and Archangels Principalities and Powers Kings and Princes Now there bâ—e many eminencies and excellencies but at the day of judgement Christ shall put downe all rule and authoritie under his feete and then God shall be all in all Secondly God shall be all in all in the fulfilling of the hearts of his servants with grace and goodnesse God is not all in all now in the hearts of his servants he is but something as Chastitie in Ioseph Constancie in David fortitude in Sampson wisedome in Salomon But then God shall be all in all to them we are all like to a bottle that hath at narrow neck that is east into the Sea and cannot fill all at once but receive the water drop by drop but at the day of judgement God shall fill our hearts and soules with all grace and goodnesse Saint Ierome saith well Now God is by a few vertues in us but then he shall be all in all in filling our hearts with graces and vertues and Augustine saith out of this place what is that Paul saith that God shall be all in all whatâ—oever the heart of Man can wish or desire that God will be to a Christian therefore dost thou desire meate and drinke God will be meate and drinke to thee dost thou desire peace God will bee all in all to thee in whatsoever thy heart can wish for and this is the end why Christ shall render up the Kingdome unto his Father that God may be all in all SERMON LIII IOHN 14. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you THe Creede as Tertullian termes it is the rule how to â—rder our Faith both concerning God and the Church of God And there are two rules to order our Faith by First that there are three Persons and but one God in substance and in essence and as there are three Persons and but one God So wee must labour to bee all one because we must seeke to resemble God as much as may be although we cannot be one in substance yet wee must be all one in affection and will So it is said Acts 4. 32. that the number of them that beleeved were all of one heart and of one minde and Christ prayes Iohn 17. 21. that as the Father and he is one so all his people may bee one And Rom. 15. 6. the Apostle prayes that they may with one minde and with one mouth praise God even the Father of our Lord Iesus as there is unitie in God so there must be unitie in us It was the Divell that first made division in the World hee divided Man from his God and Man from Man in the most deerest and neerest societie for the divided Adam from his wife and so it is the devill that makes division still in the world as Revel 6. 4. it is said of him There was power given him to take away peace c. So then all division proceedeth from the Divell God hee makes peace but it is the Divell that makes division and therefore it is our duty as God is one so we to labour to bee one though wee cannot in substance yet in affection and will The second Rule is that although they be one in Substance and Essence yet they be three distinct Persons the Father created Man by his power and he Sonne redeemed Man by his blood the Holy Ghost sanctified Man by his Spirit So all these three estates in Heâ—ven concurre and worke together for the good of Man And therefore it is a piteous thing that Man is found to be enemy to himselfe Hence then let every one consider how worthâ—ly doe Men perish and goe to Hell seeing all the Divine Persons worke for Mans good and hee alone is found enemy to himselfe Now we have spoken already of the first Person and also of the second at this present are come to speake of the third Person whereto foure things are to be considered 1. That the Holy Ghost is God 2. That he is a person having a Reall subsisting and that hee is distinct from the Father and the Sonne 3. That he is not onely holy in himselfe but hee is the Effecter and Causer of Holinesse in others 4. That as he makes others holy so he will make me holy and give mee such a measure of Sanctitie as shall bee fit for mee First That the holy Ghost is God it is a ground in Divinitie that hee that beleeves should beleeve in God and in no creature but wee are taught to beleeve in the holy Ghost therefore it is a surething that the holy Ghost is God But for the truth of this point because it is one of the grounds of our Christian faith I will prove it by Scripture and by reason First by Scripture Act. 5. 3. saith Peter to Anâ—nias Why hath Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldst lye unto the holy Ghost and in the very next verse Thou hast not lyed to man but unto God Againe 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There be three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one what one are they but one God The Papist telleth us that the Divinitie of the holy Ghost cannot be proved by the Scripture but by tradition but this is erroneous and false and there are Schoole-men teach to the contrary as Thomas Aquinas who saith A man must speake nothing of God or beleeve nothing but what is found in Scripture either in expresse words or sense and therefore if it cannot be proved by the Scriptures that the holy Ghost is God we are not to beleeve it because wee are to beleeve nothing but that which is grounded upon the Scripture Another of them saith that he can bring a whole swarme of testimonies to demonstrate unto us the Divinity of the holy Ghost So then we see it may strongly be confirmed by Scripture that the holy Ghost is God and Cyrill saith that it is the holy Ghost that is the inditer of the Scripture and therefore he testifieth of himselfe and revealeth himselfe as much as is fit and needfull for us to know of him that which he hath written of himselfe we may be bold to speake of And Augustine saith that all the ancient Fathers have laboured to confirme this by Scripture that there is three distinct Persons and one God besides in the Remish Testament 1 Iohn 5. 7. we finde observed upon the note of One that there be three divine persons in the Trinitie and therefore this doth affirme the God-head of the holy Ghost but here seeing it is so plaine by Scripture and by the testimonies of the Fathers and by their owne Schoole-men as many as bee well advised that the holy Ghost is God wee need not doubt of the truth of
wee beleeve and this Faith is matter of Experience wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of God It is sufficient that that faith which wee doe beleeve is contained in the Scriptures Now whereas they object that we make it a thirteenth Article their fourteenth Apostle adds to these twelve many more articles of faith which he inforceth to be beleeved with the same necessity of faith as these twelve neither hath he onely entred upon Christs prerogative in minting new articles of faith but likewise they have usurped over all Christian Churches by adding Romane to the Catholike Church in the Creed A bold imposture But for speciall faith the maine office of the Holy Spirit is In opening generall Truths to reveale our particular interest in those Truths and to breed special Faith whereby we make them our owne because the Spirit of God reveales the minde of God to every particular Christian for as the things beleeved are truths above nature so the Grace of faith whereby we beleeve is a grace above Nature and created as a supernaturall eye in the Soule to see supernaturall truths Secondly Where sacred truths are truely apprehended there the Spirit workes an impression in the soule sutable to the things beleeved every Article hath a power in it which the Spirit doth imprint upon the Soule The Beleefe of God to be the Father Almighty breeds an impression of dependance reverence and comfort The Beleefe and knowledge of Christ crucified is a crucifying knowledge The true knowledge and faith in Christ rising is a raising knowledge the knowledge of the Abasement of Christ is an abasing knowledge because faith sees it selfe one with Christ in both states We cannot truly beleeve what Christ hath wrought for us but at the same time the Spirit of Christ worketh something in us Thirdly it is convenient for the giving of due honour to every person to consider of the worke appropriated to every one all come from the Father all are exactly performed by the Son in our nature for the Redemption of those that the Father hath given Him The Gathering out of the world of that blessed society which we call the Church into an holy Communion and the Sanctifying of it and Sealing unto it all the priviledges believed as Forgivenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting c. proceed from the Holy Ghost Fourthly it hath pleased the great God to enter into a Treaty and covenant of agreement with us his poore creatures the articles of which agreement are here comprized God for his part undertakes to convey all that concernes our happinesse upon our receiving of them by beleeving