foolish lusts that drowne men in destruction and perdition Secondly gratulation or thankesgiuing is the other kinde Secondly Thanksgiuing and the chiefest kinde of prayer First because to make request concernes our selues and sheweth our loue to our selues but to render thankes sheweth our loue to God Secondly because the other is a taking this is a giuing and our Sauiour saith Act. 29.35 it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue Thirdly because to make request shall cease when wee come to the place where there is no want but the Saints in heauen doe ascribe glory and wisedome and thankes Reuel 7.12 and honor and power and might vnto our God for euermore Fourthly because the Angels that feele no want doe alwaies praise the Lord saying Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts Esay 6.3 Luke 20. the earth is full of thy glory and therefore we that shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like vnto the Angels of God should not alwayes speake with the tongues of men to beg but sometimes with the tongues of Angels to praise the Lord for his goodnesse for this is the only thing that God requireth or that we can render vnto God for all the blessings that he hath bestowed vpon vs. And there bee three speciall reasons saith Antoninus that should moue vs vnto this duty of thankefulnesse Antonin p. 4. t. 5. c. 12. §. 1. Three speciall reasons to perswade men to be thankefull First the practise of all the Saints Moses and all Israel after their passage through the red Sea Iosua after his victory Dauid after his deliuerance out of the hands of Saul hee composed songs of thankfulnesse vnto God and the manifold precepts of holy Scripture that doe command the same Psal 113.1 for Dauid biddeth all the seruants of the Lord to prayse the Name of the Lord and he saith that it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull and the Apostle biddeth vs in all things to giue thankes vnto God 1 Thess 5. Secondly the consideration of all creatures which doe all of them teach men to be thankefull because euery creature saith Saint Augustine Est quoddam beneficium homini collatum A three-fold voice of euery creature is a gift bestowed on man for which man oweth thankes vnto God and therefore Hugo de S. vict saith that euery creature speakes these three words to euery man accipe redde fuge take restore flee The first is vox famulantis the voice of a seruant bidding vs to receiue the gifts of God the second is vox admonentis Hugo de S. Vict. l. 2. c 3. de Arca. the voice of a teacher bidding vs to render thanks vnto God the third is comminantis the voice of a threatner bidding vs flie the vengeance of God if wee bee not thankefull vnto God for these blessings And so many creatures by their owne examples doe teach man to be thankefull for the very dogge saith Saint Ambrose is so thankefull for a piece of bread vt pro Domino mori velit that he will die for his Master Geminianus de exempl l. 5. c. 56. and Geminian tels vs of a Leopard that was so thankefull vnto one that deliuered her whelpes out of a ditch that shee accompanied him through the forrest and deliuered him from the danger of all other sauage beasts C. Agrippa de de vanit scient c. 102. and C. Agrippa saith that a Serpent called Aspis vsed to eate at a mans table seeing a dogge killing his childe did to shew her thankefulnesse vnto the man kill the dogge immediatly after What should I say more but as Salomon saith vade ad Formicam disce sapientiam goe to any creature and he will teach thee to be thankefull to thy Creator Thirdly the manifold gifts and graces that wee haue receiued i. e. the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men doth teach all men not to receiue the grace of God in vaine but to be truly thankefull vnto God for the same And as these three reasons should perswade thee to be thankefull Anton. p. 2 t. 3. c 9 § 1. Three things that should driue away ingratitude from vs. so there be three other reasons saith Antoninus which should dispell from vs all ingratitude First because as Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard say Quod dederat Deus gratis abstulit ingratis God will in iustice take away from the vngratefull what hee hath freely bestowed vpon them for so our Sauiour sheweth in the parable of the vineyard which hee would take away from the vngratefull husband-men and giue it vnto them that would yeelde him fruits in due season Secondly because ingratitude doth not only abstract from vs that good which we receiued but doth also inflict vpon vs the euils that we feared Ioseph antiq for Iosephus saith that Hezekiah sickened vnto death because he did not shew himselfe sufficiently thankefull for his wonderfull deliuerance out of the hands of Sennacherib and the Apostle saith of the Gentiles that because when they knew God Rom. 1. they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull therefore God gaue them â—uer to vile affections Thirdly because ingratitude for blessings receiued detaineth and keepeth from vs those blessings that are promised Nam ille non dignus est dandis qui ingratus est de datis for he is vnworthy of more that gaue no thankes for what hee had whereupon Saint Bernard saith that ingratitude is a winde that drieth vp the fountaine of Gods grace and Antoninus saith that by the ciuill Law the father may depriue his sonne of his inheritance if his sonne proue vnthankefull vnto him which otherwise hee cannot doe and so our heauenly Father may iustly depriue vs of the kingdome of heauen if we be vnthankefull vnto him for his blessings And therefore when we pray to God and make request for what wee neede let vs not forget to bee truely thankefull for what we haue but let vs remember that there bee three degrees of thankefulnesse the first is recognoscere Three degrees of thankfulnes to acknowledge his goodnesse with our hearts the second is laudare to praise him for his goodnesse with our mouthes and the third is retribuere to expresse the same in our liues and conuersations Nam si maledicitur Deus negatur malis factis tum bonis benedicitur confitetur for if wee deny God and curse him by our euill deedes then certainely wee doe praise him and blesse him by our good and godly deedes saith Saint Augustine Secondly Prayer in respect of the forme is manifold First Mentall prayer in respect of the forme is said to be fourefold As First mentall so Moses Exod 14.15 and Anna 1 Sam. 1.13 prayed vnto God when they said neuer a word and thus an afflicted soule may pray to God in the midst of company and when no man heareth him God which knoweth his heart doth heare his prayer Secondly
like King Therons Coursers that were neuer weary of running that so they may escape all the fiery darts of Satan and finish their course with ioy when they shall receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him And thus dearely beloued you see that although man for his sinne was eiected out of Paradise and subiected to all miseries yet through the mercy of God in sending his Sonne to be made man to suffer for man to ouercome the diuell sinne and death to raise himselfe from death to ascend to Heauen to send his holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his heauenly graces wee shall if we beleeue in him and serue him praise his Name for all his blessings loue one another and pray one for another attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse Vnto the which happinesse the Lord of his goodnesse bring vs all through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thankes and Power and Maiesty and Dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God and our most gratious Father wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes which we acknowledge and confesse to be more in number then the sands of the Sea which cannot bee numbred cleanse vs O Lord with the bloud of Christ and plant in vs those heauenly gifts and graces whereby wee may be inabled to serue thee as we ought to doe in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue and our charity both towards thy selfe and all men for thy sake giue vs patience to vndergo without offending thee whatsoeuer miseries this wicked world shall any wayes heape vpon vs blesse our gracious King the Prince and all the royall issue blesse all the Ministers of thy Church and all the Magistrates of this Common-wealth Grant O Lord thy grace vnto thy Ministers that they may faithfully preach the Word of truth and sincerely liue a most vpright and a godly life grant to the Magistrates thy grace O God to defend right without remissenesse and to punish vice without maliciousnesse and because we are all thy creatures the workes of thy hands made by thee preserued by thee and inioying all we haue life and liuelihood from thee O Lord be mercifull vnto vs all and remember that we are but dust consider O consider that we are but as grasse not able to doe what we would not able to doe any thing that is good vnlesse thou dost it in vs O then let our soules liue and wee will praise thy Name we will magnifie thee for euer and euer for all the blessings that we haue receiued from thee our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and our assured hope of Glorification and all other graces whatsoeuer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Soliloquie of the Author O Eternall God thou hast created me and I haue offended thee thou hast redeemed me and I still continued vnthankefull vnto thee and yet thou hast heaped many blessings vpon me and giuen me grace to be desirous to serue thee and according to my poore and weake ability to shew forth these lights vnto thy Church I confesse O Lord whatsoeuer is ill herein is onely mine and whatsoeuer is good is truely thine and therefore I desire thee to pardon mine euill and to make me thankefull for thy good and so to accept that worke done by thy grace that it may be crowned with thy glory I doe not long for any worldly thing the whole world lyeth in wickednesse but I desire my soule may be married vnto thee to liue with thee for euermore and therefore O blessed God seeing that as I haue none in heauen so I haue none in earth but onely thou to be my helper I beseech thee to be my redeeming kinsman to preserue my wearied body from the malice of this world and to preferre my disconsolate soule vnto euerlasting ioyes through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS THE TABLE AB ABstaine from sinne is from God 205 God neuer absolueth vnrepentant sinners 242 Absurdities God shunneth in all things 324 Absurdities of the Lutheran doctrine touching the communication of properties 377. c. Absurdities following the high-Priest saying that the Disciples stole Christ away 564 Nature not able to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 God able to doe what he will 147 To hinder what he will not haue done ibid. To doe more then he did or doth or will doe 148. 