Testament In the New as all other Mysteries of God so this especially is more cleerely reuealed by that great Prophet which was to come into the World the High Priest and Apostle of our Profession y Mat. 3. 16 17 and 2. Pet. 1 17. Christ Iesus vpon whom in his first imitation to the worke of our Redemption being himselfe the Sonne one of these three Persons the other two shewed themselues from Heauen The Holy Ghost in his Gifts and Graces represented by the visible shape of a Doue the Father by his voyce from the Seate of Glory This is my Beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased In his last farewell to his Disciples being to leaue the World and to goe vnto the Father hee left this Doctrine as a perpetuall Monument religiously to bee obserued of the Church to the end of the World willing to baptize all Nations z Mat. 28. 19. In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost That as in other respects so in this it is most worthily said a Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time The onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father hee hath reuealed him With these two Testimonies I willingly content my selfe as most pregnant of all the rest And therefore I passe ouer diuers other that might bee alleaged to this purpose because these twaine may stand in stead of many Onely I will adde that golden testimony of his beloued Disciple b 1. Iohn 5. 7. There bee three that beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost It is cleere that to the earthly witnesse or testimony of men in the things which we feele and haue experience of within our selues Regeneration Righteousnesse Sanctification hee opposeth the heauenly Witnesse or Testimony of these persons greater in regard of the excellence of the witnesses but equall in the number whereby appeareth the cleere euidence of this place The third point is that these persons Tritheites who though they acknowledge the three Persons to bee euery one God indeede yet teach that they are not onely distinct but seuered and deuided haue euery one the whole God-head and Diuine nature and are all three that one onely true and euer-liuing God For both the Apostle c 1. Iohn 5. 7 9. there calleth them so expresly and the testimony of all three hee knitteth vp in one when he saith If wee receiue the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater Euen as Moses d Deut. 6. 4. also doth when from the multitude of the Persons hee calleth them to the vnity of the substance Therefore the Apostle Paul e Col. 2. 9. saith In him Christ the Sonne of GOD manifested in the flesh dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily that is personally which is to bee extended to all the other Persons For to whomsoeuer God communicates his nature he must needes communicate it wholly as hath beene said And this mystery how in that most simple and single essence of God there bee certaine substances or persons truly subsisting three in one and one in three differing but not deuided seuerall but not sundred many and yet the same all one for their nature all distinct for three persons is a secret of all secrets passing all reach and vnderstanding of man rather reuerently to be adored then too curiously to be searched into The fourth last point is the incommunicable properties whereby these persons are distinguished in theÌ„selues To the Sonne is proper to be begotten to the Holy Ghost to proceede the Father is of himselfe neyther begotten nor proceeding but which from all Eternity hath begotten his Sonne and hee and the Sonne together send forth the holy Spirit Of the Father wee shall not neede to speake But that the Sonnes proper subsistence is to be begotten as the name of Sonne importeth giuen vnto him of God Marke 3. 17. This is my well beloued Sonne and so called before hee tooke flesh Psal 2. 13. Kisse the Sonne lest hee be wroth But most cleerely in the f Pro. 30. 4. Prouerbs What is his Name or his Sonnes Name So the Scripture in many places sheweth Iohn 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father And a g Iohn 2. 14. little before Wee beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of his Father The like wee say of the Holy Ghost who is sometimes called the Spirit of God sometimes the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9 10. 11. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you but if one haue not the Spirit of Christ this man is not his But if the Spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raysed Christ from the dead will also quicken you by his Spirit dwelling in you Sometimes hee is said to bee sent from the Father or to proceed from the Father which is all one sometime to be sent from the Sonne Iohn 1. 5. 26 The error of the Greeke Churches who deny the Holy Ghosts proceeding from the Sonne But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father As touching the God-head of Arius denyed Christ to be of the same nature with his Father but as it were a secondary god acknowledging hee was an excellent Creature created before the World by whom God created the World and saued Mankind and therefore as a God in office to bee adored not in essence The like of the Holy Ghost But since it is plaine that God made all things in six daies both the Sonne and the Spirit if they were creatures must haue beene comprehenced in that worke these three Persons Of the Father no man euer doubted But the God-head of the Sonne and Holy Ghost some Heretikes haue called in question wherefore to confirme our faith herein let vs take Arguments for them both For the God-head of the Sonne we haue these He is IAH IEHOVAH EHIEH that is to say being or perfection it selfe Psal 68. 19. Ascending on high thou leddest captiuity captiue and gauest gifts vnto men euen the Rebels thou dwelling there that is to say in Heauen leddest captiue O IAH God meaning Christ To whose Ascension the Apostle doth apply it Ephes 4. 8. EHIEH hee calleth himselfe manifestly Iohn 8. 58. Before ABRAHAM was made I am Not made but of my selfe and from my selfe without beginning for that iâ— the force of am elegantly opposed vnto made The name Iehouah is giuen him Genes 4. 1. h This interpretation floweth naturally from the Hebrew Text. Beside it there be two other which of all the rest seeme most probable One is Ieromes With or by â—ehouah that is by his goodnesse and blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in that sence it should haue beene 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other is that of Tremellius and Iunius which is also the receiued interpretation I haue gotten a man from Iehouah by an Ellipsis of the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 14. 4. and Deut 34. 1. But neyther doe these places nor I thinke any other that you can bring warrant such an Ellipsis And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Verbe here vsed hath alwaies going with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no Ellipsis of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at any time As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe neuer signifieth from It is commonly the note of an Accusatiue case 〈◊〉 â—ny times of an Ablatiue and signifieth with Ioyned with a neuer â—ll it may stand for a Nominatiue as 1. Sam. 17. 34. 2. King 6. 5. So if it be ioyned with a Passiue as Lâ—uâ—t 13. 49 But none of these can agree here and in any other sense I doe not find that it is euer taken EVE conceiued and bare KAIN and said I possesse the man IEHOVAH that is GOD by opening my wombe and making mee the Mother of a goodly Childe hath put me in possession as if now I had and held him in mine armes of that blessed Seed which in the fulnesse of time he will send into the World who being the LORD from Heauen shall tread downe the head of the Serpent Prophetically spoken like to that of IACOB Gen. 48. 22 I giue thee one portion aboue thy Brethren which I tooke out of the hand of the Amorite with my Sword and with my Bow It was not taken till foure or fiue Generations after but by faith hee did apprehend it as certaine as if it were then wonne and tooke vpon him to dispose thereof as of his owne Wherefore Kain had that name not for his owne sake nor was hee the purchase or possession the woman fixed her eyes vpon Shee lifted them vp higher and by so sweet a Babe such as the World had neuer seene before shee held her faith confirmed in the expectation of the Messiah God and Man who many yeeres after was to come out of the loynes of one of Eues Daughters In effect shee calleth him The man IEHOVAH in the same sense that God the Father Zach. 13. 7. calleth him the man my fellow Here therefore is a cleere testimonie of the Deitie of Christ which I would not willingly lose the hold off being not onely so plaine and pregnant and such a noble euidence of Eues faith but withall an Antiquity of such price the first thing recorded after man was throwne out of Paradise Which addeth I know not how a great waight maiestie to this most sweet and gracious speech And that Christ is euery-where called Iehouah may appeare both by the Old Testament it selfe and especially if it be conferred with the New For proofe whereof I lay before this ground as most certayne and infallible that wheresoeuer the true God Iehouah is said to haue appeared in the likenesse of an Angell or man this was the person not of the Father nor of the Holy Spirit but of the Sonne who appeared to the Fathers as a man to note out the great Mystery of his Incarnation and is called an Angell not by nature but by office as in i Malach. 3. 1. MALACHY The Angell of the Couenant and him whom k Zachar. 3 2. Zachary calleth The Angell of IEHOVAH IVDE l Iude verse 9. cermeth Michael the Arch-angell which is Christ our Sauiour This foundation laide which cannot faile I come to those places where the Name of Iehouah is giuen to him And first to those where this Angell appeared as a man Gen. 18. Three men being indeed Angels appeared vnto Abraham of which three one was Iehouah for so the very beginning of the Chapter hath it Further IEHOVAH appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre for when he lift vp his eyes behold three men stood before him and afterwards m Gen. 18. ver 13 15 17 20. Iehouah one of them had communication with him and his wife Againe of these three men two n Gen. 19. 1. went towards Sodome who are called Angels But Iehouah still remayned with Abraham till hee had left communing with him The very o Gen. 19. 24. next Chapter it is said IEHOVAH powred downe vpon Sodome and Gomorrah fire and brimstone out of Heauen from IEHOVAH that is Christ from his Father Gen. 32. 24 When Iacob was left alone beyond the Riuer after he had sent away his Companie a man wrestled with him till the morning whom IACOB calleth The mighty God naming the place where this was done Peniel that is The place where hee saw the face of the mighty God whereby appeareth manifestly that it was Iehouah which in the Prophet p Hâ—sh 12. 5. Hâ—sea is yet more euident where Iehouah saith that at Bethel God found him that is met Iacob and appeared vnto him and there saith that IEHOVAH he spoke with vs. Ioshua 6. IOSHVA being at Ierico a man stood before him with a Sword drawne in his hand Ioshua demanding who hee was hee said Hee was the Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH whereupon Ioshua fell downe vpon his face and worshipped him Then hee bade Ioshua plucke off his shooes from his feet for the place where hee stood was holy And afterwards Iehouah said to IOSHVA Lo I giue Ierico into thy hands c. Here the Epithere Of the Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH the adiuncts of worship belonging to GOD onely which the Angels doe renounce and of plucking off the shoo because the place is holy a peculiar marke of the Maiesty of God and lastly the effects of giuing Ierico into his hands prooue this man to bee Iesus Christ the true Iehouah and God alone Hee q Iudges 6. 21. which appeared vnto Gedeon with a walking staffe in his hand and is called The Angell of IEHOVAH is also named Iehouah and confirmeth Gedeon that by the power which hee had giuen vnto him sending him and promising his presence with him he should saue Israel out of the hands of the Midianites whereby hee doth manifestly declare himselfe to be the Lord of glory The Angell r Iudges 13. 8 10 22 23. of God which appeared to Manoah and his Wife by them both expresly called a man when he had declared himselfe wonderfull by his miraculous ascending in the flame of the fire that was vpon the Altar MANOAH said vnto his Wife wee shall certainly dye for wee haue seene God But his Wife said vnto him If IEHOVAH had pleased to kill vs hee would not haue receiued at our hand a burnt Offering nor gift nor haue shewed vnto vs all these things c. Here Manoah calleth him God and his Wife Iehouah so that this also must needes be the eternall Sonne of God the Angell of the Couenant Genesis 31.
pronouncing against vs the iudgement and condemnation f Rom. 3. 9. due vnto sin to driue vs to seeke Righteousnesse and thereby Saluation in another that is to say in Christ For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. 4. So g Gal. 3. 22 23 24. The Law shutteth all men vnder sinne not that they should perish but that the promise by Faith in Iesus Christ might be giuen to those that beleeue And thus are wee led by the hand to the second part of this most holy Doctrine the Doctrine concerning Christ and the ioyfull and glad tydings of Saluation in and through him In speaking of Christ we are to handle both his Person Immanuel God with vs is in one person and his Office And first his Person In regard wherof the Scripture giueth him the Name of h Esay 7. 14. Mat. 1. 23. Immanuel God with vs or God-man The true Iehouah Coessentiall and Consubstantiall with the Father and the holy Spirit true man of our very nature and substance Wherefore in his Person are to be considered First The two distinct natures Secondly The vnion of them into one Christ The two distinct natures the Sonne of God Samosetanus held that Christ was not before hee tooke flesh Patropassians held that the Father tooke flesh and suffered are his Deitie and Humanitie his God-head or Diuine Nature being not the Person of the Father who was not incarnate nor of the Holy Ghost but of the Sonne as it is confessed by all as many as admit the distinction of persons and euident by the Scripture Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time came God sent downe his Sonne made of a woman c. Iohn 3. 16. God so loued the World that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. This is also the confession of PETER Mat. 16. 16. Thou art the Sonne of the Liuing God and infinite other places Whatsoeuer therefore is disputed before concerning the God-head of the Sonne and his eternall Deitie falleth into this Man Christ Iesus And this nature doth of it selfe make a person supporting and holding vp the Manhood that wholy is subsisteth in the person of the God-head Wherefore that which is said Iohn 1. 14. The Word became flesh is expounded Heb. 2. 16. to be by taking it to his God-head therein to haue the being and subsistence and of the same to be supported and holden vp for euer The other nature is his Humanitie and very man Marcian and Valentinus taught that Christ tooke his bodie from Heauen and passed thorow the Virgin as water thorow a Pipe or that he tooke it out of the Ayre and so denyed the truth of his humane nature in that hee was perfect man of the very flesh of Marie So we reade Rom. 1. 3 Made of the Seed of DAVID according to the flesh that is his humane nature and Heb. 2. 16. He tooke not to his Godhead the nature of Angels but the Seed of ABRAHAM Againe Galat. 4. 4. he is said to be made of a woman the Preposition of noting her very substance and flesh And this is it that was prophecied long before that i Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman should tread downe the head of the Serpent And that k Psal 132. 11. Acts 2. 30. of the fruit of DAVIDS Loynes God would rayse vp Christ as touching the flesh Wherefore to make this more manifest he is called Shilo that is the After-birth of IVDA Gen. 49. 10. and is said to haue opened the Virgins wombe Luke 2. 23. Hee was therefore made of the Seed of Dauid and was a Plant of the Roote of Iesse a perfect man consisting as all other men doe of a bodie and soule indued with the faculties of vnderstanding and will That hee had a bodie it is plaine Heb. 10. 5. A bodie thou hast fitted for mee That it was a true bodie flesh and bones appeareth Luke 24. 39 euen after his Resurrection See mine hands and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye behold me to haue Of his soule l Mat. 26. 38. the Holy Ghost saith His Apollinaris thought that Christ tooke a bodie onely and not a soule but that his God-head stood in stead of a soule soule was heauie vnto death And hee himselfe Father m Luke 22. 46. into thy hands I commit my spirit And when he had said so he dyed Now this could not possibly fall into the God-head which is not subiect to any passion was not nor could not be seuered from the bodie seeing it is euery-where Therefore it must needs be meant of that part of mans nature which properly wee terme the soule According whereunto he attributeth Monothelites which hold there was but one will in Christ vnto himselfe a will and that distinct from the will of his Father Not n Mat. 26. 39. as I will but as thou wilt So he is said to haue an Vnderstanding Luke 2. 47. They maruailed at his answeres and at his vnderstanding And in both these parts was he subiect to o Heb. 4. 15. 2. 14. all humane frailties and imperfections without sinne In his bodie to p Mat. 4. 2. hunger q Mar. 4. 38. sleepe r Iohn 4. 6. wearinesse Å¿ Marke 3. 9. wringing t Iohn 20. 25. 19. 37 38. piercing wounding and death it selfe u Luke 2. 52. growing in height and stature as other mens bodies grow finite and circumscribed Vbiquists that would haue his bodie to be euery-where Papists that would haue it to be in many places at once in place that when hee was in one hee was not in another but x Iohn 20. 19. remooued from place to place being y Mark 16. 19. Acts 1. 9. Luke 21. 27. taken vp and corporally ascending into Heauen from z Mat. 25. 31. Acts 1. 11. whence hee shall corporally come downe againe In his minde he was subiect to ignorance of some things but not sinfull ignorance for he grew a Luke 2. 52. and increased by degrees in Wisdome b Heb. 5. 8. He learned obedience by the things hee suffered yea of some things hee had no knowledge at all as it may be probably gathered out of Mar. 11. he had not c Mar. 11. 13. of the Fig Tree whether it had any fruit or no d Mar. 13. 32. of the day houre of Iudgement in his soule hee was subiect to all kinde of naturall passions e Iohn 11. 4 35 not sinfull loue f Heb. 5 7. feare g Mar 3. 5. griefe anger h Mat. 9. 36. 14 14. pittie i Iohn 11. 15. ioy k Mar. 10. 14. indignation l Iohn 11. 33. trouble of heart m Mat. 8. 10. Mar. 6. 6. wondering n Iohn 11. 27. perplexitie
of Gods goodnesse in the things they pray for Thirteenth Gods Children are constant in their prayers and continue in them Giue vs this day c. euery day renewing their supplications The wicked faint and quickly giue ouer or pray but by starts These circumstances to be obserued out of the manner of the Lords Prayer lead mee by the hand to some consideration of the matter it selfe and parts of that Prayer wherein also vnlesse I deceiue may selfe we shall nothing digresse from our purpose There be two parts of that as of all other Prayers for it standeth partly in petition partly in thankes-giuing The Petitions are sixe in number all in that course and order as the Doctrine before was handled whereof the first three compreheÌ„ded in the first part of Diuinity are of those things that belong vnto Gods glory without any respect of our owne good as the particle Thy in euery one doth shew And this one thing whâ—eein the soundest Diuines agree being well obserued bringeth a great light for the distinguishing of all the sixe Petitions according to their proper bounds and limits in such sort as hereafter followeth The first Peticion Hallowed bee thy name O thou the blessed and great IEHOVAH Father Sonne and holy Spirit three persons and one onely true and euer-liuing God whose i Esay 9. 3. name is wonderfull and who alone art glorious and excellent thy Mercie great vnto the Heauens thy Truth vnto the Cloudes thy Righteousnesse as the mightie Hills thy Iudgements like the bottomlesse Deepe exalt thy selfe O God aboue the heauens thy Glorie ouer all the earth And make it knowne vnto thy creatures that thou the Creator blessed for euer Amen art a Nature Spirituall and Diuine of thy selfe and in thy selfe and by thy selfe subsisting Eternall Immeasurable Incomprehensible Infinite in Power Wisdome Holinesse Truth Mercie Iustice and whatsoeuer good is yea Goodnesse and Perfection it selfe So that both whatsoeuer thou doest is absolutely good and holy and all good and perfect gifts are thine there being no iot of good in any creature but that onely which they haue from thee who art the Father of Lights And this respecteth the first branch of that part of Diuinitie concerning the Nature Persons and Properties of the Godhead The second Petition Thy Kingdome come Aduance the Throne and Scepter of thy Kingdome in the Gouernment of the World according to all thy counsels and purposes decreed from Eternitie Whether of sauing the Elect or destroying of the Reprobate or of the businesses and affaires pertayning to this life and the generall Prouidence ouer all things that thy hands haue fashioned and made together with the meanes which thou hast sanctified thereunto thy Gospell with the Ministerie and preaching thereof the Sacraments Censures and Discipline of the Church and all other good things thou hast ordayned may prooue to thy Children a sauour of life vnto life and to none of them a sauour of death vnto death And that thou wouldest so dispose of things by thy hidden and secret prouidence that all persons and creatures although they many of them sinfully and wretchedly mooued with other causes and ends then in obedience vnto thee yet in regard of thy worke most holily and iustly may concurre to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell hath fore-determined to be done Neither let any power or policie of Satan or man or any other creature hinder the execution of thy most glorious and magnificent most wise and iust Decrees But let them all bee as the Mountaines of Brasse that cannot be remooued but stand fast for euer And this respecteth the second branch touching the Kingdome of God and the dispensation of his Counsels The third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Haue thou alwayes in the World euen here among men as thou hast among thy holy Angels and Spirits of the Righteous that are deceased a Church and chosen Companie which may k Zach. 8. 8. refresh and delight thy Spirit by yeelding with free and readie hearts all cheerfull obedience to thy knowne and reuealed will whilest they bee seene to preferre the loue they beare to thee before the loue of themselues their owne pleasure profit or liues or whatsoeuer else that is most deare vnto them And this which is the third branch the honour due to God riseth by a necessarie consequence from the former two for he that is in himselfe and in his workes so glorious is worthie and alone worthy to be honoured and serued of vs. The three latter Petitions comprehended in the second part of Diuinitie are of those things that concerne our owne and our Neighbours good whereof the first being the fourth Petition in number is for the Fountaine of all good that excellent l Iohn 4. 4. gift of Christ himselfe and all the meanes and Graces Faith especially whereby he may be ours and we come to be his The fift and sixt are for the streames of Righteousnesse that flow from it and spring vnto euerlasting life So that in these last Petitions the whole substance of the Gospell is contayned for touching the other Righteousnesse which is our owne or by the Law the same being impossible through our owne corruption to be had our Sauiour teacheth vs not to pray for it But contrariwise in teaching Regeneration and Righteousnesse through him he doth vtterly exclude all Righteousnesse from our selues or by our owne Creation And in willing vs to pray to bee deliuered from euill he sheweth the right vse of the Law whereby euill is discouered to be the rule of our obedience The fourth Petition Giue vs this Day that Bread of ours that bread aboue substance or better then all wealth and riches which consume and perish whereas this indureth to euerlasting Life being the Bread of God that commeth downe from Heauen and giueth life vnto the World euen Christ himselfe the spirituall Manna promised in Paradise figured in the Wildernesse forespoken by the Prophets shaddowed in the Law manifested in the Gospell thy onely Sonne of thine owne eternall nature and Essence conceiued and borne of the Virgin by the wonderfull worke of thy holy Spirit sanctified from the Wombe to bee the mightie and powerfull Instrument in and by whose flesh or humane nature vnited to the God-head personally hee quickeneth all those that by Fâ—ith are ingraffed in him replenished with all Righteousnesse and fulnesse of the Spirit aboue measure And therefore in himselfe most blessed and happie but for vs and for our sakes accursed in that he bare the whole wrath due to our sinnes and became subiect to death the most ignominious death of the Crosse it selfe vnder which notwithstanding he did not lye for that it was impossible he should bee holden of it but loosing the pangs and sorrowes of death hee arose againe and ascended into Heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of thy most excellent Maiestie to make continuall Intercession for those that are his