on him Every one in particular that recites these articles from a spirit of faith makes good this condition and this is that answer of a good conscience which Peter speakes of whereby being demanded what our faith is every one in particular answeres to every Article I beleeve I not onely understand and conceive it but assent unto it in my judgement as true and consent to it in my will as good and build my comfort upon it as good too me this act of Beleefe carries the whole soule with it Fifthly though it is wee that answer yet the power by which wee answer is no lesse than that whereby God created the world and raised Christ from the dead The answer is ours but the power and strength is Gods whereby wee answere who performes both his part and ours too in the covenant It is a higher matter to beleeve than the common sort thinke it For this answer of Faith to these truths as it is caused by the power of Gods Spirit so is it powerfull to answer all temptations of Satan all seducements of the world all terrours of conscience from the wrath of God and the curse of the Law it setteth the soule as upon a rocke above all Sixthly these Articles are a touchstone at hand to try all opinions by for crooked things are discernded by bringing them to the rule what directly or by immediate and neere consequence opposeth these is to bee rejected as contrary to the platforme of wholesome doctrine That one monster of opinions of the bread turned into the body of Christ by transubstantiation overthrowes at once foure Articles of the Creed The incarnation of Christ Ascension Sitting at the Right hand of God and comming to judgment for if Christs body be so often made of a peece of bread being in so many places at once here upon earth how can all these Articles be true Againe seventhly these grounds of Faith have likewise a speciall influence in direction and incouragement unto all Christian duties A holy life is but the infusion of holy truths Augustine saith well non bene vivitur ubi bene de Deo non creditur men of an ill beleefe cannot be of a good life wherupon the Apostles method is to build their exhortations to Christian duties upon the grounds of Christian Faith But we must remember that as faith yeelds a good life and conscience so a conscience is the vessell to preserve the Doctrine of Faith else a shipwracke of faith will follow If there bee a delighting in unrighteousnesse there will not be a love of the truth and if we love not the truth then there will be a preparednesse to beleeve any lye and that by Goâ— just judgement 2 Thes 2. 12. Eighthly as these fundamentall truths yeeld strength to the whole frame of a Christian life So they are so many springs and wels of consolation for Gods people to draw-from whereupon that good Prince George Anhalt whom Luthers time became a Preacher of the Gospell intending to comfort his brother Prince Iohn raiseth his comfort from the last three Articles Remission of sinnes Resurrection of the body and Life Everlasting which as they have their strength from the former Articles are able to raise any drooping spirit and therefore in the greatest agonies it is the readiest way to suck comfort from these benefits But I omit other things intending onely to say something by way of Preface And thus Good Reader I commend this worke unto thee and both it and thee to Gods blessing Thine in the Lord R. SIBBS AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED SERMON I. ROM 3. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law AS the Children of Israel having sojourned long enough in Horeb were by Gods speaking to Moses commanded to remove thence and goe further off Deut. 6. So in some sort I may say we having in our ordinarie course gone through divers necessary points of Religion as the Lords Praier Repentance c. must now go on further to speake of the Doctrine of Faith a large and great Field ful of knowledge and exceeding comfort wherefore I shall have so much the more need to be helpâ— on by your prayers as my weaknesse and inhabilitie is unfit for so great
descention into Hell as all doe agree Now for the particulars I must grant there bee divers opinions of it some thinke one thing some another yea there is not onely diversities of opinions between the Protestants and the Papists but in both sides even in the bosome of their Churches and amongst themselves It is the opinion of some Papists that Christ was not in the place of the damnd of Hel but they say he was in the skirts and brimmes thereof but Bellarmine hee dissents from them and affirmes he was in the vaults and chambers in Hel and another saith he was not in Hell bodily but by efficacy and vertually so we see the Papists be not all of one minde but there be divers opinions amongst them Now before wee goe any further there bee two sorts of men that must be satisfied First such as say seeing there is such a diversitie of opinions they will beleeve nothing till all be agreed To such I answere if thou wilt beleeve nothing till all be agreed then thou wilt never beleeve at all and so thou shalt never be saved because there have been dissentions in all ages Moses was withstood by Iannes and Iambres Elias with Baals Priests Ieremie with the false Prophets Christ with the Pharisies and the Apostles with Simon Mogus so there hath been diversitie of opinions from the beginning and will be as long as there is the seede of the vvoman and the seede of the Serpent so long as the Flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so long as we see but in part as it were in a glasse and therefore if thou wilt not beleeve till all agree thou wilt never beleeve and so thou shalt never bee saved as in Chrysostomâ— time many heathen came unto him and told him that they would bee Christians but that there were such diversities of opinions amongst them and such divisions every one pretending the truth Now Origen doth worthily answer this saith he Wilt thou not be a Christian because there be diversity of opinions thou hadst as good say thou wilt not be of any calling for there is no calling but hath its diversities of opinions and dissent in judgement wilt thou bee a Philosopher some of them be of one judgement and some of another and there is an hundred opinions amongst them Wilt thou bee a Physition there is diversity of judgements amongst them too Wilt thou be a Lawyer why one interprets the law one way and one another way yea there is not any Art but therein are dissentions in judgement one from the other and therefore if thou wilt doe nothing till all bee agreed thou canst not be of any calling It is a strange thing that men should doe more foolishly in religion than in any thing else If a man hath his lands to sow and he goe and aske his neighbour when it is best to sow some will say at such a time and some at such a time and every man will speake according to the judgement and light of knowledge he hath therefore wilt thou neglect sowing thy land so it may be thou mayest be starved Now since for diversitie of mens opinions concerning the season thou wilt not omit the time of sowing much more doe not thou neglect the saving of thy soule This is the madnesse of men they will not neglect the sowing of their land nor the building of their houses and yet they will neglect the saving of their soules Another sort of men that must bee satisfied are such who say if great Doctors and learned men are not able to settle themselves how shall we bee able that are unlearned I answere that if a man make conscience of plaine truths God will reveale the other so farre forth as shall bee needfull for him Saint Paul gives us a rule for it Philip. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even the same thing unto you Neverthelesse in that whereunto wee are come let us proceede by one rule that wee may minde one thing Now there be some truths that wee all generally agree in we hold that whoredome is a sin that drunkennes swearing lying and slandering our neighbour be sinnes and dealing unjustly is a sin and if we make not conscience of these knowne truthes it is just we should care and wander in the great matters therefore let us make conscience of knowne truthes and God will reveale the other to us As we see Acts 10. in the example of Cornelius he being ignorant in a maine point fasted praied made conscience of knowne truthes and God did informe him in the same by Peter so likewise Peter in the same Chapter being ignorant of the conversion of the Gentiles preached and prayed on the house toppe and making conscience of that knowne truth God did reveale the other to him in a vision So likewise Apollos Acts 18. knowing nothing but the Baptisme of Iohn went on and preached life and salvation by Christ and making conscience of that knowne truth God did reveale the other hee stirred up Aquila and Priscilla and they informed him therefore let us make conscience of knowne truthes and God will reveale the other as far form as shall be needfull for us If a man powre water into a glasse if the glasse foule the water and mud it hee will stay his hand and will powre in no more but if it remaines cleare hee fils it up to the top so if God powre knowledge into a man if he marres his knowledge or soyles it then God will stay his hand but if hee with his knowledge labour to glorifie God and make conscience of his wayes then God will fill him up to the toppe This may bee the stay of a true Christian when great Doctors erre and wander and be unsetled if thou make conscience of thy wayes and walke in the plaine truths God will reveale unto thee the other Now having satisfied these two sorts of men I will shew you first what I allow not of secondly what I take to be more probable and come more neere the truth thirdly what I take to be the truth in my judgement all under correction of the more grave and learned First what it is that I reject and allow not of for though no man can presently know the certaine truth of this yet it is good to avoid the dangerous opinions As a man that is at sea if he cannot hit of the right haven to arrive at yet if he can avoid the dangerous rockes and sands it is well So although we cannot know all certaine truths yet it is well if we can avoid uncouth and false opinions Now there be foure opinions which I allow not of First That his body descended into hell this in my judgement stands not with the Scripture for Christs body was in the grave three nights and three dayes
the rest in like manner Matth. 17. Christ did take but thâ—â— of his Disciples with him when hee was transfigured in the Mount which must teach us that every one must bee contented with his assignement This is the reason why hee raiseth some to comfort and leaves some in heavinesse some are rich and others are poore some in sicknesse and others in health because there is a speciall dispensation When Christ had told Peter what death hee should die and that he should be crucified Peter out of a nice curiositie asketh straight What shall this man doe Christ checks him and saith If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me looke thou to thine owne calling to thine owne dutie follow thou me So when wee see such speciall dispensations that some bee rich and some poore some bee in health and some in sicknesse some in ease and some in paines some in comfort and some in heavinesse some in prosperitie and some in adversitie and yet as holy and as good men as we yea it may be better and holier than thou which art in prosperitie when wee see this I say let every one labour to bee contented with his owne estate and looke to his owne calling and dutie let him follow Christ because there be divers dispensations for thou mayest bee in comfort and thy brother in heavinesse thou mayest bee rich and thy brother poore and yet as holy and as good as thou nay it may be better therefore be thou contented with thy owne lot Thirdly The time when they did rise after Christs resurrection before Christ did rise though the Rockes did cleave and the Graves open yet there was not a man that did stirre or come out of the Graves but when Christ was risen then well was hee that could get up with him which must teach us that seeing Christ is risen wee must rise I doe not meane that wee can rise out of the Graves for that wee must not looke to doe till the last dâ—y but we must looke to rise out of sinne spiritually to newnesse and holinesse of life therefore if Christ be risen rise thou in thy affection It is Pauls exhortation Colos. 3. 1. If Christ be risen seeke the things that bee above where Christ is you that be Christians and hope to bee partakers of Christ doe you rise in your affections do not lie still in your sins but rise to newnesse and holinesse of life We see in experience that if the Master be up it is a shame for the Servant to lye still so seeing Christ our Master is risen let us rise with him to newnesse and holinesse of life and therefore let us not lie still in the grave of our sinnes for if wee doe not rise here in this life with Christ we shall not rise with comfort at the day of judgement I did shew you in the morning that when the Divell is cast out of a man if he be not wise to hold his advantage and to shut him out he will make a returne againe and he will consult himselfe and say I have an old friend in such a place I will returne againe to him and then he will come with seven Divels worse than himselfe so that the end of that man is worse than the beginning therefore as Christ rose out of the grave doe thou rise out of thy sinnes We see in experience if a Toyle be set to catch Deere Men drive them upon it and set Dogges to hunt them in If the Deere runne full upon the Toyle Men will say nothing but if they runne aside then they will make an outcrie against them Even so the Divell deales with a man hee pitches his Toyles in many places and then labours to drive a man into them and as it were sets dogges subtill temptations and allurements to drive him in if the man runne headlong in his snares hee sayes nothing all is whist and quiet but if he runne aside and decline the way he would have him goe in then he cries out and makes a filthy stirre and will not be quiet till he either gets him in againe or quite and cleane loses him therefore if men be wise let them rise out of their sinnes whilest they live heere and then they shall be partakers with Christ in glory hereafter but if we doe not rise with him in this world in holinesse and newnesse of life wee shall not rise with him in the world to come in glory and happinesse for evermore Fourthly What they did when they were risen they went into the holy citie and did appeare to many Matth. 4. Ierusalem is called the holy citie because there was the meanes of holinesse and what did they there they did appeare to many The Greeke word is that they did shew themselves as witnesses of Christs resurrection of the power and of the grace of it some thinke if God would send some from the dead to testifie of the glory that the godly shall enjoy and of the paines that the wicked shall have men would repent of their sinnes and would beleeve but the truth is that if men that be dead should rise they would tell us no other things than the Scripture doth The Saints that did rise did witnesse of the power of Christs rising and of the grace of Christ So if all the holy people should bee brought out of their graves this it is that they would witnesse how blessedly men shall rise to glory as Matth. 17. when Christ was transfigured on the Mount there appeared Moses and Elias unto him and it is said they talked with him but whereof that S. Luke telleth us they talked of Christs death and the power of it here wee see the Saints when they did rise testified of the power of Christs Resurrection and of the grace of Christ and these holy people when Christ was transfigured on the Mount spake of Christ of his departure of his death and the fruites and benefits thereof which should teach us what the conference of Christians should be when they meete to talke of Christ of the grace of the Gospell of the great benefits wee have by him and of the happinesse in the life to come Fifthly what became of them this is a great question but as I thinke cannot be better answered than by answering one question by another What became of Moses bodie and of the bodies of the Angels that came to Abrahams Tent and did eate and drinke It is an opinion amongst some Divines that their bodies dissolved to the same matter they were made of when they had done the work of God they came for they laid aside their bodies so why might not these men when they rose againe and appeared having done the worke of God they came for have their bodies dissolved to dust their soules returning to the place they came from othersome hold that these Saints ascended into heaven
