appellation of God 2. By liuing without care and therein being like little Children and this we do when we commit our soules and bodies and liues and children and states and all our waies vnto God 2. Tim. 1. 12. Psal 37. 3. When in Aduersitie wee runne to him for refuge and so make our moane to him that wee rest with patience and good perswasion that God will cause all to worke for the best to vs. It should much trouble vs if in soundnesse of practice we haue not learned this first lesson of belieuing in God Wee should be much displeased with our selues if our hearts be vnquiet and any way vnapt to rest and waite vpon God Psal 42. 12. and we should often beseech the Lord to helpe our vnbeliefe Hitherto of the Nature of God and of beleeuing in God The next thing Faith takes notice of is the Relations in the God-head and so God is the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for this terme God is to bee applied not onely to the Father which is the next word but to the Sonne and holy Ghost as followeth after in the Creed and therefore wee must reade with a Comma after this word God thus I beleeue in God the Father to reade without a Comma that is Hereticall for if we reade thus I beleeue in God the Father it would sound as if the Creed should say that the Father were God only not leauing the terme God to be carried to the Son and holy Ghost Before then I come to speake of the Father I must entreate of God as he is three Persons both Father Sonne and holy Ghost And this is one of the deepest and dreadfullest Mysteries in all Religion where I must proceed in this order first to proue the Trinity by Scriptures secondly to explicate the doctrine And thirdly to answer certaine obiections might arise in mens mindes about it Because these things about the Trinity are most wonderfull and aboue the reach of the creatures we must seeke testimonies to ground our consciences in the beliefe of them such as may be firme and euident It is a difficult thing to bring the heart of men solidly to assent to such secrets as these as are not onely beyond the sight but aboue the reason of men and the minde may easily vanish into wilde speculations if we be not well grounded with sure Euidence nor can wee haue light from the booke of Nature to informe vs for what any Heathen man hath spoken of an Eternall mind word and spirit they spake by tradition from the Hebrewes and vttered it perhaps in a false and corrupt sense T is the booke of Scripture must only informe our faith herein The proofes for the Trinity are gathered both out of the Old and New Testament and so they either prooue there were more Persons then One or else expresly that there were Three Persons That there are more Persons then One is prooued by the terme ELOHIM which is vttered in the plurall number as if it should sound Gods as Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning Gods or ELOHIM created Heauen and Earth Created is in the singular number to shew the vnitie of the Essence and ELOHIM in the plurall to shewe the Trinitie of the Persons so Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make man in our Likenesse Let vs shewes more Persons and likenes being in the singular number shewes vnitie of Essence And verse 2. besides the Lord there is mentioned the Spirit of the Lord sitting vpon the waters Iosh vlt. 19. Ye cannot serue the Lord because he is ELOHIM sancti holy Gods And Ieremy 10. 10. The Lord is the liuing Gods or ELOHIM and King euerlasting Hos 1. 7. I will saue them in the Lord their God Gen. 19. 24. The Lord reigned from the Lord fire and brimstone Exod. 23. 20. 21. The The Lord sends his Angell whose name is IEHOVAH Dan. 9. 19. Heare oh Lord our God for the Lords sake Psa 110. 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand Ier. 32. 5. 9. 33. 15 16. The Lord shall raise vp a Branch whose name is THE LORD Now that there are three Persons and no more nor fewer is proued by places more obscure or more expresse The Trinitie hath beene obserued in such places as these Esay 6. 3. where the Angells say thrice Holy and so where IEHOVAH is three times repeated Numbers 6. 23. Esay 33. 22. But the most expresse places are in the New Testament A manifest reuelation of the Trinitie was in the Baptisme of Christ The Father speaking from heauen the Sonne standing in the Riuer the Holy Ghost descending like a Doue Matth. 3. 16. 17. and so in the Institution of Baptisme we are to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And Ioh. 14. 16. 17. I will aske the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter the Spirit of truth and the 1. Ioh. 5. 9. There are three in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit And the like euidence is in these places 2. Cor. 13. 13. Tit. 3. 5. 6. Eph. 2. 18. In the Explication of the doctrine of the Trinitie we must be wise to sobriety because it is wholly secret rather to be belieued then to be demonstrated or described It is a doctrine may be apprehended but neuer comprehended no not by the light of grace nor fully and wholly by the light of glorie as being aboue the reach not onely of men but of Angells A mystery to be adored by humble faith and piety not to be searched without curious yea furious temerity For it is so admirable as Reason cannot expresse it and so singular that example cannot declare it to vs for the Images or Similitudes borrowed out of the booke of Nature may rather shew that the doctrine of the Trinitie doth not destroy Nature then giue vs any pattern which can sample out the thing it selfe and besides to erre here is the most dangerous of all errors For as nothing is sought with more difficulty or found with more profit so nothing can bee mistaken with more perill And therefore as a Father sayd well seeing wee cannot finde out what God is wee must take heed that wee thinke not that of him which he is not yet must wee not wholly neglect the doctrine because a necessitie lyes vpon vs to belieue and therefore though men and Angels haue cause to stand and wonder at this secret that God should beget a Sonne and that from that Father and Sonne should proceed that Spirit the Sanctifier yet because God will bee so acknowledged of vs wee must make vse of our faith to belieue what our reason cannot describe to vs. Three things then for our capacities are to be thought vppon The first concernes the Matter of this Mysterie The second the termes by which it is exprest and the third the answere of certaine Obiections might arise in our mindes For the first
of himselfe without any dependance The manner of subsisting is the furnishing of a thing with peculiar Relation including a Person Now then the Persons in the Trinity differ from the Essence onely in the manner of subsisting because the Essence subsists in one manner in the Father and in another in the Sonne c. They doe not differ in Essence for all of them haue the same but onely in the manner of the subsisting of the Essence in each Person In the Trinity there is another and another but not another thing there is another that is another Person there is not another thing that is not another Essence In Christ now there is another and another thing for his diuine Nature is one thing and his humane Nature is another thing and yet there is not alius that is another Person But it is otherwise in the Trinity The being of the Father is the being of the Sonne and the being of the holy Ghost but to be the Father is not to be the Sonne or the holy Ghost Thus the Persons differ from the Essence They differ one from another foure waies In order in personall proprieties in number and in operation First in order they differ for the Father is the first Person the Sonne the Second and the holy Ghost the Third This Priority must not not be mistaken for one Person is not before another in time or in dignity but onely in Nature or in order of Nature so as one Person depends vpon another As the Sun is before the beames of the Sun not in time but in order of Nature because the beames are from the Sun so in the Trinity the Son and holy Ghost are after the Father not in time but because they receiue the originall of their Persons from the Father Relatiues are together in time onely note that Nature heere signifies the manner of subsisting not of essence for in respect of Essence there is no priority in the Trinity Secondly they differ in personall Proprieties As the personall Proprietie of the Father is to be of himselfe in respect of his Person vnbegotten The personall Proprietie of the Son is Generation or to bee of the Father by begetting The personall Propriety of the holy Ghost is to bee of the Father and the Son by Spiration or proceeding and thus each Person differs from other by incommunicable Characters Thirdly they differ in number they are the same in number in respect of the Essence because one God is Father Son and holy Ghost and yet in respect of those Characters in the manner of subsisting each Person hath a subsisting by himselfe which in number is not the same with the other Persons The Father hath one manner of subsisting in number the Son another and the holy Ghost another Note that I say each Person hath his subsisting by himselfe not of himselfe Fourthly they differ in operation and so both in externall and internall operations In externall workes though in respect of the things wrought they are common to all three persons yet in respect of the manner of working there is distinction of the persons for the Father workes by the Son in the holy Ghost The Father worketh from none the Son from the Father and the holy Ghost from them both Gen. 19. 24. Iohn 5. 19. 30. 8. 28. 16. 13. There are two principles to be marked for the vnderstanding of this point The one is that the workes of the Deity that are outward are common to all three Persons The other is that looke what order there is of existing in the Trinity the same order there is in working as was said before the Father worketh by the Son in the holy Ghost Thus Creation Adoption Sanctification are the workes of the whole Trinity as the Scriptures proue that attribute Creation to the Father and to the Son and to the Spirit and so of the other workes all three Persons worke the same Apotelesma or worke but not all after the same manner as for instance in the worke of our Redemption the Father workes by sending the Son the Son by assuming our Nature the holy Ghost by sanctifying and forming the bodie of Christ out of the flesh of the Virgin c. so in the Creation the Father wils it the Son by the holy Ghost effects it But this is withal to be noted that as any outward worke hath more resemblance in any part of it to any person in the Trinity so it is more specially attributed to that Person so in the Creed and in the Scriptures too Creation is attributed to the Father who being of himselfe fitly giues being to the creatures Redemption is attributed to the Son who as he resembles his Fathers Image is fittest to represent vnto mankinde his mercy and being an eternall Word in the Fathers minde doth fitly by his Word tell vs his Fathers meaning Sanctification is attributed to the holy Ghost who as he is breathed as it were from the Father and the Son per modum voluntatis amoris so doth hee fitly by breathing or inspiration inlighten and sanctifie our wills and affections And as they differ in externall workes so doe they in internall for the Father onely begets a Sonne the Father and Son as it were breathes forth the holy Ghost And thus of the matter of the Doctrine of the Trinity the Termes follow to bee considered of These words Persons and Trinity Essence c. were taken vp in the Primitiue Church as the fittest words to expresse what they conceiued of these glorious Mysteries The speech of man in many things extreamely doth want words Wee say three Persons not as if thereby the mystery were vttered but that it may not be vtterly concealed for that which is of such ineffable eminencie cannot be expressed in such a word wee speake therefore of these things as the Father said not as wee ought but as wee can And againe the same Father saith It hath bin lawfull for vs for discourse and disputation sake to say three persons not because the Scripture saith so but because it doth not contradict it and a kinde of necessity brought the Ancient Church to inuent the words for when Heretikes would yeeld to the termes of Scripture and varied vpon the corrupt senses they put vpon the words the Ancients were driuen to inuent words which did expresse the true sense that thereby the Heretikes might be tryed whether they hold the right Faith or no which termes that before were promiscuously vsed in other learning being in the daies of the first Christian Churches made free in the Cittie of God haue euer since enioned their freedome and may not now be turned out without suspition of contentiousnesse selfe conceit and Schisme The sense is in Scriptures though the words be not there As the Scripture saith there be three in Heauen which are one which the Church adds the three are Persons and the one is essence It adds not to
