Gospel which are the seales of all the Articles of our Christian faith And also of the Lords praier which is a principal rule of Christian praier a singular exercise of faith c. Question Which therefore first of all be the Articles of our Christian beliefe as they are in that briefe summe comprised and by the common consent of all true Churches of Christ euen froÌ„ the most incorrupt times coÌ„mended vnto vs Answere I beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen earth And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord which was conceiued by the holy Ghost c. ExplicatioÌ„ proofe This summe of the doctrine of the Gospel concerning the chiefe Articles of our faith gathered out of the holie scriptures as hath bene said it conteineth an bridgement of the most high diuine mysterie of the nature of God that is to say of the incomprehensible Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of one most absolute perfect spirituall essence or beeing of the Godhead so farre as it is meet for vs to enquire or may be knowne and discerned of vs. And therwithall it setteth out vnto vs fraile creatures and most miserable sinners the free couenant of Gods diuine mercy fauour and grace towards vs. Herewithall also A briefe summe of the doctrine of the holy Gospel contained in the articles of our Beliefe it layeth forth these two things first the causes of our iustification and secondly the fruites or benefits thereof The causes are these first to speake more generally the whole Trinitie of persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost eternally consenting in the vnitie of the Godhead to elect and ordaine vs therevnto But more particularly the Father for orders sake as the efficient cause the Sonne in that hee tooke our nature and therein liued preached wrought miracles fulfilled the righteousnes of the law and at the last died for vs and rose againe c. the materiall cause The holy Ghost in that by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth faith the formall cause The small cause being the euerlasting praise of the same most glorious free grace and mercie of God Now the fruite and benefit of this grace of God towards vs beeing generally comprehended vnder this worde saluation the particulars are partly expressed Communion of Saints in one holy catholike Church forgiuenes of sinnes resurrection of the body and euerlasting life and partly they are to be collected from those that be mentioned as vnspeakable peace of conscience heere yea euen against death and hell it selfe and the immortality of the soule in heauen euen from the very time of our departure out of this life c. This summe of the chiefe Articles of our faith therefore containeth an abridgement of the Historie of all the greatest and most glorious counsels and workes of God and of his most wonderfull benefits towards vs Election Prouidence Creation Adoption Redemption Iustification Sanctification Saluation and Glorification and to these ends and purposes alike abridgement of the incarnation of the sonne of God and therewithall of the vnion of the humane nature with the diuine in one most holy person of a mediator and also of the sufferings of the sonne of God c. all of them as was said before proceeding from the infinite bountie of Gods mercie to vs most vnworthie men Of the which most great counsels and works of God it is worthily written by the Apostle Paul 1. Tim. 3.16 * Omologoumenos Confessedly oâ— by a general acknowledgement to wit of all tâ—â—e Christians Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlines which is God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp in glorie Read also Rom 8.29.30 c. Those which God knew before he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren Moreouer whom he hath predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified What shall we then say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs c. And Ephes 3.8.9.10 c. Euen to me the least of all Saints saith the holy Apostle is this grace giuen that I should preach among the Gentiles the vnsearchable riches of Christ And to make cleare vnto all men what the fellowship of the mysterie is which from the beginning of the world hath beene hid in God who hath created all things by Iesus Christ. c. Of these most high and excellent things we will by the grace of God treat and inquire according to this summe of the Articles of our faith in the order following First of all wee will consider of some speciall ground of holy Scripture whence euery article or point of our faith may be warranted and from whence also the right sence meaning thereof may be interpreted and opened For the word of God contained in the bookes of Canonicall Scripture the which God himselfe hath giuen and authorized for the instruction of his Church it is the onely certaine and vndoubted ground and foundation of faith And therefore also it is our bounden dutie to yeeld it the honour of teaching and confirming euery truth of God from the sacred testimonie and witnesse thereof And thus we read how in matters of faith the Scripture referreth it selfe to the Scripture the latter to the former Luke 24. verses 25.26.27 and verses 44.45.46.47 And before this in the 22. chap ver 37. Reade also Acts chap 26. verse 22. and 1. Corinth 15.1.2.3.4 and 2. Pet 1.19 And verily it were too great sluggish a folly for any to content themselues so with any briefe abridgement that the originall copie wherein is the more full and perfect declaration of all things should be neglected A man will not doe so with his seuerall Deeds and more large writings shewing the conueiances of his landes for any briefe extent or suruey which hee hath taken of them And shall we be more vnwise concerning the grand euidence of our saluation Nay rather as great landed men by how much they see by a short viewe that their possessions are very ample c. they will make the more reckoning of all their auncient Court-rouls or Charters c. So let vs by all meanes prouoke ourselues notwithstanding any other testimony to make our principall and most precious account of the authenticall and diuine records of God And that not onely for the points themselues which concerne our faith but also for the right vnderstanding of them and for all holy circumstances belonging to them For in this respect the holy Scriptures are so necessarie that without them wee should not by the shortnesse of our Creede heare of many points necessarily to bee bee beleeued of vs for our holy instruction and comfort And they that are mentioned could not without the holy
c. Ier 10.12 13. and Mat 6 26. Your heauenly Father feedeth the fowles of heauen saith our Sauiour Christ And ch 10.29 A Sparrow falleth not on the ground without your Father And as it followeth in the next verse of the same ch he giueth to vnderstand that the Father hath a speciall regard of his adopted children through his owne Son our Lord Iesus Christ For our Sauiour himselfe saith the haires of their head are numbred This speciall prouidence of God the Father toward his Church you also mentioned a little before Question Now what doe ye beleeue in this respect to the more full clearing of this Article of our faith in the first person of the holy Trinitie God the Father Answere I doe in this respect according to the last acception of the word Father furthermore vndoubtedly beleeue that God the Father of his most free grace and in most tender pittie and compassion according to his diuine counsell purpose and predestination euen before the foundation of the world was laid hath in his beloued Sonne chosen and adopted vs and all the elect people to be his children through the sanctification of the holy Ghost to the end that we truly knowing trusting in the same his grace should obtaine the glory of our Lord Ie Ch yea that eueÌ„ in this life also we should enioy a special fruite of the fatherly prouidence of our most good gracious God aboue al the childreÌ„ of this world Explication and proofe You may safely and with good assurance beleeue this also according to the testimony of the Apostle Paul as we read 2. Thes 2 13 14. and in many other places For one the same though it may be in some differing measure is the happie glorious estate of al true beleeuing ChristiaÌ„s in the kingdome of heauen Read also Ps 4 6 Ps 31.19 20 46 7 8 9. But of al these points which you haue answered for the clearing of this article insomuch as they are all of them matters of great importance let vs trusting in the grace of God The Promise set our minds to inquire more particularly into the grounds and doctrine of them by a more large discourse to the more plentiful inriching of this part of the Treasurie of our faith First concerning this that God is our Father Secondly concerning his almightie power Thirdly concerning his creation and the seuerall workes thereof And fourthly concerning his fatherly prouidence both generally ouer all the workes of creation and also more specially toward his Church in the election câ—lling gathering together and preseruation thereof Question FIâ—â—â— therefore what promise haue you in the holy Scriptures that God is mind 〈◊〉 to be a Father vnto vs For that God is a Father that is to say the first person in the most holy Trinity we haue seene the ground proofe of it already Now what ground haue you I say for the promise Answere In thâ— 2. Epistle to the Cor. chap. 6. The Apostle alledgeth the Prophesies of the old Testament concerning vs the Gentiles in this behalfe Question Which are those Prophesies Answer In the 16 verse of that chapter the Apostle hath these words God hath said I wil dwel among them and walke there and I will be their God and they shall be my people And verse 17. I will receiue you And verse 18. I will be a Father vnto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie ExplicatioÌ„ proofe These Prophesies the which as the same Apostle calleth them in the beginning of the next Chapter are so many promises they are diligently to be marked and to be surely laide holde vpon and apprehended of vs because if God were onely a father in respect of his natural and onely begotten Sonne and not also for the Sons sake a Father to vs by the couenant of grace and adoption we could not possibly beleeue in God to our comfort For by our Apostacie in Adam wee are wholly fallen from God not onely from the Father but also from the Sonne of God simply considered in the Deitie of his person and from the holy Ghost also the onely Spirit of them both Yea we are so fallen that we cannot possibly by any meanes be raised vp and restored againe but by the free grace of the Father through the mediation of the Son taking our nature and in the same by his redeeming iustifying sanctifying of vs vnto himselfe by the holy Ghost And for this cause it is that our Lord Iesus Christ of his tâ—nder loue is so earnest to assure vs in his holy Gospell that God is our Father For so hee speaketh oftentimes of him before his death teaching vs to pray to him as being our heauenly Father and after his resurrection also saying I goe vp to my Father and your Father c. Iohn chap. 20.17 Such therefore and so worthie and necessarie is the obseruation and faith of this most comfortable promise of God that he will be a Father vnto vs reconciled in and by his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ Question NOw let vs come to the comforts themselues such as belong to this article of our faith Which are they Answere First insomuch as God vouchsafeth to be a Father vnto vs his loue toward vs must needes be more pure and tender in that he is of a most holy and mercifull nature and infinitely more constant also in his loue in so much as hee is most faithfull then can be the loue of any the most louing and tender naturall Parents to their most deare and naturall children Secondly the comfort of this that God is our Father is very great in that according to the exceeding greatnes of his loue infinitely aboue the loue of all naturall parents so are his gifts and and benefites to his children infinitely aboue theirs both in number measure weight and value ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is very true And therefore it is that the Lord saith thus by his Prophet Isaiah ch 49 1â—.16 Though a woman should forget her child not haue compassion of the sonne of her wombe yet would not I forget thee Behold saith the Lord I haue grauen thee vpon the palme of my hands thy walls are euer in my sight And chap. 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father The Comforts Though Abraham would not know vs nor Israell acknowledge vs to wit to be kindely children to them insomuch as wee haue not walked in their straight steps nor done their good workes but haue committed much wickednes c. Yet O Lord saith the holy Prophet in the name of all the faithfull repenting them of their sinnes thou art our Father and our Redeemer Thy name is for euer God loueth all his creatures euen for that they aâ—e â—is creatures and specially mankinde From hence doth Iob make it a part of his pleâ—ding with God chap. 10.8 c. Thine hands haue made me and fashioned me whoâ—e
the Deitie wherby he should be released from the horrible and astonishable feeling of the anger of God against our sinnes the which his iustice must reuenge by most bitter punishments vpon our Surety it was behouefull yea necessarie that it should for a time be left destitute of all fauour and present helpe of the Deitie except only so farre forth as was necessarie least it should faile in this incounter And of this very same thing haue the ancient spoken exceeding well and very fitly concerning this satisfaction for sinne that the Deitie did as it were rest it selfe that is did not put forth the owne operation and working for the causes alreadie alledged The which thing we haue also experience of in our selues insomuch as though the body be a sleepe after a sort yet the soule is not essentially seperated from it howsoeuer it doth not exercise the actions thereof as when the body is waking saue onely that it maintaineth the naturall life in the which point lieth the dâ—fference betwixt a liuing body soundly brought a sleepe and a dead carkasse To the same purpose writeth the same seruant of Christ a faithfull and learned Preacher of his Gospell concerning the trouble of the soule of our Sauiour in the garden Homily 5. to shew that how great soeuer and perplexed his sorrow was yet it was without all sinne Vnderstand ye further saith he a certaine point most necessarily to be knowne to wit that like as the humane nature of Iesus Christ was very naturall and yet voide of sinne so also were his terrours without all spot of sinne howsoeuer the affections of our nature which is altogether corrupt in it selfe yea euen when they seeme to be worthie some praise insomuch as there is remaining some naturall discerning betwixt vice and vertue they are no other then corrupt fruites from a corrupt tree c. Finally that I may couch all in fewe wordes all the humane affections of the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ the which in the most regenerate men are alwaies mingled with some frowardnes distrust or despaire they were in him naturally pure and therefore defiled with no blot And as the cause of all these things were in vs and not in him but onely vpon him as vpon our surety in that he set himselfe to answere for vs so likewise the punishment was in him that it might not be in vs. O the vnmeasurable goodnes and more then incomprehensible wisedome of God that the Sonne of God should so farre abase himselfe that he should be plunged into the gulfe of hell for vs to the end that he obtaining the victory ouer our enemies should therewithall lift vs vp aboue all heauens And a while after to make it cleare how our Sauiour should be thus exceedingly troubled and perplexed in his humane nature seeing he was also very true God hee saith further like as wee rehearsed before Wee must add that which is not vnfitly obserued by one of the Fathers concerning this mysterie of our redemption imposed on the Person of the Sonne that it was necessarie that our nature in the which he was to suffer should perfectly feele the horrour of that curse of God which we had deserued and that he should for a season behold no other thing in the Person of the Father but that horrible and euery way terrible rage of the diuine wrath the which he must for our cause goe vnder and swallowe vp And as touching the Godhead of the Person of the Sonne it selfe it rested for the while and did not put forth the vertue thereof reposing it selfe quietly as it were in the decree of God the Father The same are wee to iudge concerning the Person of the holy Ghost who sustained the humane nature being in so great distresse onely so farre forth that it should not be altogether swallowed vp of the diuine wrath O vnmeasurable and incomprehensible wisedome of God reuealed vnto vs for our singular benefit yea made so plaine that it may bee felt when as yet the Angels desire to see and search more throughly into it 1. Pet. 1.12 Neither will I neglect in this place to set downe the wordes of this learned Preacher and Writer which wee reade in his shorter notes both vpon Matthew chap. 27. verse 39. c. Christ saith hee that he might make a full satisfaction for vs suffered and ouercame not onely the extreame vexations of the body but also of the soule And vpon the 12. verse c. The heauen it selfe is darkned through horrour and Iesus crieth out ouerwhelmed as in the gulfe of Hell and in the meane while is scorned And vpon Marke 15. verse 34. Christ mightily incountering with Satan with sinnes and finally with death all armed with that horrible curse of God his body hanging vpon the Crosse oppressed with exceeding dolour his soule ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of hell hee doth for all that get out crying with a loude voice And although death hauing wounded him hee is bereaued of life for a time he shaking alâ— things both high and lowe the vaile of the Temple being rent asunder and with an inforced testimonie from his executioners he giueth to vnderstand that he himselfe shall shortly be declared the Conquerour and Lord of all though the rest of his aduersaries remained obstinate in their scornings To conclude If we would see this great point of the extreame sufferings and inward perplexed distresses and dolours of the soule of our Sauiour Christ both in the garden and vpon the Crosse opened with great dexterity and all contrarie scruples remoued let vs read his large annotations vpon the 7. verse of the 5. chap. to the Heb. The which also I will in a chiefe part set downe in english for their sakes that could not otherwise vnderstand what he writeth But saith he there are some also who crie out that wee bereaue Christ of his Deitie if we admit this interpretation that Christ feared left he being ouerwhelmed with aduersity should be ouercome or swallowed vp of death But I demaund hath not Christ not onely taken the nature but also all the affections of man howe base and weake so euer sinne onely excepted Certainly hee that denieth this is no Christian. Wherefore if it be so I demand how it should not agree to Christ to feare yea to feare greatly and to be sore abashed seeing he sticketh not to acknowledge himselfe in that he is man to be ignorant of the secret counsells of God Marke 13.32 And truly vnlesse our high Priest had beene tried this way also yet without sinne how should he haue deliuered vs from this euill which is one of the chiefe to wit from that inmost sense of the wrath of God from the trembling feare and affrighting of the minde while it should be thinking of that most seuere iudgement of the wrath of God For whence was that inuincible constancy of Martyrs but from this that Christ who felt those terrors being heard out of them did
them c. and ye shall be my people and I will be your God In all which promises of the Gospel wee through our Sauiour Christ haue our part with them and this our baptisme is a seale of it to vs as well as to the beleeuing remnant of them according to that which we reade Acts 2.38 39. compared with chap. 10.47 48. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized who haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as we So he that is the Apostlâ— Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Likewise Ephes 2.11 12 c. to the end of the chapter In which place also wee are worthily admonished to consider the greatnes of the most gratious benefite of our admittance into the couenant of God who were strangers from it before c to the end we might prouoke our dull hearts according to our bounden duty to gâ—orifie the name of the Lord our God with all possible glory praise which we may yeelde vnto him for the same For verily the benefit ought iustly to be as great in our account as it was strange vnto the Iewes yea vnto Peter at the first that it should be so vntill that he was admonished by a speciall vision with this instruction expresly added on the behalfe of vs the Gentiles The things which God hath purified pollute thou not that is see thou doe not account them to be vncleane and vnlawfull to haue a holy communion and fellowship with yee Act. 1â— verses 11 c. 15 c. In which respect also the mysterie of godlines is highly celebrated in that among other things our Sauiour Christ is preached to the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world And all this is according to the holy prophesie of Isaiah chap. 11.10 as it is alledged by the holy Apostle Rom. 15.12 He shall reigne ouer the Gentiles and in him shall the Gentiles trust And againe according to that Isai 42.1 2 3 4. and Matth. 12.21 Now therefore seeing the Lord our God of his infinite mercy doth according to this blessed ordinance of our Sauiour and for his sake assure vs that he receiueth vs into his most gratious couenant euen to the remitting of our sinnes c. Heb. 10.16 17 18 19. as hath been declared from the former part of the answer is it not cleare of it selfe according to the latter part of the answer that we ought most willingly thankfully and dutifully to dedicate and vow our selues wholly to the Lord and to his holy worship and seruice yea with a minde neuer to depart from him I doubt not but the heart and conscience of euery one that hath grace to discerne any thing at all cannot but from the consideration of this so inestimable a mercy of God say Amen acknowledging with all his heart that it is his most bounden duty so to doe We for our parts cannot but say as wee haue learned from the Prophet Micah chap. 4. verse 5. that insomuch as all people will walke euerie one in the name of his God yea though they be false gods much rather will we walke in the name of the Lord our God for euer and euer insomuch as the Lord our God into whose name we are baptized is the onely true God euen God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost three Persons one onely God as the holy Scriptures doe plainely teach and confirme vnto vs. The which obedience that we may with the better coÌ„science yeeld let vs wel consider what this meaneth to be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Sonne Question and of the holy Ghost Say therefore What is the meaning thereof Answer To be baptized into the name of the Father is to haue assurance giuen to euerie true beleeuer which is baptized that God the Father is through our Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne become his Father and that for the same cause he standeth bound to performe the dutie of an obedient childe vnto him To be baptized into the name of the Sonne is to haue assurance giuen that the same so baptized is for his part one of those whom our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Father hath redeemed and reconciled to the same his Father through his blood and therefore standeth bound to obey him as the Lord his redeemer To be baptized into the name of the holy Ghost is to haue assurance giuen that euerie true beleeuer so baptized is sealed vp and sanctified by the holy Ghost against the day of his full redemption to haue his portion of perfit glorie in the kingdome of heauen and therefore that hee standeth bound to obey him as the Lord his sanctifier Thus indeede doth the whole Trinitie of Persons in the vnitie of the eternall Godhead Explication proofe consent in the blessed worke of our redemption and saluation And the verie phrase of speech to be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost doth note the giuing of such a holy assurance as you speake of yea such an assurance as challengeth that singular dutie which hath also beene spoken of as may be obserued by that one instance in stead of all which is written concerning baptizing into the name of our Sauiour Christ in that he is the second Person in the glorious Trinitie For the Apostle Paul minding to beate downe all emulation and depending vpon men and to direct christians to looke vnto our Sauiour Christ who hath accepted them to be his and to whom they haue addicted themselues he reasoneth from this Sacrament of Baptisme to that end For whereas many among the Corinthians were diuided in their mindes in that one saide I am Paules and another I am Apollos and I am of Cephas and I am Christs he opposeth them thus Is Christ diuided was Paul crucified for ye either were ye Baptized into the name of Paul c. As though he should haue said yee ought all euery one of yee to be his onely into whose name ye haue beene baptized that is ye ought to depend vpon him to giue him the whole glorie c. 1. Cor. 1.12.13 and Gal. 3.27.28 For all ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian c. For yee are all one in Christ Iesus And likewise to stirre vp the care of godlinesse and holinesse of life he saith Rom. 6.3.4 Know yee not that all wee which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Wee are buried then with him by baptisme in his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead to the glory of the Father so wee also should walke in newnesse of life That which is saide concerning the second Person in that he is God yea both God and man in the Person of the mediator betwixt God and man is proportionably to be vnderstood concerning the rest That is seeing we are baptized into
Explication proofe This is a necessarie addition to make vp the former answer In the opening whereof that also shall by the grace of God be yet more fullie opened and confirmed And first touching the ioint-work of the holy Ghost in the purposing and effecting of the works of Creation as being one God together with the Father and the Sonne we finde it euidentlie confirmed in the verie beginning of the holie Bible the 2. verse of the first chapter and verses 26. 27. Likewise ch 2.7 The Lord God breathed the breath of life into man to wit by the power and vertue of his eternall Spirit creating the soule without anie earthlie matter or corruptible element According to that saying of Elihu in the book of Iob ch 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me the breath of the Almightie hath giuen me life Read also Ps 33.6 104 29 30.31 Mal 2.15 For God is the Father of Spirites and the creator of all other things by his eternall word through that almighty Spirit of his which is the holy Ghost in whom we doe beleeue This being true that the holy Ghost hath his ioint-worke in the purposing effecting of the works of Creation together with the Father the Sonne there can be no cause to doubte of his ioint-work in the vpholding and ordering of the same seeing hee is a Spirit of as infinite and euerlasting wisedome prouidence and gouernement as he is of almightie power and vertue But I hast to that which this Article of our faith doth principallie intende that is to see how the holy Ghost hath his most holy and diuine ioint-worke together with the Father and the Sonne in the newe creation and continuall gouernement of his Church in this world euen to the full glorification of it in the world to come And wher may we better beginne to lay forth this excellent high mysterie then by taking a viewe of the ioint-worke of the holie Ghost in bringing our Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour of this his Church into the world in preseruing and guiding him in the world and in strengthening and confirming of him to performe all things necessarie to the perfiting of the same his Churches saluation euen till he left the world For this may be in steed of spectacles and as it were a cleare glasse to help the weaknes of our dimme eye-sight to discerne the better of all the rest First therefore by whom was our Sauiour Christ conceiued in the wombe of the blessed virgin but by the holy Ghost And wherfore by the holy Ghost but because he could not otherwise haue taken mans nature without the originall blot and staine of sinne that so he might be meete to be that vnspotted or vndefiled Lambe of God which was to be made the onely propitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of men By the same holie Ghost it was that our Sauiour grewe as in stature of bodie so also in wisedome of minde and spirit vntill that at the time of his baptisme when hee was to enter vppon the publike and open discharge of his mediatorship he receiued from the same holy Ghost all holy gifts and graces not by measure but most aboundantly to the most full perfect furnishing of him to the absolute discharge of euery part of that most high office which was commiteed vnto him A publike testimonie whereof was that his descending and lighting vpon our Sauiour which was mentioned before By the same holy Ghost hee was forthwith led into the wildernes to make his first encounter as it were in combate hand to hand against our arch-enemy the Diuell on our behalfe that so he might be knowne to the Church to be a farre other manner of person then was Adam For though he were more often and therewithall more vehemently assalted then he was before his fall yet was hee not ouercome but he did vanquish ouercome the Diuel for euer By the same holy Ghost he did preach the Doctrine of eternall life and saluation according as it is saide to the same purpose that the spirit of the Lord was vpon him and that he was in a principall yea in a pierles māner anointed with the holy Ghost Isai 61.1 c Heb 1.9 Iohn 3 34. By the same holy Ghost and not of meere humane power hee did worke all his miracles For so he hath saide of himselfe as we reade in the holy Gospell that he wrought them by the finger and spirit of God Mat 12 28. Luke 11.20 And Act 10.38 He was saith the Apostle Peter ancinted with the holy Ghost and with power and he was mightie in word and deed By the same holy Ghost who was the author and orderer of his whole life did he also offer vp himselfe vnto God at his death as wee reade Heb 9.14 Through the eternal spirit saith the Apos offered he himselfe vnto God without spot By the same holy Ghost hee was after his death raised vp from the dead Rom 8 11. The spirit of God saith Paul raised vp Iesus from the dead And 1 of Pet 3 18 He was put to death saith Peter concerning the flesh but was quickened by the spirit that is by his diuine power which he in that he was man receiued from the holy Ghost And likewise after his resurrection hee did through the holy Ghost giue commandemēts euen his diuine and soueraigne commandements to his holy Apostles Act 1.2 And being iustified in the spirit hee was at the last raised vp to glory 1. Tim 3.16 Behold therefore in this principall part of the more immediate worke of the holy Ghost in the beginning and ordering of the whole mysterie of our redemption in the mediation of our Sauiour we haue a representation of that which he doth in the whole manifesting and applying of Iesus Christ and of all that he did and suffered and thereby atchieued to the euerlasting benefit of his Church To the which end and purpose let vs proceede and further obserue how that like as after the ascension of our Sauiour Christ his Disciples were according to his promise replenished with the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost for the publishing of his Gospel as we read Luke 24.49 Act 1 4 5 8. and chap 2. v. 4 17 18 33 and Ephes 3.5 so in former times all prophesie reuelation of the truth from time to time was immediately giuen to the Church by no other then by the same holie Ghost 1. Pet 1.10.11.12 and 2. Pet 1.19.20.21 and 2. Tim 3.16.17 And now yet further let vs likewise obserue that as the holie Ghost both is and hath bene alwayes next and immediately to the Church from God the Father through the onely begotten Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ the author of all reuelation of the truth and of the bestowing of euery good gift grace so is he hath alwaies in like manner bene the immediate sender commander gouernour of all holie instruments both ordinary and
the sin against the holy Ghost so properly called is made vnpardonable before God and the person guiltie thereof if God doe discouer it not to be prayed for of any because such a one doth not sinne of ignorance nor of weakenes of iudgement in some one point or other but of malice in a generall contempt of the truth yea euen of the Spirit of truth himselfe the most gratious Teacher thereof Heb. 6.4 c. And ch 10.28 c And 1. Iohn 5.16.17 Wherefore beloued in the Lord we see that in euery most weighty respect we haue the greatest cause that may be why we are with all holy religious and constant reuerence to beleeue and obey the holy Ghost as being one true and euerlasting God to bee blessed and adored for euer together with the Father and the Sonne And on the contrarie wee cannot but see that we ought to take heede most carefully that wee doe not at any time any manner of way blaspheme the holy Ghost or giue any occasion that he should be blasphemed or spoken euill of either directly or indirectly by scoffing at any because they are of the spirit or hote of the spirit c. All such iesting and all irreuerence is exceeding dangerous and therefore let vs all very heedefully not onely auoid the same but also thinke and speake alwaies most reuerendly of this so high and glorious a Maiestie And as for all such heretikes as feare not to affirme that the holy Ghost is not God but a creature or a name only of diuine vertue and operation c let vs vtterly abhorre all such their blasphemous heresies In which respect to the end we might haue before our eyes some graue admonition I haue thought it to good purpose and so I trust will euery godly Reader to set downe that which the good Minister of Gods word Bastingius hath written in his Commentaries vpoÌ„ the Palsgraues Catechisme to the same purpose The doctrine concerning the Deitie of the holy Ghost saith this godly learned Minister hath had foure principall Aduersaries First those that haue and doe contend that the holy Ghost is nothing else then an internal operation motion or action whereby God worketh effectually in the hearts of the elect Energeia but not to be any substance much lesse a Person as Samosatenus Seruetus and their schollers who are all refuted very manifestlie by this that those things are attributed to the holy Ghost in the scriptures which doe agree to none saue onely to God and consequently to a Person truly subsisting and therefore also to a true substantiall Beeing Secondly this doctrine hath had Macedonius an aduersary against it who taught indeede that the holy Ghost is a substance and a true Person but yet created which also was the error of Arius wherevnto the Oecumenical Council held vnder Theodosius the Great opposed it selfe and gaue it his deadly wound The words whereof are these If it be created how doth it create how then doth it sanctifie how doth it quicken how doth it distribute graces how is it God how doeth it search the deepe thinges of God how is he the Comforter how hath he his ioynt place with the Father and the Sonne Of which Macedonius Iohn Cassianus Chrysostomes scholler writeth after this manner in his first booke of the incarnation of the Lord Macedonius also saith he vttered his blasphemie against the holy Ghost with an incurâ—ble impietie in that although he said that the Father and the Sonne are of the same substance yet he calling the holy Ghost a creature was guilty of blasphemie against the whole Deitie insomuch as nothing can be iniured in the Trinitie without iniurie done against the whole Trinitie Now adde vnto these in the third place the Tritheites who confessed indeeded that the holy Ghost is a Person yea and that he is God but yet another God beside the Father and the Sonne albeit in truth the holy Ghost is so of the same substance or co-essential with the Father and the Sonne Homoousios that they be not sundry Gods but one onely Iehouah The fourth error was the error of Sabellius who stucke not to say that the holy Ghost was a diuine Person eternall and vncreated but not a distinct Person with the Father and the Sonne the which how repugnant it is to the scriptures we haue likewise declared before And thus truly haue they waged battell against the Person of the holy Ghost Now as touching his office and the efficacie thereof these following did not well vnderstand what it is First they which do thinke that the elect may altogether loose or fall away from their faith though it be sealed vp in them by that holy spirit of promise But the truth is that the Spirit of sanctification is neuer vtterly taken away Energeia from such as are truly regenerated and borne againe Onely the effectuall working of it may be interrupted for a time while the contrarie lusts doe beare the sway like as drunkennesse doth not altogether bereaue men of their wit Beliefe that God hath a holy catholike Church but onely taketh away the vse of it for a while The ground and meaning of the Article And furthermore the Romish Teachers doe likewise erre in that they require that men should alwaies stand in doubt of the fauour of God seeing the holy Ghost is therefore called the spirit of adoption because he beareth witnesse of that free good will wherewith the Father embraceth vs in the Sonne and teacheth vs also to cry Abba Father Thus much out of Ierimias Bastingius a faithfull Minister of the word of God And thus for the time of this our present inquirie an end of the doctrine of this Article and therewithall of the whole doctrine of the most blessed and glorious Trinitie and so also an end of the first part of the most generall diuision of the Articles of our beliefe Now the same most blessed and glorious Trinitie of distinct Persons our one onely true and euerlasting God most wise most holy and most gratious blesse it for euer vnto vs. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost be with vs all Amen Beliefe that God hath a holy Catholike Church Question Answer ExplicatioÌ„ proofe WHat followeth in the Articles of our beliefe The holy catholike Church Here beginneth the second part of the Articles of our christian beliefe shewing euery Christian what hee ought to beleeue concerning the people of God called his Church All which is nothing else but the effect of that which is contained in the former part which as we haue alreadie seene teacheth how we ought to beleeue in God who is the only Author Caller Redeemer Iustifier Sanctifier and Glorifier of his Church And verily it cannot be that God the Father should giue his Sonne to take mans nature and in the same to die for man in vaine according to that Gal.
