the sonne before the world the sonne was the holy Ghost and the fain the world the father is the holy Ghost and the sonne in the world to come The concentricall Trinity being thus Father Sonne Holy Ghost whose might authority and power shal be at that time all one ouer them that shal be baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire for now euen to day is the holy Ghost labouring in the harts of men to win them vnto the father and the sonne Wherfore harden not your harts as in the prouocation in the day of temptation in the wildernes Happy shall the wise virgins be which are found with oile in their lampes not trusting to borrow in the busie day of all flesh when none can lend Wherfore good brethren be not as the foolish virgins the sleeping disciples the sluggish seruants or as the busie Martha but haue care to choose the better things during the time of the flesh that the holy Ghost may find a resting place in your soules to bring you to euerlasting life Math. 11. 5. Then shal it be said The blind receiue their sight the hault go the lepers are clensed the deaf hear the dead are raised vp and the poor receiue the gospell Mark 14. 38. Take heed watch and pray least ye enter into temptation Mark 13. 33. Take heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is For Christ saith Iohn 14. 16. I will pray the father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue bicause it seeth him not nor knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leaue you comfortlesse I will come to you yet a little while and the world shall see me no more but ye shall see me bicause I liue ye shall liue also And in the same place following Christ saith These things haue I spoken vnto you being present with you but the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things vnto your remembrance which I haue told you and so foorth to the end of the chapter And in the next chapter But when the comforter shall com whom I will send vnto you from the father euen the spirit which proceedeth of the father he shall testifie of me and ye shall be witnesses also bicause ye haue been with me from the beginning And againe Christ saith I tell you truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not com vnto you but if I depart Iohn 15. 26. I will send him vnto you and when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement of sinne bicause they beleeue not in me of righteousnes bicause I go to the father and ye shall see me no more of iudgement bicause the prince of the world is iudged Iohn 16. 7. I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot hear them now howbeit when he is come which is the spirit of truth which will lead you into all truth for he shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you the things to come he shall glorify me for he shall receiue of mine and shall giue it vnto you To this place may be applied the Lords words spoken by the prophet Ioel Ioel. 2. 28. I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maidens in those daies wil◠I powre my spirit Whosoeuer therfore shall call vpon the Lord with a contrite hart dooing the works of the spirit and not of the flesh he shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call The holy Ghost is a diuers gift vnto the chosen to som the gift of prophesie to some the interpretation of toongs as Saint Paule saith touching spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 12. Brethren I would not haue you ignorant wherfore I declare vnto you that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Iesus execrable also no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Now there are diuersity of gifts but the same spirit and there are diuersity of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersity of operations but God is the same and worketh all in all Now the manifestation of the spirit is giuen euery man to profit withall for to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit and to another the operations of great works and to another prophesie and to another the discerning of spirits and to another the diuersity of toongs and to another the interpretation of toongs Now all these are the body of Christ and members seruing to seuerall vses in the church of God as some for apostles some for prophets some for teachers some to do miracles some for healers some for helpers some for gouernors some for linguists and some for interpreters This gift lighteth on the chosen in many shapes it came vpon the sonne of man in the likenes of a doue Acts 2. 3. it came vpon the Apostles in the form of clouen toongs like fire it came vpon disciples at Ephesus Acts 19. 6. that neuer before heard of the holy Ghost by Pauls laying hands on them How the faithfull may be assured of this gift let them read the eight chapter of the Epistle to the Romans concerning the hope patience and prosperity of this gift which will something ease the tediousnes of this treatise Therfore kind reader take it in woorth that I so often send thee to the spring it selfe for the water that is most sweet and fresh the carriage not far and the burden easie albeit I will not omit to lay downe in this place the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit for they rebell ech one against the other the operations of both are contrary For the works of the flesh are adultery Gal. 5. 19. fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath cōtentions seditions heresies enuie murther drunkennes gluttony and such like which things whosoeuer doth exercise he shall not inherit the kingdom of God But the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meeknes and temperancy against which there is no law Thus much I thought good heer to mention that ye may haue in this Enchiridion as it were a marriners compas to passe by for as by it we recouer a direct course againe after many stormes and at last
