for your better satisfaction the prophecies of him and the performance of them witnessed in the scripture A voice cryeth in the wildernes saith the Prophet Esay Prepare yee the way of the Lord make Isai 40. 3. straight his pathes Malachy speakes somwhat more Mal. 3. 1. plaine Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before mee What voice what messenger was this Let S. Mathew shew vs This is hee viz. Iohn Mat. 3. 3. Baptist of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Isaias saying The voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes c. The like hath S. Marke who begins his Gospell with the testimonie Mark 1. 2. of Malachy the last of the Prophets and applies it to Iohn Behold I send my messenger c. S. Luke also Luke 3. 4. beares witnes to the same truth that the ioint consent of al the 4. may be seene our Euangelist S. Iohn reporteth the same thing from the mouth of Iohn Baptist himselfe who being asked by the Priests Leuites sent from the Iewes what he said of himselfe answered I am Ioh. 1. 23. the voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes Make straight the way of the Lord. If there bee any man whome this colud of witnesses cannot perswade though hee deserue not any farder instruction yet let him hearken to our Sauiour affirming that this Iohn was that Elias of whom Malachy prophesied saying Behold Mal. 4. 5. I will send you Elias the Prophet before the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. If ye will receiue Mat. 11. 14. it saith Christ This is Elias which was to come So had the Angell Gabriell prophecied of him before to his father Zacharie Hee shall goe before him Christ in the spirit and power of Elias There can possibly bee no doubt then but that hee which was in such extraordinarie sort sent from GOD both could and would testifie according to the truth hee had receiued by reuelation from him who imploied him in so worthy a seruice Is it not strange then yea almost more then incredible that the Iewes for whose sake principally if not only a messenger of such credit and authoritie was sent should so distast the chiefe point and the very substance of his Message I intend not to make any long discourse of the matter because I shall haue more iust occasion thereof at the 11. verse Yet I can not paste it ouer wholly in silence At his circumcision all that heard Luke 1. 60. Ver. 63. Ver. 64. what had happened that his mother against the liking of her kinred and freinds would needs haue him named Iohn that his father tooke writing tables and set downe the same name that therevpon he was restored to the vse of his speech hauing bin dumbe at the least 9. or 10. monethes all I say that heard these things were striken with feare and wonder saving one to another What manner of Child shall this be Now the time was come that they might cast off that feare and satisfie themselues concerning that their wondring He was growne to mans estate hee betooke himselfe to the worke of his calling hee perswaded and exhorted all men to repent he shewed them the Messiah he spake plainely of him as no prophet euer could that no man could doubt whom he meant Behold the Lambe of God Ioh. 1. 29. What could they desire more If the autoritie of the speaker might preuaile with them All men held Iohn Mat. 21. 26. for a Prophet If the warrant of his Doctrine were lookt for the people were generally of opinion that hee had it from heauen So that the Pharises Scribes durst not say the contrary for feare of the multitude What then Did hee speake obscurely and darkely after the manner of prophecies Hee pointed to the person with his finger This is hee of whome I said After mee commeth a man which is preferred before Ioh 1 30. me Hee declared his office in plaine words Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of Ver. 29. the world I may well take vp the complaint of the Prophet I say against this people in the like case What Isai 5. 4. could the Lord haue done more for them then he did Iohn Baptist came neither eating nor drinking but leading so austere a life that the very Heathen were moued with reuerence toward him Herod feared Iohn knowing Mark 6. 20. that hee was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him and when he heard him did many things and heard him gladly But it was a small matter for the Iewes to make little accompt of Herods iudgement concerning the Baptist it was much they should not beleeue a man whom they thought to be sent from God Especially considering the end of his sending which Verse 7. wee haue set downe in these two next verses The same came for a witnes to beare witnesse of the light c. In the former whereof wee are first to speake of his office both in the generall that he came for a witnes and in the particular that hee was to beare witness of the light Secondly we must consider the amplification of this his office by the end That all men through him might beleeue and in the next verse by a deniall of the contrarie thereto he was not the light and a repetition of the office but was sent to beare witnes of the light In the first part there is no neede of any long exposition of the words they are so plaine onely somwhat must be said of the last of them a witnes The Greeke worde doth not signifie a partie that is to bee witnes but rather the testimonie it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hee must giue Therefore our Rhemists take aduantage to make the text as hard and vnpleasant as they can Hee came for testimonie say they For testimonie What English should a man pick out of such a strange kinde of speech Surely if any thing can reasonably bee made of it wee must vnderstand Testimonie for testimoniall as if the Euangelist had meant to tell vs that Iohns comming was for testimoniall But hee had no such thought For hee came not to haue any testimony of this or that from other men but to giue testimonie himselfe to other So that neither the worde testimonie may bee put for testimoniall nor if it might could it serue to expresse Saint Iohns meaning Which is nothing else but that the Baptist came to beare or giue witnes The phrase is somewhat diuers in the two clauses but the sense is absolutely one and the same May wee then so expound our Popish translation of the Rhemists This man say they came for testimonie that is to giue testimony Indeede that is the thing that our Euangelist would haue vs know but the English will not beare it For testimonie For to giue testimonie But such strange and new
Translaters hauing an English word so fit for the purpose yea fitter for the Greeke then their Latine is and fully expressing the Latine did not remember to make their aduantage of it Doubtlesse they neuer markt it For if they had it is apparant by their ordinarie practise that they would haue vsed it especially seeing it differs from our Translation affords a double interpretation as the Greek doth There are two thinges mentioned in this proposition that which inlightneth and that which is inlightned the light and man The word comming in the originall is such that it may well agree either with the light or with man To the light it may thus bee ioyned which light comming into the worlde inlightneth euerie man If wee referre it to man wee may translate it thus which inlightneth euerie man comming into the world or that commeth into the world I will not striue much about so small a matter yet to speake my minde plainly I hold that word for the better which comes neerer to the originall and hath also example from the Latin Onely there seemes to bee this inconuenience in following of the Greek and translation of the word comming that wee shall bee thought to restrain this inlightning to the time of a mans birth or comming into the world For so much the wordes ordinarily import Which inlightneth euerie man comming into the world that is euerie man when hee comes into the world And then cannot this bee vnderstood of supernaturall grace and teaching by reuelation but of the light of nature whereas the holy Ghost in this place speakes onely of the former as I shewed at the fourth verse Yet the Greeke and Latine are both subiect to the like inconuenience and the English may bee otherwise vnderstood to signifie no more then the common translation that commeth It is somewhat to haue warrant from the Greeke and consent of the Latine though it bee not altogether so plaine as perhappes otherwise it might bee The Rhemists haue reiected both But in the next words they haue followed the Latine and left both vs and the Greeke The world sayeth our translation according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke This world sayth the Latine and the Rhemists after it It is no great matter whether of the two wee read For this world and the world in euerie mans vnderstanding signifie the same thing But who had not rather drinke of the Fountaine then of the Chanell though the water bee pure and sweete in both But of the translation enough now a worde or two of the Euangelistes manner of speech Euerie man that commeth into the world Why did not Saint Iohn content himselfe to say Euerie man but addeth that commeth into the world Shall wee imagine as some haue done very strangely that the soules of men were created at the first altogether by God and are reserued by him to bee coupled to bodies according to their Origen de princip lib. 1. cap. 3 lib. 2. cap. 8. behauiour good or badde in that world where they were created This idle fancy and fonde error is vanisht long since that it were lost labour to spend anic time in the refuting of it There is another opinion in it selfe true but not fitte for this text that therefore men are thus described because the soules though they haue not anie beeing with God before the creation or making of the bodies to which they are to bee ioyned yet they may bee sayde to come into the worlde because they are not framed of any matter as the bodies are but haue their originall immediately in regard of their substance from God himselfe whereas the bodies so come into the world that they are fashioned and formed heere belowe of an earthly matter But this seemes to be ouer-curious and nothing agreeable to the simplicitie of the Gospell which enters not into such opinions as little concerne our knowledge in any point of Religion What is then the meaning of this speech That commeth into the world Surely nothing else but that is borne and so it is often vsed in the Scripture as the contrarie to goe out of the worlde is to die Naked came I out of my mothers womhe sayeth Iob and naked Iob. 1. 21. shall I returne thither againe To come out of the wombe is to bee borne toreturne that is to goe out of the world or to leaue it is to die The same kinde of speech the wise King vseth As Hee came foorth of Eccles 5. 14. his mothers belly hee shall returne naked to goe as hee came To these adde that of the Apostle Wee brought nothing into this world and it is certaine wee shall carrie 1. Tim. 6. 7. nothing out VVee brought nothing namely when by our birth wee came into the worlde VVee shall carrie nothing out when wee dye This bringing and carrying away argues a comming and a departing But why woulde the Euangelist so describe men I am wholly of their opinion in this point who thinke that hee followed the Hebrewe Rabbins herein who doo oftentimes call a man by the like name vnder which they comprehend infants too none excepted This manner of speech it is likely the common people had learned of their teachers and therefore by it Saint Iohn would farther teach them that CHRIST is hee which inlightneth all men one and other that no man may except himselfe Some expound this comming into the worlde of regeneration by baptisme By what warrant where is it euer so called in Scripture Howe canne it bee so tearmed Baptisme rather carries out of the world then brings vs into it For in and by Baptisme wee renounce the world and dye vnto it so farre are wee from comming into it thereby It is therefore best and safest to take the wordes in the playnest sense and to vnderstande by them To bee borne which is common to all men whatsoeuer so much the rather because our Lorde in the Gospell hath a like speech by which hee notes all men Among them sayeth hee which are borne of VVoemen arose Mat. 11. 11. there not a greater then Iohn Baptist Is this any more then if hee had sayd Among men there is not a greater then Iohn Hauing thus cleered those doubtes which by reason of the wordes might make the Euangelistes meaning more darke and hard Let vs come now to the matter that is heere deliuerd In the former parte of the verse our Lorde was sayde to bee the true light in this later proposition hee is shewed to bee so by an especiall effect which is inlightning euery man Is euerie man then inlightned How else if our Sauiour inlighten euerie man But there are many not men only but nations that neuer receiued any light of the Gospell or inlightning from Christ This doubt hath made diuers writers expound this place of the light of nature which wee haue by creation And this it is apparant wee haue of Christ By whome all
shame they dare not Were they not priuie to â—hem They were done in their open Synagogues oftentimes But I knowe not how I am slipt ere I was aware into that which particularly concernes the Iewes with whom I must deale in the next verse to which I now come Hee came to his owne and his owne receiued him not Kindnesse offered requited with vnkindnesse Both so great that the holy Ghost hauing spoken of them in generall in the very last verse repeates them heere in particular and that with speciall amplification Hee had sayde before Hee was in the world Therefore hee might haue beene knowne of men He addes now Hee came to his owne Therefore hee should haue beene intertained But the world knewe him not He was a straunger to them who lookt not for any such guest His owne could not plead such ignorance They had heard of him they longed for him For all this They receiued him not Is it credible Is it possible It is too true Hee had very meane or rather very bad intertainement at their hands Wee may not passe ouer the matter so sleightly Let vs see the particulars First his comming to his owne then his reiecting by his owne For the cleerer interpretation of the text wee must examine what is meant by His owne because the vnderstanding of that concernes both partes of the verse That being knowne in the former parte wee must consider his comming in the later his reiecting Hee came to his owne Our Rhemists who account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their differing from vs a high poynt of their popish obedience would not translate as wee doe To his owne but must needes haue a farther tricke Into his owne By which translation first they must of necessitie vnderstand the place to which he came or else they speake but ill fauoured English For no man that knowes what belonges to our Language will say Into if hee spake of persons but to them vnlesse hee meane to signifie such a comming as is spirituall into the hearts of men or into the midst of a multitude neither of which in this place canne bee intended by the Euangelist Secondly though the place bee signified yet may our translation very well bee allowed I appeale in this case as to all men that canne speake English so to these Rhemists who translate so in other places From that hower say they the Disciple tooke her to his owne Ioh. 19. 27. Heere is the same word for into and more reason because the speech is of Saint Iohns receiuing the Virgin Marie into his house yet they translate as we do here to his owne The like example wee haue else where They returned vnto their owne The Disciples at Tyre hauing 〈◊〉 â—1 6. brought Paul and his company to the Sea side and seene them shipt returned to their owne houses To or vnto which are all one but not into Therefore there was in their iudgement no necessitie of reiecting our Translation in this text and forging a new But let the Translation passe the sense of the wordes is more worth our labour The Originall Greeke and the vulgar Latine make difference betwixt the wordes His owne in the former and the same in the later part of the verse The Greeke keepes the same word in both but alters the gender The 〈◊〉 Latine chaungeth the word too aswell as the gender Both the one and the other direct vs to expound the first of the place and the last of the persons Neither our translation nor the Rhemists expresse this difference If they had added to their into his owne Countrey or place or some such worde to make the Euangelists meaning more plaine I would haue thought they had rather indeauoured to bee vnderstood then striuen to dissent Well let vs then by his owne in the former clause conceiue that Saint Iohn notes the place whither our Sauiour came Thus remaines a great doubt whether this place bee the worlde in generall or the Land of Iudea in particular Not to trouble you with any long discourse of this point it seemes most likely to mee with reuerence of other mens iudgement that the holy Ghost in this verse speakes particularly of the Iewes Of the worlds ignorance and carelesnesse in not taking knowledge of so rare and extraordinarie a personage hee had spoken in the former verse and amplyfied their sin by nothing that he whom they did not know was their Creator as the miracles he wrought in their sight manifestly testified If this were a fault in the world as it was a most greeuous fault what was it for the Iewes to refuse him Should that bee obserued by our Euangelist and this past ouer without nothing especially since his whole story shewes that our Lordes Chryso hom 7. in loa Cyprâ—n ad Quâ—rin lib. 1. cap. Cyril in loa â—b 1. ca. 11. life and miracles were as it were shutte vp within the Land of Iurie Besides the worde in this later verse leades vs to the Iewes Hee came to his owne Comming to them argues more then Being in the worlde Ignorance was iustly imputed to the world Not receiuing is a sinne more fittely to bee charged vpon the Iewes If wee consider the wordes vsed by our Euangelist I thinke wee shall finde small reason to call the worlde Christs owne For although it bee true that the earth is 〈◊〉 24 1. the Lords c. and that our Sauiour was the maker of it and the whole worlde yet who euer obserued that the world was so appropriated to GOD or to the second person in Trinitie The possession that God promised to giue him is not in regard of Creation but 〈◊〉 â— 8. 〈◊〉 â—unc locum of Mediation whereas they that expound this place of all the world make Christs right thereunto consist in the title hee hath to it as the authour of it Now that is ordinarily sayde to bee a mans owne which is proper to him after some speciall manner otherwise then other thinges are But what canne wee imagine to which our Sauiour hath not as good clayme by his interest of Creation as to the worlde How then should this bee tearmed His owne and as some sren lib. cap. 11 auncient writers haue exprest the word His owne proper But if wee apply it to the Iewes euery man knowes that whereas all the worlde was GODS August in Ioa. tract 2. Iuâ—sua propra hee tooke the Land of Iewry into his especial protection And howsoeuer all nations were his by creation yet hee chose the Children of Israell to bee his peculiar people so that they and their Country were his owne not by nature but by grace indeede yet in such sort that hee made his aboade visibly amongst them aâ— hee did not in any part of the world beside The examples I alledged before wherein these wordes were vsed by the holy Ghost shew plainely that by His owne his particular place of habitation and his
