bee spoken of viz. The dignity of the Word which hath two parts the first the Authority of it the second the Sufficiencie of it because wee are to build on it and to rest upon it as the ground and rule of Faith and these are the two things which wee will handle at this time For the former of these Quest What is the authority of the written word Answ It is that by which it is authenticall and worthy of credit in it selfe being the divine and onely Canon and Rule for all things to bee beleeved and done That the Word of God hath this authority this verse which I have read doth prove So also Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them if questions be asked about the dead To the Law and to the Testimonies whatsoever others say reject it this hath authority of it selfe to this is added 2 Pet. 1.19 Wee have also a more sure Word to these I add Gal. 6.16 As many men as walk after this rule peace be on them this is the rule of all things Joh. 2.16 If any man bring any other Doctrine bid him not to thy house where the word sheweth that there is no other word of any authority but this Word thus the Word witnesseth of it selfe therefore it must be true John 10.35 the Word cannot be broken therefore it must bee of that authority worthy of credit in it selfe and being divine wee must beleeve it and it must bee the Rule and Canon by which all things must bee done And this is the proofe of the first point Quest What ground have you for this that the Scriptures are thus authenticall Ans There are these First because they are Gods word to whom it belongs to appoint every one a cannon and rule that must give them direction to all things to be beleeved and done Secondly Because God hath written them for this end that they might be such a rule that might be alwayes in the Church that men should not dare to swerve from it Thirdly Because this Word is the first divine truth of God himself To explane these first they are Gods word c. This is manifest of it self that it belongs to God to appoint a rule and a cannon we further confirme this thus Deut. 7.11 Keepe my commandements my statutes and my judgements why so because they are my statutes I command you the Word is a lanterne to my feet saith David Psal 119.105 Thou shalt keepe my statutes so that if we enquire into the ground what the reason of the authority of the Scripture is it is manifest it is authenticall because it is the word of God who should teach me saith Saint Ambrose the things that appertaine to heaven God and not man Who can better teach me concerning God then God All other Divine things had need of testimony saith Salvian but onely these things spoken by God need no more testimony while therefore it is God that hath wrote this and he onely hath Divine authority therefore this must needs be of Divine authority The second answer was thus much because that this was written by God to that end that the Church might alway have a rule from which it should not dare to swerve Deut. 5.32 Take heed to my statutes turne not to the right hand nor to the left and that Rom. 15.4 These things were written that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope therefore from hence it is manifest that they are written to be a rule Thirdly because that this is the first divine trueth of God himselfe therefore it hath this name Ephes 1.13 Iohn 17.17 thy Word is truth with an emphasis that there is no truth but this so Ephes 2.20 it is the foundation of the Church it is builded upon the Apostles and Prophets we say it is the first truth of God himselfe because it must be first beleeved before we can beleeve by a divine faith any thing that is revealed in it faith doth first spring out of it and is last of all resolved into it and so it is the first truth This is the principle of principles and though it be not beleeved yet it hath the same authority gold is gold though no man have it the Sunne in the first day it was created was to rule the day and measure time though there was neither man nor beast to take notice of it In the Gnomen of a diall the shadow of it shewes the houres of the day though men sleepe principles in all Arts are to be granted are not denied without grosse absurdities Here are our first principles that there is a God that God hath a Word that the Scripture is the Word of God these are and ought to be assented unto by whosoever would be called Christian the denying of any one of these is to open the gate to Atheisme and all prophanesse so then this is manifest that this Word of God is of Divine authority The first Use then teacheth us that then fals to the ground the Doctrine of Popery that tels us that the Scriptures have no authority but from the Church some have spoken very blasphemously of the Word of God one for all the President of the Councell of Trent saith that the Scriptures have no more authority then Esops Fables without authority from the Church of Rome and others say they have no more authority then any other prophane books others more moderate say they have no more authority in them then they receive from the Church the question is not what authority the Church doth give to the Scriptures but what authority they have in themselves the Church can but declare their authority the Scriptures have it in themselves I had not beleeved the Scripture saith Austin We never denied that the Church hath excellent Offices concerning the Scriptures as first it is to keep them and preserve them therefore the Church is compared to a publique Notary like to the Court of Rowles the Master of