he will first fetch that out and make choice of a faithfull friend to whose custodie he will commit the same euen so in common perils and daungers we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God who is a faithfull creator An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie is the houre of death as here Christ doth and Steuen who when the Iewes stoned him to death called on God and saide Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times so most especially in the houre of death because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience Lastly at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands for though we be not alwaies in affliction yet we are alwaies in great daunger and when a man lieth downe to rest he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no and when he riseth he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe Yea at this very houre we know not what will befall the next And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie When Dauid was in great daunger of his life and his owne people would haue stoned him because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent For the which cause saith he J suffer those things but I am not ashamed for I know whome I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand and therefore he saith In all my sufferings I am not ashamed where we may see that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand it will make him bold euen at the point of death And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable yet few there be that practise the same Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition and if they haue cattell sheepe or oxen they prouide keepers to tend them but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world that haue more care for their cattell then for their owne soules but as Christ hath taught vs by his example so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God Againe in that Christ laies downe his owne soule and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father we further learne three things The first that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures there is great difference betvveene them for vvhen the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death as the soule of beastes doe the neglect thereof vvere no great matter but seeing it must liue for ever either in eternall ioy or els in endlesse paines and torments it standes vs upon euery man for himselfe so to provide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The thirde that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto For vvhen vvee die in Christ the bodie is but laide asleepe and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father as the soule of Christ was Lastly vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calles it a spirite we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall invisible simple essence without coÌ„position created as the angels of God are The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies may easily bee resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirite can not beget another spirit as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels for one spirit begetteth not another Nay vvhich is more one simple element begetteth not another as the vvater begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof If it be said that the whole soule of the parents be propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answer that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted and therfore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites Thus much of the crucifying of Christ Now followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father the holy Ghost saith he gave vp the ghost to giue us to understand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes The first that it was needfull that hee should die and that for tvvo causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods â—ight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life but also die on the crosse that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne might be laide on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die
thankfulnes but mens hearts are so frozen in the dregges of their sinnes that this dutie comes litle in practise now adaies Our Sauiour Christ clensed ten leapers but there was but one of theÌ„ that returned to giue him thanks this is as true in the leprosie of the soule for though saluation by Christ be offered vnto vs daily by Gods ministers yet not one of ten nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thanks to God for it because men take no delite in things which coÌ„cerne the kingdome of heauen they thinke not that they haue need of saluation neither doe they feele any want of a Sauiour But we for our parts must learne to say with David What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith My sonne giue me thy heart for we should giue vnto God both bodie soule in token of our thankfulnes for this wonderful blessing that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to be our sauiour let vs know this for truth that they which are not thaÌ„kfull for it let them say what they wil they haue no soundnes of grace at the heart And thus much of the third title The fourth last title is in these words our Lord. Christ Iesus the only sonne of God is our Lord three waies 1. by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we were not 2. he is our Lord in the â—ight of redemption In former times the custome hath bin that wheÌ„ one is taken prisoner in the fields he that paies his ransome shall become alwaies after his lord so Christ when we were bondslaues vnder hell death condemnation paid the raÌ„some of our redemption and freed vs from the bondage of sinne and satan and therefore in that respect he is our Lord. 3. He is the heade of the Church as the husbande is the wiues head to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord. And thus much for the meaning Now follow the duties 1. If Christ be our soueraigne Lord we must performe absolute obedience vnto him that is whatsoeuer he commaunds vs that wee must doe And I say absolute obedience because Magistrats Masters Rulers and fathers may command and must be obeyed yet noâ— simply but so farfoorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commaundement of God but Christs will and word is righteousnes it selfe and therefore the rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed Thus he requires the obedience of the morall law but why because he is the Lord our God And in Malach. he saith If I be your Lord where is my feare And againe we must resigne both bodie and soule heart minde will affections and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onely of the bodie but of the spirite and soule of man hee must therefore haue homage of both as we adore him by the knee of the bodie so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts haue their knees also to worship him and to shew their subiection to his commandements As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word but will not indeauour to shew their loyaltie in all manner of obedience they are indeede no better then starke rebels Secondly when by the hande of Christ strange iudgements shall come to passe as it is vsuall in all places continually we must stay our selues without murmuring or finding fault because he is an absolute Lord ouer all his creatures all things are in his hands and he may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer wee see or heare of them so David saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And againe My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Thirdly before we vse any of Gods creatures or ordinances we must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier the reason is this because he is Lord ouer all and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vs whether we may vse them or not and when and how we must vse them and secondly wee must pray to him that he would giue vs libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God as beeing alwaies readie to giue an account for them at the day of iudgement for wee vse that which is the Lords not our owne we are but stewards ouer them we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship Hast thou learning then imploy it to the glorie of God the good of the Church boast not of it as though it were thine owne Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God be it wisdome streÌ„gth riches honour fauour or whatsoeuer then looke thou vse it so as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vnto Christ. Lastly euery one must so lead his life in this world as that at the day of death he may surrender and giue vp his soule into the hands of his Lord and say with Steven Lord Iesus receiue my soule for thy soule is none of thine but his who hath bought it with a price therfore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maist in good manner restore it into the hands of God at the end of thy life If a man should borrow a thing of his neighbour and vse it so as he doth quite spoile it he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner and if he doe the owner will not receiue it Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sin as that they can neuer be able to giue them vp into the hands of God at the day of death if they would yet God accepts them not but casts theÌ„ quite away We must therefore labour so to liue in the world that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus who gaue them vnto vs. This is a hard thing to be done and he that will doe it truly must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes which a man can neuer haue without true and vnfained faith and repentance wherfore while we haue time let vs purge and clense our soules bodies that they may come home againe to God in good plight And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they an higher Lord that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours And this is Pauls reason ye masters saith he doe the same things vnto your seruants putting away threatning and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen neither is
willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father The second part of the preparation is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden And herein his exāple doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the daunger of imminent death and the temptations which are to come And if Christ who was without sinne and had the spirite aboue measure had neede to pray then much more haue we neede to be watchfull in all kinde of prayers who are laden with the burden of sinne and compassed about with manifolde impediments and daungerous enemies In this praier sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered The first who prayed Ans. Christ the Sonne of God but stil we must remember the distinction of natures and of their operations in one and the same Christ he prayeth not in his Godhead but according to his manhood The second is for whome he prayeth Ans. Some haue thought that this all other his praiers were made for his mystical body the Church but the truth is he now praies for himself yet not as he was God for the Godheade feeles no want but as he was a man abased to the forme of a seruant that for two causes First in that he was a man hee was a creature and in that respect was to performe homage to God the Creatour Secondly as he was man he put on the infirmities of our nature and thereupon praied that hee might haue strength and power in his manhood to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come The third point is to whome he prayed Answer To the father neither must this trouble vs as though Christ in praying to the father should pray to himselfe because he is one and the same God with him For though in essence they admit no distinction yet in person o◠in the proper manner of subsisting they doe The father is one person the Sonne an other therefore as the father saying from heauen This is my welbeloued Sonne spake not to himselfe but to the Sonne so againe the Sonne when he praieth he praies not to himselfe but to the father The fourth point what was the particular cause of his prayer Answ. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death not because he feared bodily death but because the malediction of the Law euen the very heat of the furie indignation of God was powred forth vpon him wherewith he was affected and troubled as if he had bin defiled with the sinnes of the whole world And this appeares 1. by the words whereby the Evangelists expresse the agonie of Christ which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe 2. by his dolefull complaint to his disciples in the garden My soule is heauie vnto the death 3. by his feruent prayer thrise repeated full of dolefull passions 4. by the comming of an Angel to comfort him 5. by his bloodie sweate the like whereof was neuer heard And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie the death of martyrs he put on the guilt of al our sinnes they in death are freed frō the same he was left to himselfe void of comfort they in the midst of their afflictions feele the vnspeakeable comfort of the holy Ghost therfore we need not meruaile why Christ should pray against death which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued borne most ioyfully Againe this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians to reioyce alwaies in the Lord againe to reioyce And here we are further taught that when we are plūged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we shoulde not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by fervent prayer to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was drinking the cuppe of the wrath of God and sucking up the verie dregges of it and David saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lorde and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Ansvver Christ praies to be delivered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this maner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demaunded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that end should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answer The request proceedes only of a weakenesse or infirmitie in Christes manhood without sinne which appeareth thus Wee must still consider that when hee made this praier to his father the whole wrath of God and the verie dolours and pangs of hell seased upon him whereby the senses and powers of his mind were astonished and wholly bent to relieue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes unto it to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the understanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Nowe Christ being in the middest of this perplexed estate praieth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but only from a meere perturbation of mind caused onely by an outward meanes namely the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his understanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but only stopped and staied the acte of reasoning and remembring for a little time even as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the aire or by a mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christes will is flat contrarie to the will of his father Answere Christes will as he is man and the will of the father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely divers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a divers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the worde of God in Asia and Bithynia but hee was hindred by the spirite For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirite of God but in the shewe of discorde great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirite of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole
panteth after thee O Lord and the benefits of thy death The second that a sponge full of vineger tied vpon an hyssope stalke was reached to Christ vpon the crosse Now it may be demaunded how this could be considering the stalke of the hyssope is not past a foote long Answer As the tree of mustard seede with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vs in so much that the birds of heauen build their nests in it so it may be that hyssope groweth much longer in those countries then with vs. Or as I take it rather the hyssope stalke was put vpon a reede and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ. The third point is that Christ drinketh the vineger offered but when Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the crosse And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation He laide aside all thinges that would turne to his owne ease that he might fully worke our redemption and fulfill the will of his father who sent him into the world for that ende The like care must euery one of vs haue to walke dutifully and as it were to goe with thorough-stitch in our particular callings that God may be glorified by vs. When Abrahams seruant came to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac meâ—t was set before him but he said I will not eate before I haue said my message so likewise we must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires and then in the second place if commoditie or praise redound to vs we must afterward take it The last point is that when Christ had drunke the vineger he said It is finished VVhich words may haue a double sense one that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished the other that now vpon the crosse he had finished his satisfaction to the iustice of his father for mans sinne And this of the twaine I rather thinke to be his meaning If it be said that the buriall and resurrection and ascension of Christ c. which are very necessarie to mans redemption were not yet begunne the answer is that the works of Christs priesthoode which follow his death serue not to make any satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne but onely to confirme or applie it after it is made and accomplished on the crosse And if this be so that Christ in his owne person accomplished the worke of redemption and made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs as these words import It is finished then humane satisfactions to Gods iustice for sinne are altogether superfluous The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vpon the crosse was that he cryed with a loud voice and said Father into thy handes I lay downe my spirite that is I commende my soule as being the most pretious thing which I haue in this worlde into thy custodie who art a most faithfull keeper therof These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes for when Dauid was in daunger of his life by reason of Saul and had no friend to trust he makes choice of God to be his keeper and said Into thy hands O Lord doe J commend my spirite Nowe our Sauiour Christ beeing in the like distresse both by reason of the Iewes who euery way sought his finall destruction and confusion and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him doth make choice of Davids words and applie them to himselfe in his distresse And by his example we are taught not onely to read the generall historie of the Bible but also to obserue the things commaunded and forbidden and to applie the same vnto our selues and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer thus the Prophet Dauid saith In the rolle of the booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will O my God! Howe can this be for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him True indeede but as I take it Dauids meaning is that he read the booke of the Lawe and found generall precepts and commaundements giuen to Kings and Princes that they should keepe all the ordinances and commaundements of God which he beeing a King applies particularly to his owne person and thereupon saith In the volume of the booke it is written of me c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time and in these daies the Church of God doth sing the same with the same spirite that Dauid did and doth applie them to their seuerall estates and conditions Now in that Christ commends his soule into the hands of his father he doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint but willingly and by his owne practise he doeth teach vs to doe the like namely to giue vp our owne soules into the hands of God And because this dutie is of some difficultie we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it The first is to consider that God the Father of Christ is the creator of our soules and therefore he is called the father of spirits And if he be a creator of them then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them For sure it is that God will preserue his own workmanship Who is or caÌ„ be so careful for the ornament and preseruation of any worke as the crafts-master and shall not God be more carefull then man wherefore Saint Peter exhorteth vs to commit our soules vnto God as vnto a faithfull creator The second motiue is this we must looke to be resolued in our consciences that God the Father of Christ is our Father euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes and that the corruption of his soule be washed away in the blood of Christ that he may say I am iustified sanctified and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the hands of God This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay downe his soule into the handes of God because he is his Father The third motiue or preparatiue is a continuall experience and obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towardes vs in keeping and preseruing him as appeares by Dauids example Into thy handes saith he I commit my soule for thou hast redeemed me O thou God of truth The time when wee are specially to commende our soules into the hande of God is first of all the time of any affliction or daunger This was the time when Dauid commended his soule into the handes of God in the Psalme before named VVee knowe that in any common daunger or perill as the sacking of a citie or burning of an house if a man haue any pretious iewell therein
it self to be a meritorious sacrifice therfore the dignity excellencie which it hath is deriued thence As for the chalkie stony altars of the Church of Rome they are nothing els but the toyes of mans brain Christ himselfe is the only reall altar of the new testament And instead of altars which were under the lawe wee haue now the Lords table vvheron vve celebrate the sacraments of his body and blood to shew forth his death till he come The 4. point is concerning the time of Christs oblation which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yere of the Lord alluding unto another yere under the lavve called the yeere Iubile vvhich was every 50. yere amoÌ„g the Iewes in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe all that were bondmen were then set at libertie This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliveraÌ„ce which vvas to be attained by Christs passioÌ„ which was no temporarie deliverance for euery 50. yere but an eternal freedome from the bondage of sinne hell death condemnation And the preaching of the worde is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth unto us freedome froÌ„ the kingdome of darkenesse invites us to come dvvell in perfect peace vvith Christ himselfe Well if the yeere of perpetuall Iubile be novv come in what a vvreâ—ched estate are all our loose blind people that esteem nothing of that libertie vvhich is offered to them but choose rather to liue in their sinnes and so in bondage under Satan condemnation then to be at freedome in Christ. Novv follovv the uses vvhich are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith that the second temple built by Zorubbabell vvas nothing in beautie unto the first vvhich was built by Salomon and the reason is plaine for it vvanted five things vvhich the first temple had I. the appearing of the presence of God at the mercie seat betweene the two Cherubims II. The Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high Priest III. The inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets IV. The Arke of the Covenant for that was lost in the captiuitie V. Fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices Yet for all this the Prophet afterward saith The glorie of the last House shall be greater then the first Now it may be demaunded how both these sayings can stand together Answer We are to know that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our sinnes and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first And by this we are taught that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues vnto our houses and kindred either before God or before men we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person how base soeuer we be in the eyes of the world Secondly all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes was first salted and hereby two things were signified The first that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God The second that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse Our dutie theÌ„ is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ to wast coÌ„sume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures And we must withall indeauour that the whole course of our liues and our speach it selfe be gratious and poudred with this salt least God at length spue vs out of his mouth To this end hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth that by their ministerie they might applie the death of Christ and season the people And it hath pleased God to besprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore But alas small is the number of them that giue any rellish of their good seasoning The more lamentable is their case For as flesh that can not be seasoned with salt putrifies so men that cannot be sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ doe rotte and perish in their sinnes The waters that issued from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie when they came into the dead sea the waters thereof were holsome but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned were made salt-pits Now these waters are the preaching of the Gospell of Christ which flowing through all the parts of this Ile if it doe not season and chaunge our nation it shall make it as places of nettles and salt-pits and at length be an occasion of the eternall curse of God Thirdly Christs priesthoode serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests And being priests we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar Our sacrifice is the cleane offering which is the lifting vp of pure hands to God without wrath or doubting in our praiers also our bodies and soules our hearts and affections the workes of our liues and the works of our callings all which must be dedicated to the seruice of God for his glorie and the good of his Church The altar whereon wee must offer our sacrifice is Christ our redeemer both God and man because by the vertue of his death as with sweet odours he perfumes all our obedience and makes it acceptable to God The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests as Paul insinuateth when he calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife whereby the old Adam must be killed in vs and we made an holy and acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God sanctified by the holy Ghost Therefore euery one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught must endeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed as the beast was slaine and sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite Lastly the exhortation of the holy Ghost must here be considered Seeing saith he we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water the meaning of the words is this that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price which procureth pardon of sinne
I let them passe Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection the witnesses thereof are of three sortes I. angels II. women that came to the graue to embalme him III. Christs owne disciples who did publish and preach the same againe according as they had seene and heard of our Sauiour Christ and of these likewise I omit to speake because there is not any speciaâ—l thing mentioned of them by the Evangelistes Now follow the uses which are twofold some respect Christ and some respect ourselues Vses which concerne Christ are three I. whereas Christ Iesus being starke deade rose againe to life by his owne power it serueth to prooue unto us that he was the sonne of God Thus Paul speaking of Christ saieth that he was declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead And by the mouth of Dauid God saide Thou art my sonne this day I have begot thee Which place must be understood not so much of the eternall generation of Christ before all worlds as of the manifestation therof in time after this maner This day that is at the time of thine incarnation but especially at the day of thy resurrection have I begotten thee that is I haue made manifest that thou art my sonne so is this place expouÌ„ded by S. Paul in the Acts. Secondly Christs resurrection by his own power prooues unto us euidently that he is Lord ouerall things that are this use S. Paul makes hereof for saith he Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke And indeed wheras he rose againe thus he did hereby shew himselfe most plainely to be a mightie prince ouer the graue ouer death hell condemnation in that he had power to ouercome them Thirdly it proues unto us that he was a perfit priest that his death and passion was a perfit satisfaction to the iustice of God for the sins of mankind For whereas Christ died he died for our sins now if he had not fully satisfied for them all though there had remained but one sin for which he had made no satisfaction he had not risen againe but death which came into the worlde by sinne and is strengthned by it woulde haue helde him in bondage and therefore whereas hee rose againe it is more then manifest that he hath made so full a satisfaction so as the merite thereof doth and shall countervaile the iustice of God for all our offences To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sins that is Christ had not satisfied for your sinnes or at least you could not possibly haue knowen that he had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe The uses which concerne our selues are of two sortes comforts to the children of God and duties that are to be learned and practised of us all The comforts are especially three First Christs resurrrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him euen before God the father as Paul saith Christ was given to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification which wordes haue this meaning when Christ died as we haue shewed before we must not consider him as a priuate man but as one that stood in the stead and roome of all the elect in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our own persons for euer the guilt of our offences was laid upon him therfore Esai saith he was nuÌ„bred among the wicked Now in his rising againe he freed disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his own because he was without sin but from the guilt punishment of our sins imputed unto him And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust affiance in the merit of Christ at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sins not imputed unto them his righteousnes imputed Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification as S. Peter saith We are regenerate to a lively hope by the resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus Christ from the dead And S. Paul Wee are then saith hee buried with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ vvas raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father so vvee also should walke in newnesse of life For if we be grafted vvith him to the similitude of his death wee shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection Which wordes import thus much that as Christ by the power of his owne godheade freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes so doth he free those that are knit unto him by the bond of one spirite from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead that they may liue unto God In the naturall body the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion and therefore by sundry nerves dispersed through the body the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least partes so as the hands and the feete moue by meanes of that power which comes from the head and so it is in the spirituall body of Christ namely the Church he is the head the fountain of life therfore he coÌ„veieth spirituall life to euery one of his members and that very power of his godhead whereby he raised up himselfe when he was dead he conveieth from himselfe to his members thereby raiseth them up from the death of sinne to newnesse of life And looke as in a perfect body when the head hath sence and motion the hand that is of the same bodie hath also sense and motion conuenient for it So likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life as there is spirituall life in him so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sence and motion whereby it is raised up froÌ„ sinne and liueth unto God For the better conceiuing of this we must consider two things the outward meanes of this spirituall life and the measure of it For the meanes if we will haue common water vve must goe to the well and if wee vvould haue vvater of life we must goe unto Christ who saith If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke Now this vvell of the water of life is very deepe we haue nothing to draw with therefore we must haue our pipes conduits to convey the same unto us which are the word of God preached and the administration of the sacrameÌ„ts Christ saith The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God they that heare it shall live where by dead is meant not the dead in the graue but those that are dead in sinne And againe Christ saith the wordes which I speake are spirite and life because
sins the vvorld crucifies Christ againe For look as Pilates souldiours with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments buffetted him and slue him so doe vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of all honour and slay him againe If an infidell should come among vs and yeelde himselfe to be of our religion after hee had seene the behauiour of men hee would peraduenture leaue all religioÌ„ for he might say surely it seemes this god whome these men worship is not the true God but a god of licentious libertie and that which is moâ—e whereas at all times we ought to shew our selues new creatures and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes and to liue in righteousnes and true holines yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward This hath beene heretofore the coÌ„mon practise but let vs now learne after the example of Christ being quickned and reuiued by his grace to endeauor our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne and learne to make conscience of euery badde action True it is a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight in a moderate and godly manner but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously for he that is free is yet seruant vnto Christ as Paul saith and therefore we must doe nothing but thâ—t which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God to which ende the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the deade and Christ shall giue thee life If this will not mooue vs yet let the iudgements of God draw vs hereunto Blessed is he saith the holy Ghost that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power where mention is made of a double death the first is the separation of soule bodie the second is the eternall condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire Would we now escape the second death after this life we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection that on this manner Looke what sinnes we haue liued in hertofore we must endeauour to come out of them all and leade a better life according to all the commandements of God but if ye will haue no care of your owne soules goe on hardly and so ye shall be sure to enter into the second death which is eternal damnation Secondly we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection And this we shall doe when we can say by experience that our hearts are not content with a formall and drowsie profession of religion but that wee feele the same power of Christ whereby he raised vp himselfe from death to life to be effectuall and powerfull in vs to worke in our hearts a conversion from all our sinnes wherein we haue lien deade to newnes of life with care to liue godly in Christ Iesus And that we may further attaine to all this we must come to heare the word of God preached and taught with feare and trembling hauing heard the word we must meditate therein and pray vnto God not onely publikely but priuately also intreating him that he would reach forth his hand and pull vs out of the graue of sinne wherein we haue lien dead so long And in so doing the Lord of his mercie according as he hath promised will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to worke in vs an inward sense and feeling of the vertue of Christs resurrection So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them he gaue them such a measure of his spirite as made their hearts to burne within them And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that God would inlighten their eyes that they might see and feele in themselues the exceeding greatnes of the power of God which he wrought in Christ Iesus when he raised him from the dead Thirdly as Saint Paul saith If we be risen with Christ then we must seeke the things that are aboue But how and by what meanes can we rise with Christ seeing we did not die with him Ans. We rise with Christ thus The burgesse of a town in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole towne whatsoeuer he saith that the whole town saith whatsoeuer is done to him is also done to all the towne so Christ vpon the crosse stood in our place bare our person what he suffred we suffred when he died all the faithfull died in him and so likewise as he is risen againe so are all the faithfull risen in him The consideration whereof doth teach vs that we must not haue our hearts wedded to this world VVe may vse the things of this life but yet so as though we vsed them not For all our loue and care must be for things aboue and specially we must seeke the kingdom of God his righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost VVe must therefore sue for the pardon of sinne for reconciliation to God in Christ for sanctification These are the pretious pearles which we must seeke and when we haue found them we must sell all that we haue to buie them hauing bought them we must lay them vp in the secret corners of our hearts valuing and esteeming of them as better then all things in the world beside Thus much of Christs resurrection containing the first degree of Christs exaltation Now followeth the second in these words He ascended into heauen in the handling wherof we are to consider these speciall points I. the time of his ascention II. the place III. the manner IV. the witnesses V. the vses thereof For the first the time of Christs ascension was fourtie daies after his resurrection when he had taught his disciples the things which appertain to the kingdome of God And this shews that he is a most faithfull carefull king ouer his Church procuring the good thereof And therfore Esay saith The gouernment is on his shoulder the Apostle saith he was more faithfull in all the house of God then Moses was Hence we gather that whereas the Apostles changed the sabbath from the seuenth day to the eight it was no doubt by the counsell direction of Chist before his ascension likewise in that they planted Churches and appointed teachers and meete ouerseers for the guiding and instruction hereof we may resolue our selues that Christ prescribed the same vnto them before his asceÌ„sion for these such like causes did he ascend no sooner Now look what care Christ at his ascensioÌ„ had ouer his church the same must al
to be damned therefore I will liue as I list for it is not possible for me to alter Gods decree Blasphemous mouthes of men make nothing of this and like speeches and yet they speake flatt contraries For whom God hath purposed in his eternall counsell to refuse them also he hath purposed for their sinnes to leaue to the blindnesse of their mindes and hardnesse of their heartes so as they neither will nor can liue a godly life Secondly this rule doeth as it were leade us by the hande to the consideration of the fearefull estate of many people among us Wee haue had for the space of thirtie yeeres and more the preaching of the Gospell of Christ and the more plentifully by reason of the schooles of learning But what hath beene the issue of it I doubt not but in many it hath beene the meanes of their conversion and saluation but to speake generally of the greater parte there is little or no fruite to be seene The most after this long preaching remaine as blinde as impenitent as harde hearted and as unreformed in their liues as euer they vvere though they haue hearde the Lorde calling them to repentance from day to day and from yeere to yeere Well if this rule be the trueth of God as no doubt it is then I say plainely that there is a most fearefull iudgement of God amongst vs. My meaning is not to determine or giue sentence of any mans person of any towne or people neuerthelesse this may be auouched that it is a terrible and daungerous signe of the wrath of God that after this long and daily preaching there is still remaining a generall hardenesse of heart impenitencie and want of reformation in the liues of men The smithes stithie the more it is beaten the harder it is made and commonly the heartes of men the more they are beaten with the hammer of Gods worde the more dull secure and senslesse they are This beeing so it standes euery man in hande to looke to his owne estate Wee are carefull to flie the infection of the bodily plague oh then how carefull shoulde wee bee to flie the common blindenesse of minde and hardnesse of heart which is the verie plague of all plauges a thousande folde worse then all the plagues of Egypt And it is so much the more fearefull because the more it takes place the lesse it is perceiued When a malefactour on the day of assise is brought foorth of the iayle with great boltes and fetters to come before the iudge as hee is going all men pitie him and speake comfortably unto him But why so because hee is now to be arraigned at the barre of an earthly Iudge Nowe the case of all impenitent sinners is farre more miserable then the case of this man for they lie fettred in bondage vnder sin satan and this short life is the way in which they are going euerie houre to the barre of Gods iustice who is the King of kings and Lord of lords there to be arraigned to haue sentence of condemnation giuen against them Now canst thou pitie a man that is before an earthly iudge and wilt thou not be touched with the miserie of thine owne estate who goest euery day forward to the barre of Gods iustice whether thou be sleeping or waking sitting or standing as a man on the sea in a ship goes continually toward the hauen though he himselfe stirre not his foote Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts that so long as ye run on in your blind wayes without repentance as much as yee can yee make poste hast to hell-warde and so long as you continue in this miserable condition as Peter saieth Your iudgement is not farre off and your damnation sleepeth not Thirdly seeing those whome God hath purposed to refuse shall be left unto themselues and neuer come to repentance we are to loue and embrace the word of God preached taught unto us by the ministers of the gospell withall submitting our selues unto it and suffering the Lord to humble us thereby that we may come at length out of the broad way of blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart leading to destruction into the straight way of true repentance and reformation of life which leadeth to saluation For so long as a man lives in this world after the lusts of his own heart he goes on walking in the very same broad way to hell in which all that are ordained to condemnation walke and what a fearefull thing is it but for a litle while to be a companion in the way of destruction with them that perish and therefore I say once againe let us all in the feare of God lay his word unto our heartes and heare it with such reuerence as that it may be in us the sworde of the spirite to cut downe the sinnes and corruptions of our natures and worke in us a reformation of life and true repentance The third point concerning the decree of Reprobation is the Iudgement to be giuen of it This iudgement belongeth to God principally and properly because hee knoweth best what he hath determined cōcerning the estate of euery man none but he knowes who they be which are ordained to due deserued dānation And againe he only knoweth the hearts and willes of men and what grace he hath giuen them what they are and what all their sinnes be and so doth no angell nor creature in the world beside As for men it belongs not to them to giue iudgement of reprobation in themselues or in others unlesse God reveale his will unto them and giue them a gift of discerning This gift was bestowed on sundry of the Prophets in the old Testament and in the new Testament on the Apostles Dauid in many Psalmes makes request for the confusion of his enemies not praying only against their sinnes which we may do but euen against their persons which we may not do No doubt he was guided by gods spirit receiued thence an extraordinarie gift to iudge of the obstinate malice of his aduersaries And Paul praies against the persō of Demetrius saying The Lord reward him according to his doings And such kinde of praiers were lawfull in them because they were caried with pure upright zeale had no doubt a speciall gift whereby they were able to discerne of the finall estate of their enemies Againe God sometimes giues this gift of discerning of some mens finall impenitencie to the Church upon earth I say not to this or that priuate person but to the bodie of the Church or greater part thereof S. Iohn writing unto the Churches saith There is a sinne unto death that is against the H. ghost I say not that thou shouldest pray for it in which words he takes it for granted that the sinne might be discerned by the Church in those daies And Paul saieth If any man beleeue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in
