vnto all vnrighteousnesse in stead of happinesse the wrath of God and all the euill that commeth of it contrary to the former coniunction and communion with him of the Creature a sinfull and damnable estate Contrarie through-out and in all the parts one to the holinesse the other to the happinesse before described Sinfull both in blindnesse of minde or darknesse of vnderstanding and in a totall corruption of the whole man and of all the strength of nature to the working of all vnrighteousnesse Damnable and wretched in the wrath of God and all the euill that commeth of it Separation from his presence Slauerie to sinne and Satan Weaknesse and Infirmitie Shame Ignorance and such like But all these things wee shall more particularly set forth hereafter CHAP. XVI Of the fall of Angels WE are now to speake of the fall of these This couenant both Angels and men in our first Parents Adam Eue kept for a time But left vnto themselues they quickly fell away two creatures who were not able to weld so great a happinesse as they were created in for many of the Angels and all men in Adam and Eue the roote of Mankind did miserably fall away sinning against God as of the Angels it appeareth Iohn 8. 44. He the o Iohn 8. 44. Deuill was a Man-slayer from the beginning and abode not in the truth p 2. Pet. â— 4. 2. Pet. 2 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned q Iude verse 6. Iude ver 6. The Angels also that kept not their first estate but left their owne dwelling he hath reserued in chaines c. And of the fall of man the Storie is set downe Gen. 3. For albeit they were created holy yet being Creatures consequently they were of a changeable disposition and therefore subiect to temptations and to bee ouercome of them if they were not vpholden by the supernatural grace of God which neither in Iustice he needed nor in his wisdom goodnes saw it fit to do disposing of their fall for the better setting forth of his glory The reason that actually they fell was For that they were left vnto themselues whereby it came to passe that in their owne free will and of their voluntarie choice they leaned vnto euill albeit by the integritie of their nature they were able to haue kept themselues vpright As the Apostle r Iames 1. 13. doth pronounce that God tempteth no man but euery one is tempted being drawne away and entised by his owne lusts And Eccles 7. 29. God made all men righteous but they themselues haue sought many Inuentions other then according to right And this was neither by chance God not knowing of it nor by a bare and idle permission or against his will but rather according to the counsell of his owne will Ephes 1. All Å¿ Acts 15. 18. whose workes are knowne vnto him from all eternitie but yet without approbation of the sinne The time when they fell was anon after the Creation but how long after the Scripture saith nothing howbeit till the sixt Day was passed it seemeth they continued in their first integritie For t Gen. 1. 31. then God saw all that hee had made and it was exceeding good Beside touching man the Commandement for the Sabbath was giuen to him in Paradise after the sixt Day So the Story u Gen. 2. 2 3. telleth vs When God had perfected his Worke that he had made the seuenth Day he rested and blessed the seuenth Day and sanctified it because in it he had rested from all his worke The fourth Commandement hath it a little playner In sixe dayes IEHOVAH made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all that is in them and rested the seuenth Day therefore IEHOVAH blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it By his owne example enioyning on that Day a perpetuall Rest to vs wherefore the three first Verses of the second Chapter of Genesis as it seemeth should not be deuided from the former Chapter that contayne a Iournall of the first seuen dayes which being finished Moses taketh vp a new Prooeme to beginne a new narration The fall now and punishment that came of it is to be considered in each of these Creatures distinctly and apart In the fall of Angels these things are remarkable First They were the first that fell whereupon the First of the Angels Deuill is called the first founder of sinne Iohn 8. 44. Secondly Their speciall sinne what it was appeareth not so euidently in the Scripture IVDE saith They left their owne habitation And PETER that they sinned Our SAVIOVR that they continued not in the truth meaning the first integrity wherein God had set them which is all the Scripture in expresse termes and proper deliuereth of their fall As for the place of Esay a Isay 14. 12 it is but a wresting to apply it vnto the fall of Lucifer the Prophet speaking of Belteshatzer the king who shined once as the glorious morning starre Howbeit by that which is written 1. Timo. 3. 6. b 1. Tim. 3. 6. Lest being puffed vp hee fall into the condemnation of the Deuill we may safely gather that pride was either the sinne it selfe or mixed with it in that by their wisdome and vnderstanding discerning of a more excellent condition then their owne they both in Iudgement approoued and in will affected and desired to haue the same for thereunto afterwards they tempted man Wherefore the fall of Angels was more grieuous then the fall of man in as much as hauing a more excellent measure of holinesse they were more able to resist and fell without temptation and therefore were the sole instruments of their owne fall not that God had no stroke therein who moderating all things that come to passe Some only fel but a great multitude in the world in so great an action as this could not but haue some hand disposing of it to the manifestation of his owne glorie but because they fell without any outward temptation saue onely such as their owne thoughts did More then 12. Legions suggest vnto them there being none but God to Dan. 7. 10. Ten thousand thousands tempt them who c Iam. 1. 13. as he cannot be tempted of euill so himselfe tempteth none Thirdly That not all the Angells fell but some certaine Heb. 12. 23. Infinite thousands ones onely as may appeare by all the places of Scripture mentioning their fall Fourthly The number of them which sinned which was exceeding great for a whole Legion of deuils is mentioned d Luk. 8. 30. Luk. 8. 30. but the certaine number is no where expressed in the Scriptures nor whether more did stand or fall albeit the number of the holy Angels doe farre e Matt. 26. 53. exceede the greatest number of Deuils that is f Which is one Legion onely Luk. 8. 30. One the Scripture nameth him Satan or the Deuill the chiefest Ring-leader of
doth attribute to the vertue of his Resurrection whereat because the Glorie of his Kingdome did actually beginne though the efficacie thereof were euer since the fall of Adam it selfe obtayneth the name of the Kingdome m Mat. 16. 28. of the Sonne of Man being the ground-worke and foundation of our n 1. Pet. 1. 3. Regeneration o Rom. 4. 24. Iustification p Rom. 6. ◠5. Sanctification and q 1. Cor. 15 20. 1. Thess 4. 14. rising from the dead yea and of the r 1. Pet. 3. 21. The day of his rising sauing of our soules as in the particulars hereafter shall be seene A worthy fruit indeed of our Sauiours Resurrection and no doubt I may truely say a greater and a more noble worke then the first Creation whereupon the Day wherein hee arose and renewed the World againe being the ſ Mat. 28. 1. Marke 16. 9. Luke 24. 1. Iohn 20. 1. first day of the Creation which the Scripture is wont to call The first day of the weeke because it beganne next after the Iewes Sabbath is in perpetuall memorie of that benefit become the Day which wee Christians doe keepe holy the Day being changed but not a Day of rest abolished And that the Day was so changed is easie to be proued which was the first day of the Creation is an euerlasting remembrance of that benefit come in the place of the Sabbath out of the Scriptures for first on this Day the Apostles t Iohn 2. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. kept their solemne Assemblies and u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Congregation-meetings on this Day they came together to x Acts 16 13. Praier y Acts 20. 7. preaching of the Word breaking of bread c. on this Day were z 1. Cor. 16. 2. collections and gatherings for the poore And * Reuel 1. 10. Iohn on this Day gaue himselfe in a speciall manner to spirituall Meditations Paul a Acts 20. ◠7. likewise hauing election of seuen whole daies wherein he abode at Troas made onely choice of this Secondly Our Sauiour Christ himselfe gaue testimonie to this Day gracing it with his b Marke 16. 1◠Luke 24. 21. Iohn 20. 19 26. apparitions c Acts 2. 1. distributions of the Holy Ghost c. For the d Leu. 23. 