the trees and fruits thereof This shewes vnto vs a good lesson that euery man must haue a particular calling wherein he ought to walke and therefore such as spend their time idlely in gaming and vain delights haue much to answer to God at the day of iudgement This will not excuse a man to say then that he had land and liuing to maintaine himselfe and therefore was to liue as he list for euen Adam in his innocencie had al things at his will and wanted nothing yet euen then God imployed him in a calling therefore high and low none must be exempted euery man must walke in his proper calling Adams generall calling was to worship his Creator to which he was bound by the right of creation considering the morall law was written in his heart by nature VVhich is signified in the decalogue where the Lord requires worship and obedience of his people because he is Iehovah that is one which hath beeing in himselfe and giues beeing to all men by creation For the better vnderstanding of this point we are to consider three things I. The place where Adam did worship II. The time III. The sacraments For the first God euer since the beginning had a place where he would be worshipped and it is called Gods house which then was the garden of Eden For it was vnto Adam a place appointed by God for his worship as Church-assemblies are vnto vs where also the Lord at time did in a speciall manner shew himselfe vnto his creature Touching the time of Gods worship it was the seauenth day from the beginning of the creation the Sabboth day And here we must note that the keeping of the Sabboth is morall Some indeede doe plead that it is but a ceremonie yet falsly for it was ordained before the fall of man at which time Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place Nay marke further Adam in his innocencie was not clogged with sinne as we are and yet then he must haue a set Sabboth to worship God his creator and therefore much more neede hath euery one of vs of a sabboth day wherein we may seuer our selues from the workes of our callings and the workes of sinne to the worship of God in the exercise of religion and godly meditation of our creation This point must be learned of vs for when no occasion is offered of busines then men will formally seeme to keepe the sabboth but if their come occasion of breaking the sabboth as traffique gaming and vaine shewes then sabboth farewell men will haue their pleasures let them worship God that will But let vs remember in the feare of God that who so euer continueth in the breach of this lawe beeing morall God will no lesse poure forth his punishments vpon them then for the breach of any other commandement the consideration whereof must mooue euery man to a reuerent sanctifying of the Lords day Now for Adams sacraments they were two the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and euill these did serue to exercise Adam in obedience vnto God The tree of life was to signifie assurance of life for euer if he did keepe Gods commandements the tree of knowledge of good and euill was a sacrament to shew vnto him that if he did transgresse Gods commandements he should die and it was so called because it did signifie that if he trāsgresse this law he should haue experience both of good and euill in himselfe Now in the fourth place followeth the ende of the creation of man which is two-fold First that there might be a creature to whome God might make manifest him selfe who in a speciall manner should set forth and acknowledge his wisdome goodnes mercie in the creation of heauen and earth and of things that are in them as also his prouidence in gouerning the same Secondly God hauing decreed to glorifie his name in shewing his mercie and iustice vpon his creature hereupon in time createth men to shew his mercie in the saluation of some and to shew his iustice in the iust and deserued damnation of other some And therefore he hath appointed the creation specially of man to be a means of manifestation and beginning of the execution of his eternall counsell Thus much concerning mans creation in generall The speciall parts of man are two bodie and soule And the reason why the Lord would haue him stand on these two parts is this Some creatures made before him were onely bodily as beasts fishes foules some spirituall as Angels now man is both spirituall in regard of his soule corporall and sensible in regard of his bodie that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature If it be alleadged that man consistes of three parts bodie soule and spirit because Paul praies that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in bodie soule and spirit the answer is that the spirite signifies the minde whereby men conceiue and vnderstand such things as may be vnderstoode and the soule is there taken for the will and affections and therfore these twaine are not two parts but onely two distinct faculties of one and the same man The bodie of man at the first was formed by God of clay or of the dust of the earth not to be the graue of the bodie as Plato said but to be an excellent and most fit instrument to put in exequution the powers and faculties of the soule And howsoeuer in it selfe considered it is mortal because it is compounded of contrarie natures called Elements yet by the appointment of God in the creation it became immortall till the fall of man As for the soule it is no accidentarie qualitie but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature subsisting by it selfe Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodie as in the same and are as well subiect to torments as the bodie is And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life sense motion vnderstanding we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule Hence ariseth the difference between the soules of men and beasts The soules of men are substances but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances because they haue no being out of the bodies in which they are but rather they are certain peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the bodie and vanishing with it And it may be for this cause that the soule of the beast is said to be in the bloode whereas the like is not said of the soule of man And though mens soules be spirits as angels are yet a difference must be made For angels can not be vnited with bodies so as both shall make one whole and intire person whereas mens soules may yea the soule coupled with the bodie is not onely the moouer of the bodie but the principall cause that makes man to be a man The beginning of the soule is not of the
praier and fasting and the word of God preached and by flying all occasions of offence We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit Christianitie stands not in this to heare the word of God outwardly to professe the same in the meane season stil to liue in our sinnes to pamper our owne rebellious flesh but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readinesse some speare or other to wound sinne the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in vs that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede Fourthly by this we may learn that the wrath of God against sinne is wōderful great because his own Son bearing our person being in our place was not onely crucified racked most cruelly but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule and therfore we must leaue off to make so litle account of sinne as commonly we doe Fiftly wheras the person crucified was the sonne of God it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse like a sea without banke or bottome it can not be searched into if we shal not acknowledge it to be so our condemnation will be the greater Sixtly in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse we learne that those that be the children of God when they suffer any iudgement crosse or calamitie either in bodie or in minde or both doe not beare them as the curses of God but as the chastisements of a louing father For it doth not stande with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God shall either in his owne person in his good name or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God God doth not as a iudge curse him but as a father correct him Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome which hold that we by our suffrings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God but this can not stand because Christ did make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needelesse and much derogates from Christs passion In the crucifying of Christ two things specially must be considered The manner of the doing of it and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse Touching the manner the spirite of God hath noted two things The first that Christ was crucifyed betweene two theeues the one vpon his left hand the other vpon his right in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Esay He was numbred among the wicked and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues malefactours whatsoeuer Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead is reputed the head and prince of all sinners it serueth to teach euery one of vs that beleeue in him to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners and to say of our selues with Paul that we are the chiefe of all sinners The second thing is that Christ was crucified naked because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiers when he was to be crucified The causes why he suffered naked are these First Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankinde death both of bodie and soule and also the curses of God which befall man in this life among which this was one that the nakednes of the bodie should be ignominious and hereupon when Adam had sinned saw himselfe naked he fled frō the presence of God hid himselfe euē for very shame Christ therfore was stripped of his garments and suffered naked that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne Secondly this came to passe by the goodnes of God that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednes which is when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof hee himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements Hereof the Angel speaketh to the Church of Laodicea saying Thou saiest J am rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched miserable blinde and naked So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe Moses telleth them that they were naked not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour and lay open and naked vnto all his iudgements for that sinne And Salomon saith Where there is no vision there the people are made naked that is their sinnes lie open before God and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation Now Christ was crucified naked that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God called white rayment as Christ saith I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment that thou maist be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednes doe not appeare and Long white robes dipped in the blood of the lambe which serue to hide the nakednes of our soules VVhat these garments are the Apostle sheweth when he saith All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Put on the new man which after God is created in righteoosnes and true holines Our nakednes maketh vs more vile in the sight of God then the most loathsome creature that is can be vnto vs vntill we haue put on the righteousnes of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules that we may appeare holy and without spot before God Thirdly Paul saith We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God c. For therefore we sigh desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednes of Adam after his fall and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked namely that after this life he might cloath all his members with eternall glorie If this be so that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed then to make vs proud The thiefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand or of the fetters on his heeles as we may of our attire because it is but the couering of our shame and therfore should put vs in mind of our sinne shamful nakednes The abode
