is manifest in Pharao for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt yet would he not submit himselfe saue onely for a fit while the hand of God was vpon him for after he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie he feeles no miserie And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing reâ—oycing And to come neere to our selues it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies For where is any â—uâ—ning to God by repentance Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse We haue had the word preached among vs a long time but it taketh no place in mens hearts They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil which the more it is beat with the haÌ„nmar the harder it is But in the feare of God let vs seeke to be changed and take heede the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues a man may haue good gifts of God as the gift of knowledge the gift of prophecie the gift of conceiuing a prayer I say not of praying truly and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart For this cause it standeth euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoid the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes and be touched in conscience for them euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof this is a token of grace II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ we say indeede that we feele it but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe and as it were gape after Christ as the drie and thirstie land where no water is Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much and many other gifts of God yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes and the want of Christ and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill and confound all those that be his enemies and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kind of desperation is not euill For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation it tends to his eternall comfort But finall desperation is when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe and in Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues This sinne is caused thus So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge waight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie God said to Cain If thou doe amisse sinne lyeth at â—hy doore Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face and rend out his throat In like maner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the doore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance God will make thee to feele them once before thou die and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our â—innes and become the friends of Christ that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen earth we are bound to performe vnto him three duties reuerence obedience thankfulnes For the first Paul saith God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus which name is his exaltation in heauen in full power and glorie should euery knee bowe We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently what reuerence then do we owe vnto Christ the king of heauen and earth Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment when he might haue slaine him because he was the Lords annointed On then howe much more ought our hearts to be touched if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king SecoÌ„dly we are here taught to performe obedience to him to do him all the homage we can The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed nowe the Church of Christ is a family and we are members thereof therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things for all his commandements are iust When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel certaine men which feared God whose hearts God had touched followed him to Gibea and brought him presents but the wicked despised him the same is much more to be verified in vs toward Christ our Lord. Wee must haue our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vnto him if not we are men of Belial that despise him If this obedience were put in practise the Gospel would haue better successe in the hearts of the people and the Lords sabbath would be better kept and men would beare greater loue both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe The third dutie which we owe vnto him is thankfulnesse for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vs. When Dauid waxed olde and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead al the people shouted and cried God saue king Salomon God saue king Salomon so as the earth rang againe Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vnto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie though
shall return vnto me with their whole heart In this knowledge of God must we glorie Ierem. 9.24 Let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shew mercie iudgement and righteousnes in the earth II. An vnion with God whereby man is knit in heart with God Iosh. 23. 8. Sticke fast vnto the Lord your God as yee haue done vnto this day Act. 11.23 He exhorted all that with purpose of heart they would cleaue to the Lord. Man cleaueth vnto God three manner of waies in affiance in loue and feare of God Affiance is that whereby a man acknowledging the power and mercie of God and in him against all assaults whatsoeuer doth stedfastly rest himselfe 2. Chro. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured beleeue his Prophets and ye shal prosper Psal. 27.1 God is my light and my saluation whome should I feare God is the strength of my life of whom should I be afraid v. 3. Though an hoast pitched against me mine heart should not be afraide though warre be raised against me I will be secure Hence riseth patience and alacritie in present perils Psal. 39.19 I should haue beene dumb and not opened my mouth because thou didst it 2. Sam. 16.10 the King said What haue I to doe with you ye sonnes of Zeruiah If he cursed because the Lord said Curse Dauid what is he that dare say Why doest thou so Gen. 45.5 Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruatiō v. 8. Now then you sent me not but god himselfe 2. King 6.16 Feare not for they that be with vs are moe thē they that be with thē This affiance engendreth hope which is a patient expectatiō of Gods presence assistance in all things that are to come Psal. 37.5 Cōmit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe vers 7. Waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him Prou. 16.3 Commit thy worke vnto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed The loue of God is that wherby man acknowledging Gods goodnes and fauour towards him doth againe loue him aboue all things Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength The marks of the true loue of God are these I. To heare willingly his word II. To speake often to him III. To thinke often of him IV. To do his will without irkesomnes V. To giue bodie and all for his cause VI. To desire his presence aboue all to bewaile his absence VII To embrace al such things as appertaine to him VIII To loue and hate that which he loueth and hateth IX In all things to seeke to please him X. To draw others vnto the loue of him XI To esteeme highly of such gifts and graces as he bestoweth XII To stay our selues vpon his counsels reuealed in his word Lastly to call vpon his name with affiance The feare of God is that whereby man acknowledging Gods both mercy and iustice doth as it were a capital crime feare to displease God Psal. 103. 