the glory of Christ. We read in the holy story that God took of the spirit which was upon Moses and gave it unto the seventy Elders that they might bear the burden of the people with him and that hee might not bear it as before hee had done himself alone It may bee his burden being thus lightned the abilities that were left him for government were not altogether so great as the necessity of his former imployment required them to have been and in that regard vvhat vvas given to his assistants might perhaps bee said to bee taken from him But wee are sure the case was otherwise in him of whom now wee speak unto whom God did not thus give the Spirit by measure And therefore although so many millions of beleevers doe continually receive this supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ yet neither is that fountain any way exhausted nor the plenitude of that well-spring of grace any whit impaired or diminished it being Gods pleasure That in him should all fulnesse dwell and that of his fulnesse all wee should receive grace for grace That as in the naturall generation there is such a correspondence in all parts betwixt the begetter and the Infant begotten that there is no member to bee seen in the Father but there is the like answerably to bee found in the Childe although in a farre lesse proportion so it falleth out in this spirituall that for every grace which in a most eminent manner is found in Christ a like grace will appeare in Gods Childe although in a far inferiour degree similitudes and likenesses being defined by the Logicians to bee comparisons made in quality and not in quantity Wee are yet further to take it into our consideration that by thus enlivening and fashioning us according to his own image Christs purpose was not to raise a seed unto himself dispersedly and distractedly but to gather together in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad yea and to bring all unto one head by himselfe both them which are in Heaven and them which are on the Earth That as in the Tabernacle the vail divided between the Holy place and the most Holy but the curtaines which covered them both were so coupled together with the taches that it might still bee one Tabernacle so the Church Militant and Triumphant typified thereby though distant as farre the one from the other as Heaven is from Earth yet is made but one Tabernacle in Jesus Christ In whom all the building fifty framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord and in whom all of us are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit The bond of this mysticall union betwixt Christ and us as elsewhere hath more fully been declared is on his part that quickning Spirit which being in him as the Head is from thence diffused to the spirituall animation of all his Members and on our part Faith which is the prime act of life wrought in those who are capable of understanding by that same Spirit Both whereof must bee acknowledged to bee of so high a nature that none could possibly by such ligatures knit up so admirable a body but hee that was God Almighty And therefore although wee did suppose such a man might bee found who should perform the Law for us suffer the death that was due to our offence and overcome it yea and whose obedience and sufferings should be of such value that it were sufficient for the redemption of the whole world yet could it not be efficient to make us live by faith unlesse that Man had been able to send Gods Spirit to apply the same unto us Which as no bare Man or any other Creature whasoever can doe so for Faith wee are taught by S. Paul that it is the operation of God and a work of his power even of that same power wherewith Christ himself was raised from the dead Which is the ground of that prayer of his that the eyes of our understanding being enlightned wee might know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all Principality and Power and Might and every Name that is named not onely in this World but also in that to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to bee head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Yet was it fit also that this Head should bee of the same nature with the Body which is knit unto it and therefore that hee should so bee God as that hee might partake of our Flesh likewise For wee are members of his body saith the same Apostle of his flesh and of his bones And except yee eate the flesh of the Son of man saith our Saviour himself and drink his blood yee have no life in you Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in mee and I in him Declaring thereby first that by this mysticall and supernaturall union wee are as truely conjoyned with him as the meate and drink wee take is with us when by the ordinary work of Nature it is converted into our own substance Secondly that this conjunction is immediately made with his humane nature Thirdly that the Lamb slaine that is Christ crucified hath by that death of his made his flesh broken and his blood powred out for us upon the Crosse to bee fit food for the spirituall nourishment of our soules and the very well-spring from whence by the power of his Godhead all life and grace is derived unto us Upon this ground it is that the Apostle telleth us that wee have boldnesse to enter into the Holyest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That as in the Tabernacle there was no passing from the Holy to the most Holy place but by the vaile so now there is no passage to bee looked for from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant but by the flesh of him who hath said of himself I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth unto the Father but by mee Jacob in his dream beheld a ladder set upon the Earth the top whereof reached to Heaven and the Angels of God ascending and descending on it the Lord himself standing above it Of which vision none can give a better interpretation then hee who was prefigured therein gave unto Nathaniel Hereafter you shall see Heaven opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Whence wee may well collect that the onely meanes whereby God standing
