understood Object But it may seem hard and unjust that seeing only the Body did take and eat of the forbidden fruit that the Soul also should be condemned to this death as well as the Body Resp. But to satisfie this doubt the Fathers say That as well the Soul as the Body was in the transgression alike guilty and therefore in Justice should be alike punished and this they make plain by this familiar parable and comparison Be it say they that a blinde man and a criple or lame man should be in an Orchard and this one charge should be given alike to both that upon pain of death they should not take and eat of this one tree The blinde man of himself could not steal of the fruit because he could not finde where the tree was the lame man for his part could not alone take of the fruit because though he saw yet he was not able to goe to it So when neither of them without other could be guilty they conspired both together and agreed that the blinde man should carry the lame man to the tree and so to take their pleasures and fulfill their desires by which means they both became guilty of death Such a thing say they in resemblance was between the body and the Soul the Soul had a desire and appetite being forbidden but could not perform the Action wherefore the inward affection within moved and conspired with the outward action of the body and so perfected the sinne joyntly and therefore together are worthy of this death Object Notwithstanding this It seemeth to some that here is meant only the second death spirituall to be the punishment and not the corporall and temporall their reason is because God saith In what day thou shalt 〈◊〉 of it thou shalt dye therefore seeing present death and 〈◊〉 insued not the sinne but some lived nine hundred yeers after therefore they are induced to think that God here intended especially the second death of the Soul Resp. But to refell this opinion we see Gen. 3. 19. that in the same day they sinned the sentence of the bodily death was denounced irrevocablo 〈…〉 in pulverem reverter is which also is shewed by debarring him from the tree of bodily 〈◊〉 And that it is plainly meant of the corporal death also St. Paul sheweth it Rom. 5. 15. For only this death came to all Gen. 7. 21. 1 Gar. 15. 21. It is the death from which we rise again wherefore we make no 〈◊〉 but that this is meant of the bodily death and as of that so we say of the death of the Soul we all being 〈◊〉 transgressores in Soul are said 〈◊〉 in soul to be dead and to have this sentence given out against us Our Saviour Christ saith Matth. 8. 22. Sinite mortuos sepelire mortuos that is let the dead in soul bury the dead in body Also our 〈◊〉 is set out in the lost 〈◊〉 Luke 15. 31. He was dead but is alive again that is spiritually dead in sinne and alive by repentance And St. Paul more plainly saith 1 Tim. 5. 6. They being alive are notwithstanding dead By death here is understood the death of miseries Rev. 9. 6. that is the calamities and 〈◊〉 of this world which sinne will bring upon us which are 〈◊〉 more grievous and bitter than death it self for it is said that men being alive in those 〈…〉 wish and desire death as being lesse horrible than it On the contrary side to the Godly there are provided such joyes which are better than life it self Psal. 63. 5 6. for Gods loving favour and the light of his countenance is better than the 〈…〉 in this life in which regard the 〈◊〉 esteem 〈◊〉 of life but wish to be out of this life that they may enjoy that The Jews by 〈◊〉 of this 〈◊〉 eating 〈…〉 eat and 〈…〉 doe gather this By the first that he might eat both for necessary use and also for delight and pleasure And so by the second which containeth the punishment they make this 〈◊〉 〈…〉 dye that is 〈…〉 Heb. 2. 9. For the first and bodily death is but a sipping and tasting or death but when he saith thou 〈…〉 the death that is say they thou 〈◊〉 suck and 〈◊〉 up the very dreggs of death both which are comprehended in these two words Rev. 20. 14. Mors 〈◊〉 Death and Hell Object Hereout then 〈◊〉 another 〈◊〉 that is Whether God in 〈◊〉 threatning intended the pains of Hell fire There have been 〈◊〉 men that have 〈◊〉 that Moses in all his books spake not either of Heaven or 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 or of death Resp. but they were 〈…〉 〈◊〉 32. 21. 〈…〉 conceive that the 〈…〉 Statute and Law 〈…〉 priviledge of faith in Christ is reversed and taken away 4. Point Now we are come to the fourth point which is the time for this hath bred a scruple and been a bone for some to gnaw upon for seeing Adam is said to live so many hundred years after his fall Gen. 5. 5. which is answered diversly of sundry men Some say out of Peter 2 Epist. 3. 8. that with God 〈◊〉 dies est 〈◊〉 mille 〈◊〉 and therefore seeing Adam reached not to a full thousand years old he may truly be counted with the Lord and in respect of his reckoning to dye in the same first day The ancient Writers doe say that by assigning the time quo die is only an extent of the Law and is not extended to the punishment when it should take place So that they say it is q.d. Thou shalt ever and at all times oboy and no day break it As the like is Luke 21. Cavete ne qua die c. as if God allowed no day or hour in which the contrarie should be done Et semper ad semper faciendum est so the negative bindeth for ever But touching this matter the Judgment of Augustine and Theodoret I like best who say That not the act and execution of Death was presently to be inflicted the same day in which he should sinne but the sentence of death should that day be denounced as we see it was Gen. 3. non actum moriendi sed debitum mortis for then death was made a debt and became such an inevitable sentence which should not be revoked They received the sentence before the execution of Gods Judgments So did St. Paul 2 Cor. 1. 9. We received the 〈◊〉 of death in our selves because we should not trust in our selves but in God c. And in the Law he is accounted a dead man which hath his judgement and hath received the sentence of death And after this sort Adam and all his Posterity were dead in the same day 〈…〉 erat in dominium mortis saith St. Paul Rom. 6. 9. that is God delivered him being guilty and condemned for sinne unto the Sheriff of death to be kept and reserved unto the execution day which is
nineteenth They that live in ease are weary of it Salomon in the first of the Kings the eleventh chapter and the fourth verse died in his age Abraham in the twenty fifth of Genesis and the eighth yeelded the spirit and died a good age Death is a resting from Labour and from sinne and death is not only a resting from labour but from sinne also Paul in the seventh to the Romans and the twenty fourth desireth to be delivered from the body of sinne which he calleth the body of death The holy Fathers on that place but this difference that the Martyrs desire to die that they might not sinne the Malefactors because they have sinned A delaying of the punishment The other part of the delay is the chiefest which is the consideration that there is an exemption of death from the best part of man a qualifying of the punishment A bodily punishment for the soul and body both offended but the body only is punished the soul mans better part is free that is not touched He saith not here thou shalt die the death but thou shalt return to dust for as it is in the third of the Preacher and the twentieth all 〈◊〉 of the dust and all shall return to dust It is the body only that returneth to dust but the soul returneth to God that gave it Mans heavenly part shall be free from this sentence The Soul immortall the head of man his soul which is neerest God shall be safe though his heel be bruised The earthly part shall return to that it was but the heavenly 〈…〉 still the immortality If Christ be in us the body is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousness sake the eighth of the Romans and the tenth This then giveth comfort in death that though the body die the soul shall live for ever This gave comfort to Adam that he had thus well escaped Hevah the Mother of the living that in the very next verse he calleth his Wife with joy Hevah which is the Mother not of the dead but of the living for Hevah is mater viventium In the twentieth of Luke the thirty seventh and thirty eighth verses The Lord is Deus viventium The Lord is called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob yet is he not the God of the dead but of the living for all live unto him yet then the Patriarchs were dead but though the Grave had their body God had their soul the Patriarchs died their soul lives the third of Exodus the sixth to be compared with the former place for after death they were not dead but removed to another state of life God will bring his again from the depth of the Sea Psalme the sixty eight and the twenty second The first death so the godly shall suffer the first death Revelations the twenty first and the eighth expoundeth that place But the wicked and the accursed shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The second death the first death is the death of all the first death only is the death of Saints but the second death is the death of sinners Davids soul is delivered from the sword Psalme the twenty second and the twenty first but death seedeth 〈◊〉 upon the wicked as sheep feed upon a Common and as their life was without repentance so their death shall be without end the godly wish for death to rest from their labours the wicked wish for death that live in torment which is great Revelations 9. 6. The gates of death are mentioned in the Psalmes and in the seventh of the Proverbs and the twenty seventh Penetralia mortis the Chambers of death The wicked live not only in the Gates in the Courts in the Chambers of death but even in the Dungeon of death in the twenty third Psalme and the fourth verse and in the seventh of the Romans the twenty fourth are to be delayed in the one is mention of umbra mortis in the other corpus mortis they are to be delayed with the 9. of Marke the 1. where it is said that some there are that shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdome of God come with power So that the first death takes hold of the gody but the second death toucheth them not For they that be faithfull unto death shall be crowned with a crown of life Revel 2. 10. and in the 11. verse the godly that overcome shall not be hurt of the second death Isaiah 26. 19. Death naturall and eternall they are subject to the naturall death but free from the eternall death This is their comfort in the first death to have deliverie from the second death Resurrection By the resurrection of the dead to life is a second return for by the first return the body returneth from dust to dust but the second is from dust to glorie Return which is a return not of the soul but of the body also according to that of Job This body of flesh shall be covered with immortalitie and according to that of Hosea the 13. Chapter and the 14. verse The godly shall be redeemed from the power of the grave and death and according to that place of the Prophecie Christ will be the death of death it self but most plain of all is that of the 1. of the Revelations the 18. spoken of Christ That he is alive but was dead but now he is alive for evermore and he hath the keyes of hell and of death This then doth alay and qualifie the bitterness of this sentence The use hereof is diverse to learn Hence now may we gather use to our selves in these five things 1. Humility The first is though it be bitter yet it is wholsome the first use is taken out of pulvis es Learn hence unde es from whence thou art thou art but of a clod be not proud thou treadest upon that thou art made let that put thee in minde of humilitie boast not of thy honour for thy honour is in the dust There is nothing in the grave whither thou goest Preacher 9. 11. Quid ergo attollis cervicem in pulverem reversuram this is a means to learn humility learn of your selves what you are and then be humble Austin saith that the time will come to give an account to God of thy doings remember thy own frailty and be not proud for God knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth we are but dust Psal. 103. 14. 2. To regard things of this life as dust The second use is out of pulvis in pulverem dust to dust We must remember whither we are to goe we are now dust but sub alienâ formâ in the likeness of flesh but we shall be dust in the likeness of dust it self our flesh of dust shall be turned into dust and according to that of
restored to it The answer is Genesis the third chapter and the twenty second verse the punishment laid upon him was 〈…〉 forth his hand and 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of life But if there be a power given to man to eat of the tree John the nineteenth chapter and the eleventh verse then he may take of it Man of himself may not 〈◊〉 into Paradise but if that power of returning be given him which Christ gave to the 〈◊〉 Luke the twenty third chapter 〈…〉 thou be with me in Paradise then he may enter Now Christ 〈◊〉 purchased to us a new right of returning and by virtue thereof we have power to eat of the tree of life and he gives us licence to enter into Paradise Applicatâ—… But to apply this Scripture to our present purpose 〈…〉 thing in the Sacrament that disposeth us to life and 〈…〉 of life no lesse than the tree of life For herein we are 〈◊〉 of that bread of life which our Saviour speaks of 〈…〉 I am the bread of life that 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 bread shall live for ever 〈…〉 Father so he that 〈◊〉 me 〈…〉 the fifty seventh verse So that whether it be the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Paradise or the bread of life in the Sacrament we see there is a 〈◊〉 affinity as appeareth if we compare this 〈…〉 the second chapter and the 〈…〉 which as the Apostle 〈◊〉 in the 〈…〉 tenth chapter and the third verse 〈…〉 whereof we are partakers in this 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 blood This scripture 〈◊〉 of two parts The 〈◊〉 and the Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching the conjunction of these two 〈…〉 when Christ promiseth to him that 〈…〉 tree of life which 〈…〉 God and no matter of 〈◊〉 and that he will not 〈…〉 that doe nothing for it is not the bread of 〈…〉 is bestowed on them that doe 〈…〉 sixt chapter In the Promise we are to know That the Paradise and tree of life which Christ promiseth is not that earthly Paradise planted at the beginning for Adam nor that tree of life appointed for the prolonging of his natural life but a better Paradise the other was Adams Paracise but this is called Gods Paradise the other was a Paradise on earth but this a celestial Paradise that into which the Apostle was caught up in the second epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter which he himself saith was the third Heaven the Paradise which Christ here promiseth is that wherein he himself is a Paradise of all joyes and happinesse of which he saith Father I will that they be with me where I am that they may behold my glory John the seventeenth chapter and the twenty fourth verse For as God himself is a spirit so his joy and happinesse is spiritual and the place wherein he is is a spiritual Paradise Such joy was that he speaks of Matthew the twenty fift chapter Intra in gaudium Domini So are we to think the throne of God the Father where Christ sitteth Apocalyps the third chapter and the twenty first verse that it is the heavenly joy and glory which he enjoyeth in heaven So saith the Wise man Proverbs the thirteenth chapter that there is ordained this tree of life wherein we have the accomplishment of all our desires which is no where but in Heaven where God is all in all For the tree of life which Christ promiseth to him that overcommeth It is another manner of tree than that in the garden of Eden That was a natural tree appointed to preserve Adams natural life but this a is spiritual tree and preserveth supernatnral life And albeit Man being debarred of this natural tree in the Garden dyeth a bodily death yet this tree in the Paradise of God keeps us from being hurt of the second death Apocalyps the second chapter and the eleventh verse Christ himself saith of himself I am alive but I was dead and behold I live for evermore Apocalyps the first chapter and the eighteenth verse that is he lost the natural life but now he lives a supernatural life and so shall all his members that eate of the tree of life which he promiseth Well is the state of our death and rising again shadowed out by a tree for as Job speaks Job the fourteenth chapter There is hope of a tree that though it be cut down yet it will sprout out and the branches thereof will shoot forth So though we dye a bodily death yet there is hope that we shall rise again and live a supernaturall life which we obtain by eating of this tree of life The center of our desire is the tree of life the circumference is Paradise wherein we have promised us not only coronam vitae Apocalyps the second chapter 10. But the crown of glory the first of Peter and the fift chapter And the crown of joy and happinesse the first of the Thessalonians the second chapter and the nineteenth verse We shall have our saciety of pleasure and whatsoever mans heart can desire for we shall be in the presence of God whose right hand is pleasure for ever Psalm 16. Dabo From the condition we are taught that this promise is not to be cast upon us but given and it is not a generall promise but made particularly to him only that overcometh Which condition carrieth us to the promises of virtues made by God Genesis the third chapter where God proclaimeth war between the woman and the serpent between the womans seed and the serpents seed Vincentis And Christ rels us hore that he which is conqueror in this war shall injoy Paradise and be restored to the tree of life for no man is crowned except he both strive and strive lawfully the second of Timothy the second chapter Cum Serpente 〈◊〉 suo The battail that we are to fight is either with the Serpent himself or with his seed With the Serpent we are at warre as the Apostle sheweth Ephesians the sixt chapter and the twelfth verse We fight not with flesh and blood but with principalities and power Such a fight did the Apostle feel when the Angel of Satan was sent to buffet him the second epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter And of the victory against this enemy the Apostle saith Young men I write to you because you are strong and have overcome that wicked one the first epistle of John the second chapter and the fourteenth verse The warre which we have with the Serpents seed is 1. Intra First within us for his poyson infecteth our inward parts not only the Reins by stirring in us fleshly lusts which fight against the soul the first epistle of Peter the second chapter which must be overcome as the Apostle exhorts Colossians the third chapter Mortifie your earthly members but the heart also by that boyling lust of revenge which made Cain one of the Serpents seed to kill his brother the first epistle of John the third chapter and the twelfth verse
must be by an excrement bread is the interest of thy continuall labour this is the yoke of the sins of Adam God in punishing the Israelites will remember the land which he gave them Leviticus 26. 42. and they must suffer the punishment of their iniquitie yea when you shall remember your own wickedness yee shall judge your selves worthy destruction for your iniquitie in the thirty sixth of Ezekiel and the thirty first Paul in the first of the Corinthians the ninth and the fifteenth saith it were better for him to die than not to doe his duty The use of the Scripture Now this sentence upon Adam hath this use for us spinae tribuli the thorns and thistles when we walk in the field speak to us as Gods book doth and make us a Sermon telling they should not have grown there but for us the earth should not have been cursed with barreness but for our wickedness if the thorn prick or the nettle sting thee it will say hoc propter te I was first brought and still I grow to make thee remember thy obedience so that the very nettle that is good for nothing shall put thee in mind of thy 〈◊〉 Be not angrie with the earth if it be barren for it will say it was so non propter se sed propter te To conclude this point well saith a Father we must have not only sensum poenae in corpore the feeling of punishment in our body but sensum irae divinae in mente the seeling of Gods wrath in our soul. But now not to leave you plunged in despair with consideration of grievous punishment in a word I will touch the alay of this punishment be comforted though God be just yet he is mercifull non est Crux sine Christo hast thou a Cross then hast thou Christ to comfort thee Mercies in this Sentence are five God hath left five signes of his mercie in this sentence which the ancient Fathers term vestigia miserantis gratiae impressions of Gods mercifull favour 1. The first is non dixit maledictus tu cursed be thou as he said to the Serpent but terra maledicta cursed be the earth the nature that sinned is not cursed nor is it like Cains curse in the fourth Chapter and eleventh verse for there is he cursed from the earth but here the earth of which Adam was made not Adam himself was cursed 2. Secondly he is punished but with a little labour to his great sinne with a watry drops of sweat and the sweat is but an easie sweat of the face not like Christs sweat in his prayer the twenty second of Luke the fourty fourth verse which was like drops of blood trickling down to the ground 3. Thirdly God might have suffered the earth to have been fruitless let man have laboured never so much but that man for all his sinne yet with his labour shall make the earth fruitfull in my opinion is a great mercy which I ground out of the one hundred twenty eighth Psalme when thou eatest the labour of thy hands saith David thou shalt be blessed It is a blessing when the Wife is fruitfull as the Vine upon the house side when thy Children are as the Olive plants about thy Table and it is a blessing that yet with labour the earth shall bring forth fruit It is a comfort that your labour shall not be in vain as St. Paul speaketh the first to the Corinthians the fifteenth and the fifty eighth God in mercy sendeth rain to water the earth what to doe Isaiah telleth you in his 55. chapter and 10. verse to give not only bread to the eater but even seed to the sower It is a comfort when we sowe that we shall reap he that soweth eareth reapeth thresheth doth it in hope the first to the Corinthians the ninth chapter and tenth verse God giveth bread to the hungry and the seed to further increase by labour dat acquisitum that thou hast gained through thy labor 4. Fourthly it is a great mercie to call it panis taus thy bread thou shalt eat of thy own bread this is mercy I say to terme that mans which is Gods Lastly this labour hath a date and an end it hath tempus refrigerii upon the amending your lives God will put away your sinnes and a time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. Let this be lastly your comfort that though you labour long yet you shall have a resting after your labour In sudore vultûs tui vescitor cibo donec revertaris in human cum ex eâ desumptus fueris nam pulvis es inpulverem revertêris Gen. 3. 19. October 〈◊〉 1598. NOw are we to handle the other part of Adams Sentence and punishment The ground and nature of the Sentence and in the Sentence we are to consider the ground of it and the nature or form of it Disobedience is the ground of this sentence and this Sentence is made even a Law for according to that of Paul Romans 6. 2. The Law of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death so that sinne is the cause of death Hence sprung the Pelagian heresie condemned by the Councell of Carthage Concil Carth. 7. That said that though we sinned yet we were freed though we lived never so dissolutely yet we were saved After Christs comming death was not the reward of sinne but mark what St. James in his first chapter and thirteenth verse saith When lust hath conceived it 〈◊〉 forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death and St. Paul in the fifth to the Romans the nineteenth and the twenty first saith Death That as by one mans disohedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many were made righteous and further That as sinne reigned unto death so grace by righteousnese might reign to eternall life Truth it is that through sin came death and that death hath rule over all Adam at the first by sinne brought death the last Adam by obedience brought everlasting life and as Paul in the first to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the twenty sixth verse saith That the last enemie that Christ should destroy was death for as it is in the same chapter As in Adam all die so in Christ all shall be made alive and the very wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life saith Paul in the sixth to the Romans and the twenty third verse The nature and form of sinne Touching the nature and form of the sinne God is not cause of sinne God is not the agent in sinne but the cause of sinne is only from Adam himself And according to that of the Wise man in his first chapter and thirteenth verse Adam and sin cause of death God hath not made death neither hath he pleasure in the
regard of this life that of the twenty ninth chapter and one and twentith verse is that of this life my terme is ended Zathaca this name belongeth to all females in respect of this life for all bring forth life though to die It only this life were here regarded the ancient Fathers that came from her though they lived long yet they died and have long layn dead and in regard of the length of their death shee might have beene called the mother of the dead therefore this name is understood of the other life which is eternall for after death they had hope of another life David in the twenty seventh Psalme and the thirteenth verse Should have sainted but that hee beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living And in the hundred forty second Psalme and the fifth verse hee had his portion and hope in the land of the living God is the God not of the dead but of the living the two and twentith of Mathew and the thirty second verse Now where there is a Commandement or Promise of life there is meant eternall life Hee that doeth the Commandements shall live not a mortall but an immortall life the Covenant of life to the Priests and People in the Leviticall law is that life That was it that made Job in his ninteenth chapter and twenty fifth verse to assure himselfe that his Redeemer lived and so should hee but most plainly speaketh Christ himselfe the eleventh of John and the twenty fifth verse of himselfe that hee is life and hee that beleeveth in him though hee mere dead yet shall hee live and in the very nature of the word it selfe is a double being the one temporall the other permanent which is expressed in the originall by difference of one letter Hagab and Havah all have the common life but there are those that are strangers from the life of God the fourth of the Ephesians and the eighteenth verse and there are those to whom God is life and length of dayes the thirtith of Deuteronomie and the twentith verse so that not by consequence but by the very essence of this name is meant life eternall God hath his booke where hee writeth the living the thirty second chapter of Exodus and the thirty second verse there is a booke of life the sixty ninth Psalme and the twenty ninth verse God promiseth to give to him that overcommeth to eate of the Tree of Life the second of the Revelations and the seventh verse and the ancient Fathers upon that place non dedit corollam sed coronam vitae he gave a crown of life which is life for ever There is a mysterie also in the qualitie of the name which is comprehended in the word it selfe which is a bringing of good news and glad tidings as are cold waters to comfort the thirstie so is good news from a farre Country the twenty fifth chapter of the Proverbs and the twenty fifth verse When Jacob heard that Joseph his sonne was yet alive in a farre and strange Countrey and that they had brought him Chariots these tydings revived Jacob that was in age the fourty fifth chapter and the twenty seventh verse this name of life is even as a name of joyfull tydings If in matters of this life it bee so then much more in things spirituall after wee have sinned and deserved punishment then absolution and remission is a joying of a mans heart and there is joy in this name that word is life vita est ex verbo man at the first was made a living soule the seventh of the former chapter In the sixth of Saint Johns Gospell the sixty third verse The words Christ spake are spirit and life and againe in the sixty eighth verse of the same chapter Peter saith to him thou hast the words of eternall life It is observed by the Greeke Fathers that the seventy Interpreters did put downe Hevah under the same letter Evangelium which is good tydings this word is the abstract of the eternall word In the first to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the forty fifth verse the first man Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit a living Soule is in it selfe a quickning Spirit is unto others in the word was life the first of Saint Johns Gospell and the fourth verse and in the first Epistle of Saint John the first chapter and the first verse Christ was the word of life and life it selfe verbum vitae vita hence wee receive Grace here and hereafter And herein is the manifestation of the Trinitie given in this very name of Evah The mysterie of salvation was known to Adam before hee gave the name God hath given to his sonne power over all flesh that hee should give eternall life to all them that beleeve in him the seventeenth of Saint John and the first verse The Promise of Christ was in this that the seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head not the seede of man but of woman therefore hee still keepeth his owne name but changeth her name from 〈◊〉 to Evah saying with himselfe I am Adam still from mee is nothing but earth but from the Promise made by God to the woman hee giveth her the name of Hevah and from Hevah hee giveth life to the end of the world for the Fathers gather out of the first of the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the one and twentith verse That by Adam came death hee is pater morientium but by the Promise of Christ in this name shee is mater viventium the mother of the living for by Christ wee live and hee is therefurrection of the dead the ancient writers observe that Adam was 〈◊〉 in pulverem reversurus hee was dust and to dust hee should returne that is of his owne nature but by Hevah is promise of Grace and though wee as by nature die with Adam yet God will raise 〈◊〉 up by Jesus Christ the second to the Corinthians the fourth chapter and the thirteenth verse It is hee that rayseth the needy out of the dust according to the hundred and thirteenth Psalme and the seventh verse this is it that made Paule the second to the Galathians and the twentith verse to say That I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flesh vivo in fide fiilii viri the just liveth by faith and shall live the life of Grace shee is here then called the mother of that life set this verse aside wee have no memorie that the promise before made was of eternall life hence then is a fountaine of life which was by transgression the originall of death for shee transgressed and thereby came death but God brings light out of darknesse and life out of death But what is faith without 〈◊〉 even nothing for faith worketh by charitie the fist to the Galathians and the sixth verse then as from hence
