world Amen CHAP. I. Of Christ's Universal Power Section 1 THese are the words of our blessed Saviour which he spake unto his Apostles and Disciples when after his Resurrection he was ready to ascend into Heaven for they pre-suppose Man's Sin Christ's Suffering and his Resurrection Man by sin had made himself miserable and liable to temporal and eternal death yet God was willing to deliver him Sin and Satan cast him down yet God in his abundant mercy was pleased to raise him up again The way which his eternal Wisdom had contrived to effect this great deliverance was strange wonderful his only begotten Son even that word which was God and by which he made the world must be made flesh and assume the nature of man and in that nature must take upon him the form of a servant be obedient unto death the death of the Cross rise again and be advanced to the highest pitch of glory so that the means of mans salvation are the humiliation and exaltation of the Son of God By his humiliation and sacrifice of himself he expiates mans sin satisfies Divine Justice and merits all mercies and blessings necessary for the full and eternal happiness of man By his exaltation he makes his sufferings effectual and communicates the benefits he had merited for we read That he was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. To be delivered for our offences was his humiliation unto death for our sins to render them pardonable To be raised again for our justification was his exaltation for the obtaining of actual remission his humiliation begins his exaltation consummates our salvation For being advanced to the right hand of his Father he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals the Gospel causeth it to be preached to all Nations and by his Word and Spirit converts man and plants the heavenly vertue of Faith in his heart and upon Conversion and Faith makes intercession in Heaven and procures his actual pardon reconciliation with his God and in the end the enjoyment of eternal glory so that without his humiliation man is not savable and without his exaltation he is not actually saved And thus we must understand that of the same Apostle For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. where we must observe That the death of Christ is his humiliation his life is his exaltation 2. That reconciliation is ascribed to his death salvation to his life For the Death and Blood of Christ was the propitiation for our sins and the foundation of our reconciliation the life and exaltation of Christ by his Word and Spirit converting us and making intercession for us is the cause of actual salvation Sect. 2. As in the two former Chapters we may read of Christs suffering death and humiliation whereby he mirited incomparable mercies and blessings so in this we read of his resurrection and the manner how he will apply and communicate his blessings and that is by a commission and power received and a commission and power given for the subject of the words are a two-fold commission The first granted by God to Christ The second by Christ to his Apostles These agree in some things differ in others 1. They agree as commissions giving great power 2. As expressing an unspeakable love unto and a tender care of sinful man 3 As issuing from the supream and universal Lord. 4. As tending to the same end mans eternal salvation yet they differ in these things 1. The former commission is granted by God immediately to Christ the latter is granted from God by Christ unto the Apostles 2. The former is the cause of the latter the latter an effect of the former 3. By the former Christ receives an universal power in heaven and earth and by the latter the Apostles receive only a limited power on earth Sect. 3. I will not say much of the first commission expressed in these words Ver. 18. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me Wherein he signifies that he had large power and it was given him where we must consider 1. Power given 2. The party to whom it was given 3. The donor or the Donation of it from the Donour In the power we may observe 1. The nature and quality of it 2. The measure of it 1. For the nature and quality of it it is spiritual and divine for Christ said My kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. That is it s no secular power like that of the Princes of the world it s far more excellent and above it in respect of the subjects the laws the judgments the end thereof The subjects besides Angels are men considered in a spiritual notion and as capable of an eternal estate The Laws also are spiritual and bind not only Angels but the immortal souls and consciences of men Such are the judgments which determine and accord not only temporal but eternal punishments and rewards The end in respect of all loyal and obedient subjects is eternal peace and felicity for God gave Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him John 17. 2. 