that did weaken their faith so men must take care of this that they doe not tye their faith to their eyes and fingers that they will beleeve God no longer than they see with their eyes and feele with their fingers for a Christian must beleeve God against sense and reason It is the manner of the world as long as they see with their eyes and feele with their hands as long as they have peace and ease and wealth so long they doe beleeve God but when this failes then their faith failes them I but Christ saith to Thomas Blessed are they which beleeve and see not Thomas did beleeve when he saw but it is a more blessed thing to beleeve and see not and therefore we must rest in the promises of God against sense and reason Now finding this weakenesse of faith in them hee doth labour to re-establish and strengthen them loe here we may see the goodnesse of God that by the weakenesse of their faith hee doth take occasion to strengthen the same It is the great mercy of God that all things shall worke together for the good of them that love him there be a number of things in the world that seeme to work against the people of God but God turnes all of them to the good of his people and of them that love him as we see in a Clocke that some wheeles turne one way and some another yet all serve to make the Clocke go so there be many crosses and contrary things in this world but all serve to one end even to worke for the good of them that love him This may bring comfort to Christians that the weakenesse of their faith the Lord can turne to their good wee see in experience if a man set yong Trees he will pull and shake the Tree as if he would pull it up and all that hee doth is but to settle the Tree the faster even so the Lord doth many times as if hee would overthrow a Christian and yet all is to settle his faith and to make him cleave the faster to God Now Christ doth strengthen the faith of his disciples two wayes 1. By reproving and rebuking of them 2. By informing them First hee reproves and rebukes them that they were slow of heart to beleeve the scriptures which may teach us that if there be a presence of God among us hee will bee reprooving of us whereas many thinke they may goe away with any sinne closely yet if there bee a presence of Christ among us hee will reprove us for our sinnes and for the weakenesse of our faith This is that which Christ speakes in the Gospell of Saint Iohn That when the Spirit of Christ is come into the world he shall reprove the world of sinne c. so if the spirit of Christ be come into our harts he will reprove us for misspending the time for our ignorance for every thing that is amisse but if it bee not so with thee but thou art at peace and securely sleepest in thy sinne then the spirit of Christ is not come into thee for if the spirit of Christ bee come into thee he will reprove thee of thy sinnes and make thee say as the Lâ—pers said We doe not well to tarry here c. O we doe not well to breake the Sabbath to be drunken to speake filthily wee doe not well to lye or to sweare Now what was that he reproves them for That they were slow of heart to beleeve the Scriptures and here wee are to take notice of a corruption that is in us that we are slow to beleeve the Scriptures and the Gospel but quicke to beleeve a foolish tale or a lye or a false report of our neighbours from this the Lord hath much adoe to stay us although hee hath strictly charged us to enquire the truth of it Deut. 17. 4. where hee saith If it bee told thee and thou hast heard it then shalt thou enquire diligently if it bee true and the thing certain before we speake of it If there be a false report of a good Minister or of a good Christian that wee can beleeve presently but we are slow to beleeve the Scripture or any good thing we are tardy here is our fault and this corruption hath beene in our nature ever since the fall of Man for we see Genes 3. The Lord told Adam That in the day that he did eate of the fruit he should dye the death but the divell came and told him Ye shall not dye at all cleane contrary and yet we see that they were more ready to beleeve the divell than God Will yee see a comparison to explaine it the better If an earthly king should say to us If yee will bee contented to doe mee some service a few dayes and to attend mee I will afterwards advance you and bestow great honour upon you what man is there that would not rest himselfe upon the kings promise In like manner God hath said unto us Attend me in the duties of holinesse and doe mee service a few dayes whilest thou livest heere and afterward I will make you an Heire of the Kingdome of Heaven and thou shalt bee neere unto mee and yet wee will not beleeve God Now there bee two uses to bee made of this Doctrine which shall bee declared unto you God assisting the next time of our meeting SERMON XXXIIII LVKE 24. 26 27. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe WEe heard the last day how Christ did labour to strengthen the weake faith of his Disciples when they were going to Emmaus and therefore let us travell with them and over-heare them that so that which did serve to strengthen them in their faith may serve to strengthen us in ours If a man have a legge or an arme out of joynt he cannot bee at rest untill it be set againe even so when we feele weakenesse of faith let us not bee at rest till wee have gotten the same strength of faith that wee had before therefore let us creepe into the company of Christ and goe as farre as Emmaus with him If a man hang on the top of an high Tower by the hand and there bee a number of sharpe stones under him that if hee fall it will burst him in pieces how carefull will he be to strengthen that hand lest he fall downe so faith is the hand we lay hold on God by and wee hang as it were at the top of an high Tower whence if wee fall wee are like to fall to hell how carefull therefore should we bee to strengthen that hand Now two wayes I told you Christ doth labour to strengthen their faith 1. By reproving of them 2. By informing of them Of the first wee spake the last day and therefore are
Church by hiding of them The Papists demand of us where our Church was before Luthers dayes To this I answer the Lord did hide them in the wildernesse all the time of the rage of Antichrist Saint Hilarie saith Yee doe not well to love the wals of the Church and to make such accompt of the Temple know yee not that Antichrist shall fit in the Temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God therefore saith hee looke not for the true Church of God in the Temples but looke for it in mines caves and secret places The third meanes whereby Christ defends his Church is Miraculously and wonderously so the Lord delivered the Church out of Egypt from Pharoah and so likewise The three children out of the Firie fornace and Daniel out of the Lions den and Peter out of Prison when hee should have beene brought out the next day to execution Yea the Lord doth not onely defend his Church wonderfully but also gratiously as 1 Sam. 13. 26. it was told to Saul that David was in the wildernesse of Maon presently Saul and his men followed him and Saul with his men were on the one side of the mountaine and David with his men were on the other side but there came a messenger to Saul saying Haste thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land so David was delivered gratiously though it were not miraculous and wonderfull but by a rumour and report onely heere wee see though the Lord doe not deliver us miraculously and wonderfully yet hee doth gratiously in making our greatest and chiefest enemies friendly unto us and so gives us peace The fourth meanes whereby Christ doth defend and protect the Church is By giving them invincible courage to endure all that the world shall put upon them so although they bee slaine at the foote of the Lambe and the blood come downe at their heeles yet they goe away with a glorious conquest So Paul Rom. 8. saith For thy sake are wee killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter neverthelesse in all these things wee are more than conquerours through him that hath loved us for through their Christian courage they carry away the conquest Revelation 12. 11. it is said But they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the Word of their testimony and they loved not their lives to the death Cyprian saith well God would let the world see that though Christians be slaine and trodden under foot for the Gospell and for the testimony of the truth yet they cannot overcome them because they bee not affraid to dye in the cause of Christ for as Christ by dying overcame death so all his members must overcome by dying Augustine makes this question whether the Tyrant doth overcome or the Christian in the eye of sense and reason one would thinke that the Tyrant hath the better because hee takes away life and blood but it is the Christian that doth overcome because the Tyrant aimes doth not somuch at the life or blood but he labours to take away God Christ the hope of heaven and to destroy Faith and Religion but the Tyrant though hee take away liberty or blood or life yet he cannot take away God nor Christ nor the hope of heaven nor the pardon of their sinnes from them therefore a Christian is the conquerour hee hath the better As wee see in nature a man comes to kill a serpent hee strikes at the serpent the serpent labours to fence his head because his life lyes in his head hee will take a wound any where before hee will take it there now as long as the serpent fences his