the Iewes and all nations vnder his dominions to signifie that Christ was borne at the very time foretold by Iaacob when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda and withall to shew that his kingdome was not of this world And it was the good pleasure of God that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner but so many ages from the beginning of the world And this consideration of the very time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith For thus may we reason with our selues If God who in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman deferred it almost 4000 yeares and yet at length accomplished the same to the very full then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life euerlasting will in his good time bring them to passe though as yet we see them not And thus by the accomplishment of all things past should we confirme our hope concerning things to come The place was not at Ierusalem nor Nazareth nor any other citie but onely a village of Iuda called Bethleem that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be the ruler in Israel And here we may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence which ouerruleth the proceedings of cruell tyrants to the accomplishing of his owne will they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias gaue commandement that euery man should goe to his owne citie to be taxed and hereupon Ioseph and Marie take their iourney from Nazareth to Bethleem which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this ende that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his Prophet The manner of Christs birth was very base and poore for the place where he was borne was a stable and the cradle where he lay was a cratch And he willingly tooke vpon him this pouertie for sundrie causes I. That the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith that he should be the shame and contempt of the people and that he shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and haue neither forme nor beautie II. That he might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhoode to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this world who exceedingly esteeme of their riches power and glorie perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might wealth wheras Christ himselfe hath done the same both in pouertie and weaknesse and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helps When he hung vpon the crosse the souldiers stript him of his garments and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the Monarchs of the earth in all their royalties could neuer haue performed And whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse or in the pallace of the King it matters not in regard of our saluation IV. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last oomming to iudgement In the first he came onely for this ende not to make any outward alterations in the world but to chaunge the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption and therefore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter V. Lastly he was borne in a poore estate that he might procure true riches for vs in heauen and withall sanctifie vnto vs our pouertie vpon earth As Paul saith Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that he beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye thorough his pouertie might be made rich He was content to lie in the manger that we might rest in heauen This serues to teach vs to be content to beare any meane condition that the Lord shall send vpon vs for this is the very estate of the sonne of God himselfe And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was why should we murmure at the same for what is the best of vs but miserable sinners and therfore vtterly vnworthie either to go or lie vpon the bare earth and though we fare and lie better then our Lord himselfe yet such is our daintinesse we are not pleased therewith whereas he for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the world finde so little entertainment or fauour we for our parts beeing his members should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men The last point is the manifestation of Christs birth that it might be known to the world Where consider two circumstances the first to whome namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night and not to great or mightie men louers of this world nor to the priests at Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace and that for two causes one because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethlehem the other it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith Not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise The second is by whome by the angels of the Lord appearing in great glorie vnto the shepheards For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the Synagogues to whome this oâ—fice did belong held their peace beeing blinded in their manifold errours wicked waies The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these First we are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God saying with Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour And with Zacharie Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And with the Angels of heauen Glorie to God in the highest heauens For in this birth is made manifest the wisdome the truth the iustice and mercy and goodnesse of God towards vs more then euer it was before yea as Christ God and man is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods owne image and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life and as the eternall and most holy marriage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church arising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side is more wonderfull then the creation of Eve of the rib of
shall return vnto me with their whole heart In this knowledge of God must we glorie Ierem. 9.24 Let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shew mercie iudgement and righteousnes in the earth II. An vnion with God whereby man is knit in heart with God Iosh. 23. 8. Sticke fast vnto the Lord your God as yee haue done vnto this day Act. 11.23 He exhorted all that with purpose of heart they would cleaue to the Lord. Man cleaueth vnto God three manner of waies in affiance in loue and feare of God Affiance is that whereby a man acknowledging the power and mercie of God and in him against all assaults whatsoeuer doth stedfastly rest himselfe 2. Chro. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured beleeue his Prophets and ye shal prosper Psal. 27.1 God is my light and my saluation whome should I feare God is the strength of my life of whom should I be afraid v. 3. Though an hoast pitched against me mine heart should not be afraide though warre be raised against me I will be secure Hence riseth patience and alacritie in present perils Psal. 39.19 I should haue beene dumb and not opened my mouth because thou didst it 2. Sam. 16.10 the King said What haue I to doe with you ye sonnes of Zeruiah If he cursed because the Lord said Curse Dauid what is he that dare say Why doest thou so Gen. 45.5 Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruatiō v. 8. Now then you sent me not but god himselfe 2. King 6.16 Feare not for they that be with vs are moe thē they that be with thē This affiance engendreth hope which is a patient expectatiō of Gods presence assistance in all things that are to come Psal. 37.5 Cōmit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe vers 7. Waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him Prou. 16.3 Commit thy worke vnto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed The loue of God is that wherby man acknowledging Gods goodnes and fauour towards him doth againe loue him aboue all things Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength The marks of the true loue of God are these I. To heare willingly his word II. To speake often to him III. To thinke often of him IV. To do his will without irkesomnes V. To giue bodie and all for his cause VI. To desire his presence aboue all to bewaile his absence VII To embrace al such things as appertaine to him VIII To loue and hate that which he loueth and hateth IX In all things to seeke to please him X. To draw others vnto the loue of him XI To esteeme highly of such gifts and graces as he bestoweth XII To stay our selues vpon his counsels reuealed in his word Lastly to call vpon his name with affiance The feare of God is that whereby man acknowledging Gods both mercy and iustice doth as it were a capital crime feare to displease God Psal. 103. 3. With thee is mercie that thou maist be feared Habak 3.16 When I heard it my belly trembled my lips shooke at the voice rottennes entred into my bones I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble when he commeth vp against the people to destroy them Psal. 4.4 Tremble and sinne not Hence ariseth the godly mans desire to approoue himselfe in all things to his God Gen. 5.22 And Henoch walked with God after that c. Gen. 17. 1. God said to him I am al-sufficient walke before me and be thou perfect Out of these three former vertues proceedeth humilitie whereby a man acknowledging Gods free bountie and prostrating himselfe before him doth ascribe vnto him all praise and glorie 1. Cor. 1.31 Let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord. 1. Pet. 5.5 Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of mind for God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble v. 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1. Chro. 29. 10,11 And Dauid sayd Blessed be thou O Lord God of Israel our father for euer and thine O Lorde is greatnes and power and glorie and victorie and praise for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine c. and v. 14. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer willingly on this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand we haue giuen thee c. The negatiue part Account not that as God which is by nature no God In this place are these sinnes forbidden I. Ignorance of the true God and his will which is not only not to know but also to doubt of such things as God hath reuealed in his word Ierem. 4. 22. My people is foolish they haue not known me they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knoweledge Ierem. 9.3 They proceede from euill to worse and haue not knowne me saith the Lord. II. Atheisme when the heart denieth either God or his attributes as his Iustice Wisdome Prouidence Presence Psal. 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Eph. 2. 12. Ye had no hope and were without God in the world Malach. 1.2 I loue you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein haue we spoken against thee v. 14. Ye haue said it is in vaine to serue God what profit is it that we haue kept his commandements and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts III. Errours concerning God the persons of the Deitie or the attributs Heere is it to be reprooued Hellenisme which is the acknowledging adoring of a multiplicitie of Gods August in his 6. booke of the Citie of God chap. 7. Againe Iudaisme is here condemned which worshippeth one God without Christ. The like may be said of the heresies of the Maniches and Marcian who denie God the Father of Sabellius denying the distinction of three persons and Arrius who saith that Christ the Sonne of God is not very God IV. To withdraw and remooue the affections of the heart from the lord and set them vpon other things Esay 29.13 The Lord said this people draweth neere me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is farre from me Ierem. 12.2 Thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reynes The heart is many waies withdrawne from God I. By distrust in God Heb. 10.38 The iust shall liue by faith but if any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him From this diffidence arise I. Impatience in suffering afflictions Ierem. 20. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the
vnto me with all your heart with fasting and prayer vers 13. Rent your hearts and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for he is gratious and mercifull long â—uffering and of great kindnes that he might repent him of this euill vers 15. Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie vers 16. Gather the people sanctifie the Congregation gather the Elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber vers 17. Let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weepe between the porch and the altar and let them say Spare thy people O God c. A fast is sometime priuate sometimes publike 2. Chron. 20.3 Iehosaphat feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah Hest. 4. 16. Fast ye for me and neither eate nor drinke for the space of three daies and nights I also and my maides will fast A fast is either for one day alone or for many daies together Each of them is as occasion serueth an abstinence from meate at dinner alone or supper alone or both dinner and supper Iudg. 20.23 The children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening c. Dan. 10.3 I Daniel was in heauines for three weekes of daies I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth c. IV. Leagues of amitie among such as feare God according to his wordeâ— are lawfull as contracts in matrimonie league in warre especially if the warre be lawefull and without confidence in the power of man 2. Chro. 19.2 Mal. chap. 2. vers 11. To these may be added that couenant which the magistrate and people make among themselues and with God for the preseruation of Christian religion 2. Chr. 15.12 And they made a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart with all their soule c. v. 14. And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets CHAP. 22. Of the third commandement THe third commandement concerneth the glorifying of God in the affaires of our life without the solemne seruice of God Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Resolution Name This word properly signifieth Gods title here figuratiuely it is vsed for any thing whereby God may be knowne as men are by their names so it is vsed for his word workes iudgements Act. 9.15 He is an elect vessell to conuey my name among the Gentiles Psal. 8.1 O Lord our God how great is thy name through all the world which settest thy glory aboue the heauens Take That is vsurpe this word is translated from pretious things which may not be touched without licence And in trueth men which are no better then wormes creeping on the earth are vtterly vnworthie to take or as I may say touch the sacred name of God with minde or mouth neuerthelesse God of his infinite kindnes permitteth vs so to doe In vaine Namely for noâ—cause any matter and vpon each light and fonde occasion For The reason of this coÌ„mandement is taken from the penaltie annexed He that abuseth Gods name is guiltie of sinne before Gods iudgement seate and therefore is most miserable Psal. 32.1,2 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whome God imputeth not sâ—nne Guiltlesse That is he shall not be vnpunished The negatiue part Thou shalt not bereaue God of that honour that is due vnto him Here is included each seuerall abuse of any thing that is vsed in the course of our liues out of the solemne seruice of God I. Periurie when a man performeth not that which he on his own accord sware to doe Math. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but performe thine oath to the Lord. Periurie containeth in it foure capitall sinnes 1. Lying 2. False inuocation on Gods name because a forswearer calleth on God to confirme a lye 3. CoÌ„tempt of Gods threatnings that he will most grieuously punish periurie 4. A lye in his couenant with God for the forswearer bindeth himselfe to God and lieth vnto God II. To sweare that which is false This is to make god and the diuell both alike Ioh. 8.44 Ye are of your father the diuel c. when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of himselfe because he is a lyer and the father of lies Zach. 5.4 It shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name III. To sweare in common talke Matth. 5.37 Let your communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill IV. To sweare by that which is no God Matth. 5. 34 35. But I say vnto you sweare not at all neither by heauen for it is Gods throne neither by the earth for it is his footstoole neither by Hierusalem for it is the citie of the great king 1. King 19.2 Iesabel sent a messenger to Elias saying Thus doe the gods and so let them deale with me if I by to morrow this time make not thy life as is the life of euery one of them Iere. 12.16 They taught my people to sweare by Baal Iere. 5.7 Thy sonnes forsake me and sweare by them which are no gods This place condemneth that vsuall swearing by the masse faith and such like Matth. 23.22 He that sweareth by heauen sweareth by Gods throne and him that sitteth thereon But for a man to sweare by Christs death wounds blood other parts of his is most horrible is as much as to crucifie Christ againe with the Iewes or account Christs members as God himselfe V. Blasphemie which is a reproch against God and the least speech that sauoureth of contempt to his maiestie Leuit. 24.15 16. Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinnes And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death 2. King 19.10 So shall ye say to the king of Iudah let not thy God deceiue thee in whome thou trustest saying Ierusalem shal not be giuen into the hand of the King of Ashur Aiax in the Tragedie hath this blasphemous speech that euery coward may ouercome if he haue God on his side as for him he can get the victorie without Gods assistance That slie taunt of the Pope is likewise blasphemous wherein he calleth himselfe the seruant of all Gods seruants when as in trueth he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords and God subiect to his vaine fantasie VI. Cursing our enemies as Goe with a vengeance or the diuel goe with thee Or our selues as I would I might neuer stirre or as God shall iudge my soule c. To this place we may referre the execrations of Iob 3. Ier. 15. VII To vse the name of God carelesly in our
began and finished the whole worke in sixe distinct daies In the first day he made the matter of all things and the light in the second the heauens in the third day he brought the sea into his compasse and made the drie land appeare and caused it to bring forth hearbs plants and trees in the fourth he made the Sunne the Moone and the starres in heauen in the fifth day he made the fishes of the sea the foules of the heauen and euery creeâ—ing thing in the sixth day he made the beasts of the field and all cattell and in the end of the sixth day he made man Thus in sixe distinct spaces of time the Lord did make all things and that especially for three causes I. To teach men that they ought to haue a distinct and serious consideration of euery creature for if God made the world in a moment some might haue saide this worke is so mysticall that no man can speake of it But for the preuenting of this cauill it was his pleasure to make the world and all things therein in sixe daies and the seuenth day he commanded it to be sanctified by men that they might distinctly and seriously mediate vpon euery daies worke of the creation II. God made the world and euery thing therein in sixe distinct daies to teach vs what wonderfull power and libertie he had ouer all his creatures for he made the light when there was neither Sunne nor Moone nor starres to shew that in giuing light to the world he is not bound to the Sunne to any creature or to any meanes for the light was made the first day but the sunne the moone and the starres were not created before the fourth day Againe trees and plants were created the third day but yet the sunne moone and the starres and raine which nourish and make hearbs trees and plants to grow were not created till after the third day which shewes plainely that God can make trees plants and hearbs to grow without the means of raine and without the vertue and operation of the Sunne the Moone and the starres III. He made the world in sixe distinct daies and framed all things in this order to teach vs his wonderfull prouidence ouer all his creatures for before man was created he prouided for him a dwelling place and all things necessarie for his perpetuall preseruation and perfect happines and felicitie So also he created beasts and cattell but not before he had made hearbs plants and grasse and all meanes whereby they are preserued And if God had this care ouer man when as yet he was not much more will God haue care ouer him now when he is and hath a beeing in nature And thus much concerning the points of doctrine touching the creation The duties follow And first by the worke of creation we may discerne the true Iehouah from all false gods and idols in the world This Esaiah maketh plaine bringing in the Lord reasoning thus I am God and there is none other God besides me How is that prooued thus I forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things If a man aske thee how thou knowest the true God from all false gods thou must answer by the worke of creation for he alone is the maker of heauen and earth and all things in them This propertie can not agree to any creature to any man Saint or Angel nay not to all men and all Angels they can not giue beeing to a creature which before was nothing Secondly whereas God the father is Creator of all things and hath giuen vnto man reason vnderstanding and abilitie more then to other creatures we are taught to consider and meditate of the worke of Gods creation This the wise man teacheth vs saying Consider the worke of God And indeede it is a speciall dutie of euery man which professeth himselfe to be a member of Gods Church as he acknowledgeth God to be the Creatour so to looke vpon his workemanship and viewe and consider all creatures A skilfull workeman can haue no greater disgrace then when he hath done some famous thing to haue his friend passe by his worke and not so much as looke vpon it If it be demaunded for what ende must we looke vpon the worke of Gods creation I answer that in it we may see and discerne Gods power wisdome loue mercie and prouidence and all his attributes and in all things his glorie This is a most necessarie dutie to be learned of euery man we thinke nothing too much or too good to bestowe on vaine shewes and plaies idle sports and pastimes which are the vanities of men and we doe most willingly behold them in the meane season vtterly neglecting and contemning the glorious worke of Gods creation Well the Lord God hath appointed his Sabbath to be sanctified not onely by the publike ministerie of the word and by priuate praier but also by an especiall consideration and meditation of Gods creatures and therefore the dutie of euery man is this distinctly and seriously to view and consider the creatures of God and thereby take occasion to glorifie his name by ascribing vnto him the wisdome glorie power and omnipotencie that is due vnto him and appeares in the same Thirdly we must giue God glorie in all his creatures because he is the creator of them all So in the Reuelation the foure and twentie Elders fall downe before him and say Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glorie and honour and power giuing this reason for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue beene created Read the Psalmes 147. and 148. both which tende to this effect that God must be praised because he is the Creator of all things to whome all glorie is due We know that when men behold any curious worke of a cunning and skilfull craftesman straightway they will leaue the worke and inquire after him that made it that they may praise his skill The same is our dutie in this case when we come abroad and behold euery where in all the creatures the admirable and vnspeakable wisedome goodnesse and power of God then we must make hast from the creature and goe forward to the Creatour to praise and glorifie him and herein must we shew our selues to differ from bruit beasts in that by the vse and viewe of Gods creatures we doe returne due glorie praise and honour vnto the Creatour Our fourth dutie is set downe by the Prophet Amos who moouing the people to meete God by repentance addeth a reason taken from the creation He that fourmeth the mountaines and createth the winds which declareth vnto man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkenesse c. the Lord God of hosts is his name The meaning of the Prophet is this God is a terrible iudge and we are as traytors rebels against him therfore the best way that we
and businesses among men to which they were by God appointed And the bodies of men which they assumed were no parts of their natures vnited to them as our bodies are to vs but rather they were as garments are to vs which they might put off and on at their pleasure If any shall aske whence they had these bodies the answer is that either they were created of nothing by the power of God or framed of some other matter subsisting before If againe it be asked what became of these bodies when they laid them downe because they vsed them but for a time the answer may be that if they were made of nothing they were againe resolued into nothing if made of other creatures that then they were resolued into the same bodies of which they were first made though indeede we can define nothing certenly in this point III. Angels are reasonable creatures of excellent knowledge and vnderstanding farre surpassing all men saue Christ. Their knowledge is threefold naturall reuealed experimentall Naturall which they receiued from God in the creation Reuealed which God makes manifest to them in processe of time whereas before they knew it not Thus God reuealed to Gabriel the mysterie of the 70. weekes Dan. 8 and 9. And in the Apocalyps many things are reuealed to the Angels that they might reueale theÌ„ to vs. Experimentall knowledge is that which they get by obseruing the dealings of God in the whole world but specially in the Church And thus Paul saith that to principalities and powers in heauenly places is knowne the manifolde wisedome of God by the Church IV. And as the knowledge so also the power of the good Angels is exceeding great They are able to doe more then all men can Therefore Paul calls them mightie Angels 2. Thess. 1.7 Yea their power is farre superiour to the power of the wicked angels who since the fall are vnder them and can not preuaile against them V. The place of the aboad of Angels is the highest heauen vnlesse they be sent thence by the Lord to doe some thing appointed by him This our Saâ—iour Christ teacheth when he saith that the angels of litle ones doe alreadie behold the face of their father in heauen And the wicked angels before their fall were placed in heauen because they were cast thence VI. That there be certaine distinctions and diuersities of angels it is very likely because they are called thrones and principalities and powers Châ—rubim and Seraphim But what be the distinct degrees and orders of Angels and whether they are to be distinguished by their natures gifts or offices no man by scripture can determine VII The ministerie of angels to which the Lord hath set them apart is threefold and it respecteth either God himselfe or his church or his enemies The ministerie which they performe to God it first of al to adore praise and glorifie him continually Thus the Cherubims in Esaies vision crie one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts the world is full of his glory And when they were to publish the birth of the Messias they begin on this maner Glory to God in the highest heauens peace on earth And Iohn in his vision heard the angels about the throne crying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe c. to receiue power riches and strength wisdome and honour and glory and praise And indeede the highest ende of the ministerie of Angels is the manifestatioÌ„ of the glory of God The second is to stand in Gods presence euermore readie to doe his commandements as Dauid saith Praise the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word And here is a good lesson for vs. Wee pray daily that we may doe the will of God as the Angels in heauen doe it let vs therefore be followers of the holy Angels in praising God and in doing his commandements as they doe The ministerie of Angels concerning the Church standes in this that they are ministering sprits for the good of them which shall be heires of saluation The good is threefold in this life in the ende of this life and in the last iudgemeÌ„t again the good which they procure to the people of god in this life is either in respect of body or soule In respect of the body in that they doe most carefully performe al maner of duties which do necessarily tend to preserue the temporall life of Gods children euen from the beginning of their daies to the ende Dauid saith that they pitch their tents about them that feare the Lord. When Agar was cast forth of Abrahams family and wandered in the wildernesse an angell comes vnto her and giues her counsell to returne to her mistresse and humble her selfe When Elias fled from Iesabel he was both comforted directed and fed by an angel And an angel bidds the same Eliaâ— be of good courage and without feare to goe to King Achazias reproouâ— him Angels bring Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrha before they burne the citties with fire and brimstone When Iacob feared his brother Esau hee sawe angels comming vnto him and he plainely acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectours his guides in his iourney Abraham beeing perswaded of the assistance of Gods angels in al his waies said to his seruant The Lord God of heauen who tooke me from my fathers house c. will send his angels before thee The wise men that came to see Christ are admonished by angels to returne another way and Ioseph by the directioÌ„ of an angel fled into Egypt that he might preserue Christ from the hands of the cruel tyrant The tents of the Israelites was garded by angels The three children are deliuered from the fierie furnace and Daniel out of the Lyons denne by angels When Christ was in heauinesse they ministred vnto him and comforted him and they brought Peter out of prison and set him at libertie Againe the angels procure good vnto the soules of the godly in that they are maintainers and furtherers of the true worshippe of God and of all good meanes whereby we attaine to saluation The lawe was deliuered in Mount Sina by angels and a great part of the Reuelation of Iohn They expound to Daniel the seuenty weekes They instruct the Apostles touching the returne of Christ to the last iudgement An angel forbids Iohn to worship him but to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth They fetch the Apostles out of prison and bidde them teach in the temple An angel bringes Philip to the Eunuch that he may expound the Scriptures to him Lastly they reueale the misteries and the will of God as to Abraham that he should not kill his sonne Isaac to Mary and Elizabeth the natiuity of Iohn Baptist of Christ our Sauiour and all this they
because hee is absolute professour and owner of all things that are and also hath soueraigne rule ouer all things at his will Nowe out of this first propertie of God we may gather a strong motiue to induce vs to praie vnto him alone For seeing all things are his both in heauen and earth whatsoeuer therfore we must come to him for the graces and blessings which we desire The power Oftentimes earthly princes haue kingdomes yet want power but God hath kingdome and power also yea his power is infinite and he can doe all that he will and more then he will as for those things which come of impotencie he can not doe them and if he could he should not be omnipotent And as he is omnipotent in himselfe so all the power which any creature hath is from him alone Question How can this be seeing the deuill hath power to sinne which is not from God Ans. To sinne is no power but rather a want of power otherwise all the strength and power Satan hath is of God And froÌ„ this second propertie is taken another motiue to mooue vs to pray vnto God Because all power beeing his we can neuer doe any of the things which we aske but by power receiued from him Thine is the glorie This third propertie of God ariseth from the two former for seeing the title and interest in all things and the power whereby they are disposed and gouerned is of God therefore it followes that all glory is his yea in him is fulnesse of glorie and the glorie of the creature is all of him To sinnefull men belongs nothing but shame and confusion Dan. 9.7 This third propertie ministreth a third motiue to induce men to pray vnto God alone For seeing all glorie by right is his therefore we must inuocate hiâ— holy name that in so doing we may giue him the glorie due vnto him For euer The words in the originall are for ages Now an age signifies the space of an hundred yeares but here it is taken for eternitie because eternitie is nothing but multiplication of ages And as eternitie is here noted by ages so on the contrarie we read that eternitie is taken for a certaine and distinct time Gen. 17.8 God promiseth Abraham to giue him the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession that is for a long season For els Abrahams seed should inherit the land vntill this time which it doth not Wherefore as often the whole is put for the part vz. eternitie for a certaine time so here the part is put for the whole ages for eternitie This also makes a difference betweene earthly princes and the mightie Iehouah They haue kingdome power and glorie for a short time but he absolutely and for euer 2. The vses 1. HEre we learne in praier to abase our selues before God and vtterly to denie all that is in vs. Kingdome power and glorie is all his not ours we are no better then rebels and traitours to him if we haue any good thing it is from him euen the grace whereby we pray And he that in prayer will not confesse this shall no more be heard then the insolent begger that will not acknowledge his want 2. Secondly in prayer we learne that we must be perswaded of two things and build vpon them Gods power and will his power in that he is able his will in that he is carefull to performe our requests as it was noted in the preface the first of these is signified by kingdome and power the second is noted in that glorie is his 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen vnto the glorie of God 3. Again we gather that praier thanksgiuing must go togither for as in the sixe petitions we made request vnto God so in these words we praise him thereby giue him thankes Phil. 4.6 But in all things let your requests be shewed to god in praier and supplication with thankesgiuing There is none but in want will be readie to praie but when we haue receiued wee are slacke in giuing of thankes but he which will praie aright must ioyne them both togither And the summe of all gods praise stands in these three points 1. That he is an absolute King 2. That he hath absolute power to rule all things 3. That hauing power and a kingdome he hath glorie also which appeares in the holding of his kingdoâ—â— and the shewing of his power in gouerning of it 4. Whatsoeuer wee aske we must referre it to Gods glorie this is the first thing which we are taught to craue and the last wee are to performe because it is noted both in the beginning and in the end of the praier Thus much of the vse of these wordes altogither nowe let vs make vse of them particularly 1. Whereas we say Thine is the kingdome Magistrates rulers must knowe that all the authoritie and rule which they haue is from the Lord therefore they must remember to order themselues as Gods vicegerents vsing their power to bring men in subiection to Gods lawes and referring all their callings to his glorie 2. Where we say Thine is the power wee are admonished when wee are to performe any worke as to doe seruice to God to keep our selues in the compasse of our callings and that we haue no power of our selues for this cause we must aske power at gods hands that we may be inabled to walke vprightly before him and doe our duties 3. In saying Thine is the glorie we learne that if we would haue a good report and praise among men wee must aboue all things seeke Gods glorie not regarding so much our owne If hee giue thee praise among men giue him thankes if not be content because al glorie is his Amen 1. The meaning VVEe haue heard the preface and the petitions what they are now followeth the third part which is the assent or testification of faith required in praier in this word Amen And it containes more then men at the first would imagine It signifies certainly so be it or it shall be so 2. Cor. 1.20 It is often taken for a bare assent of the people saying Amen to the minister but in this place it containes more for euery point in this praier is not onely a direction for publike praier but for priuate also and must be said as well of the minister as of the people Now then there being two principal things in praier the first a desire of grace the second faith whereby wee beleeue that God will grant things desired The first is expressed in the sixe petitions the latter is set forth in this word Amen carrying this sense in effect As we haue craued these things at thy hands O Lord so we doe beleeue that for Christs â—ake in thy good time thou wilt grant them to vs. Therefore this part is more excellent then the former by how much our faith is more excellent theÌ„ our desire
