downe froÌ„ the pinacle of the teÌ„ple to the ground wheras there was an ordinarie vvay at hand to descend by staires Hence it appeares that such persons as vvill use no means vvherby they may come to repent beleeue do indeed no more repent beleeue then they caÌ„ be able to liue vvhich neither eat nor drink And thus much of the duties Novv follovv the coÌ„solatioÌ„s first this very point of gods special prouideÌ„ce is a great coÌ„fort to gods church for the lord moderateth the rage of the deuill and wicked men that they shall not hurt the people of God Dauid saieth The Lorde is at my right hand therefore I shall not 〈◊〉 And when Iosephs breethren were afraide for selling him into Egypt hee comforteth them saying that it was God that sent him before them for their preseruation So king Dauid when his owne souldiers were purposed to stone him to death hee was in great sorrow but it is said hee comforted himselfe in the Lord his God where we may see that a maÌ„ which hath grace to beleue in God and rely on his prouidence in all his afflictions extremitie shall haue wonderfull peace and consolation Before we can proceede to the articles vvhich followe it is requisite that we should intreate of one of the greatest workes of Gods prouidence that can be because the opening of it giueth light to all that insueth And this worke is a Preparation of such meanes vvhereby God will manifest his iustice and mercie It hath tvvo partes the iust permission of the fall of man and the giuing of the couenant of grace For so Paul teacheth when hee saith That God shut up all under unbeliefe that he might have vpon al. And againe The scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should be given to them that beleeue Touching the first that wee may rightly conceiue of mans fall we are to search out the nature and parts of sinne Sinne is any thing whatsoeuer is against the will and vvord of God as S. Iohn saith Sinne is the transgression of the law And this definition Paul confirmeth when he saith that by the lavv comes the knowledge of sinne and where no lavve is there is no transgression and sinne is not imputed where there is no law In sinne wee must consider three things the fault the guilt the punishment The fault is the anomie or the inobedience it selfe and it comprehends not onely huge and notorious offences as idolatrie blasphemie theft treason adulterie and all other crimes that the world cries shaâ—e on but euery disordered thought affection inclination yea every defect of that which the Law requireth The guilte of sinne is whereby a man is guiltie before God that is bound and made subiect to punishment And here two questions must be skanned where man is bound and by what For the first Man is bounde in conscience And hereupon the conscience of every sinner sits within his heart as a little iudge to tell him that hee is bound before God to punishment For the second it is the order of diuine iustice â—et downe by God which bindes the conscience of the sinner before God for hee is Creatour and Lorde and man is a creature and therefore must either obey his will and commandement or suffer punishment Now then by vertue of Gods law conscience bindes over the creature to beare a punishment for his offence done against God yea it tels him that hee is in daunger to be iudged and condemned for it And therefore the conscience is the Lordes Sergeant to infourme the sinner of the bonde and obligation whereby he is alwaies bounde before God The third thing which followeth sinne is punishment and that is death So Paul saieth The stipend of sinne is death where by death we must understand a double death both of body and soule The death of the bodie is a separation of the bodie from the soule The second death is a separation of the whole man but especially of the soule from the glorious presence of God I say not simply from the presence of God for god is euerie where but onely from the ioyfull presence of Gods glorie Now these two deaths are the stipends or allowance of sinne and the least sinne which a man committeth doth deserue these two punishments For in euerie sinne the infinite iustice of god is violated for which cause there must needs be inflicted an infinite punishment that there may be a proportion betweene the punishment and the offence And therefore that distinction of sinne which papistes make namely that some are in themselues veniall and some mortall is false hereby confuted otherwise in respect of men sinnes are either veniall or mortall Veniall to the elect whose sinnes are pardonable in Christ but to the reprobate all sinnes are mortall Neuerthelesse we holde not all sinnes equall but that they are greater or lesse according to the diuersitie of obiectes and other circumstances Thus much of sinne in generall now we come to the partes of it The first sinne of all that euer was in man is the sinne of Adam which was his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite In handling whereof sundrie pointes are to be opened but let us beginne with the causes therof The outward efficient cause was the deuill And though he be not named by Moses in the historie of the fall yet that is not to trouble us for we must not conceiue otherwise of the serpent then of the instrument and mouth of the deuill For it is not likely that it being a bruite creature should be able to reason and determine of good and euill of trueth and falshood Now in this temptation the deuill shewes his mallice and his fraude His malice in that whereas hee can not ouerturne god himselfe yet he labours to disturbe the order which he hath set downe in the creation especially the image of god in the most excellent creatures on earth that they may be in the same miserable condition with himselfe His fraud first in that hee beginnes his temptation with the woman being the weaker person and not with the man which course hee still continues as may appeare by this that more women are intangled vvith witchcraft and sorcerie then men Secondly he shevves his fraude in that he proceedes very slily and intangles Eue by certaine steppes and degrees For first by moouing a question he drawes her to listen to him and to reason with him of gods commaundement Secondly he brings her to looke upon the tree and wishly to vievve the beautie of the fruite Thirdly hee makes her to doubt of the absolute trueth of gods worde and promise and to beleeue his contrarie lies Fourthly hauing blinded her minde vvith his false persvvasions shee desires and lustes after the forbidden fruite and thereupon takes it eates it giues it to her husband The invvarde cause was the vvill of our
be inferiour to the father yet doth it not hinder but that he may be equall to him as he is the second person in trinitie or as he is God by one and the same Godhead with the father IV. He that is made of God to be this or that is not God but Christ is made of God as Paul saith Christ is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes c. Answer Christ is said to be made not because there was any beginning of his Godhead or any chaunge or alteration in his person but because in the eternall counsell of the father he was set apart before all times to exequute the office of a Mediatour and was withall in time called and as it were consecrated and ordained thereunto in his baptisme he is made therefore in respect of his office but not in respect of his person or nature V. God hath no head Christ hath an head as Paul saith God is Christs head Answ. God that is the father is head of Christ not as he is God simply but as he is God incarnate or made manifest in the fâ—esh and in respect of the office to which he willingly abased himselfe VI. Hee which giues vp his kingdome is not God Christ giues vp his kingdome Then saith Paul shall be the end when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father Answer Christ is king two waies as he is God and as he is Mediatour as he is God he raignes eternally with the father and the holy Ghost but as he is Mediatour in the ende of the worlde when all the companie of the elect are gathered his kingdome shall cease not simplie but in respect of the â—â—tward manner of administration for the exequution of civill and ecclesiasticall functions shall cease And whereas in the same place it is said that Christ shalbe subiect vnto God eternally after the ende it must be vnderstood partly in regard of the assumed manhood partly in respect of his mysticall bodie the Church most neerely ioyned vnto him in heauen VII The first borne of euery creature of many brethren is a creature not God but Christ is the first borne of euery creature of many brethren Ans. He is called the first borne by allusion to the first borne in the old testament for as they were principall heires hauing double portions allowed them the chiefe or gouernours of the familie so Christ is made heire of the world and the head of Gods familie which is his Church elected and adopted in him And againe he is called the first borne of euery creature because he was begotten of the substance of his father before any creature was made and therfore it is not here said that he was first created but first begotten By the reasons which haue bin alleadged as also by the insufficiencie of the contrarie arguments it is more then manifest against all heretikes that Christ is very God Yet to stoppe the mouthes of all Atheists to satisfie all wauering doubtings minds I will adde one reason further The gospel of S. Iohn was chiefly penned for this end to prooue the dietie of Christ among other arguments alledged this is one that Christ gaue a resolute a constant testimonie of himselfe that he was the sonne of God very God now if any man shall say that sundrie persons since the beginning of the world haue taken vpon theÌ„ that falsely to be gods I answer that neuer any creature tooke this title honour vpon him to be called God but the fearefull iudgements of God were vpon him for it In the estate of mans innocencie the deuill tolde our first parents that by eating the fruite of the tree of knowledge of good and euill they should be as gods knowing good euill now they beleeued him affected diuine honour but what came of it surely Adam with all his posteritie is shut vp for it vnder eternall damnation Herod likewise araied in royall apparell sitting on the iudgement seate made an oration to the men of Tyre Sidon who gaue a shout saying the voice of God not of man Now because he tooke the glorie of God to himselfe did not returne it to him to whoÌ„ it was due immediatly the angel of the Lord smote him And so if Christ had bin but a meere man not very God as he auouched vndoubtedly the hand of God would haue bin vpon him likewise for his confusion but when he suffered for vs and bare the punishment due for our sinnes he most triumphed And the iudgements of God were vpon Herod Pontius Pilate Caiphas vpon all those that were enemies to him and to his church afterward that partly in life partly in death Wherefore seeing that God can not abide that his glorie should be giuen to any creature seeing for that cause he takes reuenge on all those that exalt themselues to be gods it remains that the testimony which Christ gaue of himselfe that he was God is vnfallibly true without all question to be beleeued of vs. And to conclude I would haue all the deuils in hel with the cursed order of Lucians Porphyrians and Atheists whatsoeuer to answer this one point howe it could come to passe that Christ by publishing the doctrine of the Gospell that is as contrarie to mans reason will and affections as water to fire should winne almost the whole world to become his disciples and to giue their liues for him vnlesse he were God indeed as he confessed himselfe to be There be sundrie speciall reasons wherefore it was necessarie that Christ should be God I. There is none which can be a Sauiour of bodie soule but God I euen I am the Lord and besides â—e there is no Sauiour And I am the Lord the God from the land of Egipt and thou shalt knowe no God but me for there is no Sauiour beside me II. There must be a proportion betweene the sinne of man and the punishmeÌ„t of sinne now the sinne of man in respect of the offence of the maiestie of God is infinite in that he is infinitely displeased with man at the breach of his lawe therefore the punishment of sinne must be infinite and hence it followeth that he which suffereth the punishment beeing man must withall be God that the manhood by the power of the Godhead may be supported that in suffering it may vanquish death and make a satisfaction III. He that must be a Sauiour must be able 1. to deliuer men from the bondage of their spirituall enemies namely sinne and Satan 2. to restore the image of God lost by the fall of Adam and to conferre righteousnes and life euerlasting 3. to defend them from hell death damnation the flesh the deuill the world 4. to giue them full redemption from all their miseries both in bodie and soule and to place them in eternall happines all which none can doe
thankfulnes but mens hearts are so frozen in the dregges of their sinnes that this dutie comes litle in practise now adaies Our Sauiour Christ clensed ten leapers but there was but one of theÌ„ that returned to giue him thanks this is as true in the leprosie of the soule for though saluation by Christ be offered vnto vs daily by Gods ministers yet not one of ten nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thanks to God for it because men take no delite in things which coÌ„cerne the kingdome of heauen they thinke not that they haue need of saluation neither doe they feele any want of a Sauiour But we for our parts must learne to say with David What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith My sonne giue me thy heart for we should giue vnto God both bodie soule in token of our thankfulnes for this wonderful blessing that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to be our sauiour let vs know this for truth that they which are not thaÌ„kfull for it let them say what they wil they haue no soundnes of grace at the heart And thus much of the third title The fourth last title is in these words our Lord. Christ Iesus the only sonne of God is our Lord three waies 1. by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we were not 2. he is our Lord in the â—ight of redemption In former times the custome hath bin that wheÌ„ one is taken prisoner in the fields he that paies his ransome shall become alwaies after his lord so Christ when we were bondslaues vnder hell death condemnation paid the raÌ„some of our redemption and freed vs from the bondage of sinne and satan and therefore in that respect he is our Lord. 3. He is the heade of the Church as the husbande is the wiues head to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord. And thus much for the meaning Now follow the duties 1. If Christ be our soueraigne Lord we must performe absolute obedience vnto him that is whatsoeuer he commaunds vs that wee must doe And I say absolute obedience because Magistrats Masters Rulers and fathers may command and must be obeyed yet noâ— simply but so farfoorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commaundement of God but Christs will and word is righteousnes it selfe and therefore the rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed Thus he requires the obedience of the morall law but why because he is the Lord our God And in Malach. he saith If I be your Lord where is my feare And againe we must resigne both bodie and soule heart minde will affections and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onely of the bodie but of the spirite and soule of man hee must therefore haue homage of both as we adore him by the knee of the bodie so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts haue their knees also to worship him and to shew their subiection to his commandements As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word but will not indeauour to shew their loyaltie in all manner of obedience they are indeede no better then starke rebels Secondly when by the hande of Christ strange iudgements shall come to passe as it is vsuall in all places continually we must stay our selues without murmuring or finding fault because he is an absolute Lord ouer all his creatures all things are in his hands and he may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer wee see or heare of them so David saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And againe My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Thirdly before we vse any of Gods creatures or ordinances we must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier the reason is this because he is Lord ouer all and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not and when and how we must vse them and secondly wee must pray to him that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God as beeing alwaies readie to giue an account for them at the day of iudgement for wee vse that which is the Lords not our owne we are but stewards ouer them we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship Hast thou learning then imploy it to the glorie of God the good of the Church boast not of it as though it were thine owne Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God be it wisdome streÌ„gth riches honour fauour or whatsoeuer then looke thou vse it so as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly euery one must so lead his life in this world as that at the day of death he may surrender and giue vp his soule into the hands of his Lord and say with Steven Lord Iesus receiue my soule for thy soule is none of thine but his who hath bought it with a price therfore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maist in good manner restore it into the hands of God at the end of thy life If a man should borrow a thing of his neighbour and vse it so as he doth quite spoile it he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner and if he doe the owner will not receiue it Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sin as that they can neuer be able to giue them vp into the hands of God at the day of death if they would yet God accepts them not but casts theÌ„ quite away We must therefore labour so to liue in the world that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus who gaue them vnto vs. This is a hard thing to be done and he that will doe it truly must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes which a man can neuer haue without true and vnfained faith and repentance wherfore while we haue time let vs purge and clense our soules bodies that they may come home againe to God in good plight And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they an higher Lord that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours And this is Pauls reason ye masters saith he doe the same things vnto your seruants putting away threatning and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen neither is