of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now as our Mediatour in respect of the Adoption of Sons which he hath procured for us is not ashamed to call us Brethren so in respect of this nevv birth whereby hee begetteth us to a spirituall and everlasting life he disdaineth not to own us as his Children When thou shalt make his seed an offering for sin he shall see his seed saith the Prophet Esaias A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation saith his Father David likewise of him And he himself of himselfe Behold I and the children which God hath given mee Whence the Apostle deduceth this conclusion Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise took part of the same He himself that is he who was God equall to the Father for who else was able to make this new creature but the same God that is the Creator of all things no lesse power being requisite to the effecting of this then was at the first to the producing of all things out of nothing and these new babes being to be born of the Spirit who could have power to send the Spirit thus to beget them but the Father and the Son from whom he proceeded the same blessed Spirit who framed the naturall body of our Lord in the womb of the Virgin being to new mould and fashion every member of his mysticall body unto his similitude and likenesse For the further opening of which mystery which went beyond the apprehension of Nicodemus though a master of Israel wee are to consider that in every perfect generation the creature produced receiveth two things from him that doth beget it Life and Likenesse A curious limmer draweth his own sons pourtraicture to the life as we say yet because there is no true life in it but a likenesse onely he can not be said to be the begetter of his picture as he is of his Son And some creatures there be that are bred out of mud or other putrid matter which although they have life yet because they have no correspondence in likenesse unto the principle from whence they were derived are therefore accounted to have but an improper and equivocall generation Whereas in the right and proper course of generation others being esteemed but monstrous births that swarve from that rule every creature begetteth his like nec imbellem feroces Progenerant aquilae columbam Now touching our spirituall death and life these sayings of the Apostle would be thought upon We thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses I am crucified with Christ. Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me From all which we may easily gather that if by the obedience and sufferings of a bare man though never so perfect the most soveraign medicine that could be thought upon should have been prepared for the curing of our wounds yet all would be to no purpose we being found dead when the medicine did come to be applyed Our Physitian therefore must not onely be able to restore us unto health but unto life it selfe which none can doe but the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever To which purpose these passages of our Saviour also are to be considered As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world The substance whereof is briefly comprehended in this saying of the Apostle The last Adam was made a quickening spirit An Adam therefore and perfect Man must he have been that his flesh given for us upon the Crosse might bee made the conduict to convey life unto the world and a quickening spirit he could not have been unlesse hee were God able to make that flesh an effectuall instrument of life by the operation of his blessed Spirit For as himself hath declared It is the Spirit that quickneth without it the flesh would profit nothing As for the point of similitude and likenesse we read of Adam after his fall that he begat a son in his own likenesse after his image and generally as well touching the carnall as the spirituall generation our Saviour hath taught us this lesson That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit Whereupon the Apostle maketh this comparison betwixt those who are born of that first man who is of the earth earthy and of the second man who is the Lord from heaven As is the earthy such are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly and as wee have borne the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly We shall indeed hereafter bear it in full perfection when the Lord Jesus Christ shall change our base body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Yet in the mean time also such a conformity is required in us unto that heavenly man that our conversation must be in heaven whence we look for this Saviour and that we must put off concerning the former conversation that old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renued in the spirit of our mind and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse For as in one particular point of domesticall authority the Man is said to be the image and glory of God and the Woman the glory of the Man so in a more universall manner is Christ said to bee the image of God even the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person and we to be conformed to his image that he might be the first-born among those many brethren who in that respect are accounted
