to the perfection of humane Nature or of the naturall properties of the same And therefore seeing hee was made of a woman as all other men be differing only in the manner of his conception or in the Agent and worker of his Substance it is most apparent that he assumed all our humane nature What Christ assumed because the whole nature of man that is both body and Soule was to be redeemed for that both body and Soule were captivated unto satan but the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Mat. 18.11 therefore he must consist both of body and soule for seeing the Divine pity was content to deliver all it behoved the Divine Majesty to assume all Fulgent l. 1. de mysterio redemp ad Trasim That Christ had a true humane body Gen 3.15.22.18 Luke 24.39 saith Fulgentius and more particularly that hee had a true and perfect humane body it may be easily proved for when the Apostles thought that they had seen a Phantasme or a spirit hee sayd unto them handle mee and see because a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have Besides it may be proved by the uniform consent of all Orthodox antiquity as the great Councill of Chalcedon that had in it 630 Bishops the Councill of Lateran the Councill of Toledo Fulgentius in his second booke Basil in l. de hum Christi gener Aug. de Trin. l. 13 c. 18. Beda in 11 Luc. l 4. c. 48. De persona Christi Saint Basil Saint Augustine Tertullian in his booke De carne Christi venerable Bede and diverse others whose pithy sayings and unanswerable arguments to prove this point I could here alledge But above all the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.4 used by Saint Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Evangelist which signifie to take our nature upon him and to be made flesh if they be well and truly understood do make it most apparently plaine that the Sonne of God took unto himselfe personally the true nature of man and the very substance of his Mother Luke 1.31.42 Heb. 2.14 for the Apostle doth not say factus de muliere sed factus ex muliere made in a woman but made of a woman Gorrham super Galat. as Nicolaus de Gorrham well observeth and therefore though Christ had his Principium formale his formall beginning from the Holy Ghost yet it is most certain that hee had his Principium materiale his whole matter and substance from the body of his mother And as hee had a true humane body so hee had a perfect reasonable Soule That Christ had a true reasonable soule Mat. 26 38. Luke 23.46 for the testimonies of the Scriptures are most plain herein As my Soul is heavy unto death and again Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Also the whole School of Divinity did ever teach the same truth for Nazianzen saith Quod non assumpsit non salvabit either hee had a soule or he will not save a soule and Saint Augustine saith Totum suscepit ut totum liberaret verbum Aug. de tempore Ser. 145. Christ took all upon him that is both body and soule that he might save them both And so you see that Christ had not Ideam humanae naturae An imaginary patterne of humane nature as some in these our dayes would have it but the whole nature of man In uno individuo consisting both of body and soule That Christ was subject to all our humane frailties which are without sin Moreover As Christ had all the parts of a true and perfect man so he had all the propertyes that do concern mans nature or do belong either to the soule or to the body of man as length breadth thicknesse understanding will affection c. And all other infirmities that wee have sin only excepted Why he undertook our infirmities Ambros in Luc l. 10. c. 22. And it was requisite saith Saint Ambrose Vt infirmitates nostras susciperet That he should take upon him our infirmities First To demonstrate the truth of his assumed humanity Secondly To strengthen and under-prop the weaknesse of our declining Faith and yet here wee must distinguish and understand that those infirmities which are not sinfull are either Personall or naturall Those that are Personall we say not That Christ took no personal infirmities upon him that he took for though many of us be affected with maladies infeebled with infirmities and disfigured with deformities yet the body of Christ being framed by the Holy Ghost of the purest Virgin blood was proportioned in most equall Symmetry and correspondency of parts and therefore he was speciosus forma prae filijs hominum fairer then the sons of men wholy pure more pure then the body of Absolon 2 Sam. 14.25 in whom there was no blemish so Cassiodorus saith Forma ejus lactei coloris de core illuxit Cassidor in Psa◠45. insigni statura prae-eminuit his body of the best composed stature did excell all other men Christ of a ravishing beauty and so Saint Hierom saith that his countenance carryed hidden and vayled in it a star like shining brightnesse which being but a little revealed it so ravished his Disciples hearts that at the first sight thereof Mat. 19.27 Joh. 18.6 they left all and followed him and it so astonished his enemies that they stumbled and fell to the ground But now those that are naturall or common infirmities That Christ took upon him all naturall common infirmities Heb. 2.17.4.15 Damasc de fide Orthodoxa l. 3. c. 20. Discipulus in ser de temp we affirm that he had them in all things like unto us for we confesse saith Damascen that Christ took all the naturall passions of man which are without sinne and Discipulus saith that every man was subject unto twelve naturall defects and infirmities wherof saith he our Saviour Christ hath undergon ten of them and hath suffered the same Luke 22 43. even as we do First Cold Secondly Heat Two infirmities incident to every man and denyed by no man to be in Christ Mat. 21.18 Thirdly Hunger as when he came to the fig-tree and would have eaten Joh. 4.7 c. 19. 28 Fourthly Thirst As when he asked Drink of the woman of Samaria Fifthly wearinesse Joh. 4.6 As when hee sate by the well side to rest him Sixthly Weaknesse and paine Mat. 27.32 Joh. 19.17 as when he was not able to bear his cross any further Seventhly Heavinesse and sorrow Mat. 26 38. Luke 16 41. as when his soule was heavy unto death Eighthly Shamefastnesse Mar. 6.6 and admiration as when hee marvelled at the infidelity of the Jewes Ninthly Feare Heb. 5.7 as when his Father heard him in that which hee feared Tenthly Anger Mat. 21.12 as when he drove the Buyers and sellers out of the Temple These are the ten