149. c. Phrases of being able or not able how to be vnderstood 158 God able to produce any thing of nothing 163 God able to forgiue all sinnes 164 God not able to doe contrary to what hee decreed 165 Not able to doe things contrary to his Nature 165 Gods ability to helpe vs a great comfort to the godly 177 Absurdities of the doctrine of transubstantiation 174 God able to saue men without the Incarnation of his Sonne 320 None able to know God as hee is in himselfe 120 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122 Goodnesse of God abused by the wicked 225 Abuse of Christ not paralelled in any age 474 AC To be an Accepter of persons what it is 210 We should acknowledge whence wee haue all our goodnesse 211 Inward actions of God euer in doing necessary incommunicable 275 Christ how falsly accused by his enemies 471 Whereof accused before Pilate and how false those accusations were 472 Acts meerely voluntary no sinnes 15. 32 Actuall sinne what it is 10 All actions adiudged according to the disposition of the will 55 Act of punishment least agreeable to Gods nature 195 No act can exceed the power of the agent 209 Actors in the Tragedy of Christ his Passion who they were 421 Gods free actions not curiously to be searched into 555 Chiefest Acts of Dauid types of Christ 617 AD Adam sinning we all sinned 3 Adams fall brought on vs a two-fold euill 3 What God commanded Adam how small a thing it was 98 Adamant how mollified 5â—6 Aduersity makes the Saints more resplendent then prosperity 207 Aduersity and affliction not simply good ibid. AE Aescilus how he came by his death 613 AF. Affirmatiue precepts how many viz. 248. 230 Christ why afflicted by God 496 Affections of Christ how they differ from ours in three respects 444 AG. Agony of Christ what was the cause thereof 443 The seuerall ages of the world 402. 403 Agents that there be three sorts 162 Christ borne in the sixâ— age of the world and why 403 Age of man diuided into foure parts 68 AL. How all we haue is from God 129 All men taste of Gods goodnesse 201 How all men may be said to hate the Preachers 435 Alcestes how deerely she loued her Husband 425 AN. Anabaptists heresie what
fault where it is vpon our selues and vpon our owne Sinnes for though the many multitude say it was a good world with them When they sacrificed vnto the Queene of Heaven yet the King of Heauen knowes what a wofull time it was for Man when the Crucifixe was kissed with the kisses of their Mouthes and Iesus Christ was crucified againe with the workes of their hands and when they changed The trueth of God into a lye and Worshipped and serued the creature made a god with their owne hands Rom. 1.15 More then the Creator who is blessed for euer Amen And if we would be free from plagues free from punishments let vs free our selues from sinne I know that feare of Poperies comming againe with superstitions hath spread it selfe ouer the face of this whole Iland but alas Wee feare where no feare is for I dare confidently affirme that it neuer was his Maiesties minde nor the purpose of the State to bring in Idolatry and superstition into this land againe Cantic 5.3 for We haue washed our feete and shall we foule them againe But the secrets of State is more then either I can perceiue or most of you well vnderstand Or if they did yet were it vayne Quia non est concilium contra Dominum because no deuice of man can subuert the truth of God vnlesse our sinnes doe prouoke our God Reuel 2.5 Nulla nocebit aduersitas si nulla dominetur iniquitas Gregor Cyprian to remoue our Candlesticke and to take away our light and therefore though all the Iesuites of the world and all the Cardinals of Rome nay though all the Deuils of Hell should doe their worst against vs yet if we feare our God and forsake all Sinne the diuels may haue all their seruants before they all shall be able to hurt any one seruant of the Lord quia non plus valet ad deijciendum terrena paena quam ad erigendum diuina tutela 1 John 4.4 because He that is in vs is greater then he that is in the World and is more able to preserue vs then the Prince of darkenesse is to destroy vs. That wee should turne to the Lord our God And therefore if you thinke Poperie to be euill and would be free from superstition neuer feare the State nor lay the blame on others but leaue your sinnes and Turne to the Lord your God with all your hearts and with all your soules and you shall see the Saluation of the Lord which hee will shew vnto vs this day Exod. 14.13 for the Egyptians whom you haue seene and feare you shall see them againe no more for euer the Lord shall fight for you and you may be sure no euill shall happen vnto you it shall not come nigh your dwelling for the onely way to escape all punishments is to forsake all sinnes Neither doe I say this as if we could be cleane from sinnes for I know it was Nouatus his error and we must all know it for an error Hieron adversus Pelag. that a Christian after Baptisme doth not sinne and it was but a Pellagian conceite before him inuented by Pythagoras that the exercise of Vertue rooteth out all the seede of Vices Matth. 7.18 for a Bad tree cannot bring foorth good fruit and in some things sayth the Apostle I feare I may say as it is in our last English translation in many things wee Sinne all Iames 3.2 1 Iohn 1.8 And if wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs. But I say this that we should haue a feruent desire not to sinne and to say with the Prophet O that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Commandements and that wee would endeuor pro virili to the vttermost of our abilities not to sinne and labour alwayes with the Apostle Acts 24.16 to keep a cleere conscience in all things both before God and Man Thirdly Seeing all miseries death and damnation are as iustly inflicted vpon the sinner as the poore Souldier may iustly claime his little stipend we should not complaine against God Sueton. in vita Vesp C. 10. with Vespasian Immerenti sibi vitam aripi that he tooke away his life without any fault of his or without any fayling on his part but we should with the Leuites in Nehemiah with Daniel with Ieremie and with all the rest of the men of God commend the Lord and condemne our selues saying surely thou art iust in all that is come vpon vs thou hast dealt truely Nehem. 9.33 but wee haue done wickedly And thus I haue shewed thee O man quid sit malum what is euill and you haue heard a large discourse of Sinne and the most lamentable effect and wages of Sinne And now it is a thousand to one that the first thing many one of vs will doe is to goe home or perhaps afore wee goe home to sinne some to sweare some to their whores some to be drunke some to deceiue and most of vs to some sinne or other But if euer any of you doe for those sinnes receiue this pay remember I haue told you what you should haue Death for the wages of Sinne is Death and I can doe no more but pray to God that he would giue vs grace to forsake Sinne that we may escape Death through Iesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three distinct Persons of that one eternall in diuided Essence be giuen as is most due all prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen A Prayer O Blessed God which hast created Man we doe acknowledge that thou hast made him righteous but he sought out many inuentious and hath most grieuously sinned against thy diuine Maiestie and thereby hath most iustly pulled vpon himselfe and all his posteritie all miseries death and damnation But thou desirest not the death of a Sinner but rather that hee should turne from his wickednesse and liue And therefore we doe confesse our sinnes we doe detest our sinnes and we doe most humbly pray thee euen for thy mercies sake to bee mercifull vnto vs to deale with vs not according to our offences but according to thy Grace to giue vs Grace to serue thee that so we mâ—y be deliuered from our iust deserued punishment and be receiued into thine euerlasting fauour to prayse and magnifie thy blessed Name for euer and euer Amen A wearied loathed Life I leade content with onely Sadnesse To see my selfe opprest with Sinne and with this worlds Madnes I alwayes striue with wicked Sinne yet doth my Sinne preuaile I therefore hate my Selfe because my Sinnes I cannot quaile And I doe likewise wish for Grace that I might neuer offend But truely serue my Master Christ and please him to my end And yet I see this tyrant Sinne and wicked men doe wrong me To Hell the one to Miserie th' other still would throng me But reason bids
and that indeede we were preserued to that end that we might serue him as Zacharias telles vs That wee were deliuered from our enemies that wee might serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Wee ought to endeauour what lyeth in vs to serue this Lord and we should the more ioyfully doe it because as Philo saith Philo in l. de Regno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To serue the Lord is not onely better then liberty but also more excellent then all Soueraignty And Hugo de prato setteth downe three especiall reasons to perswade all men to serue the Lord. Hugo de prato ser 6. de temp 1. Because we owe our seruice vnto God 2. That we may obtaine a good reward from God 3. That we may escape the punishment of them that neglect to serue God for Three speciall reasons to perswade vs to serue God First The Lord hath made vs redeemed vs preserued vs inriched vs with all that we haue and therefore What reward shal we render vnto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done vnto vs vnlesse we will be contented to take the Cuppe of saluation and to call vpon the name of the Lord and so dedicate our selues wholly to the praysing and glorifying of his name Secondly if we will serue him we shall be sure to haue in this life his grace to guide vs his Angels to guard vs his holy Spirit to comfort vs and whatsoeuer he knoweth to be needfull for vs and in the life to come wee shall haue eternall happinesse wee shall haue the Crowne of euerlasting glory Thirdly if we will not serue him but say Nolumus hunc regnare super nos We will not haue him to be our Lord and Master but wee will serue our selues and the lusts of our owne flesh then you must know what he will say to such Those mine enemies that would not serue me bring them hither and slay them before me nay if you will despise my Statutes and abhorre my iudgements so that you will not doe all my Commandements I also will doe this vnto you I will euen appoint ouer you terror consumption and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and you shall sow your seede in vaine Leuit. 