the kingdom the Iewes shall be cast into vtter darknes where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth What then can their proud linage and alliance helpe them when for not beleeuing aright in the Messias they fal daily into condemnation Now againe to return to our own farther instruction from whence commeth our help and our saluation euen from the Lord that hath made both heauen and earth or from the father Lord of heauen and earth Matt. 11. 25. This Iesus came from heauen was made flesh of the virgin Mary begotten of his father before all worlds he is very God as touching his father and very man as touching his mother wherby he might vndertake manhood and ioin it vnto his Godhead and becom a fit messenger about his fathers busines as he answered the propitiations for them I must go about my fathers busines Luk. 2. 49. to prooue that he was the true root of Ishai Isay. 11. 1. and the seed of Abraham Luke 3. Saint Luke laieth downe the line of his manhood to God reckoning all his fathers till Adam Saint Mathew sheweth his diuinity and the succession of his right vnto the kingdom Matth. 1. as it was said Isai. 8. 14. A virgin shall conceiue a sonne and thou shalt call his name EMANVEL God with vs. This is that seed of the woman that was to bruise the serpents head and to take the prey out of the diuels iawes which meanes of redemption by the ey of faith the holy fathers foresaw He therfore is not to be thought Iesus the sonne of Nun Iosh. 1. 1. nor Iesus that was called Iustus Col. 4. 11. Paules work-fellow nor Iesus the sonne of Sirach Ecclus. 50. 27. but Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was called Christ the annointed Matth. 1. 16. to shew the title of his earthly honor the other name declareth his authority in heauen by his fathers spirituall and euerlasting inheritance but of the name Christ is hereafter to be spoken This name was giuen by his father to the end that men might beleeue in him being sent and not be deceiued by any other professed Iosua therfore was it told Dan. 9. 24. Messiah shall be slaine euen the Lords Christ or annointed And to make the blinde Iewes more inexcusable the very day and hower of his death was fore-shewed by the prophet He was called Iesus of his infinit saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 1. 21. for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes Like as if he should make those which the Lord hath called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none of his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his especiall people or turne the Lords fearfull and terrible words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not haue pity 1. Pet. 2. 10. into ruhhamah I will haue pity on For such is the vertue and force of his reconciliation with his father This was the very lamb of God that wrought Israels saluation he shall make crooked pathes straight a bruised reed shall he not breake euen so patiently went he as a sheep vnto the slaughter not opening his mouth Oh how vnspeakable seemeth this patience to vs his followers when the least occasions the greatest in this respect being nothing can withdraw our most heauenly and deuout cogitations of spirit to the most earthly and sensuall wil of the flesh Which plainly discouereth our vnwilling seruice of God our vrged obedience towards him our most vndutifull expectation of him our idle hands in his vineyard our dull eares in hearing him and whatsoeuer else we neglect which generally is the time pleasing of vs all Wherfore good brethren serue him as ye ought willingly obey him liberally humbly attend on him be not found idle in the vintage nor as deafe adders stopping your eares at the voice of the charmer charm he neuer so wisely neither harden your harts as in the day of prouocation or in the day of temptation in the wildernes and let vs learne to serue the world euen as it serueth vs which is euen then to loath it when it seemeth most amiable then to refuse it when it most desireth vs and then to fear it most when it most fawneth vpon vs. But what crosses can the frailty of mans flesh abide or from what will or earthly pleasure can it abstaine truly not the least although it were to win the euerlasting ioy of heauen Notwithstanding Iesus warneth vs to suffer reproches for his sake Math. 5. 11. adding blessednes to our patience and also he willeth vs to com vnto him all that are weary and heauy loden Math. 11. 28. and he will refresh vs. Likewise he saith vnto vs Take on my yoke and learn of me for I am meeke and lowly in hart and ye shall finde rest for your soules Recording the prophets exhortations to the people of Ierusalem in these words Ier. 6. 