in the face and fauor of Iesus Christ my Sauiour and for his sufferings sake dispell the mystie clouds of my wreatched nature with the light of thy countenance and shew me this Mysterie of Godlinesse Illuminate mine vnderstandings with the glorioâ—â— rayes of Sion Blesse mine imagination that I mâ—y thinke of no euill but of goodnesse continually Incline my will that it may bow it selfe to the obedience of thy commandements Put this Mysterie of Godlinesse into my heart by the invisible singer of thy sacred Trinitie that it may make me good by shining vpon mee and piercing into mee that I may be sanctified thereby both in body soule and spirit O Lord let not the Mysterie of iniquitie misleade me nor the deepenesse of Sathan deceiue me nor the deceitfulnes of sinne by flesh and bloud carry me away to forsake or neglect thy goodnes but let this light of thine O Lord be euer more pretious vnto mee then the balme of Gilead more magnificent then the royaltie of Solomon and more deare then the apple of mine eie That thereby I may be acceptable vnto thee in thy Christ in whom thou art well pleased That my seruice in this sacred Mysterie of Godlilinesse may bee as Physicke for to cure miâ—e vngodlinesse as my Counseller to direct me in the affayres of my life and as my casuist to resolue the cases of my distressed conscience So shall I euer magnifie thy name O Lord that hast shewed mee such louing kindnesse in a strange cittie in reuealing to me to me I say the vnworthyest of many thousands the Mysteries and light of the kingdome of heauen in the darkenesse and shadow of death So shall I be euer telling of thy truth and mercy to the as sembly of thy Saints and to the generations which aâ—e yet for to come Grant these fauours vnto me O King of heauen God of all peace Father of mercies Fountaine of wisedome and goodnesse for the vnspeakeable merits and sufferings of Iesus Christ our onely Mediator and Redeemer Amen GOD MANIFEsted in the Flesh. Explication GOD is the height of this Mysterie God in the flesh is the depth of this Mysterie God manifested in the flesh is the length and breadth of this Mysterie Of God it is reuealed that hee is one in nature and three in persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is a Trinitie in Vnitie an Vnitie in Trinitie Euen as in the nuÌ„ber of three are one number and yet three vnities in a triangle are three angles yet one figure in the Sunne are body brightnesse and heate yet one Sunne in the fire light flame and heate yet the fire cannot bee diuided in the soule our memorie vnderstanding and will and yet one soule all these shewing that three may bee one and one three So likewise in God are three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet one God who is blessed for euermore For vnlesse I vnderstand when I heare the name of God that it is meant of the holy and vndeuided Trinity wherby I am sauâ—d mine vnderstanding shall content me nothing The supereminency of which Mysticall Beeing of God passeth mans vtterance and therefore wee can better thinke then speake of God Let vs not then be ouer curious to search out this mysterie For God is exâ—ellent and wee know him not sayeth Elihu in Iob Our thoughts comprehend him not sayeth Ieremie And his wayes are past finding out saith Saint Paul These secrets belong vnto the Lord our God and the reuealed things thereof belong vnto vs and to our children for euer Let vs then here content our selues with a touch rather then with a taste of this secret of the essence and will of God For God the Father in himselfe is the Fountaine of the Deiâ—ie which no curiositie can finde out Perfection of himself which no man can comprehend God of himselfe whom all adore and Life of himselfe in whom we all liue God the Sonne in himselfe is the very engrauen forme of his Father in whom the whole Godhead dwelleth bodily And God the holy Ghost is in himselfe the fulnesse of them both by procession God I say whose power is all puissance whose sense is all knowledge whose essence is the principal good whose worke is euery good whose scites beneath al things without substractioÌ„ aboue all things without elation within all things yet not included without all things yet not excluded aboue al things as president beneath all thinges as sustinent within all things as coÌ„plement without all things as compreheÌ„dent The first mouer yet notmoued in local scite yet not circuÌ„scribed ordering al times yet not changed in Essence infinite incoÌ„prehensible in Maiestie in goodnes soueraigne in wisedom wonderfull in counsels terrible in iudgmeÌ„t righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alwayes the same eternal immortal vnchangeable not to bee expressed by speech not conceyued by thought of whom al the Angels of Heauen doe stand in feare whom all dominations and thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers do shake God I say being thus of himselfe is also reuealed towards vs to bee of power incomprehensible creating all things by his owne power ordering all things by his owne will directing all things to his owne ends of his owne good pleasure of wisedome vnsearchable by which hee spreade the heauens diuided the waters setled the earth for in wisdome hath he made them all of mercy vnspeakable by creating vs of nothing and by redeeming vs when wee were worse then nothing And of iuslice vncontrouleable leauing no good vnrecompensed no euill vnpunished This then indeede is a surpassing incomprehensible mistery that thus God should bee manifested in our weake flesh that God and Man should be in one person And that of the same God the holy Scripture should say in respect of this his manifestation in the flesh The child increased in wisedome and knowledge and in fauour with God and man And Emanuel God with vs should say of himself The Father is greater then I And of the same God in respect of his Dietie he hâ—mself sayth Before Abraham was borne I am and that hee was the first begotten of euery Creature And further in respect of the vnion of both natures in the person of the Sonne of God the sacred word sayth That God redeemed his Church with his bloud That the Iewes crucified the Lord of glorie and that he gaue his life for vs So that the Catholike conclusion of all is this That Christ Iesus Emanuel consisting of two distinct Natures in the person of the Sonne of God without confusion was incarnate and became our Mediator according to both Natures that the same hand that wrought the institutioÌ„ of the world should also worke the restitution of the same For it was impossible that the World should be saued without the Incarnation of the Sonne of God For God in Christ
our godly wel doings At the first to worke this great 〈◊〉 the grace of God is in vs but when we once feele this sacred power wee are willingly ledde on to goodnes for the grace of God is with vs yet in all this wee haue here no absolute perfection but expect the consummation thereof in glory Tell mee then Beloued in the Lord is not this a mysterie a gâ—eat mysterie the Great Mysterie of Godlinesse the end whereof tendeth to the glory of God who hereby regenerateth his children prescribeth them Lawes they obey them and promiseth them Heauen and they are sure of it Is not this Mysterie Greaâ— and excellent that assureth them that know it that they are elected is a declaration to our selues and others that wee doe beleeue and is a performance of our dutie in part And lastly is not that Great the end wherof tendeth to the Conuersion of vnbeleeuers who seeing our good workes in this profession of Godlines glorifie our heauenly Father and is the confirmation and setling of our brethren that doe beleeue Oh sacred mysterie of celestiall happines Thrice happy are they therfore who vnderstand this Mysterie of Godlinesse For Without controuersie for that is the preamble of this Scripture Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse and such as are of the generation of those that seeke the Lord will with all diligence modesty sobriety meekenesse and peace search to know this Mysterie laying aside all contentions quarrels strifes and enuyings which distract and disturbe mens hearts and hinder men from beeing good Let Godlines be our Helena and the truth will assuredly appeare vnto vs as the learned Earle of Mirand wrote to Hermolaus Barbarus in this case For it seuereth from it all the Heâ—trogenean and mongrill boastings of curious speculations the specious glitterings of mans abstruse wisedome as humane traditions fanatical Enthusiasmes and grosse commixtures of Moses rites with Christianisme And they that know this Mysterie of Godlines lay aside all spleanie Controuersies seeke onely to know God whom he hath sent Christ Iesus whereby they shall find themselues by the power thereof changed from the fashions of the World the olde man the first Adam into the blessings of the new man Christ Iesus the second Adam that is clothed with righteousnesse and grace They shall find that Godlinesse is the richest treasure yea to bee more excellent more magnificent then all Maiesty enriching them with those blessings that many Kings and Monarches of the earth could neuer attaine vnto Because Godlinesse shall secure them fâ—om all vexations and incursions of the Diuell whatsoeuer for God will tender them As the apple of his owne eye and commaund his Angels to pitch their tents round about them There is the safety of this Godlinesse euen a wall of fire to keepe out their enemies Godlinesse shal beautifie them for they shall be decked with Grace whereby God shall accept them For his people his sonnes and daughters for his Spouse and fer his exceeding great delight There is the grace of this Godlinesse euen the rayes of Sion Satâ—an and all the powers of darkenesse shall bee subiect vnto them that are godly their memorials shall bee written in Gods Register And all things shall worke together for their good yea euen their sinnes as Saint Augustine noteth There is the victory of this Godlinesse euen a glorious conquest which many Kings and Monarches neuer atchieued Godlinesse shal enlighten their darkenesse as Saint Augustine sayeth For it is the Mirrour of the purified sâ—ule And Dauid testifieth That God is his light and sure saluation There is the light of this Godlinesse in Gods light euen a verie view of Heauen If we be ignorant Wee shall all bee taught of God yea our knowledge in the very seeking of this Mysterie shall surpasse our Tearchers shall surpasse our Ancients There is the true wisedome of this Godlinesse Godlinesse shall comfort vs in despaire O how great is the goodnes he hath layde vp for the that trust in him euen before the sons of men There is the fauour of this Godlinesse The voyce of ioy and gladnes is in the dwellings of the righteous There is the sound solace of this Godlinesse No maruell then if Peter sayd It is good being here maister Indeede there is no good being any where else For holinesse becommeth his house for euer For what euill can come vnto vs when Gods left hand is vnder our head and his right hand doth embrace vs. There is the protection of this Godlinesse This Mysterie of godlinesse quieteth the distresses of conscience The godly man is as confident as a Lion for the name of the Lord is his strong tower he runneth vnto it and is safe There is the securitie of this godlinesse Not carnall securitie such as the custome of the world and the vse of sinne doth oftimes besot aud infatuate the hearts of Worldlings withall For vnlesse I were Cleane either indeede or in desire or indeuour I should suspect the feare of God had neuer once come into my heart how soeuer the subtiltie of Sathan and sinne had secured me for the feare of the Lord is cleane But when a Christian feeles in himselfe first Aversion from euil whereby he hateth sinne and of that hatred a double sorrow to proceede One of the world working death when wee are plunged in deuouring feares and sorrowes through the sight of our sin and an apprehension of Gods iust iudgements for the same by the rigour of the Law the other a godly sorrow working repentance by the spirit of adoption and deliuering vs from the spirit of bondage to feare any more wee are not idle or luld in securitie but straightway wee fall to crie Father and labor after a most godly sort to rest in this so holy a resolution By carefulnesse to looke more warily to our wayes by cleering of our selues to keepe a good conscience in all things by indignation to disdaine euer to bee brought againe vnto the former slauery of Sathan by Feare to dash out all relapses and backslidings lest our ends be worse theÌ„ our beginnings by vehement desire to set our affections aboue by zeale to draw others out of the fire and by reuenge to abâ—idge our selues of many things we impotently and foolishly seeke and search after in this world And hauing thus approued our selues that we are turned from the euill in a true detestation thereof wee go on in our conuersion to the good which is the other part of our Godlines euen the quickning of our spirits by Gods grace by illumination of our minds in the sight of those things which leade vs on to heauen by renouation of our minds in the obedience of our once sullen and froward hearts but now plyable and penitentiall hearts to Gods counsell by reformation of all our disordered affections in setling
vnderstand how to bee godly Such are they that haue Iacobs voice in prating of Godlinesse but Esâ—us hands in practising vnhappinesse Such are they that professe a Linzie woolsâ—y Religion beeing hatefull to God because they are not reall hatefull to the World because they are religious albeit they be but in shew and hurtfull to themselues because they are hypocrites and deceyue themselues with seeming Godlinesse These are such as are misled with the mysterie of iniquity such a one was Pope Paul the third who at his end sayde Now shall I know three things whereof I doubted all my life to witte whether there bee a God or Hel or whether the soule be immortall O damned Infidell Such another was Leo the teâ—th who accounted the Gospell of Christ a Fable and shewing his Fauouriâ—es saide See what heapes of treasure I haue gathered by that fable of Christ O wretched miscâ—eant The doctrines that pleaseth those that are thus misled with the mystreie of iniquity are traditions amphibolous equiuocations mentall reseruations and the like deuises Their Religion is policy their faith eyther implicite or wauering like that of Lucius consisting of words or wonders with Moses Egyptius as Ruffinus recordeth would not admit of nor endure that Lucius should lay his handes vpon him but tolde him that hee would rather beleeue his eyes then his eares that is he would rather embrace the Religion which is seene then that which is only heard And for them that without blushing say There is no God and blot out all Religion with one dash or with Zenaherib Holofernes and Phâ—raoh scoffe at Godlinesse or with Rufus entertaine the Religion of the place where they liue what euer it be or turne Religious godlinesse into worldly policie by practising as I sayde Machiauels Prince Bodins Commentaries Lipsius Politiques and such like Discourses That of Saint Paul is verified of them For if oâ—r Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Chrict who is the Image of God should shine vnto them For to these it is euen yet a hidden mysterie And in such fearefull case are all light headed Zebuls scoffing Iebusites scorning Cains vile Iulianists impious Lucianists and contemners of all piety religion and godlinesse But Beleeuers consider That the vngodly shall bee turned into hell and all the Nations that know not god and the whole creation on groneth to bee deliuered from such burthens as these miscreaÌ„ts are Who tread vnder foot the son of God and account the bloud of the new testament as an vnholy thing whereby they are sanctified and do despite the spirit of grace And Beleeuers see euen by the veâ—y glimpse of right reason that nothing but man maketh account of greatnes God doth not for with him is no respect of persons Nature doth not for the children of Princes are borne naked as wel as the Cottagers and death assayleth the Court as well as the cart Goodnes onely is that wherein God delighteth and good men tender it as their breath Godlinesse beeing the gracious mother and goodnesse the holy daughter Lastly they that beleeue know that godlinesse hath the promise of this Life to be gracious in Christ and of that to come to bee glorious in Christ and therefore it is the onely thing they desire to know It is the one thing necessaâ—ie they practise it is the Manna of their soules the ioy of their hearts the touchstone of their actions the Gynosura of their affections the Dauids harpe for their â—ares the Word for theyr mouthes the Mirrour for their liues the path for their feet the station for theyr watch the salue for theyr griefes the Key of Heauen and the Heauen on Earth To thee therefore O Lord doe I lift vp my heart in the mercies of thy Sonne Christ Iesus Doubtles O holy and heaueÌ„ly father man disquietâ—th him selfe in vain for thou didst make him righteous but he after the vanity of his owne hart which is falne from thee haue sought many inuentions Thou O God canst not please vs with thy patieÌ„ce nor humble vs with thy present and future iudgements nor allure vs with thy gracious promises Such is the peruersitie of our infirm natures such is the pâ—euishnes of our corrupt condition such is the euil of guilt action that we haue in vs Thy lessous are al of peace and wâ—e runne counter into controuersies euery day deuising to our selus an opinion a fancie a faction and to make good these what stone do we not mouâ— what corner do we not raâ—sâ—ckâ— what earnestnes and acrimonie do we not apparantly reueale or else like some stupid or dul beast we haue no sence or feeling at al of thee or of thy greatnes but liue onely to liue and to delâ—ght our selus with our selus in our grosse mistakings If we pretend religion Satan tempteth vs with faction if puritie with hypocrisie if zeale with vncharitable ioaloâ—sie O Lord some yeares haue I liuâ—ed wretched man that I am among other of thy seruants knew not whether there were a Iesus a Christ an holy Ghost or no So besotted haue I bin with the loue of the world so befooled with mine own fancie so plunged into the darke deepeues of the diuel and so transported with the fashions of others who know as little and vnderstand as little or lesse then my selfe But now O Lord God loâ—king backe into the misery of my selfe I shudder and tremble seeing a far of a mystery wherof as yet I could neuer attain the knowledge albeit I haue obserued many of my brethren with great diligence and zeale to abound in all Godlinos forwardnes saÌ„ctiâ—ony gladly hearing frequenting conferring following after the light that shined vnto them in the darknâ—s of this Life yea aduenturing their liues their liuelyhoodes their credite and esteeme among the sonnes of men and accompting all things else as dung in respect of the knowledge and seruice of their heauenly Maister To me O Lord among other the rest of thy seruants this is a great mysterie that haue felt in my selfe no minde no meaning thereunto What shall I doe O Lord in this my misse led and misperswaded estâ—te I now perceiue O Lord by that glimpse of right reason which maketh euery man vnexcusable and by that sparke of light which enlightneth euery one that coÌ„meth into the world that my sinnes my sinnes my great and griâ—uous sinnes like to some huge mountaine haue vpreard themselues betweene me and this most glorious light dimming vp mine eyes that I cannot see and damming vp that heauenly splendor which should enlighten mee and haue set such a controuersie betweene thee and me that my soule is like vtterly to bee diuâ—rced from thy loue vnlesse thine eye of pittie consider me O looke vpon mee deere and tender hearted Father