3. With thee is mercie that thou maist be feared Habak 3.16 When I heard it my belly trembled my lips shooke at the voice rottennes entred into my bones I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble when he commeth vp against the people to destroy them Psal. 4.4 Tremble and sinne not Hence ariseth the godly mans desire to approoue himselfe in all things to his God Gen. 5.22 And Henoch walked with God after that c. Gen. 17. 1. God said to him I am al-sufficient walke before me and be thou perfect Out of these three former vertues proceedeth humilitie whereby a man acknowledging Gods free bountie and prostrating himselfe before him doth ascribe vnto him all praise and glorie 1. Cor. 1.31 Let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord. 1. Pet. 5.5 Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of mind for God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble v. 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1. Chro. 29. 10,11 And Dauid sayd Blessed be thou O Lord God of Israel our father for euer and thine O Lorde is greatnes and power and glorie and victorie and praise for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine c. and v. 14. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer willingly on this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand we haue giuen thee c. The negatiue part Account not that as God which is by nature no God In this place are these sinnes forbidden I. Ignorance of the true God and his will which is not only not to know but also to doubt of such things as God hath reuealed in his word Ierem. 4. 22. My people is foolish they haue not known me they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knoweledge Ierem. 9.3 They proceede from euill to worse and haue not knowne me saith the Lord. II. Atheisme when the heart denieth either God or his attributes as his Iustice Wisdome Prouidence Presence Psal. 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Eph. 2. 12. Ye had no hope and were without God in the world Malach. 1.2 I loue you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein haue we spoken against thee v. 14. Ye haue said it is in vaine to serue God what profit is it that we haue kept his commandements and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts III. Errours concerning God the persons of the Deitie or the attributs Heere is it to be reprooued Hellenisme which is the acknowledging adoring of a multiplicitie of Gods August in his 6. booke of the Citie of God chap. 7. Againe Iudaisme is here condemned which worshippeth one God without Christ. The like may be said of the heresies of the Maniches and Marcian who denie God the Father of Sabellius denying the distinction of three persons and Arrius who saith that Christ the Sonne of God is not very God IV. To withdraw and remooue the affections of the heart from the lord and set them vpon other things Esay 29.13 The Lord said this people draweth neere me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is farre from me Ierem. 12.2 Thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reynes The heart is many waies withdrawne from God I. By distrust in God Heb. 10.38 The iust shall liue by faith but if any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him From this diffidence arise I. Impatience in suffering afflictions Ierem. 20. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the
ouer the seruants of Saul and said I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob to Abimelech the sonne of Ahitub 10. Who asked counsell of the Lord for him and gaue him victualls and he gaue him also the sword of Goliah the Philistim Of this deede Dauid thus speaketh Psal. 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy wickednesse O man of power the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer 2. Thy tongue imagineth mischeife and is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully 3. Thou doest loue euill more then good and lies more then to speake the trueth 4. Thou louest all wordes that may destroy O deceitfull tongue VIII To open or declare our neighbours secret to any man especially if he did it of infirmitie Mat. 18.15 Moreouer if thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother Pro. 11.13 He that goeth about as a slanderer discouereth a secret but he that is of a faithfull heart concealeth a matter IX All babling talke and bitter wordes Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all vncleannesse let it not be once named among you 4. Neither filthinesse neither foolish talking neither iesting which are not comely but rather giuing of thankes Ioh. 9.34 They answered and said vnto him Thou art altogither borne in sinnes and doest thou teach vs so they cast him out This iesting or as it is nowe tearmed wit which Aristotle the Philosopher maketh a vertue is by Paul the Apostle accounted a vice and that not without cause I. Such quipps as sting others though they be a great pleasure for some to heare yet are they very offensiue to such as are so girded II. It is very hard to make Christian both godlinesse and grauity to agree with such behauiour Obiect But salt and tart speeches are vsull in the scriptures 1. King 18. 27. Eliah mocked the Priests of Baal Esa. 14.9 Answer Such speeches are not spoken to please others but are sharply deuounced against Gods enemies to his glorie X. Flatterie whereby we praise our neighbour aboue that we knowe in him Prou. 27.6 The woundes of a louer are faithfull but the kisses of an enemie are to be shunned 14. He that praiseth his friende with a loud voice rising early in the morning it shall be counted to him as a curse Act. 12.22 And the people gaue a shout saying The voice of God and not of man This is a grieuous sinne in the ministers of the word 1. Thess. 