that it be sparingly and warily vsed is lawfull For if in serious affaires and matters of great importance it be lawfull in priuate to admit God as a Iudge why should he not as well be called to witnesse Againe the examples of holy men shew the practise of priuate othes as not vnlawfull Iacob and Laban confirmed their couenant one with an other by priuate oth the like did Booz in his contract with Ruth To this place may be added an asseueration the which albeit it be like an oth yet indeede is none and is nothing else but a constant assertion of our mind intersetting sometimes the name of a creature Such was Christs assertion Verely verely I say vnto you And Pauls I call God to record in my spirit Where is both an oth an asseueration 1. Cor. 15.31 By your reioycing which I haue in Iesus Christ I die daily 1. Sam. 20.3 Indeede as the Lord liueth and as my soule liueth there is but a step betweene me and death And surely in such a kind of asseueration there is great equitie for albeit it be vnlawfull to sweare by creatures least Gods honour and power should be attributed vnto them yet thus farre may we vse them in an oath as to make pledges and as it were cognisances of Gods glorie The performance of an oth is on this manner If the oth made be of a lawfull thing it must be performed be it of much difficultie great dammage and extorted by force of him that made it Psal. 15.4 He that sweareth to his owne hinderance and changeth not he shall dwell in Gods tabernacle Yet may the Magistrate as it shall seeme right and conuenient either annihilate or moderate such othes Contrarily if a man sweare to performe things vnlawfull and that by ignoraÌ„ce error or infirmitie or any other way his oth is to be recalled For we may not adde sinne vnto sinne 1. Sam. 25.21 And Dauid said Indeede I haue kept all in vaine that this fellow had in the wildernes c. vers 22. So and more also doe God vnto the enemies of Dauid for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath by the dawning of the day any that pisseth against the wall vers 33. Dauid said Blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from comming to shedde blood and that mine hand hath not saued me 2. Sam. 19.23 Dauid promiseth that Shimei should not die but 1. King 2.8,9 Dauid saith to Salomon Though I sware so yet thou shalt not count him innocent but cause his hoare head to goe downe to the graue with blood V. Sanctification of Gods creatures and ordinances the which is a separation of them to an holy vse Thus ought we to sanctifie our meates and drinks the works of our calling and marriage The meanes of this sanctification are two Gods word and prayer 1. Tim. 4.4 All which God hath created is good and nothing must be reiected if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word and prayer By the word we are instructed first whether God alloweth the vse of such things or not secondly we learne after what holy manner in what place at what time with what affection and to what end we must vse them Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Psal. 119.24 Thy testimonies are my delight they are my counsellers Iosh. 22.19,29 1. Sam. 15.23 Prayer which sanctifieth is petition and thanksgiuing By petition we obtaine of Gods meiestie assistance by his grace to make an holy vse of his creatures and ordinances Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thanks to God euen the Father by him 1. Sam. 17.45 Then said Dauid to the Philistim Thou commest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts the God of the host of Israel whome thou hast railed vpon Mich. 4. 5. We must walke in the name of the Lord our God for euer and euer Here may we obserue prayer made vpon particular occasion 1. For a prosperous iourney Act. 21.5 When the daies were ended we departed and went our way and they all accompanied vs with their wiues and children euen out of the citie and we kneeling downe on the shore prayed c. 2. For a blessing vpon meats at the table Ioh. 6.11 Then Iesus tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it to his Disciples and the Disciples to them that were set downe and likewise of the fishes as much as they would Act. 27.35 He tooke bread and gaue thanks to God in presence of them all and brake it and began to eate 3. For issue in childbirth This did Anna 1. Sam. 1.14 And Zacharie Luk. 1.13 4. For good successe in busines Gen. 24. 12. Abrahams seruant praied Thanksgiuing is the magnifying of Gods name euen the Father through Christ for his grace ayde and blessing in the lawfull vse of the creatures Phil. 4.6 In all things let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication and giuing of thanks 1â— Thess. 5. 18. In all things giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ towards you This we may read vsed 1. after meate Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee 2. After the losse of outward wealth Iob 1.21 And Iob saide Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe the Lord hath giuen and the lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord for euermore 3. For deliuerance out of seruitude Exod. 18. 10. Iethro said Blessed be the Lord who hath deliuered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh who also hath deliuered the people from vnder the hand of the Egyptians 4. For children Gen. 29.35 Shee conceiued againe and bare of sonne saying Now will I praise the Lord therefore shee called his name Iudah 5. For victorie 2. Sam. 22.1 And Dauid spake the words of this song vnto the Lord what time the Lord had deliuered him out of the hands of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul and said The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse c. 6. For good successe in domesticall affaires Abrahams seruant Gen. 24.12 blessed the Lord of his master Abraham CHAP. 23. Of the fourth Commandement THe fourth Commandement concerneth the Sabboth namely that holy time consecrated to the worship and glorifying of God The words are these Remember the Sabboth to keepe it sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe â—ll thy worke but the seuenth day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man seruant nor thy maid nor thy beast nor thy
Adam lastly as it is a farre greater matter by death to ouercome death and to turne it into eternal life then to commaunde that to exist and be which was not before so is the worke of redemption begunne in the birth of Christ more vnspeakable and admirable then the first creation of man Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the worlde And the Angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefit and to praise God for it But alas this practise is very rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde where sinne and iniquitie abounds as may be seene by experience for by an old custome we retaine still in the Church the feast of the natiuitie of Christ so commonly called which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God who hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer but contrariwise in rifling dicing carding masking mumming and in all licentious libertie for the most part as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily manner that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts as Paul saith My little children of whome I trauell till Christ he formed in you and that is when we are made newe creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him he answered He that doth the will of God is my brother my sister and mother Therefore let vs goe with the sheapheards to Bethlehem and finding our blessed Sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch let vs bring him thence and make our owne hearts to be his cradle that we may be able to say that we liue not but Christ liues in vs and let vs present vnto him our selues our bodies soules as the best gold mirrhe and frankincense that may be and thus conceiuing him by faith he remaining without chaunge wee shall be chaunged into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The world I know neuer so much as dreameth of this kinde of conception and birth for as Dauid saieth Men trauell with wickednesse conceiue mischiefe and bring forth a lie And S. Iames saith Men are drawne away by their owne concupiscence which when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne And these are the ougly and monstrons birthes of these daies But let vs I pray you contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennes of our hearts that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart and bring it forth in action The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her wombe shee had not bin saued and no more can wee vnlesse doe the same The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts is the comfort of coÌ„forts and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was Behold say the Angel to the sheâ—pheards we bring tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people but wherein standes the ioy they adde further vnto you this daie is borne in the citiâ— of Dauid a Sâ—uiour which is Christ the Lord. And no maruel for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man and by it we haue peace first with God secondly with our selues in conscience thirdly with the good Angels of God fourthly with our enemies lastly with al the creatures For this cause the Angels sang Peace on earth good will towards men In the last place the Creede notes vnto vs the parent or mother of Christ the Virgine Mary And here at the verie first it may be demanded howe hee could haue either father or mother because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father and mother not because he had none at all For according to the ancient and receiued opinion it is very likely that he was Sem the sonne of Noe but because where hee is mentioned vnder this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes there is no mention made of Father or Mother and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother as he is man he hath no father as he is God he hath no mother And whereas Christ is called the sonne of Ioseph it was not because hee was begotten of him but because Ioseph was his reputed father or which is more because he was a legall father namely according to the Iewes lawes in that as sundrie diuines think he was the next of his kin