2. The measure of this power is extensive and intensive Extensive in respect of the territory which is very large even the whole world whereof there be two parts heaven and earth so that it extends to all places and all things and so is universal yet the principal subjects are Angels in heaven and men on earth both intellectual and immortal creatures Intensive for its all power one may have some power or all power on earth and none in heaven or some or all power in heaven and none on earth but this is all power in heaven all power on earth all power on both so that Christ is over all persons in all causes supream Governour without any created superiour without any competitour without any partner it s all in the highest degree invested and inherent in one This is concernig the power 2. The person invested with it is Christ For all power saith he is given to me it was not given to any Angel or Angels nor to any Monarch or Monarchs of the world but to Jesus of Nazareth a man nearer to God then any of the Princes of the earth or any Principalities and Powers of heaven one more beloved of God and who had done a greater service than any other for he had humbled himself at his Fathers command so low as to be a servant and a servant obedient unto the death of the Cross therefore he and none other was thus highly exalted and received a name above every name 3. The Donour was God the Father As none but Christ was capable none was worthy of this transcendent power according to that universal acknowledgment of Saints and Angels Rev. 5 10. The Lamb slain
irrecoverably lost and are delivered into chains of darkness reserved for the judgment of the great day Man received Laws both moral and positive by which he was bound to perform perfect and perpetual obedience or else to suffer death yet man being tempted by the Devil fell and by one man sin entered into the world and by sin death and death passed over all men in that all men have sinned This was the just judgment of God who cursed the Serpent and the Devil punished man and woman yet promised them a Saviour the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head and take away his kingdom and power over mankind This was the judgment of the supream Lord whereby many of the Angels continuing obedientin the day of their great trial were confirmed in an estate of holiness and bliss the apostate wretches were condemned to eternal death and so fell as never to rise again yet man had hope of recovery because God by his infinite mercy was willing to prevent his eternal ruine I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life This Son who is our Redeemer is that word whereby all things in Heaven and Earth even the Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions of Heaven were created who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This word issued out of Eternity and in fulness of time was made flesh dwelt amongst men who saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So that he is truly God and truly Man in whom conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary we have One Person Two Natures eternally distinct and inseparably united He was conceived at Nazareth bornat Bethlehem saved in Egypt from bloody Herod and brought up in the place of his conception and his very birth was matter of joy and melody to the Angels of Heaven This Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ promised of old the seed of the Woman of Abraham of David according to the flesh and was anointed with the Holy Ghost above his fellows and was made King Priest and Prophet above all other Kings Priests and Prophets that he might govern us by his Power direct and teach us by his Wisdom and sanctifie us for ever by his own Sacrifice first offered for sinful men and then pleaded in Heaven 〈…〉 s all penitent Believers I believe that Jesus Christ the Word made flesh did humble himself very low took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death the death of the Cross and both in life and death did manifest his Divine excellency and glorifie his heavenly Father In the day of his humiliation he did hunger thirst fast pray weep and took upon him the infirmities of man yet without sin and was mortal His conversation was holy and spotless and was so ordered that both in life and death he was a Mirrour of all heavenly Virtues His Doctrine whereby he revealed the Mysteries of Heavens Kingdom was pure and full of profoundest Wisdom and of sovereign power to save mens souls and his words such as never man spake and were confirm'd by signs and wonders and glorious miracles by which he declared himself to be the Son of the living God He by himself his Apostles and other assistants whom he had chosen and qualified for this work began to gather Disciples and lay the foundation of his everlasting Kingdom yet notwithstanding these so many Divine excellencies he suffers many indignities from his unworthy and ungrateful Brethren whom he loved above all other People in the world though he was a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered For many did not believe in him many were offended with him The ambitious covetous corrupt hypocritical High-Priests Rulers Scribes Pharisees Sadduces being discovered unto the people and by him reproved for their sins and deserted by many of the people did envy him hate him persecute him revile him blaspheme him and designed his death which they often and many ways attempted and in the end prevailed In the last night of his mortal life on earth after the eating of the Passover the institution of the Sacrament of his blessed body and blood his consolatory speech unto his Disciples his heavenly prayer he enters into the fatal place and garden where his greatest sufferings began Then upon his serious consideration and lively apprehension of the bitter Cup he was to drink and the fearful passion and tempattion now at hand he falls into a grievous and extreme Agony wherein with earnest prayers tears and loud cries he desires his heavenly Father to spare him and to let the Cup pass from him yet so that he wholly resigns himself unto his will He desires his Disciples especially three of them to watch with him and to pray for an hour yet they fail him he falls upon the ground deprecates the Cup three several times sweats drops