god as mucâ— as the other If one part be true then aâ— is true if one bee false theâ— all is false If thou beleeue one part beleeue alsâ— the other if thou beleeue not the oneâ— beleeue not the other but both in hiâ— time place if thou beleue not his promises despaire not for his threatnings The second Section I adde further that the Lord considering our weaknesse and how hardly wâ— are brought to beleeue the stablenes oâ— his promise and this grace of God in Christ bestowed vppon vs contenteth not himselfe thus barely to haue promised but goeth farther bindeth himselfe with an oath to the performance as of his promises in genera l so of the forgiuenesse of sins which is one speciall thereof as plainely appeareth in the 22. Chapter of Genesis where the Loâ—d to shew vnto Abraham and vnto the heires of the promise the stablenesse of his counsell as the spirit beareth witnes swore by himselfe than whom there is none greater to sweare by that because Abraham had not spared his only sonne therefore the Lord would not spare his only sonne or rather as there it followeth that hee would giâ—e him a seed wherein all the nations of the Earth should be blessed where we see that the Lord sweareth not only to send into the world his sonne but to giue the blessing vnto all nations in and with him Now by the blessing hee meaneth not onely after this life eternall life and saluation but eueÌ„ in this life the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according as Dauid describeth this blessing saying blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is hee to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne So that it is manifest that the blessing that the lord swore to giue vnto all nations in one especiall regard concerneth the forgiuenes of our sins and that therfore the Lord hath sworne to forgiue vs our sinnes in and through Iesus Christ our Lord. But yet that we might more reuerence the truth of this his promise he sweareth the secoÌ„d time to accomplish them And that in the 54 chapter of the Prophesie of Esay where the Lord speaketh after this maner saying This thing is vnto me as the waters of Noah For as I haue sworne that the waters shall no more couer the whole earth so haue I sworne that I wil not bee angry with thee nor rebuke thee though these hiâ—les should fall downe and these Mountaines be mooued yet my kindnesse shall not depart from thee nor my league be remoued In which wordes as the Lord bindeth himself by outward sacâ—ameÌ„ts so by an absolute oth to the continuance of his loue to his-ward and also to the accomplishing and fulfilling of the league of his peace which is that league or couenant before mentioned made with Abraham or rather that which is expressed in the 31. of Ierem e one speciall clause or article whereof as in the same place appeareth that the Lord will forgiue our â—niquities and thinke neuer any more of our offences so that hereby it appeareth euidently that the Lord hath sworne by himselfe that God hath sworne by God and that not once but twice euen againe and againe to performe his promise made vnto vs concerning the free forgiuenes of all our sins and our offences This therefore is that oath of the Lord which when thou art brought to doubt of the forgiuenes of thy sinnes thou shouldest set before thine eies still hauing rerourse therevnto to strengthen thy faith in the promises of God And that after the example of the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God as Zaâ—harie in the first of Luke who remembreth to assure himselfe of the mercie of God shewed to his fathers his deliuerance from the hands of all his spirituall enemies as sin hell and the deuill and the remission of sins afterward mentioned the oath which he swaâ—e to our forefather AbrahaÌ„ which was that he would grant vnto vs that we being deliuered oâ—t of the hands of our enemies should serue him without fear in righteousnes and true holynes all the daies of our liâ—e And also as the Apostle to the Hebrews and 6. chapter who to perswade them to bee followers of theÌ„ that through faith patience inherited the promises alleadged that oath with the which the Lord bound himself to Abraham and the heires of the promises to performe fulfill his promises that thus thou hauing the same oath that they had to confirme thy faith shouldest as they haue strong consolation hauing thy refuge to lay hold vpoÌ„ that hope of mercie that is set before thee and so tarying patiently enioy the promises of mercie which therefore with a ful persuasion of faith thou maisâ— looke for because the Lord hath tyed himselfe with an oath to accomplish the same For an oath as the fore-mentioned Apostle testifieth is with the Lord an immutable thing that is such a thing as cannot bee changed The heauens as the Prophet Dauid saith shall waxe old and as a garment will the Lord chaunge them The Sunne shall loose her light and the Moone shall bee turned into blood before