be Gods will so long as we live and by this shall we most notably resemble our Saviour Christ. Thirdly when Christ had carried his crosse so long till he coulde carrie it no longer by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie which came by buffets whippings and manifold other iniuries then the souldiers meeting with one Simon of Cyrene a stranger made him to beare the crosse where we are put in mind that if we faint in the way and be wearied with the burthen of our afflictions God will give good issue and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us and to be our comforter The fourth points is that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse and was now passing on tovvards Golgotha certaine women mette him and pitying his case wept for him but Christ answered them and said Daughters of Ierusalem weep not for me but for your selves your childrē c. By this wee are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie especially those that be the children of God as the Apostle exhorteth vs saying Remember them that are in bonds as though you vvere bound with them and them that are in affliction as though you were afflicted with them In this land by Gods especiall blessing wee haue enioyed the gospell of Christ with peace a long time whereas other cuntries Churches are in great distresse some wallow in palpable ignorance superstition others haue libertie to enioy the gospell and want teachers and some haue both the word teachers and yet want peace and are in continuall persecution Now when we that haue the Gospell with peace do heare of these miseries in our neighbour Churches we ought to be mooued with compassion towardes them as though we our selues were in the same afflictions Secondly whereas Christ saith Weepe not for me but for your selves he doth teach vs to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorow for our sinnes whereby wee doe rather weepe for our offences then for our friends although euen that may also be done in a godly manner When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into daunger of his life the Phisition lets him blood in an other place as in the arme and turnes the course of the blood an other way to saue his life and so must we turne our worldly sorows for losse of goods or friends to a godly sorrow for our offences against God for as S. Paul saith Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvatiō not to be repented of but worldly sorow causeth death The fift point is that when Christ was brought to the place of execution they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall some say it was to intoxicate his braine and to take away his senses and memorie which if it were true we may here behold in these Iewes a most wicked part that at the point of death when they were to take away his life they had no care of his soule For this is a dutie to be observed of all magistrates that whē they are to execute malefactours they must haue an especiall care of the salvation of their soules But some thinke rather that it was to shorten and end his torments quickely Some of vs may peradventure thinke hardly of the Iewes for giving this bitter potiō to Christ at the time of his death but the same thing doth every sinner that repēteth not For whensoever we sin we do as much as tēper a cup of gal or the poisō of aspes as it vvere giue it to god to drink for so God him selfe cōpareth the sin of the vvicked Iewes to poison saying Their vine is of the vine of Sodom of the vines of Gomorra their grapes are grapes of gal their clusters be bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruell gall of aspes And for this cause wee ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes because so oft as we cōmit any offence against God we do as much as mingle ranke poison bring it to Christ to drinke Now whē this cup was given him he tasted of it but drank not because hee was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse without any shortening or lessening of his paine Thus vve see in vvhat maner Christ vvas brought forth to the place of execution Now followeth his crucifying Christ in the providence of god was to be crucified for two causes one that the figures of the olde testament might be accomplished and verified For the heave offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernes prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the crosse The seconde that wee might in conscience be resolved that Christ became under the lawe suffered the curse therof for us bare in his ovvne bodie and soule the extremitie of the vvrath of God for our offences And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God as stoning and such like yet vvas the death of the crosse in speciall maner aboue the rest accursed not by the nature of the punishment not by the opinions of men not by the civill lavves of cuntries and kingdoms but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die And hereupon among the Ievves in all ages this kind of punishment hath bene branded with speciall ignominie as Paul signifieth vvhen hee saieth Hee abased him selfe to the death even to the death of the crosse it hath beene allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactours If it be said that the repentant theefe upon the crosse died the same death vvith Christ and yet vvas not accursed the answere is that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed and the signe of this was the death which he suffered and that in his owne confession but because hee repented his sinnes were pardoned and the curse removed It may further be said that crucifying was not knowen in Moses daies and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomy Ans. Moses indeed speakes nothing in particular of crucifying yet neverthelesse he doth include the same under the generall For if euery one which hangs upon a tree be accursed then hee also which is crucified for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree Lastly it may be alleadged that Christ in his death coulde not be accursed by the lawe of Moses because he was no malefactour Ans. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs and consequently the curse of the law for vs in that the curse every way due unto us by
he will first fetch that out and make choice of a faithfull friend to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in common perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God who is a faithfull creator An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience Lastly at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands for though we be not alwaies in affliction yet we are alwaies in great daunger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he riseth he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we know not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great daunger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent For the which cause saith he J suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we may see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition and if they haue cattell sheepe or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God Againe in that Christ laies downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures there is great difference betvveene them for vvhen the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death as the soule of beastes doe the neglect thereof vvere no great matter but seeing it must liue for ever either in eternall ioy or els in endlesse paines and torments it standes vs upon euery man for himselfe so to provide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The thirde that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto For vvhen vvee die in Christ the bodie is but laide asleepe and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father as the soule of Christ was Lastly vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calles it a spirite we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall invisible simple essence without coÌ„position created as the angels of God are The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies may easily bee resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirite can not beget another spirit as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels for one spirit begetteth not another Nay vvhich is more one simple element begetteth not another as the vvater begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof If it be said that the whole soule of the parents be propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answer that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted and therfore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites Thus much of the crucifying of Christ Now followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father the holy Ghost saith he gave vp the ghost to giue us to understand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes The first that it was needfull that hee should die and that for tvvo causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods â—ight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life but also die on the crosse that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne might be laide on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die
the death The properties of Christs death are two The first that it was a voluntarie and willing death The second that it was a cursed death For the first whereas I say Christes death was voluntarie I meane that Christ died willingly and of his owne free accord gaue up him selfe to suffer upon the crosse Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne and condemne and crucifie him yet if he had not willed his owne death and of his free accord giuen him selfe to die not the Iewes nor all the whole world coulde euer haue taken away his life from him Hee dyed not by constraint or compulsion but most willingly and therfore he saith No man taketh my life from me but I saith hee lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and have power to take it againe And our Saviour Christ gaue evident tokens hereof in his death for then Iesus cryed with a loude voice and gave vp the ghost Ordinarily men that die on the crosse languish away by little and little and before they come to yeelde up their lives they loose their speech and onely ratle or make a noise in the throate but Christ at that verie instant when he vvas to giue up the ghost cryed with a loud voice which sheweth plainely that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death And therefore to give all men a token of his power and to shew that he died voluntarily it pleased him to crie with a loud voice And this made the Centurion to say that he was the sonne of God Againe Christ dyed not as other men doe because they first give up the ghost and then lay their heads aside but he in token that his death was voluntarie first layes his head aside after the manner of a dead man and then afterward gives up the ghost Lastly Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe upon the crosse and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder thar he was so soone dead Now this came to passe not because he was loth to suffer the extremitie of death but hecause he woulde make it manifest to all men that hee had power to die or not to die And indeed this is our comfort that Christ died not for vs by constraint but willingly of his owne accorde And as Christs death was voluntarie so was it also an accursed death and therefore it is called the death of the crosse And it contained the first and the second death the first is the separation of the body from the soule the second is the separation of bodie soule from God And both were in Christ for beside the bodily death he did in soule apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sinne that made him cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here we must not omit a necessarie point namely how farre forth Christ suffered death Answ. Some thinke that he suffered onely a bodily death and such paines as follow the dissolution of nature but they no doubt come to short for why should Christ haue feared death so greatly if it had bene nothing but the dissolution of nature Some againe thinke that he died not onely the first but also the second death but it may be that is to goe to farre for if to die the first death be to suffer a totall separation of bodie and soule then also to die the second death is wholly and euerie way to be seuered from all fauour of God and at the least for a time to be oppressed of the same death as the daÌ„ned are Now this neuer befell Christ no not in the middest of his sufferings considering that euen then he was able to call God his God Therefore the safest is to follow the meane namely that Christ died the first death in that his bodie and soule were really and wholly seuered yet without suffering any corruption in his bodie which is the effect and fruite of the same and that withall he further suffered the extreame horrours and pangs of the second death not dying the same death nor being forsaken of god more then in his owne apprehension or feeling For in the verie middest of his sufferings the father was well pleased with him And this which I say doeth not any whit lessen the sufficiencie of the merite of Christ for whereas hee suffered truly the verie wrath of God and the verie torments of the damned in his soule it is as much as if all the men in the world had died the second death and had bin wholly cut off from God for euer and euer And no doubt Christ died the first death only suffering the pangs of the second that the first death might be an entrance not to the second death which is eternall damnation but a passage to life eternall The benefites and comfortes which arise by the death of Christ are specially foure The first is the change of our naturall death I say not the taking of it away for we must all die but whereas by nature death is a curse of God upon man for eating the forbidden fruite by the death of Christ it is changed from a curse into a blessing and is made as it were a middle way and entrance to conveigh men out of this worlde into the kingdome of glorie in heauen and therefore it is saide Christ by his death hath delivered them from the feare of death which all the daies of their lives vvere subiect to bondage A man that is to encounter vvith a Scorpion if he knovve that it hath a sting he may be dismayed but being assured that the sting is taken away he need not feare to encounter therewith Now death in his owne nature considered is this scorpion armed with a sting but Christ our Saviour by his death hath pulled out the sting of our death and on the crosse triumphantly saith O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory therefore euen theÌ„ wheÌ„ we feele the paÌ„gs of death approch we should not feare but conceiue hope considering that our death is altered and changed by the vertue of the death of Christ. Secondly the death of Christ hath quite taken away the secoÌ„d death froÌ„ those that are in Christ as Paul saith There is no condeÌ„nation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Thirdly the death of Christ is a meanes to ratifie his last will and testament For this cause was Christ the Mediatour of the new testament that through death vvhich was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former tâ—stament they which were called might receive the promise of the eternall inheritance For vvhere a testament is there must be the death of him that made the Testament for the Testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he is alive that made it And
his godheade But his godhead could not descend because it is euery where and his bodie was in the graue And as for his soule it went not to hell but presently after his death it went to paradise that is the third heauen a place of ioy happines Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in paradise which vvordes of Christ must be understood of his manhood or soule not of his godhead For they are an answer to a demaÌ„d therfore unto it they must be sutable Now the thief seeing that Christ was first of all crucified therfore in all likelihood first of all die makes his request to this effect Lorde thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome remeÌ„ber me then to which Christes answere as the very words import is thus much I shall enter into paradise this day there shalt thou be with me Now there is no entrance but in regard of his soule or manhood For the godhead which is at all times in all places caÌ„ not be said properly to enter into a place Again when Christ saith thou shalt be with me in paradise he doeth intimate a resemblaÌ„ce which is betweene the first secoÌ„d Adam The first AdaÌ„ sinned against God was presently cast foorth out of paradise Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfactioÌ„ for sinne must immediatly enter into paradise Now to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell is to abolish this analogie betvvene the first second Adam III. Ancient councels in their confessions and creeds omitting this clauseshew that they did not acknowledge any reall descent and that the true meaning of these words he descended was sufficiently included in some of the former articles that may appeare because when they set downe it they omit some of the former as Athanasius in his creed setting downe these words he descended c. omits the buriall putting them both for one as he expounds himselfe else where Now let us see the reasons which may be alledged to the contrary Ob. I. Mat. 12.40 The sonne of man shall be 3. dayes 3. nights in the heart of the earth that is in hell Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place for the Pharisies desired to see a signe that is some sensible manifest miracle hereunto Christ answeres that he will giue them the signe of Ionas which caÌ„ not be the descent of his soule into the place of the daÌ„ned which is impossible but rathet his buriall after it his manifest glorious resurrectioÌ„ II. The hart of the earth may as wel signify the graue as the center of the earth For thus Tyrus bordering upon the sea is said to be in the heart of the sea III. This exposition takes it far granted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth wheras the scriptures reveale unto us no more but this that hell is in the lower parts but wher these lower parts should be no man is able to define Obiect II. Act. 2.37 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Answer These wordes can not prooue any locall descent of Christs soule For Peters drift in alleadging of them is to prooue the resurrection and he saith expressely that the wordes must be vnderstoode of the resurrection of Christ vers 31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What namely these words his soule was not left in hell c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely as the soule cannot be said to fall but the bodie It will be replied that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie the bodie and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue Answer The first word signifies not onely the spirituall part of man the soule but also the whole person or the man himselfe Rom. 13.1 1. Cor. 15.45 And the second is as well taken for the graue as for hell Apoc. 20.14 Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are cast into the lake of fire Nowe we can not say that hell is cast into hell but the graue into hell And the word in this text must needes haue this sense For Peter makes an opposition betwâ—eene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered vers 2â— 31. Againe it will be saide that in this text there be two distinct parts the first of the soules comming forth of hell in these words Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell The second of the bodies rising out of the graue in the next words neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruption Answer It is not so For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone but the humane nature of Christ as appeares vers 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies And the words rather carrie this sense Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue nay which is more in the time of my continuance there thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption because I am thy holy one Obiect III. 1. Pet. 3.19 Christ was quickned in spirit by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison Answer The place is not for this purpose For by spirit is ment not the soule of Christ but his Godhead which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3 where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man because he is but flesh And if the spirit doe signifie the soule then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule But neither is true For the first it can not be said that Christ was quickened by his soule because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie but the Godhead ioyned them both Neither was he quickened in soule for his soule died not It could not die the first death which belongs to the bodie and it did not die the second death which is a totall separation from God onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death which is the apprehension of the wrath of God as a man may feele the pangs of the first death and yet not die the first death but liue Againe it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another especially in hell where all are condemned and in conscience convicted of their iust damnation and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption It will be answered that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall because Christ shews himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies Answer This which is said is flat against reason For when a man is iustly condemned