15 16 Feast of Pentecost fell alwaies vpon this first Day of the weeke But you will say We reade no where of any Commandement giuen for such an alteration Neither is it necessary the constant practice of Christ and his Apostles and of the Churches then generally without exception is a rule to binde all Ages in perpetuitie seeing the Apostles did nothing of their owne heads but as they were taught of Christ during those fortie daies that he abode with them after his Resurrection And yet if a Commandement were needfull is not that an expresse Commandement 1. Cor. 16. 2. Touching the gathering for the Saints as I haue appointed in the Churches of Galatia so also doe yee Euery first Day of the weeke let euery one lay aside c. which is a speciall dutie of the Sabbath Day I verily thinke the Psalmist so long before pointed at it when he saith e Psal 118. 24. This same Day wherein Christ the Stone which the builders refused is by his rising from the dead become the head of the corner f Psal 102. 19. Prince of a new created people and Lord of the g Heb. 2. 5. c. World to come IEHOVAH hath made that is to say magnified and made famous to be celebrated with Prayses Thankes giuings in his Church for euer As the word made is taken 1. Sam. 12. 6. Esay 43. 7. and in diuers other places And what maruell though the Day suffered a change when the whole World it selfe was changed This besides the change of the Day it selfe brought and with it two other notable changes also First Of the name from the Sabbath to bee called called the Lords Day by a greater and more honourable Title h Reuel 1. 10. The Lords Day consecrated to his Seruice So as the very name is become a Badge of our Christian and holy Profession seuering vs from Iewes Turkes and other Enemies to the Name of Christ Neither shall you finde in all the New Testament that the Day which the Churches celebrate was at any time after Christs Ascension called The Sabbath Day Secondly In that it beginneth not on the Euening of beginning when he arose and began to renew the World the Day before as the Iewish Sabbaths did but at the dawning of the Day when i Marke 16. 9. Iohn 20. 1. our Sauiour beganne the worke of his Resurrection Now that the Day which wee are to sanctifie beginneth at that time is made good by the practice of Saint Paul who tarrying at Troas seuen whole dayes preached vpon this Day and continue in his Sermon vnto midnight spent the rest of the night in holy conference vnto the dawning of the day and then departed Act. 20. 7 11. Proceed wee now to the rest that followeth concerning This great worke hath two parts Regeneration and Saluation the excellencie of Christs Kingdom The beginning whe 〈…〉 Regeneration by his Spirit the fruits or qualities whereunto we are regenerate Wisdome Righteousnesse and Sanctification The end and accomplishment Happinesse and Immortalitie for so our Sauiour teacheth Iohn 3. 3 5. Vnlesse a man bee borne againe hee cannot see or enter into the Kingdome of God Regeneration being first and the ground-worke of Regeneration is the rest we are to see what Regeneration is I define it to bee our spirituall incorporating into Christ betweene which and the worke of Sanctification the difference lyeth plaine for as Creation is distinguished from the qualities wherein men were created so is this Now Creation from the qualities whereunto wee are regenerate And as Generation is one thing and the corruption that Parents beget vs in another so is our New birth one thing and the Holinesse or Sanctification which we haue thereby another This appeareth manifestly 1. Iohn 5. 8. where Spirit Water Bloud that is to say Regeneration Iustification Sanctification are distinguished And 1. Iohn 3. 1 2 3. where purifying of our selues is made an effect of being the sonnes of God So our Sauiour saith Iohn 3. 6. That which is borne of the Spirit whereby he meaneth our part regenerate is Spirit that is to say wholy spirituall holy and sanctified As that which is borne of the flesh meaning all of vs by fleshly Generation is flesh that is to say carnall in euery part and in all the powers both of bodie and soule impure and vncleane and subiect to the wrath of God Peter also when he saith a 1. Pet. 1. 22 23. Hauing your soules purified by obeying of the Truth through the Spirit vnto brotherly loue without hypocrisie from a pure heart loue one
The Popish Fast which was iudged sufficient if they onely abstayned from meate without any regard of inward godlinesse the end and true vse of Fasting whereunto all the former bodily exercises tend This is double according as they are both laid forth Ezra 8. 21 Then I proclaymed a Fast at the Riuer of Ahaua that wee might afflict our soules before our GOD and seeke of him a right way for vs our little ones and our substance First Is the humbling and casting of our The Pharisaicall Fast of the Papists which is so far from humbling them that contrariwise it maketh them swell with a proud opinion of meriting thereby selues downe before the high Maiestie of Almightie God both in sorrow for our sins and in a solemne confession of the same and of the iust punishments and threatenings of the Law that belong vnto vs for them Therefore the Lord instituting this Fast telleth the people q Leuit. 16. 31. and Leuit. 23. 27 29 32. Num. 29. 7. They shall humble their soules that day Secondly A raysing of our selues vp by the sweet and gracious promises of the Gospell with assurance that together with the forgiuenesse of our sinnes wee shall obtayne the things wee sue for so farre as it is for Gods Glorie and our good whereupon it is called A Day of Atonement and hath most excellent promises made vnto it Ioel 2. 13 14. Rent your hearts and not your garments and returne vnto IEHOVAH your God Who knoweth whether he will returne and repent him and leaue a blessing behind him And againe r Ioel 2. 10 20. Now is IEHOVAH alreadie zealous for his Land and vseth clemencie towards his people And IEHOVAH answered and said to his people Behold I will send you wheate c. And this the sweet experience of all the Fasts of Gods Children doth from time to time confirme The end of whose Fasting was alwayes Å¿ Iudges 20. 23. Ezra 19. 6. Ester 14. 16. 2. Chrâ—n 20. 3. Dan. 9. 20. Feasting and of their mourning exceeding great reioying The third head is the time of Fasting The Popish Fast which appointeth set times Fridayes and such like howsoeuer the time fal out prosperous or aduerse which generally is the time of heauinesse and affliction as the Prophet saith Esay 22. 12. In that Day when the enemie besieged thee being a Day of wasting and trampling and confusion as he said before Verse 5. the Lord IEHOVAH of Hosts called to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with Sackcloth But as it cannot be limited to any certaine set dayes so neither can it bee circumscribed within any stint of time being to hold longer or shorter as the hand and wrath of God doth more or lesse lye vpon vs the least time that may be is a whole day Vnder the Law from euening to euening as the Commandement is giuen Leuit. 23. 32. and the Children of God haue t Iudges â—0 26. and else-where alwayes practized With vs Christians whose Sabbaths begin otherwise from morning to morning vpon occasion of great calamities eyther pressing or approching It is sometimes three dayes together as in Queene u Ester 4. 16. Hesters time And that of x Acts 9. 9. Paul vpon his first Conuersion Daniel for his owne priuate humiliation stretcheth it further Daniel 10. 3 4. In those dayes I DANIEL gaue my selfe to mourning three weekes of dayes pleasant bread I did not eate neither did flesh or wine come within my mouth c. The last thing is Poperie that ordayning many both wicked and vnnecessary holy-dayes razeth out of their Kalender this one and beside the Sabbath the onely holy Day ordayned of the Lord. That this time whatsoeuer hath the nature of a Sabbath and therfore is called a y Leuit. 16. 31. Leuit. 23. 32. Sabbath and a Day of rest wherein wee are expresly z Leuit. 16. 29. 23. 28 30 31 forbidden all kind of worke and are called to the duties of Pietie and of the Seruice of God whence it is called a Ioel 2. 12. The sanctifying of a Fast Ioel 2. 12. hauing alwayes extraordinarie The Popish Fast which hath no more extraordinary Prayer vpon that Day then vpon any other exercise of Prayer ioyned with it Mat. 17. 21 This kind of Deuils goeth not out but by Prayer and Fasting 1. Cor. 7. 5. that ye may be at leisure for Fasting and Prayer And so you shall see in b Iudges 20. 26. Ezra 9. 5. Nehem. 1. 4. Dan. 9. 3. 2. Chro. 20. 4 5 6 all the Feasts recorded in the Booke of God And if the Fast be publike of a whole Church Citie or Kingdome then it hath also the preaching of the Word and all other holy exercises So the Prophet c Ioel 2. 15 16 IOEL willeth them to gather the People and to proclaime an Assembly And Leuit. 23. 27. a Law is made that on the Fast day there should be an holy Conuocation To returne now from whence wee are digressed A are not onely pleasing vnto God through his forgiuenes of the sinne question of great moment doth heere offer it selfe If sinne be mingled with all our Actions how can they please God or how can we looke for a reward for them which d 1. Tim. 4. 