Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	knowledge_n	understanding_n	wisdom_n	6,916	5	6.5948	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09411	An exposition of the Symbole or Creed of the Apostles according to the tenour of the Scriptures, and the consent of orthodoxe Fathers of the Church. By William Perkins.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1595 (1595)	STC 19703; ESTC S120654	454,343	561

so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes which are the filth of our nature and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdoÌ„ of God haue the H. Ghost to dwell in him must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same holy spirit and if a man would know whether he haue this worke wrought in him or no let him marke what S. Paul saith They that are of the spirit sauour the things that are of the spirit but they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truly good either more or lesse it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed and he regenerate but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne and the things of this world he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated As for example if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking gulling in of wine and strong drink hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate because it affects the things of the flesh so of the rest And on the coÌ„trary he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God in practising the works of charitie religion he I say hath a spirituall and a renewed heart and is regenerate by the holy Ghost The third worke of the holy Ghost is to gouerne the hearts of the elect this may be called spirituall regiment A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne orders gouerns it according to his owne will euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all theÌ„ in whoÌ„ he dwelleth as Paul saith they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit a most notable benefit for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth there he wil be Lord gouerning both heart minde will and affections and that two waies I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne arising either from the corruption of mans nature from the world or from the deuill II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion so it is saide The flesh that is the corruption of mans nature lusteth against the spirit and the spirit that is grace in the heart lusteth against the flesh and that after a double sort first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles The spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and of strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly of wisedome of knowledge of strength of vnderstanding of counsell and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith that the fruits of the spirit are ioy peace loue long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance c. all which are so tearmed because where the H. Ghost ruleth there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace but among all the inward motions of the spirit the most principall are these I. an vtter disliking of sinne because it is sinne And that is when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes as to his owne and seeing them is truly sorowfull for them and disliketh them and himselfe for them not so much because there is a place of torment or a day of iudgement to come wherin he must answer to God for them all but as if there were no hell or iudgement because God is displeased by them who hath beene vnto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes This is a motion of the H. Ghost which no man can haue but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell The third the gift of heartie praier For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications because it stirreth vp the heart makes it fit to pray therefore Paul saith that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue and he that would know whether he haue the spirit dwelling truly in his heart shall know it by this A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same it is aliue being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre it is dead In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God is in a miserable case and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is comfort in distresse and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he wâ—ll sende and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe I. outward calamities as when a man is in any daunger of death when he looseth his goods his good name his friends and such like The second thing is a troubled conscience whereof Salomon saith A troubled spirit who can beare it and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob this was the soarest of all his affliction and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule Now what is the comfort in this case Answer In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs to make vs reioyce and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can

God both in measure nuÌ„ber degree aboue all meÌ„ angels Secondly the sumptuous gorgious apparell which the high priest put on when hee came into the sanctuary was a signe of the rich glorious robe of Christs righteousnes which is the puritie integrity of his humane nature of his life Thirdly the speciall parts of the high priests attire were first the Ephod the 2. shoulders whereof had 2 onyx stones vvheron vvere engraueÌ„ the names of the 12. tribes of Israel 6. names on the one stone 6. on the other as stones of remeÌ„brance of the childreÌ„ of Israel to god vvard secondly the brestplate of iudgement like the work of the Ephod vvherin were set 12. stones according to the names of the childreÌ„ of Israel graueÌ„ as signets euery one after his name Now by these 2. ornameÌ„ts vvere figured two things in Christ by the first that he carries all the elect on his shoulders supports theÌ„ by his spirit so long as they are in this world against the world the flesh the deuill By the secoÌ„d that Christ our high priest being now in his sanctuary in heauen hath in memory al the elect their very names are writteÌ„ as it vvere in tables of gold before his face he hath an especiall loue care ouer them Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this maner Set me as a seale on thy heart as a signet vpon thy arme And indeed this a matter of coÌ„fort to us all that Christ hath our seueral names writteÌ„ in pretious stones before his face though he be now in heaueÌ„ vve on earth the particular estate of euery one of us is both knoweÌ„ regarded of him Again God gaue to Moses the Vrim Thummim which was put on the brestplate of the high priest when he was to aske couÌ„sell froÌ„ God of things unknoweÌ„ before the mercy seate whence God gaue answer What the Vrim Thummim was it is not known it is like it was not made by any arte of maÌ„ but giueÌ„ by God how it vvas used vve can not tell but yet the signification of the wordes affordeth matter of meditatioÌ„ Vrim signifies lights Thummim signifies perfections And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ vvho hath the perfite Vrim Thummim in his brest first because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knovvledge secoÌ„dly because he reveiles to his Church out of his word such things as none caÌ„ know but the childreÌ„ of God as Dauid saith The secret of the Lord is reveiled to theÌ„ that feare him And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdom revelatioÌ„ the spirit of God whereby we know the things that are giueÌ„ unto us of God as namely our electioÌ„ vocation iustificatioÌ„ sanctificatioÌ„ in this life our eternall glorificatioÌ„ after this life yea to euery member of Christ vvithin his Church he giues a speciall spirit of revelatioÌ„ vvherby he may knovve that God the father is his father the son the redeemer his redeemer the H. ghost his sanctifier coÌ„forter Lastly the high priest had a plate on his forehead therin vvas in graueÌ„ the holines of Iehovah this signified the holines of Christ for as he is God he is holines it self as he is maÌ„ he is most holy being sanctified by the H. ghost for this end that he might couer our sins unrighteousnes vvith his righteousnes holy obedience The secoÌ„d order of priesthood is the order of Melchisedec of which Christ vvas as Dauid saith Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck that in 2. speciall respects I. Melchisedeck vvas both a priest a king so vvas Christ. II. Melchisedeck had neither father nor mother because his historie is set dovvne vvith mention of neither So likevvise Christ as hee is God had no mother and as hee is man he had no father The Papists auouch Christ to be a Priest of this order in a new respect in that as Melchisedeck offered bread and wine when Abraham came from the slaughter of the Kings so say they Christ in the last supper did offer his owne bodie and bloode vnder the formes of bread and wine But this is a friuolous deuise of theirs for if we read Hebr. 7. where this point is handled there is no comparison at all made of their two sacrifices but the resemblances before named are onely set downe Againe it is not said in Genesis that Melchisedeck offered sacrifice but that he brought forth bread and wine and made a feast to Abraham his companie And if Christ should be of the order of Melchisedeck in regard of the offering of bread wine yet would this make much against the papists For Melchisedeck brought forth true bread true wine but in the sacrifice