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
panteth after thee O Lord and the benefits of thy death The second that a sponge full of vineger tied vpon an hyssope stalke was reached to Christ vpon the crosse Now it may be demaunded how this could be considering the stalke of the hyssope is not past a foote long Answer As the tree of mustard seede with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vs in so much that the birds of heauen build their nests in it so it may be that hyssope groweth much longer in those countries then with vs. Or as I take it rather the hyssope stalke was put vpon a reede and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ. The third point is that Christ drinketh the vineger offered but when Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the crosse And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation He laide aside all thinges that would turne to his owne ease that he might fully worke our redemption and fulfill the will of his father who sent him into the world for that ende The like care must euery one of vs haue to walke dutifully and as it were to goe with thorough-stitch in our particular callings that God may be glorified by vs. When Abrahams seruant came to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac meâ—t was set before him but he said I will not eate before I haue said my message so likewise we must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires and then in the second place if commoditie or praise redound to vs we must afterward take it The last point is that when Christ had drunke the vineger he said It is finished VVhich words may haue a double sense one that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished the other that now vpon the crosse he had finished his satisfaction to the iustice of his father for mans sinne And this of the twaine I rather thinke to be his meaning If it be said that the buriall and resurrection and ascension of Christ c. which are very necessarie to mans redemption were not yet begunne the answer is that the works of Christs priesthoode which follow his death serue not to make any satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne but onely to confirme or applie it after it is made and accomplished on the crosse And if this be so that Christ in his owne person accomplished the worke of redemption and made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs as these words import It is finished then humane satisfactions to Gods iustice for sinne are altogether superfluous The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vpon the crosse was that he cryed with a loud voice and said Father into thy handes I lay downe my spirite that is I commende my soule as being the most pretious thing which I haue in this worlde into thy custodie who art a most faithfull keeper therof These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes for when Dauid was in daunger of his life by reason of Saul and had no friend to trust he makes choice of God to be his keeper and said Into thy hands O Lord doe J commend my spirite Nowe our Sauiour Christ beeing in the like distresse both by reason of the Iewes who euery way sought his finall destruction and confusion and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him doth make choice of Davids words and applie them to himselfe in his distresse And by his example we are taught not onely to read the generall historie of the Bible but also to obserue the things commaunded and forbidden and to applie the same vnto our selues and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer thus the Prophet Dauid saith In the rolle of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O my God! Howe can this be for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him True indeede but as I take it Dauids meaning is that he read the booke of the Lawe and found generall precepts and commaundements giuen to Kings and Princes that they should keepe all the ordinances and commaundements of God which he beeing a King applies particularly to his owne person and thereupon saith In the volume of the booke it is written of me c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time and in these daies the Church of God doth sing the same with the same spirite that Dauid did and doth applie them to their seuerall estates and conditions Now in that Christ commends his soule into the hands of his father he doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint but willingly and by his owne practise he doeth teach vs to doe the like namely to giue vp our owne soules into the hands of God And because this dutie is of some difficultie we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it The first is to consider that God the Father of Christ is the creator of our soules and therefore he is called the father of spirits And if he be a creator of them then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them For sure it is that God will preserue his own workmanship Who is or caÌ„ be so careful for the ornament and preseruation of any worke as the crafts-master and shall not God be more carefull then man wherefore Saint Peter exhorteth vs to commit our soules vnto God as vnto a faithfull creator The second motiue is this we must looke to be resolued in our consciences that God the Father of Christ is our Father euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes and that the corruption of his