knoweth all the secrets of his Father as perfectly as if they were numbred before him must not hee needes be wise himselfe and of an vnderstanding substance And how can he else be tempted as Paul t 1. Cor. 10. 9. saith that some of the Fathers in the Wildernesse tempted him To conclude what can bee more plaine then that in the u Proâ— 8. â—0 Prouerbs where he is said before the World was made to haue beene the daily delight of God sporting before him continually and in Iohn 17. 5. to haue beene glorious with his Father before the World was Whereunto adde the effects attributed vnto him he x Gen. 32. 4. 〈◊〉 with Moses 〈◊〉 wrestled with Iacob spake and blessed him came out from the Father when he y Iohn 16. 18. came into the World c. Touching the Spirit although wee grant this word to bee often vsed by a Metonymie of the cause sometimes for the motions and working of the Spirit in the faithfull as when z 1 Thess 5. 19. Paul saith Quench not the Spirit sometimes for the grace and gifts themselues wrought by the Spirit in which sense a Acts 2. 4. the diuersity of Tongues is called the holy Spirit yet there want not infinite testimonies to prooue the Spirit properly taken not onely distinct from the graces which it worketh which the Apostle doth most b 1. Cor. 12. 18. euidently saying There bee diuersity of graces but the selfe-same Spirit but to bee withall a liuing and vnderstanding substance Therefore to him is attributed will and that a most free and voluntary will c 1. Cor. 12. 11. He distributeth to euery one according as hee will Knowledge d 1. Cor. 2. 11. None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God Iudgement e Acts 15. 22. It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to vs hearing and declaring the same to others f Ioh. 16. 14 15. Of mine shall he take saith Christ and declare to you Againe g Iohn 16. 13. Whatsoeuer he heareth he shall speake And if hee were no liuing and vnderstanding substance how could hee be grieued as the Prophet speaketh h Esay 63. 10. They grieued his Spirit His actions likewise prooue the same i Esay 61. 1. Hee anoynted Christ sent him to preach vnto the poore k Esay 63. 14. led the people of Israel thorow the Wildernesse l Luke 1. 35. The Holy Ghost saith the Angell to MARY shall come vpon thee and ouer-shaddow thee framing and creating out of thy substance the flesh or humane nature of Christ Our Sauiour in Iohn calleth him m Iohn 14. 16. and 15. 26. and 16. 13. a Comforter he saith not comfort it selfe but a Comforter that is a liuing and vnderstanding person comforting Gods Elect. The point of their personall subsistence being thus cleered let vs goe on to that which followeth There be in all foure things to be considered touching these persons First That they are each distinct from other Sabellius who as the former robbeth vs of these persons but in a more subtill manner So infinite are the sleights of Satan who to deceiue and abuse the world changeth him self into a thousand formes For granting the Sonne and holy Spirit to be persons truly subsisting diuine eternall and vncreated yet he taketh away all distinction between the Father and them maketh but one Person in the God-head As if God were termed the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost no otherwise then as wee terme one and the same man to be wise learned rich c. seuerall and distinct persons When IOHN n Iohn 1. 1. saith that the Word was with God that is with the Father as in another o 1. Iohn 2. 2. place he doth expound it if he did not meane that it had some thing proper to it selfe beside the essence common with them both he had which is to be detested mistaken his kind of speech and hereunto it serueth that Christ expresly calleth the Father another then himselfe Iohn 5. 33. There is another that beareth witnesse of me So of the Spirit Iohn 14. 16. I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter the Spirit of Truth as in the p Iohn 15. 26. next Chapter hee doth expound himselfe And how else could the comparison stand That the q Phil. 2. 6. Sonne is equall with God his Father vnlesse there be a distinction betweene them But among all other that place is very r Iohn 8. 13 14 15 16 17. 18. notable where to the cauill of the Iewes excepting that the testimony of our Sauiour Christ was not true because he bare record of himselfe he answereth If I iudge any thing my witnesse is true for I am not alone but there is I and the Father that sent mee Now in your owne Law it is written that the witnesse of two is true there is I beare witnesse of my selfe and the Father that sent mee beareth witnesse of me c. manifestly making himselfe and his Father two As also of the Spirit it doth appeare in the Prophet ESAY Å¿ Esay 48. 16. IEHOVAH hath sent me and his Spirit The second point is the Trinity of Persons euident and cleere by that which hath beene said yet for further illustration it shall not be amisse to note from the beginning such places as serue vndoubtedly to prooue it that it may appeare by what degrees the wisedome of God hath from time to time made knowne so great a Mystery to his Church which no reason can demonstrate nor since the fall could once haue entred into the thought or imagination of man if God had not reuealed it In the first Chapter of t 〈◊〉 1. 1 2. Genesis MOSES though more obscurely layeth downe this same God his Word and Spirit The Spirit of God mooued vpon the Waters And GOD said Let there bee Light c. whom anon hee bringeth in taking counsell together in the making of man diuision of Tongues c. as before wee haue declared Long after that as it were in a middle Age Esay u Esay 63 â— 11 doth reuiue it and speaketh somewhat playner I will declare the kindnesse of IEHOVAH towards the house of Israel The Angell of his face Christ the Mediator betweene God and man saued them but they rebelled and grieued his holy Spirit which he had put in the middest of them Last of all in the conclusion and winding vp at it were of the times of the Law hee manifesteth it more fully by the hands of the x Hag. 2. 5 6. Prophet HAGGAI Now therefore ZERVBBABEL and IEHOSHVA and all the people of the Land be strong and doe the worke for I am with you saith IEHOVAH of Hostes with my Word in whom I made a Couenant with you when you came out of Egypt and my Spirit that abideth among you And thus farre out of the Old
verse 4 Denying the onely God and Master our Lord Iesu Christ God God y Rom. 9. 5. Of whom is Iesus Christ touching the flesh who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen ouer all blessed for euer Amen To proue the Holy Ghost to be God First he also is Iehouah for he that led the people in the Wildernes whom they tempted so oft was Iehouah as wee haue obserued But Esay z Esay 63. 14. saith this was the Spirit of God As a beast that goeth downe into a Valley the Spirit of IEHOVAH quietly led them and a Esay 63. 10. a little before They rebelled and grieued his holy Spirit The b Heb. 3. 8 9. Author also to the Hebrewes noteth it to bee the speech of the Holy Ghost Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation as in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse where your fathers tempted me prooued me and saw my workes Againe that which the same c Esay 6. 9. Prophet speaketh of IEHOVAH that he had-him goe and say vnto this people Hearing ye shall heare c. PAVL d Acts 28. 25. applyeth to the Holy Ghost Well said the Holy Ghost by ESAIAS the Prophet to our fathers saying Goe vnto this people and say Hearing ye shall heare c. Secondly the essentiall properties of the God-head are here likewise to be found He is termed Truth it selfe to note the singlenesse of his Nature 1. Iohn 5. 6. The Spirit is Truth hath an Immensity and Infinitenesse of place dwelling at once in the heart of all the Elect. 1. Cor. 3. 16. Know yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Rom. 8. 9 11. The Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in you Hee lay ouer that whole masse and lumpe whereof the Heauens and Earth was afterwards made Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God lay vpon the Waters ouer-spreading it as a Hen doth her Chicken Hee filleth all things with his presence Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit Hath a free and absolute power of working after his owne pleasure 1. Cor. 12. 11. He distributeth his gifts as he will for hee is the very power of God So called Luke 1. 35. The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most High shall ouer-shaddow thee And for that which e Mat. 12. 14. Matthew saith I will cast out Deuils by the Spirit of God f Luke 11. 20. LVKE hath it If I cast out Deuils by the finger of God Yea he is the giuer of all Power and Vertue Micah 3. 8. But I am filled with Vertue from the Spirit of IEHOVAH with Iudgement and with Power Is of infinite Wisedome and Knowledge euen to fore-tell things to come The g Iohn 16. 14. things that are to come shall hee declare to you saith Christ yea to sound the very bottome of the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 20. The Spirit searcheth the depths of God And all this hee hath from himselfe and of himselfe as most elegantly the h Esay 40. 13 14. Prophet teacheth Who hath instructed the Spirit of IEHOVAH as a man of his counsell taught him with whom hath hee communicated counsell that he might instruct him and teach him the way of Iudgement euen teach him Knowledge and the way of Wisedomes most absolute and perfect Wisedome make knowne vnto him For of Goodnesse what shall I need to speake whose Name it selfe proclaymeth his Holinesse and whose i Gal. 5. 22. 23. fruites are Lenity Kindnesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance and whatsoeuer good is Eternity is also his in that as shall bee shewed anon he is the Creator of all things and therefore must needes be before any thing began Thirdly not onely his proceeding from God but the very Name of Spirit sheweth the Essence and Nature which hee is of For as the spirit of a man must needes be truely of mans nature and is the most formall and essentiall part of man so and much more it must bee thought of the Spirit of God vpon whom no composition falleth This in effect is the Apostles owne Argument 1. Cor. 2. 11. For who of men knoweth the things of man but the spirit of man that is in him So also none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his owne Essence and Nature as the opposition sheweth plainely Fourthly touching the Workes which onely belong to God of the eternall Decrees registred in the Booke of IEHOVAH the Prophet saith His k Esay 38. 16. mouth hath commanded and his Spirit hath collected them Secondly In the Creation of all things he wrought together with the Father and the Sonne Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God lay vpon the Waters meaning that as a Bird lying vpon her Egges and couering them vnder her wings doth by a naturall warmth and heate which commeth from her hatch and bring forth her young ones So did the Spirit of God by his liuely power and working frame and fashion the World out of that lumpe of Waters Iob 26. 13. By his Spirit he beautified or beautifully framed the Heauens Esay 40. 1â— Who helpe the Spirit of IEHOVAH meaning in the Creation which he spake of next before Hence it is that Elihu l Iob 33. 4. in the Booke of Iob professeth himselfe to be his Creature and the workmanship of his hands The Spirit of the Mighty God hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath put life into mee Thirdly hee gouerneth and administreth the things created Zach. 4. 10. The seuen Eyes or Spirits of IEHOVAH roule vp and downe vpon all the Earth Fourthly He hardeneth the wicked and deliuereth them into a reprobate minde For so the Apostle m Acts 28. 26. noteth it to be the voyce of the Holy Ghost which is said in n Esay 6. 10. ESAY Goe make fat the heart of this people make their eares heauy and cloze vp their eyes Fiftly hee is infinite in variety of gifts 1. Cor. 12. 11. All these things worketh that one and the same Spirit distributing them to euery one a part as he will Iohn 16. 23. When the Spirit of Truth commeth he shall lead you into all Truth Hereupon Iohn in the o Reuel 1. 4. Reuelation termeth him The seuen Spirits of God in regard of the manifold graces which God by him giueth vnto his Church Grace be to you and Peace from him that is and that was and that is to come and from the seuen Spirits which are before his Throne and from Iesuâ— Christ where by the seuen Spirits I make no question the Holy Ghost is meant and not the holy Angels First because these seuen Spirits stand before the Throne are inserted meane betweene the Father and the Sonne the Apostle wisheth Grace and Peace from them they are the Hornes and Eyes of the Lambe yea of his owne very
proofe of the God-head of the Spirit This is the summe of our most precious Faith concerning the God-head of the Sonne and Holy Ghost against Arrius Seruetus and all that hellish crue which either bring in a multiplicitie of gods and so in truth make no God at all or imagine a secondary kind of God-ship making them inferior to the Father or of the like but not of the selfe-some essence against whatsoeuer Heresies else that Hell hath forged and Satan set abroch to the dishonour of these three Persons the one onely true and euer-liuing GOD Coequall Coeternall and Consubstantiall whom we onely honour and serue CHAP. II. Of the Eternall Decrees of God THE glory of God which from all Eternitie God being thus in his nature and Persons most glorious hath further embroidered himselfe in glory by two notes of excellency which he taketh to him Kingdom and Hanour Kingdome is that whereby he doth excite an absolute soueraigntie toward other The order whereof answerable to the relation betweene the persons themselues is from the Father in the Sonne by the Holy Ghost to whom is attributed the immediate doing of them did shine in and to himselfe it hath further pleased him both to manifest in the exercising of a Kingdome and to inlarge by taking honour vnto him Therefore our Sauiour in the Lords Prayer after the Name of God comprehending his nature and persons which hitherto haue beene handled addeth these other two Thy Kingdome come thy will bee done c. By the one he ruleth by the other his rule is obeyed This to speake properly is not any other Kingdome then that which he had before but the actuall exercise and putting into practice of that Kingdome or Soueraigntie which is of his very nature as our Sauiour doth distinguish them Matth. 6. when saying Thy Kingdome come c. he addeth by and by For thine is the Kingdome c. The order or the administration of it is in this manner The Father is first in Order not in Power nor in Time is the supreme working cause who doth whatsoeuer hee doth in the Sonne and they both by the holy Spirit To whom is attributed the immediate doing of them nor as if eyther the Sonne or Spirit were instruments to worke by but both of them be principall efficient causes and they all that one and the same God that worketh all in all The place for this diuersitie of working is manifest â—n the Epistle to the Romanes a Rom. 8. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raysed Christ from the dead will quicken also your mortall bodies by his Spirit dwelling in you Here as you see all is comprehended The Father quickening in Christ by his Spirit that dwelleth in vs for to this end hee maketh mention of Christs raysing from the dead More cleere betweene the Father and the Sonne is that to the b 1. Cor. 8. 6. Corinthians But vnto vs there is one God The Father from whom are all things and one Lord Iesus Christ through whom are all things From he giueth to the Father as the Fountaine of the Action Through to the Sonne in regard of the personall Distinction So in the Epistle to the c Heb. 1. 2. Hebrewes Through his Sonne hee made the World Of the Holy Ghost also it is said By his d Iob 26. 13. â—pirit he beautified the Heauens And our Sauiour Iohn 16. 14. He shall glorifie me for he shall receiue of mine and shew it vnto you whose proper kind of working as the next and immediate cause of all things is most liuely set forth e 1. Cor. 12. 4 5 â— 7 â— 10 11. 1. Cor. 12. Now there are differences of gifts but the same spirits there are differeÌ„ces of Ministeries but the same Lord. And there are differences of working but there is the same God who worketh all in all But to euery one is giuen the manifestation of the Spirit to profit for vnto one by the Spirit is giuen the Word of Wisedome and to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit and to another Faith by the same Spirit and to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit and to another the working of Powers and to another Prophecie and to another discerning of Spirits and to another kinds of Tongues and to another interpretation of Tongues But all these things worketh one and the same Spirit distributing them seuerally to euery one as he pleaseth This Kingdome standeth in three things whereof the first are his Purposes or Decrees Then his Creation and The Kingdom of God hath two parts purpose workes Purpose is his Decree before all times of euery thing thirdly the Gouernment of the World the Apostle reduceth them vnto two purpose and workes Ephes 1. 21. Who worketh all things after the counsell of his will In the Counsels and Workes of God putting them both together fiue things may be noted one proper to the purpose of God the other in common appertayning both to his Workes and Purpose The first is as touching the Eternitie of this Decree that it is before all times that is to say from euerlasting The second is the generalitie of his Dispensation that it stretcheth it selfe to all things to wit to all kinds and each particular of euery kind Thirdly the relation betweene his Purpose and Workes that he effecteth nothing which before he hath not decreed decreeth nothing which in time hee doth not effect whereupon followeth the ineuitable necessitie of the execution of his counsels The fourth is touching the Lords most free and absolute stroke in this whole dispensation Lastly That all this is proper vnto God within the compasse of one of which will fall whatsoeuer wee are to speake concerning the Gouernment and Kingdome of God The Apostle in that one sentence elegantly comprehendeth all for in saying Him that worketh c. meaning God he sheweth the supreme cause before assigned and maketh it proper to God by calling him as it were by that name and saying all things hee leaueth nothing free Now where he addeth recording to the purpose after the counsell he giueth to vnderstand that nothing is wrought but that which is decreed nothing decreed but in time it is effected In which words of purpose counsell the Eternity of this Decree is also included as fore-running all his Works yea the first worke of Creation it selfe Lastly the free-will of God is expressed in adding after the counsell of his will But for a better view to be taken of them all let vs handle these three apart Therefore to begin with his Purposes or Decrees obserue in them three things First The Eternitie of those Decrees for as God himselfe is eternall so are his deep and vnsearchable counsels all of them written and decreed or euer the World was And as f Psal 93. â— He is from euerlasting so is
17. 21. That all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And by reason of this vnion which the members haue with the head and euery member one with another it is that the whole bodie that is to say Christ himselfe the Head and all the Church which are his members are called n 1. Cor. 11. 12. Christ as we heard before And so taking Christ together with his Elect the Catholike Church is called The Mother of the Spouse himselfe Cant. 8. 2. and the Church that is all the Elect his Sister Cant. 4 9. and 8. 8. The third thing is Adoption or the making of vs the we become children by Adoption sonnes of God by grace being regenerate and borne againe in Christ who is the Sonne of God by nature as it is said o Iohn 1. 12. 13 To them that receyued him hee gaue this dignitie to bee the sonnes of God p Gal. 3. 17. for all of you are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus q Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time came God sent forth his Sonne c. that wee might receiue the Adoption Fourthly Beeing one with Christ wee also haue his and haue his Spirit to be ours Spirit to bee ours for if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8. 9. Because yee are sons saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father And hereupon the Spirit of Christ whom we receiue is called The Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. 15. Now let vs in a few words recapitulate the summe of all we are to know concerning Regeneration for so we shall make a better passage to that which followeth First It is a meere r Psal 102. 18. Esay 65. 18. Bâ—t â—e glad c. yee whom I create Eph. 2. 10. Gal. 6. 15. Creation God findeth no more matter to worke vpon for the making of a man anew then when he made that lumpe whereof heauen earth were framed Secondly the manner of this Creation is by a new birth when a hollow person one as emptie and voyd of heart as the hollow of a tree is of substance is made to haue a heart and a wild Asse-Colt borne a man by spirituall Regeneration as Tsophar speaketh Iob 11. 12. A maruailous a strange birth wherin there is no more matter to beget him of then there is in the hollow of a tree to fetch out heart of Oke Thirdly Therefore this Birth is not naturall as parents beget their children but legall as Iechonias begat Salathiel whether hee adopted him or rather that as next of DAVIDS line without adoption he succeeded in the gouernement But howsoeuer it were in the case of Salathiel we speake of that which is adoptiue Fourthly There is a difference of this Adoption from all other for men adopt children when themselues are childlesse God hauing a Son of his own adopteth vs vnto him therfore all Adoption Å¿ Eph. 1. 15. is in through Christ Fiftly Because GOD was purposed to bring many children this way vnto glorie it pleased him to found a most noble Incorporation whereof all other bodies politique are but counterfait Of this Incorporation Christ God and man is the Head all beeing adopted by him and incorporated into him the members are euerie one Kings and Priests two of the most sacred and venerable things that euer were in the world euen among the Heathen the bone and ligament that tyeth all together is the holy Spirit the soule as it were of this Incorporation That where other Corporations are said to consist of a bodie without a soule this hath the Spirit of God himselfe to bee the soule of it So the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Bodie and all made to drinke into one Spirit Againe t Eph. 4. 4. There is one Bodie and one Spirit that knitteth all the parts together Sixtly Therefore also we liue u Gal. 5. 25. all by one Spirit the same Spirit that quickned our Head quickning also vs that are his members in that whosoeuer is Christs hath his Spirit Rom. 8. 11. The verie words of the promise imply as much x Ezech. 36. 27 I will put my Spirit in the midst of them And thereupon is the Gospel called y 2. Cor. 3. 8. The ministerie of the Spirit And z Gal. 3. 2. PAVL saith Receyued ye the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith And as certainely and verily as the naturall man liueth by his reasonable soule so certainely and verily doth the Regenerate man liue by the Spirit dwelling in him beeing now no more a naturall man so farre as he is Regenerate but hauing all his life from and in that Bodie politique a Gal. 1. 20. I liue no more I but Christ liueth in me b Coloss 3. 4. When Christ which is our life shall be manifested c. Therefore is the whole Bodie comprehending both the Head and members called c 1. Cor. 12. 12. Christ and euerie particular d Iohn 3. 6. 1. Iohn 5. 8. Spirit because as he is begotten of the Spirit so he liueth in and by the Spirit This is the summe of all whereunto let me adde First Where the Spirit is it e Acts 15. 9. purifieth and clenseth the heart maketh all whole and cleane as a griffe set into a Stock doth alter and change the nature of it wherefore Sanctification of the whole man is an vnseparable companion of the Regenerate estate f Iohn 3. 6. That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit heauenly and spirituall Secondly That liuing in the Spirit it is as naturall for vs so farre as wee doe liue in the Spirit that is to say are Regenerate and consequently sanctified to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Loue Ioy Peace c. as they are reckoned Gola 5. 22. as it is for fire to burne for the wind to blow c. which is it the Apostle saith there g Gal. 5. 25. If wee liue in the Spirit let vs also walke by the Spirit And so are the graces of the Spirit distinguished from the Spirit dwelling in vs as the effects from the cause in the verie same manner as the worke of reasoning and disputing is from our reasonable soule it selfe But of these two things the worthie fruits and effects of Regeneration wee are to speake in that which followeth Of a Regenerate estate there be two degrees as it Sealed vp during the infancie of Regeneration were two ages Infancie and Mans estate of both which the Apostle speaketh Eph. 4. 14. Till we meet all together in the vnitie of Faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the
