But that feare lasted not long q Luke 24. 2. 3 When they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away And they went in but found not the body of the Lord IESVS What should they now thinke Or how should they come to learne what was become of him Sure they were that there hee was laid and being dead had no power to conuay himselfe away from thence The likeliest was that some body had taken him vp and caried him away to some other place Sir r Ioh. 20. 15. saith Mary Magdalen to one who shee thought had bin the Gardiner If thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast laide him and I will take him away Thou shalt not neede to bee in feare of hauing thy garden annoyed or troubled with him any further ſ Ioh. 20. 2. His Apostles were informed of this doubtfull matter To Ver. 6. assure themselues the better they runne to the sepulchre they find the linnen clothes in which hee was wrapped the Ver. 7. kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in aplace by it selfe Hauing Ver. 17. seen this they return back whēce they came Mary staies to her Iesus discouers himselfe What should I make many words The proofe of this point belōgs to an other place Death had done his worst in despite of him the Lord Iesus is risen again leauing him ashamed cōquequered To e Luk 24. 5. 6. this the Angels beare witnes Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead He is not here n but is risen I speake of knowne things it is enough to name them Wee see for all this goodly discourse that death still seizeth vpon all men let them be neuer so well setled in Iesus Christ he plucks them vp carries them away with him into the graue What is become of the holy Apostles where is his blessed mother the virgin Is there life in the head when the members of the body die so fast euery day And not one or two a ioint or a finger or a limme but the very principall parts yea all one other Doost thou doubt whether there bee life in him or no who hath wrastled with death and ouerthrowne him Can death preuaile against him now he liueth whom he could not keepe in subiection when he had him dead buried u Rom. 5. 9. 10. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that hee died he died once to sinne but in that be liueth hee liueth to God Sinne had his due a sacrifice of infinit worth to pay the price of mans redemption now must God also haue his due that hee that liueth to him may liue for euer But I would not haue any man so much deceiue himselfe as to imagin that the dying of them which are in Christ is an argument of the continuance of the authoritie or power of death No no beloued there is an other reason of this dissolution Alas alas death doth not aduance his owne estate and kingdome by this meanes but serues the Lords turne to bring his purpose to effect It fares with him in this case as it did in the death of our Sauiour That which hee thought to establish his power by by that he destroied it So is it in the death of those that are Christs The body as now it is is neither capable of immortalitie and fit for the seruice of sinne How shall it be prepared to receiue the one how purged and clensed from the other but by death Flesh bloud x 1. Cor. 15. 50. saith the Apostle can not inherit the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Wouldest thou haue part in our Sauiour Christs immortalitie that thou mightest bee free from death Die then that thou maiest be ridde of mortalitie Art thou affraid Of what Least death should be too strong for thee if he once ger thee into his clouches Hast thou not an example in Christ I am aliue y Reuel 1. 18. saith he but I was dead and beholde I am aliue for euermore But thou fearest because thy body shall be turned into dust O foole * 1 Cor. 15. 36 saith the Apostle that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die Keepe thy corne aboue ground because if thou put it into the earth it will consume that thou shalt neuer finde it againe Where then shall the fresh greene blade appeare When shall the stalke grow vp When shall it eare When shall it flower Shall not all this glorie bee lost if the graine bee not sowed in the furrowes of the earth And art thou so I will not say fearefull but foolish and childish that thou darest not die once that thou maist liue for euer Plucke vp thy spirits and bee no longer a childe but a man were it not better for thee to die a thousand deaths then to bee continually disquieted with the motions of thy corruption Thou hast now some life of Christ in thee by the power of his spirit which inables thee to fight against sinne and to preuaile But there is no finall subduing of it till the body be destroied which doth so incline draw thee to the seruice thereof Neither hath the spirit of God quiet or full possession of thy soule as long as that corruption abides therein And that as it was bred with thee must die with thee there is no other course appointed by God to rid thee of it I doubt not but thou art now resolu'd to desire death whē it shall please God seeing there is no way to life but by it with this resolution I leaue thee that I may speak a word or two to thē that are yet out of Christ And how shall I addresse my speech vnto them It is needlesse to inflame them with a desire of life For they are wholly possest with that already It is in vaine to perswade them they shall neuer die if they be in Christ For all experience teacheth the contrary Shall I exhort them not to feare that which they cannot auoide They may learne that in the schoole of reason what remaines then At the least giue mee leaue to aduise you how you may make the best of that which can by no meanes bee escaped You are resolued there is no way with you but one Die you must and it is vncertaine how soone Yet if you may die so that you may be sure to liue againe that for euer what hurt can there be in death what feare should there be of it A crab stock that hauing his head boughts armes cut off is graffed with a pippin or some other dainty fruit can not reasonably complaine of hurt but rather hath great cause to reioice and glory Hath hee any wrong done him that hauing his cottage of clay pulled downe hath a goodly palace of stone built for his dwelling
