fal the true righteousnesse as Aesops dog making to the shadow of meate he saw in the water let fall that which he had in his mouth Christ and these will not stand together so much as we lay hold on these so much we let go out hold on Christ Lastly note what benefit we haue being in Christ we haue righteousnesse and life eternall We by Adam first stand guiltie of sinne secondly of euerlasting death Now Christ hauing bene made a sacrifice for sinne that is for the taking away of sin and pacifying of God his Father doth not onely obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne for vs that are his but the grace of adoption and free donation of life euerlasting Hence it is that as by generation and coming of Adam we partake in sinne and death so by regeneration being set into Christ we are made partakers of righteousnesse and life from him And look as a griffe partaketh in the sap which the stocke containeth or as a member coupled vnto the head communicateth in the sense and motion which is thence deriued so we by faith set into Christ haue his righteousnesse cōueyed vnto vs God imputing it to vs as ours and life likewise conueyed from him the fountaine of it Ob. But then we are saued and made righteous with anothers righteousnesse as if any can be made wise with anothers wisedome Answ Christs is not anothers but after a sort ours when we by faith are made one with him Secondly how was Adams sinne made our sinne Thirdly if the Pope be pleased he may in his indulgences impute the sufferings righteousnesse of other men to such as neuer knew thē shall it then be vnlawfull for God to impute to vs the righteousnesse of his Sonne And it is to be noted that he saith we are iustified that is haue in Christ forgiuenesse of sinne and are sanctified that is haue the life of glorie begun in vs. For grace is the beginning of eternall life according to those sayings To such as are in Christ there is no condemnation Who so beleeueth hath euerlasting life whom he hath iustified those also he hath glorified by faith their hearts were purified For looke as not onely Adams fact in eating the forbidden fruite was imputed to vs but his corruption which was in his nature being the death of the soule was also propagated to his posterity so not only Christs obedience to the cursed death is reckoned as if we had borne it but the glorious life which resteth in him as a roote of it is conueyed to vs. We see then what wonderfull benefits we haue being in Christ If we had faulted against some great man we would count it no small benefit to haue it released freely forgiuen vs. Againe to be recouered vnto bodily life out of some great dangerous sicknesse is no smal mercie what blessednesse then is this to be set free from all our offences against God and of dead men in soule to be made aliue to God Secondly if any thirst after these things whither must they go euen to this fountaine Thirdly marke that the pardon of sin neuer goeth to a man but that clensing of his nature and sanctifying of him goeth with it also A counterpoyson coming to the heart poyson is expelled So Christ and Belial will not dwell together in one person The fift Principle Q. VVHat are the ordinarie or vsuall meanes for obtaining of faith Answ Faith cometh onely by the preaching of the word and increaseth daily by it as also by the administration of the Sacraments and prayer This answer layeth downe two things first the meane or instrument both of begetting and increasing faith viz. the word preached Secondly the meanes which serue only to the further increasing not to the first begetting of it viz. the Sacraments and prayer For the first we may note hence that true faith is bred in vs by the hearing of the word and nourished by the same Rom. 10. How can we beleeue without hearing so the Gospell is the powerfull instrument of God to saluation from faith to faith I commend you to the word which is able to build you vp For faith is the credit and assent which we giue to matters now how can we giue credit to any thing we neuer heard of Againe as we cānot heare what is done in France till some messenger do bring vs word of it so wee cannot heare what Gods pleasure in heauen is toward vs till he dispatcheth his messengers vnto vs. The same word doth after increase faith in vs for if we beleeue an honest mā so much the more because he often goeth ouer which affirmeth this or that to vs how much more must we be strengthened to heare God reiterating his testification of this or that which he formerly had spoken Euen as in the naturall birth the same bloud of the mother whereof as a seede it is framed the same I say is after her deliuery by benefit of the kernels in the breast turned into milke wherewith the babe is nourished so this word is both the seed which breedeth the sincere milke of the Gospell which feedeth faith in vs. Yet we must not thinke that this word we preach is the principall worker of faith for it is but an external instrument which God vseth which as it cānot worke faith without God so God will not worke faith without it It hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue his otherwise Eph. 1. The same power which raised vp Iesus from the dead is it which