commencement of the Gospell Twelue Patriarches the fathers of the Law Twelue Apostles the Patriarches of the Gospel Ten commandemeÌ„ts giuen on mount Sinay Ten petitioÌ„s on mouÌ„t Horeb. Iudah the Patriarch selleth Ioseph Iudas the Apostle traytor selleth for thirtie peeces the true Ioseph Iesus Christ. Christ is taken in a garden by the Brooke Cedron Man sinâ—ed in the Garden of Eden Ioseph the innocent is imprisoned Pilate imâ—â—â—â— prisoneth the innocent Lord Iesus At noone Christ suffered at noone man sinned The first Adam by transgression shuts vp heauen the second Adam by his passion openeth heauen to all beleeuers Ioseph the Patriarch burieth Iacoh Ioseph of Arimathea burieth the true Israel Daniel is sealed vp in the Lyons denne the true Daniell Christ is layde in his sepulcher and the Magistrates seale the stone yea the very circumstances of this manifestation are most exactly set downe The time limited to wit When the scepter shall depart from Iuda the place designed At Bethlem in Iudaea The miraculous manner published A virgine shall conceiue a sonne His presentation in the Temple verified The Lord whom ye seeke shall suddenly come into his Temple His price valued A goodly price was I prized at of them saith the Lord. The treason against him foretold That his owne familiar friend in whoÌ„ he trusted and did eate his bread should list vp his heele against him In a word all things euen to the very vineger and gal in his last suffrings were at sundry times in manifold maner long before certainly prophesied of as they were manifestly in their determinate times of Godperformed So that this manifestation was the accomplishment of vision and prophesie the body of type and shadow the ende of Law and Priesthood the perfection of Sacrifice and Sacrament and the vnion of mankind with God in Christ and thereby life euerlasting Is God then thus abased inâ— our flesh Oh the great bountie of Gods fauor vnto vs. Oh then let vs submit our selues vnto God For the Lord will haue an eye to none but to such as are of a broken and contrite heart and trembleth at his word But if wee bee meeke and lowly in heart We shall finde rest vnto our soules Yea our chife seruice consists in this To humble our selues to walke with our God Remembring the excellent dignity of our sanctified nature beeing now vnited to our God and pertaking of his holy nature by filiation according to the Euangelicall precept Be mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull See God is become our father by sanctificatioÌ„ For if wee being wretches can giue good gifts vnto our children how much more shall our heauenly father giue graces and blessings to them that all vpon him By adoption For to as many as receiue him he hath giuen power to become the sons of God Let not the vnbeleeuing Iewes demaÌ„d how this vnion should be or how God could bee manifested in our flesh But let them tell how the dead rod of Aron could beare blossomes how a virgin should conceiue and beare a son how a bush could burne not consume how Gedeons fleece could be wet at one time in the floore all the floore about it dry and another time dry and all the ground about it wet in answer of these this vnion wil be eueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ manifest â—or all these things they vâ—doubtedly beleeue Let not the damnable Atheist discusse this mysterie asking reasons how and which way but let him tell me this one thing how the Sun beames pierce through the glasse and yet the glasse remains whole And if he cannot tell this let him adore and reuerence in sacred silence not explore in curiositiâ— this secret Mysterie And let all Infidels and miscreants know that both heauen and earth and hell doe all witnes against them and doe manifest this mysterie which is God in the flesh In earth besides the trembling thereof at Christs passion the rage of the Sea qualified by a word of his mouth the crosse that had the ordinances and hand writing that was against vs fastened vnto it and the life and the death of the Lord Iesus so famoused throughout the Christian world which was as wonders in heauen and earth filling both with the sweet odours thereof the very heathen Emperour Augustus the then Monarch of the world when this manifestation was in the fulnesse of time accomplished ' made a decree in the Senate of Rome not to be saluted by the name of Lord as if he had been taught by some diuine inspiration for the holy ghost ofttimes hath spoken by the mouth of his enemies as in Balaam Caiphas and others that now there was manifested in the earth one that was indeede the Lord of Lords In heauen also appeares at the time of this manifestation as Albertus Magnus citeth out of Aâ—bumaser the great Astrologer in the first aspect of the sign of Virgo a faire and chast virgin hauing two eares of corne in her hand and a childe in her arms which child some natioÌ„s do call Iesus not as if he that made the starres were any way subiect to the motion of the starres but that he which stretcheth out the heauens as a scrole of parchment where he wrote the booke of nature might not want witnesse out of the booke of nature of that which was contained before in the booke of Eternitie which was his secret decree That a virgin should bring forth a child and so he should be described to vs to be a naturall man albeit not borne after a naturall manner Thus heauen and earth witnesse apparantly this mysterie Yea the very diuels of hell beleeue this and tremble confessing in the Gospell Iesus I know and Paule I know but who are ye at what time some counterfeyt exorcists tooke vpon them to call ouer the possessed the name of the Lord Iesus And the Oracle of Delphos beeing the diuels mouth did at the time of this manifestation take their last farewell in these words Meâ—puer Hebraeus diuos Deus ipse gubernans cedere sede iubet tristemque ridere suborcum Aris regno dehinâ— tacitus aboedito nostris And in steede of the darkenesse of this kingdome Sathan which had almost ouer spred the whole world this glorious Sunne-shine of Gods manifestation with vs appeared which was so effectuall that euen as in the spring time when the Sunne returneth all things beginnes to waxe greene the earth brings foorth the trees are cloathed with leaues and the whole surface of the earth is renued so at the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse the whole frame and fabrique of the world was spiritually altered For then arose out of the former Hellish darkenesse quires of holy ones men women virgins martyrs confessors Preachers holy people whole nations countries and tongs declare the wonderfull mercies of the Lord in the reuelatioÌ„ of Iesus Christ Who is
our daily thankefulnes for thine vnspeakeable fauours both towardes our bodies and towards our soules sowards our selues and children in this lise and in that to come Cause vs O Lord to tremble at thy fearefull iudgements that didst not spare the Angels that sinned but hast reserued them in chaines of darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day O Lord if thou diddest not spare them for one sin what shall become of vs that haue sinned dayly against thee and do multiplie our iniquities as the haires of our head and as the sands of the sea shores which is innumerable O Father haue pitty vpon vs forgiue vs sweete Father forgiue vs for Christs sake and giue vs thy grace that wee may conâ—ert and turne vnto thee with all our hearts that those blessed spirites the Angels may haue ioy in our conuersion and repentance and we may ioyâ—e with them in the celebration and honour of thy great and glorious name for euermore O let vs bee partakers of that grace with thy blessed Angels which winneth infallibly holdeth inseparably and leadeth indeclinably into the wayes of eternall blessednesse Grant vnto vs these mercies O God of mercies for Christs sake our onely Mediator So shall wee that are thy people of thy pasture sheepe of thy flocke and Church of thy Redeemed as thy holy ones of heauen be euer telling of thy praise and magnifying thy goodnesse in Christ Iesus world without end Amen GOD PREACHED vnto the Gentiles Explication THis Mystery of Godlines you see hath been Manifestedin the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels that is It hath bin manifested vnto vs in the persoÌ„ of Christ in the power of Christ and in the knowledge seruice and ministration of the blessed Angels of Christ. What can we then say for our selues Haue not wee heard of this great mystery of godlines Hath it bin hidde in a corner from vs or whispered in the eare or beene knowne to a few or published to a handful of people in some angle or corner of the world Haue the Iewes onely had this made knowne vnto theÌ„ Assuredly God hath beene Preached There is the promulgation or proclamation of this mysterie God hath beene Preached to the Gentiles There is the large extent of this promulgation God preached vnto the Gentils For it hath pleased God by that which the world calleth the foolishnesse of Preaching to make knowne vnto the world his vnsearchable wisdome and the riches of his glorious grace in Christ. Preaching being the gift of the holy Ghost the spirit of prophesie the glad tydings of peace of good things and of saluation caused Esayas an Eâ—angelicall Prophet of the Lord to say That the very feet of them that brought this newes vnto the world were beautifull Preaching being the embassage of our reconciliationwith God in Christ the holy ordinance of God for the ordinary meanes of our sanctificatioÌ„ by grace in this world and the cleeare publication of our assured glorification in the other world caused Paul to say Woe is me if I preach not the Gospell so necessary it was for him and all beleeuers Preaching to youth is as Ezechiel his cleane water to asswage the heate of their concupiscence and to purge the old leauen of malitiousnesse It is as Solomon his wine to strengthen and glad the harts of the ancient It is as Saint Peter his milke for children to nourish and feede them vp to godlinesse It is as a soueraigne bath to heale all beleeuers with what disease of sinne soeuer they be ill affected and it is an antidoâ—e or counterpoyson against all the venome of our rottennes For Preaching is the celeâ—â—all chariot wherein the graâ—es and gifts of the holy ghost â—â—â—e continually conueyed â—nto vs. So Christ testifieth when â—â—e prayeth thus Sanctifie them O Father â—â—rough thy truth thy Word is â—â—uth And that we may not â—oubt what this Word is Saint Peter preacheth it That we are â—orne againe not of corruptible â—eede but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liueth and â—bideth for euer For all flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached vnto you Moreouer this Mysterie of Godlinesse God preached vnto the Gentiles Saint Peter had shewed vnto him in his practise of preaching For it is sayd While Peter yet preached these words the holy Ghost fell on all them that hard the Word Obserue this saying The gift of the holy Ghost fell on the auditors as Peter was a preaching Out of doubt preaching is the heauenly talent left vnto the ministers of the Gospell by their Maister Christ where withall they must negotiate and wherein they must imploy themselues vntill hee come againe vnto his great audite in the end of the world And the preaching of this mysterie is the power of our God the glory of our Preachers to the saluation both of Preachers and people Preaching hath the power of edification through God in Christ and worketh â—ightily in those that God â—ath set apart and designed â—o that businesse for the builâ—ing vp againe of those ruines which hath beene battered downe by sinne and Saâ—han For the brused reede it must not breake nor the smoking flaxe it must not quench if God in Christ direct it but whereas knowledge puffeth vp this buildeth vp vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Preaching is the voyce of God whereby hee preacheth and publisheth his holy will and last testament by men vn-the sonnes of men In a word Preaching is the Manna from heauen to feede our soules the dewe of Hermon to water our barrennesse the lampe and light of God in the darkenesse of this world for our direction the sword of truth to cut asunder the Gordian knots of heresie schisme and controuersie for our satisfaction the wall of fire by Gods promise to encompas vs from enraged beasts for our protectioÌ„ the reuelatioÌ„ of the rock of our faith to build vpon for thetestification of our ful assurance in Christ the touchstone of our coÌ„uersatioÌ„ for our tryalls in all cases of conscience the key that openeth heauen to the â—eleeuers and shutteth heauen to impenitents by Gods dispensation It is the Dauids harpe the musicke thereof so delighteth the soule that it doth not faint neither is altogether wearyed with the tediousnes of our banishment in this world It is the pricelesse antidote more pretious then Nepente or Molâ—â— so much famoused by the ancient for 〈◊〉 expels by the power of â—â—e spirit which accomâ—nyeth it all euills and 〈◊〉 diuells It followeth next to whom his Mystery was preached â—uen to the very heathen Genâ—les Preached vnto the Genâ—iles Now it comes to be consiâ—ered that the time was when â—he dewe of heauen fell onely â—on the