26.15.16.17 and I will set my face against you hee manes here in this life and at the last dreadfull day they shall be bound hand and foote and cast into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euermore There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And therefore to discharge our duty to attaine vnto eternall felicitie and to escape this endlesse miserie let vs serue the Lord with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence And blessed are all they that serue him Psal 2.11 And so much for the first Part What God is or of the Essence of God PART II. Of the Nature of God Part. 2. or what manner of God he is CHAP. I. Of the power of God and how many sorts of Aduersaries there be which doe oppose the Truth of this Doctrine of the power of God YOu haue heard what God is IEHOVA that is an Eternall being in himselfe and a giuer of being vnto all the things that doe subsist and now we are diligently to consider The nature of God or what manner of God he is for I find that God doth here expresse himselfe vnto Moses by three especiall attributes 1. His Power to make vs beleeue in him 2. His Goodnesse to make vs loue him 3. His Iustice to make vs feare him 3. excellent points to bee throughly knowne to be euer learnt neuer to be forgotten for The first attribute of God i. e. His Power First the Doctrine of Gods Power is the very Anchor of our Faith and the foundation of all Christian Religion for hence proceede all Heresies because the Heretickes know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God and hence proceeds all Faith because we beleeue with the blessed Virgin Stella in Luc. c. 1. p. 36. b Quia potens est that God is able to doe all these things which Reason is not able to comprehend and therefore here immediately after Iehoua he addeth E L Jeron tom 3. p. 95. in ep ad Marell which the Septuagint turned and translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GOD and Aquila searching into the Etymologie of the word interprets it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Strong saith Saint Hierome and so Zanchius euery where Tremelius and some other Latine versions and the old English Translation reads it strong How needfull is the Doctrine of the Power of God Psal 62.11 and so in Lege credendi in the Symbole of our Beliefe as soone as euer he sheweth himselfe to be he sheweth himselfe to be Almighty and so the Prophet Dauid saith God spake once and twice I haue also heard the same that Power belongeth vnto God And surely this Doctrine of GODS Power is so vsefull for all Christians and so necessary for the vnderstandâ—ng of the Scriptures that among all the Attributes of God this deserueth first to be discussed because there is almost no page of Scripture Zanch. de nat Dei l. 3. c. 1. wherein there is not some mention made of the Power of God and the ignorance or not rightly vnderstanding of this Truth is the cause of so many Infidels and Heretickes in the world and therefore I must craue leaue to insist a little vpon this point of Doctrine of the Power of God And for Method sake I will diuide my whole discourse of this point into these foure heads 1 I will set downe the number Foure points handled touching the Power of God and the qualitie of the Aduersaries of this Truth 2 I will explaine this point and shew wherein and how farre this Power of God extendeth 3 I will sufficiently confirme the truth hereof and answere to whatsoeuer is or can be said against it 4 I will briefly shew the vsefull application of the whole Doctrine For the first the Aduersaries of this Truth which doe either exceedingly erre or be mightily deceiued are almost infinite but I may reduce the chiefest of them into these foure sorts whereof two by impayring and denying his Power doe vnto him the greatest wrong that is Foure sorts of men doe erre about the Truth of this Doctrine of the Power of God 1. The Infidels that will not beleeue in him 2. The desperate men that will not hope in him Because they thinke he cannot do those things which in very deed are most facile and easie for him to doe And the other two by mis-vnderstanding the extent of his Power doe not shew much lesse indignitie vnto God then the former and they are 1. The Vbiquitaries of Germany 2. The Pontificials of Rome Which say hee can doe those things which indeed are agreeable neither to the Power nor to the Truth of
and wouldest be adorned with the best robes of vertue Christ is the garment of righteouâ—nesse And if thou doest put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13 14. as Saint Paul aduiseth thee then all thy garments will smell of Myrhe Aloes and Cassia it will be like the smell of a pleasant field Gen. 27.27 which the Lord hath blessed or whatsoeuer thou wantest and wouldest haue thou mayest fully and freely haue the same from him Vita ab errore gratia à peccato mors à morte liberabit His life will preserue thee from error if thou wilt follow it his grace will free thee from sinne if thou wilt receiue it and his death will deliuer thee from eternall death if thou wilt beleeue in it And if thou be simple he is thy wisedome if thou be sinnefull he is thy righteousnesse if thou wouldest be holy he is thy sanctification if thou beest the slaue of hell and held captiue by the Diuell Ephes 4.8 he is thy redemption that hath ledde captiuity captiue And to comprehend all in a word This word is All in all Vt qui omnia propter Christum demittit vnum inueniat pro omnibus Christum That he which forsaketh all for Christ his sake might finde all in Christ and Christ in stead of all farre better then all vnto his soule And so might ioyfully sing with the Psalmist The Lord is my portion and I haue a goodly heritage the Lord is my Shepheard and therefore I can want nothing For Psal 23.1 as Seneca said vnto Polibius Fas tibi non est saluo Caesare de fortuna conquaeri quia hoc incolumi nihil per didisti It is not fit for thee to complaine of Fortune for want or pouerty or any other aduersitie so long as thou hast the fauour of Caesar Nam in hoc pro omnibus hic tibi omnia est ideo non tantum siccos sed laetos oculos esse oportet and him so friendly vnto thee for that hauing him thou hast lost nothing which thou canst not soone and easily recouer againe because he and his loue is better then all things vnto thee and therefore thou shouldest more reioyce in hauing him then grieue for the leesing of all things else Euen so may I farre better say the same vnto all Christians What matter though we want or leese all the things of this World if wee haue and enioy Iesus Christ for all the accessions and accumulations of worldly things can adde nothing vnto the felicity of a Christian and all the defects or wants of the same things can detract nothing from the happinesse of him that hath Iesus Christ for whosoeuer hath him hath all things and whosoeuer wanteth him hath nothing For All our knowledge is but heathenish Science All the things of this World without Christ will auaile vs nothing Iohn 14.6 able to make vs proud not to make vs happy If this word be not Obiectum adaequatum The chiefest yea and sole obiect of the same all our faith in God is but vngrounded confidence if it be not grounded vpon this word for No man commeth vnto the Father but by me All our righteousnesse is but as Pollutio panni Menstruous cloutes if it be not washed in the bloud of this word For 1 John 1.7 It is the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne And all our patience temperance chastity and all other vertues that either Nature planted or education effected in vs are but Splendida peccata Glittering guilded sinnes vnacceptable vnto God and vnprofitable vnto our selues able to make vs prouder not better if they be not guided by the grace and directed to the glory of this euerlasting Word For as the Bird cannot flye without her wings nor the body moue without the soule so no more can any man doe any thing that is good and acceptable vnto God without the helpe of this heauenly Word For Without me you can doe nothing saith our Sauiour Christ but in him God is well pleased John 15.5 Philip. 4.13 not onely with himselfe but also with all vs and through him We can doe all things as the Apostle saith And therefore as Duke Ioab when hee had fought the field and got the vpper hand of his enemies did send for Dauid to carry away the credit of the victory so the Prophets the Apostles and all the holy men of God in all their heauenly words miraculous workes That if there be any goodnesse in vs wee should ascribe the glory of it to Iesus Christ paines and preachings would neuer suffer any part or parcell of the credit to rest vpon themselues but did most forcibly repell it and most faithfully acknowledge it all to belong vnto this Omnipotent Word So Saint Peter after the healing of the poore lame Cripple said vnto the people when he saw them ready to adore them for so admirable a miracle Why looke you so earnestly on vs Acts 2.12.16 as though by our owne power or holinesse we had made this man to walke No no it is not so but it is The Name of Iesus Christ and our faith in his Name that made him perfectly whole i. e. He is the Author we are the Instruments and our faith is the meanes whereby this man receiued strength and therefore doe not you ascribe the honour of this worke vnto any of vs which of our selues can doe nothing but ascribe it vnto the Name of that Almighty Word which of himselfe can doe all things So Saint Paul after he had said that he had laboured more then all the rest of the Apostles least any man should thinke that he did assume the honour of that diligence vnto himselfe and not ascribe the same vnto Christ he presently addeth and yet it was not I that did it but the grace of God which was in me And so all the Saints of God after all their voluminous and laborious workes they conclude all with Laus Christo Let all the prayse be giuen to Christ And as they referred all the honour of their owne actions vnto Christ because they were all done by the grace and power of Christ so did they desire nothing in the World but Christ They forsooke all Math. 19.27 The Saints desired nothing but Iesus Christ and followed him and still cryed vnto him with Saint Augustine Da mihite Domine Take away all from vs and spare not so thou giue thy selfe vnto vs that leesing all we may leese nothing at all because we gaine thee which art the greatest gaine in the World So Saint Paul saith He trampled his owne righteousnesse and all his owne goodnesse vnderfeete Phil 3.8 that he might finde the righteousnesse of Christ he deemed all the riches and all the other things of this World but as dung and drosse 1 Cor. 22. and losse vntâ— him that he might gaine Iesus Christ and he desired to vnderstand nothing to know nothing
