great glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead Come Lord Iesus Come quickly O holy spirit of purity and power assist my weake and feeble spirit to bee lift vp vnto thee in prayer Oh righteous God and most merciful Father in Iesus Christ to whome the spirites of the iust are always and euery where lift vp remember mee in thy great goodnes For I acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my many and manifolde infirmities wretchednesses and wickednesses both in the sinnes of my body and also in the sinnes of my soule Now a long time O Lord I haue bin grieuously teÌ„ptead with the spirits not of infirmitie only which dwell in my flesh but with foule filthy spirits of pride ambition enuie worldly pollicie other vile vaine deceitfulnes of mine own heart and oft times with lothsom and vgly spirits of lust adultry gluttony druÌ„kenes wantonesse many other such like euills which haunt me daily eyther in thought word or deed and seeke to harâ—our in my polluted flesh giuing me no rest nor respite but are still seeking and daily assayling to ruinate and run ouer me and are dayly fighting and troubling me I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I haue done euil in thy fight and these euills are punishments vnto mee for the same It is I Oh Lord it is I and it seemeth to me that it is none but I that euer sinned so hainously against thee I seeme to my selfe of all others to be the most miserable most distressed and most wretched creature on the earth What shall I doe O Creator of heauen and of earth Thou preseruer of mankinde whether shal I flye from these vgly Monsters that thus pursue my soule and daylie seeke to preuaile against me I know not where to be safe from them but onely to flye vnto thee Oh Lord who onely canst still the raging and the roaring of the great waters when they arise and swell who onely canst chaine the Diuell when hee is â—rampant and ready to deuoure and who onely canst cast out the vncleane spirite with a worde that they neuer enter any more Now therefore come I to thee O King of Saints shewing to thee my malady my misery my moâ—rning how I lye here among the graues of the deade and torment my selfe being possessed with the rage and hell of my misdeedes and crie after thee O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and deliuer mee by the power of thy might by thy stretched out arme and by one touch of thy sacred goodnesse that it may dispossesse Sathan the strong man of his hold that it may heale me and cast out the vncleane spirites and may vtterly abandon sinne shame and Sathan farre from me and from my dwellings Take from mee for Christ his sake mine owne wretched spirit of infidelitie pride mallice and vnconstancie and grant vnto me O Lord in steed thereof thy blessed spirit of truth humilitie charitie and perseuering constancy Oh take from me O Lord mine owne spirit of vncleanenesse couetousnesse flouthfulnesse and bestow vpon me in steed thereof thine holy spirit of purenesse liberalitie and of all carefull and Christian circumspection Take from me deare Father mine owne spirit of crookednesse wherwith I haue beene vexed and bowed together for many yeares and grant mee thy Spirit of power to raise me vp and thy strength that I may resist sinne in these dayes of my combating that I may so resolutely deuoute my selfe to theâ— and to thy sacred seruice that I may neuer more hearken to subtill and enticing spirits of pleasure of errors of impietie O sacred spirit that didst moue vpon the waters in the creation of the world now moue the streames and fountains of my life in my regeneration and new birth Shake the very foundations of my soule that the image of Christ Iesus may bee repayred in me which I vile wretch by my sinnes haue miserably deformed and defaced O blessed spirit help mine infirmities heale my imperfections compassionate my miseries and make intercession for me with sighes vnutterable which will haue no nay That I may feele my selfe comforted by thee the spirit of consolation in all the wayes of godlinesse that I may perceiue my selfe to bee led on into all truth and veritie and may at the last assure mine owne spirit by thy blessed testimony that I am a child of thy gratious adoption O blessed Iesus that wast declared mightely to be the son of God by the powerfull spirit of sanctification and by rising from the dead that didst vanquish vtterly abandon all the powers all the houres of darkenesse and spirits of error and misbeleefe remoue farre from mee all heathenish Pagan and Popish idolatrie all confidence in any creature all flattering of mine own-selfe that the pure light of thy reuealed truth may shine into my heart that I may euer worship thee in spirit and truth as thou hast commanded And O God make my life holy innocent modest and honest in thy sight that I may see my heart repayred and renued by thy spirit of grace to walke before thee in godly and sincere integritie of conuersation all the remainder of my wretched dayes So am I assured Sathan shall neuer circumuent me nor the world deceiue me or mine owne flesh intice mee or enforce me from thy holy and sacred directions but if I fall I shall rise againe if I turne away at any time I shall returne againe So shall I euer magnifie thy name and multiplie prayses vnto thy maiestie and ascribe vnto thee honor and praise all my life long Grant these mercies vnto me O father of comfort and power for thy couenants sake made vnto mankinde in the iustification of thy Sonne Christ Iesus both for the sanctitie of his life for the suffering of his death and for the continuall intercession and mediation of his eternall priesthood hee now sitting at thy right hand for vs in Maiâ—stie and great glory and remaining a Priest for euer after the order of Mâ—lchisedech Behold vs wretches O holy Ghost whose soules cleaue vnto the ground quicken vs with thy might and lift vs vp from the grossenesse of our corruption to our spirituall beeing in Iesus Christ that wee may liue in the spirit loue in the spirit pray in the spirit and bee led thereby continually into all good actions being thereby purged and purified both in our spirits soules and bodyes from all dead and damnable workes of the flesh the world and the diuell That so at the last wee may through thy fauour O God bee perfectly vnited vnto thee in the spirit of sanctification in this life and in the euerlasting spirit of thy power be brought to our glorification in the other life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen GOD SEENE of Angels Explication THis Manifestation of God in the flesh and iustification in the Spirit was so apparant and the glory thereof so great that it filled heauen and earth with the brightnesse of
of my soule in musing on this so holyâ— and so happy a mysterie which I doe adore in the retirednesse of my spirit continually and the fire of thy zeale O Lord encreaseth in my heartâ— and the flames thereof bursts forth and I crie to thee O King of heauen and of earth that thy goodnesse would vouchsafe me a blessing among thine holy ones in whose flesh thou art manifested by the power of thy spirit of sanctification and other graces of thy goodnesse For O my God I haue perceiued sinne and Sathan a long time to haue ruled and raigned in my flesh In my heart by auersenes from thee in my vnderstanding by misled iudgments in my wit by wayward purposes froward desires in my fancie by foolish imaginations designes and my thoghts by rebellious affections in mine eyes by adulterous wanderings in mine eares by itching after vanities in my forhead as in the whores brow by impudent outfacings in my mouth by blasphemous swearings and curses and in my whole masse of nature by lewde and loose conditions Now therefore I come vnto thee O Sauiour of mankind the Phisition of soule and body and lie groueling in mine owne dust before thy footestoole humbly praying thy goodnesse for thy Christ his sake that thou wouldest vouchsafe to manifest thy selfe by thine almighty power in my flesh in my wretched flesh in my rebellious and rotten flesh in mine haughty naughty and hellish flesh That it may by thy thy power become a vessell of holinesse of puritie of grace and of glory To this blessed ende mortifie in me O Lord the deedes of the flesh adulterie fornication vncleanesse laciuiousnesse Idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife sedition heresies enuyings murders drunkennesse reuellings and sucâ—h like and in stead thereof manifest in me O God thy selfe by bestowing vpon me a principall portion of thy Spirit in loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meckenesse temperance and what else thy holy wisedome knowes fit for me in my vocation and ranke Restraine sinne that it may not raigne in my mortall body and Sathan that hee may not rage ouer me Set vp thy selfe O God aboue the heauens and thy glory aboue all the earth That thy beloued in whom thou art manifested by thy graâ—ious spirit of sanctification may euer praise and magnifie thy Great name amiddest the Congregatigations And I the vnworthyest of all thy creatures shall euer bee telling of thy goodnesse towards me for redeeming me with thy bloud for sanctifying mee by thy grace for vniting thy selfe mystically vnto mee thine humbled Votarie and for sauing mee from those many and manifold euills of the flesh whereinto thousands are faine also had not thy gratious assistance O Lord vpheld my weake and feeble flesh â—N Lord there hath no sinne beene committed since Adams fall vnto this day by any the sonnes and daughters of men but I had done the like if thy sweete fauour in Iesus Christ had not preuented mee O Lord then let mee liue in thee let mee wholly resigne my selfe vnto thee that neither sinne nor Sathan nor shame nor confusion may come neere my dwelling but that thou mayest dwell in mee here by thine owne spirite of holinesse that hereafter I may obtain the happinesse of thy glorious kingdome through Iesus Christ mine onely Lord and Sauiour Amen GOD IVSTIFIed in the Spirit Explication GOD manifested in the Spirit not as man iustified whose sinnes are remitted for Christ his sake whose vnrighteousnesse is couered with Christ his merits whose wretchednesse is not imputed for Christ his obedience as Saint Augustine diuinely discanteth vpon the 32 Psalme but iustified in the spirit by diuine iustice such as is properly to God only In which sence his iudgements are sayde to bee iustified that is they are true and righteous al together albeit to vs they are secret and vnsearchable His wisedome is sayde to bee iustified of her children that is it is knowne to bee true and infallible wisdome In this phrase spake Dauid to God saying That thou mightest bee iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest That is that no liuing creature could taxe implead or touch the resolutions and performances of Gods decrees with any the least preiudice or impeachment of iniquitie for they were euer most iust and sacred albeit they are vnknowne to vs Is there any vnrighteousnesse with God sayeth Paul In this phrase also Saint Peter vrgeth the Iewes that they had denyed The holy one and inst and desired a murtherer to be giuen them The manner of this Iustification was in the spirit that is to say Hee was iustified in that which was in his sacred person diuine and aboue the humane nature So S. Paul teacheth the Church of Rome affirming that albeit hee was the sonne of Dauid according to the flesh yet was hee declared to bee the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead which seemeth vnto mee to intend two arguments to this purpose The first is that neuer any in our flesh liued spotlesse and voide of sinne but Christ onely There is the iustifying Spirite of Sanctification The second is that neuer any of himselfe but Christ Iesus loosed the bandes of death and arose from the fetters of the graue There is the Iustifying Spirite of power in the Resurrection and euen in this very phrase Athanasins speaketh to witte That Christ was iustified not after the manner of men but by diuine puritie To this end that he should bee honoured and worshipped not as a meere man albeit hee was truly man but as the eternall God in our flesh This therefore is the Catholique Faith which whosoeuer doth not beleeue cannot bee saued That Iesus Christ is knowne by his power in the spirite to be the very son of God against the Maâ—cionites Gods sonne by nature not by grace against the Arrians that hee was begotten of the Father against the Bonosians that froÌ„ euerlasting against the Natiuitarians that hee was God of himselfe against the Donatists and that hee was coequall with the Father and consubstantiall against the Macedoans This Iustification of the Sonne of God was declared in the spirit of power and in the spirite of purity as I haue sayde out of Saint Paul to the Romanes In the power of the Spirit it was declared against al the powers of darkenesse which flesh and bloud could not abandon For besides the generall cessation of Oracles at his comming the particular Idols were euery where defaced and confounded Astorah of the Sydonians Melchom of the Ammonites Chemosh of the Moabites Belzebub of Ekron Remphan of the Sirians Dagon of the Philistines Moloch of the Egyptians and many others were in all places of the world put to vtter confusion Because the God of this world which is the diuell was cast out and the stroÌ„ger man surprised the strong man dispossessed him dispoiled him and vtterly