which inward desire of revenge must likewise be overcome as the Apostle willeth Romans the twelfth chapter Avenge not your selves sed vince malum bono we must overcome the evil of our fleshly lusts and desires of revenge with the grace of mortification and patience 2. Extra Secondly The seed of the Serpent is without us for there are filii Belial of whom were those to whom Christ said John the eight chapter You are of your Father the Devil Such as will doe mischief for doing well such enemies are men of corrupt mindes and understandings that are destitute of the truth and are bold to say that gain is godlinesse from which we must separate our selves the first epistle to Timothy the sixt chapter and the fift verse And if we overcome in this warre then we shall be partakers of this promise But who overcommeth in this warre and who can say he is a conqueror in this battall The Apostle saith That he that sinneth is overcome of sinne and brought into bondage of the sinne the second epistle of Peter the second chapter and the nineteenth verse Therefore where the promise is here made only to him that overcommeth we must see if the Scripture offereth more graces James the fourth chapter and the sixt verse And if we look into Apocalyps the second chapter and the fift verse we shall finde there he that makes this promise offers more graces that is Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works Dâ—… victoria So there are two victories the first is continere a peccato the other is paenitere de peccato If we cannot get this victory over the Serpent that he doe not cause us to sinne at all yet if we so farre overcome him that sinne reign not in our mortal bodies Romans the sixt chapter and the twelfth verse if we wound his head which was promised Genesis the third chapter and the fifteenth verse so as though he cause us to sinne yet he get not the head or set up his throne in our hearts then we are to hope that we shall be 〈◊〉 of this promise if we return from whence we are fallen and repent us of the sinnes we have committed and doe the first works then no doubt we shall be restored to our first estate and Christ shall give us a new right in the tree of life But he that either fighteth not at all but is at a league with Hell and hath made a Covenant with death Isaiah the twenty eighth chapter he that will deny sinne nothing but will fulfill the lusts of the flesh or if he fight yet he fight not lawfully nor strive to overcome but is content to follow every temptation as an oxe led to the slaughter Proverbs the seventh chapter and not only so but put stumbling blocks before himself which may make him fall Ezekiel the fourteenth chapter and use all means that he may be overcome And if having fallen they labour not to get the victory after by repenting of his former sinnes and doing the first works then they have no part in this first promise Men may draw neer to the holy mysterie of Christs body and blood and snatch at the tree of life but Christ gives it not except they be such as overcome either by the grace of abstinencie from sinne or of repentance and sorrow for sinne They may be partakers of the tree of life de 〈◊〉 but not de jure The bread of life is to them as the bread of wrong Proverbs the fourth chapter and the seventeenth verse and the bread of deceit which shall in the end fill their mouths with gravell Proverbs the twentieth chapter So both the promise and condition are touched But the question is How we shall overcome that we learn Apocalyps the twelfth chapter where the Saints are said to overcome the great dragon the old Serpent with the blood of the Lambe Which blood hath two uses First that which the Apostle calls the sprinkling of the blood of 〈◊〉 Christ the first epistle of Peter the first chapter and the second verse Secondly That by receiving the cup of blessing we are partakers of the blood of Christ the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the sixteenth verse So that in these words is a reciprocation vincenti ut comedat comedenti ut vincat dabo edere the body and blood of Christ is the fruit of that tree of life which the Apostle speaks of the first epistle of Peter the second chapter and the twenty fourth verse That he bare our sinnes in his body upon the tree Of which fruit whosoever are partakers in the Sacrament when it is ministred to them doe receive power to overcome that so they may eate of the tree of eternal life For in this Sacrament we have both a means of victory and a pledge of our reward that is the life of grace begun in us here to assure us of a glorious life in the world to come Every tree must have a root and the root of that tree which Christ speaks of is here in this Sacrament for in it is sown in the hearts of the receivers as it were a kernel which in time shoots forth and becomes a tree for as there was a death of the soul by sinne before God inflicted a death of the body so answerable to that first death of sinne there must be in us a life of grace which is the root of that tree from whence we shall in due time receive the life of glory In this sacrament the tree of the life of Grace is town in us that is a measure of grace wrought in our hearts by the power of Gods spirit by which we shall at length attain to eate of that tree which shall convey unto us the life of glory As there are two trees of life so we must have a double Paradise We must have liberty to be of the Paradise on earth that is the Church Militant which is called hortus conclusus Canticles the second chapter before we can be received into the heavenly Paradise that is the Church Triumphant So there is a plain analogie between those As when we are dead in sinnes and in the uncircumcision of the flesh Colossians the second chapter and the thirteenth verse we receive the life of grace by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ in baptism so when we are fallen from the life of grace and are restrained from the life of God Ephesians the fourth chapter and eighteenth verse and dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephesians the second chapter then we obtain victory against sinne and death by the blood of the Lamb being drunk in the Sacrament Apocalyps the twelfth chapter and the eleventh verse For if the material tree of life in Paradise received such influence from God Genesis the third chapter that being dead in it felse it had power to convey the natural life of our Parents while they eat of
faith but this faith ends in fear James the second chapter Damones credunt contremiscunt but a Christian mans faith and belees ends in hope A Christian man beleeves that he may have hope for hope comes by faith as the Apostle sheweth Galatians the fift chapter and the fift verse We by the spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse through faith and that faith which is the cause of hope doth work by love as the same Apostle 〈◊〉 And love causeth diligence Credendo speramus sperando diligimus qui diligit diligendus est Amb For there is no love without diligence And so necessary is hope that the Apostle makes it a part of our salvation For as Ephesians the second chapter ye are saved by faith so he saith Romans the eighth chapter and the twenty fourth verse we are saved by hope For howsoever it is certain that God is the hope of all men in general as the Prophet calls him the hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that are in the broad sea Psalm the sixty fift so it is as certain there is another hope besides that general which the faithfull conceive for that general hope concerns this present life The Apostle saith if we had no other hope but that we are of all men most miserable the first to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter The hope of all men is spes Dei that he doth save both man and beast Psalm 36. that they shall be delivered from outward danger and shall be both kept by God under the shadow of his wings and when none can minister help then they flying to God shall be safe But he is more specially called the hope of Israel Joel the third chapter and the sixteenth verse that is there is a further hope this is a Christians hope It is true that Christians have a hope in God for defence from trouble in this life as others have and in that sense this their hope is like a brest-plate against the troubles of this life the first epistle to the Thessalonians the fift chapter and the eighth verse and the same hope of theirs for that the troubles of this life are compared to the surges and waves of the Sea is called an Anchor Hebrews the sixt chapter But the Christian mans hope goeth further than that general hope for the Heathen doth say spero dum spiro but when breath is gone the just man hath hope in his death Justus etiam in morte sperat Proverbs the fourteenth chapter and the twenty third verse therefore the Apostle calls a Christian mans hope spem vivam a lively hope as if the other were spes mortua the first epistle of Peter the first chapter and the third verse For whereas the faith of all men doth fail in death the Christians faith doth even then flourish because they are begotten again to a lively hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead It was Davids speech That when he was laid in the grave his flesh should rest in hope Psalm the sixteenth In this life our hope hath a waiting as St. Paul calls it wherein it doth hope for the hope of righteousnesse by Christ Galatians the fift chapter and the fift verse and after this life it hopes for the fruition of the riches of glory that is for Christ himself who is the hope of glory Colossians the first chapter and the twenty seventh verse His hope is not in the shadow of Gods wings only but spes in lumine virtutis as the Prophet speaks Psalme the eighty ninth and the fifteenth verse There is yet one point more and that is a necessary admonition not to confound but keep several these two virtues theological for they be two dis-joyned virtues as the Apostle sheweth the first epistle to the Corinthians the thirteenth chapter Now these three are Faith Hope and Love and whereas we put Hope under Faith all the ancient Fathers have put difference between them of whom Augustine makes four differences First Faith hath for its object the word and promise of God but Hope looks not for a promise but rem promissam we beleeved the promise but hope for the thing promised Secondly of Faith as well evil things as good things are the object for we beleeve the pains of Hell no lesse than the joyes of Heaven but the object of our hope is only for good things as that in this life we shall be partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ and afterward of his glory Thirdly We doe not only beleeve things to come but such as are present and past for things past by faith we apprehend Hebrexs the eleventh chapter and third verse and for things to come we beleeve there shall be a day of Judgement when the Shepheard shall separate the sheep from the goats Matthew the twenty fift chapter but Hope doth only apprehend things to come and not things past Fourthly as Bernard noteth the applying virtue is Hope for this is Vox sidei magna invisibilia reposita sunt 〈◊〉 Deum but Hopes voice is mihi ipsi reperiuntur that is I my self have a part in them Quod sides futurum credit id spes sibi futurum expect at but Charities voice is I am diligent spem apprehends For the use of this virtue whereas in the Scripture there are many sayings which force farre As that as the ground that drinks in rain and bringeth not forth grasse is cursed so the Christian that drinks the water of Gods word and yet brings forth no fruits of faith is in a cursed state Hebrews the sixt chapter Yet to conceive hope because in the same chapter is matter of comfort also so the Apostle saith That by two immutable things whereby it is impossible for God to lye that is his word and oath we have strong consolation Hebrews the sixt chapter and the eighteenth verse As he hath made us great and pretious promises the second epistle of Peter the second chapter so he is a faithfull Creator the first epistle of Peter the fourth chapter And as Sarah confessed He is faithfull that hath promised Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the eleventh verse And as Sarah said so Abraham saith He is able to doe what he promiseth Romans the fourth chapter the twenty first verse And therefore we are to conceive hope and say with the Apostle in the second epistle to Timothie the first chapter I know whom I have beleeved Scio cuicredidi and not only able but willing For of them that come to him he casteth away none John the sixt chapter Secondly Our hope must not be faint but we must have a perfect assurance of hope not a hope halfe full but the full measure of hope as the Apostle sheweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must not sail with one sail but with the whole gale of winde that is with a full assurance of hope for to this belongeth that which the Apostle requireth That we be carried
of whom he came the Scripture doth particularly set down For among the sonnes of Noah he came of Shem among those that came of Abraham he was of the Tribe of Juda in that Tribe he came of the house of David and so is called The Sonne of David Matthew the first chapter and made of the seed of David according to the flesh Romans the first chapter He is that seed in whom God promised Abraham That all the Nations of the earth should be blessed as the Apostle expounds it in the third chapter of the epistle to the Galatians Secondly For the manner how that Victory is gotten It is by bruising the Serpents head Wherein for the bruising we learn that Christ goeth not to work by subtilty as the Serpent did he pretends not love as Sathan did but he professeth deadly hatred he deals not creepingly and deceiptfully but goeth to it with open force and violence He that hurts the heel comes by stealth behinde as the Devil dealt here but if a man will break another mans head he will come before him and so doth Christ. And therefore he is not like the subtil Serpent but as the brasen Serpent that was set up upon a pole John the third chapter and the fourteenth verse to shew that his dealing is open and manifest The Serpent having a purpose to destroy our Parents seduced and beguiled Eve the second epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter but Christ having a purpose to destroy the Devil and so save man saith plainly in the thirteenth chapter of Hosea O death I will be thy death O Hell I will be thy destruction and so he speaks in the twelfth chapter of John I when I am lift up will draw all men that is he will not entice them by fraud and subtilty as the Serpent doth Secondly The part to be bruised is the Head of the Serpent Christ would not goe to the weaker part as the tail or heel as the Serpent doth but to the head of the Serpent where both his strength and poyson lyeth so he is not minded as the Serpent was The strength and poyson of Satan as it is called in the twenty sixth verse of the eighteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles is the poyson that he hideth in his head which hath the same name in the holy tongue but Christ bruiseth the head Secondly He hath poyson in his tongue as it is in the third verse of the hundred and fourtieth Psalme but Christ destroyed that poyson as it is in the fourth chapter of Matthew and the fourth verse with alledging it is written Thirdly he hath poyson in his teeth of which Christ saith Now is the power of darknesse Luke the twenty second chapter But the chief poyson that he 〈◊〉 to destroy us with is the curse of the Law which the Apostle calls the strength of sin in the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter That Curse is of twelve forts Deuteronomie the twenty seventh chapter but Christ hath taken them away When he became a curse for us Galatians the third chapter So hath he broken his head and drawn forth this poyson of it First by resistance Secondly by patience Thirdly by receiving the poyson of it into his own body Having done this to shew that he hath obtained a full conquest he went up on high and lead captivity captive Psalm the sixty eighth and the eighteenth verse Though he were dead that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death Hebrews the second chapter and the fourteenth verse yet now he saith I am alive and have the keyes of Hell and death Apocalyps the first chapter and the eighteenth verse He fast ned to the Crosse the hand writing Colossians the second chapter and 〈◊〉 over Hell and Death as it is said O Hell where is thy sting O death where is thy victory the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter And thus is the victory fulfilled in Christ But for the condition This Victory did not cost him nothing so great a matter it is to redeem a soul Psalm the fourty ninth he bought his conquest at a deer rate even with the price of his own blood for Christs enemies did not only stander the footsteps of our annointed Psalm the eighty ninth but left in his humanity those impressions of cruelty that made him cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matthew the twenty seventh chapter and to send forth strong cries with tears Hebrews the fifth chapter but still they did but bruise his heel And so he did set all this at his heel as we speak that he might set us at his heart Thus much concerning the Victory as it was fulfilled in Christ as he was the wheat Corne 〈◊〉 it is also fulfilled in the Church For whatsoever he did he did 〈◊〉 not for himself but for the members of his body and he doth infuse such virtue into his body that as Christ said to his Disciples Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the power of the enemy Luke the tenth chapter and the nineteenth verse so shall the faithfull be able to trample the Devil under their feet to whom this promise is made That God shall tread down Satan under their feet Romans the sixteenth chapter which is a plain exposition of this promise set down by Moses Christ as he is the wisdom of God shall communicate this power to his Church That they shall tread under their feet that poyson of temptation which the Serpent speweth out of his mouth by resisting it as he himself did Matthew the fourth chapter They shall be able to sustain the poyson of his teeth by not giving place to it Though he hurt them in the heel that is in their earthly parts as substance wealth good name yet they shall be able to suffer it so long as he touch not the head But if a man refuse to suffer detriment by Satan in these outward things he shall have no part in the victory because it is not gotten without bruising of the heel and some blood shed for it is Gods will That all shall be conformable to the Image of his sonne Rom. 8. 29. for of those things which Christ in his natural body suffered there remaineth somthing which must be accomplished in his mysticall body Col. 1. 24. until the number of the Elect be fulfilled Here is matter of special direction for us It is plain the promise is made to no man but to him that is at enmity with the Serpent with whom we must make continual warre because although Christ have already wounded him in his head yet he is not dead and though his courage be much abated yet he still doth much mischief In this warfare we are to learn two things First what we must doe to him to practise it Secondly what he will doe to us that we may avoid it That which we are
gold was as stones in the streets and this goodnesse of the Seas especially concerneth us which are Islanders we best know it and feel here this singular and speciall goodnesse of the waters and say as God doth that we see that they are good for were it not for this we should be imprisoned in this little Island and be without the knowledge of other Countries also we should be cloyed with our commodities and be destitute of many other which we want An excellent benefit of the Sea but that which is most we should have been ever without the knowledge of Gods holy Word For how could that have come hither Or how could we have gone beyond the Seas for it had it not been for the Sea wherein goe the Ships Pauls Shipwrack was most blessed and happy to that Island Act. 27. 41. for by that means the Gospell of Christ came to them the greatest commodity that could be But unworthy are we of this Pearl which Merchants have sound and brought from beyond the Sea seeing we so lightly regard that we will scarce step out of doores for to hear it this is the good that we by it have Merchants Nahum 3. 16. Another benefit of good we receive by them Nahum 3. 14. in that they are made to us as a Ditch Fortresse Wall or Bulwark of strength and defence to the Land For in Islands we are intrenched as it were round about with Sands with Rocks with Ships and Seas These things more properly pertain to us Islanders for Islands are called the branches of the Sea For main Lands have other carriage and defence though with more trouble and cost Lastly It is good for Peter with his Nets and Gins to take Fish The discourse of the Earth Now for the Earth God also saw and said that it was good likewise which is so well known that I need not tell you that the use of it a top is not only good to goe and runne upon and inhabite but also to bear Corn Wine Oyle Herbs and Roots and other Fruit for Man and Beast that dwell thereon Job 28. 5. And under the good mould for fruit we see it good and profitable in that it hath mines of Coale and under it veins of Gold and other most profitable metals and under it precious stones and every where within Quarries and Rocks of stone and without Trees of timber to build us houses withall This were sufficient to make us see and confesse to Gods glory how good it is to us But let us come to the very substance of the Earth in respect of the whole and not to search his riches and parts and fruits we see that it is the matter of which we are made and to which we must return Job 10. 9.10 which there is set down after two manners both as we respect Adam in creation or our selves in generation being poured out as milk c. For touching creation we are of the Earth and therefore called houses of Clay as Jeremy speaketh to his King O Earth O Earth c. 22. 29. Wherefore if we think our selves good we cannot deny but the matter of which we were made is also good 2. Secondly It is a good and a convenient place super quem as the Aire is a fit Element in quo for God hath made it good to goe upon and therefore he hath made it locum lucidum solidam siccum fixum firmum that being light and steddy it might have all the commendations and goodnesse of a place to dwell in and as it is a place to move in so it is to take rest and ease as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Work-house and Shop in which we must imploy our travail and labour so is it our * Refection refectorium to refresh and ease our selves and to recover our strength The Earth is the Lords and all in it Psal. 24. 1. but he hath given the Earth to the sonnes of men Psal. 115. 16. but only to this end that they should serve him in the works of their Callings in the service of God and the Country that they might keep his Statutes and observe his Laws Psal. 105. 45. 3. The third goodnesse is the benefit of our grave for this is our Mothers lap and armes into which we yeeld our bodies being dead it is our Coemeterium our sleeping place in the night time of our death Job 17. 13. as it was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the day time of our life Now as we have considered the goodnesse of it wholly so now let us see the parts by themselves the hills mountains and rocks are good for shaddows in time of heat and for shelter in time of Winter against cold and tempests Esay 32. 2. the stoney rocks also serve for Conies Psal. 104. 18. the valleys and dales are good and commodious for Corn Psal. 104. 10. Esay 30. 23. and also for pasture Psal. 65. 13. so it is good for to give all things to feed man and beast The other dryer part of the Earth which is sand and gravell is good for treasure Deut. 33. 19. and the wet or moister part of it which is clay and marle is good to dung and mend the land also to make vessels of earth Jer. 18. 3 4. and to make brick and houses and morter Ezech. 13. 10. So that the high and low parts the dry and moist parts of the Earth are very good The Waters and Land joyntly considered four things noted therein Yet let us further consider these things that is the Waters and Land joynt together as they are framed in one globe touching which we have four things to note 1. The first is in regard of Heaven and Celestiall bodies where we shall observe a threefold good for a thing that is good only in it self and doth not impart it to other is good in vain and to no end and that which is good to it self and hath a nature to be good to other but hath noe good means to conceive it is to no purpose Wherefore as the Heavens have vertue and goodnesse as light heat dews c. So the Aire is the good means by which it is sent and conveyed and the Earth is that receptacle which receives all those good things imparted to it So all the good of Heaven is conveyed to the Earth by the Aire and so it is made known and proved to be good The Earth is the pond of all waters and the lap and open hand yea and the wide open mouth which God hath ordained to receive all the blessings of Heaven untill Heaven have received us 2. Secondly The Waters and Earth are good in regard of one another the waters are good to the land and the land to the waters the Earth would be without water to glue it together even as dust which would fly in our eyes to hinder our sight and choake us and hinder our breathing in
shall you rule Even as it is in the text Over the fishes of the Sea by the Angle Christ bids Peter cast in his angle and take the fish Matth. 17. 27. Or by the net Christ also bid Peter let down his net to make a draught Luke 5. 4. Angling and fishing are to man both for profit and for pleasure And over the fowl of Heaven By Fowling by Hawking by power or by policie either killing them with arrows or taking them in pits or by snares as in Prov. 7. 23. the 20. Joshua 13. God for the Ravens and for the young birds prepareth their meat Job 39. 3. So that the fowls and birds are to man for service for solace and their notes of musick And over every beast This is indeed a large Charta de foresta We are permitted and authorized hereby to hunt the wild beasts of the forest and being hunted to eate the flesh thereof Levit. 17. 13. Thou mayest eat flesh even what soever thy heart desireth Even as the Roe buck and the Hart is eaten so shalt thou eat it Deut. 12. 22 23. There they were permitted the eating of all kinde of flesh they might before eat the flesh of that they had hunted as of the Roe-buck and of the Hart. It was caro justitiae which they got by hunting it was dainty meat unto the Hunter for unto the hungry soul every thing is sweet Prov. 27. 7. The Hunter had his snares Psal. 91. 3. The Hound hunteth the Deer both are serviceable unto man there is pleasure in the hunting and chasing the game is for meat when it is pulled down We have rule over Horses and Doggs who serve us though not to feed us The Dogge defendeth our flocks from the Wolfe our houses from theeves our bodies from injurie the swiftnesse of the Horse helpeth our slownesse the Elephant in battel helpeth our weaknesse the Sheep help our nakednesse cloathing us with their wooll the Oxe plougheth the ground to give us bread and eateth grasse to be our food he giveth his hide to shoe us and every thing that moveth in the Earth is for man We finde great goodnesse many wayes in the Bee and in the Silk-worm God saw man feeleth the goodnesse of those things God hath created So that subjicite terram is the tenor of all Law a giving possession of inheritance and dominamini is a rule and dominion given to man over the utensils the riches of the Sea Land and Aire A spiritual Analogie There is here also observed by the Fathers a spiritual Analogie in dominamini In man there is a spirit and a soul in him there is also Earth the cares of the body ought to be lesse than those of the soul est enim anima in homine coelum corpus autem coenum saith Basil non sit coenum coelo superius sed sit coelum coeno superius Let the soul have dominion over the body and the concupiscence thereof the body is earthly given to lust anger envie pride Here they admonish us to subdue these beastly affections and to tame the savagenesse of our corrupt nature The whole nature of beasts and of birds and of creeping things and things of the Sea is tamed and hath been tamed of the nature of man but the tongue can no man tame it is an unruly evill full of deadly poyson this place doe they allege out of the 3. James 8. And as James saith that the tongue should be tamed from evil speaking malicious slandering back-byilng lying and dissembling so say they and that very well that all the brutish affections ought to be tamed and subdued that so the soul might reign in the body and the body be subject to the soul. Praeterea dixit Deus Ecce dedi vobis omnes Herbas sementantes semen quae sunt in superficie totius Terrae omnesque Arbores in quibus est Fructus arboreus sementantes semen vestrae ad comedendum erunt c. Gen. 1. 29,30,31 Februar 11. 1590. THIS is Gods third speech of this sixth day concerning man The first in the 26. verse is of his power in creating him The second dixit in the 28. verse is of his providence in preserving mankinde This third speech is Gods further care for the nourishment of them whom he hath created and by propagation preserved In the 30. verse God sheweth his love to man having before given unto man the beasts of the field yet he giveth to his beasts their meat The last verse is the closing up of the sixth day Mans meat The Argument of the 29 verse is for provision for mans meat An Objection Here ariseth a question made by some Man in the estate of his innocency was immortall what need had man then of any meat The Answer True it is that Adam was created immortal yet having a possibility to be immortal Thereupon the School-men say there is a double immortality posse non mori fuit Adami mori non posse est Dei for Christ only who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords hath this immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. which is bestowed upon us by way of reward through Christ our Saviour whereby our nature is ingrasted in the divine nature of the second immortality for the first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning spirit that is bringing us from Heaven the spirit of life the first was of the Earth earthly the second of the Heaven heavenly 1 Cor. 15. 45. Adam was created with a possibility of immortality the part immortal of mans creation was from God but through mans disobedience and ambition when he did eat of the forbidden fruit of good and evill God shut him out of the garden of Eden lest he should take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever chap. 3. 22. whereby Adam was deprived of life for it was said in the 2. chap. 17. When in that day he did eat of the forbidden fruit he should dye the death So that by mans disobedience man became mortal who before in the state of his innocencie had a possibility of immortality for then he had the Image of God perfectly but by sinne came death per peccatum mors and so by mans transgression Gods Image was defaced for by one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne and so death went over all men by this Adams sinne even Babes were subject to death though they had no actuall sinne Rom. 3. 12. And life came to Mankinde through one that is Christ Jesus As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the justifying of one the grace abounded to all men to the justification of life the 18. of the foresaid chapter For by him this mortall must put on immortality this corruptible incorruption for Christ swallowed up death in victorie saying Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie 1 Cor.