aegroti quantum ad iustitiam Dei In regard of the state of the patient to free him from sinne and to satisfie the Iustice of God For it behoued the Mediator betweene God and man Ne in vtroque deo similis longe esset ab homine aut in vtroque homini similis longe esset à Deo to haue something like vnto GOD and to haue something like vnto man lest that in all things being like vnto man hee might be so too farre from God or being in all things like vnto God hee might be so too farre from man and therefore Christ betwixt sinfull mortall men and the iust immortall God did appeare a mortall man with men and a iust God with God 1 Tim 2.5 and so the Mediator betwixt God and men was God and man Christ Iesus and fitly too saith Saint Augustine Quia ille congruè satisfacit qui potest debet Because that is most agreeable to reason that he should make satisfaction Two speciall reasons why Christ was made man which ought and can satisfie but we know that none ought to doe it but man and none can doe it but God and therefore God was contented to be made man and that for these two especiall reasons First to shew the greatnesse of his Loue to man First to shew the greatnesse of his loue for hee had seemed to haue loued vs the lesse if he had done lesse for vs but now Quid tam pietate plenum quam filium Dei pro nobis factum esse faenum What can more commend the loue of God to man then to see the word God made flesh for man Iohn 3.16 and therefore the Euangelist to shew the greatnesse of Gods loue to mankinde saith God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to bee incarnate to be made flesh and to suffer death that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Secondly to erect our hope that was already deiected Secondly to erect the hope and to strengthen the faith of man and to strengthen our faith which was alwayes wauering for wee saw two things that were to be done for man and yet could not be done by any man but such a one as should be God and Man The first was a remoueall of that great euill which suppressed vs. The second was a restoring of that great good that we were depriued of First Magnitude mali The euill that oppressed all men was foure-fold the greatnesse of that euill which suppressed euery man and could not be taken away by any man consisted in foure things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The height of Gods wrath 3. The power of death 4. The tyranny of the diuell And these could not be abolished by any creature but onely by him that created all creatures and can worke all things mightily according to the purpose of his owne will Secondly Magnitudo boni The good that man lost was two-fold the greatnesse of that good which was taken away from all men and could be restored by no man consisted in two things 1. The repairing of Gods image here in this life 2. The enioying of the blessed vision of God in the next life For none could restore the image of God to man but hee that was the liuing image of God Heb. 1.3 and the ingrauen forme of his person and the Kingdome of Heauen none could giue but God that giues it to all that loue him and therefore to take away the euill which we had deserued and to restore vnto vs that good whereof we were depriued God himselfe that made vs was contented to redeeme vs by taking our flesh vpon him Vt natura offendens satisfaceret That the nature offending might make satisfaction and because satisfaction could not be made without bloud for without bloud there is no remission Heb. 9.22 saith the Apostle he was made flesh that he might die and shed his bloud for vs Aug. serm 101. de tempore Vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem liberaret nos iustè dum pro nobis occiditur iniustè That so his vniustly inflicted death might ouercome our iustly deserued death and might most rightly free and deliuer vs because he was most wrongfully slaine for vs as Saint Augustine speaketh Quest 2 Secondly It will be demaunded why the word that is the Sonne should be incarnate and made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost Resp Why the Son rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost was made man Saint Augustine thinketh that the cause pertained more specially vnto the Sonne then to the Father or to the Holy Ghost for that the Diuell attempted to vsurpe the dignitie and authority of the Sonne of God saying in his heart that he would be like vnto the most highest that is the image of the Father and sought to intrude himselfe into his glory to be the Prince of this world and the Head of euery creature which things were onely proper vnto the Sonne of God and therfore it behoued the Sonne to come into the world to ouercome the Diuell that would haue wronged him and all other men that were to be members of him But we finde many other reasons to shew why the Word was made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost As First because it is the office of the Word to declare the minde of God First because the Incarnation of God was made for the manifestation of God but we declare and manifest things by words and Christ is the word of the Father the wisedome the knowledge and the interpreter of his Fathers will euen as our word is the interpreter of our minde as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus doe declare and therefore the word was rightly incarnate that God in him might be seene and heard and vnderstood of vs according to that saying of the Euangelist that which wee haue heard and seene 1 Iohn 1.1 and our hands haue handled of the word of life that declare we vnto you For as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in respect of his person which is a name of relation vnto the minde as Sonne is to the Father so is he the word in respect of his office i. e. of his office as he is the second person of the Trinitie for as it is the propertie and office of the eternall minde i. e. the Father to beget the word i. e. the Sonne so it is the propertie and the office of the Word to declare the Minde but because this spirituall inuisible and ineffable Word as he is God could neuer be seene nor heard nor vnderstood of vs therefore was he made flesh that he might be heard and seene And this the Apostle seemes to shew vnto vs when hee saith God heretofore at sundry times Heb. 1.1 and in diuers manners spake vnto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last
the ceremonies of the Law are now ended but especially all that is to bee suffered for the sinnes of men is now fully accomplished But the sufferings of the Saints doe profit the Church not by way of satisfaction for their sinnes but by way of example and consolation to strengthen them in their faith Aquinas par 3. sum q. 48. art penult and to confirme them saith the Glosse In gratia dei in doctrina Euangelij In the grace of God and in the doctrine of the Gospell and they are called the rest of the afflictions of Christ How the sufferings of the Saints doe profit the Church not because the sufferings of Christ were imperfect or not sufficient to satisfie for all sinnes but because of that simpathy and fellow-feeling that Christ hath of all the sufferings of his Saints in which respect he saith vnto Saint Paul vnconuerted Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act 9.4 because he accounteth all euill or good done vnto them to be as done vnto himselfe and therefore though we should reioyce in our afflictions Rom. 5.3 because he doth account vs worthy to suffer for the name of Christ yet seeing the suffering of all the miseries that can befall a man cannot make vs worthy of this glory of Heauen as Origen saith Act. 5.41 we should wholly relie vpon the all-sufficient merits of Christ his sufferings for the saluation of our soules because all sacrifices ended in this selfe-sufficient sacrifice which was not onely the abolishment of all other oblations whatsoeuer but was also the most perfect and most absolute holocaust yea and the one onely hylasticall and propitiatory sacrifice that was to be offered for the sinnes of the whole world Suet. in vit Aug. Caesaris Suetonius tels vs that when Augustus Caesar either out of Humility or Policy desired that the Senate would adioyne two Consuls with him for the gouernment of the State the Senate answered that they held it a diminution of his dignity a disparagement of their owne iudgement to ioyne any one with so worthy a one as Augustus was and surely it would much more derogate from the worth of our Sauiours sufferings and shew vs to bee meerely fooles if with the inualuable sufferings â—nd sacrifice of Christ to satisfie the wrath of God we would ioyne the momentaric affliction of any man The sufferings of Christ comforteth and confiâ—meth all Christians And as this Doctrine of his suffering for the satisfaction of all sinnes doth confute all them that ioyne the afflictions of the Saints with the sufferings of Christ for the making vp of the price of our redemption so it doth sufficiently confirme and comfort all those that do most faithfully put their trust in Christ For though our sinnes be very great and though we haue sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of death yet seeing Christ hath suffered for vs both what God in Iustice could require and what our sinnes could iustly deserue we should not despaire wee should not feare because the bloud of Christ as the Apostle noteth speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel Heb. 12.24 that crying for vengeance this for pardon vnto his brethren And as it serueth to confirme vs against despaire so it may be applyed to assure vs of whatsoeuer we need Rom. 8.32 for so the Apostle reasoneth he that spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things hee that loued vs so deare as to giue vs his onely Sonne what will he thinke too deare for vs and therefore if we want any thing let vs aske of God James 1.5 and he giueth vnto all men liberally whatsoeuer he seeth fit and conuenient for them How the death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse Secondly As our Sauiour dyed thus to