elements A probable opinion The fire for when it is said he set light in heauen which is a qualitie of the fire it is to be vnderstood of fire also which hath that qualitie What note you hereof 2 Cor. 4.6 The wonderfull worke of God not only making something of nothing but bringing light out of darknesse which is contrarie What is the second element The aire betweene the cloudes and the earth distinguishing betweene water and water and giueth breath of life to all things that breathe What is the third element The waters seuered from the masse called the earth the seas the floods the springs the lakes c. What is the fourth element The earth called the drie land which remaineth all other being sent of God to their proper places Hitherto of the simple bodies called the foure elements now followeth to speake of the mixt and compounded bodies made of the foure elements vnequally mingled together GEN. 1. vers 14. to the 25. 14 And God said let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen to separate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeeres c. WHat is generall in the creation of the compound bodies First that prouision is made for his inhabitants of the earth ere they be made as grasse for the beasts and light for all liuing and mouing creatures and all for man What learne you from hence Not to be carking for the things of this life nor to surfet with the cares thereof seeing God prouided for the necessitie and comfort of the beasts ere hee would bring them into the world What is generall in all the earthly creatures That God proceedeth from the things that be more imperfect to those that are perfecter vntill hee come to the perfectest as from the trees corne herbs c. which haue but one life that is whereby they increase and are vegetatiue vnto the beasts which haue both an increasing and feeling or sensitiue life as fishes fowles beasts c. and from them to man which hath besides both them a reasonable soule What learne you from thence That wee should therein follow the example of the Lord to goe from good to better vntill we come to be perfect What else is generall To haue power and vertue giuen them to bring foorth the like vnto themselues for the continuance of their kinde is generally giuen to all those that are expressed in the creation here albeit there be creatures as stones and minerals that bring not forth the like And this blessing of multiplication is principall in the things that haue the life of sense beside the life of increase And therefore the Lord is brought in to speake to them in the second person which he did not to the grosse corne and trees Gen. 1.22 What learne you from hence That the chiefe and speciall cause of the continuance of euery kinde of creatures to the worlds end is this will word of God without the which they or sundrie of them would haue perished ere this by so many meanes as are to consume them What is the first creation of the compound bodies God hauing caused the waters to retire into their vessels the third night in the third day which followed that night hee clad the earth with grasse for the vse of beasts only corne and trees for the vse of man Seeing that the growth of these is from the influence of the heauenly bodies how commeth it to passe that he first maketh the grasse corne and trees ere hee made the heauenly bodies of the Sunne Moone and Starres To correct our error which tie the increase of these so to the influence of the heauenly bodies euen to the worshipping of them therein forgetting the Lord who hereby sheweth that all hangeth vpon him and not on them for as much as he made them when the heauenly bodies were not What else That the fruitfulnes of the earth standeth not so much in the labour of the husbandman as in the power which God hath giuen to the earth to bring foorth fruite What was made the fourth day Lights all which although they be great in themselues to the end they might giue light to the darke earth that is farre remoued from them yet are they distinguished into great Sunne Moone small the Stars which are as it were certeine vessels wherein the Lord did gather the light which before was scattered in the whole bodie of the heauens Why doth Moses call the Sunne and Moone the greatest lights when there are Starres that exceed the Moone by many degrees Because they are greatest first in their vse and vertue that they exercise vpon the terrestriall bodies Secondly for that they seeme so to vs it being the purpose of the holy Ghost by Moses to applie himselfe to the capacitie of the vnlearned What is the vse of them First to distinguish the times Spring Summer Autumne and Winter from whence their work and naturall effect vpon the earthly creatures is gathered also to distinguish the night from the day the day from the moneth the moneth from the yeere last of of all to giue light to the inhabitants of the earrh Haue they not operation also in the extraordinarie euents of singular things and persons for their good and euill estate No verely there is no such vse taught of them in the Scriptures What was the worke of the fifth day and night To create the Fishes and Birds What were the fishes made of Of all foure elements but more as seemeth of the waters then other liuing things VVhat were the birds made of Gen. 2.19 Of all foure elements yet haue more of the earth and therefore that they are so light and that their delight is in the aire it is so much the more maruellous What is the worke of the sixth night and day Probable In the night thereof he made the beasts of the earth going tame or home-beasts wilde or field-beasts creeping GEN. chap. 1. vers 26 27. and chap. 2. vers 7. 