the cause therof being unknown not simply but in respect of man therefore in regarde of meÌ„ which know not the reason of things we may say there is chance so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chance coÌ„meth to them all And againe By chance there came down a priest the same way Now this kind of chaÌ„ce is not against the prouideÌ„ce of god but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certenly known determined by god Mere chance is wheÌ„ things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of us as ouerturning the providence of God Thus seeing it is plain that there is a provideÌ„ce let us in the next place see what it is ProuideÌ„ce is a most free powerful actioÌ„ of god wherby he hath care ouer al things that are Prouidence hath 2. partes knowledge gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at all times As David saith His eyes vvill consider his eye lâ—ddes vvill trie the children of men And againe Hee abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heaven and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth And S. Iames saith From the beginning of the vvorlde God knoweth all his workes This pointe hath a double use First as S. Peter saieth it must mooue us to eschew evill and doe good why Because saith he the eyes of the Lorde are upon the iust and his covntenance against evill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eyes of God beholde all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart tovvardes him Gouernment is the seconde parte of Gods providence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good ends And it must be extended to the verie least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heads And here we must consider 2. things the maner of gouernment and the meanes The maner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or morall Naturall which is created by God for the lawfull use of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and unchangeable wisdome of God revealed in the morall law Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining and preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular ends for which they were seuerally ordeined for the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone Starres trees plantes seedes c. would be dead in them and be unprofitable unlesse they vvere not only preserued but also stirred up and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imployes them to any use Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Now sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operative permission I so call it because god partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the fourme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods law The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the authour of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euill to eternall damnatioÌ„ yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good and therefore it hath in it respectes and regardes of goodnesse In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commaundeth nor causeth nor helpeth sinne but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as by withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angels they being the sole authors causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby he manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the mind will and affections in it selfe considered is froÌ„ God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him but onely permitted and that in actuall sinne the motion of the bodie or mind is from God but the euilnes disorder of the motion is not froÌ„ him but freely permitted to be done by others As for exaÌ„ple in the act of murder the actions of moouing the whole bodie of stirring the seuerall ioyntes and the fetching of the blowe whereby the man is slaine is from God for in him we liue mooue haue our being but the disposing applying of all these actions to this end that our neighbors life may be taken away we thereby take reuenge upon him is not froÌ„ God but from vvicked men and the deuill Gods second action in the gouernment of sinne is after the iust permission of it partly to restraine it more or lesse according to his good will and pleasure and partly to dispose and turne it against the nature thereof to the glorie of his owne name to the punishment of his enemies to the correcting and chastisement of his elect As for the second kind of evill called the punishment of sinne it is the execution of iustice and hath God to be the authour of it And in this respect Esai saith that God createth evill and Amos that there is no evill in the citie which the Lord hath not done And God as a most iust iudge may punish sinne by sinne himselfe in the meane season free from all sinne And thus the places must be understood in which it is said that God giueth kings in his wrath hardeneth the heart blindeth the eyes mingleth the spirit of errours giueth up men to a reprobate sense sends strange illusions to beleeue lies sends euill spirits giuing them coÌ„mandement to hurt and leaue to deceiue c. Thus hauing seene in what manner God gouerneth all things let vs nowe come to the meanes of gouernment Sometimes God worketh without meanes thus he created all things in the beginning and he made trees plants to grow and florish without the heate of the sunne or raine sometimes he gouernes according to the usuall course order of nature as when he preserues our liues
