the Creation of the Woman therefore he would be alone that he alone might be known to be the only maker of the Woman and that he had no help or Counsell in the framing of her For the like cause God suffered the Disciples to fall into a deep and heavy sleep in the garden when Jesus Christ our Saviour was in the agony that it might not be doubted but that he alone wrought and brought to passe all the work of our Redemption without the help or comfort of his Disciples as it was prophecied of him before Ille Torcular calcavit solus So Almighty God purposing to have all the glory of the whole World alone and that Adam might not challenge any jot thereof therefore without his counsell help or consent he would doe it while Adam was fast asleep Which must teach us this Lesson That especially in this weighty matter of Wyving when we see we want that holy help we must not think by our own policie and strength to get us one meet and good for us but rather by prayer commend that work to Gods care and providence who then no doubt will bring that work to passe which shall be most fit and meet for us while we are fast asleep Object If any ask Why she was taken out of his side which is the middle part of mans body and not out of his head or foot Resp. This answer may stand with good reason That she was not taken out of his head or shoulder Ne insolesceret foemina that is lest affecting a superiority over the Man she should take upon her arrogancie to be the top of his head or to ride over his shoulders If any doe so let them know that it is not the Womans part nor place to exalt herself so high On the other side God of purpose would not have her taken out of the foot Ne eam homo sub pedibus contereret make her too much an underling as scarce good enough to wash his feet If any so use their wives let them know God made them not to so base and contemptible offices but would have good and vertuous women to be set next themselves as their matches in all dutie and love for God hath made her of his side that she might be collateralis that is be thought worthy to stand and sit and lye by his side therefore it is said that the Kings spouse being brought to him was set on his right hand Psal. 45. 9. And indeed if women did consider their estate they would know it to be farre better and safer for them being the weaker vessell to shrowd themselves under their husbands arms for defence as their protector than to sit above his shoulder as Lord and superior over him Again Women may see that God made them of a rib which is a strong bone that they might be a means and prop to their weaknesse to uphold and be a stay to them and their estate and not a weakning and decayiug of their estates and strength as many doe And as they learn this of the nature of their matter so they must learn to avoid one thing which is the bone of which they were made namely they must not be crooked and perverse and 〈◊〉 bones to their husbands heart for such wives saith Salomon are not bones to help us but putredo in ossibus and a grief to their heart Now we may consider that of this matter God made him not many wives not two wives yea not more than only one which condemneth 〈◊〉 for many reasons and respects for many inconveniences and griefs come to the man and the family where more than one hath been it was the cause occasion of strife and brawls as we may see in the example of Elkana his two wives 1 Sam. 1. 5. 7. 8. for they did not only vexe one another but both of them were a vexation to him The like example we have in Sara and Agar so ill did they agree under one man that one house was not able to hold them wherefore Gods ordinance is who knoweth what is best for us that one man shall have but one only wife A word now of the supplement for it is said that God taking out a rib made a wound and healed it up again and made flesh to be the supplement thereof By which we 〈◊〉 becanse Woman is the weaker vessel therefore God would have her to have some of the Mans strength and lest the man should be too strong and rigorous he hath imparted some of the Womans weaknesse to him Which must teach man and wife to know that God hath made them so that they should bear one with anothers infirmities And there is nothing which doth more make void the bond of love and unity which God hath so strongly confirmed between man and wife as this one thing that the one doth not bear with the others infirmities and imperfections Extruxitque Jehova Deus ex costa illa quam sumpserat de Adamo mulierem eamque adduxit ad Adamum Gen. 2. 22. Octob. 23. 1591. IN these words according to our last division are conteined the manner and fashion of her Creation which is here said to be after the manner and form of a building and also the end why she was made namely that she might be brought to man and given him for his help It is the Counsel of God that if we will purpose to make a house or building that we first of all prepare matter and stuffe where with all to build it Prov. 24. 27. and then after to settle upon the work which course of wisdome we doe see God doth here take and observe for having taken the rib out of the mans side as the meetest matter to build this beautifull matter for man now all things being in a readinesse and nothing wanting he proceedeth without delay to the framing and perfecting of this work of Woman Touching which we must know that it is not Moses purpose in this place to treat of the making of the Womans soul but only of the frame of the body for he had before in the 7. verse of this Chapter sufficiently and fully performed that narration shewing that God having made the body of Man and Woman then he breathed into them the breath of life and made them both alike living souls which confoundeth that prophane shamelesse objection of irreligious men which whether in jeast or in good earnest I know not have said that Women have no souls because in this verse Moses speaketh not but only of the frame of her body To falsifie and disprove which saying ye shall hear Rebecca say Gen. 27. 46. Taedet animam meam vitae meae And the Virgin Mary will confesse that she hath a soul as well as Man Luke 1. 46. saying Magnificat anima mea c. But we must know that this soul the Woman had not of the man but of God the Creator as Adam had
