vvoulde neuer rest nor be quiet but seeke unto him for his helpe and crie vvith Dauid O Lorde say unto my soule that thou art my salvation The woman that was diseased with an issue of bloode came behinde our Sauiour Christ and when shee had but touched him shee was healed In the same maner if wee shall seeke to come to Christ and do but touch his pretious body blood by the hand of faith the issues and the bleeding woundes of our soules shalbe dried up When a man that had bene sicke 38. yeres was come to the poole of Bethesda hee was faine to lie there vncured because when the angell troubled the water euermore some stept before him but if we will seeke to Christ for the saluation of our soules no man shall preuent us or step before us And if wee finde our selues to be so laden with the burden of our sinnes that we can not come to him let us then doe as the palsie man did he got 4. men to carry him on their shoulders to the place where Christ was and when they coulde not by reason of the prease of people enter into the house they opened the roofe and let him downe in his bedde by cordes to Christ that he might be healed And so let vs vse the helpe of such as be godly that by their instructions and consolations they may as it were put too their shoulders by their prayers as with cordes bring us to Christ that wee may receiue eternall saluation being otherwise deade in sinne and subiect to damnation Lastly whereas Ioseph and Mary gaue this name not at their owne pleasure but at the appointment of God himselfe this ministers a good instruction to all parents touching the naming of their children when they are baptised that they are with care and deliberation to giue convenient names vnto them which may put them in mind of duties either to God or men This is worthy of our obseruation for many care not how they name their children yea it is at this day euer hath bene that some giue such names to them as that at the verie rehearsing thereof laughter ensueth But this ought not to be so for the name is giuen unto children at the time of their baptisme in the presence of God of his Church and angels euen then vvhen they are to be entred into the Church of God and that in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost therefore though we do not place religion in titles or names yet neuerthelesse a vvise and godly choise in this matter is to be had that the names imposed may be in stead of instructions and admonitions to the parties named and for this cause in the old testament names were giuen either by propheticall instinct or according to the euent of things which came to passe about the time of the birth of children or they were borowed from the holy auncetours to put the posteritie in mind to follow their steppes And thus much of the duties Now follow the consolations that Gods Church and people reape from this that the sonne of God is our Saviour When as all mankind was included under sinne condemnation then the Lord had mercy upon us and gaue unto man the couenant of grace in vvhich he promised that his owne sonne should be our redeemer This is a great and unspeakable comfort as may appeare in that the angels so greatly reioyced herein when Christ was borne Behold say they I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people that is that unto you is borne iâ— the citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Now if they reioyce thus exceedingly at Christs birth who vvas not their Sauiour because they stand not in neede to be redeemed then much more ought the Church of God to reioyce herein whome it doeth principally concerne and no marvell for if this sauiour had not beene it had bene better to haue beenâ— a bruite beast or any other creature then a man for the death of a beast is the end of his woe but the death of a man without a Sauiour is the beginning of endelesse miserie Satan and his angels are fallen and haue no Sauiour but when man was fallen God of his mercie dealt not so with him but gaue his ovvne sonne to restore him to better estate whereas he might as iustly haue damned all men for the fall of our first parents as hee did the wicked angels for theirs for God is not bound to any creature beholde then a matter of unspeakeable ioy let us therefore receiue and embrace Christ our Saviour flie to him for the pardon of all sinnes Nowe vvee come to the second title of the Sonne of God whereby hee is tearmed Christ vvhich title is as it were the surname of the seconde person as some doe thinke yet according to the opinion of some others it is no name at all but onely a meere appellation as vvhen in the like case a particular man is called a Duke or a King It is all one vvith Messiah in Hebrewe wherwith the redeemer was named in the olde Testament and both signifie annointed Among the Iewes before the comming of Christ three estates or orders of men were annointed with oile First of all kings as Saul Dauid and the rest of the kings of Iuda Secondly the priestes that serued in the tabernacle and temple before rhe Lorde when they were ordained and as it vvere installed into the priesthoode were annointed vvith oyle as first of all Aaron and his sonnes but aftervvard the high priests alone Thirdly prophets were thus annointed as Elisha Now this legall annointing was a tipe and figure of the annointing of Christ which was not with bodily oile but by the spirite and it was more excellent then all other annointings were For David saieth hee was annointed with the oile of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes signifying that neither king priest nor prophet was euer annointed in the same manner as he was Christes annointing is according to both his natures for in what nature hee is a Mediatour in the same hee is annointed but according to both his natures ioyntly hee is a mediatour the godheade is no mediatour without the manhoode nor the manhoode vvithout the godhead and therefore his annointing extendes it selfe both to his godhead and to his manhood Christes annointing hath two partes both of them figured by the annointing of the Iewes The first is his consecration whereby hee was set apart to doe the office of a Mediatour betweene God and man and therefore to be a king a priest a prophet a king to gather and withall to gouerne his Church and people a priest to make satisfaction and intercession for the sinnes of the elect a prophet to reveale and teach his people the will of God his father And though it be true that Christ is set a part to the worke
the cause therof being unknown not simply but in respect of man therefore in regarde of meÌ„ which know not the reason of things we may say there is chance so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chance coÌ„meth to them all And againe By chance there came down a priest the same way Now this kind of chaÌ„ce is not against the prouideÌ„ce of god but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certenly known determined by god Mere chance is wheÌ„ things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of us as ouerturning the providence of God Thus seeing it is plain that there is a provideÌ„ce let us in the next place see what it is ProuideÌ„ce is a most free powerful actioÌ„ of god wherby he hath care ouer al things that are Prouidence hath 2. partes knowledge gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at all times As David saith His eyes vvill consider his eye lâ—ddes vvill trie the children of men And againe Hee abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heaven and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth And S. Iames saith From the beginning of the vvorlde God knoweth all his workes This pointe hath a double use First as S. Peter saieth it must mooue us to eschew evill and doe good why Because saith he the eyes of the Lorde are upon the iust and his covntenance against evill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eyes of God beholde all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart tovvardes him Gouernment is the seconde parte of Gods providence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good ends And it must be extended to the verie least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heads And here we must consider 2. things the maner of gouernment and the meanes The maner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or morall Naturall which is created by God for the lawfull use of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and unchangeable wisdome of God revealed in the morall law Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining and preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular ends for which they were seuerally ordeined for the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone Starres trees plantes seedes c. would be dead in them and be unprofitable unlesse they vvere not only preserued but also stirred up and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imployes them to any use Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Now sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operative permission I so call it because god partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the fourme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods law The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the authour of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euill to eternall damnatioÌ„ yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good and therefore it hath in it respectes and regardes of goodnesse In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commaundeth nor causeth nor helpeth sinne but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as by withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angels they being the sole authors causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby he manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the mind will and affections in it selfe considered is froÌ„ God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him but onely permitted and that in actuall sinne the motion of the bodie or mind is from God but the euilnes disorder of the motion is not froÌ„ him but freely permitted to be done by others As for exaÌ„ple in the act of murder the actions of moouing the whole bodie of stirring the seuerall ioyntes and the fetching of the blowe whereby the man is slaine is from God for in him we liue mooue haue our being but the disposing applying of all these actions to this end that our neighbors life may be taken away we thereby take reuenge upon him is not froÌ„ God but from vvicked men and the deuill Gods second action in the gouernment of sinne is after the iust permission of it partly to restraine it more or lesse according to his good will and pleasure and partly to dispose and turne it against the nature thereof to the glorie of his owne name to the punishment of his enemies to the correcting and chastisement of his elect As for the second kind of evill called the punishment of sinne it is the execution of iustice and hath God to be the authour of it And in this respect Esai saith that God createth evill and Amos that there is no evill in the citie which the Lord hath not done And God as a most iust iudge may punish sinne by sinne himselfe in the meane season free from all sinne And thus the places must be understood in which it is said that God giueth kings in his wrath hardeneth the heart blindeth the eyes mingleth the spirit of errours giueth up men to a reprobate sense sends strange illusions to beleeue lies sends euill spirits giuing them coÌ„mandement to hurt and leaue to deceiue c. Thus hauing seene in what manner God gouerneth all things let vs nowe come to the meanes of gouernment Sometimes God worketh without meanes thus he created all things in the beginning and he made trees plants to grow and florish without the heate of the sunne or raine sometimes he gouernes according to the usuall course order of nature as when he preserues our liues
diseases aches surfetts but specially by the abuse of meat and drinke Secondly the outward senses are as corrupt and that made Dauid to pray that God would turne his eyes from beholding of vanitie and Saint Iohn to say whatsoeuer is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life Thirdly touching the vnderstanding the spirit of God saith that the frame of the heart of man is onely euill continually so as we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought And therefore withall the will of man and his affections are answerably corrupt and hereupon the doctrine of Christ is that we must renownce our owne wills Lastly all mans strength in good things is nothing out of Christ. The propagation of this sinne is the deriuing of it from Adam to all his posteritie whereby it runneth as a leprosie ouer all mankinde But in what manner this propagation is made it is hard to define The common opinion of Diuines is that it may be done two waies The first is this God when he created Adam in the beginning set downe this appointment and order touching the estate of man that whatsoeuer Adam receiued of God he should receiue it not onely for himselfe but for his posteritie and whatsoeuer grace of God he lost he should loose not onely to himselfe but to all his posteritie And hereupon Adam when he sinned he did depriue first of all himselfe and then secondly all his posteritie of the image of God because all mankinde was in his loynes when he sinned Now then vpon the former appointment when the soules of men are created and placed in the body God forsakes them not in respect of the substance of the soule or the faculties but onely in respect of his owne image whereof the soules are depriued after which followes the defect or want of righteousnes which is originall sinne And God in depriuing man of that which Adam lost is not therefore to be thought to be the author or maintainer of sinne but a iust iudge For this depriuation of the image of God so farfoorth as it is inflicted by him vpon mankinde it must be conceiued as a deserued punishment for the sinne of Adam and all men in him which they pulled vpon themselues The second way is that the corruption of nature is deriued from the parents in generation by the bodie for as sweete oyle poured into a fustie vessell looseth his purenes and is infected by the vessell so the soule created good and put into the corrupt bodie receiues contagion thence And this coniunction of the pure soule with the corrupt bodie is not against the goodnes of God because it is a iust punishment of the sinne of all men in Adam It may be this which hath bin saide will not satisfie the mindes of all yet if any will be curious to search further into this point let them know that there is another matter which more concerns them to looke vnto When a mans house is on fire there is no time then to inquire howe and which way and whence the fire came but our dutie is with all speede and expedition to vse all good meanes to stay it And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathesome contagion of original sinne which is a weight sufficient to presse down the soule to the gulfe of hell it stands vs in hand a thousand fold more to the vse meanes whereby it may be taken away then to dispute how it came Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne that holy parents beget holy children which are void of originall sinne because it stands not with reason that parents should conveigh that to their children which they them selues want namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part Answer I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy For sanctification is but in part and therefore they cannot possibly beget children pure from all sinne Secondly parents beget children as they are men and not as they are holy men and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof and not grace which is aboue nature Take any corne yea the finest wheat that euer was wiâ—now it as cleane as possibly may be afterward sow it weede it also when it is sowne and reape it in due time and carrie it to the barne when it is thresht you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before and why because God hath set this order in the creation that it shall spring and grow with the stalke eare blade and all so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt because God tooke this order in the creation that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured he should bring it not onely on himselfe but vpon all his posteritie by vertue of which decree the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God And here we must not omit to speake of the quantitie or greatnes of originall sinne for the opening whereof we must consider three points The first that originall sinne is not diuers but one and the same in kinde in euery man as the generall and common nature of man is one and the same in all men The second that this sinne is not in some men more in some men lesse but in euery man equally as all men doe equally from Adam participate the nature of man and are equally the children of wrath Some it may be will say that this can not be true because some men are of better natures then others are some of disposition cruell and seuere some againe gentle and milde some very licentious and disordered some very ciuill Answer The differences that be in men that want the feare of God arise not of this that they haue more or lesse originall corruption but of the restraint and limitation of mans corruption For in some God brideleth sinne more then in others and in them is found ciuilitie and againe in some lesse and in such the rebellion of nature breakes foorth vnto all misdemeanour And indeede if God should not keepe the vntoward dispositions of men within compasse otherwhiles more otherwhiles lesse as it shall seeme good vnto his maiestie impietie crueltie iniustice and all manner of sinnes would breake out into such a measure that there should be no quiet liuing for men in the world and no place for Gods Church And thus it is manifest that although all men be not equall in the practise of wickednes yet they may be equall in the corruption of nature it selfe The third point is that Originall sinne is so huge and large euery way that it may truly be tearmed the roote or seede not of some fewe sinnes but of all sinnes whatsoeuer euen of the very sinne against the holy Ghost We
