so the son also quickeneth whom he will And the father iudgeth not but referreth all iudgement to his sonne bicause all should honor the sonne as the father and they that honor not the sonne as the father honoreth not the father that sent him So whosoeuer heareth his word and beleeueth in him that sent him shall not com vnto condemnation but hath passed from death to life for as the father hath life in himselfe so hath the sonne To beleeue cannot be to seek honor one of another but of God alone and his son Iesus Christ for when Moses stroke the rock Exod. 17. 6. seeking honor of the children of Israel saying Hear now ye rebels shall we bring you water out of the rock Here for not sanctifieng the Lord in the presence of the Israelites and for honoring themselues in the Lords miracle both Moses and Aaron were cut off from the hope they had to see the land of promise If Moses being a faithfull leader of the Lords owne host and an approoued seruant of the mighty God Iehoua fell by disobedience into arrogancy Exod. 17. seeking his owne honor more than Gods and was so seuerely punished oh that men would but think how fearful a sentence that was by which he was depriued of forty yeeres hope and the fauour of so long trauel which was so sore in the wildernes How much more terrible shall our iudgement be if any way we decline or fall away from a sincere and perfect beleef which we haue had in God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ or if we beleeue not the word that testifieth of him and through which we see him daily Moses had but a meer hope of things to come which things we haue seen through faith and we are strongly to abide therin giuing all honor to the sonne as to the father in whom we beleeue by whom we liue haue our being Iohn 6. 37. This only sonne of God Iesus Christ is the bread of life the true sabaoth or rest the very top and end of Iubiles let vs study to enter into this rest His meat is to doe his fathers will and let our sustenance be to follow him and doe his will and let vs not labor only for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that dureth euerlastingly which the sonne of man shall giue vnto vs for him hath God the father sealed and the work of God is to beleeue in him whom he sent his sonne This is the rock that followed the host and the rock wherupon the Lord hath founded his church this is Gods rock and the rock of the All-sufficient Iohn 10. 20. he and the father is one And whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in him shall neuer dy Iohn 11 26. he shall gather togither into one the children of God from all corners of the earth by his death and passion He is the sonne of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Nomb. 21. 9. this is he that was to be lifted vp Iohn 3. 14. and exalted aboue all heauens Lord who beleeueth our report and vnto whom is thine arme reuealed And Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Psal. 15. and rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupt life and doth the thing that is right For this is the vine and his father is the husbandman and the branch that beareth not fruit in him he cutteth off and euery one that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring foorth more So must we abide in him and he in vs for as the branch cannot beare fruit except it be in the vine no more can we except we abide and dwell in him Let vs therfore pray for the peace which is in him for the peace of Iesus Christ the sonne of God is greater than the afflictions of the whole world Let vs be of good comfort Iohn 16. 13. he hath already conquered the world Psal. 2. and let vs kisse the son least he be angry and so we perish euerlastingly for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their whole trust and confidence in him for the father hath put all things in subiection vnder his feet Psal. 2. and giuen him the vtmost parts of the earth for his possession OVR LORD He is the soueraigne Lord of the whole earth and inspireth the harts of kings and princes according to his wisedome hee aduaunceth the humble and putteth down the mighty from their seat he filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he sendeth empty away He is the faithful steward that giueth his fathers people meat in due season he blesseth all them that call vpon him in his fathers name Psal. 7. This is the welbeloued Salomon the prince of wisedom whose daughters goings are beutifull the ioints of her thighes like iewels the work of a cunning man her nauell as a round cup full of liquor her belly as an heap of wheat compassed about with lillies her brests as two yong roses that are twins her neck as a tower of Iuory her eies as the fish-pooles in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-Rhabbim her nose as the tower of Lebanon that looketh toward Damascus her head as scarlet and her haire as purple He is the spirituall Salomon his faire daughter Psal. 8. the Church which also is compared to a vineyard that bringeth foorth fruit euen a thousand folde He is the Lord that the prophet Dauid spake of and whose victory he foresaw Psal. 110. saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole This is the horn of our saluation in whom our fathers trusted and were counted iust Hebr. 11. as it is manifest in the epistle to the Hebrues where a whole chapter is spent in reciting their faith the learning wherof I refer to the diligence of the reader seeing it is a full record of all the ancient fathers beleef This is the Lord of al mankind for he hath purchased vs all by the offering vp of his body and sheading of his blood to free vs from these links of sinne wherin we are intangled through Adam And therfore he hath now full power to say Math. 25. Com ye blessed of my father and inherit euerlasting life or go ye cursed into vtter darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And as we were then bound with the chaines of sinne growing in our carnall bodies stirring vs vp to do the will of the flesh so are we at this day being rid out of those bands by the death and passion of our Lord bound likewise to him in spirit to serue and obey him as obedient seruants looking for no reward by desert but by his meer fauour and mercy inheritance with him of life eternal Therfore is he Lord ouer kingdoms and nations and there is no higher power than that which the