receiue saith our Sauiour Christ c. Nowe this wee knowe is a speciall petition which wee are to aske of God that it would please him to increase our Faith as wee haue the example of the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ Thus much for the explanation and proofe of this answere NExt to this it is not as I suppose amisse that you shew after what manner I meane in what course and order the holie Ghost doth work this worke of our regeneration and newe birth with the increases thereof in the seuerall parts or branches of it so farre as for the present wee can discerne Question What is the order of this his working Answere First hee sheweth euery one of the Elect children of God his owne ignorant sinnefull and damnable estate yea hee subdueth their soules to an acknowledgement of the iust deserued damnation which is due thervnto and accordinglie to feare and tremble at the curse of the Lawe Secondly hee inlighteneth the minde to see the Saluation of God with hope to bee a partaker thereof Thirdlie hee stirreth vp the affection of the heart to a longing desire after it and therewithall to mourne for sinne which might iustly separate betwixt vs and it Yet so as hee causeth the heart to long with patience in waiting for the comfort and assurance of attaining vnto it Fourthlie he powreth into the soule and conscience a feeling and ioyous tast of Gods loue and of his gratious readinesse to shew mercie yea hee giueth such a certificat of their particular Adoption to bee the children of God that they reioyce more therein then if they had wonne the whole world Finallie the holy Ghost doth not cease to stirre vp euerie true beleeuer to an earnest care and indeuour of daylie profiting by all holy meanes both in Knowledge and Faith and also in Repentance and obedience of the Gospell comforting and strengthening them also against all such lettes and discouragementes as they doe meete withall For the first of these read Iohn ch 16.9.10.11.12 The holie Ghost as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs reprooueth the world of Sinne and of Righteousnesse and of Iudgment Of sinne saith our Sauiour because they beleeue not in mee c. Wherby it is euident that not to beleeue in Christ is a very great and a grieuous sinne For the second read Ephes 1.17.18 where the holie Ghost is called the Spirit of wisedome and Reuelation inlightening the eyes of our vnderstanding to know the hope of the calling of God c. Read also 1. Cor 2.9.10 The things which the eye hath not seene c. God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God And for the comfort of Hope see Rom 8.24 Wee are saued by Hope Thirdly for that desire and longing after Saluation which the holy Ghost worketh read in the same chapt the 23. verse and also verses 26.27 Wee which haue the first fruits of the Spirit doe euen sigh in our selues waiting for the Adoption euen the redemption of our bodies Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed c. And the children of God are noted by this property that they loue the saluation of God Psal 40.16 And which is in effect all one they are said to be such as loue the appearing of the Lord. 2. Tim. 4.8 And therefore they pray Come Lord Iesu come quickly Reuel 22 20. And Psal 119.41 Let thy louing kindnes come vnto me ó Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise Neuerthelesse they wayte with patience according to that of the Patriarke Iaacob Gen 49.18 O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation And as Simeon vppon whom was the holy Ghost as the Euangelist testifieth waited for the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 And as we read Rom 8.25 If we hope for that we see not we doe with patience abide for it According also to that in the 123. Psal Behold as the eyes of seruants looke to the hand of their Maisters and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her Mistres so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs. And that the holy Ghost causeth the children of God to mourne for their sinnes it hath beene shewed before in which respect they are said to be such as mourne in Sion Isai 61.3 The which mourning also ministreth hope of Gods mercy Lamen chap 5.19.20.21 Ezek chap. 9. For the proofe of the fourth branch read Rom 5.5 The loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. And chap 8.15.16 Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby wee crie Abba Father The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our Spirit that wee are the children of God Herein as the Apostle Peter teacheth wee haue cause to reioice with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious 1. Ep 1.8 And in comparison heereof all is but dung as the Apostle Paul truly estimateth Phil 3.8 Finally touching the care of further profitting both in knowledge faith and repentance which the holy Ghost worketh it may be proued from that wee read Philip 1.7 God will performe the good worke which hee hath begun And the prayer of the same Apostle warranteth the same 2. Thessa 1.11 God will fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnes and the worke of faith with power Hee will leade from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith and from glory to glory according to the image of God Rom 1.17 2. Corinth 3.18 Read also Prouerb 4.18 The way of the righteous shineth as the light which shineth more and more vnto the perfit day And for proceeding in knowledge consider of that 2. Cor 5.16 Henceforth know wee no man after the flesh yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh that is not so purely as we ought looking too much to his abasement c. Yet henceforth know we him so no more A figuratiue concession like to that 1. Corinth 4. ◠Consider also of the similitude which the same Apostle vseth in the 13. chap of the same Epistle verse 11. When I was a childe I spake as a childe I vnderstoode as a childe I thought as a childe but when I became a man I put away childish things So it is in the spirituall age as it were of Christ not onely in comparison of our estate heere with that it shall be in the Kingdome of glory but also in respect of that differing measure of grace heere in the Kingdome of grace which now wee speake of For as in the worke of nature all the parts and powers are not perfect at once but they growe in the wombe first Ecclesiast 11.5 and after by the milke of the mothers breast c so is it in the worke of grace Wee are borne of the Spirit wee must growe vp still by the
vires dum viribus adait Vires vt vigeat quod fuit ante nihil 5. Erigit Spiritus illapsos quia vis data saepe vacillat Erigit lapsoâ— spe iâ—het esse bona Psal 51.10 11.12 Spiritus aduersis cum mens sit languida rebus Erigit emergit mens modò prossa malis Spiritus erectos viâ— cum sit lubrica vitae Eph. 3.16 Ne recidant firmat si recidant queâ—uuat Spiritus imbelies diuinis imâ—uit armie 6. Confirmat Praelia prima decet posteriora fugat Ipsius arma fides spes coelestia verba Quae sanctis scriptis edidit ipse Deus Spiritus his armis Satanae mendacia pellit Ephes 6 1â— 11. c. His quisque tegitur tutos vbique manet Spiritus externis signis daâ— pignora certa Vine verbis addens pectora tarda mouet Spiritus hisce Dei diuinis dotibus auctum Dirigit rectis passibus ire facit Isai 63.13.14 Psal 143 1â—â— Spiritus acta regit voces corda gubernat 7. Regit Ne cor lingua manus sint superata malis Spiritus in laetis animum dat tristibus aequum 1. Thes 1.5.6 2. Ep 2.13.14 c. Vt grates habeat mens in vtrisque Deo iâ— Spiritus ornatos-donis regit arte peritos Vt sint sancta Dei munera sancta viris Epilogus Solatur Gignit Firmat Docet Erigit Auget Dirigit Oranti Spiritus ista dabit The same in English The Promise 1. The holy Ghost doth cleare the minde 2. He doth renewe the will 3. He doth the soule with comfort store 4. He doth all grace instill 5. When weaknes growes and flesh preuailes And grace doth take some foile The Spirit comes and flesh subdues The diuel doth recoile 6. With double strength grace fenced is And so more strong to fight The next assaltes are soone represt What force may foile Gods might 7. The holy Ghost of all mans life The guide and staie he is In all estates weake man he holdes Lest he should goe amisse For left to selfe as apt to straie Is man as seely sheepe And eke as apt to be destroide If God doe not him keepe Much lesse poore soule could he attaine To happie state in heauen If holy Ghost of all his gifts Withdrawe but one of them THe meaning of the Article thus explaned let vs now come to the promise Question Where haue wee any promise that the holy Ghost shall be giuen vnto vs Answer In the 11. chapter of Saint Luke verses 9.10.11.12 13. Rehearse you the words of the text Question Which are they Answer I say vnto you saith our Sauiour aske and it shall be giuen vnto you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For euery one that asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened If a Sonne shall aske bread of any of you that is a Father will he giue him a stone or if he aske a fish will he giue him a serpent Or if he aske an egge will he giue him a scorpion If ye then which are euill can giue good gifts to your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him ExplicatioÌ„ proofe A most gracious promise of a most glorious and mercifull Father and the same also most sweetly and familiarly illustrated and confirmed by our most blessed Lord and Sauiour to helpe the weaknes of our faith touching the assured perswasion of so singular a gift euen the gift of all gifts as wee may say c. For our Sauiour Christ knewe right well how great our weakenes of apprehension is this way in conscience of our vnworthines beside our slouthfulnesse in seeking after it the which he would by this his most gracious incouragement chase away Furthermore it serueth to this purpose very well The Comforts that the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of promise that is the promised Spirit Ephes 1.13 And the promise of the Father Act 2.33 The which promise of the Spirit that is the accomplishment of which promise we receiue through faith as the Apostle Paule affirmeth Gal 3.14 Wherefore wee most thankfully embracing this so high and pierlesse a promise let vs now proceede to consider of the vse of the doctrine and faith of this Article ANd first for comfort wherevnto the promise doth very aptly make way Question What is that Answer The comfort of beliefe in God the holy Ghost is most singular and therefore doth our Sauiour himselfe intitle him with name of the Comforter ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is true as we read Iohn chap 14. verse 16. I will pray the Father saith our Sauiour and he will giue yee another Comforter that he may abide with yee for euer And verse 26. But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father wil send in my name he will teach ye all things c. And againe chap 15.26 And chap 16 7. And most worthily is he called the Comforter because he alone doth in speciall mÌ„aner and most immediatly comfort vs against al temptations and causes of discomfort And also because he alone doth in like special maÌ„ner both giue vs the present comfortable feeling of all the sweet mercies of God in this life and also the ioyfull assurance and hope of all good things which are to come as wee shall see a none Question But first what are those temptations and causes of discomfort which the holy Ghost doth comfort vs against Answer First against our actuall sinnes and transgressions Secondly against our failings in all holy obedience Thirdly against our originall sinne and corruption of nature Fourthly against the troubles and afflictions of this present euill world Fiftly against the doubt of the truth of our faith and repentance and so of our election to saluation Sixtly against the discomfort of our continuall infirmities often renewed slips falls ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe These indeede are the singular comforts which the holy Ghost doth daily renew vnto vs and that vpon these occasions following For first whereas the diuel and our owne guiltie and vnbeleeuing hearts tempt vs that we must needes be condemned through the iust iudgement of God because of our manifold great sins insomuch as God is most iust and must needes take vengeance of all sinners the holy Ghost assureth vs to our comfort that all our sinnes are punished in our Sauiour Christ and that the iustice of God is fully satisfied by his death so that they shall not be laide any more to our charge Secondly whereas the diuel further obiecteth that although this were true that our sins are satisfied for yet we could not be accepted in the sight of God except we were righteous the holy Ghost assureth vs further that our Sauiour Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnes for vs and that hereof his resurrection is an euident
and all things that we doe according to his word well pleasing and acceptable before him Answere 1. It is by reason of that infinite loue of God wherewith hee hath made vs accepted to himselfe in his owne beloued Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse and whole obedience and worthinesse faith apprehendeth yea and maketh vs one with Christ himselfe by spirituall coniunction and that according to the most gracious and fatherly good will and pleasure of GOD toward vs in the same his Sonne 2. It is also because God esteemeth it the greatest honour which we can possibly doe vnto him yea and the very ground and originall of yeelding him any true henour at all when we doe beleeue in him as being most true and faithfull of his word aboue all that the naturall sense and reason of man can possibly conceiue and vnderstand 3. Furthermore because faith onely teacheth vs the true deniall of our selues and of all trust in any thing but in God alone 4. Finally because faith is instrumentally as it were the seede yea the very life of all true obedience vnto him Faith most pleasing to God and why There might more reasons bee alleadged from whence the excellencie of faith may be discerned as will further appeare by that which followeth but we will content our selues with these for the present Explicatiō and proofe Now for the proofe of them first let it be well considered that euen as God is in speciall manner pleased to shewe mercy for mercy pleaseth him Micah 7.18 so likewise doth faith singularly please him in so much as it maketh most precious account of his mercy and doth most dutifully attend vpon the same as we read Ps 147.11 The Lord delighteth in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercy Now if we shall inquire yet further why it is that the Lord delighteth so greatly to shewe mercie to miserable and sinfull men it is doubtles for no other cause but for that infinite loues sake which hee beareth first to his owne naturall and onely begotten son our Lord Iesus Christ and then to them for his sake in whom he hath adopted them according to that which we read Ephes chap. 1.5 6. c. Secondly we may see by that which is saide of Abraham how greatly God doth account himselfe glorified of those that do truly and constantly beleeue in him For so we read of Abraham that he gaue great glory to God in that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith aboue hope beleeued vnder hope c. He being fully assured that he who had promised was able also to doe it Ro. 4 18 19 20 21. And for this grace of faith all the seruants of God themselues are specially honoured graced as we may say according to that wee reade touching many particulars mentioned in the 11. ch of the ep to the Heb. from the beginning of the ch c. and as it is generally affirmed of them v. 39. All through faith obtained good report Whereas on the contrary they that beleeue not in God are charged to make God a lyar Then the which what greater dishonour can any doe to him who alone is the God of all truth 1. Iohn 5 10 And how also can they that be such more dishonour and reproch themselues For the third branch read Philip. 3 3 4 c. And here it may be wel worth the noting that as mans calling of the truth of Gods word into questiō was the beginning of mans fall from God so it pleaseth God that faith in the truth of his word promise should be the recouery revniting of man vnto God againe Finally call here againe to minde the words of the former answere Read also 2. Cor. 13 14. Gal. chap. 5 verse 6. VVhat Faith is BVt of the nature of faith wee are now in the next place to enquire further as after a iewell of speciall price and as after that which is the very staffe and stay of our soules as we haue partly beene giuē to vnderstand already Now therefore seeing faith is so excellent a grace shewe you yet more fully what the nature of it is Question How haue you learned to answere this so speciall a point Answere The faith whereby euery true beleeuer is iustified and saued is that most holy and excellent gift or grace of our spirituall regeneration and new birth wherein resteth the principall comfort of our soules here in this life The which arising from the knowledge of the glorious grace of God in the face of Iesus Christ and sweetly and comfortably reposing and resting it selfe onely and wholly vpon the vndoubted certaintie of the diuine truth and faithfulnes of Gods most gracious and free promise concerning the same our iustification and saluation by Christ yea laying sure hold vpon Christ himselfe in whom onely and al-sufficiently life righteousnes and saluation is to be found It hath furthermore many right worthy and admirable effects in the heart of euery true beleeuer Which are those so notable effects Question Answere 1. It reioyceth the heart of the true beleeuer with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 2. It imboldeneth him to make open profession and confession of his faith in the name of Iesus Christ euen in the middest of the most cruell despitefull aduersaries thereof 3. It causeth his soule What Faith is to haue good trust and affiance vnder the holy wings of the fatherly prouidēce protection of God in the most bitter tēptations trials of this life 4. It inciteth also and incourageth the beleeuer to earnest and constant prayer 5. It continually soliciteth to repentance and care of a godly life here in this world 6. Finally it is accompanied with hope and that also in a patient waiting for eternal happines and glory after this life in the kingdome of heauen That the true iustifying faith is of such an excellent nature as you haue described Explicatiō and proofe and that it worketh these so notable effects as you haue rehearsed it is euery where euident in the holy Scriptures as hath beene declared in the last Sermon vpon this point Let vs now briefly here call them againe to mind But first of all in so much as the word faith is vsed in the holy Scriptures in diuers and sundry significations it shall not be amisse for vs to set downe a note thereof And let vs beginne with this that faith is vsed sometimes to signifie the doctrine of faith as Act. chap 6 7. A great company and of the Priests some were obedient to the faith And againe chap. 13 8. Rom. 1 5 and chap. 3.31 and chap. 16 26. Gal. 1 22 and chap. 3 verses 2 5 23 and 1. Tim. verse 2 chap. 1. Paul writeth to Timotheus calling him his naturall sonne in the faith meaning to giue him this testimonie that hee was a true beleeuer according to the true doctrine of faith Read
the Churche Thus then wee may perceiue what the word to iustifie or iustification it selfe in the sight of God meaneth when we speake of our iustification by faith For it is nothing in effect but the apprehension and application of Christs righteousnes redemption to a mans selfe according to the free promise and gift of God whose good will and pleasure it is to impute it to euery true beleeuer as verily and fully as if hee had performed it himselfe Question But what doth the same worde signifie when the Apostle denyeth that to workes which hee ascribeth to faith hee affirming plainely and peremptorilie that no man can possiblie be iustified by his owne workes Answere The meaning is that no man either hath or can possiblie performe the morall workes commanded in the most holy and righteous law of God so perfectlie that he should thereby deserue to be accounted righteous before the iudgement seate of God and for the same to be worthy of that high rewarde of the Crowne of righteousnesse and glorie the which God of his free grace and mercie hath for his Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christes sake layde vp for those onely which beleeue in his name and loue and longe after his most glorious and blessed appearing ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe It is true So saith the Apostle Paul 2. Timoth 4.7.8 And againe Rom 3.20 Wee knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe saith it saith it to them which are vnder the lawe that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world be culpable before God Therefore by the workes of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne And in the same chapter verse 28. Therefore wee conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Likewise chapt 11. 6. and in many other places of his most holie Epistles But it may be obiected that the Apostle Iames seemeth to teach otherwise For hee affirmeth expressely that not onely Abraham that renowmed father of the faithfull but also that Rahab a heathen woman one that was before of an infamous condition of life was after that she beleeued iustified by her workes Question Howe therefore are these wordes of the Apostle Iames to be vnderstood Answere We are first of all vndoubtedly to perswade our selues that it neuer came into the Apostle Iames his minde to teach any thing in his holie Epistle contrarie no nor in any the least thing dissenting from the doctrine of the Apostle Paul ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe This ought to bee out of all question indeede For both the one and the other did both write and preach alwaies by one and the same most faithfull and constant Spirit of truth by whom no doubt they were perfectly guided led into all truth according to the promise of our Sauior Christ Iohn 16 13. And the rather are we thus to perswade our selues in the present pointe of doctrine because it is a doctrine both of the most singular honour and glorie to the most free grace and mercie of God and also of the greatest comfort to our owne poore soules that may be as was mentioned before Yea and further also of all other doctrines most effectuall to prouoke vs and all true beleeuers to all holy thankfulnes and good dutie toward the Lord God our most gratious and mercifull Father for the same And the rather also will we thus perswade our selues if we duly consider as the truth is that the doctrine of Iustification by workes and the imagined opinion of the merit and worthines thereof before the iudgement seate of God is as a learned and godly Father hath well obserued many waies exceedingly preiudiciall both to Gods glory and to our owne comfort and to the truth it selfe M Foxe in his obseruations concerning the doctrine of the lawe of God Act. And Mâ—n pag 894. For first as he truly saith they that teach Iustification by the workes of the lawe the which is contrary to the ende and scope of the lawe they do peruert all method and order of doctrine 2 They seeke that in the lawe which the lawe cannot giue 3 They are not able either to comfort themselues or other 4 They keepe mens soules in an vncertaine doubting of their saluation 5 They obscure the light of Gods grace 6 They are vnkinde to Gods benefits 7 They are iniurious to Christes passion Yea enemies to his crosse 8 They stop Christian libertie 9 They bereaue the Church the spouse of Christ of her due comfort as taking away the Sunne out of the world 10 In all their doings they shoote at a wrong marke For where Christ onely is set vp to be apprehended by our faith and so freely to iustifie vs they leauing this Iustification by faith set vp other markes partly of the lawe and partly of their owne deuising for men to shoote at This therefore as that learned Father hath obserued is the B. of Romes doctrine and not the doctrine of the Apostle Iames. Question How then is the Apostle Iames to be vnderstood in that he saith Abraham and Rahab were iustified by workes Answere The Apostle Iames hauing iust cause to reproue certaine vaine and carnall professours of the Gospell euen such as verbally and in word onely boasted of their faith but were altogether vnfruitfull in good workes he is accordingly veriâ— earnest in declaring not what are the causes of our Iustification as the Apostle Paul doth but onely what maner of faith the iustifying faith is whereby true beleeuers are iustified in the sight of God It is very true and so can it not but be acknowledged of euery vpright and diligent Reader Proceed you therfore to declare what manner of faith the true iustifying faith is according to the doctrine of S. Iames. Question How can you describe it according to the true intent of the Apostle Iames Answere He giueth plainly to vnderstand that the true iustifying faith is not an idle and vnfruitfull faith such as theirs was whom he iustly reproueth and therefore termeth it a dead faith but that it is such a faith as through the quickening grace of the holy Ghost worketh by loue Gâ—l 5. â— Heb. 11.33 and is fruitfull in the actions and duties thereof And that for the same cause it maâ— iustly be said that such as do so beleeue are by their workes that is to say by the fruites of their faith iustified to haue a true iustifying faith in deed to the comfort of their owne hearts and before the Church of God so farre as it may iudge and discerne Explication and proofe That this is the true scope of the doctrine of the Apostle Iames it will in deed appeare to euery one that will diligently and in the feare of God bend his minde to consider of it wisely comparing one thing with an other Let vs therfore yet againe vpon the occasion renewed vse some further diligence for the clearing of this point of