to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the worde For if we rebell against his voice in this world vvhen in the day of iudgemeÌ„t sentence shal be pronounced against us we shall heare another voice at the giuing whereof vve must obey whether vve will or no and thereupon go to euerlasting paine whither vve vvould not Let us therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past and onely relie upon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all and for the time to come leade a nevv reformed life Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement Novv follovv the uses thereof vvhich are either comforts to gods church or duties for all meÌ„ The first comforte or benefite is this that the same person vvhich died for us upon the crosse to work ouâ— redemption must also be our â—udge And hence vve reape tvvo speciall comfortes I. The people of God shall hereby inioy full redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the end of the world saith to his disciples When you see thâ—se things lift vp your heads for your redemptioÌ„ draweth nere TheÌ„ he shall wipe all teares from their eies Secondly we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne Now what a ioyfull thing it is to be freed from sinne may plainely appeare by the cry of Saint Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And certen iâ— is that he which knowes what sinne is and seriously repents him of the same would wish with all his heart to be ouâ— of this world that he might leaue off to sinne and thereby to displease God The second comfort is this the godly in this worlde haue many enemies they are reuiled slaundred and oftentimes put to death well Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand he will then heare the complaint of the godly howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth according to their praier This comfort is to be considered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs and they are diuerse First the consideration of the last iudgement serueth to teach all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners repentance and humiliation for their sinnes and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vnto Christ for the pardon of the same When Paul preached to the Athenians he willed them to repent vpon this ground reason because the Lord hath appointed a day wherin he will iudge the world in righteousnes To speake plainly we can be content to heare the worde and to honour him with our lippes yet for the most part all is done but for fashions sake for still we liue in our old sinnes our hearts are not turned but in the feare of God let vs bethinke our selues of the time when we shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth and haue all our sinnes laide open and wee must answer for them all This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vnto repentance and assuredly if this will not mooue vs there is nothing in the world will Secondly to this purpose Paul saith If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day then in this life iudge thy selfe Now a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes II. he must confesse them before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe and as a iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe Lastly he must plead pardon and cry vnto God as for life and death for the remission of all his sinnes and he that doth this vnfainedly shall neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come Thirdly by this we may learne one not to iudge or condemne another as Paul saith Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who lighten things that are hidde in darknes and make the counsells of the hearts manifest And Christ saith Iudgement is mine and Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged And againe Paul saith to the Romanes Why doest thou iudge thy brother for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ but some will aske how doth one iudge another Answer Thus I. when a man doth well to say of him that he doth euill II. when a man doth euill then to make it worse III. when a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons or of their actions Fourthly we must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men This is the practise of Saint Paul who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vnto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust endeauoured himselfe to haue alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men His example is worthie our marking and imitation for fewe there be that vpon this occasion make any conscience either of dutie to God or to their brethren Fifthly the last iudgement must stirre vs vp to a reuerend feare of God and cause vs to glorifie him as the angel saith in the Revelation Feare God and giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come And doubtles if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord it is this to remember the fearefull and terrible day of iudgement Now hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father and also of the sonne it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person in these words J beleeue in the holy Ghost In which we may consider two things the title of the person and the action of faith repeated from the beginning The title is holy Ghost or Spirit It may here be demaunded how this title can be fit to expresse the third person which seemes to be common to the rest for the father is holy and the sonne is holy againe the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirite Answer Indeede the father and the Sonne are as well to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures as the third person for all three subsisting in one and the same Godhead are consequently holy by one and the same holines but the third person is called holy because beside the holines of natures his office is to sanctifie the Church of God Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a worke of the whole Trinitie the
