2. What are the offices of Angels or what vses did God make them for Answ Angels serue for many vses They are Apparitors or seruants about God ready to receiue Commandements from him and they worship God by lauding and praising him in Heauen Psal 104. 4. 148. 2. Esay 6. 3. Luke 2. 14. Reuel 4. 8 9. 5. 13. and they are appointed as speciall attendants about CHRIST as the MESSIAH Mat. 4. 11. and they serue also as ministring spirits to keepe and attend vpon the Elect men Heb. 1. 14. and manifold are the seruices which Angels doe for men both in life and death In life they defend and keepe them as a strong guard about them Psal 34. 91. and plague their enemies 2 King 19. 35. besides the vnknowne seruice they doe about the soules of the godly by counselling or comforting them And in death they are about them and carry their soules to Heauen as they did Lazarus his soule and in the end of the world they will gather all the Elect from the foure winds of Heauen and bring them to Christ Quest 3. But why doe you not intreat of Deuills here also Answ There were no Deuills by creation GOD made them not as Deuills and therefore it belongs not to the Doctrine of Creation to speake of the euill angels because that belongs to the Doctrine of the fall of the reasonable Creatures Quest 4. But hath euery particular man a good Angell and a bad Answ It is probable that euery Elect man hath a good Angell as may be gathered Mat. 18. 10. Acts 12. 15. but yet God is not so tyed but that he sends them extraordinarily more Angels many times to helpe or attend vpon it may be one man Psal 34. 8. As for euill angels we reade that sometimes one Angell hath vexed one man Iob. 1. 12. sometimes one Angell hath haunted diuers men 2 Chron. 18. 21. sometimes many Angels haue haunted one man Luke 8. 30. But that euery man should haue a bad angell assigned him of God is no where to be found in Scripture The consideration of this Doctrine of the making of the Angels in such a nature and for such ends as before should serue for diuers vses 1 It should informe vs concerning the wonderfull loue of God to vs that hath made such excellent creatures to do vs such admirable seruice as to attend vpon vs and keepe vs Heb. 1. 14. 2 It should breed in vs a great longing after the world to come where wee shall not onely enioy the knowledge of and fellowship with such glorious Creatures but shall be made our selues in glory as the Angels in Heauen 3 It should teach vs diuers things as first not to worship Angels for they were all created by God God made the Angels and therefore worship is due to him and not to them that are but our fellow seruants Colos 1. 16. Reuel 19. Secondly we should therfore carry our selues orderly in all places especially in the Church because of the Angels who are about vs and marke what we doe 1 Cor. 11. 10. Thirdly we should therefore be patient and of good hope and full of faith in all afflictions arising from the oppositions of men or temptations of Satan as being satisfied with this comfort that they are more that are with vs then can be against vs and if our eyes were opened wee might see so much as was shewed to the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6. 16. Hitherto of the Heauen of the blessed and the Hoste thereof the Angels and so of the world that is now inuisible to vs we next come downe to consider of this visible world this world I say which is in our view or may bee seene and before I come to speake of the other two Heauens I would briefly consider of Gods glory in the generall in the making of this visible world not so much for the matter of the creatures or their naturall formes or properties or their next causes which belongs properly to the Philosophers but for such things as concerne their first cause which is God or their end which is Gods glory or their vse which is rather spirituall then corporall in demonstrating vnto the soule of man the praises of God The maker of this visible world was GOD as well as of that inuisible world as is manifestly proued Genesis 1. at large The end of making a world of bodies as well as of spirits was not the punishment of spirituall substances for their sinning against God as Origen dreamed but the setting out of Gods glory in shewing his wisdome goodnesse and power Psal 19. Rom. 1. and the furnishing of man for his happy being That our hearts may be affected with wondering at this great world which God hath made we may profitably consider of it either by thinking what it is like or by serious pondering what it is indeed This great world is like a great Garden throughly furnished euery creature being as a pleasant flower exquisitely ranked in most comely order the onely weedes that grow in this Garden are wicked men as it may be likened to a great Booke in which God hath written glorious things that concerne the praise of his goodnesse wisdome and power Euery creature is as it were a distinct lease of that Booke and the properties and vses of these creatures are as it were the seuerall lines and letters of that leafe and the more admirable because it is a Booke the writing whereof is indelible and the vses whereof are vniuersall the Booke so opened that all men in all parts of the world may see and read Againe this visible world may be likened to a great and faire house most exquisitely buil and contriued into seuerall roomes and euery roome richly furnished the Heauens are the Roofe the Earth the floore and the Elements the seuerall roomes and the hosts of creatures in each of them the rich furniture and this house is the more admirable for vs because it is a house that euery man dwels in out of this house no man can be put it is kept at the charge of the Land-lord and the Tenants pay no rent But to leaue similitudes there are in the generall consideration of this visible world diuers things may bee briefly touched which we ought to wonder at and to glorifie God for his making of things so as 1 The apt disposition of euery creature in his owne place which place is so fit as a fitter cannot bee inuented if the Starres were fixed in the Earth or the Trees in Heauen how disproportionable and vncomely would it be 2 The exactnesse of the Cteatures in their working in keeping their times and seasons how punctually doth the Sunne dispatch his race in 24. houres and so the Moone in her seasons the Plants keepe their seasons of the yeere for bearing fruit and the Starres for shining as they haue receiued commandement and order from their great Commander
of about an hundred pound weight Ioh. 19. 39. Mark 15. 46. but it was done without washing or embalming Lastly it is noted it was done after the manner of the Iewes buriall For the first in that Ioseph makes such haste in respect of the Sabbath approaching it shewes that all men that haue worke to doe towards the end of the weeke should order the matter so as they take vp not any part of the Lords day but vse the more haste and prouidence to haue all dispatched that they may wholly attend vnto Gods worke in that time which he hath consecrated to himselfe And by the way here seemes to be an intimation that burials are not so conuenient to be performed vpon the Sabbath day vnlesse it be in some case of necessitie when the bodie will not keepe till after the Lords day and cannot be prepared for buriall before it begin For the second Christ was buried openly that so there might be no colour of obiecting that there was any fraud vsed about his buriall and besides to testifie that the fruit of his death and buriall did belong to all men and withall it shewes the courage and strength of faith in these disciples that are now no more afraid of men and their terrors but giue glory to God in their hearts and will suffer what can come of it For the third point diuers things may be noted 1. From the cost they are at we may obserue that men that will follow Christ and be true disciples must not thinke much to be not only at labour but at cost also in what may be requisite for the seruice of Christ liuing or dead If rich men must be at cost with the dead bodie of Christ then must they also doe to the liuing members of Christ And further hence it is manifest that it is not vnlawfull to be at cost about the funerals of the dead Saints God makes great account of the dead bodies of his people that haue beene the Temples of the Holy Ghost and therefore it is no sinne according to mens estate to be at such cost as is requisite to comely and decent buriall according to their condition though vaine ostentation or idle ceremonies are not to be iustified 2. In that he was wrapped in pure linnen and with such costly spices it was 1. To proclaime the innocencie of Christ and to take away the ignominie of the Crosse and therefore they would not suffer his bodie to lye amongst the carkasses of theeues and malefactors They tell the world hereby that Christ was no such man 2. To signifie that the memoriall of the iust is blessed after they are dead Therefore they vsed things of such sweet smell in burying the dead that they might thereby signifie how sweet the memorie of the departed Saints is They are amiable euen when they are dead 3. It might in speciall signifie that from Christ dead and buried should arise a most sweet sauour in the heâ—rts of men brought vnto them by the efficacie of the Gospel causing Christ to dye and be buried in their soules 4. This cost about the bodies of the dead was vsed to signifie their assured hope of resurrection and therefore they bestow that cost as knowing that it is bestowed vpon bodies that shall liue againe Yet for all this cost Christs bodie was not embalmed which in respect of them came to passe by reason of the shortnesse of the time the Sabbath was so neere and therefore the women came the third day to annoint him after the Sabbath was ouer but he was rifen But in respect of God this embalming was not performed that thereby might be signified that Christs bodie needed no embalming because it could see no corruption in the graue Psal 16. 10. and that this incorruption might not be imputed to skill or medicines of men but only to the diuine power and withall to signifie that by Christ wee should be freed from that corruption which the sinne of the first Adam brought vpon vs all Lastly in that it is said that Christ was buried after the manner of the Iewes burying it shewes plainly that respect is to be had to the customes of any country or place where we liue and that Gods seruants haue beene carefull to obserue them and not willing to giue offence by crossing such customes This is true of all customes that are not sinfull and against the word of God though they be such vsages as are not commanded in Scripture for this manner of buriall was no where commanded in Gods word and yet the custome preuailes and good men obserue it Now in this place I may adde further two adiuncts of the buriall of Christ The first was the rowling of a great stone vpon the mouth of the Sepulchre which was not done so much out of any fashion as first that the bodie of Christ might not be exposed to any indignities or vile vsages by the enemies and further that thereby the glory of the power of Christ might the more appeare that could rise though a great stone were rolled vpon the mouth of the Sepulchre The second adiunct was the presence of certaine women that were witnesses of the buriall when the Apostles were fled Which also was done the better to shew the glory of Christ and his power and triumph that could make such weake ones strong and braue the enemies of mans saluation by setting weake women in the forefront of the battell that hold out the confession of Christ and giue not backe for all the furie of the aduersaries And thus of the manner of his buriall Now for the last point our Sauiour continued in the graue till the third day for he was buried the euening before the Iewish Sabbath and lay in the graue all the Sabbath day and rose about the beginning of the first day of the weeke Matth. 28. 1. and a little after his buriall his aduersaries desired of Pilate that the Sepulchre might bee watched lest his Disciples should steale him away by night Pilate grants them the Band of Souldiers who were appointed for the guard of the Temple and these they set to watch the Sepulchre and besides sealed the mouth of the Sepulchre now in all that time the bodie of Christ did suffer no putrifaction or corruption Now of all this foure questions may be demanded Quest 1. Why did our Sauiour continue in the graue three daies Answ That the type of Ionas might be fulfilled As Ionas was three daies and three nights in the Whales belly so must Christ be three daies in the belly of the earth Matth. 12. 40. Quest 2. Why did he rest in the graue on the Sabbath day Answ 1. Because as God when hee had finished the works of the Creation especially the making of man rested the seuenth day So Christ hauing finished our Redemption on the Crosse rested the seuenth day in the graue Answ 2. That this resting of his on the Sabbath might be a pledge of our
legall threatnings had in perpetuall doctrine of them the condiâ—ion of repentance annexed The condition therefore being performed by the Niniuites God destroyes them not yet without change in his will it being but a conditionall will And for Hezekiah he must die if we respect second causes yet in respect of Gods eternall purpose fifteene yeeres must bee added Now this Threatning of death being a Threatning of Tryall and containing true grounds of it in Naturall causes shewes neither dissimulation nor mutation in God Thus it is manifested that God is Immutable That he onely is Immutable is easily proued for that place Psal 102. 27. saith of the creatures that they all perish and wax old as a garment God remaining the same and that some Angels and men shall haue Immutable Natures after the day of Iudgement is not by nature but by grace as was said before The Vses follow and so Gods immutability may serue 1. For Humiliation and so first to Image-mongers that will needs haue God resembled by pictures what doe they lesse then change the glory of the Immutable God into the likenesse of a mutable creature Rom. 1. 23. secondly for all men it should humble the best of vs that thinke how glorious God is for Immutability and yet we so mutable as nothing can satisfie vs which mutability as it fearefully appeared in our first Parents so doth it breake out in the disposition of all sorts of men what fearefull change doe many men make in Religion Reade of the Iewes Isa 1. 21 22. Of the Christians Galat. 1. 6. 3. 1. Thirdly this is a terrible doctrine for wicked men for all that he hath willed and threatned shall certainly come vpon them God cannot change Hee is not as a man that he should repent as Samuel told Saul 2. For Instruction and so it should teach vs three things First Patience in all the changes of this life God only is immutable wee must looke for it to be subiect to many alterations Secondly the Celebration of Gods glorie here Wee should praise him for euer that is only Eternall Immortall and Immutable 1. Timoth. 1. 17. Thirdly the Imitation of his vnchangeablenesse in things we know to be true and good we should be vnmoueable such as cannot be altered whatsoeuer befalls vs 2. Tim. 3. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 58. Such and so we should be in our faith hope charitie promises and good workes 3. For Consolation and so this doctrine should much refresh all godly Christians It should giue them strong Consolations as the Apostle sayth and so in diuers respects 1. Because all Gods promises shall certainly bee accomplished as these places expresly shew Num. 23. 19. Heb. 6. 17. 18. Wherein God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the Heires of promise the immutability of his Counsell confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might haue a strong Consolation who haue fledde for refuge to lay hold vpon the hope set before vs. 2. Because hereby they know they shall neuer faile of saluation or fall from grace for the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Rom. 11. 3. Because hereby God himself would assure his people that they shall not be destroied with temporall miseries though they be afflicted for a time as the Lord reasoneth Mal. 3. 6. For I am the Lord I change not and yee sonnes of Iacob are not consumed 4. Because when wee come to Heauen we shall by grace be made immutable too for then the Image of God shall be perfect in vs. Hitherto of the Immutability of God and so of the attributes of both sorts It remaines that we inquire after the Substance or essence of God vnto which all these glories are attributed and so two things are to be considered about the Essence of God 1. That it is spirituall 2. That it is One. First that it is Spirituall some essences haue being only and not life as the Heauens Earth Seas c. and amongst these wee must not looke for God Some essences haue life but it is onely bodily life as trees beasts foules and among these gods Essence is not Some things haue a mixt life partly bodily and partly spirituall and such is the essence of all men who consist and liue both in body and soule but to find out God we must looke for him only amongst minds There are essences that are onely mentall and immateriall but yet compounded though not of parts yet of power and act as the Angells For they are neuer in act that which they are in power they are in possibility still for diuers things may befall their Natures and their possibilities are finite too God is then higher then these God then is a minde or Spirit aboue all Spirits humane or Angelicall vnto which essence of his if we adde the former attributes we doe fullie difference him from all Creatures Thus God is an eternall minde infinite immutable in life knowledge holinesse and glory Is God a Spirit then these Vses will follow 1. That we should conceiue nothing bodily or terrene concerning God when wee thinke of God wee must not imagine of him any bodily forme for that is to make an Idoll 2. Wee must hence learne to checke and curbe that naturall desire in our corrupt hearts to haue God visible we should be ashamed of that secret rebellion of our hearts that are often after a close manner vnquiet and discontented because we doe not see our God we serue for God being a spirituall substance must needs be inuisible and altogether imperceptible by any senses hee could not bee a true GOD if senses might perceiue him 3. Since it is Gods glory to bee a Spirit wee should heartily praise him for our glory which is our soules for that hee hath made vs mindes also and so of more excellent essence then meere bodies be 4. We should therefore learne to serue God in Spirit and Truth It is the seruice of Spirits that agrees best to Gods Nature Iohn 4. 24. Lastly we should therefore most seeke such things as serue for the vse of Spirits The treasures that are spirituall are farre more excellent then bodily and earthly things can be euen for this reason because they bring vs neerer to God and more properly commend vs to him The second thing wee are to know about Gods essence is that it is one and but one The Nicen Creed and Athanasius haue it thus I beleeue in one God which the Apostles Creed doth affirme too though not so expresly for we say Wee beleeue in God not in Gods importing thereby that there is but one God Nor is God one by aggregation or consent or kinde or sort but he is one in number By aggregation a whole heard of cattell is said to be one by consent many friends are one by kinde men and beasts are one for they are liuing creatures By sort all men are one because
