heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers c. euen by the power of his father well as this power was made manifest in the head so must it be in the members thereof Euery child of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power to translate him from this vale of miserie in this life to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore to conclude we haue great cause to be thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge that he sheweth his power in his children in regenerating them in making them die vnto sinne and to stand against the gates of hell to suffer afflictions patiently as also that he translates thē from death to life And euery one should shew his thankfulnes in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe as Paul exhorteth vs in his epistles to the Colossians Ephesians yea read all his epistles we shal finde he mentioneth no point so often as this namely the mightie power of God manifested first in Christ secondly in his mēbers and he accounteth all things losse that he might know Christ the vertue of his resurrection This point is the rather to be marked because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues for the deuill doth mightitily shew his cōtrary power in the greatest part of the world in carrying them to sinne and wickednes Secondly hence we learne that which Paul teacheth namely to know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God God is almightie therfore able to do whatsoeuer he wil he is also a father therfore is willing to doe that which is for our good But some will say we are subiect to many crosses yea to sinne what can our sinnes turne to our good Ans. If God almightie be thy father he wil turne thine afflictions yea thy sinnes which by nature are euill beyond all exspectation vnto thy saluation And this God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne Thirdly whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father it serues to confirme Gods children in the promises of mercie reuealed in his word The chiefest whereof is that if men will turne from their sinnes and beleeue in Christ they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting I know some men wil make it an easie thing to beleeue especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith therfore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it learne how to stablish their wauering hearts in the promises of God by the consideration of these two points God is a father and therefore he is willing he is also almightie and therefore he is able to performe his promises He that will be truly resolued of Gods promises must haue both these setled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations It followeth Creatour of heauen and earth We haue spoken of the title of the first person of his attributs now we come to speake of his effect namely the creation but before we come to it we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made At the first it may seeme strāge to some that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally And first that the father is Creatour it was neuer doubted as for the second person the Sonne that he is Creatour it is euident all things are made by it that is by the Sonne who is the substantiall word of the father without it was made nothing that was made And againe it is said that God by his Sonne made the worlde As for the holy Ghost the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him and therefore Moses saith the spirit mooued vpon the waters and Iob saith his spirit hath garnished the heauens How thē is this peculiar to the father being cōmon to al the three persons in trinitie I answer the actions of God are two-fold either inward or outward The inward actions are those which one person doth exercise towards another as the father doth beget the sonne this is an inward action peculiar to the father for all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are So the Sonne doth receiue the godhead frō the father the holy Ghost frō thē both these are inward actions peculiar to these persons So likewise for the father to send his sonne it is an inward action proper to the father cannot be cōmunicated to the holy Ghost the sonne to be sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the sonne not cōmon to the father or to the holy Ghost Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures as the worke of creation the work of preseruatiō of redemption These all such actions are cōmon to all the three persons the father createth the sonne createth the H. Ghost createth so we may say of the works of gouernment of redemption of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures But some again may say how then can the work of creation being an outward action of God to the creature be peculiar to the first person the father I answer the work of creation is not so proper to the first person the father as that it cannot also be common to the rest for al the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing onely they are distinguished in the manner of creating For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke the sonne puts it in execution the holy Ghost is the finisher of it And againe the father createth by the sonne by the H. Ghost the sonne createth by the holy Ghost frō the father the H. Ghost createth not by the father nor by the sonne but frō the father the sonne And this is the reason why the work of creation is ascribed here vnto the father because he alone createth after a peculiar manner namely by the sonne and by the holy Ghost but the sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him Thus hauing answered the obiection we come to speake of the creation it selfe In handling whereof we must withal treat of the Counsell of God as being the cause thereof of the Gouernment of the creatures as beeing a worke of God whereby he continues the creation And the order which I wil obserue is first to speake of the Counsell of God and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell which hath two speciall branches the first the creation the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created The Counsell of God is his eternal vnchangeable decree
to leaue our flesh behinde vs. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worlds And besides if we loose it by fainting in the way our purchase shalbe the blacknes of darknes for euer with the deuill and all his angels who therfore would not striue though he lost his life in the gate The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies There is striuing ynough for worldly preferment but a man almost may goe alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen he shall haue none to beare him companie And where are they that striue to enter in where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen where be the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist. Fourthly if Christ haue prepared a place for vs in heauen then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter As straÌ„gers pilgrimes abstain froÌ„ fleshly lusts which fight against the soule He that doth esteem him self as a pilgrime is not to intangle himselfe with the affaires of this world nor put in practise the behauiour thereof but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries according to the fashion of their owne And therefore in thought word and deede in life conuersatioÌ„ he must so carrie himselfe as thereby he may appeare to all the world of what cuntry he is An ancient divine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire biddeth them consider whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no and wheras they adorned themselues with winkles made of other womens haire he asks them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be he further demaundeth how it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God The like may be saide of all other sinnes they that be of gods house must behaue themselues as free men there And when god hath made us free it doth not beseeme us to make our selues bondmen of sin satan and of this world Fiftly seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him here is a good duetie for parentes Many of them are verie carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses and they are not to be blamed therefore but if they would indeede be good parents to their children they should first endeauour them-selues to get roomes for them in heauen they that doe this are good parents indeede Some will say how shall wee get this preferrement for them Ansvver God hath two houses his Church and the kingdome of heauen The Church is his house of grace heauen is his house of glorie Now if thou wouldst haue thy child to haue a place in the house of glorie then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him up so in the feare of God that both in life and conuersation he may shewe himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be remooued to the second house of God which is the house of glorie and there be free-man for euer in the kingdome of heauen Add if thou shalt thus prouide for thy childe thou shalt not leaue him as an orphan but he shall haue God for his father Christ for his brother and the holy ghost his comforter And therefore first of all and aboue all remember to make thy childe a member of Gods Church Let the example of Dauid excite all parents hereunto I had rather saieth hee be a dore keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse For a day in thy courtes is better then a thousand else where Lastly hence we may finde remedie against the tediousnesse of sickenesse and the feare of death Thou which fearest death remember that Christ is gone to heauen to prepare a place for thy bodie where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed trinitie and all the saintes and angels though for a while it lie dead and rotte in the graue Remember this also thou which continuest in any lingring sicknes Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee wherin thou shalt rest in ioy blisse without all paine or faintnes The fourth benefiâ—e is that Christ ascended vp to heaueÌ„ to send the comforter vnto his Church This was a speciall end of his ascension as appeares by Christs own words It is saith he expedient that I go away for if I goe not the comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you And againe I will pray unto the father hee shall give you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer even the spirite of truth But some will say how can Christ send his spirit unto his Church for the person sending the person sent are unequall whereas all three persons in trinitie are equall none greater or lesser then another none inferiour or superiour to other Ans. It is true indeed but we must know that the action of sending in the trinitie makes not the persons unequall but only shewes distinction and order among equals The father sendes the sonne the father and the sonne both send the holy ghost yet the father is not aboue the sonne neither the father or the sonne aboue the holy ghost but all are equall in degree though in regarde of order one is before another and it standeth with reason For two men that are equall in degree may upon mutuall consent one send another But it may be further demanded how the holy ghost can be sent which is euery where Ans. The holy ghost indeed is euery where therfore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance as of his operation whereby he renueth guideth the members of Christ. Now here first we haue occasion to consider the miserie of the world When a man is troubled in his minde as no ungodly man but sometime he feeleth the terrour of conscience for his sinnes then he labours to remoue it by mery company pleasant bookes whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirite to be the comforter of his Church therefore when we are troubled in conscience for our sins we should not seek ease by such slender means but rather seeke for the helpe comfort of the holy ghost and labour to haue our sinnes washed away and our hartes purified and clensed by the blâ—od of Christ. As for wine and mirth such like meanes of comfort neither at the day of death nor at the day of iudgement shall they stande us in stead or be able to comfort us Again when crosses calamities fall the counsell of the minister is not sought for but the help of such as are called
to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the worde For if we rebell against his voice in this world vvhen in the day of iudgemeÌ„t sentence shal be pronounced against us we shall heare another voice at the giuing whereof vve must obey whether vve will or no and thereupon go to euerlasting paine whither vve vvould not Let us therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past and onely relie upon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all and for the time to come leade a nevv reformed life Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement Novv follovv the uses thereof vvhich are either comforts to gods church or duties for all meÌ„ The first comforte or benefite is this that the same person vvhich died for us upon the crosse to work ouâ— redemption must also be our â—udge And hence vve reape tvvo speciall comfortes I. The people of God shall hereby inioy full redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the end of the world saith to his disciples When you see thâ—se things lift vp your heads for your redemptioÌ„ draweth nere TheÌ„ he shall wipe all teares from their eies Secondly we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne Now what a ioyfull thing it is to be freed from sinne may plainely appeare by the cry of Saint Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And certen iâ— is that he which knowes what sinne is and seriously repents him of the same would wish with all his heart to be ouâ— of this world that he might leaue off to sinne and thereby to displease God The second comfort is this the godly in this worlde haue many enemies they are reuiled slaundred and oftentimes put to death well Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand he will then heare the complaint of the godly howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth according to their praier This comfort is to be considered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs and they are diuerse First the consideration of the last iudgement serueth to teach all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners repentance and humiliation for their sinnes and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vnto Christ for the pardon of the same When Paul preached to the Athenians he willed them to repent vpon this ground reason because the Lord hath appointed a day wherin he will iudge the world in righteousnes To speake plainly we can be content to heare the worde and to honour him with our lippes yet for the most part all is done but for fashions sake for still we liue in our old sinnes our hearts are not turned but in the feare of God let vs bethinke our selues of the time when we shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth and haue all our sinnes laide open and wee must answer for them all This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vnto repentance and assuredly if this will not mooue vs there is nothing in the world will Secondly to this purpose Paul saith If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day then in this life iudge thy selfe Now a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes II. he must confesse them before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe and as a iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe Lastly he must plead pardon and cry vnto God as for life and death for the remission of all his sinnes and he that doth this vnfainedly shall neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come Thirdly by this we may learne one not to iudge or condemne another as Paul saith Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who lighten things that are hidde in darknes and make the counsells of the hearts manifest And Christ saith Iudgement is mine and Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged And againe Paul saith to the Romanes Why doest thou iudge thy brother for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ but some will aske how doth one iudge another Answer Thus I. when a man doth well to say of him that he doth euill II. when a man doth euill then to make it worse III. when a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons or of their actions Fourthly we must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men This is the practise of Saint Paul who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vnto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust endeauoured himselfe to haue alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men His example is worthie our marking and imitation for fewe there be that vpon this occasion make any conscience either of dutie to God or to their brethren Fifthly the last iudgement must stirre vs vp to a reuerend feare of God and cause vs to glorifie him as the angel saith in the Revelation Feare God and giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come And doubtles if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord it is this to remember the fearefull and terrible day of iudgement Now hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father and also of the sonne it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person in these words J beleeue in the holy Ghost In which we may consider two things the title of the person and the action of faith repeated from the beginning The title is holy Ghost or Spirit It may here be demaunded how this title can be fit to expresse the third person which seemes to be common to the rest for the father is holy and the sonne is holy againe the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirite Answer Indeede the father and the Sonne are as well to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures as the third person for all three subsisting in one and the same Godhead are consequently holy by one and the same holines but the third person is called holy because beside the holines of natures his office is to sanctifie the Church of God Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a worke of the whole Trinitie the
