to reioyce because our redemption draweth on For how should we feare whē Christ wil make vs iudges with him as he sayth Ye that haue folowed me in the regeneratiō shal sit vpō twelue thrones iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And Paul sayth Doe ye not know that the saintes shal iudge the world Not that we shale be iudges with Christ but that we shal allow approue his iudgemēt For to speak properly the elect shall not be iudged but the wicked shall be iudged to euerlasting fire This certainly is no smal comfort for weake cōsciences to consider that the prince shal iudge his owne people subiectes the head his members the aduocate his clients How then can he condemne those for whose safegard he doth come will ratifye y◠promise of euerlasting blisse which he hath promised here in this life by his Gospel We shal not thē be cited before any other tribunall seate thē of our louing bridegrōe who shal make himselfe ready to receiue his spouse wife vnto himselfe for euer Reuelat. 21. This day is called the mariage day of the Lambe and his supper and his wife shall then be arayed with pure and fine linen and shining which is the righteousnes of sayntes Let vs therefore be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him that sitteth vpon the throne There can be no day here so ioyful as this yea al comfort is nothing to this that Christ shal be our iudge He cānot cast away thē for whom he hath died he cannot deny himself Paul whē he considered of this iudge and iudgemēt reioyced euē in prisō that a crowne of righteousnes was laid vp for him which the righteous iudge Christ Iesus would giue vnto him in that day 2. Tim. 4. And here we learne a very good lesson by the way that if Christ be our iudge we must whē we cā not haue redresse here or iudgement equally ministred vnto vs referre our causes and matters of iniurie to him who is able to reforme all things and will at his comming So that we must not which are priuate men reuenge our owne quarels and iniuries but commit them al to him without murmuring and hee will iudge them iustly Then this doth teache vs patience to wayte for this comming of Christ to iudge all thinges orderly And this good counsayle did Saint Iames giue in his time to the poore oppressed labourers husbandmen which were defrauded by the rich men had their hier and wages kept backe hee doeth comfort them in this respect that Christ wil come to iudge their cause saying Be patient brethren vntill the comming of the Lord and settle your heartes for the comming of our Lorde draweth nere Yea and our sauiour Christ sayde Luk. 18. that God will auenge his elect which cry day and night vnto him and that shortly Whereby we may gather also that the day of iudgement is not farre off as the wicked doe suppose but draweth on euery day neerer then other Let vs therefore as our sauiour doth counsel vs watch and pray continually that we may be able to stand before him at his comming to iudgemēt We see then that we must commit our causes to Christ offer our complaintes against the wicked to him and then doutles with our eyes we shal behold see the reward of the wicked Psal 91. As this is very comfortable doctrine to the godly to heare that Christ is their iudge and auditor of al their causes so is it as doleful and grieuous a thing to the wicked and cast awaies to wey with themselues that Christ their enemy shal be their iudge whome they haue alwayes in their life time hated made a mocke of and had in vtter contempt both him his Gospel and ministers of his word and sacraments This shall pearce them to the very heart to see him their iudge whom they could neuer abyde yea his sight and presence shal be so feareful and terrible vnto them all that they shall curse the time that euer they were borne for they shal hide themselues in dennes and rockes of the mountaines and shall say to the hilles Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stande These and the like wordes shall they vtter for dolour and anguish of minde and yet finde no comfort for they haue refused the Lorde and God of all comfort here vpon the earth and therefore shall not haue him there to be their comforter And S. Iohn doeth tell vs who these are to whome this iudge Iesus shal be so fierce and cruel euen the kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe captaines and the mightie men and euery bond man and euery free man Reuelation 6. not meaning all kings and noble men but some of euery state and sorte of men yea the greater part of euery degree of men especially of great men for not many noble not many wise not many mightie men are called to the knowledge of the Gospel lest they should bragge but rather the poore the base the vnwise are chosen because they should not vant of their worthinesse as Paul doeth tell vs in the 1. Corinthians 1 Chap. most notably To conclude this part seeing the Lord shal be iudge to the wicked euen the Lord Iesus to render flaming fire and vengeance vnto them that know not God and obey not his Gospel this may teach them to feare and to liue somewhat more orderly if not for the loue of God of heauen and vertue yet for feare of hell death and damnation to auoyde the punishment that wil light vpon sinne at that day Let vs come to the third poynt The persōs that shall come before this iudge to be examined and trìed in iudgement they are sayde here to be the quicke and the dead that is to say al both the liuing and the dead But here some may aske this question Seeing it is appointed to al mē once to die because they are mortal how is it said here that some shall be quicke and aliue at the comming of Christ To this wee make answere that they that shal be aliue at the second comming of Christ to iudgement shall as it were dye for they shall all be changed and renewed and that suddenly as if they had bene long dead before and this is the meaning of Paul 1 Corinth 15. Wee shal not all dye that is wee shall not all be layde in the graue as others but we shall all be in a moment altered which shal be in steade of a death vnto vs. So we see what we haue to answere to this question The persons then that are to be sūmoned cited to appeare by the voyce of the Archangel trūpet of God in a woord generally are all men that euer haue bene from the first man
