they are communicated the more are they diminished and euery mans share is the lesse but heauenly things are by communication the more increased for we reade not of any man that laid out his tallent but to increase and as the light of the sâ—nne is neuer a whit impaired by communicating it selfe to the whole world or as hee that lighteth one candle of another diminisheth not in either but increaseth the light so is it in the light of the Sonne of righteousnesse much more and in the kindling of these heauenly sparkles whose propertie is to diffuse themselues as fire the further they spread the greater and brighter is the flame The third fruit or effect of faith is an vndaunted confession of it Rom. 10.10 With the heart we beleeue to iustification and with the mouth we confesse to saluation For where faith is in the heart it will be also in the mouth The spirit of faith and the speach of faith are vndeuided as 2. Cor. 4.13 And because we haue the same spirit of faith according to that which was written I beleeued and therefore I spake euen so we beleeue and therefore also we speake Now there be three actions of faith which helpe forward this free confession 1. It maketh a man bold in a good cause Act. 5.29 Peter beeing full of faith with a bold spirit told the Counsell that had the power of life and death in their hands and himselfe in their power we ought rather to obey God then you 2. Faith keepeth a man in a preparednesse to suffer by leading him along in the deniall of himselfe and hereof we haue a notable example in Paul Act. 21.13 who professed how readie hee was not only to be bound but to die also at Ierusalem if God called him thereunto 3. It worketh ioy yea much reioysing in the heart in the suffring for Christ and a good cause Rom. 5.3 after the Apostle had laid downe the iustification of faith as a ground hee saith that we then reioyce in tribulation and that they did so indeed is plaine Act. 5.41 They departed from the Counsell reioysing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name hence could they sing Psalmes at midnight in the dungeon and fetters and hence could the Martyrs embrace the fire kisse the stake and testifie such ioy in the flames as all men might acknowledge the truth of the speach of our Sauiour Your ioy shall no man take away from you no Tyrant no tormentor nor any kind of torment The fourth and last fruit or worke of faith is that wheresoeuer â—ound faith is it is most diligent in preseruing yea and increasing of it selfe The most couetous man is not more complaining nor gathering then the beleeuer who is euer complaining of want of faith or of the weaknesse of it and knowing the want of it to be so dangerous and hurtfull as without which hee wanteth Christ himselfe as also that the weaknesse of it depriueth him of much comfort and many good things for a man of weake estate must needs want many rich commodities and sweete comforts which the wealthy enioy in abundance Therefore hee vseth all good meanes to encrease his stocke as 1. Hee is much in hearing reading and meditating in the word because hee knoweth faith commeth by hearing and euery thing is preserued and nourished by that whereof it is begotten 2. Hee is much in godly talke and Christian conference by which as the fire by the bellowes so is the grace of God blowne and stirred vp in him 3. Because hee seeth how without prayer both his owne but especially Christs his faith is as readie to faile as Peters was hee is much in prayer and with the Father of the child crieth with teares often Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe and with the Disciples Lord increase our faith And these are the markes by which the soundnesse and currence of faith as by a touchstone may be tried and distinguished from all that false and counterfeit faith which is so stirring in the world and whereby most men are lamentably deceiued The vse of this doctrine is 1. to stirre vp men to examine and by these notes to prooue themselues whether they are in the faith or no to try their faith of what kind it is least in the ende they finde that they haue leaned vpon a staffe of reede By which examination I feare it will bee too euidently seene that these are the last dayes wherein the Sonne of man shall come and scarcely finde faith vpon the face of the earth Sure it is that the common faith of men is neither thus 1. founded 2. nor qualified 3. nor attended 4. nor thus fruitfull as will briefly appeare in the particulars First euery man saith hee hath faith but whence had hee it it was neuer begotten by the word he neuer cared for that that was euer as a sixt finger and superfluitie vnto him It was neuer founded in repentance nor dwelleth with humilitie for most men neuer saw change in themselues they haue loued God and beleeued in Christ euer since they can remember It was neuer cherished with the duties of prayer and invocation they could neuer pray in all their liues except after the minister or by set formes but the spirit of prayer neuer dwelt there It was neuer coÌ„flicted with vnbeleefe they wonder what that should be or that any man should not euer beleeue so as indeed here is no character of the faith of the elect and nothing all this while but a voice and verie carkase of faith 2. Others say they beleeue and bragge of a sauing faith in Christ but they feede a bare fancie for they could neuer beleeue God for lesser things they want the faith of Gods prouidence euen for meate and drinke which is apparant in that they