Of GOD. Chap. 1.

WHen I first beganne to vn­derstand of GOD, I had this imagination: that God was a general power, The gene­rall know­ledge of GOD. with-in whose Circle all things are, without whom nothing; by whome all things were made, and to whome all men owe theyr seruice.

This learning was taught mee by the wisedome of my Naturall soule, and by the common example of Christi­ans: for all men acknowledge a God, [Page 2] and all Christians this dutie. This is the common knowledge, but not the profitable; more commendable in Phi­losophers then Christians: being with­out vse, How to know God, with vse. without application. I haue therefore better endeuored my selfe, and studied to know God my God: to knowe him in his Diuine nature, in the Trinitie of persons, and in their offices; for thus to knowe, To know Gods na­ture. and then to appre­hend and applie, is saluation. To know GOD in his nature, His attri­butes. wee must know his attributes; all which may bee reduced to these two generals, Iustice and Mer­cie: in all which we must consider him to be infinite; infinite in wisedome, in­finite in fauour, The Tri­nitie. infinite in power, infi­nite in time. The Trinitie is the di­stinction of persons without diuiding the substance or nature of God: the Fa­ther, Sonne, and holie Ghost, though they bee three distinct in Name, they are one in power, without diuision, without inequalitie. The Sonne begot­ten as ancient as the Father; the holie Ghost proceeding from both, equall with both; no prioritie in their omni­tencie; [Page 3] but all of them being alike able in all things, alwayes conspiring one end without discord. The foun­dation of Religion. This diuine my­stery is the foundation of Christian re­ligion, without which there is no faith, no saluation.

It is further necessary to know the Tri­nitie in their seuerall offices; for though the Godhead be so vndeuided, The seueral offices in the Trini­tie. as that no one person in the Trinitie doth work without cooperation, the Father, Sonne, and holy-Ghost conspyring in euery acte of euery seuerall person; yet in the wisedome of their owne Decree, they haue determined to the seuerall persons of the Trinitie, The Trini­tie con­spire in eue­rie worke. seuerall execu­tions of Offices: wherein though the whole TRINITIE cōspire, yet some one Person in the Trinitie hath the name of Principall: The Crea­tor. therefore we say, GOD the Father made the World, the Sonne redeeemed it, The Crea­tion ascri­bed to God the Father, the Sonne, and holy Ghost, coo­perating. the Holie Ghost doth gouerne it. The Creation of the world is ascribed to God the Father, yet hee made the world, and the workes therein by his Word. This Word was God, the second person in the Trinitie, [Page 4] who did cooperate & worke with God in the Creation. The holie Ghost also moued vpon the Waters, to diuide the Seas and distinguish light: all of them ioyntly and seuerally executing the De­crees of their owne diuine councell. Redemp­tion ascri­bed to God the Sonne.

The worke of Redemption is properlie ascribed to Christ, the second Person, who descended his Maiestie, and in his owne person came to make a conquest, of Sinne, The Father and the ho­lie Ghost cooperating The holie Ghost doth gouerne the Word. Hell, and Death: Yet in this most gracious work, the Father and the holie Ghost were not absent, but gaue diuine assistance to our Blessed Sauiour IESVS. Christ when hee ascended, left the holie Ghost to be a patrone to the Catholique Church, the which in all occasions doth support euery mem­ber of the same; yet the Father and the Sonne haue their hands of prouidēce, The Father and the Sonne assi­sting. at all times working with the holy Ghost, in this diuine gouernement. Therefore howsoeuer they haue seuerall assigne­ments, by themselues appoynted, One la­bour, one honour in the Trini­tie. yet they all conspire in euery worke of ho­linesse, all of them participating one la­bour, one honour.

[Page 5]Thus to know God is needfull for e­uery soule that desireth happinesse, or that coueteth to haue part in the righ­teousnes of IESVS CHRIST, with­out whom there is no Saluation.

¶Of the Creation of the World. Chap. 2.

THe creation The Crea­tion. of the world hath bene the admirati­on of all men that knew not GOD, The reason why the Creation is not belee­ued of the-infidels. neyther be­leeued Scripture: the reason was, because theyr vnderstan­dings (wanting Diuine light,) were not able to comprehend the knowledge of so high a secret. Therefore the Philo­sophers haue vainely and diuersly disa­greed in their seuerall constructions of the beginning of the World: The vaine opinions of Philoso­phers. Some de­nying that the World euer had begin­ning, but that it was deriued (by the po­wer of Nature) from all Eternitie, Their fond arguments. Epicures. and had eternall perpetuitie. To maintaine which absurditie, they would demaund how GOD made the World; what in­struments hee vsed in the building of so wonderfull a frame, The an­swer. &c. Wherein may appeare theyr grosse misvnderstanding of God his Nature, that hee (like man) could not worke without the helpe of [Page 10] meanes and instruments: others more learned, more trew, concluded that of necessitie the world must haue begin­ning, and that there was a power Eter­nall, which made, moued, and gouer­ned all things, and that the world was not eternall: they had this sufficient ar­gument, that the World did suffer de­triment, and decay in it selfe: the Ele­ments had lost the puritie of their Na­ture which they had in the beginning: the mouings of the Spheares and Ce­lestiall bodyes, (which of all worldly things are most constant) had endured some alteration; All worldly things sub­iect to alte­ration. so that nothing in the world but did suffer and change, which could not bee if it were eternall. This grounded reason did cōuince the com­mon opinion of the Worlds eternitie: and did preuaile with them that could not be perswaded but by the power of Reason. This I write, not to perswade Christians, but Insidels and Epicures: that they, who denye the iudgement of Diuinitie, may bee iudged by Reason, and the wisedome of Nature; The iudge­ment of Reason. which alone is able to Conuince all oppo­sition. [Page 11] But to Christians I will one­ly write what GOD saith: How to sa­tisfie & per­swade Chri­stians. for that may serue to informe and satisfie euery one that is Faithfull. Moses the seruant, the witnesse of Almighty God, being inspi­red by the Holie-Ghost, hath left recor­ded to all posteritie, the manner of the Creation of the World: The Scrip­ture able, and onely able to sa­tisfie to which au­thoritie, (not onely my selfe) but euery Faithfull Christian doth confidentlie adhere, Gen. 1. disclayming all contradiction, all diuersitie.

In the story of the Creation, is prin­cipally considered the Creator, GOD; and the Creatures, the worke of Gods creation. In the Creator is considered his power, A compen­dious vn­derstanding of the crea­tion. his purpose; his power in be­ing able by his Word to finish a worke of such admiration. His purpose (not that hee needed any thing that hee had made, to supplie any defect in his Diui­nitie) but for the vse of a creature which afterwards hee was to make, euen man: to whome hee gaue the Heauens, The World was made for man, & man for GOD. the Earth, and all the hoast of them for ser­uants, reseruing man for the seruice of himselfe only. In the Creatures is con­sidered [Page 12] their original or matter of their Creation: and the order wherein they were created. The matter of the crea­tion, no­thing. This Originall was no­thing: for God created all things by the power of his Word, without mat­ter, there beeing nothing, whereof to make anything. The order God obser­ued. The order obserued in the Creation was, that God determi­ning the World and the workes therein for the seruice of man, would (before he made man) store the world (mās house) with euery needefull prouidence, The World mans house. that man (at the very instant of his being) might knowe himselfe to bee in the ful­nesse of Gods fauour: nothing wan­ting which might eyther administer to his pleasure or necessitie. The seuerall dayes work. Againe, in the Creatures themselues, 1. Light: God obser­ued a speciall order. First, hee created Light, without which the workes of his greatnesse had not beene visible. Se­condly, he created Heauen, 2. Heauen. giuing that prioritie for the excellence and dignitie of the place. 3 The sepa­ration of waters. Next, he made a separa­tion of the Earth and Waters, and gaue the Earth a generation of all Plants, and Trees bearing seede. Then hee [Page 13] placed in the Firmament, the Planets, and Fixed Starres, 4. Hee sto. reth the Firmament the which serue not [...] for Light, and to distinguish sea­sons, but also (by their influence) for the generation and gouernement of liuing creatures. Then God furnished the two Elements of Water and Aire, 5. Fish and Birds. with creatures of that kinde. Last of all, hee stored the Earth with the Creatures which liue on that Element; 6 Creatures liuing vpon the Ea [...]th. and when hee had finished the Creation of all things, hee then made Man after his owne similitude, and gaue him the pos­session of the World, When and how man was made. and the creatures hee had made: giuing him interest in all, and power ouer all, The power God gaue him. without excep­tion. This knowledge of the Creati­on, is necessarie in the vnderstanding of euery Christian of carefull conscience; with which knowledge, the lesse Lear­ned may satisfie themselues: The euill of curiositie. auoyding the curious search of such nice questi­ons, as may distract the simple, and a­uaile not to saluation.

¶Of the Angels, their Nature, their fall. Chap. 3.

THat the angels were cre­ated is most certaine: The creati­on of An­gels is sup­posed to be the first day of the Crea­tion. the time of their creation is not certain, but doubtful & diuersly beleeued: many men spend their iudgements in coniectures: all such are more curious then Wife, [Page 20] because the truth thereof cannot cer­tainely bee determined: neyther if it could, were the knowledge thereof necessary, or materiall to saluation: for whatsoeuer knowledge is necessa­ry for the happinesse of our soules, Note. is by God himselfe taught in the testimo­ny of holy Scriptures. This knowledge of the time of the creation of Angels, being not taught by God, doth make the search thereof vnprofitable, Ignorance is better then vn­profitable knowledge. Gods deny­ing is a for­bidding. vnlaw­full: for God doth nothing at perad­uenture, but all thinges in iudgement, and with the aduise of his diuine wise­dome. God then hauing denyed this knowledge, doth forbid the search of this vnknowne, vnprofitable know­ledge. That which I desire to know, which I desire to teach, is contained in the testimony of holy Scripture; the which denying me this knowledge of the creation of Angels, I forbeare to search the knowledge of Gods secrets; All necessa­ry know­ledge to sal­vation is contained in the scripture. and bee content rather to bee thought ignorant, then audaciously bolde with forbidden knowledge.

That which is needfull to be known [Page 21] of Angels, The na­ture, the office of Angels. The nature of their sub­stance, Their qua­lity. Power. Their of­fice. is their nature, their office. In their nature must be cōsidered what they are in substance, what in quality. Their substance is of the nature of our soules; pure and spirituall, eternall (in respect of ending) and without corrup­tion. In their quality is considered their power; being at all times, and vp­on all occasions able for the execution of Gods seruice. Their office is, that they are Gods messengers; their im­ployment is eyther in iudgements or mercies. This compendium is the knowledge of them all in general be­fore the fall and apostacy of Angels; all of them, The good and euill Angels were all cre­ated in one nature. the Angels and those that now are Diuels, being at their first cre­ation, of one quality, one power, and one excellence of nature. After the fall of Angels, who for their vnsupporta­ble pride, were cast from the presence of God into enternall darknesse & dam­nation, the Angels deuided them­selues. The better part keeping their first estate, How the Angels were divi­ded from the Divels. kept their entertainement with God, and continued his fauour and seruice. The worse deuiding them­selues, [Page 22] left the seruice of God, [...]at the Diuels la­ [...]our. and the fellowship of good Angels, bend their whole endeuour against God, against his blessed [...] Angells, and against the Saints that loue and serue him. This apostacie and diuision of Angels, hath diuided thē in their natures, & in their offices: The care of [...]ood angels the good angels euer labou­ring the good of men: the euill an­gels to hinder and preuent the good­nesse of God, and good angels; labou­ring by all meanes to bring mankinde to their owne condemnation. In theyr offices likewise they disagrce; The full op­osition of he good & [...]ill angels. for God dooth commonly imploy his good Angels in his workes of mercy, and fa­uourable protection. The Diuels he employeth in his iudgements and cor­rections, not that hee needeth their seruice, but that hee forceth them against their wils to his obediēce: these seuerall imployments of the good and euill angels, are not alwayes of neces­sitie though very common: for God doth often make his good angels de­stroy and inflict vengeance: and the Diuels he can vse in his workes of grea­test [Page 23] mercy. And this the Diuels do not with content, God can apply the Diuels in the worke of his owne glory. but are eyther forced by the vnresistable power of God, or else they deceiue themselues in the end of their owne workings, God making that which they intend for euill, to reach an end farre beyond, In his works of mercy. and contrary to their expectation and purpose.

There is this difference also in the executions of their seuerall offices; The diffe­rence in the. liberty of good and euill angels the good Angels haue both liberty and pleasure in the seruice of almightie God; and they labour with content & alacrity. The diuels haue neither liber­ty nor pleasure, but being fettered with limitations, cannot doe what they would, And as good and euill an­gels, so good and euill men. but what they are onely licen­ced. The angels are Gods seruants, the diuels are his slaues: both labour in his worke, but with great inequalitie. Now to proue the substāce of this do­ctrine by the testimonie of Scripture, I might enlarge my selfe with the num­ber of authorities; the which because they are frequent, I will produce only somefew, such as may satifie doubt. In the 104. Psalme, the Prophet admi­ring [Page 24] and praising God for his wonder­full creating and gouerning the Word, in the fourth vers. Psal. 104. 4. he saith: God made the spirits, (that is, the Angels) Messengers, and a flaming fire his Ministers. This verse is againe alledged by the author to the Hebrewes: who to proue the prehemi­nence of the Sonne of God, Hebr. 1. 6. saith: that all the Angels worship him, and proueth by the testimonie of the Prophet Dauid, Hebr. 1. 7. that Angels are but Messengers, or Mi­nisters: & that they are of a substance like fire or pure aire. By which testimo­nie is proued both the nature and the office of Angels: their nature, that they are spirits like fire; their office, that they are Ministers of Messengers. Their of­fice is againe repeated in the 14. verse: Are they not all Ministring Spirites, Verse. 14. sent forth to minister for their sakes, which shall be heires of saluation; by which is decla­red the purpose of their ministration & seruice: that is, for the benefite of Gods Elect, both to preuent the enemie, and to further them in their holie exercise. To prooue the power of Angells, wee may remember what God by an An­gell [Page 25] did for the Israelites in Egipt; Exod. 14. what he did when he brought them out by an Angell. 2. King. 12. 35. God destroyed of Saneheribs Hoast in one Night 185000. Dan. 6. 16. An An­gell preserued Daniell from the Lyons: Act. 12. 7. deliuered the Apostles out of Prison: Dan. 3. 23. the three Children from the Fornace: the Scripture is full of the demonstrati­ons of theyr powerfull acts, God wor­king his admirable effects by the seruice of his Angells. Againe, if wee reduce to memorie, the most memorable of all Gods mercies, we shall finde that in the execution, his Angels are eyther Mini­sters, or Messengers, and often both.

To omit all other particulars, that most worthie, most meritorious and happie: the Redemption of mankinde, by the birth, and by the death of Iesus Christ; were not the Angells continuall wor­kers in that ministration? God sent his Angell Gabriell to bring the first newes thereof, Luk. 1. 26. &c. to the most blessed Virgin Ma­rie. Luk. 29. Secondly, Luk. 2. 13. as soone as Christ was borne of the Virgin, the holie Angell did publish and preach it to the Shep­heards; multitudes of Heauenly Soldi­ers [Page 26] praysing and magnifying God for so great a benefite. How often did the Angels visit and comfort our Sauiour? The Diuell could acknowledge that God had giuen his Angels charge to prouide, Luk. 4. 10. 11. that his Son should not hurt his foot (that is) should not perish in the least particular. Christ being in his agony vpon the mount, there appea­red an Angell to him, comforting him. At his resurrection the Angels attend, and are the first publishers of that bles­sed newes. Luk. 22. 43. 44. Lastly, Luk. 24. 4. at his ascension the holy Angelles attend to bring him to the bosome of his Father, Act. 1. 10. 11. comfor­ting the Apostles with the promise of his returne. Thus wee see by testimony of Scripture, what the Angels are, what their office is, The graci­ous disposi­tion of good An­gels. and how they are affe­cted; of so gracious a disposition, & so inclinable to the good of men, that they haue ioy and consolation in Hea­uen among themselues at the Conuer­sion of a sinner. Luk. 15. 7. 10. Therefore in all re­spects of noblenesse and excellency, they are the most Soueraigne of all creatures, whom God hath ordained [Page 27] to be continual wayters in his holy pre­sence.