the Ancients they shall surely finde that as the Gentiles did understand many things concerning God and Jesus Christ his only son so some of them have delivered some things although but darkly concerning this holy spirit For Hermes Trismegistus hath these words All kind of things in this world saith he are quickned by a spirit one spirit filleth all things the world nourisheth the bodies and the spirit the soules and this spirit as an instrument Mercuâ—ie in his Esculapius c. 3. 7. is subject to the will of God And further he saith That all things have need of this spirit it beareth them up it nourisheth them it quickneth them according to every of their capacities it proceedeth from a holy Fountaine and is the maintainer of all living things and of all spirits Here wee see the reason why we call him the holy Ghost namely because he proceedeth from the fountain which is the very holinesse it selfe And least we should think him to be a creature Mercurie in his Sermon in his Poemander c 3 there was saith hee an infinite shadow in the deep whereon was the water and a fine understanding spirit was in that confused mass through the power of God From thence there flourished a certain holy brightnesse which out of the sand and the moyst nature brought forth the Elements and all things else Also the Gods themselves which dwell among the stars tooke their place by the direction and appointment of this spirit of God In the writings of Plotinus Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 2. lib. 3. cap. 35. there be found very significant speeches of the holy Ghost whom hee calleth Vniversi animam Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 9. cap. ult Eâ—n 6. lib. 8 cap. 13. 15. 27. Enn. 3. lib 8. c. 10. lib 9. cap. 1. the soule or life of this whole universe This soule saith hee hath breathed life into all living things in the Air in the Sea and on the land it ruleth the Sun the stars and the Heaven it hath quickned the matter which once was nothing and utterly full of darkness and all this hath it done by the only will of it selfe It is all throughout all like to the father as well in that it is but one as in that it extendeth it self into all places All which doth most apparently prove that the Gentiles themselves were not ignorant of this holy spirit whom they clearly shew to be the true and eternall God And therefore how may this serve to shame the wretched Atheists of this world which notwithstanding such a cloud of witnesses will still continue ignorant and hardned in unbeleife Why the holy Ghost is called a spirit Moreover This third person of the true and only God-head is called a spirit not only because hee is a spirituall that is an immateriall and pure essence for so likewise is the Father a spirit and the son as well as he but first in regard of his person because he is spired and as it were breathed both from the Father and the son Secondly In regard of the creatures Psal 33.6 Joâ—h 20 22. because the Father and the son do work by the spirit who is as it were the breath of Grace which the Father and the son breatheth out upon the saints blowing freely where it listeth Joh 3.8 1 Cor. 2.12.13 Act. 2. â— 3.4 and working spiritually for manneâ—â— meanes and matter where it pleaseth Thirdly In regard of his Property because the property of him is to move to set forward to perswade to comfort to enlighten the spirits hearts of men and at length to worke in them such things as pertain to our sanctification And indeed the saints have such tryall of the marvellous effects thereof as neither reason nor mans wisdome is able to comprehend those things neither can they be discerned by the eyes of men So that as Peter Martyr saith wee beleive in the holy Ghost as in a thing that far exceedeth the capacity of our nature and yet is distinctly set forth unto us in the holy scripture Job 14 26. 1.33 Joh. 16.13.14.15 Mat. 28.19 That the holy Ghost is distinct from the Father and the son for the Apostles are commanded in the Gospell that they should baptize in the name of the Father of the son and of the holy Ghost Which place doth most plainly expresse the distinction of the three persons and do signifie nothing else but that we be delivered from our sins by the name authority and power of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And in the baptisme of Christ Luke 3 21 22 Mat. 3 16 17 as Luke rehearseth the Voice of the Father was heard and the holy Ghost appeared under the forme of a Dove whereby is signified that the holy Ghost doth so differ from the Father and the son as he is derived from them both In John it is sayd I will pray the Father Joh. 14 16 and hee shall give you another Comforter Here the son prayeth the Father heareth and the Comforter is sent Now if the Father shall give such a Comforter then the Father himselfe cannot be that Comforter neither can Christ that prayeth be the same So that very significantly the three persons herein are plainly set forth unto