the great and fearefull day of the Lord. The Hils shall remooue the foundations of the earth shall shake The earth it selfe shall perish with the works that are therein but the promises of the lord established by his oath are immortall and cannot be changed Vntill therefore thou see the earth consumed and the elements melt with feruent heat nay though when thou seest these things dissolued yet know that the oath of the Lord is exceeding constant that there is no end nor change thereof For it is immutable Nay as the same Apostle farther in the same place addeth it is such a thing as it is impossible that the Lord should lye therein So that that Lord to whom al things els are possible who can by his word at one instant create all things make things that are seene of those things that doe not appeare giue life vnto the dead and againe with a word consume all thinges whatsoeuer That God I say to whom all things els are possible euen to him this one thing is impossible which is to lye against his oath And therefore if it shall come into thy minde that it may be that the Lord will not do as he promiseth know for a certaintie that it may not no nor cannot be that the Lord should breake his promise or his oath It is in possible for him hee cannot doe it It is such a thing as is immutable wherin it is impossible that the Lord should lie The oath therfore of the Lord should bring an end to thy fear and to thy doubting Especially considering that an oth for confirmation is among men an end of al controuersie For euen in the sâ—spition of the wiues honestie an oath must cleare the woman and satisfie the husbands iealousie In the matter of contract or hire if the partie that borrowed his
neighbors beast sware that it perished not through his default the lender ought and that by the law of God to giue credit vnto him and to rest satisfied How much more then not man but the Lord hauing sworne to forgi e thy sinnes oughtest thou to rest satisfied So that now euen in reason in coâ—science in equitie and in law the forgiuenes of thy sinnes ought to be a matter out of all doubt and contâ—ouersie If thou receiuest the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater And yet euen with men if they haue not cast of al I say not feare of God but humanitie there is such a religion of an oath as that rather than they will forswear themselues they will sustaine any inconuenience Examples whereof we may haue plentie not onely from dayly experience but euen out of the testimonie of the word of truth Hâ—rod swore to giue to that dancing daâ—sell euen whatsoeuer shee asked yea though it were the one halfe of hiâ— kingdome she demaâ—nded the head of Iohn Baptist. The scripture testifieth that albeit Heâ—od feared the people and so a ciuill insurrection that might haue cost him his life kingdome also yet for his oaths sake hee sent his executioners I will not now dispute how lawfully to cut off his head Iephtha a Iudge of Israell if he returned with victory vowed to sacrifice vnto the Lord the first liuing thing that he met withall after his returne The Lord so disposed of the matter that his owne daughter was the fiâ—st that offered her selfe vnto him Neither the regard of nature nor of the life of his own daughter nor of his sinne against God although perchance hee knew not that hee sinned therein no nor any thing else could make him to break his though but vn-aduised vow But what shall I speake of these men with whom a shew of religion might seem thus to haue preuailed when it is manifest that there haue been amongst the heathen many such especially one Marcus Attilius regulus that would for their oaths sake returne againe from their owne friends countrey where they might haue rested iâ— peace and safetie into their enemies hands notwithstanding that they knew that there were most exquisit and picked torments theâ—e provided for them how many haue we known with vs who being constrained by their oath haue layd open their owne shame and secreâ—ie to their greatest and vttermost peâ—ill If such be the reuerence of an oath taken but by God what thinke we will be the reward thereof when it is taken of God If man whose heart is aboue al things most deceitâ—ull will not be mâ—oued to breake his oath doe we thinke that the Lord who is the righteous iudge of the whole earth can be moued to forsweare himselfe The Lord will not suffer that man that sweareth to his neighbour and disappointeth him to dwell within his tabernacle nor to rest vpon his holy hill and then is it likely that he will suffer the sinne it selfe for the which hee reprooueth the man to haue place in his owne person God forbid that we should so conceue of the Lord acco nting him to be lesse constant than inconstant man If it were possible that such an imagination shuld creep into our heads as that we should thinke that the Lord would lye yet far be it from vs that we should think that the Lord would forsweare himselfe EueÌ„ this one word therefore which is that the Lord hath sworne to forgiue vs our sins should strike into our hearts such a full assurance therof as that we should rest in peace be fully satisfied and resolued therin no longer wauering as the vnconstant doubtfull minded man but rather reioice be comforted glorie in the Lord euen as my selfe haue known many of the elect of god to haue done who although before they were horribly afraid and disquieted in their own souls yet so soon as they heard this once that God hath sworne to forgiue their sins haue been exceedingly comforted and refreshed therwith haue presently shaken cast off all feare together with their doubting so that they neither feared nor doubted any longer The third Section But yet further if we measuring the Lord by our owne foot shall not giue credit either to his word or to his oth but shall for better assurance require writings and as we say euidences thereof behod herein the loue of God also who hath by his Indenture of couenaÌ„ts bound himselfe to forgiue our sinnes all our offences The couenants for the more assurance you may see drawen as it were by the Lords owne hand in the 31 chapter of the prophesie of Ieremy set downe very authentically as in the very and right forme of an Indenture of couenants in this manner following This is the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my laâ—â—es in the r inward parts wrâ—te it in their haâ—ts I wil be their God they shal be my people And they shall teach no more eâ—eâ—y 〈◊〉 neighbour saying Know the Loâ—dâ— for they shal all kâ—ow me froÌ„ the least of theÌ„ vnto the greatest of the sa th the â—orâ— foâ— I wil forgiue their iniquities wil remember their sins no moâ—e This is the Indenture of the couenant of the Lord dâ—awn eueÌ„ by the singer of the Lord the holie Ghost Wherein in the very entrance thereof thou maiest see First the very stile of an Indenture contained in these words Thâ—s is the couenant so forth Secondly the parties themselues mentioned betweene whom this coueuant is made the Lord of the one side the house of Israel that is the elect houshold of God which is the Church Catholike on the other side contained in these wordâ— That I will make with the house of Israel Thirdly the time the date as it were the term of those couenants when they should enter begin and that was especially at the time of the death of Christ coÌ„prised in these words after those daies Fourthly the articles and coâ—enants themselues are set down and specified and they are three principally The first is that he will instruct them inwardly in their soules by his spirit which should write his lawes in their harts The second is that he would be their God they should be his people The third is that he would forgiue their iniquity and remember their offences no more So that here wee see the expresse Indenture of the Lord by the which he hath couenanted graunted to forgiue vs our sins and our transgressions And because that in Indentures it is not ynough to haue but one which is as the first draught but a paire that they may be giuen interchangeably therefore the Lord hath by the hand of the Apostle to the Hebrues in the eight chapter drawâ— the counterpane of the former word for word as it is in the former after this
readie to whip vs steppeth in between the Lord and the sinner and keepeth vs as the mother doth her child from the fathers rod. Yea as our aduocat our daies man who is ready to make our defence for our offence against God by pleading our weakneâ— â—our infirmities our childhood and young yeares to reconcile vs to God and mooue his father to pardoÌ„ vs. Yea as the bishop of our souls and that faithful high priest which ceaseth not day nor night to poure out his praiers with all watchfulnes and feruencie euen as he did vpon the earth as the holy Ghost beareth witnesse for vs vnto God the Father And this he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„tinually because we continually sinning might continually be pardoned For if he ceased to make intercession for vs there would bee an intermission of remission of sinnes But when he neuer ceaseth to importune intreat the father for vs we are fully assured that al our sins are for euer washed away For the Father cannot by reason of his merite and will not by reason of his mercie denie any thing vnto his requests Father saith Christ I know thou hearest me in all things and thereby we know that he heareth him in the continual intercession that he maketh for the sonnes of men And this so much the rather may we assure our selues of for that the sonne is more deare vnto the father than the seruant the mediatour of the new Testament which is Christ than the mediator of the old which was Moses And Moses as we know stood in the gap and stopped the wrath of the Lord fell before the Lord on his face and fasted fortie daies and fortie nights for the sinnes of the people of Israel obtained pardon for the