the sense of the Text but to the words and yet the Word Person is found Heb. 1. 3. in the same sense in a manner as it is taken heere To bring in new words might bring in new errors and it were a great wrong to cast out such words as haue done such seruice against Heretickes and are so fit to reduce the mindes of men to vnderstand the right way of beleeuing in these high Mysteries But yet wee must bee warned that the termes doe not alwaies fully expresse the thing especially if wee iudge of the termes about the Trinity as wee doe of the same words amongst vs in other things As for instance a Person in the Trinity differs from a person among men or Angels as for example Peter Paul and Iohn are three persons to whom our humane Nature is common yet these three persons differ one from another first in Substance because each of them haue their substance of soule and body separate from the other secondly in Time one is younger then another thirdly in Will Paul contradicts Peter fourthly in Power Paul labours more then all the Apostles fifthly in Operation Peter workes amonst them of the Circumcision and Paul amongst the Gentiles But it is not thus in the three Persons in the Trinity Peter and Iohn are separate wholie one from another whereas in the Trinity the Father is in the Sonne and he in the Father 1. Iohn 3. 24. They may be farre asunder in place but God the Father and the Sonne are neuer asunder Iohn 8. 29. and in the Trinity there is in all one will one power all three Persons are Almighty all eternall and all worke the same worke Ob. Some may say it seemes impossible that three should be one Sol. In one and the same respect but not in diuers Three Persons cannot be one person but three Persons may bee one Essence As the Nature of man may be common to many persons as to Peter Iohn Paul c. Ob. He that seeth Christ sees the Father for he is in the Father and the Father in him therefore the Father and the Son are but one Person Sol. He that sees the Sonne sees the Father because the Son hath the same Essence with the Father and being manifested in the flesh reueales the whole will of God he is the same with the Father in Will and Essence not in person Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Sonne or holy Ghost then it followes that there are three diuers beings and so three Essences Sol. The being of the Father notes the being of his Person not of his Essence and so three Beings are but three Persons subsisting in one Essence As the light of the Sun and the light of the Moone and the light of the Ayre in substance are one and the same light and yet three distinct lights the light of the Sun being of it selfe the light of the Moone from the Sun and the light of the Ayre from them both Ob. If there bee more IEHOVAHS then one then there are more Essences then one but heere are more IEHOVAHS for IEHOVAH raigned fire and brimstone from IEHOVAH in heauen Gen. 19. 24. Sol. IEHOVAH is a Terme giuen to the Persons aswell as to the Essence and so diuers IEHOVAHS notes diuers Persons not Essences Ob. The Sonne and holy Ghost had their beginning from the Father therefore it seemes the Father onely is God Sol. The Sonne and holy Ghost had the beginning of their Persons from the Father but their Essence they had of themselues as being common to all three Persons so as euery Person is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe Ob. Three and one makes foure if in God there bee three and one then three is a Quaternity not a Trinity Sol. Three and one if they bee things essentially and really diuided make foure but one and the same thing may haue diuers relations or manners of being which are distinct one from another Ob. He that is the whole God-head besides him there can be no other in whom likewise should be the whole God-head but the Father is the whole God-head therefore the Sonne and holy Ghost are not so Sol. The Maior Proposition is false for the whole God-head is in euery Person as the whole Nature of man is in diuers men Ob. The power of the Persons is not one and therefore how can their Essence be one their power is not one because the Father can beget and so cannot the Sonne Sol. The naturall power of the Persons is all one the personall power differs Ob. How can the Essence begetting and the Essence begotten be all one the Father begets the Son is begotten how can they be one then Sol. Distinguish betweene Generation and Communication and betweene Essence and Person the Person begets and is begotten but the Essence neither begets nor is begotten but onely is communicated Ob. If the Essence of the Father and the Sonne bee all one then the Father was incarnate for the Son was Sol. The Essence of God absolutely considered was not incarnate but the Person of the Sonne who though he had the whole diuine Nature in him yet in respect of the manner of his subsisting did differ from the Father and holy Ghost Ob. Whose operations are distinct their Essences are distinct but the operations of the Persons in the Trinity especially those internall are distinct therefore they haue distinct Essences Sol. The Maior is true of Persons that haue a finite Essence but not of the Persons in the Trinity who haue an infinite Essence common to them The consideration of this Doctrine of the Trinity should serue for diuers Vses 1. It should strike vs with amazement and admiration of the glory of God and remoue the sense of our owne insufficiencie and narrownesse of heart and vnderstanding who are so ouercome with glory that our mindes are not able to conceiue of or behold these wonderfull secrets in the Diuinity It should worke in vs an vnspeakeable feare and Reuerence to thinke of the being of God that so infinitely excells the being of all creatures in heauen and earth 2. It should compell vpon vs more care and attendance of spirit in worshipping God so as we be sure we direct our seruice to him that is one in Nature and three in Persons for worship belongs equally to all three Persons And herein the Christian fundamentally differs from Pagans Turkes and Iewes and in heart becomes as one of those when he worships a God that is not three Persons 3. We are bound to take notice as of the common glory of all the Persons so of that speciall glory is due to each person as we finde it either described in the Word of God or expressed in the workes of God 4. We must take heede what wee speake of the Trinity
holy Ghost Phil. 2. 6. 7. Among the creatures the father and Sonne are two things in number but in this diuine generation it is not so for the Father and Sonne and so the holy Ghost are but one God 1. Iohn 5. 7. The Vse may bee either for information or instruction or consolation or terror first since GOD is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by such an vnconceiueable generation wee may thence learne 1. The glory of our Sauiours condition He was before the world was he was with the father brought vp with him as his eternall delight more deere to the father then any created nature can conceiue of the Sonne of his Loue neuer father loued his son so as God the father loues Christ yea hee was God with the father Consubstantiall Coequall Coeternall Pro. 8. 22. c. 30. Iohn 17. 25. Philippians 2. 6 Rom. 9. 5. 2. The Originall of all father-hood The father of Iesus Christ was the first father euer was yea the Creed giues the Title of father to God onely as if there were no father but he and so Christ saith Mat. 23. 9. call no man father on earth for one is your father which is God and indeed properly none is a father but God other fathers that are called so haue the name only because there is in them a kind of Image or similitude of God the father and yet they beget so imperfectly in comparison of God the father that they resemble him rather in that generall that they doe beget then in the manner of begetting Thus for Information 2. Since God is the father of Iesus Christ wee should bee instructed 1. To acknowledge this Mystery and though wee haue cause to be abased for the defect of our vnderstanding heerein in that we cannot tell the fathers name nor what is the name of his Son Pro. 30 4. yet we should confidently beleeue as the very foundation of our Religion that Iesus Christ is the Son of the liuing God vpon the Rock of this confession is the Church built Mat. 16. 16 c. It is a glory Christ stands vpon to be acknowledged in the glory of the onely begotten Son of God Ioh. 1. 14. If we acknowledge the Son wee haue the father or else not 1. Ioh. 2. 23. Yea this is an honour God stands vpon to bee glorified with one heart and one mouth of all his seruants euen as the father of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 15. 6. 2. To be fully established in the perswasion of the sufficiency and efficacie of the obedience and passion of Iesus Christ for vs we may confidently call him the Lord our righteousnes seeing God is called his father for his obedience is more then the obedience of a man yea of more value then the obedience of worlds of men and besides hee is all in all with God the father who so loues him hee can denie him nothing c. 3. To rely vpon him for instruction The father loues him and shewes him all things that he doth or intends to doe and in him are all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therefore we should heare him alwaies in any thing hee will reueale to vs yea God the father chargeth vs with this duty as the very vse he would haue vs make of the knowledge of his eternal generation as appeares by the voice from heauen mentioned Mat 17. 5. While he yet spake behold a bright cloud shadowed them and behold there came a voice out of the cloud saying This is that my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him But especially this doctrine serues for consolation and so is frequently vrged in Scripture for if God be the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ then these comforts will manifestly follow to the beleeuing Christian 1. That God is well pleased with the sacrifice of Iesus Christ for our sinnes Mat. 3. 17. 2. That Christ is able to raise vp the dead hearts of men with spirituall life for as the Father hath life in himselfe so hee hath giuen to the Son to haue life in himselfe Ioh. 5. 26. 3. That in Christ we may haue supply for all our wants wee may receiue of his fulnes all sorts of graces needfull for vs as is from this doctrine gathered Iohn 1. 14. 18. 4. That Christ is able to giue vs eternall life and will performe euen that great gift at the time appointed to all that beleeue Iohn 3. 16. 17. 2. no beleeuer shall perish 5. That whatsoeuer he askes the Father for vs hee shall haue it yea that our prayers prescribed by him shall be heard 6. That nothing that is good for vs shall bee withheld from vs for if God hath giuen vs his Son how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Rom. 8. 32. 7. That God beares a great affection euen to vs for Christ hath besought the Father that he would loue vs with the Loue he loued him and that the warmth and comfort of that loue may be euer with vs Iohn 17. 24. 25. Lastly if God be the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ then vaine are all the consultations and rebellious proiects of wicked men against Christ and the meanes of his kingdom then also woe will bee vnto them for God will make Christs enemies his footstoole hee will bruise them with an iron rod and breake them like a Potters vessell for vnto the Son hath the Father giuen the ends of the earth and whatsoeuer rebels against him shall not prosper as from this doctrine is inferred Psal 2. 110. 1. Thus God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Secondly Faith lookes vpon God as our Father especially in Christ 2. Cor. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 4. 2. Thes 1. 1. 2. 1. Thes â— 11. 13. God is our Father foure waies first by Creation and so principally in respect of our soules which he creates of nothing and infuseth into our bodies and so he is called Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 9. secondly by Regeneration because by his Almighty power he renewes spirituall life into our soules that were dead in sin 1. Pet. 1. 3. thirdly by Adoption when of his meere grace hee acknowledgeth vs for children Gal. 4 5. 6. fourthly by Resurrection because he giues a glorious being to our bodies that were rotted and dissolued in the earth and so as hee was said to beget Christ in the day that he raised him from the dead Act. 13. so is he said to grant vs the Adoption of sonnes when he restores our bodies to life out of the graue Rom. 8. 19. 21. And this terme of Father is giuen to these workes of God not vnfitly for the resemblance they haue to the relation betweene a Father and Son in Nature for 1. God giues vs a spirituall being making vs a soule or spirituall substance for as we call them Fathers because we haue our bodies from them so God is more fitly called a Father because we haue our spirits
39. The iudgements God will bring vpon them cannot be auoided Esay 14. 25. 27. Lastly the consideration of Gods Almightinesse is wonderfull comfortable first to the godly and that many waies for first they neede not feare any wants for they haue a father that is almighty and besides they neede not feare any aduersaries for the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against them Mat. 16. 18. and they shall ouercome all aduersarie power because he is great that is on their side 1 Iohn 5. 4. though they should walke through the valley of the shaddow of death they neede feare no euill Psal 23. 4. and for spirituall enemies they neede not feare because God is able to keepe their soules which they haue committed to him 2 Tim. 1. 12. and we shall be kept by his power to saluation 1 Pet 1. 5. Againe it may be a great comfort to them in prayer because God is able to doe aboue all that they can aske or thinke Ephes 3. 20. 21. and further Gods power may settle them and establish their Faith and Ioy in those great workes of God propounded and promised in his word such as are the forgiuenesse of all sinnes the resurrection of their bodies and eternall life 1 Cor. 6. 14. Moreouer that God their father is Almighty may comfort them in this respect because then by his power they also may doe all things What is it a Christian cannot doe that hath the vse of Gods power Paul can want and he can abound c. by the power of Christ in him Phil. 4. 13. But that these comforts may bee effectuall wee must often pray that GOD would open our eyes to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power to them that belieue Ephes 1. 19. Secondly euen grieuous sinners may conceiue comfortable hope from this doctrine also I meane such as haue liued a long time vnder the power of strong corruptions such as are swearing whoredome drunkennesse and the like and therefore now feare that they can neuer be fit for the Kingdome of God These must remember Pauls argument for the Iewes that had liued so long vnder the power of vnbeliefe viz. God is able to ingraft them in againe Rom. 11. 23. so should they hope that they also may be conuerted and saued because God is able to restore euen them also if they be weary of their sinnes and would be rid of them And therefore they should goe to God as the Leaper did to Christ and say Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Mat. 8. 4. Maker of Heauen and Earth Gen. 1. 1. HItherto of the nature and power of God and the Trinity of persons the workes of God follow The works of God are of two sorts some Internall some externall The Internall workes are either personall or essentiall The personall workes of God internall are such as flow from each person in the Trinity according to the Characteristicall propriety of the person such workes were generation of the Sonne and proceeding of the Holy Ghost The Internall essentiall workes were the decrees of God which hee made in himselfe from all eternity concerning all things in the world especially concerning men and Angels these workes are common to all three persons as flowing from the essence of God Now of these workes the Creed makes no expresse mention because they are strong meat and aboue the capacity of weake Christians The externall workes of God are of foure sorts for they are either the workes of Creation by which hee maketh all things to be or workes of conseruation by which he maintaines the things hee hath made in their being or workes of Reparation by which in Christ he restores what was ruinated by sinne or workes of perfection by which hee brings all things to their appointed end and especially makes the Church fully blessed in a better world The workes of Creation are onely mentioned in this Article The workes of Reparation by Christ and of perfection are handled in the Articles following The workes of Creation are expressed in these words Maker of Heauen and Earth By Heauen and Earth vnderstanding the whole world and all the hosts of creatures that are in it Now concerning the making of the world foure things are to be considered 1 Who made the world 2 How it was made 3 Why it was made 4 When it was made For the first the Creation was a worke of the whole Trinity It is attributed here in the Creed to the Father because the Action of the Father was more manifest and euident as Redemption is attributed to the Sonne and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost But yet it is euident by diuers Scriptures that each Person did worke about the Creation for of the Father there is no question and of the Sonne it is expresly affirmed Colos 1. 16. Iohn 1. 3. Heb. 1. 3. and of the Holy Ghost sitting and mouing vpon the first water we reade Gen. 1. 2. For the second God created all things 1 According to the Counsell of his owne will Ephes 1. 11. which hath diuers things in it for thereby is affirmed that he made all things 1 Most freely without compulsion or instigation from any other 2 According to the Idaea of all things in his owne minde for as the Carpenter first conceiues the frame in his head and then builds according to that Idaea in his minde so did God build the world according to the eternall patterne which was in Gods minde 3 According to his owne Decree there was nothing created which was not decreed and nothing decreed to bee which was not created according to the Decree 4 Most aduisedly hauing from all eternity consulted determined and foreseene all was to be made Secondly with a word only he had none to helpe him nor needed tooles or instruments as men doe to effect their workes Gen. 1. Psal 33. 9. Thirdly without labour or wearinesse Esay 40. 28. Fourthly of Nothing men cannot build without Materialls but God made the world of Nothing in respect of the first matter of all things Heb. 11. 3. for he made not the world of his owne essence nor of any other preexisting matter for though it be a saying that of nothing nothing can be made yet that is true in respect of vs not in respect of God and in respect of the order of Nature now not in respect of the beginning of Nature in the Creation And though it be true that some creatures were made of preexisting matter as mans body was made of the dust of the earth yet that preexisting matter was created of nothing Fifthly all good all things at first were made good not in appearance but in deed not in mans iudgement who might bee deceiued but in Gods he saw that all was good and so all creatures were good in respect of excellence distinction numbeâ— fashion and freedome from defects of faculties or power belonging to each creature in his kinde Sixtly not all on a sudden and at once but