shall send vnto you from the father euen the spirit of truth which proceedeth of the father he shall testifie of mee And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the sonne not onely because he is sent of the sonne but also because he proceedeth from him Againe in the trinitie the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent As the father sending the sonne doth communicate his essence and substance to the sonne For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence Now the father and the sonne send the holy Ghost therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence vnto the same person Thirdly Christ saith The holy Ghost hath receiued of mine which he shall shew vnto you namely knowledge and truth to be reuealed vnto his Church Whēce we may reason thus the person receiuing knowledge from an other receiues essence also the H. Ghost receiueth truth knowledge from Christ to be reuealed vnto the Church therfore first of all he hath receiued substance and essence from the sonne But some peraduenture will say where is it written in all the Bible in expresse words that the holy Ghost proceeds frō the sōne as he proceeds frō the father Ans. The Scripture saith not so much in plaine tearmes yet we must know that that which is gathered forth of thē by iust cōsequēt is no lesse the truth of God then that which is expressed in words Hereupon all Churches saue those in Greece with one consent acknowledge the truth of this point The fourth and last point is that the holy Ghost is equal to the father the sōne And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creede in that we doe as well beleeue in the holy Ghost as in the father and the sonne And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father the sonne yet as I haue said before that argues no inequalitie for one equal may send an other by consent but order onely wherby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons Againe in that the H. Ghost receiueth from the sonne it prooues no inferioritie Because he receiues from the sonne whatsoeuer he receiues by nature and not by grace And he receiues not a part but all that the sonne hath sauing the proprietie of his person Now follow the benefits which are giuen by th H. ghost they are of 2. sorts some are cōmō to all creatures some are proper to men The benefit of the H. Ghost common to all creatures is the worke of creation preseruation For all things were created made afterward preserued by the H. Ghost So Elihu saith The spirit of God hath made me And Moses saith In the beginning the spirit mooued vpon the waters The phrase is borrowed from a bird who in hatching of her young ones sits vpon the egges mooues her selfe vpon them and heates them And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his owne power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made and caused it to bring foorth the creatures This beeing euident that the holy Ghost hath a stroake in the worke of creation and preseruation we must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created and since that time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person The benefits proper vnto men are of two sorts some are common to all men both good and badde and some proper to the elect and faithfull The benefits common to all men are diuerse I. the gift of practising a particular calling As in the bodie seuerall members haue seuerall vses so in euery societie seuerall men haue seuerall offices and callings and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof are from the holy Ghost When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites it is said he was cloathed with the spirit Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in all workemanship to finde out curious workes to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse also in the art to set stones and to carue in timber c. By this it is manifest that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man but comes by the holy Ghost And by this we are taught to vse all those gifts well wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings that they may serue for the glorie of God and the good of his Church and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit or else liue inordinately doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of the holy Ghost which one day they must answeare for The second gift common to all is Illumination whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts and the like haue all men by nature to whome the word of God is foolishnes Paul at his conuersion was smitten blinde and skales were vpon his eyes the like also be ouer the eies of our mindes and they must fall away before we can vnderstand the will of God Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eies And for this very cause hee is called the annointing and eyesalue for as it doth cleare the eyes and take away dimnesse from them so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes that we may see into the truth of Gods word This beeing a common gift and receiued both of good and badde it standeth vs in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word but therewithall we must ioyne obedience and make conscience thereof or else that will befall vs which Christ foretold that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes The third gift of the holy Ghost is the gift of prophecie whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to euery man yet is it common both to good and badde For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say Master we haue prophecied in thy name he shall answer again I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie and haue receiued the gift of prophecie must not herewithall be puffed vp For if they be not as wel doers of Gods will as teachers their gifts wil turne to their further condemnation As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the floode came were drowned because they would not obey Noahs preaching so those that haue the gifts of prophecie and are builders in Gods house if they build not themselues as well as others for all their preaching at the day of iudgement they shal be condemned
sundred one from another And though Peter Paul Timothy haue all one common universall forme yet they three are not one man but 3. men Now it is otherwise with the divine nature or godhead which is uncreated and infinite and therefore admittes neither composition nor division but a distinction without any separation so as the three persons subsisting in it shall not be three gods but one and the same god Yet further some will obiect that it is truly said of the father that hee is god but the same godhead is not in the sonne nor in the holy ghost for the sonne and the holy ghost haue their beginning from the father Ansvver The sonne and the holy ghost haue not a beginning of their nature or of their godhead from the Father but of their person only the person of the Sonne is from the Father and the person of the Holy ghost is both from the Father and from the Sonne but the Godhead of all three persons is vncreate and vnbegotten and proceeding from none Yet some may say both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost haue receiued from the Father all their attributes as wisedome knowledge power c. Now he that receiueth any thing from another is in that respect inferiour to him that giueth it and therefore the sonne and the Holy ghost are not God as he is Ans. We must know that which the Sōne receiueth of the Father he receiueth it by nature and not by grace he receiueth not a part but all that the Father hath saving the personall proprietie And the Holy Ghost receiueth from the Father and the Sonne by nature and not by grace and therefore though both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost receiue from the Father yet they are not inferiour to him but equall with him And thus much is necessarie to be learned of the vnion betweene the three persons in Trinitie whereby they being three haue all one and the same godheade The second point to be considered is that though these three haue but one godhead and all make but one God yet they are distinguished one from another for the Father is the Father and not the Sonne nor the Holy Ghost the Sonne is the Sonne and not the Father nor the Holy ghost and the Holy Ghost is the Holy ghost not the Father nor the Sonne This distinction of the persons is notably set forth vnto vs in the baptism of our Saviour Christ where it is said that vvhen Iesus was baptized hee came out of the vvater there is the second person and the Holy ghost descended upon him in the forme of a dove there is the thirde person and the Father the first person pronounced from heauen that hee was his beloved Sonne in whome hee was well pleased And we must not conceiue this distinction in such manner as though these three Father Sonne and Holy Ghost were three names of one God For the three persons doe not in name or word but really in truth distinctly subsist in the same divine nature Neither must we imagine that the three persons are three formes or differences of one god as some heretikes haue dreamed who taught that the father alone is God and that he is called a Father in one respect the Sonne in another and the Holy ghost in a thirde For this were nothing else but to make the personall proprieties to be nothing but imaginarie accidents which indeede or at the least in mans conceit might come and goe and be either in the persons or foorth of them For the personall relations though in minde they may be distinguished from the divine essence yet indeede they are one with it But some will say if they make this distinction there is rather a quaternitie then a trinitie for the godhead is one the father an other the sonne a third and the holy ghost a fourth Thus some heretikes haue obiected against the distinction of the trinitie but it is untrue which they say for the godhead must not be severed from the father nor frō the sonne nor frō the holy Ghost for the father is God or the whole godhead so also is the sonne and the holy ghost and the godhead likewise is in euery one of these three persons and euery one of them subsisting in the godhead and the godhead must be conceived to be in them all and not as a fourth thing out of them And therefore we must still maintaine that these 3. persons are distinguished and not deuided as three men are deuided in being and substance for this division can not be in them because all three haue one divine nature and one godhead This is the misterie of all misteries to be receiued of us all namely the trinitie of the persons in the vnitie of the godhead This doctrine must be reteined and holden for these causes I. because by it we are able to distinguish this true God from all false Gods and Idols II. Because among all other pointes of religion this is one of the chiefest being the verie foundation thereof For it is not sufficient for us to know God as we can conceiue of him in our owne imagination but we must know him as he hath revealed him selfe in his worde And it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God confusedly but we must beleeue in one god distinct into three persons the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost yea more then this we must hold beleeue that God the father is our father the sonne our redeemer the holy ghost our sanctifier comforter Well then if we must in this maner beleeue in god then we must also know him for vve can haue no faith in the thing which is utterly unknown wherfore if we would beleeue in the father son or holy ghost we must know them in part Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee the only God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Ioh. 14.17 The world can not receiue the spirite of truth because it hath neither seene him nor knowen him 1. Ioh. 2.23 Whosoever denieth the sonne hath not the father Thirdly this doctrine directs us in worshipping God aright for vnitie in trinitie trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped one God must be worshipped in the father in the sonne and in the holy ghost if we worship God the father without the sonne the holy ghost or if we worshippe the sonne without the father and the holy ghost and the holy ghost without the father the sonne we worship nothing but an Idol Againe if we worship the 3. persons not as one God but as three gods then likewise we make three Idols Note further that of all the three persons the first person the father is set in the first place and is described to us by three things I. by his title that he is a father II. by his attribute that hee is Almightie III. by his effect that hee is maker of heaven and earth