AN EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR CREED OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO THE TENOVR OF the Scriptures and the consent of Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church By William Perkins They are good Catholickes which are of sound faith and good life August lib. quaest in Matth. cap. 11. Printed by Iohn Legatt Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1595. And are to be solde at the signe of the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard in London TO THE RIGHT honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace c. RIght Honourable excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus To the pure all things are pure but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled In which wordes he determines three questions The first whether things ordained and made by God may become vncleane or no his answeare is that they may his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction By nature things ordained of God are not vncleane for Moses in Genesis saith that God sawe all things which he had made they were very good yet they may become vnclean either by law or by the fault of men By law as when God forbids vs the things which in themselues are good without whose commaundement they are as pure as things not forbidden Thus for the time of the old Testament God forbad the Iewes the vse of certain creatures not because they were indeed worse then the rest but because it was his pleasure vpon speciall cause to restraine them that hee might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world that he might exercise their obedience and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde Now this legal impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained The second question is to whome things ordained of God are pure he answeres to the pure that is to them whose persons stand iustified sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men The third question is who they are to whome all things are vncleane his answeare is to the vncleane by whom he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner sanctifying them by the word and praier III. who abuse them to badde endes as to riot pride and oppression of men c. Nowe that to such the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane it is manifest because all their actions are sinnes in that they are not done of faith and a mans person must first please God in Christ before his action or worke done can please him Againe they vse the blessings creatures of God with euill conscience because so long as they are forth of Christ they are but vsurpers therof before God For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things and though God permit the vse of many of them to wicked men yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam in whom we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation Hence it followes necessarily that to omit all other things Nobilitie though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe is but an vncleane thing if the inioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The blood vnstained before men is stained blood before God by the fall of Adā if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God And hence it followes againe that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie loue syncere obediēce of pure sound religion without the which all pleasant pastimes all sumptuousnes of building all brauerie in apparell all glistering in gold all delicate fare all delightfull musicke all reuerence done with cap and knee all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish are but as a vanishing shadow or like the mirth that begins in laughing ends in woe A happy thing were it if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour and it would make them kisse the sonne least he be angrie and they perish in the way I speake not this as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point but mine onely meaning is to put you in minde that as you haue begun to cleane vnto Christ with full purpose of heart so you would continue to doe it still and doe it more and withall to manifest the same to the whole world by honouring Christ with your owne honour and by resembling him specially in one thing in that as he grew in stature and yeares he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men And for this very cause without any consideration of earthly respects I further present vnto you an Exposition of an other part of the Catechisme namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion taught by the Apostles imbraced by the ancient fathers sealed by the blood of Martyrs vsed by Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to end the controuersies of his time and hereupon it hath bin called the rule of faith the kaie of faith And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I take my leaue commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie Ann. 1595. April 2. Your Lordships to command William Perkins The Contents of the booke The Creede pag. 1. Faith 3. God 19 The three persons 25 The Father 31 Gods omnipotencie 43 The Creation 52. 58 Gods counsell 54 The creation of heauen 68 The creation of Angels 73 The creation of man 81 Gods prouidence 91 Adams fall 106 The couenant of grace 118 The title Iesus 122 The title Christ. 129 The title Sonne 136 The title Lord. 145 The Incarnation of Christ. 148 Christs humiliation 174 Christes passion 176 Christes arraignment 182 Christes execution 226 Christes Sacrifice 260 Christes triumph 270 Christes buriall 287 The descension of Christ. 297 Christs exaltation 305 Christes Resurrection 307 Christes ascension 333 Christs sitting at the right hand c. 351 363 Christes intercession 355 Christes kingdome 367 The last judgement 372 Of the holy Ghost 397 The Church 420 Predestination 423 The mysticall vnion 477 The communion of Saints 506 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 516 The resurrection of the bodie 521
