he will first fetch that out and make choice of a faithfull friend to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in common perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God who is a faithfull creator An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience Lastly at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands for though we be not alwaies in affliction yet we are alwaies in great daunger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he riseth he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we know not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great daunger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent For the which cause saith he J suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we may see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition and if they haue cattell sheepe or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God Againe in that Christ laies downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures there is great difference betvveene them for vvhen the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death as the soule of beastes doe the neglect thereof vvere no great matter but seeing it must liue for ever either in eternall ioy or els in endlesse paines and torments it standes vs upon euery man for himselfe so to provide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The thirde that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto For vvhen vvee die in Christ the bodie is but laide asleepe and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father as the soule of Christ was Lastly vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calles it a spirite we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall invisible simple essence without coÌ„position created as the angels of God are The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies may easily bee resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirite can not beget another spirit as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels for one spirit begetteth not another Nay vvhich is more one simple element begetteth not another as the vvater begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof If it be said that the whole soule of the parents be propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answer that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted and therfore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites Thus much of the crucifying of Christ Now followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father the holy Ghost saith he gave vp the ghost to giue us to understand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes The first that it was needfull that hee should die and that for tvvo causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods â—ight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life but also die on the crosse that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne might be laide on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die
heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers c. euen by the power of his father well as this power was made manifest in the head so must it be in the members thereof Euery child of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power to translate him from this vale of miserie in this life to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore to conclude we haue great cause to be thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge that he sheweth his power in his children in regenerating them in making them die vnto sinne and to stand against the gates of hell to suffer afflictions patiently as also that he translates thē from death to life And euery one should shew his thankfulnes in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe as Paul exhorteth vs in his epistles to the Colossians Ephesians yea read all his epistles we shal finde he mentioneth no point so often as this namely the mightie power of God manifested first in Christ secondly in his mēbers and he accounteth all things losse that he might know Christ the vertue of his resurrection This point is the rather to be marked because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues for the deuill doth mightitily shew his cōtrary power in the greatest part of the world in carrying them to sinne and wickednes Secondly hence we learne that which Paul teacheth namely to know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God God is almightie therfore able to do whatsoeuer he wil he is also a father therfore is willing to doe that which is for our good But some will say we are subiect to many crosses yea to sinne what can our sinnes turne to our good Ans. If God almightie be thy father he wil turne thine afflictions yea thy sinnes which by nature are euill beyond all exspectation vnto thy saluation And this God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne Thirdly whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father it serues to confirme Gods children in the promises of mercie reuealed in his word The chiefest whereof is that if men will turne from their sinnes and beleeue in Christ they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting I know some men wil make it an easie thing to beleeue especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith therfore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it learne how to stablish their wauering hearts in the promises of God by the consideration of these two points God is a father and therefore he is willing he is also almightie and therefore he is able to performe his promises He that will be truly resolued of Gods promises must haue both these setled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations It followeth Creatour of heauen and earth We haue spoken of the title of the first person of his attributs now we come to speake of his effect namely the creation but before we come to it we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made At the first it may seeme strāge to some that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally And first that the father is Creatour it was neuer doubted as for the second person the Sonne that he is Creatour it is euident all things are made by it that is by the Sonne who is the substantiall word of the father without it was made nothing that was made And againe it is said that God by his Sonne made the worlde As for the holy Ghost the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him and therefore Moses saith the spirit mooued vpon the waters and Iob saith his spirit hath garnished the heauens How thē is this peculiar to the father being cōmon to al the three persons in trinitie I answer the actions of God are two-fold either inward or outward The inward actions are those which one person doth exercise towards another as the father doth beget the sonne this is an inward action peculiar to the father for all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are So the Sonne doth receiue the godhead frō the father the holy Ghost frō thē both these are inward actions peculiar to these persons So likewise for the father to send his sonne it is an inward action proper to the father cannot be cōmunicated to the holy Ghost the sonne to be sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the sonne not cōmon to the father or to the holy Ghost Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures as the worke of creation the work of preseruatiō of redemption These all such actions are cōmon to all the three persons the father createth the sonne createth the H. Ghost createth so we may say of the works of gouernment of redemption of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures But some again may say how then can the work of creation being an outward action of God to the creature be peculiar to the first person the father I answer the work of creation is not so proper to the first person the father as that it cannot also be common to the rest for al the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing onely they are distinguished in the manner of creating For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke the sonne puts it in execution the holy Ghost is the finisher of it And againe the father createth by the sonne by the H. Ghost the sonne createth by the holy Ghost frō the father the H. Ghost createth not by the father nor by the sonne but frō the father the sonne And this is the reason why the work of creation is ascribed here vnto the father because he alone createth after a peculiar manner namely by the sonne and by the holy Ghost but the sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him Thus hauing answered the obiection we come to speake of the creation it selfe In handling whereof we must withal treat of the Counsell of God as being the cause thereof of the Gouernment of the creatures as beeing a worke of God whereby he continues the creation And the order which I wil obserue is first to speake of the Counsell of God and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell which hath two speciall branches the first the creation the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created The Counsell of God is his eternal vnchangeable decree
the Papistes are faultie tvvo vvayes First that they giue too much to the verie name of Iesus for they write in plaine tearmes that the bare name it self being used hath great power doth driue away deuils though the parties that use it be void of good affection whereas indeede it hath no more vertue then other titles of God or Christ. Secondly they are faultie that they giue too little to the thing signified For Christ must either be our alone and whole Sauiour or no Saviour Now they make him but halfe a Sauiour they ioyne others with him as partners in the work of saluatiō whē they teach that with Christs merits must be ioyned our works of grace in the matter of iustification and with Christes satisfaction for the wrath of God our satisfaction for the temporall punishment and when they adde to Christes intercession the intercession and patronage of saints especially of the virgin Mary whome they call the queene of heauen the mother of mercie vvithall requesting her that by the authoritie of a mother shee would commaund her sonne If this doctrine of theirs may stand Christ can not be the onely Sauiour of mankinde but euerie man in parte shalbe Iesus to himselfe But let us goe on yet further to search the speciall reason of the name which is notably set downe by the Angell Thou shalt saith hee call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes In which words vve may consider 3. pointes I. Whome the sonne of God shall saue II. By what III. From what For the first he shall saue his people that is the elect of Iewes Gentiles and therefore he is called the Saviour of his bodie VVe must not here imagine that Christ is a Sauiour of all and euerie man For if that were true then Christ shoulde make satisfaction to Gods iustice for all and every mans sinnes and gods iustice being fully satisfied he could not in iustice condemne any man nay all men should be blessed because satisfactiō for sin the pardon of sin depend one upō another inseparably Againe if Christ be an effectuall Sauiour of all and euerie particular man why is any man condemned It will be said because they will not beleeue belike then mans will must over rule Gods will whereas the common rule of divines is that the first cause ordereth the second The meanes of saluation by Christ are two his merite and his efficacie His merit in that by his obedience to the law and by his passion he made a satisfaction for our sinnes freed us from death and reconciled us unto God Some may obiect that the obedience and the passion of Christ being long agoe ended can not be able to saue us now because that which he did 1500. yeres agoe may seeme to be vanished and come to nothing at this day Answere If Christs obedience be considered as an action his passion as a bare suffering they are both ended long agoe yet the value and price of them before God is euerlasting as in Adams fall the action of eating the forbidden fruit is ended but the guilt of his transgression goes ouerall mankind and continues still euen to this houre and shall doe to the ende of the world in those which shall be borne hereafter The efficacie of Christ is in that hee giues his spirite to mortifie the corruption of our natures that we may die unto sinne and liue to righteousnesse and haue true comfort in terrors of conscience and in the pangs of death The euils from which we are saued are our owne sinnes in that Christ freeth us from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all when we beleeue Thus much for the meaning of this title Iesus Now followe the uses which arise of it First of all whereas wee are taught to make confession that the sonne of God is Iesus that is a Sauiour hence it must needs follow that wee are all lost in our selues And indeede before we can truly acknowledge that Christ is our Sauiour this confession must needes goe before that we are in truth therewithal do feel our selues to be miserable sinners under the wrath of God utterly lost in regarde of our selues for Christ came to save that which vvas lost And vvhen he talked with the woman of Canaan he checked her said he was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Christ Iesus came to poure oyle into our woundes Christ came to set them at libertie which are in prison and to place them in freedome that are in bondage Now a man cannot poure oyle into a wound before there be a wounde or before it be opened and wee feele the smart of it And how can we be set at libertie by Christ except we feele us in our selues to be in bondage under Hell death and damnation VVhen the disciples of Christ were vpon the sea in a great tempest they cried Master saue vs we perish So no man can heartily say I beleeue Iesus Christ to be my Sauiour before hee feele that in himselfe he is utterly lost and cast away without his helpe But after that wee perceiue our selues to be in danger to be ouerwhelmed in the Sea of the wrath of God then we crie out with the disciples Lorde Iesus saue vs wee perish Many protestants in these daies hold Christ to be their Sauiour but it is onely formably from the teeth outward and no further for they were neuer touched with the sense of their spirituall miserie that they might say with Daniel Shame and confusion belongeth unto us and with the Publican I am a sinner Lorde be mercifull to me And therefore the conclusion is this that if we will haue Christ to be our Saviour we must first beleeue that in our selues we are utterly lost and so must that place be understood where Christ saith he is not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel that is to those which in their owne sense and feeling are lost in themselues Secondly if Christ be a Sauiour then we must acknowledge him to be so But how shall wee doe this I ansvver Thus A man is taken to be a skillfull Phisition by this that many patients come unto him and seeke for helpe at his hands And so should it be with Christ. But alas the case is otherwise Every man can talke of Christ but few acknowledge him to be a Sauiour by seeking to him for their saluation because they iudge themselues righteous and feele not themselues to stand in need of the helpe of Christ. Nay which is more if a man be knowne that can cure straunge diseases men will seeke to him by sea and lande and sell both goods and landes to get helpe at his handes Euen so if men were perswaded that Christ were a perfect Sauiour and that they were sicke and utterly unable to be saued without him they
