the lauer of the Church by whose blood we are washed from the guilt and power of sinne II. There was the inner court which was called the Sanctum or the Sanctuarie or the court of the Priests whence the Iewes were barred There was here 1. the altar of incense for sweete perfume wherein the Priests were euening and morning to burne the holy incense before the Lord as a sweet smelling sauour vnto God and no strange incense might be offered thereon Exod. 30.9 While Zacharie stood at the right side of this altar offering incense to God the Angel Gabriel stood and foretold the birth of Iohn Baptist. This was an holy type of Christ who offered himselfe on the altar of the crosse a sacrifice of sweet smell to God his Father and through whom God sauoureth a sweet smell from all our duties 2. In this court was the golden candlesticke with seuen lamps and seuen lights which were fed with most pure holy oile night and day to lighten the whole inner court And this was an holy type of Christ the light of the world enlightening all his elect with spirituall and heauenly light 3. In this court was that golden table on which the holy shewbread was euer to stand euen twelue loaues which were to be made of the purest flower of wheat and were to be renewed euery Sabbath the old loaues conuerted to the Priests vse a holy type of Christ in whom alone the Church and euerie member setting themselues continually before God are nourished and preserued vnto eternall life 4. In this court was that costly and precious vaile of blew silke and purple and scarlet and fine twined linnen made of broydered worke with Cherubims the vse of which was to separate the Sanctum from the Holy of Holies this vaile at the death of Christ was rent from the toppe to the bottome A notable representation of the flesh of Christ which hid his Diuinitie but beeing rent asunder by his passion on the crosse the way to heauen was laid open vnto vs. III. There in the temple was the Sanctum Sanctorum and in it the Oracle called the inner house of God into which onely the High Priest went alone once a yeare and that in the feast of expiation wherein all the Iewes must fast and afflict themselues A most notable type of Christ for as it was called an Oracle because God thence gaue answer in doubtfull cases so who is the Fathers Oracle but his Sonne who is the word of his Father by whom he speakes to vs by whom we speake to him and through whom the Father heareth vs In this Holy of Holies was the Arke of the Couenant and in this holy place stayed the Arke almost 430. yeares signifying Christ the author of the couenant betweene God and vs. In which Arke or chest were kept 3. things 1. the tables of the couenant written with the finger of God signifying Christ who is the fulfilling of the law 2. the rod of Aaron which had budded a type of the Priesthood of Christ who in the world seemed a dead branch and drie but after his death resurrection beganne againe to flourish and bring fruits of life to Iewes and Gentiles 3. the pot hauing Manna a holy type of Christ the bread of life and that Manna that came downe from heauen Ioh. 6.35 In this Holy of Holies ouer the Arke was the holy couer called the Propitiatory prefiguring the Lord Iesus whom the Father hath made our Propitiatory by faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 Here also were the two glorious Cherubims set like Angels on either side the Arke looking vpon the Arke figuring the holy Angels ministring to Christ and earnestly desiring to looke into the mysterie of our saluation 1. Pet. 1.12 These were the cheife holy things established in the temple at Ierusalem but not all for there were beside these the obseruation of all holy rites appointed by God the chaire of Moses and in it the law read and expounded there were the holy persons the High Priest with all his holy garments with Vrim and Thummim and on his forhead HOLINES TO THE LORD there were other the holy Ministers of the Lord who had the Lords holy oyle vpon them of Gods owne composition with strait charge that no other should make or vse it out of this vse Yea here had liued the auncient Kings and Prophets Dauid Salomon Iosiah Hezekiah who were speciall types of Christ. In which regard Ierusalem the seat of God and Gods worship is called the citie of perfect beautie the ioy of the whole earth 3. It is called an holy citie by comparison vnto other great cities of the neighbour countryes wherein idols and deuills were worshipped in stead of God as Babylon or whose worship was the deuise of mans braine and no institution of God as Samaria Cesarea and others 2. Kin. 17.33 4. It is called holy in type two wayes 1. As it was a type of the Church militant of which the members are holy in part at least in profession For the whole Church of God was gathered together 3. times euery yeare before the Lord at the feasts of Passeouer Pentecost and Tabernacles Psal. 122.4 Thither the tribes of the Lord goe vp and appeare before the Lord. 2. As it was a type of the Church triumphant euen that celestiall Ierusalem which is aboue that new Ierusalem into which no vnholy thing can enter but is the eternall habitation of the holy God the holy Angels and Saints 5. It was called holy or the holy citie because it was the fountaine of Gods holy religion which beeing first seated there by God must be deriued thence and sent out to all other nations Mic. 4.2 The law shall goe out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem therefore was it the Metropolis and mother citie the heart of the earth placed in the midst of nations by Gods owne confession Ezek. 5.5 Nay there must the pretious blood of the holy Sonne of God bee shed which must streame and runne out to the saluation of all nations and himselfe preached the King of the Iewes vpon the crosse as vpon the theater in Hebrewe Greeke and Latine and that in the time of the Passeouer when there was a concourse of all the people of Iewes and other nations There the Apostles must giue their first witnesse of Christ and thence must carrie it into Iudea Samaria and all nations to the vtmost parts of the earth Act. 1.8 And 8.1 the Church of the New Testament was first gathered at Ierusalem and thence by persecution scattered into all nations In this regard it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy citie for all the holinesse of all other cities was deriued thence We learne out of this title what it is that makes places and persons holy euen the presence of God of his word and worship Thus the ground was called holy Exod. 3.5 and the place where Ioshua stood when the