of a whale that so he might chastice him and thus doth he deale with his owne seruants to make them conformable to Christ. And further when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience so as we doe as it were struggle with Gods wrath as for life and death and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in in this case howsoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues yet we must not thinke it strange nor quite despaire of his mercie For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell and death carried him captiue and triumphed ouer him in the graue and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie yet we must not despaire of his helpe In diuers Psalmes we reade howe Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies but euen his souâ—e and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes so as his bones were consumed within him and his moysture was turned into the drought in sommer This caused Iob to cry out that the arrowes of God were within him and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit the terrours of God did fight against him and the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea by reason whereof he saith that the Lord did make him a marke and a butte to shoote at and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs either in bodie or in soule or in both we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that begins to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes but rather his fatherly worke to kill sinne in vs and to make vs grow in humilitie that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus Secondly whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be it is an example for vs to imitate as Christ himselfe prescribeth Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly And that we may the better doe this we must learne to become nothing in our selues that we may be all in all forth of our selues in Christ we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as may be in regard of our sinnes Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes to become a worme and no man as Dauid saith which did chiefely appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne and the same minde must likewise be in vs which was in him The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and bloode of Christ. And thus much of this clause as also of the state of Christs humiliation Nowe followeth his second estate which is his exaltation into glorie set down in these words The third day he rose againe from the deade c. And of it we are first to speake in generall then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof In generall the exaltation of Christ is that glorious or happie estate into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse And he was exalted according to both natures in regard of his Godhead and also of his manhood The exaltation of the Godhead of Christ was the manifestation of the glorie of his Godhead in the manhoode Some will peraduenture demaunde how Christs Godhead can be exalted seeing it admits no alteration at all Answer In it selfe it cannot be exalted yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhood into one person in this respect it may be said to be exalted and therefore I say the exaltation of Christs Godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man and his Godhead dwelt in his manhood yet from his birth vnto his death the same Godhead did little shew it selfe and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hid vnder the vaile of his flesh as the soule doth in the bodie when a man is sleeping that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the law and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs in the low and base estate of a seruant But after this worke was finished he began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood And in this respect his Godhead may be saide to be exalted The exaltation of Christs humanitie stoode in two things The first that he laide downe all the infirmities of mans nature which he carried about him so long as he was in the state of a seruant in that he ceased to be wearie hungrie thirstie c. Here it may be demaÌ„ded whether the skarres wouÌ„ds remain in the bodie of Christ now after it is glorified Ans. Some think that they doe remain as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his our enemies that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of our Lord but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified But indeede it rather seemes to be a truth to say that they are quite abolished because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside And if it may be thought that the woundes in the hands and feete of Christ remaine to be seene euen to the last iudgement why may we not in the same manner thinke that the vaines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood because it was shed vpon the crosse The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is that both his bodie and soule were beautified and adorned with all qualities of glorie His minde was inriched with as much knowledge and vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature and more in measure then all men and angels haue and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his wil and affections his bodie also was incorruptible and it was made a shining bodie a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount and it was indued with agilitie to mooue as well vpward as downeward as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caveats first that he did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie as length breadth thicknes visibilitie locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more but keepeth all these still because they serue for the beeing of his bodie Secondly wee must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but
finite for his humane nature beeing but a creature and therefore finite could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false which hold that Christs bodie glorified is omnipotent and infinite euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he will for this is to make a creature to be the creator Thus much of Christs exaltation in generall Now let vs come to the degrees thereof as they are noted in the Creede which are in number three I. He rose againe the third day II. He ascended vnto heauen III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling of Christs resurrection we must consider these points I. why Christ ought to rise againe II. the manner of his rising III. the time when he rose IV. the place where V. the vses thereof For the first it was necessarie that Christ should rise againe and that for three especiall causes First that hereby he might shew to all the people of God that he had fully ouercome death For els if Christ had not risen how should we haue bin perswaded in our coÌ„sciences that he had made a full perfect satisfactioÌ„ for vs nay rather we should haue reasoned thus Christ is not risen therefore he hath not ouercome death but death hath ouercome him Secondly Christ Iesus which died was the sonne of God therefore the author of life it selfe and for this cause it was neither meet nor possible for him to be holdeÌ„ of death but he must needes rise from death to life Thirdly Christs priesthood hath 2. parts one to make satisfaction for sinne by his one onely sacrifice vpon the crosse the other to apply the vertue of this sacrifice vnto euery beleeuer Now he offred the sacrifice for sinne vpon the crosse before his death and therefore beeing deade must needes rise againe to performe the second part of his priesthood namely to applie the vertue thereof vnto all that shall beleeue in him and to make intercession in heauen vnto his father for vs here on earth And thus much of the first point Nowe to come to the manner of Christs resurrection fiue things are to be considered in it The first that Christ rose againe not as euery priuate man doth but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall For as in his passion so also in his resurrection he stood in our roome and place and therefore when he rose from death we all yea the whole Church rose in him and together with him And this point not considered we doe not conceiue aright of Christs resurrection neither can we reap sound comfort by it The second is that Christ himselfe and no other for him did by his owne power raise himselfe to life This was the thing which he meant when he said Destroy this temple in three daies I will build it vp againe more plainly I haue saith he power to lay down my life and I haue power to take it again FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce we learn diuers instructions First wheras Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life it serueth to proue that he was not only maÌ„ but also true god For the body being dead could not bring again the soule ioyn it self vnto the same make it selfe aliue againe neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie can returne againe quicken the bodie and therefore there was some other nature in Christ namely his Godhead which did revnite soule and bodie together and thereby quickned the manhoode Secondly if Christ giue life to himselfe being dead in the graue then much more now being aliue and in heauen glorified is he able to raise vp his members from death to life We are all by nature starke dead in sinne as the dead bodie rotten in the graue and therfore our dutie is to come to Christ our Lord by praier intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnes of life He can of men dead 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 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 embaulme him and the disciples which came to the sepulchre would not yet beleue that he was risen againe But how came this earthquake Answer Saint Matthew saith there was a great earthquake For the angell 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 Gomorha An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one â—ight In the host of Senacherib one angel slue in one night 14500 meÌ„ Of like power is the deuil himself to shake the earth and to destroy vs all but that God of his goodnes limits restrains him of his libertie Well if one angel be able to shake the earth what then wil Christ himselfe do when he shal come to iudgemeÌ„t the secoÌ„d time with many thousand thousaÌ„ds of angels oh how terrible will his comming be Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall cry out wishing the hills to fall vpon them and the mountains to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord The 4. thing is that an angel ministred to Christ being to rise again in that he came to the graue rolled away the stone sate vpoÌ„ it Where obserue first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ though dead buried whereby they acknowledge that his power maiestie authoritie is not included within the bondes 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 basesâ— 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 think that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe is without warrant For the ende no doubt why the angel rolled away the stone was that Christ might come foorth And indeede it is against the order of nature that one bodie should passe through another without corruption or alteration of either
alwaies For looke as the day and night doe one follow another so likewise in the administration of the Church here vpon earth Christ suffereth a continuall intercourse betweene peace and persecution Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto and we may resolue our selues that so it will continue till the end and therefore it shall be good for vs in these daies of our peace to prepare our selues for troubles and afflictions and when troubles come we must still remember the fourth worke of Christ in the gouernment of his Church namely that in all daungers he will defend vs against the â—age of our enemies as well by giuing vs power streÌ„gth to beare with patience and ioy whatsoeuer shall be laide vpon vs as also bridle the rage of the world the flesh and the deuill so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against vs. Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church and people Nowe followeth the second point namely his dealing toward his enemies and here by enemies I vnderaÌ„std al creatures but especially meÌ„ that as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdome so they perseuere in the same enimitie vnto the end Now his dealing towards them is in his good time to work their confusion as he himselfe saith Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring them hither and slay them before me And Dauid saith The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rodde of iron and breake them in pieces like a potters veâ—sell And againe I will make thine enemies thy footestoole As Iosuah dealt with the fiue kings that were hidde in the cave he first makes a slaughter of their armies then he brings them foorth and makes the people to set their feete on their neckes and to hang them on fiue trees So Christ deales with his enemies he treads them vnder his feete and makes a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their soules And this the Church of God findes to be true by experience as wel as it findes the loue of Christ towards it selfe Now he confounds his enemies two waies The first is by hardnes of heart which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man and leaueth him to himself so as he goeth on forward from sinne to sinne and neuer repenteth to the last gaspe And we must esteeme of it as a most fearefull and terrible iudgement of God for when the heart is possessed there with it becomes so flintie and rebellious that a man will neuer relent and turne to God This 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 himself saue only for a fit while the haÌ„d of God was vpon him but 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 middest 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 and finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing and reioycing 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 turning 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 haÌ„mer of Gods word nay they are like the smithes stithie or anvil which the more it is beate with the hammer 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 praier I say not of praying truly and hereupon think himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent flintie heart For this cause it standes euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoide the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauie 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 thirstie lande 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 blood for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preueÌ„t this hardnes of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill confound all those that be his enemies will not submit theÌ„selues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kinde 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 woundes he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge weight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire withou recouerie God said to Caine If thou doe amisse sinne lieth at thy dore Where he vseth a borrowed speach from wilde beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face rend out his throat In like manner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the dore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the daunger by speedie 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 howe he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to
written of the Phoenix that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one and on this manner is her kinde preserued Againe swallowes wormes and flyes which haue lien dead in the winter season in the spring by vertue of the sunnes heat reuiue againe so likewise men fall in sounes and traunses beeing for a time without breath or shew of life and yet afterward come againe and to vse Pauls example before the corne can grow and beare fruit it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte And if this were not seene by experience men would not beleeue it Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following and yet afterward it returns againe the next morning Lastly we reade how the old Prophet◠raised some from death and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life But let vs see what reasons may be alleadged to the contrarie First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes is against common sense reason Answeare It is aboue reason but not against reason For if impotent and miserable men as experience sheweth can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workemanship of glasse why may we not in reason thinke that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust Secondly it is said that mens bodies beeing dead are turned into dust and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures and one mans bodie with another and that by reason of this confusion men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies Answ. Howsoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans body at the resurrectiō of his own matter to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art cā sunder diuers metells one frō another some men out of one metell can draw another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to do the like It may be further obiected thus A man is eaten by a wolfe the wolfe is eaten by a lyon the lyon by the foules of the ayre and the foules of the ayre eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Canibals Nowe the body of that man which is turned into so many substāces especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe if the one doth the other doth not Ans. This reason is but a cavill of mans braine for we must not think that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie is turned into the substance therof must rise again become a part of the bodie at the day of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his own as shal make his bodie to be entire perfect though another mans flesh once eaten be no part therof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God therfore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Answ. By flesh blood is not meant the bodies of men simple but the bodies of men as they are in weaknes without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh blood in scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne corruption of nature sometime mans nature subiect to miseries infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must be vnderstoode in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Now beasts rise not againe after this life therefore there is no resurrection of men Answer In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankinde we must consider two parts the Elect the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise again is the Resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the Scripture Adam Christ are compared together Christ is called the second Adam these were two roots The first Adam was the root of all mākind and he conuaieth sinne by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect cōuaieth life both in body soule to all that are vnited to him by the vertue of his resurrection they shall rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the Godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his Godhead conuaie it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euē in death remain vnited vnto him raise thē vp at the last day And for this cause Christ is called a quickning spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the day that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as he is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore Saint Iohn setteth downe the outwarde meanes whereby the dead shalbe raised namely the voyce of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as he created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shalbe raised againe This may be a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shalbe after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shal rise at the last day Answeare The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last day in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other