Iesus Christ how wonderfull are thy workes in all the world For out of the mouthes of Preachers sometimes very babes and suckâ— lings thou hast ordained strength that thereby thou mightst make thy power the more to be knowne in suppressing the rage and fury of Sathan the enemie of all mankind by such weake and feeble instruments And this thou hast done O Lord of thine vnspeakable mercy in Christ considering that we are but dust and cannot endure the presence of an Angel to speak vnto vs much lesse are wee able to behold thee in thy glorious brightnesse Nay O Lord no man can see thee and liue Eternally therefore blessed be thy goodnes O God for ordaining so sacred and so â—afe a meanes for our â—nowledge and acknowledgeâ—ent of thee and of him whome â—hou hast sent Christ Iesus our Lord For it hath pleased thee 〈◊〉 put thy word into the mouthes 〈◊〉 men to publish it vnto vs. Thou hast clothed their hearts â—ith thy righteousnesse to furâ—â—sh them with grace Thou â—ast added the power thereof 〈◊〉 thy sacred spirite to guide vs to all truth thou hast shewâ—â— the effects thereof in the sanâ—â—itie of our liues good works 〈◊〉 thy great glory Thou hast giuen vs the ioye â—ereof in the songs of holy ones 〈◊〉 our solaâ—e and the end thereâ—â— in the saluation of our sinfull â—ules and bodies to our eternall â—â—licitie in heauen O Lord who can sufficiently â—â—â—toll thy Maiesty for this thy â—â—rpassing fauour towards vs â—et vs entreate thy goodnesse for Christ his sake to stirre vp and â—uicken â—our dull hearts to a thankefull acceptance of this thy blessing Make vs to loue the preaching of thy word that sacred Ambassage from heauen that wee may bee throughly reconciled vnto thee Make it the sauour of life vnto vs and let iâ— in no wise bee the sauour of death vnto vs or any of vâ— Make vs to thinke reuerently of these whom thou hast seperated and sent to be the lighteâ— and guide of this world cause vs to esteeme of them preciously to loue them heartily to pray for them effectually and to heare them with all possible respects fulnes as people knowing that 〈◊〉 that hearetâ— them heareth thee hee that receyueth them receyueth thee hee that regardeth them regardeth thee and hee that doth for them doth for thee as people knowing it is thy Word they preach thy holy will they teach thy heauenly worshippe and diuine seruice they entreat â—s to embrace as people knowâ—â—g that the glorie thereof is â—â—ine the good thereof is ours â—â—en to the sauing of our selues â—â—d children in both worlds O King of Heauen giue vs â—â—ermore of this Manna the â—ngels foode of this water of 〈◊〉 of this celestiall treasure of â—is fruite of life of those songs 〈◊〉 Sion of this speech of Canaâ—â—â— of this salt of the earth of â—â—is light of life of this dew of â—ermon of this name of Iesus 〈◊〉 this eternall Gospell by the â—eaching of thy holy will As â—e heare it O Lord let it diâ—ill into our soules as thy holy â—â—â—ction Let it stirre our harts 〈◊〉 thy power Let it bowe our â—ils to thy obedience as thy â—â—unsell Let it sanctifie our 〈◊〉 as thy ordinance let it â—â—epare vs throughout for thee 〈◊〉 Lord and for the glory of thy â—ace for euer Humble our hearts with the remembrance what wretches we were without this reuelation of thy Sonne Say vnto vs you were dogs and might not eaâ—â— the childrens breade you were hogges and might not haue these pretious pearls cast vnto 〈◊〉 you were as vncircumcised Pâ—listines as cursed Canâ—anitâ—â— as diuelish Samaritans as Heâ— theniâ—h Pagans as Turkish Iâ—â—â—â—dels But I haue washed purgâ—â— purified and sanctified you wiâ—â— my grace I haue called you my name and I will blesse yoâ— for euer O Lord God Graunt thâ—â— wee may eate but the crumâ—â— vnder thy table that wee 〈◊〉 touch but the hemme of thy vâ— sture that thou wilt but speaâ— the Word onely and we wretches shall liue shall bee healeâ— shall bee happie to thy prayse 〈◊〉 euer Say Lord vnto our soules am your saluation So shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bee gladde all our 〈◊〉 so shall wee study to set 〈◊〉 thy honour and will vow 〈◊〉 sacrifices of thankefulnesse 〈◊〉 of soule and body in our 〈◊〉 and children for euer O heare vs King of Heaâ—â—â— and grant these blessinges 〈◊〉 thine to be continued vnto vs 〈◊〉 to our seed to al our generatiâ—â— for the merites of thy deare â—â—ne Christ Iesus our most â—â—â—â—acious Redeemer Amen GOD BELEEVED on in the World Explication THat the World should beleeue in God is the mystery of mysteries First that the World should beleeue in GOD in the vnitie of his essence and Trinity of existence Then to beleeue God in the verity of his written word And lastly to relye vpon God in the assurance of his loue for his promise sake this I say to know is eternall life and for the World to know it is a world of wonders For how should the World come by this sauing knowâ—edge 〈◊〉 Take the World as in â—oly writ it sometimes signiâ—ies the reporbate of whome Christ sayth I pray not for the â—orld that is for the reprobate of the world these beleeue not Take it Cosmographically for the frame of heauen and of earth contayning the firmamentary and elementary regions these parts are not â—apable of such mysteries â—ut vnderstand it of the Eâ—ect people of God inhabiâ—ing within the limites of the knowne Christian world and â—else where dispersed and scattered vpon the surface of the whole earth as it is taken in this place and then this mystery will bee reuealed vnto vs. For otherwise as the world 〈◊〉 more generally taken for the people of the world It is altogether set vpon wickednesse The World receyues not the Spirite of truth The Worlde knownes not God The world is at defiance with God as may plainely appeare by the contrariety betwixt God and the woâ—ld The spirit of God being loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnes faith meekenesse and temperance The Spirite of the World being adulterie fornication vncleannes lasciuiousâ—es idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions hypocrisies enuyings murthers drunkennesse reuellings How could it euer be thought that these thinges so contrariantly opposit should euer accord Yet behold this great mysterie for this malignant contrariant exorbitant refractory World is conquered by holy saith in the bloud of Christ and multitudes of millions in the World albeit not of the World Liue loue and beâ—eeue in God amidst the furious cruell and deadly rage â—atred and bloudy cruelty of many miscreants and infidell worldlings So that now God hath purchased by faith a world of people to himselfe called out of the vniuersall masse and multitude of people in the World to know and acknowledge him to be their God and Sauiour This is the sence of these words And the sacred
to approach neere vnto God and the full perswasion of faith to die in that so wee may goe on from faith to faith vntill wee haue our perfect blisse in Christ for euer Albeit our condition be that wee liue in these last and worst times as Lot in Sodome and as Abraham in Vr of the Chaldes yet hauing the rocke of our faith in Heauen the Father determining the word directing the holy Ghost mouing and these 3. are one hauing the records of our faith on earth the Spirit witnessing to our Spirite that wee are the sonnes of God the water of Baptisme the seale of our Redemption in Christ the bloud of the holy Martyres as the signes of the power of faith in weakenesse and these three aâ—gree in one wee may bid defiance to the Diuell and quiet our conscience in Christ for euermore Concluding that wee can be iustified no other way in the sight of God but onely by this holy faith in the bloud of Iesus but beeing there by onceiustified wee are in direct order towardes God wee are through the gate and in the happie way that leadeth to Abrahams bosom euen eternall life For God can direct vs in the best way vnto himself that leadeth to euerlastiâ—g felicitie in turning vs from â—ur euill wayes and returâ—ing vs to himselfe by reâ—entance and so on to good workes the assurance to our â—elues of our election in CHRIST from good workes to Gods mercy and â—rom thence to glory whereâ—nto this faith teacheth vs â—hat CHRIST is already â—ntered and whether hee â—ill vndoubtedly bring all â—hat loue him that looke â—nd long for his comming â— consummate and perfect â—is our holy seruice in the Heauens where is the fulnes â—f ioy and happinesse in the presence of God for euermore O Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe and encrease my Christian faith WOnderfull art thou O Lord God in thy manifold works maruellous in thy Almighty power and vnsearchable in thy diuine secretes The goodly frame of heauen and of earth shew shy power the disposition of all things therein tell of thy great wisedome and the passages of so many millions of particulars point out this gracious prouidence in all and yet the workes of thy mercies surpasseth all this For which O heauenly Father wee magnifie and praise thy name and multiplie our thankefulnesse vnto the in Iesus Christ from day to day For it hath pleased thee good Father to elect vnto thy selfe and to call â—ut of this Worlde out of this world I say beeing â— sincke of sinnefulnesse a deepe â—den of despayre an Asphatites of â—ll filthinesse a dead sea of sensuâ—lity the vale of the children of Hinnon a Babylon of beast linesse a Sodome of sorrow a Gomorrah of vngodlinesse a Seboim of security an Adamah of Adulterie and a world of wickednesse to chose I say one of this route a remnant of people to bee thy beloued Spouse and wife of the Lambe to bee a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people the loue of Christ all faire vndefiled and without spotte the onely Doue to bee like an Orchard inclosed a well sealed vp a fountaine of liuing water a Paradise of all pretious delectable and desirable fruites and to be the mysticall body of Christ which hee doth quicken with his owne spirite And these heauenly Father thou hast sealed with thine owne fignet dignified with thine owne fauours and as it were diâ—sied by thine effectuall and sauing grace in giuing them the holy faith of thy Christ and our Iesus thine onely sonne and our Sauior to purifie their hearts to purge their consciences from dead workes to serue thee the Father of light and life and so to be blessed by thee with light and life euerlasting O Lord now behold mee poore silly wretch that lyes here beneath in this miserable world creeping in the dust and crawling in mine owne infirmities My soule cleaueth vnto the ground my belly vnto the earth I haue nothing in mee but sinne sensuality aâ—d shame Blind I am in mine owne vnderstanding for I know thee not obstinat in my will for I little â— regarde thy Counsels corrupted in mine affections for I haue no minde vnto thee My parents were of this world I am borne in the world and the world is all my silly selfe looketh after I cannot attaine to so much at to know my selfe how then shuld I know and discerne thinges aboue my selfe much lesse vnderstand the things that appertaine vnto thee O Father and to the glory of thy Kingdome Euery good and perfect gift commeth feom thee who art the Father of lights O bowe downe thy goodnesse then vnto mee most mercifull Father and extend thy bounty vnto me poore wretch that most humbly desires thy grace and fauour that thou wouldest bee pleased to giue mee a portion and measure of thy blessings in the faith and fauour of thy sonne Grant vnto mee faith O Lord without the which I cannot please thee without the which I cannot hope for any good nor haue any euidence of these things which are not yet euident without the which I cannot come to Christ nor doe any good works nor bee raysed from sinne nor know thee O God nor resist the Diuell nor ouercome the world nor be iustified nor bee saued O blessed Father grant this mercy vnto mee without the which I desire not to be without which I cannot bee but a Cimmerian wretch a stranger vnto thee an Atheist a profane person an Infidell a cast away and a Firebrand of Hell What prayse can bee to thee O Lord in the deepe in the land of obliuion in the place of the damned Shall the dead praise thee shall the bottomlesse pitte celebrate thee shall the damned sing vnto thee no no The beleeuing the repenting the sorrowfull soule for sinne whome thou shalt shine vpon with the light of thy countenance in the faith of Christ that soule O God that soule shall euer bee magnifying thy mercies extolling thy goodnesse and celebrating thy greatnesse fro age to age What euer I doe what euer I thinke what euer I say without it hee seasoned with this grace of faith it is sinne O blessed plant of Paradise O heauenly Iewell of incomparable valuation Deare Father bestowe this blessing vpon me shut not vp my life with vnbeleeuers which shall neuer see thy face but rectifie me in al parts to the right vse of the sacred meanes of obtayning this fauour of faith It commeth by hearing of thy Word O sanctifie mee throughout that I may attentiuely hearken what the Lord will say For hee will speake peace vnto my soule and loue to his Saintes that they returne not to folly O holy Lord Looke backe vpon mine humbled Suite signe my petition for thy tender mercies sake in Christ. So shall my Sacrifices bee alwayes acceptable vnto thee as Abels my conuersation holy as Enochs my preaching powerfull as Noahs my offeringes delectable as Abrahams so shall I contemne
THE MYSTERIE OF MANKIND Made into a Manual OR THE PROTESTANTS Portuize reduced into Explication Application Inuocation tending to Illumination Sanctification Deuotion being the summe of seuen Sermons Preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill London By William Loe Doctor of Diuinity Chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty and Pastor Elect and allowed by authoâ—ity of Superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie 1 Cor. 3. 23. All are yours and yee Christs Christ God LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop for George Fayerbeard and are to be sold at his shoppe at the North side of the Exchange 1619. TO THE MOST CATHOLIKE and most Christian Monarch IAMES by Gods especiall appointment of great Bâ—ittaine France Ireland King Defendor of the faith DRead Soueraigne The blessed coÌ„pany of holy ones that houshould of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground of all truth is so grieuously gastered and so continually infested with hellish Athisme misled Papisme and misperswaded Separaâ—isme especially in these last worst ages of the world that had not God of his exuberant mercies set vp your Highnesse among vs for a blessing as another Ioshua to succeede Moses and as another Solomon to sit vpon the throne of Dauid to the supportatioÌ„ of the Church of England It is verily beleeued of many wise and iuditious that the doctrinall principles of Christian Religion had not onely beene sore-shaken within your Maiesties Realmes as they are to the hearts-griefe of many thousands among your bordering neighbours but also a most wofull and lamentable distraction and open diuision would before this time haue broken forth to to the vtter ruine and razing of the verie foundations of the blessed peace and established discipline of the church within these your Maiesties Territories But magnified for euer be our God who hath remembred vs in mercy and hath directed your Maiesties royall and enlarged heart not onely to take care of things Quae sunt ante pedes but also amidst other your Highnes many and manifold cares of your most Christian gouernment longe prospicere as to haue an eye what manner of growth your Seminaries of Marchants haue beyond the Seas at Hamborough Middleborough and other places for asmuch as they are the men in all likelyhoode who are to bee of your Maiesties great Chamber the Citie of London and to sit neere about the Sterne in future ages Therefore most dread Souâ—raigne It beeing almost a whole year sithence I was by the worthy and auncient Companie of Merchant-Aduenturers elected and by the most reuerend Archbishoppe of Canterbury allowed to be Pastor of the English Church at Hamborough I thought it my bounden duty before I departed and in some part of recompence for my long stay to leaue behinde mee a token of that seruice oâ—seruance duty loue and alleagiaâ—ce which I owe vnto your Maiestie and vnto the Church of England wheresoeuer the Lord diâ—poseâ—h of me The doctrine and discipline of which Church I shall endeauour to maintaine pro modulo meo euen to my last breath think my selfe an happy mâ—n to bee the sonne of so famous and Christian a Catholike Church Some of the compilers of whose deuout Letuâ—gie haue shed their bloud for the testimony of the Lord Iesus which bloud I haue alwayes thought to bee the best bloud in the world A measure of which modell of mine I here humbly prostrate at your Highnes feet heartily beseeching Almighiy God to preserue your Highnesse and your most royal seede to be glorious instruments of his Church to crown your Maiesty and your Princely Progenie with his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus Your Maiesties most humble sâ—ruant and Subiect WILL LOE 1 TIM 3. 16. Without controuersie Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Sâ—ene of Angels Preached vnto the Gentiles Beleeued on in the world and receyued vp in glory A PREFACE OF Pacification to all Christian Tearmers and Trauellers from the reuerend Iudge Itinerant Iustice of Oier and Determiner vnto the poorest Clyent that iournyeth within the foure seas of Great Britaine Mercie be multiplied in Châ—ist Iesus BLessed and beloued in the Lord for I cannot giue you a more honourable title if I should studie to giue you ten thousand be of what ranke or condition your will Hearken Vpon the Lords day beeing the third day after our Sauiours sufferings two disciples trauelling from Ierusalem to a village called Emaus as they walked on their way they talked of Iesus And as they thus communed Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them and afterward questioning with them opened vnto them the Scriptures tarries with them sits witb them blesseth their meat eats with them giues them a super substantial blessing for he openeth their eyes and they know him A perfâ—t president for you beloued in the Lord and a blessed direction as you traâ—aile for we aree all Viatores looke as big as we will not comprehensores if wee haue company to confâ—rre and talke of the Lord Iesus for you see if you bee but two in company hee will make the third if you commune concerning him in feare and reuerence yea your conference shall not bee fruitlesse For what is the sequell Euâ—n knowledge of the holy Scriptures they shall bee opened vppon such conference Christ his comfortable company by the holy Ghost will be affoorded for albeit according to his Esâ—e Naturale he is in heauen yet secundum esse personale he is euery where by his breath and fauour in his chosen Moreouer hee will sit with you vpon the throne of Iustice to direct your hearts aright you shal partake of his blessings with healtb and saluation hee will blesse you in your store hee will enlighten your minds encline your wils recâ—ify your desires and you shall know him whom to know is eternall lâ—fe For this cause I haue often bowed the knees of my heart vnto the God of heauen for you all and haue presumed to reduce the summe of all into this little Manuall as the Protestants portuize to carry in his hand in his bosome and to accompany him in your trauels as Paul had his parchments with him which casually he left at Troas and whereof it seemed hee had an especiall care Let not the prudent Iudge disdaine or despise that I become his remembrancer for the time is come that wee must looke to our Christian principles seeing many are gone so farre to question long receiued truthes in the spirit of subtiltie and error as if the Metempsycosis of the Pythagorists were reuiued and the soule of Iohn Duns Scotus were entred into the bodyes of suruiuing schollers to trouble the world with nicities and to lose themselues in miserable extrauagant wandrings It was a good rule therefore that Irenaeus gaue That we should diligently heede neuer to bee transported beyond the limits of Doctrinall Principles which indeede is a glosse of that of