26. Furthermore God saide Let vs make man in our image according to our likenesse and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that creepeth and mooueth on the earth 27 Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female WHat was made the sixth day Man in both sexes that is both man and woman Why was he made last of all First because hee is the end of all vnreasonable creatures and therefore that hee might glorifie God for all Secondly for that hee would haue him first prouided for ere hee brought him into the world and if he had care of him before he was how much more now he is What note you thereof That man hath not to boast of his antiquitie all the creatures being made
vers 3. VVhat comfort learne you from that God reigneth First Ecclesiast 5.7 that when wee are wronged and oppressed by tyrannie of men wee may haue our recourse to the iust and righteous iudgement of God which is the righteous Iudge of the world Secondly Psal 93.10.11 97.1 that although all the world rore and fret yet wee should not feare because the Lord is greater VVhat learne you of that the Prophet saith he is high and higher then they That which himselfe teacheth vers 5. Psal 145.12 that we extoll him with praises VVhat are the parts of his kingdome Two 1. His decree 2. The execution of his decree vers 4. VVhat is Gods Decree It is an action of his most perfect will which maketh the thing he decreeth perfectly good Seeing his Decree is defined by his will what must we consider therein Wee must not subiect it to our shallow and base capacitie to measure it by our reason considering that the will of God from whence the decree commeth is vnsearchable VVhat gather you from that fourth verse Acts 27.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.17.31.32.34.44 That hee hath not only decreed the things themselues but also their circumstances of place or time so that they shall not come in any other place or time then he hath ordained and then and there they shal come to passe necessarily VVhat is the principall decree of God in the things he hath ordained for his glorie That which is of the good or euill of men or Angels which is called predestination VVhat is predestination It is the decree of God touching the euerlasting state of men and Angels VVhat are the parts of predestination Two Election and Reprobation VVhat is Gods election of them It is his predestination of certaine men and Angels to euerlasting life to the praise of his glorious grace VVhat is Reprobation It is his predestination of certaine men and Angels to destruction to the praise of his glorious iustice Rom. 9.22 VVhat is the cause why these are chosen and refused and not these The meere will and pleasure of God GEN. Chap. 1. vers 1 2 3 4 c. to the 13. 1 In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth 2 And the earth was without forme and voide and darkenes was vpon the deepe and the Spirit of God moued vpon the waters 3 Then God saide Let there bee light and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God separated the light from the darkenesse HItherto of the decree of God What is the execution of it It is an action of God working all things effectually according to his decree VVhat are the parts of the execution Two Creation and Gouernment VVhat is Creation It is the execution of the decree of nothing making all things very good VVhere is this taught In sundrie places of the Scripture but especiallie in Genesis 1. and 2. chap. VVhat are the generall things considered in all this creation First the Creator of these which is God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Secondly his omnipotencie that he made all by his word that is by his only will who calleth things that are not as though they were Thirdly that he made not all at once and in a moment but in six daies and six nights VVhy did hee worke them in six daies which could haue perfected all in a moment First because hee would teach vs the better to vnderstand their workmanship euen as a man which will teach a childe in the frame of a letter will first teach him one line of the letter and not the whole letter together Secondly that wee might also by his example finish our worke in six daies How many sorts of creatures are there Two Visible Inuisible VVhat are the things inuisible The Angels and Soules of men Why is not mention made of the creation of the Angels more expressely especially being creatures in glorie passing all others They are not expressely mentioned because Moses setteth foorth the things that are visible But that they were in one of the sixe daies created it is most euident Psal 103.20 c. Psal 148.2.5 Col. 1.16 What are the visible