imperfection when as the works of God in beginning middle and end are absolutely perfect for euer His beginning endeth his mean time both beginneth and endeth his beginning is a momentary end and there is no other mean time with him Is it then ynough to say I BELEEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH In no wise for although we are bound to beleeue so much yet is it not all that is required of vs for the very Iews beleeued thus much whose beleef was to be saued They saw the saluation of the Lord a far off through remorse in conscience considering their fall and the wickednes of mans thoughts all day long Adam their father had lost his state of knowledge they therfore remained in ignorance sinfull and their whole hope was to be grounded vpon the comfortable promises of that God and otherwise it had been hard for them to haue conceiued in their minds so great an eternity and such an immortall happines But God bereauing man his image of that honor which he once affoorded him which is to say the inheritance of a paradise would not vtterly destroy him but rather make him by a liuely faith to await for a blessed estate to abide for euer yea for euer and euer As Adam being first in the adoption of blessednes and life and consequently we all by him became accursed and died made vs accursed and to dy daily and as he by the almighty Gods meanes hoped to regain his saluation so we particularly ought to scan the meanes of his saluation to keepe our fraile flesh from desperation to comfort our guiltines of death and to keep vs from euerlasting damnation His meanes was the comfort of a victory wherin he reioiced as a giant to run his course Psal. 19. 5. and he did most constantly beleeue that as God promised so he should vanquish his most subtile and deadly enimy What could more win the hart of man thā such a promise Sundry such promises from age to age were reuealed to his posterity Gen. 9 26. As to Noah Blessed be the God of Sem. To Abraham Gen. 17. 6. I will multiply thee as the stars of heauen when as yet he had no child and his wife was old To Dauid by the prophet Nathan I will be his father 2. Sam. 7. 14. he shall be my sonne if he sin I will chasten him with the rod of men but my mercy shall not part away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I haue put away before thee and thine house shal be established and thy kingdom for euer before thee thy throne shall be established for euer Ier. 33. 14. In that day I will cause the branch of righteousnes to grow vp vnto Dauid and he shall execute right iudgement in the land then shall Iuda be saued and Ierusalem dwell safely and he that shall call her is the Lord our righteousnes For thus saith the Lord Dauid shal neuer want a man to sit vpon the throne of the house of Israell This is the good then which the Lord will performe vnto the house of Israell and vnto the house of Iuda These were all most delightfull promises still to stay the hart of man in his owne saluation Isay. 7. 14. yet receiued Isay a greater light when he vnderstood the name of this conqueror Dan. 9. 24. but Daniell the greatest comfort to whom the precise time of victory and blessing to all the world was foretold which was in the comming of Messias which we call CHRIST the annointed Iesus that was promised the sauiour of the world These men were reuiued by meer promises but we being adopted heires of their hope do exceed their faith in beleeuing in this Iesus for we conclude with Peter Matt. 16. 16. that he is the sonne of the liuing God Wherfore we say AND IN IESVS CHRIST to be vnderstood euery mans Iesus or Sauiour that beleeueth whom Iesus or Iehoshua the sonne of Nun sauiour and captain of the Israelites prefigured long before that as he led Moses people into the promised land and sustained them in all their iourneyes so shall this Iesus defend and keep vs that call and trust vpon him from all subtile and malitious inuentions of satan and the world whatsoeuer and most couragiously carrie vs through this vale of misery to a promised land of rest a paradise wherin he himselfe is Lord and they that will not endure patiently the calamities vexations and variety of this iourney to rest shall surely haue their reward with the murmurers of Israell and the ten wearied and vncomfortable spies of the land of Canaan which might not see the land againe that they had once without cause blamed Numb 13. 29. to hinder Gods decree And no doubt with their false reports greeued many thousand soules and had not the Lord put into the harts of Iosua and Caleb his valiant seruants to speak the truth many surely might haue perished in infidelity but the Lord found Caleb as a hart harty and couragious not fearing death who was therfore rewarded with a second youth Ioshu 14. 