That we walke soberly and in the feare of God because of the Angels who as they note our behauiour Luk. 15.10 so they reiuice at the conuersion of sinners Vse 3. For euill Angels remember first to hate all sinne in asmuch as the Diuell is an accuser of vs 2 Pet. 2.4.9 2. and a deadly enemy of our saluation séeking as a roaring Lyon to deuoure vs endeauouring by all meanes as Cyprian saith being lost himselfe to make others the children of perdition to put on the whole Armour of God and to resist him and to kéep watch ward against so subtill malitious watchfull powerfull and vnwearied enemy and this with so much the more assurance because the whole power of darkenesse is ouercome and vanquished by our Lord Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer Amen Quest Well you say the world was created in sixe daies with all that therein is What did God create the first day Ans In the first day were created the Earth Waters and the Light Explic. Genes 1.2 3 4 5. These thrée God created the first day and that by his word not a word spoken or sounding but by his commaundement or by his essentiall word The Earth was without forme and void that is not as it is now dry solide appearing fruitfull distinguished by hills vallies riuers c. The absence of these is vnderstoode by those words without forme and void Yea it had not the name of Earth for that name it had the third day here so called by anticipation It was not onely empty and void but drowned as it were in a most déepe gulfe of waters and swimming in the same being like vnto a slimy or muddie substance not appearing vntill by the power of God it was compacted into a solide masse and drawne out of the depth and receiued the forme of the earth which was the third day And darkenesse was vpon the face of the déepe Then God said Let there be Light and it was so c. This darknesse vnderstand not a substance created of God but a priuatiue quality of the rude masse of earth and water commingled that is a defect of light or rather a méere negation and nothing And whereas the Scripture saith that God creates darkenesse it is to be vnderstood by accident because he takes away the light Esay 42.16 and 45.7 This darkenesse was vpon the face of that watry and muddy body and beganne with the same The light spoken of I thinke to be meant not a thing altogether immateriall or subsisting without a subiect but a lightsome quality sparsed ouer the face of the déepe whereby it was so illustrated that it wholy might be discerned The time of this first darkenesse and the first continuance of the light following made the first naturall day The darkenesse being called Night and the Light Day which Light went and returned by the wonderfull appointment of God till the fourth day when the order of day and night was to be disposed by the Sunne Vse 1. First here as in all other workes of the Creation to note it once for all the wonderfull power wisedome and goodnesse of God is to be magnified that of nothing hath made al these things Vse 2. Here consider that of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 4.6 God that commaunded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ Whereby we may note that the worke of Grace in our hearts whereby we know and behold God in the amiable face of Iesus Christ is a worke equall to the first creation of light and that as the earth was without forme and voyd partely in respect of the want of light So a conscience wanting the light of Grace and the illumination of the spirit is most miserable and wretched And as the light is pretious it is comfortable to the eies to behold the Sunne Eccl. 11.7 So the comfort of comforts is this when the conscience séeeth and by faith discerneth the countenance of God appeased and fauourable in Iesus Christ Quest What did God create the second day Ans I beleeue that on the second day God made the Heauens and diuided the waters which were vnder the firmament from the waters which are aboue the firmament Gen. 1.6.7.8 Expli God not of water but of nothing made the heauens with their motion together with that wonderful space from the fact of the earth to the vtmost Heavens called a spreading ouer Esay 40.22 42.5 Psal 104.2 called also the Firmament not as though it were hard or solide but being of a most pure matter because of the constant and enduring firmenesse of it by the which it is not worne through the continuall motion but remaineth such as it was framed of God in the beginning Which Heauens are by Philosophers curiously distinguished In Scripture we reade of thrée heauens The lowest which is the ayre The second which are the Celestiall Orbs or the Aspectable Heauens The third the Heauen of the blessed the Heauen of heauens Paradise into the which Paul was rapt and Christ ascended The House and Throne of God his seate and habitation not that God dwelleth there and is contained therein as in a house but because he ineffably shineth