It is by many doubted, A question. by some de­maunded, whether men may not law­fully implore the fauor and assistance of angels: for in their reasons it dooth seeme equall, that seeing God hath gi­uen his Angels the charge of his elect, & hath made them ministring Spirites, Heb. 1. 14. The angels haue a charge of holy men. for their sakes which shall bee heyres of sal­uation, that therefore they implore their gracious protection, giue some acknowledgement of thanks to the ho­ly Angels, by whom they haue helpe & supportation, in the passage of their Christian pilgrimage. The answer. First. To answer this, there is a double doubt to be resolued. First, I doubt whether euery faithfull christian man & woman, haue one par­ticular Angell assigned them, and whe­ther that Angel he at all times continu­ally present. Secondly, Secondly, These doubts can­not be sa­tisfied. whether the Angels of God not present, can heare the prayers of men directed to them. The first, that euery man hath his An­gell assigned him, was neuer yet sub­stantially proued: and that angels ab­sent [Page 28] should be able to heare our praiers present, is dangerous to acknowledge; lest therby we take diuinity from God, We must not take from God to giue his Angels. and giue it to his Angels. And where­as they reinforce this argument with some examples in the Scripture, as in the 48. of Genesis, the 16. verse, Gen. 48. 16. where Ia­cob blessing the sonnes of Ioseph, sayth: The Angell which hath deliuered me from all euill, An answere to an obie­ction. blesse the children, &c. It is an­swered, that by Angell, Iacob here vn­derstandeth God. Againe, if the words will not beare that construction, but that it must bee graunted to bee an Angel, the messenger or Minister of al­mighty God; God giues his speciall favour to speciall and choyse par­ticulars. it is not therefore gran­ted, that euery Christian hath the like degree of fauour as Iacob had; he be­ing a speciall select, by whom God would declare himselfe to be wonder­full, giuing him extraordinary degrees of fauour, and extraordinary protecti­on. Therefore the Angell of God did oftentimes assist him, Quaere. both in his griefe, and hopes; the Angell presen­ting himselfe to Iacob in a visible form; and Iacob wrastling with the Angel, the [Page 29] which familiarity hath not been gran­ted but to some choyse particulars on­ly. And Iacob doth not direct his prai­er to the Angell, We may pray to God, for the prote­ction of an­gels, but not to the an­gels for Gods pro­tection. but to God, that the Angel might protect his grandchildrē; and in praying for this extraordina­ry blessing for his children, he doth not conclude that therefore euery Christi­an man hath the like extraordinary fa­uour. They are therefore dangerously deceyued, who for giuing the holy An­gels their demonstrations of thankes, giue them adoration and diuine wor­ship; & so coueting to please, displease the holy Angels that attend them.

This is one extremity; there is ano­ther, Another extremity. and that is a remisnesse: when men acknowledge no reuerence, no re­spect to the dignity of holy angels. The holy men of all ages at the sight of an Angel would vse extraordinary respect of humility & reuerence. A reverence due to holy angels. Abrahā he bo­wed himself in reuerence to the ground and called the Angell Lord: Gen. 18. 2. 3. so like­wise in the example of all the godly. Obiection. And though men obiect that in these times the angels do not present them­selues, [Page 30] (as in the old world) in visible formes; and therefore they neede no reuerence, Answer. there being no knowledge of their presence. I answer, that though they appeare not in formes, The angels often pre­sent with vs in their spi­rituall na­ture. yet they are notwithstanding, often present in their spirituall natures: which though our corporall eyes cannot discerne, yet a spirituall iudgement and holy medi­tation will remember vs. And this is answerable to the iudgement of Saint Paul, who would haue men and wo­men vse decency and respect, euen because of the angels. 1 Cor. 11. 10. Therefore (saith he) ought a woman to haue power on her head (that is to bee couered) because of the Angels: for if there be a duety of re­uerence to men, with whom wee con­uerse, there is doubtlesse a reuerence also due to the holy angels that con­uerse with vs.

¶Of Man his first beginning, and the state of his Innocency. Chap 4

WHen God had created the world, & had giuen being and proportion to al creatures saue mā; that he mightconclude his labor with a work of extraordinary admiration, Man the most excel­lēt of Gods worke. he then made man, giuing him the possession of the world hee had created: In this worke of God there are these considerations. First, First. the aduise & deliberation of the Trinity, in deter­mining this work: Gen. 1. 26. God said, Let vs make man, &c. Secondly, Second. God made man of a preexistent matter, not creating him of nothing as hee did the other Crea­tures: The Lord also made Man of the dust of the ground, Gen. 2. 7. &c. Thirdly, Thirdly. man [Page 37] was made in the image of God, and according to his likenesse. Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make man in our image, and accor­ding to our likenesse. Fourthly, Fourthly. the rule and gouernment God gaue man ouer all creatures; giuing him liberty ouer all, to vse them in their kinde with mo­deration: And let them rule ouer the fish of the sea, Gen. 1. 26. & ouer the sowle of the heauen, & ouer the beasts, and ouer al the earth, and ouer euery thing that creepeth and moueth on the earth, vers. 26 Fiftly, Fiftly. is to be cō ­sidered the end of mans Creation which is for the glory and honour of God that made him. Isay. 43. 7. Euery one shall be called by my name, for I created him for my glory, formed him & made him. These particulars are most materiall, and of nearest consideration in the creation of man, and because of their importance, I will somewhat dilate vpon euery par­ticular. First of the aduise and delibera­tion God vsed when hee formed man: God sayd, Let vs make man. Gen. 1. 26. When he created the World, and the Workes therein, he sayde, Let there be, and there were; but when hee commeth to make [Page 38] man, he sayth, Let vs make by whom he putteth a difference betwixt man and euery other creatur, The diffe­rence God made be­tween man and his o­ther c [...] ­tures. that as man should excell all other in the excellency of his nature, and in the purpose of his end; so God would honour him aboue all in the manner of his Creation. Let vs, that is, the three persons in the Tri­nity, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; the which at the making of man, are personally vnderstood: at the creating of the world, they are not personally, but generally vnderstood, in the vnity of their Godhead, Note. For so I vnderstand the words of Gods creating, Let there bee, to be meant by the Godhead indi­uisible; the words, Let vs make, to bee meant by the persons distinguished. And though no man can bee able to giue a reason of the secret will of God: yet this may bee imagined, A supposed reason of Gods secret will. that seeing the world and all the creatures therein (saue man) haue only a generall respect to the honour of God, & therfore were they by the generall power of Gods diuinity created: but man (being de­termined in the counsell of God) that [Page 39] hee should bee an occasion that the whole Trinity should haue diuine ex­ercise in the gouernement of his life; The Tri­nity haue divine exer­cise in the governe­ment of man. and euerie one in their seuerall assigne­ments, as should please themselues to appoint: therefore God (in the Trini­ty of persons) made man, because af­terwardes in the Trinity of persons hee was to gouerne him. God he gaue man a law, God the Father gaue man a law. which he being not able to keepe, did condemne him. Christ the second person, moderateth the law, & giueth the Gospell, Christ mo­derateth the law, and giveth the Gospell. The holy Ghost mo­ueth grace. promising saluati­on to all that will beleeue. The holy Ghost he moueth in the harts of Gods elect, and giueth grace to apprehend by faith, the meanes of saluation. Thus are they personally busied in the go­uernement and preseruation of man; thus were they personally at his Crea­tion. The mat­ter of mans creation. The diffe­rence God made in the creation between man and all other creatures.

The second consideration, is the matter of mans creation. And this in a double respect is considerable, in the person of God; first, God when he for­med other creatures, hee required no matter, but gaue them beeing by his [Page 40] word. But when hee formed man, hee first prepared his matter, then gaue the forme, and created man. Wherin God doth vse a double care, a double dili­gence; not that hee could not create man of nothing as he had the rest of his creatures, but he did it in the wisedome of his diuinity, The rea­son why God made man of a preexistent matter. for respect and cause­full consideration. First, to expresse his double, or rather his manifold affecti­on to that creature. Secondly, Secondly. to pre­uent the proude imagination, man might haue of the noblenesse of his nature, The natu­rall pride of flesh. it being yet in the pride of our flesh; to boast our descent, and to de­riue our families from antiquity and greatnesse.

The third consideration is the di­stinguishing forme of man, The forme of man his soule. his reaso­nable soule, whereby God doth distin­guish him from all the Creatures of earth, giuing him reason and discourse to in able him for the gouernement of the world. This is considerable in these respects. First, the order God ob­serued in the creation: God first made the world, afterwards hee made man, [Page 41] and gaue him the possession. The order God vsed at the ma­king of man. So when hee made man, he first framed the bo­dy, then formed the soule, Hee made not the body and soule at one instant, but in their times, and in order: for when hee had made the house, he then put in the tenant, & not before. Second­ly, is considered the excellency of the nature of our soules. The nature of our soules. Gen. 2. 7. For God neyther made nor created our soule, but inspi­red it by the vertue of his diuinity. Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God also made man of the dust of the ground, there is the matter of his body. And breathed in his face the breath of life: there was the nature and excellence of his soule; being the breath of almighty God, diuine, spirituall & eternall. And the man was (then) a li­uing soule: The soule is the distin­guishing forme of man. for before God inspired the soule, was man onely framed and not formed, his reasonable soule being that which doth distinguish him from all o­ther creatures, being (in respect of his soule) the nearest resemblance to Gods diuinity. Gen. 1. 26 Man is Gods i­mage in re­spect of his reasonable soule. For so God determining his creation, sayth: Let vs make man in our own image, according to our likenes. Mans [Page 42] soule, being (in respect of reason & eter­nity, a resemblance of Gods diuinity.

The fourth consideration, Fourthly. is the rule and gouernment God gaue man ouer all creatures. Gen, 1. 26. Gen. 1. 26. And let them rule ouer the fish of the seas &c. First, it is con­sidered, that God by giuing man this authority, With what cautions God gaue man go­vernment. doth not disinable himself of the gouernment of his owne creatures, but doth reserue to himselfe the Soue­raigne regality; giuing man a steward­ship, and superintendance onely. Psal. 24. 1 The earth (sayth holy Dauid) is the Lords, and all that is therin, the round world, and they that dwell therein. Secondly, Secondly in that it is sayd, God gaue them rule, &c. there is a double consideration. First, that God communicateth his power to mankind in generall, not to this or that particular. The gene­rall descent of power deriued vpō all. For God speaketh in the plurall number, Hee gaue them, and not him power, &c. So that the power is deriued vpon all, and not vpon one, or any number of certaine particulars. Againe, these words, hee gaue them, haue relation to the words, he created them. Gen. 1. 27. Gen. 1. 27. God created the man in [Page 43] his image, in the image of God created hee him, he created them male and female. So when he gaue man the gouernment of the world, hee sayth, He gaue them that is, The man and woman had a like authority in Gods creatures. the man and the woman: for as God did not deuide them in their Natures, so hee would not diuide them in the vse and gouernment of his creatures, but whatsoeuer is lawfull to the one, is law­full to the other; both of them hauing equall and indifferent power in the vse of Gods creatures.

Lastly, Fiftly. is considered the end of mans creation, The end of mans crea­tion. which is, that God may bee glorified in the seruice of so noble a creature. I say, 43. 7. Isay. 43. 7. I created him for my glory, formed him and made him. God is glorified or honoured in a double re­spect. Note. First, in acknowledgement. Se­condly, in personall seruice. In acknow­ledgements, when men haue a thanke­full remembrance of Gods mercy in the creation, and in the Redemption of mankind. This acknowledgement is declared in the meditations, prayers, How we should de­clare our thanks to God. thankesgiuings, and reuerence of holy men, to the Name, the Me­mory, [Page 44] and the maiesty of God. In the 15. of Exodus, the second verse, Moses acknowledging Gods mercy in theyr deliuerance sayth: Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is my strēgth and prayse, and hee is become my saluation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a ta­bernacle: hee is my Fathers God, and I will exalt (or honor) him. And the Prophet Dauid hath it common in his holy me­ditations, that he will honour God in his acknowledgements; and condem­neth the hypocrisie of euill men, that honour God with their lips, and haue their hearts farre from him. And Saint Paul in the heate of his zealous affecti­on, calleth this glory his reioycing, and disclameth euery other obiect of glo­ry, Gal. 6. 14. but Iesus Christ, and him crucified. Secondly, Secondly. God is honoured in the per­sonall seruices of men, and that is when they carefully trauell in the exercise of such Christian duties, as he hath com­manded. How wee should glo­rifie God in personall seruice. This hath relation to that conditionall proposition of our Sa­uiour Christ: If you loue mee keepe my commandements. For if we neyther keep nor endeuour to keepe his commande­ments, [Page 45] we loue not; and whom we loue not, we cannot honour. And as Christ sayth of himselfe. The works which I doe, be are witnesse of mee, &c. So the endeuours of our liues, Ouractions witnesse our affections. witnesse what we are, and whether wee honour God, and loue him or not. These fiue parti­culars, are the maine considerations to be regarded in the creating of man. In the creator is remembred his delibera­tion, Let vs: in the Creation, the mat­ter and the forme; the matter earth, A compen­dium of the chapter. the forme Gods breath. In the creature, his rule, his end: his rule, he was Steward, and superintendent Lord ouer all: his end, the glory and seruice of his creator God.

Of the State of mans Inno­cence before his fall. Chap. 5.

THat man was created good, Man crea­ted inno­cent. holy, & innocent is euident by the testi­mony of Scripture, ney­ther is it doubted of the christian world to whom I write. Ther­fore I shall lesse need to trauell in the search of authorities, neyther spend time & words to proue a general grant. For when God had ended the worke of his creation, the holy Ghost saith, that [...]ee viewed all that hee had made, Gen. 1. 31. and loe [...] was very good. For God being the fa­ [...]her and fountain of goodnesse, Nothing but good can be deri­ued from God. it was [...]ot possible that any thing that was e­ [...]ill should bee deriued from him▪ but [...]ike himselfe, so his worke was perfect­ [...]y good; no blemish, no defect. It is [...]herfore generally to be beleeued, that [Page 52] Adam at his first creation was holy and innocent, no defect of nature, no cor­ruption of sinne: and that God gaue him the liberty of free will, and power (if so he would) to continue his estate of happinesse. Ecclus. 15. 14. 15. From this doctrine of the free-will of man before his fall, Free-will. hath risen much controuersie, and strife of words, the knowledge whereof is more dangerous thē profitable in the vnder­standings of the simple and vnlearned: The euill [...]. of men. all men being naturally desirous to know or seeme to know those intricate and nice questions, and few that haue sufficient wisedome ey [...]her to deliuer or iudge them. I will therefore spa­ringly deliuer my iudgement.

Adam in the state of his innocence, ADAMS condition in the state of his inno­cence. had this condition of happinesse: First, he was in the ful fauor of God, a ioy vn­expressable. Secondly he had the world & the creatures therein for his vse and pleasure, all which were then perfectlie good. Th [...]rdly, hee had power giuen him of God to continue this happines to himselfe and his posterity for euer. The first, [...]hat he enioyed the full fauor [Page 53] of God is proued in the proofe of the [...]econd and third; ADAM rich in spiri­tuall and temporall blessings. for the giftes both [...]emporall and spirituall which GOD gaue him, doe well declare the infinit measure of Gods loue to him: God giuing him all that was created, and [...]ore then was created: a diuine soule, [...]nd with that such induments of grace, [...]s made him a creature most excellent [...]nd happy: Secondly For the second, that God gaue him. the possession of the world, [...]oth for his vse and pleasure, is already proued. Yet more, God for an extraor­dinary demonstration of his fauour, planted a Garden in Eden, Gen. 2. 8. v. of admira­ble variety, Ver. 9. both for vse and ornament: For out of the ground made the Lord God [...]o grow euery tree pleasant to the sight (that [...]as for ornament, ADAM had all things need­full both for vse and or­nament.) and good for meate (that was for vse) the tree of life also in the [...]iddest of the garden, & the tree of know­ [...]edge of good and euill.