11. both in strength and wisdome his youth came againe vnto him and his age returned forty yeeres answering well the question of regeneration or second birth made by Nicodemus to our true Iosua Iohn 3. 4. or sauiour in the Gospell to still and pacify the grudging mutiny of the people which the false spies had raised through the host Iosua was to them a shepheard signifying our shepheard Iesus that guideth vs to heauen The blind Iewes maketh saluation in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saue vs where they haue both in word and sense Iesus yet will it not agree with their consciences to say Iesus saue vs but the cause of their wilfull error in this point is that they may couer many sinnes with one excuse For to say he came not vtterly denieth his condemnation to be by them it denieth that he was crucified by them it denieth that they so wickedly pierced him it denieth that they gaue him gall and vineger to drink it excuseth their buffering mocking and scourging of him their spitting at him their crowning of him with thornes and generally whatsoeuer else they did despitefully vnto him But when these things were alleaged to them and the certainty of his comming to be iust in the fulnes of time prooued they began wheras before they skilfully contended with bashfulnes to plead their own ignorance in the prophets standing amazed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. II. as stags at a gaze they say they be the sons of Abraham Christs owne kindred which Iohn Baptist answereth Say not with your selues Matth. 3. 9. that we haue Abraham to our father for God euen of these stones can raise children vnto Abraham Matt. 8. 11. And againe Many shall come from east and west and rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in heauen but the children of
the kingdom the Iewes shall be cast into vtter darknes where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth What then can their proud linage and alliance helpe them when for not beleeuing aright in the Messias they fal daily into condemnation Now againe to return to our own farther instruction from whence commeth our help and our saluation euen from the Lord that hath made both heauen and earth or from the father Lord of heauen and earth Matt. 11. 25. This Iesus came from heauen was made flesh of the virgin Mary begotten of his father before all worlds he is very God as touching his father and very man as touching his mother wherby he might vndertake manhood and ioin it vnto his Godhead and becom a fit messenger about his fathers busines as he answered the propitiations for them I must go about my fathers busines Luk. 2. 49. to prooue that he was the true root of Ishai Isay. 11. 1. and the seed of Abraham Luke 3. Saint Luke laieth downe the line of his manhood to God reckoning all his fathers till Adam Saint Mathew sheweth his diuinity and the succession of his right vnto the kingdom Matth. 1. as it was said Isai. 8. 14. A virgin shall conceiue a sonne and thou shalt call his name EMANVEL God with vs. This is that seed of the woman that was to bruise the serpents head and to take the prey out of the diuels iawes which meanes of redemption by the ey of faith the holy fathers foresaw He therfore is not to be thought Iesus the sonne of Nun Iosh. 1. 1. nor Iesus that was called Iustus Col. 4. 11. Paules work-fellow nor Iesus the sonne of Sirach Ecclus. 50. 27. but Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was called Christ the annointed Matth. 1. 16. to shew the title of his earthly honor the other name declareth his authority in heauen by his fathers spirituall and euerlasting inheritance but of the name Christ is hereafter to be spoken This name was giuen by his father to the end that men might beleeue in him being sent and not be deceiued by any other professed Iosua therfore was it told Dan. 9. 24. Messiah shall be slaine euen the Lords Christ or annointed And to make the blinde Iewes more inexcusable the very day and hower of his death was fore-shewed by the prophet He was called Iesus of his infinit saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 1. 21. for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes Like as if he should make those which the Lord hath called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none of his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his especiall people or turne the Lords fearfull and terrible words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not haue pity 1. Pet. 2. 10. into ruhhamah I will haue pity on For such is the vertue and force of his reconciliation with his father This was the very lamb of God that wrought Israels saluation he shall make crooked pathes straight a bruised reed shall he not breake euen so patiently went he as a sheep vnto the slaughter not opening his mouth Oh how vnspeakable seemeth this patience to vs his followers when the least occasions the greatest in this respect being nothing can withdraw our most heauenly and deuout cogitations of spirit to the most earthly and sensuall wil of the flesh Which plainly discouereth our vnwilling seruice of God our vrged obedience towards him our most vndutifull expectation of him our idle hands in his vineyard our dull eares in hearing him and whatsoeuer else we neglect which generally is the time pleasing of vs all Wherfore good brethren serue him as ye ought willingly obey him liberally humbly attend on him be not found idle in the vintage nor as deafe adders stopping your eares at the voice of the charmer charm he neuer so wisely neither harden your harts as in the day of prouocation or in the day of temptation in the wildernes and let vs learne to serue the world euen as it serueth vs which is euen then to loath it when it seemeth most amiable then to refuse it when it most desireth vs and then to fear it most when it most fawneth vpon vs. But what crosses can the frailty of mans flesh abide or from what will or earthly pleasure can it abstaine truly not the least although it were to win the euerlasting ioy of heauen Notwithstanding Iesus warneth vs to suffer reproches for his sake Math. 5. 