And this sanctification is throughout the whole man in the spirite soule and minde 1. Thess. 5.23 And here the spirit signifieth the minde and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the mind is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sorts either spirituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisdome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euery thing that is to be done or not to be done out of Gods word Spirituall wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himselfe that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his paths and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enemies that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers because Gods testimonies were his meditations that he vnderstood more then the ancient because he kept Gods precepts The properties of the mind enlightened are specially two The first is that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes ignorance and vanitie as appeareth in Dauid who beeing a Prophet of God yet praied Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law And thence it is that the godly so much bewailed the blindnes of their minds Contrariwise the wicked man in the middest of his blindnes thinks himselfe to see The second is that the mind runneth and is occupied in a continuall meditation of Gods word So Dauid saith the righteous mans delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night XXXV The memory also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will whereas naturally it best remembreth lewdnes and wickednes and vanitie This holy memorie was in Dauid I haue hid thy promises in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee And Marie kept all the sayings of Christ and pondered them in her heart And to the exercise of this memorie Salomon hath a good lesson My sonne hearken vnto my words incline thine eares vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart XXXVI Furthermore the will of a Christian is renued and purified by Christ which appeareth in that it is so far forth freed from sin that it can will choose that which is good and acceptable to God and refuse that which is euil according to that of Paul It is God which worketh in you the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure Now if a man be considered as he is naturally he can neither will nor performe that which is good but onely that which is euill for he is sold vnder sin as the oxe or the asse committeth iniquitie as the fish draweth in water yea he is in bondage vnder Satā who inspireth his mind with vile motions and boweth his will affections and the members of his bodie to his cursed will so that for his life he is not able to doe any thing but sinne rebel against God And it must be remembred that although the Christian mans will be freed in part from the bondage of sinne in this life yet it shall not be free from the power of sinne vntill the life to come for Paul that worthie Saint saith of himselfe beeing regenerate that he was carnall and sold vnder sinne XXXVII Sanctified affections are knowne by this that they are mooued inclined to that whiah is good to embrace it are not commonly affected and stirred with that which is euill vnlesse it be to eschew it Examples hereof are these which follow To reioyce with them that reioyce And to weepe with them that weepe To reioyce because a mans name is written in heauen To desire Gods presence and fauour as the drie land desireth water To feare and tremble at Gods word To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped To be vexed in soule from day to day in seeing and hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men and to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements In feruencie of spirit to serue the Lord. To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men To be angrie and sinne not To sorrow for the displeasing of God To loue the brethren i◠Christ. To admire at the word of God To loue Gods commandements aboue gold To admire the graces of God in others In feare to serue God and to reioyce in trembling To walke in the feare of God and to be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost To be heauie through manifold temptations To reioyce in beeing partaker of the sufferings of Christ. To waite on the Lord to reioyce in him and to trust in his holy name To waite for the full redemption To sigh desiring to enioy eternall life To loue the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour dwelleth To esteeme all things as losse and dung in respect of Christ. XXXVIII But among all these sanctified affections there are foure specially to be marked The first is a zeale for Gods glorie by which a Christian is thus affected that rather then God should loose his glorie he could be content to haue his own soule damned As it was with Moses who feared least God should loose his glorie if he did vtterly destroy the Israelites for their idolatrie whome he had chosen to be his people therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written And Paul could haue wished with all his heart to be cut off from all fellowship with Christ and to be giuen vp to eternall destruction for his countrie men the Iewes and for Gods glorie specially Some may say this affection is not common to all but particular to such as are lead with such an exceeding affection as these holy men were and which haue their hearts so pierced and kindled with diuine loue and so rauished with the same out of themselues that they forget all other things yea themselues hauing nothing before their eies but God and his glorie To this I answere that this affection is common to all though the measure of it be diuers in some more in some lesse which appeareth in
and put his houshold in order and went and hanged himselfe And the fiue foolish virgins contented themselues with the blasing lamps of a bare profession neuer seeking for the horne of lasting oyle of true and liuely faith that might furnish and trimme that lampe both in life death But let vs in the feare of God cast off this damnable folly first of all seeking the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and leading our liues in faith and obedience that we may die accordingly And thus much of the first point of doctrine namely that there is a certen way whereby a man may die well now I come to the second Whereas therefore Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth we are further taught that such as truly beleeue theÌ„selues to be the children of God are not to feare death ouermuch I say ouermuch because they must partly feare it partly not Feare it they must for two causes the first because death is the destruction of humane nature in a mans owne selfe and others in this respect Christ feared it without sinne and we must not feare it otherwise then we feare sicknes and pouertie and famine with other sorrowes of bodie and mind which god wil not haue vs to despise or lightly regard but to feele with some paine because they are corrections and punishments for sinne And he doth therefore lay vpon vs paines and torments that they may be feared and eschewed and that by eschewing them we might further learne to eschew the cause of them which is sinne and by experience in feeling of paine acknowledge that God is a iudge and enemie of sinne and is exceeding angrie with it The second cause of the feare of death is the losse of the Church or Commonwealth when we or others are depriued of them which were indeede or might haue bin an helpe stay and comfort to either of them and whose death hath procured some publike or priuate losse Againe we are not to feare death but to be glad of it and that for many causes First of all in it we haue occasion to shew our subiection and obedience which we owe vnto God when he calls vs out of this world as Christ saide Father not my will but thy will be done Secondly all sinne is abolished by death and we then cease to offend God any more as we haue done Thirdly the dead bodie is brought into a better condition then euer it was in this life for by death it is made insensible and by that meanes it is freed from all the miseries and calamities of this life and it ceaseth to be either an actiue or passiue instrument of sinne whereas in the life time it is both Fourthly it giues the soule passage to rest life and celestiall glorie in which we shall see God as he is perfectly know him and praise his name for euer keeping without intermission an eternall sabbath therefore Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ for that is best of all Fifthly God exequutes his iudgements vpon the wicked and purgeth his Church by death Now in all these respects godly men haue cause not to feare and sorrow but to reioyce in their owne death and the death of others Thirdly if the day of death be so excellent yea a day of happines then it is lawfull to desire death and men doe not alwaies sinne in wishing for death Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and againe O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Yet this desire must not be simple but restrained with certaine respects which are these First death must be desired so far forth as it is a meanes to free vs from the corruption of our nature secondly as it is a meanes to bring vs to the immediate fellowship of Christ and God himselfe in heauen thirdly death may be lawfully desired in respect of the troubles and miseries of this life two caueats beeing obserued the first that this desire must not be immoderate the second it must be ioyned with submission and subiection to the good pleasure of God If either of these be wanting the desire is faultie and therefore Iob and Ieremie and Ionas failed herein because they desired death beeing carried away with impatience On the contrarie also a man may desire a continuance of life Ezechias praied and desired to liue when he heard the message of present death that he might doe seruice to God And Paul desired to liue in regard of the Philippians that he might further their faithâ— though in regard of himselfe to die was aduantage to him Lastly if death ioyned with reformation of life be so blessed then the death of the vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinner is euery way cursed most horrible Reasons are these First it is the destruction of nature and the wages of sinne Secondly in it there is no comfort of the spirit to be found no mitigation of paine and no good thing that may counterâ—aile the miseries thereof Thirdly that which is the most feâ—reful thing of all bodily death is the beginning os eternall death desperation and infernall torment without hope of deliuerance Therefore as I began so I end haue care to liue well and die well FINIS An addition of things that come to my minde afterward THe last combat with the deuill in the pang of death is oftentimes most dangerous of all For then he will not vrge men to desperation knowing that by this meanes he shall stirre them vp to resist him but he labours with them that they would not resist him when he assaults them and by this means he indeauours to extinguish hope And this is not done in any other temptation in which faith or hope alone are impugned whereas in this they are both impugned togither This must be thought vpon for when the deuills temptation is not to resist his temptation it is most deceitful of all and it is more easie to ouercome the enemie that compells vs to fight then him that disswades vs from it The temptation of M. Iohn Knox in the time of his death is worth the marking He lay on his death-bedde silent for the space of foure houres very often giuing great sighes sobbes and grones so as the standers by well perceiued that he was troubled with some grieuous temptation and when at length he was raised in his bedde they asked him how he did to whome he answered thus that in his life time he had indured many combats and conflicts with Sathan but that now most mightily the roaring lyon had assaulted him often said he before he set my sinnes before mine eyes often he vrged me to desperation often he laboured to intangle me with the delights of the world but beeing vanquished by the sword of the spirit which is the word of God he could not preuaile But now he assaults me another way for the wily serpent would perswade me that
A golden Chaine OR THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie containing the order of the causes of Saluation and Damnation according to Gods word A view whereof is to be seene in the Table annexed Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader there are at this day foure seuerall opinions of the order of Gods predestination The first is of the olde and new Pelagians who place the cause of Gods predestination in man in that they hold that God did ordaine meÌ„ either to life or death according as he did foresee that they would by their natural free-will either reiect or receiue grace offered The second of them who of some are tearmed Lutherans which teach that God foreseeing howe all mankinde beeing shutte vp vnder vnbeleefe would therefore reiect grace offered did hereupon purpose to choose some to saluation of his meere mercie without any respect of their faith or good workes and the rest to reiect beeing mooued to doe this because hee did eternally foresee that they would reiect his grace offered them in the Gospell The third Semipelagian Papists which ascribe Gods predestination partly to mercie and partly to mens foreseene preparations and meritorious workes The fourth of such as teach that the cause of the execution of Gods predestination is his mercie in Christ in them which are saued and in them which perish the fall and corruption of man yet so as that the decree and eternall counsell of God concerning them both hath not any cause beside his will and pleasure Of these foure opinions the three former I labour to oppugne as erronious and to maintaine the last as beeing trueth which will beare waight in the ballance of the Sanctuarie A further discourse whereof here I make bold to offer to thy godly consideration in reading whereof regard not so much the thing it selfe penned very slenderly as mine intent affection who desire among the rest to cast my mite into the treasurie of the Church of England and for want of gold pearle and pretions stone to bring a rammes skinne or twaine and a little Goates haire to the building of the Lords tabernacle Exod. 35.23 The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant that according to the riches of his glorie thou maiest bee strengthened by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in thy heart by faith to the end that thou being rooted and grounded in loue maiest bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height thereof to knowe the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that thou maiest be filled with all fulnes of God Amen Farewell Iulie 23. the yeare of the last patience of Saints 1592. Thine in Christ Iesus W. P. A GOLDEN CHAINE OR THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie THE CONTENTS 1 Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie pag. 1 2 Of God and the nature of God ibid. 3 Of the life of God pag. 3 4 Of Gods glorie and blessednes pag. 5 5 Concerning the persons of the Godhead pag. 6 6 Of Gods workes and his decree pag. 8 7 Of Predestination and creation pag. 10 8 Of Angels pag. 11 9 Of Man the state of innocencie pag. 12 10 Of sinne and the fall of angels pag. 13 11 Of mans fall and disobedience pag. 15 12 Of Originall sinne pag. 16 13 Of Actuall sinne pag. 19 14 Of the punishment of sinne pag. 22 15 Of Election and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof pag. 23 16 Of the vnion of the two natures in Christ. pag. 25 17 Of the distinctioÌ„ of both natures pag. 27 18 Of Christs natiuitie and office pag. 27 19 Concerning the outward meanes of executing the decree of Election and of the Decalogue pag. 36 20 Of the first commandement pag. 38 21 Of the second commandement pag. 42 22 Of the third commandement pag. 54 23 Of the fourth commandement pag. 61 24 Of the fift commandement pag. 66 25 Of the sixt commandement pag. 73 26 Of the seuenth commandement pag. 82 27 Of the eight commandement pag. 88 28 Concerning the ninth commaundement pag. 95 29 Of the tenth commandement pag. 100 30 Of the vse of the Law pag. 101 31 Of the Couenant of grace pag. 102 32 Of the Sacraments pag. 103 33 Of Baptisme pag. 107 34 Of the Lords Supper pag. 111 35 Of the degrees of executing Gods decree in election pag. 113 36 Conceâ—ning the first degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 114 37 Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 121 38 Concerning the third degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 124 39 Of Repentance and the fruit thereof pag. 128 40 Of Christian warfare pag. 129 41 Of the first Assault pag. 130 42 Of the second Assault pag. 131 43 Of the third Assault pag. 134 44 Of the patient bearing of the Crosse. pag. 136 45 Of the calling vpon God pag. 138 46 Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome pag. 139 47 Of edification and Almes among the faithfull pag. 140 48 Of the fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue and of the estate of the Elect after this life pag. 141 49 Of the estate of the Elect at the last day of iudgement pag. 143 50 Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement pag. 144 51 Concerning the order of the causes of Saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome pag. 146 52 Concerning the decree of Reprobation pag. 163 53 Concerning the exâ—â—â—tion of the decree of Reprobation pag. 164 54 Concerning a new deuised doctrine of Predestination taught by some new and late Diuines pag. 167 55 Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead pag. 175 56 Of the state of the Reprobates in hell pag. 176 57 Of the Application of Predestinanation ibid. AN EPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR Creede of the Apostles THE CONTENTS The Creede pag. 185 Faith pag. 187 God pag. 198 The three persons pag. 202 The Father pag. 205 Gods omnipotencie pag. 212 The creation 217. 221 Gods counsell pag. 218 The creation of heauen pag. 228 The creation of Angels pag. 231 The creation of Man pag. 236 Gods prouidence pag. 242 Adams fall and Originall sinne pag. 252 The couenant of grace pag. 259 The title Iesus pag. 262 The title Christ. pag. 266 The title Sonne pag. 271 The title Lord. pag. 278 The incarnation of Christ. pag. 279 Christs humiliation pag. 295 Christs passion pag. 297 Christs arraignment pag. 300 Christs execution pag. 328 Christs sacrifice pag. 350 Christs triumph pag. 356 Christs buriall pag. 376 The descension of Christ. pag. 372 Christs exaltation pag. 370 Christs resurrection pag. 379 Christs ascension pag. 396 Christs sitting at c. pag. 407 Christs intercession pag. 409 Christs kingdome pag. 417 The last iudgement pag. 420 The holy Ghost pag. 436 The Church 451.488 Predestination pag. 453 The
is euident 1. by the course of nature 2. by the nature of the soule of man 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest 4. by the terrour of conscience 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends 8. the consent of all men well in their wits God is Iehouah Elohim Exod. 6.2 And Elohim spake vnto Moses and said vnto him I am Iehouah and I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of God almightie but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them Exod 3.13 If they say vnto me What is his name What shall I say vnto them And God answered Moses I am that I am Also he said thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you And God spake further to Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel Iehouah Elohim c. hath sent me vnto you In these wordes the first title of God declareth his Nature the second his Persons The Nature of God is his most liuely and most perfect essence The perfection of the nature of God is his absolute constitution by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am Act. 17.24 God that made the world and all things that are therein seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things The perfection of his Nature is either Simplenes or the Infinitenes therof The Simplenesse of his nature is that by which he is void of all Logical relation He hath not in him subiect or adiunct Ioh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe conferred with Ioh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life 1. Ioh. 1.7 But if we walke in light as he is in light conferred with v. 5. God is light and in him is no darkenesse Hence it is manifest that to haue Life and to be Life to be in Light and to be Light in God are all one Neither is God subiect to generalitie or specialtie whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God diuers things and one more perfect then another Therefore whatsoeuer is in God is his essence and all that he is he is by essence The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie is fit to prooue this In God saith he to be and to be iust or mightie are all one but in the minde of man it is not all one to be and to be mightie or iust for the minde may be destitute of these vertues and yet a minde Hence it is manifest that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall Gods immutabilitie of nature is that by which he is void of all composition diuision and change Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord and am not changed Where it is saide that God repenteth c. Gen. 6.6 the meaning is that God changeth the action as men doe that repent therefore repentance it signifieth not any mutation in God but in his actions and such things as are made and chaunged by him Gods Nature is spirituall in that it is incorporall and therefore inuisible Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit 1. Tim. 1.17 To the King eternall immortall inuisible onely wise God be glorie and honour for euer and euer Col. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God The infinitenesse of GOD is twofolde his Eternitie and Exceeding greatnesse Gods eternitie is that by which he is without beginning and ending Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God Revel â— 8. I am Alpha and Omega that is the beginning and ending saith the Lord Which is Which was and Which is to come Gods exceeding greatnes is that by which his incomprehensible nature is euery where present both within and without the world Psal. 145.3 Great is the Lord and worthie to be praised and his greatnes is incomprehensible 1. King 8.27 Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee how much lesse is this house that I haue built Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth saith the Lord Hence it is plaine First that he is onely one and that indiuisible not many Eph. 4.5 One Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all Deut. 4. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God and that there is none but he alone 1. Cor. 8.4 We know that an idoll is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one And there can be but one thing infinite in nature Secondly that God is the knower of the heart For nothing is hidden from that nature which is within all things and without all things which is included in nothing nor excluded from any thing Because 1. King 8. 39. the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth euery worke of the minde Psal. 139.1,2 Thou knowest my sitting downe and my rising vp thou vnderstandest my cogitation a farre off CHAP. 3. Of the life of God HItherto we haue spoken of the perfection of Gods nature Now followeth the life of God by which the Diuine Nature is in perpetuall action liuing and moouing in it selfe Psal. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Hebr. 3. 12. See that there be not at any time in any of you an euill heart to depart from the liuing God The diuine Nature is especially in perpetual operation by three attributes the which doe manifest the operation of God towards his creatures These are his Wisdome Will and Omnipotencie The wisdome or knowledge of God is that by the which God doth not by certaine notions abstracted from the things themselues but by his owne essence nor successiuely and by discourse of reason but by one eternall and immutable act of vnderstanding distinctly and perfectly know himselfe and all other things though infinite whether they haue beene or not Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father nor the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Hebr. 4. 13. There is nothing created which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his eyes with whome we haue to doe Psal. 147.5 His wisdome is infinite Gods wisdome hath these
you God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham Philip. 3. 21. According to the working whereby he is able to subdue euen all things vnto himselfe Gods actuall power is that by which he causeth all things to be which he freely will Psal. 135. 6. All things which God will those he doth in heauen and in earth and in all depths CHAP. 5. Of Gods glorie and blessednesse OVt of the former attributes by which the true Iehouah is distinguished from a fained god and from idols arise the glorie of God and his blessednesse Gods glorie or maiestie is the infinite excellencie of his most simple and most holy diuine Nature Hebr. 1.3 Who beeing the brightnesse of his glorie and the ingraued forme of his person c. Dan. 3. Thou art onely God and glorious vpon the earth By this we see that God onely can know himselfe perfectly Ioh. 6.46 Not that any maÌ„ hath seene the Father saue he which is of God he hath seen the Father 1. Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see Exod. 33.18 Thou canst not see my face Notwithstanding there is a certaine manifestation of gods glorie partly more obscure partly more apparant The more obscure manifestation is the vision of Gods maiestie in this life by the eies of the mind through the help of things perceiued by the outward senses Esa. 6.1 I saw the Lord sitting vppon an high throne and lifted vp and the lower parts thereof filled the temple Exod. â—3 22 And while my glorie passeth by I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke and will couer thee with my hand whiles I passe by after I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but my face shall not be seene 1. Cor. 13. 12. Nowe we se as through a glasse darkely The more apparant manifestation of God is the contemplation of him in heauen face to face 1. Corinth 13. 12. But then shall we see face to face Dan. 7. 9 10. I beheld till the thrones were set vp and the ancient of daies did fit whose garment was white as snow c. Matth. 19.16 Gods blessednes is that by which God is in himselfe and of himselfe all sufficient Gen. 17.1 I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright Col. 2.2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily 1. Tim. 6.5 Which in due time he shall shew that is blessed and Prince onely c. CHAP. 5. Concerning the persons of the Godhead THe persons are they which subsisting in one Godhead are distinguished by incommunicable properties 1. Ioh. 5.7 There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one Gen. 19.24 Then Iehouah raigned vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Iehouah in heauen Ioh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God They therefore are coequall and are distinguished not by degree but by order The Constitution of a person is when as a personall proprietie or the proper manner of subsisting is adioyned to the Dietie or one diuine nature Distinction of persons is that which albeit euery person is one and the same perfect God yet the Father is not the Sonne or the holy Ghost but the Father alone and the holy Ghost is not the Father or the Sonne but the holy Ghost alone neither can they be deuided by reason of the infinitnesse of their most simple essence which is all one in number and the same in the Father the same in the Sonne and the same in the holy Ghost so that in these there is diuersitie of persons but vnitie in essence The communion of the persons or rather vnion is that by which each one is in the rest and with the rest by reason of the vnitie of the Godhead therfore euerie each one doth possesse loue and glorifie another and worke the same thing Ioh. 4.10 Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father is in me the wordes that I spake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in me he doth the workes Prov. 8.22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way I was before the works of old And vers 20. Them was I with him as a nourisher and I was daily his delight reioicing alwaie before him Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God and chap. 5.19 The Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe saue that he seeth the Father do for whatsoeuer things he doth the same doth the Sonne also There be three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Matth. 3.16.17 And Iesus when hee was baptized came straight out of the water and lo the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn saw the Spirit of God descending like a doue and lighting vpon him and loe a voyce came from heauen saying This is my belooued sonne in whome I am well pleased The father is a person without beginning who from all eternitie begate the Sonne Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of his person Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee In the generation of the Sonne these properties must be noted I. Hee that begetteth and he that is begotten are togither and not one before another in time II. He that begetteth doth communicate with him that is begotten not some one part but his whole essence III. The Father begot the Sonne not out of himselfe but within in himselfe The incommunicable propertie of the Father is to be vnbegotten to be a Father and to beget He is the beginning of actions because he beginneth euery action of himselfe effecting it by the Sonne and the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 8.6 Yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and wee by him Rom. 11. â—6 For of him and through him and for him are all things The other two persons haue the Godhead or the whole diuine essence of the Father by communication namely the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Sonne is the second person begotten of the Father from all eternitie Heb. 1.5 For vnto which of the Angels said be at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee Col. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creaturâ— Ioh. 1.14 And we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the father Rom. 8.32 He who spared not his owne sonne For this cause he is said to be sent from the father Ioh. 8.42 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my selfe but he sent me This sending taketh not
that which hee from his heart detesteth Rom. 7.19 I doe not the thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. The fourth difference is presumptuous sinning vpon knowledge Psal. 19. 13. Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes let them not raigne ouer me Hitherto belongeth I. euery sinne committed with an high hand that is in some contempt of God Numb 15.30 The person that doth presumptuously c. shal be cut off from amongst his people because he hath despised the word of the Lord and and hath broken his commandement II. Presumption of Gods mercie in doing euill Eccles. 8.11 Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes c. not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentance c. The fift difference is to sinne vpon knowledge and set malice against God and to this is the sinne against the holy Ghost referred CHAP. 14. Of the punishment of sinne HItherto we haue intreated of sinne wherewithall all mankind is infected in the next place succeedeth the punishmeÌ„t of sinne which is threefold The first is in this life and that diuerse waies The first concerneth the bodie either in the prouision with trouble for the things of this life Gen. 3. 17. or a pronenesse to disease Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Ioh. 5. 14. Behold thou art made whole sinne no more least a worse thing fall vpon thee Deut. 28.21,22 The Lord shall make the pestilence cleaue vnto thee vntill he hath consumed thee from the land c. Or shame of nakednesse Gen. 3.7 Or in womens paines in childbirth Gen. 3. 16. Vnto the woman he said I will greatly encrease thy sorrowes and conceptions in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children II. The soule is punished with trembling of conscience care trouble hardnesse of heart and madnesse Deut. 28.28 The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and with astonying of heart III. The whole man is punished 1. with fearefull subiection to the regiment of Satan Col. 1.13 Which freed vs from the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne Heb. 2. 14. He also himself tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had power of death that is the diuell 2. A separation from the fellowship of God and trembling at his presence Eph. 4. 18. Hauing their cogitation darkned and beeing straungers from the life of God Gen. 3. 10. I heard thy voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked therefore I hid my selfe 3. Vpon a mans goods diuers calamities and dammages Deut. 28.29 Thou shalt euer be oppessed with wrong and be pouled and no man shall succour thee c. to the ende of the chapter To this place may be referred distinction of Lordships and of this commeth a care to enlarge them and bargaining with all manner of ciuill seruitudes 4. The losse of that Lordly authoritie which man had ouer all creatures also their vanitie which is not onely a weakning but also a corrupting of that excellencie of the vertues and powers which God at the first put into them Rom. 8.20 21. The creature is subiect to vanitie not of it owne will but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope c. 5. In a mans name infamie and ignominie sometimes after his death Ierem. 24.9 The second is at the last gaspe namely death or a change like vnto death Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death The third is after this life euen eternall destruction from Gods presence and his exceeding glorie 2. Thess. 1.9 Who shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of God and the glorie of his power CHAP. 15. Of Election and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof PRedestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation 1. Thess. 5.9 God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Election is Gods decree whereby on his owne free will he hath ordained certaine men to saluation to the praise of the glorie of his grace Eph. 1.4 5 6. He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glorie of his grace This decree is that booke of life wherein are written the names of the Elect Revel 20.12 Another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things that were written in the bookes according to their workes 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his The execution of this decree is an action by which God eueÌ„ as he purposed with himselfe worketh all those things which he decreed for the saluation of the Elect. For they whome God elected to this ende that they should inherite eternall life were also elected to those subordinate meanes whereby as by steppes they might attaine this end and without which it were impossible to obtaine it Rom. 8. 29 30. Those which he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne amongst many brethren Moreouer whome he predestinate them he called whome he called them â—ee iustified and whome hee iustified them also he glorified There appertaine three things to the execution of this decree First the foundation Secondly the meanes Thirdly the degrees The foundation is Christ Iesus called of his father from all eternitie to performe the office of the Mediator that in him all those which should be saued might be chosen Heb. 5.5 Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour to bee made the high Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day begate I thee gaue it him c. Esa. 42.1 Behold my seruant I will stay vpon him mine elect in whome my soule delighteth I haue put my spirit vpon him he shall bring foorth iudgement to the Gentiles Eph. 1.4 Hee hath chosen vs in him meaning Christ. Question Howe can Christ be subordinate vnto Gods election seeing he together with the Father decreed all things Answ. Christ as he is Mediator is not subordinate to the very decree it selfe of election but to the execution thereof onely 1. Pet. 1.20 Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world Augustine in his booke of the Predestinaiion of the Saints chap. 5. Christ was Predestinate that he might be our head In Christ we must especially obserue two things his incarnatioÌ„ his Office To the working of his Incarnation concurre First both his Natures Secondly their Vnion Thirdly their distinction Christs first Nature is the Godhead in as much as it belongeth to the Son whereby he is God Phil. 2.6 Who beeing in the forme of God thought it