willingly will come as often as they may and not like those that swell with pride and say another time will serve as well as now as Davids servants said to Naball in the first book of Samuel the twenty fift chapter We come now in a good time for thou makest a feast and art in case to relieve us another time peradventure thou wilt not be so prepared So men ought to take the opportunity and to say in their selves Now is the time of the celebration of Gods mercy and loving kindnesse Now we receive Christ and therefore there is great hope that if we come he will receive us Now we celebrate the memory of his death when he was content to receive the thief that came unto him and therefore it is most likely that he will receive us if we come to him But if we come not now happily we shall not be received when we would It is Christs will That they which are given him of the Father be with him where he is and may behold his glory John the seventeenth chapter and the twenty fourth verse Therefore it stands us upon to come to Christ that he may receive us to be one with him in the life of grace and partakers with him in his Kingdom of glory Qui verò haec audierunt compuncti sunt corde dixerunt ad Petrum ac reliquos Apostolos Quid faciemus viri fratres Petrus autem ait ad eos Resipiscite c. Act. 2. 37. April 12. 1600. OUR Saviour Christ promised Peter Acts the fift chapter to make him a fisher of men and 〈◊〉 the thirteenth chapter That the 〈…〉 of Heaven is like a 〈…〉 which catcheth fish of all 〈…〉 The first casting forth of this act and 〈…〉 draught that Peter had is by 〈…〉 these verses And the draught which he made was 〈…〉 souls verse the fourty first If we 〈◊〉 of what 〈◊〉 They were 〈◊〉 souls of them that killed the Sonne of God and 〈…〉 the spirit of God whom they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 holy Ghost to 〈◊〉 verse the 〈…〉 These men are full of new 〈◊〉 Which when we advisedly consider it cannot but be matter First Of great comfort Teaching us that albeit we be great sinners as the Jews that put the sonne of God to death yet there is a quid faciemus what to doe that is a hope of remission of sinnes Secondly Of instruction touching the means That if we repent and be pricked in heart with the consideration of our sinnes as they were we shall attain this mercie which they received First St. Luke sets down the Sermon of Peter Secondly The sruit and effect of it As the Sermon it self propounds the death and Resurrection of Christ so in the effect that followed of it we see the means how we are made partakers of his death and Resurrection and that is set down in these two verses which contain a question and an answer In the question is to be observed First the cause of it that is the compunction of their hearts Secondly the cause of that compunction and that was the hearing of Peters Sermon Touching this effect which Peters Sermon wrought in the hearts of his hearers it is compuncti sunt corde Wherein note two things First the work it self Secondly the part wherein of the work it self it is said they were pricked Wherein first we are to observe That the first work of the spirit and operation of the word is compunction of heart howbeit the word being the word of glad tidings and comfort it is strange it should have any such operation but that Christ hath foretold the same John the sixteenth chapter When the comforter comes he shall reprove the world of sinne Now reproof is a thing that enters into the heart as Proverbs the twelfth chapter and the eighteenth verse There is that speaketh words like the prickings of a sword and as Christ gave warning before hand so now when the holy Ghost was given we see that Peters hearers are reproved and pricked in their consciences that they dealt so cruelly with Christ. As this 〈◊〉 the Elect of God so there is another spirit called by the same name of pricking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romans the eleventh chapter and the eighth verse that is the spirit of slumber which shews it self upon those that shall not be saved Touching the manner of this operation we see it is not a tickling or itching but a pricking and that no light one but such as pearced deeply into their hearts and caused them to cry Whereby we see it is not the speaking of fair words saying with the false Prophets Jeremiah the twenty third chapter The Lord hath said ye shall have peace it is not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romans the sixteenth chapter and the eighteenth verse that makes this effect but this speaking The part wherein this work was wrought was the heart as Luke the twenty fourth chapter they burned in their hearts and 〈◊〉 the second chapter and the fourteenth verse I will speak to their hearts So it was 〈◊〉 of the eares in the second 〈◊〉 to Timot hie the 〈◊〉 chapter or of the brain that they felt but a 〈◊〉 of the very 〈◊〉 and so should we be affected at the hearing of the word As 〈…〉 is pricked in the flesh is disquieted till he have remedy so should the consideration of our sinnes disquiet us and make us seek for cure This is our duty from their example and it is a good signe of distinction to shew us whether we be of the number of those that shall be saved whether of the good fish that shall be gathered together or the bad fish that shall be cast out Matthew the thirteenth chapter and the fourty eighth verse So if we pertain to God we shall feel this pricking at our hearts after we have heard the word The cause of this compunction is his auditis that is they had heard a speech of St. Peter which did disquiet them till they asked counsel of Peter and the rest The word of God of its own nature hath no such operation for the Patriarch Job saith Job the twenty third chapter It was agreeable to him as his appointedfood And David Psalm the nineteenth saith The Commanaements of the Lordrejoyceth the heart and is sweeter than the honey and the honey-combe But yet it hath this effect in regard that it meeteth with that which is an enemy to our Salvation that is sinne the deputy of 〈◊〉 as the word is Gods 〈◊〉 Without the Law sinne is dead but when the Commandement came sinne revived Romans the seventh chapter and the eighth verse for sinne is a sting the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter which lyeth dead so long as it is not reproved But when it is reproved by the commandement of God then it reviveth and stings the heart it makes men have a conscience of sinne Hebrews the tenth chapter and when sinne is