11. adding blessednes to our patience and also he willeth vs to com vnto him all that are weary and heauy loden Math. 11. 28. and he will refresh vs. Likewise he saith vnto vs Take on my yoke and learn of me for I am meeke and lowly in hart and ye shall finde rest for your soules Recording the prophets exhortations to the people of Ierusalem in these words Ier. 6. 16. Take heed to the ancient waies of your fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob which is the good way walk therin and you shall find rest for your soules This is the saluation that the prophet Dauid so much delighted in Psal. 69. For saith he God will saue Sion and build againe the walles of the city of Iuda and they shall dwell there and inherit it and the seed of his seruants shall inherit it and they that loue his name shall dwell therin Iesus was sent not only a sauiour to the Iewes that faithfully receiued him bicause they were his owne kindred but also vnto them that were without yea euen the Gentiles As it is said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath raised vp a mighty saluation for vs in the house of his seruant Dauid to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and a glory to the people of Israel and to perform the oth which he sware to our forefather Abraham that he would giue vs. There may we well vnderstand and mark that he was sent a deliuerance to all nations that they whosoeuer should call vpon him might be deliuered from the feare of their enimies ghostly or bodily to wit the outragious threatnings of Satan or any opprobrious comminations of this world This was the saluation that Simeon prophesied of and receiued comfort by Luke 2. when he said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eies haue seen thy saluation and likewise Maries thanksgiuing Luke 1. when she said My soule doth magnify the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my sauiour It seemeth the prophets had no greater comfort than still to be foreshewing of this sauiour the redemption of the world as their prophecies mention Isai. 1. 2. 3. In that day the highest mountaine shal be prepared and exalted aboue all hils and all nations shall flow vnto it and many people to wit the Gentiles shall go and say Com let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob
neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far vnder for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far aboue nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the earth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the heauens But if S. Paul had meant that he descended to the place of the damned he would had said that he descended far vnder all the earth or as the Epistle of Iude mentioneth vnder darknes Iude. where the condemned angels are reserued in euerlasting chaines making a certain analogy of his ascension and descension But Saint Paul was to speake of Christs going downe into the lower parts of the earth to say the bowels of the earth to vanquish death wherwith his humanity was imprisoned as the sonnes of Adam and of his going vp aboue all the heauens to win life and possesse inheritance for all his chosen Therfore by his descension was not meant the place of euerlasting torment but as a man should say he went downe into the parler of the earth to put off his humanity and put on diuinity to put off corruption and put on incorruption to put off mortality and put on immortality and lastly to put off death and cloath himselfe with life to wit that he might be a body in all respects as before but freed from the bands of the flesh shewing plainly the maner of our resurrection toward as it is said 1. Cor. 15. 2◠Christ is risen from the dead and became the first fruits of them that sleepe for as by man came death so also by man shall all be made aliue and as in Adam all men dy so by Christ shall all men reuiue But of his resurrection and ascension shall be said more in due place only this a little to shew to what end he descended which was to destroy death in his owne body that was the last enimy to be destroied 2. Cor. 15. 26. Wherfore he being no more in subiection vnto death hath the only power vnder his father to destroy death in vs quick and dead that beleeue at his next comming for as the resurrection to come of flesh is of two kindes one from life to life and the other from death to life Behold we shall not all sleep 1. Cor. 15. but we shall all be changed so Christ was to signify in his death the nature of both It is manifest that he rose as they that shall not sleep for his bones and flesh perished not neither had the wormes hold on him it also appeereth that he was changed as they that sleep for he rose out of the belly of the earth within three daies euen so long was Ionah in the whales belly Seeing then death was his last enimy and all things were put in subiection vnder him saue death it is plaine that by his death which was the conquering of death he finished all that might be expected of him for the saluation of mankind Then as the article followeth HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD We must vnderstand and be sure heerby that he came first downe to the dead which is to say into the earth that bringeth foorth all things to death as if a man should say the mother or the very state of death which in Hebrue is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheolah or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheol PETITIO or POSTVLATIO the graue alwais crauing neuer satisfied according to the parable of Agur Prou. 30. 