there in maiesty and glory and communicates himselfe to the blessed Angels and men Vnderstand then that these highest heauens are called the seate of God by the manifesting of his glorie of Angels and men by the comprehension of their natures The waters aboue the firmament are the cloudes ouer our heads in the middle Region of the Ayre which God diuided from the waters which couered the face of the earth that it might be a preparation for the Appearance of the Earth the third day God diuided these waters not by their Centre as if one diuide an Apple into two equal parts but in the middest or betwéene the middest of the waters orbicularly or round about the whole compasse of the same as in a ball of foure couers if one should take the two outmost round about and stretching them to a larger concauity and hollownesse should so diuide them So God did diuide or make thinne and spread abroad the outmost halfe of the waters that part of them should be aboue the firmament that is not aboue all the heauens but aboue that part of it which is from the face of the earth and sea vnto the cloudes which is called Heauen Verse 20. Vse Let all the Inhabitants of the Earth serue God and feare before him who is able euery moment to let fall the clouds vpon vs to drowne the world For if these waters which hang ouer our heads were not by the mighty commandement of God holden vp surely bound in the clouds they must néedes drowne vp all as in Noahs floud which cloudes he causeth at his pleasure to powre forth water eyther for
punishment or mercy Iob 36.31 and 37.13 either to iudge the people or to giue meat aboundantly as Elihu saith Quest What did God create the third day Ans The third day God gathered the waters vnder the firmament into one place which hee called Sea and made the Earth to appeare and dried the same Gene. 1.9 10 11 12 13 and made all kindes of hearbs and trees vpon the face of the Earth Expli God purposing to create many beasts and man also now maketh ready the place where they must be by commannding the waters which still couered the face of the Earth to gather together into one place Psal 33.7 dilating the poares and pass ages of the earth to receiue the same that the Earth might be vncouered and appeare and together with the sea make one round body Also in this commaundement is to be vnderstood the continuall abiding of the Sea in the place it is with the ebbing and flowing and motions of the same Whereas therefore the Philosophers ascribe the motion of the Sea to the motion of the Heauens or to the Influence of the Moone though I deny not but the quantity of the waters mouing may be ruled by these causes yet the motion it selfe is onely from the commandement of God Iob. 38.8.11 Ier. 5.22 Psal 114.9 who caused the waters to ebbe and flow before the Moone was made The waters being thus gathered and the dry land appearing the Lord by his commandement clotheth it with all manner of hearbs flowers trées fruits and séeds not onely to couer the nakednesse of it but also to serue the vse of man and beasts after to be made The Lord commanded the earth to bring forth these hearbs c. out of it selfe not as out of the matter but as out of the originall place of them Now wheras there be only 3 kinds of plants named the Budde the Hearbe the Trée yet vnder these all whatsoeuer are contained Yea it is very agréeable to thinke that the very hurtfull and poysonous hearbes were then created though before the sin of man they were not hurtfull neither should haue béene euen as he created venemous beasts as the serpents which began to be hurtfull onely after the fall Here further we are vnder the commandement of God to vnderstand the continuall fructifying of the Earth by Roote or Séede or otherwise whereby there is a kinde of Immortality of the kindes of all Hearbes Plants and Trées c. Vse 1. Nothing is more fading then flowers and hearbes yet God hath giuen such liuely séedes vnto them that they come vp againe and are conserued in their kinde Hence note euen by the direction of the Holy Ghost first our Mortality who flourish to day and to morrow are in the graue Secondly Esay 40.6 Psal 90.6 Ioh. 12.24 1. Cor. 15.36 the resurrection of our bodies for thus is both the resurrection of Christ and our resurrection shadowed forth While life lasteth be humbled in remembrance of thy mortality when life passeth be comforred in hope of immortality Vse 2. Euery plant brings forth fruit according to his kind Consider this be ashamed faith feare loue obedience patience sobriety c. are the fruits that thou according to thy kinde shouldest bring forth both in regard of thy first and second creation Ephes 2 10 What then is Drunkennesse Vncleannesse Blasphemy Pride Couetousnesse c. what fruits are these Doth the Vine bring forth Thistles No it is not his kinde euen so thou art contrary to kinde when thou sinnest and bringest not forth good fruits Ioh. 15.8 c. Q. What did God