therefore the death of Christ doeth make his last will and testament which is his couenant of grace authenticall unto us Fourthly the death of Christ doth serue to abolish the originall corruption of our sinnefull hearts As a strong corasive laide to a sore eates out all the rotten and deade flesh euen so Christs death being applyed to the heart of a penitent sinner by faith weakens and consumes the sinne that cleaues so fast unto our natures and dwelles within us Some will say how can Christes death which now is not because it is long ago past and ended kill sinne in vs now Ansvver Indeed if vvee regard the acte of Christs death it is past but the vertue and power thereof endureth for euer And the power of Christes death is nothing els but the power of his godhead vvhich inabled him in his death to ouercome hell the graue death and condemnation and to disburden him selfe of our sinnes Now when wee haue grace to denie our selves and to put our trust in Christ and by faith are ioyned to him then as Christ himselfe by the power of his godhead ouercame death hell and damnation in himselfe so shall wee by the same power of his godhead kill crucifie sin corruption in our selues Therfore seeing we reape such benefite by the death of Christ if wee will shewe our selues to be Christians let us reioyce in the death of Christ and if the question be what is the chiefest thing wherein we reioyce in this world we may answere the very crosse of Christ and the least droppe of his blood The duties to be learned by the death of Christ are two the first concernes all ignorant and impenitent sinners Such men whatsoeuer they be by the death of Christ upon the crosse must be mooued to turne from their sinnes and if the consideration hereof will not mooue them nothing in the world will By nature euery man is a vassall of sinne and a bondslaue of Sathan the deuill raignes and rules in all men by nature and wee our selues can doe nothing but serue and obey him Nay which is more we lie under the fearefull curse of God for the least sinne Well now see the love of the sonne of God that gaue himselfe willingly to death upon the crosse for thee that he might free thee from this most fearefull bondage Wherefore let all those that liue in sinne and ignorance reason thus with thēselues Hath Christ the Sonne of God done this for us and shall we yet live still in our sinnes hath he set open as it were the very gates of hell and shall we yet lie weitring in out damnable waies and in the shadowe of death In the feare of God let the death of Christ be a means to turne us to Christ if it can not moue us let us be resolued that our case is dangerous To go yet further in this point euery one of us is by nature a sicke man wounded at the very heart by sathan though we feele it not yet we are deadly sicke beholde Christ is the good Phisition of the soule none in heauen or earth neither Saint angell nor man can heale this our spirituall wound but he alone who though he were equall with the father yet he came downe from his bosome and became mā lived here many yeres in miserie contēpt and when no hearb nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperate sicknes he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood the paine hee tooke in making it caused him to sweat water blood nay the making of it for us cost him his life in that he was content by his own death to free us from death which if it be true as it is most true thē wofull wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne will not use meanes to lay this plaister unto our hearts And after the plaister is applyed to the soule we should doe as a man that hath bene grievously sicke who whē he is on the mending hand gets strength by litle little And so should we become new creatures going on frō grace to grace and shew the same by liuing godlily righteously and soberly that the worlde may see that wee are cured of our spirituall disease O happy yea thrise happy are they that haue grace from God to do this The second duty concernes thē which are repentant sinners Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee is thy conscience setled in this then thou must answerably beare this minde that if thy life would serue for the glorie of God the good of his Church thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto Secondly if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life then thou must in like manner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ if need be He saith S. Iohn laid down his life for us therfore we ought to lay down our liues for our brethren Thirdly if Christ was cōtē◠to shed his own hearts blood not for himself but for the sins of euery one of us thē we must be thus affected that rather then by sinning we would willingly offend god we should be content to haue our own blood shed yea if these two things were put to our choise either to doe that vvhich might displease God or els to suffer death we must rather die then do the same Of this mind haue bene all the martyrs of God who rather then they would yeild to Idolatrie were content to suffer most bitter torments cruell death Yea euery good christian is so affected that hee had rather choose to die then to liue not moued by impatience in respect of the miseries of this life but because he would cease to offend so louing a father To sin is meat drinke to the world but to a touched repētāt hart ther is no tormēt so grievous as this is to sinne against God if once hee be perswaded that Christ died for him Thus much for Christs death novv follovv those things vvhich befell Christ when hee was newly dead and they are two especially The first that his legges were not broken as the legges of the tvvo thieves vvere Of the first S. Iohn rendreth a reason namely that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith not a bone of him shall be broken which wordes vvere spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe and are here applyed to Christ as being typically figured therby And hence we obserue these tvvo things First that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe as S. Paul saieth Christ our passeover is sacrificed and S. Iohn saith Behold the lamb of God distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lamb the childe of God hath vvonderfull matter of comfort The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt and sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the postes of their dores that when
I let them passe Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection the witnesses thereof are of three sortes I. angels II. women that came to the graue to embalme him III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same againe according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ and of these likewise I omit to speake because there is not any speciaâ—l thing mentioned of them by the Evangelistes Now follow the uses which are twofold some respect Christ and some respect ourselues Vses which concerne Christ are three I. whereas Christ Iesus being starke deade rose againe to life by his owne power it serueth to prooue unto us that he was the sonne of God Thus Paul speaking of Christ saieth that he was declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead And by the mouth of Dauid God saide Thou art my sonne this day I have begot thee Which place must be understood not so much of the eternall generation of Christ before all worlds as of the manifestation therof in time after this maner This day that is at the time of thine incarnation but especially at the day of thy resurrection have I begotten thee that is I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne so is this place expouÌ„ded by S. Paul in the Acts. Secondly Christs resurrection by his own power prooues unto us euidently that he is Lord ouerall things that are this use S. Paul makes hereof for saith he Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke And indeed wheras he rose againe thus he did hereby shew himselfe most plainely to be a mightie prince ouer the graue ouer death hell condemnation in that he had power to ouercome them Thirdly it proues unto us that he was a perfit priest that his death and passion was a perfit satisfaction to the iustice of God for the sins of mankind For whereas Christ died he died for our sins now if he had not fully satisfied for them all though there had remained but one sin for which he had made no satisfaction he had not risen againe but death which came into the worlde by sinne and is strengthned by it woulde haue helde him in bondage and therefore whereas hee rose againe it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction so as the merite thereof doth and shall countervaile the iustice of God for all our offences To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sins that is Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes or at least you could not possibly haue knowen that he had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe The uses which concerne our selues are of two sortes comforts to the children of God and duties that are to be learned and practised of us all The comforts are especially three First Christs resurrrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him euen before God the father as Paul saith Christ was given to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification which wordes haue this meaning when Christ died as we haue shewed before we must not consider him as a priuate man but as one that stood in the stead and roome of all the elect in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our own persons for euer the guilt of our offences was laid upon him therfore Esai saith he was nuÌ„bred among the wicked Now in his rising againe he freed disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his own because he was without sin but from the guilt punishment of our sins imputed unto him And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust affiance in the merit of Christ at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sins not imputed unto them his righteousnes imputed Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification as S. Peter saith We are regenerate to a lively hope by the resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus Christ from the dead And S. Paul Wee are then saith hee buried with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ vvas raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father so vvee also should walke in newnesse of life For if we be grafted vvith him to the similitude of his death wee shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection Which wordes import thus much that as Christ by the power of his owne godheade freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes so doth he free those that are knit unto him by the bond of one spirite from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead that they may liue unto God In the naturall body the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion and therefore by sundry nerves dispersed through the body the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least partes so as the hands and the feete moue by meanes of that power which comes from the head and so it is in the spirituall body of Christ namely the Church he is the head the fountain of life therfore he coÌ„veieth spirituall life to euery one of his members and that very power of his godhead whereby he raised up himselfe when he was dead he conveieth from himselfe to his members thereby raiseth them up from the death of sinne to newnesse of life And looke as in a perfect body when the head hath sence and motion the hand that is of the same bodie hath also sense and motion conuenient for it So likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life as there is spirituall life in him so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sence and motion whereby it is raised up froÌ„ sinne and liueth unto God For the better conceiuing of this we must consider two things the outward meanes of this spirituall life and the measure of it For the meanes if we will haue common water vve must goe to the well and if wee vvould haue vvater of life we must goe unto Christ who saith If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke Now this vvell of the water of life is very deepe we haue nothing to draw with therefore we must haue our pipes conduits to convey the same unto us which are the word of God preached and the administration of the sacrameÌ„ts Christ saith The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God they that heare it shall live where by dead is meant not the dead in the graue but those that are dead in sinne And againe Christ saith the wordes which I speake are spirite and life because
