fragrant field unto the Lord. I speak not this to perswade any man wilfully to make himself miserable for our Saviour himself hath pronounced it to be A more blessed thing to give then to receive Neither doe I speak to commend or justifie the counterfeit zeal of those that mock the world with a false shew of wilfull poverty whiles shutting themselves up in a Cloister that they may seem to forsake the world they do indeed enjoy it in all superfluity Or at the least the worst of their misery is no more then that which that holy man prayeth for Pro. 30.8 Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me If they have no excesse they are sure to feel no want but to be sufficiently provided for both for back and belly so long as they live there and are they not then very zealous think you in binding themselves to such a misery But my speech is to hearten all those with comfort on whom God hath layd affliction that they may bee so far from impatience as rather to rejoyce in tribulation Rom. 5.3 because it was their Masters common lot and portion for the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. Yea not onely the afflictions of life but death it self and the grave should be welcom and acceptable to us for Christ also hath passed them and by suffering hath sanctified them unto us so that the curse of death is turned into a blessing and the grave is become a bed of rest Rev. 14.13 and that Prophecie Is 11.8 is fulfilled The sucking child shall play upon the holt of the Asp and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the Cockatrice hole There is now no danger to Gods children in the hole of death that is the Grave for death hath lost his sting and cannot hurt us so that we may triumph and say O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. In the last place let us learn not onely to admire Christs love to us nor onely to love him again nor only to love those that are like to him in suffering nor onely to love his sufferings themselves but withall to hate sin which was the occasion of his sufferings Sin was the occasion of Christs sufferings for had not Adam sinned Christ had had no cause or need to suffer If therefore wee love him wee cannot chuse but hate that which was to him the occasion of such a miserable life and such a shamefull painfull and cruell death David 2 Sam. 23. being an high Captaine though he longed for the water of Bethleem yet would not tast it when hee had it because it cost his three souldiers the hazard of their lives thathe might have it Much more we being servile souldiers though our soules long for the sweet waters of sin yet should we forbear to tast it because it cost our high Captaine Christ not the hazard but the very loss of his life that we might not have it God shewed Moses a tree wherewith he might make the bitter waters sweet Exo. 15.25 but behold I shew you a tree wherewith ye may make the sweet waters of sin to become bitter Look upon the tree of Christ remember his Cross and the pains he suffered thereon and the false sweetnesse of sin will quickly vanish and ye shall rightly rellish the bitterness of it If the delight of any sinne offer it self unto you cast Christ his Cross into it do but remember his sufferings for sin and all sin will presently grow distastfull For how can it choose but be hatefull to us if we consider how hurtfull it was to him The Jews would not put those thirty peeces into their Treasury because they thought them to bee the price of blood Mat. 27.6 but therein I must say they were deceived for Judas for that money did rather sell himself and his own soul then Christ or Christs blood For Christ was sold before even God had sold him before to death for the sin of man For when in the fall of man the devil offered sin unto God then did God threaten Christ unto him namely That the seed the woman should break the serpents head Gen. 3. And had not Christ been so sold before to death for sin not all the treasure in Jerusalem nor in all the world could have bought him Seeing then that Sin was the true and proper price for which Christ was sold how unworthy are wee the name of Christians yea how much worse are we then Jews if we suffer this price of blood to come into the treasury of our hearts If therefore any motion of pride arise in thy mind answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any temptation of lust be offered to thine eyes answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any provocation of anger or revenge be urged to thy hands answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any greedinesse of gain move thee to wrong or oppression answer and tell it thou art the price of blood And whatsoever sin thou art tempted to answer and tell it thou art the occasion of my Saviours death thou art the price of Christs blood thou mayst not therefore come into the treasury of my heart O blessed Lord and sweet Saviour we do even with astonishment admire thy passing great love towards us we pray thee also by the fervent fire of thy great love that is upon us to kindle in us true love to thee again yea to all that are like thee in thy sufferings yea to thy sufferings themselves that we may patiently bear them whensoever they befall us But make us truly to hate sinne that was the occasion of thy sufferings We beleeve O Lord that by thy blood thou hast washt us from the guilt of sin wee beseech thee also make us more and more effectually find and feele that by thy spirit thou doest purge us from the love of sin that so our consciences may be comforted in all our life and especially in our death and our soules and bodies eternally saved in the life to come by and thorough thy all-sufficient sufferings and satisfactions For which unto thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost three persons one eternall God wee render all possible praise and thanksgiving and desire all honour and glory might and majesty may be ascribed for ever and ever Amen Finis Serm. 2. Trino-uni gloria Per me Gulielmum Gaium Martial At male si recites incipit esse tuus A SERMON preached at the Visitation held at Campden May 4. 1636. Text. JOH 13.17 If ye know these things blessed or happy are ye if ye doe them
