He is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Secondly according to his Deitie partly by applying the merit of his death partly by making request by his holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect with sighes vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father to the sanctification of the Spirit Rom. 8. â—6 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed We are not therefore to imagine or surmise that Christ prostrateth himselfe vpon his knees before his Fathers throne for vs neither is it necessarie seeing his very presence before his father hath in it the force of an humble petition The end of Christs intercession is that such as are iustified by his merits should by this meanes continue in the state of grace Now Christs intercession preserueth the elect in couering their continuall slipps infirmities and imperfect actions by an especiall and continuall application of his merits That by this meanes mans person may remaine iust and mans works acceptable to God 1. Ioh. 2.2 Hee is a reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Pet. 2.5 Yee as liuely stones be made a spirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Reuel 8.3,4 And another Angell came and stood before the altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne and tâ—â— smoke of the odors with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand Thus farre concerning Christs priesthood nowe follow his Propheticall and Regall offices His Propheticall office is that whereby he immediately from his Father renealeth his word and all the meanes of saluation comprised in the same Ioh. 1.18 The Son which is in the bosome of his father he hath declared vnto you Ioh. 8.26 Those things which I heare of my father I speake to the world Deut. 18.18 I will raise them vp a Prophet c. The word was first reuealed partly by visions by dreames by speech partly by the instinct and motion of the holy ghost Heb. 1.1 At sundry times in diuers manners God spake in old time to our Fathers the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne 2. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy ghost The like is done ordinarily onely by the preaching of the word where the holy ghost doth inwardly illuminate the vnderstanding Luk. 24.45 Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures v. 21.15 I I will giue you a month and wisdome where against all your aduersaries shall not bee able to speake nor resist Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended on the things that Paul spake For this cause Christ is called the Doctor Lawegiuer and Counsellour of his Church Matth. 23.10 Be ye not called Dâ—ctors for one is your Doctor Iesus Christ. Iam. 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy Esa. 9.6 He shall call his name Counsellour c. Yea he is the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 The Angell of the couenant Malac. 3.1 And the Mediatour of the new couenant Heb. 9.15 Therefore the soueraigne authoritie of expouÌ„ding the Scripture only belongs to Christ and the Church hath onely the ministerie of iudgement and interpretation committed vnto her Christs Regall office is that whereby he distributeth his gifts and disposeth all things for the benefit of the elect Psal. 2. and 110.31.2 The Lord said vnto my Lord sit tâ—ou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole The execution of Christs Regall office comprehendeth his exaltation Christs exaltation is that by which he after his humiliation was by little and little exalted to glorie and that in sundrie respects according to both his natures The exaltation of his diuine nature is an apparant declaration of his diuine properties in his humane nature without the least alteration thereof Rom. 1. 4. Declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Act. 2.36 God hath made him both lord Christ whome ye haue crucified The exaltation of his humanitie is the putting off from him his seruile coÌ„dition and all infirmities and the putting on of such habituall gifts which albeit they are created and finite yet they haue so great and so marueilous perfection as possibly can be ascribed to any creature The gifts of his minde are wisdome knowledge ioy and other vnspeakeable vertues of his bodie immortalitie strength agilitie brightnesse Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Math. 17.2 He was traÌ„sfigured before them his face did shine as the sunne and his cloathes were as white as the light Heb. 1.9 God euen thy God hath annointed the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellows Eph. 1.20.22 Christs bodie although it be thus glorified yet is it still of a solide substaÌ„ce compassed about visible palpable and shall perpetually remaine in some certaine place Luk. 24.39 Behold my hands and my feete it is euen I touch me and see a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye se me haue There be three degrees of Christs exaltation I. His resurrection wherein by his diuine power he subdued death and raised vp himselfe to eternall life 2. Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Matth. 28.6 Hee is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord was laid The ende of Christs resurrection was to shewe that his satisfaction by his passion and death was fully absolute For one onely sinne would haue detaiâ—ed the Mediatour vnder the dominion of death though he had fully satisfied for all the rest 1. Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not raised your faith is in vaine yee are yet in your sinnes Rom. 4.25 Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification II. His ascension into heauen which is a true locall and visible translation of Christs humane nature from earth into the highest heauen of the blessed by the vertue power of his Deitie Act. 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went beholde two men stood by theÌ„ in white apparell which also said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen
intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons and by consequent the defect of our workes is couered and remooued and they are approued of God the father In a vision Saint Iohn saw an angel standing before the altar with a golden censer full of sweete odours to offer vp with the praiers of the Saints vpon the same And this signifies that Christ presents our workes before the throne of God and by his intercession sanctifies them that they may be acceptable to God And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God it is not for our sakes but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen breedeth and causeth in the hearts of men vpon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit as Paul saith He giueth vs his spirit which helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with sighes which can not be expressed but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Now the spirit is said to make request in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones vnspeakable to God for things needfull and this grace is a fruit deriued from the intercession of Christ in heauen by the operation of the spirit For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens yet the beames of it descend to vs that are on earth So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tied as it were to his person alone yet the grones and desires of the touched heart as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull And therefore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for vs or no we neede not to ascend vp into the heauens to learne the truth but we must descend into our owne hearts and looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirit which makes vs crie vnto God make request to him with grones sighes that can not be expressed and if we finde this in our hearts it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for vs in heauen He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament must not clime vp into the cloudes to looke but search for the beames thereof vpon the earth which when he sees he may conclude that the sunne shines in the firmament And if we would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for vs let vs ransacke our owne consciences and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in vs Abba Father As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them their case is miserable whatsoeuer they be For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them considering these two alwaies go togither his intercession in heauen and the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed and to crie and to pray vnto God for grace and therfore all such whether they be yong or old that neuer could pray but mumble vp a few words for fashions sake can not assure themselues to haue any part in Christs intercession in heauen The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ makes intercession for vs it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed Mediatour and to be readie and willing to become his seruants and disciples and that not for forme and fashion sake onely but in all truth and sinceritie of heart For he ascended to heauen and there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for vs that we might be deliuered from hell and come to eternall life Wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahashuerosh for the destruction of all the Iewes men women and children in his dominions this done Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued and the letters of Haman reuoked shee obtaines her request and freedome was giuen and contrarie letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to all prouinces where the Iewes were Whereupon arose a wonderfull ioy and gladnes among the Iewes and it is saide that thereupon many of the people of the land became Iewes Well now behold a greater matter among vs then this for there is the hand-writing of condemnation the law and therein the sentence of a double death of bodie and soule and Satan as wicked Haman accuseth vs and seekes by all meanes our condemnation but yet behold not any earthly Hester but Christ Iesus the sonne of God is come downe from heauen and hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation and cancelled it vpon the crosse and is now ascended into heauen and there sits at the right hand of his father and makes request for vs and in him his father is well pleased and yeeldeth to his request in our behalfe Now then what must we doe in this case Surely looke as the Persians became Iewes when they heard of their safetie so we in life and conuersation must become Christians turne to Christ imbrace his doctrine and practise the same vnfainedly And we must not content our selues with a formall profession of religion but search our owne hearts and flie vnto Christ for the pardon of our sinnes and that earnestly as for life and death as the thiefe doth at the barre when the iudge is giuing sentence against him When we shall thus humble our selues then Christ Iesus that sit at the right hand of God will plead our cause and be our atturney vnto his father and his father againe will accept of his request in our behalfe Then shall we of Persians become Iewes and of the children of this world become the sonnes of God Secondly when we pray to God we must not doe as the blinde man doth as it were rush vpon God in praying to him without consideration had to the Mediatonr between vs and him but we alwaies must direct our prayers to God in the name of Christ for he is aduanced to power and glorie in heauen that he might be a fit patrone for vs who might preferre and present our praiers to God the father that thereby they might be accepted and we might obtaine our request So likewise we must giue thanks to God in the name of Christ for in him and for his sake God doth bestow on vs his blessings Thus much of Christs intercession the other benefit which concernes Christ kingly office is that he sits at the right hand of his father for the administration of that speciall kingdome which is committed to him I say speciall because he is our king not onely by the right creation gouerning all things created togither with the father and the holy Ghost but also more specially by the right of redemption in respect of another kingdome not