These were there both for the beau­ [...]y of the place, and for the tryall of [...]ans obedience. And God gaue Adā [...]berty to eate thereof (freely) of eue­ [...]e tree in the Garden, ADAMS liberty and restraint. onely prohibi­ting [Page 54] him to taste of the tree of know­ledge. These benefites, this bountie was large; yet doth God still inlarge himselfe in his fauour to Adam, and deuiseth to make him an helpe fitt for him; Gen. 2. 18 for he sayd, It is not good for man to bee alone: As if God did labour his in­uention to deuise for the good, and for the helpe of man. Ver. 20. Therefore hee caused all the creatures to come before Adam, but among them all hee found not an help meet for him. Vers. 22. Then God made woman, and gaue her for the consolation of man. Thus did God deriue his blessings by degrees vpon man, The de­grees of Gods fauor to ADAM. still inlarging the measur of his bounty and goodnes towards him. So as there wanted nothing, which in the Wisedome of God was thought fit for mans prosperity. Lastly, to all these fauours, Free-will in ADAM before his fall. GOD yet giueth one, more then all; and that was a free will and power in himselfe to deriue these infinite blessings vpon himselfe and his posterity for euer; no mixture of griefe to distaste them, no death to depriue them; but themselues and these plea­sures to bee infinite and vnspeakeable. [Page 55] And yet more, that all these and theyr continuance, The easie condition betweene God and ADAM. was giuen vpon such ea­sie condition, as (in our imaginations) could hardly tempt a reasonable man to a small forfeit: An apple, perhaps no better, or not so good in taste, as many other in the garden, whereof Adam might haue freely eaten, without feare, without forfeit. Witnesses of Gods loue. All this doth but wit­nesse the infinite loue of God to his creature man, who gaue him so greate a power, and had proposed so inestima­ble a reward for so small a seruice. Here I might inlarge my selfe with the contētious opinions of men in this ar­gument, Much need­lesse contro­uersie in this argument. all which of purpose I auoyd, because I had rather speak to mens vn­derstandings with profite, then be vain­ly curious

Of Originall sinne, the fall and apostacy of Man. Chap 6.

WHen man was in the height of his prosperi­ty, hauing all things re­quisite to make him both happy and great, and wanting nothing that might administer the fulnes of cō ­tent to his desire: he is then suddenly (by himselfe) cast from these pleasures into a state most miserable, Man did degrade himselfe. depriuing himselfe and posterity, not onely of the pleasures, but of the vse-full necessaries of this life, and that which is infinitely more worth then the rest, the fauour & presence of God, which of it self (with­out addition) is able to make the enioi­er most absolute in his felicity. Gods fauor the highest benefite. Thus in a trice, was Man (the glory of Gods workmanship) by sinfull disobedience [Page 62] spoyled of his innocence; which when he wanted, his very nature then endu­red alteration; A strange alterarion. and hee that but latelie was made Lord of all the World, is now made subiect to all extremities. This one touch of sinne, being of that infectious nature, that (like a leprosie) it spreades ouer his whole nature; his body, A generall decay. his soule, his workes, nay his very affections are infected with this ve­nome, his holinesse, innocence, and all his diuine graces abandon his nature, not daigning to comfort in the fellow­ship of sinne. God (also) who had made him so wonderfull, and had so wonder­fully enricht him with benefites, What bitter effectes sinne causeth. takes off the maiesty & ornanaments he had giuen him, inuesting him with pouer­ty, and extremities of fortune. And whereas before hee had made him im­mortall, hee now makes him subiect to the stroke of death, and in this array, thus altered, hee excludes him his sa­cred presence: ADAM be­ing a com­pendium of all, brought destructi­on on all when hee sinned. this sinne, branding not onely Adam with this disgrace, & these deformities, but himselfe and his posterity for euer, being all dis­graced [Page 63] from their innocence, and de­graded from their excellence of Na­ture. Now would I chalenge the best inuention in the World, to describe Adam in the griefe of this alteration. It is not in the power of any mans inuen­tion to doe it, An vnutte­rable mea­sure of griefe. there are not words, nay imagination hath not thoughts to con­ceiue it. For to fayle in the search of prosperity, i [...] [...]n admirable degree of griefe; but to be depriued is a torment, and doth require extraordinary pati­ence. Thus much in generall.

In the fall and Apostacy of man, Considera­tions in this argument. is principally considered these particu­lars. First, from whence hee fell. Se­condly, to what hee fell: the infinite variety of questions depending neces­sarily vpon these two particulars; the which (of purpose) I contract, for or­der, and for the easie vnderstanding of the simple. First from what A­DAM fell. First, is to bee considered, from what hee fell; and that was from the fauour of God, considered in the excellence and innocence of mans na­ture: in his large induments of grace, in his power, and in his possession of [Page 64] pleasure: ADAM had an absolute measure of pleasure. in all which respects, Adam (the first man) was so aboundantly fa­uoured, as that his soule could desire no inlargement: God hauing giuen him so manie and so great demonstra­tions of his loue, as made him distin­guished from all other creatures. This doctrine is aboundantly proued in the Chapters before of the Creation of man, Gen. 2. and of his innocence: I will there­fore forbeare to multiply arguments in so plaine a proofe, Secondly. To what ADAM fel. For the second, to what esta [...]e hee fell, this is familiarlie knowne in the experience of euerie mans life; the most fortunate of euery mans life, beeing full of the markes of this misery For to vnderstand our selues, is rightly to vnderstand what Adam was in his sinnes; The mise­ries of this life. and the misera­ble change he endured by the alterati­on of his Fortunes, doth giue vs parti­cular knowledge in the misery of our owne condition. Adam our Father by generation, was the Father also of our corruptions; ADAM, the parent of our cor­ruption. and wee his generation, deriuing our Substance and Natures from him, haue with them deriued [Page 65] his sinne, and the punishment there­of; How wee are guilty by ADAM. the which as they were insepara­ble in the nature of Adam, at, and after his fall: so are they necessarily descen­ded downe vpon vs his posterity: [...]he trespasse being in him from whom wee are all deriued, makes that wee are all guilty of the sinne of Adam, and all de­seruers of the like punishments. This is Saint Paul his iudgement. Rom. 5. 12 Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne, and so death went ouer all men: for as much as all men haue sinned. As Adam was, so are wee: such a father, such children. To know him, wee must view our selues, and to know our selues we must view him. The [...]est way to vnderstand our nature, is [...]o consider it in Adam; but to vnder­stand his fall and the miserie thereof, ADAMS mi­sery is palpa­ble in our calamity. it [...]s palpably euident in the knowledge of our owne particulars, the torments of our transitorie life are sufficient ar­guments to perswade and resolue vs. Here I might spend much time in the [...]epetition of much misery, and rip vp [...]he wounds and sorrowes of our mor­tall [Page 66] life: The varia­ble turnings of fortune. the knowledge is necessary, but not in this place, beeing commonlie taught in the common experience of our liues, where the extremities of for­tune, and her variable turnings, remem­ber all men the miserable condition of sinfull man; there being no man but doth sometime taste the bitternesse of mortall life: all men being at all times subiect to all extremities. In the booke of Ecclesiastic. 40. there is a catologue of the miseries of mans life, Ecclus. 40 from the 1. verse to the twelfth. all which hap­pen to vs for the sin of Adam, because we are his sonnes, and were with him at the committing of his sinne. And this to Adam might iustly bee one torment in his misery, that by his sinne, hee did not onely depriue himselfe of the ine­stimable worth of Gods fauour: ADAMS torment. but also brought the like condemnation vpon his seede, and theyr seed for ouer, by his one sinne ouerthrowing the bles­sed estates of many millions of people, as if at one blow he would haue cut off the heades of a world of people. And doubtlesse but the sorrow for leesing the fauour of God, Adam could not [Page 67] haue a greater then this, Note. because there is nothing doth more moue griefe and pitty in gentle minds, then a compas­sion of generall calamities, The nature or compas­sion. especially then when they are caused by their mis­fortune, that haue the grace to pitty them.

If I should vndertake to ranke the calamities of our sinnefull life, and re­port them in order as they are inflicted on man for the sinne of Adam, I should both ouercharge my selfe with much businesse, and but write that which is nayly taught in the fortunes of euery mans life. I will therefore omitte the great number, and insist somewhat vppon that which is the greatest in the number: and that is the displeasure of God, Gods dis­pleasure the greatest ca­lamity. which is damnati­on, a misery infinite in time, infinite in torment; a iudgement denounced a­gainst all men for the sinne of one man, because at the committing of sinne, all men were then personally present in A­dam, and with him did both combine [...]nd conspire in the trespasse. 1 Cor. 2. 15. 22. By sinne men did Adam bring a generall destru­ction [Page 68] on his nature, and made himselfe and all men not onely subiect to death, but to an euerlasting death, causing an euerlasting damnatiō to inflict eternall and vnexpressable torments on the bo­dies; on the soules of men. It is not in my power to describe the torments of damnation; for as they are infinite in time, they are infinite also in their num­ber & greatnes, No man can describe at full the torment of the damned there is misery without hope torments without number, with­out measure, without end: they are a­boue our strength, aboue our patience to beare them: they are not vtterable for number, not sufferable for torment: the very soule though eternall, How the soule is said to die. is con­tinually wasted with that afflictiō, nei­ther could it last in such extremities, but that God hath made it eternall. A­gaine, it is not onely infinit & eternally great in personall sufferings; but also in griefe & spiritual discontents & vexati­ons, Discontent the sicknes of the soule. the soule that is damned grieuou­sly afflicting it self with rage & intestine displeasure, when it considereth from what dignity it is fallen, and the honor and felicity it might haue had, if it [Page 69] had continued in the fauour and presence of Almighty GOD: The nature of our enuie. it will also (enuiously) remember the pro­sperity of others, what glory, what happinesse they enioy for theyr con­stancy and holy trauell: and that it selfe, and the damned shoulde haue had the same degrees of happi­nesse, if (like them) they had been constant and faithfull in theyr duety and seruice to GOD. Note. And this is a greater torment to the damned then that which they shall endure in their personall afflictions; the remembrance whereof dooth so distract the very powers of their soules, The dam­ned soules inflict vpon themselues. as that (des­perately) they inflict their owne ven­geance, and execute vpon themselues the punishmentes of their condem­nation. Note. For (in our natures) we haue lesse patience, and more affliction, when by our owne default wee leese prosperity, then when for our de­sert, wee endure any personall punish­ment. The reward of disobedi­ence. This is the reward of Adams disobedience, that himselfe and his posterity did by sinne, disinherite [Page 70] himselfe and his of the infinite treasure of Gods fauour, and did thereby pur­chase a life, whose dayes are consumed in vexations and miserable change, and whose end doth not end his misery, Death is the life of torment to the damned but renew and inlarge it with addition and perpetuity of torment.

This is the plaine and necessary knowledge of the fall of man from the state of innocence, in which argu­ment the ouer-curious wittes of men haue trauelled in the search of many intricate questions; Vnnecessa­ry know­ledge is vn­lawfull in diuine dire­ctions. the which because they are not necessary in the know­ledge of the vnlearned Reader, I thought them necessary to be auoided: for it is often seene that in discussing such secrets in Diuinity, as are not ap­parently proued by direct testimony of Scripture, but by a consequence of reason, Note. and obscure argument, that al such trauell, doth rather occasion strise and doubt, A dange­rous incon­uenience. then giue satisfaction to the modest and indifferent Reader. It is dangerous (also) in them of weake and slender iudgements to enter the search of such thinges as are not necessary to [Page 71] theyr saluation, because it is easie to de­ceiue their iudgement: for they groslie apprehend what is proposed them, and often mistake themselues in their opi­nion of reason, and then (like him that looketh against the Sunne) blind them­selues with theyr presumption. I will therefore forbeare to report the num­ber of mens opinions, onely this may seeme of necessary importance, that whereas God did create man so excel­lent, and gaue him vprightnesse and in­nocence, a free will and power also to continue his innocence and happines, it is doubted whether Predestination and the decree of God, Predestina­tion. did (necessa­rily) lead men to this apostacie, Obiect. because all things that are and shall bee, are in Gods decree, neyther can any man do any thing contrary to the pleasure of Almighty GOD. Answer. To this I answere, it is true that nothing is done against the will of God, he being able to com­maund all occasions. The will of God (therefore) must bee thus vnderstood; Gods will how it is to be vnder­stood. his will is eyther secret or reuealed: his reuealed Will is the Scripture, his [Page 72] secret will is his decree or secrete councell, and in this will, are all thinges that euer were: are or shall bee. This will is againe distinguished: for in Gods secret will, there is Gods act, Gods act. there is also his consent: God doth personally in his owne Nature decree all goodnesse, Gods con­sent. as his owne act. God dooth also consent, and suffer that e­uill bee done: but hee himselfe is not the doer: yet can hee glorifie him­selfe in the sufferance of euill, God can receiue ho­nour from mens euill action. and make it worke the purpose of his ho­ly will. To apply this Doctrine to our purpose, before GOD created man, he had decreede euery circumstance, both in his Nature and Life: hee also did foresee the fal of man, and was con­tent (for the secret worke of his glory) it should bee so. So that whatsoeuer was good in man, was in Gods decree as his act: whatsoeuer was not good, How to vn­derstand Gods de­cree. was in Gods decree, as his permission. If it bee demaunded, why God fore­seeing the fall of man, would not pre­uent it, and giue Adam diuine grace to support him: to such a question I would [Page 73] answere with Saint Paul. Rom. 9. 20. 21. Who art thou that pleadest against God? shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it: Why hast thou made me thus? verse 21. Hath not the Potter power of the clay? &c. and shall not God bee as powerfull as the Potter? Ier. 18. 6. If he make vs for honor, we can not boast it, if for dishonour wee can not iudge him. This is the answere that the Scripture giueth such questions. If God doe any thing, it should silence all question, and satisfie all doubt. Ther­fore, whosoeuer shall heare the iustice of God called in question, Gen. 18. 25. let him confidently answer with holy Abra­ham: Shall not the Iudge of all the World doe right?

Of the Morall Law of God, the ten Commande­ments. Chap. 7.

THe law of God, The morall law of God and the law of nature is all one. though it was not giuen to man with solemne promul­gation, before the time of Moses, yet was there a [Page 83] generall sense thereof giuen to Adam in his creation. For when God gaue him his nature, & endued him with the vse of reason & discourse, hee gaue him ca­pacity to vnderstād his duty, the which duty is nothing else but the obseruatiō of the law of God. And therefore when Adam had transgressed the commande­ment of God, and eaten the forbidden fruite; Conscience can preach the law to them that know it not. the reason of his naturall soule could tell him his offence; and then his conscience iudging him, he was afraid, and hid himselfe from Gods presence. If we compare his sinne with the com­mandements of the Law, wee shall find it to be a direct breach of som, & a con­sequent breach of all. Gods first com­mandement saith: Exod. 20. [...] Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee: Adams sinne doth contradict Gods commandement, and sayth: nay, but my wife and I will both be Gods for with this perswasion the Diuell tempted them, Gen. 3. 1. and they did eate. Againe, Cain the second man, he committed murther, Gen. 4. 13. and thereby di­rectly broke the sixt commandement: which when God and his conscience [Page 84] made him to vnderstand, hee made a desperate acknowledgement of his sin. So that the law being nothing but a reasonable duetie, which the Creature oweth to his Creator: there was ther­fore a generall knowledge of this law in the reasonable nature of man at his creation, and so in the succession of them of the old world, vnto the time that the Law was giuen to Moses by the ordinance of angels. The old world (thē) from Adam to Moses, Gal. 3. 19. were not lawlesse & free from the seruice of law; but had the law of nature for their direction, The law of nature, the same with the law of the x. com­mandemēts. which being grounded vpon reason. was euen the very same with the law of the x. cōmandements. The law then of the x. commādements before it was gi­uē to Moses, was in the ages before go­ing commonly transgressed, and that law did both iudge & condemne them: the which law God gaue man when he gaue him his nature, euery man hauing the knowledge of this law in the natu­rall vse of his reason. This was the state of the old world before Moses, The state of the olde world. all sin­ned, and all were iudged by the law of [Page 85] nature, the morall law, euen before the promulgation thereof in mount Sina, condemning the transgressions of men that were directly against the seuerall commandements.

Now when iniquity beganne to be strong in the hearts of men, The pro­mulgation of the law. and that their consciences became senselesse of sin, neyther would admonish, & iudge their transgressions, Reasons why. then God thought conueniēt to publish to al mankind this law, binding the consciences of men to a dutifull obseruation of euery particu­lar statute in that law, Deut. 23, 10. denouncing the iudgment of condemnation to al them that transgresse against the least branch Baruch. 4. 1. or particle of those commandements. 2. Reasons.

A second reason why God ordayned the law, was that men might rightly vnderstand themselues, & therby know in what degree of holines they were, be­cause that men are often partial in their own iudgment, & willingly blind them selus in the view of their own calamity. Wherfore then serueth the law? Gal. 3. 19. it was ad­ded because of the trāsgressiōs, that by the law men may know wherein they haue transgressed.

[Page 86]A third reason of the ordination of the law, 3. Reason. is to prouoke men to indeuor themselues with all diligence to trauell in godly exercise, & to auoid both euil action and idlenes; the lawes giuing e­uery man sufficient matter of imploy­ment, wherin he is boūd to suspend his houres, his dayes, nay his life in carefull sernice, 2. Esd 9. 31. 2. Esd. 9, 31. For behold I sow my law in you, that it may bring forth fruit in you, & that ye may be honored by it for euer

A fourth reason of the Law, is, that by the seuerity thereof, wee might bee disciplined, and made fitte for the mer­cy of the Gospell; The vse of the law. for the iudgement of the law will humble vs, make vs vnder­stand our misery, and prouoke vs to implore mercy. Therefore is the Law sayd to be a Schoolemaster, by whose directions wee are led to our saluation Iesus Christ. Gal. 3. 24. Gal. 3. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith.

