before the Holy Ghost proceeding from both This Order serues to set forth vnto vs two things first the manner how the Trinitie worketh in their externall actions as that the Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and the holy Ghost the Sonne from the Father by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Secondly to distinguish the first and immediate beginning from vvhich those externall and common action do flow Hence it is that for as much as the Father is the fountaine and originall of the Trinitie the beginning of all externall working the Name of God in relation and the title of Creator in the Creede are giuen in a speciall manner to the Father Our Redemption to the Sonne and our Sanctification to the person of the Holy Ghost as the immediate agents of these actions And this also is the cause why the Sonne as he is Mediator referreth all things to the Father not to the Holy Ghost and that the Scripture so often saith that we are reconciled to the Father This diuine order or oeconomie excepted there is neyther first nor last neyther superioritie nor inferioritie among the three Persons but for Nature they are coessentiall for Dignitie coequall for Time coeternall The whole diuine Essence is in euery one of the three Persons but it was incarnated onely in the second Person of the Word and not in the Person of the Father or of the Hâ—ly Ghost for three reasons First that GOD the Father might the rather set forth the greatnesse of his loue to Mankinde in giuing his first and onely begotten Son to be incarnated and to suffer death for mans saluation Secondly that hee vvho was in his Diuinitie the Son of GOD should be in his Humanitie the Sonne of Man lest the name of Sonne should passe vnto another vvho by his eternall natiuitie was not the Sonne Thirdly because it vvas meetest that that Person who is the substantiall Image of his eternal Father should restore in vs the spirituall Image of GOD which we had lost In the Incarnation the God-head was not turned into the Man-hood nor the Man-hood into the God-head but the God-head as it is the second Person or Word assumed vnto it the Man-hood that is the whole nature of man body and soule and all the naturall properties and infirmities therof sinne excepted The second Person tooke not vpon him the Person of man but the Nature of man So that the humane nature hath no personall subsistence of it owne for then there should be two Persons in Christ but it subsisteth in the Word the second Person for as the soule and body makes but one Person of Man so the God-head and Man-hood makes but one Person of Christ. The two natures of the God-head and Man-hood are so really vnited by a Personall vnion that as they can neuer be separated asunder so are they not confounded but remaine still distinguished by their seuerall and essentiall proprieties which they had before they were vnited As for example the infinitâ—nesse of the Diuine is not communicated to the humanâ— nature nor the finitenesse of the Humane to the Diuine nature Yet by reason of this personall vnion there is such a communion of the proprieties of both natures that that which is proper to the one is sometimes attributed to the other Nature As that God purchased the Church with his owne bloud And that he will iudge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Hence also it is that though the Humanitie of Christ be a created and therefore a finite and limited nature and cannot be euery where present by actuall position or locall extension according to his naturall being yet because it hath communicated vnto it the personall subsistence of the Sonne of God which is infinite and without limitation and is so vnited with God that it is no where seuered from God the body of Christ in respect of his personall being may rightly bee said to be euery where 3 The Actions by which the three Persons be distinguished THe Actions are of two sorts either Eternall respecting the Creatures and those are after a sort common to euery one of the three Persons or Internall respecting the Persons onely amongst themselues and are altogether incommunicable The Externall and communicable Actions of the three Persons are these The creation of the World peculiarly belonging to God the Father The redemption of the Church to God the Sonne And the sanctification of the Elect to God the holy Ghost But because the Father created and still gouerneth the World by the Sonne in the holy Ghost therefore these external actions are indifferently in Scripture oftentimes ascribed to each of the three Persons and therefore called communicable and diuided Actions The Internall and incommunicable Actions or proprieties of the three Persons are these 1 To beget and that belongeth onely to the Father who is neither made created nor begotten of any 2 To be begotten and that belongeth only to the Sonne who is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten 3 To proceede from both and that belongeth onely to the holy Ghost who is of the Father and the Sonne neither made created nor begotten but proceeding So that when wee say that the diuine essence is in the Father vnbegotten in the Sonne begotten and in the Holy Ghost proceeding wee make not three Essences