to sinners and vnbeleeuers turne vnto me repent and beleeue the Gospell he sheweth vnto sinners that they ought to repent and turne vnto him and that vnbeleeuers ought to beleeue but to beleeue to repent and to turne to the Lord is not of our selues it is of God it is of the grace of God as S. Paul sayth n 2. Câ—r 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God This of the Efficient and inward working cause of Faith The second is the Instrumentall cause of faith which 2 The instrumentall cause of faith The word of God is the word of God of this S. Paul saith o Rom. 10. 17. faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He had sayd before how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent And hereupon inferreth that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Heer 's the ordinarie meanes of begetting faith God of his mercie sends a Preacher to a people the Preacher preacheth Christ crucified by preaching Christ the people heare of Christ and by hearing they beleeue So then faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Now the word preached and heard which is powerfull to beget faith is vnderstood to be the whole word of God the Law and the Gospell for And that First to the begetting of faith in the heart it 's necessary 1 The law that a sinner heare the Law to the end that he may see and know his sinnes for p Rom. 3. 20. by the Law is the knowledge of sinne and not onely see and know his sinnes but likewise the punishment due to him for his sinnes which in the iustice of God is the malediction and curse of the Law for it is written q Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Likewise death and condemnation for the r Rom. 6. 23. wages of sinne is death Yea and to bee depriued of the Kingdome of God for Å¿ 1 Câ—r 6. 9. the vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And this part of the Word the Law laies open a mans sinnes so plaine and euident that it prickes the heart and wounds the conscience of a sinner insomuch that being truely and throughly touched with the sence and feeling of his owne particular sinnes he hath no peace in himselfe but is disquieted in conscience and now he beginnes to thinke with himselfe what hee may doe to finde ease to his conscience and rest to his soule an example whereof wee haue in those Iewes to whom S. Peter preached Christ crucified and vrged it vpon their consciences that they had crucified Christ for hee saith t Acts 2. 36 37. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye haue crucified both Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethron what shall wee doe they were so touched in conscience for their great and bloudy sinnes of crucifying Christ that they knew not what to doe Now when the Law hath thus wrough vpon a sinner humbling him and bringing him vnder a sence and feeling of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to him for his sinnes when hee findes himselfe in this distressed case and vnderstands in how great neede hee stands of 2 The Gospell helpe and comfort then the other part of the Word of God the Gospell of Christ being preached and heard together with the working of the Spirit inwardly in the heart doth open the eyes of his minde and inlighten his vnderstanding and shewes vnto him Christ crucified and makes the sinner see and know that there is remedy to heale his sicke soule that there is saluation to bee had in Christ Iesus and in him alone and that t Joh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life This is that word of consolation which S. Peter gaue to those Iewes now pricked in heart wounded in conscience and groning vnder the burthen of their sinnnes u Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And now the sinner knowing that saluation is to bee had in Christ Iesus and that there is x Acts 4. 12. no saluation in any other heereupon he ficeth to Christ for helpe and succour by the eye of faith he lookes vnto Iesus by the hand of faith he takes hold on Iesus and by faith applieth the merits of the death and passion of Christ vnto his owne soule being now assured of the mercy of God through Iesus Christ for the remission of his sinnes and saluation of his soule The sinner hath y Acts 15 7. heard the Word of the Gospell and beleeueth Thus faith is ordinarily procured by the Word of God And seeing that the ordinary meanes of begetting Vse faith is the Word of God this serues to reproue those Against those that boast of their faith and yet contemne and lightly regard the hearing of the Word the ordinary meanes of obtaining faith who despise and contemne or greatly neglect the hearing of the Word and yet boast that they haue faith Diuerse there are that seldome come to the house of God and very seldome heare Sermons who if they be questioned whether they haue faith will not sticke to answer euery one for himselfe yea I haue faith and doe beleeue I haue a good faith to God I hope to bee saued aswell as the best and hope to come to Heauen as soone as they that follow Sermons But I demand of thee ô vaine man if thou hast so good a faith and so good hope of saluation how and by what meanes camest thou by this thy good faith The Scriptures tels vs plainely that the meanes of obtaining faith is by hearing the Word of God And seeing thou doest not frequent the house of God nor heare the Word of God preached except it be at some times and by starts how can it be that thou hast true faith or if thou hast it how was it wrought in thee and by what meanes hast thou obtained it it is the great blindnesse of many ignorant soules to thinke they haue faith when they haue it not And they haue it not because they doe not vse the ordinary meanes to obtaine it I know and deny not God is not tyed to any meanes and therefore can extraordinarily worke faith in the hearts of men euen in whom be will according to his good pleasure but it is not safe for any