create on the fourth day Ans On the fourth day God created of nothing the Sunne the Moone and the Starres appointing them to these ends First to separate the day and the night Secondly Gen. 1.14.15.16.17.18.19 Psal 33.6 to be for signes seasons dayes and yeares Thirdly to enlighten the earth day and night Expl. What Ptolomie and our latter Astronomers and Mathematitians obserue concerning the motions aspects coniunctions oppositions influences bignesse and quantity of the Starres both fixed and wandering is wonderfull as namely that the least fixed starre which are distinguished into sixe magnitudes should be eighteene times bigger then the whole compasse of the earth and sea whose globe is holden to be at the least twenty thousand miles about and onely thrée of the Planets to be lesser which are the Moone Venus and Mercury And of the Sunne which God created to be the Chariot of light one of his most wonderfull workes they write that it is of a most maruellous yea almost incredible bignesse not only in regard of his influences and effect and lights from whom the rest of the Starres receiue their chiefest but also in regard of his quantity and bignesse namely that it is about an hundred three score times bigger then the whole compasse of the earth and sea though to our sence it appeare not so These things the learned know very well Saint Ambrose a very learned Father Li. 4. Hexam cap. 6. by euident reason demonstrateth the generall truth hereof which I thought good to touch briefly that all men vnderstanding of these things might be astonished with admiration of his greatnesse which hath created them But concerning the vses of these beautiful creatures they were ordained First to diuide the day and the night by their rising and setting the Sunne to rule the day the Moone and Starres to gouerne the night Secondly they were ordained for signes I vnderstand not in regard of their scituation as to make the signes in and out of the Zodiaque but in regard of their vse portending and signifying many things by the diuine ordinance which are necessary for the life of man The signification of the starres otherwise called Prognostication by their rising setting c. as by causes or signes are three-fold First Naturall as of the Eclipses of the Sunne Moone Earth-quakes Winde Raine Drought c. Secondly Ciuill as the opportunity of many ciuill actions as of fit time of Nauigation for Mariners plowing and sowing for Husbandmen hiring and letting of ground for housholders c. Thirdly Spirituall Eccles 3. by their naturall and preternaturall affections as of changes in Common-wealths Warres c. which diuers times are by Ecclipses Blazing-starres c. foreshowne Which though they haue for the most part cause in Nature yet by the will and appointment of God doe fore-signifie such things as Fore-runners of the wrath of God as experience hath obserued as the signes in the aire which Iosephus mentioneth immediately foregoing the destruction of Ierusalem and the horible signes foregoing the generall Iudgement We acknowledge that the starres haue great strong influences on the inferiour things not on all but only on such which by the ordinary course of nature moue without deliberation in which number and account are not to be reckoned the mindes and wils of men the
study of the Word 16. A SHORT AND PLAINE EXHORTATION TO THE STVDY OF THE WORD WITH SEVErall directions for the hearing and reading of the same very necessary for these times AS the Sun is to the World so is the Word of God to his Church and People the light of their liues the life of their soules But as the Sunne in regard of the commonnesse is not duly considered so the commonnesse and plenty of the word a benefite vnspeakeable breedes the contempt of it Euen as the Manna at the first admired was afterwards loathed so doth our corruption vse the word When the Lord strooke Aegypt with darknesse then they vnderstood the benefite of the light so if the Lord should deale with vs sending such a famine of the word as the Prophet Amos speaketh of Amos 8.11 we would then acknowledge the plenty of the Gospel to be a happy blessing For we are brought to the acknowledging of good things rather by the wanting then the hauing of them So the sicke man learneth greatly to account of that health for the which before his sickenesse he was seldome thankefull but this is of corruption and grace must teach vs neuer the lesse to esteeme of the word for the plenty of it and our liberty in professing it but so much the more to loue it and for it to praise our mercifull God in Iesus Christ This also we must know that the more plentifully the Lord giueth the means the more fearefull is our blindnes the neerer we are to iudgement if we make not good vse of it When Iohn Baptist preached repentance and the kingdome of God Mat. 3.10 he saith Now is the axe laid c. as if he should haue said Howsoeuer God hath hitherto spared yet when