he will first fetch that out and make choice of a faithfull friend to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in common perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God who is a faithfull creator An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience Lastly at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands for though we be not alwaies in affliction yet we are alwaies in great daunger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he riseth he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we know not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great daunger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent For the which cause saith he J suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we may see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition and if they haue cattell sheepe or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God Againe in that Christ laies downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures there is great difference betvveene them for vvhen the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death as the soule of beastes doe the neglect thereof vvere no great matter but seeing it must liue for ever either in eternall ioy or els in endlesse paines and torments it standes vs upon euery man for himselfe so to provide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The thirde that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto For vvhen vvee die in Christ the bodie is but laide asleepe and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father as the soule of Christ was Lastly vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calles it a spirite we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall invisible simple essence without coÌ„position created as the angels of God are The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies may easily bee resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirite can not beget another spirit as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels for one spirit begetteth not another Nay vvhich is more one simple element begetteth not another as the vvater begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof If it be said that the whole soule of the parents be propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answer that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted and therfore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites Thus much of the crucifying of Christ Now followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father the holy Ghost saith he gave vp the ghost to giue us to understand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes The first that it was needfull that hee should die and that for tvvo causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods â—ight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life but also die on the crosse that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne might be laide on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die
the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust vniust Now what did this mooue him vnto Marke herein saith he that is in this respect I endeauour my self to haue alwaies a cleare coÌ„science towards God and towards man And let vs for our parts likewise remember the last iudgement that it may be a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions that we may keep a good conscience before God and before men and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies soules with so many damnable practises without any remorse of conscience Surely they neuer seriously remember the day of the resurrection after this life wherin they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life whether it be good or badde Thus much of the duties now marke it is further said The resurrection of the bodie If the bodie rise it must first fal Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed truth that all men must die the first death And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinnes which are the cause of death it may be demaunded why they must die Ansvveâ—re VVee are to know that when they die death doth not seaze vpon theÌ„ as it is in his own nature a curse for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse and that for vs but for two other causes which wee must thinke vpon as beeing speciall meanes to make a man willing to die I. They must die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life then it is abolished and not before II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death and turnes a curse into a blessing And to proceede It is not here said the resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely what then will some say becommeth of the soule Diuers haue thought that the soules then though they doe not die yet are still kept within the bodie beeing as it were a sleepe till the last day But Gods word saith to the contrarie For in the Revelation it is said The soules of the godly lie vnder the altar and cry How long Lord Iesus And in the Gospel of Luke Dives in soule did suffer woe and torments in hell and Lazarus had ioy in AbrahaÌ„s bosom Againe some others think that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to another and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion for when newes was brought him of Christ he said that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man And for proofe herof some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar who forsaking the societie of man liued as a beast and did eate grasse like a beast and they imagine that his owne soule went out of him and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof But this indeede is a fonde conceit for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast being only strickeÌ„ by the hand of God with an exceeding madnes whereby he was bereft of common reason as doth appeare by that clause in the text where it is saide that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe Againe some other thinke that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth nor passeth out of one bodie into an other but wandereth here on earth amoÌ„g men ofteÌ„times appeareth to this or that maÌ„ this is the opinion of some hereticks of the common people which thinke that dead men walke and for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul but the truth is it was not Samuel in deede but onely a counterfait of him For not all the witches in the world nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place For when men die in the faith their soules are immediatly translated into heauen there abide till the last iudgement and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes their soules goe straight to the place of eternall condemnation and there abide as in a prison as Peter saith In a word when the breath goeth out of the bodie the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heaueÌ„ or hel and there is no third place of aboad meÌ„tioned in scripture To conclude the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule which neither dieth nor sleepeth but is a spirituall and inuisible substance liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit now followeth the fourth last in these words And life euerlasting To handle this point to the full and to open the nature of it as it deserueth is not in the power of man For both the Prophet Esai and Saint Paul say that the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him Again Paul when he was wrapt into the third heauen saith that he saw things not to be vttered Neuerthelesse we may in some part describe the same so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his wil vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue I consider two things the first is life it selfe the second is the continuance of life noted in the word euerlasting Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth liueth moueth it selfe it is twofold vncreated or created Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe wherby God liueth absolutely in himselfe from himselfe by himselfe giuing life and being to all things that liue and haue beeing this life is not meant here because it is not communicable to any creature Created life is a qualitie in the creature and its againe twofold natural spiritual Natural life is that wherby men in this world liue by meat drinke al such means as are ministred by Gods prouidence Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life after the day of iudgemeÌ„t for euer and euer And this alone is the life which in the Creed we confesse and beleeue it consisteth in an immediate coniunctioÌ„ and communion
willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father The second part of the preparation is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden And herein his exāple doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the daunger of imminent death and the temptations which are to come And if Christ who was without sinne and had the spirite aboue measure had neede to pray then much more haue we neede to be watchfull in all kinde of prayers who are laden with the burden of sinne and compassed about with manifolde impediments and daungerous enemies In this praier sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered The first who prayed Ans. Christ the Sonne of God but stil we must remember the distinction of natures and of their operations in one and the same Christ he prayeth not in his Godhead but according to his manhood The second is for whome he prayeth Ans. Some haue thought that this all other his praiers were made for his mystical body the Church but the truth is he now praies for himself yet not as he was God for the Godheade feeles no want but as he was a man abased to the forme of a seruant that for two causes First in that he was a man hee was a creature and in that respect was to performe homage to God the Creatour Secondly as he was man he put on the infirmities of our nature and thereupon praied that hee might haue strength and power in his manhood to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come The third point is to whome he prayed Answer To the father neither must this trouble vs as though Christ in praying to the father should pray to himselfe because he is one and the same God with him For though in essence they admit no distinction yet in person o◠in the proper manner of subsisting they doe The father is one person the Sonne an other therefore as the father saying from heauen This is my welbeloued Sonne spake not to himselfe but to the Sonne so againe the Sonne when he praieth he praies not to himselfe but to the father The fourth point what was the particular cause of his prayer Answ. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death not because he feared bodily death but because the malediction of the Law euen the very heat of the furie indignation of God was powred forth vpon him wherewith he was affected and troubled as if he had bin defiled with the sinnes of the whole world And this appeares 1. by the words whereby the Evangelists expresse the agonie of Christ which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe 2. by his dolefull complaint to his disciples in the garden My soule is heauie vnto the death 3. by his feruent prayer thrise repeated full of dolefull passions 4. by the comming of an Angel to comfort him 5. by his bloodie sweate the like whereof was neuer heard And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie the death of martyrs he put on the guilt of al our sinnes they in death are freed frō the same he was left to himselfe void of comfort they in the midst of their afflictions feele the vnspeakeable comfort of the holy Ghost therfore we need not meruaile why Christ should pray against death which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued borne most ioyfully Againe this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians to reioyce alwaies in the Lord againe to reioyce And here we are further taught that when we are plūged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we shoulde not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by fervent prayer to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was drinking the cuppe of the wrath of God and sucking up the verie dregges of it and David saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lorde and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Ansvver Christ praies to be delivered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this maner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demaunded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that end should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answer The request proceedes only of a weakenesse or infirmitie in Christes manhood without sinne which appeareth thus Wee must still consider that when hee made this praier to his father the whole wrath of God and the verie dolours and pangs of hell seased upon him whereby the senses and powers of his mind were astonished and wholly bent to relieue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes unto it to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the understanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Nowe Christ being in the middest of this perplexed estate praieth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but only from a meere perturbation of mind caused onely by an outward meanes namely the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his understanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but only stopped and staied the acte of reasoning and remembring for a little time even as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the aire or by a mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christes will is flat contrarie to the will of his father Answere Christes will as he is man and the will of the father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely divers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a divers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the worde of God in Asia and Bithynia but hee was hindred by the spirite For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirite of God but in the shewe of discorde great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirite of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole
the word of God is the pipe whereby he conveieth into our dead hearts spirit and life As Christ when he raised up dead men did onely speake the word they were made aliue and at the day of iudgement at his voice when the trump shall blowe all that are dead shall rise againe So it is in the first resurrectioÌ„ they that are dead in their sinnes at his voice uttered in the ministerie of the worde shall rise againe To goe further Christ raised three from the deade Iairus daughter newly dead the widowes sonne dead and wound up and lying on the hearse Lazarus dead and buried stinking in the graue and all this he did by his very voice so also by the preaching of his word he raiseth all sortes of sinners euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion The Sacraments also are the pipes and conduits wherby God conveigheth grace into the heart if they be rightly used that is if they be receiued in unfained repentance for all our sinnes and with a true and liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes and so I take it they are compared to flagons of wine which reuiue the Church being sicke and fallen into a sownd As for the measure of life derived from Christ it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little as Ose saieth The Lorde hath spoiled vs and he will heale us hee hath wounded us and he will bind us up After two daies he will revive us and in the third he will raise us vp and we shall live in his sight The Prophet Ezechiel in a vision is caried into the middest of a field full of dead bones and hee is caused to Prophesie ouer them and say O ye drie bones heare the vvorde of the Lord and at the first there was a shaking and the bones came togither bone to bone and then sinewes and flesh grew upon them and upon the flesh grewe a skinne Then he prophesied vnto the windes the second time and they liued and stood upon their feete for the breath came upon them and they were an exceeding great armie of men Hereby is signified not only the state of the Iewes after their captivitie but in them the state of the whole Church of God For these temporall deliverances signified further a spirituall deliuerance And we may here see most plainely that God worketh in the heartes of his children the giftes and graces of regeneration by little and little First he giueth no more then flesh sinewes and skin then after he giueth them further graces of his spirite which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue unto God The same also wee may see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the Temple First a man must wade to the ancles then after to the knees and so to the loines then after the waters grovve to a riuer that can not be passed ouer and so the Lord conueieth his graces by little and little till at the last men haue a full measure thereof Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serueth as an argument to proue unto us our resurrection at the day of iudgement Paul saieth If the spirite of Christ that raised up Iesus from the deade dvvell in you hee that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies Some will say that this is no benefite for all must rise againe as well the wicked as the godly Ansvver True indeede but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe They rise againe by the power of Christ not as hee is a saviour but as hee is a iudge to condemne them For God had saide to Adam that at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite he should die the death meaning a double death both the first and the second death Nowe then the ungodly rise againe that God may inflict upon them the punishment of the second death which is the rewarde of sinne that so Gods iustice may be satisfied but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their heade and redeemer who raiseth them up that they may bee partakers of the benefite of his death which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen which he haâ—h so dearely bought for them Thus much for the comfortes Now follow the duties and they are also three First as Christ Iesus vvhen he was deade rose againe from death to life by his owne power so we by his grace in imitation of Christ must endeauour our selues to rise up from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life This is worthily set downe by the Apostle saying We are buried by baptisme into his death that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life and therefore vve must endeauour our selues to shevve the same power to be in us euery day by rising up from ouâ— owne personall sinnes to a reformed life This ought to be remembred of us because howsoeuer many heare know it yet very â—ewe doe practise the same For to speake plainly as dead men buried vvould neuer heare though a man shoulde speake neuet so loude so undoubtedly among us there be also many living men which are almost in the same case The ministers of God may cry unto them daily and iterate the same thing a thousand times and tell them that they must rise up from their sinnes and lead a new life but they heare no more then the deade carkasse that lieth in the graue Indeede men heare with their outward eares but they are so farre from practising this dutie that they iudge it to be a matter of reproch and ignominie And those which make any coÌ„science of this duty how they are laden with nicknames taunts who knoweth not I need not to rehearse theÌ„ so odious a thing now a daies is the rising froÌ„ sinne to newnes of life Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares he stirres not and let us crie for amendment of life till breath goe out of our bodies no man almost saieth what haue I done And for this cause undoubtedly if it were not for conscience of that dutie which men owe unto God we should haue but fewe ministers in England For it is the ioy of a minister to see his people rise from sinne and to lead a new life whereas alas men generally lie snurting in their corruptions and rather goe forwarde in them still then come to any amendment such is the woonderfull hardnes untovvardnes that hath possessed the heartes of most men He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true Oh how exceedes atheisme in all places contempt of Gods worshippe profanation of the Sabbath the whordomes and fornications the crueltie and oppression of this age it cryes euen to heauen for vengeance By these such like