but onely shew the diuers maners of subsisting by which the same most simple eternall vnbegotteÌ„ Essence subsisteth in each Person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that it is in the Sonne communicated from the father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the Father and the Sonne by proceeding These are incommunicable Actions and doe make not an Essentiall accidental or rationall but a reall distinction betwixt the three Persons So that he who is the Father in the Trinity is not the Son he who is the Son in the Trinity is not the Father hee who is the holy Ghost in the Trinity is neither the Sonne nor the Father but the Spirit proceeding from both though there is but one and the same Essence common to all three As therefore wee beleeue that the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is God so we likewise beleeue that God is the Father God is the Sonne and God is the holy Ghost But by reason of this reall distinction the Person of the one is not nor neuer can be the person of the other The three Persons therefore of the Godhead doe not differ from the Essence but formally but they differ really one from an other and so are distinguished by their hypostaticall proprieties As the Father is God begetting God the Sonne the Sonne is God begotten of God the Father and the holy Ghost is God
afflictions of this present life are not worthy which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enioy from that time that they shall be receiued with Christ as ioynt heires into that euerlasting Kingdome of ioy Notwithstanding we may take a scantling thereof thus The holy Scriptures set foorth to our capacity the glorie of our eternall and heauenly life after death in foure respects 1 Of the Place 2 Of the Obiect 3 Of the Prerogatiues of the Elect there 4 Of the effects of those Prerogatiues 1 Of the Place THe place is the Heauen of Heauens or the third Heauen called Paradise whither Christ in his humane nature ascended farre aboue all visible heauens The Bridgroomes chamber which by the firmament as by an azured curtaine spangled with glittering starres and glorious planets is hid that wee cannot behold it with these corruptible eyes of flesh The holy Ghost framing himselfe to our weakenesse describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate by such things as are most precious in the estimation of man And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City named the heauenly Ierusalem Where onely God and his people who are saued and written in the Lambes booke doe inhabite all built of pure gold like vnto cleare glasse or Chrystall the walles of Iasper stone the foundations of the wals with twelue manner of precious stones hauing twelue gates each built of one pearle three gates towards each of the foure cornerâ— of the world and at each gate an Angell as so many Porters that no vncleane thing should enter into it It is foure square therefore perfect the length the breadth and height of it are equall 12000. furlongs euery way therefore glorious and spacious Through the middest of her streets euer runneth a pure Riuer of the water of life as cleare as Christall therefore wholesome And of either side of the riuer is the Tree of life euer growing which beares twelue manner of fruits and giues fruit euery moneth therefore fruitfull and the leaues of the tree is health to the Nations therefore healthy There is therefore no place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation For there the King is Christ the law is loue the honour verity the peace felicity the life eternity There is light without darknesse mirth without sadnesse health without sicknesse wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish ease without labour riches without rust blessednesse without miserie and consolation that neuer knoweth ende How truely may we cry out with Dauid of this Citie Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakenesse of our capacity For heauen exceedeth al this in glory so farre as that no tongue is able to expresse nor heart of man to conceiue the glory thereof as witnesseth Paul who was in it and sawe it O let vs not then dote so much vpon these woedden cottages and houses of moulding clay which are but the tents of vngodlinesse and habitation of sinners but let let vs looke rather and long for this heauenly City whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God hath prepared for vs. 2 Of the Obiect THE blisseful and glorious obiect of all intellectuall and reasonable creatures in heauen is the God-head in Trinity of Persons without which there is neither ioy nor felicity but the very fulnesse of ioy consisteth in enioying the same This Obiect wee shall enioy two waies 1 By a beatificall vision of God 2 By possessing an immediate communion with his diuine nature The beatificall vision of GOD is that onely that can content the infinite minde of man For euery thing tendeth to his center GOD is the center of the soule therfore like Noahs Doue shee cannot rest nor ioy till shee returne and enioy him All that GOD bestowed vpon Moses could not satisfie his minde vnlesse hee might see the face of GOD. Therefore the whole Church praieth so earnestly