vanquished him Insomuch that the very diuels cry Torment vs not before our time and aske leaue to goe euen into sordid swine Thus was he iustified in the power of the Spirite in â—anquishing the powers of darkenes His Iustification was also declared by the spirit of power against his enemies as appeared by the fower Herods Asâ—alonita Archelaus Antipas and Agrippa who being Tyrants and persecutors of Christ in his infancy and of some of his followers there appeared vppon them the strong hand of God that brought them to pittifull and lamentable confusions But most notably and most notoriously the Iustification of the same God Christ Iesus our Lord in the Spirit of power appeareth most euidently euen at this day to the viewe of the whole christian world in his continued iudgements vpon the whole nation of the Iewes who were subuerted and vtterly ouerthrowne by the Romans at the very time of the yeare wherein they crucified Christ which was about Easter For at that very time of their great festiuity the Romanâ—s came and besieged Hierusalem And as from Mount Oliuet they appreheÌ„ded Christ so from that Mouâ—t was their City entered and surprised And as they hurried the Lord Iesus from Pilate to Herod so they were hurried vp and downe during the siege from Iohn to Simeon and from Simeon to Iohn two notable villaines that did mutinize within the City to their vnspeakeable torment vexation and vtter subuersion And as they whipped the Lord of Life and attired him in despicable maner in contempt and scorne Euen so they were whipped vp and downe the holy City in great villany and reproach by the Romane souldiers And as the Lord Iesus was solde for thirty peeces of siluer by Iudas a Iew euen so thirty of the Iewes in the sacking of the City were solde for one peece of siluer by the Souldiers And euen yet the hand of Gods power to iustifie his sonnes innocency is not shortned but stretched out against them still The holy bloud of Christ crying against them and against their children as they themselues desired for vengeance They liuing as a forlorne and scattered people vpon the surface of the earth without Priest or Prophet King or Scepter comfort or compassion In a word tell me who did euer striue against the Messias and did prosper or band himselfe against Christ or Christian and was not confounded Christ was also iustified by the spirit of sanctifying puritie beeing pure and spotlesse in himselfe both in body and soule for there was not any guile in him and also pure in his redeemed people effectually In himselfe pure his conception pure by the holy Ghost his birth pure of a Virgin his life pure both in word and deed in life and death pure for hee offended not no not so much as in his tongue and he is perfect that so offendeth not In his redeemed people pure by the effects of the same iustifying spirite For whereas all the whole world else is set vpon wickednesse hunting eyther with profite as with a bloud-hound or else beeing befooled or besotted with pleasures as theyr Helena these two beeing as it were the two Poles wheron the whole world else is turned the spirite of Christ hath wrought in those that are his â—uch a measure of sanctification that they minde and breath nothing but Heauen and heauenly things If it thuÌ„der that say they is the voyce of our heauenly Father If they cast their eyes to those visible heauens there say they is the curtaine or base court of our inheritance among the Saâ—nts If they heare musicke Oh say they what harmony do the Angels make in Heauen If they behold the earth and the glory therof they say If God haue prouided such a place of pleasure for vs on earth in this our prison What glory is that hee hath layde vp for vs in heauen In all occurrences of their life they sauour nothing but of God and goodnesse In a Word they liue not but Christ liueth in them For this is indeed the true beeing of Christians wholy to giue ouer themselues to bee guided by Gods holy iustifying Spirite Their life is to liue in the Spirite their passages are to walke in the spirite If they resolue their station is in the spirite If they bee deuoute They pray in the Spirite Al their whole seruice of God is to Worship him in spirit and truth Otherwise those that haue not this spirite that is are not guided thereby are none of his For as in the creation of the World The spirite of God moued vpon the waters So certainely now in the Regeneration and new birth of the Christian World the Spirite of God moueth vpon the affections of our harts to turn the riuers in the south that is to turne the streame of our actions and courses of our life to the Ocean the liuing God For hee hath made vs for him selfe and therefore our hearts are neuer quiet vntill wee returne vnto the Lord our God againe When Christ therefore speaketh hee speaketh by the spirit to the Churches for the Scripture sayth Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the spirite sayth to the Churches The Comforter also of Gods Church is the spirite which is Gods gift vnto his and doth Witnesse with the spirite That wee are the sonnnes of God There is the certainty of the subiect of our Faith The spirite doth make intercession for vs with sighes vnutterable There is the breath of our prayers and doth helpe our infirmities There is the stay and pillar of all our happinesse The first Adam being a liuing soule but the second Adam a quickning spirite For they are quickned in whom this blessed spirite dwelleth both toward God in the spirite of faith and holy vnion and in the spirite of zeale being rauished for the hope of Heauen as appeared in the blessed Martyres and also quickned towardes others in the spirite of charity keeping the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace in the spirit of meekenesse and placabilitie being easie to bee entreated for Christs sake Quickened in themselues in the Spirit of sanctification purging themselues for their assured hope of Heauen and in the spirit of sinceritie Doing iustly in all their actions with all men To this purpose the earnest of the Spirit is giuen the Elect euen in this life neuer to be taken away but to bee made vp for that is the 〈◊〉 of an earnest and the pledge of the spirite as an hostage to secure them the seale of the promise to sanctifie them and the spirit it selfe being the Doctor of trueth to leade them into all truth that their sensuall part may bee guided by right reason theyr reason ordered by faith and their faith illuminated sanctified and ledde on by the Spirite of God Indeede to them that seeke not after God this directioÌ„ of his most holy spirite is hateful and the reason is very plaine
Euen because this sacred spirite of the eternall God Rebuketh the world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement It rebuketh the world of sinne because the wicked world beleeueth not which is the Sinne of Sinnes as I may so say but is fraught with furious spirits of blind ignorāce and desperatefolly which cast thousands into fires and waters of misperswasion and misbeleefe and these worldlings are caught away with vnpure spirites of sensuall security which possesse them both with dumbnes deafenesse that they can neyther speake of God but in their blasphemous cursinges and swearings nor heare of God without great wearisomnesse and discontent This sacred spirite also rebuketh the world of righteousnesse because sayeth Christ I goe the right way vnto the Father but the world is ledde by witte worshippes will worships and other such deuises of singularity conceited righteousnesse of mans many inuentions Some with Anabaptisme which is the diuell in an Angell of light and some with Iesuitisme which is a subtil slie Antichrist in the Church And this holy spirit rebuketh the world of Iudgement because the Prince of this world is iudged already and the vnbeleeuers his vassalls and slaues are iudged with him and are reserued for the further iudgement and vtter darkenesse of these vnpure spirites that are already in chaines to be brought forth in the great audite of Christ and end of the world For what deuoute soule trembleth not yea shuddereth not with horror to know that Sathan is the God of this world and to conceiue that seuen spirites of euil yea Legions of vncleane spirites may obsesse possesse and hellifie the soule and bodie of one man or of one woman I wonder that the whole frame and fabrique of nature shaketh and quaketh not to beare and heare those hellish and diuelish miscreants that when the seruants of GOD preach solemnely soberly seriously in the power zeale and abundance of their spirit say to them as Festus sayd to Paul This man is beside himselfe much learning makes him mad and say to others as the Iewes to the Apostles when they had receyued the gift of the holy spirit These men are drunke with wine or else take vpon them in the diuelish and damnable pride of their owne hearts to direct the whole world in the misperswasion of their own singular and priuate spirite not in order to God as they pretend but in confusion to the diuell as the ende shewes So did Iohn of Leidon Nipper Doling Chreiton and others of that crew of wretched miscreants who at Munster in their enraged and rebellious route cryed out being led by a cursed spirite of their owne nothing but Depose kill murther meaning those sober and moderate Christians that withstoode their brainesicke fury and Anabaptisticall fanaticall folly and in all that outrage pretended nothing but that they were guided thereunto by the spirite So doe those that are engaged into the spirite of Antichrist and enraged with the poysoned cup of the strūpet of Romish Babylon her spiritual fornication who speak write and practise prepensed wickednesse as did Cardinal Como to Parrie the traytor what time hee intended nay receyued their consecrated host with the saide Cardinall to kill our late Queene Elizabeth of pretious memorie signifying by letter vnto him that the then Pope Gregorie the thirteenth as by the Credentiall note included in the letter he might see doubted not but that the same spirite which moued him to so good a worke as to kill the Queene would certainely assist him to the performance thereof Oh barbarous spirite of brutish Popery So do those that scoffe at the gifts of the Spirite in their brethren saying to those whom they see reuearing and yeelding obedience to the power of Gods grace and counselling others to be guided gouerned thereby Oh Sir you are so full of the spirite that it runs out of your nose Oh sir the spirite moueth you This and the like hellish language I say is an amazement vnto good men to thinke there should be any fo damnably prophane and so desperately wicked especially among Christians who professe in their holy Creede to beleeue in the holy spirite and acknowledge that in the power of that spirit They liue moue and haue their being yea and they feele themselues oft times quickned from the dulnesse of sinne by the same spirit vnto the motion and life of grace wherby they are made vnexcusable And professe further that they beleeue that they shall bee raysed vppe out of their dust and from the bands and fetters of the graue by the operation of this powerfull and blessed spirite vnto eternall glory by that mighty working whereby it is able to subdue all things vnto it selfe This I say is a great consternation and amazement vnto a Christian heart and causeth oft times many good soules to quake and shudder to see and behold such desperate scornings and reprochful contumelies among such as professe they beleeue in God The serious consideration whereof I am perswaded would eftsoones trouble the mindes of many other with grieuous distractions and disturbances had not the holy booke of God in two most pregnant places of the new Testament set foorth to the life both of the Apostacie of faith and irregularity of good manners which the spirit of God prophesyeth should happen in these last and worst ages of the world For Saint Paul teacheth the Bishoppe of Ephesus That the spirite speaketh euidently That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede to spirites of error and doctrines of Diuels The spirites of error are such in whome there is no sound trueth of GOD but mingled and mangled with humane traditions no conscience of good but iustifyings of their owne inuentions The doctrines of diuels are prohibitions of marriage and superstitious abstaining from meates as the Text speaketh And I take those spirits of errors and doctrines of diuels are no where to be foūd in the Christian Church more pregnant for we must not looke for them among Turkes and Pagans because this Prophesie reuealeth what shall happen in the Church and amongst professors of Christ but in the Papacy only which in the later times that is some sixe hundred yeares agoe or thereaboutes vtterly fell away from the verity of the faith of Christ and gaue heede to the spirites of errors doctrines of diuels intending nothing else thereby but the subuersion of the Primitiue purity of Religion and conuersion of the internall beauty of the Church of Christ into an externall and pompous lustre of humane policie And againe Saint Paul sheweth by the euidence of the same spirite That in the last dayes which are these worst dayes of ours should come perillous times wherein men should bee louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affections truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of