bringeth vs to beleeue If one were borne without an hand none could set a naturall hand on such a body but the power which createth and maketh a body so much lesse can any power but the Lords create this grace in the soule which is as an hand that reacheth into heauen The vse of this is first to examine our faith in this point by what meanes we found it wrought in our hearts by what meane it is preserued increased in vs. If it be a true faith the word preached did beget it it feeleth it selfe to grow in strength by meane of the same word When as many that say they beleeue they neuer found any vse of the word to begin their faith for they cannot remember they say that euer since yeares of reason they were without a good beleefe to God-ward neither do they feele any need of the word to grow by the lesse they haue of it it is the better with thē such mens faith is a diuellish delusion Contrariwise if we haue come to our faith by hearing find that the word is effectuall in vs to the augmenting of it in vs in all this it is with vs as it is with true beleeuers Secondly we see how needfull the word preached is for vs no word no faith no faith no saluation This maketh the diuell so malicious to perswade the contempt of it or at least to beare vs in hand that it
forme but a forme of speech of many conioyned it doth teach that We must not because we pray alone be carelesse of ioyning with others in prayer He teacheth his disciples ioyntly to pray Our Father c. Mat. 18.20 and Where two or three are gathered together I am in the midst of them Looke as if a single prisoner should aske vs ought it hath his force but when all in the house lift vp their voices at once it is much more piercing so in this matter which letteth vs see how wide such are who will make light of praying with other they hope they may pray for themselues and like the old saying Euery man for himselfe God for vs all Secondly hence we note that in our prayers we must be mindfull of others as wel as our selues For as he teacheth them to pray and to say Our Father because they were more then one ioyntly before him so in this regard that he might make them mindfull of all their brethren called or vncalled that belong to the election of God Ephes 6.18 Watch vnto prayer for all Saints not that we may not make a prayer wherein we must not mention others but because wee must not faile at cōuenient times in the exercise of praier to mention others as wel as our selues seeking their peace with God We are members of one body and therfore must helpe one another and such as haue learned loue and mercy cannot but seeke at God the prosperity of their brethren whose conflicting state they know by good experience in thēselues wherfore we must stirre our selues vp to the faithfull performance of this dutie He were a gracelesse childe that would neuer pray for his mother we would thinke he would do little for vs that would not lend vs a good word here or there so when we remember not the Church and will not open our mouthes one for another to God what loue is there Secondly let vs therefore frequent this dutie not in word or shew but in deed and truth From the practise of this dutie it cometh to passe that a Christian man is like a rich merchant who hath his factors in diuers countries so a Christian man hath in all places of the world some that deale for him with God that neuer saw his face who are petitioners for him vnto God Thirdly hence that he teacheth vs to pray Our Father we learne that We must in prayer to God come with loue to the brethren If thou art about to offer thy sacrifice at the altar Mat. 5.23.24 and remembrest thou hast any thing against thy brethren go reconcile thy selfe first then do thy duty after otherwise the Lord will turne away from our prayer If one should giue the King a petition and carrie in his hand or about him some stinking sauour which the sence of any abhorred could he thinke but the King would turne from him So he that cometh petitioning to God with wrath and malice which stinketh odiously in Gods nostrils must look that God will turne his countenance from him Hence Saint Peter saith 1. Pet. 3.7 that by wrath prayers are troubled wherefore let vs labor to be of brotherly affection one towards another Should our parents know that we are fallen forth with our brethren durst we come in their sight would we looke for other then to be checked from them euen so the Lord will turne his back to our prayers while our affections are turned against our brethren Further obserue hence both a ground of reuerence and hope when we come to deale with God If I be a Father Mal. 1.6 where is my reuerence We come with reuerence before our earthly Princes and in all our gestures expresse it how much more must this be in vs when we haue to deale with the liuing God for this Father is impartiall in iustice that we haue need to conuerse before him in feare Againe it is a ground of hope earthly parents will not deny their children good things much lesse shall God deny vs his Spirit and what euer thing is good for vs. This therefore doth rebuke the rudenesse of some that care not how vnprepared they fall vpon prayers how rude gesture they vse in it how vnmannerly they breake