Life euerlasting 532 THE RESOLVTION OF THE CREEDE 〈◊〉 One of the Actions of faith which are To beleeve in God which hath three partes I. To beleeue God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his worde II. To acknowledge him in particular to be my God III. To put my confidence in him To beleeve a thing and this action hath two partes I. To acknowledge the thing II. To apply the thing to my selfe as to beleeue the Church is to acknowledge the Church that I am a member of it The second the Object which is God distinguished into 3. person I. The first is described by his I. Name Father II. Attribute Almightie III. Worke Creatour of heaven and earth II. The second is described by his I. Titles which are foure I. Iesus II. Christ. III. His Sonne IIII. Our Lord. II. Incarnation it hath 2. parts The conception where coÌ„sider the partes The personn all vnion The sanctification of that masse or lumpe wherof the body of Christ was framed The cause efficient the Hâ—ghâ—st The byrth where is meÌ„tioned the mother of Christ described by her Name Mary Qualitie a virgine III. Estate afterward of Humiliation set downe Generally in these wordes Suffered vnder c. where is noted the time of his suffering when P. Pilat was president of Iurie By partes which are 4. I. His crucifying II. His death III. His buriall IIII. His descending into hell Exaltation hauing 3. parts I. His resurrection II. His ascension III. His sitting at his fathers right hand it is set forth by the Place Heaven The effect his coÌ„ming to iudgement III. The third person described by his name Holy Ghost infolding his office The Church described by his Qualities Holy Catholicke Prerogatiues which are 4. I. Communion of saintes II. Forgivenesse of sinnes III. Resurection of the body IV. Life everlasting AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREEDE I beleeue in God c. NO man iustly can be offended at this that I begin to treate of the doctrine of faith without a text though some be of minde that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinarie course of preaching only by handling a set portion of scripture therfore that the handling of the Creed being no scripture is not convenient Indeed I graunt that other course to be commendable yet I doubt not but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to follow or not to follow a certaine text of scripture as we doe in the usuall course of preaching My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitive Church whose Catechisme as the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes sheweth was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion which were not taken out of any set text in the olde Testament but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof Hence I reason thus That which in this point was the use and maner of the Primitiue Church is lawfull to be used of vs now but in the Primitiue Church it was the maner to Catechize without handling any set text of scripture and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie doe the same so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterwarde Now to come to the Creed let vs begin with the name or title thereof That which in English we call the Apostles Creed in other tongues is called Symbolum that is a shot or a badge It is called a shot because as in a feast or banket euery man payeth his part which being all gathered the whole which we call the shot amounteth and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this Creed or briefe coÌ„fession of faith It is a badge because as a soldier in the field by his badge livery is knowen of what band he is to what captain he doth belong eueÌ„ so by this beleefe a ChristiaÌ„ maÌ„ may be distinguished known froÌ„ all Iewes Turkes Atheists all false professors for this cause it is called a badge Againe it is called the Creed of the Apostles not because they were the penners of it conferring to it besides the matter the very stile frame of words as we haue them now set downe Reason I. there are in this Creed certaine words and phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles and namely these He descended into hell the Catholike Church The latter wherof no doubt first began to be in use when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth II. Secondly if both matter and wordes had bene from the Apostles why is not the Creed Canonicall scripture as well as any other of their writings III. The Apostles had a summarie collection of the points of Christian religion which they taught and also deliuered to others to teach by consisting of two heades faith and love as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie wishing him to keepe the patterne of holesome words which he had heard of him in faith and love which is in Christ Iesus Now the Creede consists not of two heads but of one namely of faith only and not of loue also VVherefore I rather thinke that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the chiefe and principall pointes of religion handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles and because the pointes of the Creed are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings And thus much of the Title Now let vs heare what the Creed is It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church gathered foorth of the scriptures For the opening of this description First I say it is a summe of things to be beleeued or an abridgement It hath bene the practise of teachers both in the new and old Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time This the Prophets used For when they had made their Sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned them briefly setting them in some open place that all the people might reade the same So the Lorde bad Habakuk to write the vision which he saw and to make it plaine upon tables that he may runne that readeth it And in the new Testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines which otherwise they did handle at large as may appeare in the place of Timothy afore named Now the reason why both in the old new Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged is that the understanding of the simple as also their memory might be hereby helped they better inabled to iudge of the truth to discerne the same froÌ„ falshood And for this end the Apostles Creed being a summary collectioÌ„ of things to be beleeued was gathered briefly out of the word of god for the helping of memory understanding of men I adde that this
commended for a beleeuer and in the like case the Samaritanes And thus much of weake faith which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the body first we are babes grow to greater strength as we growe in yeres so it is with a Christian man First he is a babe in Christ hauing weake faith but after growes from grace to grace till he come to haue a strong faith example whereof we haue in Abraham who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension This strong faith is when a man is endued with the knowledge of the Gospel grace to apprehend and applie the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his own sinnes so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truly that he is fully resolued in his own conscience that he is recōciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes accepted in him to life euerlasting This degree of faith is proper to him that begins to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first he deceiueth him selfe For as it is no nature first wee are babes and then as we encrease in yeares so wee growe in strength so it is in the life of a Christian first ordinarily hee hath a weake faith and after growes from grace to grace till he come to stronger faith and at the last he be able to say he is fully assured in his heart conscience of the pardon of his sinnes of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in his life and preseruation which brings a man to this that he is fully perswaded that God is his God and God the father his father and Iesus Christ his redeemer and the holy Ghost his sanctifier Now howsoeuer this faith be strong yet is it alwaies imperfect as also our knowledge is and shall so long as we liue in this world be mingled with contrarie vnbeliefe and sundrie doubtings more or lesse A great part of men amōgst vs blinded with grosse ignorance say they haue faith yet indeed haue not For aske them what faith they haue they will answer they beleeue that God is their father the Son their redeemer c. aske them how long they haue had this faith they will answer euer since they could remember aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour they will say they would not once doubt for all the worlde But the case of these men is to be pitied for howsoeuer they may perswade themselues yet true it is that they haue no sound faith at all for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings and God will not haue men perfect in this life that they may alwaies goe out of themselues and depend wholly on the merit of Christ. And thus much of these two degrees of faith Nowe in whom so euer it is whether it be a weake faith or a strōg it bringeth forth some fruit as a tree doth in the time of sommer And a speciall fruit of faith is this confession of faith I beleeue in God c. so Paul saith With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Confession of faith is when a man in speach and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God both in bodie and soule II. That by the confession of his faith he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians from Atheists hypocrites and all false seducers whatsoeuer And as this is the dutie of a Christian man to make profession of his faith so here in this Creede of the Apostles we haue the right order and forme of making it set downe as we shal see in hādling the parts therof The Creede therefore sets downe two things concerning faith namely the action of faith and his obiect which also are the parts of the Creede The action in these words I beleeue the obiect in all the words following in God the Father almightie maker c. And first let vs begin with the action I beleeue in God We are taught to say I beleeue not we beleeue for two causes First because as we touched before in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to be an answer made vnto a question which was demanded of euery particular man that was baptized for they asked him thus What dost thou beleeue then he answered I beleeue in God the Father c. and thus did euery one of yeares make profession of his faith and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto saying the stipulation or answer of a good conscience maketh request to God The secōd cause is howsoeuer we are to pray one for another by saying O our father c. yet when wee come to yeres we must haue a particular faith of our own no mā can be saued by anothers mans faith but by his own so it is said The iust shall liue by his faith But some will say this is not true For children must be saued by their parents faith the answer is this the faith of the parents doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ but yet it doth not applie the benefits of Christs death his obedience his merits and righteousnes vnto the infant for this the beleeuer doth only vnto himselfe to no other Againe some may say if they doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith how then is Christs righteousnes made theirs Answ. By the inward working of the holy Ghost who is the principall applier of all graces whereas faith is but the instrumēt And this is true men of yeares are iustified by their own faith the infāt by some other special working of Gods holy spirit Furthermore to beleeue signifieth two things to conceiue or vnderstand any thing and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true and therefore in this place to beleeue signifieth to know and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe are the truth of God Here therefore we must remember that this clause I beleeue placed in the beginning of the Creede must be particularly applied to euery article following For so the case stands that if faith faile in one maine point it faileth a man in all and therefore faith is said to be wholly copulatiue It is not sufficient to hold one article but he that will hold any of them for his good must hold them all and he which holdes them all in shewe of words if he ouerturne but one of them in deede he ouerturnes them all Againe to beleeue