in six dayes and that for diuers reasons for God would haue the creation of the first matter of Nothing to be manifest and distinct from the framing and fashioning of bodies out of that matter besides thereby he shewed his power and freedome in producing the creatures making them to be before any naturall cause of them was as to make light before the Sunne and Moone was and further thereby hee shewed his goodnesse and care for the principall creatures prouiding foode before hee brings in the beasts and furnishing the whole world sets man to liue in it and finally hee warnes vs not to slip ouer the meditation of his workes suddenly but with long and continuall deliberation Hee created the world in many dayes to intimate that wee should not thinke a little time enough to wonder at so great glory Seuenthly he made all things without himselfe for though all things are in God as in their cause and Author in whom they liue moue and haue their being yet are they out of God in that they are no parts in God nor the very diuine Essence but haue a nature distinct from the Nature of God they are not separate from God in place as if they could be any where where God is not but are other things then God is and are not in God as a subiect to which they inhere or are fastened Thus of the manner how they were made Thirdly the end why the world was made was the glory of God Prou. 16. â—4 that is that the world might bee a Glasse or Theatre of diuine vertues and a Temple in which God would set forth and teach and make knowne to man his power wisdome and goodnesse Rom. 1. not that God by the Creation doth get to himselfe any glory seeing he abounds in glory himselfe so vnmeasurably as nothing can bee added to it or taken from it but onely hereby he communicates his glory to the Creature and gaue the creatures occasion to admire and commend his glory for by the Creation God makes himselfe visible as it were to the Creatures that are reasonable for though the Essence of God be inuisible yet by the Creation his power or Attributes are set out to be seene and read in that great Booke of nature and if any men see little of God in this mighty Frame of his Workes it is not because God hath declared himselfe therein but obscurely but because we are peruerse and blockish and full of natiue darkenesse by reason of sinne and the effects of sinne in vs. Now though infinite praises of God may be collected from the consideration of the whole world yet especially his power wisdome and goodnesse doe shine in his workes His power we may gather two waies both in that he could make all things of nothing and that he could make such great things as well and as easily as the smallest things and things so many and diuerse 1 Cor. 15. 41. Psal 89. 10. The goodnes of God appeares both in this that he made all things so good and in that he hath shewed means so fit and conuenient powerfull to preserue life and being in euery creature Psal 104. prouiding for creatures of diuers natures appetites diuers food remedies and Armour to preserue and defend them But especially who can expresse the goodnes of God shewed to men Ephes 3. 18. Acts 14. 17. As for Diuels Serpents or venemous Creatures or hurtfull they were not so by Creation but by defection and sinne or as punishments for sinne The wisdome of God is admirably discouered in the Creation in that hee hath made all things in such beautifull order and hath appointed to euery thing such peculiar vses and ends which they obserue men only excepted and that he gouernes them in such a constant certaine and perpetuall course euery thing hauing not onely his fit and proper place in the Frame but indewed also with such variety of vses and seruices Fourthly for the time when the world was made we must know that the world and time were made together so as all things were created in the beginning of time and the computation of the dayes or yeeres since the beginning of the world hath beene kept carefully in the Church the reckoning being made by Moses and the Prophets in the old Testament and since kept by the Christian Churches so as now the world is aboue 5600. yeeres old Before this time there was nothing but God himselfe and if any will needes aske What God did before the world was I may not answer as the Iewes wickedly did That he was making many little worlds which he destroied againe and neuer liked any till this Frame was vp but our answer must be That secret things belong vnto the Lord and reueiled things to vs Deut. 29. 29. or else that of Augustine That God was making Hell for the curious or else That the Frame of all things was in the minde of God from all eternity and so the world was as present to him then as now First we may hence be informed and confirmed that God is onely the true God because he is Creatour of Heauen and Earth Esay 45. 6 7. if any pleade that he is God the answer is at hand let him make such a Heauen and Earth and we will belieue in him else not Secondly the Creation of the World should teach vs many duties 1. To meditate of Gods works and studie the glory of God reuealed in this great booke of Nature all are required to learne to read here and if men will not take it well if their skill shewed in any cunning piece of work be not acknowledged or regarded how much more cause hath the Lord to be displeased with vs for neglecting such a curious and glorious frame so full of admirable variety and skill Whâ—t account shall we make at the last day we I say that are so naturally bent to delight in shewes that are either sinfull or vaine or imperfect such as are plaâ—es or rare sights as we call them or Pageâ—nts or Maskes or the like and yet haue no heart or will to goe out to see and wonder at the mâ—tchlesse shewes that God sets out before vs in his works Eccles 7. 15 Psal 111. 2 3. 2. Nor is it inough to meditate of his workes but wee must giue him the glory of them by praising his power and wisedome and goodnesse shewed in them we must striue to get a Language to that end and so bewaile our barrennesse of heart and words as withall to beseech him that requires vs to learne his praises to teach vs also to profit and to giue larger hearts and better Language Reuel 4 11. Thus haue the Worthies of the Lord done Iob and Dauid and Moses who haue set themselues in speciall manner to celebrate the praises of God in his workes and of them wee should learne to praise him at least make our selues skilfull in their formes of praise Psal 136. 5. 6.
terror of his glory Iob â—7 1. 6. That the godly shall be preserued and that God will giue his people strength Psal 29. 11. Thus of the fiery Meteors The Ayrie Meteors follow and they are the winde and the Earth-quake Concerning the windes these things are noted as admirable in Scripture 1. The originall of them No man knoweth whence they come nor whither they goe Iohn 3. 7. Yea God challengeth it as his owne speciall glory to create the windes and reckons that worke with the forming of the Mountaines and the telling of man what he thinkes Amos 4. 13. but where God puts the winds after he hath created them wee know not onely that he bringeth them out of his treasure Psalme 135. 7. 2. The direction of them in their Motion no man can hold the winde in his fistes nor turne them out of the way to alter their Motion yet are the very windes subiect vnto Gods order either to be still Mat. 8. 27. or to goe on as he shall direct both when and whither and as he will in all things It is admirable that such bustling and vnruly creatures as the windes should bee made to pace orderly yet it is said that God weighs euen the windes and before he sends them out he looketh to the ends of the whole earth and seeth exactly vnder the whole Heauens to appoint their Motion and their way Iob 28. 25. 3. The vse God puts the winde to sometimes they serue to bring the raine 1 King 18. 45. sometimes they serue in steed of posts and messengers so they fetched Locusts Ex. 10. 13. and quailes Numb 11. 31. sometimes God vseth them to draw his Charriots The clouds are Gods Charriot and it is drawne by wings not by horses and the winges are the winde Thus God rideth on the wings of the winde 2. Sam. 22. 10. Psal 104. 3. sometimes they are set to driue away the Raine and to cleanse the clouds Iob 37. 21. Prou. 25. 23. sometimes he vseth them to punish the sinnes of men by hurting or destroying their houses cattell corne or the like yea sometimes he sends the winde to fetch away the wicked and to hurle them out of their place Iob. â—7 21. All which should teach vs to acknowledge Gods glory in these things and to lift vp our hearts to the contemplation of Gods wonderfull working especially we should prepare our hearts to meete God and not dare to prouoke him by our sinnes Amos 4. 12 13. Thus of the wind the Earth-quakes followes which is supposed to be caused by the Ayre getting into the hollow places of the earth and wanting vent doth by force striue tâ— open a passage for it selfe which causeth the trembling of thâ— Earth The Earth-quake is iustly to be reckoned amongst the wonderfull workes of God that can by so weake a creature as the Ayre moue so vast a body as the Earth and therefore the Scripture giueth the power of shaking the earth vnto God This Meteor is magnified in Scripture also for the seruice it is put to It sometimes is vsed to shew the terror of Gods Maiesty sometimes to signifie Gods wrath vnto wicked men sometimes to assure Gods loue to his people as will appeare in the vse and sometimes to foretell the last Iudgement The consideration of the Earth-quake may serue for diuers vses as 1 To shew Gods power and greatnesse and the terror of his Maiesty Exod. 19. 18. so the Earth-quake was one of the wonders to shew the diuinity of Christ at his passion 2 To comfort Gods seruants and to let them know that God is highly displeased when they are wronged Hee makes the Earth quake when hee is angry for the wrongs done to his Seruants especially if they make their mone to him by Prayer as was shewed in the case of Dauid Psal 18. 6 7. and the Apostles Acts 4. 31. and Paul and Silas Acts 16. 25 26. 3 To proue how fearefull the estate of wicked men is and how sure it is they will be consumed out of the earth and how easie it is for God to be rid of them seeing if hee but looke on the Earth it trembleth Psal 104. 32 c. yea by this worke Iob proues no man could euer harden himselfe against God and prosper seeing he shaketh the earth out of his place and the Pillars thereof tremble Iob 9. 4 5 6. and Nahum hence concludeth that no wicked man can stand before his anger Nahum 1. 5 6. Sure it is GOD can neuer want glory that can make the earth shake if he but looke vpon it and the Hils smoke if hee but touch them Psal 104. 31 32. and we should sing of his glory all our dayes Lastly wee vpon whom the ends of the world are come when wee see the Earth tremble should remember the approach of the generall iudgement the Lord by that signe giuing warning vnto men to awake out of security and prouide for their accounts Luke 21. 11. Mat. 24. 7. Thus of the Ayrie Meteors The watry Meteors follow and those are Clouds Snow Mist Deaw Frost Haile and Raine and hither I may referre the Rainebow and these are most frequently mentioned in Scripture and though men for the commonnesse of these things doe neglect the study of Gods glory in them yet the Lord euen from these things doth for our vse gather many excellent obseruations to teach vs and to shew vs his glory These things are commended in Scripture 1 For the wonder of their originall who can tell who is the Father of the Raine and who hath begotten the drops of the Deaw out of whose wombe came the Ice and who hath gendered the hoare Frost that comes from Heauen who can shew the secret of hiding the waters as with a stone and freezing the face of the deepe who can lift vp his voice to the Clouds that abundance of waters may come downe Iob 38. 28 29 30 34. 2 For the wonderfull working of God in the placing and ordering of them as that God should binde vp the waters in his thicke Cloud and yet the Cloud not to bee rent vnder them Iob 26. 8 9. and that God should shake the Pillars of Heauen and yet Heauen falls not verse 11. that God can fetch vp and cause the vapours to ascend from the very ends of the earth Psal 135. 7. that hee weigheth the waters by measure when he maketh a decree for the raine seeing to it and preparing it and searching out all things that concerne the falling of euery drop of the raine so as not any of it falls in vaine or in a wrong place Iob 28. 25 26 27. 37. 12. 3 For the worth and excellency of these things called the blessings of Heauen and the precious things of Heauen Deut. 33. 13. Gen. 49. 25. 4 For the vse he puts these things to for 1 By these when he pleaseth he can iudge his enemies either by shutting vp the Heauens that they fall not or by
therefore their Riches are riches of Iniquity Lastly seeing the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is Christians should take heede of vaine scruples about the vse of the Creatures and learne to know their liberty from God and so make no question for conscience sake 1. Cor. 10. 26. Thus of the Earth in it selfe generally considered It followes to consider of the things that are in the Earth or belong to it and so the Scripture commends to our consideration either the things that are within the Earth or the things that are vpon the Earth Things within the Earth are the Mineralls things vpon the Earth are the vegetables and liuing creatures About the Mineralls little is spoken in Scripture and I will instance but in one place and that is Iob 28. 1. to 12. where is offered to our consideration 1. The straying veines of the Earth full of Riches and wonder as the veine for Siluer and the place for gold and the stones that lie in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and the iron and brasse which is molten out of the Earth verse 1. 2. 3. and in some places of the Earth the stones thereof are the places of Saphires and it hath dust of gold verse 6. 2. The strange fires that are in the Earth arising from the Sulphure or Brimston which are discouered if the earth bee turned vp verse 5. 3. The vast and strange pathes that are in the hollow places of the earth which no Foule knoweth nor the Vultures eye hath euer seâ—ne c verse 7 8. 4. The riuers of waters which runne within the Earth euen through the Rocks as if God had cut a way for them verse 10. But I come to the things that are vpon the earth and so first to the vegetables that is the the plants that couer the earth viz. grasse graine herbes and trees and these I consider altogether and so God chargeth vs to take notice of foure diuers things about them 1. Their originall which may be considered as supernaturall or naturall or artificiall God gaue them a being aboue the the course of nature or Art when he made them grow out of the earth without seede Gen. 1. 11. 12. and for a time after made them flourish when there was yet no raine to fall on the earth and no man to till it Gen. 2. 5. 6. Their naturall originall is not without worthie obseruation the Earth being like a Mother to the seede of all plants receiueth it into her wombe and the Sunne in the seasons of the yeere doing the Office of a Father The artificiall originall they haue is from man whom God hath taught the skill and power by setting sowing plowing watering insition and inoculating in due seasons to make as it were a new and another Creation Esay 28. which commeth from the Lord who is wonderfull in working and excellent in counsell verse 22. 24. 25. 26. 29. 2. Their variety who can count those innumerable birthes of the Earth deliuering her selfe of the seed shee receiued in the seasons thereof with strange distinctions in number colour taste smell greatnesse virtue or figure which is the more wonderfull because these all come from the same wombe yea we may behold grow out of the same clod of earth plants of strange diuersity some vsefull some hurtfull yet inioy the same earth to conceiue them and the same Sun to beget them 3. Their glory especially in respect of the colours Salomon in all his glory was not clothed like one little flower for liuelinesse of colour and vnimitable beauty Mathew 6. 29. 4. Their vse and that in respect of God and the Earth it selfe and the beasts and foules and man their vse in respect of God is to set out the glory of his power skill wisedome and goodnesse Psalme 104. 24. their vse in respect of the Earth is to couer her nakednesse as with a rich garment of diuers colours How horrid would the Earth looke if it were not apparelled with grasse herbes corne and trees their vse in respect of the Beasts and Foules is both to feed them and to harbour them The Birds lodge in the trees and the Beasts feede on the grasse of the field Psalme 104. 14. 17. Their vse in respect of man is to serue for his seruice foode delight and the curing of his wounds and diseases God made the herbe for the seruice of man and brings his foode out of the Earth and bread that strengtheneth the heart of man and wine that makes him glad and oyle to make his face shine Psal 104. 14. 15. to which adde the herbe and plant for the curing of his wounds and diseases how hath the Lord prouided remedies for all the diseases of man euen out of the Earth and with what strange varieties so as there is scarce any disease a man hath but he hath caused to grow out of the Earth perhaps within a little space of time some herbe or plant or other that may ease him or cure him Gen. 1. â—9 5. The interest that God hath still in these things both in respect of right and power of right and so he calls the corne wooll and flaxe the Israelites had His wooll and flaxe c. Hosea 2. 8. 9. and the Trees are called the Trees of the Lord Psal 104. 16. and so of power because though he hath set a course in Nature for the growth of these yet he hath not shut out the free vse of his owne power nor is Nature euery way able of her selfe to produce these things and therefore God saith he causeth the grasse to grow for the cattell and the herbe for the seruice of man and it is he that brings forth bread out of the Earth c. Psal 104. 14. 15. 't is hee that reneweth the face of the Earth euery yeere Psalme 104. â—0 6. The Transitory and fading condition of these things they are easily cut downe and wither and their glosse and beauty will decay of it selfe euery yeere Psal 37. 2. 91. 6. Esay 40. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 24. The Vses follow and are diuers and so first for instruction many duties should be learned hence as 1. The acknowledgement of our owne vilenes and ignorance God hath ouerlaid our knowledge in the very grasse we tread vpon and therefore we must needs bee very simple in heauenly things that cannot giue a reason of the things which are daily about vs in the lowest rancke of creatures 2. We should receiue these creatures from God as rich blessings and vse them and praise the Lord that giues them to vs especially when we haue them in greater plentie God made a Law for the Iewes that for seuen daies after the haruest they should reioyce before the Lord and praise him and keepe holy assemblies Leuit. 23. 39. 40. and at all times we must sing to the Lord with Thankesgiuing Psal 147. 7 8 9 10. 11. Men must eate and praise the Lord Esay 62. 8 9. 3.