hath â—â—â—den these sixe steps hee hath gone so farre in the broâ—â— way that leadeth to destâ—uction that he is now neere to the gates of death at the verie brim of the bottomlesse pit and cannot possibly escape destruction euen the destruction ouerthrow of soule and bodie euerlastingly in the pit of hell except he returne Now the returning of a sinner from the gates of death must not be by the same way but with the wisemen of the East he must returne f Mat. 2. 12. another way and must ascend vp to the high mountaine of Heauen by these six steps and degrees Six steps and degrees whereby a sinner ascendeth to Heauen Or The first is a knowledge and sight of his owne sinnes The second is godly sorrow for sinne The third is humble confession and acknowledgement of his sinnes The fourth is the forsaking of his sinnes The fift is reformation of life The sixt is perseuerance in grace and goodnesse These sixe are like the sixe steps whereby g 1. Kin. 10. 18. 19. Solamon ascended to his iuory Throne by these six steps knowledge of sinne godly sorrow for sinne confession of sin forsaking sinne reformation of life and perseuerance in grace and goodnesse a sinner that hath gone astray returnes and ascends to the glorious throne of the king of heauen for when a sinner hath troden the first step of grace being come to the knowledge of his sinnes and from the knowledge of his sinnes come to godly sorrow for his sinnes from godly sorrow to confession of his sinnes from confession to the forsaking of his sins and after the forsaking of his sinnes being come to reformation of life there remaines then but one other step to bring him to heauen namely perseuerance in grace and goodnesse continuing in well-doing for h Mat. 24. 13. Sixe things required to true Repentance he that endureth to the end shall be saued So then there are sixe things necessarily required to true and sound repentance without which a sinner cannot be saued The first is the knowledge of sinne 1 The knowledg of sinne In the knowledge of sinne two thinges are necessary to be considered First what knowledge of sinne is required Wherein two things Secondly how a sinner may come to the true knowledge of his sinnes Touching the first The knowledge of sinne is two-fold 1 What knowledge of sin is required Knowledge of sin two-fold Generall and Particular The generall knowledge of sinne is to know sinne to be the transgression of the law that he that sinnes and 1 Generall knowledge of sinne doth wickedly breakes Gods commaundements to know that swearing and cursing and lying and slandering that murther and adulterie that drunkennesse and pride and maliciousnesse c. are transgressions of Gods commandements and to know that they that doe such things are in danger of Gods iudgement this is a knowledge of sinne but this is onely a generall knowledge this may be in the wicked vngodly who come short of true repentance But ther 's a particular knowledge of sinne and that 2 Particular knowledge of sinne Two-fold To know our sinnes stands in two things To know our sinnes first which they are Secondly what manner of ones they are Touching the first To know our sinnes which they are is necessarie and although it be hard for a man to know and remember at any one time all the sinnes that 1 Which they are he hath done all his life time to call to minde how and in what particular he hath broken the commaundements of God either by thought word or deede and to remember all his secret faults though this I say be difficult and a hard labour yet its necessarie for euery one as much as possiblie he may to know and find out his owne particular sinnes how he hath offended God or wronged man that a sinner may say with Dauid i Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions before a sinner can with Dauid come to an humble acknowledgement and confession of his sins he must needs haue first a knowledge of his particular sinnes know his sinnes whereby he hath offended Before Dauid confessed his sinne of adulterie with Bathsheba saying k 2. Sam. 12. 13. I haue sinned against the Lord the Prophet of the Lord had opened his eyes that he might both see and know his sinne he had first the knowledge of sinne before he was brought to acknowledge confesse his sinne So the Iewes confessing their sinnes say l Isa 59. 12. our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities we know them And if a sinner cannot come to the knowledge of all his sinnes but some remaine secret vnknowne vnto him for his vnknowne sinnes he must pray with Dauid m Psa 19. 