the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust vniust Now what did this mooue him vnto Marke herein saith he that is in this respect I endeauour my self to haue alwaies a cleare coÌ„science towards God and towards man And let vs for our parts likewise remember the last iudgement that it may be a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions that we may keep a good conscience before God and before men and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies soules with so many damnable practises without any remorse of conscience Surely they neuer seriously remember the day of the resurrection after this life wherin they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life whether it be good or badde Thus much of the duties now marke it is further said The resurrection of the bodie If the bodie rise it must first fal Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed truth that all men must die the first death And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinnes which are the cause of death it may be demaunded why they must die Ansvveâ—re VVee are to know that when they die death doth not seaze vpon theÌ„ as it is in his own nature a curse for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse and that for vs but for two other causes which wee must thinke vpon as beeing speciall meanes to make a man willing to die I. They must die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life then it is abolished and not before II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death and turnes a curse into a blessing And to proceede It is not here said the resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely what then will some say becommeth of the soule Diuers haue thought that the soules then though they doe not die yet are still kept within the bodie beeing as it were a sleepe till the last day But Gods word saith to the contrarie For in the Revelation it is said The soules of the godly lie vnder the altar and cry How long Lord Iesus And in the Gospel of Luke Dives in soule did suffer woe and torments in hell and Lazarus had ioy in AbrahaÌ„s bosom Againe some others think that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to another and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion for when newes was brought him of Christ he said that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man And for proofe herof some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar who forsaking the societie of man liued as a beast and did eate grasse like a beast and they imagine that his owne soule went out of him and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof But this indeede is a fonde conceit for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast being only strickeÌ„ by the hand of God with an exceeding madnes whereby he was bereft of common reason as doth appeare by that clause in the text where it is saide that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe Againe some other thinke that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth nor passeth out of one bodie into an other but wandereth here on earth amoÌ„g men ofteÌ„times appeareth to this or that maÌ„ this is the opinion of some hereticks of the common people which thinke that dead men walke and for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul but the truth is it was not Samuel in deede but onely a counterfait of him For not all the witches in the world nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place For when men die in the faith their soules are immediatly translated into heauen there abide till the last iudgement and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes their soules goe straight to the place of eternall condemnation and there abide as in a prison as Peter saith In a word when the breath goeth out of the bodie the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heaueÌ„ or hel and there is no third place of aboad meÌ„tioned in scripture To conclude the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule which neither dieth nor sleepeth but is a spirituall and inuisible substance liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit now followeth the fourth last in these words And life euerlasting To handle this point to the full and to open the nature of it as it deserueth is not in the power of man For both the Prophet Esai and Saint Paul say that the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him Again Paul when he was wrapt into the third heauen saith that he saw things not to be vttered Neuerthelesse we may in some part describe the same so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his wil vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue I consider two things the first is life it selfe the second is the continuance of life noted in the word euerlasting Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth liueth moueth it selfe it is twofold vncreated or created Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe wherby God liueth absolutely in himselfe from himselfe by himselfe giuing life and being to all things that liue and haue beeing this life is not meant here because it is not communicable to any creature Created life is a qualitie in the creature and its againe twofold natural spiritual Natural life is that wherby men in this world liue by meat drinke al such means as are ministred by Gods prouidence Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life after the day of iudgemeÌ„t for euer and euer And this alone is the life which in the Creed we confesse and beleeue it consisteth in an immediate coniunctioÌ„ and communion
especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lorde by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and wicked they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the dueties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in prayer vnto God for he that will pray truly must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must be made in faith and for a man to pray in faith it is harde therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leaper whome our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords prayer when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the ende he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to wait for the benefits before craved in these words Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence we learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shal neuer be able to preuaile against the least mēber of Christ. I doe not say they shal neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shall neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I answer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Little children yee are of God and haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirite who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the worlde that is the spirit of Sathan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth him selfe to a sillie sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyō yet I will feare none evill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is saide the first person is a father as also almightie ioyne these two together and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a father almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuil and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True in deede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must learne to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirite of wisdome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be cōsidered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and find the power of God as he was man Answ. Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the panges of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Now in this extremitie God did shew his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we draw from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lieth dead in sinne Now as God did shewe his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in him selfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnes of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in him selfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a new life more more Furthermore whē Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did hee vanquish Sathan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer sathan◠that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cuppe might passe from him and yet he saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessarie that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhoode to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectual in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the panges of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in all the members of Christ to make them both patient and of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that wheras they confesse God to be their almightie father they should here withall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that he is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing thē power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hande of God in
Lorde is eternall and this thirde heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lords abode and therefore it is also eternall Ansvver True it is that God doeth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the thirde heauen but yet that cannot obtaine his godhead as Salomon saith Beholde the heavens and the heavens of heavens are not able to containe thee Wherefore though God doeth manifest his eternall glorie in this thirde heauen yet it doeth not follow that therefore it shoulde be eternall for he needes no place to dvvell in for hee is every where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place The seconde question where this thirde heauen is Ansvvere There are some protestants say it is euery where and they hold this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes body in or about the Sacrament But if it vvere euery where then hell shoulde be in heauen which no man will say but heauen indeed is aboue these visible heauens which we see with our eyes so the Apostle saith Christ ascended on high farre above all heauens c. And againe it is saide of Steven that beeing full of the holy ghost He looked up steadfastly into the heauens and sawe them open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Thirdly it may be demanded why God created this thirde heauen Ansvver God made it for this cause that there might be a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men for the which cause it was created a thousand folde more glorious then the two former heavens are in which respect it is called Paradise by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father because into it must be gathered all Gods children It is called the kingdome of heaven because God is the King thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie True it is God hath his kingdome here on earth but he ruleth not so fully and gloriously here as hee shall in heauen for this is the kingdome of grace but that is the kingdome of his glorie where he so reigneth that he will be all in all first in Christ and then in the elect both Angels and men Now followes the duties wherunto we are moved principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen First if God created it especially for the manifestation of his glorie unto men that at the ende of this world by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence there they might haue perfect ioye and felicitie wee haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse of the vvorlde that reigneth euery where among men which onely haue regarde to the state of this life and cast all their care on this world and neuer so much as dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen If a man hauing two houses one but a homely cottage and the other a princely pallace should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing up of the first would not euerie man say he were a mad man yes undoubtedly And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that reigneth euery where among men for God hath prepared for us two houses one is this our bodie which we beare about us which is an house of clay as Iob saith VVee dvvell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust which shall be destroyed before the moth and as Peter saith a Tabernacle or tent which wee must shortly take downe and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and strangers Againe the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath provided for us a second house in the third heauen wherein we must not abide for a time and so depart but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of claye whose foundation is but dust but for the blessed estate of the second house which is prepared for them in the kingdome of heauen they haue no regarde or care They vvill both runne and ride from place to place day and night both by Sea and lande but for vvhat Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem Nothing lesse for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to use any meanes whereby they may come unto it but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences whether as I haue saide this be not more then senselesse madnesse Againe the body is but a tabernacle wherein we must rest as it were for a night as a stranger doeth in an Inne and so away but the second house is eternall in the heavens an everlasting seate of all felicitie And therefore our dutie is aboue all things to seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof as Christ himselfe biddeth us And if the Lorde haue there prepared such a place for vs then wee must in this worlde use all good meanes whereby we may be made worthy the fruition of it also fitte and ready at the day of death to enter into it which at the day of iudgement we shall fully possesse both in soule and body and there reigne eternally in all happinesse with God Almightie our creatour the father the sonne and the holy ghost But some may say how shall a man so prepare himselfe that he may be fitte for that place Ansvver This the holy ghost teacheth us for speaking of this heauenly Ierusalem hee saith There shall enter into it none uncleane thing neither whatsoever vvorketh abomination or lyes The meanes then to make our selues fitte is to seeke to be reconciled to God in Christ for our sinnes past and withall to indeauour to haue an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come wee must remember what S. Iohn saith Euery one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe meaning that he which hath hope to reigne with Christ in heauen vseth the meanes whereby he may purifie and keepe himselfe from sinne as also he saith after that he which is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Signifying that all such persons as are truly iustified and sanctified carrie such a narrowe and straite watch ouer the whole course of their liues and conuersations that the deuill can neuer giue them deadlie wounds and wholly ouercome them Now the man that is resolued in his conscience of the pardon of his sinne for the time past and hath a steadfast purpose in his heart to keepe himselfe upright and continually to walke in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies
when thou art converted confirme thy brethren and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies vvhen wee are iustly called so to doe Secondly because we are set apart in Christ to become spirituall priests vnto God we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable unto him and they be in number seven The first is an affiance whereby we rest upon God as Dauid saith Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the gospell that wee may be changed and converted by it as Paul saith That hee ministred the Gospell to the Gentiles that the offering vp of them might be acceptable beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost The thirde is all manner of prayers and supplications made unto God Let my prayer saieth David be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine handes as an evening sacrifice The fourth is praising and thankesgiving unto God Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alvvaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes vvhich confesse his name And in the Revelation the golden vials full of odors are the praiers of the saints The fift is the reliefe of our poore breethren according to our ability as Paul saieth I vvas even filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that vvhich came from you an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice pleâ—sant and acceptable to God The sixt is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart The seuenth is to resigne our selues bodies and soules wholly to the seruice of God Set your selues saith Paul to God as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as weapons of righteousnesse unto God In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the old Testament when a man offered any sacrifice for himselfe hee brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar in token that hee did resigne it vnto God and so wee for our partes must not giue our bodies and soules to become the instruments of sinne satan but we must haue them alwaies in readinesse freely presenting them vnto him that he may haue the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure to the honour and glorie of his name Againe in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke no man hauing benefite of it to signifie that we must give our selues not in part but wholly to the service of God euen to death if need be If this be so miserable is the practise of such that giue up their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes in idlenesse For they offer themselues a sacrifice not to God but to the devill Thirdly considering wee are annointed to be spirituall kinges euen in this life wee must walke worthie so great a calling That this may be so first of all such as are governours set ouer others must rule not according to their willes and pleasures but in the Lorde withall doeing homage to their heade and king Christ Iesus him-selfe Secondly vvee must euerie one of vs rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughtes willes affections over-mastering them as much as wee can by Gods worde and spirite withall maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures the deuill and the worlde And truely hee which can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a right king indeede and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life he shall raigne for ever with Christ in the life to come As for such as are carried away with the svvinge of their corruptions hauing blindnesse and ignorance to raigne in their mindes rebellion in their willes and affections loosenesse in their whole liues they may carrie the forme of Christians as long as they will but indeede they are no spirituall kings but bondemen the strong man satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts as Lord and king holds up his scepter there Lastly seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that ever was and that for our sakes he must be sweete and savourie unto us and all other things must be as vnsavorie drosse and dung in regarde of him VVee must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth Because of the savour of the good oyntments thy name is an ointment powred out therefore the virgins love thee O that we could savour in the feare of God that wee might perceive how all his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia comming forth of his ivory pallaces vnto vs. And because the holy ointment of Christ is powred forth upon all his members to make them favourie and sweete in the presence of God let us make conscience of all maner of sinne lest by the poison and stincke thereof wee infect not onely our selues but all the creatures of God which wee vse yea heaven and earth itselfe It standes not with equitie that after we haue beene embaulmed and sweetned by the pretious merites of Christ that we should make our selues as two footed swine to returne to the mire of our old sinnes The coupling and combining of these two former titles togither containes the principali question of the whole bible which is whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be Christ or no as S. Iohn saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that in beleeving yee might have life everlasting This conclusion was denied by the Iewes but avouched and confirmed both by Christ and by his Apostles and their principall argument was framed thus He which hath the true notes of Christ is the Messias or Christ indeed but Iesus the Sonne of Mary hath the true notes of Christ therfore Iesus is Christ. The proposition is opened at large in the prophesies of the old testament the assumption is confirmed in the writings of the new testament the principall reasons of the confirmation are couched in the articles which coÌ„cern the second person The conclusion followes is set down as I haue said in the knitting togither of the titles Iesus and Christ. Thus much of the second title now followeth the third his only Sonne that is the only sonne of the first person the father In this title we must consider 2. things the first that he is the sonne of God the second that he is the only Sonne of God Touching the first Christ is called the SoÌ„ne of God because he was begotteÌ„ of the father Now for the opening of this eternall generation we must consider three pointes the thing begotten the maner of begetting the time For the thing it selfe it is Christ who must be coÌ„sidered 2. waies as he is a sonne as he is God As he is a sonne he is