can vse wicked vnwarrantable meanes for them their strong faith they bragge of waiteth not for Gods prouision but will shift for it selfe by hooke and by crooke it holdeth not the heart to patient bearing of the crosse but flingeth out in distempers it putteth not forth in inferiour businesses to giue directions to the particular actions of life and therefore seeing this faith faileth in lesser and smaller things how can it be found in the greatest of all 3. Others boast of a sound faith which were it so it would lay hold vpon the promise and beleeue for themselues and their seed but this it doth not for many who for themselues would rest in the prouidence of God vpon the good and warrantable meanes will yet endanger themselues for their children And hence is it that many who haue liued conscionably in single estate haue remitted much of their care and feare in their married condition and come short of their former vprightnesse and why is this else but that they conceiue not the Lord to be all-sufficient for them and theirs 4. Others there be that challendge as sound a
not now to deale with profane and lewd persons but such as the Lord had sanctified to himselfe according to the vision and voice What or whome the Lord hath sanctified account not thou profane vers 15. Whence 1. we haue in this holy man a mappe of humane frailtie in which we may see how heauie the best are to their duties for was it not long before giuen Peter in charge to teach the Gentiles was not his commission large inough when among other disciples he was dismissed by Christ himselfe to teach not onely the nations but all nations Had not he heard often from the mouth of Christ and read in the writings of the Prophets that the Gentiles must be called in that the tents of the Church must be enlarged her courteins stretched ouâ— and that their owne sound must go ouer all the world yet Peter had forgotten all this and as though Christ had not beene come or as if himselfe had neuer conuersed with him he would still vphold the difference of peoples which his Mr. had destroyed confine saluation to the Iewes only as if Christ had not been a common Sauiour of Iewes and Gentiles he must haue new visions and voices to lift him vp to his dutie or else he cannot be brought so much as to acknowledge it Let vs looke vpon this example to condemne our owne corruption by it yea to watch ouer it least following as we are too prone the streame of it we be carried away from the most essentiall duties which by our calling either generall or particular are by God enioyned vpon vs. Let the Popish guids also looke vpon this example and tell vs whether Peter erred not 1. in iudgement 2. after Christs promise 3. in a weightie matter forgetting his commission and calling yea and the calling and saluation of the whole bodie of the Gentiles all which he failed in And then whether it be a sound ground vpon Peters person or any promise made to him to build their Popes immunitie and freedome from error in matter of faith so long as he sitteth in Peters pretended chaire Secondly In that the Apostle Peter secretly implyeth an acknowledgment of his error we haue in him a worthy patterne of a speciall grace to be practised of vs all namely vpon better grounds to lay aside any errour in iudgement or practise although neuer so long held or stifly maintained of vs before and not be ashamed to professe that we so doe which vertue is a sound fruite of humilitie and argueth a good heart which is in loue with the truth for it selfe and esteemeth it aboue his owne estimation the obseruing whereof would cut off infinite controversies which could neuer be carried and continued with such burning heate in the Church of God if the contention were not many times more for victorie then for truth and rather least error should be acknowledged then that truth should triumphe ouer it Thirdly in this preface euery Minister is taught wisely to cut off and remooue such lets as might hinder his doctrine among his hearers and contrarily to winne by all good meanes such credit to his person as that he may preserue a reuerent estimation of himselfe in the hearts of his people So did the Apostle here and not without cause seeing the acceptance of the person of a Minister is a great furtherance for the entertainement of his doctrine not that the faith of God ought to be had in respect of persons but because mans weaknesse carrieth him beyond his dutie herein And againe Satan and his instruments seeke exceptions against their persons whose doctrine is without exception well knowing that where the person is not first receiued hardly will any doctrine from him be embraced Matth. 10.14 he that receiueth not you nor your words Whence the Apostle Paul was constrained to be much and often in the iustifying of his person calling and conuersation because to hinder his doctrine the false Apostles by all these laboured to bring him into contempt Nay our Lord Iesus himselfe was forced often to averre his person to be diuine his calling to be heauenly and his conuersation holy and without sinne because the Iewes were euer hence disgracing his doctrine because of the meanes of his appearance Now whosoeuer would retaine reuerence authority among his people must shewe forth 1. conscience of his duty 2. loue to his peoples soules and bodies 3. a wise and vnblameable carriage and conuersation these things if he doe not he hath more disgraced himselfe then his people can Of a truth I perceiue that God accepteth not of