their owne waies and their soule delighteth in their abominations Psal. 26.6 I wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and so come before thine altar Thirdly renued faith and repentance for daily and new sinnes committed vpon infirmitie because euery new sinne requireth a new act both of repentance and faith this renouation must be seene by our reconciliation of our selues to our neighbours for iniuries and wrongs Mat. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee 24. Leaue thy gift before the altar and goe first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift If thou canst come furnished with these things abstaine not from the Lords table by reaâ—â—n of thy many infirmities If being thus prepared thou feelest that thou hast a corrupt and rebellious heart know this that then thou art well disposed to the Lords table wheÌ„ thou art liuely touched with a sense of thy crooked disposition Luk. 4.18 The spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blind that I should set at libertie them that are bruised Mat. 15.24 He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel The Lords Supper is a medicine to the diseased and languishing soule and therefore men must as well seeke to purifie and heale their hearts in it as to bring pure and sounde hearts vnto it If thou feele in thy selfe some great defect and want of faith pray vnto god earnestly that he will vouchfafe to increase it Mark 9.24 The father of the child crying with teares said Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe If thou canst not doe this thy selfe vse the aide of the faithfull which may by their faith carrie thee as men did the sicke of the palsie vpon their sholders and laid him before Christ. Mark 2.3 If thou come not furnished on this maner to the Lords table thou shalt be adiudged guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ as he is guiltie of high treason who doth counterfeit or clip the Princes coyne 1. Cor. 11.27 He
mindfull of others For a man that hath wealth is made a steward to distribute his goods to the poore and the good of Gods Church True loue seekes not her owne things the branches of the vine are loden with clusters of grapes not for themselues but for others the candle spends it selfe to giue others light Giue If bread be ours wherefore are we to aske it it may seeme needlesse Answ. Not so for hereby we are taught to waite on God who is the fountaine and the giuer of all blessings Men vsually driuen to any distresse vse euill meanes as robbing deceiuing consulting with wizzards c. 2. Againe here we learne that though a man had all the wealth in the world all is nothing without Gods blessing Question The rich neede not say Giue vs c. for they haue abundance already and what neede they aske that which they haue Answer Let a man be neuer so rich and want nothing that can be desired yet if he want Gods blessing in effect he wants all Wherefore euen Kings and the greatest personages that be are as much bound to vse this petition as the poorest Gods blessing is riches saith Salomon Prou. 10.22 Thou maist eate and not haue enough be clothed and not warme earne wages and put it in a broken bagge Hag. 1. 6. if God doe not blesse thee This blessing of God is called the staffe of bread Esay 3. 1. In bread there bee two things the substance and the vertue thereof proceeding from gods blessing this second that is the power of nourishing is the staffe of bread For take away from an aged man his staffe and he falls and so take away Gods blessing from bread the strength thereof it becomes vnprofitable and ceaseth to nourish Lastly here we see that all labour and toile taken in any kind of calling is nothing and auailes not vnlesse God still giue his blessing Psal. 127.1 3. The wants which are to be bewailed SInnes which we are taught in this petition to bewaile are two especially I. Couetousnesse a vice which is naturally engrafted in euery mans heart it is when a man is not content with his present estate This desire is vnsatiable men that haue enough would still haue more Wherefore he which shall vse this petition must be grieued for this sinne and pray with Dauid Psal. 119. 36. Incline my heart to thy commandements and not to couetousnes And he must sorrowe not so much for the act of this sinne as for the corruption of nature in this behalfe Couetous people will plead that they are free from this vice but marke mens liues and we shall see it is a common disease as Dauid noted Psal. 4.6 where he brings in the people saying who shall shew vs any good This then is a common sinne that we are taught to mourne for 2. The second want is diffidence and distrustfulnes in Gods prouidence touching the things of this life Men also will shift this off and say they would be sorrie to distrust God But if we doe but a little looke into the corruption of our nature we shall see that we are deceiued For beeing in prosperitie wee are not troubled but if once we be pressed with aduersitie then we howle and weepe and as Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.10 Men peirce themselues through with many sorrowes If a man shall loose a part of his goods what then doth he straight hee goes out to the wise man is this to beleeue in God No it is to distrust God and beleeue the deuill 4. Graces to be desired THe grace to be desired is a readines in all estates of life to rest on Gods prouidence whatsoeuer fall out Psal. 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Prou. 16. 