moone which doth represent the Church which taketh her light from the sunne Iesus Christ hath byn persecuted turned into blood and not giuen her light by reason of troubles and the starres which are likened to the preachers haue fallen away and otherwise stept aside These things and the lyke may put vs in minde that the cōming of Christ is not far off euen as when we see the trees begin to budde we know then that the spring time is neere We know furthermore that the time of this iudgement shal be very sudden as the lightnings or as the cōming of a thiefe and as the sudden crying out of a woman with childe For as it was in the dayes of the floud in Noes time the waters came and tooke them all away so shall the comming of the sonne of man be Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they ate they dranke they bought they solde they planted they buylt they gaue in marriage and married wiues but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rayned fire brimstone from heauen and destroyed them all After these ensamples shall it be in the day whē the Sonne of man is reuealed And surely this day is hid from our eyes that we shoulde be prepared euery day not be secure or careles to differre repentance and put it off from day to day as a great many do among vs. Seeing then the time is at hand and yet vnknowē we ought to be prepared and be in a readines to follow our Masters counsel for he saith Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeting drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnwares for as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe that ye may stande before the Sonne of man This daye is as the day and time of our death as we knowe not when we shall die and yet it is most certaine that we shall die so it is with this day And whether a man shoulde looke for the day of his death or this day of iudgement first truely I can not tell they are both so vncertaine neither haue we longer warrant of time prescribed vnto vs in the scriptures of the one then of the other I praye God the Lord Iesus may finde vs as good seruants doing his will and woorke at his comming that wee may haue our candles burning in our handes with oyle in our lampes and the marriage garment on our backes ready to open the doore when he cōmeth and knocketh for vs. Happy shal we be if the Lord find vs so doing otherwise if he finde vs smiting our felow seruants eating and drinking being drunken he shal come vpon vs at vnwares and cut vs in pieces giue vs our portion with the vnbelieuers hypocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Let vs therefore I beseeche you brethren by the Lorde Iesus knowing the time is short and at hande euen in the doores gird vp the loines of our minde that when our Sauiour knocketh we may open vnto him immediatly Thus wee see what we haue to note and learne vpon the time of the comming of Christ vnto iudgement The place also is to be considered the nations and kinreds of the people that shall appeare that day are so many and innumerable that the earth shall not bee able to conteyne them all therefore Saint Paul saith that we shall be caught vp in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre So that all shall bee taken vp into the ayre as the place of iudgement But I come to the last poynt which is more materiall to our purpose for what ende this great and last day is reserued and kept in store It hath two endes or causes why it is ordayned of the Lorde the one is that the godly may be deliuered out of their miseries and troubles which they haue here stoutly endured for Christes sake and be receyued into euerlasting life The other is that the wicked reprobate and all the companie of infidels which haue herecontemned the Lord liued in pleasure and delites of the fleshe may be iustly punished as they haue well deserued with euerlasting fire brimstone which is the second death For it might seeme if there were no iudgement or life after this that the Lord were notiust in his doings for neither are the godly and ryghteous rewarded many times in this life neyther are the vngodly punished for their offences while they liue here for the most part Now God is most iust which will rewarde all godlines and vertue and seuerely punish vice and wickednes These two endes doth our Sauiour mention in the general iudgement the one sort saith he shall goe into euerlasting life and the other sort into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. Saint Paul likewise doth make mention of these causes in the second epist of the Thessalonians the first chapter shewing as well what the good shall haue as the bad saying on this wise It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not knowe GOD and which obey not the Gospel of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power thus much for the wicked Now foloweth rewarde for the good when hee shall come the bee glorified in his saintes and to bee made marueylous in all them that beleeue in that day Here wee may haue a notable discourse as is in any place of scripture why our sauiour Christ shal come to iudgement both in respect of the good and bad yea the wicked angels and spirites them selues as Iude saith hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day This day is greatly desired and longed for of the godly and especially of the true ministers of Christes Gospell that their cause may bee knowen to bee good agaynst the wicked and their sayings veryfied concerning this iudgement for surely there is nothing almost seene of God or beleeued of the wicked vntyll that day Tell them of this day and terrifie them with it they make a mocke at it they count them for fooles and simple persons that liue a godly and Christian life but when this day commeth as it will come certainly it will make a recompence for all and they shall finde all our sayings threatnings to be most true Therefore the godly desire it in respect of Gods glorie chiefly which the wicked haue defaced A great many of them thinke that there
