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
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
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
God both in measure nūber degree aboue all mē angels Secondly the sumptuous gorgious apparell which the high priest put on when hee came into the sanctuary was a signe of the rich glorious robe of Christs righteousnes which is the puritie integrity of his humane nature of his life Thirdly the speciall parts of the high priests attire were first the Ephod the 2. shoulders whereof had 2 onyx stones vvheron vvere engrauē the names of the 12. tribes of Israel 6. names on the one stone 6. on the other as stones of remēbrance of the childrē of Israel to god vvard secondly the brestplate of iudgement like the work of the Ephod vvherin were set 12. stones according to the names of the childrē of Israel grauē as signets euery one after his name Now by these 2. ornamēts vvere figured two things in Christ by the first that he carries all the elect on his shoulders supports thē by his spirit so long as they are in this world against the world the flesh the deuill By the secōd that Christ our high priest being now in his sanctuary in heauen hath in memory al the elect their very names are writtē as it vvere in tables of gold before his face he hath an especiall loue care ouer them Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this maner Set me as a seale on thy heart as a signet vpon thy arme And indeed this a matter of cōfort to us all that Christ hath our seueral names writtē in pretious stones before his face though he be now in heauē vve on earth the particular estate of euery one of us is both knowē regarded of him Again God gaue to Moses the Vrim Thummim which was put on the brestplate of the high priest when he was to aske coūsell frō God of things unknowē before the mercy seate whence God gaue answer What the Vrim Thummim was it is not known it is like it was not made by any arte of mā but giuē by God how it vvas used vve can not tell but yet the signification of the wordes affordeth matter of meditatiō Vrim signifies lights Thummim signifies perfections And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ vvho hath the perfite Vrim Thummim in his brest first because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knovvledge secōdly because he reveiles to his Church out of his word such things as none cā know but the childrē of God as Dauid saith The secret of the Lord is reveiled to thē that feare him And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdom revelatiō the spirit of God whereby we know the things that are giuē unto us of God as namely our electiō vocation iustificatiō sanctificatiō in this life our eternall glorificatiō after this life yea to euery member of Christ vvithin his Church he giues a speciall spirit of revelatiō vvherby he may knovve that God the father is his father the son the redeemer his redeemer the H. ghost his sanctifier cōforter Lastly the high priest had a plate on his forehead therin vvas in grauē the holines of Iehovah this signified the holines of Christ for as he is God he is holines it self as he is mā he is most holy being sanctified by the H. ghost for this end that he might couer our sins unrighteousnes vvith his righteousnes holy obedience The secōd order of priesthood is the order of Melchisedec of which Christ vvas as Dauid saith Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck that in 2. speciall respects I. Melchisedeck vvas both a priest a king so vvas Christ. II. Melchisedeck had neither father nor mother because his historie is set dovvne vvith mention of neither So likevvise Christ as hee is God had no mother and as hee is man he had no father The Papists auouch Christ to be a Priest of this order in a new respect in that as Melchisedeck offered bread and wine when Abraham came from the slaughter of the Kings so say they Christ in the last supper did offer his owne bodie and bloode vnder the formes of bread and wine But this is a friuolous deuise of theirs for if we read Hebr. 7. where this point is handled there is no comparison at all made of their two sacrifices but the resemblances before named are onely set downe Againe it is not said in Genesis that Melchisedeck offered sacrifice but that he brought forth bread and wine and made a feast to Abraham his companie And if Christ should be of the order of Melchisedeck in regard of the offering of bread wine yet would this make much against the papists For Melchisedeck brought forth true bread true wine but in the sacrifice of the masse there is no true breade nor true wine but as they say the reall bodie and blood of Christ vnder the forme of bread and wine The 4. point is whether there be any more reall priests of the new Testament beside Christ or no Ans. In the old testament there were many priests one following an other in continuall succession but of the new testament there is one onely reall priest Christ Iesus God man no more as the author of the Hebr. saith because he endureth for euer he hath an euerlasting priesthoode the word trāslated euerlasting signifieth such a priesthood which cannot passe frō him to any other as the priesthood of Aaron did And therfore the priesthood of Christ is so tied to his owne person that none can haue the same but he neither man nor angel nor any other creature no not the father nor the H. Ghost But the factours of the Church of Rome will say that Christ may haue men to be his deputies in his stead to offer sacrifice Answ. We must consider Christ 2. waies I. as he is God II. as he is mediatour As he is God with the father with the holy Ghost he hath kings magistrates to be his deputies on earth and therefore they are called Elohim that is gods But as he is Mediatour and so consequently a priest and a King hee hath neither deputie nor vicegerent neither king to rule in his stead over his Church nor priests to offer sacrifice for him nay hee hath no prophet to be his deputie as he is the doctour of the Church And therefore he saith to his disciples be not called doctours for one is your doctour Indeede he hath his ministers to teach men his will but a deputie to offer sacrifice in his steade he hath not And therfore we may with good conscience abhorre the massing priesthood of the Church of Rome as a thing fetched from the bottome of Hell their massing priests as instruments of Sathan holding