persons By person is not here meant the substance of man or the man himselfe but the outward qualitie appearance or condition which beeing offered to the eie may make a man more or lesse respected such as are wealth honour learning parentage beautie or such like here called the face of a man for which God accepteth not nor reiecteth any man he accepteth not the persons of Princes saith Elihu nor regardeth the rich more then the poore they beeing all the worke of his hands And applyed to the Apostles purpose is as if he had said I now indeed clearely perceiue that the Lord hath no respect of any dignitie or priuiledge in any people aboue an other that he should powre his grace vpon one more then an other vpon the Iew aboue the Gentile vpon the circumcision aboue the vncircumcision vpon the seed of Abraham according to the flesh aboue the rest of the nations and kinreds throughout the world Now I see that the righteous iudge of all the earth can be no accepter of persons For 1. this were to esteeme men by adiuncts and qualities and not by their essence and substance of grace and pietie thus should the rich man haue beene preferred before Lazarus and the proud Pharisie before the penitent Publican 2. this were to iudge by inconstant things for all these outward respects passe away as the figure of the world it selfe doth whereas the iudgment of God is most vnchangable and therefore grounded on things vnchangeable 3. it were a most vnequal valuatioÌ„ to compare much more to preferre things which are in no proportion of goodnes to the things which are vndervalued for betweene temporall and eternall heauenly and earthly things can be no proportion 4. he which hath forbidden vs to iudge by the false and crooked rule of sence sight reason and such things as are before vs cannot himselfe doe so both which points are plainely prooued 1. Sam. 16.7 The Lord biddeth Samuel beeing to chose one of the sonnes of Ishai to be king looke not on his countenance nor on the height of his stature and addeth this as a reason for God seeth not as man seeth man loooketh on the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart Obiect But when the Lord passed by all the rest of the nations and chose Abraham and his â—eede did he not accept
the Apostle or to giue place as in Dorcas who by a word of the Apostle was raised to life beeing dead By thâ—se meanes the Lord put into the hands of the Apostles great power to giue witnesse of the resurrection of Christ. The third thing is By what meanes they witnessed or gaue testimonie to Christ. Answ. Because they were to be authenticall and faithfull witnesses to all the world and that both in the age wherein they liued as also in all the succeeding ages to the end of the world therefore was it necessarie that they should giue witnesse two waies 1. By zealous and painfull preaching by voice while they liued 2. Euen after their death by the holy doctrine left behind them in their workes and writings and thus doe they still remaine publicke witnesses to vs on whom the ends of the world are come Doctr. Hence obserue that the office of the Apostles was to giue testimonie vnto Christ after a peculiar manner Act. 1.8 When the holy Ghost shall come vpon you yee shall be witnesses vnto mee both in Ierusalem Iudea Samaria and to the vttermost parts of the earth I say they were to be witnesses after a peculiar manner for these reasons 1. To distinguish their witnesse from ours who are ordinarie Ministers for euery Minister is called of God to giue witnesse to Christ but properly to speake they are rather preachers and publishers of things witnessed then witnesses or if witnesses yet herein they differ from the Apostles that they are not oculate or earewitnesses nor such sensible witnesses as they were for this is an Apostolicall speach and manner of preaching not deriued to ordinarie pastors and teachers to say That which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled that we testifie vnto you 2. They were all faithfull witnesses and faithfull men endued with faith and full beleefe of the things they wrote and testified as all ordinarie Ministers are not Whence the Evangelist Iohn professeth of them all that they knew the testimonie to be true True for the matter for they deliuered the whole counsell of God and kept nothing backe that was fit to be knowne and true for the manner they all speaking as they were mooued by the spirit of God and therefore exempted from all error in their witnesse as we are not 3. And hence followeth that their witnesse is to be beleeued as infallible beeing the witnesse of such as with their eyes saw his Maisstie who did not at any time deliuer any thing which they either heard not of Christ or saw him not doing or suffering but all other ordinarie Ministers are so farre to be beleeued as they consent with these and so farre as they testifie no other thing then what these oculate witnesses haue left in writing Obiect But Christ needeth not the witnesse of any man hee hath a greater witnesse then Iohn or then any Apostle therefore there is no vse of the Apostles witnesse Answ. Christ hath indeed three greater witnesses then the witnesse of all his Apostles namely 1. His Father that sent him beareth witnesse of him 2. The Scriptures if they be searched testifie of him 3. His workes that hee did beare witnesse of him but yet howsoeuer in regard of himselfe hee need no other testimonie of man that we might beleeue and be saued hee vseth the witnesse of men of