c Rom. 4.1 13 16. the father of the faithfull and the Heire of the world and in making him great promises to the same and other purposes and repeating them often vnto him chiefly concerning the Messias who should proceed of d Math. 1.1 2 c. Gal. 3. 4. with Gen. 12.15.17 22. chap. 2 Chron. 20.7 him and of his posteritie according to the flesh concerning himselfe and his seede both by nature faith and by faith I say both of Iew and Gentile temporally and eternally All which God hath performed and will accomplish to the full in Christ the blessed seed And of Abrahams Faith and Thankfulnesse on th' other part His Faith in giuing full trust and credit vnto Gods loue and promises His Thankfulnes in behauing himselfe as the speciall friend of God and of his glory throughout his whole drift and course labouring to promote and maintaine Gods name and seruice vnto the vttermost For Abraham e Gen. 12.1 4 5 c. 17.23 c. 18.19 22.1 2. c 12. 24. Ios 24.14 15. Esai 41.8 Iohn 8. Heb. 11.8 15. Jam. 2.23 approued himselfe to be the worthy and trustie champion propagator and maintainer of Gods glory and honor by his faithfull cleauing vnto God his vprightnesse his carefull shunning of defection impugning of Idolatrie and abhorring of all iniquitie This then was the speciall frendship betwixt God and Abraham which was sealed on both parts f Genes 17. by the Sacrament of Circumcision giuen and receiued as also by other diuine signes amongst which that was not the least that God gaue Abraham g Gen. 21.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. a Sonne in his old age and Abraham h Gen. 22. would haue offered him willingly in sacrifice to the Lord at his commandement Secondly i Philem. v. 17. 1 Sam. 18.3 20.14 15 16 17. speciall inward friends do count ech others friends and enimies common as we see not onely amongst those that are meerly naturall but also with those that haue beene the children of grace Now this we finde also betwixt God and Abraham For the Lord out of his speciall loue made this promise to Abraham and to his true seede after him k Genes 12.3 I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse him that curseth thee and euermore duly kept it both towards him and his wife and towards his children l Gal. 3.7 of which sort are all they which are of faith For God did manifestly reueale what reckoning he made of Abraham and Sarah his wife their friends and enimies first m Genes 12.17 19. by his seuere plaguing of Pharaoh the Aegyptian King his house for taking Sarai into his house though none of them abused her for the Lord preserued her being his Friends wife from their filthinesse And afterwards by his jealous and sharpe n Gen. 20.3 7 17 18. Psal 105.15 rebuking Abimelech King of Gerar for the like cause telling him that He and all His should surely die vnlesse he restored vnto Abraham his wife yea and striking his wife maid-seruants with barrennesse but in conclusion o Gen. 20.13 14 15 16 17 18. after that he had restored vnto Abraham his wife vndefiled and shewed other kindnesses both to him and her the Lord at this his great Friends request healed Abimelechs wife and maid-seruants so that they bare children And as for Abrahams children the Faithfull the holy Scriptures and all experience doe euidently shew the like dealing of God for them Againe Abraham declared his loue to his best Friend the Lord in hating Gods enimies as if they had bin his owne and so in entertaining reuerencing and succouring the friends messengers and seruants of the Lord as his owne or rather aboue his owne all which things we read p Genes 14. in the storie of Abrahams slaying Chedarlaomer and the Kings that were with him who were not onely his owne enimies but also of Melchizedec the Priest of the most High God of Lot and others of Gods Church and consequently of God himselfe q Gen. 24.3 in the storie of his auoyding the mariage of the daughters of Canaan with his sonne Isaac for the Canaanites being out of the Couenant of God were to be reckoned amongst his enimies and r Gen. 14. in the stories of his rescuing Lot paying tithes to Melchizedec Å¿ Genes 18. entertaining the Angels and praying for what righteous persons he supposed were in Sodom Gomorrhe Lastly Great and speciall friends are wont to resort and continue much togither and therein to conferre familiarly of their most weighty and secret matters and occasions And I pray you how many apparitions did the Lord vouchsafe to Abraham How familiarly did the Lord conferre with him at sundry times And how weightie and secret were the occasions which they did communicate th' one to th' other As namely concerning Abraham and his estate his wife and progenie the blessed seed CHRIST