and therefore to succeede him as his lawfull heire Mary became the mother of Christ by a kind of calling thereto which was by an extraordinarie message of an angel concerning the conception birth of Christ in and by her to which calling and message shee condescended saying Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy worde And hereupon she conceiued by the holy ghost This being so it is more then sensles folly to turne the salutatioÌ„ of the angel Haile freely beloued c. into a praier For it is as much as if we should stil call her to become a mother of Christ. And shee must be held to be the mother of whole Christ God and man therfore the ancient Church hath called the mother of God yet not the mother of the godhead Furthermore the mother of Christ is described by her qualitie a virgin and by her name Mary Shee was a virgine first that Christ might be conceiued without sinne and be a perfect Sauiour secondly that the saying of the prophet Esay might be fulfilled Behold a virgine shall conceiue beare a sonne according as it was foretold by God in the first giuing of the promise the seede of the woman not the seede of the man shall bruise the serpents heade Nowe the Iewes to elude the most pregnant testimonie of the prophet saie that Alma signifies not a virgin but a young woman which hath knowne a man But this is indeede a forgerie For Esay there speakes of an extraordinary worke of God aboue nature whereas for a woman hauing knowne man to conceiue is no wonder And the word Alma through the whole bible is taken for a virgin as by a particular search will appeare As Maâ—ie conceiued a virgin so it may be well thought that shee continued a virgine to the ende though wee make it no article of our faith When Christ was vpon the crosse hâ—e commended his mother to the custodie of Iohn which probably argueth that she had no child to whose care and keeping shee might be coÌ„meÌ„ded
a candlesticke Nowe howe much more carefull ought we to be to entertaine God himselfe who is content to come and dwell with vs and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace that he may lodge and suppe and dine with vs as hee hath promised but on the contrarie if wee defile our bodies with sinne wee banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts and inuite the deuill to come and dwell with vs. For the more a man defileth his bodie the fitter and cleaner it is for him And to coÌ„clude this point let vs remeÌ„ber that saying which is vsed of some that Christ when he went hence gaue vs his pawne namely his spirit to assure vs that he would come to vs againe and also hee tooke with him our pawne namely his flesh to assure vs further that we should ascend vp to him Thus much for the benefits of Christs ascension Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued and they are two First we must be here admonished to renounce the vbiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords supper as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascensioÌ„ into heauen For it is flat against the nature of a true bodie to subsist in many places at once Secondly as the Apostles then did when they sawe Christ ascending vp into heauen so must wee doe also while hee was present with them they gaue him honour but when they saw him ascending they adored him with farre greater reuerence and so must we now for the same cause bowe the knees of our hearts vnto him Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now followes the third in these words And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling whereof we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church thirdly the duties that we are mooued vnto For the meaning of the words if we speak properly God hath neither right hand nor left neither can he be said to sit or stand for God is not a bodie but a spirit the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right handes whome they purposed to aduance to any speciall office or dignitie So King Salomon when his mother came to speake with him rose vp from his throne and met het caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand and set her vpon it in token no doubt of honour which he gaue vnto her To the same purpose Dauid saith Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold And the sonnes of Zebedeus made suit to Christ that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome Thus we see it is manifest that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authoritie and honour and therfore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things First his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie honour and glorie and in this sense it is saide that to him is giuen a name that is aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bowe Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth So Dauid saith The Lord said vnto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Which place beeing alleadged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase is thus set downe He shall raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feete And to speake in briefe the scope of the wordes is to shewe that Christ God and man after his ascension is aduanced to such an estate in which he hath fulnesse of glorie power maiestie and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued The first is the place where Christ is thus aduanced noted in the former article he ascended into heauen and sits namely in heauen at the right hand of God The place then where Christ Iesus in both his natures as he is God and also man doth rule in full glorie power and maiestie is heauen it selfe To which effect Paul saith God raised Christ from the dead and put him at his right hand in the heauenly places And in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide He sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in highest places This â—oint well considered serues to discouer the ouersight of sundrie Diuines which hold and teach that to sit at the right hand of God is to be euery where in all places and not in heauen onely that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christs manhood which neuerthelesse the heauens must containe till the time that all things be restored The second circumstance is the time when Christ began to sit at the right hand of God the father which is to be gathered by the order of the articles For first Christ died and was buried then he rose againe and ascended into heauen and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father This order is also noted vnto vs by S. Paul Who shall condemne saith he it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God And S. Marke saith when Christ was risen againe he appeared to his disciples and after he had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God But it may be demanded how this can stand with truth that Christ should not begin to sit at the right hand of his father before the ascension considering he is one God with the father and therfore an absolute and soueraigne King from all eternitie Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father he is coequall and coeternall with him in the regiment of his kingdome and hath neither beginning middle or ending thereof yet as Christ is God incarnate and in one person God-man or Man-god he began after his ascention and not before to sit at the right hand of his father as S. Peter saith was made Lord partly because as he was God he did then manifest himselfe to be that which indeede he was before namely God and Lord of heauen and earth and partly because as he was man he receiued dominion or Lordship from the father which he had not before thereby was euen in his manhood exalted to be king of heauen and earth and in this sense Christ saith of himselfe All power
him saith Behold I am vile and againe I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes In the same manner we being his subiects and people must looke to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make vs bend and bow for our sinnes past as the olde man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age The second is to preuent sinnes in the time to come A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water takes it and holds it ouer the fire or ouer the water as though he would burne or drowne it whereas his purpose indeede is nothing els but to preuent daunger in time to come In like manner Christs subiects are bolde to sinne by nature and therefore to preuent a mischiefe chiefe he doth exercise them with affliction and seemes for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church but his meaning is onely to preuent offences in times to come The third ende is to continue his subiects in obedience vnto his commandements so the Lord saith when he would bring his Church from idolatrie Behold I will stop thy way with thornes make an hedge that shee shall not find her pathes The holy Ghost here borrowes a comparison from beasts which going in the way see greene pastures desire to enter in therefore goe to the hedge but feeling the sharpnes of the thornes dare not aduenture to go in So Gods people like vnto wild beasts in respect of sinne viewing the greene pastures of this world which are the pleasures thereof are greatly affected therewith if it were not for sharpnes of crosses temptations which are Gods spirituall hedge by which he keepeth theÌ„ in they would range out of the way and rush into sinne as the horse into the battell The fourth and last worke of Christ in respect of his Church is that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoeuer they are and this he doth two waies First by giuing to his seruants sufficient strength to beare all the assaults of their enemies the world the flesh and the deuill For Paul saith those to whome the Lord hath giuen the gift of faith to them also he hath giuen this gift to suffer afflictions And the same Apostle also praieth for the Colossians that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse The euidence hereof we may most plainely see in the most constant deaths of the Martyrs of Christ recorded both in the word of God and in the Church histories It is wonderfull to see their courage and constancie For at such times as they haue beene brought to execution they refused to be bound or chained willingly suffering most cruel torments without