8. Paul assureth vs of telling vs that Godlinesse is profitable to all things and that it hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come The answere is They are pleasing and acceptable vnto God by his forgiuing of the sinne that cleaneth to them couering and hiding that which is ours looking vpon his own worke within vs. So e Reuel 8. 3. 4. Christ being the Angell that stands before the Altar hauing a Golden Censer is said to haue much Odours giuen vnto him which he offereth with the Prayers of all the Saints vpon the Golden Altar which is before the Throne Insomuch as the smoke of the Odours with the Prayers of the Saints goe vp before God out of the Angels hand that is by the vertue of his Prayer and Intercession all the works and Prayers of Gods Children are made acceptable vnto him and as a sweete smelling sauour before him So the f Mal. 3. 4. Prophet doth fore-tell when the Angell of the Couenant shall once come the Oblation of Iuda and Ierusalem shall be sweet vnto IEHOVAH And g Rom. 12. 1. Paul doth exhort vs to present our bodies a liuing Sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God h 1. Pet. 2. 5. PETER in like sort to offer vp spirituall Sacrifices acceptable vnto GOD through IESVS CHRIST Touching the reward it is true indeed in many places but haue beside of Gods free Goodnes looking vpon them in the perfection of his Sonne speciall promises of reward made vnto them both in this life and in the life to come of the Scripture large and ample promises are made vnto our workes
our Sauiour sheweth how in that great Day of his most glorious Comming all flesh shall be iudged not by their Faith or vnbeliefe but by their Workes as sure Arguments to approue to all the World the righteous Sentence of God especially to our selues they seale vp Gods Election and make it sure to vs for whosoeuer findeth not that hee hath in some measure the Spirit of Sanctification the Grace of Addoption and Iustification hath not yet laid hold vpon him Hither tend those exhortations so common in the Scripture r 2 Pet. 1. 10. Make your Calling and Election firme by your Workes c. True it is as Å¿ 2. Tim. 2. 19. the Apostle saith that there is a double Seale one resting in God himselfe which is firme and sure and neuer can be shaken but the other resteth in vs who are by good Workes to set that Seale vpon our Soules and Consciences The foundation of God remayneth firme hauing this Seale God knoweth who are his And Let euerie one that nameth the Name of CHRIST depart from iniquitie Thirdly Good Workes in those that professe Christ stop the mouth of the Aduersarie who otherwise is readie to slander the Gospell and to speake euill of it as of a doctrine of libertie So saith t 1. Pet. 2. 15. PETER For so is the will of God that doing well you might stop the mouth of the ignorance of foolishmen as free and not hauing libertie as a couer of naughtinesse Fourthly By this meanes wee giue a good Example vnto other and winne many to the profession of the Gospell Whereupon the same u 1. Pet. 3. 12. Apostle exhorteth Wiues so to behaue themselues that by the beholding of their chaste and modest carriage their Husbands that beleeue not the Word may without the Word bee gayned vnto Christ Fiftly God is pleased and hath promised of his free Mercie and Goodnesse to bestow a reward vpon them which ought to quicken vs to this dutie 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his owne reward according to his owne labour 2. Iohn Verse 8. Take heed to your selues that we lose not the good things we haue wrought but that we may receiue a full reward And thus farre touching our Sanctification in this Hereafter wee shall haue an Angellike perfection life weake and imperfect which in Heauen shall be fully and wholy perfected and we when receiued vp vnto Christ shall bee made x Ephes 5. 27. glorious without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and y Mat. 22. 30. like to the holy Angels This absolute perfection and Angellicall puritie free from the least spot of sinne whatsoeuer is a thing that must necessarily be attayned vnto First Because else we should not haue by the Mercie of God in Christ as good and holy an estate as we had by our first Creation and lost by our owne sinnes in Adam Secondly So long as man is imperfectly holy hee can neuer bee perfectly happie by inioying the presence of God before whom no sinfull thing can come Now this I mean that in this estate we shal be perfectly righteous not onely by Christs obedience imputed vnto vs made ours but by a righteousnes also inhereÌ„t in our selues for in the life to come the Elect shal bee restored to that perfect inherent Holinesse wherein Adam was created but in a more excellent measure euen in the full height and top of all perfection and great reason there is why we shall then so much excell First Because the faculties of our soule and bodie shal then bee made spirituall and glorified in an excellent manner as wee shewed before whereby to bee more quicke and readie for the performance of euery good and holy dutie then Adam was Secondly In respect of the place where wee shall be in Heauen where z 1. Cor. 13. 12. wee shall see God face to face and haue familiar conuersation in his presence This Celestiall Holinesse is all one with that which we haue in this World euen as our bodies and soules are the same but differing in the excellent measure of it That which followeth of this Angellicall perfection is First That there shall bee no more strife nor warfare against sinne Satan himselfe and all our spirituall foes being trodden vnder our feete and the Goale wee now striue for gotten and wonne whereupon the Church of God in Heauen is called The Church Triumphant for a Reuel 14. 13. they cease from their labours Secondly That there is no more Repentance no more sorrow and griefe for sinne b Reuel 21. 4 5 neither paine nor crying nor labour for all teares shall bee wiped from their eyes After the Doctrine of Sanctification order requireth Redemption whereby to speake of Redemption A double Redemption or to speake more properly Redemption in a double sence we find spoken of in the Scripture One the paying of the price by the sheading of Christs Bloud to free vs from the seruitude of sinne and death which the Apostle toucheth Ephes 1. 7. and Coloss 1. 14. and is the ransome or matter of our Redemption The other a fruit and effect of the former which in that place to the Ephesians c Ephes 1. 14. is also mentioned when by him wee are set free indeed And that is the Redemption meant 1. Cor. 1. 30. in the purting away of euill and the bestowing of freeing vs from the curse himselfe be comming a curse for vs all good Wherfore two parts here offer themselues One is the remoouing of our cursed estate setting vs free from Death Hell and Condemnation and from the Curse of the Law by his Death and Sufferings for by death hee hath abolished him that hath the power of death that is the Deuill and set them free who through feare of death were all their life long subiect vnto bondage saith the Apostle to the d Heb. 2. 14. Hebrewes And Gal. 3. 8. Christ hath redeemed vs from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for vs as it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon the Tree The other is the making of vs blessed by the participation hee maketh vs blessed by the participation of his Blessednesse of his Blessednesse A reward that followeth our Iustification through Christ So wee are plainly taught Gâ—l 3. 8. The Scripture fore-seeing that by Faith God would iustifie the Nations published the glad tidings before vnto ABRAHAM that in thee that is in thy Seed Christ Iesus shall all Nations be blessed for being approoued of God as righteous in Christ consequently in him wee are to haue a reward Reuel 16. 6. They shall walke with mee in Whites for they are worthy The distinct degrees of Blessednesse come now to be Our Blessednesse in the estate we now are in standeth considered for truly may the Children of God be said euen in this life blessed meaning it in part as a step and stayre to climbe