that haue alwayes troubled the Saints of God and held them as it were amazed Insomuch as comparing the happinesse of the wicked and the drunkennesse of their pleasures with their owne bitter potions they through the infirmitie of the flesh call many times in question the prouidence of God to say How should the mightie God know or how can there be any knowledge in the most High Behold these are the wicked ones and they prosper for euer and multiply riches but I am smittâ—n all the day long and my rebuke is euery Morning whereby they come almost to make a scoffe of the generation of GODS Children as in the seuentie three Psalme the Prophet Dauid sheweth in his owne person how these conflicts doe assault them from which he professeth there that hardly he could get out till he went into the Sanctuarie of GOD to the holy meetings and assemblies of the Church where he learned the the end of those men how the Lord had set them in slippery places c. The whole Psalme is very notable and full of many sweet and heauenly Meditations which are as the Wine and Apples spoken of in the c Cant. 2. 5. Canticles to stay and cheere vp the hearts of the faithfull that they faint not vnder this temptation Another an excellent man of God and a Prophet sanctified from his Mothers wombe is bold to dispute this question with God Why d Ier. 12. 1 2 3. the way of the wicked prospereth why transgressours are at rest why they be planted and also rooted continue and bring forth fruit In whose mouth God is nigh but farre from their reines At length he satisfieth his owne soule by shewing first in himselfe the singular good that aduersitie bringeth to the godly For thou O IEHOVAH knowest me thou seest me therefore thou tryest my minde to cleaue vnto thee Afterwards the end of the prosperitie of the wicked who are fed and fatted vnto destruction Thou pullest these away as Sheepe vnto the Butchery and preparest them vnto the day of slaughter The Booke of Iob swarmeth with these complaints and Salomon the wise thought it fit to arme men against it If e Eccles 5. 7 8. thou see the oppression of the peere and the wresting of right and Iustice in place of Iudgement maruell not at this their will for the High aboue the High obserueth yea the most Highâ—nes the eternall Father Sonne and Holy Spirit aboue these Tenthly We are hereby made like to Christ and conformed to his Image Rom. 8. 29. Whom he hath foreknowne them hee hath predestinate to bee conformed to the Image of his Sonne And againe Verse 17. If wee suffer together with him Now f Col. 1. 24. doe I fulfill saith PAVL in my flesh the remainders of the sufferings of Christ who hauing before suffered in his owne person as the Head doth now suffer in the daily infirmities of his members which is it the Apostle calleth To g 1. Cor. 4. 10. carrie about vs alwayes in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus And this Argument Peter h 1. Pet. 4. 13. specially taketh vp to perswade vs not onely to heare but to reioyce in afflictions In as much as ye partake of the afflictions of Christ reioyce that when his glorie shall be reuealed ye may reioyce and be glad And the reason is great and singular for if as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 10. to bring many children into Glorie it was necessary to consecrate the Prince of their saluation through afflictions whereupon hee is not ashamed to call vs Brethren who is he that would sticke to goe thorow fire and water with such a Brother especially when it is to obtayne so great a Garland Eleuenthly God is able and will deliuer vs and send a gracious issue out of all whereof wee haue a promise Psal 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee so shalt thou glorifie mee And 1. Cor. 10. 13. No temptation hath laid hold vpon you but that which befalleth vnto men Now God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tryed aboue that you are able but together with the temptation will make an issue that you may bee able for to beare For the Church of God howsoeuer it be in continuall floate tumbling and tossed with contrarie windes yet can neuer be sunke but is like to a i Exod. 3. 2. Bush burning in the fire but not consumed and to the k Zach. 1. 8. Mirrh Tree which though it grow in a bottome in a place that lyeth open to all kind of tempestuous weather yet is euer greene and flourishing full of fruit sweete and edoriferous God so tempering their afflictions that euen l Esay 42. 25. then when hee is angry with vs for our sinnes yet hee doth but sprinkle vpon vs a few drops and letteth out a small quillet of his wrath that hee might not waste vs with the extremitie of the heate as he doth his m Esay 66. 15. foes but disple vs with the shaking of his Rod to bring vs home vnto himselfe Whereupon the Apostle saith n 2. Cor. 4. 8 9. In all things we are pressed but not distressed doubting but not despayring persecuted but not forsaken in it cast downe but perish not This is it which maketh so large a difference betweene Gods Children and the vngodly that whereas a little trouble amazeth the one that their heart with o 1. Sam. 25 37 Nabal is as heauie as a stone and readie to dye within them the other ioyfully vndergoe whatsoeuer affliction because come life come death come what will else they know it is from God who is able and will set them free The Psalmist noteth that diuersitie when he saith p Psal 34. 20 22 Many are the afflictions of the iust but IEHOVAH deliuereth them out of all but one affliction killeth the wicked man Againe q Psal 32. 7. Great and many are the sorrowes of the wicked man but he that trusteth in IEHOVAH kindnesse shall compasse him about And Salomon in his Prouerbs Though r Pro. 24. 16. the righteous man fall seuen times yet hee riseth vp againe but the wicked at one euill fall down-right Å¿ Esay 40. 30 31 Children saith the Prophet ESAY faint and are wearied and young men fall downe flat that is whosoeuer either through childishnesse as Babes seeke not vnto GOD or in a iollitie and vaine confidence of their owne strength as lustie Youths care not for him but they that wait vpon IEHOVAH renew their strength they flye vp with the wing as an Eagle which in swiftnesse of flying vpwards passeth all other Birds so they speedily get out and passe ouer all affliction trusting in the loue and fauour of God They runne and are not wearied they goe forward and doe not faint Twelfthly Christ himselfe is our supporter and ministreth strength vnto vs Philip. 4. 13. I am able
and part in another and therefore they are many men But God because he is a most single and perfect and infinite essence to whomsoeuer hee communicateth his nature as hee hath before all times to his Sonne and holy Spirit must needes communicate the same wholly and perfectly and infinitely So as there can be but one God for if there be many one must differ from another in hauing that the other hath not so can they not be perfect much lesse can they be perfection it selfe perfection being that which both is perfect of it selfe and giueth perfection to all other things But being many gods if one should giue perfection to the other that other were not God For hee had not his God-head of himselfe if all had of themselues none should giue to other so none of them were God And infinite how can that be which is distributed among many for where there be many all must be circumscribed because where one is there cannot bee the other But our God is such a one as filleth Heauen and Earth and cannot be circumscribed therefore in trauelling with a multitude of gods they bring forth no God at all But because in so high and deepe a point of Christian Religion we are not to rest vpon naturall reasons leauing them I come vnto the vndoubted Oracles of holy Scripture whereby it is most cleerely and euidently confirmed Deut. 6. 4. Harken Israel IEHOVAH thy Gods meaning the persons in the God-head are one Iehouah or one diuine Essence Deut. 32. 39. See now that I am he and there is no God with mee For who k Psal 18. 32. saith the Psalmist is God beside IEHOVAH Esay 44. 6. Thus saith IEHOVAH I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God Againe l Esay 45. 5. I am IEHOVAH and there is none but I beside me there is no God And the m 1. Cor. 8. 4. Apostle to the Corinths We know there is no other God but one for albeit there be that are called gods both in Heauen and vpon Earth as there be in the vaine conceits of men many gods and many lords yet to vs there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and one Iesus Christ c. The same hee inforceth in the n Ephes 4. 5. Epistle to the Ephesians There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all c. which also is a notable reason For if there were many gods there must also be many faiths one beleeuing in this god another in that god And here the sleights of Satan haue from time to time beene wonderfull who not able to wring out of mens minds the opinion of a God so strongly settled in them hath cunningly abused the World by bringing in an imaginary multitude of gods bewitching them to worship partly fained powers partly bare creatures neglecting the Creatour blessed for euer Amen By how much The three persons are each of them that one Iehouah diuersly subsisting and are the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the more wee are to striue for the holding fast of this Truth as the Piller of Faith and ground of all Pietie howsoeuer it bee a truth of all other most true and certayne that there is nor can be but one onely God for the causes before alleaged ye the Scripture telleth vs that in this most simple and single essence there bee three subsistences or persons truely subsisting whereof euery one is distinct from other and each hath the whole God-head in him The Father which eternally begat the Sonne The The Father is a Person which from all eternitie hath begotten the Sonne Sonne eternally begotten of the Father The Holy Ghost eternally proceeding both from the Father and the Sonne And these three Persons are all one God or one Diuine Nature The Scripture is wont to expresse them vnder the name The Sonne is a Person from all eternitie begotten of the Father The Holy Ghost is a Person eternally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne of Elohim gods not as if there were more gods then one but to note the diuers subsistences in the God-head as you may see Deut. 6. 4. Esay 54. 5. and in a number of other places and therefore vseth for the most part to couple it with a Verbe singular Wee call them Persons because they are liuing and vnderstanding natures subsisting by themselues which are the things that make a Person For first brute creatures are no persons because hauing life yet they want vnderstanding Secondly euery person must subsist that is bee some one particular thing as Iohn Peter c. For the whole nature of man wee doe not call a person but a thing common to many persons Thirdly this subsistence must be by it selfe neyther the part of another thing nor sustayned of another thing as the Soule of a man whilest it is coupled with the Body subsisting all that while not alone but together with the Body is not called a person And so wee rightly say that the humanity of Christ consisting of a reasonable Soule and Body as all other men doe yet in him maketh not a person as it doth in Iohn and Peter because it subsisteth not alone but in the Deitie which supporteth it To prooue the Sonne and Holy Ghost Samosetan ' Seruetus c make the Sonne and eternall Word of God a bare Idea and imaginary thing The Holy Ghost nothing else but an operation or moouing whereby God worketh in his Children And so rob the Church of the true God blessed for euer Amen to bee persons truly subsisting indued with Iudgement will vnderstanding and a liuing nature not bare qualities or actions the place of Genesis o Gen â— 26 is most cleere and subiect to no cauill Let vs make man according to our Image God the Father consulteth not there with his Angels for the glory of Creation he reserueth to himselfe alone neyther was man made to the Image of Angels but of God he speaketh not of himselfe in the plurall number for honour sake for that kind of speech you shall not finde so ancient nor knowne to the former Ages but he speaketh and consulteth after his manner which is Diuine and Spirituall with his Sonne Holy Spirit which how could it be if they were not vnderstanding substances So in the diuision of Tongues he taketh counsell Come p Gen. 11. 7. let vs goe downe and confound their speech This was not with the Angels but with the Sonne and Holy Ghost For straightway Moses addeth So IEHOVAH scattered them Touching the Sonne In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1. 2. was that is truely subsisted for so is the nature of that word How could hee bee the q Iohn 1. 18. onely begotten Sonne of God r Colâ—s 1. 15. borne before any thing was created if hee were not a liuing person He that Å¿ Dan. 9. 13.
come aswell as others which hee declareth afore hand vnto his Church As the same y 1. Pet. 1. 16. Apostle saith The fore-witnessing Spirit of Christ declared the things that were to befall vnto him and the glory that was to follow And by this Argument is his God-head manifestly prooued z Esay 42. 22 23 26. Esay 41. where God prouoking all false gods and their worshippers to bring their proofes and to vse their strongest arguments hee saith Let them vtter and declare vnto vs the things that shall fall out The former things what they were declare that we may set our minde vnto them and know the end of them or the things to come declare vnto vs nay saith hee declare but the signes of the things hereafter that wee may know you to be gods At the length hee concludeth There is none that can declare there is none that can fore-tell there is none that can heare your wordes A chiefe man in Sion in whom behold behold these things and to Ierusalem a Publisher of glad tydings I will giue The summe is none can declare things immediately nor at the length to come to passe nor giue any incling or signification of future things but all this glory God taketh to himselfe in Christ yea so infinite is this his Knowledge that euen the secrets of all hearts which God onely discerneth are knowne vnto him for that is it which the Euangestlist Iohn a Iob. 2. 24 25. expresly noteth Hee committed not himselfe into the hands of the Iewes which after a sort beleeued in him because hee knew all men and had no need that any should testifie of man for himselfe knew what was in man In another b Matth. 9. 4. place hee is said to haue seene their thoughts and Reuel 2. 14 to search the hearts and the reines Neyther doth this knowledge rest here but it soundeth the bottomlesse counsels of God his Father vnsearchable of all his Creatures Reuelation 5. The Booke with seuen Seales in the right hand of him that sate vpon the Throne which none in Heauen nor vpon the Earth nor vnder the Earth was able to open nor so much as to looke vpon it this Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah the root of Dauid by his owne Power preuayled to open Hereof it is that in the Prophet c Dan. 8. 13. Daniel wee find him set forth by the name of PALMONI Then I heard saith he a certaine Saint speaking for the Saint said vnto PALMONI the speaker that is to Christ the Interpreter of his Fathers will How long shall this Vision be PALMONI is a compound word and signifieth as much as to haue all hidden and secret things ready told and as wee vse to speake at ones fingers ends most absolutely and perfectly knowne which is the proper Epithete of our Sauiour Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of Wisedome and Vnderstanding and who is said to bee in the Bosome of the Father yea who is the very Wisdome of God as manifestly appeareth by conference of the two Euangelists Matthew and Luke for that which Christ saith in MATTHEW d Matth. 23. 24 Behold I send among you Prophets and Wise-men and Scribes c. LVKE c Luke 21. 49. hath it Therefore also the Wisedome of God saith I will send among you Prophets and Apostles c. Last of all hee is called Eternall Psalm 93. 2. Thy Throne is established from before then meaning any time whereof a man may say then thou art from euerlasting And that this Psalme is spoken of Christ appeareth in the very first beginning Iehouah raigueth Salomon in his Prouerbs f Prou. 8. 22. doth notably inforce the same IEHOVAH possessed mee in the beginning of his way before his workes before then Before the World was I anoynted before the beginning before the first things of the Earth when yet there were no deepes was I brought forth when there were no Fountaines heauy with water when yet Mountaines were not fastened before the Hils was I brought forth yet he had not made the Earth nor streets no not the beginning nor dusts of the inhabited World When hee fitted the Heauens there was I when he appointed the circuit vpon the face of the Deepe when he fortified the Cloudes aboue when he strengthned the Fountaines of the Deepe when he laid his Decree vpon the Sea that the waters should not passe the commandement of his mouth when hee appointed the foundations of the Earth And hereunto serueth that to the Colâ—ssiâ—â—s g Col. 1. 15. Begotten before all Creation or before any thing was â—reated and therefore from euerlasting Agreeable whereunto is that whereby he calleth himselfe in the h Reuel 18. Reuelation Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end which was and which is and which is to come And in IOHN i Iohn 8. 5 8. before ABRAHAM was made I am Againe k Iohn 17. 15. Glorifie mee O Father with the glory which I had before the World was with thee That also to the l Heb. 9. 14. Heb. 1. 2. Hebrewes where hee is said to haue offered vp himselfe by his euerlasting Spirit is verie pregnant to prooue his Eternall Deitie And when by him God made all Ages the times and courses of all things must not he the Maker and Beginner of Time be himselfe before all Time But that of all other is most emphaticall where he is called m Esay 9. 5. The Father of Eternity not onely eternall but Eternity it selfe and the Author of it Thirdly being the Sonne and begotten as before appeared hee must needes bee vnderstood to bee of his Fathers Essence For he that begetteth and they that are begotten are all of one nature especially he that hath not the like but the same very Essence and whole God-head in him As he is therefore Consubstantiall so is he coequall with his Father A sonne is inferiour to his father because his father is more excellent then hee in priority of Time in priority of Dignity For his Wisedome and other parts which the sonne by instruction receiueth from him Againe because hee bestoweth freely this benefit vpon his sonne to beget him for fleshly Parents in gender voluntary of their free will and election not by nature These things set aside a sonne who hath not the same but the like nature with his father were equall with him How much more therefore is this true in the Sonne of God who is not of the like but of the selfe-same nature and Essence with his Father and in whom none of the things before alleaged can take place Priority of Times there is none for all are Coeternall nothing vnperfect for what is the God-head but perfection it selfe Neyther doth the heauenly Father like vnto fleshly Parents beget his Sonne voluntarily so as he might haue begotten him or left him vnbegotten or may beget moe but hee begetteth him by nature and therefore him alone
of the Apostles l Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith Pardoneth and remitteth sinnes and that by his owne Authority He m Luk. 7. 48 49 said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And they that sate downe with him began to say in themselues Who is this that doth also forgiue sinnes As n Luke 5. 21. elsewhere vpon the like occasion they said He did blaspheme grounding themselues vpon a certayne truth That none can forgiue sinnes but God onely He washeth and sanctifieth the Church as a glorious Spouse vnto himselfe which because it is the proper worke of God is therefore expresly o Rom. 1. 14. attributed to his Spirit or Diuine Power And by this Argument he confirmeth his God-head Ioh. 5. 21. As the Father rayseth the dead in sinne and quickeneth so also the Sonne quickeneth whom hee will This is he which is to iudge the World Iohn 5. 22. The Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement to the Sonne Hee rayseth vp by his mighty voyce the bodies of the dead Iohn 5. 22. p Iohn 5. 28. For the time shall come when all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man and shall come forth So in q Iohn 6. 34 40 another place And I will rayse him vp in the latter Day Rom. 1. 4. he is said to haue raysed vp himselfe And in IOHN r Iohn 10. 18. I haue power to lay downe my soule and to take it vp againe Yea he is called the Å¿ Iohn 11. 25. Resurrection to note that hee doth this of himselfe and by his owne authority who were hee not God could not rayse vp himselfe much lesse rayse vp and quicken others To conclude as a Crowne of all the rest this is he which t Iohn 1. 12. to as many as receiue him giueth this dignity to bee the Sonnes of God u Reuel 1. 6. hath made vs Kings and Priests to God his Father and giueth euerlasting life which x Rom. 6. 23. is the gift of God alone To y Reuel 3. 21. him that ouercommeth I will giue to sit with mee in my Throne So Iohn 10. 27 28. My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue euerlasting life vnto them Sixtly maruellous are those markes whereby as by certaine steps and footings we may trace out the Maiesticall glory of his God-head Iohn 1. 14. We beheld his glory as the glory of the onely Begotten comming from the Father PAVL also calleth him The Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2. 8. For had they knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory By which very phrase if there were no more wee may easily discerne him to be selfe-same mighty God full of Maiesty and of Power whom z Psal 24 9 10 Dauid termeth the King of glory and forthwith addeth Who is the King of glory IEHOVAH of Hosts he is the King of glory In the Acts a Acts 7. 56. when hee shewed himselfe to STEPHEN the Heauens are said to haue beene opened as it were the Creature to giue place vnto the Creator He is the b Col. 1. 15. Image of the inuisible God The c Heb. 1. 3. engrauen forme of his Fathers Person and resplendence of his glory hath one d Reuel 22. 1. and the selfe-some Throne with his Father whereby equall Power and Dignity is meant In e Iohn 1. 18. IOHN He is said to be in the bosome of the Father Hither belongeth that Honourable Title which the Father giueth vnto Christ when hee calleth him f Zach. 13. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man my fellow as it were another himselfe the representer of his Person as the Hebrew word doth signifie The Elect and holy Angels are called the Angels of God and neuer the Angels of any Creature as by way of noting out any authority ouer them But Christ is not onely the g Iude verse 9. Arch-angell chiefe h Dan. 10. 13. of the heauenly Princes and i Iâ—sh 8. 2. Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH but further they are said by name to be k Reuel 12. 7 8. Mat. 13. 4. his Angels and l Heb. 1. 6. willed to doe him homage Let all the Angels of God worship him In the Prophets you may euery where see how they minister to Christ are sent by him and runne at his Commandement Ezech. 10. 6. The man clothed in linnen with a Writers Inke-horne by his side which was Christ the Priest and Mediatour of his Church sealing them to eternall Life by the Bloud of the New Testament being commanded of his Father to fill his fists with coles of fire from betweene the Cherubins and to scatter it vpon the City Assoone as he came and stood by the wheeles one of the Cherubs an Angell tooke of the fire and put it into his fists prest and ready to serue him as he was to obey his Father In m Zach. 1 9 11 Zachary the Angell that spake to the Prophet being the same n Verse 9. Angell that stood betweene the two Myrrh-trees called also the man that stood betweene the Myrrh-trees that it might bee knowne to be meant of Christ taketh of the other Angels a reckoning and account of their doings The same Angell in the o Zach. 2. 3 4. next Chapter biddeth another Angell that came forth to meete him as it were to know his pleasure what he would command him to runne and informe the Prophet of those promises which there hee maketh to his Church So p Dan. 8. 16. Daniel hauing seene a great Vision which he vnderstood not heard the voyce of a man which was Christ calling and saying GABRIEL make this man vnderstand the Vision But in the times of the Gospell when the Propheticall Visions were more cleere then vnder shaddowes of the Law his also is more manifest For in the very beginning of the Booke of the q Reuel 1. 1. Reuelation the things which Christ receiued from his Father he is said to haue sent and shewed them by his Angel to his Seruant IOHN And in the r Reuel 2â— 16. coÌ„clusion of the Booke againe I IESVS haue sent my Angell to testifie these things vnto you The conference of which place with Å¿ Reuel 22. 6. that which went immediately before The Lord God of the holy Prophets hath sent his Angel to shew his Seruants the things which must come to passe shortly noteth him out plainly to bee that IEHOVAH The true God which spake by the holy Prophets Wee are t Mat 28. 19. Acts 2. 38. baptized into his Name A forme of speech signifying that we dedicate and consecrate our selues to him as to our GOD and Lord. Whereupon u 1. Cor. 1. 14. Paul worthily detesteth it to haue beene thought as if hee baptized any into his owne Name God x Mat. 4. 10. onely is to bee