shrinking or feare such courage and strength the Lord gaue them to withstand the violent rage of all their aduersaries Secondly he defends his Church by limiting the power and rage of all enemies And hence it is that although the power of the Church of God on earth be weake and slender in it selfe and contrariwise the power of the deuill exceeding great yet can he not so much as touch the people of God And he more preuailes by inward suggestions and temptations then by outward violence And if it were not that the power of Christ doth bridle his rage there could be no aboad for the Church of Christ in this world Thus we haue seene what are the workes of Christ in gouerning his church and we for our parts that professe our selues to be members thereof must shew our selues to be so indeed by an experience of these works of his in our owne hearts And we must suffer him to gather vs vnder his owne wing and to guide vs by his word and spirit and we are to acquaint our selues with those spirituall exercises whereby his good pleasure is to nurture vs to all obedience Lastly we must depend on his ayde and protection in all estates And seeing we in this land haue had peace and rest with the Gospell of Christ among vs a long time by Gods especiall goodnesse we must now after these daies of peace looke for daies of tribulation we must not imagine that our ease and libertie will continue alwaies For looke as the day and night doe one follow another so likewise in the administration of the church here vpon earth Christ suffereth a continuall intercourse betweene peace and persecution Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto and we may resolue our selues that so it will continue till the end and therefore it shall be good for vs in these daies of our peace to prepare our selues for troubles and afflictions and when troubles come we must still remember the fourth worke of Christ in the gouernment of his church namely that in all daungers he will defend vs against the rage of our enemies as well by giuing vs power and strength to beare with patience and ioy whatsoeuer shall be laid vpon vs as also bridle the rage of the world the flesh and the deuill so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against vs. Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church and people Now followeth the second point namely his dealing toward his enemies and here by enemies I vnderstand all creatures but especially men which as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdome so they perseuere in the same enimitie vnto the end Now his dealing towards them is in his good time to worke their confusion as he himselfe saith Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring them hither and slay them before me And Dauid saith The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rodde of iron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell And againe I will make thine enemies thy footesâ—oole As Iosuah dealt with the fiue Kings that were hidde in the caue he first makes a slaughter of their armies then he brings them forth and makes the people to set their feete on their necks and to hang them on fiue trees So Christ deales with his enemies he treads them vnder his feete and maketh a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their soules And this the Church of God finds to be true by experience as well as it finds the loue of Christ towards it selfe Now he confounds his enemies two waies The first is by hardnesse of heart which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man and leaueth him to himselfe so as he goeth on forward from sinne to sinne and neuer repenteth to the last gaspe And we must esteeme of it as a most fearefull and terrible iudgement of God for when the heart is possessed therewith it becomes so flintie and rebellious that a man will neuer relâ—nt or turne to god This
haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abâ—a that isâ— father And Rom. 8.26 Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request And Zach. 12.10 the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace and deprecatioâ—s or praiers Well then the man that would pray must haue Gods spirit to be his schoole-master to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the heart for the words make not the prayer but the grones and desires of his heart and a man praies for no more then he desires with the heart and he which desires nothing praies not at all but spends lip-labour The second worke of the spirit is to assure vs in our consciences that we are in the state of grace reconciled to God Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of inuocation is very necessarie for he which wants this assurance if he be secure and benummed in his sinnes will not and if he be touched in conscience for them for his life dare not cal God father Also this confutes the opinion of the Church of Rome which teacheth that man is to doubt whether he be adopted or no. For how can a man truly call God father when he doubts whether he be the child of God or no It is a miserable kind of praying to cal God father and withall to doubt whether he be a father Indeede it is true that doubts will often arise but it is our dutie to striue against them and not to yeeld to them Yea but say they to be certaine of Gods mercy is presumption I answer if it be presumption it is an holy presumption because God hath bidden vs to call him father Our Father 1. The meaning THus much of the argument of relation now let vs proceedeâ— It is further said Our father And he is so tearmed because he is the father of Christ by nature and in him the father of euery beleeuer yea of the whole bodie of the Church Quest. Whether may it be lawfull for vs in praier to say not our father but my father Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say My father This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour Matth. 26. â—9 O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And Math. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Thomas praied My Lord and my God And Paul I giue thanks to my God c. And Gods promise is Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me my father The meaning of Christ is not to binde vs to these words but to teach vs that in our praiers we must not haue regard to our selues onely but also to our brethren and therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues we put in practise the true meaning of these words 2. The vses When we pray wee must not make request onely for our selues and our owne good but for others also as the church and people of God perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers and for the better cleering of this point let vs search who they are for whome wee are to pray Of men there be two sorts some liuingâ— some dead Of these two kinds the liuing are to be praied for and there is no praying for the dead A man that is dead knowes what shall bee his estate eternally if he died a wicked person that is an vnrepentant sinner his state shall bee according in eternall torment if he died hauing repented of his sinnes then hee shall rest with God in his kingdome Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are they which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Gal. 6.10 While wee haue time let vs doe good to all men Where wee may note that there is a time namely after death when we cannot doe good to others Again of the liuing some are our enemies some our friends Our friends are they which are of the same religion affection and disposition Foes are either priuate or publike Publike foes are either enemies to our countrie as tyrants traitors c. or enemies to our religion as Iewes Turkes Papists Infidels Atheists Now towards all these how ought a man to behaue himselfe in praier Ans. He is to pray for them all Matth. 5.44 Pray for them which hurt you and persecute you 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort that praiers intercessions c. be made for all men for kings c. Yet wheÌ„ Paul gaue this commandement we read not that there were any Christian kings but all Infidels And the Iewes are commanded to pray for Babylon where they were captiue Ierem. 29.7 And seeke the prosperitie of the cittie whither I haue caused you to be carried captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it Question How and in what manner are wee to pray for our enemies Ans. We are to praie against their â—innes counsels enterprises but not against their persons Thus praied Dauid against Achitophel 2. Sam. 15.31 Lord I pray thee bring the counsell of Achitophel to foolishnesse And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecutors Act. 4.29 O Lord behold their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speake thy word Question Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies in which he prayeth for their vtter confusion as Psal. 59. 109. c. The like is done by Paul Gal. 5.1 2. Tim. 4.14 and Peter Act. 8. 20. though afterwards he mitigates his execration But how could they doe it Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit and hereby they were inabled to discerne of their enemies and certainly to iudge that their wickednes and malice was incurable and that they should neuer repent And the like praiers did the Primitiue church coÌ„ceiue against Iulian the Apostata because they perceiued him to be a malitious desperate enemie 2. Secondly they were indued with a pure zeale and not carried with desire of reuenge against their enemies intending nothing els but the glorie of God Nowe for vs it is good that wee should suspect our zeale because sinister affections as hatred enuie emulation desire of reuenge will easily mingle themselues therewith Question How farre forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies Ans. They are to bee read and song with these caueats I. We are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the enemies of God and his Church for we may perswade our selues that alwaies there be some such obstinate enemies but we must not applie them particularly 2. Secondly we must vse them as Augustine saith as certaine propheticall sentences of the holy Ghost pronouncing the last sentence of destruction vpon final and impenitent sinners which oppose themselues against Gods kingdome 3. They may be vsed against our spirituall