Lastly, 4. Reason. the law was giuen for the glo­ry and maiesty of God, that all the world might bee iudge of his infinite mercy to mankind: In this respect, [Page 87] that notwithstanding, all men are iudged, and condemned by the law of nature, and by the law of his comman­dements: yet in the greatnesse of his loue, Gods ad­mirable mercy. he is content to forgiue the tres­pas, and the iudgements; and finally to entertaine these transgressors his ene­mies, into the bosome of his mercy; giuing them mercy for iustice, and life when they deserued death with extremity. Rom. 5. 20. Rom. 5. 20. Moreouer the Law entered thereupen that the offence should abound, neuerthelesse where sinne abounded, there grace abounded much more, Verse the 21. That as sinne had raig­ned vnto death, so might grace also raigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life, through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this is an ad­mirable degree of loue in the person of God, Vers. 21. that hee will descend his Maiesty to miserable, wretched, nay, sinfull creatures, and exercise his mercy, in restoring and aduancing vs, Note. that haue abounded in transgressions. For these causes was the Law deliuered, God commaunding euery mans absolute o­bedience vpon the forfeyture of his [Page 88] soule to the paines of euerlasting con­demnation. Deut. 27. 26

In the law of the ten commaunde­ments, is to be considered the substance which is the matter of the law; and the circumstance, which is the manner of deliuering it. The matter is contained in ten commandements, the first foure directly instruct vs in our duty to God; The matter of the com­mandemēts. the sixe latter our duties to men. This learning of the commandements, how to vnderstand, and how to diuide them. is in the knowledge of euery Childe of carefull education, it being commonly taught at the catechizing of Christian children. I shall therefore spare the large trauel this Argument requireth, and refer the desirous Reader to the learned expositions of other men. In the manner of giuing the Law, we may principally consider these circumstan­ces. 1 First, the principall giuer of the 2 law, God. Secondly, the seruants atten­ding this office, the Angels. Thirdly 3 to whom it was giuen, Moses. Fourth­ly, 4 for whom, for the children of Israel, then the people of God; and by conse­quence [Page 89] to euery people that professe themselues his seruants. These are the maine particulars in the circumstance of giuing the law. First, God hee was the principall author of this worke, 1 God the giuer of the Law. to giue it countenance and authority: for who dare quarrell his Worke, and the operation of his hands? Therefore did God himselfe speake all the wordes of the commandements; hee also spoke in a terrible and fearefull manner, Exod. 20. 1. to gaine the businesse reuerence, Exod. 19. 19 and a fearefull estimation he spoke in the hearing of the people, that they might know it vvas Gods owne act: Exod. 19. 9. and to preuent the distrust they might haue of his ser­uant Moses. Secondly, The angels attend at the giuing of the law. Secondly, the Angells they attend this holy seruice, to de­clare the most excellent Maiesty of God, who in all his occasions is ser­ued and attended by an infinite num­ber of that excellent Nature. Againe, the Angells were there, because they are most desirous of the good of mankinde: Heb. 1. 14. and doe willingly attend the seruice of our saluation: Ha­uing ioy amongst themselues in heauen, Luk. 15. 7. 10. [Page 90] at the conuersion of a sinner. They were there also to bee witnesses betweene God & his people, that the couenants might remayne established for euer. And therefore sayeth Saint Paul, Gal. 3. 19. The law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator: not that the Angells did principally giue the Law, and appoint the couenant, but that the seruice was onely attended by their holy Ministra­tion. Thirdly, Thirdly, The law was giuen by MOSES. the Law was giuen by Moses; that is, God gaue it Moses to giue the Israelites, because the spirite of God had so sanctified Moses, that hee was able to stand in the presēce of God: the which the host of the Israelits could not do, but became astonished, and ex­ceedingly afraid at the voyce of Gods thunders. And therefore they desired Moses that hee would negotiate for them, Exod. 20. 19 betwixt God and them, they be­ing not able to endure the presence of his Maiesty. Againe, it was giuen by Moses, because God would honor him aboue the rest of his brethren: Note. he ha­uing been most industrious & constant in the seruice of God. And therefore as [Page 91] God had giuen them deliuerance out of Aegypt, by the hand of Moses, so would hee giue them by the hand of Moses the couenants of his euerlasting loue, The pro­mises of the law are now gained by the Gospell. and deliuerance from the bondage of sinne: all which grace was promised vnto them that would liue within the compasse of these lawes, and is now gi­uen to them that faithfully endeuour, though they fayle in the maine perfor­mance: For the Law was giuen by Moses, Ioh. 1. 17. but grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. Iohn. 1. 7. Lastly, Fourthly, The Law was giuen Israel. the Law was giuen (by name to the Israelites; but in the pur­pose of God to all men, all men beeing vnder the bondage of the Morall law of God, and the Law being able to iudge and condemne all men. It was (by name) giuen to the Israelites, because then they were the choyce and select people of God; for whome hee had done his wonders, and to whome hee had promised a faire inheritance. It is also deriued downe vpon vs, The Law was deriued downe on vs, & not to the Iewes onely. and vpon all posterity, all men hauing entred co­uenant with God, to endeuour them­selues, in the faithfull keeping of the [Page 92] commandements of the law. All these circumstances, are necessarily conside­red in the manner of Gods deliuering the law. From this may bee generally obserued, Obseruati­ons in the Law. that God in all his actions hath principall respect to holinesse, and that no prophane circumstances assist him in his actions, but as himselfe is most holy, so his delight is in holy ac­tions, and hateth al prophanation both of matter and circumstance. In the law may be generally obserued, 1 An im­possibility in the strict performāce. first an impossibility in the precise perfor­mance thereof, no man beeing able (without fauour) to make an euen rec­koning with the Law: the Law being able to conclude vs all vnder sinne. It is an Argument of Saint Peter, Acts. 15. 10. Act. 15. 10. Now therefore why tempt yee God, to lay a yoke (that is the performance of the law) on the Disciples necks, which neither our father nor wee are able to beare? Saint Paul also to the Galath. Gal. 2. 16. concludeth an impossibility to be iustified by the law: By the workes of the Law (saith he) no flesh shall be iustified. So that no man ought to repose his iustification in the law, yet [Page 93] euery man ought to endeauour his vt­most performance. Secondly, Secondly. Men are iudged by the law to bee guilty, Gal. 3. 22 and de­seruers of eternall damnation. This gene­rall iudgement of the Law against all flesh, All men are iudged by the Law. dooth conclude all men in the state of damnation, no man being able to deliuer himselfe from this iudgment, before the Law be fully satisfied: which could not bee done by other meanes, Gal. 4. 5. then by the righteousnesse and death of Iesus Christ the sonne of God, and the redeemet of the world.

Of the acousation of Con­science. Chap 8.

EVery man that would preuent the dreadfull danger of Gods gene­rall iudgement, must in this life while hee hath time, arrest his own soule, examine his particular actions; Conscience and by the euidence of his conscience, iudge himselfe and his transgressions against the law of God: for as Gods iudgement doth begin at his house, 1. Pet. 4, 17. because his principall care is for his owne; Prou. 11. 3. so should men iudge them­selues, and haue principall care to exa­mine their own particulars. And as S. Paul sayth, 1 Cor. 11. 32. 1. Cor. 11. 32. When we are iud­ged we are chastned of the Lord, because we should not bee condemned with the world: so likewise wee must iudge our selues, lest we be condemned with the vvorld [Page 105] For as the Israelites, Iudg. 27. 8. because they wan­ted Iudges, became Idolaters: so our liues when they are not examined and iudged by our consciences, we become remisse, disobedient, and Idolatrous, and desperately run on with lawlesse appetite, in the common and curious committing of sinne.

And this necessary iudging of our selues, is well knowne to our reasona­ble soules; vvho, vvhen vvee haue committed sinne) prouoke our consci­ences to accuse and iudge vs, By iudging our selues, we preuent Gods heauy iudgement. as if with­out this iudging of our selues, we could not preuent the iudgement of God: which would proue much more terri­ble. The manner of this iudgement is thus: The manner of iudging our selues. whē the spirit of God shal moue in any mans heart, a desire to vnder­stand themselues, the soule assembles the powers of his vnderstanding, and exerciseth the seuerall faculties in seue­rall assignements, and vvithin him­selfe (by meditation) can frame the order of a Court. The man, bodie and soule, hee is the Prisoner at the Barre: hee is also the witn [...]sse [Page 106] and the iudge, Conscience our accuser. the matter of his indite­ment is sinne: his conscience is his ac­cuser, his memory doth produce the witnesse, his iudgment doth denounce the sentence, and the Diuell attendes the execution. Thus are the faculties of the soule disposed in iudging of it selfe: the soule against the soule produ­cing the Law, prouing the forfeit, and vrging the penalty.

Now that which hath most busie care in this spiritual & most serious ex­amination and iudgment of our selus, is the conscience, by which the soule hath true vnderstanding in what condition it is; and by whose authority the iudge­ment of that spirituall Court is swayed: the conscience giuing testimony of all our actions, good and euill, whereby our iudging part is directed (without error) to make a iust proceeding with­out all partiality. And therefore saith the Wise-man. Blessed is he that is not condēned in his own cōscience: E [...]clus. 14. 2. for if there be any iust matter of condemnation a­gainst vs, there is no fauour can bribe our conscience, but that will to our [Page 107] selues accuse our selues of euery sinne, and reduce to memorie, many of our finfull actions, which but for our con­science we could not remember. And therefore the Scribes & Pharisees that brought the woman taken in adultery, Iohn. 8. 9. to Christ, and demaunded what iudge­ment shee deserued, were remembred and accused by their consciences of their incontinence (whereof they see­med to be innocent or ignorant) when as Christ sayde: Let [...]im that is without sinne, Ver. 7. cast the first stone at her. So that they that were so busie in the condem­nation of another, were condemned themselues by the testimonie of their owne consciences: their consciences making them apply their accusations to themselues, which but then they had vrged against another. The spiritu­all power of the consci­ence. And doubtlesse it is a wonderfull degree of power the conscience hath in the spirituall tryall of our soules, in these two respects. First it knoweth all our sinnes, no man be­ing able to hide from the knowledge of his conscience, any sinne, no not his most secret sinnes. Secondly, Secondly. it [Page 108] spareth no man, neyther any sinne, but without respect of any it vrgeth all sin, against all men, our very thoughts ha­uing no priuiledge, but euen their sinnes are both in the knowledge and in the hatred of conscience. Therfore, sayth Saint Paul: Rom. 2. 15. Their conscience bea­ring witnesse, and their thoughts accusing one another, or excusing, Rom. 2. 15. And Almighty God when hee shall gather together all flesh to iudgement, and expose before the Angels and Saints the seuerall actions of euery mans life, whereby they may bee iudged (accor­dingly) eyther to mercy or iustice, he hath deuised (in his wisedome,) that euery one shall haue a witnesse in him­selfe, Our con­sciences shal reproue vs in the day of iudge­ment. (which is his conscience,) the which in our life time doth register both our good and euill actions, and at our iudgement doth witnesse & de­clare them. And therefore the Holy Ghost calleth the conscience a Booke, euery man and woman hauing one, wherin is writ a true story of euery cir­cumstance, of euery particular action, of euery mans life. And these bookes, [Page 109] these consciences are they that giue e­uidēce for, and against our soules at the barre of Gods generall iudgement, Re­uel. 20. 12. And I saw the dead both great Reu. 20. 12. and small stand before God, and the bookes were opened, that is, all mens consciences, wherein was writ the report of al their ac­tions. Thus wee see what the office of our conscience is, both in respect of our owne spirituall iudginges, which is our reformation; and in respect of the generall iudgement of GOD, which must be to euery one, eyther eternall saluation or damnation. The maner of the accu­sation of conscience. Now the ma­ner that conscience vseth in this mini­stration is worthy of our consideratiō; and to vnderstand this, we must remember first this generall doctrine; that all men generally haue a conscience, the which GOD hath vnited inseparably to our reasonable Natures. And ther­fore not only they that are of christian beleefe, All men endure or shall endure the griefe of conscience. and haue the rules of religion to teach them; but men meerely natu­rall, and ignorant of diuine Wor­ship, suffer the affliction of their offen­ded conscience, which though it be in [Page 110] a farre inferiour degree to that of vn­derstanding Christians; yet doth it (in some proportion) exercise a iudgment on the soule, and doth both remember and terrifie them that grosly offend a­gainst the law of nature; which to them is the law of reason and religion. This is proued by that place of Scripture I before alledged: Reu. 20. 12. That the Bookes of all the dead were opened; the word (all) excluding none from the accusa­tion of conscience, All then are affli­cted by conscience, but not all alike, nor all alike effectually. The Infidels that know not God, but onely as they are taught by the wisedome of nature, The diffe­rence in the conscience of Christi­ans and In­fidels. haue a conscience; but it remembers the offender his great sinnes onely, and that sparingly and with fauour. A chri­stian conscience is more seuere, for it remembers all men, all sinne, without fauour, without exception. There is this difference also; that of Infidels and wicked men doth often remember the offendor his sinne; but afflicts him not, neyther prouokes him to repen­tance: but the conscience of Christi­ans [Page 111] doth fearfully remember sinne, A Christian conscience euer hath griefe. and doth wound the soule of the offender, with sorrow and spirituall griefe; ma­king him pursue the meanes of his owne reformation, and hate the cause for which his conscience doth so afflict him. And this is the differenee be­tweene the conscience of a Christian and an Infidell. The diffe­rēce of con­science a­mong Chri­stians. Among Christians also, there is great difference of Con­science: For as in the common num­ber that professe the Christian religion, the greater part is (by much) the worse; the true worshippers of God beeing onely a few choyce particulars, Gods num­ber the lesse. drawne out from an infinite number of people: so also, though all that haue Christi­an name, professe to haue a Christian conscience, yet their conscience is no better then their Christianitie: onely a bare name, The con­science of a reprobate. whereof they haue no spi­rituall comfort nor vse. Conscience in the Reprobate is eyther silent or out­ragious: the silent conscience of the Reprobate is, when custome and long continuance of sinning, doth dull the sence of conscience; and this is when [Page 112] men giue ouer themselues to commit sinne with affectation and appetite, and oppresse their consciences with the multitude of their committings, so that such conscience doth not remember vs our sinne; but when it is assisted by ex­ternall demonstrations. Such a con­science had Saul the reprobat king, who prosecuted his sinfull intentes against holy Dauid with all his endeuour: yet when Dauid gaue him that notable de­monstration of loyalty, shewing him by direct euidence, 1. Sam. 24, 12. that God had shut him vp in his power; and notwithstan­ding hee had saued the life of his ene­my, that sought his destruction, This notable testimony of Dauids good con­science, Verse 18. did stirre vp the dead spirits of Saules euill conscience to acknowledge his sinne, The outra­gious con­science of the reprobat and (for a time) to forbeare and repent his vninst vexations: The outragious conscience in the reprobate is when the conscience hath (for a time) been silenced, and hath giuen the sinner an vnchast liberty in his vngod­lines; yet so, as that once apprehending the knowledge of his sin, and knowing [Page 113] the state of condemnation wherein it is, it breaketh out into a violence which wanting moderation, Desperati­on caused by a violent conscience. vrgeth the sin­ner to execute vppon himselfe some desperate vengeance. Such was the conscience of Iudas the traytor, Iudas. which slept all the time he was plotting and practising his treason: but when his sin was brought into act, then his consci­ence (though euill) did vpbraide his sinne with such violence, as made the griefe vnsupportable: and the Tray­tor (not able to endure the torment of his conscience) thought (as Cain) Caine. that his sinne was greater then the mer­cy of God, and so despayring mercy, Mat. 27. 3. 4. 5. he desperately hanged himselfe. Such are the consciences of the reprobate: their conscience is sleepie, and doth reproue but seldome: yet when it dooth re­proue, it is then most terrible, and without all comfort. And though in this life they neuer afflict for sinne, but seeme senselesse and dead in theyr appointed offices: yet at the day of iudgement, Reu. 20. 12. when the booke of euerie mans conscience shall bee opened, then wil [Page 114] their consciences that in this life haue beene most silent, bee most lowd and terrible in their accusations, denoun­cing iudgement, and inflicting a grea­ter torment on the soule, then the damned can haue patience to beare: This is the office and end of an euill con­science. Wisd. 17 10.

