keepe my saying my Father will loue him and wee will come vnto him and make our abode with him but to abide with vs doth not signifie to remaine without vs but to dwell within vs as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 3.16 17. when hee prayeth that the Saints might bee strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man and that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith That to bee with God and to be in God is the same Thirdly He proueth that to be with God and to bee in God is aequiualent and the very same in many things for Moses sayth God is faithfull in whom there is no iniquitie and Dauid sayth the Lord is righteous and there is no iniquitie in him and yet Saint Paul sayth numquid iniquitas apud Deum is their iniquitie with God God forbid and Saint Iames sayth with whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning i. e. in whom there is no mutabilitie and therefore as the Euangelist sayth eere The Word was with GOD so our Sauiour sayth else-where Iohn 10.38 I am in the Father and the Father is in mee And therefore it appeareth plainely that Christ is not with God as one man is with another as Saint Paul sayth that hee remained with Saint Peter fifteene dayes for so to be with one is to be without him as a guest by the affection of charitie and not to be substantially in him as the same by the law of equity but Christ is with God as the word is within the minde or the councell is within the heart or life it selfe within the soule so that as the soule cannot bee without life no more can God bee without this Word And therefore also wee must obserue a great difference That we are not in God as Christ is in God betwixt our being with God and in God and Christ his being with God and in God for when it is spoken of vs our naturall vnion with God is no wayes meant but either the power of the Creator or the pietie of the redeemer is alwayes vnderstood and therefore it is sayd that hee gaue vs power to be the sonnes of God but this Word is not made but naturally and eternally begotten the Sonne of God and therefore though we be called sonnes and hee called Sonne wee called Gods and he called God we sayd to be begotten and hee sayd to bee begotten yet heerein is the difference that hee is so naturally and essentially we so called by grace whereby it is giuen vnto vs to be made the sonnes of God And so much for the co-essentialitie of the Word with his Father CHAP. V. Of the co-equalitie of the Word with his Father and the chiefest obiections made against the same most cleerely and sufficiently answered THirdly You haue seene that this Word is co-eternall and co-essentiall with his Father it followeth that I should speake of his co-equalitie with his Father and this poynt is as cleere as the former because in an essence most simple there cannot be so much as imagined more or lesse and therefore Fulgentius sayth most excellently that seeing Christ is from euerlasting Baruch 3.25 because he is the eternall Wisedome and power of God seeing he is immeasurable because hee is great and hath no end and seeing he is most highest as Zacharias sheweth in his speech of Iohn the Baptist Luke 1.76 that hee should bee called the Prophet of the most Highest that is of Christ he must needs be in all respects equall vnto his Father Nam quid anterius sempiterno quid maius immenso quid superius altissimo For what can be before him that hath beene before all things what can bee greater then that which is immeasurable or what can be higher then that which is highest and so Saint Iohn sayth that the Iewes sought the rather to kill him Iohn 5 1â— because hee did not onely breake the Sabboth but also sayd that God was his Father making himselfe equall to God But the Arrians doe obiect that Christ did not teach himselfe Ob. 1 to bee equall with his Father but that the Iewes mistooke him and thought he did so I answere that this is false for as Saint Cyrill Sol. That the Iewes rightly vnderstood that Christ taught that he was aequall with God Saint Chrysostome Saint Augustine and others doe affirme the Iewes did rightly vnderstand our Sauiour and the Euangelist sheweth as much for if they had either mis-conceiued his meaning or mis-construed his words then surely either Christ or the Euangelist would haue giuen vs some notice thereof that so we might not erre after them especially in so great a matter for so we finde that when the Capernaits vnderstood his words of an Orall eating of his flesh our Sauiour perceiuing their error how they mis-vnderstood his words John 6.62 sayd presently the flesh profiteth nothing and that the words which hee spake were Spirit and Life and so when he sayd John 2.20 Destroy this Temple and I will build it vp againe in three dayes and the Iewes thought that he spake it of their stately Materiall temple v. 21. that was forty sixe yeeres a building the Euangelist presently tells vs that hee spake it of the temple of his Body but neither Christ nor the Euangelist doe here giue vs the least intimation of their mistaking of his meaning but doe rather approue their right apprehension of our Sauiours words and therefore it must needs follow that Christ taught himselfe to be aequall vnto his Father Ob. 2 Secondly They doe obiect that Christ himselfe sayth my Father is greater then I Iohn 14.20 and therefore Christ is not aequall vnto his Father Sol. Basil l. 1. in Eunomium Nazian orat 4. de Theol. Hilar. l. 9. de trinit To this Saint Basill answereth that the Father is greater then the Sonne ratione principij in respect of his beginning for that there is noted a certain kind of authoritie or maioritie in the Father because hee is the beginning of the sonne and doth communicate his whole essence vnto the sonne which the sonne doth not vnto the Father that is that the Father is the beginning of the person of the sonne but not of the essence of the sonne as I sayd before Others would haue the Father to be greater then the sonne ratione nominis onely in respect of the name because the name of a Father seemeth to be greater then the name of a Sonne How the Father is greater then Christ But Athanasius in my iudgement answereth best that Christ is aequall to the Father as touching his Godhead but inferiour to the Father as touching his manhood for Christ sayth I goe to the Father Iohn 4.28 because the Father is greater then I and therefore he is inferiour to the Father in respect of that nature wherin he goeth to the Father but hee cannot bee sayd to goe to the Father as he is