Because God hath prized us so highly we should not disesteem or sleight our selves but carefully passe the time of our dwelling here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 18 19. 10. Q. Why to our neighbour A. Because God hath so dearly loved us 1 Joh. 4.10 Sect. 4. Of our receiving our Remedy 1. Q. HOw doe we receive the remedy which Christ hath wrought for us A. Onely by Faith Ioh. 1.12 Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 10.4 2. Q. But doth not faith work by love Gal. 5.6 A. Yes outwardly to the world and inwardly to our self in point of its own probation but not upwardly to God in point of our justification there Works are shut out Rom. 3.28 Eph. 2.9 3. Q. But though our Works have no hand in receiving our Justification yet do they not help to make us acceptable to God A. No more then the wiping with a filthy ragge would cleanse our faces Is 64.6 4. Q. But is there no worth or virtue in our Faith for which it receiveth our justification A. No for we are said to be justified or saved by Faith Rom. 3.28 and through Faith Eph. 2.8 but never for Faith for the price is onely Christs satisfaction Act. 4.12 Is 53.5 And to say we are justified by Faith is but a Figurative speech for Faith doth justifie us no otherwise then our hand doth feed us and that is but as a receiving and an applying instrument 5. Q. And doe you by your particular faith receive your own justification to your self A. Yes or else my faith were no better then the Devils I am 2.19 6 Q. But is it not enough at least for the ignorant to beleeve as the Church believeth in implicite Faith A. No for the just shall live by his faith Heb. 2.4 And in the Creed we are taught and required every one to professe and confess the particulars of our faith 7. Q. And have you any assurance in your particular Faith A. Yes though in much weaknesse Mark 9.24 and reluctation of the flesh Gal. 5.17 For Faith is the ground of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 8. Q. How can you have particular assurance having no particular warrant or promise to you by name A. Because the Covenant of Grace was made indefinitely to all beleevers every beleever may and must take and apply the same unto himself in particular as Iob 19.25 Iob. 20.28 Gal. 2.20 9. Q. What followeth or may be gathered out of this doctrine of our justification by Faith onely A. Humiliation and Confirmation 10. Q. How or why Humiliation A. Because in our justification we are meer and bare receivers and have nothing to boast of 1 Cor. 4.7 Luke 17.10 11. Q. How or why Confirmation A. Because we build not on the sand of our own merits but on the foundation of Gods knowledge 2 Tim. 2.19 Gal. 4.9 and on the rock of Christs perfection 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. Sect. 5. Of the proof of our Faith 1. Q. WHat need is there of proving our faith A. None in respect of God for he knoweth what is in man Ioh. 2.25 and worketh whatsoever is good in man Iam. 1.17 but in respect of the Church and of our selves 2. Q. What is the proof of our faith outwardly to the Church A. It s good fruits Gal. 5.6 2 Cor. 5.17 Iam. 2 18. 3. Q. How necessary is that good fruit Obedience to true faith A. As necessary as the soul is to the life of the body I am 2.26 4. Q. What reason can you shew for this A. Because love is of the nature of fire 5. Q. And what do you infer from that A. That the fire of Gods love wheresoever it is received by faith will inflame Ps 39.3 and purifie Act. 15.9 6. Q. What inward proof is there to our self and our own conscience A. The testimony of Gods Spirit Ioh. 4.13 Rom. 8.16 7. Q. How is that wrought known or found A. Descendendo by showring down comforts Ps 72.6 and ascendendo by exhaling Graces Gal. 5.22 for so Iacobs dream Gen. 28.12 is fulfilled in Christ Ioh. 1.51 8. Q. What followeth for instruction of our practise out of this doctrine of the necessity of good works A. That we must take heed of denying God our selves Tit. 1.16 and of setting others awork to blaspheme him Rom. 2.23 24. 2 Sam. 12.14 Sect. 6. Of the helps of our Faith 1. Q. WHat speciall help have you of or to your faith A. The Sacraments for therein Christ is offered to us both by word and action 2 Q. How long have Sacraments been in use A. From the beginning 3. Q. What Sacraments had Adam A. The tree of Life pawning life to his obedience and the tree of knowledge of good and evil pawning death to his disobedience Gen. 2.9 4. Q. Had these any relation to Christ and the covenant of Grace A. No for there was yet no need because no sin 5. Q. When began the Sacraments of Grace A. Circumcision began by Abraham Gen. 17.9 and the Passeover by Moses Ex. 12.3 6. Q. Why are these ended and taken away A. Partly because Christ was the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 and the body of those shaddows Col. 2.17 and partly because God fitteth his Church according to its age and quality with spirituall as the Nurse doth her child and the Physician his patient with corporall food and Physick 7. Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church A. Two onely as generally necessary to salvation that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. 8. Q What say you then to those 5 which the Church of Rome will have also to be Sacraments Confirmation Pennance Extreme Unction Orders Matrimony A. That they be not Sacraments First because Christ did neither partake nor ordain them Secondly because they be not all alike common to all for Orders can belong but to one profession Thirdly because they crosse and oppose one another as Orders and Matrimony which cannot agree together as they suppose 9. Q. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament A. I mean an outward visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and as a pledge to assure us thereof 10. Q. What do you shew or touch in this answer A. The nature of a Sacrament that it is an outward sign of an inward grace The Author that it is from Christ The Effect that it doth conveigh and assure the Grace which it signifieth 11. Q. Doth then the outward sign alwaies give and confirm the grace which it signifieth A. Not properly of it self and by the very action but instrumentally where it pleaseth God to make it effectuall for Simon Magus was in the gall of bitternesse after Baptism Act. 8.13.23 Whether Judas did communicate is controverted and Iudas after the Lords Supper if he received it was a lost child of perdition Joh. 17.12 12. Q. Why then doth your common Catechism say that in Baptism you
