thereof which is maruellous and in respect of the manner which is miraculous The matter maruellous that we for lorne wretches and dust creeping wormes blinded in our own vnderstandings hardned in our hearts and infected in our affections should euer become coheires with Christ the Sonne of God taken out as a remnant from among all other creatures which God seemed to passe ouer and to neglect in respect of vs for God hath not communicated this mysterie in such neernesse no not to the blessed Angels for To which of the Angels sayde God at any time Sit on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies â—hy footestoole The manner miraculous that fleshâ— and bloud should become such holy seruants enlightned in their vnderstandings mollified in their hearts reformed in all their desires yea sanctified throughout both in spirit soule and body and should become such resolute souldiers in Gods battels vpon such hard tearmes of intertainement as were proclaymed by Christ to his followers beeing conditions so offensiue and contrariant to the nice nature of men and women which were That if they followed Christ and would liue godly in this present world they should suffer persecution they should be hated of all men they should be whipped and murthered yea they should fare as Lambes among Wolues In a word their swords of Reuenge must be euer words of Grace and Edification their fightings patience their wealth ofttimes greeuous want their feasting fasting their whole life very miserable in respect of others they being abridged of many outward things and their ende in the sight of men oft-times most lamentable Great therefore doubtlesse is this mystery of godlinesse which for all these hard conditions or whatsoeuer heresie schisme apostasie the world the flesh or the diuell could doe to crosse it discerneth truth from falsehood by Euangelicall reuelation the effect of Preaching and by doctrine the effect of knowledge which Saint Angustine calleth Christian Doctrine by the patient sufferings of Gods Saints in the bloudie butcheries and persecution of the Christian Church Great is the mysterie of godlinesse yea so Great that God became man and man became God that this God-man was manifested in the flesh so great was it that it was iustified by the spirit both of power and puritie so bright that the Angels desire to behold it so great that the Iles a farre off heare it preached the harts of men are subdued there with to beleeue it and the nature of man in the person of the Sonne of God is receiued vp in glory Great is this holy mysterie that mâ—n therby should haue a new birth by Regeneration a new heart by Sanctification new desires by holy Resolution and become good godly and piouâ— men from out all obliquities defects and euills of their sinfull nature which is wholly corrupted as of infidels to become beleeuers of vncleane persons to become chaste of drunkards sober men of lyars truth loueuers and in a word of sinfull and sensuall miscreants to become fast and faithfull Christians Yea it is so Great that it is miraculous for in despight of Sathan and all the powers of darkenesse it worketh miraculous effects in our weake and feeble natures It enlightneth our vnderstandings with the sight of God by faith in the mirrour of Iesus Christ for being puâ—ified in heart wee shall see God It abandoneth all multiplicitie of gods in Paganism for in vntruthes there is no end of lying It detecteth all Turkish impostures and all Mahumetan dreames of their Miscelanian mongrill Alcaron It cleereth the oraâ—cles of Gods will the sacred Scriptures from all the Talmudicall muddie glosses of the Iewish Rabinicall Sanheâ—drim And in a word it refuteth all Popish innouations and misguiding traditions and whatsoeuer else dependeth thereon For the Antiquitie of this godlinesse is the Ancient of dayes and wee may easily answer all our opposits brags of Antiquitie with this It was not so from the beginning The counsels of this Godlinesse are Apostolicall Orthadoxe not Trentall or Lateran for the voyce froÌ„ heauen was Heare him The fathers hereof Saint Paul and Saint Peter and others the fathers of the fathers This is a mysterie indeede and a great mysterie and more then that the mysterie of Godlinesse not the curious querees of mans vain greatnesse to wit the secret mysteries of nature either of the firmamentarie orelementarie world for abstruse knowledge we leaue to Aristotle Lemnius Cardanus Cornelius Agrippa Albert us Auerhoes Trismegistus such like the searchers inquisitors of natures niceties the end whereof for the most part is vaine Phylosophy they that spend their dayes in such triflings eyther fayle of this happy end to bee Godly like those that seeke with the expence of witte and wealth the Elixar of the Philosophers stone the Worlds woodcocke or fal away from God in Astrologicall calculations with the curious Chaldeans and Egyptians But this Godlinesse is the Great Riches for albeit it hath nothing of the World yet it possesseth all the thinges of God That 's a mysterie indeed It dignifieth vs with the grace of Sanctification aboue our wretched nature and diefieth vs with the happinesse of Glorification aboue the visible Heauens That is a great mysterie It is the salt of the earth seasoning vs and all the acts wee doe that we and they may bee rationall sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ yea and it is the fauour of Heauen breathing into vs the breath of eternall life whereby wee are made partakers of the Diuine nature in beleeuing on God in this Worlde and in louing him shall liue for euer in the other world This Godlines must needs be great when the great God by his holy Spirit is the worker thereof for who can repaire the ruines of our rotten and corrupt nature but the God of nature Hee it is who onely can take away the stony heart and giue vs a fleshie plyable and penitent heart that onelie can rid vs out of sathans snares restore vs to a sound mind Great is this Godlinesse seing nothing could moue God to doe this for vs but his owne great loue to mankind and the death and Resurrection of that great Prophet Christ Iesus the Sonne of God Great in respect of the means wherby God conuayed this Godlinesse vnto vs for the faith of this Godlines conuerteth vs by the doctrine of the Law to know our selues our sins by the preaching of the Gospell to know our selues in Christ Iesus to bee saued and oft times by afflictions wee are weaned from the World and are made to take liking of God and godlines So wee see that in the first act of our becomming good wee are meerely passiue for what can a dead man doe to quicken himselfe and wee were all dead in sinnes and trespasses but after wee are thus quickned by Gods acte wee know that we are aliue and reioyce in
vanquished him Insomuch that the very diuels cry Torment vs not before our time and aske leaue to goe euen into sordid swine Thus was he iustified in the power of the Spirite in â—anquishing the powers of darkenes His Iustification was also declared by the spirit of power against his enemies as appeared by the fower Herods Asâ—alonita Archelaus Antipas and Agrippa who being Tyrants and persecutors of Christ in his infancy and of some of his followers there appeared vppon them the strong hand of God that brought them to pittifull and lamentable confusions But most notably and most notoriously the Iustification of the same God Christ Iesus our Lord in the Spirit of power appeareth most euidently euen at this day to the viewe of the whole christian world in his continued iudgements vpon the whole nation of the Iewes who were subuerted and vtterly ouerthrowne by the Romans at the very time of the yeare wherein they crucified Christ which was about Easter For at that very time of their great festiuity the Romanâ—s came and besieged Hierusalem And as from Mount Oliuet they appreheÌ„ded Christ so from that Mouâ—t was their City entered and surprised And as they hurried the Lord Iesus from Pilate to Herod so they were hurried vp and downe during the siege from Iohn to Simeon and from Simeon to Iohn two notable villaines that did mutinize within the City to their vnspeakeable torment vexation and vtter subuersion And as they whipped the Lord of Life and attired him in despicable maner in contempt and scorne Euen so they were whipped vp and downe the holy City in great villany and reproach by the Romane souldiers And as the Lord Iesus was solde for thirty peeces of siluer by Iudas a Iew euen so thirty of the Iewes in the sacking of the City were solde for one peece of siluer by the Souldiers And euen yet the hand of Gods power to iustifie his sonnes innocency is not shortned but stretched out against them still The holy bloud of Christ crying against them and against their children as they themselues desired for vengeance They liuing as a forlorne and scattered people vpon the surface of the earth without Priest or Prophet King or Scepter comfort or compassion In a word tell me who did euer striue against the Messias and did prosper or band himselfe against Christ or Christian and was not confounded Christ was also iustified by the spirit of sanctifying puritie beeing pure and spotlesse in himselfe both in body and soule for there was not any guile in him and also pure in his redeemed people effectually In himselfe pure his conception pure by the holy Ghost his birth pure of a Virgin his life pure both in word and deed in life and death pure for hee offended not no not so much as in his tongue and he is perfect that so offendeth not In his redeemed people pure by the effects of the same iustifying spirite For whereas all the whole world else is set vpon wickednesse hunting eyther with profite as with a bloud-hound or else beeing befooled or besotted with pleasures as theyr Helena these two beeing as it were the two Poles wheron the whole world else is turned the spirite of Christ hath wrought in those that are his â—uch a measure of sanctification that they minde and breath nothing but Heauen and heauenly things If it thuÌ„der that say they is the voyce of our heauenly Father If they cast their eyes to those visible heauens there say they is the curtaine or base court of our inheritance among the Saâ—nts If they heare musicke Oh say they what harmony do the Angels make in Heauen If they behold the earth and the glory therof they say If God haue prouided such a place of pleasure for vs on earth in this our prison What glory is that hee hath layde vp for vs in heauen In all occurrences of their life they sauour nothing but of God and goodnesse In a Word they liue not but Christ liueth in them For this is indeed the true beeing of Christians wholy to giue ouer themselues to bee guided by Gods holy iustifying Spirite Their life is to liue in the Spirite their passages are to walke in the spirite If they resolue their station is in the spirite If