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
the cause therof being unknown not simply but in respect of man therefore in regarde of meÌ„ which know not the reason of things we may say there is chance so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chance coÌ„meth to them all And againe By chance there came down a priest the same way Now this kind of chaÌ„ce is not against the prouideÌ„ce of god but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certenly known determined by god Mere chance is wheÌ„ things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of us as ouerturning the providence of God Thus seeing it is plain that there is a provideÌ„ce let us in the next place see what it is ProuideÌ„ce is a most free powerful actioÌ„ of god wherby he hath care ouer al things that are Prouidence hath 2. partes knowledge gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at all times As David saith His eyes vvill consider his eye lâ—ddes vvill trie the children of men And againe Hee abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heaven and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth And S. Iames saith From the beginning of the vvorlde God knoweth all his workes This pointe hath a double use First as S. Peter saieth it must mooue us to eschew evill and doe good why Because saith he the eyes of the Lorde are upon the iust and his covntenance against evill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eyes of God beholde all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart tovvardes him Gouernment is the seconde parte of Gods providence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good ends And it must be extended to the verie least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heads And here we must consider 2. things the maner of gouernment and the meanes The maner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or morall Naturall which is created by God for the lawfull use of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and unchangeable wisdome of God revealed in the morall law Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining and preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular ends for which they were seuerally ordeined for the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone Starres trees plantes seedes c. would be dead in them and be unprofitable unlesse they vvere not only preserued but also stirred up and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imployes them to any use Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Now sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operative permission I so call it because god partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the fourme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods law The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the authour of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euill to eternall damnatioÌ„ yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good and therefore it hath in it respectes and regardes of goodnesse In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commaundeth nor causeth nor helpeth sinne but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as by withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angels they being the sole authors causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby he manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the mind will and affections in it selfe considered is froÌ„ God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him but onely permitted and that in actuall sinne the motion of the bodie or mind is from God but the euilnes disorder of the motion is not froÌ„ him but freely permitted to be done by others As for exaÌ„ple in the act of murder the actions of moouing the whole bodie of stirring the seuerall ioyntes and the fetching of the blowe whereby the man is slaine is from God for in him we liue mooue haue our being but the disposing applying of all these actions to this end that our neighbors life may be taken away we thereby take reuenge upon him is not froÌ„ God but from vvicked men and the deuill Gods second action in the gouernment of sinne is after the iust permission of it partly to restraine it more or lesse according to his good will and pleasure and partly to dispose and turne it against the nature thereof to the glorie of his owne name to the punishment of his enemies to the correcting and chastisement of his elect As for the second kind of evill called the punishment of sinne it is the execution of iustice and hath God to be the authour of it And in this respect Esai saith that God createth evill and Amos that there is no evill in the citie which the Lord hath not done And God as a most iust iudge may punish sinne by sinne himselfe in the meane season free from all sinne And thus the places must be understood in which it is said that God giueth kings in his wrath hardeneth the heart blindeth the eyes mingleth the spirit of errours giueth up men to a reprobate sense sends strange illusions to beleeue lies sends euill spirits giuing them coÌ„mandement to hurt and leaue to deceiue c. Thus hauing seene in what manner God gouerneth all things let vs nowe come to the meanes of gouernment Sometimes God worketh without meanes thus he created all things in the beginning and he made trees plants to grow and florish without the heate of the sunne or raine sometimes he gouernes according to the usuall course order of nature as when he preserues our liues