vnpossible that any who professing ChristaÌ„tie doe not beleeue in one onely God three distinct Persons should auoide the opinion either of many Gods or of the inequality of Gods For the name of God is coÌ„municated to euery one of these Persons in the holy Scriptures Finally they that doe not thus beleeue doe deny vnto God his due worship and honour seeing the Father requireth to bee honoured in his Sonne that his Sonne should be honoured with him and that both Father and Sonne should be honoured in and with the holy Ghost From all miserable vnbeliefe therefore specially from all hereticall blasphemous and obstinate contradiction to this so chiefe and foundamentall a point of our onely orthodoxe and true Christian faith the Lord our most gracious and mercifull God euen the Father for his onely Sonne our Lord Iesus Christs sake by the grace of the holy Gost preserue and keepe vs for euer Amen Thus much concerning the doctrine of beliefe in the most holy and glorious Trinitie of Persons in one onely true God more generally or coniointly Beâ—â—efe in God the Father Beliefe in God the Father The grouÌ„d of it HEnceforth wee are to examine the doctrine of our faith concerning euery distinct Person Question And first concerning the Father how doe the articles of our faith teach vs to beleeue in him Answere They doe teach vs to beleeue in the Father as in the almightie God the maker of heauen and earth It is so They are the very wordes of the Creed I beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth Here are many things to be considered Question BVt first of al what proofe haue you that God is a father or as the words of the articles of our beliefe are the Father that is such a father as none else is or possibly can be euen he that is almightie c. and that therefore wee are accordingly to beleeue in him Answere Beside other diuine testimonies we haue the witnes of Saint Paul in the 8. Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians the 5 and 6. verses And likewise in the 5. and 6. verses of the 4. chap to the Ephesians Rehearse you the words of the holy Apostle in the first of those places Question Which are they Answere Though saith the Apostle there be that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be many Gods and many Lords yet vnto vs there is but one God who is the Father of whom are all things and we in him Explication and proofe The meaning of the holy Apostle is that howsoeuer partly by most wicked and abusiue custome the name of God hath by idolaters beene vsually attrâ—buted to their idolls and false Gods for so as he saith there be many Gods and many Lords to wit coÌ„monly so called according to that 2. Kings chap. 1 2 and chap. 18 33 34 35. and Amos. 8.14 and Ier. 2 26. They say to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me for they haue turned their backe vnto me Read also Isaâ— châ—â—â— 1â—â—â— and not their face but in the time of their trouble they will say Arise and helpe vs. But where are thy Gods which thou hast made thee Let them arise if they can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble for according to the number of thy cities are thy Gods ô Iudah Thus I say howsoeuer as the Apostle saith partly by abusiue and idolatrous custome the name of God is ascribed to idolls and false Godâ— and partly also albeit God himselfe doe in most wise considerations as hath beene declared in the Treasury vpon the 5. Commandement impart his most holy honourable names God and Father to ciuil Magistrats and to naturall Parents c. Psal 82 and Iohn 10.34.35 36. and in many other plâ—ces Yet to speake properly and from the originall roote and fountaine of all Father-hood and power or authoritie God the father onely is both Father and God according to that of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 23 9. Call no man your Father vpon earth for there is but one your father euen hee that 〈◊〉 in heauen The other place to the Ephesians mentioned in the former answere is like to that alreadie rehearsed out of the Epistle to the Corinthians For these are the wordes of the Apostle in that fourth Chapter to the Ephesians There is one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all in you all Not that the diuine nature of God the father is mixed â—ith ours or with the nature of any other creature for he is onely and altogether entire and perfectly consisting in and by himselfe but because it is his power which continually supporteth all creatures as wel as at the beginning he did originally create and make them all Thus therefore seeing God is a father yea rather the onely father of all fatherhood that is so a father as none else is or can be as was said we haue no cause to doubt but that wee are to beleeue in him accordingly that hee is such a Father as is very true God euen God the Father almightie c. And thus when the Apostle Peter 1. Epist Chap. 1. verse 21. writeth that God hath raised vp Christ from the deade and giuen him glorie that our faith and hope might bee in God it is plaine from that which goeth before in the 17. verse that the Apostle writeth of that God who is the Father Yea euen our Father and the Father of all true beleeuing Christians by the grace of that adoption and couenant which of his infinite mercie it hath pleased him to make with vs through his owne onely and naturall Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ as we are hereafter further to consider And now furthermore this also we are to vnderstand that insomuch as our heauenly Father in whom wee are to beleeue is very true God therefore all the essentiall attributes of the diuine nature doe essentially belong vnto him in that he is the Father So that we are not onely to beleeue in him as in an Almightie Father of the which his almightie power wee are to consider afterward but also as in our eternall Father according to that which we read Isay chap 63.16 Thou ô Lord art our Father redeemer thy name is for euer Neither are we to beleeue in the Father onely as in an almightie and as in an eternall Father the maker of heauen and earth but also as in a most prouident Father euen the most gracious ruler and gouernour of all thinges specially ouer his Church As Iohn 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto saith our Sauiour Christ And Matth. 6.26 Your heauenly Father feedeth the foules of heauen And Chap. 10 29.30 A Sparrowe falleth not to the ground without your Father Yea and all the haires of your head be numbred Read also chap. 18.10 and 24.36 and 26.53 and Act. 1.7
in thy natiuitie when thou wast borne thy nauell was not cut c. And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood and I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy blood Thou shalt liue euen when thou wast in thy blood I said vnto thee thou shalt liue I caused thee to multiplie as the budde of the fielde c. Who duely considering this forlorne estate of the Church and of euerie member of it as the Lorde findeth it and the great pittle which hee taketh on it and the manifold blessings which hee bestoweth vpon it Who I say duelie considering these things can doe lesse then acknowledge that God is most highlie to be honoured and praised for euer therein and that the forgetfulnes thereof is a most hainous sinne And herewith also howe can it be thought but that it must be one bounden duetie to loue the Sonne of God with a singular loue in so much as God is not our Father but by meanes of him According to that which our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith Iohn 8.42 If God were your father then would you loue mee And likewise it is our dutie to loue the children of God for Gods cause who is their Father 1. Iohn 5.1.2 Euerie one that loueth him which begate loueth him also which is begotten c. Secondlie that this reason ought effectuallie to mooue vs to withdraw our selues from the lusts of sin c the Apostle Iohn telleth vs plainly saying 1. Epi 2.15.16 That the loue of the Father cannot be in them that loue the world the lusts thereof c. And ch 3. verse 3. That euery one that hath the hope of euerlasting life and glorie through the mercie and goodnes of God purgeth himselfe that is more and more indeuoureth after it by vsing all good and holie meanes appointed of God considering that God our heauenly father is pure and that no vncleane thing can haue any abiding with him Read also verse 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not c that is hee doth not giue himselfe ouer to sinne but earnestlie resisteth it c. Moreouer read Deuteron 14.1.2 Ioshua 24.1.2 c. Read also 2. Corinth 6.14 c. The want of this care in the people of God who glorie in this that God is their father it is no lesse iustlie then vehementlie reproued in the holy Scriptures as Deuteron 32.4.5.6 Isai chapt 1. verses 2.3.4 and Ierem chap 2.26.27.28 and chap 3. verses 2.3.4.5 and verses 19.20.21.22 The third part of the Answere resteth vpon as good reason and is a consequent of the former For wherfore is vndutifulnes reprooued but to the ende that the children of God should be stirred vp to care and conscience of all good dutie To this purpose therefore let vs thinke often of the holie and zealous exhortation of the Apost Pet 1. Epist chap 1. verses 13 14 15 16. c. in these words Wherefore gyrde vp the loines of your minde c. as obedient children c As hee which hath called you is holie so be ye holie c. And if yee call him Father who iudgeth without respect of persons c. Let no word of so weightie and preâ—ious an exhortation be vnweighed and vnvalued of vs. Read also Iohn 4.23 The hower cometh and now is saith our Sauiour Christ to the woman of Samaria when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father requireth euen such to worship him And 2. Cor. chap 7.1 The holy Apostle of our Sauiour Christ hauing made mention of the most gratious promise of God that hee will be a Father to all such as shall forsake Idolatrie and the fellowship of Idolaterâ— he thervpon inferreth this his earnest exhortation Seeing then we haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthines of the fleshe and of the â—pirit and grow vp vnto full holines in the feare of God Read also 2. Epist of Iohn verses 4.9 And Mal cha 1.6 A Sonne honoureth his Father saith the Lorde by his Prophet and a seruant his maister If then I be a Father wher is my honour And if I be a maister where is my feare saith the Lorde of Hostes c. In all these places of holie Scripture wee see how the spirit of God calleth for all manner of good duetie toward God in this respect especiallie that he is a most gratious and honourable Father aboue all other And hee doth it most iustlie For seeing ther are no naturall parents which doe not or which may not of good right looke for readie and constant dutie from their children while they themselues performe the care of good parents toward them And on the contrarie if children shall stubbornelie refuse to yeelde good duetie to their parents they aâ—e so farre from taking delight to heate their children to call them Father that they rather enter into purpose to cast them off and to refuse to take them for their children Infinitelie much more may the Lorde God our heauenly Father cast off all such as hypocriticallie call him Father and in the meane sâ—ason denie the obedience of children vnto him For in verie truth they shew themselues not to be the kâ—ndely children of God but the base borne of their father the Deuill as wee shall haue further occasion to obserue and to produce some proofe of it by and by In the meane while for the shutting vp of this pointe worthie is the example of him whom our Sauiour Christ describeth for the common imitation of euerie true childe of God that after former â—eglect of his dutie shall returne to performe the dutie of a childe againe Father saith he and so is euerie one of vs to say in remembrance of our former vndutifulnes I haue sinned against heauen and against thee I am not worthie to be called thy Sonne c. Now further as touching the fourth branch of the answere which sheweth that it is required of euerie true childe of God that he bee an imitator of God himselfe in all goodnes and helpfulnes towards others read Matth 5.43 c. and Luk 6.35.36 And Ephes chapt 5.1.2 Be yee therefore followers of God as deare children and walke in loue c. And Coloss â— 12 Nowe therefore as the elect of God holie and beloued put on tender mercie kindenes c. And 1. Iohn â— 10 in this are the children of God knowen and the children of the Deuill Whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother For this is the message that yee hearde from the beginning that we should loue one another Not as Caine who was of the wicked and slewe his brother c. Reade a so in the Gospell according to Iohn chap 8.44 They that doe the lusts of the Deuils as our Sauiour Christ saith they are not the children of God but of their father the Deuill To conclude this fourth branche that the houshold of Faith
So ganne the second night Thus first daies mightie worke we see How day it selfe was made 5. Yea day and night of better part First day so calde of God Iâ—aâ— 45.7 And though the darkenes was not ill A thing which God had made Yet light by name God called good More ioious farre then shade 6. God said againe let spreading out The waters goe betweene And part lowe deepe from loftie clowdes Whence fall downe shall the raine 7. And euery vpper region So high as may be seene With sundrie loftes which God prepard For all the Hostes of heauen 8. This space so high so wide spread forth And chambred in such sort God called heauen so second day To ende was fully brought 9. In third day cleared was the earth And cleane from waters ridde Both Ilands small and countries great which acepes before had hidde 10. For waters huge at Gods command Did gather to their place So â—uâ—es and dales with champion fieldes Gaue earth a goodly face Gen 2.10 c. and 104 10.11.12 All springs and channells were likewise 11. Disposed on third day 12. Yea trees herbs all good with fruits 13. God made without delay 14. The fourth was spent in making lights Though light was made before It pleased God that Sunne and Moone With Starres of endles skore 15. Should order day night thence forth 16. Yea moneths and yeares define 17. And to all workes wrought vnder heauen 18. Fit seasons to assigne 19. 20. The fift daies worke was water worke 21. In it the seas were storde 22. With fishes great with fishes small 23. All sorts made very good Fift day likewise was aierie worke For fowles therein were made All sorts were made in sky to fly As fish in Seas to wade 24. WheÌ„ sixt day came the Lord did make All creatures earth to fill 25 Beastes wilde and tame with creeping things All good of Gods good will 26. But man was last of all the rest Though chiefe by Gods intent As God himselfe doth plainely shewe That so at first be meant For making man by chiefe aduise Most like vnto himselfe He gaue him rule of all belowe With flore of heauenly wealth H'inricht his soule with gifts diuine In knowledge and in will Not man alone but mans fit helpe Made fit by heauenly skill This is in briefe whole sixe daies worke All wondrous workes of God Thinke on them well yeeld him all praise He made all perfit good God our Lord euen for Iesus Christs sake giue vs all grace so to doe For there is exceeding great cause thereof in respect of God himselfe who is most worthy all honour and glory And it is also very good and comfortable euen to our â—wne soules that we should so doe as we are hereafter in the collection of the duties further to obserue BVt before we come to the duties we are to consider the promise and then also the comforts which belong to that faith or beliefe which wee haue conceâ—ning the almightie creation of God our heauenly Father and the seuerall workes thereof First therefore what say you of the promise Question Iâ—â—â—e e any promise at all concerning the creation the seueral works theroâ— wherevnto our faith should looke for the stay and comfort of it Concerning the creation considered in it selfe from the beginning of it The Promise it cannot be saide that there was any promise made of it For there was no creature to whom the performance of it should be promised And therefore it must needes rest altogether in the hidden secret of Gods owne most fatherly and diuine purpose and counsell Answere But so soone as God had once created all his workes forthwith it pleased him to make knowne to mankinde the last of his creatures that hee had made all his creatures of this visible world for their benefit comfort and seruice vpon condition that they would faithfully serue and honour his diuine Maiestie first in themselues and then in the right vse of the rest of his creatures And this most gracious manifestation of Gods purpose herein was as speedie a promise and assurance as might be that the creation of God and the seuerall workes thereof were at the least in a very great part euen for them and consequently for all the posteritie that should come of them Explication and proofe It is very true For so doe the wordes of God himselfe immediately after the Creation was finished giue plainely to vnderstand Gen 1.26.27.28.29 where wee see both the diuine purpose and also the performance of God in this behalfe Yea Gen chap 2. uerses 19.20 we may perceiue the purpose and will of God to be such so soone as Adam was created euen before woman was yet taken out of his side The same promise of God thus intended and reuealed from the beginning is afterward more plainly repeated and expressed after the deluge or drowning of the world as wee reade Gen 8.21.22 The Lord as the prophet Moses writeth smelled a sauour of rest and the Lord saide in his heart I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause c. Hereafter seede-time and haruest and cold and heate and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease so long as the earth remaineth And yet further chap 9 1.2.3 it followeth thus And God blessed Noah and his Sonnes and saide to them Bring yee forth fruite and multiplie and replenish the earth Also the feare of you and the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth and vpon euery foule of the heauen vpon all that moueth on the earth and vppon all the fishes of the Sea into your hand are they deliuered Euery thing that moueth and liueth shall bee meate for you as the greene herbe so haue I giuen them all to you And this verily is a very princely and comfortable prerogatiue that God hath giuen man authoritie to kill and destroy those creatures which either proue hurtfull while they liue or may be profitable to them by their death Moreouer Iob chap 5.23 It is affirmed from this promise and charter of the Lord that the stones of the field shall be in league and the beasts of the field at peace c. with the seruants of God Likewise Hosh 2.21.22 thus we read And in that day I will heare saith the Lord I will euen heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth And the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle c. Neuertheles because these and such like promises doe rather pertaine to the prouidence of God in the gouernment of his creatures then to the creation of them therefore it shall bee sufficient thus farre forth to haue touched this point reseruing the more full handeling thereof till wee come to the promise belonging to the prouidence of God NOw in the next place let vs proceede to the comforts arysing from beliefe in God the Father in respect of his almightie creation
which is most iustly fallen vpon them for it Nay rather herein the sinne of Eue was the greater because she suffered so base a creature as the Serpent was to blaspheme God as it did and did not rather forthwith euen at the mention of the first word abhorre it yea because she did not rather put it to present death then to haue consented Explication and proofe This indeed would haue beene a worthy sacrifice as it were vnto God if she had had the grace so to haue done or at the least to haue most vehemently rebuked it and to haue taken aduise with her husband what had beene best to be done in so great and blasphemous an indignitie offered principally to God and then also to themselues And the sinne of Adam also was the greater because he did giue place to the perswasion of his wife whom he as her head and guid appointed by God should haue reproued and disswaded from so hainous a sinne Hetherto we see what is meant by the fall of mankinde NOw therefore that we may proceed to consider of the holy prouidence of God herein First how can you shew that it may stand wel with the good prouidence of God that so many of his chiefe creatures created very good to wit all mankind beside many of the Angels should be so left of God that they should thus wofully fall away from him and plunge themselues for euer into so grieuous miserie when as hee could by his holy prouidence as wee would thinke most graciously haue preserued them from the same Question How therefore I say may we iustifie this to stand well with the gracious prouidence of God yea with that which we call the more speciall prouidence of God concerning his speciall creatures Answere The wisedome and iustice of God is so high aboue all that we can conceiue that wee neede not doubt but he knoweth a perfect reason and is able throughly to iustifie himselfe though we should plead nothing on his behalfe It is very true that you say according to that which we read Psal 51.4 God will approue himselfe to be righteous when he speaketh and pure when he iudgeth ExplicatioÌ„ proofe Neuerthelesse it will not stand with our dutie so to leaue the defence of GOD against those which cauill at his most holy iustice If the cause of a false God came into question we might well say with Ioash the father of Gideon Let Baal pleade for himselfe Iudges 6.31 But seeing it is the most holy and iust cause of the onely true God euen the Lord our God and heauenlie Father howsoeuer hee is able indeede most sufficiently to pleade his owne cause without vs yet as was said it standeth not with the dutie of the least of his seruants to neglect to alledge what they can for the maintaining of his righteousnes against euery aduersarie that feareth not to speake euill of the same I doe therefore very earnestly desire that you should for the discharge of your most bounden duty and therein for the glory of God and peace of your owne conscience say something to this point How may it stand with the good prouidence of God Question How may we cleare the Lord from all fault or iust blame herein Answere God of his goodnes gaue both the Angels which fell and also mankinde in the beginning of their creation a pure and holy freedome of will yea and power also to haue continued therein if they would haue earnestly setled themselues to haue aboade in obedience to that most holy commandement which hee had made knowne vnto them But they of their owne accord contrarie to his reuealed will forsaking his commandement lost their freedome and so haue lost the fauour of God made themselues both vassalls to sinne and also subiect to Gods wrath as a iust punishment of the same And beside this it must needes in all good reason bee iudged most equall and meete that the Creator should in such sort create his creatures and also set them in such an estate and condition as they might knowe and finde in themselues that they are but creatures This could not haue beene vnlesse they had beene created so as they must finde it necessarie for them to depend continually vpon the fauour and supportance of their Creator and that for the same cause they should see themselues to stand most bound to humble themselues and to yeeld all faithfull and constant seruice and duty vnto him Yea moreouer this could not haue beene vnlesse also they had beene set in such an estate as it might be possible for them by vndutifulnes to fall from the same fauour and supportance of their most gratious Creator Finally it could not haue beene vnlesse through their owne default God himselfe iustly permitting the same they might haue sinned against him ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is very true For nothing could seperate the good creature of God from the most good gratious Creator but the wicked disobedience vnfaithfull departure of the creature froÌ„ him And is it not very equall meet that when the creature will not retaine his liberty that God should leaue him to himselfe and so to find the inconuenience euill of his owne losse Verily it is wonder saue that many haue lost all true light of reason that any should be found so foolish void of vnderstanding that they should not perceiue that the most wise iust God knoweth well how to permit yea to giue ouer his creature to the owne sinne and not to stay him when he seeth that he will wilfully runne into it and yet to keepe his owne most holy Maiestie most perfectly free from the least iust and deserued blame Yea be it further granted as the truth it selfe requireth that God should purpose decree in himselfe before the world was that both many of the Angels also whole mankind should through their owne default depart from him sin against him and so iustly depriue theÌ„selues of his grace fauour therwithall procure his wrath heauy punishments to fall vpon theÌ„selues it is wonder that any specially of those who haue the instructions of the worâ— of God before theÌ„ should shew themselues more wicked in this behalfe theâ— the Apostatate Angels Adam Eue theÌ„selues Who knowing best in what condition manner God had created theÌ„ durst not neither could find any iust ground in their owne knowledge or conscience wherfore they should lay any the least blame vpon the Lord. Adam indeed pretendeth The grouÌ„d and meaning of it as if he had some colour of defence for himselfe in that he saith to God The woman which thou gauest me she gaue me of the tree and I did eate Wherin he layeth blame vpon his wife but he durst not lay any blame vpon the Lord neither had he any cause And no doubt the Angells that fell were and are â—ill so shall remaine for euer no lesse conuicted in
world an earnest longing after the Kingdome of heauen c. Verily we could neither knowe God so well in his mercy nor in his righteousnes nor in his power nor in his wisedome nor in his faithfulnes nor in any of his diuine vertues neither yet our selues so well either in our frailtie and miserie or in our peace and prosperitie as by experience of afflictions through the grace of our gracious good God and mercifull Father we learne to doe Thus aboundant that wee doe not say infinite is the commoditie of the fatherly afflictions of God laid vpon his owne deare children But that which hath beene deliuered shall for the present suffice vntill it may please God to inrich vs with a more full supply Hitherto therefore of the commodities and fruites of afflictions LEt vs now henceforth proceed for a while to inquire after the comfortes which are to be found in them at the least after the chiefe and principall of them It is true indeed that the former vses being profitable they are also to all those that feele the fruit of them euen in the same respect very comfortable also as we may euidently perceiue by the testimonie of the holy Ghost Heb 12.5 c. Where both the comfort also the profit of afflictions are lincked together Of the which place more is to be said afterward And beside insomuch as touching earthly profit it is found true that the sent of gaine is pleasant Suauis odor lucri infinitely much more ought that heauenly and spirituall gaine which groweth from the fatherly corrections of God duly pondered and weighed to be delightfull pleasant and comfortable vnto vs. But seeing there are some vses of afflictions which doe more properly and entirely belong to comfort let vs come to them as comming yet something more properly vnder the name of comfort Question Which may they be Answere First it is very comfortable to consider that no affliction commeth without the most wise louing and fatherly prouidence of God Secondly in that God is neuer nearer nor more tenderly affected yea euen as it were with bowelicke compassion toward his children then when they are in greatest distresse and trouble Thirdly if we doe willingly suffer affliction for wel-doing and while we walke in the holy waies of God we haue our communion with our Sauiour Christ in whose afflictions all ours are sanctified and made both comfortable and profitable vnto vs. For they are so many witnesses of our adoption to be the children of God and that we are liuely members of the mysticall body of Christ Fourthly the holy Ghost our most inward and sweete comforter euen the spirit of the highest glory proceeding from God the Father and the Sonne resteth vpâ—n vs and doth most immediately communicate the perfit comfort of the whole blessed Trinitie vnto vs. Sixtly we haue in our afflictions a holy communion and fellowship with all the faithfull as brethren fellow-members with them in Christ insomuch as it is the very coÌ„mon beaten high way which God himselfe hath laid out for all his children to trauell through the same vnto his heauenly kingdome Moreouer the holy afflictions wherewith God doth exercise vs doe priuiledge and respite vs from infinite worldly cares and troubles the which no doubt would for our sins haue fallen vpon vs if we had continued in them and if we had not beene taken vp and had as it were receiued our presse mony to be otherwise imploied in the speciall seruice and as it were warfare of the Lord. And yet further the more sharpe and fierie hote our afflictions are so much the more speâ—dy and swift forerunners or as it were harbengers are they to make way for speciall comfortes so much the more shortly to followe after But be it that most hote and vehement afflictions for the Lords cause and his Gospel are continue a long while as we count length of time yet the longest and the same also the sharpest that may be if they bee truly measured and weighed they are but momentanie and light in comparison of that which otherwise and in more terrible and fearefull manner our sinnes haue deserued Or much rather in respect of that most excellent and eternal weight of glory whereunto through the infinite mercie of God our heauenly Father they doe as secondarie and helping causes preferre and aduance vs. Finally infinite almost in number and varietie as wel as endles in continuance are the manifold comforts belonging to the sundrie and manifold afflictions and trials of the deare children of God for righteousnes and the Gospels sake aboue that any not throughly exercised therewith shal euer know or feele what they doe meane Explication and proofe So great and so many yea euen almost about number indeede are the sundry and often renewed comforts of the afflicted seruants of God the which the children of this world cannot possibly be acquainted withall For they doe not belong vnto them neither can they receiue them because they cannot rereiue him who is the onely immediate giuer and worker of al comfort According to that of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 14. ver 16.17.18 I will pray the Father and he will giue you an other comforter that hee may abide with you for euer Euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in you I wil not leaue you as orphanes or comfortles but I wil come vnto you And againe verse 27. Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth doe I giue vnto you Let not your heart be troubled Or timerous and fearefull c. It is the part or rather the blot and iust reproach of an vnfaithfull friend to faile his friend in time of neede Our Sauiour Christ therefore being a most faithfull friend yea euen the fountaine as it were of all true friendship and fidelitie he promiseth assuredly and will most certainely performe himselfe to be a most trustie and infallible friend yea more then a friend vnto all that doe approue their faithfulnesse to him in the holy profession and obedience of his Gospell And verily if our Sauiour Christ had not alwaies hetherto performed his promise of sending his holy spirit that perfect Comforter to his seruants with his aboundant and manifold consolation according to the manifold and exquisite molestations and torments of their persecutors they could neuer haue indured those sharpe and cruell though more speedy torments executed by thâ— heathen Much lesse the late more lingering cruelties of the false-beleeuing and hereticall brood of Antichrist by their long tedious and most vncomfortable imprisoning and dungeoning of the true seruants of God And therewithall by their famishing of them by their often railing examinations and siftings by their base and craftie false glozings and flatteries to seduce them by their bitter scoffings not onely at themselues which they could