and resembled to a Potten which doth frame 〈◊〉 out of the Earth with his hand and to a Maker of glasses which with his breath and blast of his mouth doth fashion and maker his glasse of a fraile and 〈◊〉 substance by which borrowed speech Moses doth 〈◊〉 shew that by the one he is willing to expresse that God with more art and regard did make mans body in the outward form than he did any other of the Creatures And by the other that God did give him a more excellent and perfect soul which is the inward form within than he did to any other Creature To this end he changeth the word gnasha used in making the other Creatures into Jelsar which he applyeth properly to man and we know that formare is more than facere because the form and fashion importeth a mould in which it must be made or an especiall Idea artificially conceived after which it must be made It is therefore as if he should say you see that man is not made outwardly in the proportion and countenance which beasts have for his face is upwards theirs downwards That which the Earth brought forth looketh down to the ground but those men which God made doe look up naturally to God who made them and and gave them life That which the Earth doth producere doth also prospicere terram But we whom God did formare doe intueri Coelum The Prophets and Apostles doe oftentimes delight to use this phrase of speech and these words to shew the framing of our bodies now as Esay 45. 9. Esdras 64. 8. Zach. 12. Rom. 9. 20. Job 10. 9. Psal. 139. 16. Jer. 1. 5. and divers other places in which places they so speak to shew that the same frame and fashion is now expressed in generation of us as was in the creation of Adam and no other manner In the 4. of Job 19. he saith that brick and tile and we all are made of one and the matter of the Earth And therefore that which Saint Peter calleth Earthly Tabernacles 2 Cor. 5. 1. Job calleth plainly houses of Clay That which St. Paul in a better term saith Act. 17. 26. We are all of one blood Job saith more plainly to the matter Job 33. 6. We are all de eodem luto made of the same clay Esay 29. 16. and 45. 9. Rom. 9. 20. They demand whether it be reason that the clay should say to the potter Why dost thou make me thus or thus to shew that we must avoid wandring curiosity and nice questioning to expostulate with the maker either about the matter Why he made thee of this and not of that or about the forme Why he made this man a Vessell of honour and that man a Vessell of dishonor Rom. 9. 20. 21. 2 Tim. 2. 20. 1 Thes. 4. 4 5. We must not search nor pry over curiously into the counsell of the Potter that made us but know that his revealed will is that every one of us should possesse our vessels in bolinesse and not in sinne and sorest The use of this is that which I have touched before that seeing we be made of Earth yet that Earth signifieth good and profitable mold we were not made of high-way ground or sand therefore we must not be unconstant or unstable but we are made of gleabe to teach us to imploy our selves profitably in our calling according to the matter of which we came for else it had been better that our Earth had lien still on the ground to bring herbs rather than it should now lye unprofitably and idly in thy skin to destroy the fruits of the Earth Another point for us is that which partly was shewed also before That if God could frame us to this proportion and life out of the dead dust then why should we once doubt but that though we be dissolved and turned into dust again that he can raise us up by the same power Phil. 3. 21. And this is our hope for the resurrection Wherefore though this be our conclusion Job 7. 21. we must return to our dust yet this hope is our comfort that God will one day say Esay 26. 19. Arise out of the dust and stand up even as he every yeer raiseth up the flowers that were withered in the field and this was Jobs hope and comfort of the resurrection Job 19. 26. saying I know that my redeemer liveth c. And it was Davids assurance Psal. 37. 5. Who at his death committed his soul to the God of truth his Redeemer And Psal. 16. 9. doth then let his flesh rest in peace untill he be awaked again This then is our stay in death knowing that the same God which made us of the dust hath the same power and is able to raise us out of the dust again The second part of man is the Soul touching which the Prophet by his phrase of breathing into us the breath of life is willing not only to tell us that the Soul is the more principall superior and excellent part of man but also that it is farre a more excellent Soul than the other creatures had as shall appear by the name and nature of it here expressed 1. In the first part of which we are to note that Neshema signifieth a Spirit of two lives which God inspired into man 2. Secondly he saith That that Spirit of lives was made a living Soul neither of which is affirmed of any other creature but of the soul of man only In Gen. 1. 21. 25. We may see that of every other creatures soul it is said creavit Deus God did beath the soul of man into him Chrysostome saith well that the Soul of all other things is quasi cera rudis as a rude roll of wax without forme or print but anima hominis est cera regis as a peece of wax that hath in it the shape or forme of the King and is made his Seal out of which for the prerogative of man which we shewed before we may ad these First in respect of the substance for Neshema signifieth a spirituall and heavenly substance which consideration made David say Psal. 139. 14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made we have not then an earthly soul as the Beasts nor a watry soul as the Fifties which received them out of their elements but a divine and 〈◊〉 Soul which God himself gave unto us Preach 12. 7. As the rain is vapor terrestris so our soul may be called vapor caelestis a vapor descending from the heavens for it is of the same root and nature which heavenly Spirits are Another priviledge is in respect of the cause for God is the cause of it produxit Deus it was his breath or inspiration and therefore the Heathen called it Divinae particulam 〈◊〉 as the body was particula terra a little cantell of the Earth Salomon Prov. 12. 17. calleth it Divina lux or lucerna Dei as it were the candle of God and here
it is spiritus Dei which he breathed into our bodies Now to consider of the words somewhat more seriously we see that the soul is a breath but so that it is Neshema a spirituall and celestiall breath which properly is understood of the winde and ayre by which we see that is next of kynne to the Spirits which have no body as our bodyes are next of kynne to the wormes that are in the earth which soul for that cause is invisible but not unperceiveable As we cannot see the winde and the pulse yet we perceive them by divers effects So is our Soul and the excellency of it made known and discerned And that it might not be imagined or thought to be only a bare blast of breath or as a puffe of winde he therefore addeth a spirit of lives And least we should deem the soul and the life to be but one thing and to end and vanish away together Job telleth us 27. 3. that the spirit or soul of a man is one thing and 〈◊〉 life is another distinct Though there be a spirit of life in beasts and not only in earthly creatures but also in celestiall spirits yet only the spirit of man is spiritus vitarum that is of more lives than one which our Saviour Christ telleth us in Matth. 10. 28. Men may take away the one life of our body but they cannot the other life of the soul that is only in Gods power This then is the difference between the soul of a man and all other things which confuteth the Epicures 1. which held that the Soul was but a hot salt humor to keep the body from rottennesse and corruption Moses maketh choice to compare the Soul to breath First because it hath a piercing and a searching quality being Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte Pro. 27. 2. This candle of the Soul diffuseth his light and heat and life in every member searching and piercing all Secondly the Soul is compared to breath to humble us and not make us presume on this life seeing the soul and body is but knit and conjoyned together vinculo aëreo by an airie thred Esay 2. 22. Mans breath is in his nostrills which being stopped his life is gone Psal. 103. 14. 15. which causeth our life sodainly oftentimes to be taken away and our soul and our body in an instant or moment to depart a sunder Psal. 78. 39. Even because the union that holdeth soul and dody together is but a little blast of aire and winde easily broken and smitten asunder so sodainly doe we passe away and are gone This may teach us the shortnesse and sodainnesse of this life and death The use of which is that seeing we received our life from God therefore we must now live the life of all godlynesse seeing we live by the spirit of God naturally we must seek for the spirit of God and the graces of it that we may live holily seeing our Soul is the light of God let not this light become darknesse in us for then great is that darknesse Seeing our Soul is the Image of God we must not deface it with the ugly form of Sathan The holy man Job 26. 4. hearing his friends speak foolish and vain words asketh 〈◊〉 spirit cometh out of them As who should say seeing you have the spirit of God speak not such words as if an evill or vain spirit were in them So must we say to those men that doe evill works Whose spirit or what spirit hast thou in thee These deeds are the works of evill Spirits but thou had'st in thee the good spirit of God 2. Now we are come to the second estate of our soul which is set down in this So man became a living Soul which is added to shew that God not only gave that spirit inspired into him a power of life by which it could live but also another power unto the body which before was a dead peece of Earth wherefore the soul being in every part of the body so made by and by it was lively in every part and stood up and performed the actions of life which now it doth in us This is a good and profitable sense of these words as some doe understand But the best Divines weighing these words more deeply doe finde out another state of the soul which sheweth another priviledge of the soul of man For besides that it is as we have seen a spiritual essence occupied in spiritual actions being immortall and pertaining and leading to another life Besides this speciall priviledge it hath here also another common prerogative namely to enforme the body that is in a word besides being a spirituall essence it is also a natural essence it had hath and shall have a power to live without the body and also it hath a power in the body to quicken and give life to it and every part thereof that is it can animare informare corpus which we know the Angels and celestial spirits cannot for when they appeare in a body their souls of life though they live yet they doe not informe that body but they are in it as in a Case which they take to them and leave off again But our soul is not only a spiritual essence and consistence as the Angels but also a natural consistence in the body to inform and animate it which the Angels have not And this is the other prerogative There is none that doe doubt but they have naturalem animam and thereof they are called naturales homines 1 Cor. 15. 46. But by their actions one would think that their souls were only fleshie souls because they never give them selves to spiritual and heavenly actions as a Celestiall spirit shall move them But only they are given to actions of this bodily life which is temporall yea to earthly fleshie and sinfull actions as if the soul that were in them were but after that fort a natural soul of life for a time They see by their natural studies senses motions and actions that they have a natural soul of life quickning the body which else could not live But they think not that it is a spiritual soul and heavenly essence which shall have an eternall being after this life and therefore they never care to 〈◊〉 for such heavenly and spiritual actions of Godlinesse wherefore we will briefly prove and shew that the state of the soul is celestial and 〈◊〉 that we may be moved to think of such actions as that estate doth require And first that the soul and the life and estate thereof doth not depend upon the body but hath his being and life without the body after the body is dead and turned to the Earth because it hath his dependence on God which is immortall and eternal which appeareth to reason in the judgement of the Heathen because the soul hath in the will a power and faculty and ability to effect and perfect an action
of his blessings on him in this happy place which sheweth Adam in all justice worthy to be condemned as filius mortis 2 Sam. 12. 5. in that he having such infinite store of all good trees that were yet was not content but did impiously and ungratefully take away and steal from him which had but only one tree From both these we gather that it is not lawfull in respect of Gods will nor against the Law of nature but it is allowed and permitted to man in the estate of innocencie to desire and to use and enjoy both plenty and variety of Gods blessing here on Earth which are pleasant and good that is such good Creatures which may serve for delight and profit David Psal. 23. 5. giveth God thanks for both for God gave him balme which is a thing for pleasure and an overrunning cup which is for plenty And Salomon 2 Chro. 9. 21. and in the 1 King 10. 22. when his Navie went to Ophir he took order according to the wisedome God gave him that they should bring him Apes Peacocks and Parrots c. which we know are only for delight and hath a use for pleasure so he had both a desire and fruition of such things and our saviour Christ which is wiser than Salomon John 18. 2. he often resorted to and reposed himself in a garden and took pleasure therein and Luke 24. 43. there we see he cate of an honey-Combe for the pleasure of taste and St. Augustine giveth this reason because God caused Bees not to gather honey for the wicked only but for the godly also The desire then and the use is lawfull only we must take this Caveat by the way and beware that we long not after the forbidden Tree that is that we both in respect of our wills and desires in regard of the means to obtain and get these things and also of the use and enjoying them must beware that we doe not that which is forbidden for to desire those things in affection immoderately to seek them by evill means inordinately and indiscreatly or to use them in excesse unthankfully is the abusing and making them evill unto us And let this suffice for the first part Now for walking about the Garden Moses here calleth us into the mid'st of it and we know that usually in the mid'st of their places of pleasure men will have some curious devise so God applying himself to the nature of men is said to have a speciall matter of purpose in the mid'st which Moses will have us now see and consider We read in the 1 Cron. 16. 1. that in the middle of the Temple and in the mid'st of the middle part God caused the Cherubins and the Ark to be set where his glorie and presence did most appear for there he contriveth and conveyeth the most excellent things in all Paradise and setteth them in the mid'st thereof to be seen which were no where else that is to say the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evill which he expresseth by name as for all the rest he hudleth them up in a general term as not worthy the naming in respect of this Touching which two St. Austin saith well that we must note that they came out of the ground not out of the Aire that is they were not fantasticall trees as some men have imagined but very true and substantial trees as the rest not differing but only this in prerogative and special fruit which by Gods blessing they brought forth fructus erat non ex natura arboris sed ex gratia Creatoris as è contra it was not an evill or hurtfull tree ex voluntate plantantis sed ex culpa comedentis for by Adams sinne it became deadly We see then that as Paradise was a natural place though it had reference to a spirituall place for in this tree of life is both matter of Historie which proveth the very true and essential being of it and yet withall matter of mysterie For as it is a true use to be applyed to the body and natural life to maintain it So besides that History in it was a mysterie to signifie a heavenly matter to be spiritually applyed to our souls as the Scriptures doe teach And in these two respects we shall have a perfect comprehension of these trees in the middest Touching the tree of life and the corporal use of it we must remember that it is said in the 7. verse that God gave man a spirit of life and made him a living soul that is such a soul which could give life to every part in the body with the functions and faculties thereof as to eat and drink to move goe and stirre which the soul of Beasts also giveth to them naturally Touching the natural life and living soul of Man all Physicians doe well agree with divinity in this that it standeth in two points and that there were two causes ordained by God by which it should be maintained or impaired the one is set down Deut. 34. 7. Humidum radicale the natural vigor and strength of nature in moisture the other is called Calor naturalis 1 Reg. 1. 1 2. that is natural heat So long as they two are perfect and sound the bodily life doth continue perfect but when there is a defect or decay of them then the natural life doth cease and end Wherefore God taketh order that by eating and drinking there should be a supply of that natural moisture which should be spent in us by travail and labor Jer. 18. 15. And therefore it is called a refection and recovering by food that moisture which before hath been decayed in us now because the moisture and juice which cometh of meats and drinks would at last by often mixture become unperfect as water being mixed with wine is worse therefore God gave this tree of life for mans bodily use that whatsoever naturall defect might grow in these two yet the fruit of this tree shall be as balm as it were to preserve his bodily constitution in the first perfect good estate of health Secondly though there be no decay of moisture or that yet sinne which is the sting of death might impair or destroy this immortall life 2 Chron. 15. 16. For when God doth punish or chastise man for sinne then even as a moth fretteth a garment so doth sinne consume our life Psal. 39. 11. Therefore God ordeined also the other tree of knowledge to a remedy for that that as the body should be sustained by that corporall fruit of life so his heart also might be propped up or upheld by grace Heb. 13. 9. which this tree of knowledge did teach him to apprehend And thus much of the corporall use of these trees which were truely in the Garden as this History doth shew Now for the other part it is not to be doubted but that as it hath a true matter of history So it hath in it also a spirituall mystery
As if he should say my commandement and will shall be the rule and direction of your will and works so in the new Testament St. Paul saith we must not be wise above that which is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. But that we be sober and know and understand according to sobriety which is to prove what every thing is by the perfect will of God Rom. 12. 2.3 This then is the difference between Gods commandements and those which men doe make when men though they be the greatest doe command any thing they therefore doe command things because they be good and lawfull and when we deal with them we therefore obey their Laws so farre forth as the things they command are lawfull and good because their words and commandements have no power to make things good But when we deal with Gods commandements we simply obey all that he willeth because his commandement and word doe make things absolutely good ye though they before may seem to be evill yet after he hath commanded them they are made therefore perfectly good Nos volumus qua bona sunt bona autem sunt quia voluit Deus Gods good will therefore is the best and most beneficiall thing for us and our good and the things he commandeth are the wisest things for us to follow howsoever they seem to corrupt reason and sense which are ill Judges in those matters Thus much then for our application and use that when our actions are agreeable to Gods word and law then they are according to Gods will And therefore we may be sure that it is best for our behoof Nam quo die comederis de eo utique moriturus es Gen. 2. 17. June 22 1591. EVery Law hath in it two principall parts the one containeth the body and tenor of it the other comprehendeth the sanction and penalty Touching the body of the Law we have entrcated already both of the subject and also of the action of it Now therefore we are come to the latter part to consider of the punishment threatned to the breach of it concerning which we say That as there is required necessarily in the Law giver authority and right to command so likewise in him must be a power and ability to correct and punish the transgressors or else his authority is without an edge Both these therefore are seen in the Law-maker by the parts of this Law the one being the directive part serving for direction the other being the corrective part which serveth for execution And every one may be sure that he is subject and under one of these This then is as if Moses had said Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this Non comedes but his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this If you will needs eat and 〈◊〉 your will before mine and your lusts before my love then be ye sure of this That in that day thou shalt dye the death for death is the sower and bitter sawce of this sweet meat Rom. 6. 23. Touching the punishment in it self we are to know that in every punishment inflicted for offence there is required Justice to give it in a due proportion that there be an equality between the punishment and offence As in the Law he that will desire another mans Sheep and steal it he in justice is to restore four-fold Again reason and equity requireth that the punishment must be of greater force to 〈◊〉 and discourage from sinne then the sinne must be to perswade and entise us to it Such an equality is in this For because he took liberty to stretch his will and desire further than he should therefore that he should lose the first liberty he had for this is just and equall 〈…〉 etiam poneret modum beneficio and that he that observeth not the manner of using it should lose the right use which he had It is therefore reason and right that either we should Dimittere voluntatem male vivendi aut amittere facultatem bene 〈◊〉 This we say to justifie God because men think that this sinne of eating such a fruit is not a capitall offence and that God was too hard to 〈◊〉 this so sore a punishment on it Touching the second point which is concerning the cause of his death which must not be ascribed to God because the cause is found in our own selves for God saith If you eat you shall die that is you shall be causes and authors of your own death your blood light on your own heads for I am not guilty thereof which we shall the better percive and esteem if we consider that which before I have shewed that Adam was made immortall non necessitate naturae sed vi 〈◊〉 gratiae not by natural necessity but by the priviledge of Gods grace for Adam consisting of contrarie qualities by his own nature they must needs in regard of themselves be the cause of death to them as they were to the beasts But notwithstanding this subjection to mortality and possibility to dye in regard of their nature Gods grace did sustain their bodily life and kept them from death so long as they kept themselves from sinne But now si hence transgression besides the necessity of nature their sinne also did pluck death upon them and was the cause of this curse So long therefore as man kept his first estate he was united to God which was life and had use of the tree of life which then was 〈◊〉 Deo and had this grace to preserve life and by that means so long we had an immunity from death because we were 〈◊〉 with the prop of Gods grace which was the cause of our immortality but when 〈◊〉 did cause that prop to be pulled away which sustained the 〈◊〉 of our nature then we could not choose but dye both by the necessity of nature and desert of our sinne If we had leaned still to the stay of our nature and not trusted so much to our own wills and wisdoms it had gone well with us But this voluntarie forsaking of God and leaning on the broken staffe and reedis stay of our own was the cause of our fall into sinne and so unto death Thus we see God justified in this sentence saying Morieris because he is neither the Author or Cause of Malum naturae which is sinne nor yet of 〈…〉 which is death But man causing both culpam poenam doth both wayes cleer God and condemn us and our selves are proved to be the cause of both 3. Point The kinde of death Now touching the third point which respecteth the kinde of death here threatned for there are several kindes of death Rev. 2. 11. Rev. 20. 6. there is the temporall and eternall the naturall and spirituall the first and second death which of these is here in this punishment threatned St. Augustine answereth that God doth here mean both whatsoever death may be included from the beginning of our life unto the last death all that is here
at the good pleasure of Almighty God Therefore being delivered into the dominion and 〈◊〉 of the Messengers and Ministers of death by and by he was subject to the Guives and Manacles of death which doe seize upon all parts of our bodies for sinne Morbi enim sunt laquei mortis which is we are held sure untill we die also the Ministers and Servants which ever since that sentence was denounced doe attend upon us to our end are cares and sorrows within labours and travails without which seizing on us doe make our deaths as sure as if we were already dead for we cannot escape it therefore saith David Psal. 89. 48. Quis homo vivit non videbit mortem for all of us have sorrow which is primogenitus mortis Job 18. 13. the same day 〈◊〉 brought it forth Gen. 3. and we have and feel daily the forerunners of death which are diseases which make our bodies even in this life 〈◊〉 mortis a body of death Rom. 8. 10. Wherefore we may be sure that death it self will come most certainly though the time be uncertain for it is a debt which must be paid we must all dye Heb. 9. 27. when the time is come that God hath appointed Dixerat autem Jehovah Deus non est bonum esse hominem solum faciam ei auxilium commodum ipsi Gen. 2. 18. Octob. 1â— 1591. THe Prophet Esay 51. 1. exhorteth the Church of God after this manner Look back saith he 〈◊〉 the stone out of which yee were 〈◊〉 and to the 〈…〉 of which you were digged By which he 〈◊〉 the Church of God that there is a very necessary and profitable consideration to be made out of the historie of Abraham and 〈◊〉 and their lives as it is expressed in the Scriptures So may we say of the historie of Adam and Eve our first Grandfather and Mother for they are more properly indeed to be termed the first stone out of whom all mankinde were hewn and the pit out of whose womb we all were digged and taken And so much more profitable is this 〈◊〉 and the explication thereof because St. Paul faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the creation of Eve and her marriage is 〈…〉 shewing us the mysterie of Christ the second Adam and his 〈◊〉 to the Church which was his Eve taken out of his side I told you that from the 6. verse of this Chapter to the end of it is 〈◊〉 a Commentary upon the 27. verse of the first Chapter where Moses in one word dispatched the Creation of Man and Woman saying 〈…〉 which he so briefly passed over there because he purposed in this Chapter 〈…〉 a more large and ample discourse thereof We have heard of the Creation of Adam in the former part of this Chapter hitherto which is nothing else but a 〈◊〉 upon these words of the first Chapter 〈…〉 Now therefore we 〈◊〉 to the explaning of the other part which is 〈…〉 which he performeth from this verse to the end of the Chapter Two principâ—… points In all which verses the Fathers say than there are but two principall points to be considered the first is The 〈◊〉 of the woman the other The 〈◊〉 and marriage of her to the Man Touching the creation and 〈◊〉 of Eve it 〈◊〉 partly a deliberation and then the work of creation 〈◊〉 self the 〈◊〉 is in these words 〈…〉 〈◊〉 which containeth also two parts first the 〈◊〉 in this 〈◊〉 verse and then the occasion of it in the verses 〈…〉 But before we 〈◊〉 of the consultation 〈◊〉 first consider 〈◊〉 coherence with that which 〈◊〉 before which is 〈…〉 After the Almighty God had 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 which is his Church by the 〈◊〉 made 〈◊〉 God and man Now in the next place he 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 estate 〈◊〉 which is of 〈…〉 by the duty of Man and Wife in Marriage By which God would 〈…〉 know that by his will and ordinance all men next after our 〈◊〉 to Almighty God which is first are bound to have a most speciall care and regard of their duties in that other society which is this If they be Husbands their next care must be of their duty to their Wives if Children of their duty to their Parents if Servants of their duty to their Masters for these duties of the private Families in the Common-wealth are next in honour and reverence to the divine duties which we own in the houshold of Faith which is in the Church unto God for this society is lege ipsa antiqua as one saith and therefore we must give more honour and reverence unto it Now for the summe and scope of this verse we will divide it into two parts first into Gods Dixit and secondly into the tenor of his speech which is Non est bonum c. and first briefly of dixit Deus because we often heard of it before we must note that qui dicendo facit verbo facit which teacheth us to give honour to Christ the second person in Trinity who is the word of God of whom all things are made and ordained John 1. 3. Secondly touching this Dixit which we see by it and other singular prerogatives herein given to Mankinde which we may add to all the former For in the creation of other Creatures God used only the word of authority fiat but here he useth the word of his good will and pleasure which is faciam Before he ever directed his speech to that which was not Gen. 1. 3. saying fiat lux when there was then no light but all darknesse But now he reflecteth his speech to himself as it were consulting with deliberation about this work in that the Contents of his speech in touching the good and happinesse of Man in foreseeing what is not good for him in providing that which is best for him we doe not only see his care over us above other Creatures but also we are taught to acknowledge how well and reverendly we ought to esteem this ordinance of marriage for God knew that many speeches and reproaches would arise among men against this work which God had in hand of making Woman Some by way of jest and merriment to disgrace that sex and others in contempt to dispraise them calling them necessarie evills c. therefore God saw it needfull to expresse the absolute good which cometh to Man by Woman as being so necessarie that we cannot be well without them for seeing we cannot deny but that God that doth best know what we want and what is good doth affirm that it is good for us to have Eve made and that it were evill for us to be alone without her therefore that we preâ—ume not foolishly in jest nor earnest to contradict and crosse Gods will The tenor or content of the Consultation standeth upon two parts The first is a reason or cause which moved God to make Eve in these words Non est bonum c. The other is his purpose