soule be washed away in the blood of Christ that he may say I am iustified sanctified and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the hands of God This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay downe his soule into the handes of God because he is his Father The third motiue or preparatiue is a continuall experience and obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towardes vs in keeping and preseruing him as appeares by Dauids example Into thy handes saith he I commit my soule for thou hast redeemed me O thou God of truth The time when wee are specially to commende our soules into the hande of God is first of all the time of any affliction or daunger This was the time when Dauid commended his soule into the handes of God in the Psalme before named VVee knowe that in any common daunger or perill as the sacking of a citie or burning of an house if a man haue any pretious iewell therein
to doe all the Prophet had said Wash and be cleane Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christes resurrection the text saieth Their words seemed as fained things unto them neither beleeved they them Hence wee learne two things the first that men of themselues can not beleeue the doctrine of ChristiaÌ„ religion it is a harde matter for a man to beleeue sundrie things in the worke of creation The temporall deliuerance of the children of Israell seemed to them as a dreame and the resurrection of Christ euen to Christes owne disciples seemed a fained thing The second that it is an hard thing truly and vnfainedly to beleeue the points of religion disciples brought up in the schoole of Christ and often catechised in this very point of Christs resurrection yet dull are they to beleeue it This confuâ—eth and condemneth our carnall gospellers that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to beleeue in Christ and therefore they say their faith is so strong that they would not for all the world doubt of Gods mercy whereas indeede they are deceiued and haue no faith at all but blind presumption The thirde appearance was on this manner As two of Christes disciples were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs and talked togither of all the things that were done Iesus drewe nere and talked with them but their eyes were holden that they could not know him and as they went he communed with them prooued out of the scripture his resurrection expounding unto them all things that were written of him then they made him stay with them and their eyes were opened they knew him by breaking of bread but he was taken out of their sight In this notable appearance wee may obserue these foure points The first that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him they saw a man indeed but who he was they could not tell By this it is more then manifest that the use of our outwarde senses as seeing feeling smelling c. is supplied vnto us continually by the power of Christ and therefore euen in these things we must acknowledge the continuall goodnes of God Now if one man can not so much as discerne another but by the blessing of Christ then shall we neuer be able to discerne the way of life from the way of death without him therfore we must pray unto God that he would giue us his holy spirite to enlighten the eyes of our understanding wherby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth unto life and also to walke in the same The second that as Christ vvas in expounding the scriptures vnto them their heartes burned within them By this we learne that howsoeuer the ministers of God publish the gospell to the outward eares of men yet is it the proper worke of Christ alone to touch inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit to quickeÌ„ raise men up to the life of righteousnes true holines it is he only that baptiseth with the holy ghost with fire it further admonisheth us that we should heare the worde preached froÌ„ the mouth of Gods ministers with burning melting hearts but alas the ordinary practise is flat coÌ„trarie mens eies are drowsie heauie their hearts dead frozen within them that is the cause why after much teaching there followes but litle profit The thirde thing is that Christ did eate with the tvvo disciples and was knowen of them in breaking of breade It is verie like that our Sauiour Christ did in some speciall maner blesse the bread which he brake wherby his disciples discerned him from others And in like maner we must by blessing our meates and drinkes distinguish our selues though not from such as are the seruants of God yet from all ungodly carelesse men Many being silent themselues do make their children to giue thankes and to blesse their meates And indeede it is a coÌ„mendable thing if it be done sometimes to nourture the childe but for men to disburden themselues wholly of this duty is a fault And it is a shame that that mouth which openeth it selfe to receiue the good creatures of God should neuer opeÌ„ it selfe to blesse praise God for the same Therfore in this actioÌ„ of eating and drinâ—king let us shewe our selues followers of Christ that as by blessing the same he was known from all other so we may also hereby distinguish our selues from the profane and wicked of this world Otherwise what difference shal there be betwene us the very hog that eats mast on the grouÌ„d but neuer lookes up to the tree from whence it falles And as Christ reuealed himselfe unto his disciples at that time