often as there is any mention of Gods speaking to man helping man or being conuersant with him but he neither brings example of it nor quotes any place onely hee boldly auoucheth that the learned shall finde it to be so euery where and the vnlearned must take it vpon his word and knowledge They that will may giue credit to his report but I am sure he that will compare the Originall Hebrew and the Chalde Paraphrase together shall not finde one place in 20. so translated if any at all be It is vsuall with the Paraphrast to put w for Iehouah not Memar I thought good to note this by the way that all men may know what credit such authors deserue vpon their word and yet he is otherwise one of the best interpreters that I haue read of the Papists But though the Chalde Paraphrast doe not alwayes nor perhaps often or euer so translate the word Iehouah yet he puts Memar sometime where God perchance the second person is signified x Gene. 22. 16 By my selfe haue I sworne saith God to Abraham The Hebrew is so and so the Apostle expoundeth it y Heb. 6. 13. when God made the promise to Abraham because he had no greater to sweareby hee swore by himselfe Here the Paraphrast hath Binenni by my word In an other place where the Lord assureth Iacob that * Gene. 28. 15 he will be with him and keepe him the Chalde hath My word shall be thy helpe A gaine when Laban pursued Iacob Moses tels vs that a Gene. 31. 24 God came to Laban the Aramite in a dreame by night said The Chalde saith Memar The or rather a word came from the face of God But none of these places vnles perhaps the 2. need to be or may be expounded of the 2. Person in the Trinity our Sauiour Iesus Christ There remaines the last not the most vnlikely reason why our Sauiour should be called the Word namely because he was so often spoken of promised by the Lord. Now a promise as in our ordinary speech so in the Scripture is cōmonly called a word the septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name our Euangelist here vseth b Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his couenant c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his word that he made to a thousand generations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in d Psal 119. 25. 119. Psal often Quicken me according to thy word e Verse 49. Remember the promise or word made to thy seruant f Verse 65. Thou hast dealt gratiously with thy seruant according to thy word g Verse 74. I haue trusted in thy word h Verse 76. According to thy word to thy seruant Where the Chalde hath the very word i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memar So k psal 130. 5. Ps 130. I haue trusted in thy word The main promise thē being the Messiah that indeed wherupon al other that are truly blessings fauours depend it is no meruaile that the Iewes should speake ordinarily of our Sauiour as of him that was promised by the name word or that the holy Ghost should direct our Euangelist to make choice of that title for him by which the Iews that translated the old Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke so often expressed the promises of God Hereupon it followes that although diuers l Tertullian de Trinit saepe Cipria ad Quirin lib. 2. cap. 3. 6. Hilar. de Trinit lib. 2. Erasm Caloni Beza c. ancient later Diuines haue translated the Greek by the Latin Sermo speech yet it seemes better to cal it Verbū the word For a mans promise is not tearmed his speech but his word But this reasō of the name is excepted against by m Maldonatus ad hunc locum a learned Papist as well because of the authors therof who in his Pharisaicall censure are heriticks as also for that it hath in it no liklihood of truth if al that he speaks be oracles Let his slander go let vs heare his reason If the Son saith he be called the word because he was promised in the beginning he was not the word because he was not promised As if our Euangelist said He was the word in the beginning not rather The word was in the beginning that is as I will say anon whē I deliuer the sense of the Text He that was promised for the Messiah had already his being when all created things began first to be Therfore wee may boldly cōclude that this respect of the promise is either the true or at least a likely reason of the name whosoeuer mislike or cōdemn it If any mā be of opiniō that the Greek should rather be trāslated Wisdome or Reason thē word as indeed it signifieth the one as well as the other n Michael de Palatio in Ioan. cap. 1. enarrat 1. we may think that S. Iohn in this place alludes to that in the o Prou. 8. 22. Prouerbs where the Sonne of God is brought in vnder the name of wisdom speaking in this sort The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning before the earth c. This may seeme the more likely because as here so there also after the description of the word wisdome followes a discourse of the creation Here it is said that p Ioh. 1. 3. all things were made by the word q prou 8. 27. There Wisdome affirmes that she was present whē God prepared the heauens set the compasse vpon the deepe Neither only was she with him but as r Verse 30. a nourisher she maintained preserued all things which effect of preseruing nourishing diuers interpreters thinke to be signified in this chap. by those words ſ Iohn 1. 4. In it was life All which notwithstanding I had rather follow the translatiō which is most generally receiued especially since it is grounded vpon such great likelihood of reason that the Son may wel be signified to be the wisdom of God because he is the word of God both conceiued in the Father as the word t Isai 9. 6. reuealing to vs the wisdome of the Father promised u 8. Cor. 1. 30. made to be wisedome to vs. Therefore then is the Messiah fitly called the Word because he is in God as our inward conceptiō in vs because he hath declared vnto vs the wil of his Father and whatsoeuer else it seemeth good to the Lord to acquaint vs withal as it is manifest in this Chapter x Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time but the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him And lastly because he is the promised seede of whom as it is also in y Iohn 1. 45 this Chapter Moses and the Prophets
which is then should not bee God If you say with Arius that hee was created you deny that the beginning of all creation is truely described by Moses when he saith g Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created heauen and earth For if that you say bee true the most excellent part of the creation was already past namely the making of him by whom all these things afterward were created Who taught this strange Diuinity Where is any such thing recorded in any part of Scripture Who is so shamelesse as to say he hath it by reuelation Who so senselesse as to beleeue him that will say so This is our wisedome to know what it hath pleased God to reueale to vs in the Scripture either expresly or by consequence and to accompt nothing else a matter necessary to bee beleeued So then when we read or heare that our Sauiour was with God wee learne thereby that hee is himselfe God For what can be bee but God that had his being before and without all creation The word perhaps troubles thee because he is said to haue beene with God and therefore as it may seeme not God but an other An other Thou saiest well h Tertullian contra PraxeaÌ„ cap. 8. For hee is indeede in person as I aunswered once before another But where thou saiest not God thou â—rt deceiued vnlesse by God thou vnderstand the person of the Father VVith God signifies distinction of person not diuersitie of Nature Therefore i some learned Diuines by with thinke the holy Ghost meant to note his coniunction with Hilar. de Triit lib. 2. God the Father whereby they are one in vnitie of the same Diuine substance To which also they apply that which followeth in this Chapter where k Iohn 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne is said to bee in the bosome of the Father and that l Ioh. 14. 10. 11 Chapter 14. I am in the Father and the Father in me yea m Epiphan â—aeres 93. saith one He is so with God that hee is in the substance of God and his very nature Wherfore if at any time thou beest disquieted by the word with as if it â—mplied some difference betwixt God and the Word remember that God signifies the person of the Father â—rom whom the Sonne is truly and really distinguisht â—et not by the nature of his Godhead which is one in both but by the property of his being the Sonne in which the Father and hee are alwayes not one but two â—he one the Father the other the Sonne And this last point concerning our Sauiour Christs person n Tertullian contra PraxeaÌ„ cap. 12. is manifestly vndoubtedly prooued by this part of the verse For it cannot bee imagined that any thing beeing in all respects one and the same should bee saide to bee with it selfe or in it selfe The word was with God If there be no distinction betwixt the word God how can it be conceiued that the word was with God I shall neede to spend the lesse time and paines in this matter because none but o August de haer cap. 4. the Sabellians euer made question of it They deceiued themselues and other men with an vnlikely fancy against euidence of Scripture that God was but one person called in diuers respects sometimes the Father sometimes the Sonne sometimes the holy Ghost But what respect can make this speech reasonable if there be but one person in the Godhead Let vs consider the point a little better Dauid was in regard of his gouernment a king in respect of his sonne Salomon a father in relation to his wife Bersheba an husband for his generall nature a man May I say of him because of these diuers respects that the father of Saelomon was with Dauid or with the man meaning Dauid Would not a man laugh at the absurditie of such a speech It cannot be then but that hee which was with God was really distinct or was truely and indeed another from him with whom hee was No respect will free the speech from a iust imputation of absurditie if the partie spoken of bee one and the same as well for person as for nature I reserue the farder handling of this matter till I come to the end of the verse following where I purpose if it please God to deliuer the doctrine of the holy Trinitie It may also farder be gathered that the Euangelist in saying The word was with God would haue vs to vnderstand that he p Gal. 4. 4. which in the fulnesse of time appointed by God tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary was till that time with God though vnseene and vnknowen to the world not as if he were not there still for euen while he was here vpon the earth he was also at the same time continually in heauen q Ioh. 3. 13. 17. 23. The Sonne of man which is in heauen and I will that they be where I am but because he came into the world where before he had not beene in the nature of man Heereto belongeth that which is other-where written by the r 1. Iohn 1. 2. 3. same Saint Iohn VVee declare vnto you the eternall life which was with Father and was made manifest to vs. Hee was with the Father from euerlasting he appeared in the world at the appointed time So is he now againe with God because he is no longer visible on earth as sometimes he was We may also adde hereunto that Å¿ Ambros de incarna domini Greg. Nysten de fide ad Simplic Rupertus aâ— hunc locum Cyril Hieorosol Cateches 11. this being with the Father implies the glory he had and hath with him as if he should haue said The word which was in the beginning was at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father equall to the Father Why seeke you the Creator amongst the Creatures If you desire to know where the VVord was consider that he was at the right hand of God the Father partaker of that glory which the Lord neither will nor can giue to any which is not the same God with him But of this enough Let vs come to the last part of the verse And the VVord was God or as the Greeke words lie God was the VVord but our tongue will hardly beare that kind of speech vnlesse the sense be altred For if you say God was the VVord an English man will conceiue that you tell him what God was and not what the Word was The Greeke and Latine may well beare such placing of the words the English will not yet perhaps it had beene plainer euen in the Greeke to haue set the words in order as the sense of them was intended and to haue said The word was God But the Euangelist as I noted once before vpon occasion followed an elegancie of speech which had bin lost if he had kept the naturall order of the words In the beginning was the
the true God is spoken of I will goe no furder to confute this error then this present Chap. Was it not the true God that sent Iohn Baptist before the Messiah Is not he called the Lord of hosts by q Maâ—ach 3. 1 the Prophet Malachy Behold I will send my messenger Who wil send In the latter end of the ver Behold he shall come sayth the Lord of hosts And yet of him r Ioh. 1. 6 saith our Euangelist There was a man sent s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from God vvhere there is no article Shall we belieue the Prophet of the Lord or this false Prophet Arius The one saith the Lord of hosts sent Iohn the Bap. the other tels vs Hee that sent him was not the true God because the article is not set before God This one place were sufficient to confound that vaine and false exception especially beeing in the same Euangelist and within so few lines after the former But I will briefly note some other to make it more cleere if it may be It cannot bee doubted but that God whom no man hath seene at anie time is the true God t Exo. 34. 20. 23 Thou canst not see my face saith the true God to Moses thou shalt see my back parts but my face shall not be seene Doth not S. Iohn speake of the same true God when he sayth u Ioh. 1. 18 No man hath seen God at any time Is not x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word in this place also without an article So is it there To them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sons of y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God The like examples are euery where to bee found in this and the other Euangelists in the writings of the Apostles And surely if the addition of the article be sufficient to proue that the true God is signified wheresoeuer that is set before the Arians are manifestly conuinced by that place of * Rom. 9. 5 Chrysost in Ioa. hom 3. Theophil aâ— hunc locum Saint Paul who is God aboue all which is spoken of our Sauiour Christ and yet hath the article though not immediately before it If you enquire more particularly why the article is put in before God in the former clause and left out in the later First I say the Euangelist might vse his liberty as all that write in Greeke doe to take it or leaue it at his good pleasure where the matter did not require the presence of it Secondly it was fit rather to put the word without it then with it because as I signified before God in the former place noteth the person of the Father who is the first of the three in order but in the later the nature of God which is common to all three persons If he should haue left it or vsed it in both the sense would haue bene more darke and the distinction of the persons not so easily obserued Thirdly it could not haue bene so plaine or certaine that the word was to be taken â—or the former part of the speech but it would haue beene much doubted whether the Euangelist meant to tell vs that God was the word as the words lie or that the word was God as some haue vnderstood him Therefore there is neuer a word nor letter in this first verse wherby our Christian faith touching our Sauiours God head can be weakned Nor any thing saith Arius whereby it may be strengthened No Doth not the holy Ghost auouch that â—e is eternall hauing his perfect being already when all things created began first to be Is it not affirmed that He was with God when nothing had any being but God your vaine and friuolous exceprions haue bin prooued void Let all this passe Can any thing be plainer then this direct affirmation that the word was God The word saith Arius was God but no otherwise then some men are called by that name The true God a Exod. 7. 1 sayd to Moâ—es I haue made thee a God to Pharaoh yea to all them to whom the word of God came he saith as much b Psal 82. 6. I haue said yee are Gods A poore shift The very sight of the place affords a sufficient answere c Hilar. de Trinit lib. 7. Moses is made Pharaohs God and those Rulers were said to be Gods Doth the holy Ghost say either of Moses or any other that they were God simplie as our Euangelist doth of the VVord If the VVord had bene made God or if the Lord had onely affirmed of him that he had called him God there might haue bene som occasion of doubting because there are some such like speeches of other men in the Scripture But what wilfull wrangling is it to call so plain a matter into question vpon so vnlike a maner of speech Moses was God to Pharaoh not simply God They were vouchsaf't the name of gods They were not simply gods There was no daunger in either of both those speeches Hee that reades I haue made thee God can readily conceiue that this made God is not the true God And as easie is it for any man to assure himselfe that those rulers are not God indeed aswel because they were many but God is one is also for that they are presently threatned d Psal 82 7 that they shall dye like men But simply to name him God whose eternity was before auouched whose preseÌ„ce with God before the world was affirm'd and to whom afterward the creation of all things is ascribed had been the realy waie to fill the hearts of men with idolary if Iesus had not been indeed very God by nature Therefore it is not possible to perswade any Christian man whose eyes are not blinded with the mist of preiudice and error that the holy Ghost would open such a gate to impiety calling him God without addition limitation or exposition who had affirmed asmuch of himselfe and of whome the whole Christian world was so perswaded when this Gospell was to be written Nay rather he would by all meanes haue refrayned to giue the â—east suspicion of such a conceit by which men might haue beene drawen into so horrible and dangerous an â—eresie But no truth of reason no authority of Scripture could reforme the error or stop the mouth of that wretched hereticke till the Lord Iesus himselfe our God vtterly destroyed him by a most fearefull iudgement For e Ruffin hist eccl lib. 1 cap. 3 at the verie time when hee was ready to goe to the Chruch to maintaine his blasphemous heresie being forced by necessity of nature to goe aside into a coÌ„mon place appointed for that purpose as it might be Queen hithe here in London he voyded with reuerence bee it spoken his very entrails and so ended at once both his life and his blasphemie Doe wee tremble at the horror of this iudgement Oh then let vs take heede my brethren how wee like of his doctrine
much and indeed too much for this sottish heresie It is also gathered from hence by some that the word is coeternall or equal to the Father in eternity A doctrin very true needfull to be knowne but such as was signified before when it was said that The VVord was in the beginning that it was with God Neither doth the beginning in this or the former clause note eternity but the time when all things began to be created Wherfore to shut vp the interpretation of this verse with shewing what I conceiâ—e to be intended in it by the holy ghost I am perswaded that the purpose of the Evangelist was to repeate that which in the former verse he had deliuered For if he had meaÌ„t to add a fourth point of the like kind to the other 3 in all liklyhood he would haue continued the same manner of writing by coupling this to that which went before and haue said And this was in the beginning with God If any man obiect that he doth not so in that which followeth he is already answered that in the next words the Evangelist comes to a new kinde of argument wherby he proues that which before hee had avoucht namely that the word was in the beginning was God At the least he describes the Word by outward effects towards the creatures not by his owne nature or properties Neither is this a bare repetition but a plainer instruction for the simplest that they may â—ssure theÌ„selues that the Word was in the beginning with God I graunt so much was implied before but not exprest to euery mans capacity Here the Evangelist speaketh so that all may vnderstaÌ„d him giues directioÌ„ for the interpreting of that clause The VVord was with God When was the Word with God In the beginning When as yet there was neither time nor place euen then had the Word his being with God I would gladly adde to all this that which is obseru'd by l Toletus in Ioâ—n cap. 1. Annot. 11. some as I perswade my selfe not without great likelihood that the Euangelist by his repetition would farther giue vs to vnderstand that The VVord not only was in the beginning but was then with God a worker in the creation of all things The ground of this interpretation is taken from that place in m Pro. 8. 22. the Prouerbs where this same Word is described by the name of wisdom There first his eternal Being is described Verse 30 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waie I was before his works of old I was set-vp from euerlasting c. This description is continued to the end of ver 26. In the 27. the holy Ghost proceeds to shew vs that the same wisdome was with God as a nourisher when hee prepared the heauens when he set the compasse vpon the deep c. Yea it may be somewhat more particularly applyed Salomon sayth when he prepared the heauens I was there To that answereth this of our Euangelist This was in the beginning with God His nourishing as some expound it his creating or ordering of all things the holy Ghost heere expresseth at large in the words following By him were al things made The conference of these two places seemes to warrant this exposition as we haue seene I wil not striue much about it so wee apply this repetition to the strengthening of our fayth Concerning our Sauiour Christs eternall God-head doubtlesse we attaine to the principall thing intended by the holy Ghost And of that point what Christian can doubt though he would neuer so faine Dost thou not perceiue that the holie Euangelist deliuers it with aduise and deliberation It is not a matter that hee hits vpon but a point chosen by him to begin his Gospell withal It slips not from him at vnawares but is repeated vpon good aduisement Certainly this doubling of the point makes it manifest that the holy ghost would haue vs view and consider it throughly on al sides It is neither of small importance that it need not to be learned nor easie to be beleeued that it need not to be taught but once Wherefore is it propounded and repeated but that it might be vnderstood and remembred Vnderstood that no hereticks deceiue vs remembred that our hearts faynt not Hee that is God Almighty hath redeemed vs who shall bee able to hold vs Captiues Let vs not be afraid to defye sin hel death and the deuil himselfe n Rom. 8. 31. God is on our side who can be against vs Hauing thus expounded these two verses and finding in them some poynts which concerne the admirarable Doctrin of the most glorious and holy Trinity so many things also beeing spoken euery where in this gospel of the Father the Son and the holy Spirit I haue thought it necessarie both sor your instruction and the discharge of my dutie to bestow the rest of this hower in opening that blessed mystery Wherein according to the example of our Euangelist the whole course of the scripture I will content my selfe with the Euidence of the word without the curiosity of schoole diuinity It shall be sufficient for vs vnderstand that the scripture affirmeth that there is one God and three persons though we can see no reason how it can be so And farder in shewing that the three persons are indeed distinct one from another and not diuers respects of one and the same I will not stand vpon their nature in themselues so much as vpon those effects which beeing ascrib'd to them in the Scripture cannot as in shall appeare bee performed by anie one person Our Euangelist deliuers the point of our Sauiours diuine nature in a few words here in the beginning of the Gospell Hee proues it at large by many wonderfull works of his through the whole course of his writing This shal be my example and warrant Yet I would not haue any man think that I either condemne their paines and care who haue laboured to explaine these mysteries by the light of reason or affirme that the points themselues cannot stand with reason They are indeed aboue reason but yet not against reason As the light of nature cannot discerne them so it cannot disproue theÌ„ And the chiefe end of them that endeuoured to discusse these maters in some sort by reason was rather to stop their mouths that would not beleeue theÌ„ to inforce theÌ„ to beleeue Now this course in this place and auditorie I trust is needlesse I am sure with the greatest part it would be bootlesse For how many or rather how few are there heere present that are able to examine or conceiue the subtill arguments that haue been deuised and vsed in these questions Neither are wee to settle our faith by the waight of humane reason but to ground it vpon diuine authority Now to the matter Wherein that I may proceede the more orderly and be the more easily vnderstood First I will speake of the vnity of