of mediation as he is mediator or as he is mā yet as he is God he doth designe and set himselfe apart to the same worke For to designe the mediatour is a common action of the 3. persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost and yet cōsidering the father is first in order and therfore hath the beginning of the action for this cause he is saide especially to designe as when S. Iohn saith Him hath God the father sealed The second part of Christes annointing is the pouring out of the fulnesse of the spirit or grace into the manhood of Christ and it was particularly figured by the holy oile For first that oile had no man but God alone to be the authour of it so the most excellent and unspeakeable graces of the manhood of Christ haue their beginning from the godhead of Christ. Againe though the same oyle was most pretious yet was it compounded of myrrhe calamus and Casia and such like earthie matters to signifie that the spirituall oile of grace whereof the manhood of Christ was as it were a vessell or storehouse did not consist of the essentiall properties of the godhead as Eutiches and his followers in these daies imagine but in certaine created gifts and qualities placed in his humane nature otherwise we should not haue any participation of them Thirdly the sweete sauour of the holy oyle figured that the riches of all grace with the effect thereof in the obedience of Christ doeth take away the noisome sent of our loathsome sinnes from the nosthrilles of God and withall doth make our persons and all our actions acceptable unto him as a svveete perfume as Paul saith VVe are unto God the sweete savour of Christ c. And Christes death is for this cause tearmed a sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour And wee must further understand that these giftes of Christes manhood are not conferred in a small scantling or measure for Iohn saith God giveth him the spirite not by measure because the graces which are in Christ are farre more both in number and degree then all men or angels haue or shall haue though the good angels and the saints of God in heauen are verie excellent creatures stored with graces and giftes of God For this cause Christ is called the head of man because he is euerie way the most principall and glorious man that ever was Yet for all this are not the gifts of Christs manhood infinite any way because it is finite being a creature and therfore not capable of that which is infinite By Christes annointing the people of God reape great benefite and comfort because they are partakers thereof For this cause the oile where with he was annointed is called the oyle of gladnesse because the sweet sauour of it gladdeth the heartes of all his members and brings the peace of God which passeth all understanding The holy oyle powred vpon Aarons head came downe to his beard and to the verie skirtes of his garments and it signified that the spirituall oile of grace was first of all powred upon our head Christ Iesus and from thence consequently derived to all his members that by that meanes hee might be not onely annointed himselfe but also our annointer Now the benefites which we receiue by his annointing are two The first is that all the elect when they are called to the profession of the gospell of Christ are in and by him set apart and made spirituall kings priests and prophets as S. Iohn saith He hath made vs kings and priests vnto God his Father And S. Peter out of Ioel I will powre saith the Lord my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie The second benefite is that all the faithfull receiue the same oile that is the same spirite of God in some measure which he receiued aboue measure as S. Iohn saieth The annointing which ye have received of him dvvelleth in you and teacheth you all things where by anointing is ment the holy Ghost And hence it is that men are called Christians of the name of Christ that is annointed with the same oile wherwith Christ was annointed And the holy oile might not be giuen to a stranger to signifie that to haue the spirite of Christ and to be guided by it is peculiar to them that are Christes Now then let vs all lay these things to our hearts and extoll the unspeakeable goodnesse of God that hath advaunced vs to the dignitie of kings priests prophets before him and hath giuen his spirit unto vs to inable us to be so indeed Nowe follow the duties which are to be learned hence And first whereas all Christians receive annointing from the holy one Christ Iesus to become prophets in a sort wee must doe our endeavours that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs and for that cause we must search the scriptures euen as hunters seeke for the game and as men seeke for golde euen in the mines of the earth There is nothing that is more unbeseeming a man then grosse ignorance a Christian. Therfore the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues reprooues them that whereas for the time they ought to haue beene teachers they had need againe to be taught the first principles of the word of God Againe that portion of knowledge which we haue received of God is further to be applied to the benefit good of others this is that most precious baulme that on our partes should neuer be wanting to the heads of men And here euery man that is set ouer others must remember within the compasse of his calling and charge to instruct those that be under him so farre forth as possibly he can Gouernours of families must teach their children and servants and their whole housholde the doctrine of the true religion that they may know the true God and walke in all his waies in doing righteousnesse iudgement