not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearing God Eph. 6.6 Not with seruice to the eie as men pleasers Answering againe when they are reprehended Tit. 2.9 Let seruants be subiect to their masters and please them in all thinges not answering againe Deceitfulnesse and wasting their Masters goods Titus 2. 10. Neither pikers but that they shewe all good faithfulnesse To flee from the power of their superiour Gen. 16.6 Then Sarah dealt roughly with her wherfore shee fled froÌ„ her To resist the lawful authoritie of their Superiours 1. Pet. 2.20 To obey them in things vnlawfullâ— Act. 4. 19. To extoll themselues aboue their betters this is the sinne of Antichrist 2. Thess. 2.3 4. Which man of sinne exalteth himselfe against all that is called God Lastly the freedome of the Papists whereby they free children from the gouernment of their parents and subiects from the authoritie of their Princes so that they make it lawefull for them to pretende and procure their death 1. Sam. 26.8,9 Then said Abishai to Dauid God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day now therefore I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare to the earth and I will not smite him againe And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and bee guiltlesse III. Ingratitude and want of a louing affection towards Parentes Matth. 15.5,6 But ye say whosoeuer shall say to father or mother By the gift that is offered by me thou maiest haue profit though he honour not his father or mother shall be free 1. Tim. 5.4 Secondly we offend against our equalls in preferring our selues before them in talking or in sitting downe Matth. 20.20 Then came vnto him the mother of Zebedeus children with her sonnes worshipping him and desiring a certaine thing of him 21. And he said What wouldest thou And shee said to him Graunt that these my two sonnes may sit the one at thy right hand and the other at thy left hand in thy kingdome 24. And when the other ten heard this they disdained at the two brethren Thirdly toward our inferiours I. Through negligeÌ„ce in gouerning them and prouiding for their good estate Hagg. 1.4 Is it time for your selues to dwel in your fieled houses and this house to lie wast Dan. 3.28 This condemneth those mothers which put forth their children to be nursed hauing both sufficient strength and store of milke themselues to nurse them 1. Tim. 5.10 If shee haue nourished her children II. By too much gentlenes and lenitie in correcting theÌ„ 1. King 1.5 Then Adonijah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe saying I will be king 6. And his father would not displease him from his childhood to say Why hast thou done so 1. Sam. 2. 22. So Eli was very old heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel and howe they lay with the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation 23. And he said vnto them Why doe ye such things for of all this people I heare euill reports of you 24. Do no more my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare namely that ye make the Lords people to trespasse 25. Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them III. By ouermuch crueltie and threatnings Eph. 6.4 And ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath 9. And ye masters doe the same things vnto them putting away threatnings Fourthly and lastly a man offendeth against himselfe when through his naughtie behauiour he doth obscure and almost extinguish those gifts which God hath giuen him Math. 25.2 16. Or contrarilie when he is too wise in his owne conceit Rom. 12.3 For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to eâ—ery one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand CHAP. 25. Concerning the sixt commandement THou shalt not kill The Resolution Kill The part is here set for the whole by a Synecdoche for killing signifieth any kind of endamaging the person of our neighbour The equitie of this commandement appeareth by this that man was created after the likenesse of God Gen. 9.6 He that sheddeth mans blood by man shal his blood be shed for in the image of God hath he made man Againe all men are the same flesh Esay 58.7 When thou seest the naked couer him and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh Neither ought we to be ignorant of this also that it is vnlawful for any priuate person not called to that dutie to kill another but a publike officer may that is if he be warranted by a calling So did Moses Exod. 2. 12. And he looked round about and when he saw no man he slue the Egyptian and hid him in the sand Act. 7.25 For he supposed his brethreÌ„ would haue vnderstood that God by his hand should giue them deliuerance And Phinehas Nomb. 25. 8. And he followed the man of Israel into the tent and thrust them both through to wit the man of Israel and the woman through her bellie so the plague ceased from the children of Israel 31. Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I haue not consumed the childreÌ„ in my iealousie And Elijah 1. King 18.40 And Eliiah said vnto them Take the Prophets of Baal let not a man of them escape and they tooke them and Elijah brought them to the brooke of Kishon slue them there And souldiers in battels waged vpon iust causes 2. Chro. 20.15 Feare ye not neither be afraid of this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods The negatiue part Thou shalt neither hurt nor hinder either thine owne or thy neighbours life The sinnes then that are referred to this part are such as are committed against our neighbour or our selues Against our neighbour are these following I. In heart as â— Hatred against him 1. Ioh. 3.15 Who so hateth his brother is a manslayer 2. Vnaduised anger Matth. 5.22 I say vnto you whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly is in danger of iudgement 3. Enuie Rom. 1.29 Full of anger murther contention 4. Grudges Iam. 3.14 If ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts reioice not 5. Want of compassion and sorrowe at our neighbours calamities Amos 6.5,6 They sing to the sound of the Viole c. but no man is sâ—rry for the affliction of Ioseph 6. Frowardnes when we will not be reconciled to our neighbour Rom. 1.30 Such as can neuer be appeased vnmercifull 7. Desire of reuenge Psal. 5.6 The Lord will abhorre the bloody man and deceitfull II. In wordes 1. Bitternes in speaking Prou. 12. 18. There is that speaketh wordes like the prickinges of a sword but the tongue of wise men is health 2. Reproches and railing which is a casting of a mans
in the very middest of all confusion there is order to be founde because he can and doth despose it to the glorie of his owne name and to the good and saluation of his chosen as also to the confusion of his enemies Againe it may be obiected that with vngodly and wicked men all thinges goe well and contrariwise with the godly all things goe hardly For through the world none are more molested and more vnder outward miserie then they but if there were any prouidence of God then it should be otherwise the godly should flourish and the wicked perish Ans. The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world was to Dauid an occasion of a sore temptation For when he sawe the wicked to prosper alwaie and their riches to increase he brake forth and said Certenly I haue clensed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocencie Now if we would repell this temptation as Dauid afterward did then wee must goe into the Lords sanctuarie with him and learne to be resolued in these points I. Though the godly bee laden with miseries yet euen that by the especiall prouidence of God turnes to their great good For euery man since the fall of Adam is stained with the loathsome contagion of sinne Now the child of God that is truly regenerate and must be fellow heire with Christ after this life in the kingdome of glory must in this life be cast into the Lords furnace that in the fire of afflliction he may more and more be skoured and purified from the corruption of his nature and be estranged from the wickednes of the worlde II. The prosperous successe of the wicked their spoiles their reuenewes and all their honour turnes to their greater woe in the ende as doth appeare in Iobs historie in the examples of the Chaldeans of Dauids enimies and of Diues and Lazarus Thirdly it may be obiected that many things came to passe by chance and therefore not by Gods prouidence because chaunce and prouidence cannot stand togither Ans. We must distinguish betweene chance and meere chance Chaunce is when any thing comes to passe the cause thereof beeing vnknowne not simply but in respect of man aad therefore in regard of men which knowe not the reason of things we may say there is chaunce and so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chaunce commeth to them all And againe By chaunce there came downe a priest the same way Now this kind of chance is not against the prouidence of God but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certainely knowne and determined by God Meere chaunce is when things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of vs as ouerturning the prouidence of God Thus seeing it is plaine that there is a prouideÌ„ce let vs in the next place see what it is Prouidence is a most free and powerfull action of God whereby he hath care ouer all things that are Prouidence hath two parts knowledge and gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at al times As Dauid saith His eies will consider his eie lids will trie the children of meÌ„ And againe He abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heauen and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eies of the Lord behold all the earth And Saint Iames saith From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes This point hath a double vse First as Saint Peter saith it must mooue vs to eschewe euill and doe good why Because saith he the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his countenance against euill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eies of God behole all the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him Gouernment is the â—econd part of Gods prouidence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good endes And it must be extended to the very least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heades And here we must consider two things the manner of gouernment and the meanes The manner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or moral Naturall which is created by God for the lawefull vse of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular endes for which they were seuerally ordained For the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone starres trees plants seedes c. would lie dead in them and be vnprofitable vnlesse they were not onely preserued but also stirred vp and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imploies them to any vse Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Nowe sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operatiue permission I so call it because God partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the forme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods lawe The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the author of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euil to eternall damnationâ— yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good therfore it hath in it respects regards of goodnes In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commandeth nor causeth nor helpeth sin but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angells they beeing the sole authors and causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby heâ— manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the minde will and affections in it selfe considered is from God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no