the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the vallies Moses of old posed the whole world with this question Enquire of the dayes of olde which were before thee and froÌ„ the day that God created man vpon the earth yea euen from the height aboue to the depth beneath if euer the like thing were knowne That a people should heare the voyce of the Lord speaking out of the middest of the fire But now we may pose Moses say O Moses then God spake by an Angell out of the middest of the fire but now O man of God was euer the like as this heard That God himself in the nature of man should sit amidst his disciples and teach the. This is that the spirit of God so magnifieth That at sundry times and in diuers manner God spake heretofore in his Prophets but in these last dayes by his only Sonne And if the word deliuered by an Angell was stedfast what shall become of them that refuse and neglect the Sonne of God now speaking vnto them O most ingratefull and brutish are the sonnes of men who seeke not to vnderstand this mysterie so anciently prophesied of so fully performed and so manifestly declared Me thinkes I heare all other creatures of heauen and earth say Oh that God had vouchsafed vs such a blessing such a tie such a fauour for then had wee had beene most happy The quires of Angels say Oh that God had ordayned to vs so vnspeakeable a fauour as to haue beene vnited to our nature But Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels but tooke vpon him the nature of children that being tempted himselfe and suffering hee might succour them that suffer and are tempted Who would not then in consideration hereof giue himselfe a whole burnt offering vnto his God and consecrate his whole life if the terme thereof were euen from the first Adam vnto the ende of the world as a votiue seruice vnto the glory of this God Oh vncircumcised hearts and eares of those who neither care to heare nor to vnderstand this blessed mysterie For if they would diligently seeke they should find that God would manifest himselfe vnto them euen in their indiuiduall flesh by the sanctifying power of his holy Spirit and by pertaking of his diuine nature whereby they should see with open face as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory euen as the spirit of the Lord. In no wise shold they be as those wretches in whose flesh Sathan and not God is manifested who are indeed incarnate diuels as the prouerb is whom Sathan hath so sifted to the bran and winnowed to the chaffe that no remainder of any godlinesse or goodnesse is leaft in them in whom Sathan is Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte as Aquinas saith of the soule Their imagination euill their minde ill their meaning ill their will obstinate their vnderstanding darkned their eares itching after vanities their eyes adulterous which cannot choose but sinne their mouth blasphemous their an open graue of fulsome slanders their hands rough and cruell their feete swift to shed bloud their whole body a cage of vncleane birdes their life and conuersation a stye of stinking swines flesh an Acheldema of oppression a Caluarie of dead spoyles their ende a puddle of loathsome impieties But those that secke God doe vnderstand this mysterie and shew forth this manifestation in themselues hauing lift vp their heads as gates their minds as dores and the king of glory is come in vnto them and is manifested in them by their faith in Christ by their good workes among men by all the fruites of his graâ—ious spirit and by their ioyfull departure hence being assured of a farre better rest and happinesse in their maisters kingdome The custome of the Aethiopian Church which liue vnder Prester Iohn is to obserue the feast of the Epiphany as their chiefe and principall festiuitie at which time God shewed himselfe both to Iew and Gentile in this manifestation by a starre Thereby acknowledging and that most truly that this blessing is the beginning and fountaine of all other blessing in Christianitie whatsoeuer and ought most sollemnly to bee obserued and most diligently to be considered especially of vs that were Gentiles Goe foorth therefore yee daughters of Sion euen all religious and denoute soules and behould King Solomon your Christ with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart Go foorth I say from out the fashions and fancies of this world both with readinesse and resolution as men do to meete their new king If you be malefactors he will pardon you vpon repentant reconciliatioÌ„ throgh Christ Iesus and will receiue you to fauour If you bee already his seruants and citizens of the citie of God goe foorth to meete him with your presents of good workes and holinesse as your homages of fealtie If you be friends and allyance as are all deuout Soules doe that often which hee hath bidde you doe in remembrance of him that is offer the sacrifice of thankefulnesse receiue the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord that so you may shew the Lords death all your life long vntill his comming againe So shall your eyes bâ— opened that you shall not onely vnderstand this Great mysterie of Gods manifestation in the flesh but also see it Iustified in the Spirit Oh blessed Emanuell encrease our faith O Eternall and most mightie Iehouah Elohim whose seate is in heauen whose footestoole is in earth whose chariots are the clouds whose might is in the great waters whose power is euery where whose displayed glory is in heauen where angels are they attendants and where all the blessed dominations and thrones doe thee dayly homage where the innumerable company of elected Saints doe vncessantly prayse thee where thine habitation is light that none can approach vnto thy cloathing Maiestie and honor thy wisdome incomprehensible thy mercy vnspeakeable and thy iudgements past finding out Looke downe looke downe most mercifull Father in Christ from thine holy place the seate of mercie vpon me a most miserable distressed wretch O hearken thou to my prayers which I sinfull soule powre out from an vnfained heart Open vnto my soule this great mysterie of thy manifestation in our flesh that I may know and comprehend with all Saints the height length breadte and depth of the vnsearchable riches of thy grace in Christ Iesus our Lord. For thou diddest so loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten Sonne that who so beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This diuine loue of thine is incomprehensible this gift inestimable this deliuerance vnutterable and this felicitie incomparable My heart burneth with in me and the sparkes of deuotioÌ„ arise from the center
vanquished him Insomuch that the very diuels cry Torment vs not before our time and aske leaue to goe euen into sordid swine Thus was he iustified in the power of the Spirite in â—anquishing the powers of darkenes His Iustification was also declared by the spirit of power against his enemies as appeared by the fower Herods Asâ—alonita Archelaus Antipas and Agrippa who being Tyrants and persecutors of Christ in his infancy and of some of his followers there appeared vppon them the strong hand of God that brought them to pittifull and lamentable confusions But most notably and most notoriously the Iustification of the same God Christ Iesus our Lord in the Spirit of power appeareth most euidently euen at this day to the viewe of the whole christian world in his continued iudgements vpon the whole nation of the Iewes who were subuerted and vtterly ouerthrowne by the Romans at the very time of the yeare wherein they crucified Christ which was about Easter For at that very time of their great festiuity the Romanâ—s came and besieged Hierusalem And as from Mount Oliuet they appreheÌ„ded Christ so from that Mouâ—t was their City entered and surprised And as they hurried the Lord Iesus from Pilate to Herod so they were hurried vp and downe during the siege from Iohn to Simeon and from Simeon to Iohn two notable villaines that did mutinize within the City to their vnspeakeable torment vexation and vtter subuersion And as they whipped the Lord of Life and attired him in despicable maner in contempt and scorne Euen so they were whipped vp and downe the holy City in great villany and reproach by the Romane souldiers And as the Lord Iesus was solde for thirty peeces of siluer by Iudas a Iew euen so thirty of the Iewes in the sacking of the City were solde for one peece of siluer by the Souldiers And euen yet the hand of Gods power to iustifie his sonnes innocency is not shortned but stretched out against them still The holy bloud of Christ crying against them and against their children as they themselues desired for vengeance They liuing as a forlorne and scattered people vpon the surface of the earth without Priest or Prophet King or Scepter comfort or compassion In a word tell me who did euer striue against the Messias and did prosper or band himselfe against Christ or Christian and was not confounded Christ was also iustified by the spirit of sanctifying puritie beeing pure and spotlesse in himselfe both in body and soule for there was not any guile in him and also pure in his redeemed people effectually In himselfe pure his conception pure by the holy Ghost his birth pure of a Virgin his life pure both in word and deed in life and death pure for hee offended not no not so much as in his tongue and he is perfect that so offendeth not In his redeemed people pure by the effects of the same iustifying spirite For whereas all the whole world else is set vpon wickednesse hunting eyther with profite as with a bloud-hound or else beeing befooled or besotted with pleasures as theyr Helena these two beeing as it were the two Poles wheron the whole world else is turned the spirite of Christ hath wrought in those that are his â—uch a measure of sanctification that they minde and breath nothing but Heauen and heauenly things If it thuÌ„der that say they is the voyce of our heauenly Father If they cast their eyes to those visible heauens there say they is the curtaine or base court of our inheritance among the Saâ—nts If they heare musicke Oh say they what harmony do the Angels make in Heauen If they behold the earth and the glory therof they say If God haue prouided such a place of pleasure for vs on earth in this our prison What glory is that hee hath layde vp for vs in heauen In all occurrences of their life they sauour nothing but of God and goodnesse In a Word they liue not but Christ liueth in them For this is indeed the true beeing of Christians wholy to giue ouer themselues to bee guided by Gods holy iustifying Spirite Their life is to liue in the Spirite their passages are to walke in the spirite If they resolue their station is in the spirite If they bee deuoute They pray in the Spirite Al their whole seruice of God is to Worship him in spirit and truth Otherwise those that haue not this spirite that is are not guided thereby are none of his For as in the creation of the World The spirite of God moued vpon the waters So certainely now in the Regeneration and new birth of the Christian World the Spirite of God moueth vpon the affections of our harts to turn the riuers in the south that is to turne the streame of our actions and courses of our life to the Ocean the liuing God For hee hath made vs for him selfe and therefore our hearts are neuer quiet vntill wee returne vnto the Lord our God againe When Christ therefore speaketh hee speaketh by the spirit to the Churches for the Scripture sayth Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the spirite sayth to the Churches The Comforter also of Gods Church is the spirite which is Gods gift vnto his and doth Witnesse with the spirite That wee are the sonnnes of God There is the certainty of the subiect of our Faith The spirite doth make intercession for vs with sighes vnutterable There is the breath of our prayers and doth helpe our infirmities There is the stay and pillar of all our happinesse The first Adam being a liuing soule but the second Adam a quickning spirite For they are quickned in whom this blessed spirite dwelleth both toward God in the spirite of faith and holy vnion and in the spirite of zeale being rauished for the hope of Heauen as appeared in the blessed Martyres and also quickned towardes others in the spirite of charity keeping the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace in the spirit of meekenesse and placabilitie being easie to bee entreated for Christs sake Quickened in themselues in the Spirit of sanctification purging themselues for their assured hope of Heauen and in the spirit of sinceritie Doing iustly in all their actions with all men To this purpose the earnest of the Spirit is giuen the Elect euen in this life neuer to be taken away but to bee made vp for that is the 〈◊〉 of an earnest and the pledge of the spirite as an hostage to secure them the seale of the promise to sanctifie them and the spirit it selfe being the Doctor of trueth to leade them into all truth that their sensuall part may bee guided by right reason theyr reason ordered by faith and their faith illuminated sanctified and ledde on by the Spirite of God Indeede to them that seeke not after God this directioÌ„ of his most holy spirite is hateful and the reason is very plaine
great glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead Come Lord Iesus Come quickly O holy spirit of purity and power assist my weake and feeble spirit to bee lift vp vnto thee in prayer Oh righteous God and most merciful Father in Iesus Christ to whome the spirites of the iust are always and euery where lift vp remember mee in thy great goodnes For I acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my many and manifolde infirmities wretchednesses and wickednesses both in the sinnes of my body and also in the sinnes of my soule Now a long time O Lord I haue bin grieuously teÌ„ptead with the spirits not of infirmitie only which dwell in my flesh but with foule filthy spirits of pride ambition enuie worldly pollicie other vile vaine deceitfulnes of mine own heart and oft times with lothsom and vgly spirits of lust adultry gluttony druÌ„kenes wantonesse many other such like euills which haunt me daily eyther in thought word or deed and seeke to harâ—our in my polluted flesh giuing me no rest nor respite but are still seeking and daily assayling to ruinate and run ouer me and are dayly fighting and troubling me I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I haue done euil in thy fight and these euills are punishments vnto mee for the same It is I Oh Lord it is I and it seemeth to me that it is none but I that euer sinned so hainously against thee I seeme to my selfe of all others to be the most miserable most distressed and most wretched creature on the earth What shall I doe O Creator of heauen and of earth Thou preseruer of mankinde whether shal I flye from these vgly Monsters that thus pursue my soule and daylie seeke to preuaile against me I know not where to be safe from them but onely to flye vnto thee Oh Lord who onely canst still the raging and the roaring of the great waters when they arise and swell who onely canst chaine the Diuell when hee is â—rampant and ready to deuoure and who onely canst cast out the vncleane spirite with a worde that they neuer enter any more Now therefore come I to thee O King of Saints shewing to thee my malady my misery my moâ—rning how I lye here among the graues of the deade and torment my selfe being possessed with the rage and hell of my misdeedes and crie after thee O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and deliuer mee by the power of thy might by thy stretched out arme and by one touch of thy sacred goodnesse that it may dispossesse Sathan the strong man of his hold that it may heale me and cast out the vncleane spirites and may vtterly abandon sinne shame and Sathan farre from me and from my dwellings Take from mee for Christ his sake mine owne wretched spirit of infidelitie pride mallice and vnconstancie and grant vnto me O Lord in steed thereof thy blessed spirit of truth humilitie charitie and perseuering constancy Oh take from me O Lord mine owne spirit of vncleanenesse couetousnesse flouthfulnesse and bestow vpon me in steed thereof thine holy spirit of purenesse liberalitie and of all carefull and Christian circumspection Take from me deare