them for their work sake then ye will love them for their own sake because they are workers and for Gods sake because they are his workers and for your own sakes because the benefit of their work extendeth to you temporally spiritually eternally For bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea love them for their presence and companies sake for much is the benefit that secretly you may receive thereby God blessed Laban for Jacobs sake Gen. 30.27 and Potiphar for Josephs sake Gen. 40.5 yea he gave Saint Paul the lives of all his fellow passengers in that desperate danger of shipwrack Act. 27.24 And if ten righteous could have been found in Sodome all the multitude of miscreants even all the whole citty should have been spared for their sakes Gen. 18.32 And what knowest thou whether the company and acquaintance the society and near neighbourhood of one of Gods favourites may be unto thee and all thine both a prospering in good and a defence from evill But what is the notice that God gives and thereby shews that he took of Moses life Even this That he was his servant Behold then God is no ungratefull Master no man can serve him for nought He observeth as diligently thy obedience to approve and reward it as thy disobedience to reprove and punish it yea though it bee in secret he will reward thee openly Mat. 6.4 yea though it bee but little and of small value that thou doest for a cup of cold water shall not lose its reward Mat. 10.28 The Widdows Mite is not disdained but extolled Luke 21.1 Yea he keeps a book to register every word and a bottle to preserve every tear that true repentance shall bring forth Put my tears into thy bottle are not these things noted in thy book Psal 56.8 O then be not weary of well doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6.9 And say not it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandements and walked humbly before the Lord Mal. 3.14 But be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwaies rich in the work of the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 But doth God give no other notice of Moses then that he was his servant No this was the height of his honour for the Law afforded but Servantship it is the Gospel that bringeth Sonship the time of Sonship was not yet come For even that Heir the Church of Israel differed nothing from a servant though he were Lord of all but was under Tutors and Governours yea in a kind of bondage under weak and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. But when the Son became a Servant then servants became sens He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 From thence forth that was fulfilled to us Thou art no more a servant but a son Now if thou be a son thou art also the heir of God through Jesus Christ Gal. 4.7 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with with the yoke of bondage Gal. 5.1 The yoke of bondage of the Ceremonial and of the Moral Law Of the Ceremonial Law as touch not tast not handle not which were shaddows of things to come but the body is in Christ Col. 2.21 Of the Morall Law For even that also may prove an entangling yoke of bondage Namely if we stick to the Covenant of Works and presume on our own meriting Beware then with the Dog in the Fable ye lose not the substance by catching at the shaddow That ye go not about to establish your own righteousness not submitting your selves to the righteousnesse of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes Rom. 10.3 in him we must seek it or else we shall never find it It may prove also a yoke of bondage if we stick to the covenant of it the contrary way namely by dispairing yeelding to the force and sinking under the burthen of the curse of it taking no hold on that Anchor of hope which we have in Christ Heb. 6.19 For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 In all these respects therefore stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made us free for the sonne having made us free now are we free indeed Joh. 8.36 even of servants we are made sons But how are we made lawless sons and hath the Law indeed no more power over us Not so the curse of it is taken away not the force of it the killing letter is blotted out not the binding Letter We are freed in respect of vengeance from God not in respect of obedience to God so that still we must doe all that ever we can but when all is done we must say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Luk. 17.10 As free and yet not as having your liberty for a cloak of malitiovsness but as the servants of God 1 Pet. 2.16 For brethren you have been called unto liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5.13 For how much more priviledge God affordeth us so much more duty we should afford him acknowledging his service to be perfect freedom And so much of Gods notice taken and given of Moses in his life Of his death also he takes and gives notice Moses my servant is dead shewing that even Gods servants also must dye from that none can be priviledged By Adams sin death went over all men Rom. 5.12 It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9.37 Yea though Christ hath taken away his Fathers wrath in the curse of death yet he hath not taken away his Fathers word concerning the course of death he hath turned the curse of death into a blessing because he is merciful He will not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever Psal 103.9 but he hath not stopped the course of death to stay it from proceeding because he is just and true Heaven and earth shall passe away but his word shall not pass Mat. 24.35 All must dye Let every man therefore from the meanest to the greatest from the worst to the best watch and wait yea provide and prepare for death as unavoydable thy poornesse cannot hide thee thy greatnesse cannot protect thee thy holinesse cannot priviledge thee Moses Gods servant dyed and so must thou Again this sheweth that God taketh notice of the death as well as of the life of his servants and that they who live to him cannot dye from or without him Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Ps 165.15 he dearly regardeth it he