2.5 Neither did we euer vse flattering wordes as ye knowe nor coloured couetousnesse God is record Ier. 6.13 For from the least of thē euen vnto the greatest of them euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse and from the Prophet euen vnto the priest they all deale falsely 14. They haue healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete wordes saying Peace peace when there is no peace Rom. 16.18 For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple XI Foolish and ouer confident boasting Prou. 27.1 Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a daie may bring forth 2. Let another praise thee and not thine owne mouth a stranger and not thine owne lips XII To accuse or witnesse against one falsely 1. King 21.13 Naboth blasphemed God and the king The affirmatiue part Preserue the good name of thy neighbour Eccles. 7.3 A good name is better then a good ointment Here is commanded I. A reioicing for the credit and good estimation of thy neighbour Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace gentlenesse Rom. 1.8 First I thank my God through Iesus Christ for you all because your faith is published throughout the whole world II. Willingly to acknowledge that goodnes we see in any man whatsoeuer and onely to speake of the same Tit. 3.2 That they speake euill of no man that they be no fighters but soft shewing all meekenes to all men Moreouer wee must with all desire receiue and beleeue reports of our neighbours good Act. 16.1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra and behold a certaine Disciple was there named Timotheus a womans sonne which was a Iewesse beleeued but his father was a Grecian 2. Of whome the brethren which were at Lystra Iconium reported wel 3. Therefore Paul would that he should goe forth with him and tooke and circumcised him Notwithstanding this must so be performed of vs that in no wise wee approoue and allowe of the vices and faults of men 2. Chron. 25.2 And hee did vprightly in the eies of the Lord but not with a perfect heart And chap. 27.2 And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Vzziah did saue that he entred not into the temple of the Lord the people did yet corrupt their waies III. To interpret a doutfull euill to the better part Cor. 13.5 Loue thinketh not euill 7. It beleeueth all things it hopeth all things Gen. 37.31 And they tooke Iosephs coate and killed a kidde of the goats and dipped the coat in the bloode 32. So they sent that parti-coloured coate and they brought it to their father and said This haue we found see now whether it be thy sonnes coate or no. 33. Then hee knew it and said It is my sonnes coate a wicked beast hath deuoured him Ioseph is surely torne in peeces And here obserue the religiō of that Ioseph which was betrothed to Mary who when he sawe that Mary was with child was readier to conclude that before her betroathing she was with child by committing fornication then after by cōmitting adulterie Mat. 1.19 But for all this men must not be too too credulous or light of beleefe Ioh. 2.24 But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them◠because he knewe them all IV. Not to beleeue an euill report running abroad amongst the common people by the whisperings of talebearers as it were by conduit pipes Psal. 15.3 Hee that slaundereth not with his tongue nor doth euill to his neighbour nor receiueth a false report against his neighbour Ierem. 40.14 And they saide vnto him Knowest thou not that Baalis the king of the Ammonites had sent Ishmac◠the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee but Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued him not 16. But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam said vnto Ionathan the sonne of Kareah thou shalt not doe this thing for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael But we ought also to be angrie at such whisperings Pro. 25.23 As the North wind driueth away the raine so doth an angrie countenance the slaundering tongue V. To keepe secret the offence of our neighbour except it must of necessitie be reuealed Prou. 10.12 Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue couereth all trespasses Mat. 1.19 Then Ioseph her husband beeing a iust man and not willing to make her a publike example
man but onely order and incline it without any constraint to one part As for example when a people is gathered togither to heare gods word there is none of them but they knowe that they come thither by Gods prouidence In that respect necessarily yet before they come they had all freedome and libertie in themselues to come or not to come and Gods eternall counsell did not hinder the libertie of our wills in comming or not comming nor take away the same but onely incline and turne them to the choice of one part An other example hereof we may haue in our Sauiour Christ whose state and condition of bodie if we regard he might haue liued longer yet by the eternall counsell of God he must die at that place at that time at that houre where and when he died Whereby we may see that Gods counsell doth not hinder the will of man but only order and dispose it Which answer being well marked we shall see these two will stand togither the necessarie and vnchangeable counsell of God and the free will of man And againe that the same action may be both necessarie and contingent necessarie in regard of the highest cause the counsell of God not necessarie but contingent in respect of the second causes as among the rest the will of man Thirdly some will yet obiect against this doctrine that if all things come to passe according to Gods vnchangeable decree then what needes the vsing of any meanes what needs the preaching of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments what needes any lawes Princes Magistrates or gouernment what needes walking in mens ordinarie callings all is to no ende for let men play or worke sleepe or wake let them doe what they will all is one for Gods eternall counsell must needes come to passe therefore it may seeme in vaine for men to busie themselues about such things Answ. But we must know that as God hath appointed all things to come to passe in his eternall and vnchangeable counsell so in the same decree he hath together set downe the meanes and waies whereby he will haue the same things brought to passe for these two must neuer be seuered the thing to be done and the meanes whereby it is done We may read in the Acts in Pauls dangerous voyage towardes Rome and Angel of the Lord tolde Paul that God had giuen him all that sailed with him in the shippe now the soldiers and marriners hearing this might reason thus with themselues Seeing God hath decreed to saue vs all we may do what we will there is no danger for we shall all come to land aliue but marke what Paul saith except these abide in the shippe ye can not be safe where we see that as it was the eternall counsell of God to saue Paul