Spider Of the Ant we should learne diligence and prouidence in times of plenty to prouide for dearth especially in spirituall things Of the Mountaine Rats we should learne vpon the experience of our owne weaknesse to prouide by Faith so as we may rest in the Rock of Gods Almighty protection Of the Locusts we should learne to doe our duties though we be not compelled and to be carefull to keepe our fellowship with the Saints Of the Spider that workes euen in Kings Palaces we should learne to hold forth the light of the Truth by either Doctrine or good example in all places and not to be daunted for the presence of any or the example of the multitude that are otherwise imployed Hitherto hath beene intreated of the Creatures of all sorts some of them being onely spirituall Creatures as the Angels some of them onely bodily creatures as all the rest in Heauen and earth Now followeth that we consider of man who is a creature both spirituall in respect of his soule and corporall in respect of the outward matter of which he consists A creature into whom enters the composition of all the world Nature as it is spirituall and bodily meeting in man for man is the Epitomie of all Gods works and a patterne of the great Vniuerse He is the world abridged or the little world into whose being enters the nature of euery thing without him being a creature partly terrestriall partly celestiall partly mortall partly immortall so as what God made a part in other creatures he makes perfect and ioyntly together in man He had made spirits by themselues and bodies by themselues and then he makes a Creature that should consist of spirit and body ioyned together and therefore as wee haue read in the great Booke of nature which is the world so now we must learne to read in the little Booke of Nature which is man else it will be a shame for vs to know other things and not know our selues He were a sencelesse man that did know curiously all the roomes in other mens Palaces and yet knowes not so much as a corner of his owne dwelling The excellency of Gods workmanship in creating man appeares if we consider his body apart or his soule apart or his body and soule iointly About the body of man God hath done many things more then he did to any other bodily creatures for 1 Whereas all other bodies were created only by saying let them be they were so God did take more special regard of mans body and therefore doth forme it as it were with his owne hands out of the dust of the earth Gen. 2. 7. 2 The body of man now since the Creation is not propagated by the Parents without the wonderfull workmanship of God and therefore all our bodies are said to bee made and fashioned by God as well as Adams Iob 10. 8. Yea it was the Spirit of the strong God that made vs and the breath of the Almighty that put life into vs Iob 33. 4. We are creatures now as well as Adam Marke 16. 15. and Dauid saith He was fearefully and wonderfully made it was a maruellous worke and he was curiously wrought in the wombe Psal 139. 14 15 16. Yea he saith there that God did it by the Booke hauing written it downe from eternity how all his members should be fashioned Euery part of our bodies if wee knew the forming of them would shew a speciall glory of working in God our bones would say Lord who is like to theâ— Psal 35. 10. And as we know not what is the way of the Spirit so we know not how the bones doe grow in the wombe of her that is with childe and so we may say of the rest we know not the workes of God who maketh all Eccles 11. 5. the hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made euen both of them Prou. 20. 12. It was God onely that clothed vs with skinne and fenced vs with bones and sinewes Iob 10. 11. and so it was God onely that formed the inward parts of mans body hee formed the heart Psalme 33. 15. and the workemanship within mans body was so great that he reserues it as a glory onely to himselfe to know and search the heart and reines of a man and this is the more admirable if we consider that no part of the body is superfluous or idle but euery part hath his function and some excellent worke to doe which function it exerciseth by it selfe for the good of the whole body without medling with the office of the other members which is the more wonderfull if we consider the innumerable parts and parcels of the body of a man Not the least threed or veine in a mans body but it doth some excellent office 1 Cor. 12. 3 God made the body of man in beauty and fairenesse excelling all other visible creatures for both his countenance is lifted vp to Heauen and the parts of his body are with more comlinesse proportioned and his colour is full of sweetnesse and louelinesse Thus it was with man in his Creation and thus and much better it shall bee with his body when hee shall shine as the Starres in the Firmament 4 The body of man had at the first no disposition to wearinesse or sicknesse or death which the bodies of all other liuing Creatures were subiect to This priuiledge mans body had not by nature but by the gift of GOD GOD hauing infused into the body a soule that did her worke in the body perfectly and allowing him such foode as was most effectuall for vegetation and giuing man skill and care to looke to himselfe and if the body in time would haue declined God would haue preuented that by tranflating man to Heauen without sicknesse and death 5. Language is an admirable indowment of the body of man onely who is able to expresse himselfe with infinite variety and distinctions of sound whence flowes all conuersation and delightfull or profitable society But the excellencie of Gods power and glory in the Creation of mans soule who can perfectly recount God hath done wonderfully for man in respect of his soule aboue all other visible creatures for 1. The soule was breathed into the body of man by God himself by speciall inspiration and singular Creation Gen. 2. and neuer was a soule in the body of man but was made of God by his speciall power our bodies may haue earthly fathers but our spirits haue no Father but God Heb. 12. It is God onely that creates and frames the spirit of man within him Zacharie 12. 1. and so man is the generation of God Acts 17. 2. The soule is indued with the light of reason and can discerne things by reasoning and inward discourse seeing things by a light that is Immateriall and with great variety contemplating of things that the senses cannot reach to and finding out strange things euen in those things are presented by the senses
right First by the right of Creation he made vs all and so he is Lord of Heauen and Earth and all things therein for hee hath made them all Ioh. 1. 2. Col. 1. 16. Secondly by the right of redemption we were all in most miserable bondage to sin Satan and Gods Iustice Now Iesus Christ redeemes vs with his bloud paying that matchlesse price for vs and thereby makes vs his owne 1 Pet. 1. 18. Thirdly by the right of preseruation and maintenance hee keepes vs and maintaines vs by his power and all wee enioy we hold as Tenants vnder him as our Land-lord from him wee haue protection wages apparell and dyet for both soule and body Fourthly by the right of ordination God hath giuen him all power and made him Lord Act. 2. 36. God hath giuen his Elect vnto Christ as their Lord and head Iohn 17. 6. Ephes 1. 22. Fifthly by particular Couenant hee is the Lord of Christians for both by our vow in Baptisme we binde our selues to his seruice and by effectuall vocation we consecrate our selues and as it were hire our selues to be seruants to Christ and righteousnesse Rom. 6. 3 In what Nature he is Lord I answer howsoeuer in respect of Creation he made vs all as God yet in respect of Redemption he paid the price in his humane Nature and in respect of ordination he is made Lord in both natures both as God and man and by Couenant we are bound to the whole person The Lordship of Christ is a name of office and so belongs to both natures 4 The excellency of his Lordship and so there is no Lord like to Iesus 1 Because he hath no partners in his dominion though there be many administrations yet there is but one Lord 1 Cor. 12. 5. and though there be many Lords yet to vs there is but one Lord 1 Cor. 8. 6. as there is but one God so there is but one Lord Ephes 4. 5. Hee is the blessed and onely Potentate 1 Tim. 6. 15. 2 Because all other Lords are his seruants and tenants he is Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. Reuel 19. Ephes 6. 11. Col. 4. 1. 3 In respect of the extent of his dominion for hee is Lord ouer all Act. 10. 36. Rom. 10. 11. 4 In respect of the continuance of his dominion hee onely hath immortality other Lords dye 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. his honour and power is euerlasting 5 In respect of the excellence of his glory and Maiesty He dwelleth in the light which no man euer had or can approach vnto no man euer saw or can see such glory in any other 1 Tim. 6. 16. 6 In respect of his goodnesse to his seruants Tenants and Vassalls for he hath abased himselfe to serue and minister to his seruants Luk. 12. 37. He hath bought them at such a price as no other Lord could giue 1 Pet. 1. 18. Hee is rich to all his seruants that call vpon him he hath no seruant that gets not great preferment by him euen his meanest seruants as well as his highest Officers Rom. 10 11 12 13. He hath no seruant that euer asked him the Kingdome of Heauen it selfe but hee gaue it him yea all that this Lord is or hath he bestowes it vpon his seruants freely 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Gal. 2. 20. And besides his seruants neuer forfeit their estate He puts out no Tenant nor turnes away any seruant Nothing can separate betweene them and their Lords loue Rom. 8. vlt. The vse may be both for information and instruction For information and so it should informe vs First that hee dwelleth not in temples made with hands that is that we ought to conceit of him to bee more excellent then that those materiall buildings should answer to his greatnesse or that he hath no houses to put his head in but these Churches for hee is the Lord of Heauen and Earth and so may dwell where he will and no earthly building can set out sufficiently his greatnesse Act. 17. 24. Secondly that all our obedience to earthly Lords and Masters and Gouernours must be with due respect of Christ and his authority we must obey them in the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 5. that is so farre as they command vs nothing that is contrary to Christs will Thirdly it shewes that Christ hath power to doe what he will with any of his creatures belonging to men Thus the owner of the Asse and the Colt of the Asse is told that he must let them goe because the Lord hath need of them Mat. 21. 3. The Vses for instruction are these For if CHRIST be our Lord 1 We should acknowledge him and confesse that Iesus is the Lord for no man can make this confession but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. But because Hypocrites may say so in words let vs labour from our hearts to yeeld our selues vnto Christ as to our onely Lord to bee ruled and gouerned by him all our dayes to be wholly at his disposing euen to liue to him that dyed for vs and by the sound Couenant of our hearts to yeeld our selues as seruants to obey him in all righteousnesse 2 Cor. 5. 15. To say Lord Lord will not serue turne Mat. 7. 21. vnlesse we say it with our hearts and proue it by our obedience which if wee doe then it is from the holy Ghost as the Sanctifier whereas the generall outward confession is but from the common grace of the Holy Ghost which may be found in Hypocrites Let vs then with Thomas from our hearts say vnto Iesus My Lord and my God Yea let vs giue our selues to the Lord as the Macedonians did 2 Cor. 8. 5. For why should we any more serue strange Lords Haue we not reason to confesse that we haue serued sinne and Satan and the world all this while and it did not profit vs Iob 33. 27. What greater preferment can we haue then to serue the Lord of Lords Did Dauid a great King account it his greatest glory to bee the seruant of this Lord Psalme 36. 1. Was it not his comfort to call him his Lord Psalme 110. 1. Haue wee not tasted how bountifull the Lord is 1 Pet. 2. 3. Did our hearts euer feele any thing more sweet then the entertainment he hath giuen in his Word and Sacraments and Prayer Haue we not bound our selues by solemne Couenant when wee receiued the Sacrament What then should hinder vs but that wee should with all our hearts consecrate the rest of our liues to his seruice which if you meane to doe by the way take notice of these rules 1 First that you must with all diligence sudy the Will of your Lord to know it and accordingly must labour that the Word of CHRIST may dwell richly in you Col. 3. 16. 2 That you must forthwith and for euer separate your selues from all the seruants of strange Lords and come out from amongst them 2 Cor. 6. 17. 3 You must resolue to obey your
nature formes that substance into the parts of the body distinctly but yet it is without life then is the soule infused when the body is organicall and so it is quickned a true man it is not before a man but Embryo as they cal it Now the question is how Christ could receiue that imperfect Embryo or the flesh at the first conception seeing it was not a perfect humane Nature To this some answer that our Sauiour did not follow the ordinary course of taking flesh as other men doe but in the very instant of the conception his body was made organical had perfect members and the soule infused at that instant also and their reason is this because the Sonne of God did not become a person to any thing but the Man-hood of Christ Now the Man-hood must needs haue a reasonable soule and body formed and organicall else we must say that something did subsist in the Person of his diuine Nature that was not man as Embryo or the lumpe vnformed and not animated was Besides when God made a man by the power of the holy Ghost without the seed of man hee made him perfect at one instant and euery way formed in all parts as when he made Adam and Eue they were in an instant made perfect in soule and body Other Diuines conceiue that this opinion cannot be true because Christ was made in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted now there could bee no sinne in that ordinary course of Nature if originall sinne bee remoued as it was in Christ Now in the course of Nature first that which is materiall is formed as it were the house of the soule and then the soule is infused not onely as the guest of it but as the forme and life of it and so it must be in Christ Now for the first reason they answer that the Hypostatical vnion in the person of Christ was so made aboue nature as withall Christ assumed that which belonged to the nature of man according to the course of Nature and so first the seede and then the body formed and the soule infused according to nature into that body so as that flesh before the comming in of the soule did subsist in the Word as it did after the soule was infused for the Word tooke our Nature which is not hindered by the absence or presence of the soule as when Christ was dead his soule was in his Fathers hands and his flesh was shut vp in the graue and was not quickened then by the soule yet the flesh of Christ without the soule and life did subsist in the word aswell as it did before or after The other reason is of no force for God did not make our first Parents so out of necessity but out of the good pleasure of his will not binding himselfe to that frame of working for all times afterwards And thus of the production of the humane nature The assumption of that Nature into personall vnion with the word followes and the summe of that which wee are to beleeue concerning this Mystery is that the whole nature of man in that particular subiect soule and body with all meere naturall faculties and parts yea and infirmities was taken into an vnspeakeable and eternall personall vnion with the diuine nature of Christ There was nothing which was ours sinne excepted which was not by the holy Ghost vnited to the word for as Christ had all that God the Father had praeter ignascentiam saue that he was not vnbegotten so he had all that Adam had solâ except â peccantiâ saue that he was without sinne as a Father said onely for the manner of this assuming of our nature diuines conceiue that the word was ioyned to the soule immediately and to the body mediately that is by meanes of the soule And thus of the fourth point The fifth is The manner of the conception how the holy Ghost did it and that in respect of the perfect vnderstanding is simply aboue the reach of any creature especially any mortall creature if it be true of our conception in the wombe that we are fearefully and wonderfully made as is said Psal 139. 13. then it must needs be much more true of Christs conception and forming but a certaine glimpse of it is giuen vs by two formes of speech vsed in this Text Luke 1. 35. The first is the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee the other is the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee by the first forme of speech is noted the wonder of the worke that it was not done by any naturall meanes but extraordinarily aboue the course of nature by the holy Ghost and that it was done after a most pure and diuine manner about which a Father saith Oh most pure coniunction without filth where speech is the husband and eare is the wife meaning that shee conceiued vpon the speech and hearing of the promise assoone as shee had giuen her matrimonial consent as it were the ouershadowing by the power of the most High imports that is was not done spermatically but operatiuely and that the holy Ghost did this by a speciall power of working neuer any such thing hauing bin donne before as also it imports that the worke was most secret and mysticall so as the Virgin being couered as with a cloud could not her selfe tell how it was done and that though God did worke this with a speciall excellencie of glory yet his Maiesty should not ouercome her but it should be as it were clouded and lastly that that holy thing which was to be conceiued in her and borne by her should be protected and kept safe as the greatest treasure God had care of or did giue vnto men The sixth thing is why it was necessary Christ should bee so conceiued after such a wonderfull manner and with so much holines and sanctification I answer for two euident Reasons for first if his body had not bin most pure it had not bin fit to bee ioyned in personall vnion with the Word And secondly if he had bin conceiued in sinne as other men are he could not haue bin a Sauiour to vs because then he would haue needed a Sauiour for himselfe The seuenth thing is the time when the Virgin conceiued and that was immediately vpon the speech of the Angell and her owne consent to it which was the twenty fiue of March the day which is called the Annuntiation of the Virgin Mary and one may wonder why that day should not rather be called the day of the conception of Christ then of the Annuntiation of the Virgin The eighth point is the effects of this conception in respect of vs and so the first effect is the hiding of the impurity of our conception from the sight of God and satisfying Gods Iustice for our originall sinne for the holinesse of Christs conception is the first and chiefe part of the righteousnesse imputed to vs All his righteousnesse is ours and so