14. Where we may note that the resurrection is sayde to be a recompence and a rewarde for the iust And surely so it is for otherwise the Lord might seeme to be vniust which many times doeth not here reward the Godly as he hath promised nor punish the vniust as he hath threatned them And if we trust in Christ only in this life we are sayth Paul of all men most miserable We hope therefore for another life and this is in the resurrection this is our ioy comfort I see then no cause why mē should be so sory to dye and depart frō this world seeing a better world is kept in store for thē I come to the newe Testament In the 6 of Iohn our Sauiour hath a notable place to confirme this matter vnto vs. Our Sauiour in that place speaketh of both the resurrections the one from sinne in this life in the 25. verse that the dead should heare his voyce that is they that were in minde and fayth dead should nowe heare his Gospel and be renewed vnto repentance and so liue a newe life This seemed a strange doctrine to the Iewes and they wondered all at it Our Sauiour then goeth farther with them telleth them of more strange things then these saying Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done ill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Martha a woman was wel perswaded of this article for she did beleeue that her brother Lazarus shoulde be raysed vp at the last day Iohn 11. Againe if all nations shall bee gathered together before Christ then all shall rise that they may bee iudged otherwise he can not be sayde to be the iudge of quicke and dead Neyther doth the remayning of some aliue till the latter day hinder this position but that all shall rise For they that dyd neuer die shall bee raysed vp with newe bodies which change shall be as the rysing from the dead for hauing weake and corruptible bodies they shal be glorified and made heauenly bodies If we consider the power of God whereby he is able to do all things euen what he list and greater thinges then wee can imagine then this will not seeme hard or absurde vnto vs. We doe beleeue and confesse that he is almightie in the first article and therfore we must needes confesse that hee can doe it as easily as he raysed vp the bodie of Christ wherein he hath giuen the assurance of the whole Church And he that made al things of nothing at the first by his onely worde is able also nowe to bring to passe that of dust and earth shall bodies be raysed vp againe Saint Paul coulde not bee brought from this perswasion by any meanes eyther by feare or displeasure of the Sadduces or of Agrippa or Festus but he protested that he had hope towarde God that the resurrection of the dead which dyd seeme an incredible thing vnto thē Act. 26. shoulde bee both of iust and vniust Act. 24. The hope of this resurrectiō made Saint Paul as it shoulde doe vs to do his duetie roundly for herein saieth he I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleare conscience towarde God and toward men For verely for this cause doe many men make shipwracke of fayth and conscience in their actions and affayres of this life because they haue quite forgottē this day of the resurrection wherein an account must be giuen not onely of wicked deedes and blasphemous wordes but of euery idle worde spoken as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 12. If wee woulde consider this howe wee must all stande naked before the hie tribunall seate of Christ Iesus it woulde surely make vs to tremble to quake euery veine and ioynt in vs when we thinke vpon it The day shal be fearefull and terrible I hope there is no man among vs that doubteth of the certaintie of this day although the day and houre it selfe be knowen to no man And this is to make vs alwayes to be in a readinesse for it For it shal come vpon a sudden 1. Thes 5. I should be long and ouer tedious and not seeme to write a Lecture to exhort teach but rather a treatise to conuince the aduersarie and wicked if I shoulde recken vp all the places that here myght be brought for the confirmation of this doctrine Let these therefore for this time suffice and if the diligent reader be disposed to see moe let him reade the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians there he shall haue a goodly discourse handling of this whole matter of set purpose Paul prouing the resurrection by many reasons both diuine and humane and shewing moreouer with what qualities conditions and properties the bodies of the faythfull shall be raysed vp where he also answereth the obiections that may bee made to the contrary I conclude this part with the wordes of Saint Paul to the Philippians the thirde Chapter Let our conuersation be in heauen frō whence we looke for the sauiour euē the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euē to subdue al things vnto him selfe In these words he sheweth that Gods power is able to doe this and although our bodies bee vile they shall bee made fayre againe trees seeme to be dead and rotten in the winter which in the spring time come forth most florishingly with their fruite in due season so it is in the resurrection This made the fathers so carefully to burie the dead with their balmes odours knowing they should appeare againe Last of all I referre you to the 2. Pet. 7. Chap. Reue. 20. where this resurrection is most liuely as in a table before your eyes described It followeth in the second place to see to what ende this great resurrection shall be We haue seene the efficient and chiefe caus of this resurrection to be the power of God mightily woorking in him selfe The fourme of it is the ioyning and vniting together of the body soule for euer and the matter wherein this doeth stande is the soule and body of man which must bee repayred againe being once corrupted by sinne in our first grandfather Adam and also in vs his children springing of the same corrupt roote with him The finall cause why this resurrection shall bee is of two sortes the one is in the respect of the good and godly men who haue liued here in the feare of the Lord to his honour and glorie in these he will shewe his exceeding great mercie in making them vessels of honour to serue him whome he will rewarde with euerlasting life which yet notwithstanding they haue not of duetie deserued as the Papists say but in mercie doeth the Lorde bestowe it