grosse ignorance and the memory with sottish forgetfulnesse so that now wee will indirectly wee iudge darkely and wee remember nothing that is heauenly Hence it comes to passe How our soules are fuller of diseases then our bodies that our bodies are not so subiect to diseases as our soules be to sinnes for pride is the soules tympany when it doth turgescerefastu waxe big and swell through the distaine of others enuie is the worme that gnaweth at the heart then which it is most certaine that Siculi non inuenere tyranui tormentum maius The Sicilian Tyrants did neuer feele a more fearefull torment and wrath is a plurisie that will not be appeased without blood for of the raging man it is most truely said Mad that his poyson cannot others kill He drinkes it off himselfe himselfe to spill And therefore of all the men in the world we are aduised to keepe no company with an angry furious man but as the Poet saith Dum furor in cursu currenti cede furori Ouidius lib. 1. de rem amor Difficiles aditus impetus omnis habet To turne aside from euery furious wight Cause fury will haue passage in despight And Lust is the soules feauer the flames thereof are the flames of fire and the waters thereof are aqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of folly and madnesse And in this How the sickenesse of the soule is worse then the sickenesse of the body the sicknesse of the soule doth exceed all the sicknesse of the body for the body hath some respite from its sickenesse but the soule hath none from sinne and euery sicknesse of the body kils it not but euery sinne slayeth the soule for the reward of sinne that is of euery sinne is death saith the Apostle And hence likewise in my iudgement that branch of Pellagianisme taught also by Lactantius that the light of Nature if it were well vsed might make way for Diuine instruction may bee sufficiently confuted for though they teach that man by sinne hath not quite killed his soule but wounded the same like the man that fell among theeues and was left halfe aliue and therefore might Lactan diuin iustit c. 5. That Nature though neuer so well vsed cannot procure the gifts of grace Ephes 2.1.5 Coloss 2.13 saith Lactantius come to the same doctrine that we doe follow Si quae natura ducente sanserunt defendissent If they had constantly maintained those things which Nature taught them yet the Apostle saith here that sinne brings death vnto the Sinner and if death then sure there was no life i. e. no life of Grace in him And so in many other places the Apostle sheweth as much for he saith that we were dead in trespasses and sinnes and that God hath quickned vs by Iesus Christ And therefore it is apparently plaine that at the beginning of our conuersion we are altogether passiue and haue no power in the world to releeue our selues vntill grace hath quickened our soules Ob. But against this it may be obiected that the Apostle saith the Gentiles knew God Rom. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much as might be knowne concerning God that is his eternall power and God-head when they considered him in his workes and therefore the light of Nature was not quite extinguished in them Sol. That sinne extinguished all knowledge of God but what God reuealeth to man I answere that this knowledge of God was not from the light of Nature in them but it was reuealed by God vnto these naturall men to make them without excuse as Zanchius well obserueth for so the Apostle sheweth in the 19 verse of the same Chapter where he saith Deus enim illis manifestauit for God reuealed the same vnto them and therefore I say that the sinne of Adam did quite kill the soule of euery man for the reward of sinne is death and therefore we may all of vs cry out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this body of death And here-hence we may also see the iudgement of God threatned in Paradise Gen. 1.17 In what day thou eatest of the tree of Knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death to be truely and presently inflicted vpon Adam for though his body seemed to liue yet was his soule separated from God and therefore must needs be presently dead Aug. de ser dom in monte habetur de poenitent distinct 2. But as sinne is three manner of wayes committed as I shewed before so is the death of the soule three wayes inflicted and they are prefigured by those three sorts of dead men which our Sauiour raised in the Gospell as S. Augustine sheweth The first was Iayrus his daughter she was a Virgin â—nd was as yet within the doores and therefore our Sauiour went into the house and put out all the people and vouchsafed to take her by the hand and to say Talitha cumi Damosell Mar. 5.41 Of a three-fold death of the soule I say vnto thee arise This signifieth that soule which sinned onely by consent but hath not yet brought forth the sinne into fact and therefore God will be mercifull vnto such and will not require to shame them before the world but hee will goe in himselfe and accept of their inward repentance for such inward sinnes The second was the Widdowes sonne of Naime and hee was caried out to be buried and therefore our Sauiour in the presence of them all Did touch the Beere and said Luk 7.14 Yong man I say vnto thee arise and he sate vp and began to speake And this signifieth the soule that sinneth in fact and therefore as she publikely sinned so she must be publikely restored and as by her sinne she offended many so by her sitting vp They that publikely sinne must publikely testifie their repentance i. e. by her standing and constancy in grace and by her talking i. e. by her confession of her sinnes she must giue satisfaction vnto many Nam qui publice peccat publice corrigendus publice restaurandus est For he that publikely offendeth is publikely to be reprooued publikely to be restored saith the Law The third was Lazaus John 11. and hee was dead and laid in his graue and therefore Iesus was faine to goe a great iourney to raise him and when he came to him he groned in his spirit and was troubled he wept and he groaned againe Ver. 35. he lifted vp his eyes he prayed and he cryed with a loude voyce saying Ver. 43. Lazarus come forth and then he came forth but how bound hand and foot saith the Euangelist with graue clothes and his face bound with a Napkin so that his friends and standers by were faine to loose him and to let him goe Ver 44. And this signifieth the soule that is accustomed to sinne that is dead and buried in sin and
an vpright man and should not be hated of all men I But will the good and godly men hate them who doe confesse their sinnes and doe alwayes striue against their owne corruptions The wicked men may hate them but surely the godly will not I answere That the more godly men be the lesse they hate them yet because in them sinne stickes so close vnto them that although they confesse and detest it with their soules yet hath their flesh alwayes some loue and affection vnto the same in so much that Saint Augustine in one of his Meditations confesseth That in his spirit and soule he did so heartily pray against his sinne that his flesh and carnall desire was afraide God would heare the prayers of his soule and so depriue them of their delights Gal. 5.17 for in the best men The flesh lusteth against the spirit and drawes them oftentimes to doe what they would not doe And therefore as in the best men there is still remaining naturall corruption so the same will still oppose it selfe against all them that will seeke to dispossesse this olde Adam from their soules And therefore seeing Christ did suffer Christians suffer and that the more godly they be the more enemies they shall haue we should not iudge of men and especially of the Preachers of Gods Word according to their outward appearance of their enemies crosses and afflictions but we should iudge righteous iudgements And we that suffer may and should reioyce and be glad that We are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ And so much for the Person suffering Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. I. Of the sufferings of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane Of the sufferings of Christ SEcondly We are to consider the sufferings of this Person Iesus Christ Thus it behoued Christ to suffer Well might it haue agreed with his excellent Nature to haue conferred benefits and to bestow gifts on the Sonnes of men but to suffer torments and to endure all indignities at the hands of sinnefull men is strange and admirable so incompetible is the Person and the Passion of Iesus Christ And yet if we diligently obserue all those Tragicall Scenes that are seene in the Records of the Euangelists and marke all the dolefull passages of his whole life euen from the first houre of his birth vnto the last moment of his breath we shall finde the same to be nothing else but a Mappe of miseries or a tempestuous Sea of all calamities for he was no sooner borne but hee beganne to beare our sorrowes he was cast into a Cratch That the whole life of Christ was but a continuall suffering the breathings of the Beasts perhaps did warme his cloutes to preserue his life and he liued not long but hee suffered the effusion of his bloud and the sharpenesse of circumcision He was no sooner circumcised but he was designed vnto the slaughter Herod seekes his life and hee will slay all the Children of Bethlehem or he will put this Childe vnto the Sword And therefore in the middest of Winter he must flie to Egypt to saue his life there hee liued a while and hee must needes liue poore for they that haue nothing among their friends may very well bee thought to haue lesse among strangers when he returnes he must retire himselfe into corners for feare of Archilaus Matth. 2.23 and when he begins to shew himselfe to the World hee must beginne to combate with the Diuell he is no sooner baptized Chap. 4.2 but he is tempted forty dayes together without meate without drinke without sleepe and he can no sooner beginne to publish the glad tidings of saluation but they presently accuse him of sedition His friends say hee is madde his enemies say he hath a Diuell All seeke his life Iohn 8.48 and this is the summe of his whole life Pouertie and miserie hunger thirst weakenesse wearinesse reproaches lyings slaunders and what not Yet all these sufferings were but flea-bitings Christs chiefest sufferings in these three speciall places they were but tastes of that bitter Cuppe whereof hee sucked out the very dregges and all 1. In the Garden of Gethsemane 2. In the presence of his Iudges 3. In the Mount of Caluerie These were the places of his torments and in all these places we must consider both the greatnesse of his griefe which is Paena sensus the paine of feeling and the smalnesse of his comfort which is Paena damni the paine of leesing And therefore by Gods assistance I will chiefly insist vpon those sufferings that he suffered in these places First It is concluded of all Diuines That Christ suffered both in soule and body that the sufferings of Christ was both in soule and body sorrowes of soule and paines of body for He hath carried our sorrowes saith our Translation our paines saith another to shew that whether wee regard his disconsolate soule or his tender body it was a painefull and a sorrowfull suffering so painefull and so sorrowfull that as it was well-neere intolerable vnto him so it is almost incredible vnto vs for though at the bringing of Christ into the world to bee the Sauiour and Redeemer of his Church the Prophet Esay saith Esay 52.7 How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feet of them that bring these glad tidings of peace i. e. How ready is euery man to embrace this newes yet when he goeth about to expresse the manner of our diliuerance by such sorrowes paines and sufferings Esay 53.1 he makes a stand and saith Who beleeueth our reports For The first degree of Christs suffering was that he was made passible First I told you before that this sufferer was a God blessed for euer and the God-head is impassible no sorrow no griefe no paine could fasten vpon the Deity and therefore how could our Sauiour suffer To this the Prophet answereth Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldst not haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leo Ser. 8. de Passione but a body hast thou ordained me as both the Septuagint and the Author to the Hebrewes hath it Nam cum mortis aculeum non possit accipere natura deitatis nascendo tamen suscepit de nobis quod pati posset pro nobis For seeing the Deity could not suffer death The Word was made Flesh that hee might goe the way of all flesh and make a passage vnto his Passion that so hee might really suffer Hillar de Trin. lib. 10. and not appeare to suffer as Saint Hillary otherwise a most excellent Author doth imagine And indeed Hoc primum tormentum magnum mysterium quod passibilis factus est This was his first suffering torment and an vnspeakeable mystery that he was made able to suffer torments That the Humanity onely suffered And we say that Christ suffered not in respect of his Diuine nature but in respect of his humane nature for though the Deitie was in the sufferer yet
yet behold his Spirit his Soule is sorrowfull vnto death no doubt but his Apostles saw it yet like a barrell full and wanting vent hee must needes burst forth and confesse it Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem he doth not here Aeneas-like dissemble his griefe with a fained countenance his sorrow is greater then can be contained for it is vnto death that is not onely extensiuely such as must continue for the space of seauenteene or eighteene houres euen vntill death it selfe shall finish it but also intensiuely such and so great as that which is vsed to be at the very point of death and such as were able to bring death vnto me were I not reserued to a greater and a heauier punishment And therefore he kneeled downe and fell grouelling vpon his face and said Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 and there praying he fell into a dreadfull agonie his thoughts were troubled his spirits affrighted his heart trembled his pores opened Et totus sudore defluit and he sweat great drops of bloud that streamed downe to the ground and so panting hee prayed and sweating still he prayed and the more hee was afflicted the more he prayed and fainted as it were in the bathe of his owne bloud weeping not onely with his eyes but euen with all his members Bern Ser. 3. as Saint Bernard saith And therefore the end of his Passion must needes be mournefull when the beginning of it is so fearefull and the cause of this agony must needs be supernaturall when it proceeds so contrary to the course of nature for it was in a cold season in the open ayre and they were faine to make a fire within doores without any exercise without any man neere him to offer him violence and therefore naturally he should be inclined to a cold chilly operation rather then to a bloudy sweating agony yea not onely to sweat some cold thinne faint sweat which is called sudor diaphoreticus but in such abundance of great drops saith the Euangelist that they were able to die his garments with crimson red according as the Prophet Esay saith though properly in another sense yet in some respect may be applyed to this Wherefore art thou red in thine apparell Esay 63.2 and thy garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat And as the Christian Poet Houedemius