us For even as the Father and the sonne are two distinct and severall though not sundred persons even so the holy Ghost is another distinct person from the Father and the Son Joh. 15 26 Luke 1 35 That the holy Ghost is a person proved Luke 3 22 And further that the holy Ghost is a person is proved 1. By his apparitions because he hath appeared visibly for seeing he descended in bodily shape upon Christ and sate upon the Apostles Acts 2 3 it followeth that hee is subsisting 2 Hee is proved to be a person 1 Cor. 3 16 Acts 5 3 4 Isa 40 7 30 Ephes 4.4.30 Acts 28.25 1 Cor. 12 11 Luke 12 12 Joh. 16.13 Luke 2 26 Mat. 10 20 because he is called God 3 Because the properties of a person are attributed unto him as that hee distributeth gifts even as he will that hee teacheth comforteth confirmeth ruleth raigneth Likewise that hee sendeth Apostles and speaketh in them So also hee declareth the things to come Acts 16 10 39 20 24 1 Tim. 4 1 He giveth prophesies of Simeons death of Judas the Traitor of Peters journy to Cornelius of Pauls bands and afflictions which should betide himselfe at Jerusalem of a falling away and of the deceiver in the last times Heb 9 8 10 15 of the meaning of the high preists entrance into the holiest of all of the first Tabernacle of the new Covenant 1 Pet. 1 11 of Christs sufferings and his glory which should follow after them and such like He maketh request for us with sighes which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.29 he cryeth in our hearts Abba Father he is
Psal 115.3 dwelling in the Heavens that none can attain unto and this the very Heathens knew full well Vide Naâ—â—ell p. 54. Ita etiam allusit Plutarchus in Iside de theologia Aegyptiâ—rum Vide Job c. â—2 Psal 18.9.11 when Orpheus speaking of God could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot see him because he is compassed about with darkness and Damascius the Platonist speaking of the wise men of Egypt saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they call the first beginning of all things darknesse unknown darknesse passing all our understanding answerable to that place of the Psalmist He made darknesse his secret place and all to this end to shew that he cannot be seen or comprehended by us Quia secundum essentiam in cognitus secundum Majestatem immensus because his Majesty is immeasurable and his being is unconceivable Thalas apud Paulinum Presbyt Job 28 24 saith Thalassus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he is every where and seeth every thing when as nothing can see him and as the sun is in it self most visible so is God in himselfe most intelligible Why the nature of God is not to be comprehended by the understanding of man and therefore that the sun dazeleth the eye and God the understanding it is from the abundance of glory in both in respect of our weakness to see and insufficiency to apprehend so that our defect of knowledge in the Nature of God is not so properly from the Excellency of the Object as from the deficiency of the Faculty John 1 18. our understanding being too narrow to comprehend the incomprehensible Essence of the God-head as whatsoever is finite must needs be too short either to reach or to fathom that which is infinite 1 Tim. 6.16 Wherefore God dwelling in that light of Glorious Excellency and inaccessible Glory which no eye of humane Reason can approach or enter into Psal 144 3. we not being able to comprehend him in a full Knowledge have some apprehensions of him by a divine faith for it hath pleased him in his word revealed unto us to reveale himselfe so far as our weake capacity can conceive him and that by giving himself as you have heard many Names Titles Attributes to shew what a one he is who being a most simple essence void of al composition not subject to any accident or quality useth in the Scriptures to entitle himselfe by many qualities the which we must so understand that whatsoever he is whether Good Wise Powerfull c. he is the same by Essence not by quality Now although God cannot be defined 1. Because he is immense and his Essence unknown unto us 2 Because as Aristotle saith Aristot Topicor l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the definition of any thing is the expression of what it is in its own nature and virtue and so we cannot possibly shew what he is yet some way he may be described and therefore his description according to Phylosophy is on this wise God is an eternall minde or intelligence The description of God according to Philosophy sufficient in himselfe to all felicity most good and the cause of good in nature The description of God according to the rules of Divinity But Divinity hath taught us a more full and ample description of him which is in this sort God is an Essence spirituall intelligent Eternall infinite different from all the creatures without body parts or passions incomprehensible most perfect in himself immutable Omnipotent of exceeding wisdome and goodnesse just true chast mercifull bountifull most free wroth and angry without sin Or thus God is a Spirit in and of himselfe Joh. 4.24 Exod 3.14 Exod. 24.16 1. Tim. 1.11 Mat. 5.48 Gen. 17.1 1. Tim. 1.17 Mal. 3.8 1. King 8.27 Psal 139.1 to 13. Rev. 4.8 Heb. 4.13 Rom. 16.27 Isa 6.3 Deut. 32 4. Exod. 34.6 Nancelius l. 1. infinite in being Glory Blessednesse and perfection all-sufficient Eternall Unchangeable Incomprehensible every where present Almighty knowing all things most wise most holy most just most mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth We finde three speciall wayes of expressing what he is first by way of Negation by removing from him what we find in the creatures as when we say and affirme him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immortall