Iohn and the Apostles and of this diuine testimonie in the mouth of the Apostles may be said as Chriâ—â— did of the voice from heauen Ioh. 12.30 This voice came not because of mee but for your sakes Vse 1. From this doctrine we learne how necessarie a thing it is in causes of faith to leane vpon true and certaine thâ—ngs and not vpon tottring traditions or vnwritten verities which are the maine pillers of Popish doctrine Oh how good hath our God beene to this Church and Land of ours in giuing vs a surer word of the Prophets and Apostles to become a light vnto vs in a darke place and a sure ground whereon we may build the truth and certaintie of our faith and religion that we need not be carried about with euery wind of corrupt doctrine These witnesses beeing sensible faithfull and so extraordinarily assisted neither would nor could deceiue vs yea and writing in such a time and the same age in which the things were done if they had written any false or corrupted thing all that liued at that time could easily haue confuted them And therefore as Moses when hee had written the booke of the law called all the people to be a witnesse of the truth of it euen so the Apostles writing the bookes of the Gospel and finishing them appealed to the men of that age for the truth of them as Iohn the last of them all in the last end of his booke saith wee know that is all this age knoweth that this witnesse is true 2. This Doctrine giueth vs direction how to carrie our selues to the present Ministrie for some man may say as the deuil once did Paul I know and Cephas I know but who are you Surely euen we are sent by Christ aswell as the Apostles Ephes. 4.11 Hee gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Pastors some Teachers Where it is euident that he that giueth the Apostle giueth the Pastor also We beeing then called by Christ to teach this doctrine in the Church whatsoeuer our owne vnworthinesse be yet to contemne vs shall be the contempt of Christ himselfe yet we beeing men subiect to error as they were not must hold vs to our rule which is Apostolicall doctrine for as the Apostles haue faithfully performed their parts so our part and dutie is faithfully to depend vpon them and then not to depend vpon or depart from vs is to depart from Christ and his ordinance We that are teachers reserue to euery Christian his priuiledge which is not to receiue euery thing from vs hand ouer head nor any thing at all on our bare words but to trie our spirits to search the Scriptures as the Bereans They haue or ought to haue their Bibles we wish them to looke and enquire there whether our doctrine be true or no and by this note shall they know it what it is according as we shall be able to shew the Apostles the eare or eie-witnesses of it for els are they not bound to beleeue it Let any man come with a coniecturall or probable truth or any traditionarie doctrine and cannot shewe which of the Apostles heard or sawe it in Christ no man is bound to beleeue it as necessarie to his saluation But if any come and can backe his doctrine thus from the Apostles it is all one as if the Apostles did vtter it Let euerie Minister if he would be beleeued tread in the steps of the holy Apostles and see he be able to cleare that all he speaketh be spoken in their language be seene with their eyes
examining of our selues and this is when we search and fanne our selues when we sift the secret corners of our hearts and enquire narrowly and without partiallitie What haue I done that looke as the Kings Attornie sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor at the barre to make his offence as foule as can be so should we become the King of heauen his attournie against our selues not lessning or mincing and much lesse excusing hiding or defending any sinne but labour to see our sinne in euery circumstance and make it as vile as we can that our hearts may be convinced and beaten downe in the sence of our miserie For this purpose lay thy life and euery particular action of it to the law of God that as a straight line will shew thee all thy crookednesse and fetch thee in by such circumstances as whereby thou shalt not content thy selfe with a confession in grosse that thou art a sinner but shalt confesse thy sinne to be out of measure sinnefull But many a Christian is like a desperate bankcrupt who beeing afraid to looke into his reckonings goeth on till hee be clapt vp in prison and at length they see there was no heauenly husbandrie in all this Thirdly In confessing our sinne and pleading guiltie this is the couenant that whereas hee that hideth his sinne shall not prosper hee that confesseth shall find mercie Psal. 32.4 I said I will confesse my iniquitie and thou forgauest mee the punishment of my sinne It is too neere ioyned to our natures to hide our sinne with Adam and concâ—ile it in our bosome or else to summe vp all in a word without speciall greefe for any speciall sinne and herein they thinke they haue peace which is but vnfeelingnesse But those that belong to God he bringeth them to sound humiliation hee maketh them sicke in smiting them and setteth their sinnes in order before them like a bill of parcells to the breaking of their hearts and the vtter acknowledgement of themselues to be miserable bankâ—rupts For this purpose he maketh their owne consciences also to be iudges of their actions pronouncing sentence of guiltinesse and death against themselues As Dauid Against thee against thee haue I sinned and againe I am the man and