Sonne of God By this we may see that Christ is one onely Sonne of God not two yet in two respects is he one As he is the eternall Word hee is by nature the Son of the Father As he is man the same Sonne also yet not by nature or by adoption but only by personal vnion Luk. 1.35 Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued Son c. The phrase in Scripture agreeing to this Vnion is the communion of properties concerning which obserue two rules I. Of those things which are spoken or attributed to Christ some are only vnderstood of his diuine nature As that Ioh. 8.58 Before Abraham was I am And that Coloss. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature Some againe agree only to his humanitie as borne suffered dead buried c. Luk. 2.52 And Iesus increased in wisdome and stature and in fauour with God and man Lastly other things are vnderstood only of both natures vnited togither As Matth. 17.5 This is my beloued Son in whome onely I am well pleased heare him Eph. 1.22 He hath made subiect all things vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head to the Church II. Some things are spoken of Christ as he is God which must be interpreted according to his humane nature Act. 20.28 To feed the Church of God that is Christ which he according to his manhood hath purchased with his own blood 1. Cor. 2.8 If they had knowne this they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glory Contrarily some things are mentioned of Christ as he is man which onely are vnderstood of his diuine nature Ioh. 3.13 No man ascended vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen This is spoken of his manhood whereas we must vnderstand that onely his Deitie came downe from heauen Ioh. 6.62 What if ye should see the sonne of man vz. Christs humane nature ascend vp where hee vz. his Deitie was before Lastlie by reason of this Vnion Christ as he is man is exalted aboue euery name yea he is adored and hath such a great though not infinite measure of gifts as farre surpasse the gifts of all Saints and Angels Eph. 1.21 And set him at his right hand in heauenly places â—â—â—re aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but in that also that is to come Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Col. 2.3 In whome all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidden Phil. 2.9 10. Therefore god exalted him on hie gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow namely worship and be subiect to him both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth CHAP. 17. Of the distinction of both Natures THe distinction of both Natures is that whereby they with their properties and effects remaine without composition mingling or conuersion distinct Ioh. 10.17,18 Therefore doth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and haue power to take it againe Ioh. 13.31 32. Now is the Son of man glorified God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himselfe Here we may obserue that there is one will in Christ as God another as man Matth. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt This also approoueth that sentence of the Chalcedon Creede Wee confesse that one and the same Christ Iesus both Sonne Lord only begotteÌ„ is known and preached to be in two natures without confusion mutation distinction or separation Lastly hereby it is manifest that Christ when he became that which he was not namely man continued still that which he was very God CHAP. 18. Of Christs Natiuitie and Office THus much concerning Christs incarnation the cleere declaration thereof was by his natiuitie The natiuity of Christ is that wherby Mary a Virgin did after the course of nature and the custome of women bring forth Christ that Word of the father and the Son of Dauid so that those are much deceiued which are of opinion that Christ after a miraculous maner came into the world the wombe of the Virgin beeing shut Luk. 2.23 Euery man child which first openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. The which place of scripture is applyed to Mary our Sauiour Christ. Hence is it that the Virgin Marie is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth god albeit she is not any way mother of the Godhead For Christ as hee is God is without mother and as man without Father It is conuenient to be thought that Mary continued a Virgin vntill her dying day albeit we make not this opinion any article of our beleefe I. Christ beeing now to depart the world committed his mother to the tuition and custodie of his disciple Iohn which it is like he would not haue done if shee had had any children by whom as custome was shee might haue beene prouided for Ioh. 19. 26. II. It is likely that shee who was with childe by the holy Ghost would not after know any man III. It is agreed of by the Church in all ages Christ beeing now borne was circumcised the eight day that he might fulfill all the righteousnes of the law and bâ—â—â—g thirtie yeares of age he was baptized that he beeing publiquely and solemnly inuested into the office of his Mediatorship might take vpon him the guilt of our sinnes He was both circumcised and baptized that we might learne I. That the whole efficacie of the Sacraments depend alone and wholly vpon him II. That he was Mediatour of mankind both before and after the Law as also vnder grace III. That he is the knot and bond of both couenants His Office followeth to the perfect accomplishing whereof he was annointed of his Father that is he was sufficiently furnished both with gifts and authoritie Hebr. 1.9 Therefore God euen thy God annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Esa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord was vpon me therfore be annointed me Ioh. 3.34 God giueth him not the Spirit by measure If any man inforce this as a reason that Christ could not performe the Office of a Mediatour beeing not the meane or middle betwixt God and man but the partie offended so one of the extreames we must know that Christ is two waies said to be the middle or meane I. Betwixt God and all men for being both God and man he doth participate with both extreames II. Betwixt God and the faithfull onely first according to his humanitie whereby he receiued the Spirit without measure Secondly according to his diuine
He is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Secondly according to his Deitie partly by applying the merit of his death partly by making request by his holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect with sighes vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father to the sanctification of the Spirit Rom. 8. â—6 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed We are not therefore to imagine or surmise that Christ prostrateth himselfe vpon his knees before his Fathers throne for vs neither is it necessarie seeing his very presence before his father hath in it the force of an humble petition The end of Christs intercession is that such as are iustified by his merits should by this meanes continue in the state of grace Now Christs intercession preserueth the elect in couering their continuall slipps infirmities and imperfect actions by an especiall and continuall application of his merits That by this meanes mans person may remaine iust and mans works acceptable to God 1. Ioh. 2.2 Hee is a reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Pet. 2.5 Yee as liuely stones be made a spirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Reuel 8.3,4 And another Angell came and stood before the altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne and tâ—â— smoke of the odors with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand Thus farre concerning Christs priesthood nowe follow his Propheticall and Regall offices His Propheticall office is that whereby he immediately from his Father renealeth his word and all the meanes of saluation comprised in the same Ioh. 1.18 The Son which is in the bosome of his father he hath declared vnto you Ioh. 8.26 Those things which I heare of my father I speake to the world Deut. 18.18 I will raise them vp a Prophet c. The word was first reuealed partly by visions by dreames by speech partly by the instinct and motion of the holy ghost Heb. 1.1 At sundry times in diuers manners God spake in old time to our Fathers the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne 2. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy ghost The like is done ordinarily onely by the preaching of the word where the holy ghost doth inwardly illuminate the vnderstanding Luk. 24.45 Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures v. 21.15 I I will giue you a month and wisdome where against all your aduersaries shall not bee able to speake nor resist Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended on the things that Paul spake For this cause Christ is called the Doctor Lawegiuer and Counsellour of his Church Matth. 23.10 Be ye not called Dâ—ctors for one is your Doctor Iesus Christ. Iam. 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy Esa. 9.6 He shall call his name Counsellour c. Yea he is the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 The Angell of the couenant Malac. 3.1 And the Mediatour of the new couenant Heb. 9.15 Therefore the soueraigne authoritie of expouÌ„ding the Scripture only belongs to Christ and the Church hath onely the ministerie of iudgement and interpretation committed vnto her Christs Regall office is that whereby he distributeth his gifts and disposeth all things for the benefit of the elect Psal. 2. and 110.31.2 The Lord said vnto my Lord sit tâ—ou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole The execution of Christs Regall office comprehendeth his exaltation Christs exaltation is that by which he after his humiliation was by little and little exalted to glorie and that in sundrie respects according to both his natures The exaltation of his diuine nature is an apparant declaration of his diuine properties in his humane nature without the least alteration thereof Rom. 1. 4. Declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Act. 2.36 God hath made him both lord Christ whome ye haue crucified The exaltation of his humanitie is the putting off from him his seruile coÌ„dition and all infirmities and the putting on of such habituall gifts which albeit they are created and finite yet they haue so great and so marueilous perfection as possibly can be ascribed to any creature The gifts of his minde are wisdome knowledge ioy and other vnspeakeable vertues of his bodie immortalitie strength agilitie brightnesse Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Math. 17.2 He was traÌ„sfigured before them his face did shine as the sunne and his cloathes were as white as the light Heb. 1.9 God euen thy God hath annointed the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellows Eph. 1.20.22 Christs bodie although it be thus glorified yet is it still of a solide substaÌ„ce compassed about visible palpable and shall perpetually remaine in some certaine place Luk. 24.39 Behold my hands and my feete it is euen I touch me and see a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye se me haue There be three degrees of Christs exaltation I. His resurrection wherein by his diuine power he subdued death and raised vp himselfe to eternall life 2. Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Matth. 28.6 Hee is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord was laid The ende of Christs resurrection was to shewe that his satisfaction by his passion and death was fully absolute For one onely sinne would haue detaiâ—ed the Mediatour vnder the dominion of death though he had fully satisfied for all the rest 1. Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not raised your faith is in vaine yee are yet in your sinnes Rom. 4.25 Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification II. His ascension into heauen which is a true locall and visible translation of Christs humane nature from earth into the highest heauen of the blessed by the vertue power of his Deitie Act. 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went beholde two men stood by theÌ„ in white apparell which also said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen
shall come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen Eph. 4.10 He ascended farre aboue all the heauens The end of Christs ascensâ—on was that he might prepare a place for the faithfull giue them the holy ghost and their eternall glorie Ioh. 14.2 In my fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you c. 16.7 If I goe not away the Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you III. His sitting at the right hand of God the father which metaphorically signifieth that Christ hath in the highest heauens actually all glorie power dominion Heb. 1.3 By himselfe he hath purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places Psal. 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole 1. Cor. 15.25 Hee must raigne till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Act. 7.55 He being full of the holy Ghost looked stedfastly into heauen and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Mark 20.22 His regall office hath two parts The first is his regiment of the kingdome of heauen part whereof is in heauen part vpon the earth namely the congregation of the faithfull In the gouernment of his Church hee exerciseth two prerogatiues royall The first is to make lawes Iames 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy The second is to ordaine his ministers Eph. 4.11 He gaue some to be Apostles others Prophets others Evangelists some Pastours and teachers c. 1. Cor. 12.28 God hath ordained some in the Church as first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers then them that doe miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours diuersitie of tongues Christs gouernment of the Church is either his collection of it out of the world or conseruation being collected Eph. 4.12 Psal. 10. The second part of his Regall office is the destruction of the kingdome of darknes Col. 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the kingdome of darknes Psal. 2.9 Thou shalt crusâ— them with a scepter of yron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Luk. 19.27 Those mine enimies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me The kingdome of darkenesse is the whole company of Christs enemies The prince of this kingdome and of all the members thereof is the diuell Eph. 2.2 Ye walked once according to the counsell of the world and after the prince that ruleth in the aire enen the prince that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience 2. Cor. 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the eies of the infidels 2. Cor. 6.15 What concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidel The members of this kingdome and subiects to Satan are his angels and vnbeleeuers among whome the principall members are Atheistes who say in their heart there is no God Psal. 14.1 And Magitians who bargaine with the diuell to accomplish their desires 1. Sam. 28.7 Psal. 58.5 Idolatours who either adorâ— false Gods or the true God in an idol 1. Cor. 10.7.20 Turkes and Iewes are of this bunch so are Heretiks who are such as erre with pertinacie in the foundation of religion 2. Tim. 2. 18. Apostates or reuolters from faith in Christ Iesus Heb. 6.6 False Christs who bâ—are men in hand they are true Christs Matth. 24.26 There were many such about the time of our Sauiour Christ his first comming as Iosephus witnesseth book 20. of Iewish antiquities the 11,12 14. chapters Lastly that Antichtist who as it is now apparant can be none other but the Pope of Rome 2. Thess. 2.3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne bee disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Reuel 13.11 And I beheld another beast comming out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the dragon And he did all that the first beast could doe before him and he caused the earth and them that dwell threin to worship the beast whose deadly wound was healed There were then first Antichristes at Rome when the Bishops thereof would be entitled Vniuersall or supreame gouernours of the whole world but then were they complete when they togither with Ecclesiasticall censure vsurped ciuill authoritie After that Christ hath subdued all his enemies these two things shall ensue I. The surrendering ouer of his kingdome to God the Father as concerning the regiment for at that time shal cease both that ciuil regiment and spirituall policie consisting in word and spirit together II. The subiection of Christ onely in regard of his humanity the which then is when the Sonne of God shall most fully manifest his maiestie which before was obscured by the flesh as a vaile so that the same flesh remaining both glorious vnited to the Sonne of God may by infinite degrees appeare inferiour We may not therefore imagine that the subiection of Christ consisteth in diminishing the glorie of the humanitie but in manifesting most fully the maiestie of the Word CHAP. 19. CONCERNING THE OVTWARD MEANES of executing the decree of election and of the Decalogue AFter the foundation of Election which hath hitherto beene deliuered it followeth that we should intreat of the outward meanes of the same The meanes are Gods Couenant and the seale therof Gods couenant is his contract with man concerning life eternall vpon certaine conditions This couenant consisteth of two parts Gods promise to man Mans promise to God Gods promise to man is that whereby he bindeth himselfe to man to bee his God if he breake not the condition Mans promise to God is that whereby he voweth his allegiance vnto his Loâ—d and to performe the condition betweene them Againe there are two kindes of this couenant The couenant of workes the couenant of grace Ierm 31 3â—.42.43 Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a now couâ—nant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not aâ—cording to the couenant I made with their fathers when I tocke them â—y the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake alâ—hough I was an husband to them saith the Lord. But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people The couenant of works is Gods couenant made with condition of perfect obedience and
day wherein my mother bare me be blessed v. 13. Cursed be the man that shewed my father saying a man child is bornâ— vnto thee and comforted him v. 18. How is it that I came forth of the wombe to see labour sorrow that my daies should be consumed with shame II. Tempting of God when such as distrust or rather contemne him seeke signes of Gods trueth and power Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 1. Corinth 10.6 Neither let vs tempt God as they tempted him and were destroyed by serpents v. 10. Neither murmure ye as some of theÌ„ murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer III. Desperation Gen. 4. 13. Mine iniquity is greater then can be pardoned 1. Thes. 4. 13. Sorrow ye not as they which haue no hope IV. Doubtfulnes concerning the trueth of Gods benefits present or to come Psal. 116.11 I said in mine hast all men are lyers II. Confidence in creatures whether it be in their strength as Ierem. 17.5 Cursed is the man that hath his confidence in man and maketh flesh his arme but his heart slideth from the Lord. Or riches Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot serue God and riches Eph. 5.5 No couetoâ—s person which is an idolater hath inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God Or defenced places Iere. 49. 16. Thy feare the pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee that thou dwellest in the clefts of the Rocke and keepest the height of the hill though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord. Or pleasure and dainties to such their bellie is their God Phil. 3. 14. Or in physitians 2. Chron. 6. 12. And Asa in the nine and thirtieth yeare of his raigne was diseased in his feete and his disease was extreame yet he sought not the Lord in his disease but to the Physitians Briefly to this place principally may be adioyned that diuelish confidence which Magitians and all such as take aduise at them doe put in the diuell and his workes Leuit. 20. 6. If any turne after such as worke with spirits and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among this people III. The loue of the creature aboue the loue of God Math. 10.37 Hee that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthie of me and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Iohn 12. 43. They loued the praise of man more then the praise of God To this belongeth selfe-loue 2. Tim. 3.2 IV. Hatred and contempt of God when man flieth from God and his wrath when he punisheth offences Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie with God Rom. 1. 30. Haters of God doers of wrong V. Want of the feare of God Psal. 36.1 Wickednes saith to the wicked man euen in mine heart that there is no feare of God before their eyes VI. Feare of the creature more then the Creator Rev. 21.8 The fearefull and vnbeleeuing shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Matth. 10.28 Feare not them which kill the bodie but feare him that can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Ierem. 10.2 Be not afraid of the signes of heauen though the heathen be afraid of such VII Hardnes of heart or carnall seruice when a man neither acknowledging Gods iudgements nor his owne sinnes dreameth he is safe froÌ„ Gods vengeance and such perils as arise from sinne Rom. 2.5 Thou after thine hardnesse and heart that can not repent heapest to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Luk. 21.34 Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on you as vnawares These all doe ioyntly ingender pride whereby man ascribeth all he hath that is good not to God but to his owne merit and industrie referring and disposing them wholly vnto his owne proper credit 1. Cor. 4.6 That ye might learne by vs that no man presume aboue that which is written that one swell not against another for any mans cause vers 7. For who separateth thee or what hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why reioycest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it Gen. 3.5 God doth know that when yee shall eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill The highest stayre of prides ladder is that fearefull presumption by which many clime rashly into Gods seate of maiestie as if they were gods Act. 12. 22 23. The people gaue a shout saying The voyce of God and not of man but immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gaue not glorie vnto God so that he was eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost 2. Thess. 2.4 Which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God CHAP. 21. Of the second Commandement HItherto haue we entreated of the first Commandement teaching vs to entertaine in our hearts and to make choice of one onely God The other three of the first Table concerne that holy profession which we must make towards the same God For first it is necessarie to make choyce of the true God Secondly to make profession of the same God In the profession of God we are to consider the parts thereof and the time appointed for this profession The parts are two The solemne worship of God and the glorifying of him The second Commandement describeth such holy and solemne worship as is due vnto God The words of the Commandement are these Thou shalt make thee no grauen image neither any similitude of things which are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them neither serue them for I am the Lord thy God a iealous God visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vpon the third generation and vpon the fourth of them that hate me and shew mercie vnto thousands vpon them that loue me and keepe my Commandements The Resolution Thou shalt not make This is the first part of the commandement forbidding to make an idol Now an idol is not onely a certaine representation and image of some fained God but also of the true Iehouah The which may be prooued against the Papists by these arguments The first is Deut. 4.15 16. Take therfore good heede vnto your selues for yee saw no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire that yee corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenesse of male or female Out of the words vttered by
by which the sillie and ignorant people are notably deluded As for that other part of Astrology concerning natiuities reuolutions progressions directions of natiuities as also that which concerneth election of times the finding againe of thinges lost it is very wicked and it is probable that it is of the same brood with implicite and close Magique My reasons are these I. The word of God reckoning Astrologers amongst Magitians adiudgeth them both to one and the same punishment II. But the Astrologer saith he foretelleth many things which as he said come so to passe be it so But howe I demaund and by what meanes He saith by arte but that I denie For the precepts of his arte will appeare to such as read them not with a preiudicate affection very ridiculous VVhence then I pray you doth this curious diuiner foreshew the trueth but by an inward secret instinct from the diuell This is Augustines opinion in his 5. booke and 7. chapt of the Citie of God If we weigh all those things saith he we will not without cause beleeue that Astrologers when they doe wonderfully declare many truths worke by some secret instinct of euill spirits which desire to fill mens braines with erronious and daungerous opinions of starrie destinies and not by any arte deriued from the inspection and consideration of the Horoscope which indeed is none XII Popish consecration of water and salt to restore the minde vnto health and to chase away diuels The reformed Missal pag. 96. XIII To make iests of the Scripture phrase Esai 66.2 I will looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and which trembleth at my wordes We haue an example of such scoffing in the Tripart hist. chapter 36. booke 6. The heathen did grieuously oppresse the Christians and inflicted sometimes vpon their bodies corporall punishments The which when the Christians signified vnto the Emperour he disdained to assist them and sent them away with this scoffe You are to suffer iniuries patiently for so are ye commanded of your God XIIII Lightly to passe ouer Gods iudgements which are seene in the world Matth. 26.34 Verily verily I say vnto thee this night before the cocke crow thou shalt denie me thrise vers 35. Peter said vnto him Though I should die with thee I will not denie thee Luk. 13.1,2,3 There were certaine men present at the same season that shewed him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices And Iesus answered and said vnto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans because they haue suffered such things I tell you nay but except ye amende your liues ye shall likewise perish XV. A dissolute conuersation Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before mē that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen 2. Sam. 12.14 Because that by this deede thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child that is borne vnto thee shall surely die The affirmatiue part In all things giue God his due glorie 1. Cor. 10.13 To this appertaine I. Zeale of Gods glorie aboue all things in the world besides Numb 25.8 When Phineas the sonne of Eleazer saw it he followed the man of Israel into his tent and thrust them both through to wit both the man of Israel and the woman through hir bellie Psal. 69.22 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp and the reproches of the scornefull haue fallen vpon me II. To vse Gods titles onely in serious affaires and that with all reuerence Deut. 28.58 If thou wilt not keepe and doe all the words of this law that are written in this booke and feare this glorious and fearefull name THE LORD THY GOD. Rom. 9.5 Of whome are the fathers and of whome concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen III. An holy commemoration of the creature whereby we in the contemplation and admiration of the dignitie and excellencie thereof yeeld an approbation when we name it and celebrate the praise of God brightly shining in the same Psal. 64.9,10 And all men shall see it and declare the worke of God and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought but the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce Luke 2. 18,19 And all they that heard it wondered at the things that were told them of the shepheards but Marie kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Ierem. 5.12 Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will ye not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sands for the bounds of the seas by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they rore yet can they not passe ouer IV. An oth in which we must regard 1. How an oth is to be taken 2. How it is to be performed In taking an oth foure circumstances must be obserued I. The matter or parts of an oth the parts are in number foure 1. Confirmation of a truth 2. Inuocation of God alone as a witnesse of the truth and a reuenger of a lie 3. Confession that God punisheth periurie when he is brought in as a false witnesse 4. An obligation that we will vndergoe the punishment at Gods hand if we performe not the condition II. The forme We must sweare 1. truly least we forsweare 2. Iustly least we commit impietie 3. In iudgement for feare of rashnes Ierem. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and righteousnes Esa. 48. 1. Which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnes c. Therefore the oth of drunken furious and franticke men also othes of children they doe not impose an obseruation of them but by law are no othes III. The ende namely to confirme some necessarie truth in question Hebr. 6. 16. Men sweare by him that is greater then themselues and an oth for confirmation is among them an end of all strife I call that a necessarie truth when some doubt which must necessarily be decided can none other way be determined then by an oth as when Gods glorie our neighbours bodie or goods or the credit of the partie for whom the oth is ministred are necessarily called into question Rom. 1.9 God is my witnes whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a record into my soule that to spare you I came not as yet vnto Corinth IV. The diuers kinds or sorts of othes An oth is publike or priuate Publike when the Magistrate without any peril to him that sweareth doth vpon iust cause exact a testimonie together with an oth A priuate oth is which two or more take priuately This so
ouer the seruants of Saul and said I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob to Abimelech the sonne of Ahitub 10. Who asked counsell of the Lord for him and gaue him victualls and he gaue him also the sword of Goliah the Philistim Of this deede Dauid thus speaketh Psal. 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy wickednesse O man of power the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer 2. Thy tongue imagineth mischeife and is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully 3. Thou doest loue euill more then good and lies more then to speake the trueth 4. Thou louest all wordes that may destroy O deceitfull tongue VIII To open or declare our neighbours secret to any man especially if he did it of infirmitie Mat. 18.15 Moreouer if thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother Pro. 11.13 He that goeth about as a slanderer discouereth a secret but he that is of a faithfull heart concealeth a matter IX All babling talke and bitter wordes Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all vncleannesse let it not be once named among you 4. Neither filthinesse neither foolish talking neither iesting which are not comely but rather giuing of thankes Ioh. 9.34 They answered and said vnto him Thou art altogither borne in sinnes and doest thou teach vs so they cast him out This iesting or as it is nowe tearmed wit which Aristotle the Philosopher maketh a vertue is by Paul the Apostle accounted a vice and that not without cause I. Such quipps as sting others though they be a great pleasure for some to heare yet are they very offensiue to such as are so girded II. It is very hard to make Christian both godlinesse and grauity to agree with such behauiour Obiect But salt and tart speeches are vsull in the scriptures 1. King 18. 27. Eliah mocked the Priests of Baal Esa. 14.9 Answer Such speeches are not spoken to please others but are sharply deuounced against Gods enemies to his glorie X. Flatterie whereby we praise our neighbour aboue that we knowe in him Prou. 27.6 The woundes of a louer are faithfull but the kisses of an enemie are to be shunned 14. He that praiseth his friende with a loud voice rising early in the morning it shall be counted to him as a curse Act. 12.22 And the people gaue a shout saying The voice of God and not of man This is a grieuous sinne in the ministers of the word 1. Thess. 2.5 Neither did we euer vse flattering wordes as ye knowe nor coloured couetousnesse God is record Ier. 6.13 For from the least of thē euen vnto the greatest of them euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse and from the Prophet euen vnto the priest they all deale falsely 14. They haue healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete wordes saying Peace peace when there is no peace Rom. 16.18 For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple XI Foolish and ouer confident boasting Prou. 27.1 Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a daie may bring forth 2. Let another praise thee and not thine owne mouth a stranger and not thine owne lips XII To accuse or witnesse against one falsely 1. King 21.13 Naboth blasphemed God and the king The affirmatiue part Preserue the good name of thy neighbour Eccles. 7.3 A good name is better then a good ointment Here is commanded I. A reioicing for the credit and good estimation of thy neighbour Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace gentlenesse Rom. 1.8 First I thank my God through Iesus Christ for you all because your faith is published throughout the whole world II. Willingly to acknowledge that goodnes we see in any man whatsoeuer and onely to speake of the same Tit. 3.2 That they speake euill of no man that they be no fighters but soft shewing all meekenes to all men Moreouer wee must with all desire receiue and beleeue reports of our neighbours good Act. 16.1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra and behold a certaine Disciple was there named Timotheus a womans sonne which was a Iewesse beleeued but his father was a Grecian 2. Of whome the brethren which were at Lystra Iconium reported wel 3. Therefore Paul would that he should goe forth with him and tooke and circumcised him Notwithstanding this must so be performed of vs that in no wise wee approoue and allowe of the vices and faults of men 2. Chron. 25.2 And hee did vprightly in the eies of the Lord but not with a perfect heart And chap. 27.2 And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Vzziah did saue that he entred not into the temple of the Lord the people did yet corrupt their waies III. To interpret a doutfull euill to the better part Cor. 13.5 Loue thinketh not euill 7. It beleeueth all things it hopeth all things Gen. 37.31 And they tooke Iosephs coate and killed a kidde of the goats and dipped the coat in the bloode 32. So they sent that parti-coloured coate and they brought it to their father and said This haue we found see now whether it be thy sonnes coate or no. 33. Then hee knew it and said It is my sonnes coate a wicked beast hath deuoured him Ioseph is surely torne in peeces And here obserue the religiō of that Ioseph which was betrothed to Mary who when he sawe that Mary was with child was readier to conclude that before her betroathing she was with child by committing fornication then after by cōmitting adulterie Mat. 1.19 But for all this men must not be too too credulous or light of beleefe Ioh. 2.24 But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them◠because he knewe them all IV. Not to beleeue an euill report running abroad amongst the common people by the whisperings of talebearers as it were by conduit pipes Psal. 15.3 Hee that slaundereth not with his tongue nor doth euill to his neighbour nor receiueth a false report against his neighbour Ierem. 40.14 And they saide vnto him Knowest thou not that Baalis the king of the Ammonites had sent Ishmac◠the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee but Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued him not 16. But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam said vnto Ionathan the sonne of Kareah thou shalt not doe this thing for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael But we ought also to be angrie at such whisperings Pro. 25.23 As the North wind driueth away the raine so doth an angrie countenance the slaundering tongue V. To keepe secret the offence of our neighbour except it must of necessitie be reuealed Prou. 10.12 Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue couereth all trespasses Mat. 1.19 Then Ioseph her husband beeing a iust man and not willing to make her a publike example