are made a member of Christ the child of God and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven A. To teach me what I should beleeve and endeavour to make good 13. Q. What do you learn out of that aforesaid of Sacraments for your practise A. First to be thankfull to God for his gracious affording me such helps Secondly to rejoice in the use of them Thirdly to abhorre the Doctrine of the Romish Church which doth adde so many of their own inventions to Gods Ordinances Sect. 7. Of Baptism 1. Q. WHat is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism A. Water wherein the person baptised is dipped or c. 2. Q. Is water alone sufficient without salt spittle oyle c. A. Yes for we read of nothing else used in the first Institution Mat. 3.16 Act. 8.36 37. 3. Q. And what is it to be dipped or sprinckled in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost A. It implyeth the grace of the Author and the bond of the Receiver to wit that by divine right we are created into the grace and favour and bound to the obedience and service of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 4. Q. VVho must baptise A. Onely the lawfull Minister for the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments was one joynt Commission Mat. 28.19 20. And no man is to undertake it without lawfull calling Heb. 5.4 1 Sam. 13.11 2 Sam. 6.6 5. Q. And who must be baptised A. Converts that are of age and can and will make right confession of faith Act. 8.36.37 and Infants of the Church Act. 2.29 6. Q. To what end then are Sureties or VVitnesses if the covenant belong to children of the church A. Because the child cannot offer it self therefore the Sureties in its own and its parents behalf do offer it to the Church by confession and profession and in own its Parents and the Churches behalf doe offer it to God by covenanting 7. Q. But do not the Sureties goe too far in covenanting for the child A. No for they doe not meddle with Gods secret will and counsell but with his ordinance whereto they have calling Mat. 19.14 and covenant Act. 2.39 Secondly their covenant is not to bind themselves to what shall be but to bind the child to what should be 2 King 11.17 2 King 23.3 8. Q. What is the inward and spirituall grace in Baptism A. A death unto sin and a new birth c. 9. Q. Is then sin fully taken away by or in Baptism A. By the virtue of Christs blood we are cleansed from the guilt of sin 1 Ioh. 1.7 and by the power of his spirit we are freed though not from the disposition and inclination to sin yet from the body reign and dominion of sin Rom. 6.6.12.14 10. Q. What may be gathered out of this aforesaid of Baptism for practise A. 1. That Infants baptism must be hastned and not needlesly delayed Mat. 19.14 2. That the performance of it be in all points reverently observed 3. That we should not rest satisfied with our outward Baptism but labour to find and shew the inward Baptism of the Spirit Sect. 8. Of the Lords Supper 1. Q. WHat is outwardly to be received in the Lords Supper A. Bread and Wine 2. Q. Why might not our eating the Bread suffice to signifie our receiving the body and blood of Christ seeing the Bread signifieth the Body and the Body containeth the Blood A. Because our remembrance and comfort is of and in Christs blood shed out of his body 3. Q. But doth not the dignitie of the Minister require or allow that he keep the cup to himself A. No for the dignity of the Minister is in the office of ministring not in the right of receiving 4. Q. But is it not better the Wine should be forborne of the multitude rather then the spilling of it should be hazarded in carrying it about A. No for if the Wine be spilt it is a breach of decency not a losse of Christs blood but the wilfull forbearing of the Cup being a breach of Christs Ordinance is both 5. Q. How much must be eaten and drunken A. So much Bread as is delivered and so much Wine as may shew and prove drinking 6. Q. May none of the Bread bee kept to sanctifie the keeper the fire the pot the house A. No for such use is not onely beyond Christs institution but against the nature of a Sacrament 7. Q. What is the inward part or thing signified in this Sacrament A. The Body and Blood of Christ 8. Q. Are Bread and Wine then turned into the Body and Blood of Christ A. No they keep still their own kind and nature 1 Cor. 10.16 1 Cor. 11.28 9. Q. Why then doth Christ say This is my body this is my blood Mat. 26.26 A. It is a Figurative speech common to the Sacraments Circumcision is called Gods Covenant Gen. 17. 13. the Lamb is called the Lords Passeover Ex. 12.11.21 and it is by Christ expounded spiritually Jo. 6.63 10. Q. Who may or must receive this Sacrament A. None but they that are already by Baptism initiated members of the Church and are of age and reason to discern or make difference of the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 and are at least professors of faith and repentance because holy things must not be given to dogs Mat. 7.6 and are more then one or two at once because it is a Communion 11. Q. What may be gathered out of this aforesaid of the Lords Supper for our practise A. That we have need to prepare our selves before we receive it and to be intent in faith and zeal when we reecive it and to be carefull to shew our growth in grace strength and comfort after we have received it Sect. 9. Of the Creed 1. Q. WHere doe you chiefly find the sum or doctrine of your Faith A. In the Apostles Creed 2. Q. Why is it called the Apostles Creed A. Because it is the summe of the Apostles doctrine 3. Q. What needed then other Creeds to be added or to come after A. To explain and confirm it against new Heresies especially concerning the Unity and the Trinity in the Godhead 4. Q. What doe you then when you say the Creed A. I make my confession of the Christian Faith 5. Q. It it not a prayer A. No. 6. Q. How may that appear A. By consideration first of the nature of it in its originall use which was for converts to answer being questioned What do you beleeve Secondly of its object for it speaketh not to God but to men Thirdly of its subject for it doth neither ask nor give thanks Fourthly of its gesture or manner of utterance for we kneel in prayer but stand up in confessing 7. Q. And why so A. To shew our humbleness in speaking to God and our boldness in speaking to men 8. Q. But may it not be used in or with our prayers A. Yes by way of meditation and to the purpose of