answeare is that although it be so yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the holy Ghost in speciall maner The father sanctifieth by the Sōne and by the holy Ghost the Sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost sanctifieth frō the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit not only because his nature is spirituall for in that respect the father is a spirite and the sonne is a spirit but because he is spired or breathed frō the father and from the sonne in that he proceeds from thē both Thus we see there is speciall cause why the third person is called the holy Ghost Now the action of faith which concernes the third person is to beleeue in him Which is I. to acknowledge the H. Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word II. In speciall to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him for that cause In these words are comprised foure points of doctrine which are to be beleeued concerning the H. Ghost The first that he is very God For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone And no doubt the pennars of the Creed in that they prefixed these words I beleeue in before the article of the third person meant thereby to signifie that he is true God equall with the father and the sonne according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues Peter saith to Ananias Why hath satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and continuing the same speach he chaungeth the tearme onely and saith Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God Whereby he insinuateth that the holy Ghost is very God In the vision of the Prophet Isai the wordes by him set down are thus I heard the voice of Iehoua saying whome shall I send c. and he said go and say to this people Ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand But Paul quoting the same place spake on this maner Well spake the H. Ghost by Esay the Prophet saying goe vnto this people and say vnto them Now these places being compared together make it plaine that the title of Iehovah agreeth to the holy Ghost But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie I. God knoweth the Sonne the holy Ghost knoweth not the Sonne for none knoweth the sonne but the father ergo the holy Ghost is not God Answer That place excludeth no person in Trinitie but onely creatures and false gods and the meaning is this None that is no creature or idole god knoweth the sonne of God but the father And the opposition is made to exclude creatures not to exclude the holy Ghost Againe they obiect that the holy Ghost maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes that cannot be vttered ergo the holy Ghost is not God but rather a gift of God For he that is true God can not pray groane or sigh Answer Pauls meaning is thereby to signifie that the holy Ghost causeth vs to make requests and stirreth vp our heartes to groane and sigh to God for he said before we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Yet further they obiect the wordes of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie saying The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee and hence they gather that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God then he is not God indeede Answ. As Christ is called the word of God not a word made of letters or syllables but a substantiall word that is beeing for euer of the same substance with the father so in this place the holy Ghost is called the vertue of the most highest not because he is a created qualitie but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father the sonne therfore God equal with them both Furthermore they alledge that neither the Scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vs to pray to the holy Ghost Ans. It is not true For whensoeuer we direct our praier to any one of the three persons in him we pray to them all Besides we haue example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God For Paul saith to the Corinthians The grace of our Lord Iesus the loue of God the father and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all And the words are as if Paul had said thus O father let thy loue O sonne let thy grace O holy Ghost let thy fellowship be with them all And therefore this first doctrine is true and as wel to be beleeued as any other that the holy Ghost is God The second point is that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne Hereupon the articles touching the three persōs are thus distinguished I beleue in the father I beleeue in the sonne I beleeue in the H. Ghost This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinctiō In the baptisme of Christ the father vttereth a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased not the Sonne or the holy Ghost Secondly the Sonne stoode in the water and was baptised by Iohn and not the Father or the holy Ghost Thirdly the holy Ghost descended from heauen vpon Christ in the forme of a doue and not the father or the sonne but the holy Ghost alone Christ in his commission vnto his disciples saith Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now if the holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father or with the sonne then it had beene sufficient to haue named the father and the sonne onely And the distinction of the third person from the rest may be conceiued by this that the holy Ghost is the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The third point to be beleeued is that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne For a further proofe hereof consider these places Paul saith Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit for the spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any mā haue not the spirit of Christ he is not his againe Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts where we may obserue that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father not onely because he is sent of him but because hee proceedeth from the father as Christ saith to his disciples When the comforter will come whome I
is one thing to beleeue in this or that is another thing and it conteineth in it 3. points or actions of a beleeuer 1. to know a thing 2. to acknowledge the same 3. to put trust and confidence in it And in this order must these three actions of faith be applied to euery article following which concerneth God And herein is contained a speciall matter For alwaies by adding them to the words following we doe applie the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner As I beleeue in the father and doe beleeue that he is my father and therefore I put my whole trust in him and so of the rest Now we come to the obiect of generall faith which is either God or the Church in handling of both which I wil obserue this order I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article II. Of the duties which we ought to learn thereby III. And lastly of the consolations which may be gathered thence Concerning God three things are to be considered And first by reason of manifold doubtings that rise in our minds it may be demanded whether there be a God many reasons might be vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience otherwaies we are bound to beleeue that there is a God without al doubting As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God by Gods lawe they ought to die the death nay the earth is too good for such to dwell on Malefactours as theeues and rebells for their offences haue their rewarde of death but the offence of those which denie that there is a God is greater and therefore deserues the most cruell death The second point followeth namely what God is Answer Moses desiring to see Gods face was not permitted but to see his hinder parts and therefore no man can be able to describe God by his nature but by his effects properties on this or such like maner God is an essence spirituall simple infinite most holy I say first of all that God is an essence to shew that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe by himselfe not receiuing his being from any other And herein he differeth frō all creatures whatsoeuer which haue subsisting beeing from him alone Againe I say that he is an essence spirituall because hee is not a kinde of body neither hath he the parts of the bodies of mē or other creatures but is in nature a spirit inuisible not subiect to any of mans senses I adde also that he is a simple essence because his nature admits no maner of composition of matter or forme or parts The creatures are compounded of diuers parts of varietie of nature but there is no such thing in God for whatsoeuer thing he is he is the same by one the same singular and indiuisible essence Furthermore he is infinite and that diuers waies infinite in time without any beginning and without end infinite in place because he is euery where and excluded no where within all places and foorth of all places Lastly he is most holy that is of infinite wisdome mercie loue grace goodnes c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy because holinesse is of the very nature of God himselfe wheras among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise As for example a man is one thing and the holines of man is another Thus we see what God is and to this effect god describes himself to be Iehova Elohim Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting immorall inuisible onely wise to whom is due all honour glorie for euer The thirde point is touching the number of Gods namely whether there be more Gods then one or no. Ans. There is not neither can there be any more Gods then one VVhich point the Creede auoucheth in saying I beleeue in God not gods and yet more plainly the Nicene Creede and the Creede of Athanasius both of them explaning the words of the Apostles Creede on this maner I beleeue in one God Howsoeuer some in former times haue erroneously held that two Gods were the begining of all things one of good things the other of euill things others that there was one God in the old testament an other in the new others againe namely the Valintinians that there were 30. couple of gods and the heathen people as Augustine recordeth worshipped 30. thousand gods yet we that are members of Gods Church must hold and beleeue one God alone no more Deut. 4.39 Vnderstand this day and consider in thine heart that Iehovah he is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none other Eph. 4.8 One God one faith one baptisme If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods because Magistrates are called gods Moses is called Aarons god the deuill and all idols are called gods The answer is this They are not properly or by nature gods for in that respect there is onely one God but they are so tearmed in other respects Magistrates are gods because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God to gouerne their subiects Moses is Aarons god because he was in the roome of god to reueale his will to Aaron the deuill is a god because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him which is peculiar to the euerliuing God idols are called gods because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods Therefore Paul faith an idole is nothing in the worlde that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it To proceede forwarde to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much 1. to knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde 2. to beleeue him to be my God 3. from mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuills haue but a more speciall knowledge whereby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may be gathered hence First of all if wee are bound to beleeue in God then wee are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeliefe to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the childe that had a dumme spirite Lord saith he J beleeue Lorde helpe myne vnbeleefe And David Why art thou cast dovvne my soule and why art thou so disquieted in me wayt on God And that which our Sauiour Christ said once to Peter should a man say euery day to himselfe O thou of little faith why hast thou doubted But
of these in order as they lye in the Creede And first of the title father It may seeme that he hath some prerogatiue over the sonne and the holy ghost because he is set before them but we must know he is set before them neither in regard of time nor of dignitie for therein all three are equall but in regarde of order onely The father is the first the sonne the second and the holy ghost the third as may appeare by this similitude If three Emperours equall in dignity should meete all in one place beeing equall also in power and maiestie if all three should sit dovvne though one be no better then an other yet one of them must needes sit downe the first and another in the seconde place and then the thirde but yet wee can not say that he which sate downe first is the chiefest And so it is in the Trinitie though none be greater or above another yet the Father is in the first place not because he is before the sonne or the holy ghost in dignitie or honour but because he is the fountaine of the deitie the sonne being from him and the holy ghost from them both Nowe let us come to the title of the first person The name Father in Scriptures is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely and so by consequente to all the three persons in Trinitie or particularly to the first person alone For the first God is a Father properly and principally according to the saying of Christ Call no man father vpon earth for there is but one your father vvhich is in heaven that is principally whereas earthly parentes whome wee are commaunded to worship and honour are but certaine images or resemblances of our heavenly father having this blessing that they are fathers from him And hereupon this title agrees in men not simply but so farre forth as God honoureth them with fatherhoode in calling them to be fathers whereas god himselfe receiues this honour from none God is tearmed a father in respect both of nature and grace Hee is a father in regard of nature because hee created and gouerneth all things In this regard hee is called the father of spirits and Adam is called the Sonne of God Hee is a father in respect of grace because wee are regenerate by him and accepted to be his sonnes by adoption thorough the merite of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called a Father and saide to haue an offspring or seede and children But when the name of Father is giuen to the first person 〈◊〉 is done upon a speciall consideration because he is a father by nature to the seconde person begetting him of his owne substance before all worldes By this it appeares that out of the title of the first person wee may fetch a description thereof on this maner The Father is the first person in Trinitie begetting the sonne Nowe to beget is the personall proprietie whereby he is distinguished from the other two If it be said that the creatures doe beget that therefore to beget is not proper to the father the answere is that in this point there are many differences betweene God the father all creatures First the father begets the sonne before all eternitie and therefore God the Father begetting and the sonne begotten are equall in time whereas in earthly generation the father is before the sonne in time Secondly God the father begets his Sonne by communicating unto him his whole essence or godhead which can not be in earthly parents unlesse they should be abolished and come to nothing VVhereas neuerthelesse God the Father giuing his whole nature to his sonne retaines the same still because it is infinite Thirdly the father begetts the sonne in himselfe not forth of himselfe but in earthly generation the father begetting is forth of the child and the child forth of the father And that must not trouble vs which heretikes alledge against this doctrine namely that if the father who is of one nature with the sonne did beget the sonne then hee did beget himselfe for the godhead of the father doth not beget either the godhead or the person of the sonne but the person of the father begets the person of the sonne both which in one godhead are really distinct Thus we see what the father is Nowe to beleeue in the father is to be perswaded that the first person in Trinity is the father of Christ and in him my father particularly and that for this cause I entend desire for euer to put my trust in him The duties which wee may learne hence are manifolde And here we haue occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature I shall say to corruption saieth Iob thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother seeing god vouchsafeth this great prerogatiue to them that loue him that he vvill be their father therefore Iob in consideration hereof would haue euery man to haue recourse to his owne naturall condition to see who is his father by nature Iob saith corruption is his father but if we mark the condition of our nature we shall further see euery man is by nature the child of wrath and that Sathan is his father for so long as a man walkes in his sinnes which euery man doth by nature so long doth he shew himselfe to be the liuely child of the deuill And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharises Yee are of your father the deuill and the lustes of your father ye will doe And true it is that no childe is so like his father that begat him as euerie man by nature is like the deuill and the whole tenour and course of his naturall life without grace is a liuely resemblance of the disposition of Satan Secondly euery one that beleeves God to be a Father and in Christ his father must as a good child be obedient to his fathers will So Salomon saith A vvise sonne maketh a glad father How by doing his will and therefore when one tolde our Sauiour Christ that his mother and breethren stoode vvithout desiring to speake with him he saide VVhosoever shall doe my fathers vvill vvhich is in heaven the same is my father my sister and mother where vvee may note that hee that will haue God the Father to be his Father and Christ Iesus his brother must doe the will of God the father And hence God saith If I be a master vvhere is my feare If I be a father vvhere is my honour VVhere is plainely taught this seconde duety that if God be our father then as good children vvee must shevve obedience unto him but if vvee be disobedient vnto him then vve must knowe that that former saying of Christ will be verefied vpon vs that because men doe the lustes of the devill therefore they are the children