the Sonne from his fathers bosome shall teach Hee that heareth not now shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire How culpable this way our English Nation is is too too manifest and what we haue cause to expect for it I tremble to write Wherefore as in the morning when the Sunne ariseth in his strength we open our doores and windowes to partake of his comfortable brightnesse so in as much as the Lord causeth the beames of his glorious Gospell to shine clearely among vs it is our parts to open our eyes and to endeauour to be illustrated by the same Is it not the Commandement Ioh. 5.39 Coloss 3.16 binding all and to all industry in the searching and study thereof That all are bound may appeare by these reasons First if any might be dispēsed with for not studying in the word either in regard of the worthinesse of their person or for the multitude of their busines then Kings but not Kings Deut. 17.18.19 and Dauid is an example therefore none Secondly all parents and children are bound to the knowledge of the word but all degrees Deut. 6.7 orders and conditions of men are in these contained therefore all Thirdly the reason of the commandement sheweth it In them you hope to haue eternall life Iohn 5.39 But all hope for and would haue eternall life ergo Fourthly the Scriptures set downe the duties of all men in their seuerall callings but these duties we cannot performe vnlesse wee know them and know them we cannot without the word Ergo. Fiftly the Apostle Peter writeth thus 1. Pet. 3.15 Bee ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you But render a reason and readily we cannot without the word therefore all whether teachers or learners able or not able to read are bound to the study of the word Away then with the figge-leaues of the multitude who think themselues here of discharged either for their worldly businesse or because they are not booke-learned or for some such foolish excuse This also reproueth the Papists who barre the common people the reading of the Scriptures fearing least that thereby they should proue Heretickes But this is a foolish feare for the Scripture teacheth the contrary affirming that the law maketh not wise men simple but simple men wise not putting out the eyes of them that see Psal 19.7.8 but giuing light to the eyes And indeed their reason is without reason for the word is a rule but the rule maketh not the worke wrong but is a meanes to right the same The word is a light but the light causeth not darkenesse but the absence of the light So the word causeth not heresies but the absence of the word yea and if they well consider they shall finde that not the simple common people but the learnedest Clearkes priding themselues in their wit haue beene the brochers of heresies As all are bound so to vse all industry and diligence to know the word which is expressed in those significant tearmes phrases Search the Scriptures and let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously Search that is not slightly ouerly as many do not regarding whether they finde or no but narrowly painfully as Salomon expoundeth by calling crying and seeking Pro. 2.3.4 as for siluer and searching as for treasures Then shall we vnderstand the seare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Let the word of Christ dwell in you that is euen as they that dwell with vs vnder the same roofe are well knowne vnto vs and wee familiarly conuerse with them So ought the word to bee not as a stranger but as a welcome and wel-knowne guest Let it dwell plenteously or richly that is euen as cuery corner of a rich mans house is fraughted with stuffe so ought we to be full-filled with diuine knowledge This condemneth those blinde ones who liue like bruit beasts that haue no vnderstanding whose brutish ignorance cannot be but exceeding fearefull For euen as a house without walles and windowes and other necessary furniture is accounted forlorne so that is a very forlorne and naked conscience which is destitute of the knowledge of the word And as it is an easie matter to leade the blinde out of the way so the ignorant are easily lead and taken in the snares of the Diuell And this reproueth the negligence of such who are not carefull to apply themselues with all diligence to the study of the word our negligence herein being the cause of the barrennesse of knowledge in these plentifull times If men would bestow that time in the study of the word which they for the most part bestow some in hunting and hawking some in dicing and carding some in drinking swilling and following bad company some in sloth and idlenesse thus wisely redeeming the time then certainely knowledge would abound among vs as the waters that couer the sea Euen as in matters of the world though a man haue neuer so good a Trade yet without labour and diligence he can doe no good in it and as the diligent shall beare rule Pro. 12.24 Pro. 22.29 and stand before