Can any man adde any thing to Gods holinesse No wee cannot adde any holinesse vnto God or take away from him but that as God is holy in his properties and actions and also in his ordinances both in Church and Common-wealth so we desire it may be and that not onely in our selues but also in all men that they may be acknowledged and reputed as they are worthie in themselues to bee reputed and accounted VVhat is considered of the words together That it is a singular benefit of God to be admitted to the sanctifying of his name and as it were to set the crowne vpon his heade and to hold it there especially seeing he is able himselfe alone to do it and when he would vse other thereunto hee hath so many Legions of Angels to do it yea that can raise vp stones to doe it VVhat further We pray that God may be acknowledged Iust Wise c. in all his workes euen in his ordinance of some to euerlasting life and othersome to euerlasting destruction as also when the glory of God commeth in question betweene our selues and any thing that belongeth vnto vs to preferre that vnto these May none else be glorified but the name of God No glory or honour should be giuen to any thing in the world but to the name of God which is noted when wee say Esa 42.8 48.11 thy name c. further then they are instruments whereby we may arise to the glorifying of it for God will not giue his glory vnto any no not to the manhood of our Sauiour Christ Shew some particularities of the glorifying of his name First wee must pray that God would giue vs the knowledge of himselfe his words and workes for we cannot glorifie his name vnles we know it Secondly Ioh. 3.3 Rom. 4.20 we pray that we and others may sanctifie God in beleeuing his word how vnlikely soeuer Wherefore Moses and Aaron are said not to haue sanctified the name of God in that they beleeued not contrarily Abraham glorified God in beleeuing How else Esa 8.12.13 1. Pet. 3.14.18 In fearing the Lord alone and not men That the Lord be our feare How further Mat. 5.16 In praying that God may get glory by the godly conuersation of vs and others also that we may praise him for his benefits more particularly for humilitie for our selues and others without which we cannot glorifie God as it is meet 2. Sam. 7.18 Psal 8.5 144.3 Luk. 1.48 1. Sam. 3.18 Esa 39.8 Esa 2.11.12.13.14.15.16 from whence ariseth patience whereby wee doe willingly submit our selues vnto the correcting hand of God as Ely and Ezekias We pray against al loftie and high things that hinder that God only cannot be exalted especially the pride of our hearts which we are to confesse and lament It is lastly a singular hallowing of Gods name as well by praising it for the benefits wee haue receiued as for his other wonderfull workes in the Creation and gouernment of the world the Church especially VVhat is considered in the second petition Thy kingdome come One of the meanes how to haue our God sanctified which is a dependance of the former petition VVhat is meant heere by kingdome That gouernment which our Sauiour Christ exerciseth in the world Of how many sorts is it We pray either for that he exerciseth in this world or for that he exerciseth in the world to come called the kingdome of glory How many sorts are there of that kingdome he exerciseth in this world First it is that hee exerciseth ouer all men and other creatures What desire we of God concerning the gouernment ouer all men called the kingdome of power That he would gouerne all the creatures Psal 97.1 Mat. 6.13 Ioh. 17.2 both in the naturall course of things and in the ciuill and domesticall gouernment of men yea in the rule of Diuels themselues in such sort as they may serue for the good of his Church What desire wee concerning his gouernment in the Church called the kingdome of grace That it may bee heere in this world enlarged Psal 122.6 Esa 62.7 and that it may be accomplished in the last day What doe we desire for the inlargement of it in this world That by Christ the head of the Church God would gouerne his people to the perfect saluation of the elect and to the vtter destruction of the reprobate whether open rebels or fained and hollow-hearted subiects What great need is there that wee should pray for the kingdome of God For that being taught that wee should pray that the kingdome of God may come Mat. 12.24.27 2. Cor. 6.14.15.16 thereby wee are put in mind of another kingdome of Satan and darknes which opposeth strongly against his kingdome Why all men do naturally abhorre Satan euen to the very name of him They doe in words and shew but when they doe his will liue vnder his lawes delight in his workes of darkenesse subiect themselues to the Pope and other his instruments they are found indeed to loue him as their father and honour him as their Prince whom in words they would seeme to abhorre for euen the same men our Sauiour Christ affirmeth to approch vnto God with their lips and to haue their hearts farre from him Mat. 15.8 and in their lips far from Satan but neere him in their hearts What other oppositions are there against Gods kingdome Gal. 5.16.17 The flesh and the world VVhat be the meanes wee ought to pray for that our Sauiour Christ may gouerne his Church in this world thereby Inward and outward What inward things doe we pray for That God would giue his holy spirit as the chiefe and principall wherby our Sauiour Christ gathereth and ruleth his Church conueying his spirit of knowledge and of good motions vnto his people and consequently we pray against the motions and tentations of Satan and of our owne flesh What are the outward things we pray for The meanes whereby the spirit is conueied Declare that more particularly The word and the dependances thereof What pray we for concerning the word Psal 110.1 Esa 11.4 Mark 1.13 That it being the scepter of Christs kingdome and called the word of the kingdome and the kingdome of heauen Mat. 13. 2. Thes 3.1 may bee freely preached euery where And that onely hauing place all traditions and inuentions of men may be reiected What pray we for concerning the Sacraments That as they are the seales of Gods promises and couenant of grace so they may bee both ministred and receiued in that purenesse and sincerity which is according to his word and all false Sacraments and sacrifices put vnder foot What pray we for concerning the censures That not onely priuate persons but the whole Church may bee ruled by the line of Gods word that so well doers may be aduanced and euill doers censured and corrected according to the degree of their fault and therefore that all
elements A probable opinion The fire for when it is said he set light in heauen which is a qualitie of the fire it is to be vnderstood of fire also which hath that qualitie What note you hereof 2 Cor. 4.6 The wonderfull worke of God not only making something of nothing but bringing light out of darknesse which is contrarie What is the second element The aire betweene the cloudes and the earth distinguishing betweene water and water and giueth breath of life to all things that breathe What is the third element The waters seuered from the masse called the earth the seas the floods the springs the lakes c. What is the fourth element The earth called the drie land which remaineth all other being sent of God to their proper places Hitherto of the simple bodies called the foure elements now followeth to speake of the mixt and compounded bodies made of the foure elements vnequally mingled together GEN. 1. vers 14. to the 25. 14 And God said let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen to separate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeeres c. WHat is generall in the creation of the compound bodies First that prouision is made for his inhabitants of the earth ere they be made as grasse for the beasts and light for all liuing and mouing creatures and all for man What learne you from hence Not to be carking for the things of this life nor to surfet with the cares thereof seeing God prouided for the necessitie and comfort of the beasts ere hee would bring them into the world What is generall in all the earthly creatures That God proceedeth from the things that be more imperfect to those that are perfecter vntill hee come to the perfectest as from the trees corne herbs c. which haue but one life that is whereby they increase and are vegetatiue vnto the beasts which haue both an increasing and feeling or sensitiue life as fishes fowles beasts c. and from them to man which hath besides both them a reasonable soule What learne you from thence That wee should therein follow the example of the Lord to goe from good to better vntill we come to be perfect What else is generall To haue power and vertue giuen them to bring foorth the like vnto themselues for the continuance of their kinde is generally giuen to all those that are expressed in the creation here albeit there be creatures as stones and minerals that bring not forth the like And this blessing of multiplication is principall in the things that haue the life of sense beside the life of increase And therefore the Lord is brought in to speake to them in the second person which he did not to the grosse corne and trees Gen. 1.22 What learne you from hence That the chiefe and speciall cause of the continuance of euery kinde of creatures to the worlds end is this will word of God without the which they or sundrie of them would haue perished ere this by so many meanes as are to consume them What is the first creation of the compound bodies God hauing caused the waters to retire into their vessels the third night in the third day which followed that night hee clad the earth with grasse for the vse of beasts only corne and trees for the vse