but he which is very God IV. It was the pleasure of God to shewe his incomprehensible goodnes in this that his grace should not onely be equall to our sinne but also by many degrees goe beyond it And therefore the first Adam beeing but a meere man the second Adam must be both God man that as the second was more excellent then the first so our comfort might be greater in our redemption by the second then our miserie and discomfort was by the fall of the first Hitherto wee haue shewed howe Christ is the sonne of God Now let vs come to the second point namely that he is the onely sonne of God And he is so tearmed because he is the sonne of the father in that manner as nothing else can be but he Angels indeede are tearmed the sonnes of God but that is onely in respect of their creation and all that beleeue in Christ are the sonnes of God by adoption being receiued into the familie of God which is his Church by the merit of Christ whereas by nature they were the children of wrath Christ also as he is man I say not his manhood which is a nature and no person is the sonne of God by the grace of personall vnion and not by nature or by adoption Lastly Christ as he is the second person in trinitie the eternall worde of the father coeternall and consubstanciall with him is also the sonne of God But how neither by creation nor adoption nor by the vertue of personall vnion but by nature as he was begotten of the very substance of the father before all worlds and therefore he is called the proper and onely begotten sonne of God It may be obiected on this manner If the father beget the sonne he doth it either willingly or against his will if willingly then the sonne is begotten by the freewill of the father and no sonne by nature Answer The father did communicate to the sonne his whole Godhead willingly without constraint yet not by his will and therefore he is the sonne of the father by nature not by will It may be further said that if Christ be the sonne of God by nature as he is the essentiall word of the father by personall vnion as he is mā then is he not one but two sonnes Answ. As he is but one person so is he but one sonne yet not in one but in two respects two respects make not two things whereas one and the same thing and so remaining may admit sundrie respects Thus much of the meaning of the third title Now follow the comforts which may be gathered hence Whereas Christ Iesus is the sonne of God it serues as a meanes to make miserable and wretched sinners that are by nature the children of wrath and damnation to be the sonnes of God by adoption as Saint Iohn testifieth Now what a benefit is this to be the child of God no tongue can expresse Christ saith Blessed are the peacemakers but why are they blessed for saith he they shalbe called the sonnes of God Whereby he testifieth that the right of adoption is a most excellent priuiledge and not without cause For he which is the childe of God is spiritually allyed to Christ and to all the saints and seruants of God both in heauen and earth hauing him for his elder brother and all his members as his brethren and sisters yea if we be Gods adopted children we are also heires euen heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. Well how great soeuer this prerogatiue is yet few there be that rightly waigh it and consider of it Children of noble men and princes heires are had in account and reputation of all men they are the very speach and wonder of the world But it is a matter of no account to be the sonne of God and fellow-heire with Christ. The dearest seruants of God haue beene esteemed but as the offscouring of the world And no meruaile for they which are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh Fewe men haue their vnderstandings inlightned to discerne of such spirituall things as these are and therefore are they little or nothing regarded A blinde man neuer seeing the sonne is not brought to wonder at it and earthly minded men neither seeing nor feeling what an excellent thing it is to be the child of God cannot be brought to seeke after it But let all such as feare God enter into a serious consideration of the vnspeakeable goodnes of God comforting thēselues in this that God the father hath vouchsafed by his own sōne to make thē of the vassals of Satā to be his own deere childrē Now follow the duties which are two First we beleeue that Iesus Christ who was to be the Sauiour of mākind must needs be God what is the reason hereof surely because no creature no not all creatures in heauen and earth were able to saue one man so vyle wretched and miserable is our estate by Adams fall And therefore the sonne of God himselfe pitied our estate and beeing king of heauen and earth was faine to come from heauen and lay downe his crowne and become a seruant and taking vpon him our nature was also faine to take vpon him our case and condition suffer death for our sinnes which otherwaies euery one of vs should haue suffered both in bodie and soule world without end To make this more plaine let vs suppose that some one hath cōmitted an offence against a prince now the trespasse is so grieuous that no man can appease the kings wrath saue onely the kings onely sonne and which is more the kings sonne cannot release him vnlesse he suffer the punishment for him in his owne person which is due vnto the malefactour Now what is to be thought of this mans estate surely all men will say that he is in a most miserable taking and that his trespasse is notorious and so it is with euery one of vs by nature whatsoeuer we are No man could saue our soules no not all the angels in heauen vnlesse the king of heauen earth the only sonne of God had come down from heauē suffered for vs bearing our punishment Now the cōsideratiō of this must humble vs and make vs to cast down our selues vnder the hād of God for our sinnes pray continually that the Lord would send some Moses or other which might smite the rocks of our hearts that some tears of sorow repentāce might gush out for our woful miserie Secondly whereas God the father of Christ gaue his only sonne to be our sauiour as we must be thankfull to God for all things so especially for this great vnspeakeable benefite Cōmon blessings of God as meat drink health wealth liberty must at all times mooue vs to be thankful but this that Christ Iesus the onely sonne of God redeemed vs beeing vtterly lost this I say must be the mayne point of al our
praier and fasting and the word of God preached and by flying all occasions of offence We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit Christianitie stands not in this to heare the word of God outwardly to professe the same in the meane season stil to liue in our sinnes to pamper our owne rebellious flesh but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readinesse some speare or other to wound sinne the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in vs that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede Fourthly by this we may learn that the wrath of God against sinne is wōderful great because his own Son bearing our person being in our place was not onely crucified racked most cruelly but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule and therfore we must leaue off to make so litle account of sinne as commonly we doe Fiftly wheras the person crucified was the sonne of God it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse like a sea without banke or bottome it can not be searched into if we shal not acknowledge it to be so our condemnation will be the greater Sixtly in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse we learne that those that be the children of God when they suffer any iudgement crosse or calamitie either in bodie or in minde or both doe not beare them as the curses of God but as the chastisements of a louing father For it doth not stande with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God shall either in his owne person in his good name or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God God doth not as a iudge curse him but as a father correct him Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome which hold that we by our suffrings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God but this can not stand because Christ did make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needelesse and much derogates from Christs passion In the crucifying of Christ two things specially must be considered The manner of the doing of it and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse Touching the manner the spirite of God hath noted two things The first that Christ was crucifyed betweene two theeues the one vpon his left hand the other vpon his right in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Esay He was numbred among the wicked and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues malefactours whatsoeuer Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead is reputed the head and prince of all sinners it serueth to teach euery one of vs that beleeue in him to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners and to say of our selues with Paul that we are the chiefe of all sinners The second thing is that Christ was crucified naked because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiers when he was to be crucified The causes why he suffered naked are these First Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankinde death both of bodie and soule and also the curses of God which befall man in this life among which this was one that the nakednes of the bodie should be ignominious and hereupon when Adam had sinned saw himselfe naked he fled frō the presence of God hid himselfe euē for very shame Christ therfore was stripped of his garments and suffered naked that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne Secondly this came to passe by the goodnes of God that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednes which is when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof hee himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements Hereof the Angel speaketh to the Church of Laodicea saying Thou saiest J am rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched miserable blinde and naked So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe Moses telleth them that they were naked not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour and lay open and naked vnto all his iudgements for that sinne And Salomon saith Where there is no vision there the people are made naked that is their sinnes lie open before God and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation Now Christ was crucified naked that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God called white rayment as Christ saith I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment that thou maist be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednes doe not appeare and Long white robes dipped in the blood of the lambe which serue to hide the nakednes of our soules VVhat these garments are the Apostle sheweth when he saith All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Put on the new man which after God is created in righteoosnes and true holines Our nakednes maketh vs more vile in the sight of God then the most loathsome creature that is can be vnto vs vntill we haue put on the righteousnes of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules that we may appeare holy and without spot before God Thirdly Paul saith We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God c. For therefore we sigh desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednes of Adam after his fall and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked namely that after this life he might cloath all his members with eternall glorie If this be so that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed then to make vs proud The thiefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand or of the fetters on his heeles as we may of our attire because it is but the couering of our shame and therfore should put vs in mind of our sinne shamful nakednes The abode
therefore the death of Christ doeth make his last will and testament which is his couenant of grace authenticall unto us Fourthly the death of Christ doth serue to abolish the originall corruption of our sinnefull hearts As a strong corasive laide to a sore eates out all the rotten and deade flesh euen so Christs death being applyed to the heart of a penitent sinner by faith weakens and consumes the sinne that cleaues so fast unto our natures and dwelles within us Some will say how can Christes death which now is not because it is long ago past and ended kill sinne in vs now Ansvver Indeed if vvee regard the acte of Christs death it is past but the vertue and power thereof endureth for euer And the power of Christes death is nothing els but the power of his godhead vvhich inabled him in his death to ouercome hell the graue death and condemnation and to disburden him selfe of our sinnes Now when wee haue grace to denie our selves and to put our trust in Christ and by faith are ioyned to him then as Christ himselfe by the power of his godhead ouercame death hell and damnation in himselfe so shall wee by the same power of his godhead kill crucifie sin corruption in our selues Therfore seeing we reape such benefite by the death of Christ if wee will shewe our selues to be Christians let us reioyce in the death of Christ and if the question be what is the chiefest thing wherein we reioyce in this world we may answere the very crosse of Christ and the least droppe of his blood The duties to be learned by the death of Christ are two the first concernes all ignorant and impenitent sinners Such men whatsoeuer they be by the death of Christ upon the crosse must be mooued to turne from their sinnes and if the consideration hereof will not mooue them nothing in the world will By nature euery man is a vassall of sinne and a bondslaue of Sathan the deuill raignes and rules in all men by nature and wee our selues can doe nothing but serue and obey him Nay which is more we lie under the fearefull curse of God for the least sinne Well now see the love of the sonne of God that gaue himselfe willingly to death upon the crosse for thee that he might free thee from this most fearefull bondage Wherefore let all those that liue in sinne and ignorance reason thus with thēselues Hath Christ the Sonne of God done this for us and shall we yet live still in our sinnes hath he set open as it were the very gates of hell and shall we yet lie weitring in out damnable waies and in the shadowe of death In the feare of God let the death of Christ be a means to turne us to Christ if it can not moue us let us be resolued that our case is dangerous To go yet further in this point euery one of us is by nature a sicke man wounded at the very heart by sathan though we feele it not yet we are deadly sicke beholde Christ is the good Phisition of the soule none in heauen or earth neither Saint angell nor man can heale this our spirituall wound but he alone who though he were equall with the father yet he came downe from his bosome and became mā lived here many yeres in miserie contēpt and when no hearb nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperate sicknes he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood the paine hee tooke in making it caused him to sweat water blood nay the making of it for us cost him his life in that he was content by his own death to free us from death which if it be true as it is most true thē wofull wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne will not use meanes to lay this plaister unto our hearts And after the plaister is applyed to the soule we should doe as a man that hath bene grievously sicke who whē he is on the mending hand gets strength by litle little And so should we become new creatures going on frō grace to grace and shew the same by liuing godlily righteously and soberly that the worlde may see that wee are cured of our spirituall disease O happy yea thrise happy are they that haue grace from God to do this The second duty concernes thē which are repentant sinners Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee is thy conscience setled in this then thou must answerably beare this minde that if thy life would serue for the glorie of God the good of his Church thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto Secondly if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life then thou must in like manner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ if need be He saith S. Iohn laid down his life for us therfore we ought to lay down our liues for our brethren Thirdly if Christ was cōtē◠to shed his own hearts blood not for himself but for the sins of euery one of us thē we must be thus affected that rather then by sinning we would willingly offend god we should be content to haue our own blood shed yea if these two things were put to our choise either to doe that vvhich might displease God or els to suffer death we must rather die then do the same Of this mind haue bene all the martyrs of God who rather then they would yeild to Idolatrie were content to suffer most bitter torments cruell death Yea euery good christian is so affected that hee had rather choose to die then to liue not moued by impatience in respect of the miseries of this life but because he would cease to offend so louing a father To sin is meat drinke to the world but to a touched repētāt hart ther is no tormēt so grievous as this is to sinne against God if once hee be perswaded that Christ died for him Thus much for Christs death novv follovv those things vvhich befell Christ when hee was newly dead and they are two especially The first that his legges were not broken as the legges of the tvvo thieves vvere Of the first S. Iohn rendreth a reason namely that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith not a bone of him shall be broken which wordes vvere spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe and are here applyed to Christ as being typically figured therby And hence we obserue these tvvo things First that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe as S. Paul saieth Christ our passeover is sacrificed and S. Iohn saith Behold the lamb of God distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lamb the childe of God hath vvonderfull matter of comfort The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt and sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the postes of their dores that when