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 faith God hath raised him vp speaking of Christ and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should bee holden of it Where wee 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 sense as the speech 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 Creede first he was crucified and died secondly he was buried thirdly laid in the graue was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death And these three degrees of Christs humiliatioÌ„ are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation The first degree of exaltation he rose againe the third day answering to the first degree of his humiliation he died the second degree of his exaltation hee 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 exaltation answering to the lowest degree of his humiliation he descended into hell These two last expositions are commonly receiued and wee may indifferently make choice of either but the last as I take it is most agreeable to the order and wordes of the Creede Thus much for the meaning of the wordes Nowe followe 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 mind or in both though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner yet must we not thinke it straunge For if 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 cabbinâ— and there triumpheth ouer him holding him in captiuitie and bondage and yet for all this was he the sonne of God and therfore when Gods hand 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 steppe between him and 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 children slaine and his bodie striâ—kâ—n by Satan with loathsome byles from the sole of his foote vnto the crownâ— of his head so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting among the ashes And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God when he was called to preach to Niniuie because he refused for feare of that great cittie God mette with him and hee must bee cast into the sea and there be swallowed vp of a Whale that so he might chastice him and thus doth hee deale with his owne seruants to make them conformable to Christ. And further when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience so as we do as it were struggle with gods wrath as for life and death and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in in this case howesoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues wee must not thinke it straunge nor quite despaire of his mercy For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell and death carried him captiue and triumphed ouer him in the graue and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie yet we must not despaire of his helpe In diuers Psalmes we read how Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies but euen his soule and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes so as his very bones were consumed within him and his moisture was turned into the drought in sommer This caused Iob to crie out that the arrowes of God were within him and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit the terrours of God did fight against him the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea by reason whereof he saith that the Lord did make him a marke and a but to shoote at and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs either in bodie or in soule or in both we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that beginnes to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes but rather his fatherly work to kill sinne in vs and to make vs growe in humilitie that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus Secondly whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be it is an example for vs to imitate as Christ himselfe prescribeth Learne of me that I am meeke and lowely And that we may the better doe this we must learne to become nothing in our selues that we may bee al in al forth of our selues in Christ we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as possibly may be in regard of our sinnes Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes to become a worme and no man as Dauid saith which did cheifly appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne and the same mind must likewise be in vs which was in him The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and blood of Christ. And thus much of this clause as also of the state of Christs humiliation Nowe followeth his second estate which is his exaltation into glorie set downe tâ—
parts the Decree of Election the Decree of Reprobation or No-election This diuision is plaine by that which hath beene said out of the 9. chapter to the Romanes and it may be further confirmed by other testimonies Of some it is said that the Lord knowes who are his and of some others Christ shall say in the daie of iudgement I neuer knewe you In the Acts it is said that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued And Iude saith of false prophets that they were ordained to condemnation In handling the decree of Election I will consider three things I. what Election is II. the execution thereof III. the knowledge of particular Election For the first Gods Election is a decree in which according to the good pleasure of his will he hath certenly chosen some men to life eternall in Christ for the praiâ—e of the glorie of his grace This is the same which Paul saith to the Ephesians God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Nowe that wee mâ—y the better conceiue this doctrine let vs come to a consideration of the seuerall points thereof First of all I saie Election is Gods decree For there is nothing in the worlde that comes to passe either vniuersally or particularly without the eternall and vnchangeable decree of God And therfore whereas men are actually chosen brought to life euerlasting it is because God did purpose with himselfe and decree the same before all worlds Now touching the decree it selfe sixe things are to be obserued The first what was the motiue or impulsiue cause that mooued God to decree the saluation of any man Ans. The good pleasure of God For Paul saith he will haue mercy on whome he will haue mercy and He hath predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of God As for the opinioÌ„ of them that say that foreseene faith and good works are the cause that mooued god to choose men to saluation it is friuolous For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of gods election Paul saith he hath chosen us not because he did foresee that we would becoÌ„e holy but thâ—t wee might be holy And he hath predestinate vs to adoption Which is all one as if hee had said he hath predestinate vs to beleeue because adoption comes by beleeuing Now if men are elected that they might beleeue then are they not elected because they would beleeue For it can not be that one thing should be both the cause and the effect of another The second point is that Gods election is vnchangeable so as they which are indeed chosen to saluation can not perish but shall without faile attaine to life euerlasting Paul takes it for a conclusionâ— that the purpose of God according to election must remaine firme and sure and againe that the gifts and calling of god are without repentance And Samuel saith The strength of Israel will not lie or repent For he is not a man that he should repent Such as Gods nature is such is his will and counsell but his nature is vnchangeable I am Iehouah saith he and I change not therefore his will likewife and his counsels bee vnchangeable And therefore whensoeuer the spirit of God shall testifie vnto our spirits that we are iustifâ—ed in Christ and chosen to saluation it must be a means to comfort vs and to stablish our hearts in the loue of God As for the opinion of them that say the elect may fall from grace and be damned it is ful of hellish discomfort and no doubt from the deuil And the reasons coÌ„monly alleadged for this purpose are of no moment as may appeare by the skanning of them First they obiect that the Churches of the Ephesians Thessalonians and the dispersed Iewes are all called Elect by the Apostles themselues yet sundrie of them afterward fell away Ans. I. There are two kindes of iudgement to be giuen of men the iudgement of certenty and the iudgement of charitie By the first indeede is giuen an infallible determination of any mans election but it belongs vnto God principally and properly and to men but in part namely so farre forth as God shall reueale the estate of one man vnto another Nowe the iudgement of charitie belongs vnto all men and by it leauing all secret iudgements vnto God wee are charitably to thinke that all those that liue in the Church of God professing themselues to be members of Christ are indeede elect to saluation till God make manifest otherwise And