saith Sudor fluit vndique riuis sanguineae manant tanquam de vulnere guttae Cum cor sentit amoris gladium Cruor carnis rubricat pallium When through loue his hearts-vaine bled It dyed his garments crimson red And that these drops did not onely distillare drop out but decurrere runne and streame downe so fast to the ground from all the pores of his body as if they had issued out of most deadly wounds Wynton in Ser. sup Thren It is well obserued by our learned Bishop of Winchester out of Saint Hierome and the Chaldee paraphrast that the greatnesse of his sorrow melted him so as if he had stood by some burning furnace which was able to cast him into that sweat and to turne that sweat into drops of bloud and it appeares the rather because the Prophet Ieremie saith in the same place that a fire was sent into his bones and that might well melt all his marrow and cause the bloud to distill from his flesh and to trickle downe to the ground O happy garden watered with such teares thou must needes surpasse the garden of Eden that was watered with foure goodly riuers for this bloud of Christ doth speake better things Heb. 12.24 and bring forth better fruits then the bloud of Abell for that cryed out of the earth for vengeance against his brother but this cryeth for mercy vnto all the earth euen to his enemies Father forgiue them Luk. 23.34 for they know not what they doe and whereas our fruitfull Land the Land of our hearts was made barren for the sinne and iniquity of our fore-Father to bring forth thornes and thistles sinnes and wickednesse yet now being watered with these heauenly showers of his bloud he maketh it very plenteous to abound in all grace and godlinesse But alas Quest what was the cause that should make him so supernaturally to sweat so strangely to kneele so deuoutly and to pray so earnestly that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Thomas Aquinas answereth Resp that the cause of all passions is to be considered either 1. Ex parte obiecti In regard of the obiect Or 2. Ex parte subiecti In respect of the subiect That as in the conception of gold in the bowels of the earth there is Aestus solaris ignis subterranius A concurrency of the heate of the Sunne from aboue with a sulphurious fire from below So in the Passion of our Sauiour Christ we must know that in respect of the obiect he saw the Diuine wrath from aboue ready to be powred forth for the sinnes of men and in respect of the subiect hee saw the Church which was his body so iustly punished by this wrath of God and all that punishment to alight on him which had vndertaken to satisfie Gods Iustice and to free his members from euerlasting torments And therefore no doubt but the cleere sight The cause of Christ his agony in the Garden and the deepe consideration of that Cup which he was so sheerely to drinke vp was the cause that made him both so vehemently to pray against it and â—lso in the vehemency of the feare of it to be in such perplexed agony as thereby to sweat the drops of bloud CHAP. II. Of that fearefull Cup what it was which our Sauiour was to drinke of and that he so much feared and prayed against it What was the Cup which our Sauiour was to drinke BVt what was this Cup which hee was to drinke of we cannot easily determine For Some thinke this prayer this feare this agony proceeded onely from the weakenesse of his humanity that was now though not dis-vnited yet vnassisted of the Deity and that they were chiefly effected through the feare of that death which so neerely approached and therefore though they were vttered as proceeding from Passion or at least humane affection yet were they presently seasoned and as it were corrected with more deliberate consideration when he said Not my will but thine be fulfilled But To these men I answere that although Christ tooke our infirmities vpon him as well the spirituall Passions of the soule as the corporall infirmities of the body i. e. all such as are onely miserable but not damnable penall but not culpable or those that are painfull without sinne but not those which are sinfull without paine as both Damascen Saint Augustine and Aquinas haue most excellently obserued yet we say that these affections in Christ doe much differ from ours in three respects That the Humane affections
belongeth not to any wicked man so long as he remaineth wicked and therefore lest as the men of Bethshemesh were slaine fiftie thousand and threescore and ten men in one day 1 Sam. 6.19 because they looked into the arke which belonged onely vnto the Priests wee be found guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ and so pull vpon our selues swift damnation if we snatch the childrens bread that belongeth not to vs or receiue these blessed Sacraments vnworthily let vs with blinde Bartimaeus cast off our mantles the old raggs of Adam the lusts of the flesh and let vs put on our wedding garment the new man which chiefely consisteth of Faith towards God and loue towards men if Mark 10.50 when we come to receiue these Sacraments wee would receiue the grace of Christ But Mat. 22.11 Secondly though such a hearing of the Word as I haue aboue shewed be a speciall meanes to obtaine grace yet we must know that this meanes is not sufficient vnlesse as God opened the heart of Lydia when Saint Paul Preached vnto her eares so he doth worke faith in your hearts when we doe Preach expound the Word vnto your eares Quia inanis est sermo docentis nisi spiritus adsit cordi audientis because as the Preaching of the Word is the gift of God in vs so the beleeuing of the same is the operation of the same God in you And so likewise though the receiuing of the blessed Sacraments be a singular meanes to worke Faith and all other graces in the right receiuers of the same yet wee must vnderstand that it is not opus operatum the doing of the worke that begetteth grace in any man but the spirit of God onely conuayeth grace through the conduit pipes of these outward meanes and therefore wee should alwayes pray to God not onely for the graces of attention vnto our eares and illumination vnto our eyes but also of sanctification vnto our hearts that what wee doe attentiuely heare with our eares and doe most perfectly see with our eyes Wee may most faithfully beleeue with our hearts and so attaine vnto these gifts and graces of Gods spirit CHAP. VIII On whom God bestoweth these gifts and graces of his spirit FOr the third i e To whom God bestoweth these gifts we must know that he bestoweth neither the graces of edifiying the Church nor the other graces to sanctifie and to saue our soules vpon all men but onely vpon those whom it pleaseth him for as when he was to choose his Apostles it is said that he chose whom he pleased so of the graces of preseruation sanctification and such like he giueth them to whom he pleaseth Mar. 3.13 and though hee giueth liberally vnto all men Iames 1.51 yet he giueth not all of these nor any of them all inconsiderately vnto any man for he lets not his graces drop through his fingers as if he cared not what became of them and so suffer all men to gather them Mat. 10.29 who will but as a sparrow lights not vpon the ground without his prouidence so not one grace falls to any man without his speciall guidance and direction And this the Apostle sheweth when he saith Rom. 9.16 non est currentis