and all that were with him so he decreed to saue all by this particular meanes of their aboad in the shippe King Ezechias was restored to his health and receiued from God a promise that he should haue 15. yeares added to his daies and the promise was confirmed by signe now what doth he cast off all meanes no but as he was prescribed so he applieth a bunch of drie figges to his sore and vseth still his ordinarie diet Therefore it is grosse ignorance and madnesse in men to reason so against Gods decree God in his vnchangeable counsell hath decreed and set downe all things how they shall be therefore I will vse no meanes but liue as I list nay rather we must say the contrarie because God hath decreed this thing or that to be done therefore I will vse the meanes which God hath appointed to bring the same to passe Now follows the Creation which is nothing else but a worke of the blessed Trinitie forming and framing his creatures which were not before and that of nothing The points to be knowne concerning the creation are many The first is the thing by which God did beginne and finish the creation And we must vnderstand that at the first God made all things without any instrumēt or meanes and not as men doe which bring to passe their busines by seruants and helps but onely by his word and commandement as the Psalmist saith He commanded and all things were made In the beginning God saide Let there be light and there was light and by the same meanes was the creation of euery creature following The very power of the word commandement of God was such as by it that thing was made and had a beeing which before was not It may be demaunded what word this was by which God is saide to make all things Answ. The word of God in Scripture is taken three waies for the substantiall word for the sounding or written word for the operatiue or powerfull word The substantiall word is the second person begotten of the substance of the father Now howsoeuer it be true that God the father did create all things by his word that is by his Sonne yet doth it not seeme to be true that by these words God said let there be this or that that the Sonne is meant For that word which God gaue out in the creation was in time whereas the Sonne is the word of the father before all times and againe it is a word common to the three persons equally whereas the Sonne is the word of the father onely Furthermore it is not like that it was any sounding word standing of letters and syllables and vttered to the creatures after the vsuall manner of men that was the cause of them it remaines therfore that all things were made by the operatiue word which is nothing but the pleasure will and appointment of God and is more powerfull to bring a thing to passe then all the meanes in the world beside For Gods willing of any thing is his effecting and doing of it And this is prooued by Dauid when he saith He spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created Hence we must take out a speciall lesson needfull to be learned of euery man Looke what power God vsed and shewed in making the creatures when they were not the same power he both can and will shew forth in recreating and redeeming sinnefull men by the pretious blood of Christ. By his word he created mans heart when it was not and he can and will as easily create in vs all new hearts specially when we vse the good meanes appointed for that ende As when Christ said to dead Lazarus Lazarus come forth he arose and came forth of his graue though boūd hand foot so when the Lord speaks to our dead hearts by his word and spirit we shall rise forth of the graues of our sins corruptions In the creation of the great world God saide let there be light and presently darknes gaue place and the same he can do to the little world that is to man We are by
our nature tooke our infirmities also it is a wonderfull comfort vnto Gods Church for it shewes that he is not only a Sauiour but also a very compassionate and pitiful Sauiour As the holy Ghost saith In all thinges it became Christ to be like vnto his brethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God Let a man be sicke of a grieuous disease and let a friend come that hath beene troubled with the very same disease he will presently shewe more compassion then twentie others and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifold perplexities that we feele in our temptations and afflictiōs hath his bowels as it were yearning towards vs euermore being prest and readie to releeue vs in all our miseries In the daies of his flesh he wept ouer Ierusalem when he sawe it a farre off because shee continued in her olde sinnes and did not knowe the time of her visitation and no doubt though now he be exalted in glorie in heauen yet his compassion to his poore members vpon earth is no whit diminished Now we come to speake of the Incarnation more particularly the creed yet further expresseth it by two parts the first is the conception of Christ in these words Conceiued by the holy ghost the second is his birth in the words following Borne of the virgine Marie The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause the Holy Ghost as the angel said to Ioseph Feare not to take Marie for thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ should be ascribed to the Holy Ghost alone which is common to all the persons in Trinitie as all other such actions are Ans. It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke but to signifie that it comes of the free gift and grace of God which commonly is tearmed by the holy ghost that the manhood of Christ beeing but a creature should be aduanced to this dignitie that it should become a part of the Sonne of God And againe the Holy Ghost is the author of this conception in a speciall manner for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost from them both immediately In the conception of Christ we must obserue and consider three thinges The framing of the manhood the sanctifying of it and the personall vnion of the manhood with the Godhead And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake yet must we know and remember that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time For when the holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the Virgin at the very same moment it is receiued into the vnitie of the second person In the framing of Christs manhood two things must be considered the matter and the maner The matter of his bodie was the very flesh and blood of the virgin Marie otherwise he could not haue beene the sonne of Dauid of Abraham and Adam according to the flesh As for his soule it was not deriued from the soule of the virgin Marie as a part thereof but it was made as the soules of all other men be that is of nothing