of life So then as we are crucified with Christ vnto sinne and dead and buried thereto so must wee rise againe with him vnto righteousnes But of this more God willing in that article of his resurrection The last thing to be noted in this death of Christ is the paynes which he suffered which is called his descension into hell Although this bee last in wordes yet in sense it is to be ioyned with his crucifying and went before his death in body and buriall in the sepulchre The meaning therefore of this his descension is this that Christ our sauiour to redeeme vs both in body and soule which had offended God suffered the tormentes of hell the wrath infinite of his father for the time not onely in body but also in soule and did abide the most bitter and vnspeakeable sorowes of death in his minde and consciēce pressed downe with the burden of all our sinnes as if hee had bene forsaken of God his father In this hell and torment partly he was in his heauy agony in the garden when he swette as it were teares of blood trickling downe from his face his soule was verie heauie and sorowfull euen vnto the death so that there came an angel and comforted him from heauen Luke 22. This hell was so great vnto him that he prayed his Father if it were possible that the cuppe of his passion myght passe from him Yea which was most of all he was compelled for the very anguish and griefe of heart and soule to say and cry out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me So that all the things that Christ suffered before were nothing to this that now he suffered whē he cryed out for very payne extreme sorowe of minde For we must remēber that Christ vpon the crosse did not only suffer paines in body as they did which were crucified with him which were the paines that the Iewes did put him to but farther he suffered the extreme wrath of God his father hanging vpon him heauier then heauen and earth which no angel was able to endure therfore that he might be able to endure and to cōquer it it was necessarie that he should be God also as well as man For he suffred for all the sinnes originall and actuall in thought worde and deede of all men that euer were or are or shall be from the beginning of the worlde from Adam vntill the ende of it I say he hath suffred sufficiently for them all and as great paynes and torments as any damned soules in hell can or shall suffer And was not this an hell trowe you vnto our Sauiour to abide in his bodie and soule all these torments which can not be vttered with any eloquēce or tongue of man Nothing had bene done for vs if Christ had dyed the common death of the body onely as other dyd It was necessarie therefore and very expedient that we might be perfectly redeemed in both partes both body and soule that hee shoule feele the seuere punishment of the vengeāce of God because he powred out his soule an offering for sinne and tooke vpon him our part which were the malefactors and offendors to bring vs vnto the fauour of God againe We must not thinke then yea God forbid we shoulde that he suffered no more payne then the Iewes put him to or the other two dyd which hanged with him For we see they cryed not out as Christ dyd for they felt not so much as he did which suffred for the whole worlde And all this was for our cause Let vs then applie it as a medicine to our wounds otherwise it will not heale vs. Take the shielde of fayth that when yee are in great torment and griefe for your sinnes as Satan doeth many times obiect them vnto you when yee are euen at the brinke of desperation then this will be a notable comfort vnto you to beare off all assaultes and grieuous tentations yea to quench the fiery dartes of the deuil to remember that our Sauiour Christ suffered the torments of hel euery one of them to deliuer you from thē This one lesson if it be well learned surely setled in our hearts will heale a wounded conscience will rayse vs vp from the gates of hel and will in our greatest distresse be very sweet vnto vs. Be our sinnes neuer so many either as the sands of the sea or as the starres of heauen as they can not be so many yet Christs mercy is aboue thē all greater thē they hath paide a sufficient price and ransome for them all If they were as redde as purple or as crimson yet they shal be made as white as wool and like to snowe Esay 1. A notable cōfortable place for before the Prophet sharply rebuked them of their grieuous sinnes and offences and nowe in these words promiseth them mercy if they will repent and amende and so turne to the Lord with their whole heart In this that Christ hath suffered the tormentes of hell for all we gather that all that are saued are saued by Christ alone from Adam vntill this time and to the ende of all the world for he is the lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde Reuel 13. That is to say his death and passion was as effectuall to redeeme al that were before him that dyd beleeue in him that he shoulde come as it was auayleable afterwarde to saue all that are after him which do beleeue that he is come in the flesh already to saue them This is that that our Sauiour meant when he sayde that Abraham reioyced to see his dayes and sawe them that is reioyced in Christ that he shoulde be his Sauiour For none other is there giuen vnder heauen wherin we must be saued Actes 4. Thus wee see what is meant by these words descended into hell howe he suffered hellish tormentes for vs not that his soule went into hell after his death for it was in paradise in the hands of God as he commended it to his Father as the soules of the blessed are his body was in the graue Neither is there any place of scripture to proue any other discension thē this which is ful of trueth comfort They alledge y◠place of Dauid Psal 16. 10. But that doth proue vnto vs his resurrectiō that his body shoulde not be left in the graue as others were to see corruption and to rotte as Peter doeth apply it Act 2. 27. to proue his resurrection from death and not his descension into hell The place of 1. Peter 3. doeth shewe that the Spirite of Christ was in the dayes of Noe and preached by him to the wicked which were then rebellious and disobedient and are nowe damned soules in hell which he tearmeth spirites in pryson This is the meaning of Peter in that place as also good interpreters doe prooue Neyther did Christ descende into hell to fetch the godly Patriarkes