the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust vniust Now what did this mooue him vnto Marke herein saith he that is in this respect I endeauour my self to haue alwaies a cleare coÌ„science towards God and towards man And let vs for our parts likewise remember the last iudgement that it may be a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions that we may keep a good conscience before God and before men and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies soules with so many damnable practises without any remorse of conscience Surely they neuer seriously remember the day of the resurrection after this life wherin they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life whether it be good or badde Thus much of the duties now marke it is further said The resurrection of the bodie If the bodie rise it must first fal Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed truth that all men must die the first death And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinnes which are the cause of death it may be demaunded why they must die Ansvveâ—re VVee are to know that when they die death doth not seaze vpon theÌ„ as it is in his own nature a curse for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse and that for vs but for two other causes which wee must thinke vpon as beeing speciall meanes to make a man willing to die I. They must die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life then it is abolished and not before II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death and turnes a curse into a blessing And to proceede It is not here said the resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely what then will some say becommeth of the soule Diuers haue thought that the soules then though they doe not die yet are still kept within the bodie beeing as it were a sleepe till the last day But Gods word saith to the contrarie For in the Revelation it is said The soules of the godly lie vnder the altar and cry How long Lord Iesus And in the Gospel of Luke Dives in soule did suffer woe and torments in hell and Lazarus had ioy in AbrahaÌ„s bosom Againe some others think that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to another and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion for when newes was brought him of Christ he said that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man And for proofe herof some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar who forsaking the societie of man liued as a beast and did eate grasse like a beast and they imagine that his owne soule went out of him and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof But this indeede is a fonde conceit for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast being only strickeÌ„ by the hand of God with an exceeding madnes whereby he was bereft of common reason as doth appeare by that clause in the text where it is saide that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe Againe some other thinke that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth nor passeth out of one bodie into an other but wandereth here on earth amoÌ„g men ofteÌ„times appeareth to this or that maÌ„ this is the opinion of some hereticks of the common people which thinke that dead men walke and for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul but the truth is it was not Samuel in deede but onely a counterfait of him For not all the witches in the world nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place For when men die in the faith their soules are immediatly translated into heauen there abide till the last iudgement and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes their soules goe straight to the place of eternall condemnation and there abide as in a prison as Peter saith In a word when the breath goeth out of the bodie the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heaueÌ„ or hel and there is no third place of aboad meÌ„tioned in scripture To conclude the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule which neither dieth nor sleepeth but is a spirituall and inuisible substance liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit now followeth the fourth last in these words And life euerlasting To handle this point to the full and to open the nature of it as it deserueth is not in the power of man For both the Prophet Esai and Saint Paul say that the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him Again Paul when he was wrapt into the third heauen saith that he saw things not to be vttered Neuerthelesse we may in some part describe the same so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his wil vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue I consider two things the first is life it selfe the second is the continuance of life noted in the word euerlasting Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth liueth moueth it selfe it is twofold vncreated or created Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe wherby God liueth absolutely in himselfe from himselfe by himselfe giuing life and being to all things that liue and haue beeing this life is not meant here because it is not communicable to any creature Created life is a qualitie in the creature and its againe twofold natural spiritual Natural life is that wherby men in this world liue by meat drinke al such means as are ministred by Gods prouidence Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life after the day of iudgemeÌ„t for euer and euer And this alone is the life which in the Creed we confesse and beleeue it consisteth in an immediate coniunctioÌ„ and communion
is one thing to beleeue in this or that is another thing and it conteineth in it 3. points or actions of a beleeuer 1. to know a thing 2. to acknowledge the same 3. to put trust and confidence in it And in this order must these three actions of faith be applied to euery article following which concerneth God And herein is contained a speciall matter For alwaies by adding them to the words following we doe applie the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner As I beleeue in the father and doe beleeue that he is my father and therefore I put my whole trust in him and so of the rest Now we come to the obiect of generall faith which is either God or the Church in handling of both which I wil obserue this order I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article II. Of the duties which we ought to learn thereby III. And lastly of the consolations which may be gathered thence Concerning God three things are to be considered And first by reason of manifold doubtings that rise in our minds it may be demanded whether there be a God many reasons might be vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience otherwaies we are bound to beleeue that there is a God without al doubting As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God by Gods lawe they ought to die the death nay the earth is too good for such to dwell on Malefactours as theeues and rebells for their offences haue their rewarde of death but the offence of those which denie that there is a God is greater and therefore deserues the most cruell death The second point followeth namely what God is Answer Moses desiring to see Gods face was not permitted but to see his hinder parts and therefore no man can be able to describe God by his nature but by his effects properties on this or such like maner God is an essence spirituall simple infinite most holy I say first of all that God is an essence to shew that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe by himselfe not receiuing his being from any other And herein he differeth frō all creatures whatsoeuer which haue subsisting beeing from him alone Againe I say that he is an essence spirituall because hee is not a kinde of body neither hath he the parts of the bodies of mē or other creatures but is in nature a spirit inuisible not subiect to any of mans senses I adde also that he is a simple essence because his nature admits no maner of composition of matter or forme or parts The creatures are compounded of diuers parts of varietie of nature but there is no such thing in God for whatsoeuer thing he is he is the same by one the same singular and indiuisible essence Furthermore he is infinite and that diuers waies infinite in time without any beginning and without end infinite in place because he is euery where and excluded no where within all places and foorth of all places Lastly he is most holy that is of infinite wisdome mercie loue grace goodnes c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy because holinesse is of the very nature of God himselfe wheras among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise As for example a man is one thing and the holines of man is another Thus we see what God is and to this effect god describes himself to be Iehova Elohim Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting immorall inuisible onely wise to whom is due all honour glorie for euer The thirde point is touching the number of Gods namely whether there be more Gods then one or no. Ans. There is not neither can there be any more Gods then one VVhich point the Creede auoucheth in saying I beleeue in God not gods and yet more plainly the Nicene Creede and the Creede of Athanasius both of them explaning the words of the Apostles Creede on this maner I beleeue in one God Howsoeuer some in former times haue erroneously held that two Gods were the begining of all things one of good things the other of euill things others that there was one God in the old testament an other in the new others againe namely the Valintinians that there were 30. couple of gods and the heathen people as Augustine recordeth worshipped 30. thousand gods yet we that are members of Gods Church must hold and beleeue one God alone no more Deut. 4.39 Vnderstand this day and consider in thine heart that Iehovah he is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none other Eph. 4.8 One God one faith one baptisme If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods because Magistrates are called gods Moses is called Aarons god the deuill and all idols are called gods The answer is this They are not properly or by nature gods for in that respect there is onely one God but they are so tearmed in other respects Magistrates are gods because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God to gouerne their subiects Moses is Aarons god because he was in the roome of god to reueale his will to Aaron the deuill is a god because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him which is peculiar to the euerliuing God idols are called gods because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods Therefore Paul faith an idole is nothing in the worlde that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it To proceede forwarde to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much 1. to knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde 2. to beleeue him to be my God 3. from mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuills haue but a more speciall knowledge whereby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may be gathered hence First of all if wee are bound to beleeue in God then wee are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeliefe to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the childe that had a dumme spirite Lord saith he J beleeue Lorde helpe myne vnbeleefe And David Why art thou cast dovvne my soule and why art thou so disquieted in me wayt on God And that which our Sauiour Christ said once to Peter should a man say euery day to himselfe O thou of little faith why hast thou doubted But
especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lorde by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and wicked they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the dueties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in prayer vnto God for he that will pray truly must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must be made in faith and for a man to pray in faith it is harde therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leaper whome our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords prayer when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the ende he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to wait for the benefits before craved in these words Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence we learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shal neuer be able to preuaile against the least mēber of Christ. I doe not say they shal neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shall neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I answer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Little children yee are of God and haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirite who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the worlde that is the spirit of Sathan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth him selfe to a sillie sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyō yet I will feare none evill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is saide the first person is a father as also almightie ioyne these two together and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a father almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuil and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True in deede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must learne to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirite of wisdome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be cōsidered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and find the power of God as he was man Answ. Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the panges of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Now in this extremitie God did shew his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we draw from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lieth dead in sinne Now as God did shewe his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in him selfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnes of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in him selfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a new life more more Furthermore whē Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did hee vanquish Sathan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer sathan◠that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cuppe might passe from him and yet he saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessarie that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhoode to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectual in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the panges of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in all the members of Christ to make them both patient and of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that wheras they confesse God to be their almightie father they should here withall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that he is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing thē power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hande of God in