wheÌ„ they caused him to eate meat with theÌ„ so let us suffer Christ to be our guest and let us entertaine him in his meÌ„bers no doubt he wil blesse us withal reueal himself unto us The fourth thing is that hauing eaten hee is taken out of their sight And this came to passe not because the bodie of Christ became spirituall but because either he helde their eyes as before or he departed with celeritie and speede according to the propertie of a bodie glorified The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone mentioned onely by S. Paul He was seene of â—ephas The fifth appearance was to all the disciples togither saue Thomas In it we must consider three things which are all effectuall arguments to prooue Christes resurrection The first that hee came and stoode in the middest among them the dores being shut Now it may be demanded how this could be Ans. The Papists say his body was glorified and so passed through the dore but as I haue said it is against the nature of a bodie that one should passe through another as heate doeth through a peece of iron both bodies remaining entire and sound therefore we may rather thinke that whereas Christ came in when the dores were shut it was either because by his mightie power hee caused the dores to giue place the disciples not knowing how or else because he altered the verie substance of the dores that his body might passe through as hee thickened the waters to carrie his bodie when he walked upon the sea Now if this be true as very like it is that these dumbe creatures gaue place to Christ and became pliable unto his commandement then much more ought we to carry hearts coÌ„formable and pliant to the will of our Lord Iesus in all his commaundements The second point is that when as the disciples thought Christ to haue bene a spirit he to prooue the truth of his manhood sheweth unto them his handes and his feete and the wound in his side and calles for meat and eates it among them But it may be asked how this could be coÌ„sidering that a glorified body hath
masters of families haue ouer their houshold when God shall call them out of this worlde They must haue care not onely that their families be well gouerned while they liue but also that after their death peace loue and good order may be continued in their posteritie And therefore the Prophet Esay is sent to Ezechias king of Iudah to bid him se◠his house in order for he must die signifying that it is the dutie of a good master of a familie not onely to haue care for the gouernment of his house whilst he is aliue but also that it may be well gouerned when he is deade The same also must be practised of Gods ministers their fidelitie must be seene in this that they haue not onely a care to feede their particular flockes while they are aliue but also they must further prouide for the people after their departure as much as they can Example whereof we haue in Peter who saith I will endeauour alwaies that ye may be able also to haue remembrance of these things after my departure The place of Christs ascension was the mount of Oliues neere Bethanie and it was the same place from whēce Christ went to Ierusalem to be crucified One place serue to be a passage both to paine and torments and also to glorie This shewes that the way to the kingdome of heauen is through afflictions In all ages there are many which haue Gods hand heauie vpon them in lingring sicknesses as the dead palsie and such like wherein they are faine to lie many yeares without hope of cure whereupon their beddes which should be vnto them places of rest and ease are but places of woe and miserie Yet may these men hence haue great comfort if they can make good vse of their sicknesses for the beddes whereon they suffer so much torment shal be places from whence they shall passe to ioy and happines Againe there be many that for the testimonie of the truth and for religions sake suffer imprisonment with many afflictions nowe if they can vse their afflictions well their prisons shalbe Bethanies vnto them although they be places of bondage yet God wil at length make it a place of entrance to libertie Many a man for the maintaining of faith and good conscience is banished out of his countrie and is faine to liue in a straunge place amōg a people to whome he is vnknowne but let him vse it well for though it be a place of griefe for a time as Bethanie was to Christ when he went to suffer yet God will make it one day to be his passage into heauen Thus much of the place of his ascending The third thing to be considered is the manner of Christs ascension and it containeth three points The first that Christ beeing now to ascend lifts vp his hands and blessed his disciples In the Scripture are mentioned diuers kinds of blessings The first when one man praieth to God for a blessing vpon an other and this blessing doe kings and princes bestow vpon their subiects and parents on their children and for this cause children are taught to aske their fathers and mothers blessing that they may pray to God to blesse them There is another kind of blessing when a mā doth not only pray for a blessing but also pronounceth it This did the priests in the old Testament and thus Melchisedeck when he met Abraham blessed him saying Blessed art thou Abraham of God the most high possessour of heauen and earth And this was the ordinarie dutie of the Priests prescribed by God himselfe and therefore the very forme of wordes which they vsed is