a thousand sorrows to euery good beleeuing heart to conceyue that albeit God in his aboundant mercies hath thus reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the manifestation of our flesh among vs by the power of this Almighty spirite aboue vs and by the testimony of Angels about vs yet there should bee of them that professe Christianity such as are worse then the Sect of the Saduces for the Sadduces yet acknowledge that Angels were the good motions stirred vp in vs but these neither acknowledge God good motions nor diuels but are copartners with the Diuell against Michael and his Angels and are become Combatants against Christ and his Christians Hath not Sathan thinke you sifted such to the bran and winnowed such to the chaffe by his damned motions that he hath made them good for nothing and left in them nothing but the dregs and remnants of himselfe as namely the eagernesse and greedy desire of hauing and the cursed sins of despite and malice for they haue taken the Diuell at his word when he shewed them the Worlde and the glory therof and said vnto them All this will I giue you they immediately fall downe and worship him Or else shew themselues to be of the diuels pedegree by the grosnes of lying by the fulnes of impurity by the subtilty of sorcery or as was sayde by the mischiefe of helsish malice All which dregs of the diuel hide the sonne of God from those children of disobedience and nothing remaineth for theÌ„ except they repent but the fearefull sentence of Depart from mee yee cursed into hell fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Whereas if the sonnes of meÌ„ would consider but what losses they sustaine hereby me thinkes it should recall euery good mind but of an ordinary vnderstanding to a far better dispositioÌ„ For we Christians lose by such wickednesse the honour of beeing such euill Angels Iudges Why doe not yee know that we shall iudge the Angels that is doe ye not know that we shall be assessors with Christ in the day of iudgment and condemne the diuell and his angels We lose the sight of Christs mysticall body in the glory of his Saints Which the Angels of heauen desired to behold We loose the victorious triumph of Gods Saints for shortly Sathan shall bee beate downe vnder our feet Let vs then rayse vppe our selues to his glorious assotiation of the Angels in our seruice of God knowing that there are more with vs then against vs and that our Lord Christ Iesus shal appeare in the end of the world with this holy Angels in Maiesty and great glory to iudge all mankind And I adiure you before Iesus Christ and his Elect Angels that yee diligently and duely consider these things For yee are not come vnto the mount which might not bee touched and that burned with fire nor vnto blacknes and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voyce of words which voyce they that heard entreated that the Word should not bee spoken vnto them any more But yee are come vnto Mount Sion and vnto the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to aninnumerable company of Angels and to the generall assemblie and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Testâ—ment and to the bloud of sprinck lings which speaketh better thinges then that of Abell Oh blessed Lord let mee see thy face for thy face Lord will I seeke Incomparably blessed are those sacred Spirtes O holy heauenly Father who euer attend thy glorious Maiesty and stand before thee â—ight day to behold and see thee in thy displaied glory They are in the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand where are blessings for euermore They are euer delighted with the sight of thinâ— vnsearchable wisedome of thine vnutterable glory and vnspeakable mercy They are free from the assaults of sinne or Sathan for no euill commeth neere thy dwelling O miserable wretches that wee are on earth subiect to Sathans slâ—ights the fleshes frailety and the worlds wickednesse Debarred are we from thy glorious light O King of Heauen and shut vp hâ—â—e in the darkenes of our own ignorance and lye in the very shadow of death Restrained are wee from the ioyfull fruition of the companie of those stiall attendants the Angels Saints that euer doe thee seruice without ceasing O blessed Lord how happy were wee the miserable inhabitants of thy footstoole if thou wouldest vouchsafe vs that fauour for Christ his sake as to deliuer vs out of the prison of this body out of the fetters of sinne and out of the snares of the Diuell that wee might serue thee without feare in thy Court of Heauen continually Consider good Father our miserie and forasmuch as in Christ Iesus thou hast giuen vs a light of thy selfe in the mirror of thy mercy and mystery of Christian godlinesse Leaue vs not comfortlesse but grant vs for his passion sake a glympse of thee euen in this Life while wee are here that our soules may be rauished with holy desires and neuer be satisfied vntill we come vnto thee our God to enioy thy selfe in glorious maiestie To this blessed end Oh tender hearted Father arme vs with helpe from heauen in all the occasions of our life For thou knowest O Lord that wee war not against flesh and bloud onely which are intestine and home-bred enemies but against principalities powers and spirites of errors and darkenesse in high places Thou knowest O Lord that they are many mighty and malitious Thou knowest our frailety our feeblenesse and our folly Helpe vs then deare Father out of all the temptations and snares of the diuell Let thy guard of good Angels and holy ones stand with vs to assist staÌ„d ouer vs to protect vs giue theÌ„ a charge O Lord to keepe vs in all our wayes Let them stand at our right hand to guide vs for the best Let them goe before vs dayly with thy preuenting mercy as they did before the hoast of thy Israel Let them comfort vs in the good as they did thy Iosuah Let them supplie our wants if neede require as they did thy Eliah Let them deliuer vs out of prison as they did thy Peter saue vs in shipwracke as they did thy Paul Let them alwayes be ayding vnto vs in our sicknesse and in all the weakenesse and temptations thereof yea in the last breath of our life and aâ—ter death Let them traÌ„sport vs into Abrahams boâ—ome as they did thy Lazerâ—â— And graunt vnto vs O Father for Christs sake this grace that while wee liue here we may endeauour to do thy blessed will as the angels doe in heauen That wee may euer â—praise thee for thy goodnesse sing vnto thee for thy mercies magnifie thee for thy graces and multiplie
Scripture calleth this cause The spirit of faith or the spirite â—f beleeuing Gods second cause of our â—eleeuing is his blessed and â—oly word read and preached 〈◊〉 the ordinarie means of our â—ith which worketh vpon â—wo forcible and perswasiue â—enses the eye and the eare â—he one for the reader of the word the other for the hearer of the word preached or read For the eare God hath ordayned a voyce to call vpon â—s by the paynes of preaching For the eye his sacred word is written or printed that it may be read and vnderstood of vs and our children and this is the cause of our beleeuing which is called The word of Faith Aske a Christian then why he beleeues the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie his answer is because the Scripture records it there is the word of faith but reply vpon him and aske him why he beleeues the scriptures his reason is without reason in himselfe for he saith The finger of God is there If you vrge and say Why doest thou beleeue and I do not I heare the word as well as thee Saint Paule will answer with an out crie O depth That is a matter of amazement not of argument saith S. Ambrose But what might be the cause that stayeth and vpholds the hearts of the sonnes of men along the misery of this life in this word of beleeuing Surely eternall life the saluation of our soules the last article of our Christian faith is the finall cause and anchor-holde of out beleeuing in Christ Iesus For the hope whereof the holy ones of God purge theÌ„selues both in soule and body that they may be acceptaâ—le vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thereâ—ore S. Peter calleth eternall â—ife the end of our beleeuing â—uen the assured glorification â—f soule and body which by â—aith wee expect in the other world In respect whereof also it is that this faith goeth not alone like some bankrupt but is royally attended with a troupe of good works semblable to the causes thereof For the spirit of faith is not barren but is in continuall motion in stirring and quickning vp the harts of gods children euery day to goodnes Neither is the word of faith verball onely But liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword enters throgh euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the maâ—row and is a discerner of the thought and the intents of the heart The people of God therefore whose hearts are thus powerfully moued by the spirit of faith to beleeue and thus effectually counselled by the word of faith to liue well endeauour nothing else but that their liuing may be answerable to their beleeuing that so their soules might bee saued For this sacred faith of Christ first of all purifieth the heart now if the fountaine be cleare and cleane the whole streame that issueth thence will be cleane also Secondly this faith of Christ worketh by loue and bringeth foorth good workes I should euer therefore distrust that I neuer was a true beleeuer vnlesse I felt my heart sanctified by grace and my and working the deedes of haritie This doubtlesse was â—he faith of the primitiue â—orld while the bloud of Christ was yet warme in the â—earts of those beleeuers Witnes all those Churches â—olledges Hospitalls Enâ—owments Rents Reuenews â—ands Liuings Pensions and â—â—l other such donations and â—onsecrations appropriated â—nd giuen to the maintenance of religion and learning to â—he succour of the poore and â—o the perpetuating of Gods worship here on earth vntill â—he second comming of Christ. For the people then liued and beleeued as men knowing that the faith of Christ is not fruitlesse and that by the fruites therof they are assured of their election past and of their perfection by Christ to come that their good deedes should follow them where nothing else â—ould and that according to the proportion of their workes wrought in earth by grace in Christ they should through the mercie of God and not of merit bee allotted a portion of happines hereafter in the heauens And therefore vnderstanding their weldoing here to be necessarie to their well being for euer they studyed nothing else but to goe on in that race of goodnesse that they might attaine at the last the blessed end thereof euen the reward of mercy promised vnto them by the word of faith written vnto them in the bloud of our faith sealed assured vnto theÌ„ by the death of our faith stirred vp moued herevnto by the spirit of faith Christs vicegerent on earth whose they were encouraged thereunto by the bloud of so â—any faithfull beleeuers that â—yed for the faith of Christ â—nd continue therein vnto â—heir liues end by the exubeâ—ant and abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus their Ruler and Redeemer O Blessed Paule faithfull and beleeuing was the world when as yet the bloud of Christ was warme in meâ—s hearts and when the faithfull beleeuers inflamed with the loue of God and ouerioyed with the glad tydings of the Gospell thus bespake Gods seruants that preached thâ— faith vnto them Blessed in thâ— Lord will our goods pleasâ—â—â— you Behold we lay them dowâ— at your feete will our eyes 〈◊〉 you good Take ought of ouâ—â— that is neere and deere vnto 〈◊〉 euen our right eyes Will our liues steede you Wee esteeme theâ— not for the testimonie of the faitâ— of Iesus Christ as for all manner of tribulations that can happen for Iesus Christ sake We accompt them not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory that shall bee receiued A blessed and beautifull â—ace of time it was O Paule when the prime beleeuing Christians had no other fault â—ound in them no not by â—heir verie enemies as Plinius â—ecundus an heathen testifieth 〈◊〉 Traian the Emperour but his was all hee could certifie â—gainst them to the state that â—hey oft times assembled â—emselues together before â—ay in the caues and holes of the earth to sing Psalmes â—nd prayses to the Lord of â—ife Christ Iesus which seruice for feare of persecution they durst not performe publikely O then was the time hoâ—y Paule that faith wrought â—y Gods loue and not by selfe loue by good workes and not by goodly wordes what time the beleeuing Christians were knowne not â—o bee of the tribe of Naphtaâ—â— giuing goodly wordes but of the tribe of Ioseph beeing fruitfull boughes euen fruitfull boughes by a Well whose branches run ouer the wall When Placilla the wife of Theodosius a beleeuing Empresse would resort vnto the Almes houses and Hospitalâ—s of the poore to see them succoured and releeued and when her nice Gentlewomen that wayted oâ— her would dehort and disswade her not to debase her selfe to come into such meane places and neere such nastie people shee with teares in her eyes would reâ—ply and say O I wouâ—d not doe thiâ— and this onely