long continued negligence To which purpose I haue especially made choice of this piece of Scripture If any man pretende the hardnesse of the matter what is more easie or more pleasant then a story If any man despise the plainenesse of it as a thing not worth his labour because a storie what is more strange or mysticall then such a Storie The Gospell is the easiest part of the Newe Testament But the Gospell of Saint Iohn is the hardest part of all the Euangelists writings yea I dare boldelie saie it because I am sure I shall speake it truely there is no one part of all the Scripture setting allegories and prophecies not fulfilled apart that conteines matters more needefull or more hard to be knowen then this present Gospell or message of ioyfull tydings brought to vs by the holy Euangelist the beloued Disciple of our Sauiour Christ 2. Of whome that I may speake a little for the farder inciting of vs to hearken diligently to that hee writes first I will entreat of his person then of his writing That which k 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 the Apostle Peter sayth of the olde Testament that no prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation but that holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost is also to bee applied to the writings of the newe Testament which proceeded from the same spirit of God by the like inspiring and directing as it is confessed by all both Protestants and Papists that make any profession of Christian Religion For the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ were the Penners of all these books saue l The Gospells of S Marke and S. Luke and the Acts. three and m Ioh. 16. 13 to them the holy Ghost was both promised by him to leade them into all truth and n Act. 2. 3. 4 accordingly sent so that there can be no question but the new Testament as well as the olde is the certaine truth of God equall in authority superior in plainnesse knowledge of particulars belonging to euerlasting saluation But you wil demand perhaps how we may be assured that the Apostles were the immediate Authors of these books First we haue the same proof of the new Testament that wee haue of the Olde the ioynt consent of Christians in all ages from time to time Secondly who seeth not the admirable prouidence of God in preseruing these bookes in such glorious reputation maugre the power malice of the mighty ones of this world their great master Satan Thirdly who can be so shamlesse as to deny or suspect the credit of those auncient Christians who liuing in the Apostles times might did certainely knowe either by o Gal. 6. 11 Col. 4. 18. 2. Thes 3. 17 1. Cor 16. 21 the hand or by some marks which the Apostles vsed as it were signing and sealing or by enquirie of the Apostles themselues that those bookes were indeed of their writing From them this knowledge came to their next successors and successiuely to vs that now liue by such a generall consent of so many thousands in all ages that it were more then impudencie to make question of the matter howsoeuer our Papists in these dayes to make all men depende on them that they may shew themselues to be Antichristian will haue the assurance of this point as of all other matters of faith to be fetcht from them that now liue from the authority of the Church of Rome that now is I may say the like of those other 3. Bookes the Gospels of Mark and Luke and the Acts of the Apostles which were acknowledged by the first Christians to thaue been endited by the spirit of God and as p August prolog in Ioan. it is recorded by some to haue beene approued for such by the Apostle S. Iohn who doubtlesse liuing till after the decease of all them that are saide and belieued to be the writers of these and the other books of the new Testament would haue disclaim'd the authority of thē informed the Church against them if he had not certainly knowen that they were al the holy Ghosts owne enditing But it is not my purpose nor is it necessarie to that I haue in hand to dispute this question onely it seemed to me not amisse to speake thus much in this entrance as it were by the way to preuent such obiections as might perhaps disquiet the mindes of some not so thoroughly setled For whose better satisfaction I will add that which is of most importance namely the matter conteined in these books which is apparantly such for the substance of it as the heart and head of man were neuer able to deuise yea such witnesse q 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10 the holy Apostle Saint Paul as neither ey hath seene eare hath heard nor euer came into any mans heart But God hath reueiled it to vs by his Spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God This strangenesse of the matter is seconded in them that