every thought to the obedience of Christ. Where as wee must needs acknowledge that it is God which worketh in us both to will and to doe and that it is hee which sanctifyeth us wholly so are wee taught likewise to beleeve that both hee who sanctifyeth and they who are sanctifyed are all of one namely of one and the self-same nature that the sanctifyer might not bee ashamed to call those who are sanctifyed by him his brethren that as their nature was corrupted and their blood tainted in the first Adam so it might bee restored again in the second Adam and that as from the one a corrupt so from the other a pure and undefiled nature might bee transmitted unto the heires of salvation The same God that giveth grace is hee also that giveth glory yet so that the streams of both of them must run to us through the golden pipe of our Saviours humanity For since by man came death it was fit that by man also should come the resurrection of the dead Even by that man who hath said Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Who then shall come to bee glorifyed in his Saints and to bee made marvellous in all them that beleeve and shall change this base body of ours that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe Unto him therefore that hath thus loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him bee glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen PHILIP 3. 8. I COUNT ALL THINGS BUT LOSSE FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD FINIS 1 Pet. 1. 19. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psalm 147. 5. Exod. 34. 6 7. 1 Joh. 5. 7. 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Psal. 145. 10 11 12. Act. 17. 24. Gen. 1. 26 27. Psal. 103. 19. 66. 7. Jude ver 6. Rev. 12. 7. Gal. 3. 10. Gen. 2. 17. Eccl. 7. 31. Rom. 5. 12. 14. Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. 45. Mat. 1. 21 22 23. Gal. 4. 4 5. Phil. 2. 7 8 9. Heb. 5. 4 5. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 10. 12. Luk. 4. 18 19. Isay 9. 6 7. Heb. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 12. 23. Cant. 2. 16. Joh. 17. 21 22 23 24. Rom. 3. 24 25 26. and 4. 6 7. Rom. 8. 15 16 17. 23 24 25. Eph. 1. 4. Col. 3. 9 10. 12. 14. Mat. 22. 37 38 39 40. Exod. 20. 2 3. Exod. 20. 5 6. Exod. 20. 7. Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. Exod. 20. 12. Exod. 20. 13. Exod. 20. 14. Exod. 20. 15. Exod. 20. 16. Exod. 20. Acts 26. 20. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. Jer. 31. 18 19. Eph. 6. 10 11 12. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Gal. 6. 14. Rom. 8. 35 36 37. Gal. 5. 14. Col. 3. 5 6. Lev. 1. 74 75. Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. Matth. 6. 6 7. Matth. 6. 9 10. Ver. 11. 12 13. Matth. 6. 13. Matth. 5. 16 17 18. Eph. 4. 28 29. Heb. 13. 16. Rom. 10. 14 15. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. Rom. 4. 11. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. Heb. 9. 1. 9 10. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. Joh. 1. 17. Heb. 12. 27 28. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Pet. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. 1 Tim. 4. 12 13. 2 Thes. 2. 3 4. Heb. 9. 27. 1 Thes. 4. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. Matth. 25. 34 35. All men desire eternall happinesse Religion the means to obtain happinesse No salvation but by the true Religion Diverse kindes of false Religion What Christian Religion is Of Catechising what it is Where to bee used and by whom The necessity of it a Eccles. 1. 2. True happines consisteth in God How we come to injoy God b Job 22. 21. c Joh. 17. 3. Gal. 4. 9. d Eccle. 12. 13. e 2 Cor. 5. 9. f 1 Sam. 2. 30. Means to know God By his Divine Works and holy Word Job 22. 20. Joh. 6. 68. Of the Divine Works of God Plato Galen Homer Virgil. Ovid. The uses of knowing God by his Works Of Gods holy Word the Scriptures How the Scriptures were delivered Revelations Oracles Visions What Scripture is That the Scriptures are the Word of God Reasons to prove God to be the Author of the holy Scriptures 1 Efficient Instrumentall 2 The simplicity and sincerity of the writers 3 The quality and condition of the Penmen of holy Scriptures 4 The heavenly matter of holy Scripture 5 The Doctrine of the Scriptures above humane capacity 6 The concord of the several writers one with another 7 The prophesies fulfilled in their due time 8 The Majesty and authority of the Scriptures 9 The motives used in them to perswade not reason but commands 10 The end and scope of the Scriptures which is Gods glory 11 Their admirable power 12 Their antiquity 13 The hatred of the Devill and wicked men against them 14 The preservation of the Scriptures 15 Their power to humble a man and raise him up again 1 Cor. 14. 25. 