head and keepes his life hee hath the better because the man fought to take away his life and yet he keepes it so when a Tyrant labors to take away Christ God and faith from a Christian yet as long as hee can keepe Christ and his graces it is sufficient because hee is the head and life lyes in him though hee bee wounded in his name or in his goods or his life taken from him yet a Christian hath the better I will further shew it you in an example of Scripture wee see that the Divell was as it were let loose on Iob hee tooke away his children and his goods and hee left him nothing but the stench of his teeth yet Iob had the better because the divell did labour to take away his faith and comfort in God which he could not and therefore seeing Iob did keepe this God sets the crowne on his head and hee goes away the conquerour so though sicknesse take away a mans health and usurers his money and theeves his goods and tyrants his life and blood yet as long as a man keepes God Christ his faith and hope of heaven he hath the better The fifth meanes is By destroying and confounding all their enemies for although it pleased God to use them for the chastening of his children yet at last hee will destroy them a father useth a rod to chasten his sonne for his amendment yet at last hee will destroy the rod so wee see Exod. 5. what grievous taskes were laid on the children of Israel by Pharoah to make them willing to depart the land the Lord was faine to doe as men doe by bees to smoke them out to make them leave their hives so the Lord did smoke them out of the place and at last Pharaoh the rod it selfe was drowned in the red sea so Dan. 8. wee see the Little horne which was the King of Macedonia hee did overcome for a time and tread under the people of God yet at last his horne was broken so also Revelation 12. The Beast that had seven heads and ten hornes that did labour to devoure the woman hee also shall goe to destruction and therefore let not Christians be discouraged and dismaied though they see the Church hath great enemies for God will defend and protect them against all their enemies if they walke worthy of the Gospell and labour to please God in all their courses these bee the foure actions whereby Christ doth rule and governe the Church which for your memories sake I will briefly recapitulate unto you First that hee doth draw and pull them out of the condemned multitude of the world and bring them to an estate of grace secondly hee doth guide and governe them by his Word and Spirit Thirdly he doth exercise them with divers temptations and trials Lastly hee doth protect and defend them against all their enemies The Vses wee are to make of Christs sitting at the right hand of God are first that seeing Christ sits in the highest place next to God therefore wee must labour to submit our selves unto him sinke downe at the feet of Christ and bee contented to bee ruled and guided by him but they that are ruled by their owne lusts and sinnes they doe as it were pull downe Christ
Levit. 4. 3. there was a sacrifice appointed for the Ignorance of the Priests and People and Habakuk 3. the Prophet intitles a prayer for the Ignorances Therefore the Church may bee ignorant of some things as the Church of Ierusalem was Acts 11. 10. The Church was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till they were informed by Peter and in Cyprians time there was rebaptising held in the true Church So in Augustines time it was held as a thing needfull to salvation for Children to receive the Lords Supper contrary to Saint Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. Let a Man examine himselfe therefore it is out of question their may be errors in the true Church But the difference is twofold First that they doe not erre in the foundation their errours doe not strike at the heart and let out the life-blood of religion but it is like the scratching of a Thorne and therefore it remaineth Holy in the foundation Secondly Though it fall into errour it is so assisted by the Power of grace as it doth not rest till it recover againe as mud being throwne into a fountaine rests not till it workes it out and settles againe so though the Church fall into errour it is so assisted by the power of grace as that it recovers againe as Iohn 16. 11. saith Christ When hee is come that is the Spirit He shall lead you into all Truth that is possesse them with all truth and lead them in all Truth Peter himselfe did not know all for he was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till he saw the vision And then it was revealed unto him so though the Church of God be ignorant for some time it shall not so continue but the Holy Ghost will lead it into all truth Now with the holinesse of their Faith they must joyne holinesse of life as 2 Pet. 1. 5. saith he moreover joyne with your Faith vertue and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. with saith there must be joyned good life as of 1 Tim. 1. 19. saith S. Paul of some having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith hath made Shipwracke they were not wise enough to joyne to the holines of their faith holines of life but cast away a good coÌ„science made no conscience of known duties and so made shipwracke of all the pretious graces that they had imbarked In the 2 Thes 2. 10. it is said Because they received not the love of Truth that they might be saved therefore did God send them strong delusions that they should beleeve lies Therefore if men will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved it is just with God to send them strong delusions to beleeve lyes therefore it must bee our care that with holinesse of our faith we joyne a Holy life Secondly the Church is holy by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as 1 Cor. 1. 30. it is said Christ is made to us of God the Father wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption so Christ is not onely our justification but our sanctification for his holinesse is imputed to us In the Law as wee may see Rom. 11. 16. In the first fruits all the rest was sanctified though they â—â—re not brought into the Temple nor presented before God yet by thâ— first fruites the rest was made Holy by a certaine power to the eateâ— and users of them so because Christ is the first fruits that was offered to God in all the puritie that might bee therefore the Church of God is made holy by relation from him To this the Schoolemen agree for saith Aquinas every imperfect thing presupposeth some certaine thing that is perfect that it might be helpt all our holinesse is unperfect in our selves therefore it must bee made perfect by the holinesse of Christ In all accusations of the Divell and conflicts of our consciences wee should come to God and say Lord though I am a sinner uncleane and have infinite wants in my selfe yet in my Head Christ I am sanctified and made Holy so that whatsoever I want in my selfe it is made good in him We see chrystall though it have no light nor lustre in it selfe yet set it in the Sunne and it receiveth the Sunne beames so although we have no light nor manner of lustre in our selves yet if we be brought to Christ wee receive all the graces of Christ therefore in the Revelation the Church is said to bee apparelled with the righteousnesse of Christ Thirdly the Church is holy by inherent holinesse because there is never a true member of the Church but doth labour to be holy though they be incumbred with a number of sinnes Therefore Heb. 3. they are called holy brethren and Esay 65. 12. It is said of them and they shall call them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord for it is the care of every true member to be holy though they be troubled with many incumbrances weaknesses and sinnes Therefore whosoever thou art that art not holy at all for wee cannot obtaine to bee perfectly holy in the estate of corruption labour to bee holy in some measure use the meanes and have care to rid and remove thy sinnes for otherwise thou art no true member of the holy Church A man may live in the Church till his flesh rot or his eyes fall out of his head and yet be no true member of the Church no more than a wodden legge is a true part of a Mans body which though it moove and goe with the body yet may be laid in the fire when the body is in safety because it is not joyned to it to draw life and motion from it in like manner a man may live in the Church and bee no true member thereof because hee is not joyned to Christ nor can approve himselfe to his owne conscience or to the conscience of others therefore as it is the care of every true member to be holy so it must be the care of us that are in the Church Fourthly the Church is holy because there be the meanes of holinesse It is not so holy as Corah Dathan and Abiram said Numb 16. 3. to Moses and Aaron ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy Thus to have no neede of Magistracie and Ministerie were a dangerous errour for any to thinke for the Church hath neede of all the meanes of holinesse though there be some beginnings of it yet they have neede of Moses and Aaron of Magistracie and Ministery as Psal 77. 20. it is said that The Lord led the People of Israel like Sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron the Lord led them with great tendernesse and respect hee led them like sheepe but it was by the hand of Moses and Aaron as long as the Church is in her Pilgrimage it hath neâ—de of all meanes of holinesse to guide and