beleeue to saluation by an vnspeakeaioy and comfort in their soules conceiued vpon a feeling of the pardon of their sins and a certaine hope of euerlasting happinesse in the life to come In the last place comes the testimony of the spirit of God which as it were the broade seale makes vp the assurance both of the matter and the bookes in which it is comprised If you aske me how I can discern the witnesse of the Spirit from the illusion of Satan and the imagination of mine owne brain giue me leaue also to demand a like question of you How could the Prophets whose ministery it pleased the holy Ghost to vse from time to time make a difference betwixt the motions of the Lord himselfe and the suggestions you mention were they any more able to express this power of discerning then the faithfull now are I grant they could make proofe of their calling and the reuelations they had by a miraculous foretelling of things to come But neither were those prophesies any certaine proofes till the euent confirmed the truth of them and my question remaines still vnanswered How they could discerne that the things which they prophecied of were reuealed to them by God and not suggested by any deceitfull working of the diuel Beare with mee I beseech you if I a little forget my selfe in a matter of such importance and difficulty wherein I would be yet more bolde with your patience but that I trust and purpose to handle this point more at large vpon some iuster occasion hereafter The conclusion is that no reasonable man much more that no Christian may without great inciuility or weakenesse of faith make any question of the truth of these books which haue continued in estimation and authority by the space of so many hundred years in despight of so many so learned and so mighty enemies whereas the doctrine it self by which through the power of God it hath and doth
p Orig. in Ioan. lib. 1. Athanas contr Arian quod verbum e◠Deo sit that second interpretation which by the beginning vnderstandeth God who is no where so called in Scripture Both these expositions for the matter of them are true but not warrantable by this place There are two other explications of this word which agree for the sense of the place that our Sauiour eternall being is here signified though they differ much in the meaning of the word it selfe The former will haue the beginning to bee taken for Eternitie the later referres it to the first creation of all thinges Against the former some take exception because they say the Word Beginning is neuer found in that sense in the Scripture But that may well bee doubted of because it is sayd of our Sauiour that q Iohn 6. 64. Hee knew from the beginning who they were that beleeued not and who should betray him Now this he knew from all eternitie For r Hb. 13 nothing is hidde from him who is God euerlasting but all thinges are alwayes open in his sight Therefore the word may sometimes bee taken for eternitie But that will not serue the turne vnlesse wee can shew some place wherein it must necessarily bee so vnderstood Such as that of Iohn is not nay rather wee are directed by the Euangelist himselfe in another place to conceiue that by the beginning the calling of the Apostles is signified ſ Iohn 16. 4 These things sayd I not vnto you from the beginning that is I neuer tolde you of this matter from the first day of my being conuersant with you That place t Colos 1. 18 to the Colossians Hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead may also reasonably and more fitly bee referred to our Sauiour as mediator then as God euerlasting So can not that in the Reuelation where it is certaine by the first and last part of the verse that the Lords euerlasting being is described u Reuel 1. 8. I am A and Ω the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come Heere though beginning do not of it self note eternity yet with the ending it doth There is yet a plainer and certainer Text to put the matter out of doubt where x 2. Thess 2. 13 the Apostle saith that God hath from the beginning chosen the Thessalonians to saluation What is from the beginning but as the same Apostle speaketh in the like manner in y Ephes 1. 4 another place Before the foundation of the world It cannot therefore bee doubted but that by The beginning Eternitie is sometimes signified yet it is not plaine or certaine that it must so bee conceiued in this place But wee may reasonably perswade our selues that if our Euangelist had meant to haue the beginning taken for Eternitie hee would haue said as the holy Ghost dooth in the Scripture * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the beginning For indeed it is no fit speech to say of any thing which wee woulde note to be eternall that it is in Eternitie but that it hath beene or was from Eternitie Neither if wee vnderstand Eternitie by the beginning will this speech of Iohn suite so well witl that of Moses a Gen. 1. 1 In the beginning God created heauen and earth To which it is out of question our Euangelist alludes and in which Eternitie cannot by any meanes be signified What else then can be meant by the beginning bu◠the first creation of all things For what can any man more easily and readily vnderstand when hee reades or heares In the beginning then the beginning of time at the creation of the world Which also the rather to direct vs to this interpretation the Euangelist presently addes b Ioh. 1. 