1◠Three things yea also the fourth will not be satisfied the graue the barren wombe the earth with raine and the fire that saith not it is ynough Heer is declared the plain and naturall force of that same word with the Hebrues which we call hell the graue This sheol both all and some confesse to be the lowest place of his descension and as concerning the vnderstanding of the Hebrue in Greeke it is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TANQVAM AB OBSCVRITATE from whence the Romans had AEDES vsed for a house a church or a graue a place of darknes the habitation wherof is depriued of the light of heauen So that the word Hades is a word agreeing with the other and are translated ech for other both signifying the state of death or sepulchre of the dead The Syrians inuented gehenna it seemeth from Ieremy And they built the high places of Baal Ierem 32. 35. which are in the vally of Ben-hinnom to cause their sonnes and daughters to passe through the fire vnto Molech an abhomination to the Lord and a sin to Iudah Ierem ◠31. And againe They haue built the high place of Topheth which is in the vally of Benhinnom to wit Ghe-hinnom the vally of Hinnom neer Ierusalem the portion of his inheritance that they might burne their sonnes and daughters in the fire Therfore behold the day commeth saith the Lord that it shall no more be called Topheth nor Ghe-hinnom the vally of Hinnom but Ghe-haregah the vally of slaughter for they shall bury in Topheth till there be no place I suppose that our westerne bonfires do taste of this idolatry or at the least haue remained as a relique of that ceremony vnto this day which the Pope hath conueied heertofore throughout all his dominions Now concerning the situation of Ghe-hinnom Hinnom his inheritance Ios. 15. 8. it was on the south side of the Iebusites and the same is Ierusalem This sufficeth for Topheth in the vally of Hinnom Gehenna The heathen Latines haue as far as they could reach borrowed names for the like place Virgil. as EREBVS of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TENEBRAE CALIGO NOX or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dark night the night that all must sleep Horat. HAEC ENIM NOX EST OMNIBVS DORMIENDA So likewise TARTARVS or TARTARA the profundity of the earth as it is said Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riuers of the swift Ocean Hom. ◠and bottom of the earth So STYX INFERNORVM PALVS a riuer for his deadly and horrible coldnes so called ORCVS of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IVSIVRANDVM an oth for in this place they vsed their exorcismes and coniurations AVERNVS or AVERNA a lake in Campania dedicated to Pluto Phlegithon a place where the earth is set on fire by lightning So Pluto Denat booke 2. deorum whom Cicero calleth Dis to whom all naturall and earthly force was dedicated whom the Greeks cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Syrians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mammona rich presuming that he had the keeping of all the riches that sprang out of the earth and returned to the earth againe wherby they thought him treasurer of hell and Lord of Hades Acheron is a place by nature so enuironed with hils that it cannot be toucht with lightning Seeing therfore all their fained circumstances so aptly agree with Hades let vs learne with Homer to vnderstand the word Hades aright Iliad A. where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of Achilles that his fury sent
therfore in these words consisteth the perfection of the church the members of Christ which is the rock and foundation therof For had not the Iewes had a perfect warning of redemption to come through the Messiah sauiour of the world and the full meanes therof and of all that he was to perform for the saluation of mankind how could they take notice of their redemption or be iustly condemned for misbeleef for they that liued in the time of Christs humanity were to see that which their fathers hoped for If then we will further know what ought the substance of our faith to be I answer in a word Our faith ought to be the haruest of our fathers hope so that we beleeue that we haue receiued that which they hoped for so through one faith in one Iesus they and we are both saued Isai. 53. 8. Who shall declare his age for he was cut out off the land of the liuing Heer my purpose was to shew that this article might safely be vsed without aduātage to the Papists or offence to such as I before meant Therfore as we now see with our eies and beleeue that Iesus the true Christ came and finished his pilgrimage heer on earth being the only begotten sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost born of the virgine Mary crucified according to the prophets so what he was to do he himself declared to the fathers in spirit insomuch that they also saw their saluation by the eie of faith which they had in the same Messiah Colos. 1. 