neque volentis sed miserentis Dei it is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie and this Christ himselfe declareth when he saith no man commeth vnto me except the Father draw him Iohn so no man can receiue these gifts and graces but they to whom they are giuen and as we finde a gradation of the loue and fauour of God As First he loueth all the things that he hath made and That there is a gradation in Gods loue Secondly he loueth man in a more speciall manner aboue all the things that he made And Thirdly among men he loueth some better then others yea Fourthly among those that he loueth best hee loueth some better then the rest As wee see hee loued Noah and Abraham among the Patriarks Moses among the Prophets and Iohn among the Apostles Why God loueth some men better then others so hee loues these best not because these were in themselues better then any others but because it pleased him to loue them better then others for as if he had made a toad a man and the man a toad the toad had bin the better of the twaine so if hee had bestowed more grace vpon the wicked and with-held the same from the now best men in all respects then no doubt but the wicked had bin the best but he loueth them best because it pleaseth him so to doe and therfore he bestoweth more graces and tokens of his loue vpon them to make them better then all others whatsoeuer for the gifts of God make vs good and our goodnesse maketh not him to bestow his gifts on vs. And this I say What this doctrine teacheth vs. not to accuse God of any niggardlinesse or close-handednesse because he giueth not these gifts vnto all God forbid for he is a debter to no man but may freely without censure doe with his owne what he list But I say this First to shew his exceeding great bountie and fauour First to behold the great goodnesse of God to his elect towards vs that deseruing no more good at Gods hands then all the rest of the race of mankind should notwithstanding when we iustly deserued so much euill it may be as much or more then the rest of men receiue so many great gifts and graces aboue and before all the rest of the world Secondly Secondly to be truely thankfull vnto God and specially to moue vs to all thankefulnesse to this our good and gratious God that with-holding his graces from many thousand others he would notwithstanding so graciously bestow them vpon vs for had not he giuen vs the grace to beleeue in Christ to hate our sinnes and to loue all righteousnesse I see not how the best of vs could doe any of these no more then the wickedest men in the world and therefore I would to God that we would euer praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth as generally for all men so specially for these chosen children of men Thirdly and lastly to teach vs Thirdly to pray for what we want and to praise our God for euermore that when wee feele our owne wants wee should pray to him for helpe to supply our need and when we see any of our neighbours voyd of grace we should rather piously pittie them and pray for them then proudly to contemne them and to spurne against them for as if God would hee might haue made thee a beast and the beast a man so if it had pleased him hee might haue filled them with that grace which he bestowed on thee and he might haue iustly left thee in that fullnesse of sinne wherein they doe
of publique prayer lest God should visite you with some mortall sicknesse cast not your accounts on the Sabbaoth day lest God should then call you to giue your last account in a fearefull iudgement and aboue all play not then in your houses when you should be at prayer in the house of God lest God should then smite you in earnest and your play would proue to be like the play of Abners seruants nothing else but death and destruction 2 Sam. 2.16 but all excuses set a part let vs all frequent the Church and there pray to God for grace if we would haue God to be mercifull vnto our soules CHAP. III. Of the time when we must pray and of the manner how wee ought to pray FOr the time when we must pray Saint Paul bids vs to pray continually Colloss 4.2 and in the Epistle to the Collossians and so in that to the Ephesians we are aduised to be instant in prayer quidem omni tempore Ephes 6.18 and that at all times But this is not so to be vnderstood as that we should doe nothing but pray as the Heretickes called Euchytae professed to doe for prayer is considered two manner of wayes First as it respecteth the cause which is a certaine vehement desire of charity and so in minde and spirit it is perpetuall Quia in fide spe charitate continuato desiderio semper oramus Because in Faith Hope and Charity with a continuall desire we doe alwayes pray saith Saint Augustine and the spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 and maketh intercession for vs with gronings that cannot be expressed and thus euery Christian man may say with the Church in the Canticles Though I sleepe yet mine heart waketh or though I doe not alwayes pray with my tongue yet my desires doe alwayes speake vnto God Secondly as it respects its owne proper reason and manner to be done and so it ought to endure so long as without tediousnes or wearines it may be stirred vp by the zeale and feruor of the inward desire of the heart and therefore we say that 1. Aliud est sermo multus 2. Aliud est diuturnus affectus It is one thing to speake alwayes and another thing to desire continually and that it is one thing to pray with the voyce and tongue and another thing to pray in minde and spirit Now you must vnderstand that in heart and affection we should alwayes thinke of God We should euer pray in heart and affection and commend our selues by our desires vnto him continually and whether we eate or drinke worke or play sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer we doe else wee should desire all to be according to his will for the glory of his Name that he seeing our desires may grant our requests to giue vs grace and glory that so both mentalis manualis oratio as the old Postillers terme them our outward actions and our inward affections may be as continuall prayers crying alwayes in the eares of God but in voyce and tongue wee are not inioyned alwayes to pray but to keepe our appointed times both in our priuate and in our publique prayers and as often as occasion shall be offered either extraordinary afflictions befall vs or some blessings bestowed on vs we should ouer and besides our vsuall times betake our selues to our extraordinary prayers either for our deliuerance from our troubles or of thankefulnesse for our blessings receiued First for priuate prayers although in respect of the efficacy and powerfull mouing of God to obtaine our requests or the honour that we shew vnto God I cannot equalize it with publique prayers yet as I said before this argueth more familiarity with God and is the truest triall of a Christian man and in some respects yeeldeth better fruit of honour vnto God and more profit vnto our selues then the publike prayers vsually doth or conueniently can doe because that in a priuate prayer a man may both aske those things and confesse those sinnes which in the face of the Church he would be loath to doe and therefore the practise of Gods seruants the Counsell of Gods Church and the precept of Christ himselfe should exceedingly