16. Take heed to the ancient waies of your fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob which is the good way walk therin and you shall find rest for your soules This is the saluation that the prophet Dauid so much delighted in Psal. 69. For saith he God will saue Sion and build againe the walles of the city of Iuda and they shall dwell there and inherit it and the seed of his seruants shall inherit it and they that loue his name shall dwell therin Iesus was sent not only a sauiour to the Iewes that faithfully receiued him bicause they were his owne kindred but also vnto them that were without yea euen the Gentiles As it is said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath raised vp a mighty saluation for vs in the house of his seruant Dauid to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and a glory to the people of Israel and to perform the oth which he sware to our forefather Abraham that he would giue vs. There may we well vnderstand and mark that he was sent a deliuerance to all nations that they whosoeuer should call vpon him might be deliuered from the feare of their enimies ghostly or bodily to wit the outragious threatnings of Satan or any opprobrious comminations of this world This was the saluation that Simeon prophesied of and receiued comfort by Luke 2. when he said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eies haue seen thy saluation and likewise Maries thanksgiuing Luke 1. when she said My soule doth magnify the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my sauiour It seemeth the prophets had no greater comfort than still to be foreshewing of this sauiour the redemption of the world as their prophecies mention Isai. 1. 2. 3. In that day the highest mountaine shal be prepared and exalted aboue all hils and all nations shall flow vnto it and many people to wit the Gentiles shall go and say Com let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob
and he will teach vs his waies and we will walk in his pathes for the law shall go foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem The Lord himself will giue you a signe Isai. 7. 14. A virgine shall conceiue a sonne c. butter and hony shall he eat till he haue knowledge to refuse the euill and to choose the good In another place Isai. 9. 6. 7. Vnto vs a child is born and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulders and he shall call his name wonderfull counseller the mighty God the euerlasting father the prince of peace the increase of his gouernment shall haue none end he shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with iudgement and iustice from hencefoorth for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this But there shall come a rod foorth of the stock of Iesse Isai. 11. 1. 10. and a graffe shall grow foorth of his root and in that day the root of Iesse which shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shall seek vnto it and his rest shall be glorious This then is the most true and comfortable rest for the soules of all them that trust in him Isai. 22. 17. And the work of iustice shall be peace euen the work of iustice and quietnes and assurance for euer and my people shall dwell in tabernacles of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places A voice crieth in the wildernes Isai. 40. 4. prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a path for our God euery valley shall be exalted and euery mountaine and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be straight and the rough places plaine the glory of God shall be reuealed Isai. 42. 2. Behold saith the Lord I will giue to Ierusalem one that shall bring good tidings behold my seruant saith the Lord I will stay vpon him mine elect in whom my soule delighteth I haue put my spirit vpon him he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gentiles he shall not cry nor lift vp nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised reed shal he not break the smoking flaxe shall he not quench he shall bring foorth iudgement in truth and the Isles shall wait for his law These places assured the Lords redemption vnto all the world as in the same chapter Let them giue glory vnto the Lord and declare his praise in the Islands which whole chapter bicause it so strongly cōcerneth this work let the reader apply it to this place I haue held my peace a long time saith the Lord and refrained my selfe euen a thousand yeeres Apoc. 20. 7. by the which space satan was bound And now I will cry saith the Lord and make mountaines and hils waste and dry vp their herbs Isai. 53. Who will beleeue our reports or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed His annointing is prophesied here like wise The spirit of the Lord is vpon me Isai. 61. therfore the Lord hath annointed me he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the poor to binde vp the broken harted to preach liberty to the captiues and to them that are bound the opening of the prison c. What a woonderfull delight had this prophet from time to time to set before the eies of the people the comming of their sauior Iesus yea the whole world was too little to withdraw him from the confidence that hee had already conceiued of his redemption to come This therfore I thought not amisse to lay downe concerning the prophets confidence the rather to strengthen the weake harted and to stay such as should be falling For if the prophet by the ey of faith could assure saluation imminent to the beleeuers of the people how much rather then is it to be required that we by the help of our sensible vnderstanding should not faile of that faith For haue not our ears heard Christs own words Haue not our eies seen the manifestation of him in the flesh Who hath not heard of his works that he did on the earth Math. 1. Who hath not heard of his birth