this is the reward of all those that walke on in their euill waies Hauing consulted in the next place they come to the garden vvhere Christ was to be apprehended And here wee are to consider who they were that came namely the Scribes and Pharises the high priests and their servants a band of soldiers and the servants of Pontius Pilate and the Elders of the Iewes all which came with one consent to the place where Christ was that they might attach him VVhere we may learne a good lesson that all sorts of wicked men disagreeing among themselues caÌ„ agree against Christ. The Scribes and Pharises were two contrary sectes and at discord one with another in matters of religion and Iudas was one of Christs disciples the Elders differed from them all the souldiers were Gentiles all these were at variance among themselues and could not one brooke another So also we read that Herode and Pontius Pilate vvere not friends but at the same time when Christ was apprehended Pilate sent him to Herode and they were made friends Now as these wicked men did all conspire against Christ so doe the wicked ones of this vvorld in all cuntries and kingdomes bande themselues against the Church of Christ at this day And howsoeuer such be at discorde among themselues yet they doe all ioyne hand in hande to persecute Christ in his members And the reason is plaine because Christ and his religion is as flat opposite to the corrupt disposition of all men as light is to darkenesse Againe vvhereas we see so many sortes of men so amiably consenting to take Christ we may note how all men naturally doe hate and abhorre him and his religion And looke as then it was with Christ so hath it bene with all his members and will be to the end of the world They are accounted as the offscouring of the world men not worthie to live on the face of the earth as Christ tolde his disciples saying Ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake Let us also marke how all these came furnished to apprehend Christ the text saith they came with clubs staves as vnto a thiefe All the whole nation of the Iewes knevve right well that Christ was no man of violence but meeke and humble and yet they came armed to apprehend him as though he had ben some mightie potentate that would not haue beene apprehended but haue resisted them Where wee doe see the propertie of an euill conscience which is to feare where there is no cause at all This causeth some to be afraid of their owne shadovves if they see but a vvorme peepe out of the ground they are at their wits end and as Salomon saith The wicked flee when none pursueth them After that they are now come to Christ we are to consider two things in their meeting I. Christs communication with them II. The treason of Iudas Concerning their conference it is said Iesus knowing all things that should come vnto him went forth and said unto them Whome seeke yee they answered him Iesus of Nazareth Iesus answered I am he Now so soone as he had said I am he the stoutest of them fell to the ground as being astonished at the maiestie of his word Where note that the word of God is a vvord of power The same povver vvas in his vvord vvhen he raised up Lazarus for when he had â—yen in the graue had entred into some degrees of corruption he did no more but said Lazarus come forth he that vvas dead came forth And hence we may also marke vvhat a wonderfull might and povver is in the vvord preached for it is the very worde of Christ and therfore being preached by his ministers lawfully called by him therunto hath the same power force in it which Christ himselfe shewed vvhen he spake on earth It is the savour of life unto life to saue those that heare it or the savour of death unto death It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire which in some mens nosthrilles is savourie and pleasant and doeth reviue them and others it striketh starke dead And therefore everie one that either now or heretofore hath heard this vvord preached shall find it to be vnto them either a word of povver to saue their soules or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation Againe if a vvorde spoken by him being in a base and lovve estate be able to overthow his enemies then at the last day when he shall come in his glorie and power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead vvhat povver shall his vvordes haue Goe you cursed of my father into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devill his angels The consideration of this that the word of Christ shall euen be as povverfull at that day must be a motiue to euerie one of vs to cause us to come vnto Christ and vvhile vvee haue time in these dayes of grace and mercie to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for all our sinnes least at the last day wee heare that dreadfull voice of Christ sounding against vs Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire c. And thus much for the communication Now followeth Iudas his treason wherein vvee are to obserue these things I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason He vvas by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle vvhich is the chiefest in Ecclesiasticall callings among the Disciples he was in some account because hee vvas as it were a stewarde in Christes family and bare the bagge but yet hee was a traitour and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him and when they were come did point him out unto them and delivered him into their hands nay he gaue them a signe and token saying VVhome I kisse he it is take him and lead him avvay warily Here we see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Divell for he said Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a divell Hee became to be a devill and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a covetous heart And here we are taught that the ministers of Christ if they make no conscience of sinne by the iust iudgement of God do prooue deuils incarnate this exaÌ„ple of Iudas doth manifest the same and the reason is plaine for the more knowledge a man hath the more wicked he is if he vvant grace They are like in this case unto a man that hath meate drinke enough but no stomacke to digest it and so the more he eateth the more it turneth to his hurt This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers but that those vvhich preach Gods vvorde should not doe it with impenitent hearts living in their owne sinnes For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake unto the people