as it were of bloud and at length an Angel was sent from heaven to comfort the Lords of Angels so deeply was he humbled so greatly was he afflicted so much was he difcomforted while he prepares himself to encounter the powers of Hell and expiate the sin of man This woful fit was no sooner passed over but he is betrayed into the hands of sinners apprehended bound brought before the Council accused condemned as a plasphemer worthy of death and so the judg of Men and Angels was judged he is hoodwink't buffeted blasphemed spit upon and most fearfully aboused and being formerly betrayed by s and now with cursing swearing and forswearing denyed by S. Peter and forsaken of all his Disciples As for this he is brought before Pilate falsly charged with heinous crimes yet justified as having done nothing worthy of death The Judge is afraid to condem him willing to release him scourgeth him and at the importuniy of his bloudy enemies he at length condems him to the cruel cursed ignominious death of the Cross and delivers him to the Souldiers who deride him abuse him torment him and lead him to the place of execution There he is stripped crucified endures open shame cruel pains revilings bitter taunts from the High-Priests the People the Malefactors crucified with him and the Souldiers yet he reviles not again nor threatens but in respect of wrong received he is silent and dumb as the sheep before the shearer prays for his enemies provides for his disconsolate Mother comforts such as do bewail him and foretells their future misery In the height of his passion he cries out such was the extremity My God my God why hast thou forsaken me commends his Spirit into his Fathers hands and so dies This suffering and death was such as never any before it never any after it like unto it So much was signified at that time when the Heavens were darkned
pardonable the belief in this blood-shed and accepted obtains actual remission For God was so just that he would not pardon any sin without effusion of this blood and yet so merciful that for an inconsideration of the same believed on by guilty man on Earth and pleaded by Christ in heaven he will fully and for ever pardon sin and justifie the guilty 3. The Testament is the Covenant which is so called because in some respect it 's like a Testament which is confirmed and made effectual by the death of the Testatour so the Covenant being grounded upon the death of Christ whereby he became mediatour of the same is confirmed by the blood and death of Christ and is made eternally effectual It 's called the New Testament or Covenant to distinguish it from the Old which was also confirmed with blood Exod. 24. And is a Covenant not of works and strict justice but of faith and Gods mercy and it s said to be the New Covenant in this blood because confirmed by this blood and to be the New Covenant in this blood and the blood of the New Covenant are the same For both signifie the Confirmation of it by Christs Blood 4. We have the Cup that is the Wine contained in the Cup which signifies the Blood of Christ shed for the Remission of sins and puts us in mind of Christs Death and Blood shed and it s given and taken to confirm the Covenant renewed between God and the Communicant 5. The Communicants are commanded to drink of this Cup in remembrance of Christs Blood shed for the remission of sin And by this command they are bound to drink and also to drink it in remembrance of Christ that so by faith they may receive Christ into their hearts for their spiritual life and comfort In this part we have as before in the former the Redemption the Covenant the fealing of the Covenant The Redemption was signified before by the bread broken and given and here by the Wine in the Cup poured out for both signifie but one and the same death and sacrifice of Redemption The Covenant as formerly hath a promise of remission of sins and a precept commanding to take and drink of the Cup in remembrance of his death And this remembrance presupposing knowledge and faith with sense of our sins is practical and effectual to stir up to love and thankfulness in an high degree For how can we remember and seriously consider the greatest love of our Saviour unto us his enemies his cruel sufferings for us and the incomparable blessings merited thereby and not be made sensible of our sins relie upon his sufferings love our enemies and be for ever thankful to our God! 3. The sealing of the Covenant in this part is like unto the former And here it 's to be observed that the Covenant is sealed and confirmed in this Sacrament two several times that God may more fully assure man that as by his Minister he gives both Bread and wine so certainly he will give Christ and all his benefits and continue constant in his Covenant and as certainly as he receives bread and eats it wine and drinks it in remembrance of Christ so certainly he shall receive remission of sins and eternal life by Christ. And by the Celebration of this Sacrament doth more deeply engage himself to God for to continue faithful in his Covenant unto the end Sect 9. Before I conclude this Doctrine of the Eucharist I will add some observations upon the same For 1. As Christ in Baptism contracted all Purifications Cleansings and Lustrations in the Law so in this he abridged all the Ilastical and Eucharistical sacrifices with their Meat-offerings Drink-offerings and sacrificial Feasts 2. The Author institutor and first efficient cause of this Sacrament is Christ the Son of God our Saviour 3. The subject and principal matter thereof is the death of Christ and the benefits procured thereby 4. The