they are euill wills simply but as they are wills and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose he is nothing at all intangled with the defect or euill of his will Touching the time of the fall the receiued opinion in former ages hath bin that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes that they stoode but sixe houres And though we can not determine of the certen time yet in all likelihood was it very short For Moses presently after that he had set down the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else comes immediately to the fall And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his mallice no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe And our Sauiour Christ saith that the deuill was a manslayer from the beginning namely from the beginning nor of the creation of the world or of time but of man And Eue saith we shall eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden it may be insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her Touching the greatnes of mans fall some haue made a small matter of it because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But wee must not measure the greatnes or the smalnes of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied but by the commaundement of God and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie And that this fact of Adam and Eve was no small fault but a notorious cryme and Apostasie in which they withdrawe them selues from vnder the power of God nay reiect and denie him will appeare if wee take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it The first is vnbeleefe in that they doubted and distrusted of the trueth of Gods worde which hee spake to them The seconde is contempt of God in that they beleeued the lyes of the deuill rather then him For when God saith In the day that ye shall eate thereof ye shall die the death it is as nothing with Eve but when the deuill comes and saith Ye shall not die at all that shee takes fast hold on The third is pride and ambition For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods namely as the father the sonne the holy Ghost The fourth is vnthankfulnes God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image that is nothing with them to be like vnto him vnlesse they may be equall vnto him The fifth is curiositie whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in the creation and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them The sixth is reprochful blasphemie in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill in which he charged God with lying and enuie The seuenth is murder For by this meanes they bereâ—ue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God The eight is discontentation in that they sought for an higher condition then that was in which God had placed them In a word in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God And wee should often thinke vpon this that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall and his vnspeakeable goodnes in receiuing men to mercie after the same And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall Sinnes are either personall or generall Personall are such as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie Generall that is common to all men and such is Adams fall It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankinde or as a publike person representing all his posteritie and therefore when hee sinned all his posteritie sinned with him as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse for the shire is done by euery person in the shire As Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world and so death went ouerall for as much as all haue sinned And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men as Cains murder which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie as Adam was and therefore his sinne is personall whereas Adams is not Yet this which I say must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam but onely of the first From the fall of Adam springeth originall sinne not onely as a fruit thereof but also as a iust punishment of it And after the foresaid fall it is in Adam and his posteritie as the mother and roote of all other sinne yet with this distinction that actuall sinne was first in Adam and then came originall but in vs first is originall sinne and then after followes actuall Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures as the flesh the old man because it is in vs before grace concupiscence sinne that is readie to compasse vs about the sinning sinne and it is commonly tearmed originall because it hath bin in mans nature euer since the fall and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth as Dauid plainly saith Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me not meaning properly his parents sinne for he was borne in lawfull marriage but his owne hereditarie sinne whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe But let vs search the nature of it Considering it hath place in man it must be either the substaÌ„ce of body or soule or the faculties of the substance or the corruption of the faculties Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him should also take vpon him our sinnes and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men and againe the soules of men should not be immortall Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding will affections and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation whereas sinne was not before the fall Wherefore it remains that originall sinne is nothing els but a disorder or euill disposition in al the faculties inclinations of man wherby they are all caried inordinatly against the law The subiect or place of this sinne is not any part of man but the whole bodie and soule For first of all the naturall appetite to meat and drinke and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by
natures themselues are Christ saieth of himselfe I have povver to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it up againe and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhoode because the godhead can not die and to take it up againe is the worke of the godhead alone which reunites the soule to the bodie after death The first and last point is what ariseth of this union Ans. By reason of this hypostaticall union though the godheade receiue nothing from the manhoode yet the manhoode it selfe which is assumed is thereby perfected and enriched with unspeakeable dignitie For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer euen angels themselues in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie Secondly togither with the godhead of the sonne it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour as in like case the honour done to the king himselfe redounds to the crowne on his head Thirdly by reason of this union the godheade of Christ works all things in the matter of our redemptiō in by the manhood And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned it is quickning flesh and the bread of life Againe from this union of two natures into one person ariseth a kind of speech or phrase peculiar to the scriptures called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature as when Paul saith that God shed his blood that the Lord of glorie was crucified And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen The use of the personall union is threefold First it serues to shew the heinousnesse of our sinnes and the greatnesse of our miserie For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence vnlesse the same nature had first of all bene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne that thereby it might be so far forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God Secondly it sets forth unto us the endles loue of God to man For whereas by reason of Adams fall wee are become the vilest of all creatures except the deuill and his angels yet by his mysticall coniunction our nature is is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort for all sound comfort standes in happinesse all happinesse is in fellowship with God all fellowshippe with God is by Christ who for this cause beeing verie God became verie man that he might reconcile man to God and God to man Thus much of the conception of Christ now followes his birth whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature hee was brought forth into the world by the virgin Mary And it was the will of God that Christ should not onely be conceiued but also borne and that after the maner of men that hee might be knowen to be verie man indeede In the birth we may consider foure things the time the place the manner the manifestation of it The time was in the last daies toward the end of the 70. weeks of Daniel which are to be accoūted from the end of the captivitie of Babylō make in all 490 yeres or more plainely 3900. yeeres and more from the beginning of the world and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time And the Euangelists haue noted of purpose the time to haue bene when Augustus Caesar taxed the Iewes and all nations under his dominions to signifie that Christ was borne at the verie time foretold by Iacob when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda and withall to shevve that his kingdome was not of this world And it vvas the good pleasure of god that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner but so many ages from the beginning of the worlde And this consideration of the verie time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith For thus may vve reason vvith our selues If God vvho in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman deferred it almost 4000. yeres and yet at length accomplished the same to the verie full then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting will in his good time bring them to passe though as yet wee see them not And thus by the accōplishment of al things past should we confirme our hope concerning things to come The place vvas not Hierusalem nor Nazareth nor any other citie but onely a village of Iuda called Bethleem that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousandes of Iuda yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shall be the ruler in Israell And here vve may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence vvhich ouer-ruleth the procedings of cruell tirants to the accomplishing of his owne will they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias gaue commandement that euery man shoulde goe to his owne city to be taxed and hereupon Ioseph and Mary take their iourny from Nazareth to Bethleem which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this end that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his prophet The manner of Christs birth was verie base and poore for the place where hee was borne was a stable and the cradle where he lay was a cratch And he willingly tooke upon him this povertie for sundry causes I. That the scripture might be fulfilled which saith that he should be the shame and contempt of the people and that ye shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and have neither fourme nor beauty II. That hee might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhood to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this worlde who exceedingly esteeme of their riches power and glorie perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might and wealth whereas Christ himselfe hath done the same both in povertie and weakenesse and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helpes When he hung upon the crosse the soldiers stript him of his garments and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the monarches of the earth in all their roialties could neuer haue perfourmed And
be Gods will so long as we live and by this shall we most notably resemble our Saviour Christ. Thirdly when Christ had carried his crosse so long till he coulde carrie it no longer by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie which came by buffets whippings and manifold other iniuries then the souldiers meeting with one Simon of Cyrene a stranger made him to beare the crosse where we are put in mind that if we faint in the way and be wearied with the burthen of our afflictions God will give good issue and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us and to be our comforter The fourth points is that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse and was now passing on tovvards Golgotha certaine women mette him and pitying his case wept for him but Christ answered them and said Daughters of Ierusalem weep not for me but for your selves your childrē c. By this wee are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie especially those that be the children of God as the Apostle exhorteth vs saying Remember them that are in bonds as though you vvere bound with them and them that are in affliction as though you were afflicted with them In this land by Gods especiall blessing wee haue enioyed the gospell of Christ with peace a long time whereas other cuntries Churches are in great distresse some wallow in palpable ignorance superstition others haue libertie to enioy the gospell and want teachers and some haue both the word teachers and yet want peace and are in continuall persecution Now when we that haue the Gospell with peace do heare of these miseries in our neighbour Churches we ought to be mooued with compassion towardes them as though we our selues were in the same afflictions Secondly whereas Christ saith Weepe not for me but for your selves he doth teach vs to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorow for our sinnes whereby wee doe rather weepe for our offences then for our friends although euen that may also be done in a godly manner When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into daunger of his life the Phisition lets him blood in an other place as in the arme and turnes the course of the blood an other way to saue his life and so must we turne our worldly sorows for losse of goods or friends to a godly sorrow for our offences against God for as S. Paul saith Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvatiō not to be repented of but worldly sorow causeth death The fift point is that when Christ was brought to the place of execution they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall some say it was to intoxicate his braine and to take away his senses and memorie which if it were true we may here behold in these Iewes a most wicked part that at the point of death when they were to take away his life they had no care of his soule For this is a dutie to be observed of all magistrates that whē they are to execute malefactours they must haue an especiall care of the salvation of their soules But some thinke rather that it was to shorten and end his torments quickely Some of vs may peradventure thinke hardly of the Iewes for giving this bitter potiō to Christ at the time of his death but the same thing doth every sinner that repēteth not For whensoever we sin we do as much as tēper a cup of gal or the poisō of aspes as it vvere giue it to god to drink for so God him selfe cōpareth the sin of the vvicked Iewes to poison saying Their vine is of the vine of Sodom of the vines of Gomorra their grapes are grapes of gal their clusters be bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruell gall of aspes And for this cause wee ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes because so oft as we cōmit any offence against God we do as much as mingle ranke poison bring it to Christ to drinke Now whē this cup was given him he tasted of it but drank not because hee was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse without any shortening or lessening of his paine Thus vve see in vvhat maner Christ vvas brought forth to the place of execution Now followeth his crucifying Christ in the providence of god was to be crucified for two causes one that the figures of the olde testament might be accomplished and verified For the heave offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernes prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the crosse The seconde that wee might in conscience be resolved that Christ became under the lawe suffered the curse therof for us bare in his ovvne bodie and soule the extremitie of the vvrath of God for our offences And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God as stoning and such like yet vvas the death of the crosse in speciall maner aboue the rest accursed not by the nature of the punishment not by the opinions of men not by the civill lavves of cuntries and kingdoms but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die And hereupon among the Ievves in all ages this kind of punishment hath bene branded with speciall ignominie as Paul signifieth vvhen hee saieth Hee abased him selfe to the death even to the death of the crosse it hath beene allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactours If it be said that the repentant theefe upon the crosse died the same death vvith Christ and yet vvas not accursed the answere is that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed and the signe of this was the death which he suffered and that in his owne confession but because hee repented his sinnes were pardoned and the curse removed It may further be said that crucifying was not knowen in Moses daies and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomy Ans. Moses indeed speakes nothing in particular of crucifying yet neverthelesse he doth include the same under the generall For if euery one which hangs upon a tree be accursed then hee also which is crucified for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree Lastly it may be alleadged that Christ in his death coulde not be accursed by the lawe of Moses because he was no malefactour Ans. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs and consequently the curse of the law for vs in that the curse every way due unto us by