not of himselfe but the sonne of the father begotten of him neuerthelesse as he is God he is of himselfe neither begotten nor proceeding for the essence or godhead of the father is of it selfe without all beginning but the godhead of the sonne is one and the same with the godhead of the father for by what godhead the father is God by the same and no other the sonne is God therefore the sonne as he is God hee is God of himselfe without beginning as the Father Whereupon it followes that the sonne is begotten of the father as he is a sonne but not as he is God The maner of this generation is this The sonne is begotten of the substance of the father not by any fluxe as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the chanell nor by decision as when a thing is cut in pieces nor by propagation as when a grift is transplanted into a new stocke but by an unspeakeable communication of the whole essence or Godhead from the father to the sonne in receiuing whereof the sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or Godhead of the father then the light of one candle doth the light of the other from which it is taken Whereupon the Councell of Nicene hath said well that the sonne is of the Father as light of light not proceeding but begotten The time of this generation hath neither beginning middle or ende and therefore it is eternall before all worlds and that is a thing to be wondered at that the father begetting the sonne begottē are coeternall therfore equall in time VVisdom in the prouerbs which with one consent of all divines is said to be Christ affirmeth that she was before the world was created that is from eternity for before the world was made there was nothing but eternitie But it may be alledged to the contrarie that the saying of the father This day haue I begotten thee is expounded by Paul of the time of Christs resurrection Answ. We must distinguish betweene generation it selfe the manifestation of it of the second must the place be understood which may be brought to passe at the time of Christs resurrection in which he was mightily declared to be the sonne of God though in the meane season the generation it selfe be eternall If any man alledge further that the person which begetteth must needs goe before the person begotten the answer is that there is a double priority one of order the other of time now in the generation of creatures there is priority both of order time but in the generation of the second person in trinity there is prioritie of order alone the father being first the sonne second without prioritie of time because they both in that respect are equall and neither is before or after other because the beeing or subsisting of the persons is not measured by time Hence it followeth necessarily that Iesus Christ is true God the whole tenor of the scriptures confirme it sufficiently I. he is made equall to God the father who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God All things that the father hath are mine The children of Israell are said to haue tempted Iehova and Paul saith that he whome they tempted was Christ. Iehoua founded the earth and the same is saide of Christ. II. Christ the sonne of God is by name called God Iesus Christ is very God life eternall III. The properties of the godhead are ascribed unto him He is eternal because he was then when there was no creature In the beginning was the word and before Abraham was I am He is omnipresent Where tvvo or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest amongst them Lastly he is omnipotent Whatsoever things the father doth the same doth the sonne also IIII. The workes of creation and preseruation are as well ascribed to the sonne as to the father By him the father made the world and he beareth up all things by his mightie power and miracles which are workes either aboue or against the order of nature peculiar to God were done by Christ. V. Divine worship is given to him for he is adored invoted and beleeued in as God the father To him is given a name at which every knee doth bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things vnderneath the earth As for the reasons which be alledged to the contrarie they are of no moment I. The worde of God can not be God the sonne is the worde of the father therefore hee is not God Answ. The worde is taken two waies first for a sounding worde standing of letters and syllables vttered either by God or by the creatures nowe on this manner Christ is not the word of God Secondly there is a substantiall worde which is of the substance of him whose worde it is And thus Christ is the worde of God the father And he is so termed I. in respect of the father for as reason speech hath his beginning from the mind without any passion in the mind so hath he beginning frō the father And as the speech is in the mind the mind in the speech so the father is in the sonne the sonne in the father 2. In respect of all creatures The father doth all things by the son by whose powerfull worde the worlde was made is novv preserved shalbe abolished 3. In respect of the Church For the father by him speakes unto us both in the outward ministerie of the worde and by the inward operation of the spirit and againe we by him speake to the father II. It may be obiected thus God hath no beginning from any other Christ hath beginning frō the father therfore he is not God Answer Christ must be considered both in regard of his godhead and in regard of his person in regarde of his god heade hee came not of any but is of himselfe as vvell as the father is yet in regarde of his person hee is from the father vvho is a beginning to the rest of the persons both in respect of order for the scripture saith not the holy Ghost the Sonne the Father but the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost as also in respect of the communication of the Godhead And whereas it is said that God is of himselfe if the name God be taken for the Godhead it selfe absolutely considered it is true but if it be taken for any particular person in the Godhead it is false III. None is greater then God but the father is greater then Christ for so he saith the father is greater then I. Ans. Christ there speakes of himselfe as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant in which respect he is lesse then the father who neuer was incarnate and abased in our nature And though Christ in respect of his nature assumed