form is the use of the Elements with the words according to the first institution 5. The end is the continued remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ upon which depends our eternal salvation 6. This is one of the Laws of Christ which we are bound to observe till his coming to judgment as appears by these words Do this in remembrance of me 7. The dispensation of it belongs to the Minister of the Gospel for he that must baptize must administer the Eucharist and he that dispenseth the one must dispense the other Sacrament 8. The reason why this Sacrament is administred in two several Elements is more fully and distinctly to represent the death of Christ to signifie the plenty of food God hath prepared for our souls and the more strongly to confirm the Covenant 9. It 's to be celebrated not only once but often and is to be continued in the Church unto the worlds end 10. In it we have many points of Christian Doctrine concerning mans sin Gods love the Redemption the Covenant and therein of Gods promises mans duty as Repentance and Faith the benefits wereceive thereby and the Confirmation of the Covenant 11. In it we have many parts of Gods worship imployed as confession of sin profession of faith prayer charity thanksgiving and the whole Celebration of it is a piece of Divine Service 12. By receiving of this Sacrament we profess our Christianity our continuance in the Christian faith and in the Communion with the holy Catholick Church and the Renunciation of all other Religions 13. By the Doctrine of this Sacrament and the tenor of Christs commission we understand something of Church Discipline For as no man before he by the profession of his faith and promise of obedience manifest himself to be a Disciple can be baptized so no man except he appear to be baptized continue in the Christian faith keep Christs Commandments may be admitted to this Table neither may one grosly ignorant before he be instructed or guilty of scandal before he signifie his repentance and be absolved be received as a guest of this heavenly Feast They also who do neglect it when they are invited and have opportunity are unworthy Therefore besides the power which God gives unto the Minister it is fit that in every Church there should be some order established and some trusted with power to judge what persons are fit and worthy and who are not 14. No man can have benefit by this Sacrament but such as are truly penitent and believing of whom God can only judge and the Minister doing his duty according to his best judgment and the appearance of such as desire to communicate must refer all such as he admits to the judgment of God who alone knows the hearts of men And here it s to be noted that such as are habitually penitent and believing may so come unto the Sacrament as that they may offend God because not actually prepared at such a time Sect. 10. The last work to be done for to close up
deluded our first mother Eve perswaded her that in transgressing Gods law there was no fear of death but certain hope of high advancement as he is subtle so he is malicious restless raging knows our weakness takes all advantages and seeks our everlasting ruine Besides the Devil there are the wicked men of the world who are his agents who by their evil example customs laws promises threats preferments persecutions and many other ways seek to draw us unto sin therefore if any person either fear men more then God and temporal miseries more then eternal punishments or love himself more then God and the world more then heavenly glory and eternal life then a little temptation will easily draw such an one into transgression We are also said to be tempted in this respect by our own lust or concupiscence for when any occasion is offered we are easily moved and overcome Such is our ignorance and blindness that our understanding is easily deluded Such is the corruption of our wills that we are easily perverted This makes us like tinder and we take fire at every spark of temptation nay we are so vile by nature that our own corruption inclines us unto sin and sometimes when there is no temptation from without carries us violently into iniquity 2. To be led into temptation is not meerly to be tempted but something more for one may be tempted and yet be in no great danger because the party tempted may be so armed and prepared that the temptation may be overcome and that sometimes with ease so that in such a case there is no great danger but one may be said to be led into temptation when the party tempted is weak or surprized or deserted or over-powred or brought into such straits that there is great fear of a foil and little hope of escape because of the advantage gained by the tempter and disadvantage befallen the person tempted In this case the danger is great and the temptation difficult if not impossible to be overcom This is to be brought into the midst of potent enemies plunged into the depth of great waters and cast into the mouth of the Lion and so sin is unavoidable 3. In these words we pray 1. That God would so order all occurrences and events that we may not be brought into straights for this petition implies that nothing can come to pass without the providence of God doing or permitting what he pleaseth and ordering all events Without his permission neither man nor devil can tempt us without it Satan could not touch Job nor be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahab's Prophets nor enter so much as into the Herd of Swine And the event of all temptations depends upon his will 2. That when we are too weak he would restrain the malice and power of