1. Sam. 14. 7. Ionathan preuailed with his Armour-bearer when they two were set vpon a whole Garrison of the Philistims There is no let vnto IEHOVAH but that hee may saue with many or with few A proofe whereof is euident to bee seene 2. Chron. 24. 24. where notwithstanding the Armie of ARAM came against IOASH with a few men yet IEHOVAH deliuered into their hands an exceeding great Armie because they had forsaken IEHOVAH the God of their fathers That of f Amos 5. 9. Amos is very memorable He refresheth the distressed against the strong that distresse it selfe should be able to scale a Fort that is men so wonderfully spent and wasted as if weaknesse and calamitie were to be seene in their faces And g Ier. 37. 10. Ieremie biddeth the Iewes not to deceiue themselues as if all were well because the Caldeans did a little giue backe For though you should smite saith hee all the hoast of the Caldeans that fought against you so as there were left among them but men thrust thorow yet should they rise vp euery man in his Tent and burne the Citie with fire As to the same Caldeans afterwards h Ier. 50. 45. he threatneth that the very least of the flocke shall teare them in pieces And as he himselfe is able to worke by slender meanes so hee disappointeth the great and mightie meanes bloweth vpon it and maketh it vnprofitable Is it not saith the Prophet i Abac. 2. 13. ABACVCK from IEHOVAH of Hosts that the People labour in the fire and the Nations weary themselues for nothing And k Ps 33. 15 16 Dauid himselfe a King A King is not saued by the multitude of strength The mightie man is not deliuered by the multitude of power A Horse is a vaine thing to saue and cannot deliuer by the multitude of his strength After whom Salomon l Prou. 21. 31. his sonne a worthy graft of so noble a Stocke heire of his fathers Vertue aswell as of his Crowne led by the same Spirit speaketh in like sort The Horse is prepared against the day of battaile but saluation commeth from IEHOVAH Take for Example the m Psal 78. 9 10 children of EPHRAIM valiant and renowned Archers turning their backe in the day of battaile because they kept not the couenant of God but refused to walke in his Law n Eccles 9. 13. SALOMON by his owne experience confirmeth this I haue seene that not alwayes the swift getteth the course nor the strong preuaile in warre c. This is that Iudgement which threatneth o Leuit. 26. 26. in the Law I will breake the staffe of bread by taking from it all power and vertue of nourishment that in the middest of abundance they shall euen dye for famine And in the Prophet p Hosh 4. 10. HOSEA Though they eate yet they shall not bee filled though they commit fornication yet they shall not bee multiplyed Ouer and beside all this to haue it yet more manifest that the whole vertue is to bee looked for from him he dealeth sometimes vtterly without all meanes euen in famine q Psal 33. 17. it selfe preseruing his aliue So Moses r Deut. 8. 3. telleth the people that God in their hunger fed them with Manna which they nor their Ancestors neuer knew to make knowne vnto them that man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie thing that proceedeth out of the month of IEHOVAH that is which God by his Commandements giueth power vnto to nourish And Å¿ Esay 38. 16. EZECHIAS in his Prayer acknowledgeth no lesse O Lord by these things which thou speakest and doest men doe liue yea in euery one of these consisteth the life of my spirit by these thou makest mee whole and keepest mee aliue noting the miraculous deliuerance from his sicknesse onely by the word that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord. Hence ariseth that most glorious reioycing of Faith resting vpon the Couenant and fauour of God in the middest of the want of all worldly helpes t Aba 13. 17 18 Though the Figge tree should not bud nor no increase be in the Vines the worke of the Oliue lye and none of the fields bring forth meate the enemie cut away the flocke from the Fold and no herd be of the Bullockes yet I will reioyce in IEHOVAH and ioy in the God of my saluation Agreeable whereunto is that of the u Psal 20. 8. Psalmist These remember Horses and they Chariots but wee will remember the Name of IEHOVAH our God Lastly hither doe belong his glorious and magnificent workes done as we say against the hayre and contrarie to all meanes yea to the very course of nature that all men may know that nature is nothing else but that order which God hath set in things and which he altereth and changeth at his pleasure x 2. Kings 20. 1 Ezechias sicknesse by course of nature was incurable for it is noted to haue beene deadly and the Prophet told him as from the Lord Thou canst not liue But his power ouer-mastred the strength of the disease He remooueth y Iob 9. 5 6. Mountaines so as men cannot discerne so much as a step of them when hee ouerturneth them in his wrath he shaketh the earth out of her place that the very Pillers thereof tremble z Esay 50. 2. At his rebuke he dryeth vp the Sea and maketh the flouds a Desart euen then when they are in their prime As hee did to a Iosh 3. 15. 16. Iordan in the full Spring-tide when his course was to ouerflow all the Bankes The Earth how ponderous an Element it is how grosse and heauie yet as if it were lighter then lightnesse it selfe and not so much as the weight of a Fether b Iob 26. 7. he stretcheth it vpon emptinesse and hangeth it vpon nothing Waters which naturally seeke downwards and the raging of the Sea his mightie word so bridleth that though it be farre higher then the Earth it cannot ouerflow it c Iob 38. 10. 11 onely because he hath set his decree as a barre and a double gate against it saying Hither shalt thou come and no further and heere shall the shore set it selfe against the pride of thy waues How doth the Prophet d Psal 19. 6. admire the excellencie of the Sunne which commeth forth as a Gyant to runne his course yet at his commandement it hath stood e Iosh 10. 13. still yea which is a wonder for to speake at the request of a mortall man he hath made it goe f 2. Kings 20. 10 11. backwards What more naturall then fire to burne which hee notwithstanding as the Lord of nature hath so changed that in a hot g Dan. 3. burning Furnace heated seuen times not so much as a hayre of his Seruants head was touched nor a thred of their Garments sindged when at the selfe-same time the vehemencie of
o Mat. 26. 37. heauinesse p Mar. 14. â—3 amazement The difference of Christs Hebion Cerinthus and others said he was conceiued by ordinarie procreation of man and woman as other men are humane nature from all other mens standeth in this that hee was not conceiued according to the ordinary procreation of man and woman but of a Virgin and therefore by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost not begetting him of his owne substance as fathers doe their children but by his Almightie Power framing and fashioning the same after a wonderfull manner miraculously and without mans helpe in the wombe of Marie That she was a Virgin the Storie is plaine q Mat. 1. 23. Mat. 1. according as it was r Esay 7. 14. long before prophecied Behold that Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne The Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word in both the Tongues signifieth one hidden vnknowne vnto a man And fondly doe the Iewish Rabbins pretend the place t Pro. 30. 19. Prou. 30. to delude the truth of this Interpretation which indeed doth confirme and giue strength vnto it for when Salomon saith The way of a man in a u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maide Is it not plaine that hee speaketh by an Ironie meaning a Strumpet of that brazen fore-head and so impudent as notwithstanding her filthinesse will needs goe for as good a Mayde as the best Therefore he addeth in the next Verse Shee eateth and then wipeth her mouth saying I haue done none iniquitie yea this seemeth though more obscurely to haue beene pointed at in that promise The seed of the woman shall tread downe the head of the Serpent for in saying the seed of the woman and not of the man who in the ordinarie course of generation hath the first and chiefest place what can else bee meant but a wonderfull and strange conception of a woman without the helpe of man And of this interpretation Esay may bee the Authour who doth not say simply A Virgin shall conceiue but that Virgin that is to say that Virgin so famously and so long before spoken of to Gods people of whom as touching the flesh Christ should come which no other Scripture but this doth warrant Last of all the efficient and worker of this so wonderfull by the Holy Ghost a conception is expressed Mat. 1. 20. That which is conceiued in her is of the Holy Ghost And lâ—st you should take of here for the materiall cause which is repugnant to the Diuine Nature of the Spirit of God and ouerthroweth the true humane Nature of our Sauiour Christ the Angell Luke 1. 35. declareth the whole order and manner of this conception The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most High shall ouer-shaddow thee Next is the vnion of Who is also these two Natures Nestorius deuided the Person and made two persons one God the other man Eutyches confounded the two natures and made them but one attributing to the Man-hood all the properties of the God-head as to be vncreated omnipotent euerywhere c. and to the God-head to be subiect to suffer and whatsoeuer else belongeth to the humane Nature Both which in the first moment of his Conception inseparably knit together and still remaining in substance propertie and action distinct one from other and each keeping his seuerall and proper qualities make one Person Iesus Christ as the soule and bodie personally conioyned make one man A Mysterie of all Mysteries that a man should make one Person with GOD whom the glorious and blessed Angels are not able to behold and yet cleerly and manifestly taught in the Scriptures x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2. 16. For he tooke not to an Angellike nature but hee tooke to the Seed of ABRAHAM This taking to which must needs bee meant vnto his God-head doth it not most manifestly shew a distinction of the Natures not a drowning or swallowing vp of either against Eutyches and againe a personall vnion of them in an vnspeakeable sort against Nestorius The place to the y Col. 2. 9. Coloss 2. 9. as it spake before for the God-head of Christ So it speaketh for the vnitie of his natures For in him that is in Christ whom he opposeth to those traditions of men dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily When he saith In him dwelleth the God-head hee distinguisheth two Natures one the God-head dwelling the other the man in whom it dwelleth By which phrase of dwelling also he noteth not an abode for a time but a perpetuall habitation for which cause he vseth the present time And adding bodily hee signifieth that the same is not by communication of his power and vertue in which sence God is said to dwell in all his Saints nor in a Sacramentall manner as God is said to dwell in his Temple but by a substantiall and personall vnion of both Natures making one Christ Therefore Paul vnto the Romanes speaking of both apart his Manhood first and then his God-head afterwards knitteth them in one IESVS CHRIST z Rom. 13. 4. concerning his Sonne made of the Seed of DAVID according to the flesh mightily declared to bee the Sonne of God as touching the Spirit of Sanctification by rising from the dead euen IESVS CHRIST our LORD Againe a Rom. 9. 5. that CHRIST as touching the flesh came from the Father being also ouer all God to be blessed for euer And 1. Peter 3. 18. CHRIST was put to death as touching the flesh and quickened touching the Spirit To conclude this was plainly fore-told by the Prophet Esay 7. 14. that hee should be EMANVEL that is God with vs. Wherefore that of Iohn 1. 14. The Word became flesh and whatsoeuer other speeches like to that may not be vnderstood of a confusion but of an vnion of the natures and as the natures themselues are not mingled no more are their properties it being impossible that the properties of one nature should agree vnto the other for as the God-head cannot die no more can the Man-hood be infinite omnipotent euery-where c. By reason of the vnion of these natures into one person these two things follow First Beside that touching the Deitie he is the Sonne of God by nature In which respect hee is indeed most properly called the Sonne the b Heb. 7. 3. Apostle witnessing that He was without Father according to his Man-hood and without Mother according to his God-head hee is also in his humanitie the Sonne of God by this personall vnion Luke 1. 35. That holy One that is borne of thee shall be called The Sonne of God And yet for all that there is but one onely Sonne of God not two though the same by reason of this personall Vnion bee in two respects the Sonne Secondly Hereof it is that hee is to bee adored of all his Creatures euen the holy Angels Heb. 1. Let all the Angels of God
the things vpon the Earth And Colos 2. 10. It pleased God to reconcile through him all things vnto himselfe both the things vpon Earth and the things in Heauen 〈◊〉 not to bee vnderstood of the Angels but of the Saâ—â—â—â— and blessed Spirits now deceased Mediation as the Apostle doth define it Gal. 3. 20. is to set at one parties that are at variance Wherefore the very point and propertie of Christs Office of Mediator or that wherein it standeth and whereunto all the parts doe tend is the reconciling of the World to bring them againe into fauour with God his Father and to the recouerie of his former loue as it is said 2. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe And Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies wee were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne This was the foote of the Angels Song Glorie to God in the highest Heauens on Earth Peace Good will towards men Luke 2. 14. It was the t Acts 10. 36. summe of our Sauiour Christs Embassage Comming he preached Peace vnto vs Ephes 2. 17. And thereupon the Gospell is called u 2. Cor. 15. 18 19. The Word or Ministerie of reconciliation x Ephes 6. 15. The Gospell of Peace c. The meanes whereby hee worketh our Peace is by of a couenant making of a Couenant betweene God and vs wherevpon he is called The Mediator of the New Testament Hebrewes 12. 24. and The Angell of the Couenant Malachie 3. 1. In this Couenant I obserue the end and fruit the substance or foundation the meanes or the condition and the extent of the Couenant The end or fruit is the sauing of our soules So the to saue Apostle doth expresse it Heb. 9. 5. Therefore is Christ the Mediator of a new Couenant that through death comming betweene for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Couenant they that are called may receiue the promise of an euerlasting Inheritance Christ himselfe is the foundation and ground-worke through faith in him of this Couenant Esay 49. 8. and the substance of all the Gospell as the Apostle defineth Rom. 1. 1 2 3 4. and in 〈…〉 other places The meanes to make the Couenant effectuall vnto vs that is by apprehending of the Couenant is Faith the condition of the Couenant Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued Acts 16. 31. Touching the extent of the Couenant all Mankinde certaine few men whom God his Father hath chosen are not partakers of this benefit but some certaine men onely which certaine men though wee cannot certainly define the number are but a handfull in respect of the great multitude of those that perish being elect before the World was and giuen vnto Christ that in time through faith incorporated into him and becomming one with him they might as members make that Bodie whereof hee is the Head and so bee quickened by his Spirit vnto euerlasting life And this election of some necessarily implyeth the reiecting of other some Wherefore here the whole doctrine of Gods holy Predestination is summarily comprehended A matter aboue all other most religiously and soberly to be dealt in not so much for any hardnesse that is in it which if wee keepe within the bounds and limits of the Word is easie enough to bee conceiued as in regard partly of the curiousnesse of men prying without all reuerence into the secret Counsels of God and climbing vp by other steps then himselfe hath hallowed and partly of their owne corrupt affections who either swelling with Pride or cast downe with feare can hardly keepe along the coast of this Doctrine without wrecking themselues either at the Rockes of Presumption or the Flats of desperation Wherefore to auoyd both these extremes wee are to hold such a middle course as may not be after the randome of our owne wit but at the direction of God in the wisedome of his Word for as for them that thinke this Doctrine is not at all to bee taught vnto the people it is manifest that they erre very grossely this being as the rest one part of the reueiled will of GOD whereof y Deut. 30. 29. Moses speaketh to the people T 〈…〉 things belong to IEHOVAH our God but the reueiled things to vs and our children for euer And as the z Rom. 15. 4. Apostle saith Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our profit that by patience and comfort of the Scriptures which cannot be without knowing of them we might haue hope This being written by the singer of GOD in the Table of his Word must needs haue a place in that number amongst the rest And the speech a Iohn 5. 30. of our Sauiour Christ is generall willing vs to search the Scriptures for whatsoeuer things they beare record of What That the Apostle Paul writing to the b Chap. 9. 10 11 Romanes doubteth not to debate this Argument at large discoursing of all the secrets and mysteries thereof the causes effects c. And in the Epistle to the c Ephes 5. Ephesians he layeth it as the foundation and ground-worke whereupon to build the Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse of life Nay Moses himselfe who for the grosse conceit and rudenesse of the Iewes kept backe the creation of the Angels and their fall and many other Mysteries yet how d Deut. 4. 37. 7 8 9 10. 14. 73. 5. oft doth hee deale with this The Disciples of Christ were not c Iohn 16. 12. able to beare many things which hee was to vtter vnto them yet hee passeth not by this Doctrine when f Luke 10. 20. hee biddeth them to reioyce that their names were written in Heauen yea and both the points of Election and Reprobation hee plainly setteth forth Mat. 25. 34. and 41. This will bee yet more euident if we call to minde the manifold vse of this Doctrine being the Roote of all Pietie and the Base of all our comfort then the which none more highly exalteth the glorie of God in his Mercie and Iustice nor throweth downe the pride of man more lowe as in the processe Christ assisting more fully shall appeare Wherein for a better light of that which followeth it is necessarie I should first define Predestination Predestination is one principall branch of Gods purpose or eternall Decree concerning the finall estate of the most excellent creatures Angels and men The parts whereof are Election and Reprobation Election which is of some certaine ones vnto Saluation of men but few in respect of those that are to perish Reprobation which is of some certaine ones vnto damnation The waight and degree of both aswell of glorie as of shame to some in a lesse to some in a greater measure To explaine this a little better God who onely is eternall the Father Sonne and holy Spirit purposing before all times the glorifying of himselfe as is most meet
giuen to all Christians alike for that all of vs communicate with the Priesthood of Christ and are Priests to God to Å¿ 1. Pet 2. 5. Reuel 1. 6. offer spirituall Sacrifices First our selues as Paul saith Ro. 12. 1 in the deniall of our owne lusts then the Sacrifice of Prayer and Thankesgiuing Almes and other Christian The parts are Oblation and Intercession Oblation is the offering vp of himselfe for them It standeth first in the sanctification of his humane Nature and Righteousnes then in his suffrings with the glories that did follow The sanctification of his humane Nature is the consecrating of it in all holinesse from the very first moment of his conception duties whereof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 13. 15 c. In the parts of his Priesthood we put first the offering of himselfe to God his Father for vs I say for vs because Christ is to bee considered not as one priuate man but as a publike person representing all men that are to come to life eternall as Adam did all his Posteritie for so the Apostle doth compare them Rom. 5. 14. From the vertue of this Oblation coÌ„meth the full matter of our peace with God In it we are to consider foure principall heads whereunto all may be referred first is the sanctification of his humane nature to be a fit instrument to worke our reconciliation vnto God wherein two things are comprehended First That the Man-hood or humane Nature by the wonderfull worke of the Holy Ghost was sanctified in the Virgins wombe from all kind of sinfulnesse and indued with an habit of most perfect Sanctimonie and Holinesse in the verie first minute and moment of his conception In which regard the t Luke 1. 35. Angell vnto Marie calleth him That holy thing that shall be borne of thee c. wherein he differeth from all the sonnes of Adam as well as he doth in the manner of his conception Secondly It was made a fit instrument for the whole for the worke of the Mediation worke of the Mediation that is to say not onely for his owne performance of the Priestly Offices but both for our incorporating into himselfe and for the quickening and giuing of Life and Righteousnesse and all good things to those that are incorporate and that by the power of his God-head sanctifying the Man-hood as hee saith Iohn 17. 19. For their sake doe I sanctifie my selfe It is not therefore the God-head onely that quickeneth vs but the humanitie also as an instrument or Conduit whereby he doth it And this is that our Sauiour saith Iohn 5. 26. As the Father hath life in himselfe As if he should haue said With God indeed is the fountaine of Life and Grace and all good things but that which is locked vp and buried in his vnaccessible Light hee hath powred vpon the Sonne manifested in the flesh that from him as from the Head it might flow to euerie member of the Church yea hither driueth the whole tenour of his disputation Iohn 6. 53 57 63. concerning the true cause of our eternall Happinesse After hee had said Vnlesse yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you hee addeth As I liue by the Father so he that eateth mee hee also shall liue by mee And anon It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing When hee saith himselfe meaning his Man-hood which was it onely which the Iewes beheld in Christ liueth by the Father that is the God-head dwelling in him which for the Iewes sake hee vttereth vnder the name of his Father rather then of himselfe he sheweth the fountaine of his Life that is of his quickening power to be that essentiall vnion of the God-head to his humane Nature in regard whereof the Father was 〈…〉 lled before The Liuing Father Againe where hee 〈◊〉 The flesh profiteth nothing and yet had said before 〈◊〉 ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you he distinguisheth two things most manifestly First that his humane Nature whether you consider the essence of his Soule or Bodie or any created vertue or qualitie inherent hath not of it selfe any quickening vertue in it which is onely proper to his God-head then that the same is neuerthelesse not vnprofitable but a most necessarie instrument which being first it selfe quickened by the God-head whereunto it is personally knit doth from the God-head powre life into as many as by faith are vnited to him without whose flesh the Spirit neuer quickeneth no more then the soule maketh a man to vnderstand but by the braine Therefore is the Man-hood aptly compared to a Fountaine which sendeth forth most sweet and comfortable streames of water of life vnto all his members and the Deitie to the Well-head or to a Spring that ministreth continually vnto this Fountaine The second head is the performing of thorow Righteousnesse The Righteousnesse of Christ is his performing of the most excellent measure of obedience to the Law of God that can possibly fall into any Creature and being the Righteousnes of him who is both God and Man consequently it meriteth a like supreme measure of Blessednesse for vs being in all his Actions supernaturally vpholden from all possibilitie of sinning and performing the most exact and perfect obedience of the Law Iohn 8. 29. I doe alwayes the things that are pleasing to my Father Supernaturall I say because being a true Man and hauing all the infirmities of the sonnes of men sinne onely excepted he was as all other in his owne Nature subiect to temptation and of a mutable disposition to imbrace euill as Adam did if it had beene possible for the God-head to the which hee was personally vnited to haue left him In this part I consider the measure First of his Righteousnesse and then of the Blessednesse which hee merited both of them in the highest most supreme excellencie that can bee more then I say not men but all the Angels of heauen are capable of being the righteousnâ—â— of him which is both God and Man therefore 〈◊〉 The u 1. Cor. 4. 21. Righteousnesse of God which notwithstanding as a qualitie inherent to the humane Nature of Christ is to be distinguished from that essentiall Righteousnesse of his that he hath as God which is the verie God-head To the third head are to be referred the sufferings of Suffering one principall part of that obedience is Christ a principall part of his obedience as hee tooke vpon him the Office of Mediator but in nature and consideration of the Doctrine to be distinguished from the former And herein especially standeth that offering of himselfe vp to God his Father for vs. As the Apostle The abomination of the Popish Masse wherein the Priest offereth vp Christ euery day vnto his Father testifieth Hebrewes 9. 14. How much more shall the bloud of CHRIST who by his