away after it vsing their Father as if he were a cypher or a father of clouts rather thē a God that will without respect of persons iudge euery one Our doubting minds must hence be reproued and strengthened How confidently do children come to their parents If we haue a suite to a friend which is reasonable we will presume it how much more may wee be of good hope in all our requests which we make to God Which art in heauen c. By manifesting the effect of glory otherwise he filleth heauen earth yea all the creature is with him as a moate within the light of the Sunne but looke as a King who by his authority power ruleth ouer all his kingdome is at the Court more especially displaying there the glory of his maiesty so God whose essence and presence of powers is euery where in the heauens as in the Court of his Maiesty doth manifest his glory more excellently Obserue then that In coming to God we must set before vs his heauenly Maiesty For this stirreth vp reuerence moueth deuotion making vs to be heauenly minded strengthening our faith The glister of the pomp of earthly Princes doth moue the subiect to all humble regard of them to al seemly submisnesse in their behauiours towards them and doubtlesse the not being striken with any consideration this way doth make vs so loose and heedlesse when we approach to God Againe this doth admonish vs to be heauenly minded if we will haue any coniunction with God for as he that would speak to the King at Court must bodily moue himselfe thither where the King bideth so we that would speake with God who dwelleth in heauenly glory aboue all this visible frame of the creature we must in spirit by faith moue our hearts thither where he is Besides where our Father is there our country is Vbi pater ibi patria therefore as pilgrimes and strangers do long after their natiue soiles so must we after that glorious inheritance which our father in the heauēs reserueth for vs. Thirdly it confirmeth vs in our faith being in heauen he both seeth our wants and is of all strength and power to effect our desires Our God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will Parents earthly who haue large hearts haue short hands though they wish vs well yet they haue no power to effect what they would Were it thus with our Father faith were shaken but whē he wanteth not will as a father nor power as a heauenly gouernour our faith is firmly vnderpropped How then are we to accuse our selues who know not how sufficiently to admire and adore an earthly maiesty a mortall man and yet are so respectlesse
Christs in iustifying and satisfiing for vs. The fourth Principle Q. BVt how mayest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benefits A. A man of a contrite and humble spirit by faith alone apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits vnto himselfe is iustified before God and sanctified This Principle layeth downe foure things first what is the qualitie of the person to be saued in those words a man of an humble and broken spirit Secondly the grace by which as a meane he is saued or the grace apprehending that whereby we are saued viz. faith alone Thirdly the thing apprehended Christ his benefits Fourthly the fruits following vpon Christ and his benefits apprehended our iustification and sanctification For the first obserue that none whose spirit is not broken with conscience of sinne hath benefit by Christ I came not to cal the righteous but the sinner not such as thinke themselus iust enough but such as through my working in them see their sinnes to call those to repentance Come to me ye that are weary and heauy laden God commanded that the Paschall Lambe should not be eaten but with bitter herbes to teach vs that without the salad of godly sorrow and contrition for sinne Christ sauoureth not For looke as man must be hungry yer he will care for bread and must feele himselfe sicke before he will care for the Physitian so it is with vs if our soules feele not themselues empty of all goodnesse and sicke of sinne they will not care for Christ the bread of life the Physitian of distressed soules We must labour therefore to be cast downe in the sense of our misery Were we guilty of faults for which the law of man would seuerely punish vs how would it go neare vs for our breach of Gods lawes we take no care if we haue lost little things on the earth we grieue but to be cast out of heauen our eternall inheritance this stingeth vs not Such is the working of sin it is a death of the soule which taketh away sense of sicknesse as in the body the nigher death the lesser we feele the more deadly the sicknesse the lesse it is perceiued Againe it doth like drunkennesse take away the spirituall vnderstanding of our miseries A drunken man feeleth no knocks so we the diuell hauing made vs drunken feele not how we are wounded Secondly obserue what we must do to be saued Beleeue on Christ Such as would be cured of their stings which by serpents they had receiued must looke vp to the serpent of brasse which God did set vp So we that will be cured of the poison which the old serpent hath conueyed into vs must looke to Christ with our eye of faith What shall we do that we may be saued Beleeue saith S. Paul For as it is not enough that there is a Physitian which hath a medicine readie for this or that griefe but the patient must go to him and take it and as it is not enough for vs being hungry to see and know that there is bread but we must eate it if we will haue fruit by the one or other so in Christ we must come to him by faith feede vpon him in our hearts by vnfained beleefe before he will profit vs any thing Wherefore let vs not content our selues with the Papists faith which confesseth that there is a Christ the Sonne of God but doth not lay hold on him as their Sauiour This is an historicall faith which letteth Christ hang in the aire doth not bring him to dwell in the heart We must say with Thomas My Lord and my God With Paul Galat. 