Testament In the New as all other Mysteries of God so this especially is more cleerely reuealed by that great Prophet which was to come into the World the High Priest and Apostle of our Profession y Mat. 3. 16 17 and 2. Pet. 1 17. Christ Iesus vpon whom in his first imitation to the worke of our Redemption being himselfe the Sonne one of these three Persons the other two shewed themselues from Heauen The Holy Ghost in his Gifts and Graces represented by the visible shape of a Doue the Father by his voyce from the Seate of Glory This is my Beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased In his last farewell to his Disciples being to leaue the World and to goe vnto the Father hee left this Doctrine as a perpetuall Monument religiously to bee obserued of the Church to the end of the World willing to baptize all Nations z Mat. 28. 19. In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost That as in other respects so in this it is most worthily said a Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time The onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father hee hath reuealed him With these two Testimonies I willingly content my selfe as most pregnant of all the rest And therefore I passe ouer diuers other that might bee alleaged to this purpose because these twaine may stand in stead of many Onely I will adde that golden testimony of his beloued Disciple b 1. Iohn 5. 7. There bee three that beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost It is cleere that to the earthly witnesse or testimony of men in the things which we feele and haue experience of within our selues Regeneration Righteousnesse Sanctification hee opposeth the heauenly Witnesse or Testimony of these persons greater in regard of the excellence of the witnesses but equall in the number whereby appeareth the cleere euidence of this place The third point is that these persons Tritheites who though they acknowledge the three Persons to bee euery one God indeede yet teach that they are not onely distinct but seuered and deuided haue euery one the whole God-head and Diuine nature and are all three that one onely true and euer-liuing God For both the Apostle c 1. Iohn 5. 7 9. there calleth them so expresly and the testimony of all three hee knitteth vp in one when he saith If wee receiue the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater Euen as Moses d Deut. 6. 4. also doth when from the multitude of the Persons hee calleth them to the vnity of the substance Therefore the Apostle Paul e Col. 2. 9. saith In him Christ the Sonne of GOD manifested in the flesh dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily that is personally which is to bee extended to all the other Persons For to whomsoeuer God communicates his nature he must needes communicate it wholly as hath beene said And this mystery how in that most simple and single essence of God there bee certaine substances or persons truly subsisting three in one and one in three differing but not deuided seuerall but not sundred many and yet the same all one for their nature all distinct for three persons is a secret of all secrets passing all reach and vnderstanding of man rather reuerently to be adored then too curiously to be searched into The fourth last point is the incommunicable properties whereby these persons are distinguished in theÌ„selues To the Sonne is proper to be begotten to the Holy Ghost to proceede the Father is of himselfe neyther begotten nor proceeding but which from all Eternity hath begotten his Sonne and hee and the Sonne together send forth the holy Spirit Of the Father wee shall not neede to speake But that the Sonnes proper subsistence is to be begotten as the name of Sonne importeth giuen vnto him of God Marke 3. 17. This is my well beloued Sonne and so called before hee tooke flesh Psal 2. 13. Kisse the Sonne lest hee be wroth But most cleerely in the f Pro. 30. 4. Prouerbs What is his Name or his Sonnes Name So the Scripture in many places sheweth Iohn 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father And a g Iohn 2. 14. little before Wee beheld his glory as the glory of the onely begotten of his Father The like wee say of the Holy Ghost who is sometimes called the Spirit of God sometimes the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9 10. 11. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you but if one haue not the Spirit of Christ this man is not his But if the Spirit of him that raysed Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raysed Christ from the dead will also quicken you by his Spirit dwelling in you Sometimes hee is said to bee sent from the Father or to proceed from the Father which is all one sometime to be sent from the Sonne Iohn 1. 5. 26 The error of the Greeke Churches who deny the Holy Ghosts proceeding from the Sonne But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father As touching the God-head of Arius denyed Christ to be of the same nature with his Father but as it were a secondary god acknowledging hee was an excellent Creature created before the World by whom God created the World and saued Mankind and therefore as a God in office to bee adored not in essence The like of the Holy Ghost But since it is plaine that God made all things in six daies both the Sonne and the Spirit if they were creatures must haue beene comprehenced in that worke these three Persons Of the Father no man euer doubted But the God-head of the Sonne and Holy Ghost some Heretikes haue called in question wherefore to confirme our faith herein let vs take Arguments for them both For the God-head of the Sonne we haue these He is IAH IEHOVAH EHIEH that is to say being or perfection it selfe Psal 68. 19. Ascending on high thou leddest captiuity captiue and gauest gifts vnto men euen the Rebels thou dwelling there that is to say in Heauen leddest captiue O IAH God meaning Christ To whose Ascension the Apostle doth apply it Ephes 4. 8. EHIEH hee calleth himselfe manifestly Iohn 8. 58. Before ABRAHAM was made I am Not made but of my selfe and from my selfe without beginning for that iâ— the force of am elegantly opposed vnto made The name Iehouah is giuen him Genes 4. 1. h This interpretation floweth naturally from the Hebrew Text. Beside it there be two other which of all the rest seeme most probable One is Ieromes With or by â—ehouah that is by his goodnesse and blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in that sence it should haue beene 〈◊〉
verse 4 Denying the onely God and Master our Lord Iesu Christ God God y Rom. 9. 5. Of whom is Iesus Christ touching the flesh who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen ouer all blessed for euer Amen To proue the Holy Ghost to be God First he also is Iehouah for he that led the people in the Wildernes whom they tempted so oft was Iehouah as wee haue obserued But Esay z Esay 63. 14. saith this was the Spirit of God As a beast that goeth downe into a Valley the Spirit of IEHOVAH quietly led them and a Esay 63. 10. a little before They rebelled and grieued his holy Spirit The b Heb. 3. 8 9. Author also to the Hebrewes noteth it to bee the speech of the Holy Ghost Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation as in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse where your fathers tempted me prooued me and saw my workes Againe that which the same c Esay 6. 9. Prophet speaketh of IEHOVAH that he had-him goe and say vnto this people Hearing ye shall heare c. PAVL d Acts 28. 25. applyeth to the Holy Ghost Well said the Holy Ghost by ESAIAS the Prophet to our fathers saying Goe vnto this people and say Hearing ye shall heare c. Secondly the essentiall properties of the God-head are here likewise to be found He is termed Truth it selfe to note the singlenesse of his Nature 1. Iohn 5. 6. The Spirit is Truth hath an Immensity and Infinitenesse of place dwelling at once in the heart of all the Elect. 1. Cor. 3. 16. Know yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Rom. 8. 9 11. The Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in you Hee lay ouer that whole masse and lumpe whereof the Heauens and Earth was afterwards made Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God lay vpon the Waters ouer-spreading it as a Hen doth her Chicken Hee filleth all things with his presence Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit Hath a free and absolute power of working after his owne pleasure 1. Cor. 12. 11. He distributeth his gifts as he will for hee is the very power of God So called Luke 1. 35. The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most High shall ouer-shaddow thee And for that which e Mat. 12. 14. Matthew saith I will cast out Deuils by the Spirit of God f Luke 11. 20. LVKE hath it If I cast out Deuils by the finger of God Yea he is the giuer of all Power and Vertue Micah 3. 8. But I am filled with Vertue from the Spirit of IEHOVAH with Iudgement and with Power Is of infinite Wisedome and Knowledge euen to fore-tell things to come The g Iohn 16. 14. things that are to come shall hee declare to you saith Christ yea to sound the very bottome of the most secret things of God 1. Cor. 2. 20. The Spirit searcheth the depths of God And all this hee hath from himselfe and of himselfe as most elegantly the h Esay 40. 13 14. Prophet teacheth Who hath instructed the Spirit of IEHOVAH as a man of his counsell taught him with whom hath hee communicated counsell that he might instruct him and teach him the way of Iudgement euen teach him Knowledge and the way of Wisedomes most absolute and perfect Wisedome make knowne vnto him For of Goodnesse what shall I need to speake whose Name it selfe proclaymeth his Holinesse and whose i Gal. 5. 22. 