Father mine owne spirit of crookednesse wherwith I haue beene vexed and bowed together for many yeares and grant mee thy Spirit of power to raise me vp and thy strength that I may resist sinne in these dayes of my combating that I may so resolutely deuoute my selfe to theâ— and to thy sacred seruice that I may neuer more hearken to subtill and enticing spirits of pleasure of errors of impietie O sacred spirit that didst moue vpon the waters in the creation of the world now moue the streames and fountains of my life in my regeneration and new birth Shake the very foundations of my soule that the image of Christ Iesus may bee repayred in me which I vile wretch by my sinnes haue miserably deformed and defaced O blessed spirit help mine infirmities heale my imperfections compassionate my miseries and make intercession for me with sighes vnutterable which will haue no nay That I may feele my selfe comforted by thee the spirit of consolation in all the wayes of godlinesse that I may perceiue my selfe to bee led on into all truth and veritie and may at the last assure mine owne spirit by thy blessed testimony that I am a child of thy gratious adoption O blessed Iesus that wast declared mightely to be the son of God by the powerfull spirit of sanctification and by rising from the dead that didst vanquish vtterly abandon all the powers all the houres of darkenesse and spirits of error and misbeleefe remoue farre from mee all heathenish Pagan and Popish idolatrie all confidence in any creature all flattering of mine own-selfe that the pure light of thy reuealed truth may shine into my heart that I may euer worship thee in spirit and truth as thou hast commanded And O God make my life holy innocent modest and honest in thy sight that I may see my heart repayred and renued by thy spirit of grace to walke before thee in godly and sincere integritie of conuersation all the remainder of my wretched dayes So am I assured Sathan shall neuer circumuent me nor the world deceiue me or mine owne flesh intice mee or enforce me from thy holy and sacred directions but if I fall I shall rise againe if I turne away at any time I shall returne againe So shall I euer magnifie thy name and multiplie prayses vnto thy maiestie and ascribe vnto thee honor and praise all my life long Grant these mercies vnto me O father of comfort and power for thy couenants sake made vnto mankinde in the iustification of thy Sonne Christ Iesus both for the sanctitie of his life for the suffering of his death and for the continuall intercession and mediation of his eternall priesthood hee now sitting at thy right hand for vs in Maiâ—stie and great glory and remaining a Priest for euer after the order of Mâ—lchisedech Behold vs wretches O holy Ghost whose soules cleaue vnto the ground quicken vs with thy might and lift vs vp from the grossenesse of our corruption to our spirituall beeing in Iesus Christ that wee may liue in the spirit loue in the spirit pray in the spirit and bee led thereby continually into all good actions being thereby purged and purified both in our spirits soules and bodyes from all dead and damnable workes of the flesh the world and the diuell That so at the last wee may through thy fauour O God bee perfectly vnited vnto thee in the spirit of sanctification in this life and in the euerlasting spirit of thy power be brought to our glorification in the other life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen GOD SEENE of Angels Explication THis Manifestation of God in the flesh and iustification in the Spirit was so apparant and the glory thereof so great that it filled heauen and earth with the brightnesse of
Angel that reuealed it by Gods appointment to Daniel Christs name was foretolde by an Angell before hee was conceiued in the womb his conception reuealed by an Angell and both to the blessed Virgin his birth was proclamed to the shepheards by a troupe of Angels his flight into Egypt from Herods butcherie his returning out of Egygt and turning aside into the confines of Galilee all directed and ordered by an Angell that God especially imployed in that message In his temptation in the wildernesse Angelles minister vnto him in his agonie an Angell from heauen comforteth him in his apprehension hee testifieth to his enemies teeth that hee could haue a guarde of more then twelue Legions of Angels if he should desire them of his heauenly Father While he was in the graue an Angell descendeth and rouled away the stone from the dore of the monument After his Resurrection two Angels sate one at the head and the other at the feet where Iesus body had layne and declared that hee was riseâ— from the dead they beeing imployed by God to bring that message to the then mournfull and sorrowfull Disciples for the late death of their heauenly master In his Ascension two Angels spake vnto the people that gazed vp into Heauen after him and certified them of his comming againe to iudgement in the end of the world Yea the very euill Angels saw and knew the power of the sonne of God in this manifestation to their great terror and torment Insomuch that they crie in the possessed Oh Iesu what haue wee to doe with thee Art thou come to torment vs before our time And when they were forced to depart out of the possessed they roare and yell yea they fell downe and confesse saying Thou art the Sonne of God and at the last being driuen by extremitâ—es they desperately attempt to coniure Iesus Christ by God himselfe not to torment them Moreouer after Christ departure into Heauen his very Name was and yet is most dreadfull vnto them and most powerfull against them For S. Paul by the power of Christs name cast out an euill Angell out of a Damsell that had a spirite of diuination And the Disciples of Christ came vnto him reioising that euill Angels were made subiect vnto them through his Name Whereby it appeareth to our vnspeakeable comfort that the God whom we serue was knowne and acknowledged of the blessed Angels yea and that euill Angels also felt his power and know him to their faster and deeper despayre and are now and alwayes made subiect to Gods elect What vnspeakeable comfort is the knowledge of this vnto vs What excellent direction doth this Angelicall knowledge affoord vs in our Euangelical seruice and what diuine incitement is this to stir vp in vs Angelical zeale Comfort it is vnspeakable For all these blessed Spirites are the attendants of our Lord Christ and are his Emissaries and Nuntioes sent out by him for the good of them that shall be saued Not that euery particular person hath a peculiar Angell designed vnto him to bee his Guardian as the Popelings would haue it but hence wee know that not one Angell but many are ordayned by God to succour and safeguard vs in all necessities and distresses what soeuer And without controuersie this is more comfort a thousand times then to know that one Angell onely is appointed to bee our assistant In our life in our death and in the day of iudgement they are appointed of God to bee our assistants In our life yea in all our life In childehoode Christ sayth Take heed yee despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen In affliction Hagar is comforted by an Angell In the warres Angels fight for Israel against the Assirians In prison Peter is loosed out of prison and out of the fetters by an Angell albeit hee slept betweene two souldiers that tooke vpon them to be his keepers In all our waies the Angels haue charge to bee our Conuoy towardes Heauen At sea in shipwracke an Angell comforteth Paul and sheweth vnto him what wold be the issue of that voyage On land Iacob in his iourney to Mesopotamia is guided by an Angell In death they transport vs into Abrahams bosome and keep watch ouer our interred bodies vntill the Resurrection And in that great haruest at the end of the world they are the Reapers in that great solemnity and exceeding Maiesty They are the Harbengers Heraldes and Trumpeters and in the sentence of that iudgement they shall bee the deuiders that shall separate the good from the bad Oh that our seruice of God then were practised by vs according to our prayers For wee pray Thy will be done O Lord euen on earth as it is in Heauen that is by vs Christians on earth as by holy angels in heauen The Angels seeing and beholding this great and wonderfull sacred mystery Prayse God continually crying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Saboth should not wee also both by prayers and praises magnifie our God vncessantly The Angels most readily exceute Gods will should not we with King Dauid say Our hearts are prepared we are ready to doe thy wil O Lord. The Angels loue God aboue all things why do we esteeme any thing in the World but for him and for his sake as helpers to leade vs towards him The Angels long after our saluation and much ioy therein Why doe wee thrust one another into Hell and heauinesse by our lewdnesse misperswasion and euill example The Angels desire yet further to see the perfection and finall consummation of this glorious mystery of Christs Kingdome why do wee wretches neglect the blessed meanes thereof which are offered vnto vs euery day Thus the blessed Angells doe because they are a part of the Châ—rch vniuersally considered whereof our Lord Christ is the head and they much ioy for our association with them whereby the ruine of those Angells that fell is repayred and for the Incarnation of the Son of God wherby they are in grace most assuredly confirmed for euermore Why should not wee hauing so cleare a reuclation and so displayed a sight both ' in Gods workes in Gods word and in the face of Iesus Christ Why should not wee I say Men and Brethren endeauour that we may doe Gods will in some measure on earth as the blessed Angels do in Heauen seeing God hath placed vs in the middest creating vs neyther Angels nor beasts but affording vs the meanes by the preaching of the Gospell that by Regeneration wee might become as glorious as the angels of Heauen and not by degeneration become worse then brute beasts For God hath giuen vs the sparkes of right reason to surpassebeasts and holy grace to surpasse our selues Is it not then
a thousand sorrows to euery good beleeuing heart to conceyue that albeit God in his aboundant mercies hath thus reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the manifestation of our flesh among vs by the power of this Almighty spirite aboue vs and by the testimony of Angels about vs yet there should bee of them that professe Christianity such as are worse then the Sect of the Saduces for the Sadduces yet acknowledge that Angels were the good motions stirred vp in vs but these neither acknowledge God good motions nor diuels but are copartners with the Diuell against Michael and his Angels and are become Combatants against Christ and his Christians Hath not Sathan thinke you sifted such to the bran and winnowed such to the chaffe by his damned motions that he hath made them good for nothing and left in them nothing but the dregs and remnants of himselfe as namely the eagernesse and greedy desire of hauing and the cursed sins of despite and malice for they haue taken the Diuell at his word when he shewed them the Worlde and the glory therof and said vnto them All this will I giue you they immediately fall downe and worship him Or else shew themselues to be of the diuels pedegree by the grosnes of lying by the fulnes of impurity by the subtilty of sorcery or as was sayde by the mischiefe of helsish malice All which dregs of the diuel hide the sonne of God from those children of disobedience and nothing remaineth for theÌ„ except they repent but the fearefull sentence of Depart from mee yee cursed into hell fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Whereas if the sonnes of meÌ„ would consider but what losses they sustaine hereby me thinkes it should recall euery good mind but of an ordinary vnderstanding to a far better dispositioÌ„ For we Christians lose by such wickednesse the honour of beeing such euill Angels Iudges Why doe not yee know that we shall iudge the Angels that is doe ye not know that we shall be assessors with Christ in the day of iudgment and condemne the diuell and his angels We lose the sight of Christs mysticall body in the glory of his Saints Which the Angels of heauen desired to behold We loose the victorious triumph of Gods Saints for shortly Sathan shall bee beate downe vnder our feet Let vs then rayse vppe our selues to his glorious assotiation of the Angels in our seruice of God knowing that there are more with vs then against vs and that our Lord Christ Iesus shal appeare in the end of the world with this holy Angels in Maiesty and great glory to iudge all mankind And I adiure you before Iesus Christ and his Elect Angels that yee diligently and duely consider these things For yee are not come vnto the mount which might not bee touched and that burned with fire nor vnto blacknes and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voyce of words which voyce they that heard entreated that the Word should not bee spoken vnto them any more But yee are come vnto Mount Sion and vnto the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to aninnumerable company of Angels and to the generall assemblie and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Testâ—ment and to the bloud of sprinck lings which speaketh better thinges then that of Abell Oh blessed Lord let mee see thy face for thy face Lord will I seeke Incomparably blessed are those sacred Spirtes O holy heauenly Father who euer attend thy glorious Maiesty and stand before thee â—ight day to behold and see thee in thy displaied glory They are in the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand where are blessings for euermore They are euer delighted with the sight of thinâ— vnsearchable wisedome of thine vnutterable glory and vnspeakable mercy They are free from the assaults of sinne or Sathan for no euill commeth neere thy dwelling O miserable wretches that wee are on earth subiect to Sathans slâ—ights the fleshes frailety and the worlds wickednesse Debarred are we from thy glorious light O King of Heauen and shut vp hâ—â—e in the darkenes of our own ignorance and lye in the very shadow of death Restrained are wee from the ioyfull fruition of the companie of those stiall attendants the Angels Saints that euer doe thee seruice without ceasing O blessed Lord how happy were wee the miserable inhabitants of thy footstoole if thou wouldest vouchsafe vs that fauour for Christ his sake as to deliuer vs out of the prison of this body out of the fetters of sinne and out of the snares of the Diuell that wee might serue thee without feare in thy Court of Heauen continually Consider good Father our miserie and forasmuch as in Christ Iesus thou hast giuen vs a light of thy selfe in the mirror of thy mercy and mystery of Christian godlinesse Leaue vs not comfortlesse but grant vs for his passion sake a glympse of thee euen in this Life while wee are here that our soules may be rauished with holy desires and neuer be satisfied vntill we come vnto thee our God to enioy thy selfe in glorious maiestie To this blessed end Oh tender hearted Father arme vs with helpe from heauen in all the occasions of our life For thou knowest O Lord that wee war not against flesh and bloud onely which are intestine and home-bred enemies but against principalities powers and spirites of errors and darkenesse in high places Thou knowest O Lord that they are many mighty and malitious Thou knowest our frailety our feeblenesse and our folly Helpe vs then deare Father out of all the temptations and snares of the diuell Let thy guard of good Angels and holy ones stand with vs to assist staÌ„d ouer vs to protect vs giue theÌ„ a charge O Lord to keepe vs in all our wayes Let them stand at our right hand to guide vs for the best Let them goe before vs dayly with thy preuenting mercy as they did before the hoast of thy Israel Let them comfort vs in the good as they did thy Iosuah Let them supplie our wants if neede require as they did thy Eliah Let them deliuer vs out of prison as they did thy Peter saue vs in shipwracke as they did thy Paul Let them alwayes be ayding vnto vs in our sicknesse and in all the weakenesse and temptations thereof yea in the last breath of our life and aâ—ter death Let them traÌ„sport vs into Abrahams boâ—ome as they did thy Lazerâ—â— And graunt vnto vs O Father for Christs sake this grace that while wee liue here we may endeauour to do thy blessed will as the angels doe in heauen That wee may euer â—praise thee for thy goodnesse sing vnto thee for thy mercies magnifie thee for thy graces and multiplie