they bee deuoute They pray in the Spirite Al their whole seruice of God is to Worship him in spirit and truth Otherwise those that haue not this spirite that is are not guided thereby are none of his For as in the creation of the World The spirite of God moued vpon the waters So certainely now in the Regeneration and new birth of the Christian World the Spirite of God moueth vpon the affections of our harts to turn the riuers in the south that is to turne the streame of our actions and courses of our life to the Ocean the liuing God For hee hath made vs for him selfe and therefore our hearts are neuer quiet vntill wee returne vnto the Lord our God againe When Christ therefore speaketh hee speaketh by the spirit to the Churches for the Scripture sayth Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the spirite sayth to the Churches The Comforter also of Gods Church is the spirite which is Gods gift vnto his and doth Witnesse with the spirite That wee are the sonnnes of God There is the certainty of the subiect of our Faith The spirite doth make intercession for vs with sighes vnutterable There is the breath of our prayers and doth helpe our infirmities There is the stay and pillar of all our happinesse The first Adam being a liuing soule but the second Adam a quickning spirite For they are quickned in whom this blessed spirite dwelleth both toward God in the spirite of faith and holy vnion and in the spirite of zeale being rauished for the hope of Heauen as appeared in the blessed Martyres and also quickned towardes others in the spirite of charity keeping the vnity of the spirite in the bonde of peace in the spirit of meekenesse and placabilitie being easie to bee entreated for Christs sake Quickened in themselues in the Spirit of sanctification purging themselues for their assured hope of Heauen and in the spirit of sinceritie Doing iustly in all their actions with all men To this purpose the earnest of the Spirit is giuen the Elect euen in this life neuer to be taken away but to bee made vp for that is the 〈◊〉 of an earnest and the pledge of the spirite as an hostage to secure them the seale of the promise to sanctifie them and the spirit it selfe being the Doctor of trueth to leade them into all truth that their sensuall part may bee guided by right reason theyr reason ordered by faith and their faith illuminated sanctified and ledde on by the Spirite of God Indeede to them that seeke not after God this directioÌ„ of his most holy spirite is hateful and the reason is very plaine
Euen because this sacred spirite of the eternall God Rebuketh the world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement It rebuketh the world of sinne because the wicked world beleeueth not which is the Sinne of Sinnes as I may so say but is fraught with furious spirits of blind ignorāce and desperatefolly which cast thousands into fires and waters of misperswasion and misbeleefe and these worldlings are caught away with vnpure spirites of sensuall security which possesse them both with dumbnes deafenesse that they can neyther speake of God but in their blasphemous cursinges and swearings nor heare of God without great wearisomnesse and discontent This sacred spirite also rebuketh the world of righteousnesse because sayeth Christ I goe the right way vnto the Father but the world is ledde by witte worshippes will worships and other such deuises of singularity conceited righteousnesse of mans many inuentions Some with Anabaptisme which is the diuell in an Angell of light and some with Iesuitisme which is a subtil slie Antichrist in the Church And this holy spirit rebuketh the world of Iudgement because the Prince of this world is iudged already and the vnbeleeuers his vassalls and slaues are iudged with him and are reserued for the further iudgement and vtter darkenesse of these vnpure spirites that are already in chaines to be brought forth in the great audite of Christ and end of the world For what deuoute soule trembleth not yea shuddereth not with horror to know that Sathan is the God of this world and to conceiue that seuen spirites of euil yea Legions of vncleane spirites may obsesse possesse and hellifie the soule and bodie of one man or of one woman I wonder that the whole frame and fabrique of nature shaketh and quaketh not to beare and heare those hellish and diuelish miscreants that when the seruants of GOD preach solemnely soberly seriously in the power zeale and abundance of their spirit say to them as Festus sayd to Paul This man is beside himselfe much learning makes him mad and say to others as the Iewes to the Apostles when they had receyued the gift of the holy spirit These men are drunke with wine or else take vpon them in the diuelish and damnable pride of their owne hearts to direct the whole world in the misperswasion of their own singular and priuate spirite not in order to God as they pretend but in confusion to the diuell as the ende shewes So did Iohn of Leidon Nipper Doling Chreiton and others of that crew of wretched miscreants who at Munster in their enraged and rebellious route cryed out being led by a cursed spirite of their owne nothing but Depose kill murther meaning those sober and moderate Christians that withstoode their brainesicke fury and Anabaptisticall fanaticall folly and in all that outrage pretended nothing but that they were guided thereunto by the spirite So doe those that are engaged into the spirite of Antichrist and enraged with the poysoned cup of the strūpet of Romish Babylon her spiritual fornication who speak write and practise prepensed wickednesse as did Cardinal Como to Parrie the traytor what time hee intended nay receyued their consecrated host with the saide Cardinall to kill our late Queene Elizabeth of pretious memorie signifying by letter vnto him that the then Pope Gregorie the thirteenth as by the Credentiall note included in the letter he might see doubted not but that the same spirite which moued him to so good a worke as to kill the Queene would certainely assist him to the performance thereof Oh barbarous spirite of brutish Popery So do those that scoffe at the gifts of the Spirite in their brethren saying to those whom they see reuearing and yeelding obedience to the power of Gods grace and counselling others to be guided gouerned thereby Oh Sir you are so full of the spirite that it runs out of your nose Oh sir the spirite moueth you This and the like hellish language I say is an amazement vnto good men to thinke there should be any fo damnably prophane and so desperately wicked especially among Christians who professe in their holy Creede to beleeue in the holy spirite and acknowledge that in the power of that spirit They liue moue and haue their being yea and they feele themselues oft times quickned from the dulnesse of sinne by the same spirit vnto the motion and life of grace wherby they are made vnexcusable And professe further that they beleeue that they shall bee raysed vppe out of their dust and from the bands and fetters of the graue by the operation of this powerfull and blessed spirite vnto eternall glory by that mighty working whereby it is able to subdue all things vnto it selfe This I say is a great consternation and amazement vnto a Christian heart and causeth oft times many good soules to quake and shudder to see and behold such desperate scornings and reprochful contumelies among such as professe they beleeue in God The serious consideration whereof I am perswaded would eftsoones trouble the mindes of many other with grieuous distractions and disturbances had not the holy booke of God in two most pregnant places of the new Testament set foorth to the life both of the Apostacie of faith and irregularity of good manners which the spirit of God prophesyeth should happen in these last and worst ages of the world For Saint Paul teacheth the Bishoppe of Ephesus That the spirite speaketh euidently That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede to spirites of error and doctrines of Diuels The spirites of error are such in whome there is no sound trueth of GOD but mingled and mangled with humane traditions no conscience of good but iustifyings of their owne inuentions The doctrines of diuels are prohibitions of marriage and superstitious abstaining from meates as the Text speaketh And I take those spirits of errors and doctrines of diuels are no where to be foūd in the Christian Church more pregnant for we must not looke for them among Turkes and Pagans because this Prophesie reuealeth what shall happen in the Church and amongst professors of Christ but in the Papacy only which in the later times that is some sixe hundred yeares agoe or thereaboutes vtterly fell away from the verity of the faith of Christ and gaue heede to the spirites of errors doctrines of diuels intending nothing else thereby but the subuersion of the Primitiue purity of Religion and conuersion of the internall beauty of the Church of Christ into an externall and pompous lustre of humane policie And againe Saint Paul sheweth by the euidence of the same spirite That in the last dayes which are these worst dayes of ours should come perillous times wherein men should bee louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affections truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of