shee receyued a comfortable compellation from Christ for hee owned her and sayde Daughter bee of good cheare thy beleefe hath saued thee For the more vereeundious and modest wee are in this our hearing of God and in our comming vnto him the more bright and beautiful wee are in his sacred sight If wee would thus serue the Lord in feare and reioyce be fore him with trembling wee should not goe so often to Church and so often return againe neuer the better oft-times the worser wee should not so often heare in vain nor so often see and not discerne But the manner is now with many to come as sathan did for company or custom or worse came also when the sons of God were assembled before him to the diuels Chappell according to our English Prouerbe Where God hath his Church the Diuell hath his Chappell For euen in the great assemblies while some are there hearing the word attentiuely others sleepe profoundly while some reade others prate while some lift vp their eyes to heauen others point out the finger to note some vanity in the next pue while som pray otheâ—s scoffe while some sing others curse while some sigh for their sinnes others laugh at sinne while others sit hearkening to the Sermon vnto the end others make hast to bee gone and thinke euery houre two vntill they heare the Peace of God which they will scarce vouchsafe to take with them nor the Grace of GOD neither Cease therefore to maruell at our fruitlesse hearing the Word if this bee our demeanour when we present our selues before our God were we perswaded of God as wee ought and surely hee that will come to God must beleeue that God is and of his sonne Christ Iesus of whom the voyce from Heauen and not from men was this Heare him wee could not thus abuse our time when wee assemble our selues to heare this Word of faith preached vnto vs. But those that thus deâ—mean themselues the Propheâ—ie of Esay is fulfilled which God in his iust iudgâ—ment â—ringeth vpon them for their neglect of him in making their hearts fat Their eares heauie and their eyes dimme that they may not see with their eies nor heare with their eares nor vnderstand with their hearts and should bee conuerted and God should heale them These are such that come into the house of God without feare and offer the sacrifice of fooles for albeit they liue wickedly yet they imagine that they haue made GOD beholding vnto them for sitting an houre or two in his seruice It was otherwise in Saint Iohn the Diuine who in heauenly meditations and seruice of God was rauished in the Spirite on the Lordes day and in that holy extasie heauen was opened vnto him and hee saw God the Angels the Elders and the soules of the Saints clothed in white robes whereas these diuelish hearers are ready to faint for water yet sit as Hagar Abrahams bondmaide did by the fountaines of waters and doe not see them are ready to perish for foode and yet doe not see the heauenly Manna that is reached out vnto them And as they thus abuse the holy meanes of their beleeuing so also they vse not the heauenly and orderly proceeding in the practise of their beleefe For a true Beleeuer at his very first awaking in bedde is present with God in his thoughts words and meditations as Dauid speaketh and after hee is vp hee taketh vnto him blessed wordes as â—head directeth eyther publikeâ—y or priuately and offereth â—God his morning sacrifice in â—prayer and then addresseth and addicteth himselfe to his calling and therein abideth performing his earthly vocation with an heauenly mind And if a true beleeuer happen into any company he sits oft times still and retired to himselfe watching and waiting oportunity when hee may speake words that may minister grace vnto the hearers And if a true Beleeuer haue any leysure not that hee will bee at any time idle he sayth to himselfe Now will I retire myselfe into my closet and there will I powre out my heart vnto my God If a true beleeuer prosper in the worke of his handes he is thankefull and not proude If hee suffer aduersity hee makes his patience knowne vnto all men without murmuring or repining assuring himselfe that it proceedeth not of Gods hatred but of his singular loue tâ—ward him that hee is afflicted for God delighteth not in the misery of his Creatures for if hee did hee would neuer haue made man a Paradise to liue in euen in his innocency but God knoweth in his wisedome that by afflictions his dearest children are weaned from the loue of the World and take liking of the other world And thus hauing past the day recalling to mind Gods great mercies recounting his owne many and manifold infirmities and imperfections magnifieth Gods fauours in all craueth pardon for his great vnthankefulnesse and so reposing himselfe in bedde in his Sepulchre hauing now made as it were his last will to God acknowledging himselfe a stranger and Pilgrime here as all his Fathers were and beleeuing that the time will come that as he is awaked and riseth from bedde in the morning so shall he bee raysed from his graue and sleepe of death to liue with GOD in Christeternally But the vnbeleeuers and fruitles professors in their carriage are quite contrary For their awaking is to euill and that is euer present with them Their morning Mattens is cursing and swearing and that shall distill one day into their bowels as water like oyle into their bones Their vocation is to bee busie bodies in other mens matters Their society is to seeke out the riotous to runne with them to excesse their retirednesse is to study out mischiefe to complot against their brethren to circumuent by politique stratagems their harmelesse associates If these prosper no man is able to endure their pride their disdaine their curiosity their statelinesse If they bee afflicted the whole Countrie shall ring of their impatience murmuring rauing and blasphemie And thus hauing lost the day they couch themselues in their beds of beastlinesse at night as if they had made a couenant with death and the diuell neuer to be good This is the fruit of infidelitie and thus godlesse professors demeane themselues as if Barrahas had suffered and Christ had beene let goe as if Christ were yet in his graue â—nd that Caiphas should bee â—udge of quicke and dead But true beleeuers know that without faith it is impossible to please God let vs prate what wee will and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne let vs doe what wee will and this faith must worke by loue or else all is in vaine let vs liue how we will let vs then begge this blessed boone of God that wee may beleeue and that hee would helpe our beleeuing that wee may haue both the groundworke of faith to builde vpon the trust of faith to resolue vpon the boldnes of faith
THE MYSTERIE OF MANKIND Made into a Manual OR THE PROTESTANTS Portuize reduced into Explication Application Inuocation tending to Illumination Sanctification Deuotion being the summe of seuen Sermons Preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill London By William Loe Doctor of Diuinity Chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty and Pastor Elect and allowed by authoâ—ity of Superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie 1 Cor. 3. 23. All are yours and yee Christs Christ God LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop for George Fayerbeard and are to be sold at his shoppe at the North side of the Exchange 1619. TO THE MOST CATHOLIKE and most Christian Monarch IAMES by Gods especiall appointment of great Bâ—ittaine France Ireland King Defendor of the faith DRead Soueraigne The blessed coÌ„pany of holy ones that houshould of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground of all truth is so grieuously gastered and so continually infested with hellish Athisme misled Papisme and misperswaded Separaâ—isme especially in these last worst ages of the world that had not God of his exuberant mercies set vp your Highnesse among vs for a blessing as another Ioshua to succeede Moses and as another Solomon to sit vpon the throne of Dauid to the supportatioÌ„ of the Church of England It is verily beleeued of many wise and iuditious that the doctrinall principles of Christian Religion had not onely beene sore-shaken within your Maiesties Realmes as they are to the hearts-griefe of many thousands among your bordering neighbours but also a most wofull and lamentable distraction and open diuision would before this time haue broken forth to to the vtter ruine and razing of the verie foundations of the blessed peace and established discipline of the church within these your Maiesties Territories But magnified for euer be our God who hath remembred vs in mercy and hath directed your Maiesties royall and enlarged heart not onely to take care of things Quae sunt ante pedes but also amidst other your Highnes many and manifold cares of your most Christian gouernment longe prospicere as to haue an eye what manner of growth your Seminaries of Marchants haue beyond the Seas at Hamborough Middleborough and other places for asmuch as they are the men in all likelyhoode who are to bee of your Maiesties great Chamber the Citie of London and to sit neere about the Sterne in future ages Therefore most dread Souâ—raigne It beeing almost a whole year sithence I was by the worthy and auncient Companie of Merchant-Aduenturers elected and by the most reuerend Archbishoppe of Canterbury allowed to be Pastor of the English Church at Hamborough I thought it my bounden duty before I departed and in some part of recompence for my long stay to leaue behinde mee a token of that seruice oâ—seruance duty loue and alleagiaâ—ce which I owe vnto your Maiestie and vnto the Church of England wheresoeuer the Lord diâ—poseâ—h of me The doctrine and discipline of which Church I shall endeauour to maintaine pro modulo meo euen to my last breath think my selfe an happy mâ—n to bee the sonne of so famous and Christian a Catholike Church Some of the compilers of whose deuout Letuâ—gie haue shed their bloud for the testimony of the Lord Iesus which bloud I haue alwayes thought to bee the best bloud in the world A measure of which modell of mine I here humbly prostrate at your Highnes feet heartily beseeching Almighiy God to preserue your Highnesse and your most royal seede to be glorious instruments of his Church to crown your Maiesty and your Princely Progenie with his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus Your Maiesties most humble sâ—ruant and Subiect WILL LOE 1 TIM 3. 16. Without controuersie Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Sâ—ene of Angels Preached vnto the Gentiles Beleeued on in the world and receyued vp in glory A PREFACE OF Pacification to all Christian Tearmers and Trauellers from the reuerend Iudge Itinerant Iustice of Oier and Determiner vnto the poorest Clyent that iournyeth within the foure seas of Great Britaine Mercie be multiplied in Châ—ist Iesus BLessed and beloued in the Lord for I cannot giue you a more honourable title if I should studie to giue you ten thousand be of what ranke or condition your will Hearken Vpon the Lords day beeing the third day after our Sauiours sufferings two disciples trauelling from Ierusalem to a village called Emaus as they walked on their way they talked of Iesus And as they thus communed Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them and afterward questioning with them opened vnto them the Scriptures tarries with them sits witb them blesseth their meat eats with them giues them a super substantial blessing for he openeth their eyes and they know him A perfâ—t president for you beloued in the Lord and a blessed direction as you traâ—aile for we aree all Viatores looke as big as we will not comprehensores if wee haue company to confâ—rre and talke of the Lord Iesus for you see if you bee but two in company hee will make the third if you commune concerning him in feare and reuerence yea your conference shall not bee fruitlesse For what is the sequell Euâ—n knowledge of the holy Scriptures they shall bee opened vppon such conference Christ his comfortable company by the holy Ghost will be affoorded for albeit according to his Esâ—e Naturale he is in heauen yet secundum esse personale he is euery where by his breath and fauour in his chosen Moreouer hee will sit with you vpon the throne of Iustice to direct your hearts aright you shal partake of his blessings with healtb and saluation hee will blesse you in your store hee will enlighten your minds encline your wils recâ—ify your desires and you shall know him whom to know is eternall lâ—fe For this cause I haue often bowed the knees of my heart vnto the God of heauen for you all and haue presumed to reduce the summe of all into this little Manuall as the Protestants portuize to carry in his hand in his bosome and to accompany him in your trauels as Paul had his parchments with him which casually he left at Troas and whereof it seemed hee had an especiall care Let not the prudent Iudge disdaine or despise that I become his remembrancer for the time is come that wee must looke to our Christian principles seeing many are gone so farre to question long receiued truthes in the spirit of subtiltie and error as if the Metempsycosis of the Pythagorists were reuiued and the soule of Iohn Duns Scotus were entred into the bodyes of suruiuing schollers to trouble the world with nicities and to lose themselues in miserable extrauagant wandrings It was a good rule therefore that Irenaeus gaue That we should diligently heede neuer to bee transported beyond the limits of Doctrinall Principles which indeede is a glosse of that of
