world make a flourish to the contrarie expressely confesseth that the Spirits of the Patriarchs and Prophets before the comming of Christ were not so worshipped and called vpon as the Apostles and Martyrs now are because as yet they were detained in those infernall prisons where they had not the beatificall sight of God Now if the Patriarchs then saw the face of God as farre forth as the Saints doe now as indeede they did the argument is so much the stronger if yet all that while they were never called vpon In the new testament likewise we finde no warrant for it even by their owne confession And Salmeron the Iesuite rendreth reasons thereof For saith he the Iew that never had called vpon any of the Patriarchs or Prophets would hardly haue beene drawne to pray vnto those newer Saints the Gentiles would haue thought that insteed of those many Gods which they had forsaken a multitude of other Gods had beene put vpon them As for the times after Christ and his Apostles it was long before it crept into the Church and when it entred it was but the opinion of some private men and not the publike doctrine of the Church All the Fathers which proued the Deitie of the Sonne of the holy Ghost by this dutie of Invocation must needs if they will not contradict themselues be against it So must they also and they are not the least or meanest part of them who held that the Faithfull hence departed are not admitted into heauen but continue elsewhere in some secret receptacles without the vision of God vntill the day of iudgement For vpon that vision even in the iudgment of our aduersaries their particular knowledge of all things here done on earth dependeth vpon this againe their Invocation In a word whensoeuer or howsoeuer it began as it grew on so was it still opposed and neuer gate publike strength vntill the blinde times of superstition overswaied true devotion The cafe then standing thus that Invocation of Saints and Angels is neither necessary nor pious nor profitable but rather impious and extreamely dangerous as being derogatory to the glory of God the honour of Christs Mediation and that no ground or warrant at all can bee found for it either in the old or new Testament or in the writings and practise of those holy Fathers who flourished when the Church was in her primitiue puritie the case I say thus standing our safest course will be to follow the precedence and direction of our blessed Saviour and with him to addresse our selues vnto our heauenly Father and to none other It is he alone who at all times can both heare and helpe Neither is he more able then ready and willing to grant our requests if we come vnto him in his sonnes name Night and day he stretcheth out his armes towards vs he invites vs with all louingnesse to come vnto him hee chargeth and commandeth vs in all our needs and necessities to direct our prayers immediatly vnto him Let vs not therefore sollicite any other mediators or spokesmen for vs as if we doubted of his fatherly goodnesse and affection towards vs but let vs rather come directly with all boldnesse vnto the throne of grace to the end we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to be holpen in due season So to doe is not Presumption but Faith and Dutie And so much for the first part of our Saviours prayer Quem orat to whom he prayes The second is Pro quibus orat for whom he prayes Hee prayes for the Church mysticall as some tearme it or as it may more fitly be called for Christ mysticall that is the whole body consisting both of the Head which is Christ and all the rest of his members That it may more fitly bee called Christ mysticall we haue the warrant of S. Paul who expressely calleth it so As saith he the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of one body though they be many yet are one body euen so is Christ Where by Christ nothing can be meant but the whole consisting both of Head and Members Had the Church as it s distinguished against the Head beene vnderstood hee would haue said as St Austin obserueth ita Christi so is Christs that is the body of Christ or the members of Christ but hee saith ita Christus even so is Christ vnum Christum appellans caput corpus calling both the head and the body one Christ. The same doth St Austin elsewhere also obserue vpon those words of the Apostle He saith not and to seeds as speaking of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. Now saith he some perhaps will say if Christ be the seed of Abraham are we so also Remember that Christ is the seed of Abraham and if by this wee also are the seed of Abraham then are we also Christ. Vnto this warrant of Scripture adde we the reason thereof that Christ and his Church being twaine and yet constituting but one mysticall body it is fit the denomination of the whole should be taken from the better and more worthy part which is Christ and not the inferiour which is the Church But of this by the way For Christ mysticall then doth our Saviour pray but first for himselfe and then for his members For himselfe from hence vnto the ninth verse for his members from thence vnto the end of the Chapter If any demand a reason of this order I answere first Christ is the more worthy person For hee is Emanuel God-man appointed by his Father to be the Head of the Church and in all things to haue the preheminence And therefore as he hath in our Creed before the Church so in this Prayer also he deserues to haue precedencie Secondly hee knew it could not goe well with his Church vnlesse first it went well with himselfe For vnder his Father he was to be the fountaine of life and grace the vniversall cause of all good vnto his Church and to this end was hee to be annointed of the Spirit without stint or measure So that vnlesse the ointment be poured vpon Aarons head it cannot descend vnto the beard and from thence vnto the skirts of his garment And vnlesse Christ be first replenished himselfe we cannot of his fulnes receiue either grace for grace or glory for glory That therefore it might goe well with vs he prayes first for himselfe But then in the next place he maketh sute for his Church as if without her welfare it could not be well with him For as for her he was incarnate so without her hee counts himselfe imperfect For so it must needs be if as St Paul saith she be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all The reason because he is her Head And therefore though he fill all in all yet without her he wanteth of his owne fulnesse because he