was minded to put her away secretly A man would suppose that by this means we should be partakers of other mens sins But we must know that we ought to conceale our neighbours imperfections least he should be prouoked to offence yet in the meane season he must be admonished that he may amend Gal. 6.1 Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him 20. Let him know that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes But if the sin which is concealed cannot thereby be taken away then must we in loue and charitie declare the same to those which may remooue and amend the same Gen. 37.2 When Ioseph was seuenteene yere olde he kept sheepe with his brethren and the child was with the sonnes of Bilhah and with the sonnes of Zilpah his fathers wiues and Ioseph tolde vnto their father their euill sayings 1. Cor. 1.11 For it hath beene declared vnto me my brethren of you by them that are of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you Mat. 18.16 But if hee heare thee not take with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be confirmed To get a good name and estimation amongst men and to keepe the same when we haue gotten it Phil. 4.8 Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things A good name is gotten 1. If we seeking the kingdome of God before all things doe repent vs of all our sinnes and with an earnest desire imbrace and follow after righteousnesse Prou. 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Mar. 14.9 Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospell shall bee preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall be spoken of in remembrance of her 2. Wee must haue a care both to iudge and speake well of others Mat. 7.2 With what iudgement ye iudge yee shall be iudged Eccl. 7.23 Giue not thine heart also to all the wordes that men speake least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee 24. For oftentimes also thine heart knowethâ— that thou likewise hast cursed others 3. Wee must abstaine from all kinde of wickednesse for one onely vice or sinne doth obscure and darken a mans good name Eccles. 10.1 Dead flies cause to stinke and putrifie the ointment of the Apothecarie so doth a little follie him that is in estimation for wisdome and for glorie 4. We must in all things earnestly seeke for the glorie of God onely and not our owne Matth. 6.5 And when thou praiest bee not as the hypocrites for they loue to stand and praie in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streetes because they would bee seene of men verily I say vnto youâ— they haue their reward 6. But when thou praiest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore pray vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly But ifâ— when we seeke the glory of God honest and godly men doe praise and testifie well of vs we must not despise this their testimonie and commendation although they neuer praise vs nor testifie of vs at all yet must wee take it in good part 2. Cor. 1.12 For our reioysing is this the testimonie of our coÌ„science that in simplicitie and godly purenes and not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world most of all to you wards And chap. 10.13 But we will not reioice of things which are not within our measure but according to the measure of the line whereof God hath distributed to vs a measure to attaine euen vnto you Psal. 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot 6. The lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue a faire heritage 1. Cor. 1.31 He that reioiceth let him reioice in the Lord. CHAP. 29. Of the tenth Commandement THe tenth Commaundement concerneth concupiscences committed against our neighbour The wordes are these Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his maide nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing thy neighbour hath The Resolution Couet The cogitation or motion of the heart is of three sorts The first is some glancing or suddaine thought suggested to the minde by Satan which suddenly vanisheth away and is not receiued of the minde This is no sinne For it was in Christ when he was tempted by the deuill Matth. 4. v. 1. The second is a more permanent thought or motion the which as it were tickleth inueigleth the mind with some inward ioy The third is a cogitation drawing from the will and affection full assent to sinne We are to vnderstand this commandement of the second sort of motions onely not of the first or of the last to which the fiue former commandements doe belong Now then to couet is to think inwardly and also to desire any thing wherby our neighbour may be hindered albeit there ensue no assent of the will to commit that euill For the very Philosophers condemne couetousnesse of the very heart and Ciuilians disallow a purpose onely to doe euill if it be conioyned with a manifest deliberation And as for the concupiscence in this place forbidden we may well thinke it is more close and secret because S. Paul a doctour of the law was altogither ignorant of it Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Againe if that concupiscence immediately going before the consent were not prohibited in this place there must bee a great confuâ—ion in the decalogue For the seuenth commandement forbiddeth some kinde of coueting of our neighbours wife Houâ—e The commandement is illustrated by an argument drawne from the distribution of the obiects of concupiscence whence it is apparent that onely euill concupiscence is condemned in this place Coloss. 3.5 For there is a good concupiscence or desire as of meate and drinke and that of the spirit Gal. 5.17 The spirit lusteth against the flesh The negatiue part Thou shalt not couet that which is thy neighbours Here are prohibited I. Concupiscence it selfe namely originall corruption in as much as it is hurtfull to our neighbour Iam. 1.14 II. Each corrupt and sudden cogitation passion of the heart springing out of the bitter roote of concupiscence Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit Luk. 10.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord with all thy soule To this place appertaineth Satans suggestion if after the first offer it
reioice I in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie sake which is the Church We ought to take vp this crosse willinglyâ— euen with both haÌ„ds wheÌ„ it shal please God to lay it vpon vs. And after we haue taken it vp we must beare it with patience and perseuerance Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might through his glorious power vnto all patieÌ„ce loÌ„g suffering with ioyfulnes Luk. 21.19 Possesse your soules with patieÌ„ce The preseruatiues of patience are I. Strength by the holy ghost Phil. 4. 13. I am able to doe all things through the help of Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 1. 20. It is giuen to you for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake II. An holy meditation which is manifold I. That the afflictions of the faithfull come not by chance but by the counsell prouidence of God which disposeth all things in a most excellent sort Gen. 45.4,5 It was God that sent Ioseph into Egypt 2. Sam. 16. 10. The Lord biddeth Shemei curse Dauid Psal. 119.71 It was good for me that I was afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Hence it is euident that afflictions to the godly are ineuitable Act. 14.21 By many afflictions you must enter into the kingdome of god Mat. 7.14 The gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it Ioh. 16.20 In the world ye shall haue troubles II. That albeit afflictions are grieuous yet are they good profitable For they are helps whereby men beeing humbled for their sinnes before god obtaine peace and holines of life 2. Cor. 1.9 We receiued sentence of death in our selues because we should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead Esay 26. 16. Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out a praier when thy chastening was vpon them Hos. 5.15 I will goe and returne to my place til they acknowledge their fault and seeke me in their affliction they will seeke me diligently Psal. 78.34 When he â—lue them they sought him and they returned and they sought God earely Ier. 31.18 I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed calfe conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Heb. 12 11â— No chastisment for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes vnto them which are thereby exercised Psal. 30.5 Weeping may abide at euening but ioy commeth in the morning Ioh. 15.2 Euery braunch that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite 1. Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye reioice though nowe for a season if neede require ye are in heauines through many tentations 2. Cor. 1.4 The God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort theÌ„ which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God Rom. 5. 3. We glory in afflictions knowing that affliction bringeth patience Heb. 2. 10. He did consecrate the Prince of their saluation through affliction Wee permit Chirurgians that they should both bind vs lying diseased in our beds and seare vs with hot irons yea lanch and search our members with rasors and lastly we send them away vsually with friendly and kind speeches and often with a golden fee for their thus haÌ„dling vs. Shal we then suffer so many things of a Chirurgian to cure a bodily disease and will we not giue God leaue to cure by afflictions the most festered diseases of our sicke â—oules By this also may we gather that the afflictions of the godly are signes of their adoption Hebr. 12.6 Whome the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth 7. If ye endure chastisement God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes And that they are to them the Kings high way to heauen Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth tâ—ntation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him 2. Cor. 4. 17. For our â—ight affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall waight of glorie III. That God hath promised fauour mitigation of punishment his presence and deliuerance Philip. 1. 29. 1. Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue measure but with tentation will giue deliuerance 2. Sam. 7.14 Psal. 50.15 Call vpon me in time of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal. 121.4 He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe Esa. 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and thorough the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the very fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee 3. For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Sauiour IV. That in all troubles of the faithfull Christ is a companion 1. Pet. 4.13 Reioyce that ye are partakers of the afflictions of Christ. 2. Cor. 4. 10. Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of Christ that the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our bodies Col. 1.21 V. That the Angels are readie to defend such as feare God Psal. 34.8.2 King 6.16 Feare not there are more with vs then against vs. CHAP. 45. Of the calling vpon God THus much concerning the deniall of our selues now followeth the profession of Christ. In which we consider either Christ himselfe or his meÌ„bâ—rs namely the faithfull Math. 25.40 Verely I say vnto you in as much as ye did it to one of the least of my brethren ye did it vnto me That profession which directly concerneth Christ is either continuall or onely in the time of danger Continuall is the calling vpon the Name of God and ought euer to be performed of vs in the Name of Christ Iesus our Mediatour 1. Cor. 1.2 To the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus in euery place both their Lord and ours Act. 9. 14. He hath authoritie from the high Priest to binde all that call vpon thy Name Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or in deede doe it in the Name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him The calling vpon Gods name is by praier or thanksgiuing Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be shewed vnto God in praier and supplication with giuing of thankes Prayer hath two parts Petition and Assent Mark 11.24 I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you Petition is the first part of prayer whereby we according to the rule of Gods word aske his helpe for the obtaining of such necessaries as we
noise like to that of charriot wheeles suddenly passe away and the elements with the earth and all therein shall be dissolued with fire 2. Pet. 3. 12. Lâ—â—king for and hâ—â—sting vnto the comming of the day of God by which the heauens beeing 〈◊〉 shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt with heate 13. 〈…〉 new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein d 〈…〉 ousness At the same time when as all these things shall come to passe 〈◊〉 sound of the last trumpet shall be heard sounded by the Archangâ—â—â— And Christ shall come suddenly in the cloudes with power and glorie and a great traine of Angels III. Now at the sound of the trumpet the Elect which were dead shal arise with their bodies and those very bodies which were turned to dust and one part rent from another shall by the omnipotent power of God be restored and the soules of them shall descend from heauen and be brought againe into those bodies As for them which then shall be aliue they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and this mutation shall be in stead of death And at that time the bodies shall receiue their full redemption and all the bodies of the Elect shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus and therefore shall be spirituall immortall glorious and free from all infirmitie IV. Last of all when they are all conuented before the tribunall seate of Christ he will forthwith place the Elect seuered from the reprobate and taken vp into the aire at his right hand and to them being written in the booke of life will he pronounce this sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Matth. 25.33 He shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left 1. Thess. 4. 17. Reu. 20. 12. whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement THe last iudgement beeing once finished the Elect shall enioy immediatly blessednes in the kingdome of heauen Blessednes is that whereby God himselfe is all in all his Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. When all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that did subdue all things vnder him that God may be all in all And it is the reward of good workes not because workes can merit but by reason of Gods fauour who thus accepteth workes and that in respect of the merit of Christs righteousnes imputed to the Elect. Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Reu. 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shall be Blessednesse hath two parts Eternall life and perfect glorie Eternall life is that fellowship with God whereby God himselfe is thorough the Lambe Christ life vnto the Elect. For in the kingdome of heauen the Elect shall not neede meat drinke sleepe aire heat cold phisicke apparell or the light of the Sunne and moone b but in place of all these shall they haue in them Gods spirit by which immediatly they shall be quickned for euer Perfect glorie is that wonderfull excellencie of the Elect wherby they shal be in a farre better estate then any heart can wish This glorie consisteth in three points I. In that they shall still behold the face of God which is his glory and maiestie Reuel 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their forheads Psal. 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine anger II. In that they shall be most like to Christ namely iust holy incorruptible glorious honorable excellent beautifull strong mightie and nimble 1. Ioh. 3.2 Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things to himselfe III. They shall inherit the kingdome of heauen yea the newe heauens and newe earth shal be their inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 God hath begotten you to an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you Mat. 25.34 Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father possesse a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid Reu. 5.10 Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne on the earth Reuel 21.7 Hee that ouercommeth shall inherite all things and I will be his God he shall be my sonne The fruit that commeth from both these parts of blessednes is of two sorts Eternall ioy and the perfect seruice of God Psal. 16.11 Thou wilt shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 36.8 They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures 9. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall we see light The parts of Gods seruice are Praise and Thanksgiuing Reuel 21.3 And I heard a great voice out of heauen saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them Chap. 5.12 Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise c. 13. Chap. 11.17 The foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thanks Lord God Almightie which art and Which wa st and Which art to come for thou hast receiued thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome The manner of performing this seruice is to worship God by God himselfe immediately In heauen there shall neither be temple ceremonie nor Sacrament but all these wants shal God himselfe supply togither with the LaÌ„be that is Christ. Reuel 21.22 I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it This seruice shall be daily and without intermission Reuel 7.15 They are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple A Corollarie or the last conclusion THus God in sauing the Elect doeth clearely set forth his iustice and mercy His iustice in that he punished the sinnes of the elect in his Sonnes owne person His
Adam 1. Cor. 15.45 The conclusion If we should graunt this doctrine to be true then must we needes allow of these absurdities in diuinitie which follow I. That God would haue all and each singular man to be saued and withall he would haue some ordained to hatred and perdition or That in regard of God all men are elected and redeemed but in regard of the euent many perish II. The guilt of Adams sinne must not be imputed to any one of his posteritie because that God hauing mercie of all generally in Christ did take into the couenant of reconciliatioÌ„ all mankind Now if but the guiltines of Adams fall be taken away the punishment forthwith ceaseth to be a punishment and corruption it selfe is by little and little abolished in all men CHAP. 55. Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead THe death of the Reprobate is a separation of the bodie and the soule of the bodie that for a time it may lie dead in the earth of the soule that it may feele the torments of hell euen vntill the time of the last iudgement at which time the whole man shall be cast into the most terrible and feareful fire of hell 1. Pet. 3.19 By the which he also went and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison Luk. 8. 2. Pet. 2.4 For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darknes to be kept vnto damnation c. The reprobate when they die doe become without sense and astonished like vnto a stone or els they are ouerwhelmed with a terrible horrour of conscience and despairing of their saluation as it were with a gulfe of the sea ouer turning them 1. Sam. 25.37 Then in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal his wife told him those wordes and his heart died within him and he was like a stone 38. And about ten daies after the Lord smote Nabal that he died Mat. 27.5 And when he had cast downe the siluer pieces in the temple he departed and went and hanged himselfe CHAP. 56. Of the condemnation of the Reprobates at the last iudgement IN the last iudgement at the sound of the trumpet the liuing beeing striken with horrour and feare shall be changed in a moment the dead shall rise againe to condemnation both the liuing and the dead shall then haue immortall bodies but without glorie and they standing vpon the earth at the left hand of Christ the Iudge shall heare the sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels Ioh. 5.29 And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Matth. 25. 41. 1. Thess. 4. 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first 17. Then shall we which liue and remaine be caught vp with theÌ„ also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shal we be euer with the lord CHAP. 57. Of the estate of the Reprobates in hell AFter that the sentence of condemnaâ—â—on is pronounced then followeth euerlasting death whereof this is the estate I. The Reprobates are separated from the presence and glorie of God II. They are punished with eternall confusion most bitter reproches because all their secret wickednesses and sinnes are reuealed 2. Thess. 1.9 Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 1. Ioh. 2.28 And now little children abide in him that when he shall appeare we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his comming III. They haue fellowship with the diuell and his angels Math. 25.41 IV. They are wholly in bodie and soule tormented with an incredible horrour and exceeding great anguish through the sense and feeling of Gods wrath powred out vpon them for euer Esai 66. 24. And they shall goe forth and looke vpon the carkases of men that haue transgressed against me for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh Hereupon is the punishment of those that are condemned called Hell fire a worme weeping and gnashing of teeth vtter darknesse c. Rev. 21.8 But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shal haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Math. 13.42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire therâ— shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Esai 66. 24. A Corollarie ANd this is the full execution of Gods decree of reprobation whereby appeareth the great iustice of God in punishing sinne from whence also commeth Gods glorie which he propoundeth to himselfe as the last chiefest end in all these things Therefore let euery Christian propound the same end vnto himselfe Rom. 9.14 What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God God forbid 15. For he said to Moses I will haue mercie on him to whome I will shew mercie and will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion 16. So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie 17. For the Scriptures saith vnto Pharaoh For this same purpose haue I stirred thee vp that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God CHAP. 58. Of the application of Predestination THe right applying of Predestination to the persons of men is very necessarie and it hath two parts The first is the iudgement of particular predestination and the second is the vse of it The iudgement and discerning of a mans owne predestination is to be performed by meanes of these rules which follow I. The Elect alone and all they that are elect not onely may be but also in Gods good time are sure of election in Christ to eternall life 1. Corinth 2.12 2. Cor. 13.5 II. They haue not this knowledge from the first causes of Election but rather from the last effects thereof and they are especially two The testimonie of Gods spirit and the workes of Sanctification 2. Pet. 1. 10. Romans 8.16 III. If any doubt of this testimonie it will appeare vnto them whether it come from the Spirit of God or their owne carnall presumption First by a full perswasion which they shall haue for the holy Ghost will not barely say it but perswadeth such that thay are the children of God the which the flesh can not in any
to make all grace to abound towardes them Where also this dutie is taught vs that seeing God is omnipotent and therefore able to make vs abound therefore wee must giue cheerefully to our poore brethren which want Fourthly whereas there are many in euery place which haue liued long in their sinnes euen from their cradle some in wantonnes some in drunkennes some in swearing some in idlenesse and such like out of this place to all such there is a good lesson namely that euery one of them doe nowe become new men and repent of all their sinnes for all their life past For marke what Paul saith of the Iewes which are cutte off from Christ through vnbeleefe and haue so continued in hardnesse of heart and desperat malice against him almost 16. hundreth yeares If saith he they abide not still in vnbeleefe they may bee grafted into their oliue againe and his reason is this because God is able to graft them in againe Euen so though wee haue liued many yeares in sinne and sure it is a daungerous and fearefull case for a man to liue 20.30 or 40. yeares vnder the power of the diuell yet wee must knowe that if wee will nowe liue a newe life forsake all our sinnes and turne to God wee may be receiued to grace and be made a branch of the true oliue though we haue borne the fruits of the wilde oliue all our life long But some will obiect that they haue no hope of Gods fauour because they haue beene so grieuous sinners and continued in them so long Ans. But knowe it whosoeuer thou art God is able to graft thee in and if thou repent he will receiue thee to his loue and fauour This must be obserued of all but especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lord by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and impenitent they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the duties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in praier vnto God for hee that will pray truely must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must bee made in faith and for a man to praie in faith it is hard therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leper whom our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords praier when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the end he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to waite for the benefits before craued in these wordes Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence wee learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against the least member of Christ. I doe not say they shall neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shal neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I aunswer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Litle children ye are of God haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirit who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the world that is the spirit of satan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth himselfe to a silly sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyon yet I will feare none euill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is said the first person is a Father as also Almightie ioyne these two togither and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a Father Almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuill and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True indeede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must indeauour to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirit of wisedome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be considered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and finde the power of God as he was manâ— Answer Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the pangs of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Nowe in this extremitie God did shewe his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we drawe from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lyeth dead in sinne Now as God did shew his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in himselfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnesse of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in himselfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a newe life more and more Furthermore when Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did he vanquish Satan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoyled principalities and powers
is a creatour of heauen and earth of both which wee will speake in order and first of the creation of heauen Heauen in Gods worde signifieth all that is aboue the earth for the ayre wherein we breath is called heauen And according to this acceptation of the word there are three heauens as Paul saith He was taken vp into the third heauen The first of these heauens is that space which is from the earth vpwarde vnto the firmament where the starrs are Thus the birds which flie in the aire betweene the earth and the starres are called the foules of the heauen and when God sent the flood to drowne the olde world Moses saith the windows of heauen were opened meaning that God powred downe raine from the cloudes aboundantly for the making of a flood to drowne the world The second heauen is that which containeth the Sunne the Moone and the starres so Moses saith that God in the beginning created the Sunne the Moone and the starrs and placed them in the firmament of heauen Besides these two heauens there is a third which is inuisible and yet it is the worke of Gods handes and it is that glorious place where Christ euen in his manhoode sitteth at the right hand of the father and whither the soules of the faithfull departed are carried and placed and in which at the ende of the world shall all the elect both in body and soule haue perfect ioy and blisse in the glorious sight and presence of God for euer But for the better conceiuing the trueth wee are to skanne and consider diligently three questions First whether this third heauen be a creature for many haue thought it was neuer created but was eternall with God himselfe but it is a grosse errour contrarie to Gods word For the Scripture saith Abraham looked for a cittie meaning the heauenly Ierusalem this third heauen hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God Further if it be eternall it must either be Creator or a creature but it is no creator for then it should be God and therefore it must needs be a creature But some will say the Lord is eternall and this third heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lordes aboade and therefore it is also eternall Answer True it is indeede that God doth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the third heauen but yet that cannot possibly containe his Godhead as Salomon saith Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee Wherefore though God doth manifest his eternall glorie in this third heauen yet doth it not followe that therefore this place should bee eternall for hee needes no habitation to dwell in hee is euery where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place The second question is where this third heauen is Aâ—â—were There are some protestants say it is euery where and they holde this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes bodie in or about the Sacrament But if it were euery where then hell should be in heauen which no man will say but heauen indeede is aboue these visible heauens which wee see with our eies so the Apostle saith Christ ascended on high farre aboue all heauens c. And againe it is said of Steuen that beeing full of the holy Ghost Hee looked vp steadfastly into the heauens and sawe them open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Thirdly it may bee demaunded why God created this third heauen Answer God made it for this cause that there might bee a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men for the which cause it was created a thousand fold more glorious then the two former heauens are and in this respect it is called Paradise by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father because into it must be gathered all gods children It is called the kingdome of heauen because God is the king thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie True it is God hath his kingdome here on earth but he ruleth not so fully and gloriouslie here as he â—hall in heauen for this is the kingdome of grace but that is the kingdome of his glorie where he so raigneth that he will be all in all first in Christ then in the elect both angels and men Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen First if God created it especially for the manifestion of his glory vnto men that at the ende of this worlde by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence there they might haue perfect ioy and felicitie we haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse and forgetfulnesse that raigneth euery where among men which onely haue regard to the estate of this life and cast all their care on this worlde and neuer so much as once dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen If a man hauing two housesâ— one but a homely cottage and the other a princely pallace should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing vp of the first would not euery man say he were a madde man yes vndoubtedly And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that takes place euery where among men for God hath prepared for vs two houses one is this our bodie which we beare about vs which is an house of clay as Iob saith We dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust which shal be destroyed before the moth as Peter saith a tabernacle or tent which we must shortly take downe and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and straungers Againe the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath prouided for vs a second house in the third heauen wherein wee must not abide for a time and so depart but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of clay whose foundation is but dust but for the blessed estate of the second house which is prepared for them in the kingdom of heauen they haue little regard or care They will both runne and ride from place to place day and night both by sea and land but for what Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem Nothing lesse for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to vse any meanes whereby they may come vnto it but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences whether as I haue said this be not more then senselesse madnesse Againe the bodie is but a tabernacle
