vaine for men to busie themselues about such things Ans. But we must know that as God hath appointed all things to come to passe in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell so in the same decree he hath together set downe the means waies whereby he will haue the same things brought to passe for these two must neuer be seuered the thing to be done the means whereby it is done VVe may read in the Acts in Pauls daungerous voyage towards Rome an Angel of the Lord told Paul that God had giuen him all that sayled with him in the ship nowe the souldiers and marriners hearing this might reason thus with theÌ„selues Seeing God hath decreed to saue vs all we may doe what we will there is no danger for we shall all come to land aliue but marke what Paul saith except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe where we may see as it was the eternall counsell of God to saue Paul all that were with him so he decreed to saue all by this particular meanes of their aboad in the ship King Ezechias was restored to his health receiued from God a promise that he should haue 15. yeares added to his daies the promise was confirmed by signe nowe what doth he cast off all means no but as he was prescribed so he applieth a bunch of drie figges to his sore and vseth still his ordinarie dyet Therefore it is grosse ignorance madnes in men to reason so against Gods decree God in his vnchangeable counsell hath decreed set down all things how they shal be therefore I will vse no means but liue as I list nay rather we must say the contrarie because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done therfore I wil vse the means which God hath appointed to bring the same to passe Now followes the Creation which is nothing else but a worke of the blessed Trinitie forming framing his creatures which were not before that of nothing The points to be knowne concerning the creation are many The first is the thing by which God did begin finish the creatioÌ„ And we must vnderstande that at the first God made all things without any instrument or meanes not as men do which bring to passe their busines by seruants helps but only by his word commandement as the Psalmist saith He commanded and all things were made In the beginning God said Let their be light there was light by the same meanes was the creatioÌ„ of euery creature following The very power of the word and coÌ„mandement of God was such as by it that thing was made had a being which before was not It may be demanded what word this was by which God is said to make all things Ans. The word of God in scripture is taken 3. waies for the substantiall word for the souÌ„ding or written word for the operatiue or powerful word The substaÌ„tial word is the secoÌ„d person begotteÌ„ of the substaÌ„ce of the father Nowe howsoeuer it be true that God the father did create al things by his word that is by his SoÌ„ne yet doth it not seeme to be true that by these words God said let there be this or that that the SoÌ„ne is mâ—nt For that word vvhich God gaue out in the creation vvas in time vvheras the SoÌ„ne is the vvord of the father before all times and againe it is a vvord common to the three persons equally vvhereas the SoÌ„ is the vvord of the father onely Furthermore it is not like that it was any souÌ„ding word staÌ„ding of letters syllables vttered to the creatures after the vsuall maner of meÌ„ that was the cause of theÌ„ it remains therfore that all things were made by the operatiue vvord vvhich is nothing but the pleasure vvil appointmeÌ„t of God is more povverful to bring a thing to passe then all the meanes in the vvorld beside For Gods vvilling of any thing is his effecting doing of it And this is prooued by Dauid vvhen he saith He spake the word and they were made he coÌ„manded and they were created Hence vve must take out a speciall lesson needefull to be learned of euery man Looke vvhat povver God vsed shevved in making the creatures vvhen they vvere not the same povver he both can vvil shevv forth in recreating redeeming sinful meÌ„ by the pretious blood of Christ. By his vvord he created mans heart when it vvas not he can vvill as easily create in any of such a nevv heart specially vvheÌ„ vve vse the good means appointed for that end As vvhen Christ said to dead Lazarus Lazarus come forth he arose came forth of his graue though bouÌ„d haÌ„d foot so vvheÌ„ the Lord speaks to our dead hearts by his vvord spirit vve shal rise forth of the graues of our sinnes corruptions In the creatioÌ„ of the great vvorld God said let there be light presently darknes gaue place the same he caÌ„ do to the little vvorld that is to man We are by nature darknes let God but speake to our blind vnderstaÌ„dings our ignoraÌ„ce shal depart vve shal be inlightned vvith the knovvledge of the true God and of his vvil as Paul saith God that coÌ„maunded the light to shine out of darknes is he which hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knovvledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Secondly God made all creatures without motion labour or defatigation for his very bidding of the worke to be done was the doing of it And this thing no creature can doe but God onely though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall Thirdly the matter the first beginning of all creatures was nothing that is all things were made when as there was nothing whereof they might be made as Paul saith God calleth those things vvhich be not as though they were And indeed in the first creation al things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing but a creature can not be made of the essence of God for it hath no parts it is not divisible and God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence the conclusion then is that the framing of the creatures in the beginning was not of any matter but of nothing This must teach us to humble our selves Many there be that stande upon their ancestours but let them here looke whence they came first namely as Abraham saith of himselfe of dust and ashes And what was this dust and ashes made of Surely of nothing wherefore every mans first beginning is of nothing Well then such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent if they looke well into it they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge And this coÌ„sideration of our first beginning must moue vs to true
the Gospell besides they giue an assent to it to be true and they do more yet in that they tremble and feare And many a man hath not so much For amongst vs there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all more then he hath learned by the common talke of the world as namely that there is a God and that he is mercifull c. and yet this man will say that he beleeueth with all his heart but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue therfore he deceiveth himselfe Quest. But whence haue the devils historicall faith were they illuminated by the light of the spirit Answ. No but when the Gospell was preached they did acknowledge it and beleeued it to be true that by vertue of the reliques of Gods image which remained in them since their fall And therefore this their faith doeth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit but they attaine to it by the light of nature which was left in them from the beginning The second kind of faith is Temporary faith so called because it lasteth but for a time and season and commonly not to the end of a mans life This kind of faith is noted unto us in the parable of the seede that fell in the stony ground And there be two differences or kinds of this faith The first kinde of temporary faith hath in it three degrees The first is to know the word of God and particularly the Gospell The second to giue an assent unto it The third to professe it but to goe no further and all this may be done without any loue to the word This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus Acts. 8.13 who is said to beleeue because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true and withall he professed it and in the devils also who in some sort professed that Christ was the sonne of the most highest yet looked for no saluation by him Mark 5.7 Act. 19.14 And this is the common faith that abounds in this land Men say they beleeue as the prince beleeueth and if religion chāge they will change For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word they beleeue it to be good they professe it thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeres they will heare the word preached and receiue the sacraments and yet be as void of grace as euer they were at the first day the reason is because men doe barely professe it without either liking or loue of the same The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees For by it first a man knows the word Secondly he assenteth unto it III. he professeth it IIII. he reioyceth inwardly in it V. he bringeth forth some kind of fruit and yet for all this hath no more in him but a faith that will faile in the end because he wanteth the effectuall applicatiō of the promise of the gospel is without all maner of sound conversiō This faith is like corne in the house top which groweth for a while but when heate of sommer cōmeth it withereth And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede which fell in a stony ground which is hastie in springing up but because of the stones which will not suffer it to take deepe roote it withereth And this is a very common faith in the Church of God by which many reioyce in the preaching of the worde and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse yet afterward shake of religion and all But some will say howe can this be a temporary faith seeing it hath such fruits Answ. Such a kind of faith is temporary because it is grounded on temporarie causes vvhich are three I. A desire to get knovvledge of some straunge pointes of religion For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith onely because he desires to get more knovvledge in scripture then other men haue The second cause is a desire of praise among men which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shevve of all the graces vvhich God bestoweth on all his children though otherwise he want them and to go very farre in religion vvhich appeareth thus Some can very bitterly weepe for the sinnes of other men and yet haue neither sorrowe nor griefe for their owne and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride For he that sheddes teares for another mans sinnes should much more vveepe for his owne if he had grace Yet thus are many men disposed euen of pride and nothing else Againe a man for his owne sinnes vvill pray very slackly and dully when he prayeth priuately and yet when he is in the company of others will pray very fervently and earnestly From vvhence is this difference surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire of praise among men The third cause of temporarie faith is profit commodity the getting of wealth and riches These make man to receive religion and if other religion come they vvill receiue it asvvell as this But such studies not the gospell because it is the gospell but because it brings wealth peace and riches with it And these are the three causes of temporarie faith The third kind of faith is the faith of Miracles vvhen a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or revelation from God doeth beleeve that some straunge extraordinarie thing vvhich he hath desired or foretold shall come to passe by the vvork of God This must be distinguished from historicall temporarie faith For Simon Magus had both these kindes of faith but yet wanted this faith of miracles therfore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for mony Yet this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites as it vvas in Iudas at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked reprobate which shal say to Christ Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and cast out deuils and done many great miracles And thus much for the three sorts of common faith Now we must come to the true faith which is the faith of the elect It is thus defined Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the mind apprehending the sauing promise with al the promises that depend on it First I say it is a gift of God Phil. 1.29 to confute the blind opiniō of our people that think that the faith wherby they are to be saued is bred borne with thē I adde that it is a gift supernaturall not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne but also because it is aboue that pure nature in which our first parents were created For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith neither
had they then any neede of faith in the same God as he is Messias but this faith is a new grace of God added to regeneration after the fal first required in the couenant of grace And by this faith differeth from the rest of the gifts of God as the feare of God the loue of God the loue of our brethren c. for these were in mans nature before the fall and after it they are but renewed but iustifying faith admits no renewing For the first in grafting of it into the heart is in the conuersion of a sinner after his fall The place and seat of faith as I thinke is the minde of man not the will for it stands in a kinde of particular knowledge or perswasion and there is no perswasion but in the minde Paul saith indeede that we beleeue with the heart Rom. 10. but by the heart he vnderstands the whole soule without any limitation Some doe place faith partly in the minde and partly in the will because it hath two parts knowledge and affiance but it doth not stand greatly with reason that one particular and single grace should be seated into diuerse parts of the soule The forme of faith is to apprehend the promises Gal. 3.14 that we might receiue the promise of the spirite through faith and Iohn 1.12 to receiue Christ and to beleeue are put one for another and to beleeue is to eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ. To apprehend properly is an action of the hand which laies hold of a thing and puls it to it and by resemblance it agrees to faith which is the hand of the soule receiuing and applying the sauing promise This apprehension of faith is not performed by any affection of the will but by a sound and particular perswasion whereby a man is resolued that the promise of saluation belongs vnto him Which perswasion is wrought in the mind by the holy Ghost 1. Corint 2.12 And by this the promise which is generall is applied particularly to one subiect By this sauing faith differeth from all other kinds of faith From historicall for it wanteth all apprehension standeth onely in a generall assent From temporarie faith which though it make a man to professe the Gospel and to reioyce in it yet doth it not throughly applie Christ with his benefits For it neuer brings with it any thorough touch of conscience or liuely sense of Gods grace in the heart And the same may be said of the rest The principal and maine obiect of this faith is the sauing promise God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeues in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life But some will say Christ is commonly said to be the obiect of faith Answ. In effect it is all one to say the sauing promise and Christ promised who is the substance of the couenant Christ then as he is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments is the obiect of faith And here certaine questions offer themselues to be skanned The first What is that particular thing which faith apprehendeth Answ. Faith apprehendeth whole Christ God and man For his Godhead without his manhoode and his manhood without his Godhead doth not reconcile vs to God Yet this which I say must be conceiued with some distinction according to the difference of his two natures His Godhead is apprehended not in respect of his essence or nature but in respect of his efficacie manifested in the māhoode his manhood both in respect of the substance it selfe and also in respect of the efficacie and benefits thereof The second In what order faith apprehēds Christ Ans. First of all it apprehends the very body blood of Christ secondly the vertue benefits of his bodie and blood as a man that would feele in his bodie the vertue of meate and drinke must first of all receiue the substance thereof To go forward Besides the mayn promise which cōcernes righteousnes life in Christ there be other particular promises touching strēgth in temptatiōs cōfort in afflictiōs such like which depēd on the former they also are the obiect of iustifying faith with the very same faith we beleue thē wherwith we beleeue our saluatiō Thus Abrahā by the same faith wherwith he was iustified beleued that he shold haue a son in his old age Rō 4.19.22 And Noe by that faith wherby he was made heire of righteousnes beleeued that he his family should be preserued in the flood And hereupō it comes to passe that in our praiers besides the desire of things promised we must bring faith whereby we must be perswaded that God will graunt vs such things as he hath promised and this faith is not a new kinde or distinct faith from iustifying faith Thus we see what sauing faith is Whereas some are of opiniō that faith is an affiāce or cōfidence that seems to be otherwise for it is a fruit of faith indeede no man can put any confidence in God till he be first of all perswaded of Gods mercy in Christ towards him Some again are of mind that loue is the very nature and forme of faith but it is otherwise For as cōfidence in God so also loue is an effect which proceeds frō faith 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the law is loue frō a pure heart and good conscience faith vnfained And in nature they differ greatly Christ is the fountain of the waters of life Faith in the heart is as the pipes ledds that receiue in hold the water loue in some part is as the cocke of the cōduit that lets out the water to euery cōmer The property of the hād is to hold of it self it cānot cut yet by a knife or other instrumēt put into the hād it cuts the hād of the soule is faith his property is to apprehend Christ with al his benefits by it self it cā do nothing els yet ioyn loue to it by loue it wilbe effectual in al good duties Now to proceed further first we are to cōsider how faith is wrought 2. what be the differēces of it For the first faith is wrought in by the outward ministery of the gospel accōpanied by the inward operatiō of the spirit that not suddēly but by certē steps degrees as nature frameth the body of the infant in the mothers wombe 1. by making the brain and heart 2. by making veines sinewes arteries bones 3. by adding flesh to them al. And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions First the enlightening of the minde the second the moouing of the will For the first the holy Ghost enlightens mens mindes with a further knowledge of the lawe then nature can afoard and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof and withall to tremble at the curse of the lawe Afterward