be filled namely aboue the ordinary measure But neuer was any Saint so filled but that he had great emptines and much roome for Satan to frame and forge his temptations in When God doth bring his children into the wildernesse that is into temptation he armeth them with sufficient power to withstand it 2. Cor. 12.8 when Paul was vexed with an extraordinarie temptation he prayed thrice or often and answer was giuen My grace is sufficient for thee where by grace is not meant the free fauour of God as in many places but the power and strength of the Holy Spirit which was a gift of grace enabling him to stand vnder it And this is that which Gods children may expect not to be exempted from temptation nor from much molestation nor from many knocks and foiles which bring them much sorrow but yet at length God whose hand is vnder them brings them through all For so it is in 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that ye are able but with euery temptation will giue an issue In which place the Apostle distinguisheth of temptations Some are so deadly and diabolicall as a man is drowned and neuer swimmes out of them these we must pray against Lead vs not into temptation Others rise of humane imbecillity and are such as men can beare by which God tryeth the graces of his and manifesteth their infirmity and out of which his grace giueth euasion and deliuerance seeme they neuer so dangerous as for example what a great temptation was that of Israel in the red sea yet God brought them out of it So for euill of sinne What strong temptations were they that seased on Peter Dauid Salomon wherein they seemed vtterly lost Yet the Lord held vnder his hand and left them sufficient grace to raise them againe Gods faithfulnes was such to Dauid and Salomon and Christs prayer that Peters faith did not vtterly faile 1. We are the Lords souldiers and seruants and therefore he will helpe vs Dauid thought this a good argument Psal. 86.2 O thou my God saue thy seruant that trusteth in thee And this is Gods manner of dealing When he hath a great worke or triall for his children he armes them with boldnes constancie and courage as Sampson when he was to encounter many Philistims what a measure of strength was he endued withal When the Prophets were to be sent to rebellious and stubborne people the Lord made their faces as brasen walls Ierem. 1.18 and as adamants Ezek. 3.9 The Apostles beeing called to the great function of calling in the whole world the Holy Ghost fell first vpon them furnished them with singular gifts fit for that calling How boldly Peter preached and professed Christ at Ierusalem to the beards of those that had put him to death euen the Rulers and Elders appeares in Act. 4.8 but the cause of this was that hee was full of the Holy Ghost The like we may obserue in Elias his reforming of Gods worship and in the restoring of religion by Luther who was wonderfully gifted 1. with vndaunted courage as appeares in his burning the Popes decrees and his disputation at Wormes 2. with feruent prayer 3. with admirable and heauenly preaching So the faithfull witnesses and Martyrs that are called to a hote brunt are first armed with a singular spirit as that Protomartyr Steuen Act. 6.8.10 who was full of the Holy Ghost full of faith and power full of wisedome and grace that they were not able to resist the wisedome and spirit by which he spake And was it not so in Q Maries daies that poore creatures were lifted vp with such excellent spirits as that all the learning and wisedome of the Doctors or all the power of authoritie could not daunt them but onely those vnmercifull arguments of fire and faggot could put them to silence 2. The battell and cause is Gods the question between Satan and vs is Gods glory and our saluation This was Moses his argument why the Lord should spare his murmuring people see Num. 14.15.16 Now if the deuill preuaile against vs God shall loose his honour which is deare vnto him But he will not suffer himselfe to be so disgraced as to let vs be ouercome by his enemie neither shall the saluation of his be preiudiced for this were against the truth of God whom Satan accuseth to be a lyar 3. He hath armed vs with his owne armour and furnished vs with his owne strength and will not haue his weapons bee thought so weake and insufficient as to be foiled in it the sword of the Spirit is not so blunt the sheild of faith is not so dull the breast-plate of righteousnesse is not so thinne as to receiue euery bullet that comes to hurt vs. 4. Christ hath made vs members of his owne body and when the head can with patience suffer the members which it is able to defend to be pulled off from the body then shall the sound members of Christ be pulled away by temptation from him which they must needes be if they were not continually supported by his strength Obiect 2. Cor. 1.8 We were pressed out of measure passing strength insomuch that we despaired euen of life Answ. 1. The Apostle speakes of humane strength which could neuer haue