the death The properties of Christs death are two The first that it was a voluntarie and willing death The second that it was a cursed death For the first whereas I say Christes death was voluntarie I meane that Christ died willingly and of his owne free accord gaue up him selfe to suffer upon the crosse Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne and condemne and crucifie him yet if he had not willed his owne death and of his free accord giuen him selfe to die not the Iewes nor all the whole world coulde euer haue taken away his life from him Hee dyed not by constraint or compulsion but most willingly and therfore he saith No man taketh my life from me but I saith hee lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and have power to take it againe And our Saviour Christ gaue evident tokens hereof in his death for then Iesus cryed with a loude voice and gave vp the ghost Ordinarily men that die on the crosse languish away by little and little and before they come to yeelde up their lives they loose their speech and onely ratle or make a noise in the throate but Christ at that verie instant when he vvas to giue up the ghost cryed with a loud voice which sheweth plainely that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death And therefore to give all men a token of his power and to shew that he died voluntarily it pleased him to crie with a loud voice And this made the Centurion to say that he was the sonne of God Againe Christ dyed not as other men doe because they first give up the ghost and then lay their heads aside but he in token that his death was voluntarie first layes his head aside after the manner of a dead man and then afterward gives up the ghost Lastly Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe upon the crosse and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder thar he was so soone dead Now this came to passe not because he was loth to suffer the extremitie of death but hecause he woulde make it manifest to all men that hee had power to die or not to die And indeed this is our comfort that Christ died not for vs by constraint but willingly of his owne accorde And as Christs death was voluntarie so was it also an accursed death and therefore it is called the death of the crosse And it contained the first and the second death the first is the separation of the body from the soule the second is the separation of bodie soule from God And both were in Christ for beside the bodily death he did in soule apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sinne that made him cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here we must not omit a necessarie point namely how farre forth Christ suffered death Answ. Some thinke that he suffered onely a bodily death and such paines as follow the dissolution of nature but they no doubt come to short for why should Christ haue feared death so greatly if it had bene nothing but the dissolution of nature Some againe thinke that he died not onely the first but also the second death but it may be that is to goe to farre for if to die the first death be to suffer a totall separation of bodie and soule then also to die the second death is wholly and euerie way to be seuered from all fauour of God and at the least for a time to be oppressed of the same death as the daÌ„ned are Now this neuer befell Christ no not in the middest of his sufferings considering that euen then he was able to call God his God Therefore the safest is to follow the meane namely that Christ died the first death in that his bodie and soule were really and wholly seuered yet without suffering any corruption in his bodie which is the effect and fruite of the same and that withall he further suffered the extreame horrours and pangs of the second death not dying the same death nor being forsaken of god more then in his owne apprehension or feeling For in the verie middest of his sufferings the father was well pleased with him And this which I say doeth not any whit lessen the sufficiencie of the merite of Christ for whereas hee suffered truly the verie wrath of God and the verie torments of the damned in his soule it is as much as if all the men in the world had died the second death and had bin wholly cut off from God for euer and euer And no doubt Christ died the first death only suffering the pangs of the second that the first death might be an entrance not to the second death which is eternall damnation but a passage to life eternall The benefites and comfortes which arise by the death of Christ are specially foure The first is the change of our naturall death I say not the taking of it away for we must all die but whereas by nature death is a curse of God upon man for eating the forbidden fruite by the death of Christ it is changed from a curse into a blessing and is made as it were a middle way and entrance to conveigh men out of this worlde into the kingdome of glorie in heauen and therefore it is saide Christ by his death hath delivered them from the feare of death which all the daies of their lives vvere subiect to bondage A man that is to encounter vvith a Scorpion if he knovve that it hath a sting he may be dismayed but being assured that the sting is taken away he need not feare to encounter therewith Now death in his owne nature considered is this scorpion armed with a sting but Christ our Saviour by his death hath pulled out the sting of our death and on the crosse triumphantly saith O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory therefore euen theÌ„ wheÌ„ we feele the paÌ„gs of death approch we should not feare but conceiue hope considering that our death is altered and changed by the vertue of the death of Christ. Secondly the death of Christ hath quite taken away the secoÌ„d death froÌ„ those that are in Christ as Paul saith There is no condeÌ„nation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Thirdly the death of Christ is a meanes to ratifie his last will and testament For this cause was Christ the Mediatour of the new testament that through death vvhich was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former tâ—stament they which were called might receive the promise of the eternall inheritance For vvhere a testament is there must be the death of him that made the Testament for the Testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he is alive that made it And
the Angell of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast and saw the blood upon their houses might passe ouer them that the plague should not be upon them to destruction So likewise if thou doest feede on the lambe of God and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his blood the iudgements of god in this life and the terrible curse of death vvith the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement all punishments due unto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee and not so much as touch thee And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiers who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could wee may note that the enemies of Christ and his Church let them intende to shewe neuer so much malice against him they can not goe beyonde that libertie which God giueth them then Gods will is they can doe no more for their liues The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done And whē Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wild beast out of his denne the Lord telleth Hezekiah cōcerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills his bridle in his lippes and bring him back againe the same way he came that is he will so rule him that he shall not do the lest hurt unto the Iewes more thē god will This is a matter of great cōfort to Gods Church oppressed with manifold enimies Papists Iewes Turkes all infidels maliciously bent against it for Christs sake Now they may intend practise mischiefe but more then Gods will and counsell is they cā not doe for he hath his ring in their nostrills and his bridle in their lips to rule them as he listeth The second thing which fell out immediatly upon the death of Christ is that the soldiers pearced his side with a speare thence issued water blood The use which ariseth of this point is twofolde First it serves to prooue that Christ died truly not in shew or a fained death for there is about the heart a filme or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heate of the heart and therefore when water blood issued out after the pearcing of the side it is very likely that that very skin was pearced for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come S. Iohn an eye-witnesse of this thing being about to proue that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias bringeth in sixe witnesses three in heauē the Father the Worde and the Holy Ghost and three in earth the Water the Spirite and the bloode where no doubt hee alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ by spirit wee may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirite making men to bring foorth the fruits of the same as loue peace ioy c. And the second witnes namely water hath relation to the water that came forth of Christs side which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne the purging of the heart by Christs blood which also is and was signified by the outwarde washing of the bodie with water in baptisme The thirde witnesse hee calles blood alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side vvhereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne The same use had the ceremoniall sprinkling with blood in the old testament typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen but euerie Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience there shall hee finde them in some measure And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ being now deade signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death that out of his death springs our life and therefore as Eve was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of the first Adam so springs the Church of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution let us nowe come to the last point namely the excellencie of Christes passion consisting in these two points I. a sacrifice II. a triumph For the first whē Christ died he offered a propitiatorie reall sacrifice to his father herein his death passiō differeth frō the sufferings deaths of all men whatsoeuer In this sacrifice we must consider 4. things I. who was the priest II. what was the sacrifice III. what vvas the altar IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered The priest was Christ himselfe as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these 4. points The first what is the office of Christs priesthood Ansvver The office of Christs priesthood stands in 3. things I. to teach doctrine therefore he is called the high priest of our profession that is of the Gospell which we professe because he is the authour and doctour of the same II. to offer up himselfe unto his father in the behalfe of man for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne III. to make request or intercession to God the father that he would accept the sacrifice which hee offered on the crosse for us The secōd is according to which nature he was a priest whether in his manhood or in his godhead or both togither Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures therfore he is a priest not as the papists would haue him according to his manhood only but as he is both God man for as he is a mediatour so is he a priest but Christ is a mediatour according to both natures ech nature doing that which is peculiar to it conferring somthing to the worke of redemptiō therfore he is a priest as he is both God mā The third point after what order is he a priest Ans. The scripture mētioneth 2. orders of priests the order of Levi the order of Melchisedeck Christ was not a priest after the order of Aarō yet notwithstāding in that priesthood were many notable rites wherby the priesthood of our Sauiour Christ was resembled we may note 5. especially First in the anointing of the high priests as of Aaron his sonnes after him oile was powred on his head it ran down to the verie edge of his garments wherby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oile of gladnesse above his fellowes that his manhood was filled with the giftes and graces of