them that are good traytors beady high minded louers of pleasure more then of God hauing a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof from which Saint Paul counselleth to turne away These Men and Brethren These I say are the faithlesse and fruitlesse spirites of vanity the dissolute children of disobedience and cloudes without water who despite the spirite of grace Quench the light of the Gospell and know not whether there bee an holy Ghost or no. But Men and Brethren Hearken whosoeuer offendeth of infirmity offendeth against God the Father who is power and strength and whosoeuer offendeth of ignorance sinneth against God the Sonne who is wisedome and these finnes are pardonable but who so sinneth against the Holy Ghost the spirite of truth and charity his sinnes are irremisible Let him therefore that hath an eare heare what the Spirite sayth vnto the Churches For the Spirites of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophetes Bee men neuer so profoundly learned or so well conceyted of themselues Christ Iesus who was our Reconciliation on earth by his Incarnation Life and Passion is now our Aduocation in heauen at the right hand of God the Father by his continual Mediation and is our dayly Comforter as Saint Bernard speaketh by mouing stirring and inclining our harts to beleeue and our wils and consciences to the obedience of faith and to the endeauour care and study of all sacred duties Are not they then in a most desperate and wofull estate and condition thinke you who despise and despite this Reconciliation Aduocation Mediation Consolation of Gods spirit who continue in that sinne for which there is neyther sacrifice noâ— oblation to bee offered that can doe them or theirs any good who resist the Spirite of Christ albeit it stand at the dore of their hearts and consciences and craue for entrance who grieue the spirite of God by their vile and beastlie liuing and quench out the light thereof by their ouer-flowings of malitiousnesse which otherwise would shine and glitter like the sparkles of a diamond in the middest of our naughtie Natures and in a word who haue in them no gifte grace condition qualitie sparke or resemblance of Gods spirite whatsoeuer they may brag and boast thereof out of their owne deceiueable seemings but only this that their goodnesse so Anabaptistically are they besotted cannot be seen as the holy Ghost is inuisible And no lesse lamentable are the cauils of those which obiect That the Iesuites whom wee so vilifie boast also that they are led by the spirite as if most damnable heretiques did not make the same plea but the practise of the Nobles of Baroa is a satisfactory answere for that and all other cauils of that frie for they searched the Scriptures To see whether or no the thinges were so that they heard the Apostles preach but the spirite of Iesuitisme dare not abide that triall nor any other like spirit of error Another saith there bee so manie that vaunte of the spirit that I knowe not which I should adhere vnto but Saint Paul giueth a rule for that Neuerthelesse saith he wherevnto wee haue already attained Let vs march by the same rule which is the sacred Scriptures that wee may minde the same thing This plainely sheweth vs that we must adhere to none for our direction to God but such as adhere to Gods Oracle the Sacred scriptures and are guided thereby Yea but another vrgeth further and saith wee see that those that professe themselues to bee guided by the Scriptures and by the spirit thereof doe differ What then All men haue not Faith albeit in number and profession they be of the Church as S. Austine speaketh hence it is that they cannot accord For what communion hath light with darknesâ— or Faith with infidelitie Yea euen amongst them that haue Faith some haue a greater and some a lesser portion thereof according to their knowledge by Gods dispensation hence it is oft times that they cannot accord in all things at all times for there is a procession from faith to faith yet all may holde the Fundamentall grounds and principles in blessed diuinitie albeit they differ in some particulars because some haue already attained to that measure of grace which anotherâ— may attaine vnto in some time after This therefore is an infallâ—ble rule of S. Iohn We are of God hee that knoweth God heareth vs Hee that is not of God heareth not vs Hereby knowe we theâ— spirite of Error and the spirite of Truth That is as S. Augustine expounds it If any man take vppon him to expound the scriptures albeit it bee euen by himselfe with inuocation of GOD who assists by his holie spirite and the spiritual man discerneth all things the internall vnction directing him in all things and leading him into all truth To this man wee are bound to hearken and his doctrine to embrace albeit thousands gaine say it as the Councell of Nice hearkened to Paphnutius being but one man against the whole route and rabble of Pseudo Catholiques But if any man vndertake to doe it of himselfe of his owne priuate and singular spirite without warrant and directioÌ„ of Gods spirit which counselleth and guideth by the word onely It is the Spiders webbe the Cockatrice egge the fome of the sea the fume of the bottomlesse pitte wee may vndoubtedly disauow it and defie it I conclude then that this foundation standeth firme sound and may satisfie the soule of any beleeuer to wit that God is manifested in the flesh by beeing baptized as man Iustified in the Spirite by forgiuing sinnes as God Manifested in the flesh by being tempted as man Iustified in the spirite as God by ouercomming for vs the world the flesh and the Diuell Manifested in the flesh by beeing hungry as man Iustified in the spirite as God by feeding thousands aboundaÌ„tly with a very small pittance Manifested in the flesh by enduring thirst as man Iustified in the spirite as God by calling those that are thirstie vnto the waters of Life that they might neuer thirst any more Manifested in the flesh by praying as man Iustified in the spirite by hearing the prayers of others as God Manifested in the flesh by weeping as man Iustified in the spirite by wiping all teares fâ—om our eyes as our God Manifested in the flesh by being sold for thirty peeces of siluer as a man Iustified in the Spirite as God by redeeming the world with his bloud a price pricelesse peerelesse Mâ—nifested in the flesh beeing led as a sheepe to the slaughter as man Iustified in the spirite by triumphing ouer death and hell and by leading captiuity captiue as Godâ— Manifested in the flesh by dying as man Iustified in the spirit as God by rising againe from the dead by ascending into heauen by sitting at the right hand of the Father whence we expecting him to come againe in the end of the world with Maiestie and
great glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead Come Lord Iesus Come quickly O holy spirit of purity and power assist my weake and feeble spirit to bee lift vp vnto thee in prayer Oh righteous God and most merciful Father in Iesus Christ to whome the spirites of the iust are always and euery where lift vp remember mee in thy great goodnes For I acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my many and manifolde infirmities wretchednesses and wickednesses both in the sinnes of my body and also in the sinnes of my soule Now a long time O Lord I haue bin grieuously teÌ„ptead with the spirits not of infirmitie only which dwell in my flesh but with foule filthy spirits of pride ambition enuie worldly pollicie other vile vaine deceitfulnes of mine own heart and oft times with lothsom and vgly spirits of lust adultry gluttony druÌ„kenes wantonesse many other such like euills which haunt me daily eyther in thought word or deed and seeke to harâ—our in my polluted flesh giuing me no rest nor respite but are still seeking and daily assayling to ruinate and run ouer me and are dayly fighting and troubling me I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I haue done euil in thy fight and these euills are punishments vnto mee for the same It is I Oh Lord it is I and it seemeth to me that it is none but I that euer sinned so hainously against thee I seeme to my selfe of all others to be the most miserable most distressed and most wretched creature on the earth What shall I doe O Creator of heauen and of earth Thou preseruer of mankinde whether shal I flye from these vgly Monsters that thus pursue my soule and daylie seeke to preuaile against me I know not where to be safe from them but onely to flye vnto thee Oh Lord who onely canst still the raging and the roaring of the great waters when they arise and swell who onely canst chaine the Diuell when hee is â—rampant and ready to deuoure and who onely canst cast out the vncleane spirite with a worde that they neuer enter any more Now therefore come I to thee O King of Saints shewing to thee my malady my misery my moâ—rning how I lye here among the graues of the deade and torment my selfe being possessed with the rage and hell of my misdeedes and crie after thee O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and deliuer mee by the power of thy might by thy stretched out arme and by one touch of thy sacred goodnesse that it may dispossesse Sathan the strong man of his hold that it may heale me and cast out the vncleane spirites and may vtterly abandon sinne shame and Sathan farre from me and from my dwellings Take from mee for Christ his sake mine owne wretched spirit of infidelitie pride mallice and vnconstancie and grant vnto me O Lord in steed thereof thy blessed spirit of truth humilitie charitie and perseuering constancy Oh take from me O Lord mine owne spirit of vncleanenesse couetousnesse flouthfulnesse and bestow vpon me in steed thereof thine holy spirit of purenesse liberalitie and of all carefull and Christian circumspection Take from me deare Father mine owne spirit of crookednesse wherwith I haue beene vexed and bowed together for many yeares and grant mee thy Spirit of power to raise me vp and thy strength that I may resist sinne in these dayes of my combating that I may so resolutely deuoute my selfe to theâ— and to thy sacred seruice that I may neuer more hearken to subtill and enticing spirits of pleasure of errors of impietie O sacred spirit that didst moue vpon the waters in the creation of the world now moue the streames and fountains of my life in my regeneration and new birth Shake the very foundations of my soule that the image of Christ Iesus may bee repayred in me which I vile wretch by my sinnes haue miserably deformed and defaced O blessed spirit help mine infirmities heale my imperfections compassionate my miseries and make intercession for me with sighes vnutterable which will haue no nay That I may feele my selfe comforted by thee the spirit of consolation in all the wayes of godlinesse that I may perceiue my selfe to bee led on into all truth and veritie and may at the last assure mine owne spirit by thy blessed testimony that I am a child of thy gratious adoption O blessed Iesus that wast declared mightely to be the son of God by the powerfull spirit of sanctification and by rising from the dead that didst vanquish vtterly abandon all the powers all the houres of darkenesse and spirits of error and misbeleefe remoue farre from mee all heathenish Pagan and Popish idolatrie all confidence in any creature all flattering of mine own-selfe that the pure light of thy reuealed truth may shine into my heart that I may euer worship thee in spirit and truth as thou hast commanded And O God make my life holy innocent modest and honest in thy sight that I may see my heart repayred and renued by thy spirit of grace to walke before thee in godly and sincere integritie of conuersation all the remainder of my wretched dayes So am I assured Sathan shall neuer circumuent me nor the world deceiue me or mine owne flesh intice mee or enforce me from thy holy and sacred directions but if I fall I shall rise againe if I turne away at any time I shall returne againe So shall I euer magnifie thy name and multiplie prayses vnto thy maiestie and ascribe vnto thee honor and praise all my life long Grant these mercies vnto me O father of comfort and power for thy couenants sake made vnto mankinde in the iustification of thy Sonne Christ Iesus both for the sanctitie of his life for the suffering of his death and for the continuall intercession and mediation of his eternall priesthood hee now sitting at thy right hand for vs in Maiâ—stie and great glory and remaining a Priest for euer after the order of Mâ—lchisedech Behold vs wretches O holy Ghost whose soules cleaue vnto the ground quicken vs with thy might and lift vs vp from the grossenesse of our corruption to our spirituall beeing in Iesus Christ that wee may liue in the spirit loue in the spirit pray in the spirit and bee led thereby continually into all good actions being thereby purged and purified both in our spirits soules and bodyes from all dead and damnable workes of the flesh the world and the diuell That so at the last wee may through thy fauour O God bee perfectly vnited vnto thee in the spirit of sanctification in this life and in the euerlasting spirit of thy power be brought to our glorification in the other life through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen GOD SEENE of Angels Explication THis Manifestation of God in the flesh and iustification in the Spirit was so apparant and the glory thereof so great that it filled heauen and earth with the brightnesse of