IESVS and all others of Abrahams seede the matter of Sodom and Gomorrhe Abrahams prayers and thanksgiuings which vndoubtedly were many and feruent and finally his meditations vpon the will of God to him reuealed which in the secret of his soule he spiritually talked of vnto God For seeing he had that zeale holinesse and loue that he did pray so long and so earnestly for the wicked and filthy Sodomites we may easily iudge how plentifull hee was in his consultations and supplications with the Lord for himselfe and the rest of Gods Church and to conclude what a heauenly fellowship and holy commerce was exercised between them Parent But what vse is there of all this to vs Pastor Very great both for our instruction and comfort For if we be faithfull as Abraham was we ought to be certainly perswaded that the Lord is the same God to vs as he was to Abraham though we haue not the like extraordinarie signes and testimonies The proofes whereof are cheifly two First t Act. 10.34 35. Rom. 2.10 11. 1 Ioh. 1.3 4. 4.15 16 17. Ioh. 17.20 21 22 23 24 25 26. Gods loue is one and the same towards all his people and seruants in Christ Iesus whom he gaue vnto the death aswell for euery one and the least of them as for any one and the greatest of them And secondly the Lord telleth vs in generall that u Rom. 15.4 whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope yea and specifieth this thing expresly saying * Galat. 3.9 they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham and to put vs out of all doubt he giueth all true beleeuers as friendly and gratious speeches as he did to Abraham both in the Old and New Testaments In the Old thus he vttereth his minde x Zechar. 2.8 he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye In the new thus
assuredly Child u Rom. 8.34 Heb. 6.19 20. 9.24 Reuel 1.5 Because he sitteth at the right hand of God his Father and so is become our continuall Remembrancer Parent How is Christ the King of his Church Child * Luk. 1.32 33. 1 Cor. 15.25 c. By ruling it in this world and glorifying it in the world to come Parent How doth Christ rule his Church in this world Child First x Phil. 2.13 by working grace in the heart Secondly y Psal 121. by protecting and defending it Thirdly z Rom. 8.28 by disposing all things to its greatest good Parent What Graces doth Christ the King of his Church *** The first way of Christs ruling of his Church in this world worke in the heart Child a Phil. 1.29 1 Cor. 6.11 Faith and Sanctification or Regeneration Parent What is Faith Child b Eph. 3.12 17. Rom. 4.18 21. Faith is a true perswasion of my heart grounded vpon the Promises of God that whatsoeuer Christ hath wrought for the saluation of Man he hath done it as well for me as for any others Parent In what words is Faith in Christ taught Child Gal. 2.20 The Sonne of God hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Seruant What is the least measure of true Faith that any one can haue who is of yeeres of discretion Scholler d Gen. 4.13 Rom. 8.9 23.24 25. Ephes 3.17 Math. 5.6 Psal 51.8 9. compared When one is perswaded that his sinnes may be forgiuen and withall prayeth from the bottome of his heart that whatsoeuer els God doth for him he would forgiue him Seruant But when Faith groweth to some strength how may you know then that you haue a true and liuely faith Scholler First e Rom. 5 1. Gal. 4.6 by the inward peace of my conscience féeling Gods loue in Christ and assuring me of the forgiuenesse of all my sinnes Secondly f Act. 15.9 Rom. 6.19 Iam. 2.14 15 16. c. by my good workes which are the fruits of a liuely faith * See more of Faith in Part. 4. and in Part. 5. Seruant Where are the chiefest points of Faith as touching the things themselues that are to be beleeued of a Christian comprised and set all togither in one short summe for the help of the more ignorant sort of weake memories Scholler In the Confession of Faith commonly called the Articles of our Beléefe and by some The Apostles Creed Seruant Why is it called The Creed Scholler Of the Latine word Credo which is the first word in this Confession and signifieth in our English tongue I beleeue Seruant And why beareth it the name of the Apostles Scholler Because it was taken out of the doctrine of the Apostles Seruant Vnto whom was it prescribed Scholler Vnto euery one to confesse in his owne person as being indéed the Summe of all Religion Parent Rehearse the Creed Child The forme of Confession of Faith I beléeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord who was conceiued by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into Hell The third day hée rose againe from the dead He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead I beléeue in the Holy Ghost the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of Sinnes the Resurrection of the Bodie and the Life euerlasting Amen Parent I pray you Pastor giue vs a short Explanation of the Creede which we may vse to read deliberately in our house vnto our ignorant people now and than and at the least vpon the Lords day where better means of edification cannot be had before or after we haue beene at the publike Ministerie of the word In which Explanation we would haue you to direct vs how to vnderstand and apply euery seuerall point to ech one of our selues particularly and withall set vs downe in the margent some of the plainest testimonies of holy Scripture to proue that your exposition is grounded thereon Pastor I will so that you will not forget nor neglect to vse it weekely till such time as you and your Families be better instructed and setled in the truth Parent I pray God make me and my companie not only mindfull and diligent to vse it but also giue vs grace to profit by it Pastor Amen Now than a Christian man or woman should vnderstand and apply to his or her selfe the Articles of Faith as if he or she should say a litle more largely thus The Explanation of the Creede The Creed it self being the Summe of the holy Gospell Forasmuch as g g Heb. 11.1 2 3 c. Iam. 1 12 13. 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9. true Faith is the onely Mother and ground-worke of all sauing graces and whereby also they become acceptable to God and that euery person who looketh to bée saued must attaine saluation by his h h Hab. 2.4 Iohn 3.15 16 18. Gal. 3.22 26. Heb. 10.38 11.6 owne faith and not by the faith that is in any others out of himselfe And forasmuch as the same true faith i i Rom. 10.10 2 Cor. 4.13 Matth. 10 32 33. Act. 8.37 will necessarily shew it self by Confession I doe here make confession of it with my mouth as I haue receiued and do stedfastly hold it in my heart not from the traditions or sayings of men but as I sée it warranted in Gods most holy word vnto the praise and glory of God my owne comfort and the good example of others in this forme following to wit I beleeue in God the Father Almighty Maker of heauen earth I doe acknowledge and beléeue k k Deut. 4.39.1 Iohn 5.7 one onely God distinguished into thrée persons l l Math. 28.19 the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to be m m Iohn 14.1 20.28 my God n n Ephes 1.11 Act. 15.18 27.20 21 22 c. who decréed before all worlds o o Gen. 1. 2. chapters made and fashioned in time p p Act. 4.24 28. Gen. 14.19 Rom. 11.36 disposeth and possesseth all things whatsoeuer with all their seuerall actions circumstances in most holy manner according to his infinite power and wisedome vnto his owne glory and specially Angels in heauen and Men on earth who is both willing able to blesse me q q Rom. 8.28 Psal 115.11 13 15. and who I know maketh all things worke togither for good vnto me whom he hath called to loue feare and obey him maugre all enimies r r Iohn 20.17 because hee is Christs father and my father almighty in strength Which Father ſ ſ Gen. 3.1 7. Iohn 8.44 Rom. 7.12 23. Deut. 27.26 when wée wretches fel shamefully
withall I haue also brought you the Parent in sometimes asking my helpe and sometimes conferring otherwise with me and my selfe the Pastor answering your Questions replying satisfying your demands aduising or exhorting in sundry matters and passages of the Booke Parent I thanke the Lord for the care you haue had of me and my people and such as we are And I do promise by the grace of God to obserue your order and directions both for my selfe and all my familie as also for other my speciall frends with whom I can preuaile vntill it shall please God to bring vs to some competent perfection that we be as good or better than your Booke Pastor Well then remember your promise and consider that it is impossible for you t 1 Sam. 2.12 13 14 15 16 17 22 23 24 25. to seeke and serue the Lord in the Congregation and yet to to be negligent or prophane in the house And looke that you breake not off a good course well begun but hold on with cheerefull resolution and constancie against all temptations and stumbling blocks And euermore be carefull to proceed with a good and honest heart neuer seeming before men to be more religious than indeed you are before God who is the searcher of the hearts And haue respect to your conuersation that it be such as may u Tit. 2.10 adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things And to this good worke of informing reforming your Houshold it shall be much helpfull for you often and seriously to call to minde First the Commandements which God hath giuen togither with the