passed through those trialls but the power and strength of God shewed them an issue 2. The Apostle speakes according to the sence of his flesh and what they were in their owne feeling as it is plaine in the reason of his deliuerance in the next words That we should not trust in our selues but in God that raiseth the dead 3. The very scope of the place is to shew not the vnmeasurablenesse of affliction but a great measure of them thereby to amplifie Gods mercy Vse We should not be discouraged though our trialls be very great for we shall not want sufficient strength to carrie vs through them Yea let vs checke our weaknes while we torment our selues with needles feares that God takes little or no knowledge of our trialls or will withdraw his grace and absent himselfe for euer No he tenders the weakenes of his chosen on whom although the Spirit fall not so visibly as vpon Christ yet by vertue hereof they haue the secret distilling and sensible yea forcible working of the Spirit in their hearts such graces of faith hope patience and boldnes in case they keepe their watch as whereby they may as surely perswade themselues of victory as if they had receiued the Holy Ghost visibly as Christ did Adde hereunto these considerations 1. That it is impossible to be exalted to Christs kingdome if thou be not assalted first with temptation thou canst not be victorious vnlesse thou fight nor obteine the crowne vnlesse thou be victorious Reu. 3.21 2. That if thou beest in great perplexity yet thinke not the Lord hath forsaken thee For 1. not to be chastised of God
then a merry word may we not recreate our selues now by recreation they meane gaming vnthriftinesse cousenage and the like may we not now and then be angry and impatient seeing flesh and blood is so weake and it is but an infirmitie what neede a man be so precise and scrupulous as to stand vpon such small triflles all which is but to plead for Sathan against our owne safetie He was afterwards an hungrie In these words is set downe the effect of Christs fast After he had fasted fourtie dayes and fourtie nights he began to be hungry all the while before he was not hungry neither did he want power to haue fasted longer and by his diuine power vpheld his humane nature if he pleased but now the miraculous fast beeing finished he begun to hunger Quest. How could Christ be hungry seeing he was able to feed so many thousands with seauen loaues and two fishes Besides Ioh. 4.34 he saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Or if he could be hungry why would hee Ans. Some haue thought that Christ needed not to eate sleep c. as we need when our bodily strength is exhaust by labour by fasting and watching And some of the Fathers as Ambrose and Theophylact vpon Mar. 11.12 hold that Christ onely by dispensation gaue his body leaue to be hungry when he pleased as though hee neither was wont nor could nor ought to be ordinarily hungry as other men nor necessarily forced to eate But we must knowe that Christ tooke vpon him a true humane body and the forme of a seruant in which he was obnoxious to all our infirmities onely sinne excepted And the infirmities which hee vndertooke not are these 1. He was not to take any which might hinder the perfection of his soule or body Of his soule as vices sinnes pronenesse to euill heauines to goodnesse Christ tooke miserable infirmities in his soule as Augustine saith such as are naturall negatiue ignorance as of the day of iudgement and the time of figges fructifying but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascene saith damnable and detestable Of his body because it was extraordinarily conceiued and created of the Holy Ghost who being of infinite wisedome and power could not erre or not bring his body to perfection Therefore he was not to be blind lame deafe c. which are infirmities in many other men 2. Christ was not to take all infirmities in generall for 1. Some arise of particular causes which could not be in Christ as namely some hereditary infirmities and diseases as the leprosie falling-sickenes sâ—one c. some from redundance of matter in generation haue some monstrous or superfluous part some from defect want some part or haue some part withered or scanted None of this can agree to Christs most perfect conception of the Holy Ghost 2. Some infirmities are acquisite as by surfets feauers and gowts by fulnes These could not befall Christ who neuer exceeded the meane his whole life beeing a continuall exercise of sobrietie neither had he euer any acquisite infirmity but voluntarily vndertaken 3. Some defects and infirmities are the fruit of some speciall iudgement of God as Vzziah his leprosie was a speciall stroke of Gods hand for a speciall sinne so some are borne fooles and simple Neither could these belong to Christ who had no sinne nor cause of iudgement in him 3. Christ was to take vpon him all naturall and indetractable infirmities as the Schoolemen call them and onely them Naturall that is such as follow common nature infirmities common to all men And indetractable or inculpable which detract not from the perfection of his person nor of his grace nor of the worke of our redemption Of this kinde are hunger thirst labour wearines sleep sorrow sweat and death it selfe all these are common to all men Now hunger beeing a common infirmitie incident to all men yea to Adam in innocency who was hungrie and did eate as Gen. 1.39 euery tree bearing fruit shall be to you for meat and slept c. 2. v. 21. a heauie sleep fell on the man yet without molestation therefore Christ did necessarily hunger as other men doe not by an absolute necessity for 1. hee needed not haue taken our nature or beene incarnate 2. as he was God he could haue exempted himselfe from all the abasement and miseries that he suffered neither by a coacted necessity for he willingly submitted himselfe to this necessity But by a necessity ex hypothesi or conditionate hauing taken our nature to redeeme it he was necessarily to take on him all our weaknesses sinne onely excepted for these reasons 1. He was not onely to be like a man and in the shape of a man but also a very true man like vnto his brethren in all things except sinne therefore it is said Hebr. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to assure the truth of his incarnation against all Anthropomorphites and such like heretikes 2. This was a part of his obedience and consequently of our redemption that he suffered the same thnigs as we doe both in body and in mind verè pertulit languores nostrâ—s he hath truly borne our infirmities Isa. 53.4 3. That he might sanctifie vnto vs these infirmities and take away the sting of them least we should be wearied and faint in our mindes Heb. 12.3 and that we might haue an example in suffring 1. Pet. 2.21 4. That he might be a compassionate High Priest Heb. 2.17.18 touched with infirmity yea cloathed with our fraile nature that we should not doubt of his grace who vouchsafed to be so abased for vs. 5. Himselfe confirmeth the same in that he tooke not on him such a body of ours as Adam had before sinne but such a one as hee retained after his fall so farre as it was obnoxious to all incriminall paines of sinne namely such as was subiect to wearines Ioh. 4.6 to sorrow teares and weeping as ouer Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 and at the raising of Lazarus Ioh. 11.35.38 and in his agonie when he shed teares and vsed strong cries Heb. 5.7 to sweating water and blood in the garden yea to death it selfe from all which Adams body was free before the fall And by these his body was by a true necessity ouercome as ours are and this not for a short time or space at his pleasure but all the time of his life till he breathed out his holy spirit yea thirsting vpon the crosse it selfe Ioh. 19.28 Neither was this onely to confirme the truth of his humane nature but to fulfill all righteousnesse and carrie away all the punishment of our sinnes and so worke a perfect saluation for vs. Therefore Christ truely and necessarily was hungrie as we vse to bee As for that place in Ioh. 4.34 I answer 1. It must be meant comparatiuely in that the execution of his calling and doing of his fathers will was preferred before his meate
for the Priesthood All these were faire warnings whence they might perceiue 1. how righteous the Lord was in not forbearing their sinnes 2. with how little reason they could stand vpon any outward priuiledge if they would goe on in prouoking the Lord 3. how loath the Lord was to reiect them vtterly if by any meanes they could be reclaimed But when no meanes would doe them good the Lord giues them to vtter desolation by Titus and Vespasian who ruinated the city defaced the Temple and left not one stone vpon another as Christ prophesied Matth. 24.2 And since that time it hath euer beene profaned and in the hands of the greatest enemies of God and man next Satan himselfe polluted with most horrible idolatries the Iewes driuen from thence into all lands and in all lands vagabonds the blood of the Sonne of God lying vpon them and their children till this day Oh the patience of God towards vs the many warnings and threatnings that we haue had by many treasons conspiracies sundry open and secret practises of our enemies by sea and by land Remember 88. and 1605. by sundry plagues of many kinds and euerie day renewed renewes some warning or other And yet how fall we backe more and more how strong are the Papists how bold how malicious and furious as mastiues that haue bin long in the chaine Oh that we were so wise rather to take example by others then to be made examples to others and to take warning by others harmes to preuent our owne Why should we think our selues so safe from the touch of this doctrine or exempted from the lot of all Churches and lands Where was there euer a more holy place a more holy Citie a more holy Temple then at Ierusalem yet by securitie departing from the Lord the Lord left them What Church in all the world whose flourishing estate hath alwaies lasted Cast we our eyes vpon the Churches planted by the Apostles themselues that of Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus the Churches in Asia they had their times but knew it not till it was too late now all are become dens of theeues and sunke downe into the deadly poyson either of Mahometisme or Antichristianisme It was the ouersight and ouerthrowe of the most renowned Churches neuer long to prize their liberties in the presence of them but had leaue a long time to bewaile their absence Time was when Ierusalem had God neare them his Prophets his Law and Oracles her Nazarites purer then snow But not long after there was neuer a Prophet left neuer a signe her Nazarites blacker then a cole the waies of Sion forsaken Oh now for one Prophet more Time was when they had the Sonne of God among them and his Apostles and the sound of the blessed Gospell was first offered to them But not long after Christ and his Apostles the note was altred and the case changed for the sonnes of peace and Ministers of peace they heare of Titus and Vespasian of wars and bloodshed of famine and death meeting them a thousand wayes Now time is we haue God neare vs and Christ his Sonne and the Ministers of reconciliation and we know not our happinesse Time may come when we may wish one good Minister in a countrey one sermon one holy Sabbath spent as we haue seene many with too much neglect a Lent may come for this long ope-tide The Lord knowes how little we desire the day of vengeance neither can we prophesie but blessed is that man that seeth the plague and