23. fruites are Lenity Kindnesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance and whatsoeuer good is Eternity is also his in that as shall bee shewed anon he is the Creator of all things and therefore must needes be before any thing began Thirdly not onely his proceeding from God but the very Name of Spirit sheweth the Essence and Nature which hee is of For as the spirit of a man must needes be truely of mans nature and is the most formall and essentiall part of man so and much more it must bee thought of the Spirit of God vpon whom no composition falleth This in effect is the Apostles owne Argument 1. Cor. 2. 11. For who of men knoweth the things of man but the spirit of man that is in him So also none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his owne Essence and Nature as the opposition sheweth plainely Fourthly touching the Workes which onely belong to God of the eternall Decrees registred in the Booke of IEHOVAH the Prophet saith His k Esay 38. 16. mouth hath commanded and his Spirit hath collected them Secondly In the Creation of all things he wrought together with the Father and the Sonne Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God lay vpon the Waters meaning that as a Bird lying vpon her Egges and couering them vnder her wings doth by a naturall warmth and heate which commeth from her hatch and bring forth her young ones So did the Spirit of God by his liuely power and working frame and fashion the World out of that lumpe of Waters Iob 26. 13. By his Spirit he beautified or beautifully framed the Heauens Esay 40. 1â— Who helpe the Spirit of IEHOVAH meaning in the Creation which he spake of next before Hence it is that Elihu l Iob 33. 4. in the Booke of Iob professeth himselfe to be his Creature and the workmanship of his hands The Spirit of the Mighty God hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath put life into mee Thirdly hee gouerneth and administreth the things created Zach. 4. 10. The seuen Eyes or Spirits of IEHOVAH roule vp and downe vpon all the Earth Fourthly He hardeneth the wicked and deliuereth them into a reprobate minde For so the Apostle m Acts 28. 26. noteth it to be the voyce of the Holy Ghost which is said in n Esay 6. 10. ESAY Goe make fat the heart of this people make their eares heauy and cloze vp their eyes Fiftly hee is infinite in variety of gifts 1. Cor. 12. 11. All these things worketh that one and the same Spirit distributing them to euery one a part as he will Iohn 16. 23. When the Spirit of Truth commeth he shall lead you into all Truth Hereupon Iohn in the o Reuel 1. 4. Reuelation termeth him The seuen Spirits of God in regard of the manifold graces which God by him giueth vnto his Church Grace be to you and Peace from him that is and that was and that is to come and from the seuen Spirits which are before his Throne and from Iesuâ— Christ where by the seuen Spirits I make no question the Holy Ghost is meant and not the holy Angels First because these seuen Spirits stand before the Throne are inserted meane betweene the Father and the Sonne the Apostle wisheth Grace and Peace from them they are the Hornes and Eyes of the Lambe yea of his owne very
Apostle bearing witnesse that by faith onely wee vnderstand it for howsoeuer many of the Heathen who knew not God especially the wiser sort haue in a kinde acknowledged a Creation Neyther in truth can any bee so blockish as not to see it if he looke but vp to Heauen and the frame of this World which haue the name of their Workeman and Creatour written in their fore-head yet neuer was there any not so much as the wisest of them that could attaine to this How the World should bee made of nothing Heere therefore all reason of man must stoope and bee content to learne of him in whose Schoole it is better to bee Schollers then Teachers and Professors any where besides who not onely maketh men wiser then the beasts of the field as it is in the p Iob 35. 11. Booke of Iob but teacheth his wisedome aboue the wisedome of the wise and guideth them by pathes that no foote of vaine Philosophie is able for to walke Thirdly I note the order and manner how all this was effected First The Angels and their World the highest Heauens were without more adoe immediately made of nothing But for men and the World which here we see it was somewhat in another sort For touching the World it selfe First God minding to erect such a large and goodly Theater wherein hee would make full demonstration of his incomparable both Power Wisedome and Goodnesse q Gen. 1. 1 2. framed first an empty an vnshapen lumpe without fashion without forme called Waters for the vast hugenesse of it Darknesse for the confusion and lacke of forme and the Deepe for the emptinesse without bottome to rest vpon which lest it should vanish and come to nothing hauing no steaddinesse to vphold it the Spirit of God lay vpon it and ouer-spred it to keepe it from decay Secondly Out of this lumpe and vnformed confusion did God afterwards distinctly forme this World and all the parts of it First those foure Elements called the simple bodies by fetching one contrary out of another as Light out of Darknesse the Firmament out of emptinesse dry Earth out of Waters then the compound bodies out of the same Elements and for the most part of all foure vnequally mingled together euery one principally out of the same Element which they garnish or inhabit As Grasse and Trees out of the Earth The Sunne the Moone the Stars wholly or specially out of the r For it is plaine by Moses that the Heauens theÌ„selues and those celestiall bodies were made not of any fift essence as Aristotle and some other dreame but of elementary matter namely of the fire Whereupon the very substance and the whole frame and compasse of them all which wee call the Skye is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aether from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to burne for that al things there are fiery as Anaâ—agâ—r an old Philosopher did well deriue it Albeit Aristotle in his first Booke de Câ—lo reiect this Etymologie and preferres another rather from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is in perpetuall motion But that seemeth neither so naturall for the Word nor so apt for the matter fire as may not vnprobably be gathered Fishes out of the Waters Birds out of the Ayre Beasts out of the Earth But men and women as a piece of singular worke hee framed in a more artificiall sort The body of man by Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 7. whereunto Paul alludeth 1. Tim. 2 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forming and figuring it as a Potter doth his Vessels out of the Clay of the Earth And therefore heauy and lumpish dead of it selfe and without any sence or feeling Whereinto he breathed a soule not as a part of the Diuine Nature or of Gods owne essence which to thinke were impious and absurd but because it was made neyther of the Ayre nor of any other elementary matter but onely by his Word and the power of his Spirit and this hee knit vnto one person with the body to quicken and giue life vnto it and to make it a perfect man The woman hee framed and formed out of the Rib of man And all this Moses plainly expresseth Gen. 2. 4 5 6 7 * Finished in six dayes The fourth thing I obserue in the Creation is the time which it pleased GOD to take for the finishing of this worke in that he created not all at once and in a moment as he could haue done but tooke the space of sixe t Gen. 1. 31. 2. 1. 2. 3. dayes for it within which compasse Heauen the place of the blessed Angels together with the Angels themselues were made as Moses plainly teacheth Gen. 2. 1 2. Therefore the first day God made First Heauen and Hell For Hell it is probable to bee supposed hee did then make when Heauen the other part of the vnseene World was made And that Heauen was the first worke of all is easie to be gathered by the very order wich Moses u Gen. 1. 1. 2. 1. vseth Secondly The Angels those Creatures of x 2. Cor. 11. 4. Light the Tenants and Inhabitants of the highest Heauens who in Iob y Job 38. 7. are said to shoute and sing forth the prayses of God when those heauenly Bodies the Sunne the Moone the Starres were made as astonished at the excellency of their beautie And therefore themselues were before that time created Thirdly That vnfashioned lumpe Fourthly Fire The second Day he made the Ayre The third Day First Water Secondly Earth Thirdly Grasse and Trees The fourth Day the Sunne the Moone the Starres The fifth First Fishes Secondly Birds The last Day hee made First Beasts Secondly Man and Woman A fift and last thing to be obserued in the Creation is And was of euery Creature in excellency of perfection that all the Creatures were made exceeding good whether you consider them singly and apart or all of them together As from God that is goodnesse it selfe nothing can come but absolutely good For the further sealing vp of which Doctrine wee haue the testimony of God himselfe both in euery speciall God z Gen. 1. 4. saw the Light that it was good and so in the rest and in the generall conclusion of all God a Gen. 1. 31. looked vpon all that hee had made and behold it was exceeding good This goodnesse in the Creatures generally is the excellencie of perfection according to that their nature is capable of for goodnesse in that place is not to bee taken as opposite vnto vice and to that foule deformitie which is a breach of the righteous Law of God but it noteth that perfection and excellency of estate that euery Creature was framed in according as his nature was fit and able to receiue No weaknesse or infirmitie was then any where to be seene No corruption or decay nothing out of frame or ioynt so as now wee see the whole