proceede at large to open the substance of the couenant we are in the next place to come to that part of the Creed which cōcerns the second person in trinitie set down in these words And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne c. from which words to the very end of the Creede such points onely are laid down as doe notably vnfold the benefits the matter of the couenant Now the second person is described to vs by three things 1. his titles 2. his incarnatiō 3. his twofold estate his titles are in nūber foure I. Iesus II. Christ. III. his only sonne IV. our Lord. His incarnatiō his twofold estate are set down afterward To come to his titles the first is Jesus to which if we adde the clause I beleeue on this maner I beleeue in Iesus c. the article which we now haue in hand will appeare to be most excellent because it hath most notable promises annexed to it VVhen Peter cōfessed Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God he answered vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And again He that confesseth that Christ is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him he in God And again To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Paul saith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thy houshold Thus then the confession in which we acknowledge that we beleeue in Iesus Christ hath a promise of fellowship with God of life euerlasting But it may be obiected that euery spirit as S. Iohn saith which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Now the deuil al his angels vnbeleeuers do thus much therfore why may not they also haue the benefit of this cōfessiō Ans. By spirit in that place is neither mēt angels nor mē nor any creature but the doctrine which teacheth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh it is of God because it is holy diuine hath God to be the autor of it As for the deuil his angels they can indeed confesse that Christ the sonne of God was made man and a wicked man may teach the same but vnto the confession whereunto is annexed a promise of eternall life is required true faith whereby we doe not onely know and acknowledge this or that to be true in Christ but also rest vpon him which neither Satan nor wicked men can doe And therefore by this confession the Church of God is distinguished from all other companies of men in the worlde which beleeue not as Panyms heretikes Atheists Turkes Iewes and all other infidells This name Iesus was giuen to the sonne of God by the Father and brought from heauen by an angell vnto Ioseph and Marie and on the day when he was to be circumcised as the manner was this name was giuen vnto him by his parents as they were commanded from the Lord by the angell Gabriel And therefore the name was not giuen by chance or by the alone will of the parents but by the most wise appointment of God himselfe The name in Hebrue is Iehoschua and it is changed by the Grecians into Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour And it may be called the proper name of Christ signifying his office and both his natures because he is both a perfect and absolute Sauiour as also the alone Sauiour of man because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in heauen or in earth As Peter saith For among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the name of Iesus And the author to the Hebrues saith That he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them If any shall obiect that the promises of saluation are made to them which keepe the commaundements the answere is that the law of God doth exact most absolute and perfect obedience which can be found in no man but in Christ who neuer sinned and therefore it is not giuen vnto vs nowe that we might by our selues fulfill it and worke out our own saluation but that beeing condemned by it we might wholly depend on Christ for eternall life If any further alledge that such as walke according to the commandemēts of God though their obedience be imperfect yet they haue the promises of this life and of the life to come The answer is that they haue so indeed yet not for their works but according to their workes which are the fruits of their faith whereby they are ioyned to Christ for whose merites onely they stand righteous and are acceptable before god And vvhereas it is saide by Peter that baptisme saveth vs. his meaning is not to signifie that there is any vertue in the water to wash away our sinnes and to sanctifie us but that it serues visibly to represent and confirme unto us the inward washing of our soules by the blood of Christ. It may further be said that others haue bene Sauiours beside Christ as Iosuah the sonne of Nun who for that cause is called by the same name with Christ. Answ. Iosua after the death of Moses was appointed by God to be a guide to the children of Israel which might defend them from their enemies and bring them to the land of Canaan but this deliverance was onely temporall and that onely of one people Now the sonne of God is called Iesus not because he deliuereth the people of the Iewes onely or because he saueth the bodies of men only but because he saueth both body and soule not onely of the Iewes but also of the gentiles from hell death and damnation And whereas Prophets and ministers of the worde are called Saviours it is because they are the instruments of God to publish the doctrine of saluation which is powerfull in mens hearts not by any vertue of theirs but onely by the operation of the spirit of Christ. Lastly it may be obiected that the father and the holy ghost are Sauiours and therefore not onely the Sonne Ansvver True it is that in the worke of saluation all the three persons must be ioyned together in no wise severed the Father saveth the Sonne saueth the holy ghost saueth yet must we distinguish them in the maner of sauing the Father saveth by the Sonne the Sonne saueth by paying the ransome and price of our saluation the holy ghost saueth by a particular applying of the ransome unto men Nowe therefore whereas the sonne paies the price of our redemption and not the father or the holy ghost therefore in this speciall respect he is called in Scriptures and intituled by the name of Iesus and none but he By this vvhich hath beene said
this is the reward of all those that walke on in their euill waies Hauing consulted in the next place they come to the garden vvhere Christ was to be apprehended And here wee are to consider who they were that came namely the Scribes and Pharises the high priests and their servants a band of soldiers and the servants of Pontius Pilate and the Elders of the Iewes all which came with one consent to the place where Christ was that they might attach him VVhere we may learne a good lesson that all sorts of wicked men disagreeing among themselues caÌ„ agree against Christ. The Scribes and Pharises were two contrary sectes and at discord one with another in matters of religion and Iudas was one of Christs disciples the Elders differed from them all the souldiers were Gentiles all these were at variance among themselues and could not one brooke another So also we read that Herode and Pontius Pilate vvere not friends but at the same time when Christ was apprehended Pilate sent him to Herode and they were made friends Now as these wicked men did all conspire against Christ so doe the wicked ones of this vvorld in all cuntries and kingdomes bande themselues against the Church of Christ at this day And howsoeuer such be at discorde among themselues yet they doe all ioyne hand in hande to persecute Christ in his members And the reason is plaine because Christ and his religion is as flat opposite to the corrupt disposition of all men as light is to darkenesse Againe vvhereas we see so many sortes of men so amiably consenting to take Christ we may note how all men naturally doe hate and abhorre him and his religion And looke as then it was with Christ so hath it bene with all his members and will be to the end of the world They are accounted as the offscouring of the world men not worthie to live on the face of the earth as Christ tolde his disciples saying Ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake Let us also marke how all these came furnished to apprehend Christ the text saith they came with clubs staves as vnto a thiefe All the whole nation of the Iewes knevve right well that Christ was no man of violence but meeke and humble and yet they came armed to apprehend him as though he had ben some mightie potentate that would not haue beene apprehended but haue resisted them Where wee doe see the propertie of an euill conscience which is to feare where there is no cause at all This causeth some to be afraid of their owne shadovves if they see but a vvorme peepe out of the ground they are at their wits end and as Salomon saith The wicked flee when none pursueth them After that they are now come to Christ we are to consider two things in their meeting I. Christs communication with them II. The treason of Iudas Concerning their conference it is said Iesus knowing all things that should come vnto him went forth and said unto them Whome seeke yee they answered him Iesus of Nazareth Iesus answered I am he Now so soone as he had said I am he the stoutest of them fell to the ground as being astonished at the maiestie of his word Where note that the word of God is a vvord of power The same povver vvas in his vvord vvhen he raised up Lazarus for when he had â—yen in the graue had entred into some degrees of corruption he did no more but said Lazarus come forth he that vvas dead came forth And hence we may also marke vvhat a wonderfull might and povver is in the vvord preached for it is the very worde of Christ and therfore being preached by his ministers lawfully called by him therunto hath the same power force in it which Christ himselfe shewed vvhen he spake on earth It is the savour of life unto life to saue those that heare it or the savour of death unto death It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire which in some mens nosthrilles is savourie and pleasant and doeth reviue them and others it striketh starke dead And therefore everie one that either now or heretofore hath heard this vvord preached shall find it to be vnto them either a word of povver to saue their soules or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation Againe if a vvorde spoken by him being in a base and lovve estate be able to overthow his enemies then at the last day when he shall come in his glorie and power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead vvhat povver shall his vvordes haue Goe you cursed of my father into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devill his angels The consideration of this that the word of Christ shall euen be as povverfull at that day must be a motiue to euerie one of vs to cause us to come vnto Christ and vvhile vvee haue time in these dayes of grace and mercie to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for all our sinnes least at the last day wee heare that dreadfull voice of Christ sounding against vs Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire c. And thus much for the communication Now followeth Iudas his treason wherein vvee are to obserue these things I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason He vvas by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle vvhich is the chiefest in Ecclesiasticall callings among the Disciples he was in some account because hee vvas as it were a stewarde in Christes family and bare the bagge but yet hee was a traitour and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him and when they were come did point him out unto them and delivered him into their hands nay he gaue them a signe and token saying VVhome I kisse he it is take him and lead him avvay warily Here we see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Divell for he said Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a divell Hee became to be a devill and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a covetous heart And here we are taught that the ministers of Christ if they make no conscience of sinne by the iust iudgement of God do prooue deuils incarnate this exaÌ„ple of Iudas doth manifest the same and the reason is plaine for the more knowledge a man hath the more wicked he is if he vvant grace They are like in this case unto a man that hath meate drinke enough but no stomacke to digest it and so the more he eateth the more it turneth to his hurt This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers but that those vvhich preach Gods vvorde should not doe it with impenitent hearts living in their owne sinnes For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake unto the people
Caesar in Iudea Where we must obserue the wonderful prouidence of God in that not onely the Iewes but the Gentiles also had a stroake in the arraignement of Christ that that might be true which the Apostle saith God shut vp all vnder sinne that he might haue mercie vpon all The fourth point is the matter of their accusation they accuse our Sauiour Christ of 3. things I. that he seduced the people II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he said he was a King Let vs well consider these accusations especially the two last because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching and to his practise For when the people would haue made him a King after hee had wrought the myracle of the fiue loaues and two fishes the text saith he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone Secondly when tribute was demaunded of him for Caesar though he were the kings sonne and therefore was freed yet saith he to Peter least wee should offende theÌ„ go to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence that take and giue vnto them for thee and me And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren he refused to doe it saying Who made me a iudge betweene you Therefore in these two things they did most falsely accuse him Whereby wee learne that nothing is so false and vntrue but the slaunderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent the tongues of the slaunderers are sharpe swords venemous arrows to wound their enemies their throats are open sepulchers the poyson of aspes is vnder their lipps If a man speake gracious words his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit but as Saint Iames saith the tongue of the wicked is fire yea a worlde of wickednes and it is set on fire with the fire of hell therefore let this example be a caveat for vs all to teach vs to take heede of slandering for the deuill then speakes by vs and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell The fifth point is the manner of their accusation which is diligently to be marked for they doe not onely charge him with a wonderfull vntruth but they beseech Pilate to put him to death crying Crucifie him Crucifie him in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them where wee may see how these shameles Iewes goe beyond their compasse and the bounds of all accusers whose dutie is to testifie onely what they know Now in the matter of this their accusation appeares their wonderfull inconstancie For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie they cut downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the way crying Hosanna Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord but nowe they sing an other song and in stead of Hosanna they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them for in the daies of King Edward the sixth the people of England receiued the Gospell of Christ but shortly after in Queene Maries time the same people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the Church of Rome And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospell by our gracious Prince the same people turned from poperie and imbraced the true religion againe And thus with the Iewes one while they cry Hosanna to Christ receiue his Gospell and shortly after they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him by imbracing idolatrous poperie Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God by the