16 The consenant testimony of all men at all times 17 The known miracles done by the Writers of the Scriptures 18 The testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of men That the authority of the Scriptures doth not depend on the Church What are the books of holy Scriptures In what language the Old Testament was writen That the Scriptures of the Old Testament were first writen with vowels and pricks The books of Moses The books of the Prophets The Historicall books The Doctrinal books The Poeticall books The Prosaicall books The Apocryphall books The errors of the Apocryphal Books Of the books of the New Testament The properties of the holy Scriptures As 1 holy 2 Highest in authority 3. Sufficient in themselves That the Scriptures are a perfect rule for doctrine life and Salvation Objections against the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures answered Tim. Qu. An. Of the perspicuity of the holy Scriptures The Papists objections against the perspicuity of the Scriptures answered Ans. Why God hatâ— left some places of Scripture obscure Of the Translation of holy Scriptures An objection grounded on various readings answered Why the Scriptures must be expounded by the Scriptures The use of holy Scriptures Who must read the Scriptures That all must read the Scriptures proved The Papists objections against reading the Scriptures answered That there is a God Of the Nature of God Of Gods Essence The name of God Of the Properties or Attributes of God A description of God God a Spirit The perfection of God The felicity of God Of the simplenesse or singlenesse in God Gods infinitenesse Gods immensity or greatnesse Gods eternity The life of God Of the knowledge and wisdom of God Fore-knowledge and Counsell of God The Counsell of God Gods absolute wisdome and knowledge 1
to bewail the losse of that happy estate with blaming our selves for our sin in Adam Thirdly to learn how grievous a thing sinne is in Gods sight that procured man this dolefull change Fourthly to labour and gasp to be heirs of the heavenly Paradise purchased for the elect by Christ by which we shall eat of the Tree of life Rev. 2. 7. Thus far of the state of innocency what is the state of corruption and misery The fearfull condition whereinto in Adam all mankind fell Eccles. 7. 29. by transgressing and violating that Covenant of works which God made with him at the beginning For man continued not in his integrity but presently transgressed that holy law which was given unto him willingly revolting from Gods command through Satans temptation into many sinnes by eating the forbidden fruit and so by the disobedience of one sin reigned unto death and death went over all Rom. 5. 12. 18. What are we then to consider herein First Adams fall Secondly the wretched estate he threw all his posterity into In what place of Scripture is the History of Adams fall handled In the third Chapter of Genesis the six former verses whereof setteth out the transgression of our first parents which was the original of all other transgressions the rest of the Chapter declareth at large the things that followed immediately upon this transgression How was the way made unto this fall of man By Gods permission Satans temptation mans carelesnesse and infirmity in yeelding thereunto What action had God in this businesse He permitted the fall of man not by instilling into him any evill Jam. 1. 13. 1 John 2. 16. or taking from him any ability unto good But first suffering Satan to assail him 2 Sam. 24. 1. with 1 Chron. 21. 1. Secondly leaving man to the liberty and mutability of his own will and not hindring his fall by supply of further grace 2 Chro. 32. 31. Was then God no cause of the fall of our first Parents None at all but as hath been said having created them holy he left them to themselves to fall if they would or stand if they would in respect of their ability as a staffe put on an end right doth fall without the furtherance of the man that setteth it right yet came it to passe not only by the permission of God but also by his secret Decree thereby to make way for the manifestation of his Power Justice and Mercy for being able to bring good out of evill as light out of darknesse he ordereth in his great Wisdome the fall of man to the setting out of the glory both of his mercy in those that shall be saved in Christ and of his Justice in those that shall perish for their sins Rom. 11. 32. yet without wrong to any being not bound to his creature to uphold him by his grace from falling Rom. 11. 35. What hand had Satan in procuring the fall of man Being himself fallen upon a proud envious and murtherous mind he deceived our first parents by tempting them to sinne to the end he might bring them into the like estate with himself and as in this respect he is said to have been a murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. so doth he ever since seek to do what hurt he can to mankind moving them still to sin against God and labouring to bring them to damnation What doe you observe herein His envy of Gods glory and mans happinesse together with his hatred and malice against mankind whom as a murtherer doth his enemy he hateth and laboureth to destroy What gather you from this attempt of his against our first parents in the state of Innocency That Satan is most busie to assail them in whom the image of God in knowledge and holinesse doth appear not labouring much about those which either lie in ignorance or have no conscience of walking according to knowledge as those that are his already What Instrument did Satan use in tempting man He used the Serpent as an Instrument to deceive the woman and the woman for an Instrument to tempt the man Gen. 3. 1. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 14. Why did he use those outward Instruments and not rather tempt their fancy and affection inwardly It seemeth that in their integrity he could not have that advantage against them in those things whereunto they were made subject by their fall Why did he chuse rather to speak by a Serpent then by any other Beast Because it was the fittest that God permitted him and wisest of all the beasts of the earth especially possessed by him to deceive man Gen. 3. 1. It was of all other beasts the subtillest and fittest to creep into the Garden unseen of Adam who was to keep the beasts out of it and to remain there without being espyed of him and creep out again when he had done his feat If there were craft before the fall then it seemeth there was sinne Craft in beasts is not sin although the word here used signifyeth a nimblenesse and slinesse to turn and wind it self any way in which respect it seemeth the Devill chose this beast before any other What learn you from thence That the Devill to work his mischief is exceedingly cunning to make his choice of his Instruments according to the kind of evill he will solicite unto Matth. 7. 15. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. 1 Tim. 2. 14. But wee doe not see that hee commeth any more in the body of Serpents He may and in the body of any other beast which the Lord will permit him to come in Howbeit our case in this is more dangerous then that of our first parents for now he useth commonly for Instruments men like unto us and familiar with us which he could not doe before the fall Eph. 6. 12. Rev. 2. 10. Why did Satan assail the woman rather then the man Because she was the weaker vessel which is his continuall practice where the hedge is low there to goe over Luk. 5. 30. Mar. 2. 16. Mat. 9. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 6. and might afterwards be a fitter means to deceive and draw on her husband What are we to consider in his tempting of the woman First the time which he chose to set upon her Secondly the manner of the temptation What note you of the time First that it was immediately or not long after the placing of them in that happy estate which teacheth how malicious the wicked one is who if he could let would not suffer us to enjoy any comfort either of this life or of that to come so much as one poor day Secondly that he came unto her when she was some space removed from her husband that hee that should have helped her from and against his wiles might not be present to heare their conference whence we learn that the absence of wives from their husbands who should be a strength unto them is dangerous especially that we absent not our selves from the means
What learn you from thence Not to suffer our selves to be instruments of evill to any in the least sort if we will escape the curse of God for if God did punish a poor worm which had no reason or will to chuse or refuse sin how much lesse will he spare us which have both What is the sentence against the Devill The Ordinance of God That there shall be always enmity between the Devil and his seed on the one side and the woman and her seed on the other together with the effect of this enmity VVhat doe you understand by the seed of the Devill seeing there is no generation of the Devils for that there is no male nor female among them neither have they bodies to engender The seed of the Devill are all both wicked men and Angels Joh. 8. 44. which are corrupt and carry his image 1 Joh. 3. 8. In which respect the wicked are called the children of the Devil and every where the sons of Belial Act. 13. 10. What learn you from thence That the war of mankind with the Devill is a lawfull war proclaimed of God which is also perpetuall and without any truce and therefore that herein it is wherein we must shew our choler our hate our valour our strength not faintly and in shew only but in truth whereas we being continually assaulted with our enemy leave our fight with him to fight against our brethren yea against our own soules he continually and without ceasing fighting with us and not against his own as the blasphemous Pharisees said Mat. 12. 24. VVhat is the sentence against the Woman First in the pain of conception and bearing child Secondly in the pain of bringing forth wherein is contained the pain of nursing and bringing them up Thirdly in a desire to her husband Fourthly in her subjection to her husband Was she not before desirous and subject to her husband Yes but her desire was not so great through conscience of her infirmity nor her subjection so painfull and the yoake thereof so heavy What is the sentence against Adam First his sin is put in the sentence and then his punishment What is his sin One that he obeyed his wife whom he should have commanded then that he disobeyed God whom he ought to have obeyed the first being proper to him the other common to his wife with him What was the punishment A punishment which although it be more heavy upon Adam yet it is also common to the woman namely the curse of the earth for his sake from whence came barrennesse by Thistles and Thorns c. whereof first the effect should be sorrow and grief of mind Secondly labour to the sweat of his brows to draw necessary food from it and that as long as he lived Lastly the expulsion out of Paradise to live with the beasts of the earth and to eat of the hearb which they did eat of What learn you from thence That all men from him that sitteth on the Throne to him that draweth water are bound to painfull labour either of the body or of the mind what wealth or patrimony soever is left them although they had wherewith otherwise plentifully to live What observe you else I observe further out of this Verse and out of the two next that in the midst of Gods anger he remembreth mercy for it is a benefit to Adam that he may live of the sweat of his brows to Eve that she should bring forth and not be in continuall travell unto them both that he taught them wisdome to make leather Coats What learn you from that it was said God made them Coats That in every profitable invention for the life of man God is to be acknowledged the Authour of it and have the honour of it and not the wit of man that invented it as is the manner of men in such cases to sacrifice to their nets Hab. 1. 