contradiction that our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is both God and man in one onely Person of a mediator betwixt God and man For so it is necessary for our saluation as may be euidently perceiued by that which hath beene said alreadie Question But what is the reason why he that is our mediator to God must be both God and man in one Person Answere The reason as I haue beene taught is for that if he had not beene man he could not by his sufferings haue satisfied the iustice of God who in his iustice was to punish that nature which had offended him And if hee had not beene God hee could not for one moment haue endured that intollerable burthen of the wrath of God which hee must of necessitie endure that was to make satisfaction for our sinnes Neither could he in so short a time as he suffered haue made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs. Neither could hee haue vanquished our so mightie aduersaries as Sinne Death Hell and the Diuell are Finally hee could not haue purchased and atchieued the crowne of euerlasting happines and glorie for vs most vnworthy and miserable sinners if he had not beene in our nature Immanuel that is God with vs for vs euen very true God and eternall life it selfe Explicatiō and proofe It must needes haue beene so indeede For insomuch as there is no Sauiour that can saue with an eternall saluation but the Lord God the eternall Iehoua as God himselfe often affirmeth and namely Isai 43.11 Neither is there any other name in heauen or in earth whereby we can be saued but by our Sauiuor Christ Act. 4.12 It must therefore follow that our Sauiour and Mediatour betwixt God and vs must needes be God And that euen because as was touched before the most high and infinite merit of the sufferings of our Sauiour and consequently all the most worthie and mightie effects thereof doe depend vpon it as may easily bee perceiued by calling to minde that which is written Act. 20.28 Likewise Colos 1.12 13 14 c. and chap. 2.8 9 10. and Heb. 7. the whole chapter and Reuel 5.2 3 4 5 c. 9 10 c. None was found worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof but onely our Sauiour who alone was killed and who alone hath redeemed vs to God by his blood c. And for the same cause it was that the Sonne of God did not take the nature of the Angells but the nature of man as it is expresly obserued Heb. chap. 2. verses 14 15 16 17 18. Reade also Matth. chap. 1. verse 23. The Angell sent from God to Ioseph saith They shall call his name that is the name of the man childe to bee borne of the Virgine Marie Immanuel the which as the Euangelist obserueth is by interpretation GOD WITH VS Thus therefore it behooued that onely the Almighty God in the fraile nature of man should be a meet sufficient Mediatour and Sauiour for vs. And thus I trust that by the grace of God we haue had a sufficient declaration of the meaning of these wordes of our beliefe In Iesus Christ the onelie Sonne of God our Lord. NOW that wee may goe forwarde let vs come to the promise where-vnto our faith is to looke for the support and stay of it in this so necessarie a point The Promise Que. What promise therefore haue we in the holy Scriptures that the Son of God both God and man being anointed of God to be the Christ and a Sauiour and the Lord ouer his Church shall be our Lord and Sauiour a Prophet high Priest and King vnto vs to saue vs and so many as shall truly beleeue in him Answere We haue the promise hereof euen from the beginning of the world immediately after the fall of mankinde a◠hath by another occasion been answered before out of the third chapter of Genesis Where God himselfe saith The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Explication and proofe This seed here spoken of in way of prophetical promise is no doubt Christ the Sonne of God whom now we speake of according to that of the Apostle Paul Gal. ch 4. verse 4. When the fulnes of the time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law that we might receiue the adoption of Sonnes So that here wee haue both the most ancient and as we may say the primitiue promise of the Gospel and there-withall also the performance of it in the due and proper season appointed therevnto by God himselfe who onely is the vndoubted and most faithfull Author of it Moreouer the Angells interpretation of the name Iesus giuen to the Sonne of God by the commandement of God himselfe as we haue seene before containeth a promise of saluation to the whole Church by him Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Reade also Isai 49.6 It is a small thing saith the Lord that thou shouldest be my seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iaakob and to restore the desolations of Israel I will also giue thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou maiest be my saluation vnto the end of the world That is ouer the whole earth both to Iew and Gentile There are many such testimonies And yet further all the anointed and consecrated high Priests Prophets and Kings of Iudah and Israel before the comming of our Sauiour Christ they were so many visible or typicall promises as one may say of spirituall redemption and saluation by him But let vs inquire more particularly for the gratious promises of God in this behalfe Question And first of all What promise haue we that the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ should be a Prophet to the Church to teach it the will of God most perfitly as it were from the bosome of the Father Answere We haue the promise hereof expresly recorded in the 18. verse of the 18. chapter of the fift booke of the Prophet Moses called Deuteronomie Rehearse the words I will raise thee vp a Prophet saith the Lord to Moses from among thy brethren like vnto thee and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all that I shall command him Explication and proofe That this promise is made concerning our Sauiour Christ Reade Acts. 3.22 23 24 25 26. Reade also Isaiah chap. 61. verse 1 c. and Luke 4 1◠c. This was vpon these grounds and testimonies of the holy Prophets so vulgarly expected in Israel that euen the profane woman of Samaria professeth her selfe to be assured that the Messias should come and shew himselfe a most perfect Prophet and Teacher I know well saith she that the Messias shall come who is called Christ When he is come he will tell vs all things And herevnto
duties of faith in the comfort of this that the Sonne of God our Lord and Sauiour is the Christ or anointed of God Question And first concerning his anointing to be a Prophet vnto vs. What may these duties be Answere The comfort of faith herein requireth this dutie first and principally that we doe most reuerendly obey him in his word and Gospell and ministerie thereof with care of continuall profiting in knowledge and faith and in euery other grace Secondly that we doe labour according to the encrease of our owne knowledge and the comfort of our faith c. euery one to further and profite those that belong vnto vs. Thirdly it is our dutie to beleeue as vndoubtedly those things which our Sauiour hath prophecied and fore-told that they shall hereafter come to passe as those things which hee hath taught set downe for the perpetuall instruction of his Church It is verie meet and necessarie that it should be so For to what other ends should we thinke that God hath anointed him to be a Prophet vnto vs but that wee should receiue all such instruction from him as hee was to giue and hath giuen vs to make vs wise yea more and more wise vnto saluation The children of the former Prophets Explicatiō and proofe stood bound to profit by those that were sent vnto them Act. 3.25 much more then wee that are the children of this most high Prophet the Prince of all the rest Heb 2.13 But let vs more distinctlie consider the particulars of the answer And first that we must in respect of this Prophesie of our Sauiour heare obey his doctrine wee haue the commandement of God as we may remember Matth 17.5 And 2. Pet 1.17 Hee receiued of God the Father honour and glorie saith the Apostle when this voice came to him from the excellent glorie c. Here also call to minde againe Matth 23.8.10 It may iustlie be accounted a most absurd thing for anie to professe themselues Christians and to haue bene schollers of Christ and yet to be ignorant of the knowledge of Christ and of that mysterie of redemption and saluation which hee hath both taught plainely and wrought effectuallie for all that doe truelie beleeue in him Verilie none of that sorte euer entred the right way into the profession of Christianitie Doubtles they came not in by the dore for then they should haue bene let in by the keye of knowledge The which seeing they want it is apparant that they rather crept in at the windowe like theeues and church-robbers then otherwise And therefore they haue neede to looke better to themselues For if they haue no knowledge it is certaine that they haue no faith and so consequentlie that they cannot be saued Wee thinke it a iust cause of reproofe to yong children and a discredit to their Schoolemaisters if they do not in some good proportion profit in learning according to the time of their going to schoole And Cicero a heathen wise man reasoneth with his sonne that hee ought to haue made no small profiting vnder a choice teacher and in so learned an vniuersitie as hee had sent him vnto though hee had as yet bene there but one whole yeere What then shall wee say of our selues if after many yeares teaching vnder the ministerie of the Gospell wee be found olde truantes and non proficientes in the schoole of Christ the chiefe Teacher whose doctrine is the most excellent doctrine and his teaching the most powerfull teaching that can be The reproofe of the Apostle is iust against all such Hebr 5.12 in that wheras they ought to haue so farre profited that they might haue ben teachers of others they are yet ignorant of the first principles of the word The punishment also belonging vnto this sinne is verie fearefull as wee shall haue occasion to obserue further anone Thus then according to the first branch of the answere we may easilie see that it is a dutie where-vnto we are streightlie bound to heare and obey the most holie prophesie and doctrine of our Sauiour Christ and that vnder the great perill of our soules to the contrarie Nowe secondlie that it is furthermore in the same respect the dutie of euerie Christian to further another according to his owne profitting in his seuerall place and calling the Minister of the worde his people parentes and Maisters of families their children and seruantes and euerie one his companion friend and neighbour Wee may plainely perceiue by the parable of the Talents Matth 25. verses 14.15 c. 30. Read also 2. Corinth 3.1 And Hebr. 6.1 Moreouer read Ephes 6.4 And in the fourth commandement of the morall lawe of God And yet further read Isai ch 2. verses 2.3 againe Micah 4.1 Mal 3.16 By these testimonies the second branch may be plentifullie confirmed The third dutie is likewise euident by those manifold testimonies which are euery where giuen concerning the most perfect truth and faithfulnes of our Sauiour Christ in euery point of his doctrine as hath beene declared at large before And seeing euery prediction of his seruants the Prophets haue beene fulfilled in their times and seasons alwaies hetherto how may we doubt of the fulfilling of any the predictions of our Sauiour himselfe And the rather also because some of them are fulfilled since he fore-told them as namely his owne sufferings and the destruction of Ierusalem These are the duties of faith in due regard of the propheticall office of our Sauiour The duties belonging to the comfort of his most royall and holy Priesthoode remaine yet to be considered of vs. Which therefore are the duties of faith Question in respect of this combined comfort of his Kingdome and Priesthood Answere In so much as faith assureth vs to our comfort that by our Sauiour Christ and through that redemption which he hath wrought for vs we are aduanced in a spirituall manner answerable to the nature of his Kingdome to be here on the earth Kings and Priest vnto God it doth from the same comfort teach vs that it is our dutie to offer vp our selues our soules and our bodies a liuely sacrifice holie and acceptable to God in the crucifying of our wicked flesh with the lusts thereof and in rising vp to care and conscience of yeelding vnto him the holy fruites of a new life Secondly as a further fruit of the comfort hereof and of the same our care it is our dutie to offer vp euery spirituall sacrifice of true christian obedience and namely contrition of heart praier praise and almes-giuing Thirdly it is our dutie from the vertue of the princely power of our Lord Iesus Christ deriued vnto vs continually to subdue keepe vnder not only sin and the lusts thereof but also the suggestions of the diuel this world that they neuer reigne or rule ouer vs. Finally it is our dutie in the same respect if neede so require that we doe offer vp our liues themselues as
though this his mighty working by creation may be called also a kinde of begetting in such sense as God is called a Father partly in regard of his works of creation as hath beene declared heretofore The second thing to be obserued in the report of this promise of conception is the instrumentall or materiall cause thereof which was the Virgine Marie So that the word Conceiued is to be referred both to the holy Ghost and also to the blessed Virgin to him as to the author of the conception to her as to the instrument ministring the matter of the conception The reuelation of this most extraordinary conception thus promised to the Virgin Marie is to be accounted of vs a singular mercy and fauour of God not only to the Virgin her selfe but also to vs to the whole Church of God To Marie because otherwise she could not haue possibly conceiued in her minde that her body had beene conceiued by the holy Ghost with the Sonne of God She should haue beene confounded rather then reioyced at this so strange and vnsearcheable a worke of God Well might she haue had peace in her conscience in that she knew well that she had neuer dishonested her selfe but comfort of faith how could she haue had any but by reuelation from God The reuelation of this mystery therefore was a singular mercy of God to Marie her selfe as was said But not onely to her but also to vs and to the whole Church as was further affirmed And the rather considering as well the honourable Messenger that was sent euen the holy Angell of God as the notable manner of his doing of the message from the Lord. First by an vnwonted salutation verse 28. Secondly by a sweete and comfortable incouraging of the blessed Virgin against her feare by reason of his sodaine appearing to her being alone and because of the same his strange and vnwonted salutation verse 30. Thirdly by a plaine narration of the whole matter vnto her with an excellent description of the childe what maner of one he should be ver 31 32 33. Fourthly by a notable description of the manner of the conception how it should be wrought and effected in the wombe of the Virgin for her further satisfaction and confirmation against all her doubtings verse 35. Yea so as the Angel would not leaue her till she was put out of all doubt To the which end he gaue her also a very rare signe and token for the further establishing of her faith For he discouereth vnto her the conception of old barren Elizabeth and the time how long since so that she might perceiue that Elizabeth was then vpon her quickening with childe verses 36.37 as Marie found it to be true shortly after euen as the Angell had told For shee going to Elizabeth at her very comming to her the childe did spring in the wombe of Elizabeth and therevpon Elizabeth moued by the holy Ghost reioyced and saluted Marie by the most honourable name of the mother of the Lord and shewed her selfe thankfull to God Wherevpon Marie also brake forth in a very heauenly and propheticall thanks-giuing as it followeth in the same chapter So then from this notable message of the Angel the Virgin Marie being plainely informed and obtaining victorie both against her astonishment and also against all succeeding doubtings it is so much the more vndoubted a confirmation to our owne faith that she was that Virgin which God in his most holy prouidence had set apart and appointed therevnto To the which purpose also the diligence of the holy Euangelist yeeldeth a memorable furtherance in that he certifieth vs of the time when this blessed message was sent to what place to what person euen to this Marie whom he also describeth by as particular circumstances as might be verses 26.27 Thus the narration of this immediate promise of the conception of our Sauiour by the holy Ghost was a great mercie of God The Comforts both to the blessed Virgine Marie and also to vs and to the whole Church of God ANd thus being assured of the promise wee come to inquire of the Comforts Question arising to our faith from the assurance of the same What may these comforts be Answere This most holy conception of our Sauiour Christ is as it were the foundation of all our comfort concerning his humane nature in so much as if he had not been conceiued he could neuer haue beene borne nor haue wrought or suffered any thing at all for vs. Likewise the comfort is exceeding great in that we are hereby assured that hee in whom we belieue is not only the true Christ according to the prophesies of the holy Scriptures fulfilled in his conception but also that he was euen from his conception perfectly fitted to be a most worthie al-sufficient mediator and Sauiour vnto vs and for vs. Moreouer the vnion of our humane nature in him to the diuine is generally the ground of all comfort in so much as hereby his humane nature is made the meanes and as it were the condite-pipes to cleanse our filthy nature and to conuay all graces and euen the gift of eternall life it selfe vnto vs from the diuine nature which alone is the euer-springing yea the euer-ouerflowing fountaine of the water of life Finally this Personal vnion of the humane nature of our Sauiour with the diuine nature is the very ground of our vniting and espousing with Christ and so of our revniting to God wherein standeth all our happines Explication and proofe It is very true Our coniunction with God is our happines euen as on the contrary it was from the beginning our miserie that wee were seperated from him through the fall of our first father Adam For thereby beside the guiltines of his sinne wee haue in our selues an originall fountaine of all sinne the which of the owne accord doth continually flow forth to our eternall destruction both of body and soule vnles God should be mercifull vnto vs. Ier. 6. verses 7.8 Now therefore seeing by our Sauiour Christ alone wee are reconciled to God and through him revnited in a perfect league of peace and friendship neuer to be dissolued any more yea seeing we are in and by Christ one with God and he with vs it is manifest that herein resteth all our happines as vpon the onely sure ground and foundation So that whatsoeuer we lost by Adams defection that yea a farre more excellent estate is restored vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ both for righteousnes and holines and also for happines and glorie partly to be apprehended by faith here and fully and really to be enioied for euer in the kingdome of heauen For our Sauiour Christ is made of God to be vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Ye are of him in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle who of God is made vnto vs wisedome c. That according as it is written He that reioyceth
let him reioyce in the Lord. In which respect also he is called our life and the hope of our glorie Colos 1.27 and chap. 3. verse 4. When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory This making of our Sauiour to be a fit person to these so great ends and purposes of Gods manifesting of his rich and glorious grace began euen by the most holy conception of his humane nature in the wombe of the Virgin Whence it is also that as the Apostle Peter teacheth vs God according to his godly power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine to life and to godlines through the knowledge of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue Whereby or as wee may reade rather in so much as most great and pretious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them wee should be partakers of the diuine or godly nature that is of the renewing of the Image of God in holines and righteousnes as a fruit of this our spirituall communion with God in and through our Lord Iesus Christ in that as it followeth in the Apostle we flee the corruption that is in the world through lust Read also to this purpose Iohn ch 14. v. 16 c. 26. and so forth For these are those pretious promises which the Apostle Peter speaketh of which are the cause also of these so great effects The Duties according to that of the Apostle Iohn 1. Epist 1.3.4 and chap. 4.16 And all these haue their foundation in the conception and incarnation of Iesus Christ the verie true Sonne of God our Lord. Yet so as the confirmation and ratifying thereof hath a necessary and further reference not only to his birth and life but also euen to his death and thenceforth to his sitting at the right hand of God the Father in his diuine maiesty and glory O most blessed and happy time therefore that euer in Christ Iesus this only begotten Sonne of God our humane nature was thus gloriously vnited to the diuine nature by a most sacred bond neuer thenceforth to be dissolued againe that he might for euer be Immanuel God with vs and an euerlasting redeemer and Sauiour vnto vs. Thus much concerning the Comforts of faith in respect of this Article THe duties which ought to arise from the same Comforts are in the next place to be considered of vs. Question Which are they Answere First wee are to take diligent heede that we doe conceiue nothing carnally or corruptly but most purely and holily of this conception of our Sauiour the which though it was very naturall in the effect as touching the Virgin Marie and the humane nature of our Sauiour yet in the manner it was most heauenly and diuine in respect of the holy Ghost Secondly it is our dutie to esteeme most reuerendly of it blessing God alwaies with most thankefull hearts for his great mercie in reuealing this most secret and comfortable mystery vnto vs. Thirdly it may iustly admonish vs to humble our selues in the acknowledgment of our own natural and sinful corruption in the ordinarie course of our conception Fourthly hereby we may learne that without our Sauiour Christ our profane nature could by no meanes haue beene perfectly sanctified to God We may learne also from this consideration to beleeue in the holy Ghost as in God our sanctifier in so much as he had so diuine a hand in the chiefe meanes of our sanctification and whole redemption Finally we may iustly put our selues in minde from hence to sooke for our sanctification and all increases thereof by vsing those meanes onely which the holy Ghost hath sanctified to that holy end and purpose We may well doe so indeede But let vs see some particular proofes from point to point Explicatiō and proofe in order For the first point that which wee reade Iohn 3.6 may afford vs a good proofe in that our Sauiour himselfe saith That which is borne of the spirit is spirit For seeing he speaketh so of our spirituall regeneration it may much rather be affirmed that his conceiuing of our Sauiour was euery way most spirituall pure and holy For the second we haue Elizabeth for a notable example in that she reioiced at the conception of our Sauiour blessing the fruit of Maries wombe and God for reuealing it vnto her many months before it was borne Wee haue likewise the example of Marie her selfe who praiseth God and reioyceth in her Sauiour while yet he was in her wombe And thus from them wee may perceiue that we ought not to thinke reade or heare of the conception of our Sauiour but it ought iustly to be a matter of great ioy and thankfulnes euen to this day and for euer so long as the world shall endure Touching the third It is an euident conuiction of mans naturall corruption seeing our Sauiour who was to be pure from his conception might not be conceiued by humane generation For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh that is to say it is corrupt and sinfull as our Sauiour teacheth in the 3. chap. of Iohn the former part of the 6. verse before alledged According to the fourth point our Sauiour is called our holines and so is made vnto vs as it were by the hand of the holy Ghost as wee saw it plainely testified before 1. Cor. 1.30 The danger of not beleeuing this Article For the fift point reade Iohn cha 3. verse 3. and 5. Except a man he borne againe of water and of the spirit he can neither see nor enter into the kingdome of God Reade also 1. Pet. 1. verses 2. and 22. And 2. Thes 2.12 For the last point reade forward in the 14. verse of the same chapter And 1. Cor. ch 12. verse 3. and 13. For the word and sacraments are speciall meanes of our sanctification Reade also 1. Ioh. ch 17. verse 17. Eph. 5.25 26 27. and Tit. 3.5 Hauing thus seene the ground of this Article as also the meaning the promise comforts and duties the last thing to be considered according to our order is the danger of not beleeuing in our Sauiour Christ conceiued by the holy Ghost and thereby taking the true nature of man of the substance of the Virgin Marie Question WHat therefore is the danger of it They that beleeue not in our Sauiour Christ conceiued such manner of one as he was Answere and of necessitie must be can neither beleeue rightly in Iesus Christ either brought into the world or liuing in the world or going out of the same againe and consequently can haue no fruit or benefit by him It is very true The whole doctrine of faith is so nearely knit and lincked together Explication and proofe in all the parts of it as linkes in a golden chaine that the latter is not perfit and effectuall to the beleeuer without the faith of the former nor the former but in respect of the latter The diuine nature