thankfulnes but mens hearts are so frozen in the dregges of their sinnes that this dutie comes litle in practise now adaies Our Sauiour Christ clensed ten leapers but there was but one of theÌ„ that returned to giue him thanks this is as true in the leprosie of the soule for though saluation by Christ be offered vnto vs daily by Gods ministers yet not one of ten nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thanks to God for it because men take no delite in things which coÌ„cerne the kingdome of heauen they thinke not that they haue need of saluation neither doe they feele any want of a Sauiour But we for our parts must learne to say with David What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith My sonne giue me thy heart for we should giue vnto God both bodie soule in token of our thankfulnes for this wonderful blessing that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to be our sauiour let vs know this for truth that they which are not thaÌ„kfull for it let them say what they wil they haue no soundnes of grace at the heart And thus much of the third title The fourth last title is in these words our Lord. Christ Iesus the only sonne of God is our Lord three waies 1. by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we were not 2. he is our Lord in the â—ight of redemption In former times the custome hath bin that wheÌ„ one is taken prisoner in the fields he that paies his ransome shall become alwaies after his lord so Christ when we were bondslaues vnder hell death condemnation paid the raÌ„some of our redemption and freed vs from the bondage of sinne and satan and therefore in that respect he is our Lord. 3. He is the heade of the Church as the husbande is the wiues head to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord. And thus much for the meaning Now follow the duties 1. If Christ be our soueraigne Lord we must performe absolute obedience vnto him that is whatsoeuer he commaunds vs that wee must doe And I say absolute obedience because Magistrats Masters Rulers and fathers may command and must be obeyed yet noâ— simply but so farfoorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commaundement of God but Christs will and word is righteousnes it selfe and therefore the rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed Thus he requires the obedience of the morall law but why because he is the Lord our God And in Malach. he saith If I be your Lord where is my feare And againe we must resigne both bodie and soule heart minde will affections and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onely of the bodie but of the spirite and soule of man hee must therefore haue homage of both as we adore him by the knee of the bodie so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts haue their knees also to worship him and to shew their subiection to his commandements As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word but will not indeauour to shew their loyaltie in all manner of obedience they are indeede no better then starke rebels Secondly when by the hande of Christ strange iudgements shall come to passe as it is vsuall in all places continually we must stay our selues without murmuring or finding fault because he is an absolute Lord ouer all his creatures all things are in his hands and he may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer wee see or heare of them so David saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And againe My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Thirdly before we vse any of Gods creatures or ordinances we must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier the reason is this because he is Lord ouer all and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not and when and how we must vse them and secondly wee must pray to him that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God as beeing alwaies readie to giue an account for them at the day of iudgement for wee vse that which is the Lords not our owne we are but stewards ouer them we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship Hast thou learning then imploy it to the glorie of God the good of the Church boast not of it as though it were thine owne Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God be it wisdome streÌ„gth riches honour fauour or whatsoeuer then looke thou vse it so as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly euery one must so lead his life in this world as that at the day of death he may surrender and giue vp his soule into the hands of his Lord and say with Steven Lord Iesus receiue my soule for thy soule is none of thine but his who hath bought it with a price therfore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maist in good manner restore it into the hands of God at the end of thy life If a man should borrow a thing of his neighbour and vse it so as he doth quite spoile it he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner and if he doe the owner will not receiue it Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sin as that they can neuer be able to giue them vp into the hands of God at the day of death if they would yet God accepts them not but casts theÌ„ quite away We must therefore labour so to liue in the world that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus who gaue them vnto vs. This is a hard thing to be done and he that will doe it truly must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes which a man can neuer haue without true and vnfained faith and repentance wherfore while we haue time let vs purge and clense our soules bodies that they may come home againe to God in good plight And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they an higher Lord that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours And this is Pauls reason ye masters saith he doe the same things vnto your seruants putting away threatning and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen neither is
it if we will be followers of Christ and ouercome euill with good The third thing that fell out in the time of Christs crucifying was the pitifull complaint in which he cried with a loud voice Eli Eli lamasabact hani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me In the opening of this complaint many points must be skanned The first is what was the cause that mooued Christ to complaine Answer It was not any impatience or discontentation of minde or any dispaire or any dissembling as some would haue it but it was an apprehension and a feeling of the whole wrath of God which seazed vpon him both in bodie and soule The second what was the thing wherof he doth complain Answer That he is forsaken of God the father And from this point ariseth an other question Howe Christ beeing God can be forsaken of God for the father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are all three but one and the same God Answer By God we must vnderstand God the Father the first person According to the common rule when God is compared with the Sonne or holy Ghost then the father is ment by the this title God as in this place not that the father is more God then the Sonne for in dignitie all the three persoÌ„s are equal but they are distinguished in order only the father is first And againe whereas Christ complaineth that he was forsaken it must be vnderstood in regard of his humane nature not of his Godhead And Christs manhoode was forsaken not that his Godhead and manhoode were seuered for they were euer ioyned togither froÌ„ the first moment of the incarnation but the Godhead of Christ and so the Godhead of the father did not shew forth his power in the manhoode but did as it were lie asleepe for a time that the manhood might suffer when a man sleepeth the soule is not seuered from the bodie but lieth as it were dead and exerciseth not it selfe euen so the Godhead lay still and did not manifest his power in the manhoode and thus the manhood seemed to be forsaken The third point is the manner of this complaint My God my God saith he these words are words of faith I say not of iustifying faith wherof Christ stood not in need but he had such a faith or hope wherby he did put his coÌ„fideÌ„ce in God The last words why hast thou forsakeÌ„ me seem at the first to be words of distrust How then will some say can these words stand with the former for faith distrust are flat contraries Answ. Christ did not vtter any speach of distrust but only make his mone coÌ„plaint by reason of the greatnes of his punishment yet still relied himselfe on the assistance of his father Hence we learne first that religion doth not stand in feeling but in faith which faith we must haue in Christ though we haue no feeling at all for God oftentimes doth withdraw his grace fauour froÌ„ his children that he may teach theÌ„ to beleeue in his mercie in Christ then when they feele nothing lesse then his mercie And faith feeling can not alwaies stand togither because faith is a subsisting of things which are not seene and the ground of things hoped for and we must liue by faith and not by feeling Though feeling of Gods mercie be a good thing yet God doth not alwaies vouchsafe to giue it vnto his children and therefore in the extremitie of afflictions and temptations we must alwaies trust and relie on God by faith in Christ as Christ himselfe doth when he is as it were plunged into the sea of the wrath of God Secondly here we may see howe God dealeth with his