to keepe the sabbath so strictly as the Iewes were yet vvhen we haue any busines or worke to be done of our ordinarie calling vve must not take a part of the Lordes sabbath day to do it in but preuent the time doe it either before as Ioseph did or after the sabbath This is litle practised in the world Mē think if they go to church before after noone to heare Gods worde then all the day after they may doe what they list and spend the rest of the time at their owne pleasure but the vvhole day is the Lordes therefore must be spent wholly in his seruice both by publicke hearing of the word and also by priuate reading and meditation on the same To conclude the doctrine of Christes buriall Here it may be demanded how he was alwaies after his incarnation both god and man considering he was dead buried and therefore bodie and soule were sundred a dead mā seemes to be no man Ansvv. A dead man in his kinde is as true a man as a living man for though bodie and soule be not united by the bond of life yet are they united by a relation which the one hath to the other in the counsell and good pleasure of God and that as truly as man and vvoman remaine coupled into one flesh by a couenant of mariage though afterwarde they be distant a thousand miles asunder and by vertue of this relation euery soule in the day of iudgement shall be reunited to his owne bodie euery bodie to his own soule But there is yet a more straighter bond betweene the body soule of Christ in his death burial For as when he was liuing his soule was a meane or bond to unite his godhead his bodie togither so whē hee was deade his verie godhead was a meane or middle bond to unite the bodie and soule and to say otherwise is to dissolue the hypostaticall union by vertue wherof Christes body and soule though seuered ech frō other yet both were still ioyned to the godhead of the sonne The use and profite which may be made of Christes buriall is two-folde I. It serueth to worke in us the buriall of all our sinnes Knovve yee not saieth Paul that all who haue beene baptised into Christ have beene baptised into his death and are buried vvith him by baptisme into his death If any shall demaund how any man is buried into the death of Christ the answere is this Euery Christian man and woman are by faith mystically united unto Christ and made all members of one body whereof Christ is the head Now therefore as Christ by the power of his godhead when he was dead and buried did ouercome the graue the power of death in his own person So by the very same power by means of this spirituall coniunctiō doth he worke in all his members a spirituall death buriall of sinne and naturall corruption When the Israelites were burying of a mā for feare of the soldiers of the Moabites they cast him for hast into the sepulcher of Elisha Now the dead man so soone as he was down had touched the body of Elisha he revived stood upon his feet So let a man that is dead in sin be cast into the graue of Christ that is let him by faith but touch Christ dead buried it will come to passe by the vertue of Christs death buriall that he shalbe raised frō the death bōdage of sin to become a new mā Secōdly the buriall of Christ serues to be a sweet perfume of all our graues and burials for the graue in it selfe is the house of perditiō but Christ by his burial hath as it were cōsecrated and perfumed all our graues in stead of houses of perdition hath made them chambers of rest sleepe yea beds of downe therfore howsoeuer to the eye of mā the beholding of a funerall is terrible yet if we could then remember the buriall of Christ consider how he thereby hath changed the nature of the graue euen then it woulde make us to reioice Lastly we must imitate Christs buriall in being cōtinually occupied in the spiritual burial of our sins Thus much of the buriall Now followeth the third and last degree of Christes humiliation He descended into hell It seemes very likely that these wordes were not placed in the creed at the first or as some thinke that they crept in by negligence because aboue threescore creeds of the most ancient councels fathers want this clause among the rest the Nicene Creed But if the ancient learned fathers assembled in that councel had bin perswaded or at the least had imagined that these words had bin set down at the first by the Apostles no doubt they would not in any wise haue left them out And an anciēt writer saith directly that these words he descended into hell are not found in the Creede of the Romane Church nor used in the Churches of the East if they be that then they signifie the burial of Christ. And it must not seeme strange to any that a worde or twaine in processe of time should creepe into the Creede considering that the originall copies of the bookes of the old and new Testament haue in them sundry varieties of readings and words otherwhiles which from the margine haue crept into the text Neuerthelesse considering that this clause hath long continued in the creed and that by common consent of the Catholicke Church of God it may carry a fit sense expositiō it is not as some would haue it to be put forth Therfore that we may come to speak of the meaning of it we must know that it hath 4. usual expositiōs which we wil rehearse in order then make choise of that which shal be thought to be the fittest The first is that Christs soule after his passion vpon the crosse did really locally descend into the place of the damned But this seems not to be true The reasons are these I. All the Evangelists and among the rest S. Luke intending to make an exact narration of the life and death of Christ haue set downe at large his passion death buriall resurrection ascension and withall they make rehearsall of small circumstances therefore no doubt they woulde not haue omitted Christes locall descent into the place of the damned if there had bene any such thing And the end why they penned this historie was that we might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God beleeuing we might haue life euerlasting Now there could not haue bene a greater matter for the confirmation of our faith thē this that Iesus the sonne of Mary who went downe to the place of the damned returned thence to liue in happinesse for euer II. If Christ did go into the place of the damned then either in soule or in body or in
by God and therfore sufficiently convicted what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of executiō to conuict him And it is flat against the text For the preaching that is spoken of here is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word as Peter expounds himselfe 1. Pet. 4.6 To this purpose was the Gospell also preached vnto the deade that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh that they might liue according to God in the spirit Lastly there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe then to the rest of the damned And this is the first exposition the second follows He descended into hell that is Christ descended into the graue or was buried This exposition is agreeable to the truth yet is it not mee◠or conuenient For the clause next before he was buried cōtained this point therfore if the next words following yeelde the same sense there must be a vaine and needelesse repetition of one and the same thing twise which is not in any-wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this If it be said that these wordes are an exposition of the former the answeare is that then they should be more plaine then the former For when one sentence expoundeth an other the latter must alwaies be the plainer but of these two sentences He was buried he descended into hell the first is very plaine and easie but the latter very obscure and hard and therefore it can be no exposition thereof and therefore this exposition also is not to be receiued Thirdly others there be which expound it thus He descended into hell that is Christ Iesus when he was dying vpon the crosse felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule This exposition hath his warrant in Gods worde where hell often signifieth the sorrowes and paines of hell as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp that is he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules euen the pangs of hell and after restoreth them And Dauid saith The sorrowes of death compassed me and the terrours of hell laide holde on mee This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church and they which expounde this article thus giues this reason thereof The former wordes was crucified deade and buried doe containe say they the outward sufferings of Christ nowe because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie but also inwardly in soule therefore these words he descended into hell doe set forth vnto vs his inwarde sufferings in soule when he felt vpon the crosse the ful wrath of God vpō him This exposition is good and true and whosoeuer will may receiue it But yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles For these words was crucified dead and buried must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before But let vs come to the fourth exposition He descended into hell that is when he was dead and buried he was held captiue in the graue and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures Saint Peter saith God hath raised him vp speaking of Christ and loosed the sorows of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it Where we may see that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ there is placed a third matter which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede saue in this and that is his bondage vnder death which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sence as the speach of Iacob sheweth I will goe downe into hell vnto my sonne mourning And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creed first he was crucified died secōdly he was buried thirdly laid in the graue and was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death And these three degrees of Christs humiliation are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation The first degree of his exhaltation he rose againe the third day answearing to the first degree of his humiliatiō he died the second degree of his exhaltatiō he ascended into heauen answering to his going downe into the graue was buried and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God which is the highest degree of his exhaltation answearing to the lowest degree of his humiliation he descended into hell These two last expositions are commonly receiued and we may indifferently make choice of either but the last as I take it is most agreeable to the order and words of the Creede Thus much for the meaning of the words Now follow the vses And first of all Christs descending into hell teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ that if it shall please God to afflict vs either in bodie or in minde or in both though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner yet must we not thinke it strange For Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell but after he was dead death takes him and as it were carries him into his denne or cabbin and there triumpheth ouer him holding him in captiuitie and bondage and yet for all this was he the sonne of God and therefore when Gods hande is heauie vpon vs any way we are not to despaire but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed king ouer Israel but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine in so much that Dauid said there was but one step betweene him death So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him his goods and cattell were all taken away and his owne children slaine and his owne bodie striken by satan with loathsome biles from the sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting amōg the ashes And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God when he was called to preach to Ninivie because he refused for feare of that great citie God mette with him and he must be cast into the sea and there be swallowed vp
considering that euery bodie occupies a place and two bodies at the same instaÌ„t caÌ„not be in one proper place Furthermore it is said that when the angel sate on the stone his countenance was like lightening and his rayment as white as snow this serued to shew what was the glory of Christ himselfe For if the seruant and minister be so glorious then endlesse is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe Lastly it is said 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 ends 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 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 consider that there is a reuiuing and quickening vertue in the resurrection of Christ wherby he is able not only to raise our dead bodies vnto life but also when wee are deade in sinne to raise vs vp to newnes of life And in this very point stands a maine difference between the resurrection of Christ 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 therefore he is called a quickening spirit And let vs marke the order obserued in rising First Christ riseth then the saints after him And this came to passe to verifie the Scripture which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead Now he is the first borne of the dead in that hee hath this dignitie priuiledge to rise to eternal life the first of all men It is true indeede that Lazarus 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 maner And the persoÌ„s that rose before with Christ are to be noted they were the Saints of God not wicked men whereby we are put in minde that the elect children of God onely are partakers of Christs resurrection Indeede both good and bad rise againe but there is a great difference in their rising for the godly rise by the vertue of Christs resurrection and that to eternall glorie but the vngodly rise by the vertue of Christ not as he is a redeemer but as he is a terrible iudge and is to execute iustice on them And they rise againe for this ende that besides the first death of the bodie they might suffer the second death which is the powring forth of the wrath of God vpon bodie and soule eternally This difference is prooued vnto vs by that which Paul saith Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep Among the Iewes such as had corne fields gathered some little quantitie therof before they reaped the rest offred the same vnto God signifying therby that they acknowledged him to be the author and giuer of all increase this offering was also an assurance vnto the owner of the blessing of God vpoÌ„ the rest this being but one handful did saÌ„ctify the whol crop Now Christ to the dead is as the first fruits to the rest of the corne because his resurrection is a pledge an assurance of the resurrection of all the faithfulll When a man is cast into the sea and all his bodie is vnder the water there is nothing to be looked for but present death but if he carrie his heade aboue the water there is good hope of a recouery Christ himself is risen as a pledge that all the iust shall rise againe he is the heade vnto his Church therfore all his members must needes followe in there time It may be demaÌ„ded what became of the Saints that rose againe after Christs resurrection Ans. Some think they died againe but seeing they rose for this ende to manifest the quickning vertue of Christs resurrection it is as like that they were also glorified with Christ and ascended with him to heauen Thus much of the manner of Christs resurrection Now follows the time when he rose againe and that is specified in the Creede The third day he rose againe Thus saith our Sauiour Christ vnto the Pharisies As Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales bellâ—e so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth And though Christ was but one day and two pieces of two daies in the graue for he was buried in the euening before the sabbath and rose in the morning the next day after the sabbath yet is this sufficient to verifie this saying of Christ. For if the analogie had stoode in three whole daies then Christ should haue risen the fourth day And it was the pleasure of God that he should lie thus long in the graue that it might be knowne that he was thoroughly dead and he continued no longer that he might not in his bodie see corruption Againe it is said Christ rose againe in the ende of the sabbath when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne And this very time must be considered as the reall beginning of the new spirituall world in which we are made the sonnes of God And as in the first day of the first world light was commaunded to shinâ— out of darknes vpon the deepes so in the first day of this new world the sonne of righteousnes riseth and giues light to them that sit in darknes dispells the darknes that was vnder the old testameÌ„t And here let vs mark the reason why the sabbath day was changed For the first day of the weeke which was the day following the Iewes sabbath is our sabbath day which day we keepe holy in memorie of the glorious resurrection of Christ and therefore it is called the Lords day And it may not vnfitly be tearmed Sunday though the name came first from the heathen because on this day the blessed sonne of righteousnâ—s rose from death to life Let vs now in the next place proceede to
the word of God is the pipe whereby he conveieth into our dead hearts spirit and life As Christ when he raised up dead men did onely speake the word they were made aliue and at the day of iudgement at his voice when the trump shall blowe all that are dead shall rise againe So it is in the first resurrectioÌ„ they that are dead in their sinnes at his voice uttered in the ministerie of the worde shall rise againe To goe further Christ raised three from the deade Iairus daughter newly dead the widowes sonne dead and wound up and lying on the hearse Lazarus dead and buried stinking in the graue and all this he did by his very voice so also by the preaching of his word he raiseth all sortes of sinners euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion The Sacraments also are the pipes and conduits wherby God conveigheth grace into the heart if they be rightly used that is if they be receiued in unfained repentance for all our sinnes and with a true and liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes and so I take it they are compared to flagons of wine which reuiue the Church being sicke and fallen into a sownd As for the measure of life derived from Christ it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little as Ose saieth The Lorde hath spoiled vs and he will heale us hee hath wounded us and he will bind us up After two daies he will revive us and in the third he will raise us vp and we shall live in his sight The Prophet Ezechiel in a vision is caried into the middest of a field full of dead bones and hee is caused to Prophesie ouer them and say O ye drie bones heare the vvorde of the Lord and at the first there was a shaking and the bones came togither bone to bone and then sinewes and flesh grew upon them and upon the flesh grewe a skinne Then he prophesied vnto the windes the second time and they liued and stood upon their feete for the breath came upon them and they were an exceeding great armie of men Hereby is signified not only the state of the Iewes after their captivitie but in them the state of the whole Church of God For these temporall deliverances signified further a spirituall deliuerance And we may here see most plainely that God worketh in the heartes of his children the giftes and graces of regeneration by little and little First he giueth no more then flesh sinewes and skin then after he giueth them further graces of his spirite which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue unto God The same also wee may see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the Temple First a man must wade to the ancles then after to the knees and so to the loines then after the waters grovve to a riuer that can not be passed ouer and so the Lord conueieth his graces by little and little till at the last men haue a full measure thereof Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serueth as an argument to proue unto us our resurrection at the day of iudgement Paul saieth If the spirite of Christ that raised up Iesus from the deade dvvell in you hee that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies Some will say that this is no benefite for all must rise againe as well the wicked as the godly Ansvver True indeede but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe They rise againe by the power of Christ not as hee is a saviour but as hee is a iudge to condemne them For God had saide to Adam that at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite he should die the death meaning a double death both the first and the second death Nowe then the ungodly rise againe that God may inflict upon them the punishment of the second death which is the rewarde of sinne that so Gods iustice may be satisfied but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their heade and redeemer who raiseth them up that they may bee partakers of the benefite of his death which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen which he haâ—h so dearely bought for them Thus much for the comfortes Now follow the duties and they are also three First as Christ Iesus vvhen he was deade rose againe from death to life by his owne power so we by his grace in imitation of Christ must endeauour our selues to rise up from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life This is worthily set downe by the Apostle saying We are buried by baptisme into his death that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life and therefore vve must endeauour our selues to shevve the same power to be in us euery day by rising up from ouâ— owne personall sinnes to a reformed life This ought to be remembred of us because howsoeuer many heare know it yet very â—ewe doe practise the same For to speake plainly as dead men buried vvould neuer heare though a man shoulde speake neuet so loude so undoubtedly among us there be also many living men which are almost in the same case The ministers of God may cry unto them daily and iterate the same thing a thousand times and tell them that they must rise up from their sinnes and lead a new life but they heare no more then the deade carkasse that lieth in the graue Indeede men heare with their outward eares but they are so farre from practising this dutie that they iudge it to be a matter of reproch and ignominie And those which make any coÌ„science of this duty how they are laden with nicknames taunts who knoweth not I need not to rehearse theÌ„ so odious a thing now a daies is the rising froÌ„ sinne to newnes of life Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares he stirres not and let us crie for amendment of life till breath goe out of our bodies no man almost saieth what haue I done And for this cause undoubtedly if it were not for conscience of that dutie which men owe unto God we should haue but fewe ministers in England For it is the ioy of a minister to see his people rise from sinne and to lead a new life whereas alas men generally lie snurting in their corruptions and rather goe forwarde in them still then come to any amendment such is the woonderfull hardnes untovvardnes that hath possessed the heartes of most men He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true Oh how exceedes atheisme in all places contempt of Gods worshippe profanation of the Sabbath the whordomes and fornications the crueltie and oppression of this age it cryes euen to heauen for vengeance By these such like