9. That when he doth come it will be so suddenly as thou shalt not haue time to make thy selfe ready or to mend thy course Matth. 25. 6 10 11 12. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. Matth. 24. 39. 10. That God will be Iudge himselfe 11. That it will be a finall sentence there can be no reuocation or appeale 12. That Gods proceedings in his iustice will be then all cleared they shall haue nothing to obiect and his iustice will the more appeare both by the equity of his dealing They haue had their dayes of sinning and therefore reason he should haue his day of Iudging and by the consideration of his patience that hath deferred this last iudgement for such a wonderfull while and besides God will then discouer a world of offences in euery wicked man that are not now knowne to others and finally God will then open the secrets of his counsell and bring forth exquisite reasons for his decrees and prouidence and iudgement which are now like a great deepe to vs. Lastly it must needs be most terrible to them if their hearts can apprehend now the horror of their summons by the sound of the last Trumpe and their publike shame before all the world and especially their eternall separation from God and all good things and that infinite torment they must for euer be in with the Deuill and his angels But yet vnto them this doctrine hath another vse that is more comfortable and that is that God yet giues them warning to repent and if the Terror of this day can now make them to repent their soules shall be saued in that day Act. 17. 31. else they are most wofully vndone for euer And on the other side it may be a doctrine of wonderf u confort to all the godly and the rather if they consider 1. That they haue iudged themselues already and therefore haue Gods promise they shall not be condemned at that day 1 Cor. 11. 31 32. 2. That God hath iudged them already they haue indured their paine already in this world God will account the afflictions of this life sufficient vnto them 1 Pet. 4 17. 3. That they are alreadie perfectly iustified and absolued from all their sins Rom. 3. 24 25. and 8. 33. 4. That they haue Christ to be their Iudge for there are many comforts in that point They need not be afraid of his sentence because hee hath beene their aduocate all this while and hath pleaded for them at the barre of Iustice 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. and he is their brother their husband their head and all things else in relation which imports dearenesse Reade but the Booke of Canticles and consider whether he that giues such wonderfull louing and familiar termes of affection to his Church can euer be brought to pronounce a terrible sentence vpon her And besides hath he not in Scripture left many promises that assure vs of our happinesse at that day And further who can reade the story of the Passion of Christ and thinke that he will euer speake terrible things to them for whom he suffered so grieuous things on earth Was he not himselfe iudged for them on earth that they might be absolued from heauen Lastly he hath left vs the seale of the Spirit of promise euen his owne Spirit in our hearts as an earnest of our most glorious and finall Redemption at that day and besides that priuie seale of his Spirit how often hath hee set to his broad seale in the Sacraments from time to time And therefore they may be all assured that there Christ will be made maruellous in that day in all them that beleeue to their euerlasting honour and praise and glory Thirdly the doctrine of the last Iudgement should serue also for instruction and so 1. It should strike a constant feare of God into our hearts and of his dreadfull iustice and maiestie Reuel 14. 7. 2. It should make vs very patient vnder any wrongs or oppressions of the wicked men of the world especially when men suffer trouble for Christs sake and the Gospels for we shall be sure to see a perfect recompence vpon our aduersaries at that day if they repent not 2 Thess 1. 5 6 7. Iam. 5. 6 7. Phil. 4. 5. 3. It should teach euery Christian to be temperate and reserued in the case of censure and iudging of others 1 Cor. 4. 5. and 5. 12. Rom. 14. 10 11 12. But especially it should maruellously fire the hearts of Gods children to all possible care and conscience to expresse all manner of holinesse and good works in all parts of their conuersation and to auoid all things that may offend Tit. 2. 12 13. 2 Pet. 3. 11 14. 1 Cor. 15. 5 8. The eighth Article I beleeue in the Holy Ghost 1 IOHN 5. 7. For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one HItherto of the Articles of the Creed that concerne the Father and the Son Now followeth the Article that concernes the third Person in the Trinity in those words I beleeue in the Holy Ghost Ghost is an old English word and signifieth Spirit and this Title of the Holy Spirit is giuen to the third Person in Trinity in a speciall manner The word Spirit by way of cause and the word Holy by way of effect He is a spirit not only in nature so the Father and Son are a Spirit but because hee proceeds from the Father and the Son by way of spiration or breathing on the other side he is called holy not only in respect of Nature for so Father and some are holy but by effect because hee makes the Church holy Now to beleeue in the holy Ghost is not only to beleeue that there is a holy Ghost but to relie vpon him for sanctification and saluation and all happinesse to beleeue the holy Ghost to say true when he speaketh or to beleeue what is written of him will not serue turne vnlesse wee beleeue in him The reason why there is but one Article about the Holy Ghost is because the doctrine concerning him hath not beene so much opposed as the doctrine concerning Christ or the Father vnlesse wee take in the Articles that follow and place them vnder this head of the Holy Ghost which may be done thus The third part of the Creed concernes the Holy Ghost and his speciall operation which is sanctification which is declared partly by the obiect which is the Church and partly by the effect which is communion of Saints which communion is enioyed in three things viz. Forgiuenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Before I come to open the full meaning of the words of this Article I obserue from the generall consideration of them with the coherence these things 1. That the Holy Ghost is God as well as the Father and the Sonne because we must beleeue in him as well as in the Father and the Sonne which
the eye and the eye receiues it not but as it is like to the light so it is with the minde of man and the knowledge of God 6. Aboue all other knowledges in Religion in the doctrine of God he must remember the Apostles Rule to bee wise to Sobriety and take heede of curiosity and that in two respects first that he deuoutly beleeue what he findes said of God in Scripture without prying or sifting of things by the iudgement of his owne Reason God would be beleeued on not iudged or examined secondly that he inquire not after things which are not reuealed but rest in the descriptions of God made in his Word The Sunne must bee seene as it can be seene and so much light must bee taken as can bee had with looking downewards lest if wee looke for more light by gazing on the body of the Sunne our eyes bee not onely dazeled but our sight swallowed vp and lost so is it in the knowledge of God It strengthens and increaseth the sight of the minde if we looke vpon the beames of the euerlasting Sunne as they shine in his word or workes but if we will needs be searching higher after his Maiesty take heede lest wee be swallowed vp of his glory Prouerbs 25. 27. 7. And lastly hee must looke to it that his head bee not distracted with worldly cares this knowledge requires a minde seperated from the world at least from the intruding and violent and distresfull cares about the world and things thereof 1. Cor. 7. 31 32 35. Hitherto of the excellencie difficultie meanes and measure of the knowledge of God together with the Rules to bee obserued for the attaining of the Knowledge of God Three things remaine to be opened and throughly considered of 1. What God is or the praises of Gods Nature 2. What it is to beleeue in God 3. The Vses of all For the right conceiuing of the glorious frame of the praises of God we may safely and must carefully proceede in this order 1. Wee must cast out of our mindes all likenesses of any creature in heauen or earth God hath flatly prohibited all Images of God and all terestriall likenesses to be set vp of him in our Churches houses or hearts Commandement 2. Wee must not therefore conceiue that God is like any thing that sense can set before vs in heauen or earth 2. We must in the next place take heede that we be not insnared by the misconceiuing of certaine relatiue attributes giuen to God in the Scriptures Many things are said of God in Scripture by way of signe not by way of Image or likenesse which wee must so thinke of as to vnderstand what they signifie but not to fashion in our hearts the resemblances which the words import for instance 1. Some things are attributed to God Ironically not properly as when the Prophet ascribes deceit vnto God Ier. 4. 10. He speaketh the words of the false Prophets ironically not his owne words with indignation alledging what they said which if it were true God should deceiue the people 2. Some things are giuen to God Metonimically as when God is said to be our strength and fortitude Psal 18. 2. Our strength and valour is not God but he is said to bee so by effect because he worketh it in vs so hee is said to bee our song because he is the subiect of our song Exodus 15. 2. He is called the hope of Israel because it is hee in whom Israel ought to hope Ier. 14. 8. so he is called our life Deut. 30. 19 20. because he giues preserues and prolonges our life 3. Some things are giuen to God Metaphorically when the things spoken of are onely found in the creature and giuen to God by way of signification only or some kinde of comparison some of these Metaphores are borrowed from men some from other creatures 1. From men as when the parts members senses affections actions or adiuncts of man are ascribed to God as for instance God is said to haue a soule Esay 1 14. which onely notes his nature in a speciall manner of Conception so members are giuen to God as his face to signifie his fauour eyes to signifie his obseruing of things Eares to note his regarde of the prayers of his people Hands to note his particular prouidence or working Armes to note his power c. so senses are giuen to him as memorie forgetfulnesse seeing hearing c. which are onely spoken for our capacity so are the affections of Ioy Anger Hatred Sorrow Repentance Ielousie c. which onely signifie after an high manner some glory of Gods nature which but by such comparisons is inexplicable to vs so are the Actions of Numbering speaking hiding his face tempting lifting vp his hands descending going vp on high walking with men striking arising laughing visiting c. so are the Adiuncts of greatnesse time clothing bookes charrets c. which things are not in God in the letter but in the sense and signification 2. From other Creatures as when wings are attributed to him as he is said to be the Sunne Light a Horne of our Saluation Buckler consuming fire 4. Some things are giuen to God Synechdochically as when the Sonne is called the Father of Eternity Esay 9. 6. the Father and holy Ghost are not excluded When the holy Ghost is called seauen spirits being but one spirit onely to note the variety and perfection of his working Reuel 1. 4. Thus of the two Rules for the distinct and safe informing of our selues concerning God 3. Wee must take heede also that wee bee not deceiued about the formes in which God appeared in the Old or New Testament for these formes were sanctified for the present to the vse of the beholders to assure the presence of God or for signification but when they were withdrawne they were no longer to be thought on as any formes of conceiuing of God and therefore he forbids all likenesses These things being auoided we must then approach with feare and reuerence to consider of such things as are attributed to God in Scripture properly For the cleere vnderstanding of the doctrine of Gods Nature as it is properly described in Scripture wee must consider both of the properties of his Nature and of the substance of it First of the Properties because these are next vnto vs as I may say or are easiest to be discerned The glorious properties of God may bee cast into two rankes or heads for some of them are such properties as are some way in the creatures by way of Resemblance certaine sparkles or dropps are in vs vpon which is printed a kinde of Image or likenesse of God in those things such are the life knowledg holinesse and glory of God some of them are such properties in God as are not so much as by any likenesse to bee found in any creature in heauen or earth such are his infinite greatnesse eternitie Immutabilitie and allsufficiencie The first
is plainly proued by the Scriptures 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. Esay 6. 7. with Act. 28. 25. Act. 5. 3 4. 1 Cor. 3. 16. hence is the Holy Ghost reckoned with the Father and the Sonne Matth. 28. 29. 2. That he proceedeth from the Father and the Son which the Creed intimateth in placing this Article last and is plaine by these Scriptures where he is called The Spirit of the Father Luk. 4. 18. Esa 61. 1. Ioh. 14. 16. 26. and 15. 26. and of the Sonne Ioh. 16. 7. 14. and 20. 22. Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 6. 4. 3. That he is a distinct person from the Father and the Son which is manifest in Scripture Matth. 3. 17. Matth. 28. 19. 4. That he is equall to the Father and the Sonne and therefore wee must beleeue in him as well as in the Father and Son This appears also in this That diuine worship is due to him as well as the Father or the Sonne Matth. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 619 20. 2 Cor. 13. 13. as also by this that the sinne against the Holy Ghost is vnpardonable Mat. 12. 31. The substance of the meaning of the Article is That euery Christian in particular doth professe to beleeue in and put his trust vpon the holy Ghost as the Author and worker of his happinesse and saluation Now that the reason of this Article may appeare it will be profitable for vs to consider what the Holy Ghost is in his owne nature and what he is in effect or operation vpon which we may ground our faith and trust in him There are diuers things in the nature of the Holy Ghost that should moue vs to beleeue in him and rest vpon him as first That hee is eternall and was before the world was Gen. 1. 2. and therefore cannot alter his disposition Secondly that he is immense and euery-where present Psal 139. 7. Ioh. 14. 16. Rom. 8. 9. and therefore he is ready to helpe Thirdly that he is omniscient Act. 1. 16. and 10. 19. and 20. 23. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Heb. 9. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. and therefore he knowes what wee want and what is needfull for vs. Fourthly that he is omnipotent Esa 11. 2. Mich. 3. 8. Pro. 1. 7. and 7. 8. Rom. 15. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 4. and therefore is able to deliuer vs and make vs happy Thus of what the Holy Ghost is in his nature what hee is by effect or opperation followes and so we are to consider of the benefits which the holy Spirit worketh all which serue to proue that we may ought to put our trust vpoÌ„ him Now these benefits are either common or proper The commoÌ„ benefits are such as belong either to all creatures or to all men The proper benefits belong only to the godly elect The operation of the holy Spirit common to all creatures is the making of them at the first and the speciall preparing and quickning of the first matter that it might produce the seuerall formes of things Thus the Holy Ghost is likened to a Fowle that sits vpon her egges till the young ones be hatched Gen. 1. 2. So did the Holy Ghost sit vpon the first Chaos till it was made apt for the seuerall formes of all things And it was the Spirit of the Lord that garnished the heauens Iob 26. 13. and so it is the worke of the holy Ghost to giue life to all the creatures stil in their seuerall kinds for the preseruation of the sorts of things Thus God sendeth his Spirit still and they are created Psal 104. 