vaine for men to busie themselues about such things Ans. But we must know that as God hath appointed all things to come to passe in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell so in the same decree he hath together set downe the means waies whereby he will haue the same things brought to passe for these two must neuer be seuered the thing to be done the means whereby it is done VVe may read in the Acts in Pauls daungerous voyage towards Rome an Angel of the Lord told Paul that God had giuen him all that sayled with him in the ship nowe the souldiers and marriners hearing this might reason thus with theÌ„selues Seeing God hath decreed to saue vs all we may doe what we will there is no danger for we shall all come to land aliue but marke what Paul saith except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe where we may see as it was the eternall counsell of God to saue Paul all that were with him so he decreed to saue all by this particular meanes of their aboad in the ship King Ezechias was restored to his health receiued from God a promise that he should haue 15. yeares added to his daies the promise was confirmed by signe nowe what doth he cast off all means no but as he was prescribed so he applieth a bunch of drie figges to his sore and vseth still his ordinarie dyet Therefore it is grosse ignorance madnes in men to reason so against Gods decree God in his vnchangeable counsell hath decreed set down all things how they shal be therefore I will vse no means but liue as I list nay rather we must say the contrarie because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done therfore I wil vse the means which God hath appointed to bring the same to passe Now followes the Creation which is nothing else but a worke of the blessed Trinitie forming framing his creatures which were not before that of nothing The points to be knowne concerning the creation are many The first is the thing by which God did begin finish the creatioÌ„ And we must vnderstande that at the first God made all things without any instrument or meanes not as men do which bring to passe their busines by seruants helps but only by his word commandement as the Psalmist saith He commanded and all things were made In the beginning God said Let their be light there was light by the same meanes was the creatioÌ„ of euery creature following The very power of the word and coÌ„mandement of God was such as by it that thing was made had a being which before was not It may be demanded what word this was by which God is said to make all things Ans. The word of God in scripture is taken 3. waies for the substantiall word for the souÌ„ding or written word for the operatiue or powerful word The substaÌ„tial word is the secoÌ„d person begotteÌ„ of the substaÌ„ce of the father Nowe howsoeuer it be true that God the father did create al things by his word that is by his SoÌ„ne yet doth it not seeme to be true that by these words God said let there be this or that that the SoÌ„ne is mâ—nt For that word vvhich God gaue out in the creation vvas in time vvheras the SoÌ„ne is the vvord of the father before all times and againe it is a vvord common to the three persons equally vvhereas the SoÌ„ is the vvord of the father onely Furthermore it is not like that it was any souÌ„ding word staÌ„ding of letters syllables vttered to the creatures after the vsuall maner of meÌ„ that was the cause of theÌ„ it remains therfore that all things were made by the operatiue vvord vvhich is nothing but the pleasure vvil appointmeÌ„t of God is more povverful to bring a thing to passe then all the meanes in the vvorld beside For Gods vvilling of any thing is his effecting doing of it And this is prooued by Dauid vvhen he saith He spake the word and they were made he coÌ„manded and they were created Hence vve must take out a speciall lesson needefull to be learned of euery man Looke vvhat povver God vsed shevved in making the creatures vvhen they vvere not the same povver he both can vvil shevv forth in recreating redeeming sinful meÌ„ by the pretious blood of Christ. By his vvord he created mans heart when it vvas not he can vvill as easily create in any of such a nevv heart specially vvheÌ„ vve vse the good means appointed for that end As vvhen Christ said to dead Lazarus Lazarus come forth he arose came forth of his graue though bouÌ„d haÌ„d foot so vvheÌ„ the Lord speaks to our dead hearts by his vvord spirit vve shal rise forth of the graues of our sinnes corruptions In the creatioÌ„ of the great vvorld God said let there be light presently darknes gaue place the same he caÌ„ do to the little vvorld that is to man We are by nature darknes let God but speake to our blind vnderstaÌ„dings our ignoraÌ„ce shal depart vve shal be inlightned vvith the knovvledge of the true God and of his vvil as Paul saith God that coÌ„maunded the light to shine out of darknes is he which hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knovvledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Secondly God made all creatures without motion labour or defatigation for his very bidding of the worke to be done was the doing of it And this thing no creature can doe but God onely though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall Thirdly the matter the first beginning of all creatures was nothing that is all things were made when as there was nothing whereof they might be made as Paul saith God calleth those things vvhich be not as though they were And indeed in the first creation al things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing but a creature can not be made of the essence of God for it hath no parts it is not divisible and God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence the conclusion then is that the framing of the creatures in the beginning was not of any matter but of nothing This must teach us to humble our selves Many there be that stande upon their ancestours but let them here looke whence they came first namely as Abraham saith of himselfe of dust and ashes And what was this dust and ashes made of Surely of nothing wherefore every mans first beginning is of nothing Well then such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent if they looke well into it they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge And this coÌ„sideration of our first beginning must moue vs to true
