him Thus the Lord both by his practise and precept hath declared that hee will haue his Gospell which is a doctrine of Christ preached to the whole world clearely distinctly and in such a manner as all may heare it the practise wee haue here the precept we haue hereafter for our Sauiour commanded his Disciples that what hee told them in the eare they should proclaime it on the tops of houses for this cause did the holy Ghost endue them with the gifts of tongs that vnto euery people they might speake in their owne language otherwise one language had been sufficient for all people Whereof it is euident that they who deliuer this doctrine either by whispering or muttering in the eare or else in such a language as people doe not vnderstand declare themselues not to be the Ambassadours of the God of heauen neither following his practise nor obaying his precept but Locusts proceeding from the smoake that comes out of the bottomlesse pit by which Antechrist that fallen Star endeauours to obscure both the Sunne and the Ayre knowing that the vantage of his kingdome stands in darknesse The third circumstance is of the place from which this testimonie is giuen to wit from heauen whereof first wee learne that the doctrine of the Gospell is heauenly doctrine not written by nature in the heart of man as is the law but heauenly and supernaturall bred in the bosome of God proceeding from the deep of God his infinite wisedome which no creature neither Angell nor man by the light of Nature could euer haue imagined if the Lord from heauen had not reuealed it and therefore euen the Angels notwithstanding they be secundaria lumina next vnto God Spirits of greatest light and vnderstanding are said to admire this mysterie of the Gospell desirous to behold those things which are taught in the Church concerning it Secondly the maiestie dignitie of the Gospell is here recommended vnto vs the Law was giuen on earth proclaimed from the top of Mount Sinai yet euery transgression and disobedience thereof receiued a iust recompence of reward how then shall wee escape if we neglect so great a saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed to vs by them that heard him And againe we are warned See yee despise him not that speakes for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shal not wee escape if wee turne away from him that speakes from heauen And thirdly the proclaiming of this doctrine from heauen as likewise the opening of the heauens at the first proclamation of it is to teach vs that there is no way whereby man may learne a ready way to heauen but by this doctrine of the Gospell which is come from heauen Pitifull then is the blindnes of worldlings to whom heauen is opened and offered by the Gospell but they will not so much as looke vpon it but like those vncleane beasts in the Law do creepe with all foure vpon earth seeking the fatnesse of the earth for their portion more miserable then those Iewes to whom regresse was offred to Canaan but they would not come out of Caldee for loue of earth they little esteemed heauen and therefore iustly shall they be depriued of both the heauens shall not be opened to them to receiue them and their place on earth shall shortly deny them yea the earth shall open her mouth and swallow them as vnworthy to liue vpon earth vvho reioyced not at this grace of the Gospell by which the heauens were opened vnto them Thou art my beloued Sonne THe circumstances being permitted now followes the testimonie which may be called Contractum Euangelium for it containes the summe of the Gospell first concerning his Person and next his Office The first vvee haue in these words Thou art that Son of mine that beloued for so the Article imports Thus the Father speakes of him to distinguish him from other sonnes and other beloued the Father hath many beloued sonnes but none like Christ he is not the Sonne of God by creation as Adam and the Angels nor by Adoption as regenerate men are but hee is the Sonne of God by essentiall generation as also by the grace of personall vnion that is as hee is the second person of the blessed Trinitie he is the Sonne of God by essentiall generation for the Father begat him from all eternitie by a full and whole communication of his essence vnto him in a manner most maruellous and vnspeakeable and therefore rather to be adored by vs then enquired and searched out Againe as man is the Sonne of God in a most speciall manner for hee had no man for his Father but his humane Nature was made and formed by the holy Ghost and this Nature thus formed he hath ioyned and vnited vnto the diuine Nature of Christ that so in his person it might haue the being and subsistence And thus the Lord Iesus being one Person in whom are two Natures in respect of them both and of their vnion in most maruellous manner is the Sonne of God Now because Sathan who durst call it in doubt to the Son of God himselfe whether or not he were the Sonne of God will farre lesse spare to call it in doubt vnto vs let vs oppose against all his blasphemies this notable testimonie of God proclaimed by an audible voice from heauen at the baptisme of Christ and repeated againe on Mount Tabor at his