12. cleanse thou me from secret faults Our sinnes must first be found out that we may see them and know which they are Secondly we must also know what manner of ones 2 What manner of ones they are they are and to that end we must view them * a priori a pâ—steriori We must take knowledge of our sinnes before and behind consider their beginning and their end In aword we must know them First by their cause Secondly by their effects Thirdly by their adiuncts First by their cause The cause of sin is partly from 1 By the cause thereof Sathan through his subtile suggestion and partly of our selues through our owne lust and concupiscence of both which S. Iames speaketh thus n Iam. 1. 14. 15. Euery man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and entised Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne where the Diuell is made the Father of sinne and our owne lust and concupiscence the mother of sinne heere 's the procreating cause of sinne heere 's the generation and breede of sinne Secondly by the effects of sinne which are two Shame and 2 By the effects of sinne Two Death The first is shame noted in those words of the Apostle to the Romanes o Rom. 6. 21. What fruite had ye then in those things 1 Shame whereof ye are now ashamed there 's the shame of sinne sinne goeth before and shame followeth after The Second is death yea eternall death malediction 2 Death yea hell and condemnation without repentance Of this S. Paul also saith p ver 21. the end of those things is Death againe he saith q ver 23. the wages of sinne is death and S. Iames saith r Iam. 1. 15. sinne when it is finished bringeth forth Death Thirdly by the adiuncts of sinne which are three 3 By the adiuncts of sinne Three First foule Secondly great Thirdly manie Our sinnes are First foule S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam 1. 15. When lust 1 Foule hath conceiued it bringeth forth
him that would be deliuered from spirituall or freed from eternall iudgements and that would be saued from hell and condemnation to repent of his sinnes to purge and cleanse his heart from wickednes that he may be saued as saith the Prophet Ieremie l Iere. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saued Consider then O man if the hand of God be vpon thee afflicting thee with any outward calamitie and affliction in thy bodie goods and outward state thy remedie is to humble thy selfe before the Lord with Hezekiah to pray vnto thy God and to weepe for thy sinnes with the Niniuites to fast and weepe and pray and to turne from all thy euill wayes that so the Lord may be gracious vnto thee and turne away his anger from thee that thou maiest be preserued Moreouer if the Lord lay vpon thee spirituall iudgements afflicting thy soule and wounding thy conscience with the bitter remembrance of thy sinnes the way to finde rest and comfort to thy soule is to seeke to Christ to come to Christ by faith and repentance confessing thy sinnes and earnestly suing for the pardon of thy sinnes that so Christ may giue thee rest And if thou standest in feare of hell and condemnation if thou bee fearefull of that lake of fire the way and meanes to escape hell and condemnation is now to repent of thy sinnes now to cleanse thy heart from wickednesse now to rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and now to haue thy part and portion in the first resurrection and then the second death shal I haue no power ouer thee In a word if we would be preserued from the wrath of God in this life and saued from hell and condemnation in the life to come we must now repent and returne to the Lord now be renewed in minde and reformed in life or else we cannot be saued CHAP. XXIIII Shewing that Repentance procureth blessings Temporall Spirituall and Eternall where of the ioyes of Heauen how these ought to be a most forcible motiue to perswade euery one to repent and to serue God and what comfort they bring THat Repentance remooueth Iudgements hath beene shewed Secondly repentance is also profitable for 2 It procureth blessings Threefold the procuring of blessings And those also threefold Temporall 1 Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Repentance is a meanes to procure First temporall blessings The Prophet Esay hauing exhorted to repentance and amendment of life a Isa 1. 16. 17. Wash ye make you cleane c. Annexeth this promise b Vers 19. If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land So Ieremie c Jer. 7 5 6. 7. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings c then will I cause you to dwell in this place so likewise the Prophet Ioel hauing exhorted to repentance d Ioel. 2. 12. 13. therefore now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with fasting and weeping and with mourning c. annexeth a promise of temporall blessings e Vers 19. The Lord will answere and say vnto his people behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle ye shall be satisfied therewith Secondly spirituall blessings as mercy pardon and 2 Spirituall forgiuenesse of sins the Lord by his prophet Isaiah exhorteth to repentance and vpon repentance maketh a large promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes f Isa 1. 