flesh he was iustified in the Spirit And g Acts 2. 22. PETER calleth him a man approued of God by the excellent Deedes and miracles and signes which God had done by him Which as h Iohn 2. 11. Iohn noteth were to manifest his glorie In regard whereof he saith i Iohn 1. 14 Wee saw his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of God But yet sometimes more gloriously then at other he was pleased in an extraordinary manner to reueale it as in his Transfiguring vpon the Mount when k Matth. 17. 2. his face shined as the Sunne and his garments were made white as the light In his l Iohn 2. 15. whipping of the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple In his m Iohn 18. 6. causing of them that came to apprehend him onely by the power of his Word to fall vnto the ground c. yea in the very midst of all his sufferings and euen vpon the Crosse it selfe how did his glorie shine taking vpon him to n Luk. 23. 42 43. dispose of Paradise the kingdome of heauen at his pleasure and making heauen and earth the liuing and the dead to worke together for the celebrating of his greatnesse When the Sunne ashamed of their doings o Matth. 27. 45 pulled in his beames and refused to giue them Light when at p Matth. 27. 50 51 52. his voice and the noyse of his roring the Earth trembled and shooke the Vale of the Temple rent a sunder from the top vnto the bottome Rockes flew in pieces the Graues were opened and the Bodies of many dead Saints did arise when hee wrung out of the q Matth 27. 54 Centurions mouth a confession of his person and made the r Iohn 19. 19 20 21 22. hands of Pilate imbrued with his bloud to be the instruments of the publishing of his Office and to lift vp the Standard of his prayse to all people Latines Greekes and Hebrewes that not without iust cause doth the Å¿ Coloss 2. 15. Apostle say that He spoyled Principalities and Powers and led them in open shew triumphing vpon the Crosse So as the shamefull and ignominious Crosse was contrary to its nature so altered and changed by Christs Diuine Power that it serued now for a Trophee and Monument of his Victorie being as a Chariot wherein he rode more glorious then any Emperour or Potentate of the World in the middest of his greatest Triumph and had all the enemies of our Saluation Satan Sinne Hell and Condemnation led after him chayned and fast bound with all their weapons pulled from them as men taken captiues But this Glorie of his afterwards shined foorth most were in soule or bodie apart or ioyntly in them both In soule he went to Heauen presently after death cleerely in foure steps or degrees In the first place may bee reckoned though it were not conspicuous to the World that he went in soule vnto Heauen after death So hee t Luke 23. 43. saith to the Thiefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise And after being readie to giue vp the ghost u Verse 46. Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit Which to bee meant of his present going to God his Father is manifest by other places where the like phrase is vsed as Acts 7. 59. in the Prayer of STEPHEN Lord receiue my spirit The second step is his Resurrection when in the His bodie hee raysed from the dead Chambers of death he conquered death it selfe and being a Morsell that the graue was not able for to swallow arose from the dead and made thereby a perfect conquest of all his foes and full demonstration of his Glorie as the Apostle saith x Rom. 1. 4. He was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God as touching the spirit of Sanctification by rising from the dead In his Resurrection I note these sixe things First The cause of his Resurrection which was by his owne Diuine Power Secondly The manner of his rising mightily and powerfully not bound hand and foote as Lazarus came forth but like Samson hee y Acts 2. 24. brake the bands of death and of the graue in sunder Thirdly What bodie hee rose withall a Bodie freed glorious from all infirmitie hunger thirst wearinesse c. and indued with immortalitie strength nimblenesse agilitie Behold my hands and my feet It is euen â— touch me and see mee A Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee to haue Acts 2. 32. Acts 3. 13 15. able to mooue vpwards aswell as to goe downewards glorious and shining and therefore called z Phil. 3. 21. A bodie glorious Howsoeuer it Vbiquists that teach Christs body since his Resurrection to bee Omnipotent euerywhere remayne a a Luke 24 39. bodie still to bee handled touched felt hauing length breadth c. with all other essentiall properties belonging to a Bodie and locally comprehended in one certaine place Fourthly The time when hee rose which was the the third day at the dawning of the day b Mat. 16. 21. Luke 24. 7. 11. Acts 10 40. 1. Cor. 15. 4. third Day early in the morning Fiftly The fruit and benefit in all those good and excellent things which are to bee remembred when wee speake of the Kingdome of Heauen The third step is his most blessed and glorious Ascension whereby in stead of the lower part of the In his whole person soule and bodie he ascends into Heauen Earth whither for his great loue vnto vs he did willingly come downe God hath taken him vp and set him aboue the highest Heauens as the Apostle noteth Ephes 4. 10 11. Now this that he ascended what is it but that hee first descended into the lower parts of the Earth He that descended is the selfe-same that ascended farre aboue all the Heauens c. Of this is the Storie recorded Marke 16. 19. Luke 24. 51. and more fully Acts 1. 29. that whilest they looked he was lifted vp or as the Angell calleth it Acts 1. 11. taken vp from them into Heauen that is his humane nature by the power and vertue of his God-head was truly and locally translated from the Earth into the highest Heauens of the Blessed where it is to remayne in all glorie and excellencie till the latter Day as the Angell telleth his Apostles Acts 1. 11. This Iesus that is taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come as you haue seene him going into Heauen And Peter more plainly Acts 3. 21. Whom Heauen must contayne till the times of the restoring of all things For where our Sauiour saith Mat. 28. 20. I am with you alwayes to the end of the World and a c Mat. 26. 11. little before had said Me you shall not haue alwayes among you it appeareth that the manner of his presence is to bee distinguished for hee is present indeed alwayes with his Church but by the
telleth vs that Hee which vpon Adams fall began his Mediation had a Being long before and together with his Father and Holy Spirit weilded a greater Scepter being the Lord and Creatour of Adams selfe and of the whole World besides and the great King out of whose Throne proceed those euerlasting counsels that rule and moderate whatsoeuer is or shall be Thy Throne is established before any time thou art from euerlasting The other degree is in the tayming and bringing downe of the proud enemies of his Kingdome whose rage and furie hee compareth with the loud noyse of mightie waters when the Waues and Surges of the Sea arise Christs Dominion that sitteth aloft as Lord Paramount with the stilling and ouer-ruling of them Then followeth the second mayne Arme and Branch of his Kingdome in the Scepter of his Word Thy testimonies are exceeding true And lastly the euerlasting Righteousnesse which by the Spirit of Sanctification hee bestoweth vpon his Church In thy House is comely holinesse O IEHOVAH for euermore The first of these is properly called his Iudicature or Office of a Iudge the second is his Propheticall Office the third is wont by excellencie to be called The Kingdome All most glorious and noble effects of his Ascension into Heauen and sitting at the right hand of God as the Apostle telleth vs Ephes 4. 8. Ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue whereby he meaneth the absolute power giuen vnto him for the gouernment of the World seene specially in the subduing of the proud enemies of the Church And gaue gifts vnto men which g Verse 10. by and by hee interpreteth to bee as much as to fill all things that is the whole bodie of his Church and all the parts of it with the varietie of his Graces Not that Christ had not this excellencie or did not raigne at all before his Ascension into Heauen for h Iohn 1. 49. Nathaniel telleth him Thou art the King of Israel And i Iohn 18. 37. hee himselfe when Pilate asked Art thou a King answereth Thou sayest true for I am a King But the full and reall manifestation of this Kingdome in his flesh or humane nature did then first beginne To prosecute now these parts in such order as wee One whereby he gouerneth all the World according to their owne nature since the fall did propound them The first is that which extendeth generally to all the World and to the whole gouernment and administration of it which hee himselfe is wont to call his Iudgeship or Office of iudging Iohn 5. 27. He hath giuen vnto him dignitie to execute iudgement as he is the Sonne of man And Iohn 5. 22. The Father iudgeth no man but hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne where that it may appeare how large his Power in this behalfe extendeth hee calleth it all iudgement Agreeable whereunto is that of the Apostle Heb. 1. 3. where hee is said to sustayne all things by the power of his Word Therefore Iohn 5. 17. he makes this generall proclamation My Father worketh hitherto and I worke without restraint of time or place or of the subiect or persons towards whom it is wrought God therefore who before gouerned immediately and by himselfe hath euer since the fall of Adam appointed Christ his Vicegerent and Lieutenant generall in whose person he would afterwards rule the World Not that himself sitteth idle in heauen as Iosephs Master did when he had committed vnto Ioseph the Administration of his house but being in him and with him and working all things by and through Christ who againe vseth to that end beside his Spirit and the power of his Word the seruice also the ministery of his holy Angels all which is figured by many excellent and goodly Similitudes in the Vision of k Ezech. 1. Ezechiel where the foure liuing Creatures representing the innumerable company of Angels whose Ministerie extendeth vnto all the foure parts of the Earth haue vnder their feet foure wheeles noting the whole vncertaine course of this changeable and vnconstant world which moue when they moue and rest when they stand still And when the liuing creatures lift vp themselues from earth into heauen to receiue from God new Commandements the wheeles also as it were doe follow them and cease from wheeling to wait their direction Aboue which Angels is a Curtaine or Extent betweene God and them all of Christal cleare and transparent thorow the which as he beholdeth these inferior creatures so they both Angels and men according to their mediocritie are able to see him and the brightnesse of his glorie Ouer that Extent higher than the highest heauens is a most glorious Throne erect whereupon doth sit the likenesse of the Sonne of man Christ the blessed Lord of glorie God and man whom all obey and stoope at his command All this for the good of his Church and people for whose sake it was necessarie he should be armed with so great a Command and Power In this part of his Kingdome I note First The largenesse thereof in that it reacheth euery where and no place exempted from it I will giue the Nations l Ps 2. 8. for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession m Zach. 9. 10. His dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the Riuer vnto the ends of the earth n Dan. 7. 14. And to him was giuen Dominion and a Glorie and a Kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serue him o Ps 72. 8. 11. He shal beare rule from one Sea vnto another and from the floud as farre as the ends of the earth All Kings shall bow downe vnto him and all Nations shall serue him p Math. 28. 18 All power is giuen me in heauen and vpon the earth Secondly In this Kingdome Christ alone perfecteth all things not like to other Kings and Potentates who rule by deputies but here hee himselfe doth all for though there he vsed instruments yet all commeth from his strength and vertue and hee himselfe is euery-where present by his Spirit Whereupon his Kingdome is called q Esay 9. 6. Wonderfull because the effects and working of Gods Spirit are strange and marueilous Thirdly the vertues and properties of this our King arming and inabling him for the effecting of those great things are two Counsell to aduise of things wisely and Strength to put them in execution beeing both the stayes and props of a Kingdome as it were the two pillers Iacin and Bohas whereupon r 1. King 7. 21. Salomons Porch was built Therefore Rabshake to discourage Hezekias vanteth of these two as of the things whereon the hope if battaile standeth as if Hezekias were not in them to be compared to the King his Master Å¿ Esay 6. 5. Say yet they are but lip words that thou haue counsell and strength for the warre yet in whom doest thou trust And Salomon though hee preferre the one maketh
to be preached Sacraments and other holy things to bee administred Here q Matth. 16. 19 therefore are the liuely notes and markes of a Church The Scripture stileth them by the name of the r Matth. 28. 19 20. keyes of the kingdome of Heauen The prime and principall is his Word whereof wee haue spoken already the Treasure of all heauenly Knowledge Å¿ Rom. 3. 2. This saith the Apostle to the Romans is the chiefe of those excellencies which the Iewes had aboue other men that vnto them were committed the Oracles of God Or as the t Hosh 8. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophet speaketh the excellencies of the Law Wherefore Gods Word and Precepts Dauid doth many times call u Whereunto it seemeth Paul doth allude 1. Tim. 6. 20. 2. Tim. 1. 14 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things deposited In regard whereof the Church is said to bee x 1. Tim. 3. 15. the Pillar and Sâ—ate of Truth for the Truth of God is no where to be found but there It is Error Lies Superstition Deceit whatsoeuer coÌ„meth not from hence The Church onely is the golden Candle-sticke figured in the Law which holdeth vp the eternal Truth of God to giue light vnto all the World and there light is to be had when darkenesse couereth the whole face of the earth beside Preaching for the forme and manner of it is an Preaching is an instruction of the Church by liuely voice instruction by word of mouth opening and interpreting the Scriptures rendring the sense thereof drawing the doctrines that are to be gathered from them making vse and profit of it for the edification and building vp of our faith which the Apostle by a Metaphor from the Sacrifices of the Law calleth y 2. Tim. 2. 15. Cutting aright the Word of Truth It standeth not in the bare and naked reading of them And that you may see Nehe. 8. 8 9. where the people abiding in their standing the Leuites taught them the Law first reading it distinctly then rendring the sense by the Scripture it selfe So Luk. 4. 17 18 19 20 21. Our Sauiour comming into the Synagogue there was giuen him the Booke of the Prophet Esay which when he had vnfolded and read a portion of that Scripture he folded the Booke and gaue it againe to him that wayted and sate downe and the eyes of all in the Synagogue being fastened on him he began to say vnto them To day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares And of this instruction by word of mouth it pleased God to make choyce rather than of reading for that it pierceth deeper into the heart and mind of man and more doth affect him and that through the blessing of God who vseth the zeale of the speaker for the quickning and putting of life into that which is spoken The argument matter or subiect must be of and concerning in the Word of Christ Christ by teaching our owne corruption and impotencie to fulfill the Law and therefore the necessitie wee haue to flye to him who is made vnto vs of God Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption that he that glorieth might glorie in the Lord. Wherein it differeth from the ministery of Moses or of the Law as the Apostle doth oppose them 2. Cor. 3. 6. Who also hath inabled vs to be Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit So Rom. 1. 1 2 3 4. he sheweth He was called to be an Apostle and set apart to preach the Gospell of God concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and Rom. 10. 8. This is that Word of faith that we preach In like sort it is said of Philip when he came downe vnto Samaria that he preached vnto them Christ Act. 8. 5. PETER also Act. 10. 43 44. declareth the sum of all that which he was charged of God to preach vnto the people to be this that by his Name should euerie one that beleeueth in him receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes * And that by Doctrine or Exhortation Doctrine in laying forth the Truth and confuting of contrary Errors Exhortation to apply it also to all good vses of comforting denouncing stirring vp reprouing The parts of this instruction of the Church are Doctrine and exhortation both comprehended Rom. 12. 7 8. Doctrine by laying forth the Truth and confuting of contrarie errours that so the puritie of faith may alwayes remayne sound and vncorrupt in the Church Exhortation which sharpeneth the Word and setteth an edge vpon it by applying the same and making vse of it as the necessitie of the people requireth And these two aptly answere to the two parts of the soule of man his minde or vnderstanding and his will and affections Both which by this meanes God prouideth for Sacraments or outward Signes and Seales of the Couenant A SacrameÌ„t is It hath the name Sacrament from the Militarie Oath that Souldiers tooke to doe faithful seruice to their Captaine for in like manner we in the Sacrament sweare our Allegeance to Christ and to fight vnder his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Deuill It is also called a Mysterie or hidden thing because beside the outward Signe there is somewhat inward and Spirituall In the definition of a Sacrament I obserue First They are outward and earthly things to bee seene and felt seruing for the helpe of our weaknesse which if wee were all Spirit we needed not Secondly They are Signes as it is said Gen. 17. 11. a Signe and Rom. 4. 11. The Signe of Circumcision PETER calleth them Types and Figures 1. Pet. 3. 21. Therefore they serue as badges to distinguish true Professors from Infidels and Heathen men and as Monuments to bring heauenly things to our remembrance So saith our Sauiour Christ Luke 19. 22. Doe this in remembrance of me And the Apostle to the z 1. Cor. 11. 26. Corinths As oft as yee eate this bread and drinke this Cup ye publish the Lords death till hee come Thirdly The end why God doth giue them is to be and Seale of the Couenant not Signes onely but Seales and Pledges for the perswasion of our hearts and to confirme and assure vnto vs those spirituall and heauenly things which alreadie wee haue and doe enioy that is to say Christ himselfe and consequently Iustification and Sanctification and withall Saluation through him as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 4. 11. After he receiued the Signe of Circumcision as a Seale of the Righteousnesse of the Faith which hee had when he was vncircumcised Acts 10. 47. Can any man keepe water away that these should not bee baptized which haue receiued the holy Ghost aswell as we From whence we gather a noble vse of the holy Sacraments proper to the faithfull for where the visible and outward Signe is common vnto all yet being to other but bare and naked Signes dead and fruitlesse Ceremonies that profit nothing because