the holinesse of his conception in which hee was qualified with all the habits of virtue or piety might constitute perfect holinesse of nature All his righteous actions which he did in obedience to the law flow from these habits of virtue infused in his conception and therefore I call it the first and chiefe part of the righteousnesse imputed to vs as that which couereth the vnrighteousnes of our natures yea after a sort it pacifies and satisfied for our offence and so beginnes his passiue obedience to God as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. 5 c. wherefore when he entered into the world he said sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldest not but a bodie thou had prepared me c. The second effect is our spirituall life and conception for therefore was he conceiued by the holy Ghost and quickned in the wombe of the Virgin that from his life the power of our spirituall forming and regeneration might proceede as from him that tooke life himselfe amongst vs that he might become Lord of life and the true originall of spirituall and eternall life of God for the saine spirit that formed Christ in the wombe doth beget vs againe that we might liue with him Ioh. 1. 12 13. The ninth thing is that question whether it may be safely said that Mary was the Mother of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I answer if wee vnderstand it so grossely as to thinke shee was the Mother of the God-head of Christ it were not only erronious but blasphemous and yet it is true that shee was the Mother of God because shee was not onely Mother of him that was God as well as Man but also God was incarnate in her wombe God did not take flesh in heauen or in any other place but in her wombe onely Lastly 't is not vnprofitable to consider how the being of the body of Christ differs from other respects of the being of the same body The body of Christ is in Heauen Locally it is in the Word substantially it is in the Sacrament mystically It is in the hearts of euery beleeuer spiritually and was in the wombe of the Virgin by a naturall and circumscriptible manner of presence The vses follow and so 1 They are confuted that say He tooke not his Body of the Virgin but brought it from Heauen They obiect that in Iohn 3. 13. it is said that Christ descended from Heauen and that verse 23. and 31. He said he was from aboue and that 1 Cor. 15. 47. He is said to be the Lord from Heauen Answ None of these places say That he brought his body from Heauen The words are true of the person of Christ that he descended from Heauen when he abased himselfe to take vpon him the forme of a seruant and if they were true of his humane nature yet could signifie no more but that he was conceiued after a heauenly manner and not by carnall generation by the working of the Holy Ghost who came downe from Heauen vpon the Virgin If they reply it must needs be true that he descended in the same nature he ascended as the Apostle saith Ephes 4. 9 10. Answ The Apostle onely shewes that he was abased to shew himselfe in the forme of a seruant and to suffer extreme things and therefore was exalted to bee Lord of al. And besides these hereticks they are hence cōfuted that said Christ had not a true body but onely a body in appearance These obiect that Christ appeared in the old Testament in a fantasticall body and not in a body indeed Answ That is false too for it was a true substantiall body hee assumed and created for the time but were that granted yet the body he shewed in the New Testament hath abundant testimonie thas it was a true naturall body Ioh. 1. 14. 1. Ioh. 1. 1. 2. Againe they say out of the Philip. 2. 7. and Rom. 8.3 and Dan. 7. 13. that he was onely in the likenesse of a man I answer these places are not all of one sense for in Daniel he was said to be like the Son of Man because he was not yet incarnate and Rom. 8. He is not said to be in the likenesse of flesh but of sinfull flesh being reckoned amongst sinners being made a sacrifice for sinne and in the Philippians hee doth not shew what the substance of his Nature was but what his abasement was that he did not onely take our Nature but made himselfe in that nature like to the most abiect of men euen to the poorest seruant when he was heire of all things and so this likenesse of his is expounded Heb. 2. 14. 17 4. 15. Secondly hence we may informe our selues of the wonder of this Creation of God heere is the beginning of a new Creation heere is a Sonne that had no Mother as he was God and no Father as he was Man If it be obiected that he is called the Sonne of Man and so had an earthly Father I answer that he is called the Sonne of Man because he tooke our nature of the substance of the Virgin I meane it of her flesh and if it be on the contrary obiected that he is in this Text called the Sonne of the most High and so had God or the holy Ghost to be his Father I answer he is called the Sonne of the most High as the second person in Trinity which Title of Sonne is giuen to the Nature he receiued from the Virgin because it had no substance but in the person of him that was the naturall Sonne of God There are other vses for instruction for 1. The ouershadowing shewes that we must not curiously prie into the glorious manner of his conception wee must beleeue it was so but not search how it was so 2. The knowledge of this Article may prepare vs to beleeue the next viz. that Christ was borne of a Virgin for seeing hee was conceiued by the Holy Ghost it cannot bee hard that hee should bee borne of a Virgin for hee that wrought this conception is hee that worketh all things and nothing is impossible to him There is also comfort in this Doctrine 1 In particular to women that conceiue and beare children especially if they be true Christians The very remembrance of this that the Sauiour of the world was conceiued and borne of a woman should sweeten their feares and sorrowes about or after their conceptions or in the birth 2 In generall it may comfort all the godly to see in this conception a medicine for their originall sinne and all the euils that cleaue to their Nature for as it was shewed before to this end he was conceiued without sinne and sanctified in his Nature that thereby he might iustifie vs before God from the euils cleaue to our natures And thus of the first part of his Incarnation viz. his conception of the holy Ghost his birth of the Virgin Mary followes In which words of the Creed the thing affirmed is the birth of
The great glory of Gods power in giuing testimonie to the innocence of his children When Iewes and Gentiles haue banded themselues against Christ and when his owne Disciples are now fled and dare not speake for him yea when all that professe religion were swallowed vp with amazement God herein raiseth vp a woman a stranger a Pagan to force a way for his testimony euen at this great Assises 2. Note that God keeps this testimonie till the very last moment for the Iudge is now set to giue Iudgement to shew vs that God can send comfort and succour to his seruants though he withhold it till almost all hope bee gone 3. Gods message must be deliuered though neuer so many obiections lie against it Shee might haue thought how vnfit it was for her to meddle being a woman and a stranger and her owne husband being Iudge but yet shee will send the message 4. The Diuinitie of Christ showes it selfe maruellously in this thing while Pilate is ready to condemne him hee miraculously conuerts his wife His Godhead breakes through the veile and their opinion that thinke this woman was truly conuerted is charitable and not improbable For what was in the confession of the Centurion or the Thiefe vpon the Crosse that is not in the confession of this woman Shee confesseth him when all the world refuseth him yea she vrgeth her Husband to saue him when it might proue his vtter ouerthrow considering the tumult of the Iewes and the displeasure Caesar might take seeing Christ was charged with Treason against Caesar and besides so peremptorily to acknowledge his goodnesse at such a time when it was so generally questioned imported a minde much affected to Iesus Howsoeuer we may learne of this great woman to stand for the truth how euill soeuer the times be or what danger soeuer it may bring vpon vs. Yea note that Iesus can doe great things in Prison as well as at Liberty No outward abasements or restraints can hinder Gods counsell or the successe of religion or Gods worke for the soules of his people 5. Concerning Dreames we must vnderstand that they are of foure sorts Naturall Morall Diuine or Diabolicall Naturall dreames arise from the constitution of the body according to the complexion or present estate of the bodie either as diseased or well Morall dreames arise from the studies and imployments that we are extraordinarily affected withall in the day time Diuine dreames arise either from the working of some Angell or by some other way vnknowne to vs and are vsed by God either to shew his power or foretell things to come or vnknowne or as an extraordinary entertainment he would giue vnto his seruants Diabolicall dreames are villanous conceptions wrought in the mindes of men in their sleeps either to torment them or to seduce them or to tempt them to some monstrous euill The question is what kinde of dreame Pilates wiues dreame was There is no colour of reason to thinke it was Naturall Some Diuines thinke that it was Diabolicall and giue this reason that the Deuill some way now perceiuing that the death of Christ would be the life of the world hee seekes to hinder it by this dreame But if that were so why had not Pilate the dreame or why did not the Deuill vse the Iewes that were his owne instruments and therefore it is more than likely that the dreame was from God Quest But may we now giue heed to dreames Answ By dreames we may guesse at the state of our bodies sometimes And by dreames wee may guesse at the corruption of our natures and finde what sinnes we are secretly prone to Yea no doubt but wee may haue Diabolicall dreames which we may discerne by the same signes we know the temptations of the Deuill from corruption of nature As when we are tempted to things contrary to our natures and prodigiously vile or when we feele that our nature doth abhorre the motion and giue no consent to it Nor doe I doubt but God may treat with his people also by dreames and we should be thankfull for holy dreames wherein God giues vs speciall comforts or doth in any speciall manner fire our hearts to the loue of goodnesse Only we must receiue no opinions by dreames which are not agreeable to the word nor must we trust vpon Predictions of things to come only when they are come to passe glory should be giuen to God with a resolution still to depend vpon the Law and the Testimonies only as the direction of our liues 6. We should all feare the great power and wrath of God we should be afraid to displease him for hee can finde strange wayes to make vs suffer If all the world were at firme peace with vs and all the Deuils in Hell would be quiet yet God can fight against our spirits with a very Armie he can raise in our very dreames Little doe we know how suddenly and how easily and yet how fearefully God can seaze vpon vs either body or soule 7. Note that shee saith I haue suffered many things and yet it was Pilate that offended whence we may gather that ill husbands may make all that belongs vnto them suffer for their faults They may be as a common plague to all that is about them or comes of them They sinne and their wiues may suffer many things for their sakes so may their children and their posterity Lastly obserue that she dreames in the day time It seemes she was no early riser but guilty of that fault which is still too common amongst great persons yea amongst them that are much inferiour to her to lye long in bed whereas the good woman described in the Prouerbs chap. 31. is commended for Rising while it was yet night Thus of the declaration of our Sauiours innocence by Pilates wife By Pilate himselfe he was declared to be innocent partly in words and partly in action In words Pilate came forth publikely three times and professed that he found no fault in him after he had heard out their accusations and examined him Luke 23. 14 22. Whence we may gather that wieked men in the Visible Church may be as vile yea more vile than those that are not in the Church at all The Iewes accuse him when a Gentile absolues him They wilfully pursue Christ to death when the Pagan for a good while striues as hard to saue him Pilate was afraid when his very accusers had charged him that he said that he was the Son of God and yet these cursed Iewes are not afraid though they had seene many signes that proued he was the Son of God And therefore it shall be easier for Pagans and Papists in the day of Iudgement than for these wicked men in the Church as our Sauiour said of the Cities of Galilea Mat. 11. 20. to 25. In Action Pilate pronounceth our Sauiour innocent by vsing solemnly the Ceremony of washing his hands and expoundeth his meaning thereby to signifie that he was
