vpon defect of memory and vtterance c. vse a set forme of prayer Sect. 2. The second Circumstance is the Gesture Concerning which it is demanded what kind of gesture is to be vsed in praier whether kneeling standing sitting or the holding vp the hands or head to heauen or bowing the body to the earth Answ. God in his word hath not prescribed any particular gesture of the body and therfore our consciences are not bound to any in particular Besides that Religion stands not properly in bodily actions and gestures Yet touching gesture the word of God giues certaine generall rules to be obserued in prayers both publicke and priuate In Publicke praier these rules of Gesture are prescribed First when publicke praier is made in the congregation our gesture must alwaies be comely modest decent SecoÌ„dly all gesture vsed publickely must serue to expresse as much as may be the inward humility of the hart without hypocrisie Now these kinds are manifold Some concern the whole body as the bowing thereof the casting of it downe vpon the ground some againe concerne the parts of the body as lifting vp of the head the eies the hands bowing the knees c. Touching these the scripture hath not bound vs to any particulars but in them all we must haue regard that they serue alway to expresse the humilitie of our hearts before God Thus haue the Holy men of God behaued themselues yea the Holy Angels standing before the Arke doe couer their faces in token of reuereÌ„ce of the maiestie of God Esay 6. 2. Thirdly we must in publicke praier content our selues to followe the laudable fashion and custome of that particular Church where we are For to decline from customes of particular Churches in such cases often causeth scisme and dissensions In priuate praier done in priuate and secret places there is more liberty For in it we may vse any gesture so it be comely and decent and serue to expresse the inward humility of our hearts An auncient writer is of opinion that it is an vnreuerent and vnlawfull thing to pray sitting But both the learned before in and after his time haue iudged his opinion superstitious specially considering that Religion stands not in the outward gesture of the body and it skills not much what that is so the inward humility of a syncere heart be expressed therby Sect. 3. The third Circumstance is the place Where Question is made In what place we must pray Answ. In regard of conscience holines and religion all places are equal and alike in the New Testament since the comming of Christ. The house or the field is as holy as the Church And if we pray in either of them our prayer is as acceptable to God as that which is made in the Church For now the daies are come that were foretold by the Prophet wherein a cleane offering should be offered to God in euery place Mal. 1. 11. which Paul expoâ—…ds 1. Tim. 2. 8. of pure and holy praier offened to God in euery place To this purpose Christ said to the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 25. that the tyme should come when they 〈◊〉 not worship in Ierusalem or in Samaria but the true worshippers of God should worship him in spirit and in truth wheresoeuer it be Yet neuerthelesse for order decency and quietnes sake publicke prayer must be made in publicke places as Churches and Chappels appointed for that vse And priuate praier in priuate houses and clozets Mat. 6. 5. Now the opinion of the Papist is otherwise For he thinkes that in the new TestameÌ„t hallowed Churches are more holy then other places are or can be and doe make the prayers offered to God in them more acceptable to him then in any other and herevpon they teach that priuate men must pray in Churches and priuate prayers must be made in Churches if they will haue them heard For proofe hereof they alleadge the practise of some particular persons in the Scriptures Of Anna who praied priuately in the temple Luk. 2. 37. Of Dauid who in his exile desired greatly to haue recourse vnto the temple And of Daniel who is saide to looke out at the window toward the temple and pray Dan. 6. 10. Answ. These places are abused by the Popish Church For there is great difference betweene the temple at Ierusalem in the old Testament and our Churches in the new That was built by particular commandemeÌ„t from God so were not our Churches That was a type of the very body and manhood of Christ. Heb. 9. 11. And of his misticall bodie Col. 2. 7. Againe the Arke in the temple was a pledge and signification of the couenant a signe of gods presence a pledge of his mercie and that by his owne appointment for it was his will there to answere his people but the like cannot be shewed of our Churches or Chappell 's It will be saide that the Sacrament is a signe of Gods presence for in it God is present after a sort Ans. It is true Christ is present in the Sacrament but when not alwaies but then onely when the Sacrament is administred And the Administration beeing once ended Christ is no more present in the Elements of bread and wine And in the very act of celebration he is not carnally but spiritually present Sect. 4. The fourth Circumstance is the Time Quest. What are the times in which men are to make prayers vnto God For answer to this question it is first to be considered that there is a twofold manner of praying and consequently two kindes of prayer The first is the secret and sudden lifting vp of the heart to God vpon the present occasion The second is set or solemne prayer The first sort of praiers haue of auncient time beene called Eiaculations or the darts of the heart And the time of this kind of prayer is not determined but is and may be vsed at any time without exception This point I make plaine by these reasons The first is the commandement of God 1. Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Eph. 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance for all Saints In both these places by praier and supplications Paul vnderstandeth the sudden lifting vp of the heart vnto God Secondly whatsoeuer we speake thinke or doe we must doe all to the glorie of God Now God is glorified when we doe in all things from our hearts acknowledge his power wisdome iustice mercie prouidence and goodnes And these we doe acknowledge when we daily and howerly lift vp our hearts to him in petition for some blessings and in thanksgiuing for his mercies Thirdly we are subiect to innumerable infirmities frailties and wants so as we cannot of our selues so much as thinke one good thought therefore we are euery day and hower to lift vp our hearts to God partly in praier partly in giuing of thankes that he would