their respect of persons with him Inferiours againe must remember to submit themselues to the authoritie of their gouernours especially of magistrates For they are set ouer vs by our soueraigne Lord and king Christ Iesus as Paul saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers For there is no power but of God and the powers that be ordained are of God And againe Seruants be obedient to your masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenes of your hearts as vnto Christ. The comfort which Gods Church may reap hence is very great for if Christ be the Lord of lords our Lord especially we neede not to feare what the deuill or wicked men can do vnto vs. If Christ be on our side who can be against vs we neede not feare them that can destroy the bodie and doe no more but we must cast our feare on him that is Lord of bodie and soule and can cast both to hell Thus much of the fourth title Now followes Christs incarnation in these words Conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines as Paul saith without coÌ„trouersie great is the mysterie of godlines which is God is made manifest in the flesh iustified in the spirit c. And that we may proceede in order in handling them I will first speake of the incarnation generally and then after come to the parts therof In general we are to propound fiue questions the answearing whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following The first question is who was incarnate or made man Answer The second person in Trinitie the sonne of God alone and it is set downe in this article according to the Scriptures Saint Iohn saith The Word was made flesh and the angel saith The holy one which shall be borne of thee shalbe called the sonne of the most highest And Paul saith that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh And there be sundrie reasons why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other 1. By whome the father created all things and man especially by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed and as I may say recreated now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne and therefore to be redeemed by him 2. It was most conuenient that he which is the essentiall image of the father should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man but the second person is the essentiall image of the father and therefore he alone must take mans nature 3. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God should be made the sonne of man that we which are the sonnes of men yea the sonnes of wrath should by grace be made the sonnes of God nowe the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature not the father nor the holy Ghost As for the father he could not be incarnate For to take flesh is to be sent of an other but the father cannot be sent of any person because hee is from none Againe if the father were incarnate hee should be father to him which is by nature God and the sonne of a creature namely the Virgin Marie which thinges can not well stand And the holy Ghost could not be incarnate for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie namely the second person the sonne of the father and the third person the holy Ghost the sonne of the Virgin Marie It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner The whole diuine essence is incarnate euery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence therefore euery person is incarnate Answer The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate yet not as it is absolutely considered but so farfoorth as it is restrained and limited to the person of the sonne and to speake properly the Godheade it selfe is not incarnate but the very person of the sonne subsisting in the Godhead And though all the persons be one and the same essence yet doe they really differ each from other in regard of the peculiar manner of subsisting and therefore mans nature may be assumed of the second person and be not assumed either of the father or of the holy Ghost as in the like case the soule of man is wholly in the head and wholly in the feet yea wholly in euery part and yet the soule can not be said to vse reason in the feete or in any other part but onely in the head Againe it may be alledged that the incarnation beeing an outward action of God to the creature is not proper to the sonne For the rule is that all outward actions of God are common to al the persons in Trinitie equally Ans. The incarnation stands of two actions the first is the framing creating of that manhoode which was to be assumed by Christ this is coÌ„mon to all the three persons equally the second is the limiting or the receiuing of it into the vnitie of any person and in respect of this action the worke of incarnation is peculiar to the Sonne To this purpose Augustine speaketh that creature which the Virgin conceiued brâ—ught foorth though it appertaine to the person of the sonne alone yet was it made by the whole Trinitie as wheÌ„ three meÌ„ weaue one and the same garment and the second onely weares it The second question is what manner of man the sonne of God was made Ans. He was made a proper or particular man and a perfect or a very man I say that he was a particular man to shew that he tooke not vnto him the generall forme or idea of mans nature coÌ„ceiued onely in mind nor the coÌ„mon nature of man as it is existing in euery man but the whole nature of man that is both a bodie and a reasonable soule existing in one particular subiect I say further that he was and is a true and perfect man beeing in euery thing that concerns mans nature like to Adam Abraham Dauid and all other men sauing onely in sinne For first of all hee had the substance of a true bodie and of a reasonable soule secondly the properties of bodie soule in the body length breadth thicknes circumscription c. â—n the soule the faculties of vnderstanding both simply and compounde will affections as loue hatred desire ioy feare c. the powers also of hearing feeling seeing smelling tasting moouing growing eating digesting sleeping c. Thirdly he tooke vnto him the infirmities of mans nature which are certaine naturall defects or passions in bodie or minde as to be hungrie thirstie wearie sadde and sorowfull ignorant of some things angrie to increase in stature and wisdome and knowledge c. yet this which I say must be
this First of all we must set it before our eyes as a looking glasse in which we may cleerely behold the horriblenes of our sinnes that could not be pardoned without the passion of the sonne of God and the vnspeakeable loue of Christ that dyed for vs and therefore loued his owne enemies more then his owne selfe and lastly our endles peace with God and happines in that considering the person of our redeemer who suffered the pangs of hell we may after a sort finde our paradise euen in the middest of hell Secondly the meditation of Christs passion serues as a most worthie meanes to beginne and to confirme grace specially when it is mingled with faith and that tâ—o waies For first it serues to breede in our hearts a godly sorrowe for our sinnes past when we doe seriously with our selues consider that our owne sinnes were the cause of all the paines and sorrowes and calamities which he suffered in life and death When any man had sinned vnder the Law he brought vnto the temple or tabernacle some kinde of beast for an offering according as he was prescribed laying his hande vpon the heade of it and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremonie of laying on the hand he testified that he for his part had deserued death and not the beast and that it beeing slaine and sacrificed was a signe vnto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the crosse for his sinnes And hereby we are taught that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ we should lay our hands as it were vpon our owne heads vtterly accusing and condemning ourselues euermore keeping this in heart that Christ suffered not for himselfe but for our offences which were the proper cause of all his woe and miserie And as Christs passion was grieuous and bitter vnto him so should our sinnes likewise be grieuous and bitter vnto vs let vs alwaies remember this otherwise we shall neuer reape any sound benefit by the passion of Christ. Againe the passion of Christ is a notable meanes to stirre vp in our hearts a purpose and a care to reforme our selues and liue in holines and newnes of life on this manner Hath the Sonne of God so mercifully dealt with me as to suffer the curse of the whole law for my manifold iniquities and to deliuer me from iust and deserued damnation yea no doubt he hath I am resolued of it if I should goe on in mine old course I should be the most vngratefull of all creatures to this my louing Sauiour I will therefore by his grace returne and reforme my life And in this very point of reformation the passion of Christ is set before vs as a most liuely patterne and example to follow For as much saith Saint Peter as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme your selues likewise with the same minde which is that hee which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne Where hee teacheth that there must be in vs a spirituall passion answearable to the passion of Christ. For as his enemies did lade him with miseries euen to the death of the crosse so should we lade our owne flesh that is the corruption of our natures with all such meanes as may subdue and weaken crucifie and kill it To the doing of this three things especially are required First we must consider that the corruption of our rebellious natures is like the great and mightie Goliath and the grace of God which we haue receiued like young and