of the masse there is no true breade nor true wine but as they say the reall bodie and blood of Christ vnder the forme of bread and wine The 4. point is whether there be any more reall priests of the new Testament beside Christ or no Ans. In the old testament there were many priests one following an other in continuall succession but of the new testament there is one onely reall priest Christ Iesus God man no more as the author of the Hebr. saith because he endureth for euer he hath an euerlasting priesthoode the word traÌ„slated euerlasting signifieth such a priesthood which cannot passe froÌ„ him to any other as the priesthood of Aaron did And therfore the priesthood of Christ is so tied to his owne person that none can haue the same but he neither man nor angel nor any other creature no not the father nor the H. Ghost But the factours of the Church of Rome will say that Christ may haue men to be his deputies in his stead to offer sacrifice Answ. We must consider Christ 2. waies I. as he is God II. as he is mediatour As he is God with the father with the holy Ghost he hath kings magistrates to be his deputies on earth and therefore they are called Elohim that is gods But as he is Mediatour and so consequently a priest and a King hee hath neither deputie nor vicegerent neither king to rule in his stead over his Church nor priests to offer sacrifice for him nay hee hath no prophet to be his deputie as he is the doctour of the Church And therefore he saith to his disciples be not called doctours for one is your doctour Indeede he hath his ministers to teach men his will but a deputie to offer sacrifice in his steade he hath not And therfore we may with good conscience abhorre the massing priesthood of the Church of Rome as a thing fetched from the bottome of Hell their massing priests as instruments of Sathan holding

of a whale that so he might chastice him and thus doth he deale with his owne seruants to make them conformable to Christ. And further when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience so as we doe as it were struggle with Gods wrath as for life and death and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in in this case howsoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues yet we must not thinke it strange nor quite despaire of his mercie For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell and death carried him captiue and triumphed ouer him in the graue and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie yet we must not despaire of his helpe In diuers Psalmes we reade howe Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies but euen his souâ—e and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes so as his bones were consumed within him and his moysture was turned into the drought in sommer This caused Iob to cry out that the arrowes of God were within him and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit the terrours of God did fight against him and the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea by reason whereof he saith that the Lord did make him a marke and a butte to shoote at and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs either in bodie or in soule or in both we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that begins to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes but rather his fatherly worke to kill sinne in vs and to make vs grow in humilitie that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus Secondly whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be it is an example for vs to imitate as Christ himselfe prescribeth Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly And that we may the better doe this we must learne to become nothing in our selues that we may be all in all forth of our selues in Christ we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as may be in regard of our sinnes Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes to become a worme and no man as Dauid saith which did chiefely appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne and the same minde must likewise be in vs which was in him The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and bloode of Christ. And thus much of this clause as also of the state of Christs humiliation Nowe followeth his second estate which is his exaltation into glorie set down in these words The third day he rose againe from the deade c. And of it we are first to speake in generall then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof In generall the exaltation of Christ is that glorious or happie estate into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse And he was exalted according to both natures in regard of his Godhead and also of his manhood The exaltation of the Godhead of Christ was the manifestation of the glorie of his Godhead in the manhoode Some will peraduenture demaunde how Christs Godhead can be exalted seeing it admits no alteration at all Answer In it selfe it cannot be exalted yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhood into one person in this respect it may be said to be exalted and therefore I say the exaltation of Christs Godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man and his Godhead dwelt in his manhood yet from his birth vnto his death the same Godhead did little shew it selfe and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hid vnder the vaile of his flesh as the soule doth in the bodie when a man is sleeping that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the law and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs in the low and base estate of a seruant But after this worke was finished he began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood And in this respect his Godhead may be saide to be exalted The exaltation of Christs humanitie stoode in two things The first that he laide downe all the infirmities of mans nature which he carried about him so long as he was in the state of a seruant in that he ceased to be wearie hungrie thirstie c. Here it may be demaÌ„ded whether the skarres wouÌ„ds remain in the bodie of Christ now after it is glorified Ans. Some think that they doe remain as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his our enemies that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of our Lord but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified But indeede it rather seemes to be a truth to say that they are quite abolished because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside And if it may be thought that the woundes in the hands and feete of Christ remaine to be seene euen to the last iudgement why may we not in the same manner thinke that the vaines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood because it was shed vpon the crosse The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is that both his bodie and soule were beautified and adorned with all qualities of glorie His minde was inriched with as much knowledge and vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature and more in measure then all men and angels haue and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his wil and affections his bodie also was incorruptible and it was made a shining bodie a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount and it was indued with agilitie to mooue as well vpward as downeward as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caveats first that he did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie as length breadth thicknes visibilitie locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more but keepeth all these still because they serue for the beeing of his bodie Secondly wee must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but

no blemish and needes not to eate but is supported by God without meate if this be true in our bodies when they shal be glorified then much more was it true in Christ. Ans. True it is a glorified bodie hath no blemishes but our Sauiour Christ had not yet entred into the fulnesse of gis glory If he had bene fully glorified he could not so sensibly and plainly haue made manifest the trueth of his resurrection vnto his disciples and therefore for their sakes and ours hee is content after his entrance into glorie still to retaine in his bodie some remnantes of the ignominies and blemishes which if it had pleased him hee might haue laide aside he is also content to eate not for neede but to prooue that his body was not a bodie in shew but a true bodie This teacheth us two lessons I. If Christ for our good and comfort be content to retaine these ignominious blemishes then answerably euery one of us must as good followers of Christ referre the workes of our callings to the good of others as Paul saith He was free from all men yet he was content to become all things vnto all men that by all meanes he might winne the moe Secondly wee learne that for the good of our neighbour and for the maintaining of loue and charitie we must be content to yeelde from our owne right as in this place our Sauiour Christ yeeldes of his owne glorie for the good of his Church The third point is that hee then gaue the disciples their Apostolicall commissions saying Goe and teach all nations of which three pointes are to be considered the first to whome it is giuen Answ. To them all as well to one as to another and not to Peter onely And this ouerthrowes the fond and forged opinion of the Papists concerning Peters supremacie If his calling had bene aboue the rest then hee should haue had a speciall commission aboue the rest but one and