fleece of Gideon and â—he earth round about it was â—rye that is The â—ime was when the world consisted of Iewes that onely had Gods blessed fauours and the Gentiles which were without God The Iewes were Gods peculiar to whom he coÌ„mitted his sacred oracles of trust they were Israelites as preuayling with God more then any other nation To whom onely were granted the priuiledges of Priesthood and the arke of the couenant Of whom came the Patriarkes the Prophets and Iesus Christ our Lord according to the flesh Concerning the priuiledges of those people Moses challengeth the whole earth besides and saith What nation is so great who hath the Lord so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that wee call vpon him for And Dauid concludeth it saying God sheweth his word vnto Iacob and his iudgements vnto Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any nation neither hath the heathen that is the Gentiles knowledge of his iudgements That the Sonne of God should be preached vnto the Iewes thus priuiledged and esteemed with God is no great mysterie or maruell but that he should bee preached vnto the Gentiles and that Gideâ—ns â—â—eece should be dry and all 〈◊〉 ground round about it â—et that indeed is the Great â—ysterie of Godlinesse and the â—nspeakeable riches of Gods â—ercie and the exuberance of â—is goodnesse and the glory â—f the treasure of his grace â—owards vs Gentiles For the Gentiles were Atheists Aâ—â—hrists strangers from the â—ommon wealth of Israell aâ—â—ants from the promise of God and without hope in the world They were Idolaters â—n the woful alienation from God For they made theÌ„ Gods of the hosts of heauen of sinfull man like vnto themselues of mens qualities as Iustice and Prudence and the like of mens perturbations as of Feare and Loue of mens defects for they had their dumbe Goddesse their Bacchus for their Drunkards their Venus for their gallants yea euen for their very limiâ— of their grounds they haâ—â— their Terminus and that whicâ— is vnseemely to bee spoken their very Iaxe house muâ—â— haue a patronesse Cloacina The word of God telletâ— vs sufficiently of Astoraâ— Melchom Chemosh Beelze bub and other such like Idolatrous rable among the gentiles how that euery natiâ—â— made them gods of their owne The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth and the men of Cuth made Nergall and the men of Hameth made Ashimâ— and the Anites made Nibhaz and Tirtâ—cke and Adrammelech and Anammalech were the gods of Sepharuaim These indeede were those dogges the Scripture mentioneth therefore holy things were forbidden to bee giuen to such dogges These were those hogges â—efore whom the pearles of â—eaching must not bee cast â—ea these were those Cymmeâ—â—an wretches against whom 〈◊〉 mandate was enioyned 〈◊〉 the Apostles That they â—â—ould not so much as goe into the â—â—ay of the Gentiles nor once enâ—er into the citie of the Samariâ—â—ns who were Gentiles â—aÌ„ it be imagined by the wit â—f the wisest man that these â—hould euer haue a redeemer â—hat they should haue a God â—o be good vnto them For neither Iupiter Optimus Maxâ—mus Iupiter Hammon Iupiter Capitolinus nor Apollo the Oâ—acle of wise dome for his â—mouth was stopped nor great Pan for a voyce was heard Pan is dead nor the Hecatombes of Caesar no nor Pluto himselfe albeit he might harrow hell as some speake could help or doe these Cymmerian wretches any good But with our Lord Iesus Christ there is plenteous redemption He Prophesieth this blessings vnto them he performes it He prophesieth it long before by Esayas his Euangelicall Prophet But in the last dayes it shall come to passe that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall bee established in the top of the mountaines and it shal be exalted aboue the hils and the people shall stowe vnto it and many nations shall come and say Come let vs goe vp vnto the mountaine of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes For the Law of God shall goe foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem And againe I am sought of them that asked not for me and I am sound of them that sought me not I sayde Beholde mee Behold mee vnto a nation that was not called by name And yet againe God sayth vnto his Son Aske of me and I will giue thee the â—eathen for thine inheritance and the vtmost parts of the earth for thy possessioÌ„ Did God promise this and did hee not performe Performed this was in Melchisedecke king of Salem in Abimilech in Ruth the Moabitish in Rhahab the Cananite in the Queene of Sheba in Hiram King of Tyre in Naaman the Assirian in Iob the Easterling and in the King of Niniute the Sprians chiefe Cittie as in the first fruites of the Messias purchased by his bloud vnto God the Father This redemption of the Gentiles was also Prophesied in the New Testament to wit That they should come from the East and West and sit downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen and that the Gospel should bee preached to all the world This was performed as in the first fruits thereof in the wise men that came to adore in the Centurion in the designement of Saint Paule to be the minister and doctor of the Gentiles and in Peters vision wherein hee was taught to call nothing common or vncleane that God had cleansed at what time hee was sent to preach this mysterie vnto Cornelius and to his friendes being Gentiles Yet men and brethren behold see with amazement how vile Preaching Preachers are esteemed with many miscreants For to a Iewish spirit preaching is a scandall to a Greek Phylosopher it is folly to an Atheist babling to a Papist praching to an Infidell intolâ—erable tediousnesse to the desperately damned a scarre-Crow and to the worldling and hypocrite a cloake of dishonestie And as the Preaching of the Gospell is thus vilified so Preachers also are contemned But vouchsafe Blessed in the Lord to cast downe your eyes vpon the Preachers and consider well that albeit their high Commission is from the Lord yet obserue their contemptible despicable and meane condition among the sonnes of men By office Preachers are the Angels of God and the Angels of the Church appoynted interpreters of God to his people of the people to God Of God to the people in the explication and application of his reuealed will wherein the Preacher is the mouth of God vnto the people He is also the peoples remembrancer to their God when he confesseth for them and when hee prayeth for them and herein hee is the mouth of the people to their God The end of his Ambassage is to deliuer himselfe and his hearers from hell God indeede hath sayde to the Artizan Build man an
house To the Phisition heale this man To the Souldiour â—ight for man To the King Gouerne thy subiects To the Maister Defend and â—rouide for thy family But to which of the sonnes of men hath God sayd Deliâ—er thy brother from hell Surely to none but to the Preacher and that this is the Preachers high Commission â—t playnly appeareth For Iob sayth If there bee a messenger with him an inpreter one among thousands to shew vnto man his vprightnesse then hee is gratious vnto him and sayth Deliuer him from going downe to the pit I haue receiued a ransome And Saint Paule sheweth that to Preachers God hath delegated the Mysterie Ministerie of our reconciliation with God in Christ and committed vnto them the word of attonement to be as his Ambassadors to pray and beseech men in Christ steede that they would be reconciled to God whereby they might be saued Well for all this let their Commission be what it will their Ambassage neuer so diuine neuer so Euangelicall neuer so Angelicall I am sure their condition of all other mens is oft times most miserable most lamentable Pitifull experience sheweth it to view of the whole Christian world that none interessed in that businesse bee qualified how they will can please For Esay is too long Obediah is too short Daniel too hard Amos too playne Micheah too milde Hoshea too sharpe and Ieremie too querulous This was the condition of the Prophets Peter is reputed a drunkard Paule a Sectary and a mad man all the residue of the Apostles esteemed the riffe raffe of the world and the ofscowring of all things vnto this day This was the condition of the Apostles Hence the holy ones of God became complaynants Ieremie sayth The word of the Lord was made a reproach and derision vnto him dayly and therefore through the anguish of his soule though vnaduisedly he cursed the day of his birth and the partie that brought his father the tydings where he was borne and bewayleth that his mother bare him a man of strife and contention to the whole world For hauing neither lent nor borrowed vppon vsury yet euery one did curse him Paule also laments the case that God had set foorth the Apostles last as it were appointed to death For we are made saith he a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men Wee are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise we are weake but yee are strong ye are honourable but we are despised being reuiled we blesse being persecuted wee suffer it being defamed wee entreate wee are made as the filth of the world and are the off cowring of all things vnto this day In all this thinke not much of it blessed Brethren for it is the verie case and condition of them that now liue who are the sincere preachers of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and liue conformable to the Church wherein they were bred For what betweene the common aduersary the Papist the diuels mouth the Atheist and the intestine firebrand the Separist the poore Conformitant doth ofttimes more suffer then euer did any fugitiue Seminarie in Wisbich Castle But Christ was crucified betweene malefactors and orthodoxe Christians haue euer beene tortured betweene the spirits of extremes The Iewes obtruded to the Lord of life when they had nothing else to say his meane parentage Is not this the carpenters son Are not such and such his sisters The obiecting then either of basenesse of birth or pouertie of estate vnto the preachers of the Gospell is the spirit of Iudaisme and let men be ware in this case lest the Iewish plagues befall them And the challenging of singularitie is the spirite of Iesuitisme and let men take heed of the spirites of errors and darknes of diuels for the diuel can transport himselfe into an Angell of light and such men might proue light Angels But the sonnes of true wisdome know that the most abiect and meanest things of the world if God take them into his handes may worke rare and wonderfull effects Salt beeing taken into the hand of God maketh the bitter waters of Iericho to become sweete In humane reason the salt should make the waters more brackish but behold comming through Gods hand as being Gods ordinance it causeth sweetenesse The washing in the ordinary riuer of Iordan at Gods command cureth the Syrian Captaine of Leprosie which the famoused waters of Abanah and Pharphar would not doe What is more vaine then a dreame yet Pharoah Nebuchadnezar and Gideon had great strength and potent directions by dreames presented vnto them by God What is more meane and and more vnlikely then clay especially to cleere ones eyes yet this being taken into the hand of Christ maketh blinde eyes see playnly What more vnlikely to heale then touching yet the beleeuing woman touched but the hemme of Christs garment and was cured What more vnlikely to worke miracles then a voyce yet the vncleane spirits were cast out by the voice of Christ and his Apostles yea with a voyce the very dead were raised to life What more vanishing then a shadow yet the shadow of Peter had effectuall power of doing wonders Let Preachers then bee but Salt yet they are the Salt of the earth but ordinarie water yet as Apostles they may water your drye hearts and make them fruitfull to God but a Dreame yet they may awake you from the slumber of sinne and present vnto you truth and puriâ—ie but dust and clay to bee trodde vnder your feete so that they make you see they care not but a voyce in the wildernesse of this world yet they are the forerunners of the great iudgement but shadowes yet will they haunt your ghosts vntill they haue preuayled with you if you belong vnto God And this is not of their owne worth strength but as I said because God vouchsafeth to take them into his hands whereby hee worketh out this great worke of our saluation as appeareth in the vision to Saint Iohn where it is sayd That God held seuen stars in his right hand and in the last verse of that Chapter these seuen stars are expounded to be seuen Ministers of the Churches of Asia Therefore Preachers God holdeth in his hand and so their labours become powerfull But cursed Cauillers like Iannes and Iambres who withstood Moses stand vp and obiect Wee confesse say they this is most true if God take this businesse into his hand But alas we see this practise of preaching is in the hand handling of many a sinnefull man such as are oft times more enormious and exorbitant in their conuersations then those that are no Preachers Well what then The word preached eyther by a good or bad man remayneth the Word of God still For if the wordes of the scripture reade or Preached bee but a meere and deade letter why is it called the Spirite of God And when wee preach if it bee but the sound of
a mans voyce onely why doth God vpbraid the world That hee hath called when men haue but preached and yet ye haue refused and why doe the Prophets when they preached inâ—ulcate so often in all their writings Thus sayeth the Lord of Hosts when notwithstanding the Prophets onely in the voyces of men spake and preached vnto the people Yea but sayth a second If it were Gods worke it would not bee fruitlesse and vneffectuall in the issue therof As if that were not as good seed which fel among thorns as that which fell on good ground and as if Paul did not testifie That to some Preaching is the oder of Life vnto life and vnto some the sauour of death vnto death And Euangelicall Esay tels you That as the raine commeth downe and the snow from Heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seede to the sower and breade to him that eateth So shall my Word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voyde but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it sayeth the Lord God almighty Neither is this all for a third puts in his obiection and sayeth If indeed Paul and Peter did preach there were no doubt to be made of the happie issue thereof I answere Yet we know that some say dâ— to Paul and Peter his Master euen Christ Iesus when hee preached vnto theÌ„ thus Thou hast a Diuel At what time hae rebuked them of sinne but these were crucifiers And Peter they sayde was drunkeÌ„ wheÌ„ he spake out of the plenty of Gods spirite which he had lately receyued but they that sayde so were Infidels and Paul was accouÌ„ted mad when hee preached of righteousnesse of temperance and of iudgement to come but he that so esteemed him was but a Pagan Therefore wee may see that all such cauils as these are but the suggestions of flesh and bloud and the delusions of the Diuell of hell â—agans shall condemne such â—espisers in the iudgement For the people of Lystra and â—erbe Cities of Lycaonia reâ—eyued Paul and Barnabas as â—f they had been Gods from Heauen calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurius But beleeuing soules entertain these Messengers of saluation as Angelles sent from God So did the beleeuing Galathians receiue Saint Paul albeit he preached among them in great infirmity as he himselfe confesseth yet had not the Law of God and nature for bad them they would haue pulled out theyr own eyes to haue pleasured Paul Oh what is becom of the kind acceptance of the former ages that left all the endowments now visibly to bee seene in the Christian world for the continuance and propagation of Religious preaching for the seruice and ordinance of God for the proclamation of this mystery and for the dissemination of the blessed seede of godlinesse into all the world Surely the entertainement of our forefathers of the wodden Priests of Babylon who were indeede but Balaytes will rise vp and condemne the sonnes of their irreligious profane and base contempt of the cleare earnest preachers of this sacred Mystery But we will cease to vrge our owne case and appeale from our condition among the sonnes of men to our Master which is in Heauen to whom we eyther stand or fall Blessed bee his goodnesse for euer and his inheritance shall neuer fayle that we are assured of Oh the vnspeakable riches and bounty of Gods faâ—our that did thus reueale it â—t self vnto vs miserable wretâ—hes that were Pagans And now that wee may â—ot errâ— or bee ignorant we must vnderstaÌ„d that we we I say of the English Nation among others were these Gentiles To vs to vs I say that inhabite the vtmost westerne Isles of the World is the dore of holy faith opened and Christ the expectation of the Gentiles reuealed our hearts being purified by faith wee are now become the sheepe of Christs pasture and hee is become the chiefe Bishoppe and Shephearde of our Soules Our English Nation being at the first deliuered from the blacknesse and darkenesse of Gentilisme by their preaching of this mystery of Godlines eyther by Ioseph of Arimathia or by Philip the Euangelist or as some recorde by Priscilla and Aquila or by all of these A remainder of that wretchednesse wherein we were then plunged is continued yet amidst our Nation for the dayes of the weeke which our children name retayne yet the brandes of infidelitie wherwith our whole nation was then marked The Heathen Saxons and such were we once had gods for euery day of the weeke The Sunne for the Prime day of the weeke and thereof called it Sonday The second of the Moone Moonday The third of Tuisch for so they called Mars Tuisch day Of Wooden theyr Idoll Woodensday Of Thor their Iupiter or Thur another Panim god Thursday Of Freer which was their Venus Freersday now Fryday And the last day of the Weeke they named of the slowest Planette Satursnday or after some Seâ—ersday another Saxon Idoll From out of this Heathenish infidelity and bottomlesse misery of blindenesse and impiety Loe the mercy of God hath deliuered vs by this preaching of this mysterie of Godlinesse the Gospell of Christ and hath made vs Citizens of the Saints the family of Faith and light in the Lord from out of the bondage of sinne and sathan from out the confusion of Idolatrie and darknesse of of extreame ignorance That the promise of GOD made to Abraham as Tertullian reasoneth might bee performed which was That in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed and the prophesie of Rebâ—â—caes twinnes might come to passe of whom it was sayde The elder should serue the younger which was indeed fulfilled whereof Esau his seruice to Iacob was a figure when the Iewes were reiected and serued the Gentiles their yonger brethren The vse of this Saint Paul doth largely exemplifie in the ninth to the Romanes The Iewes were the true vine we the Gentiles were the wilde branches of a wild Oliue Are they eiected that wee might bee receyued are they broken off that wee might be engraffed Then let vs feare for if God spared not his own true vine questionlesse he will not bee indulgent to vs that are wild â—liues And let vs know ' 〈◊〉 when the fulnesse of the â—entiles is accoÌ„plished God 〈◊〉 againe receyue his owne â—â—ople and remoue the canâ—â—sticke that both Iew and â—â—â—entile that beleeue may bee â—ued by the Lord Iesus â—hrist euery one in his acâ—â—â—ptable time Now is our time now is 〈◊〉 time of the Gentiles saluaâ—â—on now is the time that by his preaching of this Gospell â—nd misterie of godlinesse God will bee reuealed vnto â—s that wee may beleeue and â—e saued God therefore perswade Iaâ—heth to dwell in the tents of â—em Amen O Lord God and most grâ—tious Father in