and whereto A. Out of darknesse into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Col. 1.13 8. Q. How A. Ordinarily by the Ministry of the Word Rom. 10.14 but not onely so for God is above means Psa 135.6 9. Q. VVhy is the Church called holy A. Because none are to be acknowledged therein but such as are holy at least in profession 10. Q. VVhat is the meaning of Catholike A. Generall or universal so the Church is in respect of time place and persons 11. Q. VVhat do you professe in saying The Communion of Saints A. That the Church that is the faithfull have a common share in Christ by faith Ioh. 1.16 and one with another by charity 1 Cor. 12.26 12. Q. VVhat learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the ninth Article A. To ascribe my salvation wholly to Gods choosing and calling 1 Cor. 4.7 Secondly to make precious accompt of the ordinary means 1 Pet. 2.2 Thirdly to prove what I professe my self to be of the Church by my holiness 2 Pet. 1.10 Fourthly to take heed of breaking my professed Communion by breach of charity Sect. 19. Of the tenth Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the tenth Article or next following A. The forgivenesse of sins 2. Q. VVhat is it to forgive A. To accompt a thing as not done which is done Rom. 4.7 3. Q. Doth forgiveness then take away the punishment with the fault A. Yes for Gods forgiving is forgetting Is 43.25 Ier. 31.34 4. Q. But doe we not after forgiveness of sins suffer many punishments A. Not properly punishments but chastisements or warnings to cut off or to prevent sin 1 Cor. 11.32 or else tryals and proofs Gen. 22.1 1 Pet. 1.7 Ioh. 9.3 5. Q. Doe our sins then go unpunished A. No for they are punished in Christ 1 Pet. 2.24 6. Q. And doth forgiveness of sins consist onely in not imputing it A. Properly and specially it doth yet so as that thereto necessarily belongeth infusion of grace and imputation of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 7. Q. If we must believe forgiveness of our own and the Churches sins why must we pray for the same in the Lords Prayer A. Because Faith and Prayer must one help another 8. Q. Is any sin veniall A. Not properly of its own nature Rom. 6.23 9. Q. Is any sin unpardonable A. Not that it is incident to the Elect Mat. 16.18 10. Q. VVho may forgive sin A. Onely God whose will it transgresseth Is 43.25 Mar. 2.7 11. Q. But are we not taught in the Lords Prayer to forgive sins A. Yes so far as concerneth us 12. Q. And have not the Ministry power to remit and to retain sins Joh. 20.23.18.18 A. Yes but as the Levitical Priests not to make but to pronounce clean or uncleane Levit. 13. Not to forgive but to declare forgivenesse 13. VVhat doe you learn for practise out of all this aforesaid of the tenth article A. To bear afflictions patiently as being rather remedies then punishments of sin Secondly to take heed of renewing my sins Rom. 6.1 Thirdly to abhor Popish pardoning Sect. 20. Of the eleventh Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the eleventh article or the next following A. The resurrection of the body 2. Q. VVhat is the meaning hereof A. That the bodies of all mankind shall be raised again from death 3. Q. How shall all be raised seeing all shall not die A. Their changing shall be unto them in stead of death and resurrection 1 Cor. 15.51 4. Q. Why must we die who have forgiveness of sins A. Not for punishment but for finishing of sinne Rom. 6.7 and for passage to glory Luk 16.22 5. Q. But shall the bodies of the reprobate and cursed rise also A. Yes Act. 24.15 for they must come to judgement Ioh. 5.28 29. 6. Q. If all must rise what needeth care of buriall A. That doth not crosse or disprove but express and confirm our hope of the Resurrection in that we doe our parts to prepare thereto 7. Q. VVhen shall this resurrection be A. At Christs coming to Judgement 1 Thes 4.16 Mat. 25.31 32. 8. Q. How shall this resurrection be effected A. By no naturall power or meanesi but by the supernatural force of the sound of the Trumpet 1 Cor. 15.52 and of the Archangels voice 1 Thes 4.16 and of Christs voice Joh. 5.28 9. Q. With what body shall they come A. The same that dyed in substance Job 19.25 though much changed in quality Phil. 3.21 1 Cor. 15.43 10. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the eleventh Article A. Not to fear mine own death for it is but a sleep Joh. 11.11 Secondly not to lament inordinately for others death 1 Thes 4.13 Thirdly not to be careless of my life as if all would be ended with death 1 Cor. 15.32 33. Sect. 21. Of the last Article 1. Q. WHat is the last Article A. And the life everlasting 2. Q. What doe you confess in this article A. The estate of the Elect after death 3. Q. And is it not the estate also of the reprobate A. No for though they also be raised and live yet so as it is not called life but death Rev. 21.8 4. Q. What is this life everlasting A. It cannot be expressed nor conceived 1 Cor. 2.9 5. Q. What is the means of it A. No means but God himself Rev. 21.23 2 Cor. 15.28 6. Q. But do we not read of Angels food Ps 78.24 25 A. Yes but that is figurative signifying either the excellency or the Ministry of that food 7. Q. What is the place of this life A. Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 8. Q. What is the company A. The Saints the Angels Christ the Trinity Heb. 12.22 9. Q. What is the exercise A. Continuall praising God Rev. 4.8 10. Q. What is the continuance or endurance A. For ever 1 Pet. 1.4 Mat. 25.46 11. Q. What are the degrees and parts of it A. It is begun in this life by faith as by an evidence Joh. 5.24 it is entred by the soul at the hour of death Eccles 12.7 but is fulfilled and perfected at the resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 Heb. 11.40 12. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the last Article A. To endeavour to begin life everlasting while I am here both by faith Gal. 2.20 and by conversation Phil. 3.20 Secondly to rejoice in my change being so much for the better Luk. 23.43 Phil. 1.23 Thirdly to fear nothing after death Rev. 14.13 Sect. 21. Of Prayer in generall 1. Q. SEeing Faith is to be proved by its fruits what is the speciall fruit of it or the chief particular of good works A. Prayer 2 Cor. 4.13 2. Q. Why doe you make Prayer the principall part or point of good works A. For its dignities sake because it is drawing near to God Jam. 4.8 and for its generallities sake because serveth to all times persons and places c. 3. Q. What are the chief rules of Prayer