little Dauid and therefore if wee desire that grace should preuaile against corruption we must disarme the strong man and strippe him of all his weapons which is done by giuing all the members of our bodies to be instruments of the seruice of God in righteousnes and holines Secondly we must indeauour to keepe in the corruption of nature as it were choking and smothering at the heart that by it neither the worlde nor the deuill preuaile against vs. And this must be done by hauing a narrow regard vnto all the powers and faculties of bodie and soule setting a watch before our eyes eares lippes and all other parts of the bodie that are in any action the instruments of the soule and aboue all as Salomon saith by countergarding the heart with all diligence By the outward senses of the bodie as through open windows the deuill creepes into the heart and therefore our duetie is to stoppe all such waies of entrance Thirdly when originall corruption begins to rebell either in the minde will or any of the affections then must we draw out the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and incounter with that hidious gyant laying load vpoÌ„ him by the iudgements and threatnings of the law as it were beating him down with clubbes as Paul speaketh And if it fall out that concupiscence beginne to conceiue and bring foorth any sinne we must cruise it in the head dash it against the ground as a bird in the shell least it growe vp to our vtter confusion These are the dueties which wee should learne by the passion of Christ. But lamentable are our daies in which all for the most part goes contrarie for commonly men are so farre from killing and subduing the rebellion of the naturall concupiscence that all their studie and care is howe they may feeede and cherish it and make it stronger then the mightie Goliah But let vs for our parts be conformable to Christ in his passion suffering in our flesh as he suffered in bodie and soule for vs. And let vs daily more and more by the hand of faith apprehend and applie to our hearts and consciences the passion of Christ that it may as a fretting corasive eate out the poyson of our sinnefull natures and to consume it Now followeth the second point concerning the passion of Christ which is vnder whome he suffered namely vnder Pontius Pilate And Christ may be said to suffer vnder him in two respects First because he was then the President of Iurie For a little before the birth of Christ the kingdome of the Iewes was taken away by the Romane Emperour and reduced into a Province Pontius Pilate was placed ouer the Iewes not as king but as the Romane Emperours deputie And this circuÌ„stance is noted in the historie of the Gospell here specified in the Creede to shew that the Messias was exhibited in the time foretold by the Prophets Iacob foretold that Shilo must be borne after the scepter is removed from Iuda Isaiah saith that the familie of Ishai shall be worne as it were to the root before Christ as a branch shall spring out of it Againe Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate as he was a iudge whereby we are giuen to vnderstand of a woonder namely that Christ the sonne of God King of heauen and earth was arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge there condeÌ„ned
Caesar in Iudea Where we must obserue the wonderful prouidence of God in that not onely the Iewes but the Gentiles also had a stroake in the arraignement of Christ that that might be true which the Apostle saith God shut vp all vnder sinne that he might haue mercie vpon all The fourth point is the matter of their accusation they accuse our Sauiour Christ of 3. things I. that he seduced the people II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he said he was a King Let vs well consider these accusations especially the two last because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching and to his practise For when the people would haue made him a King after hee had wrought the myracle of the fiue loaues and two fishes the text saith he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone Secondly when tribute was demaunded of him for Caesar though he were the kings sonne and therefore was freed yet saith he to Peter least wee should offende theÌ„ go to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence that take and giue vnto them for thee and me And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren he refused to doe it saying Who made me a iudge betweene you Therefore in these two things they did most falsely accuse him Whereby wee learne that nothing is so false and vntrue but the slaunderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent the tongues of the slaunderers are sharpe swords venemous arrows to wound their enemies their throats are open sepulchers the poyson of aspes is vnder their lipps If a man speake gracious words his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit but as Saint Iames saith the tongue of the wicked is fire yea a worlde of wickednes and it is set on fire with the fire of hell therefore let this example be a caveat for vs all to teach vs to take heede of slandering for the deuill then speakes by vs and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell The fifth point is the manner of their accusation which is diligently to be marked for they doe not onely charge him with a wonderfull vntruth but they beseech Pilate to put him to death crying Crucifie him Crucifie him in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them where wee may see how these shameles Iewes goe beyond their compasse and the bounds of all accusers whose dutie is to testifie onely what they know Now in the matter of this their accusation appeares their wonderfull inconstancie For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie they cut downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the way crying Hosanna Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord but nowe they sing an other song and in stead of Hosanna they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them for in the daies of King Edward the sixth the people of England receiued the Gospell of Christ but shortly after in Queene Maries time the same people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the Church of Rome And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospell by our gracious Prince the same people turned from poperie and imbraced the true religion againe And thus with the Iewes one while they cry Hosanna to Christ receiue his Gospell and shortly after they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him by imbracing idolatrous poperie Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God by the ficklenes of the Iewes that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space to acknowledge our inconstancie and weakenesse in the matter of religion whereby if God leaue vs but a little to our selues wee shall straight way forsake Christ his Gospell and all Thus much of the accusation Now followeth Christs examination before Pontius Pilate for when the Iewes had thus falsely accused him then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall and asked him this question Art thou a King Nowe Christ beeing thus examined made as Paul also testifieth a good confession The summe thereof stands in foure heads The first is that he confesseth himselfe to be a King not such an one as they accused him to be yet a true King Whence we may learne diuers instructions First that euery Christian man in the midst of his misery afflictioÌ„ hath one that is most sufficieÌ„t euery way to defend him against all his enemies the world the flesh the deuill For this king can doe whatsoeuer he will therfore when the legion of deuils would enter into a herd of swine they could not without his leaue And when the Centurions daughter was dead he but spake the word and she arose And when Lazarus was dead and had liâ—n in the graue foure daies he but said Lazarus come forth he came forth bound hand and foote Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word nothing can resist his power And therefore he that is a true member of Christ needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many And againe as Christ is able so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects which no king will doe and shedde his bloud for their redemption which hee would neuer haue done if he had not desired their saluation Secondly when as Christ is a mightie king which can doe whatsoeuer he wil let al such amoÌ„g vs that haue hitherto liued in ignoraÌ„ce by reason of ignoraÌ„ce liue in their sinnes at length begin to come vnto him do him homage with peniteÌ„t hearts fal down before him otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions let them know whosoeuer they be high or low that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces their soules shall smart for it as both Pilate Caiphas the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies be sure at the houre of death he wil breake thee in pieces like a potters vessel This must wee learne in regarde of the first point that hee saide plainly He was a King Now follows the second part of his confession namely that his kingdome was not of this worlde Where hee sets downe what kinde of king he is he is no earthly king his kingdome standes not in the power of men nor in earthly and outwarde gouernement but his kingdome