no man can give grace unlesse he first take away the bar and stop that hindreth grace As a River being stopped cannot runne unlesse the stop that did hinder it be removed so it is in grace now that which is the bar and stop that hindreth grace is the guilt of sinne but no man can take away the guilt of sinne but it is Christ onely that must save his people from their sinnes as the Angell said therefore if no man can take away the guilt of sinne no man can give grace if hee cannot give grace he cannot be a Saviour if hee cannot be a Saviour he cannot merit for any man Thirdly all that the People of God can doe is little enough for themselves and if it be little enough for themselves then they have no overplus for others that they have little enough for themselves it may appeare by the speech of the wise Virgins to the foolish Matth. 2. 5. And the foolish said to the wise Give us of your oyle for our lampes are out But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us Saint Hilary in that place saith Get oyle in your lampes for no man can be helped by the good deeds of another therefore if good men have little enough for themselves then they can have no overplus for others Moreover it is a strange thing that the same men deny the imputation of Christs righteousnesse for they say that Christs righteousnesse cannot be imputed to us and yet they hold that the righteousnesse of the Saints may bee communicated so then they attribute more to the Saints than unto Christ Would any man thinke that a man of judgement discretion and knowledge should fall upon such rockes and sands but no marvel for when men will not beleeve the truth then God gives them up to strange delusions to beleeve lies Now though the Saints doe not communicate their merits one unto another yet thankes bee to God they doe communicate their graces and gifts one to another they do exhort admonish and pray for one another The use of this is first that seeing there is a communion of Saints therefore it must be our care to uphold good things to incourage one another and to quicken them in the life of Iesus We see what communion there is amongst the drunkards of our age to swill and swagger how much more should Christians have communion together to strengthen and helpe one another to Heaven Therefore wee should doe as poore people doe lay all the ends together to nourish the little sparkes that be in us Secondly seeing that there is a Communion of Saints therefore we must desire to appertaine to that body and societie that so wee may partake of those Roiall Privileges with them naturally a man hath but one head to advise him and give him counsell one tongue to speake for him two eyes to forsee dangers two hands to releeve him in any neede and two feete to goe for him but by the Communion of Saints a man hath ten thousand heads to advise him and give him counsell ten thousand eyes to forsee dangers ten thousand tongues to speake for him therefore it must bee every mans care to repent him of his sinnes to remove them and to get faith in Christ that hee may appertaine to them Wee see in a great citie there bee divers companies and some there bee that have greater Priviledges than other whereof men desire chiefly to bee free so in the spirituall citie the invisible Church there bee many immunities and privileges above other companies which Gods deare children should labour to enjoy and have societie and fellowship therein Wee are now come to the second thing The Communion of the living with the dead which consists chiefly in two things first That the Saints departed wish well to those that be living desire their consummation in glorie for it is the nature of charitie to wish well to others Now in the Saints it is not diminished but increased as S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. 12. For wee know but in part and wee prophecie but in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished So then in generall they wish well to us indeed they doe not know our particular estate as Iob 14. 21. thou changest his face and sendest him away and hee knowes not if his sonnes shall be honorable neither shall bee understand any thing concerning them whether they bee of low degree and so Esai 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham he ignorant of us and Israel know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer hence it is manifest that though the Saints departed know not our particular wants yet in generall they wish well unto us and dsire that wee may come to the same glorie that they enjoy and may arrive at the same Haven of Happinesse and doe also looke every day for us till the finall consummation shall come this is comfortable to consider that the whole bodie of the Saints in Heaven wish well unto us and looke every day when wee shall come to them as men in a Shipwracke when some bee scaped gotten to the shore they remaine longing and looking when the rest of their company shall arrive so the Godly having escaped Shipwracke in this world stand upon the shore of their own happinesse and every day looke when the rest of their brethren shall arrive at the same place with them therefore why should holy people be afraid to die though they lose their earthly friends yet they shall goe to all the Saints departed to such as wish well to them and looke every day for them they shall goe to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and to all the holy men departed this is the first thing that the living with the dead have Communion in Secondly the living and the dead have Communion in the same hope faith and love conversing with them in Heaven even with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the holy people and Saints so S. Paul saith Now therefore yee are no more strangers and forreners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and Heb. 12. 22. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the Company of Innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men This is the honour of a true Christian that hee shall not onely have Communion with weake and fraile men such as wee bee but also with Angells and Archangells and all the Saints departed conversing with them in their faith hope and love Wee see in a great house there bee many Roomes and lodgings there bee some that lodge in the upper some in the lower Roomes and yet they bee
hee comes for whilest the market lasts for if the market bee once over the opportunitie for that time is lost so the time of life is the market of the soule whilest this lasteth a man may have any sanctified Grace hee may faith Repentance favour with God and pardon for his sinnes but if hee tarrie till the market bee done and this life ended hee cannot have faith Repentance nor any sanctified grace nor one drop of Gods favour though hee would give a world for it Therefore let us bee exhorted to lay hold on the good time that God giveth us Now for the further inlargement of this wee are to consider two things 1. What wee are to beleeve in generall 2. What wee are to beleeve in particular In the generall we are to beleeve that if we can repent there is forgivenesse of sinnes and in particular I doe beleeve that my sinnes are pardoned and forgiven mee for what shall I bee the better to beleeve there is pardon of sinnes unlesse I can beleeve that my sinnes are pardoned now in generall there bee six particulars to bee beleeved 1. That all men bee sinners both in the estate of Nature and in the estate of grace 2. That there is no way to finde release but by the forgivenesse of them 3. That there is forgivenesse of sinnes if men will seeke it 4. There is forgivenesse of sinnes without limitation of Number bee they never so many or Quality bee they never so great 5. That God onely forgiveth sinnes 6. That God doth not absolutely forgive but it is upon condition if men repent them of their sinnes First Wee beleeve that all men bee sinners both in the estate of nature and in the estate of grace for in our Christian faith wee beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes now there can be no forgivensse where there is no sinne and Christ teacheth us to pray daily for the forgivenesse of our sinnes to shew that the pardon of them is as needfull as our daily bread even in our best estate Iob. 9. 