children for Christ in the sense and feeling of his humane nature was forsaken yet had he sure trust and confidence in God that caused him to say My God my God God will oftentimes cast his deare children into huge gulfs of woe and miserie where they shall see neither banke nor bottome nor any way to get out yet men in this case must not despaire but remember still that that which befell Christ the head doth also befall his members Christ himselfe at his death did beare the wrath of God in such measure as that in the sense and feeling of his humane nature he was forsaken yet in all this he was the Sonne of God and had the spirit of his father crying My God my God And therefore though we be wonderfully afflicted either in bodie or in mind so as we haue no sense or feeling of Gods mercie at all yet we must not despaire and thinke that we are cast-awaies but still labour to trust and relie on God in Christ build vpon this that we are his children though we feele nothing but his wrath vpon vs against mercie cleauing to his mercie This was Dauids practise In the day of trouble saith he I sought the Lord my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled my soule was full of anguish and so continueth saying Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull but in the ende he recouereth himselfe out of this gulfe of temptation saying Yet I remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high I remember the works of the Lord certenly I remember the wonders of old Wherefore this practise of Christ in his passion must then be remembred of vs all when God shall humble vs either in bodie or soule or both The fourth thing which fell out when Christ was on the crosse was this after Christ knew that all things were performed that the Scriptures were fulfilled he said I thirst and then there standing a vessell full of vineger one ranne and filled a sponge therewith and put it about an hyssope stalke and put it to his mouth which when he had receiued he said It is finished The points here to be considered are foure The first that Christ thirsteth And we must know that this thirst was a part of his passion and indeede it was no small paine as we may see by this when Sisera was ouercome by Israel and had fled from his enemies to Iaels tent he called for a little water to drinke being more troubled with thirst then with the feare of death at the hand of his enemies And indeede thirst was as grieuous to men in the East countrey as any torment else And hereupon Sampson was more grieued with thirst then with feare of many thousand Philistims Againe whereas Christ complaines that he thirsteth it was not for his owne sake but for our ofâ—ences and therefore answearably we must thirst after Christ and his benefits as the dry and thirstie land where no water is doth after raine and as the hart brayeth after the riuers of water so must we say with Dauid My soule
inabling them to doe so The like is to be seene in all ages since the passion of Christ in the Church of God in which men zealous for the gospell in peace haue beene timerous in persecution whereas weake ones haue stood out against their enimies euen unto death it self The reason is because God will hūble those his seruants which are often times indued with great measure of graces cōtrariwise exalt strengthē the weake feeble the same no doubt will be found true among us if it should please god to send any new triall into the Church of Englād This serues to teach us to think charitably of those which are as yet but weake amōg us with all in our profession to cary a low saile to think basely of our selues and in the whole course of our liues creep alow by the ground running on in feare trēbling because the Lord oftētimes humbles those that be strong giue courage strength to weake ones boldly to confesse his name Secondly vvhereas these tvvo disciples haue such care of the buriall of Christ we learne that it is our dutie to be carefull also for the honest solemne buriall of our brethren The Lorde him selfe hath cōmanded it Thou art dust to dust thou shalt returne Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God yea the bodies of Gods children are the temples of the Holy ghost and therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laide in the earth And it vvas a curse and iudgement of God upon Iehoiakim that he must not be buried but like a dead asse be dravvn cast out of the gates of Ierusalem And so the Lorde threatens a curse upon the Moabites because they did not burie the king of Edom but burnt his bones into lime And therefore it is a necessarie dutie one neighbour and friend to looke to the honest buriall of another Hence it followes that the practise of Spaine and Italy and all popish countries which is to keepe the parts of mens bodies such like relikes of saints unburied that they may be seene of mē worshipped hath no warrant dust they are and to dust they ought to be returned Furthermore the properties and vertues of both these men are seuerally to be considered And first to beginne with Ioseph hee was a senatour a man of great account authoritie and reputation among the Iewes It may seeme a strange thing that a man of such account would abase him selfe so much as to take downe the body of Christ from the crosse It might haue bene an hinderance to him and a disgrace to his estate and calling as we see in these daies it would be thought a base thing for a knight to come to the place of execution and take dovvne a thiefe from the hand of the hangman to burie him but this noble Senatour Ioseph for the loue he bare to Christ made no account of his state and calling neither did hee scorne to take upon him so base an office considering it was for the honor of Christ where we learne that if vve truly loue Christ and our hearts be set to beleeue in him we will neuer refuse to perform the basest seruice that may be for his honour nothing shall hinder vs. It is further saide that he was a good man and a iust and also a rich man And the first appeareth in this that hee would neither consent to the counsell nor fact of the Iewes in crucifying Christ. It is rare to finde the like man in these dayes From his example vve learne these lessons I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a seruant of God and also be saued for riches are the good blessings of God and in them selues doe no vvhit hinder a man in comming to Christ. But some will say Christ himselfe saith It is easier for a cable to go through the eye of a needle as a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Ans. It is to be understood of a rich man so long as he swelleth vvith a confidence in his vvealth but we know that if a cable be untwisted and drawen into small threeds it may be drawen through the eye of a needle so he that is rich let him denie himselfe abase himselfe and lay aside all confidence in himselfe in his riches and honour and be as it were made small as a tvvine threede and vvith this good Senatour Ioseph become the disciple of Christ hee may enter into the kingdom of heauē But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thorns which choke the grace of God Ansvver It is true they are thornes in that subiect or in that man that putteth his trust in them not in their owne nature but by reason of the corruption of mans heart who maketh of them his God S. Iohn saith further that Ioseph was a disciple of Christ but yet a close disciple for feare of the Ievves And this sheweth that Christ is most readie to receiue them that come unto him though they come laden with manifold wants I say not this that any hereby should take boldnes to liue in their sinnes but my meaning is that though men be weake in the faith yet are they not to be dismayed but to come to Christ who refuseth none that come to him Draw nere to God saith S. Iames and hee will draw nere to you Christ doeth not forsake any till they forsake him first Lastly the H. ghost saith of him that hee waited for the kingdome of God that is hee did beleeue in the Messias to come therfore did waite daily till the time was come when the Messias by his death passion should abolish the kingdome of sinne satan establish his own kingdom throughout the whole world The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man feared God waited for the consolation of Israell This was the most principall vertue of all that Ioseph had and the very roote of all his goodnes righteousnes that he waited for the kingdome of God For it is the propertie of faith whereby wee haue confidence in the Messias to change our nature to purifie the heart to make it bring forth works of righteousnesse There be many among us that can talke of Christes kingdome of redemption by him yet make no cōscience of sinne haue litle care to liue according to the gospell which they professe and all is because they doe not soundly beleeue in the Messias and they waite not for the kingdome of heauen therefore there is no chaunge in them but we must labour to haue this affiance in the Messias with Ioseph and to wait for his second appearance that thereby wee may be made new creatures hauing the kingdome of Sathan battered and beaten downe in us and the kingdome of God erected in our heartes Touching Nichodemus S. Iohn saith that
he came to Iesus by night Many men build upon this example that it is lawfull to be present at the Masse so be it in the mean seasoÌ„ we keepe our heartes to God and indeede such men are like Nichodemus in that they labour to burie Christ as much as they caÌ„ though now after his resurrectioÌ„ he should not be buried againe But though Nichodemus durst not openly at the first professe the name of Christ yet after his death vvhen there is most daunger hee doeth and by this meanes reformeth his former doing Thus much of the persons that buried Christ The third thing to be obserued is the maner of Christs buriall which standeth in these 4. points First they take downe his body from the crosse secondly they winde it thirdly they lay it in a tombe fourthly the tombe is made sure Of these in order First Ioseph taketh downe the body of Christ from the crosse whereon hee was executed but marke in what maner he doth it not on his owne head without leaue but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the body of Christ asketh leaue to take it downe because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilates hand hee being deputie at that time wherby we learn that in all our dealings actioÌ„s though they haue neuer so good an ende our dutie is to proceede as peaceably with all men as may be as S. Iames saith The wisdom that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable geÌ„tle c. Againe this â—eacheth us that in all things which concerne the authoritie of the Magistrate and belong unto him by the rule of Gods worde wee must attempt or doe whatsoeuer we doe by leaue And here we may see of what courses they take that beeing priuate men in this our Church will notwithstanding take upon them to plante Churches without the leaue of the Magistrate