16. 17. 18. Wash ye make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Againe g Isa 55 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes hauing laid to their charge the crucifying of Christ exhorteth them to repentance with a promise of mercie and forgiuenesse h Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out Mercie is promised to penitent sinners yea and that free mercy and forgiuenesse so promiseth the Lord by Ezekiel k Eze. 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him And by Ieremy hee saith l Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinne no more Thirdly eternall blessednesse Which eternall blessednesse 3 Eternal where of is to be considered First in regard of the excellency of the place of happinesse prepared for all those that haue repented of their 1 The excellency of the place of happinesse sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse The place of eternall happinesse is Heauen whither Christ ascended S. Marke speaking of the ascension of Christ saith m Mar. 16. 19. Hee was receiued vp into Heauen And whither Christ the head is ascended thither shall his members also ascend they shall be where he is As hee himselfe saith n Iohn 14. 2. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Many excellent things are spoken of this heauenly place It is called a Kingdome o Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you It is called the kingdome of God p 1 Cor. 69. Know ye not saith S. Paul that the vnrightous shall not inherite the kingdome of God It is called the kingdome of Heauen q Math. 7. 21. Not euery one saith our Sauiour that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter inthe kingdome of heauen And it is called an r 1 Pet. 1. 4. Inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fâ—â—deth not away reserued in heauen for vs And this place of happinesse is all glorious and beaâ—fuâ—l So S. Iohn describeth the heauenly Ierusalem the Cittie of God Å¿ Reu. 21. 18. 19. 20. 21. The building of the wall of it he saith was of Iâ—sper and the Cittie was pure gold like vnto cleaâ—e glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Cittie were gaâ—â—â—shed with all manner of precious stones c. And the twelue gates were twelue Pearles euery seuerall gate was of one â—earle and the street of the Cittie was pure goâ—â— as it were transparent
kinds of it Two-fold knowledge of Christ The knowledge of Iesus Christ is two-fold The one corporall and externall The other spirituall and internall The corporall and externall knowledge of Christ was the visible seeing and knowing of Christ when he 1 Externall and visible knowledge of Christ was vpon the earth when he went about doing good and preaching the Gospell of the kingdome Which outward seeing and knowing of Christ of it selfe alone was not sufficient to saluation without the spirituall seeing and knowing of Christ by Faith The Rulers among the Iewes and elders of the People the Scribes and Pharisies saw Christ in his humane shape and knew him by his outward appearance they had his bodily presence amongst them yet few of the Pharisies and Rulers beleeued on him as appeareth by the words of the Pharisies to the Officers of the chiefe Priests c Ioh. 7. 48. haue any of the Rulers or Pharisies beleeued on him such was the corporall externall and visible knowledge of Christ The spirituall and inward knowledge of Christ is to 2 Internall and spiritual knowledge of Christ see and know him after a spirituall manner to see him by Faith to see him and know him with the eye of the vnderstanding Which spirituall knowledge of Christ is also two-fold Two-fold Generall and Particular The generall knowledge of Christ is to acknowledge 1 Generall that the second person in Trinitie is the Sonne of God and that the Sonne of God became the sonne of man to acknowledge according to the Scriptures that the d Ioh. 1. 14. word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. That c Gal. 4. 4. when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman To acknowledge that f 1. Joh. 4. 2. Iesus Christ is come in the flesh That he was conceiued by the holy-Ghost borne of the virgin Marie that he suffered death that he rose againe c. Further to acknowledge his two Natures his Godhead and Manhood that he is true God and perfect man to acknowledge his offices that he is CHRIST that is anointed to be a King a Priest and a Prophet in a word to acknowledge that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of the world and the Redeemer of mankind all which is but a generall knowledge of Christ Beside this there is a particular knowledge of Christ 2 Particular by which we doe assuredly beleeue and certainly know that Iesus Christ is sent of his Father not onely to be the Sauiour of the world and of all that beleeue in him but that he is a Sauiour to Vs that he is the g 1. Ioh. 4. 10. propitiation for our sinnes That he was h Rom. 4. 25. deliuered for our offences and raised againe for our iustification That he hath i Reu. 1. 5. loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloud By this particular knowledge we acknowledge that there is k Act. 4. 