he did now For as the Angells which though they were unmarried yet notwithstanding did fall and not keep their first estate So no doubt the Divell would have been as strong in his delusions to have made him to fall as he was in deceiving his wife we may therefore lay the fault of this finne upon Eve or the Divell for as St. James saith Jam. 1. 14. It was not so much any outward occasion as his inward and corrupt concupifcence which made him to sinne But be it that she was the cause of fall yet from whence then came that occasion of evill to him Non'e e latere viri why then out of himself came all this cause of sinne But if any shall complain yet further of the womans hurt and fault let us know that this woman was made by the counsell of God the means and occasion by which amends was made and that with advantage for the evill for all the evill which she had first done for as she brought forth sinne and death so she was a means to bring forth a holy seed which should bring eternall righteousnesse and life unto all for as the Serpent should deceive the woman So it was Gods purpose that the seed of the 〈◊〉 should destroy the Serpent and his works wherefore we must not so much with grief marvail that the womans sinne was made the occasion of all our misery as with joy and comfort to wonder that God made the seed of the woman to save us from sinne and to bring us to 〈◊〉 And thus much for the resolution of these two doubts Now for the second part we see that after deliberation God cometh to this determination and saith Faciam adjutricem where we may mark that God saith not fiat as when he made other Creatures but faciam which is a word of advisement and wise deliberation whereas fiat is a word of haste and expedition to be presently done without delay which almighty God doth to put us in minde that when we goe about to get our selves wives or to give our children in marriage that we must not 〈◊〉 about it rashly or suddenly to post up such matters on the sudden but with great discretion wise advice and consultation to attempt so weighty a matter that is first by considering whether it be good or no for us that a match should be made Again seeing it is plain that God only is the giver of good and meet marriages and wives we learn that therefore it is our duty when we lack this help to pray earnestly unto God that it would please him to say unto us as he said unto Adam I will make a meet help for 〈◊〉 For want of observing which rules in 〈◊〉 it often cometh to passe that very unmeet matches and marriages hath been in the world and foul corruptions and abhominable abuses have crep into this holy ordinance to the slander and disgrace thereof for this is set down as the chiefest cause of all the monstrous sinnes of the first age of the world Gen 6. 2. Because the sonnes of God looking upon the daughters of men took them wives according to their own fancies that is rashly and headily without advice and deliberation and they took them at the first sight as pleased themselves and did not crave of God to give them such as might please him Micholl Davids wife is said to be a wife of Saules making and giving and therefore because God made not the match and marriage between them she was not a meet help but a snare to intangle him And so God doth threaten Joshua 23. 12 13. verses that if the Israelites doe after their own wills take unto them heathenish woman to be their wives which he had forbid they should be no helps to them but hurts namely They should be thorns to their eyes whips to their sides and snares to their feet because they doe not take wives at Gods hands that is such as he alloweth and willeth them to take Nam quum formavisset Jehova Deus è terrâ omnes bestias agri omnesque volucres coeli adduxisset ad Adamum ut videret quî vocaret singulas etenim quocunque nomine vocavit illas Adam animantem quamque id nomen ejus est Gen. 2. 19. Octob. 16 1591. THese words contain the occasion of the former deliberation for that there might be an orderly proceeding it was necessary that man being alone and wanting a meet help which was good for him therefore that first a generall view and survey might be taken of all the Creatures which God had made to see whether amongst so many millions of goodly creatures some one might be found for Adam to be a meet mate for him and then if the man should not finde any one fit for him God might proceed in his former purpose in making one woman meet for his company In these words therefore we have first to consider Gods commission and warrant for the ministring and bringing together all the creatures before the man Secondly Adams answer returned non est inventus for after his diligent search it is said he found no meet help for the first because it is Gods royall prerogative to cause all the creatures to make their appearance at a certain place and time which man of himself might not presume to take upon him therefore God giveth over his right by a letter of Attourny and dedimus potestatem to Adam by which he might lawfully both take a streight survey of them all and also impose names to every one of them as he pleaseth which see that this writ and warrant is given out to all the living creatures here below saving unto fishes the reason whereof is because that if there were any likelyhood at all that man might finde a meet companion and mate for himself any where then it must needs be amongst one of these two kinds of creatures either amongst beasts of the field or fowls of the aire for there be some agreement and conformity between man and beasts and birds naturally but none at all between the fish and us the beasts as we have seen are made of the same mould and matter which we are made of and the fishes were made of the slyme of the waters and not of slyme of the earth Secondly because they have naturally divers notes and voices as well as man but the fish are mute and dumb and therefore unmeet for our company Thirdly beasts and birds doe feed on earthly things as we and breathe and live in the same aire and place which we doe and doe delight naturally in the sight and company of man and easily will be made tame sociable and serviceable for man whereas è contra the fish neither feed nor breathe as we doe they cannot live in the same place and element which we doe but are as it were inhabitants of another world below us and besides this they will by no means be made tame and
allurement to sinne The costlinesse of the apparel sheweth the pride of the minde Job in 29. 14. saith I put on Justice and it covered me my judgment was as a robe and a Crown Justice and Judgment did cover and adorn Job Esay prophecieth in chap. 61. 10. that Christ shall cloath the faithfull with the garment of salvation he shall cover them with the robe of righteousnesse he shall deck them like a bridegroom or a bride with her jewels Adam was created after the image of God that is in righteousnesse and true holinesse as it is in Ephes. 4. 24. in a word the spouse of the Lamb Christ Jesus whose wife is the Church she shall at the latter day be arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining and the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19. 8. The apparel that covered Adam was his innocencie and the robe of righteousnesse melior est vestis Innocentia quà m Purpura Innocencie is better apparel than purple or scarlet say the Fathers out of the first of Proverbs 31. 22. where Salomon speaking of the wise woman saith that her family are cloathed in scarlet and purple is her garment that is the outward vesture But in verse 25. he saith strength and honour is her cloathing that is say they the inward decking of the soul it is not the outward apparel that God regardeth but as Peter saith in his first Epistle chap. 3. 4. If the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt with a meek and quiet spirit before God it is a thing much set by Purple and scarlet are the chief colours and most esteemed of by men yet yet they are the colours of shame and confusion Man in his Innocencie was in honor innocencie and righteousnesse were then his cloathing but when Man obeyed Sathan and disobeyed God he put on the Divels livery which was sinne and shame according to that in Psalme 132. 18. God saith He will cloath his enemies with shame Homo spoliatus honore indutus pudore after mans fall he was spoyled of his honor and wrapped in a few clouts to cover his shame this was his change from honor to misery We must now labour by all means to recover this first innocencie and seeing that we are become wretched and miserable poor and naked we must follow the counsell of the Angel in Revel 3. 18. We must buy of Christ the white rayment that we may be cloathed and that our filthie nakednesse should not appear We must put off the old man with his works Coloss. 3. 9. And we must put on the new man which is Christ who is renued in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Jacob the younger sonne must put on the cloaths of his elder brother Esau chap. 27. 15. And we must put on say the Fathers upon that place the apparel of righteousnesse of our elder brother Christ eldest sonne to God the faithfull are called the Children of Abraham Galath 3. 7. But we by the faith we have in Christ Jesus hope to become the Children of God and heirs of everlasting life as in the Gospel it is said that his wounds doe heal us so may it as well be said that his nakednesse must cover our nakednesse by his passion he washeth away our sinnes he dyed us with his purple blood he dyed an Innocent that we by his death might be unblamable his apparel is red and his garments like him that treadeth the Wine-presse it was he alone that trod the Wine-presse and all his rayment shall be stained Esay 63. 3. It was the purple of his blood that dyed us again in original righteousnesse the souldiers when they had crucified him took off his garments so that he hung naked upon the crosse John 19. 23. You see by the 12. to the Hebrews 2. that he endured the crosse and despised the shame to deliver us from shame and eternall punishment So that we must repose our selves in him and not be ashamed of him for who so shall be ashamed of Christ Christ shall be ashamed of him when he shall come in his glorie Luke 9. 26. But all our glory and rejoycing must be in the dear and only begotten sonne of God in whom we have redemption through his blood that is the forgivenesse of sinnes who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature by whom and for whom all things were created 1 Coloss. 14 15. We must put off the old man and put on the new and if we be apparelled with Christs righteousnesse we shall not be ashamed We must not cloath our selves with our own works and our own righteousnesse which is corruption and shame but we must cloath our nakednesse with the nakednesse of Christ the immaculate Lamb. In a word his wounds must heal us his nakednesse must be our cloathing his shame must be our glorie his death must be the means to attain our life Then we shall hunger no more nor thirst no more we shall be impassible of cold and of heat and the Lamb which is in the middest of the faithfull shall govern them and lead them unto the lively fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes Revel 7. 17. And if we be washed with his blood we shall be whiter than the snow then shall we be cloathed with innocencie by him our corrupt bodies shall put on incorruption and after the mortality of this our body we shall be cloathed with immortality of body and soul 2 Cor. 5. 4 c. This is it that I thought good to speak for the opening of this verse AMEN LECTURES PREACHED UPON the third Chapter OF GENESIS LECTURES Preached in Saint PAULS Church LONDON Serpens autem erat astutus astutior quâvis bestiâ agri quam fecerat Jehova Deus Gen. 3. 1. Novemb. 〈◊〉 1591. HITHER TO hath been shewed at large the happiness and perfection of Adams estate while he continued upright in Paradise Now lest any of us comparing our estate with Adams and finding so great an alteration and difference between him and us because he was holy we corrupt with sinne he was happy and blessed having all things wanting nothing which might increase his happiness we miserable subject to all calamities and distresses which may encrease our miserie he without shame or sorrow we confounded with them both Therefore lest we should enquire how this Change and Alteration came to our natures the Prophet in this Chapter will shew it us that we may be out of doubt As therefore we have had hitherto the building beautifying and perfecting the Frame of all the world and of all the works of God So now we shall see the ruine and lamentable overthrow of all which Saran by sinne brought unto all For whatsoever God hath done in the great world in generall as it is set down in the first Chapter or whatsoever we have seen excellent and glorious in the little world which
But here on the contrarie part Adam exalted himself he became even disobedient unto the death the everlasting death of body and soul could not withhold him The motive to sinne was small and 〈◊〉 the retentive was great and terrible 4 The manner The fourth circumstance is the manner of sinne It was citò factum soon committed Peters denyall was ad vocem ancillulae at the 〈◊〉 of a sillie made Adams transgression was without delay at the voice of his wife 5. The Place The fifth circumstance is of the place It was in Paradise that he was polluted But though Lucifer were the most glorious in the Heavens yet for his pride God sent him headlong from the Heavens Man was Monarch of the earth all in Paradise were at his command yet for his disobedience God sent him out of Paradise 6. The Time The sixt circumstance is of the time He was servent in obedience in the beginning but he continued not therein many dayes time as a file filed away his righteousnesse he sell in the beginning 7. The Punishment The seventh circumstance is of some notable hurt aliquod damnum that should come to man by his disobedience whereby both God and man are damnified It before while he was righteous he were in the image of God for in the likenesse of God was Adam made chap. 5. 1 then surely by mans disobedience Gods Image in man was defaced Adam who was now unrighteous was no more like God who was only righteous and 〈◊〉 of Wisdome but Adam as David speaks Psal. 73. 22. was foolish and ignorant he was even as a beast before God and his sinne was not only his own confusion but the ruine of us all of all mankinde It is Christ Jesus that will make our sinnes and iniquities to be no more remembred Heb. 10. 17. It was the transgression of Adam that brought grave jugum super 〈◊〉 a grievous burthen to all the world from this sinne came all sinnes hence came the heap of all evill The Fathers say that Omnia 〈◊〉 sunt appendices 〈◊〉 all misehief doth depend upon this disobedience of Adam and they say that because this is the greatest sinne it deserveth the greatest punishment The ancient Divines consider a difference in Eves sinne and in Adams sinne Eve she sinned in three respects First In hearing Gods name reproachfully blasphemed Secondly In that she heard this blasphemie not from the mouth of an Angell of light but from a paultry and abject Worm And lastly In that she became scandalum a means to slander God and seduce Man Adams sinne is seen in three other respects First The man was stronger and yet he was seduced by the weaker Secondly Man was made as the womans head and therefore when he heard her say she had eaten when he did see her offer him of the forbidden fruit it was his part to have reproved her Thirdly the root of nature was in him not in her yet the corruption of all came by Eve unto Adam and from both to us all which hearing the words of the Serpent and the Woman which seeing the pleasant fruit which eating of the forbidden tree did bring the punishment and death of body and soul to all men living The Remedy But the remedy for this so vile and 〈◊〉 a sinne and the redresse of this punishment is by the promised seed our Saviour Christ born of a Woman It was our Saviour that for the flattering 〈◊〉 of Adam heard all reproaches Adam beheld the fruit which was pleasant in his eyes Christ he was buffetted about the eyes Adam took the tree in his hand Christ was fastned to the tree for the stretching out of Adams hands to take of the fruit his hands were stretehed out and nailed upon the crosse Adams eating of this pleasant fruit was 〈◊〉 by his eating of bitter gall and sharp Vinegar according to that Psal. 69. 21. They gave him gall in his meat and in his thirst they gave him vinegar to drink Man had his side pearced but Christ had his heart opened All these things did God doe to deliver us out of that miserie whereinto by Adams sinne Mankinde had fallen who shall deliver me from the body of this death but God through Jesus Christ. In Ezechiel 3. 3. they that shall eat the roll that God shall give them it shall be in the mouth as honie In beleeving Christs name we shall have life John 20. 31. If then we eat of the forbidden tree eat not of the promise which we have in Christ we shall dye the death both body and soul shall be tormented We must not say Quid mihi tecum Christe Christ what have I to doe with thee but we must receive him that is our Redeemer In the 〈◊〉 we must therein eat of the bread which is his body Mat. 26. 26. who brake the bread in his Supper and offred his body on the Cross Christ through suffering death tasted death for all men that through affliction the Prince of our salvation might be consecrated Heb. 2. 10. And by our faith in him death shall be to us but as the tasting of the poyson which death shall not swallow up our soul though our body dye our soul shal live for ever But the sinners that eat of the tree that commit wickedness if they repent not shal be cast into endless afflictions As by Adam we all eat of the forbidden tree in the mid'st of the Garden in the beginning of the bible so by Christ the blessed shall eat of the tree of life in the mi'dst of the heavenly Paradise wherein there are twelve manner of fruits and the leavs thereof doe serve to heal all the Nations of the Earth Rev. 22. 2. The leaves of this tree in the end of the Bible will serve for medicine here in this life but after this life ended this tree of life shall fill us all with 〈◊〉 joy and glorie everlasting Which God of his infinite mercy grant c. Amen Tunc aperuerunt sese oculi amborum noveruntque se nudos esse consutis foliis ficulneis fecerunt sibi subligacula Gen 3. 7. January 25. 1591. THE opening the eys of our first Parents by which they saw that they were made naked which was the former part was sent from God that they seeing that sin which was against God was a losse of their glory which is called bonum utile and that instead thereof brought unto them nakednesse shame and confusion which was against bonum honestum and also that it did cast them into that distresse and anguish of minde that they could not tell what to doe or finde to cover their shame but figg leaves which was against bonum jucundum which opening of the eyes comming from God was to this end that by seeing this they might return to their own hearts Esay 46. 8. and enquire as Esay willeth them 5. 19. wherefore they had done this and transgressed Gods
his wife The second is his eating Inordinate Consent Touching the first The giving eare to the voyce of his wife it is nothing unlesse it bee accompanied with another circumstance hee may heare the voyce of his wife if shee speak that is reason and so the superior may heare the voice of the inferior In the second of the Kings the fift chapter and thirteenth verse the Master must hear the voyce of the Servant in reason If the Prophet saith Naamans servant to Naaman had commanded thee a great thing wouldst thou not have done it how much rather when hee saith to thee but this Wash and be cleane and there Naaman heard the voyce of his servant so that licet audire vocem 〈◊〉 the words of reason are to be heard from our Inferiour be it Wife Child or Servant for reason ruleth all out of the mouth of whomsoever it commeth but we must not hear words noysome and of wicked desire but when they are brutish senseless and of foolish desire we must not hear them but above all not words contrary to Gods word for vox dei praecipiens commanded him not to eat vox uxor is disuadens perswaded the contrary yet he heard the voice rather of his Wife than of God so the fault is disobedience to God which is not alone but is accompanied with another fault called Ignavia negligence carelesness not regarding Gods Commandement This laying the bridle carelesly on the neck is to be subject to her voice that was subject to him and by such negligence was drawn to transgression the 〈◊〉 act It was no excuse to Joab that he had Davids letters to murther Urias as it is 2 Sam. 11. 14. nor Solomons Idolatry was not to be excused because he was perswaded thereunto by his Wives It is a great offence non contristari mortiferas delitias not to be sorry for deadly delight The pleasing voice of Eve was no excuse to Adams breach of Gods Commandements 2. The disordered Act. The other branch is the disordered act of Adam which is a second degree of sinne for to have heard the voice of his Wife and there to have stayed and not to have sinned had been worthy commendation to have remembred the voice of God and not regarded the voice of Eve had been commendable before he heareth the voice of God but here he obeyeth the voice of Eve Out of this act of sinne the Fathers gather two Circumstances the first is that the voice of God might easily have been obeyed Of all the trees in the Garden thou maist eat de illâ arbore of that one tree alone thou shalt not eat in such plenty one might have been forborn so that great was the disobedience when so small a matter commanded by God was not obeyed by Man according to that of St. Austin upon this place Magna est iniquitas ubi non magna obediendi difficultas here is great ingratitude not to for bear this one having all other in aboundance The Second Circumstance in this act of sin is to doe it though charge were given before to the contrary with pain of death in the 17. of the former Chapter It was otherwise with Paul 2 Cor. 15. he remembreth their obedience to be with fear and trembling Not death shall separate Paul from his obedience but Adam was disobedient though death were denounced disobedient to death so that the aggravating the act is the contempt of Gods denouncing of death and punishment So much may suffice of the Fault The Punishment or Penaltie Now touching the Punishment Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life c. I consider this Punishment of Adam after two sorts either as a Sentence or as a Law Now we will speak of it only as a Sentence hereafter by Gods patience we will handle the other as a Law Herein we will consider the proportion of that Fault with the Punishment with the Fault and with the Act it self In the Sentence are two Punishments The first cursed be the earth for thy sake c. The second in the sweat of labour shalt thou eat thy bread till thou return to dust for dust thou art and to it shalt thou return The one part of the Punishment is a hard life the other a corruption by death In Proportion As Eves so Adams punishment is in proportion First his desire was unlawfull and the Act was sin for according to 1. of St. James 15. When lust conceiveth it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Eves lust made her sinne and she was punished Adams neglect to suffer an Inferiour to prevail against God is punished with labour for labour is poena ignaviae and Mans ingratitude to God is punishment with the Earths ingratitude to Man he was disobedient the earth shall be unfruitfull he offended in meat and he is punished in his meat the earth that should feed him is cursed for him he offended in unkindness active he is punished with unkindness passive he dealt unkindly with God he shall suffer the earths unkindness Eve her punishment was in bringing forth life Mans is in bringing forth living to maintain and nourish life which is a great difficulty both have their pain labour and sorrow Hers is in intension great but for a few houres his is great in extension to indure all the dayes of his life And so much generally of the Punishment In his meat Now in particular the first part of mans Punishment is in his meat Men must needs have whereof to eate for life without living and maintenance will not be preserved there is not only a bringing forth of Children but there are also curae oeconomicae houshould cares meat and cloathing must of necessity be had according to that of the Wise man Preacher 6. 7. all the labour of man is for his mouth and the 16. of the Proverbs and the 26. is to like purpose he must eat and the hearb of the field must be his meat fuell must maintain the fire and meat must maintain life Adam came of the earth and must live by the earth the earth that was his Mother must be his Nurse and from thence mankinde must be maintained even all the meanest and the Monarch for as it is Preacher 5. 8. the aboundance of the earth is over all the King consisteth by the field that is tilled The hearb of the field bread was the only sustenance of the Patriarchs before the Flood but after the waters had taken away by over much moisture the strength that was in hearbs and bread God gave them then other meats drinks of strength in the 9. Chapter of this Book 20. Noah planted Vineyards and drunk the wine thereof But that Adam is here to 〈◊〉 is the hearb of the field and the bread of his own labour These two wereable to strengthen mans hart as it is said
destruction of the living and in the eighteenth of Ezekiel and the twenty third God hath no desire that the wicked should die but if even the wicked return from his waies he shall live so that Adam and his sinne was the cause of death death was made by him for God is the God of life It was the sinne of Nineveh that made God to threaten destruction to Nineveh within fourty dayes but when as it is in the third of Jonah and the eighth they returned by repentance from their evill waies God shewed mercie and they were not destroyed Adam he forsook God of himself and so he brought death to himself So long as he shewed his obedience unto God the other Creatures were obedient unto him there was no enmity between him and the other Creatures in time of obedience he was not in danger of death God breathed into Adam life Adam brought death The Prophet in the 104. Psalme 29. saith If thou take away their breath they return to their dust so that life is Gods but dust is their own ground and they have their moisture and when that moisture is dried up and taken away it turneth to dust ex argillâ fabricavit hominem Deus Job in his tenth chapter and ninth verse saith to God Remember that thou hast made me as the clay and wilt thou bring me to dust again for if the moisture of the grace of God be taken away what are we but dust The Heavens send down the dew from above to moisten the Earth Isaiah 45. 8. It is the spirit of God that giveth the moisture to beliefe John 7. 39. If that be taken away we are but dust Thus farre of it as a Sentence A Law Now of this as of a Law To dust shalt thou return First touching the certainty of it in these words to dust thou shalt return of the uncertainty when donec untill There are those that escape the first part of this punishment of Adam that live not in the sweat of their face qui non vivunt ex labore sudoris there are those that live at ease and yet fare daintily that have aboundance and take no pains that lie upon their Beds as the door turneth upon his hinges Proverbs 26. 14. But though they escape that part of the Sentence this part takes hold of all for all must die this is universall this is certain Statutum est it is a Statute and a Law that all must die from the first to the last Adam the fift to the Romans the fifteenth David himself saith of himself in regard of mortalitie of the body Psalme the twenty second and the sixth I am a worm and not a man We have comfort in Jesus Christ to live for ever this was it that Jesus said that John should not die the twenty first of John and the twenty third and by him we look for the resurection of the body This it was that made Job in his nineteenth chapter and twenty sixth verse to say That though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh A universall Law Touching the extent of this that it is universall to all to die it is plain not to be denied for as it is in the eighty ninth Psame and the fourty eighth verse What man liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the grave Though God hath said to Kings and Princes and Judges of the earth yee are Gods and Children of the Almighty yet yee shall die as men and fall like others Psalme the eighty second and the seventh laquei mortis the snares of death compass about the Godly their body goeth to the grave but their soul returneth to rest Psalme the one hundred sixth and the seventh verse and as it is in the second of the Preacher and the sixteenth The wise man dieth as well as the fool Look what sentence is given upon man falls upon the rest of the Creatures for man is the great Count-palatine of the world and the chief mover in the Sphear as he moveth all are moved and the Elements and Birds and Beasts were subject to Mans change his disobedience made all disobedient and out of order yea as the Wise-man saith in the nineteenth of Ecclesiast and the fifth All the living know assuredly they shall die So much for the certainty to all Uncertainty Donec untill Now of the uncertainty of the time donec untill which is verie uncertain Isaack though he were old and neer his death yet in the twenty seventh of Genesis and the second he said senex sum diem mortis nescio I am now old and know not the day of my death The men of this world have their Portion in this life there are the gates of death as David speaketh and laquei mortis the snares of death This time cannot be discerned it is nighest us when we think our selves most secure For when the rich man had layed up store for many years and said to his soul take thou thy rest even then came it hâc nocte this night thou shalt die Death is pronounced upon all but a flaming fire and vengeance belongeth only to the ungodly the second to the Thessalonians the first chapter and the eighth and ninth verses Mercy in death Now touching the mittigation of this death in this sentence of death for as the Wise-man speaketh in the seventh chapter and the seventeenth verse The vengeance of the wicked is fire and 〈◊〉 this bitterness must be alayed for as Bernard saith non est crux sine Christo non est punctio sine unctione there is no cross without comfort no punishment without ointment The fear of death Christ delivereth them from the fear of death that is Gods anger that all their life were subject to bondage the second to the Hebrews and the fifteenth The hope of life so then the fear of death must be alayed with the hope of life For though the wicked be cast off for his malice yet the righteous hath hope in his death the fourteenth of the Proverbs and the thirty second This is joy to us even in death that Christ will change this vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body the third to the Philipians and the twenty first and according to the fourteenth of the Revelations and the thirteenth their hope is with a blessing beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their laboures Now in the verie words of the Sentence are implied two sorts of this delay Donec implieth an end of labour Donec implieth that they shall labour untill then untill implieth no eternity there is a consummation of labour there is end of labour and an assurance of rest the blessed rest from their labours tempus est refrigerii there is a time of refreshing the third of the Acts and the