being a christian prince Hauing thus taken the body of Christ downe they go on to wind it And Ioseph for his part brought linnen clothes and Nichodemus a mixture of myrâ—he aloes to the quantitie of an hundred poundes for the honourable buriall of Christ. His winding was on this manner they wrapped his bodie hastily in linnen clothes sweete odours put thereto Besides all this in the Iewes burials there was embalming washing of the body but Christs body was not embalmed or washed because they had no time to do it for the preparatioÌ„ to the passeouer drew nere And wheras these 2. meÌ„ burie Christ at their own cost charges we are taught to be like affected to the liuing meÌ„bers of Christ when they want we must relieue comfort them liberally and freely It may here be demanded whether men may not be at cost in making funerals considering euen Christ himselfe is with much cost buried Ans. The bodies of all deade men are to be buried in seemely honest maner if they be honorable they may be buried honorably yet now ther is no cause why mens bodies should be washed annointed embalmed as the vse was amoÌ„g the Iewes for they used embalming as a pledge signe of the resurrectioÌ„ but now since Christs comming we haue a more certen pledge therof euen the resurrection of Christ himself therfore there is no cause why we should use embaulming and washing as the Iewes did And the clause which is specified in Saint Matthew is not to be omitted that Ioseph wrapped Christs body in a cleane linnen cloth whereby we learne that howsoeuer the strange fashions fetched from Spaine and Italy are moÌ„strous to be abhoâ—red yet seing the body of a maÌ„ is the creature of God therefore it must be arayed in cleanly maner in holy comelines Paul requires that the minister of the Gospell in all things be seemely or comely herein he ought to be a patterne of sobriety unto all men Thirdly after they haue wouÌ„d the body of Christ they lay it in a toÌ„b lastly they make it sure closing it up with a stone rolled ouer the mouth of it Also the Iewes request Pilat to seale it that none might presume to open it besides they set a band of soldiers to watch the tomb to keepe it that his bodie be not stolleÌ„ away Many reasons might be alledged of this their dealing but principally it came to passe by the providence of God that hereby he might confirme the resurrection of Christ. For whereas the Iewes would neither be mooued by his doctrine nor by his workes miracles to beleeue he causeth this to be done that by the certenty of his resurrection hee might conuince them of hardnesse of heart and prooue that he was the sonne of God Thus much of the maner of his buriall Now followes the place where Christ was buried In the place we are to mark 3. things I. that Christ was laid in Iosephs tomb wherby we may gather the greatnes of Christs pouertie in that he had not so much grouÌ„d as to make himself a graue in this must be a comfort to the members of Christ that are in pouertie And it teacheth them if they haue no more but foode and raiment to be there with content knowing that Christ their head and king hath coÌ„secrated this very estate unto them Secondly the tombe wherein Christ was laide was a newe tomb wherein neuer any man lay before And it was the speciall appointment of Gods prouidence that it should be so because if any man had bene buried there aforetime the malitious Iewes would haue pleaded that it was not Christ that rose againe but some other Thirdly we must obserue that this tombe was in a garden as the fall of man was in a garden as the apprehension of Christ in a gardeÌ„ beyond the brooke Cedron And here we must note the practise of a good man This garden vvas the place of Iosephs delight holy recreation wherin he used to solace himselfe in beholding the good creatures of God yet in the same place doth he make his owne graue long before he dyed whereby it appeares that his recreation was ioyned with a meditatioÌ„ of his end and his example must be followed of us True it is God hath giuen us his creatures not only for necessity but also for our lawfull delight but yet our duty is to mingle therewith serious meditation and consideration of our last end It is a brutish part to vse the blessings and creatures of God and not at all to be bettered in regard of our last end by a further vse thereof The time when Christ was buried vvas the euening wherein the Sabbath vvas to begin according to the maner of the Iewes which beganne their daies at sunne-setting from euening to euening according to that in Genesis the evening and the morning was the first day Now Ioseph commeth a litle before euening beggeth the body of Christ and burieth it where note that howsoeuer vve are not bound
which can appertaine to none but to the elect Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke hee that beleeveth in me as saieth the scripture out of his bellie shall flow rivers of water of life Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him which is a thirst of the vvell of the water of life freely Now if hee that thirsteth drinke of these waters marke what followeth Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life The second is a straunge affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God whereby a man doth so esteeme value and as it were set so high a price on Christ his righteousnesse that hee accounts euen the most pretious things that are to be but as dung in regard thereof This affection was in Paul and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure he first hides it and the selles all hee hath and makes a purchase of the fielde where it is Now euery man will say of himselfe that he is thus affected to Christ and that hee more highly esteemes the least drop of his blood then all things in the world beside wheras indeed most men are of Esaus minde rather desiring the red broth then Isaaks blessing and of the same affection with the Israelites which liked better the onyons and flesh pots of Egypt then the blessings of God in the land of promise Therefore that no man may deceiue him selfe this affection may bee discerned by two signes The first is to loue and like a christian man because hee is a Christian. For hee that doth aright esteeme of Christ doth in like manner esteeme of the members of Christ. And of this very thing our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets revvarde and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the revvarde of a righteous man And Saint Iohn saieth Hereby vvee knovve that vvee are translated from death to life because vvee love the breethren that is such as are members because they are so The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ whether it be by death unto any man particularly or by the last iudgement universally and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowship with Christ. And that this verie loue is a note of adoption it appeares by that which S. Paul saieth that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that love the appearing of Christ. The outwarde token of adoption is New-obedience whereby a man endeauours to obey Gods cōmandements in his life and conuersation as S. Iohn saith Hereby wee are sure that we know him if wee keepe his commandements Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall lavv for then it should be no token of grace but rather a meanes of damnation but it must be esteemed and considered as it is in the acceptation of God who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them but by the affection of the doer And yet least any man should heare be deceiued wee must knowe that the obedience which is an infallible marke of the child of god must be thus qualified First of all it must not be done unto some fewe of Gods commaundements but unto them all without exception Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly did many things and Iudas had excellent things in him as appeares by this that he was content to leaue all and to followe Christ and hee preached the Gospell of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest yet alas all this was nothing for the one could not abide to become obedient to the 7. commandement in leauing his brother Philips wife and the other would not leaue his couetousnes to die for it Vpright sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements as Dauid saith I shall not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And S. Iames saith hee which faileth in one law is guiltie of all that is the obedience to many commandements is indeed before god no obedience but a flat sinne if a man wittingly and willingly faile in any one thing He that repents of one sinne truly doth repent of all he that liues but in one known sinne without repentāce though he pretend neuer so much reformation of life indeed repents of no sinne Secōdly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conversion and repentance We must not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the tenour of his life Such as the course of a mans life is such is the man though he through the corruption of his nature faile in this or that particular action yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God so be it he renew his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falles not lying in any sinne and withall from yere to yere walke unblameable before God men S. Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lorde knowes who are his Now some might hereupon say it is true indeed god knowes who are his but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his to this demaund as I take it Paul answers in the next words Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity that is let men invocate the name of God praying seriously for things whereof they stand in need withall giuing thanks departing frō all their former sinnes and this shall be unto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man as regeneration which is the cause of it is thorough the whole man in bodie soule and spirit Againe obedience is the fruite of loue and loue is from the pure heart the good conscience and faith unfained Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens wherby a man may be certified in his conscience that be was chosen to saluation before all worldes If any desire further resolution in this point let them meditate upon the 15. Psal. and the first Epistle of Saint Iohn being parcels of scripture penned by the holy ghost for this ende Here some will demaund how a man may be assured of his adoption if he want the testimony of the spirit to certifie him thereof Ansvvere Fire is knowen to be no painted but a true fire by two notes by heate and by the flame now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame it is still knowen to be fire by the heate In