16. When there were better means of clothing why did they weare Leather It seemeth that thereby they should draw themselves the rather to repentance and humiliation by that course clothing What learn you from thence That howsoever our condition and state of calling afford us better array yet we learn even in the best of our clothes to be humbled by them as those that are given us to cover our shame and carry always the mark and badge of our sinnes especially when these which were even after the fall the goodliest creatures that ever lived learned that lesson by them What followeth A sharp taunt that the Lord giveth Adam ver 22. further to humble him as if he should say Now Adam dost thou not see and feel how greatly thou art deceived in thinking to be like God in eating of the forbidden fruit What learn you from it That by the things we think to be most esteemed contrary to the will of God we are most subject to derision and that it must not be a plain and common speech but a laboured speech that must bring us to repentance Why doth God banish him out of Paradise lest he should live if he should eat of the tree of Life seeing there is no corporall thing able to give life to any that sinne hath killed It is true that the eating of the fruit of the Tree of life would not have recovered him but the Lord therefore would have him banished from it lest he should fall into a vain confidence thereof to the end to make him seek for grace Wherefore are the Angels set with a glittering sword to keep them from the Tree of life To encrease their care to seek to Christ being banished from it without hope of comming so much as to the sign of life What learn you from hence The necessary use of keeping obstinate sinners from the Sacraments and other holy things in the Church Thus much of the miserable and unhappy condition which our first parents brought upon themselves Did this estate determine in their persons or was it derived from them to all their posterity It was for their sinne in eating the forbidden fruit was the sin of all men and we therein became sinners and guilty of eternall Condemnation So that they by this first transgression did not onely lose for themselves the Image and favour of God but withall all deprived their posterity of that blessed estate Rom. 3. 23. and plunged them into the contrary Rom. 3. 12. bringing damnation upon themselves and us all wherefore this cursed estate of mankind is called in the scriptures the image of Adam Gen. 5. 3. the old man Ephes. 4. 22. the flesh Gen. 6. 3. John 3. 6. c. And the Apostle teacheth expresly Rom. 5. 12. That by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as all men have sinned How doth the Apostle here call this the sinne of one man seeing both Adam and Eve sinned which are two and that Eve sinned before Adam In
wombe of a Virgin without the help of man by the immediate power and operation of the holy Ghost forming him of the onely substance of the woman and perfectly sanctifying that substance in the Conception Luk. 1. 34 35. 42. So was hee borne holy and without sinne whereunto all other men by nature are subject VVhy was it necessary that Christ should bee conceived without sinne First because otherwise the God-head and Man-hood could not be joyned together for God can have no communion with sinne much lesse bee united unto it which is sinfull in a personall union Secondly being our Priest he must be holy harmlesse undefiled and perfectly just without exception Heb. 7. 26. 1 Joh. 3. 5. For if he had been a sinner himselfe he could not have satisfied for the sinnes of other men neither could it be that an unholy thing could make us holy VVhat fruit then and benefit have we by his originall righteousnesse First his pure Conception is imputed unto us and the corrupruption of our nature covered from Gods eyes whiles his righteousnesse as a garment is put upon us Secondly our originall sinne is hereby dayly diminished and fretted away and the contrary holinesse increased in us VVhat is his actuall holinesse That absolute obedience whereby he fulfilled in act every branch of the Law of God walking in all the Commandements and perfectly performing both in thought word and deed whatsoever the Law of God did command and failing in no duties either in the worship and service of God or duty towards men Matth. 3. 15. Rom. 5. 18. 4. 8. VVhat benefit have we hereby 1. All our actuall sins are covered while we are cloathed by faith with his actuall holinesse 2. We are enabled by him dayly to dye unto sinne and more and more to live unto righteousnesse of life But receive we no more by Christ then those blessings which we lost in Adam Yes we receive an high degree of felicity by the second Adam more then we lost by the first Rom. 5. 1. for being by faith incorporated into him and by communication of his Spirit unseparably knit unto him we become the children and heires of God and fellow-heires with Christ Jesus Gal. 4. 