the same commission is giuen alike to all The second that with the commission he giues his spirit for whom hee appointeth to publish his will and worde them he furnisheth with sufficient giftes of his holy spirit to discharge that great function and therefore it is a defect that any are set a parte to be ministers of the gospell of Christ which haue not receiued the spirit of knowledge the spirit of wisdome and the spirite of prophesie in some measure The third point is that in conferring of his spirit he useth an outwarde signe for the text saith He breathed on them said receive the holy ghost The reasons hereof may be these First when God created Adam and put into him a liuing soule it is said he breathed in his face And so our Sauiour Christ in giuing unto his disciples the holy ghost doeth the same to shewe unto them that the same person that giueth life giueth grace and also to signifie unto them that beeing to sende them ouer all the worlde to preach his gospell he was as it were to make a second creation of man by renuing the image of God in him which he had lost by the fall of Adam Againe hee breathed on them in giuing his spirite to put them in mind that their preaching of the gospell could not be effectuall in the hearts of their hearers before the Lord doth breath into them his spirit therby draw them to beleeue therfore the spouse of Christ desireth the Lord to send forth his north and south wind to blovve on her garden that the spices thereof may flow out This garden is the Church of God which desireth Christ to comfort her to poure out the graces of his spirite on her that the people of God which are the hearbs and trees of righteousnes may bring forth sweet spices whose fruite may be for meate and their leaues for medicines Thus much for the fiue appearances of Christ the same day he rose againe Now follow the rest of his appearances which were in the 40 daies following which are in nuÌ„ber sixe The first is mentioned by S. Iohn in these words Eight daies after when the disciples were within Thomas with theÌ„ came Iesus when the dores were shut stood in the midst of theÌ„ said Peace be unto you In it we must consider two things I. the occasion thereof II. the dealing of Christ. The occasion was this after Christ had appeared vnto the other disciples in Thomas his absence they tolde him that they had seene the Lorde but he made answere Except I see in his body the print of his nailes put mine hand into his side I will not beleeve Now eight dayes after our Sauiour Christ appeared againe unto all the disciples especially for the curing of Thomas his unbeliefe which was no small sinne considering it containes in it three great sinnes The first is blindnes of mind for he had beene a hearer of our Sauiour Christ a long time and had bene instructed touching resurrection diuers times he was also with Christ and saw him when he raised Lazarus and had seene or at least wise had heard the miracles which he did and also he had heard all the disciples say that they had seene the Lord and yet will it not sinke into his head The second is deadnesse of heart When our Sauiour Christ went to raise Lazarus that vvas deade Thomas spake verie confidently to him and saide Let vs go that we may die with him yet when Christ was crucified he fledde away and is the longest from Christ after his resurrection and when he is certenly told thereof hee will not acknowledge it or yeeld unto it The third is willfulnesse for when the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord he said flatly that unlesse he saw in his hands the print of the nailes he would not beleeue and that which is worse then all this he continueth eight daies in this wilfull minde Now in this exceeding measure of unbeleefe in Thomas any man euen hee that hath the most grace may see what a masse of unbeliefe is in himselfe and what willfulnesse and untowardnesse to any good thing in so much that we may truly say with Dauid Lorde what is man that thou so regardest him And if such measure of unbeliefe was in such men as the disciples were then we may assure our selues that it doth much more exceed in the common professours of religion in these daies let them protest to the contrarie what they will Now the cause of his unbeliefe was this he makes a law to himselfe that he will see and feele or else he will not beleeue but this is flat against the nature of faith which consisteth neither in seeing nor feeling Indeed in things natural a man must first haue experience in seeing and feeling and then beleeue but it is contrarie in diuinitie a man must first haue faith and beleeue and then comes experience afterward But Thomas hauing

shall send vnto you from the father euen the spirit of truth which proceedeth of the father he shall testifie of mee And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the sonne not onely because he is sent of the sonne but also because he proceedeth from him Againe in the trinitie the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent As the father sending the sonne doth communicate his essence and substance to the sonne For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence Now the father and the sonne send the holy Ghost therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence vnto the same person Thirdly Christ saith The holy Ghost hath receiued of mine which he shall shew vnto you namely knowledge and truth to be reuealed vnto his Church WheÌ„ce we may reason thus the person receiuing knowledge from an other receiues essence also the H. Ghost receiueth truth knowledge from Christ to be reuealed vnto the Church therfore first of all he hath receiued substance and essence from the sonne But some peraduenture will say where is it written in all the Bible in expresse words that the holy Ghost proceeds froÌ„ the soÌ„ne as he proceeds froÌ„ the father Ans. The Scripture saith not so much in plaine tearmes yet we must know that that which is gathered forth of theÌ„ by iust coÌ„sequeÌ„t is no lesse the truth of God then that which is expressed in words Hereupon all Churches saue those in Greece with one consent acknowledge the truth of this point The fourth and last point is that the holy Ghost is equal to the father the soÌ„ne And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creede in that we doe as well beleeue in the holy Ghost as in the father and the sonne And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father the sonne yet as I haue said before that argues no inequalitie for one equal may send an other by consent but order onely wherby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons Againe in that the H. Ghost receiueth from the sonne it prooues no inferioritie Because he receiues from the sonne whatsoeuer he receiues by nature and not by grace And he receiues not a part but all that the sonne hath sauing the proprietie of his person Now follow the benefits which are giuen by th H. ghost they are of 2. sorts some are coÌ„moÌ„ to all creatures some are proper to men The benefit of the H. Ghost common to all creatures is the worke of creation preseruation For all things were created made afterward preserued by the H. Ghost So Elihu saith The spirit of God hath made me And Moses saith In the beginning the spirit mooued vpon the waters The phrase is borrowed from a bird who in hatching of her young ones sits vpon the egges mooues her selfe vpon them and heates them And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his owne power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made and caused it to bring foorth the creatures This beeing euident that the holy Ghost hath a stroake in the worke of creation and preseruation we must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created and since that time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person The benefits proper vnto men are of two sorts some are common to all men both good and badde and some proper to the elect and faithfull The benefits common to all men are diuerse I. the gift of practising a particular calling As in the bodie seuerall members haue seuerall vses so in euery societie seuerall men haue seuerall offices and callings and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof are from the holy Ghost When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites it is said he was cloathed with the spirit Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in all workemanship to finde out curious workes to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse also in the art to set stones and to carue in timber c. By this it is manifest that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man but comes by the holy Ghost And by this we are taught to vse all those gifts well wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings that they may serue for the glorie of God and the good of his Church and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit or else liue inordinately doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of the holy Ghost which one day they must answeare for The second gift common to all is Illumination whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts and the like haue all men by nature to whome the word of God is foolishnes Paul at his conuersion was smitten blinde and skales were vpon his eyes the like also be ouer the eies of our mindes and they must fall away before we can vnderstand the will of God Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eies And for this very cause hee is called the annointing and eyesalue for as it doth cleare the eyes and take away dimnesse from them so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes that we may see into the truth of Gods word This beeing a common gift and receiued both of good and badde it standeth vs in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word but therewithall we must ioyne obedience and make conscience thereof or else that will befall vs which Christ foretold that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes The third gift of the holy Ghost is the gift of prophecie whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to euery man yet is it common both to good and badde For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say Master we haue prophecied in thy name he shall answer again I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie and haue receiued the gift of prophecie must not herewithall be puffed vp For if they be not as wel doers of Gods will as teachers their gifts wil turne to their further condemnation As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the floode came were drowned because they would not obey Noahs preaching so those that haue the gifts of prophecie and are builders in Gods house if they build not themselues as well as others for all their preaching at the day of iudgement they shal be condemned