full and perfect yet as touching the measure and cleernesse of Reuelation there was something still behind more fully to bee manifested till hee spake lastly and perfectly by his Sonne vpon his owne comming in the flesh And this the silly woman of Samaria may teach vs to haue beene a doctrine which euermore sounded in the Church z Iohn 4. 25. When the Messia commeth he will teach vs all things cleerly and in all perfection Wherein that the Church was not deceiued appeareth by his owne testimonie Iohn 15. 15. Whatsoeuer I haue heard from my Father I haue made knowne vnto you And Iohn 8. 26. The things which I haue heard from him that sent me those doe I speake in the World Vpon these two differences it must follow that whilest the Church was in her infancie vnder the Rudiments of the Law the Fathers seeing by that darke and dimme light neither could their knowledge be so perfect nor were the Graces dealt vnto them so plentifull and so many The Euangelist teacheth it excellently Iohn 1. 14 15 16 17. comparing the Ministerie of Moses which stood in Rites and Ordinances with Christ and his Ministerie The a Verse 14. Diuine Maiestie saith he that shone in Christ the Resplendence of his Fathers Glorie euen as wee consider him clothed in our flesh was conspicuous to the World in two eminent Vertues Grace and Truth which hee had not in measure nor by participation but the whole nature and fulnesse of them b Verse 15. Whereunto Iohn Baptist himselfe bare record highly magnifying the Person and Office of Christ aboue his owne Who though he were in the number of his Auditours and did follow him as Schollers vse to come behind their Master yet had the precedence and was infinitely preferred before him for so his worth and excellencie farre beyond Iohns did require But both these vertues really residing in himselfe he hath beene pleased to communicate vnto vs in large and aboundant manner first touching Grace c Verse 16. From the fulnesse of Christ anointed with the substance of it wee receiue grace for grace the same very grace all the graces that are in him though not in the same measure as the Waxe doth the print of the Seale print for print and the childe the fathers lineaments limme for limme d Verse 17. Whereas the Law the Ceremoniall Law deliuered by Moses hauing but a shaddow of good things to come was not able to set a liuely print and to stampe grace vpon them Heb. 10. 1. Secondly For Truth e Verse 18. He onely Hee one with his Father and of the same nature and essence hath euidenced him and made him visible who before was hidden vnder the shaddowes and Ceremonies of the Law The Apostle to the Corinths handling the same Argument hath in effect the same Metaphore 2. Cor. 3. 13 14 18. In the Old Testament a vayle or couering kept away the cleer Light that their eyes were rather dazeled then able to looke into the bottome of Moses Ministery But now in these times of the Gospell wherein wee behold the Glorie of the Lord in his Sonne manifested in the flesh as in a Glasse or Mirrour the beames of his Glorie reflecting leaue an Image or print behind them to make vs also glorious by a secondarie kind of Glorie Hereunto it maketh that the state of the Church vnder the Messiah hath the name of The f Mat. 3. 2. 5. 19. Kingdome of Heauen because therein shineth the brightnesse of heauenly glorie first in the person of Christ and the blessings vpon him then in the good things which he bestoweth vpon his Church All which are called heauenly things Heb. 8. 5 and 9. 23. Not shaddowes or figures of heauenly things to come but themselues the true heauenly things which those vnder the Law were Types and Samplers of This bountie of Christ to fill all things with the rich Graces of his Spirit the Scripture maketh an effect of his Glorification or sitting at the right hand of GOD Ephes 4. 7 8. To euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Therefore he saith Ascending on high hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men So Iohn 7. 39. The Holy Ghost yet was not because Iesus was not yet glorified And Acts 2. 33. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God and hauing receiued the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath powred out that which you now see and heare Not that Christ did it not before for he gaue from the beginning all spirituall blessings to his Church and people But it is spoken comparatiuely because then indeed vpon his Ascension or Glorification hee set open as it were the Windowes of Heauen to raine downe all the showres of his graces in a farre more excellent manner and measure then euer hee did before As Peter g Acts 2. 16 17 18. Acts 2. confirmeth out of h Ioel 2. 28. Ioel applying it to those present times It shall be in the latter dayes that I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes shall prophecie and your daughters and your young men shall see Visions and your old men shall dreame Dreames Yea verily vpon my Men-seruants and Mayd-seruants will I powre forth of my Spirit and they shall prophecie Which notwithstanding is to bee vnderstood of the common and ordinarie dispensation of God in the generall gouernment of his Church not of particular persons seeing among the Fathers there are so many to bee found that went farre before the best of vs in faith knowledge and all other Christian vertues whose names the Scripture celebrateth as mirrors and examples for vs to follow But of the whole dispensation of God towards the Fathers full of so great varietie of matter because it would aske a Volume and is too large for this place and our purpose you haue a treatise by it selfe entituled The Old Testament or The Promise Let vs now come to the Sacraments of the New Testament and the seuerall sorts of Ministeries There be two Sacraments of the new Testament Baptisme Touching the Sacraments and Ministeries of the new Testament There be two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Baptisme is a washing with water and the Lords Supper as the Apostle reckoneth them 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 12 13 14. Baptisme is a washing with water to assure our incorporating into Christ Where the outward signe is double first The Element or matter is Water and not any other Liquor Matth. 3. 11. I baptize you with Water vnto Repentance Secondly The action and forme of Baptisme as the Ministers washing of the baptized person which in the East hote countries was wont to be by the dipping diuing as it were of all the bodie into the water whence Baptisme hath his name with vs it is by sprinkling to assure our entrance into the Couenant for that young
doth attribute to the vertue of his Resurrection whereat because the Glorie of his Kingdome did actually beginne though the efficacie thereof were euer since the fall of Adam it selfe obtayneth the name of the Kingdome m Mat. 16. 28. of the Sonne of Man being the ground-worke and foundation of our n 1. Pet. 1. 3. Regeneration o Rom. 4. 24. Iustification p Rom. 6. ◠5. Sanctification and q 1. Cor. 15 20. 1. Thess 4. 14. rising from the dead yea and of the r 1. Pet. 3. 21. The day of his rising sauing of our soules as in the particulars hereafter shall be seene A worthy fruit indeed of our Sauiours Resurrection and no doubt I may truely say a greater and a more noble worke then the first Creation whereupon the Day wherein hee arose and renewed the World againe being the ſ Mat. 28. 1. Marke 16. 9. Luke 24. 1. Iohn 20. 1. first day of the Creation which the Scripture is wont to call The first day of the weeke because it beganne next after the Iewes Sabbath is in perpetuall memorie of that benefit become the Day which wee Christians doe keepe holy the Day being changed but not a Day of rest abolished And that the Day was so changed is easie to be proued which was the first day of the Creation is an euerlasting remembrance of that benefit come in the place of the Sabbath out of the Scriptures for first on this Day the Apostles t Iohn 2. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. kept their solemne Assemblies and u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Congregation-meetings on this Day they came together to x Acts 16 13. Praier y Acts 20. 7. preaching of the Word breaking of bread c. on this Day were z 1. Cor. 16. 2. collections and gatherings for the poore And * Reuel 1. 10. Iohn on this Day gaue himselfe in a speciall manner to spirituall Meditations Paul a Acts 20. ◠7. likewise hauing election of seuen whole daies wherein he abode at Troas made onely choice of this Secondly Our Sauiour Christ himselfe gaue testimonie to this Day gracing it with his b Marke 16. 1◠Luke 24. 21. Iohn 20. 19 26. apparitions c Acts 2. 1. distributions of the Holy Ghost c. For the d Leu. 23. 15 16 Feast of Pentecost fell alwaies vpon this first Day of the weeke But you will say We reade no where of any Commandement giuen for such an alteration Neither is it necessary the constant practice of Christ and his Apostles and of the Churches then generally without exception is a rule to binde all Ages in perpetuitie seeing the Apostles did nothing of their owne heads but as they were taught of Christ during those fortie daies that he abode with them after his Resurrection And yet if a Commandement were needfull is not that an expresse Commandement 1. Cor. 16. 2. Touching the gathering for the Saints as I haue appointed in the Churches of Galatia so also doe yee Euery first Day of the weeke let euery one lay aside c. which is a speciall dutie of the Sabbath Day I verily thinke the Psalmist so long before pointed at it when he saith e Psal 118. 24. This same Day wherein Christ the Stone which the builders refused is by his rising from the dead become the head of the corner f Psal 102. 19. Prince of a new created people and Lord of the g Heb. 2. 5. c. World to come IEHOVAH hath made that is to say magnified and made famous to be celebrated with Prayses Thankes giuings in his Church for euer As the word made is taken 1. Sam. 12. 6. Esay 43. 7. and in diuers other places And what maruell though the Day suffered a change when the whole World it selfe was changed This besides the change of the Day it selfe brought and with it two other notable changes also First Of the name from the Sabbath to bee called called the Lords Day by a greater and more honourable Title h Reuel 1. 10. The Lords Day consecrated to his Seruice So as the very name is become a Badge of our Christian and holy Profession seuering vs from Iewes Turkes and other Enemies to the Name of Christ Neither shall you finde in all the New Testament that the Day which the Churches celebrate was at any time after Christs Ascension called The Sabbath Day Secondly In that it beginneth not on the Euening of beginning when he arose and began to renew the World the Day before as the Iewish Sabbaths did but at the dawning of the Day when i Marke 16. 9. Iohn 20. 1. our Sauiour beganne the worke of his Resurrection Now that the Day which wee are to sanctifie beginneth at that time is made good by the practice of Saint Paul who tarrying at Troas seuen whole dayes preached vpon this Day and continue in his Sermon vnto midnight spent the rest of the night in holy conference vnto the dawning of the day and then departed Act. 20. 7 11. Proceed wee now to the rest that followeth concerning This great worke hath two parts Regeneration and Saluation the excellencie of Christs Kingdom The beginning whe 〈…〉 Regeneration by his Spirit the fruits or qualities whereunto we are regenerate Wisdome Righteousnesse and Sanctification The end and accomplishment Happinesse and Immortalitie for so our Sauiour teacheth Iohn 3. 3 5. Vnlesse a man bee borne againe hee cannot see or enter into the Kingdome of God Regeneration being first and the ground-worke of Regeneration is the rest we are to see what Regeneration is I define it to bee our spirituall incorporating into Christ betweene which and the worke of Sanctification the difference lyeth plaine for as Creation is distinguished from the qualities wherein men were created so is this Now Creation from the qualities whereunto wee are regenerate And as Generation is one thing and the corruption that Parents beget vs in another so is our New birth one thing and the Holinesse or Sanctification which we haue thereby another This appeareth manifestly 1. Iohn 5. 8. where Spirit Water Bloud that is to say Regeneration Iustification Sanctification are distinguished And 1. Iohn 3. 1 2 3. where purifying of our selues is made an effect of being the sonnes of God So our Sauiour saith Iohn 3. 6. That which is borne of the Spirit whereby he meaneth our part regenerate is Spirit that is to say wholy spirituall holy and sanctified As that which is borne of the flesh meaning all of vs by fleshly Generation is flesh that is to say carnall in euery part and in all the powers both of bodie and soule impure and vncleane and subiect to the wrath of God Peter also when he saith a 1. Pet. 1. 22 23. Hauing your soules purified by obeying of the Truth through the Spirit vnto brotherly loue without hypocrisie from a pure heart loue one
another feruently being borne againe c. maketh a difference betweene these three Regeneration Sanctification and the fruits thereof in louing one another This is yet more euident in that Regeneration is that which b Iohn 1. 12 13 maketh vs the sonnes of God but c Ro. 8 9 10 11 Sanctification is the worke of Gods Spirit when 〈◊〉 once his sonnes although these things in time cannot bee seuered but in order and nature onely I make therefore Regeneration to be the whole work of our being in Christ and the meanes of those two notable Graces that wee haue from him Iustification and Sanctification as Generation is the meanes of that corruption that from our fleshly Parents commeth downe vpon vs so our Sauiour taketh it in the d Iohn 3. 3. place before named propounding this as the summe of Christianitie Vnlesse a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdom of God And this Regeneration is indeed a great and a wonderfull worke of God a Miracle of all Miracles and the onely Miracle which now adayes hee worketh ordinarily in his Church raising men from death to life a more excellent life then we lost in Adam whereupon it is called A quickening Ephes 2. 5. To proceed then to the opening of the former definition First The worke of Regeneration is altogether heauenly o. ◠spirituall and spirituall as in Generation all things are fleshly and carnall whereupon it is called The Seed of God 1. Iohn 3. 9. This deceiued that great Doctor Nicodemus that when our Sauiour taught him Vnlesse a man be borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God he answered How e Iohn 3. 4. can this bee Can a man that is old enter into his Mothers wombe and bee borne againe Not vnderstanding that all things heere are spirituall The begetter not a man as our Parents according to the flesh are but the Spirit of God himselfe That f Iohn 3. 6. which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit g Iohn 1. 13. which are not borne of bloud nor of the will of man but of GOD. h 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one Spirit wee are of the will of the flesh all baptized into one Bodie c. The seed wherewith wee are begotten is the i 1. Iohn 3. 9. seed of God not corruptible but immortall the worke it selfe spirituall For that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Iohn 3. 6. And thus doth the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 45. compare our heauenly and spirituall condition that wee haue by Christ opposing it to that wee had in Adam who though he were made perfectly holy yet was made onely naturall The first man ADAM was made a liuing soule or a naturall person the last ADAM was made a quickening Spirit Againe k Verse 49. Such as the earthly one is such also are those that are earthly and such as the heauenly one is such also are those that are heauenly And as we beare the Image of the earthly one so shall wee beare the Image of the heauenly one Secondly I note the dignitie of those that GOD incorporating into Christ vouchsafeth the honour of a new Birth vnto that it is a translating of them from the rotten stocke of their Parents according to the flesh and an in graffing of them into the noble Stocke of his Sonne Christ Iesus that as we are of one fleshly mould and substance with our Parents so are we spiritually of one nature and substance with Christ and are truely and indeed but in a heauenly and spirituall manner bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh as the Apostle saith By l 1. Cor. 12. 13. one Spirit wee all are baptized into one Bodie and are made to drinke into one Spirit that is are incorporate into Christ and made partakers of his whole person both of his bodie and soule And hereupon wee are said to bee m 2. Cor. 5. 17. in Christ to n Gal. 3. 27. put on Christ that o Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwelleth in vs and that wee are his p Heb. 3. 6. House and q 2. Cor. 6. 16. Temples c. This neere coniunction our Sauiour expresseth by the similitude of a Vine and the branches Iohn 15. 1 2. The Apostle of a Bodie and the members 1. Cor. 12. 12. and againe of a man and wife in wedlocke Ephes 5. 23. The husband is the wiues head as Christ is the head of the Church Thus the Prophet also speaketh Hosh 2. 18. I will espouse thee to be mine for euer The Song of Salomon and the fiue fortieth Psalme are wholly spēt in the celebrating of this spirituall Marriage And Ezechiel in his sixteenth Chapter doth notably declare it from the eighth Verse vnto the foureteenth I stretched the wing of my garment ouer thee taking there for my Wife and being thy Husband and Redeemer I couered thy nakednesse and sware and entred into a Couenant with thee that thou mightest be mine I washed thee with water and washed away the abundance of bloud from thee and anoynted thee with Oyle as great Princes were wont to haue their Wiues to bee before they came together meaning the anointing of the Spirit whereby shee was regenerate and restored to her beautie To conclude saith hee I clothed thee with broydered worke and shod thee with Badgers skinnes and I girded thee about with fine Linnen and couered thee with Silke I decked thee also with Ornaments and I put Bracelets vpon thy hands and a Chaine on thy necke and I put a Frontlet vpon thy face and Earings in thine eares and a beautifull Crowne vpon thine head that is I gaue thee all things both for necessitie and delight crowned thee with beautie and great honour and made thee a Queene by thy match with me The man thus borne againe or so much of him as is regenerate is called r 1. Cor. 5. 5. Gal. 5. 17. Spirit A ſ Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 20. new man or a man new created The t Rom. 7. 22 25. minde The u Rom. 7. 22. Ephes 3. 16. inner man The Spirit principally in regard of the Authour and Efficient of it the Spirit of God and of that whole heauenly and spirituall worke whereof wee heard before A man new created to shew both the excellencie and difficultie of the worke the excellencie as being all cast into a new mould that our fleshlinesse may bee put off the difficultie in that it is no lesse a piece of worke then to make the World againe that so wee may learne to ascribe the Glorie of it vnto God alone For x Psal 100. 3. he hath made vs and we haue not made our selues to be his flocke and the sheepe of his pasture And as the Apostle saith to the y Ephes 1. 10. Ephesians Wee are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes Lastly Because in our m 〈…〉 e and inward parts this
so Esay 45. 24 you shall find this very word to that purpose in the u Matth. 22. 11 plurall And Iohn here placeth wholly in the robe that the Saints put on the x 2. Cor. 5. 21. marriage garment Christ Iesus not in themselues but the y Rom. 1. 17. 3. 21. 22. brightnes wherof is not meant of shining before men but in the eyes of God wherefore in many and elsewhere places it is called The Righteousnes of God as that which may boldly offer it selfe in Gods sight and abide the strict examination of his Iustice being the Righteousnesse of him that is God himselfe But what vse will you say is there of the imputation of righteousnesse if our sinnes that seuer vs from God be forgiuen and taken from vs Yes vndoubtedly verie great and singular as may appeare by those parts of happinesse whereunto otherwise then by this we are able to lay no claime And therefore the Apostle Rom. 5. handleth professedly this Doctrine of imputation of Righteousnesse as without which the other of forgiuenesse of sinnes had not beene perfect And where in z Rom. 4. 6 7. another place he defineth Happinesse by the forgiuenesse of sinnes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are pardoned it is no full and exact definition numbring all the parts but by a Synechdoche naming one best fitting his present purpose hee giueth to vnderstand the rest as in diuers other places Blessednesse is diuersly defined by those things which yet in truth are but branches of the true and perfect Blessednesse Blessed a Psal 1. 1. is the man that hath not walked in the way of sinners Blessed b Luke 11. 2◠are they that heare the Word of God and keepe the same The reason whereof is because all the parts of happinesse are so linked and ioyned together that he which hath one must needs haue all The parts if I may so call them of this righteousnesse the holinesse of his nature imputed to vs are first the perfect Sanctification of Christs humane nature whereby our originall and naturall corruption not imputed to vs our nature it selfe is accounted holy in the sight of God whereof the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 2 3. The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death for which was impossible to the Law for that it was weake by reason of our flesh God sending his own Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh for sinne hath condemned sinne in the flesh that that which the Law requireth might bee fulfilled in vs where the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus he calleth that perfect and all-sufficient Sanctification of our nature in him whereby he comming in the likenesse of sinfull flesh for sinne that is to abolish sinne it selfe in our nature taken vpon him condemned or which is all one abolished sinne in the flesh meaning in his own person through whose perfect Sanctification of nature made ours the reliques of sinne that our corrupt nature is tainted with are not imputed to vs and therefore wee bee free from death and condemnation being wholly restored euen in our nature to a greater integritie then we lost in Adam All which the Apostle sheweth was in respect of the weaknesse of the Law being of no strength by reason of the flesh or part vnregenerate which hindreth the worke of the Law otherwise most perfect and is opposite thereto that it neither can or will be subiect to it So as to the end we might fulfill that which the Law requireth which is to be righteous not in our Actions onely but in our verie nature it was necessarie so to haue it sanctified in the person of Christ not supplying that which ours wanteth but wholly and altogether sanctifying vs in himselfe And by this meanes it commeth to passe that wee are after the most precise and exact rule of the Law righteous before God hauing the perfect integritie of our nature absolutely in Christ for which purpose hee saith not might be fulfilled of vs but in vs speaking of Christs owne Sanctitie imputed to vs. Secondly The thorow and perfect obedience which and Righteousnesse to be ours he performed in the whole course of his life both in the duties to God his Father and in respect of men with whom he was conuersant here on Earth whereby all our vile and filthy actions not comming into account our whole life is reckoned most absolutely good and holy not onely void of sinne but full of perfect Righteousnesse as the same Apostle teacheth b Rom. 5. 12. to the end of the Chapter Rom. 5. setting it forth by an excellent comparison of our Sauiour Christ with Adam both in the things wherein they agree in this point and in those wherein they differ They agree in this that each conueyeth his owne to those that are his whom the Apostle therefore calleth many opposing them to that one whom hee considereth as their Head Adam hee conuayeth both guilt and sinne vnto condemnation Christ Righteousnesse and Obedience vnto Iustification they differ in this First Adam deriueth it downe by nature vpon all his posteritie Christ bestoweth it by grace and fauour and free imputation Secondly Adams one sinne condemed all CHRIST iustifieth from many sinnes not that one onely but all other Thirdly Christs Righteousnesse is more auaileable and of greater power to saue then Adams sinne was to condemne for that indeed threw vs downe from the state of Innocencie but Christ hath raysed vs to a more excellent state vnto the heauenly glorie And hereof commeth our Iustification properly so called that is to say Gods censure and Iudgement of vs approouing vs for holy and righteous before him as hauing that Righteousnesse that is able to abide his presence So as euen by the sentence of God himselfe and in his most exact Iustice we are freed and absolued and declared righteous and worthie of euerlasting life which is that the Scripture opposeth to the sentence of condemnation Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay accusation to the Elect of God It is God that iustifieth who can condemne Thus the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. 18. As by one offence guilt came vpon all men vnto condemnation so by one c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the matter of our Iustification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustification it selfe fulfilling of Righteousnesse that is by Christs perfect fulfilling of the Law the benefit came vpon all vnto Iustification of life or to the declaring and approouing of vs iust before God whereby wee obtayne euerlasting life This so noble a benefit commeth to bee wrought by the Resurrection of Christ as the Remission of our sinnes came by his death and sufferings So writeth the d Rom. 4. 25. Apostle to the Romanes He dyed for our sinnes and rose for our Iustification Not that his death had no hand in