set downe after this manner The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee c. The third kinde of blessing is when a man doth not onely pray to God and pronounce blessing but by the spirit of prophecie doth foretell a particular blessing vpon any Thus Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau particularly foretelling both their estates And Iaacob blessed the twelue Patriarks by the same spirit foretelling them what should befall them many hundred yeares after Nowe our Sauiour Christ did not blesse his disciples any of these three waies and therefore there remaineth a fourth kinde of blessing which he vsed and that was after this manner Christ in blessing his disciples did not onely pronounce or foretell a blessing that should come to his disciples but did conferre and giue the same vnto them For he is the fountaine and author of all blessings And therfore Paul saith that God the father hath blessed vs in all spiritual blessings in Christ. Hence we learne first that al those which denie themselues and flie to Christ and put their affiance in him shalbe freeed from the curse of the lawe and from the wrath of God due vnto them for their sinnes whatsoeuer they are Secōdly that the curses of men must not discourage vs from doing well For though men curse yet Christ blesseth and for this cause he saith Woe be vnto you when all men speake well of you as if he should say then you want the blessing of God And we must remember that when men shall curse vs for doing our dutie euen then the blessing of God shall be vpon vs and the curse causelesse shall not hurt And God saith to Abraham he wil curse them that curse him Thirdly we learne that no witchcraft nor sorcerie which often are done with cursing shall be able to hurt vs. For looke where Christ will blesse there all the deuils in hell can neuer fasten a curse This is found true by experience For when Balaam the wizzard should haue cursed the people of Israel and had assaied to doe it many waies but could not at length he said there is no sorcerie against Iacob nor soothsaying against Israel This is a notable comfort to the people of God that witches and sorcerers doe what they can shal neuer be able to hurt them It may be that their badde practises may annoy mens bodies and goods yet the Lord wil turne all to a blessing vpon his seruants either in this life or the life to come The second point is that Christ went apart from his disciples and ascended vpward towarde heauen in their sight For the right vnderstanding of this sundrie speciall points must be obserued The first that the lifting vp of his bodie was principally by the mightie power of his Godhead and partly by the supernaturall propertie of a glorified body which is to mooue as well vpward as downward without constraint or violence The second that Christ did goe from earth to heauen really and actually and not in appearance onely The third that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples The fourth that he went locally by chaunging his place and going from earth to heauen so as he is no more on earth bodily as we are nowe on earth It may be
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
so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes which are the filth of our nature and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdoÌ„ of God haue the H. Ghost to dwell in him must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same holy spirit and if a man would know whether he haue this worke wrought in him or no let him marke what S. Paul saith They that are of the spirit sauour the things that are of the spirit but they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truly good either more or lesse it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed and he regenerate but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne and the things of this world he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated As for example if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking gulling in of wine and strong drink hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate because it affects the things of the flesh so of the rest And on the coÌ„trary he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God in practising the works of charitie religion he I say hath a spirituall and a renewed heart and is regenerate by the holy Ghost The third worke of the holy Ghost is to gouerne the hearts of the elect this may be called spirituall regiment A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne orders gouerns it according to his owne will euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all theÌ„ in whoÌ„ he dwelleth as Paul saith they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit a most notable benefit for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth there he wil be Lord gouerning both heart minde will and affections and that two waies I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne arising either from the corruption of mans nature from the world or from the deuill II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion so it is saide The flesh that is the corruption of mans nature lusteth against the spirit and the spirit that is grace in the heart lusteth against the flesh and that after a double sort first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles The spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and of strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly of wisedome of knowledge of strength of vnderstanding of counsell and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith that the fruits of the spirit are ioy peace loue long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance c. all which are so tearmed because where the H. Ghost ruleth there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace but among all the inward motions of the spirit the most principall are these I. an vtter disliking of sinne because it is sinne And that is when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes as to his owne and seeing them is truly sorowfull for them and disliketh them and himselfe for them not so much because there is a place of torment or a day of iudgement to come wherin he must answer to God for them all but as if there were no hell or iudgement because God is displeased by them who hath beene vnto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes This is a motion of the H. Ghost which no man can haue but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell The third the gift of heartie praier For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications because it stirreth vp the heart makes it fit to pray therefore Paul saith that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue and he that would know whether he haue the spirit dwelling truly in his heart shall know it by this A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same it is aliue being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre it is dead In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God is in a miserable case and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is comfort in distresse and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he wâ—ll sende and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe I. outward calamities as when a man is in any daunger of death when he looseth his goods his good name his friends and such like The second thing is a troubled conscience whereof Salomon saith A troubled spirit who can beare it and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob this was the soarest of all his affliction and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule Now what is the comfort in this case Answer In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs to make vs reioyce and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can
indeede no faith And this counterfait mocke-faith is farre more common in the world then true faith is Take a view hereof in our ignorant and carelesse people aske any of them whether he be certen of his saluation or no he will without any bones making protest that he is fully perswaded and assured of his saluation in Christ that if there be but one man in a countrie to be saued it is he that he hath serued God alwaies done no man hurt that he hath euermore beleeued and that he would not for all the world so much as doubt of his saluation These and such like presumptious conceits in blinde and ignorant persons runne for currant faith in the worlde Nowe the true testimonie of the spirit is discerned from naturall presumption and all illusions of the deuill by two effects and fruits thereof noted by Paul in that he saith that the spirit makes vs crie Abba that is father The first is to pray so earnestly with groanes and sighes as though a man would euen fill heauen and earth with the crie not of his lippes but of his heart touched with sense and feeling of his manifolde sinnes and offences And this indeede is a speciall and principall note of the spirit of adoption Nowe looke vpon the loose and carelesse man that thinks himselfe so filled with the perswasion of the loue and fauour of God ye shall finde that he very seldome or neuer praies and when he doth it is nothing else but a mumbling ouer the Lords praier the Creede and the tenne Commaundements for fashions sake Which argues plainely that the perswasion which he hath of Gods mercie is of the flesh and not of the spirit The second fruit is the affection of a duetifull childe to God a most louing father and this affection makes a man stande in feare of the maiestie of God wheresoeuer he is and to make conscience of euery euill way Nowe those that are carried away with presumption so soone as any occasion is giuen they fall straight into sinne without mislike or stay as fire burnes with speede vvhen drie vvoode is laide vnto it In a worde where the testimonie of the spirit is truly wrought there be many other graces of the spirit ioyned therewith as when one branch in a tree buddeth the rest budde also The testimonie of our spirit is the testimonie of the heart and conscience purified and sanctified in the bloode of Christ. And it testifieth two waies by inward tokens in it selfe by outward fruits Inward tokens are certen speciall graces of God imprinted in the spirit whereby a man may certenly be assured of his adoption These tokens are of two sorts they either respect our sinnes or Gods mercie in Christ. The first are in respect of sinnes past present or to come The signe in the spirit which concerneth sinnes past is godly sorrow which I may tearme a beginning and mother grace of many other gifts and graces of God It is a kinde of griefe conceiued in heart in respect of God And the nature of it may the better be conceiued if we compare it with the contrarie Worldly sorrowe springs of sinne and it is nothing else but the horrour