doe according vnto the will of God Gal. 1.8 Beside all this angels reioice at the conuersion of sinners by the ministerie of the Gospel And for the Churches sake they protect not only particular men but euen whole nations and kingdomes The ministerie of Angels in the end of this life is to carrie the soules of the godly into Abrahams bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus And in the day of iudgement to gather all the Elect that they may come before Christ and enter into eternall fruition of glory both in body and soule The third and the last part of the ministerie of Angels concernes Gods enemies and it is to execute iudgements on all wicked persons and impenitent sinners Thus all the first borne of Egypt are slaine by an angell When Iosua was about to sacke Ierico an angel appeared vnto him as a captaine with a drawne sword to fight for Israel When the hoste of Zenacherib came against Israel the angel of the Lord in one night slue an hundred eightie fiue thousand Because Herod gaue not glorie vnto God the angell of the Lord smote him so as he was eaten vp of lyce and died And thus we see what points we are to marke touching the good Angels Now followeth the vse which we are to make in regard of their creation First whereas they are Gods ministers to inflict punishments vpon the wicked here is a speciall point to be learned of vs that euery man in the feare of God take heede howe he liueth and continueth in his sinnes for the case is dangerous considering that God hath armies of Angels which stande readie euerie where to execute Gods heauie iudgements vpon them that liue thus When the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord Moses saith they were naked that is open to al the iudgements of god euē destitute of the guard of his good angels Wretched Balaā that wizzard went to Balaac to curse the children of Israel and as he went it is said the Angel of the Lord stood in his way with a drawn sword if the asse had not bin wiser thē his master the angel had slaine him Wherby it appeares that whē we rush on into the practise of any sin we do as much as in vs lieth to cause god to send down his iudgements vpon vs for our sinnes and that by the ministerie of his angels Secondly we are taught another lesson by Christ himselfe See saith he that you despise not one of these little ones nowe marke his reason for I say vnto you that in heauen their angels do alwaies behold the face of my father By little ones he meaneth young infants which are within the couenant or others which are like to young infants in simplicitie and innocency of life and humility And Christ will not haue them to be despised A duty very needfull to bee stood vpon in these times For nowe a daies if a man carrie but a shewe of humilitie of good conscience◠and of the feare of God hee is accounted but a silly fellowe hee is hated mocked and despised on euery hand But this should not be so For him whome God honoureth with the protection of his good angels why should any mortall man despise And it stands mockers and scorners in hand to take heede whome they mocke For though men for their parts put vp many abuses and iniuries yet their angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them with plagues and punishments for their offences Thirdly seeing angles are about vs and serue for the good of men we must do whatsoeuer we do in reuerent and seemely maner as Paul giues counsel to the Philippians Brethren saith he whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest iust pure pertaine to loue of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things many men doe all their affaires orderly for auoiding shame but wee must doe the same vpon a further ground namely because Gods holy angels waite on vs. And considering that men haue care to behaue themselues well when they are before men what a shame is it for a man to behaue himselfe vnseemely either in open or in secret he then beeing before the glorious angels Paul saith that the woman ought to haue power on her head because of the angels that is not onely the ministers of the Church but gods heauenly angels which daily waite vpon his children and guard them in all their waies Fourthly this must teach vs modestie and humility for the angels of God are very notable and excellent creatures and therefore they are called in the Psalmes Elohim gods yet how excellent soeuer they be they abase themselues to become guardians and keepers vnto sinnefull men Nowe if the Angels doe so abase themselues then much more ought euery man to abase and humble himselfe in modestie◠and humilitie before God and whatsoeuer our calling is we must not be puffed vp but be content This is a necessarie dutie for all but especially for those which are in the schooles of the Prophets whatsoeuer their gifts or birth be they must not thinke themselues too good for the calling of the ministerie And if god haue called vs thereunto we must be content to become seruants vnto all in the matter of saluation though the men whom we teach be neuer so base or simple for no man doth so farre excell the basest person in the world as the glorious Angels of God doe exceed the most excellent man that is therefore seeing they vouchsafe to become seruants vnto vs we must not thinke our selues too good to serue our poore brethren And thus much of the duties Nowe followe the consolations that arise from this that God hath giuen his glorious angels to serue for the protection and safegard of his church and people If mens spirituall eies were open they should see the deuil and his angels and all the wicked of this world to fight against them if there were no means of comfort in this case then our estate were most miserable But marke as Gods seruant hath all these wicked ones to bee his enimies so he hath garrisons of angels that pitch their tents about him and defend him from them all So Dauid saith He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee they shall keepe thee in all thy waies that thou dash not thy foote against a stone where the angels of God are compared to nources which carry little children in their armes feed them and are alwaies readie at hand to saue them from fals and many other dangers When the king of Syria sent his horses chariots to take Elisha the Lords prophet because he reuealed his counsell to the king of Israel his seruant sawe them round about Dothan where he was and he cried Alas master vvhat shall wee doe then Elisha answered Feare not for they that be with vs are more then they that be
Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the workes of thy handes and therefore God hauing created him in his image biddeth him rule ouer the fishes of the sea ouer the fowles of the heauen and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth afterward he brought them all to him as to a soueraigne lord and king to be named by him and answerably euery creature in his kind gaue reuerence and subiection vnto man before his fall as vnto their lord and king Where by the way we must remeÌ„ber that when we see any creature that is hurtfull and noysome vnto man and would rather deuoure then obey him it must put vs in minde of our sinne for by creation we were made lords and kings ouer all creatures and they durst not but reuerence and obey vs but the rebellion of man vnto God is the cause of the rebellion of the creatures vnto vs. The third part of mans dignitie by creation is that before his fall he had a wonderfull beautie and maiestie aboue all creatures in his bodie whereupon Dauid saith the Lord hath crowned him with glorie and worship And in the renuing of the couenant with Noe God saith that the dread and feare of man shall be vpon all creatures which nowe though it be but small yet doth it plainely shewe what was the glorie and maiestie of mans person at the first The fourth dignitie of mans estate in innocencie is that his labour was without paine or wearinesse if he had neuer fallen he should haue laboured in the garden but so as he should neuer haue beene wearied therewith For when Adam was fallen God said In the sâ—eate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread now if the paine in labour come after as a curse vpon man for his transgression then before his fall man felt no paine in his affaires And in these foure things consisteth mans dignitie which he had in the creation Now in the third followeth mans calling before his fall which is twofold I. particular II. generall Mans particular calling was to come into the garden of Eden to keepe it and to dresse the trees and fruits thereof This shewes vnto vs a good lesson that euery man must haue a particular calling wherein he ought to walke and therefore such as spende their time idlely in gaming and vaine delights haue much to answer to God at the day of iudgement This will not excuse a man to say theÌ„ that he had land liuing to maintaine himselfe and therefore was to liue as he list for euen Adam in his innocencie had all things at his will wanted nothing yet euen then God imploied him in a calling therfore none must be exempted euery man both high low must walke in his proper calling AdaÌ„s general calling was to worship his Creatour to which he was bound by the right of creation considering the morall law was written in his heart by nature Which is signified in the Decalogue where the Lord requires worship and obedience of his people because he is Iehouah that is one which hath beeing in himselfe and giues beeing to all men by creation For the better vnderstanding of this point we are to consider three things I. The place where Adam did worshippe II. The time III. The sacraments For the first God euer since the beginning had a place where he would be worshipped and it is called Gods house which then was the garden of Eden For it was vnto Adam a place appointed by God for his worship as Church-assemblies are vnto vs where also the Lord at some time did in a speciall manner shew himselfe vnto his creature Touching the time of Gods worship it was the seuenth day from the beginning of the creation the Sabbath day And here we must note that the keeping of the Sabbath is morall Some indeede doe pleade that it is but a ceremonie yet falsly for it was ordained before the fall of man at which time Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place Nay marke further Adam in his innocencie was not clogged with sinne as we are and yet then he had a set Sabbath to worship God his creatour and therefore much more neede hath euery one of vs of a sabbath day wherein we may seuer our selues from the workes of our callings and the workes of sinne to the worship of God in the exercise of religion and godly meditation of our creation This point must be learned of vs for when no occasion is offered of busines then men will formally seeme to keepe the sabbath but if there come occasion of breaking the sabbath as traffike gaming and vaine shewes then Sabbath farewell men will haue their pleasures let them worship God that will But let vs remember in the feare of God that whosoeuer continueth in the breach of this law beeing moral God will no lesse powre forth his punishments vpon them then for the breach of any other commaundement the consideration whereof must mooue euery man to a reuerent sanctifying of the Lords day Now for Adams sacraments they were two the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and euill these did serue to exercise Adam in obedience vnto God The tree of life was to signifie assurance of life for euer if he did keepe Gods commandements the tree of knowledge of good and euill was a sacrament to shew vnto him that if he did transgresse Gods coÌ„mandements he should die and it was so called because it did signifie that if he transgressed this law he should haue experience both of good and euill in himselfe Now in the fourth place followeth the ende of the creation of man which is twofold First that there might be a creature to whome God might make manifest himselfe who in a speciall maner should set forth and acknowledge his wisdome goodnesse mercie in the creation of heauen and earth and of things that are in them as also his prouidence in gouerning the same Secondly God hauing decreed to glorifie his name in shewing his mercie and iustice vpon his creature hereupon in time createth men to shew his mercie in the saluation of some and to shew his iustice in the iust and deserued damnation of other some And therfore he hath appointed the creation specially of man to be a meanes of manifestation and beginning of the execution of his eternal counsell Thus much concerning mans creation in generall The speciall parts of man are two bodie and soule And the reason why the Lord would haue him stand on these two parts is this Some creatures made before him were onely bodily as beasts fishes foules some spirituall as Angels now man is both spirituall in regard of his soule corporall and sensible in regard of his bodie that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature If it be alleadged that man consists of three parts bodie soule and spirit because Paul praies that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in bodie soule and
spirit the answer is that the spirit signifies the minde whereby men conceiue and vnderstand such things as may be vnderstood and the soule is there taken for the will and affections and therefore these twaine are not two parts but onely two distinct faculties of one and the same soule The bodie of man at the first was formed by God of clay or of the dust of the earth not to be the graue of the bodie as Plato said but to be an excellent and most fit instrument to put in execution the powers and faculties of the soule And howsoeuer in it selfe considered it is mortall because it is compoūded of contrarie natures called Elements yet by the appointment and blessing of God in the creation it became immortall till the fall of man As for the soule it is no accidentarie qualitie but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature subsisting by it selfe Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodies of men as in the same and are as well subiect to torments as the bodie is And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life sense motion vnderstanding we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule Hence ariseth the difference betweene the soules of men and beasts The soules of men are substances but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances because they haue no beeing out of the bodies in which they are but rather they are certaine peculiar qualities arising of the matter of the bodie and vanishing with it And it may be for this cause that the soule of the beast is said to be in the blood whereas the like is not said of the soule of man And though mens soules be spirits as angels are yet a difference must be made For angels can not be vnited with bodies so as both shall make one whole and entire person whereas mens soules may yea the soule coupled with the bodie is not onely the moouer of the bodie but the principall cause that makes man to be a man The beginning of the soule is not of the essence of God vnlesse we will make euery mans soule to be God neither doth it spring of the soule of the parents for the soule can no more beget a soule then an angel can beget an angel And Adam is called a liuing soule and not a quickning soule And earthly fathers are called the fathers of our bodies and not of our soules It remaines therefore as beeing most agreeable to the Scriptures that the soules of men are then created by God of nothing when they are infused into the bodie And though the soule◠of men haue a beginning yet they haue no end but are eternall And when they are saide to die it is not because they cease at any time to subsist or haue beeing in nature but because they cease to be righteous or to haue fellowship with God Whereas our bodies are Gods workemanship we must glorifie him in our bodies and all the actions of bodie and soule our eating and drinking our liuing and dying must be referred to his glorie yea we must not hurt or abuse our bodies but present them as holy and liuing sacrifices vnto God And whereas God made vs of the dust of the earth we are not to glorie and boast our selues but rather to take occasion to praise the great goodnesse of God that hath vouchsafed to honour vs beeing but dust and ashes And after that man is created what is his life alas it is nothing but a little breath stoppe his mouth and his nostrells and he is but a dead man By this we are put in minde to consider of our fraile and vncerten estate and to lay aside all confidence in our selues and for this cause the Prophet Esay teacheth vs to haue no confidence in man because his breath is in his nostrills Againe let vs marke the frame and shape of mans bodie All other creatures goe with their bodies and eyes to the ground-ward but man was made to goe vpright and whereas all other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fifth to pull his eyes vp to heauen-ward Now what doth this teach vs surely that howsoeuer we seeke for other things yet first of all and aboue all we should seeke for the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof and that our whole desire should be set to enioy the blessed estate of Gods children in heauen Secondly it teacheth vs in receiuing Gods creatures to returne thankfulnes vnto God by lifting vp the heart to heauen for the same These are very needfull and profitable lessons in these daies for most men indeede goe vpright but looke into their liues and they might as well goe on all foure for in their conuersation they set their whole hearts vpon the earth as the beast doth and their eyes vpon the things of this world hereby they doe abase themselues and deface their bodies and beeing men make themselues as beasts we shall see great numbers of men that runne and ride from place to place to prouide for the bodie but to seeke the kingdome of heauen where their soules should dwell after this life in ioy for euer they wil not stirre one foote Thirdly mans bodie by creation was made a temple framed by Gods owne hands for himselfe to dwell in therefore our dutie is to keepe our bodies pure and cleane and not to suffer them to be instruments wherby to practise the sinne of the heart If a man had a faire house wherein he must entertaine a prince and should make hereof a swinestie or a stable would not all men say that he did greatly abuse both the house and the prince euen so mans bodie beeing at the first made a pallace for the euerliuing God if a man shall abuse it by drunkennesse swearing lying fornication or any vncleannesse he doth make it in stead of a temple for the holy Ghost to be a stie or stable for the deuill For the more filthie a mans bodie is the more fit it is to be a dwelling place for sinne and Sathan Fourthly man by creation was made a goodly creature in the blessed image of God but by Adams fall men lost the same and are now become the deformed children of wrath our dutie therefore is to labour to get againe our first image and indeauour our selues to become newe creatures If a noble man should staine his blood by treason after his death the posteritie will neuer be at rest till they haue got away that spot Man by Adams fall is become a limm of the deuill a rebell and traytor against Gods maiestie and this is the state of euery one of vs by nature we are at enmitie with God and therfore we ought to labour aboue all things in the world to be restored in Christ to our first estate and perfection that
any of Gods creatures or ordinances wee must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier the reason is this because he is Lord ouer all and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not and when and how they are to be vsed and secondly we must pray to him that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God as being alwaies readie to giue an account of our doings at the day of iudgement for we vse that which is the Lords not our owne we are but stewards ouer them and we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship Hast thou learning then imploy it to the glory of God and the good of the Church boast not of it as though it were thine owne Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God be it wisdome strength riches honour fauour or whatsoeuer then looke thou vse it so as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly euery one must in such manner lead his life in this world that at the day of death hee may with cheerefulnes surrender and giue vp his soule into the handes of his Lord and say with Steuen Lord Iesus receiue my soule For consider this with thy selfe that thy soule is none of thine owne but his who hath bought it with a price and therefore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maiest in good manner restore it into the hands of god at the ende of thy life If a man should borrowe a thing of his neighbour and afterward hurt it and make a spoile of it he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner and if he doe the owner himselfe will not receiue it Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sinne that they can neuer be able willingly to giue them vp into the handes of God at the day of death and if they would yet God accepts them not but casts them quite away We must therefore labour so to liue in the world that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus who gaue them vnto vs. This is a harde thing to bee done and he that will doe it truely must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes which a man can neuer haue without true vnfained faith and repentance wherefore while we haue time let vs purge and clense our soules and bâ—dies that they may come home againe to God in good plight And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they haue an higher Lord that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours This is Paul reason Ye masters saith he doe the same things vnto your seruants putting away threatning and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen neither is there respect of persons with him Inferiours againe must remember to submit themselues to the authoritie of their gouernours especially of magistrates For they are set ouer vs by our soueraigne Lord and king Christ Iesus as Paul saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers For there is no power but of God and the powers that be ordained are of God And againe Seruants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenes of your hearts as vnto Christ. The comfort which Gods Church may reape hence is very great for if Christ be the Lord of lords and our Lord especially whome he hath created and redeemed we neede not to feare what the deuil or wicked men can doe vnto vs. If Christ be on our side who can be against vs wee neede not feare them that can destroy the bodie and doe no more but we must cast our feare on him that is Lord of body and soule and can cast both to hell Thus much of the fourth title Nowe followes Christs incarnation in these wordes Conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines as Paul saith Without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse which is God is made manifest in the flesh iustified in the spirit c. And that we may proceede in order in handling them I will first speake of the incarnation generally and then after come to the parts thereof In generall we are to propound fiue questions the answering whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following The first question is who was incarnateâ— or made man Answ. The second person in Trinitie the sonne of God alone as it is set downe in this article according to the Scripture S. Iohn saith The Word was made flesh and the angel saith The holy one which shall be borne of thee shall be called the sonne of the most high And Paul saith that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh And there be sundrie reasons why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other I. By whom the father created all things and man especially by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed and as I may say recreated now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne and therefore to be redeemed by him II. It was most conuenient that he which is the essentiall image of the father should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man but the second person is the essentiall image of the father and therefore he alone must take mans nature III. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God should be made the sonne of man that we which are the sonnes of men yea the sonnes of wrath should againe by grace be made the sonnes of God now the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature not the Father nor the holy Ghost As for the Father he could not be incarnate For to take flesh is to be sent of an other but the Father can not be sent of any person because he is from none Againe if the Father were incarnate he should be father to him which is by nature God and the sonne of a creature namely the virgin Marie which things can not well stand And the holy Ghost could not be incarnateâ— for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie namely the second person the sonne of the father and the third person the holy Ghost the sonne of the virgin Marie It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner The whole diuine essence is incarnate euery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence therefore euery person is incarnate Ans. The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate yet not
them plentie of his grace but also admits them into his glorious presence so as they may behold his maiestie face to face The fourth and last is that whereby the Godhead of the sonne is present and dwells with and in the manhood giuing vnto it in some part his owne subsistance Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne and can not be the manhood of the Father or of the holy Ghost or of any creature whatsoeuer And this is a thing so admirable and so vnspeakable that among all the works of God there can not be found an other example hereof in all the world Hence it follows necessarily that the manhood of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule is a nature onely and not a person because it doth not subsist alone as other men Peter Paul Iohn doe but wholly depends on the person of the word into the vnitie whereof it is receiued The third point is in what order the diuine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither Ans. The common consent of Diuines is that albeit all the parts of the manhood and the godhead of Christ be vnited at one instant yet in respect of order he vnites vnto himselfe first and immediately the soule and by the soule the bodie And it seemes vnmeete that God beeing a most simple essence should immediately be ioyned to a compound bodie and therefore it may well be saide that he is vnited vnto it by the more simple part of man which is the soule Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediately ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe and by the person to the godhead of the sonne The fourth point is whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the vnion is made Answ. The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly but onely by analogie for as bodie and soule make one man so God and man make one Christ neither are they turned one into an other the godhead into the manhood or the manhood into the godhead as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile neither are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke but they now are and so remaine without composition conuersion or confusion really distinct and that in three respects First in regard of essence For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood and againe the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead Secondly they are distinguished in proprieties the godhead is most wise iust mercifull omnipotent yea wisdom iustice mercie and power it selfe and so is not the manhood neither can it be Againe Christ as he is God hath his will eternall and vncreated which is all one with the will of the father and the holy Ghost And as he is man he hath another will created in time placed in his reasonable soule this Christ signifieth when he saith Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly they are distinct in their actions or operations which though they goe togither inseparably in the worke of redemption yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselues are Christ saith of himselfe I haue power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it vp againe and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhood because the Godhead can not die and to take it vp againe is the worke of the Godhead alone which reunites the soule to the bodie after death The fifth and last point is what ariseth of this vnion Ans. By reason of this hypostatical vnion though the godhead receiue nothing from the manhood yet the manhood it selfe which is assumed is thereby perfected and enriched with vnspeakable dignitie For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer euen angels themselues in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie Secondly togither with the godhead of the Sonne it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour as in like case the honour done to the King himselfe redoundes to the crowne on his head Thirdly by reason of this vnion the godhead of Christ workes all things in the matter of our redemption in and by the manhoode And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned it is quickning flesh and the bread of life Againe from this vnion of two natures into one person ariseth a kinde of speech or phrase peculiar to the Scriptures called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature as when Paul saith that God shed his blood that the Lord of glorie was crucified And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen The vse of the personall vnion is threefold First it serues to shew the hainousnesse of our sinnes and the greatnesse of our miserie For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence vnlesse the same nature had first of all beene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne that thereby it might be so farre forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God Secondly it sets forth vnto vs the endlesse loue of God to man For whereas by reason of Adams fall we were become the vilest of all creatures except the deuill and his angels by his mysticall coniunction our nature is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort for all sound comfort stands in happines all happines is in fellowship with God all fellowship with God is by Christ who for this cause beeing very God became very man that he might reconcile man to God and God to man Thus much of the conception of Christ now followes his birth whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature he was brought forth into the world by the virgin Marie And it was the will of God that Christ should not onely be conceiued but also borne and that after the manner of men that he might be knowne to be very man indeede In the birth we may consider foure things the time the place the manner the manifestation of it The time was in the last daies toward the end of the 70. weekes of Daniel which are to be accounted from the ende of the captiuitie of Babylon and make in all 490 yeares or more plainly 3900 yeares and more from the beginning of the world and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time And the Euangelists haue noted of purpose the time to haue beene when Augustus Caesar taxed