Now the conscience of the childe of grace is in full opposition to the con­science of a reprobate: A good conscience. For when God shall please to call his seruants to a knowledge of himselfe, and to a dete­station of sinne; the grace of his holy Spirit moueth in the heart of such a one, and first awaketh the conscience, and giueth it sence to vnderstand the calamity of the Soule; and Spirit, to re­proue and admonish it in needfull di­rections. And this grace of God, How God moueth the conscience. giuing the conscience sence to vnderstand sin, and Spirit to reproue it; is the first de­gree of our reformation, and the pre­paration to our spirituall conuersion: GOD himselfe beeing the prime and principall Author thereof. This begin­ning of the grace of God spreads it self [Page 115] into very large proceedings; When God doth stirre our consci­ence, it con­tinueth that holy moti­on to our reforma­tion. for when our conscience is once touched with this godly desire to examine the er­rours of our life, God doth not there leaue vs, but giueth vs a continuall as­sistance, to finish that needefull care, without despayre; without fainting. The manner may bee thus considered. The conscience (beeing instructed by grace) vnderstandeth that the soule is in danger of Gods iudgement: this knowledge causeth a desire in the soule to examine the particulars of our life: The man­ner how a good con­science worketh. then doth it compare our seuerall ac­tions, with the seuerall duties of the law, and thereby is made euident the many and great defects of our life, and that therfore our soules and bodies are guilty, and stand in the danger of con­demnation. From this knowledge dooth arise the griefe of a wounded conscience: The cause of the griefe of consci­ence. for the Statute lawes of God condemning vs for the trespasse of our liues; the conscience then (whose office is to accuse, or excuse) vp­braideth our sinne, and denounceth the iudgement of the law against vs, which [Page 116] is eternall damnation. And in this case wee may compare our soules to fellons at the Barre, who hauing pleaded guilty, and receyued the sen­tence of the Lawe, Note. abandon all hope, and onely prepare themselues for the stroke of execution: yet the soueraigne Iudge, being pleased to descend mer­cy to these poore condemned Priso­ners, offers them the benefite of their Clergie, promising mercy to all them that shall bee able to reade the lines proposed them. So our soules bee­ing arrested for sinne, and standing at the barre of our owne iudgement, The guilty soule like a condemned fellon. beeing accused by conscience, and hauing the Law against vs, to con­demne vs; wee are then in a much more grieuous condemnation then fellons, because they feare but a temporall death, but we eternall. Nei­ther can wee (more then they) free our soules from these extremities, vntill GOD (who is the Iudge of all the world) shall please to offer mer­cy, and the benefite of his Clergie; which is nothing else but the storie [Page 117] of the meritorious sufferings of IE­SVS the Lambe of GOD, Christ the booke of life. which sto­rie is written in spirituall Characters, vppon the Crosse of his death. And this booke (the spirituall crosse) beeing writte with the bloud of the most righ­teous, How to quiet the trouble of a grieued conscience. God presents to all the world, all the world (in respect of themselues) beeing guiltie, and condemned: pro­mising Remission of sinnes, (a gene­rall Pardon,) to all them that with theyr eyes of Faith, shall reade this booke of life, and apprehend and apply ( IESVS) the contents therof to their saluation.

Thus (and but thus) is it possible to quiet the trouble of a grieued consci­ence, the conscience being neuer satis­fied for sinne, before the Iustice of God be satisfied, by the apprehensiue righ­teousnesse of Iesus Christ.

And therefore saith Saint Paul; Rom. 5. 1. ( Beeing then iustified by Faith,) wee haue peace towards GOD, through our Lord IESVS CHRIST. Rom. 5. 1. The con­clusion of this first part. And thus farre I haue proceeded in the first part of this Tract, viz. the death of man: [Page 118] for the whole passage of the old Testa­ment, from the Creation of man, to the incarnation of the Sonne of God, doth onely humble vs with the know­ledge of our own vnworthines, & ther­by make vs fit to apprehend and apply the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ: for before wee can liue to God, wee must dye to our selues: neyther is there a spirituall regeneration, where there is not first a spirituall mortification, And where grace would enter, sinne must voide, for he thar would follow Christ, must deny himselfe. And therefore let no man presume to apprehend the mystery of the righeousnesse of the Crosse of Christ, before hee hath re­formed his actions, No man can bee able to appre­hend Christ before his conscience hath thus prepared him. quieted the clamor of his conscience, and vtterly denyed the strength of his owne nature. For how shall hee beare the Crosse of Christ, that is laden with his owne infirmities? or how shall hee be bene­fited by the promises of the Gospell, that doth not first iudge himselfe by the comma [...]ndements of the law? For hee that knoweth not his disease, see­keth [Page 119] no physicke; and Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to re­pentance.

Of the Gospell, the new Co­uenant, or the Couenant of Grace. Chap. 1.

THE story of the Bible, from the first beginning to the birth of our Saui­our Iesus, The Gos­pell. doth for the most part declare the miserable condition of mankind, how he hath faln from the innocency of his nature, which God gaue him in his first creation; and how he hath continued in sinne, and in the curse of God for sin: hauing no power in himselfe to satisfie the iustice of GOD, or to reconcile him selfe to his fauour. Therefore did God giue the law of the ten comman­dements (the particulars of his reuea­led [Page 132] will. How to vse and apply the Scrip­tures.) both to prouoke men to en­deuour in the exercise of all godli­nesse, and also that by the knowledge of the Law, men might know theyr owne defectes, and by their humilia­tion to bee prepared, and made fitt for the mercy of the Gospell. For though Iesus Christ the substance of the Gos­pell, was (in the counsell of GOD from all beginnings) determined to be the Redeemer of mankinde, being also promised to our first Parents, and by whome all the faithfull before his incarnation, The faith­full, before the incarna­tion of Christ, were saued by Christ. The diffe­rence be­tweene the Law and Gospell. had the pardon of theyr sinnes, apprehending (by faith) the promise of his righteousnesse: yet was not this grace declared them in such plaine and direct euidence, as now it is in the preaching of the Gospell: it being then deliuered one­ly in shadowes, Ceremonies, pro­phecies, and in the mysticall sense of Allegories, so that few had capa­city and grace (rightly) to vnder­stand them. All which difficulties are now vanished in the preaching of the Gospell, the Gospell presen­ting [Page 133] vs (in most familiar and easie de­monstrations) the substance without the shadow, and the truth without the figure, withall giuing directions and infallible rules, not onely to know the means of our saluation; but how to make it ours, to apprehend and apply it to our owne particular comfort. And this grace doth the Gospell giue with such fauour, as that the necessary do­ctrines exceed not the vnderstandings of men of meanest capacities; but that all that will (without respect or excep­tion) may reach their hands of faith, The great fauour and liberty of the Gospell. to the Crosse of Christ, and freelie apprehend the meanes of their sal­uation, which is the Lord Iesus, tri­umphing at the Conquest of his death, ouer sinne, hell, and damna­tion.

This is a blessed alteration in the state of the world: A happy alteration. for in the time of the law, when the grace of the Gospell was hid in the clouds of the ceremonies, the obseruers of the ceremoniall law, did sel­dome vnderstand the mysticall sense of the ceremony, which did allude to som [Page 134] particular grace in the Gospell.) The cere­monies of the law did allude to the graces of the Gos­pell. And therefore though God was pleased to accept their carefull endeuour in their religious obseruing the ceremonie, which was but a figure of the truth in­cluded in the ceremony; yet they wan­ted a great part of that spirituall com­fort, Tit. 2. 11. which wee haue in obseruing the couenant of grace (the Gospell) the grace of God appearing to them as God himselfe did to the Israelites their Fathers at the deliuering of the law in cloudes, Exod. 19. 16. in fire, in smoake and thunders: but to vs hee dooth ap­peare more familiarly, Iesus Christ his Sonne, and the most liuely represent­ment of himselfe, assuming our nature, and conuersing with vs, did wound our sinne, and heale the woundes sinne had made in our soules; in whom God was (personally) present, whose wordes taught saluation, and whose actions wrought it. This is the difference be­twixt the law & the Gospell. The Law commandeth vs to doe and liue, What the law com­mandeth. What the Gospel. if not, to dye; the Gospell (all mercy) requi­reth to beleeue onely, and line: and [Page 135] this is a wonderfull degree of Gods fauour, that because wee are not able to keepe the couenants of his law, is therefore pleased to yeeld to our infir­mities, to alter our obligation, and to enter new couenants with vs: The coue­nant of Grace. the couenant of Grace, whereby God doth indent with man, and bindes the iustice of his law in the bonds of his mercy, promising saluation to all them that faithfully beleeue in the merites and mediation of his Sonne Christ. Thus doth God allure vs by easie meane, & fayre promises to inherite euerlasting life, which the law denyeth to all men: no man being able to satisfie the iustice of the law. If it be obiected then, Obiection. that the grace of the Gospell doth destroy the workes of the law, because that mercy is giuen of grace, and not of de­serts, I answere, Answere. that the Gospel doth not destroy the substance of the Law, but doth onely abate and mitigate the rigor thereof: as God when he preser­ued Daniel in the Lyons denne, Dan. 6. 16. did not destroy the Lyons, but onely shut their mouthes, and bound theyr power, that [Page 136] they might not hurt Daniel: So hee hath not destroyed the law, but dooth onely restraine the violence thereof from hurting his Daniels, that is, the faithfull.

And as when Darius tooke Daniell from the denne, Dan. 6. 24 and cast in his accu­sers, the Lyons then had the maistry, and deuoured them; so the reprobate shall not auoyde the condemation of the Law, notwithstanding the pro­mise of the Gospell, and the new coue­nants of grace; because no man hath the benefite of mercy, but hee that (first) is the childe of faith. The diffe­rence of re­spect GOD hath to his seruants, and to his slaues. And therefore the great King of all the World shall take his faithfull Daniels from the po­wer of the Lyons (the law,) but leaue the reprobate in the state of theyr destruction. Thus much in generall of the Gospell, and of the generall difference betweene that and the law, and betweene them that liued vnder the bondage of the law, and vs that liue now in the Liberty of the Gos­pell.

The purpose of the Gospell is the [Page 137] saluation of men. And therefore the Angel that was the first preacher of the Gospell, tolde the Sheepheards that hee brought them tidings of great ioy: Luk. 2. 10. (in­deed) a greater could not bee then to bring them the newes of their saluati­on. The matter of the Gospell is the life, 1. Cor. 15. 1. 2. 3. the death, & the doctrines of Iesus Christ; for they are the only meanes by which wee attaine to the fauour of sal­uation: his doctrines were directions, his life examples, and his death was, & is life to all that apprehend him, In the circumstance of the Gospell is princi­pally considered; First God, who of himselfe & of his owne election, The cir­cumstance of the Gos­pell. with­out cause in man, did enter this coue­nant of grace, being moued only by the pleasure of his owne will, and by his own gracious loue to his creatures. For so saith the holy Ghost: Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten son, that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish, The loue of God, the mouing cause of the couenant of grace. but haue euerlasting life. Whereby it is euident that the loue of God was the onely cause that moued him to this effect: for God cā glorifie himself aswel [Page 138] in the damnation, as in the saluation of men: for hee needeth no addition of honour, that is infinite both in great­nesse and goodnesse; but as his mercy is most eminent ouer all his attributes, so in this new Couenant of the Gospell hee doth giue vs the greatest demon­stration of his mercy that can be, in gi­uing his onely begotten Son to dye on the crosse for the redemption of man­kind: in euery word whereof there is an emphasis or a passion of loue (infinite­ly) beyond al comparison: Secondly. where it see­meth that God doth (as it were,) put off his Maiesty, and descend himselfe in his care to pitty, and redresse the rui­ned state of sinfull man his enemy. Se­condly, in the person of Christ (who is the cause both mouing & finishing the couenant of the Gospell) there is mat­ter of most worthy and admirable con­sideration. For Christ is not onely to bee vnderstood, How to vn­derstand Christ in the Gospell. as the instrumentall cause, whereby this couenant of grace betweene God and man was effected, but also as the first mouing cause and deuiser of it, it being impossible to as­signe [Page 139] him offices without his owne ap­pointment, he being equall to God the Father, and the holy Ghost: and they all hauing but one diuinity vndiuided. This the vnbeleeuing Iewes could not comprehend, and therefore they deri­ded Christ when he said: Ioh. 8. 5. 8. Before Abra­bam was, I am, not knowing that he was God equall and coeternall with his Fa­ther, and was begotten before all begin­nings.

It is therefore most wonderfull in the person of Christ, that hee being God, and the Lord of all the World: that he would leaue the bosome of his Father, Strong wit­nesses of the loue of Christ. and (for a time) to put off the presence of his diuine Maiesty, and to take our nature vpon him in humilitie, and in a base estate, and to vndertake (not onely) to satisfie the law, & make good our defects, but also to beare the displeasure of his father, and to suffer the malice of wicked men to preuayle, euen to his death, and that he hath en­dured all this for the good of man, a creature that by sin had brought him­selfe in disgrace with God. And which [Page 140] is most of all; that hee hath done al this by his owne appointment, Christ suffe­red of his owne will, and not by constraint. without ey­ther commaund or direction, there be­ing no power aboue him, by whom he could be commanded. This incompa­rable loue is able to astonish a Christi­an meditation, and to make it admire & say with holy Dauid: Lord what is mā that thou hast such respect vnto him, or the sonne of man; that thou so regardest him? Psal. 144. v. 3. Thirdly, is considerable the officers in the holy ministration of the Gospell, Psal. 144. 3. Thirdly. The mini­sters in the office of the Gospell. by whose endeuour and vigilancy, the spirituall graces of the Gospell are distributed to the children of faith, for whose sakes the couenāt of grace is given. The first officers (in this kind) were the twelue Apostles, of pur­pose chosen by the Lord Iesus himselfe, Apostles. that they might be the faithfull witnes­ses of the whole passage of his life, and that (after his ascension) they might plant in mans hearts a know­ledge of this Gospell; and by theyr praiers, preachings, and godly ex­hortations, to dispose the holy seed of grace in their harts, whom God should [Page 141] make capable to entertaine it with pro­fite. The profite of their la­bours. These holy labourers being assisted by the holy Ghost, trauelled in Gods husbandry, with such profite, as that the Gospell (in their times) spreade it selfe into very large limits. And buil­ding vpon the foundation of the rocke Christ, they haue erected such a frame as shall remayne to all posteritie. These holy Ministers were the con­ducts, whereby God did conferre his spirituall waters of life into all the parts of the world, who spreading themselus (in their painefull trauell) ouer all the knowne world, spread the Gospell as they went; & left in euery place where they came, a memory of their Lord and maister Christ Iesus. After thē succee­ded others in their example, who both taught the gospell, The state of the primi­tiue Church & confirmed it with the testimony of their death. These are the holy officers in the ministration of the gospell, & all that liue in the church of God in their office, & in their exam­ple, shal with them receiue the wages of faithfulnes, A question in much controuersy Here is offered a large occa­sion to dispute a questiō in cōtrouersie, [Page 142] who are they that are the true Mini­sters of the Gospell. The Papist. The Church of Rome challenge to be onely able to de­riue a true ministery, because (say they) they haue continued one and the same succession from the Apostles downe­wardes. The Pro­testants o­pinion. The Protestants misproue their Ministery, and plead intrusion of cere­monie, and corruption of errour, and professe to haue reduced a Ministe­ry in most neare proportion to that of the Primitiue Church. The Brownist is peremptory against them both, and fondly pleads against the names and ti­tles of the ministery. The Puri­tane and Brownist. And therefore as these quarrels are vnplacable and out of hope to be reconciled, I wil leaue thē in their strife, with this admonition to my reader: That we despise not Christ, because vpon his Crosse hee did hang with theeues; neyther that wee honour theeus, because they hang with Christ: for that which is but neare truth, Truth be­tween two extremities of errour. Fourthly. is no truth, and the best vertue is placed be­tweene two extremities.

Lastly, is to be considered, to whom the benefites of the Gospel appertaine; [Page 143] and that is to the elect, namely such as are most industrious in the faithfull execution of the law; for as I haue sayd God hath not giuen the Gospell to destroy the Law, but to preserue and re­uiue it, that men may be allured by the sweet promises of the Gospell to ende­uour with alacritie and hope in the ex­ercise of the law. And therefore Christ himselfe sayth: If yee loue mee, keepe my commandements: that is, endeuour to keepe them with all diligence: for he that is carelesse in the seruice of God, is not to hope that God will bee care­full of his saluation. This is also ap­proued in the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. Mat. 21. 1. &c. The Mayster of the Vineyard is God, the Vineyard is the world, the Labourers are the faithfull and painefull Christians, their wages is the benefite of the Gospell. So that not the lookers on, but the Labourers in Gods Vineyard shall receyue the wa­ges of euerlasting saluation.