Pilate was made yet more afraid to proceed against our Sauiour then before vpon the hearing of that word that he should be the Sonne of God And therevpon taketh our Sauiour and returneth againe into the common Hall and entereth into a new examination of him as one checked in his owne conscience for his notorious abasing of him The which also was the last examination of our Sauiour and went immediately before the sentence of his condemnation Question Let vs therefore diligently consider the whole course and order thereof Answer Which are the words of the Euangelist Let vs heare them 8 When Pilate heard that word saith he he was the more afraid 9 And he went againe into the common Hall and said vnto Iesus Whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no answer 10 Then said Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to loose thee 11 Iesus answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hath the greater sinne 12 From thenceforth saith the Euangelist Pilate sought to loose him but the Iewes cried saying if thou deliuer him thou art not Caesars frâ—end for whosoeuer maketh himselfe a King speaketh against Caesar Explâ—catioÌ„ Here we haue to consider first the feare of Pilate yea his augmented and increased feare secondly his first question to our Sauiour vpon the same his increased feare thirdly the silence of our Sauiour answering nothing to the question fourthly the second question of Pilate arising from that displeasure which he tooke at the silence of our Sauiour fiftly we haue in this part of the history to consider the answer of our Sauiour to Pilates second question sixtly the last indeuour of Pilate to set our Sauiour loose and finally the frustrating of the same his indeauour Of these things therefore euen as briefly as we can And first of all concerning the increased feare of Pilate the cause of it is first to be obserued of vs which was that mention which the Iewes had made before of the name of the Sonne of God The which no doubt if Pilate had well vnderstood it would not onely haue caused him to tremble but also to haue fallen downe before our Sauiour and most humbly and supplicatorily to haue begged pardon of the great iniurie and contempt that he had committed against him He would haue beene so farre from vsing his power and authority against him that he would rather haue yeelded it vp into his hands though no doubt our Sauiour would neuer haue accepted it from him seeing he was appointed of God to another most high and excellent end But because Pilates feare was but as a flash of lightning arising from a sodaine stroke of thunder as he doth by and by cast off all feare Neuertheles he doth first aske our Sauiour whence he is as though he should say what manner of one art thou Art thou a man as other earthly and mortall men are or art thou one come from heauen what saiest thou of thy selfe Thus Pilate presumed that he might command our Sauiour to answer him at his pleasure And this is the second thing which was said to be obserued But as it followeth in the third place our Sauiour Christ knowing that Pilate made no good vse of his feare and that he was not humbled to desire to be instructed in the truth but that as he had despised his former answer in that he told him he came into the world to beare witnes of the truth so hee would as lightly reiect whatsoeuer he should now affirme concerning the Deitie of his Person or vnion of his diuine nature to the humane c. Therefore touching this point which he was not fit to heare he answereth him by most wise discreete silence the minde of our Sauiour being wholly setled to the fulfilling of the rest of his sufferings and not to seek any deliuerance at the hands of Pilat the falsnes of whose heart he did better know then Pilat did By the occasion of which silence of our Sauiour though most iust and discreete Pilate as was obserued doth in the fourth place proceede to a second question wherein he doth first no lesse hautily or imperiously then angerly reproue our Sauiour for his silence Speakest thou not to me saith Pilate And then he rendereth a reason of his reproofe saying further Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to loose thee As though he should say Herein thou doest against thy selfe thou knowest not what But the matter duly considered we doe easily finde that as Pilates reproofe was vniust and indirect so his reason is altogether void of reason is no better theÌ„ a vaine presumptuous boast of a power which he had not indeed For no Magistrate no not Caesar himself whose substitute only Pilat was nor any Magistrate in all the world euer had or haue power to doe what they list to saue or destroy at their pleasure vnles they wil play the wicked Tyrants but they are limitted of God what they staÌ„d bouÌ„d to do that is they must so iustifie the innoceÌ„t righteous that they may not think it lawful for theÌ„ to condemn him they must so condemne the wicked and him that hath capitally deserued death that they may not at their pleasure without sinne against God iustifie and acquite him Pilates reason therefore is no reason but a prowd and vnreasonable boast of that power which did not belong vnto him And no meruaile though Pilate light vpon an vniust reason seeing he hath taken vpon him to reproue the iust silence of our Sauiour Wherein also as we shall further perceiue he is vtterly deceiued in that he thinketh by this his lofty and threatning speech to make our Sauiour pliable to serue his humour as if he had to deale with some timorous and fearefull spirited man For as it followeth in the fift place our Sauiour Christ sheweth himselfe to be of a most staied and resolued minde knowing perfectly both what he was to say and also what he was to doe without either the inticing or terrifying either of Pilat or of any other And therefore though he doe now answer Pilate hauing a fit occasion so to doe yet he doth it with all holy liberty of mind and spirit answering as the matter it selfe required and nothing regarding to please the humour of Pilate The which also our Sauiour doth not so much for Pilates sake or in regard of the Iewes whom he taxeth in this his answer as that he might leaue a common instruction to the Church of God concerning the ground and foundation as it were of all power and authority and also concerning the right vse of the same as well touching the Magistrate himselfe in the sentence and execution of iustice as those that doe require iustice at his hands To this end we are to consider
of our Sauiour after him at the least the hinder part of it though as some interpret these words and so it is very likely they made our Sauiour carrie the fore part still For out of all question they would permit him as little case as they could Beza Hom. 27. in Hiâ—t Pass pa. 671. 672. And why doe they thus roughly deale with the poore Cyrenian comming peaceably out of the field when they had store about them nearer hand It is the property of the wicked when they are about their wicked practises to desire that all should like of them and to hate those that shall not be of like minde with them Now therefore insomuch as this stranger came as one not liking nor hauing any fellowship with them in this busines therefore they doe the rather of purpose fetch him in to haue a hand in it with them or else to take the occasion further to abuse him according to that petulancie which rude and vnruly souldiers are very apt vnto But God as we may well perceiue in his diuine prouidence aimed at an other thing euen hereby to shew that it was his good pleasure that the Gentiles should be taken into the fellowship of the Crosse and sufferings of our Sauiour not to be any partners in the merit of the Crosse but in the fruit of that redemption which our Sauiour alone hath most fully and perfectly made for vs. And touching this Cyrenian himselfe we may easily conceiue that this impulsiue bearing of the materiall Crosse of our Sauiour was an inducement vnto him willingly to beaâ—e his owne Crosse afterward as a faithfull Disciple of Iesus Christ And therefore is not onely he himselfe mentioned as being of good note in the Church but also two sonnes of his likewise according to the testimony of the Euangelist Marke cha 15. verse 21. Where he describeth this Simon of Cyrene to be he that was father of Alexander and Rufus to wit both father and sonnes being afterward as was said of good note in the Church of God Now thirdly in that they leade other two malefactors with him this they did the rather to preiudice the innocency of our Sauiour as if his cause had beene like to theirs because they had obteined of Pilate the like iudgement against him Secondly the place of execution is noted vnto vs and that also is described two waies First by the common and vsuall name Secondly by the situation of it The name of it as the Euangelist Iohn telleth vs was in the Hebrew language that is to say in that dialect which was now in common vse among the Iewes though not the pure and naturall Hebrew called * The naturall Hebrew word is Gulgoleth noting the head or skull of a man from the roundnes of it as Iudg. 9.53 2. King 9.35 1. Chr. 10.10 But it is oftentimes vsed for the whole person of a man reckonâ—ng men by the pâ—ules as we vse to say Reade Ex. 1â— ver 16. anâ— chap. 28 ve 26. Numb 1. ver 18.20.22 and chap. 3.47 and 1. Châ—o 2â— 3â— and ver 24. Golgotha which signifieth the skull of a mans head like as in the same signification we may call it as the Euangelist further addeth Kranion topon a place bearing the name of a skull And as Luke saith that answerable to the Hebrew it may be called in greeke Kranion without any further addition And so may we call it in Latine from the Greeke word Cranium or otherwise Caluaria and in English the Skull But why doe the Euangelists with a full consent thus mention the name of the place Not that we should seeke out any blinde and curious speculation about the name as some haue done as though Adams skull had beene buried there and had therevpon borne that name c. but to note the place by that name whereby it was familiarly knowne most likely so called because it was a piece of ground fit for execution in that it conteined a little round hillocke from whence the concourse of people might more euidently beholde those that were executed For they which haue beene there report that it is such a piece of ground called to this day Caluarie So then the mention of the place by the Euangelists is to very good purpose to argue the certaintie of the storie from this circumstance But there are beside this two worthy reasons of worthy obseruation The grouÌ„ and history of his leading to be crucified in this respect both of them set downe by the holy Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews chap 13. from the 10. verse to the 15. The one is that the place where our Sauiour was crucified being known to be without the citie doth notably declare the accomplishment of that by our Sauiour in truth which was prefigured by those sacrifices for sinne which were by the commandement of God burnt without the Campe as we reade Leuit chap 4.11 12. and chap 6.30 and chap 16.27.28 In which respect saith the Apostle in the place before alledged We haue an altar whereof that is of the sacrifice whereof they haue noe authoritie to eate which serue in the Tabernacle For the bodies of those beastes whose blood is brought into the holy place by the highe Priestes for sinne are burnt without the Campe. Therefore euen Iesus that he might sanctifie the people with his owne blood suffered without the gate Yea and he did so induring ther the fire of Gods wrath burning hotely vpon him till by his water and blood issuing out of his most holy body he had for euer quenched the same for the benefit of all that are allowed to eate of him that is truly to beleeue in his name This therefore is the first reason why the place where our Sauiour Christ was crucified is so diligently recorded by the holy Euangelists and it is singularly to our comfort The second reason noted by the same Apostle both confirmeth the same comfort and also from the comfort thereof teacheth vs what our dutie is in this respect namely eueÌ„ willingly couragiously to beare our reproach for Christs sake though we should be cast out from men as iudged vnworthy to enioy the common priuiledge of other men but to be as the off-scouring of the earth c. For so it followeth in the words of the Apostle Let vs goe forth therefore out of the Campe bearing his reproach For here we haue no continuing citie but we seeke one to come The third thing to be obserued in this part of the storie is the weeping and lamentation of the women which followed our Sauiour Christ in beholding how vnmercifully he was dealt withall Among the which women there were some no doubt of his most louing and dutifull disciples euen such as are mentioned by the Euangelists afterward But as touching the rest they could not but be moued greatly to see him of a sudden thus strangely and furiously carried away to be crucified whom they had
according to the most holy annointing of God and that he should ascend vp to the heauenly throne of the Maiestie thereof Neither could he otherwise with any comfortable hope of remission of sins and of the inheritance of his heauenly kingdome among the rest of his Saints desire our Sauiour to remember him that is to shew him so great and grieuous a sinner when he should take the possession or sit downe in the throne of his kingdome And thus we may plentifully perceiue by these so manifold excellent graces wrought so speedily and without all meanes yea against all outward lets hinderances obiect to his senses by the reproches of the wicked against our Sauiour notwithstanding the troublesome paines of his own crosse that his conuersion was most extraordinarie and admirable and therefore a most euident and eminent declaration of the mighty grace and vertue and merit of the sufferings of our Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of his father to reconcile poore sinners yea euen most great and grieuous sinners vnto him whosoeuer shall find grace truly to beleeue in his name and vnfeinedly to repent of his sinnes as this great sinner did And hereunto we are to adde for the conclusion of this point and for a perfect confirmation of all that hath beene obserued concerning this rare conuersion the most gracious answere of our Sauiour Christ to the suppliant and repenting thiefe the which wee reade in these most sweete and comfortable words as the Euangelist Luke doth likewise rehearse them Then said Iesus vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O admirable effect of mercie answerable to the former admirable cause of mercie I meane that gift of mercie in the conuersion of this so miserable a sinner of the most free grace and mercie of God our heauenly father whose onely fauour is both the cause and also the effect of all mercy he crowning and rewarding nothing in any of his elect children but those gifts and graces which he hath first giuen them The greatnes of this grace of our Sauiour is to be considered from his own words the faithfull interpreter of his gracious mind and therefore let vs stand a litle to ponder and weigh them Verily saith our Sauiour euen he that is the truth affirmeth it in truth and with his holy and graue affirmation vsuall to him in the affirmation of great and weightie points worthy all credit to the end he might raise vp the mindes of those to whom he spake to the more firme and vndoubted faith of them thus he speaketh to the conuerted thiefe of a profane thief being now changed to be a beleeuing and holy Christian And it is to great purpose that it be obserued that he who is thus the truth and the true Sauiour speaketh it because whosoeu r else had spoken it it should haue beene a vaine speech Yea it is singularly to be obserued that Christ crucified speaketh it because it is by the vertue of his sufferings vpon the crosse that he saueth both him and all of vs. And therefore to magnifie the benefit of his crosse he is thus gracious and earnest in giuing assurance of remission of sinnes and eternall life to a very great and grieuous sinner Neither doth our Sauiour hold him in any long suspence by making him a promise for a long time to come but he assureth him of the experience of his mercy and saluation euen the same day the day also being now halfe spent to the end that the poore soule might be comforted more and more with the assured hope of a blessed life against the discomfort of the naturall death euery minute of the houre more and more hasting and approaching Yea and he doth not assure him of a small blessing and fauour but that hee shall be with him that is that his soule shall be with the soule of our Sauiour Where Euen in Paradise that is in heauen According to that similitude whereby the holy Scriptures doe sundrie times vse to signifie the same as 2. Cor. 12.4 and Reuel 2.7 And euen to this end that the holy delight and spirituall pleasure and ioy of heauen might be familiarly shadowed out from the Hebrewe word Pardes which signifieth a pleasant and delightfull garden or orchyard principally alluding to that garden of Eden wherein Adam was placed at the first in a very blessed and comfortable estate and condition To the which ende also our Sauiour ioyneth these two together with me in paradise meaning in the like happie estate condition for euer though not in the same degree of honour glory which is not meet for any creature according to the most holy prayer of our Sauiour Iohn 17.20.21.22.23.24 Such is the most gracious promise and answere which he maketh the repenting sinner he himselfe as well as the thiefe hanging yet fastened to the crosse Wherein notwithstanding we see how he beginneth his most glorious triumph The which wordes of our Sauiour were noe doubt not onely comfortable to the thiefe that was though now noe thiefe but a Saint clothed with the righteousnes of Christ by a true and liuely faith but also to Marie the mother of our Sauiour and to the other Maries mentioned before and to Iohn his beloued Disciple who no doubt marked these things and laied them vp in their hearts And they may also be exceedingly comfortable to vs and to all true beleeuing Christians as we are diligently to obserue in our course and order among the rest of the comforts Hetherto of the first part or space of time and the memorable things falling out therein which we propounded to our selues to consider of concerning the third that is to say the last part of the execution of our Sauiour The first part or space of time as wee haue seene reached from the fastening of our Sauiour to the crosse which was a little after the third houre to the sixt houre of the day which was with them about high noone THe second space of time which we according to the course of the holy storie haue propounded to consider of as iâ— were in another diuision or seuerall treatise is from the sixt houre to the ninth touching those other like worthy and memorable things which fell out in that time Of this part of the storie let vs therefore henceforth set our mindes with like reuerence and diligence earnestly to inquire But this we are to doe from the ground testimonie of the holy storie Which therefore are the words thereof 44. It followeth thus in the Euangelist Luke ch 23. v. 44.45 And it was about the sixt houre and there was darkenes ouer all the land vntill the ninth houre 45. And the Sun was darkened the vaile of the Temple rent through the middest The holy Euangelist hauing described vnto vs the notable conuersion of one of the thieues the gratious acceptation which our Sauiour vouchsafed him he telleth vs now about
Christ himselfe suffereth and feareth that which is naturall vnto it but by the word which is ioyned with it it is setled in that strong resolution which beseemeth him that is God And at the length saith Caluin he concludeth thus Thou seest euidently that death was not according to the will of Christ in respect of the flesh And yet againe that it was according to his will insomuch as for the sake of it agreeable to the will of the Father saluation and life is giuen to men Hetherto Cyril To which end and purpose Caluin addeth further that the infiâ—mity of the flesh which Christ tooke is to be accounted as it is indeede greatly differing from that which is in vs. For in vs not one of our affections is free from sinne insomuch as all of them doe exceed measure and be not rightly qualified but Christ was so troubled with heauines and feare that yet he did not lift himselfe vp against God but kept himselfe in good temper and within the compasse of true moderation Neither is it strange that pure and cleare affections should flow from him seeing he was entire and free from all spot of sinne howsoeuer they were such as did declare that there was humane weaknes in him and on the contrary that from the nature of man corrupted nothing should come but that which is as it were rored and sauouring of the dregges Wherefore let this difference be obserued that Christ though hee felt weakenes in his feare and heauines yet was free from all sinne but that our affections are sinfull because they breake forth into excesse Now the manner of the affections wherewith Christ was tempted is to be noted of vs. Matthew saith he was stricken with heauines and sorrow or distressednes Luke that he was held with anguish Marke addeth that he feared greatly But whence was that his sorrow and distresse and feare but that he apprehended in his minde some more heauie and horrible thing in death then is the seperation of the soule the body And certainely he died not onely that he might goe from earth to heauen but â—ather that hee taking vpon him that curse wherevnto we were subiect might set vs free from the same So then death was not simply as it is a departure out of the world a horrible thing vnto him but because the terrible iudgement seate of God was before his eyes and the iudge himselfe armed with reuenge aboue that we can conceiue and because our sinnes the burthen whereof was laid vpon him did as a huge weight lye sore vpon him And therefore no maruell though the bottomlesse gulfe of horrible destruction did grieuously torment him with feare and great distresse Likewise vpon the next verse Here againe saith Caluine the cause of so great sorrow ought to be remembred of vs. For death it selfe could not in such wise haue tormented the minde of the Sonne of GOD vnlesse it had beene well knowne to him that hee had to deale with the iudgement of God And vpon the next verse concerning the prayer of our Sauiour Christ and the gesture which he vsed in prayer being in the gaâ—den Although saith Caluin the bowing of the knee is commonly wont to be vsed in prayer for a signe of honour and reuerence yet Christ lying downe vpon the ground to make his supplication disposed of himselfe after a very pittifull manner answerable to the greatnes of his dolour O my Father saith hee if it be possible c. Here some doe put themselues to busines in vaine to shew that here is no prayer described but onely a complaint But as touching my selfe albeit I confesse that it was a desire vpon a sodaine yet I am out of doubt that Christ conceiued a prayer Neither is it against this that he desireth such a thing to be granted him as was vnpossible for the prayers of the faithfull doe not alwaies hold on in one continued course to the end they doe not alwaies keepe one euen measure they are not at all times framed in an exact order nay rather they being er while intricate and perplexed they either seeme not well to agree one petition with another or else they are broken off in the mid way like as a Shippe tossed by tempests howsoeuer it is bound toward the hauen yet it cannot hold on in so strait and euen a course as if the Seas were calme It is true as I said before that wee must hold that the affections of Christ were not disordered so that as it falleth out often with vs they should driue away that due moderation which ought to haue beene in his minde but so farre onely as might stand with the soundnes and integritie of the humane natuâ—e he was greatly stricken with feare and held so perplexed that he could not but stagger beeing as it were in the middest of a violent flood of tentations when hee made one request after another And this is the reason why hee hauing prayed against death doeth by and by restraine himselfe and submitting himselfe to the gouernement of his Father correcteth and calleth backe that desire which had vpon the sodaine fallen from him But it is demanded how he might desire that the eternall decree of the Father should be cancelled seeing hee was not ignorant of it For albeit he interposeth a condition If it be possible yet this seemeth vnreasonable that hee should speake as if the decree of God might be altered For this wee ought to set downe without all question that it is vnpossible that God should call backe that which hee hath decreed And yet as it is in Marke Christ seemeth to oppose the power of God to his decree saying All things are possible vnto thee Neuertheles it is a mis-alledging of the power of God if any would hereby make it vncertaine and changeable to the weakening of his truth I answer that it is no absurditie at all though Christ after the vsuall manner of the godlie doe lay downe his desire wherwith he was vehemently affected into the bosome of his Father not looking to his diuine counsell For so it is that the faithfull being guided by the wisedome and direction of the Spirit of God do not alwaies when they poure forth their prayers lift vp their mindes so high as to prie into the secrets of God neither do they as it were at their leisure throughly consider what is possible to be done but er while they are carried more speedily through feruencie of their requests So Exodus chapter 32. verse 32. Moses requesteth to be blotted out of the booke of life the wordes are these Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of thy booke which thou hast written So Paul in his Epistle to the Romans chapter 9. verse 3. wished to bee made anathema the wordes of the text are these For I would wish my selfe to be seperate from Christ for my brethren
that most speciall manner of the manifestation thereof in the personall assuming and vniting the humane nature to the diuine The which also because it is most neare and firme in one indiuiduum that we may vse the Logitians terme therefore it is said that the Word that is the Sonne of God being very true God was made flesh Iohn 1.14 And 1. Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh And therefore also is our Sauiour very God and very man called by the name of Immanuell God with vs. Matth. 1.23 euen by the appointment of God himselfe Thus much shall suffice for the diuers acceptious of the fiâ—st word to Descend Whence vpon due consideration wee may easily see first that the descension attributed in one tenure and course to our Sauiour Christ crucified dead and buried doeth not belong to his Deitie which cannot be said properly to descend but to his humanitie wherevnto all that is beleeued concerning conception birth life death resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God and comming to iudgement as well as his descension doth properly apperteine But how this descension doth properly belong to the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ whether to the soule or to the bodie alone or ioyntly to both we shall better conceiue after that we haue considered the diuers significations and vses of the latter wore Hell as we haue of this former word to Descend SHew you therefore in like manner the diuers significations of the word Hell accorâ—ing to the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greeke word Haides englished Hell in this Article of out faith Which are these diuers significations Question First and most properly as I haue beene taught they signifie the graue Answer Secondly they are by a trope as the learned speake or figuratiuely applied to signifie manie other things Explication The truth herein hath beene taught and deliuered vnto you For first that they signifie the graue and that also in the most proper signification the words themselues may giue to vnderstand First the Hebrew word Sheol which hath his name of the verbe Shahal to aske yea to aske as a greedie coâ—morant thaâ— can neuer be satisfied according to that in the booke of the holy Prou. chap. 30.15.16 There be three things which will not be satisfied yea some which say not It is enough And of these Sheol the graue is reckoned for the fiâ—st Likewise Hab. 2.5 The prowd man hath inlarged his desiâ—e as the graue and is as death which cannot be satisfied And Isa 5.14 And then the Greeke word haides which commeth of eido to see and the priuatiue letter a according to the Greeke deriuation and signifieth a place of darknes which hideth the buried within the earth from the sight of the liuing which walke vpon it Iob. 10.21 22. and chap. 17.13 But let vs see some testimonies of holy Scripture for this signification And first that Sheol signifieth the graue in the olde testament we reade Gen. 37.35 Surely saith Iaacob I will goe downe or descend into the graue vnto my Sonne mourning And chap. 42.38 My Sonne to wit Beniamin shall not goe downe with you for his brother is dead and he left alone to wit of those children which he had by Rachell if death come to hâ—m by the way that yee goe then ye shall bring or cause my gray head with sorrow to descend into the graue Likewise by the same word the graue is noted 1. King 2. verse 6. King Dauid speaking to his sonne Salomon of Ioab who murthered Abner and Amasa very wickedly doe therefore according to thy wisedome saith hee and let not his hoare head goe downe or descend to the graue in peace And of Shimei who cursed him being his soueraigne Prince with a horrible curse he saith in like manner Therfore thou shalt cause his hoare head to descend downe to the graue with blood And in this sense the opening of the earth is called the graue of Corah Dathan and Abiram and of their rebellious company but yet with a speciall declaration of the wrath of God against them by such an vnwonted strange and fearefull kinde of buriall as we reade Num. 16.29 33. They descended or went downe quicke into the pit or graue Sheol But in the Psalmes the graue ordinarily vsed to buriall is oftâ—ntimes signified by the same word Sheol as Psal 6.6 In the graue who shall praise thee And Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not saith Dauid prophesying of the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ leaue my soule that is that part of my humane person which is subiect to buriall in the graue Sheol Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one that is the body of me whom thou hast gratiously receiued to thy fauour to see that is to haue experience of corruption shacath that is Shacath peraitio foueâ— to lie so long in the graue that it should rot and turne to dust as the bodies of all vse to doe Psal 40.9 Man can by no meanes redeeme his brother c. That he may liue still for euer and not see the graue the word is shacath corruption as before But sheol againe verse 14.15 of the same Psalme Like sheepe they lie in the graue to wit like the rotten carkases of sheepe cast out into ditches For the Prophet speaketh of the wicked that die in their wickednes and in a hautie conceit of themselues To the which purpose he saith further Death deuoureth them vntill the righteous shall haue dominion ouer them in the morning that is at the day of the resurrection and vntill that the graue â—hat is Hell as we are afterward in the next signification fuâ—ther to obserue do consume their beauty that is the beauty of the wicked or their forme and substance which they shall at the last day receiue againe to their further condemnation both in soule and bodie together euen from the house that is the graue which belongeth vnto it to wit as a prison house for the wicked vntill that day of their great Gaile deliuery But God saith the Prophet speâ—king in the person of all true beleeuers will deliuer my soule from the hand that is from the power of the graue to wit so farre forth that it shall not preuaile finally against me for he will receiue me Selah A matter worthy to be obserued as an effect of the diuine and almighty power of God as by the word Selah the Psalmist giueth to vnderstand Moreouer Psal 31.17 Sheol is vsed for the graue Let the wicked saith Dauid be put to confusion and silence in the graue And Psal 55.15 Let death seaze vpon them let them goe downe quicke into the graue the Prophet as it is likely alluding to that iudgement of God vpon rebellious Korah and his company Num. 16. as was alledged before And againe in the same sense though in other words They that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lowest parts of the earth Yea generally Psal 8â— 48 What