the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes life eternal promised in Christ. This done then comes the second worke of the holy Ghost which is the inflaming of the will that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne and the benefits of Christes death might hunger after Christ and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishmēts of sinne taken away as Gods displeasure also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And whē he hath stirred vp a man to desire reconciliation with God in Christ then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes and then the Lordes promise is Knocke and it shall be opened seeke and ye shall finde After which he further sends his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God and remission of sinnes in Christ and doth seale vp in his heart the liuely and plentifull assurance thereof The differences and degrees of faith are two I. a weake faith II. a strong faith Concerning the first this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an vnfained desire not onely of saluation for that the wicked and gracelesse man may haue but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which haue this haue in them also the substance of true sauing faith which afterwards will grow vp to a strong faith Reasons I. Promise of life euerlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore Psal. 143.6 My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shalbe satisfied Revel 22.6 J will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely II. The hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection vvhere one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and beleeues III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue for repenting and beleeuing indeede wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is accepted euen as faith before God But carnall men will say If faith yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for all our sinnes then we are well ynough though we liue in our sinnes for we haue very good desires J answer That there be in many men sundrie fleeting motions and desires to do good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Now such passions haue no soundnes in them must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliatiō with God which comes from a bruised heart which brings alwaies with it reformation of life therefore such as liue after the couse of this world and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good deceiue themselues Nowe faith is saide to be weake when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell or else hauing knowledge is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweete promises thereof As for example we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith except Iudas and when our Sauiour Christ asked them whome they thought that he was Peter in the person of the rest answered for them all and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for which our Sauiour commended him and in him them all saying Thou art Peter vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ which Peter did professe in the name of them all will I builde my Church And yet after we shall finde in the Gospell that they are called men of litle faith Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ and of his passion and resurrection and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there Peter a little after his notable confession began to rebuke Christ said Master haue pitie on thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee And vntil he had appeared to them after his death they did not beleeue his resurrection Again weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension and appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe This is to be seene in ordinary experience For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart that serueth God in spirite and truth yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned Now shall we say that all such are without faith God forbid Nay we may resolue our selues that the true child of God may haue a hungring desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience and yet be weake some time in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes But if faith faile either in the true knowledge or in the apprehension of Gods mercies how can a man be saued by it Answ. We must knowe that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne as strong faith though not so soundly Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king as he that is more sound though it be not so firmely and steadfastly The Church of Rome beares men in hand that they are good Catholicks if they beleeue as the Church beleeues though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old devout father who beeing tempted of the deuill was asked how he beleeued he answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued he answered as I beleeue whereupon the deuill as they say was faint to depart VVell this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce as being a means to nozle men in blindnes superstition perpetuall ignorance yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or foulded faith which is when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospell doth truely performe obedience according to the measure thereof and withall hath care to get more knowledge and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased In this respect a certain ruler who by a miracle wrought vpon his childe was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias and further to submit him selfe to his doctrine is
is one thing to beleeue in this or that is another thing and it conteineth in it 3. points or actions of a beleeuer 1. to know a thing 2. to acknowledge the same 3. to put trust and confidence in it And in this order must these three actions of faith be applied to euery article following which concerneth God And herein is contained a speciall matter For alwaies by adding them to the words following we doe applie the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner As I beleeue in the father and doe beleeue that he is my father and therefore I put my whole trust in him and so of the rest Now we come to the obiect of generall faith which is either God or the Church in handling of both which I wil obserue this order I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article II. Of the duties which we ought to learn thereby III. And lastly of the consolations which may be gathered thence Concerning God three things are to be considered And first by reason of manifold doubtings that rise in our minds it may be demanded whether there be a God many reasons might be vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience otherwaies we are bound to beleeue that there is a God without al doubting As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God by Gods lawe they ought to die the death nay the earth is too good for such to dwell on Malefactours as theeues and rebells for their offences haue their rewarde of death but the offence of those which denie that there is a God is greater and therefore deserues the most cruell death The second point followeth namely what God is Answer Moses desiring to see Gods face was not permitted but to see his hinder parts and therefore no man can be able to describe God by his nature but by his effects properties on this or such like maner God is an essence spirituall simple infinite most holy I say first of all that God is an essence to shew that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe by himselfe not receiuing his being from any other And herein he differeth frō all creatures whatsoeuer which haue subsisting beeing from him alone Againe I say that he is an essence spirituall because hee is not a kinde of body neither hath he the parts of the bodies of mē or other creatures but is in nature a spirit inuisible not subiect to any of mans senses I adde also that he is a simple essence because his nature admits no maner of composition of matter or forme or parts The creatures are compounded of diuers parts of varietie of nature but there is no such thing in God for whatsoeuer thing he is he is the same by one the same singular and indiuisible essence Furthermore he is infinite and that diuers waies infinite in time without any beginning and without end infinite in place because he is euery where and excluded no where within all places and foorth of all places Lastly he is most holy that is of infinite wisdome mercie loue grace goodnes c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy because holinesse is of the very nature of God himselfe wheras among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise As for example a man is one thing and the holines of man is another Thus we see what God is and to this effect god describes himself to be Iehova Elohim Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting immorall inuisible onely wise to whom is due all honour glorie for euer The thirde point is touching the number of Gods namely whether there be more Gods then one or no. Ans. There is not neither can there be any more Gods then one VVhich point the Creede auoucheth in saying I beleeue in God not gods and yet more plainly the Nicene Creede and the Creede of Athanasius both of them explaning the words of the Apostles Creede on this maner I beleeue in one God Howsoeuer some in former times haue erroneously held that two Gods were the begining of all things one of good things the other of euill things others that there was one God in the old testament an other in the new others againe namely the Valintinians that there were 30. couple of gods and the heathen people as Augustine recordeth worshipped 30. thousand gods yet we that are members of Gods Church must hold and beleeue one God alone no more Deut. 4.39 Vnderstand this day and consider in thine heart that Iehovah he is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none other Eph. 4.8 One God one faith one baptisme If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods because Magistrates are called gods Moses is called Aarons god the deuill and all idols are called gods The answer is this They are not properly or by nature gods for in that respect there is onely one God but they are so tearmed in other respects Magistrates are gods because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God to gouerne their subiects Moses is Aarons god because he was in the roome of god to reueale his will to Aaron the deuill is a god because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him which is peculiar to the euerliuing God idols are called gods because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods Therefore Paul faith an idole is nothing in the worlde that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it To proceede forwarde to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much 1. to knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde 2. to beleeue him to be my God 3. from mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuills haue but a more speciall knowledge whereby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may be gathered hence First of all if wee are bound to beleeue in God then wee are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeliefe to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the childe that had a dumme spirite Lord saith he J beleeue Lorde helpe myne vnbeleefe And David Why art thou cast dovvne my soule and why art thou so disquieted in me wayt on God And that which our Sauiour Christ said once to Peter should a man say euery day to himselfe O thou of little faith why hast thou doubted But
this is the reward of all those that walke on in their euill waies Hauing consulted in the next place they come to the garden vvhere Christ was to be apprehended And here wee are to consider who they were that came namely the Scribes and Pharises the high priests and their servants a band of soldiers and the servants of Pontius Pilate and the Elders of the Iewes all which came with one consent to the place where Christ was that they might attach him VVhere we may learne a good lesson that all sorts of wicked men disagreeing among themselues caÌ„ agree against Christ. The Scribes and Pharises were two contrary sectes and at discord one with another in matters of religion and Iudas was one of Christs disciples the Elders differed from them all the souldiers were Gentiles all these were at variance among themselues and could not one brooke another So also we read that Herode and Pontius Pilate vvere not friends but at the same time when Christ was apprehended Pilate sent him to Herode and they were made friends Now as these wicked men did all conspire against Christ so doe the wicked ones of this vvorld in all cuntries and kingdomes bande themselues against the Church of Christ at this day And howsoeuer such be at discorde among themselues yet they doe all ioyne hand in hande to persecute Christ in his members And the reason is plaine because Christ and his religion is as flat opposite to the corrupt disposition of all men as light is to darkenesse Againe vvhereas we see so many sortes of men so amiably consenting to take Christ we may note how all men naturally doe hate and abhorre him and his religion And looke as then it was with Christ so hath it bene with all his members and will be to the end of the world They are accounted as the offscouring of the world men not worthie to live on the face of the earth as Christ tolde his disciples saying Ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake Let us also marke how all these came furnished to apprehend Christ the text saith they came with clubs staves as vnto a thiefe All the whole nation of the Iewes knevve right well that Christ was no man of violence but meeke and humble and yet they came armed to apprehend him as though he had ben some mightie potentate that would not haue beene apprehended but haue resisted them Where wee doe see the propertie of an euill conscience which is to feare where there is no cause at all This causeth some to be afraid of their owne shadovves if they see but a vvorme peepe out of the ground they are at their wits end and as Salomon saith The wicked flee when none pursueth them After that they are now come to Christ we are to consider two things in their meeting I. Christs communication with them II. The treason of Iudas Concerning their conference it is said Iesus knowing all things that should come vnto him went forth and said unto them Whome seeke yee they answered him Iesus of Nazareth Iesus answered I am he Now so soone as he had said I am he the stoutest of them fell to the ground as being astonished at the maiestie of his word Where note that the word of God is a vvord of power The same povver vvas in his vvord vvhen he raised up Lazarus for when he had â—yen in the graue had entred into some degrees of corruption he did no more but said Lazarus come forth he that vvas dead came forth And hence we may also marke vvhat a wonderfull might and povver is in the vvord preached for it is the very worde of Christ and therfore being preached by his ministers lawfully called by him therunto hath the same power force in it which Christ himselfe shewed vvhen he spake on earth It is the savour of life unto life to saue those that heare it or the savour of death unto death It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire which in some mens nosthrilles is savourie and pleasant and doeth reviue them and others it striketh starke dead And therefore everie one that either now or heretofore hath heard this vvord preached shall find it to be vnto them either a word of povver to saue their soules or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation Againe if a vvorde spoken by him being in a base and lovve estate be able to overthow his enemies then at the last day when he shall come in his glorie and power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead vvhat povver shall his vvordes haue Goe you cursed of my father into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devill his angels The consideration of this that the word of Christ shall euen be as povverfull at that day must be a motiue to euerie one of vs to cause us to come vnto Christ and vvhile vvee haue time in these dayes of grace and mercie to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for all our sinnes least at the last day wee heare that dreadfull voice of Christ sounding against vs Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire c. And thus much for the communication Now followeth Iudas his treason wherein vvee are to obserue these things I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason He vvas by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle vvhich is the chiefest in Ecclesiasticall callings among the Disciples he was in some account because hee vvas as it were a stewarde in Christes family and bare the bagge but yet hee was a traitour and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him and when they were come did point him out unto them and delivered him into their hands nay he gaue them a signe and token saying VVhome I kisse he it is take him and lead him avvay warily Here we see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Divell for he said Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a divell Hee became to be a devill and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a covetous heart And here we are taught that the ministers of Christ if they make no conscience of sinne by the iust iudgement of God do prooue deuils incarnate this exaÌ„ple of Iudas doth manifest the same and the reason is plaine for the more knowledge a man hath the more wicked he is if he vvant grace They are like in this case unto a man that hath meate drinke enough but no stomacke to digest it and so the more he eateth the more it turneth to his hurt This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers but that those vvhich preach Gods vvorde should not doe it with impenitent hearts living in their owne sinnes For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake unto the people