the words of Luke who saith that darkenesse was vpon the whole earth hath thought that the ecclipse was vniuersall ouer the whole word but I rather thinke that Saint Lukes meaning is that it was ouer the whole region or countrey of Iurie For if such a wonder had happened ouer the whole world all historiographers Greeke and Latine and Astronomers diligent obseruers of all ecclipses would haue made speciall mention thereof And though some writers say that it was ouer the whole earth and that it was set downe in record both by the Romanes Grecians yet all their writings prooue no more but this that it was ouer Iurie and Galelie and the countries bordering neere vnto The vses of this miracle are manifold I. This darkening of the sunne giues a checke to the Iewes for their crucifying of Christ they were not ashamed to apprehend accuse and condemne him yet this glorious creature the sunne pulleth in his beames beeing as it were ashamed to behold that which they were not ashamed to doe II. It serues to signifie the great iudgement of God to come vpon the Iewes For as when Christ suffered darkenes was ouer all the land of Iurie and all the worlde besides had the light of the sunne so shortly after blindnes of minde was ouer the whole nation of the Iewes and all the world besides saw the sonne of righteousnes shining vnto them in the preaching of the Gospell III. It serues to aduertise vs that such as carrie themselues towards Christ as the Iewes did haue nothing else in them but darknesse and that they sit in darkenesse and shadow of death and therefore not able any whit better to see the way that leadeth vnto life then he which is cast into a darke dungeon can who if they thus remaine shall at length be cast into vtter darkenesse This beeing the estate of all them that be foorth of Christ we must labour to be freed from this darknes that the day-starre may rise in our hearts and shine vpon vs and put life into vs. IIII. This miraculous and wonderfull darkening of the sunne doth conuince the Iewes that Christ whome they crucified was the Lord of glorie and the Sauiour of the world and it is very likely that this was the principall end of this miracle For whereas neither his doctrine nor his former miracles could mooue them to acknowledge him for the Messias yet this one worke of God doth as it were strike the naile to the head and stoppe all their mouthes V. Besides this whereas at that very instant when Christ was about to make a satisfaction to the iustice of his father for our sinnes the sunne was thus darkned it teacheth vs first to thinke of the passion of Christ not as of a light matter but as of one of the greatest wonders of the worlde at the sight whereof the very frame of nature was chaunged secondly to thinke of our owne sinnes as the vilest things in the world and that they deserue the intollerable wrath of God considering that at the time when they were to be abolished the course of nature euen in the very heauens is turned vpside downe The fourth signe is the rending of the vaile of the Temple from the toppe to the bottome The temple was deuided into two parts the one more inward into which no man might come but the high priest and that once a yeare and it was called the holy of holies the other was that where the people came and offered sacrifices vnto the Lord. Nowe that which parted the temple into these two parts was called the vaile and at the time of Christs passion it was reâ—t from the toppe to the very bottome This hath diuers vses I. The holy of holies signified the third heauen where God sheweth himselfe in glorie and maiestie vnto his Saints now the rending of the vaile figureth vnto vs that by the death of Christ heauen which was otherwise shut by our sinnes is nowe set open and a way made to enter thereto II. It signifieth that by the death of Christ we haue all without impediment free accesse to come vnto God the father by earnest praier in the name of Christ which is a most vnspeakeable benefit III. It signifieth that by Christs death an ende is put to all ceremonies to ceremoniall worship and the sacrifices of the old testament and that therefore in the newe testament there remaineth one onely reall and outward sacrifice that is Christ crucified on the crosse and the whole seruice and worship of God for outwarde ceremonies most simple and plaine IIII. The Temple was the chiefe and one of the most principall prerogatiues that the Iewes had it was their glorie that they had such a place wherein they might worship and doe seruice to the true God and for the Temples sake God often spared them and therefore Daniel praieth O Lord heare the prayer of thy seruant and his supplication and cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuarie that lieth wast for the Lords sake Yet for all this when they beganne to crucifie the Lord of life their prerogatiues helps theÌ„ not nay they are depriued thereof and God euen with his owne hand rends the vaile of the temple in sunder signifying vnto them that if they forsake him he will also forsake them And so may we say of the Church of England No doubt for the Gospels sake we haue outward peace and safetie and many other blessings and are in account with other nations yet if we make no conscience to obey the word of God and if we haue no loue of Christ and his members God will at length remooue his candlesticke from vs and vtterly depriue vs of this ornament of the Gospell and make our land as odious vnto all the world as the land of the Iewes is at this day Let vs therefore vvith all