affectione commodi that is though in regard of holinesse and righteousnesse he were already peâ—â—â—â—y blessed and arrived at his end yet by reason of thâ—â—pprehension of those vnpleasing and afflictiue evills which now were and yet were more to be vpon him the ioyes delights of heauen were not imparted to him So that the fulnesse and complement of Glory he had not yet attained Which being so the third and last enquirie how hee would be glorified may easily be resolued For as appeares by what we haue said he desires the dispelling and remouing of all those thicke mists and clouds which hitherto eclipsed his Deity that is the deposition not of his Humane nature for that is now become an essentiall part of his Person and shall continue therein vnto all eternity but of all humane infirmities and that low condition to which he had humbled himselfe to the end the glory of his Deity might at length appeare and shine forth most perfectly He desires furthermore that his Father would be pleased to glorifie him by preseruing and supporting him in the last act of his tragedy I meane his bitter agonie and passion by loosing the sorrowes of death and raising him from the graue by taking him vp into heaven setting him at his right hand crowned with maiesty and power and finally by conferring vpon him all glorious endowments both of soule and body and ioyning him vnto himselfe not only by the affection of perfect iustice but of comfort and delight also Hee desires lastly to bee glorified by the full manifestation of his Glory both that which already he had and that which yet he was to haue that not only Iewes but Gentiles also by the mission of his holy spirit and the preaching of his Apostles might know him to be the eternall Sonne of God of the same substance with the Father and no way inferiour vnto him Man also but such a man as is assumpted 〈◊〉 the vnitie of the second person in the Trinitie slaâ—â—â—â—ed and condemned yet iust and innocent dead and buried yet raised vp againe and liuing humbled low yet exalted high even to the highest top of all as hauing a name given him aboue every name And that these things being generally knowne of all he might be magnified and adored of all and at the name of Iesus all knees might bow both of things in Heaven and things in earth and things vnder the earth and every tongue might confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father And thus you see how our Saviour would be glorified The consideraâ—ion of all which may be vnto vs of singular vse and comfort For first seeing Christ who cannot be denyed what ever he demands hath prayed for his glorification what vanity is it for any man to thinke or hope that he can hinder or obscure it Let Iewes persecute him put him to death set a watch about his sepulcher to keepe him down yet can they not let but hee shall reviue and rise againe Though tyrants by open violence oppose the profession of his name and Hereticks by Sophistrie seeke to vndermine it and Antichrist assault it both waies by violence and sophistrie yet maugre all their cunning and malice his Father shall surely glorifie him Yea he is God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angells preached vnto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received vp into glory Onely now it remaines to expect and pray for his returne in glory Secondly the Glorification of Christ is the pledge and earnest of our Glorification For had not he risen ascended and beene receiued vp into glory neither should wee The gates of death had beene bard vpon vs and of heaven shut against vs we should haue beene covered with eternall shame and ignominie But now Christ like another Sampson hath broken through the gates of death our head is risen and wee in him Hee is ascended and gone from vs but gone to prepare a place for vs that where he is there we may be also and behold that his glory and beholding it be made like vnto him bearing his glorious image For as now because hee is full of grace wee of his fulnesse receiue even grace for grace so being full of glory of his fulnesse wee shall also receiue even glory for glory Memorable is that saying of Tertullian As he hath left vnto vs the earnest of his spirit so he hath receiued from vs the earnest of our flesh and hath caried it into heaven as a pledge that the whole summe shall one day be reduced thither Rest therefore secure oh flesh and bloud yee haue livery seizan of heauen and the kingdome of God already in Christ. Thirdly Christ so earnestly suing for his Glorification it is our duty by all meanes both to procure and further his Glory which if wee cannot doe in such sort as his Father doth yet are wee to performe it in such a sort as we may If not gloriosum faciendo by bestowing glory vpon him yet gloriosum dicendo by praising and magnifying his glory By faith we are to be assured thereof by confession to acknowledge it by our holy Christian life to testify that the faith of our hearts and the confession of our mouthes accord and agree together and as much as lies in vs to labour that others may glorifie Christ together with vs. Fourthly and lastly as Christ did so are wee warranted by his example to pray for our owne Glorification that God would be pleased to perfect that glory vpon vs which here by grace he hath begunne in vs. Hence is it that the Saints are said not only to loue but also to long for the second comming of Christ as knowing that till then it cannot be obtained that the Church also so earnestly prayes Turne my beloued and be like the Roe or young Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether and againe yea come Lord Iesu come quickly But may we with Christ desire that the Glory begun in vs be manifested vnto others we may For wee are commanded to provide things honest in the fight of all men and to let our light so shine before men that they also may see our good workes Only wee must take heed that wee affect it not from men principally nor make it our maine end for this would be the foule sinne of Vaine-glory but that with Christ wee seeke it of our Father in the first place and to the end that being glorified of him hee may be glorified by vs. For not hee that commendeth himselfe or is commended of others is approued but hee whom God commendeth And so much for Quid what our Sauiour craueth to himselfe Now that he may not be denied his request he presseth his Father with sundry weighty and important reasons all which God willing we will handle in their order The first is drawen from the circumstance of time thus The