satisfie the wrath of God for the sinnes of all men and to bring his Saints vnto euerlasting glory so he did it to make the wicked without excuse because they tread vnder feet the Sonne of God and account the bloud of the couenant as an vnholy thing and will not lay hold and beleeue in Iesus Christ But if any man should demaund whether Christ suffered and dyed for all men without exception or for those elected Saints onely which he had chosen vnto saluation or whether hee dyed sufficiently for all and effectually onely for his elect which in my minde is but a poore distinction because it is most certaine that his death and suffering if it had pleased God to giue them that grace to apprehend it and by a liuely faith to apply it vnto their soules is of sufficient value to ransome the sinnes of all men and diuels and many other such like questions about the generality and efficacy of Christs death See the Delights of the Saints par 1. pag. 30. I referre him to my Treatise of the Delights of the Saints where I haue handled this point more at large And so you see why Christ suffered in respect of men Secondly He suffered all this in respect of God for the praise and glory of his owne blessed Name for as God hath made and created all things so he hath redeemed all men for his owne sake that his wisedome his power and his goodnesse might bee knowne vnto men and so praised and magnified of men for euermore And therefore this should teach vs to doe what lyeth in vs to glorifie the Name of God for all these great things that Christ hath done and hath suffered for vs. CHAP. IIII. Of the vsefull application of this Doctrine of the sufferings of Christ what we ought principally to learne from the consideration thereof ANd as generally this suffering of Christ The consideration of Christs sufferings should worke in vs foure speciall effects out of his meere loue to man should moue vs all to praise the Lord and to serue him so more especially it should worke in vs these foure speciall things 1. To moue vs to compassion 2. To make vs thankefull 3. To cause vs to loue him 4. To worke in vs a readinesse to suffer any thing with him and for his sake that suffered all this for vs. First to moue vs to compassion Iob 10. For the first the Prophet Dauid musing of Gods great loue towards mankinde saith O Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him And to this holy Iob answereth saying Thou hast made me as the Clay vers 11. vers 9. and thou wilt bring me into the dust and I shall be consumed as a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten And yet to saue this poore contemptible thing Christ tooke vpon him our nature in the wombe and vndertooke our death vpon the Crosse yea and whatsoeuer he suffered as man he suffered for man Omnis creatura compatitur Christo morienti sol obscuratur c. Solus
How the want of loue is the cause of many mischiefes in the world I onely pray it may neuer be so with any Christian soule that we make not the truth of God with all reuerence be it spoken as a Packe-horse to support our vile desires I am sure if there were more loue and charity among Christians lesse faults lesse errours would appeare to bee in the Church of God then now there seemes to be 1 Cor. 13. for charity suffereth all things beleeueth all things and is euer willing to make faults and errours lesser then they be whereas the want of loue will make the worst of euery thing euery errour to be an Heresie and euery infirmity to be hainous impiety nay want of loue will make sinnes where God made none We ought to loue all men and to hate all vices in whomsoeuer they be and make vertues to be vices whereas perfect charity will neuer hate the man though he be full of iniquity and therefore my conclusion of this point is that as Christ hath loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs so let vs loue Christ and loue one another for Christ his sake and he that doth these things shall neuer fall Part. 4 PART IIII. CHAP. Of the manner of Christs suffering how he suffered all that I haue shewed so as the Prophets fore-told and as the Apostles had seene the same with their eyes The incomprehensible manner of Christ his sufferings FOurthly Hauing heard of the person suffering Christ of the chiefest things that he suffered which are recorded by the Euangelists and of the necessity of that suffering in respect of those causes which did necessitate the same wee are now to cōsider the maner how he suffered expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to suffer that is so humbly so louingly so meekely so patiently and so euery way in respect of himselfe as that neither the tongues of men nor Angels are neuer able by any like to expresse it by any words to declare it That all predictions touching the Messias were all accomplished in Iesus Christ or by any apprehensions or thoughts of man to conceiue it And so in regard of men as the Prophets had foretold and the Apostles had already seene for so it pleased Almighty God before the comming of the Messias to fore-tell almost euery thing that should happen throughout all the whole life of the Messias euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the very last act of his Ascention that so all men might beleeue in him in whom they saw all those predictions fulfilled none other for the Prophet Esay had said that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Hos 11.1 Esay 9.1 Micheas said that hee should be borne in Bethlehem-Iuda Hoseas foretold of his flight into Egypt and to be briefe the place of his dwelling in the borders of Nepthali the manner of his liuing Healing all manner of infirmities Cap. 53.4 and preaching the glad tydings of saluation and almost euery one of the least particulars that should happen vnto him at his death Zach. 2.9 as how he should be sold and betrayed by his owne Disciple Psal 41 2. how all his followers should flie from him how craftily and maliciously he should be apprehended Esay 53.10 how falsly he should be accused how basely he should be handled buffeted whipped and spitted vpon how vniustly hee should bee condemned and how cruelly he should be fastned vnto the Crosse to die an accursed death and as most accursed betwixt the wicked and how he should be generally mocked his garments taken from him and haue Gall to eate and Vinegar to drinke and what not all was fore-shewed that should happen vnto the Messias and therefore it behoued Christ so to suffer because it was prophesied that he should so suffer And as the Prophets did fore-shew how the Messias should suffer so the Euangelists and Apostles testifie how Christ did suffer all and euery one of those things that were written of him for they were eye-witnesses of the same 1 Iohn 1.1 and soth ey testifie vnto vs that which was from the beginning which we haue heard and seene and our hands haue handled of the Word of life that testifie wee vnto you i. e. that all the things that were written of him which was promised from the beginning wee haue seene them fully accomplished fulfilled in him which liued and conuersed amongst vs and which we preach vnto you Iesus Christ S. Mathew recollects 32. seuerall Prophesies that he saw fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ Saint Iohn addes many other and so doe the rest diuers more So that whosoeuer would with the men of Berea search the Scriptures from the first Booke of Moses vnto the last Prophet Malachy and marke out all the things that were spoken of the Messias that was for to come we shall if we doe but looke finde them all recorded in the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists to be most fully fulfilled in the person of Iesus Christ A sufficient condemnation to all Iewes that still looke for another Christ for why should not they beleeue their owne Prophets they said the Messiah should suffer these things Christ suffered them so as they were prophesied who then can be the Messias but he in whom all these prophecies were fulfilled but Saint Paul tels vs why they will not beleeue in him Why the Iewes beleeue not in Christ Rom. 11. because partly blindnesse is come vpon them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And now Lord if it be thy will open their eyes that they may see this truth and circumcise all infidelity from their hearts that they may beleeue thy Sonne Iesus Christ to be the Sauiour of the world And as this condemneth all vnbeleeuing Iewes so it confirmeth all true Christians in the faith of Christ and I wish to God that as the seeing of all these things fulfilled in Christ makes vs all to beleeue in Christ so the suffering of all these things for vs would make vs all to praise this our Lord Iesus Christ for his goodnesse to feare him in all our wayes to loue him with all our hearts and to serue him truly and faithfully all the dayes of our life O blessed God grant this vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake To whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit three distinct persons of that one indiuided essence be ascribed all praise and glory both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most blessed God that hast giuen thy dearest and thine onely Sonne not onely to be made man subiect to all infirmities but also to suffer all miseries throughout his whole life and in the end to be put vnto a most shamefull painefull and accursed death by wicked men for sinnefull men that hee suffering what wee deserued wee might be deliuered from thy wrath we most humbly beseech