18. the first born of the dead and of al things to haue the preheminence He is the reconciliation of all the world and euen as his father spred the heauens and adorned them and created the earth and sea with all the implements so is the sonne commaunder of all and the beginning and end of all things are in his hand he is made iudge of all flesh comming as it were in the meane time to reconcile the limits and to constraine all nations to worship him He was made all one with the father the beginning of the world and the last end must ply vnto him from whom al sentence of ioy eternall or perpetuall misery shall proceed and to this end he preached in spirit long before he was incarnated Gen. 6. 3. The Lord said And my spirit shal not alwaies striue with flesh and his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to say 1. Pet. 3. 19. By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison which were somtime disobedient when the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah while the ark was in making Your father Abraham reioiced to see my daie Ioh. 8. 56. and he saw it and was glad Suppose saith Peter 2. Pet. 3. 15. that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation euen so our brother Paul according to the wisdom giuen to him wrote vnto you Doest thou the same Rom. 2. 3. and thinkest to escape iudgement and despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth to repentance Wherfore as by one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5. 12. and death by sinne so death went ouer all men for vnto the time of the law was sinne in the world but sinne is not imputed while there is no law Gal. 3. 17. The law fower hundred and thirty yeeres after the promise cannot disanull the couenant God gaue the promise to Abraham but death reigned from Adam to Moses euen on them also that sinned not after the maner of Adams transgression which was as a figure of the second Adam Seeing then before the law all men were dead in sinne without any hope of iustification to eternall life it was most needfull that the Gospell should be preached vnto them 1. Pet. 4. 6. Wherupon it seemeth Saint Peter continueth his speech of preaching to this end was the Gospell preached also to the dead that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh but might liue according to God in the spirit Now this is plaine that whoso were vnder the law were condemned by the law according to the flesh By this all men vnder the law were iudged by the law But seeing the dead were before the law howbeit many righteous men to whom the promise was giuen were iustified by faith they were not to be iudged or condemned by the law but by the spirit of Christ that preached vnto them while they were in the prison of death that they might beare fruit in the resurrection also otherwise should they be born without adoption in Christ at all like as the cloudes are congealed and melt againe to nothing or as the wind passeth through the aire and no man marketh it so without law or grace should they perish without conscience which the Atheists now adaies would soon graunt But their iudgement long ago is not far off 2. Pet. 2. 3. and their condemnation sleepeth not They are wels without water and clouds caried about with a tempest to whom the black darknes is reserued for euer Now if we doubt that Christ did preach in the spirit before he came in the flesh let vs consider the Epistle of Saint Iude Iude. vers 9. where is said touching blaspheming of authority Yet Michael the Archangel Christ when he stroue against the diuell about the body of Moses durst not blame him with cursed speaking but said The Lord rebuke thee Mark then this Michael was a cheef Angell yea more than an Angell Apoc. 12. 5. as the Reuelation sheweth also There was a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his angels fought but they preuailed not neither was their place found any more in heauen And the great Dragon that old serpent called the Diuell and satan which deceiueth all the world he was euen cast into the earth and his angels were cast out with him Heer Christ the seed of the woman brused the serpents head This Michael is the man-child that was borne to rule all nations with a rod of iron Psal. 2. 9. and break them in peeces like a potters vessell Diuers times is this Michael spiritually mentioned through the old and new Testament Dan. 10. 12. Lo Michael a cheef prince holpe me and there is none that holdeth with me Dan. 10. 22. but Michael your prince Dan. 12. In that day shall Michael stand vp the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people And in the same place Lo Michael one of the cheef princes cam to help me Wherfore it is to too absurd for vs to think that a king hauing banished an offender for punishment into a most desolate place of the world to remaine there for euer would himselfe go after to obteine greater power ouer him For what