12. no saluation in any other and that there is no other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued Yea hereby we so know Christ as that euery true beleeuer doth assuredly beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour to him and may say in his owne behalfe for himselfe as Paul said for himselfe l Gal. 2. 20. The Sonne of God loued me and gaue himselfe for me This is the right knowledge of Iesus Christ this is that sauing knowledge that brings life eternall Now for the necessitie thereof 2 The necessitie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ The knowledge of Iesus Christ is so necessarie that First whosoeuer wants the true knowledge of Iesus Christ he is ignorant and knowes nothing that is profitable for his soule although he haue the knowledge of all arts and tongues and whosoeuer hath the true knowledge 1 He that wanteth the knowledge of Christ is ignorant of Iesus Christ is happie and blessed he knowes sufficient to make him euerlastingly blessed though he be vnskilfull in Languages and haue but small knowledge in humane learning When the Rulers of the people and the Elders had called before them Peter and Iohn the Apostles of Christ and m Acts 4. 13. saw the boldnesse of Peter and Iohn and perceiued that they were vnlearned and ignorant men they marueiled and they tooke knowledge of them that they had beene with Iesus Peter and Iohn were not brought vp in learning yet because they had beene with Iesus and had knowne Iesus Christ they had better knowledge and more true learning then all the Scribes and Doctours of the Iewes so that they were able to reason and dispute with them and ouercome them through the knowledge of Iesus Christ S. Paul saith to the Corinthians n 1. Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Certainly Paul was learned for he was o Act. 22. 3. brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers Ho p 2 Cor. 11. 5. 6. was not a whit behind the chiefest Apostles neither was he rude in knowledge Yet notwithstanding when he comes to preach the Gospell he doth not seeke his own prayse and commendation by affected eloquence and ostentation of humane learning but so preacheth Christ Iesus as though he knew no other learning but Iesus Christ and him crucified Secondly In regard of the excellent knowledge of Iesus 2 In regard hereof all things else are base and contemptible Christ all things else whatsoeuer are to be esteemed base and contemptible So saith St Paul q Phil. 3. 7. 8. What things were gaine to me those I counted losse for Christ Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue suffered the losse of all things and doe count â—hem but dung that I may winne Christ Thirdly without the knowledge of Iesus Christ we 3 Without it we cannot be saued cannot be saued Our Sauiour saith r Ioh. 10. 14. I am the good Shepheard and know my sheepe and am knowne of mine Againe he saith Å¿ Ver. 27. 28. my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish So that the elect of God the true beleeuers which are marked knowne for the true sheepe of Christ doe know Christ they know his voice and heare his voyce and obey his Word yea they so know him as to follow him And to them that so know Iesus Christ he giueth life eternall and they shall neuer perish The consideration of this knowledge of Iesus Christ Vse both generall and particular together with the necessity Against those that deny Christ thereof serues to reprooue those who deny Iesus Christ But is there any so wicked and blasphemous to deny
vnto death In a word then we are to pray for all men as Saint Paul exhorteth vs yea were they neuer so wicked as long as there is any hope of their amendement and as long as they 2 In particular for diuers sorts of people doe not sinne vnto death Thus in generall we are to pray for all Secondly we are to pray in particular for diuerse 1 For kings and all that are in authoritie sorts of persons and people First for Kings for rulers and gouernours of the land for Magistrates and for all that are in authoritie This the Apostle teacheth vs laying k 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there 's great reason to perswade vs to pray for For Kings and for all that are in authoritie for First Gods word bindes vs thereunto As is manifest Gods word commandeth so in S. Paules exhortation formerly mentioned Secondly By the King and through the good rulers 2 By the King and good Rulers we receiue much good and gouernours of the Land we receiue much good By the King we haue peace and quietnesse in our Land By the King we enioy the inestimable benefit of the Gospell in our coasts By the rulers of the Land and those that are in authoritie we haue the execution of good lawes and by them transgressors of the Law are punished and by their punishments others are warned so that quiet minded men may walke in their callings without feare and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First then we are to pray for Kings and for all that are in authoritie Secondly we are to pray for the Citie the towne and 2 For the Cittie and place of our dwelling place where we inhabite and dwell as the captiue Iewes liuing in Babylon were commanded to doe l Jere. 29. 