of man Seeing that the growth of these is from the influence of the heauenly bodies how commeth it to passe that he first maketh the grasse corne and trees ere hee made the heauenly bodies of the Sunne Moone and Starres To correct our error which tie the increase of these so to the influence of the heauenly bodies euen to the worshipping of them therein forgetting the Lord who hereby sheweth that all hangeth vpon him and not on them for as much as he made them when the heauenly bodies were not What else That the fruitfulnes of the earth standeth not so much in the labour of the husbandman as in the power which God hath giuen to the earth to bring foorth fruite What was made the fourth day Lights all which although they be great in themselues to the end they might giue light to the darke earth that is farre remoued from them yet are they distinguished into great Sunne Moone small the Stars which are as it were certeine vessels wherein the Lord did gather the light which before was scattered in the whole bodie of the heauens Why doth Moses call the Sunne and Moone the greatest lights when there are Starres that exceed the Moone by many degrees Because they are greatest first in their vse and vertue that they exercise vpon the terrestriall bodies Secondly for that they seeme so to vs it being the purpose of the holy Ghost by Moses to applie himselfe to the capacitie of the vnlearned What is the vse of them First to distinguish the times Spring Summer Autumne and Winter from whence their work and naturall effect vpon the earthly creatures is gathered also to distinguish the night from the day the day from the moneth the moneth from the yeere last of of all to giue light to the inhabitants of the earrh Haue they not operation also in the extraordinarie euents of singular things and persons for their good and euill estate No verely there is no such vse taught of them in the Scriptures What was the worke of the fifth day and night To create the Fishes and Birds What were the fishes made of Of all foure elements but more as seemeth of the waters then other liuing things VVhat were the birds made of Gen. 2.19 Of all foure elements yet haue more of the earth and therefore that they are so light and that their delight is in the aire it is so much the more maruellous What is the worke of the sixth night and day Probable In the night thereof he made the beasts of the earth going tame or home-beasts wilde or field-beasts creeping GEN. chap. 1. vers 26 27. and chap. 2. vers 7. 26. Furthermore God saide Let vs make man in our image according to our likenesse and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that creepeth and mooueth on the earth 27 Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female WHat was made the sixth day Man in both sexes that is both man and woman Why was he made last of all First because hee is the end of all vnreasonable creatures and therefore that hee might glorifie God for all Secondly for that hee would haue him first prouided for ere hee brought him into the world and if he had care of him before he was how much more now he is What note you thereof That man hath not to boast of his antiquitie all the creatures being made
of God what are the particulars forbidden in the worship of God otherwise then he commandeth First we are forbidden to make Images and secondly to bow vnto them or worship them Why is this part so largely set forth To meete with the corruption of men and their readinesse to Idolatrie Are all Images by this commandement vnlawfull No but in Gods seruice for in ciuill vses they may be lawfull What gather you of this That the Popish doctrine of Images that they are Lay mens bookes is flat contrary to the word of God and therefore false and erroneous What Images are most of all condemned To make an Image of God for it is a great sinne to imagine in our hearts that hee is like any thing how excellent soeuer we do thinke it but it is much worse so to set him out to the view of others considering that the mind can conceiue a further beautie then the hand of the Artificer can expresse As the children of Israel were worthily condemned for making God like a calfe Did not the Israelites worship the calfe as the Papists say No but they worshipped God in the calfe Exod. 32.5 for they said Let vs make a feast to morrow to the Lord otherwise Moses had not done well in making them drinke that against their conscience which they iudged to be God Vers 20. Wherein did they sinne so grieuously In ioyning God to the worke of their own hands which cannot be ioyned for God saith by his Prophet Hosea You shall no more call vpon me in Baal Hos 2.16 So impossible it is truely to serue God by an Idoll as the Papists doe How appeareth it that wee should make no Image of God In the 4. of Deut. the Lord forewarned the Israelits Vers 12. that as they saw