action But what needes any farther proofe x Gen. 1. 26. 27. then Moses himselfe affords vs in this verse Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female Do you marke the same word thrice vsed concerning the making of man And yet who knowes not that y Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God made the man of the dust of the ground Would Moses haue called that making of man by the name of Creating if to Create were to make of nothing Surely man was not created being made of the dust if there be no creating where there is matter of which he is to bee made So it is also affirmed by Moses * Gen. 21. that God created the great whales what of nothing Nothing lesse It is well knowne and recorded euen there by Moses that the water brought them forth I wil say more There is no one place in the history of the creation where the worde Creating maye be taken I doe not say must bee but may bee taken for making of nothing except perhaps the first verse In the beginuing God created heauen and earth only here may the word be so vnderstood because by heauen earth the first matter of all things may be conceiued which only was created of nothing all things else of it As for the greeke both the vse of it in al kind of writers speaketh for me who can imagin that they who did not beleeue that euer there was any creation shoulde deuise a needlesse word to signifie such a thing as they neuer dreamt of and if at any time they speake of such a question they expresse themselues by adding some worde to make as to make of nothing or without any pre-existent matter or such like What then Doe wee deny the thing because wee say there is no word that necessarily signifieth To make of nothing God forbid We haue taught and can easily proue if neede be that all things besides God haue had a beginning of their being Then were they ether made of nothing which indeed is most true or of God him-himselfe as the matter of them But the later is meerely vnpossible For neither is God of any bodily matter as we see those thinges to be a Iob. 4. 24. God is a spirit and whatsoeuer is of his substance is the same God with him infinit in power and being whereas all creatures are finit in both Therefore when we meditate on the glorious worke of creation wee must drawe our thoughts from the cogitation of these things which we see feel heare smell and tast and conceiue aswell as we can that there is nothing but God How then came all these to be the world and the creatures therein God made them Of what Of that first matter which was without forme couered all ouer with darknesse But whereof was that first matter made Of nothing That is when as yet there was nothing at all but the in comprehensible maiestie of God in his eternall being it pleased him to wil that all these things should be and by this will of his according to this will all and every one of these Creaturs took their being First as God had from all eternity purposed and willed that first matter or lump had its being simply of nothing as all reason shewes vs. For how is it possible to coÌ„ceiue or imagin that that which is the first matter should haue any other matter before it of which it might be made Therefore b Arist Physâ—â— lib. 1. the Philoso phers being ignorant of the creation were inforced to make this first matter eternal and this was the conceipt I. ucret de natura rerum lib. 1. of them all that did not acknowledge God to bee the maker of that matter So then if you aske me what that was which was made of nothing I say the first matter of all things and in which all creatures were contained If any man be afraid least this opinion should deminish the glory of God in creating the particulars hee must be put in mind that both the matter it selfe was made by God of nothing that all the creatures were made of it by no lesse infinit power then the lumpe it selfe was made If Adam in his first estate if all the Angells of God had beene created before this lumpe and that being made by the Almighty power of God had beene brought vnto them c Gen. 2. 19. as the creatures were to Adam it had not bin possible for them I will not say to haue made these other inferior creatures but so much as to haue deuised the forme and workmanship which noâ— they see and wonder at in the meanest creatures But of this point in the second part when I come to shew that the Creation of all things is a certaine proofe of our Sauiours Godhead It remaines that wee expounde the last words All things What need they any exposition may some man say For who is so dull that he vnderstands not what is meant by them what can be meant but absolutely All things without exception Surely it is certaine that the Euangelists meaning is so and a man may well maruell that there should be any question made of it yet such hath bin the malice of Satan and the miserable shifting of Hereticks that I thinke no one text in this whole Gospell hath bin more strangely or diuersly interpreted I will touch some of the errors point at other and stand long vpon none We presse the generalitie of the words All things which comprizeth whatsoeuer hath any being Would you think it possible that these words â—eing so large should bee stretcht too farre Yet haue they bin most absurdly For by them Macedonius who denied the Godhead of the holy Ghost laboured to establish his blasphemous heresy If all things saith hee then the holy Ghost too vnles he be nothing Why dost thou not multiply thy absurdities and say asmuch of the Father and the Sonne himselfe too For if it seeme absurde to thee as it is to containe the Sonne vnder these generall tearmes because hee is the creator or maker how canst thou imagin such a blasphemy of the holye Ghost who is also a Creator with him being one the same God At the least thou canst not exempt the Father of whom there is no more mention in this clause then of the holy spirit But d Ambroâ—â—â— spâ— S. cap 2. â—y ril lib. 1. m I â—â— cap. 5. Chryâ—â—â—â— in Ioa. â—om 4 Groâ—or◠〈◊〉 oraâ— Thcoâ— 5. the Euangelist that I may not spend too much time in these fancies hath answered for himselfe where he restraineth this to the things that were made VVithout him was made nothing that was made Whatsoeuer was made was made by him but the holy Ghost being God as hath bin shewed hath an eternall being and was neuer made though he proceed from the father and the Sonne As Macedonius
things fell out thus by chaunce or arose from the nature of these matters without the foresight foreappointment of God the creatour of them Nay rather therefore did he so temper and order these things because he had decreed to haue such creatures bred of them from time to time Let vs come yet neerer to these dainty ones and if it be possible giue them a full and perfect view of their error Me thinkes their dealing with God in this matter is much like to that of Ahaz in another case Whome when the Prophet willed to aske a signe for his assurrance from the Lord his tender heart would not bee so bold with God t Isay 7. 11. 12. I will not aske saith Ahaz neither will I tempt the Lord. He durst not forsooth aske the Lord but he durst refuse to obay the word of the Lord by the Prophet when he was commanded to aske a signe In like sort these men that are so iealous of Gods glory will not graunte that hee should bee the maker of such meane things But in the meane while they are not affraid either to deny him to be the fountaine of al being and so to make him no God or else to ascribe these creatures to some chaunce or necessity not before determined by him and so put him then as it were to his shiftes to make the best of that which he cannot otherwise helpe But if these curious men would imploy that time and study in searching the nature parts of these little despised creatures which they bestow in deuising idle and foolish arguments to bewray their bold ignorance they should find more cause to wonder at the wisedome of God in their smalnesse then to deny him to be the maker of them because of any imagined basenes Is there not beauty in a cleare diamond though it be but a sparke May there not bee singular workmanship shewed in the caruing of a ladle or potlid or some other thing of meaner seruice How much would bee giuen for Myrons Fly sitting on a Charriot couering it and the horses with her wings body But what are all these and as many such like deuises and pecces of workmanship as can be imagined if you compare them with these little creatures Didst thou neuer see a worme or fly so little that thou couldst hardly discerne it with thy neeye though thou lookedst earnestly vpon it which yet mou'd and crept turn'd and return'd this way and that way with no slowe pase If thou could'st possibly take a view of the parts of these creatures with what admiration of them wouldst thou be rauisht The Anatomy of such a worme would be no lesse wonderfull then the opening of a Whale or Elephant What should I speak of the Bee or Silkworme Where is the Architect or spinster to be found that caÌ„ match the curious frame of the one or the small and euen thrid of the other Butp whither doth the wondring at these creaturs drawe me The farder I goe in this course the more more way I see still before me and am neuer a whit the neerer my iournies end I will turne aside therefore into that path which leades vs to a place of strength comfort Hast thou aduisedly considred that Iesus Christ thy Sauiour is the mightie and wise creator of all things I cannot doubt then but thou manifestly discernest that thou art sufficiently prouided of all necessaries that belong to this preseÌ„t life They are his by creation whose thou art by regeneration The interest thou hast in him conueies vnto thee a just and strong title to all the comforts and pleasures of this life Hee himselfe hath no need of them for he is u Gen. 17. 1. God al-sufficient Els hee neither could or would haue indured to bee without the vse of them from all eternity till within these 5600. yeares What then Were they prouided for his enimies that his friends might want x Mat. 5. 45. He maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill indeed and sendeth his raigne on the vniust And not on the good and iust Hee prouideth for both but with a diuerse affection Is it not daily seene that Princes feed and cloath them if neede require that are coÌ„demned to death for their misdeedes Why so Because they meane to make their loue of Iustice knowne to al men and to powre on such malefactors the shame they haue deserued The Romane Generals had an especiall care in all their conquests to haue the principal of their enimies aliue that they might afterwards leade them in triumph to shew their glory So doth the Lorde deale with the great and mighty wicked ones of the world He feedes them with the best and daintiest meate hee cloaths them with the costliest and gayest apparell hee sets them out as it were to shewe that all men may take notice of them to the ende that at the last hee may triumph ouer them the more gloriously Thou that beleeuest in Iesus Christ perhaps farest hardly and art meanely attired Well rest vpon thy Sauiour that was the maker of all things Hee can make supply to thee of all things when hee will and hee will when hee fees it best for thee But it is his power of which we now speake The Deuill knew and confest that the Sonne of God was able to make bread of stones But the Son of God told him that y Mat. 4. 3. 4. Man liues not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lackest thou bread The Creator of all things can prouide it in a moment for thee or feed thee without it Who maintained life and strength in * Exâ—d 34. 28. Moses and a 1. King 19. 8. 17. 16. Elias when they continued without any manner of sustenance by by the space of 40. daies and 40. nights Who kept the oyle in the cruse and the meale in the barrel that they wasted not Did not this mighty Creator thy Sauiour Iesus Christ b Iob. 69. 1â— 11 feed and fill 5000. persons with 5. barley loues a. fishes yet leaue 12. baskets ful of broken meate remaining What shoulde I say more Hee that made all things can furnish thee with all things and so will doe if thou put all thy trust in him to saue thee There remaines yet one doubt which I reseru'd of purpose for this place though I had occasion to haue spoken of it before in the interpretation of the later part of the Text. Some by Nothing vnderstand Sinne as if the Euangelist had meant to signifie that Sinne was made without him that was the Creator of all things but how then could this speech be true If something were made without him how were all things made by him Surely if we take that diuisioÌ„ of the verses for good and that sense for true which they that by Nothing will haue Sinne to be meant approue and follow wee may well
diuine nature that created them or no. First the Euangelists authority is enough to put the matter out of question For hee that being directed by the spirit of God could not erre would neuer haue brought this for a proofe thereof if it coulde iustly be excepted against Yet because as I haue shewed there might bee other reasons of this speech and some doubt therefore whether it were the Euangelists purpose to proue that or no let vs take some other course for our full satisfaction To which end let vs alwaies remember that Moses x Gen. 1. 1. in the beginning of the Scripture laies this as a maine foundation of religion that God created heauen and earth Who can doubt then â—ut it is a sound reason to proue our Sauiour to be God that All things were made by him For if it be truâ— that God was the maker of all things whomsoeuer wee finde to haue made all things him we knowe thereby to be God Therefore the Apostle Paul preaching to the heathen and perswading them to forsake their Idolles and to turne to the liuing God shewes who he is by this effect of creation VVe preach vnto you saith the y Act. 14. 15. Apostle that vee should turne from these vaine Idols vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth and the sea and all things that in them are Worship him * Reuel 14. 7. saith an Angel from heauen that made heauen and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters By this doth a 1. Chro. 16. 26 Dauid distinguish the true God froÌ„ Idols All the Gods of the people are Idols but the Lord made the heauens Is not this the proofe of the power of God whereby he magnifieth himselfe and amazeth b Io. 38. 4. 5. c. Iob with the brightnesse of the glory thereof By this doth Ezechiah coÌ„clude that he is the true God Thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauens and the earth Will you heare the c Isay 3. 16. 48. 12. 13. Lord himselfe I am I am the first and I am the last Surely my hand hath laâ—d the foundation of the earth my right hand hath spanned the heauens when I call them they stand vp together Let d Heb. 1. 10. the Apostle Paul end this controuersy who to proue our Sauiours Godhead brings the place of the e Pâ—a 102. 25. Psalme Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes From hence then we may certainly and necessarily conclude that the Word the promised Messiah our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ is true God For by him were all things made and nothing can be made but by God onely This f August in Ioâ— tract 1. the Arians denied because they sawe themselues driuen to confesse that all things were made by Christ whom they will not ackâ—owledge to bee God equall to the Father Therefore they deuis'd this shift that our Sauiour did indeed creat all things yet not as a principall worker but as an instrument And to this they say the Euangelist directed vs when hee sayd that All things were made g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him For that by which a thing is done is an instrument in the doing of that thing and not the doer of it If these men had not blinded their owne eyes with a preiâ—dicat conceite against Godhead of our Sauiour they might easily haue seene the fondnesse and falsenesse of this blasphemous exception The folly of it I shew'd before when I made it manifest that it is all one to say All things were made by him and Hee made all things The falsenesse of it may appeare thus The scripture sayeth the same of God which is here affirm'd of Christ that this or that was by him and yet I hope they will not dare therefore to conclude that God in those matters was not a principall efficient cause but an instrumentall For example h Rom. 11. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle sayth That all things are by God What As an instrument who is then the principall essicient that imployes God as his instrument i 1. Cor. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Eph. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. The same Apostle affirmeth of himselfe that hee was called to bee an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God If the will of God bee but an instrument wee are content to require no more honour for our Sauiour so you allowe him to bee one with God in nature as the Will of God is which indeede is God himselfe What say you k Gal. 1. 1. to that place where the Apostle pleades for the authoritie of his Apostleshippe because it is by Iesus Christ and God the Father I doubt mee wee shall hardly finde any principall efficient at all where both the Father and the Sonne are instruments How absurdly then not onely impiously doe the Arians conclude from this word by that our Sauiour Christ is not God But you brethren haue beene better instructed then to giue eare to such blasphemies that I holde it altogether needlesse to bring any father proofe of the matter then I deliuered in my last exercise or to vse any word of exhortation to beleefe in him whom wee cleerly discerne to be God al-sufficient To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost the same God the most mightie and gracious Creator of all thinges let vs alwayes remember to ascribe all glorie power and dominion and to performe all obedience for euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 4. In him was life and that life was the light of men 5 And the light shineth in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not IT is a cleere truth in natural reason and a rul'd case in diuinitie that as all thinges proceede from God as the first cause of their being so they are all referr'd to God as the last ende why they are In him l Acts. 17. 28. sayeth the Apostle wee liue and moue and haue our being And to conuince the Heathen by the light of nature hee addes As also certaine of your owne Poets haue sayd m Aratus in Phaenomen For wee are all his generation To whom then doe wee owe our selues and whatsoeuer wee are or haue but to him onely Witnesse for nature the wisest of all the Philosophers the Stoikes for diuinitie he n 1 King 4. 29. â—0 that was wiser then the wisest of the Heathen o Pro. 1. 12 16. 4. Salomon the preacher King ouer Isreal in Ierusalem The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yet so for his owne sake that p Psaâ— 8. 34. the Prophet is forced to cry out When I behold the heauens the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast crealed what is man say I that thou art mindefull of