30. The operation of the Holy Ghost common to all men are of diuers sorts as 1. The speciall forming and in-liuing of euery particular man that comes into the world Thus Iob saith The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath giuen me life Iob 33. 4. Psal 139. 14 15. 2. The inuention of the mysteries of skill for the managing of particular sciences and trades and callings amongst men There is in all trades and professions of men such things of skill as are aboue the reach of the nature of man since the fall and are discouered only by the holy Ghost Thus the wisdome and skill Bezaliel and Aholiab had for building was from the Holy Ghost Exod. 31. 3. so Gâ—deons skill in matters of warre Iudg. 6. 34. and that these things must needs come from aboue appeareth by this that nature in any one man can hardly reach to make him capable of anie more trades or callings then one though he be helped with instruction 3. The inspiration of certaine men to conceiue and write the booke of God for the instruction of all men in the visible Church This sacred frame of holy words came not by the wit or skill of men but by the immediate diuine inspiration of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. vlt. This I reckon among the benefits common for though the men inspired were all holy men yet the matter inspired serues for vse to wicked men as well as godly for though the Scriptures be auaileable onely to the saluation of the Elect yet it serues for so much information of the wicked as may leaue them without excuse and it serues to terrific them for their sinnes 4. The qualifying of the Ministers that are appointed for publike teaching for this skill is aboue nature and from the holy Ghost And Gods Spirit in the Teachers is giuen somtimes vnto the vse of wicked men as well as godly Neh. 9. 20. Act. 20. 20. and so the gift of teaching may be bestowed vpon wicked men so as they may bee like the Carpenters that built Noahs Arke and yet bee drowned themselues such was Iudas 5. The gifts of prophecying and working of miracles these are all from the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 9 10 11. and yet these gifts may be found in wicked men Mat. 7. 22 23. 6. The high gifts of illumination in diuine things in the vnderstanding of the doctrines of faith that are aboue nature for all men by nature haue a veile ouer their vnderstandings 2 Cor. 3. 15. Esa 25. 8. now if this veile be in any part pulled off it is by the holy Ghost for hee is the onely spirituall annointing and eye-salue 1 Ioh. 2. 20. Rev. 3. 18. Now this gift of enlightning and tasting of the good word of God and the discerning of the heauenly things in respect of the theory of it may be found in wicked men but not with application and practise Heb. 6. 4 5. Thus wicked men may receiue so much grace as to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy so as to haue a taste of the very powers of the world to come Luk. 8. 13. but this taste is without digestion they are not soundly humbled for their sinnes nor is it sufficient to take them off from the loue of this present world nor will they yeeld themselues to be ruled in all things by
things of knowledge may be attained by the force of mans owne wit and industry faith is grounded vpon the truth and power of God besides and aboue the strength of nature and the iudgement of the whole world Knowledge is grounded vpon naturall causes and principles to omit other differences Sixtly nor must that perswasion which ariseth from experience and the fulfilling of things be taken for true faith because faith laies hold vpon things before the euent also Heb. 11. 1. Nor lastly is faith and hope all one for faith sees Christ exhibited and present in the Word and Sacrament Hope lookes for him to be reuealed from Heauen Faith beleeues what God hath promised and Hope waites for performance faith is assured of eternall life and Hope expects it to be reuealed Faith is the foundation of Hope and Hope is the nurse of faith Thus he must cast out things that are onely like vnto faith but are not faith 3. When he hath thus cast out the contraries of faith and findes himselfe free from them and withall hath prouided that he is not deceiued with the things that haue a likenesse vnto faith and are not he must then in the third place looke to it that he take not a wrong faith for the right faith for there be many kindes of faith and one onely that is the faith that will iustifie vs before God and so the right faith is not 1. That politicall faith which is a vertue imployed about humane contracts and societies to beleeue aright is more then to bee faithfull in promises or to bee trustie in imployments or to bee iust in our dealings or to keepe our words to men 2. Among the faithes that are found onely in the Church it is not the Symbolicall faith that hath nothing in it but an outward auouching or professing of the true Religion 3. Nor is it contained in that faith called Historicall which hath nothing but the vnderstanding and assent vnto the word that it is true but wants application and life 4. Nor is it that temporary faith of which was intreated before but is such a beliefe as containes in it all the six things before mentioned 5. Nor is it that faith they call a Morall faith by which a man beleeues out of charity that other men are Gods Elect and true Christians Lastly when he hath freed his heart from the mistakings may arise from any of the former hee must then trie himselfe by the direct signes of a compleate and effectuall faith and these things which essentially belong to the true beleeuer and so a man may haue comfort that hee is a true beleeuer 1. If he can shew the warrant of his faith from the Testimonie of Gods Word in the Scriptures A man may then comfort himselfe that he is not deceiued in his faith when hee is able to proue these doctrines of faith by the euidence of Gods Word Acts 17. 10. 11. 2. If hee beleeue these Truthes also with Application to himselfe 3. If hee finde his heart so established that hee can resolue to suffer for his faith and can abide the Tryall of reproaches losses or any Persecution from the world and this hee can indure simply for the loue of God and the truth and not for carnall or corrupt ends Phil. 1. 2â— 4. If he finde in his heart and life the liuely fruites and effects of faith such as are 1. Solid and true ioy and comfort The true beleeuer carrieth his heauen about him when hee carrieth his Creed in his heart These doctrines are as a daily spring of reioycing vpon all occasions and these ioyes are glorious and vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1. â— Phil. 1. 25. It is otherwise with the hypocrite and vnbeleeuer for he through vnbeliefe carrieth his hell about him And for want of this Sun-shine of comfort is daily and secretly afrighted and disquieted in himselfe Yea these very doctrines of faith many times torment his soule 2. A combat with the vnregenerate parte If these doctrines be rightly beleeued a man shall finde in himselfe that these truthes doe resist and fight against the corruptions of our owne nature euen the most secret euills of our hearts and will not rest till they haue mastered the flesh wiâ—h the lusts thereof or else they cause vnspeakeable sighes and groanes and sorrow after God for the presence and power of rebellious corruptions The true faith will by no meanes brook the polluted and euill disposition of the heart Acts 15. 9. 3. The liberty of the heart from that banishment and imprisonment in which it liued before without God so as now by the light and incouragement of these truthes the heart discernes Gods free grace in calling vs to his presence and is well perswaded of God and therefore daily with an holy boldnesse goeth vnto God in the vse of his ordinances by the direction and assistance of his spirit Ephes 3. 12. Rom. 5. 2. 8. 38. 2. Cor. 3. 4. Gal. 4. 6. 4. The life of the soule for true faith is the eye hand mouth tongue teeth stomack and heate of the soule by which Christ is receiued and digested and that daily by which food the soule liues for euer Romanes 1. 17. Hebrewes 10. 37. 5. Victorie ouer the world and worldly Relations and respects for he that truely belieues these things knowes no man after the flesh and can deny himselfe in his profits pleasures credit hopes or the like It ouercommeth both the trust in these things and the lusts after them and the temptations that arise from them 1. Ioh. 5. 4 6. Peace of conscience The right knowledge and beliefe of these doctrines breeds such an inward tranquility as passeth all vnderstanding of all men that haue not this beliefe Rom. 5. â— 7. Good workes euen all sorts of faire fruites Euen the fruites of loue towards God in the duties of Piety to God and loue towards men in the duties of Mercy and Righteousnesse This beliefe is the roote the workes of loue are the fruites of it And these workes it sets a man about with a desire and resolution to obey God in all things and that though it bee opposed by diuells or men Gal. 5. 6. The light of this faith giues a daily heate vnto Charity Iam. 3. 17. 8. Hope and expectation of the singular glory of God in the treasures of a better life Which hope hath such a power in the heart that the beleeuer is not ashamed of any thing can befall him for the profession of his faith Gal. 5. 5. Rom. 5. 3. Heb. 11. 13. 25 26 35. 36 37. 9. Confession of the glory of Gods Mercy and Power The beliefe of these things makes the dumbe man speake in the celebration of Gods praises The mercie of God is neuer seene nor magnified with any life till faith come into the heart because we haue belieued therefore we speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. 10. Contentation in all estates Phil.
4. 11. and thus Faith is tryed by the effects Finally men that haue faith may know it by the Testimonie of the holy Ghost in them He that beleeueth hath a witnesse in himselfe euen Gods spirit that daily incourageth him in the knowledge of his right in these Truthes 1. Ioh. 5. 10. Thus of the second vse Thirdly the doctrine of Faith to such as can by these signes finde it to be in them is exceeding comfortable such as haue a true faith should wonderfully reioyce in it and the rather if they consider 1. That Faith is a speciall gift of God bestowed of his free grace Iohn 6. 29. Rom. 12. 3. Ephes 2. 8. 2. That it is a gift that God bestowes onely vpon his Elect and therefore the right Faith is called the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. 3. That it is giuen to all the Elect at one time or other It is not giuen onely to Abraham or Dauid or the like Eminent men but is common to all sorts of true Christians Tit. 1. 4. 4. That it is a most precious gift A gift which doth wonderfully enrich a Christian and exalt him aboue all other men that haue not Faith as Reason makes vs to excell beasts so doth Faith make vs excell men And this will the more manifestly appeare if wee consider the singular effects of Faith The effects wrought by Faith haue bin either extraordinary in some men or ordinary in euery true beleeuer It hath done extraordinary things in some men as it hath carried some men to Heauen aliue without dying as Henoch Elias Heb. 11. 5. Some men that had it could haue remoued mountaines and did miraculously heale diseases and raise dead men but because these effects are ceased I passe from them and consider onely of the ordinary effects such as are wrought by it in euery beleeuer and these I call ordinary effects not to abase their singular glory but to distinguish them from the former effects Great are the things which Faith worketh either to the Christian himselfe or to others To himselfe it bringeth and procureth admirable things for 1. It Iustifies him Rom. 3. It makes him as righteous as euer Adam was It is accepted in stead of the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10. It cloathes a man with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ 2. It ingraffs the Beleeuer into Iesus Christ It is the bond that tyes vs to Christ and in Christ to God by faith we are made members of his body 3. It procureth our adoption to be the sonnes of God and so makes vs greater persons then if we were borne of the greatest blouds amongst men Iohn 1. 12. 4. It brings Christ to dwell in our hearts by his spirit Eph. 3. 17. 5. It makes vs capable and assured to obtaine whatsoeuer we aske of God It obtaines many and matchlesse suits in Gods Court Mark 11. 24. Eph. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 22. 6. It makes our workes acceptable to God whereas without it our best workes were vnpleasing to God Heb. 11. 6. 7. It obtaineth the greatest and best reputation It breeds a good report Heb. 11. 39. 8. It is our life we liue by the faith of the sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. and it is our life partly as it establisheth vpon vs the assurance of a better life by applying and laying hold on the promises of God that concerne eternall life Iohn 3. 16. and partly as it feedeth vpon Iesus Christ the most soueraigne nourishment for our soules for by faith we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Iohn 6. and partly as it maketh the meanes of naturall life to become blessed to vs for man liueth not by bread alone but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and besides it giueth vs interest to Gods promises that concerne the blessings of this life for in outward blessings it is to vs according to our faith And partly as by it wee are kept to Saluation 1 Pet. 1. 5. so as our faith will neuer leaue vs till we receiue the saluation of our soules 1 Pet. 1. 9. 9. It obtaineth many and great victories and triumphs in this world and this will the more euidently appeare if wee consider seriously how many things are opposed against the faith of euery Christian as the temptations of Sathan which sometimes are like fiery darts doubts and feares sense of daily sinnes the threatnings of the Law the many chastisements of God false doctrine of all sorts the dissentions of Teachers in the Christian Churches the perfidiousnesse of false brethren impuritie in sinne the prosperitie of the wicked the fewnesse of true beleeuers the contemptiblenesse of the Church in the world the falling away of many professors the scornes of the world the delay of the performance of Gods promises and such like and yet faith makes vs daily against all these more then Conquerors What shall I say All things are possible to him that beleeueth and Faith procureth more for vs then Reason can reach to Eph. 3. 19. 20. Besides these effects which it worketh for the happinesse of the beleeuer himselfe it worketh strange and great things for others for it bringeth his seede and posterity into couenant with God the beleeuing parents make their seede holy 1 Cor. 7. Gen. 17. and the prayers of the beleeuer procureth great and wonderfull things many times for others and besides many times it keepes of greeuous Iudgements which else would fall vpon wicked men in the places where the beleeuer liueth Lastly vnto all the former Consolations this may be added that the faith of the true beleeuer shall not faile but continue to the end The seede of faith will abide in him 1 Iohn 3. 9. Christ hath prayed that faith may not faile Luke 22. 23. Ephes 1. 13. 14. 2 Thes 1. 11. Phil. 1. 6. Rom. 11. 29. Thus of the Consolations As the doctrine of faith is exceeding comfortable vnto the true beleeuer so it imports extreame terror and miserie vnto all such as are destitute of true faith for the vnbeleeuer is no Christian for the Christians were called beleeuers to shew that then a man was a true Christian when he was a true beleeuer By the right beliefe of these Articles men hold their Christendome Besides till faith come into a mans heart hee is shut vp vnder the arrests of the Lawe and lyeth in a spirituall prison charged with all the breaches of Gods Law which are debts impossible for him to pay Gal. 3. 22. And further without Faith it is impossible he should please God and all he doth is sinne Heb. 11. 6. but which is most grieuous this vnbeliefe will be his eternall destruction for this is the condemnation of worlds of men that they beleeue not in the light but loue darknesse rather then light Iohn 3. 16. 17. 18. Marke 16. Yea there is matter also of humiliation vnto many true beleeuers for not looking better to their faith and so godly