the 14. of the 11. Thy pompe and pleasure is brought down to the grave the worms shall cover thee then with Job 17. 14. 〈◊〉 maist say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother and Sister and as it is in the 26. of Isaiah and the 19. the dust must be our dwelling joy not then in the joyes of this world which are but dust and corruptible they are as Austin saith gaudia privanda but sorrow for gaudia aeterna privanda sorrow lest 〈◊〉 be deprived of eternall joyes 3. Our life unconstant or death uncertain The third use for instruction is out of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 The state of our life is alwaies in motion and in revolving like a Ship a sailing Job in his 14. chapter and 14. verse called the resurrection after death a changing it is like a shadow it is still turning and returning Paul saith in the thirteenth to the Hebrews the fourteenth verse Wee have here no continuing City but wee looke hereafter for one our life is unconstant our death uncertain alwaies changing this the inconstancie of mans life is the motive to good as the other is the retentive from evill Paul saith hee dieth daily from sin here on the earth wee must not seeke for the hill of certain repose but look in heaven for a perpetuall City The Tents and Tabernacle are taken away therefore with Abraham Wee must looke for a City having a foundation whose builder and maker is God the eleventh of the Hebrews and the tenth verse 4. A time to return The fourth use is out of donec revertêris untill thou returne a time of returning where wee must learne to returne by repentance unto God before wee returne to dust that so wee may returne againe from dust 〈◊〉 God let men bee alwaies ready spend not thy daies with the wicked that goe suddenly down to the grave the twenty first of Job and the thirteenth the fourty fifth of I saiah and the eighth And as they live so they die like beasts the third of the Preacher and the ninteenth 5. We must return to God The fifth and last is that we must return to God For shall the dust give thanks unto thee the thirtieth I salme and the ninth verse The godly shall be delivered out of temptation though the unjust be reserved to judgement the second of Peter the second and the ninth We must return to God per poenitentiam Let it not be thought incredible that God should raise again the dead the twenty sixth of the Acts and the eighth the first of Jea and the eighth So a man shall return to God very well by due consideration of these things from the first pulvis es thou art dust to return to God by humility by the second not to joy in this world but in God by the third to rest our turning and returning in God and by the fourth to comfort our selves that out of the grave we shall rise to live with God Abraham addeth ashes to dust But what made Abraham to add ashes to dust the eighteenth of this Book and the twenty seventh he saith I am O Lord but dust and ashes The Fathers upon this place say that dust is our beginning and if we doe not obey God by fire we shall be turned into ashes ashes will be our ending We are all naturally dust and we are all by desert also but ashes and although by no means you cannot avoid to be dust yet by an upright life you may avoid to be ashes though we cannot but incurre the first death let not the second death take hold of us Though the grave inclose us let not hell swallow us All we eat all that we care for in this world is but for dust and for that will turn to dust If we be nothing but dust if we hope for nothing but dust if we care for nothing but dust we shall be swallowed up in dust Let us remember we are clay but God is the Potter Isaiah 64. 8. Above all regard thy soul. Above all regard thy soul then shall thy body of dust return to dust and from dust shall return again to God that made it and thee thou and thy body shall return to glory Vocavit autem Adam nomen uxoris suae Chavvam eò quòd ipsa mater sit omnium hominum viventium Gen 3. 20. December 10. 1598. ADam here calleth his Wife by a new name not by the former name in the 23. of the former which was Woman The mysterie of this name compared with the former Sentence is great she is called here Hevah she hath no name of dejection and despair but of life and of comfort Hereby is to be gathered that notwistanding the sinne committed and sentence pronounced yet there was in Adam some matter of hope for he beleeved the promise made in the 15. verse before that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head This was as it is in the 〈◊〉 to the Corinthians 2. 16. The savour of life unto life Abraham beleeved in Gods promise the 15. of this book the 6. by this Scripture Adam left a Monument of his beliefe as in the other Abraham left a Monument of his faith The seed of Abram in his age was promised to be in the 5. verse of that chapter as the starres of heaven Abraham desired to see the day of Christ and he saw it by faith Herein we will consider these two things first the imposition of a name and then of this name For the first the imposing of names is an argument of superiority and power in the 19. of the former chapter it is shewed in the naming of all the Creatures by man which names were properly given by him In the thirty fifth chapter and the eighteenth verse Jacobs Wife before her death called her sonnes name Ben-oni but his Father changed that name and called him Benjamin from the sonne of sorrow to the sonne of 〈◊〉 Jacob was after called Israel the tenth of the same chapter the name of Sarai was turned to Sarah the seventeenth of Genesis and the fifteenth verse as of Jacob by the Angell into Israel the two and thirtith chapter and the twenty eighth verse and out of these new names is taken matter of great mystery And Adam before called her Ishah woman as another from man but here hee changeth that to Hevah which is a name of life to others Now then touching the imposition of this name wherein wee will consider the signification of this name and then the qualitie thereof In the seventh of the former chapter God 〈◊〉 into man the breath of life and man was a living soule and here her name is a name of life now life is two fold either for a time or for ever shee is a mother of life in regard of this life for that her birth is not of an abortive it is a blessednesse production and education are in
it was seemly to cover his shame for to cover a starre or the Sunne is a blemish to either a Rose or a Lilie are best uncovered in their proper natures and so Adams nakedness in his innocencie was best without apparel The just man shall shine like the Sunne in the Kingdome of his father the thirteenth of Matthew the fourty third verse The second regard out of this covering or clothing is That the birds are covered with their own feathers the beasts with their haire and wooll but man must die for nakednesse unlesse he hath his cloathing from others Thirdly Goe to the brute beasts and wear their skinnes and by looking on them learn that if thou hadst been obedient thou hadst not need of such clothing and repeat that of the fourty ninth Psalm the twentieth verse Man was in honour and understood it not and now he is become like beasts that perish Lastly From the beasts being slain To put him in minde that though he may preserve his bodie for a while yet in the end in pulverem revertêris though these must die to feed and cloath thee yet in the end thou must die thy self These penitentiall meditations may be taken from this modell of apparell The nakedness of the soul. Now touching the nakednesse of the soul and the covering thereof spiritually hereto may be applied that of the sixteenth of Ezekiel the seventh verse Jerusalem was naked and barren but thou hast got thee excellent garments we are wretched poor and naked the third of the Revelations the seventeenth verse then this nakednesse which is of the soul it must be covered it is that whereto that of the sixteenth of the Revelations the fifteenth verse hath relation Blessed is he that keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and men see his filthinesse And God through his mercie covereth our sinne and it must be covered with a covering of skinne the brutish affection must be covered with morall virtues the brutish affection of anger of the Lion must be covered with patience the brutish affection of 〈◊〉 of the Goat must be clothed with chastity the pride the skinne of the Lamb of God which was the 〈◊〉 of the Serpent with the humilitie of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world the thirteenth of the Revelations the eighth verse must be thy cloathing and we put on Christ by Baptism the third to the Galathians the twenty seventh Jacob was clothed with skinnes which did represent this If then we goe to the soul it is to be clothed analogically with the bodie the nakednesie thereof is to be clothed by faith with Christ Jesus the Lamb of God Et dixit Jehova Deus Ecce homo estne sicut unus ex nobis cognoscendo bonum malum nunc igitur videndum ne extendens manum suam accipiat etiam de fructu arboris vitae ut comedat victurus in seculum Gen. 3. 22. Januar. 14. 1598. IN the former verses of the Sentence I told you their several uses and that in the last of them was matter for penitentiall meditation The execution of the Sentence I told you was laid in these three last verses This verse containeth a deliberation or a resolution of what God should doe and it is as it were the writ for execution In the two next verses is conteined the execution it self God hereby seemeth so respective of them that he is so unwilling to execute upon them yet is he carefull of his truth for he said at the first restraint in the seventeenth verse of the former chapter Thou shalt die the death if thou eat the forbidden fruit and that God hath said must be performed for his words are not bruta fulmina and therefore that all may concur in his Sentence was imposed on him a painfull life and that it may be more painfull he is here deprived of Paradise and likewise the corruption of life was appointed him which in him and his posterite we see daily verefied that dust returneth to dust and here it is made more manifest by the taking away of the tree of life This verse divideth it self into two general parts the one in these words Behold the Man is become as one of us to know good and evill the other in that which remaineth For the first part I agree fully with the opinion of the ancient fathers which are the most wise and the most learned that these words the man is become as one of us c. is no Ironie but as one of them saith very well est vox magni fragoris it is a voice of great thunder wherein is written the misery that Adam is in as Christ at his death had a superscription whereby was expressed wherefore he suff red Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judeorum or as Malefactors have written in Papers on their heads wherefore they are punished So these words are a publishing wherefore they are thus used because they would become as God knowing good and evill that they and others may know the cause of their fall that as it is in the twenty ninth of Deuteronomie the twenty fourth verse If any shall aske wherefore hath the Lord done thus They shall answer because they have broken the 〈◊〉 of the Lord their God because they went and served other Gods and worshipped them even Gods which they knew not And here because Adam obeyed the Serpent whom he knew not and disobeyed God whom he knew because he would be as God and know good and evil he tasted the deserved punishment of Gods wrath The form of the words Now for the matter conteined herein the ancient Fathers doe gather hence Matter of faith first matter of faith quasi unus ex nobis Adam is like one of us hereby is taken a certain apprehension of the Trinity to refute the Jews that God speaketh not as Princes doe and like Emperors We charge you It is our pleasure c. that though he be one that speaketh yet he useth the plurall number but this doth resute them for what Prince or Monarch saith Like one of us to shew the unity of Godhead and trinity of persons he said not like unto Angells but like one of us In which words he sheweth both a remembrance or token of the unity and the Trinity in the fourth of John the twenty third verse the person of the Father in the twenty seventh verse there following the person of the Sonne saith I am he So that in one is the Godhead in us is the persons So much of the character Ironie Secondly It may seem God speaketh this as an Ironie in a scorning sort for surely it cannot be spoken directly for he is not become like God that knoweth all things but rather like the brute beast without understanding he is become by his disobedience liker the Serpent that seduced him than God that made him Sarcasmus Some take them as Ironicall or which is more as a Sarcasmus or
biting speech Behold they are as God they would have a quaternity instead of a trinity they know both good and evill in the first of the Kings the eighteenth and the twenty seventh Eliah mocketh the Priests of Baal saying Cry aloud for he is a God it may be he sleepeth and must be awaked surely this was a scoffing speech Hitherto apply the first to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter the thirty first verse Salomon in the first of his Proverbs the twenty second verse saith the Scorner taketh pleasure in scorning so doth not God yet in the twenty sixt verse of the same chapter Because you have despised my counsell and not regarded my correction I will laugh at your destruction and mock when your fear commeth and yet surely this speech is not altogether without an Ironie though it be not altogether Ironicall for according to that of the Proverbs before cited God scorneth them that scorne and despise him but it is unusual and not to be shewed in any one part of the Scriptures that God useth scorning to the penitent sinner though to the obstinate whom neither love of mercy nor fear of punishment can draw to repentance So then this speech is not a triumphing over them in miserie or a derision of their simplicitie but rather a publishing or laying open of their sinne by Ecce behold Jacob in the thirty second of Genesis the thirty second verse though he wrestled with the Angell and had a blessing yet the sinew of Jacobs thigh shrank A speech of affection This speech of God here is with an affection it is the speech of affection an unperfect speech without a period it breaketh off before it be full like that speech of our Saviour Christ the nineteenth of Luke the fourty second verse Oh if thou haddest known at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now are they hid from thee affection stayeth the course of the speech it is a speech of commiseration ecce homo pitie breaketh off the period In the nineteenth of John the fist verse when Christ was shewed to the People crowned with a crown of thornes Pilate said Ecce homo Behold the man And Austin upon that place saith they are words of commiseration and why are not the very same words here also So much for the character or form of the words The matter in them Now of the matter of the same It was concupiscence desire of honor beleef of error that they should be as God that made them sinne The Serpent promised them that they should not dye at all and that they should be as Gods eritis sicut Dei they heard the voice of the Devill and obeyed him Now remember that promise of the Devill is false hereafter beleeve me and be not deluded by the Devil So that God giveth them an audible word to ring in their eares in this and a lesson to continue in their heart for ever that so he may say with David Psalm 43. Deliver me O God from the 〈◊〉 and wicked man for he lyeth in wait for blood and lurketh for their lives the first of the Proverbs the eighteenth verse and so detest him that mislead them from life to death from the sight of God to the heavie indignation of the Lord. This must work compunction to see the losse of Paradise and the separation from Gods presence and that through the illusion of Satan they had fallen from so great blessednesse to so great miserie So much shall suffice for the matter of the publication of his fall The Divills promise The Serpent as you remember in the chapter before made them two promises the one eritis tanquam Dei the other 〈◊〉 mini God here in his Sentence sheweth that they have found the contrary of both Falsified for he saith Pulvis es in pulverē 〈◊〉 that is a bar to their immortalitie and in labore 〈◊〉 comedes 〈…〉 tuae So they shall neither be Gods nor immortall The tree of life was the ordinarie means to maintain him in time of innocencie but here God deprives him of that means he was placed in Paradise where was the tree of life he is deprived both of the tree and of Paradise it self privatur loco indumento He must labor and clothe himselfe or 〈◊〉 and die The tree of life as the ancient Fathers say well was symbolum or tessera vitae a seale or token whereby life was warranted them for God gave them life and not the tree of life and they were excommunicated from this seal and banished from this place of Paradise Deus est vita God was their life and being severed from God so they were severed from life Adams banishment This was the very first patern of civill banishment He would needs tast of the tree which was to him the tree of death and would not keep the Commandement nor the Law of Paradise wherein he was and wheresoever one liveth under a Law and breaketh the Law where he liveth deserveth punishment the reason why he should be banished lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life And this we see to be the general desire of all men that they are willing to prolong their life even in miserie rather then he would die he would take of this tree and live in miserie eternally for saith a Father well Cupidiores homines vitae producendae quà m terminandae men doat more upon the prolonging than upon ending their life God saw that this desire was inconvenient to live for ever Christ himself died but now being risen from the dead jam non moritur mors illi ultrà non dominabitur the sixt to the Romans the 〈◊〉 verse Christ hath triumphed over death but Adam after his fall had lived if he had had his own desire in misery perpetuall an evil eternal Our labour and pain is but temporall till thou return to dust but the Devils shall be perpetual God turned the desire of Adam of evill eternall to an evill temporal with a donec This also is another reason why it is not expedient that he should have his desire God before hath promised life in the very promise of the seed of the Woman If God have promised a better life by another means than Adam desired or the tree of life yeelded that is in his Sonne our Saviour to live a Heavenly life in eternitie both in soul and bodie for he changeth the terrestrial life of the bodie subject to pain and misery which he desired to a heavenly life full of joy and endlesse glorie So that in that God debarred him to put forth his hand to the tree of life was mercie even in judgement St. Gregorie upon this place saith well Materia est misericordiae in providentia divina God by his providence sheweth great mercy even in Judgment it was just that he should die but if you consider it well in
we were like to perish till he provided for us so we must give him a present even the first fruits of that we have acknowledging that all came from him in the twenty sixt chapter of Deuteronomie The ground of our oblation is to testifie so as the ground of our oblation 1. our thankfulness is the testifying of our thankfulnesse 2 our subjection to God Another end is the testifying and acknowledging of our subjection to God that as he gave us our souls so we confesse we ought to bestow our souls on God And that we shall doe if when our own reason cannot attain to see how that should be just which he requireth 1. to give and subject our souls to God yet we be content to make our souls subject to him and to bring them into the obedience of Christ in the second of the Corinthians and the tenth chapter If as we have grieved the spirit of God with our sinnes so we be content to grieve our souls and to break them with sorrow which is a sacrifice to God in the fifty first Psalme and the seventeenth verse 2. to subject our bodies to God Secondly as we have received our bodies from God so we must make them subject to God by abating the desires which our flesh delighteth in that we may delight in that which God requireth and that we be content to impoverish the body to chasten it and bring it under by fasting in the first of the Corinthians and the ninth chapter From both soul and body our mouths must shew forth Gods praise that it may be more fit for his service we must not only acknowledge in our soul that we owe our selves both soul and body to God but we must open our lips and shew forth his praise with our mouthes in the fifty first Psalme 3. We must honour God with our substance And lastly we must honor God with our substance in the third chapter of the Proverbs And not content our selves with the oblation of the lips as a sacrifice that cost us nothing in the second of Samuell and the twenty fourth chapter The sacrifice also hath two grounds The sacrifice also hath two grounds 1. The confession of our sins aud why First The confession of our sinnes for in that the poor Lamb or other beast whatsoever hath his throat cut what is it else but a confession that what the Lamb suffereth the same we our selves deserved to suffer As the Lamb dieth so we deserve the death both of body and soul And as the Lamb was burnt to ashes so we deserved to be burnt in the lake of sire and brimstone in the twentieth of the Apocal. and the tenth verie For sine effusione sanguinis non est peccatorum remissio in the ninth chapter of the Hebrews And so in that the poor beast hath his blood poured out we doe thereby confesse that we cannot have remission of sinnes without the shedding of blood if we seek it in our selves 2 The confession of our faith in Christ which maketh the other perfect and why But there is a second ground of the sacrifice and that is the confession of our faith which maketh all the other confessions perfect for how is it possible that a Lamb should be worth a Man and that the death of an unreasonable creature should be a sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of a reasoable soul the Apostle saith It is impossible that the blood of Lambs and Goats should take away sinnes in the tenth chapter of the Hebrews and the fourth verse It cost more to redeem souls then so vise a price or the price of the most pretious things in the world in the fourty ninth Psalme Christ the Lamb slain by whose blood we have remission of sinnes and why Therefore the reason why they offered sacrifice was to make confession of their faith in Christ whom they confessed to be the Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world by whose blood we have remission of sinnes So the Lambe which Abel offered in the fourth chapter of Genesis which Esay foresaw should stand before his shearrer in the fifty third of Isaiah whom John Baptist pointed at John the first chapter and the twenty ninth verse Ecce Agnus Dei is Christ the Son of God slain from the beginning of the world to take away sinnes Apoc. the thirteenth chapter And in the blood of that Lambe are the sinnes of the whole world purged as it is in the first Epistle of St. John the first chapter and the seventh verse 4. The warrant whereby they offered oblations and sacrifice Fourthly The warrant whereby they offered their oblation and sacrifices was not any expresse command of God in the Scripture and God only knoweth what kinde of service best pleaseth him and of themselves they were not to devise any thing 1. Adam was instructed by God and they by Adam but they were taught by Adam and Adam was instructed by God As Adam had experience that God was able to bring light out of darknesse so he taught Adam by his spirit that as by the tree of life he would give life so by death he would give life For as in the Sacrifices of the Law the Jews were taught that out of death God would give them life We by our Sacraments so now in our Sacraments Christians are assured that by the death of Christ whereof the Supper is a commemoration the faithfull obtain life Made known 1. By the light of nature The meanes whereby God made this known to them was first the light of nature That they had offended God which told them that seeing so many infirmities and sicknesses lay upon them it was for that they had offended som body 2. That they owe thankfulness for all they had to be acknowledged in heart word and works Secondly that all they possessed was from some superior power to whom they ought to be both thankfull and dutifull and to acknowledge both these in words as well as in heart and to expresse this subjection by works that is by offering somthing to God 2. For the confession of faith no reason or light of nature taught but by Gods spirit But as for confession of faith no reason of man no light of nature that could apprehend that but as Christ saith in the sixteenth of Matthew it was the Revelation of Gods Spirit which taught them that Christ the Lambe of God should be offered as a Sacrifice for sinne of which all the sacrifices that went before were types Concerning Cain and Abell we are to observe two points First what they had in common Secondly what severally All both poor and rich must offer For the first As we learn that all must offer both in the Law in the thirtieth chapter of Exodus for God will have his offering be we rich or poor and in the Gospell where Christ alloweth
of the Offerer hath a great priviledge for be the work never so excellent if it come not from a person qualified in such fort as God may take liking it is to no purpose The same words I have sinned used by David in the second of Samuel and the twelfth chapter pleased God but in Judas were not respected Matthew the twenty seventh chapter so for prayer both the Pharisees and Publicans went to one place for one purpose but the one departed justified rather than the other Luke the eighteenth for the Sacraments Simon magus was baptized and never the better but Saul and the Jailor were baptized and obtained remission of sinnes the eighth of the Acts and the sixteenth verse so Judas was partaker of the Supper with the other Apostles but he only was an unworthy partaker The reason is If the fruit be good we must make the tree good also Matthew the twelfth It cannot be good fruit that commeth of an evill tree The same work of mercy done by an Heretick and prophane person is not respected but in a Christian is highly accounted with God God is no respecter of persons but looks upon the heart not that God respects persons for he looks not as man looks but he looks on the heart the first of Samuel the sixteenth chapter and the seventh verse and regards no mans person Matthew the twenty second chapter for if he should respect one more than another then he should regard Cain rather being the first born But yet there is something in the person of Abel which made him more respected than Cain and that is that which God respects in mens persons Jeremiah the fifth and the third verse occuli tui respiciunt fidem and the Apostle saith that it was by faith that Abels offering had the preheminence the eleventh to the Hebrews and the fourth verse And respects faith that hath relation to Gods promise which faith because it had relation to the word of God was accepted of God for Abel beleeved the word of God uttered Genesis the third and the 〈◊〉 touching the blessed seed that should break the Serpents head and give an entrance into Paradise which was kept with a shaking sword This word of God is a great and pretious promise the second to Peter and the first chapter which Abel respected more than all things besides in the earth as David saith of Gods word that it was the joy of his heart Psalm the hundred and ninteenth and the one hundred and eleventh so because Abel so much respected the word and promise of God that it was the only joy of his heart therefore God had a speciall respect to him more than to Cain as his name did signifie vanity All things to be counted vanity in respect of God and his Word so he counted himself and all the world nothing but vanity and gave not himself to vanity Proverbs the thirtieth chapter and the eighth verse As David saith Psalm the seventy third and the twenty fifth verse Whom have I in heaven in comparison of thee and there is nothing on earth which I desire besides thee so Abel had this account of God that he desired nothing on earth in respect of God and his word Touching his Oblation if there be an unfained faith the first to Timothy the first chapter and the fifth verse then there is a fained and counterfeit faith Abel's faith true and visible by works but that we may know that Abels faith was a true faith and not fained we see it had opus fidei the first to the Thessalonians the first chapter and the third verse It was a visible faith for he shemed his faith by his works James the second and the eighteenth that is by the effects of faith proceeding from it for as there is spiritus fidei the second to the Corinthians and the fourth chapter so it hath a body and in that regard the faith of our Father Abraham is said to have steps wherein we must walk Romans the fourth and the twefth verse but a spirit hath no steps That which proved Abrahams faith to be true and nufained was the work of faith which he performed of which it is said obtulit Abrahamus filium Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the seventeenth verse and the same thing proves Abels faith to be a true faith Hebrews the eleventh and the fourth verse fide obtulit Abel For Imitation and the offering faith is that faith which is commended to our imitation Steps of Abel's faith The steps of faith which were in Abraham and Abell are 1. Gratitude First Gratitude whereby we offer a little of that we have in thankfulnesse to God from whom we acknowledge all to be received 2. The act of Obedience Secondly the act of Obedience when by yeelding fomething of that we have we acknowledge our selves ready to lose all we have for his sake that gave us all 3. The act of Humilitie Thirdly the act of Humility when by offering a lambe to God we confesse thereby that we our selves deserved to suffer that which the poor beast suffereth and such an act of faith God respecteth ad quem respicio ad humilem in the fixty fixt of Isaiah 4. The act of Hope and perswasion Fourthly the act of Hope and perswasion when being perswaded that the death of a corruptible beast is no just recompence for the life of man we hope to be saved and cleansed from our sinnes in the blood of Christ the lambe of God which was signified by Abel's lambe These acts are the steps of the faith of Abel and Abraham and God there looketh upon such as testifie their faith by these effects The faith of the Elect ever shewed these effects And that we should bring this faith and these oblations we are to consider that such hath been the faith of Gods servants from the beginning Before the flood Abel's offering was in faith after the flood Noah in faith offered Genesis the eighth chapter and the twentieth verse In the time of the law God gave charge that both poor and rich should offer Exodus the thirtieth chapter and the fifteenth verse During the Tabernacle which was carryed hither and 〈◊〉 Exodus the thirty fift chapter God commanded whosoever was of a willing heart let him bring an offering When the Temple was up David prayeth to God O Lord the people have offered to thee willingly with joy accept it therefore and keepe this for ever in the purpose and thought of their hearts that they may still offer the first booke of Chronicles and the twenty ninth chapter After the Gospell they brought all that they had and laid it at the feet of the Apostles in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Not only the rich were to offer as it is in the one and 〈◊〉 chapter of Exodus but the poor that could not bring jewels were to offer Camels hair to the
fac cito John the thireenth chapter and the twenty seventh verse only Cain and Judas wanted but opportunity which so soon as they had obtained they committed their sinne actually The causes of Cains proceeding to the committing of this act are diverse down after diverse sorts First he seeketh a convenient place and opportunity and maketh choyce of the field because he would not be hindred in doing the murther for he could not have any opportunitie at home for Adam and Eve being at hand would have been ready to hinder him And as he makes choyce of this place not to be hindered so in that after he denyed the fact it appeareth his desire was as well not to be discovered as not to be hindred Wherein we have to respect first his great blindness that could not see the nature of sinne for in that he sought such a place for the doing of it as might be hid and unknown It is strange he could not perceive it to be a work of darkness his own conscience did condemn him for he durst not be seen to doe that which he did but in hypocrisie would seem not to be what he was this was his way and we must beware that we walk not in it Again it is strange that he was more afraid of Adam a mortall man than of the omnipotent God and was more fearfull that Adam his Father a mortall man should see him than that God who is able to grinde him in a morter should behold his fact Wherefore as sinne is a dishonest thing perswading against all reason to fear man more than God so is it a dishonest thing for that we will not be seen to commit sinne as a thing that standeth not with their credits and therefore make choice of such places as are fittest for the concealing thereof Note Secondly he deviseth how to draw Abel to that place and what means to use that Abel might goe confidently with him thither To that end though he have not now spoken to him of a long time yet he is content to speak kindly to him The heathen man saith that if a man will hate he must doe it apertè unless he will be worse thin wilde beasts for they violenly flie upon those things which they hate Dissembled hatred discovered by silence but the Devill hath taught men to dissemble their hatred that they might be worse than beasts Hatred commonly is discerned by silence one argument of that hatred and grudge which Josephs bretheren bare to him was not potuerunt alloqui illum Genesis the thirty seventh chapter and so Absolom having conceived hatred and displeasure against Ammon spake neither good nor ill to him the second of Samuel and the thirteenth chapter but as the 〈◊〉 when he most of all hated our first Parents would seem to be touched with some commisseration of their estate Genesis the third chapter Note Hath God indeed said ye shall not eate Nay but he knoweth c. So he 〈◊〉 Cain to dissemble his hatred with fair words which dissimulation is a sinne condemned not only of the heathen but abhorred by the Saints of God For when such a one as walks in the house of God with him as his friend and companion should deceive him then David had cause to pray against such a one Psalm the fifty fifth Let death seize upon him Cain though he hated his brother and purposed his death yet to accomplish his purpurpose he makes a fair semblance of love Example So Absolom being minded to murther Ammon pretends great love to him he must needs have Ammon to the Sheep-shearing or else all his cost is lost But shall not Ammon my brother come the second of Samuel and the thirteenth chapter this course took Joab with Amasa the second of Samuel and the twentieth chapter so Judas dissembled his malice with hail Master and kissed him John the twenty ninth This sin is abominable yea it containeth seven abominations as the Wiseman tells us Proverbs the twenty sixth chapter and the twenty fifth verse and they that 〈◊〉 hatred with love and slattering words walk in the way of Cain That which Cain spake with Abel when they were alone as St. Jerome thinketh was that he 〈◊〉 Abel what God had said to him and what he had taught him the 〈◊〉 referres it to this verse that his words to him were eamus ad agrum whatsoever it was he said it was abominable hypocrisie Thirdly we see that Abel obeyed the voice of his elder brother for that it was Gods will he should bear rule over him so he went thinking all had been well The best natures not suspicious for the best natures are least suspicious as we have an example in Gedaliah who beleeved that Ishmael had no purpose to hurt him Jeremiah the fourtieth chapter for charity is not suspicious in the first to the Corinthians and the thirteenth chapter especially Abel had little cause to suspect him that was come from a Sermon and seemed to be a new man Note so that he spake kindly to him that had not given him a good look along time This change in Cain made Abel to goe with him and being in the place appointed Cain arose and slew him Degrees of Cains sinne 〈◊〉 Touching the death of Abel we are to observe from the words First it was a violent death for his life did not goe out of him but as the word signifieth it was rent from him Secondly it was a bloody death as the words of God to Cain shew The voice of thy Brothers blood which thou hast slain cryeth to me verse the tenth Thirdly it was a sudden death and therefore more grievous because thereby not only the body is killed but the soul also of such a party that is in state of sinne and hath not respite graunted to repent thereof In this act of Cain we have to observe these things wherby his sin is aggravated First the sinne which he committeth is murther a sinne the more grievous for that it is the defacing of Gods Image Genesis the ninth chapter Secondly his fact the more odious for that the party murthered is one more weak than himself for he was younger than Cain therefore it was a cowardly part to set upon his inferiour It is the thing which the Wise-man complaineth Ecclesiastes the eighth chapter I saw one man bear rule over another not for good so the authority and superiorty which was committed to Cain should have been for Abels good but he abused it to the hurt of his younger brother Thirdly where God will not have any innocent blood shed but sacrifice must be offered Deuteronomie the twenty first chapter Cain kills innocent Abel which doth in a third degree aggravate his sinne for to shed innocent blood is a thing that Pilate himself could not abide and therefore washed his hands declaing that he was clear from killing Christ Matthew the twenty seventh chapter and the twenty fourth
