greater subiection can there be than for euer yea for euer and euer to abide a slauish vassall in all seruitude horror trembling Therfore suppose not that the Holy one saw other corruption than in flesh for he droue the prince of darknes into a corner where the sink of all corruption is Now what perfection he could draw out of this sink that he himself had cursed let the consciences of all men try and iudge and be warned with Peter that they defile not the things that the Lord hath purified and that they cleaue not so fast to corruption as to peruert the Lords waies and besot their own vnderstanding Concerning the word Apoc. 6. 8. Hell it is written Behold a pale horse and his name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed after him and power was giuen to them ouer the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger with death and with the beasts of the earth Heer we see that our expositors plainly take Hel for the graue that is alwaies woont to follow after death Pet. 2. 13. So when the day of the Lord shall come by which the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt away with heat and a new heauen and a new earth established wherin dwelleth righteousnes Apoc. 21. 1. and the first heauen and the first earth passed away and when the Lord shall creat new heauens and a new earth and the former not remembred For Isai. 65. 19. saith the Lord as the new heauens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me Isai. 66. 22. so shall your seed and your name continue and from moneth to moneth and from sabaoth to sabaoth shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord and they shall go forth and looke vpon the carkases of men that haue transgressed for their worm shall not dy neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh This is the miserable condition of the wicked ones the second death the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Apoc. 2. 8. at the opening of the books the resurrection of all flesh which is to say when the sea death and Hell shall giue vp their dead Apoc. 20. 1. which are in them and they shall bee iudged according to their works then both death and Hell which haue all this while had power ouer flesh to cut it off from inheritance of this life through the curse shall at the last resurrection be vanquished to all flesh and cast into the burning lake by our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ our forerunner In this world shall the cursed endure his damnation and the happy shall feel his blessednes He that liueth in this world an hundred yeeres shall dy a yoong man neither shall any be called a child of yeers but he that buildeth in this world shall inhabit and they that plant vineyards shall eat of the fruit neither shall they plant and another eat but they shal inioy the works of their own hands and shall not be made to labour in vaine and bring foorth in fear for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their buds with them Yet concerning his descension remaineth this one thing he made his graue with the wicked with the â—ich in his death though he had done no wickednes neither was any deceit in his mouth Now in that it is said he made him a graue he chose him a place in the earth whereinto he vouchsafed to descend and be buried for our saluation though many wicked and rich men lay as glorious as he whom the cell of the earth was far vnworthy to conteine Dan. 12. 2. Where the many that sleep shall awake to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Againe that he was buried and descended also into hell read the ancient Christian meaning of the word Hell in the example of the rich man written by Luke the Euangelist translated into Saxonish many yeeres ago which saith thus ha peand re peleza dead and paer on Hell bebynzed which is now as much as to say And the rich man died and was buried in hel I should think it very absurd therfore farther to vrge any comment or exposition for the word Hell seeing no doubt these expositors of the Gospels sufficiently vnderstood what they said in their owne language Nay whosoeuer will not yeeld vnto so plain a testimony of truth the mark of controuersie he may be thought little zealous yea obstinate in his own profession Now of such as would haue Hell to be in the earth and to meane the place of the damned and would prooue it by the word Luk. 16. 26. Gulf that was betweene Abraham and the rich man the worde in the Greek originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HIATVS FISSVRA a gap or cliffe as Virgil citeth the word properly foorth of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TELLVS IMA DEHISCAT Let the earth cleaue But we vnderstand the word Gulf a concaue and a deuouring place which is hardly argued by the circumstance following seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify neither vp nor downe but passing ouer as it were from shore to shore as TRANSCENDERE and TRANSRIMARE agreeing with the prophets words before recited they shall go foorth and look vpon the carcases of men c. And beside Saint Iohn proueth a further punishment to insue after death and hell which is to say the burning lake Let vs absteine therfore farther to inquire of the places which the Lord hath shut vp from vs and our vnderstanding For saith the Lord Gen 3. 22. Behold the man is becom as one of vs to know good and euill And now least he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and liue for euer therfore the Lord God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden to till the earth whence he was taken And the Lord hath set Cherubims and the blade of a sword shaking to keep the way of the tree of life Heer we see that the iealous God excluded Adam out of the garden least he should attain to see the state of the eternall Wherfore the plaine and open things are for vs and our children to obserue and do but the secret and hidden things pertaine vnto God only The prophet Ionah was a most excellent figure of our sauiour if a man do diligently mark his prophesie 2. King 14. 25. First his name signifieth a doue in the Hebrue voice in the likenes wherof Iesus receiued the spirit of his father from heauen wher he himself confesseth Math. 3. 16. that he saw the heauens open and the spirit of God descending like a doue Psal. 74. 16. and lighting vpon him the true turtle doue whose soule the beast had neuer power of Ionah his message was to
and he will teach vs his waies and we will walk in his pathes for the law shall go foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem The Lord himself will giue you a signe Isai. 7. 14. A virgine shall conceiue a sonne c. butter and hony shall he eat till he haue knowledge to refuse the euill and to choose the good In another place Isai. 9. 6. 7. Vnto vs a child is born and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulders and he shall call his name wonderfull counseller the mighty God the euerlasting father the prince of peace the increase of his gouernment shall haue none end he shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with iudgement and iustice from hencefoorth for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this But there shall come a rod foorth of the stock of Iesse Isai. 11. 1. 10. and a graffe shall grow foorth of his root and in that day the root of Iesse which shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shall seek vnto it and his rest shall be glorious This then is the most true and comfortable rest for the soules of all them that trust in him Isai. 22. 17. And the work of iustice shall be peace euen the work of iustice and quietnes and assurance for euer and my people shall dwell in tabernacles of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places A voice crieth in the wildernes Isai. 40. 4. prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a path for our God euery valley shall be exalted and euery mountaine and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be straight and the rough places plaine the glory of God shall be reuealed Isai. 42. 2. Behold saith the Lord I will giue to Ierusalem one that shall bring good tidings behold my seruant saith the Lord I will stay vpon him mine elect in whom my soule delighteth I haue put my spirit vpon him he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gentiles he shall not cry nor lift vp nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised reed shal he not break the smoking flaxe shall he not quench he shall bring foorth iudgement in truth and the Isles shall wait for his law These places assured the Lords redemption vnto all the world as in the same chapter Let them giue glory vnto the Lord and declare his praise in the Islands which whole chapter bicause it so strongly cōcerneth this work let the reader apply it to this place I haue held my peace a long time saith the Lord and refrained my selfe euen a thousand yeeres Apoc. 20. 7. by the which space satan was bound And now I will cry saith the Lord and make mountaines and hils waste and dry vp their herbs Isai. 53. Who will beleeue our reports or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed His annointing is prophesied here like wise The spirit of the Lord is vpon me Isai. 61. therfore the Lord hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the poor to binde vp the broken harted to preach liberty to the captiues and to them that are bound the opening of the prison c. What a woonderfull delight had this prophet from time to time to set before the eies of the people the comming of their sauior Iesus yea the whole world was too little to withdraw him from the confidence that hee had already conceiued of his redemption to come This therfore I thought not amisse to lay downe concerning the prophets confidence the rather to strengthen the weake harted and to stay such as should be falling For if the prophet by the ey of faith could assure saluation imminent to the beleeuers of the people how much rather then is it to be required that we by the help of our sensible vnderstanding should not faile of that faith For haue not our ears heard Christs own words Haue not our eies seen the manifestation of him in the flesh Who hath not heard of his works that he did on the earth Math. 1. Who hath not heard of his birth Math. 2. And that he was carried into Egypt Haue we not heard that he was baptized in Iordan Math. 3. Haue we not heard of his fasting Math. 4. preaching and the diuels tempting of him Haue we not heard of his woondrous cures Math. 8. Haue we not heard how he made Apostles to preach Haue we not heard of the feeding of fiue thousand men with three loaues and two fishes Math. 10. and many other miracles which he did Yea surely we haue heard of his passion his descension and ascension also and yet is all this too little to enable our weake spirits to faith except with Didymus we feel or with Nicodemus enter into the wombe againe our wickednes is so great that through faith we can imagine no assured saluation for vs in our God wherupon suddenly we say with the foole Psal. 14. Tush there is no God But wo to them that say to their maker Thou madest me not Shall the vessell say to the potter Thou didst not fashion me or make me excellent or why didst thou not make me honorable as som other of thy workmanship Surely the vessell that inquireth thus shall be dasht and broken in a thousand pieces Is the work better than the workman or whence was the creation of man Psal. 24. Open ye euerlasting doores and the king of glory shall com in Now seeing we haue all heard of this Iesus the sonne of God our redeemer our euerlasting quietnes and rest let vs all study to be rich in the true knowledge of him and therby only to receiue the most glorious comfort of this world First to know assuredly that he the same that was promised came according to the fulnes of time for the saluation of mankinde Bicause he being God begotten of his father before all worlds became man by his father borne in the world whom the world was not woorthy of He became flesh to free and saue vs from our sins Math. 1. 16. and clense vs from our wickednes to translate our corrupt nature into incorruption our mortall seed into immortality and to conclude our vile and vnstable flesh into most pure and steddy spirit to last with him for euer and euer Amen This Iesus is not the sauiour of the spirit and soule after this life only but the preseruer and defender of all that verily trust in him from dangerous mischances or euill fortunes in this world also whatsoeuer as is to be noted in the example of the Iailor first the miraculous meanes of Paul and Silas Acts. 16. 37. their deliuerance out of bands when the doores flew open and their fetters were loosed then Paules aduising of the
the sonne before the world the sonne was the holy Ghost and the fain the world the father is the holy Ghost and the sonne in the world to come The concentricall Trinity being thus Father Sonne Holy Ghost whose might authority and power shal be at that time all one ouer them that shal be baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire for now euen to day is the holy Ghost labouring in the harts of men to win them vnto the father and the sonne Wherfore harden not your harts as in the prouocation in the day of temptation in the wildernes Happy shall the wise virgins be which are found with oile in their lampes not trusting to borrow in the busie day of all flesh when none can lend Wherfore good brethren be not as the foolish virgins the sleeping disciples the sluggish seruants or as the busie Martha but haue care to choose the better things during the time of the flesh that the holy Ghost may find a resting place in your soules to bring you to euerlasting life Math. 11. 5. Then shal it be said The blind receiue their sight the hault go the lepers are clensed the deaf hear the dead are raised vp and the poor receiue the gospell Mark 14. 38. Take heed watch and pray least ye enter into temptation Mark 13. 33. Take heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is For Christ saith Iohn 14. 16. I will pray the father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue bicause it seeth him not nor knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leaue you comfortlesse I will come to you yet a little while and the world shall see me no more but ye shall see me bicause I liue ye shall liue also And in the same place following Christ saith These things haue I spoken vnto you being present with you but the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things vnto your remembrance which I haue told you and so foorth to the end of the chapter And in the next chapter But when the comforter shall com whom I will send vnto you from the father euen the spirit which proceedeth of the father he shall testifie of me and ye shall be witnesses also bicause ye haue been with me from the beginning And againe Christ saith I tell you truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not com vnto you but if I depart Iohn 15. 26. I will send him vnto you and when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement of sinne bicause they beleeue not in me of righteousnes bicause I go to the father and ye shall see me no more of iudgement bicause the prince of the world is iudged Iohn 16. 7. I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot hear them now howbeit when he is come which is the spirit of truth which will lead you into all truth for he shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you the things to come he shall glorify me for he shall receiue of mine and shall giue it vnto you To this place may be applied the Lords words spoken by the prophet Ioel Ioel. 2. 28. I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maidens in those daies wil◠I powre my spirit Whosoeuer therfore shall call vpon the Lord with a contrite hart dooing the works of the spirit and not of the flesh he shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call The holy Ghost is a diuers gift vnto the chosen to som the gift of prophesie to some the interpretation of toongs as Saint Paule saith touching spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 12. Brethren I would not haue you ignorant wherfore I declare vnto you that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Iesus execrable also no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Now there are diuersity of gifts but the same spirit and there are diuersity of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersity of operations but God is the same and worketh all in all Now the manifestation of the spirit is giuen euery man to profit withall for to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit and to another the operations of great works and to another prophesie and to another the discerning of spirits and to another the diuersity of toongs and to another the interpretation of toongs Now all these are the body of Christ and members seruing to seuerall vses in the church of God as some for apostles some for prophets some for teachers some to do miracles some for healers some for helpers some for gouernors some for linguists and some for interpreters This gift lighteth on the chosen in many shapes it came vpon the sonne of man in the likenes of a doue Acts 2. 3. it came vpon the Apostles in the form of clouen toongs like fire it came vpon disciples at Ephesus Acts 19. 6. that neuer before heard of the holy Ghost by Pauls laying hands on them How the faithfull may be assured of this gift let them read the eight chapter of the Epistle to the Romans concerning the hope patience and prosperity of this gift which will something ease the tediousnes of this treatise Therfore kind reader take it in woorth that I so often send thee to the spring it selfe for the water that is most sweet and fresh the carriage not far and the burden easie albeit I will not omit to lay downe in this place the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit for they rebell ech one against the other the operations of both are contrary For the works of the flesh are adultery Gal. 5. 19. fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath cōtentions seditions heresies enuie murther drunkennes gluttony and such like which things whosoeuer doth exercise he shall not inherit the kingdom of God But the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meeknes and temperancy against which there is no law Thus much I thought good heer to mention that ye may haue in this Enchiridion as it were a marriners compas to passe by for as by it we recouer a direct course againe after many stormes and at last
so the son also quickeneth whom he will And the father iudgeth not but referreth all iudgement to his sonne bicause all should honor the sonne as the father and they that honor not the sonne as the father honoreth not the father that sent him So whosoeuer heareth his word and beleeueth in him that sent him shall not com vnto condemnation but hath passed from death to life for as the father hath life in himselfe so hath the sonne To beleeue cannot be to seek honor one of another but of God alone and his son Iesus Christ for when Moses stroke the rock Exod. 17. 6. seeking honor of the children of Israel saying Hear now ye rebels shall we bring you water out of the rock Here for not sanctifieng the Lord in the presence of the Israelites and for honoring themselues in the Lords miracle both Moses and Aaron were cut off from the hope they had to see the land of promise If Moses being a faithfull leader of the Lords owne host and an approoued seruant of the mighty God Iehoua fell by disobedience into arrogancy Exod. 17. seeking his owne honor more than Gods and was so seuerely punished oh that men would but think how fearful a sentence that was by which he was depriued of forty yeeres hope and the fauour of so long trauel which was so sore in the wildernes How much more terrible shall our iudgement be if any way we decline or fall away from a sincere and perfect beleef which we haue had in God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ or if we beleeue not the word that testifieth of him and through which we see him daily Moses had but a meer hope of things to come which things we haue seen through faith and we are strongly to abide therin giuing all honor to the sonne as to the father in whom we beleeue by whom we liue haue our being Iohn 6. 37. This only sonne of God Iesus Christ is the bread of life the true sabaoth or rest the very top and end of Iubiles let vs study to enter into this rest His meat is to doe his fathers will and let our sustenance be to follow him and doe his will and let vs not labor only for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that dureth euerlastingly which the sonne of man shall giue vnto vs for him hath God the father sealed and the work of God is to beleeue in him whom he sent his sonne This is the rock that followed the host and the rock wherupon the Lord hath founded his church this is Gods rock and the rock of the All-sufficient Iohn 10. 20. he and the father is one And whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in him shall neuer dy Iohn 11 26. he shall gather togither into one the children of God from all corners of the earth by his death and passion He is the sonne of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Nomb. 21. 9. this is he that was to be lifted vp Iohn 3. 14. and exalted aboue all heauens Lord who beleeueth our report and vnto whom is thine arme reuealed And Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Psal. 15. and rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupt life and doth the thing that is right For this is the vine and his father is the husbandman and the branch that beareth not fruit in him he cutteth off and euery one that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring foorth more So must we abide in him and he in vs for as the branch cannot beare fruit except it be in the vine no more can we except we abide and dwell in him Let vs therfore pray for the peace which is in him for the peace of Iesus Christ the sonne of God is greater than the afflictions of the whole world Let vs be of good comfort Iohn 16. 13. he hath already conquered the world Psal. 2. and let vs kisse the son least he be angry and so we perish euerlastingly for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their whole trust and confidence in him for the father hath put all things in subiection vnder his feet Psal. 2. and giuen him the vtmost parts of the earth for his possession OVR LORD He is the soueraigne Lord of the whole earth and inspireth the harts of kings and princes according to his wisedome hee aduaunceth the humble and putteth down the mighty from their seat he filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he sendeth empty away He is the faithful steward that giueth his fathers people meat in due season he blesseth all them that call vpon him in his fathers name Psal. 7. This is the welbeloued Salomon the prince of wisedom whose daughters goings are beutifull the ioints of her thighes like iewels the work of a cunning man her nauell as a round cup full of liquor her belly as an heap of wheat compassed about with lillies her brests as two yong roses that are twins her neck as a tower of Iuory her eies as the fish-pooles in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-Rhabbim her nose as the tower of Lebanon that looketh toward Damascus her head as scarlet and her haire as purple He is the spirituall Salomon his faire daughter Psal. 8. the Church which also is compared to a vineyard that bringeth foorth fruit euen a thousand folde He is the Lord that the prophet Dauid spake of and whose victory he foresaw Psal. 110. saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole This is the horn of our saluation in whom our fathers trusted and were counted iust Hebr. 11. as it is manifest in the epistle to the Hebrues where a whole chapter is spent in reciting their faith the learning wherof I refer to the diligence of the reader seeing it is a full record of all the ancient fathers beleef This is the Lord of al mankind for he hath purchased vs all by the offering vp of his body and sheading of his blood to free vs from these links of sinne wherin we are intangled through Adam And therfore he hath now full power to say Math. 25. Com ye blessed of my father and inherit euerlasting life or go ye cursed into vtter darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And as we were then bound with the chaines of sinne growing in our carnall bodies stirring vs vp to do the will of the flesh so are we at this day being rid out of those bands by the death and passion of our Lord bound likewise to him in spirit to serue and obey him as obedient seruants looking for no reward by desert but by his meer fauour and mercy inheritance with him of life eternal Therfore is he Lord ouer kingdoms and nations and there is no higher power than that which the