7. Secke the peace of the citie whither I haue caused you to be caried away captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye haue peace The Iewes at this time were in a strange Land in bondage to another Nation and yet the Lord appointeth them to pray for the good and prosperous estate of the citie where they dwelt Thirdly we are all bound to pray for the state of the 3 For the church of God Church of God militant here on earth this is Dauids exhortation m Psal 122. 6. pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee And Dauid himselfe prayeth saying n Psal 51. 18. Doe good vnto Sion Fourthly we are bound to pray for all that are in need in want and distresse in affliction and miserie in sicknesse or paine in perfecution or tentation When S. For all that are afflicted Peter was in affliction and distresse when he was persecuted and cast into Prison o Act. 12. 5. Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church vnto God for him And Saint Iames teacheth vs to pray for the sicke and diseased p Iam. 5. 14. 15. 16. Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him anointing him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the Prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and againe he saith pray one for another that ye may be healed Lastly we are bound to pray for our enemies this our 5 For our enenemies Sauiour Christ teacheth vs saying q Mat. 5. 44. loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully vse you and persecute you and this is not onely the precept of our Sauiour Christ but also his practise for at his passion and suffering he prayed saying r Luk. 23. 34. father forgiue them So doth St Steuen pray for his persecutours saying Å¿ Act. 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The consideration of this that we are to pray for others Vse 1 and chiefly for Kings and those that are in authoritie To pray for the Kings Maiestie with a stee heart and willing minde may teach vs that it is our bounden dutie with an open heart with a willing mind and free voice to pray vnto God for our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the most Noble and Illustrious PRINCE and Princely progenie The captiue Iewes obtaine licence of King Darius to goe to Ierusalem and to build the house oâ— God that they might offer sacrifices vnto the God of Heauen t Ezr. 6. 10. and pray for the life of the King and of his sonnes In Turtullian's time the Christians were slanderously reproached that they did not houour the Emperour but were enemies to the State to which the Father making an Apologie for the Christians answereth shewing that Christians did pray for the Emperours for they u Vitam illâ—â— prolixam impâ—rtum securum dâ—mum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum c. precantes Tertul. Apolog. prayed that God would giue them a long life a secure Empire a safe house strong armies a faithfull Senate a good People c. Now these Kings and Emperours were heathenish and persecutours of Christians and yet they prayed for them how much more then are we O England bound to prayse the God of Heauen for giuing vs so wise so learned so religious a King so powerfull a defender of the Faith and so great a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ And we are not onely bound to blesse and praise God for the manifold blessings wherewith the Lord our God blesseth vs in our Soueraigne Lord the King but also to pray earnestly vnto the Lord for the preseruation and prosperitie of our King that in his safetie we may haue safetie in his prosperitie we may haue prosperitie and in his peace we may haue peace Secondly whereas we are bound as hath bin prooued Vse 2 to pray for the whole Church and any in distresse Against those that will not pray for their enemies for all men yea for our enemies this serues to reproue those who although it may be they may pray for their friends yet beare such a grudge and hatred to their enemies that they will in no case be perswaded to pray for them But consider ô man whosoeuer thou art that canst not pray for thine enemies Christ commandeth thee to pray for thine enemies obey him Yea Christ himselfe prayed for his enemies to giue thee an example of praying for thine enemies imitate thou him Or if thou thinkest it hard to imitate Christ the Lord in a matter so hard to flesh and bloud then imitate Steuen the seruant of Christ who imitated his Lord and Maister Christ in praying for his enemies For as Christ said concerning his enemies Father forgiue