againe I haue done very foolishly but these sheepe what haue they done The penitent theefe thus iudgeth himselfe we are righteously here To conclude this point hee was neuer truly humbled nor euer aright iudged himselfe that is more ashamed to confesse then to commit sinne Fourthly After pleading guiltie in pleading for pardon as for life and death and as the poore malefactor condemned to die cries for mercie and all his hope and longing is for a pardon euen so this is noted to be the practise of the Church Hos. 14.2.3 Oh Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs gratiously And which of the Saints haue not placed all their happinesse in the pardon of sinne or haue not preferred the shining of Gods countenance vpon them aboue all the outward happines that the earth affoardeth Now in the seeking and suing for pardon because God will not heare him that regardeth wickednesse in his heart for wicked Esau shall find no repentance nor fauour with teares therefore thou must forthwith cease to doe euill as beeing ashamed of it and learne to doe well laie lawes vpon thy selfe be most seuere against thy selfe in the things wherein thou hast displeased thy God watch diligently ouer those corruptions which haue most foyled thee this is the way both to make and preserue thy peace Bring thy selfe then with feare and trembling before Gods righteous iudgement accuse thy selfe and bewaile thy sinnes be not ashamed to confesse but to commit them againe be so farre from purposing any wickednesse in thy heart as rather thou be strongly armed with full purpose against it And thus remembring thy sinnes God will forget them thus writing them deepe in thine owne bookes God will blot them out of his Thus if thou hide them not but cast them out of thy heart and life hee will hide them for euer and cast them vtterly out of his sight so that if thou canst thus iudge thy selfe aforehand thou shalt neuer be iudged of the Lord. Vers. 43. To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes The Apostle Peter although he hath sufficiently prooued whatsoeuer he hath formerly deliuered concerning the doctrine and miracles life and death resurrection and ascention and the comming of Christ againe vnto iudgement yet as though no proofe could be too much or as if he could not satisfie himselfe in enforcing this holy doctrine and binding it vpon the consciences of his hearers he shutteth vp his sermon in this verse with an other assured testimonie aboue all exception drawn from all the Prophets who all consent and conspire with the Apostles in all their doctrine concerning him the summe and maine end of all which is that through beleeuing in his name the elect should receiue remission of sinnes which is the summe and effect of this verse Where first may be asked why doth the Apostle induce so many testimonies one in the necke of another In the answer where of we shall see that none of them are needelesse or superfluous For 1. all the points of Christian religion are aboue and against corrupt nature as appeareth in the heathen who still esteemed the preaching of Christ foolishnesse and in the Athenians who when they heard Paul preaching of the iudgment day and Christs resurrection from the dead they mocked him The hardened Iewes at this day on whom the wrath of God is come to the vttermost doe the like and well it were for many if professed Christians in the midst of such a light made more reckoning of our painfull preaching of Christ who teach the same points then some of the former which were they so slight matters as most account them what neede they be so enforced We are therefore hence fitly enformed both to make more high account of such great mysteries which the spirit of God is so carefull to commend vnto vs as also to bewayle the infidelitie of our hearts that neede so much working vpon them to entertaine such necessarie truthes as these bee 2. Because although he was an Apostle yet would he shewe his care that in all his sermon he taught nothing of his owne which the Prophets had not formerly taught Which teacheth all ministers much more to beware least in any of their sermons they broach such doctrine or bring in such stuffe of which they cannot prooue the Prophets and Apostles to be patrons and publishers For this was the commandement of the Apostles that we teach no other doctrine neither contrary
nor diuerse from it no priuate opinions which are the causes of scismes and heresies nor vaine conceits or iangling which breede questions but no godly edifying It was not onely their precept but practise also as Act. 26.22 Paul spake no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come to wit that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Nay the Lord of the holy Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe preached no other doctrine of whom it is said Luk. 24.27 that he beganne at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him shall the Sonne of God who might haue made euery word he spake Scripture tie himselfe to the Scriptures and make them the ground of all his sermons and shall not weake men who cannot without error depart an haire breadth from them be carefull to containe all their doctrine within the limits of them especialy seeing nothing else bindeth the conscience of the hearer 3. The Apostle knewe that this was a conuincing argument if hee could perswade his hearers that he did deliuer nothing but propheticall doctrine for all men Iewes and Gentiles were easily perswaded that