Scripture calleth this cause The spirit of faith or the spirite â—f beleeuing Gods second cause of our â—eleeuing is his blessed and â—oly word read and preached 〈◊〉 the ordinarie means of our â—ith which worketh vpon â—wo forcible and perswasiue â—enses the eye and the eare â—he one for the reader of the word the other for the hearer of the word preached or read For the eare God hath ordayned a voyce to call vpon â—s by the paynes of preaching For the eye his sacred word is written or printed that it may be read and vnderstood of vs and our children and this is the cause of our beleeuing which is called The word of Faith Aske a Christian then why he beleeues the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie his answer is because the Scripture records it there is the word of faith but reply vpon him and aske him why he beleeues the scriptures his reason is without reason in himselfe for he saith The finger of God is there If you vrge and say Why doest thou beleeue and I do not I heare the word as well as thee Saint Paule will answer with an out crie O depth That is a matter of amazement not of argument saith S. Ambrose But what might be the cause that stayeth and vpholds the hearts of the sonnes of men along the misery of this life in this word of beleeuing Surely eternall life the saluation of our soules the last article of our Christian faith is the finall cause and anchor-holde of out beleeuing in Christ Iesus For the hope whereof the holy ones of God purge theÌ„selues both in soule and body that they may be acceptaâ—le vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thereâ—ore S. Peter calleth eternall â—ife the end of our beleeuing â—uen the assured glorification â—f soule and body which by â—aith wee expect in the other world In respect whereof also it is that this faith goeth not alone like some bankrupt but is royally attended with a troupe of good works semblable to the causes thereof For the spirit of faith is not barren but is in continuall motion in stirring and quickning vp the harts of gods children euery day to goodnes Neither is the word of faith verball onely But liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword enters throgh euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the maâ—row and is a discerner of the thought and the intents of the heart The people of God therefore whose hearts are thus powerfully moued by the spirit of faith to beleeue and thus effectually counselled by the word of faith to liue well endeauour nothing else but that their liuing may be answerable to their beleeuing that so their soules might bee saued For this sacred faith of Christ first of all purifieth the heart now if the fountaine be cleare and cleane the whole streame that issueth thence will be cleane also Secondly this faith of Christ worketh by loue and bringeth foorth good workes I should euer therefore distrust that I neuer was a true beleeuer vnlesse I felt my heart sanctified by grace and my and working the deedes of haritie This doubtlesse was â—he faith of the primitiue â—orld while the bloud of Christ was yet warme in the â—earts of those beleeuers Witnes all those Churches â—olledges Hospitalls Enâ—owments Rents Reuenews â—ands Liuings Pensions and â—â—l other such donations and â—onsecrations appropriated â—nd giuen to the maintenance of religion and learning to â—he succour of the poore and â—o the perpetuating of Gods worship here on earth vntill â—he second comming of Christ. For the people then liued and beleeued as men knowing that the faith of Christ is not fruitlesse and that by the fruites therof they are assured of their election past and of their perfection by Christ to come that their good deedes should follow them where nothing else â—ould and that according to the proportion of their workes wrought in earth by grace in Christ they should through the mercie of God and not of merit bee allotted a portion of happines hereafter in the heauens And therefore vnderstanding their weldoing here to be necessarie to their well being for euer they studyed nothing else but to goe on in that race of goodnesse that they might attaine at the last the blessed end thereof euen the reward of mercy promised vnto them by the word of faith written vnto them in the bloud of our faith sealed assured vnto theÌ„ by the death of our faith stirred vp moued herevnto by the spirit of faith Christs vicegerent on earth whose they were encouraged thereunto by the bloud of so â—any faithfull beleeuers that â—yed for the faith of Christ â—nd continue therein vnto â—heir liues end by the exubeâ—ant and abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus their Ruler and Redeemer O Blessed Paule faithfull and beleeuing was the world when as yet the bloud of Christ was warme in meâ—s hearts and when the faithfull beleeuers inflamed with the loue of God and ouerioyed with the glad tydings of the Gospell thus bespake Gods seruants that preached thâ— faith vnto them Blessed in thâ— Lord will our goods pleasâ—â—â— you Behold we lay them dowâ— at your feete will our eyes 〈◊〉 you good Take ought of ouâ—â— that is neere and deere vnto 〈◊〉 euen our right eyes Will our liues steede you Wee esteeme theâ— not for the testimonie of the faitâ— of Iesus Christ as for all manner of tribulations that can happen for Iesus Christ sake We accompt them not worthy 〈◊〉 the glory that shall bee receiued A blessed and beautifull â—ace of time it was O Paule when the prime beleeuing Christians had no other fault â—ound in them no not by â—heir verie enemies as Plinius â—ecundus an heathen testifieth 〈◊〉 Traian the Emperour but his was all hee could certifie â—gainst them to the state that â—hey oft times assembled â—emselues together before â—ay in the caues and holes of the earth to sing Psalmes â—nd prayses to the Lord of â—ife Christ Iesus which seruice for feare of persecution they durst not performe publikely O then was the time hoâ—y Paule that faith wrought â—y Gods loue and not by selfe loue by good workes and not by goodly wordes what time the beleeuing Christians were knowne not â—o bee of the tribe of Naphtaâ—â— giuing goodly wordes but of the tribe of Ioseph beeing fruitfull boughes euen fruitfull boughes by a Well whose branches run ouer the wall When Placilla the wife of Theodosius a beleeuing Empresse would resort vnto the Almes houses and Hospitalâ—s of the poore to see them succoured and releeued and when her nice Gentlewomen that wayted oâ— her would dehort and disswade her not to debase her selfe to come into such meane places and neere such nastie people shee with teares in her eyes would reâ—ply and say O I wouâ—d not doe thiâ— and this onely
hold faste our profession For wee haue not an high Priest that cannot bee touched with our infirmities but was in all partes tempted like as wee are without sinne And albeit wee reade that Moses and Samuel Noah Daniel and Iob those holy men were not powerfull to preuayle with God in some cases for others yet no where can it bee found that our Lord Iesus Christ had euer the repulse for his chosen For hee is the Sonne in â—hom the Father is well â—leased Let the curious questioner come hither and if hee aske How is Christ with vs vnto the end of the world as he promised if he be receiued vp in glory I answer that hee who Was before Abraham is with vs by his grace and power of his holy spirit that liue in the faith of Abraham His departure hence into heauen beeing for our exceeding great Comfort and benefite For where should an aduocate bee but before the Iudge pleading his Clyents cause where should a Captaine bee but fighting with the enemies without the Citie And the father of a great family doth not alwayes reside at home but trauelleth into a farre country about his affayres to prouide for his houshold So Christ himselfe testifies That vnlesse he depart the Comforter should not come Not vnlike the glorious sunne of the firmament which when it is furthest from vs in locall distance it is neerest vnto vs in power and effect as appeareth in the Summer season For then the beames of the Sunne are more pâ—ercing albeit it bee further of because then they are direct and perpendicular which in the Winter though the body of the Sunne bee neerer yet the rayes thereof are oblique and aside Semblably the bodyly presence of Christ on earth wrought not so effectually in his Apostles and other the faithfull as his holy spirit did after his departure which hee powred out on them in great measure as hee promised for then were their hearts throughly resolued their willes fully purposed and their zeales feruently onflamed Yea let the most Seraphicall and most Cherubicall soules that liue come hither and see what the Angels of heauen admire at who beholding Christ Iesus ascending with this glorious conquest of his redeemed church say but by way of admiration Who is shee that looketh foorth as the Morning bright as the Sunne pure as the Moone terrible as an Armie with ensignes Nay blessed soules to which of the Angels sayde God at any time as hee doth to our Lord Christ Emanuell thou art my sonne And againe I will bee thy Father and thou shalt bee my Sonne yea the Angels are commanded to adore him and the son is bid to sit down at the right hand of the Father in the glory of heauen Lastly lâ—t the simple and honest soule come hither and learne not to seeke Christ on earth in a Wafer Cake as the Popelings doe but as the Apostle counselleth in heauen saying If you bee risen with Christ seeke those things that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and where hee must bee vntill the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world beganne Set therefore your mindes on heauen and heauenly things and not on earth and earthly things Heauen is now opened enter thou into the holy of holyest