spirit by his grace and godhead which is euery where For he sayeth that he will not leaue vs fatherles but will come vnto vs which he meant by sending his spirit Iohn 14. We are not then to looke for Christes body here nowe vpon the earth as certaine heretikes do suppose euen as he him selfe saith Matt. 26. Me shal you not haue alwayes Surely this saying can by no meanes be true if his body be euery where in euery place at euery sacrament then is not his body departed from vs then is he not ascended into heauen but remaineth here still in the earth But the Angell sayde to the women that he was not there That was some place then he had a glorified body And it is said that heauen must conteine him vntill all things bee restored Act. 3. Surely being now ascended in body we neither reade of nor beleeue any other descension in body then that wherein he shall descēde to iudge at the latter day as the Angels spake to the disciples This Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him go into heauen So that vnles we see Christ so come down as he went vp we will not beleeue the papistes that say he is in the boxe or pixe much lesse them that say he is euery where making him in deede to haue no body at all but altogether swallowed vp by his diuinitie For tell mee I pray you if Christ had meāt his body should alway remaine here vpon the earth why did he say that he must depart from them They cannot meane it of his diuinity but of his humanitie Againe what needed his disciples to bee so sorowefull for his going away if they had had his body with them Here they answere The disciples had not his body visibly but his body inuisible or not seene But surely the disciples if they had vnderstoode it so as the Papistes say of his inuisible body they were not such children but that they would haue contented them selues as well with his inuisible body as his inuisible spirit and grace afterwardes therfore they would needes know howe they should be comforted when hee was gone from them Christ told them by his spirite although inuisible and not by his body inuisible which surely would haue comforted them although they saw it not if it had then bene with them as his spirite was but Christ meant no such thing and therefore promised euer his spirit to them and all others after and not his inuisible body This is a plaine case but I leaue to discourse of it any further because I intend in this booke to edifie and instruct the simple readers onely in the poyntes of Christianitie concerning their faith and not to make any treatise for the learned Seeing then wee haue a great hie Priest which is entred into heauē euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold fast our professiō as the Apostle sayth and let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receyue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede For this was the third point that I sayde was to be obserued of vs to weigh with our selues what profit and commodity thereby doeth ensue to all the faythfull that hee is in heauen Surely this cannot be but great comfort to al the faithful for they all are assured by Christes ascension that they also shall one day euen at the resurrection of their bodies ascende with him for he is gone to prepare a place for them as he testifieth in Iohn 14. I goe to prepare a place for you and if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come agayne and receyue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also Christ by his ascension hath opened the gates and doores of heauen and Paradise for vs which were shut against vs before so that wee had no entrance thither For this is most certayne and true that if the head be there then shall the body and members be there also and if our captayne be there then shall his souldiers which are we be one day with him and the master will haue there his seruantes to wayte and attend vpon him in his house And to be short seeing Christ is in heauen he wil haue his true Christians to be with him Is not this a great comfort in all troubles and hurlyburlies in this life to meditate vpon this that one day we shall come into the presence of our louing Master Iesus Christ Surely this would comfort any poore afflicted soule or body if he did remember it but we forget it and then what ioy can wee haue in this vale of miserie This comforted Dauid in his banishment saying When shal I come to appeare before the presence of God This reioyced Paul greatly when he sayd A crowne of righteousnesse is layde vp for me in that day when the Lord shal appeare 2. Timothie 4. So then this is the first and one of the greatest benefites that by Christes ascension wee haue an assurance of our owne For when Christ shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Colossians 3. But yet wee must remember that as Christ first suffered shame and reproche and bitter death also and so in the ende entred into heauen by diuers crosses and calamyties so must wee also for the most part enter in the same way with him for by many tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of heauen and all that wil liue godly in Iesus Christ shal suffer persecution For you knowe that the seruant must not looke to be better handled thē his master or the scholer to be in better case then his teacher nor we thē Christ Againe Christ by his ascension doth solicite al our sutes causes matters iniuries which we suffer to God his father For hee is our Atturney pleadeth for vs as Iohn sayth If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Is it not a great comfort to a poore man that can not make friendes or come vp to the prince because of costs and charges to haue alway one of the priuy counsell to helpe and further his sutes as readily and diligently as if hee were there himselfe So surely it is with vs wee haue alwayes Iesus Christ at hand with God his father being of his most priuy and secrete counsell to make requestes to God for vs continually to pardon our sinnes to grant vs grace and all other thinges necessary This is singular ioy to a godly heart so that wee neede not to seeke any other Mediatour as the Papistes doe as if hee were not sufficient of him selfe or as mercifull to heare vs as his mother or Peter or any other saynt in heauen This is their folly and madnes let vs be contented with our only Mediatour Iesus Christ because he is most able and most willing to heare vs yea biddeth vs to come to