Math. 2. And that he was carried into Egypt Haue we not heard that he was baptized in Iordan Math. 3. Haue we not heard of his fasting Math. 4. preaching and the diuels tempting of him Haue we not heard of his woondrous cures Math. 8. Haue we not heard how he made Apostles to preach Haue we not heard of the feeding of fiue thousand men with three loaues and two fishes Math. 10. and many other miracles which he did Yea surely we haue heard of his passion his descension and ascension also and yet is all this too little to enable our weake spirits to faith except with Didymus we feel or with Nicodemus enter into the wombe againe our wickednes is so great that through faith we can imagine no assured saluation for vs in our God wherupon suddenly we say with the foole Psal. 14. Tush there is no God But wo to them that say to their maker Thou madest me not Shall the vessell say to the potter Thou didst not fashion me or make me excellent or why didst thou not make me honorable as som other of thy workmanship Surely the vessell that inquireth thus shall be dasht and broken in a thousand pieces Is the work better than the workman or whence was the creation of man Psal. 24. Open ye euerlasting doores and the king of glory shall com in Now seeing we haue all heard of this Iesus the sonne of God our redeemer our euerlasting quietnes and rest let vs all study to be rich in the true knowledge of him and therby only to receiue the most glorious comfort of this world First to know assuredly that he the same that was promised came according to the fulnes of time for the saluation of mankinde Bicause he being God begotten of his father before all worlds became man by his father borne in the world whom the world was not woorthy of He became flesh to free and saue vs from our sins Math. 1. 16. and clense vs from our wickednes to translate our corrupt nature into incorruption our mortall seed into immortality and to conclude our vile and vnstable flesh into most pure and steddy spirit to last with him for euer and euer Amen This Iesus is not the sauiour of the spirit and soule after this life only but the preseruer and defender of all that verily trust in him from dangerous mischances or euill fortunes in this world also whatsoeuer as is to be noted in the example of the Iailor first the miraculous meanes of Paul and Silas Acts. 16. 37. their deliuerance out of bands when the doores flew open and their fetters were loosed then Paules aduising of the
so the son also quickeneth whom he will And the father iudgeth not but referreth all iudgement to his sonne bicause all should honor the sonne as the father and they that honor not the sonne as the father honoreth not the father that sent him So whosoeuer heareth his word and beleeueth in him that sent him shall not com vnto condemnation but hath passed from death to life for as the father hath life in himselfe so hath the sonne To beleeue cannot be to seek honor one of another but of God alone and his son Iesus Christ for when Moses stroke the rock Exod. 17. 6. seeking honor of the children of Israel saying Hear now ye rebels shall we bring you water out of the rock Here for not sanctifieng the Lord in the presence of the Israelites and for honoring themselues in the Lords miracle both Moses and Aaron were cut off from the hope they had to see the land of promise If Moses being a faithfull leader of the Lords owne host and an approoued seruant of the mighty God Iehoua fell by disobedience into arrogancy Exod. 17. seeking his owne honor more than Gods and was so seuerely punished oh that men would but think how fearful a sentence that was by which he was depriued of forty yeeres hope and the fauour of so long trauel which was so sore in the wildernes How much more terrible shall our iudgement be if any way we decline or fall away from a sincere and perfect beleef which we haue had in God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ or if we beleeue not the word that testifieth of him and through which we see him daily Moses had but a meer hope of things to come which things we haue seen through faith and we are strongly to abide therin giuing all honor to the sonne as to the father in whom we beleeue by whom we liue haue our being Iohn 6. 37. This only sonne of God Iesus Christ is the bread of life the true sabaoth or rest the very top and end of Iubiles let vs study to enter into this rest His meat is to doe his fathers will and let our sustenance be to follow him and doe his will and let vs not labor only for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that dureth euerlastingly which the sonne of man shall giue vnto vs for him hath God the father sealed and the work of God is to beleeue in him whom he sent his sonne This is the rock that followed the host and the rock wherupon the Lord hath founded his church this is Gods rock and the rock of the All-sufficient Iohn 10. 20. he and the father is one And whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in him shall neuer dy Iohn 11 26. he shall gather togither into one the children of God from all corners of the earth by his death and passion He is the sonne of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Nomb. 21. 9. this is he that was to be lifted vp Iohn 3. 