for faith is the subsisting of things which are not seene and Abraham aboue hope did beleeue vnder hope and Iob saith though thou kill me yet will I beleeue in thee In Philosophy a man beginnes by experience after which comes knoweledge and beleefe as whē a man hath put his hand to the fire feeles it to be hot he comes to knowe thereby that fire burnes but in Diuinitie wee must beleeue though we haue no feeling first comes faith and after comes sense and feeling And the ground of our religion standes in this to beleeue things neither seene not felt to hope aboue all hope and without hope in extremitie of affliction to beleeue that God loueth vs when he seemeth to be our enemie and to perseuere in the same to the end◠The answer which Christ made to his praier was This night shalt thou bee with me in Paradise Whereby he testifies in the middest of his sufferings the power which he had ouer the soules of men and verifies that gratious promise Aske and ye shall receiue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened to you and withall confutes the popish purgatory For if any man should haue gone to that forged place of torment then the theife vpon the crosse who repenting at the last gaspe wanted time to make satisfaction for the temporall punishment of his sinnes And by this conuersion of the thiefe we may learne that if any of vs would turne to God and repent we must haue three things I. The knowledge of our owne sinnes II. From the bottome of our hearts wee must confesse and condemne our selues for them and speake the worst that can be of our selues in regard of our sinnes III. We must earnestly craue pardon for them and call for mercie at Gods handes in Christ withall reforming our liues for the time to come if we doe we giue tokens of repentance if not we may thinke what we will but we deceiue our selues and are not truely conuerted And here we must be warned to take heede least we abuse as many do the example of the thiefe to conclude thereby that we may repent when we will because the thiefe on the crosse was conuerted at the last gaspe For there is not a second example like to this in all the whole Bible it was also extraordinarie Indeed sundrie men are called at the eleuenth houre but it is a most rare thing to finde the conuersion of a sinner after the eleuenth houre and at the point of the twelfth This mercy God vouchsafed this one thiefe that he might be a glasse in which we might behold the efficacie of the death of Christ but the like is not done to many men no not to one of a thousand Let vs rather consider the estate of the other thiefe who neither by the dealing of his fellow nor by any speech of Christ could be brought to repentance Let vs not therefore deferre our repentance to the houre of death for then we shall haue sore enemies against vs the world the flesh the deuill and a guiltie conscience the best way is before hand to preuent them And experience shewes that if a man deferre repentance to the last gaspe often when he would repent he cannot Let vs take Salomons counsel Remēber thy creatour in the daies of thy youth before the euill daies come If we will not heare the Lord when he calleth vs hee will not heare vs when we call on him The third signe was the ecclipsing or darkening of the sunne from the sixt houre to the ninth And this ecclipse was miraculous For by the course of nature the sinne is neuer ecclipsed but in the newe moone whereas contrariwise this ecclipse was about the time of the passeouer which was alwaies kept at the full moone Question is made touching the largenes of it some mooued by the words of Luke who saith that darkenes was vpon the whole earth haue thought that the ecclipse was vniuersall ouer the whole world but I rather thinke that Saint Lukes meaning is that it was ouer the whole region or countrie of Iurie For if such a wonder had happened ouer the whole worlde 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 Romans and Grecians yet all their writings prooue no more but this that it was ouer Iurie and Galely and the countries bordering neere vnto The vses of this miracle are manifolde 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 when as Christ suffered darkenesse was ouer all the land of Iurie and all the world besides had the light of the sunne so shortly after blindenesse of minde was ouer the whole nation of the Iewes and all the world besides sawe the sonne of righteousnesse shining vnto them in preaching of the gospel III. It serues to aduertise vs that such as carrie themselues towardes Christ as the Iewes did haue nothing els in them but darkenes and they that 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 dark dungeon can who if they thus remaine shal at length be cast into vtter darkenes This being the estate of all them that be forth of Christ wee must labour to be freed from this darkenesse that the day-starre may rise in our hearts and shine vpon vs and put life into vs. IV. 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 like that this was the principall ende of this miracle For whereas neither his doctrine nor his former miracles could mooue them to acknowledge him for that Messias yet this one worke of God doth as it were strike the naile to the head and stop al their mouthes V. Besides this whereas at the very instant when Christ was about to make a satisfaction to the iustice of his father for our sinnes the sunne was thus darkened it teacheth vs first to think of the passion of Christ not as of a light matter but as one of the greatest wonders of the world at the sight whereof the verie frame of nature was changed secondly to thinke of our owne sinnes as the vilest things in the worlde and that they deserue the intollerable wrath of God considering that at the time when they were to bee 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 top 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 at the time of Christs passion it was rent 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 glory and maiestie vnto his Saints and the rending of the vaile sigureth vnto vs that by the death of Christ heauen which was otherwise shut by our sinnes is now set open and a way made to enter thereto II. It signifieth that by the death of Christ we haue without impediment free accesse to come vnto God the father by earnest praier in the name of Christ which is a most vnspeakable benefit III. It signifieth that by Christs death an end 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 outward ceremonies most simple and plaine IV. The temple was the chiefe and one of the most principal 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 praier of thy seruant and his supplication and cause thy face to shine vpon the sanctuarie that lieth wast for the Lords sake Yet for all this when they began to crucifie the Lord of life their prerogatiues helpes them not nay they are depriued thereof and God euen with his owne hand rendes 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 if we haue no loue of Christ and his members God wil 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 therfore with all care and diligence shewe forth our loue both to Christ himselfe and to his members and adorne the gospell which wee professe by bringing forth fruits worthy of it The fifth signe is the earthquake whereby hard rockes were clouen a sunder 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 treÌ„bled thereat though the Iewes themselues made no bones of it And it is a thing to be wondred at that the earth doeth not often in these daies tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and feareful 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 wee can talke and heare of his death yea we can say hee was crucified for our sinnes and yet are we nothing affected therewith our hearts will not rende when as hard rockes cleaue asunder Thirdly the moouing of the eaâ—th and the rending of the rockes asunder may be a signe vnto vs of the vertue of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ which is nothing els but the publishing of the passion of his death which being preached shall shake heauen and earth sea and land It shall mooue the earthen hard and rockie hearts of men and raise vp of meere stones and rockes children vnto Abraham But the maine vse and ende of this point is to prooue that he that was crucified was the true Messias the sonne of God and therefore had the power of heauen and earth and could mooue all things at his pleasure The sixt signe of the power of Christ is that graues did open many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of their graues after his resurrectioÌ„ and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many The vse of this signe is this it signifies vnto vs that Christ by his death vpon the crosse did vanquish death in the graue and opened itâ— and thereby testified that hee was the resurrection and the life so that it shall not haue euerlasting dominion ouer vs but that he will raise vs vp from death to life and to euerlasting glorie The seuenth signe is the testimonie of the Centurion with his souldiours which stood by to see Christ executed S. Marke saith when he sawe that Christ thus crying gaue vp the ghost he said truely this was the sonne of God Thus wee see it is an easie matter for Christ to defend his owne cause let Iudas betray him Peter denie him and all the rest forsake him yet he can if it so please him make the Centurion that standeth by to see him executed to testify of his innocency But what was the occasion that mooued him to giue so worthie a testimonie S. Matthew saith it was feare and that feare was caused by hearing the loud crie of Christ and by seeing the earthquake things which were done And this must put vs in minde not to passe by Gods iudgements which daily fall out in the world but take knowledge of them and as it were to fixe both our eyes on them For they are notable meanes to strike and astonish the rebellious heart of man and to bring it in awe and subiection to God After that the two first captaines with their fifties commanding the Prophet Elias to come downe to king Achaziah were consumed with fire from heauen the king sent his third captain ouer fiftie with his fiftie to fetch him down but what doth he it is said he fell on his knee before Eliah and besought him saying O man of God I pray thee let my life and the liues of these fiftie seruants be pretious in thine eyes But what was the cause why he praied thus Surely he obserued what iudgements of God fell vpon his two former fellow captaines Behold saith he there came downe fire from heauen and deuoured the two former captaines with their fifties therefore let my life be pretious now in
these wordes The third day hee arose againe from the deade c. And of it wee are first to speake in generall then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof In generall the exaltation of Christ is that glorious or happie estate into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse And hee was exalted according to both natures in regard of his godhead and also of his manhoode The exaltation of the godhead of Christ was the manifestation of the glorie of his godhead in the manhoode Some will peraduenture demaunde howe Christs godhead can bee exalted seeing it admits no alteration at all Answere In it selfe it cannot bee exalted yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhoode into one person in this respect it may bee said to bee exalted and therefore I say the exaltation of Christs godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man and his godhead all that time dwelt in his manhood yet from his birth vnto his death the same godhead did little shewe it selfe and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hidde vnder the vaile of his flesh as the soule doth in the bodie when a man is sleeping that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the lawe and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs in the loâ—e and base estate of a seruant But after this worke was finished hee began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood And in this respect his godhead may be said to be exalted The exaltation of Christs humanitie stood in two things The first that he laid downe all the infirmities of mans nature which he carried about him so long as hee was in the state of a seruant in that he ceased to be wearie hungrie thirstie c. Here it may be demanded whether the wounds and skars remaine in the bodie of Christ nowe after it is glorified Ans. Some thinke that they doe remaine as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his and our enemies and that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of the Lord but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified But indeede it rather seemes to be a trueth to say that they are quite abolished because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside And if it may be thought that the woundes in the handes and feete of Christ remaine to bee seene euen to the last iudgement why may we not in the same manner thinke that the veines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood because it was shed vpon the crosse The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is that both his bodie and soule were beutified and adorned with all qualities of glorie His mind was inriched with as much knowledge vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature more in measure then all men angels haue and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his will and affections his bodie also was incorruptible it was made a shining bodie a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount and it was indued with agilitie to mooue as well vpward as downewardâ— as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caueats first that hee did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie as length breadth thicknes visibilitie locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more but keepeth all these stil because they serue for the being of his bodie Secondly we must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but finite for his humane nature beeing but a creature and therefore finite could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false which hold that Christs bodie glorified is omnipotent and infinit euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he wil for this is to make a creature to be the Creator Thus much of Christs exaltation in generall Nowe let vs come to the degrees thereof as they are noted in the Creed which are in number three I. He rose againe the third day II. He ascended into heauen III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling of Christs resurrection wee must consider these points I. why Christ ought to rise againe II. the manner of his rising III. the time when he rose IV. the place where V. the vses therof For the first it was necessarie that Christ should rise againe and that for three especiall causes First that hereby he might shewe to all the people of God that he had fully ouercome death For else if Christ had not risen howe should we haue beene perswaded in our consciences that he had made a ful perfect satisfaction for vs nay rather we should haue reasoned thus Christ is not risen therfore he hath not ouercome death but death hath ouercome him Secondly Christ which died was the sonne of God therefore the author of life it selfe and for this cause it was neither meete nor possible for him to be holden of death but hee must needes rise from death to life Thirdly Christs priesthood hath two parts one to make satisfaction for sinne by his one onely sacrifice vpon the crosse the other to apply the vertue of this sacrifice vnto euery beleeuer Now he offered the sacrifice for sinne vpon the crosse before the last pang of his death and in dying satisfied the iustice of God and therefore beeing dead must needes rise againe to performe the second part of his priesthood namely to apply the vertue thereof vnto all that shall truely beleeue in him and to make intercession in heauen vnto his father for vs here on earth And thus much of the first point Nowe to come to the manner of Christs resurrection fiue things are to be considered in it The first that Christ rose againe not as euery priuate man doth but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall For as in his passion so also in his resurrection he stood in our roome and place and therfore when he rose from death we al yea the whole Church rose in him and togither with him And this point not considered we doe not conceiue aright of Christs resurrection neither can we reape sound comfort by it The second is that Christ himselfe and no other for him did by his owne power raise himselfe to life This was the thing which he meant when hee said Destroy
yet afterward for a time hee doth as it were hide the same in some corner of their hearts so as they haue no feeling thereof but thinke themselues to be void of all grace and this he doth for no other ende but to humble them and yet againe after all this the first grace is further renued and reuiued Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid and Salomon for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture and therefore an holy man of God we may not thinke that he was wholly forsaken with Peter and in this place with Thomas And the experience of this shall euery seruant of God finde in himselfe The second appearance of Christ was to seuen of the disciples as they went on fishing in which hee giues three testimonies of his godhead and that by death his power was nothing diminished The first that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing afterward by his direction they catch fish in aboundance and that presently This teacheth vs that Christ is a soueraigne Lord ouer all creatures and hath the disposing of them in his owne handes and that if good successe followe not when men are painefull in their callings it is because God will prepare and make them fit for a further blessing Christ comes in the morning and giues his disciples a great draught of fish yet before this can be they must labour all night in vaine Ioseph must be made ruler ouer all Egypt but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sunn nor light to prepare him to that honour And Dauid must be King ouer Israel but the Lord will first prepare him hereunto by raising vp Saul to persecute him Therefore when God sâ—ndeth any hinderances vnto vs in our callings wee must not despaire nor bee discouraged for they are the meanes whereby God maketh vs fit to receiue greater blessings at his handes either in this life or in the life to come The second is that the net was vnbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three The third that when the disciples came to land they sawe hotte coales and fish laid thereon and bread Nowe some may aske whence was this foode Answ. The same Lord that was able to prouide a Whale to swallowe vp Ionas and so to saue him and he that was able to prouide a fish for Peters angle with a peece of twentie pence in the mouth and to make a little bread and a fewe fishes to feede so many thousands in the wildernesse the same also doeth of himselfe prouide bread and fishes for his disciples This teacheth vs that not not onely the blessing but also the very hauing of meate drinke apparell is from Christ and hereupon all states of men euen the kings of the earth are taught to pray that God would giue them their daily bread Againe when we sit downe to eate and drinke this must put vs in minde that wee are the guests of Christ himselfe our foode which we haue comes of his meere gift and hee it is that entertaines vs if wee could see it And for this cause wee must soberly and with great reuerence in feare and trembling vse all gods creatures as in his presence And when we eate and drinke wee must alwaies looke that all our speech be such as may beseeme the guests of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Vsually the practise of men is farre otherwise for in feasting many take libertie to surfet to be drunke to sweare to blasâ—heme but if we serue the Lord let vs remember whose guests we are and who is our entertainer and so behaue our selues as being in his presence that all our actions and words may tend to his glorie The third appearance was to Iames as S. Paul recordeth although the same be not mentioned in any of the Euangelists The fourth was to all his disciples in a mountaine whither he had appointed them to come The fift last appearance was in the mount of Oliues when he ascended into heauen Of these three last appearances because the holy Ghost hath only mentioned them I omitte to speake and with the repeating of them I let them passe Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection the witnesses thereof are of three sorts I. angels II. women that came to the graue to embaulme him III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ and of these likewise I omit to speake because there is not any speciall thing mentioned of them by the Euangelists Nowe follow the vses which are twofold some respect Christ and some respect our selues Vses which concerne Christ are three I. whereas Christ Iesus beeing starke dead rose againe to life by his owne power it serueth to prooue vnto vs that he was the sonne of God Thus Paul speaking of Christ saith that hee was deâ—lared mightily to bee the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead And by the mouth of Dauid God said Thou art my sonne this day I haue begot thee Which place must bee vnderstood not so much of the eternal generation of Christ before al worlds as of the manifestation thereof in time after this manner This day that is at the time of thine incarnâ—tion but especially at the daie of thy resurrection haue I begotten thee that is I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne so is this place expouÌ„ded by S. Paul in the Acts. SecoÌ„dly Christs rising froÌ„ death by his own poâ—er prooues vnto vs euidently that he is Lord ouer al things that are this vse S. Paul makes hereof for saith he Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead of the quick And indeed whereas he rose againe on this mâ—ner he did herebâ— shew himselfe most plainly to be a mighty prince ouer the graueâ— death hel condemnation one that had alâ— sufficient power to ouercome them Thirdly it prooues vnto vs that he was a perfit priest and that his death passion was a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of god for the â—innes of mankind For whereas Christ died he died for our sinnes now if he had not fully satisfied for them all though there had remained but one sinne for which he had made no satisfaction he had not risen againe but death which came into the world by sinne and is strengthened by it would haue held him in bondage and therefore whereas he rose againe it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction that the merit therof doth and shall counteruaile the iustice of God for all our offences To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sinnes that is Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes or at least you could not
of Christ in feeding clothing lodging and visiting of them For we must thinke that many of those against whome this reason shall be brought did know religion and professe the same yea they prophesied in the name of Christ and called on him saying Lord Lord and yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them because they shew no compassion toward the members of Christ and therefore it is a principal vertue and a speciall note of a Christian to shew the bowels of compassion towards his needie brethren Here againe we note that it is not sufficient for vs to abstaine from euill but we must also doe good For it is not saide I was an hungred and ye tooke from me but When I was hungrie ye gaue me no mâ—ate They are not charged with doing euill but for not doing good S. Iohn saith The axe is laid to the roote of the tree and the reason followes not because the tree bare euill fruit but because it bare not good fruite therefore it must be cast into the fire This condemnes a bad opinion of all worldly men who thinke that all is well and that God will be mercifull vnto them because they doe no man harme Thus we see how the deuill blinds the eyes of men for it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement to say I haue hurt no man vnlesse we further doe all the good we can The third point is the defence which impenitent sinners make for themselues in these words Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirstie or naked or in prison or sicke and did not minister vnto thee Thus in their owne defence that which Christ saith they gainsay iustifie themselues Here marke the nature of all impenitent sinners which is to sooth and flatter themselues in sinne and to maintaine their owne righteousnes like to the proud Pharisie in his prayer who bragged of his goodnes and said Lord I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sorts among vs iustifie themselues in their strong faith and bragge of their zeale of Gods glorie and of their loue to their brethren and yet indeede shew no signes thereof And truly we are not to maruell when we see such persons to iustifie themselues before men whereas they shall not be ashamed to doe it at the day of iudgement before the Lord Iesus himselfe The last point is Christs answer to them againe in these words Verily I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me This sentence being repeated againe doth teach vs the lesson which we learned before that when we are to shew compassion to any man especially if he be a meÌ„ber of Gods Church we must not consider his outward estate or his basenes in that he waÌ„ts food or raiment but behold Christ in him not respecting him as a man but as a member of Christ. This it is that must mooue vs to coÌ„passion and cause vs to make a supplie of his wants more then any respect in the world beside And surely when Christ in his members comes to our dores and complaines that he is hungrie and sicke and naked if our bowels yearne not towards him there is not so much as a sparke of the loue of God in vs. The seuenth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is the retribution or reward in these words and they shall go into euerlasting paine and the righteous into life eternall How doe the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heauen Answ. By the powerfull and commaunding voice of Christ which is of that force that neither the greatest rebell that euer was among men nor all the deuills in hell shall be able to withstand it And seeing that after the day of iudgement we must remaine for euer either in heauen or in hell we are to looke about vs and to take heed vnto our hearts Indeede if the time were but a thousand or two thousand yeares then with more reason men might take libertie to themselues but seeing it is without ende we must be most carefull through the whole course of our liues so to liue and behaue our selues that when the day of iudgement shall come we may auoid that fearefull sentence of euerlasting woe and condemnation which shall be pronounced against the wicked And whereas all wicked men shall goe to hell at Christs commaundement it teacheth vs willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the word For if we rebell against his voice in this world when in the day of iudgement sentence shall be pronounced against vs we shall heare an other voice at the giuing whereof we must obey whether we will or no and thereupon goe to euerlasting paine whither we would not Let vs therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past and onely relie vpon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all and for the time to come lead a new reformed life Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement Now follow the vses thereof which are either comforts to Gods Church or duties for all men The first comfort or benefit is this that the same person which died for vs vpon the crosse to worke our redemption must also be our iudge And hence we reape two speciall comforts I. The people of God shall hereby inioy ful redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the ende of the world saith to his disciples When you see these things lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Then he shal wipe all teares from their eyes Secondly we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne Now what a ioyful thing it is to be freed from sinne may plainly appeare by the crie of S. Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And certen it is that he which knowes what sinne is seriously repents him of the same would wish with all his heart to be out of this world that he might leaue off to sinne and thereby cease to displease God The second comfort is this the godly in this world haue many enemies they are reuiled slandered and oftentimes put to death well Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand he will then heare the complaint of the godly howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth according to their prayer This comfort is to be coÌ„sidered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs and they are diuers First the consideration of the last iudgement serueth
he saith Christ is the head to his bodie which is his Church and when he ascribes the name of Christ not onely to the person of the Sonne but to the Church it selfe as in the Epistle to the Galatians To Abraham and his seede were the promises made he saith not and to his seedes as speaking of many but and vnto his seede as speaking of one which is Christ that is not the redeemer alone but also the Church redeemed For Christ as he is man is not the onely seede of Abraham And this definition of the Church is almost in so many wordes set downe in the Scriptures in that it is called the Familie of God partly in heauen and partly in earth named of Christ and it is also called the heauenly Ierusalem the mother of vs all and the celestiall Ierusalem and the congregation of the first borne Nowe for the better vnderstanding of the nature estate and parts of the Church two points among the rest must bee considered the efficient cause therof Câ—â—s predestination and the forme the mysticall Vnion In handling the doctrine of Predestination my meaning is onely to stand on such points as are reuealed in the worde and necessarie tending to edification And first I will shewe what is the trueth and secondly the contrary falshoode In the trueth I consider foure things I. what Predestination is II. what is the order of it III. what be the parts of it IV. what is the vse Predestination may thus be deâ—ined It is a part of the counsell of God whereby he hath before all times purposed in himselfe to shewe mercy on some men to passe by others shewing his iustice on them for the manifestation of the glorie of his owne name First I say it is a part of his counsell because the counsell or decree of God vniuersally extends it selfe to all things that are and Predestination is Gods decree so farre forth as it concernes the reasonable creatures especially man Nowe in euery purpose or decree of God three things must be considered the beginning the matter the ende The beginning is the will of God whereby he willeth and appointeth the estate of his creatures it is the most absolute supreame and soueraigne cause of all things that are so farre forth as they haue beeing hauing nothing either aboue it selfe or out of it selfe to bee an impulsiue cause to mooue or incline it and to say otherwise is to make the will of God to be no will Indeede mens wils are mooued and disposed by externall causes out of themselues borrowed from the things whereof deliberation is made because they are to be ruled by equitie and reason and a mans bare will without reason is nothing Nowe Gods will is not ruled by another rule of reason or iustice but it selfe is an absolute rule both of iustice and reason A thing is not first of all reasonable and iust and then afterward willed by God but it is first of all willed by God and thereupon becomes reasonable and iust The matter of his purpose is a decreed manifestation of two of the most ptincipall attributes of the godhead mercy and iustice and that with a limitation or restraint of mercy to some of the creatures and iustice to some others because it was his good will and pleasure And we are not to imagine that this is a point of crueltie in God for his very essence or nature is not iustice alone or mercy alone but iustice and mercy both togither and therefore to purpose the declaration of them both vpon his creatures ouer whome hee is a soueraigne Lord and that without other respects vpon his very will and pleasure is no point of iniustice The supreame end of the counsell of God is the manifestation of his owne glorie partly in his mercy and partly in his iustice For in common equitie the end which he propoundes vnto himselfe of all his doings must be answerable to his nature which is maiestie and glorie and as I haue said iustice and mercy it selfe And because Pauls disputation in the 9. to the Romanes giues light and sufficient confirmation to this which I nowe teach I will stand a little to open and resolue the same From the 1. verse to the 6. he sets downe his griefe conceiued for his brethren the Iewes and therewithall that it might not bee thought that he spake of malice he doth onely in close and obscure manner insinuate the Râ—iection of that nation This done in the 6. v. he answers a secret obiection which might be made on this manner If the Iewes be reiected theÌ„ the word of God is of none effect that is then the couenant made with the forefathers is void but the couenant can not be voide therefore the Iewes are not reiected The assumption he takes for graunted and denies the consequence of the proposition And the ground of his deniall is because there is a distinction betweene man and man euen among the Iewes whereby some are indeede in the couenant some not And this distinction is prooued by three examples the first in this verse that of the children of Iacob the common parent of all the Iewes some are Israel that is truely in the couenant as Iacob was and some are not Israel Now it might be further obiected that the Iewes are not onely the posteritie of Iacob but the seede of Abraham in whome all nations of the earth are blessed and therefore not to be reiected And to this Paul answers vers 7. alleadging a second example of the distinction betweene man and man out of the familie of Abraham in which some were indeede sonnes some were not For the proofe of this first he sets downe the words of the text in Moses In Isaac shall thy seede be called and secondly makes an exposition of them with a collection on this manner Al they which are the sonnes of the promise are the seede of Abraham or the sonnes of God but Isaac is a sonne of promise and not Ismael therefore Isaac is the seed of Abraham and heire of the blessing and not Ismael The proposition is in the 8. verse the assumption in the 9. vers the conclusion in the 7. verse Here marke I. howe he makes a double seede one according to the flesh the other spirituall and two kinde of sonnes one of the flesh the other sonne of the promise or the sonne of God for he puts the one for the other II. that the distinction betweene Isaac and Ismael whereby one is in the couenant of grace the other not standes not in their foreseene saith and vnbeleefe and the fruites of them but in the purpose and will of God it selfe For Isaac is called the childe of promise because by the vertue of it he was borne and beleeued and was adopted the child of God and made heire of the couenant giuen to Abraham and therefore consequently the right of apoption befell him by the meere good pleasure of
enemies the flesh the deuill and his angels and the world 2. Furthermore whereas we are taught to say Our father this serues to put vs in minde that in praying to God we must bring loue to men with vs. We must all be the children of one father louingly disposed one to another For how should he call God his father who will not take the child of God for his brother Math. 5 2â— When thou art to offer thy gift vnto God if thou haue ought against thy brother first be reconciled and then come and offer thy gift So also Esa. â— 15 the Lord saith that when they pray vnto him he will not heare Why because their hanâ—s are full of bloode In these times many men can be content formâ—lly to pray but yet they will not leaue bâ—ibing oppression deceit vsurie c. The common song of the world is Euery man for himselfe and God for vs all this is the common loue and care that men haue each to other The praiers of such are abominable euen as the sacrifice of a dogge as Esay saith For how can they call God their father that haue no loue to their brethren 3. Thirdly hence we may learne that God is no accepter of persons For this prayer is giuen to all men of what state or degree soeuer All then as well poore as rich vnlearned as learned subiects as rulers may say Our father It is not with the Lord as it is with the world but all are his children that doe beleeue The poore man hath as good interest in Gods kingdome and may call God father as well as the king Therfore the weaker sort are to comfort themselues hereby knowing that God is a father to them as well as to Abraham Dauid Peter And such as are indued with more grace must not therefore swell in pride because they haue not God to be their father more then their inferiours haue Which art in heauen 1. The meaning Quest. HOw may God be said to be in heauen seeing hee is infinite and therefore must needes be euery where 1. King 8.27 The heauens of heauens are not able to containe him Ans. God is said to be in heauen first because his maiestie that is his power wisdome iustice mercie is made manifest from thence vnto vs. Psal. 115.3 Our God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will Psal. 2.4 He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne and the Lord shall haue theÌ„ in derision Esai saith 66.2 Thus saith the Lord Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footstoole Secondly after this life he will manifest and exhibite the fulnes of his glorie to his Angels and Saints in the highest heauens and that immediately and visibly 2. The vse 1. HEreby first we learne that Romish pilgrimages whereby men went from place to place to worship God are vaine and foolish The God to whome we must pray is in heauen Now let men trauell to what placeâ— or countrey they will they shall not come the nearer to heauen or nearer to God by trauelling seeing the earth is in euery part alike distant from heauen 2. Secondly this ouerthrowes popish idolatrie as worshipping of crosses cruciâ—ixes roodes c. vsed to put men in minde of God and Christ. We are taught to lift vp our eyes to heauen seeing God is there and how can we doe this as long as our minds and eyes are poaring vpon an image made by mans arte 3. Again we are here admonished to vse the action of prayer with as great reuerence as possible may be and not to think of God in any earthly manner Well reasons Salomon Eccles. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth to speake a word before God Why He is in heauen thou art in earth therefore let thy words be few This reuerence must appeare in holinesse of all our thoughts and affections and in all comelines of gesture And for this cause all wandring by-thoughts all vaine babbling is to be auoided but how goes the case with vs that on the times appointed come to the assemblies to pray Many by reason of their blindnes pray without vnderstanding Many when they are present at praier yet haue their hearts occupied about other matters about their goods and worldly busines such men haue no ioy or gladnes in praying it is a burthen to them Many come to the assembly for custome onely or for feare of punishment if they might be left free they could find in their hearts not to pray at all But let all such men know that this maner of praying is a very grieuous sinne nay greater then mocking of father or mother killing or stealing for it is directly against God the other against men This sinne because it is against the first table and therefore more hard to be discerned it is lightly esteemed and it lesse troubles the consciences of ignorant men yea as it is in deede so it is to be esteemed as a disgrace and plaine mockerie of Gods maiestie Wherefore seeing God is in heauen away with all drowsie and dead praying let vs come with reuerence in our hearts before the Lord. 4. Againe we are here to consider that our hearts in praier must mount vp into heauen and there be present with the Lord. Psal. 25.1 â— Vnto thee O Lord lift I vp my soule The little childe is neuer well but when it is in the fathers lap or vnder the mothers wing and the children of God are neuer in better case then when in affection and spirit they can come into the presence of their heauenly Father and by praier as it were to creepe into his bosome 5. And here we must further learne specially to seeke for heauenly things and to aske earthly things so farre forth as they serue to bring vs to an euerlasting and immortall inheritance in heauen to which we are called 1. Pet. 1.3 6. Lastly whereas our father is in heauen we are to learne that our life on earth is but a pilgrimage that our desire must be to attaine to a better countrey namely heauen it selfe and that we must vse all meanes continually to come vnto it In a word to make an end of the preface in it is contained a double stay or prop of all our prayers The one is to beleeue that God can graunt our requests because he is almightie thus much is signified when he is said to be in heauen The second is to beleeue that God is ready and willing to grant the same and this we are tâ—ught in the title Father which serues to put vs in â—ind that God accepts our prayers Ioh. 16.32 and hath a care of vs in all our miseries and necessities Matth. 6.32 and pitieth vs as much as any earthly father can pitie his child Psal. 103.13 Yet must we not imagin that God will indeed giue vnto vs whatsoeuer we doe vpon our owne heads fancie and desire but we must in our praiers haue recourse to the promise