Invisible Incorporeall Immoveable Infinite Unchangeable and so forth And because Dionys de calest hierarch c. 2. as Dionysius the Areopagite saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negations are true in God but affirmatives are not alwayes agreeable to him therefore this is the best part of our knowledge of him as S. Augustine saith when we know rather what he is not then what he is Secondly By way of perfection by way of affirmation and perfection as when we doe analogically and in respect of certaine similitudes ascribe unto God the best and most excellent things that can be found in any of the creatures whatsoever and so we say he is Great Strong Faire Mercifull Just c. So Hermes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is an indefatigable Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest King of Kings and a most good God and Thales Milesius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient uncreated God Cicero in Tuscul 1. Lactan. lib. 2. cap. 5. And Cicero so well as he could defined himâ— in manner following Deus meus est vis quaedam soluta libera segregata ab omni concretione mortali omnia sentiens movens ipsaque praedita motu sempiterno God is a certain intelligence or spirit free and ready separated from all mortall mixture or concretion knowing and moving all things and having in himself an eternall motion and Plato defineth God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Phoedone a divine God-head immortall and good and wise and understanding of one and the same manner indissoluble having himself alwaies after the same way and most like unto himself And in another place he saith that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheifest good the shape or Idea of the cheifest good the King of all kinds and of that invisible and inaccessible place that none can attaine unto the maker of the Sun beyond all substance the beginning of the Universe from whom are all the beings and substances that are knowne to be But we must remember as I said before that all these Definitions and many more beside can give us no true knowledge of the Essence of God because it is wholy incomprehensible Solus Deus est altissimus S. Aug. in lib. de mor. Eccles quo altius nihil est Only God is most high above whom there is nothing higher and besides the Philosophers say that Definition may wholy specifie the Proportion of a thing or his Kind Quality Difference or some Peculiar accident all which severall things are not to be found in God which is the
fire Idem A Hen Mat. 23 37 A Carcase Mat. 24 28 A bundle of myrrhe Cvn 1 13 A lambe with out spot 1 Pet 1 19 A lambe undefiled Idem An Army with Banners Cant. 6 4 And he may be called Our Eye Mouth Hand  Because by him we see speak to offer unto the Father John 14 6 True it is All the things of this world without Christ will availe us nothing that as the Bird cannot fly without her wings nor the body move without the Soule so no more can any man do any thing that is good and acceptable unto God without the helpe of Jesus Christ for all our Knowledge is but heathenish science able to make us proud not to make us happy if hee be not Objectum adaequatum the chiefest yea and the sole object of the same all our Faith in God is but ungrounded confidence if it be not grounded upon Jesus Christ all our righteousnesse is but as Pollutio Panni menstruous clouts 1 Joh. 1 2. if it be not washed in his blood and all our patience temperance chastity and all other vertues that either Nature planted or education effected in us are but splendida peccata glistering guilded sins unacceptable unto God and unprofitable unto our selves if they be not guided by the grace and directed to the glory of Jesus Christ who is indeed the most perfect pattern of all vertue And as there is no way for us to find true vertue but onely in him which is vertue it self The knowledge of Christ the only means to suppresse all vices so there is nothing in the world that is so availeable to suppresse all Vice as is the true knowledge of Jesus Christ Nam haec irae impetum cohibet superbia tumorem sedat For this will refrain the violence of anger when they consider how hee suffered all violence and villanies Isa 53.7 and yet as a sheepe before his shearer was dumbe so opened he not his mouth This will allay the swellings of Pride when they consider how he was the noblest of all creatures and the fairest among the sons of men and yet was hee meek and lowly in heart Psal 45 2. Matth. 11.29 this will heale the wounds of envy it will stoppe the streams of Luxury it will quench the flames of Lust it will temper the thirst of Coveteousnesse and it will keepe thee from the itching desire of all filthinesse when wee consider how much hee loathed these how free hee was from these and how earnestly he diswaded us from all vices whatsoever Ne spiritu mendacii erroâ—is seducaris lucescat tibi veritas christus ne adversitatibus fatigeris comfortet te virtus Dei christus And therefore Ne mundi gloria seu carnis voluptatibus abducaris dulcescat tibi pro his sapientia Christus least thou shouldest be withdrawn from God through the pompous vanities of this world or the lustfull and delightfull pleasures of thine own flesh let Christ the true wisdome of God waxe sweete unto thee least thou shouldest be seduced by the spirit of lyes and of errors let Christ the true light shine unto thee and least thou shouldest be wearied and waxe faint under the burthen of adversities let Christ the power of God refresh thee because whatsoever we do want he alone is alsufficient to supply our need For if thou art sick with sin and thy soul wounded or poysoned unto death and