God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs cause his face to shine vpon vs. When Paul once had seen this blessed sight he euer after counted al the riches and glory of the world in respect of it to be but dung And all his life after was but a sighing out cupio dissolui I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. And Christ prayed for all his Elect in his last prayer that they might obtaine this blessed vision Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be where euen where I am To what end that they may behold that my glory c. If Moses face did so shine when he had beene with GOD but fourty daies and seene but his backe parts how shall wee shine when we shall see him face to face for euer and know him as we are known and as he is Then shall the soule no longer be termed Marah bitternesse but Naomi beautifulnesse for the Lord shall turne her short bitternesse to eternall beauty and blessednesse Ruth 1.20 The second meanes to enioy this obiect is by hauing an immediate and an eternall communion with GOD in heauen This we haue first by being as members of Christ vnited to his manhood and by the manhood personally vnited to the word we are vnited to him as he is GOD and by his Godhead to the whole Trinity Reprobates at the last day shall see GOD as a iust Iudge to punish them but for lacke of this Communion they shall haue neither grace with him nor glory from him For want of this communion the Diuels when they saw Christ cried out Quid nobis te cum What haue we to doe with thee O Sonne of the most high God But by vertue of this Communion the penitent soule may boldly goe and say vnto Christ as Ruth vnto Bâ—az Spread O Christ the wing of the garment of thy mercy ouer thine handmaide for thou art my kinsman This Communion God promised Abraham when hee gaue him himselfe for his great reward And Christ praieth for his whole Church to obtaine it This communion Saint Paul expresseth in one word saying that God shall be all in all vnto vs. Indeed God is now all in all vnto vs but by meanes and in a small measure But in heauen God himselfe immediatly in fulnesse of measure without all meanes will be vnto vs all the good things that our soules and bodieâ— can wish or desire He himselfe will be saluation and ioy to our soules life and health to our bodies beauty to our eyes musicke to our eares honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies light to our vnderstandings contentment to our willes and delight to our hearts and what can be
enuied to be taxed with such a blemish though I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in aboundant measure I made â—ests of officious and aduantage of pernitious lyes herein shewing my selfe a right Cretian rather then an vpright Christian. And lastly O Lord where I should haue rested fully contented vvith that portion which thy Maiestie thought meetest to bestow vpon me in this Pilgrimage and reioyced in an others good as in mine owne Alas my life hath beene nothing else but a greedy lusting after this neighbours house and that neighbours land yea secretly vvishing such a man dead that I might haue his liuing or office coueting rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather then being thankefull for that which thou hast giuen vnto my selfe Thus I O Lord who am a carnall sinner and sold vnder sinne haue transgressed all thy holy and spiritual commandements from the first to the last from the greatest vnto the least and here I stand guiltie before thy Iudgement-seate of all the breaches of all thy lawes and therefore lyable to thy Curse and to all the miseries that Iustice can poure forth vpon so cursed a creature And whither shall I goe for deliuerance from this miserie Angels blush at my rebellion and will not helpe mee Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot helpe themselues Shall I then despaire vvith Caine or make away my selfe with Iudas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to beginne the endlesse torments of Hell I will rather appeale to thy Throane of Grace where Mercy raignes to pardon abounding sinnes and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with Dauid for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Iob put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drowne me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Ionas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken vp dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast mee into the bowels of Hell as Ionas into the Belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry vnto thee O God the Father of Heauen O Iesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternall God haue mercy vpon mee a miserable sinner And seeing the goodnesse of thine owne nature first moued thee to send thine onely begotten Son to dye for my sinnes that by his death I might be reconciled to thy Maiestie O reiect not now my penitent Soule who being displeased with her selfe for sinne desireth to returne to serue and please thee in newnesse of life and reach from Heauen thy helping hand to saue mee thy poore seruant who am like Peter ready to sincke in the Sea of my sinnes and miserie Wash away the multitude of my sinnes with the merits of that bloud which I beleeue