hideth himselfe whereas the foole must goe on to punishment THE second thing in this second circumstance is the speciall place namely The pinacle of the Temple The Temple was the highest place on the mount Moriah and the pinacle was the highest place of the Temple to wit a battlement about the toppe to keep from falling down Deut. 22.8 called pinacles from their sharpenesse as our pinacles are the sharpe tops of our buildings or spires Satan makes choise of this place 1. As fit to his temptation the scope and aime whereof we shall see afterward 2. Beginning a new temption he changeth his place to see if thereby hee can change Christs minde so did Balaam to see if any place would serue him to curse Gods people shift from place to place And it is not vnlike but our dicers and gamesters haue learned this of the deuill when the play runnes against them to shift places for better lucke as they say 3. The place was full of danger to stand vpon and much more for the height to fall from 4. The Temple was an holy place dedicated to Gods worship and seruice what hath Sathan to doe there but he takes vpon him as though hee had to doe euery where and can stand among the sonnes of God against the sonnes of God It may be Christ will thinke himselfe priuiledged there as the Pope in his chaire that hee cannot erre what euer he doe Or if he can abuse the Temple to make it a meanes of the ouerthrow of the Sonne of God he shall with one worke both dishonour the Father so much the more and destroy the Sonne Satan either fits his temptation according to the place where he findes a man or drawes him to a place fit for his temptation Both which we see here against Christ beeing in the wildernes hungry Satan fits his temptation to the place to make stones bread and now beeing to assaile him with another kinde of temptation he drawes him into a place fit for his temptation This subtilty of Satan we may obserue in the first temptation of all there was but one forbidden tree in Paradise and there Satan fits his temptation to the place to eate of that So he findes Peter in the common hall there he tempts him to deny his Master a place most fit for it where all else denied and abused him and if hee should not so doe hee should bee in like danger Nay he not onely fitted the temptation but also drew Peter to the place 1. Satan doth not vse all temptations in euery place but such as he will haue some aduantage in by the very place it selfe hee knowes it were bootlesse if the place aswell as other circumstances be not fitted to him It had beene in vaine to haue tempted Cain to slay Abel in his fathers house but he drew him into the field after him and so preuailed He knew Ioseph was a most modest and chast man and it had beene in vaine to haue mooued him to vncleannes so openly as he did Zimri and Cosbi at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation or as openly as Absolom who defiled his fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel and therefore he sets vpon him in a secret chamber He knew it was no fit place to tempt Noah in the Arke in the middest of the waters when there seemed but a steppe between him and death but sitting vnder the vine in his vineyard
life to come is that nothing else occupie or distract vs from beeing wholly taken vp in the immediat glorifying of God without either saciety or ceasing Let vs learne to be of the same minde with our Lord Iesus in whome we haue a worthy patterne of constancie and heauenly resolution in that all the world and the glory of it could not mooue him no not by a gesture to impaire his Fathers glory The heathen man could say if he would forsweare himselfe for any thing it should be for a kingdome Absolom for a kingdome would kill his owne father Iehu for a kingdome makes no end of murthers One saith of him What was a basket full of heads to a kingdome 2. King 10.8 Herod for a kingdome kills all the male children Nay it were to be wished that onely kingdomes could draw men to mischeife for then should not Ahab murther Naboth for a field nor Iudas betray his Master for thirtie pence nor Christians and Protestants lie and sweare and forsweare and transgresse for a piece of bread How many executions haue we for 30. pence or 13. pence Which shews how degenerate men are from Christ whom all the kingdomes in the world nor the greatest things in them could mooue in the least manner and as it were indirectly to dishonour his Father Nay what shall we say of them that professe they nor no man else can trade and buy and sell to liue without some lies and dissembling sometimes These may carrie the name of Christ but the minde of Christ is farre from them Others thinke and say What need men be so nice to stand vpon so small scruples as not accept so good offers and promotions in the world which haue some condition or other annexed which their conscience cannot without offence swallow What may not â—e call a little euill good and a little good euill that so he may raise his owne estate and doe himselfe and others much good And thus be is euery where accused of indiscretion But to these wee obiect Christs example who would not be mooued with all the world to doe that he was not warranted for in the Scripture And for the imputation of indiscretion we alledge Moses example who when he was at age saith the text refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to suffer with the people of God And to all such alledgers we say in one word Either was Christ farre wide in refusing so great an offer or else are they As we must preferre the glory of God aboue the world so we must promote it by our best meanes The Magistrate by procuring and stablishing that whereby God may be most glorified not administring iustice by affection or reward or sparing offenders by a cruell mercy who