be Gods will so long as we live and by this shall we most notably resemble our Saviour Christ. Thirdly when Christ had carried his crosse so long till he coulde carrie it no longer by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie which came by buffets whippings and manifold other iniuries then the souldiers meeting with one Simon of Cyrene a stranger made him to beare the crosse where we are put in mind that if we faint in the way and be wearied with the burthen of our afflictions God will give good issue and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us and to be our comforter The fourth points is that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse and was now passing on tovvards Golgotha certaine women mette him and pitying his case wept for him but Christ answered them and said Daughters of Ierusalem weep not for me but for your selves your childrē c. By this wee are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie especially those that be the children of God as the Apostle exhorteth vs saying Remember them that are in bonds as though you vvere bound with them and them that are in affliction as though you were afflicted with them In this land by Gods especiall blessing wee haue enioyed the gospell of Christ with peace a long time whereas other cuntries Churches are in great distresse some wallow in palpable ignorance superstition others haue libertie to enioy the gospell and want teachers and some haue both the word teachers and yet want peace and are in continuall persecution Now when we that haue the Gospell with peace do heare of these miseries in our neighbour Churches we ought to be mooued with compassion towardes them as though we our selues were in the same afflictions Secondly whereas Christ saith Weepe not for me but for your selves he doth teach vs to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorow for our sinnes whereby wee doe rather weepe for our offences then for our friends although euen that may also be done in a godly manner When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into daunger of his life the Phisition lets him blood in an other place as in the arme and turnes the course of the blood an other way to saue his life and so must we turne our worldly sorows for losse of goods or friends to a godly sorrow for our offences against God for as S. Paul saith Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvatiō not to be repented of but worldly sorow causeth death The fift point is that when Christ was brought to the place of execution they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall some say it was to intoxicate his braine and to take away his senses and memorie which if it were true we may here behold in these Iewes a most wicked part that at the point of death when they were to take away his life they had no care of his soule For this is a dutie to be observed of all magistrates that whē they are to execute malefactours they must haue an especiall care of the salvation of their soules But some thinke rather that it was to shorten and end his torments quickely Some of vs may peradventure thinke hardly of the Iewes for giving this bitter potiō to Christ at the time of his death but the same thing doth every sinner that repēteth not For whensoever we sin we do as much as tēper a cup of gal or the poisō of aspes as it vvere giue it to god to drink for so God him selfe cōpareth the sin of the vvicked Iewes to poison saying Their vine is of the vine of Sodom of the vines of Gomorra their grapes are grapes of gal their clusters be bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruell gall of aspes And for this cause wee ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes because so oft as we cōmit any offence against God we do as much as mingle ranke poison bring it to Christ to drinke Now whē this cup was given him he tasted of it but drank not because hee was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse without any shortening or lessening of his paine Thus vve see in vvhat maner Christ vvas brought forth to the place of execution Now followeth his crucifying Christ in the providence of god was to be crucified for two causes one that the figures of the olde testament might be accomplished and verified For the heave offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernes prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the crosse The seconde that wee might in conscience be resolved that Christ became under the lawe suffered the curse therof for us bare in his ovvne bodie and soule the extremitie of the vvrath of God for our offences And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God as stoning and such like yet vvas the death of the crosse in speciall maner aboue the rest accursed not by the nature of the punishment not by the opinions of men not by the civill lavves of cuntries and kingdoms but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die And hereupon among the Ievves in all ages this kind of punishment hath bene branded with speciall ignominie as Paul signifieth vvhen hee saieth Hee abased him selfe to the death even to the death of the crosse it hath beene allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactours If it be said that the repentant theefe upon the crosse died the same death vvith Christ and yet vvas not accursed the answere is that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed and the signe of this was the death which he suffered and that in his owne confession but because hee repented his sinnes were pardoned and the curse removed It may further be said that crucifying was not knowen in Moses daies and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomy Ans. Moses indeed speakes nothing in particular of crucifying yet neverthelesse he doth include the same under the generall For if euery one which hangs upon a tree be accursed then hee also which is crucified for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree Lastly it may be alleadged that Christ in his death coulde not be accursed by the lawe of Moses because he was no malefactour Ans. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs and consequently the curse of the law for vs in that the curse every way due unto us by