For these two being coupled doe fall under in one part of the division In which are offered unto us four principall matters of great regard 1. First That this World and the things wee see were not so ever but had a beginning at a certain time 2. Secondly At the beginning these things had not their being of themselves but of another 3. Thirdly That the Creation and working of them was only of God and of that God which is in unity of essence and trinity of persons 4. Fourthly That Heaven and Earth are God's and that they were made and preserved by him Touching the first in principio hath admitted a three fold sence according to the diverse conceits of divers men all which have beene received and may bee without error or danger First Origen and Ambrose doe take and interpret it as the Cause which was the beginning of all and that is Gods Wisdome which as the Cause began all And they may seeme to bee led to understand it thus by these two places the one in the 4 Prov. 7. Wisedome is the beginning c. the other 104 Psal. 24. In Wisedome hast thou made them all Therefore they thought that in the beginning is meant In Wisedome God created c. Secondly it is taken for the order of time as who should say First of all and before any thing else was done God made Heaven and Earth in the very first beginning of time that is in a moment or as it were in the twinckling of an eye 1 Cor. 15. 52. So had all things their beginning and motion in the beginning of time as they shall leave and lose it at the end and last period of time which is the Worlds end It is no danger of error thus to understand In principio Thirdly It is said 11 Heb. 3. that it is a Mystery and matter of Faith to beleeve this of the Creation in the beginning and so it is yet God hath not made our reason so repugnant from Faith even in naturall men but that even by the sense and sight of things mans reason cannot deny but must needs gather and confesse this to be true That all things were made and had a beginning And this all Heathenith Philosphers as may appeare by all books of the Gentiles in all ages since the study of learning and learned men hath beene doe plainly shew that they had in remembrance themselves and did commend to others by their writings the knowledge and acknowledgment of this universal Creation This hee proveth by those Philosophers which were as ancient as the Prophet Esdras untill late times and that they had a remembrance of Noah naming him Janus and painting him with two faces one looking into the old world before the Flood and the other beholding the world after Besides such writers of naturall men very reason doth consent hereunto That the world was made by some wonderfull Power and so had a beginning for Reason is ever naturally led to look and consider the beginning and cause of any thing it seeth as when it seeth a great Tree though it see not the roote yet it conceiveth for certain that it hath a roote which conveyeth sapp to the Tree by which it groweth and encreaseth So when it seeth a great River it by and by concludeth there is a great Fountain and head where it hath his originall and beginning Again Reason cannot abide infinite Causes as 1 Cor. 11. 3. to say the woman came of man the man of Christ and Christ of God Because divers Causes have divers times and motions but Reason will bring things to their particular head and chief causes which by one motion and at one time did it Also in that we say things are done successively by order of times neerer and farther off it argueth necessarily a beginning and therfore faith David Psal. 119 91. All things continue alike from the begining through thy Ordinance All things since in the world have beene yb Gods appointment and Decree Psal. 65.9 Paul telleth this to the wise and learned of Athens as a thing which they knew and taught in their Schools to bee true 17 Acts 24. And Plato faith it was a saying of great antiquity and credit in his time and long before That God made all things and man at a certain time which was their beginning Plutarch sheweth that some deemed the world to bee conceived and brought forth and to grow to perfection as a man and others that it was the stamp which God set on it and so all learned men in all ages and all men endowed with natural sence and right reason have beene resolved in this That the world was the workmanship of God and had his beginning The partie adverse to this truth was the first of the sect of the Peripateticks which contrary to his master Plato and all that were hefore him and contrary to his Scholar Theophrastus and the most that followed him after held that Mundus erat aeternus and so had no beginning nor maker at all yet notwithstanding this new conceit and opinion hee confesseth this twice or thrice that hee giveth credit to those ancient men which were before him which by long grounded experience and by evident demonstration and credible testimonies held and taught otherwise then hee thought and in his book de Coelo hee saith that there was a Chaos a darknesse and light which had a beginning therefore as hee seemeth to differ and leave his ancients of singularity only on a conceit and devise of his own so his Scholers and followers after him forsook him in that opinion and therefore this point standeth undoubted as ratified both by evidence of reason and by the judgement of the learned in all ages The second Point is the Creation in which wee are to note first that the things which wee see were not of themselves when they had their being and beginning because they are an effect and worke of some efficient cause for it is very absurd in reason that one and the same thing should bee both a Cause and an Effect of it selfe for so it must bee granted that a thing both was and was not at one time for as it is the Cause it must needes bee before it was and as it is an Effect it could not bee at the first so it should bee and yet not bee at one time Therefore David teacheth us to say It is hee that made us and not wee our selves wee are the Sheepe of his pasture for preservation and the works of his hands for Creation so that Job faith we must resolve That it was another that made all things and that one is God These two points that not the World but another made the World and all in it doth overthrow two errors of the Philosophers Opinio Stoicorum the one was of the Stoicks which taught quod omnia fiunt fato as if by the revolution of things and times at such