because his heart 〈◊〉 at the hearing of the booke of the Lawe and did not harden his heart as Cain Thirdly in respect of God of whom August saith God bestoweth on some men the blessing of long life because he will be known to be the Author of it But lest we should think there is no other life but this therefore he taketh the blessing of long life from some of his servants to shew that there is another life wherein they shall be partakers of the promises for if God doe not reward the godly in this life doubtlesse it standeth with his justice to reward them in the world to come God will try the patience of his servants and the obedience of them that keep his commandements Apoc. the fourteenth chapter and the twelfth verse he will have it appear that we are not mercenaries and hirelings that serve him for temporall benefits The Children of God are not such as Satan thought Job to be that is one that would not serve God for nought and God to shew that Job served him without any such respect of present reward took away all that he had and so made the patence of that holy man appear So Abel served not God for a temporall reward he was as willing to sacrifice himself as the lambe which he offered so is it with all godly Saints The Apostle St. Paul cared not for his life so he might finish his course with joy Acts the twentieth chapter Note Gods favour better than life They esteeme more of Gods favour than of life Psalm the sixty third And therefore Abel said with himself I will rather forgoe my life than not offer to God such a sacrifice as should please him Whereby we see Gods end in depriving of the godly of outward blessings that it is to try their patience and though they dye yet death is to them no losse but advantage as it is in the first chapter to the Philippians For if Abel for long life on earth have eternall life in heaven he hath no wrong done him if for a life of vanity as Abel's was God give him a life of verity he hath no injury offered him But God performeth his promise of long life much better than if he suffered them to continue long in the flesh for no man liveth so long but his life shall have an end nihil est longum quod finem habet If in stead of vanity and sorrow he have happinesse and glorie he hath no cause to complain Besides the Righteous though they dye never so soon yet they shall be had in everlasting remembrance as it is in the one hundred twelfth Psalm And the memoriall of the just is blessed in the tenth chapter of the Proverbs No man but would wish to be in Abels case to enjoy everlasting happinesse in heaven and to be praised of men on earth If the husbandman bruise the grape on purpose to make wine for the comfort of the people they have no cause to complain of his dealing so we are not to murmur at Abel's death that being a righteous man yet he enjoyeth not the promise of long life for he is made our example as the Apostle saith in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews Abel defunctus loquitur But what is that which he speaketh Noli aemulari That which Abel saith is Fret not thy self because thou enjoyest not the outward blessings which the wicked have It was my case saith Abel I served God carefully yet I lived not long upon the earth I offered unto God of the fattest of my sheep whereby God was pleased and yet was for that and for no other cause hated of the world Propter 〈◊〉 non solum odium fratris sustinui sed etiam mortem as I have done so doe you This is the juice that is given us to drink out of the example of righteous Abel Quamobrem dixit Jehova Kajino Vbi est Hebel frater tuus qui dixit Non novi An custos ego sum fratris mei Gen. 4. 9. August 12. 1599. THat the death of Gods Saints is pretious in his sight Psalm the one hundred and sixteenth and the fifteenth verse it appeares as by many other arguments so by this that he maketh inquisition for their blood Psalm the ninth for at this verse God begins to hold a judgment concerning the wicked and unnaturall fact of Cain in murthering Abel which judgment is continued to the sixteenth verse for the ninth conteins an Inquiry or Examination the tenth a Conviction of Cain the eleventh and twelfth the Sentence is pronounced upon him in the thirteenth and fourteenth he is permitted to say what he can for himself in the fifteenth is set down his repriving or mitigation of his punishment But before we proceed we must call to minde that this is the second judgment which God held The first was held upon our Parents in Paradise Genesis the third chapter This second is held upon Cain out of Paradise from whence we gather that albeit man was now cast out of Paradise yet not out of the compass of Gods providence for as the Apostle saith Though we beleeve not yet he is faithfull and cannot deny himself in the second to Timothy and the second chapter so whether we be in Gods favour or out of it yet his providence extendeth to us which providence of God hath appeared in nothing so much as in the discoverie of blood Cain not out of the reach of Gods providence for albeit Cain were out of Paradise yet he was not out of the reach of Gods providence so far but God knew well the murther which he committed and therefore calls him to account for it and many such testimonies doth God daily shew of his providence in the discovery of bloodshed which make men confess verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Psalm the fifty eighth Secondly from hence we are to note that whereas the first Judgment in Paradise was for an offence committed immediately against God himself and this for an offence done to man so his will is that justice shall proceed not only for trespasses done against himself but when we offend one against another Note Therefore in the Commandements of the Law God hath allowed one Table to himself and another to man to teach us that he will call us to account not only for the breach of faith towards himself as he did Adam and Eve but for breach of charity one man towards another as Cain for the sinne he committed against his brother The point it self is a citation or conventing of Cain by God before his Judgment Seat not by any secret or inward working of his spirit which is the usuall way whereby God worketh repentance in mens hearts but with his own audible voice from heaven Out of which is offered both matter of comfort to Gods Saints which are the posteritie of Abel by imitation and also matter of terror to the
of every man even of every beast in as much as he hath first taught beasts to kill men by his own confession it is just that as the Prophet speaks Micah the seventh chapter and the fift verse The Wife of his bosome and the Children of his loyns shall break the bonds of nature with him as he before hath thewed himself unnaturall to his brother And this is a great part of Cains punishment that albeit there be none to kill him yet he shall be in continuall fear of death that a man shall not only fear Gods threatning but his own fancy that he shall fear not one but every one that meets him as if every one knew his fault that he shall fear not only where there is cause of fear as wilde beasts but tuta timere and this is a part of Gods curse that God will send faintness into their hearts so as they shall be afraid at the shaking of a leaf Leviticus the twenty sixt chapter and the thirty sixt verse at every shadow as the Midianites were of their dreams Judges the seventh chapter and at every noise and rumor in the second of the Kings the seventh chapter and the sixt verse These feares are great punishments and arguments of a guilty conscience and this sheweth that albeit wickedness be secret yet it will not suffer a man to be quiet Wherein we are to observe how Cain de scribeth the state of them that are out of Gods favour and cast from his presence that they fear either no fear as Psalm the fifty 〈◊〉 If the Prince frown upon a man there is no hope of favour any where else so if God be once offended so that a man despair of his favour he will fear every creature the starres of heaven fought against Sisera Judges the fift chapter and the twentieth verse The stones in the street will cease to be in league and peace with him Job the fift chapter therefore when God saith quaerite faciem meam Psalm the twenty seventh our soul must answer thy face Lord will I seek For if we seek the Lord our God we shall finde him Deuteronomie the fourth chapter and the twenty ninth verse and that is so necessary that the People say If thy presence goe not with us carry us not hence Exodus the thirty third chapter and the Prophet speaketh Cast me not from thy presence Psalm the fifty first for without the assurance of Gods favour and protection we shall fear every shadow every noise that we hear Secondly Cain in these words sheweth what was his chief fear and what did most grieve him that was that he should die not the death of the soul but the bodily death by the hand of man he feares the shadow of death but not the body of death as the Apostle speaks Romans the seventh chapter but eternall death is that which he should have feared most of all for it hath a body and shall be found though the bodily death is often sought and cannot be found Job the third wherein Cain shewes what he is that is animalis homo in the first to the Corinthians the second chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phillippians the third chapter not having the spirit so was Saul afflicted in the first of Samuel the fifteenth chapter Honour me before the people he respected worldly honour more than Gods favour whereupon saith Augustine quid tibi honoratio haec proderit miser If 〈◊〉 death fall upon Cain what shall it profit him to live on earth but this sheweth plainly that the life of the body was Cains chief felicity and that the greatest grief he had was for the death of the body as if he should say let me live though it be but in fear and sorrow This is the affection of flesh and blood as the Devill saith of Job Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Job the second chapter that is so long as life is not taken away man is well This being Cains complaint it is an implied petition and the request is Quasi pro magno beneficio ut non 〈◊〉 which request may be well uttered if it be rightly taken for not only the wicked feare death but the godly say themselves we sigh and would not be uncloathed but cloathed upon in the second to the Corinthians the fift chapter they would passe to immortality without the dissolution of the body and soul. That prayer for life is well if it be for a good end as Hezekiah praieth he may live to the end he may bewaile his sinnes in the 〈◊〉 of his soul Isaiah the thirty eighth chapter repentance is the end that he sets David saith I will not die but live and praise the Lord Psalm the one hundred and eighteenth the Apostle Paul albeit in regard of himself he desires to be dissolved yet because it is profitable for the Church that he should still remain in the flesh he desires to live Philippians the first chapter and the twenty second verse so life may be sought if it be for this end to doe good but if our end be the escaping of death for a time the case is otherwise Touching the end of Cain's desire It may be he 〈◊〉 life that he might repent and praise God and doe good for charity 〈◊〉 the best in the first epistle to the Corinthians and the thirteenth chapter But we see what doth continually vex Cain and all the wicked that is the doubt of the forgivenesse of sinne which is the worm of the spirit and a continuall fear of death which they know they have deserved at the hands of all Gods creatures Dixit verò Jehova illi Propterea quisquis interfecerit Kajinum septuplo vindicator imposuit Jehova Kajino signum ne eum caederet ullus qui foret inventurus eum Gen. 4. 15. Septemb. 26. 1599. CAINS chief complaint and petition therein implied was handled verse the fourteenth This verse contains Gods answer which is a yeelding or granting to that petition of his and that effectuall for God provideth for the safety of Cain's life not only by his word and command but by a visible mark which he set upon Cain Wherein we are generally to observe First That as the Prophet tels us in the one hundred and tenth Psalme God dealeth not with any sinner according to his sinnes and deserts for if God did not in wrath remember mercy 〈◊〉 the third chapter he should not in justice have suffered Cain to open his mouth for it is just that he which turneth away his car from hearing the law when he prayeth should not be heard Proverbs the twenty eighth chapter and the ninth verse That he which will not hear Gods Prachers shall not be heard of God when he prayeth And the Lord in the Propher saith more plainly in the second chapter of Zechary and the thirteenth verse that as he by his Prophets cried unto the people and they would not
Thirdly In this proceeding of Gods councell and wisedome if neither of these take place that neither Cain himself nor others are the better for this mitigation yet as the Woman said in the second of Samuel the fourteenth chapter that albeit one of her Sons had slain the other yet she would not be deprived of him that was alive for that she was willing that her husbands name and 〈◊〉 should continue upon earth so it stood with Adam he had two Sonnes whereof the one was the bane of the other and albeit Cain deserved to die presently yet God doth not so consider the greatness of his sinne that he will forget the nature of man which himself had created and therefore as well to preserve mankinde as to shew that godly posterity is not hereditarie he suffers Cain yet to live For as Adam had a Cain so from Cain who was that evill one in the first epistle of John the third chapter Gods purpose was to derive such as should pertain to the Covenant Of one and the same Parents Gods will is one shall be born after the flesh another after the spirit and he that is born after the flesh shall persecute him that is born after the spirit Galatians the fourth chapter and the twenty ninth verse As we say of his wisedome so it stands not with Gods justice that whosoever findes a Malefactor shall kill him for God doth plainly expresse his will that a Murtherer being worthy of death in himself for all that shall not be murthered of every one Therefore God saith whosoever shall presume of himself to kill Cain though it be with this pretence that he is a murtherer shall be punished seven fold for it is not in every mans power 〈…〉 If any man have committed a crime the Judge shall see whether he be worthy of death and as the Judge shall judge him so shall he be punished Deuteronomie the twenty 〈◊〉 chapter Exodus the twenty second chapter The Magistrate being Gods Ordinance Romans the thirteenth chapter hath power to put a murther to death for he hath the Sword committed unto him for that end But he that taketh up the Sword shall perish by the Sword Matthew the twenty sixt chapter For if every one that findeth a mans 〈◊〉 might kill him it would soon root out all mankinde And that this inconvenience should not fall out God takes order that every man shall not doe that to Cain which Cain hath done to Abel no man may kill a Murtherer unless he have authority committed unto him for that end That is for his sparing The second point is for the punishment of him that transgresseth thus that is he shall be punished seven fold It is strange that be which kills a murtherer shall have a more grievous punishment than he The number of seven is numerus complens hebdomidem therefore by the 〈◊〉 punishment Gods meaning is that he will lay a compleat and consummate punishment upon such a party but howsoever it seem strange yet it is justice for that as God will not have him spared whom he condemns to death as Saul spared Agag in the first of Samuel the fifteenth chapter nor let him goe whom he hath appointed to die in the first of Kings the twentieth chapter and the fourty second verse so it is a grievous sinne to kill him whom God will have spared and this is it which makes the sin of such a party grievous besides the consideration of Gods wrath against them that doe addere afflictiones afflicto Zechariah the first chapter and the fifteenth verse God saith he will be 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 that help forward the affliction of them with whom he was a little angry and therefore such a one shall not escape but before plagued and the Prophet saith the Lord will not judge and condemn a man twice for one fault Nahum the first chapter and the ninth verse Such a man committeth a sinne more grievous than Cains sinne in two respects First Cain transgressed only the Law of nature written in his heart but the other transgresseth not only the naturall Law but Gods express Command who gave order that no man should of himself presume to kill Cain Secondly It is more grievous in that he maketh Cains example a warrant to commit murther but God saith he must not doe so for if a man seeing Cain punished for his sinne shall notwithstanding sinne as he hath done he addeth to his transgression and must therefore have a greater punishment than Cain From those two parts already handled we may gather that to those that sit as Judges in Gods place there is left a power of life and death a power to crucifie and a power to let loose as Pilate said to Christ John the 19th chapter verse the tenth that they have power both to mittigate and to abrogate the punishment of Offenders For the first David was fain of necessity to forbear Joab being himself weak and old and to delay his punishment when he had murthered Abner and Amasa men more righteous and better than he till Salomon his sonne was established in the first of Kings and the second chapter But the reason why Cain's punishment is delayed is not any forbearance of necessity but because the lengthning of his punishment is a better means to restrain men from the like sinne than if he had at once been punished with death For this cause the Prophet saith Psalm the fifty ninth and the eleventh verse Slay them not least my people forget it but scatter them abroad by thy power It is magis ad bonum publicum that the Offenders be spared If Cains life had been presently taken away it might have been doubted whether Cain had ever committed any such sinne or no or if they did beleeve it yet they might soon forget the punishment laid upon him therefore God thought it better he should be spared that others seeing Cain live in continuall miserie might take occasion to inquire what he hath done that understanding the cause of his miserie they may be warned to avoid his sinne Secondly From hence is grounded the aggravation of punishments so that where thest is ordinarily punished with four fold restitution Exodus the twenty second chapter He that stealeth a poor mans sheep that hath no more is by Davids judgment the child of death in the second book of Samuel the twelfth chapter he that finneth upon contempt of Gods command and not of any necessity as he that gathereth sticks upon the Sabbath day Numbers the fifteenth chapter such a one is more grievously to be punished When the party offended will have a man spared then to kill him contrary to his command is a sinne that deserves extraordinary punishment for mensura peccati is that which brings us unto plagarum modus Deuteronomie the the twenty fifth chapter and the second verse Cain being warned from the law of nature kills his Brother and therefore deserves punishment but he that being warned
from Gods own mouth kils Cain doth deserve a more great punishment But lest any should excuse themselves with ignorance therefore that notice may be taken of Cain God sets a mark upon Cain Signum in Cain fecit Cain insignum This mark gives all men occasion to inquire who he is that so they may be put in minde to hold their hands from off Cain forasmuch as God will not have him to be killed by any man There are two sorts of signes There is Signum in bonum Psalme the eighty sixth sbew us some signe for good Such a signe or mark was the letter 〈◊〉 set in the foreheads of them that 〈◊〉 and cryed for the 〈◊〉 that were done by the which God deliered them from the destruction of the City Ezekiel the ninth chapter and the fourth verse But Cain's mark is Signum in malum The Fathers usually distinguish them into these two Signum annuli such a mark as Christ had set upon him in the sixt chapter of John Him hath God the Father sealed And signum cauterii in the first epistle to Timothie the fourth chapter and the first verse the signe of a brand This figne or mark set upon Cain was outward and visible to the end that he might be discerned from all other men What was Cain's mark Basil 〈◊〉 us when he saith that it is the rednesse of the eyes Proverbs the twenty third chapter and 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 such as 〈◊〉 have 〈◊〉 of whom he saith that they put on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But whatsoever it were it is some evident token whereby all 〈◊〉 might see that Cain was not in such good case as he should 〈◊〉 And upon whomsoever God hath set any outward mark it is not in vain But the fetting of marks in the forehead or hands of malefactors hath a ground from Gods practise The use of them is to teach them that albeit they be suffered to live yet they are unworthy of life Such are marks of admonition both to themselves and to others they give occasion to inquire How come these 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 bands Zechary the thirteenth chapter and the sixth verse To the parties themselves such marks 〈◊〉 for conversion that their 〈…〉 with shame Psalm the eighty third for the remembrance of that which they have deserved they may be stirred up to amend their lives and it 〈◊〉 others so to live that they deserve not to be marked in like sort This use the Apostle makes in the second to the Thessalonians the third chapter and the fourteenth verse If any obey not our sayings note him and have no company with him 〈◊〉 he may be ashamed Such marks in others will make men heedfull that they deserve not to be marked To conclude we see Cain is spared but yet so that he carryeth still his sentence and mark Two invisible things of God remain that is his justice and mercy and both that they may move him to repentance but if they prevail not yet he hath a visible sign to admonish him that he repent that so the evill sign may be taken from him and there may be restored to him a 〈◊〉 for good 〈◊〉 is the sign of Gods seal in the second to the 〈◊〉 the seventeenth chapter and the twenty second verse whereby we are 〈…〉 the day of redemption 〈◊〉 the fourth chapter 〈◊〉 〈…〉 to live and so God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 may live Genesis the seven 〈…〉 and the eighteenth 〈◊〉 But the promise of this 〈◊〉 life such as 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 obtained was not 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 the sixt chapter and the second verse The 〈…〉 hath root in 〈◊〉 it standeth in the bruising of the 〈◊〉 head If by life we procure to our selves the death of 〈◊〉 and make our selves partakers of the divine nature then the promise of such a life is to be desired but if life be used as Cain spent his it is better to die without Cains mark than to live with it Egressus itaque est Kajin à facie Jehovae consedit in terra Nodi ad Orientem Hedenem versus Gen. 4. 16. Septemb. 23. 1599. WE now come to the last part of the History of Cain for in this verse we have his departure from the presence of God and in the next his purpose never to return again The contents of this verse are his departure Gods purpose as we have heard both in Cains punishment as also by granting him so much as he required in the last verse was to give Cain space to repent and yet not withstanding we see plainly that is verified in Cain which the Prophet affirmeth Isaiah the twenty sixt chapter and the tenth verse Let mercy be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousness For Cain instead of using the goodness and patience and long suffering of God as a means to bring him to repentance Hardned his heart and heaped up wrath for himself against the day of wrath Romans the second chapter and the fift verse This departing of Cain stands upon three parts First his removing he went out Secondly terminus a quo that is from the presence of God Thirdly terminus ad quem that is the land of Nod. Touching the first there is a going out upon distrust when a man hath no hope of favour and another upon contempt when a man thinks he shall have no benefit of tarrying Of which the better is that going out which is upon distrust but so could not Cain goe out for as well by Gods mercifull dealing towards Cain before the sentence was pronounced as also by the gracious grant which God made him he might gather that God was well affected towards him For as the wife of Manoah saith Judges the thirteenth chapter and the twenty third verse If the Lord would kill us he would not receive a burnt offering at our hands so God would not have heard Cains request had he not wished him well And therefore Austin upon the words of David Psalm the sixty sixt and twentieth verse saith quamdiu dominus non amovet orationem a se 〈◊〉 non amovet misericordiam a nobis for that yeelding to Cains request touching his life was an invitation to stir up Cain to desire more Therefore Cain should not have gone out so soon as his suit was heard but still have continued praying to God for more and better things as Abraham Genesis the eighteenth chapter hearing that God at his request was contented to spare Sodom for fifties sake prayeth still in the behalf of the City adding one petition after another Which course the Prophet keepeth in his prayer Psalm the fifty first Cast me not from thy presence neither take thy holy spirit from me Though he durst not pray himself being a sinner yet by others as Miriam by Moses Numbers the tweelfth chapter Pharaoh by Moses and Aron Exodus the ninth chapter and the twenty eighth verse so should Cain have done but in as much as
disorder but Melchisedek who stayed in the presence of God had Salem for his land The reason of this is as Augustine saith because God made the soul of man for himself inquietum est cor nostrum 〈◊〉 requiescit in Deo we may finde the skirts of Eden and obtain some delight for a time in this life but we cannot 〈◊〉 to any perfect pleasute for as the Wise-man saith risus dolore miscetur extrema 〈…〉 occupat Proverbs the fourteenth chapter therefore the Prophet saith Micah 2. 10. surgite non est hîc requies vestra and the Apostle 〈◊〉 with him Hebrewes the thirteenth chapter non habemâ—…s hîc manentem civitatem therefore let us goe out with Christ. Thus the imperfection of our happiness in this life and the continuall fear of death doth take from us all rest and this proceedeth from the want of Gods presence It remaineth then that he which will finde rest doe seek Gods face and presence Psalm the twenty seventh and the eighth verse for seek God and then your soul shall live Psalm the sixty ninth If our departure from the 〈◊〉 of God be not as Cains was that is of contempt yet it is like Judas which went out of distrust The issue of Cains departure was a radious life full of trouble and fear and the going out of Judas was miserie or death Such shall be the issue of those that either of contempt or distrust fall away from God the pleasure that they shall have in this life is but momentary and 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 inquieta voluptas Ecclesiastes the second chapter the desire of that which they want and the fear of death which is alwayes at 〈◊〉 doth not suffer them to take rest therefore if we will have rest we must goe to Peniel and Salem there we shall have both rest and 〈◊〉 and this is done by prayer when we say with David Psalm the fifty first Cast me not from thy presence If of our selves we 〈◊〉 our of his presence we must goe to some valley to 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 〈◊〉 did so we shall be received of God for God being 〈…〉 and majesty is able both to give us our hearts desire and to deliver our souls from death Et cognovit Kajin uxorem suam quae concepit peperit Chanocum quamobrem studebat edificare civitatem vocavit nomen civitatis illius de nomine filit sui Chanoc Gen. 4. 17. Septemb. 30. 1599. ALbeit Cain departed from the presence of God and seated himself in a Land as neer Eden as he could yet his departure is not altogether desperate because he may return again for so both the Prophet in the old Testament sheweth that the Church of the Jewes having departed from her first husband and seeing the invonvenience of it resolved to return again Hosea the second chapter and our Saviour in the New tells us that the Sonne which forsook his Father after when he felt some affliction was glad to come to him again Luke the fifteenth chapter and so may Cain come again for as Eden that is pleasure is the thing that perswades men to depart from their allegiance in the service of God so the place whither they goe that is the Land of Nod being a Land of trouble and unquietness may perswade them to return to God again A fair proffer indeed is made to draw men from Gods presence and to commit sinne in as much as it offereth pleasure but when they have seated themselves a little even as neer Eden as they can they shall finde themselves in the Land of Nod that is they shall feel nothing within but unquietness of conscience and without fear and trouble so as they shall have inducements sufficient to make them return Salomon the pearless example of all those that might have enjoyed pleasure if it had been to be found who was greater than any King that ever was before him set himself to plant himself as neer Eden as he could he denyed his Soul nothing that it desired and yet he confesseth that when he had built him Houses and planted Orchards he found nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit Ecclesiastes the second chapter and the eleventh verse that is his desire was never satisfied and for the attaining of that which he had he endured vexation and trouble As Cain had his arguments perswading him to make triall of the Land of Nod so when he was there his trouble and unquietness were sufficient reasons to make him return to God but we see he had no minde to return for having disjoyned himself from Gods presence he built a City which is a plain argument of not returning as the people in captivity to let them know they shall not return of a long time are commanded to build Houses Jeremiah the twenty ninth chapter and the Children of God were content to dwell in Tents they built not Cities on earth but sought for a City whose builder is God Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the ninth verse which was a plain token that they did not minde to dwell on earth as Freeholders but to continue for a time looking for a City that hath a foundation but Cain not minding to return to God built a City in the land of Nod and this is the complement of his sinne first in departing from Gods presence then in planting himself so as he purposed not to return The parts are three the propagation of Children the building of a City and the denomination of both wherein we see Cain conveyeth to his Sonne the great Joynture of the world to be Henoch of Henoch To have Children is a matter of the flesh to build 〈◊〉 is a matter of the world for the flesh departing from the 〈…〉 in the world The naming of the City after his Sons name is a fruit and effect of the pride of his heart 〈◊〉 like to those that said 〈◊〉 nob is nomen Genesis the eleventh chapter Touching the first we are to insist upon four things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wife Secondly his knowledge Thirdly her conception Fourthly the giving of the name Concerning the Wife of Cain it cannot be otherwise but she was one of the daughters of Adam whose Sonne Cain himself was and for him to take his Sister to be his Wise is a thing unlawfull saving that as Christ sheweth that which of it 〈◊〉 is unlawfull on the Sabbath by necessity is made lawfull nam quod in 〈◊〉 non est necessitas facit licitum as Christ sheweth by the example of David and his men that his 〈◊〉 offended not in pulling the 〈◊〉 of corn on the Sabbath in regard of their necessity Matthew the twelfth chapter no more than David offended when being hungrie he went into the house of God and did eat the 〈◊〉 bread which none may eat but the Priests in the first of Samuel the twenty first chapter That which was Davids case at Nob is Cains case in the land of Nod. A man may not