scriptures call those the Worlde whom God hath thus called out of the world because for their sakes onely this world was made and this world is as yet preserued and all things continue as from the beginning But when God hath his full number of these his chosen people out of the world then this world shall haue an end and there shall bee a new Heauen and a new earth wherein shal dwell righteousnesse To these his redeemed people in the world God made his promises both of the promulgation extension and augmentation of this Kingdome of Iesus Christ his Sonne First that the extention thereof should be as large as is the expansion of the Heauens and so great that it should encircle and surround the earth Secondly that the dominion thereof should bee from sea to sea And from the riuers vnto the end of the world The kings of Tharsis and of the â—sles should bring presents yea all Kings should fall downe before him at nations should serue him Thirdly that Christ should â—edeeme vs to God by his bloud â—ut of euery kindred and tongue and people and Nation Fourthly that there should â—ee so great a multitude of beleeuers of all Nations Kindreds people and tongues which stand before the throne and before the â—ambe that no man should bee â—ble to number them The performance of which â—rophesies and promises God shewed most powerâ—â—lly in the very commencement of this conquest of faith â—or Peter conuerred in one â—ermon three thousand and 〈◊〉 another Sermon fiue thouâ—and soules that beleeued and â—â—â—â—rned to God from their inâ—quities So mightily yea so â—uddenly grew the word of God and preuayled yea 〈◊〉 is ttuely obserued both by Suetonius in the life of Nero and by Tacitus in the first booke of his Historie beeing enemies to Christ Christians and also by Tertullian a friend to Christians in his Apologeticall exhortation to the Gentiles that the multitude of beleeuers was so great in the Primâ—tiue Church euen amidst those furious bloudy butcheries and wofull persecutions that their strength and puissanâ—e if they should haue waged warre was oft times a feare and terror euen to the veâ—ry persecuting Emperours themselues This was exceeding strange that a World of people so dissonanâ— so dissolute so aliant so repugâ—nant to God and to goodnesse should become so plyable so flexible so obedieÌ„t 〈◊〉 submit and subiect themâ—â—lues to the yoke of Gods ceâ—â—estiall direction And albeit this very acte â—f beleeuing may seeme very â—aruellous vnto vs in it selfe â—et the strange means whereâ—y this victorious conquest was wrought by Christ in â—educing the world to the act â—f faith was indeed incompaâ—ably wonderfull and aboue mans capacitie to conceiue For Christ Iesus the Sonne of God when hee made this conquest of the World by faith did not proclaym to the world as king Cyrus did wheÌ„ he intented his conquests great pay worldly promotions magnificent titles and honourable entertainements for his voluntaries and Followers neither did Christ proffer as the diuell did All this will I 〈◊〉 thee shewing all the kingâ—omes of the world if thou wilt fall downe and worshiâ— me nor as the licentious Turk doth grants libertie of wiueving to what number of women men will of thriuing by what callusions and deuises men can so they doe no violence to all that embrace his Mahumetanisme nor yet as the most Turkish Pope vseth who grants pardons and indulgences from all kinde of punishments to all his Peccadilloes whatsoeuer For then Christ doubtlesse might haue had followers on a sudden more then enough But behold and consider the iniunctions motions and perswasions that Christ vsed to moue the world to beleeue and then tell me Beloued in our Lord if this be not a secret and hidden Mysterie The very first mandate that Christ ienioyned to those that meant to follow him was Reâ—â—nt yee that is Bee of another â—inde and leade another life 〈◊〉 you haue done heretoâ—â—re Become new creatures â—â—at is leaue off to doe euill 〈◊〉 learne to do good This was no lesson for the â—â—lfe louers of the world to â—â—arne and of these there is an â—â—finite number By this doctrine Christ â—â—ight lose all the nice of the world and all that were wedâ—ed to their owne selfe liâ—ings Another iniunction was â—n the world if you will bee mine you shall haue augariation and your hearts shall bee pierced â—hrough with many sorrowes This was no coppie to bee taken out by the effeminate delitious and delicate persons of the world A third was You shall bee hated of all men for my names sake saith Christ. This was no condition to obligue faint and false hearted cowards of the world A fourth was He that loues his life shall lose it This was not the way to winne a worldling notwithstanding all these and other such like more conditions and entertainments euen to exquisite torments yeâ— I say what euer could be sayd or done to the contrary by the infidell party in all the bloud and but chery of Gods Saints behold yee the power of God in this wonderfull conquest of the world by faith For a Centurion beleeueâ— euen to life albeit Christ is absent from doing any act speakes this in the words of a beleeuer Say the word onely O Lord and my seruant liueth A Canaanitish woman beleeues to health if she might eate but the crums thâ—â— fall â—â—om the table or touch but â—he hemme of Christ his veâ—ure The good theefe beleeues 〈◊〉 saluation in Christ Iesus â—hom he beheld fastened to â—â—rosse laden with disgraceâ—â—â—l reproches and scoffings forlorne and forsaken of the â—hole world strugling in his 〈◊〉 dolours gasping gaping 〈◊〉 weltring in his owne â—oud Oh wonderfull power 〈◊〉 faith Oh maruellous work â—f God! Is there any reason 〈◊〉 bee yeelded hereof Are â—â—ere any causes of this so rare 〈◊〉 maruellous a change in the â—eart and resolution of man â—o surely Mans reason in this â—ynt is but as a beast as Iereâ—ie sayth But Almightie â—od hath his reasons for it â—ost pregâ—ant most powâ—â—full For this beleeuing in â—hrist being an act of the vnderstanding assenting to Gods diuine truth at the commandement of the will so moued by the grace and spirit of God sheweth that it is the power onely and spirit of God that inclineth our hearts to beleeue as the first mouing cause thereof This was the reason why Lydia the Thyatirian hearkned to Paules preaching which many other did not that heard the word notwithstanding as well as she For the Text saith God opened the heart of Lydia that she attended the the words of Paule that is to say She attended not vntill God openeth her heart The inuisible finger of God being as you see a golden key to vnlocke our steely hearts that may see perceiue and be moued to seeke after God for our saluation And this is the reason why â—he
Scripture calleth this cause The spirit of faith or the spirite â—f beleeuing Gods second cause of our â—eleeuing is his blessed and â—oly word read and preached 〈◊〉 the ordinarie means of our â—ith which worketh vpon â—wo forcible and perswasiue â—enses the eye and the eare â—he one for the reader of the word the other for the hearer of the word preached or read For the eare God hath ordayned a voyce to call vpon â—s by the paynes of preaching For the eye his sacred word is written or printed that it may be read and vnderstood of vs and our children and this is the cause of our beleeuing which is called The word of Faith Aske a Christian then why he beleeues the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie his answer is because the Scripture records it there is the word of faith but reply vpon him and aske him why he beleeues the scriptures his reason is without reason in himselfe for he saith The finger of God is there If you vrge and say Why doest thou beleeue and I do not I heare the word as well as thee Saint Paule will answer with an out crie O depth That is a matter of amazement not of argument saith S. Ambrose But what might be the cause that stayeth and vpholds the hearts of the sonnes of men along the misery of this life in this word of beleeuing Surely eternall life the saluation of our soules the last article of our Christian faith is the finall cause and anchor-holde of out beleeuing in Christ Iesus For the hope whereof the holy ones of God purge theÌ„selues both in soule and body that they may be acceptaâ—le vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thereâ—ore S. Peter calleth eternall â—ife the end of our beleeuing â—uen the assured glorification â—f soule and body which by â—aith wee expect in the other world In respect whereof also it is that this faith goeth not alone like some bankrupt but is royally attended with a troupe of good works semblable to the causes thereof For the spirit of faith is not barren but is in continuall motion in stirring and quickning vp the harts of gods children euery day to goodnes Neither is the word of faith verball onely But liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword enters throgh euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the maâ—row and is a discerner of the thought and the intents of the heart The people of God therefore whose hearts are thus powerfully moued by the spirit of faith to beleeue and thus effectually counselled by the word of faith to liue well endeauour nothing else but that their liuing may be answerable to their beleeuing that so their soules might bee saued For this sacred faith of Christ first of all purifieth the heart now if the fountaine be cleare and cleane the whole streame that issueth thence will be cleane also Secondly this faith of Christ worketh by loue and bringeth foorth good workes I should euer therefore distrust that I neuer was a true beleeuer vnlesse I felt my heart sanctified by grace and my and working the deedes of haritie This doubtlesse was â—he faith of the primitiue â—orld while the bloud of Christ was yet warme in the â—earts of those beleeuers Witnes all those Churches â—olledges Hospitalls Enâ—owments Rents Reuenews â—ands Liuings Pensions and â—â—l other such donations and â—onsecrations appropriated â—nd giuen to the maintenance of religion and learning to â—he succour of the poore and â—o the perpetuating of Gods worship here on earth vntill â—he second comming of Christ. For the people then liued and beleeued as men knowing that the faith of Christ is not fruitlesse and that by the fruites therof they are assured of their election past and of their perfection by Christ to come that their good deedes should follow them where nothing else â—ould and that according to the proportion of their workes wrought in earth by grace in Christ they should through the mercie of God and not of merit bee allotted a portion of happines hereafter in the heauens And therefore vnderstanding their weldoing here to be necessarie to their well being for euer they studyed nothing else but to goe on in that race of goodnesse that they might attaine at the last the blessed end thereof euen the reward of mercy promised vnto them by the word of faith written vnto them in the bloud of our faith sealed assured vnto theÌ„ by the death of our faith stirred vp moued herevnto by the spirit of faith Christs vicegerent on earth whose they were encouraged thereunto by the bloud of so â—any faithfull beleeuers that â—yed for the faith of Christ â—nd continue therein vnto â—heir liues end by the exubeâ—ant and abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus their Ruler and Redeemer O Blessed Paule faithfull and beleeuing was the world when as yet the bloud of Christ was warme in meâ—s hearts and when the faithfull beleeuers inflamed with the loue of God and ouerioyed with the glad tydings of the Gospell thus bespake Gods seruants that preached thâ— faith vnto them Blessed in thâ— Lord will our goods pleasâ—â—â— you Behold we lay them dowâ— at your feete will our eyes 〈◊〉 you good Take ought of ouâ—â— that is neere and deere vnto 〈◊〉 euen our right eyes Will our liues steede you Wee esteeme theâ— not for the testimonie of the faitâ— of Iesus Christ as for all manner of tribulations that can happen for Iesus Christ sake We accompt them not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory that shall bee receiued A blessed and beautifull â—ace of time it was O Paule when the prime beleeuing Christians had no other fault â—ound in them no not by â—heir verie enemies as Plinius â—ecundus an heathen testifieth 〈◊〉 Traian the Emperour but his was all hee could certifie â—gainst them to the state that â—hey oft times assembled â—emselues together before â—ay in the caues and holes of the earth to sing Psalmes â—nd prayses to the Lord of â—ife Christ Iesus which seruice for feare of persecution they durst not performe publikely O then was the time hoâ—y Paule that faith wrought â—y Gods loue and not by selfe loue by good workes and not by goodly wordes what time the beleeuing Christians were knowne not â—o bee of the tribe of Naphtaâ—â— giuing goodly wordes but of the tribe of Ioseph beeing fruitfull boughes euen fruitfull boughes by a Well whose branches run ouer the wall When Placilla the wife of Theodosius a beleeuing Empresse would resort vnto the Almes houses and Hospitalâ—s of the poore to see them succoured and releeued and when her nice Gentlewomen that wayted oâ— her would dehort and disswade her not to debase her selfe to come into such meane places and neere such nastie people shee with teares in her eyes would reâ—ply and say O I wouâ—d not doe thiâ— and this onely