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
cunning men cunning women is that is of charmers inchanters figure casters a bad practise Christ at his ascensiō sēt his holy spirit vnto his Church people to be their guide comforter in their calamities and miseries and therefore when any man is in distresse he should haue recourse to the right meanes of comfort namely the word sacraments there he shall finde the assistance of the holy ghost Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes when they shall say unto you inquire at them which haue a spirit of divination at the soothsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people inquire at their God from the living to the dead to the law and to the testimony Rebecca when the two twinnes stroue in her womb what did she the text saith she sent to aske the Lorde Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God seeke to the instruments of the deuill To goe yet further God useth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his deerest children Iudgement saieth Peter beginnes at Gods house S. Luke saieth that a certaine woman was bound of satan eighteene yeeres but what was shee a daughter of Abraham that is a child of God When the like condition shall befall any of vs let us remember the end why Christ ascended up to heauen and pray unto God that hee will giue us his spirit that therby we may be eased deliuered or els inabled to perseuere and continue in patience and this is the true way and meanes to lighten and ease the burden of all afflictions And for this cause Paul prayeth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse For to whomsoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirite Secondly if Christ haue sent unto his church the holy spirite to be our comforter our duty is to prepare our bodies and soules to be fitte temples and houses for so worthy a guest If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house he would dresse it up haue all things in as good order as might be and shall not we much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the holy ghost whom Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha for shee saide to her husbande Let vs make him a litle chamber I pray thee with vvalles and let vs set him there a bed and a stoole a table and a candlesticke Now how much more carefull ought we be to entertaine God himselfe who is content to come and dwell with us and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace that he may lodge and suppe and dine with us as he hath promised but on the contrarie if we defile our bodies with sinne wee banish the holy ghost out of our hearts and suffer the diuell to dwell in us For the more a man defileth his bodie the fitter and cleaner it is for him And to conclude this point let us remember that saying which is used of some that Christ when hee went hence gaue us his pawne namely his spirit to assure us that hee woulde come to us againe and also hee tooke with him our pawne namely his flesh to assure us further that wee should ascend up to him Thus much for the benefites of Christes ascension Now follow the duties whereunto we are mooued and they are two First we must be here admonished to renounce the ubiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lordes supper as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascension into heauen For it is flat against the nature of a true body to subsist in many places at once Secondly as the Apostles then did whē they saw Christ ascending up into heauen so must we do also while he was present with them they gaue him honour but when they saw him ascending they adored him with farre greater reuerence and so must we now for the same cause bow the knees of our hearts unto him Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ Now follow the third in these wordes And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling whereof we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church thirdly the duties that we are mooued unto For the meaning of the wordes if we speake properly God hath neither right hand nor left neither can he be saide to sit or stand for God is not a bodie but a spirite the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings potentates whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right hands whome they purposed to advance to any speciall office or dignitie So king Salomon when his mother came to speake with him rose up from his throne and mette her and caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand and set her upon it in token no doubt of honour which he gaue unto her To the same purpose Dauid saith Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of golde And the sonnes of Zebedeus made sute to Christ that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome Thus we see it is manifest that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authority and honour and therefore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things First his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie honour and glorie and in this sense it is saide that to him is given a name that is above all names that at the name of Iesus every knee should bovve Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth So Dauid saieth The Lorde saide vnto my Lorde Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enimies thy footstoole Which place beeing alledged by Saint Paul repeating the wordes but changing the phrase is thus set downe He shall raigne till he have put all his enemies under his feete And to speake in breefe the scope of the wordes is to shewe that Christ God and man after his ascension is advanced to such an estate in which hee hath fulnesse of glorie power maiestie and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the saintes and holy angels Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued The first is the place where Christ is thus aduāced noted in
newnesse of life then we must walke in the spirite Now to walke in the spirite is to leade our liues in shewing forth the fruites of the spirite In Esai the holy ghost is compared unto water powred foorth on the drie land which maketh the willowes to blossome and to beare fruite wherefore those that haue the giftes of the spirit must be trees of righteousnes bringing forth the fruits of the spirit which as they are set downe by Paul are principally nine The first fruit is love which respects both God and man Loue unto God is an inwarde and spirituall motion in the heart whereby God is loued absolutely for himselfe This loue shewes it selfe in two things I. when a mans heart is set and disposed to seeke the honour and glorie of God in all thinges II. when a man by all meanes strives and endeauours himselfe to please God in euery thing counting it a most miserable estate to liue in the displeasure of God and the hearte that is thus affected can haue no greater torment then to fall into sinne whereby God is offended and his displeasure prouoked By these two signes a man may know whether he loue God or no and by them also must hee testifie his loue Now our loue to man is a fruite of this loue of God for God is to be loued for himselfe man is loued for God This loue must not be in shew onely but in deede and action Saint Iohn biddeth us not to loue in worde and tongue onely but in deed and trueth Brotherly loue doth not alwaies lie hid but when an occasion is offered it doeth breake forth into action it is like fire which though for a time it be smothered yet at length it breakes forth into a flame And so much loue a man sheweth to his neighbour as he hath and where none is shewed none is The second fruite is Ioy when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbor as at his own good this is a speciall worke of the holy ghost For the nature of man is to pine away and to grieue at