there are many things should inflame the hearts of Christians to a great desire after the doctrine concerning God and his nature as 1. It is the most glorious subiect of all others in the world no doctrine can tell vs of such marueilous things as the doctrine of God doth 2. It is the end of our Creation all other things though made by God yet they haue no discerning of him Now God made man and gaue him a reasonable soule that hee might see God and the great workes he had done els in the Visible world there had bin none to know or praise God Nothing therefore can be more contrary to the end of our Creation then if wee spend our time and do not labour to know and praise God 3. The whole doctrine of Religion is called Theologie which word in the originall taken a funder is a speech or doctrine concerning God to signifie that without the true knowledge of God there can be no true Religion or right vnderstanding of any thing God is the principall Subiect of all Religious doctrine 4. Of all doctrines this is most profitable for vs for the doctrines that concerne God haue the most power ouer our liues to reforme them and to make vs carefull of good workes Colos 1. 10 euen the more we know of God the nearer we come to the perfectiō of our natures Besides these doctrine doe fill the heart more then any other truthes Yea it is eternall life to know God and Christ It is Heauen vpon Earth It is the very beginning of the glory of Heauen which consists in the Vision of God Ioh. 17. 3. 5. To want the knowledge of God is extreamely base and vncomely for a Christian It is a poore thing to bee pleased with the knowledge of other things and bee ignorant of God and the rather because what we loue or admire in other things that are good are most perfectly in God and no where else besides shall we bee ignorant of him from whom we receiue al good things and from whom al things might make vs happie are to be expected Is not he liberty life glory sufficiencie blessednesse perfect and holy pleasure and the Rest of spirits as a Father saith Further shall not we know him that is euery where Can we goe no whither from his presence and shall we in all places bee be still without God who yet fills Heauen and Earth It is a true Theorem in Diuinity that God onely hath a being other things cannot be said to be Men are the best of visible creatures and the Prophet saith all Nations before him are nothing If men are nothing not worthy to bee reckoned as things that haue being much lesse other Creatures These things are scarce worthy to be said to be of which it may bee said either it was not or it will not bee then it will follow that the knowledge men get in other things is to know nothing then wee know something when wee know God finally a necessity lieth vpon vs to bee rightly enformed concerning God if to speake or thinke vilely of men bee an offence what is it to conceiue or thinke erroniously or meanely or basely concerning God The consideration of these and such like motiues should stir vp in vs a great willingnesse to be taught concerning God but before I breake open the particular assertions concerning the Nature of our most glorious God there are certaine generall considerations that must take vp some Roome in our hearts and it is profitable for vs to approach vnto the contemplation of God by degrees and therefore by way of Preface I conceiue these things are needfull to be thought on 1. How hard a thing it is to attaine the knowledge of God 2. By what meanes the darke heart of man is guided to the vnderstanding of God 3. How farre forth God may be knowne 4. What Rules must of necessity be obserued by all such as can haue any hope to know God For the first of all knowledges it is the hardest to attaine the true knowledge of God and there are many things that hinder and hide God from vs as 1. The transcendent glory of Gods nature the brightnesse of which is such that the eyes of our mindes are not able to look vpon it much lesse can any senses of our bodies attaine him Gen. 32. 29. Iudges 13. 18. God is inuisible wee cannot see him he is ineffable no words can tell vs what hee is we may reckon a thousand things and yet none of them is God whether we looke about the earth seas ayre or heauens God is that thing which no opinion can reach Hee is more then words can tell or thoughts can thinke God is such a thing as when we name him hee cannot bee named when we goe about to estimate him he cannot bee estimated when we goe about to compare him hee cannot bee compared when we would define him hee increaseth bigger then any definition He is greater then all words then all senses it is peculiar to God to exceede knowledge wee may admire by silence but cannot expresse him by words and the Reason is that which is finite can hold no proportion with that which is infinite And therefore hee that would define God had neede to haue Gods Logick for no mans Logick can reach to it for though nothing be more present euery where then God yet nothing is more incomprehensible God is immense and therefore who can tell as one saith the length of his Eternity or the breadth of his Loue or the height of his Maiesty or the depth of his Wisedom And though it bee true that there are diuers names giuen to God yet those names do not explicate what God is but onely so much of him as of vs can bee conceiued for that which is said of God is not God because hee is ineffable The Heathen man could say that it is a hard labour to finde out the Father of the world but hauing found him it was impossible to describe him with fit words especially to make the vulgar sort to conceiue of him And therfore he is fitly styled a light inaccessible 2. The defect of measures hinders vs. All the things by which we trie and measure other things are of no vse in describing God for he is good without quality great without quantity euery where whole without place euerlasting without time he makes all sorts of mutable things without mutation in himselfe or suffering any thing hee needs not a body to make him to be nor a place to make him to be heere nor time to make him to be now or hereafter or heretofore he needs no subiect in which he should subsist or to which he should adhere He is mercifull without passion and Lord of all things without addition of any thing to his wealth 3. Wee want the benefit of similitudes for Gods nature differs infinitely
sort of Attributes are the easiest and by reason of their either effects daily amongst vs or likenesse to some thing in vs may be profitably first studied And so the Nature of God excells in foure dreadfull and matchlesse prayses or there be foure things in Gods Nature we should euer thinke on with admiration and adore with all Reuerence and Deuotion and studie to conceiue of as fully as we can from the singular Vse they haue in the course of our liues First of the Life of God Life in GOD is admirable and to bee adored in these respects 1. Because the life of all liuing creatures in generall is in him and so God is the life and light of the world Iohn 1. 4. as he giueth being and life to all things The whole world had bin a Chaos of darknesse if God had not giuen it life which hee planted in seuerall creatures by his admirable working 2. Because in particular hee is after a wonderfull manner the life of vs men Whether we respect our life naturall or spirituall for our naturall life it is hee that inlightens euery man that comes into the world and gaue senses motion and reason to all men Acts 17. 28. and for our spirituall life t is he that quickens all the members of Christ by the speciall mouings of the holy Ghost in their hearts begetting them againe after a strange manner by ioyning his spirit to their spirits and thus Christ liues in vs Hence this life is called the life of God Ephes 4. 17. and the life of Iesus 2. Cor. 4. 11. Gal. 2. 20. 3. Because that life by which hee liues in himselfe hee inioyes after a most matchlesse manner who can describe the glory and shining of that life in respect of which God is said by an excellencie to be the liuing God Daniel 6. 26. 1. Thes 1. vlt. Reuel 4. 9. and as a doctrine of singular glory the Lord is pleased to sweare by his life Ezeck 33. 11. Some of the glories of this life of God we may in some measure distinctly conceiue of with admiration And so we should adore that God whose life is 1. Independent God hath life in himselfe He receiued it not from any other Iohn 5. 26. 2. It is Eternall he liues from Eternity to Eternity Dan. 4. 34. He is immortall he cannot die 1. Tim. 1. 17. 3. It is not seated as in a part of God as life is in vs but it is the whole essence is not onely in it but is the essence it selfe 4. It is most perfect in blessednesse and glory hee wants no means to nourish it nor helpes to content it or make it happie but is God blessed for euer Rom 11. There is Vse of this Knowledge of God for 1. It shewes the Vanitie of Idolaters that serue Gods that haue no life Ieremie 10. 9 10. 14. 2. Woe be to wicked men that sinne securely as if God was not or had no life It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God If he liue they must die Heb. 10. 31. Ier. 23. 36. 3. Let all men bee afraid and take heede of sinning and remember his presence for God is a liuing God Daniel 6. 26. 4. Since GOD is all Life wee must bee as liuely as is possible in his seruice our consciences must bee purged from dead workes seeing we serue a liuing God Hebrewes 9. 14. 5. Wee are bound in swearing especially to remember the Life of God Thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth Ieremie 4. 2. 6. Wee must not greedily couet after the riches of this world seeing our God liueth to reward such as serue him and trust in him 1. Tim. 6. 17. Heb. 12. 22. 7. Vnto him we should goe for all succour support strength and preseruation both of naturall and spirituall life for with him is the well spring of Life Psal 36. Psal 42. 3. Deut. 30. 19 20. and it should comfort vs against all the desperate miseries of this life It is inough for Iob if his Redeemer liue for he knowes he will deliuer him c. Iob 19. 25 26. Iohn 14. 19. Lastly the through Meditation of the glorious life of God should breed in vs a desire to adore and admire him and praise him while we liue as they did Reuel 4. 9. for this very Reason Who would not wonder at that Father that had a 100. or a 1000. children to whom he had bin an instrument of Life Oh then why worship we not him that is Father of spirits and Fountaine of all the life is in all the creatures in the world and besides liues in himselfe a life full of infinite shining and perfection Thus of the Life of God His Knowledge followes The Knowledge of God is to bee admired and adored as wonderfull and matchlesse in many respects 1. Because God is a seipso sapiens wise of himselfe he hath not his knowledge infused into him or any way giuen him nor gets he it by the instruction of others or by the benefit or experience or obseruation This glory of his knowledge he pleades Esay 40. 13. Rom. 11. 34. 2. Because he is the Author of all that vnderstanding skill or wisedome is found in any of the creatures As the Sunne is the Fountaine of all the Light is in any of the Corporall creatures so God is the Fountaine of all that Light is in all vnderstandings of men or Angels It is God that furnished Christ man with al those treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge Esay 11. 2. 'T is from his Light that the Angels and Saints in Heauen see Light as the Father of Lightes and all the spirituall knowledge godly men haue is from aboue Iames 3. 17. Iohn 6. 45. Yea all the skill any men haue in their callings is taught them of God as the Prophet Esay shewes in the verie case of Husbandmen Esay 28. 6 26. 3 Because all his workes are done with matchlesse skill and wisedome none can doe like him nor is his knowledge onely Theoricall Psal 104. 24. Esay 40 28. Euen those things that seeme to vs to be done so as we cannot conceiue a reason of them or seeme contrary to vs and our rules yet haue wonderfull depth of shining glory and Iustice and wisedome in them Rom. 11. 33 34. 4. Because his knowledge is infinite Iob 11. 7 8 9. Psal 147. 5. He is omniscient he knowes all things his vnderstanding penetrateth into all things Hee knowes himselfe one person each other exactly Mat. 11. 27. 1. Cor. 2. 10. and knowes all things without himselfe Heb. 4. 13. 1. Iohn 3. 20. Iohn 21. 17. All the creatures that were are or euer shall be he knowes them Acts 15. 18. Esay 40. 26. Mat. 10. 26. 30. He knowes all that is said or done in the whole world Psal 139. 1. c. He knowes things to come aswell as things past or present Esay 41. 22 23. 26. Hee knowes the very thoughts of the hearts