doe with patience expect it Rom. 8. 25. The third is Loue of God which hath two effects in the heart First it makes the heart to cleaue vnto God and to be well pleased with him simply for himselfe In this manner God the father louing Christ testifieth that he was well pleased in him Matth. 3. 17. Secondly it mooues the heart to seeke by all meanes possible to haue true fellowship with God in Christ. This the Church notably expresseth in the Canticles The fourth is Inward praier or Inuocation of the heart and it is nothing els but the lifting vp of the heart vnto God according to his will by desires and grones vnspeakable Or it is a worke of the heart whereby it flies vnto God for help in distresse makes him a rocke of defence When the children of Israel were afflicted They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer Psal. 78. 35. Of this kinde of prayer Paul speakes when he saith pray continually 1. Thess. 5. 17. For solemne prayer conceiued and vttered in forme of words cannot alwaies be vsed but we are to lift vp our hearts vnto God vpon euery occasion that by inward and holy motions and affections they may be as it were knitte vnto him Now to conclude this point touching Inward worship we must remember that it alone is properly simply and of it selfe the worship of God and the Outward is not simply the worship of God but onely so farre forth as it is quickned by the Inward and grounded vpon it For God is a Spirit and therefore the true worship that is done vnto him must be performed in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. CHAP. VI. Of the outward worship of God and the first head thereof Prayer THus much of the Inward worship of God The Outward is that which is performed by the bodie externally eitherin word or deede To this belong many particulars which I will reduce to eight seuerall heads I. Prayer II. The hearing of the word preached III. The vse of the Sacraments IV. Outward Adoration V. Confession VI. An Oath VII Vowes VIII Fasting Touching Praier conceiued and vttered by the voice there are many Questions of Conscience the principall whereof are foure I. Question How shall a man make a lawfull and acceptable praier to God Ans. The word of God requires many conditions in making praier to God they may all be brought to three heads Some of them goe before the making of praier some are to be performed in the act of praier some after praier is ended Sect. 1. Conditions to be obserued before praier are three First he that would make such a praier as God may be pleased to heare must repent Esa. 1. 15. God would not heare the praiers of the Iewes because their hands were full of blood that is because they had not repented of their oppression and crueltie Ioh. 9. 31. God heares not sinners that is such as liue and lie in their sinnes and turne not vnto God by true repentance 1. Ioh. 3. 22. By this we know that God heares our prayers if we keepe his commandements I adde further that the man which hath before-time repented must againe renew his repentance if he desire that his praiers should be accepted For the very particular sinnes of men whereinto they fall after their repentance doe hinder the course of their praiers from hauing accesse vnto God if they be not repented of And for this cause the worthie men of God the Prophets in the old Testament doe vsually in the beginning of their praiers still humble themselues and confesse their sinnes as we may see in the example of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5 6 c. and of Ezra chap. 9. v. 6. c. Secondly before a man make a praier he must first if neede require be reconciled vnto his brother If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering and goe thy way first be recōciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Matt. 5. 23. When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue any thing against any man c. Mark 11. 25. Thirdly he that is to pray must prepare himselfe in heart and mind as one that is to speake familiarly with God In this preparation foure things are required First the mind is to be emptied of all carnall worldly thoughts Secondly there must be in the minde a consideration of the things to be asked Thirdly a lifting vp of the heart vnto the Lord Psal. 25. 1. Fourthly the heart must be touched with a reuerence of the maiestie of God to whome we pray Eccl. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to vtter a thing before God For the neglect herof the Lord threatneth to bring a iudgment vpon the Israelites Esay 29. 13. 14. Sect. 2. The second sort of Conditions are those that are required in praier and they are in number eight I. Euery petition must proceed from a liuely sense and feeling of our owne wants and of our spirituall pouertie For without this no praier can be earnest and hartie and consequently become acceptable vnto God For example when we pray that Gods name may be hallowed we must in making that petition haue in our harts a sense of the corruption of our nature wherby we are prone to dishonour the name of God II. Our praier must proceede from an earnest desire of that grace which we want and this desire is indeede praier it selfe Moses vttering neuer a word but groning in the spirit vnto God in the behalfe of the Isralites is said to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 14. 15. We know not saith Paul what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. III. The petition must proceede from sauing and true iustifying faith The reason is because without that faith it is impossible that either our persons or our praiers or any other action we doe should please God Heb. 11. 6. IV. Euery petition must be grounded vpon the word of God and not framed according to the carnall conceit and fansie of mans braine And this is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he heareth vs. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Now we haue a double ground of our praier in Gods word a commandement to make the praier either generall or particular and a promise that our requests shal be granted Here we must remember two rules First Things to be asked are either spirituall or temporall Spirituall are such as concerne God whereof some are more necessarie to saluation as remission of sinnes faith repentance and such like some are lesse necessarie as hope ioy in the feeling of Gods mercie in distresse c. Temporall things are such as belong to this life as meate drinke clothing
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are â—o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pubâ—cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in coâ—â—cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience
make a daily supplie by his grace Fourthly Satan seekes by all meanes to ouerthrow our soules continually and in that regard it behooueth vs alwaies and vpon euery occasion to lift vp our hearts to God for his mercifull protection Fiftly the gift of faith must grow and increase in vs day by day And the meanes whereby it groweth and thriueth in vs are the exercises of faith not seldome and rare but daily and continually vsed Now of all the exercises of faith none is more exceilent then Invocation and Thanksgiuing The Second kinde of prayer is set and solemne when a man sets himselfe apart to pray vnto God vsually and feruently or when men come reuerently and solemnely together into the congregation to call vpon the name of the Lord. The word of God appoints no set time for this kind but leaues it to the libertie wisdome and discretion of men And the ground of this Libertie is this There is now no difference betweene time and time in regard of Conscience for performing the worship of God and the duties of religion the Saboth onely excepted but the principall and onely difference is in regard of outward order and conueniencie whereby one time may be thought fitter then an other and that must be discerned by the wisdome of men In the New testament the distinction of daies and houres is taken away Paul was afraid of the Galatians because they made difference of daies times moneths and yeares in respect of holines and religion Gal. 4. By this doctrine we may see what to iudge of the Romane religion touching set times of prayer They prescribe certaine houres which they tearme Canonicall and they distinguish them in this manner The first they call the Matutine before the sunne rising The second the Prime from the first houre of the day to the third The third from thence to the sixt hower The fourth from the sixt to the ninth The fift from the ninth to the twelfth which they call the None The fixt is in the euening about the Sunne-setting The seuenth and last is after the Sunne-setting which they call the Completorie Now in these seauen prescribed howers by the doctrine deliuered I note three notable abuses First in that the Popish Church binds men in Conscience to obserue them vpon paine of mortall sinne Whereas in regarde of Conscience there is no difference of times Secondly they bind the Masse-priest the Deacon Subdeacon and the Beneficed man onely to Canonicall houres whereas those houres differ not from others in regard of performance of Gods worship neither are these men more bound to pray in them then others Thirdly that a man may say and read his Canonicall houres this day for the morrow and in the morning or after dinner for the whole day wherein we may see their grosse superstition IV. Question touching prayer is How their mindes are to be pacified which are troubled by sundry accidents that fall out in their praiers These Accidents are principally three First when they should pray they cannot frame or conceiue a forme of praier as other men doe For remoouing of which trouble let them remember this one thing That the vnfeigned desire of the touched heart is a praier in acceptance before God though knowledge memorie and vtterance to frame and conceiue a forme of prayer in words be waÌ„ting Ps. 10. 17. God heares the desire of the poore that is of humbled persons and them which are in distresse Psal. 145. 19. God will fulfill the desire of them that feare hiâ— he also will heare their cry and will saue them Rom. 8. 26. We know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit of God that is the spirit of adoption maketh requests for vs by grones sighes which cannot be vttered Where we may obserue that the prayer of the Holy Ghost which must needes be an excellent prayer is made by grones which cannot be vttered in words The second Accident is that they finde them selues full of heauines and deadnes of spirit and their minds full of by-thoughts and wandting imaginations This trouble may be remooued vpon this ground that the defects of our prayer shall neuer condemne vs if we be heartily displeased with our selues for the same and by prayer and other good meanes doe struggle and striue against them Rom. 8. 1. There is no coÌ„demnation to them that be in Christ. In which place it is not saide They doe nothing worthy of coÌ„demâ—ation but thus There is no condemnation to them being in Christ though they deserue it neuer so much The third accideÌ„t is that though they pray they receiue not the fruit of their praiers For the remooueall of this distresse we may consider these foure things I. The man that is thus troubled is to examine himselfe whether he hath made his praier to God aright or no For if he pray amisse he may pray long and neuer be heard Our Sauiour would not grant the request of the sonns of Zebedeus because they asked they knew not what Matt. 20. 22. Iam. 4. 3. Ye aske receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts Paul prayed three times and had the repulse because he asked things inconuenient for him to receiue therefore answere was made My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12. The man therefore that would make a praier aright must haue respect vnto the matter and forme thereof as also to the disposition of his owne heart If he faile in any of these then God will not heare or if he doth he heares in iustice II. Though men make lawfull praiers vnto God aske things that are to be asked and which God will grant yet God will sometime deserre the accomplishment of their praiers and not giue eare vnto them at the first Dauid prayed night and day and yet was not heard Psalm 22. 2. Againe his eies failed his throat was drie while he waited for his God by prayer Psal. 69. 3. The Angel Gabriel said to Zacharie Luk. 1. 13. Thy prayer is heard Now in all likelihood that prayer of Zacharie was made long before euen in his youth yet it was not granted him till he was olde The Lord deferres the graunt of our requests vpon good reason For hereby he stirreth vp the dulnes of our hearts and quickeneth our faith and hope Againe he makes vs when we enioy the blessings desired to haue them in higher estimation and to be more thankefull vnto him yea in the want thereof to striue the more earnestly with him by praier for them The woman of Canaan was repulsed and called a dogge by our Sauiour Christ not for that he intended to reiect her prayer but to stirre vp her faith to make her more earnest in asking as also more thankefull for the benefit when shee had receiued it III. The Lord vseth to graunt our petitions two manner of waies First by giuing the very thing we aske Secondly by giuing something answerable
into the sea did not befall him by lotte but by his owne voluntarie resignation of himselfe into the hands of God willingly vndergoing it as a iust punishment of the neglect of his calling which himselfe confessed in these words For I acknowledge that for my sake the great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1. 12. Sixtly Moses and the Egyptian fought a combate and Moses slew him Ans. Moses took vpoÌ„ him publike revenge in this action as a Magistrate and not priuate as a priuate man For though as yet his calling was not fully manifested to his brethreÌ„ yet the truth is God had called him to be their deliuerer out of the hands of the Egyptians and this very action was a signe of their deliuerance which was to come to passe afterward It was I say a signe thus As he defended his brother and avenged his quarrell vpon the Egyptian so in time to come the Lord would by his hand giue them full freedome and deliuerance from the tyranny of Pharaoh and all his and their enemies Act. 7. 