wouldst be healed Christ is thy best and alone Physitian only hee and no one but he can cure thee if thy soule doth hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse and wouldest be satisfied he is the bread of Life Joh. 6.35 Chap. 7.38 and the Fountain of living waters if thou art as naked of all goodnesse as thou wert of all cloathing when thou camest out of they Mothers wombe and wouldst be adorned with the best robes of vertue Christ is the Garment of Righteousnesse Rom. 13.14 or whatsoever thou wantest and wouldst have thou mayst fully and freely have the same from him yea if thou be simple he is thy wisdome if thou be sinfull 1 Cor. 1 30. hee is thy Righteousnesse if thou wouldest be holy hee is thy sanctification if thou beest the slave of hell and held captive by the Divell hee is thy redemption and thy redeemer that hath led captivity captive Ephes 4.8 and to comprehend all in a word This Jesus is All in All Vt qui omnia propter Christum dimittit unum inveniat pro omnibus Christum That he which forsaketh All for Christ his sake might find all in Christ and Christ instead of all far better then all unto his soul that so he might joyfully sing with the Psalmist The Lord is my portion Psal 23.1 and I have a goodly heritage the Lord is my shepheard and therefore I can want nothing yea as all the accessions and accumulations of all worldly things can adde nothing unto the felicity of a Christian so all the defects or wants of the same things can detract nothing from the happinesse of him that hath Jesus Christ Vita ab errore gratia a peccato mors a morte liberabit for his life will preserve thee from error if thou wilt follow it his grace will free thee from sin if thou wilt receive it and his death will deliver thee from eternall death if thou wilt beleeve in it So that he is truly called the way without wandring in our Peregrination whereby our pathes are directed Truth without shadowing in our deliberation whereby our Errors are corrected and Life without ending in our remuneration whereby our mortality is eternized In that he is Our Righteousnesse to justifie us Ephes 1.7 Rom. 3.24 Col. 1.20 1 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 10 9. Col 2.13 1 Thes 1.10 Our Wisdome to teach us Our Reconciliation to reconcile us Our Holinesse to sanctifie us Our Redemption to free us Our Reward to glorifie us So that by him our sins are discharged we cleered the debt payd the score is crossed the creditor satisfied and the debtor acquitted In that his condemnation is our Absolution and Passion our payment his death is our life blood our purgation his sacrifice is our satisfaction and curse our blessing his Grave is our mortification and Ascention our Glorification Thus much by way of digression therefore now to come back to the foregoing subject of our discourse namely the Deity of Jesus Christ If all the testimonies of the forenamed Jews Gentiles of all the Evangelists Apostles Fathers Martyrs and of all the holy men of God be not sufficient to prove Jesus the son of Mary That God himself testified Christ to be his son to be the Eternall Sonn of God We finde God himselfe the creator of Heaven and Earth testifying the same for though the testimony of John was sufficient to satisfie any man because hee was a burning and a shining Light Joh. 5.35 in whom the
is no more able to expresse all the Mysteries and most excellent points that we might collect and learne from the Incarnation of Christ then one poor fisher man is able to catch all the fishes in the ocean sea And therefore thus much shall suffice concerning this discourse of the Incarnation Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is as hath been proved the true and promised Messiah the only son of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his Person heire of all things Heb. 1.2.3.4 c. more excellent then the Angels having honour glory Power strength Praise 2 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 5.12 Colos 2.3.1.18 Psal 2.8 Eph. 1.20.21.22 Psal 72.8.17 Phil. 2 9. Dignity Riches and Wisdome yea all treasures of knowledge and wisdome the heathen for his inheritance the Earth for his possessions and the Heavenly places for his seate far above all Power Might Dominion and Principalities with a Name given him above all Names at which every knee should bow c. Being the second Person in Trinity begotten of his Father from Eternity Gal. 4.4 in one Person the Son of God and very man Man Non exeundo quod habuit sed induendo quod non habuit not by loosing that he had but by accepting what hee had not our miserable nature conceived of a Virgin by the Holy Ghost called of his Father ever since the fall of Adam to be a Mediator between God and man desired of the Patriarchs prefigured in the Law foretold by the Prophets accomplished in the time of Grace manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 seen of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into Glory For man hee became a King to rule a Prophet to teach and Priest to sacrifice CHAP. III. OF THE HOLY GHOST Wherein the greatnesse of Gods goodness doth appeare WHEN we think upon the infinite goodnesse of the great Jehovah how gracious he is in all respects amiable in himselfe placable unto men liberall unto all his creatures none is so stupid and dull as not to admire it in him such is the never-dying streams of the goodness of God it is like a boundlesse Ocean there is no end of his Goodnesse and therefore Saint Bernard in admiration thereof breaketh forth into these heavenly acclamations saying Quam dives es in misericordia magnificus in Justitia munificus in gratia Domine Deus noster O how rich art thou in mercy how magnificent in Justice and how