transfiguration as they haue reported vnto vs who heard it with their eares for so witnesses not onely S. Iohn in the first Chapter of his first Epistle but most cleerely S. Peter in his second Epistle and first Chapter We followed not deceiueable fables when wee opened vnto you the power and comming of our Lord Iesus but with our eies we saw his Maiestie for hee receiued of God the Father honour and glorie when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glorie This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voice wee heard when it came from heauen being with him on the holy Mount The Angels in like manner bare witnesse vnto him and many thousands of his Saints hath sealed the truth of this testimonie with their bloud The miserable estate of the Iewes who since the day that they reiected him and tooke his bloud vpon them and their children haue euer beene as vagabonds and abiects in the world proues the truth of this Gospell which declares him the Sonne of God yea Sathan himselfe hath beene forced to confesse it as a truth Iesus thou Sonne of God why art thou come to torment vs before the time But beside all those wee haue as saith S. Peter a most sure word of the Prophets to which we shall doe well to take heede for if we well consider how all
which respects the Spirit was neuer communicated vnto any but to Iesus Christ alonely Thus we vnderstand how Iesus was annointed which vnction is not here first made as if before this hee had not beene endewed with the holy Ghost for wee beleeue that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost but here is the first declaration and publike manifestation to the world by a visible signe of the fulnesse of grace communicated to him for the doing of this great worke whereunto he is now ordained and this is done partly for the confirmation of Iohn who albeit hee knew that Christ was come yet he knew not who hee was till by this token giuen of God Christ was pointed out vnto him for so hee witnesses himselfe And I knew him not but he that sent mee to baptise with water said vnto mee vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on him that is he which baptiseth with the holy Ghost and partly also for instruction of the people that by this signes seene of them all they might know who hee was whom shortly after the audible voice from heauen proclaimed to be the Sonne of God And that the holy Ghost discends vpon him at this time in the similitude of a Doue and not in the similitude of fire as thereafter he descended vpon the Apostles it is to declare vnto vs both what he is in himselfe as also what sort of creatures true Christians are made by his grace As for himselfe he is a meeke Sauiour not terrible to penitent sinners but louing and comfortable ye shall finde that of all those who in the Gospell came to seeke mercy and grace from him neuer one was reiected but all of them louingly receiued and sent away with a comfortable answere for it was prophesied of him that hee should not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoaking Flaxe and no maruell that hee was kinde to his owne for he was meeke toward his very enemies He prayed for them on the crosse when they were persecuting him to the death and when his Disciples vvould haue had him bring fire from heauen to burne the Samaritans because they held him at the Ports of their citie he gaue them this answere yee know not of what spirit yee are the Sonne of man is not come to destroy but to saue The Law was giuen with fire and thunder with tempest blacknes and darknes in so terrible a manner that Moses himselfe did quake for feare but Iesus the Mediatour of the new Testament when he comes to proclaime the Gospell a doctrine of the ioyfull tidings of mans saluation hee comes not in a terrible manner Neither to accuse nor conuict of sinne nor to trouble and torment the conscience for sinne for that is the operation of the Law but as the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world hee cryes peace to the conscience within of euery poore penitent sinner that beleeues in him he is such a Physitian as being himselfe annointed of the Lord he cures his patients not by burning or cutting or by any such hard medicine but onely by annointing them then the which no gentler kinde cure can be Whatsoeuer bitternes was in that potion that heales the deadly disease of sin he dranke it himselfe and wonderfull it is the Phisitian drinkes the potion and the Patient is healed And therefore let not penitent and beleeuing sinners feare to goe neere him And as he is in himselfe such makes he those who are his hee endues them with the properties of the Doue he learnes them simplicitie lowlinesse and meekenes As the elect of God they put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes and long suffering but where there is yet bitternes anger wrath euill speaking and maliciousnes by which after the manner of rauening birds men deuoure one another it is an euident argument that such were neuer as yet renued by by the grace of Christ Iesus And there was a voice from heauen saying Thou art my beloued Sonne in thee I am well pleased THe third way by vvhich the Father