respect saiâ—h expresly in his answer to Pilate that he had the greater sin who had deliuered him vnto him to wit as if he had bin a malefactor Finally that the Magistrate is to be dealt honourably withall though hee for his part should be sinisterly carried aside by the vnfaiâ—hfull seruice of such as should giue right information and testimonie vnto him the example and practise of our Sauiour doth notably shewe that it ought to be so For though he iudged it meete in his godly wisedomâ— to let Pilate see his falte yet hee doth it in singular modestie couertly insinuating as it were his reproofe vnder the reproofe of other reprouing Pilate rather by consequence of reason then in apert and open termes BVt that we may goe another steppe forward Question What dutie are wee now to learne from the condemnation of our Sauiour Christ in so iudiciall and solemne a manner as we see he was condemned and that by â—he deputie of the Emperour of Rome the highest Magistrate in all the world yea or rather from heauen it selfe God being himselfe the very appointer and ordainer of this sentence against our Sauiour euen for our sinnes Answere We are from the due consideration hereof most sensibly taught that it is our most bounden dutie to iudge and condemne our selues to the ende we may escape the fearefull iudgement and condemnation of the Lord. Explication and proofe It is true This and such like duties are iustly to be deriued from this consideration The which duties I thinke good at this time to expresse The Duties in respect of his condemnation by the wordes of a very learned and godly Preacher they being of great force as I suppose to moue vnto due regard of the same This saith hee was not done in vaine it being the will of the Father that the Sonne should not dye either by the deceite of the Iewes oâ— in any tumult or secretly but openly in the eyes and beholding of all and that also in a iudiciall forme of proceeding though in respect of men very vniust euen as if God from heauen had thundred forth these wordes both East and West North and South as afterward it came to passe by the Preaching of the Gospell O yee miserable men behold yee in this my onely Soone whom I haue set forth vpon this Theater as a Suretie on your behalfe on the one side how great wrath I beare against sinne and what you your selues haue deserued and on the other side how vnmeasurable both my mercie and his is toward all those that will embrace this our grace Goe too therefore brethren saith the Preacher Let vs learne to muse in our mindes vpon this historie let vs learne I say not to meditate vpon the chiefe heads in generall onely as it were through a lattis but euen to weigh euery circumstance thereof insomuch as these things are written very diligently and plentifully for our instruction For which of vs can behold such a spectacle and not be affected with it But we are to know the causes wherefore it should be so And verily his heart must be harder then any yron and steele which cannot be moued with the iniurious indignitie practised against so innocent a man if he doe but weigh this fact by the light of humane reason But wee ought to make a farre other manner of consideration concerning this mysterie to wit that we may in this spectacle behold our selues to be as the principall debters to the ende wee might with sighes that cannot be expressed crie out a loude before our God O good God what a thing is this which thou doest set before our eyes to looke vpon It is we it is wee who haue transgressed it is we that are guiltie Whence then is this so great a change but from thy most vnmeasurable and incomprehensible goodnesse O wretched and vnhappie man that I am How should I in such sort forget both my selfe and thee O Sonne of God how is it that thou hast so farre made thy selfe of no reputation Giue me therefore this grace O God that I earnestly beholding my selfe in this spectacle and abhorring the cause of all these things which is inherent and abiding in me I may with a true and liuely faith imbrace that discharge which thou offerest mee euen mee I say a miserable sinner by the condemnation of thy righteous Sonne who hath taken vpon him that which was to be borne of me and that I may lay hold of that glory which hath beene obtained on my behalfe by the reproach of my Suretie who hath giuen his word for me O Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the world I beseech thee to ioyne and vnite me to thy selfe by thy holy Spirit that by thee I may be as acceptable to him vnto whom thou hast offered vp thy selfe for mee as I doe willingly acknowledge and confesse my selfe to be in my selfe worthy euery way to be detested of thee These are the things which wee ought to behold and to make our vse and profite of from this so fearefull a spectacle whereby we see both heauen and earth to be shaken And what then Shall wee alone be stonie and without sense Thus farre Maister Beza Hom 27. in hist. Pass Nâ—w we reâ—urne to our owne course Question What is our dutie to be learned from this that our Sauiour Christ after he was condemned refused not so long as he was able without fainting to beare his own materiall Crosse which his Persecutors had laied vpon him yea and that afterward also hee patiently endured to bee crucified vppon the same Crosse Answer We may iustly take forth this further lesson from hence that it is our dutie patiently to beare not onely one or two but euery affliction which it shall please God to lay vpon vs for our Sauiour Christs sake and the testimonie of his truth Explication proofe We may iustly doe so in deede The Duties in respect of his crucifying For as hath beene obserued in the like consideration before seeing our Sauiour did beare his crosse and endure the shame c. to satisfie Gods wrath for vs we ought to endure the crosse to declare our thankfulnes to him c. yea euery one to beare his owne crosse Luke 9.23 Simon the Cyrenian at the first compelled by the souldiers onely to beare a part of the materiall and wooden crosse of our Sauiour to the place of execution is afterward honoured of God in the record of the holy Storie in insomuch as hee became a faithfull Disciple of Christ willing to beare his owne crosse if neede should so haue required as it may appeare euen by this that he is so diligently described both he and his Sonnes Alexander and Rufus as wee reade Marke 15.21 So ought euery one of vs to be willing to doe as God shall shew it to be his good and holy will in the time and season thereof The same vse doth the holy Apostle make from the
sertò se quisque nostrûm excutiat meritò nos pudefaciet immensa scelerum nostrorum congeries vt hominem perditum qui meragratia salutem adeptus est ducem antesignanum habere minimè pigeat That is If so be saith he euery one of vs doe truly and in good earnest sift himselfe iustly will the vnmeasurable heape of our sinnes so shame vs that it shall be nothing irkesome vnto vs to haue a forlorne man who hath of meere grace obtained saluation to be our leader as one going next to the standard before vs. And thus God hath most gratiously admonished vs by the impenitencie of the one example of these two robbers to take heede of all presumptuous or secure delaying of repentance seeing vsually the end of all such is like to the former course of their life that is deuoid of true repentance and by the other he doth exceedingly comfort such poore sinners as doe yet at the last truly repent them of all their sinnes For to this end no doubt God would set forth his wonderfull mercy in one notable example repenting at the point of death though no more then one is mentioned in all the Bible of so late repentance as he was The duty of which comfort hath also beene declared Question Now what may we learne to be our duty furthermore from that comfort which is coÌ„taâ—ned in the answer of our Sauiour to the request of the repenting and beleeuing thiefe saying To day shalt thou be with mâ— in Paradise Answere We learne from hence that we beleeuing in our Sauiour Christ and repenting of our sinnes are to dispose of our selues comfortably to depart this life nothing doubting of the blessed estate of our soules in the kingdome of heauen immediately after our naturall life is at an end here in this world ExplicatioÌ„ proofe That we may boldly and comfortably doe thus beside this particular example wee haue the generall warrant of the holy Ghost Reuel 14. expressed heretofore in the Comforts So that we neede not be in feare of the sleeping of our soules till the last day as some fondly imagine neither yet of the danger of any purgatory fire for them to passe through For who might haue beene more like to goe to purgatory then this robbing thiefe before he should haue beene admitted to heauen if there were any such place ordained of God for such as liue not to worke out their owne satisfaction as the popish Teachers would make vs to beleeue But as wee see our Sauiour saith plainely To day shalt thou be with me c. Neuerthelesse it will peraduenture be replied and said that though our Sauiour Christ made an exception in this particular and that he may as pleaseth him dispence with whoÌ„ he will yet the other is the ordinary course for such as he was We may answer them vpon better ground that if there were any such matter as is pretended for a place of purgatory our Sauiour would rather haue taken this so singular an occasion to haue made it knowne for the common admonition of all such kinde of persons and not to haue beene vtterly silent concerning such a point These are the duties to be learned from this part of the Story Question LEt vs proceede to those that follow And first what are we to learne from that fearefull darknes which God cast vpon the land of the Persecutors of our Sauiour Answer We are to take heede that we ioyne not our selues with the wicked in conspiracie against Christ lest wee be partakers with them of their punishments threatned and portended by that darknes such as are ignorance and hardnes of heart and all outward calamities yea and euen Hell it selfe and vtter darknes at the last ExplicatioÌ„ proofe All these euills indeed were aptly threatened and portended hereby And it standeth with good equity that all the companions in one and the same sins should be partakers of one the same kindes of punishment Re. 14. â— 10 Question Now what duties doth this require at our hand that we see and heare it proclaimed with so lowd a voyce that wee cannot but heare it that our Sauiour hath endured wonderfull paines and torments for vs yea so that he hath been as one euen for the time forsaken of God for vs Answere The extremitie of the sufferings of our Sauiour are most fit and effectuall if we haue any grace in vs to teach vs how infinitely we stand bound in all loue The Duties in respect of his agony vpon the Crosse and good dutie to serue and honour Christ our Lord and Sauiour and God our heauenly Father for his infinite mercy toward vs in him And againe how deadly we are to hate and abhorre sinne and that we ought to be very willing and ready to suffer any the most sharp sufferings that may fall vpon vs for his sake Explication and proofe It must needes be so indeede according as vpon like occasion hath beene obserued once or twice before For who duly weighing the vnspeakeable dolour and torment of soule and body which our Sauiour indured for his sinne but the same partie must needes be out of loue with his sinne yea in an earnest loathing and hatred against it so as he will be no longer a retainer or vâ—ssâ—ll to sinne and Satan but contrariwise a faithfull seruant to God choosing affl ction for godlinesse sake and not the pleasures of sinne It is vsed for a good reason to draw children to a due regard of their dutie toward their naturall parents euen because their fathers haue begotten them and their mothers haue brought them forth and because either of them haue had a tender and diligent care of their education The Spirit of God himselfe vseth these reasons Pro chap. 23. verse 22. and chap. 31.2 O therefore how much more ought the consideration of the sufferings of our Sauiour for vs be effectuall to moue vs vnto good duty toward him seeing his care hath beene infintely more tender toward vs all and his sufferings a thousand folde more painefull for our sakes then the trauell of all mothers can bee in their childe-bearing or of all both fathers and mothers care or sorrow about the bringing vp of their children To this end therefore let vs well thinke of that which a good and very learned Preacher of the Gospel hath prompted vs with to wit that insomuch as the cause of all the wrath of God toward our Sauiour was in vs and from vs deriued to him as being our Suerty we ought in him to behold as in a glasse what sinne is to the end that wee should all that we can turne away and flye from it and not to cocker the inticements thereof as we vse ouer much to doe Beza Hom. 5. vpon the history of the Passion Sect. 12. And againe in his 32. Hom. Sect. â— as was in the Comforts noted before And yet againe more fully in the same Hom. Sect. 9. writing
him That is to say not so as we should linger after his bodily presence but rather that we should be carefull to knowe and imbrace him spiritually and with the armes of our faith For seeing Mary Magdalene was to doe so while yet our Sauiour was vpon the earth and not ascended vp into heauen then much more ought wee now as well as all other euer since his ascension so to doe that wee may say in truth with the Apostle Paul in the 2. Epistle to the Cor chap 5. verse 16. Henceforth knowe we no man after the flesh yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth knowe we him no more to wit in any carnall or weake manner but according to his diuine grace and godly power c. in a more cleare measure So that they who at this day dote after a reall presence of the body of our Sauiour Christ either in Sacrament or other wise they doe shewe themselues to bee altogether farre otherwise minded then our Sauiour himselfe would haue them to be We are all of vs to lift vp our minds to him in the heauens whither he is long since ascended and not to looke to haue him bodily with vs on earth as he taught Mary Magdalene immediately after his resurrection in that he said vnto her as we see here Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father c. Neuertheles we are herewithall to vnderstand that our Sauiour had a more particular intent in the same wordes namely to signifie thus much vnto Mary that she for her part should haue a further time of filling her minde with the comfort of his humane presence for a few dayes before he would ascend leaue this world And therefore that she should for the present without any further delay so much the more willingly leaue him now and hast with all speed to his Disciples to doe that message which it pleased him to send vnto them by her For so it followeth as we haue already seene Goe to my brethren saith our Sauiour to Mary and say vnto them I ascend vnto my Father and to youâ— Father and to my God and your God Now the message is the last thing to be considered concerning this first appearance of our Sauiour Wherein sundry most high points and the same also most sweet and comfortable to all true beleeuers are to be reuerendly weighed of vs. And first of all this message thus committed by our Sauiour to a woman though to bee deliuered in a priuate manner as it is a great honour to Mary and as a blessed fruit of her former godly care and reuerend regard toward our Sauiour as was said before so is it a gentle kind of reproofe vnto the negligence vnbeliefe of those most choise Disciples of our Sauiour to whom he sendeth her Secondly this message sent by Mary concerning the ascension of our Sauiour contaâ—neth in it a proofe of his resurrection which must needes goe before his ascension as well as it is a prediction and foreshewing of the ascension it selfe Thirdly this message sent by our Sauiour to his Disciples vnder the name of brethreâ— it declaâ—â—th the most deare and admirable loue of our Sauiour vnto them Wherein also is bewraied the like his affection in generall toward all the elect of God as wee may plainely perceiue by comparing that which we read Mat 12.48.49.50 Heb 2.11.12 with the words of this message For in those places our Sauiour extendeth the name of brethren to all the adopted children of God whosoeuer doe heare and keepe his word This is also an euident confirmation of that which the Euangelist Iohn hath written ch 13.1 that those whoÌ„ our Sauiour loueth he loueth to the end Yea that he loueth them so that nothing can alienate â—is loue from them For as we knowe great were the infirmities of his Disciples in their forsaking of him c. And therefore whereas our Sauiour doth most graciously passe by al their greaâ—est weaknesses and failings in good dutie though hee might haue taken iust occasion to haue vtterly reiected and forsaken them this sheweth vndoubtedly that his loue was most constantly and vnremoueably confirmed toward them Blessed be his most holy name therefore for euer and euer Amen Fourthly in that our Sauiour in the wordes of this most sweete message calleth God his Father and his God hee speaketh therein as hee is in our nature a mediator betwixt God and vs and thereby pointeth vs vpward to behold the supreame cause of all our happines and wel-fare And in that he calleth him the Father and God of his Disciples and so consequently the Father and God of all true beleeuers hee teacheth vs all with good assurance of faith to call God our Father and so sheweth what are the singular effects of his mediation on our behalfe euen our adoption reconciliation peace and saluation with all other blessed fruites and benefites whatsoeuer both the most tender and fatherly mercies and also the almightie power of God our heauenly Father either is able of himselfe or willing for his Sonne our Lord Iesus Câ—rists sake to bestow vpon vs. To this God therefore our heauenly Father together with his Sonne our Sauiour and the holy Ghost our Comforter be all eternal glorie and praise Amen Fiftly our Lord Iesus Christ in sending this his message so earnestly and with all expedition to the comforting of his Disciples who were at this time in great heauines as we reade Marke chap 16.10 he sheweth and professeth plainely thereby that he is exceedingly desirous that both they and euery true Disciple of his should both knowe and beleeue and also enioy and hold firmely this great prerogatiue that we are by his meanes the children of such a Father and the seruants of such a God as God our heauenly Father is Finally as the Disciples of our Sauiour to whom Mary was sent yea notwithstanding they were the Apostles elect of our Sauiour were to receiue this message gladly and thankefully euen from the mouth of a priuate woman so yea much rather ought we from the mouth of the poorest publike minister of the word of God receiue gladly and dutifully the same message in their preaching thereof and euery other point and Article of the whole ambassage of the Gospel of Christ and of God That which is furthermore to be considered concerning the comforts and fruites of the ascension of our Sauiour it shall by the grace of God be more fully laid open when we come to that Article Hetherto of the first appearance of our Sauiour Christ for the first proofe and confirmation of his most holy and blessed resurrection Now as touching the performance of this message deliuered by our Sauiour to Mary it is expressed by the Euangelist Iohn verse 18. of this 20. chap For saith he Mary Magdalene came and tould the Disciples that she had seene the Lord that he had spoken these things vnto her And
wicked of this world doe think let vs beloued in the Lord who are taught of God and seeing the necessitie of the knowledge faith of our Lord Iesus Christ to our saluatioÌ„ let vs I say esteeme highly of our Sauiour aboue all things and of the ministrie preaching of the gospel as of that one thing the which our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs is specially necessarie Luke 10.42 and is both the wisedome and power of God to our saluation 1. Cor 1.24 Our Sauiour Christ as the author and his Gospell in the ministerie of it as the instrument 1. Tim 4.16 Yea so necessarie is the preaching of thâ— Gospel in the ordinary ministerie of it that it is necessarie that euery congregation should haue his Pastor to preach vnto it that as he standeth bound to watch ouer them at the peril of hiâ— soule so they vpon like perill stand bound to hearken to him in all things which he speaketh to them according to his dutie in the name of the Lord. Yea euery people to their owne proper minister and euery minister to his proper charge by a special bond of dutie in the Lord. 1. Thes 5 12 13 14. Heb 13 17. and in many other places as was partly mentioned a litle before So that euen as it were in vaine for chiâ—dren to make a shewe of good behauiour abroad if they should be stubborne disobedient to their owne naturall godly Parents at home or for the wife to deale courteously to her neighbours but to liue churlishly with her owne husband or if the husband making shewe of a kind man abroad should vse his own wife and family hardly c. so shal it be in vaine before the iudgement seat of Christ for any Christian whether Parent or child c. to pretend a liking loue to other ministers of the word their gifts if they shall despise their own godly faithfull Pastor which God hath set ouer them By the like bond euery Pastor or Minister of the word is tyed to the speciall care of his owne people or flocke And for the maintenance of this ministerie of the Gospel euery Christian Prince Magistrate standeth bound to be specially careful as of that which our Sauiour coÌ„mendeth to their speciall trust as to the foster father of his Church by all that externall and ciuil power which he hath giuen them the which also by his Gospell hee doth sanctifie vnto them and maketh the meanest Prince many degrees more honourable in those respectes then is the gouernment of the most pompous Kings among the heathen And that also to their eternal saluation while they submit their scepters and persons whole gouernment to the scepter of the Lord Iesus their Lord Sa who is to be blessed of al for euer euer Amen Yet when our Sauiour saith that he sent his Apostles as his Father hath sent him we most not vnderstand his wordes so as if he did communicate to them an equall dignitie or authoritie with himselfe or that they had any part at all with him in the reconciliation and redemption of the world c. bâ—t that he gaue them in such sort as was described before and as we shal shortly haue occasion to consider againe a like dignitie and authoritie immediately from him as hee came immediately from the Father c. Yet with like outward and worldly abasement and affliction also as to seruants of speciall trust from him and for the same cause indued with singular grace and power in his Church for the spirituall gouernment and ordering thereof aboue all mortall men yea aboue that which he himselfe in his owne lifetime and before his resurrection had put in execution as he promised before his death Iohn 14.12 as was alledged before And thus though hee gaue them not the honour of reconciling the world yet he put into their mouthes the word of reconciliatioÌ„ 2. Cor 5.19 And hath made them workers together with himself in the great and wonderfull worke of his grace to the conuersion and edification of his people in the faith as it followeth in the beginning of the next chap of the same Epistle 1. Ep 3.9 We together are Gods labourers And as workers together we beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine c. Yet not so that their work is internall for that is onely the office of our Sauiour by his holy spirit but externall instrumental by the word as also by the externall ministery of the SacrameÌ„ts on their part the which together with the word is on the part of our Lord Iâ— Ch accompanied with the internall grace of his holy spirit as Iohn the Baptist acknowledgeth and professeth Iohn 1.26.27 Luk. 3.16 And the Apostle Peter 1 Ep 3 21.22 Thus by this second particular which is the speech of our Sauiour and the last remedy vsed to cure the vnbeliefe of the eleuen in this his fift appeâ—rance we see plainly from the words of our Sauiour that the ministry of the Gospel is no humane but a most heauenly diuine ordinance Of the which I haue spoken so much the more because it is a very necessarie point whereof euery of vs ought to be well perswaded principally indeed concerning the extraordinary ministery of the holy Apostles both in their preaching coÌ„mitting to writing the holy Scriptures of the new Testament but then also in regard of the ordinary ministery of the same by our Sauiours appointment so to continue to the end of the world To the end that we for our parts learning how to esteeme vse it both in preaching hearing in euery other part of ministery might reape the euerlasting fruite benefite of the same holy ministery and obedience to the same The which God of his infinit mercy grant vnto vs euen for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Amen But now before we proceed any further some may peraduenture aske after the reason of this strange course of our Sa in that he hauing to deale with those that seemed for the time so vncapable of these so great matters they being as meÌ„ amazed or agaist should neuertheles enter into the discourse of these things vnto them I answer that we may wel thinke that by this time wherin our Sa had this speech they had by the grace of God something wel recouered themselues began to be better setled in their minds And further also we may affirme that it was the wisest course that our Sa might vse euen to rouze them vp by a certaine holy violence to chase their vnbelief away by letting them vnderstand that he as their souereigne Lord was in the greatest good earnest with them that might be that therefore they were accordingly to stir vp theÌ„selues with their best earnest to attend vpon that which he spake We may conceiue of that I say from a like case though in a diuers respect to wit if an offender should