sins the vvorld crucifies Christ againe For look as Pilates souldiours with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments buffetted him and slue him so doe vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of all honour and slay him againe If an infidell should come among vs and yeelde himselfe to be of our religion after hee had seene the behauiour of men hee would peraduenture leaue all religioÌ„ for he might say surely it seemes this god whome these men worship is not the true God but a god of licentious libertie and that which is moâ—e whereas at all times we ought to shew our selues new creatures and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes and to liue in righteousnes and true holines yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward This hath beene heretofore the coÌ„mon practise but let vs now learne after the example of Christ being quickned and reuiued by his grace to endeauor our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne and learne to make conscience of euery badde action True it is a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight in a moderate and godly manner but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously for he that is free is yet seruant vnto Christ as Paul saith and therefore we must doe nothing but thâ—t which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God to which ende the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the deade and Christ shall giue thee life If this will not mooue vs yet let the iudgements of God draw vs hereunto Blessed is he saith the holy Ghost that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power where mention is made of a double death the first is the separation of soule bodie the second is the eternall condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire Would we now escape the second death after this life we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection that on this manner Looke what sinnes we haue liued in hertofore we must endeauour to come out of them all and leade a better life according to all the commandements of God but if ye will haue no care of your owne soules goe on hardly and so ye shall be sure to enter into the second death which is eternal damnation Secondly we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection And this we shall doe when we can say by experience that our hearts are not content with a formall and drowsie profession of religion but that wee feele the same power of Christ whereby he raised vp himselfe from death to life to be effectuall and powerfull in vs to worke in our hearts a conversion from all our sinnes wherein we haue lien deade to newnes of life with care to liue godly in Christ Iesus And that we may further attaine to all this we must come to heare the word of God preached and taught with feare and trembling hauing heard the word we must meditate therein and pray vnto God not onely publikely but priuately also intreating him that he would reach forth his hand and pull vs out of the graue of sinne wherein we haue lien dead so long And in so doing the Lord of his mercie according as he hath promised will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to worke in vs an inward sense and feeling of the vertue of Christs resurrection So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them he gaue them such a measure of his spirite as made their hearts to burne within them And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that God would inlighten their eyes that they might see and feele in themselues the exceeding greatnes of the power of God which he wrought in Christ Iesus when he raised him from the dead Thirdly as Saint Paul saith If we be risen with Christ then we must seeke the things that are aboue But how and by what meanes can we rise with Christ seeing we did not die with him Ans. We rise with Christ thus The burgesse of a town in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole towne whatsoeuer he saith that the whole town saith whatsoeuer is done to him is also done to all the towne so Christ vpon the crosse stood in our place bare our person what he suffred we suffred when he died all the faithfull died in him and so likewise as he is risen againe so are all the faithfull risen in him The consideration whereof doth teach vs that we must not haue our hearts wedded to this world VVe may vse the things of this life but yet so as though we vsed them not For all our loue and care must be for things aboue and specially we must seeke the kingdom of God his righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost VVe must therefore sue for the pardon of sinne for reconciliation to God in Christ for sanctification These are the pretious pearles which we must seeke and when we haue found them we must sell all that we haue to buie them hauing bought them we must lay them vp in the secret corners of our hearts valuing and esteeming of them as better then all things in the world beside Thus much of Christs resurrection containing the first degree of Christs exaltation Now followeth the second in these words He ascended into heauen in the handling wherof we are to consider these speciall points I. the time of his ascention II. the place III. the manner IV. the witnesses V. the vses thereof For the first the time of Christs ascension was fourtie daies after his resurrection when he had taught his disciples the things which appertain to the kingdome of God And this shews that he is a most faithfull carefull king ouer his Church procuring the good thereof And therfore Esay saith The gouernment is on his shoulder the Apostle saith he was more faithfull in all the house of God then Moses was Hence we gather that whereas the Apostles changed the sabbath from the seuenth day to the eight it was no doubt by the counsell direction of Chist before his ascension likewise in that they planted Churches and appointed teachers and meete ouerseers for the guiding and instruction hereof we may resolue our selues that Christ prescribed the same vnto them before his asceÌ„sion for these such like causes did he ascend no sooner Now look what care Christ at his ascensioÌ„ had ouer his church the same must al
people of the land became Iewes Well now behold there is a greater matter among us then this for there is the handwriting of condēnation the law therin the sentēce of a double death of body soule satan as wicked Haman accuseth us seekes by all meanes our condēnatiō but yet behold not any earthly Hester but Christ Iesus the sonne of God is come downe frō heauen hath taken away this handwriting of condemnation cācelled it upon the crosse is now ascended into heauen their sits at the right hand of his father makes request for us in him his father is well pleased yeeldes to his request in our behalfe Now then what must we doe in this case Surely looke as the Persians became Iewes whē they heard of their safety so we in life and conversation must become Christians turne to Christ embrace his doctrine and practise the same unfainedly And we must not content our selues with a formall profession of religion but search into our own harts flie unto Christ for the pardō of our sins that earnestly as for life death as the thief doth at the bar whē the iudge is giuing sentēce against him Whē we shall thus hūble our selues thē Christ Iesus that sits at the right hād of god wil plead our cause be our atturny unto his father his father againe wil accept of his request in our behalfe Thē shall we of Persians become Iewes of the childrē of this world become the sōnes of god Secōdly when we pray to God we must not doe as the blind world doth as it were rush upō God in praying to him without cōsideratiō had to the Mediatour betweene us and him but we alwaies must direct our praiers to God in the name of Christ for hee is aduanced to power and glory in heauen that he might be a fitte patrone for us 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 wee must giue thankes to God in the name of Christ for in him and for his sake God doth bestowe on us his blessings Thus much of Christes intercession the other benefite which concernes Christs kingly office is that he sitts 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 of 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 this world but eternall and spiritual respecting the very conscience of man In the administration wherof he hath absolute power to command forbid to condemne absolue and therefore hath the keies of heauen hell to open shutt which power no creature beside no not the angels in heauē can haue For the better understanding of this which I say wee are to consider first the dealing of Christ toward his own Church secondly his dealing in respect of his enimies And his dealing toward his own church stands in 4. things The first is the collecting or gathering of it this is a speciall end of his sitting at the right hand of his father Christ said to his disciples I haue chosen you out of this world the same may truly be saide of all the elect that Christ in his good time will gather them all to himselfe that they may be a peculiar people to God And this action of his in collecting the Church is nothing els but a translation of those whom he hath ordained to life euerlasting out of the kingdome of darknes in which they haue serued sinne satan into his owne kingdome of grace that they may be ruled and guided by him eternally And this hee doth two waies first by the preaching of the word for it is a powerfull outwarde meanes whereby hee singleth and sorteth his owne seruants from the blinde and wicked vvorlde as Paul saith He gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the gathering together of Saints And hence we learne two things The first that euery minister of Gods word and euery one that intendeth to take vpon him that calling must propound vnto himselfe principally this end to single out man from man and gather out of this world such as belong to the Church of Christ and as Ieremie saith to separate the pretious from the vile The second that all those which will be good hearers of Gods worde must shew themselues so farre forth conformable vnto it that it may gather them out of the world and that it may worke a chaunge in them and make them the seruants of Christ and if the preaching of the worde doe not worke this good worke in our hearts then the end will be a separation from the presence of God Christ when he came neere Ierusalem and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered vnto him wept ouer it and said O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou which stonest the Prophets and killest them that are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth her chickins vnder her wings and thou wouldest not And by this he teacheth that if the preaching of the worde turne not vs to Christ it turnes to our destruction The other meanes of gathering the Church and that the more principall is the inward operation of the spirit whereby the minde is inlightened the heart is mollified and the whole man is conuerted to God And this ordinarily is ioyned with the ministerie or preaching of the word as appeares by the example of Lydia Saint Luke saith God opened her heart to be attentiue to the doctrine of the Apostle And by the example of Paul when Christ saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me at this very speach he is conuerted and said Who art thou Lord what wilt thou that I doe And this is manifest also by experience There is nothing in the world more contrarie to the nature of man then the preaching of the word for it is the wisdome of God to which the flesh is enimitie Here then it may be demaunded how it can be in force to turne any man to God Answer The word preached is the scepter of Christs kingdome which against the nature of man by the operation of the H. Ghost ioyned therewith doth bend and bowe the heart will and affections of man to the will of Christ. The second worke of Christ is after the Church is gathered to guide it in the way to life euerlasting He is the shepheard of his Church which guideth his flocke in and out and therefore Paul saith They that are Christs are guided by his spirit And by Esay the Lord saith those his seruants which are turned from idolatrie he
shine unto them and to say that faith is partly by nature partly by grace is the condemned heresie of the semi-Pelagian for wee can not so much as thinke a good thought of our selues The last defect in the platforme is that they ascribe unto God a wrong end of his counsels namely the communication of mercie or goodnesse in eternall happines For the absolute soueraigne ende of all gods doings must be answerable to his nature which is not mercy and loue alone but also iustice it selfe and that is the manifestation of his glorie both in iustice and mercy by the expresse testimonie of scripture Againe if this were so all men without exception should be saued because God can not be frustrated of his end purpose if but one man be damned he is daÌ„ned either because God wil not saue him or because he cannot If they say he will not then he is changeable if he can not then he is not omnipotent considering his purpose was to convey happines to all creatures Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church namely Gods predestination which doctrine could not here be omitted coÌ„sidering no man can beleeue himselfe to be a meÌ„ber of the Church unlesse withall he beleeue that he is predestinate to life euerlasting Now we come to the second point namely the Mysticall vnion which is the very forme of the Church whereby all rhat beleeue are made one with Christ. To the causing of this union 2. things are required a Donation or giuing of Christ unto that man which is to be made one with him a Coniunction betwene them both Of the first the Prophet Esai saith Vnto us a child is borne unto us a sonne is given Paul who spared not his own sonne but gave him for us all how shall he not with him give vs all things also And touching it sundry points must be considered The first is what is meant by this Giuing Ansvvere It is an action or worke of God the Father by the holy ghost whereby Christ as redeemer in the appointed time is really communicated to all ordained to saluation in such manner that they may truly say that Christ himselfe with all his benefites is theirs both in respect of right thereto and in respect of all fruite redounding thence and that as truly as any man may say that house and lande giuen him of his ancetours is his owne both to possesse and to use The second point is what is the verie thing giuen Answer Whole Christ God and man is giuen because his humanitie without his godhead or the godhead without the humanitie doth not reconcile us to God Yet in this giuing there must be a diuers consideration had of the two natures of Christ for the communication of the godhead is meerely energeticall that is onely in respect of operation in that it doeth make the manhood personally vnited vnto it to be propitiatorie for our sinnes and meritorious of life eternall And to auouch any communication of the godhead in respect of essence were to bring in the heresie of the Maniches and to maintaine a composition a commixtion of our natures with the nature of God Againe in the manhood of Christ we must distinguish betweene the subiect it selfe the substance of bodie and soule and the blessings in the subiect which tend to our saluation And the communication of the aforesaide manhoode is in respect of both without separation for no man can receiue sauing vertue from Christ vnlesse first of all he receiue Christ himselfe as no man can haue the treasure hid in the field unlesse first of all he haue the field and no man can be nourished by meate and drink unlesse first of all he receiue the substance of both And this is the cause why not only in the preaching of the word but also in the institution of the Lordes supper expresse mention is made not only of Christs merite but also of his verie body and bloode whereby the whole humanitie is signified as appeares by that place where it is said that the Word was made flesh And though the flesh of it selfe profite nothing as S. Iohn saith yet as it is ioyned to the godhead of the sonne and doth subsist in his person it receiueth thence quickening vertue to reuiue and renewe all those to whome it shall be giuen Lastly among the blessings that are stored up in the manhood of Christ for our saluation some are giuen unto vs by imputation as when we are iustified by the righteousnesse indeed inherent in his manhood but imputed vnto us some by infusion as when holinesse is wrought in our hearts by the spirit as a fruite of that holinesse which is in the manhood of Christ deriued from it as the light of one candle from another The thirde point is in what maner Christ is giuen unto us Ansvv. God the father giueth Christ unto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner as when a King bestoweth a gift with his owne hand and puttes it into the hande of his subiect but the manner is altogither celestiall and spirituall partly because it is brought to passe by the meere diuine operation of the Holy Ghost and partly because in respect of vs this gift is receiued by an instrument which is supernaturall namely faith whereby we lay hold of apply unto our selues the Euangelicall promises And this maner of giuing may be conceiued thus A maÌ„ that neuer stirred foote out of England holdes and enioyes lande in Turkie but how comes it to be his Thus the Emperour was willing and content to bestow it and the man for his part as willing to accept and receiue it and by this meanes that which at the first was the Emperours by mutuall consent becomes the mans In the same manner God the Father hath made an Evangelicall couenant with his Church in which of his mercy hee haâ—h made a graunt of his owne sonne vnto us with righteousnesse and life euerlasting in him and we againe by his grace accept of this graunt and receiue the same by faith and thus by mutuall consent according to the tenour of the couenant any repentant sinner may truly say though I now haue mine abode upon earth Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heaueÌ„ yet is he truly mine to haue to enioy his body is mine his blood is mine As for the giuing receiving of the body blood of Christ in bodily maner which the Papists maintaine in auouching the reall transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ of bread and wine in the sacraments into the body blood of Christ and the Lutheranes also in teaching that his body and bloode is substantially either in or with or under the bread and wine is an erronious conceit flat opposite to sundrie points of the Christian faith For Christ to this verie houre retaineth still the essence and essentiall properties of a true bodie and wee