the good of another and it is a worke of grace to reioyce thereat Paul saieth Reioyce vvith them that reioyce And this was the holy practise of the friendes and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth when Iohn Baptist was borne They came and reioyced with them The third fruit of the spirit is Peace Of this Paul speaketh most excellently saying If it be possible as much as in you is have peace with all men It is nothing else but coÌ„cord which must be kept in an holy manner with all men both good bad so farre forth as can be Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the gospell saieth The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb the leopard with the kid c. Where note that in the kingdome of Christ when a man is called into the state of grace howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe as a leopard as a lyon or as a beare yet he shal then lay away his cruell nature and become gentle and liue peaceably with all men Now for the practising of this peace there are three duties especially to be learned perfourmed I. rather then peace shoulde be broken a man must yeeld of his owne right When Publicanes came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute he had a lawfull excuse for howsoeuer he liued in lowe estate among them yet hee was the right heire to the kingdome therefore was free neuerthelesse he stood not on his priuiledge but calleth Peter saying Least wee offend them goe to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that câ—mmeth up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence take it and give it to them for thee and me Here we see that our Sauiour Christ rather then he woulde breake the common peace yeeldes of his owne right and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him Secondly when any man shall sinne either in worde or in deed specially if it be upon infirmitie wee must auoide bitter invectiues and mildely tell him of his fault and in all meekenesse and loue labour for his amendment So Paul teacheth us saying If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion restore such an one with the spirite of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted c. Beare yee one anothers burden Thirdly euery man within the compasse of his calling must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variance This is a speciall duty of godlines and christianitie and therefore our Sauiour Christ doeth highly commend such and pronounceth this blessing upon them that they shall be called the children of God The fourth fruite of the spirit is long suffering and it standeth in two pointes I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it II. being angrie doth yet moderate the same and stay the hotnesse of that affection For the first to bridle anger it is a speciall work of the H. ghost and the meanes to attaine vnto it are these I. not to take notice of the iniuries and wrongs done unto us if they be not of great moment but to let them passe as not knowing them Salomon saith It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger Now how is that done It is added in the next words It is the glory of a man to passe by infirmitie that is when a man shall ouershoote himselfe either in word or in deede to let it passe either wholly or till a time convenient as though we knew not of it The second way to deferre and bridle anger is when a man hath iniuried us either in word or deede to thinke with our selues that wee haue iniured others in the same maner and for this cause Salomon saith Give not thine heartâ— to all the vvordes that men speake least thou doe heare thy servant cursing thee For oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others A man must not listen to euerie mans wordes at all times but hee is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like as it is saide With what measure yee meete it shalbe measured to you againe This is a thing which few consider Euill men desire good reporte and woulde haue all men speake well of them whereas they can speake well of none but indeede they must begin to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them Thirdly a man must consider how God dealeth with him For so often as he sinneth hee prouoketh god to cast him away and to confound him eternally yet the Lorde is mercifull and long suffering Euen so when men doe offend and iniury us wee must doe as God doth not be angry but fight against our affections endeauouring to become patient
long suffering as God is with us The second propertie of long suffering is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse It is not alwaies a sinne to be angry and therefore it is said of Christ in whome was no blemish of sinne that he was angry yet wee must looke that our anger be moderate and not over-long as Paul saith Let not the sonne goe dovvne vpon your wrath The fift fruite of the spirite is gentlenesse whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euerie man as Paul saith to Titus Put them in remembraÌ„ce that they speake evill of no man that they be no fighters but soft shevving all meekenesse unto all men vvhether they be good or badde This gentlenesse standeth in these pointes First to speake to euerie man friendly and louingly II. to salute friendly and courteously III. to be readie upon euery occasion to giue reuerence and honour to euery man in his place It is made a question of some whether a man is to salute speak unto them that are knowen to be lewd wicked men but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be curteous to all men both good and badde yet so as wee approoue not of their sinnes as for that which S. Iohn saith of false Prophets Receive them not neither bid them God speed it is to be understood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers The sixt fruit is goodnesse which is when a man is ready to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times upon all occasions This was to be seene in that holy man Iob he saith that hee was eyes to the blind and feete to the lame a father unto the poore and when he knâ—w not the cause he sought it out And S. Paul shewed this fruite most notably after his conuersion for he saith that hee vvas made all things to all men that he might save some Hee was content to undergoe any thing for the good of any man And as we haue heard the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others and therfore Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule Do service one to another in love In these daies it is harde to finde these duties perfourmed in any place For both practise and proverbe is commonly this Every man for himselfe and God for us all but it is a gracelesse saying and the contrary must be practised of all that desire to be guided by the spirit The seuenth fruite is faith Faith or fidelitie standeth in these two duties One to make conscience of a lie and to speake everie thing whereof we speake as we thinke it is and not to speake one thing and thinke another A rare thing it is to find this vertue in the world now a daies who is he that maketh conscience of a lie and is not truth banished out of our coastes considering that for gaines and outward commodities men make no bones of glosing and dissembling but alas the practise is damnable the contrarie is the fruite of the Holy Ghost namely to speake the truth from the heart and he that can doe this by the â—estimonie of God himselfe shall rest in the mountaine of his holinesse euen in the kingdome of heauen The second point wherin fidelitie consisteth is when a man hath made a promise that is lawfull and good to keepe and performe the same Some thinke it is a small matter to breake promise but indeed it is a fruite of the flesh and contraâ—â—wise a fruite of the spirite to perfourme a lawfull promise and a mans word should be as sure as an obligation and in conscience a man is bounde to keepe promise so farre foorth as hee vvill to whom the promise is made Indeed if a man be released of his promise he is then free othervvise if wee promise and doe not perfourme we doe not onely cracke our credit before men but also sinne before God The eighth fruite of the spirit is meekenesse which is a notable grace of God when a man prouoked by iniuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requitall of the same And it standes in three duties The first is to interprete the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be The second when men mistake and misconstrue our sayings and doings if the matter be of smaller moment to be silent and patient as Christ was when hee was accused before the high priestes and