should be made examples to others or not encouraging the godly All this dishonours God highly The minister must vse his gifts not for any priuate end but for Gods glory as a good seruant that gaines all for his Master And euery priuate man must so carrie his course of life his trade his speaches as God may bee honoured in all things his light in all things must shine that our heauenly Father may bee glorified therefore in euery thing whether it will carrie the commendation not only of truth and honesty but of Christianity and religion To stirre vs vp to this duty see some motiues 1. All creatures in their kind doe glorifie God and keep their standing the sunne the starres the heauens declare the glory of God Psal. 19.1 the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse the master of his crib Isa. 1.3 the crane swallow and turtle know their times Ier. 8.1 What a shame for Israel then not to acknowledge their benefactor but come so farre behinde the vnreasonable creatures What a shame for Christians to come behinde the Israelites who partake in far greater mercies and meanes then they did 2. Hereby we manifest our selues to be the seruants of God in resisting the dishonour of God and standing out for our Lord against Satan wicked men hypocrites whose whole desire is to obscure and darken the glory of God and as far as they can with violence to tread it vnder foote Especially hauing vowed in our baptisme so to doe He is a coward that seeing the readines and alacritie of the enemie is not by it prouoked to stout resistance especially standing in a good cause and sure of victory Can a child indure his father to be dishonoured and wronged by word or deed and put it vp Can Gods child seeing a sonne honours his father 3. Our time is but short we are in our last conflict the time of our full deliuerance and introduction into heauenly glory is at hand the crowne is in our eye almost vpon our heads already and therefore let vs encourage our selues a while to be instant for the glory of God which is our last scope and cheife expectation euen as a traueller that sees the euening come vpon him is so much the quicker till he attaine the place he desires so we hauing the euening of our life approach and our last houre should set our selues forward with more speed and alacrity towards our home holding on our right way which is the glorifying of God in all things 4. We haue a cloud of examples before vs 1. of holy men who haue endured Martyrdome and reioyced in the flames that they were worthy by their so exquisite torments to glorifie God as Christ told Peter that by such a death he should glorifie God 2. of holy Angells who spend all eternity in magnifying Gods holines and glory Isa. 6.3 one cries to another Holy holy holy is the Lord the whole world is full of his glory and Luk. 2.14 Glory bee to God in the highest heauens And shall not we approach to the Angelicall life which is the happiest of all creatures 3. of the blessed Sonne of God our head whose whole life was nothing else but a seeking of the glory of his Father And should not the members imitate the head Haue we so many faithfull guides in so dangerous a way and should we be so cold and slow in the imitation of them 5. Our glorification is indiuidually knit to our glorifying of God as 1. Sam. 2.30 Him that honoureth mee will I honour Yea Christ claimes his glory on no other condition but this but that he had glorified his Father on earth Ioh. 17.4 As among men great benefactors are well pleased with small testimonies of thankefulnesse where ability wants to performe much so the Lord accepts our small obedience and studie of glorifying him that he plentifully remunerates it Meanes to come to glorifie God in some good measure 1. Pray for wisdome and a sound iudgement Phil. 1.10 that ye may discerne things that differ beeing filled with the fruits of righteousnesse to the glorie and praise of God For euery thing will not please and glorifie God 2. Renounce thy
receiuing the diuine honour from the most grorious Angells To this great Michael who euen without his Angells hath in pitcht battell ouercome the great red dragon and all his Angells be ascribed all power might victory and triumph of all men Saints and Angells in earth and in the highest heauens for all eternity Amen Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE ALPHABETICALL Index or Table pointing to the principall points in this Exposition A IN Christs lowest Abasement sparkles of Diuinity flie out sundry instances pag. 363 Actions brought forward by bad meanes to be supected sundry instances 312 Accusers mouthes how to be stopped foure rules 30 Against false accusation 7. rules 26 Aduersaries must bee ouercome rather with patience then power 112 Adoption called into question by Sathan for present aduersitie 5. reasons 89 Allegories must not bee stucke too fast vnto 264 Christs Allegation of Scripture with some addition and change of words 5. reasons 338 Angels called Gods Angels 3. reas 235 Angells tender keepers of the godly three reasons 237 Concerning Angels 3. obseruations 239 Angels come not in vnto Christ before the deuill is gone from him 4. reas 401 Angels cannot be in two places at once why 402 Angels haue bodily shapes by way of 1. description 2. dispensation 403 Angels minister vnto Christ how 409 Christ was more Angry in the last temptation then in the two former 4. reasons 333 Apochryphall bookes not authenticall 4. reasons 133 In the Arke were three things kept 162 Assemblies in the Church of England holy meetings 4. reas 166 Auoid signifieth three things 332 B BAd causes are thrust on by bad means 4. reas 311 Behold signifieth 5. things in Scripture 4â—0 Blame thy selfe sinning more then the deuill 216 Blessing more desirable then meanes 138 Blind and bloody