iot of misery and therefore Saint Augustine saith very well that Sicut contra rationem nemo sobrius contra ecclesiam nemo Catholicus ita contra Scripturas nemo Christianus as no man that is sober will speake against reason no man that is a Catholike will kicke against the Church so no man that is a Christian will contradict any thing that is said in Scriptures For the second that is the Prophesie of Dauid we may obserue these three things 1. The Glory 2. The Victory 3. The Bounty of the Messias and the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ Or else 1. The Ascention of Christ 2. The Subiection of our Enemies The whole Treatise diuided into three parts 3. The Donation of the Holy Ghost First The Glory of Christ or his Ascention is set downe in these words When he ascended vp on high Secondly The Victory of Christ or the subduing of our enemies is set downe in these words He led captiuity captiue Thirdly The Bounty of Christ or the sending downe of the Holy Ghost is set downe in these words He gaue gifts vnto men The first part hath two Branches Branch 1. BRANCH I. CHAP. I. Of foure sorts of ascenders and how each one of them ascendeth TOuching the first that is the Ascention of Christ I will by Gods helpe handle it two wayes First by way of explication of the words Secondly by way of application of the same vnto our selues And in the first respect we must consider these three points Three points to be considered touching the ascention of Christ 1. The person Ascending who he is 2. The Action or Motion of the person going vp 3. The Place where he is gone on high Thou art gone vp on high First the person ascending First For the person ascending the Psalmist saith in the second person ascendisti in altum caepisti captiuitatem accepisti dona Be-Adam Thou art gone vp on high thou hast taken captiuity and thou hast receiued gifts for the sonnes of Adam And the Apostle here in the 3. person saith When he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue et dedit dona and he gaue gifts vnto men Who is that thou or this he who is this King of glory that hath ascended vp on high and what a strange thing is this to find such difference in the Scriptures Iohn 3. he receiued gifts saith the Prophet he gaue gifts saith the Apostle Haud bene conueniunt We may say with Nicodemus How can these things be for the difference betwixt the Prophets saying he receiued gifts and the Apostles saying he gaue gifts I shall reconcile it hereafter when I shall come to speake of the 3. point i. e. the bounty of the Messias and therefore it resteth now that we should discusse onely of the person who he is that is here meant to haue ascended for Bonauenture saith that there be foure sorts of ascenders 1. Angels That there be foure sorts of ascenders 2. Diuels 3. Men both good and bad 4. The God and Man Christ Iesus First Gen. 28.12 To what end the good Angels doe ascend Iacob saw the Angels ascending and descending vpon a ladder whose foot was on earth and the toppe thereof reached vnto heauen carrying vp our prayers and supplications and presenting them vnto God as Raphael did the prayers of Tobias and bringing vnto vs the gifts and graces of God as Gabriel did the Message of saluation vnto the blessed Virgin not in respect of any office of Mediatorship that they should execute betwixt God and Man but in respect of that seruice which they are to doe vnto man at the command of God and therefore they are said to ascend and descend along the ladder that is through Iesus Christ for he is that ladder by whom we ascend and clime vp to God and through whom we receiue all blessings from God He is the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn 14.6 the two sides of this ladder are his two natures the staues are the proprieties of each nature and the knitting of them together is that indissoluble vnion of these two natures in the vnity of his Person Now when Iacob saw this vision of Angels ascending and descending vpon this ladder dormiuit supra lapidem Who they be that shall see the Angels descending for their comfort it is not said that he laid his hard head vpon a soft pillow but that hee laid his tender head for he was but a young man and as yet neuer vsed to any hardnesse vpon a hard stone to signifie vnto vs that not those which lay their hard hearts and stiffe neckes vpon beds of downe and lie wallowing in all the pleasures of this world but those rather which sleepe in sorrow and griefe for their sinnes and lie vpon the hard and rough stone of true repentance spending their time with Iohn Baptist in austere conuersation shall see the Angels of God descending downe to comfort them and ascending vp to carry their soules like Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Secondly Satan said in his heart Esay 14.13 I will exalt my selfe aboue the skies and I will be like vnto the most highest and of this fastidious and proud ascender Rupertus Tuicensis writeth excellently and largely in his bookes De victoria verbi Dei Bern in Psal qui habitat Ser. 12. and Saint Bernard saith that this wicked spirit doth emulate and imitate those heauenly Angels but most lewdly quia ascendit studio vanitatis How wickedly Satan doth ascend descendit liuore malignitatis because he ascendeth in a vaine desire of dignity to bee equall with God and hee descendeth with an odious heart full of wrath and malignity to destroy silly men sic mendax ascentio crudelis descentio est and so his ascending is but a lying vanity and his descending a cruell indignity Gregor in lib. 1. reg c. 17. pag. 279. c. or else as Saint Gregory saith they are said to ascend and descend quia ad expugnanda alâ—a per caeleste desiderium corda subuenire de innocentis vitae sublimitate nos deponere appetunt because they seeke to ouertop the Saints of God and to deiect their desires from the sublimity of heauenly things and to bring downe their hearts and affections to bee fixed on the things of this base and wretched world and therefore pro inani suo ascensu tam immane praecipitium sortitus est for such vaine ascending he hath obtained a most fearefull tumbling of himselfe into the bottomlesse pit of hell Such is the reward of pride But seeing their ascending and descending is to subuert vs and to cast vs downe to hell wee ought to bee very thankâ—full vnto him i. e. Iesus Christ at whose command the good Angels doe ascend and descend and continually attend vpon vs Bernar. de ascen ser 4. p. 199. to defend vs from them as Saint Bernard saith and to preserue vs in all
all heauens we must learne the way of him if wee would ascend to heauen for hee came downe from heauen and he is gone vp into heauen and now he sitteth in heauen vpon the right hand of God CHAP. II. That Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is hee that is meant by the Prophet Dauid and Saint Paul to haue ascended vpon high Quest BVt who is he of whom it is written that hee ascended vp on high for many ascend as you heare but which is he that is here meant I confesse the 68. Psalme Resp Psalme 68. wherein these words are first written is literally to be vnderstood not of any triumph for the slaughter of the hoste of Senacherib which was done in the time of King Hezekias as the Iewes doe most fabulously dreame when the very Title of this Psalme that ascribeth it vnto Dauid doth sufficiently confute this vanity nor yet for any of the victories of Dauid which he obtained against his bordering enemies the Ammonites Literally these words were spoken of the Arke of the Couenant the Moabites the Idumeans and the Philistines as some would haue it but of that great and glorious pompe which was then done and shewed when King Dauid with great ioy and triumph did bring the Arke of the Couenant into the hill of Sion and therefore these words thou art gone vpon high Mollerus in Psalme 68. doe signifie that the Arke which formerly had layne in an obscure place was transported from one place to another was now ascended and seated in a most illustrious and conspicuous place euen in the Kingly pallace and these words thou hast led captiuitie captiue to signifie those enemies which formerly had spoiled and wasted diuers Countreyes but now being vanquished by King Dauid were led captiue in this triumph for so it was the manner of those times as Plutarch doth excellently declare in the life of Paulus Aemilius and the other words thou hast receiued gifts for men Plutarch in vita Pauli Aemilij doe signifie those spoyles that were freely offered for conditions of peace and were triumphantly carried about in this pompous showe for the greater solemnitie of the same and then as the manner was among the chiefftaines when they triumphed Bellica laudatis dona dedisse viris to bestow warlike gifts vpon worthie men were bestowed on seuerall men in seuerall manner as Sigonius sheweth Sigon l. 2. de antiquo iure pro. Yet I say that mystically this Psalme is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a tryumphall song penned by King Dauid vpon the foresight of Iesus Christ arising from the dead and with great ioy and triumph ascending vp into Heauen Mystically these words were first spoken of Christ ascending vp into Heauen and thence sending his holy spirit vnto his Apostles and Disciples and hauing ouercome all his enimies collecting by the ministerie of his Preachers his Church and chosen seruants together and so guiding and defending them heere in this life vntill he doth receaue them into eternall glorie for so the authoritie of Saint Paul interpreting them and all other Diuines with one consent doth compell vs to vnderstand them and to know that that pompous shew and tryumph of King Dauid was but the praeludium and type of this triumph of our Sauiour Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh in this place and it was an vsuall thing for the Prophet Dauid in all his chiefest and most glorious acts so to behold the Proto-type that is the Messias whose type he knew he was and so to accommodate all his actions vnto what the Messias should doe that all men might perceiue these things to be done not through any humane inuention All the chiefest acts of Dauid were types of Christ but as he was moued and guided by the inward inspiration of Gods spirit and that for the instruction and edification of the whole Church when by these outward perspicuous acts of Dauid as by certaine visible lectures all men might see and reade those things that should be done by Iesus Christ And therfore I say that the person prophesied of by King Dauid and here spoken of by Saint Paul to haue ascended vp on high is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hauing vanquished and ouercome sinne death Hell and all our enemies did most gloriously ascend vp to Heauen in the presence of all his Apostles and Disciples and thence sent the holy Ghost to replenish and fill their hearts with all spirituall gifts and graces and this will more fully appeare vnto vs out of the second point which is the action or the motion of this person set downe in the word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high CHAP. II. A fuller declaration of the person ascending and of the time place and manner of his ascention Saint Paul collecteth two things out of the word he ascended YOV haue heard of the person ascending who he is Iesus Christ we are now to consider of his ascention out of this word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high but first we must obserue that our Apostle out of this Word he ascended doth collect both the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ First the humiliation of Christ First his humiliation in the 9. v for that he saith he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth wherein the Apostle would haue Dauid when hee forespake of the glorification and the ascention of Christ into Heauen to haue foreseene his humiliation and descention from Heauen to bee incarnate and made man Secondly the exaltation of Christ Secondly his exaltation in the tenth verse hee that descended is the same also that ascended farre aboue all heauens for these two verses are read by a parenthesis and are added by the Apostle for the fuller explication of those hidden mysteries that are included in the word he ascended First touching the descention the Apostle setteth downe two things 1. The descent it selfe that he descended 2. The extent of his descent into the lower parts of the earth The first sheweth vs that hee was first in Heauen Christ first descended i. e. was incarnate before he could ascend i. e. according to his God-head or else he could neuer haue descended out of Heauen and that he descended to be incarnate and mâ—de man before the man Christ could ascend vp into Heauen and therefore the Prophet Dauid fore-seeing the ascention of the man Christ must needs foresee the humiliation of the Sonne of God to be made man The second is a point more controuerted for first some doe expound the lower parts of the earth to signifie his mothers wombe because the descent of the Sonne of God is nothing else but his incarnation and that was done in his mothers wombe and because the Prophet Dauid vseth the like saying of himself I was formed beneath in the earth i. e. in my mothers wombe In inferioribus terra secondly