alone when these things are taken away then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner The second point is that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle He can be content to see the works of Christ but he can not abide to heare his word to beare his yoke Like to him are many in these daies which gladly desire to heare the Gospell of Christ preached onely because they would heare speach of some strange things laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare Yea many in England delite to read the strange histories of the bible and therefore can rehearse the most part of it and it were to be wished that all could doe it yet come to the practise of it the same persons are commonly found as bad in life and conuersation yea rather worse then others Let vs therefore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience practise with our learning and as well to be affected with the word of Christ as with his works The third point is that Herod derides Christ and sends him away cloathed in a white garment This is that Herod whome Christ called a foxe who also when hee heard Iohn Baptist preach did many things heard him gladly How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes thus to abuse Christ Answer We must knowe that although Herod at the first heard Iohn preach yet withall hee followed his owne affections and sought how to fulfill the lustes of his flesh For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife he cast him in prison and after cut off his head for it after which offence he is grown to this height of impietie that he now despiseth Christ cānot abide to heare him Where we learne that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached so withall we must take heede that we practise no maner of sinne but make conscience of euery thing that may displease God Thou maist I graunt be one that feares and fauours Iohn Baptist for a time wallowing in thy old sinnes but after a while yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart thou wilt neuer heare Iohn nor Christ himselfe but hate and despise them both This is the cause why some which haue beene professours of religion heretofore and haue had great measure of knowledge are now become very loose persons and can not abide to heare the worde preached vnto them the reason is because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes Therefore that wee may begin in the spirit and not end in the flesh let euery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate For when he saw the first would not preuaile then hee tooke a newe course for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and scourged him and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pur it on his head and they put on him a purple garment and saide Haile King of the Iewes and smote him with their roddes And thus he brought him foorth before the Iewes perswading himselfe that when they sawe him so abased and so ignominiously abused they vvould be content therevvith and exact no greater punishment at his handes thinking thus to haue pacified the rage of the Ievves and so to haue deliuered Christ from death by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment This pollicie is as it vvere a looking glasse in vvhich vve may behold of vvhat nature cōdition all plotts pollicies of mē are which are deuised practised vvithout the directiō of Gods vvord In it we may obserue 2. things the first is the ground thereof vvhich is a most silly simple or rather sensles argument For he reasoneth thus I finde no fault in this man therefore I will chastise him and let him goe A man vvould hardly haue thought that one hauing but his common sense vvould not haue made such a reason much lesse a great iudge sitting in the roome of God But in him vve may behold see the ground of all humane pollicie vvhich is beside the vvord of God namely the foolish and blind reason of men The 2. thing to be considered is the proceeding and issue of this pollicie Pilat must either vvhip Christ beeing innocent or put him to death vvhich are both sinnes and great offences Novve hee maketh choice of the lesser vvhich is to whippe him and is perswaded that he ought to doe so whereas of two sinnes or euils a man ought to doe neither And in doing this Pilate begins to make a breach in his conscience and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuises which proceede by the light of their owne reason without the word of God By this example we are admonished of two things first that before we enterprize any businesse wee must rectifie our iudgements by Gods worde Dauid was a most wise King and no doubt had withall a graue and wise councell but yet he preferred the word of God before all saying Thy testimonies are my counsellers Secondly in our proceedings we must keepe an vpright pure and vnblameable conscience as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that a good conscience is as it were a chest or cupboard in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion and all other graces of God as the most pretious iewels that can be and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp all our riches and iewels are gone But let vs yet view the dealing of Pilate more particularly he whippes Christ puts on him a purple garment puts a reede in his hand sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head and causes the souldiers to mocke him and spit in his face Now in this that Christ standing in our roome was thus shamefully abused we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes namely shame and reproch in this life and in the life to come endles confusion And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate that his kingdome was not of this world for if it had beene so they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head and not a crowne of thornes nothing at all beseeming an earthly king and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him they would haue adored him falne downe before him Againe whereas Christ our heade in this world ware no other crowne but one made of thornes it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ that they must not look for a crown of glory in this life because that is reserued for the life to come And if we would then weare the crown of glorie with Christ we must here in this life weare a crown of thorns as he did for as
marke that both the thieues in euery respect were equal both wicked and leud liuers and for their notorious faults both attached condemned executed both on the crosse at the same time with Christ yet for all this the one repenting was saued the other was not And in their two exāples we see the state of the whol world wherof one part is chosen to life eternall and thereupon attaines to faith and repentance in this life the rest are reiected in the eternall counsell of God for iust causes knowne to himselfe and such being left to thēselues neuer repent at all Secondly we are taught hereby that the whole worke of our conuersion and saluation must be ascribed wholly to the meere mercie of God of these two thieues the one was as deepely plunged in wickednes as the other and yet the one is saued the other condemned The like was in Iacob and Esau both borne at one time and of the same parents neither of them had done good nor euill when they were borne yet one was then loued the other was hated yea if we regard outward prerogatiues Esau was the first borne and yet was refused Furthermore the thiefe on the crosse declareth his conversion by manifest signes and fruites of repentance as appeares by the words which he spake to his fellowe Fearest not thou God seeing thou art in the same condemnation Though hands and feete were fast nailed to the crosse yet heart and tongue is at libertie to giue some tokens of his true repentance The people of this our land heare the word but for the most part are without either profit in knowledge or amendment of life yet for all this they perswade themselues that they haue good hearts good meanings though they cannot beare it a way and vtter it so wel as others But alas poore soules they are deluded by satan for a man that is conuerted can not but expresse his conuersion and bring foorth the fruits thereof And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith If a man beleeue in me out of his bellie shal flow riuers of water of life The grace as Elihu saith of God is like newe wine in a vessell which must haue a vent and therefore he that sheweth no tokens of Gods grace in this life is not as yet conuerted let him thinke say of himselfe what he will Can a man haue life and neuer mooue nor take breath and can he that bringeth forth no fruit of his conuersion liue vnto God Well let vs nowe see what were the fruites of the thiefes repentance They may be reduced to foure heads First he rebukes his fellow for mocking Christ indeauouring thereby to bring him to the same condition with himselfe if it were possible whereby he discouers vnto vs the propertie of a true repentant sinner which is to labour and striue so much as in him lieth to bring all