is in the state of man described in the second Chapter All that shall we see in this Chapter to be overthrown by the work and malice of the Devill At the sight and consideration of which Tragedy as St. Augustine saith all the Creatures especially mankinde ought with sighs and groanes to dissolve themselves into teares to think of our and their utter and irrecoverable confusion were it not for this which is annexed unto it namely the hope of the seed of the woman promised to come at the fulness of time to restore all things which were lost in Paradise and to bring us a more excellent Paradise than that ever was The cause of all these evills which we see in us and in the world Moses here relleth us in the beginning of this Chapter to be the verifying of that Prophesie which God 〈◊〉 Adam Gen. 2. 17. that is what time soever he should sinne and break the Commandement of God he should die that is have all the Messengers and Ministers of death ferzing upon him untill death it self the reward of sinne should take hold on him which first part of the Chapter we shall divide as St. Paul doth teach us Rom. 6. 1. into two parts the first he calleth peccatum the other peccati obsonium that is into the cause and nature of sinne and into the effect and punishment which followeth it Concerning the transgression he setteth down first the temptation of sin in the first 5. verses then the preparation which is the sinne it self in the 6. verse then followeth the stipend and hier of sinne from that verse unto the 15. verse In which verse then the prophet sheweth that God in justice remembred mercie and as St. James saith caused his mercy to triumph over justice in the promised seed without which remedy Adams sinne had been incurable and his case and our condition had been most desperate whereas by this means as St. Augustine saith the Devills envy is foelix invidia and Adams sinne is foelix culpa that is falleth out to the greater glorie of all the elect sonnes of God Now more particularly we are led to consider two things in the temptation first of all the persons both agent and patient and then the allurements and inticements thereof The chief in this temptation was the Devill and the Woman and then in regard of consent Adam himself grew accessory and guilty thereof so that there were three causes of sinne The chiefest Author of it was the Devill the next is Eve the yeelder to him the third was Adam the consenter to them both Serpents we know speak not for they were not made to reason and dispute therefore we must needs understand another high person besides he Serpent which spake in him and used him as his Instrument and means to effect this evil devise And in this respect the Devill is called Rev. 12. 9. the old Serpent as his name appellative by which he was once called and Satanas Revel 〈◊〉 2. as his proper name by which his 〈◊〉 and malicious nature is made known As therefore the Devill craftily and closely did put into Judas head and heart by his suggestion how to seek Christs fall and death John 13. 2. so doth he as sly lie put into the Serpents mouth this temptation by which he might betray the first Adam and bring him to death and therefore as Christ truly though not properly called Judas Satan because he saw the Devill used him as his Instrument So by the same right and reason may we call the Serpent the Devill because it was he in this Serpent who did bring this thing to pass If any doe aske why Moses did not make mention of the Devil in all this Chapter we may say that it was Moses purpose to perform the office and duty of a Historiographer which is only to make a plain and true report of the outward accident and thing which was sensibly done leaving the hidden and secret meaning and true understanding of those things which are mysticall unto his Interpreters and Expositors For to this end Moses had some alwaies in Gods Church which did not only read the letter and words of his writings but also expound the true meaning thereof and what Expositor is there but by the consequence of this story and by conference of the Scriptures can otherwise understand this then of the Devill Our Saviour Christ telleth us that the Devill was a lyer and murtherer from the beginning John 8. 44. that is he is the primitive and principall Author of all untruth and evill therefore is he called that evill Matth. 13. 19. and the deceiver of mankinde Revel 12. 9. and therefore Moses doth first deal with this evill one and setteth him down as the chief author of this evill under the form and name of a Serpent Touching him therefore we must know as I told you Chap. 2. 1. that when God is said to make the hoast of heavenly Creatures that then also he made the Angells as David saith Psalme 148. 2. which Angells God made 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 to be his ministring spirits Psalme 104. 4. but some of them kept not their first estate Jude 6. but fell away from their holy and blessed estate in which they mere made and so there they became evill Angels reserved in chains to everlasting fur Of this fall of Angells Job seemeth to have knowledge Job 4. 18. God saith he found folly even in his Angels Christ maketh mention of their fall Luke 10. 18. and the cause of their fall is said to be sinne 2. Pet. 2. 4. and the particular sinne may seem to be pride Isaiah 14. 13. 14. ero similis altissimo for which cause that sinne is called morbus Satanicus and as the wiseman saith initium peccati est superbia But we will not curiously inquire what speciall sinne it was which caused his fall because indeed it is sufficient for us to know in generall that sinne was the cause thereof that we may the more beware of it He then being fallen became not only an adversary to God which cast him off for ever but also an envious enemie to mankinde for not being able to wreack his mal ceagainst God he maliciously invented and attempted all the mischief and evill he could against man which was the Image of God and the only Creature on whom God had set his heart and delight to doe him good For as they which love the Father cannot but love and shew kindness to his Children which are deerest to him as we see in Davids example So è contra hatred and malice make evill mindes to doe their enemies hurt 〈◊〉 despite even in the things which are most deer and precious unto them so is the Devill said to doe Rev. 12. 13. when he was not able to hurt the Woman he pursued with hatred and rage her Child which she brought forth and because he could not reach to him being ascended therefore he still persecuteth his