of the deuill But least this fearefull sentence be verefied of vs it is the duety of euerie man that maketh this confession that hee beleeues God to be his father first to labour to knovve Gods will and secondly to perfourme continuall obedience unto the same Like unto a good childe that would faine please his father and therefore is alwaies ready to do the best he can And without doubt that man which unfainedly takes God for his father is then most grieued when as by any sinne he displeaseth him no other crosse or calamity is so grieuous unto him The greatest grief that the prodigall sonne had was that he had offēded his father by sinning against heauē against him the same also must be our griefe and all our care set on this how we may be obedient children to this our louing father Thirdly that mā that beleeues God to be his father must imitate and follow him for it is the will of God that his children should be like vnto himselfe Now we follow God especially in 2. things I. In doing good to them that persecute vs so saith our Sauiour Christ Pray for them that hurt you that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven for hee maketh the sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and uniust II. Our heavenly father is mercifull for he is a father of the fatherlesse and therefore he that will be a sonne of this father must be mercifull to his poore breethren as Iob saith of himselfe I vvas the eyes to the blind I vvas the feete unto the lame I vvas a father unto the poore Fourthly seeing wee beleeue God to be our father we are hereby taught onely to vse moderate care for the things of this life for if a man know himselfe to be the child of God then he also knowes that God will provide for him as wee know in a family the father provideth for all Now God is a father and his Church is his family therefore if thou wilt be a mēber of Gods Church a child of God thou must cast thy care on god follow the counsell of Christ Be not to carefull for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink And mark his reason drawen from the point which we haue in hand The fowles of the heauen saith he they neither sow nor reape nor carrie into barnes and yet your heavenly father feedeth them are not ye much better then they But alas the practise of the worlde is contrarie for men haue no care for the knowledge of Gods worde nor the meanes of their salvation all their mindes are set on the things of this life when as Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall be ministred vnto you If you shoulde see a young man provide for himselfe and no man else for him wee woulde say surely his father is deade euen so when a mans care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life it argues that God hath either cast him off or else that he takes him for no father of his Fiftly if God he our father then wee must learne to beare any crosse patiently that he shall lay upon us either in bodie or in minde and alwaies looke for deliverance from him for whome the Lorde loueth them hee chastiseth and if yee endure chastising saith the Apostle God offereth himselfe unto you as vnto children which may appeare more plainly by this comparison If two children shoulde fight and a man comming by shoulde parte them and after beate the one and let the other goe free euerie man that seeth this will say that that childe which hee beates is his owne sonne Euen so when God chastiseth vs he shevveth himselfe unto us as a father if we submit our selues Nowe if our earthly fathers corrected us and we gaue them reverence taking it patiently should vve not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits that wee may liue Therefore the conclusion is this if we displease God be ye sure he will correct us when his hand is upon us we must not murmure against him but beare it with a milde spirite and furthermore when vvee are under the crosse we must alwaies looke for deliverance from this our father onely If a sonne vvhen hee is beaten should flee to his fathers enemies for helpe and counsell it woulde argue that hee were but a gracelesse childe Sundry and divers calamities and crosses befall men in this life which they can not brooke and therefore it is a common practise of many among us in these dayes vvhen Gods hande is upon them to goe for helpe to the deuill they seeke for counsell at witches and vvise men as I haue said but let them looke unto it for that is the right vvay to double their miserie and to shewe themselues levvde children Lastly if wee confesse and beleeue god to be the father of Christ and in him our father also then in regarde of our conuersation wee must not frame our selves like unto the world but the course of our liues must be in righteousnesse and true holinesse Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselues from Idolaters alledging the place out of the olde Testament where the Lorde biddeth the Israelites to come out from Idolaters and to touch no vncleane thing and the reason followeth out of Ieremie that if they doe so then God vvill be their father and they shall be his children even his sonnes and daughters which reason Paul vrgeth in the next chapter to this effect considering wee haue these promises that therefore wee shoulde cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite and growe up unto holines in the feare of the Lorde where if wee marke the place diligently wee shall finde this lesson that euerie man who takes God for his father must not onely in this sinne of Idolatrie but in all other sinnes separate himselfe that men by his godly life may knowe whose childe he is But some will say this exhortation is needlesse amongst vs for wee haue no cause to separate our selues from others because all amongst vs are Christians all beleeve in God and are baptised and hope to be saved by Christ. Ansvver In outvvard profession I confesse wee carrie the shewe of Christians but in deede and trueth by our lives and conversations very many among vs denie Christ for in euerie place the common practise is to spende the time in drunkennesse and surfetting in chambering and wantonnesse yea great is the companie of those that make a trade of it take this conversation from many men and take away their liues And on the Lordes day it may bee seene both publiquely and priuately in houses and in the open streetes there is such reuell as though there were no
especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lorde by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and wicked they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the dueties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in prayer vnto God for he that will pray truly must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must be made in faith and for a man to pray in faith it is harde therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leaper whome our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords prayer when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the ende he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to wait for the benefits before craved in these words Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence we learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shal neuer be able to preuaile against the least mēber of Christ. I doe not say they shal neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shall neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I answer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Little children yee are of God and haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirite who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the worlde that is the spirit of Sathan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth him selfe to a sillie sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyō yet I will feare none evill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is saide the first person is a father as also almightie ioyne these two together and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a father almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuil and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True in deede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must learne to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirite of wisdome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be cōsidered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and find the power of God as he was man Answ. Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the panges of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Now in this extremitie God did shew his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we draw from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lieth dead in sinne Now as God did shewe his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in him selfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnes of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in him selfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a new life more more Furthermore whē Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did hee vanquish Sathan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer sathan◠that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cuppe might passe from him and yet he saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessarie that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhoode to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectual in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the panges of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in all the members of Christ to make them both patient and of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that wheras they confesse God to be their almightie father they should here withall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that he is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing thē power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hande of God in
of mediation as he is mediator or as he is mā yet as he is God he doth designe and set himselfe apart to the same worke For to designe the mediatour is a common action of the 3. persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost and yet cōsidering the father is first in order and therfore hath the beginning of the action for this cause he is saide especially to designe as when S. Iohn saith Him hath God the father sealed The second part of Christes annointing is the pouring out of the fulnesse of the spirit or grace into the manhood of Christ and it was particularly figured by the holy oile For first that oile had no man but God alone to be the authour of it so the most excellent and unspeakeable graces of the manhood of Christ haue their beginning from the godhead of Christ. Againe though the same oyle was most pretious yet was it compounded of myrrhe calamus and Casia and such like earthie matters to signifie that the spirituall oile of grace whereof the manhood of Christ was as it were a vessell or storehouse did not consist of the essentiall properties of the godhead as Eutiches and his followers in these daies imagine but in certaine created gifts and qualities placed in his humane nature otherwise we should not haue any participation of them Thirdly the sweete sauour of the holy oyle figured that the riches of all grace with the effect thereof in the obedience of Christ doeth take away the noisome sent of our loathsome sinnes from the nosthrilles of God and withall doth make our persons and all our actions acceptable unto him as a svveete perfume as Paul saith VVe are unto God the sweete savour of Christ c. And Christes death is for this cause tearmed a sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour And wee must further understand that these giftes of Christes manhood are not conferred in a small scantling or measure for Iohn saith God giveth him the spirite not by measure because the graces which are in Christ are farre more both in number and degree then all men or angels haue or shall haue though the good angels and the saints of God in heauen are verie excellent creatures stored with graces and giftes of God For this cause Christ is called the head of man because he is euerie way the most principall and glorious man that ever was Yet for all this are not the gifts of Christs manhood infinite any way because it is finite being a creature and therfore not capable of that which is infinite By Christes annointing the people of God reape great benefite and comfort because they are partakers thereof For this cause the oile where with he was annointed is called the oyle of gladnesse because the sweet sauour of it gladdeth the heartes of all his members and brings the peace of God which passeth all understanding The holy oyle powred vpon Aarons head came downe to his beard and to the verie skirtes of his garments and it signified that the spirituall oile of grace was first of all powred upon our head Christ Iesus and from thence consequently derived to all his members that by that meanes hee might be not onely annointed himselfe but also our annointer Now the benefites which we receiue by his annointing are two The first is that all the elect when they are called to the profession of the gospell of Christ are in and by him set apart and made spirituall kings priests and prophets as S. Iohn saith He hath made vs kings and priests vnto God his Father And S. Peter out of Ioel I will powre saith the Lord my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie The second benefite is that all the faithfull receiue the same oile that is the same spirite of God in some measure which he receiued aboue measure as S. Iohn saieth The annointing which ye have received of him dvvelleth in you and teacheth you all things where by anointing is ment the holy Ghost And hence it is that men are called Christians of the name of Christ that is annointed with the same oile wherwith Christ was annointed And the holy oile might not be giuen to a stranger to signifie that to haue the spirite of Christ and to be guided by it is peculiar to them that are Christes Now then let vs all lay these things to our hearts and extoll the unspeakeable goodnesse of God that hath advaunced vs to the dignitie of kings priests prophets before him and hath giuen his spirit unto vs to inable us to be so indeed Nowe follow the duties which are to be learned hence And first whereas all Christians receive annointing from the holy one Christ Iesus to become prophets in a sort wee must doe our endeavours that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs and for that cause we must search the scriptures euen as hunters seeke for the game and as men seeke for golde euen in the mines of the earth There is nothing that is more unbeseeming a man then grosse ignorance a Christian. Therfore the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues reprooues them that whereas for the time they ought to haue beene teachers they had need againe to be taught the first principles of the word of God Againe that portion of knowledge which we haue received of God is further to be applied to the benefit good of others this is that most precious baulme that on our partes should neuer be wanting to the heads of men And here euery man that is set ouer others must remember within the compasse of his calling and charge to instruct those that be under him so farre forth as possibly he can Gouernours of families must teach their children and servants and their whole housholde the doctrine of the true religion that they may know the true God and walke in all his waies in doing righteousnesse iudgement If housholders woulde make conscience of this their dutie and in some sorte and measure prepare their families against they come to the publike congregation the ministers of the Gospell vvith greater comfort and farre more ease should performe their dutie and see farre more fruit of their ministerie then now they doe But whereas they neglect their dutie falsely perswading themselues that it doeth not belong to them at all to instruct others it is the cause of ignorance both in townes and families in masters themselues in seruants and children and all Lastly by this we are admonished to take all occasions that possibly can be offered mutually to edifie each other in knowledge saying among our selues as it was foretold of these times Come let vs goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he vvill teach vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes and withall we shoulde confirme each others as Christ saith to Peter