in Vnity for we may fall vpon such formes of speech as may be extreamely erronious and dangerous and for the helpe of the ignorant I will note diuers of the speeches which are dangerous and vnsound as that there are three Gods three Eternalls three Almighties c. or that the Essence is distinguished into the Father Son and holy Ghost that God is threefold or that there is a triplicity in God that God doth beget another God that the Father is another thing from the Son that the Sonne and holy Ghost haue a beginning of their Essence that the Person was begotten or did proceede from the Essence by discerning where the errour lies in these sentences wee may try our skill in the former doctrine of the Trinitie 5. The Doctrine of the Trinity should be wonderfull comfortable vnto the true Christian because as the Apostle Iohn shewes there are three in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit which will auouch the happinesse of the true beleeuer and his comfort may be increased if he consider what was before taught that all three Persons doe ioyne in the work of his Redemption 1. Iohn 5. 9. Lastly it is not vnprofitable out of the Doctrine of the Trinity to shew how all sorts of Hereticks haue assaulted it bin confuted by it which may be briefely thus shewed We must beleeue that in the Trinity there is nothing created as Dionisius would haue it nothing vnequall as Eunomius and Aetius nothing before or after or lesser then other as Arius said nothing forraine or seruing to another as Macedonius said nothing inserted by stealth or perswasion as Manichaeus said nothing corporeall or in fashion of bodies as Melito Tertullian and Vadianus said nothing inuisible to themselues as Origen said or visible to the Creatures as Fortunatus said nothing diuers in motion or will as Marcion said nothing taken out of the Essence of the Trinity and put into the Nature of the creatures as Plato and Tertullian said nothing singular in office or communicable to another as Origen said nothing confounded as Sabellius said Aug. Tom. 3. Thus of the Trinity in generall The Father This terme Father is attributed to God both essentially and personally Essentially and so the terme belongs to each Person in the Trinity as being a terme that followes the God-head Mat. 23. 9. and thus God is said to bee a Father diuers waies as first by Predestination because he inrolls the Elect as Sonnes from all eternity Ephes 1. 3. secondly by Creation because he made things to be of nothing by his owne power thus Adam is said to be the Sonne of God Luke 3. 38. and and God is called the Father of spirits Heb. 12. 9. thirdly by temporall redemption and so God is acknowledged for the Father of the Israelites because hee made them a people to himselfe and brought them out of Egypt and gaue them the outward priuiledges of his children Esay 63. 16. 11. 12. fourthly by regeneration when hee changeth our natures and makes them like his diuine Nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. and so wee are sonnes so soone as we beleeue Iohn 1. 12. and so soone as he giues vs the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption Rom. 8. 15. fifthly by personall vnion and so Christ in respect of his humane nature is the Sonne of God because that nature doth subsist in the diuine Nature Luke 1. Now all these waies God is a Father by grace and in respect of Regeneration the second Person in the Trinity is called a Father aswell as the first Esay 9. 6. 7. and is said to haue an ofspring and generation Esay 53. 10. Lastly God is said to be a Father by Nature and by generation as he begets a Sonne consubstantiall with himselfe and so the first Person in the Trinity is called Father onely as he is the Naturall Father of our Lord Iesus Christ In the Creed heere Faith beholds God as a Father principally in respect of eternall generation as the first Person in Trinity is the Father of the second but withall as it extracts vertue out of that high Mysterie it layes hold vpon the Father of Christ as he is our Father in Christ also for Faith is of that Nature that when it laies hold of any thing it will not off till it haue gotten by contemplation and conclusion what may be collected any way from thence Wee are first then to consider of God as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and then as our Father As God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ these things would be proued and opened 1. That God doth beget a Sonne 2. That IESVS CHRIST is that Sonne 3. The manner of this Generation For the first that God hath begotten a Sonne is a Mysterie beyond the reach and comprehending of all men and Angels yet is it a truth in many Scriptures charged vpon vs to beleeue as namely Psal 2. 7. Iohn 1. 14. Iohn 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 3. 8. 5. 13. Mat. 28. 19. For the second that the Lord IESVS CHRIST is that Sonne of God is apparant by Scripture too Rom. 15. 6. Col. 1. 3. Ephes 1. 3. Mat. 16. 16. Mat. 3. 17. 2. Cor. 1. 19. 1. Ioh. 1. 4. 4. 15. 5. 20. 2. Ioh. 3. For the third how the Father did beget the Sonne is vnknowne vnto vs It is a secret cannot be reuealed to vs especially in this mortality Pro. 30. 4. onely by way of Negation the Scripture intreating of it shewes vs that God doth not beget his Sonne as men beget theirs for 1. Men beget without themselues so as the Sonne is diuided from the Father but so doth not GOD the Father beget Christ his Sonne hee is distinguished from the Father but not diuided the Father begets in himselfe 2. The substance of the Son amongst vs may bee like the Father but it is not the Fathers substance But in the Trinity the Father and the Sonne are of the same substance consubstantiall 3. In corporall Generation the Father deriues vnto the Sonne but a part of his substance but GOD the Father communicates his whole substance to his Sonne 4. The creature begets a Son that is mortall but God begets a Son that is immortall 5. The creature begets in time but God begets in eternity which hath three differences in it for first the time may be named when the creature did beget the Creator begets before all time Pro. 8. 22 c. 30. secondly the creature ceaseth begetting but God the Father begets his Son eternally he alwaies begets Psal 2. 7. thirdly the substance of the Father was before the substance of the Sonne but not so in this eternall generation Christ is of the Father but not after the father 6. Among the creatures the Son is subiect to the father but in this eternall and diuine generation the Sonne is equall to the father Subiection is due to God the father from all creatures but not from the Sonne or
Iesus as 1. The Man of sinne that vndertakes by his owne power to deliuer the people from their sinnes by giuing them pardons or by appointing them intercessors or by prescribing them waies of satisfaction for their sinnes and all besides Iesus 2. All such as do not see themselues to be lost and so to need a Sauiour 3. All such as liue in their sinnes without repentance for that shewes that Iesus hath not saued them from their sinnes Iude 4. 4. All that dispaire vnder the burthen of their sins 5. All that will not bow at the Name of Iesus First that will not by sound subiection and obedience yeeld themselues to be gouerned by Iesus Christ and by his ordinances Phil. 2. 11. 't is not bowing their legges will serue the turne 6. All such persons in generall as doe things contrary to the Name of Iesus by opposing that good way of Saluation in Iesus Acts 26. 9. Thus of the first Title Christ His second Title is Christ Where I consider first of the terme and then of the things signified by the terme About the terme diuers things are to be considered 1. The signification Christ is a Greeke word and signifies Anointed and is the same in sense with the Hebrew word Messiah which also signifies Anointed 2. Why in the New Testament and so in our Creed hee is called rather Christ by a Greeke terme then Messiah which was the antient and Hebrew terme And that may bee to signifie the interest of the Gentiles for as Iesus an Hebrew name shewes the Right of the Iewes so Christ a Greeke name shewes the Right of the Gentiles both meeting in one Mediator betweene God and all sorts of men 3. The necessity of taking in this Title into our Creed for the Iewes willingly acknowledged this Title of Iesus Iohn 6. 24. but excommunicated out of their Synagogues any that would openly acknowledge this Title of Christ Iohn 9. and therefore it stands vs vpon to hold fast this Title 4. It must bee noted that in the fift Application of this terme it must not onely be annexed to Iesus Acts 2. 36. Luke 2. 26. 27. but it must be vnderstood as if it were read the Christ the terme of Christ as Anointed may be giuen to other men as Dauid was Christ or Anointed so are Kings Gods Anointed but none was the Christ but Iesus of Nazareth Thus of the terme Christ The thing signified is his Anointing and about the Anointing of Iesus diuers things are to be considered 1. Who Anointed him viz. the Spirit of the Lord or the whole Trinity Esay 61. 1. 2. What his Anointing comprehends viz the substance of all that which was signified by the Oyle in the Ceremoniall Law especially the Oyle with which the high Priest was Anointed for thereby was shadowed 1. That hee was certainely the person was chosen to the Office of a Mediator for as the powring out of the Oyle did shew which was the Man that was the Priest or King so the Anointing of Iesus did shew that hee was the person chosen for this great worke 2. That he had his ordination to his Office from God for the Oyle in the Law was prescribed by God onely no creature did prescribe it or might make the like Exod. 30. 33. 37. 3. That he was qualified with abundance of grace and fitnesse for his Office as that Oyle was compounded of diuers spices Exod. 30. 34. so was Christ indued with all sorts of gifts needfull for a Mediator He was full of grace and truth Iohn 1. 14. and hee had of the Oyle aboue his fellowes neuer any Anointed with such a measure of graces God gaue not him the Spirit by measure Iohn 3. 34. Psal 45. 7. Acts 10. 38. 4. That he did execute the Office of Mediator with vnspeakable gladnesse and willingnesse Neuer man did worke so willingly It was the Oyle of gladnesse hee was Anointed withall Psal 45. 7. 5. That the gifts bestowed vpon him were such as were agreeable to his humane nature for the Oyle consisted of earthly substance his humane nature was not endowed with the essentiall properties of the God-head but with created qualities 6. That Iesus should be acceptable to God and man he was a sweet smelling sauour vnto God and no perfume can smell so sweet in the nostrills of men as doth Iesus in the hearts of all beleeuers nothing sauours so sweetely 7. That our persons and workes are made acceptable to God by him As the Oyle did not onely wet Aarons head but ranne downe vpon his garments so Christ is qualified with those rich graces not onely to make himselfe acceptable to God but all his members smell of his Oyle in the sight of God Wee are saith the Apostle a sweet sauour vnto God in Iesus Christ Psal 133. 2. Cor. 2. 16. wee haue receiued of his Anointing 1. Iohn 2. 27. The third thing is to which nature this Anointing belongs For answer it belongs to the whole Person and so to both Natures Christ is Mediator and so Anointed in respect of his Person for Anointing comprehending especially ordination to the Office and qualification for it though in respect of the latter the humane Nature was richly adorned as a sumptuous Palace for the diuine nature to dwell in and the diuine Nature could not need any pouring out of gifts yet in respect of ordination to the worke of Mediator the diuine Nature is assigned of God and chosen thereunto aswell as the humane The fourth thing is to what he was Anointed or to what Office I answer hee was Anointed to bee all that which the Ceremoniall Anointing did signifie Now three sorts of men were Anointed Priests and Kings ordinarily and the Prophet Elizeus extraordinarily which shadowed out that the Messias should be both the Prophet the Priest and the King of the Church and to all these three was he called and accordingly qualified with three especiall gifts Wisedome Holinesse and Power Wisedome fits him for his propheticall Office and holinesse for his Priestly Office and Power for his regall Office and so he answers to three things in our misery The first is our ignorance the second is the corruptions disorder of our liues the third is the guiltinesse by which we are lyable to eternall punishment our ignorance hee takes away as a Prophet our guiltinesse as a Priest and our corruption and disorder as a King bringing vs into order His worke then is threefold to be a Prophet to the Church a Priest and a King his work as Prophet is to teach the Church all needfull knowledges His worke as Priest is to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the Elect His worke as a King is to gather and rule the Church First then he is Anointed a Prophet to the Church and his worke is to teach and about his prophecying or teaching wee haue many things to inquire of as 1. What he treats of in his teaching and so his worke is to