it self to be a meritorious sacrifice therfore the dignity excellencie which it hath is deriued thence As for the chalkie stony altars of the Church of Rome they are nothing els but the toyes of mans brain Christ himselfe is the only reall altar of the new testament And instead of altars which were under the lawe wee haue now the Lords table vvheron vve celebrate the sacraments of his body and blood to shew forth his death till he come The 4. point is concerning the time of Christs oblation which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yere of the Lord alluding unto another yere under the lavve called the yeere Iubile vvhich was every 50. yere amoÌ„g the Iewes in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe all that were bondmen were then set at libertie This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliveraÌ„ce which vvas to be attained by Christs passioÌ„ which was no temporarie deliverance for euery 50. yere but an eternal freedome from the bondage of sinne hell death condemnation And the preaching of the worde is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth unto us freedome froÌ„ the kingdome of darkenesse invites us to come dvvell in perfect peace vvith Christ himselfe Well if the yeere of perpetuall Iubile be novv come in what a vvreâ—ched estate are all our loose blind people that esteem nothing of that libertie vvhich is offered to them but choose rather to liue in their sinnes and so in bondage under Satan condemnation then to be at freedome in Christ. Novv follovv the uses vvhich are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith that the second temple built by Zorubbabell vvas nothing in beautie unto the first vvhich was built by Salomon and the reason is plaine for it vvanted five things vvhich the first temple had I. the appearing of the presence of God at the mercie seat betweene the two Cherubims II. The Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high Priest III. The inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets IV. The Arke of the Covenant for that was lost in the captiuitie V. Fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices Yet for all this the Prophet afterward saith The glorie of the last House shall be greater then the first Now it may be demaunded how both these sayings can stand together Answer We are to know that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our sinnes and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first And by this we are taught that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues vnto our houses and kindred either before God or before men we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person how base soeuer we be in the eyes of the world Secondly all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes was first salted and hereby two things were signified The first that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God The second that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse Our dutie theÌ„ is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ to wast coÌ„sume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures And we must withall indeauour that the whole course of our liues and our speach it selfe be gratious and poudred with this salt least God at length spue vs out of his mouth To this end hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth that by their ministerie they might applie the death of Christ and season the people And it hath pleased God to besprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore But alas small is the number of them that giue any rellish of their good seasoning The more lamentable is their case For as flesh that can not be seasoned with salt putrifies so men that cannot be sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ doe rotte and perish in their sinnes The waters that issued from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie when they came into the dead sea the waters thereof were holsome but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned were made salt-pits Now these waters are the preaching of the Gospell of Christ which flowing through all the parts of this Ile if it doe not season and chaunge our nation it shall make it as places of nettles and salt-pits and at length be an occasion of the eternall curse of God Thirdly Christs priesthoode serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests And being priests we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar Our sacrifice is the cleane offering which is the lifting vp of pure hands to God without wrath or doubting in our praiers also our bodies and soules our hearts and affections the workes of our liues and the works of our callings all which must be dedicated to the seruice of God for his glorie and the good of his Church The altar whereon wee must offer our sacrifice is Christ our redeemer both God and man because by the vertue of his death as with sweet odours he perfumes all our obedience and makes it acceptable to God The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests as Paul insinuateth when he calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife whereby the old Adam must be killed in vs and we made an holy and acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God sanctified by the holy Ghost Therefore euery one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught must endeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed as the beast was slaine and sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite Lastly the exhortation of the holy Ghost must here be considered Seeing saith he we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water the meaning of the words is this that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price which procureth pardon of sinne