These considerations are most weigh­ty in the generall vnderstanding of the Gospell, to which I will adde this ad­monition: [Page 144] That all men esteeme wor­thilie and reuerently of the Gospell of Iesus Christ, 2. Th [...]s. 2. 10. 11. 12. because God doth iudge the contemners thereof to be guilty of deserued damnation. And that if God present them the meanes to communi­cate with the benefites of the Gospell, that they neglect (rather) all the pro­fites in the world, then the treasure of the Gospell. For that is that one thing which is only necessary, and that pearle of price, for which wee are aduised to sell all that we haue, Mat. 13. 45. 46. that we may purchase it. For he that hath that iewel, hath suf­ficient wealth; & he that hath al thinges but that, he hath nothing, if he hath not that. For what will it aduantage vs to win the whole world, if wee leese our soules? and what inlargement can hee desire, that hath the treasure of the gos­pell in his heart, whereby he hath con­tinuall comfort; and is led in the path of his saluation.

Of Christ Iesus, the summe of the Gospell. Chap. 2.

IEsus Christ is the sum or compendiū of the gospell, Christ the summe of the Gospel. in whose acti­ons & holy sufferings the main execution of the gospell, was (only &) wholly finished: for hee being the seale of the couenant of grace; the co­uenant was onely promised, not perfor­med, vntill Christ himselfe came in our nature, Christ hath payed our debts for vs. Why the Gospell is called the new Testa­ment. who did first discharge the for­mer debts we ought the iustice of God; before he did seale and ratifie the new couenant of the gospell. Therefore is the holy gospell called the new Testa­ment of our Sauiour Iesus, because the interest and title of saluation, could not be deriued of the children of God, but by Christ the testator his sufferings, & death in his humane nature. It is also [Page 156] called the last will of Iesus Christ, Why the last Will. be­cause God hath fully determined that this Testament, this couenant shall re­mayne (vnalterable) to all posterity; there being no purpose in God, no po­wer in mā to alter or repeale, or change the forme of this Couenant: but being determined by the whole Trinity, The Gospel the last re­fuge for mē. from before all beginning, to be the last re­fuge for sinfull men: and the onely and most safe meanes of their spiritual deli­uerances: it was also in the fulnesse of time, perfectly finished by Christ, as was before determined in the coūsell of the trinity. And from this doctrine doth issue this foundation of Christian reli­gion, that the Couenant of grace was purchased onely by the righteousnes of Iesus Christ, A foundati­on of Chri­stian religiō. who in our nature satisfy­ing our cōtempts, & in our nature wor­king righteousnes, did in our nature, & in our behalfe indēt with God & enter these couenants; & lastly, to ratifie al, he did die in our nature; & with the bloud of his sacred hand subscribe & seale his Testament our couenant, whereby it is made vnquestionable true, and vnalter­able [Page 157] to all times. It is euident then that the matter of the Gospell is wholy con­tained in the only work of Iesus Christ, The works of Christ. The mat­ter of the Gospell. and that Christ is a contract compen­dium of all such particulars as are con­tained in the couenant of mans saluati­on. And that therefore the Canons and decrees of Councels, and ecclesia­sticall states, nay, the very writings of the Prophets and Apostles, How to vn­derstand holy wri­tings that interpret Scripturs. adde not any matter to the substance of the co­uenant of grace: but are rather to bee vnderstood as interpretations and plain expositions of such secrets, as the wise­dome of Christ Iesus thought good to folde in allegories and dark vnderstan­ding. For Christ left not his worke de­fectiue and imperfect, wherby it might require correction, but in a most exact performance. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 12. Therfore saith Saint Paul, Other foundation cā no man lay, then that which is laid, which is Iesus Christ: Vers. 12. 14. 14. and he assureth a reward to thē that build vpō this foundation, & not to thē that lay a new foundatiō, or alter this that is layd. Christ then, The words. The workes of Christ. the foundation of christian religion, & the substance of the Gospell [Page 158] did execute his diuine office with a double diligence, his word, his worke: by his word I vnderstand such spirituall doctrine, as hee dayly deliuered to his hearers, whether it were direction, ad­monition, reformation or interpretati­on; in all which our Sauiour hath so a­boundantly trauelled, as that not onely particular men, The wordes of Christ giue all mē sufficient divine di­rection. but the Catholique Church also may receyue ample & suf­ficiēt directiō, both for diuine doctrine and spirituall discipline. By his works I vnderstand euery act, & al the passage of his temporall life, from his incarna­tion to his death on the crosse, in all which time hee was continually wor­king somwhat that was auaileable & ne­cessary for the redemption of mankind. A generall vnderstan­ding of Christ. Thus is Christ generally to bee vnder­stood, as hee was the principall matter of the Gospell, and the onely working meanes of our saluation. To make this doctrine familiar and profitable to Christian men of easie vnderstanding I will subdiuide this double care of Christ into particulars. The wordes of Christ, the time of his Incarnation [Page 159] did instruct vs the duties of our soule, and the duties of society; the duties of the soule, The duties of the soule are all those thinges that are needfully required in the state of Chri­stianity, whether we respect the neces­sary faith of the Church, the necessary orders in the Church; or the necessary obedience to the Church. The duetie of society is ciuill action, The duty of society. and humani­ty; that is▪ a louing, charitable and or­derly conuersing of Christian men. And this Christ Iesus hath called the great commandement; great indeede, and of great consequence, because without this duty of humanity, wee can not performe our duty of diuinity: for hee that first loueth not his neighbour whom he hath seene, cannot loue God whom hee hath not seene. And these duties of the soule, and society, com­prehend generally the substance of such doctrines as Christ Iesus himselfe hath deliuered. The workes of Christ are also of the matter of the Gospell, and comprehend such thinges as were ne­cessary to be done by Christ, and ne­cessary to be knowne and beleeued of [Page 160] vs being the price of our redemption, Necessary in respect of his own de­cree. without which it was impossible wee should be reconciled to Gods fauours, and by which the couenant of the gos­pell is both obtained, and confirmed vnto vs. All which workes of Christ I reduce to these three principals; to his birth, 1. The birth. 2. The life. 3. The death of Christ. to his life, and to his death: what he did by assuming our nature, what he did & suffered by liuing in our nature, and what he did by suffering, when hee dyed in our nature. What hee did in being borne. And this (I take) to bee the most orderly vnderstanding of the Workes of our Sauiour Christ. When Christ did assume our nature, & was borne of the blessed Virgine, he did an act of great loue, and of great hu­mility: of great humility, in that hee daigned to descend his Maiesty, and to take our nature vnto his Diuinity, whereby hee became subiect to a tem­porall death, Heb. 2. 9. and in (that respect) A little inferiour to the Angels, his owne creatures.

Secondly, it was an act of wonder­full goodnesse, because the end thereof had not respect to any meanes that [Page 161] might enlarge the honour and felicitie of Christ himselfe, in whome there is (naturally) an infinite measure of all happinesse, The respect but had respect onely to poore and sinnefull man, that by this meanes hee might repossesse the fauor of God, from which hee had cast him­selfe by his owne disobedience. Obiection. Now it may be demanded, that seeing the na­ture of man is so poysoned with heredi­tary sin, as that all the descents of man­kind haue a naturall corruption deriued on them, the which like a generall lepro­sie deformes the ancient beauty of our nature, & presents vs in vgly formes be­fore the maiesty of God: how thē could Christ take such a nature, so deformed, without imputation of sin, and without fowling the exact holines and sincerity of his diuine nature. Answere. Christ took our nature but not the corruption of nature. I answere that Christ tooke our nature, nay all our na­ture; yet not those staines, nor that cor­ruption wherwith sin had deformed our nature. For though sin bee deriued na­turally, yet is it not of the essence of our nature, but a defect or an accidental de­formity which happened to our nature [Page 162] not when God first gaue our nature, but after it was giuen. And all those staines and deformities which natural­ly are bred in vs in the wombe, and at our conception, were all voyded and absent at the Incarnation of our bles­sed Sauiour: the holy Ghost sanctifi­ing and preparing the sacred Virgin, ordayned for that holy office, where­by shee was onely made able to deriue her nature with her issue, immaculate, without sinne, without corruption (but not without infirmity.) And this sa­cred deriuing of a sanctified nature from the blessed Virgine, The blessed virgin. is not to bee considered, as the act or power of the holy Virgin, but of the holy Ghost; who being God, coequal with the Father & the son, was able to separate our nature from corruption, & so to sanctifie the sacred virgin, that her nature might be deriued as innocent and spotlesse, as God had created it. The holy Ghost the principall mo [...]er in sanctifying the blessed virgin. In which businesse the holy virgine was meerely passiue, and the holy Ghost the principall wor­ker, It is necessarily true then, that Christ tooke not a part or a peece of [Page 163] our nature, but our whole nature, euen our infirmities, and auoyded onely the sinne which accidentally did happen our natures; Sinne not of our na­ture, but in our nature. the which being not of our nature, but in our nature it was not necessary that Christ should take▪ sinne when hee tooke our nature. And therefore sayth the holie Scripture that Christ Iesus was like to vs in all things, onely sinne excepted.

Secondly, Secondly. What Christ did & suffered for vs. is to bee considered what Christ did and suffered while hee liued in our nature: that is, the time of his personall and visible conuersing with men here on earth: what he did, is com­prehended in this, that he liued (righte­ously in the duties of the Law, and in exact obedience to Gods commande­ments. And this was necessary in the office of Redemption, which Christ Ie­sus had vndertaken; for it was not pos­sible to make good the Couenant of grace, How Christ did satisfie our cōtempt before the contempts of the Law were satisfied, which Christ di [...] by his actiue and by his passiue Righteousnes, By his actiue righteousnesse, when he li­ued in a precise conformity to the Law [Page 164] of God: by his passiue righteousnesse: when hee suffered punishment for the sins that men had committed, where­by both the law and the iustice of God had satisfaction for all former con­tempts. The Gos­pell the on­ly true hi­story of the life of Christ. I shall not need to report the particulars, what our Sauiour Christ did, and what he suffered, the time of his personall conuersing with men, the holy story of the Gospell is best able to giue satisfaction, wherein is registred not all his life, but so much as the wis­dome of God hath thought conueni­ent for a Christian knowledge, where it is euident that Christ had a double continuall exercise. First, the exercise of his power. Secondly, the exercise of his patience. The power and the pa­tience of Christ. His power was exercised in doing good, his patience in suffering euill: what he did, it was for man, what hee suffered it was from man: Christ both did and suffered, that men might not suffer: men did all they might, that Christ might suffer.

Thirdly, is to bee considered what Christ did by suffering, when he dyed in our nature. Christ when he dyed in [Page 165] our nature, did by death, ouerthrowe death, What Christ did by suffering. and by suffring did an act of ad­mirable power and infinite glory: his power and glory were declared in the conquest hee made of sinne, hell, and death, enemies that had wasted the sons of Adam, now themselues wasted and (for euer) vanquished by one Son of Adam Death and hell are the ser­uants of sinne, sinne their originall or first cause, The servants of sinne. whom sinne marketh, death destroyeth his body, hell tormenteth his soule; yet is death, hell, and sinne, swallowed vp in victory by one Christ, The victory Christ had of sinne and hell. who in the forme of man, offering vp himselfe a sacrifice to God his Father, hath reconciled God and man, by the righteousnes of himselfe, God & man: leading into perpetual captiuity the an­cient enemies of our nature, sinne, hell, and death, sealing the new couenant of grace, with the Crosse of his death, whereby hée hath opened the gates of heauen, and remoued all difficulties, that might let vs in the passage to euer­lasting happinesse.

Of Repentance, the sorrow of the Soule for sinne. Chap. 3.