moue vs to the practise of this excellent exercise Gen. 24.63 for Isaac euery euening would walke abroad to talke with God Dan. 6.12 Daniel would neuer misse to pray to God three times euery day and the Prophet Dauid saith Seauen times a day will I praise thee Psal 119.164 because of thy righteous iudgements and I haue read it decreed in one of the Councels that euery Christian man should pray vnto God twice at least euery day that is at morning when hee riseth and at night when he goeth to bed and especially before he goeth to bed for as Seneca saith most truly of men rising in the morning Quem dies vidit veniens superbum Hunc dies vidit fugiens iacentem Many a man rose well in the morning and hath beene seene dead before the euening So may I say of men going into their beds many haue been seene going liuely into the same and neuer seene aliue come out againe and therefore euery man should so prepare himselfe when he goeth into his bed as if he went into his graue for as Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sleepe is nothing else but a short kinde of death and so the Poet saith Stulte quid est somnus gelidae nisi mortis imago Sleepe is the image of death And so Somnus vt est mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri As sleepe is the image of death so our beds are the very pictures of our graues And our Sauiour Christ doth most earnestly exhort euery man to priuate prayer saying When thou prayest enter into thy closet and shut the doore and pray vnto thy Father in priuate and he that seeth thee in secret will reward thee openly and therefore euery man should appoint certaine times vnto himselfe for his priuate prayer to God That we shold neuer misse the appointed time for publique prayers Secondly as we should not misse our appointed times of priuate prayers so much lesse should we omit the inioyned times for Gods publique seruice for God himselfe hath appointed vs a day in the weeke to serue him and to pray vnto him hee might haue inioyned sixe for himselfe and haue left but one for thee but he did in a manner make himselfe poore to inrich vs leauing sixe for vs to do our owne affaires and requiring but one for himselfe to be serued by vs. And our Church hath appointed an houre or two of that day to pray to praise our God And yet we see many times on that day yea sometimes in that houre of prayers the Tauernes full and the Churches emptie and as those men in the Gospell had each one his seuerall excuse for not comming vnto the supper so haue these their exceptions for not comming vnto the Sermon
to receiue and therefore prayer which is the onely grace whereby wee render vnto God that praise and glorie which is due vnto his name must needs be more excellent then all the other graces whereby we receiue blessings from god And is prayer so superexcellent a grace super alias caput extulit omnes that it surpasseth all other graces then surely I cannot choose but commend that great deuotion of our auncestors and fore-fathers that were so zealous so instant and so constant in continuall praying Indeede I bewaile their ignorance and their blindnesse that knew not well for what or to whom or how to pray but I know God will not breake the bruised reed and the smoking flaxe he will not quench and therefore How our forefathers exceeded vs in deuotion though their prayers wanted the true light of knowledge which no doubt would haue made them more acceptable vnto God more comfortable to themselues yet I doe assure my self God despised not the smoake of their deuotion nor reiected the desire of their hearts yea seeing that as Saint Augustine saith melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia an humble zealous ignorance is better then a rash proud and disdaineful knowledge I doubt not but they pleased God farre better with their deuout ignorant praying then many of vs doe with our negligent and neuer praying knowledge for they ascended to the highest steppe of all deuotion and pietie which is prayer and many of vs neuer goe beyond the lowest steppe which is hearing they did what was commanded and knew it not many of vs know it and doe it not they spent most of their time in praying and most of vs spend our time in hearing and so placing all religion almost in hearing wee are like those foolish women which are euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge nor willing to come to the practise of the truth But though the hearing of Gods Word bee the chiefest outward ordinarie meanes to beget Faith and Hope and all other graces in the hearts of Gods elect and therefore must not by any meanes be neglected if we would bee saued yet seeing that as the Apostle saith not the hearers of the Law but the doers of the Law shall bee iustified and that prayer is the chiefest part of Gods seruice yea and that it is First the onely request that Christ made vnto his Church when he tooke his last farewell of her on earth saying O let me heare thy voice Cantic vlt. the companions hearken to thy voice O cause me to heare it that is by thy continuall praiers and supplications vnto me Secondly the greatest comfort of a Christian man for we are all so full of miseries while we liue in this wretched world that there is no man liuing but if hee could haue knowne before he was borne what miseries must befall him in this life he would haue heartily prayed that the wombe of his birth might be the tombe of his buriall yet in all the calamities that man must vndergoe he can haue no greater comfort then he hath by praying to God for by this alone wee walke with Angels we talke with God we relate our griefe wee bewaile our sorrowes and being alone we haue the best and sweetest conference in the world O then beloued brethren as Nazianzen saith of Gorgonia that shee was giuen to pray Vt genua terra contreuerint that her knees seemed alwayes to stoope and grow to the ground by reason of her continuall kneeling in hearty prayers and as Eusebius saith of Iames the brother of the Lord that his knees by reason of his continuall kneeling in prayers became as hard Camels knees i. e. benummed and bereaued of all sense and feeling so let vs vse continually to pray and if wee would obtaine any thing at the hands of God or if we would ouercome the malice of men let vs pray and pray continually saith the Apostle or if wee be so full that wee want nothing yet wee haue need to pray for Christ prayed not only in deserto which was a place of distresse That wee haue as great neede to pray in prosperity as in aduersity Iohn 18.2 Iohn 6. but also in horto in the garden which was a place of pleasure not only in his agony but also in his dignity when he should be made a King to teach vs that we haue as much need to pray in prosperity as in aduersity to pray for help that we enter not into temptation and to pray for grace that we may rightly vse the grace of God and therefore in all estates and at all times pray and in your prayers pray for vs. And so I come to the last part which is the large extent of prayer PART IIII. CHAP. I. For whom we ought to pray generally for all men more especially for the Magistrates and most especially for the Ministers of Gods word SEcondly Hauing heard of the first part of the Apostles request the act that you should doe pray we are now to consider of the second part which is the extention for whom you should pray for vs pray for vs. You must therefore pray first for your selues it is of necessity included for nulli sapit qui sibi non sapit it is certaine that hee which seldome prayeth for himselfe will neuer pray for others neither is it enough for vs to pray for our selues but we must pray one for another for though the wicked fibi nati sibi vinunt sibi damnati are good for nothing and therefore will pray neither for themselues nor others yet the godly will pray for themselues and for all others First Propter vniuersalem vocationem That we ought to pray for all men because we outwardly call all men and preach to all men euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and therefore we must pray for all men Secondly Propter efficaciam gratiae because of the vnspeakeable efficacy of this grace of prayer which is able to obtaine of God of these stones and stony hearted sinners to raise vp children vnto Abraham for if the words of men be so powerfull to moue the affection as that the Poet saith quid facundia posset Repatuit fortisque viri tulit arma disertus then how much more powerfull is the word of God which is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue Christus vim verbis vim gēmis vim dedit herbis Verbis maiorem gemmis herbisque minorem and is able to diuide the soule and the spirit and if the word preached bee so powerfull how much more powerfull is the word of prayer and therefore seeing we preach to all why should we not pray for all Thirdly Propter nostram ignorantiam because God onely knoweth who are his and we are none of his priuie Counsellers we know not whose names are written in the booke of life nor when God will call any man vnto his mercy whether
at the sixt houre or at the ninth houre or at the last houre for as hee that now goeth on his way weeping may returne with ioy carrying his sheaues with him so he that now goeth on in sinne may with the prodigall childe returne and finde grace and we daily see that one man de quo desperamus conuertitur fit optimus alter de quo multum praesumseramus deficit fit pessimus of whom we despaired is conuerted to be a good man as Saul to be a Saint Paul and another of whom we conceiued great hope hath relapsed and became most wicked as Iudas Magus and others so that nec timor noster certus est nec amor neither our hope nor feare is sure and therefore seeing we know not who are Gods people wee are to hope well of all people and therefore to pray for all saying alwayes with our Liturgy That it may please thee to haue mercy vpon all men More particularly the Apostle willeth vs that first of all praiers and supplications should be made for Kings and all in authority because that not onely mans saluation and the knowledge of the truth but also the quietnesse of kingdomes and whatsoeuer else tendeth to the benefit of the publike weale commeth by the power of prayer as Saint Augustine saith their place is high their charge is great and to bee a King is to bee a man full of cares cui mixta dolori Gaudia nulla ferunt spes semper mixta timore Their sollicitous thoughts can haue but little ioy and that ioy is alwaies mixt with cares yea their very crownes containeth nothing else but weighty affaires the seruice of God the safety of men and so the whole charge both of Church and Common-wealth Quantum sit onus regnare probarunt And this sheweth how hard a thing it is to gouerne and therefore it is our duties most heartily to pray for our Kings but not peremptorily to pry into the authorities or prerogatiues of our Kings for tolle regalia tolle regem if you take away the royalties you leaue no King for Christ was a King sed quia rex sine regno but because he seemed without his royalties they would haue no King but Caesar and therefore I say that whosoeuer limiteth the prerogatiues of an absolute King hee may leaue him to bee a man but he scarce leaues him to bee a King aske Abishag and aske the kingdome saith Salomon 1 Kings 2.22 take the one and leaue no other but as the Iesuiticall Priests would haue all Kings to be ruled by their Popes so our puritanicall Anabaptisticall people would rule all Kings themselues by the rules of their clanculary Parliaments and Parliamentall conuenticles and to that end they are euer limiting their authorities and euer nibling at the prerogatiues of free Monarchs still affecting that gouernment wherin themselues would haue a large interest But the Diuine verity teacheth otherwise in the 1 Sam. 8. where the extent of the authority of free Monarchs is fully expressed 1 Sam. 8. as I could if I had time easily proue it and Iustinian saith Beneplacitum regis vigorem legis habet the Kings good will hath the vigor and strength of a Law i. e. where there is no law to the contrary and Budaeus saith as much in the pandects But then you will say Ob. this is to make way for tyranny and not to maintaine their true authority I answere their authority or what they may doe Sol. is one thing and their duty or what they ought to doe is another thing the one they may exercise ouer men and none can controll them and for the other if they doe ill they must render an account though they be Kings but to God not to men for tibi soli peccaui against God onely haue they sinned as the Prophet Dauid saith and therefore when we speake of the authority or prerogatiues of Kings we doe it not to make them bold to doe what they list without feare for with God there is no respect of persons but if Coniah though hee were as the signet on Gods right hand offend he will cut him off therefore be wise O ye Kings and see what you doe aswell as what you may doe but we speake this to keepe the people in obedience that are alwaies naturally inclined to kicke against authority that they should euer obey and suffer and neuer resist whatsoeuer betides them for you must euer note a difference betwixt those actions of Kings and Princes which are sine offensa vnblameable and those which ought to be sine resistentia vnresistable the first are those which are according to Gods Law the second are those which are not onely good for which they shall be rewarded but also those that are euill according to their owne will and contrary to the will of God for which they shall be punished for we finde by the example of Dauid towards Saul and by the precept of Saint Paul vnto all Christians that whatsoeuer they doe wee may not resist wee may not touch Gods annointed neither with hand word nor thought and they shall finde it to their cost that for all those things they doe amisse they shall render a strict account to God for though I say that we are to suffer all things sine resistentia without resistance yet I say not that wee must doe it sine querela without complaint to God to be relieued and you know what he saith I will heare their cry and will helpe them and I hold this to bee the rule of true Christian obedience And therefore we should leaue to pry into those things which are forbidden and giue our selues to pray for our Kings which is commanded for that is most pleasing to God not displeasing vnto them necessary for the good and profitable vnto vs all for quo sublimior gloria est eo maior cura est the more eminent in place the more need of grace and therefore Kings should not despise the prayers of the poorest nor the poorest neglect to pray for their Kings for though this is the best good that they can doe to pray for them yet this good they can doe vnto the best and wee finde that Hezekias the great and good King of Iuda 2 Reg. 19.4 desired the prayers of Esayas Daniel that beloued Prophet of God desired the prayers of Shadrach Mesaach Dan. 2.18 and Abednego and God commanded Iobs friends to desire the prayers of Iob Iob 42.8 and so Saint Paul the great Apostle of Iesus Christ though he abounded in reuelations and exceeded in the graces of Gods spirit 2 Reg. 19.4 yet doth hee in many places desire the prayers of all and therefore let vs pray for our Kings and all such as are in authoritie Dan. 2.18 euen for the good of our selues Iob 42.8 because God many times sends euill Kings vnto wicked people and sets an vngodly man to rule