bountifull in Grace O Lord our God! For thou art a most liberall bestower of heavenly gifts Nam tu munerator copiosissimus remunerator aequissimus liberator piissimus Bernard a most righteous Rewarder of humane workes and a most gracious Deliverer of all that trust in thee yea so great is the goodnesse of God it is beyond expression beyond our imagination our words are beneath our thoughts and our thoughts far lower then the truth thereof Deut. 32.49 52. Yet as Moses from the top of Mount Nebo beheld the borders of the land of Canaan so if you please to ascend with me to the Mount of Contemplation I will shew you some glimpses of Gods goodnesses Certaine glimpses or shadowes of Gods goodness for he elected us before we were he created us of nothing hee redeemed us when we were lost hee preserveth us being found and that hee might bring us to eternall life hee hath given us the Author and Fountain of all temporall and spirituall gifts even the holy Ghost What the holy Ghost is 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 15.26 Gal. 4.6 Psal 139.7 who is the third Person of the true and only God-head proceeding from the Father and the Son and co-eternall coquall and consubstantiall with them both Mat. 28.19 Isa 6.8.9 Act 28.25.26 He is call'd by the name of spirit proceeding from the Father and the son to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formall and Essentiall part of man 1 Cor. 2.11.12 So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no Composition falleth And yet some have been so bold as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created quality or a godly motion in the hearts and minds of Righteous man Isa 6.8.9 Acts 28.25.26 But if wee do compare the words of Isaias with the words of Saint Paul they will sufficiently confute this damnabe â—rrour and most manifestly shew unto us this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Besides the scripture saith That the spirit of the Lord filleth heaven and earth Sap. 1.7 whereupon Saint Basil Ambrose de S. S. l. 1. c. 7. Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose and others have most plainly proved against all hereticks whatsoever that the holy Ghost is a true God by Nature That the Holy Ghost is a true God by nature because that to be every where cannot by Grace belong to any but only to him that is by Nature God which reserveth this unto himselfe to be every where and therefore Saint Augustine writing against Maximinus an Arrian Bishop saith Aug. cont Maxim l. 3. c. 21. Epist 66. I cannot express how much I marvell what a heart you have so to extoll the holy Ghost as to make him every where present to sanctifie the faithfull and yet that thou dare deny him to be a God for is not he a God which filleth heaven and earth Also Dydimus in his booke Basil de spiritu sancto c. 22. and Saint Basil in his treatise De spiritu sancto declare that to be God Didym lib. 1. de spiritu sancto which can be in diverse places at one time Which thing is not agreeable to any creature But that the holy Ghost was present with the Apostles and Prophets in sundry parts of the world at one time no man professing the faith of Christ doth in the least doubt the truth thereof Wherefore it followeth that he is a God Job 33. Mat. 28.19 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 14.1.16 1 Cor 3.16 2 Cor. 13.14 Psal 33.6.104 30 The Symbolum of Nice out of the holy scripture teacheth That the holy Ghost is hee that maketh alive and hee that together with the Father and the sonne is worshiped and with them is honoured therefore the holy Ghost of necessity must be true and everlasting God with the Father and the son in one only essence touching which point the holy Fathers powerfully did set themselves against the Hereticks and out of holy scripture stoutly maintained the same Plato Aristotle Proclus Suidas Orpheus Pherecydes Parmenides Porphyrius Numenius Amelius Chalcidius Avicen As for Atheists which deny the scriptures and are altogether ignorant of this blessed spirit if they will but look into the writings of
51 12 A Good spirit Nehem. 9 20 And he is called The finger Of God Luke 11 20 Mat 12 28 The pledge Of God 2 Cor 5 5 Joh 14 16 17 18 26 The witness Of God Rom 8 16 The seal Of God Eph 4 30 2 Cor 1 22 The kisse Of God Cant 1 2 Seed of God 1 Joh 3 9 The Intercessor c. Rom 8 29 1 Joh 2.27 Act 2.2 Mat. 3 16. Act. 2.3 He is compared unto Oyntment a mighty wind a Dove and unto cloven tongues like fire Hee is also compared unto a Cloud to seed to water fire and winde To what the holy Ghost is compared and why 1 To a cloud Exod. 13.21 1 King 18.45 First unto a cloud Because that as the cloud betokneth a shadowing from heat and a sending downe of Rain as both Philosophy and experience sheweth so the spirit of God doth overshadow us from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the Raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all goods works Secondly to seed Because that 2. To seed as in our naturall birth we are begotten by the seed of our Parents so in our new birth wee are begotten by those Graces that are sown in our hearts by the holy Ghost Thirdly to water Because that 3 To water The properties of water as water mollifieth the hard earth fructifieth the barren ground quencheth the greatest heat and cleanseth the foulest things so doth the spirit of God soften our hard hearts fructifie our barren soules quench the heat of lust and cleanse us from all our sins And so make us to become fit Temples for himself to dwell in or like the trees that are planted by the water side Psal 1.3 which bring forth their fruit in due season Fourthly to Fire 4. To fire 1 Cor. 3.13 Because he doth consume away the drosse of sin and illuminate our understanding with the light of truth and inslame our hearts with the zeale of Gods glory and with unfained love The properties of fire both towards God and man yea as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius these three speciall things That is 1. Calorem 3. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heat to warme mollifie and purifie 2. Splendor to give light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Even so the spirit of God first warmeth and heateth the hearts of the Godly with a fervent and a fiery zeal of all godlinesse hee mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and purifieth their souls from all kind of filthiness whatsoever Secondly he illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God and heavenly things Thirdly he maketh them allwayes to be in action and never idle Finally he is compared to wind and that for these five reasons 5. To wind Joh. 9.8 Exod. 33.19 Reason 1 First as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the gifts and graces of Gods spirit are given to whom soever it pleaseth him Reason 2 Secondly as the winde scattereth the dust and driveth the chaffe away from the Corne so the graces of Gods spirit doth winnow the consciences of the saints and drive away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Reason 3 Thirdly As the wind cooleth comforteth and refresheth all those that are scorched with the heat of the sun so doth the grace of Gods holy spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of troubles and afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sins Reason 4 Fourthly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine and mighty stream so will the grace of Gods holy spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination Reason 5 Fifthly As the winde will passe unresistably so will the grace of Gods blessed spirit work its own effect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore he is compared unto a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde we read of in the sacred scripture did rend the Mountaines and break the rocks before the Lord Why the holy Ghost is compared to a mighty wind 1 King 19.11 so the grace of Gods holy spirit and the word of the great Jehovah is mighty in operation able to shake the stoutest the proudest man and to break in peeces the stoniest heart The gifts of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. All these severall operations which this holy spirit worketh in the hearts of the elect and all those foregoing Titles and Appellations which the sacred scriptures do give unto the holy Ghost do certainly prove him to be the true and everlasting God Besides if wee further search the holy scriptures we shall finde that by the holy Ghost First The word of wisdome the word of Knowledge Faith Gifts of healing working of miracles Prophesie discerning of spirits diverse kindes of Tongues and the interpretation of Tongues c. is given Heb. 6.4 5. Secondly By him the godly are sanctified and the very Reprobates have a taste of heavenly gifts and of the good word of God and of the promises of the world to come Exod. 13.3 4 0. 1 Sam. 11.6 c. Thirdly By him all excellency in common gifts of Nature reason as strength courage arts and sciences Policy and government is given unto man yea unto many that never heard of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 6.63 Joh. 14.17 Fourthly Influence perpetuall effectuall and vitall of saving grace from Christ is the head of every true member is given to beleevers 1 Pet 1.2 in which sence the world cannot receive or know the same Fifthly By the holy Ghost vertues charity constancy benignity faith goodness joy longanimity mildness modesty love patience Gal. 5.22.23 and peace of conscience are gotten with seven other principall vertues to wit wisdome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge godliness Isa 11.2 and the fear of God All these gifts being given by the holy Ghost do likewise prove him to be a God Many of the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit are excellently well deciphered and set down unto us under the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the holy Ghost did appear As First he appeared like a dove when he descended upon our Saviour Christ because his dove-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent meek and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the feild the little silly lamb is in most respects best qualified therefore is Christ call'd the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world So of all the fowls of Heaven the Dove in most respects is most excellent In what respects the holy Ghost is like a Dove For shee is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace she brought the Olive Branch unto Noah
be respected then the greatest Peer that is arrayed in gold and pearles if he be destitute of understanding Saint Basil saith Ille intelligens est Basil sup prov 1 qui secundum mentem rationem vivit he is an understanding man not which knowes things but which liveth according to the dictate of his reason and understanding which is an habit Per quem animus ea perspicet quae sunt by which the mind of man doth perceive and see those things which are principia intelligibilia Cicero in Rhetor l. 2. Aristot Aethic in l. 5. intilligible principles as Aristotle saith and Plato hath one excellent observation of the understanding Quód infinitam virtutem in se habet cum nec humana nec divina respiciens satiatur nisi infinitum Deum capiat qui capacitatem ejus ab eo manantem Mag. Mor. c. 34. Intellectus est habitus principiorum impleat infinitam that it hath a most large extent and