of the world Secondly all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes was first salted and hereby two things were signified The first that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God The second that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse Our dutie then is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ to wast and consume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures And we must withall indeauour that the whole course of our liues and our speech it selfe be gratious and poured with salt least God at length spue vs out of his mouth To this ende hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth that by their ministerie they might apply the death of Christ and season the people And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore But alas small is the number of them that giue any relish of their good seasoning The more lamentable is their case For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt putrifies so men that cannot bee sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ doe rot and perish in their sinnes The waters that ishued from vnder the threshold of the Sancturie when they came into the dead sea the waters thereof were holesome but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned were made saltpits Now these waters are the preching of the gospel of Chrtst which flowing through all the parts of this I le if it doe not season change our nation it shal make it as places of nettles saltpits at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god Thirdly Christs priesthood serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests And being priests we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar Our sacrifice is the cleane offering which is the lifting vp of pure handes to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers also our bodies and soules our hearts and affections the workes of our liues and the workes of our callings all which must be dedicated to the seruice of god for his glorie and the good of his Church The altar wheron wee must offer our sacrifice is Christ our redeemer both God and man because by the vertue of his death as with sweete odours he perfumes all our obedience and makes it acceptable to God The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests as Paul insinuateth when hee calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife wherby the old Adam must be killed in vs we made an holy acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God sanctified by the holy Ghost Therefore euerie one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught must indeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed as the beast was slaine sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite Lastly the exhortation of the holy ghost must here be considered Seeing saith he we haue an high priest which is ouer the house of god let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water the meaning of the wordes is this that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price which procureth pardon of sinne iustification sanctification and redemption then we must labour to be partakers of it to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood and sanctified throughout by the holy ghost that thereby we may be made fitte to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place which also euery man should apply vnto himselfe for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies euery houre incurring the danger of Gods iudgements seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed and at length freed from all woe and miserie Thus much of Christs sacrifice now followes his triumph vpon the crosse That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul where he saieth that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled the principalities and powers and hath made shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer â—hem in the same crosse This triumph is set forth by signes and testimonies of two sorts I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie II. By signes of his victorie on the crosse The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seuen The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was that the beholders might knowe the cause of the punishment and bee admonished to take heede of like offences and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences And therfore no doubt Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause and that with his owne hand Yet marke the straunge euent that followed for when Pilate was about to write the superscription God did so gouerne and ouer-rule both his heart and hand that in stead of noting some crime he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title calling him Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes which wordes containe the very summe and pith of the whole gospel of Christ deliuered by the Patriarches and prophets from age to age We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas who though a sworne enemie to Christ yet he vttered a prophecy of him saying that it was necessarie that one should die for the people not that he had any intent to prophecy but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his trueth And when Balaam for the wages of vnrighteousnesse would haue cursed the Lords people for his life he could not nay all his cursings were turned into blessings By this then it appeares that it is not possible for any man doe what he can to stoppe the course of