speech in the 5. verse is rugitus Leonis in which he bewraieth himself at the full of which two the first is but introduction to the other mischief insuing For this is not the least policy of the Devill not to set upon her bluntly But like a Serpent slily and slowly to creep in her by little and little untill he hath espied some vantage Therefore his order is to bring her from questioning in talk to a doubt in opinion and from that to an error in judgement and so at last to a corrupt action in practise and to corrupt her minde within first he useth this order to tickle her eares with curiosity and by that to cause her to have a giddyness and swimming in the brain by fantasticall imaginations and surmizes and then to make her secure and careless of the truth and so at last maketh her somewhat inclineable to error and falsehood Now let us come to the particular word of God which the Devill in his dialogisme doth mean to intreat of which we see is that which is set down Gen. 2. 16. 17. In propounding of which we may consider how craftily and corruptly he dealeth with the sacred word of God to make it the better serve his turn in the temptation for he pareth off all that might make against him and instead of that putteth in by addition more than ever God spake that so it may be the fitter for his purpose he leaveth out first both all that went before and that which is after the Commandement that is he keepeth from her the consideration of Gods love and liberality which is in the 16. verse which was set to urge and induce them to willing obedience and also he 〈◊〉 off the consideration of Gods severe judgements which was set after to keep them by fear from disobedience If we shall compare this also with that originall in the 16. and 17. verses before we shall see how he depraveth and corrupteth the text for whereas it is said precipit Jehova the Devill doth extenuate it and saith dixit Deus q.d. If he did say it he did but speak it by way of talk as if he would not urge it for any matter of weight and importance Thus we see the Devills subtilty and sophistrie in disputing and the Devills Rhetorick in propounding this question the end of all which is either to make them doubt or at least to set light by the commandement of God Though he seemeth to give her good counsell and to advise her as a friend to consider of this thing more seriously for the bettering her estate yet his intent is at least to leave a scruple in her minde The chiefest poison that is hid in this dialogisme is in the interrogation cur or quare or as some will have it ne by which he demandeth whether it be so indeed said so It is scarce credible that God which maketh shew of favouring you should so hardly deal with you as to impose so hard a Law as this is and withall this his speech is so cunningly devised that it enforceth by way of insinuation a doubt and diffidence 〈◊〉 her thus q.d. Surely I for my part can hardly be induced to beleeve that God would enjoyn you such a Law I see no reason why it should be so By all which we see how he teacherh and bringeth her on to doubt and waver Last of all it is a flattering and cogging kinde of speech q.d. Though I may erre and be deceived being your poorest and simplest Servant yet you my Ruler whom God hath made wise as an Angell to judge uprightly of all things may happily conceive more of this matter than I can And withall it is a kinde of cunning to curry and keep in favour with her whatsoever effect the temptation should take for if she should have misliked of his speech he could have excused himself thus alas I made but a bare motion I neither affirmed it nor durst deny it but according to my simplicity asked the question and therefore I trust you will have me excused Tum dixit mulier Serpenti illi c. Gen. 3. 2. Novemb. 〈◊〉 1591. WE have seen before what the Devils Rhetorick and Sophistry is in his deceivable Dialogues both to bring a wavering doubt into her minde and at last to bring Gods holy word in discredit and contempt all which vile and blasphemous things if the Devill had said to Adam no doubt he would have dealt wisely as a Serpent with this wyly and wicked Serpent for he would have either stopped his eares and abhorred to hear the deceitfull words of this inchanting charm or else he would have shaked him off with apage as Christ did Matth. 4. 10. and said avant Satan get thee hence c. And so it may be thought to have been the greatest wisedome either to give him no eare or no answer or else a sharp check or reproof for these wicked tempting words This we may conjecture that the Man would or might have done but let us see what the Woman answered unto him in this verse In which we have two things to consider before we come to the effect of her answer First we gather that in this estate of Innocency the Woman was not afraid of the Serpent but without fear durst see a Serpent approach to her and speak unto him for as all things were subject to mankind as their Lord and Sovereign so Adam as we have heard Genesis 2. 23. made Eve Mistriss and Lady to rule with him and therefore all Creatures as yet stood in a reverend awe of them and they were without any fear of them at all for fear came into our nature with sinne but as yet there was no sinne and therefore no fear Again as yet there was no war proclaimed between the seed of the woman and the Serpent and therefore no cause why they should fear one another The other thing is that as she was not moved at the sight of the Serpent so no more was she astonished to hear the Serpent speak she knew no doubt that it was not naturall to Serpents so to speak but she knew not or at least considered not well who it was that spoke in him What then was there ignorance in Eve in the state of Innocency I answer that no doubt there was both in Adam and Eve the ignorance which is called Nescientia but not that which is properly termed Ignorantia The difference between Ignorance and Nescience for this is the difference between these two Ignorantia is a not knowing of such things which we are bound and ought necessarily to know and this kinde we say was not in them for it is an evill imperfection in whomsoever it is because as Salomon saith in 19. Prov. 2. without this knowledge which is absolutely necessary the soule of man is not good therefore we hold that they had given them a full and perfect measure of knowledg of Gods will so