us not love darknesse more then light Joh. 3.19 Ye are all the children of the light and of the day wee are not of the night neither of the darknesse 1 Thes 5.5 Where then is our Lumen superius our knowledge of God Are we not either like owles hiding us from this light or like flies playing with it or presuming too near it Where is our Lumen interius our knowledge of our self Are we not like the blind Sodomites groping in our own streets Gen. 19. like the blind Aramites that went they knew not whither notwithstanding the Lords Prophet did lead them 2 King 6. Where is our Lumen exterius our knowledge of our neighbour May not St. Paul's words be inverted Henceforth know we no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 May we not invert it and say Hitherto have we known no man but after the flesh with fleshly affections to carnall ends and temporall turnes O beloved let us not make so much abuse of light but walk while we have light lest darknesse come upon us Joh. 12.30 For the night commeth when no man can work Joh. 9.4 the night of persecution the night of losse of outward senses the night of losse of inward senses the night of age the night of death the night of judgement Divers kinds of night do hang over our head wee know not how soon our light may be put out in obscure darknesse Pro. 20.20 Onely this wee know that no darknesse can hide us from God for the darknesse and the light with him are both alike Ps 139.12 Yea wee niay well fear that if we turn his light into darknesse now he will again turn our darknesse into light hee will lighten things hid in darkness and make the counsells of the heart manifest 1. Cor. 4.5 And that 's enough to our shame before men by the present light and fiery tryall of the spirit and of the word Every mark shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 but especially to our confusion before men and Angels When the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God 2. Thes 1.7 Again Heat also is another property of the fire and that of divers kinds and uses 1. Heat reviving 2. Heat consuming 3. Heat hardning 4. Heat softning 5. Heat drying 6. Heat moistning 7. Heat increasing and decreasing by the wind All these are kindes of heat and proper to the fire and are well agreeing also to this our Heavenly fire the Holy Ghost 1. He yeilds heat reviving Doth not the fire revive frozen creatures and what cold so strong as the death of sin And yet from that by this heat of the spirit men are revived You hath he quickned which were dead in trespasses and sin Eph. 2.1 Gehazi with his masters staffe could not revive the Shunamites Son 2 King 4. For the staffe was dead it self and cold and had no warmth in it But the Prophet himself coming and his warmth applyed the child revived which is allegorized thus that Moses by the Law could not but Christ by the spirit doth revive sin dead mankind Yea indeed Moses made but the smoke of this fire The smoke must go before the fire The smoke smothereth the fire quickneth So the Law must go before the Gospel that stroke us dead but this reviveth us again The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 2. Heat consuming The fire consumeth and turneth all into ashes and by ashes it is preserved and out of ashes again revived And the heat of this heavenly fire consumes all worldlinesse and fleshlinesse and makes all as ashes by the memory of death For this was Abrahams confession I am dust and ashes Gen. 18. Yea this was Davids meditation I have eaten ashes as it were bread Ps 102.9 And by this ashes is this fire preserved and out of it again revived even as the Phoenix out of her own ashes The fires heat consumeth drossy and dry things yet so as it refineth and purifieth the pretious metall And this our God the Holy Ghost is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 How To purge the corruptions of nature I will purely purge thy dross and take away thy tinne Is 1.25 and to refine the perfections of nature that they may shine as Gold in the furnace Wis 3.6 and as silver seven times tryed in the fire Ps 12.6 This is that fire that burneth onely the bonds of Gods Children and makes them like those three in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. of bound become free and to walk at liberty even in the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God And this Divine fire purgeth that hellish fire of the tongue Jam. 3.6 As Phaetons inflammation was said to be quenched by lighting Et saevis compescuit ignibus ignes one fire was striken out with another 3. Heat hardning Doth not the fires heat harden the potters ware and make it of weak and limber clay to become stiffe and strong to serve the uses of the house And we are Gods clay and he is our Potter Is 64.8 and through the fervent heat of this Heayenly fire wee of weak are made strong Heb. 11.34 Even vessells of honor sanctifyed and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work 2 Tim. 2.21 even serviceable to the most honorable use of the house even to hold in martyrdome For so Saint Peter before the sending down of this fire was weak clay easily moulded unmoulded rather from his profession by the objection of a silly maid But he and his fellowes after this fire had past upon them and throughly seasoned them became so strong that they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name Act. 5.41 4. Heat-softning Doth not the fire soften the hardest mettall iron and steel and make it yield to the hammer and to be plyable to the workmans purpose yea to become liquid to melt and run like wax or water And the heat of this Heavenly fire mollifyeth the hardest hearts that they may be wrought by the hammer of the word yea makes them even like wax that melteth in the fire I am powred out like water saith David my heart is like wax it is even molten in the midst of my bowells Ps 22.14 5. Heat drying Doth not the Suns heat dry the fields and make them choppe and cleave and gape for rain And this Heavenly descending from above maketh our soules dry to thirst after righteousness to be athirst for God Even like a barren and dry land where no water is untill we receive the former and latter rain My soul gaspeth after thee saith David even as a thirsty land Ps 143.6 6. Heat moistning Doth not the heat of the Sun exhale moist clouds from the Earth and Waters and dissolve the same again into showers and dewes And doth not the heat of the limbeck make water