the Gospell besides they giue an assent to it to be true and they do more yet in that they tremble and feare And many a man hath not so much For amongst vs there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all more then he hath learned by the common talke of the world as namely that there is a God and that he is mercifull c. and yet this man will say that he beleeueth with all his heart but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue therfore he deceiveth himselfe Quest. But whence haue the devils historicall faith were they illuminated by the light of the spirit Answ. No but when the Gospell was preached they did acknowledge it and beleeued it to be true that by vertue of the reliques of Gods image which remained in them since their fall And therefore this their faith doeth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit but they attaine to it by the light of nature which was left in them from the beginning The second kind of faith is Temporary faith so called because it lasteth but for a time and season and commonly not to the end of a mans life This kind of faith is noted unto us in the parable of the seede that fell in the stony ground And there be two differences or kinds of this faith The first kinde of temporary faith hath in it three degrees The first is to know the word of God and particularly the Gospell The second to giue an assent unto it The third to professe it but to goe no further and all this may be done without any loue to the word This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus Acts. 8.13 who is said to beleeue because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true and withall he professed it and in the devils also who in some sort professed that Christ was the sonne of the most highest yet looked for no saluation by him Mark 5.7 Act. 19.14 And this is the common faith that abounds in this land Men say they beleeue as the prince beleeueth and if religion chaÌ„ge they will change For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word they beleeue it to be good they professe it thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeres they will heare the word preached and receiue the sacraments and yet be as void of grace as euer they were at the first day the reason is because men doe barely professe it without either liking or loue of the same The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees For by it first a man knows the word Secondly he assenteth unto it III. he professeth it IIII. he reioyceth inwardly in it V. he bringeth forth some kind of fruit and yet for all this hath no more in him but a faith that will faile in the end because he wanteth the effectuall applicatioÌ„ of the promise of the gospel is without all maner of sound conversioÌ„ This faith is like corne in the house top which groweth for a while but when heate of sommer coÌ„meth it withereth And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede which fell in a stony ground which is hastie in springing up but because of the stones which will not suffer it to take deepe roote it withereth And this is a very common faith in the Church of God by which many reioyce in the preaching of the worde and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse yet afterward shake of religion and all But some will say howe can this be a temporary faith seeing it hath such fruits Answ. Such a kind of faith is temporary because it is grounded on temporarie causes vvhich are three I. A desire to get knovvledge of some straunge pointes of religion For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith onely because he desires to get more knovvledge in scripture then other men haue The second cause is a desire of praise among men which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shevve of all the graces vvhich God bestoweth on all his children though otherwise he want them and to go very farre in religion vvhich appeareth thus Some can very bitterly weepe for the sinnes of other men and yet haue neither sorrowe nor griefe for their owne and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride For he that sheddes teares for another mans sinnes should much more vveepe for his owne if he had grace Yet thus are many men disposed euen of pride and nothing else Againe a man for his owne sinnes vvill pray very slackly and dully when he prayeth priuately and yet when he is in the company of others will pray very fervently and earnestly From vvhence is this difference surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire of praise among men The third cause of temporarie faith is profit commodity the getting of wealth and riches These make man to receive religion and if other religion come they vvill receiue it asvvell as this But such studies not the gospell because it is the gospell but because it brings wealth peace and riches with it And these are the three causes of temporarie faith The third kind of faith is the faith of Miracles vvhen a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or revelation from God doeth beleeve that some straunge extraordinarie thing vvhich he hath desired or foretold shall come to passe by the vvork of God This must be distinguished from historicall temporarie faith For Simon Magus had both these kindes of faith but yet wanted this faith of miracles therfore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for mony Yet this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites as it vvas in Iudas at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked reprobate which shal say to Christ Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and cast out deuils and done many great miracles And thus much for the three sorts of common faith Now we must come to the true faith which is the faith of the elect It is thus defined Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the mind apprehending the sauing promise with al the promises that depend on it First I say it is a gift of God Phil. 1.29 to confute the blind opinioÌ„ of our people that think that the faith wherby they are to be saued is bred borne with theÌ„ I adde that it is a gift supernaturall not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne but also because it is aboue that pure nature in which our first parents were created For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith neither

had they then any neede of faith in the same God as he is Messias but this faith is a new grace of God added to regeneration after the fal first required in the couenant of grace And by this faith differeth from the rest of the gifts of God as the feare of God the loue of God the loue of our brethren c. for these were in mans nature before the fall and after it they are but renewed but iustifying faith admits no renewing For the first in grafting of it into the heart is in the conuersion of a sinner after his fall The place and seat of faith as I thinke is the minde of man not the will for it stands in a kinde of particular knowledge or perswasion and there is no perswasion but in the minde Paul saith indeede that we beleeue with the heart Rom. 10. but by the heart he vnderstands the whole soule without any limitation Some doe place faith partly in the minde and partly in the will because it hath two parts knowledge and affiance but it doth not stand greatly with reason that one particular and single grace should be seated into diuerse parts of the soule The forme of faith is to apprehend the promises Gal. 3.14 that we might receiue the promise of the spirite through faith and Iohn 1.12 to receiue Christ and to beleeue are put one for another and to beleeue is to eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ. To apprehend properly is an action of the hand which laies hold of a thing and puls it to it and by resemblance it agrees to faith which is the hand of the soule receiuing and applying the sauing promise This apprehension of faith is not performed by any affection of the will but by a sound and particular perswasion whereby a man is resolued that the promise of saluation belongs vnto him Which perswasion is wrought in the mind by the holy Ghost 1. Corint 2.12 And by this the promise which is generall is applied particularly to one subiect By this sauing faith differeth from all other kinds of faith From historicall for it wanteth all