thereof which is maruellous and in respect of the manner which is miraculous The matter maruellous that we for lorne wretches and dust creeping wormes blinded in our own vnderstandings hardned in our hearts and infected in our affections should euer become coheires with Christ the Sonne of God taken out as a remnant from among all other creatures which God seemed to passe ouer and to neglect in respect of vs for God hath not communicated this mysterie in such neernesse no not to the blessed Angels for To which of the Angels sayde God at any time Sit on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies â—hy footestoole The manner miraculous that fleshâ— and bloud should become such holy seruants enlightned in their vnderstandings mollified in their hearts reformed in all their desires yea sanctified throughout both in spirit soule and body and should become such resolute souldiers in Gods battels vpon such hard tearmes of intertainement as were proclaymed by Christ to his followers beeing conditions so offensiue and contrariant to the nice nature of men and women which were That if they followed Christ and would liue godly in this present world they should suffer persecution they should be hated of all men they should be whipped and murthered yea they should fare as Lambes among Wolues In a word their swords of Reuenge must be euer words of Grace and Edification their fightings patience their wealth ofttimes greeuous want their feasting fasting their whole life very miserable in respect of others they being abridged of many outward things and their ende in the sight of men oft-times most lamentable Great therefore doubtlesse is this mystery of godlinesse which for all these hard conditions or whatsoeuer heresie schisme apostasie the world the flesh or the diuell could doe to crosse it discerneth truth from falsehood by Euangelicall reuelation the effect of Preaching and by doctrine the effect of knowledge which Saint Angustine calleth Christian Doctrine by the patient sufferings of Gods Saints in the bloudie butcheries and persecution of the Christian Church Great is the mysterie of godlinesse yea so Great that God became man and man became God that this God-man was manifested in the flesh so great was it that it was iustified by the spirit both of power and puritie so bright that the Angels desire to behold it so great that the Iles a farre off heare it preached the harts of men are subdued there with to beleeue it and the nature of man in the person of the Sonne of God is receiued vp in glory Great is this holy mysterie that mâ—n therby should haue a new birth by Regeneration a new heart by Sanctification new desires by holy Resolution and become good godly and piouâ— men from out all obliquities defects and euills of their sinfull nature which is wholly corrupted as of infidels to become beleeuers of vncleane persons to become chaste of drunkards sober men of lyars truth loueuers and in a word of sinfull and sensuall miscreants to become fast and faithfull Christians Yea it is so Great that it is miraculous for in despight of Sathan and all the powers of darkenesse it worketh miraculous effects in our weake and feeble natures It enlightneth our vnderstandings with the sight of God by faith in the mirrour of Iesus Christ for being puâ—ified in heart wee shall see God It abandoneth all multiplicitie of gods in Paganism for in vntruthes there is no end of lying It detecteth all Turkish impostures and all Mahumetan dreames of their Miscelanian mongrill Alcaron It cleereth the oraâ—cles of Gods will the sacred Scriptures from all the Talmudicall muddie glosses of the Iewish Rabinicall Sanheâ—drim And in a word it refuteth all Popish innouations and misguiding traditions and whatsoeuer else dependeth thereon For the Antiquitie of this godlinesse is the Ancient of dayes and wee may easily answer all our opposits brags of Antiquitie with this It was not so from the beginning The counsels of this Godlinesse are Apostolicall Orthadoxe not Trentall or Lateran for the voyce froÌ„ heauen was Heare him The fathers hereof Saint Paul and Saint Peter and others the fathers of the fathers This is a mysterie indeede and a great mysterie and more then that the mysterie of Godlinesse not the curious querees of mans vain greatnesse to wit the secret mysteries of nature either of the firmamentarie orelementarie world for abstruse knowledge we leaue to Aristotle Lemnius Cardanus Cornelius Agrippa Albert us Auerhoes Trismegistus such like the searchers inquisitors of natures niceties the end whereof for the most part is vaine Phylosophy they that spend their dayes in such triflings eyther fayle of this happy end to bee Godly like those that seeke with the expence of witte and wealth the Elixar of the Philosophers stone the Worlds woodcocke or fal away from God in Astrologicall calculations with the curious Chaldeans and Egyptians But this Godlinesse is the Great Riches for albeit it hath nothing of the World yet it possesseth all the thinges of God That 's a mysterie indeed It dignifieth vs with the grace of Sanctification aboue our wretched nature and diefieth vs with the happinesse of Glorification aboue the visible Heauens That is a great mysterie It is the salt of the earth seasoning vs and all the acts wee doe that we and they may bee rationall sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ yea and it is the fauour of Heauen breathing into vs the breath of eternall life whereby wee are made partakers of the Diuine nature in beleeuing on God in this Worlde and in louing him shall liue for euer in the other world This Godlines must needs be great when the great God by his holy Spirit is the worker thereof for who can repaire the ruines of our rotten and corrupt nature but the God of nature Hee it is who onely can take away the stony heart and giue vs a fleshie plyable and penitent heart that onelie can rid vs out of sathans snares restore vs to a sound mind Great is this Godlinesse seing nothing could moue God to doe this for vs but his owne great loue to mankind and the death and Resurrection of that great Prophet Christ Iesus the Sonne of God Great in respect of the means wherby God conuayed this Godlinesse vnto vs for the faith of this Godlines conuerteth vs by the doctrine of the Law to know our selues our sins by the preaching of the Gospell to know our selues in Christ Iesus to bee saued and oft times by afflictions wee are weaned from the World and are made to take liking of God and godlines So wee see that in the first act of our becomming good wee are meerely passiue for what can a dead man doe to quicken himselfe and wee were all dead in sinnes and trespasses but after wee are thus quickned by Gods acte wee know that we are aliue and reioyce in
them that are good traytors beady high minded louers of pleasure more then of God hauing a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof from which Saint Paul counselleth to turne away These Men and Brethren These I say are the faithlesse and fruitlesse spirites of vanity the dissolute children of disobedience and cloudes without water who despite the spirite of grace Quench the light of the Gospell and know not whether there bee an holy Ghost or no. But Men and Brethren Hearken whosoeuer offendeth of infirmity offendeth against God the Father who is power and strength and whosoeuer offendeth of ignorance sinneth against God the Sonne who is wisedome and these finnes are pardonable but who so sinneth against the Holy Ghost the spirite of truth and charity his sinnes are irremisible Let him therefore that hath an eare heare what the Spirite sayth vnto the Churches For the Spirites of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophetes Bee men neuer so profoundly learned or so well conceyted of themselues Christ Iesus who was our Reconciliation on earth by his Incarnation Life and Passion is now our Aduocation in heauen at the right hand of God the Father by his continual Mediation and is our dayly Comforter as Saint Bernard speaketh by mouing stirring and inclining our harts to beleeue and our wils and consciences to the obedience of faith and to the endeauour care and study of all sacred duties Are not they then in a most desperate and wofull estate and condition thinke you who despise and despite this Reconciliation Aduocation Mediation Consolation of Gods spirit who continue in that sinne for which there is neyther sacrifice noâ— oblation to bee offered that can doe them or theirs any good who resist the Spirite of Christ albeit it stand at the dore of their hearts and consciences and craue for entrance who grieue the spirite of God by their vile and beastlie liuing and quench out the light thereof by their ouer-flowings of malitiousnesse which otherwise would shine and glitter like the sparkles of a diamond in the middest of our naughtie Natures and in a word who haue in them no gifte grace condition qualitie sparke or resemblance of Gods spirite whatsoeuer they may brag and boast thereof out of their owne deceiueable seemings but only this that their goodnesse so Anabaptistically are they besotted cannot be seen as the holy Ghost is inuisible And no lesse lamentable are the cauils of those which obiect That the Iesuites whom wee so vilifie boast also that they are led by the spirite as if most damnable heretiques did not make the same plea but the practise of the Nobles of Baroa is a satisfactory answere for that and all other cauils of that frie for they searched the Scriptures To see whether or no the thinges were so that they heard the Apostles preach but the spirite of Iesuitisme dare not abide that triall nor any other like spirit of error Another saith there bee so manie that vaunte of the spirit that I knowe not which I should adhere vnto but Saint Paul giueth a rule for that Neuerthelesse saith he wherevnto wee haue already attained Let vs march by the same rule which is the sacred Scriptures that wee may minde the same thing This plainely sheweth vs that we must adhere to none for our direction to God but such as adhere to Gods Oracle the Sacred scriptures and are guided thereby Yea but another vrgeth further and saith wee see that those that professe themselues to bee guided by the Scriptures and by the spirit thereof doe differ What then All men haue not Faith albeit in number and profession they be of the Church as S. Austine speaketh hence it is that they cannot accord For what communion hath light with darknesâ— or Faith with infidelitie Yea euen amongst them that haue Faith some haue a greater and some a lesser portion thereof according to their knowledge by Gods dispensation hence it is oft times that they cannot accord in all things at all times for there is a procession from faith to faith yet all may holde the Fundamentall grounds and principles in blessed diuinitie albeit they differ in some particulars because some haue already attained to that measure of grace which anotherâ— may attaine vnto in some time after This therefore is an infallâ—ble rule of S. Iohn We are of God hee that knoweth God heareth vs Hee that is not of God heareth not vs Hereby knowe we theâ— spirite of Error and the spirite of Truth That is as S. Augustine expounds it If any man take vppon him to expound the scriptures albeit it bee euen by himselfe with inuocation of GOD who assists by his holie spirite and the spiritual man discerneth all things the internall vnction directing him in all things and leading him into all truth To this man wee are bound to hearken and his doctrine to embrace albeit thousands gaine say it as the Councell of Nice hearkened to Paphnutius being but one man against the whole route and rabble of Pseudo Catholiques But if any man vndertake to doe it of himselfe of his owne priuate and singular spirite without warrant and directioÌ„ of Gods spirit which counselleth and guideth by the word onely It is the Spiders webbe the Cockatrice egge the fome of the sea the fume of the bottomlesse pitte wee may vndoubtedly disauow it and defie it I conclude then that this foundation standeth firme sound and may satisfie the soule of any beleeuer to wit that God is manifested in the flesh by beeing baptized as man Iustified in the Spirite by forgiuing sinnes as God Manifested in the flesh by being tempted as man Iustified in the spirite as God by ouercomming for vs the world the flesh and the Diuell Manifested in the flesh by beeing hungry as man Iustified in the spirite as God by feeding thousands aboundaÌ„tly with a very small pittance Manifested in the flesh by enduring thirst as man Iustified in the spirite as God by calling those that are thirstie vnto the waters of Life that they might neuer thirst any more Manifested in the flesh by praying as man Iustified in the spirite by hearing the prayers of others as God Manifested in the flesh by weeping as man Iustified in the spirite by wiping all teares fâ—om our eyes as our God Manifested in the flesh by being sold for thirty peeces of siluer as a man Iustified in the Spirite as God by redeeming the world with his bloud a price pricelesse peerelesse Mâ—nifested in the flesh beeing led as a sheepe to the slaughter as man Iustified in the spirite by triumphing ouer death and hell and by leading captiuity captiue as Godâ— Manifested in the flesh by dying as man Iustified in the spirit as God by rising againe from the dead by ascending into heauen by sitting at the right hand of the Father whence we expecting him to come againe in the end of the world with Maiestie and