of God and according to the tenour thereof must we frame and square our petitions Things promised absolutely as all graces necessarie to saluation may be asked absolutely and things promised with condition as graces lesse necessarie and temporall blessings are to be asked with condition namely so farforth as they shal be for Gods glorie in vs and for our good except it be so that God promise any temporall blessing absolutely as he promised issue to Abraham in his old age The kingdome to Dauid after Saul A deliuerance from captiuitie in Babylon after 70. yeres to the Israelites Againe the preface serues to stirre vp loue and feare in the hearts of them that are about to pray Loue because they pray to a father feare because he is full of maiestie in heauen Hallowed be thy Name 1. The Coherence THus much of the preface now follow the petitions They be sixe in number the three first concerne God the three last our selues The three former petitions are again deuided into two parts the first concernes Gods glorie it selfe the other two the meanes whereby Gods glorie is manifested and inlarged among men For Gods name is glorified among men when his kingdome doth come and his will is done Quest. Why is this petition Hallowed be thy name set in the first place Ans. Because Gods glorie must be preferred before all things because it is the end of all creatures and of all the counsels of God Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill And from the order of the petitions here ariseth a worthie instruction namely that euery one in all things they take in hand are to propound to themselues and to intend the glorie of God The reason is this The ende which God hath appointed to all our doings we are to propound to our selues but God hath appointed that the highest ende of all his doings should be his glorie therefore our hearts must be set to seeke it first of all That God will haue his name glorified by vs appeareth in this that he punisheth those which of obstinacie set themselues to dishonour him or by negligence did not sanctifie him when they should haue done so Herod sitting in his royaltie made such an oration that the people cried The voice of a god and not of a man and immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gaue not glorie to God Act. 12. 12. And Moses because he did not sanctifie the Lord in the presence of the children of Israel therefore he came not into the land of promise yet he did not altogether faile in doing of it Thus we may see by these punishments and also by the order of the petitions that it is our duties to preferre the glorie of God before all thing els Quest. Whether are we to preferre the glorie of God before the saluation of our soules Ans. If the cause stand thus that Gods name must be dishonoâ—red or our soules condemned we must account the glorie of God more pretious then the saluation of our soules This is manifest in the order of the petitions The petitions that concerne Gods glorie is first and the petitions that concerne directly our saluation are the fift and sixt Whereby we are taught that before God should want any part of his glorie we must let bodie and soule and all goe that God may haue all his glorie This affection had Moses Exod. 32.32 when he said Either forgiue them or if thou wilt not blot my name out of thy booke In this petition as also in the rest we must obserue three things the first is the meaning of the wordes the second the wants which men must learne to bewaile the third the graces of God which are to be desired 2. The meaning VEry few among the people can giue the right meaning of the wordes of this prayer They pretend that seeing God knowes their good meaning it is sufficient for them to say the wordes and to meane well But faith beeing one of the grounds of praier and there beeing no faith without knowledge neither can there be praier without knowledge and therefore ignorant men are to learne the right meaning of the words Name Name in this place signifieth 1 God himselfe 1. King 5.5 He shall build an house to my Name 2 His attributes as his iustice mercie c. 3 His workes creatures and iudgements 4 His word 5 His honour and praise arising from all these For God is knowne to vs by all these as men are knowne by their names and as all a mans praise and glorie lies in his name so all the glorie of God is in these Hallowed TO hallow is to seuer or set apart any thing from the common vse to some proper and peculiar end as the Temple was hallowed that is set apart to an holy vse and the Priests were sanctified that is set apart to the seruice of God And all that beleeue in Christ are sanctified that is set apart from sinne to serue God In like manner Gods name is hallowed when it is put apart froÌ„ obliuion contempt prophanation pollution blasphemie and all abuses to an holy reuerent and honorable vse whether we thinke speake of it or vse it any manner of way Leuit. 10.3 Ezech. 38.23 Quest. How can a sinfull man hallow Gods name which is pure and holy in it selfe Ans. We doe not here pray that we might make Gods name holy as though we could adde something vnto it to make it holy but that we might be meanes to declare and make manifest to the world by the right vsage of it that it is holy pure and honourable The like phrase is vsed Luke 7. 9. Wisdome is iustified by her children that is acknowledged and declared to be iust Ezech. 38.23 The scope therefore of the first petition is an earnest desire that we might set forth Gods glory whatsoeuer become of vs and it may be expressed thus O Lord open our eyes that we may aright know thee and acknowledge the greatnes of thy power wisdome iustice and mercy which appeares in thy titles words creatures iudgements and grant that when we vse any of these we may therein honour thee and vse them reuerently to thy glorie 3. The wants which are to be bewailed 1. THE wants which we in this place are taught to bewaile are specially foure The first is an inward and spirituall pride of our hearts a sinne that none or very fewe can see in themselues vnlesse the Lord open their eies When our first parents were tempted in paradise the deuill told them they should be as Gods which lesson not onely they but we haue learned and wee conceiue of our selues as little gods though to the world we shew it not This hidden pride when other sinnes die it begins to get strength and to shewe it selfe and appeares in vaine thoughts continually on euery occasion ascending in the mind As may appeare
occasions 1. The entrance to our callings in the morning 2. The receiuing of Gods creatures at noone-tyde 3. The going to rest at night Againe beside set solemne praiers there be certaine kinds of short praiers which the fathers call Eiaculationes that is the liftings vp of the heart into heauen secretly and suddainly and this kind of praying may be vsed as occasion is offered enery houre in the daie Quest. 5. Whether may we pray for all men or no Ans. We may and wee may not We may if all men or mankind be taken distributiuely or seuerally For there is no particular countrie kingdome towne person but wee may make praiers for it And though men be Atheists Infidels Heretikes yea deuils incarnate yet for any thing we knowe they may belong to the election of God except they sinne against the holy ghost which sinne is very seldome hardly discerned of men And in this sence must the commandement of Paul be vnderstood I exhort therfore that first of all supplications praiers c. be made for all men 1. Tim. 2.1 We may not pray for all men if all men or mankind be taken collectiuely that is if all men be considered wholly togither as they make one bodie or company and be taken as we say in grosse For in this bodie or masse of mankind there be some though they be vnknowne to vs yet I say there be some whome God in his iust iudgement hath refused whose saluation by praier shall neuer be obtained Quest. 6. Whether is it possible for a man to pray in reading of a praier Answer It pleaseth some to mooue this question but there is no doubt of it For praier is a part of Gods worship and therefore a spirituall action of the heart of man standing specially in a desire of that which we want and faith whereby we beleeue that our desire shall be granted Nowe the voice or vtterance whether it be in reading or otherwise is no part of the praier but an outwarde meanes whereby praier is vttered and expressed Therefore there is no reason why a forme of praier being read should cease to be a praier because it is read so be it the spirit of grace and praier be not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers Obiect To reade a sermon is not to preach and therefore to read a praier is not to pray Ans. The reason is not like in both For the gift of preaching or prophecie can not bee shewed or practised in the reading of a sermon and for this cause the reading of a sermon is not preaching or prophesie but the grace and gift of praier may bee shewed in reading of a praier otherwise it would goe very hard with them that want conuenient vtterance by reason of some defect in the tongue or by reason of bashfulnesse in the presence of others Of Gods hearing our praiers HItherto we haue spoken of the making of praier to god a word or twain of Gods hearing our praiers Quest. How many waies doth God heare mens praiers Ans. Two waies The first in his mercie when he graunts the requests of such as call vpon him in the feare of his name Secondly hee heares mens praiers in his wrath Thus he gaue the Israelites Quailes according to their desire Psal. 78.29.30.31 Thus often men curse themselues and wish that they were hanged or dead and accordingly they haue their wish Quest. 2. Why doth God deferre to heare the praiers of his seruants Ans. First to prooue them by delay Secondly to exercise their faith Thirdly to make them acknowledge that the things which they receiue are Gods gifts not frō thēselues Fourthly that graces quickly giuen might not be lightly esteemed Fiftly that an hungring after grace might be sharpned increased Question 3. After what manner doth God heare his seruants prayers Answer Two waies First by graunting the thing which was asked according to his will Secondly by denying the thing desired and by giuing something proportionall to it Thus God denies temporarie blessings and in the roome therof giues eternal in heauen Thus he refuseth to remooue the crosse from his seruants and giues in stead therof strength and patience Christ praied that the cuppe might be remooued It was not remooued yet he in his māhood was inabled to beare the wrath of God When Paul praied three times that the pricke in the flesh might be remooued it was answered My strength is sufficient for thee Quest. 4. Why doth not God alwaies heare mens praiers Ans. There be many causes of this The first because oftentimes we know not to aske as we ought Math. 20.22 The second because we aske amisse Iam. 4.3 The third because otherwhiles the things which we aske though they be good in themselues yet they are not good vnto vs and for that cause are withheld 2. Cor. 12.7 The last because God will for some long time deferre the granting of that which we aske that he may stirre vp our faith and hope and our diligence in praier and that we might the better esteeme of the gifts of God when we haue them and shew our selues more thankfull To the Reader PAul in his Epistles hath set downe the summe of many of his prayers they are very gratious and heauenly and I haue here set them downe that thou mightest know them and in thy prayers follow them 16. I cease not to giue thanks for you making mention of you in my praiers 17. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdome and of reuelation in the acknowledgement of him 18. The eyes of your minde beeing enlightned that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance in the Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in vs that beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heauenly places The Exposition IN this excellent prayer we are to marke two things the first to whome it is made the second is the matter For the first it is made to God the Father who is described by two titles The first The God of our Lord Iesus Christ namely as Christ is man for as Christ is God he is equall with the father The second The father of glorie that is a glorious father and he is so called to distinguish him from earthly fathers The matter of the prayer stands on two principall points First he asketh of God the spirit of wisdome whereby the seruants of God are inabled to discerne out of the word in euery busines which they take in hand whether it be in word or deede what ought to be done and what ought to be left vndone as also the circumstances the time place manner of doing any thing Secondly he praieth for the spirit of reuelation whereby
the faithfull haue their whole estate before God reuealed vnto them according to the word the thing it selfe being otherwise secret and hidden 1. Cor. 2,9,10,12 Further the work of this spirit in the godly is twofold the one concernes God himselfe the other the things of God The worke of the spirit of reuelation which respects God himselfe is an acknowledgement of the Father or of Christ. Now to acknowledge God the Father is not onely to know and confesse that he is a father of the faithfull but also to be resolued in conscience that he is a father to me in particular Secondly that Christ is not onely in generall a Sauiour of the elect but that he is in speciall my Sauiour and redeemer The second worke of this spirit is an illumination of the eyes of the minde to see and know the things of God which he hath prepared for them that doe beleeue and they are two The first is life eternall which is described by fiue arguments 1. It is the Ephesian hope that is the thing hoped for in this life 2. It is the hope of the calling of God because in preaching of the Gospell it is offered and men are called to waite for the same 3. An inheritance properly to Christ because he is the naturall sonne of God and by him to all that shall beleeue 4. The excellencie because it is a rich and glorious inheritance 5. Lastly it is made proper to the Saints The second thing is the greatnes of the power of God whereby sinne is mortified the corrupt nature renued and mightily strengthened in temptations This power is set forth by two arguments The first is the subiect or persons in whome this power is made manifest In them that beleeue Because none can feele this but they which apprehend Christ by faith The second is the manner of manifesting this power in them which is according to the working of his mightie power which he shewed in Christ. And that was in three things First in putting all his enemies vnder his feete v. 2. Secondly in raising him from death Thirdly in placing him at his right hand Now therefore Paul praies that this wonderfull power of God which did shew forth it selfe in the head Christ might likewise shew it selfe in the members of Christ. First in treading Satan and sinne vnder their feete Rom. 16.10 Secondly in raising them from sinne as out of a graue to holines of life Thirdly in aduancing them in the time appointed to the kingdome of glorie in heauen Ephes. 3. 14. FOr this cause I bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. 15. Of whome is named the whole familie in heauen and earth 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glorie that yeâ— may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 18. That ye being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all fulnesse of God 20. Vnto him therefore that is able to doâ— exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs 21. Be praise in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all generations for euer Amen The Exposition THese wordes containe two parts a prayer and a thankesgiuing In the prayer these points are to be marked First the gesture I bow my knees wherby Paul signifies his humble submission to God in prayer Secondly to whome he praies To the Father who is described by two titles the first the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and that by nature as he is God and as he is man by personall vnion The other title Of whome the whole familie which is in heauen and earth is named In which words is set downe a description of the Church first it is a Familie because it is the companie of Gods elect children vnder the gouernment of one father 1. Tim. 3.15 It is called the house of God Eph. 2.19 They that beleeue are saide to be of the houshold of God secondly the parts of the Catholike Church are noted namely the Saints in heauen departed and Saints liuing on earth thirdly it is said to be named of the father of Christ because as the father of Christ is the father of this familie so also this familie is called by him Gen. 6.2 Dan. 9.80 Thirdly the matter of the prayer stands of foure most worthie points The first is strength to beare the crosse and to resist spirituall temptations v. 16. where the strength is set out by diuers arguments First that it is the meere gift of God that he would graunt you Secondly the cause of strength by his Spirit Thirdly the subiect or place where this strength must be in the inner man that is in the whole man so farre forth as he is renued by grace Eph. 6.14 The second is the dwelling of Christ in their hearts by faith Faith is when a man beeing seriously humbled for his sinnes is further in conscience perswaded and resolued of the pardon of them and of reconciliation to God Now where this perswasion is in deed there followes necessarily Christs dwelling in the heart which stands in two things the first is the ruling and ordering of the thoughts affections and desires of the heart according to his will as a master rules in his house the second is the continuance of his rule For he cannot be said to dwell in a place who rules in it but for a day The third is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinit greatnes of Gods loue in Christ an effect of the former v. 18 19. the words are thus explaned Rooted and grounded Here the loue of God wherewith he loues the elect is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits election vocation iustification and glorification Men are rooted and grounded in loue when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods loue and doth giue them some inward sense and feeling of it For then they are as it were sensibly put into the roote and laid on the foundation With all Saints Paul desires this benefit not onely to the Ephesians but also to all the faithfull with them What is the length the bredth Here is a speech borrowed from the Geometricians and it signifies the absolute greatnes or infinitnes of Gods loue and that it is like a world which for length breadth height and depth is endlesse Here note the order or receiuing grace First Christ dwells in the heart by faith Secondly then comes a sense and feeling of Gods loue as it were by certaine drops thereof Thirdly after this ariseth a plentifull knowledge and apprehension of Gods loue and as it were the powring out of a sea into a mans heart that for greatnes hath neither bottome nor banke And know the loue of
briefly consider the effects of predestination prepared for all the elect without which they can in no wise come to the ende and therefore the first effect of predestination is our Lord Iesus with his obedience merits death resurrection glorie namely in that respect he is made mediatour betweene God the father and vs and the head of all the elect And therefore in as much as he is such a one he is also the cause of all other graces and benefits which come vnto vs by the free predestination of God For the effects of predestination are so ordered among themselues that the first which goe before are the causes efficient or if we will so speake the materiall causes of the latter and those that follow Therefore seeing Christ is the first effect of predestination he is also the cause of all other effects by whome we are made partakers of them The Apostle therefore saith very well to the Ephesians In the first place saith he we are elected in Christ namly as in the head to be his members Secondly he writeth that we are predestinate to adoption by Christ namely to obtaine it for we are adopted into the sonnes of God in Christ the first begotten sonne of God and by making vs partakers of his sonâ—hip we are really made the sonnes of God yea and we are also indued with his spirit too that we might be borne anew Thirdly saith he we are made acceptable and beloued vnto the father and his beloued sonne namely Christ. Fouâ—thly that we haue our redemptioÌ„ in the same Christ by his blood and haue obtained remission of sinnes and all wisdome and vnderstanding as well in heauen as in earth In a word the Apostle sheweth there as also else where that whatsoeuer benefits we doe or shall hereafter obtaine counting from our eternall election euen vnto our glorification all those we now doe and shall obtaine hereafter in Christ and by Christ. Therefore whosoeuer are elected to eternall life besides this that they are elected in Christ they are also predestinate to Christ that is to haue fellowship with him that they may by him enioy all other benefits The second benâ—fit of God and effect of our predestination is our effectuall calling to Christ and to his Gospel in which the elect are onely called because it is by the purpose and grace of God which is giuen vs in Christ. And an effectuall calling is knowne by the effects two of which proceed directly from â—t a heartie kind of hearing the word and the conceiuing of it with a very great constant and continuall delight and a true and sure beleefe of the word of the Gospel Thence it is that Christ saith Who is of God saith he namely by election and effectuall calling heareth the word of God very willingly and from his heart and that continually but ye heare not because ye are not of God And this calling is wrought not onely of the preaching of the word as it is in all that be of yeares but also and that chiefly with the inward inspiration of the holy Ghost whiles that the Father draweth them by his spirit whome he will haue to come to Christ Which also was said to be done in infants For this calling is the beginning of saluation euen in this life and therefore it is the Apostles manner in the beginning of his Epistles to make mention of this calling naming all the faithfull The saints called Therefore it must needes be that all they which are elected in Christ must also at length effectually be called and drawne to Christ. After an effectuall calling followeth Faith the effect of predestination which is said to be peculiar vnto â—he elect And without which as the Apostle saith it is not possible to please God For by it we are ingrafted into Christ and are made the members of Christ and without faith no man can be sauâ—d And that this is an effect of Predestination the Apostle plainly sheweth when he saith that he had obtained mercie namely in Gods eternall predestination that he might beleeue Wherefore whosoeuer are predestinate to obtaine eternall life in Christ and by Christ they are also elect to haue the very gift of faith Therefore it must needs be that at length they shall beleeue in Christ. The fourth benefit is Iustification that is a free pardoning of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ for it followeth Faith because whosoeuer are indued with true faith in Christ are also iustified And that iustification is an effect of predestination the Apostle sheweth when he puttâ—th it after calling before which he setteth predestination And when he saith that we are elect in Christ that we might be holy and without spot or blame in the presence of God and that this is not done while we are in this world but by the pardoning of all our faults and by the imputation of his perfect obedience Wherefore it must needs be that all the elect shall be iustified and be taken for most pure and without blame in Gods presence With iustification is ioyned regeneration and sanctification by the holy Ghost namely whiles we are made new creatures by him and the sonnes of God too not onely by adoption but also by regeneration For when Christ iustifieth vs he doth not onely forgiue vs our vnrighteousnes impute his righteousnes to vs but also he taketh from vs our stonie heart giueth vs a fleshie heart of his owne and he strips vs of our old man puts on his new man Lastly he taketh away the corruption of our nature and makes vs partakers of his diuine nature and so indeed of the sonnes of men he makes vs the sonnes of God and his brethren too Therefore it is saide that we are predestinated to adoption by Iesus Christ and elect that we may be holy without blame and that which is borne of the spirit is called spirit Therfore the elected to eternall life must needs be begotten anew to be the sonnes of God and be made partakers of the diuine nature and be a new creature in Christ. Hence issueth the sixt effect of predestination which is heedfully to be regarded the loue of righteoâ—unesse and the detestation of sinne For in regeneration the affections are principally chaunged Namely the affections of the corrupt nature and flesh into the affections of the diuine nature and spirit Hence it is that the Apostle saith that they which are borne anew doe walke according to the spirit and not after the flesh and not to sauour the things of the flesh but the things of the spirit And the chiefe affections of the flesh are the loue of sinne that is the concupiscence of the flesh and contrariwise the hatred of righteousnesse and the law of God which are not of the Father but of the world Therefore the chiefe affections of regeneration and the spirit are the loue of righteousnesse and of the
the ende in faith and a true confession of Christ ioyned with a manifest care to liue a godly life and a desire to glorifie him For this gift is bestowed vpon all the elect as the Lord promiseth by Ieremie I will put my feare into their hearts that they may not depart from me And when they shall come to the end of their liues they shall be receiued into the heauenly glorie vntill such time as their bodies also beeing raised vp they may take full possession of eternall life Thus we see that it is very certaine that those which are elected to eternall life are also predestinate to vse those meanes by which as by certaine steps and staires they climbe into that heauenly dwelling place And therefore that we were predestinate to these meanes namely Faith Iustification and good workes because we were elected to eternall life according to the purpose and grace of God Wherefore by this meanes the doctrine also of the Pelagians is confuted as touching predestination to life by our faith and workes which God foresaw we should doe Whereas on the contrarie therefore God did predestinate vs to faith and good workes because he did choose vs to eternall life For the Apostle saith not I obtained mercie because I was faithfull or because I should be faithfull but that I might be faithfull Neither saith he that we are elected in Christ because we should be holy and without blame but that we might be holy and without blame Neither doth he say that we were created in Christ because we did or should doe good works but we were created to good works which God prepared that we might walke in them Lastly he saith not that the grace of Christ appeared because we were to liue soberly iustly and godly but that it therefore appeared that we denying all vngodlines and the lusts of this world might liue soberly iustly and godly iâ— this present world We see therefore that by this doctrine that wicked opinion is ouerthrowne which teacheth that we doe preuent the grace of God by our merits which God foresaw And on the contrarie here we see how foully the bellygods of this world are deceiued which reason thus if we be predestinate to eternall life and our predestination be certaine and vnchangeable what neede wee endeauour our selues beleeue or doe good workes for howsoeuer it fall out and howesoeuer the elect doe liue vndoubtedly they cannot perish because they are predestinate to eternall life Alas poore wretches they see not that they seuer those things that are to be conioyned namely the ende and the meanes of the ende that they breake the chaine which in no wise either can or must be loosed whilst that they seuer their calling iustification yea and Faith too good workes from predestination and glorification As though God did glorifie them whome he did predestinate before he called and iustified them yea and before they can beleeue and shewe their quicke and liuely faith by workes Contrariwise let vs learne what our dutie is If any be elect to eternall life they also are predestinate to the meanes by which they come vnto it And wee beleeue as wee are bound to doe that wee are predestinate to eternall life and therefore we must also beleeue that we haue beene elected to faith and good workes that by them as by certaine steps wee might bee brought to eternall life And therefore so farre must we be from neglecting Faith and the meanes of good works of a holy life that contrariwise it is rather our dutie to keep Faith in a good conscience and to be conuersant in good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them And because we can neither attaine to the ende nor the meanes that bring vs therevnto of our selues Therfore it is our part to craue them at Gods hands by praier that hee would giue vs faith and a care to doe good workes and increase them in vs. Neither must we onely aske them but also certainely trust that wee shall obtaine them for Christ his cause For if for all them which are predestinated to eternall life God hath prepared faith by which they may beleeue and good workes to walke in therefore if we beleeue as by Gods commandement we are bound that we are in Christ elected to eternall glorie wee must also be perswaded that before we depart hence hee wil giue vs true repentance encrease true faith inflame vs with loue lastly that hee will minister vnto vs aboundantly all things in Christ to obtaine the ende Yea this confidence also and praier it is one effect of predestination by which wee get the rest Therefore this doctrine we must hold that predestination to eternall life doth not take away the meanes of obtaining it but rather establish them And therfore both these principles are true namely that the elect to life cannot perish and vnlesse a man beleeue in Christ and perseuere vnto the ende in this faith working by loue he shall perish The reason is because in predestination the means the end of it are so ioyned togither that the one can not be seuered from the other Wherefore whosoeuer holdeth not the meanes vnto the ende amongest which faith is one it is manifest that he was neuer predestinate and therefore must needes perish as on the contrarie he which holdeth faith must needes be saued So the truth of these propositions is euident He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternal life contrariwise he which beleeueth not in the sonne the anger of God remaineth vpon him because as a constant faith is a signe of election so obstinate infidelitie is a token of reprobation FINIS Bradfords answer to Careles Careles I Am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned Bradford They are for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue For such an one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede Trin-vni Deo gloria A DIRECTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE according to Gods word Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the reader CHristian Reader lamentable and feâ—â—efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes degrees of men euerâ— where Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and â—nnuâ—erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren It would make a mans heart to bleede to heare and consider howe Swearing Blaspheming Cursed speaking Raâ—ling Backbiting Slandering Chiding Quarrelling CoÌ„tending Iesting Mocking Flattering Lying Dissembling Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all placeâ— so as men which feare God had better bee any where then in the companie of most men Well thou art thou a man which hast made little conscience of thy speech and talke repent seriously of this sinne and amend thy life least for the abusing of thy tongue thou crie with Diues in hell Send