They saw him not but were perswaded hee should bee seene at the time appointed Neither haue wee seene him but are out of doubt that hee was seene while he liued here vpon the earth They trusted in him as the onely and all-sufficient meanes of life Is not our faith the same Therefore least any man should imagine that the Fathers which died before our Sauiour Christ was born were destitute of spirituall life our Euangelist assures vs that there was euen then life in him These reasons may giue some good satisfaction to them who desire rather to informe themselues to edification then to aime themselues for contention Giue me leaue also I pray you to propound to your consideration meditation at your better leasure what it hath pleased God I should conceiue of this matter would any man knowe of me why the Euangelist saith In him was rather then In him is life I think he may be fully satisfied if he do aduisedly consider that hee continueth the course which he begun in the first verse followed in the second and third In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was By him were without him was Do not meruaile thē that the Euangelist sayth here In him was life Tell mee how hee could haue spoken more fitly Hee proceedes in the description of the Messiah touching his mediatorship whose Godhead he had before declared Could he doe better thē to hold on the same manner of speech But will you see yet a farther reason that nothing may be wanting which may helpe vou forward in the vnderstanding of this scripture Who knowes not that the Euangelist according to the ordinary course which they take that write the hystories of famous men settes downe in the beginning a briefe description of him of whom afterward hee is to intreat at large by shewing that in particular which was at the first deliuered in a generall sort This being so let vs remember that the historie is of him that is not now liuing amongst vs but departed out of this life from vs. Therefore it was necessarie for our Euangelist to speak of him as of one that had beene and now was not Not as if hee were not now at all but because hee is not now aliue in the world as hee was when those things were done the historie whereof is written in this Gospell So then we must conceiue that Saint Iohn in saying was hath respect to the time of our Sauiours being herein our nature and therefore not only might but ought also to say In him was rather then In him is life because he is totel vs what he did here in the world and not what hee doth now he is out of the world This the holy Ghost teacheth vs when he saith k Ioh. 20. 30. toward and l Ioh 21. 25. in the end of this Gospell Many other signes also did Iesus and there are also many other things which Iesus did Yet the ende of all is m Ioh. 20. 31. that wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and so that life is in him now for vs as well as it was for them that liued in his time The excellent comfort of this doctrine drawes mee to it with both the hands but that my promise holdes mee backe very strongly Let me first discharge this then I will bestowe my selfe wholly vpon the handling of that more at large I vndertooke to shewe these two thinges what spirituall life is here signified of grace or of glorie or of both why the tearme life is applyed to note that holinesse and happinesse I doubt not but euerie man perceiues already that by life I vnderstand as well our liuing righteously in this world as our liuing gloriously in the world to come How else could it note such holinesse and happinesse The reason perhaps is not so apparant I will doo my best endeuour to giue you satisfaction touching that also It is verie fitte if not necessarie to giue as large an extent to all texts of Scripture as the circumstances of the present place and the ordinarie vse of the wordes will beare least wee seeme to restraine the meaning of the holy Ghost more then wee are warranted by him to doe And therefore I could haue beene contented to haue stretched the worde euen to note the preseruing of naturall life but that I can finde no such vse of it in the Scripture neither will that sense well agree with that exposition which the light in the second clause seemes necessarily to require as I hope to make it appeare anone if God will But neither any circumstance of the place tieth life to the one or to the other and the word is diuers times taken in both senses Of eternall life what shall I need to bring many examples This Gospell is full of them I will giue you a taste by one or two Yee search the Scriptures n Ioh. 5. 39. 40. sayth our Sauiour to the Iewes for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee Yet yee will not come to mee that yee might haue life That which in the former verse hee nameth eternall life in the later hee calleth simply life The Ver. 24. like wee haue in the same Chapter not very many verses before Hee that beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life To what life Euen to euerlasting life which he was sayd before to haue The other life grace in this world both is implyed oftentimes in the life of glorie whereof also it is a part the Image of God in vs being renewed by it and is manie times spoken of by it selfe as I shewed at large before out of o Eph. 4. 24. diuerse places of Scripture It is needlesse to repeate them or to adde more to them What should hinder vs then frō expounding this life so largely as wee haue done Nave might wee not be thought iniurious to the holy Ghost if wee should leaue out either of them By life then wee vnderstand that spirituall estate of righteousnesse and glory of which all that beleeue in Christ are made partakers by beeing ingraffed into his mysticall bodie Would any man knowe why this estate into which wee are restored by our Sauiour should be tearmed life I aunswere him in a word because the miserable estate into which wee fell by sinne was called by the name of death It will not bee vnworthy our labour to consider this point a little When the Lord God had made our first parents and placed them in that palace of pleasure the garden of Paradise p Gen. 2. 8. Hee charged them to forbeare to eate of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill threatning them that if they brake his commaundement that day that they ate thereof Ver. 17. they should dye the
was in Christ indeede because no man euer had it that was not in him many haue had haue it in abundance by depending wholy vpoÌ„ him The principal point is yet behind coÌ„cerning the life of glory Which though it properly belong to the world to come yet there is one chiefe thing apperteining therunto which is to be had in this world as an entrance to the other The death that insued vpon the breach of that charge * Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill was the estate of mortalitie to the body and of condemnation both to body and soule Therefore the life that was in Christ must needs affoord vs remedy against both these Let vs take them in their order And first that by death the separation of the soule and body was signified it may euidently appeare as by the words themselues in their proper sense so also by the sentence of the Lord pronounced after the sinne according to the penalty before threatned In a Gen 3. 19. the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Adam indeede liued many hundred yeeres after this sentence but at last the execution of it came b Gen. 5. 5. All the daies that Adam liued were 930. yeeres and he died But this is so well knowne and generally confest that it needs no furder proofe Let vs shew that there is life in Christ to destroy this death Ne ther neede wee goe farre to seeke for that matter Remember c Gâ—n 3. 15. what was threatned the diuell that the seed of the woman should bruse his head d Heb. 2. 14. If the diuell bee subdued who hath the power of death as the Apostle tells vs what shall become of death that is vnder his power The Lord himselfe tells thee by e Heb. 2. 14. his Prophet e Ose 13. 14. where he triumpheth ouer death trampling him vnder his feete O death I will be thy death Oh graue I will bee thy destruction But this was rather a discouragement of death then a destruction Heare f 1 Cor. 15. 54. the Apostle proclaiming the victory after the fight was ended Death is swalowed Verse 55. vp in victory He proceeds to insult ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The Verse 56. 27. sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through I. Chr. Verse 21. 22. our Lord. GiueÌ„ vs victory How doth that appear For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead For as in AdaÌ„al meÌ„dy so in Christ shal albe made aliue 2. Tim 1. 10. through Christ I say gwho hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie to light through the Gospell I wish it were so may some men say that death were indeede destoried that we need no longer stand in feare of him But what credit may be giuen to that which is refuted by sense in daily and hoverly experience Did not Aâ—aÌ„ die Are not Abraham Isaak Iacob al the prophets and Patriarchs dead Is not there proofe enough in the scripture that euery man must die h Psal 89. 48. What man liueth and shall not see death The Apostle seconds the Prophet i Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to men that they shal once die What say you to that great conquerour of death himselfe The two tneeues that were executed with him withstood death longer theÌ„ he did The Souldiers came k Ioh. 19. 32. Ver 33. saith the Euangelist and brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with Iesus But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legges See I pray you the champion that should ouercome death is sooner subdued by death then either of these two ordinarie fellowes It was no wonder though the Iewes vpbraided him when he hung vpon the Crosse He saued others quoth they but he cannot saue himselfe Is it possible l Mat. 27. 42. to beleeue that there was life in him whose death his best friends coÌ„fesse Doth this seeme vnpossible to thee What wilt thou say then if I tell thee of a greater matter Hee ouercame death by dying The same stroke that tooke life from him through him m Heb. 2. 14. slew death himselfe him that had power over death euen the diuell Would you know more particularly how that could bee I may not enter into any large discourse of the point In one word it was thus The sting of death as the Apostle taught vs is sinne By which the diuell preuailed to the destruction of them that had sinned This sting was not onely blunted and rebated but pluckt out and cast away by our Sauiour For his death being a sacrifice for sin tooke sinne quite away n Iob. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world So that now the name of death is more terrible then the thing there is more feare then hurt in it Tell me what it could indanger or indamage thee to haue a snake creepe vpon thee yea if it were into thy bosom so the sting teeth and whatsoeuer els it hath power to hurt withall were first pulled out It might perhaps scarre thee or make thee start as a litle cold water will doe if it be cast vpon a sodaine in thy face but that is all the harme thou couldest haue by it Death then is thus disarmd by our Sauiour Christ but the destructioÌ„ of him is by his resurrection If thou wouldest see death dead indeed look into the graue where Iesus thy sauiour was laid There shewd death the vttermost of his power He thought himselfe sure enough of the victory when he had shut him vp without life in the sepulchre rolled a great stone to the mouth of it and saw a guard of souldiers set to watch him well there hee keeps him in that estate the same day he was crucified all the next and the beginning of the third What ensued Surely if hee had bin put in aliue hee would haue bin dead by that time There is no question then but that wee shall finde him dead in the graue So though his disciples Who the next day after the Iewes Sabboath o Luke 24. 1. Early in the morning came vnto the Sepulchre and brought the odors which they had prepared to embalme his body withall They made no doubt but they should finde him p Mark 16. 1. Mark 15. 47. where they had seene him laid For dead men are no starters Onely their feare was that they should not be able to roule away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre
But that feare lasted not long q Luke 24. 2. 3 When they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away And they went in but found not the body of the Lord IESVS What should they now thinke Or how should they come to learne what was become of him Sure they were that there hee was laid and being dead had no power to conuay himselfe away from thence The likeliest was that some body had taken him vp and caried him away to some other place Sir r Ioh. 20. 15. saith Mary Magdalen to one who shee thought had bin the Gardiner If thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast laide him and I will take him away Thou shalt not neede to bee in feare of hauing thy garden annoyed or troubled with him any further ſ Ioh. 20. 2. His Apostles were informed of this doubtfull matter To Ver. 6. assure themselues the better they runne to the sepulchre they find the linnen clothes in which hee was wrapped the Ver. 7. kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in aplace by it selfe Hauing Ver. 17. seen this they return back whēce they came Mary staies to her Iesus discouers himselfe What should I make many words The proofe of this point belōgs to an other place Death had done his worst in despite of him the Lord Iesus is risen again leauing him ashamed cōquequered To e Luk 24. 5. 6. this the Angels beare witnes Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead He is not here n but is risen I speake of knowne things it is enough to name them Wee see for all this goodly discourse that death still seizeth vpon all men let them be neuer so well setled in Iesus Christ he plucks them vp carries them away with him into the graue What is become of the holy Apostles where is his blessed mother the virgin Is there life in the head when the members of the body die so fast euery day And not one or two a ioint or a finger or a limme but the very principall parts yea all one other Doost thou doubt whether there bee life in him or no who hath wrastled with death and ouerthrowne him Can death preuaile against him now he liueth whom he could not keepe in subiection when he had him dead buried u Rom. 5. 9. 10. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that hee died he died once to sinne but in that be liueth hee liueth to God Sinne had his due a sacrifice of infinit worth to pay the price of mans redemption now must God also haue his due that hee that liueth to him may liue for euer But I would not haue any man so much deceiue himselfe as to imagin that the dying of them which are in Christ is an argument of the continuance of the authoritie or power of death No no beloued there is an other reason of this dissolution Alas alas death doth not aduance his owne estate and kingdome by this meanes but serues the Lords turne to bring his purpose to effect It fares with him in this case as it did in the death of our Sauiour That which hee thought to establish his power by by that he destroied it So is it in the death of those that are Christs The body as now it is is neither capable of immortalitie and fit for the seruice of sinne How shall it be prepared to receiue the one how purged and clensed from the other but by death Flesh bloud x 1. Cor. 15. 50. saith the Apostle can not inherit the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Wouldest thou haue part in our Sauiour Christs immortalitie that thou mightest bee free from death Die then that thou maiest be ridde of mortalitie Art thou affraid Of what Least death should be too strong for thee if he once ger thee into his clouches Hast thou not an example in Christ I am aliue y Reuel 1. 18. saith he but I was dead and beholde I am aliue for euermore But thou fearest because thy body shall be turned into dust O foole * 1 Cor. 15. 36 saith the Apostle that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die Keepe thy corne aboue ground because if thou put it into the earth it will consume that thou shalt neuer finde it againe Where then shall the fresh greene blade appeare When shall the stalke grow vp When shall it eare When shall it flower Shall not all this glorie bee lost if the graine bee not sowed in the furrowes of the earth And art thou so I will not say fearefull but foolish and childish that thou darest not die once that thou maist liue for euer Plucke vp thy spirits and bee no longer a childe but a man were it not better for thee to die a thousand deaths then to bee continually disquieted with the motions of thy corruption Thou hast now some life of Christ in thee by the power of his spirit which inables thee to fight against sinne and to preuaile But there is no finall subduing of it till the body be destroied which doth so incline draw thee to the seruice thereof Neither hath the spirit of God quiet or full possession of thy soule as long as that corruption abides therein And that as it was bred with thee must die with thee there is no other course appointed by God to rid thee of it I doubt not but thou art now resolu'd to desire death whē it shall please God seeing there is no way to life but by it with this resolution I leaue thee that I may speak a word or two to thē that are yet out of Christ And how shall I addresse my speech vnto them It is needlesse to inflame them with a desire of life For they are wholly possest with that already It is in vaine to perswade them they shall neuer die if they be in Christ For all experience teacheth the contrary Shall I exhort them not to feare that which they cannot auoide They may learne that in the schoole of reason what remaines then At the least giue mee leaue to aduise you how you may make the best of that which can by no meanes bee escaped You are resolued there is no way with you but one Die you must and it is vncertaine how soone Yet if you may die so that you may be sure to liue againe that for euer what hurt can there be in death what feare should there be of it A crab stock that hauing his head boughts armes cut off is graffed with a pippin or some other dainty fruit can not reasonably complaine of hurt but rather hath great cause to reioice and glory Hath hee any wrong done him that hauing his cottage of clay pulled downe hath a goodly palace of stone built for his dwelling
signified who can doubt but the light in this later part is of the same nature It is so doubtlesse and therefore wee shall neede to stand the lesse while vpon the proofe thereof Yet because it is for the most parte otherwise vnderstood and that one especiall ground of interpreting that life to bee the supernaturall or spirituall life was fetcht out of this place I thinke it will not bee amisse to say somewhat for the better clearing of the matter First then the light here spoken of must bee conceiued to bee such as the Scripture otherwhere ordinarily signifieth by the same word For it were strange and against reason to giue the worde such a sense in this place as it hath not any where else in the whole volume of the Bible I denye not but it is possible that some one place may haue a word in such a meaning as is not elsewhere to bee found But this I say that hee which will aduenture vpon any such vnvsuall and rare exposition had neede bee sure that the place will not admitany ordinarie interpretation of the word Here is no such necessitie All things are agreeable to the Euangelists purpose and circumstances of the text if wee take the word light in that sense which it commonly beares euerie where in the Scripture Let vs inquire then how it is ordinarily taken Surely for that supernaturall light which the Lord reuealeth for the making knowne of the meanes whereby hee hath appointed to bring vs to saluation It were too much to recite all I will name some principall places by which you may iudge of the rest With thee is the well of life sayth l Pâ—â—l 36. 9. the Prophet and in thy light shall wee see light Life and light both in one verse both of one nature both supernaturall m Psal 42. 3. Send out thy light thy truth let them leade me The light of nature is neuer called the light of God the truth of God is that which himselfe hath reuealed by his word But what doe I expounding it The next wordes put the matter out of doubt Let them bring mee vnto thy holy Mountaine and to thy Tabernacle Can naturall wisedome guide vs thither Canne the light of humane learning shew vs that way n 1. Cor. 1. 21. The world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome It is the word of God o Psal 119. 105 that is a lanterne to our feete and a light to our pathes p Pro. 6. 23. Salomen beares witnesse to the same truth The commaundement is a lanterne and instruction a light Therefore doth q Isay 2. 5. the Prophet Esay exhort the Israelites to walke in the light of the Lord. And in r Chap. 60. 1. another place he comes neerer to the light that Saint Iohn in this place holds out vnto vs. Arise O Ierusalem sayth hee be bright for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen vpon thee For beholde darkenesse shall couer the earth and grosse darkenesse the people but the Ver 2. Lord shall arise vpon thee And his glorie shall be seene vpon thee And the gentiles shall walke in thy light and Kings at Ver. 3. the brightnesse of thy rising vp What is this darkenesse but the ignorance of the way to saluation What the light but the manifesting and shewing of that way by the ministrie of the Gospell Å¿ Chap. 9. 2. The people that walked in darkenesse haue seene great light they that dwelt in the land of the shadowe of death vpon them hath the light shined Which prophecy as the Euangelist sayth was then fulfild t Mat. 4. 14. when our Sauiour preached the Gospell in Galilee Therefore also is hee himselfe called A light u Luke 2. 32. A light to bee reuealed to the Gentiles And himselfe called his Apostles x Mat. 5. 14 The light of the world Yea all Christians truly inlightned by Iesus Christ are called the children of of light The children of this world y â—â—uk 16. 8. saith Christ are wiser in their generation then the children of light To conclude God himselfe is said to be * Iam. 1. 17. the father of lights from whom euery good and perfect gift commeth To be light and that without all kinde of darknesse a 1 I Ioâ— 1. 5. God is light and in him is no darknesse Them that beleeue b I. Pet. 2. 9. He hath called out of darknesse into his maruelous light But what stand I reciting so many particular places The new Testament is full of the like As for the other signification of the worde that by light natural reason or knowledge should be meant I am certainly perswaded that it is not once to be found in the whole course of the scripture What other proofe of this point shall I neede then that they which expound this place of such naturall light can alleadge no text but one that may seeme to make any thing for that purpose And the most that can be gathered out of that too is but a seeming or shew c Psal 4. 6. Lordlift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Who is so desirous to haue light taken for reason that he can thinke the Prophet speaks of it in that place He compares the wishes of worldly men with the desires of the faithfull Many say who will shew vs any good Who will teach vâ— how we may gather goods But what doe the godly pray for That the Lord would giue them an increase of humane wisedome Indeede this praier had not bin vnfit for a Philosopher who knew nothing better nor esteemed any thing more then such manner of knowledge But the thoughts of Gods children are raised higher and their happinesse is of an other kinde The knowledge and fauour of GOD are the matters they labour for That is the light which they would haue to shine vpon them and in them without which they account themselues to bee in palpable darknesse though they had more knowledge of all other matters then al men in the world beside This was fit to bee opposed to the vaine wishes of carnall worldlings If then the worde be ordinarily taken for supernaturall or spirituall light seldome or neuer for the naturall light of reason and humane knowledge how should wee vnderstand it in this place but according to the generall vse of it in the scripture for that light which we receiue from God by reuelation Whereof that wee may be the better perswaded let vs consider the signification of the worde as it is commonly vsed by d Ioh. 3. 19. 20. 21. this writer This is condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light So in the two next verses What is this light not naturall reason nor any knowledge obteined by it but the mysterie of redemption which carnall men cannot fancie because it ouerthrowes all opinion of any