hold faste our profession For wee haue not an high Priest that cannot bee touched with our infirmities but was in all partes tempted like as wee are without sinne And albeit wee reade that Moses and Samuel Noah Daniel and Iob those holy men were not powerfull to preuayle with God in some cases for others yet no where can it bee found that our Lord Iesus Christ had euer the repulse for his chosen For hee is the Sonne in â—hom the Father is well â—leased Let the curious questioner come hither and if hee aske How is Christ with vs vnto the end of the world as he promised if he be receiued vp in glory I answer that hee who Was before Abraham is with vs by his grace and power of his holy spirit that liue in the faith of Abraham His departure hence into heauen beeing for our exceeding great Comfort and benefite For where should an aduocate bee but before the Iudge pleading his Clyents cause where should a Captaine bee but fighting with the enemies without the Citie And the father of a great family doth not alwayes reside at home but trauelleth into a farre country about his affayres to prouide for his houshold So Christ himselfe testifies That vnlesse he depart the Comforter should not come Not vnlike the glorious sunne of the firmament which when it is furthest from vs in locall distance it is neerest vnto vs in power and effect as appeareth in the Summer season For then the beames of the Sunne are more pâ—ercing albeit it bee further of because then they are direct and perpendicular which in the Winter though the body of the Sunne bee neerer yet the rayes thereof are oblique and aside Semblably the bodyly presence of Christ on earth wrought not so effectually in his Apostles and other the faithfull as his holy spirit did after his departure which hee powred out on them in great measure as hee promised for then were their hearts throughly resolued their willes fully purposed and their zeales feruently onflamed Yea let the most Seraphicall and most Cherubicall soules that liue come hither and see what the Angels of heauen admire at who beholding Christ Iesus ascending with this glorious conquest of his redeemed church say but by way of admiration Who is shee that looketh foorth as the Morning bright as the Sunne pure as the Moone terrible as an Armie with ensignes Nay blessed soules to which of the Angels sayde God at any time as hee doth to our Lord Christ Emanuell thou art my sonne And againe I will bee thy Father and thou shalt bee my Sonne yea the Angels are commanded to adore him and the son is bid to sit down at the right hand of the Father in the glory of heauen Lastly lâ—t the simple and honest soule come hither and learne not to seeke Christ on earth in a Wafer Cake as the Popelings doe but as the Apostle counselleth in heauen saying If you bee risen with Christ seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and where hee must bee vntill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world beganne Set therefore your mindes on heauen and heauenly things and not on earth and earthly things Heauen is now opened enter thou into the holy of holyest for thou art O my soule past the vtter and inner Court Thy Mediator is in heauen pray thou here in earth that hee may heare in heauen and speake for thee Our â— flesh is in heauen in the person of Christ whereby wee see that the glory wee haue won by Christ is greater then the disgrace and curse that the malice of the diuell brought vpon vs by Adam The diuels maliceâ— and our sinne cast vs out of Paradice but Christs loue and sufferings for sinne makes vs sit in heauenly places with him In a word our triumph is in heauen who would not fight the battaile manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell being assured by the captaine of the victorie Wee may also hence perceiue how God tenderly and louingly dealeth with vs euen as Moses sayth hee dealt with his owne people the Israelites And how was that euen as the Eagle sayth hee doth with her young The Eagle couereth her young with her winges so God doth with the winges of his safe protection She sometimes perceiuing her young ones dull and drooping gently peckes them with her becke to stirre them vppe so God by afflictions doth quicken his children yea sometimes the Eagle taketh away her young ones meate and flyeth vp into the ayre to entice and prouoke them to practise and endeuour to soare on high-euen so God the Father hath receiued vp Christ Iesus our heauenly Manna into glory that wee should learne to aspyre and soare vpwards that where hee is there wee might bee also And to this ende the two Angells tolde vs at his receiuing vppe into this glory that hee should in the same manner descend to iudgement in the ende of the world which wee expâ—ct with patience nay long and looke for and crye in our hearts Comâ— Lord Iesus Come quickly and wee doe nothing more seriously while wee are on earth but call to minde in holy meditations the Lords death and shew it to the eyes of our faith vntill his comming againe in partaking of his blessed body bloud in the Sacrament that by the power thereof wee may bee established that we turne not this great grace into wantonnesse nor neglect our Lord Iesus who is thus exalted into the highest glory not for himselfe for he had that glorie before the world was but for vs his redeemed people so that now here is the exaltation and supereminent height of faith euen euerlasting life The Being whereof is called Glorie and our Estate there Glorification To this doe all the goldly aspire that they may bee where Christ Iesus is to beholde his Maiesty and his glory in the Kingdome of GOD the father The Metropolis of which Kingdome is the Heauen of the blessed the Confines are Eternity the chaire of Estate is the thrones the houses of the Courtiers are the visions of Angels and Saints God is there as the King Christ as the Prince the Church as the Queene the Virgines as the Handmaides the Nobles are the Patriarkes and Prophetes the Notaries are Euangelists the Prelates are the Doctors of the Church the Souldiers are Martyres and the Subiects are all the blessed In which Kingdome are all things to bee desired Desire you riches Glorie riches are in his house Desire you gold The Citie it selfe is of pure gold Desire you honour O God such honor as this glorie haue all thy saints Desire you pleasures At Gods right hand are pleasures for euermore Desire you knowledge In Christ are al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge Desire you Libertie Ierusalem which is aboue is free Loue
you peace My people sayth GOD shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the Tabernacles of my protection Desire you dainties You shall be satisfied when his glory shall appeare Desire you wine You shall bee filled with the plentie of this house and shall drinke of the riuers of gladnesse Doth Musicke delight you Here Cherubin Seraphin continually doe crie Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Saboth In a word what delectable thing soeuer can come into mans imagination It is here in full aboundance to be found For God hath spoke it Come and I will shew thee all good O wretched sonnes of men whose teeth are sette on edge with the crudities of this world that they cannot taste of the delicacies of that other world For the Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge as Ezechiel speaketh Wee must therefore abstaine from the rawe and vnwholesome thinges of this Life if wee meane to confirme our teeth and conforme our taste to sauour Heauen and these glorious thinges of God The best of Gods people that euer were in the world could expresse the glory of this place but by Negatiues albeit they had an extraordinary inspection into it Aske the Prophet Esaias and Saint Peter the Apostle they will tell you That the things which eye hath not seene neyther hath eare heard neyther came it into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him And Saint Augustine sayeth That the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Our faith cannot conceyue our hope cannot comprehend our charitie cannot apprehend for it surpasseth our thoughts our vnderstanding our desires Let this bee our comfort that this glory may be obtayned expressed or conceyued it cannot be Augustine sayeth that he can tell sooner what is not there then what is there When the Queene of Sheba came to Solomons Court and heard his wisedome saw the house which hee had built obserued his dyet viewed the dwellings of his seruants noted what seruants robes the manner of their service and recounted the whole burnt offerings which were offered in the house of the Lord euerie day The text sayth that shee stood amazed and there was no Spirit in her and when shee came to her selfe shee vttered these words It is true that I heard in mine owne land of thee O King howbeit I beleeued not the report vntill now I see it but the one half was not told me for thou hast more wisedome and prosperitie then I heard by report Right so O my soule shalt thou say when thou commest into this heauenlie Court and beholdest and knowest God as he is known and seest the new Hierusalem the Feast of the Lambe the Mansions prouided the milke white roabes of the Saintes their attendants vpon God and the continuall Alleluiah sung by the quire of Heauen thou wilt say O it was not the least particle of this glorie that wee heard of beneath when we were in the earth for this glorie farre surpâ—sseth all that euer wee heard or could imagine neyther indeed could wee beleeue the same but now O King of Heauen assuredly they are fully blessed that alwaies stand before thee and behold this thy Maiesty and surpassing glory Hence was it that Holy men of God oft sighed and earnestly desired when they meditated of this glory to be with Christ. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ sayeth Paul Aye mee that I am constrayned to dwell with Mesech sayeth Dauid And in another place When shall I come and appeare before the presence of the Lord If I haue found grace in thy sight O Lord shew mee thy face sayth Moses And to this purpose God sendeth his dearest children bitter pilles of affliction oft-times in this life to weane them from the pleasures of this world The world troubleth mee saith S. Augustine and yet I loue it what would I doe if it did not afflict me Surely it would befoole vs as it doth too many who rather then they would forsake any part or parcell of the World they will desperately and diuelishly forsake their God and the glory of heauen and in their hearts wish God to keepe it for him selfe and let them enioy their pleasures and pastimes in this present life O blinde and barbarous folly of the sonnes of Adam who hath bewitched you Would you see the inuisible things of God They are seene sayth Paul by the visible God being considered in his workes Christ is receyued vp in glory ascend thou by these degrees vnto Christ O my soule that he hath reuealed vnto thee Say vnto thy selfe when thou viewest the world and the glory thereof both in the frame of Heauen and in the fabrique of the earth If O Lord thou grantest vnto vs such goodlie thinges in this our prison what hast thou prepared for vs in thy pallace of Heauen If here thou affoordest so liberally thy blessings both to friendes and foes what hast thou prouided in heauen for friendes onely When thou beholdest the surpassing beauty of the heauens say O my soules How delectable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts my Spirite fainteth for desire to dwell in the Courts of thy house for euermore For all Nations are before thee as nothing and they are accounted lesse then nothing and vanity When wee consider again that there are three principall places in this vniuerse to witte Hell the World and Heauen The first vnder the earth the second aboue the earth the third aboue the visible heauens The first a place of darkenesse the second a place mixt both with light darknesse the third is altogether light The 1. a dungeon of despayre the second a vale of teares the third a Paradise of incomparable delights and delicacies whose heart desireth not after those water-brookes whose soule seeketh not after those ioyes of Heauen where is the fulnesse of ioy and happinesse for euermore For there is health without sicknesse youth without age fulnesse without famine plenty without penury gâ—ory without infamy peace without warre and in a word all good without euill Now therefore O yee sonnes of men Marke Sayth Saint Augustine Heauen is to bee solde and God requires no other price for thee to buy it but thy selfe it is worth so much as thou art giue God thy selfe and thou shalt haue it But obserue thou must not present thy selfe to God in this exchange a worldling a sinner a cast-away but thou must become iust good holy and worthy of the same not of thy selfe but beeing iustified sanctified and bettered by the holy faith and Spirit of thy God in Christ Iesus in whom wee all are accounted worthy so shalt thou by his merites obtaine a Kingdom where the fire dooth not burne nor the ayre infect nor the water drowne noâ— the earth tremble vnder thee where there is no commet to presage thee euill no thunder to terrifie thee no lightning to daunt thee no thunderbolt
the World in respect of this as did Moses the powers of darkenesse and the gates of hell as the walles of Iericho shall fall downe before mee as those did before thy Ioshuah I shall subdue all mine enemies bee they neuer sâ—many neuer so mighty neuer so malitious as did Dauid his Worthies and shall sanctifie all my corrupted actions affections healing that which halted and binding vp the broken parts as did thine Holy Prophets So shall I triumph ouer hell vanquish â—death and liue with thee for euer O Lord thou art not wont to quench smoaking flaxe nor to breake a brused reed nor to let a repenting soule goe pensiue from thy presence O looke vpon me with one glimpse of thy countenance and enflame mine heart with zeale that feeles it selfe touched with the fire of thine Alter Oh saue me for thy pitty sake and take mee ouâ— of the multitude of vnbeleeuers that I may seeke and serue thee for euer Distill thy heauenly dewe into my bowels Let it runne like oyle into my bones Let it bee as a fruitful and effectuall plantation in mine hart that I may not be one of the number of those that say they haue faith and professe it also but without fruite but of those who with neuer altering resolutions treade the trace of that sacred faith that worketh by loue ouercommeth the world holdeth alwayes the sacred truth and leadeth into the wayes of eternall ioy and happiâ—nesse by thy effectuall and sauing grace Grant this O Father of Heauen for Christ Iesus sake thy blessed Sonne and mine eternall Sauiour Amen GOD RECEIVED vp in Glory Explication THis Mystery of Mankind you see hath now led vs from Gods humiliation in the flesh to GOD iustified in the Spirit from vision of Angels to reuelation vnto men from thence to beleeuing and now are wee come to the exaltation therof for God was receyued vp in Glory That is Christ Iesus God and man in our nature is ascended vp into heauen to take possession in our nature of that glory which hee had in himselfe from all eternity but hath purchased it for vs his redeemed Church with his most precious bloud For it was necessary that Christ â—hould suffer aud so enter into â—lory Not that this was of â—bsolute necessity that he must needs suffer For in respect of himselfe this glory was his â—rom euerlasting but was necessary he should enter into â— by suffering onely in reâ—pect of vs that the humiliaâ—ion of the Sonne of God becomming Man might be the â—ause of the exaltation of the â—ature of Man For when he â—ersonally assumed the naâ—ure of Man and became Man Man became God â—lmightie hauing all powâ—r and a name aboue all â—ames that the abasing of â—e diuine Maiestie and perâ—on of the Sonne of God â—ight bee the high aduanâ—â—ng and exaltation of the â—â—rme of a seruant For when God began to be Man and Man began to be God God began to be a Man in subiection and humilitie and man to be God in the height of perfection For if God were humbled as much as hee might be in that he became Man was not Man exalted as much as hee might be in that he became God Herein vndoubtedly appeared the wisdome and power of our God that his Sonne in obedience to the Father beeing abazed to the lowest degree of humiliation for vs should by his owne power and not as Enoch and Elias were by anothers power be exalted to the supreme height of exaltation in the sight of all the world both of men and Angels Therefore we beleeue that hee which Ascended is the same that Descended first into â—o the lowest parts of the â—arth Descended when his â—ody was layde in the graue Descended when his soule separated from the body went â—o the place where the soules departed were Descended when his Deitie exhibited â—t selfe into the lowest pit to â—he terror of the diuels and â—urther despayre of the damâ—ed Descended when the power of his passion did exâ—end it selfe euen to those exâ—reme parts Descended when â—e suffered those extreme anguishes and torments which for our sakes by his Fathers will he was willing to endure Descended when he deliuered those that deceased before his resurrection and brought them by the power of his sufferings into the place where they now are And he that thus Descended is the same that Ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Euen hee our Lord Christ that in our nature was accompted but a most despicable man yea a worme and no man that vndertooke our sinnes the cause of his suffrings that endured a cursed death the punishment due for our transgressions euen he that in the entrance of this bottomlesse sorrow had his soule heauy vnto the death and made strong cries and teares to bee deliuered and in the progresse thereof had clods of bloud breaking from him and when he was deepest in vttered that dreadfull clamor expressing a most horrible passion My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Euen hee I say now tâ—â—umphes ouer all the powers of hel and the heauens stoope downe and receiue him vp in glory And this the power and mighty hand of our God hath wrought for vs to the glory of his great name which be praysed and blessed for euer By God wee vnderstand â—he hypostaticall vnion of the diuine and humane natures â—n the person of Christ Iesus By Receiued vp wee conceiue not a momentany but by degrees of time a locall motion ascending from an inferiour place to an higher and by Glory is meant that hee was exalted aboue these visible heauens and receiued throgh the spheares the cataracts of heauen opening vnto him euen that hee might sit at the right hand of God in great Maiesty and highest glory for euermore in the heaueÌ„s of the blessed The circuÌ„staÌ„ces of this article of our Christian faith is most euidently in all the particulars set down in holy wâ—it The place where he was receiued vp was mount Oliuet neere to Ierusalem the cittie where he was so abased euen there there I say was hee taken vp into the glory of the father in the sight of his cursed enemies The manner of his ascent was a cloud receiued him vp The heauens stoope downe to doe homage vnto the heire of heauen and earth For by the same power whereby he made all things in the begining hee also lift vp himsele aboue all things that are created His passage naturall without either change or diffusion of his natures His Session also actuall For according to his true naturall being hee sits at the right hand of God and according to his personall being he is euery where The time of his ascent was â—ortie dayes after his resurreâ—tion from the graue For so â—ong was he conuersing with â—is people after his passion â—hat they might bee the more â—scertayned of the truth of his â—rising from the dead and â—ight be informed and confirmed the