ficklenes of the Iewes that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space to acknowledge our inconstancie and weakenesse in the matter of religion whereby if God leaue vs but a little to our selues wee shall straight way forsake Christ his Gospell and all Thus much of the accusation Now followeth Christs examination before Pontius Pilate for when the Iewes had thus falsely accused him then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall and asked him this question Art thou a King Nowe Christ beeing thus examined made as Paul also testifieth a good confession The summe thereof stands in foure heads The first is that he confesseth himselfe to be a King not such an one as they accused him to be yet a true King Whence we may learne diuers instructions First that euery Christian man in the midst of his misery afflictioÌ„ hath one that is most sufficieÌ„t euery way to defend him against all his enemies the world the flesh the deuill For this king can doe whatsoeuer he will therfore when the legion of deuils would enter into a herd of swine they could not without his leaue And when the Centurions daughter was dead he but spake the word and she arose And when Lazarus was dead and had liâ—n in the graue foure daies he but said Lazarus come forth he came forth bound hand and foote Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word nothing can resist his power And therefore he that is a true member of Christ needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many And againe as Christ is able so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects which no king will doe and shedde his bloud for their redemption which hee would neuer haue done if he had not desired their saluation Secondly when as Christ is a mightie king which can doe whatsoeuer he wil let al such amoÌ„g vs that haue hitherto liued in ignoraÌ„ce by reason of ignoraÌ„ce liue in their sinnes at length begin to come vnto him do him homage with peniteÌ„t hearts fal down before him otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions let them know whosoeuer they be high or low that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces their soules shall smart for it as both Pilate Caiphas the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies be sure at the houre of death he wil breake thee in pieces like a potters vessel This must wee learne in regarde of the first point that hee saide plainly He was a King Now follows the second part of his confession namely that his kingdome was not of this worlde Where hee sets downe what kinde of king he is he is no earthly king his kingdome standes not in the power of men nor in earthly and outwarde gouernement but his kingdome
alone when these things are taken away then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner The second point is that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle He can be content to see the works of Christ but he can not abide to heare his word to beare his yoke Like to him are many in these daies which gladly desire to heare the Gospell of Christ preached onely because they would heare speach of some strange things laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare Yea many in England delite to read the strange histories of the bible and therefore can rehearse the most part of it and it were to be wished that all could doe it yet come to the practise of it the same persons are commonly found as bad in life and conuersation yea rather worse then others Let vs therefore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience practise with our learning and as well to be affected with the word of Christ as with his works The third point is that Herod derides Christ and sends him away cloathed in a white garment This is that Herod whome Christ called a foxe who also when hee heard Iohn Baptist preach did many things heard him gladly How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes thus to abuse Christ Answer We must knowe that although Herod at the first heard Iohn preach yet withall hee followed his owne affections and sought how to fulfill the lustes of his flesh For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife he cast him in prison and after cut off his head for it after which offence he is grown to this height of impietie that he now despiseth Christ cānot abide to heare him Where we learne that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached so withall we must take heede that we practise no maner of sinne but make conscience of euery thing that may displease God Thou maist I graunt be one that feares and fauours Iohn Baptist for a time wallowing in thy old sinnes but after a while yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart thou wilt neuer heare Iohn nor Christ himselfe but hate and despise them both This is the cause why some which haue beene professours of religion heretofore and haue had great measure of knowledge are now become very loose persons and can not abide to heare the worde preached vnto them the reason is because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes Therefore that wee may begin in the spirit and not end in the flesh let euery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate For when he saw the first would not preuaile then hee tooke a newe course for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and scourged him and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pur it on his head and they put on him a purple garment and saide Haile King of the Iewes and smote him with their roddes And thus he brought him foorth before the Iewes perswading himselfe that when they sawe him so abased and so ignominiously abused they vvould be content therevvith and exact no greater punishment at his handes thinking thus to haue pacified the rage of the Ievves and so to haue deliuered Christ from death by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment This pollicie is as it vvere a looking glasse in vvhich vve may behold of vvhat nature cōdition all plotts pollicies of mē are which are deuised practised vvithout the directiō of Gods vvord In it we may obserue 2. things the first is the ground thereof vvhich is a most silly simple or rather sensles argument For he reasoneth thus I finde no fault in this man therefore I will chastise him and let him goe A man vvould hardly haue thought that one hauing but his common sense vvould not haue made such a reason much lesse a great iudge sitting in the roome of God But in him vve may behold see the ground of all humane pollicie vvhich is beside the vvord of God namely the foolish and blind reason of men The 2. thing to be considered is the proceeding and issue of this pollicie Pilat must either vvhip Christ beeing innocent or put him to death vvhich are both sinnes and great offences Novve hee maketh choice of the lesser vvhich is to whippe him and is perswaded that he ought to doe so whereas of two sinnes or euils a man ought to doe neither And in doing this Pilate begins to make a breach in his conscience and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuises which proceede by the light of their owne reason without the word of God By this example we are admonished of two things first that before we enterprize any businesse wee must rectifie our iudgements by Gods worde Dauid was a most wise King and no doubt had withall a graue and wise councell but yet he preferred the word of God before all saying Thy testimonies are my counsellers Secondly in our proceedings we must keepe an vpright pure and vnblameable conscience as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that a good conscience is as it were a chest or cupboard in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion and all other graces of God as the most pretious iewels that can be and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp all our riches and iewels are gone But let vs yet view the dealing of Pilate more particularly he whippes Christ puts on him a purple garment puts a reede in his hand sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head and causes the souldiers to mocke him and spit in his face Now in this that Christ standing in our roome was thus shamefully abused we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes namely shame and reproch in this life and in the life to come endles confusion And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate that his kingdome was not of this world for if it had beene so they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head and not a crowne of thornes nothing at all beseeming an earthly king and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him they would haue adored him falne downe before him Againe whereas Christ our heade in this world ware no other crowne but one made of thornes it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ that they must not look for a crown of glory in this life because that is reserued for the life to come And if we would then weare the crown of glorie with Christ we must here in this life weare a crown of thorns as he did for as
imputation and application was made his Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the maner of the Iewes who used to hang malefactors upon a tree binding them thereto with cords that wheÌ„ they were dead but after the usuall maner of the Romans his bodie being partly nailed to the crosse partly in the nailing extremely racked otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither alive upoÌ„ the crosse And here we haue occasion to remeÌ„ber that the Papists who are so deuout zelous towards crucifixes are far deceived in the making of theÌ„ For first of all the crosse was made of 3. pieces of wood one fastned upright in the ground to which the bodie and back leaned the second fastened towardes the toppe of the first overthwart to which the hands were nailed the thirde fastned towards the bottome of the first on which the feete vvere set and nailed vvhereas contrarivvise popish caruers painters fasten both the feet of Christ to the first secoÌ„dly the feete of Christ vvere nailed asunder vvith tvvo distinct nailes not nailed one upon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine and that to the verie body of the crosse for then the soldiers could not haue broken both the leggs of the thieves but only the outmost Let vs now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternes to bewaile our sinnes for Christ was thus cruelly nayled on the crosse and there suffered the whole wrath of God not for any offence that euer he committed but beeing our pledge and suretie vnto God he suffered all for vs and therefore iust cause haue we to mourne for all our offences which brought our Sauiour Christ to this low estate If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake nay which is more be cruelly put to death for his debt it would make him at his wits ende and his very heart to bleede And so is the case with vs by reason of our sins we are Gods debters ye bankrupts before him yet haue we gotten a good suretie euen the sonne of God himselfe who to recouer vs to our former libertie was crucifyed for the discharge of our debt And therefore good cause haue we to bewaile our estate euery day as by the Prophet it is said They shall looke on him whome they haue pierced they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne they shall be sorrie for him as one is sorrie for his first borne Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were striken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vs that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues because our sinnes they also crucifyed him These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete and these are the speares which pierce through his side For the losse of a litle worldly pelfe oh how are we grieued but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucifyed let vs I say it againe and againe learne to be grieued for them aboue al things with bleeding and melting hearts bowe and buckle vnder them as vnder the crosse Secondly Christ saith of himselfe as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp the comparison is excellent and worthie the marking In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them which stong many of them to death now when they repented Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent and to set it vpon a pole that as many as were stong might looke vnto it and recouer and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent when they were stong eueÌ„ to death they were restored to health life Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelits Satan hath stong vs at the heart giuen vs many a deadly wound if we could feele it and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse to coÌ„ferre righteousnes life eternal to euery one of vs therfore if we will escape eternal death we must renouÌ„ce our selues lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified pray for the pardon of our sinnes then shall our hearts consciences be healed of the wounds gripes of the deuil vntill such time as we haue grace to do this we shall neuer be cured but stil lie wounded with the stings of satan bleeding to death euen at the very heart although we feele no paine or griefe at all But some may aske how any man can see him crucifyed now after his death Answer Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached there Christ is crucifyed as Paul saith Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight and among you crucifyed meaning that he was liuely preached among them We neede not to goe to wooden crosses or to golden crucifixes to seek for him but where the Gospell is preached thither must wee go there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word resting on him and his merits with all our hearts and with a godly sorow confesse and bewaile our sinnes crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same For till such time as we doe this we are grieuously stong by Satan and are euery moment euen at deaths dore And if we can thus behold Christ by faith the benefites which comes hereby shall be great for as Paul saith the old man that is the corruption of our nature and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs shall be crucified with him for when Christ was nayled on the crosse all our sinnes were laide vpon him therefore if thou doest vnfainedly beleeue all thy sinnes are crucified with him and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse Thirdly we must learne to imitate Christ as he suffered himselfe to be nailed to the crosse for our sinnes so answearably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh and the corruption of our nature and the wickednesse of our owne heart as Paul saith They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof And this we shall doe if for our sinnes past we doe waile and mourne with bitternes and preuent the sinnes to come into whiâ—h we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures by vsing all good meanes as