3. Commit or role thy workes vpon the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed Whereby we are admonished to take paines in our callings to get meate and drinke c. If the Lord blesse not our labour we must be content if he doe we must giue him thankes Now for this cause we are further to pray to God that hee would open our eies and by his spirit teach vs in all his good creatures to see his prouidence and when meanes faile and are contrarie then also to beleeue in the same and to followe Pauls example Phil. 4.12 5. Errours confuted PApists teach that men by workes of grace may merit life eternall and increase of iustification in this life But howe can this be for here we see that euery bit of bread which we eate is the free gift of God without any merit of ours Now if we can not merit a peece of bread what madnes is it to thinke that we can merit life euerlasting 2. They also are deceiued who thinke that any thing comes by meere chance or fortune without Gods prouidence Indeede in respect of men who know not the causes of things many chances there are but so as that they are ordered and come to passe by Gods prouidence Luk. 10.31 By chance there came downe a certaine priest that way Forgiue vs our debts 1. The Coherence THis is the fift petition and the second of those which concerne our selues in the former we craued temporall blessings in this and the next which followeth we craue spirituall blessings Where we may note that seeing there is two petitions which concerne spirituall things and but one for temporall that the care for our soules must be double to the care of our bodies In the world men care for their bodies their hearts are set for wealth and promotion they can be content to heare the word on the Sabbath yet neither then nor in the weeke day doe they lay it vp in their hearts and practise it which argues that they haue little or no care for their soules Question What is the cause that first we craue things for the bodie and in the second place those which concerne the soule Ans. The order of the holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderfull for the Lord considers the dulnes and backwardnes of mens natures and therefore he traines them vp and drawes them on by little euen as a schoolemaster doth his yong schollers propounding vnto them some small elements and principles and so carrying them to higher points For the former petition is a step or degree to these two following The ruler by the healing of the bodie of his child is brought to beleeue in Christ. Ioh. 4.53 He then that will rest on Gods mercie for the pardon of his sinnes must first of all rest on Gods prouidence for this life and he that can not put his affiance in God for the prouision of meate and drinke how shall he trust Gods mercie for the saluation of his soule Here we may see the faith of worldlings they say that God is mercifull and that they beleeue in Christ which can not be true seeing in lesser matters as meate and drinke they
followed of all though it may be the applying of it as Iob well perceiued is mixed with follie Here it may be alleadged that in the pangs of death men want their senses and conuenient vtterance and that therefore they are vnable to pray Ans. The very sighes sobbes and gâ—ones of a repentant and beleeuing heart are praiers before God euen as effectuall as if they were vttered by the best voice in the world Prayer stands in the affection of the heart the voice is but an outward messenger therof God looks not vpon the speach but vpon the heart Dauid saith God heares the desires of the poore againe that he will fulfill the desires of theÌ„ that feare him yea their very teares are loud and sounding praiers in his eares Againe faith may otherwise be expressed by the Last words which for the most part in theÌ„ that haue truly serued God are very excellent coÌ„fortable and full of grace some choise examples whereof I will rehearse for instructions sake and for imitation The last wordes of Iacob were those whereby as a prophet he foretold blessings and curses vpon his children and the principall among the rest were these The scepter shall not depart from Iudah and the lawgiuer from betweene his feete till Shilo come and O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation The last words of Moses are his most excellent song set downe Deut. 32. and the last words of Dauid were these The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue the God of Israel spake to me the strength of Israel said Beare rule ouer men c. The wordes of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoida when he was stoned were The Lord looke vpon it and require it The last words of our Sauiour Christ when he was dying vpon the crosse are most admirable and stored with abundance of spirituall grace 1. To his father he saith Father forgiue them they know not what they doe 2. to the thiefe Verily I say vnto thee this night shalt thou be with me in Paradise 3. to his mother Mother behold thy son to Iohn behold thy mother 4. and in his agonie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 5. and earnestly desiring our saluation I thirst 6. and when he had made perfect satisfaction It is finished 7. and when bodie and soule were parting Father into thy hands I commend my spirit The last words of Steuen were 1. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God 2. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit 3. Lord lay not this sinâ—e to their charge Of Polycarpe Thou art a true God without lying therefore in all things I praise thee and blesse thee and glorifie thee by the eternall God and high Priest Iesus Christ thine onely beloued sonne by whome and with whome to thee and the holy Spirit be all glorie now and for euer Of Ignatius I care not what kinde of death I die I am the bread of the Lord and must be ground with the teeth of lyons that I may be cleane bread for Christ who is the bread of life for me Of Ambrose I haue not so led my life amoÌ„g you as if I were ashamed to liue neither doe I feare death because we haue a good Lord. Of Augustine 1. He is no great maÌ„ that thinks it a great matter that trees and stones fall and mortall men die 2. Iust art thou O Lord and righteous is thy iudgement Of Bernard 1. An admonitioÌ„ to his brethren that they would ground the anchor of their faith and hope in the safe and sure port of Gods mercie 2. Because saith he as I suppose I can not leaue vnto you any choise example of religion I commend three things to be imitated of you which I remember that I haue obserued in the race which I haue runne as much as possibly I could 1. I gaue lâ—sse heede to mine owne sense and reason then to the sense and reason of other men 2. When I was hurt I sought not reuenge on him that did the hurt 3. I had care to giue offence to no man and if it fell out otherwise I tooke it away as I could Of Zuinglius when in the fielde he was wounded vnder the chinne with a speare O what happe is this goe to they may kill my bodie but my soule they cannot Of Oecolampadius 1. An exhortation to the ministers of the Church to maintaine the puritie of doctrine to shewe forth an example of honest and godly conuersation to bee constant and patient vnder the crosse 2. Of himselfe Whereas I am charged to bee a corrupter of the trueth I weigh it not now I am going to the tribunall of Christ and that with good conscience by the grace of god there it shall be manifest that I haue not seduced the Church Of this my saying and contestation I leaue you as witnesses and I confirme it with this my last breath 3. To his children loue God the father and turning himselfe to his kinsfolkes I haue bound you saith he with this contestation you which they heare and I haue desired shall doe your indeauour that these my childreÌ„ may be godly and peaceable and true 4. To his friend comming vnto him What shall I say vnto you Newes I shal be shortly with Christ my Lord. 5. being asked whether the light did not trouble him touching his breast there is light enough saith hee 6. he rehearsed the whole 51. psalme with deepe sighes from the bottome of his breast 7. a little after Saue me Lord Iesus Of Luther My heauenly father God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and God of all comfort I giue thee thankâ—s that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ whome I haue beleeued whome I haue professed whome I haue loued whome I haue praised whome the Bishoppe of Rome and the whole companie of the wicked persecuteth and reuileth I praie thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule my heauenly father though I bee taken from this life and this bodie of mine is to he laid downe yet I knowe certainely that I shall remaine with thee for euer neither shall any be able to pull me out of thy hand Of Hooper O Lord Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me receiue my soule Of Annas Burgius Forsake me not O Lord least I forsake thee Of MelaÌ„cthon If it be the will of God I am willing to die and I beseech him that he will graunt me a ioyfull departure Of Caluine 1. I held my tongue because thou Lord hast done it 2. I mourned as a doue 3. Lord thou grindest me to powder but 〈◊〉 sufficeth me because it is thine hand Of Peter Martyr that his bodie was weake but his mind was well that he acknowledged no life or saluation but onely in Christ who was giuen of the father to be a redeemer of mankind and
and put his houshold in order and went and hanged himselfe And the fiue foolish virgins contented themselues with the blasing lamps of a bare profession neuer seeking for the horne of lasting oyle of true and liuely faith that might furnish and trimme that lampe both in life death But let vs in the feare of God cast off this damnable folly first of all seeking the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and leading our liues in faith and obedience that we may die accordingly And thus much of the first point of doctrine namely that there is a certen way whereby a man may die well now I come to the second Whereas therefore Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth we are further taught that such as truly beleeue theÌ„selues to be the children of God are not to feare death ouermuch I say ouermuch because they must partly feare it partly not Feare it they must for two causes the first because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans owne selfe and others in this respect Christ feared it without sinne and we must not feare it otherwise then we feare sicknes and pouertie and famine with other sorrowes of bodie and mind which god wil not haue vs to despise or lightly regard but to feele with some paine because they are corrections and punishments for sinne And he doth therefore lay vpon vs paines and torments that they may be feared and eschewed and that by eschewing them we might further learne to eschew the cause of them which is sinne and by experience in feeling of paine acknowledge that God is a iudge and enemie of sinne and is exceeding angrie with it The second cause of the feare of death is the losse of the Church or Commonwealth when we or others are depriued of them which were indeede or might haue bin an helpe stay and comfort to either of them and whose death hath procured some publike or priuate losse Againe we are not to feare death but to be glad of it and that for many causes First of all in it we haue