is never satisfied with the knowledge of any hamane or divine things untill it layeth hold upon the most infinite God which hath enlarged that capacity unto our soules and is only able to replenish the same himselfe and therefore the more that any man understandeth the more he coveteth to understand untill he understandeth God The understanding how insatiable without which we understand nothing but are most truly compared unto the beasts that perish the whole world being no more able to satisfie our understanding then a peck of corn is sufficient to fill up all the Vast Regions that are under the circumference of the highest heaven For the understanding of naturall things indeed this eye of the soule is very peircing sharpe it s like the Eagles eye that can behold sub frutice leporem How sharp our understanding is in naturall things sub fluctibus piscem a hare lurking under the shrub and a fish playing under the wave we will presume to understand the times and seasons Intellectus est vis animi quae invisibilia perspicit Aug. de spiritu anima and the secrets of all Natures works heaven it selfe and all the host thereof is within the reach of our understanding it tells you how far it is to every sphere and it setteth forth the dimensions of every star even to an inch And yet blind man I dare be bold to say it that Aristotle himselfe that great Philosopher knew not all the knowable things in a straw Joh. 3.12 The least entity or invisible being not wholy known by any man and therefore if our understanding be so dimmed and so dulled that we can but scarcely perceive naturall things how shall we be able to understand spirituall which are supra intellectum humanum above all humane understanding because Reason cannot peirce into spirituall things yea all our understanding though it be the eye of our soule yet it is full of darkenesse How dull our understanding is in sprituall things and would soon bring us into the pit of ruin and destruction if the same were not Dei verbo directus spiritu divino illuminatus directed by Gods word and illuminated by this spirit of God which is the spirit of understanding so that indeed it is most truly said of Caelius Rhodiginus Ludovicus Caelius Rhodig leg antiq l. 3. c. 1. de intellectu agente passibili That although the soul of man needeth no other extrinsecall light but only that which is innate if negligence or vice did not corrupt the same to understand those things which are within it as is the soul it self powers habits faculties and all the vertue thereof yet Ad ea percipienda quae sunt supra ipsum to understand those things which are above it and do exceed all humane understanding indiget omnino anima irradiatione ab ipsâ luce veritatis primae The soule doth altogether require to be enlightned with the bright beames of of the first truth Our soules must be enlightned to understand God which is God himselfe or else man shall never be able to attain unto the least measure of the understanding thereof and this irradiation of light from God upon our soules to the inlightning of our understanding is called infusio gratiae ad divina contemplanda the infusion of Gods Grace to inable us to contemplate and to understand spirituall and divine things for we finde the very Apostles themselves could not understand the scriptures untill the spirit of God had opened their understandings Luke 24. 1 Cor. 2.14 because the carnall or naturall man cannot perceive the things of the spirit of God and therefore Saint Paul saith No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost no man can beleeve the incarnation passion resurrection and assension of our Saviour Christ and the rest of the mysteries of true Religion but by the speciall helpe and illumination of the spirit of God nay more Psal 119.18.34 verse 73 125.14â— Rom 7.14 the Prophet David sheweth that we cannot understand the Law of God which seems to be plain enough without any secret meaning or hidden mysteries unlesse wee be guided enlightned by this holy blessed spirit who is the Instructer which teacheth us Joh. 14.26 16.13 Rom. 8.2 Joh. 6.63 Ezeck 47.1 Joh. 3.5 1 Cor. 3.13 Rom. 8.26 Joh. 15.26 the spirit of life which quickneth us the water which reneweth us the fire which inflames us the comforter which helpes us the Advocate which speaks for us and the everlasting fountain and spirit of Truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us and by whom our infidelity is turned into faith our thraldome into freedome our poverty into plentie our barrennesse into fruitfullnesse our sorrow into solace our darknesse into light our misery into mercy our wearinesse into strength our mourning into mirth our death into life our affliction into glorification and our Hell into heaven yea finally by him the Angells are replenished Prophets inspired Scribes are instructed the word is quickned the Church sanctified the hardnesse of heart suppled the weaknesse of faith cherished the darknesse of the soule enlightned and the mist of discomfort dispersed so that by his presence darknesse is expelled and by his favour soules from death and hell are delivered CHAP. IV. OF THE TRINITY IN VNITY GOD is so wonderful saith Saint Gregory Vt semper debet confiderari per studium How comprehensible is our God Greg. in quadam homiâ—a Esa 6. Ambrose de spirit sanct l. 3 c 22. sed nunquam discuti per intellectum that hee ought alwaies to be considered and admired in our thoughts but never pried into by our understandings for as Saint Ambrose speaking of the Seraphims which Esayas saw both standing and flying saith Si volabant seraphim quomodo stabant si stabant quomodo volabant If they did flye how could they stand and if they stood how did they flye surely