vpon him y Psal 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble And the Apostle bids vs z Heb. 4. 16. come boldly vnto the throne of grace Secondly I confesse that by reason of our vnworthinesse we haue need of a mediatour to make intercession for vs but what Mâ—diatour Not any of the Saints of God but onely the mediation of the Sonne of God For the Apostle saith a 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus And Christ Iesus is the mediatour not onely of Redemption but also of Intercession as S. Paul also saith b Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe saith c Ioh. 16. 23. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you S. Paul saith that Christ is our Mediatour and he that maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe will haue vs to pray vnto the Father in his name promising that whatsoeuer wee shall aske the Father in his name he will giue it vs he saith not whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in the name of S. Peter or S. Paul or in the name of the Virgin Marie he will giue it you but in my name that is in the name of Christ Iesus Thirdly the ancient Fathers of the Church doe not approoue of the mediation of Saints S. Chrysostome saith Aâ—que homines si qu â—ndo exorare oportet â—anitoribus prius occurâ—ere câ—nucnit parasitisque histrionibusque suadere c. In Deo nihil est tale Sine mediatore exorabilis est Chrys de paenit Hom. 4. If a man haue a suâ—e to great men hee must first meete with the Porters and come in by their leaue then hee must speake his followers â—â—ire c. In God there is no such thing he will be entreated without a mediatour And S. Ambrose saith e Ideo ad Regem per tribunos aut comites itur quia homo vtique est rex c. Ad DeuÌ„ autem quem vtique nihiâ— lateâ— omnium enim merita nouit promerendum suffragatore non opuâ— est sed mente deuota Amb. in Rom. 1. We goe vnto the King by mediation of his Officers his Lords and Nobles because the King is but a man c. But he that commeth vnto God who knoweth all things and nothing is hid from him hath no neede of any one to speake for him to doe him a pleasure but onely a deuoute minde To conclude seing that the dead are ignorant of vs and our affaires seeing that the dead know not what the liuing doe and seeing that it is altogether vncertaine and doubtfull whether the Saints departed heare vs and that it is most certaine and without all doubt that the Lord our God heareth vs and knoweth what things we haue need of Why then should we pray vnto Saints And wherefore is it that men will bee so blinded to choose rather that which is vncertaine then to hold fast and sticke to that which is certaine Doubtlesse the Lord is our God and will heare vs Our Father and knoweth what things wee haue neede of Our Redeemer and will helpe and deliuer vs though Abraham be ignorant of vs and though Israel and the Saints departed acknowledge vs not CHAP. V. Shewing for whom we ought to pray and First of praying for The Liuing TO whom we ought to pray hath bene declared The third thing in regard of the persons 3 For whom we are to pray Two sorts whom prayer concerneth is for whom we are to pray And they are of two sorts for we are to pray First for our seluers 1 For our selues Twofold Secondly for others First for our selues and that either generally including 1 Generally others as when we pray Our father Giue vs and forgiue vs c or a Mat. 6. 9. 11. 12. Particularly in regard of our owne priuate wants or dangers either of body or soule as Dauid praieth 2 Particularly b Psal 69. 1. Saue me ô God c Psal 51. 1. haue mercy vpon me ô God And as the penitent publicane praieth d Luk. 18. 13. God be mercifull to me a sinner Secondly for others which praiers for others are 2 For others properly called e 1 Tim. 2. 1. Intercessions and these Intercessions or praiers made in the behalfe of others I consider two waye Twofold First affirmatiuely in regard of the liuing for whom 1 For the liuing we are to pray Secondly negatiuely in regard of the dead for whom we are not to pray Twofold First we are to pray for the liuing and that either 1 Generally For all Generally for all or Particularly for some certaine persons For the First We are to make praiers for all which the Apostle exhorteth vnto saying f 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men What must we pray for all men for wicked and vngodly men yea for all for all of all sorts for wicked Quest bad men as long as there is any hope of their amendment Answ An ancient Father demands wherefore the Apostle would haue vs to pray for all men seeing that there are so many wicked and vngodâ—y men on the face of the earth And he answereth himselfe saying g Forsitan aliqua fiet eorum mutatio Chrys aâ— pop Antio Hom. 69. It may be they may be changed and altered from their euilâ— course of life They that are now bad may become good We are to pray for euill men then that they may be amended we are to pray for good men also that they may be bettered and for those that are amended and bettered that they may perseuere and continue in their goodnesse But the Lord forbids Ieremie the prophet to pray for Obiect the people h Jer. 11. 14. Pray not thou for this people neither lift vp a cry or prayer for them for I will not heare them c. And S. Iohn saith i 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death be shall aske he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death there is a sinne vnto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it I answere we may and ought Answ to pray for all men except they be knowne to be such rebellious and obstinate sinners as those were for which Ieremie must not pray namely such as were obdurate and whose hearts were hardned that they would not returne Or if they be not such who through Apostasie fall away wholy from God and the knowne truth and so of Christian professours become professed aduersarieâ— to the truth for which S. Iohn will not haue vs to pray because they sinne