this matter Our Sauiour Christ hath taught his to say dayly and hourely euen as long as they liue Forgiue vs our sinnes or trespasses Matth. 6. It is therefore a deuilish pride and presumption to say whosoeuer he be that he is no sinner for surely thē Christ can not helpe him for he came to saue sinners And yet there are some in the world and haue bene also that haue denied this So greatly that Satan bewitched them Well if these testimonies of scripture did not condemne them sufficiently yet I am sure their owne heart consciences some time or other wil accuse thē and their own mouth witnes against them Iob telleth vs this thing plainely in his booke Chap. 9. If I would iustifie my selfe my owne mouth would condemne me We see thē that we are al of vs euen the best wretched sinners Nowe as we are sinners so we must also learne to confesse and acknowledge these sinnes otherwise it is to no purpose if a man be a sinner and will not confesse it If a man be sicke and eyther doeth not or will not acknowledge it hee can not lyghtly bee healed of the Physitian for he wil not seeke vnto him Except a man feele his wound he will not go to the Surgeon and vnlesse a man be ignorant and seeth the want of his knowledge that he ought to haue he wil neuer desire to be further instructed but continewe still in his ignorance and blindnesse Who desireth meate that is not hungry or drinke that is not thirstie or clothes that thinketh he hath apparel ynough My meaning is this It is not ynough for a man to thinke he is a sinner vnlesse he hath an earnest and an effectual feeling of his sinnes in his conscience that they are as an heauy grieuous burden vnto him Thē if he come to Christ he shall quickly haue remedy for thē For he came not to cal the righteous y◠is thē that thought themselues ryghteous boasted of it for in deed there is none righteous before him but he came to cal poore sinners to repentāce And this agreeth with that notable saying of Paul that Christ Iesus came into this world to saue sinners wherof he cōfessed himself to be chiefe 1. Tim. 1. There is a notable place cōcerning this matter in the fourth of Luke where our Sauiour Christ entring into the Synagogue of Nazareth to reade and to preach on the Sabboth day found the place where it was writtē of him in the 61. of Esay saying The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath anointed me that I should preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sēt me that I shoulde heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde that I shoulde set at libertie them that are brused and that I shoulde preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord. This place doeth shewe for whom Christ Iesus is sent and is meete that is for the poore the broken hearted the captiues in sinne the blinde in minde the bruised in pryson If we feele our selues to be such men Christ is sent vnto vs otherwise hee is not for vs. And this is the cause that made our Sauiour to keepe companie most commonly with Publicans and sinners and such as were infected with great sinnes offences as Marie Magdalene and Matthew and Zaccheus for these did willingly confesse their sinnes vnto him and so he cured them But on the contrary side hee refused the company of the Scribes and Pharises the hie Priestes and Doctors of the lawe because although they were sinners yea and grieuous sinners too yet they had an opinion of holines and righteousnesse in them selues aboue other men and iustified them selues before our Sauiour Christ as we see in the parable of the Publicane and Pharise that went vp both of them to praye into the Temple Luk. 18. These Pharises our sauiour saide they had no neede of the Physician because they dyd not acknowledge their infirmitie and weakenesse vnto him Christ in deede is meate but for the hungry Iohn 6. he is water and drinke but for the thirstie Esay 55. Iohn 7. he is a refreshing but for them that are loden and burdened Matth. 11. Doe wee giue almes at any time to a stout begger that although he haue neede yet wil not confesse it and aske his almes gently acknowledging his pouertie No more surely will the Lorde giue vnto any spirituall almes vnlesse wee shall humble our selues before him with true feeling of our pouertie and miserie For verely herein we must all of vs bee lyke vnto beggers that to mooue pitie and compassion shewe not the best thinges they haue if they haue any but the worst as their ragges their sores their pouertie and nakednesse And this moueth men the sooner to pitie them Dearely beloued in Christ the case standeth so and no otherwise betweene the Lorde and vs. If we will get any thing it is by falling downe and humbling our selues and not by vaunting of any thing that is in vs for he resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and lowly Do we not see it so by experience Is not the best pasture and meddowe grounde in the lowest places and valleyes and the most barren grounde in the hyghest hilles and mountaines So the graces of the Lorde rest in the lowe stomacke and heart and flee from the hye and loftie minde Let therefore euery hill and mountayne be layde lowe Luke 3. A notable example of this meeke and humble confession of our sinnes we haue in the Prophete Dauid who although he were a King yet when he was reprehended and reprooued sharpely of the Prophete Nathan for his adulterie and murder sayd without any replying or checking of the Prophete most mildely I haue sinned vnto the Lorde And therefore he heard incontinently that sweete answere from the Lorde The Lorde also hath put awaye thy sinne thou shalt not die 2. of Kinges 12. Chapter This thing Dauid reporteth of himself in the Psalme 32. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto the Lorde neyther hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I will confesse agaynst my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lorde and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Looke in the Psalme 51. where hee describeth the same more at large This lesson is to be learned of vs all that when we commit sinne we shoulde not cloke our sinne as the hypocrites doe Looke vpon the poore Publicane and vpon Peter the one confessed them humbly the other wept for them most bitterly And surely so dyd all the good men doe from time to time Howe often doe the Prophetes Esay and Daniel confesse their sinnes and the sinnes of the people Did not Tobiah do the like and Paul him selfe doeth in many places confesse with griefe of minde that he was a persecuter of the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 15. yea that he had the relikes of sinne still abiding in him Rom.