14. and exalted aboue all heauens Lord who beleeueth our report and vnto whom is thine arme reuealed And Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Psal. 15. and rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupt life and doth the thing that is right For this is the vine and his father is the husbandman and the branch that beareth not fruit in him he cutteth off and euery one that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring foorth more So must we abide in him and he in vs for as the branch cannot beare fruit except it be in the vine no more can we except we abide and dwell in him Let vs therfore pray for the peace which is in him for the peace of Iesus Christ the sonne of God is greater than the afflictions of the whole world Let vs be of good comfort Iohn 16. 13. he hath already conquered the world Psal. 2. and let vs kisse the son least he be angry and so we perish euerlastingly for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their whole trust and confidence in him for the father hath put all things in subiection vnder his feet Psal. 2. and giuen him the vtmost parts of the earth for his possession OVR LORD He is the soueraigne Lord of the whole earth and inspireth the harts of kings and princes according to his wisedome hee aduaunceth the humble and putteth down the mighty from their seat he filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he sendeth empty away He is the faithful steward that giueth his fathers people meat in due season he blesseth all them that call vpon him in his fathers name Psal. 7. This is the welbeloued Salomon the prince of wisedom whose daughters goings are beutifull the ioints of her thighes like iewels the work of a cunning man her nauell as a round cup full of liquor her belly as an heap of wheat compassed about with lillies her brests as two yong roses that are twins her neck as a tower of Iuory her eies as the fish-pooles in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-Rhabbim her nose as the tower of Lebanon that looketh toward Damascus her head as scarlet and her haire as purple He is the spirituall Salomon his faire daughter Psal. 8. the Church which also is compared to a vineyard that bringeth foorth fruit euen a thousand folde He is the Lord that the prophet Dauid spake of and whose victory he foresaw Psal. 110. saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole This is the horn of our saluation in whom our fathers trusted and were counted iust Hebr. 11. as it is manifest in the epistle to the Hebrues where a whole chapter is spent in reciting their faith the learning wherof I refer to the diligence of the reader seeing it is a full record of all the ancient fathers beleef This is the Lord of al mankind for he hath purchased vs all by the offering vp of his body and sheading of his blood to free vs from these links of sinne wherin we are intangled through Adam And therfore he hath now full power to say Math. 25. Com ye blessed of my father and inherit euerlasting life or go ye cursed into vtter darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And as we were then bound with the chaines of sinne growing in our carnall bodies stirring vs vp to do the will of the flesh so are we at this day being rid out of those bands by the death and passion of our Lord bound likewise to him in spirit to serue and obey him as obedient seruants looking for no reward by desert but by his meer fauour and mercy inheritance with him of life eternal Therfore is he Lord ouer kingdoms and nations and there is no higher power than that which the
are meant all the Babylonians Medes Persians and Assyrians his posterity So vnder Heber is signified all his posterity the Hebrues and consequently the Iewes of whom Christ rose a naturall branch So from time to time their policy hath been to erect an earthly monarch by daily persecutions of the Church against their own spirituall consciences and by a catholike persecution of the church to exalt their catholike tyranny in steed of the Church Neither can I see them iustly called Catholiks except for the vniforme massaker of true Christians Now therfore least we should mistake this Christ by ignorance of his death our beleef is a consonant speech most diuinely composed for our vnderstanding that we may as well perceiue the certainty of his passion as of his incarnation wherfore it is necessarily mentioned in our beleef his conception his incarnation his passion the manner of his passion and the end therof Touching his conception and incarnation I haue before spoken touching the certainty of his passion his very enimies confesse that such a Christ came according to the prophets and suffered for their chronicles and ancient monuments of time say no lesse Notwithstanding they wilfully mistook him and abandoned him for a false Christ. That Pilate was a Roman the Romans themselues confesse and that he had such an office they do not deny and that such a Christ at the same very time suffered vnder his hands for their owne sakes they must conclude if they at all hope for saluation in him Hitherto I find not one idle word to be spared as friuolous or improper concerning our Christian faith and it is most euident that if any of these words had been omitted or for breuity sake not penned of necessity they must had beene deliuered and taught for the better vnderstanding of our beleefe HE WAS CRVCIFIED This was the manner of death that he was put vnto by Pilate the curse of the law for by the Iewes owne law Cursed is he that hangeth on the true Deut. 21. 23. But Christ bought vs from the curse Gal. 3. 