of conscience and the apprehension of the wrath of God for the same now godly sorrow it may indeede be occasioned by our sinnes but it springs properly of the apprehension of the grace and goodnes of God Worldly sorrow is a griefe for sinne onely in respect of the punishment godly sorrowe is a liuely touch and griefe of heart for sinne because it is sinne though there were no punishment for it Now that no man may deceiue himselfe in iudgeing of this sorrow the holy Ghost hath set downe seuen fruits or signes thereof whereby it may be discerned The first is Care to leaue all our sinnes past the second is Apologie whereby a man is mooued and carried to accuse and condemne himselfe for his sinnes past both before God and men The third is indignation whereby a man is exceedingly angrie with himselfe for his offences The fourth is feare least he fal into his former sins againe The 5. is desire wherby he craueth strength and assistance that his sinnes take not hold on him as before The sixth is zeale in the performance of all good duties contrarie to his special sinnes The seuenth is reuenge whereby he subdues his bodie least it should hereafter be an instrument of sinne as it hath beene in former time Now when any man shall feele these fruits in himselfe he hath no doubt the godly sorrow which here we speake of The token which is in regard of sinnes present is the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit proper to them that are regenerate who are partly flesh and partly spirit It is not the checke of conscience which all men finde in themselues both good and badde so oft as they offende God but it is a fighting and striuing of the minde will and affections with themselues whereby so farreforth as they are renewed they carrie the man one way and as they still remaine corrupt they carrie him flat contrarie Men hauing the disease called Ephialies when they are halfe asleepe feele as it were some weightie thing lying vpon their breasts and holding them downe nowe lying in this case they striue with their hands and feete and with all the might they haue to raise vp themselues and to remooue the weight and cannot Behold here a liuely resemblance of this combate The flesh which is the inborne corruption of mans nature lies vpon the hearts of the children of God and presseth them downe as if it were the very weight of a mountaine now they according to the measure of grace receiued striue to raise vp themselues from vnder this burden to doe such things as are acceptable to God but can not as they would The token that respects sinne to come is Care to preuent it That this is the mark of Gods children appeareth by the saying of Iohn Hee that is borne of God sinneth not but keepeth himselfe that the wicked one touch him not And this care shewes it selfe not onely in ordering the outward actions but euen in the verie thoughtes of the heart For where the Gospell is of force it brings every thought into captivitie to the obedience of Christ and the Apostles rule is followed whatsoever things are true whatsoeuer things are honest c. thinke on these things The tokens which concerne Gods mercy are especially two The first is when a man feeles him selfe distressed with the burden of his sinnes or when he apprehends the heauie displeasure of God in his conscience for them then further to feele how he stands in need of Christ withall heartily to desire yea to hunger and thirst after reconciliation with God in the merite of Christ and that aboue all other things in the world To all such Christ hath made most sweete and comfortable promises
for the most part one like another and brought up alike euen so it is in Gods familie which is his Church the members thereof are all alike in heart and affection and the reason is because they haue one spirite to guide them all and therefore S. Peter saieth The multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common And the Prophet Esai foretelling the unitie which should be in the kingdome of Christ saieth The wolfe shall dwell vvith the lambe and the leopard shall lye with the kidde and the calfe and the lyon and the fatte beast togither and a litle childe shall leade them The covve and the beare shall feede and their yong ones shall lye togither and the lyon shall eate strawe like the bullocke The sucking child shall play vpon the hole of the aspe and the wayned child shall put his hand into the cockatrice hole By these beastes are signified men that be of a wicked brutish nature which when they shall be brought into the kingdome of Christ shall lay aside the same become louing gentle curteous all of one minde And S. Peter requires of the Church the practise of brotherly loue and that is to carrie a tender affection to men not because they are of the same flesh but because they are ioyned in the bond of one spirit with us Furthermore by reason of this that all the children of God are of one heart there followes another duty of this communion whereby they beare one the burdens of another when one mēber of the Church is grieued all are grieued when one reioyceth all reioyce as in the body when one member suffereth all suffer The second braunch of their communion is in the giftes of Gods spirite as loue hope feare c. And this is shewed when one man doth employ the graces of God bestowed on him for the good and saluation of another As a candle spendeth it selfe to giue light to others so must Gods people spend those gifts