for thou art O my soule past the vtter and inner Court Thy Mediator is in heauen pray thou here in earth that hee may heare in heauen and speake for thee Our â— flesh is in heauen in the person of Christ whereby wee see that the glory wee haue won by Christ is greater then the disgrace and curse that the malice of the diuell brought vpon vs by Adam The diuels maliceâ— and our sinne cast vs out of Paradice but Christs loue and sufferings for sinne makes vs sit in heauenly places with him In a word our triumph is in heauen who would not fight the battaile manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell being assured by the captaine of the victorie Wee may also hence perceiue how God tenderly and louingly dealeth with vs euen as Moses sayth hee dealt with his owne people the Israelites And how was that euen as the Eagle sayth hee doth with her young The Eagle couereth her young with her winges so God doth with the winges of his safe protection She sometimes perceiuing her young ones dull and drooping gently peckes them with her becke to stirre them vppe so God by afflictions doth quicken his children yea sometimes the Eagle taketh away her young ones meate and flyeth vp into the ayre to entice and prouoke them to practise and endeuour to soare on high-euen so God the Father hath receiued vp Christ Iesus our heauenly Manna into glory that wee should learne to aspyre and soare vpwards that where hee is there wee might bee also And to this ende the two Angells tolde vs at his receiuing vppe into this glory that hee should in the same manner descend to iudgement in the ende of the world which wee expâ—ct with patience nay long and looke for and crye in our hearts Comâ— Lord Iesus Come quickly and wee doe nothing more seriously while wee are on earth but call to minde in holy meditations the Lords death and shew it to the eyes of our faith vntill his comming againe in partaking of his blessed body bloud in the Sacrament that by the power thereof wee may bee established that we turne not this great grace into wantonnesse nor neglect our Lord Iesus who is thus exalted into the highest glory not for himselfe for he had that glorie before the world was but for vs his redeemed people so that now here is the exaltation and supereminent height of faith euen euerlasting life The Being whereof is called Glorie and our Estate there Glorification To this doe all the goldly aspire that they may bee where Christ Iesus is to beholde his Maiesty and his glory in the Kingdome of GOD the father The Metropolis of which Kingdome is the Heauen of the blessed the Confines are Eternity the chaire of Estate is the thrones the houses of the Courtiers are the visions of Angels and Saints God is there as the King Christ as the Prince the Church as the Queene the Virgines as the Handmaides the Nobles are the Patriarkes and Prophetes the Notaries are Euangelists the Prelates are the Doctors of the Church the Souldiers are Martyres and the Subiects are all the blessed In which Kingdome are all things to bee desired Desire you riches Glorie riches are in his house Desire you gold The Citie it selfe is of pure gold Desire you honour O God such honor as this glorie haue all thy saints Desire you pleasures At Gods right hand are pleasures for euermore Desire you knowledge In Christ are al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge Desire you Libertie Ierusalem which is aboue is free Loue
THE MYSTERIE OF MANKIND Made into a Manual OR THE PROTESTANTS Portuize reduced into Explication Application Inuocation tending to Illumination Sanctification Deuotion being the summe of seuen Sermons Preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill London By William Loe Doctor of Diuinity Chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty and Pastor Elect and allowed by authoâ—ity of Superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie 1 Cor. 3. 23. All are yours and yee Christs Christ God LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop for George Fayerbeard and are to be sold at his shoppe at the North side of the Exchange 1619. TO THE MOST CATHOLIKE and most Christian Monarch IAMES by Gods especiall appointment of great Bâ—ittaine France Ireland King Defendor of the faith DRead Soueraigne The blessed coÌ„pany of holy ones that houshould of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground of all truth is so grieuously gastered and so continually infested with hellish Athisme misled Papisme and misperswaded Separaâ—isme especially in these last worst ages of the world that had not God of his exuberant mercies set vp your Highnesse among vs for a blessing as another Ioshua to succeede Moses and as another Solomon to sit vpon the throne of Dauid to the supportatioÌ„ of the Church of England It is verily beleeued of many wise and iuditious that the doctrinall principles of Christian Religion had not onely beene sore-shaken within your Maiesties Realmes as they are to the hearts-griefe of many thousands among your bordering neighbours but also a most wofull and lamentable distraction and open diuision would before this time haue broken forth to to the vtter ruine and razing of the verie foundations of the blessed peace and established discipline of the church within these your Maiesties Territories But magnified for euer be our God who hath remembred vs in mercy and hath directed your Maiesties royall and enlarged heart not onely to take care of things Quae sunt ante pedes but also amidst other your Highnes many and manifold cares of your most Christian gouernment longe prospicere as to haue an eye what manner of growth your Seminaries of Marchants haue beyond the Seas at Hamborough Middleborough and other places for asmuch as they are the men in all likelyhoode who are to bee of your Maiesties great Chamber the Citie of London and to sit neere about the Sterne in future ages Therefore most dread Souâ—raigne It beeing almost a whole year sithence I was by the worthy and auncient Companie of Merchant-Aduenturers elected and by the most reuerend Archbishoppe of Canterbury allowed to be Pastor of the English Church at Hamborough I thought it my bounden duty before I departed and in some part of recompence for my long stay to leaue behinde mee a token of that seruice oâ—seruance duty loue and alleagiaâ—ce which I owe vnto your Maiestie and vnto the Church of England wheresoeuer the Lord diâ—poseâ—h of me The doctrine and discipline of which Church I shall endeauour to maintaine pro modulo meo euen to my last breath think my selfe an happy mâ—n to bee the sonne of so famous and Christian a Catholike Church Some of the compilers of whose deuout Letuâ—gie haue shed their bloud for the testimony of the Lord Iesus which bloud I haue alwayes thought to bee the best bloud in the world A measure of which modell of mine I here humbly prostrate at your Highnes feet heartily beseeching Almighiy God to preserue your Highnesse and your most royal seede to be glorious instruments of his Church to crown your Maiesty and your Princely Progenie with his sauing mercies in Christ Iesus Your Maiesties most humble sâ—ruant and Subiect WILL LOE 1 TIM 3. 16. Without controuersie Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Sâ—ene of Angels Preached vnto the Gentiles Beleeued on in the world and receyued vp in glory A PREFACE OF Pacification to all Christian Tearmers and Trauellers from the reuerend Iudge Itinerant Iustice of Oier and Determiner vnto the poorest Clyent that iournyeth within the foure seas of Great Britaine Mercie be multiplied in Châ—ist Iesus BLessed and beloued in the Lord for I cannot giue you a more honourable title if I should studie to giue you ten thousand be of what ranke or condition your will Hearken Vpon the Lords day beeing the third day after our Sauiours sufferings two disciples trauelling from Ierusalem to a village called Emaus as they walked on their way they talked of Iesus And as they thus communed Iesus himselfe drew neere and went with them and afterward questioning with them opened vnto them the Scriptures tarries with them sits witb them blesseth their meat eats with them giues them a super substantial blessing for he openeth their eyes and they know him A perfâ—t president for you beloued in the Lord and a blessed direction as you traâ—aile for we aree all Viatores looke as big as we will not comprehensores if wee haue company to confâ—rre and talke of the Lord Iesus for you see if you bee but two in company hee will make the third if you commune concerning him in feare and reuerence yea your conference shall not bee fruitlesse For what is the sequell Euâ—n knowledge of the holy Scriptures they shall bee opened vppon such conference Christ his comfortable company by the holy Ghost will be affoorded for albeit according to his Esâ—e Naturale he is in heauen yet secundum esse personale he is euery where by his breath and fauour in his chosen Moreouer hee will sit with you vpon the throne of Iustice to direct your hearts aright you shal partake of his blessings with healtb and saluation hee will blesse you in your store hee will enlighten your minds encline your wils recâ—ify your desires and you shall know him whom to know is eternall lâ—fe For this cause I haue often bowed the knees of my heart vnto the God of heauen for you all and haue presumed to reduce the summe of all into this little Manuall as the Protestants portuize to carry in his hand in his bosome and to accompany him in your trauels as Paul had his parchments with him which casually he left at Troas and whereof it seemed hee had an especiall care Let not the prudent Iudge disdaine or despise that I become his remembrancer for the time is come that wee must looke to our Christian principles seeing many are gone so farre to question long receiued truthes in the spirit of subtiltie and error as if the Metempsycosis of the Pythagorists were reuiued and the soule of Iohn Duns Scotus were entred into the bodyes of suruiuing schollers to trouble the world with nicities and to lose themselues in miserable extrauagant wandrings It was a good rule therefore that Irenaeus gaue That we should diligently heede neuer to bee transported beyond the limits of Doctrinall Principles which indeede is a glosse of that of