no Image of him when he gaue the Law therfore they should make no likenes of him But what moues the Papists to point God like an old man The false expounding of that place in Daniel where hee is described to bee the ancient of daies Whereby is meant his Eternitie that he was before al times But whatsoeuer property by Image they describe in God that same is execrable VVhat other 〈◊〉 of men besides Images are heere forbidden All representations of any grace of God otherwise then God hath appointed or may bee allowed by his word What is to be obserued herein 1. Cor. 11. We must keepe Pauls rule who saith that which I haue receiued I haue deliuered vnto you for if he could adde nothing to Gods ordināce much lesse may we VVhat further is forbidden All the meanes of Idolatry and therefore no professour of the truth may marry one of another religion or that is not godly at least in shew all which concerne things vnchangeable VVhat things changeable are heere forbidden All such ceremonies which are repugnant to Gods word So much of the things forbidden what are the things commanded Deut. 4.2 Moses declareth it saying Doe that which I command thee and doe no more Of how many sorts are they They are partly such as we giue vnto God and partly such as God giueth vnto vs. VVhat are the things that we giue vnto God They are either ordinary or extraordinary VVhat are the ordinarie Prayer for such things as we lack which both publikely and priuately must be vsed of all Christians VVhat are the extraordinary Fasting and feasting all vnto God VVhat are the things God giueth vs to serue him by First the creatures in whom we may behold the glory of God his word Sacraments ministery and censures So much concerning the words Thou shalt not make any Image of any thing c. What is to be obserued of that it is said thou shalt not worship them That it is a farther degree of Idolatrie as to shrine clothe and couer them with pretious things to kneele or light a candle before them c. or to praise these inuentions of men wherein although the grosse Idolatrie of Poperie bee taken away from amongst vs yet the corruption cleaueth to the hearts of many as is seene in them that make courtesie to the Chancell where the high altar stood and giue the right hand vnto standing crosses The worship of what Images is here forbidden The worship of all such as are made with mans hands and such as Esay speaketh of Esa 44. Psal 115. when one peece of wood is cast into the fire and another of the same tree is made an Idol and such Hosea meaneth saying They worship their gold siluer And lastly such as haue eyes and see not mouthes and speake not eares and heare not noses and smell not feete and goe not c. What gather you of this That the Popish Idolatrie is here flatly condemned For although they worship not Iupiter Mars and such like but the godly Saints as they say yet the worship of their saints is alike with the other because these places of Scripture doe agree to the one as well as to the other The reuerent gestures of the body being forbidden to be giuen to Images it seemeth thereby that they are commanded to be giuen to the God of heauen So they are Is there any vse of our bodily behauiour before God sith he is a spirit and searcheth the heart Yes verily for first the body it selfe oweth a dutie vnto God Secondly it is a glasse to shew the affections of the mind Thirdly the mind is the better holden in the thing affected when both body and mind goe together What gestures are most conuenient for the body Diuers according to diuers exercises as at the reading of the Word standing at prayer kneeling and therby to witnes our humility by casting down our eyes our confidence by casting them vp or with the Publican to knocke our breasts What further is forbidden here vnder the worship of Images To vse any thing God hath commanded otherwise then God hath appointed for the brasen serpent abused was worthily broken in peeces and the Israelites for carting the Arke were worthilie punished 2. King 18.4 What else To pray for such things as God hath made no promise of 2. Sam. 6. or for such persons as for soules departed or those that sin to death or to thanke God for things vnlawfully gotten or come vnto Also some abuses of the word are here condemned as to vse peeces of Saint Iohns Gospell about their neckes or any other Gospell to heale diseases Peoceed to the rest of the things forbidden The abuse of the Sacraments which in Poperie are made sacrifices also the abuse of the Ministrie which is giuen to edifie and not to exercise tyrannicall Lordship ouer his flocke and fellow seruants as doe the Bishops of Rome Matth. 14. So much of the Commandement what are the parts of the Reason A threatning to restraine from disobedience and a promise to allure to obedience What is the summe of the threatning That hee will punish the