not of himselfe but the sonne of the father begotten of him neuerthelesse as he is God he is of himselfe neither begotten nor proceeding for the essence or godhead of the father is of it selfe without all beginning but the godhead of the sonne is one and the same with the godhead of the father for by what godhead the father is God by the same and no other the sonne is God therefore the sonne as he is God hee is God of himselfe without beginning as the Father Whereupon it followes that the sonne is begotten of the father as he is a sonne but not as he is God The maner of this generation is this The sonne is begotten of the substance of the father not by any fluxe as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the chanell nor by decision as when a thing is cut in pieces nor by propagation as when a grift is transplanted into a new stocke but by an unspeakeable communication of the whole essence or Godhead from the father to the sonne in receiuing whereof the sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or Godhead of the father then the light of one candle doth the light of the other from which it is taken Whereupon the Councell of Nicene hath said well that the sonne is of the Father as light of light not proceeding but begotten The time of this generation hath neither beginning middle or ende and therefore it is eternall before all worlds and that is a thing to be wondered at that the father begetting the sonne begottē are coeternall therfore equall in time VVisdom in the prouerbs which with one consent of all divines is said to be Christ affirmeth that she was before the world was created that is from eternity for before the world was made there was nothing but eternitie But it may be alledged to the contrarie that the saying of the father This day haue I begotten thee is expounded by Paul of the time of Christs resurrection Answ. We must distinguish betweene generation it selfe the manifestation of it of the second must the place be understood which may be brought to passe at the time of Christs resurrection in which he was mightily declared to be the sonne of God though in the meane season the generation it selfe be eternall If any man alledge further that the person which begetteth must needs goe before the person begotten the answer is that there is a double priority one of order the other of time now in the generation of creatures there is priority both of order time but in the generation of the second person in trinity there is prioritie of order alone the father being first the sonne second without prioritie of time because they both in that respect are equall and neither is before or after other because the beeing or subsisting of the persons is not measured by time Hence it followeth necessarily that Iesus Christ is true God the whole tenor of the scriptures confirme it sufficiently I. he is made equall to God the father who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God All things that the father hath are mine The children of Israell are said to haue tempted Iehova and Paul saith that he whome they tempted was Christ. Iehoua founded the earth and the same is saide of Christ. II. Christ the sonne of God is by name called God Iesus Christ is very God life eternall III. The properties of the godhead are ascribed unto him He is eternal because he was then when there was no creature In the beginning was the word and before Abraham was I am He is omnipresent Where tvvo or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest amongst them Lastly he is omnipotent Whatsoever things the father doth the same doth the sonne also IIII. The workes of creation and preseruation are as well ascribed to the sonne as to the father By him the father made the world and he beareth up all things by his mightie power and miracles which are workes either aboue or against the order of nature peculiar to God were done by Christ. V. Divine worship is given to him for he is adored invoted and beleeued in as God the father To him is given a name at which every knee doth bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things vnderneath the earth As for the reasons which be alledged to the contrarie they are of no moment I. The worde of God can not be God the sonne is the worde of the father therefore hee is not God Answ. The worde is taken two waies first for a sounding worde standing of letters and syllables vttered either by God or by the creatures nowe on this manner Christ is not the word of God Secondly there is a substantiall worde which is of the substance of him whose worde it is And thus Christ is the worde of God the father And he is so termed I. in respect of the father for as reason speech hath his beginning from the mind without any passion in the mind so hath he beginning frō the father And as the speech is in the mind the mind in the speech so the father is in the sonne the sonne in the father 2. In respect of all creatures The father doth all things by the son by whose powerfull worde the worlde was made is novv preserved shalbe abolished 3. In respect of the Church For the father by him speakes unto us both in the outward ministerie of the worde and by the inward operation of the spirit and againe we by him speake to the father II. It may be obiected thus God hath no beginning from any other Christ hath beginning frō the father therfore he is not God Answer Christ must be considered both in regard of his godhead and in regard of his person in regarde of his god heade hee came not of any but is of himselfe as vvell as the father is yet in regarde of his person hee is from the father vvho is a beginning to the rest of the persons both in respect of order for the scripture saith not the holy Ghost the Sonne the Father but the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost as also in respect of the communication of the Godhead And whereas it is said that God is of himselfe if the name God be taken for the Godhead it selfe absolutely considered it is true but if it be taken for any particular person in the Godhead it is false III. None is greater then God but the father is greater then Christ for so he saith the father is greater then I. Ans. Christ there speakes of himselfe as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant in which respect he is lesse then the father who neuer was incarnate and abased in our nature And though Christ in respect of his nature assumed
willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father The second part of the preparation is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden And herein his exāple doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the daunger of imminent death and the temptations which are to come And if Christ who was without sinne and had the spirite aboue measure had neede to pray then much more haue we neede to be watchfull in all kinde of prayers who are laden with the burden of sinne and compassed about with manifolde impediments and daungerous enemies In this praier sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered The first who prayed Ans. Christ the Sonne of God but stil we must remember the distinction of natures and of their operations in one and the same Christ he prayeth not in his Godhead but according to his manhood The second is for whome he prayeth Ans. Some haue thought that this all other his praiers were made for his mystical body the Church but the truth is he now praies for himself yet not as he was God for the Godheade feeles no want but as he was a man abased to the forme of a seruant that for two causes First in that he was a man hee was a creature and in that respect was to performe homage to God the Creatour Secondly as he was man he put on the infirmities of our nature and thereupon praied that hee might haue strength and power in his manhood to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come The third point is to whome he prayed Answer To the father neither must this trouble vs as though Christ in praying to the father should pray to himselfe because he is one and the same God with him For though in essence they admit no distinction yet in person o◠in the proper manner of subsisting they doe The father is one person the Sonne an other therefore as the father saying from heauen This is my welbeloued Sonne spake not to himselfe but to the Sonne so againe the Sonne when he praieth he praies not to himselfe but to the father The fourth point what was the particular cause of his prayer Answ. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death not because he feared bodily death but because the malediction of the Law euen the very heat of the furie indignation of God was powred forth vpon him wherewith he was affected and troubled as if he had bin defiled with the sinnes of the whole world And this appeares 1. by the words whereby the Evangelists expresse the agonie of Christ which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe 2. by his dolefull complaint to his disciples in the garden My soule is heauie vnto the death 3. by his feruent prayer thrise repeated full of dolefull passions 4. by the comming of an Angel to comfort him 5. by his bloodie sweate the like whereof was neuer heard And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie the death of martyrs he put on the guilt of al our sinnes they in death are freed frō the same he was left to himselfe void of comfort they in the midst of their afflictions feele the vnspeakeable comfort of the holy Ghost therfore we need not meruaile why Christ should pray against death which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued borne most ioyfully Againe this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians to reioyce alwaies in the Lord againe to reioyce And here we are further taught that when we are plūged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we shoulde not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by fervent prayer to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was drinking the cuppe of the wrath of God and sucking up the verie dregges of it and David saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lorde and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Ansvver Christ praies to be delivered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this maner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demaunded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that end should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answer The request proceedes only of a weakenesse or infirmitie in Christes manhood without sinne which appeareth thus Wee must still consider that when hee made this praier to his father the whole wrath of God and the verie dolours and pangs of hell seased upon him whereby the senses and powers of his mind were astonished and wholly bent to relieue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes unto it to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the understanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Nowe Christ being in the middest of this perplexed estate praieth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but only from a meere perturbation of mind caused onely by an outward meanes namely the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his understanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but only stopped and staied the acte of reasoning and remembring for a little time even as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the aire or by a mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christes will is flat contrarie to the will of his father Answere Christes will as he is man and the will of the father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely divers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a divers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the worde of God in Asia and Bithynia but hee was hindred by the spirite For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirite of God but in the shewe of discorde great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirite of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole
praier and fasting and the word of God preached and by flying all occasions of offence We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit Christianitie stands not in this to heare the word of God outwardly to professe the same in the meane season stil to liue in our sinnes to pamper our owne rebellious flesh but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readinesse some speare or other to wound sinne the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in vs that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede Fourthly by this we may learn that the wrath of God against sinne is wōderful great because his own Son bearing our person being in our place was not onely crucified racked most cruelly but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule and therfore we must leaue off to make so litle account of sinne as commonly we doe Fiftly wheras the person crucified was the sonne of God it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse like a sea without banke or bottome it can not be searched into if we shal not acknowledge it to be so our condemnation will be the greater Sixtly in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse we learne that those that be the children of God when they suffer any iudgement crosse or calamitie either in bodie or in minde or both doe not beare them as the curses of God but as the chastisements of a louing father For it doth not stande with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God shall either in his owne person in his good name or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God God doth not as a iudge curse him but as a father correct him Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome which hold that we by our suffrings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God but this can not stand because Christ did make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needelesse and much derogates from Christs passion In the crucifying of Christ two things specially must be considered The manner of the doing of it and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse Touching the manner the spirite of God hath noted two things The first that Christ was crucifyed betweene two theeues the one vpon his left hand the other vpon his right in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Esay He was numbred among the wicked and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues malefactours whatsoeuer Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead is reputed the head and prince of all sinners it serueth to teach euery one of vs that beleeue in him to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners and to say of our selues with Paul that we are the chiefe of all sinners The second thing is that Christ was crucified naked because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiers when he was to be crucified The causes why he suffered naked are these First Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankinde death both of bodie and soule and also the curses of God which befall man in this life among which this was one that the nakednes of the bodie should be ignominious and hereupon when Adam had sinned saw himselfe naked he fled frō the presence of God hid himselfe euē for very shame Christ therfore was stripped of his garments and suffered naked that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne Secondly this came to passe by the goodnes of God that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednes which is when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof hee himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements Hereof the Angel speaketh to the Church of Laodicea saying Thou saiest J am rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched miserable blinde and naked So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe Moses telleth them that they were naked not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour and lay open and naked vnto all his iudgements for that sinne And Salomon saith Where there is no vision there the people are made naked that is their sinnes lie open before God and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation Now Christ was crucified naked that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God called white rayment as Christ saith I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment that thou maist be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednes doe not appeare and Long white robes dipped in the blood of the lambe which serue to hide the nakednes of our soules VVhat these garments are the Apostle sheweth when he saith All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Put on the new man which after God is created in righteoosnes and true holines Our nakednes maketh vs more vile in the sight of God then the most loathsome creature that is can be vnto vs vntill we haue put on the righteousnes of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules that we may appeare holy and without spot before God Thirdly Paul saith We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God c. For therefore we sigh desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednes of Adam after his fall and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked namely that after this life he might cloath all his members with eternall glorie If this be so that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed then to make vs proud The thiefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand or of the fetters on his heeles as we may of our attire because it is but the couering of our shame and therfore should put vs in mind of our sinne shamful nakednes The abode