the Roles gives no authority to Records but keepes them Secondly the Church is to publish the Scriptures therefore she is compared to a crier and this is the fidelity of the crier to publish the speech of the Prince and the Churches duty is to publish the Law of God The third office it hath is to discern the true Scriptures from forgeries and apocryphall It cannot make that which is Apocrypha Canonicall but it hath a power in discerning which are Apocryphall which Canonicall as it is in a City the Magistrates receiving a letter as from the Prince out of their experience are able to discerne whether it be the Princes letter or not so they that are Gods Ministers can do nothing but discerne the Word they cannot give any authority to it we conclude the Scripture hath authority in it selfe Ephe. 2.20 It is the foundation of the Church then the
write a letter to thee saith Gregory thou wouldst not rest till thou hadst read it but when God writes this letter of life and salvation wilt thou not read it how ungratefull art thou to God Thou wilt confesse the whole Church worthy to bee condemned if it should neglect the reading of the Scriptures then thou being a member of the Church condemnest thy selfe A man may read other books but hee must read this there is a necessity laid upon him therefore hee must read them And know thou man and woman thou art in a fearfull estate when thou maiest reade the Scriptures and yet neglectest them Brethren know it for a truth for you shall one day know it that though you have now excuses why you cannot reade as because you cannot neglect your callings c. yet the time will come when you shall have no excuse to keep you from being condemned If ever therefore you look to have salvation you must read the Scriptures Use 3. This must teach us that a man must not read onely but hee must apply also to himselfe hee must not read it for others but hee must apply it to himselfe to his estate and condition Wee have a common speech That that which is said in generall is spoken to none but it is not true here that which Christ said to all Watch hee said to every one that which God saith to all Read hee saith to every particular person as Tertullian saith in reading the Scripture Wee are to observe every severall occasion to make use of every sentence Doth the Word command any thing to bee done or doth it forbid any thing doth it threaten any evill or promise any mercy labour to know it that it may comfort thee that it may instruct thee c. and this is to read the Word profitably for every man to learne his owne lesson thereby many bad Schollers when they cannot read their owne lesson can read anothers so many can learne others lessons but they cannot learne their own as they can say This text meets with such a one See what a trewant thou art in this Schoole of Christ labour to know thy lesson as this threatning serves to terrifie mee this promise to comfort mee c. Brethren many men make a partiall application some will apply the promises but not the threatnings take heed of eating too much honey the promises will doe thee no good if first thou have not applyed the threatnings hee that takes not his part in the threatnings hath no part in the promises therefore take a view of the whole Booke of God Againe they that have a trembling conscience can see nothing but threatnings these are onely such as the Lord leaves for a while they cannot apply the promises to themselves but the other are in a worse condition then these for of these there is hope because the Lord is fitting them for himselfe but labour thou to apply the whole Word that thou maiest see thy selfe The holy Scripture is a looking-glasse saith Saint Gregory and a looking-glass we know is to see both what is comely and what is deformed so is the Word to distinguish things that differ and to discover good and evill by the Law is the knowledge of sin and duty therefore labour to make use of it All the Word is written for thee as well as for any every part of it as well as any part therefore apply it to thy selfe that thou maiest have comfort and mercy in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come CHAP. IV. 2 TIM 3.16 All Scriptures are given by divine inspiration of God IT hath been shewed that the saving knowledge of God is to be found in the Word and that the Word is written It is necessary to be considered who writ it and for whom it was written Of the former of these By whom it was written is now to be handled at this time Quest By whom was this Word written Answ It was given by God by divine inspiration 2 Pet. 1.21 the proofe of which is manifest out of this text that I have read All Scriptures are by divine inspiration and in this respect it was called Scripture because that not onely the matter but the voice the stile the phrase was by inspiration from God Other writings may be the Word of God but this was by Gods appointment the writing was the writing of God Exod. 32.16 for Moses at first writ not the Commandements but God and after the Tables were broken they were no lesse the Word of God then before Exod. 31.18 others were the pen-men but God the hand others the instruments but God the maker and author of this Word Isa 30.8 Therefore it is that the Apostle Saint Peter hath it 2 Pet. 1.20 21. there is no Prophecie but it comes from God holy men of God writ them and they spake them not by the will of man but by the holy Ghost This truth because it is of weight and hath great opposition of men and breeds great doubts in men we will labour to establish and for