day is holy to our Lord. So the people went to eate and to drinke and to send portions to celebrate great gladnesse And in Hester 9. 19. They celebrated the fourteenth day of the Moneth Adar with gladnesse and bankettings and merriments and sending of portions from one to another Generally the Law thereof giuen Deut. 16. 14. The Feast of Tabernacles thou shalt keepe seuen dayes thou shalt reioyce when thou keepest that Feast c. The contrarie is in this Day of gladnesse to mourne and weepe for which r Nehem. 8. 10. 11. 12. Nehemiah and the Leuites doe reprooue the people Hold your peace for this Day is holy be not sad therefore CHAP. VIII Of the fourth Commandement THE fourth Commandement enioyneth a This is the manner of Gods worship A holy rest is the sanctifying of a time vnto his Seruice which beside other times as occasion shall be offered in a Family or for ones selfe apart ought ordinarily to be in the morning and euening of euery day sanctifying of some time vnto his seruice both other times as occasion shall require and especially some set and solemne times which first in a Family or for ones selfe apart ought ordinarily to bee in the morning and euening euery day as the Psalmist Å¿ Psal 92. 2. saith It is good to declare in the morning thy Kindnesse and thy Truth in the night Therefore was the morning and euening Sacrifice instituted of God Exod. 29. 38 39. Some mens zeale hath carryed them further either in respect of the publike calamities of the Church or their owne more speciall and priuate wants to performe this dutie both morning euening and at noone Euening morning and at noone will I meditate and pray aloud saith DAVID Psal 55. 17. So Daniel thrice a day kneeled vpon his knees and prayed and confessed before his God Dan. 6. 11. which is there noted to haue beene his continuall course or else this at noone haply may bee thought when they came to receiue their meate with Prayer and Thankesgiuing Secondly For publike exercises and meetings of the For Church-meetings on such dayes times of the day as may stand with the conueniencie of that Church But of necessitie one whole day in seuen is thus to bee kept holy Church we must doe it on such dayes and times of the day as may stand with the conueniencie of that Church Thirdly One whole day in seuen is of necessitie to be kept holy This the Scripture calleth by excellencie the Sabbath Day without a difference as it were the elder brother to all the rest of the dayes of the weeke which is called t Leuit. 23. 15. 25. 8 8. Mat. 28. 1. Acts 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. Marke 6 2 9. Luke 24. 1. Iohn 20. 1. Sabbaths in the plurall The parts of the sanctifying of this day are two one to rest from worldly businesses and from those workes and duties of our calling which at other times are not onely lawfull but expedient and necessarie to bee done The particular workes that we are thus to abstaine from are of two kinds First great aswel as smal and smal aswel as great A greater and more excellent worke can hardly be imagined then the building of Gods owne House the materiall and outward Tabernacle yet euen That the Lord by a strict precise caution doth specially forbid vpon this day Exod. 31. 13. Yet saith hee yee shall obserue my Sabbaths Not setting your hand in that day vnto this worke though it be most holy Those holy women that had Odours Oyntments and all things in a readinesse yet in a religious obseruation of Gods Ordinance forbare on the Sabbath to embalme the precious bodie of our Lord and Sauiour Christ and are commended by the Holy Ghost for it They u Luke 23. 56. rested saith LVKE the Sabbath Day according to the Commandement Againe how small a thing is it to gather a few stickes But when one presumed to doe this and with an high hand in prophanation of the Sabbath wee know what his doome was from the mouth of God himselfe Numb 15. 32 33 34 35 36. In the second place come things both necessarie and delightfull of profit and of pleasure In seed time and in haruest the fittest seasons for all worldly commodities thou shalt keepe Sabbath saith the Holy Ghost Exodus 34. 21. Of this kinde are trauailing and iournying vpon that Day whereof the Law is giuen Exodus 16. 29. Tarrie euery man in his place Let no man goe out of his place the seuenth Day Likewise Faires Markets and all kinde of buying and selling for which cause x Nehem. 13. 19 Reade Verse 15 16 17 18. Nehemia that godly Magistrate When the gates of Ierusalem began to bee darke before the Sabbath commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and set some of his seruants at the gates that there should be no burden brought in vpon the Sabbath Day Sporting also banquetting and such like which distract our minds from Gods Seruice are then to be auoyded which is that the Lord calleth Not to do our owne delight vpon that Day Esay 58. 13. The doing of which things or of any of them is contrarie to this outward sanctifying of the Sabbath Yet can we not say that all these things are vtterly forbidden without exception certaine cautions must bee made First Things of common honestie and for necessarie safegard of that which would otherwise perish are lawfull vpon that Day Our Sauiour taketh that for granted euen amongst those that most straightly vrge the Letter of this Law What y Mat. 12. 11 man is there among you which hath a sheepe and if it fall vpon the Sabbath Day into a Ditch will not take it and plucke it out Secondly Such are allowed as take vs not away from the Seruice of God but serue for honest and needfull recreation to make vs fitter for holy things Thirdly Hither belong those labours and bodily workes which are done for the setting forth of Gods Glorie as hee that being made whole tooke vp his Bed Both with publike and priuate exercises and carryed it on the Sabbath Day Iohn 5. 8 9. The next part of the sanctifying of this Day is to imploy it in the Seruice of God which is that whereunto the outward rest tendeth Esay 58. 13. If thou wilt turne away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thine owne will vpon mine Holiday and call the Sabbath delight holy to IEHOVAH and honour him not doing thine owne wayes c. Of this kind are First All religious and holy exercises whereof these the Scripture noteth by name as duties to be performed vpon that Day First To heare the Word preached Acts 13. 14. 15. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets in the Synagogue on the Sabbath Day the Ruler of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying Yee men and
Brethren if yee haue any word of exhortation for the People say on Acts 15. 21. MOSES of old time hath in euerie Citie those that preach him being read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath Day Secondly Publike Prayer Acts 16. 13. Vpon the Sabbath Day we went out of the City vnto a Riuer where Prayer was wont to be Thirdly To receiue the Sacraments at the times appointed Acts 20. 7. The first Day of the Weeke when the Disciples were gathered together to breake bread PAVL preached vnto them c. Fourthly Collections and gathering for the Saints 1. Cor. 16. 2. The first Day of the Weeke let euery one lay aside by him treasuring vp what hee hath beene prospered Fifthly Priuate meditation which was the exercise of Iohn the Apostle at what time hee was banished into the I le Pathmos for the Word of God Vpon the Lords Day hee was rauished in Spirit in sweete and heauenly Meditations Reuel 1. 10. wherein it is fit that by our selues and in our Family we conferre together and call to minde the things that in the publike Ministerie wee haue heard z Acts 17. 11. as the men of Berea did And in this respect lest by the trauailing of our beasts men who are necessarily to be imployed about them should be drawn from Gods Seruice we are commanded that they should also rest for whose ease otherwise the Sabbath was not any way ordayned Secondly The duties of brotherly loue as distributing In which number the duties of brotherly loue as distributing to the poore according to Gods blessing vpon vs visiting the sicke helping our Neighbor or any thing that is his in their distresse come also to bee reckoned when they are done as works of Mercie to the poore according to the good hand and blessing of God vpon vs visiting the sicke helping our Neighbour his Oxe Asse or any thing in distresse when they are done not for our owne lucre but as workes of mercy and compassion Thus did a Acts 20 9. Paul vpon that day restore him that being ouercome with sleepe while Paul was preaching the night of the Sabbath Day fell downe from the third Loft and was taken vp dead Acts 20. 