3 By him were all things made so shall Moses and Iohn agree and our Sauiour most fitly be kept out of that lumpe in the creation within which the blasphemy of heretickes would include him yea more then that hee shall easily be conceiued to haue beene from all eternity if he bee excepted from the generall creation wherin all things that are not eternall had their first beginning Whereas then our Euangelist sayth In the beginning The sense of the Euangelist was the word it is all one as if hee should thus haue spoken VVhen all things that haue not an euerlasting being of their owne nature began first to be by the almighty power of God the Creator who made them of nothing euen then hee that is the eternall VVord of the Father hee that from time to time hath declared the will of the Father he that was appointed and promised by the Father to be the Messiah bad already an euerlasting being not by the will of a superior power as a thing created but by the necessity of his owne diuine nature through the eternall generation of God his Father This is that which by our Euangelist is implyed in those fewe words This is that which it concernes all the faithfull to beleeue without doubting This is that which blasphemous c Ebiō Cerinthus denied This Epiphan Au◠Theodoret. vbi supra is that wherby their wicked heresie is condēned Thou tellest vs wretched hereticke as thou art that IESVS CHRIST had no Being till he was conceiued in the wombe of his mother the blessed Virgine The holy Ghost sayth He was in the beginning Thou wilt haue him younger then Mary the holy Ghost makes him elder then Adam In a word thou wouldst perswade vs that hee had his first beginning almost 4000. yeares after the world was created the H. Ghost enioyns vs to beleeue that he had neuer had any beginning For euen then already he was in perfect being when all things that had any beginning became something of nothing of not being began to be Shall I neede to note the doctrine of this text Who sees not that it teacheth vs the eternity of our Sauiour Christ Shall wee suite it with other places of Scripture The word of the holy Ghost in any one place is all-sufficient But let vs yeelde somewhat to humane weakenesse that by the mouth of two or three witnesses all excuse of infidelitie may be vtterly cut off Hearken then what he saith in d Reuelat. 1. 8 the Reuelation I am A Ω the beginning and the ending sayth the Lord which is and which was and which is to come Doth it trouble thee that is was is to come note a kind of succession in being If in our weakenesse wee could otherwise haue conceiued of euerlastingnesse the holy Spirit of God would haue spoken otherwise But who then should haue vnderstood him Surely not euery poore soule whome hee purposed to teach by the Scripture But if mysteries delight thee listen to our Sauiour in e Ioh. 8. 58. this Gospell Before Abraham was I am what is this I am before hee was I vnderstand
stretcht those words farder then they would reach so on the contrary side other Hereticks drew them into a narrower roume then they could endure For whereas by by all things we must vnderstand whatsoeuer had any beginning of being whether it be visible as the heauens the Earth the Sea men beasts fowles fishes or inuisible as the Angells and spirites some Hereticks denied that the one of these kinds was created by the Word some that the other The Valentinians were content to grant that hee made all things that are bodily and subiect to sense yea perhaps the soules of men too the Angells but yet for sooth they dreamt of I knowe not what e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Iren. lib. 1. cap. 1. 2. 3. other conceits which were not created by him The Manichees allowed God the creation of all inuisible spirits but they thought the world and the creatures in it too base a peece of worke for so glorious a worke-master not perceiuing ignorant wretches as they were that the making of the least creature requires infinite wisdome power But what should I enter into any refutation of these Heretickes All I meane to doe in such cases is to cleare the Text from such errors as they loade it withall Therfore it shall be sufficient against the one and the other that the Euangelist not only speakes so generally All things but also adds to take away all manner of cauills that nothing or not one thing was made without him Neither will it serue the Valentinians turne to say that their fancies were not made because whatsoeuer is not God had certainely a beginning of being from and by the Sonne and therefore those multitudes of their Aeones as they call them must needes bee made For being so many and so diuerse in nature it is not possible they hould be God as themselues also grant And for the first clause By him were all things made this may suffice I come to the second And without him was nothing made that was made Here because there is some variety in ioyning or sâ—uering the words which makes a difference in the meaning of the Euangelist it behoues vs first to seeke out the true pointing of the sentence and then wee may readily proceed to enquire after the sense thereof Some mingle part of this verse and part of the next together reading it thus Without him was made nothing that was made in him taking the two last words In him from the verse that followeth But this hath so little shew of reason in it that to rehearse it is to refute it For how idle a speech is it to say that nothing was made without him that was made in him that is by him As if any reasonable man could imagin that somthing was made by him