panteth after thee O Lord and the benefits of thy death The second that a sponge full of vineger tied vpon an hyssope stalke was reached to Christ vpon the crosse Now it may be demaunded how this could be considering the stalke of the hyssope is not past a foote long Answer As the tree of mustard seede with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vs in so much that the birds of heauen build their nests in it so it may be that hyssope groweth much longer in those countries then with vs. Or as I take it rather the hyssope stalke was put vpon a reede and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ. The third point is that Christ drinketh the vineger offered but when Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the crosse And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation He laide aside all thinges that would turne to his owne ease that he might fully worke our redemption and fulfill the will of his father who sent him into the world for that ende The like care must euery one of vs haue to walke dutifully and as it were to goe with thorough-stitch in our particular callings that God may be glorified by vs. When Abrahams seruant came to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac meâ—t was set before him but he said I will not eate before I haue said my message so likewise we must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires and then in the second place if commoditie or praise redound to vs we must afterward take it The last point is that when Christ had drunke the vineger he said It is finished VVhich words may haue a double sense one that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished the other that now vpon the crosse he had finished his satisfaction to the iustice of his father for mans sinne And this of the twaine I rather thinke to be his meaning If it be said that the buriall and resurrection and ascension of Christ c. which are very necessarie to mans redemption were not yet begunne the answer is that the works of Christs priesthoode which follow his death serue not to make any satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne but onely to confirme or applie it after it is made and accomplished on the crosse And if this be so that Christ in his owne person accomplished the worke of redemption and made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs as these words import It is finished then humane satisfactions to Gods iustice for sinne are altogether superfluous The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vpon the crosse was that he cryed with a loud voice and said Father into thy handes I lay downe my spirite that is I commende my soule as being the most pretious thing which I haue in this worlde into thy custodie who art a most faithfull keeper therof These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes for when Dauid was in daunger of his life by reason of Saul and had no friend to trust he makes choice of God to be his keeper and said Into thy hands O Lord doe J commend my spirite Nowe our Sauiour Christ beeing in the like distresse both by reason of the Iewes who euery way sought his finall destruction and confusion and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him doth make choice of Davids words and applie them to himselfe in his distresse And by his example we are taught not onely to read the generall historie of the Bible but also to obserue the things commaunded and forbidden and to applie the same vnto our selues and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer thus the Prophet Dauid saith In the rolle of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O my God! Howe can this be for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him True indeede but as I take it Dauids meaning is that he read the booke of the Lawe and found generall precepts and commaundements giuen to Kings and Princes that they should keepe all the ordinances and commaundements of God which he beeing a King applies particularly to his owne person and thereupon saith In the volume of the booke it is written of me c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time and in these daies the Church of God doth sing the same with the same spirite that Dauid did and doth applie them to their seuerall estates and conditions Now in that Christ commends his soule into the hands of his father he doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint but willingly and by his owne practise he doeth teach vs to doe the like namely to giue vp our owne soules into the hands of God And because this dutie is of some difficultie we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it The first is to consider that God the Father of Christ is the creator of our soules and therefore he is called the father of spirits And if he be a creator of them then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them For sure it is that God will preserue his own workmanship Who is or caÌ„ be so careful for the ornament and preseruation of any worke as the crafts-master and shall not God be more carefull then man wherefore Saint Peter exhorteth vs to commit our soules vnto God as vnto a faithfull creator The second motiue is this we must looke to be resolued in our consciences that God the Father of Christ is our Father euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes and that the corruption of his soule be washed away in the blood of Christ that he may say I am iustified sanctified and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the hands of God This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay downe his soule into the handes of God because he is his Father The third motiue or preparatiue is a continuall experience and obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towardes vs in keeping and preseruing him as appeares by Dauids example Into thy handes saith he I commit my soule for thou hast redeemed me O thou God of truth The time when wee are specially to commende our soules into the hande of God is first of all the time of any affliction or daunger This was the time when Dauid commended his soule into the handes of God in the Psalme before named VVee knowe that in any common daunger or perill as the sacking of a citie or burning of an house if a man haue any pretious iewell therein
he will first fetch that out and make choice of a faithfull friend to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in common perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God who is a faithfull creator An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience Lastly at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands for though we be not alwaies in affliction yet we are alwaies in great daunger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he riseth he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we know not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great daunger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent For the which cause saith he J suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we may see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition and if they haue cattell sheepe or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God Againe in that Christ laies downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures there is great difference betvveene them for vvhen the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death as the soule of beastes doe the neglect thereof vvere no great matter but seeing it must liue for ever either in eternall ioy or els in endlesse paines and torments it standes vs upon euery man for himselfe so to provide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The thirde that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto For vvhen vvee die in Christ the bodie is but laide asleepe and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father as the soule of Christ was Lastly vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calles it a spirite we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall invisible simple essence without coÌ„position created as the angels of God are The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies may easily bee resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirite can not beget another spirit as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels for one spirit begetteth not another Nay vvhich is more one simple element begetteth not another as the vvater begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof If it be said that the whole soule of the parents be propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answer that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted and therfore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites Thus much of the crucifying of Christ Now followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father the holy Ghost saith he gave vp the ghost to giue us to understand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes The first that it was needfull that hee should die and that for tvvo causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods â—ight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life but also die on the crosse that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne might be laide on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die
the Angell of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast and saw the blood upon their houses might passe ouer them that the plague should not be upon them to destruction So likewise if thou doest feede on the lambe of God and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his blood the iudgements of god in this life and the terrible curse of death vvith the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement all punishments due unto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee and not so much as touch thee And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiers who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could wee may note that the enemies of Christ and his Church let them intende to shewe neuer so much malice against him they can not goe beyonde that libertie which God giueth them then Gods will is they can doe no more for their liues The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done And whē Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wild beast out of his denne the Lord telleth Hezekiah cōcerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills his bridle in his lippes and bring him back againe the same way he came that is he will so rule him that he shall not do the lest hurt unto the Iewes more thē god will This is a matter of great cōfort to Gods Church oppressed with manifold enimies Papists Iewes Turkes all infidels maliciously bent against it for Christs sake Now they may intend practise mischiefe but more then Gods will and counsell is they cā not doe for he hath his ring in their nostrills and his bridle in their lips to rule them as he listeth The second thing which fell out immediatly upon the death of Christ is that the soldiers pearced his side with a speare thence issued water blood The use which ariseth of this point is twofolde First it serves to prooue that Christ died truly not in shew or a fained death for there is about the heart a filme or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heate of the heart and therefore when water blood issued out after the pearcing of the side it is very likely that that very skin was pearced for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come S. Iohn an eye-witnesse of this thing being about to proue that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias bringeth in sixe witnesses three in heauē the Father the Worde and the Holy Ghost and three in earth the Water the Spirite and the bloode where no doubt hee alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ by spirit wee may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirite making men to bring foorth the fruits of the same as loue peace ioy c. And the second witnes namely water hath relation to the water that came forth of Christs side which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne the purging of the heart by Christs blood which also is and was signified by the outwarde washing of the bodie with water in baptisme The thirde witnesse hee calles blood alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side vvhereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne The same use had the ceremoniall sprinkling with blood in the old testament typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen but euerie Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience there shall hee finde them in some measure And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ being now deade signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death that out of his death springs our life and therefore as Eve was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of the first Adam so springs the Church of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution let us nowe come to the last point namely the excellencie of Christes passion consisting in these two points I. a sacrifice II. a triumph For the first whē Christ died he offered a propitiatorie reall sacrifice to his father herein his death passiō differeth frō the sufferings deaths of all men whatsoeuer In this sacrifice we must consider 4. things I. who was the priest II. what was the sacrifice III. what vvas the altar IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered The priest was Christ himselfe as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these 4. points The first what is the office of Christs priesthood Ansvver The office of Christs priesthood stands in 3. things I. to teach doctrine therefore he is called the high priest of our profession that is of the Gospell which we professe because he is the authour and doctour of the same II. to offer up himselfe unto his father in the behalfe of man for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne III. to make request or intercession to God the father that he would accept the sacrifice which hee offered on the crosse for us The secōd is according to which nature he was a priest whether in his manhood or in his godhead or both togither Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures therfore he is a priest not as the papists would haue him according to his manhood only but as he is both God man for as he is a mediatour so is he a priest but Christ is a mediatour according to both natures ech nature doing that which is peculiar to it conferring somthing to the worke of redemptiō therfore he is a priest as he is both God mā The third point after what order is he a priest Ans. The scripture mētioneth 2. orders of priests the order of Levi the order of Melchisedeck Christ was not a priest after the order of Aarō yet notwithstāding in that priesthood were many notable rites wherby the priesthood of our Sauiour Christ was resembled we may note 5. especially First in the anointing of the high priests as of Aaron his sonnes after him oile was powred on his head it ran down to the verie edge of his garments wherby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oile of gladnesse above his fellowes that his manhood was filled with the giftes and graces of