his godheade But his godhead could not descend because it is euery where and his bodie was in the graue And as for his soule it went not to hell but presently after his death it went to paradise that is the third heauen a place of ioy happines Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in paradise which vvordes of Christ must be understood of his manhood or soule not of his godhead For they are an answer to a demaÌ„d therfore unto it they must be sutable Now the thief seeing that Christ was first of all crucified therfore in all likelihood first of all die makes his request to this effect Lorde thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome remeÌ„ber me then to which Christes answere as the very words import is thus much I shall enter into paradise this day there shalt thou be with me Now there is no entrance but in regard of his soule or manhood For the godhead which is at all times in all places caÌ„ not be said properly to enter into a place Again when Christ saith thou shalt be with me in paradise he doeth intimate a resemblaÌ„ce which is betweene the first secoÌ„d Adam The first AdaÌ„ sinned against God was presently cast foorth out of paradise Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfactioÌ„ for sinne must immediatly enter into paradise Now to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell is to abolish this analogie betvvene the first second Adam III. Ancient councels in their confessions and creeds omitting this clauseshew that they did not acknowledge any reall descent and that the true meaning of these words he descended was sufficiently included in some of the former articles that may appeare because when they set downe it they omit some of the former as Athanasius in his creed setting downe these words he descended c. omits the buriall putting them both for one as he expounds himselfe else where Now let us see the reasons which may be alledged to the contrary Ob. I. Mat. 12.40 The sonne of man shall be 3. dayes 3. nights in the heart of the earth that is in hell Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place for the Pharisies desired to see a signe that is some sensible manifest miracle hereunto Christ answeres that he will giue them the signe of Ionas which caÌ„ not be the descent of his soule into the place of the daÌ„ned which is impossible but rathet his buriall after it his manifest glorious resurrectioÌ„ II. The hart of the earth may as wel signify the graue as the center of the earth For thus Tyrus bordering upon the sea is said to be in the heart of the sea III. This exposition takes it far granted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth wheras the scriptures reveale unto us no more but this that hell is in the lower parts but wher these lower parts should be no man is able to define Obiect II. Act. 2.37 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Answer These wordes can not prooue any locall descent of Christs soule For Peters drift in alleadging of them is to prooue the resurrection and he saith expressely that the wordes must be vnderstoode of the resurrection of Christ vers 31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What namely these words his soule was not left in hell c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely as the soule cannot be said to fall but the bodie It will be replied that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie the bodie and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue Answer The first word signifies not onely the spirituall part of man the soule but also the whole person or the man himselfe Rom. 13.1 1. Cor. 15.45 And the second is as well taken for the graue as for hell Apoc. 20.14 Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are cast into the lake of fire Nowe we can not say that hell is cast into hell but the graue into hell And the word in this text must needes haue this sense For Peter makes an opposition betwâ—eene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered vers 2â— 31. Againe it will be saide that in this text there be two distinct parts the first of the soules comming forth of hell in these words Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell The second of the bodies rising out of the graue in the next words neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruption Answer It is not so For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone but the humane nature of Christ as appeares vers 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies And the words rather carrie this sense Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue nay which is more in the time of my continuance there thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption because I am thy holy one Obiect III. 1. Pet. 3.19 Christ was quickned in spirit by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison Answer The place is not for this purpose For by spirit is ment not the soule of Christ but his Godhead which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3 where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man because he is but flesh And if the spirit doe signifie the soule then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule But neither is true For the first it can not be said that Christ was quickened by his soule because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie but the Godhead ioyned them both Neither was he quickened in soule for his soule died not It could not die the first death which belongs to the bodie and it did not die the second death which is a totall separation from God onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death which is the apprehension of the wrath of God as a man may feele the pangs of the first death and yet not die the first death but liue Againe it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another especially in hell where all are condemned and in conscience convicted of their iust damnation and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption It will be answered that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall because Christ shews himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies Answer This which is said is flat against reason For when a man is iustly condemned
by God and therfore sufficiently convicted what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of executiō to conuict him And it is flat against the text For the preaching that is spoken of here is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word as Peter expounds himselfe 1. Pet. 4.6 To this purpose was the Gospell also preached vnto the deade that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh that they might liue according to God in the spirit Lastly there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe then to the rest of the damned And this is the first exposition the second follows He descended into hell that is Christ descended into the graue or was buried This exposition is agreeable to the truth yet is it not mee◠or conuenient For the clause next before he was buried cōtained this point therfore if the next words following yeelde the same sense there must be a vaine and needelesse repetition of one and the same thing twise which is not in any-wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this If it be said that these wordes are an exposition of the former the answeare is that then they should be more plaine then the former For when one sentence expoundeth an other the latter must alwaies be the plainer but of these two sentences He was buried he descended into hell the first is very plaine and easie but the latter very obscure and hard and therefore it can be no exposition thereof and therefore this exposition also is not to be receiued Thirdly others there be which expound it thus He descended into hell that is Christ Iesus when he was dying vpon the crosse felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule This exposition hath his warrant in Gods worde where hell often signifieth the sorrowes and paines of hell as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp that is he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules euen the pangs of hell and after restoreth them And Dauid saith The sorrowes of death compassed me and the terrours of hell laide holde on mee This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church and they which expounde this article thus giues this reason thereof The former wordes was crucified deade and buried doe containe say they the outward sufferings of Christ nowe because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie but also inwardly in soule therefore these words he descended into hell doe set forth vnto vs his inwarde sufferings in soule when he felt vpon the crosse the ful wrath of God vpō him This exposition is good and true and whosoeuer will may receiue it But yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles For these words was crucified dead and buried must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before But let vs come to the fourth exposition He descended into hell that is when he was dead and buried he was held captiue in the graue and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures Saint Peter saith God hath raised him vp speaking of Christ and loosed the sorows of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it Where we may see that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ there is placed a third matter which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede saue in this and that is his bondage vnder death which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sence as the speach of Iacob sheweth I will goe downe into hell vnto my sonne mourning And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creed first he was crucified died secōdly he was buried thirdly laid in the graue and was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death And these three degrees of Christs humiliation are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation The first degree of his exhaltation he rose againe the third day answearing to the first degree of his humiliatiō he died the second degree of his exhaltatiō he ascended into heauen answering to his going downe into the graue was buried and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God which is the highest degree of his exhaltation answearing to the lowest degree of his humiliation he descended into hell These two last expositions are commonly receiued and we may indifferently make choice of either but the last as I take it is most agreeable to the order and words of the Creede Thus much for the meaning of the words Now follow the vses And first of all Christs descending into hell teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ that if it shall please God to afflict vs either in bodie or in minde or in both though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner yet must we not thinke it strange For Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell but after he was dead death takes him and as it were carries him into his denne or cabbin and there triumpheth ouer him holding him in captiuitie and bondage and yet for all this was he the sonne of God and therefore when Gods hande is heauie vpon vs any way we are not to despaire but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed king ouer Israel but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine in so much that Dauid said there was but one step betweene him death So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him his goods and cattell were all taken away and his owne children slaine and his owne bodie striken by satan with loathsome biles from the sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting amōg the ashes And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God when he was called to preach to Ninivie because he refused for feare of that great citie God mette with him and he must be cast into the sea and there be swallowed vp
of a whale that so he might chastice him and thus doth he deale with his owne seruants to make them conformable to Christ. And further when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience so as we doe as it were struggle with Gods wrath as for life and death and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in in this case howsoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues yet we must not thinke it strange nor quite despaire of his mercie For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell and death carried him captiue and triumphed ouer him in the graue and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie yet we must not despaire of his helpe In diuers Psalmes we reade howe Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies but euen his souâ—e and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes so as his bones were consumed within him and his moysture was turned into the drought in sommer This caused Iob to cry out that the arrowes of God were within him and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit the terrours of God did fight against him and the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea by reason whereof he saith that the Lord did make him a marke and a butte to shoote at and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs either in bodie or in soule or in both we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that begins to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes but rather his fatherly worke to kill sinne in vs and to make vs grow in humilitie that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus Secondly whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be it is an example for vs to imitate as Christ himselfe prescribeth Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly And that we may the better doe this we must learne to become nothing in our selues that we may be all in all forth of our selues in Christ we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as may be in regard of our sinnes Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes to become a worme and no man as Dauid saith which did chiefely appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne and the same minde must likewise be in vs which was in him The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and bloode of Christ. And thus much of this clause as also of the state of Christs humiliation Nowe followeth his second estate which is his exaltation into glorie set down in these words The third day he rose againe from the deade c. And of it we are first to speake in generall then in particular according to the seuerall degrees thereof In generall the exaltation of Christ is that glorious or happie estate into which Christ entred after he had wrought the worke of our redemption vpon the crosse And he was exalted according to both natures in regard of his Godhead and also of his manhood The exaltation of the Godhead of Christ was the manifestation of the glorie of his Godhead in the manhoode Some will peraduenture demaunde how Christs Godhead can be exalted seeing it admits no alteration at all Answer In it selfe it cannot be exalted yet beeing considered as it is ioyned with the manhood into one person in this respect it may be said to be exalted and therefore I say the exaltation of Christs Godhead is the manifestation of the glorie thereof in the manhood For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man and his Godhead dwelt in his manhood yet from his birth vnto his death the same Godhead did little shew it selfe and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hid vnder the vaile of his flesh as the soule doth in the bodie when a man is sleeping that thereby in his humane nature he might suffer the curse of the law and accomplish the worke of redemption for vs in the low and base estate of a seruant But after this worke was finished he began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood And in this respect his Godhead may be saide to be exalted The exaltation of Christs humanitie stoode in two things The first that he laide downe all the infirmities of mans nature which he carried about him so long as he was in the state of a seruant in that he ceased to be wearie hungrie thirstie c. Here it may be demaÌ„ded whether the skarres wouÌ„ds remain in the bodie of Christ now after it is glorified Ans. Some think that they doe remain as testimonies of that victorie which Christ obtained of his our enemies that they are no deformitie to the glorious bodie of our Lord but are themselues also in him in some vnspeakable manner glorified But indeede it rather seemes to be a truth to say that they are quite abolished because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Sauiour was vpon the crosse which after his entrance into glorie he laid aside And if it may be thought that the woundes in the hands and feete of Christ remaine to be seene euen to the last iudgement why may we not in the same manner thinke that the vaines of his bodie remaine emptied of their blood because it was shed vpon the crosse The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is that both his bodie and soule were beautified and adorned with all qualities of glorie His minde was inriched with as much knowledge and vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature and more in measure then all men and angels haue and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his wil and affections his bodie also was incorruptible and it was made a shining bodie a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount and it was indued with agilitie to mooue as well vpward as downeward as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caveats first that he did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie as length breadth thicknes visibilitie locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more but keepeth all these still because they serue for the beeing of his bodie Secondly wee must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but