his godheade But his godhead could not descend because it is euery where and his bodie was in the graue And as for his soule it went not to hell but presently after his death it went to paradise that is the third heauen a place of ioy happines Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in paradise which vvordes of Christ must be understood of his manhood or soule not of his godhead For they are an answer to a demaÌ„d therfore unto it they must be sutable Now the thief seeing that Christ was first of all crucified therfore in all likelihood first of all die makes his request to this effect Lorde thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome remeÌ„ber me then to which Christes answere as the very words import is thus much I shall enter into paradise this day there shalt thou be with me Now there is no entrance but in regard of his soule or manhood For the godhead which is at all times in all places caÌ„ not be said properly to enter into a place Again when Christ saith thou shalt be with me in paradise he doeth intimate a resemblaÌ„ce which is betweene the first secoÌ„d Adam The first AdaÌ„ sinned against God was presently cast foorth out of paradise Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfactioÌ„ for sinne must immediatly enter into paradise Now to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell is to abolish this analogie betvvene the first second Adam III. Ancient councels in their confessions and creeds omitting this clauseshew that they did not acknowledge any reall descent and that the true meaning of these words he descended was sufficiently included in some of the former articles that may appeare because when they set downe it they omit some of the former as Athanasius in his creed setting downe these words he descended c. omits the buriall putting them both for one as he expounds himselfe else where Now let us see the reasons which may be alledged to the contrary Ob. I. Mat. 12.40 The sonne of man shall be 3. dayes 3. nights in the heart of the earth that is in hell Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place for the Pharisies desired to see a signe that is some sensible manifest miracle hereunto Christ answeres that he will giue them the signe of Ionas which caÌ„ not be the descent of his soule into the place of the daÌ„ned which is impossible but rathet his buriall after it his manifest glorious resurrectioÌ„ II. The hart of the earth may as wel signify the graue as the center of the earth For thus Tyrus bordering upon the sea is said to be in the heart of the sea III. This exposition takes it far granted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth wheras the scriptures reveale unto us no more but this that hell is in the lower parts but wher these lower parts should be no man is able to define Obiect II. Act. 2.37 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Answer These wordes can not prooue any locall descent of Christs soule For Peters drift in alleadging of them is to prooue the resurrection and he saith expressely that the wordes must be vnderstoode of the resurrection of Christ vers 31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What namely these words his soule was not left in hell c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely as the soule cannot be said to fall but the bodie It will be replied that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie the bodie and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue Answer The first word signifies not onely the spirituall part of man the soule but also the whole person or the man himselfe Rom. 13.1 1. Cor. 15.45 And the second is as well taken for the graue as for hell Apoc. 20.14 Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are cast into the lake of fire Nowe we can not say that hell is cast into hell but the graue into hell And the word in this text must needes haue this sense For Peter makes an opposition betwâ—eene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered vers 2â— 31. Againe it will be saide that in this text there be two distinct parts the first of the soules comming forth of hell in these words Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell The second of the bodies rising out of the graue in the next words neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruption Answer It is not so For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone but the humane nature of Christ as appeares vers 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies And the words rather carrie this sense Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue nay which is more in the time of my continuance there thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption because I am thy holy one Obiect III. 1. Pet. 3.19 Christ was quickned in spirit by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison Answer The place is not for this purpose For by spirit is ment not the soule of Christ but his Godhead which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3 where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man because he is but flesh And if the spirit doe signifie the soule then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule But neither is true For the first it can not be said that Christ was quickened by his soule because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie but the Godhead ioyned them both Neither was he quickened in soule for his soule died not It could not die the first death which belongs to the bodie and it did not die the second death which is a totall separation from God onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death which is the apprehension of the wrath of God as a man may feele the pangs of the first death and yet not die the first death but liue Againe it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another especially in hell where all are condemned and in conscience convicted of their iust damnation and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption It will be answered that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall because Christ shews himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies Answer This which is said is flat against reason For when a man is iustly condemned
by God and therfore sufficiently convicted what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of executiō to conuict him And it is flat against the text For the preaching that is spoken of here is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word as Peter expounds himselfe 1. Pet. 4.6 To this purpose was the Gospell also preached vnto the deade that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh that they might liue according to God in the spirit Lastly there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe then to the rest of the damned And this is the first exposition the second follows He descended into hell that is Christ descended into the graue or was buried This exposition is agreeable to the truth yet is it not mee◠or conuenient For the clause next before he was buried cōtained this point therfore if the next words following yeelde the same sense there must be a vaine and needelesse repetition of one and the same thing twise which is not in any-wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this If it be said that these wordes are an exposition of the former the answeare is that then they should be more plaine then the former For when one sentence expoundeth an other the latter must alwaies be the plainer but of these two sentences He was buried he descended into hell the first is very plaine and easie but the latter very obscure and hard and therefore it can be no exposition thereof and therefore this exposition also is not to be receiued Thirdly others there be which expound it thus He descended into hell that is Christ Iesus when he was dying vpon the crosse felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule This exposition hath his warrant in Gods worde where hell often signifieth the sorrowes and paines of hell as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp that is he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules euen the pangs of hell and after restoreth them And Dauid saith The sorrowes of death compassed me and the terrours of hell laide holde on mee This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church and they which expounde this article thus giues this reason thereof The former wordes was crucified deade and buried doe containe say they the outward sufferings of Christ nowe because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie but also inwardly in soule therefore these words he descended into hell doe set forth vnto vs his inwarde sufferings in soule when he felt vpon the crosse the ful wrath of God vpō him This exposition is good and true and whosoeuer will may receiue it But yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles For these words was crucified dead and buried must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before But let vs come to the fourth exposition He descended into hell that is when he was dead and buried he was held captiue in the graue and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures Saint Peter saith God hath raised him vp speaking of Christ and loosed the sorows of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it Where we may see that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ there is placed a third matter which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede saue in this and that is his bondage vnder death which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sence as the speach of Iacob sheweth I will goe downe into hell vnto my sonne mourning And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creed first he was crucified died secōdly he was buried thirdly laid in the graue and was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death And these three degrees of Christs humiliation are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation The first degree of his exhaltation he rose againe the third day answearing to the first degree of his humiliatiō he died the second degree of his exhaltatiō he ascended into heauen answering to his going downe into the graue was buried and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God which is the highest degree of his exhaltation answearing to the lowest degree of his humiliation he descended into hell These two last expositions are commonly receiued and we may indifferently make choice of either but the last as I take it is most agreeable to the order and words of the Creede Thus much for the meaning of the words Now follow the vses And first of all Christs descending into hell teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ that if it shall please God to afflict vs either in bodie or in minde or in both though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner yet must we not thinke it strange For Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell but after he was dead death takes him and as it were carries him into his denne or cabbin and there triumpheth ouer him holding him in captiuitie and bondage and yet for all this was he the sonne of God and therefore when Gods hande is heauie vpon vs any way we are not to despaire but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed king ouer Israel but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine in so much that Dauid said there was but one step betweene him death So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him his goods and cattell were all taken away and his owne children slaine and his owne bodie striken by satan with loathsome biles from the sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting amōg the ashes And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God when he was called to preach to Ninivie because he refused for feare of that great citie God mette with him and he must be cast into the sea and there be swallowed vp
finite for his humane nature beeing but a creature and therefore finite could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false which hold that Christs bodie glorified is omnipotent and infinite euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he will for this is to make a creature to be the creator Thus much of Christs exaltation in generall Now let vs come to the degrees thereof as they are noted in the Creede which are in number three I. He rose againe the third day II. He ascended vnto heauen III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling of Christs resurrection we must consider these points I. why Christ ought to rise againe II. the manner of his rising III. the time when he rose IV. the place where V. the vses thereof For the first it was necessarie that Christ should rise againe and that for three especiall causes First that hereby he might shew to all the people of God that he had fully ouercome death For els if Christ had not risen how should we haue bin perswaded in our coÌ„sciences that he had made a full perfect satisfactioÌ„ for vs nay rather we should haue reasoned thus Christ is not risen therefore he hath not ouercome death but death hath ouercome him Secondly Christ Iesus which died was the sonne of God therefore the author of life it selfe and for this cause it was neither meet nor possible for him to be holdeÌ„ of death but he must needes rise from death to life Thirdly Christs priesthood hath 2. parts one to make satisfaction for sinne by his one onely sacrifice vpon the crosse the other to apply the vertue of this sacrifice vnto euery beleeuer Now he offred the sacrifice for sinne vpon the crosse before his death and therefore beeing deade must needes rise againe to performe the second part of his priesthood namely to applie the vertue thereof vnto all that shall beleeue in him and to make intercession in heauen vnto his father for vs here on earth And thus much of the first point Nowe to come to the manner of Christs resurrection fiue things are to be considered in it The first that Christ rose againe not as euery priuate man doth but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall For as in his passion so also in his resurrection he stood in our roome and place and therefore when he rose from death we all yea the whole Church rose in him and together with him And this point not considered we doe not conceiue aright of Christs resurrection neither can we reap sound comfort by it The second is that Christ himselfe and no other for him did by his owne power raise himselfe to life This was the thing which he meant when he said Destroy this temple in three daies I will build it vp againe more plainly I haue saith he power to lay down my life and I haue power to take it again FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce we learn diuers instructions First wheras Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life it serueth to proue that he was not only maÌ„ but also true god For the body being dead could not bring again the soule ioyn it self vnto the same make it selfe aliue againe neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie can returne againe quicken the bodie and therefore there was some other nature in Christ namely his Godhead which did revnite soule and bodie together and thereby quickned the manhoode Secondly if Christ giue life to himselfe being dead in the graue then much more now being aliue and in heauen glorified is he able to raise vp his members from death to life We are all by nature starke dead in sinne as the dead bodie rotten in the graue and therfore our dutie is to come to Christ our Lord by praier intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnes of life He can of men dead in their sinnes make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life The third thing is that Christ rose againe with an earthquake And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death but still remained the absolute Lord of heauen and earth to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue the women which came to embaulme him and the disciples which came to the sepulchre would not yet beleue that he was risen againe But how came this earthquake Answer Saint Matthew saith there was a great earthquake For the angell of the Lord descended from heauen c. This shewes that the power of angels is great in that they can mooue and stirre the earth Three angels destroied Sodom Gomorha An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one â—ight In the host of Senacherib one angel slue in one night 14500 meÌ„ Of like power is the deuil himself to shake the earth and to destroy vs all but that God of his goodnes limits restrains him of his libertie Well if one angel be able to shake the earth what then wil Christ himselfe do when he shal come to iudgemeÌ„t the secoÌ„d time with many thousand thousaÌ„ds of angels oh how terrible will his comming be Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall cry out wishing the hills to fall vpon them and the mountains to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord The 4. thing is that an angel ministred to Christ being to rise again in that he came to the graue rolled away the stone sate vpoÌ„ it Where obserue first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ though dead buried whereby they acknowledge that his power maiestie authoritie is not included within the bondes of the earth but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof and that according to his humanitie Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth as the basesâ— of all creatures but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes and in his agonie in the garden Secondly that the opinion of the papists and others which think that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe is without warrant For the ende no doubt why the angel rolled away the stone was that Christ might come foorth And indeede it is against the order of nature that one bodie should passe through another without corruption or alteration of either