of our liues against the sense of our owne vnrighteousnesse and defects of Holinesse It is the ioy of our Hearts that we may euer say of Iesus he is the Lord our righteousnesse and that he is made vnto vs of God righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5. 19. And therefore this great and free gift of God we must not only beleeue but acknowledge and professe Againe we should alwaies be stirred vp from the meditation of the singular holinesse of heart and life which was in Christ to striue to be holy as he is holy for though a perfect obedience be not required of vs in the new Gouenant yet this righteousnesse of Christ is bestowed vpon those men only that walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 3 4. Now for the reasons why this Article of Christs actiue obedience was not mentioned in the Creed I cannot well tell what they were vnlesse it were for breuities sake or because it is implied in his passiue obedience for it is true that we must not diuide his actiue and passiue obedience the one from the other because as they meet both in one Sauiour so they are both ioyntly imputed to vs to make vp that one worke of our Iustification It remaines now that I enter vpon the explication of the sufferings of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and so there be Six things of great weight and profit to be distinctly considered of 1. Who suffered 2. From whom he suffered 3. For whom he suffered 4. Why it was needfull he should suffer 5. What he suffered 6. How he suffered For the first hee that suffered is described in the words next before in the Creed it was Iesus Christ the only Sonne of Godour Lord who was so wonderfully conceiued and borne For the vnderstanding whereof we must conceiue that the Passion of Christ belongs to his Person and so is attributed in respect of the Person to both Natures for though in his diuine Nature he cannot suffer because hee is Immutable nor can die because he is Immortall and therefore properly suffers but in his humane Nature yet in respect of the Person suffering his sufferings belong euen to the diuine Nature for if the flesh be the flesh of the Word then must also the sufferings of the flesh be the sufferings of the Word also for neither was the Word disioyned from the flesh nor the flesh seuered from the Word Nor was there any hurt done to the Nature that is inuiolable by that which was to be suffered in the Nature passible If the Sunne shine vpon a peece of timber though an axe cut the timber yet the Sunne remaines impassible so is it when the Diuinitie is ioyned to the suffering flesh of Christ yet I say in respect of the personall vnion the suffering is also attributed to the diuine Nature Thus the Scripture saith God redeemed the Church with his bloud Act. 20. 28. and the Lord of glory was crucified 1 Cor. 2. 8. So then the summe of all is that the Son of God did suffer in that Nature he could suffer in and this point may serue for very many vses As 1. We may stand still and with amazement gaze and wonder at the glory of this Mystery imported in this first point What is this the eyes of our faith behold was it euer thus seene before The Maker of man is made Man and while he rules the Starres he suckes the brests He that is Bread hungereth He that is the eternall Fountaine is athirst He that is the Way is weary He that is the Truth is obscured by false witnesses He that is the Iudge of quicke and dead is iudged by a mortall Iudge He that is Righteousnesse himselfe is condemned by the vnrighteous He that is the God of all Order is beaten with rods He that is the Power of God is made weake He that is Saluation is wounded and He that is Life dies 2. By the Euidence of this Truth the Christian Church draw out those Heretiques were called Patripassiani that held that God the Father suffered and that the termes of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost did note but one Person only Which grosse Heresie as it is confuted by the Doctrine of the Trinity before so by this Doctrine contained in this branch of this Article 3. We may hence gather how hatefull sinne is that can make God suffer that can abase so fearefully as you shall heare afterwards the very Sonne of God who yet did no sinne but was only a surety as is to be shewed yea it makes him suffer from his owne naturall Father so vile a thing is sin and so iust is God What can be more senselesse than the heart of man that from hence doth not clearely see the vgly and monstrous nature of sinne and the most vnauoidable iustice of God in punishing sinne Doth Christ suffer and from his owne Father and is it possible any of vs should be so bewitched as to go on in sinne and yet think there is such mercy in God as to spare him though he forsake not his euill wayes 4. Is Gods Sonne thus abased for vs and doe not wee pitie him Are not our stony hearts melted with compassion towards him Oh why doe we not more mourne for him suffering than we would for our owne and only sonnes This wee should doe and must neuer haue the praise of good Nature till we can be more affected with his abasement that was so high and excellent in his owne Person 5. Our faith should be wonderfully from hence strengthned considering the vnspeakable sufficiencie of the sufferings of Christ for our sinnes for if the Sonne of God redeemed vs and satisfied for vs and suffered for vs then wee must needs be fully ransomed and though our sinnes be many yet the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God cleanseth vs from all our sinnes 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Note that he saith the bloud of the Sonne of God for that makes his bloud a perfect and sufficient price of Redemption 6. If the Sonne of God suffered then it should be a shame for the sons of men to be vnwilling to suffer or to be impatient in their afflictions Heb. 12. 3. especially such as are in meane condition in this world should from hence be resolued without murmuring to beare hard vsage as is vrged in the case of seruants 1 Pet. 2. 18. 19. Thus of the first Point For the second Point viz. from whom he suffered We must know that if we let passe the higher causes of his Passion and looke vpon the creatures only he suffered from all sorts of Enemies The Deuils and the High Priests the Pharisies and the People Iudas and Pilate Herod and the Souldiers Iewes and Gentiles his owne Countrey-men and strangers all oppose him and from all he suffered as the History of the Gospell more at large shewes Which point is worthy our obseruation for diuers vses First
Christ was pierced First that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said They shall looke vpon him whom they haue pierced Ioh. 19. 37. Zach. 12. 10. Secondly that great mysterie of the originall of the Church is here imported As Eue was formed out of the side of Adam when hee was asleepe so the Church was to bee formed out of that which flowed from the side of Christ when he was dead God opened the side of Adam when he would make the woman and so God opened the side of Christ the second Adam when he was to make the Christian Church Now that place of the Prophet shewes what vse wee should make of this part of the Passion of Christ namely to take occasion from thence to bewaile our sinnes that were the cause of his death and to acknowledge that we were the men that are spiritually guilty of that cruelty shewed vnto Christ And because our hearts by nature are barren and vnapt to this godly sorrow we must pray God to powre out vpon vs of his Spirit as it is a Spirit of compassion to melt our hearts and a Spirit of deprecation to make vs able by prayer to sue for pardon of our sins and to beseech God to accept of the propitiation made in Christs bloud that so his wrath may not fall vpon vs for our sinnes Now the water and bloud that came out of the side of Christ was both miraculous as is thought and wonderfully mysticall That it was miraculous is gathered from that extraordinary notice S. Iohn takes of it Iohn 19. 34. and 1 Iohn 5. 6. wherin the miracle should lye is not easie to tell There is a skin that incloseth the heart called Pericardium which holdeth water in it that cooleth the heart of man which is so essentiall to life that if it be consumed it is impossible the creature should liue Now I take it that the wonder lyes in this that whereas in death especially such a painefull death as Christs was that water is consumed and dried vp with the extreame heat of the heart striuing for life yet in Christ who died not only willingly but also before the time he needed to die with the paine the water was still in that bag or skin and therefore when the speare pierced the heart both water and bloud came forth Now for the Reasons why this fell out diuers are assigned For first hereby the truth of Christs death is infallibly proued For no creature can liue if the heart and that Pericardium be pierced And it concernes our saluation that Christ should die indeed and not in appearance Secondly the chiefe thing intended by this suffering was the discouery of a dreadfull mysterie concerning the vertue of the death of Christ for this is he that came by water and bloud euen Iesus Christ that brings with him for our saluauation both the water of Sanctification to wash vs from the staine of our sinnes and the bloud of expiation to make full atonement before God for the guilt of our sinnes Not by water only but by bloud also Moses when he deliuered the people of Israel in that bodily deliuerance came by water when he went thorow the Red-sea but he brought no bloud for atonement Iohn Baptist when he brought tidings of Spirituall deliuerance he came by water washing men to signifie repentance but there was no bloud that he could exhibite and his water was but Symbolicall and significatiue But Christ came by water and bloud which hee not onely powred out on the Crosse but hath left in the hearts of all beleeuers as witnesses not only to him but to them also 1 Ioh. 5. 7 8. For as there be Three in heauen that beare witnesse of Christ and the happinesse of Christians in him viz. the Father who testified by voice from heauen Mat. 3. and the Word who testified both by doctrine and miracles and the Holy Ghost who testified as at other times so on the day of Pentecost Act. 2. So there be Three on earth that testifie viz. the Spirit of Adoption that witnesseth to our spirits and the water of Mortification which washeth away and destroyeth the staine and power of sinne and the bloud of Iustification for a beleeuer relying vpon the bloud of Christ as the pacification for his sinnes is effectually deliuered from the guilt of them Now there would be no water to wash him from his sinnes nor bloud to make atonement if Christ had not shed both water and bloud vpon the Crosse Now all this is testified by the Spirit also in the Gospell and by water in Baptisme and by bloud in the Lords Supper and these also receiue all their life and force from the water and bloud that came out of the side of Christ on the Crosse Now the vse that we should make of this dreadfull Mystery should be to flie vnto this part of the Passion of Christ for our comfort against the power and guilt of our sinnes as beleeuing that out of the side of Christ at this time did runne that Fountain that was opened vnto the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse Zach. 12. 1. Though our sinnes were neuer so many and loathsome yet in this Fountaine they may be cleane washed away but then withall wee must striue to get this Fountaine within vs this miraculous Fountaine I say that runnes water and bloud and to shew that we haue indeed a part in the death of Christ by the sound fruits of mortification and by the solide tran quilitie of our conscience beleeuing the expiation made in the bloud of Christ for vs as verily as if that bloud had beene really sprinkled vpon our hearts Some Diuines doe obserue another mystery in this water and bloud running out of the side of Christ for they obserue that as out of the side of the first Adam came the woman that deceiued all the world so out of the side of Christ came redemption and oblation from that deceiuing Thus of the piercing of Christs side after his death The testimonie giuen of his glory in his death was partly diuine and partly humane The diuine testimonies were three the Earthquake the rending of the Rockes and the opening of the Graues Matth. 27. 51 52. The trembling of the earth may signifie diuers things as First the immediate presence of the Diuine Nature for as the earth trembled when Christ came to giue the Law on Sinai Psal 67. 8 9. and as both heauen and earth shall melt and be in a manner consumed when Christ comes to Iudgement 2 Pet. 3. 10. So now that Christ is making atonement for the sinnes of the Elect and going out of the world hee makes the earth doe him homage and acknowledge his Diuinitie at that time when he seemed so despised amongst men Secondly the horrible indignitie of the fact of the Iewes in killing Christ the senselesse creatures tremble when the Lord of life dies and the Creator
noted And his words are words of salutation and words of commission In the salutation hee wisheth or rather commandeth peace to come vpon them they should haue much trouble in the world but in Christ they should haue peace And withall they might thence gather that as any men doe more further and dispatch the worke of Christ so they shall more abound in inward peace and quiet of heart and conscience and if we haue peace within we should not greatly care what troubles or difficulties we meet withall without The words of commission declare both the authoritie of their office in preaching to Iewes and Gentiles and the confirmation of the successe of their ministerie both by signe and by promise The dignitie of their office is great for as God sent Christ so Christ sends them on embassage to the world They doe no other worke than what God laid vpon his owne Sonne The signe that should confirme them was that Christ breathed on them and said Receiue the Holy Ghost And this might confirme them two waies viz. both in respect of themselues and in respect of their hearers In respect of themselues they need not feare the difficultie of the worke for their sufficiencie should be from the Holy Ghost The Spirit of Christ should qualifie them and inspire them to do all that was required of them In respect of their hearers they must take comfort for that God that made a creation of life in man by breathing vpon him could and would breath spirituall life into the dead world by their preaching The promise annexed to their commission is that whose soeuer sinnes according to the tenor of the couenant of grace in the Gospell they should publikely or priuately remit their pardon should be ratified in heauen and contrariwise whosoeuer should for their impenitencie and contumacie be by them bound ouer to the Iudgement of Christ according to the tenor of the couenant of works and according to the malediction pronounced against all such as despise the Gospell Christ would ratifie their act in the day of death and iudgement and for the present account of them as persons reiected of God Thus of the fiue Apparitions on the day of the resurrection In the rest of the 40. dayes we reade of six other Apparitions The first was the eighth day after the resurrection to the Apostles Thomas being present Ioh. 20. 