men to the same state that he is in Thus Dauid hauing tried the great loue and fauour of God toward himselfe breaketh foorth and saith Come children hearken vnto me and I will teach you the feare of the Lorde shewing his desire that the same benefits which it pleased God to bestow on him might also in like manner be conveighed to others Therefore it is a great shame to see men professing religion carried away with euery companie and with the vanities and fashions of the world whereas they should rather draw euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued That which the Lord spake to the Prophet Ieremie must be applied to all men Let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune and not the rest to it Againe in that he checkes his fellowe it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offende God But to goe further in this point let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation In which words he rippes vp his lewdnesse euen to the quicke and giues him a worthie item telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse had beene the want of the feare of God And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence For if we enter into our hearts and make a thorough search wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences We miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe Abraham comming before Abimelech shifting for himselfe said that Sara was his sister and beeing demaunded why he did so answeared because he thought the feare of God was not in that place insinuating that he which wants the feare of God will not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer VVould wee then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God and become newe creatures then let vs learne to feare God vvhich is nothing else but this vvhen a man is persvvaded in his ovvne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be he is in the presence and sight of God and by reason thereof is afraide to sinne This wee must haue fully settled in our hearts if wee desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisedome But what reason vseth the thiefe to drawe his fellowe to the feare of God Thou art saith he in the same condemnation that is by thy sinnes and manifolde transgressions thou hast deserued death and it is nowe most iustly inflicted vpon thee wilt thou not yet feare God Where we are taught that temporall punishments and crosses ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God for that is one ende why they are sent of God It is good for me saith Dauid that I haue beene chastised that I may learne thy statutes And Paul saith when we are chastised we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the Prophet Micah to say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him The second fruit of his conuersion is that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes saying Indeede we are righteously here for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done that is we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie and against our brethren and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes the manner of men is to condemne others and to cry out that the world was neuer so badde but bring them home to
Iesus Christ the iust And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished The partie offended is God the father the partie offending is man and thirdly the intercessour distinct from them both is Christ the second person in trinitie For howsoeuer in Godhead he and the father be one yet in person they are really distinguished he is as it were in the middle betweene the father us for the father is God not mā we that beleeue in Christ are men not God Christ himselfe both man God It may be further replied that this answer will not stand because not only the father is offended but also the sonne the H. ghost therefore there must be a mediatour to them also Ans. The intercessiō of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediatly now the father the sonne and the H. ghost haue all one in diuisible essence by consequent one and the same will wherupō the father being appeased by Christs intercessiō the sonne the holy ghost are also appeased in him Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie but yet immediatly directly to the first person and in him to the rest The second point to be considered is the manner of his intercession vnto his father Wee must not imagine that Christ now in heauen kneeles downe on his knees vtters words and puts up a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father for that is not beseeming the maiesty of him that sits at the right hand of God But the maner of his intercessiō is thus to be conceiued When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalf of another first of all he must come into the presence of the king and secondly make his request and both these Christ perfourmeth for us unto god For the first after his ascension he entred into heauē where he did present vnto his father first of all his owne person in two natures and secondly the invaluable merits of his death and passion in which he is well pleased And we must further understand that as on the crosse hee stoode in our roome so in heauen he now appeares as a publicke person in our stead representing all the elect that shall beleeue in him as the holy ghost saith Christ Iesus ascended up into heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us And for the second Christ makes request for us in that he willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that the father woulde accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of all that are giuen unto him And that he makes request on this maner I prooue it thus Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here upon earth the same for substance it cōtinues still in heauen but here on earth the substance of his requests was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with us for his merites as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the worlde Therefore hee still continues to make request for us by willing and desiring that his father woulde accept his merites in our behalfe If it be alledged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie the answere is that these actions were no essentiall partes of his praier The prostrating of his bodie serued onely as a token of his submission to God as hee was a creature and the speech which he used serued onely to utter and expresse his request Furthermore a difference here must be marked betweene Christs passion and his intercession The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for us and it is as it were the tempering of the plaister the intercession goes further for it applies the satisfaction made layes the salue to the verie sore And therefore Christ makes request not onely for the elect generally but for particular men as Paul Iames Iohn and that particularly as he testifieth of himselfe saying I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not If any shall say that Christs vvilling and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession the answere is that in vertue and efficacie it countervailes all the praiers in the world For whatsoeuer Christ willeth the same also the father being well pleased with him willeth and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as Mediatour willeth for us at the handes of his father in effect or substance is a request or praier The third point is that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for us And this I prooue by induction of particulars First of all this office appertaines not to the angels They are indeed ministring spirits for the good of gods chosen they reioice when a sinner is conuerted when he dieth they are ready to cary his soule into Abrahams bosome God otherwhiles useth them as messengers to reveale his will thus the angell Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest that God had heard his prayer but it is not once said in all the scriptures that they make intercession to God for us As for the saints departed they can not make intercession for us because they know not our particular estates here on earth neither cā they heare our requests And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vs wee should substitute them into the roome of God because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him namely the searching of the heart the knowledge of all things done upon earth though withall we should say that they do this not by themselues but of God As for the faithfull heare on earth indeede they haue warrant yea commaundement to pray one for another yet cā they not make intercessiō for us For first he that makes intercessiō must bring somthing of his own that may be of value price with God to procure the grant of his request secōdly he must do it in his own name but the faithfull on earth make request to god one for another not in their owne names nor for their own merits but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his owne name and for his owne merits we therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth And whereas the papists can not content themselves with his intercession alone as being most sufficient it argues plainly that they doubt either of his power or of his will whereupon their praiers turne to sinne The fruites and benefites of Christes intercession are these First by meanes of it we are assured that