If housholders woulde make conscience of this their dutie and in some sorte and measure prepare their families against they come to the publike congregation the ministers of the Gospell vvith greater comfort and farre more ease should performe their dutie and see farre more fruit of their ministerie then now they doe But whereas they neglect their dutie falsely perswading themselues that it doeth not belong to them at all to instruct others it is the cause of ignorance both in townes and families in masters themselues in seruants and children and all Lastly by this we are admonished to take all occasions that possibly can be offered mutually to edifie each other in knowledge saying among our selues as it was foretold of these times Come let vs goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he vvill teach vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes and withall we shoulde confirme each others as Christ saith to Peter
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
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
cunning men cunning women is that is of charmers inchanters figure casters a bad practise Christ at his ascensiō sēt his holy spirit vnto his Church people to be their guide comforter in their calamities and miseries and therefore when any man is in distresse he should haue recourse to the right meanes of comfort namely the word sacraments there he shall finde the assistance of the holy ghost Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes when they shall say unto you inquire at them which haue a spirit of divination at the soothsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people inquire at their God from the living to the dead to the law and to the testimony Rebecca when the two twinnes stroue in her womb what did she the text saith she sent to aske the Lorde Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God seeke to the instruments of the deuill To goe yet further God useth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his deerest children Iudgement saieth Peter beginnes at Gods house S. Luke saieth that a certaine woman was bound of satan eighteene yeeres but what was shee a daughter of Abraham that is a child of God When the like condition shall befall any of vs let us remember the end why Christ ascended up to heauen and pray unto God that hee will giue us his spirit that therby we may be eased deliuered or els inabled to perseuere and continue in patience and this is the true way and meanes to lighten and ease the burden of all afflictions And for this cause Paul prayeth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse For to whomsoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirite Secondly if Christ haue sent unto his church the holy spirite to be our comforter our duty is to prepare our bodies and soules to be fitte temples and houses for so worthy a guest If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house he would dresse it up haue all things in as good order as might be and shall not we much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the holy ghost whom Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha for shee saide to her husbande Let vs make him a litle chamber I pray thee with vvalles and let vs set him there a bed and a stoole a table and a candlesticke Now how much more carefull ought we be to entertaine God himselfe who is content to come and dwell with us and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace that he may lodge and suppe and dine with us as he hath promised but on the contrarie if we defile our bodies with sinne wee banish the holy ghost out of our hearts and suffer the diuell to dwell in us For the more a man defileth his bodie the fitter and cleaner it is for him And to conclude this point let us remember that saying which is used of some that Christ when hee went hence gaue us his pawne namely his spirit to assure us that hee woulde come to us againe and also hee tooke with him our pawne namely his flesh to assure us further that wee should ascend up to him Thus much for the benefites of Christes ascension Now follow the duties whereunto we are mooued and they are two First we must be here admonished to renounce the ubiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lordes supper as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascension into heauen For it is flat against the nature of a true body to subsist in many places at once Secondly as the Apostles then did whē they saw Christ ascending up into heauen so must we do also while he was present with them they gaue him honour but when they saw him ascending they adored him with farre greater reuerence and so must we now for the same cause bow the knees of our hearts unto him Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ Now follow the third in these wordes And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling whereof we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church thirdly the duties that we are mooued unto For the meaning of the wordes if we speake properly God hath neither right hand nor left neither can he be saide to sit or stand for God is not a bodie but a spirite the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings potentates whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right hands whome they purposed to advance to any speciall office or dignitie So king Salomon when his mother came to speake with him rose up from his throne and mette her and caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand and set her upon it in token no doubt of honour which he gaue unto her To the same purpose Dauid saith Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of golde And the sonnes of Zebedeus made sute to Christ that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome Thus we see it is manifest