13. being made a curse for vs that now in the true seed of Abraham all nations of the earth the sonnes of Iaphet might be blessed by the God of Sem and that Iaphet and Sem might now dwell togither Nay the Iewes made this curse more reprochfull in Christ than by the law otherwise could be deuised For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be fastened to the crosse far and very hainously exceedeth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be hanged Gal. 3. 13. as Saint Paul vseth it to the Galathians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hanged vpon a tree and according to Saint Mathewes exposition Math. 22. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by these two commandements hang the law and the prophets But to shew their most outragious malice they cried crucify him crucify him which is to say Naile him naile him to the tree Neither can the washing of Pilats hands before the people Math. 27. 24. make his guiltines vnguilty they thought that they could not vse him too hardly For they made account heerby to see him do many great miracles as he had done before insomuch that they assaied him with all temptations not considering that his time was finished and that he was to enter the Ark of saluation as a new Noah sauiour of the world Neither did they regard the limits of his manhood but scourged him buffeted him spit on him and pierced his sides They mocked him Math. 27. 40. saying He that destroied the temple and built it againe in three daies let him saue himself their blindnes did not comprehend the temple of a second Salomon the body of Christ a second Adam which should within three daies be destroied and built againe to stand for euer and euer iust the distance of old Adams natural yeeres from the foundation of the first temple so proceeded they still to tempt him euen with extremity of anguish to his soule and mortall torments to his body when most patiently he crieth Math. 27. 46. ELI ELI LAMMA SABACTA NI My God Psal. 22. 2. my God why hast thou forsaken me but they vnderstood him not and soon after he gaue vp the ghost * and died And his soule left the vaile of his fleshly body at the consummation of all Math. 27. 51. the vaile of the temple rent from the top to the bottom 2. Chron. 3. 14. shewing that the high sacrificer was not from thencefoorth yeerly to enter in to make oblation and attonement for the sinnes of the people but that Christ being once offered vp for all was made high sacrificer for al to abrogate all ceremoniall priesthood of the law and therfore was he called a high sacrificer for euer Psal. 110. 4. after the order of Melchizedek Hebr. 7. his office was so far aboue the Leuites as Melchizedek excelled Aaron the one being only high sacrificer vnder the law the other an old paterne of priesthood before the law whom Christ was to imitate that in the appointed time he might take away and abolish the ceremonies of the law and make reconciliation for the sins of the people by his death Hebr. 2. 17. seeing he was sent as another Moses a brief expositor of the law that they that beleeued not in him their condemnation might bee iust DEAD This word sheweth the end of his passion that it was euen vnto death neither might this word be spared for he might suffer vnder Pontius Pilate and be crucified yet not vnto death and might had been by the interruption of passion void of death at all Wherfore this is necessarily added WAS CRVCIFIED DEAD That we cannot think he suffered fantastically or that he suffered in vaine for at his expiration he was said to be dead He died that day wherin Adam fell being with vs a friday which was the Iewes saboth euen that he might performe and finish to vs the long promised and liuely saboth which through the fall of Adam we had need of A most fine note that we became bound and free in one day the interruption of time being 3960 yeeres or therabouts Heer we may wel perceiue the eternity yea the euerlasting memory of the Lords counsell and prouidence What end is there of his wisedom Who can imagine a greater wisedom than this which is to search the tokens and figures of this Christ his most certaine comming It is a true pathway to Gods knowledge and teacheth vs to imitate him in spirit and truth and to ground our beleef according to that knowledge of him now com Verily it is much to be lamented that these things are so smoothly ouerpassed of many and so little regarded of any by the which the Lord had such pleasure to foreshew his sonne vnto the Iewes now for our aedification insomuch that by most diligent obseruation of the same they haue continually penned large volumes in the
therfore in these words consisteth the perfection of the church the members of Christ which is the rock and foundation therof For had not the Iewes had a perfect warning of redemption to come through the Messiah sauiour of the world and the full meanes therof and of all that he was to perform for the saluation of mankind how could they take notice of their redemption or be iustly condemned for misbeleef for they that liued in the time of Christs humanity were to see that which their fathers hoped for If then we will further know what ought the substance of our faith to be I answer in a word Our faith ought to be the haruest of our fathers hope so that we beleeue that we haue receiued that which they hoped for so through one faith in one Iesus they and we are both saued Isai. 53. 