Iesus Christ the iust And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished The partie offended is God the father the partie offending is man and thirdly the intercessour distinct from them both is Christ the second person in trinitie For howsoeuer in Godhead he and the father be one yet in person they are really distinguished he is as it were in the middle betweene the father us for the father is God not mā we that beleeue in Christ are men not God Christ himselfe both man God It may be further replied that this answer will not stand because not only the father is offended but also the sonne the H. ghost therefore there must be a mediatour to them also Ans. The intercessiō of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediatly now the father the sonne and the H. ghost haue all one in diuisible essence by consequent one and the same will wherupō the father being appeased by Christs intercessiō the sonne the holy ghost are also appeased in him Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie but yet immediatly directly to the first person and in him to the rest The second point to be considered is the manner of his intercession vnto his father Wee must not imagine that Christ now in heauen kneeles downe on his knees vtters words and puts up a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father for that is not beseeming the maiesty of him that sits at the right hand of God But the maner of his intercessiō is thus to be conceiued When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalf of another first of all he must come into the presence of the king and secondly make his request and both these Christ perfourmeth for us unto god For the first after his ascension he entred into heauē where he did present vnto his father first of all his owne person in two natures and secondly the invaluable merits of his death and passion in which he is well pleased And we must further understand that as on the crosse hee stoode in our roome so in heauen he now appeares as a publicke person in our stead representing all the elect that shall beleeue in him as the holy ghost saith Christ Iesus ascended up into heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us And for the second Christ makes request for us in that he willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that the father woulde accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of all that are giuen unto him And that he makes request on this maner I prooue it thus Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here upon earth the same for substance it cōtinues still in heauen but here on earth the substance of his requests was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with us for his merites as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the worlde Therefore hee still continues to make request for us by willing and desiring that his father woulde accept his merites in our behalfe If it be alledged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie the answere is that these actions were no essentiall partes of his praier The prostrating of his bodie serued onely as a token of his submission to God as hee was a creature and the speech which he used serued onely to utter and expresse his request Furthermore a difference here must be marked betweene Christs passion and his intercession The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for us and it is as it were the tempering of the plaister the intercession goes further for it applies the satisfaction made layes the salue to the verie sore And therefore Christ makes request not onely for the elect generally but for particular men as Paul Iames Iohn and that particularly as he testifieth of himselfe saying I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not If any shall say that Christs vvilling and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession the answere is that in vertue and efficacie it countervailes all the praiers in the world For whatsoeuer Christ willeth the same also the father being well pleased with him willeth and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as Mediatour willeth for us at the handes of his father in effect or substance is a request or praier The third point is that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for us And this I prooue by induction of particulars First of all this office appertaines not to the angels They are indeed ministring spirits for the good of gods chosen they reioice when a sinner is conuerted when he dieth they are ready to cary his soule into Abrahams bosome God otherwhiles useth them as messengers to reveale his will thus the angell Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest that God had heard his prayer but it is not once said in all the scriptures that they make intercession to God for us As for the saints departed they can not make intercession for us because they know not our particular estates here on earth neither cā they heare our requests And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vs wee should substitute them into the roome of God because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him namely the searching of the heart the knowledge of all things done upon earth though withall we should say that they do this not by themselues but of God As for the faithfull heare on earth indeede they haue warrant yea commaundement to pray one for another yet cā they not make intercessiō for us For first he that makes intercessiō must bring somthing of his own that may be of value price with God to procure the grant of his request secōdly he must do it in his own name but the faithfull on earth make request to god one for another not in their owne names nor for their own merits but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his owne name and for his owne merits we therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth And whereas the papists can not content themselves with his intercession alone as being most sufficient it argues plainly that they doubt either of his power or of his will whereupon their praiers turne to sinne The fruites and benefites of Christes intercession are these First by meanes of it we are assured that
those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer at what time soeuer Christ being now in heauen and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father shewes himselfe desirous and willing that they whosoeuer they are beeing sinners should be accepted of God for the same euen then immediatly at that very instant this his will is done and they are accepted as righteous before God indeed When a man lookes vpon things directly through the aire they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are but if they be looked upon through a greene glasse they all appeare greene so likewise if God behold us as wee are in our selues we appeare as vile and damnable sinners but if hee looke upon us as we are presented before his throne in heauen in the person of our mediatour Christ Iesus willing that wee should be approoued for his merits then we appeare without all spot wrinkle before him And this is the use Paul makes hereof It is god saith he that iustifieth the reason is rendred For it is Christ that is deade yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request for vs. Secondly Christes intercession serues to preserue all repentant sinners in the estate of grace that beeing once iustified and sanctified they may so continue to the ende For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature and falls into any particular sinne then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hande to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore For he continually appeares before God and shewes himselfe to bee willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man and this is done that a man being iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace but for euery particular sinne may bee humbled and receiue pardon If this were not so our estate should be most miserable considering that for euery sin committed by us after our repentance we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God Thirdly Christes intercession serueth to make our good workes acceptable to God For euen in the best works that a man can doe there are two wants First they are good onely in part secondly they are mingled with sinne For as a man is partly grace and partly flesh so are his vvorkes partly gratious and partly fleshly And because grace is only begun in this life therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinnefull and imperfit Now by Christes intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons by consequent the defect of our works is couered and remooued they are approoued of God the father In a vision S. Iohn saw an angell standing before the altar with a golden censure full of sweete odours to offer up with the praiers of the saintes upon the same And this signifies that Christ presentes our workes before the throne of God and by his intercession sanctifies them that they may be acceptable to God And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God it is not for our sakes but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen breedeth and causeth in the heartes of men upon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit as Paul saith He giveth vs his spirit which helpeth our infirmities maketh request for us with sighes which can not be expressed but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the saints according to the will of god Now the spirit is said to make request in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones unspeakable to God for things needfull this grace is a fruite deriued from the intercession of Christ in heaven by the operation of the spirit For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens yet the beames of it descende to us that are on earth So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tyed as it were to his person alone yet the grones desires of the touched heart as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull And therfore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for us or no we need not to ascend up into the heauens to learne the truth but we must descend into our owne hearts looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirite which makes us crie unto God make request to him with grones and sighes that can not be expressed and if we find this in our hearts it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for us in heauen He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament must not clime up into the cloudes to looke but search for the beames thereof upon the earth which when he sees he may conclude that the Sunne shines in the firmament and if wee would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for us let us ransack our owne consciences and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in us Abba Father As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them their case is miserable whatsoeuer they be For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them considering these two alwaies go togither his intercession in heauen the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that can not be expressed and to cry and pray unto God for grace therfore all such whether they be yong or old that neuer could pray but mūble up a few words for fashion sake can not assure themselues to haue any parte in Christs intercessiō in heauē The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ maketh intercession for us it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed mediatour and to be ready willing to become his seruants disciples that not for forme fashion sake only but in all trueth and sincerity of heart For he is ascēded to heauen there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for us that we might be deliuered frō hell come to eternall life Wicked Haman procured letters frō the king Ahashuerosh for the destructiō of all the Iewes men women childrē in his dominions this done Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued and the letters of Haman reuoked shee obtaines her request freedom was giuen contrary letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to al provinces where the Iewes were Whereupō arose a wonderfull ioy gladnes among the Iewes it is said that therupon many of the
and therefore it standeth them in hande not to content themselues with this that they know and teach others Gods wil but they themselues must be the first doers of the same The fourth common gift of the holy Ghost is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections so as they shall not breake out into outragious behauiour Haman a wicked man an enemie to Gods Church when he saw Mordecai the Iew sitting in the kings gate that he would not stand vp nor moue for him he was full of indignatioÌ„ neuertheles the text saith that he refrained himselfe And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife God said vnto him I know that thou diddest this with an vpright heart and the text addeth further I haue kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne against me And thus the Lord giueth to men as yet without the spirit of sanctification this gift to bridle them selues so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie surely because God kept him from it Againe in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust liberall meeke continent c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature for the common good Here then if any man aske how it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuill then others seeing all men by nature are equally wicked the answeare may be not as the common saying is because some are of better nature then others for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature the childe new borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued but the reason is because God giueth this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others This must be considered of vs all For a man may haue the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes and yet neuer haue the spirit to mortifie the same and to make him a new creature And this beeing so we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuilitie to keepe in some of his affections vpon some occasion for that a wicked man may doe but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit of God not onely bridling sinne in vs but alâ—o mortifying and killing the same In deede both of them are the good gifts of Gods spirit but yet the mortification of sinne is the chiefest beeing an effectuall signe of grace and proper to the elect The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy In the parable of the sower one kinde of badde grounde are they which when they haue heard receiue the word with ioy And this is that which the author of the Hebrues calls the tasting of the good vvord of God and of the povvers of the vvorld to come We knowe that there is great difference betweene tasting of meate and eating of it They that sit downe at the table doe both tast and eate but they that dresse the meate doe onely see and tast thereof so it is at the Lords table Many there be that haue this gift truly