Pharisies this being withall remembred that if the matter be of weight and moment vve may defend our selues by soft and milde answeres The thirde is not to contend in word or deede vvith any man but vvhen vvee are to deale vvith others to speake our mind and so an end The last fruite of the spirit is temperance whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meate drinke and apparell In bridling the lust these rules must be observed I. Eating and drinking must be ioyned vvith continuall fasting after this manner Wee must not glutt our selues but rather abstaine from that vvhich nature desireth and as some use to speake leaue our stomackes craving II. A man must so eate and drinke as aftervvarde he may the better be inabled for Gods worship Creatures are abused vvhen they make us unfitte to serue God The commoÌ„ fault is on the sabbath day men so pamper themselues as that they are made unfitte both to heare and learne Gods vvorde and fitte for nothing but to slumber and sleepe but following this rule of temperance these faultes shall be amended III. This must be a caueat in our apparell that we be attired according to our callings in holy comelinesse The Lorde hath threatned to visite all those that are cloathed in straunge apparell And holy comelinesse is this when the apparell is both for fashion and matter so made and worne that it may expresse and shew forth the graces of God in the heart as sobrietie temperaunce grauitie c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparell to acknowledge and commend these vertues But lamentable is the time looke on men and women in these daies and you may see and reade their sinnes written in great letters on their apparell as intemperance pride and wantonnesse Euerie day new fashions please the world but indeede that holy comelinesse which the Holy Ghost doeth commend to us is the right fashion when all is done And these are the nine fruites of the spirit which wee must put in practise in our liues and conuersations Fourthly if we beleeue in the holy ghost and thereupon doe persuade our selues that hee will dwell in us wee must daily labour as wee are commaunded to keepe our vessâ—ls in holinesse and honour unto the Lorde and the reason is good If a man be to entertaine but an earthly prince or some man of state he would be
I let them passe Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection the witnesses thereof are of three sortes I. angels II. women that came to the graue to embalme him III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same againe according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ and of these likewise I omit to speake because there is not any speciaâ—l thing mentioned of them by the Evangelistes Now follow the uses which are twofold some respect Christ and some respect ourselues Vses which concerne Christ are three I. whereas Christ Iesus being starke deade rose againe to life by his owne power it serueth to prooue unto us that he was the sonne of God Thus Paul speaking of Christ saieth that he was declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead And by the mouth of Dauid God saide Thou art my sonne this day I have begot thee Which place must be understood not so much of the eternall generation of Christ before all worlds as of the manifestation therof in time after this maner This day that is at the time of thine incarnation but especially at the day of thy resurrection have I begotten thee that is I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne so is this place expouÌ„ded by S. Paul in the Acts. Secondly Christs resurrection by his own power prooues unto us euidently that he is Lord ouerall things that are this use S. Paul makes hereof for saith he Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke And indeed wheras he rose againe thus he did hereby shew himselfe most plainely to be a mightie prince ouer the graue ouer death hell condemnation in that he had power to ouercome them Thirdly it proues unto us that he was a perfit priest that his death and passion was a perfit satisfaction to the iustice of God for the sins of mankind For whereas Christ died he died for our sins now if he had not fully satisfied for them all though there had remained but one sin for which he had made no satisfaction he had not risen againe but death which came into the worlde by sinne and is strengthned by it woulde haue helde him in bondage and therefore whereas hee rose againe it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction so as the merite thereof doth and shall countervaile the iustice of God for all our offences To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sins that is Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes or at least you could not possibly haue knowen that he had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe The uses which concerne our selues are of two sortes comforts to the children of God and duties that are to be learned and practised of us all The comforts are especially three First Christs resurrrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him euen before God the father as Paul saith Christ was given to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification which wordes haue this meaning when Christ died as we haue shewed before we must not consider him as a priuate man but as one that stood in the stead and roome of all the elect in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our own persons for euer the guilt of our offences was laid upon him therfore Esai saith he was nuÌ„bred among the wicked Now in his rising againe he freed disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his own because he was without sin but from the guilt punishment of our sins imputed unto him And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust affiance in the merit of Christ at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sins not imputed unto them his righteousnes imputed Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification as S. Peter saith We are regenerate to a lively hope by the resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus Christ from the dead And S. Paul Wee are then saith hee buried with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ vvas raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father so vvee also should walke in newnesse of life For if we be grafted vvith him to the similitude of his death wee shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection Which wordes import thus much that as Christ by the power of his owne godheade freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes so doth he free those that are knit unto him by the bond of one spirite from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead that they may liue unto God In the naturall body the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion and therefore by sundry nerves dispersed through the body the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least partes so as the hands and the feete moue by meanes of that power which comes from the head and so it is in the spirituall body of Christ namely the Church he is the head the fountain of life therfore he coÌ„veieth spirituall life to euery one of his members and that very power of his godhead whereby he raised up himselfe when he was dead he conveieth from himselfe to his members thereby raiseth them up from the death of sinne to newnesse of life And looke as in a perfect body when the head hath sence and motion the hand that is of the same bodie hath also sense and motion conuenient for it So likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life as there is spirituall life in him so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sence and motion whereby it is raised up froÌ„ sinne and liueth unto God For the better conceiuing of this we must consider two things the outward meanes of this spirituall life and the measure of it For the meanes if we will haue common water vve must goe to the well and if wee vvould haue vvater of life we must goe unto Christ who saith If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke Now this vvell of the water of life is very deepe we haue nothing to draw with therefore we must haue our pipes conduits to convey the same unto us which are the word of God preached and the administration of the sacrameÌ„ts Christ saith The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God they that heare it shall live where by dead is meant not the dead in the graue but those that are dead in sinne And againe Christ saith the wordes which I speake are spirite and life because