apprehension standeth onely in a generall assent From temporarie faith which though it make a man to professe the Gospel and to reioyce in it yet doth it not throughly applie Christ with his benefits For it neuer brings with it any thorough touch of conscience or liuely sense of Gods grace in the heart And the same may be said of the rest The principal and maine obiect of this faith is the sauing promise God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeues in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life But some will say Christ is commonly said to be the obiect of faith Answ. In effect it is all one to say the sauing promise and Christ promised who is the substance of the couenant Christ then as he is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments is the obiect of faith And here certaine questions offer themselues to be skanned The first What is that particular thing which faith apprehendeth Answ. Faith apprehendeth whole Christ God and man For his Godhead without his manhoode and his manhood without his Godhead doth not reconcile vs to God Yet this which I say must be conceiued with some distinction according to the difference of his two natures His Godhead is apprehended not in respect of his essence or nature but in respect of his efficacie manifested in the maÌ„hoode his manhood both in respect of the substance it selfe and also in respect of the efficacie and benefits thereof The second In what order faith appreheÌ„ds Christ Ans. First of all it apprehends the very body blood of Christ secondly the vertue benefits of his bodie and blood as a man that would feele in his bodie the vertue of meate and drinke must first of all receiue the substance thereof To go forward Besides the mayn promise which coÌ„cernes righteousnes life in Christ there be other particular promises touching streÌ„gth in temptatioÌ„s coÌ„fort in afflictioÌ„s such like which depeÌ„d on the former they also are the obiect of iustifying faith with the very same faith we beleue theÌ„ wherwith we beleeue our saluatioÌ„ Thus AbrahaÌ„ by the same faith wherwith he was iustified beleued that he shold haue a son in his old age RoÌ„ 4.19.22 And Noe by that faith wherby he was made heire of righteousnes beleeued that he his family should be preserued in the flood And hereupoÌ„ it comes to passe that in our praiers besides the desire of things promised we must bring faith whereby we must be perswaded that God will graunt vs such things as he hath promised and this faith is not a new kinde or distinct faith from iustifying faith Thus we see what sauing faith is Whereas some are of opinioÌ„ that faith is an affiaÌ„ce or coÌ„fidence that seems to be otherwise for it is a fruit of faith indeede no man can put any confidence in God till he be first of all perswaded of Gods mercy in Christ towards him Some again are of mind that loue is the very nature and forme of faith but it is otherwise For as coÌ„fidence in God so also loue is an effect which proceeds froÌ„ faith 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the law is loue froÌ„ a pure heart and good conscience faith vnfained And in nature they differ greatly Christ is the fountain of the waters of life Faith in the heart is as the pipes ledds that receiue in hold the water loue in some part is as the cocke of the coÌ„duit that lets out the water to euery coÌ„mer The property of the haÌ„d is to hold of it self it caÌ„not cut yet by a knife or other instrumeÌ„t put into the haÌ„d it cuts the haÌ„d of the soule is faith his property is to apprehend Christ with al his benefits by it self it caÌ„ do nothing els yet ioyn loue to it by loue it wilbe effectual in al good duties Now to proceed further first we are to coÌ„sider how faith is wrought 2. what be the differeÌ„ces of it For the first faith is wrought in by the outward ministery of the gospel accoÌ„panied by the inward operatioÌ„ of the spirit that not suddeÌ„ly but by certeÌ„ steps degrees as nature frameth the body of the infant in the mothers wombe 1. by making the brain and heart 2. by making veines sinewes arteries bones 3. by adding flesh to them al. And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions First the enlightening of the minde the second the moouing of the will For the first the holy Ghost enlightens mens mindes with a further knowledge of the lawe then nature can afoard and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof and withall to tremble at the curse of the lawe Afterward

the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes life eternal promised in Christ. This done then comes the second worke of the holy Ghost which is the inflaming of the will that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne and the benefits of Christes death might hunger after Christ and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishmeÌ„ts of sinne taken away as Gods displeasure also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And wheÌ„ he hath stirred vp a man to desire reconciliation with God in Christ then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes and then the Lordes promise is Knocke and it shall be opened seeke and ye shall finde After which he further sends his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God and remission of sinnes in Christ and doth seale vp in his heart the liuely and plentifull assurance thereof The differences and degrees of faith are two I. a weake faith II. a strong faith Concerning the first this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an vnfained desire not onely of saluation for that the wicked and gracelesse man may haue but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which haue this haue in them also the substance of true sauing faith which afterwards will grow vp to a strong faith Reasons I. Promise of life euerlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore Psal. 143.6 My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shalbe satisfied Revel 22.6 J will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely II. The hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection vvhere one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and beleeues III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue for repenting and beleeuing indeede wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is accepted euen as faith before God But carnall men will say If faith yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for all our sinnes then we are well ynough though we liue in our sinnes for we haue very good desires J answer That there be in many men sundrie fleeting motions and desires to do good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Now such passions haue no soundnes in them must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliatioÌ„ with God which comes from a bruised heart which brings alwaies with it reformation of life therefore such as liue after the couse of this world and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good deceiue themselues Nowe faith is saide to be weake when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell or else hauing knowledge is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweete promises thereof As for example we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith except Iudas and when our Sauiour Christ asked them whome they thought that he was Peter in the person of the rest answered for them all and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for which our Sauiour commended him and in him them all saying Thou art Peter vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ which Peter did professe in the name of them all will I builde my Church And yet after we shall finde in the Gospell that they are called men of litle faith Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ and of his passion and resurrection and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there Peter a little after his notable confession began to rebuke Christ said Master haue pitie on thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee And vntil he had appeared to them after his death they did not beleeue his resurrection Again weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension and appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe This is to be seene in ordinary experience For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart that serueth God in spirite and truth yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned Now shall we say that all such are without faith God forbid Nay we may resolue our selues that the true child of God may haue a hungring desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience and yet be weake some time in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes But if faith faile either in the true knowledge or in the apprehension of Gods mercies how can a man be saued by it Answ. We must knowe that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne as strong faith though not so soundly Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king as he that is more sound though it be not so firmely and steadfastly The Church of Rome beares men in hand that they are good Catholicks if they beleeue as the Church beleeues though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old devout father who beeing tempted of the deuill was asked how he beleeued he answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued he answered as I beleeue whereupon the deuill as they say was faint to depart VVell this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce as being a means to nozle men in blindnes superstition perpetuall ignorance yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or foulded faith which is when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospell doth truely performe obedience according to the measure thereof and withall hath care to get more knowledge and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased In this respect a certain ruler who by a miracle wrought vpon his childe was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias and further to submit him selfe to his doctrine is

especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lorde by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and wicked they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the dueties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in prayer vnto God for he that will pray truly must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must be made in faith and for a man to pray in faith it is harde therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leaper whome our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords prayer when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the ende he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to wait for the benefits before craved in these words Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence we learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shal neuer be able to preuaile against the least meÌ„ber of Christ. I doe not say they shal neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shall neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I answer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Little children yee are of God and haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirite who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the worlde that is the spirit of Sathan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth him selfe to a sillie sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyoÌ„ yet I will feare none evill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is saide the first person is a father as also almightie ioyne these two together and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a father almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuil and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True in deede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must learne to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirite of wisdome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be coÌ„sidered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and find the power of God as he was man Answ. Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the panges of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Now in this extremitie God did shew his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we draw from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lieth dead in sinne Now as God did shewe his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in him selfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnes of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in him selfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a new life more more Furthermore wheÌ„ Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did hee vanquish Sathan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer sathanâ— that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cuppe might passe from him and yet he saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessarie that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhoode to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectual in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the panges of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in all the members of Christ to make them both patient and of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that wheras they confesse God to be their almightie father they should here withall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that he is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing theÌ„ power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hande of God in

they are euill wills simply but as they are wills and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose he is nothing at all intangled with the defect or euill of his will Touching the time of the fall the receiued opinion in former ages hath bin that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes that they stoode but sixe houres And though we can not determine of the certen time yet in all likelihood was it very short For Moses presently after that he had set down the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else comes immediately to the fall And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his mallice no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe And our Sauiour Christ saith that the deuill was a manslayer from the beginning namely from the beginning nor of the creation of the world or of time but of man And Eue saith we shall eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden it may be insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her Touching the greatnes of mans fall some haue made a small matter of it because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But wee must not measure the greatnes or the smalnes of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied but by the commaundement of God and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie And that this fact of Adam and Eve was no small fault but a notorious cryme and Apostasie in which they withdrawe them selues from vnder the power of God nay reiect and denie him will appeare if wee take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it The first is vnbeleefe in that they doubted and distrusted of the trueth of Gods worde which hee spake to them The seconde is contempt of God in that they beleeued the lyes of the deuill rather then him For when God saith In the day that ye shall eate thereof ye shall die the death it is as nothing with Eve but when the deuill comes and saith Ye shall not die at all that shee takes fast hold on The third is pride and ambition For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods namely as the father the sonne the holy Ghost The fourth is vnthankfulnes God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image that is nothing with them to be like vnto him vnlesse they may be equall vnto him The fifth is curiositie whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in the creation and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them The sixth is reprochful blasphemie in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill in which he charged God with lying and enuie The seuenth is murder For by this meanes they bereâ—ue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God The eight is discontentation in that they sought for an higher condition then that was in which God had placed them In a word in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God And wee should often thinke vpon this that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall and his vnspeakeable goodnes in receiuing men to mercie after the same And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall Sinnes are either personall or generall Personall are such as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie Generall that is common to all men and such is Adams fall It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankinde or as a publike person representing all his posteritie and therefore when hee sinned all his posteritie sinned with him as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse for the shire is done by euery person in the shire As Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world and so death went ouerall for as much as all haue sinned And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men as Cains murder which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie as Adam was and therefore his sinne is personall whereas Adams is not Yet this which I say must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam but onely of the first From the fall of Adam springeth originall sinne not onely as a fruit thereof but also as a iust punishment of it And after the foresaid fall it is in Adam and his posteritie as the mother and roote of all other sinne yet with this distinction that actuall sinne was first in Adam and then came originall but in vs first is originall sinne and then after followes actuall Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures as the flesh the old man because it is in vs before grace concupiscence sinne that is readie to compasse vs about the sinning sinne and it is commonly tearmed originall because it hath bin in mans nature euer since the fall and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth as Dauid plainly saith Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me not meaning properly his parents sinne for he was borne in lawfull marriage but his owne hereditarie sinne whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe But let vs search the nature of it Considering it hath place in man it must be either the substaÌ„ce of body or soule or the faculties of the substance or the corruption of the faculties Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him should also take vpon him our sinnes and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men and againe the soules of men should not be immortall Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding will affections and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation whereas sinne was not before the fall Wherefore it remains that originall sinne is nothing els but a disorder or euill disposition in al the faculties inclinations of man wherby they are all caried inordinatly against the law The subiect or place of this sinne is not any part of man but the whole bodie and soule For first of all the naturall appetite to meat and drinke and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by

whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse or in the pallace of the king it matters not in regard of our saluation IIII. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last comming to iudgement In the first he came onely for this end not to make any outward alterations in the worlde but to change the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption and therfore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter V. Lastly hee was borne in a poore estate that hee might procure true riches for vs in heauen and withall sanctifie vnto us our pouertie upon earth As Paul saith Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that he being rich for your sakes became poore that ye through his povertie might be made rich Hee was content to lie in the manger that wee might rest in heauen This serues to teach us to be content to beare any mean condition that the Lorde shall sende upon vs for this is the verie estate of the sonne of God him-selfe And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was why should we murmure at the same for what is the best of vs but miserable sinners and therefore utterly unworthy either to goe or lie upon the bare earth and though wee fare and lie better then our Lorde himselfe yet such is our daintinesse we are not pleased therewith whereas hee for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the worlde finde so little entertainment or fauour we for our parts being his members should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men The last point is the manifestation of Christes birth that it might be knowen to the worlde Where consider two circumstances the first to whome namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night and not to great or mightie men louers of this worlde nor to the priests of Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace and that for two causes one because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethleem the other it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith Not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise The second is by whome by the angell of the Lorde appearing in great glorie unto the shepheardes For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the synagogues to whome this office did belong helde their peace beeing blinded in their manifolde errours and wicked waies The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these First wee are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God saying with Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my saviour And with Zacharie Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And with the angell of the Lord Glory to God in the highest heavens For in this birth is made manifest the wisedome the truth the iustice and mercie and goodnes of God towards us more then euer it was before yea as Christ God and man is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods own image and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life and as the eternall and most holy mariage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church rising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side is more wonderfull then the creation of Eue of the rib of Adam Lastly as it is a far greater matter by death to overcome death and to turne it into eternall life then to command that to exist and be which was not before so is the worke of redemption begun in the birth of Christ more unspeakeable and admirable then the first creation of man Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the world And the angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefite and to praise God for it But alas this practise is verie rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde where sinne and iniquitie abounds as may be seene by experience for by an old custom we reteine still in the Church the feast of the nativity of Christ so commonly called which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God that he hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer but contrariwise in rifling dicing carding masking mumming in all licentious libertie for the most part as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily maner that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts as Paul saith My litle children of whome I travell till Christ be formed in you and that is when we are made new creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him he answered He that doth the will of God is my brother my sister and mother Therefore let us go with the shepheards to Bethleem and finding our blessed sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch let us bring him thence and make our owne heartes to be his cradle that we may he able to say that we liue not but Christ liues in vs and let vs present unto him ourselues our bodies and soules as the best gold myrrhe and frankincense that may be and thus conceiuing him by faith he remaining without change we shalbe changed into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The world I know neuer so much as dreameth of this kind of conception and birth for as Dauid saith Men travell with wickednesse conceive mischiefe bring forth a lye And S. Iames saith Men are drawn away by their owne concupiscense which when it hath conceived bringeth forth sinne And these are the ougly and monstrous birthes of these daies But let us I pray you contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennesse of our heartes that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart and bring it foorth in action The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her womb shee had not beene saved and no more can wee unlesse we doe the same The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts is the comfort of comforts and the sweetest balme or confection

alone when these things are taken away then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner The second point is that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle He can be content to see the works of Christ but he can not abide to heare his word to beare his yoke Like to him are many in these daies which gladly desire to heare the Gospell of Christ preached onely because they would heare speach of some strange things laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare Yea many in England delite to read the strange histories of the bible and therefore can rehearse the most part of it and it were to be wished that all could doe it yet come to the practise of it the same persons are commonly found as bad in life and conuersation yea rather worse then others Let vs therefore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience practise with our learning and as well to be affected with the word of Christ as with his works The third point is that Herod derides Christ and sends him away cloathed in a white garment This is that Herod whome Christ called a foxe who also when hee heard Iohn Baptist preach did many things heard him gladly How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes thus to abuse Christ Answer We must knowe that although Herod at the first heard Iohn preach yet withall hee followed his owne affections and sought how to fulfill the lustes of his flesh For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife he cast him in prison and after cut off his head for it after which offence he is grown to this height of impietie that he now despiseth Christ caÌ„not abide to heare him Where we learne that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached so withall we must take heede that we practise no maner of sinne but make conscience of euery thing that may displease God Thou maist I graunt be one that feares and fauours Iohn Baptist for a time wallowing in thy old sinnes but after a while yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart thou wilt neuer heare Iohn nor Christ himselfe but hate and despise them both This is the cause why some which haue beene professours of religion heretofore and haue had great measure of knowledge are now become very loose persons and can not abide to heare the worde preached vnto them the reason is because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes Therefore that wee may begin in the spirit and not end in the flesh let euery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate For when he saw the first would not preuaile then hee tooke a newe course for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and scourged him and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pur it on his head and they put on him a purple garment and saide Haile King of the Iewes and smote him with their roddes And thus he brought him foorth before the Iewes perswading himselfe that when they sawe him so abased and so ignominiously abused they vvould be content therevvith and exact no greater punishment at his handes thinking thus to haue pacified the rage of the Ievves and so to haue deliuered Christ from death by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment This pollicie is as it vvere a