further confirmation of it we will confirme it by internall and externall arguments internall I call those that are in the Scriptures themselves and in the minde of men externall those that doe confirme these Quest How doth this appeare that it was written by divine inspiration from God Ans By internall arguments that are in the Scriptures themselves First from the doctrine it selfe and excellencie thereof Secondly from the majestie of the stile Thirdly from the perpetuall consent of Christ and his Apostles To examine these Reas 1. The first argument is the doctrine which is so holy and divine that no man could write but a divine wisdome and that is thus manifested 1. From the greatnesse of these things written surpassing all humane reason 2. From the purity of the Word which convinceth men of injustice and yet teacheth all men to bee just 3. From the consent there is an admirable communion betweene justice and mercy betweene the salvation of men by the satisfaction of Christ and sanctification by the holy Ghost No man could think of any such thing till the Scripture did reveale it 4. Lastly The end of the writing which is onely the glory of God as the Apostle saith Let him that rejoiceth rejoice in the Lord this abaseth nature and advanceth grace therefore it cannot be but by divine inspiration Againe no writing can bring comfort to a man but the Scriptures Rom. 15.40 These things have beene written that wee through patience might have comfort of the Scriptures these are such things that a man could never attaine to but by God Reas 2. The second proofe that wee gave was the majestie of the stile Whosoever is exercised in reading the Scripture shall plainly see that no meer man was ever able to write it of himselfe The excellencie of the stile is so great that as Eusebius reports they thereby tryed the writing of hereticks
asked hee desired two dayes more then the Tyrant asked him why he did so because saith hee the more I seek after him the farther off I am from finding him so that nature is obscure And secondly it is imperfect because that knowledge of nature without the Word knowes but a peece of God and therefore because God would have his Church know him perfectly he adds his Word to his works and in this reveales himselfe more fully and discovers those wonders which nature could not onely not discover but not comprehend being revealed as the great mystery of the Trinity c. 2. The knowledge of Nature is not a saving knowledge for though it knowes God as Creator yet it knowes him not as Redeemer John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you finde eternall life and they are they that testifie of mee and therefore God adds his Word that he may be known as a Redeemer and Reconciler c. 3. The knowledge of the Word is not effectuall without the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.5 6. It is neither Paul nor Apollos c. but God that gives the increase The knowledge of the Word is outward but the knowledge of the Spirit is inward and man cannot teach inwardly and therefore there cannot be such a knowledge without the Spirit for man can but speake to the eare yea though he may presse it vehemently yet without the Spirit it is nothing God therefore hath joyned the Word and Spirit together and so the answer is cleered in these three things Use 1. Seeing that by the principles of Nature a man cannot come to saving knowledge hee must therefore labour for the knowledge of the Word of God hee must not be a stranger to the Word nor the Word a stranger to him that hee may know God If a man cannot be partaker of true happinesse but by the knowledge of God and if all saving knowledge be by the Word then it necessarily followes that hee must bee acquainted with the Word If hee bee a stranger to the Word and the Word a stranger to him surely he is a stranger to the life of God I will not stand to shew how the Divell bewitcheth many wise men that are carefull to provide for their children and bring them up in naturall knowledge but scorne this which we must most labour for to have the Word familiar we must hearken to the counsell of the Apostle Col. 3.16 to let the Word of God dwell plentifully in us in all wisdome Chrysostome pressing this place Let the Word dwell in you richly c. saith thus It is not Let the Word come into you as a stranger for a night but let it dwell in you as a familiar friend Why sir wee may know a sentence or two No but the Apostle saith Let the Word dwell plentifully in you If a man have learned some sentences by heart as children have learned whole books this is not that which the Apostle meanes but let it dwell in you in all wisdome where the Apostle will have us diligent to understand the Word Why so because there God hath revealed himselfe Pro. 2.5 If thou apply thy heart to instruction it is not if thou wilt read a Chapter or two but thou must beate thy head about it and apply thy heart unto it for what saith the Wise man in the 5. verse If thou search for her as for silver and gold then thou shalt understand the way of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God It is not to bee gotten by carelesnesse but as Christ saith Search the Scriptures as men doe when they have lost any thing as the woman that lost the groat it argues a diligent searching this is that the Authour to the Hebrews speaks of about which wee ought to have our wits exercised through long custome Bretheren It is inexcusable if not damnable idlenesse in many men that they have no heart to read the Scriptures Whatsoever you pretend