them to the minde and thinke of nothing but whatsoeuer things are True honest iust pure louely of good report of vertue or of praise which wee haue learned receiued and seene in Gods children these things they thinke on and doe that are the Lords Indeed hypocrites and the reprobate are sayde in Scripture to be sanctified in respect of their outward calling and in their partaking of the externall preaching of the word and Sacraments receiued but the godly onely who are inwardly renued by the power of the Spirit haue this sâ—nctifying grace to expell all full consent from their hearts to offend God and to labour striue after righteousnesse Yet whiles the godliest liue in this world they cannot attaine to a full expulsion of the euill and introduction of the good but these two remaine like to opposite parties in a pittched field combating and skirmishing the one with the other that the most holy cannot do what they would And as in the twilight or dawning of the day the light that we see is not vtterly voided of darknesse neither is the darkenesse altogether without light and as in warm water the heate is mixed with cold so the reluctations of the flesh and spirit that the godly haue in this world haue no fellowship the one with the other no more then those different qualities yet they may remaine in one subiect either acting his owne part not seuerally albeit distinctlie Sarah the wife of Abraham is a president in this kinde who beleeued the promise of God made vnto her concerning her issue being moued thereunto by the holy Ghost yet being impatient of delay enforced thereunto by the flesh shee giues her mayde vnto her husband so that one and the same worke euen in the deerest of Gods children may in respect of the spirit be praise worthy in respect of the flesh bee blameable Sanctification in it selfe is most perfect but when it is considered in the man that is sanctified it is imperfect and varies by degrees and encreases by reason of the dayly slips and slidings of the best whereby their goodnesse is ofttimes greatly hindered and neuer in this life perfected which is the reason that the Scripture calleth this our Godlinesse sometimes a pledge of the spirit to assure vs Gods fauour and somtimes an earnest which is to be made vp neuer to be taken away So that wee see this Godâ—ines in Gods children albeit it bee ofttimes verie weake and feeble in respect of their many infirmities yet it is reaâ—ll because it is rooted in the inward parts and God requireth trueth from thence whereas the vnregenerate haue formes and fruites also of holynesse but their fruites are like those Apples that growe about the bankes of the dead Sea or Asphaltique Lake looke on the inside and you shall see nothing but earthlynesse sensualitie and diuellishnesse But those that haue this name of Godlinesse written in their hearts by the finger of God are iustified by their faith and this Godlinesse is a fragrant flower and holy fruite of that their holy faith Thy euer looking after the sequell of this Holines which is Happinesse reserued for them in the heauens for God bringeth his children by this way of Holinesse to the life of Happinesse there being great difference betwixt the Way that leadeth vnto the kingdome of heauen and the cause of our attaining both the way and eternall life which is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. What now can disturbe or distract the peace of Gods holy ones seeing they haue such pledges assurances and earnests of Gods fauour that they shall neuer vtterly faile or fall away from God Oh this blessed securitie and happy peace of conscience Is more to bee desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the honey and the honey Combe called of the most wise the Continuall Feast There is their absolute contentment of this Godlinesse Thus Godlinesse benefiteth vs in this life and blesseth also in our death yea after death Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints They are carryed of Angels into the euerlasting habitations Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Most blessed therefore are the people that are in such a case that know this Mysterie and practise this Godliâ—â—sse for in themselues albeit not of themselues they are the vesselles of honour by Illumination their life the rule of Christianisme by sanctification their pedigree iâ— in descent from the royall Priesthood by deuoute inuoâ—ation their practise is to Purge themselues for the hope of heauen by Mortification their reputation is not to runne to the same excesse of ryot with others in hope of Glorification but their whole life is Euangelilicall yea Angelicall as the Apostle speaketh For theyr Conuersation is in Heauen Yet for all this wee see wise men seeke Greatnesse few Godlinesse For if wee bestowed but halfe the diligence to bee godly as wee doe to be great wee should haue more pietie and lesse wicked policie And that 's the reason why Mammon hath so many Schollers and Christ so few Followers For most men desire to know the mysterie how to be great but few desire to know how to bee good Machiauels Prince Lipsius Politeques Bodins Commentaries and Bookes of such subiects are matters preciously accounted of by some whereby they imagine to become great in practizing these principles whiles the booke of God and other meanes to reduce them to bee good are neglected Many men bind themselues for terme of time to learne a mystery how to thriue and rise in the World and oft-times with much hardnes intollerable bondage endure the attainement thereof But wee see how few tâ—ere are that can endure I will not say seuen years Apprentiship no scarce seuen houâ—es seruice to vnderstand and know this Mysterie of Godlines in Christ to whose seruice all Christian men are bound by the law of God and their vow of Baptisme to bee as obliged Votaries all their life long A thousand woes then must needes attend them that are not acquainted with this Mysterie of Godlinesse who are eyther plunged into the Deepeâ—esse of the Diuell being so chained and fettered by him in their vngodly courses that they cannot rayse themselues out of this bottomlesse pitte or else are misled by the mysterie of iniquity which busily worketh euen amidst the Church Both by lying wonders and wonderfull lies being strong delusions to beleeue lyes as was long before prophesied or else are besotted with the vanity of the world which is Altâ—gâ—ther set vpon wickednesse For there bee many Antichrists in the World and in a Countrey where all or the most part be Negroes It is no blemish there to be blacke And that 's the cause of our dulnesse in thiâ— point that wee liue so secure and wicked without any desire to know
the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the vallies Moses of old posed the whole world with this question Enquire of the dayes of olde which were before thee and froÌ„ the day that God created man vpon the earth yea euen from the height aboue to the depth beneath if euer the like thing were knowne That a people should heare the voyce of the Lord speaking out of the middest of the fire But now we may pose Moses say O Moses then God spake by an Angell out of the middest of the fire but now O man of God was euer the like as this heard That God himself in the nature of man should sit amidst his disciples and teach the. This is that the spirit of God so magnifieth That at sundry times and in diuers manner God spake heretofore in his Prophets but in these last dayes by his only Sonne And if the word deliuered by an Angell was stedfast what shall become of them that refuse and neglect the Sonne of God now speaking vnto them O most ingratefull and brutish are the sonnes of men who seeke not to vnderstand this mysterie so anciently prophesied of so fully performed and so manifestly declared Me thinkes I heare all other creatures of heauen and earth say Oh that God had vouchsafed vs such a blessing such a tie such a fauour for then had wee had beene most happy The quires of Angels say Oh that God had ordayned to vs so vnspeakeable a fauour as to haue beene vnited to our nature But Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels but tooke vpon him the nature of children that being tempted himselfe and suffering hee might succour them that suffer and are tempted Who would not then in consideration hereof giue himselfe a whole burnt offering vnto his God and consecrate his whole life if the terme thereof were euen from the first Adam vnto the ende of the world as a votiue seruice vnto the glory of this God Oh vncircumcised hearts and eares of those who neither care to heare nor to vnderstand this blessed mysterie For if they would diligently seeke they should find that God would manifest himselfe vnto them euen in their indiuiduall flesh by the sanctifying power of his holy Spirit and by pertaking of his diuine nature whereby they should see with open face as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory euen as the spirit of the Lord. In no wise shold they be as those wretches in whose flesh Sathan and not God is manifested who are indeed incarnate diuels as the prouerb is whom Sathan hath so sifted to the bran and winnowed to the chaffe that no remainder of any godlinesse or goodnesse is leaft in them in whom Sathan is Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte as Aquinas saith of the soule Their imagination euill their minde ill their meaning ill their will obstinate their vnderstanding darkned their eares itching after vanities their eyes adulterous which cannot choose but sinne their mouth blasphemous their an open graue of fulsome slanders their hands rough and cruell their feete swift to shed bloud their whole body a cage of vncleane birdes their life and conuersation a stye of stinking swines flesh an Acheldema of oppression a Caluarie of dead spoyles their ende a puddle of loathsome impieties But those that secke God doe vnderstand this mysterie and shew forth this manifestation in themselues hauing lift vp their heads as gates their minds as dores and the king of glory is come in vnto them and is manifested in them by their faith in Christ by their good workes among men by all the fruites of his graâ—ious spirit and by their ioyfull departure hence being assured of a farre better rest and happinesse in their maisters kingdome The custome of the Aethiopian Church which liue vnder Prester Iohn is to obserue the feast of the Epiphany as their chiefe and principall festiuitie at which time God shewed himselfe both to Iew and Gentile in this manifestation by a starre Thereby acknowledging and that most truly that this blessing is the beginning and fountaine of all other blessing in Christianitie whatsoeuer and ought most sollemnly to bee obserued and most diligently to be considered especially of vs that were Gentiles Goe foorth therefore yee daughters of Sion euen all religious and denoute soules and behould King Solomon your Christ with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart Go foorth I say from out the fashions and fancies of this world both with readinesse and resolution as men do to meete their new king If you be malefactors he will pardon you vpon repentant reconciliatioÌ„ throgh Christ Iesus and will receiue you to fauour If you bee already his seruants and citizens of the citie of God goe foorth to meete him with your presents of good workes and holinesse as your homages of fealtie If you be friends and allyance as are all deuout