whose it should be shewed that mâ—â— do not attaine the righteousnesse merits of Christ by â—â—eir owne deserts industry or skill but by lot that is â—â— the immediate gift of God Our portion amongst the Sâ—ints in light is by lot Coloss 1. 12. Concerning the derision he suffered it is obserued by the Euangelist Saint Matthew Chap. 27. 39 c. that they that went by wagged their heads at him vpbraiding him with the destruction of the Temple and the chiefe Priests and Scribes and Elders derided him many wayes and tempted him mocking at his Miracles and trust in God and the Theeues also that were crucified with him vpbraided him also the standers by mocked him about the very prayers hee offered vp to God peruerting his words wilfully as if he called to some creature to helpe him so that he was here on all hands despised as a worme and no man and all this he suffered 1. That from those often extreme contempts powred out vpon Christ at other times now we might be throughly made to know how hatefull our sinnes are to God especially the sinnes by which we and our first Parents haue despised or slighted God and dishonoured him and caused others to blaspheme his Name in that God doth so reuenge our Transgressions vpon his Sonne 2. That wee being deliuered from that eternall scorne and contempt which was due to vs might in this life inioy the comfort of a good name and in the life to come eternall glory before God and his Angels Christs ignominie did merit and procure our honour 3. That by his example wee might be comforted and by his silence and patience learne to despise the shame and scornes of sinfull men and not render reuiling for reuiling Heb. 12. 3. It may perhaps runne in mens mindes to wish that our Sauiour would haue done as they said seeing they promise to beleeue in him if he could saue himselfe from the Crosse But let men consider first that our Redemption had beene hindered if he had not died on the Crosse and besides being brought to that houre as our surety hee could not come downe till he had satisfied Gods iustice and further he had denied to worke Miracles in his life time when they and Herod defired him to doe it because they were an adulterous generation and cast off of God who was now loth to haue them conuert Esay 6. 10. Neither would they haue repented though they had had their desire and if Miracles would haue satisfied them he had done store of them in his life time and in that kinde he had saued himselfe from the hands of a multitude that intended to kill him as when they tooke vp stones in the Temple to stone him and it was more that he did to rise from the dead then to come downe from the Crosse and yet they did not beleeue him Againe in these reproches we may obserue that wicked men doe hate godly men for the very goodnesse that is in them and the true glory God hath stamped vpon them and the good they do They doe not vpbraid Christ for any euill no not for the euils they accused him of before for they themselues knew hee was innocent but for the good hee had done in sauing others and for his trust in God and for his prayers to God Further we may gather from hence that all persecutors are Atheists though they professe Religion for these men though learned and great men yet blaspheme God and deride him as if he had not power to saue him Moreouer we may obserue how malice and wickednesse had besotted the Priests and Scribes They alledge a place in the Psalmes viz. He trusted in God let him saue him now if he will haue him which words were there vttered in the name of the wicked enemies of God and yet these men so skilfull in the Old Testament haue not the braines to discerne that by their owne mouthes they haue condemned themselues Thus doth God in his iustice infatuate wicked men so that their owne mouthes doe betray them Lastly see how desperately wickednesse is set in the hearts of men the poore Theeues now ready to dye for their offences yet haue no loue of Iesus or the truth in him but ioyne with the Iewes in reuiling Christ. It seemes both the Theeues reuiled Christ when they first came vp vpon the Crosse which increaseth the wonder of the conuersion of one of them The third thing he suffered was grieuous torments both of soule and bodie And first for the torments of his bodie they must needs be great both in respect of what went before and what he then felt Before he had beene grieuously pained in that Agonie in the Garden when he sweat bloud and afterwards was tyed bound and carried away bound and was buffeted and beaten with rods and with extreme contumelie kept waking all night and then cruelly whipt crowned with thornes and beaten with a Reede and made to carry his Crosse on his shoulders and after all this to be so tortured with nailes in his hands and feet it must needs import a most grieuous torment he felt so as of him may be said what Dauid vttered My heart melted like wax my tongue cleaued to the roofe of my mouth and thou hast placed me in the dust of death Psal 22. 15 16. and this exceeding weaknesse and torment of body he suffered 1. That thereby he might satisfie for vs that had so often despised the power of God and his threatnings against our sins and in generall to pay for all the sinnes we had committed in the body 2. That thereby he might free vs free vs from eternall torments in our bodies and that he might make vs strong in his might so as to say The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid and through Christ I can doe all things 3. That hereby he might sanctifie the paines we feele in our bodies either from diseases or from the hands of violent men or persecutors and to teach vs with patience to beare our paines by faith looking vpon the torments such a Sauiour endured for vs and when we feele our bodies weakned by diseases we should by faith remember that our Sauiour was beyond all comparison made more weake in body for our sinnes That he suffered most grieuous distresse and anguish in his soule appeares by that lamentable voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me By which words it appeares that he was not only tormented in conscience vnder our sinnes and Gods wrath but that he was also forsaken of God and forsaken he was in two respects First that God lest him in most vnutterable distresse and did for the time defer his deliuerance Secondly that God withdrew from his Humane Nature the consolation might support him suffering him to endure those torments we should haue endured for euer Ob. How could God forsake him seeing the Diuine Nature was vntted to the Humane
buried not for himselfe but for other men and that he might shew that graues properly belong to vs which haue sinned to warne vs of our mortalitie Ioseph caused his sepulchre to be made in his garden of pleasure that he might be thereby put in minde of his mortalitie in the middest of the delights of this life The persons by whom Christ was buried are diuersly described as by their names Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and by their worldly estate they were Senators and rich men and by their profession or religion they were disciples iust men such as waited for the kingdome of God but yet all was done secretly for feare of the Iewes and by the authoritie they had to doe it viz. the consent of Pilate Matth. 27. 57. Mark 15. 45. Ioh. 19. 38 39. For the first of these it is to be obserued that God hath giuen these men an honourable name in the Storie of the Gospell so as what they haue done shall alwaies be remembred where the Gospell is preached and this honourable mention they attained not till this seruice done to the dead bodie of Christ Whereby God would teach vs that such as honour Christ God will honour and the best way to get into the Catalogue of Gods Worthies is to imploy our selues in well-doing and in the seruice of Iesus Christ and then we can doe no good worke to Christ dead or liuing in himselfe or his members but it shall be had in honour yea it may be in euerlasting remembrance For the second Christ was buried by rich men First that the Scripture might be fulfilled that said He exposed his graue to the wicked and to the rich man in his death To the wicked because he could not be buried without Pilates consent and to the rich man because hee was buried by Ioseph of Arimatheas meanes Thus he was said to be buried and raised vp according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 4. Secondly he gaue his dead bodie to rich men to signifie that amongst rich men he had his elect and that the vertue of his death should reach euen to them for though it bee impossible in respect of men that a rich man should be saued yet it is not so vnto Christ who can effect wonderfull things and so can by the vertue of his death so vntwist the gable of a rich mans heart as to make it in true humilitie like a thread to goe thorow the eye of a needle Matth. 19. 24. Iam. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 26. And hence rich men should learne of Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that they ought to professe their loue of Christ and sincere Religion not only when Christ is adorned with miracles and worldly applause but euen when he fals into the hands of wicked men and is buried in ignominie they must not feare danger or reproach They must honour Christ not onely in the peaceable times of the Church but in troubled times Euen when Christ in his members is betrayed persecuted oppressed forsaken of his owne condemned either in spirituall Courts or politicall pursued by warres or any other vexations And the poore seruants of God that suffer for the testimonie of Iesus may hence take comfort God that stirred vp rich men to doe this honour to the bodie of Iesus will not forsake the afflicted members of Iesus he can stirre vp men to prouide for them and honour them euen greatmen when it pleaseth him both in their life time and at their death and after their death also Now for the third point they were disciples of Christ but yet it was secretly for feare of the Iewes Whence we may obserue the great wonder of Gods power in these men When Christ was in prosperitie they were afraid to be seene to follow him or to professe respect to him Now that Christ is in extreme disgrace and the enemies of Christ fleshed in cruelty and malice now these fearfull men proue valiant and whatsoeuer comes of it Christ shall be honoured euen the dead bodie of Christ shall not be forsaken by them Which is the more wonderfull because the best disciples of Christ were so ouercome with feare that they had all forsaken Christ Which may serue for great vse to all of vs. They that stand should take heed lest they fall Those that now go for strong Christians if euill daies come may proue faint-hearted and by their fearefulnesse dishonour the Religion they professe And on the other side weake Christians should not be dismayed God is able to make them to stand Rom. 14. 4. Such as in dayes of prosperitie were afraid of the reproach of men may proue so full of courage in the euill day as not to feare though the foundations of the earth be moued Further we may hence gather a distinction of true Christians Some are so and seeme so they make a profession before men Some are so but seeme not so as here these Counsellors were iust men and disciples and waited for the kingdome of God and yet they were not taken for disciples nor knowne to be so commonly which should restraine censure in rash Christians some of those persons they despise as prophane may be true Christians in Gods sight But yet lest wicked men should be hence emboldned obserue that how weake or fearfull soeuer these men were yet they would not consent to the death of Christ Though the weake Christians I speake of doe not so much for the truth as others doe and they should yet they will doe nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. and therefore such persons as not onely make no profession but withall doe scoffe at and oppose sinceritie in others cannot be reckoned in the catalogue of true Christians Pilates consent was had for the buriall of Christ 1. That there might be no doubt made of his death and buriall seeing so great a person is made priuy to the ordering of it 2. That we might know that the hearts of the greatest men are in Gods hands and he can turne them which way he will euen to execute his counsell when they thinke nothing of it He can make the very enemies of the Church become friendly and louing when please him And further in that Ioseph doth not take the dead body downe and burie it without leaue of the Magistrate it serues to teach men that they should doe all things with due respect not only of the warrant of the action but of all circumstances belonging to it especially great respect should be had to authoritie that by rash zeale the power of Magistrates be not prouoked against vs. Thus of the third point The manner of the buriall containes diuers things First they did it hastily towards the euening because of the preparation of the Iowes for the Sabbath Ioh. 19. vlt. Secondly they did it openly Thirdly they did it with great cost for Ioseph brought fine linnen to wrap it in and Nicodemus brought a mixture of Mirrhe and Aloes to the quantitie
earth but to assume Earth when he tooke our nature and that too considered as the earth was vnder malediction for the first Adams sinne and exprest in that sentence Thou art earth and to earth thou shalt returne and that other The earth is cursed for thy sake thorns and briers shall it bring forth And that he descended both in respect of his body and soule and of both of them together In respect of his body as Adam made of the earth so was Christ borne of a Virgin who had her originall from the earth and the earth is vsually said to be the common mother of vs all and his soule descended into this earth when it was vnited to his most sacred body In both soule and body in his Incarnation he descended into the earth euen the earth as it was accursed both in respect of infirmitie and in respect of mortality The infirmities of our Nature which he tooke both in soule and in body what were they but so many thornes and briers to afflict and seratch and paine his most blessed Nature I meane by his infirmities such as were without sinne such as came from sinne but did not tend to sin such were in his soule sorrow and feare and in his body thirst hunger pouertie And besides our Infirmities he tooke our Nature as it was Mortall and so descended into that Infernum the Fathers call Infernum mortalitatis for though he died not so soone as hee was borne yet he liued alwaies vnder the sentence of death A prisoner in the Goale when he is condemned all the time he liues is reckoned but as a dead man So was Christ Now the Scripture seemes clearely to acknowledge the descension of Christ into the earth of mortalitie and infirmitie as when he descended to take vpon him the forme of a seruant Phil. 2. 7. So it is by some Interpreters conceiued to be meant Rom. 10. 7. and Ephes 4. 9. though it is not doubted but these places haue a further meaning Thus of the first sense as Hades signifies the earth and the rather because some Diuines make it a rule that Christ is neuer said to descend any whither but into Hell or Hades 2. Christ may be said to descend into Hades when by death he went among the dead both in his body and soule He descended when he went downe among the dead And thus he descended not only into the Infernum mortalitatis but into the Infernum mortis also Thus according to the Psalme he was free among the dead and this was the greater abasement because hee was detained so long among the dead kept downe as a Prisoner in the graue in respect of his body He descended then when he suffered the state of the dead both in body and soule I say his abasement was very great in this condition because both his friends thought all was lost in him Luke 24. 21. Marke 16. 10. and his enemies insulted ouer him as conquered and called him Deceiuer Matth. 27. 62 c. Luke 23. 43. See what God saith Dan. 9. 26. And death held him downe as his prisoner Rom. 6. 9. So as it was with him as Iob 17. 12 13. But yet it is true he was glorious in this estate both in that his soule was in Paradise and his body inioyed incorruption But yet all this was secret and not knowne to men therefore some Diuines call this a kinde of middle state betweene humiliation and exaltation because it was partly glorious and partly ignomious And his detention in the graue answerâ— fitly to the order of the Articles For as Resurrection answers to his death and crucifying so A scension answers to his going into the graue and Session at the right hand of God answers to his continuance in the graue 3. Christ may be said to descend into Hell in respect of efficacie because though neither soule nor body went into the Hell of the damned locally yet the vertue of what he suffered in soule and body penetrated into Hell it selfe This was an operatiue descension The merit and vertue of his Passion descended euen amongst the damned Angels to spoile them of their power and confirme them in the horror of their estates and to signifie the deliuerance of the Elect out of their hands 4. These words He descended into Hell may be taken as an effectuall Epitome and repetition of all his Passion described before with a generall intimation of the vnexpressablenesse of the things he suffered for our sinnes as if they that inserted the words into the Creed would say he suffered all things that might concerne our Redemption which were so many and so grieuous as the heart of man is not able to reckon them or to finde the bottome of them for when he came to suffer for vs he desended into a very Abissus or bottomlesse pit of misery not to bee sounded by any mortall heart This sense is taken too by some Diuines as the most proper sense of the words in this place And for mine owne part with submission to information of better iudgements if one particular sense must be taken to I best like this Thus of his descension in respect of the whole Man In respect of his body our Sauiour descended into Hades or Sheol when he descended into the graue and so it is the same in sense with his buriall and this interpretation is not to be slighted for first I haue quoted many places of Scripture before where the Translators themselues render the words by the terme of the graue So Iacob descended into Hell when he went downe into the graue Gen. 42. 38. And besides Athanasius in his Creed which is one of the most ancient that haue this Article in leaues out Buried and puts in He descended into Hell as if he signified thereby that he tooke that to be the meaning of the Article And Ruffinus saith in his Exposition of the Creed that the sense of these words seemes to be the same with the other word Buried Thirdly in respect of his soule our Sauiour may be said to descend into Hell in two senses First in that hee abased himselfe so farre as to let his soule to be in that condition which our soules are in betweene the time of our death and our resurrection which was a great abasement though the soule suffered no paine for his very soule herein endures the common condition of all mens soules in death though the soule die not in respect of the substance yet in a generall sense euery change from that being wee haue for the present is a kinde of death because it makes a not being of that which was before or makes something not to be which had a being before What is mutabilitie but a kinde of death which while it changeth any thing into another fashion that ceaseth to be what it was and beginneth to be what it was not Thus in the soule of Christ there was not only a change but a