that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authority and honour and therefore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things First his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie honour and glorie and in this sense it is saide that to him is given a name that is above all names that at the name of Iesus every knee should bovve Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth So Dauid saieth The Lorde saide vnto my Lorde Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enimies thy footstoole Which place beeing alledged by Saint Paul repeating the wordes but changing the phrase is thus set downe He shall raigne till he have put all his enemies under his feete And to speake in breefe the scope of the wordes is to shewe that Christ God and man after his ascension is advanced to such an estate in which hee hath fulnesse of glorie power maiestie and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the saintes and holy angels Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued The first is the place where Christ is thus aduāced noted in
so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes which are the filth of our nature and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdoÌ„ of God haue the H. Ghost to dwell in him must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same holy spirit and if a man would know whether he haue this worke wrought in him or no let him marke what S. Paul saith They that are of the spirit sauour the things that are of the spirit but they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truly good either more or lesse it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed and he regenerate but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne and the things of this world he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated As for example if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking gulling in of wine and strong drink hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate because it affects the things of the flesh so of the rest And on the coÌ„trary he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God in practising the works of charitie religion he I say hath a spirituall and a renewed heart and is regenerate by the holy Ghost The third worke of the holy Ghost is to gouerne the hearts of the elect this may be called spirituall regiment A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne orders gouerns it according to his owne will euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all theÌ„ in whoÌ„ he dwelleth as Paul saith they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit a most notable benefit for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth there he wil be Lord gouerning both heart minde will and affections and that two waies I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne arising either from the corruption of mans nature from the world or from the deuill II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion so it is saide The flesh that is the corruption of mans nature lusteth against the spirit and the spirit that is grace in the heart lusteth against the flesh and that after a double sort first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles The spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and of strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly of wisedome of knowledge of strength of vnderstanding of counsell and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith that the fruits of the spirit are ioy peace loue long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance c. all which are so tearmed because where the H. Ghost ruleth there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace but among all the inward motions of the spirit the most principall are these I. an vtter disliking of sinne because it is sinne And that is when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes as to his owne and seeing them is truly sorowfull for them and disliketh them and himselfe for them not so much because there is a place of torment or a day of iudgement to come wherin he must answer to God for them all but as if there were no hell or iudgement because God is displeased by them who hath beene vnto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes This is a motion of the H. Ghost which no man can haue but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell The third the gift of heartie praier For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications because it stirreth vp the heart makes it fit to pray therefore Paul saith that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue and he that would know whether he haue the spirit dwelling truly in his heart shall know it by this A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same it is aliue being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre it is dead In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God is in a miserable case and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is comfort in distresse and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he wâ—ll sende and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe I. outward calamities as when a man is in any daunger of death when he looseth his goods his good name his friends and such like The second thing is a troubled conscience whereof Salomon saith A troubled spirit who can beare it and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob this was the soarest of all his affliction and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule Now what is the comfort in this case Answer In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs to make vs reioyce and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can
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
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