greater subiection can there be than for euer yea for euer and euer to abide a slauish vassall in all seruitude horror trembling Therfore suppose not that the Holy one saw other corruption than in flesh for he droue the prince of darknes into a corner where the sink of all corruption is Now what perfection he could draw out of this sink that he himself had cursed let the consciences of all men try and iudge and be warned with Peter that they defile not the things that the Lord hath purified and that they cleaue not so fast to corruption as to peruert the Lords waies and besot their own vnderstanding Concerning the word Apoc. 6. 8. Hell it is written Behold a pale horse and his name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed after him and power was giuen to them ouer the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger with death and with the beasts of the earth Heer we see that our expositors plainly take Hel for the graue that is alwaies woont to follow after death Pet. 2. 13. So when the day of the Lord shall come by which the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt away with heat and a new heauen and a new earth established wherin dwelleth righteousnes Apoc. 21. 1. and the first heauen and the first earth passed away and when the Lord shall creat new heauens and a new earth and the former not remembred For Isai. 65. 19. saith the Lord as the new heauens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me Isai. 66. 22. so shall your seed and your name continue and from moneth to moneth and from sabaoth to sabaoth shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord and they shall go forth and looke vpon the carkases of men that haue transgressed for their worm shall not dy neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh This is the miserable condition of the wicked ones the second death the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Apoc. 2. 8. at the opening of the books the resurrection of all flesh which is to say when the sea death and Hell shall giue vp their dead Apoc. 20. 1. which are in them and they shall bee iudged according to their works then both death and Hell which haue all this while had power ouer flesh to cut it off from inheritance of this life through the curse shall at the last resurrection be vanquished to all flesh and cast into the burning lake by our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ our forerunner In this world shall the cursed endure his damnation and the happy shall feel his blessednes He that liueth in this world an hundred yeeres shall dy a yoong man neither shall any be called a child of yeers but he that buildeth in this world shall inhabit and they that plant vineyards shall eat of the fruit neither shall they plant and another eat but they shal inioy the works of their own hands and shall not be made to labour in vaine and bring foorth in fear for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their buds with them Yet concerning his descension remaineth this one thing he made his graue with the wicked with the â—ich in his death though he had done no wickednes neither was any deceit in his mouth Now in that it is said he made him a graue he chose him a place in the earth whereinto he vouchsafed to descend and be buried for our saluation though many wicked and rich men lay as glorious as he whom the cell of the earth was far vnworthy to conteine Dan. 12. 2. Where the many that sleep shall awake to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Againe that he was buried and descended also into hell read the ancient Christian meaning of the word Hell in the example of the rich man written by Luke the Euangelist translated into Saxonish many yeeres ago which saith thus ha peand re peleza dead and paer on Hell bebynzed which is now as much as to say And the rich man died and was buried in hel I should think it very absurd therfore farther to vrge any comment or exposition for the word Hell seeing no doubt these expositors of the Gospels sufficiently vnderstood what they said in their owne language Nay whosoeuer will not yeeld vnto so plain a testimony of truth the mark of controuersie he may be thought little zealous yea obstinate in his own profession Now of such as would haue Hell to be in the earth and to meane the place of the damned and would prooue it by the word Luk. 16. 26. Gulf that was betweene Abraham and the rich man the worde in the Greek originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HIATVS FISSVRA a gap or cliffe as Virgil citeth the word properly foorth of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TELLVS IMA DEHISCAT Let the earth cleaue But we vnderstand the word Gulf a concaue and a deuouring place which is hardly argued by the circumstance following seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify neither vp nor downe but passing ouer as it were from shore to shore as TRANSCENDERE and TRANSRIMARE agreeing with the prophets words before recited they shall go foorth and look vpon the carcases of men c. And beside Saint Iohn proueth a further punishment to insue after death and hell which is to say the burning lake Let vs absteine therfore farther to inquire of the places which the Lord hath shut vp from vs and our vnderstanding For saith the Lord Gen 3. 22. Behold the man is becom as one of vs to know good and euill And now least he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and liue for euer therfore the Lord God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden to till the earth whence he was taken And the Lord hath set Cherubims and the blade of a sword shaking to keep the way of the tree of life Heer we see that the iealous God excluded Adam out of the garden least he should attain to see the state of the eternall Wherfore the plaine and open things are for vs and our children to obserue and do but the secret and hidden things pertaine vnto God only The prophet Ionah was a most excellent figure of our sauiour if a man do diligently mark his prophesie 2. King 14. 25. First his name signifieth a doue in the Hebrue voice in the likenes wherof Iesus receiued the spirit of his father from heauen wher he himself confesseth Math. 3. 16. that he saw the heauens open and the spirit of God descending like a doue Psal. 74. 16. and lighting vpon him the true turtle doue whose soule the beast had neuer power of Ionah his message was to