by the very power of God and placed in the bodie both of them from the first moment of their beeing hauing their subsistance in the person of the sonne And here we must take heed of two opinions the first is of the Anabaptists which holde that the flesh of Christ came downe from heauen and passed through the virgin Marie as through a pipe without taking any substance from her the places which they alleadge for the purpose are manifestly abused For whereas Christ saith of himselfe that he descended from heauen his speech must be vnderstoode in respect of his Godhead which may be said in some sort to descend in that it was made manifest in the manhood here vpon earth And whereas Paul calleth him heauenly and the Lord from heauen it is not in respect of the substance of his bodie but in respect of the glorious qualities which he receiued after this resurrection The other opinion is of the Papists that hold the bread in the sacrament to be turned substantially into the bodie of Christ which thing if it be true then the bodie of Christ is made of bread kneaded and tempered by the hand of the baker and not of the substance of the virgin Marie As for the manner of the making and framing of the humane nature of Christ it was miraculous not by generation according to the ordinarie course of nature but by an extraordinary operation of the holy Ghost aboue nature and for this cause it is not within the compasse of mans reason either to conceiue or to expresse the manner and order of this conception The Angel ascribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this great worke the one to come vpon the virgin Marie the other to ouershadow her by the first is signified the extraordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in fashioning the humane nature of Christ for so much the phrase elsewhere importeth The second signifieth that the holy Ghost did as it were cast a cloud ouer her to teach vs that we should not search ouer much into the mysterie of the Incarnation It may be obiected against this which hath bin said that if Christ be in this manner conceiued by the holy Ghost then the holy Ghost shall be father to Christ and Christ his sonne Answ. The reason is not good For he that is a father is not a bare efficient cause but one which in the effecting of any thing conferres the matter vnto it from himselfe whereof it shall be made Now the holy Ghost did not minister any matter vnto Christ from his own substance but did onely as it were take the masse and lumpe of mans nature from the bodie of the virgin Marie and without ordinarie generation made it the bodie of Christ as Basil saith Christ was conceiued not of the substance but of the power not by any generation but by the appointment and benediction of the holy Ghost The second point in the conception is the sanctifying of that masse or lumpe which was to be the manhood of Christ. And that was done vpon speciall cause first that it might be ioyned to the person of the Sonne which could not haue beene if it had beene defiled with sinne Secondly Christ was a Sauiour as he is both God and man now then beeing man if he had beene sinnefull himselfe he could not haue saued others but should haue stoode in neede of a Sauiour for himselfe This sanctification hath two parts the first is the stay and stoppage of the propagation of originall sinne and of the guilt of Adams sinne which was on this manner God in the beginning set downe
this temple and in three daies I will build it vp againe more plainly I haue saith he power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it againe From whence we learne diuers instructions First whereas Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life it serueth to prooue that he was not onely man but also true God For the bodie beeing dead could not bring againe the soule and ioyne it selfe vnto the same and make it selfe aliue againe neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie can returne againe and quicken the bodie and therefore there was some other nature in Christ namely his godhead which did revnite soule and bodie togither and thereâ—y quicken the manhood Secondly if Christ giue life to himselfe beeing dead in the graue then much more nowe beeing aliue and in heauen glorified is hee able to raise vp his members from death to life Wee are all by nature euen starke dead in sinne as the deade bodie rotten in the graue and therefore our duty is to come to Christ our Lord by humble prayer earnestly intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnesse of life He can of men deade in their sinnes make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life The third thing is that Christ rose againe with an earthquake And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death but still remained the absolute Lord and King of heauen and earth to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue the women which came to embalme him and the disciples which came to the sepulchre and would not yet beleeue that he was risen againe But how came this earthquake Ans. Saint Matthew saith there was a great earthquake For the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen c. This shewes that the power of angels is great in that they can mooue and stirre the earth Three angels destroied Sodom and Gomorrha An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one night In the hoast of Senacherib one angel slue in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand men Of like power is the deuill himselfe to shake the earth and to destroy vs all but that God of his goodnesse limits and restraines him of his libertie Well if one angel be able to shake the earth what then will Christ himselfe doe when he shall come to iudgement the second time with many thousand thousands of angels oh how terrible and fearefull will his comming be Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall crie out wishing the hills to fall vpon them and the mountaines to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord. The fourth thing is that an Angel ministred to Christ beeing to rise againe in that he came to the graue and rolled away the stone and sate vpon it Where obserue first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ though dead and buried whereby they acknowledge that his power maiestie and authoritie is not included within the bonds of the earth but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof and that according to his humanitie Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth as the basest of all creatures but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes and in his agonie in the garden Secondly that the opinion of the Papists and others which thinke that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe is without warrant For the end no doubt why the angel rolled away the stone was that Christ might come forth And indeed it is against the order of nature that one body should passe through another without corruption or alteration of either considering that euery bodie occupies a place and two bodies at the same instant can not be in one proper place Furthermore it is saide that when the angel sate on the stone his countenance was like lightening and his rayment as white as snow and this serued to shew what was the glorie of Christ himselfe For if the seruant and minister be so glorious then endles is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe Lastly it is saide that for feare of the angel the watchmen were astonied and became as dead men which teacheth vs that what God would haue come to passe all the world can neuer hinder For though the Iewes had closed vp the graue with a stone and set a band of souldiours to watch least Christ should by any meanes be taken away yet all this auaileth nothing by an angel from heauen the seale is broken the stone is remooued and the watchmen at their wittes endes And this came to passe by the prouidence of God that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Iewes they might at length be conuicted that Christ whome they crucified was the Messias The fifth and last point is that Christ rose not alone but accompanied with others as S. Matthew saith that the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many after Christs resurrection And this came to passe that the church of God might know and consider that there is a reuiuing and quickning vertue in the resurrection of Christ wherby he is able not onely to raise our dead bodies vnto life but also when we are dead in sinne to raise vs vp to newnesse of life And in this very point stands a maine difference betweene the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of any other man For the resurrection of Peter nothing auailes to the raising of Dauid or Paul but Christs resurrection auailes for all that haue beleeued in him by the very same power whereby he raised himselfe he raiseth all his members and therfore he is called a quickning spirit And let vs marke the order obserued in rising First Christ riseth and theÌ„ the Saints after him And this came to passe to verefie the Scripture which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead Now he is the first borne of the deadâ— in that he hath this dignitie and priuiledge to rise to eternall life the first of all men It is true indeed that Lazarus and sundrie others in time rose before Christ but yet they rose to liue a mortall life and to die againe Christ he is the first of all that rose to life euerlasting and to glorie neuer any rose before Christ in this manner And the persons that
known though indeed the minde of man is able to conceiue more then any Christian heart can feele and this is to be seene in Paul who vseth not only to deliuer the points of Gods word in a generall manner but also setteth them downe specially in his own experience So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the blind man who saw men walking like vnto trees that is in motion like men but in forme like trees and the elect are like the same blind man who afterward saw men a farre off cleerely II. Secondly the knowledge of the wicked puffeth them vp but the knoweledge of the godly humbleth them III. Lastly the elect besides the knowledge of Gods worde haue a free and franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations which no reprobate can haue for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes or Familists and many other which brag of the spirit VIII The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time saying Know thine iniquitie for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God c. The chiefe cauie of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holy spirit who detecteth the thoughts of many heartes iudgeth the world of sinne The manner of seeing our sinnes must bee to knowe them particularlie for the vilest wretch in the world can generally and confusedly say he is a sinner but that the sight of sinne may be effectuall to saluation it must be more special distinct euen in particular sinnes so that a man may say with Dauid My sinnes haue taken such hold of me that I am not able to look vp they are more in number then the haires of mine head therefore my heart hath failed me Againe a man must not barely see his particular sinnes but hee must also see the circumstances of them as namely the fearefull curses and iudgements of God which accompanie euerie sinne for the consciences of many tell of their sinnes in particular yet they cannot be humbled for them leaue them because they haue not seene that ougly taile of the curse of God that euery sinne draweth after it IX The meanes to attaine to the sight of sinne is by a diligent examination of a mans own selfe This was the practise of the children of Israel in affliction Let vs trie say they and search our waies and turne againe to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Sauls Courtiers Tremble and sin not examine your own heart on your bed be still This examination must be made by the commandements of the Law but specially by the tenth which ransacketh the heart to the very quick was the meanes of Pauls conuersion For he being a proud pharisie this commandement shewed him some â—innes which otherwise he had not knowne and it killed him that is it humbled him If so bee it that after examination a man cannot find out his sinnes as no man shal find out all his sinnes for the heart of man is a vast gulfe of sinne without either bottom or bank and hath infinit hidden corruptions in it then hee must in a godly iealousie suspect himselfe of his vnknowne sinnes as Dauid did saying Who can vnderstand his faults clense me from my secret faults And as Paul did I know nothing by my selfe yet I am not thereby iustified And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer sawe in themselues For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God and the very Angels are not cleane in his sight X. The third is a sorrowe for sinne which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of god of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne This was in the Iewes after Peters first sermon and in Habacuck at the hearing of Gods iudgements When I heard saith he my belly trembled my lips shooke at thy voice rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the daie of trouble This sorrow is called the spirit of bondage to feare because when the spirit hath made a man see his sins he seeth further the curse of the Law and so he findes himselfe to bee in bondage