we flea the backs of beasts we pluck the plumes of birds And when we have searched both sea and land for dainties to feed it at last it self must be meat for worms And when wee have built stately Castles wherein to lodge it at last it must lie in a narrow grave or stinking toomb And when wee have rob'd all creatures for rich ornaments wherewith to cloth it at last it self must put on corruption If then with the Peacock we would turn our eyes from our plumes and behold our black legges that is consider our foundation or if with that proud King Dan. 2. we would take notice as well of the clay feet as of the golden head and silver body of our image we should easily perceive that it is subject to falling and that all our glory and pride must come down to the dust And so much of the first consideration expressing mans vilenesse namely the consideration of his corporall estate or condition both in respect of his beginning and of his ending Again mans vilenesse also appears in consideration of his temporall estate and condition and that both in respect of the miseries of his life and also of the shortnesse of his life First for the miseries of his life they be so many that I cannot propose to speak of them all I will but touch upon his defects wants and failings in the chiefe supplies of life that is food and rayment which will the more appear if we compare our selves with the bruit and unreasonable creatures For in both those kinds of things how easily and readily are other creatures sped and furnished and how hardly doth man get them First for food Consider the Ravens saith our Saviour they neither sow nor reap they have neither storehouse nor barn Lu. 12.24 But this is mans portion Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread He must sweat for his bread before he hath it he must plow before he can sow and sow before he can reap and reap and thrash and winnow and grind and Bake and all before he can eat Such a world of work hath hee with a little grain of Wheat before he can make it fit sustenance to his body And for his raiment the case is much alike For whereas all other creatures are naturally clothed every one with his own coat some with wooll some with hair some with fur some with feathers onely man poor naked creature hath nothing of his owne to put on but must be ber holding to other creatures for every thing that he doth wear to the earth for his linnen to the sheep for his woollen to the wormes for his silkes to the birds tailes for his choisest and daintiest feathers that come so near the incest noses And indeed if every bird should take his own feather if every creature should exact and take from us what we have taken from them the sheep his woollen the Earth its linnen and so the rest then should man be left like Aesops Crown Moveat cornicula risum furtivis nudata coloribus All creatures may laugh at our nakednesse when we are stript of our borrowed feathers Neither do wee onely borrow our clothing of other creatures but we must take a great deal of paines with that which we do borrow before it will be fit for our use as may appear in the wooll our most ordinary wearing which requires as great plenty and as much variety of labour before it comes to our backs as the wheat doth before it comes to our mouths Thus is man born to labour as the sparks fly upward Job 5.7 To which difficulties of getting if yee will add the consideration of the hazard of keeping and the disquietnesse of losing which all are subject to in all temporall things then I doubt not but yee will be ready to subscribe to that of the preacher Eccles 1.14 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Vse 1. And that we passe not this without some use and benefit let us in the first place consider what should be the cause thereof and what hath brought man so much below other creatures for in his Creation he was the King of creatures and therefore no lesse happy then they what then should be the cause of this alteration It was sinne beloved it was sinne that cursed offspring of hell that was the bane of all our blessedness It was sin that made a separation between God us It was sin that tumed our glory into shame our joy into sorrow our quiet into trouble our happinesse into misery our immortality into mortality For as soon as Adam had sinned the curses came over his head like waves in a stormy Sea Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee and dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Thus ye see that sin was the mother of all our mischief sin was the bane that poisoned us sin was the serpent that stung us even unto death for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 And yet such is our foul folly and monstrous madnesse we are not yet out of love with this ugly monster of Hell that hath wrought us all this woe and misery We are more foolish then the silly sheep for though they feed upon their own bane yet they do it ignorantly not knowing that it will poison them but wee draw on sin with cart ropes Is 5.18 and drink iniquity like water Job 15.16 and yet we know it is most deadly bane and poyson to our soules We are more mad then Aesops Husbandman who finding a snake in the cold weather frozen in the field brought it home and warm'd it it at the fire For he did it before he was stung or had received any harm But we do not warm and revive but hatch and cherish not a snake but sin that is a serpent worse then Hydra not at our fires but in our brests and bosoms not that onely will sting us but that hath already stung us as aforesaid unto death They say that burnt children fear the fire and yet we ripe enough in age yet too childish in understanding cannot beware of the fire of sin which hath already burnt down the house of our happinesse and consumed our glory and laid all our honor in the dust but like the frantick Satyr we be in love with this fire and fall to imbracing it like the foolish fly we play with this flame till both our wings of faith and love be scorched and our soules fall headlong into Hell Flee therefore and avoid all manner of sin for it is the bane that poysoneth us it is the serpent that stingeth us it is the fire that will utterly consume us unlesse it be quenched by the tears of repentance and the blood of Christ 2. Vse Again