25. Beeing then a publicke person his example can prooue nothing for this purpose II. Question When Anger is a vertue and so good and lawfull and wheÌ„ it is a vice consequeÌ„tly euill and vnlawfull This Question hath two distinct parts of which I will speake in their order Sect. 1. The first part is when Anger is a vertue lawfull For Answer hereof we must vnderstand that in iust and lawfull Anger there be three things a right Beginning or motiue a right Obiect and a right Manner of beeing angry To the right Beginning of anger three things are required First that the occasion of anger be iust and weightie as namely a manifest offence of God Take an exaÌ„ple or two Moses in sundry places is said to be angrie the occasions of his anger were great as appeares in the particulars First because some of the Israelits against Gods commandement had reserued Manna till the next day Exod. 16. 20. Again he was angrie because the Israelites had tempted God in worshipping the golden calfe Exod. 32. 19. In Numb 16. 15. Moses againe is wroth because Coreh Dathan and Abiram rebelled against him and in him against God Phinees Numb 25. 8. 11. is said to haue beene zealous that is angry for God the occasion was because the Israelites committed fornication with Heathenish women Dauid in like manner 2. Sam. 13. 20 21. was angrie vpon this occasion because Ammon his sonne had deffoured his sister Thamar Elias is angry 1. King 19. v. 14. and why because the Israelites forsooke the conenant of God cast downe his altars and had slaine his prophets with the sword Nehemias Chap. 6. ver 5. is very angrie because the Israelites oppressed one another with vsurie and other kinds of exactions Ieremic also Chap. 6. 11. was angrie for this because the Israelites were of vncircumcised hearts eares and the word of the Lord was vnto them as a reproch they tooke no delight therein Secondly it is required that anger be conceiued vpon counsell and deliberation Pro. 20. 18. Establish thy thoughts by counsell If thoughts must be established by counsell then the affections so our anger also And the Apostle saith Iam. 1. 19. Be slow to wrath Now the reason is plaine Counsell ought to be the foundation of all our actions and therfore much more of our affections which are the beginnings of our actions Thirdly iust and lawful anger must be kindled and stirred vp by good and holy affections as namely by desire to maintaine the honour and praise of God by the loue of iustice and vertue by hatred and detestation of vice and of all that is evill One saith well to this purpose that anger must attend vpon vertue and be stirred vp by it against sinne as the dogge attends vpon the sheepeheard and waites vpon his eie and hand when to follow him and when to pursue the wolfe The Second thing in good anger is a fitte Obiect or Matter to worke vpon touching which two thing must be remembred First we must put a difference betweene the person and the offence or sinne of the person The sinne of the person is the proper obiect of anger and not the person but only by reason of the sinne Thus Dauid saies of himselfe that he was consumed with anger not because the men with whome he was angrie were his enemies but because they kept not Gods law Psal. 119. 139. Thus Moses was angrie at the Idolatrie of the Israelites wherewith they had sinned against God fourtie daies togither yet he praies earnestly vnto God for their persons as we read Exod. 32. But it is alleadged to the contrarie that Dauid directs his anger against the persons of his enemies especially in Psal. 109. Answ. First Prophets as hath beene saide heretofore were endued with a speciall measure of zeale and their zeale was a pure zeale taken vp specially for the glorie and honour of God but our zeale against our enemies is commonly mixt with hatred enuy and selfe-loue therefore we must not nay we cannot follow their examples Secondly imprecations vsed by Dauid were predictions rather then praiers for he rather foretold in them what should come to passe then prayed that it might come to passe Thirdly Dauid in his imprecations accurseth not his owne priuate enemies but the enemies of God and not al them but such onely as were incurable for by the spirit of prophecie he knew the state of those against whome he did pray so doe not we Secondly we must put a difference betweene the cause and offence of God and the cause and offence of manâ— Now iust anger must be directed against persons for the offence of God properly and not for priuate offence but onely so farre forth as it tendeth to the offence of God Thus Miâ—iam and Aaron murmured against Moses because he had married a woman of Aethiopia But this was onely a priuate offence and therefore Moses behaued himselfe meekely towardes them Numb 12. 3. The Third thing in good anger is the Right Manner of conceiuing it Wherein these Cautions are to be obserued First that our anger be mixed and tempered with charitie and loue It is the propertie of God himselfe in wrath to remember mercie Hab. 3. 2. and herein we must be like vnto him This was Moses his practise who out of his loue praied for those with whome he was angrie Exod. 32. Secondly anger against any offence must be mixed with sorrow for the same offence Thus Christ was angrie with the Iewes but withall he sorrowed for the hardnes of their hearts Mark 3. 5. The reason hereof is this In any societie whatsoeuer it be if one member sinneth the sinne of that one member is the punishment of the rest that be in that societie euen as it is in the bodie if one part be affected and ill at ease the rest will be distempered Paul saies of himselfe that he was
namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessary though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the second II. It falleth out oftētimes that the greatnes of the grief taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a mummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares and in such there may be true humiliation though with dric cheekes Sect. 3. The Secōd thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and confequently of saluatiō is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith ther are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospel especially the promise of righteousnes and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apprehend and applie the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandemēt of God sets down this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and applie him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of Conscience touching Faith are these First how we may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men applie Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truly as they ought to doe I answer That this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As God giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should applie the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doth offer and applie Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the Word and prayer for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace When Lydia was hearing the Sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. v. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breede in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answ. When he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first beginnes For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance Sect. 4. The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be considered the beginning namely a godly Sorrow which is the beginning of Repentance 2. Corinth 7. and vpon this sorrow a Change which is indeede Repentance it selfe In Sorrow we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sinnes and doe displease God If there were no iudge no hel nor death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrow will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in Repentāce is the Change of the minde and whole man in affection life and conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the minde and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Antioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezckiel saith if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing auaileable to saluation and not to be seuered from them For a man in shewe may haue many good things as for example he may be humbled and seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the saide man a want of this purpose and resolution not to sinne the other are but dead things and vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kinde of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sinnes and be sorie for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeed there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance Sect. 5. The fourth and last dutie is to performe New obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this new obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doth it in vs. To this purpose Dauid praies vnto God Psal. 143. 10. Let thy good Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnes And
goodnes to any worke Christ saith of the Pharises that they worshipped him in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men He therefore that will doe a worke tending to the worship of God must doe that which God commandeth Now actions expressely commanded are the duties of the morall Law Actions generally commanded are all such as serue to be helpes and meanes to further the said morall duties And here we must remember that actions indifferent in the case of offence or edification cease to be indifferent and come vnder some commandement of the morall Law To which purpose Paul saith If eating flesh will offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the world standeth his meaning is that though his eating of flesh was a thing indifferent in it selfe yet in case of offence his minde was to abstaine from it as much as from the breach of the Law of God Againe if an action indifferent comes within the case of furthering the good of the Commonwealth or Church it ceaseth to be indifferent and comes vnder commandement and so all kind of callings and their works though neuer so base may be the matter of good workes This point is to be remembred for it serueth to incourage euery man of what condition soeuer he be in the diligent performance of the duties of his calling as also to confute the doctrine of the Popish church which teacheth that onely almes deedes and building or maintaining of Churches and religious houses are the matter of good works Now to the manner or Forme of a good work there is required Faith For as without faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. 6. so whatsoeuer worke is vndertaken without faith cannot in any sort be acceptable vnto him What faith then is required in this case I answer First a general faith whereby we are perswaded that the thing to be done may lawfully be done and of this the Apostle speaketh when he saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly a particular or iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and maketh it fit to bring forth a good work for it giues a beginning to the worke and also couers the wants and defects thereof by apprehending and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits Againe a good worke for the māner thereof must be done in obedience For knowing that the thing to be done is commanded of God we must haue a minde and intention to obey God in the thing we doe according to his cōmandement If it be here demanded seeing workes must be done in obedience how and to what part of the word we must direct our obedience I answer to the Law But howe not considered in his rigour but as it is qualified mollified and tēpered by the gospell for according to the rigour of the Lawe which commandes perfect obedience no man can possibly doe a good worke Furthermore touching the maner it must be done to good and lawfull ends The Ends of a good worke are manifold First the honour and glory of God Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God Secondly the testification of our thankfulnes vnto God that hath redeemed vs by Christ. The third is to edifie our neighbour and to further him in the way to life euerlasting Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your father which is in heauen The fourth is to exercise and increase our faith repentance both which be much strengthned and confirmed by the practise of good workes Fiftly that we may escape the punishment of sinne the destruction of the wicked and obtaine the reward of the righteoūs life euerlasting This was the end that Paul aymed at in the course of his calling to which purpose he saith From henceforth there is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day 2. Tim. 4. 8. Sixtly that we may be answerable to our calling in doeing the duties thereof and in walking as children of light redeemed by Christ Iesus When Dauid kept his fathers sheepe he behaued himselfe as a sheepheard but when he was annointed King ouer Israell God gaue him an heart resolution to carry himselfe as a King gouernour of his people Looke then as Dauid did so ought we euen by our workes to be answerable to our callings Seuenthly that we may pay the debt which we owe vnto God For we are debters to him in sundry regardes as we are his creatures as we are his seruants as we are his children In a word as we are redeemed by Christ and our whole debt is our dutie of praise and thanks giuing After the worke is done then comes the acceptation of it God accepts of our works diuers waies First in that he pardoneth the fault which comes from vs. Secondly in that he approoues his owne good worke in vs. Thirdly in that he doth giue vnto the doers of them a crowne of righteousnes and glorie according to his promise 2. Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. We then after we haue done the work must humble our selues and intreat the Lord to pardon the wants of our workes and say with Dauid Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant with Daniel Lord vnto vs belongeth open shame confusiō but to thee righteousnes compassion and forgiuenes And the reason is plaine because in vs there is no goodnesse no holinesse no righteousnes nor any thing that may present vs acceptable in his sight for this cause Paul saith I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified Great reason then that we should hūble ourselues before God for our wants and pray vnto him that he will in mercie accept our indeauour and confirme the good worke begunne in vs by his holy spirit CHAP. VI. Of the second maine Question touching assurance of saluation II. Question How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation Before I come to the Question it selfe this conclusion is to be laid downe as a mayne Ground That Election vocatiō faith adoption iustificatiō sanctification eternal glorification are neuer separated in the saluation of any man but like inseparable companions go◠hand in hand so as he that can be assured of one of them may infallibly conclude in his owne heart that he hath and shall haue interest in all the other in his due time This is plaine by the words of S. Paul Rom. 8. 30. Whome he predestinate them also he called whome he called them also he iustified whome he iustified them also he glorified In which place the Apostle compares the causes of saluation to a chaine of many linkes whereof euery one is so coupled to the other that he which taketh hold of the highest must needes carrie all the rest with him Againe amongst these linkes Faith is one a principall grace of God whereby
man is ingrafted into Christ and thereby becomes one with Christ and Christ one with him Eph 3. 17. Now whosoeuer is by faith vnited vnto Christ the same is elected called iustified and sanctified The reason is manifest For in a chaine the two extremes are knit togither by the middle linkes and in the order of causes of happinesse and saluation faith hath a middle place and by it hath the child of God assured hold of his election and effectuall vocation and consequently of his glorification in the kingdome of heauen To this purpose saith S. Iohn c. 3. v. 36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And c. 5. v. 24. He that beleeues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This is the Ground Now for answer to the Question diuerse places of Scripture are to be skanned wherein this case of Conscience is fully answered and resolued Sect. 1. The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifieth together with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God In these words are two testimonies of our adoption set downe The first is the Spirit of God dwelling in vs and testifying vnto vs that we are Gods childreÌ„ But some will happily demaund How Gods spirit giues witnesse seeing now there are no reuelations Answ. Extraordinarie reuelations are ceased and yet the holy Ghost in and by the word reuealeth some things vnto men for which cause he is called truly the Spirit of Reuelation Eph. 3. 5. Againe the holy Ghost giues testimonie by applying the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ particularly to the heart of man when the same is generally propounded in the Ministerie of the word And because many are readie presumptuously to say they are the children of God when they are not and that they haue the witnesse of Gods Spirit when in truth they want it therefore we are to put a difference between this carnall conceit and the true testimonie of the Spirit Now there be two things whereby they may be discerned one from the other The first is by the meanes For the true testimonie of the holy ghost is wrought ordinarily by the preaching reading and meditation of the word of God as also by praier and the right vse of the Sacraments But the presumptuous testimonie ariseth in the heart and is framed in the braine out of the vse of these meanes or though in the vse yet with want of the blessing of God concurring with the meanes The second is by the effects and fruits of the Spirit For it stirrs vp the heart to praier and inuocation of the name of God Zach. 12. 10. yea it causeth a man to crie and call earnestly vnto God in the time of distresse with a sense and feeling of his owne miseries and with deepe sighes and groanes which cannot be vttered to craâ—e mercie and grace at his hands as of a louing father Rom. 8. 26. Thus did Moses crie vnto heauen in his heart when he was in distresse at the red sea Exod. 14. 15. And this gift of praier is an vnfallible testimonie of Gods Spirit which cannot stand with carnall presumption The second Testimonie of our Adoption is our Spirit that is our conscience sanctified and renewed by the Holy Ghost And this also is knowne and discerned first by the greefe of the heart for offending God called Godly sorrow 1. Cor. 7. 10. secondly by a resolute purpose of the heart and endeauour of the whole man in all things to obey God thirdly by sauouring the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. that is by doing the workes of the Spirit with ioy and chearefulnesse of heart as in the presence of God and as his children and seruants Now put the case that the testimonie of the Spirit be wanting then I answer that the other testimonie the sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure vs. We knowe it sufficiently to be true and not painted fire if there be heate though there be no flame Put the case againe that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting and our sanctification be vncertaine vnto vs how then may we be assured The answer is that we must theÌ„ haue recourse to the first beginnings and motions of sanctificatioÌ„ which are these First to feele our inward corruptions Secondly to be displeased with our selues for them Thirdly to beginne to hate sinne Fourthly to grieue so oft as we fal and offend God Fiftly to auoid the occasions of sinne Sixtly to endeauour to doe our dutie and to vse good meanes Seuenthly to desire to sinne no more And lastly to pray to God for his grace Where these and the like motions are there is the spirit of God whence they proceed and sanctification is begun One apple is sufficient to manifest the life of the tree and one good and constant motion of grace is sufficient to manifest sanctification Againe it may be demanded what must be done if both be wanting Answ. Men must not dispaire but vse good meanes and in time they shall be assured Sect. 2. The Second place is the 15. Psalme In the first verse whereof this question is propounded namely Who of all the members of the Church shall haue his habitation in heauen The answer is made in the verses following and in the second verse he sets downe three generall notes of the said person One is to walke vprightly in sincerity approuing his heart and life to God the second is to deale iustly in al his doings the third is for speech to speake the truth from the heart without guile or flatterie And because we are easily deceiued in generall sinnes in the 3 4 and 5. verses there are set downe seauen more euident and sensible notes of sinceritie iustice and trueth One is in speech not to take vp or carrie abroad false reports and slanders The second is in our dealings not to doe wrong to our neighbour more then to our selues The third is in our companie to contemne wicked persons worthy to be contemned The fourth is in our estimation we haue of others that is to honour them that feare God The fift is in our words to sweare and not to change that is to make conscience of our word and promise especially if if it be confirmed by oath The sixt is in taking of gaine not to giue money to vsurie that is not to take increase for bare lending but to lend freely to the poore The last is to giue testimonie without briberie or partialitie In the fift verse is added a reason of the answer he that in his indeauour doth al these things shall neuer be mooued that is cut off from the Church as an hypocrite Sect. 3. The third place of Scripture is the first Epistle of Iohn the principall scope wherof is to giue a full resolution to the conscience of man touching the certainty of his