vpon them The other cause is in respect of the wicked and reprobate vpon whom the Lorde will shewe his perfite iustice against sinne and wickednes cōmitted of thē without repentance These will hee make vessels of his wrath which shal burne in thē with an vnquenchable fire without ende and mercie who because here they haue not bene throughly punished or sometimes not at all therefore the full measure of their punishment is reserued til that great day then to be powred out vpon them in fire and brimstone in that burning lake continually which neuer shall haue ende For these causes is this resurrectiō whereof wee speake ordayned To speake of the end for the godly first so it is that the Lord hath promised in mercie to reward all his faythfull seruants which commeth not manie times to passe in this life therefore there remaineth a life to come to be shewed in the resurrection of the flesh And if all godlinesse bee sure to bee recompensed with a promise of a good turne in the life to come as Paul declareth to Timothie the first Epistle and fourth Chapter Then out of all doubt very expedient and necessarie it is that there shoulde be a resurrection If any man say The soules of the faythfull are rewarded as soone as they depart from the bodie with this promise of life and therefore they seeme not to lacke a rewarde although there be no resurrection and so God is true of his promise I answere that as the bodyes of the faythfull while they liued well here haue bene temples of the holie Ghost to serue the Lord withall and as not onely in soule but also in body through diuers tentations and persecutions they haue bene afflicted for Christ and haue still bene vnder the crosse so surely they also with the soule shall be glorified and rewarded according to the things that they haue done And to this agree the wordes of the holy Apostle We must all sayeth he appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill 2. Corin. 5. Here he nameth expresly the body otherwise the rewarde were vnperfite if in one part onely it were bestowed The Lord will not suffer the giuing of a cuppe of colde water to his saints to goe vnrewarded much more therefore will he rewarde those that haue giuen their bodies to be consumed in the flames of fire for his cause and the Gospel so that if any lose his life for his sake in this worlde he shall finde it in the worlde to come with an hundred fold more with all happinesse and ioy restored vnto him If we looke vpon all the saints that haue bene from time to time we shall see that they had no felicitie nor happinesse in this life The Epistle to the Hebrewes speaking of the excellent fayth of the olde Patriarkes and ancient fathers sheweth vs what was their estate in this life for their good woorkes and deedes Some were racked and woulde not bee deliuered others were tryed by mockings and scourginges by bandes and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slayne with the sworde they wandered vp downe in goates skinnes and sheepes skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented wandring in wildernesses and mountaynes and dennes and caues of the earth If we aske the end why they suffered and endured such things of the wicked the same Apostle doeth make vs answere This they did that they might receiue a better resurrection And surely they had bene fooles to endure such tormēts of body if the body and soule had perished in their death and graue as doe the bodies of bruite beastes without any hope of the resurrection Consider ye the Apostles how they were rewarded here for their preaching and godly life did they not all for the most part in the ende suffer death and martyredome for their labour howe was Paul rewarded of the Lorde in this life did hee not whippe and scourge him when hee receiued him for his sonne yes truely And he confesseth what his whole life was after his conuersion nothing but a sea of troubles miseries fightings without and terrours within hunger and thirst colde nakednesse bandes and pouertie were the rewardes that the Lorde gaue him here insomuch that hee might seeme to be in worse case after his conuersion to Christ then before if hee had iudged of his afflictions by a worldly and carnal eye and not according to faith as did carnall Demas and therefore because hee felt miseries in this life in Christianitie reuolted from Paul and embraced this present euill worlde 2. Timothie 4. These things made Paul to say that vnlesse there were a resurrection his state had bene most miserable of al others for what saith hee aduantageth it me to suffer these things if the dead rise not agayne then let vs eate and drinke and liue in pleasure So we see the hope of the resurrection stayed him from running into condemnation with the wicked he confessed els where that his crown was not here in this life but was layde vp for him And al these vexations of the bodies of soules of mindes and consciences of men is to teach them that no blessednesse is to bee hoped for in this our vale of miserie but we looke for a citie to come whose builder and maker is God seeing wee haue none here that is permanent Our sauiour when he comforted his disciples agaynst persecutions to come when as they shoulde bee mocked reuiled taunted yea and killed for his sake willed them in that day to be glad and to reioyce for their rewarde was great in heauen Hee said not in earth that their mindes might be with drawen frō this life to the euerlasting rest out of this world And this can not be but in the resurrection of our bodies They that will haue their reward in this life in short transitorie pleasures of sinne for a season feasting sporting them selues in their wantonnes vngodly delites are impatiēt to looke wait for the heauenly promise of ioyes that shal haue no ende are like vnto the rich man both proude and gluttonous that fared deliciously euery day and went in purple and silke not regarding the poore estate of Lazarus and therefore nowe in hel receiueth paine punishment endles which in his life time receiued pleasure cōfort But they that with paciēce quiet minds can take al things in good worth whether it be sicknes or pouertie or shame ignominie which the Lord here sendeth to thē in this life for a trial of their faith can looke vp vnto y◠celestial life to come tarying the Lords leasure these men are like to poore Lazarus which in deed in his life time receiued paine but is now comforted beyond all mās expectation with an euerlasting comfort Luke 16. Dauid pronounceth thē blessed that