therefore they would have another seed like the starres of heaven such as should have their conversation in heaven it is that which the Prophet tells us there is semen nequam Isaiah the first chapter that is a naughty and corrupt seed such was the seed of Cain and there is semen sanctum Isaiah the sixt chapter such a seed was it that Adam desired Cain was a naughty seed but they would have a holy seed for there is not only good seed but tares as Christ sheweth Matthew the thirteenth chapter Such is the difference that is in seeds A holy seed is such as shall sinne but yet shall not doe sinne in the first epistle of John the third chapter that is not operarius iniquitatis Matthew the seventh chapter because the seed of God is in them but they that sell themselves to all manner of sinne are the corrupt seed such as power out themselves to all wickedness because they have not the seed of God in them but the Serpents seed of whom it may be said verò ex patre Diabilo estis John the eighth chapter Fiftly This other seed might be another seed yet not like Abel that is a seed more civill and temperate in the course of this life than Cain was and his posterity but they desire a seed for Abel that is such another seed as Abel was They desire a Child not simply but pro Abele that is such a Child in whom they may finde the spirit of Abel that they might say here is another Abel that though Abel be taken off yet there might another like Abel be ingraffed The last point is in these words For Abel whom Cain 〈◊〉 There were many things that Cain could endure well enough in Abel but the cause why he 〈◊〉 him was for that he had a desire to please God and to sacrifice to him in the best 〈…〉 could his desire was to offer plurimam hostiam 〈◊〉 the eleventh chapter and the fourth verse that is a Sacrifice that should be in 〈◊〉 more and in quality de 〈◊〉 of the best of his sheep so they would not only have one religious as Abel but one that should be opposite to Cain and as it were the Heir of Abels 〈◊〉 one that might accomplish that which was lacking on Abels part in the first to the Thessalonians the third chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse 〈◊〉 as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him 〈◊〉 was born after the spirit Galatians the fourth chapter so they might have one to maintain his quarrel and might uphold that holy seed Concerning which as God hath a purpose that the patience of his Saints should appear Romans the ninteenth chapter 〈…〉 patientia Sanctorum for which cause he suffers Abel to be 〈◊〉 so he will have his providence appear too and therefore he sets up Seth so as Tubal-Cain with all his armor shall not remove him So we see in every of these words there is a power They would have this other seed like Abel in all things saving in this that Abel was but shewed only to the world but they would have Seth a permanent seed So doth God make the distinction between his Saints to some he saith as to Peter John the twenty first chapter Follow me that by thy death thou maist glorifie me Of others he saith as of John the Evangelist I will have thee tarry still that is he will have some Saints to be 〈◊〉 as Peter and others he would have to live out all the dayes of their life as John the Evangelist and John that dieth in Domino is no less blessed 〈◊〉 Peter that dieth pro Domino So 〈◊〉 he would have Abel 〈◊〉 taken a way and 〈◊〉 to live out the course of nature yet the one is no lesse acceptable to him than the other Lastly These words contain a plain 〈◊〉 of Eve not only in regard of her stile for of Cain she said I have obtained a man of the Lord but of Seth Deus posuit The one is 〈◊〉 Evae the other positio Del. But in regard of that account which now she makes of Cain Why should not Cain be still her Jewell as before for he lives still and hath a great and mighty seed She faith the cares not 〈◊〉 him for that he is cut off from Gods Church a stranger from the promises of God And as for Abel whom before she 〈…〉 now she desires one like him though he should be 〈…〉 Abel 〈◊〉 So she condemnes her self for having so great a 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome at last is justified of her Children For a time 〈◊〉 〈…〉 accounted of but at last Abel shall be found to be 〈…〉 case Out of which we see that which the Prophet 〈◊〉 That men must not make too much 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 Isay 〈◊〉 twenty 〈◊〉 chapter if the Lord 〈◊〉 and come not so soon as we 〈◊〉 we must wait and he that 〈◊〉 will come Hebrews the second chapter Give not over if Abel be lost God will provide another seed Secondly We see here the propriety of the Church it is a thing set as the Prophet speakes in the twenty eighth chapter of Isaiah I will lay a Stone in Sion a chief corner Stone upon which Stone the Church is built so as the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Matthew the sixteenth chapter Therefore the Apostle saith Colossians the first chapter the faithfull are radicati fundati in fide whereupon it followeth that as God himself is from everlasting and world without end Psalm the nintieth so he will be with his Church to the end of the world Matthew the eighteenth chapter so we see there is a reward for the righteous though he were killed touching the body yet he lives still in heaven And now in as much as there is one like Abel he revives in earth and so he hath his reward in heaven and earth Howsoever before Cain was preferred before Abel yet now by the testimony of Adam and Eve is counted one not worthy the ground that he treads upon but Abel is acknowledged to be a great blessing and therefore hath his desire one like him Sed ipsi Schetho genitus est filius cujus nomen vocavit Enoschum tunc coeptum est invocari nomen Jehovae Gen. 4. 26. Februar 17. 1599. YOU see here that albeit Moses might have deferred these two verses to the next chapter wherein he drawes down the genealogie of the godly seed yet he could not contain himself but before he concludes this chapter he will make some mention of some that regard the worship of God as well to shew that God did not clean forget his promise and his people as also that he might counterpoise the evill of the wicked that went before as last of all that he might make a good conclusion that as he had a good beginning in Abels oblation so he might end it well in the invocation of Enosh and he doth end
any pains nor fear any danger to obtein the bread that endureth for ever In other things of this life we doe not only desire that which seemeth good to us but we seek for it till we have it So the Prophet speaks Cupiunt rapiunt Michah the second chapter and the second verse So we must not only desire the Kingdome of God but must violently seek after it for The Kingdome of God suffereth violence Matthew the eleventh chapter Secondly this word labor is opposed to seeking for Christ saith here Matthew the sixt chapter Seek the Kingdome of God but labor for the meat that endureth This labor is that work of God which is ascribed to faith John the sixt chapter by which we labor for the bread of life we must use an excessive kinde of labor in this work of God for that to labor for the bread of life is no bodily labor and therefore we must work for it earnestly for cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Jeremiah the fourty eight chapter Therefore when Christ pronounceth them blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse he commands us not only to seek and desire it in our hearts but to hunger for it as we doe for the food of our bodies Matthew the fifth chapter and as he commands us to doe so so he hath left us his example for as it becomes him to fulfill all righteousnesse so he protesteth that it was his meat and drink to doe the will of him that sent him John the fourth chapter so did Mary earnestly labor for the meat that perisheth not when she was sitting at the feet of Jesus for though her sister called upon her to help her yet nothing could draw her from this spirituall labor Luke the tenth chapter and the fourty second verse So did the people labor that pressed to hear Christ Luke the eighth chapter they laid violence to the Kingdome of God as also they that hearing Paul preach would needs have him preach the same thing again to them and for that end came together in great companies to hear the next Sabbath Acts the thirteenth chapter If we thus seek the bread of life striving and wrastling with God in our praiers as Jacob did with the Angell then we doe indeed labor for it as Christ willeth us to doe The second sense of laboring is that we must labor for this bread more than for the other and not at all for the other in comparison of this All grant that we must labor for the bread of life but not for it more than for that which nourisheth this life we must observe in what manner we ought to labour as well as that we are to labour for the excessive desire of this life makes us defective in the desire of the life to come The desire of this life is not oppofice but subordinate to the desires of the life to come But we must desire this life so farre as it may further us to the other life Some doe make this life the end of all their desires and doe heap up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath 〈◊〉 the second chapter But the care and indeavor of the Saints of God is that in this life they may lay up for themselves a good 〈◊〉 for the life to come the first epistle to 〈◊〉 the sixt chapter Men are bound to be carefull to make honest provision for this life and not to be idle and burdensome to the earth For when Christ willeth us not to be carefull for this life yet from the example of birds we may learn that we must not be negligent for they are made to flie as it is in the Provarbs And so we are by Gods appointment to provide for our maintenance in this life Matthew the sixt chapter When Christ saith We shall give account for every idle word he means we shall be called to account That we have not spoken the good words that we ought Matthew the twelfth chapter The Apostle 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 stote to steal no more but to labour Ephesians the fourth chapter and the twenty eighth verse The reason is that for want of labouring in some honest calling for our outward maintenance we shall fall to poverty and Poverty will make us steal and use unlawfull means Proverbs the thirty chapter Though a man were able to live without labouring yet remembring Gods sentence that we 〈◊〉 eat in the sweat of our faces we shall say 〈◊〉 tram Domini 〈◊〉 the seventh chapter and the ninth verse And that made the Apostle say That if any will not labour let him not eate the second epistle to the 〈◊〉 and the third chapter And the blessed man shall 〈◊〉 of the labour of his hands Psalme one hundred twenty eighth Thus we are to provide for this life But if comparison be made we are to labour more for the life to come and for the food that belongeth to the maintenance of it It were a thing hard enough for us if Christ should command us to labour for the heavenly food as we doe for the earthly but yet it is necessary that as the soul is more excellent than the body so we should be more carefull to maintain the life of the soul than of the body The excellency of the soul made the learned Philosophers to 〈◊〉 from many bodily pleasures which otherwise they could not have forborn but that they knew the life and felicity of the soul is 〈◊〉 better than all the profits and pleasures of this life Of the good things of this life Christ saith What shall it profit a man to 〈◊〉 the whole world and lose his own 〈◊〉 Matthew the sixteenth chapter So we are to seek the good of the next life rather than of this Touching our defence from bodily miseries Christ saith 〈◊〉 not him that 〈◊〉 kill the body and not the soul but he that can kill 〈…〉 Matthew the tenth chapter that is if he that 〈◊〉 not a due care to provide for the soul rather than for the body Some use the soul is if it were to serve the body whereas the body ought to serve it But seeing our body is Corpus mortis Romans the seventh chapter because either it shall be destroyed by death or while it liveth is under the dominion of death Romans the sixt chapter Therefore whatsoever care is bestowed upon the body shall perish with it for they that sow to the flesh as it is corruptible shall reap corruption but as the spirit is immortal so they that sow to it shal reap immortality and life ever lasting Galatians the sixt chapter The good estate of the body will not make the soul the better but rather the worse but the souls estate being provided for the body shall be farre the better If we seek Gods Kingdom first then that care will cause all other things to be added Matthew the sixt chapter If our conversation be in Heaven it shall cause our
bodies that are corruptible to become glorious Philippians the third chapter and the twenty first verse If in this life we keep our selves from the filthinesse and pollution of worldly and carnal lusts our bodies shall be glorious after death therefore we are to be more careful for the soul than for the body Of this life Job saith It is but short Job the fourteenth chapter It is like a vapour that suddenly ariseth and vanisheth away James the fourth chapter It is as grasse the first epistle of Peter and the first chapter And it standeth not in the aboundance of riches that man hath Luke the twelfth chapter Man walks in a shadow and disquiets himself in vain Psalm the thirty ninth He is every moment subject to death and howsoever death it looks a young man in the face as it doth old men yet it is as neer to him while it stands close to the other Therefore the Wise man saith All the cares of this life are but vanity and vexation of spirit And howsoever while we are in our joyes drunk with the pleasure of the world as Naball the first epistle of Samuel and the twenty fift chapter So that though we be wounded we feel it not like the drunkard Proverbs the twenty third chapter Though we have not grace to say Quid prodest totum mundum lucrari Matthew the sixteenth chapter yet when it is too late we shall say What hath it 〈◊〉 us to have enjoyed the pleasures of this life Sapi. 5. The life to come is void of all misery and torment There is the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore Psalme the sixteenth But all the pleasure and profits of this life if it were possible to possesse them all are not answerable to the joyes of the life to come With which present pleasures are joyned many griefs and torments If a man be never so rich or humble diseased or afflicted it will marre all his joyes But all the afflictions of this life are not comparable to the future glory Romans the eighth that shall be revealed which swallows up all our troubles that we suffer here because it is hard to root out of mens hearts the cares of this life and Christ doth not forbid them altogether to be carelesse But first seek the kingdom of God and all things else shall be cast upon you Matthew the sixt chapter If ye neglect earthly things for heavenly you shall not only obtain heavenly things but earthly things withall If we only seek bodily things and not heavenly we shall want both But if we seek for the soul we shall have things necessary for the body for the Lord 〈◊〉 said I will not for sake thee Hebrews the thirteenth chapter And David affureth himself that because the Lord is his 〈◊〉 he shall want nothing Psalm the twenty third If Salomon ask not riches nor honour but wisdome he shall have not only wisdome but riches honour and all other things the first book of Kings the third chapter the seeking of things pertaining to this life 〈◊〉 the care of the life to come but the seeking of Gods kingdom includes the care of all other things The 〈◊〉 that it is Christ the sonne of man that gives us this bread of life Muerial bread is the effect of Creatures but the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 is the effect of the redemption But seeing all things were made by Christ John the first chapter therefore it is Christ that gives us both eartnly and heavealy bread Christ made 〈◊〉 materiall bread of nothing but this bread he maketh of himself the one he made 〈◊〉 but the other cost him the shedding of his 〈◊〉 His flesh simply is not bread but his flesh 〈◊〉 for us caro 〈◊〉 prodest John sixth chapter the bread that perisheth and all the works of the Creation he performed in six dayes but the bread of life was not made but during the whole space of his life upon earth The six point is where the bread is to be found touching which he saith say not with thy heart who shall goe up to heaven to fetch this bread nor 〈◊〉 down to hell komans the tenth chapter and the sixth verse It is the Sonne of man that gives it for God the Father hath sealed him for this end In which words we have First a 〈◊〉 Secondly an Affirmation The direction hath a Correction for we think we deserve it by seeking and labouring for it For Christ tells us it is not to be had except the Sonne of man give 〈◊〉 Christ gives us the bread of life three wayes First When he gives his flesh to be crucified for us in his 〈◊〉 for in death only it 〈◊〉 power to quicken us into eternal life as the Apostle witnesseth By death he did destroy him that had the power of death Hebrews the second chapter In thy favour is life Psalme the thirtieth But we are brought into Gods favour no otherwise but by the death of his Sonne Romans the fift chapter So that by his death we obtain life By the sacrifice of himself he hath done away our 〈◊〉 Hebrems the ninth chapter Secondly he gives us the bread of life in the sacrament his flesh is made bread for us in his passion when he dyed but is given and applyed to us in the Supper The expiation for sinnes was once performed upon the Crosse By one sacrifice hath he perfected for ever Hebrews the tenth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse But 〈…〉 is often applyed to us in the 〈◊〉 Thirdly where as there are two 〈◊〉 of giving offert and confert he gives us this bread when he doth not only 〈◊〉 it unto us but makes us 〈◊〉 it If we 〈◊〉 hold of the bread by faith which is the work of God and 〈◊〉 that he is the food of our souls then 〈◊〉 will give us it and make us partakers of 〈◊〉 as Christ saith This is the 〈◊〉 That light came into the world and ye loved darknesse rather than light John the third chapter So it shall be our condemna ion if God doe only offer us the bread of life and doe not withall give us it and make us to receive it All bodily meats being a power nutritive but profit 〈◊〉 except they be a power digestive So though the body of Christ crucified have a power to give life and nourishment yet except we digest it with faith it shall doe us no good For our assurance hereof Christ saith of the Sonne of man that God the Father hath sealed him that is he hath power and authority to be the bread of life and to conserve life to them that feed on him He hath sealed him First with his nature being the very Sonne of God He is the similitude and ingraven form of his person Hebrews the first chapter and the third verse We need not to doubt of the remission of our sinnes for Christ as he is God giveth power to forgive sinnes Secondly as he is sealed with Gods
and the twenty second verse It is not early rising nor late sitting down Psalme the hundred twenty seventh But put case it be true which they imagine with themselves yet their life stands not in the riches so gotten It is indeed probable that a covetous man shall soon attain to riches For all is fish that comes to net with him he will not refuse any gain be it never so unlawfull If it be panis fallaciae if it be pretium sanguinis he will put it up And as he hath more means to get so he spares more than other men doe He doth no good works he distributeth not to the necessity of the poor magnum 〈◊〉 parsimonia and flesh and blood alwaies perswades her self of the best and never doubteth of any hurt The rich Merchants say with themselves We will goe and buy and sell and gain James the fourth chapter never thinking that they shall lose The rich man thought with himself I will eat and drink and take my rest but never thought that he should dye Luke the twelfth chapter So we alwaies dream of the best and never fear any evil We will drink strong drink to day and tomorrow shall be as this day and better Isaiah the fifty seventh chapter Again they may pretend further cause for the sinne of covetousnesse Aboundance makes a man abstain from many sinnes which poor men fall into of necessity For poverty makes a man to steat Proverbs the thirtieth chapter Therefore the Apostle willeth that if any man will not steal he must labour with his hands Ephesians the fourth chapter Aboundance sets them in case that they can doe many good works when the borrower is a servant to the lender as it is in the Proverbs The rich man is free from this inconvenience 〈◊〉 est abundat omnibus Riches doe make a man glorious But though all this were true yet Christ saith that life stands not in riches as the Preacher speaks by way of permission to the rich man Goe too take thy pleasure but for all this know that God will bring thee to judgement Ecclesiastes the eleventh chapter So doth Christ give them scope to conceive what opinion they think good of Riches Put case thou through thy covetousnesse hast aboundance yet thy life consists not therein that this is true That man is not a whit longer lived for his wealth the Scripture shews Divitia non proder unt in die 〈◊〉 Proverbs the eleventh chapter and the fourth verse Though hand be 〈◊〉 in hand yet it shall not serve the turn the rich man dyeth as well as the poor Psalme the thirty ninth but how powerfull this is to restrain covetousnesse appears by this We will doe nothing in vain much lesse suffer in vain The Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fift chapter Wh le we are in health of body we know our riches doe us great service but if death draw neer we are ready to say with 〈◊〉 Genesis the twenty fift chapter Behold I dye and what will all this wealth doe me good Christ saith not Be not covetous for you shall not be the richer but Be afraid of covetousnesse for your life stands not in aboundance of riches to put thee in minde to provide for another life rather than for this For albeit the covetous and miserable man hath misery in this life because he disquiets himself in vain Psalme the thirty ninth and therefore is called a 〈◊〉 or man-slayer yet his future misery being 〈◊〉 with the misery of this life makes him more miserable While he is in his 〈◊〉 it is well with him though he have many worldly cares But when he is put out of his office and shall be called to account How he came by his office and how he hath behaved himself therein How he got his worldly wealth and how he hath distributed the same for the relief of his poor fellow Saints Then it he be found faulty in his account his misery is farre greater than ever it was in this life Luke the sixteenth chapter Christ takes away from covetous men the opinion of life and wills them not to think that they shall live the longer for their riches And seeing they must dye and after death commeth the Judgement Hebrews the ninth chapter it is their part rather to lay up a good 〈◊〉 for the time to come 〈◊〉 lay up their treasure in Heaven Matthew the sixt chapter becanse as they heap up riches unjustly so they 〈◊〉 up wrath for themselves against the day of wrath Romans the second chapter Though covetous men think themselves well while they live yet Christ tell them They must dye that they should take 〈◊〉 that it may goe well with them after death That when they have layd down these earthly tabernacles the second epistle of Peter the first chapter They may be received into everlasting tabernacles Luke the sixteenth chapter Nam cui haec non adsunt is caecus est nihil procul cernens oblitus sese à veteribus peccatis suis fuisse purificatum Quapropter fratres c. 2 Pet 1. 9. Decemb. 3. 1568. THE Prophet David saith Psal. the fourty ninth Man was in honor when he was first created but continued not in that state the space of a night but became like a beast that perisheth So that as God made man so honourable a creature that he thought he might be God So when man in the pride of his heart would be like God be became a beast a beast not only in body for that he dyeth as they doe but in soul For if we consider the understanding part of the soul and the knowledge that man hath in the same He is foolish and ignorant even as a beast before God Psalme the seventy third and the twenty second verse and the rebellion of his heart is such that he is compared to horse and mule Psalme the thirty second This is our downfall But God of his rich mercy will not have man continue in dishonour though he lost that honour which God gave him in the beginning And as man would not continue in honor one night so God would not suffer him to continue in dishonour one night but presently after his fall gave him this pretious promise That howsoever man had made himself a beast yet God would not only make him a man again but partaker of the divine nature the second of Peter the first chapter and the fourth verse Which promise albeit it begins to be performed when we apprehend it by faith yet faith only doth not make it perfect but we must unto faith add virtue to virtue knowledge to knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and love And these virtues if they concurre doe make man partaker of the heavenly nature At the first the Doctrine of Faith in Christ was hardly received or men thought to besaved only by Works And when they had once received it they excluded the doctrine of good Works All the difficulty that
between them If ye love me saith Christ keep my commandements John the fifteenth chapter And the Preacher Seek for the mysterie of faith as in a pure conscience the first epistle of Timothy and the third chapter For they that put away a good conscience make shipwrack of faith the first epistle of Timos thie the first chapter and the nineteenth verse The Gentils did know God but did not glorifie him as God They knew the truth but did detinere veritatem in injustitiâ Romans the first chapter As they held knowledge so they should not withhold it from others but should have made manifest the same that others might have known God which because they did not God gave them over to be darkned in their understanding We must manifest our knowledge by doing some good works for he that hath knowledge and is not carefull to be fruitfull in the knowledge of Christ is in the half way to be blinded for when men receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved God will send them the efficacie of error that they may beleeve lies the second epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter and the eleventh verse This knowledge is but a shew of knowledge and not the power of it If any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought to know it the second epistle to the Corintbians the eighth chapter and the seventh verse This knowledge is like that which John Baptist speaketh of Matthew the third chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Think not to say with your selves c. rest not in this knowledge The rule of true knowledge is when it is accompanied with holinesse of life as he speaks If any man love God he is known of him the first epistle to the Corinthians the eighth chapter and the third verse The virtue that openeth mens eyes to make them see is wisdome So he that hath no care of virtue is not wise for the fear of God is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Job the twenty eighth chapter And to fear God is the beginning of wisdome Proverbs the first chapter The Art of sowing is of pollicy so is buying and selling But the Kingdom of God is likened to the traffique of a Merchant man and to the sowing of seed Matthew the thirteenth chapter To teach us that to our knowledge we must ad spiritual wisdom without which we are blinde and ignorant He that is blinde nescit quò vadit John the twelfth chapter He considers not how he lives whether he be in the way that leadeth to life or to death he knows not what shall come to him after this life Incedit tanquam Bos He goeth as an Oxe to the slaughter Proverbs the seventh chapter But he that to knowledge adds godlinesse and holinesse of life he knoweth whither he goeth That it shall goe well with him at the last Ecclesiastes the eighth chapter and the twelfth verse So saith the Prophet Marke the righteous and thou shalt see his end is peace at the last Psalme the thirty seventh and the thirty seventh verse Secondly He is not only blinde but cannot see a farre off Two things are said to be a farre off things Spiritual and eternall and he that hath not these Christia virtues cannot see a farre off neither in things spiritual nor eternall For the first The favour of the world makes a man commit many sinnes but the favour of God keeps him from sinne Worldly pleasures make a man commit many sinnes but the pleasure of the life to come and the joyes of the holy Ghost make a man forbear sinne Secondly For things eternall the evill estate of the wicked is very bad be his temporal estate never so good therefore they are to consider what God will doe in the end thereof Quod fiat in fine Jeremiah the fift chapter and the thirty first verse The least pleasure that the wicked have in this life brings poenas inferni And howsoever Godly men be subject to miseries in this life yet their eternal estate is most happy I know that it shall goe well with them at the last Isaiah the third chapter and the tenth verse He hath forgotten that he was purged Wherein we are to consider First How true this is There are so many perswasions arising from the benefit of the purging of our sinnes that it is confest that he hath forgotten that he was purged that is not carefull to obtain these virtues First That God passeth over the time of our former ignorance Acts the seventeenth chapter Admonishesh us now to repentance That it is enough that we have spent the time past of our life the first epistle of Peter the fourth chapter The consideration of this should make us to become holy The Prophet saith When thou hast enlarged my heart I will runne the way of thy commandements Psalme the hundred nineteenth But what doth enlarge our hearts so much as that all our former sinnes are washed away in the blood of Christ That now we shall runne the way and race of holinesse not in the spirit of fear but of adoption Romans the eighth chapter Not as servants but as children in obedience to God our father we need not to fear the curse of the Law which Christ hath delivered us from Galatians the third chapter Only we may look for temporal plagues if we sinne against God Psalm the eighty ninth Secondly If we consider how we are purged the which would perswade us hereunto that is Not by corruptible things as silver and gold but with the blood of Christ the first epistle of Peter the second chapter But with the blood of Christ not a prophane and common blood Hebrews the tenth chapter but a pretious blood Thirdly If we consider the end of our purging which is not to continue in sin but as Christ saith I will refresh you that you may take my yoke upon you and be obedient unto me Matthew the eleventh chapter The father purgeth the branches that they may bring forth more fruit John the fifteenth chapter And Christ gave himself for us that he might purge us to be zealous of good works Titus the second chapter and the fourteenth verse Whereby we see it is true That he which hath not care of holinesse hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes Secondly We are to consider how evill a thing it is to forget the purging of our former sinnes which we shall perceive if we consider what a benefit it is to have them cleansed When Gods benefits upon us are fresh they somwhat affect us for a time but we presently forget them And we are sorie for our sinnes while they are fresh and newly committed and feel the plague of God upon us so that we can say with David I have sinned and done wickealy in the second of Samuel and the twenty fourth chapter but the remembrance of them soon departeth away But howsoever we forget them yet