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
in the historie though the doctrine it selfe be as ancient The Scripture contains a continued historie from age to age for the space of 4000 yeares before Christ euen from the beginning Humane histories that are of any certentie or continuance begin onely about the time of Ezra and Nehemiah As for those which were written before they are onely fragments and of no certentie The second propertie is Consent with it selfe in all parts both for the matter scope and ende The writings of men doe dissent from themselues by reason of ignorance forgetfulnes in the authors But the word of God agrees with it selfe most exactly and the places that seeme to disagree may easily be reconciled which shewes that holy men by whome it was penned were not guided therein by their owne priuate iudgement but were directed by the wisdome of the spirit of God Sect. 5. The fift reason is drawne from the Contraries The Deuill and wicked men are in iudgement and disposition as contrarie to scripture as light is to darkenes I prooue it thus Let a man read any booke of Philosophie and labour to be resolued of any one point therein he shall neuer be tempted to infidelitie But if the same man reade the bookes of Scripture and labour to vnderstand them he shall haue within himselfe many motions and temptations not to beleeue and obey it Now what should be the cause thereof but that these bookes are the word of God which the Deuill laboureth to oppugne with might and maine Againe consider the same in the practise of wicked men They will not brooke the rebuke of their sinnes namely their Idolatrie blasphemie and other notorious crimes by scripture but will seeke the blood and life of him that shall sharply taxe and reprooue them And hence it was that wicked Kings so persecuted the Lords Prophets Yea further let it be marked that these wicked men that are tainted with these horrible crimes and cannot abide the word nor teachers thereof to the death haue commonly fearefull endes Now the opposition of Satan and wicked men to the word shewes the scriptures to be a most holy word and indeede the very word of God Sect. 6. The sixt reason is taken from sundrie testimonies First of holy Martyrs in the Olde and New testament who haue giuen their liues for the maintenance of this word and sealed the same with their owne hearts blood yea suffered the most horrible and exquisite torments that the wit of man could deuise and that most patiently and willingly not beeing daunted or dismaied The stories of Martyrs in all ages confirme this truth especially of those that suffered before in and after the times of the tenne bloodie persecutions And. vnlesse they had beene supported by a dâ—â—ine power in so good a cause they could neuer so many of them haue suffered in such manner as they did The second is the testimonie and consent of Heathen men who haue recorded the very same things at lâ—ast many of the principall that are set downe in the Bible If this were not so man should haue some colourable excuse of his vnbeleefe And these things which they record were not all taken out of the Scripture but were registred to memorie by Historiographers that liued in the times when they were done Such are the stories of the Creation and Flood of the tower of Babel of the Arke of Abraham and his possessions of Circumcision of the miracles of Moses of the birth of Christ and the slaughter of the young children of the miracles of Christ of the death of Herod Agrippa and such like And these we take for true in humane stories much more then ought we to doe it in the word of God The third testimonie is of Miracles The â—octrine of scripture was confirmed by miracles wrought by the teachers thereof the Prophets and Apostles aboue all power strength of nature and such as the Deuill can not counterfeit as the staying of the sunne and the raising of the dead c. The fourth is the testimonie of the Holy Ghost which is the argument of all arguments to settle and resolue the Conscience and to seale vp the certaintie of the word of God If any shall aske how this testimony of the Holy Ghost may be obtained and beeing obtained how we may discerne it to be the testimony of the Holy Ghost and not of man I answer by doing two things First by resigning our selues to become truly obedient to the doctrine taught Ioh. 7. 17. If any man will doe my fathers will saith Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God Secondly by praying vnto God for his Spirit to certifie our consciences that the doctrine reveiled is the doctrine of God Aske faith our Sauiour Christ it shal be giuen you seeke and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened vnto you For he that asketh receâ—â—eth Mat. 7. 7 8. Againe Your heauenly father will giue the Holy Ghost to them that desire him Luc. 11. 13. And If any man lacke wisdome let him aske it of God who giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him Iam. 1. 7. Sect. 7. Now hauing set down the proofes of this point before I come to the next Question some speciall Obiections against this doctrine are to be answered and resolued For there haue not beene wanting in all ages both Atheists and others who haue professedly excepted against it and of set purpose haue vndertaken to call the written word of God into Question Such were Celsus Lucian Iulian Porpherie Apelles and others From whome some of latter times hauing receiued the poison of Atheisme and prophanesse haue not ceased as much as in them lyeth to oppugne sundry parts and portions of holy scripture Their principall reasons and exceptions I will propound and answere one by one And first they except against that which is written Gen. 1. 16. where it is said God made the sunne the fourth day Now say they the sunne is the cause of the day and therefore there could not be three daies before the sunne was created considering that the effect is not before the cause but the cause before the effect I answere First we must put a difference betweene cause and cause For of causes some be the highest some subordinate vnto them The highest and first cause of all creatures is God himselfe from whom all things at the first immediately flowed without any relation to their causes in nature And thus were the first second and third daies created and appointed immediately from God and distinguished from the night by an intercourse of light ordained by him for that purpose But the subordinate and inferior cause of the day in order of nature was the sunne and that by the same appointment of God and this cause was not set in nature as the cause of the day before the fourth day of creation for then it pleased him