Ghost yet that hinders not the truth of this assertiō for in the works ad extra all the Trinity work but yet in their order God the Father by the Son through the Holy Ghost raised the dead body of Christ Secondly he rose by a way that neuer man rose and not as other men haue risen or shall rise by a way peculiar to himselfe viz. as the Lord of Life as the first borne of the Dead as the first fruits of them that sleepe Rev. 1. 5. 1 Cor. 15. 20. 23. not as a priuate person but as a publike person as our head and surety He saw no corruption in the Graue as other dead bodies doe and he rose to immortall life neuer to dye againe whereas Lazarus and others that were raised were raised but to a mortall life they were to dye againe he was the first tha◠euer rose to eternall life Thirdly hee rose in the same body that was dead and buried Luk. 24. 39. which was necessary for our comfort in the discharge of our debt that the same body that was imprisoned came out of prison and doth the better assure the hope of the resurrection of our bodies Fourthly he rose inuitis custodibus whether the Keepers of the Sepulchre would or not and smote them with great amazement to shew how easie it is for him to triumph ouer his enemies when they seeme to bee surest of victory He that could conquer them when they had nothing in appearance to oppose them but a dead body can as easily defeat all his enemies that onely differ from his people only in greatnesse of earthly power If the Church were as the dead body of Christ yet it may rise againe notwithstanding all their armed Troopes Fistly hee rose with an earthquake that thereby hee might signifie First that the earth did him homage and as it were sware fealty to him as her Lord and Proprietary Secondly that as the earth trembled at his death so now as it were is exalted for ioy that shee was to render him aliue from the dead Thirdly that Christ would shake the world and the heart of man by his Gospell Heb. 12. Fourthly that Christ by his power can and will make the earth giue vp her dead at the last day Lastly the Angels ministred vnto him by rolling away the stone c. to signifie that not onely he was Lord of Angels but that God was satisfied as Iudges that send some officer to fetch the prisoner out of prison and release him Fiftly but why was it necessary that Christ should rise againe Ans First that the Scripture might bee fulfilled that had foretold it Psal 16. 10. Ioh. 20. 9. Mat. 26. 54. Secondly if the Scripture had not foretold yet such was the dignity of his person that he must needs rise for it was impossible for him to be holden downe of Death Act. 2. 24. for first he was the onely Son of God and the Father loues his Sonne and cannot suffer him to be ouercome of death Besides he was God himselfe the Author and Prince of life and therefore it had beene absurd for him to abide in death that giues all others life Thirdly hee was a iust man and innocent and had fully satisfied for our sinnes and therefore God could not keepe him in prison for nothing and where sinne is not there death cannot reigne Thus of the second reason Thirdly such was the office of him that rose againe that he could not abide in death as was shewed before hee must declare Gods name to his brethren hee must make intercession hee must reigne as a King euerlasting all which he could not doe if he abide in death Fourthly because there was a Decree for his resurrection in Gods eternall Councell Psal 2. 7. commpared with Act. 13. 32. 33. Fiftly that the types and shadowes of it might bee fulfilled Ionas was a type of the Resurrection Mat. 12. 39. So was Adam waking out of the sleepe into which hee was cast when the Woman was made out of his side 〈◊〉 was Samson that brake asunder the barres and gates and was deliuered so was Dauid that was so often oppressed and yet exalted to the kingdome Psal 86. 13. Concerning the Apparitions of Christ after his resurrection the Scripture records that our Sauiour was on earth forty daies and in that time appeared to many at seuerall times shewing himselfe aliue from the dead and giuing order concerning his Kingdome as hee was forty daies in giuing the Law to Moses on the Mount so was he forty daies in giuing order about the new Law to the Apostles and hee that began to consecrate himselfe to the office appointed him by his Father in fasting forty daies doth now take forty daies both to lay downe that office and to consecrate the Ministery of his Disciples Now concerning these Apparitions diuers things are to be considered 1. The Reasons why he appeared 2. The Persons to whom he appeared For the first our Sauiour staied a while vpon earth and appeared at seuerall times for these Reasons 1. That he might confirme the infallible truth of his Resurrection that the Christian world might bee fully assured of it that God had raised him from the dead Act. 10. 40 41. and that he was raised in the same body that was crucified and buried for our sinnes 2. That he might giue order to his Disciples concerning all things that concerned his Kingdome ouer Iewes and Gentiles and might appoint all the alterations were to bee made in the manner of gouerning the Christian world Act. 1. 3. and thus hee instituted the seuerall orders of Ministers vnder the Gospell granting full Commission to the Apostles Act. 28. 18. Eph. 4. 11. and so we haue reason to beleeue that the translation of the day for the Christian Sabbath was by appointment from him while he was on earth with other things which the Apostles ordered afterwards 3. That he might giue gifts vnto the men that were to begin the worke of erecting the Christian world Ioh. 20. 21 22 23. Eph. 4. promising to giue the holy Ghost more fully Act. 1. 4. The persons to whom hee appeared are to be considered negatiuely and affirmatiuely 1. Negatiuely he appeared not to the world not to all the people not to the chiefe Priests Rulers of the people Act. 10. 41. that therby he might shew First that his Kingdome was not of this world Iob. 18. 36. Secondly that he did not need the helpe and patronage of the greatnesse of this world in businesses of his Kingdome Thirdly that his Kingdome comes not by externall obseruation and is not obiected to the eyes of the body but to the eyes of the minde and faith Luk. 17. 20 21. Ioh. 20. 29. Fourthly that the contempt of the meanes in the ordinances of Christ shall bee scourged with a priuation of all fellowship with Christ in his glory The chiefe Priests and Rulers and other despisers of the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ in
iust It is in vaine to plead the mercy of God and Christ to proue the saluation of the wicked for he is iust as well as mercifull and that they shall know fully at his comming In the sentence of condemnation obserue foure things First the reprobation of the wicked vers 41. Secondly the cause of this reprobation vers 42 43. Thirdly the Apologie of the wicked for themselues vers 44. Fourthly the answer to their Apologie vers 45. In the Reprobation of the wicked I note diuers things as 1. In that speaking of the Iudge his title of King is left out which was mentioned vers 34 40. I gather that wicked men euen at the Tribunall when they shall see Christ in his greatest glory yet they cannot truly loue him or â—steeme of his glory The naturall hatred of Christ will continue vpon them euen at that day 2. In that he saith Depart yee from me it shewes that it is a grieuous misery to be thrust out from Christ it were an euerlasting fearfull punishment if wicked men did suffer no more but the absence of Christ for euer to liue without that Sunne of Righteousnesse is worse than to liue without the shining of the Sunne in the firmament and herein note the iustice of Christ in that wicked men could not abide the company of Christ and true Christians in this world they shall now be paid in the same kinde they shall neuer more enioy the presence of Christ or any one true Christian Woe to Hypocrites at that day though now they seeme to be ioyned to Christ yet let them thinke what it will be when they shall be made to depart 3. In that he calls them Cursed it shewes that euery wicked man is a cursed creature and withall that to be vnder Gods curse is the quintessence of misery And therefore godly men haue little cause to enuy the prosperitie of any wicked man nor wicked man to be so drunken with the estimation of the fading glory of earthly possessions 4. In that he saith Into euerlasting fire it notes the vnspeakable horror of the paine of wicked men in Hell If a man knew he must lie in a burning fire but one day oh how would he be dismayed Oh what senselesnesse hath bewitched vngodly men that are not frighted with euerlasting burnings They are wonderfully blinded that striue to beleeue that there is only Poena Damni not Poena Sensus in Hell That there is no paine in Hell but only losse of good things as the presence of God and Christ c. 5. In that he saith Prepared for the Deuill and his Angels we obserue 1. That God neuer purposed to shew mercy to the Deuills 2. That there is one Deuill is chiefe and hath power ouer the rest 3. That from the beginning God intended to shew mercie vnto mankind though not vnto deuils 4. That the eternall companions of wicked men shall be deuils such as loue wicked company in this life may here see what companions they shall haue in Hell From the description of the cause of the Reprobation we may note 1. That it is not enough to refraine from euill but we must doe good Not bearing of fruit will be a cause of cutting downe the Tree 2. All Religion is pretended in vaine by such as are able and doe not shew mercy to the poore It is a sinne that Christ shall finde only in the wicked From the Apologie of the wicked we learne 1. That men may be very innocent in some things in their owne sight and yet be very guiltie in the sight of God They did thinke verily they neuer saw Christ naked c. and yet in his members they did 2. That it is the propertie of the wicked to remember the good they doe and forget the euill they can remember their prophecying working of miracles and eating and drinking with Christ Matth. 7. 22. but forget all their sinnes of vnmercifulnesse and the like No ma ruell if they iustifie themselues before men that shall dare to doe it before Christ himselfe From the answer to the Apologie we learne plainly that all the iniuries done to the godly yea euen to the poorest and meanest of them Christ reckons as done to himselfe and will accordingly punish them at the day of Iudgement yea not only iniuries but the neglect of honouring and succouring and relieuing of them Hitherto of the manner of the Sentence The execution followes Vnto the execution of the Sentence foure things belong 1. The deliuery of Possession of eternall glory to the godly 2. The detrusion of the wicked into Hell 3. The creation of the new Heauens and new Earth 4. The deliuering vp of the Kingdome of Christ into the hands of God the Father For the first after the sentence ended the Elect shall be all taken vp to heauen with Christ there to reigne with him in eternall blisse where they shall presently be possest of foure incomparable benefits The first is the immediate vision of God so as neuer man saw him in this world If to liue in the presence of great Princes on earth be such a preferment what is it to liue in Gods presence for euer and if to see the Monarches of the earth in their glory so much affect men what is that eternall sight when men that once were but dust and clay are now admitted to behold that infinite perfection and fountaine of all goodnesse In God wee shall behold most perfectly all those things that can be of power to stirre admiration all those beauties and praises that the nature of man can delight in The second is the perfection of their owne natures both in soule and body Then shall their countenances shine like the Sunne in the firmament then shall their very bodies be like spirits able to passe whither they will in a moment then shall they possesse health without all infirmitie or power to feele paine or defect nor sorrow sicknesse or weaknesse shall any more assaile them but greater things than those shall be bestowed vpon their soules for then shall their knowledge be made perfect Here wee know but in part there we shall know as we are knowne there we shall enioy an euerlasting day It is darke night with vs in this world in comparison of that celestiall light of knowledge Here we are groaping in the darke to finde out some parts of truth but there God who is whole truth it selfe shall fill our mindes with the shining beames of his light Then shall all the faculties of the soule be made perfectly glorious in all righteousnesse and true holinesse all impotencies being remoued God himselfe being all in all in the Elect for euer The third is the acquaintance and most glorious societie with all the Angels of Heauen and all iust men of all ages and degrees which fellowship shall be made perfectly comfortable all things that may offend being remoued from them both in their natures and workes The heart of man
the word they reioyce in nor doe they apply the promises to themselues so as to beleeue Gods fauour and their owne saluation in the world to come 7. The gifts of restraining grace this is a great gift by which a man is made to forbeare many vile actions contrary to the bent of his owne nature and to act diuers things wholly aboue his owne disposition so as he is as if he were another man as Saul was when the spirit of God fell vpon him and so many men euen among the heathen had an expression on of valour wisdome chastity iustice c. and this was from the holy Ghost for the good of humane societies Thus God kept Abimelech from Abrahams wife Gen. 20. 6. Thus Haman can refraine his rage against Mordecai Hest. 5. 10. If this gift were not wicked men would bee as the wilde beasts of the desert And yet it is one thing to restraine a mans corruptions and another thing to mortifie them Thus of the operations of the holy Ghost tâ—at are common both to good and bad but the surpassing glory of his working is in the benefits proper to the Elect only so his works may be considered either in general or in particular The generall workes are 1. The conception and qualification of the humane nature of our Sauiour by which hee was made fit for that great worke of the redemption of all the Elect Math. 1. 18. Esay 61. 1. and 42. 1. and thus hee receiued the Spirit without measure Ioh. 3. 34. 2. His habitation in the godly their hearts being the temple of the holy Ghost so as he dwells in them after a wonderfull manner Rom. 8. 11. Eph. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 6. 3. The regeneration of all the Elect in their seasons Ioh. 3. 3. 5. 1 Thes 2. 13. Tit. 3. 5. Thus they are washed sanctified and iustified 1 Cor. 6. 11. and in respect of new graces the godly are the Epistle of Christ euery grace being as a word or letter grauen vpon their hearts by the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3. 3. 4. The vniting of all the godly into one mysticall body being himselfe the bond of that vnion in Iesus Christ of which most glorious worke the Scriptures speak euidently Eph. 4. 3 4. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. 5. The quickning and raising vp of our bodies at the last day Rom. 8. 10. The particular workes or things he worketh in the godly are such as these maruellous things as 1. Liberty Liberty I say chiefly from the power of sinne making a godly man able to subdue such corruptions as nostrength of nature or naturall arguments or meanes could euer master This is farre aboue restraining grace Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. and The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me saith S. Paul from the law of sinne and of death Rom. 8. 