like King Therons Coursers that were neuer weary of running that so they may escape all the fiery darts of Satan and finish their course with ioy when they shall receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him And thus dearely beloued you see that although man for his sinne was eiected out of Paradise and subiected to all miseries yet through the mercy of God in sending his Sonne to be made man to suffer for man to ouercome the diuell sinne and death to raise himselfe from death to ascend to Heauen to send his holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his heauenly graces wee shall if we beleeue in him and serue him praise his Name for all his blessings loue one another and pray one for another attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse Vnto the which happinesse the Lord of his goodnesse bring vs all through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour and Praise and Thankes and Power and Maiesty and Dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer O Eternall God and our most gratious Father wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to forgiue vs all our sinnes which we acknowledge and confesse to be more in number then the sands of the Sea which cannot bee numbred cleanse vs O Lord with the bloud of Christ and plant in vs those heauenly gifts and graces whereby wee may be inabled to serue thee as we ought to doe in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue and our charity both towards thy selfe and all men for thy sake giue vs patience to vndergo without offending thee whatsoeuer miseries this wicked world shall any wayes heape vpon vs blesse our gracious King the Prince and all the royall issue blesse all the Ministers of thy Church and all the Magistrates of this Common-wealth Grant O Lord thy grace vnto thy Ministers that they may faithfully preach the Word of truth and sincerely liue a most vpright and a godly life grant to the Magistrates thy grace O God to defend right without remissenesse and to punish vice without maliciousnesse and because we are all thy creatures the workes of thy hands made by thee preserued by thee and inioying all we haue life and liuelihood from thee O Lord be mercifull vnto vs all and remember that we are but dust consider O consider that we are but as grasse not able to doe what we would not able to doe any thing that is good vnlesse thou dost it in vs O then let our soules liue and wee will praise thy Name we will magnifie thee for euer and euer for all the blessings that we haue receiued from thee our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and our assured hope of Glorification and all other graces whatsoeuer through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Soliloquie of the Author O Eternall God thou hast created me and I haue offended thee thou hast redeemed me and I still continued vnthankefull vnto thee and yet thou hast heaped many blessings vpon me and giuen me grace to be desirous to serue thee and according to my poore and weake ability to shew forth these lights vnto thy Church I confesse O Lord whatsoeuer is ill herein is onely mine and whatsoeuer is good is truely thine and therefore I desire thee to pardon mine euill and to make me thankefull for thy good and so to accept that worke done by thy grace that it may be crowned with thy glory I doe not long for any worldly thing the whole world lyeth in wickednesse but I desire my soule may be married vnto thee to liue with thee for euermore and therefore O blessed God seeing that as I haue none in heauen so I haue none in earth but onely thou to be my helper I beseech thee to be my redeeming kinsman to preserue my wearied body from the malice of this world and to preferre my disconsolate soule vnto euerlasting ioyes through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS THE TABLE AB ABstaine from sinne is from God 205 God neuer absolueth vnrepentant sinners 242 Absurdities God shunneth in all things 324 Absurdities of the Lutheran doctrine touching the communication of properties 377. c. Absurdities following the high-Priest saying that the Disciples stole Christ away 564 Nature not able to shew the reason how the world should be made 138 God able to doe what he will 147 To hinder what he will not haue done ibid. To doe more then he did or doth or will doe 148. 149. c. Phrases of being able or not able how to be vnderstood 158 God able to produce any thing of nothing 163 God able to forgiue all sinnes 164 God not able to doe contrary to what hee decreed 165 Not able to doe things contrary to his Nature 165 Gods ability to helpe vs a great comfort to the godly 177 Absurdities of the doctrine of transubstantiation 174 God able to saue men without the Incarnation of his Sonne 320 None able to know God as hee is in himselfe 120 Abstract names of all excellencies most proper vnto God 122 Goodnesse of God abused by the wicked 225 Abuse of Christ not paralelled in any age 474 AC To be an Accepter of persons what it is 210 We should acknowledge whence wee haue all our goodnesse 211 Inward actions of God euer in doing necessary incommunicable 275 Christ how falsly accused by his enemies 471 Whereof accused before Pilate and how false those accusations were 472 Acts meerely voluntary no sinnes 15. 32 Actuall sinne what it is 10 All actions adiudged according to the disposition of the will 55 Act of punishment least agreeable to Gods nature 195 No act can exceed the power of the agent 209 Actors in the Tragedy of Christ his Passion who they were 421 Gods free actions not curiously to be searched into 555 Chiefest Acts of Dauid types of Christ 617 AD Adam sinning we all sinned 3 Adams fall brought on vs a two-fold euill 3 What God commanded Adam how small a thing it was 98 Adamant how mollified 5â—6 Aduersity makes the Saints more resplendent then prosperity 207 Aduersity and affliction not simply good ibid. AE Aescilus how he came by his death 613 AF. Affirmatiue precepts how many viz. 248. 230 Christ why afflicted by God 496 Affections of Christ how they differ from ours in three respects 444 AG. Agony of Christ what was the cause thereof 443 The seuerall ages of the world 402. 403 Agents that there be three sorts 162 Christ borne in the sixâ— age of the world and why 403 Age of man diuided into foure parts 68 AL. How all we haue is from God 129 All men taste of Gods goodnesse 201 How all men may be said to hate the Preachers 435 Alcestes how deerely she loued her Husband 425 AN. Anabaptists heresie what