Angel that reuealed it by Gods appointment to Daniel Christs name was foretolde by an Angell before hee was conceiued in the womb his conception reuealed by an Angell and both to the blessed Virgin his birth was proclamed to the shepheards by a troupe of Angels his flight into Egypt from Herods butcherie his returning out of Egygt and turning aside into the confines of Galilee all directed and ordered by an Angell that God especially imployed in that message In his temptation in the wildernesse Angelles minister vnto him in his agonie an Angell from heauen comforteth him in his apprehension hee testifieth to his enemies teeth that hee could haue a guarde of more then twelue Legions of Angels if he should desire them of his heauenly Father While he was in the graue an Angell descendeth and rouled away the stone from the dore of the monument After his Resurrection two Angels sate one at the head and the other at the feet where Iesus body had layne and declared that hee was riseâ— from the dead they beeing imployed by God to bring that message to the then mournfull and sorrowfull Disciples for the late death of their heauenly master In his Ascension two Angels spake vnto the people that gazed vp into Heauen after him and certified them of his comming againe to iudgement in the end of the world Yea the very euill Angels saw and knew the power of the sonne of God in this manifestation to their great terror and torment Insomuch that they crie in the possessed Oh Iesu what haue wee to doe with thee Art thou come to torment vs before our time And when they were forced to depart out of the possessed they roare and yell yea they fell downe and confesse saying Thou art the Sonne of God and at the last being driuen by extremitâ—es they desperately attempt to coniure Iesus Christ by God himselfe not to torment them Moreouer after Christ departure into Heauen his very Name was and yet is most dreadfull vnto them and most powerfull against them For S. Paul by the power of Christs name cast out an euill Angell out of a Damsell that had a spirite of diuination And the Disciples of Christ came vnto him reioising that euill Angels were made subiect vnto them through his Name Whereby it appeareth to our vnspeakeable comfort that the God whom we serue was knowne and acknowledged of the blessed Angels yea and that euill Angels also felt his power and know him to their faster and deeper despayre and are now and alwayes made subiect to Gods elect What vnspeakeable comfort is the knowledge of this vnto vs What excellent direction doth this Angelicall knowledge affoord vs in our Euangelical seruice and what diuine incitement is this to stir vp in vs Angelical zeale Comfort it is vnspeakable For all these blessed Spirites are the attendants of our Lord Christ and are his Emissaries and Nuntioes sent out by him for the good of them that shall be saued Not that euery particular person hath a peculiar Angell designed vnto him to bee his Guardian as the Popelings would haue it but hence wee know that not one Angell but many are ordayned by God to succour and safeguard vs in all necessities and distresses what soeuer And without controuersie this is more comfort a thousand times then to know that one Angell onely is appointed to bee our assistant In our life in our death and in the day of iudgement they are appointed of God to bee our assistants In our life yea in all our life In childehoode Christ sayth Take heed yee despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in Heauen their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen In affliction Hagar is comforted by an Angell In the warres Angels fight for Israel against the Assirians In prison Peter is loosed out of prison and out of the fetters by an Angell albeit hee slept betweene two souldiers that tooke vpon them to be his keepers In all our waies the Angels haue charge to bee our Conuoy towardes Heauen At sea in shipwracke an Angell comforteth Paul and sheweth vnto him what wold be the issue of that voyage On land Iacob in his iourney to Mesopotamia is guided by an Angell In death they transport vs into Abrahams bosome and keep watch ouer our interred bodies vntill the Resurrection And in that great haruest at the end of the world they are the Reapers in that great solemnity and exceeding Maiesty They are the Harbengers Heraldes and Trumpeters and in the sentence of that iudgement they shall bee the deuiders that shall separate the good from the bad Oh that our seruice of God then were practised by vs according to our prayers For wee pray Thy will be done O Lord euen on earth as it is in Heauen that is by vs Christians on earth as by holy angels in heauen The Angels seeing and beholding this great and wonderfull sacred mystery Prayse God continually crying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Saboth should not wee also both by prayers and praises magnifie our God vncessantly The Angels most readily exceute Gods will should not we with King Dauid say Our hearts are prepared we are ready to doe thy wil O Lord. The Angels loue God aboue all things why do we esteeme any thing in the World but for him and for his sake as helpers to leade vs towards him The Angels long after our saluation and much ioy therein Why doe wee thrust one another into Hell and heauinesse by our lewdnesse misperswasion and euill example The Angels desire yet further to see the perfection and finall consummation of this glorious mystery of Christs Kingdome why do wee wretches neglect the blessed meanes thereof which are offered vnto vs euery day Thus the blessed Angells doe because they are a part of the Châ—rch vniuersally considered whereof our Lord Christ is the head and they much ioy for our association with them whereby the ruine of those Angells that fell is repayred and for the Incarnation of the Son of God wherby they are in grace most assuredly confirmed for euermore Why should not wee hauing so cleare a reuclation and so displayed a sight both ' in Gods workes in Gods word and in the face of Iesus Christ Why should not wee I say Men and Brethren endeauour that we may doe Gods will in some measure on earth as the blessed Angels do in Heauen seeing God hath placed vs in the middest creating vs neyther Angels nor beasts but affording vs the meanes by the preaching of the Gospell that by Regeneration wee might become as glorious as the angels of Heauen and not by degeneration become worse then brute beasts For God hath giuen vs the sparkes of right reason to surpassebeasts and holy grace to surpasse our selues Is it not then
our daily thankefulnes for thine vnspeakeable fauours both towardes our bodies and towards our soules sowards our selues and children in this lise and in that to come Cause vs O Lord to tremble at thy fearefull iudgements that didst not spare the Angels that sinned but hast reserued them in chaines of darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day O Lord if thou diddest not spare them for one sin what shall become of vs that haue sinned dayly against thee and do multiplie our iniquities as the haires of our head and as the sands of the sea shores which is innumerable O Father haue pitty vpon vs forgiue vs sweete Father forgiue vs for Christs sake and giue vs thy grace that wee may conâ—ert and turne vnto thee with all our hearts that those blessed spirites the Angels may haue ioy in our conuersion and repentance and we may ioyâ—e with them in the celebration and honour of thy great and glorious name for euermore O let vs bee partakers of that grace with thy blessed Angels which winneth infallibly holdeth inseparably and leadeth indeclinably into the wayes of eternall blessednesse Grant vnto vs these mercies O God of mercies for Christs sake our onely Mediator So shall wee that are thy people of thy pasture sheepe of thy flocke and Church of thy Redeemed as thy holy ones of heauen be euer telling of thy praise and magnifying thy goodnesse in Christ Iesus world without end Amen GOD PREACHED vnto the Gentiles Explication THis Mystery of Godlines you see hath been Manifestedin the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels that is It hath bin manifested vnto vs in the persoÌ„ of Christ in the power of Christ and in the knowledge seruice and ministration of the blessed Angels of Christ. What can we then say for our selues Haue not wee heard of this great mystery of godlines Hath it bin hidde in a corner from vs or whispered in the eare or beene knowne to a few or published to a handful of people in some angle or corner of the world Haue the Iewes onely had this made knowne vnto theÌ„ Assuredly God hath beene Preached There is the promulgation or proclamation of this mysterie God hath beene Preached to the Gentiles There is the large extent of this promulgation God preached vnto the Gentils For it hath pleased God by that which the world calleth the foolishnesse of Preaching to make knowne vnto the world his vnsearchable wisdome and the riches of his glorious grace in Christ. Preaching being the gift of the holy Ghost the spirit of prophesie the glad tydings of peace of good things and of saluation caused Esayas an Eâ—angelicall Prophet of the Lord to say That the very feet of them that brought this newes vnto the world were beautifull Preaching being the embassage of our reconciliationwith God in Christ the holy ordinance of God for the ordinary meanes of our sanctificatioÌ„ by grace in this world and the cleeare publication of our assured glorification in the other world caused Paul to say Woe is me if I preach not the Gospell so necessary it was for him and all beleeuers Preaching to youth is as Ezechiel his cleane water to asswage the heate of their concupiscence and to purge the old leauen of malitiousnesse It is as Solomon his wine to strengthen and glad the harts of the ancient It is as Saint Peter his milke for children to nourish and feede them vp to godlinesse It is as a soueraigne bath to heale all beleeuers with what disease of sinne soeuer they be ill affected and it is an antidoâ—e or counterpoyson against all the venome of our rottennes For Preaching is the celeâ—â—all chariot wherein the graâ—es and gifts of the holy ghost â—â—â—e continually conueyed â—nto vs. So Christ testifieth when â—â—e prayeth thus Sanctifie them O Father â—â—rough thy truth thy Word is â—â—uth And that we may not â—oubt what this Word is Saint Peter preacheth it That we are â—orne againe not of corruptible â—eede but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liueth and â—bideth for euer For all flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached vnto you Moreouer this Mysterie of Godlinesse God preached vnto the Gentiles Saint Peter had shewed vnto him in his practise of preaching For it is sayd While Peter yet preached these words the holy Ghost fell on all them that hard the Word Obserue this saying The gift of the holy Ghost fell on the auditors as Peter was a preaching Out of doubt preaching is the heauenly talent left vnto the ministers of the Gospell by their Maister Christ where withall they must negotiate and wherein they must imploy themselues vntill hee come againe vnto his great audite in the end of the world And the preaching of this mysterie is the power of our God the glory of our Preachers to the saluation both of Preachers and people Preaching hath the power of edification through God in Christ and worketh â—ightily in those that God â—ath set apart and designed â—o that businesse for the builâ—ing vp againe of those ruines which hath beene battered downe by sinne and Saâ—han For the brused reede it must not breake nor the smoking flaxe it must not quench if God in Christ direct it but whereas knowledge puffeth vp this buildeth vp vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Preaching is the voyce of God whereby hee preacheth and publisheth his holy will and last testament by men vn-the sonnes of men In a word Preaching is the Manna from heauen to feede our soules the dewe of Hermon to water our barrennesse the lampe and light of God in the darkenesse of this world for our direction the sword of truth to cut asunder the Gordian knots of heresie schisme and controuersie for our satisfaction the wall of fire by Gods promise to encompas vs from enraged beasts for our protectioÌ„ the reuelatioÌ„ of the rock of our faith to build vpon for thetestification of our ful assurance in Christ the touchstone of our coÌ„uersatioÌ„ for our tryalls in all cases of conscience the key that openeth heauen to the â—eleeuers and shutteth heauen to impenitents by Gods dispensation It is the Dauids harpe the musicke thereof so delighteth the soule that it doth not faint neither is altogether wearyed with the tediousnes of our banishment in this world It is the pricelesse antidote more pretious then Nepente or Molâ—â— so much famoused by the ancient for 〈◊〉 expels by the power of â—â—e spirit which accomâ—nyeth it all euills and 〈◊〉 diuells It followeth next to whom his Mystery was preached â—uen to the very heathen Genâ—les Preached vnto the Genâ—iles Now it comes to be consiâ—ered that the time was when â—he dewe of heauen fell onely â—on the