will guide in the way and their eares shall heare a voice behinde them saying This is the way walke in it when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left Which voice is nothing els but the voice of the H. Ghost in the mouth of the ministers directing them in the waies of God The children of Israel were trauailing from Egypt to the lande of Canaan full fourtie yeares whereas they might haue gone the iourney in fourtie daies Their way was through the wildernesse of Arabia their guides were a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night the manner of their iourney was this when the pillars mooued they mooued when the pillars stood still they stood still and so long as the pillars either mooued or stood still they likewise mooued or stood still And by all this a further matter namly the regimēt of Christ ouer his church was signified Euery one of vs are as passengers and trauailers not to any earthly Canaan but to the heauenly Ierusalem and in this iourney we are to passe through the wide and desert wildernes of this world our guide is Christ himselfe figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud because by his word and spirit he shewes vs how farre we may goe in euery action and where we must stand and he goes before vs as our guide to life euerlasting The third worke of Christ is to exercise his Church vnto spirituall obedience by manifold troubles crosses temptations and afflictions in this world as earthly kings vse to traine and exercise their subiects When our Sauiour Christ was with his disciples in a shippe there arose a great tempest vpon the sea so as the shippe was almost couered with waues but he was asleepe and his disciples came and awoke him saying Saue vs master we perish Behold here a liuely picture of the dealing of Christ with his seruants in this life His manner is to place them vpon the sea of this worlde and to raise vp against them bleake stormes and flaes of contrarie windes by their enemies the flesh the deuill the world And further in the middest of all these daungers he for his owne part makes as though he lay asleepe for a time that he may the better make triall of their patience faith and obedience And the endes for which hee vseth this spirituall exercise are these The first to make all his subiects to humble themselues and as it were to goe crooked and buckle vnder their offences committed against his maiestie in time past Thus Iob after the Lorde had long afflicted him and laide his hande sore vpon him saith Behold I am vile and againe I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes In the same manner we beeing his subiects and people must looke to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make vs bende and bow for our sinnes past as the old man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age The second is to preuent sinnes in the time to come A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water takes it and holds it ouer the fire or ouer the water as though he would burne or drowne it whereas his purpose indeede is nothing els but to preuent danger for the time to come In like maner Christs subiects are bold to sinne by nature and therefore to preuent a mischiefe he doth exercise them with affliction seemes for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church but his meaning is onely to preuent offences in times to come The third end is to cōtinue his subiects in obediēce vnto his cōmandemēts so the Lord saith when he would bring his Church frō idolatrie Behold I will stop thy way with thorns make an hedge that shee shal not find her paths The H. Ghost here borrows a cōparison frō beasts which going in the way see green pastures desire to enter in and therefore goe to the hedge but feeling the sharpnes of the thornes dare not aduenture to goe in So Gods people like vnto wild beasts in respect of sinne vewing the greene pastures of this world which are the pleasures thereof are greatly affected there with and if it were not for the sharpnes of crosses and temptations which are Gods spirituall hedge by which he keepeth them in they would range out of the way and rush into sinne as the horse into the battell The fourth and last worke of Christ in respect of his Church is that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoeuer they are and this he doth two waies First by giuing to his seruants sufficient strength to beare all the assaults of their enemies the world the flesh and the deuill For Paul saith those to whome the Lord hath giuen the gift of faith to them he hath also giuen this gift to suffer afflictions And the same Apostle also praieth for the Colossians that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes The euidence hereof we may most plainly see in the most constant deaths of the martyrs of Christ recorded both in the word of God and in the Church histories It is wonderfull to see their courage and constancie For at such times as they haue beene brought to exequution they refused to be bounde or chained willingly suffering most cruell torments without shrinking or feare such courage and strength the Lord gaue them to withstand the violent rage of all their aduersaries Secondly he defends his Church by limiting the power and rage of all enemies And hence it is that although the power of the Church of God on earth be weake slender in it selfe contrariwise the power of the deuil exceeding great yet can he not so much as touch the people of God And he more preuailes by inward suggestions and temptations then by outward violence And if it were not the power of Christ that doth bridle his rage there were no abode for the Church of Christ in this world Thus we haue seene what are the workes of Christ in gouerning his Church and we that professe our selues to be members thereof must shew our selues to be so indeed by an experience of these workes of his in our owne hearts And we must suffer him to gather vs vnder his owne wing and to guide vs by his word spirit we are to acquaint our selues with those spirituall exercises whereby his good pleasure is to nurture vs to all obedience Lastly we must depend on his ayde and protection in all estates And seeing we in this land haue had peace and rest with the Gospell of Christ among vs a long time by Gods especiall goodnes we must now after these daies of peace looke for daies of tribulation we must not imagine that our ease and libertie will continue
6.51 I will giue my flesh for the life of the world Answer By world we must no◠vnderstand euery particular man in the world but the Elect both among the Iewes and Gentiles for in both these places Christ doth ouerthwart the cōceit of the Iewes which thought that they alone were loued of God and not the Gentiles And how this word is to be vnderstoode in the newe Testament Paul doth fully declare Rom. 11. vers 12. If saith he the fall of them that is the Iewes be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles c. and vers 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiuing be but life from the dead Where by the world he vnderstāds the bodie of the Gentiles in the last age of the world And thus he fully declares his owne meaning when he saith to the Corinthians God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe V. Rom. 14. vers 15. Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ died 2. Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation Therefore Christ died for them also which are condemned Answ. The reason is not good For in these and such like places the Scripture speakes of men not as they are indeede before God but as they are in appearance and profession and as they are in the acceptance of men For so long as a man holds and imbraces the Christian faith so long in the iudgement of charitie we must esteeme him to be one that is redeemed by Christ though in deede he be not And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith that false prophets denie the Lord that bought them VI. In the preaching of the Gospell grace is freely offered not onely to the Elect but to all men indifferently and God in offering grace deludes no man and therefore Christs death appertaines and belongs to all men indifferently Answer The preaching of the Gospell is an ordinance of God appointed for the gathering togither and the accomplishment of the number of the elect and therefore in the ministerie of the worde grace and saluation is offered principally and directly to the elect and onely by consequent to them which are ordained to iust damnation because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies because the ministers of God not knowing his secret counsell in charitie thinke all to be elect And though God in offering grace doe not conferre it to all yet is there no delusion For the offering of grace doth not only serue for the conuersion of a sinner but also to be an occasion by mens fault of blinding the minde and hardening the hearte and of taking away excuse in the day of iudgement To conclude this pointe Vniuersall redemption of all men we graunt the Scripture saith so and there is an universalitie among the elect and beleeuers but uniuersall Redemption of all and euerie man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually we renounce as hauing neither footing in the scripture nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodoxe diuine for many hundred yeeres after Christ his words not depraued and mistaken As for universall vocation it is of the same kind with the former because it is flat against the word of God in which is fully set downe a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the daies of Christ into two partes one the people of God being receiued into the couenant the other being the greatest part of the world No-people and forth of the couenant From the beginning of the worlde to the giuing of the lawe the Church was shut up in the families of the Patriarches and the couenant in the verie family of Abraham was restrained to Isaak and the members of these families for this cause were called the sonnes of God the rest of the world beside being tearmed as they were indeede the sonnes of men From the giuing of the lawe till Christ the nation of the Iewes was the Church of God and the rest of the world beside no people of God And therefore Esai calles them prisoners and them that are in darkenesse and Ose Such as are without mercie and no people and Zacharie Such as are not ioyned to the Lord and Paul Such as are set to walke in their owne waies beeing without God and without Christ in the world And this distinction betweene Iewe and Gentile stoode till the verie ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach hee charged them not to goe into the way of the Gentiles not to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes but rather to goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter he gives a deniall at the first vpon this distinction saying It is not meete to take the childrens bread and giue it unto dogges and againe I am not sent but unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel It will be said that this distinction arose of this that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the couenant and contemned the Messias It is true indeede of the first heads of the Gentiles the sonnes of Noe but of their posterity it is false which in times folowing did not so much as heare of the couenant and the Messias The Prophet Esai saith of Christ A nation that knew not thee shall runne unto thee And Paul speaking to the Athenians saieth that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not but now admonisheth all men euery where to repent to the Romans he saith that the mysterie touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the world began now opened published among all natiōs And if the Gentiles had but knowē of the Messias why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Iewes with sundry nicknames at the least signifie the contempt of the Redeemer Wherefore to hold and much more to auouch by writing that all and euery one of the heathen were called it is most absurd and if it were so the Canibals and the sauadge nations of America should haue knowen Christ without preaching which by the histories of the discouerie of those cuntries is knowen to be false Againe if the Vocation of euery man be effectuall then faith must be common to all men either by nature or by grace or both now to say the first namely that the power of beleeuing is common to all by nature is the heresie of the Pelagians to say it is common to all by grace is false All men have not faith saith Paul nay many to whom the gospell is preached doe not so much as understand it and giue assent unto it Satan blinding their minds that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not