the word of God is the pipe whereby he conveieth into our dead hearts spirit and life As Christ when he raised up dead men did onely speake the word they were made aliue and at the day of iudgement at his voice when the trump shall blowe all that are dead shall rise againe So it is in the first resurrectioÌ„ they that are dead in their sinnes at his voice uttered in the ministerie of the worde shall rise againe To goe further Christ raised three from the deade Iairus daughter newly dead the widowes sonne dead and wound up and lying on the hearse Lazarus dead and buried stinking in the graue and all this he did by his very voice so also by the preaching of his word he raiseth all sortes of sinners euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion The Sacraments also are the pipes and conduits wherby God conveigheth grace into the heart if they be rightly used that is if they be receiued in unfained repentance for all our sinnes and with a true and liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes and so I take it they are compared to flagons of wine which reuiue the Church being sicke and fallen into a sownd As for the measure of life derived from Christ it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little as Ose saieth The Lorde hath spoiled vs and he will heale us hee hath wounded us and he will bind us up After two daies he will revive us and in the third he will raise us vp and we shall live in his sight The Prophet Ezechiel in a vision is caried into the middest of a field full of dead bones and hee is caused to Prophesie ouer them and say O ye drie bones heare the vvorde of the Lord and at the first there was a shaking and the bones came togither bone to bone and then sinewes and flesh grew upon them and upon the flesh grewe a skinne Then he prophesied vnto the windes the second time and they liued and stood upon their feete for the breath came upon them and they were an exceeding great armie of men Hereby is signified not only the state of the Iewes after their captivitie but in them the state of the whole Church of God For these temporall deliverances signified further a spirituall deliuerance And we may here see most plainely that God worketh in the heartes of his children the giftes and graces of regeneration by little and little First he giueth no more then flesh sinewes and skin then after he giueth them further graces of his spirite which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue unto God The same also wee may see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the Temple First a man must wade to the ancles then after to the knees and so to the loines then after the waters grovve to a riuer that can not be passed ouer and so the Lord conueieth his graces by little and little till at the last men haue a full measure thereof Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serueth as an argument to proue unto us our resurrection at the day of iudgement Paul saieth If the spirite of Christ that raised up Iesus from the deade dvvell in you hee that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies Some will say that this is no benefite for all must rise againe as well the wicked as the godly Ansvver True indeede but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe They rise againe by the power of Christ not as hee is a saviour but as hee is a iudge to condemne them For God had saide to Adam that at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite he should die the death meaning a double death both the first and the second death Nowe then the ungodly rise againe that God may inflict upon them the punishment of the second death which is the rewarde of sinne that so Gods iustice may be satisfied but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their heade and redeemer who raiseth them up that they may bee partakers of the benefite of his death which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen which he haâ—h so dearely bought for them Thus much for the comfortes Now follow the duties and they are also three First as Christ Iesus vvhen he was deade rose againe from death to life by his owne power so we by his grace in imitation of Christ must endeauour our selues to rise up from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life This is worthily set downe by the Apostle saying We are buried by baptisme into his death that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life and therefore vve must endeauour our selues to shevve the same power to be in us euery day by rising up from ouâ— owne personall sinnes to a reformed life This ought to be remembred of us because howsoeuer many heare know it yet very â—ewe doe practise the same For to speake plainly as dead men buried vvould neuer heare though a man shoulde speake neuet so loude so undoubtedly among us there be also many living men which are almost in the same case The ministers of God may cry unto them daily and iterate the same thing a thousand times and tell them that they must rise up from their sinnes and lead a new life but they heare no more then the deade carkasse that lieth in the graue Indeede men heare with their outward eares but they are so farre from practising this dutie that they iudge it to be a matter of reproch and ignominie And those which make any coÌ„science of this duty how they are laden with nicknames taunts who knoweth not I need not to rehearse theÌ„ so odious a thing now a daies is the rising froÌ„ sinne to newnes of life Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares he stirres not and let us crie for amendment of life till breath goe out of our bodies no man almost saieth what haue I done And for this cause undoubtedly if it were not for conscience of that dutie which men owe unto God we should haue but fewe ministers in England For it is the ioy of a minister to see his people rise from sinne and to lead a new life whereas alas men generally lie snurting in their corruptions and rather goe forwarde in them still then come to any amendment such is the woonderfull hardnes untovvardnes that hath possessed the heartes of most men He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true Oh how exceedes atheisme in all places contempt of Gods worshippe profanation of the Sabbath the whordomes and fornications the crueltie and oppression of this age it cryes euen to heauen for vengeance By these such like
ougly then any lazar man can be the contagioÌ„ thereof is so great noisome that the verie heauens which are many thousand miles distant from us are infected therwith Yet here we are to know that this fire shall not consume the substance of heauen and earth but onely change the qualitie and abolish the corruption which our sinnes haue brought upon them The fourth point to be considered is the manner of the last iudgement in which wee may obserue two things I. who shall be iudge II. the proceeding of this iudge The first is expressed in this article From thence hee shall come to iudge Hee that is Christ Iesus the second person in trinitie For the father hath committed all iudgement unto him It is indeede an action common to all the three persons in trinitie but yet the execution thereof appertaines unto the sonne The father indeed doth iudge the world but yet by the sonne But some may obiect that the Apostles shall sit on â—velve thrones and iudge the twelve tribes of Israel And S. Paul saith The saintes shall iudge the world How then is this true that Christ is the onely iudge of the world Answer The authoritie of iudgement and giuing sentence at the last day is proper to Christ alone and doth not belong either to the Apostles or to the saints and they shall iudge at the last day only as witnesses and apprpouers of Christs iudgement at the great day of assise beside the iudge the iustices on the bench are also in a maner iudges not that they giue sentence but because by their presence they approoue and witnesse the equitie of the sentence of the iudge so the definitive sentence doth belong to Christ and the Apostles and saintes doe nothing but approoue his righteous sentence The whole proceeding of the last iudgement may be reduced to seuen pointes or heades The first is the comming of the iudge in the cloudes Here at the first it may be demaunded why Christ holdes the last iudgement rather on earth then in heauen Ansvver He doth it for two causes One the creature to be iudged hath sinned here upon earth and he proceeds after the maner of earthly iudges who hold their sessions and assises there where trespasses are commonly committed The seconde because the deuill and his angels are to be iudged and it is a parte of their punishment to be cast out of heauen For no uncleane thing may come into this heauenly Ierusalem and therefore they now remaine in the lower parts of the world there must be iudged Furthermore the second comming of Christ is sudden as the comming of a thiefe in the night He will come when the worlde thinketh not of him as the snare doeth on the birde The consideration whereof must teach us the same duties which our Sauiour Christ taught the men of his time First hee teacheth them what they must not doe For hee knowing all things knewe also the disposition of mans heart and therefore saieth Take heede to your selves least at any time your hearts be oppressed vvith surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life least that day come vpon you unavvares For these sinnes benumme the heart and steale away all grace This exhortation in these our daies is most needefull For mens heartes are like the smithes stiâ—hie the more they are beaten with the hammer of Gods worde the harder they are Secondly hee teacheth them what they must doe Watch therefore saieth hee and pray continually That yee may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the sonne of man But you will say how may wee be founde worthy to stande before Christ at that day Answere Doe but this one thing for your liues past be humbled before God and come unto him by true hearty and unfained repentance be changed and become newe creatures pray unto him earnestly for the pardon of your sinnes in Christ and pray continually that God will turne your heartes from your olde sinnes euerie day more and more and then come the last iudgement when it will ye shall be founde worthy to stand before Christ at his comming The repentant sinner is hee that shall finde fauour in the sight of God at that day The consideration hereof may mooue us to change our liues Those which were neuer yet humbled for their sinnes let them now begin and those which haue alreadie begon let them goe forwarde and continue But the deuill will crie in the hearts of some men that this exhortation is as yet needelesse for the day of iudgement is not neare because all the signes thereof are not yet passed Answere Suppose the day of iudgement be farre off yet the day of thy death can not be so for the common saying is true to day a man to morrow none Now looke as death leaveth thee so shall the day of iudgement finde thee Impenitent Cain died long since and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth shall finde him impenitent still The same thing may be saide of Saul Achitophel and Iudas They died desperately and impenitent and the Lord shall finde them so at his comming So it will be with thee whatsoeuer thou art that repentest not Death may come upon thee the next day or the next houre therefore watch and pray Prepare thy selfe against the day of death that at the day of iudgement thou maiest be â—ounde worthy to obtaine fauour in the sight of the Lorde Securitie doeth ouerwhelme the vvorlde but let us for our parts learne to prepare our selues daily For if the day of death do leaue thee unworthy then the Lord Iesus at his comming shall find thee unworthy and the deuill shal stand before thee accuse thee thy conscience shall condemne thee hell shalbe ready to swallow thee up If this admonition take no place in thy heart then at the day of iudgement it shall stand against thee and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation The second point followeth that Christ after that hee is come in the cloudes shall sit in a throne of glorie as the soueraigne iudge of heauen and earth after the manner of earthly kings who when they will shew themselues unto their subiectes in maiestie power and glorie use to ascende into the thrones of their kingdomes and there to shewe themselues and appeare in state vnto all the people Now what this throne is and how Christ sittes in the same the scripture hath not revealed and therefore I will not stand to search Yet here must we further marke that this appearance of his in endlesse glory and maiestie shalbe most terrible and dreadfull to the ungodly and therefore in Daniel his throne is said to be like a flame of fire and at the verie sight hereof men shall desire the mountaines to fall upon them and the hilles to couer them The third point is the citing of all men and of