that you cannot for your callings I tell you that neither your callings nor the works of your callings will excuse you in that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed you doe abuse God you ought to afford your selves time and you must afford your selves so much time you have time enough to spend in courting and in wantonnesse and in other idle vanities Will you have Christ to know you and acknowledge you when your callings and all other vanities are gone and cease what a question is this who would not have that willingly then must you take care to know Christ here or else he will not know you hereafter Use 2. Seeing that this is so then every man should labour for the Spirit of God that hee may be able to profit by the Word preached or read Without him a man may have a knowledge but not a saving knowledge It is an excellent benefit for a man to have good teachers but it is no benefit in comparison of this that the Spirit becomes our teacher for who teacheth like him Job 36.22 therefore labour for this teacher Saint Augustine saith the teachers are without but hee sits in heaven that must teach the heart therefore looke to him wee can but make a noise in your eares by any our most earnest expressions and vehement cries but it must bee the Spirit that makes all effectuall I pray you tell me saith the same Father what doth the Husbandman can hee doe any thing but the outward work doth he doe any thing inwardly can he make an apple can he make a leafe hee cannot it is God that doth that Aske the Apostle Saint Paul and hee will tell you It is Paul that plants and Apollos that waters but it is God that gives the increase therefore labour that you may have that annoynting you may not bee negligent of the Word which is the means that God will have used who will not give effectuall knowledge without it therefore Ministers must plant but if you will have fruit by the ministery you must labour to have the Spirit That which makes the Word unprofitable is that men look so much upon the husbandman therefore God doth oftentimes send a bad harvest Origen saith it is somewhat in the goodnesse of the ground and somewhat in the husbandman if the harvest bee good but saving knowledge is no where to bee looked for but from God therefore every man must labour earnestly to have the inward teacher It is said in Gen. 30.1 that Rachel was barren while she looks upon the husband but when she goes to prayer in verse 22. then she conceives so many of you looke too much upon your Ministers and therefore there is little profit but lift up your selves in prayer to God and hee will make you profit so that ye shall have the saving knowledge of God in this life and after this life salvation it selfe even life eternall c. CHAP. III. JOHN 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have
but hee could never burne them all he was but one and many opposed him But when whole Kingdomes and Countries even the whole world have violently for a long time and many ages set themselves against these and yet they are preserved the preservation of them argues a speciall divine care of them as of divine writings Mac. 1.7 Antiochus burnt this booke and made a law that whosoever had this book should die the death yet it is preserved that not so much as a syllable of it is wanting Writings and whatsoever else is of man may bee destroyed by man may faile of themselves as saith Gamaliel but the things of God and divine writings shall abide for ever See this difference in the writings of Solomon those of his owne wisdome are lost those inspired by God abide till this day c. Fourthly The persecutions that have been made at all times against the professors of this Book their constancy in beleeving it obeying it and laying downe their lives for it which none could have done had not the writing been divine Indeed a few desperate men have laid downe their lives for their owne writings but not any that hath so valiantly laid downe his life as the professors of the Gospel All these are sufficient proofes for this point Use 1. This must first teach us that the Word is cleare and plaine because the writing of God for the instruction of men certainly God would never write obscurely and in the darke 2 Pet. 1.13 It is a light in a darke place When we say it is plain and clear it is so in it self though the naturall man discerneth it not and to the regenerate man it may be hard Chrysostome saith the Saints never pray to God Make thy Law easie but Give us understanding and open our eyes that wee may see thy Law the truth is there are many difficulties in it but there is nothing difficult which in other places is not made plaine if necessary to salvation The Scripture as Saint Gregory saith is both meat and drink drink needs no chewing some places are easie that they need no chewing and some places are hard to stir up men to seek them out 2 Pet. 3.16 There are many things in Saint Pauls Epistles that are hard but to whom to the ignorant they are easie in themselves and to the regenerate therefore saith one What need have we of Commentaries added to the Word if Commentaries add not light to the Word but the Word makes Commentaries light Use 2. This teacheth us that because the Word was written to every man therefore every man was bound to studie it and to read it and seeing the Word was inspired by the Spirit of God therefore when a man goes about to read it and heare it hee ought to pray for understanding and for Gods Spirit by which hee writ it for they that wrote it did it not without Gods Spirit