drift was by defence to put clean away all the fault from himself but now he laboureth by excuse to be seen to have as little part in the fault as may be and to have the shew and appearance of that evill to be put away from him that he be not brought within the compasse of the offence His first defence in effect is non feci But now this excuse is feci sed benè feci When that would not serve his turn his third excuse is feci malè sed non multùm q.d. though inceed I cannot deny but I am in the compasse of the offence yet I am not in the fault I did not much of the evill that was done And this is our nature when we cannot defend our selves à toto then we excuse us à tanto as Adam doth which saith you must not lay all the fault on me for God and the woman have parts and shares therein the woman for giving the apple to me and God for giving the woman to me This excuse then hath two parts the woman and God both which we will examine to see where the fault is indeed As it is a foul fault in a man to seek to excuse himself by accusing another so it is another fault worse than that that a man should make a silly woman the matter of his excuse for we say it is manhood in men to pitty and spare especially that sex as the weaker a foul shame to seek to intangle and draw woman into danger or hurt but rather to support and defend them as much as with modesty and honesty we could Adam might have considered that she heing the weaker the first of Peter the third chapter and the seventh verse that it had been his part to have made a buckler for her shelter and defence for men willingly should and naturally are taught to forbear and not to wreck their malice and anger upon woman-kinde But the fault in him which passeth all is this that this woman is his wife which he accuseth as the cause of his evill and bringeth in as the principall in this fact for by this there is perfidia on his part a breach of Faith and wedlock-love for it is most unseemly and unnaturall for a man to accuse his own wife If we consider that he which before in Gen. 2. 24. confessed that he should forsake Father and Mother for her sake yea which before by sinne was content to forsake God and all for her love if he did love her so well why doth he not shew it now for he should have stood out betweene Gods wrath and her for her defence which no doubt would have beene more acceptable to God for it is a thing commended in Moses Psal. 106. 23. and in David 2 Sam. 24. 17. that they offered themselves to be punished to acquit and save others there from for they were content to beare Gods displeasure themselves that others might bee set free but here è contra Adam was willing to bee in the society of the fact and fault but now hee will pull his neck our of the Coller and will not have any society or part with her in the punishment Adam blameth God Now I come to the other part of his excuse in which he layeth part of the blame on God as bringing him also within the compass of this evill committed vtinam hoc tantum dixerat Comedi saith one for to challenge God for giving this woman to him and to come to upbraid God to the face with this The woman which thou gavest mee made me to sinne is another offence most intollerable He will not be content with one excuse but will have two strings to his bowe for fayling that if the woman will not serve to bee his excuse then this may To bring God into the fault and to say directly that he is in the society and had a part therein is intollerable blasphemy The womans excuse which shee alledgeth in the next verse is far better in accusing the devill But to say Data a te dedit mihi sinne was her gift and she was the gift thou gavest me the woman and the woman gave me the apple of offence wherefore if thou hadst not given her to me the apple had not been given and so I should never have sinned against thee q.d. I did not pluck it I was not the author nor cause of it If I have sinned I may thank you for it you were the 〈◊〉 of all which gave her to me you would needes give me a wife if you had meant me that good which you pretended you should not have given me such a one as would give me this forbidden fruit or at least if you must needs make and give her you should not have joyned nor put her together with me in the place and garden where I am but put her in a garden by her self apart and separated from me for I knew not else what she should mean by staying with me Thus we see that his excuse and allegation for himselfe is partly an expostulation with God and partly an accusation against him In both which he seemeth to say this in favor of his fault it did not become me to suspect her of any evill whom thou gavest to bee a meet help and good for me I thought that whatsoever she did or should perswade me to would have become good and helpfull to me ergo I yeelded to it This we see is a foul fault to quarrell with Gods goodnesse and to charge God with sin whereas all iniquitie and sin God doth utterly abhorre There is no affinitie between God and evill for no evill commeth neer his dwelling est ne iniquit as apud deum saith Saint Paul the second to the Corrinthians the sixth chapter and the fourteenth verse to such which thus impudently reason against God What agreement hath righteousness with unrighteousness why then O man dost thou charge God with sinne so that he fetcheth the Pedigree of his sinne which he committed and derived it thus even from God himself The sinne which is came by eating of the apple which was the gift of Eve which was the gift of God Thus to make his sin inmeasurable sinfull he deriveth his sinne from the holiest of all and wrappeth not only the woman his wife in the transgression but also fetcheth God in for company as partner with them in this their evill Tum dixit Jehova Deus mulieri Quid hoc est quod fecisti dixit autem mulier Serpens iste seduxit me comedi Gen. 3. 13. February 12. 1591. IN the end of the last verse before ended the triall of Adams offence for as you have seen from the seventh verse hath been the triall and examination of the crime committed In the seventh verse was the arest in the eighth verse was the second processe which being served on him was of force to shut him close in prison in the bushes in the