time past The word was in the beginning was with God was God were made was made was life was light All of that which is past according to the ordinary course of an History So in the clause that followes Comprehended not Only heere The light shineth not shined That our Sauiours continuall inlightning vs from heauen is not signified it appeared before because of the difference betwixt that and shining Adde thereto that if Christ inlighten the darknesse is inlightned so comprehends the light But the Darknesse sayth our Euangelist did not comprehend it Shall we refer it to the whole time since our Sauiours incarnation Indeed the light hath shined euer since and doth shal shine If that had beene the meaning it had been fitter to haue sayd The darknes coÌ„ prehendeth it not then comprehended it not vnless we think that the darknes is lesse dark now then it was when the Apostle writ this Gospell And in that place which is brought to proue this expositioÌ„ there is no such diuersitie of time but al runs alike That which was froÌ„ the beginning which we haue heard haue seene haue looked vpon haue 1. Ioh. â— â— handled The life appeared we have seene it We shal come neerer to the point if we vnderstand it of that continuaâ— Ver. 2. light which shineth to vs by the ministery of the word Yet wil not the former doubt be remov'd why the EuaÌ„gelist saith not comprehendeth and so includes the present also which is as vnable and vnwilling to comprehend the light as the former times haue beene What may then be thereasoÌ„ why the holy ghost speaketh after this sort The light shineth It seemes to mee sauing other mens better iudgement that this speech coÌ„cerns the generall nature of the light to which the shâ—ning of our Sauiour his doctrine is resembled Al meÌ„ know that light properly signifieth that by which wee are inabled to see with our bodily eyes by a resem blance thereunto that which informeth the iudgement instructeth the vnderstanding is called by the same name whether it bee done by naturall or supernatural means The EuaÌ„gelist theÌ„ hauing giuen this name to our spiritual inlightning by Christ to the shining of that supernatural light vpoÌ„ vs speaks in these words of light in general as if the should haue sayd It is the nature of al light to shine as of water to moysten of fire to burn Therefore doth the Sunne continually â—end foorth his beames and as soone shall hee cease to bee as to shine For seeing light is as natural to him as reason and life are to men and beastes as they leaue to be that they are wheÌ„ these actioÌ„s haue an end so doth the sun perish whensoeuer he giues ouer shining What is this to the iupernaturall light which comes from our Sauiour by his word and doctrine may some men say I will tell thee The holy Ghost will haue vs by this former part of the similitude to gather and vnderstand the later in this â—ort The life that is in Christ sayth Saint Iohn is that which inlightens men giuing them or at the least affording offring them the knowledge of their blindnes and deadnes and of light and life to bee had by in Christ Now it is well knowne that the light according to the nature thereof shines in darkenes so did doth and will this supernaturall light alwayes shewe it selfe to them that looke after it This I take it is that which our Euangelist intendes and implyes though hee expresse it not Since wee perceiue that the light must needes shine and vnderstand that the life in Christ is the light of men how canne wee choose but conclude that certainely the light did shine while our Sauiour was in the world So then the light shineth alwayes by nature But where shineth it Surely in darkenes For there is no vse of light but in respect of darkenesse and wheresoeuer any light shines there is darknesse without that light naturally and ordinarily What darknesse is it wherein this supernaturall light shineth Questionlesse a darknesse sutable to that light For the Sunne in his greatest brightnes at high noone in summer shines not to the soule but to the body of man the excelleÌ„test knowledge cleerest light of reasoÌ„ helps nothing to the inlightning of our bodily darknes but the simplest idiot if his sight be good wil see as wel as the wisest man in the world if he haue the sun light This then must be layd as the foundation of the building that by darknes not the absence of naturall light but the want of spirituall knowledge is signified And as by light wee vnderstand the person of the Messiah together with the doctrine hee taught concerning our spirituall saluation so by darkenesse wee must in like sort conceiue the ignorance of him and of that knowledge which hee imparted to the world whereby onely euerlasting life can bee attained to What then is this darkenesse wherein the light shineth what else but the blindness of men by which they are vnable to see and knowe what belongs to their eternall saluation the infidelity of men whereby they are hindred and withheld from acknowledging the meanes of it when they are offred Of the doctrine anone as yet I am in search for the meaning of the word Which as all men know confesse signifieâ— properly the abseÌ„ce of this out ward light to which it is contrary It is needless to proue this point by example Take one for all in the beginning of the scripture Darkness was vpon the deep And God sayd Let Gen. 1. 2. 3. 4. there be light And God separated the light from the darknesse Wee see cleerely what darkenes Moses speakes of that it needes not my exposition From hence the word is taken and applyed to note out the punishment of sin and sin it selfe The punishment in this life aduersity affliction He hath set darknesse in my pathes sayth Iob Iob. 19. 3. meaning that the Lord had laid greeuous afflictions vphim If they look vnto the earth sayth I say behold darknes Isay 5. 30. 8. 22. and sorrow the light shall be darkened in their skie Darknes is without comfort and affords a man no sight of any meanes for his deliuerance Therefore the vse of the word reacheth farther euen to death and damnation Before I goe and shall not returne sayth Iob to the land of Iob. 10. 21. ver 22. darknesse and shadow of death Into a land darke as darknes it selfe into the shadow of death where there is no order but the light is as darkenesse Of damnation our Sauiour often speaketh when hee names casting into vtter darknes The children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter Mat. 8. 12. 22. 13. 25. 30. darkenesse Take him away and cast him into vtter darknes This Iude calleth the blackenes of darknes For whom is Iad ver
cōceit shines so brightly a stumbling block to the Iewes and foolishnes to the Gentiles 1. Cor. 1. 23. Are all these in darknes Nay rather is not your light a false fire that flashes and vanishes These these are the proud conceits of the ignorant world Not without some shew I confesse for the deuill must deceiue with some colour but yet without substance The shew is great both in respect of the aduersaries themselves for the continuance of the errour Multitude beares a great sway and like a mightie land-water caries a waie all it meetes with But if it come once to bee the greater part it seemes to challenge allowance and consent not so much by force as by equity and reason What if it proue generally yea so generall that it comprise all within it One or two may be deceiu'd but that which all men agree of must of necessity be true And that these men may not be thought to preuail by nūber of voices but by waight of reason they are content to argue the matter with vs Iewes Gentiles each a part for themselues For though they be at deadly fewd one with another yet they all ioyne in one against God that wee may be sure they are in darknesse but let vs heare their seuerall pleas for the cleering of themselues Suppose then that Zedekiah Ahabs Prophet or if you will Caiphas 1. King 22. 24. Ioh. 11. 49. 50. who liu'd in the office of the high Priest when this light was to be seene and felt almost with mens fingers should start vp in defence of his nation of which he was so careful and speake in this sort What is he that accuseth the Iewes of blindesse Is not Abraham Ioh. 8. 33. 5. 45. their Father Is not Moses their teacher Did not God deliuer the knowledge of his will vnto them Hee hath Psalm 147. 20. not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowne his ludgements Were not all the Prophets sent from time Icr. 7. 25. to time for their instruction Are not they a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknesse Doe not the Rom. 2 19. Mal. 2. 7. Mic. 4 2. Ioh. 4. 22. Priest lips preserue knowledge Must not all men seeke the law at his mouth Doth not the law goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem for saluation is of the Iews How then are they in darknesse All the land of Aegypt may be couered with darknesse but the children of I sraell Exod. 10. 23. haue light where they dwell Thus hath Caiphas cleerd the Iewes as he thinks of the imputation of ignorance which was laid vpon them But what saith Saint Paul Iew and a Pharise There is none that understandeth there Rom. 3. 11. 12. Psal 13. 3. is none that seekes after God They are all gon out of the way Neither speakes he this of himselfe but alleageth it out of the Iewes owne records Indeed he brings it against the Iewes and hee giues a sufficient reason of his so doing VVe knowe saith hee that whatsoeuer the Lawe saith Rom. 3. 19. it saith it to them which are vnder the law How many witnesses might I bring in to bee deposed of this truth which of the Prophets hath not accused them as greeuously Their writings abound with such complaintes The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib Esay 1. 3. But Israellhath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood The Lord hath a controuersie with the Land saith another Ose 4. 1. Prophet because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land But let vs grant as much as they desire that the Oracles of God were committed to them Doth not this proue that of themselues they were as blind as other nations Is not this the word of the Prophets 2. Pet. 1. 19. which as S. Peter saith is a light shining in a darke place was this any other thing then the dawning of the dav before the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse But I should shew my selfe to be too blind if I should spende time to discouer their darknesse Their greatest Rabbies the Scribes and Pharises were blind leaders of the blind Mat. 15. 14. who professing themselues to bee master builders had not so much skill as to know the head stone of the corner without which all that they set vppe could Mark 12. 10. not chuse but fall to ruine as wee see it is come to passe Let vs then leaue the Iewes in their ignorance that we maie incounter the Gentiles euen the Grecians the 1. Cor. 1. 22. 23 wisest of them whose profession it is to seeke after wisedome and who therefore despise the Gospell because it is foolishnes These men think foule scorne to be coūted ignorant If knowledge were lost the bookes of learning burnt vp it might be found among them would flame vp at their blast out of thevery ashes Haue not they clim'd vp into heauen brought downe from thence the admirable knowledge of the motions influences of the starrs Haue not they taken a full survey of euery Region of the Ayre obseru'd the causes and breeding of Coluds raine hail snowe Comets blazing slarrs frost dew and all such wonders Who hath sounded the depth of the Sea and discouered the hidden secrets of the saltnesse ebbing flowing there of but the Grecians who hath rak't into the bowels of the earth and fetcht out the treasures of it for the vse of men but the Grecians Their Philosophy hath taught Princes how to manage affairs of State Of them masters of families haue learned how to order their housholds Among them military discipline was bred and nourisht They haue instructed men how to make themselues vertuous They haue shewed men how to attaine to happines To conclude all learning all vertue all wisedome hath flowed out of their fountaines and watered all the world with streames of knowledge Iudgement As for Religion where had God more Temples more Priests more altars Where was more cost bestowed on his worship Where was more wit shew'd in the deuising of it The like plea make the Romans who although they cannot deny that they receiu'd these things at the second hand of the Grecians yet in their conceyts all knowledge and vertue especially religion had her full growth and perfection amongst and from them What shall we say to these men and how shall wee aunswere them if wee deny them to bee learned all the world will condemne vs of ignorance or enuy Shal we grant that they shine with learning yet accuse them as hidden in darknesse What is light but knowledge What is darknesse but ignorance Either they are in darknesse because they want knowledge or if they haue knowledge they are not in darknes How stands the case then Haue we accusd them vniustly That were to condemne the holy Ghost
the worde in common speech where the patterne or a thing it selfe that is inutated or counterfetted is called the Truth The truth Vritas vincit iantationem excelleth the imitation So the Lord is named the true God This is euerlasting life to know thee the onely true God Ioh 17. 3. Some thinke that by this truth or trueness the light is signified to bee such by nature and of it selfe not by Ciril in Ioa. lib. 1. cap. 9. grace or participation And so may the Lord bee called the true beeing because he is so naturally and imparts to all things such being as they haue But of this signification I thinke there is no example to bee found in Scripâ—ure The two former agree very well to our Sauiour who is indeede the true light without any darkness of error or falshood in him Hee whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giueth him not the spirit by measure Ioh. 3. 34. And of him were all the ceremonies of the lawe shadowes and figures as the Apostle hath shewed at large in the Epistle to the Hebrewes especially in the ninth and tenth Chapters But the best way to vnderstand the true sense of the worde is to compare it with other of the same kinde in the Scripture For which purpose what shall wee neede to goe any farder then this Gospell Wherein wee haue two like speeches vttered by our Sauiour of himselfe My father saith hee giueth you the true Ioh. 6. 32. bread from Heauen What true bread was this It is euident that hee speaketh it of himselfe whom a little before hee had called the meate that indureth to euerlasting Verse 27. life Heere he compares himselfe with that Manna whereof the Iewes boasted and wherewith they say Moses fed them euen with bread from Heauen To this our Sauiour answereth that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen but my father giueth you saith he the true bread from Heauen They had bread from heauen by the ministerie of Moses as they proued by the place Psal 78. 24. of the Psalme He gaue them bread from heauen How then saith our Sauiour that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen and that his father giues them the true bread Surely that bread which they had by the meanes of Moses was true bread and did truely the office of bread to feed their bodies What then Doth he meane that it was but a figure of the heauenly bread which God was to giue and now in and by him did giue them This was true indeede but not so much to purpose as our Sauiours speech was beeing rightly vnderstood Hee Ver. 27. had perswaded them before to labour for the meat that endureth to euerlasting life They would needes haue Ver. 30. Ver. 31. him shew them some signe that is worke some miracle whereby they might be occasioned to beleeue him that there was better bread then such as their fathers had eaten in the Wildernes To this our Lord answeres that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen namely no such Ver. 32. bread as could endure to life eternall That bread that could so feede them was the true bread and was giuen by his father in comparison whereof the other was not worthy the name of bread The vse of the bread is to nourisn and continue life and that bread which can not worke such an effect in him that eates it is not true bread Your fathers saith he afterward dideate Manna in the Wildernes and are dead How Ver. 49. Ver. 50. then was that true bread This is the bread that came downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not die Loe heere we haue the true bread which performes that in truth to the soule that the other doth but as it were offer to the body Therefore also he tells them a little after that his flesh is truely meate and his bloud truly Ver 55. drink A like place we haue in the same Gospell where he tearmes himselfe the true Vine I am the true Vine Why is Ioh. 15. 1. he the true Vine Because hee doth indeede truely and effectually nourish comfort susteine those that cleaue to him by faith whereas the best Vine in the world hath somtimes dead branches and at the last dieth it selfe Now then if any man demaund in what sense Christ is the true light in the very same say I in which hee doth affirme that he is the true bread and the true Vine The Sonne which is the fountaine of this visible light doth not so truely shine and giue light to the eyes of the body as Iesus Christ doth inlighten the vnderstanding which is the eye of the Soule Iesus Christ may Ambros de fide contra Arian cap. 3. some man say Why not rather God the Father or at least the whole Trinitie whose ioint action it is to inlighten and not the Sonnes alone These obiections are easily answered For it is more then plame that our Euangelist speakes only of the Sonne in this whole description What reason is there then to vnderstand this one verse of any other but of him alone How should this point applied either to the Father or to the Trinitie haue any due place in this discourse Is it not also apparent that the light here spoken of is the same whereof Iohn bare witness and which is said in the verses following to haue come vnto his owne and to haue giuen the priuiledge to men of becomming the sonnes of God Consider yet farder how vnfit it had bin for Saint Iohn hauing called the Worde by the name of the light in the former verses here vpon a sodaine to giue the same title to any other of the persons or the Godhead Will any man take the worde in such diuers sort if hee bee not constrained to doe so by cleere euidence of the Text But so to vnderstand it were to couer the place with darknesse not to make the sense of it cleere and euident But the action of inlightening is common to all three Persons So are all actions of any person of the three which concerne any other beside the Persons themselues To choose to iustifie to sanctifie to redeeme to instruct to inspire to comfort c. are all common workes of the Diuine nature Yet are they appropriated in the Scripture seuerally to the seuerall persons as all men know and as I must shew particularly when I come to the 33. verse In the meane while let vs goe forward with the exposition of this verse wherein we are next to consider what the doubling of the article may teach vs. The light the true light was it not enough to haue said The light For surely that implies an especiall excellencie of the light wee meane There bee perhaps many candles torches starres and moones but the sunne onely is the light They are lights but not the light If that would not serue the turne