Triumph of Christ Part. 3 PART III. CHAP. I. Of the speciall ends why Christ ascended into heauen and of the gifts which he giueth to edifie the Church THirdly touching the bounty of Christ set downe in these words and he gaue gifts vnto men we must first reconcile the difference betwixt the Prophet and the Apostle about the same for Dauid saith thou hast receiued gifts for men and Saint Paul saith he giueth gifts to men and I answer that if we vnderstand it literally Dauid receiued gifts which for feare of his power were freely offered vnto him and if we vnderstand it mystically of Christ we finde the saying of both to be true for the Apostle speaketh of the things which Christ doth as God sending forth the holy Ghost and bestowing gifts on men and the Psalmist speaketh of him according to that which the same Christ doth in his body August in Psal 67. p. 289. a. i. which is his Church Thus no doubt saith Saint Augustine but as he is persecuted in his Church so accepit in membris qua dona membra eius accipiunt he receiued and receiueth gifts in men for whatsoeuer is done to them that beleeue in him the same is done to him or else we may say that the Son of God as he was man receiued those gifts from his Father which hee was afterwards to distribute and to giue vnto his Church for so we reade that he being exalted and hauing receiued of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost Act. 2.33 hee hath shed foorth this which we now see and heare and so the originall word which the Psalmist vseth signifieth to receiue that which wee must presently distribute saith Mollerus Mollerus in Psal 68. and therefore the difference is soone ended and the matter in both is true he receiued gifts and he gaue those gifts to men for wee finde as Bonauenture tels vs that our Sauiour ascended for foure speciall ends Christ ascended for foure speciall ends First to receiue his kingdome as himselfe intimateth vnto vs in the nineteenth of Luke and the twelfth verse Secondly to make vs the more earnestly to long for him Quia abijt occultat se Deus vt ardentius quaeratur à nobis because God doth therefore hide himselfe from vs that he may be the more earnestly sought of vs saith Saint Bernard Bernard in cant Thirdly to prepare a place for vs for though in respect of Gods purpose it was prepared for vs before the beginning of the world yet in respect of the effecting and bringing to passe the said purpose it was specially prepared for vs by Christ because he remoued all hinderances and made way for vs to enter into glory 1. by appeasing his fathers wrath 2. by cleansing our consciences from dead workes 3. by opening vnto vs the gates of heauen and 4. by making continuall intercession for vs As Bonauenture speaketh Fourthly to send downe his holy Spirit vnto vs Ioh. 16.17 for so our Sauiour saith It is expedient for you that I goe away Quia nisi dederitis quod amatis non habebitis quod desideratis for vnlesse I goe away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Tertul. l. de carne Christi for now saith Tertullian Graetum quoddam commercium inter coelum terram existit celebratum a most gratefull exchange and a friendly louing bargaine was made betwixt heauen and earth that to the inhabitants of heauen should be giuen the flesh of Christ and to vs on earth should be bestowed the comforts of Gods holy Spirit and so the Spirit of God should remaine with vs on earth and our flesh should dwell with them for euer in heauen and then all things to be common betwixt vs eternally and therefore he did not send his Spirit vnto vs before he had ascended into heauen Why Christ would not bestow his gifts on men before his ascention non propter impotentiam sed quia habuerunt corporalem prasentiam not in respect of any impotency that he could not doe it but because we had his corporall presence and because as the raine doth not descend vntill the mist and dew doe first ascend so the gratious raine of Gods Spirit did not fall vpon Gods inheritance to refresh it when it was weary vntill this fruit of the wombe which was as the dew of the morning had first ascended into heauen but as when that little cloud like a mans hand 1 Kings 11. did rise out of the sea there was a sound of much raine so when that humble flesh of Christ was ascended out of this world into heauen then he gaue gifts vnto men Aug. de verbis domini p. 63. b. 1. to 10. But what are these gifts which he giueth Saint Augustine saith it is his holy Spirit Tale donum qualis ipse est such a gift as himselfe is for he gaue himselfe and he giues a gift equall to himselfe because the gift of Christ is the Spirit of Christ but heare the Apostle saith hee gaue gifts and not a gift and therefore though I doe confesse that this holy and blessed Spirit is the author and fountaine of all gifts by whom wee haue remission of sinnes subiection of our enemies and all other gifts of grace and glory sealed vnto vs yet I say that the Apostle herein meaneth not so much the spirit himselfe as the gifts and graces of his Spirit And therefore that wee may the better vnderstand the fulnesse of this point of the bounty of Christ we must consider these foure speciall things Foure points to be considered 1. What manner of gifts they are 2. What gifts are here meant 3. How he doth bestow them 4. On whom he doth bestow them First that the gifts of God are free gifts For the first wee must know that they were gratuita free gifts so the words dedit dona he gaue them and he gaue them as gifts doe sufficiently declare or otherwise si praememeruisti tum emisti non gratis accepisti if thou hadst done any thing to deserue these gifts then hadst thou bought them and not freely receiued them and God had sold them and not giuen them and so they had beene praemia non dona rewards for thy good deedes and not gifts of his meere grace but this point is so cleere that I neede not stand on it Matth. 10.8 Freely you haue receiued saith our Sauiour freely giue for euery one may take of these waters of life freely and may haue these gifts Esay 51.1 like Esayas milke without money or moneyes worth For the second wee must note that the gifts of God are either 1. Temporall Secondly the the gifts of God are of two sorts 2. Spirituall First The temporall gifts he gaue vnto all sorts of men aswell before as after his ascention for wee must note that euery thing which we haue is
of twelue Starres is the Symbole of her faith containing twelue articles of her beleife And fourthly her paine to be deliuered is that earnest desire and loue which euery Christian soule hath to increase and multiply the number of Gods children And so the holy Ghost hauing descended vpon the Apostles and remaining in their hearts it caused them first to beleeue and to compose that crowne of twelue Starres which is the glory of euery Christian soule i. e. the twelue Articles of our faith as the Church receiueth it Secondly to forsake all the world and to follow Christ as S. Peter sheweth Thirdly Matth. 19.27 to lead a most vpright and a godly life as Saint Paul auoucheth Heb. 13.18 And fourthly to labour incessantly night and day to send out their voyces into all lands and their words vnto the ends of the world as now the whole world testifieth And so you see how in the first beginning of the Church the gifts of the holy Ghost were visibly and abundantly giuen vnto these seruants of Iesus Christ according as it was prophecied long before Ioel 2.28 that he would powre out his Spirit vpon all flesh and so their sonnes and their daughters should prophesie But CHAP. VI. How the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit are now giuen vnto vs and how wee may know whether wee haue the same or not SEcondly Christ doth now giue his Spirit otherwise vnto the Pastors of his Church How God bestoweth his graces vpon vs sufficiently for the edifying of the same but through great paines and diligent searching after knowledge for now we must not looke for Exthusiasmes nor thinke to attaine vnto learning and knowledge by reuelations but orando quaerendo bene viuendo by earnest praiers by continuall watching and tumbling and tossing of many bookes and by wearing and wearying out our selues in reading musing and writing of many lines we must seeke to attaine to a little learning and when wee haue done all we can wee can get nothing but what this blessed Spirit please to giue vs for except the Lord build the house the builder laboureth but in vaine so except he doth blesse our studies Psal 127.1 all our paines and industry will proue no better then Aethiopum lauare to wash a blacke Moore a breaking of our braines but an attaining to no true knowledge But we may be certaine that if we do our duties in all humility to seeke and search for grace our God will most surely giue vs grace yea and the same graces though not in the same manner or according to the same measure which hee did giue vnto his Apostles And as here it was apparantly seene that these Apostles had the gifts of this Spirit by these signes and