like manner as I haue said there be two witnesses of our adoption Gods spirit our spirit now if it fall out that a man want the principall which is the spirit of adoption he must then haue recourse to the second witnesse and search out in himselfe the signes and tokens of the sanctification of his owne spirit by which he may certenly assure him selfe of his adoption as wee knowe fire to be fire by the heate though it want a flame Againe it may be demanded on this manner how if it come to passe that after inquirie we finde but fewe signes of sanctification in our selues Ansvver In this case we are to haue recourse to the least measure of grace lesse then which there is no sauing grace and it stands in two things an heartie disliking of our sinnes because they are sinnes a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for them all these are tokens of adoption if they be soundly wrought in the heart though all other tokens for the present seeme to be wanting If any shall say that a wicked man may haue this desire as Balaam who desired to die the death of the righteous the answere is that Balaam indeede desired to die as the righteous man doeth but hee could not abide to liue as the righteous hee desired the ende but not the proper subordinate meanes which tend unto the end as vocation iustification sanctification repentance c. the first is the worke of nature the second is the worke of grace Now I speake not this to make men secure and to content them selues with these small beginnings of grace but onely to shew how any may assure themselues that they are at the least babes in Christ adding this withall that they which haue no more but these small beginnings must be carefull to increase them because hee which goes not forwarde goes backwarde Lastly it may be demanded what a man should doe if he want both the testimonie of Gods spirit and his owne spirite and haue no meanes in the world of assurance Answer He must not utterly despaire but be resolued of this that though hee want assurance now yet he may obtaine the same hereafter And such must be aduertised to heare the word of God preached and being outwardly of the Church to receiue the sacraments When we haue care to come into the Lordes vineyard and to converse about the wine-presse wee shall finde the sweete iuyce of heauenly grace pressed forth unto us plentifully by the word and sacraments to the comfort of our consciences concerning Gods election This one mercy that God by these meanes in some parte reveales his mercie is unspeakeable When sickenesse or the day of death comes the dearest seruants of God it may be must encounter with the temptations of the deuill and wrastle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God as for life death no man knowes how terrible these things are but those which haue felte them Now when men walke thus through the valley of the shadow of death vnlesse God shoulde as it were open heauen streame downe unto us in this world some lightsome beames of his love in Christ by the operation of his spirite miserable were the case euen of the righteous Thus much of Election now followes Reprobation in handling whereof we are to obserue three things I. what it is II. how God doth execute this decree III. how a man may iudge of the same For the first Reprobation is Gods decree in which because it so pleased him he hath purposed to refuse some men by means of Adams fall and their owne corruptions for the manifestation of his iustice First I say it is a decree that is euident thus If there be an eternall decree of God whereby he chooseth some men then there must needs be another decree wherby he doth passe by others refuse theÌ„ For electioÌ„ alwaies implies a refusall Againe what God doth in time that hee decreed to doe before time as the case falles out euen with men of meane wisedome who first of all intend with themselues the things to be done and after doe them But God in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth and it appeareth to be true by the euent Therefore God before all worlds decreed the reiecting of some men Now in this decree 4. pointes are to be considered The first is the matter or obiect thereof which is the thing decreed namely the reiection of some men or the manifestatioÌ„ of his iustice upon them This may seeme strange to mans reason but here we must with all submission strike our top-sailes for the worde of God saith as much in plaine termes The Apostle Iude speaking of false Prophets saith that they were of old ordained to this damnation And Paul saith in emphaticall termes that God makes vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that some are reiected whome he opposeth to them which are elected to saluation The second pointe is the impulsiue cause that mooued God to set downe this decree concerning his creature and that was nothing out of himselfe but his very will and pleasure He hardened Pharaoh with finall hardnesse of heart because he woulde and therefore he decreed to do so because he would And our Sauiour Christ saith I thanke thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes But upoÌ„ what cause did God so It follows in the next words It is so O father because thy good pleasure is such And if it be in the power and libertie of a man to kill an oxe or a sheepe for his use to hunt and kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure then much more without iniustice may it be in the will and libertie of the creatour â—o refuse and forsake his creature for his glorie Nay it standes more with equitie a thousand folde that all the creatures in heauen and earth should ioyntly serue to set forth the glorie and maiestie of God the creatour in their eternall destruction then the striking of a flie or the killing of a flea should serue for the dignitie of all men in the world For all this it is thought by verie many to be very hard to ascribe unto God that is full of bountie and mercie such a decree that upoÌ„ his verie wil but let us se their reasons First of all they say it is a point of crueltie for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire the answere is that by the vertue of this decree God can not be said to create any man to damnation but to the manifestation of his iustice and glorie in his due deserued damnation and the doing of this is absolute iustice Secondly it is alledged that by this meanes God shall hate his own creature and that before it is but
written of the Phoenix that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one and on this manner is her kinde preserued Againe swallowes wormes and flyes which haue lien dead in the winter season in the spring by vertue of the sunnes heat reuiue againe so likewise men fall in sounes and traunses beeing for a time without breath or shew of life and yet afterward come againe and to vse Pauls example before the corne can grow and beare fruit it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte And if this were not seene by experience men would not beleeue it Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following and yet afterward it returns againe the next morning Lastly we reade how the old Prophet◠raised some from death and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life But let vs see what reasons may be alleadged to the contrarie First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes is against common sense reason Answeare It is aboue reason but not against reason For if impotent and miserable men as experience sheweth can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workemanship of glasse why may we not in reason thinke that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust Secondly it is said that mens bodies beeing dead are turned into dust and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures and one mans bodie with another and that by reason of this confusion men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies Answ. Howsoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans body at the resurrectiō of his own matter to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art cā sunder diuers metells one frō another some men out of one metell can draw another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to do the like It may be further obiected thus A man is eaten by a wolfe the wolfe is eaten by a lyon the lyon by the foules of the ayre and the foules of the ayre eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Canibals Nowe the body of that man which is turned into so many substāces especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe if the one doth the other doth not Ans. This reason is but a cavill of mans braine for we must not think that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie is turned into the substance therof must rise again become a part of the bodie at the day of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his own as shal make his bodie to be entire perfect though another mans flesh once eaten be no part therof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God therfore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Answ. By flesh blood is not meant the bodies of men simple but the bodies of men as they are in weaknes without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh blood in scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne corruption of nature sometime mans nature subiect to miseries infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must be vnderstoode in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Now beasts rise not againe after this life therefore there is no resurrection of men Answer In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankinde we must consider two parts the Elect the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise again is the Resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the Scripture Adam Christ are compared together Christ is called the second Adam these were two roots The first Adam was the root of all mākind and he conuaieth sinne by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect cōuaieth life both in body soule to all that are vnited to him by the vertue of his resurrection they shall rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the Godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his Godhead conuaie it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euē in death remain vnited vnto him raise thē vp at the last day And for this cause Christ is called a quickning spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the day that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as he is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore Saint Iohn setteth downe the outwarde meanes whereby the dead shalbe raised namely the voyce of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as he created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shalbe raised againe This may be a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shalbe after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shal rise at the last day Answeare The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last day in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other
childe layeth wormewoode or some other bitter thing vpon her brest to make the childe loathe the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the miseries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this worlde and fixed in heauen As raw flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euerie sinner and unmortified man loathsome unto God till the Lorde by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this worlde But when a man is afflicted how shall hee be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lorde hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus wee reade that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs ' daughter and choosed rather to suffer adversitie vvith the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with Gods people in the land of Goshen Here then behold a notable president for us to follow In which wee are taught that the best way to indure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring unto us a cup of affliction and bid us drinke a draught thereof to the verie bottom the meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse endlesse mercie towardes mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all thinges in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let us receiue this as from the Lorde and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnesse If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this verie cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of life euerlasting euen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer wee be it had bene better for us that we had neuer bene borne or that we had bene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an end of their miserie but man if hee loose everlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeeres to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended hee is as farre from the ende of his miserie as hee was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirite concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another life till the last gaspe But we must not suffer satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnesse I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to drawe to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne us for heretikes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creed which is an epitome of the scriptures and the verie keie of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the invocation and intercession of saintes c. which are the greatest pointes of religion It is true indeed we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuils perswading our selues that if they indeed had beene Apostolicall and the verie grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue bin left forth of the Creed For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creed we beleeue the Church so consequētly are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and avouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here ment which we denie unlesse they can proue a particular Church to be vniversall or Catholicke Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with us as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches councels for many hundred yeres after Christ. Secondly the Creed serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therfore guide and preserue his owne workemanship by his prouidēce minister all things needfull unto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer the H. ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouermuch carefull for this life that Christ being our Lord will not forsake us being the seruāts in his own house but will prouide things needfull for us II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore hee is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnesse sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends are to comfort themselues in the cōmunion of saints and that they haue God the father Christ and the holy ghost for their friends IIII. Against bodily captivitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseases we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shalbe abolished VI. If a man feare the death of the body let him consider that hee beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance