in the sweate of his browes â—or they shall then rest from all their labours Reuel 14. 13. There shall be no calamitie no oppression sorrow or griefe Isa 60. 18. Violence shall be no more heard in the land Reuel 21. 4. Neither sorrow neither crying neither paine shall be any more There shall be no mortalitie or mutabilitie death or sicknesse Reuel 21. 8. there shall be no more death Thus we reade of Lazarus that being in Abrahams bosome that is in the place of euerlasting rest refreshing whether his saith being the child of faithfull AbrahaÌ„ brought him Lazarus was there comforted from all the paines sorrowes which he before in his life endured Lake 16. 25. Againe Mat. 17. 2. we haue an excellent representation of the blessed estate of the Saints after this life there our Sauior was transfigured in the presence of his Apostles and his face did shine as the Sunne Moses also and Elias talked with him who were now deliuered from this vale of miserie and were entred into glorie for if Moses face did so shine when he was yet mortall that the Isaelites were not able to behold him 2. Cor. 3. 7. how much more glorious was he now This celestiall place is that mountaine of mirth and hill of incense spoken of in the Canticles 4. 5. and Mons aromatum the mountaine of spices Cantic 8. 14. This is indeed that land of Canaan that sloweth with milke and honie this is our fathers house where is bread inough where with the lost child now returned we shall haue the best robes giuen vs and rings put vpoÌ„ our singers Luke 15. 22. This is the hauen and rest where the soules of the righteous after the tempests and stormes of the sea of this world do happily arriue as it is said in the Psalme He bringeth them to the hauen where they would be Psal. 107. 30. The reasons why God prouideth for his eternall life out of the Scripture are these first from Gods iustice 2. Thess. 1. 6. it is a iust thing with God to recompence tribulation to those that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest Secondly from Gods honour Mat. 22. 32. he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing seeing then that God is God of the faithful departed they therefore are aliue vnto him for it were not for the liuing Gods honour to be the God of the dead Thirdly from the state and condition of the faithfull which were of all other most miserable if in this life onely we haue hope 1. Corint 15. 19. Fourthly from the priuiledge of our profession we are the holy temples of God which shall not be destroyed 1. Cor. 3. 17. Wherefore first we reproue the vaine opinioÌ„ of the heathen who were grossely deceiued concerning the state of the soule after this life The Epicures beleeued no immortalitie nor yet any being of the soule after death Of like opinioÌ„ were the Sadduces among the Iewes and the Atheists among vs. The Pithagoreans did thinke that the soules did passe out of one bodie into another yea into the bodies of bruite beastes such as they were like vnto in condition of life and manners The Platonists did hold the immortalitie of the soule but not of the bodie The Peripatetickes and Poets imagined the soules of good men to become starres None of them beleeued aright concerning the immortalitie both of soule and body and of eternall life with God This knowledge we haue from the scriptures and God reuealed these things to vs by his spirit 1. Corin. 2. 10. that both our bodies and soules shall be made inheritors of life through Christ as the Apostle sheweth We shall be eaught vp with him in the clouds to meete the Lord in the aire 1. Thess. 4. 17. Bâ—rnard doth very well describe the happy state both of our bodies and soules in the kingdome of God agreeable to this doctrin of Paul first for the soule he saith whereas there are three faculties thereof rationalis concupiscibilis irascibilis the reasonable part the election or will the affection Implebit Deus rationale nostrum luce sapientiae implebit concupiscibile nostrum fonte iustitiae implebit irascibile nostruÌ„ summa pace tranquillitate He will replenish our reason with the light of wisedome and knowledge our electiue facultie with iustice that it shall desire nothing but what is to be desired our wrathfull and boyling affection with peace and tranquilitie Concerning the bodie whereas it consisteth of foure elements Habebit terra nostra immortalitem Our earthly part shal haue immortality Habebit aqueum nostrum impassibilitatem Our watrie part shâ—l be without passion Habebit aereum leuitatem Our airie part shall haue agilitie or lightnesse Habebit igneum nostrum perfectam pulâ—hriâ—udinem Our fiery part shall haue most perfect beautie or glory Secondly the dulnesse of our affections is here to be quickned and our desire to be inflamed toward the attaining of this happie estate we should be still groueling vpon the earth but eleuate our hearts to heauen and to haue our conuersation in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour Phil. 3. 20. It is recorded by the heathen that one Cleombrotus reading Plato his booke of the immortality of the soule was so rauished with the desire thereof that presently â—e cast himselfe into the sea like master like scholer like teaching like following But it may be a shame to vs that hauing so pure doctrine reuealed concerning true eternitie which they but dreamed of are not touched with an earnest desire thereof as S. Paul was who desired to be dissolued to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Wherefore the assurance and hope of euerlasting life ought to be the chiefe scope of all our studies the drift of our desires the marke to aime at the race to run at the prise to striue for the hauen to saile vnto the pearle to be purchased the inheritance to be desired the country to be trauelled vnto this is that wherein we ought chiefly to reioyce that our names are written in heauen Luke 10. 20. thy riches honour strength beautie wisedome wife children ease prosperitie are not to be ioyed in in comparison of this blessed estate the which if we earnestly desire now we shall vndoubtedly possesse then through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer That they know thee to be the onely very God Our Sauiour saith not to know thee only to be very God for if the father only were God then the Sonne and the holy Ghost should be excluded but the Father is that onely God and so is the sonne and the holy Ghost they all three are but only one very God as where the Apostle calleth Iesus Christ the onely Lord Iude 4. neither the Father nor the holy Ghost are excluded for they are all the onely Lord though they be deuided in person yet the vnity and essence of the diuine nature and power is not deuided
Christ can not hold such was the league betweene godly Iehosophat and wicked Ahab it brought him into daunger of his life 1. King 22. 32. as the ioyning with Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab was the cause of the losse of Iehosophats shippes 2. Chr. 20. 37. Secondly we learne that there can be no true internall peace but in Christ there may be a carnall securitie such as was in the old world that gaue themselues to eating and drinking till the floud came and destroyed them but this is farre from true peace The hypocrite also spareth no cost nor labour to be reconciled he will bring thousands of rammes and riuers of oyle Micah 6. 6. but he cannot find by his own workes the right way vnto peace A third sort there is that haue a feeling of this peace for a time but it continueth not As Ahab found the wrath of God somewhat appeased toward him after he had humbled himselfe with fasting and sackcloth 1. King 21. 27. but he soone returned to his old sinnes and kindled the wrath of God against him againe The only true peace then with God is wroght by faith in Christ Rom. 5. â— And the right concord and vnitie among men is made perfect by the profession of the truth as the heart of Dauid and Ionathan were linked together in faith and in the feare of God Hierâ—m well saith Vera est illa necessitudo Christi glutina copulata quam non vtilitas rei familiaris nec presentia tantùm corporum non subdola palpans adulatio sed Dei timor diuinarum ScripturaruÌ„ studia conciliant That is true friendship and ioyned together in Christ which not priuate profite or the bodily presence or flatterie but the feare of God and the studie of Scripture doth beget And hast loued them as thou hast loued me Like as Gods loue was manifested to Christ when the holy Ghost descended vpon him whereby he was sanctified and replenished in his humane nature with all heauenly gifts and graces at what time God proclaimed from heauen that Christ was his beloued sonne Mat. 3. So Gods loue is not in any thing more euident toward his children then when he endueth them with his holy Spirit whereby they are sanctified and therefore our Sauiour prayeth for their sanctification that the world may know that God loueth them 1 Thus the Apostle testifieth The loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. Rom. 5. 5. that is hereby the loue of God is apparant toward vs because he giueth vs his spirit whereby we are sanctified 2 Thus was the loue of God confirmed toward the holy Apostle who prayed that the temptation of his flesh might depart from him and receiued this answer My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12. 9. The assistance of Gods grace was a sure testimonie of his loue So the Prophet Dauid prayeth Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce and againe Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit Psal. 51. 8. 12. He desireth none other testimonie of Gods loue toward him but that he may feele the inward comfort of Gods spirit 3 For Gods loue is best knowne by his best gifts the best things he reserueth for those whom he best loueth Now the graces of regeneration the spirituall giftes of faith hope and loue are without al comparison the most principall As the Apostle saith Desire you the best giftes and I will yet shew you a more excellent way 1. Cor. 12. 31. and then in the next chapter he treateth of faith hope and loue 4 Like as Ioseph sent vnto Beniamin more plentifull measses of meate Gen. 43. 34. and gaue him richer gifts and more costly sutes of apparell then to the rest of his brethren Gen. 45. 22. so the Lord bestoweth the best gifts vpon his owne children As the father caused the fat calfe to be killed for his returned sonne Luk. 15. so the fatnesse of spirituall graces the Lord vouchsafeth vnto such as truly turn vnto him 5 The vse of this doctrine is excellent that we should not grieue to see the prosperitie ease and wealth of many worldly men like as sometime the Prophet Dauid fretted in himselfe at that sight Psal. 73. 2 But let vs consider how plentifully the Lord doth recompence to his children the want of things temporall with the eternall graces of the spirit Dauid preferreth the light of Gods countenance before the abundance of wine corne oyle or any other worldly endowment Psal. 4. Augustine saith well Si Deus tanta dat malis quanta seruat bonis If God giue such things as riches and prosperitie to the wicked how great gifts hath he in store for his Say not then in thine heart why hath not God made me rich honorable strong beautifull he hath giuen thee a better portion the knowledge of his name an heart to feare him a conscience to abstaine froÌ„ euill Where as thou seest a rich man giuen to oppression a prophane person a senslesse ignorant man tell me wouldest thou chaunge states with him I think not be content then with thy best lot and desire still the increase and continuance of spirituall graces The sixteenth Lecture Vers. 24. Father I will c. NOw followeth the other petition of our Sauiour for the glorification of his Church where we haue the request it selfe that they may be with Christ the end to behold his glorie the assurance for thou louedst me before the foundation of the world First we see the efficacie of Christs prayer that whatsoeuer he but willeth of God as the Mediator of his Church it is accomplished 1 Thus the Apostle testifieth He is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him because he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. 2 Thus our Sauiour was heard for Lazarus I know thou hearest me alwaies Ioh. 11. 42. Thus our Sauiour prayed for Peter that his faith failed him not Luk. 22. 32. and it was so fulfilled for though Peters faith was shaken yet was it not ouerthrowne though it fainted it failed not 3 If Moses by the lifting vp of his hands ruled the battell betweene Israel and Ameleck if Eliah by his toung gouerned the aire that it should not raine but according to his word If Peters shadow commaunded diseases Act. 5. 15. how much more effectuall is the holy will and desire of Christ. 4 For Christ is the beloued sonne of God in whom God is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. whatsoeuer Christ therefore willeth of his Father he cannot denie vnto him for the great loue he hath toward him 5 First to our great comfort we are taught that seeing the will of Christ is omnipotent whatsoeuer it pleased the Lord that did he in heauen and earth Psal. 135. 6. and his will toward his church is most
the eyes and affection of the wife ought to be setled vpoÌ„ her husband and his likewise vpon her so in this spirituall businesse of prayer heauen and heauenly things should be a veile to our eyes to couer and keepe them from looking toward or attending vpon any thing else all worldly thoughts and earthly desires should be chased away from our prayers as Abraham droue away the birds from his sacrifice Gen. 15. We all are subiect to this temptation in prayer I remember Hierome thus complaineth of himselfe Creberrimè in oratione mea aut per porticus deambulo aut de foenore computo sicâ—ine putamus orasse Ionam sic Danielem Oftentimes in my prayer me thinke I am walking in galleries and porches or casting of an account and reckoning Do we thinke that Ionas prayed so or Daniel Father God is Christs Father after a more excellent manner then he is called our Father he is the Son of God by nature non factus sed natus not made the Soâ—ne of God but so boâ—ne from all eternitie Prou. 8. 23. I was set vp from euerlasting vers 25. before the hils was I begotten We are the sonnes of God facti non nati made not borne the Angels are the sonnes of God so made by priuiledge of their creation Iob. 1. 6. cap. 38. 7. and Adam also in the same sense is called the sonne of God Luk. 3. 38. being created in the state of perfection the faithfull are the sonnes of God so made by adoption and grace Rom. 8. 15. We haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father From hence then this doctrine is concluded that Christ praying vnto God and calling him Father and he is his Father as he is God did execute his Mediatorship not onely as he was man but as he was both God and man This Saint Paule testifieth 2. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe Christ then reconciled the world wherein consisted the office and worke of the Mediator not as he was man onely but as God was in him that is as he was God for God to be in Christ is nothing else but to shew that Christ is God as Colos. 2. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Likewise Heb. 7. 28. The Law maketh men high Priests which haue infirmitie but the word of the oath c. maketh the Sonne which is consecrated for euermore if Christ be coÌ„secrated a Priest as he is the Sonne then as he is God for the Sonne is God A further proofe and experience hereof we haue in this Chapter vers 24. â—ather I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am c. Christ prayeth not here as an inferiour but as equall vnto God as whose will is one with Gods neuer any humble suppliant would thus pray I will this or I will that Againe another example we haue in the dispensation of the law which was giuen by the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. which most interpreters both old and new do vnderstand of Christ. There are onely two of the ancient Writers that I know Theodoret and Gennadius that expound it of Moses and Maister Beza of the New If Christ then did in some sort performe the office of a Mediator before his incarnatioÌ„ he did it then as God for whether we say he is called a Mediator onely Propheticè prophetically because he was then designed and appointed to be our Mediator or that the legall Mediation is one the Euangelicall which before his incarnation he entred not into another both which I willingly grant yet neither of these could be affirmed of Christ without a necessary relation to his diuine Nature This also is yet more euidently expressed in that vision of Iohn Reu. 5. 7. Where the Lambe taketh the booke out of the riâ—ht hand of him that sate vpon the throne which was a worke of the Mediator this Lambe stood as though he had bene killed wherby his humilitie is signified and he had seuen hornes and seuen eyes which are the seuen spirits of God and he was in the midst of the throne by which three circumstances of his power his authoritie in sending the spirit his sitting in one throne with God his diuine Nature is insinuated The reason why both natures of God and man must concurre not onely in the constitution but in the execution of the Mediatorship Saint Paul sheweth Gal. 3. 20. For a Mediator is not of one but God is one the Mediator then is not God onely nor man onely but he must partake of both and exercise his Mediators office in both First then by this doctrine is refuted the opinion of the Papists who affirme and hold that Christ exercised the office of his Priesthood and Mediatorship onely as man not as God because the Apostle saith There is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Iesus Christ which words as they vrge them would as well conclude the Mediator not to be God as not to exercise his Mediatorship as God And whereas the Apostle saith the man Iesus Christ though he say not God and man Iesus Christ yet this name Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour includeth the Godhead also as the Apostle saith vers 3. God our Sauiour Secondly whereas the Arrians obiected that Christ was inferior and lesse then God because he that prayeth is lesse then he to whom prayer is made the answer is readie that all the parts of the Mediators office which do betoken seruice or subiectioÌ„ vnto God Christ performed as man but the power of the worke perfection glorie he executed as God though he prayed as man he could not preuaile by the merit of his prayer but as both God and man and as Bernard saith ad hunc miseria ad illum pertinet potentia to the manhood belongeth the sufferings and sorrowes of the Mediator to the Godhead the honor and power and as Augustine Diuina humanitas humana diuinitas Mediatrix his diuine humanity and humane Diuinitie is the Mediator Thirdly as Christ in his prayer saith Father so he teacheth vs to pray Our Father that is with confidence and full assurance like as there is no father which if his child aske him bread will giue him a stone Mat. 7. 10. much more will our heauenly Father giue good things to those that aske him Our Sauiour promiseth that whatsoeuer we desire when we pray if we beleeue that we shall haue it it shall be done vnto vs. Mark 11. 24. No maruell then if when we pray doubtfully and vncertainly we obtaine not our requests Therefore when we want any grace and wold haue any necessitie relieued let vs go with a chearefull resolution vnto God as the prodigall sonne did when he was readie to die for hunger I will rise saith he and go to my father c. then shall we find mercie at our heauenly fathers hand as
The knowledge then of God the Father sonne and holy Ghost is necessary to saluation the ignorance whereof is sufficient to depriue vnbeleeuers of eternall life So the Apostle saith that they which are without Christ and without God in this world are strangers from the promise and from the common-wealth of Israell Ephes. 2. 12. Such a one was Pharao who wickedly said I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Exod. 5. 2. Because he knew not God the Lord would not vouchsafe to know him but gaue him ouer to hardnes of heart and got vnto himself great glory in his destruction and confusion Thus our Sauiour also testifieth of the Samaritanes speaking to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. 22. Ye worship that which ye know not we worship that which we know for saluation is of the Iewes Saluation then is not of them that ignorantly worship they know not what as the Athenians did who erected an altar to the vnknowne God and ignorantly worshipped they knew not whom Act. 17. 23. For like as the beasts that had no knowledge to go vnto Noahs Arke perished in the waters and as the Doue if she had not knowne the way of returne to the Arke when Noah stretched out his hand and tooke her in had likewise miscaried and as the oxe and asse not knowing their masters crib are like to want their food so all they which know not God their Creator are in the high way to destruction and are barred from life The reason hereof S. Paule sheweth Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued but how shall they cal vpon him on whom they haue not beleeued how shal they beleeue in him on whom they haue not heard They then that neither beleeue in God nor pray vnto him nor worship him because they know him not nor haue not heard of him cannot be saued Ignorance then and want of knowledge of God because it is the fountaine of vnbeleefe and prophanenesse doth iustly exclude from the kingdome of God First then if the knowledge of the blessed Trinitie be necessary vnto euerlasting life we see in what damnable state all heretickes do stand that beleeue not aright in the Trinitie whether they impugne any one of the three glorious persons as the Manichees the person of the father who was the author of the law which they refuse and reuile him that gaue it making him the author of euill The Arrians dishonor the Sonne affirming him to be vnequall to his Father The Macedonians blasphemed the holy Ghost denying him to be God or whether they are aduersaries to the whole Trinitie as the Sabellians which did hold but one person of the godhead as the Tritheits that do wickedly teach that there are three Gods as well as three persons Secondly all Atheists are here condemned that beleeue no God at all such as were Diagoras and one Theodorus among the heathen Likewise the Gentiles are reproued who worshipped those which were not Gods Gal. 4. 8. and brought in a multitude of gods for they did not acknowledge the onely very God both worshipping many gods and those also false gods Thirdly as heresie and prophanenesse condemneth so also ignorance for that whosoeuer knoweth not nor yet beleeueth aright in the Trinitie cannot be saued as our Sauiour Christ saith Iohn 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light Hearken then ye ignorant persons ye simple men and women though there were no other matter against you your owne ignorance darknesse is sufficient to condemne you say not mine innocencie shall saue me I do hurt to none I do no wrong I am harmelesse c. For the ignorant person cannot be innocent seeing by his ignorance and vnbeleefe he dishonoureth God it is in vaine to say I dishonour not man when thou dost dishonour God Ambrose saith well Innocentia scientia beatum faciunt Innocencie and knowledge make happie if either be wanting there is no true happines Wherefore let euery one labour for the knowledge of God parents instruct your children maisters your seruants husbands teach your wiues do not nourish your selues in ignorance and cast away your soules for want of knowledge And whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ It is not sufficient to saluation to acknowledge God the Creator yea to confesse one glorious God and three persons vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ God and man the Mediator betweene God and man and so beleeue in him that we liue by faith in him This our Sauior further testifieth he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he beleeueth not in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 3. 18. And again ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Ioh. 14 1. It is not then enough to beleeue in God the Almightie and omnipotent Creator vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ our mercifull Sauiour Saint Iohn accordingly saith Euery spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is not of God 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Peter is commended for this faith for confessing Christ the sonne of the liuing God Mat. 16. 16. And after Thomas had said to Christ Thou art my Lord and my God Iesus said to him Because thou hast seene thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued Ioh. 20. 28. 29. Yea this was the faith of Abraham Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham saith our Sauiour reioyced to see my day he saw it and was glad So like as when Moses was absent who was a mediator that went betweene God his people the whole host went astray and committed most grosse Idolatrie Exod â—2 so and much more are we like to perish if we haue not the presence of Christ our Mediator Moses also said vnto God when he told them that he wold not go with them because they were a stiffe-necked people but he would send onely an Angell before them Exod. 33. 2. 3. If thy presence go not with vs carie vs not hence vers 15. If then the presence of the Mediator was necessarie to conduct them vnto that terrestriall Canaan much more to the celestiall For in Christ onely is the Lord appeased toward vs Mat. 3. 17. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Without Christ theÌ„ there is no reconclliation no peace or attonement with God Like as princes offended must be dealt with by Mediators as the cities of Tyrus and Sidon desired peace of Herod by the mediation of Blastus his chamberlaine Act. 12. 20. so God being displeased with vs for our sinnes there is no accesse to be had into his presence without Christ the Mediator First then all heretikes are condemned that beleeue not aright in Iesus Christ either denying his natures blaspheming his person or derogating from his offices Of the first sort are the ArriaÌ„s Paulians that denie his Godhead