which God hath giuen them for the benefite of their brethren A christian man howsoeuer hee be the freest man upon earth yet is he seruant to all men especially to the Church of God to doe seruice unto the members of it by loue for the good of all And this good is procured when vvee convey the graces of God bestowed on us to our breethren and that is done fiue waies I. by example II. by admonition III. by exhortation IIII. by consolation V. by prayer The first which is good example wee are inioyned by Christ saying Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good vvorkes and glorifie your Father vvhich is in heauen And that our hartes might be touched with speciall care of this dutie the Lord settes before us his owne blessed example saying Be yee holy as I am holy and Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly And Paul saith Be ye follovvers of me as I follovv Christ and the higher men are exalted the more carefull ought they to be in giuing good example For let a man of note or estimation doe euill and hee shall presently haue many followers Euill example runnes from one to another like a leprosie or infection and this Christ signified when hee said that the figge-tree planted in the vineyarde If it beare no fruite makes all the ground barren The second meanes of communication of the giftes of God vnto others is admonition which is an ordinance of God whereby Christian men are to recouer their breethren from their sinnes A man by occasion fallen into the water is in danger of his life and the reaching of the hande by another is the meanes to saue him Now euerie man when hee sinneth doeth as much as in him lieth cast his soule into the very pit of hell and wholesome admonitions are as the reaching out of the hande to recover him againe But it will peraduenture be saide how must wee proceede in admonishing of others Answer We are to obserue three things The first is to search whether we that are to reprooue be faultie our selues in the same thing or no first we must take ou◠the beame that is in our owne eye and so we shall see clearely to put out the mote in our brothers eye II. before wee reprooue wee must be sure that the fault is committed we must not go upon heare-say or likelihoods and therefore the Holy ghost saith Let us consider or observe one another to provoke vnto love or good workes III. before we reproove wee must in Christian wisdome make choice of time and place for all times and places serue not to this purpose And therefore Salomon saith It is the glory of a man to passe by an offence Furthermore in the act of admonishing two things are to be obserued I. a man must deliuer the words of his admonition so farre foorth as hee can out of the word of God so as the partie which is admonished may in the person of man see God himselfe to reprooue him II. his reproofe must be made with as much compassion and fellow-feeling of other mens wants as may be As Paul saieth If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meekenes The third way of communicating good things to others is exhortation and it is a meanes to excite and stirre them on forwarde which doe alreadie walke in the way of godlinesse Therefore the Holy Ghost saith Exhort one another daily least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne But alas the practise of this dutie as also of the former is hard to be found among men for it is usuall in families that masters and fathers in stead of admonishing their servants and children teach them the practise of sinne in swearing blaspheming slaundering c. and as for exhortation it is not used Let a man that hath the feare of God offend neuer so little in stead of brotherly exhortation hee shall heare his profession cast in his teeth and his hearing of Sermons this practise is so generall that many beginning newly to tread in the steppes of godlinesse are hereby daunted and quite driuen backe The fourth way is consolation which is a meanes appointed by God wherby one man shoulde vvith vvords of heavenly comforte refresh the soules of others afflicted with sicknesse or any other way feeling the hand of God either in body or in mind And this dutie is as little regarded as any of the former In time of mens sicknesse neighbours come in but what say they I am sorie to see you in this case I hope to see you well againe I would be sory else c. Not one of an hundred can speake a worde of comfort to the
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
will guide in the way and their eares shall heare a voice behinde them saying This is the way walke in it when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left Which voice is nothing els but the voice of the H. Ghost in the mouth of the ministers directing them in the waies of God The children of Israel were trauailing from Egypt to the lande of Canaan full fourtie yeares whereas they might haue gone the iourney in fourtie daies Their way was through the wildernesse of Arabia their guides were a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night the manner of their iourney was this when the pillars mooued they mooued when the pillars stood still they stood still and so long as the pillars either mooued or stood still they likewise mooued or stood still And by all this a further matter namly the regimēt of Christ ouer his church was signified Euery one of vs are as passengers and trauailers not to any earthly Canaan but to the heauenly Ierusalem and in this