the fruit thereof then is God able as well to give such a power to the Creatures of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament that albeit they are dead of themselves to convey into us the life of grace even as the tree of life did prolong natural life for so saith Christ John the sixth chapter and the fifty third verse Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood ye have no lifein you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life he that eateth me shall live by me And he that 〈◊〉 of his body shall live for ever There is no life but in God first 〈…〉 the thirtieth chapter ipse enim est vita mea and he committeth life to the sonne Therefore it is said There is a River of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb Apocalyps the 〈◊〉 second chapter and the first verse And as the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to the Sonne to have life in himself John the fift chapter and the twenty sixt verse And as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them so the sonne quickneth whom he will John the fift chapter and the twenty first verse God being the fountain of life draws life to his sonne as into a Cistern from whence we draw life therefore it is said of the wisdome of God that is Christ that he is a tree of life Proverbs the third chapter and the eighteenth verse of whom it is now said in ipso er at vita John the fourteenth chapter and therefore he calls himself this life John the fourteenth chapter This is the Cistern of life to give life to them that are dead in original sinne by the sprinkling of his blood in 〈◊〉 And when they are dead in actual sinnes he gives new life to them that are 〈◊〉 of his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Supper In this Sacrament Christ hath provided a tree of life of graces against the death of sinne whereof they must be partakers that will eat of the tree of life which Christ here promiseth So that whereas the Wiseman saith Fructus justi est lignum vitae Proverbs the eleventh chapter and the thirtieth verse The seed of this tree is here sown and bringeth forth the root of a better tree for as grace is the root of glory so glory is the fruit of grace Here in this life the root of grace is planted in us and brings forth the fruits of righteousnesse that in the life to come it may make us partakers of the tree of glory and to assure us of this life we are sealed with the holy spirit of promise as the earnest of our inheritance Ephesians the first chapter and the thirteenth verse and the second epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty second verse That albeit we are fallen and can be overcome of finne yet if we fight better and doe the first works we shall be partakers of the life of glory The kernel of grace is planted in us by the participation of the body and blood of Christ of which kernel commeth a tree which bringeth forth the fruits of holinesse and righteousnes in our whole life Which God will in due time reward with the Crown of life and glory in the world to come Cupimus autem ut unusquisque vestrûm idem studium ad finem usque ostendat ad certam spei persuasionem Hebr. 6. 11. August 24. 1599. AS in the old testament the Prophetisse Deborah in the service of the Children of Isha against Jabin doth specially praise God for the willingnesse of the people Judges the fift chapter so here the Apostle commendeth the Hebrews for the work and labour of their love in that they spared no cost in shewing themselves good Christians Now the crown of our rejoycing is the summe of our desire and therefore as there Deborah desireth to have the promptnesse and readinesse continued in the people so the Apostle wisheth that all the Hebrews as they have been carefull to practise the fruits of faith so should they still shew further diligence in that behalf The special drift of the Apostle is to shew that the Christians comfort standeth in the perfection of their hope The Apostle Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the first verse maketh their hope for to be the definition of faith For though matters Historical and Dogmatical pertain to faith yet chiefly faith hath hope for its object for as Augustine Credimus non ut credamus sed 〈◊〉 speremus therefore the Apostle saith the end of all Scripture is that we may have hope Romans the fifteenth chapter and the fourth verse and that which he affirmeth in the first epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter That he which planteth planteth in hope is as much true in all actions the ground whereof is the hope we conceive of some benefit for he that soweth soweth in hope he that saileth saileth in hope and he that marrieth doth it in hope that his estate will be bettered thereby For sure it is that it is but a comfortlesse thing to beleeve that there is everlasting joy and glory laid up in Heaven except a man be perswaded that he shall be partaker of it Exanguis res fides sine spe quia spes fidei exanguis est Amb. And as hope is the blood of faith as the Prophet saith Isaiah the thirtieth chapter and the fifteenth verse In quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength so hope is that which whets diligence and therefore the Prophet saith in the second book of the Chronicles the fifteenth chapter and the seventeenth verse Be strong and let not your hands be weak for your work shall have an end And in the new Testament the Apostle saith Be stedfast and immovable knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Quod labor vester non erit inanis in Domino the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the fifty eighth verse So nothing is more to be desired than to have hope in the evil day and the means of this hope is to shew forth diligence But for the easier intreatie of the contents of this verse the points which the Apostle holdeth are first That we are not only to beleeve but also to hope Secondly Not with a feeble or faint hope but with the fulnesse of hope Thirdly This hope must not be for an hour as Christ speaketh of St. John John the fift chapter but continuing to the end Then for the means of this hope his request is First That Diligence be used Secondly This Diligence must be shewed forth For the first point the Apostles desire is That they should hope for that which they beleeve wherein standeth the real difference that is between the faith of the Devils and men reprobate and the faith of the Children of God for even to the Devils the Apostle ascribes
the eighth chapter If we will come 〈◊〉 we must not be 〈◊〉 but diligent and watchfull We must use both attention Luke the twenty first chapter Take 〈◊〉 to your 〈◊〉 and contention Luke the thirteenth chapter Strive to enter Therefore the Prophet saith Psalm the thirty seventh Hope in the Lord and 〈◊〉 doing good there is both hope and diligence The Apostle saith We have great and 〈…〉 made us the second epistle of Peter the first chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse That is our hope but we must be diligent adding to our hope virtue to virtue knowledge and these if we be without we 〈…〉 of the promises which 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 the fift chapter That faith worketh by 〈◊〉 And he that hath this 〈…〉 himself the first epistle of John the third chapter and the third 〈◊〉 Job 〈◊〉 did perfectly hope was not negligent as he 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in eum Job the thirteenth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse so he sheweth his carefulnesse Veritas omnia opera 〈◊〉 Job the ninth chapter Paul that said He was sure of the love of God Romans the eighth chapter doth not cease to be diligent lest he should be vexed first epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter The same Paul saith Philippians the third chapter and the tenth verse I forget that which is behinde and indeavor towards that which is before This is that which concludes this point i. seeing faith sheweth it is possible to attain to Heaven though it be hard we must use diligence which may make it a thing possible Not that we are sufficient of our selves as from our selves to think any good or to use any diligence to bring this to passe for all our sufficiencie is of God the second epistle to the Corintbians the third chapter And therefore the Apostle when he had said I labored more than they all correcteth himself yet not I but the grace of God within me the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the tenth verse He did not say before It was I that persecuted the Church but the sinne that dwelleth within me but ascribes that wholly to himself But if we doe any good thing we must wholly ascribe that to God who by his spirit doth give us grace and ability to doe it And therefore whosoever feel themselves to receive grace the second epistle to the Corinthians and the sixt chapter and be indued with virtue from above Luke the twenty fourth chapter they must take heed they be not wanting to that grace and heare it in vain but having grace from God we must labour to make that possible which faith sheweth to be possible Secondly They must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make it apparent there is a secret diligence but that which the Apostle requireth is an ostensive diligence For as James saith Ostende mihi fidem ex operibus James the second chapter and eighth verse So the Apostles meaning is I care not for the concealed diligence let me see it appear by your outward conversation For if the Heathen being indued with the light of Nature only did shew the work of the Law written in their hearts by doing moral virtues Romans the second chapter much more ought Christians that are indued with grace from above to shew forth this diligence that it may be visible to the world The Apostle shews there are two hopes Spes internae dulcedinis extremae operationis the one is concealed and inward the other is apparent and to be seen The inward hope bringeth this to passe That the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. and therefore is to be likened This hope doth likewise effect this That we have the spirit of God bearing witnesse to our spirits that we are the Chrildren of God Rom. 8. It is as it were absconditum Manna Apoc. the second chapter which doth inwardly feed our souls But howsoever this be good yet not without danger for as the Apostle sheweth there are that have been lightned with knowledge and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come and yet fall away Hebrews the sixt chapter and the fourth verse Therefore he calls not for this diligence but will have them make it evident which he expresseth in these words that it be the same diligence which is the third point Wherein he teacheth in what this demonstrative diligence standeth that is as the former verse sheweth in the work and labour of love and in ministring to the Saints that is the doing of works of charity makes the oftensive diligence Whereby he teacheth that this oftensive or demonstrative diligence is the touch stone of our hope as the Apostle saith The works of love are the touchstone of faith for true faith worketh by love Galatians the fift chapter This diligence cannot deceive us of which our Saviour Christ saith John the fift chapter They that have done good shall come forth into 〈◊〉 life and the comfortable sentence pronounced by the Judge at the 〈◊〉 day upon all those that have shewed forth this diligence in doing the works of mercy shall be Come ye blessed possesse the kingdome prepared for 〈◊〉 Matthew the twenty fift chapter It 〈◊〉 not to say to a brother or sister that is naked and destitute of daily food Depart in peace warm your selves fill your bellies but the inward compassion must shew it self outwardly by giving them those things which are needfull to the body James the second chapter and the fifteenth verse Therefore the Apostle Peter willeth them that are perswaded of the great and pretious promises that are made them not to stay there but make their election sure to them by this oftensive diligence that to their faith they add virtue to virtue knowledge which if they doe they shall never fail the second epistle of Peter the first chapter And the Apostle St. John saith Hereby we know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the brethren and that not in word and tongue only but in deed and truth the first epistle of John the third chapter and the fourteenth verse God to assure us of his mercifull promises in Christ is said not only to have sealed us but also to have given us the earnest of the spirit into our hearts the second epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty second verse The concealed diligence is as the earnest which a man puts in his purse but the oftensive diligence is like to a seal which may be shewed to all men for as Christ witnesseth Our lights must so shine before all men that the wicked and ungodly by seeing our good works may take occasion to glorifie God and be converted Matthew the fift chapter If we use diligence and shew forth our diligence in doing those works of love we shall attain to hope and that not faint or
either promise that which they cannot perform as being weak as Psalm the twenty first and the tenth verse or which they will not perform as Naball in the first book of Samuel and the twenty fist chapter But if we can finde one that is both able and willing to keep his promise that is a great kindnesse not to be distrusted And such a one is God who of his own goodnesse is become indebted to us by making us most great and pretious promises he is true of his word for he is Deus mentiri nesciens Titus the first chapter he cannot lye And for his power and ability Apud eum non erit impossibile omne verbum Luke the first chapter And for his willingnesse the Angels testifie of it that there is in God good milk towards men even the same which he heares to Christ his own Sonne of whom he 〈◊〉 from heaven in the third chapter of Luke This is my 〈◊〉 Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly For the thing promised Though it be God that 〈◊〉 yet if the thing promised be a matter of no great value wee respect it the lesse but this is a great and most 〈◊〉 promise Now that is pretious for which a man will give any thing as for a pearle a man will sell all that he hath to composse it Matthew the thirteenth chapter and what will 〈◊〉 a man give for the ransome of his soul the whole world nay a thousand of worlds is little enough to give for it Matthew the sixteenth chapter and the sixteenth verse So then this promise is pretious in respect of the thing promised Secondly It is pretious in regard that it cost dearly For wee are bought not with corruptible things as silver and gold 〈◊〉 with the 〈◊〉 blood of Christ in the first epistle of Peter the first chapter and the eighteenth verse Thirdly It is a pretious promise in this respect because our blessednesse here promised stands not only in having our sinnes forgiven or in being made righteous that is not the thing we are 〈◊〉 with or to be with God which was the desire of our first Parents Genesis the third chapter and of Lucifer Isaiah the fourteenth chapter ero similis 〈◊〉 but it stands herein that we shall be made partakers of the Divine nature and enjoy those things 〈◊〉 eye bath not seen c. in the first epistle to the 〈◊〉 the second chapter and the third verse he doth not promise that we shall be partakers of Gods glory joy and felicity as 〈◊〉 sonnes would have been Matthew the twenty first chapter but 〈◊〉 of his nature That as we are subject to sicknesse death and all crosses by being partakers of the nature of the first Adam so we shall be partakers of glory joy and 〈◊〉 And being partakers of the second Adam as the branches receive life from the vine John the fifteenth chapter so it shall be between Christ and us he will derive his benefits to us As the 〈◊〉 is holy so wee that are branches 〈…〉 shall be 〈◊〉 Romans the eleventh chapter and the sixteenth verse As we partake of the miseries of the first Adam so of the joy and 〈◊〉 of the second Adam As we have been partakers of the 〈◊〉 so of 〈…〉 in the first epistle to the 〈◊〉 and the fifteenth chapter Fourthly If we consider from how base estate we to whom this promise is made are 〈◊〉 not only from the nature of 〈◊〉 Psalm the fourty ninth Of wormes and 〈…〉 17. and which is more base from being the Children of wrath 〈◊〉 the second chapter and Children of the Devil Acts the thirteenth chapter to be partakers of the divine nature that will 〈◊〉 to be a 〈◊〉 promise containing matter of so great comfort whereby that is by the knowledge of God that hath called us to glory and 〈◊〉 or by whom that is by Christ taking knowledge of him as in the fifty third chapter of Isaiah My 〈…〉 by his knowledge shall 〈◊〉 many and in the seventeenth chapter of John and the third verse This is eternall life to know thee and Jesus Christ. The Heathen and Turkes are not capable of this pretious promise because they take no notice of Christ It is a promise made to Christians for because they are partakers of flesh and blood He also took part with them Hebrews the second chapter As Christ took part of our nature so he makes us partakers of his It is the Christian only that beleeves this and therefore he is capable of this so pretious promise for albeit Christ were man yet it pleased God that the fulnesse of the God head should dwell in him bodily Colossians the second chapter and the ninth verse and as he is in us by his humanity so are we in him in respect of his Divinity God partakes with Christ because of his Divine nature and man partakes with Christ in as much as he hath assumed our humane nature He is partaker of our humane nature for he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Ephesians the fifth chapter and we by his Spirit are partakers of his Divine nature for in the first epistle to the Corinthians the sixth chapter He that cleaveth to the Lord is one spirit Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit which he hath given us in the first epistle of St. John the fourth chapter and the thirieenth verse Christ imputeth his nature two wayes First by regeneration in Baptisin for except ye be born again of water and the holy Ghost John the third chapter Secondly by eating and drinking in the Sacrament In which respect the Apostle saith that we must bibere spiritum the first epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter and the thirteenth verse In this life we must seek for Gods grace and glory and he hath promised to give both Psalm the eighty fourth and then we shall Intrare in gaudium Domini Matthew the twenty fift chapter and so we shall be alwaies with him the first epistle to the Thessalonians the fourth chapter and see him as he is the first epistle of John the third chapter and the first verse that is be partakers of his divine nature and which goes beyond all he shall not be glory in one and joy in another and immortality in a third but he shall be omnia in omnibus the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the twenty eighth verse Now the promise is with a restraint nobis qui that is to us which eschue the corruption The like we have in John the third chapter and the sixteenth verse ut omnes qui credant and Matthew the eleventh chapter Come to me omnes qui And great reason it is that if we will have God to perform his promise to us we keep the condition on our part towards him so the Apostle disputes in the second epistle to the Corinthians the seventh chapter and the
therefore we say a day hath twenty four hours a week hath seven dayes a moneth thirty dayes a week likewise hath seven nights a moneth thirty nights but evening and morning are all one day And the first day as the first day of the week of moneths of time this was a day by it self as the other six were dayes by themselves God saith at the institution of the 〈◊〉 Exodus the twelfth chapter and the second verse This moneth shall be unto you the beginning of moneths it shall be to you the first moneth of the year But by Basill this 〈◊〉 had a meaning for our natural use that we should esteem twenty four hours one day though some count the day no longer than the light is seen The first day is 〈◊〉 example to the dayes after in this first day we behold all the other 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 them all things created In this first day of years 〈…〉 Creation the 〈◊〉 the Birth 〈◊〉 B was the 〈◊〉 letter the Redemption the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 was upon the first day of the week year 〈◊〉 The spiritual use The spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this place saith We are not in 〈…〉 〈◊〉 may be applyed to 〈◊〉 morning and evening 〈◊〉 A 〈…〉 morning and 〈◊〉 at even the one a 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 Numbers the twenty eighth chapter the fourth and 〈…〉 David 〈◊〉 the beginning of the hundred fourty first 〈◊〉 〈…〉 God 〈◊〉 my prayer be 〈◊〉 in thy sight 〈…〉 and the listing up of 〈…〉 evening sacrifice Let 〈…〉 a Father open the morning 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of prayer and 〈…〉 the evening with the bolt 〈◊〉 prayer In these two there is 〈◊〉 and alternation 〈…〉 the day 〈…〉 〈◊〉 now long how 〈…〉 in them we see joy 〈…〉 in the night 〈◊〉 is alternation of 〈…〉 then 〈◊〉 Now 〈…〉 Babylon 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 and did 〈◊〉 in the day 〈…〉 〈◊〉 for the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 and the first verse 〈…〉 it Sit in the 〈◊〉 sit on the ground set still and get thee into darknesse evill shall come 〈◊〉 the and thou shall not know the morning there os 〈◊〉 there is a use 〈◊〉 order in things 〈◊〉 so is there in things spiritual the evening and the morning The very Heathen doe say that to a man 〈◊〉 disposed 〈◊〉 a good minde after Matthew in his fourth chapter and the sixteenth verse saith The people which 〈◊〉 in darknesse saw great light and to them which 〈◊〉 in the region 〈…〉 of death light is risen up knowledge is a light and Ignorance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 saying Estprimo vespertina 〈…〉 which grows from light to a lighter knowledge If a man 〈…〉 not according to Gods word it is because there 〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉 in him 〈◊〉 the eighth chapter and the twentieth 〈◊〉 for it is the 〈◊〉 of God that is 〈◊〉 that lightneth our very 〈…〉 This hath also an use for our affections for temptation of any sin is ever before the issue First we are 〈◊〉 then we yeeld to the temptation but after the yeelding the godly have repentance but to yeeld to the temptation and 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 is the continual evening of the wicked The godly hath here in this world in this life his evening sorrow 〈…〉 death but his joy commeth in the morning that is 〈◊〉 life to 〈◊〉 His vespere is luctus his mane gaudium His weeping may abide at the evening but joy commeth in the morning Psalm the 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 verse A man hath secret sinnes which be hid and presumptuous which be apparent Psalm the nineteenth and the 〈◊〉 verse God 〈◊〉 them both The wicked have their morning in this life they live in posperity and have what they can desire but in the long evening in the world to come they shall finde endlesse adversity Notwithstanding the godly in this life be tossed as a ship and though they suffer shipwrack of their life yet this is their hope that post tenebras spero lucem Though Jacob wrestled in the evening yet had he a blessing in the morning Genesis the thirty second chapter and twenty fourth verse The Godly and the wicked doe both dye and both are buried in the grave the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning but God shall save the soul of the righteous from the grave Psalm the fourty ninth and the fifteenth verse God saith that in the day of the desolation of Jerusalem there shall be no clear light but dark That day is known to the Lord which shall be neither day nor night but about the evening time it shall be light Tertullian in his book de resurrectione maketh a resemblance of the evening and the morning to the grave and the resurrection We are in the grave in silence and solitarinesse but the morning of our resurrection appeareth cum gaudio cultu dote gloria sepulti vesperè manè revivescite What though here we suffer some crosses hereafter we shall have endlesse joy better is it to have our evening here and our morning hereafter than contrariwise Though the Gluttons morning were his delights his dainty â—…ir his costly apparel when it was Lazarus evening who was hungry naked and diseased but afterward the rich man was tormented and Lazarus for ever comforted Luke the sixteenth chapter So there is a resemblance of the resurrection in Gods works before the same was expressed in his words Now is the light mixed with darknesse and darknesse with light the darknesse of the night hath the light of the starres and somtime the shining of the Moon the light of the day is often overcast with the mist or with clouds but the morning of the resurrection shall be without end The evening of condemnation to the wicked shall never have morning and the morning of glorification to the blessed shall never have evening Untill that day of resurrection there shall be a mixture but then and not before there shall be light without darknesse to the blessed and endlesse darknesse without light to the damned And thus much shall suffice concerning the first day and the work of the first day Sic fuit vespera fuit mane diei secundi Gen. 1. 8. Novemb. 12. 1590. Place this in pag. 56. at the end of the Sermon upon Gen. 1. 8. IT is the second day in relation to the first day in the matter an Incubation and hatching there were five things the first day the incubation and hatching were in the first day In this second day as well as in the first there is a being and order of distinction of nature and a giving of a name Bonum lacketh here and why Here lacketh bonum the goodnesse And he saw it was good is not put down in the second day Some of the Hebrew say and give this reason why bonum lacketh here the Angells fell the creating of hell was in the second day Tophet is prepared of old as it is in the thirtith chapter of Esaâ— and the twenty seventh
15. 45. Man was not immortall by himself but the life he had God gave him In the state of his innocencie he had heat and moisture which God breathed into him when he breathed life chap. 2. 7. and therefore man needed even then food to preserve heat and moisture Man before was immortall and his meat uncorrupted but by mans fall man became mortal subject to death so that both man and mans meat were corrupted and Adam was a debtor to the flesh to satisfie his hunger Before God said Dominamini all beasts and fowls were peculium Dei Gods proper store The trees and fruits were before but this is mans warrant To touch any thing any tree any herb for their meat Herein then more particularly we will consider two things what God gave unto man and to what end Ecce Ecce Behold is a word of wonder expressing a matter of wonder and Gods great love to Mankinde Ecce saith a Father on this place patentem amentem Creatorem He is not only a Creator full of power but even a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. for behold he is both mans Creator and mans Cator He visiteth the Earth and watereth it be maketh it very rich and for men he prepareth corne Psal. 65. 9 And he saith unto man Deut. 28. 4. and 5. That if he obey God blessed shall be the fruit of his body the fruit of his ground the fruit of his cattel and blessed shall be thy basket and thy dow So that God provideth us corn for bread and bread to eat It is even God that giveth us life and meat he maketh us and serveth us quis autem est major but who is greater he that sitteth at the Table or he that serveth is not he that sitteth at the Table And I am among you saith Christ as he that serveth Luke 22. 27. God the great Jehovah ministreth unto man all that he needeth David assureth himself that God will help and defend him Psal. 38. 22. from the hand of his enemies God made for man coats of skinne and cloathed them chap. 2. 21. God giveth to men beds whereupon to take their rest God will strengthen him upon the bed of sorrow and turn all his bed in his sicknesse then will God send him comfort Psal. 41. 3. Thus much of Ecce behold Ecce dedi He saith not Ecce dixi but Ecce dedi He opens his hand not his mouth he sheweth his liberalitie which is wonderfull it is a beholding of works not of words Manifold are the works of God the Earth is full of his riches Psal. 104. 24. There is also a further thing for he saith not Ecce do but Ecce dedi as much as to say Oh man before you were born I provided for you all herbs and all trees I respected you before you were I had you in minde in all the dayes of the Creation Fecit quae fecit omnia pro homine Deus before he said faciamus hominem he made all things for man before that he made man which sheweth Gods care and fatherly love he bare to men even before man was What shall I say hereof more but this Amor Dei erga hominem est antiquior homine Every Herb having seed every Tree having fruit He giveth unto man every herb having seed every tree having fruit bearing seed whereby he giveth us all grain seed corn pulfe spice the grape and other fruitfull trees Adams diet objected to be raw It may be objected That to eat of nothing but of herbs and of trees and of such fruit as the Earth brought forth were but a raw diet Well fare Noah's Table for he had flesh in great plentie for his meat Gen. 9. 3. for as the green herb so gave God unto him all things for meat If God be our Cator as he is liberall so he will be frugall Eliah was fed by the Angell with a cake baked on the coals and a pot of water 1 Kings 19. 6. yet in the strength of that meat walked he fourty dayes and fourty nights Answer And surely unto Adam the trees of Paradise were better and more pleasant than all the dainties of Noahs Table for the trees that were there were pleasant to the sight and good for meat chap. 2. 9. These innocent meats were fit for the state of innocencie even unto this day the service of delight is the herbs and fruits of the Earth even then when flesh was for meat it was to be eaten without the blood the Hunter might eat that he had hunted Virgo terrae fuit herba blood corrupted the Earth all meats are but obsonia but sawce in respect of bread which is the comfort of the heart if we be thankfull for otherwise though God give us our desire yet will he send leannesse into our soul Psal. 106. 15. By simples at this day the Physitions use to restore health If God conveyed every herb then every herb was meat for man yea then so was the Coloquintida which is called now fel terrae and a vehement poyson yet Elisha caused the people to eat thereof and they had no hurt yet they said that in it was death 2 Kings 4. 40. and that death was in the pot mors in olla came by sinne it was not so from the beginning Furthermore here is no necessity imposed upon man to eat of all the trees but a liberty is given him to eat of any Some also make another objection If he might eat of all trees then of the forbidden tree But the Fathers answer That saying that gave to Adam every tree bearing ordinary fruit such were not the trees of knowledge and of life To what end Herbs and Trees are given Man The last point is To what end God gave man herbs and trees Fuit ut sint alimentum that they might be for meat to have herbs and trees given and that for meat are divers things For fruition There is a man to whom God hath given riches and treasures and he wanteth nothing that he can desire but God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a strange man shall eat it up Preach 6. 2. Elisha told the King That he should see with his eyes the great plenty that should be in Samaria but he should not eat thereof 2 Kings 7. 19. Though a man have aboundance yet his life standeth not in his riches Luke 12. 15. and therefore in that chapter what availed it the rich man to have much fruit many barns and much goods layed up for many yeers when that even in the same night they should fetch away his soul Then whose were those things which he had provided Dedi vobis ut sint in escam There is the fruition In esca tria In escâ tria sunt 1. The first is a content of the appetite which avoideth famine for when God shall break the staffe of bread men shall eate and not be satisfied