that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receiue this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious body and bloud O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seale vnto my soule that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sinnes are so freely and fully remitted and forgiuen that the curses and Iudgements which my sins haue deserued may neuer haue power eyther to confound me in this life or to condemne me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast dyed for my sinnes and risen againe for my iustification This I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Worke in mee likewise I beseech thee an vnfained Repentance that I may heartily bewaile my former sins and loath them and serue thee hence forth in newnesse of life and greater measure of holy deuotion And let my soule neuer forget the infinite loue of so sweete a Sauiour that hath laid downe his life to redeeme so vile a Sinner And grant Lord that hauing receiued these seales and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maist henceforth so dwell by thy Spirit in mee that I so liue by Faith in thee and that I may walke all the dayes of my life in godlinesse and pietie towards thee and in Christian loue and charitie towards all my neighbours that liuing in thy feare I may dye in thy fauour and after death be made partaker of eternall life through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 3 Of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer THese Meanes are dueties of two sorts the former respecting GOD the later our Neighbour Those vvhich respect GOD are three first sound knowledge secondly true faith thirdly vnfained repentance That which respecteth our neighbour is but one sincere Charitie 1 Of sound knowledge requisite in a worthy communicant Sound knowledge is a sanctified vnderstanding of the first Principles of Religion As first of the Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Godhead Secondly of the Creation of Man and his fall Thirdly of the curse and misery due to sinne Fourthly of the natures and offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same vnto vs. For as an house cannot be built vnlesse the foundation bee first laid no more can Religion stand vnlesse it bee first grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods word Secondly if wee know not Gods will we can neither beleeue nor doe the same For as wordly businesses cannot be done but by them who haue skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in diuine and spirituall matters And yet in temporall things a man may doe much by the light of nature But in religious mysteries the more we relye vpon naturall reason the further we are from comprehending spirituall truth Which discouers the feareful estate of those who receiue without knowledge and the more fearefull estate of those Pastors who minister vnto them without Catechising 2 Of sincere faith required to make a worthy communicant Sincere faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures first grounds of Religion for that Diuels and Reprobates haue in an excellent measure and doe beleeue it and tremble But a true perswasion as of all those things whatsoeuer the Lord hath reuealed in his word so also a particular application vnto a mans owne soule of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all beleeuing sinners And consequently that Christ and all his merits doe belong vnto him as well as to any other For first if wee haue not the righteousnesse of Faith the Sacrament seales nothing vnto vs and euery man in the Lords Supper receiueth so much as hee beleeueth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in heauen For as he dwelleth in vs by faith so by faith we must likewise eate him Thirdly because
remembrance of me and in doing this thou shalt shew thy selfe best mindefull and thankefull for his death For as oft as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death vntil he come And let this bee the chiefe ende whereunto both thy receiuing and liuing tendeth that thou maiest be a holy Christian zealous of good workes purged from sinne to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world that thou maiest be acceptable to God profitable to thy brethren and comfortable vnto thine own soule Thus farre of the manner of glorifying God in thy life Now followeth the Practise of Piety in glorifying God in the time of sickenesse and when thou art called to die in the Lord. AS soone as thou perceiuest thy selfe to be visited with any sicknesse meditate with thy selfe 1 That misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth Sicknesse comes not by hap or chance as the Philistimes supposed that their Mise and Emeroides came but from mans wickednesse vvhich as sparkles breaketh out Man suffereth saith Ieremie for his sinnes Fooles saith Dauid by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted As therefore Salomon aduised a man to carry himselfe towards an earthly Prince If the spirit of him that ruleth rise vp against thee leaue not thy place for gentlenesse pacifieth great sins so counsell I thee to deale with the Prince of Princes If the spirit of him that ruleth heauen and earth rise vp against