Soules doe that often which hee hath bidde you doe in remembrance of him that is offer the sacrifice of thankefulnesse receiue the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord that so you may shew the Lords death all your life long vntill his comming againe So shall your eyes bâ— opened that you shall not onely vnderstand this Great mysterie of Gods manifestation in the flesh but also see it Iustified in the Spirit Oh blessed Emanuell encrease our faith O Eternall and most mightie Iehouah Elohim whose seate is in heauen whose footestoole is in earth whose chariots are the clouds whose might is in the great waters whose power is euery where whose displayed glory is in heauen where angels are they attendants and where all the blessed dominations and thrones doe thee dayly homage where the innumerable company of elected Saints doe vncessantly prayse thee where thine habitation is light that none can approach vnto thy cloathing Maiestie and honor thy wisdome incomprehensible thy mercy vnspeakeable and thy iudgements past finding out Looke downe looke downe most mercifull Father in Christ from thine holy place the seate of mercie vpon me a most miserable distressed wretch O hearken thou to my prayers which I sinfull soule powre out from an vnfained heart Open vnto my soule this great mysterie of thy manifestation in our flesh that I may know and comprehend with all Saints the height length breadte and depth of the vnsearchable riches of thy grace in Christ Iesus our Lord. For thou diddest so loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten Sonne that who so beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This diuine loue of thine is incomprehensible this gift inestimable this deliuerance vnutterable and this felicitie incomparable My heart burneth with in me and the sparkes of deuotioÌ„ arise from the center
a thousand sorrows to euery good beleeuing heart to conceyue that albeit God in his aboundant mercies hath thus reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the manifestation of our flesh among vs by the power of this Almighty spirite aboue vs and by the testimony of Angels about vs yet there should bee of them that professe Christianity such as are worse then the Sect of the Saduces for the Sadduces yet acknowledge that Angels were the good motions stirred vp in vs but these neither acknowledge God good motions nor diuels but are copartners with the Diuell against Michael and his Angels and are become Combatants against Christ and his Christians Hath not Sathan thinke you sifted such to the bran and winnowed such to the chaffe by his damned motions that he hath made them good for nothing and left in them nothing but the dregs and remnants of himselfe as namely the eagernesse and greedy desire of hauing and the cursed sins of despite and malice for they haue taken the Diuell at his word when he shewed them the Worlde and the glory therof and said vnto them All this will I giue you they immediately fall downe and worship him Or else shew themselues to be of the diuels pedegree by the grosnes of lying by the fulnes of impurity by the subtilty of sorcery or as was sayde by the mischiefe of helsish malice All which dregs of the diuel hide the sonne of God from those children of disobedience and nothing remaineth for theÌ„ except they repent but the fearefull sentence of Depart from mee yee cursed into hell fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Whereas if the sonnes of meÌ„ would consider but what losses they sustaine hereby me thinkes it should recall euery good mind but of an ordinary vnderstanding to a far better dispositioÌ„ For we Christians lose by such wickednesse the honour of beeing such euill Angels Iudges Why doe not yee know that we shall iudge the Angels that is doe ye not know that we shall be assessors with Christ in the day of iudgment and condemne the diuell and his angels We lose the sight of Christs mysticall body in the glory of his Saints Which the Angels of heauen desired to behold We loose the victorious triumph of Gods Saints for shortly Sathan shall bee beate downe vnder our feet Let vs then rayse vppe our selues to his glorious assotiation of the Angels in our seruice of God knowing that there are more with vs then against vs and that our Lord Christ Iesus shal appeare in the end of the world with this holy Angels in Maiesty and great glory to iudge all mankind And I adiure you before Iesus Christ and his Elect Angels that yee diligently and duely consider these things For yee are not come vnto the mount which might not bee touched and that burned with fire nor vnto blacknes and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voyce of words which voyce they that heard entreated that the Word should not bee spoken vnto them any more But yee are come vnto Mount Sion and vnto the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to aninnumerable company of Angels and to the generall assemblie and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Testâ—ment and to the bloud of sprinck lings which speaketh better thinges then that of Abell Oh blessed Lord let mee see thy face for thy face Lord will I seeke Incomparably blessed are those sacred Spirtes O holy heauenly Father who euer attend thy glorious Maiesty and stand before thee â—ight day to behold and see thee in thy displaied glory They are in the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand where are blessings for euermore They are euer delighted with the sight of thinâ— vnsearchable wisedome of thine vnutterable glory and vnspeakable mercy They are free from the assaults of sinne or Sathan for no euill commeth neere thy dwelling O miserable wretches that wee are on earth subiect to Sathans slâ—ights the fleshes frailety and the worlds wickednesse Debarred are we from thy glorious light O King of Heauen and shut vp hâ—â—e in the darkenes of our own ignorance and lye in the very shadow of death Restrained are wee from the ioyfull fruition of the companie of those stiall attendants the Angels Saints that euer doe thee seruice without ceasing O blessed Lord how happy were wee the miserable inhabitants of thy footstoole if thou wouldest vouchsafe vs that fauour for Christ his sake as to deliuer vs out of the prison of this body out of the fetters of sinne and out of the snares of the Diuell that wee might serue thee without feare in thy Court of Heauen continually Consider good Father our miserie and forasmuch as in Christ Iesus thou hast giuen vs a light of thy selfe in the mirror of thy mercy and mystery of Christian godlinesse Leaue vs not comfortlesse but grant vs for his passion sake a glympse of thee euen in this Life while wee are here that our soules may be rauished with holy desires and neuer be satisfied vntill we come vnto thee our God to enioy thy selfe in glorious maiestie To this blessed end Oh tender hearted Father arme vs with helpe from heauen in all the occasions of our life For thou knowest O Lord that wee war not against flesh and bloud onely which are intestine and home-bred enemies but against principalities powers and spirites of errors and darkenesse in high places Thou knowest O Lord that they are many mighty and malitious Thou knowest our frailety our feeblenesse and our folly Helpe vs then deare Father out of all the temptations and snares of the diuell Let thy guard of good Angels and holy ones stand with vs to assist staÌ„d ouer vs to protect vs giue theÌ„ a charge O Lord to keepe vs in all our wayes Let them stand at our right hand to guide vs for the best Let them goe before vs dayly with thy preuenting mercy as they did before the hoast of thy Israel Let them comfort vs in the good as they did thy Iosuah Let them supplie our wants if neede require as they did thy Eliah Let them deliuer vs out of prison as they did thy Peter saue vs in shipwracke as they did thy Paul Let them alwayes be ayding vnto vs in our sicknesse and in all the weakenesse and temptations thereof yea in the last breath of our life and aâ—ter death Let them traÌ„sport vs into Abrahams boâ—ome as they did thy Lazerâ—â— And graunt vnto vs O Father for Christs sake this grace that while wee liue here we may endeauour to do thy blessed will as the angels doe in heauen That wee may euer â—praise thee for thy goodnesse sing vnto thee for thy mercies magnifie thee for thy graces and multiplie
house To the Phisition heale this man To the Souldiour â—ight for man To the King Gouerne thy subiects To the Maister Defend and â—rouide for thy family But to which of the sonnes of men hath God sayd Deliâ—er thy brother from hell Surely to none but to the Preacher and that this is the Preachers high Commission â—t playnly appeareth For Iob sayth If there bee a messenger with him an inpreter one among thousands to shew vnto man his vprightnesse then hee is gratious vnto him and sayth Deliuer him from going downe to the pit I haue receiued a ransome And Saint Paule sheweth that to Preachers God hath delegated the Mysterie Ministerie of our reconciliation with God in Christ and committed vnto them the word of attonement to be as his Ambassadors to pray and beseech men in Christ steede that they would be reconciled to God whereby they might be saued Well for all this let their Commission be what it will their Ambassage neuer so diuine neuer so Euangelicall neuer so Angelicall I am sure their condition of all other mens is oft times most miserable most lamentable Pitifull experience sheweth it to view of the whole Christian world that none interessed in that businesse bee qualified how they will can please For Esay is too long Obediah is too short Daniel too hard Amos too playne Micheah too milde Hoshea too sharpe and Ieremie too querulous This was the condition of the Prophets Peter is reputed a drunkard Paule a Sectary and a mad man all the residue of the Apostles esteemed the riffe raffe of the world and the ofscowring of all things vnto this day This was the condition of the Apostles Hence the holy ones of God became complaynants Ieremie sayth The word of the Lord was made a reproach and derision vnto him dayly and therefore through the anguish of his soule though vnaduisedly he cursed the day of his birth and the partie that brought his father the tydings where he was borne and bewayleth that his mother bare him a man of strife and contention to the whole world For hauing neither lent nor borrowed vppon vsury yet euery one did curse him Paule also laments the case that God had set foorth the Apostles last as it were appointed to death For we are made saith he a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men Wee are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise we are weake but yee are strong ye are honourable but we are despised being reuiled we blesse being persecuted wee suffer it being defamed wee entreate wee are made as the filth