looking glasse in vvhich vve may behold of vvhat nature coÌ„dition all plotts pollicies of meÌ„ are which are deuised practised vvithout the directioÌ„ of Gods vvord In it we may obserue 2. things the first is the ground thereof vvhich is a most silly simple or rather sensles argument For he reasoneth thus I finde no fault in this man therefore I will chastise him and let him goe A man vvould hardly haue thought that one hauing but his common sense vvould not haue made such a reason much lesse a great iudge sitting in the roome of God But in him vve may behold see the ground of all humane pollicie vvhich is beside the vvord of God namely the foolish and blind reason of men The 2. thing to be considered is the proceeding and issue of this pollicie Pilat must either vvhip Christ beeing innocent or put him to death vvhich are both sinnes and great offences Novve hee maketh choice of the lesser vvhich is to whippe him and is perswaded that he ought to doe so whereas of two sinnes or euils a man ought to doe neither And in doing this Pilate begins to make a breach in his conscience and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuises which proceede by the light of their owne reason without the word of God By this example we are admonished of two things first that before we enterprize any businesse wee must rectifie our iudgements by Gods worde Dauid was a most wise King and no doubt had withall a graue and wise councell but yet he preferred the word of God before all saying Thy testimonies are my counsellers Secondly in our proceedings we must keepe an vpright pure and vnblameable conscience as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that a good conscience is as it were a chest or cupboard in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion and all other graces of God as the most pretious iewels that can be and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp all our riches and iewels are gone But let vs yet view the dealing of Pilate more particularly he whippes Christ puts on him a purple garment puts a reede in his hand sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head and causes the souldiers to mocke him and spit in his face Now in this that Christ standing in our roome was thus shamefully abused we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes namely shame and reproch in this life and in the life to come endles confusion And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate that his kingdome was not of this world for if it had beene so they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head and not a crowne of thornes nothing at all beseeming an earthly king and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him they would haue adored him falne downe before him Againe whereas Christ our heade in this world ware no other crowne but one made of thornes it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ that they must not look for a crown of glory in this life because that is reserued for the life to come And if we would then weare the crown of glorie with Christ we must here in this life weare a crown of thorns as he did for as

expresse And hereupon the vngodly man when afflictions befal him is readie to make away himselfe because he wanteth the comfort of the holy Ghost The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is the strengthening of them to doe the weightiest duties of their callings and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength There be diuerse things to be done of a Christian man that are farre beyond the reach of his power as first when he seeth his owne sinnes and is truly humbled for them then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen and thereby to catch hold on the mercie of God in Christ is the hardest thing in the whole world and this doe all those know to be true in some part which know what it is to beleeue Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation as for drie wood to resist the fire when it begins to burne Thirdly when a man is put to his choice either to loose his life goods friends and all that he hath or else to forsake religion euen then to forsake all and to sticke vnto Christ is a matter of as great difficultie as any of the former Fourthly when a man wanteth the ordinarie meanes of Gods providence as meat drinke and cloathing then at the very same instant to acknowledge Gods prouidence to reioyce in it and to relie thereon is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth It is against our wicked nature to trust God vnlesse he first lay down some pawne of his loue and mercie towards vs. How then will some say shall any one be able to doe these things Answer The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength and by him we doe al things as Paul saith J am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost two questions may be mooued First what is the measure of grace in this life Answer Small in respect In this world we receiue as Paul saith but the first fruits of Gods spirit and the earnest of the spirit Nowe the first fruits properly are but as an handfull or twaine of corne to a whole corne field containing many acres and furlongs of ground And the earnest in a bargaine it may be is but a pennie laid downe for the paying of twentie thousand pound The second question is whether the graces of the H. Ghost may be wholly lost or not Answer The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinquished But the gifts proper to the Elect can not Indeede they may be diminished and couered as coales vnder ashes and as the sappe in the roote of the tree in the winter season not appearing at all in the braunches and the feeling of them may be lost but they cannot either finally or totally be abolished It is true that God doth forsake his children but that is only in part as he left Ezechias to prooue try what was in his heart A mother that loues her child most tenderly sets it downe in the flore lets it stand fall break the face and all this while shee hides her selfe not because her purpose is to leaue her childe quite or to make it hurt it selfe but that when shee taketh it up againe it may loue her the better So dealeth the Holy Ghost with men to make them see their own weakenesse frailtie he hides himselfe as it were in some corner of the heart for a season that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace the want whereof they felte The use of this article whereby we confesse that we beleeue in the Holy Ghost is manifold First considering that all the giftes which any man hath whether they be giftes of knowledge in the worde of God or of humane learning or againe giftes whereby men are inabled to practise their trades or handicraftes doe come not from our selues but from the holy ghost we are taught this dutie Looke what giftes soeuer we for our partes haue receiued of the spirit of God we must use them so as they may euer serue for the glorie of God and good of our brethren and not to the practising setting forth of any maner of sinne and by consequent to the seruice of the deuill For that is as if a man receiuing riches and reuenues of his prince should straight way go to the princes enemie employ them for his benefite which were a point of exceeding trecherie Furthermore in euery place the greater part of men are blind and ignorant persons both young and olde and aged folkes as they are ignorant themselues so they nuzzle up their youth in ignorance Conferre with them you shall find that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talke as that there is a God and that this God must bee worshipped but aske them further of the meanes of their saluation and of their duties to God and man and they will answere you that they are not booke-learned tell them further that the ordinarie means to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word which if they will not use they shalbe inexcusable they will say alas we are dull of memorie and can not learne Well for all this thou saiest thou beleeuest in the holy ghost and hee is thy schoole-master to teach thee though thy capacitie be dull yet he is able to open thine understaÌ„ding for as there is outwarde teaching by the minister so the worke of the holy ghost is ioyned withall to enlighten the conceit of the minde that they which heare the worde with reuerence may profite thereby and get knowledge But if for all this men will not learne but remaine ignorant still then let them marke the example of the sonnes of Eli he in some part did rebuke them for their wickednesse but yet they woulde not obey and the reason is there set downe because the Lorde would destroy them In the same manner howsoeuer we may not iudge of any mans person yet this may be said that if men refuse to heare the worde of God when they may or if in hearing they will not obey it is a fearefull signe that God will at length destroy them When a trumpet is sounded in a mans eare and hee lyes still not stirring at all hee is certenly deade And surely when the trumpet of the gospell is sounded in the eares of our hearts if we awake not out of our sinnes to newnesse of life wee are no better then deade men before God Wherefore the case beeing thus dangerous and the punishment so great let us labour in time for the knowledge of Gods will and preuent Gods iudgements before they light upon us Thirdly as the Apostle saith If we live in the spirite vvee must walke in the spirit that is if we be dead unto sinne by the power of the holy ghost and be raised up to

Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Text snippets containing the quad