men should pray that God would give them his Spirit of wisdome to open their understandings surely the greatest light in the world cannot make a blinde man see in the mid-day an eye that hath not internall light cannot see The Scriptures in the old and new Testament are the two great lights that God hath ordained to rule the Church which though they shine never so brightly yet there is required an internall light in man that they may be seene A man may looke up to the heavens saith Saint Chrysostome where God doth sit and yet not know God nor see him shut up in heaven So many men reade the Scriptures and yet see not God shut up in them No man knowes what is in man but the Spirit of man and wee have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are given us of God The Wisdome of God hath given the Spirit to man whereby hee is able to discerne If so be a King should write a Letter to his subjects in a strange language and not send his Secretary to interpret it they were never the better nor wee for the Scriptures without the Spirit Justin Martyr saith that Ptolomy wrote to the King of Judah for the Law and withall hee desired him to send him a man that might make him to understand it So they that will understand the language of the Scriptures must have the Spirit of God If a man had the Prophets themselves to preach to him they cannot make a man understand to salvation why because they can but teach the eare they cannot teach the heart When I cannot have Moses to tell mee the meaning saith Saint Augustine give mee that Spirit that thou gavest to Moses And this is that which every man that will understand must pray for this David prayed for Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law and vers 19. hide not thy Commandements from mee and Christ saith If you being evill can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that ask of him Luk. 11.13 So that then wee shall see the secrets of God Use 3. If any man pray for the Spirit of God he must not think it comes without means and therefore neglect reading It is Gods finger that presseth the diligent care of reading and it is the means whereby wee may come to have the Spirit you must not look to have the Spirit in your heart unlesse you have the Word in your mouth that is the continuall reading thereof neither preferr a little ease before the Booke of God Thou hast no part in the Spirit if thou hast not a great desire to have a great part in the knowledge of the Word of God Use 4. In the fourth place Did God write it Then ought wee to make application of every part of it of the promises and of the threatnings and of the commandements c. Of the promises because it was God that promised them and hee will confirme and make them good of the commandements because if thou disobey them he is a just God and hee will be revenged of every contemner of the threatnings because if they had been written by man a mans word might have beene contemned but whither shall wee flee from God Therefore think of this Word and labour to apply it and give obedience to it they are Gods owne Lawes and it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God therefore let us feare and obey that which is Gods Commandement lest for our neglect he throw us to everlasting destruction CHAP. V. 2 TIM 3.16 All Scriptures are given by divine inspiration of God and are profitable THe last day wee spake concerning the Scriptures and therein wee handled the Author that wrote them and from whom they did flow and you heard it was from God himselfe and that by divine inspiration It remaineth then that wee should speake of the second thing that wee have thought fit to
Church cannot giue authority unto it The second Use serves to admonish us to receive the Scriptures for themselves for their owne authority and not for any mans authority whatsoever not for any mans person nor upon the authority of the Church for if we doe so we cannot have true saving faith Every man ought to receive the Scripture for its owne authority not that any man should condemn the authority of the Church but he may not depend onely upon it no not upon Saint Paul himselfe but must search the Scriptures to see whether it be so or no we ought not to receive the testimony of any Church in the world except it be grounded upon the Scripture we will use that which Aquinas saith of the woman of Samaria we may use the helpe of an enemy when she told them what things Christ did they beleeved but when they came to Christ himselfe they beleeved not for her saying but because they heard him themselves so we use the authority of the Church as a meanes to come to beleeve but when we beleeve let us not beleeve for the saying of the Church but for the Scriptures themselves Vse 3. This is to admonish every man when he hath received the Word to know it is the truth of God and therefore to labour to make it the Cannon of his faith for the authority it hath in it selfe we ought to examine our selves by this Word Hast thou done any thing that hath not this ground repent of it and for the time to come labour to make this the Cannon of thy life and the rule of thy obedience Art thou tempted by thy owne corruptions or by any other aske them Is there any such Word that will give leave if not thou must beleeve and hold to this for this is the Cannon by which thou oughtest to do all things Hierome complaines of some in his time who did wrest the Law to their owne wils and not their wils to the Law but we must be farre from this for whosoever walks after this rule Gal. 6. mercy and