beareth witnes vnto Christ is by an audible voice from heauen where wee haue to consider not onely the testimonie it selfe but the circumstances that goe before it as namely vvho giues the testimonie God the Father in vvhat manner it is giuen by an audible voice and from what place from heauen As for the first the author of this testimonie may be collected out of the words to be God the Father the Sonne comes to make the Father known vnto the world for no man knowes the Father but the Sonne No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and the Father againe makes the Son knowne vnto the world by the holy Ghost for euen Iohn Baptist though the greatest Prophet among the children of women knew not this Sonne of God till the Father as we said pointed him out vnto him Here then for our further comfort wee haue to consider how the three persons of the blessed Trinitie concurre together to worke the great worke of our redemption for here is the father designing ordaining proclaiming here is the Sonne accepting and the holy Ghost annointing these three wrought coniunctly the worke of our first creation in the beginning of Genesis mention suppose obscure is made of them by a name Plurall Elohim expressing the Trinitie of persons and a verbe singular Bara expressing the vnitie of their Nature and coniunct operation But here a more cleare and distinct mention is made of the three persons yet all working one worke and that for our comfort that we considering who it is hath taken in hand to worke the worke of our saluation should neither be discouraged for the power and malice of our spiritual aduersarie that withstands it neither yet for our owne manifold wants and infirmities for that grace which Iesus hath receiued is not for himselfe but for vs that as saith the Euangelist of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace which was figured in that ointment poured on the head of Aaron it rested not there but went downe to the borders of his garments euen so the grace communicated to Christ flowes from him to the smallest member of his mysticall body in such measure as shall be sufficient to prepare and perfect them vnto eternall life The next circumstance containes the manner by which this testimonie is giuen to wit by an audible voice such as all the people there present might heare vnderstand How this voice was sounded is needlesse for vs to enquire the Lord who made the tongue can speake without the tongue and frame Organes of voice at his pleasure by which he can proclaime his will euen to the eares of men who without a voice cannot heare
which hee is seeking euen such should be the disposition of a Christian so earnestly desiring mercy and grace from God that till hee finde it no other thing be in his minde to distract him from seeking it And vnto this continuance and feruencie in prayer it should greatly encourage vs that now we see after our Sauiours prayer the heauens are opened shewing vs the great vertue of prayer if wee pray in his name if we send it vp like incense perfumed with his merit flowing from faith in him it opens heauen vnto vs brings vs backe a fauourable answere Oratio iusti clauis est coeli ascendit precatio descendit dei miseratio VVhen our Sauiour prayed on Mount Tabor then was he transfigurated and his countenance changed when Peter prayed in the top or platforme of Simon the Tanners house in Ioppe then did he receiue in a trance the heauenly vision when Daniel prayed then the Angell appeared to him when the Disciples prayed then the holy Ghost descended vpon them such is the vertue of prayer that by it not onely doe the heauens open vnto men and out of their treasure send downe necessarie blessings and consolations to them but men are also transported and carried vp into heauen and so begin to practise the first degree of their ascension with Christ for as by newnesse of life they rise with Christ partakers of the first resurrection so by prayer they ascend with Christ partakers of the first ascension which is vnto them an vndoubted pledge of the ascension both of their soules and bodies hereafter For if while they are in the bodie they get accesse to the throne of grace many a time and finde heauen opened vnto them how much more when they are separate from the bodie shall they finde the same And therefore let vs take great delight in this heauenly and most profitable exercise of Prayer That the heauens were opened HItherto wee haue heard the first point of Christ his consecration to the office of the Mediator Wherein wee haue seene how by receiuing the Sacrament of baptisme he did willingly take our debt vpon him and binde himselfe to make satisfaction to his fathers iustice for it Now followes the second how the Father not onely accepts the Sonne becomming debtor for vs but also ordaines him to doe the worke of a Redeemer vnto vs and to this same effect annoints him and publikely proclaimes and declares him in this great assembly at Iordaine to be that only high Priest and peace-maker by whom attonement is made betweene God and Man Let vs ioyne these grounds of comfort togither and we shall see what a strong fortresse of faith they make vp vnto vs. Since