3. it is said If hee will contend with him hee cannot answer him one of a thousand and Psal 143. 13. David saith enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight no flesh is justified so Salomon shewes 1 King 8. 4. That there is no man that sinneth not and Iames 3. 2. it is said In many things wee sinne all so also 1 Iohn 1. ult If wee say wee have no sinne wee deceive our selves and there is no truth in us Hence then it is plaine by the Scriptures that all men are sinners both in the estate of nature and in the estate of grace And it is plaine by Reason also for look where the punishments of sinne bee there is sinne for by order of divine Iustice where there is sinne there is the punishment of it Now all men have in some measure tasted of the punishments of sinne some in one kinde some in another therefore there is sinne in all men Wee see in experience that if the Bayliffes be busie about a man and they arrest him and strain him in his goods they will say surely this man is in debt hee is but in a poore estate so when the Lords Bayliffes bee left about a man that is when the judgements and punishments of God distraine us in our goods and arrest us wee may say surely wee are in the Lords debt our estate is but meane and poore The use is seeing all men bee sinners both in the estate of Nature and grace therefore every man must labour for the forgivenesse of his sinnes Wee see that David when he came to the sight of his sinnes by the Prophet Nathan he was not at rest till hee had repented of them so when we are brought to the sight of our sinnes by any occasion we should not be at rest till we have repented of them If a man hath committed such an offence against the king that he is in danger of death hee cannot bee at rest till he hath gotten a pardon from the king sealed which when hee hath hee layeth it up in his chest and looketh on it many times to his comfort so when wee have sinned against God and are in danger of death let us not be at rest till wee have got a pardon from God sealed with the blood of Christ which a man must lay up in his heart and look on it at all times for his comfort Secondly there is no way to finde release of our sinnes but by forgivenesse therefore when we have sinned against God there is nothing that can release us neither Angell nor Archangell but it must be by forgivenesse our case is like the servants Matth. 18. 24. that ought a thousand talents a great deale and had nothing to pay it withall so wee have a great deale to pay unto the Lord and have not one halfepenny to pay him with we have nothing and therefore we are never able to satisfie for it neither is there any other way to release us but by forgivenesse The Church of Rome saith that a man may satisfie God for many of his owne sinnes and that according to justice and needeth not at all forgivenesse But this is contrary to the doctrine of their owne schoolemen and Reason is against it First every man that doth satisfie for any thing must doe as much good to the partie as be hath wronged him by his offence as Aquinas saith that satisfaction implyes a certaine equalitie But when we sinne against God wee offend an infinite thing therefore there must be infinite satisfaction for it but al the actions of men bee finite and therefore no man can satisfie God for any sinne Secondly no man can discharge one debt by paying another debt But all we doe is due debt to the Lord for as Christ saith When yee have done all that ye can say that We are unprofitable servants therefore because all that we doe is due debt unto the Lord therefore we cannot satisfie for any sinne Thirdly sinne hindreth the vertue of satisfaction for if a man be a sinner he can doe nothing that is pleasing and acceptable to God and if a man cannot please God he cannot satisfie for any sinne but there is no action we doe but we sinne in it therefore we cannot satisfie God for our sinnes This is cleare by the Scriptures and therefore their doctrine of the Church of Rome is not to be beleeved For we must acknowledge when wee have sinned that there is no way to satisfie God but by free pardon and forgivenesse But how is it free pardon and forgivenesse I answer It is free in regard of us It is due in regard of Christ for it cost him three and thirty yeeres travell in this world it cost him his life and his blood many streames of pure blood issued from him to obtaine a
workings of the spirit Simile 1 2 3 Vse 1. Simile 2 3 Simile Sixe benefits we have by the holy Ghost 1 To shew us our miserable estate Simile Simile Simile 2 Illumination of Gods Will. Two waies the Holy Ghost teacheth First by opening our hearts Simile Secondly by strengthening our memory Simile Thirdly Holy Regiment and Government Simile Simile The Holy Ghost governesus two wayes First by restraining evill Secondly by stirring us up to good The fourth Benefit is to give power to perfâ—orme holy duties Simile Impossible to a naturall man 1 2 3 Fifthly comfort in distresse How the comfort of the Holy Ghost exâ—â—ds 〈◊〉 other comfort 1 For 〈◊〉 2 In regard of Puritie Simile 3 In regard of Death 1 In affliction by perswading of Gods love 2 2 By turning all things to our good 3 By comfort that our troubles shall have an end 3 Wayes the Holy Ghost comforts in trouble 1 2 3 2 The Holy Ghost comforts in distresse of conscience How the Holy Ghost comforts in distresse of conscience 1 2 3 At the day of death the Holy Ghost comforts 1 Comfort 2 Comfort 3 Comfort 6 Benefit Vse Simile SERM. LVIII The first Conclusion The first Ground Simile The second Ground Simile The wayes to quench the Spâ—rit First by withdrawing the matter Secondly by powring on water Thirdly by smothering Simile 4 Negligence Simile 2 Conclusion 1 2 Simile 3 Conclusion Foure grounds that the Spirit once truely given is never finally lost 1 The â—romise of God 2 The Power of God 3 Christs Prayer 4 From the Nature of the seed 1 2 Simile 3 Simile 4 Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile How we may retaine the Holy Ghost Five meanes to nourish the Spirit The first use of meanes Simile Simile Secondly not to grieve the Spirit Simile The Spirit grieved two wayes First sinning against Illumination Simile Secondly by disobedience to his motions Thirdly to marke the removes of the Spirit Simile Simile Fourthly to put the Spirit to imployment Simile 5 Not to over burthen the spirit with cares Simile Simile Simile SER. LIX 1 Vnder what forme wee must beleeve ART IX 2 What wee must beleeve of the Church 1 That God hath a Church Vse Quest Ans Vse 2. Simile 1 What the Church of God is The definition of the Church 1 The Church a company Simile 2 A company of called ones Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. 3 Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile 4 Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Simile Simile SER. LX. Secondly the Parts of the Church First the triumphant Church The Saints are glorified now Reason 1. Object Sol. Reason 2. First against naturall reason Simile Object Sol. Secondly against sanctified reason Secondly the Church militant A man must be a member of the militant before â—e can be of the Church Triumphant Simile Vse 1. Weake Christians deceived Object Sol. Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile Vse 4. Simile SER. LXI Particular parts of the Church Simile Object Sol. 1 2 How the Church is one Simile Simile Vse 1. 3 The diverse states of the Church Simile Simile Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. First it is a mixed company Simile Secondly it may be more pure at one time than another Simile Simile When we may not Separate lawfully from the Church 1 2 3 When we may separate Ans. 1. Affirm Simile 2 SERM. LXII 4 Five priviledges and dignities of the Church The first dignitie of the Church The Citie of excels others in foure respects 2 This societie is to preserve soules especially Simile 3 All commodities goe thither for spirituall life 4 Here is spirituall freedome Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Vse 3. 2 Dignitie of the Church 1 Consequent That Christ is the head of the Church onely three proofes 1 Simile 2 3 2 Consequent Simile Simile 3 Consequent Simile Simile Vse 3 Dignitie of the Church Simile 1 He loves the Church Three wayes SERM. XLIII 1 Signe of Love Simile Simile 2 Signe of Love 3 Declaration of Love Simile Simile 2 Deduction Simile Simile 3 Deduction 4 Deduction Simile Simile 5 Deduction 6 Deduction Simile Simile Simile 4 Dignitie of the Church Church ground and Pillar of Truth two wayes 1 The Letter of the Scripture Simile Simile Simile 1 Reason prooving the letter of â—he Scripture hath beene kept uncorrupted Reason 2. Reason 3. Simile Reason 4. 