which was made without him If any man wil interpret In him as the words properly signify it is yet more absurd For neither are al things f Tertull. contra Herâ—â—g cap. 2c in the Word taking In Properly and it is a manifest contradiction to say that a thing is made in this or that and yet made without it that is not within it g August an Ioa. tract 1. Other thrust the later part of this verse to the fourth and make it part thereof in this sort That which was made in him was life And so our Rhemists traÌ„slate the place following the vulgar Latin But there is more curiosity in this reading then truth For who can beleeue that the Euangelist would trouble them that should reade or heare this Gospel with such a subtility as few men are able to vnderstand that all things which which were made before their making were life in God because they were God himself as they theÌ„ were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore life because his knowledge by which they were is his essence and so life These conceipts may perhaps be admitted in the shooles to exercise schollers witts withal but they can haue no place in the Scripture which is appointed for the instruction of the weakest capacities Besides in al likely hood if the EuaÌ„gelist had purposed to giue vs notice of that matter he would not haue said as he doth That which was made c. but rather Those or All things that were made were life in him I deny not that this translation hath some authoritie from antiquity But surely not so much as is commonly thought the very euidence of truth hath made some later Papists also reiect it The truest plainest course is to reade it as we commonly doe following the generall consent of almost al the auncient greeke writers sure the learnedst and soundest VVithout him was made nothing that was made Let no maÌ„ trouble himselfe with deuising what the reason should be why the holy Ghost adds this clause seeing hee had spoken sufficient in the former I will if it please God satisfy this doubt when I haue expounded the words and come to deliuer the meaning of the Euangelist in them Now the words are plaine enough in themselues but that the curiosity of some men and the crafty malice of Satan hath made them doubtfull yet the doubtes are neither many nor hard First by without h Origen in Ioa. lib. 3. some men will needes vnderstand that which before I noted as if the Euangelists meaning were that the word contained al things in him as the preseruer oâ— them by his infinit power and being The doctrine is true but nothing to the purpose It is easie for euery man to discerne that without him signifies no more buâ— that which was said in the former part of the sentence By him the one affirming the other denying If the Euangelist had said within him were al things theÌ„ there had bin god reason to expound without as these men doe But since he puts By him in the first part surely in the later without must haue such a sense as best agrees with that Tel me how you would vnderstand my words if I should speake thus Dauids battailes were all fought by Ioab and without him there was none fought So speaketh S. Iohn and so he is to be vnderstood But in the word without only the curiosity of men was to be blamed in the exposition of the other worde Nothing wilful ignorance and malitious peruerting of the holy Ghosts meaning bewary themselues If I should aske any reasonable man how he thinkes those wordes without him was nothing made are to bee vnderstood would he not answere me readily and plainely that the Euangelist meant to tell vs that There was not any thing made but by him Surely thus would a reasonable man answere if hee would answere like a reasonable man But i Manich. apud August de naturâ— boni cap. 25. the men of whome I speake will haue Nothing to be something And whereas S. Iohn would teach vs that whatsoeuer was made was made by him they would make him say
vs. Hee is the husband we are the wife Eue was bone of Adams bone not Verse 30. he of hers Yet when they were ioined together in marriage they were both but one flesh It is then apparant verse 31. by this similitude that we being thus spiritually become one with Chr. haue the same life which is in him as the Verse 32. wife hath the same flesh or rather is the same flesh with her husband The other similitude is of the head body which liue by the same spirit of life resting originally in the head and from thence dispersing it selfe into all the members of the body This also the same Apostle setteth forth in the same Epistle It will be sufficient to rehearse his words Let vs y Fph 4. 35. 16 saith he follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head euen Christ By whom at the body being coupled kint together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue Therefore doth he often call the Church the body of Christ * Fph. 1. 22. 23. God hath appointed him ouer all the head to the Church which is his body a Fphâ—â— 5 23. Christ is the head of the Church the same is the Sauiour of his body b Col. 