conscience with other gifts of Gods spirit which are the earnest of their saluation The second degree is in this life when the bodie goes to the earth and the soule is carried by the Angels into heauen The third is in the ende of the world at the last iudgement when bodie and soule reunited doe ioyntly enter into eternall happines in heauen Now of these three degrees death it selfe being ioyned with the feare of God is the second which also containeth in it two worthie steppes to life The first is a freedome from all miseries which haue their ende in death For though men in this life are subiect to manifold daungers by sea and land as also to sundrie aches paines and diseases as feauers and consumptions c. yet when death comes there is an ende of all Againe so long as men liue in this world whatsoeuer they be they doe in some part lie in bondage vnder originall corruption and the reâ—nants thereof which are doubtings of Gods prouidence vnbeleefe pride of heart ignorance couetousnesse ambition enuie hatred lust and such like sinnes which bring forth fruits vnto death And to be in subiection to sinne on this manner is a miserie of all miseries Therefore Paul when he was tempted vnto sinne by his corruption calls the very temptation the buffets of Sathan and as it were a pricke or thorne wounding his flesh and paining him at the very heart Againe in another place wearied with his owne corruptions he complaines that he is sold vnder sinne and he cries out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Dauid saith that his eyes gushed out with riuers of teares when other men sinned against God how much more then was he grieued for the sinnes wherewith he himselfe was ouertaken in this life And indeede it is a very hell for a man that hath but a sparke of grace to be exercised turmoiled and tempted with the inborne corruptions and rebellions of his owne heart and if a man would deuise a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life he can not deuise a greater then this For this cause blessed is the day of death which brings with it a freedome from all sinne whatsoeuer For when we die the corruption of nature is quite abolished and sanctification is accomplished Lastly it is a great miserie that the people of God are constrained in this world to liue and conuerse in the companie of the wicked as sheepe are mingled with goates which strike them annoy their pasture and muddie their water Hereupon Dauid cried out Woe is me that I râ—maine in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Keâ—ar When Elias saw that Ahab and Iesabel had planted idolatrie in Israel and that they sought his life also he went apart into the wildernes and desired to die But this miserie also is ended in the day of death in as much as death is as it were the hand of God to sort and single out those that be the seruants of God from all vngodly men in this most wretched world Furthermore this exceeding benefit comes by death that it doth not onely abolish the miseries which presently are vpon vs but also pâ—euent those which are to come The righteous saith the Prophet Esay perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away for the euill to come Example of this we haue in Iosias Because saith the Lord thine heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill whiâ—h I will bring vpon this place And Paul saith that among the Corinthians some were asleepe that is dead that they might not be condemned with the world Thus much of freedome from miserie which is the first benefit that comes by death and the first steppe to life now followes the second which is that death giues an entrance to the soule that it may come into the presence of the euerliuing God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in heauen The worthines of this benefit makes the death of the righteous to be no death but rather a blessing to be wished of all men The consideration of this made Paul to say I desire to be dissolued but what is the cause of this desire that followes in the next wordes namely that by this dissolution he might come to be with Christ. When the Queene of Sheba saw all Salomons wisdome and the house that he had built and the meate of his table and the sitting of his seruants and the order of his ministers and their apparrell c. shee saide Happie are thy men happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisdome much more then may we say that they are ten thousand folde happie which stand not in the presence of an earthly King but before the King of kings the Lord of heauen and earth and at his right hand inioy pleasures for euermore Moses hath beene renowmed in all ages for this that God vouchsafed him but so much fauour as to see his hinder parts at his request O then what happinesse is this to see the glorie and maiestie of God face to face and to haue eternall fellowship with God our father Christ our Redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and to liue with the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen for euer Thus now the third point is manifest namely in what respects death is more excellent then life It may be here the mind of man vnsatisfied will yet further replie and say that howsoeuer in death the soules of men enter into heauen yet their bodies though they haue bin tenderly kept for meate drink and apparrell and haue slept many a night in beddes of doune must lie in darke and loathsome graues and there be wasted and consumed by wormes Answ. All this is true indeede but all is nothing if so be it we will but consider aright of our graues as we ought We must not iudge of our graues as they appeare to the bodily eye but we must looke vpon them by the eie of faith and consider them as they are altered and changed by the death and buriall of Christ who hauing vanquished death vpon the crosse pursued him afterward to his own den and foyled him there and depriued him of his power And by this means Christ in his owne death hath buried our death and by the vertue of his buriall as sweete incense hath sweetned and perfumed our graues and made them of stinking and loathsome cabbines to become princely pallaces and beddes of most sweete and happie rest farre more excellent then beddes of doune And
beare them in their armes as nources do yong children and to be as a gard vnto them against the deuill and his angels And all this is verified specially in sicknes at which time the holy Angels are not onely present with such as feare God but readie also to receiue and to carrie their soules into heauen as appeares by the example of Lazarus And thus much of the first dutie which a sicke man is to performe vnto himselfe namely that he must by all meanes possible arme strengthen himselfe against the feare of death now followeth the second dutie which is concerning the bodie and that is that all sicke persons must be careful to preserue health and life till God doe wholly take it away For Paul saith None of vs liueth to himselfe neither doth any die to himselfe for whether we liue we liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lords For this cause we may not doe with our liues as we will but we must reserue the whole disposition thereof vnto God for whose glorie we are to liue and die And this temporall life is a most pretious iewell and as the common saying is life is very sweete because it is giuen man for this ende that he might haue some space of time wherein he might vse all good meanes to attaine to life euerlasting Life is not bestowed on vs that we should spend our daies in our lusts and vaine pleasures but that we might haue libertie to come out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome of grace and from the bondage of sinne into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and in this respect speciall care must be had of preseruation of life till God doe call vs hence In the preseruing of life two things must be considered the meanes and the right vse of the meanes The means is good and wholsom physick which though it be despised of many as a thing vnprofitable and needles yet must it be esteemed as an ordinance and blessing of God This appeares because the spirit of God hath giuen approuation vnto it in the Scriptures When it was the good pleasure of God to restore life vnto king Ezekias a lump of drie figs by the prophets appointment was laid to his boile and he was healed Indeed this cure was in some sort miraculous because he was made whole in the space of two or three daies and the third day he went vp to the temple yet the bunch of figges was a naturall and ordinary medicine or plaister seruing to soften ripen tumours or swellings in the flesh And the Samaritane is commended for the binding vp and for the powring in of wine and oyle into the woundes of the man that lay wounded betweene Ierusalem and Ierico Now this dealing of his was a right practise of physicke for the wine serued to clense the wound and to ease the pain within the oyle serued to supple the flesh to asswage the pain without And the prophet Esai seemes to cōmend this physicke when he saith From the soole of the foote there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings sores full of corruption they haue not bin wrapped nor boūd vp nor mollified with oyle And whereas God did not command circumcision of children before the eight day he followed a rule of physicke obserued in all ages that the life of the child is very vncerten till the first seuen daies be expired as we may see by the example of the child which Dauid had by Bathsabe which died the seuenth day And vpon the very same ground heathen men vsed not to name their children before the eight day Thus then it is manifest that the vse of physicke is lawfull and commendable Furthermore that physicke may be well applied to the maintenance of health special care must be had to make choise of such physitiās as are known to be well learned and men of experience as also of good conscience good religion For as in other callings so in this also there be sundrie abuses which may indanger the liues and the health of men Some venter vpon the bare inspection of the vrine without further direction or knowledge of the estate of the sicke to prescribe and minister as shall seeme best vnto them But the learned in this facultie doe plainely auouch that this kind of dealing tendes rather to kill then to cure and that sundrie men are indeed killed thereby For iudgement by the vrine is most deceitfull the water of him that is sicke of a pestilent feauer euen vnto death lookes for substance and colour as the water of a whole man and so doth the water of them that are sicke of a quartane or of any other intermitting feauer specially if they haue vsed good diet from the beginning as also of them that haue the pleuresie or the inflammation of the lungs or the Squinancie oftentimes when they are neare death Now then considering the waters of such as are at the point of death appeares as the vrines of haile and sound men one and the same vrine may foresignifie both life and death and be a signe of diuers nay of contrarie diseases A thin crude and pale vrine in them that be in health is a token of want of digestion but in thē that are sicke of a sharpe or burning ague it betokens the frensie and is a certen signe of death Againe others there be that think it a small matter to make experiments of their deuised medicines vpon the bodies of their patients whereby the health which they hoped for is either much hindered or much decaied Thirdly there be others which minister no physicke at any time or vse phlebotomie without the direction of iudiciall Astrologie but if they shall follow this course alwaies they must needes kill many a man Put the case that a man full bodied is taken with a pleuresie the moone beeing in Leone what must be done The learned in this art say he must presently be let blood but by Astrologie a stay must be made till the moone be remooued frō Leo the house of the sun but by that time the impostume will be so much increased by the gathering togither of the humors that it can neither be dissolued nor ripened and by this meanes the sicke partie wanting helpe in time shall die either by inflammation or by the consumption of the lungs Againe when a man is sicke of the Squinancie or of the feauer called Synachus the moone then beeing in the malignant aspects with any of the infortunate planets as Astrologers vse to speak if letting of blood be deferred till the moone be freed from the foresaid aspects the partie dies in the meane season Therefore they are farre wide that minister purgations and let blood no otherwise then they are counselled by the constitution of the starres
offering saith he thou wouldest not but eares thou hast pierced vnto men then said loe I come I desire to doe thy will O God yea thy lawe is within my heart Psal. 40. 7. The second is conformitie in the crosse two waies For first as he bare his own crosse to the place of exequution so must we as good disciples of Christ denie our selues take vp all the crosses and afflictions that the hand of God shall lay vpon vs. Againe we must become like vnto him in the crucifying and mortifying the masse and bodie of sinne which wee carrie about vs Gal. 5.24 They which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Wee must doe as the Iewes did wee must set vp the crosses and gybbets whereon we are to fasten and hang this flesh of ours that is the sinne and corruption that cleaues and stickes vnto vs and by the sword of the spirit wound it euen to death This beeing done wee must yet goe further and labour by experience to see and feele the very death of it and to lay it as it were in a graue neuer to rise againe and therefore we should daiely cast newe moulds vpon it The third is a spirituall resurrection whereby we should by Gods grace vse meanes that we may euery daie more and more come out of our sinnes as out of a loathfome graue to liue vnto God in newenes of life as Christ rose from his graue And because it is an hard matter for a man to come out of the graue or rather dungeon of his sinnes this worke can not be done at once but by degrees as God shall giue grace Considering we lie by nature dead in our sinnes and stinke in them as loathsome carrion first wee must begin to stirre our selues as a man that comes out of a swowne awakened by the worde and voice of Christ founding in our deafe eares secondly we must raise vp our mindes to a better state and condition as we vse to raise vp our bodies after this we must put out of the graue first one hand then the other This done we must doe our indeauour as it were vpon our knees at the least to put one foote out of this sepulchre of sinne the rather when wee see our selues to haue one foote of the bodie in the graue of the earth that in the day of iudgement we may be wholly deliuered from all bonds of corruption The fourth part is a spirituall ascention into heauen by a continuall eleuation of the heart and mind to Christ sitting at the right hand of the father as Paul saith Haue your conuersation in heauen and If ye be risenwith Christ seekè things that are aboue Conformitie in morall duties is either generall or speciall Generall is to be holy as he is holy Rom. 8.29 Those whome he knewe before he hath predestinate to be like the image of his sonne that is not only in the crosse but also in holines and glorie 1. Ioh. 3. He which hath this hope purifieth himself euen as he is pure Speciall conformitie is chiefly in foure vertues Faith Loue Meekenes Humilitie We must be like him in faith For as he when he apprehended the wrath of God and the very pangs of hell were vpon him wholly staied himselfe vpon the ayde helpe protection and good pleasure of his father euen to the last so must we by a true liuely faith depend wholly on Gods mercie in Christ as it were with both our hands in peace in trouble in life in the very pang of death and we must not in any wise let our hold goe no though we should feele our selues descend to hell We must be like him in meekenesse Matth. 11. v. 28. Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly His meekenesse shewed it selfe in the patient bearing of all iniuries and abuses offered by the hands of sinnefull and wretched men and in the suffering of the curse of the law without grudging or repining and with submission to his fathers will in all things Now the more we follow him herein the more shall we be conformable to him in his death and passion Philip 3. 10. Thirdly he must be our example in Loue he loued his enemies more then himselfe Eph. 5.4 Walke in loue euen as Christ loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour vnto God The like loue ought we to shew by doing seruice to all men in the compasse of our callings and by beeing all things to all men as Paul was that we might doe them all the good we can both for bodie and soule 1. Cor. 9.19 Lastly we must follow Christ in humilitie whereof he is a wonderfull spectacle in that beeing God he became man for vs of a man became a worme that is troden vnder foote that he might saue man Phil. 2.5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Iesus Christ who beeing in the forme of God humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the crosse And here we must obserue that the example of Christ hath something more in it then any other example hath or can haue for it doth not onely shew vs what we ought to doe as the examples of other men doe but it is a remedie against many vices and a motiue to many good duties First of all the serious consideration of this that the very sonne of God himselfe suffered all the paines and torments of hell on the crosse for our sinnes is the proper most effectuall meanes to stirre vp our hearts to a godly sorrow for them And that this thing may come to passe euery man must be setled without doubt that he was the man that crucified Christ that he is to be blamed as well as Iudas Herod Pontius Pilate and the Iewes and that his sinnes should be the nailes the speares and the thornes that pearced him When this meditation beginnes to take place bitternesse of spirit with wayling and mourning takes place in like manner Zach. 12. 10. And they shall looke vpon him whome they haue pearced and they shall lamem for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne Peter in his first sermon strooke the Iewes as with a thunder clappe from heauen when he said vnto them Ye haue crucified the Lord of glorie so as the same time three thousand men were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued Againe if Christ for our sinnes shedde his heart blood and if our sinnes mad◠him sweat water and blood oh then why should not we our selues shedde bitter teares why would not our hearts bleede for thē He that findes himselfe so dull aud hardened that the passion of Christ doeth not humble him is in a lamentable case for there is no faith in the death of Christ effectuall in him as yet Secondly the meditation of the passion of Christ is a
lesse importance and not vttered precisely in commanding tearmes doth onely declare and shew what is to be done or conditionally require this or that with respect to the punishment on this manner If any person doe this or that then he shall forfeit thus or thus This kind of law bindes especially to the punishment and that in the very intent of the lawgiuer and he that is readie in omitting the law to pay the fine or punishment is not to be charged with sinne before God the penaltie beeing answerable to the losse that comes by the neglect of the law Here a question may be demanded whether a man that hath taken his oath to keepe all the laws or orders of any towne or corporation and yet afterward omits the doing of some of them be periured or no. The answer may be this that the lawes of euery societie and corporation must be distinguished Some are very weightie as I haue said beeing of the very foundation and state of a bodie so as it can not well stand without them and whosoeuer wittingly and willingly breakes any of these they beeing good and lawfull can not be freed from periurie Againe there be lawes of lesser importance that tend onely to maintaine decent order and comelines in the societies of men and they are of that nature that the estate of the corporation or towne may stand without them and whosoeuer vpon occasion omits the doing of any of these is not therefore periured so be it he carrie a loyall mind and be content to pay the fine or penaltie For such kind of orders and constitutions require first of all obedience and if that be omitted they require a mulct or fine which if it be willingly paied the law is satisfied Thus we see how farre forth mens lawes bind conscience The vse of this point is this I. Hence we learne that the immunitie of the Popish cleargie whereby they take themselues exempted from ciuill courts and from ciuill authoritie in criminall causes hath no warrant because Gods cōmandements binds euery man whatsoeuer to be subiect to the magistrate Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers II. Hence we see also what notorious rebells those are that beeing borne subiects of this land yet choose rather to die then to acknowledge as they are bound in conscience the Queenes Maiestie to be supreame gouernour vnder God in all causes ouer all persons III. Lastly we are taught hereby to be willing to giue subiection obedience reuerence and all other duties to Magistrates whether they be superiour or inferiour yea with chearefulnes to pay taxes and subsidies and all such lawfull charges as are appointed by them Giue to Cesar that which is Cesars to God that which is Gods Giue to all men their duties tribute to whom tribute custome to whome custome Rom. 13.7 Now follows the Oath which is either assertorie or promissorie Assertorie by which a man auoucheth that a thing was done or not done Promissorie by which a man promiseth to doe a thing or not to doe it Of both these I meane to speake but specially of the second And here two points must be considered the first by whāt meanes an oath bindeth the second when it bindeth An oath bindeth by vertue of such particular commandements as require the keeping of othes lawfully taken Num. 30.3 Whosoeuer sweareth an oath to binde his soule by a bond he shall not breake his word but shall doe according to all that proceede out of his mouth This beeing so a question may be made whether the oathes of Infidels bind conscience and by what vertue cōsidering they neither know the Scriptures nor the true God Ans. They doe bind in conscience For example Iacob and Laban make a couenant confirmed by oath Iacob sweares by the true God Laban by the gods of Nachor that is by his idols Now Iacob though he approoue not the forme of this oath yet he accepts it for a ciuill bond of the couenant and no doubt though Laban beleeued not Gods word reuealed to the Patriarkes yet he was bound in conscience to keepe this oath euen by the law of nature and though he knew not the true God yet he reputed the false god of Nachor to be the true God Gen. 31.53 Againe if a lawfull oath by vertue of Gods commandements bind conscience then it must needes be that the Romane Church hath long erred in that shee teacheth and maintaineth that gouernours as namely the Pope and other inferiour Bishops haue power to giue relaxations and dispensations not onely for oathes vnlawfull from which the word of God doth sufficiently free vs though they should neuer giue absolution but from a true and lawfull oath made wittingly and willingly without error or deceit of a thing honest and possible as when the Pope frees the subiects of this land as occasion is offered from their sworne allegiance and loyaltie to which they are bound not onely by the law of nature but also by a solemne and particular oath to the Supremacie which none euer deemed vnlawfull but such as carrie traytours hearts Now this erronious diuinitie would easily be reuoked if men did but consider the nature of an oath one part whereof is Inuocation in which we pray vnto God first that he would become a witnes vnto vs that we speake the truth and purpose not to deceiue secondly if we faile and breake our promise that he would take reuenge vpon vs and in both these petitions we bind our selues immediatly to God himselfe and God againe who is the ordainer of the oath accepts this bond and knits it by his commandement till it be accomplished Hence it follows that no creature can haue power to vntie the bond of an oath that is truly and lawfully an oath vnlesse we will exalt the creatures aboue God himselfe And the Iewish teachers gaue better counsell when they commanded the people to performe their oathes to the Lord for the preuenting of periurie and our Sauiour Christ in that gainesaies them not Math. 5.33 Next let vs consider the time when an oath bindeth or bindeth not An oath bindeth then when it is made of things certen and possible in truth iustice iudgement for the glorie of God the good of our neighbour Quest. I. Whether doth an oath bind conscience if by the keeping of it there follow losses and hindrances Ans. If it be of a thing that is lawfull and the damages be priuate to him that sweareth then doth it bind conscience For example A man makes a purchase of land at the sea side his bargaine is confirmed onely by oath and it falls out that before he doe enter possession the sea breakes in and drownes a part of that purchase Now he is in conscience to stand to his bargaine because the thing is lawfull and the damage is priuate and great reuerence must be had of the name of God which hath bin vsed in the bargaine making Dauid
of Iohn Baptist. Againe Christ saith that they know not the houre of the last iudgement Math. 24. 23. much lesse doe the Saints knowe al things in God And hence it is that they are said to be vnder the altar where they crie How long Lord holy and true wilt thou not reuenge our blood as being ignorant of the daie of their full deliuerance And the Iewes in affliction confesse Abraham was ignorant of them and their estate Isa 63.16 Reason III. Math. 4.10 Christ refused so much as to bowe the knee to Sathan vpon this ground because it was written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Hence it was that Peter would not suffer Cornelius so much as to kneele vnto him though Cornelius intended not to honour him as God Therefore neither Saint nor angel is to be honoured so much as with the bowing of the knee if it carrie but the least signification of diuine or religious honour Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church August Wee honour the Saints with charitie and not by seruitude neither doe we erect Churches to them And Let it not be religion for vs to worship dead men And They are to be honoured for imitation and not to be adored for religion Epiphan Neither Tecla nor any Saint is to be adored for that auncient errour may not ouerrule vs that we should leaue the liuing God and adore things made by him Againe Let Marie bee in honour let the Father Sonne and holy ghost be adored let none adore Marie I meane neither woman nor man Againe Marie is beutifull holy and honoured yet not to adoration When Iulian obiected to the Christians that they worshipped their Martyrs as God Cyrill graunts the memorie and honour of them but denies their adoration and of inuocation he makes no mention at all Ambrose on Ro. 1. Is any so mad that hee will giue to the Earle the honour of the King yet these men doe not thinke themselues guiltie who giue the honour of Gods name to a creature and leauing the Lord adore their fellowe seruants as though there were any thing more reserued for God Obiections of Papists I. Gen. 48.16 Let the angel that kept me blesse thy children Here say they it is a praier made to angels Ans. By the angel is meant Christ who is called the angel of the couenant Malac. 3.1 and the angel that guided Israel in the wildernes 1. Cor. 10.9 compared with Exod. 23.20 Obiect 11. Exod. 23.13 Moses praieth that God would respect his people for Abrahams sake and for Isaac and Israel his seruants which were not then liuing Ans. Moses praieth God to bee mercifull to the people not for the intercession of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but for his couenants sake which he had made with them Psal. 123.10,11 Againe by popish doctrine the fathers departed knew not the estate of men vpon earth neither did they pray for them because then they were not in heauen but in Limbo Patrum III. Obiect One liuing man makes intercession to God for another therefore much more doe the Saints in glorie that are filled with loue pray to god for vs and we pray to them no otherwise then we desire liuing men to pray for vs. Ans. The reason is naught for we haue a commandement one liuing man to pray for another and to desire others to pray for vs but there is no warrant in the word of God for vs to desire the praiers of men departed Secondly there is great difference betweene these two To request our friend either by word of mouth or by letter to praie for vs and by Inuocation to request them that are absent from vs departed this life to pray for vs for this is indeede a worship in which is giuen vnto them a power to heare and helpe all that call vpon them at what place or time soeuer yea though they be not present in the place in which they are worshipped and consequently the seeing of the heart presence in all places and infinit power to helpe all that pray vnto them which things agree to no creature but God alone Thirdly when one liuing man requests an other to pray from him hee onely makes him his companion and fellow member in his praier made in the name of our mediatour Christ but when men inuocate Saints in heauen they being then absent they make them more then fellow members euen mediators between Christ and them The XV. point Of intercession of Saints Our Consent Our consent with thē I will set down in two conclusions Conclus I. The saints departed pray vnto God by giuing thanks vnto him for their owne redēption for the redēption of the whole church of God vpon earth Rev. 5. 8. The foure beasts and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the Lambe 9. and they song a newe song Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God .13 And all the creatures which are in heauen heard I saying Praise and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore II. Conclus The Saints departed pray generally for the state of the whole church Reu. 6.9 And I saw vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and they cried 10. How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and aueuge our blood on them that dwell on the earth whereby we see they desire a finall deliuerance of the church and a destruction of the enemies thereof that they themselues with all the people of God might be aduanced to fulnesse of glorie in bodie and soule yea the dumbe creatures Rom. 8. 23. are said to grone and sigh waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies much more then doe the Saints in heauen desire the same And thus farre we consent The dissent or difference They hold and teach that the Saints in heauen as the virgin Marie Peter Paul c. doe make intercession to God for particular men according to their seuerall wants and that hauing receiued particular mens praiers they present them vnto God But this doctrine we flatly renounce vpon these grounds and reasons I. Isa. 63.16 The Church saith to God doubtles thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel knowe vs not Nowe if Abraham knewe not his posteritie neither Marie nor Peter nor any other of the Saints departed knowe vs and our estate and consequently they cannot make any particular intercession for vs. If they say that Abraham Iacob were then in Limbo which they will haue to be a part of hell what ioy could Lazarus haue in Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.25 with what comfort could Iacob say on his death bed O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation Gen. 46.18 II. Reason 2. King 22.20 Huldah the prophetesse telleth Iosias he
is expressed in the morall law The Morall Law is that part of Gods word which commandeth perfect obedience vnto man as well â—n his nature as in his actions and forbiddeth the contrarie Rom. 10.5 Moses thus describeth the righteousnes which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall liue thereby 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and faith vnfained Luk. 16.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength Rom. 7. We know that the law is spirituall The Law hath two parts The Edict commanding obedience and the condition binding to obedience The condition is eternall life to such as fulfill the law but to transgressours euerlasting death The Decalogue or ten Commandements is an abridgement of the whole Law and the couenant of workes Exod. 34.27 And the Lord said vnto Moses Write thou these words for after the tenour of these words I haue made a covenant with thee and with Israel And was there with the Lord fourtie daies and fourtie nights and did neither eate bread nor drinke water and he wrote in the Tables the words of the covenant euen the tenne Commandements 1. King 8.9 Nothing was in the Arke saue the two Tables of stone which Moses had put there at Horeb where the Lord made a couenant with the children of Israel when he brought them out of the land of Egypt Matth. 22.40 On these two commandements hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets The true interpretation of the Decalogue must be according to these rules I. In the negatiue the affirmatiue must be vnderstood and in the affirmatiue the negatiue II. The negatiue bindeth at all times and to all times and the affirmatiue bindeth at all times but not to all times and therefore negatiues are of more force III. Vnder one vice expressely forbidden are comprehended all of that kind yea the least cause occasion or entisement thereto is as well forbidden as that 1. Ioh. 3.15 Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslayer Matth. 5.21 to the ende Euill thoughts are condemned as well as euill actions IV. The smallest sinnes are entituled with the same names that that sinne is which is expressely forbidden in that commandement to which they appertaine As in the former places hatred is named murther and to looke after a woman with a lusting eye is adulterie V. We must vnderstand euery commandement of the law so as that we annex this condition vnlesse God command the contrarie For God being an absolute Lord and so aboue the law may command that which his law forbiddeth so he commanded Isaac to be offered the Egyptians to be spoiled the brasen Serpent to be erected which was a figure of Christ c. The Decalogue is described in two Tables The summe of the first Table is that we loue God with our mind memorie affections and all our strength Matth. 22. 37. This is the first to wit in nature and order and great commandement namely in excellencie and dignitie CHAP. 20. Of the first commandement THe first table hath foure commandements The first teacheth vs to haue and choose the true God for our God The words are these I am Iehouah thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other God but me The Resolution I am If any man rather iudge that these words are a preface to al the commandements then a part of the first I hinder him not neuerthelesse it is like that they are a perswasion to the keeping of the first commandement that they are set before it to make way vnto it as being more hard to be receiued then the rest And this may appeare in that the three commandements next following haue their seuerall reasons Iehouah This word signifieth three things I. Him who of himselfe and in himselfe was from all eternitie Reuel 1.8 Who is who was and who is to come II. Him which giueth being to all things when they were not partly by creating partly by preseruing them III. Him which mightily causeth that those things which he hath promised should both be made and continued Exod. 6.1 Rom. 4. 17. Here beginneth the first reason of the first commandement taken from the name of God it is thus framed He that is Iehouah must alone be thy God But I am Iehouah Therefore I alone must be thy God This proposition is wanting the assumption is in these words I am Iehouah the conclusion is the commandement Thy God These are the words of the couenant of grace Ier. 32.33 wherby the Lord promiseth to his people remission of sinnes and eternall life Yea these words are as a second reason of the commandements drawne from the equalitie of that relation which is betweene God and his people If I be thy God thou againe must be my people and take me alone for thy God But I am thy God Therefore thou must be my people and take me alone for thy God The assumption or second part of this reason is confirmed by an argumeÌ„t taken from Gods effects when he deliuered his people out of Egypt as it were from the seruitude of a most tyrannous master This deliuerie was not appropriate onely to the Israelites but in some sort to the Church of God in all ages in that it was a typâ—â—f a more surpassing deliuerie from that fearefull kingdome of darkenes 1. Cor. 10.1,2 I would not haue you ignorant brethren that all our Fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the red sea and were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the sea Coloss. 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne Other Gods or strange gods They are so called not that they by nature are such or can be but because the corrupt and more then diuelish heart of carnall man esteemeth so of them Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their bellie 1. Cor. 4.4 Whose mindes the God of this world hath bewitched Before my face That is figuratiuely in my sight or presence to whom the secret imaginations of the heart are knowne and this is the third reason of the first commandement as if he should say If thou in my presence reiect me it is an heinous offence see therfore thou doe it not After the same manner reasoneth the Lord. Gen. 17.1 I am God almightie therefore walke vpright The affirmatiue part Make choice of Iehouah to be thy God The duties here commanded are these I. To acknowledge God that is to know and confesse him to bee such a God as he hath reuealed himselfe to be in his worde and creatures Col. 1.10 Increasing in the knowledge of God Ierem. 24. 7. And I will giue them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they