on this manner and not otherwise doe the Apostles call whole Churches elect II. they are called elect of the principall part and not because euery member thereof was indeede elect as it is called an heape of corne though the bigger part be chaffe Secondly it is alleadged that Dauid praies that his enemies may be blotted out of the booke of life which is the election of God and that Moses and Paul did the like against themselues Answer Dauids enemies had not their names written in the booke of life but onely in the iudgement of men Thus Iudas so long as hee was one of the disciples of Christ was accounted as one hauing his name written in heauen Now hence it followes that mens names are blotted out of Gods booke when it is made cleare and manifest vnto the worlde that they were neuer indeede written there And where Moses saith Forgiue them this sinne if not blotte me out of thy boâ—ke and Paul I could wish to be accursed c. there meaning was not to signifie that men elected to saluation might become reprobates onely they testifie their zealous affections that they could bee content to be depriued of their owne saluation rather then the whole bodie of the people should perish and God loose his glorie As for that which Christ saith Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill it is to be vnderstood not of election to saluation but of election to office of an Apostle which is temporarie and changeable The third point is that there is an actuall election made in time beeing indeede a fruite of Gods decree and answerable vnto it and therefore I added in the description these wordes whereby he hath chosen some men All men by nature are sinners and children of wrath shut vp vnder one the same estate of condemnation And actuall election is when it pleaseth God to seuer and single out some men aboue the rest out of this wretched estate of the wicked world and to bring them to the kingdome of his owne sonne Thus Christ saith of his owne disciples I haue chosen you out of the world The fourth point is the actuall or reall foundation of Gods election
We are carefull to flie the infection of the bodily plague oh then how carefull should we be to flie the common blindnesse of minde and hardnes of heart which is the very plague of all plagues a thousand fold worse then all the plagues of Egypt And it is so much the more fearefull because the more it takes place the lesse it is perceiued When a malefactour on the day of assise is brought forth of the iayle with great bolts and fetters to come before the iudge as he is going all men pitie him and speake comfortably vnto him but why so because he is now to be arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge Now the case of all impenitent sinners is farre more miserable then the case of this man for they lie fettered in bondage vnder sinne and Satan and this short life is the way in which they are going euery houre to the barre of Gods iustice who is the King of kings and Lord of lords there to be arraigned and to haue sentence of condemnation giuen against them Now canst thou pitie a man that is before an earthly iudge and wilt thou not be touched with the miserie of thine owne estate who goest euery day forward to the barre of Gods iustice whether thou be sleeping or waking sitting or standing as a man on the sea in a shippe goes continually toward the hauen though he himselfe stirre not his foote Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts that so long as ye runne on in your blind waies without repentance as much as ye can yee make post hast to hel-ward and so long as you continue in this miserable condition as Peter saith Your iudgement is not farre off and your damnation sleepeth not Thirdly seeing those whom God hath purposed to refuse shall be left vnto themselues and neuer come to repentance we are to loue and embrace the word of God preached taught vnto vs by the ministers of the Gospell withall submitting our selues vnto it and suffering the Lord to humble vs thereby that we may come at length out of the broad way of blindnes of mind and hardnes of heart leading to destruction into the strait way of true repentance and reformation of life which leadeth to saluation For so long as a man liues in this world after the lusts of his owne heart he goes on walking in the very same broad way to hell in which all that are ordained to condemnation walke and what a fearefull thing is it but for a little while to be a companion in the way of destruction with them that perish and therefore I say once againe let vs all in the feare of God lay his word vnto our hearts and heare it with reuerence so as it may be in vs the sword of the spirit to cut downe the sinnes and corruptions of our natures and worke in vs a reformation of life and true repentance The third point concerning the decree of Reprobation is the Iudgement to be giuen of it This iudgement belongeth to God principally and proâ—erly because he knoweth best what he hath determined concerning the estate of euery man and none but he knowes who they be which are ordained to due and deserued damnation And againe he onely knoweth the hearts and wills of men and what grace he hath giuen them what they are and what all their sinnes be and so doth no angel nor creature in the world beside As for men it belongs not to them to giue iudgement of reprobation in themselues or in others vnlesse God reueale his will vnto them and giue them a gift of discerning This gift was bestowed on sundrie of the Prophets in the olde testament and in the newe testament on the Apostles Dauid in many psalmes makes request for the confusion of his enemies not praying onely against their sinnes which we may do but euen against their persons which we may not doe No doubt he was guided by Gods spirit and receiued thence an extraordinarie gift to iudge of the obstinate malice of his aduersaries And Paul praies against the person of Demetrius saying The Lord reward him according to his doings And such kind of praiers were lawful in them because they were carried with pure and vpright zeale and had no doubt a speciall gift whereby they were able to discerne of the finall estate of their enemies Againe God sometimes giues this gift of discerning of some mens finall impenitencie to the Church vpon earth I say not to this or that priuate person but to the bodie of the Church or greater part thereof S. Iohn writing vnto the Churches saith There is a sinne vnto death that is against the holy Ghost I say not that thou shouldest praie for it in which wordes he takes it for graunted that this sinne might be discerned by the Church in those daies And Paul saith If any man beleeue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration Mara-natha that is pronounced accursed to euerlasting destruction Whence it appeares that the Church hath power to pronounce men reiected to euerlasting damnation vpon some speciall occasions though I dare not say ordinarily and vsually The primitiue Church with one consent praied against Iulian the Apostata and the praiers made were not in vaine as appeared by the euent of his fearefull ende As for priuate and ordinarie men for the tempering and rectifying of their iudgements in this case they must followe two rules The one is that euery member of the Church is bound to beleeue his owne election It is the commandement of God binding the very conscience that wee should beleeue in Christ. Nowe to beleeue in Christ is not onely to put our affiance in him and to be resolued that we are iustified and sanctified and shall be glorified by him but also that we were elect to saluation in him before the beginning of the worlde which is the foundation of the rest Againe if of things that haue necessarie dependance one vpon another we are to beleeue the one then we are to beleeue the other Nowe election and adoption are things conioined and the one necessarily depends vpon the other For all the elect as Paul saith are predestinate to adoption and wee are to beleeue our owne adoption and therefore also our election The second rule is that concerning the persons of those that be of the Church we must put in practise the iudgement of charitie and that is to esteeme of them as of the elect of God till God make manifest otherwise By vertue of this rule the ministers of Gods worde are to publish and preach the gospel to all without exception It is true indeed there is both wheate and darnell in Gods fielde chaffe and corne in Gods barne fish and drosse in Gods net sheepe and goates in Christs folde but secret iudgements belong vnto god the rule of loue which is to think wish the best of others is to be followed
God but without that is forth of the Church are dogs enâ—hanters whoremongers adulterers c. And the Arke out of which all perished figured the Church out of which al are condemned And for this cause Saint Luke saith that the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued And the reason hereof is plaine for without Christ there is no saluation but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ and therefore no saluation Againe forth of the militant church there are no meanes of saluation no preaching of the word no inuocation of Gods name no Sacraments and therefore no saluation For this cause euery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular church beeing a sound member of the Catholike church The third rule is that the church which here we beleeue is onely one As Christ himselfe speaketh My doue is alone and my vndefiled is the onely daughter of her mother And as there is onely one God and one Redeemer one faith one baptisme and one way of saluation by Christ onely so there is but one church alone The Catholike church hath two parts the church Triumphant in heauen and the church Militant on earth The Triumphant church may thus be described It is a companie of the spirits of iust men triumphing ouer the flesh the deuill and the world praising God First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it because the soules onely of the godly departed as of Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid c. are as yet ascended into heauen and not their bodies Furthermore the properties of this companie are two The first is to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh the deuill the world for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations kinreds people and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes in token that they had beene warriours but now by Christ haue gotten the victorie and are made conquerours Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of God as it followeth in the former place saying Amen praise and glorie and wisdome and thankes honour power and might be vnto our God for euermore Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no Ans. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ because they are not vnder him as he is their redeemer considering they can not be redeemed which neuer fell and it can not be prooued that they now stand by the vertue of Christs redemption but they are vnder him as he is their Lord and King and by the power of Christ as he is God and their God are they confirmed And therfore as I take it we can not say that Angels are members of the mysticall bodie of Christ or of the triumphaÌ„t church though indeed they be of the coÌ„pany of the blessed The church Militant may be thus described It is the companie of the elect or faithfull liuing vnder the crosse desiring to be remooued and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole bodie of the elect but onely that part thereof which liueth vpon earth and the infallible marke thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes The first is that the members of this companie liue vnder the crosse and profit by it in all spirituall grace And therefore it is said that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen And our Sauiour Christ saith If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse euery day and follow me The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ as Paul saith We loue rather to be remooued out of this bodie and to be with Christ. And againe I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Where yet we must remember that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely but in two respects I. that they might leaue off to sinne and by sinning leaue to displease God II. That they might come to enioy happines in heauen and to be with Christ. Touching the generall estate of the Militant church two questions are to be considered The first how farre forth God is present with it assisting it by his grace Ans. God giues his spirit vnto it in such a measure that although the gates of hell can not preuaile against it yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners For that which is true in euery member of the church is also true in the whole but euery member of the Militant church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of minde and ignorance and to the rebellion of their wills and affections whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise Againe that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches vpon earth all beeing in one and the same condition but this may befall one or two particular churches to faile either in doctrine or manners The church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first loue whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke And the church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred churches which befell these twaine Lastly experience sheweth this to be true in that generall Councels haue erred The Councell of Nice beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops and Elders would with common consent haue forbidden marriage vnto them thinking it profitable to be so vnlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures In the third Councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha as the booke of Syrach Tobie and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon and yet were excluded by the Councell of Laodicea And the saying of a Diuine is receiued that former Councels are to be reformed and amended by the latter But Papists maintaining that the Church can not erre alleadge the promise of Christ Howbeit
distrust God as appeares by their couetousnes Againe by this order we are taught as earnestly to seeke for the pardon of our sinnes as we seeke for temporall blessings 2. The meaning DEbt By debts sinnes are meant as it is in Luke 11.4 and they are so called because of the resemblance betweene them For euen as a debt doth bind a man either to make satisfaction or else to goe to prison so our sinnes binds vs either to satisfie Gods iustice or else to suffer eternall damnation Forgiue To forgiue sinne is to couer it or not to impute it Psal. 32.1 And this is done when God is content of his mercy to accept the death and passion of Christ as a sufficient payment ransome for mans sinnes so to esteeme them as no sinnes And here vnder this one benefit of remission of sinnes all the rest of the same kinde are vnderstoode as iustification sanctification redemption glorification c. 3. The vses of the words HEnce we may learne many lessons the first is that seeing we must pray thus Lord forgiue c. we are to hold that there is no satisfaction to gods iustice for sinne by our workes no not in temporarie punishments but that the doing away of our sinnes is of Gods meere fauour for to forgiue and to satisfie be contrarie wherefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions taught in the Church of Rome is vyle and deuilish 2. Secondly whereas we are taught thus to pray continually from day to day we note the great patience long suffering of God that suffers and forbeares still and doth not poure out his confusion vpon vs though we offend his maiestie day by day This teacheth vs like patience towards our brethren we our selues can not put vp the least iniurie and forbeare but one day and yet we desire that God would forgiue vs daily to the ende of our liues 3. Again we may obserue that there is no perfect sanctification in this life seeing we must euery day to the end craue the pardon of our sinnes Therfore wicked is the opinion of the Catharists or Puritans which hold that men may be without sinne in this life 4. And when we say forgiue not me but vs we are put in mind to pray not onely for the pardon of our owne sinnes but likewise for our brethren and enemies Iam 5.17 Confesse one an other and pray one for an other for the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent And as some thinke the praier of Steuen was a meanes of the conuersion of Saul 5. Also we note that before praier for pardon of sinne must goe a confession of sinne for whereas we say forgiue our debts we confesse before God that we are flat bankrupts and not able to discharge the least of our sinnes this appeares 1. Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgiue vs. And it was practised by Dauid Psal. 51. and 32.5 The manner of making confession is this knowne sinnes and those which trouble the conscience are to be confessed particularly but vnknowne sinnes generally Psal. 19.12 6. Lastly hence it is manifest that there is no iustification by workes Our sinnes are debts and so also are all workes of the law and it were a fond thing to imagine that a man might discharge one debt by another 4. Wants to be bewailed THe wants to be bewailed are the burthen of our sinnes and the corruptions of our natures and the wickednes of our liues and the sinnes of our youth and of our old age Psal. 40. 12. My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of my head therefore mine heart hath failed me Thus with Dauid we are to trauel grone vnder this burthen but this griefe for sinne is a rare thing in the world Men can mourne bitterly for the things of this life but their sinnes neuer trouble them Againe this sorrow must be for sinne because it is sinne though there were neither hell to torment nor deuill or conscience to accuse nor iudge to reuenge 5. Graces to be desired THe grace which we must desire is the spirit of grace and deprecations Zachar 12.10 which is that gift of the holy Ghost whereby we are inabled to call to God for the pardon of our sinnes A man hauing offended the laws of a prince and beeing in daunger of death will neuer be at quiet till he haue gotten a pardon euen so they which feele and see them sinnes hauing this spirit are so mooued that they can neuer be at rest till in praier they be eased of the burthen of their sinnes A man may I graunt babble and speake many wordes but he shall neuer pray effectually before he haue this spirit of praier to make him crie Abba father For worldly commodities all can pray but learne to pray for the want of Christ. As we forgiue our debts 1. The Coherence THese wordes be a part of the fifth petition which is propounded with a condition Forgiue vs as we forgiue others and these words depend on the former as the reason thereof which seemes to be taken from the comparison of the lesse to the greater thus if we who haue but a sparke of mercie doe forgiue others then doe thou who art the fountaine of mercie forgiue vs but we forgiue others therefore doe thou forgiue vs. Thus Luke 11.4 hath it Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue Rhem. Test. on Luk. 7. 47. the Papists take it otherwise who say Forgiue vs as we forgiue making our forgiuing a cause for which God is mooued to forgiue vs in temporall punishments whereas our forgiuing of men is onely a signe or effect that God doth forgiue vs. 2. The meaning 1. Quest. Whether is a man bound to forgiue all debts Ans. The word debt in this place is not vnderstood of debt that is ciuill and comes by lawfull bargaining but of hurts and dammages which are done vnto vs in our bodies goods or good name As for the former ciuill debts a man may exact them so he doe it with shewing of mercie 2. Quest. How may any man forgiue trespasses seeing God onely forgiues sinne Ans. In euery trespasse which any doe to their neighbours there be two offences one to God another to man In the first respect as it is against God and his commaundement it is called a sinne and that God onely forgiues in the other respect it is called an iniurie or dammage and so man may forgiue it When a man is robbed the law is broken by stealing the iniurie that is done is against a man that hath his goods stolne This iniury as it is an iniury a man may forgiue but as it is a sinne he can not but God onely 3. Quest. Whether may a man lawfully pray this petition and yet sue him at the law who hath done him wrong Ans. A man may in an holy manner