8. Who shall declare his age for he was cut out off the land of the liuing Heer my purpose was to shew that this article might safely be vsed without aduātage to the Papists or offence to such as I before meant Therfore as we now see with our eies and beleeue that Iesus the true Christ came and finished his pilgrimage heer on earth being the only begotten sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost born of the virgine Mary crucified according to the prophets so what he was to do he himself declared to the fathers in spirit insomuch that they also saw their saluation by the eie of faith which they had in the same Messiah Colos. 1. 18. the first born of the dead and of al things to haue the preheminence He is the reconciliation of all the world and euen as his father spred the heauens and adorned them and created the earth and sea with all the implements so is the sonne commaunder of all and the beginning and end of all things are in his hand he is made iudge of all flesh comming as it were in the meane time to reconcile the limits and to constraine all nations to worship him He was made all one with the father the beginning of the world and the last end must ply vnto him from whom al sentence of ioy eternall or perpetuall misery shall proceed and to this end he preached in spirit long before he was incarnated Gen. 6. 3. The Lord said And my spirit shal not alwaies striue with flesh and his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to say 1. Pet. 3. 19. By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison which were somtime disobedient when the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah while the ark was in making Your father Abraham reioiced to see my daie Ioh. 8. 56. and he saw it and was glad Suppose saith Peter 2. Pet. 3. 15. that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation euen so our brother Paul according to the wisdom giuen to him wrote vnto you Doest thou the same Rom. 2. 3. and thinkest to escape iudgement and despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth to repentance Wherfore as by one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5. 12. and death by sinne so death went ouer all men for vnto the time of the law was sinne in the world but sinne is not imputed while there is no law Gal. 3. 17. The law fower hundred and thirty yeeres after the promise cannot disanull the couenant God gaue the promise to Abraham but death reigned from Adam to Moses euen on them also that sinned not after the maner of Adams transgression which was as a figure of the second Adam Seeing then before the law all men were dead in sinne without any hope of iustification to eternall life it was most needfull that the Gospell should be preached vnto them 1. Pet. 4. 6. Wherupon it seemeth Saint Peter continueth his speech of preaching to this end was the Gospell preached also to the dead that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh but might liue according to God in the spirit Now this is plaine that whoso were vnder the law were condemned by the law according to the flesh By this all men vnder the law were iudged by the law But seeing the dead were before the law howbeit many righteous men to whom the promise was giuen were iustified by faith they were not to be iudged or condemned by the law but by the spirit of Christ that preached vnto them while they were in the prison of death that they might beare fruit in the resurrection also otherwise should they be born without adoption in Christ at all like as the cloudes are congealed and melt againe to nothing or as the wind passeth through the aire and no man marketh it so without law or grace should they perish without conscience which the Atheists now adaies would soon graunt But their iudgement long ago is not far off 2. Pet. 2. 3. and their condemnation sleepeth not They are wels without water and clouds caried about with a tempest to whom the black darknes is reserued for euer Now if we doubt that Christ did preach in the spirit before he came in the flesh let vs consider the Epistle of Saint Iude Iude. vers 9. where is said touching blaspheming of authority Yet Michael the Archangel Christ when he stroue against the diuell about the body of Moses durst not blame him with cursed speaking but said The Lord rebuke thee Mark then this Michael was a cheef Angell yea more than an Angell Apoc. 12. 5. as the Reuelation sheweth also There was a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his angels fought but they preuailed not neither was their place found any more in heauen And the great Dragon that old serpent called the Diuell and satan which deceiueth all the world he was euen cast into the earth and his angels were cast out with him Heer Christ the seed of the woman brused the serpents head This Michael is the man-child that was borne to rule all nations with a rod of iron Psal. 2. 9. and break them in peeces like a potters vessell Diuers times is this Michael spiritually mentioned through the old and new Testament Dan. 10. 12. Lo Michael a cheef prince holpe me and there is none that holdeth with me Dan. 10. 22. but Michael your prince Dan. 12. In that day shall Michael stand vp the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people And in the same place Lo Michael one of the cheef princes cam to help me Wherfore it is to too absurd for vs to think that a king hauing banished an offender for punishment into a most desolate place of the world to remaine there for euer would himselfe go after to obteine greater power ouer him For what