iourney we are to passe through the wide and desert wildernes of this world our guide is Christ himselfe figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud because by his word and spirit he shewes vs how farre we may goe in euery action and where we must stand and he goes before vs as our guide to life euerlasting The third worke of Christ is to exercise his Church vnto spirituall obedience by manifold troubles crosses temptations and afflictions in this world as earthly kings vse to traine and exercise their subiects When our Sauiour Christ was with his disciples in a shippe there arose a great tempest vpon the sea so as the shippe was almost couered with waues but he was asleepe and his disciples came and awoke him saying Saue vs master we perish Behold here a liuely picture of the dealing of Christ with his seruants in this life His manner is to place them vpon the sea of this worlde and to raise vp against them bleake stormes and flaes of contrarie windes by their enemies the flesh the deuill the world And further in the middest of all these daungers he for his owne part makes as though he lay asleepe for a time that he may the better make triall of their patience faith and obedience And the endes for which hee vseth this spirituall exercise are these The first to make all his subiects to humble themselues and as it were to goe crooked and buckle vnder their offences committed against his maiestie in time past Thus Iob after the Lorde had long afflicted him and laide his hande sore vpon him saith Behold I am vile and againe I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes In the same manner we beeing his subiects and people must looke to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make vs bende and bow for our sinnes past as the old man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age The second is to preuent sinnes in the time to come A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water takes it and holds it ouer the fire or ouer the water as though he would burne or drowne it whereas his purpose indeede is nothing els but to preuent danger for the time to come In like maner Christs subiects are bold to sinne by nature and therefore to preuent a mischiefe he doth exercise them with affliction seemes for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church but his meaning is onely to preuent offences in times to come The third end is to cōtinue his subiects in obediēce vnto his cōmandemēts so the Lord saith when he would bring his Church frō idolatrie Behold I will stop thy way with thorns make an hedge that shee shal not find her paths The H. Ghost here borrows a cōparison frō beasts which going in the way see green pastures desire to enter in and therefore goe to the hedge but feeling the sharpnes of the thornes dare not aduenture to goe in So Gods people like vnto wild beasts in respect of sinne vewing the greene pastures of this world which are the pleasures thereof are greatly affected there with and if it were not for the sharpnes of crosses and temptations which are Gods spirituall hedge by which he keepeth them in they would range out of the way and rush into sinne as the horse into the battell The fourth and last worke of Christ in respect of his Church is that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoeuer they are and this he doth two waies First by giuing to his seruants sufficient strength to beare all the assaults of their enemies the world the flesh and the deuill For Paul saith those to whome the Lord hath giuen the gift of faith to them he hath also giuen this gift to suffer afflictions And the same Apostle also praieth for the Colossians that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes The euidence hereof we may most plainly see in the most constant deaths of the martyrs of Christ recorded both in the word of God and in the Church histories It is wonderfull to see their courage and constancie For at such times as they haue beene brought to exequution they refused to be bounde or chained willingly suffering most cruell torments without shrinking or feare such courage and strength the Lord gaue them to withstand the violent rage of all their aduersaries Secondly he defends his Church by limiting the power and rage of all enemies And hence it is that although the power of the Church of God on earth be weake slender in it selfe contrariwise the power of the deuil exceeding great yet can he not so much as touch the people of God And he more preuailes by inward suggestions and temptations then by outward violence And if it were not the power of Christ that doth bridle his rage there were no abode for the Church of Christ in this world Thus we haue seene what are the workes of Christ in gouerning his Church and we that professe our selues to be members thereof must shew our selues to be so indeed by an experience of these workes of his in our owne hearts And we must suffer him to gather vs vnder his owne wing and to guide vs by his word spirit we are to acquaint our selues with those spirituall exercises whereby his good pleasure is to nurture vs to all obedience Lastly we must depend on his ayde and protection in all estates And seeing we in this land haue had peace and rest with the Gospell of Christ among vs a long time by Gods especiall goodnes we must now after these daies of peace looke for daies of tribulation we must not imagine that our ease and libertie will continue