2.20 Who hath loued me giuen himselfe for me For plaisters must be spread on the sore and medicines taken before the patient can be amended Thirdly obserue that faith onely is it which as an instrument applying Christ doth saue vs. Not that faith goeth alone without other vertues and care of good life but because no other grace doth lay hold of Christ as in whom we come to haue forgiuenesse of sin life euerlasting Loue indeed claspeth Christ yet not seeking righteousnesse and life by him but cleauing to him for that which we discerne him to be vnto vs through faith euen as the eye in the head is not alone without other senses yet it onely seeth and no other sense with it Which doth let vs see what a precious thing this faith is as Peter calleth it and why the diuell doth so much labour against it because this is it alone which tyeth vs vnto Christ our Sauiour which holdeth him as all in all to vs. Suppose one did hang ouer the sea clasping a rocke with his hands he that wished his destruction need no more thē to loose the hold he had with his hands so it is with vs. Fourthly marke what it is that faith layeth hold on to saluation onely Christ dying for vs fulfilling all things in our behalfe This is the onely obiect or matter about which faith is occupied as it is the instrument of iustifying and sauing of vs and in regard of this that it apprehendeth it is said onely to saue vs. Faith iustifying doth beleeue the story of the Bible the threatnings of God yea may vpon some particular word by instinct or otherwise coming to vs worke a miracle but it doth not iustifie and saue vs but onely as it looketh to Christ who is the righteousnesse and the saluation of our God not as beleeuing other things As a reasonable soule in man doth bring forth sense and motion doth concoct expell doth exercise animall sensitiue and naturall functions in the body yet it is not reasonable as it doth these things but as it conceiueth of things simple or otherwise discourseth and in this respect onely it is said to saue vs because that it layeth hold on Christ our Sauiour so that the meaning of this faith saueth vs is Christ apprehended by faith doth saue vs. Whence Rom. 3.9 and Act. 3.9 these phrases are made aequiualent to be iustified by Christ and by faith to be healed by the Name of Christ and faith in his Name As if one should say this pot of money maketh me a rich man we would not thinke the pot made him rich but the treasure in it So when faith is said to saue it is not to be meant that the act of beleeuing absolutly cōsidered doth saue vs but respectiuely in regard of Christ our Sauiour whom faith holdeth Wherefore let vs onely hold Christ as beside whom we lacke nothing fully to saue vs. This maketh the diuell as he laboureth against faith so he seeketh to corrupt men in resting onely vppon Christ Hence he teacheth them to trust on their good prayers seruing of God meaning workes and in the popish Church many other things the Church treasury the intercession of Saints humane satisfactions indulgences workes that thus he might bring them while they catch at a shadow of righteousnes to let
of the high excellency of God How slow of heart are we that we are not raised vp higher then these earthly things when we are to deale with our God glorious in the heauens Why do wee dread and trust in the power of mā not awing nor hauing confidence in this power when the power of euery creature higher then the earth is vnresistable by it as what power of flesh can resist the least cloud frō dropping his raine the least starre from sending forth his light and influence What a power is this of the Creator of al these things who dwelleth in glorie aboue them Let vs therefore considering this heauenly glory our Father hath grow vp to more reuerence deuotion and affiance towards him Now follow the petitions in which I will obserue this order First to open the phrase of them where it is needfull Secondly to shew the contents of euery petition Thirdly considerations how we may feelingly come to make our seueuerall requests to God Fourthly the cōclusions which may be drawne from them Hallowed be thy Name Name is put here for God by name or any other wayes notified that is made knowne to vs Name put for the person named as Acts 1.15 by a Metonymie of the adiunct and so named one kind of manifesting a person for all other by a Synecdoche Hallowed here signifieth to be manifested and acknowledged holy as wisdome is iustified of