peace shall be to him but if he walke not after this rule he shall have judgement mercilesse Quest The next question is what is the sufficiencie of this Word Answ The answer is that it is that by which it is perfected concerning all things necessary to salvation that place which the Apostle hath 2 Tim. 3.17 doth prove this it is able to make the man of God wise unto salvation and therefore it is sufficient so Deut. 12.32 Thou shalt keepe all these Commandements thou shalt adde naught thereto nor take ought therefrom and therefore it must needs be perfect that to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken must needs be perfect also Psal 19.7 the Law of the Lord is perfect Revel 22. Whosoever shall adde unto this booke God shall adde unto them the plagues that are written in this booke Thus the Word testifies of it selfe and therefore seeing the Word is true it must needs be a perfect rule Quest What Reason doe you shew for further proofe of this Answ First because it was the written Will and testimony of God Secondly Because after the Lord had given the Law in writing the Jewes were never guided by any unwritten word Thirdly Because Christ and his Apostles never proved their Doctrine by any unwritten word To explane these First It is the written Will and testimony of God therefore we call these the old and new Testament a mans will after it is confirmed no estate will admit to be altred therefore if we may not alter mans will much lesse may we alter Gods Secondly It is sufficient because that after the Lord had given his Law in writing the Jewes were never guided by traditions before the giving of the Law the truth went from hand to hand but after that God had written the Law they never came to him but upon some especiall occasion as for the Blasphemer c. Bellarmine confesseth this that there are some Catholiques speake with great probability that the Jewes after God had written the Law had no traditions Austin saith in the old Testament the Gospell was hid but in the new Testament it was made more plaine If God would teach the Jewes by nothing but by the written Word when it was more obscure much lesse us who have it more cleare Thirdly Because whatsoever Christ and his Apostles taught they proved by the written Word thus saith a Prophet and thus saith the Psalmes nay certainly Christ opposed traditions when he found that their authority corrupted the Law Mat. 5. but I say unto you rejecting those traditions the true word of God is this therefore the conclusion is that the Scriptures are a perfect rule containing all things to be beleeved and done Vse 1. The first Use teacheth us that then must fall to the ground all unwritten traditions the ground of all which is said to be the insufficiency of the Scriptures but if the Scriptures be sufficient then traditions have nothing to leane upon but it is blasphemie to thinke that God would not perfect that Word he began and therefore traditions are nothing Oh! say they the Scriptures doe not containe all fundamentall points for faith To this I answer If they had said the Scriptures doe not containe all the fundamentall points of their faith I would willingly subscribe to it the word of God no where speakes of Saint Peters successours the word no where speakes of invocation of Saints prayer for the dead indulgences and pardons these things the Scripture doth not containe but these are all of them contrary to the foundation but we beleeve nothing as necessary to salvation besides the Scripture We doe not doubt but that the Saints kept many excellent speeches and sayings of Christ as that in the Acts as the Lord said it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive but if there be any such tradition that is not for substance to be found in the word that we reject because the Scriptures are sufficient for the conclusion we will end with a speech of St. Austin I seek in the Gospell if I finde it not there where shall I finde it so may I say if we find not traditions in the word where shall we find them Vse 2. This teacheth the Ministers of God that they must prove the Doctrine they teach unto the people where shall they have that light no where but from the word they must not follow the vision of any man but only the word wherein God hath comprized every thing that he will have his people taught as it was in the creation the light was at large before the Sunne was created but after that was created God inclosed all light in the Sun so some time the word of God was taught from hand to hand God informed some and they taught others but after that God had written the Scriptures all were to receive their light
their calling their grace is of the power of God and God is able to keepe them God is able to doe whatsoever he will I say he can doe it if he will and he will doe it for he hath called them and given them grace without themselves and promiseth by Ieremiah 52.40 that he will marry them to himselfe with an everlasting covenant that he will never turne away from them to doe them good But how shall this be made good Here is the assurance He is able to doe whatsoever he will and none can ever faile whom God will uphold Indeede if God will change his will and loose his power a man that is called might fall away but who shall make him to faile Bernard saith that God hath two hands one latitude and the other fortitude the one is rich in mercy the other ability in power by the one hand he gives bountifully and by the other he powerfully defends whatsoever he hath given He that thinkes such a man