both to tast and eate of the bodie and bloode of Christ offered in the word and sacraments and some againe doe onely tast and feele the sweetenesse of them and reioyce therein but yet are not indeede partakers thereof Now if this be so then all those which heare the worde of God must take heede how they heare and labour to finde these two things in themselues by hearing I. that in heart and conscience they be thoroughly touched and humbled for their sinnes II. that they be certeÌ„ly assured of the fauour and loue of God in Christ and that the sweete promises of the Gospell doe belong to them and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sinne both in thought word deede through the whole course of their liues And this kinde of hearing bringeth that ioy which vanisheth not away Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and bad now follow such as are proper to the Elect all which may be reduced vnto one namely the Inhabitation of the spirit whereby the elect are the temples of the H. Ghost who is said to dwell in men not in respect of substance for the whole nature of the H. Ghost cannot be comprised in the bodie or soule of man but in respect of a particular operation and this dwelling stands in two things The first that the holy Ghost doth abide in them not for a time onely but for euer for the worde dwelling noteth perpetuitie Secondly that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart as when a man commeth to dwell in an house whereof he is lord he hath libertie to gouerne it after his owne will now this disposition of the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost standeth in fiue speciall notable gifts euery one worth our obseruation The first is a certen knowledge of a mans owne reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Isai By his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many And Christ saith This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely very God and vvhome thou hast sent Jesus Christ. This knowledge is not generall for then the deuils might be saued but it is particular whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father and Christ the redeemer to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his sanctifier and comforter And it is froÌ„ the speciall worke of the H. Ghost as Paul saith The spirit of God beareth witnes to our spirits that we are the children of God And we haue receiued the spirit which is of God that we might knowe the things that are giuen vnto vs of God The second gift is regeneration whereby a man of a limme of the deuill is made a member of Christ and of a child of satan whome euery one of vs by nature do as liuely resemble as any man doth his owne parent is made the child of God Except a man saith our Sauiour Christ be born againe by water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Iohn Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the H. Ghost and fire compares the spirit of God to fire and water To fire for two causes I. as it is the nature of fire to warme the bodie that is benummed and frozen with cold so when a man is benummed and frozen in sinne yea when he is euen stark dead in sinne it is the propertie of the holy Ghost to warme and quicken his heart and to reuiue him II. Fire doth purge and eate out the drosse from the good mettall now there is no drosse nor canker that hath
churches elect II. they are called elect of the principal part and not because euery member thereof was indeed elect as it called an heape of corne though the bigger part be chaffe Secondly it is alleadged that Dauid praies that his enemies may be blotted out of the booke of life which is the Election of God and that Moses and Paul did the like against themselues Answear Dauids enemies had not their names written in the booke of life but onely in the iudgement of men Thus Iudas so long as he was one of the disciples of Christ was accounted as one hauing his name written in heauen Now hence it follows that mens names are blotted out of Gods booke when it is made cleare and manifest vnto the worlde that they were neuer indeede written there And where Moses saith forgiue them this sinne if not blotte me out of thy booke and Paul I could wish to be accursed c. there meaning was not to signifie that men elected to saluation may become reprobates onely they testifie their zealous affections that they could be coÌ„tent to be depriued of their owne saluation rather then the whole bodie of the people should perish and God loose his glorie As for that which Christ saith Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill is to be vnderstood not of election to saluation but of election to office of an Apostle which is temporarie and changeable The third point is that there is an actuall election made in time beeing indeede a fruit of Gods decree and answearable vnto it and therefore I added in the description these words whereby he hath chosen some men All men by nature are sinners and children of wrath shut vp vnder one and the same estate of condemnation And actuall election is when it pleaseth God to â—euer and single out some men aboue the rest out of this wretched estate of the wicked worlde and to bring them to the kingdome of his owne sonne Thus Christ saith of his owne disciples I haue chosen you out of the world The fourth point is the actuall or reall foundation of Gods Election and that is Christ and therefore wee are said to be chosen to saluation in Christ. He must be considered two waies as he is God we are predestinate of him euen as we are predestinate of the father and the H. Ghost As he is our Mediatour we are predestinate in him For when God with himselfe had decreed to manifest his glorie in sauing some men by his mercie he ordained further the creation of man in his owne image yet so as by his owne fall he should infold himselfe and all his posteritie vnder damnation this done he also decreed that the Word should be incarnate actually to redeeme those out of the former miserie whome he had ordained to saluation Christ therefore himselfe was first of all predestinate as he was to be our head and as Peter saith ordained before all worlds and we secondly predestinate in him because God ordained that the Exequution of mans Election should be in him Here if any demaund how we may be assured that Christ in his Passion stoode in our roome and steade the resolution will bee easie if wee consider that hee was ordained in the eternall counsell of God to be our suretie and pledge and to be a publike person to represent all the Elect in his obedience and sufferings and therefore it is that Peter saith that he vvas deliuered by the foreknovvledge and determinate counsell of God And Paul that grace vvas given vnto vs through Christ Iesus before the vvorlde vvas The fifth point is concerning the number of the Elect. And that I expressed in these words hath chosen some men to saluation If God should decree to communicate his glorie and his mercie to all and euery man there could be no Election For he that takes all can not be said to choose Therefore Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen Some make this question how great the number of the Elect is and the answeare may be this that the Elect considered in themselues be innumerable but considered in comparison to the whole world they are but fewe Hence it follows necessarily that sauing grace is not vniuersall but indefinite or particular vnlesse we will against common reason make the streames more large and plentifull then the very fountaine it selfe And this must excite vs aboue all things in the world to labour to haue fellowship with Christ and to be partakers of the speciall mercie of God in him yea to haue the same sealed vp in our heartes Benefits common to all as the light of the sunne c. are not regarded of any Things common to fewe though they be but temporall blessings are sought for of all God giues not riches to all men but to some more to some lesse to some none And hereupon how doe men like drudges toile in the world from day to day and from yeare to yeare to inrich themselues Therefore much more ought men to seeke for grace in Christ considering it is not common to all We must not content our selues to say God is mercifull but we must goe further and labour for a certificate in the conscience that we may be able to say that God is indeede mercifull to vs. When the Disciples would haue knowne how many should be saued he omitting the question answeares thus Striue to enter in at the straight gate The last point is the ende of Gods Election and that is the manifesting of the praise and excellencie of the glorious grace of God Thus hauing seene what Election is let vs nowe come to the Exequution thereof Of which remember this rule Men predestinate to the ende that is eternall life are also predestinate to the subordinate meanes whereby they come to eternall life and these are vocation iustification sanctification glorification For the first he that is predestinate to saluation is also predestinate to be called as Paul saith Whome he hath predestinate them also he calleth Secondly whome God calleth they also were predestinate to beleeue therefore sauing faith is called the faith of the elect And in the Acts as many as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued Thirdly whome God hath predestinate to life them he iustifieth as Paul saith whome he hath predestinate them he calleth and whome he calleth them he iustifieth Fourthly whome he hath predestinate to life them he hath predestinate to sanctification and holines of life as Peter saith that the Iewes were Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirit Lastly they that are predestinate to life are also predestinate to obedience as Paul saith to the Ephesians Ye are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes vvhich God hath ordained that vve should walke in them This rule beeing the truth of God must be obserued for it hath
is Catholicke or vniuersall in respect of place because it hath beene gathered from all the parts of the earth specially now in the time of the new Testament when our Sauiour Christ saith that the Gospell shall be preached in the vvhole worlde To this purpose Iohn saith in the Revelation I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and peoples and tongues stoode before the throne and before the lambe cloathed vvith long vvhite robes and palmes in their handes And the Church which we here professe to beleeue is called Catholicke that we may distinguish it from particular Churches which are not beleeued but seene with eye whereof mention is made often in the Scriptures Rom. 16.5 1. Cor. 16.19 the Church in their house and the Churches of Asia Coloss. 4.15 Salute Nymphas and the Church in his house Act. 11.22 the Church of Ierusalem Act. 13.1 the Church at Antioche c. That the Church is Catholicke in respect of time place person it ministers matter of endelesse comfort vnto vs. For hereby we see that no order degree or state of men are excluded from grace in Christ vnlesse they will exclude themselues Saint Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Nowe it might be answeared it is true indeede Christ is an advocate to some men but he is no advocate to me Saint Iohn therefore saith further and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the whole world that is for all beleeuers of what condition or degree soeuer Thus much of the properties of the Church now follow the prerogatiues or benefits which God bestoweth on it which are in number foure The first is expressed in these wordes The communion of Saints Where communion signifieth that fellowshippe or societie that one hath with an other and by Saints we vnderstand not dead men inrolled in the Popes Calender but all that are sanctified by the blood of Christ whether they be liuing or dead as Paul saith vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to theÌ„ that are sanctified in Iesus Christ Saints by calling And God is the God of peace in all the Churches of the Saints Nowe if wee adde the clause I beleeue vnto these words the meaning is this I confesse and acknowledge that there is a spirituall fellowshippe and societie among all the members of Christ beeing the faithfull seruants and children of God and withall I beleeue that I am partaker of the same with the rest This communion hath two parts fellowship of the members with the head and of the members with themselues The communion of the members with their head is not outwarde but altogether spirituall in the conscience and for the opening of it we must consider what the Church receiueth of Christ and what he receiues of it The Church receiues of Christ foure most worthie benefits The first that Christ our Mediatour God and man hath truly giuen himselfe vnto vs and is become our lot and portion and withall God the father and the holy Spirit in him as Dauid saith Iehova is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cuppe thou shalt maintaine my lotte the lines are fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea J haue a faire heritage And My flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer The second is the Right of adoption whereby all the faithfull whether in heauen or earth are actually made the children of God The benefit is wonderfull howsoeuer carnall men esteeme not of it If a man should either by election or birth or any way els be made the soÌ„ne heire of an earthly prince he would think himselfe highly aduanced how highly then are they extolled which are made the sonnes of God himselfe The third benefit is a title and right to the righteousnes of Christ in his sufferings and his fulfilling of the lawe The excellencie of it is vnspeakeable because it serues to award the greatest temptations of the deuill wheÌ„ the deuil replieth thus thou art a transgressour of the law of God therefore thou shalt be damned by meanes of that communion which we haue with Christ we answere againe that Christ suffered the curse of the law to free us from due and deserued damnation and when he further replies that seeing wee neuer fulfilled the law we can not therefore enter into heauen we answere againe that Christes obedience is a fulfilling of the lawe for us and his whole righteousnesse is ours to make us stand righteous before God The fourth benefite is a right to the kingdome of heauen as Christ comforting his disciples saith Feare not little flocke it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome and hence it is sundrie times called the inheritance and the lot of the saints Furthermore for the conuâ—iance of these benefits unto us God hath ordained the preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacraments specially the Lords supper and hath commaunded the solemne and ordinarie use of them in the Church And hereupon the Lords supper is called the Communion The cup of blessing saith Paul which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ that is a signe and seale of the communion Againe the thinges which Christ receiveth of us are two our sinnes with the punishment thereof made his by application or imputation and our afflictions with all the miseries of this life which he accountes his owne therefore doth as it were put under his shoulder to beare the burden of them And this communion betweene Christ and us is expressed in the scriptures by that blessed and heauenly bargaine in which their is mutuall exchaunge betweene Christ and us he imparts unto us milke and wine without silver or money to refresh us and gold tried by the fire that wee may become rich and white raiment that we may be cloathed and eye-sâ—lve to annoint our eyes that we may see we for our partes returne unto him nothing but blindnesse and nakednesse and povertie and the loathsome burden of our filthie sinnes The second parte of the communion is that which the saints haue one with another And it is either of the liuing with the liuing or of the liuing vvith the dead Now the communion of the liuing standes in three things I. in like affection II. in the giftes of the spirit III. in the use of temporall riches For the first communion in affection is whereby all the seruants of God are like affected to God to Christ to their owne sinnes and each to other They are all of one nature and heart alike disposed though they be not acquainted nor haue any externall fellowshippe in the flesh As in a family children are