24 c. Where I note only two things the occasion of this Apparition and the manner of it The occasion of it was the vnbeleefe of Thomas which was very grieuous as containing in it many faults viz. forgetfulnesse of the doctrine of Christ that had foretold his resurrection and wilfull blindnesse for though he be told by them as had seene the Lord that Christ was risen yet he professeth he will not beleeue and withall an insolent limiting of God that vnlesse he may see and feele the print of the nailes and speare he protesteth he will not beleeue Which as it sheweth what wickednesse may lodge in the hearts of good men so it exalteth the praise of the compassion and patience of Christ that will shew mercy in curing such Christians But yet obserue the iustice of Christ vpon such wayward Christians First he is kept a long time viz. eight dayes without comfort and besides he loseth that glorious doctrine was deliuered in the former Apparitions to the rest of the Apostles In the manner of the Apparition obserue both the circumstances and the words of Christ The circumstances are reported vers 26. and are the same with the former Apparition of purpose to helpe the faith of Thomas when hee should see it done as the Apostles had before told him The words of our Sauiour are directed either by way of salutation to all the Disciples or by speciall appellation to Thomas in the salutation he wisheth them peace as he did before to shew them that in this world in doing their worke it was enough for them if they could possesse a heart and conscience within that was at peace though in all outward things they finde trouble In the words to Thomas I obserue what our Sauiour said and the effect in Thomas and our Sauiours reply In his first words to shew that he knew all things and heard euery word Thomas had said in his absence he cals to him to do according to the words of his own wilfull limitation but withall giues him a lash for his vnbeleefe vers 27. It is the portion of wayward Christians euen when God doth most comfort them to meet with secret ierks from God and withall they may see that though men would forget their wilfulnesse yet Christ remembers it And as appeares by the reply afterwards when they reforme and doe their best yet their comfort is mixed with their dispraise The effect in Thomas was an excellent confession excelling the most confessions had beene made before expressing more than was in question and much tendernesse of heart both in beleeuing in Christ and resoluing to be ruled by him when he said with such words My Lord and my God Which shewes how Christ can glorifie his power in making weake Christians sometimes to expresse more life of faith and knowledge than stronger Christians In the reply our Sauiour commends that faith most that resteth least vpon sense and feeling The second Apparition was to seuen of the Disciples as they went to fishing Ioh. 21. 1 c. Where the things I would obserue either concerne the time of this Apparition or the persons to whom or are taken from the substance of the Storie it selfe About the time I may take occasion to cleare a doubt which is this The Disciples were commanded immediatly after the resurrection by a message sent them by the women from Christ that they should meet him on a Mountaine in Galile Matth. 28. 10. 16. Now it appeares by the time of this and the former Apparition that they tarry many daies in Ierusalem The answer is that they were bound to tarry in Ierusalem eight daies because of the Passeouer and it seemes they were now going into that place in Galile Now for the persons to whom he appeares they were seuen of them of different conditions Peter and Thomas had fallen shamefully Nathaniel was no Apostle but yet a man without guile the sonnes of Zebedee had beleeued after they had seene the Lord two other Disciples are not named and toward all these in a different respect is the loue of Christ shewed Christ will manifest himselfe not only to constant Christians but to such as haue fallen and repented nor only to Apostles but to priuate Christians not only to knowne and eminent Disciples but to such as we know not Now for the substance of the Storie the things I shall obserue for the letter of it either concerne the estate of godly men in outward things or the demonstration of the Diuinitie of Christ About the estate of godly men I note three things First that
the word they reioyce in nor doe they apply the promises to themselues so as to beleeue Gods fauour and their owne saluation in the world to come 7. The gifts of restraining grace this is a great gift by which a man is made to forbeare many vile actions contrary to the bent of his owne nature and to act diuers things wholly aboue his owne disposition so as he is as if he were another man as Saul was when the spirit of God fell vpon him and so many men euen among the heathen had an expression on of valour wisdome chastity iustice c. and this was from the holy Ghost for the good of humane societies Thus God kept Abimelech from Abrahams wife Gen. 20. 6. Thus Haman can refraine his rage against Mordecai Hest. 5. 10. If this gift were not wicked men would bee as the wilde beasts of the desert And yet it is one thing to restraine a mans corruptions and another thing to mortifie them Thus of the operations of the holy Ghost tâ—at are common both to good and bad but the surpassing glory of his working is in the benefits proper to the Elect only so his works may be considered either in general or in particular The generall workes are 1. The conception and qualification of the humane nature of our Sauiour by which hee was made fit for that great worke of the redemption of all the Elect Math. 1. 18. Esay 61. 1. and 42. 1. and thus hee receiued the Spirit without measure Ioh. 3. 34. 2. His habitation in the godly their hearts being the temple of the holy Ghost so as he dwells in them after a wonderfull manner Rom. 8. 11. Eph. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 6. 3. The regeneration of all the Elect in their seasons Ioh. 3. 3. 5. 1 Thes 2. 13. Tit. 3. 5. Thus they are washed sanctified and iustified 1 Cor. 6. 11. and in respect of new graces the godly are the Epistle of Christ euery grace being as a word or letter grauen vpon their hearts by the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3. 3. 4. The vniting of all the godly into one mysticall body being himselfe the bond of that vnion in Iesus Christ of which most glorious worke the Scriptures speak euidently Eph. 4. 3 4. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. 5. The quickning and raising vp of our bodies at the last day Rom. 8. 10. The particular workes or things he worketh in the godly are such as these maruellous things as 1. Liberty Liberty I say chiefly from the power of sinne making a godly man able to subdue such corruptions as nostrength of nature or naturall arguments or meanes could euer master This is farre aboue restraining grace Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. and The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me saith S. Paul from the law of sinne and of death Rom. 8. 2. and this the Spirit doth first by working a spirituall circumcision vpon the heart causing a man to imploy himselfe in the duties of mortification till he giue deadly wounds to his beloued sinnes and at length cast them away like a lothsome fore-skin Rom. 2. 29. making a man to accuse and condemne himselfe pray against the deedes of the flesh till hee get some victory ouer his corruptions Rom. 8. 13. and in this worke the holy Ghost discouers himselfe as a Spirit of iudgment and a Spirit of burning as the Prophet Esay calls him Esa 4. 4. Secondly by lusting against the flesh that is stirring vp consent and earnest desires and grones to be rid of the burthen of corruption Gal. 5. 17. Thirdly by causing a man to heare a word behind him when hee is about to goe out of the way either on the right hand and on the left Esay 30. that is by daily good motions and inward checks of conscience which tend to diswade a man from yeelding to any thing he knowes to be a sinne Fourthly by baptizing the penitent sinner with the baptisme of fire Matth. 3. 11. which is when the holy Ghost falls vpon his heart and so inflames his affections that he is full of indignation and a desire of holy reuenge against his corruptions and an vnspeakable zeale after righteousnesse and Gods glory 2. The infusing of diuine gifts qualifying the godly with such abilities as are altogether aboue nature such as are Faith Loue Hope and the gift of Prayer no man can beleeue things aboue reason and without meanes vnlesse he haue the spirit of faith Rom. 4. 17 18. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 11. 1. The loue of God is likewise shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. and it is the Spirit that makes a man hope and wait for the righteousnesse to be reuealed in another world Gal. 5. 5. and therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of prayer or supplication Zach. 12. 11. because it is he only that qualifies a man with such a language as to be able to speake to God with iudgement affections and confidence Rom. 8. 15. Yea besides these he bestowes such gifts vpon the godly in respect of which they are said to partake of the diuine nature as they are made like vnto God 2 Pet. 1. 4. as when the Spirit makes a man resemble God in his contentment in his loue in his knowledge or wisdome and in mercy and a pure and sound minde and patience and goodnesse and such like First it is a wonderfull worke to make the heart of man vnmoueable like God delighted and pleased and at rest in himselfe without discontentment at his condition and this peace and ioy the Holy Ghost is the author of Rom. 15. 13. and 14. 17. Secondly the Holy Ghost makes a man to resemble God in his loue to the godly aboue all the people of the world and is therefore called the Spirit of loue Rom. 15. 30. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Thirdly to let goe all the other gifts of the Spirit which are mentioned in that catalogue Gal. 5. 22. I will only instance further in that grace of knowledge it is a wonderfull worke to make a man vnderstand supernaturall things the mysteries of Gods kingdome which are knowne only to God himselfe for the naturall man perceiueth them not 1 Cor. 2. 14. 13. 10. Matth. 13. 11. as to know how God stands affected to vs yea to know the height length bredth and depth of Gods loue to vs Eph. 3. 19 20. yea to know those sacred truths so as to be transformed by them and changed into the likenesse of the things taught vs from one glorious grace to another 2 Cor. 3. vlt. Now this knowledge or wisdome from aboue the Spirit worketh in vs both by curing and making sound our mindes 2 Tim. 1. 7. and by leading vs into all truth and bringing to remembrance the things which we haue heard Ioh. 14. 26. The third worke of the Holy Ghost in the elect is the fanctification of their works or
the sanctifying of them vnto obedience 1 Pet. 1 2. 2 Thess 2. 13. and this the Spirit doth by quickning them and stirring them vp to good works both by inward motions and by the ministerie of the word made effectually Thus the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5. 9. and It is the Spirit only that quickens Ioh. 6. 63. and further he doth it by purifying the soule from such drosse as might hinder obedience 1 Pet. 1. 22. such as pride hypocrisie and worldly lusts and by helping our infirmities when we know not what to doe as we ought Rom. 8. 26. and by putting life into v in the manner of well-ding Rom. 8. 10. and besides by causing vs to keepe Gods statutes and to doe them Ezech. 36. 27. as it were working our works for vs setting vs to worke and directing all the worke of our hands and finally by sanctifying the offering vp both of our selues and of our seruice vnto God as the Altar sanctifies the gift Rom. 15. 16. and by opening of an accesse vnto God in all our seruice Eph. 2. 18. The fourth worke of the Holy Ghost in the elect is Consolation for he is giuen vnto them of Christ as an vnspeakable Comforter all their daies Ioh. 14. 16. such a Comforter as the world neuer had nor can receiue as Christ saith in that place and this ioy in the Holy Ghost is a prime part of the kingdome of God Rom. 14. 17. and thus he comforteth them with ioyes vnspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 9. and this makes the godly to walke on in the feare of God with great incouragement Act. 9. 31. and as he is a Comforter to them in all estates so especially in the daies of affliction and distresse he rests vpon them as a Spirit of glory giuing them such tastes of the ioyes of heauen as makes them contemne all earthly things 1 Pet. 4. 14. and this ioy they finde not only by an habituall gladnesse of heart at all times but especially in the word 1 Thess 1. 5. and in Prayer and Sacraments and fellowship with the godly The fifth worke of the Holy Ghost in the godly is strength for perseuerance and so it is his office to see to it that grace goe not out which in many Christians is but like a bruised reed or smoaking flax and thus he abideth in them for euer Ioh. 14. 16. to strengthen their inward man Eph. 3. 19. and this he performeth both by nourishing the seeds of all grace in them Esay 44. 3. and by supplying their wants Phil. 1. 19. and by a powerfull assistance in all times of triall and temptation 2 Cor. 12. 9 10. and by establishing their faith that they may hold out to the end which he doth both by bearing witnesse vnto their spirits still that they are the children of God Rom. 8. 15. and by being Gods priuie seale to all his promises and an earnest or pledge of the glory to come Eph. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 1. 22. and 5. 5. The Vses of this Article follow and First diuers sorts of men may hence be warned to looke to themselues in many things which perhaps they little thinke of men must take heed of sinning against the Holy Ghost seeing he is God and so wonderfull in nature and works Now the sinnes against the Holy Ghost are either pardonable or vnpardonable There is one sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiuen The first sort are grieuous but yet may be repented of and forgiuen and thus men sinne against the Holy Ghost 1. When they liue without the Holy Ghost as all wicked men doe that are not sanctified by the Holy Ghost Iude 19. 2. When men acknowledge not the glory of the Holy Ghost in ascribing to him the praise of all those skils or abilities they haue in any estate of life 3. When men order their affaires without seeking counsell or direction from the Holy Ghost by such meanes as he hath appointed Esay 30. 1. 4. When men will not giue eare or regard when the Holy Ghost speaks vnto them in the ministerie of his seruants Neh. 9. 20. 30. 5. When men despise the counsell which the Holy Ghost giues in the word 1 Thess 4. 8. 6. When men are so far from regarding the word that they doe purposely confirme their hearts and striue to be insensible like an Adamant lest they should heare the word God sends in his spirit by his Prophets Zach. 7. 12. 7. When men openly rebell against the doctrine of Gods word and set themselues to vex the Spirit of God in their Teachers Esay 63. 10. Such were they of whom S. Stephen said Yee resist the Holy Ghost alwaies Act. 7. 51. 8. When men tempt the Holy Ghost and that is when they will doe such things as they know are euill and put it to the triall whether they shall be punished or discouered Thus Ananias tempted the Holy Ghost that was in Peter by lying and dissembling Act. 5. 3. 5. 9. By receiuing the grace of the Spirit in vaine and this is a sinne in such as haue beene inlightned and haue had some common graces yet fall away and all comes to nothing in that no sound reformation followes 10. By quenching the Spirit and this may be committed by two sorts of men First by wicked men that haue temporarie gifts of the Spirit with some speciall tastes of remorse or ioy or of the powers of the life to come and then fall away and hauing begun in the Spirit will end in the flesh 1 Thess 5. 19. Gal. 3. 3. Secondly godly men may for a time quench the Spirit when after calling they fall into grosse sinnes which will cause the Spirit to cease working sensibly and put out the ioy and life they finde in Gods seruice and presence There is another way of quenching the Spirit and that is when the people carry themselues so as they discourage the spirit of their Teachers and make them lesse willing or able to preach in their wonted power and vigour Lastly when men grieue the Spirit of God by whom they are sealed to the day of their redemption and this is a sin the children of God are to be warned of and this they may commit if they wilfully persist in any knowne sinne either secretly or in domesticall cariage or in their conuersation abroad Eph. 4. 30. Thus of the sinnes against the Holy Ghost that may be forgiuen if men repent and beleeue in Christ There is one sinne against the Holy Ghost that can neuer be pardoned Matth. 12. 31. Hebr. 6. 4 5. and 10. 26. 29. To finde out the exact nature of this sinne is very hard but vpon the euidence of those three places of Scripture I vndertake to define it thus The sinne against the Holy Ghost that is vnpardonable is a sinne after illumination and sanctification by which a man doth wilfully and wholly fall away contemning the Gospell and