2. and this the Spirit doth first by working a spirituall circumcision vpon the heart causing a man to imploy himselfe in the duties of mortification till he giue deadly wounds to his beloued sinnes and at length cast them away like a lothsome fore-skin Rom. 2. 29. making a man to accuse and condemne himselfe pray against the deedes of the flesh till hee get some victory ouer his corruptions Rom. 8. 13. and in this worke the holy Ghost discouers himselfe as a Spirit of iudgment and a Spirit of burning as the Prophet Esay calls him Esa 4. 4. Secondly by lusting against the flesh that is stirring vp consent and earnest desires and grones to be rid of the burthen of corruption Gal. 5. 17. Thirdly by causing a man to heare a word behind him when hee is about to goe out of the way either on the right hand and on the left Esay 30. that is by daily good motions and inward checks of conscience which tend to diswade a man from yeelding to any thing he knowes to be a sinne Fourthly by baptizing the penitent sinner with the baptisme of fire Matth. 3. 11. which is when the holy Ghost falls vpon his heart and so inflames his affections that he is full of indignation and a desire of holy reuenge against his corruptions and an vnspeakable zeale after righteousnesse and Gods glory 2. The infusing of diuine gifts qualifying the godly with such abilities as are altogether aboue nature such as are Faith Loue Hope and the gift of Prayer no man can beleeue things aboue reason and without meanes vnlesse he haue the spirit of faith Rom. 4. 17 18. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 11. 1. The loue of God is likewise shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. and it is the Spirit that makes a man hope and wait for the righteousnesse to be reuealed in another world Gal. 5. 5. and therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of prayer or supplication Zach. 12. 11. because it is he only that qualifies a man with such a language as to be able to speake to God with iudgement affections and confidence Rom. 8. 15. Yea besides these he bestowes such gifts vpon the godly in respect of which they are said to partake of the diuine nature as they are made like vnto God 2 Pet. 1. 4. as when the Spirit makes a man resemble God in his contentment in his loue in his knowledge or wisdome and in mercy and a pure and sound minde and patience and goodnesse and such like First it is a wonderfull worke to make the heart of man vnmoueable like God delighted and pleased and at rest in himselfe without discontentment at his condition and this peace and ioy the Holy Ghost is the author of Rom. 15. 13. and 14. 17. Secondly the Holy Ghost makes a man to resemble God in his loue to the godly aboue all the people of the world and is therefore called the Spirit of loue Rom. 15. 30. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Thirdly to let goe all the other gifts of the Spirit which are mentioned in that catalogue Gal. 5. 22. I will only instance further in that grace of knowledge it is a wonderfull worke to make a man vnderstand supernaturall things the mysteries of Gods kingdome which are knowne only to God himselfe for the naturall man perceiueth them not 1 Cor. 2. 14. 13. 10. Matth. 13. 11. as to know how God stands affected to vs yea to know the height length bredth and depth of Gods loue to vs Eph. 3. 19 20. yea to know those sacred truths so as to be transformed by them and changed into the likenesse of the things taught vs from one glorious grace to another 2 Cor. 3. vlt. Now this knowledge or wisdome from aboue the Spirit worketh in vs both by curing and making sound our mindes 2 Tim. 1. 7. and by leading vs into all truth and bringing to remembrance the things which we haue heard Ioh. 14. 26. The third worke of the Holy Ghost in the elect is the fanctification of their works or
by some Diuines That Iesus is his proper name is manifest but whether Christ be his Syrname as some think may iustly bee doubted because it seemes rather a Title of Office as King Duke or Earle are amongst men which are no Syrnames And in Iesus COncerning this Title of Iesus diuers things are to bee considered 1. The Etymologie of it It comes of an Hebrew roote and signifies a Sauiour and is the same name with Ioshuah and Iehoshuah and it may well be that he had an Hebrew name to signifie that he was a Sauiour of the Iewes and hee had a Greeke name Christ to signifie the interest the Grecians or Gentiles had in him 2. Who gaue him this Name Hee did not assume it to himselfe though knowing the end of his comming and the fulnesse of his sufficiencie he might haue done it neither was it put vpon him by men who giue names either casually without respect of signification or else when they giue good significant names there is a contradiction betweene their names and their liues but an Angell was sent from Heauen with great solemnity to appoint and impose his Name before he was borne Luke 1. 26. and hee talketh with the Virgin about it as an euill Angell talked with the woman about our perdition so heere a good Angell talkes with the Virgin about our Saluation 3. Why was he called Iesus Answer this Name Iesus or a Sauiour agrees to mâ—ntso fitly as to Christ hee onely deserues to be so called 1. Because his worke is to saue his people Matthew 1. 21. 2. Because there is no other Sauiour but he hee alone saueth them there is no other Name in Heauen and Earth by which we can be saued Acts 4. 12. Rom. 5. 17. 3. Because he saues from sinnes which no man can doe to deliuer from diseases of the body Physitians may or from thraldome and outward seruitude great Princes or commanders may but to saue the soule and from sinne none but Christ can Mat. 1. 21. And to saue from sinne is the greater worke because it cannot bee done vnlesse Gods Iustice be satisfied and mans nature recouered and the diuels conquered and the world ouercome c. 4. Because he can ransome and redeeme dead men Rom. 8. 2. 11. 5. Because he saues by such a price he redeemes by dying by shedding his owne bloud who also is more then man to saue vs he destroyes himselfe Gal. 3. 13. Heb. 2. 9 10. 13. 12. 6. Because he is a perfect Sauiour he will by degrees deliuer his people from the guilt of sinne and the power of it and the effects of it so as at the last they shall be freed from all sinne and miserie for euer He makes Attonement for all sinnes 1. Iohn 1. 7. not for one onely and vndertakes to pay all our debts and to heale all our diseases and at the last day will free vs from all sorrowes sicknesse sin death and all misery whatsoeuer 7. Because he is an eternall Sauiour hee doth not saue such as liued in one age onely but hee saueth all that come to him in euery Age Heb. 7. 25. 13. 8. 8. Because he is a generall Sauiour not of Iewes onely but of Gentiles also Rom. 3. 25. Hee is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1. 9. Because hee doth all this worke of Saluation by one offering of himselfe hee did it at once for all Ages Heb. 10. 14. 10. Because his Redeemed ones shall neuer bee in bondage againe 11. Because he giues such preferment to all his Redeemed ones as neuer Conquerour did or was able to giue Hee makes them all Sonnes of God Heires coheires with himselfe and giues them all eternall life which will best appeare at the last day Colos 3. 3. 4. Rom. 5. 17. 6. 23. Reuel 19. 10. The Vse should be especially for instruction and so in many things 1. This should be tidings of great Ioy that there is a Iesus a Sauiour such a Sauiour This word Iesus is a short Gospell euen the substance of all good newes Acts 8. 35. our hearts should reioyce and our tongues should be glad Acts 2. 26. 22. Yea our whole liues should bee filled with gladnes and thankefulnesse that haue such a Sauiour that saues not from the Turke but from the diuell that pacifies not the wrath of a mortall man but of the Immortall God that payes all our debts that ouercomes all our enemies that saues not our bodies onely from sicknesse but our soules also from sinne 2. We should especially looke to it that we faile not of Saluation by Iesus but labour to be such as he may be Iesus to vs and so three things are necessarie 1. That we should seeke vnto him for our ransome and healing and Saluation and desire to know nothing but the Lord Iesus onely 1. Cor. 2. 2. 2. That wee beleeue in his Name this is Gods preceptorie Commandement or wee shall haue no part in Iesus 1. Iohn 3. 23. 3. That if we would haue him saue vs from our sinnes that they damne vs not we must then repent and conuert from our sinnes if we would haue God to blesse vs in Iesus Acts 2. 19. 13. 23. 24. Gal. 5. 6. Ephesians 4. 21. 2. Thes 3. 6. Iude 4. 3. Wee should shew that wee are saued by Iesus by liuing so as may become this Doctrine and so wee should shew it 1. By acknowledging his supremacie and sufficiencie against all the Popes Papists and diuells in the world wee should magnifie his Name aboue all Names Acts 19. 17. 1. Cor. 12. 3. 2. By louing the Lord Iesus aboue all things accounting all things but losse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of him 1. Pet. 1. 9. Phil. 3. 8. longing for his appearing and praying daily that the Lord Iesus would come Reuel 22. 1. Thes 1. 10. 3. By liuing to him spending our daies in his seruice and as may become the honour of such a Sauiour 1. Thes 4. 1. doing all things in his name Colos 3. 17. and seeking his glory more then our owne things Phil. 3. 20. we should set him alwaies before vs Acts 2. 22. 25. 4. By hauing no confidence in the flesh but placing all our ioy and trust in Iesus Phil. 3. 3. 5. By willing suffering any thing for Iesus sake Yea our liues should not bee deare to vs to confirme the testimonie of Iesus Acts 5. 41. 20. 24. 21. 13. 2. Cor. 4. 11. Reu. 12. 6. By liuing louingly and with vnity amongst our selues Paul beseecheth them by this Name Iesus that there should be no diuisions amongst them especially in matters of Religion for Iesus is a Sauiour alone and hee cannot bee diuided 1. Cor. 1. 10. 7. By shewing all Faith and Hope in the expectation of the Resurrection of our bodies and Saluation of our soules Finally this explication of the Name of Iesus may shew diuers sorts of men know not
Iesus as 1. The Man of sinne that vndertakes by his owne power to deliuer the people from their sinnes by giuing them pardons or by appointing them intercessors or by prescribing them waies of satisfaction for their sinnes and all besides Iesus 2. All such as do not see themselues to be lost and so to need a Sauiour 3. All such as liue in their sinnes without repentance for that shewes that Iesus hath not saued them from their sinnes Iude 4. 4. All that dispaire vnder the burthen of their sins 5. All that will not bow at the Name of Iesus First that will not by sound subiection and obedience yeeld themselues to be gouerned by Iesus Christ and by his ordinances Phil. 2. 11. 't is not bowing their legges will serue the turne 6. All such persons in generall as doe things contrary to the Name of Iesus by opposing that good way of Saluation in Iesus Acts 26. 9. Thus of the first Title Christ His second Title is Christ Where I consider first of the terme and then of the things signified by the terme About the terme diuers things are to be considered 1. The signification Christ is a Greeke word and signifies Anointed and is the same in sense with the Hebrew word Messiah which also signifies Anointed 2. Why in the New Testament and so in our Creed hee is called rather Christ by a Greeke terme then Messiah which was the antient and Hebrew terme And that may bee to signifie the interest of the Gentiles for as Iesus an Hebrew name shewes the Right of the Iewes so Christ a Greeke name shewes the Right of the Gentiles both meeting in one Mediator betweene God and all sorts of men 3. The necessity of taking in this Title into our Creed for the Iewes willingly acknowledged this Title of Iesus Iohn 6. 24. but excommunicated out of their Synagogues any that would openly acknowledge this Title of Christ Iohn 9. and therefore it stands vs vpon to hold fast this Title 4. It must bee noted that in the fift Application of this terme it must not onely be annexed to Iesus Acts 2. 36. Luke 2. 26. 27. but it must be vnderstood as if it were read the Christ the terme of Christ as Anointed may be giuen to other men as Dauid was Christ or Anointed so are Kings Gods Anointed but none was the Christ but Iesus of Nazareth Thus of the terme Christ The thing signified is his Anointing and about the Anointing of Iesus diuers things are to be considered 1. Who Anointed him viz. the Spirit of the Lord or the whole Trinity Esay 61. 1. 2. What his Anointing comprehends viz the substance of all that which was signified by the Oyle in the Ceremoniall Law especially the Oyle with which the high Priest was Anointed for thereby was shadowed 1. That hee was certainely the person was chosen to the Office of a Mediator for as the powring out of the Oyle did shew which was the Man that was the Priest or King so the Anointing of Iesus did shew that hee was the person chosen for this great worke 2. That he had his ordination to his Office from God for the Oyle in the Law was prescribed by God onely no creature did prescribe it or might make the like Exod. 30. 33. 37. 3. That he was qualified with abundance of grace and fitnesse for his Office as that Oyle was compounded of diuers spices Exod. 30. 34. so was Christ indued with all sorts of gifts needfull for a Mediator He was full of grace and truth Iohn 1. 14. and hee had of the Oyle aboue his fellowes neuer any Anointed with such a measure of graces God gaue not him the Spirit by measure Iohn 3. 34. Psal 45. 7. Acts 10. 38. 4. That he did execute the Office of Mediator with vnspeakable gladnesse and willingnesse Neuer man did worke so willingly It was the Oyle of gladnesse hee was Anointed withall Psal 45. 7. 5. That the gifts bestowed vpon him were such as were agreeable to his humane nature for the Oyle consisted of earthly substance his humane nature was not endowed with the essentiall properties of the God-head but with created qualities 6. That Iesus should be acceptable to God and man he was a sweet smelling sauour vnto God and no perfume can smell so sweet in the nostrills of men as doth Iesus in the hearts of all beleeuers nothing sauours so sweetely 7. That our persons and workes are made acceptable to God by him As the Oyle did not onely wet Aarons head but ranne downe vpon his garments so Christ is qualified with those rich graces not onely to make himselfe acceptable to God but all his members smell of his Oyle in the sight of God Wee are saith the Apostle a sweet sauour vnto God in Iesus Christ Psal 133. 2. Cor. 2. 16. wee haue receiued of his Anointing 1. Iohn 2. 27. The third thing is to which nature this Anointing belongs For answer it belongs to the whole Person and so to both Natures Christ is Mediator and so Anointed in respect of his Person for Anointing comprehending especially ordination to the Office and qualification for it though in respect of the latter the humane Nature was richly adorned as a sumptuous Palace for the diuine nature to dwell in and the diuine Nature could not need any pouring out of gifts yet in respect of ordination to the worke of Mediator the diuine Nature is assigned of God and chosen thereunto aswell as the humane The fourth thing is to what he was Anointed or to what Office I answer hee was Anointed to bee all that which the Ceremoniall Anointing did signifie Now three sorts of men were Anointed Priests and Kings ordinarily and the Prophet Elizeus extraordinarily which shadowed out that the Messias should be both the Prophet the Priest and the King of the Church and to all these three was he called and accordingly qualified with three especiall gifts Wisedome Holinesse and Power Wisedome fits him for his propheticall Office and holinesse for his Priestly Office and Power for his regall Office and so he answers to three things in our misery The first is our ignorance the second is the corruptions disorder of our liues the third is the guiltinesse by which we are lyable to eternall punishment our ignorance hee takes away as a Prophet our guiltinesse as a Priest and our corruption and disorder as a King bringing vs into order His worke then is threefold to be a Prophet to the Church a Priest and a King his work as Prophet is to teach the Church all needfull knowledges His worke as Priest is to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the Elect His worke as a King is to gather and rule the Church First then he is Anointed a Prophet to the Church and his worke is to teach and about his prophecying or teaching wee haue many things to inquire of as 1. What he treats of in his teaching and so his worke is to