ISACK where indeed hee did but shew himselfe willing and readie to offer him and u Mat. 5. 6. Christ promiseth that they that hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse shall be satisfied To come to some other notes of Sanctification in the second place many parts of Holinesse are vndoubted signes of it First our intercourse with God by priuate and feruent Prayer of Faith is the most infallible signe of all the rest A singular fruit and testimonie to a mans conscience that hee is regenerate for this is the very marke which the Holy Ghost setteth vpon prophane men They x Psal 53. 5. call not vpon God and the reason is plaine and euident for either Prayer will make men to leaue sinne or sinne will make men to leaue to pray The wicked though they seeme to pray in secret doe it seldome or neuer with companie to fill vp the number and for their credit sake or for some worldly respect they can be content to make one But howsoeuer it bee their Prayers differ farre from the properties of true Prayer that are onely to bee found in Gods Children Which properties and wherein the wicked differ from them may all be gathered out of that most absolute Prayer both for matter and forme which our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs and are these that follow First The faithfull man is furnished with the y Zach. 1â— â— Spirit of Prayer or Supplication that is an excellent Grace facultie or abilitie wrought in a man by the holy Spirit whereby he is made able willing and readie to pray vnto God for euery want as the present occasion doth require for as the z Rom. 8. 26. Apostle saith Of our selues we know not what to pray Therefore our Sauiour deliuers vnto vs in few wordes all the maine Graces wee can desire and maine wants we any way can stand in need of to aske at the hands of God which may serue for a Store-house continually to put words in our mouth But the carnall man though he can speake and tell a perswasiue Tale for worldly things he is vtterly ignorant how to aske heauenly Secondly That we may pray as we ought the a Rom. 8. 26 27 Spirit helpeth our infirmitie and teacheth vs to pray according vnto God with grones and sighes that cannot bee expressed But this the Worldling is farre from to whom such sighes and gronings of the Spirit are as strange and vnheard of as is the b Iohn 14. 17. Spirit it selfe the Authour of it Thirdly Gods Children in all their necessities addresse themselues to him and seeke for good things at the hands of their heauenly Father through Christ the wicked howsoeuer with c Numb 23. 14 Balaam they may breake forth into wishes and woulds Let my soule dye the death of the Righteous and my latter end be like to him haue neither the face nor the heart to goe to God by humble Prayer as Dauid in the like case did Psal 26. 9. Take not away my soule with sinners nor my life with bloudie men This diuersitie you may finde Psal 4. 7. Many say Who will shew vs good IEHOVAH lift vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Fourthly The godly prepare themselues to Prayer by d Eccles 4. 13. meditating before-hand of the dutie they are to performe and of the arguments and reasons that may stirre them vp vnto it And so our Sauiour in that Prayer teacheth vs to doe by the vsing of a Preface The wicked neuer make conscience of their Prayers Fiftly True Prayer cannot be without Faith whereby wee apply particularly to our selues the loue of GOD in Christ to call him Our Father for how shall they call on him in whom they doe not beleeue Rom. 10. 14. but this the carnall man hath not Sixtly Gods Children come with boldnesse and confidence vnto him as a Child vnto his Father whereas the carnall man flyeth from him and is afraid of him as of a Iust and Righteous Iudge This difference in the point of Prayer the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 15. Wee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare any more but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Seuenthly Reuerence is in the true and faithfull Caller vpon of Gods Name e Eccles 5. 1. knowing that God is in Heauen and himselfe vpon Earth the carnall man rusheth without all reuerence into his presence Eightly Our Sauiour requireth of his Zeale and earnestnesse in Prayer that all our affections bee taken vp and wholly bent vpon it which the shortnesse of the Prayer teacheth and the concluding of it with this word Amen and the rather to kindle in vs a feruencie in Prayer he beateth vpon it with many words f Mat. 7. â— Aske Seeke Knocke c. For cold Suiters prooue cold Speeders But such as euen rent the Heauens with their Prayers and pull as it were by violence Gods Graces from him are those that hee delighteth in but this the carnall man is farre from whose minde is alwayes stragling and thinketh vpon his penny his businesse and worldly delights Ninthly In Gods Children there is a greater feruencie of Spirit in praying for the things that concerne Gods glorie then for those that concerne our owne good yea though it be the saluation of our soules and in those that concerne our owne good greater zeale and feruencie for heauenly things then for earthly that are sought but as additaments and appendances to the other all which the very order of petitioning in the Lords Prayer sheweth Contrariwise of these worldly things are altogether or at the least most sought after Tenthly The godly pray to set forth Gods glory as may be seene there The g Iames 4. 3. wicked aske to imploy it vpon their lusts Eleuenthly Gods Children in their prayers remember not themselues onely but the Church their brethren and fellow-members in a fellow-feeling and loue one of another Our Father Our bread Our trespasses Lead vs not Deliuer vs c. The wicked are euery one for himselfe Twelfthly The Elect pray with assurance of obtayning the things wee pray for earthly things with condition so farre as God hath appointed them for our good All other absolutely without condition which assurance is noted in the word Amen signifying that not only so we desire it may be but that so vndoubtedly it is and shall be whereunto wee are induced both by the consideration of the loue of God who is our Father and therefore willing and of his power which is in heauen and therefore able to doe vs good Which two his Goodnesse and his Greatnesse are the two maine pillars and props of our Faith And to this vertue in prayer our Sauiour doth exhort vs Mark 11. 24. All things whatsoeuer yee aske when yee pray beleeue yee shall receiue them and they shall be yours The wicked are as h Iames 1. 6. waues of the Sea tossed about with euery wind doubting and distrusting
and hath obtayned a Name aboue all names a Crowne of Glorie and a Kingdome whereof there shall not bee any end gouerning all things in Heauen and vpon the Earth vanquishing and subduing the proud Enemies and Rebels to his Kingdome and leading captiuitie captiue gathering out of the wicked World a holy Nation a peculiar people euen in respect of their outward calling to the prayse of his glorious Name opening their eyes to behold the vnsearchable riches of himselfe in whom are hidden all the treasures of Wisdome and Vnderstanding filling their hearts with manifold Graces and Blessings of his Spirit separating and choosing out from among them Pastors Teachers and other Officers for the well ordering and guiding of his House which is the Church of the liuing God and not onely reaching forth to manie of them from aboue a comfortable taste of the sweetnesse and excellencie that is in him but vpon such and so many as God the Father through him hath from euerlasting purposed vnto Glorie powring downe that most excellent and precious gift of Faith proper to the Elect whereby he giueth himselfe to be theirs and taketh them to bee his knitteth and vniteth them as members to that Mysticall Bodie whereof himselfe is the Head maketh them in a spirituall and vnspeakeable sort bone of his bone flesh of his flesh and one together with him and so becommeth vnto them that heauenly and supernaturall Bread whereby their soules are fed vnto euerlasting life Good Lord this m Mat. 6. 11. Day and euery n Luke 11. 3. Day giue this our bread vnto vs that we may so come vnto him as we may neuer hunger so beleeue in him as wee may neuer thirst so be regenerate and borne againe by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liueth and abideth for euer that it may neuer dye within vs but confirmed still in our most holy Faith by the preaching of thy Gospell participation of thy Sacraments Prayer and other holy meanes wee may grow vp thorowly in him which is our Head till wee come to the full age of men growne in Christ by the ioyfull and blessed beholding of him in his Glorie The fift Petition And forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs is for Iustification through the Righteousnesse we haue in Christ forgiuenesse of sinnes which is but one part being put for the whole Pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes by the death and sufferings of thy Sonne and so remooue both the guilt and punishment away from vs Clothe vs with all his sufficient and most absolute and perfect Holinesse and Obedience that being made the Righteousnesse of God in him we may appeare in thy presence not onely as no sinners but as perfectly iust in thy Sonne hauing that Righteousnesse that is able to abide the rigour of thy sentence so as thou thy selfe iustifying and absoluing none may bee able to accuse And looking vpon vs no otherwise then thou doest vpon thine onely Sonne wee may at the barre of thy Tribunall Seate and in thy most holy Iudgement bee freed from wrath and condemnation and declared worthie of euerlasting life The last Petition hath two branches One to bee deliuered from the euill of sinne the other from the euill of punishment In both the contrarie good is prayed for The Holinesse or Sanctification which wee haue from Christ in the one Blessednesse in the other The first branch And leade vs not into temptation Being now ingraffed into the noble stocke of the Bodie of thy Sonne and iustified through him sanctifie vs also by his Spirit dwelling in vs mortifying and subduing sinne that it beare not the sway in our mortall bodies that neither the Deuill the World nor the flesh or our owne corruption preuaile against vs to make vs to fulfill the lust thereof but goe forward with the worke of our new Birth quickening and renewing vs in our Memorie Iudgements Will Affections and in all the parts and powers of our Soule and Bodie from dead works to serue thee the true the liuing God that euen now in this life whilest here we struggle with those spirituall foes of ours wee may attayne to that measure of perfection which may be pleasing and acceptable in thy Sonne and that after this life ended and all our enemies subdued vnder vs wee may bee taken vp without spot or wrinkle to bee presented as a pure Virgin vnto Christ in the Day of our spirituall Marriage The second branch But deliuer vs from euill Together with the friut of Righteousnesse which is to be sanctified by the Spirit of thy Sonne giue vs also the free reward which thou hast promised to all that are found in him Hale and pull vs as a beast that sticketh in the myre out of the miserable condition whereinto sinne hath plunged vs the curse of the Law Hell Death and Condemnation and from him that hath the power of death that is to say the Deuill So make vs happie and blessed through the communion of the Blessednes which is in thee that euen now in some measure we may haue our part in all and so much as is able to fall into this life where the testimonie and assurance of thy loue and the hauing and inioying in and from thy loue of all the good things of this present life both for necessitie and Christian Delight Maintenance Health Credit Friends Comfort of Wife Children Seruants a Blessing vpon our Labours the fruit of Magistracie and of Gouernment and good order in the World together with the sanctifying of all things euen our very troubles and crosses of this life vnto our good so as thou in thy Mercie hast appointed for vs Peace of conscience and Ioy in the Holy Ghost doe excell and by these degrees as it were by so many steps and stayres make vs to climbe vp to that perfect and eternall Happinesse which is reserued for thy Saints in Heauen when Hell Satan sinne weaknesse shame trodden vnder foot we shall be all spirituall and glorious and raigne as Kings with thee for euermore Wherefore here is set before vs that in estimable benefit we receiue by Christ which comming last crowneth the rest and in the lauding o Reuel 5. 8 9. 10 11 12 13. and magnifying whereof all Eternitie shall bee spent the full and finall Redemption of our soules and bodies vnto the glorious Inheritance purchased for the sonnes of God Whereupon after the Petitions ended followeth Prayse and Thankesgiuing vnto God the Fountaine of all good in these words For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glorie for euer and euer that is to say all absolute and perfect Blessednesse both for thy might and Soueraigntie of commanding all things being all thy creatures and the worke of thy hands and for the power of effecting whatsoeuer thou wilt and doest command and lastly in regard of the infinite Graces that shine so gloriously in thy person and which thou
to doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Thirteenth Wee haue innumerable Angels that attend to helpe vs Psal 34. 7 8. The Angell of IEHOVAH pitcheth his Tents round about them that feare him 2. Kings 6. 16 17. Feare not there be more with vs then that are with them Then praying to IEHOVAH hee opened the eyes of his seruant who looking saw that behold the Mountaine was full of Horses and Chariots of fire that is of holy Angels round about ELISHA Fourteenth There is no cause why wee should â—aint vnder this burden seeing Prayer ministreth abundant comfort to vs which comming from Gods Spirit with so much the greater vehemencie sighes and grones as the troubles that lye vpon vs are more pressing and weightie must needes bee effectuall for the working of some good blessing To which purpose the Apostle inforceth this Argument Rom. 8. 26 27. Fifteenth Howsoeuer it bee no affliction can debase vs or make vs poore for hauing Christ who is t Heb. 1. 2. Heire of all things and Lord of Heauen and Earth wee cannot but bee rich in him By this Argument the Apostle u Rom. 8. 31. there mollifieth the bitternesse of afflictions He that hath not spared his owne Sonne but for vs all hath giuen him vp to death how shall he not together with him giue vs all good things I haue beene too long in these The rest of the markes that follow to shut them vp shortly are First Humilitie Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth IEHOVAH require of thee but to doe right and to loue kindnesse and to walke humbly with thy God Secondly Loue of the Brethren because they are Brethren and Children of the same Father 1. Iohn 3. 14. We know we are passed from death to life because we loue the Brethren The practice of this one dutie to the members of Christ for Christs sake casteth such a shining Light in the eyes of God and Man that our Sauiour Mat. 25. 35 36. by it our Faith and consequently the righteous iudgement of God in the sauing of our Soules shall be made manifest to all the World in the latter Day Thirdly To loue our Enemies and to forgiue them their offences Mat. 5. 44 45. Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that molest you and persecute you that you may bee the children of your Father which is in Heauen c. Ephes 4. 32. Forgiue one another as God in Christ hath forgiuen you Fourthly Open profession of Christ and of the Gospell Rom. 10. 10. With the heart men beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluatition Fiftly Humble confession of our sinnes Prouerbs 25. 13. Hee that confesseth his sinne and forsaketh it shall obtayne Mercie Sixtly The vsing of good meanes to clense vs from them Psal 19. 1â— His ignorance who vnderstandeth O clâ—nse me from my secret sinnes Seuenthly Holily religiously to sanctifie the Sabbath Day for this binding vs to the good abearing from following our owne pleasures and profits and the things that are so sweete vnto the flesh cannot rightly bee performed but of those that indeed make a conscience of their wayes wherefore the x Esay 58. 13 14 Prophet setteth it as a speciall marke vpon the Childe of God If thou wilt keepe backe thy foot on the Sabbath from doing thine owne pleasure in my holy Day and shalt call the Sabbath delight holy to IEHOVAH glorious and shalt honour it not to doe thine owne wayes nor to find out thy pleasure nor to speake a word then shalt thou delight thy selfe in IEHOVAH and I will make thee to ride vpon the high places of the Land and make thee to eate the Inheritance of thy Father IACOB So y Ier. 17. 14 c Ieremie 17. many sweet and gracious promises are made to those that keepe the Sabbath and sharpe and to the end of the Chapter seuere Iudgements threatened to the contrarie And seeing it pleaseth God to set such a speciall Memento vpon this Commandement aboue the rest Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day it should teach vs what a deepe Roote the same ought to haue in our heart and how it should affect vs. Of this that our Sanctification is here imperfect two things doe follow a Christian Warfare and Repentance Christian Warfare is a Warre proclaymed of GOD himselfe for men to try all their strength and valour in when hee saith I z Gen. 3. 15. will set enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and betweene her seed Meant principally of Christ the Seed of the Virgin but withall comprehending all his members Therefore heere is a Flag of defiance set vp and a perpetuall and endlesse Warre denounced wherein we may take no truce nor euer be weary of it Of this it is written in the a Reuel 12. 7. Reuelation that a great signe was seene in Heauen MICHAEL and his Angels meaning specially the Saints vpon Earth fighting with the Deuill and his angels And to this spirituall Combate the Scripture euery-where doth incite vs b 1. Tim. 1. 18. Fight that good fight Let c Heb. 12. 1. vs runne with patience the strife that is set before vs and such like Whereupon the Church of God in this life is called The militant Church and all Christians d 2. Tim. 2. 3. Souldiers though principally the same be giuen to the Ministers whose part it is to goe before the people in this spirituall Conflict So PAVL Phil. 2. 25. maketh mention of EPAPHRODITVS his fellow-Souldier And so doth hee and Timothy call Archippus in the e Verse 2. Epistle to Philemon being a Phrase of speech borrowed from the Law where the Ministery of the Priests and Leuites is called a Souldiership or f Num. 4. 3. 8. 24 25. Warfare In this spirituall Battaile I consider fiue things First The Enemies we are to fight with Satan and all his brood the name of Satan comprehending all impure spirits of whom he is the Head being not onely our g Mat. 13. 39. enemy that hateth vs and h 1. Pet. 5. 8. goeth about as a roring Lyon seeking whom hee may deuoure but withall our i Reuel 12. 10. accuser that accuseth vs before our God day and night and the k 1. Pet. 5. 8. pleader against vs. This the Apostle notably describeth Ephes 6. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the Deuill for we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities against Powers and against the worldly Gouernors the Princes of the darknesse of this World against most wicked spirits which are in the high places Satans brood I call the World and the Flesh By World meaning First The malignant Church the companie of the wicked and vngodly The sonnes of that
more watchfull in time to come and more to wrestle with our owne soules against the temptations of sinne Secondly Heereby wee haue more plentifull matter and arguments ministred vnto vs to confirme our selues in Gods Mercies and to reach and instruct others which vse our g Luke 22. 32. Sauiour noteth in the Apostasie of Peter Thou when thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren And Dauid h Psal 51. 14. in the one and fiftieth Psalme professeth that when God shall bee mercifull to his sinnes and restore vnto him the ioy of his Saluation then saith hee I will teach transgressours thy wayes and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee The third consequence is a heape and multitude of and in the assurance whereof spirituall Graces wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost First Assurance of the loue of God in Christ sealed vp in our consciences by the testimonie of the Spirit for the i Rom 8. 16. Spirit beareth record to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God I am k Rom. 8. 38 39 perswaded saith the same Apostle vsing a word that secretly importeth a perswasion wrought by the Holy Ghost through the Ministerie of the Word that nothing shall separate me from the loue of God in Christ Secondly Peace of conscience we haue peace of conscience and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Thirdly Ioy in the Holy Ghost procceding from the testimonie of a good conscience as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 2. 12. For this is our reioycing the testimonie of our conscience The same Apostle Rom. 14. 17. coupleth these two together as speciall fruites of the Righteousnesse wee haue in Christ The Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but Righteousnesse and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Secondly in that we are made neere vnto him To come to the second of those generall heads wherin our happinesse heere standeth wee l Ephes 2. 13. which before were farre off are brought neere vnto God in Christ and m Ephes 2. 19. therefore are no more Strangers and Forainers but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD. From whence another excellent fauour commeth that and haue continuall accesse with boldnesse into his presence wee haue continuall accesse vnto the Throne of grace and entrance with boldnesse into his presence as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 3. 12. In whome wee haue boldnesse and accesse with confidence through Faith in him And againe n Ephes 2. 15. By him we both Gentiles aswell as Iewes haue accesse through one Spirit vnto the Father For this and the rest that went before that place is verie singular Rom. 5. 1 2 5. Being iustified by Faith wee haue peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom also we haue accesse through Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the Glorie of God for the loue of God is shed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that is giuen vnto vs whereas you see all are comprehended The third is our Soueraigntie renewed which you Thirdly in our former Soueraigntie and power ouer the creatures may consider in these three steps or degrees First Wee are restored to that Soueraigntie that once we had ouer all the Creatures of God which the o Psal 8. 5 6 7 8 9. Psalmist first and after him and out of him the p Heb. 2. 6 7 8 Apostle to the Hebrewes layeth foorth at large in the person of Christ by whom wee haue this benefit What is man that thou doest remember him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him for whose sake thou hast made him that is to say Christ a little lower then the Angels yet hauing vndergone death for our sakes thou hast raysed him vp againe and with glorie and honour hast thou crowned him and set him Christ our Head and vs in him ouer the workes of thine hands All things hast thou made subiect vnder his feet Sheepe and Oxen all of them and also the Beasts of the Field the Fowles of the Ayre and the Fishes of the Sea All which in Christ we see now accomplished in vs his members it being yet vnseene shall then become manifest when we with him shall be made perfect as the q Verse 8 9. Apostle there declareth Whereof followeth Christian libertie whereof commeth free libertie of vsing them all The Papists doctrine of Deuils forbidding flesh vpon certaine dayes in things indifferent By Christian libertie I meane that we may now lawfully and with a good conscience vse all the Creatures of God to our comfort not onely for necessitie but for Christian delight 1. Corinthians 9. 1. Am I not free This hath not beene alwayes so from the beginning it pleased God to make some restraints till the fulnesse of time came that by degrees this libertie might bee made knowne vnto the Church First Before the giuing of the Law in some few things and peraduenture for I speak heere but of things for common vse not of the Seruice of God onely that one of forbidding to eat bloud Gen. 9. 4. whereas otherwise r Gen. 9. 3. all meates were lawfull Secondly After that more plentifully and aboundantly in the Iewish Pedagogie when many meats drinks and other things were barred them The libertie then which we haue by Christ take from the Apostles words I know and am perswaded in the Lord Iesus that nothing is prophane Rom. 14. 14. And againe Euery Creature of God is good and none to bee reiect if it be taken with Thankesgiuing 1. Tim. 4. 3. Not that it is lawfull for vs to take so great a libertie herein as though we needed to respect no other but our selues wee must respect the infirmities of our weake Brethren that our libertie bee not vsed as a snare to intrap others and so make them to offend but to edifie and build vp their conscience whereof the Apostle many times taketh vs out the Lesson both by his owne practice and commandement 1. Cor. 9. 19. Being free from all I made my selfe a seruant vnto all that I might gaine many c. 1. Cor. 10. 23 24. All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient All things are lawfull for me but all things doe not edifie Let no man seeke his owne things but euery one another mans And againe Å¿ Verse 32 33. Be without offence to Iewes and Gentiles and to the Church of God Euen as I in all things please all men not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saued Rom. 14 13 c. Let vs not therefore iudge one another but this rather iudge not to lay a stumbling blocke before thy Brother or an offence Destroy not him by thy meate for whom Christ dyed Let not therefore your good so calling that libertie which Christ hath purchased for vs be euill spoken of Let vs therefore follow after the things of peace