1 Argument Reason 5. Vse Quest Sol. Simile Simile Quest. Ans The first proofe of true Translation The second proofe of true Translation Simile Object Sol. 1 Sol. 2 Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile What Canonicall Scripture is Simile Why the Apocrypha was not equally received into the Church foure grounds 1 The Iewes received them not 2 Apocrypha writers were not Penmen of the Scriptures 1 2 3 They bee not of the witnesses Christ will stand to 4 The wants and imperfections of the Bookes bewray so much Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Simile Simile Simile Quest Sol. Simile Seven Evidences of the Scriptures 1 The Puritie of it 2 By the maiestie of it Simile Simile 3 By the Power of it 4 By the Predictions of it 5 Evidence by the sinceritie of it Simile 6 Evidence the consent of writers 1 In the matter 2 Manner 7 Evidence by Naturall Reason Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. Vse 4. Simile Simile Fifth dignitie of the Church There is no salvation out of it Simile Simile Foure reasons why thereis no salvation out of the Church Reason 1. 1 Ioh. 5. 19. Col. 1. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Simile 2 Reason Simile Reason 3. Reason 4. Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Simile Simile Vse 3. Simile Quest Ans Simile Quest Ans Simile 2 The Properties of the Church 3 Things seeming to oppugne the Holinesse of the Church 2 Simile 3 Foure wayes the Church is Holy 1 How the true Church may erre two waies 1 Simile 2 Simile 2 Simile Simile Simile 4 Object Defects of Popish Holinesse 1 Failing 2 Failing Simile Simile Vse 1. Simile Simile Simile Vse 2. Vse 4. Simile 2 Propertie of the Church In three regards the Church is sâ—â—d to bee Catholike 1 Of place Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile 2 Of Persons Simile Simile 3 In Regard of Time Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Object Ans 1. Ans 2. Simile Three Reasons proving that Papists cannot be the true Catholikes 1 2 1 Tim. 2. 5. 3 Vse Simile Two Reasons why God withholds worldly things from his Children 1 Simile Simile 2 2 Sorts of blessings given to the Church Some in this life some in that to come Simile The first blessing God bestowes on his people in this life is the Communion of Saints Communions of the wicked 1 2 3 Simile 1 Communion with God Simile Our Communion with God stands in two things 1 2 Simile 2 Communion with Christ Ioh. 1. vlt. Christ communicates foure things to us 1 Himselfe Quest Sol. Simile 2 The right of his death and merit Simile Simile 3 Power of spirituall
it but for the unbeleevers sake if any should be here I will give foure reasons to prove it First because it is proper to none but God to be in all places at one time as Ierem. 23. 24. Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord This is the propertie onely of God on bodily substance can because they cannot be but in one place at one time and must be bounded in their owne essence but the Holy Ghost is in all places he is in heaven and earth and in the hearts of the faithfull all the world over therefore the Holy Ghost is God I but some man may say the light of the Sunne is all the world over To this I answer although the light of the Sunne be all the world over yet there are divers parts of it But the Holy Ghost is all one and the same and is not divided but he fils heaven and earth and hee is in the hearts of the godly all the world over and therefore the holy Ghost is God Secondly Because none but God can create and make things of nothing none but God knoweth all things none but God can give gifts of grace to his servants but the Holy Ghost doth all this and therefore the Holy Ghost is God First we may see the Holy Ghost creates as well as the Father and the Sonne as Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of the Lord hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life So Psal. 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the heaven and the earth made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Secondly no man knoweth the things of God but God the Holy Ghost knoweth all and therefore he is God as 1 Cor. 2. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Thirdly none but God gives gifts of grace to men but the Holy Ghost doth therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now that the Holy Ghost doth give gifts and graces it is plaine 1 Cor. 12. 6. There are diversities of operations but God is the same that worketh all seeing then it is the Holy Ghost that doth create that knoweth the things of God and that gives gifts of grace into the hearts of men therefore the holy Ghost is God Thirdly No man is to be baptised into the name of any creature but into Gods only but wee are commanded to be baptised into the name of the Holy Ghost therefore the Holy Ghost Now that no man is to be baptised into the name of any creature it is plaine by the Apostles words 1 Cor. 1. 13. where he demands Were yee baptised into the name of Paul I baptised I thanke God name of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any man should say that I baptised into mine owne name Againe We that be baptised are grafted into another stocke and so draw spirituall grace into our selves but if a man be baptised into any other name he cannot draw spirituall grace and therefore wee are to be baptised into none other name but into Gods Name besides there is an expresse charge and command to baptise in no other name but in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now I spend the more time in this that yee might have your Christian faith grounded for Matth. 13. wee see that the seed that was sowen in the stony ground withered and came to nothing because it wanted a root of judgement so if our knowledge be not rooted and grounded it will come to nothing every temptation will shake it and therefore we must labour to have our knowledge grounded Let us come to make use of it First seeing the holy Ghost is God therefore we must take heed we doe not grieve him with our sins and our corruptions this is the use Saint Paul makes of it Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption It is a great fault to grieve man but it is a greater to grieve God it is said in the Law that the people grieved God and Moses his servant and Esay 7. 10. the question is asked Is it a small thing to grieve man but ye will also grieve my God Now there is never a sinne we commit but wee grieve God every oath wee sweare every lye we tell c. and therefore we must take heed we doe not sin to grieve the holy Spirit and to cause him to depart from us as Heb. 3. 10. God complaines Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation c. so it is our sinnes that grieve the holy Ghost If a man hath a guest that commeth to his house to tarry but a night he will be wary lest hee offend him much more wee should be loth to offend the holy Ghost seeing he commeth to dwell with us not a night but for ever consider with thy selfe O man if thou have a friend that will helpe thee in all times of extremitie and releeve thee wilt thou offend him nay thou wouldst labour to please him So the holy Ghost is a friend to us and will speake comfortably and kindly to us at the day of death and in our troubles therefore if we grieve him what comfort can we looke for at the day of death and in the time of trouble Secondly seeing the holy Ghost is God we must take heed that we doe not destroy the temple of the holy Ghost now our bodies be the temples of the holy Ghost therefore we must take heed we doe not destroy the So 1 Cor. 3. 16. saith the Apostle Know ye not that yee are the temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and if any man destroy this temple God will destroy him which is done first by pulling downe the wals and then by defacing of it which bloudy tyrants doe when they kill good people and deface them If a Noble-man have his house pulled downe over his head he will not take it well at their hands but he will labour to destroy them who did it so if tyrants pull downe Gods Temple he will not take it well at their hands but will destroy them Secondly we may destroy this temple by polluting it for though they let the wals stand yet they may destroy Gods temple by destroying the sanctitie and the holinesse of it by their bad lusts and vile sinnes that they doe commit and then God will destroy them as Iohn 2. you see how angry Christ was that hee made a whip and did scourge them out of the Temple that brought oxen and sheepe and doves to sell there now if Christ were angry with them that defiled the materiall Temple with their oxen sheepe and