the Father hath giuen vs Christ for a Redeemer Since the Sonne hath voluntarily aboliged himselfe to doe the worke of our Redemption Since the holie Ghost hath annointed him to this same effect may wee not now say GOD is with vs who can be against vs Let Sathan calumniate let infidelitie call in question we see whom we haue beleeued Our saluation is more sure then that the powers of hell are able to disanull it But here wee haue to consider how by three sundry strong testimonies God the father witnesseth the willing acceptation of his Son to this great office of the Messiah which now is committed vnto him First by the opening of the heauens Secondly by the sending downe of the holy Ghost in a visible shape vpon him Thirdly by an audible voice from heauen proclaiming him to be that beloued Sonne of God in whom the Father is well pleased The first then is the opening of the heauens by which visible signe is plainely declared that Iesus Christ is hee by whom man hath accesse to the Throne of grace the first Adam for his transgression was cast out of earthly paradice but by the humble obedience of the second Adam the heauens are opened vnto vs we are aduanced to an estate as far exceeding Adams best estate in paradise as the second Adam is more excellent then the first what was figured by the Ladder of Iacob is now performed by Iesus for by him things which are in heauen and in earth are now gathered togither into one by him Angels come down and doe seruice vnto men by him men goe vp to the Father to worship him Whereof God willing we shal speake more at large hereafter And the holy Ghost came down in a bodily shape like a Doue vpon him THe second way wherby the Father beares witnesse vnto him is as you see by sending down the holy Ghost vpon him in the similitude of a Doue vvhereby his vnction which in it selfe is spirituall and could not be perceiued was represented notified vnto al the people for he was not annointed vvith any materiall oyle but with the oyle of gladnes according to that Prophesie The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee therefore hath the Lord annointed me he hath sent me to preach good tidings vnto the poore c. Where for remouing of all doubts that may here arise we must vnderstand that Christs vnction hath in it these two things the first is a separating and designing of him to the worke of a Mediator this part extends to the whole person of Christ Iesus God and Man Now in this action of designation albeit the three persons of the blessed Trinitie concurre and so Iesus be both the designer and the person designed yet because the father is first in order this action is ascribed to him for him hath the father sealed The other part of this vnction is the communicating of the graces of the Spirit vnto him and this is extended onely to his humane nature so that albeit it be true that our Sauiour was annointed in both his Natures because he is our Mediator not in any one of them but in both yet we must remember the difference that his annointing in respect of the diuine Nature imports onely the separating and designing of the second Person of the Trinitie to worke the vvorke of mans Redemption Illius enim opus erat nos restituere qui ab initio cum nâ—n essemus nos condidit Nec poterat alius renouare in nobis abolitam dei imaginem nisi patris imago For it was his worke to restore and redeeme vs vvho from the beginning created vs when wee were not and had no being Neither could any other restore the image of God blotted out in vs but the image of the Father that is to say his Sonne Christ. But his annointing in respect of his humane Nature imports also the communication of the graces of the holy Spirit vnto him not in measure as his brethren receiues them but aboue all measure for in number he had all graces of the spirit he wanted none and next he had euery one of them in the full degree in
aduersarie in euery place wherein we come walking as the Apostle commands vs circumspectly and with feare and trembling euer looking vp for grace to keepe vs wee fall not into his snare at least we perish not in it The other thing to be obserued here is the person of our Lord who ouerthrowes Sathan in so victorious a manner that no exception can be made against it for in that Nature which Sathan once had ouercome doth he encounter with him and giues him also the vantage of place Sathan tempted the first Adam in Paradise which was the place in all the world wherein he should haue been strongest to resist the Diuell considering that in it he had very many tokens of Gods great goodnes toward him euer before his eyes yet in it Sathan ouercame him But the second Adam to recouer this losse encounters with Sathan in the wildernes a place of all other in the world meetest for Sathan to tempt a man in specially to desperation Thus we see quemadmodum suis nodis praeiudiâ—ia resoluantur suis diuina beneficia vestigiis reformentur for the first Adam tempted by Sathan was driuen from Paradise to the wildernes but the second Adam by suffering himselfe to be tempted of Sathan brings home the first againe from the wildernes into Paradise thus doth hee follow the Aduersarie as it were foote