vnder satan hell death and damnation at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate This sorrow if it continue and increase to some great measure hath certain Symptomes in the bodie as burning heate rowling of the intralls a pining and fainting of the solide parts XI In the feeling of this sorrowe three things are to bee obserued The first all men must looke that it be seriously and soundly wrought in their hearts for looke as men vse to breake hard stones into many small peeces and into dust so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruise the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing And that this may be so sorrow is not to bee felt for a brunt but very often before the end of a mans life The godly man from his youth suffereth the terrors of god Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victorie of him but yet he is faine to goe halting to his graue and traile one of his loynes after him continually The paschall Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbs to signifie that they which wil be free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ must feele continually the smart and bitternesse of their owne sinnes The second all men must take heede least when they are touched for their sinnes they besnare their owne consciences for if the sorrowe bee somewhat ouer sharp they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell and to feele the pangs of death And when a man is in this perplexitie he shall find it a most hard matter to be freed from it without the marueilous power and strength of Christ Iesus who only is able to helpe him and comfort him yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule shall neuer escape it as may appeare in Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas now of late in Iohn Hoffmeister a Monke and Latomus who for the space of certaine daies neuer left crying that he was damned because that he had wilfully persecuted the Gospell of Christ and so he ended his life Therefore most worthie is Pauls counsell for the moderating of this sorrow It is sufficient saith he vnto the incestuous man that he was rebuked of many so that now contrariwise ye ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him least he should be
children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needes be faith for Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful by faith Therfore as Rebecca when she felt the Twins striue in her womb though it pained her yet shee knew both that shee had conceiued and that the children were quick in her so they who haue these motions and holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of god dwelleth in them and consequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the Sauiour of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the cheife meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome and at his death they all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not said to haue no faith but to be of little faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a long space in his two great sinnes adulterie and murther was admonished thereof by Nathan the prophet beeing admonished he confessed his sinnes and straightway Nathan declared vnto him frō the Lord the forgiuenes of them Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sinnes euen as though it had not bin true that they were forgiuen as Nathan told him the reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a perswasion that they might be pardoned And therefore he vehemently desired and praied to the Lord to remit them and to sanctifie him anew This then being the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX. The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4.20.21 Abraham not weake in faith but being strengthened in the faith was fully perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And least any should thinke this saying is peculiar to Paul he testifieth of himselfe that for this cause he was receiued to mercie that he might be an example to them which after should beleeue in Christ to life eternall and the whole Church in the Cant◠vseth the same in effect saying Loue is as strong as death iealousie is as cruel as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space he hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towards him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romanes in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen to them but how by degrees for from afflictions ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtles saith he kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Mark this his resolute perswasion and consider how he came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundrie times and after sundrie manners For before he set downe this resolution he numbred vp diuerse benefits receiued of the Lord that he fedde him in greene pastures and led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word that he restoreth him and leadeth him in the paths of righteousnes that he strengtheneth him in great daungers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies he enriched him with many benefits By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towardes him Againe Dauid saide before King Saul Let no mans heart faile because of Goliah Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistine And Saul said to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy and he is a man of warre from his youth Dauid answered that he was able to fight with and to slay the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he saide Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lyon and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him So thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuing God The like proceeding must be in matters concerning eternall life Little Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the armie of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power He therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keepe watch and ward ouer his owne heart and he must fight against his owne rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiences of Gods power strengthening him in many temptations before he shall be fully assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it selfe now follow the fruits and benefits of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the Elect are truly ioyned vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowship with him and therefore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holy spirit moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in her wombe Christ is as the head in the bodie euery beleeuer as a member of the same bodie now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to mooue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus reuiue and quicken euery true beleeuer and