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church Giue eare now with attention and take knowledge of the assurance of your life Why do you shrinke and quake at the mention of death Euen when your are dead you are still aliue Are you not one with Iesus Christ Are you not bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Are not you and he one flesh Doth not euery man nourish cherish his owne flesh And will Christ thinke you suffer his flesh to be destroied by death What dost thou tell me of the decay of thy strength that thy sight waxeth dimme thy leggs feeble thine armes weake and all thy senses begin to fayle thee Is not Christ aliue Or canst thou dy as long as hee liues Thou art but the least part of thy selfe thy husband is thy head and thy life And whereas thou art now a-dying it is not for thy destruction but for the abolishing of that which makes thee subiect to dy Christ thy husband doth not meane to forgoe thee but to ioyne thee neerer to him Wouldst thou bring a mortall carcase into heauen Wouldest thou bee continually in danger of dying Is it not better once to endure it then alwaies to feare it A quarter of an howers worke will rid thee of all paine for euer How wilt thou wonder at thy selfe when thou shalt behold the glory of that body which thou left'st naked and miserable Shal I need to put thee in minde of thy happinesse Dost thou remember that thou art a part of Iesus Christs body Hath he any dead part trow'st thou Thou canst not imagin that any man of reason would suffer his enimies to dismember his body or to depriue the least finger he hath of life or sense How then should Christ endure such a mayme But what talke I of bereauing his members of life As if it were any way possible that deathshould be in that part in which life is continued Wait the time that God hath appointed for thy quicking Thou art but dressing attiring that thou mai'st be a fit Bride for an immortal Bridegrome As for condemnation to hel fire the second death be not so iniurious to the Maiestie of Christ as once to think that any member of his body can bee lyable to damnation c Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ VVho shall laye anything to the charge of Iesus Christ Canst thou bee condemned and hee acquited Can the head bee in heauen and the members in hell Father d Iohn 17. 24. saith our Sauiour I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Can the first fruites bee holy and the lumpe vncleane Can the head raigne in glory and the members bee plunged in the pit of damnation Assure thy selfe if there bee life in Christ thou one of his members thy part is in it He bought thee too deare now to lose thee or let thee be taken from him Besides hee hath openly confest that hee receiued a charge from God his Father to see that none shoulde perish that belieu'd in him and e Ioh. 6 40. hee hath profest that hee will discharge the trust reposed in him I will raise him vp at the last day Hee that eateth my flesh and Verse 54. Ver. 56. drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I n will raise him vp at the last day In him as it followeth Christ dwels and he in Christ Then must hee needs be sure of euerlasting li'e that lodgeth such a guest A guest that hath life in him as in the fountaine therof from whence it floweth to al those that are ioâ—ned to him For although our Euangelist say In him was life not Is life yet he may no more be thought once to haue had it now to be without it theÌ„ once to haue bin God now not to be so But that all doubt of this matter may be taken a way we must call to minde that which we heard before of the reasons why this maner of speech is vsed First then for I will now sett it in the first place because it is the plainest hath least need of any explication we may well reasonably imagine that the Evangelist continues his former kind of speech The word was in the beginning was with God was God All things were made by him nothing was made without him was it not fitter then to say In him was then in him is life that the whole description of him may bee deliuered in the like tearmes This might serue in my poor opinion to satisfy any man concerning the worde Yet because there are some other reasons of it alleaged those both true for the doctrine they teach not vnfit for the text it selfe I will make bold to stand a little vpon them the rather because I perceiue I shall not end these 2 verses in this one exercise as I purposed and desired to do The former reason of the word was depends vpon the like course the EuaÌ„gelist takes in the rest of his description those that now I am to handle concerne the time either before our Sauiours being in the world or while he was in the world The time before either reaches to eternity before all beginning or at the least makes it self equall to the continuance of the world after the fall of Adam til the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh If wee apply it to eternity who
bolde with your good liking I doubt not to declare the point more fully and plainely by the opening of these two things what adoption is how God hath adopted vs. Adoption if wee consider the Adoption word for the nature of it is nothing else but choosing to a mans selfe whatsoeuer it bee that is chosen From this generall signification the word is applyed to note that particular choyse of sonnes or children The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth the particular and signifieth an appointing of children The word being vnderstood it is no hard matter to knowe the nature of the thing it selfe which not to stand vpon any curious definition is a choosing or taking of them for our Children which by nature are not ours So as wee heard Iacob made choise of Iosephs sons Ephraim and Manasses Pharaohs daughter tooke the childe of an Hebrew whome shee knew not Mordicai chose Esther his Vncles daughter to bee his childe Let vs apply this to our owne Adoption The father that adopteth is God the childrē to be adopted are men and women If they must become the children of God by Adoption it is cleer they are none of his by nature Whose then I am a shamed and affraide to vtter it Our Lord himselfe hath told vs discouering the naturall estate of all men in describing the Iewes Wee Ioh. 8. 