WHen Christian men haue vnderstanding by the Law of God, of their miserable estate (in respect of sinne) what they were in in­nocency, what they are in sin, & what they shall be in iudgement, it bringeth a general sadnesse on the soules of men, Repentance and dulleth the spirite and delight they haue had in their prosperous fortunes: God giueth the first grace to re­pentance. For when God giueth grace to any one to examine his life, and to view his own deformities, the first knowledge & ap­prehensiō of his misery is most terrible, because his conscience dooth forcibly check the former proceedings of his life and violently hale him against the cur­rēt of his own affection: for as riuers are not forced against their ordinary streme [Page 172] [...] [Page 173] [...] [Page 174] but by the tide which is more forcible then the streame; so our sinfull action, (being in all men, The diffi­culty of re­pentance. a naturall and com­mon motion) is not reformed in vs, but by the Spirite of God, a power a­boue our nature. Yet is it done, with such contention in our flesh, and in our nature, (as for the time) doth won­derfully distract the soule of the party repenting. The reason. And needs it must: for he that hath wasted his time in the deli­cacy of fortune, glutting himselfe with variety of pleasures, and in the height of this vaine prosperity is admonished that hee hath fedde on poyson, and thereby runne his life into a desperate hazard, The sorrow of a repen­tant soule. will (doubtles) endure the ex­tremity of griefe that sudden feare and amazednesse can lay vpon him For so are sinnefull [...] men, who not re­garding the danger of their soules be­fore God and their conscience admo­nish them, A sudden griefe is violent. are taken vnprouided with a sudden griefe, which doth alway inflict an vnexpressable measure of sorrowe, and sometimes death and desperation. Now as the Law teacheth vs to know [Page 175] our sinne, What must cure disea­sed soules. our miserable condition, and the disease of our soules: so the Gos­pell teacheth vs the cure, both what and how to administer phisicke to our diseased soules: for else were the knowledge of our sinnes an extreme misery without profite, if wee shoulde not also know the meanes of our reco­uery, and know also how to administer and apply them. For vertue hath no vertue but in vse, The vse of vertue. and that physicke which the sicke patient receyueth not, cannot profite him, bee it neuer so ex­cellent, or standeth neuer so neare him. But as in corporall, so in spiritu­all sicknesses, The order in curing. the disease must first bee knowne, the phisicke then admini­stred; for hee that administreth before hee knoweth the cause, or knoweth on­ly the cause, and administreth not, can neuer recouer his patient, be hee neuer so industrious. In repentance therefore and sorrow for sinne,) which is a sicke­nesse of the soule) must be (necessarily) considered these two particulars: The cause, The cause of repen­tance. the cure. The cause is eyther the materiall cause, or the mouing cause, [Page 176] the materiall cause is sin; that being the matter of our offence; for which wee so sorrow and grieue all the time of our repentance. This is proued in the ex­amples of all men that haue had the grace of true and vnfaigened repen­tance; euery penitent Child of grace hauing sorrow and affliction in his soule, because by his sinne he hath pro­uoked his God, and his creator against him. Thus did Iob and Dauid repent them; Iob. 42. 6. 2. Sam. 12. 13. and so doe and will doe all that would profite by theyr Repentance. And here is necessarily to be obserued that though our repentance haue re­spect to the benefite of our owne estates, as being a most necessary seruice in our saluation: Note. yet the maine respect is had to God, whose glory wee must preferre, God must be respected before our soules. euen before the saluation of our soules, making him the principall and our selues but secondary respectes of our repentance. And herein appea­reth the difference betweene true and false repentance. The false or godlesse repentance sorroweth for sinne, but for this cause only, that for their sinne God [Page 177] doth punish and afflict them. The diffe­rence be­tweene true and false repentance. Exod. 9. 27 1. Sam. 15 24 25. 1. King. 21. 27. Therfore their sorrow is chiefly for the punish­ment, & but respectiuly for the sin. Thus did Pharaoh, Saul, Ahab, & Iudas repent them, and so do all false and fained re­penters, that respect God for them­selues, and not themselues for God. A true and godly repentance sorroweth for sin, Mat. 27. 3. 4 For what cause a god­ly repentant sorroweth. because it is sin, and not because it deserueth punishment: and heere the main respect is had to God, and to our selues onely for Gods sake. For though the dread and feare of punishment, be sufficient to mooue any mans repen­tance, yet we must not make that the cause of our spirtiual sorrow: but much rather because we haue offended so gra­cious a God, who hath declared him­selfe to vs in so many, & so great demō ­strations of loue, this ought to be more sensible to our wounded soules thē the horror we haue of our condemnation. Thus are holy men moued in the griefe & passion of their repentāce. The main difference then betweene true and false repentance is this: True repentance is caused by a reuerence wee haue to [Page 178] the loue of God, false Repentance by the feare wee haue of Gods iustice: the one is the office of a slaue, the other the office of a sonne: both of them re­penting one matter, God is the moving cause in e­very office of grace. but for diuers re­spects. Sin then is the materiall cause of Repentance. The mouing cause is God who mouing his holy Spirite in the hearts of his Elect, presents them the vgly formes of their sins, awakes their conscience, and stirs them to a serious cogitation of their wretchednesse; gi­uing them still such proportion of grace, as the degrees of theyr Repen­tance and spiritual sorrow shal require. And that God is the first mouing cause of godly repentance, is euident by ma­ny places of Scripture; by these namely, 2. Tim. 2. 25. where S. Paul aduising Ti­mothie to instruct them that are contra­ry minded, hee giueth this reason: 2. Tim. 2. 25 Be­cause he shall thereby proue if God at any time will giue them repentance, that they may know the truth: Here repentance is called the gift of God, which doth vt­terly barre man from all cause of boa­sting his ability in this necessatie dutie. [Page 179] Also in the 5. of the Act. 31. the Apo­stles (prouing Iesus to be Christ & God coequall to his Father) vseth this argu­ment before the councell of the Iewes: That God had made him a Prince & a Sa­utour, Act. 5. 31. to giue repentance to Israel, and for­giuenesse of sin, where the power of gi­uing repentance, is made a proofe of his diuinity, and interposed betweene his office of Sauiour, and his power of forgiuing sins. These places (out of ma­ny) sufficiently proue, that God is the first & principall mouing cause of fruit­full repentance. Obiect. Now it may bee de­maunded, whether God moue repen­tance in all them that repent for sin, or in them onely that truly repent, and are his chosē elect. I answer, Answer. that God mo­ueth this grace in his elect only because they only make profitable vse of repen­tance, & that such as Soul and Ahab that repented for priuate respects, Saul and Ahab. were not moued by the spirite of grace, but by their politique & priuate regards only. For wheresoeuer the holy Ghost shall please to moue grace, it is not possible that labour should be fruitlesse: neyther [Page 180] doth God euer misse in the purpose of his ends. Note. And therfore that repentance which his holy Spirit causeth, he conti­nueth to maturitie & ripenesse of per­fection, neuer fayling, neuer fainting in his vndertakings. Thus much of the cause of our spirituall sorrow (repen­tāce.) Now of the cure or means of de­liuerance from spirituall griefe. The cure. In the cure is considered, first the preparing & dressing of the wounded soule, wherby it is made fit for curing. Secondly, the matter to be applied to the soule. Third­ly, the maner of applyment. In the preparing of the wounded soule, there are those 4. things necessary. First, a spi­rituall sorrow for sin, that is, a sence of sorrow in the soule, caused by a cogita­tion of sin & guiltinesse. And this is a necessary preparatiue in a repētāt soule: for that soule cānot desire a spiritual re­freshing, that hath not first a sense of sorrow, & a feeling of present calamity. This first preparatiue to repentance, was in the Iewes, that were hearers of holy Peter, when hee declared to them their sin in crucifying the Lord Iesus. [Page 181] For the Text sayth: Act. 2. 37 When they heard it, they were pricked in their hearts, and sayd: What shall wee doe? As if the presēt sorrow did so astonish them, as they knew not what to do, nor what to ad­uise themselues. The next preparatiue is humble acknowledgement, that is, an acknowledgment of the soule of the misery it is in, Humble acknow­ledgement. and an exposing of such particular griefes as wee finde in the register of our conscience. This al­so is very necessary in the preparing of our soules: for though God (the Phy­sition of our soul [...]s) vnderstand our sins better then our selues, and can remem­ber them better then conscience; yet is it but reason, that hee that desireth the physicke of his soule, declare so much of his griefe as hee can remem­ber: not to instruct or helpe the know­ledge of God, but to acknowledge our selues and our dut [...]full desires. This ac­knowledgement of sin, was comon in the custome of holy Dauid, how often doth hee confesse his sinne, and ex­pose his griefe before God? The exam­ple of holy Dauid. Psal. 32. 5. for God is so desirous of our good, as that [Page 182] hee then readily helpeth vs, when wee doe but (carefully) desire it. Therefore sayth the Prophet Dauid: I sayd I would confesse my sinne, and thou forgauest, &c. Dauid did but say he would confesse, God taketh his word, and forgaue him his sinne. And certainely, humble and vnfained acknowledgement in our repentance, is an vndoubted testimo­ny that God doth giue vs grace, & that hee will giue vs fauour. Here is offe­red occasion to dispute a large contro­uersie touching auricular confessiō, the which being conten [...]iously disputed, Auricular confession. hath kindled fire in the faith of manie, many making that of absolute necessi­ty in all, which is onely conuenient in some. Auricular con [...]ession rather poli­cy then pie­ty. For auricular confession (as now it is vsed) is rather a state policy thē re­ligious piety, and therefore I dare not command it, neyther will commend it. The third preparatiue consisteth in ho­ly action, The third preparatiue. that is, when wee indeauour a reformation of our selues, and declare our Repentance in a conscionable dis­charge. For though no man can [...] satisfie the iustice of God for sinne; that being [Page 183] possible for the Sonne of God onely: No man can satisfie God. yet ought all men to endeauour so much as they haue power giuen them to satisfie men. As for example; hee that stealeth or defraudeth, bee it by force or by fraud, How farre euery man must satisfie. is of necessity bound to make restitution (if he bee able) and this the reformed Publican Zacheus wel vnderstood, who pro [...]essing before Christ his reformation & repentance, to witnesse it to bee true and vnfained, hee gaue this infallible token: Beholde Lord (sayth he) the half of my goods I giue to the poore, and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation, Luk. 19. 8. I restore him foure folde. And the Text sayth in the next verse, that then saluation was come into his house. And so Zacheus by indea­uouring that hee could not, did at one time entertaine both his Sauiour and his saluation. Therefore though no man can satisfie, yet euery man must endeauour, otherwise his repentance is idle and but vaine, neyther can he haue part in the righteousnesse and redemp­tion of Iesus Christ.

The last preparatiue is praier, that is [Page 184] a lifting vp of the heart to God, with faith and hopeful confidence. Prayer. In the ex­ercise of praier there is a double office. Psal. 25. 1. First, wee must expose our griefe. Se­condly, we must implore fauour: for as in the ordinary cures of Surgery, the patient must first suffer his woundes to bee ript, Note. launst and searcht before the playster can bee applyed to the sore: so must we rip, and search the wounds of our soule, empty the infectious mat­ter; and when we haue it out, wee must vse it as Hezechiah did the blasphe­mous letter of Rabshaketh, 2. Kin. 19. 14. 15. spreads all before the Lord; and then with ear­nest humblenesse, implore his fauour, point out our sinnes vnto him, and confesse that these are they that haue wounded our soules, troubled our con­science, for which we grieue, for which we pray. When the soule is thus prepa­red, there is ioy in our repentant teares, pleasure in our griefe, and hope in our spirituall sorrow: and then, (and not before) are wee made fitte to ap­prehend and apply the saluation of our soules, Christ Iesus. The second [Page 185] thing in the care of our soules, The matter of the cure of our souls. is the soueraigne matter by which the soule is cured. That is the most soueraigne Balsame, the sacred bloud of the Lambe of GOD, of the Sonne of God, shed for the Redemption of man­kinde: 1. Pet. 2. 2. for so sayth his holy Apostle Saint Peter, 1. Pet. 2. 24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree, that [...]ee being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse, by whose stripes we were healed. Our sinnes are taken from vs, by his bearing them: our woundes are cured by his wo [...]ndes: our eternall death preuented by his temporall death: for but the Sonne of GOD (Christ Iesus,) there is no Empiricke, No physick but the bloud of Christ can cure a wounded soule. no quintessence, no Phy­sicke, can cure a wounded soule: so venemous is sinne, and so incurable are the wounds of sinne: only the bloud of the holy Lambe is able to deliuer and heale; and that is both so certaine, and present in vertuous operation, as that one droppe (rightly applyed) is sufficient to cure the wounds of a world of soules. The last thing is the cure of [Page 186] our soules, is the manner of applying this most Soueraigne medicine Christ Iesus, The maner of applying Christ. and that is by a true and a liuelie faith, Heb. 11. 6. for without faith it is impossible to please God: and without faith it is impossible to apprehend the Sonne of God. Neyther neede this seeme strange to a Christian iudgement, that wee should bee able by faith to appre­hend Christ, and apply him to our re­pentant soules: for hee himselfe hath taught vs, that whatsoeuer wee shall aske in prayer (if we belieue) wee shall haue it. Mat. 21. 22. Where hee maketh faith to bee the couenant and condition of pray­er, and promiseth that such prayer shal onely and alwayes preuaile, that is dire­cted by a liuing faith, against which there is no resistance. No resistāce against a true faith. Therefore to ap­prehend Christ Iesus, and to apply him to our wounded soules, we must reach our handes of faith to the bosome of his Father, and by faith take him from the altar of his Crosse, and by faith ap­ply his bloud, (nay, his bloudy bo­dy) to our wounded soules. For hee that doth it faithfully, doth it effectu­ly, [Page 187] and shal doubtlesse find assurance in himselfe, that the woundes of his soule are cured; and that sinne is for euer disinabled from doing his soule hurt, that hath Iesus Christ his Redeemer faithfully applyed vnto it. For where hee is in his mercy, there is assurance, and the [...]afety of diuine protection, And this is the order I aduise all chri­stians in their repentance and spirituall sorrow. Note. First, that they prepare their soules, and that then they apply Iesus Christ their saluation, In whom there is safety, without whome, none. I might heere bee large in declaring the manner and the causes of God­lesse sorrow, and false repentance. Ia­uoide them for their number and va­riety: let the true iudge the false; and let this true forme of Repentance I haue prescribed, teach the Christian Reader to auoide all dissimulation, Hipocriti­cal sorrow in Gods ha­tred. and hypocriticall sorrow for sinne: the which hee may iudge by comparing with this Doctrine I haue deliuered. And let him remember that Godlie sorrow causeth repentance, not to bee [Page 188] repented of; but worldly sorrow cau­seth death. 2. Corinth. 7. 10. 11.

Of Mortification. Chap. 4.

HE that is resolued to in­deuour his godly repē ­tance, Mortificati­on. and laboreth the reformation of his sin­full life, must labour two thinges principal­ly, and of necessity; the first is Morti­fication, the next regeneration. He must first destroy his sinnefull estate, before he can obtaine the state of grace. For God and the gifts of God, Note. are so absolute holy, as that they cannot ad­mit any mixture or cooperation with sinne and wicked action. For as in the curing of bodies infected with poyson­nous diseases, the Physition by seuerity and strict dyet, bringeth downe the body of his patient to extreme pouer­ty, [Page 199] and leannes, and then in that extre­mity, helpeth the weakenesse of Na­ture; and by restoratiues, and requisite dyet, bringeth a new flesh wholesome and without disease, the former disea­sed flesh being first wasted, and vtterly consumed with the extremity of phy­sick. So he that is resolued in his repen­tance, and hath a loathing and detesta­tion of his sins, and a desire to free his soule from the contagion of sinne, must resolue also to endure such bitter Phy­sicke and strict dyet, How to mortifie our diseased actions. as the iudgement of spiritual phisick doth prescribe him; whereby all the euill, depraued and cor­rupt affections of his soule, may bee vt­terly wasted, and thereby his soule may haue new and fresh indument of grace, without taint, without disease, without griefe. This was figured in the manner of Gods calling Moses to his princely and Propheticall office. For when Mo­ses made offer to come neare the pre­sence of God in the bush, Ex. 3. 5. God forbad him: Come not hither (saith God,) put off thy shoes of thy feet. That is before thou presume to approch my presence, thou [Page 200] must first put off thy shooes, that is, thy sinnefull and corrupt affections for hee that hath base and vile affections is not worthy, is not fitte for the pre­sence of GOD. It was also in the order of the Ceremoniall Law, that they who were polluted (were it but with the touch of any vncleane thing) were for a time Prohibited the Sanctua­ry, and the presence of God: Leuit. 15. 2. &c. and had a time limited to cleanse them, before they were admitted and allowed for cleane persons. All which Ceremonies doe but note vnto vs the Nature of holinesse, how vnpossible it is to bee reconciled with sinne, that as the two contrary Elements, Fire and Water, cannot possibly bee in any one Sub­iect without intestine strife: so God and Beliall, grace and sinne, can neuer conspire in any one particular: but where grace is, No peace betweene God and Belial. sinne cannot be, and where sinne is, grace will not bee: there being in them a full opposition of Na­ture, not to be reconciled. There­fore it is necessary, that before wee entertaine the graces of Gods Holy [Page 201] Spirite, wee first discharge our sinnes, which haue had entertainement in vs, and before wee can bee regene­rate, and made the sonnes of GOD, wee must mortifie our affections, whereby we were made the seruants of Sinne.

Saint Paul admonishing the Colos­sians to an imitation of Christ, S. Paules direction. and his holinesse, aduiseth first to Mor­tification, as if without that meanes, the other were impossible. Colos. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore (sayth hee) your Members which are on the earth, For nication, vncleannesse, &c. And hee giueth a reason of this direction, in the Epistle to the Romanes, Rom. 8. 13. 8. 13. For if yee liue after the flesh, yee shall die: but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spi­rit, yee shall liue. By which place wee are taught, what mortification is, and of what necessity it is.

Mortification is a decay or peri­shing the deedes of our flesh, What Mor­tification is. by the grace and operation of Gods Spi­rite. By the deeds of our flesh, is meant not onely our euill actions, but our [Page 202] desires and carnall affections also; the which Saint Paul doth particularize in the Verse before alleadged: where he calleth their generall name members on the earth. Mortifie therefore your mem­bers which are on the earth, Colos. 3. 5 fornicatiō, vn­cleannesse, the inordinate affection, euill concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which is idolatry. In which hee comprehendeth (not onely) our actions, but affecti­ons; nay, the very naturall concupis­cence, and deprauednesse of our Na­ture. Not that any man is able to performe these dueties exactly; but exactly to endeuour them, and that our defectes may bee in our power, To ende­vour exactly is exactly to performe. and not in our purpose and endeauour. And this is the meaning of that Apo­stle, in naming (for the matter of mortification) sinnes of action, sinnes of affection, and sinnes of naturall des­cent.

Secondly, Secondly. mortification is an office of the spirit, Question. & here importeth a question, whether the word spirite in this place is to be meant of the Spirite of God, the Holy Ghost, or of the Spirite of [Page 203] man our naturall soule. I answere, Answer. that the Spirit executing this office of mor­tification, is principally meant of the holy Ghost, who giueth the first motion of desire in euery Godlie Act. It is respectiuely also meant of the care and trauell of our owne spirites or soules, not that our own spi­rits can cause our owne mortification, but being first caused by Gods Spirite, it is entertained and continued by the exercise of our owne Spirites, our Spirites hauing no such strength in theyr owne Nature, Note. but as they are prepared by the Grace of the Holy Ghost. For, as in the casting of a stone or running of a Bowle, though the strength of the arme giue the first mo­tion to the bowle or stone; yet after­wards is the motion continued a com­petent time, as wel because of the pow­erfull mouing of the arme, as also be­cause of the naturall fitnesse of the thing moued. So in the office of mor­tification, and in all other diuine of­fices of the Soule, No soule can moue it selfe to di­uine action▪ though the Soule moue not it selfe to these holy actions; [Page 204] yet by reason of the spirituall nature of our soules, when it is once mo­ued by the Holy Ghost, it then conti­nueth such motion, euen to perfecti­on; so that the prime houre of the ho­ly exercise of Mortification (and so of all other spirituall offices) is wholy to to bee ascribed to the power of Gods holy Spirit, which moueth in our harts enery act, and euery purpose of well doing.

Thirdly, there is a necessary of mor­tification imposed vpon euery man, Thirdly. vp­on the paine of condemnation. This is implyed in the words of S. Paul in the place before alledged, Rom. 8. 13. For if ye liue after the Flesh, ye shall die, but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spi­rit, Rom. 8. 13. ye shall liue. Where the Apostle pro­poseth life and death before the Ro­manes, admonishing that of a necessity they must chuse one, Life and death is proposed euery man. eyther to mortifie the flesh and liue, or else to pamper the flesh, and die; there being no meanes, no cause of auoidance of this necessity. And S. Paul hath admiration at their simplicity, that cannot apprehend this [Page 205] mystery, who in the Allegory of seede prouing the resurrection of our bodies, proueth also the necessary mortifying of our flesh: 1. Cor. 15. 36. O foole (saith he) that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die: For as the blade of seede corne cannot appeare before the graine bee first rotten in the Earth: and as there cannot bee a Resurrection to Life, be­fore there bee first a separation and rottennesse by Death: So there can­not bee a Regeneration by Grace, beefore there bee a Mortification to sinne. No regene­ratiō before mortificati­on. For new-Birth is gotten by the death of Sinne, and Mortificati­on is the Predecessor, and nexte Parent to Regeneration, they being necessary Relatiues: for where one is, both are; and where both are not, nei­the is.