care and diligence shew forth our loue both to Christ himselfe to his members and adorne the Gospell which we professe by bringing foorth fruites worthie of it The fifth signe is the earthquake whereby hard rockes were clouen asunder And it serues very fitly to signifie further vnto vs that the sinne of the Iewes in putting Christ to death was so heauie a burden that the earth could not beare it but trembled thereat though the Iewes themselues made no bones of it And it is a thing to be wondered at that the earth doe not often in these daies tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and fearefull othes by the wounds and blood and heart of Christ whereby his members are rent asunder and he traiterously crucified againe Secondly the earthquake shewes vnto vs the exceeding and wonderfull hardnes of the hearts of the Iewes and ours also they crucified Christ and were not touched with any remorse and we can talke and heare of his death yea we can say he was crucified for our sinnes and yet are we nothing affected therewith
other whereas God conceiues all things at once with one acte of vnderstanding and all things both past and to come are present with him and therefore in his eternall counsell he decrees not one thing after an other but all things at once Neuerthelesse for our vnderstandings sake we may distinguish the counsell of God concerning man into two acts or degrees the first is the purpose of God in him selfe in which he determines what he will doe and the end of all his doings and that is to create all things specially man for his owne glorie partly by shewing on some men his mercie and vpon others his iustice The second is an other purpose whereby he decrees the exequution of the former and laies downe meanes of accomplishing the ende thereof These two acts of the counsell of God are not to be seuered in any wise nor confounded but distinctly considered with some difference For in the first God decrees some men to honour and some to dishonour and this man more then that vpon his will and pleasure and there is no other cause hereof knowne to vs. In the second knowne and manifest causes are set downe of the exequution of the former decree For no man is actually condemned but for their sinnes and no man is actually saued but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter acte of the counsell of God must be conceiued of vs in the second place and not in the first For euermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it selfe and then afterward the subordinate meanes and causes whereby the end is accomplished Againe the second acte of Gods counsell containes two other one which sets downe the preparation of the means whereby Gods Predestination begins to come in exequution and they are two the creation of man righteous after the image of God the voluntarie fall of Adam and withall the shutting vp of all men vnder damnation the other appoints the applying of the seuerall meanes to the persons of men that Gods decree which was set downe before all times may in time be fully accomplished as shall afterward in particular appeare Predestination hath two parts the Decree of Election the Decree of Reprobation or No-election This diuision is plaine by that which hath bene said out of the 9. cap. to the Rom. 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 day of iudgement J neuer knew you In the Acts it is said that as many of the Gentiles as were ordâ—ined 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 exequution 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 meÌ„ to life eternal in Christ for the praise 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 Jesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Nowe that we may the better conceiue this doctrine let vs come to a consideration of the seuerall points thereof First of all I say Election is Gods decree For there is nothing in the world that comes to pasâ—e either vniuersally or particularly without the eternall vnchangeable decree of God And therefore 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 maÌ„ Answer The good pleasure of God For Paul saith he will haue mercie on whome he will haue mercie and he hath predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of God As for the opinion of them that say that foreseene faith and good workes are the cause that mooued God to choose men to saluatioÌ„ it is friuolous For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of Gods election Paul saith he hath chosen vs not because he did foresee that we would become holy but that we might be holy And he hath predestinate vs to adoption Which is all one as if he 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 the effect of another The second point is that Gods ElectioÌ„ 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 conclusion 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 Iehovah saith he and I chaunge not therefore his will likewise and his counsells be vnchangeable And therefore whensoeuer the spirit of God shall testifie vnto our spirits that we are iustified in Christ and chosen to saluation it must be a meanes 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 full of hellish discomfort and no doubt from the deuill And the reasons commonly 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 Answ. I. There are two kinds of iudgemeÌ„t to be giuen of men the iudgement of certentie the iudgement of charitie By the first indeed is giuen an infallible determination of any mans Election but it belongs vnto God principally properly to men but in part namely so farforth as God shal reueale the estate of one man vnto an other Now the iudgement of charitie belongs vnto all men by it leauing all secret iudgemeÌ„ts vnto God we are charitably to think that al 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 not otherwise do the Apostles cal whole
Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life we must not deceiue our selues lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe but wee must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this worlde and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death But how is that done wee must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father God the sonne our redeemer and God the holy Ghost our comforter For as Christ saith this is life eternall to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And wee must goe further yet endeauouring to say with Paul that we liue not but that Christ liueth in vs which when wee can say wee haue in vs the very seede of eternall life The second degree is in the ende of this life when the bodie freed from all diseases paines and miseries is laid to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is aftâ—r the day of iudgement when bodie and soule revnited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie Againe in this thirde degree of life there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glorie Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life saieth They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for evermore Now wee knowe there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres Agane there be degrees of torments in hell as aâ—peares by the saying of Christ It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie And Paul saieth There is one glory of the Sunne another glory of the moone another glory of the Stars for one starre differeth from another in glory so is the resurrection of the dead In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection Furthermore if we may coniecture it may be the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuers measures of giftes and graces bestowed on men in this life and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the giftes of the spirite and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel But it may be obiected that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen some shall want glory Ansvvere Not so though some haue more and some lesse yet all shall haue sufficient Take sundry vessels whereof some are bigger and some lesse and cast them all into the sea some will receiue more water and some lesse and yet all shall be full and no want in any and so likewise among the saintes of God in heauen some shall haue more glorie some lesse and yet all without exception full of glorie And whereas it is alledged that all the labourers in the vineyarde receiue each of them a pennie equallie for their hire the answere is that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intendes not to set foorth the equalitie of celestiall glorie and what shall be the estate of the godly after this life but the verie drifte of the parable is to shew that they which are called first haue no cause to bragge or insulte ouer others which as yet are uncalled considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them Thus much of life it selfe now followes the continuance thereof which the scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting And to this ende Paul saieth that Christ hath abolished death and brought not onely life but also immortalitie to light by the gospell And this verie circumstance serues greatly to commende the happinesse of the godly in that after they haue made an entrance into it they shal neuer see terme of time or end Suppose the whol world were a sea and that euery thousand yeeres expired a bird must carrie away or drinke up one onely drop of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though verie huge shall be dried up but yet many thousand millions of yeres must be passed before this can be done Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying up he woulde thinke his case most happie and blessed but behold the elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not only for that time but when it is ended they shall enioy it as long againe and when all is done they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy as they were at the beginning Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is let us now come to the use of the article And first of all if wee beleeue that there is an eternall happinesse and that the same belonges unto us then wee must use this present world and all the things therin as though we used them not and whatsoeuer wee doe in this worlde yet the eyes of our mindes must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for us in heauen As a pilgrime in a straunge lande hath alwaies his eyes towarde his iourneyes ende and is then grieued when by any meanes hee is out of the way so much wee alwaies haue our mindes and heartes set on euerlasting life and be grieued when wee are by any way hindred in the strait way that leadeth thereunto wee haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out unto us in the patriarke Abraham who beeing called of God obeyed to goe out into a place which hee shoulde afterward receiue for inheritance and hee went out not knowing whither hee went and by faith aboade in the lande of Canaan as in a straunge cuntrey and as one that dvvelt in tentes Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting for the text saith Hee looked for a citie having a foundation whose builder and maker is God And wee ought euerie one of us for our partes to be like affected to all the things of this life neuer setting our hearts upon them but using them as a pilgrime doth his staffe in the way so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney hee is content to carrie it in his hande but so soone as it beginneth to trouble him he casteth it away Secondly all that professe the Gospell of Christ may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflictions which God shall lay on them in this worlde It is Gods usuall manner to begin corrections in his owne family upon his owne children and as Peter saieth Iudgement beginneth at Gods house Looke as a mother that waines her