41. are not borne of fornicatiō say they to our sauiour We haue one father which is God But what doth he answere them Ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Deuill If the Iewes Gods owne children after an especiall manner yea his first borne were notwithstanding the children of the Diuell surely no man in his naturall estate can be the childe of God Rom. 9. 4. They had the Adoption they had the Couenant Other people had nothing affoorded them by God but those generall helpes which are common to all by nature What becomes of these children of the Diuell As many of them as beleeue in Christ are by Adoption made the sons of God Being sons they haue withal conuaied vnto them not onely an interest and claime to their fathers estate be it neuer so great but also the inheritance of heauen If we be children we are also heyres This passeth the ordinarie course of Adoption A man may adopt many sonnes and yet not make them all heyres I doe but name these things now They shall be amplified if it please God in the next point where the Prerogatiue must be declared In the meane while let vs go forward to shew How we are adopted There are two things that offer themselues to be considered in respect of the party that adopteth The generall motiues why he will adopt The particular reason why he will make choise of this or that person The generall motiues are ordinarily two either simply default of naturall issue or at the least want of such children as are fit for such an estate or inheritance I confesse it was otherwise with Iacob who had sonnes enouw of his own body The case was extraordinarie hee directed by the spirit of prophecie to make choise of them to that dignity But ordinarily the motiues are such as I named and in likelihood were the same or one of thē in Pharaohs daughter Mordecat What place had they in our adoption by God Certainly none at all Touching the former which is the more cōmon of the two was God without issue If he had bin seeing himselfe is eternall as with out beginning so without end he needed not feare the decay of his house for want of Posteritie to succeede him Dauid was to be gathered to Psal 132. 11. his fathers therefore it was a singular fauour to him that he should haue children to sit vpō his throne after him But he that neuer dyeth neuer groweth weake or weary hath no neede of a successor or assistant in his kingdome But he had issue euen a sonne the brightness of the glory the ingrauen forme of the fathers person Milk is not so like to milke as that son is to that father being in nature all one with him differing in nothing but that the one is the father not the sonne the other the sonne not the Father But perhaps he might be vnfit for the managing of such an estate succession to such a father Go to let vs for the better setting out of these points imagin a succession conceiue of God for a while as of a mā The vnfitnes in a son for succession is either from the weaknes of his body that he is not likely to leaue issue behind him or for the badness of his cariage want of capacitie dissoluteness in gouernment or some such matter This son of God that I may not dwell too lōg vpon this point nor speak any thing with out due reuernce of his maiesty was euery way so qualified fitted to his fathers minde that it was impossible I will not say that any adopted sonne should come neere him but that greater fitnes could be desired or imagined This is my beloued sonne saith the father of him Mat. 3. 17. Chap. 17. 5. in whom I am well pleased And he repeats that testimony the second time at his transfiguration It was not for neede then as it is with men that the Lord vouchfaf't to thinke vpon adopting of sonnes But admit the case had so stood with him that it had bin requisite for him to make him sonnes by Adoption What is vsually the reason of mens particular choyse Is it not an affection or liking that the partie hath to some one rather then to another There may sometimes be some other respects but this is the commonest and best setting that of kinred aside Consider a little the dealing of our God in this behalfe Must he choose som creatures to be his sonnes and ioynt heires with his owne naturall son He hath thowsands and ten thowsand Dan 7. 10. thowsands of Angelles round about his throne Glorious in their nature Obedient in their seruice Holy in their desires Neuer a one of these is chosen to this fauour of Adoption It may be the Lord intendes to shew the riches of his mercy by extending compassion to thē that are in miserie Behold the Angels that ly 2. Pet. 2. 4. lud ver 6. in darkenes reserued to the iudgement of the last day Is there any mans estate more desperate Haue any creatures greater need of succor Can there be more pitty shewed to any They are left in that damnable estate The Lord turnes his face away from their misery and casts his eyes of compassion on our wretchednesse So makes he difference betwixt men and Angels Hee will adopt men rather thē Angels because his loue is greater to men then to Angels Our Adoption then proceede◠no◠for the generall motiues or the particular respects from any other spring then the loue of God who adopteth vs making vs