Satan 3. That he would not suffer us to be secure and so easily surprized 4. That he would continually arm and strengthen us that we may not only resist but overcome 5 That he would not suffer us to presume upon our own strength or despair of his assistance 6. That he would not desert us in the day of trial and great danger 7. That he would so inflame us with the zeal of his glory possess us with the fear of sin and his wrath and the desire of heavens glory that no earthly prosperity may much affect us or any earthly affliction much daunt us yet he requires that we acknowledg all our strength to be from him that the issue of all temptations depends upon him that renouncing our own strength we trust in him that we continually watch and pray and use all means to provide for our safety and when we see and consider the fall of David Peter and other eminent Saints how great cause have we to fear and be careful This must be our daily prayer and our earnest petition 4. To deliver us from evil may be understood to be a distinct petition from the former or part of the same In the former sense evil is not the evil of sin from temptation but the evil of affliction And in this sense we desire God so to perfect and bless us as either to prevent the miseries troubles afflictions and adversities of the world or if we fall into them that he would sanctifie them unto us for our spiritual good give us strength to bear them with patience and in the end deliver us out of them and hasten that day and time when there shall be no sorrow pain crying but eternal peace and joy when all sorrow shall flee away and all tears be wiped from all faces yet though God by these doth chastise and try us yet the devil by them takes advantage to tempt us unto many sins and discourage us in the ways of godliness So great is the frailty of man that both in prosperity and adversity he is in danger and in both hath need to pray to be delivered from evil therefore the wisdom of God mixeth our joys with sorrow and our prosperity with adversity For thine is the Kingdom c. Some make this no part of the body but the conclusion of the Prayer We find not these words in Luke nor in many Greek Copies nor in the Arabick and therefore it may be a question whether our Saviour added them to this form of Prayer or no but suppose them to be the words of our Saviour it 's doubted whether that be a form of Doxology or contain certain reasons for to move God to hear our petitions or both The words are found in Scripture 1 Chron. 29. 11. and there used in form of a Doxology and praising of God which is a part of divine Worship and sometimes joyned with petition and oftentimes concludes the same and in this sense it may be a part of prayer and fit to be used when we depart out of his presence and take our leave with our heavenly Father Amen is made the conclusion and by it we signifie our desire that God would hear us and put his hand and seal to our petitions and also our joynt consent in our desires with him who is the mouth of the people praying together which implies that we understand the Prayers made have attended to them and approve them and by this word make them Our Prayers It 's oftentimes a word of confirmation and then it signifies so it is sometimes a word of petition and then it signifies so be it Sect. 5. The matter of all these petitions may be reduced into the form of a Prayer in this manner 1. O Almighty Lord and in Christ Jesus our most gracious Father we thine unworthy Servants do here present our selves before the throne of Grace and desire in the first place and above all things that thy name be hallowed and thine eternal excellency and supreme dominion being manifested more and more both by thy blessed word and glorious works we and all others may know thee to be God alone who dost
did give the promise and he was only fit to do it for there can be no doubt either of his fidelity or power as he was able so he was resolved to make good what he had said and his word was his deed and will be so unto the end He and he alone could procure the Spirit and send him down from heaven the Angels were at his command all creatures at his beck and as he had begun so he was resolved to finish the work of mans salvation This his purpose he might have concealed or reserved to himself a liberty yet he was willing to promise and by a promise not only to signifie his mind that they might know it to their comfort but also to bind himself unto them And now he cannot go back This promise is a ground of unspeakable comfort and encouragement to all faithful Ministers and doth assure us the Church shall continue to this worlds end Sect. 4. The third thing to be considered is the thing promised and that is Christs certain presence with them to the worlds end where we have 1. His presence 2. The continuance 3. The certainty of it 1. His presence is signified in these words I am with you which implies that he will not be against them nor will he be absent from them for there are enemies who are against us and there are friends which are absent and far from us but Christ will not be an enemy or a Friend at distance 2. It 's Christ that will be present I will be with you and that 's more then if all men and Angels should be for us and ever present with us 3. This presence is not bodily for Christ was justly after this promise taken up into Heaven bodily and the Heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things 4. It s a spiritual presence and the same far more excellent than that of his body for though a body may at several Times be present in many places yet it cannot be present