And Christ saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me John the fourth chapter by which is signified the delight and contentment of the minde So whatsoever the Serpent delights in that he may be said to eat and seed upon Secondly this word implyeth not only a delight but a devouring and a destroying as in the Prophets it is said The sword and famine shall devour the second book of Samuel the third chapter and the twenty sixt verse not that it can devour but is a means to consume and destroy This eating the Apple ascribes to the Devil when he saith of him That he goeth about seeking whom he may devour the first epistle of Peter the fift chapter and therefore he is said to stand by ready to devour the child so soon as it should be brought forth Apocalyps the twelfth chapter that is there is none so soon born anew in the Church of spirit and water but the Devil seeks presently to kill it And in 〈◊〉 two points standeth the spiritual eating of the invisible Serpent For the dust which is appointed for his food there is a spiritual thing correspondent also to it for where God promiseth unto Abraham Thy seed shall be as the dust Genesis the thirteenth chapter and as the starres of Heaven Genesis the twenty second chapter upon these places the Fathers gather That of Abraham should come both a dusty and earthly generation not expressing the faith and obedience of Abraham and also a heavenly generation that should shine and give light to the world as it were starres with the purenesse of their life And David saith plainly That the ungodly art as dust Psalm the first for whatsoever lyeth along upon the earth will 〈◊〉 dust the earth it self being without moisture turneth to dust so that the least winde that comes bloweth it away So the idle person that lyeth along and hath no vocation to follow doth gather dust and is subject to be scattered with the wind And they that somtime had some moisture and dew from Heaven if they lose it so as their soul waxe dry Numbers the eleventh chapter the Devil will send them a winde that shall carry them away for his delight is to be in dry places Matthew the twelfth chapter and in places without moisture Luke the eleventh chapter The winde wherewith they shall be carried away is every winde of doctrine Ephesians the fourth chapter Therefore we must beware that we be not clouds without water as Jude calls the wicked verse the twelfth and that we fall not from our own stedfastnesse the second epistle of Peter the third chapter and the first verse which we cannot chuse but doe if we loath prayer and other spiritual exercises whereby the dew of Heaven doth descend upon us And as it is in Religion so also in matter of the Common-wealth wherein we shall finde that this drynesse is a cause of much evil for those light and idle persons which Jerohoam took unto himself turned to his destruction the second book of Chronicles and the thirteenth chapter Seeing the Devil delights in these dry souls and loose parts of the earth how is it a punishment laid upon him to feed on them It is indeed a punishment he would have other meat for so soon as 〈◊〉 is borne anew by regeneration the Devil is ready to devout the childe Apocalyps the twelfth chapter So he would have devoured Christ himself Matthew the fourth chapter So he desired to have sed on Job and all other godly men which are the starres of Heaven But he is excluded from that food and is to feed only upon the wicked who being dry and destitute of the grace of God are fitly compared to the dust And as the Devil himself is accursed so they that are allotted to him for food are cursed Children the second epistle of Peter the second chapter Thirdly It is said all the dayes of thy life This punishment is laid upon him as God speaks here because thou hast done this upon him not as he is the red Lyon but the Tempter as he is a spirit he is immortal and hath no end of life but the dayes of his temptation shall have an end at the comming of Christ to judgement as he is the red Dragon condemned in Hell he hath no end but shall goe into everlasting fire where he shall have no end of torment The Dragon the old Serpent is loose but for a little season but after he shall be bound and cast into the bottomlesse pit Apocalyps the twentieth chapter the second and third verses Here is matter of admonition That we avoid those sinnes which we see so severely punished by God in the invisible Serpent especially Malice in speaking evil of God and hurting our neighbours Then to beware of Pride which God doth punish with basenesse Lastly to detest the prosecuting of our own inordinate lust because that will deprive us of the blessed food so as we shall have nothing to feed upon but the dust We must not putrifie in idlenesse but get up and take our strength unto us and cherish the moisture and dew of Heaven which we have received Isaiah the fifty second chapter So here is matter of faith and comfort for this Curse pronounced by God upon the Devil turns to a blessing to us For Adam and Eve had cause of comfort seeing that God took their fall wrought by the Devil so grievously God here professeth himself an enemy to the 〈◊〉 that was and is our enemy and so giveth us hope that howsoever we by his perswasion are fallen from our first estate yet he will be mercifull to us Praeterea inimicitiam pono inter te mulierem hanc similiter que inter semen tuum semen hujus Gen. 3. 15. Jul. 2. 1598. IN this verse we have the second part of the Sentence given by God upon the Serpent The former part concerned the Serpent himself but this part hath respect also to us and is much more grievous unto him than the other three branches And it is that which he doth most hardly digest Concerning which as it directly containeth a Commination and Curse so as we must acknowledge it to be Gods doing and to be marvellous in our eyes Psalm the hundred and eighteenth In this Curse is 〈◊〉 a singular Blessing and in this 〈◊〉 we have a great and pretious promise the second epistle of Peter the first chapter and the fourth verse Touching this verse nothing can be spoken good enough seeing upon it the new Testament hath his foundation and that all the rest or the Scripture is nothing else but a Commentary upon it for there beginneth a new creation of all things and the new 〈◊〉 which the Apostle speaks of in the second epistle to the 〈◊〉 the fift chapter and the sevententh verse For seeing the world which was lately created by God was presently corrupted by the malice of the Serpent it hath pleased God
to sinne as well as he could make him of nothing But because it is no praise for man not to yeild to sinne when they have none to tempt them thereunto nor to be obedient to Gods will when they have none to perswade them to rebellion as in the beginning the Serpent did therefore he thought good that the Devil should still be their enemy as he was at the first for the promise of reward is made to them that strive and overcome To him that overcommeth will I give Apocalyps 12. and they must not only fight but fight lawfully or else they cannot be crowned the second epistle to Timothy the second chapter As for this cause God thought it good that this warre and hostility should continue so because he knew men doe make warre in vain where there is no hope of victory therefore he proclaims that the womans seed shall not only be at continual warre with the Serpent but shall overcome him and grince his head in pieces the more to encourage them in this spiritual battel There shall be hurt done on both parts but not like hurt they shall both bruise but the same thing shall not be bruised the head which is the chief part is bruised by the Woman and therefore she hath the greater victory the heel or tail which is the lowest part is only bruised by the Serpent and consequenly doing lesse hurt he is put to the worse The seed of the Woman doth so fight with the Devil that they break his head but the Devil fights so as he doth no great hurt Wherein two things are to be considered First What this Victory is namely the bruising and grinding in pieces of the Serpents head Secondly The condition of this Victory to wit that it shall not be with ease for it shall cost both sweat of brows and shedding of blood for we must resist sinne unto blood Hebrews the twelfth chapter And the holy Ghost saith here that howsoever the womans seed doe bruise the head of the Serpent yet the Serpent shall bruise his heel In the Victory we are to observe First the person that shall overcome that is the womans seed Secondly the manner how and that is by bruising his head The person receiveth two considerations for by the seed of the Woman we must understand not only Christ but the whole Church which is his body This Scripture concerns Christ as he is the wheat corn which being caft into the ground and dying bringeth forth much fruit John the twelfth chapter and twenty fourth verse It respects the faithfull as they are the ear of corne or the crop that commeth of that grain of wheat And as he was the seed of the Woman so are the faithfull to the end of the world Therefore of the Church the Propher saith That when he shall offer up his soul as an offering for sinne he shall see a long seed Isaiah the fifty third chapter And where the holy Ghost reporteth that the Dragon makes warre with the rest of the Womans seed Apocalyps the twelfth chapter and the seventeenth verse by that is meant the congregation of the faithfull to the worlds end who for that they are a body politick as Christ is a body natural are therefore called Christ the first epistle to the Corinthians the thirteenth chapter and the twelfth verse And this victory is verified in them no lesse than in Christ. So that in this promise we see not a Fiat lux that is Let there be light as in the Creation but Fiat Christus Let there be a Christ that is a deliverer to restore mankinde being now fallen from the estate wherein they were created For where God promiseth That there shall be warre between the Serpent and the Womans seed and that the one shall conquer the other As if Adam should object How shall our seed be able to strive with Sathan seeing they themselves being in state of perfection could not tread upon his head but were tempted and overcome God answers That he will raise them up a Captain As of the Judges whom God appointed to 〈◊〉 the People of Israel it is said The Lord raised them up a Captain Judges the eleventh chapter so here God promiseth to Adam and Eve that he will raise up the Captain or Prince Messiah Daniel the ninth chapter and the twenty fift verse that shall fight and get the conquest for them and that he shall come of their seed Secondly If God will raise up this Captain of the Womans seed then he shall not be an Angel or Archangel that shall deliver us for as the Apostle saith He in no sort took the nature of Angels Hebrews 12. 15. but he took the seed of Abraham that is he shall be man compassed with the same flesh that we carry about with us he shall be bone of our bones and as the Prophet speaks The Captain shall be of themselves and the Prince shall spring out from among them Jeremiah the thirtieth chapter so Christ who is appointed by God his Father to be the Saviour of the world is of your selves and took our flesh upon him Thirdly God saith not your seed but the Womans seed which is a plain manifestation of the ordinary work of God As if God should say to the Devil Thou beginnest with the Woman which is the weaker vessel the first epistle of Peter the third chapter thinking to prevail the sooner But how weak soever she be thou shalt finde that out of her will I bring a seed that shall bruise thy head and thou shalt thereby see that my power is made perfect in weaknesse the second epistle to the 〈◊〉 the twelfth chapter for God in his councel doth make the weak things of the world to counfound the strong the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter Secondly This shall be performed by the seed of the Woman because as she was the cause of 〈◊〉 For Adam was not deceived but the Woman the first epistle to Timothy the second chapter and the fourteenth verse so God would have the cause of remedy to come from her to shew That he doth bring light out of darknesse the second epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter Thirdly For that Eve knowing that her credulity in hearkning to the Serpents voyce was the cause of all his misery might as that sex is most inclined thereunto conceive great grief of heart to comfort her the promise of victory is by God himself in great mercy appropriated to her whereas Christ came of Adam no lesse than of the Woman Fourthly That it might be the gate to all Prophecies For as one saith of Christ He is so the Womans seed as he is not the Mans therefore Isaiah saith Behold a Virgin shall conceive Isaiah the seventh chapter and in the Prophet Jeremiah God speaks thus Behold I create a new thing in earth a Woman shall compasse a Man Jeremiah the thirty first chapter and the twenty second verse Which seed