the World in respect of this as did Moses the powers of darkenesse and the gates of hell as the walles of Iericho shall fall downe before mee as those did before thy Ioshuah I shall subdue all mine enemies bee they neuer sâ—many neuer so mighty neuer so malitious as did Dauid his Worthies and shall sanctifie all my corrupted actions affections healing that which halted and binding vp the broken parts as did thine Holy Prophets So shall I triumph ouer hell vanquish â—death and liue with thee for euer O Lord thou art not wont to quench smoaking flaxe nor to breake a brused reed nor to let a repenting soule goe pensiue from thy presence O looke vpon me with one glimpse of thy countenance and enflame mine heart with zeale that feeles it selfe touched with the fire of thine Alter Oh saue me for thy pitty sake and take mee ouâ— of the multitude of vnbeleeuers that I may seeke and serue thee for euer Distill thy heauenly dewe into my bowels Let it runne like oyle into my bones Let it bee as a fruitful and effectuall plantation in mine hart that I may not be one of the number of those that say they haue faith and professe it also but without fruite but of those who with neuer altering resolutions treade the trace of that sacred faith that worketh by loue ouercommeth the world holdeth alwayes the sacred truth and leadeth into the wayes of eternall ioy and happiâ—nesse by thy effectuall and sauing grace Grant this O Father of Heauen for Christ Iesus sake thy blessed Sonne and mine eternall Sauiour Amen GOD RECEIVED vp in Glory Explication THis Mystery of Mankind you see hath now led vs from Gods humiliation in the flesh to GOD iustified in the Spirit from vision of Angels to reuelation vnto men from thence to beleeuing and now are wee come to the exaltation therof for God was receyued vp in Glory That is Christ Iesus God and man in our nature is ascended vp into heauen to take possession in our nature of that glory which hee had in himselfe from all eternity but hath purchased it for vs his redeemed Church with his most precious bloud For it was necessary that Christ â—hould suffer aud so enter into â—lory Not that this was of â—bsolute necessity that he must needs suffer For in respect of himselfe this glory was his â—rom euerlasting but was necessary he should enter into â— by suffering onely in reâ—pect of vs that the humiliaâ—ion of the Sonne of God becomming Man might be the â—ause of the exaltation of the â—ature of Man For when he â—ersonally assumed the naâ—ure of Man and became Man Man became God â—lmightie hauing all powâ—r and a name aboue all â—ames that the abasing of â—e diuine Maiestie and perâ—on of the Sonne of God â—ight bee the high aduanâ—â—ng and exaltation of the â—â—rme of a seruant For when God began to be Man and Man began to be God God began to be a Man in subiection and humilitie and man to be God in the height of perfection For if God were humbled as much as hee might be in that he became Man was not Man exalted as much as hee might be in that he became God Herein vndoubtedly appeared the wisdome and power of our God that his Sonne in obedience to the Father beeing abazed to the lowest degree of humiliation for vs should by his owne power and not as Enoch and Elias were by anothers power be exalted to the supreme height of exaltation in the sight of all the world both of men and Angels Therefore we beleeue that hee which Ascended is the same that Descended first into â—o the lowest parts of the â—arth Descended when his â—ody was layde in the graue Descended when his soule separated from the body went â—o the place where the soules departed were Descended when his Deitie exhibited â—t selfe into the lowest pit to â—he terror of the diuels and â—urther despayre of the damâ—ed Descended when the power of his passion did exâ—end it selfe euen to those exâ—reme parts Descended when â—e suffered those extreme anguishes and torments which for our sakes by his Fathers will he was willing to endure Descended when he deliuered those that deceased before his resurrection and brought them by the power of his sufferings into the place where they now are And he that thus Descended is the same that Ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Euen hee our Lord Christ that in our nature was accompted but a most despicable man yea a worme and no man that vndertooke our sinnes the cause of his suffrings that endured a cursed death the punishment due for our transgressions euen he that in the entrance of this bottomlesse sorrow had his soule heauy vnto the death and made strong cries and teares to bee deliuered and in the progresse thereof had clods of bloud breaking from him and when he was deepest in vttered that dreadfull clamor expressing a most horrible passion My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Euen hee I say now tâ—â—umphes ouer all the powers of hel and the heauens stoope downe and receiue him vp in glory And this the power and mighty hand of our God hath wrought for vs to the glory of his great name which be praysed and blessed for euer By God wee vnderstand â—he hypostaticall vnion of the diuine and humane natures â—n the person of Christ Iesus By Receiued vp wee conceiue not a momentany but by degrees of time a locall motion ascending from an inferiour place to an higher and by Glory is meant that hee was exalted aboue these visible heauens and receiued throgh the spheares the cataracts of heauen opening vnto him euen that hee might sit at the right hand of God in great Maiesty and highest glory for euermore in the heaueÌ„s of the blessed The circuÌ„staÌ„ces of this article of our Christian faith is most euidently in all the particulars set down in holy wâ—it The place where he was receiued vp was mount Oliuet neere to Ierusalem the cittie where he was so abased euen there there I say was hee taken vp into the glory of the father in the sight of his cursed enemies The manner of his ascent was a cloud receiued him vp The heauens stoope downe to doe homage vnto the heire of heauen and earth For by the same power whereby he made all things in the begining hee also lift vp himsele aboue all things that are created His passage naturall without either change or diffusion of his natures His Session also actuall For according to his true naturall being hee sits at the right hand of God and according to his personall being he is euery where The time of his ascent was â—ortie dayes after his resurreâ—tion from the graue For so â—ong was he conuersing with â—is people after his passion â—hat they might bee the more â—scertayned of the truth of his â—rising from the dead and â—ight be informed and confirmed the
hold faste our profession For wee haue not an high Priest that cannot bee touched with our infirmities but was in all partes tempted like as wee are without sinne And albeit wee reade that Moses and Samuel Noah Daniel and Iob those holy men were not powerfull to preuayle with God in some cases for others yet no where can it bee found that our Lord Iesus Christ had euer the repulse for his chosen For hee is the Sonne in â—hom the Father is well â—leased Let the curious questioner come hither and if hee aske How is Christ with vs vnto the end of the world as he promised if he be receiued vp in glory I answer that hee who Was before Abraham is with vs by his grace and power of his holy spirit that liue in the faith of Abraham His departure hence into heauen beeing for our exceeding great Comfort and benefite For where should an aduocate bee but before the Iudge pleading his Clyents cause where should a Captaine bee but fighting with the enemies without the Citie And the father of a great family doth not alwayes reside at home but trauelleth into a farre country about his affayres to prouide for his houshold So Christ himselfe testifies That vnlesse he depart the Comforter should not come Not vnlike the glorious sunne of the firmament which when it is furthest from vs in locall distance it is neerest vnto vs in power and effect as appeareth in the Summer season For then the beames of the Sunne are more pâ—ercing albeit it bee further of because then they are direct and perpendicular which in the Winter though the body of the Sunne bee neerer yet the rayes thereof are oblique and aside Semblably the bodyly presence of Christ on earth wrought not so effectually in his Apostles and other the faithfull as his holy spirit did after his departure which hee powred out on them in great measure as hee promised for then were their hearts throughly resolued their willes fully purposed and their zeales feruently onflamed Yea let the most Seraphicall and most Cherubicall soules that liue come hither and see what the Angels of heauen admire at who beholding Christ Iesus ascending with this glorious conquest of his redeemed church say but by way of admiration Who is shee that looketh foorth as the Morning bright as the Sunne pure as the Moone terrible as an Armie with ensignes Nay blessed soules to which of the Angels sayde God at any time as hee doth to our Lord Christ Emanuell thou art my sonne And againe I will bee thy Father and thou shalt bee my Sonne yea the Angels are commanded to adore him and the son is bid to sit down at the right hand of the Father in the glory of heauen Lastly lâ—t the simple and honest soule come hither and learne not to seeke Christ on earth in a Wafer Cake as the Popelings doe but as the Apostle counselleth in heauen saying If you bee risen with Christ seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and where hee must bee vntill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world beganne Set therefore your mindes on heauen and heauenly things and not on earth and earthly things Heauen is now opened enter thou into the holy of holyest for thou art O my soule past the vtter and inner Court Thy Mediator is in heauen pray thou here in earth that hee may heare in heauen and speake for thee Our â— flesh is in heauen in the person of Christ whereby wee see that the glory wee haue won by Christ is greater then the disgrace and curse that the malice of the diuell brought vpon vs by Adam The diuels maliceâ— and our sinne cast vs out of Paradice but Christs loue and sufferings for sinne makes vs sit in heauenly places with him In a word our triumph is in heauen who would not fight the battaile manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell being assured by the captaine of the victorie Wee may also hence perceiue how God tenderly and louingly dealeth with vs euen as Moses sayth hee dealt with his owne people the Israelites And how was that euen as the Eagle sayth hee doth with her young The Eagle couereth her young with her winges so God doth with the winges of his safe protection She sometimes perceiuing her young ones dull and drooping gently peckes them with her becke to stirre them vppe so God by afflictions doth quicken his children yea sometimes the Eagle taketh away her young ones meate and flyeth vp into the ayre to entice and prouoke them to practise and endeuour to soare on high-euen so God the Father hath receiued vp Christ Iesus our heauenly Manna into glory that wee should learne to aspyre and soare vpwards that where hee is there wee might bee also And to this ende the two Angells tolde vs at his receiuing vppe into this glory that hee should in the same manner descend to iudgement in the ende of the world which wee expâ—ct with patience nay long and looke for and crye in our hearts Comâ— Lord Iesus Come quickly and wee doe nothing more seriously while wee are on earth but call to minde in holy meditations the Lords death and shew it to the eyes of our faith vntill his comming againe in partaking of his blessed body bloud in the Sacrament that by the power thereof wee may bee established that we turne not this great grace into wantonnesse nor neglect our Lord Iesus who is thus exalted into the highest glory not for himselfe for he had that glorie before the world was but for vs his redeemed people so that now here is the exaltation and supereminent height of faith euen euerlasting life The Being whereof is called Glorie and our Estate there Glorification To this doe all the goldly aspire that they may bee where Christ Iesus is to beholde his Maiesty and his glory in the Kingdome of GOD the father The Metropolis of which Kingdome is the Heauen of the blessed the Confines are Eternity the chaire of Estate is the thrones the houses of the Courtiers are the visions of Angels and Saints God is there as the King Christ as the Prince the Church as the Queene the Virgines as the Handmaides the Nobles are the Patriarkes and Prophetes the Notaries are Euangelists the Prelates are the Doctors of the Church the Souldiers are Martyres and the Subiects are all the blessed In which Kingdome are all things to bee desired Desire you riches Glorie riches are in his house Desire you gold The Citie it selfe is of pure gold Desire you honour O God such honor as this glorie haue all thy saints Desire you pleasures At Gods right hand are pleasures for euermore Desire you knowledge In Christ are al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge Desire you Libertie Ierusalem which is aboue is free Loue