preface to the like end I am the Lord thy God c. But this being so heere a question ariseth why our Sauiour should say All power is giuen me and not rather All power in heauen and earth is mine Question What is to be said for the answer of this Answer In these words our Sauiour doth not speake of himselfe in respect of his Godhead simplie considered but as he is a mediator betwixt God and man and so not onely God but also man Whence it is that although in respect of his Deitie wherein he is equall to God hee might haue said All power is mine properly and without gift yet in regard of his humanitie wherein he is inferiour he did choose rather to speake thus All power is giuen vnto me that is to say from the Father Explication and proofe So indeede is our Sauiour to be vnderstoode Neuerthelesse as the power of our Sauiour is hereby nothing contracted seeing he that is man is also God and therefore must of necessity in that respect haue a diuine that is a most soueraigne power or authority preeminence dignity as the word exousia signifieth so the comfort of these words whereby the Gospell and ministerie thereof is authorised is nothing the lesse to vs but rather much greater hereby According as our Sauiour for the same cause doth stand vpon it emphatically as we may say and in way of singular amplification as we read Iohn 5.26.27 As the Father hath life in himselfe so likewise hath he giuen to the sonne to haue life in himselfe And he hath giuen him power also to execute iudgement in that he is the sonne of man The same amplification doth the Apostle Paule verse Act. 17.31 God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath giuen assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead And Philip. 2.7 He made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men c. Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euery name That at the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe c. Thus hath God exalted him euen for that he humbled himselfe to be man c. Read also 1. Tim. 2.1 There is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and man which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men c. And Heb. 2.9.10 c. 16.17.18 And all according to the Prophesie of Daniel chap. 7.13.14 As I beheld in visions by right behold one like the sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen and approached to the ancient of dayes and they brought him before him and hee gaue him dominion and honour and a Kingdome that all people and nations and languages should serue him his dominion is an euerlasting dominion c. This therefore might and no doubt did notably serue to animate and incourage the Apostles to receiue their power and authoritie from our Sauiour euen in that he was man and had receiued it of the Father that hee should impart and communicate it vnto them according to that he had said before Iohn 20.21 As my Father hath sent me so send I you This also may iustly be comfortable to all faithfull Ministers of the Gospell to the end of the world as we shall see good ground for it afterward in another part of this holy speech of our Sauiour And the rather because he that giueth this commission and charge euen the man Christ hee is the King of Kings Reuel chap. 19 16. c. Now for the present let vs come to the second part of our Sauiours speech wherein as was answered our Sauiour doth both describe and also prescribe vnto the Apostles their commission and charge as well touching the largenes of the places wherein they were to put it in execution as the limites and boundes of the principall duties thereof Qu. First therefore How large was their commission in respect of the places and precincts of their iurisdiction if we may so speake Ans The places and as we may say precincts of their commission and charge were as large as the compasse of the whole word Expli It is true So our Sauiour doth measure it forth vnto them as was figured by the Angel in Ezekiel chap. 40 c. in that he saith Goe therefore and teach all Nations Matth. 28.19 and Mark 16.15 Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to euery creature to wit to euery creature that hath vnderstanding and is fit to heare the Gospel preached whether Iew or of any other Nations vnder heauen And herein beside some other circumstances as hath beene alreadie obserued the commission of the Apostles differed from all other Ministers of the word whether Prophets or Euangelists or Pastors and Teachers This therefore is worthily inferred vpon the former vniuersall power of our Sauiour in that after hee had said All power is giuen vnto me c. he addeth therevpon Goe therefore into all Nations c. As though our Sauiour should say I will be with you and stand by you and beare you out and prouide for you and blesse you in all places whethersoeuer yee shall goe seeing I am giuen for a light of the Gentiles to be the saluation of God to the end of the earth that is through all the world Isai 49.6 c. Psal 2.8 Such was the largenes of the Apostles commission Question Now how were their duties limited and bounded Answere They were all comprehended in these two Teaching and Baptizing which are the principall among the rest Explicatiō So indeede it is euident by the expresse words of our Sauiour First in that he saith Goe ye and teach c. Secondly in that hee saith further Baptizing them c. Touching either of these duties there are diuers things to be obserued Question Which are they Answer First concerning teaching our Sauiour sheweth both what doctrine is to be taught and also in what manner and to what end Secondly concerning Baptizing wee are likewise from the words of our Sauiour to consider what the thing it selfe to wit Baptisme is and in what forme or manner it is to be administred and to what purpose Let vs therefore consider a little of these things Question And first what doctrine is that which our Sauiour commanded his Apostles to teach And in what manner would he haue it taught Answer The Euangelist Marke sheweth that our Sauiour expressed part of his minde in this behalfe in other words then saint Matthew mentioneth saying Preach the Gospel But he maketh a further supply in Matthew in that he addeth these words Teaching whatsoeuer I haue commanded In these words indeede our Sauiour sheweth plainely what his minde was in either respects Explicatiō For by the word Gospel it is euident that hee would haue the glad tidings
made an high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Heb. 6.18.19.20 And hence it is that wee receiuing from the right hand of God this speciall grace and fauour that the spirit of our Sauiour Christ euen the Spirit of adoption who teacheth vs to crie Abba Father and helpeth our infirmities in this behalfe yea and maketh requests for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed wee haue exceeding comfort that our prayers which wee make shall be regarded of God seeing the spirit teacheth vs to make them according to the will of GOD and in the name of our Sauiour who sitteth at his right hand Romanes 8.15.16.26.27 and verse 34. In which respect also this may be no small comfort vnto vs which is mentioned in the articles of our beliefe and is confirmed in the holy Scriptures that our Sauiour maketh intercession for vs to God who beeing his naturall Father vouchsafeth also through him to be our Father by the grace of adoption and for the same cause is willing to heare both him for vs and vs for his sake yea and not onely willing but being almightie is as able as he is willing to graunt vs all things through him Finally this may iustly be exceeding comfortable vnto vs that looke what was represented by the glorious garments of the high Priest of the lawe his Ephod with the Onix stones in the which were grauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israell the breast-plate of iudgement wherein were likewise set twelue stones answerable to the names of the children of Israell grauen as signes the Vrim and Thummim also the hidden brightnes and perfection which were in the same breast-plate and he plate or crowne and miter on his forehead wherein was ingrauen Holines to the Lord the truth of all is nowe most perfectly and brightly performed a heauen by our Sauiour Christ For hee presents vs holy and righteous in himselfe before God continually hee supports his Church and euery weake member as it were on his shoulders hee carries the remembrance of all in his heart in him are all the hidden treasures of wisedome hee alone so sweetens vs and our prayers and all that wee doe in his name that though all be weake and vnpersit yet both wee and they are for his sake most gratiously accepted of God Reuel 8.3.4.5 Our Sauiour therefore at the right hand of GOD in the heauens in vnto vs that our onely high Priest who is anointed with the oile of gladnes aboue all his fellowes infinitely more delightfull and pleasant then euer was Aaron or any of his companions though the sweete smell of his perfume is greatly commended both in Exodus 30.22 c. and Psalme 133. Thus farre of the fruites and benefites of the exaltation of our Sauiour Christ to the right hand of God in respect of his royall and kingly priesthood Now in the last place what are the fruites and benefites of his sitting at the right hand of God Question in regard of his High-Priestry royaltie and spirituall Kingdome Answer They are partly such as doe more directly concerne his Church that is to say the whole companie of his obedient and faithfull subiects and that either from age to age in this life or at the end of the world for euer and euer And partly they are such as for the same his Churches sake and to the benefit therof doe concerne his dealing against all those enemies which it hath whom this our King and Sauiour taketh to be enemies likewise vnto himselfe It is true they may well be considered vnder these diuerse heads Question Which are they that be of the first sort Answer More directly for the benefit of the Church and euery true member thereof our Sauiour in respect of his kingly aduancement at the right hand of God he doth from the same First here vpon earth most holily spiritually and as we may say religiously rule and gouerne it Secondly he doth most vigilantly maintaine and preserue it Thirdly he doth most wisely and discreetly chastise and nurture it Fourtly he doth most sweetly comfort cherish and refresh it from time to time Finally he doth by all meanes make his Church and euery member therof truly humble and wise vnto their eternall saluation and he will verily for euer saue and glorifie them at the last in the Kingdome of heauen Explication and proofe These in deede are the most gratious fruites and benefites which proceed from the aduancement of our Sauiour to sit downe at the right hand of God in his most royall and priestly kingdome For proofe whereof read first Psa 45.6.7.8.9 and verses 13.14.15.16.17 compared with Heb. 1.8.9 And Psalm 72. vnder the type and figure of King Salomon And Psal 2.2 Blessed are all that trust in him Read Isaiah 32.1.2.3 c. Behold a King shalt raigne in iustice and the Princes shal rule in iudgement And that man to wit Christ our king shal be as an hiding place frō the wind and as a refuge c. Yea generally let vs obserue that whatsoeuer the holie Prophets doe prophesie of the speciall Kingdome of Christ in respect of the Church the perfection of the administration thereof dependeth vpoh this his sitting at the right hand of God and they are also so many proofes that his kingdom should be most graciously gouerned especially from the time of his sitting at the right hand of God as the effect it selfe confirmeth according to that Isaiah ch 9.6.7 ch 11.1.2.3 c to the end of the chapter For all I say taketh the full accomplishment from hence And to this end we may fitly ascribe that which is spoken in respect of his eternal Deitie before his incarnatiō to his most soueraigne royal state now in that he is mā vnited personally to the same Deitie so that it may be veried of him now which was said then by the spirit of prophesie Prou ch 8.14 c. I haue counsell wisedome I am vnderstanding and I haue strength By me kings raigne and princes decree iustice By me princes rule the nobles all iudges of the earth I loue them that loue me and they that seeke me early shal find me Riches and honour are with me euen durable riches and righteousnes My fruit is better then gold euen then fine gold and my reuenewes are better then fine siluer I cause to walk in the way of righteousnes and in the middest of the paths of iudgement That I may cause them that loue me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures And further whereas the church of our Sa Ch enioyeth godly Christian kings and princes for the protection and defence of it according to the promise of God Isai 49 23. Kings shal be thy foster-fathers and Queenes shal be thy nources c. this out of all question is the gift of our Sauiour Christ from the right hand of God euen of his royall bountie and from his most high and soueraigne
It is the dutie of the Husbandman to plant and sow c. Why then doth our Sauiour mention them The onely cause was for that the people in either of those times did wickedly abuse and peruert those ordinances of God As for example how the people whom the Apostle Peter calleth the world of the vngodly abused marriage in the daies of Noah Reade Genesis 6.2 The sonnes of God saw that the daughters of men were faire and they tooke them wiues of all that liked them c. This confusion of marriages betwixt the professors of the true worshippe of God and idolatours and profane persons and Athiests without care of all holy choise it is a manifest signe of the decay of all true godlinesse wheresoeuer it is Yea it is such an vndermining of it as giueth it the most speedy and dangerous ouerthrow For they that sticke not to communicate with the wicked in marriages they will haue society with them in any thing And how the Sodomites abused the good gifts of God in their inteÌ„perate eating and drinking The Euangelist Matâ—hew seemeth of pâ—rpose to vse the word trogontes which most prâ—perly signifieth to feede more like brâ—â—t beasts thâ—â—â—â—â—emblemen and in the more then brutish effects which followed vpon the same reade Gen. 8.4 5. And Ezek. 16.49 50. Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome pride fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse was in her and in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hands of the poore and needie But they were hauty and committed abhomination before me therefore I tooke them away as pleased me And 2. Pet. 2.2.6.7.8 God turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them and ouerthrew them and made them an ensample vnto them that afterward should liue vngodly And deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked For he being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes So then not eating and drinking and such like things are simply condemned here by our Sauiour but onely the inordinate vse or rather abuse of them when as they are sought after in an vnlawfull manner and when the heart is so addicted to them that God is forgotten in them contrary to the admonition of God Deut 8.10 The which abuse our Sauiour noteth against those that being inuited to the Gospel of his kingdome made their excuse because Deut. 6.10 11 12 13. And cap. 8.10 11 12. one had bought a farme and must goe see it and another fiue yoake of oxen and he must goe to proue them and a third that he could not come because he was to solemnize his mariage Luke chap. 14. verses 16 c. Our lesson therefore hence must be this that if wee would not be hindred from the kingdome of God nor bee vnprepared when our Lord Iesus shall come to his last iudgement or that wee bee taken away by death before hee doe come that according to the admonition of the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. chap. 29. verses 30 31. They that haue wiues be as though they had none to wit so that they will not be hindred from Christ in that respect and that they which weepe be as though they wept not and they that reioyce that is to say vpon worldly occasions of increase of worldly wealth as though they reioyce not and they that buy as though they possessed not and that they which vse this world be as thogh they vsed it not because the Apostle saith the fashioÌ„ of this world goeth away We must take heede that wee be not like the pampered horse that will lift vp his heele against his Master as the people of Israel were for want of receiuing the propheticall admonition which Moses gaue them Deut. 32.15 What Master will retaine such a seruant as being well and liberally maintained by him will be ready to despise him And shall we thinke that God will indure that we being all fed by his prouidence shall lift vp our selues against him THese things obserued concerning the former Scripture now let vs goe forward to see what further vse our Sauiour maketh from the description of his last comming to iudgement in respect of the vncertaintie thereof to our knowledge Question How doth it follow in our text Answer It followeth in the Euangelist Matthew in the 42. verse of the foure and twentith chapter in these words Watch therefore for ye know not what houre your Master will come Explication Our Sauiour hauing shewed that the vncertainty of his comming to iudgement shall be most heauily dangerous to the world by reason of the securitie thereof because hee knew before that they will not regard his most serious admonition and warning answerable to the perill of the people of the old world in that they despised the warning which God gaue them by Noah and likewise answerable to the perill of the people of Sodome and the people of other Cities adioyning because they despised the reproofe of Lot hee doth therefore vse this admonition to his Disciples and to all that will yeelde themselues teachable that they may auoide so greeuous a perill as hee knew to bee comming toward the world for the carelesnesse and impenitencie thereof This most serious admonition and warning which our Sauiour giueth to his Church is deliuered by him two manner of waies First in more simple and plaine speech and secondly vnder diuers very lightsome and significant parables and similitudes The reason is because our Sauiour of his singular pitie which hee beareth toward vs would leaue no meanes vnattempted whereby he might induce and confirme vs in that carefull watchfull course which is necessary to be taken in this behalfe of all such as minde the way of saluation and would not be deceiued in their expectation Let vs therefore I pray ye all and euery one diligently obserue in marking and marke to obserue and obey the admonition and counsell which our Sauiour giueth vnto vs concerning the same euerlasting welfare and saluation at his comming Yea and seeing this care was necessary for them to whom our Sauiour spake while he was yet in the world sixteene hundreth yeare well neare before this time wherein wee heare our selues to be put in minde of this most graue warning let vs not now set light by it but much rather let vs so much the more attentiuely harken vnto it To the which end let vs well consider and beare in minde that which no doubt our Sauiour did most prudently consider on our behalfe and on the behalfe of his Disciples from the very time wherein he first vttered this doctrine to wit that insomuch as there shall be a generall iudgement and that all must appeare before the iudgement seate of God there is little difference betweene those which shall be found liuing at the comming of our Sauiour and those which shall be dead many hundreds of yeares
with him and the holy Angels here hee telleth the wicked that they shall haue their fellowship with the Diuel and his wicked Angels The comparison thus touched let vs now consider of the latter part of the sentence more simply in the owne nature according to the seuerall parts or members of it We may consider of them in this order First who the persons be that shall be condemned Secondly what the punishment is wherevnto they are to bee adiudged The persons are saide to be such as are Cursed and they are no doubt accursed of God Neuertheles our Sauiour doth not call them the Cursed of the Father or the cursed of God as he had saide of the godly that they are the blessed of the Father The reason may be for that no man is simply cursed of God but by reason of his corruption and sinne whereby he maketh himselfe iustly subiect to the curse of God For sinne is the proper and immediate cause of that curse which falleth vpon any And the curse is the next forerunner of condemnation For this cause therefore it may by good reason be conceiued that our Sauiour Christ spareth the name of God or of the Father though hee had vsed it before that euery man might finde the cause of the curse in himselfe and the cause of blessing to be in the free grace and mercy of God who is the onely true and proper fountaine thereof Furthermore touching the persons of whom this sentence shall be principally pronounced by the course and tenure of it it is euident that they are and shall be such as be professours of the Gospell both Iewe and Gentile yet hypocriticall Christians because of their hypocrisie are more accursed then they that neuer heard of the Gospell according to the saying of our Sauiour that it shall be easier for them of Sodom and Gomorrha at the day of iudgement then for such Thus much for the Persons The punishment is to be considered first in two seuerall parts and degrees and then in some further amplifications of it setting forth both the certaintie of it and also the most hideous and wofull vncomfortablenesse of it The first part of the punishment is a seperation from Christ and from the ioyes and glory of his heauenly kingdome for euer Departye from me saith our Sauiour As though hee should say Howsoeuer yee haue presumed to boast of my name and to promise to your selues the kingdome of heauen as wee knowe that the wicked are readie both to thinke and to speake that they looke to be saued as well as the best yet saith our Sauiour Depart from me ye haue no part in me or in my comming or with my redeemed And as he saide before to the foolish virgins I knowe yee not so doth he speake to the same effect here in this place This therefore shall be the first degree of the punishment that it shall be a frustrating of all hope of happines for euer It may be called the punishment of depriuation or losse of the greatest good that might possibly be obtained The second part or degree of the punishment may be called the punishment of feeling or smart yea of the enduring of the greatest euill or woe that can befall any creature This latter part of the punishment is called fire for the sharpnes of it yea it shall be fire of such a kind as God shall make a fit executioner of his most seuere wrath For let vs not deceiue our selues God is able as easily to doe both the one and the other as hee hath alreadie giuen to euerie creature that nature and disposition which they doe presently enioy The same punishment is said to be euerlasting because it shal be such a firie vengeance as shall alwaies torment and burne and yet neuer either consume and wast it selfe or the matter which it shall burne This euerlasting fire shall not onely torment the body but also the soule Yea the soule not onely by the body but properly and in the owne nature For it shall be such a fire as shall torment the spirituall nature of the very diuels themselues Herein therefore doth their iudgement exceed all humane iudgements that euer were or can be For the most grieuous of them are but bodily they cannot touch the soule they are but temporall they cannot be prolonged for euer nay they cannot extend further then the terme of the naturall life O therefore whatsoeuer the iudgement of man shall be of vs or vpon vs let vs be careful I beseech you that we may escape this most heauie and euerlasting punishment which shall proceed from the most terrible iudgment of the diuine Maiestie of the eternall God We doe not without cause pitie those that run on in their sinnes as it were hasting a pace to this destruction Let vs learne to pitie our selues And when we shall doe so let vs magnifie the goodnes of the Lord our God and heauenly Father in this behalfe acknowledging that he hath herein shewed on vs his inestimable pitie and compassion For otherwise wee should be as careles as any other are But let vs proceed to such further amplifications of this punishment as the words of our Sauiour doe point vs vnto to wit the certaintie of it the most wofull and hideous vncomfortablenes of it The certaintie of it is argued from the cause in that our Sauiour saith that it is prepared for the wicked yea no doubt euen as certainly as God hath prepared heauen for his elect children according to the saying of our Sauiour in the 3 of Iohn He that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie to wit if he harden his heart in his vnbeliefe against the doctrine of the Gospel In the last verse of the 30 chap of the Prophet Isaiah the Lord threatening the destruction of the enemies of his Church he alluding to a doolefull place neare vnto Ierusalem where through outragious superstition parents did most vnnaturally burne and torment their children vnder pretence of sacrificing them to God as wee read 2. Chron 28 3 ch 33.6 And Ier 7.31 the Lord I say in that place of the Prophet Isaiah alluding to that doolful place of cruel superstitiō he describeth the most doolfull destructiō of the enemies of his church for euer in these words Tophteh or as the name of the same place is called Topheth Ier 7 31. alledged euen now and likewise 2. King 23.10 it is saith the Lord prepared of olde it is euen prepared for the King hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it Whence it grewe that Hell the place of the eternall torment of the wicked was of the godly the haters of this horrible idolatrie from the name of the possessor of that place who was the sonne of Hinnom called the vallie of Hinnom according to that saying of our Sauiour Mat 5.22 Whosoeuer shall say Foole
shall be worthy to be punished with Hell fire The word which the Euangelist vseth is Gehenna with some little difference or deflection from the hebrewe words Geh bhen-hinnom the valley of Ben-Hinnom So then we may say of Hel-fire of the torment it selfe as was saide of the place of the torment that God hath certainly prepared it of olde for the most miserable and perpetuall torment of all the wicked The last amplification of the punishment which our Sauiour will adiudge the wicked vnto is from an adiunct as we may call it namely because therein they that haue refused the communion of Christ and his Church shall haue their followship with the diuel and his Angels That is to say with the whole companie of all diuels or wicked and vncleane Spirits For so are these words of our Sauiour the diuel and his Angels to be vnderstood according to that Reuel 12.7 There was a battell in heauen Michael that is to say Christ and his Angels fought against the dragon that is the diuel and the dragon fought and his Angels that is to say al the rest of the diuels For so the holy Scriptures speak of them as being subiect after a sort to one principall Mat 12.24 But herein we must take heed that we be not ouer curious Onely these two points are worthy our consideration First that seeing this punishment of euerlasting fire shall be so great as it shall torment the diuels according to that Mat 8.29 and 2. Pet 2.4 c Iude verse 6. it must then needes bee of that force that it shall make the stoutest among men to tremble and quake vnder it Secondly that insomuch as in our iudgement whatsoeuer the wicked thinke it is a very vncomfortable estate to be yoked with Idolaters Blasphemers Traitours Murtherers and such like for miserable comforters are they all much more hideous shall it be for the wicked to haue their ioynt portion of torment with all the diuels of Hell whose temptations they haue followed in their wicked lusts and sinfull pleasures all their life time Hetherto of the latter part of the iudgement of our Sauiour against the wicked to wit of the words of the sentence it selfe NOw followeth the reason or rule and lawe of the same Question What are the wordes thereof Answer For saith our Sauiour I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and yee gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was naked and ye clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not Explication This reason or rule and lawe whereby the iudgement is ordered is to be vnderstood as containing in it a full and sufficient cause of the condemnation of the wicked For euen vnmercifulnes alone is of it selfe very damnable There shal be iudgment mercilesse to them that shewe no mercy saith Saint Iames. And yet we may well vnderstand as was touched before that it goeth not alone For any sinne will easily lodge in the heart of the vnmercifull man neithere shall any other sinnes of theirs bee neglected in this iudgement though this onely be expressed For as wee knowe and as it hath beene obserued before all angry and vnaduised words shall come into iudgement Mat 5.22 yea euery ydle and vaine word chap 12 36.37 Likewise all youthfull prankes Eccles 11.9 And chap 12. the last verse Euery secret thing shall come vnto iudgement Yea 2 Cor 5.10 All things are reckoned within the compasse of the last iudgement All failings in the duties of our-seuerall callings and all transgressions of the lawe of God whatsoeuer The reason why our Sauiour made choise of this sinne of vnmercifulnes for the conuiction of the wicked hath beene alreadie rendered when wee spake of the contrary vertue of the godly in the other part of the iudgement That also which was alledged before to the praise of the godly for their fruites of mercie through the gratious acceptation of our Sauiour it serueth here in his iustice to shew the indignitie of the vnmercifulnes of the wicked insomuch as he taketh himselfe to be neglected when as any needfull or afflicted Christian is not relieued Question But what Shal al those be condemned that do not practise the duties of mercy here expressed Answer The reasō of this latter part of the iudgemēt is onely against such as hauing this worlds good doe shut vp their compassiō close vp their hands from their distressed brethren Explicatiō proofe It is so in deede the reason of our Sauiour is so to be vnderstoode For it is euident and cleare that euen of those that are needie and distressed themselues our Sauiour hath his blessed number though they be such as be so farre from relieuing other that they cannot succour themselues And besides sometimes euen those that gladly would relieue those Christians that are shut vp in prison cannot be permitted to haue accesse vnto them or to send that succour which they desire they might Some also are so vnapt to comfort those that be in distresse either in prison or in grieuous sicknes c. that they should in visiting of them more discomfort then comfort them much like vnto those to whom the Apostle said what doe ye weeping and breaking my heart Act 21 13. Neuertheles this we may be bold to say that none of those doe belong to the kingdome of heauen but shall be condemned by this sentence of our Sauiour whosoeuer haue not an vnfeined willingnes and desire according to their abilitie and according to that iust occasion which God giueth vnto them to feede the hungry to cloth the naked c. Or if they cannot themselues haue no care to stirre vp and perswade others therevnto that are able Or if being able for wealth and though vnfit in some other respect as was mentioned euen now if they should not send their good will and the fruite thereof by others that are meet to be imploied in such cases Or if not able to doe any thing else they should not be careful to pray for me afflicted as the church did for Peter when none might come at him but his armed enemies and keepers Act 12.5 Such as should thus farre faile in mercy should shewe plainely that they haue no true loue to Christ according to this his sentence here nor any truth of religion in them as we may perceiue by that which the Apostle Iames saith chap 1 27. Pure religion and vndefiled euen before God the Father is this to visit the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Here therefore as wee see is most vrgent and necessarie cause offered that euery one should suffer themselues to be earnestly admonished yea that euerie one should most seriously admonish warne themselues to take heede euen vnder paine of damnation how he doe neglect to practise the duties of mercy and namely those cōmon familiar duties which our Sauiour doth by