alwaies For looke as the day and night doe one follow another so likewise in the administration of the Church here vpon earth Christ suffereth a continuall intercourse betweene peace and persecution Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto and we may resolue our selues that so it will continue till the end and therefore it shall be good for vs in these daies of our peace to prepare our selues for troubles and afflictions and when troubles come we must still remember the fourth worke of Christ in the gouernment of his Church namely that in all daungers he will defend vs against the â—age of our enemies as well by giuing vs power streÌ„gth to beare with patience and ioy whatsoeuer shall be laide vpon vs as also bridle the rage of the world the flesh and the deuill so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against vs. Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church and people Nowe followeth the second point namely his dealing toward his enemies and here by enemies I vnderaÌ„std al creatures but especially meÌ„ that as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdome so they perseuere in the same enimitie vnto the end Now his dealing towards them is in his good time to work their confusion as he himselfe saith Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring them hither and slay them before me And Dauid saith The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rodde of iron and breake them in pieces like a potters veâ—sell And againe I will make thine enemies thy footestoole As Iosuah dealt with the fiue kings that were hidde in the cave he first makes a slaughter of their armies then he brings them foorth and makes the people to set their feete on their neckes and to hang them on fiue trees So Christ deales with his enemies he treads them vnder his feete and makes a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their soules And this the Church of God findes to be true by experience as wel as it findes the loue of Christ towards it selfe Now he confounds his enemies two waies The first is by hardnes of heart which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man and leaueth him to himself so as he goeth on forward from sinne to sinne and neuer repenteth to the last gaspe And we must esteeme of it as a most fearefull and terrible iudgement of God for when the heart is possessed there with it becomes so flintie and rebellious that a man will neuer relent and turne to God This is manifest in Pharao for though god sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt yet would he not submit himself saue only for a fit while the haÌ„d of God was vpon him but after he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull because when a man is in the middest of all his miserie he feeles no miserie And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly and finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing and reioycing And to come neere to our selues it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies For where is any turning to God by repentance Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse We haue had the word preached among vs a long time but it taketh no place in mens hearts They are not softned with the haÌ„mer of Gods word nay they are like the smithes stithie or anvil which the more it is beate with the hammer the harder it is But in the feare of God let vs seeke to be changed and take heede the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues a man may haue good gifts of God as the gift of knowledge the gift of prophecie the gift of conceiuing a praier I say not of praying truly and hereupon think himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent flintie heart For this cause it standes euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoide the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauie burden of our sinnes and be touched in conscience for them euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof this is a token of grace II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ we say indeede that we feele it but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe and as it were gape after Christ as the drie thirstie lande where no water is Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much and many other gifts of God yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes and the want of Christ and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his blood for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preueÌ„t this hardnes of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill confound all those that be his enemies will not submit theÌ„selues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kinde of desperation is not euill For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation it tends to his eternall comfort But finall desperation is when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe and in Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues This sinne is caused thus So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance so many most bloodie woundes he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge weight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire withou recouerie God said to Caine If thou doe amisse sinne lieth at thy dore Where he vseth a borrowed speach from wilde beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face rend out his throat In like manner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the dore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the daunger by speedie repentance God will make thee to feele them once before thou die and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede howe he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to
and therefore it standeth them in hande not to content themselues with this that they know and teach others Gods wil but they themselues must be the first doers of the same The fourth common gift of the holy Ghost is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections so as they shall not breake out into outragious behauiour Haman a wicked man an enemie to Gods Church when he saw Mordecai the Iew sitting in the kings gate that he would not stand vp nor moue for him he was full of indignatioÌ„ neuertheles the text saith that he refrained himselfe And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife God said vnto him I know that thou diddest this with an vpright heart and the text addeth further I haue kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne against me And thus the Lord giueth to men as yet without the spirit of sanctification this gift to bridle them selues so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie surely because God kept him from it Againe in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust liberall meeke continent c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature for the common good Here then if any man aske how it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuill then others seeing all men by nature are equally wicked the answeare may be not as the common saying is because some are of better nature then others for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature the childe new borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued but the reason is because God giueth this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others This must be considered of vs all For a man may haue the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes and yet neuer haue the spirit to mortifie the same and to make him a new creature And this beeing so we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuilitie to keepe in some of his affections vpon some occasion for that a wicked man may doe but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit of God not onely bridling sinne in vs but alâ—o mortifying and killing the same In deede both of them are the good gifts of Gods spirit but yet the mortification of sinne is the chiefest beeing an effectuall signe of grace and proper to the elect The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy In the parable of the sower one kinde of badde grounde are they which when they haue heard receiue the word with ioy And this is that which the author of the Hebrues calls the tasting of the good vvord of God and of the povvers of the vvorld to come We knowe that there is great difference betweene tasting of meate and eating of it They that sit downe at the table doe both tast and eate but they that dresse the meate doe onely see and tast thereof so it is at the Lords table Many there be that haue this gift truly both to tast and eate of the bodie and bloode of Christ offered in the word and sacraments and some againe doe onely tast and feele the sweetenesse of them and reioyce therein but yet are not indeede partakers thereof Now if this be so then all those which heare the worde of God must take heede how they heare and labour to finde these two things in themselues by hearing I. that in heart and conscience they be thoroughly touched and humbled for