commandement to pray and then after giues a direction for the keeping of it this he doth to stir vp our dulnes and to allure vs by all meanes to this heauenly exercise of prayer wherefore still I say imploy your selues in praier feruently and continually and if you cannot doe it learne to praie Thus much of the commandement of our Sauiour Christ now follow the words of the praier Our Father which art c. THese wordes containe three partes 1. A preface 2. The praier it selfe containing sixe petitions 3. The testification of faith in the last worde Amen Which although it be short yet it doth not containe the smallest point in the praier It is I say a testification of our faith whereas the petitions that goe before are onely testifications of our desires Nowe of these three partes in order We must consider howe our Sauiour Christ doth not set downe the petitions abruptly but he first begins with a solemne preface Whereby wee are taught this lesson that hee which is to pray vnto God is first to prepare himselfe and not boldly without consideration as it were to rush into the presence of God If a man be to come before an earthly prince hee will order himselfe in apparell gesture and wordes that he may doe all things in seemelinesse and dutifull reuerence how much more are men to order themselues when they are to appeare before the liuing God Eccl. 5.1 Bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before the Lord. And Dauid Psal. 26.6 Washed his hands in innocency before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice The meanes whereby men may stirre vp their dull and heauie hearts so prepare themselues to praier are three The first is to read diligently the word of God concerning those matters about which they are to pray what then this will be a meanes not onely to direct him but also to quicken the heart more feruently to deliuer his praier This is euident by a comparison The beames of the sunne descending heat not before they come to the earth or some solide bodie where they may reflect and then by that meanes the earth and aire adioyning is made hot euen so the Lord sends down vnto vs his blessed word euen as beames and the goodly sunshine and thereby he speakes to our hearts now when we make our praiers of that which we haue read Gods word is as it were reâ—â—ected and our hearts are thereby warmed with the comfortable heat of Gods holy spirit to poure out our pâ—aiers to God more feruently The second meanes is to pray to God that hee would strengthen vs with his spirit that we might be able to praie as it is practised Psal. 143.1 The third meanes is the consideration of Gods most glorious maiestie wherein we are to remember first his fatherly goodnes and kindnesse whereby hee is willing and secondly his omnipotencie whereby hee is able to gâ—ant our requests One of these imboldened the leaper to pray Lord if thou wilâ— thou canst make me â—leane Mat. 8.2 Therefore both togither are more effectuall Now let vs come to the preface it selfe Our father which art in heauen It coÌ„taines a description of the true Iehoua to whome we pray and that by two arguments the first is drawne from a relation Our Father the second is taken from the subiect or place Which art in heauen Father 1. The meaning IN the opening of this word or title of God two questions are to be opened 1. Quest. Whether by thit title Father is signified the whole Trinitie or some one person thereof Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie or any of them Mal. 2. 10. Haue wee not all one father c. Luk. 3.38 Which was the sonne of Adam which was the sâ—nne of God And in Esai 36. Christ is called the Father of eternitie because all that are truely knit to him and borne anew by him they are eternally made the sonnes of God Againe oftentimes it is giuen to the first person in Trinitie as in those places where one person is conferred with another And so in this place principally for some speciall respects this title agrees to the first person For first he is the father of Christ as he is the eternall word of the father and that by nature because he is of the same essence with him Secondly he is the father to Christ in respect of his manhood not by nature or adoption but by personall vnion because the humane nature doth subsist in the person of the word Thirdly he is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ. 2. Quest. Whether are we to praie to the sonne and the holy Ghost as to the Father Ans. Inuocation belongs to al the three persons in Trinitie not only to the Father Act. 7.59 Steuen praieth Lord Iesus receiue my spirit 1. Thâ—s 3.2 Now God our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 2. Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God and the communion of the holy ghost be with you And men are baptized in the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost that is by calling on the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Some may say this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers yet we are taught to direct our praiers to the Father not to the Sonne or holy spirit I answere the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are three distinct persons yet they are not to be seuered or deuided because they all subsist in one and the same godhead or diuine nature And further in all outward actions as in the creation and preseruation of the world and the saluation of the elect they are not seuered or diuided for they all worke togither onely they are distinguished in the manner of working Nowe if they be not diuided in nature or operation then they are not to be seuered in worship And in this place wee principally direct our praiers to the father because he is the first in order yet so as then we implie the Sonne and holy Ghost For we pray to the Father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost And to what person soeuer the praier is directed we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest 2. The vse TThe vses of this point are manifold 1. First whereas we are taught to come to God as to a father therefore in the name of his Sonne our Sauiour Christ we learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers which is to hold and maintaine the vnion the distinction of the three persons in Trinitie This beeing the lowest and the first foundation of praier it is requisite that all which would pray aright should haue this knowledge rightly to beleeue the Trinitie and to know how the three persons agree and how