6 7. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Rom. 8. 9 10. who carrieth us as our head unto the highest degree of happinesse in the Kingdome of heaven where we shall lead not a naturall life as Adam did in Paradise with meat drink and sleep but a spirituall life in all unspeakeable manner and glory There remaineth yet the second part of Christs Priesthood namely his Intercession what is that It is that work whereby he alone doth continually appeare before his Father in heaven to make request for his elect in his own worthinesse making the faithfull and all their prayers acceptable unto him by applying the merits of his own perfect satisfaction unto them and taking away all the pollution that cleaveth to their good works by the merits of his passion Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 9. 24. 12. 24. 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Exod. 28. 36 37 38. In how many things doth his intercession consist In five 1. In making continuall request in our name unto God the Father by the vertue of his own merits Secondly in freeing us from the accusations of our adversaries Thirdly in teaching us by his Spirit to pray and send up supplications for our selves and others Fourthly in presenting our prayers unto God and making them acceptable in his sight Fifthly in covering our sins from the sight of God by applying unto us the vertue of his mediation What fruit then have we by his intercession 1. It doth reconcile us to the Father for those sins which we doe dayly commit 2. Being reconciled in him we may pray to God with boldnesse and call him Father 3. Through the intercession of our Saviour Christ our good works are of accompt before God How are we made Priests unto God by our communion with Christ Being sanctified by him and our persons received into favour Ephes. 1. 6. we have freedome and boldnesse to draw neare and offer our selves soules and bodies and all that we have as a reasonable sacrifice to God the Father and so we are admitted as a spirituall Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 5. to offer up the sacrifices of our obedience prayers and thanksgiving which howsoever imperfect in themselves Esa. 64. 6. and deserving rather punishment then reward Psalm 143. 2. Tit. 3. 5. are yet as our persons made acceptable unto God and have promise of reward Matth. 10. 41 42. by the onely merit and intercession of the same our high Priest So much of our Saviours Priestly-office which is exercised in things concerning God how doth he exercise his office in things concerning man By communicating unto man that grace and redemption which he hath purchased from his Father Rom. 5. 15. 17. 19 Joh. 5. 21. 17. 2. 6. Luk. 4. 18 19. What parts of his office doth he exercise therein His Propheticall and Kingly office Acts 3. 22 23. Psal. 2. 6 7 8. What is this Propheticall office The office of instructing his Church by revealing unto it the way and meanes of salvation and declaring the whole will of his Father unto us in which respect he was he is and ever shall be our Prophet Doctor or Apostle Esa. 61. 3 4. Psal. 2. 6. 7. Luk. 4. 18. Mat. 17. 5. 23. 8 9 10. Heb. 3. 1 2. For what reasons must Christ be a Prophet First to reveale and deliver unto his people so much of the will of God as is needfull for their salvation Secondly to open and expound the same being delivered Thirdly to make them understand and beleeve the same Fourthly to purge his Church from errors Fifthly to place Ministers in his Church to teach his people In what respect doe you say that he is the onely teacher of his Church 1. In that he only knowing the Fathers as his Sonne hath the prerogative to reveale him of himselfe and others by him to us for no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him Mat. 11. 27. 2. In that he is onely able to cause our hearts to beleeve and understand the matter he doth teach and reveale What were then the Prophets and Apostles They were his Disciples and servants and spake by his Spirit 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. 3. 19. Nehemiah 9. 30. Eph. 2. 17. What difference is there between the teaching of Christ and of the Prophets and Ministers sent from him 1. Christ taught with another authority then did ever any other Minister before or after him Mat. 5. 22. 28. 32. 34. 44. 7. 28 29. Mark 1. 22. 2. By vertue of his Propheticall office he did not only bring an outward sound unto the eare but wrought as he did before his comming and as he doth now by the ministery of his word an alteration of the mind so farre as
for the most part 3. What loseth the obedient childe what injury is done unto him who being taken out of this life is recompenced with a better or what breach of promise is in him that promiseth silver and payeth with gold and that in greater weight and quantity As for the wicked they gaine nothing by their long life receiving by meanes thereof hereafter judgement in hell Doth not the Lord oftentimes revenge the breach of his Commandement even in this life Yes 1. Vpon the Parents who have been ungracious themselves in giving unto them ungracious and disobedient children 2. Vpon the Children themselves who are sometimes immediately stricken from Heaven and sometimes punished by the Law of the Magistrate So much of the fifth Commandement concerning all speciall duties to speciall persons What are the generall duties in the Commandements following which come at least to consent They are either such as concerne the person it selfe of our Neighbour in the sixth or such as concerne the things that belong to his person as his chastity in the seventh his goods in the eighth and his good name in the ninth Commandement What are the words of the sixth Commandement Thou shalt not murder Exod. 20. 