battels for the holy land more for the Popes profit then Gods glorie 177 Boasters resemble the deuill 315 To get Bread out of stones 3. waies 10â— Gods way to get Bread contrarie to the deuills in three things 109 C TO liue out of a lawful calling wickeâ— 3. reasons 14â— Calling to be well carried two rules 150 Speciall Calling requires the practise of 4. vertues 151 Christ was locally carried to the pinnacle 4. reasons 190 In Christ Satan would haue cast downe all mankind 206 Satan would haue vs cast down our selues why 215 Causes of God must affect vs aboue our owne 5. reasons 333 Changes here good for vs 5. reasons 395 To be chearefull in trialls 4 motiues 15 Chaire of Rome a friuolous pretence 177 Christ subiect to temptations notwithstanding his perfection of 1. nature 2. grace 3. power 7 Christ chose to be tempted in the wildernes 4. reasons 19 Christs going into the wildernes no ground for Popish Eremites 4. reas 22 Christ would be tempted 4. reas 35 Christ by beeing tempted succoureth vs 4. waies 36 Christ safer among wilde beasts then wicked men 44 Christ not so rough with Sathan as with some wicked men no or with his owne disciples 4. reas 113 Christ reuealeth himselfe onely to such as will make right vse of his knowledge 4. reas 116 Christ as able to defend vs as himselfe from wilde beasts and deuills 45 Christs priuiledge aboue all creatures in the ministerie of Angels 3. reas 410 Christs combate exemplary as victorious 243 Christians must be reasonable euen to most vnreasonable aduersaries 3. reas 110 Church no competent Iudge of controuersies 246 Church hath no authoritie ouer Scripture 4. reas 247 Church of England not to bee separated from for some corruptions 4. conclusions 166 Comforts for weake Christians in temptation 4. grounds 7 Circuit of Sathan is the compasse of the earth 20 Comforts from Christs being tempted 4. grounds 37 Comfort of the creatures a greater blessing then the creatures themselues 139 Comfort in that Sathan cannot ouercome him who is not willing to be ouercome 216 Comforts from the custodie of Angels 238 Comforts of God hid for a time but aâ— length shine out vpon his children 4. reasons 404 Bad companie worse then solitarinesse 23 Comforts when temptations come thicke on vs three 280 Compacts with Satan 1. open 2. sâ—cret 317. c. Meanes to auoid Satans compacts 5. 320 Conference of Scriptures beateth out the true sense of them see instances as large 256 Counsells no competent iudges of controuersies 4. reas 249 In the inner court of the Temple were 4. things of note 161 D DAy of sickenesse and death most 〈◊〉 to resist Satans temptations three reas 66 Death enters the soule by the windowes of the senses 4. reas 291 Deuill is not driuen away by holy water reliques nor the naming of Iesus 10 11 DiffereÌ„ce between the loue of God as God and of God as a Father 92 Directions for the fortifying of faith three 86 Distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 silly 2 ignorant 3. nouell 347 Doctors and Fathers no competent Iudges of Scripture 5. reas 248 Doing of what God commandeth not alwaies a signe of true grace 3. reas 385 God draweth neere his Saints in trouble 3. wayes 94 E EFfects of the spirits assured gouernance in troubles three 17 Eminent persons must be so much the more watchfull 288 Ends and means must be tied together 277 Equiuocation a Iesuiticall tricke discouered 233 Three estates Sathan especially would cast men from 1. of innocencie 2. regeneration 3. office in Church or common-wealth 206 Euill men cleane one to another because all of them hate Christ. 160 Excellency cannot exempt a man from Satans temptations 3. reas 8 How to auoide Satans extremities three rules 200 F FAmily-worshippe of God stands in fiue things 172 Fasting the kinds 1. ciuill 2. religious 3. miraculous 47 Fasting of Christ differeth from Popish in 8. things 49 Christ fasted his fast for 4. causes 50 Fast of Christ no longer or shorter then forty daies 5 reasons 51 Fortie nights of Christs fast expressed two reasons 51 Fasting a necessarie Christian duty 3. reasons 52 Motiues to fasting 11. 53 Faith his actions about the meanes of safetie if present 3.46 if absent 3. ibid. Ouerthrowe of faith the aime of all Satans temptations 5. reas 83 Faith must be so much the stronglyer fortified as Satan more furiously assayleth it 86. Faith his excellency in 4. things 86 The least faith can pray for more 88 Properties of faith in want of means 3. 98 Faith how it demeaneth it selfe towards the word of Gods prouidence 3. rules 145 Faithfulnesse in promises enforced by fiue reasons 309 G COmmon Gamesters liue by no word of God 150 Generallitie of obedience in 4. things 389 Gifts of Gâ—â— differ from the deuill in fowre things 319 Glorie of God must be preferred aboue all the world 6. reas 327 Motiues to promote the glorie of God 5. 350. To glorifie God in good measure meanes 4. 331 God glorifieth himselfe in our trialls fowre waies 396 Glory of the world falsly claimed