in more places than one at one time but Christ by his Spirit might be with them in all places at all times for he promised before his death and passion to send the Comforter which should comfort their hearts in his absence teach them and lead them into all truth and upon Penticost he sent down his Spirit upon the Apostles which hath continued and will continue in the Church for ever 5. This is not a bare or meer presence for so this Spirit is present in all places at all times neither is it a presence with some general power for so he is with all things to preserve them But it s a special presence with a special active power for spiritual ends to produce spiritual and supernatural effects It is a presence not only to comfort strengthen assist and deliver them but also a powerful presence to make their Ministrry effectual for the eternal Salvation of mens Souls This Holy Ghost discended and rested upon Christ when he was ready to preach the Gospel and execute publickly his Offices When he first sent these Apostles he gave them the gifts of this Spirit After his Resurrection he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost commanded them to stay at Jerusalem and wait for this Spirit upon the day of Penâ—ecost as before this Spirit came upon them By this Spirit all the Members of the Church are sanctified the Ministers qualified the Word and Sacraments made effectual and sentence of the Church so valid and of such mighty force Take away this spirit you take away the life and soul of the Church the power of the Ministry the efficacy of Word and Sacraments and without it all the Preaching Praying and other works of the Ministry will not be able to convert or comfort one Soul It s said I will be with you that is with you mine Apostles and your Successors in the Ministry to assist and bless and guide you in the discharge of your trust and execution of your office Dispense you the Word and Sacraments by the faithful observance of my mandate endeavour to save poor Souls and in that work I am with you no ways else so that such as are most faithful and diligent are most certain of his gracious presence Here is no promise made unto any particular Church or Ministers more than to others here is no express mention or intimation of the Bishop or Church of Rome or Jerusalem or Antioch or Constantinople The promise is made to the Church in general and their Ministers especially to such as are most faithful in their place and office Sect. 5. This is the presence the continuance of this presence is the second thing observed and is expressed in two words 1. Always or every day 2. To the worlds end 1. Always signifies that there shall be no intermission or interruption of Christs presence and assistance He will not absent himself or neglect them or desert them for a day so that they shall never have any cause to complain or say where is my Saviour now whether is he gon why hath he forsaken me There may be sad and woful times wherein Christ may seem to hide his face and to have forgotten them for a certain time yet even then Christ is with them and his faithful Ministers though he doth not appear and instantly manifest himself He must be with them always or else he breaks his promise and that he will never do Let us therefore do our duty always and Christ will be always with us 2. He will be with us to the worlds end this may be a longer this may be a shorter time Some understand the last period and end of that present generation the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the Apostles and the reason of this opinion may be because some take the promise to be personal and to be made only to the Apostles for their lives yet this is rather a conceit than any solid well grounded truth especially seeing the end of the world in other places signifies either a far longer time than the life of a mortal man on earth unto the consummation of the creatures and to all eternity So the person or the time of the final judgment when the world shall be no more but Christ shall raise the dead deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all for when the number of Gods Saints is finished there will be no need of Word or Sacraments or Ministers and then this promise is performed to the full But whilst these continue as they shall continue to the end Christ is bound and will certainly be with them that he may make his redemption effectual by them in the 〈…〉 sion and salvation of poor sinners 〈…〉 3. The certainty of this perp 〈…〉 seems to be implyed in the note of attention Loe and in the verb of the present tense for Christ doth not say I will be but I am with you for nothing is more certain than that which is present Besides some Copies have Amen added which is a strong confirmation of the promise But this certainly doth chiefly depend upon the power and fidelity of Christ who hath made the promise and hath kept it in all times unto this day And the particle Loe doth require as their so our special attention and serious consideration both of the person promising and the thing promised that they might be fully assured of performance to the utmost By vertue of this promise it is come to pass that in the midst of the tumults and confusions of the world and af ter the ruine of so many glorious kingdoms of so many potent Empires and of so many flourishing Churches of particular Nations yet an universal Church with Word Sacraments and Ministry do continue to this day and the gates of Hell could never yet prevail against it so that we may take up the Words of the Psalmist Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death Amen FINIS