13. What is the summe and meaning of this Commandement That the life and person of man as being the Image of God be by man not impeached but preserved Gen. 9. 5. And therefore that we are not to hurt our owne persons or the person of our Neighbour but to procure the safety thereof and to doe those things that lye in us for the preservation of his and our life and health 1 Tim. 5. 23. What is forbidden in this Commandement All kind of evill tending to the impeachment of the safety and health of mans person with every hurt done threatned or intended to the soule or body either of our selves or of our Neighbours What is required in this Commandement All kind of good tending to the preservation of the welfare of mans person that we love and cherish both the soule and body of our Neighbour as we would and ought to doe our owne Heb. 3. 13. Jam. 1. 27. Phil. 2. 12. Eph. 5. 29. For some of the duties here enjoyned concerne our own person some the person of our neighbour What be those duties that doe concerne our owne persons They are either such as ought to be performed by us in our owne life time or when we are ready to depart out of this world What are the duties we are to performe towards our owne selves in our life time They respect either the welfare of our soules or of our bodies What are the duties that respect the welfare of our soules 1. To use the meanes of grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2. Diligence to finish our salvation Phil. 2. 12. and to make our election sure by the fruits of faith 2 Pet. 1. 10. 3. To reject evill and approve that which is good Psal. 1. 11. Prov. 1. 10. 15. 4. To imitate the example of good men and not to take scandals given by others 5. To follow our vocation diligently What be the contrary vices forbidden Cruelty to our owne soules by 1. Rejecting the food of spirituall life by not hearing Prov. 28. 9. or not obeying the Word Jam. 1. 22. 2. Corrupting or perverting it by itching eares 2 Tim. 4. 3. or unstable minds 2 Pet. 3. 16. 3. Want of knowledge Prov. 4. 13. 8. 35 36. Hos. 4. 6. especially when people have had the ordinary meanes appointed of God for obtaining the same either of their owne or of others which they might have been partakers of 4. Sin especially grosse sins Prov. 6. 32. and 8. 36. and obstinacy in sinning Rom. 2. 5. Tit. 3. 11. 5. Following of evill counsell and evill examples and taking of scandals 6. Neglecting of our vocation What be the things that respect the welfare of our bodies 1. Sober and wholsome diet 1 Tim. 5. 23. 2. Help of Physicke when need is so that it be after we have first sought unto God 2 Chron. 16. 12. 3. Vsing honest recreation whereby health may be maintained Judg. 14. 12. 4. Preventing unnecessary dangers 5. Giving place to the fury of another as Jacob did to Esau by his mothers counsell Gen. 27. 43 44. What be the contrary sins forbidden 1. Immoderate worldly sorrow as the Apostle saith worketh death 2 Cor. 7. 10. 2. Malice and envy which maketh a man a murtherer of himselfe as well as of his Neighbours for as the Wise man noteth Envy is the rottennesse of the bones Prov. 14. 30. 3. Neglect either of wholsome diet or of exercise and honest recreation or of physicke to preserve or recover health For we must not thinke that there are no more wayes to kill a mans selfe but with a knife c. 4. Drunkennesse and surfeiting eating and drinking out of time Prov. 25. 16. Eccles. 10. 16 17. or spending ones selfe by unchaste behaviour Prov. 5. 11. and 7. 22 23. All which are enemies to the health and life of man 5. Launcing or whipping our flesh 1 King 18. 28. Colos. 2. 23. Ephes. 5. 29. as Idolaters use to doe or otherwise wounding our selves 6. Capitall crimes 1 King 2. 23. 7. Vnnecessary dangers 8. Not giving place to the fury of another 9. Refusing the meanes of life 10. Self-murther 1 Sam. 31. 4. 2 Sam. 17. 23. Mat. 27. 5. Acts 16. 27 28. What are we to doe at the time of our departure out of this life 1. With willingnesse we must receive the sentence of death when God shall utter it 2 Cor. 1. 9. 2. We must then resigne our charge in Church and Common-wealth or Family into the hands of faithfull men Numb 27. 16. 2 Chron. 28. 1 c. 3. We must resigne our soules to God in Christ Psal. 31. 5. with confidence of his love though he kill us Job 13. 15. of the remission of our sins and our resurrection unto immortality Job 19. 25. c. 2 We must leave our body to the earth as a pledge in time to be resumed giving order for the comely and Christian buriall thereof Gen. 49. 29. 1 King 13. 31. Hitherto of the duties that concerne our owne persons What are they that doe respect our Neighbour They likewise are to be performed unto him either while he is alive or after his death What are the duties belonging to our Neighbour while he liveth They are partly inward partly outward What are the inward To love our neighbours as our selves to thinke well of him to be charitably affected towards him and to study to doe him good in respect that we are all the creatures of one God and the naturall children of Adam for which end we are to cherish all good affections in our hearts What be those good affections here required 1. Humility and kindnesse proceeding from a loving heart to man as he is man Rom. 12.