occasion to shew our subiection and obedience which we owe vnto God when he calls vs out of this world as Christ saide Father not my will but thy will be done Secondly all sinne is abolished by death and we then cease to offend God any more as we haue done Thirdly the dead bodie is brought into a better condition then euer it was in this life for by death it is made insensible and by that meanes it is freed from all the miseries and calamities of this life and it ceaseth to be either an actiue or passiue instrument of sinne whereas in the life time it is both Fourthly it giues the soule passage to rest life and celestiall glorie in which we shall see God as he is perfectly know him and praise his name for euer keeping without intermission an eternall sabbath therefore Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ for that is best of all Fifthly God exequutes his iudgements vpon the wicked and purgeth his Church by death Now in all these respects godly men haue cause not to feare and sorrow but to reioyce in their owne death and the death of others Thirdly if the day of death be so excellent yea a day of happines then it is lawfull to desire death and men doe not alwaies sinne in wishing for death Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and againe O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Yet this desire must not be simple but restrained with certaine respects which are these First death must be desired so far forth as it is a meanes to free vs from the corruption of our nature secondly as it is a meanes to bring vs to the immediate fellowship of Christ and God himselfe in heauen thirdly death may be lawfully desired in respect of the troubles and miseries of this life two caueats beeing obserued the first that this desire must not be immoderate the second it must be ioyned with submission and subiection to the good pleasure of God If either of these be wanting the desire is faultie and therefore Iob and Ieremie and Ionas failed herein because they desired death beeing carried away with impatience On the contrarie also a man may desire a continuance of life Ezechias praied and desired to liue when he heard the message of present death that he might doe seruice to God And Paul desired to liue in regard of the Philippians that he might further their faithâ— though in regard of himselfe to die was aduantage to him Lastly if death ioyned with reformation of life be so blessed then the death of the vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinner is euery way cursed most horrible Reasons are these First it is the destruction of nature and the wages of sinne Secondly in it there is no comfort of the spirit to be found no mitigation of paine and no good thing that may counterâ—aile the miseries thereof Thirdly that which is the most feâ—reful thing of all bodily death is the beginning os eternall death desperation and infernall torment without hope of deliuerance Therefore as I began so I end haue care to liue well and die well FINIS An addition of things that come to my minde afterward THe last combat with the deuill in the pang of death is oftentimes most dangerous of all For then he will not vrge men to desperation knowing that by this meanes he shall stirre them vp to resist him but he labours with them that they would not resist him when he assaults them and by this means he indeauours to extinguish hope And this is not done in any other temptation in which faith or hope alone are impugned whereas in this they are both impugned togither This must be thought vpon for when the deuills temptation is not to resist his temptation it is most deceitful of all and it is more easie to ouercome the enemie that compells vs to fight then him that disswades vs from it The temptation of M. Iohn Knox in the time of his death is worth the marking He lay on his death-bedde silent for the space of foure houres very often giuing great sighes sobbes and grones so as the standers by well perceiued that he was troubled with some grieuous temptation and when at length he was raised in his bedde they asked him how he did to whome he answered thus that in his life time he had indured many combats and conflicts with Sathan but that now most mightily the roaring lyon had assaulted him often said he before he set my sinnes before mine eyes often he vrged me to desperation often he laboured to intangle me with the delights of the world but beeing vanquished by the sword of the spirit which is the word of God he could not preuaile But now he assaults me another way for the wily serpent would perswade me that
shine Psal. 104.15 and God hath put into his creatures infinit varieties of colours sauours tasts and formes to this ende that men might take delight in them Hence it followes that Recreation is lawefull and a part of Christian libertie if it be wel vsed By recreation I vnderstand exercises sports seruing to refresh either the bodie or the minde and that they may be well vsed two rules especially must be remembred The first that lawfull recreation stands onely in the vse of things indifferent For if the things be commanded by god there is no sporting in them or if they bee forbidden there is no vsing of theÌ„ at all Vpon this ground sundrie kinds of recreation are to be neglected As I. the dauncing commonly vsed in these daies in which men and women yong men and maides all mixed togither daunce to the sound of the instrument or voice in time and measure with many wanton gestures and that in solemne meetings after great feasts This exercise cannot be numbred among things indifferent for experience sheweth that it hath beene vsually either a fruite or a follower of great wickednes as idolatrie fornication drunkennesâ—e hereupon one wel compared it to a circle whose center was the deuil Again if we must giue an acount of euery idle worde then also of euery idle gesture and pace and what account can bee giuen of these paces backward forward of caprings iumps gambols turnings with many other frisks of lightnes and vanitie more beseeming goates and apes of whome they are commonly vsed then men Whereas Salomon esteemed laughter as madnesse hee would no doubt haue condemned our common lasciuious dauncing much more for madnesse laughter beeing but the least part of it II. Dicing which is precisely the casting of a lotte not to be vsed at our pleasures but in matters of weight and importance And of this kinde are all gaines the ground whereof are not the sleight of mans witte but lotte alone III. Plaies and enterludes that stand in the representation of the vices and misdemeanour of the world For if it be not lawfull to name vices vnlesse it be in the way of dislike Eph. 5.3 much lesse is it warrantable to gesture and represent vice in the way of recreation and delite The second rule is that recreation must be sparing moderate and lawfull vse of things indifferent according to the rules following The spirituall vse is when we take occasion by the creatures to meditate and speake of heauenly things as vpon the sight of the vine and the branches thereof to consider the mysticall coniunction betweene Christ his church by the sight of the rainebow to thinke of the promise of God of not drowning the world by waters and by any thing that befalls to take occasion to consider in it the wisdome goodnes iustice mercie prouidence of God c. I adde further that things indifferent as bondage outward libertie riches pouertie single estate mariage meate drinke apparell buildings may be vsed freely because they are neither commaÌ„ded by God nor forbidden in themselues considered they may be vsed or not vsed without breach of conscience The right manner of vsing them is to sanctifie them by the word praier 1. Tim. 4.3,4 and not onely some of them but the vse of them all Meat drink and marriage are thus to be sanctified as the place before noted declareth Paul sanctified his iourney on this manner Act. 21.5 And the Iewes were commanded to dedicate their houses at the first entrance Deut. 20.5 By this dedication we may well vnderstand not onely the letting of the house or the prouiding of a tenant but also the sanctifying of it by inuocation of Gods name that by his blessing the place with the roomes thereof might serue for their benefit and comfort And on this manner to blesse our dwelling places when we first enter into them is the best way that can be to preserue them from the casualties of fire within and lightning from heauen and from the annoyance and molestation of euill spirits and other iudgements of God Things indifferent are sanctified by Gods word because it shewes what things we may vse and what things we may not if we may vse them in what manner it is to be done And to this purpose the Scripture afford foure rules The first that all things must be done to Gods glorie 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God And that this may be performed things indifferent must be vsed as signes tables in which we may shew forth the graces vertues that God hath wrought in the heart For example we must so make our apparel both for matter and fashion and so weare it that it may in some sort set forth to the beholder our modestie sobrietie frugalitie humilitie c. that hereby he may be occasioned to say behold a graue sober modest person and so of the rest And the common sinne of this time is that meate drinke apparell buildings are vsed as banners displaied to set forth to the world mans riot excesse and pride of heart The second We must suffer our selues lawfully to be limited and restrained in the ouermuch or ouercoÌ„mon vse of things indiffereÌ„t I say the ouercommoÌ„ vse because it is not Gods will vtterly and absolutely to barre vs of the vse of such things Now the restrainers of our vse are two the first is the law of charitie For as charitie giues place to pietie so Christian libertie in the vse of outward things giues place to charitie And the law of charitie is that we should not vse things indifferent to the hurt or offence of our brother 1. Cor. 8.13 Quest. Whether may a man vse his libertie before such as are weake and not yet perswaded of their libertie Ans. Some are weake of simple ignorance or because they haue bin deceiued by the abuse of long custome and yet are willing to be reformed And before such we must abstaine least by example we draw them to sinne by giuing occasion to them of doing that whereof they doubt Againe some are weake vpon affected ignorance or of malice and in the presence of such we neede not abstaine Vpon this ground Paul who circumcised Timothie would not circumcise Titus The second restrainer is the wholesome lawes of men whether Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall For howsoeuer things indifferent after the law is once made of them remaine still indifferent in themselues yet obedience to the law is necessarie and that for conscience sake Act. 15.28 The third We must vse things indifferent so farre forth as they shal further vs in godlines For we ought to doe all things not onely to the edification of others but also of our own selues And therfore it is a flat abuse of ChristiaÌ„ libertie for men so to pamper their bodies with meate and drinke that thereby they disable themselues to heare Gods word to pray to