written of the Phoenix that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one and on this manner is her kinde preserued Againe swallowes wormes and flyes which haue lien dead in the winter season in the spring by vertue of the sunnes heat reuiue againe so likewise men fall in sounes and traunses beeing for a time without breath or shew of life and yet afterward come againe and to vse Pauls example before the corne can grow and beare fruit it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte And if this were not seene by experience men would not beleeue it Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following and yet afterward it returns againe the next morning Lastly we reade how the old Prophet◠raised some from death and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life But let vs see what reasons may be alleadged to the contrarie First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes is against common sense reason Answeare It is aboue reason but not against reason For if impotent and miserable men as experience sheweth can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workemanship of glasse why may we not in reason thinke that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust Secondly it is said that mens bodies beeing dead are turned into dust and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures and one mans bodie with another and that by reason of this confusion men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies Answ. Howsoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans body at the resurrectiō of his own matter to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art cā sunder diuers metells one frō another some men out of one metell can draw another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to do the like It may be further obiected thus A man is eaten by a wolfe the wolfe is eaten by a lyon the lyon by the foules of the ayre and the foules of the ayre eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Canibals Nowe the body of that man which is turned into so many substāces especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe if the one doth the other doth not Ans. This reason is but a cavill of mans braine for we must not think that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie is turned into the substance therof must rise again become a part of the bodie at the day of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his own as shal make his bodie to be entire perfect though another mans flesh once eaten be no part therof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God therfore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Answ. By flesh blood is not meant the bodies of men simple but the bodies of men as they are in weaknes without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh blood in scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne corruption of nature sometime mans nature subiect to miseries infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must be vnderstoode in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Now beasts rise not againe after this life therefore there is no resurrection of men Answer In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankinde we must consider two parts the Elect the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise again is the Resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the Scripture Adam Christ are compared together Christ is called the second Adam these were two roots The first Adam was the root of all mākind and he conuaieth sinne by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect cōuaieth life both in body soule to all that are vnited to him by the vertue of his resurrection they shall rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the Godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his Godhead conuaie it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euē in death remain vnited vnto him raise thē vp at the last day And for this cause Christ is called a quickning spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the day that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as he is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore Saint Iohn setteth downe the outwarde meanes whereby the dead shalbe raised namely the voyce of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as he created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shalbe raised againe This may be a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shalbe after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shal rise at the last day Answeare The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last day in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other
or fellowship with God himself as Christ in his solemne praier to his father a litle before his death signifieth I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through thy word that they all may be one as thou O father art in me I in thee euen that they may be one also in vs. And when Saint Iohn in the Revelation saith Behold the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them and they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be there God with them he sheweth that the very foundation of that happines which God hath prepared for his seruaÌ„ts stands in a societie between God theÌ„ whereby God shall dwell with them in heauen and they againe shall there inioy his glorious presence Touching this Communion three points must be considered The first is in what order men shall haue fellowship with God Ans. This coÌ„munion shalbe first of al with Christ as he is man and by reason that the manhood of Christ is personally vnited to the Godhead of the sonne it shall also be with Christ as he is God and consequently with the father the H. Ghost The reason of this order is because Christ though he be the author and the fountaine of eternall life as he is God yet he conuaies the same vnto vs onely in by his flesh or manhood Yet must we not here thinke that life proceedeth from the manhood it selfe as from a cause efficient for the flesh quickneth not by any vertue froÌ„ it selfe but by the Word to which it is personally vnited it beeing as it were a pipe eternally to convaie life from the the Godhead vnto vs. The second point is in what thing this communion consisteth Ans. S. Paul openeth this point to the very full when he saith that after Christ hath subdued all things vnto him then God shall be all in all that is God himselfe immediately shalbe all good things that heart can wish to all the Elect. But some men may say What is not God all in all vnto vs euen in this life for whatsoeuer good things we haue they are all from him Answ. It is true indeed God is all in all euen in this life but how not immediately but by outwarde meanes and that also in small measure For he conuaies his goodnes mercie vnto vs so long as we liue on earth partly by his creatures and partly by his word and sacraments but after this life is ended all helps and outward meanes shall cease Christ shall giue vp his kingdom and as he is Mediatour shal cease to put in exequution the office of a Priest a Prophet or a King all authoritie and power shalbe abolished and therefore all callings in the three maine estates of the Church the Common-wealth the familie shal haue an end there shalbe no more Magistrate and subiect Pastor people Master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife there shalbe no more vse of meat drinke clothing respiration physick sleepe and yet for all this the condition of men shalbe many thousand fold more blessed then euer it was For the Godhead in the Trinitie immediatly without all meanes shalbe all things to all the chosen people of God in the kingdome of heauen world without end This may seeme straunge to mans reason but it is the very flat truth of the worde of God Saint Iohn in the description of the heauenly Hierusalem saith that there shall be no Temple in it Why how then shall God be worshipped marke what followeth the Lorde God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it VVhereby is signified that although now we vse the preaching of the word and the administration of the sacraments as meanes of our fellowship with God yet when this life is ended they must all cease God and Christ being instead of all these meanes vnto vs. And he addes further The citie hath no neede of the sunne neither of the moone to shine in it What then will some say must there be nothing but darknes Not so For the glorie of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Againe he saith that in the Paradise of God there is the riuer of water of life and the tree of life bearing fruit euery moneth and that is Christ. And therefore we shall haue no neede of meat drinke apparell sleepe c. but Christ himselfe our head and redeemer shalbe in stead of them all vnto vs on whome all the Elect shall feede and by whome both in bodie and soule they shall be preserued euermore If a man would haue glorie the Father Sonne and holy Ghost shall be his glorie if a man desire wealth and pleasure God himselfe shall be wealth and pleasure vnto him and whatsoeuer else the heart of man can wish Hence it appeares that this communion is most admirable and that no toÌ„gue can tell nor heart conceiue the least part of it The third point is touching the benefits or prerogatiues that proceede of this communion and they are in number sixe The first is an absolute freedome from all wants In the minde there shall be no ignorance no vnbeliefe no distrust in God no ambition no enuie anger nor carnall lust nor terrour in conscience or corrupt affectioÌ„ In the bodie there shalbe no soare no sicknes nor paine for God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes nay then all defects or wants in bodie or soule or in both shalbe supplied and the whole man made perfect euery way The second is perfect knowledge of God In this life the Church al the seruants of God know him but in part Moses would haue seene Gods face but he was permitted to see only his hinder parts as Paul saith now we know in part and darkely as through a glasse In this life wee can â—o otherwise discerne but as an old maÌ„ through spectacles and the creatures but specially the word of God the sacraments are the spectacles of our mind wherin we behold his iustice mercie loue c. without theÌ„ we can discerne little or nothing yet after this life when that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect is abolished we shall see God as he is to be seene not as through a glasse but face to face and we shall know him as we are knowne of his maiestie so farre forth as possibly a creature may God in deede is infinite and therefore the full knowledge of his maiestie can no more be comprehended by the vnderstanding of a creature which is finite then the sea by a spoone yet neuerthelesse God shall be knowne euery way of man so farre forth as a creature may knowe the Creator Now vpon this that the Elect haue such fulnes of knowledge it may be demanded whether men shal know one an other after this life or no. Ansvveare This question is oftener mooued by such as are ignorant
then by them that haue knowledge and oftentimes it is tossed in the mouthes of them that haue little religion in their hearts and therefore I answeare first men should rather haue care to seeke howe they may come to heauen then to dispute what they shall doe when they are there the common prouerb is true it is not good counting of chickins before they be hatched Secondly I say that men in heauen shall know each other yea they shall know them which were neuer knowne or seene of them before in this life which may be gathered by proportion out of Gods word Adam in his innocencie knew Eue whome he had neuer seene before and gaue her a fit name so soone as shee was created And when our Sauiour Christ was transfigured in the mount Peter knew Moses and Elias whome before he had neuer seene and therefore it is like that the Elect shall know each other in heauen where their knowledge their whol estate shalbe fully perfited But whither they shall know one an other after an earthly manner as to say this man was my father this was mine vncle this my teacher c. the worde of God saith nothing and therefore I will be silent and must be content a while to be ignorant in this point The third prerogatiue of euerlasting blessednes is that the Elect shall loue God with as perfect loue as a creature possiblie can The manner of louing God is to loue him for himselfe and the measure is to loue him without measure and both shall be found in heauen for the Saints of God shall haue an actuall fruition of God himselfe and be as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue and wholly rauished therewith for which cause as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe Againe the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof but in this life God â—s knowne of man onely in part and therefore is loued onely but in part but after this life wheÌ„ the Elect shal know God fully they shall loue him without measure and in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope howsoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue The fourth prerogatiue is that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen In this life it is kept but euery seuenth day and when it is best of all sanctified it is done but in part but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath as the Lord saith by the Prophet Isai From moneth to moneth and from sabbath to sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me and therefore the life to come shalbe spent in the perpetuall seruice of God Fifthly the bodies of all the Elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shall be like the glorious bodie of Christ so Paul saith Christ Iesus our Lord shall chaÌ„ge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie Now the resemblance betweene Christs bodie and ours standeth in these things as Christs bodie is vncorruptible so shall our bodies be void of all corruption as Christs bodie is immortall so ours in the kingdome of heauen shall neuer die as Christs bodie is spirituall so shal ours be made spirituall as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall bodie it is raised a spirituall bodie not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit for it shall remaine the same in substance and that for euer but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and divine manner For in this life it is preserued by meat drinke cloathing sleepe physicke rest and diet but afterward without all these meanes the life of the bodie shalbe continued and bodie and soule keepe together by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer thus the bodie of Christ is now preserued in heauen and so shall the bodies of all the Elect be after the day of iudgement Furthermore as Christs bodie is now a shining bodie as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the Elect shall be shining and bright alwaies remaining the same for substance Lastly as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes to passe from the earth to the third heauen being in distance many thousand miles from vs and that without violence so shal the bodies of the saints For beeing glorified they shall be able as well to ascende vpwarde as to goe downewarde and to mooue without violence and that very swiftly The sixth and last prerogatiue is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy as Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy at thy right haÌ„d there are pleasures for euermore It is said that when Salomon was crowned King the people reioyced exceedingly if there were such great ioy at his coronation which was but an earthly prince what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen It is saide that the wise men which came from the East to worshippe Christ when they saw the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was were exceeding glad how much more shall the Elect reioyce when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wherefore this ioy of the Elect after this life is most wonderfull and can not be vttered The propertie of life eternall is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ who is the onely begotten sonne of the father Hence it followes necessarily that in the Scriptures it is called a reward not because it is deserued by our workes as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth but for 2. other causes First because life eternall is due to all that beleue by vertue of Christs merit For as his righteousnes is made ours by imputation so consequently the merit thereof is also ours and by it all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God The second is because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward For as a reward is giuen to a workman after his worke is done so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended The degrees of life are three The first is in this life when men beeing iustified and sanctified haue peace with God Many imagine that there is no eternal life till after death but they are deceiued for it begins in this world as our Sauiour Christ testifieth saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This beeing so we are hence to learne a good lesson