effects of this Spirit so wee may most certainely know if we will diligently search whether we haue these gifts and graces of Gods Spirit or not by the works that we doe and by the things that we finde in our selues for Si iniurias dimittimus The signes whereby we may know whether we haue the Spirit of God or not quod denotat columba si paenitentiae lachrymis irrigamur quod nubes si desiderium habemus rerum aeternarum quod ignis si magnalia Dei annuntiamus quod lingua tum habemus signum praesentiae Spiritus sancti If we water our couch with our teares and bee truly sorry for our sinnes which is signified by the cloud if we be purged from all the drosse of sinne and be eleuated to desire and loue heauenly things which is noted in the fire if wee bee carried against the naturall streame and current of our owne corruptions which is shewed by the winde if we remit and forgiue all wrongs done vnto vs and bee meeke and gentle vnto all men harsh and sullen vnto none which are the properties of the Doue and if we zealously preach and pray and talke of God and of his will his grace and goodnesse towards vs and render thankes and praise vnto him for the same which is the office of a fiery tongue then we doe with the Apostles shew the effects of Gods Spirit and we may to our endlesse comforts assure our selues that the Spirit of God is in vs. 1 Cor. 3.85 But if we finde none of these things no hatred of sinne no loue of vertue no loathing of the vanities of this world no lifting vp of our hearts to heauen no meekenesse with men no praising of God but rather finde our selues cleane contrary defiled with sinne deboist in our liues iniuring men offending God blaspheming his name with wicked oathes and breaking his Sabboths with great contempt then wee should not onely wonder to see the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in others as the people did when they saw what had happened vnto the Apostles vpon the day of Pentecost but we should rather bewaile and lament the want of the same in our selues for it is vnpossible that they should haue any part or portion of Gods Spirit that doe shew no signe nor fruit of Gods grace And therefore euery man should try and examine himselfe whether he finde in himselfe the fruits and effects of Gods Spirit or not For First the holy Ghost being like water if he be in you That we should diligently examine whether we haue Gods Spirit or not Psalme 1.3 then you are washed and cleansed from all filthinesse and you are like the trees that are planted by the waters side and doe bring forth their fruits in due season but if you bee like a barren and drie ground where no water is or like fruitlesse trees that beare nothing but leaues then certainely the Spirit of God is not in you and you are fit for nothing but to be hewne downe Matth. 3.10 and to be cast into the fire Secondly the holy Ghost being like fire if he be in vs hee illuminateth the eyes of our vnderstanding and hee giueth light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death that they may walke without stumbling in the way of peace but if our vnderstanding bee so darkened that wee neither know God nor the will of God then certainely the Spirit of God is not in vs 2 Cor. 4.3 for if our Gospell be hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that are lost that being depriued and void of Gods Spirit are filled with the spirit of darknesse A most fearefull saying against them that vnderstand not the great mystery of godlinesse that they haue the marke of lost ones and if hee be in vs then we must needes be feruent and zealous to doe all good seruice vnto God as Apollo was who is said to be hot in spirit or as the twelue tribes were who serued God night and day instantly Act. 18.28 c. 26.7 saith the Apostle but if we be cold and carelesse to serue the Lord then surely we are destitute of this Spirit of God for
from sinning 204 From punishments 205 Goodnesse of God most of all seene in our afflictions 206 All our goodnesse to bee ascribed to God 208 To the glory of Christ 264 We can doe no good of ourselues 209 The boundlesse goodnesse of Gods prouidence 257 Many impressions of Gods goodnesse infixed in the creatures 2â—6 Best good we can doe vnto our children is to serue God 251 Not to doe good a sinne 230 Gods goodnesse how abused by the wicked 225 Ill-gotten goods neuer thriueth 253 No good in the Saints but what God worketh in them 2741 Why goodnesse is ascribed to the holy Ghost 273 Gospell biddeth and forbiddeth many things which the Law doth not 12 Gospell in the Law and Law in the Gospell 224 GL Glorification of a body taketh not away the essentiall properties of a body 170 Glory of Christ should be chiefly aimed at by all Preachers 266 GR. Grace not â—raduced from the best parents 8 Word gracious what it signifieth 190 Three speciall things ibid. God is gracious in all respects 191 Graces especially bestowed vpon the elect 2â—4 Grace of iustification what it is 208 Grace of sanctification what it is ibid. Grace of glorification what it is ibid. Graces of God denied vnto the children for the fathers sinnes 251. and why 252. Graces of God not giuen in the like measure to all men 602 We ought to examine what graces we haue 646 Chiefest graces of God Faith Hope Charitie 647 Graces of Christ to sanctifie our soules are two-fold 645 Grace of Christ ought in all things to be extolled and our selues extenuated 265 Great sinnes must haue great repentance 23 Great mens sinnes are great sinnes 37 Great men haue no excuses for their sinnes 38 Great men haue no priuiledge to sinne 39 Their state very dangerous 39. 40 How subiect to dangers 704 Father how greater then Christ 300 Great sinnes punished with great punishments 92 Great men how they vse to deale with the poore 235 What Christ grieued at in the garden 540 541. c. Griefe of Christ on the Crosse aggrauated by all circumstances 4â—1 Growth of sinne how to be hindred 108 A gradation in the loue of God 202 HA. HAbituall sinnes hardly repelled 23 Harlots how they deceiue men 45 Haynousnesse of sinne seene in three respects 97 To hazard all in defence of truth 217 HE. Heart to be carefully watched 14. Hell paines how intollerable 86 Heathens how they extolled the power of God 161 Hebrewes often vse the present tense for the future tense 288 The head alwaies chiefly opposed 304 Christ borne in the raigne of Herod and why 404 Heretickes how wicked to deny the God-head of Christ 305 Herod what he did to Christ 473 Hell in the Article of our Creede signifieth not the graue 582 Hell destroyed by Christ three waies 583 That there be three heauens 624 The man Christ in the highest part of heauen 623 And why 626 Nothing so heauie as sinne 631. Hearing of Gods Word a speciall meanes to get grace 677 Diuers sorts of hearers 678 Heresie of Nonatus 112 593 Of Pellagius ibid. Of Arrius and his obiections answered 284 285. c. 293 c. 299. c. Heresie of Apelles and Apolinaris 343 Of the Anabaptists 344 Of Samosatenus 363 Of Eutychos 367 368 Of Cerinthus and of Nestorius concerning the person of Christ and their obiections answered 374 Heresies to be shewed and why 392 HI Euery one laboureth to hide his sinnes 19 None can hide his sinnes from God 19 HO. No sinner excluded from hope of pardon 224 Honorius his childishnesse 267 268 Word Homousius not first inuented by the orthodox fathers 29â— Iustified as it is vsed ibid. Holy Ghost whether tearmed the word or not 323 Our hope supported by the meditation of Christ his passion 426 Holy Ghost a true God proued 659 Holy Ghost appeared in the likenesse of fiue speciall things 660 And why 661 c. Holy Ghost how we may know whether wee haue it or not 672 Christ why he went out of the house to be taken 439 Hope what it is and how it differeth from faith 649 Hope two-fold ibid. Humane hope what it doth and diuine hope what it doth 650 Euery hope in God maketh not happie 651 To want the Holy Ghost is marke of a lost one 674 HV Humanitie of Christ onely suffered 438 Humanitie of Christ not capable of infinite excellencies 146 Humane acts how said to be done by God 165. 166 Humilitie of Christ 349 Seene in the incarnation of Christ 358 JA. IAmes most like vnto Christ 461 JD Idlenesse a furtherance to sinne 13 Idolatrie a great master-sinne 41 How horrible it is 238 IE Iewes why they beleeue not Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the true Messias 561 Iehouah the essentiall and most proper name of God 122 123 It signifieth an eternall being 123 In hebrew containeth nothing but consonants in latine nothing but vowels and why 125 Knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob 126 Why translated Lord. 130 131 Christ true Iehouah 278. c. Iesuites what they say to proue transubstantiation 172 Iewes rightly vnderstood Christ teaching himselfe to be equall to the father 300 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Iewes how cunningly they sought to incense Pilatâ— against Christ 472 IG Ignorance two-fold 26 355 Simple Ignorance doth extenuate a sinne 27 Affected ignorance trebleth the sinne 28 Wilfull ignorance what a fearefull sinne ibid. Christ was ignorant of some things and how he may be said to be ignorant of any thing 356 Ignorance of Gods power the cause of many heresies 134 135 How ignorant many men are of the chiefest points of christianitie 395 IM Immortalitie how to be attained 128 Impossible things for God to doe of two sorts 185 Impossible for God to make the things which are not to haue beene 167 Image of God could be repayred by none but by God 321 We are apt to imitate our Parents 247 252 Wherein we ought to imitate God 228 To imitate Christ the safest way to walke 360 IN. How ineffable God is 125 Sinnes of infirmitie what they are 30 No man free from them ibid. Knowne by foure speciall notes 31 Infirmities of Christ proue the manhood of Christ 347 Our infirmities why Christ did vndertake them 352 Infirmities of how many sorts 352 Infirmities not sinfull two-fold 353 What infirmities Christ tooke on him ibid. Incarnation of the Word why decreed for our saluation 318 Incarnation of Christ what benefit it bringeth 359 The greatest argument of Gods loue 257 That wee are not in God as Christ is in God 298 Christ as man for euer inferiour to his Father 302 Condemnation of all infidels grieued Christ 454 Infamie described and the miseries thereof shewed 68 Three things should expell ingratitude from vs 706 God looketh into the intention of the heart 54 Inuocation for two things 700 IO. Iosephus what he writ of Christ 577 Iohannes Alexandrinus what he did 265 IR. Sinne called irremissible three wayes