teach all that haue care of their owne soule 1. To examine themselues whether they haue the Holy Ghost or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 9. Now the Holy Ghost doth discouer himselfe to be in the heart of a man by these signes all or some of them As first by the combat it raiseth in the heart against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. if there be an internall worker within vs that doth constantly oppose and striue against the secret corruption that is in our nature without doubt it is the Holy Ghost Secondly by the taste and sauour it breeds in vs about spirituall things for if the Holy Ghost be in a man his taste for earthly things is marred and he hath a sensible taste of the things of the Spirit accounting nothing more sauourie than holy things such as are the Word Prayer Sacraments godly society and such like Rom. 8. 5. Thirdly by the victory ouer the power of sin If the Holy Ghost be in vs though we may haue sin yet we are freed from the law of sin our corruptions doe not rule and reigne as they were wont to doe Rom. 8. 2. The bodie is dead in respect of sin Rom. 8. 10. The Holy Ghost doth daily set vs a worke in killing of sin one after another as they arise Rom. 8. 13. and this is done by the duties of mortification thus we are washed in the teares of repentance by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 11. and this signe is the more cleare when it reacheth not only to the deeds of the bodie but to the sins of the heart It is an infallible signe of the Holy Ghost if a man haue felt the circumcision of the heart that is if he haue voluntarily implied himselfe in the painfull resisting and cutting off of secret euill in the minde and affections Rom. 2. 29. Fourthly by that transformation is wrought in the hearing of the word 2 Cor. 3. vlt. when a man doth not only heare with admiration but findes himselfe perswaded and presently changed vnto that grace and holinesse is taught him by the word when he is sent home another man Fifthly by the loue of God in affliction It is a speciall worke of the sanctifying Spirit of God when a man can loue God and shew it by the fruits of it euen then when Gods hand is vpon him especially when crosses doe beset him and compasse him about for that is a worke altogether aboue nature This loue to God in aduersitie hee shewes by mourning for his spirituall absence by esteeming any token of his loue and fauour aboue all things in life by delighting himselfe in Gods house and presence by refusing sin for the respect he beares to God though it might bring him neuer so much pleasure or profit by his vexation for any dishonour done to God by his longing after Gods presence in glory and by his constant care to keepe Gods commandements Sixthly by the gift of prayer when a Christian is able in secret with affection and perswasion of God as his best refuge in heauen or earth to make his daily recourse to God vpon all occasions Rom. 8. 15. Thus of the first Vse 2. Such as finde they haue the Holy Ghost should be instructed to carry themselues as becommeth so great an honour done them and shew it especially three waies First by striuing to haue and keepe their soules and bodies cleane from sinne and to make the roomes of their heart as holy as they can for the entertainment of such a diuine guest as the Holy Ghost What a businesse would there be about cleansing and trimming of our houses if some great person were to come thither Secondly we should shew that we beleeue those things taught vs concerning the Holy Ghost by seeking to him vpon all occasions when we finde any need in any thing that belongs to any of those works of the Holy Ghost But especially we should striue not only to get those great works of the holy Ghost wrought in our hearts but also wee should endeauour to shew the power of the working of the holy Ghost in vs by those outward fruits of the holy Ghost more espicially those nine fruits mentioned Gal. 5. 22. it would make a Christian appeare to bee more excellent than any man if hee can soundly act those vertues there mentioned which hee may doe by the holy Ghost that is in him And it were very profitable if men would striue to act them and to lay this patterne still before them Now the things he should expresse are 1. Loue that is a louing behauiour towards the godly yea towards all men such a behauiour as is without hatred emulations enuyings censuring and the like workes of the flesh 2. Ioy that is such a behauiour as expresseth contentment and comfortablenesse both in our spirituall estate in relation to God and in our outward condition in the world 3. Peace that is such a behauiour as is quiet from medling with other mens businesse and is free from discord and contention or sedition or heresies the workes of the flesh mentioned before 4. Long suffering that is such a behauiour as can beare with the infirmites of those with whom hee conuerseth and that is not easily prouoked by slight iniuries but passeth by or pardoneth many a wrong 5. Gentlenesse which is when a man is easie to be spoken to in any businesse without sowrenesse or pride or frowardnesse and doth treat with others in a quiet and humble manner 6. Goodnesse that is such a behauiour as is full of good fruits of mercy when a Christian doth striue to become as helpfull and as profitable as possible he may to all sorts of people where he liueth 7. Faith that is fidelity when a man is iust in his words and promises that hee may bee trusted as safely as if men had his bonds or obligations and withall doth detest lying and deceit and all courses of fraud and guile 8. Meeknesse which consists in the suppressing of anger and inward perturbations which arise from frowardness and discontentment when a man can shew himselfe to be able to beare crosses or prouocations without passion or worldly distempers 9. Temperance which restraines our cares and proiects and excesse in minding or seeking the honours riches or pleasures of life and makes vse soberly of diet apparell recreations and the things wee doe possesse Thus of the second vse Thirdly all men should hence learne to make very high account of all true Christians and to haue them in very high honour because they haue the holy Ghost and vpon them hee hath wrought all those wonderfull workes spoken of before They should bee vsed as the Princes of God in all places where they come Pharaoh when hee would preferre Ioseph could say Where could wee finde such a man in whom is the Spirit of the high God Gen. 41. 38. Thus of the vses for instruction Lastly this Article should be very comfortable to the godly and that in
religion and were circumcised and withall religious or deuoute men that were Gentiles conuerted to the Iewish religion but were not circumcised such as were Cornelius and diuers others The speciall nature of the Church in which it differs from all other companies of men is exprest in the other wordes of the definition and so they shew vs three things 1. The efficient cause of the Church viz. her calling by the voice of Gods Cryer 2. The tearmes from which and to which she is called in the middle words of the definition 3. The foâ—me of the Church which consists in her vnion with Christ and communion with her selfe among the members of that company For the first when I say she is called ordinarily by the voice of Gods Cryers I intimate diuers things thereby 1. That the Preachers of the Gospell are as publike Criers to call men to heare what God hath to say to them like those Cryers in Athens of whom I spake before Matth. 3. Esay 48. 1. 2. That I consider not of the Church as she is elect of God till shee be called because many of the Elect for a great part of their liues may lie scattered about and hidden in the heapes of the men of this world 3. That the preaching of the Gospell is the meanes to make men actually of the Church and members of Christ and so to haue right to saluation The Gospell is the power of God to saluation Rom. 1. 16. and 10. 14. 4. I adde effectually called to exclude Hypocrites and carnall men that enioy the meanes but obey it not and to include the worke of the Holy Ghost making the hearts of the Elect to answer to Gods call and obey his voice for by the Spirit God speakes also internally to their hearts 5. I adde the Word ordinarily to shew that though God is pleased to binde men to the vse of the meanes yet he himselfe is not tied but can worke without the meanes and so it may giue vs occasion to informe our selues in diuers cases as first in the case of such as liue in places where the meanes is not nor can be had It is possible that God extraordinarily may worke conuersion in some men in such places which was the case of Cornelius liuing in Caesarea Act. 10. Secondly in the case of Infants who do belong to the Church by vertue of Gods Couenant though they liue not to receiue conuersion by the preaching of the Gospell for Christ saith of Infants Theirs is the kingdome of God Thirdly in the case of such as liue in Paganish and idolatrous places as in the times of the darknesse of Popery or in the case where men are by violence carried away and brought vp in idolatrous places God may haue a remnant amongst them that belong to his election and are in time truly called as in the daies of Elias in the kingdome of the ten Tribes vnder the reigne of Ahab Fourthly in the case of such as are borne deafe or become so before they are capable of receiuing the Gospell they being borne of godly parents may belong to the Church as Infants do I say God that knowes his owne from eternitie may euen amongst them by the supply of the Spirit make members of the Church Besides seeing the Holy Ghost doth not need speciall instruments to worke withall sometimes he may worke that by the eyes of the deafe which he doth by the eares of others for by their eyes he may powre in an eternall light into their mindes Lastly the case of such as are destitute of vnderstanding by nature or disease is very hard because they want reason and so are incapable of faith and if we say that the Holy Ghost may infuse an inward light then it is cleare they cease to be fooles or mad-men In this case therefore we must religiously and charitably suspend and leaue Gods worke to himselfe The termes from which and to which the Church is called follow in these words from the prophanenesse of the world to enioy the supernaturall dignitie of the children of God The terme from which Terminus à quo is from the prophanenesse of the world in which words three things may be noted First that the true members of the Church were in their estate of Nature as prophane as the people of the world liuing in sin and being the children of wrath as well as others which shew the exceeding riches of Gods grace and Christs loue to them that could respect them being so vile and sinfull Secondly that our first parents before the fall could not properly be said to be the Church because they neither were called from an estate of corruption nor did they then need Christ nor had that faith in Christ being perfect by creation and so not wanting a Sauiour whereas the Church is properly the Spouse of Christ Thirdly by these words all men in visible Churches may trie themselues for only they that are conuerted from prophanenesse are true members of the Church and so Hypocrites are excluded and open prophane persons and such as are only changed in their opinions and not in their practise 2 Pet. 1. 4. Terminus ad quem or the terme to which they are called is to the supernaturall dignity of the sons of God which words expresse the grace of Adoption which comprehends the substance of all that felicity we haue from God in Christ after calling Eph. 1. 4. but of the priuiledges of the Church afterwards The last words of the definition describes the forme of the Church the essentiall inward forme which is that vnion with Christ by faith they are really members of the Church that are vnited to Christ as their head by faith without this faith it is impossible to please God and faith comprehends all that which essentially God requires of vs to iustification and adoption Ioh. 3. 16. I adde their vnion one with another by loue because brotherly loue is an inseparable fruit of faith for faith worketh by loue Gal. 5. 6. and is such a Characteristicall signe of a true member of the Church that the Apostle saith thereby we know we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and the same Apostle seemes to make Loue a kinde of forme of the true Christian Eph. 1. 4. Thus of the definition of the Church The originall of the Church followes next to be considered and so I consider of the Church as she is the Church not as these men were in their estate of Nature for so her father was an Amorite and her mother an Hittite in as much as she was sinfully borne she was basely borne but that company that I call the Church were not the Church when they were in that estate of Nature The Church then as shee is the Spouse of Christ hath many things in her originall that are very glorious and much to be admired And that if we consider her originall in respect of decree