the Passeouer he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloude Hence we haue direction to answeare the Papists who demaunde of vs where our Church was threescore yeares agoe before the daies of Luther we say that then for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the face of the whole earth and that our Church then was not visible to the worlde but lay hidde vnder the chaffe of Poperie And the truth of this the Records of all ages manifest The second estate of the Church is when it flourisheth and is visible nor that the faith and secret Election of men can be seene for no man can discerne these thinges but by outward signes but because it is apparant in respect of the outwarde assemblies gathered to the preaching of the worde and the administration of the Sacraments for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification And the visible Church may be thus described It is a mixt companie of men professing the faith assembled together by the preaching of the word First of all I call it a mixt companie because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites Elect and Reprobate good and badde The Church is the Lords field in which the enemie soweth his tares it is the corne flore in which lieth wheat and chaffe it is a bād of men in which beside those that be of valour courage there be white liuered souldiours And it is called a Church of the better part namely the Elect whereof it consisteth though they be in number fewe As for the vngodly though they be in the Church yet they are no more parts of it indeed thē the superfluous humours in the vains are parts of the body But to proceed how are the members of the visible Church qualified and discerned the answear followeth in the definition professing the faith whereby I meane the profession of that religion which hath beene taught from the beginning and is now recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles And this profession is a signe and marke whereby a man is declared and made manifest to be a member of the Church Againe because the profession of the faith is otherwhiles true and syncere and otherwhiles onely in shew therefore there be also two sorts of members of the visible Church members before God and members before men A member of the Church before God is he that beside the outward profession of the faith hath inwardly a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained whereby he is indeede a true member of the Church Members before men whome we may call reputed members are such as haue nothing els but the outward profession wanting the good conscience and the faith vnfained The reason why they are to be esteemed members of vs is because we are bound by the rule of charitie to thinke of men as they appeare vnto vs leauing secret iudgements vnto God I added in the last place that the Church is gathered by the word preached to shew that the cause whereby it is begunne and continued is the word which for that cause is called the immortall seede whereby we are borne anew and milke whereby we are fedde and cherished to life euerlasting And hence it followeth necessarily that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles ioyned with any measure of faith and obedience is an vnfallible marke of a true Church Indeede it is true there be three things required to the good estate of a Church the preaching of the Gospell the administration of the Sacraments and due exequution of Discipline according to the word yet if the two latter be wanting if there be preaching of the worde with obedience in the people there is for substance a true Church of God For it is the banner of Christ displaied vnder which all that warre against the flesh the deuill the worlde must range themselues As the Lord saith by the Prophet Isai I will lift vp my hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard vnto the people and they shall bring their sonnes in their armes and their daughters shall be carried vpon their shoulders Hence it followeth that men which want the preaching of the Gospell must either procure the same vnto themselues or if that cannot be because they liue in the middest of idolatrous nations as in Spaine and Italie it is requisite that they should ioyne themselues to those places where with libertie of conscience they may inioy this happie blessing Men are not to haue their hearts glued to the honours and riches of this worlde but they should be of Dauids minde and rather desire to be dorekeepers in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse In the Canticles the spouse of Christ saith Shew mercie O thou whome my soule loueth where thou feedest where thou liest at noone for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions To whome he answeareth thus If thou knowe not O thou the fairest among women get thee forth by the steppes of the flocke and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards that is in those places where the doctrine of righteousnes and life euerlasting by the Messias is published When the Shunamites child was dead shee told her husband that she would goe to the man of God to whom he answeared thus Why wilt thou goe to him to day it is neither nevve moone nor sabbath day whereby is signified that when teaching was skarse in Israel the people did resort to the Prophets for instruction and consolation And Dauid saith that the people wheresoeuer their aboad was went from strength to strength till they appeared before God in Sion And oftentimes they beeing Proselytes there aboad must needs be out of the precincts of Iewrie Thus we see what the visible Church is nowe further concerning it three questions are to be skāned The first is how we may discerne whether particular men and particular Churches holding errours be sound members of the Catholicke Church or no. For the answearing of this wee must make a double distinction one of errours the other of persons that erre Of errours some are destroyers of the faith some only weakners of it A destroier is that which ouerturneth any fundamentall point of religion which is of that nature that if it be denied religion it selfe is ouerturned as the deniall of the death of Christ the immortalitie of the soule and such like and the summe of these fundamentall points is comprised in the Creede of the Apostles and the Decalogue A weakning errour is that the holding whereof doth not ouerturne any point in the foundation of saluation as the errour of free will and sundrie such like This distinction is made by the holy Ghost who saith expressely that the doctrines of repentance and faith and baptismes and laying on of hands and the resurrection and the
thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a myst Now wee know that cloudes and mystes which appeare for a time are afterwarde by the sunne utterly dispersed And king Hezekias when he would shewe that the Lord had forgiuen him his sinnes saith God hath cast them behind his backe alluding to the maner of men who when they will not remember or regard a thing doe turne their backes upon it And Micheas saieth that God doth cast all the sinnes of his people into the bottome of the sea alluding to Pharao whom the Lord drowned in the bottome of the redde sea And Christ hath taught us to pray thus Forgive vs our debtes as wee forgive our debters in which wordes is an allusion to creditours who then forgiue debts when they account that which is debt as no debt and crosse the booke Hence it appeares that damnable vile is the opinioÌ„ of the Church of Rome which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment withall the doctrines of humane satisfactions indulgencies and purgatorie praier for the dead built upon this foundatioÌ„ are of the same kind Moreouer wee must remember to adde too this clause I beleeve and then the meaning is this I do not only beleeue that god doth giue pardon of sinne to his church people for that the verie deuils beleeue but withall I beleeue the forgiuenes of mine owne particular sins Hence it appeares that it was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church that men should beleeue the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes By this prerogative we reape endlesse comfort for the pardon of sinne is a most wonderfull blessing and without it euery man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that euer was We loathe the serpent or the toade but if a man haue not the pardon of his sinnes procured by the death and passion of Christ hee is a thousand folde worse then they For when they die there is the end of their woe and miserie but when man dieth without this benefite there is the beginning of his For first in soule till the day of iudgement and then both in body and soule for euermore he shall enter into the endlesse paines and tormentes of hell in which if one shoulde continue so many thousand yeres as there are drops in the Ocean sea and then be deliuered it were some â—ase but hauing continued so long which is an unspeakeable length of time he must remaine there as long againe and after that for euer and euer without release and therefore among all the benefits that euer were or can be thought of this is the greatest most pretious Among all the burdens that can befall a man what is the greatest Some wil say sickenesse some ignominie some pouertie some contempt but indeed among all the heauiest and the greatest is the burden of a mans owne sinnes lying upon the conscience and pressing it downe without any assurance of pardon Dauid being a King had no doubt all that heart could wish and yet hee laying aside all the roialties and pleasures of his kingdome saith this one thing aboue all that he is a blessed maÌ„ that is eased of the burdeÌ„ of his sinnes A lazar man full of sores is vgly to the sight and we can not abide to looke upon him but no lazar is so lothsome to us as all sinners are in the sight of God therfore Dauid counted him blessed whose sinnes were câ—vered It may be some will say there is no cause why a man should thus magnifie the pardon of sinne considering it is but a common benefite Thus indeede men may imagine which neuer knewe vvhat sinne meant but let a man onely as it vvere but vvith the tippe of his finger haue a little feeling of the smarte of his sinnes hee shall finde his estate so fearefull that if the vvhole vvorlde were set before him on the one side and the pardon of sins on the other hee would choose the pardon of his sinne before ten thousand worldes Though many drowsie protestants esteeme nothing of it yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure which when a man findes he hides it and goes home and selles all that hee hath and buyes it Therefore this benefit is most excellent and for it the members of Gods Church haue great cause to giue God thankes without ceasing The duties to be learned hence are these And first of all here comes a common fault of men to be rebuked Every one will say that he beleeueth the remission of sins yet no man almost laboureth for a true certen persvvasion hereof in his owne conscience for proofe hereof propound this question to the common Christian Doest thou persvvade thy selfe that God giues remission of sinnes unto his Church The answer will be I know and beleeue it But aske him further Doest thou beleeue the pardon of thine owne sinnes and then comes in a blinde answer I haue a good hope to God ward but I can not tell I thinke no man can say so much for God saieth to no man thy sinnes are pardoned But this is to speake flat contraries to say they beleeue and they can not tell and it bewraies exceeding negligence in matters of saluation But let them that feare God or loue their owne soules health giue all diligence to make sure the remission of their owne sinnes withall avoiding hardnesse of heart and drowsinesse of spirit the most fearefull iudgements of God which euery where take place The foolish virgines went forth to meete the bridegroome with lampes in their handes as well as the wise but they neuer so much as dreamed of the horne of oile till the comming of the bridegrome So many men live in the Church of God as members thereof holding up the lampe of glorious profession but in the meane season they seeke onely for the thinges of this life neuer casting how they may assure them selues in conscience touching their reconciliation with God till the day of death come Secondly if we be here bound to beleeue the pardon of all our sinnes then wee must euerie day humble our selues before God and seeke pardon for our daily offences for he giues grace to the humble or contrite he fâ—â—les the hungrie with good things when the rich are sent empty away When Benhadad the king of Syria was discomfited and ouercome by the king of Israel by the counsell of his seruants who tolde him that the kings of Israel were mercifull men hee sent them cloathed in sackcloath with ropes about their neckes to intreate for peace and fauour Now when the king saw their submission he made couenant of peace with him We by our sinnes must iustly deserue hell death and condemnation euerie day and therefore it standeth us in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selues before him in sackcloath and ashes craving and intreating for
for me with these same eies Neuerthelesse the bodies of the Elect shalbe altered in qualitie being made incorruptible and filled with glorie The last point to be considered is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe The principall ende which God intendeth is his owne glorie in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie Now at the last day when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ the godly to life and the wicked to condemnation there shall be a full manifestation both of his mercie and iustice and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection now followe the vses First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts Dauid speaking not onely of Christ but also of himselfe saith most notably Mine heart is glad my tongue reioyceth and my flesh also doth rest in hope Why so For saith he thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie yet the day of the resurrection shall be vnto all the children of God a time of reioycing and felicitie and as Peter saith it is the time of refreshing Whosoeuer is now an hungred shall then eate and be filled with the fruit of the tree of life and whosoeuer is now naked shalbe then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the bloode of the lambe and whosoeuer is now lame shal haue all his meÌ„bers restored perfectly And as this day is ioyfull to the godly so on the contrarie it is a day of woe and miserie to the vngodly as Saint Iohn saith they that haue done euill shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation If they might cease to liue after this life and die as the beast doth O then it would be well with them for then they might haue an ende of their miserie but the wicked must after this life rise againe to condemnation which is the accomplishment of their eternall woe and wretchednes a rufull and dolefull case to consider and yet is it the state of all vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinners If a man were bidden to goe to bedde that after he had slept and was risen againe he might goe to execution it would make his heart to ake within him yet this yea a thousand fold worse is the state of all impenitent sinners they must sleepe in the graue for a while and then rise againe that a second death may be inflicted vpon them in bodie and soule which is the suffering of the full wrath of God both in bodie and soule eternally This beeing so let vs imbrace the good counsell of Saint Peter who saith Amende your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If a man die repentant for his sinnes it is a day of refreshing but if he die in his sinnes impenitent and hard hearted it is a day of eternall horrour desperation and confusion Againe if wee beleeue that our bodies shall rise againe after this life and stand before God at the last day of iudgement wee must daily enter into a serious consideration of this time and haue in minde that one day we must meete the Lord face to face A trauailer comes into an Inne hauing but a pennie in his purse he sits downe and call for all store of prouision and dainties now what is to be thought of him surely in the iudgemeÌ„t of all men his behauiour bekens follie or rather madnes But why because he spends freely and hath not regard to the reckoning which must follow how foolish then and madde is the practise of euery man that liueth in his sinnes bathing himselfe in his pleasures in this worlde neuer bethinking how he shall meete God at the last day of iudgement there make reckoning for all his doings An ancient Divine writes of himself that this saying ranne in his minde and sounded alwaies in his eares Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement And this ought alwaies to be souÌ„ding in our eares that while we haue time we should prepare our selues to meete God at the last day Thirdly if we beleeue the resurrection of the bodie we are not to weepe and mourne immoderately for our friends deceased Our Sauiour Christ did weepe for Lazarus and when Stephen was stoned to death certaine men that feared God buried him and made great lamentation for him and therefore mourning is not condemned we must not be as stocks that are bereft of all compassion yet remember we must what Saint Paul saith to the Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning those which are asleepe that ye sorrow not as others which haue no hope For the godly man properly dieth not but laies himselfe down to take a sleepe after his manifold labours in this life which beeing ended he must rise againe to ioyes euerlasting and therefore we must moderate and mingle our mourning for the deceased with this and such like comforts Fourthly we are taught hence to labour and striue against the naturall feare of death for if there be a resurrection of our bodies after this life then death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternall life If a begger should be commanded to put off his old ragges that he might be cloâ—hed with rich and costly garments would he be sorie because he should stand naked a while till he were wholly bestripped of his ragges No surely well thus doth God when he calls a man to death he bids him put off his old ragges of sinne corruption be clothed with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes our abode in the graue is but for a space while corruption be put off This is Pauls argument saying We know that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shalbe dissolued we haue a building giuen of God which is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Fifthly whereas the godly are subiect to manifold afflictions miseries both in bodie and minde in this life here they shal find a sufficient stay to quiet calme their minds if they consider that after this short life is ended there will insue a ioyfull resurrection Iob in the extremitie of all his temptations made this the comfort to his soule that one day he should rise again in which he should enioy the glorious presence of his Creator And the H. Ghost saith that the seruants of God in the daies of Antiochus were racked and tormented and would not be deliuered why so because they looked for a better resurrection Lastly the consideration of this point serueth to be a bridle to restrain a man from sinne a spurre to make him go forward in all godlines of life and conuersation S. Paul had hope toward God that