2. Ans. That this field was bought twice First by Abraham and then afterward recouered by Iacob that he might maintaine his fathers possession 3. Answ. That Abrahams name is here put for his posterity as Israels name is otherwhere giuen to his children yea not only to his children but also to his fathers Isaack and Abraham For Exod. 12. 40. it is said The abode of the children of Israel while they dwelt in Egypt was 430. yeares which cannot be true vnlesse the abode of Abraham and Isaack be therein included Now if the name of the successour may be giuen to his auncestors much more may the name of the auncestors be giuen to the posteritie CHAP. IV. Of Religion THe third Question concerning man as he stands in relation to God is touching Religion where it is demanded What is that Religion that is due vnto the true God Answ. The name Religion is not alwaies taken in one and the same sense For sometime it is vsed to signifie the whole bodie of doctrine reuealed in the written word that teacheth and prescribeth whatsoeuer is to be beleeued or practized as necessary to saluation Otherwhiles it is put for the inward vertue of the mind where the same doctirne is beleeued and the duties therein required practised and performed to the Maiestie of God And beeing thus taken it is called by the name of Pietie or Godlinesse in the Scripture And in this second sense I take it in this place Now Religion or Pietie hath two distinct parts The first is knowledge of God the second the worship of God These two are notably described by Dauid in his last will and Testament wherein he commends vnto Salomon his sonne before all other things the care and ioue of Religion and Pietie the summe whereof he reduceth to these heades the knowledge of God and worship of God 1. Chron. 28. 9. And thou Salomon my sonne KNOWE thou the God of thy father and SERVE him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind According to this difference of heades are the Questions concerning religion to be distinguished and these are principally two First how God is to be knowne and then how he is to be worshipped I. Question How God is to be conceiued in our mindes when wee performe any seruice or worship vnto him FOr answer hereunto this ground is first to be laid that we must not neither can possibly knowe or conceiue God as he is in himselfe For God in himselfe is infinite and therefore incomprehensible in regard of vs. But we are to conceiue him so as he hath doth reveale himselfe to vs in his creatures principally in his word The truth herof may appeare in this one example to alleadge no more when Moses desired to see the glory Maiestie of God for a further confirmation and assurance of his calling answer was made him by God that he could not see his face but he should see his back parts as he passed by him The meaning of this answer is that God would manifest his glorie vnto him by his effects by which as by a glympse or imperfect representation he might discern some part of his Maiestie so farre forth as he was able in the infirmitie of flesh and blood to behold the same But the perfect and full sight thereof no creature was euer able to attain vnto it beeing reserued for the life to come when not before they shall see him as he is in himselfe face to face This Ground beeing laid the full answer to the Question I propound in foure rules I. Rule When we are to pray or to worship God we must not conceiue him in the forme of any earthly or heauenly bodily or spirituall creature whatsoeuer for thus not to conceiue him is a degree of conceiuing him aright II. Rule God must be conceiued of vs not by his nature but by his attributes works By his attributes as that he is infinite in mercie iustice goodnes power c. By his works of creation and gouernement of the world of redemption c. Thus the Lord reuealed himselfe to Moses Exod. 6. 14. I AM hath sent me vnto you that is one which hath his beeing in himselfe and of himsefe that giues being to all creatures by creation and continues the same by his prouidence one that giues a beeing and accomplishment to all his mercifull promises When the Lord appeared to Moses he shewed not his face vnto him but passed by him with a voice The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gratious long suffering and plenteous in goodnes and truth In which place the Lord proclaimes his name by his attributes So in the prophecie of Ieremie I am he that shewes mercie iudgement and iustice in the land The same Daniel confesseth in his praier when he saith O Lord God which art great and fearfull keeping couenant and mercie toward thē that loue thee keepe thy commandements And lastly the author to the Hebrewes He that comes to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him III. Rule God must not be conceiued absolutely that is out of the Trinitie but as he subsisieth in the person of the Father Sonne and the Holy Ghost so he must be knowne and conceiued of vs. The auncient rule of the Church is that the vnitie must be worshipped in Trinitie and the Trinitie in Vnitie By this doe the protestant Churches differ from all other assemblies of worshippers The Turke conceiues and worships a God creator of heauen and earth but an abstracted God which is neither Father Sonne nor Holy Ghost The Iew worshippeth God but out of Christ and therefore a feigned and Idol God The Papist in word acknowledgeth and so worshippeth God but indeede makes God an Idol because he worships him not in a true but in a feigned Christ that sits at the right hand of the father in heauen and is also in the hands of euery Masse-priest after the words of cōsecration But the Protestant knowes God as he will be knowen and consequently worships him as he wil be worshipped in Father Sonne and Holy Ghost IV. Rule When we direct our praiers or any worship to any one person we must include the rest in the same worship yea further we must retaine in minde the distinction and order of all the three persons without severing or sundring them for so they are named and propounded in the Scriptures The reason is because as they are not seuered but conioyned in nature so they neither are nor must be seuered but conioyned in worship For example the man that praies to God the Father for the forgiuenes of his sins must aske it of him for the merit of the sonne and by the assurance of the Holy Ghost Againe he that praies for remission of his sinnes to God the Son must pray that he would procure the Father to graunt his pardon and withall assure it by his
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we