said and like enough thought too But thou art strong in faith Who almost thinkes himselfe weake The pride of our nature doth so puffe vs vp with a good conceite of our owne knowledge and beliefe that the eies of our mindes are closed and our sight dimmed if not blinded that wee are not able to giue any true iudgement naturally of our greatest imperfections Feare makes vs wary least wee shoulde fall Hope fils vs with presumption that wee run headlong to our fall Be not high minded but feare Feare thine owne corruption suspect thine owne strength Thy strength say d I nay thy weakenes rather If thou wilt presume vpon Gods powerfull mercy to vphold thee lay hold vpon the meanes hee hath appointed for the staying of thee vp Beleeue remember resolue that Christ onely is the light I am not to enter into any discourse whereby I may instruct or direct thee how to confirme thy faith in this point but onely to exhort thee thereunto according as this doctrine giues me iust occasion It is not vnlikely that there are some in this Assembly perhappes as in such a small company not a few whome these thinges may neerely concerne Marchants a good part of whose estate lyes abroade in Turkey or Barbarie Maryners whose course of life and helpe of maintenance requires imployment in those parts Trauaylers whose desire to see fashions and learne experience will draw them into all Countries and companies Young impes who becomming apprentices shall bee transported out of this nuiserie where they haue beene bred to bee planted in those places for many yeeres euen for the chief time of their growthe Shall I craue leaue of you to speake a few wordes to the point in hand with your fauour and attention I will not aske you whether you beleeue that the Scripture contayned in the olde and newe Testament bee the worde of God or no. I knowe you beleeue it As needlesse is it yea perhappes more needlesse to tell you that this Scripture being the worde of GOD is of certaine and vndoubted truth both for the whole and euerie part of it Let vs come more particularly to the matter wee are now in handling The holy Euangelist Saint Iohn inspired by the holy Ghost affirmes vpon the warrant of that inspiration that our Lorde Iesus Christ is the light Of the trueth heereof thou profeslest thou art resolued With this resolution as thou perswadest thy selfe thou saylest as thy occasions call thee into Heathen Countries where Christ and this truth concerning him is not onely doubted of but denyed hated impugned persecuted It falles out while thou art there that either thine owne misdemeanor in the carriage of thy person or managing of thy businesse casts thee into some daunger or the opportunitie of some pleasure profite or honour bewitcheth thee with an earnest desire thereof There is no meanes for thee to auoyde that daunger or to enioy those benefittes but to disclayme Iesus Christ and to embrace Mahomet Now shewe thy faith now make proofe of thy constancie nowe it must and will bee seene whether thy profession bee sincere or counterfaite What standest thou wauering and tottering this way and that way If Mahomet bee the light followe him If Iesus bee the inlightner of thy soule goe after him Doubting is not of faith Thy feete treade one way and thy face lookes another way Thy tongue hardely forbeares to denie that to bee true which thy heart woulde fayne thinke to bee false What meanes thy crauing respite to giue in thine aunswere A â—orte beleagered that offers parle is halfe yeelded Thy heart is euen gone and thou carest not that God sees it as long as men heare not thy tongue professe it If at the last with much a doe thou resolue to continue in thy Christian profession yet remember that hee which is long ere hee doe that hee knowes ought to bee done a greate while would not doe it But thou hast somewhat perhappes to say for thy selfe in this case Let vs giue thee the hearing speake thy minde freely and spare not Well I see what thou wouldest say that if thou perseuer in acknowledging Christ to bee the light thou shalt bee sure to bee clapt in prison and to bee depriued of the light of this worlde but if thou honour Mahomet as the teacher of truth from God thou shalt shine in the glory of this life Is this all Alas poore wretch what shall it auayle thee to escape a few yeeres imprisonment in this world and to bee shutte vppe for it in the Dungeon of hell world without ende What art thou the better for a little painted glorie and trash in this life when thereby thou shalt lose the glorie of God in the life to come Art thou afrayde of a darke prison and doost not tremble at the horror of hellish darkenesse why doost thou not consider that Christ is the light Can hee bee in darkenesse that hath the light with him and shining to him Be not deceiued nor discomforted This light shall shewe the more in that darke Iayle thou fearest then the Sunne canne doe at the noone day in the open fieldes As for the shadow of glorie thou so doatest vpon what is it to the light of truth Say thou wert Emperour of Turkey or didst commaunde the whole Worlde without this light thou wert couered with more then Aegyptian darkenesse What canst thou hope for by Mahomet when all hee coulde deuise to promise is nothing but a little sensuall and beastly voluptuousnesse the happinesse of a Goate a Swine or a Dogge and not of a man They doe all they can to turne themselues into Beasts that feede their brutish humour with the conceit of such filthy pleasures How blind must they needes be that embrace darknesse for light There was som shew for the error of the Iewes The Turkes haue not the least colour for beleefe in Mahomet except a fewe knackes of cousinage which some fooles tooke for miracles The Alcoran wherin the light of his knowledge should shine is such a disorderly bundle of senselesse dreames and idle tales without head or foote that a man of any reason cannot read or heare it with patience But the true light powreth foorth streames of admirable knowledge for the inlightning of all men that they may see the truth of God to saluation So it followeth in my text which inlightneth euerie man that commeth into the world This is the other proposition or sentence in which as in the former First of the words then of the Euangelists meaning In the words I finde some occasion of doubt concerning the translation of which I wonder that our Rhemists tooke not hold hauing so faire an opportunitie The Greeke worde which wee translate That commeth properly signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venientem comming comming And the Latine which the Rhemists professe to followe with superstitious precisenesse hath exprest it by a worde of the same kinde and signification How chance our newe
thinges were made who is the life of men But what reason should leade vs to apply this to naturall light seeing wee haue made it manifest that in the former verses it is to bee vnderstoode of that which is supernaturall Why should wee giue the worde light such a signification heere as it hath no where else in all the Scripture But it is no where vsed for the light of reason which wee haue by nature nor for that generall knowledge of GOD which wee partly bring with vs into the world and partly attaine to by the contemplation of the creatures Wherefore wee must needes conceiue that the Euangelist speakes of that lights which men receiue by Reuelation from GOD concerning the meanes of euerlasting life by faith in Christ of which the greatest part of the worlde neuer had any notice It behooues vs then to consider the poynt with good aduise that wee may vnderstande the Euangelists meaning aright and neither deny that our Sauiour inlightneth euerie man nor confesse that euerie man is inlightned with the knowledge of him to saluation The auncient Diuines of former ages seeing these inconveniences and desiring to prouide some rerredy for them by their meditation and learning did find out and leaue vnto vs 2 espseciall answers for the satisfying of these doubts First they teach vs that Christ Aug. Enchirid ad Laurent cap. 103 Depeccat merit 8 remiss ◠1. c. 25 may truely be said to enlighten euery man because no man is inlightned but by him If there were but one Physician or one Schoolemaster in this Citty of that one it might truly be affirmed that he taught all that he cured all This is he might we say that cureth euery man This is he that teacheth euery one Not meaning thereby that euery particular man woman and childe in the Citty is taught or healed but signifying in generall that there is no other Physician no other teacher by which any one receiues health or instruction So our Sauiour Christ may be conceiu'd to inlighten euery mā because euery one that is inlightned hath that light from him and not because euery one is inlightned So that Saint Iohns meaning according to this interpretation must be thus vnderstood Iesus of whome Iohn bare witnesse was the true light and whosoeuer is inlightned is inlightned by him This exposition as euery man may easily discerne agreeth very fitly with the former part and proueth it very strongly For indeed what sounder proofe can we require to assure vs that our Lorde was the true light then that euery man fetcheth all the light he hath from him Either we must grant that no man at all hath any light of grace or else yeeld that he from whom he hath that light is the true light The former is not doubted of How then shoulde the later bee in question The second answere doth not so much respect the partyes inlightned as him that doth inlighten who shineth to euery man that will open his eies to behold him For as the naturall light spreadeth the beames thereof abroad in al places and giueth light to euery man as much as lyes in it though blinde men see neuer a whit the better So this true light offereth himselfe to al men shineth vpon euery man that who so wil may bee inlightned by him It may seem perhaps to some man that inlightning signifies a farder matter then shining vpon a man and so I remember it was obserued at verse the fift The light shineth in darknesse Those blind men I named ere while had the Sunne shining on them but yet they were not inlightned vnlesse by inlightning we vnderstand no more but being made visible that we may be seene And in that sense indeed a tree or a stone is inlightned by the Sunne as wel as any liuing creature that hath eies to see withal This cannot bee the meaning of the Euangelist For he speakes not of any mans being made knowne or apparant to other men but of euery mans knoweing and seeing those matters which concerne his everlasting saluation That is to bee inlightned to haue the doctrine of saluation declared to him so that hee discerne and acknowledge it for such the truth thereof being made manifest to his conscience or at the least the sense of that which is deliuered being euident and cleere vnto him If this later point bee not performed surely there is no inlightning but at the most shining The word which our Euangelist vseth in this place signifieth in the Scripture both the holding out of light by which things may be made visible to men and the giuing of them sight by which they may see Candles are said to light vs with their brightnesse that is to afford Luk. 11. 36. vs light by meanes whereof things may bee seene And in this sense the things that are seene to speake truly and properly are inlightned and not wee in whom there is no alteration by the presence of the light but only the forme or shape of that which is to be seene is presented to our view by the light shining vpon it and bringing the proportion and colours of it to our eies This signification of the word is the more common of the 2 Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lorde come who will lighten things that are hid in darknesse 1. Cor. 4. 5. In this place of Scripture as euery one sees the lightning is referred to the things that shall be seene which being hidden shall be discoured and made visible or rather layd open to all mens view But the Scripture hath examples of the other signification also I cease not saith the Apostle to giue thanks for you making mention Eph. 1. 16. of you in my prayers c. that the eies of your vnderstanding may bee inlightned that you may knowe what the Verse 18. hope is of your calling c. This inlightning of the eies of the vnderstanding is not onely affording of light by which the things themselues that are to bee seene may become visible for that is done by the ministery of the worde whereby the hidden mysteries of saluation are revealed to all that will heare but an opening of the heart and an inward teaching of those secrets so that a man shall thereby bee perswaded of the truth thereof For the Ephesians to whom the Apostle writ this had heard the Gospell preached by Saint Paul himselfe and by that peaching of his had the light vouchsaf't them by which the knowledge of saluation might be had and in some measure also had attained to the vnderstanding and acknowledging of the truth which the Apostles praye to haue farder reuealed to them that they might beleeue and embrace it This the same Apostle in an other place calls the receiuing of light Many haue light and Heb. 10. 32. knoweledge offered them but they receiue it not either because it seemes not worth the receiuing or for that they are drawne away by
are in Autoritie Honour or Dignitie Palacius an other of your owne men somtimes Diuinitie Reader Miâ—hael Palacius ad Ioa. cap. 1. Enarrat 28. §. I am â—ero in the Vniuersitie of Salamonca in Spaine hauing recited diuers Interpretations of this worde at the last concludes that the most naturall sense of it in this place is to take Potestatem power for Dignitatem Prerogatiue and hee addes a little after that if wee translate as the vulgar Latin hath it Potestatem Power the Est sensus subobsâ—urus sense will be somwhat obscure You heare the iudgement of some learned Papists shall I confirme the point by the Autoritie of some ancient writers Cyril expounds Potestatem to bee Dignitatem that is hee shewes that the worde vsed by the Euangelist in Greeke wherein also Cyrill writ signifies as much as Prerogatiue or Honour and to this Cyril in Ioa. lib. 1. cap. 3. purpose is hee alledged by Palacius who seconds this Iudgement of Cyrill with the coÌ„sent of Erasmus though hee will not name him If all this waigh nothing with our Rhemists yet I am sure they will bee aduised how they dislent from Gregory the great a Saint as they would haue it of their Church indeed a learned and holy man a Bishop of Rome the first of that name Let vs heere how he takes the place He gaue them saith Gregor in Ezech homil 6. Gregorie this Dignitie and Excellencie Dignitie and Excellencie What is that but Prerogatiue If Beza translate falsely what doth Gregory Doe you not wound him through the others sides How shall the one bee acquited if the other bee condemned For howsoeuer Gregory makes not profession to translate the place as Beza doth yet hee giues vs his iudgement of the signification and senseâ— by alledging it in those wordes And surely all the Autors that I haue hitherto brought serue as well to shewe the meaning of the worde in this Text as the signification of it in generall To which may be added for farder proofe of the matter the iudgement of all them who translate or expound it Autoritie or Right and in a worde of all them that acknowledge the Hugo Cardinall Dionys Carthu Toletus Maldonatus Euangelist to speake in this place not of power refting in man after grace receiued to make himselfe the sonne of God but of his actuall being the sonne of God immediately vpon his beleeuing or hauing of grace And of this minde are most of the late Interpreters among the Papists themselues Yea Maldonat a great man and a â—oan Maldonat ad hunc locum principall Iesuite not many yeares since Diuinitie Reader in Paris can not choose but confesse that by power as they translate it right is signified And when hee had propounded our interpretation I meane for the sense all the reason hee could finde to refuse it was no more but this that hauing formerly liked of it afterward hee grew into mislike because he found it in a certaine hereticall Interpreter He saith withall indeede that hee did better consider of it But hee that aduisedly markes what his better consideration affords may easily discerne that he had more will then reason to dissent from him whom he standerously calls an heretike It appeares then by the iudgement of the Papists themselues and of some ancient writers that the worde in this place both for the nature of it and the sense of the text may well bee translated Dignitie or Prerogatiue But for the better cleering of the matter and to make way for my answere to these Rhemists touching free will whereof when I come to handle the Doctrine I thinke it not amisse to take a little more paines in deliuering the significations of the worde All which may bee drawne to two heads Autoritie and Power Of the former the Rhemists afford diuers examples I am a man saith the Centurion Mat. 8. 9. subiect to Autoritie They might as well haue said power as they doe three or foure times together in an other place Let euery soule bee subiect to higher Rom. 13. 1. 2. 3. Powers for there is no Power but of God What should I stand to recite the words You may reade them at your leasure in these places Luke 17. 8. Act. 9. 14. 26. 10 12. 1. Cor. 15. 24. 1. Thes 3 9. Somtimes they translate the worde Potentates that is such as haue Autoritie and beare rule whether lawfully or vnlawfully When they shall bring you saith our Sauiour to his disciples Luke 12. 11. into the Synagogues and to Magistrates and Potentates So Ephes 1. 21. 3. 10. Col. 1. 16. Tit 3. 1. 1. Pet. 3. 22. Of vnlawfull Autoritie wee haue example where the Apostle saith that Our wrastling is not against Ep 〈◊〉 6. 1. flesh and bloud but against Princes and Potestates meaning as it is plaine by the next wordes the euill spirits or diuels Of whome speaking in an other Epistle hee saith that Christ spoiled the Principalities Col. 2. 15. and Potestates Vnder this signification I comprehend all those texts where by this worde lawfulness to do this or that is vnderstood For example our Lord saith Hee hath power to lay downe his life and Ioh. 10. 18. power to take it vp againe What power was this Lawfull Autoritie that hee might doe it without any sinne or disobedience to GOD his Father So the Apostle saith of himselfe and Barnabas that They 1. Cor. 9. 3. 4. had power to eate and drinke power to leade about a wife namely it was lawfull for them In this sense our Rhemists once translate it Libertie Take heede least perhaps this your libertie say they become an offence 1 Cor. 8 9. to the weake Our translation hath Power All is one in effect Libertie or Power signifies there a lawfullnes to eat that meat which was dedicated to Idols Although the Apostle indeede in that place speakes but vpon supposition the thing as it is manifest being vnlawfull in the Idols temple whereof hee there intreateth 1. Cor. 10. 21. When the worde signifies Power it is put for abilitie to doe somthing as these examples shew He gaue them Mark 3. 15. power to cure diseases and to cast out Diuels This was that which Simon the Sorcerer would haue bought of the Apostles Giue me also this power quoth he that on whomsoeuer Act 8. 19. I lay my hands hee may receiue the holy Ghost So may wee vnderstand that place where the cheefe Priestes Scribes and Elders askt our Sauiour by what power hee did those things And this interpretation Luke 20. 2. agrees very well with the blasphemie of the Pharises who affirmed that Hee cast out Diuels Mat. 12. 24. through Beelzebub the prince of the Diuels If wee translate it Autoritie both the worde and the sense will beare it But wheresoeuer it may bee translated Power it neuer signifies freewill in any place of the Scripture That