to consume thee no tempest to affright thee no colde â—o molest thee no heate to offend no plague to kill thee no calamity to afflict thee O Christian soules endeauour to ascend to your Christ Iesus vnto and into this glorie and bee not discouraged eyther with the long distance from you or with the maruellous height aboue you For with as much faciâ—itie as the Diuels were deâ—ected from Heauen in Gods â—ispleasure you shall be lifted â—p to Heauen by the fauour of Christ. The hand of the Lorde of Hostes that cast them out â—nto the bottomlesse pitte â—hall bee stretched foorth to â—eceyue you vp into glorie â—nd that in a moment in the winckling of an eye Oh how amiable are our goings towardes the Lorde of Hostes Sanctuarie in the progresse of diuine vertues Humility doth lift vs vp aboue the earth Pouertie in Spirite aboue the water Contrition aboue the ayre Good workes aboue the fire Faith Hope Loue Discretion Constancie Temperance Righteousnesse aduanceth vs aboue the seuen Planets our conuersation aboue the Emperiall Heauens Purity of heart dooth bring vs vp to the sight of God and vnto the glory of the blessed For three places God hath appointed hâ—â— Children to liue in the Wombe this Earth the Heauens In the wombe in a narrow place for a short time some nine monethes In the earth a place of greater extent and a longer season some seauentie yeares And lastly in Heauen a place of extent without limit and for terme without time euen for euer and euer And as the second place farre exceedeth the first both in largenesse of Extent and in continuance of time so the third place of our most happie being incomparably surpasseth the second in both for it is without limmit of locall scite and without all determinatioÌ„ of time for length of dayes O Christ come vnto vs and into vs with these thy graces that wee may come to thee and into that glory where thou ruâ—est and raignest with God the Father and the Holy spirite for euermore O Lord lift vp mine heart vnto theâ— O Eternall God and most mercifull Father in Christ Iesus who dwellest in the thrones of immortality and blisse vouchsafe to looke vpon vs thy humbled Creatures that lye here beneath and groane to bee deliuered from the bondage of our corruption into the freedome of thy goodnesse Thou hast taken vp from vs our Lord Iesus and hast set him at thy right hand in Maieâ—ty and great glorie O when shall wee come â—nd behold the beautie of thine â—ouse and the blessednesse of thy Saintes Lâ—sten Lord vnto our supâ—lications and for our Aduocates â—ake that pleades our cause beâ—ore thee in heauen Let vs be dissolued that we â—ay bee with thee and with our â—eloued Iesus Who for vs men â—â—me downe from Heauen and â—as humbled to deâ—th that wee might liue with thee for euer Behold O Lord God how wee runne after him in the sweet sauour of his diuine perfumes WheÌ„ hee liued here with vs on earth he disdayned not Matâ—eâ— a publican hee abandoned not Peter a denyer of him nor cast away Paule a perâ—ecutor nor despised Marie Magdalen a courtezan nor refused to hear a Cananaatish woman the blinde the lame the dumbe the deafe yea the possessed with diuels hee had compassion vpon Therefore now wee wretches here beneath albeit our conâ—â—tion is farre worse then any of those yet wee conceiue comfort that now in his glorified estate he will also grant vs his pittie and compassion and by the power of his grace whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe will conquer our stubborn and disobedient hearts and makâ— them plyable and conformableâ— to his sacred Lawes That we may not reason in our vnderstanding nor enclineâ— our affections downewards but as he is receiued vp in glory so we may set our selues and soules to seeke and search after him in all heauenly things O Lord the dead prayse thee not they that goe downe into the pit doe not remember thee what benefit is there in our blood what glory is there to thee in the land of obliuion where thou art not once thoght vpon O God let the deuouring and despayring gulfe bee the portion for the diuels and the damned that neuer seeke thee in thy beloued Let that vale be for the children of Hinnon that bottomlesse pit for the Locusts that lake of brimstone for thy Christs enemies that second death for the desperate that weeping and wayling for the heathen that hath not knowne thee that hell for the dâ—spisers of thy Sonnâ— that euerlasting fire for the Abaddon and his seruants but as for those that sue for fauour vnto thee and lye at thy mercy gate for grace and beg but the crums let them be deliuered because of thy beloued let them reioyce on thy saluation let them see the sight of thy saints and bee glad with the light of thy countenance for euer O speake comfortably vnto their soules and let their hearts euermore reioyce before thee Oh tender hearted Father giue them a tast in this life of the happinesse of the other and a glimpse of that glory wheâ— into Christ Iesus is receiued That so our hearts may bee enflamed our wills enclined our affections setled and our whole selues knit vnto thee that neither sinne nor Sathan life nor death things present nor things to come may separate vs from the loue and exceeding thirst and desire of beeing where Christ our treasure is Let not the diuell with any of his subtill and slie delusions carrie vs downeward in tempting vs with our vnworthinesse our euill our wretchednesse in putting into our mindes that we are predestinate and ordayned of old to destruction and that whatsoeuer we do â—r say or pray it auailes not for â—t cannot alter thy decree and so â—y this meanes cast vs into desâ—erate carelessenesse But O Lord â—each our soules to reason and â—ommune with our owne hearts 〈◊〉 going vpwards where Christ â—esus is receiued vp in glory that â—e beleeuing and louing thee our God liuing in thy grace calling â—pon thee dayly may worke out â—ur saluation with feare and â—embling And do thou O God ascertain â—ur conscience that these things â—re the actions and affections of â—ose that are ordayned to blisse â—â—d life euerlasting in the merits of thy deare Sonne Christ Iesus our Lord. To this blessed purpose assist vs O God in all the occurrences of our life at home and abroade in businesse and in leasure in prosperitie and aduersitie in sickenesse and in health that we may still haue our minds lift vppe vnto thee through the power of our Prince of peace Christ Iesus and euer vse these things of this life to further our saluation in him that at the last when wee shall come 〈◊〉 our fatall and finall dissolution iâ— this world the way of all flesh we may bee receiued vp by thy goodnesse and ministerie of thy blessed Angels into those
euerlasting habitations and taberncles of thy triumphant Church where Christ our head is To whom with thee and the sacred spirit bee all glory and houour might and maiestie ascribed of Angels in heauen and men on â—arth throughout all generations in thy Church for 〈◊〉 more Amen FINIS Witnesse the Remonstrants monstrous opinions in West-Freezeland Bonus sanguis non mentitur Luc. 24. 13. An abridgement of controuersies raysed from the word of the Context 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred without controuersie Leuit. 9. 16 Luc. 6. 31. Rom. 13 9. Ioh. 13. 34 Gen. 13. Origen lib. 7 ad Rom. 9. Psal. 133. 1. 1. Cor. 12. 12. Gal. 5. 12. Mat. 4. 22. 1 Ioh. 3. 15 Sit procul a Christi discordia saeua ministris Namque Deus poterit non nisi pace coli Nullalues ouibus tantum non vlla venena Quantum pastorum dissidia ipsa nocent Phil. Melanct in Epigram Non ego Caluimum magnnm nec curo Lutherum Venus vterque placet falsus vterque iacet Mat. 15. 13. The Lords day Rom. 5. Psal. 51. Iac 1. Apoc. 21. Exod. â— 2 Reg. 23. 2 Thes. 4 3 Col. 1 Act. 15 Heb. 12. Apoc. 17. Apoc. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Mat 18. Gal. 6 Sancti ceu sanguine tincti 2. Cor. 4. Heb 1. 2 Tim. 3. Mat. 10. Luc 6. Ioh 1. Tit. 3. Ioh. 3. Psal. 51 Act. 15. Mat. 5. Mendacii multiplex diuortium Aug. Dan. 7. Mat. 19. Mat. 17. 2. Tim. 6. 2 Pet. 1. 2 Tim. 2. Iohn 3. Act. 7 Eph. 2 1 Cor. 15. Luc. 22. Rom. 14. Application 1 Cor. 15. Eph. 4. Psal. 91. 11 Zach. 2 Psal. 34. Cant. 3. Luc. 19. Rom. 28. psal 119. psal 27. â—oh 6. psal 119. Psal. 31. 19. Psal. 118. 15 Mat. â—7 Caâ—t 2. Prou. 14. Pro. 30. Psal. 19. 2. Cor. 7. Eph. 4. Rom. 8. â— Cor. 7. 11 Phil. 4. Heb. 6. 4. 10. 29. Gal. 5. Psal. 51. Psal. 19. Psal. 11. Luk. 16. Apoc. 14. Psal 144 1. Thess 4. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Phil. 3. Apoc. 7. 2. Thes. 2 1. Ioh. 5. Psal. 14. 2 Cor. â— 4. Psal. 9. Rom. 9. Heb. 10. Act. 10. Mors aequo pede pulsat pauperum taberna Regumque turres Horat. Luk. 10. Inuocation 2 The first day of the weeke August l. 7. cap. 4. de Trin. Iob. 6. 26. Ier 32. 19. Ro. 11. 33. Deut. 29. 29. Dyonys Areopag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origén Iust Mart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 103. Luk 2. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 8. Act. 2. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Ioh. 3. Rom. 1. Ioh. 1. 14. Heb. 5. 7 1 Iohn 4. 2. Ita celeberima illa concilia Nicenum contra Arrianum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constant. cont Apol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephel cont Nestor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calcedon contra Eutichen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc mysterium in veteri Testamento fuit velatum in nouo Reuelatum Exod. 1. Mat. 2. 1 Reg. 3. Luc. 2. Exo. 20. Mat. 4. Gen. 49. Mich. 5. 2. Esa. 7. 14. Zac. 11. 13. Psal. 41. 9. Application Mat. 11. Mic 6. Mat. 5. Ioh. 1. In earth In heauen Apollo Collophonius quaerenti Quis aut quid deuâ— respondit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lâ—ctan de de fals vill cap. 7. Can. 2. Deut. 4. Heb 1. Heb. 4. Heb. â— Apoc. 3. Ioâ— 14. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 3. Psal. 24. Mat. 5. Cant. 3. Inuocation 3. The second day of the weeke Psal. 51. Act 2. Rom. 1. 2. Non humano more sed diuina puritate Gal. 2. 20. Iohn 6. Rom. 8. Gen. 1. Aug. lib. 1. Confess Application Apoc. 3 Rom. 8. Cor. 15. 1 Ioh. 3. Mich. 6. Iohn 16 Eccles. 7. 2 Cor. 4. 4. This Record remaines in the acts of Parrie his arraignmeÌ„t Act 16. Rom. 2. Phil. 3. 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Tim. 3. Act. 19. In occulto ait Bernard Act. 17. Phil. 3. 16. 1. Ioh 4. A se. 1. Cor 2. Inuocation The third day of the weeke Haec crypta magis Platonicorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam Christianorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theologiam sperare iudicamus Eph. 3. 10. Col. 1. 16. Dan. 7. 10. Iunius in Iocum Dan 7. Mat. 26. Heb. 12. 22. Vident animo eloquere mi fili vt te videam Senec. Mat. 18. Eph. 3. 10. Dan. 9. 24. Mat. 1. Luk. 1. Luk. 2. Mat. 2. Mat. 4. Luk. 22. Mat. 26 Mat. 28. Ioh. 20. 20. Act 1. 11 Mat. 8. Luke 8. Mar. 5. Act. 16. Luk. 10. 17. ApplicatioÌ„ Heb. 1. Psal. 91. Mat. 18. Gen. 16. Es. 38. Act. 12. Mat. 4. Psal. 91. Act. 27. Gen. 28. Luc. 16. 1 Cor. 15. Mat. 1 3 Mat. 25. Es. 6 Apoc. 12 Mat. 4. Iohn 4. Mat. 25 1 Cor. 6. 2. Pet. 1. 1. Thess 4. Mat. 25. Tim. 21. Heb. 12. Inuocationâ— The fourth day of the weeke 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Ezec. 16. Cant 1. Ioh. 17. 1. Pet. 1. Act. 10. Mat. 26. Rom. 1. 1. Cot. 13. Preached vnto the Gentiles Iud. 6 Rom. 3. Eph. 3. Rom. 2. Rom. 9. The Iewes reiected Muta deâ— Mat. 10. Es. 2. 2. Es 5. 5. Esa. 65. Psal. 2. Mat 2 Mat. 9. Act. 9. Act. 10. Application Mal. 2. Apoc. 2. Iob. 33. 2. Cor. 5. Ier. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 2. Reg. 2. Ioh. 9. Ioh. 11. Act. 5. Mat. 10. Apoc. 1 Prou. 6. Es. 55. Iohn 8. Act. 2. Act. 26. Of Wooden that Heathen Idoll remayneth at this day in some shires of England a â—rench called VVansditch Inuocation The fift day of the weeke Iohn 17 1 Iohn 5. I oh 14. Gal. 5. 2. Pet. 3. Psal. 72. Apoc. 7. Apoc. 7. Act. 2. Act. 4. Turcissimus Papa ait Luth. Mat. 3. Ioh. 14. Mat 8. Luc. 23. Ier. 14. â— 1 Spiritâ—s SS causa fidâ—â—procatarctica Sp. est qui sensum dat assensum mouet Bern. Act. 16. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Verbum praedicatum est causa demivrgica via ad verbum genitum 1. Tim. 4. 3 Vita aeterna causa fidei teleiot iâ—a 1. Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 3. Heb. 4. Act. 15. Apoc. 14. Act. 2. Application Act. 4. Gal. 3. Apoc. 12. Gen. 49. Psal. 14. 1. Thes. 4. Mat. 24. 1 King 19. Ezech. 1. Gen. 8. Mat. 17. Esay 6. Apoc 1. Hosh. 14. Saluificâ— fidei tribuuntur hi quatnor Tituli 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Ioh. 5. Inuocation The sixt day of the weeke Act. 1. Eph 1. Ioh. 14. Rom. 10. Application Gen. 1. Luc. 23. Act 7. Phil. 3. 1. Ioh. 4. Ioh. 14. Mat. 28. Ioh. 8. Ioh. 14. Cant. 6. Col. 3. 1. Cor. 5. Apoc. 22. Apoc. 21. Ezech. 16. Psal. 120. Psal. 42. Rom. 1 1 Cor. 15. Inuocaon