same much more then Iesus Christ who for euer and not fortie daies onely ceaseth not to make request shal obtain pardon at the hands of the Father himselfe being the Son for all the true Israelites euen Israell which is of God as Paul speaketh What shall I speak of Ezekiah who when the people sinned in eating the Passeouer being not before sanctified and hallowed praied vnto the Lord and the Lord healed the people What shall I speake of Iosuah of Elias of Dauid and other the men of God at whose intercession the Lord wrought wonders in heaueÌ„ aboue and in the eaâ—th beneath Do not euery one of these prooue vnto vs that the sonne of God making intercession for vs vnto the forgiuenes of our sins shall assuredly obtaine the same at the hands of his father And this is yet further assured vnto vs by considering on the one side the fathers gentlenesse and kindnesse who is not a chuâ—lish cuâ—rish God rough and full of displeasure but one in whome there is no anger as the Father himselfe protesteth in Esay who is therfore the slowest to conceiue a wrath and readiest to forgiue as Dauid singeth in his 103. Psalme and on the other side the sonne who by reason it is his office to pray for vs will not be negligent therein who because he hath been tempted in all thinges like vnto vs sinne onely excepted will be a faithfull and a mercifull high Priest in those things that are to bee done with God concerning his people who by reason of the loue hee beareth to vs ward in that he gaue his life for vs will be carefull and mindfull of vs who by reason of the oportunitie of the place in that he is in the heauens at the fathers hand euen at his right hand of the time in that hee liueth for euer of his grace and fauour in that he is the sonne of his loue of his merite in that hee hath deserued it shall bee heard in all whatsoeuer he shall craue at the Fathers hands in our behalfe For here meet together the sonnes readinesse the fathers willingnesse the sonnes carefulnesse the fathers cheerefulnesse the sons importunitie the fathers facilitie the sonnes merite the fathers mercie the sons mindfulnesse the fathers gentlenesse the sonnes disposition the fathers inclination the sonnes practise the Fathers purpose the sonnes grace the fathers graciousnesse the fauour of the sonne the fauour of the father they fauouring the one the other and they both sauouring vs the one readie to craue the other as readie to giue the one pâ—esent in representi g our prayers the other presently presenting him with his requests the one watchfull in asking the other striuing to bestow the sonne being glorious for asking the father being glâ—rified for bestowing the father willing to gratifie the sonne in all thinges and the sonne readie to craue all thinges from the father the one being not vnwilling to graunt the other not vnreadie to aske whatsoeuer we a ke no though it be euen his holy spirit much lesse if it be the forgiue-of our sinnes 2 I adde herevnto that the bloud 〈◊〉 Christ crieth vnto God the Father and speaketh vnto the Lord for mercie for them that are sanctified therewith For the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ speaketh farre better things than the bloud of Abel as the Apostle testifieth to the Hebrues For the bloud of Abel spake vnto the Lord for iustice but the bloud of Christ speaketh vnto the father for mercie The one cried for wrath the other for peace the one for vengeance vpon his brother for shedding of innocent bloud the other for pardon either for shedding innocent bloud or murder or theft or whoredome or vsurie or blasphemy or for any other whatsoeuer sinne If therfore the bloud of Abel cried so loud in the eares of the Lord that it moued him to execute vengeance vpon Cain much more the bloud of Iesus which stil crieth in the ears of the Lord will mooue him to mercie euen to pardon our sins and our offences For the crie of the bloud of the sonne of God which crieth vnto god for better things shall not haue worser entertainment thaÌ„ the bloud of Abel had 3 I adde further that euen the spirit as the Apostle speaketh in the eight to the Romanes helpeth also our infirmitie and maketh intercession for vs with grones vnspeakable So the spirit also of God intreateth for vs God intreateth God the spirit of God intreateth God the father for vs and how then can God denie any thing to God God the Father to his spirit which euen with vnspeakeble grones crieth within vs vnto his maiesty for pardon for our offences 4 I adde yet further that the Saints of God I say not which are in the heauens for as the Prophet saith Abraham knoweth vs not and Iacob remembreth vs not but the Saints of God which are on earth pray also for the forgiuenes of thy sins For Christ hath taught them to say Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs willing them thereby to make mention of thee also as well as all other the elect of God in their praiers And therfore he teacheth them to say