perfumed with sweete odours before they can assend vp sweete and sauorie into the nosthrils of God And Paul said of himselfe he did that which he disliked not that hee was ouertaken with grosse sinns but because when he was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly soundly according to his wil desire euen as a man who hath a iourney to goe his mind is to dispatch it in all haste yet when he is in his trauell he goes but slowely by reason of a lamenesse in his ioynts III. The spirit on the contrary kindles in the heart good motions and desires and puts a man forward to good words and deedes as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season IV. The spirit rebukes a man for his euil intents and desires represseth the force of theÌ„ as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke ye in it when thou turnest to the right hand when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the worlde of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did any euill his heart smote him 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked and the godly In the godly when they are tempted to sinne there is a fight betweene the heart and the heart that is betweene the heart and it selfe In the wicked also there is a fight when they are tempted to sinne but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience The wicked man whatsoeuer he is hath some knowledge of good and euil and therefore when he is in doing any euil his conscience accuseth checketh and controuleth him and hee feeles it stirring in him as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body gnawed vpon his heart and therupon he is very often grieued for his sins yet for all that he liketh his sinnes very well and loueth them and could finde in his heart to continue in them for euer so that indeed when he sinneth hee hath in his heart a striuing and a conflict but that is onely betweene himselfe and his conscience But the godly haue an other kind of battel and conflict for not only their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne but also their hearts are so renewed that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Satan they feele a lust and desire to doe that which is good LIV. The second temptation is a disquietnes in the heart of a Christian because he cannot according to his desire haue fellowship with Christ Iesus he is exercised in this temptation on this manner I. Christ lets him see his excellency and howe he is affected towards him II. Then the Christian considering thisâ— desireth Christ his righteousnesse III. He delighteth himselfe in Christ and hath some enioying of his benefits IV. Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-seller that in the word and Sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. V. But he falls loue-sicke that is hee becomes troubled in spirit because he cannot enioy the presence of Christ in the sayd manner as he would VI. In this his spiritual sicknes he feeles the power of Christ supporting him that the spirit be not quenched and he heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart as a man speakes to his friend when hee is comming towards him a farre off VII After this Christ comes neerer but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him then a man enioyes the company of his friend who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or latteise VIII TheÌ„ his eies are opened to see the causes why Christ so withdraws himselfe to be his owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ his slacknes in spirituall exercises as in prayer and thanksgiuing the deceitfulnes and malice of false teachers IX Then he comes to feele more liuely his fellowship with Christ. X. Lastly he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end LV. The third temptation is trouble of minde because there is no feeling of Christ at all who seemeth to be departed for a time The exercise of a Christian in this tentation is this 1 The poore soule lying as a man desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate praier and meditation but it will not preuaile 2 He vseth the helpe counsell and prayer of godly brethren yet Christ cannot be found 3 Then he seekes to godly ministers to receiue some comfort by them by their meanes he can feele none 4 After that all meanes haue bin thus vsed and none will preuaile then by Gods great mercie when he hath least hope he findes Christ and feeles him come againe 5 Presently his faith reuiueth and laieth fast hold on Christ. 6 And he hath as neere fellowship with Christ in his heart as before 7 Then comes againe the ioy of the holy Ghost and the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falls vpon him 8 Then his heart ariseth vp into heauen by holy affections and praiers which do as pillars of smoake mount vpward sweete as myrrhe and incense 6 Also he is rauished therâ—â—ith the meditation of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen 10 Hee labours to bring others to consider the glorie of Christ and his kingdome 11 After all this Christ reueales to his seruant what his blessed estate is both in this life and in the life to come more cleerely then euer before and makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him 12 Then the Christian praieth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirit that he may bring forth the fruits of those graces which are in him 13 Lastly Christ granteth him this his request LVI The fourth temptation is securitie of heart rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the worlde The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this 1 He slumbers and is halfe asleepe in the pleasures of this world 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures and to make him more hartily receiue his beloued 3 But he delayeth to doe it beeing loath to leaue his â—ase and sweete delights 4 Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures 5 He then begins to be more earnestly affected towards Christ. 6 With sorrowe he sets his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his old manner and this