Moses and the Prophets spake directly from God yea and the most blinded and wilfull Iewes at this day professe that if wee can prooue Christ the Messiah from Moses and the Prophets they will beleeue in him so as in great wisedome did the Apostle adde this testimonie to all the former knowing that that is the onely â—ound ground of teaching when men can be perswaded that what they heare is vttered from the mouth of God as by this testimonie his hearers were Now in the verse we haue three things to consider of 1. The generallity of this testimonie that all the Prophets beare witnesse vnto him 2. The scope and ende of their witnesse that men might beleeue in his name 3. The fruit of this beleefe that beleeuers might receiue remission of sinne For the first we will by a briefe induction make it appeare that all the Prophets bare witnesse vnto Christ and then gather some obseruations from it To beginne with Moses who by Christ his owne confession writ of him In Genesis the first thing after the creation and fall is the maine promise that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Exodus setteth out Christ our Passeouer Leuiticus in all those sacrifices pointeth out Christ our sacrifice Numbers setteth before our eyes Christ our brasen serpent lifted vp vpon the crosse Deuteronomie describeth Christ our chiefe Prophet whom whosoeuer wil not heare he must die the death Ioshuah beareth his name and most liuely resembleth him in slaying the enemies of Gods people and bringing them into the promised land The Iudges were all Sauiours and types of him The booke of Ruth sheweth the family whence he sprung Samuel Kings and Chronicles his genealogie and the verie persons of whom he discended especially Dauid and Salomon both eminent types of him Ezrah and Nehemiah built the second Temple into which hee was to enter and so to become the glorie of it as both Aggee and Malachie foretold Iob knew that his redeemer liued and that hee should see him last on the earth David in the Psalmes acknowledged that the stone which the builders refused was become the cheefe stone of the corner and expresseth the pearcing of his hands and feete Salomon in the Proverbs describeth his wisedome and eternitie In the Canticles his contract and espousalls with the Church Isay is called the euangelical Prophet then whom no Euangelist could more liuely expresse his person his doctrine his life death buriall resurrection and ascension that hee seemeth rather to write an historie of something past then a prophecie of things to come Ieremie plainely stileth him the Lord of righteousnesse Ezechiel in all his darke shadowes figureth out the gouernment of Christ from point to point Daniel reckoneth the very yeare and time when the Messiah shall be slaine at the end of whose 70. weekes Christ was put to death The small Prophets testifie of him also with as ioynt consent 1. Malachie mentioneth with him his forerunner Iohn Baptist. 2. Micha describeth the place of his birth And thou Bethlem of Ephrata art little among the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall hee come forth that shall be ruler in Israel whose goings forth haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting 3. Zacharie nameth the place of his education which was Nazaret There must hee grow that must build the Temple of the Lord. 4. Hagge prophesieth of his comming into his Temple and purging it 5. Nahum wisheth Iudah to behold on the mountaines the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace which tydings none can bring but through Iesus Christ the prince of peace 6. Obediah promiseth to Iudah and Ierusalem such Sauiours as should aduance and set vp the kingdome of the Messiah and sâ— the kingdome shall be the Lords that is Christs who shall raigne in his Church for euer and of whose kingdome there shall be no end 7. Ionas in his owne person preached his death buriall and resurrection in that hee was swallowed of the whale and lay three daies in the bellie of it and in the third day was cast aliue on drie land 8. Hosee recordeth his triumph and victorie ouer death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction 9. Abacuk the sending out of his blessed Gospel into all the world by his Apostles so as all the earth should be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters couer the sea 10. Ioel foretelleth of his ascention and the powring out of his spirit vpon all flesh 11. Amos of the calling of the Gentiles a fruit of that ascension which hee calleth the raising of the tabernacle of David as Iames notably applieth it Act. 15.16 12. Zephanie shadoweth his second comming to iudgement and sheweth what a fearefull and terrible day it shall bee to all the wicked of the earth Thus haue we shortly seene all the Prophets witnessing vnto the doctrine taught in this sermon by our holy Apostle And that the cheife aime and drift of all these Master builders was to lay this the maine foundation of all our religion that Iesus Christ the Sonne of Marie was the Sonne of God the true Messias the Lord of all and the onely Sauiour and Redeemer of the world First note hence what is the true consent which all teachers must ayme at in the deliuerie of any doctrine vnto the people of God namely the consent of the Prophets and Apostles it forceth not a doctrine to be orthodoxe or auncient for a man to say all the Fathers are of this minde which is the Popish cry for all their heresies but to this doctrine giue all the Prophets and all the Apostles