children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needes be faith for Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful by faith Therfore as Rebecca when she felt the Twins striue in her womb though it pained her yet shee knew both that shee had conceiued and that the children were quick in her so they who haue these motions and holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of god dwelleth in them and consequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the Sauiour of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the cheife meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome and at his death they all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not said to haue no faith but to be of little faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a long space in his two great sinnes adulterie and murther was admonished thereof by Nathan the prophet beeing admonished he confessed his sinnes and straightway Nathan declared vnto him frō the Lord the forgiuenes of them Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sinnes euen as though it had not bin true that they were forgiuen as Nathan told him the reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a perswasion that they might be pardoned And therefore he vehemently desired and praied to the Lord to remit them and to sanctifie him anew This then being the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX. The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4.20.21 Abraham not weake in faith but being strengthened in the faith was fully perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And least any should thinke this saying is peculiar to Paul he testifieth of himselfe that for this cause he was receiued to mercie that he might be an example to them which after should beleeue in Christ to life eternall and the whole Church in the Cant◠vseth the same in effect saying Loue is as strong as death iealousie is as cruel as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space he hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towards him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romanes in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen to them but how by degrees for from afflictions ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtles saith he kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Mark this his resolute perswasion and consider how he came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundrie times and after sundrie manners For before he set downe this resolution he numbred vp diuerse benefits receiued of the Lord that he fedde him in greene pastures and led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word that he restoreth him and leadeth him in the paths of righteousnes that he strengtheneth him in great daungers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies he enriched him with many benefits By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towardes him Againe Dauid saide before King Saul Let no mans heart faile because of Goliah Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistine And Saul said to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy and he is a man of warre from his youth Dauid answered that he was able to fight with and to slay the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he saide Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lyon and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him So thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuing God The like proceeding must be in matters concerning eternall life Little Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the armie of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power He therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keepe watch and ward ouer his owne heart and he must fight against his owne rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiences of Gods power strengthening him in many temptations before he shall be fully assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it selfe now follow the fruits and benefits of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the Elect are truly ioyned vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowship with him and therefore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holy spirit moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in her wombe Christ is as the head in the bodie euery beleeuer as a member of the same bodie now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to mooue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus reuiue and quicken euery true beleeuer and
And this sanctification is throughout the whole man in the spirite soule and minde 1. Thess. 5.23 And here the spirit signifieth the minde and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the mind is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sorts either spirituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisdome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euery thing that is to be done or not to be done out of Gods word Spirituall wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himselfe that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his paths and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enemies that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers because Gods testimonies were his meditations that he vnderstood more then the ancient because he kept Gods precepts The properties of the mind enlightened are specially two The first is that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes ignorance and vanitie as appeareth in Dauid who beeing a Prophet of God yet praied Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law And thence it is that the godly so much bewailed the blindnes of their minds Contrariwise the wicked man in the middest of his blindnes thinks himselfe to see The second is that the mind runneth and is occupied in a continuall meditation of Gods word So Dauid saith the righteous mans delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night XXXV The memory also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will whereas naturally it best remembreth lewdnes and wickednes and vanitie This holy memorie was in Dauid I haue hid thy promises in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee And Marie kept all the sayings of Christ and pondered them in her heart And to the exercise of this memorie Salomon hath a good lesson My sonne hearken vnto my words incline thine eares vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart XXXVI Furthermore the will of a Christian is renued and purified by Christ which appeareth in that it is so far forth freed from sin that it can will choose that which is good and acceptable to God and refuse that which is euil according to that of Paul It is God which worketh in you the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure Now if a man be considered as he is naturally he can neither will nor performe that which is good but onely that which is euill for he is sold vnder sin as the oxe or the asse committeth iniquitie as the fish draweth in water yea he is in bondage vnder Satā who inspireth his mind with vile motions and boweth his will affections and the members of his bodie to his cursed will so that for his life he is not able to doe any thing but sinne rebel against God And it must be remembred that although the Christian mans will be freed in part from the bondage of sinne in this life yet it shall not be free from the power of sinne vntill the life to come for Paul that worthie Saint saith of himselfe beeing regenerate that he was carnall and sold vnder sinne XXXVII Sanctified affections are knowne by this that they are mooued inclined to that whiah is good to embrace it are not commonly affected and stirred with that which is euill vnlesse it be to eschew it Examples hereof are these which follow To reioyce with them that reioyce And to weepe with them that weepe To reioyce because a mans name is written in heauen To desire Gods presence and fauour as the drie land desireth water To feare and tremble at Gods word To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped To be vexed in soule from day to day in seeing and hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men and to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements In feruencie of spirit to serue the Lord. To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men To be angrie and sinne not To sorrow for the displeasing of God To loue the brethren i◠Christ. To admire at the word of God To loue Gods commandements aboue gold To admire the graces of God in others In feare to serue God and to reioyce in trembling To walke in the feare of God and to be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost To be heauie through manifold temptations To reioyce in beeing partaker of the sufferings of Christ. To waite on the Lord to reioyce in him and to trust in his holy name To waite for the full redemption To sigh desiring to enioy eternall life To loue the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour dwelleth To esteeme all things as losse and dung in respect of Christ. XXXVIII But among all these sanctified affections there are foure specially to be marked The first is a zeale for Gods glorie by which a Christian is thus affected that rather then God should loose his glorie he could be content to haue his own soule damned As it was with Moses who feared least God should loose his glorie if he did vtterly destroy the Israelites for their idolatrie whome he had chosen to be his people therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written And Paul could haue wished with all his heart to be cut off from all fellowship with Christ and to be giuen vp to eternall destruction for his countrie men the Iewes and for Gods glorie specially Some may say this affection is not common to all but particular to such as are lead with such an exceeding affection as these holy men were and which haue their hearts so pierced and kindled with diuine loue and so rauished with the same out of themselues that they forget all other things yea themselues hauing nothing before their eies but God and his glorie To this I answere that this affection is common to all though the measure of it be diuers in some more in some lesse which appeareth in