heires of eternal life By whose comming the nature of man is repaired and made noble and man that was lost and destroyed was thereby releeued sette in his perfection and hath recouered all that he hath lost through sinne yea and more By the same meane also all the treasures graces and blessings of the Lorde are giuen communicated vnto man but all this through grace without any merites The nineteenth Article I beleeue also and confesse by the holy scriptures an other conception and birth of Iesus Christ which is spirituall the which I say is of no lesse dignitye then the first The which is that euery one that is faithfull ought to conceaue into his heart and spirite Iesus Christ through a trewe and liuely faith and to bring him foorth by open confessing of him with his mouth as often and when soeuer it shal be needefull I doe esteeme this conception and natiuitie to be so necessary to saluation that if the virgin Mary had not more blessedly borne Iesus Christ in her heart and spirit then in her belly her carnall motherhoode would haue profited her little By and for this cause are we called mothers brethren and sisters of Iesus Christ The twentieth Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is verely Christ that is to say the Messias annoynted by the holy Ghost because he was y◠very king the Prophet and great sacrificer that should sacrifice for all that beleeue the which also is promised in the Law and is y◠same of whom al the Prophets haue spokē This annoynting of Christ is not corporall of a material and visible oyle as was that of the kynges Priestes and Prophetes in tymes past but it is spirituall of an inuisible oyle which is the grace giftes of the holy Ghost wherewith he is replenished aboue all others So that this anoynting is descended euen vnto vs which haue felt and proued the sweetnesse thereof and by it also we beare the name of Christiās that is to say anoynted The xxi Article I beleeue that this sacrificing of Iesus Christ was not Leuiticall or carnal to immolate offer vp and to sacrifice beastes kyne and other sensible thinges as did Aaron his successours but spiritual to offer and sacrifice himselfe that is to say his body bloud for the remission of the sinnes of the whole worlde Euen as likewise his kingdome is not of this world carnall but spiritual which consisteth in the guyding gouerning of his owne by his holy spirit ouer whome he raigneth by his worde and that to the destruction of al his aduersaries which are sinne death hell Satan and all infideles wicked and reprobate The xxii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ hath verely exercised these three offices that is to saye of a Prophete of a King and a sacrificer not onely in this worlde being a mortall man as we are but also that he exerciseth yet daily the same in heauen before the face of the father where he sitteth and appeareth continually for vs and from thence by his holy Spirit doeth teach helpe maynteine and defende his owne and therefore is hee called a Prophete a King and a great Sacrificator after the order of Melchisedek that is to say eternall and not after the order of Aaron which had his ende with the Lawe The xxiii Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ after that hee had preached the Gospel in the countrey of Iudea and Galilee by the space of three yeres or there about declared him self to be the naturall Sonne of God aswel by his marueilous workes as by his words and the writings of the Prophets was vniustly and falsely accused by the Priestes whom when they had taken and in their counsell vniustly had condemned him to death they brought him bound to Pilate the Prouost then at Hierusalem who at the instance of the sayde Priestes dyd vniustly wrongfully and without cause condemne him to death and that the most horrible and slaunderous death that coulde be imagined or deuised that is to saye to be put on the crosse crucified betweene two theeues as if hee had bene their Prince and Captaine The which thing hee suffered and endured willingly and innocently without deseruing the same For otherwise coulde he not haue satisfied for vs neither could his crosse haue profited vs. The xxiiii Article I beleeue also that while hee was vpon the sayd crosse dying and giuing vp his spirite vnto God his Father he descended into hell that is to say He did verily taste and feele the great distresse and heauinesse of death and likewise the paynes and tormentes of hell That is to say the great wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon him euen as if God had vtterly forsaken him yea as though God had beene his extreeme enemie so that hee was constrayned with loude voyce to crye My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This is simply my vnderstanding of Christ his descending into hell And besides I knowe well that this article hath not from the beginning bene in the Creede and that many others haue otherwise both vnderstanded and interpreted it which esteeme that Christ verely and in deede descended into hell to the place of the damned alledging the text of Saint Peter the which I confesse is yet couered and hid from me The Lorde vouchsafe to open the gate vnto vs and to giue vs an entrance into such mysteries The xxv Article I beleeue that all this was done not for him selfe which neuer committed sinne in whose mouth was neuer founde deceite nor lie but for the loue of vs poore and miserable sinners whose place he occupied vpon the crosse as a pledge or one that represented the person of all the sinners that euer were be nowe or shall be vnto the worldes ende And because they through their sinnes haue deserued to feele tast of the extreme paynes of death to be forsaken of God and of all creatures to feele the wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon them Christ which was their pledge satisfying for them vpon the crosse hath fealt and endured all the same and that altogether to make vs free to deliuer vs from all these paynes from the wrath and iudgement of GOD from condemnation and eternall death And I doe clearely reiect and esteeme as fables all the Limbos of the fathers and of yong children Purgatorie and such other like to bee follyes mockeries and abuses which are inuented and founde out by man without the worde of the Lord. For I neyther beleeue nor receyue more then two places in the worlde to come that is to say heauen for the faythfull and elect with the angels and hell for the infidels reprobate with the deuils The xxvi Article I beleeue and consider this death and passion euen as I doe all other mysteries of Iesus Christ not onely as touching the historie as a paterne and example to followe as was that of the holy men and women which