work perfectly good but the best man doth many works absolutely evill I say the best man For if it be true of the best then it must needs hold true of all the rest And though Saint August upon this Psalme by man in the first place doth understand the old man the naturall man And by filius hominis the Son of man doth understand the new man the regenerate man yet his purpose being far enough from mine and yet not contrary to mine I may safely enough take man in the former place at large and indefinitely so as including all men even the best man And yet though I say the best man I do not include our Saviour Christ to whom I know this text is applyed and of him understood Heb 2.6 he was more then a man God and man but I speak of man naturally and properly the best meere man cannot do one work perfectly good the best man doth many works absolutely evill First the best man cannot do one work absolutely or perfectly good This may sufficiently appear by the many expressions which the scripture hath to that purpose as that Ps 143.2 In thy sight shall no man living be justified and that Ps 62.9 surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie and Rom. 3.11 They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing But that one place is instar omnium Is 64.6 we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteonsnesses are as filthy rags This Isaiah was a Prophet and therefore if not the best man yet to be ranked and reckoned in the number of the best And yet his workes yea his best works his righteousnesses yea not onely his but all other mens we may take here to be included All our righteousnesse hee affirmeth to be defiled and so defiled that the translators have for modesty have waived that foulness which is in the propriety of the originall and have given it but that indefinite expression of filthy raggs And to this plain evidence of scripture reason it self must needs subscribe For all our good works and righteousnesse do arise and flow from our faith hope and love But our faith our hope and our love being in this life but in part and unperfect 1 Cor. 13.9 It must needs be that all that proceedeth from them must be likewise unperfect And howsoever the holy Ghost who is in himselfe most perfect be the originall Author of all our goodnesse yet is our goodnesse in it self but unperfect For as a young scholler in his writing discovers his owne defect and unskilfulnesse though a skilful master holdeth his hand so we in all our righteousnesse do discover our own imperfection though the Holy Ghost that perfect workmaster be our Author and guide And as water proceeding out of a pure Fountain passing through a filthy channel loseth its purity and becomes defiled so our holinesse and righteousnesse though it proceed from the pure fountain of grace yet passing through our corrupt will and affections doth lose its purity and becomes defiled according to that Job 14.4 who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one I shut up this point therefore with the saying of Saint Augustine Aug. conf lib. 9. ca. 13. vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si sine misericordia discutias eam Woe be even to the laudable life of man if thou meaning God shouldst search and examine it Which saying is confirmed and made up by that of the Psalmist Ps 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Again our unworthinesse to Godward appeares as our indisposition to good in that we cannot do one work perfectly good so also in our disposition to evill in that the best man doth many absolutely and truly evill many sinnes If I should goe about to make proofe of this I should but light a candle to the Sun or cast water into the Sea I should take but a needlesse work in hand So plentifull and pregnant is the Scripture in this case and so powerfull is every ones conscience even as a thousand witnesses that we have every one cause enough to cry out with Manasses in his prayer I have sinned above the number of the sand of the Sea my transgressions O Lord are multiplyed my transgressions are exceeding many And with David Ps 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me And with Saint Paul Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short or as some read it are deprived of the glory of God deprived of glory and invested with shame for to us belongeth confusion of face Dan. 9.7 Vse This may make us all to start at the fight of our selves as of the most terrible and fearfull thing for what can be more terrible then to be under the power of sin and consequently of death and condemnation And such an one shall the best man see himself to be if with a single eye hee look simply on himself And at his best he cannot see himself clean without sinne For who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne Prov. 20.9 The holy man Job because of the grievous sores that were upon his body cryed out factus sum mihimet ipsi gravis I am become a burden to my selfe Job 7.20 And shall not we being all over-spread not in body onely but also in soul not with sores but with sinnes shall not wee much more cry out and say I am become a burden to my self Did the leprosie of his body make him so grievous to himself and shall the leprosie of our soules nothing disquiet us Was he so oppressed with a pestred carcasse and shall we feel no weight of a festred conscience His body was not himself yet he saith the sores of that make him a burden to himself our soul is our selfe Anima cujusque est quisque every mans soul is himself shall not we say the sinns of that do make us a burden to our self Flie therefore from thy self and run away from thy selfe and never leave running till thou hast run out of thy self and run into Christ till thou hast lost thy selfe and found Christ till thou hast put off thy selfe and put on the Lord Jesus till thou hast gotten thy worthinesse of hell laid upon his Crosse and his worthinesse of Heaven laid upon thy back So Saint Paul in doing what he would not and willing what did not became a burden to himself and cries out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And so running out of himself hee runs into Christ saying I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so I come to the third and last generall part of the text viz. Gods