he was easily ouercome with it While Dauid was in his flight before Saul in caues and wildernesses it was bootlesse to tempt him to follie he had no leasure his thoughts were taken vp in holy prayers and consultations with God but when hee was on his pinacle on the top of his turret the place was fit to spie Bathsheba and haue her fetcht to him and so the sinne was finished 2. Satan knowes that sinnes are of diuers sorts and though all bee workes of darknes and so should flie the light and walke in solitary and priuate places as extremities on the left hand thefts murders adulteries c. yet some other are best brooded in the light and places of publike resort as pride prodigality and a number of riots and open disorders for example Herod swore an oath to giue Herodias whatsoeuer she asked to halfe his kingdome when she asked Iohns Baptists head which was an heinous murder of them both vpon an innocent man the very fitnes of the place brought it forth Great men often sweare hundreds of oaths in a day and forget them presently if they were made priuately But because Herod had sworne amongst the people for his credit sake and for them that stood by Iohn must presently loose his head 3. The largenes of Satans commission giues him leaue to make choise of what place he list and thence to make his best aduantage no place is priuiledged for he compasseth the earth and is the Prince of the aire and stands sometimes in the presence of God to get leaue to afflict the children of God so as there is no desert so solitary no pinacle so high no citie so holy no Temple so sacred but Satan dares and can euen there watch Gods people a mischeife nay in Paradise hee tempted Adam and Iudas at Christs owne table This may aduise vs to keep our selues so farre as we can from places of probable danger which Satan hath after a sort fitted for temptation Some places are drie and barren no goodnes is there exercised or to be had nor to be done in these places the euill spirit walketh there he haunts as we see in the parable and therefore our rule must be this Where we can neither doe good nor take good those bee no places for vs. Many ciuill mens houses how is the time eaten vp in vaine and idle speach and the most tolerable talke is worldlines and the talke thereof is endles Obiect What hurt is in that Sol. Yes it is a dry place and it cannot be answered when euen this shall shoulder out better speach Other places are not onely emptie of good but filled with euill that as hardly shall a man come safe out of them without some poison or corruption as out of a plaguy or leprous house For how can a man be safe where Satans throne is as 1. Places of idolatry where a man must either shew his dislike or else giue a secret consent Men can goe into places where the horrible idol of the Masse stands and keep their hearts to God but commonly God giues such vnwarrantable boldnes a checke and experience shewes what a tang it leaues after it 2. King 16.10 Ahaz went vpon another occasion to meet Tiglah Peleser King of Ashur at Damascus and onely seeing an altar there he was so in loue with it as he sent to Vriah the Priest the patterne of it and the fashion and whole workemanship of it to haue another like it in all points against Gods commandement And how hath a secret infection poisoned a number of our trauellers who falling in loue with Romish idolatry haue brought the fashion and patterne and workemanship of it ouer with them and that because they runne vnwarrantably into places of danger So how dangerously doe men runne into great Papists houses where there are a thousand allurements and entisements pure religion scorned belied and all to besmeared with shamefull lies and opprobrie and the contrary magnified and extolled as the onely truth yea the Scriptures themselues not lesse abhorred then the theefe hates the gallowes and thrust downe vnder mens deuises and Popes Decrees yea the word of saluation condemned and burnt as they were of old by Antiochus and Maximinus as the books of heretikes and the godly professors scoffed vnder the style of Scripturers and Bible-bearers Men think it no danger to be familiar in such places to be seruants to such Masters which is to lead themselues into temptation Alasse what Communion is there betweene light and darkenesse betweene Christ and Antichrist 2. Not onely places of spirituall whoredome but also corporall If Satan get a man into such a place he hath his snares and bands her lippes are snares her hands as bands her words are cordes to draw a man in as an oxe to the slaughter How can a man auoid the vncleane spirit in such foule sinkes as such places be Pro. 5.8 My Sonne keep thy way farre from her and come not neare the doore of her house and 6.32 hee that goes in to her besides that he destroyes his owne soule he findes a wound and dishonour and a reproach that shall neuer be put away And the same commandement that hath forbidden any euill hath forbidden also all the occasions of euill 3. We must auoid drinking houses gaming houses and places of such rude and hellish resort How suddenly are minds corrupted in bad company what quarrells and causlesse blowes what vaine and ribaldry speach which corrupteth good manners what expense of precious time what riot of goods what wa st of wit and losse of reason it selfe is commonly in such places so that a good minde sees himselfe in a little hell while he is there and where lodgeth Satan if not in such houses which are seruants to euery mans sinne and where are baits and snares which are enemies not onely to Christianity but euen to ciuility and humanity it selfe There Satan hath one roome filled with swearers an other with scoffers a third with drunkards a fourth with gamesters and all his roomes are full of idle and disordered persons who for the time haue cast vp their callings and are at leasure for any worke of the flesh which their master the deuill will now employ them in 4. Adde hereunto the places of stage-plaies and enterludes places of as great danger as any of the former Satans schoole-houses There you shall heare oaths and lies and scoffes of base varlets against not onely their betters among men but of God himselfe and his holy religion There you may see sinne acted and represented which ought not to be named among Saints There you shall see men wearing womens apparell and perhaps women mens There you shall see men trauelling of child as one said of Nero beeing an actor in a Tragedie to which his part called him and all kind of adulterous behauiours and such shameful gestures and actions as the light of nature hath descried and condemned What shall