in the matter of our iustification I deny not that the Hebrew addeth the preposition ◠often times which the 70 sometimes expresse sometimes ouerpasse but this I say that the phrase which the holy Ghost most commonly vseth in the new Testament to expresse Beleeuing in Christ is neither in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greeke translation of the old nor for ought I could euer yet find in any greeke Author whatsoeuer except those that writ since and tooke it from the Scripture To beleeue in God or in Christ for the substance and sense is no more but to trust to God or Christ and this kinde of speech is vsuall in the greeke tongue and writers To helpe vs in the vnderstanding of this the 70. in their greek afford an other phrase maruelous significant To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beleeue vpon or on God This the holy Ghost might haue contented himselfe withall vsing it often as hee doth and by this the Hebrew Preposition is now and Act. 16. 13. Rom. 4. 5. 18. then exprest in the Greek But as if hee would haue vs out of al doubt touching a matter of so great importāce he becomes autor of a new phrase himselfe To beleeue in Christ Shall any man perswade me that hee meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no more by it but a bare assenting to the truth What needed this straunge manner of speech which doth rather darken then inlighten the vnderstanding for the right conceiuing of the holy Ghosts true meaning Abraham beleeued God Euery man knows what this means especially if it signifie no more hut giuing credit to the truth of that which is spoken But the Apostle expoūds it by Beleeuing in or on God Is not this to make the matter doubtfull by an exposition whereas of it selfe it was plaine and certaine enough It cannot bee therefore but that the holy Ghost by this new kind of speech notes somewhat more then simply to assent to the truth of God vpon the autority of the speaker In particular I say farder touching that of Abraham Rom. 4. 5. first that his beleeuing as we haue often heard is a beleeuing in God or resting vpon God 2 that beleeuing could not haue profited Abrahā if he had only acknowledgd the truth of that which God promised and not trusted to him for the performance thereof What can it auaile any man to Iustificatiō that he holds IESVS CHRIST to be the only Sauiour and faith in himt he only means of saluation if he doe not withall rely vpon him to bee saued by his mediation Thirdly it must bee considered that the Apostle applying that particular of Abraham to all beleeuers expoundeth that beleeuing by relying vpon God Which beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead What is it think you to beleeue on Verse 24. him that raised Iesus To assent to the truth of Scripture that tells vs he was raised Then should the Apostle rather haue spokē thus which beleeue God who saith he hath raised him But it is required that wee beleeue on him and there is no speech nor thought of any thing affirmed by God which wee should beleeue Let vs vnderstand it thus which beleeue that God raised Iesus Certainely if this had beene the Apostles meaning hee would neuer haue spokē so doubtfully of so weighty a matter where he had a plaine and easy speech to expresse that which he intended to the vnderstanding of euery man whereas no man woulde euer conceiue what he meant by these wordes if they signified no more but giuing credit to the truth of our Sauiors resurrection As for the other place out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes what can possibly bee concluded out of it against Heb. 11. 7. that I haue deliuered touching the nature of that faith by which we are iustified What if by it we vnderstand that the world was ordained of GOD Is this all that is required to the iustifying of a man in respect of faith There is no such thing either exprest or implyed in the words Nay rather all the examples that follow are so many proofes that the faith whereof the holy Ghost there speakes can not bee seuered from be leeuing in God I will not stand vpon the particulars at this time the later part of the next Chapter before vpon occasion whereof the Apostle falles into this discourse of faith giues sentence for me The iust shall liue Chap. 10. 38. 37. by faith By what faith by that which only giues credit to the truth of God No but by such a faith as makes vs rest vpon God for the performance of his promise which presupposeth the truth thereof How chance thē that the Apostle in setting forth the nature of faith asscribes such effects therevnto as may bee without any resting vpon God Shall wee say that this faith spreds it selfe ouer the whole soule and is seated aswell in the vnderstanding as in the affection I see not how it can stand with reason to place any habit or quality in two diuers partes or faculties of the soule VVhat then Is not beleeuing of the truth required to iustification Yes surely There is no possibility of saluation without it For how shall any man trust in Christ to be iustified by him it hee doe not beleeue that hee is appointed by God to be a Sauiour of all them that trust vnto him But the question is first whether Beleefe bee nothing else but an assenting to the truth Secondly whether the true nature of that faith which is availeable to our iustification consist in resting vpon Christ to be iustified by him or no Assent is required as the roote and foundation but the very forme of iustifying faith is beleeuing in Christ as it shall appeare I hope when I haue iust occasion to define it and handle it at large In the meane while that no man may bee troubled about that place to the Hebrewes let vs remember that the Apostle being to sette forth iustifying faith and to perswade continuance in obedience therevnto enters into a commendation of fayth in generall for the amply fying of that particular But for the settling of our minds in the true knowledge of that beleefe which is required to our iustification nothing I take it can be of greater force then the consideration of the worde as it is vsed ordinarily in the olde Testament VVhen any blessing is to bee receined from God what beleefe is it that the Lorde expecteth of his people to the ende they may haue his protection and assistance A fewe examples will shew the nature of it Because thou hast rested on the king of Aram and hast not rested vpon the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoast of the king of Aram escaped out of thy 1. Chro. 5. 18. 19. 20. hands Thus did Hanani the Seer reprooue Asa king of Iuda shewing him that the reason why hee preuailed not against the Aramites
sacrifice without which there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes to bee had Heb. 9 22. Phil. 2. 10. Neither is that honour Saint Paul speakes of to bee giuen to the name as if the sound of those letters so set together deserued any speciall reuerence or as if Iesus were of more excelleÌ„cy theÌ„ Christ For as I sayd once before then ought wee to esteeme the name of Iesus the sonne of Nun and of the other Iesus the sonne of Iosedeck more then of Christ the sonne of God Surely if any name require bowing of the knee it is that which God gaue himselfe euen Iehouah and the other of the same kind Eheieh Iah But the person is meant when the name is mentioned and the office of being a Sauiour is that to which all honour is due in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth by Angels and men not the Name of sauing which was common to our Lord with other men Why then doth the Euangelist vse this kinde of speech To beleeue in his name would hee thereby note our Lords power vpon which euery one that will bee saued must rest that hee may bee deliuered out of the handes of sinne and death This may seeme the likelier because that miracle of curing the cripple was wrought by the name of our Lord. In the name of Iesus Act. 3. 6. 16. Christ of Nazareth say Peter and Iohn rise vp and walke And where they giue account of their dooing His name hath made this man sound But I rather perswade my selfe that Saint Iohn followes the Hebrewe phrase by which ordinarily the name is vsed for the person Ahraham called on the name of the Gen. 13. 4. Lord. That is Abraham worshipt God and offered vp sacrifize vnto him for as yet that glorious name Iehouah was not knowne I hold it altogether needlesse to Exod. 3. 14. heape vp many examples in a matter out of question Nothing is more common then to haue the name of God taken for God himselfe Let him that hath no light Isay 50. 10. sayth the Prophet Isay trust in the name of the Lord and stay vpon his God The later expounds the former To trust in the name of God is nothing else but to stay or rest vpon God So that the name of God and God himselfe signifie both one thing His name also is often put for his worshippe as when the Priests are sayd to despise Mal. 1. 6. the name of the Lord the meaning is that they prophane his worship as a matter of no worth But this caÌ„not bee intended by the Euangelist For the better vnderstanding of whose meaning after the exposition of the words wee must consider how this verse dependes vpon the former which wee may thus reasonably conceiue The Euangelist in the next wordes before shewed the vnkindnesse and vnthankfulnesse of the Iewes in refusing him that made offer of himselfe vnto them His own receiued him not A strange vnkindnesse that a man so full of grace and power so holy in his life so gratious in his words so mighty in his deedes and that to the benefit of them among whome heeliued should notwithstanding all this bee so peremptorily reiected But was this all I grant it is not nothing to bee iustly condemned of such vnciuill and vnnaturall dealing But there is worse behind to shew the folly of these men in being occasion to themselues of so great a losse If an olde man of fayre lands and great wealth should seeke to bee intertained of his neer kinsmen or friends and not bee receiued would not all the world charge them with extraordinary vnkindnes and condemne them of singular folly for depriuing themselues of so goodly an inheritance and so great an estate as they weresure to haue enioyed by receiuing of him Such was the case in the Iewes refusall of our Sauiour As if Saint Iohn should haue sayd His owne to whome hee came receiued him not but if they had receiued him they had thereby beene made the sonnes of God For that prerogatiue hee gaue to as many as by faith entertained him So that our Euangelist in this one verse both implyes the vnrecouerable losse of the Iewes and all other that refuse him and expresseth the inualuable gaine of all that receiued him whether they were Iewes or Gentiles It seemes a small matter perhappes to many a man not to beleeue in Iesus Christ yea some men thinke it little better then simplicitie and basenesse to rest vpon him If these wretches knewe what is lost by refusing him what is gotten by receiuing him they would run after him with all the haste they can possibly make and imbrace him with both their armes But I will leaue these points to bee amplyfied anone when I haue handled the doctrine that our Euangelist teacheth vs in this place which is briefly this that whosoeuer beleeues in Iesus Christ hath by that beleeuing the honour to bee the sonne of God And because the matter is of so great importance containing the glorie of a true Christian and the meanes of attaining to it let vs I beseech you stirre vp our selues with all diligence to know and doe that which will certainely bring vs to the height of all true felicitie To which purpose I wil diuide my whole discourse into these two parts The prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God The meanes of obtaining it In the former I will first shewe what it is that is heere vouâ—chsaf't vs To he the sonnes of God Secondly that it is a prerogatiue which is amplyfied by the generality of it that it belonges to all that beleeue The later part offers two things to be considered touching the meanes That this prerogatiue is giuen that on our part beleeuing in Christ is required Many other points will fall in here and there but I content my selfe with propounding these that are most generall and easie to bee discerned in the Text. The first point concerning our being the sonnes of God requires that I should shewe some reason why the Euangelist makes choyse of this benefit aboue the rest that being declared I will come to the exposition of the point it selfe Many and excellent are the blessings which it hath pleased God of his infinite mercy to bestow vpon vs in his sonne Iesus Christ He saues vs from our sinnes He reconciles vs Mat. 1. 21. Rom. 5. 10 1. Cor. 1. 30. to God He is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse and redemption When should I make an ende if I should recite euerie particular The question is why Saint Iohn passing ouer all other benefittes receiued by him mentions this rather theÌ„ any other What if we say he made especial choise of this because it is the greatest Surely wee shall say no more then is true and not vn likely For how could the Iewes be more iustly coÌ„demned the hearts of all men more inflamed with the loue of faith or the kindnesse of our Lord more
reason with you a little If a Clocke or Watch a curious peece of worke had vnderstanding to consider its owne nature and to knowe the workeman that forg'd and fram'd it to whose keeping thinke you would it committe it selfe rather then to his that knew â—est how to preserue it because hee deuis'd and made it Is not euery man desirous to haue that gardiner if it may be to looke to his herbs flowers knots arbors and his whole ground the excellencie of whose skill he sees continually before his eyes in the beautie and growth of the things hee hath fashioned and planted And shall not wee rest and relye vpon him that created vs If the skill and strength of some workeman bee inferior to oâ—her of the same trade yet his loue and affection to his owne worke the care of his reputation will make him â—ble aboue his power If that Clocke or Watch I spake of could finde it selfe decayed in any part the teeth of the wheeles or pinions to bee ouerworne the axel to bee growne too thin or any thing to be displaced would it not seeke and call for helpe of the maker I might say â—he like of the garden Who is fitter to amend whatsoeuer is out of order then bee that first set it in that order To whome then should wee seeke for ayde but to him that hauing created vs is therfore able and willing to restore vs to our former if it please him to a better estate Wee see how agreeable it is to reason that he which made man after his owne image and likenes should refresh it being decayed and restore it being lost Wee see also that the same reason teacheth vs that as many as desire to bee made partakers of that for which they were made must depend vpon him by whom they were made Therefore may wee truely say vnto the Lorde b Psal 72. 25. VVhom haue wee in heauen but thee wee haue desired none in the earth with thee But if the hope of so necessarie assured succour bee not sufficient to drawe vs to him that offers himselfe to repaire his owne workemanshippe yet let the consideration of our duetie waigh so much with vs as to make vs yeelde obedience to our Lord and Maker There is nothing more common in the Mouthes of men and children then that God made all other thinges for the seruice of man and man for his owne seruice Yea to whom doth it not seeme vnreasonable that the creature should denie obedience to the Creator Doo you not heare the Lord complayning of this by the c Isay 1. 2. 3. Prophet Isay as of a monstrous and vnnaturall impietie Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath sayde I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against mee The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters Crib but Israell hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood Are wee more brutish then the Oxe more dull then the Asse They relye on them by whome they haue their meate Do wee refuse to rest on him by whome wee haue our whole being If they should be giuen ouer by one maister they would soone bee found by another If the Lord our Creator leaue vs to our selues there is no second that can sustaine vs but wee shall immediately fall to nothing Bee not afrayde then least thou should'st bee sham'd when the foolish world shall condemne thee for beleeuing in Iesus Christ Aske them boldly if the creature may not or ought not to put his trust in the Creator Let them tell thee whether they doe not thinke it iust and reasonable for the workmaister to haue all command ouer the worke Thou find'st they selfe to bee wholly out of frame and order to whome should'st thou goe to bee amended but to him that form'd thee Thou art not able to attaine to the ende for which thou weâ—t created who can better or who will gladlier direct thee then hee that appointed that ende for thee Hee lookes thou shouldst seeke vnto him hee calls thee to come vnto him Hee commaundeâ— thee to trust vnto him As hee hath made thee a man on earth by creation so hee will make thee a Saint in heauen by regeneration What doost thou vexing and troubling thy selfe poore soule with the continuall sight of thy present deformitie I was indeed sayst thou beautifull and glorious but I am deformed and loathsome I had once the liuely image of him that created me true holinesse and righteousnesse but I haue now the ougly pourtrature of him that deceiued mee euen sinne and wickednesse If onely the colour were decayed it might happely be refresht But when the very form is perished there is nothing left to bee repayred O miserable and wretched that I am Not onely to ose that happinesse which can neuer bee recouered out also to fall into that miserie which can neuer be renedied Which way shall I turne my selfe or to whom hall I flee for succour It is high time to minister some comfort when the party is so well prepared to receiue it especially since it may so easily be had Doost thou aske â—o whom thou shalt flee for succour To whome else but to him that offers it As for the feare of I know not what impossibilitie to recouer so great a losse remember by whom all things were made and thou shalt see how much thou art deceiv'd Thou hast lost the perfit beautie thou hadst bestowed on thee in thy creation But hee that gaue it hath not lost his power to bestowe new on thee Is the colour faded Hee can lay on a fresher and set an amiable glosse thereon Iâ— the woole forme be perisht that there remaines no one liâ—e or place of a line to bee discerâ—ed yet hath not hee that created it forgotten what it was Is it harder for him to make thee righteous then it was to make thee Can not hee that created the soule it self enrich it with qualities beseeming such a substance Hee that made the light to shine out of darkenes can make the sowrest crabstocke beare most sweete fruite Hee that created thee when thou wert not can create true righteousnes in thee when thou art most vnholy But let vs consider this worke of the creation more particularly and first that our Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Creator of those inuisible Creatures which we call Angels Looke you for proofe of this point By him were all things made Or if that content you not reade that which followes And without him was nothing made that was made Then if the Angels were not made by him either they haue no being at all or at the least had no beginning of their being The last is vnpossible For they are seruants to the Lord who only is eternall and d Psal 103. 20. Doe his commaÌ„demeÌ„t in obeying the voice of his word And indeed thence haue they their name For what is an Angell but a messenger imployed in the
dispatch of some businesse e Gen. 24. 7. He shall send his Angells with thee saith Abraham to his seruant and againe The Lord before whome I walke will send his Angells with thee and prosper thy Iorney The books of the old Testament are full of examples to this purpose Yea the new also affords not a few f Mat. 1. 20. 2. 13. 19. The Angell of the Lord appeared to Ioseph in a dreame once twice thrice g Luk 1. 11. There appeared vnto Zachary an Angell of the Lorde Therefore it is our of all question that the Angells had a beginning of their being by creation and whatsoeuer had so tooke that beginning from him without whome nothing was made that was made In the acknowledgment of this h Heb. 1. 6. when the Lord brings his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith i Psal 97. 7. And let the Angels of God worship him Wil you see this homage as it were and seruice perform'd Before his conception k Luk. 1. 26. the Angell Gabriell was sent to giue notice of it After his coÌ„ception before his birth l Mat. 1. 20. an Angell appeared to Iosoph to testifie that his conception was by the holy Ghost Presently after his birth m Luk. 2. 9. the Angell of the Lorde brought newes therof to the Shepheards about Bothlehem Yea straight way there was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God for his comming into the world Which was the mysterie that the Angells as n 1. Pet. 1. 12. Saint Peter tels vs desired to behold After his temptation in the wildernesse o Mat. 4. 11. The Angels came and ministred vnto him I might go forwarde in this kinde but what needes it His they are and at this commaund to bee imployed The Sonne of man shall send foorth his Angels q Mat. 24. 31. Hec â— Mat. 13. 41. shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Wilt thou take a view now of some little part of thy happines by beleeuing in Iesus Christ the maker of all things and namely of these holy Angels Looke about thee then and behold them guarding thee and attending vpon thee on euerie side r Psal 91. 11. 12 Hee hath giuen his Angells charge ouer thee to keepe thee in thy wayes They shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote a gainst a stone It is thought to be a goodly matter in the world for a man to be waited on with a great traine of nis followers people gaze vpon such an one and hee himselfe oftentimes dotes vpon his owne greatnes So many proper men in so braue liueries decked with rich cognizances of silke siluer or golde clad in veluet or Satin set out with chaynes of golde scarfes brooches armed with gilt rapiers and daggers in a word what can bee supposed to bee wanting either for glorie or for safety Shall I compare one of these wonders of the world with a poore Christian that beleeueth truely and soundly in Iesus Christ Thinke not scorne of the comparison whosoeuer thou art All the braue rie of thy gallantest followers is but beggerie being compared to the glory of the meanest of his attendaÌ„ts The gold and siluer of thy Retinue glisters in the eyes of them that gaze vpon it Thou hadst need haue a faire day and a bright shunshine or else halfe thy shew wil be vtterly lost It is not so with him whom thou despisest one of his Angels is able to inlighten any place in the darkest night Å¿ Luk. 2. 9. As the Shepheardes were watching their flockes by night the Angell of the Lord came vpon them and the glorie of the Lord shone about theÌ„ What is become of thy glistring in the night time Torches and candles are the light of thy glory take them away and all is nothing There is not so much ods betwixt a black flint a well watered diamond as betwixt the least glimpse of the Angels brightnes and the greatest light of thy seruants brauerie Doost thou boast of thy multitude How canst thou for shame if thou remember how the Prophet Elisha was attended t 2. King 6. 17. Behold the mountaine was full of horses and Charets of fire round about Elisha Dost thou heare The mountaine was full Alas a little hill will holde all thy followers Thou art faine to stretch them out to the vttermost by two and two that they may make som shew The Prophet had the mountaine full Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer euerie one of his children He names no certaine number that wee may knowe the charge is common to all And though all cannot bee in all places at once yet is no place without great multitudes of them u Dan. 7. 10. Hee hath thousand thousands mini string vnto him and ten thousand thousands standing about him But admitte as some men teach I thinke without sufficient warrant that euery man had his proper Angell and no more many thousands of men might not bee compared with such a guard for safetie x 2. King 19. 35. The Angell of the Lord went out and slew in one night an hundred fourescore and siue thousand in the Camp of the Assyrians Yea the very appearance of an Angell is not without dread and terror y Luk. 1. 12. When Zachary saw the Angell hee was troubled and feare fell vpon him So was Ver. 29. 2. 9. the Virgin Mary so were the Shepheardes And yet the messages they brought to these were full of comfort and ioy To * Luk. 1. 13. Zacharie word was brought by the Angell That his prayer was heard The Angell assured the noly Virgin That shee had found fauour with God And Ver. 30. 2. 10. hee that came to the Shepheards Brought them tidings of great ioy that should be to all the people If his presence were fearefull to them for whose comfort hee was sent what will it bee to them against whome hee comes as an Enemie for their destruction Who then would not cast himselfe for his protection and saluation vpon him that was the Creator of these glorious and mighty Angels Wouldst thou be honorably attended Behold the Angels ready to waite vpon thee a Heb. 1. 14 For they are all ministring spirits sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall bee heires of saluation Would'st thou be safely guarded a Psal 103. 20. The Angels excell in strength c Mat. 28. 2. Beholde there was a great Earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rowled away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre wherin our Sauiour was buried and sat vpon it and his countenance was like lightning Ver. 3. and his rayment white as snowe and for feare of him the keeâ—ers were astonied and became as dead men What if they Ver. 4. bee not ordinarily to bee seene