God as if they were alreadie perfectly accomplished according to the more full description thereof Matth 8.11.12 and Luke 13. verses 23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30 Where by occasion that one saide to our Sauiour Lord are there fewe that shall he saued Hee saide to them that is to him that asked the question and to the rest that were present Striue to enter in at the straite gate for many I say vnto yee will seeke to enter in and shall not be able When the good man of the house is risen vp and hath shut to the doore and ye begin to stand without and to knocke at the doore saying Lord Lord open to vs and he shall answer and say vnto you I knowe ye not whence ye are Then shall yee begin to say we haue eate and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streates But hee shal say I tell you I knowe yee not whence yee are depart from me all yee workers of iniquite There shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth when yee shall â—ee Abraham and Isaak and Iacob and all the Prophets in the kingdome of God and your selues thrust out of doores Then shall come many from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit at table in the kingdome of God And againe Matth 13 41.42 43. The wicked shall be cast into a furnace of fire There shall bee wailing and gnashing of teeth Then shall the iust men shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare Likewise Iohn chap 5.29 And 2. Thes 1 6 7 8 9 10. According also to the holy Prophesie of Daniel chap 12.2 3. And thus we see that there are diuerse testimonies for the further confirmation of the ful execution of either part of this last sentence and iudgement to be pronounced by our Sauiour But let vs weigh them seuerally and a part And first whereas our Sauiour affirmeth that it is most sure that the wicked shall goe into euerlasting paine yea euen into the furnace of fire and therewithall also into shame and perpetuall contempt as the Prophet Daniel hath foretold where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth where also beside that the fire shall neuer be quenched as our Sauiour affirmeth Marke 9.43 the worme to wit of a guiltie and conuicted conscience neuer dyeth but lyeth alwaies gnawing as it were and nipping or stinging as a ferpent in the bosome according to that Isai chap 66 24. where shall be no rest either day or night Reuel chap 14.11 where also as wee haue seene before shall be the most wofull and hiddeous companie and fellowship of the diuels where also death and torment shall beare their full sway Reuel chap 20.10 and verses 14 15. O therefore in all these respects how heauie and fearfull shall this execution be Heauie and fearefull I say first in that it is a separation of the wicked from him in whose fauourable presence onely standeth the comfort and happinesse of life It were an vncomfortable thing for a subiect to be banished for euer from the presence of a gracious Prince here vpon earth as we may take the example from Absalom 2. Sam 14.32 concerning the bitternesse of his banishment from the Court of the King his Father But what is this in comparison of that The anger of an earthly King is as the messengers of death Prouerbs 16.14 how much more then he indignation of the God of heauen Wee may feare the anger of any earthly King more sometime then there is cause but our feare can at no time exceede the anger of God whensoeuer it is kindled against vs according to the Psalm 7 6 7. Thou euen thou art to bee feared and who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angrie And Psalm 90 11. Thine anger is according to thy feare But specially in the execution of this last iudgement yea though we should consider it but in this first degree of it in that the wicked shall for euer be abandoned from euerlasting life and from the glory thereof But it is yet more fearefull in that they shall bee punished with vexation and torment both bodies and soules not for a certaine space of time and so to end but for euer and euer world without end not to endure vexation and torment in some small measure but in all extremities easelesse and remedilesse as well as perpetuall and endlesse For hence it is that it is compared to fire yea to euerlasting fire and the same also so violent that it shall make the mightie diuels to bewaile their estate vnder the reuenging hand of God in the middest of it as wee may perceiue by that which we reade Matth 8.29 and in the 6. verse of the Epistle of Iude as was alledged before it being such a fire as though it haue a consuming nature yet shall it neuer consume and deuoure this fuell of Gods wrath which shall bee once cast into it A long lingering griefe as wee knowe though it bee not exceeding sharpe yet it is by reason of the continuance very tedious Much more tedious therefore must it needes be if it be both grieuous and also of long durance When King Saule had his deaths wound hee accounted his miserie the greater because his armour-bearer refused to kill him out of hand 1. Sam 31.4 And Deut 28.65.66.67 It was threatened as a heauie punishment of God vppon the Israelities if they would not obey the commandements of God that they should haue no rest but bee combred with a trembling heart both night and day so that in the morning they should say World God it were euening and at euening Would God it were morning for the feare of thine heart which thou shalt feare and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see But what is all this and all the most grieuous diseases and torments of this life though they were continuall by the colicke or gout or any other yea though they met altogether in one man in comparison of the eternall torments and dolours of Hell Wherefore deare brethren let vs by all meanes take warning by this doctrine of our blessed Sauiour that we may be carefull to auoide them Verily the miserie shall be aboue all our vnderstanding so wofull that wee may iustly account our selues happie and blessed of God if wee may escape if whatsoeuer firy affliction wee endure here in this world yea though it should be all the dayes of our life and the same also prolonged neuer so many yeares Neither let any wicked man abiding in his sinnes flatter himselfe when he heareth these fearefull things saying God forbid as the wicked Pharisies said to our Sauiour when he spake to them of this iudgement of God Luke 20.16 For this part of the iudgement shall be as certainly executed as that other which followeth in the next place concerning the euerlasting and most happy life of the godly Wherefore to the
ought to be the estate and condition of euery true Church of Christ throughout the whole world This Church of God therefore generally considered is but one as the Apostle sheweth by the similitude of the naturall bodie the which though it haue many members is yet but one bodie Song of Songs ch 6. v. 8. And Ioh. 10.16 Now whereas there are diuers kindes of bodies First naturall such as euery man carrieth about him now Secondly spirituall such as the faithfull shall haue indued with far more excellent gifts at the resurrection from the dead 1. Cor. 15.44 Thirdly politike bodies such as are ciuill corporations whereof the King of the Nation is the head in a borrowed sense or metaphorically 1. Sam. chap. 15.17 Fourthly Mysticall bodies as for example the Churches of God spiritually vnited to our Sauiour Christ the onely immediate head and vitall quickener and gouernour thereof Hence it is the more manifest what manner of body the Church is by how much the similitude wherevnto it is compared is more distinctly expressed So then the Church of God to speake generally as we began to say is but one mysticall and spirituall bodie how many members soeuer it haue being considered either in particular Churches whether nationall as wee vse to speake or in cities or in country townes and villages or whether it be considered in regard of singular persons and therefore is called Catholike or Vniuersall Furthermore it is so called not onely to note thereby the calling of the Gentiles to the fellowship of the faith and couenant of Gods grace with the beleeuing Iewes who from the time of Moses were the onely peculiar people of God aboue all other of the Nations Ephes 2.16 and 3.6 but also to the end that vnder this name of catholike or vniuersall might be comprehended the whole number of the elect whomsoeuer God hath ordeined to saluation from the beginning of the world to the end of the same as well such as be called alreadie as such as are to be called in euery age of the world and the same also out of euery nation farre and neare and out of euery estate and condition of people noble or vnnoble rich or poore learned or vnlearned young or olde man or woman and all according to the free grace of God without respect of person Yea the Church hath this generall name giuen vnto it that it might not onely comprehend that part of the Church which is called the militant part here on earth but also that part which is alreadie partly and in some measure triumphant in heauen According to that which we reade Ephes 3.15 God is the Father of the whole familie in heauen and in earth Reade also chap. 1. verses 9 10 11. And Colos 1.19 20 21 22. Heb. 12.22 c. And Gal. 4.26 This then is that which the holy Apostle saith in our text that in the one only body of the Church of God here on earth both Iew Gentile bond free c are conteined as the seuerall members thereof The which as was said we may proportionably extend to the whole Church most generally taken that all is but one c. Reade also Acts 2. verse 39. The promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen as many as the Lord our God shall call Likewise Ephes 2.13 c. And Gal. 3. at the end of the chapter And Colos 3.11 Neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision neither Barbarian nor Scythian neither bond nor free none of them are excepted from hauing their part in Christ either because they are of this or that nation of this or that condition and calling c. Reade also Acts 10.34 35. Of a truth saith the Apostle Peter I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons But in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him And Reuel 5.9 Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation c. And chap. 7.9 I beheld saith Saint Iohn and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands c. And verse 14 c. These were they which came out of great tribulation c. This vniuersality of the Catholike Church is according to the ancient promise of God made to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the world should be blessed It is also according to that more ancient and propheticall prayer of Noah Gen. 9.27 God perswade Iapheth that he may dwell in the tents of Shem. And yet before that according to that most ancient promise of God euen from the beginning of the world Gen. 3.15 The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Yea God as a most prouident Father knowing that fraileman would fall into sinne and so be the iust cause of his owne miserie and ruine it pleased him of his infinite goodnesse and mercie in the secret of his owne counsel and purpose to ordaine him a remedie euen before the foundations of the world were laid 1. Pet. 1.20 Herein therefore God hath dealt with mankinde after the manner of wise and louing Parents who knowing that their young children are subiect to burning or skalding c will alwaies haue some thing prepared afore hand which may be ready with them to helpe at any time of neede Yet that which man doth vpon an vncertaine feare God did of certaine knowledge without any doubt what would ensue By reason that the Church is thus Catholike and vniuersall in the generall acception of it therfore is it made a matter of faith not that we should beleeue in the Church but because it is to be beleeued of vs according to the holy Scriptures that God hath such a Church as may iustly be so termed And because also it is so firmely founded established in our Sauiour Christ according to the most sure stable counsel of God that nothing no not the gates of Hell shal euer be able to preuaile against it Mat. 16.18 Read also Ps 125. and Ier. 33.17 18 c. to the end of the chapter Moreouer 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his c. And that this vniuersall Church consisting both of Iew Gentile is founded vpon our Sauiour Christ it is euident Ephes 2.18 For as the holy Apostle saith there wee both that is both Iew and Gentile haue through him an entrance vnto the Father by one Spirit And verse 22. In whom we are also built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit By the Spirit saith the Apostle and that also through faith to remoue all conceit of any bodily commixtion or confusion of the Church or members thereof with Christ bodily and likewise to
Article let vs come to the Promise The Promise Question What promise hath God made of the remaining or forgiuing of our sinnes Answer We haue many very gratious and often renewed promises hereof both old and new euery where dispersed in the holy Scriptures of God Question Name you some of them Answer Beside that which you rehearsed Isai 48. verses 8.9.10.11 You haue pointed vs to another notable testimonie in the 31. chap of Ieremie from the 30. verse to the 35. of the same And chap 33 the .8 verse And in the newe Testament the same promise is alledged to belong through our Sauiour Christ to the beleeuing Gentiles as well as to the beleeuing Iewes Explicatiō It is true as we may reade Act 2 38 39. And ch 10.43 Rehearse the words of some of the places which you haue named Question How do you reade Answer In the 31. cha of Ieremie verses 31. thus it is written Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant c. For I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more And chap 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquitie whereby they haue sinned against me yea I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they haue sinned against me And it shall be to me a name and an honour before all the nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe vnto them c. Explicatiō Let this suffice out of the Prophet Ieremie for this time Wee may read the like testimonies in other of the Prophets beside those which haue beene hitherto alledged As Isai 33.24 The people that dwell therein shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen Read also Ezek chap 18. verse 21. c. 32. All these promises of forgiuenes of sinnes doe belong vnto vs Gentiles The Comforts now through our Sauiour Christ as well as they did before to the Iewes THe Promise being thus confirmed the vse of this Article is next And first for Comfort Question What is that Answer The comfort is euery way very great insomuch as the glory and happines both of our bodies and soules in this life and also in the life to come consisteth herein It is very true as we reade Psalm 32. in the beginning of the Psalme And Rom 4.6.7.8 Explicatiō proofe Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne So that forgiuenes of sinnes is as one may say an epitome or short summe of all the mercies of God Whence it is that the Lord is saide Psal 103. as was before alledged to crown vs with his mercies and compassion Verily there is no goodnes or dignitie in our selues whereof we may reioyce or for the which we may looke to be accepted with God The mercie of our God is our onely crowne the glory of Gods free grace is our onely glory c. No doubt the comfort of this Article is singular to all those that knowe what Sinne meaneth And it will the rather warme and cheare vp our hearts if we shal consider that beside our former sinnes infinite and hainous in the sight of Gods iustice we remaine still very apt and prone to offend God euen after that we are by his grace regenerated and borne againe Yea if we shal consider that we daily offend his diuine Maiestie not onely by forgetfulnes and neglect of many good duties but also by rash and vnwarie committing of much euill according to that saying of Saint Iames In maine thinges wee sinne all Furthermore the Comfort hereof will be the more manifest to our consciences if we consider earnestly of the nature of sinne not onely how odious it is in itselfe but also how vile and abominable it maketh our persons both bodies and soules in the sight of God how it keepeth all good things from vs and pulleth downe vpon vs all euill Ier 5.25 Isai 59 1 2 3. till it be couered and forgiuen in our Sauiour Christ But most clearely of all wil the comfort of this Article shine into our hearts if we shall duly looke into the cause and fountaine of the forgiuenes of all our sinnes which would haue pressed vs downe to the very bottome of the gulfe of Hell to wit the most free and amiable grace and fauour of God our heauenly Father through his most blessed Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ which is better then our life though naturally that is most pretious vnto vs. According to the 3 verse of the 63 Ps Thy louing kindnes is better then life And Ps 30 5. This maketh our Baptisme exceedingly comfortable vnto vs insomuch as the whole blessed Trinitie cōsenteth to make it a testimonie of the forgiuenes of our sins through the same most free grace and rich fauour of our one onely true God Mark 1 4. Act. 2 38. and chap 22.16 It maketh the Supper of the Lord in like māner exceeding comfortable vnto vs in that it is a further pledge and assurance that our sinnes are forgiuen through the blood of our Sauiour Christ Mat chap 26. verses 26 27 28. The largenes of this free grace of God to the forgiuenes of sinnes through our Lord Iesus Christ reaching vp as it were to the heauens Ps 36. verses 5. and 7 and Ps 103 11 it enlargeth the comfort of this most excellent blessing seeing God sheweth vs plainly that he hath aboundance of mercie in store not onely for the forgiuenes of some fewe persons here and there but euen for the forgiuenes of his whole Church that is of so many thousands yea myriads of thousands of all sorts of people as shall seeke for mercy at his hands as was touched before Yea not onely for sinners of smaller degrees in offences but also for the greatest sort of sinners aboue other whosoeuer among them shall earnestly repent them and truly beleeue the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ according to that most liberall The Duties and sweete consolatorie incouragement of the Lord by his holy Prophet Isaiah chap 1.18 Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimsin they shall be made white as snowe though they be red as skarlet they shall be as woole If ye consent and obey ye shal eate the good things of the land And chap 40.1.2 Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Speake comfortably to Ierusalem and cry vnto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquitie is pardoned for shee hath receiued of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes Finally the bowell-like tendernes of Gods mercy is not the least cause of the great comfort of this Article as we may consider from these and such like testimonies of holy Scripture Psal 25 6.7 and 79.8 Ier 31.20 Lament 3.22.23 Hos 11.8.9 Ioel 2.13 Luke 1.7.8 and ch 15 20. O how sweet therefore ought this mercy of God to be vnto vs in all these
were the Sadduces as we haue seene before Likewise Hymineus Philetus 2. Tim. 2.16.17.18 who affirmed that the resurrection is past already and by that their hereticall doctrine destroied the faith of certaine as the Apostle saith Of this hereticall stocke or linage is H. N. with his schismatical Familie of loue who make nothing but an allegorie of the bodily resurrection though it be most simply and plainely affirmed in the holy Scriptures as we haue seene Whence it is also that the schollers of this Family are so dastardly and of so euill consciences that by shamefull dissemblings they shunne all open and plaine profession of that which they hold so soone as they see thēselues to be in danger of suffering any bodily affliction for the same Danaeus that learned writer reckoneth vp vnto vs 19. sorts of heretikes on a row which denied the resurrection of the body to wit the Simonians the Saturninians the Basilidians the Carpocratians the Valentinians the Marcites the Ophites the Caians the Sethians the Archontikes the Cerdonians the Marcionites the Apellites the Seuerians the Bardesanistes the Heraclites the Seleucians the Hermians the Procitans And we know besides how the fine witted Athenians mocked at the Apostle Paul so soone as he had made mentiō of the resurrection from the dead Wherefore to the end we may auoide this so great and so common a danger whereinto so many haue fallen let vs I beseech you make the more precious account of that blessed diligence which the holy Apostle hath vsed in the proofe of this Article The which seeing he hath done it so substantially plentifully that none can desire either greater strength of reason or more comfortable ground of holy Scripture to put the matter out of all doubt for euer let vs so looke to the almighty power of God and so rest our selues vpon his most gratious good will and pleasure herein through our Lord Iesus Christ that abandoning all erroneous and heretical conceites we may firmely holde the truth of this most comfortable Article And from the comfort of it let vs likewise haue care to walke in all those good duties which may guide vs to the blessed fruition of it to the glory of God and to our owne euerlasting comfort and saluation both in body and soule together Amen Beliefe that to euery true member of the Church of God belongeth the inheritance of euerlasting life Question NOw what is that which remaineth of the Articles of our beliefe Answer The last Article is this I beleeue that there is an euerlasting life Question What ground of holy Scripture can you alledge for the proofe and warrant of it Answer We haue a plaine proofe and warrant of it Act. 13. verses 46 47.48 in these words 46. Then Paul and Barnabas spake boldly aad said It was necessarie that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you but seeing ye put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life lo we turne to the Gentiles 47. For so hath the Lord commanded vs saying I haue made thee a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be the saluation to the end of the world 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to euerlasting life beleeued Many worthy things are contained in these words Explicatiō First as wee easily see both the Apostle Paul and also Barnabas consenting with him doe not coldly or doubtfully affirme but with singular boldnes and resolution giue an assured testimonie of the euerlasting life of all the faithfull Secondly they shew by what meanes God guideth and draweth his children to the inheritance of euerlasting life to wit by the preaching of the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ vnto them which is the word of life and saluation The which because many of the obstinate Iewes refused to hearken vnto and embrace they are said to refuse euerlasting life it selfe thereby most gratiously offered vnto them Thirdly they describe who they be to whom euerlasting life belongeth namely to these that doe beleeue and embrace the Gospell whereby our Sauiour Christ is preached vnto them Not onely to such among the Iewes but also to euery such one among vs the Gentiles Finally they testifie of our singular comfort that it is the eternal decree and counsel of God that it should be so To the end therefore beloued in the Lord that we may stirre vp our selues to the embracing of the doctrine and faith of this Article Let vs consider of it according as it is in deed as of that which cōtaineth the chief benefit yea euen the onely full perfiting of all whatsoeuer the manifold and most precious benefits which our Sauiour Christ hath purchased and obtained for vs. It is that very scope which God himselfe propounded to himselfe in his owne most sacred purpose to the glorious and eternall praise of the riches of his grace euen before the world was And for this cause it is that as our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth God hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne to be borne of a woman The groūd of the article and to die for our sinnes As Iohn 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life To this purpose also God hath poured forth his Spirit vpon his Church to testifie his glorious grace and to guide vs to the obtaining of this euerlasting life The wisedome of the Spirit is life and peace Rom. 8.6 and verse 11. As this euerlasting life is the chiefest blessing of all other so hath God most gratiously manifested and confirmed the same to his Church from time to time Hee did it to Adam in his paradise euen from the beginning of the creation in that hee gaue him the tree of life to be a Sacrament to him of immortality if he would haue continued faithfull in his obedience to God And after that by disobedience he had lost it and therewithall pulled death vpon himselfe and his posteritie such was the gratious goodnes of God that for his recouerie hee gaue him the promise of our Sauiour Christ who should be to him and to all that should beleeue in the same our Sauiour more effectuall to their saluation then that tree of life could be to Adam as wee are giuen to vnderstand by that allusion which the Spirit of God maketh therevnto when this benefit of euerlasting life is assured vnto vs. Reuel ch 2.7 And againe ch 22.2 Moreouer for a reall confirmation of this his most gratious purpose to bestowe this vnspeakeable blessing vpon his people it pleased God to take away faithfull Henoch before death into his heauenly kingdome out of this world so that as the holy Scripture testifieth He sawe not death Gen. 5.21 and Heb. 11.5 In like manner for the confirmation hereof to the ages following he tooke vp the Prophet Elijah from earth