bee moe with vs then are with them Then praying to Iehouah the Seruants eyes were opened and he saw the Mountaynes were full with Horses and Chariots of fire round about ELISHA And our Sauiour Christ by the same argument sheweth how able he had beene to free himselfe from the hands of his enemies p Mat. 26. 53. Could not I pray vnto my Father and he would giue mee more then twelue Legions of Angels Eighthly and lastly by their willingnesse vnto this Seruice declared for the most part by three circumstances First They stand continually in Gods presence wayting as it were for a Commission from him to doe vs good Mat. 18. 10. Their Angels see alwayes the face of my Father which is in Heauen Secondly They are glad and reioyce at the good of his Saints So Luke 2. 13 14. they declare themselues not a little affected with the ioy of the glad tydings which they brought vnto the Shepheards They praysed God and said Glorie vnto God on high in Earth peace and good will towards men And our Sauiour telleth vs There q Luk. 15. 7 10 is ioy in Heauen with the Angels of God for sinners that repent Thirdly They are prest and readie at Gods Commandement with all speed to put the same in practice This the r Psal 103. 20. Psalmist commendeth in them Blesse IEHOVAH ye his Angels which doe his Word which harken to his voice Our Sauiour likewise teacheth vs to pray Thy will bee done in Earth as it in Heauen The speed and cheerfulnesse they vse in executing Gods Commissions was figured vnder the Law by the Cherubins in the Tabernacle painted with wings wherefore Psalme 18. 10. God is said to come riding vpon them as vpon Chariots and flying as it were with wings In the Vision of Å¿ Esay 6. 2. Esaia they haue each of them six wings whereof with two they flye yea so swiftly and so earnestly doe they flye that as it were they wearie themselues with flying as of the Angell t Dan. 9. 21. Gabriel it is expressely spoken These qualities before named are all of them figured in the Vision of u Ezech. 1. 10. 10. 14. Ezechiel where the foure liuing creatures which are the holy Angels are said to haue each of them foure faces the face of a man the face of a Lyon the face of an Oxe and the face of an Eagle By the Similitude of a man their wisedome and vnderstanding is incled which among all earthly Creatures is onely to be found in man in a Lyon their strength and power their labour and industrie in an Oxe or Heifar without whom the Crib is emptie but much increase commeth by his trauell saith the Wiseman in his Prouerbs And lastly their swiftnesse in an Eagle which the better to recommend in that Fowle x Reuel 4. 7. Iohn giueth him the Epithete of a flying Eagle The glorie of these Angels hee describeth saying that y Ezech. 1. 4. out of the middest of that fire the visible signe of Gods presence sparkled as it were a most liuely hiew which he explayneth z Verse 13. afterwards to be like vnto coles of fire burning as Lampes not onely themselues set on fire but affecting all the creatures with the glittering of their glorie as the Lampes disperse their flame The last of those generall heads wherein we place our Fourthly in a spirituall glory and wisdome and other graces happinesse in this life is a spirituall glorie and wisdome and other graces whereof the Preacher a Eccles 8. 1. speaketh The wisdome of a man maketh his face to shine And Paul b 2. Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a Glasse the glorie of the Lord are transformed into the same Image from glorie to glorie that is by the participation of his glorie our selues become glorious as it were by the reflexion of his beames Our perfect Blessednesse or Redemption which commeth After this life commeth the fulnesse of Blessednesse in the last place to bee handled wee consider in foure steps or degrees of glorie which all the members of Christ shall bee made partakers of answerable to their Head To them all two things pertayne in common the more or lesse according to the diuers measure of our Faith here To the soule in Heauen presently after death till the latter Day place where wee shall enioy it Heauen and the differing measure of glorie But these two will come in better when the rest are once handled Wherefore the first degree is that which is to the soule onely and that presently after death till the latter Day our bodies resting in the graue vnto the time of the restoring of all things as the bodies of the wicked also doe betweene whom and vs there is in this respect no difference But for our soules assoone as the period Popish Purgatorie and Limbus Patrum of this life is runne out they are forthwith carryed into Heauen by the Ministerie of the holy Angels So the Preacher saith c Eccles 12. 9. Dust that is the bodie of man returneth to the Earth as it was before and the Spirit returneth vnto God that gaue it And the Apostle PAVL Wee d 2. Cor. 5. 1. know when this our earthly Tabernacle is dissolued we haue a building from God not made with hands euerlasting in Heauen And the same dwelling in the Heauens hee e Verse 6 7 8. by and by interpreteth to bee as much as to goe and dwell with the Lord We know that while wee dwell in the bodie wee are absent from the Lord for we walke by Faith not by sight Therefore we desire rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord. So to the f Phil. 1. 23. Philippians I do desire to loose from hence that is to haue my soule depart from my bodie A Metaphor taken from Ships that loose or set from the shore to be with Christ And this to be his meaning the next words make it very plaine but to continue in the flesh is more necessarie for you This is it which our Sauiour g Luke 23. 43. Christ saith to the Thiefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise In the h Reuel 6. 10. Reuelation the soules of the Martyrs are said to be at rest vnder the Altar And the Apostle to the i Heb. 12. 23. Hebrewes reckoneth the Spirit of the righteous that are perfiâ—ed For this cause our Sauiour k Luke 23. 46. Christ vpon the Crosse commendeth his Spirit into the hands of his Father that it might be an assurance vnto vs that our spirits also shall goe to him when they depart out of this bodie And this estate both of the Elect and Reprobate our Sauiour Christ expresly sheweth in the Parable of the Rich man The very scope whereof driueth vnto this that although the wicked in this life for the
euerlasting Spirit hath offered vp himselfe to God c In this part of his Oblation the sufferings which he did indure obserue First That Christ himselfe performeth all the parts his taking vpon him and his whole person hath a stroke in it for both hee is the Sacrifice or thing it selfe offered the Priest or the Offerer and the Altar or that which sanctifieth the offering whereupon in his whole person as GOD and Man he is said to be our Priest Heb. 5. 6. First As Man he is the Sacrifice his whole humanity suffering both Soule and Bodie which was the Tabernacle of his Deitie wherein he performed this Sacrifice whereupon the Apostle calleth him The x Heb. 8. 2. Minister of that true Tabernacle which the Lord pight and not man and that y Heb. 9. 11. Christ being come an High Priest by a better and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this building which the earthly Tabernacle was of but euen by his owne bloud entred into the holy Place Wherefore the Scripture attributeth the remission of our sinnes by this oblation sometimes to his whole person sometimes by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole to his Bodie flesh or bloud and sometimes to his Soule Who z 1. Tim. 2. 6. gaue himselfe a ransome for all who a Titus 2. 19. gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redeeme vs by b Heb. 10. 10. the which wee are sanctified euen by the offering of the Bodie of Iesus Christ once made c 1. Pet. 2. 14. he bare our sinnes in his Bodie on the Tree he d Col. 1. 22. reconciled vs in the Bodie of his flesh through his Death he e Col. 1 20. reconciled vs making Peace by the bloud of his Crosse he f Esay 53. 10. made his Soule sinne or a Sacrifice for sinne The g Mat. 20. 28. Sonne of man came to giue his Soule a ransome for many Else must our soules haue perished This Marke 10. 45. was both prefigured in the Law by the bloud which is the soule of the brute creature and otherwise by the Holocaust or whole burnt Offering and is signified in the Sacrament of the Gospell for the Ceremonie of breaking bread vsed in the Lords Supper cannot bee so properly referred to his Bodie which had not a bone broken as to his Soule most specially h Esay 53. 5. bruised and broken in pieces with heauinesse and sorrow Secondly As God he is the i Heb. 13. 13 Altar or the Sanctifier Wee haue an Altar c. of his Man-hood which hee offereth by giuing it power to ouercome for that is the propertie of the Altar to k Mat. 23. 17. sanctifie the gift God saith PAVL Acts 20. 28. hath by his owne bloud redeemed the Church As if he should haue said It was indeed the Man Christ Iesus that shed his bloud but of small effect had that beene vnlesse he had beene God whereby his bloud obtayned strength and power to sanctifie those that are his And in the Epistle to the l Heb. 9. 14. Hebrewes How much more shall the bloud of Christ which by the euerlasting Spirit offered himselfe vnblameable vnto God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the Liuing God Laying the whole vertue and efficacie of Christs death vpon the eternall Spirit that is the fulnesse of the God-head which dwelleth in him So that in a sort God himselfe who is not subiect vnto suffering did suffer when he suffered that was both God and Man Whereupon the Apostle saith that euen in respect of his God-head he emptied himselfe c. Philip. 2. 7. The difference of this part of Christs Priest-hood from that of Aaron stood in these points First Hee himselfe was offered here there other Oblations and Sacrifices Secondly They offered many times himselfe being here the Sacrifice could bee but once offered whereof the Apostle hath many notable speeches in the Epistle to the Hebrewes By m Heb. 10. 10. the which will we are sanctified euen by the Oblation of the Bodie of Iesus Christ once made but he hauing offered one Sacrifice for sinnes setteth for euer at the right hand of God for by one Oblation hee hath consecrated for euer those that are sanctified And in the ninth Chapter Christ n Heb. 9. 26. being once offered in the end of the World to beare the sinnes of many c. Thirdly He o Heb. 7. 27. did it for vs and our good onely for for himselfe he needed not The Priests of Aaron offered first for themselues and then for the people In the second place are to be obserued the things hee of our sinnes suffered and tooke vpon him to wit First our verie sinnes all layd vpon Christ as our Pledge and Suretie otherwise wee must needes haue remayned in them whereupon he is called p Heb. 7. 22. The Suretie of the New Testament And hereof it is that the Apostle saith q 2. Cor. 5. 27. Him that knew no sinne he made to be sinne for vs in regard of our sinnes cast vpon him and imputed to him Secondly taking our sinnes hee tooke with-all the and the whole curse guilt and the whole Curse and punishment due vnto them By reason of the guilt there befell him feare and horror from the sense of his Fathers wrath Heb. 5. 7. Sorrow trouble of mind astonishment heauinesse vnto death Math. 26. 38. Which specially appearing towards the end of his dayes when he was to enter into the lists and to fight the great combate hand to hand with his angrie Father did withall stretch it selfe in some measure to the rest of the parts of his life Of the r Esay 53. 5. other wee read The chastisement of our peace did lye vpon him For this cause he is said Å¿ Math. 20. 28. Mark 10. 45. to haue giuen his soule a Ransome for many and to be a t 1 Tim. 2. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ransome equiualent for all Therefore he is called u 1. Iohn 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Propitiation for our sinnes is said to be x Rom. 3. 25. set vp of God for a Propitiatorie by allusion as it seemeth to the couer which was vpon the Arke of the Couenant called the y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propitiatorie couering a type of the Propitiation wrought by Christ and manifested in and through him when he brake downe the vayle of Ceremonies that stood betweene God and vs. To this Eâ—â—hu z Iob 33. 23. doth allude when he bringeth in the Minister of God praying for the deliuerance of the afflicted person because God hath elsewhere found an expiatorie Propitiation which is Christ his Sonne For this cause we are said to bee a Rom. 3. 25. redeemed by him and that b Heb. â— 3. by himselfe he hath made the purgation of our sinnes And herevpon
fulnesse of Christ that we may be no more children c. And 1. Cor. 13. 10. When that which is perfect shall come then that which is in part shall be done away When I was a child I spake as a child I reasoned as a child But when I became a man I put away the conceits of a child The Infancie of Regeneration I call that weake inception which is in vs during this present life wherein we are yet as little children scarce come out of the shell h 1. Pet. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 New-borne babes as PETER calleth vs i Rom. 8. 23. which receiue but the first fruits of the Spirit or onely k 2. Cor. 1. 22. a pawne or pledge the earnest penny of the Spirit for as in the naturall birth of a man his bodie commeth not into the world so great and strong as afterwards it proueth but small weake and impotent so in the spirituall birth of Regeneration the soule of man is not at the first moment indued with perfection but must grow and go on forwards to it which is all our life long I meane not that this Infancie is the first act of our Regeneration for there be some that are borne in respect of others strong in Christ and Giants the first day as was the Apostle Paul But I meane the whole progresse also and continuance all our life euen in the best And so doth the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. 11. bring the similitude of childe-hood and mans estate not to note the beginning and proceeding in Christianitie but to set forth the excellencie in heauen aboue that which we attaine vnto being here To this estate these foure things are proper First In euerie man Regenerate there be as it were two men deuided the old and the new man The old man called also the outward man the flesh the members for we carrie about vs a whole bodie of sinne is so much of vs whatsoeuer it be within or without that is naturall and left yet vnregenerate The new man called also the inner man the Spirit the minde is our part Regenerate and borne againe wherein being freed from sinne we begin to bring forth fruits to God And that both these are in one and the same man we are taught Math. 26. 41. The Spirit is readie but the flesh is weake 1. Cor. 5. 5. Deliuer such a one to Satan to the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may bee saued in the Day of the Lord Iesus Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh that yee cannot doe the things you would Rom. 7. 25. Therefore I my selfe in the minde serue the Law of God but in the flesh the law of sinne and in a number of other places Thirdly That it is not a worke to bee seene and in our owne inward assurance of the Spirit not in the Worlds discerning of it knowne of men as that other shall be manifest vnto all But euery mans conscience must assure him for himselfe and of other in whom there bee signes and likelihoods we are to hope the best wherefore the Apostle Col. 3. 3. saith That our life is hid with God in Christ not to be manifested till Christ our Life doe manifest himselfe For l 1. Iohn 3. 2. this cause saith another the World knoweth vs not because it knoweth not him Beloued now are we the Children of God but it is not yet made manifest what we shall be Fourthly In this infancie there is yet a continuall and growing growth till we come to the full measure of a perfect man in Christ And that is it which the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 4. 16. that the inner man is renewed daily as hee doth more largely declare it Ephes 4. 15 16. Being sincere in loue let vs grow vp in him in all things who is the Head euen Christ of whom all the whole bodie knit together and compact by all the ioynts furnished through the power within working of Christ our Head quickening all the parts as the Soule doth the Bodie according to the measure of euery member receiueth an increase fit for the bodie to the building vp of it selfe through loue Colos 2. 19. By whom or from whom that is to say from Christ the Head all the Bodie furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands increaseth with the increase of God And hither those two Parables before Mat. 1◠seeme to tend Fiftly That the measure and proportion of our according as our Faith doth grow growth is the measure proportion of our Faith as the Apostle sheweth there m Ephes 4. 13. that the vnity of Faith bringeth the perfection of the Bodie of Christ So as the greater wee be in Faith the stronger wee are in Christ if of small Faith then weake Babes in Christ The full perfection and accomplishment of Regeneration After commeth that perfect Regeneration which the Scripture calleth mans estate shall then bee When wee haue attayned the marke and are made perfect as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 3. 12. Therefore this degree is termed Mans estate and sometimes by a note of excellencie aboue the other hath the name of Regeneration appropriate vnto it as appeareth by conference of Mat. 19. 28. with Marke 10. 30. where that which Matthew nameth Regeneration is called The World to come for then indeed doth our Spirituall Marriage beginne all our life here being as it were n Cant. 4. 7 8. the bidding or as the betrothing of a Wife The Church in the Canticles setteth it forth by o Cant. 7. 6. bringing of Christ into the House of her Mother CHAP. IX Of Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption THE holy Angell telling Ioseph of a Sonne Saluation wrought by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. to bee brought into the World whose name should be called IESVS rendreth this reason of the Name q Mat. 1. 22. For he shall saue his people from their sinnes That Saluation the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs and being ours by Regeneration effectually doth worke for it washeth vs from our sinnes it iustifieth our persons and sanctifieth our hearts slaying sinne in our mortall bodies and quickening our soules to a liuing hope through the Resurrection of Iesus Christ and shall hereafter quicken both our bodies and our soules vnto euerlasting Glorie Thus the Apostle writeth to the Corinths n 1. Cor. 6. 11. But yee are washed from the sinnes wherein they formerly wallowed but yee are iustified but yee are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And to the o Rom 8. 11. Romanes If the Spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raysed Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit dwelling in you As on the other side p Iohn 6. 53. Christ saith Vnlesse ye eat the flesh of
the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no life in you for without an Vnion with Christ there can bee no true partaking of his gifts vnto Saluation no more then a woman can be partaker of the riches and honour of some great man except shee be ioyned with him in Marriage so that they become one bodie and one flesh or then the members can draw life from the head if they bee not knit vnto it The worke of this sauing Grace that is brought vnto vs by the comming of our LORD and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath beene pointed at in generall First To destroy the old ADAM or the old man that is the sinfull and wretched condition which by nature euery Mothers Child bringeth into the World and is as old as since Adam fell to bee vnder the power of Satan slaues of sinne and children of destruction Then the bestowing of a new a blessed and a happie estate opposite to the former The r Heb. 2. 15. Apostle to the Hebrewes comprehendeth both that through death hee might abolish him that hath the power of death that is the Deuill and might set free his Children So in the Epistle to the ſ Col. 1. 13. Colossians Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and translated into the Kingdome of his Sonne And our Sauiour Acts 26. 17 18. To whom now I send thee to open their eyes that they may turne from darknesse vnto Light and from the power of Satan vnto God that through Faith in me they may haue remission of sinnes and an inheritance among hath two parts Illumination and Iustification the sanctified ones Paul 1. Cor. 1. 30. brancheth all the benefits wee haue by Christ into foure Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption or Holinesse and Blessednesse Such a traine of Noble Graces doth attend Regeneration for as man by Creation was made holy and happy so by this new Creation we obtayne a repayre of our first estate not as some Relique or Remayne of that Image of God according whereunto we were created in the beginning but as a new worke of Gods Spirit forming the same in vs after a heauenly and diuine manner out of nothing by the power of the Resurrection of Iesus Christ And in euery of these good things is implyed the remoouing of the contrarie Wisdome standeth not with Ignorance and Blindnesse Righteousnesse putteth away the guilt of sin Sanctification the power and dominion of sinne for where one of these is the other cannot bee Redemption speaketh more cleerly of freeing vs from wrath and the curse of the Law Wisdome and Righteousnesse from the which the other two doe flow were for their surpassing excellencie figured in the High Priests Vrim and Thummim as you haue it taught in the explication of the Ceremonies of the Law But to handle these foure apart The first benefit which wee haue by Christ is the taking Illumination whereby dispelling darknesse away of the vaile of ignorance the blindnesse that naturally possesseth our soules as in that place of the Acts it is first named And Esay 25. 7. He will swallow vp the vaile of the face the vaile that is vpon all people and the couering that is vpon all Nations So 2. Cor. 3. 16. When their heart shall bee turned to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is doth enlighten our mindes with the knowledge of the will of God in Christ which the Apostle calleth Wisdome Freedome But this is not all In stead of the Light of Nature turned through sinne into palpable and grosse darknesse we haue now another manner of light an heauenly and Spirituall Wisdome A grace distinct not onely from Knowledge that went before which was common to the Reprobate whereas this is the peculiar of GODS Heritage but euen from Faith though the same include Knowledge in it for Faith is the Instrument of Regeneration Iohn 1. 12. and therefore before it in nature but this Wisdome commeth in nature after Regeneration for so the Apostle saith Yee are of God in Christ who is made vnto vs Wisdome and Coloss 3. 20. Renewed t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto Knowledge which is this Wisdome Therefore in nature it commeth after I take it to bee that Light of the Minde of which the Scripture speaketh so oft comprehending vnder it by a Synechdoche the whole worke of our Renewing Ephes 5. 8. Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord 2. Cor. 4. 6. God which commanded that light should shine out of darknesse is hee who hath shined in your hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the Glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ In this regard we are said to bee illuminated or enlightened Heb. 10. 32. to bee translated out of darknesse into his wonderfull light 1. Pet. 2. 9. Wisdome and Sanctification or Holinesse both inherent in vs seeme to differ thus Holinesse is the Renewing of vs into the state of Innocencie which we had by Creation But this Wisdome is of a farre more excellent mould then the light of Knowledge that Adam had for Adams minde was indeed enlightened to vnderstand all morall duties but ours to the knowledge of things that u 1. Cor. 2. Eye hath not seene Eare hath not heard nor haue entred into the heart of man x 1. Pet. 1. Which the Angels themselues desire to stoope downe and looke into namely one Mysteries of the Gospell reuealed from aboue wherefore that was according vnto nature this is Diuine and supernaturall wherein after the vaile of Ignorance taken away that our eyes are once made able to behold the Light Christ the Image of God doth shine vnto vs 2. Cor. 3. 17. Such a Light as man by nature when it was at the best could neuer comprehend And hereby wee come to haue all the secrets and the whole will of God in Christ Iesus made knowne vnto vs by his Spirit A maruailous benefit sensibly to be seene euen in this life that dull and ignorant men become able on a sudden to conceiue the hidden Mysteries of Christianitie It is that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 2. 15. The spirituall man discerneth all things in that we haue the minde of the Lord manifested vnto vs through Christ Howbeit the illumination of our mindes in this life hath withall much darknesse for growing wholy by the meanes of the Word as the Apostle saith Coloss 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you in all Wisdome and to TIMOTHIE y 2. Tim. 3. 15. Thou hast knowne the Scriptures that are able to make thee wise wee can know but weakly and imperfectly because the way and meanes whereby wee come to knowledge by the Ministerie of man is weake and imperfect for in part wee know saith the same Apostle 1. Cor. 13. 9. and in part wee prophecie that is we learne but imperfectly because our