9. And hither tendeth the saying of our Sauiour Christ Marke 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath The contrarie hereof is the outward obseruation without respect of inward godlinesse The Seuenth Day thus to bee kept holy was in the b Gen. 2. 3. Exod. 20. 10 11. This day in the first institution was the Seuenth Day from the Creation and called the Sabbath Day first institution the Seuenth Day from the Creation when God resting from his owne worke of creating the World which in six dayes he had finished sanctified that Day for a Day of rest and named it the Sabbath Day beginning on the Euening of the day before when c Gen. 1. 31. Beginning on the euening of the Day before when the Creation of the World was finished the Creation of the World was finished as d Leuit. 23. 32. all other Feasts vnder the Law did To vs Christians it is the first Day of the Creation as in his place shall bee declared And this Seuenth Day is all to be kept holy from the beginning to the end rising vp early in the morning for the sanctifying of it after the example of our Sauiour Christ Marke 1. 35. continuing it till the night and in the night as the e Psal 92. 3. Psalme made for the Day speaketh that so our verie sleepe may bee the sweter to vs. The obseruation of the Sabbath Day which hath a speciall Item giuen to it Remember the Sabbath Day that thou keepe it holy is a morall and a perpetuall Law not onely Ceremoniall and for a time for First It is the same which was f Gen. 2 2 3. instituted in Paradise before any promise of Christ whom all Ceremonies doe respect Secondly It is written by the finger of God in the Tables of the Couenant where there was nothing Ceremoniall but all Morall and of perpetuall indurance Thirdly Our Sauiour Mat. 24. 40. willing them that long time after his death should bee aliue to pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath sheweth that it was not to haue an end by that Sacrifice of his whereby g Dan 9 24. all Ceremonies were abolished Howbeit some way it was ceremoniall representing a spirituall rest but that was not of the Substance nor in the first Institution but afterwards annexed to it as a thing accidentall which had his end in Christ CHAP. IX Of the second Table of the Law and of the fift Commandement WE haue done with the first Table Come we Iustice followeth which is of the the duties among our selues now to the second The summe whereof we deliuered before To loue our Neighbour as our selues by the Name of Neighbour vnderstanding euery other man as our Sauiour teacheth Luke 10. 30. To the Commandements of the second Table 2. Rules do generally belong First That they stretch euery one as well to our selues as to another so in being commanded to honour our Parents we are also willed to haue a care of our own credit and estimation In being forbidden to couet other mens goods we are commanded to bee content with our owne Secondly They h Mat. 5. 43. 44 Ye haue heard that it hath bin said Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemie But I say vnto you Loue your enemies Blesse those which curse you Doe good to those which hate you and pray for those which molest and persecute you extend aswell to our enemies and them that hate vs as to our friends them that loue vs. These Commandements are thus deuided They command And is Honor or the general duties of loue Honor is a performance of duties in respect of a degree honour or the generall duties of loue By honour we meane the performance of all duties which the respect of any degree may require at our hands commanded in the fift Commandement which vp-holding the common order and comelinesse of life principally Magistracie Gouernmēt without which the whole world would come to nothing giueth the precedence to this Commandement before all the rest of the second Table To come to the fift Commandement It contayneth First among vnequals from Inferiours to their Superiours and contrariwise first the duties of Inferiours to their Superiours and contrariwise Secondly The duties of equals one vnto another Thirdly The due respect that we are to haue vnto our selues The dutie that Inferiours owe to all Superiours whether As to all Superiors in yeres knowledge or howsoeuer else in yeeres knowledge or howsoeuer else is Reuerence both in acknowledging the good things wherein they are preferred and making our vse of them and in all outward notes and markes of honour towards Reuerence in acknowledging the good things
for the World but for those whom thou hast giuen me Fiftly For what things this Intercession is made Not for some one or few benefits but that we may be partakers of all the good things that he hath wrought Faith or Vocation Vnion with himselfe that is to say Regeration Righteousnesse and Sanctification through him Constancie and Perseuerance in the estate of Grace and finally Eternall Happinesse for all these parts are particularly set downe Iohn 17. as namely Verse 20. 21. I pray for all that are to beleeue in me by their Ministerie that all may be one as thâ—â— Father in me and Iâ—n thee So that they also may be one with vs that the World may beleeue that thou hast sent mee Verse 17. Sanctifie them by thy Truth Verse 11 Holy 〈…〉 er keepe them in thy Name Verse 15. I pray not that thou 〈…〉 them out of the World but that thou keepe them from th 〈…〉 one Verse 13. That they may haue my ioy fulfilled to them Verse 24. Righteous Father whom thou hast giuen vnto me I desire that where I am there they also may be that they may behold my Glorie which thou hast giuen me And Verse 26. That the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be vpon them So hee doth expresse the Intercession hee made for Peter to bee That his faith should not faile Luke 22. 32. Intercession therefore of our Sauiour Christ is as it were a continuall plaister for the curing of the manifold slips frailties and sins whereunto the faithfull through infirmitie doe continually fall that so by a speciall and continuall application of his Merit our persons may remayne iust and our workes acceptable to God 1. Iohn 2. 1. If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate c. Sixtly That as in his humanitie hee desireth all these things for our Saluation and the applying of his Merits and death vnto vs so by the power of his Deâ—â—e he doth indeed apply them whereunto his being in t Heb. â— â—4 Heauen and in the sight of God his u Rom. â— 34. sitting at the right hand of his Father and his x Heb. 7. 25. euerliuing doe much 〈…〉 le making that Intercession of his as in it selfe more glorious so for vs more gracious and acceptable and able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him Seuenthly That y Rom. 8. 26. making Intercession for vs hee teacheth vs also by his Spirit to make Intercession to God with Prayers sighes and grones that cannot bee expressed CHAP. III. Of Christs Gouernment of the World in generall AFter the Priesthood of Christ next followeth Such is the Priest-hood of Christ his Kingdome followeth his Kingdome which is euerywhere spoken of in the Scriptures and most honourable and glorious promises made vnto it Esay 9. 7. A Child shall bee borne vnto vs and a Sonne giuen to vs vpon whose shoulder the Dominion shall lye Esay 32. 1. Behold a King shall raigne in Righteousnesse And Ierem. 23. 5. A King shall raigne and prosper Generally in his Kingdome I obserue three things Kingdome First A calling of Christ by God his Father to it for as hee intruded not himselfe into the Office of a Priest but expected the calling of his Father so he tooke not vpon him to raigne before hee had a Kingdome giuen him Therefore Psalme 2. 6. God is brought in saying I haue appointed my King ouer Sion my holy Hill And Dan. 2. 44. it is said In those dayes shall the God of Heauen rayse vp a Kingdome So Luke 1. 32. the Angell telleth MARIE The Lord shall giue vnto him the Throne of his Father DAVID And PETER z Acts 2. 36. Him hath God made both Lord and Christ Secondly The inuesting of him into the Princely Honour and Administration of his Kingdome whereof he had full seizin and was put into the actuall and reall possession of it when he ascended into Heauen which a man may call his going vp vnto his Coronation Daniel a Dan. 7. 