their sinnes II. that they be certeÌ„ly assured of the fauour and loue of God in Christ and that the sweete promises of the Gospell doe belong to them and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sinne both in thought word deede through the whole course of their liues And this kinde of hearing bringeth that ioy which vanisheth not away Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and bad now follow such as are proper to the Elect all which may be reduced vnto one namely the Inhabitation of the spirit whereby the elect are the temples of the H. Ghost who is said to dwell in men not in respect of substance for the whole nature of the H. Ghost cannot be comprised in the bodie or soule of man but in respect of a particular operation and this dwelling stands in two things The first that the holy Ghost doth abide in them not for a time onely but for euer for the worde dwelling noteth perpetuitie Secondly that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart as when a man commeth to dwell in an house whereof he is lord he hath libertie to gouerne it after his owne will now this disposition of the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost standeth in fiue speciall notable gifts euery one worth our obseruation The first is a certen knowledge of a mans owne reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Isai By his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many And Christ saith This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely very God and vvhome thou hast sent Jesus Christ. This knowledge is not generall for then the deuils might be saued but it is particular whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father and Christ the redeemer to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his sanctifier and comforter And it is froÌ„ the speciall worke of the H. Ghost as Paul saith The spirit of God beareth witnes to our spirits that we are the children of God And we haue receiued the spirit which is of God that we might knowe the things that are giuen vnto vs of God The second gift is regeneration whereby a man of a limme of the deuill is made a member of Christ and of a child of satan whome euery one of vs by nature do as liuely resemble as any man doth his owne parent is made the child of God Except a man saith our Sauiour Christ be born againe by water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Iohn Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the H. Ghost and fire compares the spirit of God to fire and water To fire for two causes I. as it is the nature of fire to warme the bodie that is benummed and frozen with cold so when a man is benummed and frozen in sinne yea when he is euen stark dead in sinne it is the propertie of the holy Ghost to warme and quicken his heart and to reuiue him II. Fire doth purge and eate out the drosse from the good mettall now there is no drosse nor canker that hath
expresse And hereupon the vngodly man when afflictions befal him is readie to make away himselfe because he wanteth the comfort of the holy Ghost The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is the strengthening of them to doe the weightiest duties of their callings and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength There be diuerse things to be done of a Christian man that are farre beyond the reach of his power as first when he seeth his owne sinnes and is truly humbled for them then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen and thereby to catch hold on the mercie of God in Christ is the hardest thing in the whole world and this doe all those know to be true in some part which know what it is to beleeue Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation as for drie wood to resist the fire when it begins to burne Thirdly when a man is put to his choice either to loose his life goods friends and all that he hath or else to forsake religion euen then to forsake all and to sticke vnto Christ is a matter of as great difficultie as any of the former Fourthly when a man wanteth the ordinarie meanes of Gods providence as meat drinke and cloathing then at the very same instant to acknowledge Gods prouidence to reioyce in it and to relie thereon is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth It is against our wicked nature to trust God vnlesse he first lay down some pawne of his loue and mercie towards vs. How then will some say shall any one be able to doe these things Answer The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength and by him we doe al things as Paul saith J am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost two questions may be mooued First what is the measure of grace in this life Answer Small in respect In this world we receiue as Paul saith but the first fruits of Gods spirit and the earnest of the spirit Nowe the first fruits properly are but as an handfull or twaine of corne to a whole corne field containing many acres and furlongs of ground And the earnest in a bargaine it may be is but a pennie laid downe for the paying of twentie thousand pound The second question is whether the graces of the H. Ghost may be wholly lost or not Answer The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinquished But the gifts proper to the Elect can not Indeede they may be diminished and couered as coales vnder ashes and as the sappe in the roote of the tree in the winter season not appearing at all in the braunches and the feeling of them may be lost but they cannot either finally or totally be abolished It is true that God doth forsake his children but that is only in part as he left Ezechias to prooue try what was in his heart A mother that loues her child most tenderly sets it downe in the flore lets it stand fall break the face and all this while shee hides her selfe not because her purpose is to leaue her childe quite or to make it hurt it selfe but that when shee taketh it up againe it may loue her the better So dealeth the Holy Ghost with men to make them see their own weakenesse frailtie he hides himselfe as it were in some corner of the heart for a season that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace the want whereof they felte The use of this article whereby we confesse that we beleeue in the Holy Ghost is manifold First considering that all the giftes which any man hath whether they be giftes of knowledge in the worde of God or of humane learning or againe giftes whereby men are inabled to practise their trades or handicraftes doe come not from our selues but from the holy ghost we are taught this dutie Looke what giftes soeuer we for our partes haue receiued of the spirit of God we must use them so as they may euer serue for the glorie of God and good of our brethren and not to the practising setting forth of any maner of sinne and by consequent to the seruice of the deuill For that is as if a man receiuing riches and reuenues of his prince should straight way go to the princes enemie employ them for his benefite which were a point of exceeding trecherie Furthermore in euery place the greater part of men are blind and ignorant persons both young and olde and aged folkes as they are ignorant themselues so they nuzzle up their youth in ignorance Conferre with them you shall find that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talke as that there is a God and that this God must bee worshipped but aske them further of the meanes of their saluation and of their duties to God and man and they will answere you that they are not booke-learned tell them further that the ordinarie means to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word which if they will not use they shalbe inexcusable they will say alas we are dull of memorie and can not learne Well for all this thou saiest thou beleeuest in the holy ghost and hee is thy schoole-master to teach thee though thy capacitie be dull yet he is able to open thine understāding for as there is outwarde teaching by the minister so the worke of the holy ghost is ioyned withall to enlighten the conceit of the minde that they which heare the worde with reuerence may profite thereby and get knowledge But if for all this men will not learne but remaine ignorant still then let them marke the example of the sonnes of Eli he in some part did rebuke them for their wickednesse but yet they woulde not obey and the reason is there set downe because the Lorde would destroy them In the same manner howsoeuer we may not iudge of any mans person yet this may be said that if men refuse to heare the worde of God when they may or if in hearing they will not obey it is a fearefull signe that God will at length destroy them When a trumpet is sounded in a mans eare and hee lyes still not stirring at all hee is certenly deade And surely when the trumpet of the gospell is sounded in the eares of our hearts if we awake not out of our sinnes to newnesse of life wee are no better then deade men before God Wherefore the case beeing thus dangerous and the punishment so great let us labour in time for the knowledge of Gods will and preuent Gods iudgements before they light upon us Thirdly as the Apostle saith If we live in the spirite vvee must walke in the spirit that is if we be dead unto sinne by the power of the holy ghost and be raised up to