her children so declared to be and approoued of those that embrace her The summe is that God wold so worke that himselfe howsoeuer made knowne by titles word or works may be discerned of vs as holy and so confessed and accordingly respected of vs that God would effect this that himselfe may be more and more honored of vs who are his chosen and in all others that are the children of destruction First then here we aske that God would worke all such things as may be matter of his praise whether they be good things towards his children or iudgements vpon the wicked For thus God doth honour himselfe when he doth such things before vs vpon which we take occasion to honour him Hence it is that he will win honor to his Name in deliuering his children and when he inflicted that iudgement on Aarons sonnes he said he would be glorified in such as come neare him if he might not haue it from them he wold haue it in them by sending such iudgments on them as might be matter of his glorie Secondly we aske of God to refraine the bringing of such things vpon vs which might make wicked ones take occasion to prophane his Name For when God saith he will not pollute his Name among the heathen by the vtter extinguishing of his people he doth teach vs that the giuing occasion to wicked ones to crow against his people and himselfe their God is a dishonor of his Maiestie and therefore here we pray it may be preuented Yet if it so fall out that the state of Gods people is incorrigible and they will not be reclaimed from prophaning Gods Name it is better that the open enemy should blaspheme them then that he should receiue such intollerable indignity from his owne people Thirdly we aske that God would make vs grow vp to acknowledge him in all meanes and wayes of his wherein he manifesteth his glory For as the Sun shining brightly should be glorious in it selfe but if eyes were not opened to behold it it should not be had in accompt as glorious with man so the Lord glorious in all his wayes hath not that glorie in his creature till the eye of the mind opened this be discerned of them Fourthly we aske that he would enable vs in spirit word and worke to giue him glory from our selues and seeke that others may do the same moued by our words works that as we discerne him to be holy glorious euery way so we may accordingly glorifie him For these may be distinguished yea seuered Rom. 1.21 that we might be zealous of his glory Fiftly for others as yet vncalled they are two-fold belonging to the election of grace or otherwise Now for the former we intreate that God would daily bring them home to glorifie him with vs yea that he would giue them godly sorrow for such things as before their visitation they heedlesly neglected Psal 67. For other we pray that God wold restraine them from their high prophanation of his Name and that he would turne their rage and so by proportion all their other sinnes to the praise of his Name Psal 18. Now to say this petition feelingly wee must cōsider First how necessary a thing it is that God should haue his glory for to this end all things were made we liue moue and haue being from him to no other purpose Secondly though this is so necessary yet how little God is honoured by vs who are his he passing by vs in many parts of his prouidence we not seeing him nor taking any heed to him in the things we do see not affected with feare ioy thankfulnesse as they require little thinking on him not speaking of him to his praise not ordering all our works in such sort as they might be to the glorie of him our heauenly Father How many wayes do we take his Name in vaine Thirdly we must consider how our hearts are so poysoned with loue of our owne names estimation that glory which is from man that we are altogether carelesse of Gods glory Hence it is that if we circumstantially so faile that it craseth our reputation in any kind with men it doth sting vs but when we fault towards God we passe it ouer well enough Hence it is that if one put the least contemptuous behauiour vpon vs vsing a terme of any disgrace it doth kindle cooles presently but we can heare Gods Name dishonored and not be affected and moued with it We had need therefore to pray vnto God that he would heale this matter Fourthly to marke how fearefully with wicked ones not yet called Gods Name is prophaned Doth it not pittie vs when we heare that our friends haue such seruants as do twentie dishonest parts which will redound to their discredit Did we see their giuing no regard to their maister rioting his goods otherwise then he commandeth drinking themselues drunke in his cellers would it not grieue vs Thus that Lord of vs all that Maister in heauen is vsed by those that should be seruants vnto him which if we will weigh we cannot but crie to him for helpe that those deluges of his dishonour might be stopped and diminished Fiftly Gods promises to such as seeke his glory and threatning to such as do otherwise he will honour such as honour him and such as despise him shall be despised These things pondered wil ingender some more feeling when we preferre this petition The things to be collected are these First that the chiefe thing that we are to desire is that God may more more