beleeueth in Christ by reason of this union hath an unspeakeable prerogatiue for hereby he is first united to Christ and by reason thereof is also ioyned to the whole trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost and shall haue eternall fellowshippe with them Thirdly sundrie men specially Papistes deride the doctrine of iustification by imputed righteousnesse thinking it as absurd that a maÌ„ should be iust by that righteousnesse which is inherent in the person of Christ as if we should say that one man may liue by the soule of another or be learned by the learning of another But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation For there is a most nere and straite union betweene Christ and all that beleeue in him and in this union Christ with all his benefites according to the tenour of the couenant of grace is made ours really therefore we may stand iust before God by his righteousnes it being indeed his because it is in him as in a subiect yet so as it is also ours because it is giuen unto us of God Now there is no such union betwene man maÌ„ for that cause one man can not liue by the soule of another or be learned by the learning of another Fourthly from this fountaine springs our sanctification whereby wee die to sinne are renewed in righteousnes and holines Wormes and flies that haue lyen dead all winter if they be laid in the sunne in the spring time begin to reuiue by vertue thereof euen so when we are united to Christ are as it were laide in the beames of thiâ— blessed sonne of righteousnesse vertue is deriued thence which warmeth our benummed heartes deade in sinne and reviveth us to newenesse of life whereby we begin to affect and like good things and put in practise all the duties of religion Firstly hence we haue the protection of Gods angels for they alwaies wait and attend on Christ and because wee are made one with him they attend upon us also Lastly by reason of this union with Christ euery beleeuer commeth to haue interest and to recouer his title in the creatures of God and to haue the holy and lawfull use of them all For we must consider that although Adam created in the image of God was made Lord over all things in heauen earth yet when he fell by eaâ—ing the forbidden fruite he and in him all mankinde lost the title and use of them all Now therefore that a man may recover his interest hee must first of all be united and made one with Christ and then by Christ who is Lord and King ouer all shall he recouer that title in the creatures of God which hee had by creation and be made Lorde ouer them againe But some will say if this be so then a Christian man may haue and enioy all creatures at his pleasure and therefore the goods of other men Ans. The reason is not good for in this life we haue no more but right unto the creature right in it that is actuall possession is reserued for the life to come Therefore wee content our selues with our allowed portions giuen unto us by God by his grace using them in holy manner expecting by hope the full fruition of all thinges till after this life Againe if all title to the creatures be recouered by Christ it may be demanded whether infidels haue any interest to their goods or no Ans. Infidels before men are right lordes of all their landes and possessions which they haue obtained by lawfull meanes and in the courtes of men they are not to be depriued of them but before God they are but vsurpers because they hold them not in capite that is in Christ neither haue they any holy and right use of them for to the uncleane all things are vncleane And they must first of all become members of Christ before they can hold enioy them aright use them wel The duties which are to be learned of the doctrine of this vnion are manifolde And first of all wee are taught to purge our handes and heartes of all our sinnes and especially to auoide all those sinnes whereby mens bodies are defiled as drunkennesse uncleannesse fornication for they driue away the spirit of God from his owne house and dissolue the bond of the coniunction betweene Christ and vs. Secondly we must euery one of us which professe our selues to be members of Christ labour to become conformable unto him in holinesse of life and to become new creatures for this union requireth thus much Let a man take the griftes of a crabbe-tree and set them into good stockes yet will they not chaunge their sappe but bring foorth fruite according to their owne nature euen sowre crabbes but it must not be so with us wee are indeed wild oliues and the braunches of wilde vines yet seeing we are perswaded that wee are grafted into Christ and made one with him we must lay aside our wild and soure nature and take upon us the nature of the true vine beare good fruite haue good iuyce in us and render sweete wine Thirdly wee are taught hence to be plentifull in all good workes consideriag wee are ioyned to him that is the fountaine of grace And therefore Christ saieth I am the true vine and my Father is the husbande man every braunch that beareth not fruite in mee hee taketh avvay and everie one that beareth fruite hee purgeth it that it may beare more fruite And the Prophet Esai compares the Church of God to a vineyarde with a tower and a wine-presse in it And God himselfe comes often downe vnto it to see the fruites of the valley to see if the vine budde and the Pomegranates flourish And further wee must bring forth fruite vvith patience For the Lorde of this vineyarde comes with crosses and afflictions as with a pruning knife in his hand to pare and to dresse us that wee may be fit to bring foorth fruite plentifully in duties of pietie to God and in duties of loue to all men yea to our enemies Crhistian men are trees of righteousnes growing by the waters of the sanctuary but what trees not like ours for they are rooted upwarde in heauen in Christ and their graines and branches growe downward that they may beare fruite among men Hitherto we haue heard what the Church is now to beleeue the Church is nothing else but to beleeue that there is a companie of the predestinate made one in Christ and that withall we are in the number of them Before wee proceede any further three rules must be obserued touching the Church in generall The first that Christ alone is the head of the Catholike Church that hee neither hath nor can haue any creature in heauen or earth to be his fellow herein For the Church is his body and none but he can perfourme the duty of an head unto it which dutie
written of the Phoenix that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one and on this manner is her kinde preserued Againe swallowes wormes and flyes which haue lien dead in the winter season in the spring by vertue of the sunnes heat reuiue againe so likewise men fall in sounes and traunses beeing for a time without breath or shew of life and yet afterward come againe and to vse Pauls example before the corne can grow and beare fruit it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte And if this were not seene by experience men would not beleeue it Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following and yet afterward it returns againe the next morning Lastly we reade how the old Prophet◠raised some from death and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life But let vs see what reasons may be alleadged to the contrarie First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes is against common sense reason Answeare It is aboue reason but not against reason For if impotent and miserable men as experience sheweth can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workemanship of glasse why may we not in reason thinke that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust Secondly it is said that mens bodies beeing dead are turned into dust and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures and one mans bodie with another and that by reason of this confusion men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies Answ. Howsoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans body at the resurrectiō of his own matter to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art cā sunder diuers metells one frō another some men out of one metell can draw another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to do the like It may be further obiected thus A man is eaten by a wolfe the wolfe is eaten by a lyon the lyon by the foules of the ayre and the foules of the ayre eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Canibals Nowe the body of that man which is turned into so many substāces especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe if the one doth the other doth not Ans. This reason is but a cavill of mans braine for we must not think that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie is turned into the substance therof must rise again become a part of the bodie at the day of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his own as shal make his bodie to be entire perfect though another mans flesh once eaten be no part therof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God therfore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Answ. By flesh blood is not meant the bodies of men simple but the bodies of men as they are in weaknes without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh blood in scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne corruption of nature sometime mans nature subiect to miseries infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must be vnderstoode in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Now beasts rise not againe after this life therefore there is no resurrection of men Answer In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankinde we must consider two parts the Elect the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise again is the Resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the Scripture Adam Christ are compared together Christ is called the second Adam these were two roots The first Adam was the root of all mākind and he conuaieth sinne by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect cōuaieth life both in body soule to all that are vnited to him by the vertue of his resurrection they shall rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the Godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his Godhead conuaie it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euē in death remain vnited vnto him raise thē vp at the last day And for this cause Christ is called a quickning spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the day that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as he is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore Saint Iohn setteth downe the outwarde meanes whereby the dead shalbe raised namely the voyce of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as he created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shalbe raised againe This may be a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shalbe after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shal rise at the last day Answeare The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last day in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other