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
commended for a beleeuer and in the like case the Samaritanes And thus much of weake faith which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the body first we are babes grow to greater strength as we growe in yeres so it is with a Christian man First he is a babe in Christ hauing weake faith but after growes from grace to grace till he come to haue a strong faith example whereof we haue in Abraham who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension This strong faith is when a man is endued with the knowledge of the Gospel grace to apprehend and applie the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his own sinnes so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truly that he is fully resolued in his own conscience that he is recōciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes accepted in him to life euerlasting This degree of faith is proper to him that begins to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first he deceiueth him selfe For as it is no nature first wee are babes and then as we encrease in yeares so wee growe in strength so it is in the life of a Christian first ordinarily hee hath a weake faith and after growes from grace to grace till he come to stronger faith and at the last he be able to say he is fully assured in his heart conscience of the pardon of his sinnes of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in his life and preseruation which brings a man to this that he is fully perswaded that God is his God and God the father his father and Iesus Christ his redeemer and the holy Ghost his sanctifier Now howsoeuer this faith be strong yet is it alwaies imperfect as also our knowledge is and shall so long as we liue in this world be mingled with contrarie vnbeliefe and sundrie doubtings more or lesse A great part of men amōgst vs blinded with grosse ignorance say they haue faith yet indeed haue not For aske them what faith they haue they will answer they beleeue that God is their father the Son their redeemer c. aske them how long they haue had this faith they will answer euer since they could remember aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour they will say they would not once doubt for all the worlde But the case of these men is to be pitied for howsoeuer they may perswade themselues yet true it is that they haue no sound faith at all for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings and God will not haue men perfect in this life that they may alwaies goe out of themselues and depend wholly on the merit of Christ. And thus much of these two degrees of faith Nowe in whom so euer it is whether it be a weake faith or a strōg it bringeth forth some fruit as a tree doth in the time of sommer And a speciall fruit of faith is this confession of faith I beleeue in God c. so Paul saith With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Confession of faith is when a man in speach and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God both in bodie and soule II. That by the confession of his faith he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians from Atheists hypocrites and all false seducers whatsoeuer And as this is the dutie of a Christian man to make profession of his faith so here in this Creede of the Apostles we haue the right order and forme of making it set downe as we shal see in hādling the parts therof The Creede therefore sets downe two things concerning faith namely the action of faith and his obiect which also are the parts of the Creede The action in these words I beleeue the obiect in all the words following in God the Father almightie maker c. And first let vs begin with the action I beleeue in God We are taught to say I beleeue not we beleeue for two causes First because as we touched before in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to be an answer made vnto a question which was demanded of euery particular man that was baptized for they asked him thus What dost thou beleeue then he answered I beleeue in God the Father c. and thus did euery one of yeares make profession of his faith and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto saying the stipulation or answer of a good conscience maketh request to God The secōd cause is howsoeuer we are to pray one for another by saying O our father c. yet when wee come to yeres we must haue a particular faith of our own no mā can be saued by anothers mans faith but by his own so it is said The iust shall liue by his faith But some will say this is not true For children must be saued by their parents faith the answer is this the faith of the parents doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ but yet it doth not applie the benefits of Christs death his obedience his merits and righteousnes vnto the infant for this the beleeuer doth only vnto himselfe to no other Againe some may say if they doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith how then is Christs righteousnes made theirs Answ. By the inward working of the holy Ghost who is the principall applier of all graces whereas faith is but the instrumēt And this is true men of yeares are iustified by their own faith the infāt by some other special working of Gods holy spirit Furthermore to beleeue signifieth two things to conceiue or vnderstand any thing and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true and therefore in this place to beleeue signifieth to know and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe are the truth of God Here therefore we must remember that this clause I beleeue placed in the beginning of the Creede must be particularly applied to euery article following For so the case stands that if faith faile in one maine point it faileth a man in all and therefore faith is said to be wholly copulatiue It is not sufficient to hold one article but he that will hold any of them for his good must hold them all and he which holdes them all in shewe of words if he ouerturne but one of them in deede he ouerturnes them all Againe to beleeue
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
embrace this benefite which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to leade captiue sinne and satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power that they haue is in Christs hand and therefore though they doe exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therfore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will cry out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Now what shall he doe in this case Surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the workes of the deuill as Saint Iohn saith and treade satan vnder his feete And thus all those that feele in themselues the law of the members rebelling against the law of the minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and free them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is said in the place before mentioned He ascended vp on high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge should be mindefull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proude of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but wee had them from Christ and we are stewards of them a while for the good of others The more the Lord giueth to a man the more he requireth at his handes and therefore those vvhich haue good gifts and doe abuse the same their sinne is the more grieuous and their daunger the greater Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled heartes shall want Gods blessing vpon theirs For he giueth grace to the humble The high hills after much tillage are often barren whereas the lowe valleis by the streames of vvaters passing through them are very fruitefull and the gifts of God ioyned vvith a swelling heart are fruitelesse but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie they edifie Secondly if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene in that they pleade ignorance and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it seeing they are not learned they haue dull wittes and it is not possible to teach them nowe they are past learning hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne But marke I pray you who it is that is ascended vp to heauen namely Christ Iesus our Lord who made thee of nothing Now was he able to giue thee a beeing when thou was not and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed and the rather seeing he is ascended for that ende but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge thy case is desperate and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne heade Therefore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods worde Ignorance shall excuse none it will not stand for payment at the day of iudgement Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant to giue knowledge and wisedome vnto the simple and to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers that they may teach his people Therfore I say againe let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently and God will giue the blessing Thirdly whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers it seemes to be otherwise For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church what is Christs hand now shortned vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied The fountaines of learning the Vniversities though they are not dammed vp yet they streame not abroad as they might Many there be in them indewed with worthie gifts for the building of the Church but the couetousnes of men hinders the cōfortable entrance which otherwise might be Lastly seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church as the gift of teaching the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues of wisedome and knowledge the duetie of euery man is especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning to labour by all meanes to increase cherish and preserue their gifts and as Paul exhorteth Timothie to stirre vp the gift of God As men preserue the fire by blowing it so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie The third benefite that comes by Christs ascension is that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him In my fathers house saith Christ are many dwelling places if it were not so I would haue told you J goe to prepare a place for you For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise then how much more did hee exclude himselfe from heauen And therefore all mankinde sinning in him was likewise depriued of heauen The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie cried out that they had sinned and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud that their praiers could not
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