things Two The rude masse or matter of the world made the first night wherein all things were confounded and mingled one in another And secondly the beautifull frame thereof which hee made the rest of the six daies and nights What are the parts of that rude masse Heauen and earth as it were the center and circumference for as the Arch-builders first shadow out in a plot the building they intend and as the Painters draw certaine grosse lineaments of that picture which they will after set foorth and fill vp with orient colours so the Lord our God in this stately building and cunning painting of the frame of the world hath before the most beautifull frame set out as it were a shadow and a common draught thereof Why is the rude masse called heauen and earth By a trope of the matter whereof all the bodilie creatures were made it seemeth that the rudenes was in the earth only containing the water and the drie land because the Prophet saith that the earth was voide and without shape It is true that Moses giueth this to the earth rather then to the masse of the heauens because the confusion and rudenesse was greater there then in the masse of the heauens because the water and drie land being mingled together there was no forme or figure of them VVhereof was the rude masse of heauen and earth made Of nothing as appeareth both by the word of creation which Moses vseth signifying the making of a thing of nothing and that hee made this in the beginning that is when before there was not any thing but God the Creator and before which there was no measure of time by man or Angels It being without forme and voide how was it kept By the holy Ghost which as a bird sitting ouer her egges kept and preserued it VVhat were the things which were made of this rude masse The beautifull frame and fashion of this world with the furniture thereof What doe you consider in the frame and fashion of the world Two things the elements which are the most simple substances by the vneuen mixture whereof all bodies are compounded and the bodies themselues that are compounded of them What doe you generally obserue in all them First that they are all said to be good which stoppeth all the mouthes of those that speake against thē How did he make all things good when we see there be diuers kinds of Serpents and noisome or hurtfull beasts That they are hurtfull it commeth not by the nature of their creation in regard whereof they at the first should only haue serued for the good of man What other things doe you obserue generally Secondly that their names are giuen them Thirdly that their vses and ends are noted What is the first of the
strength to resist tentation VVhat is the order of these petitions First to set downe one only for the things of this life Secondly two for the things that belong to the life to come VVhy haue we but one petition concerning this life and two for the things of the life to come To teach vs how smally earthly things are to bee accounted in regard of heauenly and therefore that our prayers for things of this life should bee short and further drawne out for the heauenly Why then is the petition for the temporall things put before the petition for spirituall First because it is the maner of the Scriptures commonly to put things first that are soonest dispatched Secondly that by experience of the smallest things as a step or degree wee may climbe vp to higher Whereby their hypocrisie is discouered which pretend great assurance of forgiuenes of sins and of their keeping from the euill one whereas they are distrustfull of the things of this life Thirdly that in hauing aforehand earthly things we may bee the readier and more earnest to intreate for the spirituall so our Sauiour Christ healed the bodily diseases to prouoke all men to come to him for the cure of the spirituall So much of this petition in generall VVhat is meant by Bread First all outward things both for our necessity and christian delight as well in clothing as in feeding Secondly all the meanes and helpes to attaine them as good Princes Magistrates seasonable weather c. Wherein also wee pray for the remouall of the contrarie as warre plague famine euill weather All which must be asked with this exception if it seeme good in the eyes of our heauenly father Mat. 8.2 which exception is proper to this petition l What need is there of asking these things The frailety of our nature not able to continue in health scarce one day without these helpes and as it were proppes to vphold this decayed and ruinous cottage of our mortall bodies lesse able to forbeare them then many beasts for seeing there was a necessarie vse of our meat in the time of our innnocency the necessitie by our fall is much greater What learne you from the word Giue First that from God all things come Psal 104.17.28.29.30 which wee are readie to ascribe either to the earth called the nurse or to our money wherewith we buy them or to our friends that giue vs them Act. 14.17 as if we should looke vpon the Steward onely and passe by the Master of the familie or vpon the brest that giueth sucke and neglect the nurse or bottell we drinke of and passe by the giuer VVhat next