there vndoubtedly is spirituall life If it be in semblance only and shew yet are wee still to iudge the best For as in matters of Faith we are to thinke and speak according to Scripture which only is infallible so in things concerning charity wee are to thinke and speake according to probabilitie Which howsoeuer it may deceaue yet is it not through any fault or with danger of him who thinkes better of another then he deserueth but only of the hypocrite who is farre other then hee seemed to be But as touching our selues because we are privie to the truth and sincerity of our owne hearts we may certainely conclude of our selues that we are spiritually aliue that by the certainty of Faith For all conclusions are of Faith which are deduced though but from one proposition contained in Scripture if the other be any way known to be true He that operateth spirituall actions is spiritually aliue is a proposition verified by Scripture But I operate spirituall actions is a proposition not contained in Scripture but testified to me by my conscience Ergo I am spiritually aliue is the conclusion issuing from both and of Faith because of the Major grounded on Scripture Secondly it sheweth how impotent and incongruous the speech of those is who pretending to liue this spirituall life yet when they taxed of their infirmities as suppose too much distemper in passion or impatience in wrongs or the like presently cry out they can doe no otherwise and who can endure it But stay my brother if thou be spirituall thou art not vnfurnisht of ability What if I should say of a kinde of Omnipotencie For so the Apostle through Iesus Christ strengthning me I am able to doe all things Why then saiest thou I cannot To bee without spirituall power is to be without spirituall life and they only can doe nothing who are out of Christ. If therefore thou liue say no more I cannot Nolle in causa est non posse praetenditur thou pretendest inability but the cause is thou wilt not There is a sparke within thee doe but quicken that vp and vse thy best endeavour and through Christ strengthning thee thou shalt bee able to master any infirmitie Thirdly and lastly seeing the spirituall life is the only happy and truely comfortable life why study we not aboue all things to liue this life With out it to win the whole world and to enioy all the pleasures thereof will proue but poore gaine For what is it to the losse of the soule which vnlesse it liue spiritually must needs die eternally And when this life is obtained striue we by all meanes to keepe and preserue it Much power and glory must Christ haue before he can giue it and shall we hauing by gift receaued it bee carelesse and negligent to retaine and hold it Skinne for skinne said he who knew it well and all that a man hath will hee giue for his life If for his naturall life how much more pretious should his spirituall life be vnto him This rather then they would loose the holy Martyrs of God were content to part both with life and liuehood Let the same preparation of mind be in vs for it is the very life of our life And thus much of the first point Quid what the gift is It is Life The second is Vnde whence it is It is from the sonne and that by way of gift For so saith my Text that hee may giue First therefore it is from the Sonne Which yet must not be vnderstood exclusiuely as if it were not from the Father and the holy Ghost also For the holy blessed Trinitie is the author of all life both naturall and spirituall This appeareth plainely For to giue life is an extrinsecall action and according to the old rule actiones ad extra sunt indivisae such actions as stay not within but issue forth from the Deity are common to all three persons Hence touching Naturall life it is said In him that is in God we liue and moue and haue our being And you know who it was that first breathed the breath of life into Adam even the wholy trinity who had said Come let vs make man And concerning spirituall life hence is it that it is called Vita Dei the life of God and that Moses saith of Israell Ipse est vita tua He to wit God is thy life Howbeit wee are further to know that although God be the fountaine of all good yet is he to vs in regard of spirituall grace vntill we be in Christ but fons obsignatus a fountaine sealed vp In Christ hee is a fountaine opened not otherwise For he passeth no grace but by a mediator Him therefore hath he made the Principle of all good and to this end hath hee filled him with the fulnesse of grace that of his fulnesse wee might all receiue even grace for grace And in this sense is it that wee say Spirituall life is from him Whence also it is called the life of Christ Christ himselfe is called the Lord giver of life yea and said to be our very life But how this life is derived from him vnto vs let vs enquire a little farther And because out of naturall Philosophy we haue hitherto proportioned the spirituall life for the substance thereof with the Naturall giue me leaue a little to reflect againe vpon the same Science to proportion out the manner of conveying it also First therefore vnto life a Soule is necessary for without it nothing can liue Secondly it is as necessary that the Soule haue life in it selfe or else how can it giue life for nothing giueth that which it selfe hath not Thirdly the Soule must not only haue life in it but also a power to quicken and make aliue For as Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soule is the cause and principle of life to the liuing body Fourthly notwithstanding this life and quickning power of the Soule it is necessary for the conveyance of life vnto the body that it be first infused and hypostatically vnited therevnto For before God breathed the Soule into Adam his body though otherwise organized and formed lay but as a dead lumpe breathlesse and lifelesse But no sooner was the soule powred into him but forthwith he began to liue the life of a man For fiftly vpon the vnion of soule and body riseth the constitution and being of man For neither is the soule nor the body severally and asunder called Man but the whole ioyntly composed together vpon which constitution and being of Man resulteth in the sixt place the naturall life of man and continually remaineth vntill the dissolution betwixt Soule and Body And lastly vpon this naturall life proceede ' those humane and connaturall operations of which aboue Now let vs as briefly apply all this vnto our present purpose First that which in the conveyance of this spirituall life is