thee let not thy heart despaire for repentance pacifieth great sins And whosoeuer returneth in his affliction to the Lord God of Israel and seekes him he will be found of him 2 Shut too thy Chamber doore Examine thine owne Heart vpon thy bed Search and try thy wayes Search as diligently for thy capitall sinne as Ioshua did for Achan till thou findest it for albeit GOD when he beginneth to chasten his Children hath respect to all their sinnes yet vvhen his anger is incensed he chiefely taketh occasion to chasten and enter vvith them into Iudgement for some one grieuous sinne wherein they haue liued without Repentance 3 When thou hast thus considered all thy sinnes put thy selfe before the Iudgement seate of God as a fellon or murtherer standing at the Bar of an earthly Iudge and with griefe and sorrow of heart confesse vnto God all thy knowne sinnes especially thy Capitall offences wherewith GOD is chiefely displeased Lay them open with all the circumstances of the time place and manner how they were committed as may most serue to aggrauate the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and to shew the contrition of thy heart for the same Lift vp thine hand and acknowledge thy selfe before the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth guilty of eternall death and damnation for those thy hainous sinnes and transgressions And hauing thus accused and iudged thy selfe cast downe thy selfe before the Foote-stoole of his Throne of Grace assuring thy selfe that whatsoeuer the Kings of Israel be yet the GOD of Israel is a mercifull God And cry vnto him from a penitent and faithfull heart for mercy and forgiuenesse as eager and earnest as euer thou knewest a malefactor being to receiue his sentence crying vnto the Iudge for fauour and pardon vowing amendement of life and by the assistance of his Grace neuer to commit the like sinne any more All vvhich thou maist doe in these or the like words A Prayer when one begins to be sicke O Most righteous Iudge yet in Iesus Christ my gracious Father I wretched sinner doe here returne vnto thee though driuen with paine and sicknesse like the prodigall childe with want and hunger I acknowledge that this sicknesse and paine comes not by blinde chance or fortune but by thy diuine prouidence and speciall appointment It is the stroke of thy heauie hand vvhich my sinnes haue iustly deserued and the things that I feared are now fallen vpon mee Yet I doe vvell perceiue that in wrath thou remembrest mercie When I consider how many and how hainous are my sinnes and how few and easie are thy corrections Thou mightest haue strucken me with some fearefull and sodaine death vvhereby I should not haue had eyther time or space to haue called vpon thee for grace and mercy and so I should haue perished in my sinnes and beene for euer condemned in Hell But thou O Lord visitest mee vvith such a Fatherly chastisement as thou vsest to visit thy dearest children whom thou best louest giuing mee by this sicknesse both warning and time to repent and to sue vnto thee for grace and pardon I take not therefore O Lord this thy visitation as any signe of thy wrath or hatred but as an assured pledge and token of thy fauour and louing kindnes whereby thou dost vvith thy temporall Iudgements draw mee to iudge my selfe and to repent of my wicked life that I should not be condemned with the godlesse and vnpenitent vvorld For thy holy Word assures mee that whom thou louest thou thus chastenest and that thou scourgest euery Sonne that thou receiuest That if I endure thy chastening thou offerest thy selfe vnto me as vnto a sonne and that all that continue in sinne and yet escape without correction whereof all thy Children are partakers are Bastards and not sonnes and that thou chastenest mee for my profit that I may be a partaker of thy holinesse O Lord how full of goodnesse is thy nature that hast dealt with mee so gratiously in the time of my health and prosperitie and now being prouoked by my sinnes and vnthankefulnesse hast such fatherly and profitable ends in inflicting vpon me this sicknesse and correction I confesse Lord that thou doest iustly afflict my body with sicknesse for my soule was sicke before of long prosperitie and surfetted with ease peace plentie and fulnesse of bread And now O Lord I lament and mourne for my sinnes I acknowledge my wickednesse and mine iniquities are alwayes in my sight Oh what a vvretched sinner am I void of all goodnesse by nature and full of euill by sinfull custome Oh what a world of sinne haue I committed against thee whilest thy long sufferance expected my conuersion and thy blessings wooed mee to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy propertie more to respect the goodnesse of thine owne nature then the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all-sauing death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which beleeue in him haue mercy vpon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turne thy face away from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquitie cast me not out of thy presence neither reward mee according to my deserts for if thou doest reiect mee who will receiue me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake mee