That although in regard of our labour or buying any thing it may bee called ours yet wee say giue Lord because wee cannot deserue the least crumme of bread or drop of water much lesse the kingdome of heauen What learne you further That seeing God giueth to whom hee will and what he will we learne to bee content with whatsoeuer we haue receiued Moreouer to bee thankfull for it 1. Tim. 4.5 seeing all things in regard of God are sanctified by the word and in regard of our selues by prayer and thanksgiuing And last of all not to enuie other mens plentie being Gods doing VVhat reason is there that they should pray for these things of God which haue them already in their Garners Cellars c. Very great First for that wee in Adam haue lost the right of them all which in Christ the heire of the world wee onely recouer so that although wee possesse them yet are wee not right owners of them but by faith which is declared by prayer for them 1. Sam. 30.16.17 Dan. 5.5 2. King 7.17 Secondly for that the things we doe possesse wee may easilie a hundred waies bee thrust from the possession of them before wee come to vse them according to the prouerbe that many things come betweene the cup and the lippe Esa 3.1 Hagg. 1.6 Pro. 10.22 Dan. 1.13.14.15 Psal 78.30.31 Lastly for that although we haue the vse of them yet will they not profit vs neither in feeding nor clothing vs vnlesse wee haue the blessing of God vpon them yea without thē which they may bee hurtfull and poysonable vnto vs. By all which reasons it may appeare that the rich are as well to vse this petition as the poorest VVhy is this added this Day Exod. 16.19.20.21 That we are to pray for bread for a day and not for a moneth or yeere c. it is to teach vs to restraine our care that it reach not too farre but to rest in Gods prouidence Pro. 30.8 and present blessing and therfore not to be couetous Is it not lawfull to prouide for children and familie Gen. 41.34.35 Act. 11.28.29 2. Cor. 12.14 Mat. 6.34 Psal 37.5 Pro. 16.3 Yes verily not onely lawfull bu also needfull but heere our affections are onely forbidden to passe measure as to haue a carking and troubling care seeing the vexation of the day is enough for it selfe But to commit our waies vnto the Lord and to roll our matters vpon him who will bring them to passe VVhy is the bread called ours seeing that God must giue it Gen. 3.17 Psal 128.2 1. Thes 4.11 2. Thes 3.8.9.10 Mat. 6. Luk. 11.3 To teahc vs that we must come vnto it by our won labour in which respect he that will not labor shall not eate VVhat is the reason of the word Daily This word in the Euangelists and in the proper language of the spirit of God is the bread fit for me or agreeable to my condition Psalm 104.15 Iohn 12.3 Prou. 30.8 1. Tim. 6.8 Rom. 13.14 Iames. 4.3 Which is an especiall lesson for all estates and callings to keepe them within their bonds not onely of necessitie but of Christian and sober delight and not to aske them to the fulfilling of our fleshly desires What do we desire in these two petitions that follow Perfect saluation which a man cannot haue in this life standing in the deliuerance from the euils past contained in the former and those to come comprised in the latter What is the former of these petitions Forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue them that are debots vnto vs. What is the summe of it That God giuing vs a true knowledge and feeling of our sinnes would forgiue vs freely our sinnes and make vs as assured thereof as wee are priuie to our selues of the forgiuenesse of those trespasses which men haue offended vs by What are the parts Two a petition of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and a reason of the perswasion that they are forgiuen Declare the petition First here is a comparison drawne from debtors which are not able to pay their creditors to whom all we are compared for that we haue all sinned and consequently our sinnes are likened vnto debts What learne you from hence Herehence two things are implied one a frank and humble
called a kingdome and therefore euery godly one shall bee a king in heauen How commeth this kingdome by grace or desert By the onely grace of God in Iesus Christ Declare the same more euidently First it is the blessing of God and therefore of grace Secondly it is giuen to vs as to heires not as the wages of a seruant which commonly deserueth more then a sonne Thirdly it was prepared for vs from the beginning of the world and therefore is of the meere loue of God and not of merit So much of the sentence What is the reason of it When Christ was an hungred they fedde him when hee was a thirst they gaue him drinke when he was naked they clothed him when he was sicke and in prison they visited him Doth not this reason plainely strengthen the doctrine of merits For. Not so seeing for importeth not heere the cause but the effect as wee say Summer is come for flowers doe spring and It is a good tree for it bringeth forth good fruit these are effects and not causes Moreouer if Christ would haue taught merit then would hee haue chosen the greatest and chiefest workes as of his owne worship in the first table else some might iustly