13 14 in his seuenth Chapter hath a notable description of it seeing in a Vision Christ God and Man comming out of Heauen into the lower parts of the Earth to worke the mysterie of our Redemption and that done ascending into Heauen to the Ancient of dayes God his Father to present himselfe before him And to him saith hee was giuen Dominion Glorie and a Kingdome Thirdly The fruit and end of all this the same wherevnto is in the things which he doth from God for those Elect the whole worke of his Mediation tendeth which is our b Ephes â— 16. Peace and Reconciliation with God in and through him Therefore hee is called The c Esay 9. 6. Prince of Peace d Heb. 7. 2. The King of Righteousnesse and The King of Peace figured by MELCHISEDECH King of Shalem And heereupon the e Rom. 14. 17. Apostle saith that the Kingdome of God is Righteousnesse Peace and loy in the Holy Ghost More specially to treat of this his Kingdome It parteth The kingdome of Christ hath two parts it selfe into three mayne Armes or Branches rising by so many steps or stayres one is his Gouernment of the World in generall taking things in such sort as the Fall did leaue them without vouchsafing any further fauour And this may bee called the footstoole of his Kingdome Another standeth in the bestowing of his Word and the fruits thereof matters of speciall grace though such as fall vpon the Reprobate and this may be called the Scepter of his Kingdome The third Is the giuing of his Spirit whereby of carnall he maketh vs spirituall and heauenly Creatures and this may be called the Seate and Throne or rather the Life and Power of his Kingdome as these three parts are so distinguished and in the same order Psal 93. The first words of which Psalme in a holy triumph and reioycing-wise expresse the generall argument that Iehouah which is Christ our Lord raigneth and not raigneth onely but hath his Raigne accompanied with two Noble Adiuncts Glorie and Power Then hee commeth to distinguish the parts First his Gouernment of the World considered in two degrees One the stay and sustentation of all things the same which the f Heb. 1. 3 Apostle so highly magnifieth to the Hebrewes for whereas Adams sinne had turned vpside downe the whole frame of Nature and according to the curse What day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt certainly dye had brought man and all the Creatures for mans sake to vtter ruine and desolation Christ the Mediator steppeth forth and there beginneth his Kingdome in holding vp the World which otherwise had instantly come to nothing This you haue in the latter end of the first Verse The inhabited World is settled it shall not be remoued And that so wonderfull a thing as this a worke of such admiration might haue a reason sutable to make it not seeme strange the Prophet
that the preaching of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth And IAMES u Iames 1. 18. Because he would hee begat vs by the Word of Truth for this cause hee calleth x Iames 1. 21. it The ingraffed Word because by the Ministerie thereof God changeth vs anew and the Scripture y Mat. 13. 4. elsewhere compareth it to seed that as no Haruest can be without sowing of the Ground nor no Generation without the seed of our fleshly Parents no more z Mat. 13. 23. can any Faith without hearing of the Word nor any Regeneration without the Seed of the Word of God 1. Pet. 1. 23 24. Being borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible That is the Word of God who liueth and abideth for euer which maketh much to commend the excellencie and necessitie of GODS holy Ordinance of Preaching Not that preaching hath this fruit and effect by any naturall vertue or power that is in it but by the a Rom. 10. 17. Ordinance and Blessing of God who vseth to hide and conceale his owne supernaturall worke in our conuersion as it is the Glorie of God to hide his counsell Prouerbs 25. 2. Neither in saying so do we tye God vnto the meanes as though without Preaching it could not bee wrought at all for as in the things of nature he is not tyed vnto the meanes being himselfe the Lord of nature no more must we iudge him in this worke aboue nature wherein hee taketh glorie to himselfe to deale how and which way he will in an extraordinarie sort Sometimes in respect of the times sometimes in respect of the persons In the ruinous estate of the CHVRCH when there wanteth a set and stablished forme of gouernment it pleaseth him many times to blesse the very sound of the Word though it bee but read or talked of and sometimes other meanes so farre as to make it effectuall for the planting of faith in the heart as Iohn 4. 39. many of the Samaritanes were brought to beleeue in Christ onely vpon the womans wordes which bare record of him And the b Rom. 10. 18. Apostle to the Romanes sheweth that all the World was without excuse to pretend that they had not heard seeing the sound of the Apostles Doctrine was gone abroad into all the Earth The Wise-men also Mat. 2. were led by a Starre as it were by the hand vnto the true knowledge of Christ And Reuel 12. 6. it is said that the woman which fled into the Wildernesse had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Of the extraordinarie worke in respect of the persons we haue an example in the course which it pleaseth him to take with Infants that are not come to yeeres of discretion and vnderstanding as also with men of age which haue not capacitie bee it naturall fooles madde men or deafe-borne in whom the Spirit of God worketh immediately without this outward Ministerie To the faithfull this prerogatiue doth belong that wherefore with these God maketh indeed his Couenant God not onely offereth but maketh with them his Couenant In the Scripture it is called A striking smiting or as the word doth signifie c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Cutting off a Couenant The phrase seemeth to bee taken from the custome of old-time in making of solemne Couenants which was to cut a beast in twaine and to passe betweene the parts of it Gen. 15. 17 18. Ier. 34. 18 19. The qualities or adioynts of Faith are three First Apprehending Christ now absent onely in his By vertue whereof our Faith albeit apprehending Christ absent it apprehend him weakly Word and Sacraments the knowledge and apprehension must needs be feeble and weake Wherein notwithstanding there are distinct degrees neither are the faithfull that lay hold on Christ endued all with the like measure of Faith for there is a weake and a slender hold as it were by the fingers end there is a strong and a fast hold as it were with the whole hand The first of these is called d Mat. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little Faith and e Mat. 17. 20. Faith as much as a graine of Mustard Seed But how weake soeuer the Lord accepteth it and promiseth not to quench so much as the f Esay 42. 3. smoking Flax yea hee accepteth the verie desire to beleeue which is the beginning and least step of Faith for faith it selfe And this kinde of Faith is to be seene in the father g Mat. 9. 24. of the childe that cryed with teares I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe The other by a Metaphore taken from a Ship that commeth into the Hauen with ful Sayles is called Plerophoria or a full assurance whereof we haue h R◠4. 20 21. Abraham for an Example Who was not weake through vnbeliefe but was strengthened in the Faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that what he had promised he was able also to do Our faith being weake is through the gracious operation yet confirmed by the Word Sacraments Prayer and other holy meanes of the same Spirit that first wrought it strengthened and supported by the Word and Sacraments which are the nourishing and preseruing causes that so long as heere we liue wee haue a continuall need of the Ministerie and all other holy meanes Whereupon Paul bidding the Thessalonians i 1 Thess 5. 19 20. not to quench the Spirit immediately addeth Despise not Prophecies Another thing proper vnto Faith is this that where it neuer letteth goe the hold all other Gifts and Graces of the Spirit if they haue not Faith which is the Roote may wither and come to nothing this neuer can bee lost but groweth to the end Wherefore out of this one Roote two branches as it were doe spring And because they are both worthie of speciall consideration it shall not be amisse distinctly to speake of them One which is the second qualitie of Faith that he which once hath this Faith is sure to haue it still So saith our Sauiour Christ Luke 22. 31. in the person of Peter giuing a perpetuall comfort to all that are his I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith should not faile In another place hee saith k Iohn 6. 35. He that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Agreeable whereunto is that of IOHN l 1. Iohn 2. 19. They went out from among vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue abidden with vs. For this is that sweete and euerlasting promise that God hath made vnto his Church m Ier. 32. 39 40 I will not put my feare into their hearts that they shall neuer depart away from mee all the dayes of their life And excellent to this purpose is the speech of