their worldly cares or some other such respects from the due consideration of that whereof there is offer made them But the Hebrewes as Saint Paul there writes had receiued the light that is had giuen assent to the truth of that which was taught them and for the maintaining of it had indured as it is there witnesses greate fight in afflictions If we take the word in the former sense only for shining vpon the things that are needfull to bee seene that they may shew themselues vnto vs it is out of doubt that in respect thereof euery man is inlightned for so much as concernes the office of the light which is to make manifest those things that were not without it to be seene For so our Lord hath revealed the will of his Father concerning the meanes of saluation which Ioh. 1. 18. but by him had neuer beene publisht and proclaimed to al the world But this is rather lightning thē inlightning as he that carries a candle or torch with him inlightens not the party before whom he goes or to whō he comes but only lights him and in this sense our Sauiour doth but shewe men what is to bee beleeued Whereon there growes more question how it may be said that euery man is thus lighted For it is very manifest that there were many thousands in the world euen then when our Sauiour himselfe shone so brightly by his glorious workes and powerfull preaching who neuer heard or saw the one or other nor in any likelyhood of reason possibly could do What say I There were many thousandes I may truly say the thousand man then liuing neuer had nor could haue any sight of the light that then shined among the Iewes Yet I confesse that the light stretcht and spread his beames to the vttermost of his nature and strength Take example of the Sunne which in the height of summer riseth early mounts highe shines gloriously sets late and yet there are diuers nations in the worlde which haue not the least glimse of his light all the while he shewes himselfe to vs in these parts of the Hemisphere most apparant and bright Therefore when we read or heare That our Sauiour the true light lighteth euery man as much as in him lies we must not consider him as God but as the mediator of mankind become man As he was God he could haue giuen euery one then liuing in the worlde certaine knowledge that himselfe was ordained for the Sauiour of the world But he was heere to demeane him selfe as a person who by the diuine power of his Godhead could do al things but by the conditiō of his mediatorship was to doe no more then his humane nature might be known to be imployed in some way or other He taught the admirable secrets of God by his voice he wrought wōderful miracles by his almighty power but still it appeared to all men that by the word and wil of him whom they saw to be a man all those wonders weredon So then if we take this lightning of euery man for affording them the meanes of knowledge to saluation we must thus conceiue the matter that our Sauiour preacht and shew'd his miracles by himselfe and his Apostles and doth daily vouchsafe the knowledge of the truth to euery man without exception not forbidding his ministers to teach any man nor barring any from learning of them Let vs now see how we are to vnderstand the Euangelist that the true light inlightneth euery man Inlightning causeth him to discerne the truth of that which is deliuered so that the doctrine of the Gospell is alwaies effectuall to him that is inlightned The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended to the things that Paul Act. 16. 14. spake All that heard him were lighted but they only inlightned which beleeued the things hee spake How then may Christ be said to inlighten euery man since it is apparant many yea the greatest part beleeue not Surely the former answer satisfies this doubt very sufficiently Whosoeuer is inlightned hath this inlightning from the true light And this interpretation as I shewed before agreeth very well with the Euangelists words and meaning But let vs apply the common distinction to this purpose Christ inlightneth euery man as much as lies in him If wee vnderstand this of his absolute power wherby he is able as God to do al things it is manifestly false Else should euery man vndoubtedly beleeue For he is able to beget faith in the heart of euery man Therfore the most that can bee truly avoucht in this matter is this that hee is ready to inlightē euery man But this interpretation as far as I can conceiue doth not fully expresse the sense of the place if wee expound it of inlightning For it is one thing to inlighten an other thing to bee ready to inlighten What could the Euangelist say more of them that are actually inlightned I acknowledge the truth of the doctrine that our Lord is ready to refresh all that come vnto him to teach all that vse the meanes to learne but Mat. 11. 28. me thinkes this is not all that the holy Ghost in this place affirmes Therefore I had rather interpret the text either of lightning that the true light shines to all without exception no man being shut out from the hearing and reading of the Scriptures by any commaundement or restraint of the light it selfe or of inlightning that all which are made partakers thereof attaine to it only by this true light and both these expositions are true and may agree with the words meaning of the Euangelist to commend our Sauiour Christ as the true light of all men Now whereas some men herevpon would conclude that because the true light inlightens euery man therefore God hath not made choise of any man more then of all men to be heires of his glory in heauen they gather that which growes not of the text I will make it plaine by a short examination of the matter according to the former interpretations No man is barr'd the ministery of the worde Therefore saluation is intended alike to all If you adde in regard of the ministery thereof yet that you say will hardly proue true For though no man be abbridg'd of liberty to heare by any charge to the contrary from God yet many are not vouchsaf't the possibility of hearing How shall wee affirme then that in respect of the ministery of the worde saluation was intended alike to all I graunt that the meanes is affoorded in generall but I deny that therefore there is no difference in Gods purpose touching lightning of one nation more then of an other It is as free for any restraint made by God for the Turkes to haue the Gospell as for vs For they are Gentiles as well as wee But yet it were too greate vnthankfulnesse and absurdity to say that concerning the ministery of the worde God meant to light them to
saluation as well as vs. Nomy brethren let not such a thought enter into your harts as once to imagin that the Lord meanes no more good to you for your saluation by vouchsafing you the ministery of the Gospel then to them whom he suffers to continew in their ignorance to their certaine destruction Let no man deceiue you by saying that the light as much as lies in it lighteth euery man It denies no man light it blinds no mans eies it hides it selfe from no man that would see it But it offers it selfe to some men it shines into their eies it seeks them out where they are in darknes follows them when they turne their backs and flee from it Haue not wee had experience of this bountifulnes Call to mind those daies of darknes when our forefathers lay buried in blindnes and ignorance Did we run after the light or did it come to vs Was it not scorn'd reiected hated Did it not shine vpoÌ„ our ey-lids when wee shut them because wee would not see What rip I vp matters of antiquity I will say nothing of our returning into Aegypt in Queene Maryes daies of our persecuting the truth and murdering the Saints of God for holding out the light to vs that wee might see Behold the light is come againe vnto vs it shines in at our windows it winds it selfe into our harts it presents it selfe to our sight which way soeuer wee turne And is it possible any man should be found that will not acknowledge an especiall purpose and desire in the light to make vs see What no more then to light the Turkes For pure shame I will say no more of the matter Cheefly because I reserue this point of vniuersall grace for a fitter opportunity Yet I must needs speake a word or two of the other exposition The true light is ready to inlighten euery man Let me graunt that interpretation what then Therefore is it not readier to inlighten some then other some How shall that be proued It is ready to inlighten some Some other it doth inlighten The former answere may suffice It is ready so that it refuseth not to giue light to any man but some men it neuer lins shining vpon till it haue gotten passage to the vnderstanding and informed that fully of the truth It is giuen to you saith our Sauiour Mat. 13. 11. to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen The light shone to the Scribes Pharises and people and as these men say was ready to inlighten them but the Apostles were inlightned indeed It was giuen them by him that according to his good pleasure reuealeth the Gospell to babes men Luk. 10. 21. of small vnderstanding and hides it from the wise and learned Tel me not of the good vse of Free-wil or any other preparednesse in the hearts of them that are inlightned as if the difference were from man and not from God I may not stand now to dispute that matter but wil take the first occasion to handle it that offers it selfe I hope in my next Sermon to speake somewhat of it In the meane time let it bee enough for vs touching the point in question to vnderstand that the light as ready as it is and it is most ready neuer inlightens any man whome it selfe doth not first fitte and dispose to receiue that light as I will shewe if it please God hereafter It is Christ then euen the true light which inlightens euery man Of his fulnesse saith our Euangelist Ioh. 1. 16. haue wee all receiued Yea I. Baptist himselfe that shone with such extraordinary brightnesse had his light Ioh. 3. 34. from him who had the spirit without measure Therefore doth he truly and freely professe himselfe that hee was not worthy to carry his shooes after him VVee heard at the fourth verse the testimonies of Zachary Luk. 1. 78. 79. 2. 32. and Simeon to this purpose that hee was the light of the Gentiles I will not spende time in repeating them nor in vrging the exhortation which then I pressed of trusting to Christ with confidence how great soeuer our darknesse bee Only giue mee leaue I pray you to apply the generality of this inlightning to our particular instruction and comfort Christ the true light lightneth euery man VVho may then except himselfe or any other man Yet there are two sortes of people that make question of this doctrine The poore soule that is priuy to his owne ignorance and the desperate wretch that woulde excuse his wickednesse The one discomfortes his heart with too much care The other destroies his soule with prophane carelesnesse These mens cases I confesse are very diuers yet thus much may be said to them both in generall The true light shines to euery man in the ministery of the word What warraÌ„t or reason haue either of you to exempt your selues out of this number Are not you comprised vnder these generall tearmes euery one No Country no age no sexe no estate is without the reach of them Let mee come neerer No particular person whatsoeuer is excluded but the light shewes his brightnesse for all and euery one that will see it But the question is now of none but them who liue in those places where this light doth shine that is where the Gospell is knowne and profest Can any such man truly say the light is not for him Who tells thee so The holy Ghost heere affirmes the quite contrary It lights euery man VVell let vs examine the matter somewhat more particularly Stand foorth thou that desperatly settst all at six and seauen because forsooth God will not haue euery man to bee inlightned or lighted If hee woulde haue no man there were some reason â—n thy doing For then it were in vaine to looke after the light neither would there haue beene any means afforded to that pupose But since thou confessest that some are to be inlightned what excuse can there bee for thy carelessnesse All shall not be inlightned why then should I care to seeke the light some shall be why shouldst thou not care then If all should it would come vtterly without thy care Then mightest thou reason in this sort All shall bee inlightned and therefore I too why should I then trouble my selfe about it But to dispâ—â—â— as thou dost some shall not be inlightned Therefore I will bee altogether carelesse argues a senslesse desperatnesse I am sure thou wilt grant it is as cleere and certaine that God will not haue all men to bee learned or to bee of any one profession or trade as that hee will not haue all men to bee inlightned Answere mee then why thou dost apply thy selfe to study or to any course of life whatsoeuer For I presume thinke what thou wilt thou wilt neuer bee so desperate as to saye or so absurde as to imagine that thou wilt bee of this or that profession whether God will
Rendez-vous as it were is signified This the Lord had in Iudea and therefore I may safely conclude that this verse is particularly to bee interpreted of the Iewes But the time is past that which remaines the next time of this exercise if it please God To whom c. THE EIGHTTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 11. Hee came to his owne and his owne receiued h◠not c. THere is ordinarily in all men a speciall affectiō to their Country Country-men where they were bred among whom they were brought vp Either because it proceeds from nature who takes her aduantage at the first and settles her selfe in our hearts while there is no resistance or for that it pleaseth God that according to true reason we should think our selues most bound to them of whō we receiued most helpe when wee were least able to helpe our selues From hence it comes that there is a mutuall loue betwixt them that are of the same nation So that generally an English man affects an Englishman so a Scot a Spaniard a French man euery one his owne Country-men more then any stranger whatsoeuer Yea the honour that any one getts for vertue learning wisedome or valour redounds to the whole nation insomuch that euery particular man almost thinkes himselfe interessed therein Can it choose then but bee exceeding strange to all men that our Lord should haue so meane intertainement in his owne Country Was it not a matter of greate honour to the Iewes that one of their nation should bee able to doe such admirable things They bragd exceedingly of the Prophets that had liued frō time to time amōgst them VVhat were all they to this one And yet hee came to his owne and his owne receiued him not Neither came hee as an ordinary man that the refusall of him should be no more but a matter of vnkindnesse by neglecting the common bonde of Country-ship but this comming to his owne is of more importance For by His owne as I shewed in my last exercise the place or Country to which he came is signified And not that only as if he had no farder right to it thē the title that euery man hath to the place of his birth and education but by those wordes his owne we vnderstand an especiall interest that he had in that Country To which he came not as a stranger to see and to bee seene nor as an heire to a Lordship of whome the tenants had neuer heard any thing but as one that was famously knowne to be rightfull honour and had long before appointed was lookt for daily to take possession Shall we looke into old Deeds euidences yea better then Deeds euidences auncient records kept most carefully and faithfully in the highest court of Roules where the holy Ghost himselfe is master of the office all the Clarks not only sworne but certainely knowne to be void of ignorance free frō alcorruptiō I will not meddle with the Originall Graunte 〈◊〉 3. 15. from GOD rather signified in a threatning manner against the Deuill then exprest by any way of promise to Adam in Paradise This was too generall and affordes the Iewes no more aduantage of clayme then any other people whatsoeuer because all Chap 9. 26 are Adams posteritie That blessing of Sem is somwhat more particular Restrayning the generall which by reason of Noah the father might seeme to bee common to all three sonnes to one of them onely Blessed bee the Lord God of Sem. But of Sem came diuers not only families but Nations The Assyrians Persians Lydians Chap. 11. 14. 2◠Aramites or Syrians and Hebrewes Which of these hath speciall interest to the promise The Hebrewes by Abraham to whome the promise was directly made that in him all the Families of the earth should bee blessed Abraham also had many Children of whome Ismaell Chap. 12. 3. Chap. 16. 11 was the eldest but the blessing was settled in Isaac In Isaac shall thy seede bee called But wee are not yet certaine Chap. 21. 12. Cha. 25. 2◠23. where to finde this blessing Isaac had two sons by his wife Rebeccah two twinnes Esau and Iacob Of whome God himselfe prophecied to their mother that the eldest should serue the younger And accordingly it came to passe The birthright and the blessing being cōuayed Chap. 27. 3◠from Esau to his brother Iacob We are nowe come where wee may well rest Because the twelue Patriarkes the sonnes of Iacob continued one people without any diuision and except the time of their captiuitie in one Countrey til the time of the Messiahs appearing But for the greater certainty of the truth better directiō for the knowing of him whē he shuld come it pleased God to reueale to Iacob by him to his children that Shiloh he that was to be sent should proceede Chap 49. 10. out of the Loynes of Iudah And as if this had not been enough he leads the Iewes to the house of Dau. in which this deliuerer should be born sit on the throne of his Psal 132. 11. Luk 1. 3◠33. father Dauid for euer Yea the very place of his birth is named by which afterward the wisemen that came from the East were directed Thou Bethelem Ephrata Mi◠5. 2. Mat. 2. 8. saith the Prophet art little to bee among the thousands of Iudah yet out of three shall he come forth to me that shall bee Act. 10. 34. the ruler in Israell Of him all the Prophets beare witnes To him all the shadowes washings and sacrifices of Col. 2. 17. Heb. 9. 10. the law belong as to their body and substance by him the Iewes looke for deliuerance to him they had an especiall title Saluation is of the Iewes saith our Sauiour Ioh. 4. 22. Mat. 15. 24 26. And in an other place more strictly I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell in comparison of whome the Gentiles were as dogges Doth not the Euangelist then truly say that our Lorde came to his owne when he came into that part of the world which he had before prepared for his comming whether hee had sent his Heralds to proclaime the time of his comming as it appeares in Daniell where the place Dan. 9. 27. Mic. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 1. of his birth was appointed by Micah as by an Harbinger where Iohn Baptist as his Gentleman vsher had giuen especiall notice of his approach and stood waiting in the streetes to goe to meete him Thus came hee to his owne not stealing in by night or thrusting into some creeke where hee might least bee seene or hiding himselfe in the fardest partes of the lande that were most vnpeopled but sending his Angels to reueale his birth to Shepheardes who Luk 2. 9. without suspicion of any deuise or complot might spread the report of it abroade as they did Directing Mat. 2. 1. 2. wisemen