Promises that he hath made to the truly obedient in this behalfe And secondly the Examples of the Godly Fathers mentioned in Scripture who haue practised furthered this worke and specially of Abraham Iosua and Dauid whom the Lord made notable patterns for all Christian Housholders to imitate Parent I pray you giue me some taste of Gods commandements and promises laid forth to all Housholders Pastor The Commandement or rather Charge that the Lord giueth you is most plainly expressed in Deuteronomie In one place he beginneth thus u Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And in another thus x Deut. 11.18 Yee shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule And then in the former place he proceedeth thus y Deut. 6.7 8 9. And thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes And thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thy House and on thy Gates His meaning is Housholders must apply this worke that because mans heart is scarcely by the greatest and most continuall labor brought into due order obedience that first for our selues we meditate his word so much the more carefully and earnestly that we may vnderstand and embrace it in the whole course of our life and secondly that we doe our best endeuour to propogate the doctrine of it from one to another euen to all posteritie He saith Teach them diligently the Originall hath it thus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Et exacues ea vel Et ea acutè ingeres Tremel Put them pearcingly as warriours sharpen and whet their weapons to pierce and cut their enimies with more easinesse Therefore Parents Housholders must put Gods word so importunately and fitly vpon their children people that there be no failing on their part for lacke of the best course and manner that may be taken but that the other may receiue it So then you must carry your selues towards them as those that will haue no nay and that whatsoeuer else they entertaine or refuse this holy doctrine they must needs embrace Thus the Lord requireth you to be diligently and euermore bent and busie to accept and promote his word to all your people and specially to your children pressing it vpon their consciences whether you be in rest or motion and in what place soeuer you be taking the likeliest opportunities and vsing your greatest wisedome to make it effectuall in their hearts To which ends he admonisheth you to haue it in a readinesse in your hearts as a thing that you alwaies carry in your hands to be put to present vse vpon ech occasion and as a thing that is euer to be seene directly before your eyes and therefore to be alwaies in minde and neuer to be out of the way z Psal 18.21 22. but ready for a continuall rule and constant practise in all your wayes Then the Promise is added in these word a Deut. 11.21 That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the Land which the Lord sware vnto your Fathers to giue them as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth that is to say Both you and yours who serue the Lord in his word shall prosper and be blessed both here euer For the multiplying of dayes noteth the happines of time and liuing vpon earth and the Land of Gods promise or oath which was Canaan signified euerlasting life Parent Shew me likewise the examples of piety in this behalfe with you haue named first of Abraham Pastor Of Abraham the Lord said thus b Genes 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe iustice and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Lo here Gods own report both of Abrahams course in glorifying God by his children and houshold also of his owne gratious blessing vpon him and his progenie according to his free promise besides the present fauour God shewed him in acquainting him with his secret purpose to proceede against Sodom and Gomorrhe for which and other causes Abraham is often graced in the holy Scriptures with that speciall title The Friend of God Parent A digression why Abraham is called The friend of God Let me intreat you to declare vnto me more largely plainly the meaning of that title which God gaue vnto Abraham The friend of God Pastor For three Reasons First we know it is the manner and dutie of true and louing frends to shew speciall fauour and kindnesse one to another and to make hearty and vnfained promise of their mutuall loue as well either to other as to ech others posteritie after them and to giue credit either to others affections and words yea and duly and mindfully to performe their promises on both parts as Dauid and Ionathan did But wee read in the Scriptures of Gods singular fauour and mercy on th' one part towards Abraham in calling him by his grace to be faithfull