complaine that they were not rewarded according to the measure of their good workes hauing yeelded a greater obedience to the first table then others Why then doth Christ choose those workes of the second table Because they are most manifest to the world following therein the custome of earthly Iudges who insist most vpon plainest proofes either to conuince the guiltie or cleere the innocent so Christ pronounceth his sentence rather according to workes then to faith and those of the second table rather then of the first because that workes are visible and faith inuisible and for that it is easier to play the hypocrite in the obedience of the first table then of the second Why doth Christ heere vse so long a catalogue of these workes To teach vs to exercise mercy in all those duties and not content our selues with any one of them How could they doe these things vnto Christ whom most of them did neuer see When they did any of them to the poore then they did it vnto him What gather you of this That it was a great honour to lodge Angels at vnawares in stead of strangers but this is a farre more excellent honour whereunto Christians are called being assured that in receiuing the poore they receiue Christ himselfe which should stirre vp the bowels of mercy and compassion in vs towards them seeing not so much as a cup of cold water shall bee vnrewarded But how is it that they being then immortall seeme not to know the meaning of this dutie It is set downe not to note ignorance but to teach vs the exceeding bountifulnesse of Christ which is able to astonish them in the middest of their greatest knowledge for the more men know of God the more they wonder at the vnsearchable wisedome of God So much of the former sentence What is the latter It is spoken to the wicked Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels VVhat is the equitie of this speech It is likewise answerable to their owne desires that in their life thrust away from them the day of the Lord and bid Christ depart When doe the wicked say so to Christ When they refuse to know his will when they disdaine the ministerie the poore and the stranger or doe not prouide for them according to their abilitie What are the parts of this his iudgement First to bee depriued of Gods presence as it is a great part of glory to be continually in his presence Secondly to be euerlastingly tormented in hell fire What is the reason of this sentence It is cleane contrarie to the former in leauing those duties vndone And although the former good workes were not the causes of saluation yet these euill workes are the very next cause of damnation How can that bee Because the best workes of the godly are imperfectly good and cannot deserue life but the euill workes of the euill are perfectly euill and therefore deserue death What is to be considered in their answere Their exceeding wretchednesse whiles they liued heere that neuer considered whom they reiected in reiecting the poore Hitherto of the iudgement What say you to the execution of it Contrarie to the order of the sentences it shall beginne at the wicked for to the end the Angell that shall presently take binde and cast them into hell may attend our Sauiour Christ returning his elect triumphantly going into heauen the sentence must be first executed vpon the wicked Beside that it is agreeable to the order of iustice the Lord appointeth in the Law that the malefactors should be executed in the eye of the Iudge and the godly also that shall see it to abide euerlastingly DAN chap 12. vers 2.3 2 And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer WHat is the scope of this place The scope of the Prophet is to hold the faithfull afflicted in a constant course of duety and obedience to the Lord by consideration of the rich reward of the godly and fearefull punishment of the wicked at the second glorious comming of Christ It seemeth by the word many that all shall not rise There seemeth indeed to bee some aduantage giuen to the Iewes who of the first Psalme gather that there is no resurrection of the wicked which notwithstanding is manifestly confuted euen by this place it selfe where it is said that many shall awake to shame euerlasting And when he saith many the word is not restrained to either the iust or wicked but as many of the good should awake and not all so many of the wicked should awake and not all How then is this to be taken It is taken seuerally by it selfe as one whole which is diuided into his parts As if he should say an infinite number shall awake an infinite or a great number of iust and an infinite or great number of the wicked And the like forme of speech to this is vsed of the Apostle Rom. 5. vers 15.19 he saith that many are dead by the sinne of Adam and yet in the 18. vers he sheweth that by those many hee meaneth all and so speaketh that all were condemned in Adam Likewise in the 18. vers it is said that the benefit of Christs death commeth to all meaning the faithfull that by faith are one with Christ as we were all naturally with Adam yet in the 15. and 19. verses those that he called all he tearmeth many Although if he speake of the wicked by themselues and of