of the world and are the off cowring of all things vnto this day In all this thinke not much of it blessed Brethren for it is the verie case and condition of them that now liue who are the sincere preachers of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and liue conformable to the Church wherein they were bred For what betweene the common aduersary the Papist the diuels mouth the Atheist and the intestine firebrand the Separist the poore Conformitant doth ofttimes more suffer then euer did any fugitiue Seminarie in Wisbich Castle But Christ was crucified betweene malefactors and orthodoxe Christians haue euer beene tortured betweene the spirits of extremes The Iewes obtruded to the Lord of life when they had nothing else to say his meane parentage Is not this the carpenters son Are not such and such his sisters The obiecting then either of basenesse of birth or pouertie of estate vnto the preachers of the Gospell is the spirit of Iudaisme and let men be ware in this case lest the Iewish plagues befall them And the challenging of singularitie is the spirite of Iesuitisme and let men take heed of the spirites of errors and darknes of diuels for the diuel can transport himselfe into an Angell of light and such men might proue light Angels But the sonnes of true wisdome know that the most abiect and meanest things of the world if God take them into his handes may worke rare and wonderfull effects Salt beeing taken into the hand of God maketh the bitter waters of Iericho to become sweete In humane reason the salt should make the waters more brackish but behold comming through Gods hand as being Gods ordinance it causeth sweetenesse The washing in the ordinary riuer of Iordan at Gods command cureth the Syrian Captaine of Leprosie which the famoused waters of Abanah and Pharphar would not doe What is more vaine then a dreame yet Pharoah Nebuchadnezar and Gideon had great strength and potent directions by dreames presented vnto them by God What is more meane and and more vnlikely then clay especially to cleere ones eyes yet this being taken into the hand of Christ maketh blinde eyes see playnly What more vnlikely to heale then touching yet the beleeuing woman touched but the hemme of Christs garment and was cured What more vnlikely to worke miracles then a voyce yet the vncleane spirits were cast out by the voice of Christ and his Apostles yea with a voyce the very dead were raised to life What more vanishing then a shadow yet the shadow of Peter had effectuall power of doing wonders Let Preachers then bee but Salt yet they are the Salt of the earth but ordinarie water yet as Apostles they may water your drye hearts and make them fruitfull to God but a Dreame yet they may awake you from the slumber of sinne and present vnto you truth and puriâ—ie but dust and clay to bee trodde vnder your feete so that they make you see they care not but a voyce in the wildernesse of this world yet they are the forerunners of the great iudgement but shadowes yet will they haunt your ghosts vntill they haue preuayled with you if you belong vnto God And this is not of their owne worth strength but as I said because God vouchsafeth to take them into his hands whereby hee worketh out this great worke of our saluation as appeareth in the vision to Saint Iohn where it is sayd That God held seuen stars in his right hand and in the last verse of that Chapter these seuen stars are expounded to be seuen Ministers of the Churches of Asia Therefore Preachers God holdeth in his hand and so their labours become powerfull But cursed Cauillers like Iannes and Iambres who withstood Moses stand vp and obiect Wee confesse say they this is most true if God take this businesse into his hand But alas we see this practise of preaching is in the hand handling of many a sinnefull man such as are oft times more enormious and exorbitant in their conuersations then those that are no Preachers Well what then The word preached eyther by a good or bad man remayneth the Word of God still For if the wordes of the scripture reade or Preached bee but a meere and deade letter why is it called the Spirite of God And when wee preach if it bee but the sound of
shee receyued a comfortable compellation from Christ for hee owned her and sayde Daughter bee of good cheare thy beleefe hath saued thee For the more vereeundious and modest wee are in this our hearing of God and in our comming vnto him the more bright and beautiful wee are in his sacred sight If wee would thus serue the Lord in feare and reioyce be fore him with trembling wee should not goe so often to Church and so often return againe neuer the better oft-times the worser wee should not so often heare in vain nor so often see and not discerne But the manner is now with many to come as sathan did for company or custom or worse came also when the sons of God were assembled before him to the diuels Chappell according to our English Prouerbe Where God hath his Church the Diuell hath his Chappell For euen in the great assemblies while some are there hearing the word attentiuely others sleepe profoundly while some reade others prate while some lift vp their eyes to heauen others point out the finger to note some vanity in the next pue while som pray otheâ—s scoffe while some sing others curse while some sigh for their sinnes others laugh at sinne while others sit hearkening to the Sermon vnto the end others make hast to bee gone and thinke euery houre two vntill they heare the Peace of God which they will scarce vouchsafe to take with them nor the Grace of GOD neither Cease therefore to maruell at our fruitlesse hearing the Word if this bee our demeanour when we present our selues before our God were we perswaded of God as wee ought and surely hee that will come to God must beleeue that God is and of his sonne Christ Iesus of whom the voyce from Heauen and not from men was this Heare him wee could not thus abuse our time when wee assemble our selues to heare this Word of faith preached vnto vs. But those that thus deâ—mean themselues the Propheâ—ie of Esay is fulfilled which God in his iust iudgâ—ment â—ringeth vpon them for their neglect of him in making their hearts fat Their eares heauie and their eyes dimme that they may not see with their eies nor heare with their eares nor vnderstand with their hearts and should bee conuerted and God should heale them These are such that come into the house of God without feare and offer the sacrifice of fooles for albeit they liue wickedly yet they imagine that they haue made GOD beholding vnto them for sitting an houre or two in his seruice It was otherwise in Saint Iohn the Diuine who in heauenly meditations and seruice of God was rauished in the Spirite on the Lordes day and in that holy extasie heauen was opened vnto him and hee saw God the Angels the Elders and the soules of the Saints clothed in white robes whereas these diuelish hearers are ready to faint for water yet sit as Hagar Abrahams bondmaide did by the fountaines of waters and doe not see them are ready to perish for foode and yet doe not see the heauenly Manna that is reached out vnto them And as they thus abuse the holy meanes of their beleeuing so also they vse not the heauenly and orderly proceeding in the practise of their beleefe For a true Beleeuer at his very first awaking in bedde is present with God in his thoughts words and meditations as Dauid speaketh and after hee is vp hee taketh vnto him blessed wordes as â—head directeth eyther publikeâ—y or priuately and offereth â—God his morning sacrifice in â—prayer and then addresseth and addicteth himselfe to his calling and therein abideth performing his earthly vocation with an heauenly mind And if a true beleeuer happen into any company he sits oft times still and retired to himselfe watching and waiting oportunity when hee may speake words that may minister grace vnto the hearers And if a true Beleeuer haue any leysure not that hee will bee at any time idle he sayth to himselfe Now will I retire myselfe into my closet and there will I powre out my heart vnto my God If a true beleeuer prosper in the worke of his handes he is thankefull and not proude If hee suffer aduersity hee makes his patience knowne vnto all men without murmuring or repining assuring himselfe that it proceedeth not of Gods hatred but of his singular loue tâ—ward him that hee is afflicted for God delighteth not in the misery of his Creatures for if hee did hee would neuer haue made man a Paradise to liue in euen in his innocency but God knoweth in his wisedome that by afflictions his dearest children are weaned from the loue of the World and take liking of the other world And thus hauing past the day recalling to mind Gods great mercies recounting his owne many and manifold infirmities and imperfections magnifieth Gods fauours in all craueth pardon for his great vnthankefulnesse and so reposing himselfe in bedde in his Sepulchre hauing now made as it were his last will to God acknowledging himselfe a stranger and Pilgrime here as all his Fathers were and beleeuing that the time will come that as he is awaked and riseth from bedde in the morning so shall he bee raysed from his graue and sleepe of death to liue with GOD in Christeternally But the vnbeleeuers and fruitles professors in their carriage are quite contrary For their awaking is to euill and that is euer present with them Their morning Mattens is cursing and swearing and that shall distill one day into their bowels as water like oyle into their bones Their vocation is to bee busie bodies in other mens matters Their society is to seeke out the riotous to runne with them to excesse their retirednesse is to study out mischiefe to complot against their brethren to circumuent by politique stratagems their harmelesse associates If these prosper no man is able to endure their pride their disdaine their curiosity their statelinesse If they bee afflicted the whole Countrie shall ring of their impatience murmuring rauing and blasphemie And thus hauing lost the day they couch themselues in their beds of beastlinesse at night as if they had made a couenant with death and the diuell neuer to be good This is the fruit of infidelitie and thus godlesse professors demeane themselues as if Barrahas had suffered and Christ had beene let goe as if Christ were yet in his graue â—nd that Caiphas should bee â—udge of quicke and dead But true beleeuers know that without faith it is impossible to please God let vs prate what wee will and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne let vs doe what wee will and this faith must worke by loue or else all is in vaine let vs liue how we will let vs then begge this blessed boone of God that wee may beleeue and that hee would helpe our beleeuing that wee may haue both the groundworke of faith to builde vpon the trust of faith to resolue vpon the boldnes of faith