may fall away he cuts off as it were one of Gods armes 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have beleeved we have beleeved on him that is omnipotent whilst we have his word and power we are sure not that we should presume and grow desperate but that we should worke out our salvation with feare and trembling and labour to see how weake we are in our selves and yet when we looke up to the power of God should triumph and rejoyce Is God thus This teaches us to labour to feare this great God Who will not feare thee oh King of Nations Ier. 1.10 are you stronger then God who art thou then that darest provoke God to his face and please thy self in sinne if he were a weake God that thou mightest make thy party good with him it were somewhat but when he is a spirituall God of such might and power to avenge himselfe how should this worke feare in thee two evils draw men into sinne and are occasions of much evill presuming on Gods mercy and fearing mans power these two saith Saint Austin are a cause of much evill many perish by presuming others by fearing the power of men because they can kill the body how shall men be able to prevent these in few words to resist these poysoned darts consider of the power of God when thou considerest he is mercifull and gracious thinke withall that he is powerfull and just that by presuming thou sinne not against him if he were a God of patience without power then a man might doe what he list againe if a man take this God to be omnipotent then he will not feare him that can kill the body when these stand not together the power of men and the power of God then feare the great power of God which is able to take thee body and soule and throw thee to hell And thus much for this Attribute OF THE TRINITIE CHAP. XXIII IOHN 5.7 There are three which beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one THE knowledge of God as was propounded was to be sought in his written Word which taught us not onely that there is a God and that there is but one onely God but also what that God is the description of whom out of the Scriptures you have heard that he is one Essence most perfect distinguished into three persons c. to the perfection of God belongs all the Attributes as you have heard of all the proper attributes of God we have spoken at large there be other attributes which the learned call Metaphoricall there are but few of them but may well be reduced under these We are now to goe on with the last thing of our description that is that God is distinguished into three persons for the ground of handling the Trinity we have made choyce of this Text that there are three that beare record in heaven This mystery is onely to be found in the word of God and so onely knowne of the Church of God which hath the true word of God and the Church hath endeavoured to speake as plaine as it can in such a mystery I remember a speech of Saint Augustine who wrote a booke of the Trinity of this great and excellent point we must speake with modesty and feare we ought to heare with great attention for where unity of the Trinity is to be shewed saith the Father men erre most dangerously and nothing is enquired with more difficulty nor found with more profit so that we must have great care to endevour to understand it so farre as it is revealed God hath revealed it and it is sinfull and damnable negligence not to seeke after that which is revealed by God but let us labour for humility that we looke not into this mystery further then is needfull The weakenesse of man can looke on the beames of the Sunne but not on the body of the Sunne so man in this case if he looke too farre may lose his eyes The men of Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 4.6 had the hand of God upon them when they looked into the Arke of God will it not therefore follow that we must be sober in this seeing God hath really manifested his anger against them in that manner Hence comes the blasphemy of Hereticks because they have looked into this mystery further then is meet therefore we will labour with feare to keepe our selves within the bounds of modesty and sobriety much time may be spent in explaning of words as of unity and trinity and Essence c. but I thinke that our time shall be more profitablely spent if we apply our selves rather to the matter then to explane words once take this for a trueth and as a thing granted and as a ground that will hold That as it was with Adam before the fall he gave names to every beast so in this case the Church may give names and use expressions of her owne to declare this great mystery without just offence to any and therefore now to come to the matter This is a great and principle thing to bespoken of That there are three persons and that they are three distinct persons for the opening of this mystery the better we must first describe what a person is and then shew why they are such Quest What is a person Answ The answer is It is a substance subsisting of it selfe undivideable incommunicable living understanding and willing of which description to open every word briefely because it is but an introduction to that which followes First it is a substance subsisting I doe not say that it is a substance barely but subsisting with such a property and in such a manner that it cannot be another then it is for instance Peter Paul are two persons they are both substances subsisting but Peter is in such a manner Peter as he cannot be Paul and I say after this manner a person is a substance subsisting Secondly by it selfe so it is