by foote confounding him in all those meanes by which before ouer man hee made his conquest The third circumstance is that our Lord was ledde into the wildernes by the motion of the spirit to wit that same spirit which before descended on him at Iorden and wherewith here hee is said to haue beene filled and replenished Of this we learne that temptations comes not by accident or chance but are ordered by diuine dispensation In our weakenes ofttimes wee conceit of our temptations as if they came to vs by the will of Sathan but in very truth it is not so he is indeede a roaring Lyon but the Lord haue bound him in chaines and without the bounds of his chaine hee cannot goe roare as hee will hee is not able to approach vnto vs nor moue any temptation against vs but as he is a licenced of the Lord est quidem leo rugiens sed gratias ago magno illi leoni de tribu Iuda rugire iste potest ferire non potest hee is indeede a roaring Lyon but I giue thankes vnto the great Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah hee may roare but he cannot strike me It is therefore good to remember in our temptations these three things First that it is the Lord who takes vs by the hand and enters vs within the listes to fight in his name hand to hand with Sathan as here our Lord is ledde by the spirit to be tempted Secondly that the Lord measures our temptations and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power And thirdly that wheresoeuer he leade vs he goes with vs not as a spectator onely to behold vs which should also greatly encourage vs that wee fight vnder the eye of our King but as an actor also fighting in vs helping our infirmities and strengthening our weakenes by his grace and therefore how euer our Aduersarie be like a mighty terrible Goliah yet should wee not be afraide to goe forth against him in the name of the Lord our God In the fourth circumstance we haue to consider the Person who is tempted to wit Iesus full of the holy Ghost In regard of his nature he is very man and so he behoued to be that hee might ouercome the Aduersarie of man alioqui iuste victus non fuisset otherwise he had not been wholly conquered but in regard of the qualitie of his Nature perfectly holy and fully sanctified so full of the holy Ghost that not so much as a contrarie motion of euill could enter into him no more then liquor can be conuaied into a vessel which is full already and this is it which our Sauiour testifies in another place The prince of this world commeth and hath nothing in me It is true that Iohn the Baptist and Stephen the first Martir are also said to haue beene full of the holy Ghost but that is spoken either in comparison of themselues who at sometime were more filled with grace then at another for in all the godly the Spirit hath his own intention and remission or else in comparison of themselues with other men But as for Christ Iesus it is his singular priuiledge that hee receiued the spirit aboue and beyond all measure that of his fulnesse all his Saints and seruants might receiue grace for grace euery one a portion in their owne measure whereof it comes to passe that there being in most holy men a great vacuitie and emptinesse roome is made for Sathan to enter in and worke vpon the corruption hee findes there but in the Lord Iesus it is not so But here two things further are to be considered first how could Christ be tempted there being as I haue said no corruption in him whereupon any temptation could worke and secondly for what causes was he tempted For resolution of the first we are to consider the sundry sorts of temptations there is one wherby man tempts God this is expressely forbidden as we will shew hereafter one whereby GOD tempts man so the Lord tempted Abraham and he is said also to haue tempted the Israelites as for that which S. Iames saith that God tempts no man wee must know that there is tentatio quae probat tentatio quae decipit a temptation which proueth and a temptation which deceiueth By the first of these only the Lord tempts but neuer by the second There is also a temptation whereby one man tempts another to snare him or manifest some weakenes in him so the Herodians and Pharises tempted Christ and this is common to all the wicked men of the world that not content to doe euill themselues they delight also to tempt others to euill Let such remember that this is to sinne after the similitude of Sathan who not content to rebell against GOD himselfe tempted man also to the same rebellion with him and therefore may they looke to be punished after the similitude of his condemnation and last of all there is a temptation by which Sathan tempts man plaine contrarie to that which is ascribed to the Lord for it is not to make man better nor to manifest any goodnes that by grace is in him but euer to snare him for which cause the temptations of God are compared to fanning that driues away the chaffe and dust and so fines the corne but Sathans temptations are compared to sifting that letts away the good but keepes still the worst Now to returne to the question we must know that the temptations of Christ in this doe differ from the temptations of Adam and all other men