feele themselues forlorne and vtterly reiected of God according to the sense and iudgement of the flesh yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercie and behold it a farre off in the glasse of his promise And so they doe often shew contrarie affections in their praiers as Dauid doth Iacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life and death neuer gaue ouer and when he was foild he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him This his wrastling is a type of the conflicts which the faithfull are to haue with the Lord himselfe who vseth to bring his owne children as it were to the field and he assaileth them with the one hand and with the other he holdeth them vp that so he may prooue and exercise their faith And for this cause the Church is called by the name of Iacob An example may be had in the woman of Canaan First our Sauiour Christ gaue her faith and by that faith shee was mooued to seeke to him but when shee was once come to him he gaue her three repulses First by saying nothing Secondly by denying her Thirdly by calling her dogge Thus Christ in appearance made shew as though he would neuer haue graunted her request But shee at euery repulse was more instant crying more earnestly vnto him and shee plainly opposed her selfe to him would take no deniall for such is the nature of true faith Wherefore the faithfull when they feele themselues ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with cōflicts of Satan when they feele the anger of God offended with them yet they can euen then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps at the brasen serpent Iesus Christ and can fling themselues into the armes of Gods mercie and catch hold of the hand of God buffeting them and kisse it LX. By these temptations it comes to passe that a Christian though he can not fall finally from Christ yet he may fall very dangerously from his former estate First the graces of God may be by his default lessened in him else Paul would not haue giuen out these exhortations quench not the spirit Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Secōdly the graces of God may be buried in him and couered for a time so that he may be like a man in a traunce who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead This was the estate of Peter who though he confessed that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing Lord yet he denied him and forswore him at the voice of a damsell Thirdly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance Indeede this is a daungerous case yet it may befall a true christian Otherwise when as the Israelites Gods people had fallen away from him by their sinnes and idolatries he would not stil haue offered them mercie as he doth by his Prophets And Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be reconciled to God who neuerthelesse were before reconciled to God Fourthly he may commit a sinne of presumption which is a fearfull sinne beeing done wittingly of knowledge and willingly and with some wilfulnesse Therefore Dauid praied Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes and to shew himselfe to be in daunger of it he praieth further let them not haue dominion ouer me Lastly he may fall into despaire of Gods mercie for a time and this is a dangerous sinne For he which despaires makes all the promises of God to be false and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith In this estate was Dauid when beeing in trouble he saide this is my death And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation when he saith Comfort him least he be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines And it must be remembred that the church of Rome erreth in this that she teacheth desperation to be a sinne against the holy Ghost This sinne against the holy ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth of Gods word or a deniall of Christ of a wilfull and obstinate malice But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate through horrour of conscience for sinne through an often relapse into some sinne through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines lastly by abiuration of the truth through compulsion and feare This befell Francis Spira who after his Apostasie despaired Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as a damned creature For first who can tell whether he despaired finally or no. Secondly in the very midst of his desperation he complained of the hardnes of his heart which made him that he could not pray no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart and the feeling of corruption in the heart is by some contrarie grace so that we may conueniently thinke that he was not quite bereft of all goodnes though he neuer felt it then nor shewed it to the beholder LXI The cause why a Christian cannot quite fall away from grace is this after that he is sanctified he receiueth from God another speciall grace which may be called Corroboration For he hath in him not onely the sanctifying but also the strengthening power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the Ephesians that they may be strengthened in the inner man for the Colossians that they might be strengthened with the glorious power of Christ. And of himselfe he saith that he is able to doe all things through the power of Christ that strengtheneth him Dauid saith that God renueth them that feare him as the eagle renueth her decaied strength From hence as from a speciall cause ariseth patience and perseuerance vnto the ende for when a man is supported by the power of Christ he may be able to beare many crosses patiently with a contented mind and perseuer in bearing of it how long soeuer the crosse endureth LXII Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life Now I will adde some reasons in the way of perswasion to all men but especially to worldlings and to loose professours of the Gospel that they would vtterly denie themselues and vse all meanes to become true Christians by being made new creatures in Christ and by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospel of Christ. My first reason is this the man that liueth in this world not beeing a true Christian is farre more vile then the basest creature of all euen the dogge or toade For first he is nothing els but a filthie dunghill of all abomination and vncleannes the stink whereof hath infected heauen earth no perfumes could euer delay it in the nostrils of God but onely the suffering of Christ beeing a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God We make it very daintie to come neere a lazar man that