These thinges are most materiall in the doctrine of Mortification.

First, it is generally necessary, al men beeing bound to that duty vpon neces­sity.

Secondly, All men, all sinne. it is necessarily gene­rall, all men being bound to mor­tifie [Page 206] all sinne, without fauour or dispen­sation of any. Lastly, it is moued in vs by the spirite of God, but is exerci­sed by our owne reformed Spirits, God kindling the fire of zeale in our heartes, which when it is once kindled, burneth of it selfe, but not without diuine assi­stance.

Of Regeneration, or new Birth. Chap. 5.

WHen all thinges were first created, Gen. 1. 31. euery thing was perfectly good; no defect, no blemish, no need of correction. The first defection was sin: [Page 214] the first sin was the sinne of Angels, the next the sin of man. God punished the sinne of Angels in their owne particu­lars onely, The reason why God did punish the angels in their owne particulars only, but man, in him selfe and posterity. because they were not to deriue their natures to posteritie by generation and natural descent; and be­cause they were ordained for the ser­uice of God in certain peculiar offices in the gouernement of his Creatures: the Creatures not being ordained for their seruice. But man for whome all thinges, (euen the Angells themselues) were created, & from whom was to be deriued a world of people, when hee sinned, God punished man himselfe, his posterity and the creatures hee had made and giuen him, For as the sinne of man had infected the whole house of man (the whole World beeing then his house) so the curse of God, Gen. 3. 17. and the marke of his displeasure was seated on that house (the world) all thinges being subiect to alteration, & euil change. Frō this cause is the necessity of regenera­tion, al things being now (in their owne nature) in the state of corruption, and death. And therfore saith S. Peter, when [Page 215] shall come to iudgment, 2 Pet. 3. 10. the heauens shal passe away with noyse, & the elements shal melt with heat, & the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp: and that there shal be a new heauen, and a new earth according to Gods promise, Vers. 13. wherin dwels righteousnesse. So that nothing shall bee able to abide the glory of Gods pre­sence, but that which is reformed, and regenerate, not the elements, not hea­uen it selfe, Sin defor­med all, Grace re­formeth all. but as all haue endured (for sinne) the bad alteration, so they must also endeuour (by grace) the good alte­ration: all were transformed by sinne, all must be reformed againe by grace, or else remaine in their deformity. And Saint Paul is peremptory in this opini­on, Gal. 6. 1 [...]. For in Christ Iesus (saith he) neyther circumcision auayleth any thing, nor vncir­cumcision, but a new creature: that is, a re­generation by an effectual faith, is only necessary: all ceremony being insuffi­cient and not effectuall. And our Saui­our Christ to Nicodemus preached the necessity of regeneration, and affirmeth his doctrine with a double asseuerati­on. Verily, verily I say vnto thee, except a [Page 216] man be born again, hee cannot see the king­dome of God. If not see the kingdom of God, then not inheri [...]e it, And this may suffice to perswade the necessary know­ledge, No regene­ration, no saluation. and the necessary care of regene­ration, being that without which it is impossible to be saued. Now it impor­teth to know what regeneration is.

Regeneration is an act of the holy Ghost in Gods elect, What rege­neration is. whereby they are admitted or entred into a constant and faithfull exercise of a godly life. First, it is an act of the holy Ghost: for, as I haue before sayde, all grace is the gift of God, and euery motion to goodnes is caused by the spirite of God onely; Iam. 1. 17 our selues being meerly passiue in all diuine exercise, God himselfe being the actor, and principall mouer. For as hee that learneth to write, The Holy Ghost, our spirituall teacher. hath his hand first led by the direction of his teacher, be­fore he can merit any little commenda­tion: so the holy Ghost (by whose di­rections wee learne the vse of all spiri­tuall exercise) doth moue both our ca­pacity and power, to vnderstand the knowledge & vse of necessary Christi­an [Page 217] an performance, without which Ma­ster, we should neuer bee able to com­prehend the rudimentes and first ele­ments of diuine learning. Regenerati­on then being a Christian office of most necessary performance, it must needes bee caused in vs by the holy Ghost; who is the first mouer of euer grace. This doctrine Saint Peter concludeth 1. Pet. 1. 3. in expresse words: Blessed (sayth he) be God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liue­ly hope, by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead: So that we are regenerate or new begottē by God in Iesus Christ at the motion & instance of his aboun­dant mercy.

Secondly, this act of Regeneration by the holy Ghost, Secondly. is caused in the heartes of GODS elect onely. This Doctrine is grounded vpon this Con­clusion: That GODS labour is neuer fruitlesse; Iam. 1. 17. but what hee attemp­teth is finished, there beeing no resi­stance to his power, nor any greater to countermand him. As holy Dauid saith: [Page 216] [...] [Page 217] [...] [Page 218] The Lord hath done whatsoeuer pleased him. And therefore this grace is moued in the Elect onely, because the elect onely haue the benefite of all grace. And S. Paul chargeth all men that chal­lenge any part in Christ, that they be­come new and regenerate. Therefore (sayth hee,) 2 Cor. 5. 17 If any man bee in Christ, let him bee a new creature, 2. Cor. 5. 17. As if to be in Christ, and to bee a new crea­ture, were reciprocall, all that were in Christ to bee regenerate, and all that were regenerate, to be in Christ: the elect beeing onely in Christ, and rege­nerate onely.

Thirdly, Thirdly. by this act of grace they are admitted and entred into the exercise of godlinesse. For howsoeuer before we are regenerate, & come to be made (as it were) the very actuall sonnes of God, Regenerati­on maketh vs the sons of God. by spirituall regeneration, wee passe many dueties of holinesse which may promise vs an extraordinary de­gree of hope that we are in Gods fauor; yet haue wee then our best assurance, when wee are adopted his children by regeneration: for then wee bring our [Page 219] holy purpose of reformation into act, and faithfully endeauour those dueties which (before) we had only determined And (therefore) S. Iames speaking of this spirituall generation, saith: Of his owne will begat he vs with the worde of Iam. 1. 18. truth, that we should bee as the first fruites of his creatures, Iam. 1. 18. That is, when we are regenerate, and made the sons of God, we are then fruitfull, & not be­fore; we are Gods first fruites, because we are then first fruitfull.

Fourthly, Fourthly. the exercise of good works in the regenerate, must haue two spe­cial properties: first it must be faithfull, then constāt. It must be faithful because of this ground: Rom. 14. 23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin. Rom: 14. It must be constant be­cause of this: That not those that saint in the race of godlines, but those that run on with hope & alacrity shall ob­taine the garland: for so sayth the holy Ghost by S. Iohn: Reu. 1. 26. He that ouer commeth & keepeth my works vnto the end, to him will I giue power ouer natiōs. Not he that en­deuoreth the beginning, the middle, or a part of his life, but he that endureth to [Page 220] the end, hee shall bee saued. And the Authour to the Hebrewes, admoni­nisheth all men, that they run with pati­ence the race that is set before them, looking vnto Iesus the Author and finisher of their faith &c. Heb. 12. 1. 2 forsaluation by Iesus Christ, is that crowne of glory for which all runne, which none can gaine but hee that runneth the race of his life faith­fully and constantly. 1. Cor. 9. 24 Therefore saith S. Paul: So run that yee moy obtaine. That is endeuour your strength with your time to the vttermost, for though yee begin well, it is nothing vnlesse yee also end well. Qualis vita finis. [...]. For as the tree falleth so it ly­eth, and as men dye, so they shal rise to iudgement, for the graue can giue no holinesse, no perfection; but doth one­ly continue vs in the state it found vs. Now if any man obiect, Iohn. 3. 4. 6. as Nicodemus did to Christ, How can these thinges be? Can a man bee borne which is olde? Can he enter into his mothers wombe again, and bee borne? The answer that Christ made to Nicodemus, may auswere such questi­ons. First. he sayth, that except a man be borne of water & the Spiri, he cannot en­ter [Page 221] into the Kingdome of God. Verse 5. That an­sweres the necessity. Secondly, to teach him the manner of regeneration, how the children of God be borne a new, how it is caused by the secret working of Gods Spirite in the Children of grace, he maketh a familiar comparison or giueth instance by the mouing of the ayre. That as when wee heare the whistling of the winde, wee know it bloweth, yet cannot wee know from whence: so in the act of regeneration, when we feele in our hearts the moti­on of Gods holy Spirite, breathing sal­uation into our soules. And when our workes, and consciences giue vs vn­doubted testimony, No man ought to search the secret wor­kings of Gods Spirite. that wee are rege­nerate and borne of God, it is then as vaine a care to search the secret wor­kings of Gods Spirit, and by what acti­ons and circumstance God hath be­gotten vs by the Spirite, as to enquirc of the wind, whence it came, or whither it would; this thing being not necessary though regeneration it selfe bee most necessary, & not to be neglected with­out condemnation.

Of [...]ustification. Chap. 6.

IVstification is a graci­ous forgiuing of sins, What Iusti­fication is. by imputation of the righteousnes of Iesus Christ. S. Paul expo­stulateth this doctrine with the Galatiās, whom he calleth foo­lish for doubting it: Gal. 3. 2. This onely (sayth he) would I learne of you, receyued ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith preached? And in the next verse. Are ye so foolish, that after ye haue begun in the Spirit, Ver. 3. ye would now be made perfect by the flesh? Where he admireth their simpli­city that seek righteousnes in the flesh, [Page 231] or in the law, Iustificatiō is of the spi­rite, not of flesh. but rather and onely by the meanes of faith; because our iusti­fication is spirituall, & not of the flesh. And this doctrine hee concludeth by an inuincible argument in the 26. vers. That seeing we are regenerate, & made the sonnes of God by faith in Christ, we are therfore also iustified and made the seruants of God by faith. Gal. 3. 26, For (saith he) wee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus. And if faith be able to make vs sonnes, it must also bee able to make vs seruants; for that which is able in the greater performance, The neare­nes of iusti­fication and regenera­tion. is able in the lesse. Besides regeneration & iusti­fication haue such relation and neare­nesse to one another, as that they seeme to be (almost) but one act, caused and effected at one instant of time. For when wee are regenerate, wee are then iustified, and when wee are iustified, we are then regenerate, and not before; these two offices in our saluation being distinguished rather by their names, then by any speciall marke of difference in their seuerall executions. Again, the same Apostle in his Sermon at An­tioch, [Page 232] concludeth both the negatiue and affirmatiue part of this question: Act. 13. 38. Bee it knowne (sayth he) vnto you men and bre­thren, that through this man (that is Christ) is preached vnto you the forgiue­nesse of sinnes, Verse. 39. Verse 39. And from all thinges, from which yee could not be iusti­fied by the law of Moses, by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified. So that he ab­solutely denyeth the power of iustifica­tion to the Workes of the Law, and doth absolutely ascribe it to the power of faith. Gal. 2. 21: And he giueth a reason of this Doctrine, in the 2. 21. to the Ga­latians: For if righteousnesse bee by the Law, then Christ dyed without a cause: So that the very cause why CHRIST dyed, was, that righteousnesse might bee imputed and apprehended by Faith; seeing by workes it was impos­sible. Psal: 32, 1, 2 And therefore sayth the Pro­phet Dauid: Blessed is hee whose vn­righteousnesse is forgiuen, and whose sinne is couered. And blessed is the Man, to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne. So that hee thinketh them most righ­teous, that haue theyr vnrighteous­nesse [Page 283] forgiuing them; and them most holy that haue their sinnes not impu­ted.

The fourth to the Romanes, the whole Chapter, Rom. 4, is an earnest proofe of this Doctrine, where the Apostle laboureth by direct euidence to sa­tisfie all doubte: as if hee had fore­knowne the stiffe and vnreconcilea­ble Oppositions of these times a­gainst his doctrine of Iustification. The con­troversie of iustification

In which Chapter he maketh Abra­ham his instance; in whome there was as much righteousnesse, and as much cause of boasting it, as in any other particular (saue Christ Iesus onely,) yet hee there prooueth, The exam­ple of holy Abraham▪ that this A­braham, (vpon whome GOD had founded his peculiar people) was not iustified by the righteousnesse of his Workes: but that his Faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse: And alleadgeth Scripture for this proofe: Gen. 15. 6. And Abraham beleeued the Lord, and hee counted that to him for righteousnesse: The word That, ha­uing a direct relation to the Word [...] [Page 234] beleeued. And this righteousnes by faith, hee ascribeth not onely to Abra­hams particular: But to vs also, to whome it shall be imputed for righteousnes, which belieue in him, Rom. 4. 24 25. that raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the dead. Verse 25. Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes, and is risen againe for our iustification. So that the matter of our iustification is the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ onelie: and the meanes of apprehending it, is faith onely.

This doctrine, howsoeuer it is made strong and vnresistable by many testi­monies of holy Scripture, The religi­ons of these times. and though it bee zealously maintained by men of learned and religious iudgement, yet hath it endured violence, and suffered disgrace, both by ignorance and enuy: this age maintaining such oppositions of errour, as the ignorance of former times first occasioned. Therefore is it that the mayne controuersie of the world is at this day in this Argument of iustification: the one maintaining iustification by faith: the other by workes; that defending trueth, this [Page 235] opposing it. And though I am most willing to quarrell in defence of faith: Eph. 6. 16. faith being my shield of defence a­gainst sinne and the Diuell, yet know I not how to giue addition of strength to them that farre exceede mee, and whose faithfull paines haue maintay­ned this quarrell with valour and vic­tory against all opposition. Neither is it in the purpose of this businesse to dispute questions of truth, The pur­pose of this labour. but to deli­uer truth as it is, by admonitions and plaine teachings, to men of simple & easie vnderstandings: for whose christi­an good, these pains are principally vn­dertaken; and whose simplicities might most easily bee confounded in the intri­tate search of cunning Argumentes, For these respectes, and because all contention and strife of wordes, is in the hatred of my Nature, I will spa­ringly deliuer my selfe in a large Ar­gument, and strike onely one blowe at the enemie of Faith, that I may be knowne to bee an enemy of that ene­my: and that by a familiar proofe I may instruct the knowledge of him [Page 236] that is lesse learned. They that denie iustification by faith, and approue it by workes, would frame this argument from the testimony of Saint Iames, Iam. 2. who speaking of a generall faith doth vtterly disinable it from the office of iustification. Vers. 17. And therfore he saith that faith, if it haue no workes, is dead in it selfe, and in the 26. verse: Verse 26. For as the body without the Spirit is dead, euen so faith without workes is dead. Therefore (say they) that Apostle concludeth in the 24 verse, Verse. 24. That of works a man is iustifyed, & not of faith onely. To this I answere, It is most true that a fruitlesse faith is dead, neyther can iustifie, and that works are the spirit and soule of a liuing faith, that as the body without the soule is not a liuing man, but a dead carcasse, so faith without workes is not liuing, is not sauing, Faith with­out workes is no faith, but a bare name onely. nay is not faith, but onely a ge­neral name, and with Saint Iames I dare conclude against all such faith. But if there be a faith that hath depending of a necessity of good workes, as necessary as the soule to the body, and the fruit to the tree, and that this Faith declare it [Page 237] selfe to bee plentifull in godly action. the fruites of a liuing faith, I may then with Saint Iames conclude against them; for hee doth not (as they doe) disinable all faith in the worke of iusti­fication; Ver. 26. but that faith onely which is deade, and without workes, So that both opinions implore a necessity of workes, the one as the cause of Iustifi­cation, the other as an effect in them iustified. It were easie to bee large in numbring authorities, and in re­porting such distinctions and shifts, as the deceyued vse in supporting their opinions: they are but inuentions, and therefore without respect, I passe them ouer: No vertue, no truth in extremity. but aduise my Christian Reader to beware of both extremities, and modestly and mo­derately to vnderstand the meanes of his Iustification, that his zeale carry him to no extremity, but to the vertuous meane onely; not to ascribe all to faith and nought to Workes, but to giue them both theyr necessa­ry respects. For as wee are not iusti­fied but by Faith, so our Faith is [Page 238] not iustified but by workes. We are iu­stified by faith, our faith by workes. For if our workes bee not faithfull, and our faith working, we are not iustified, neyther can bee saued. And thus may the see­ming difference betweene S. Paul, & S. Iames be reconciled; S. Paul, S. Iames. faith doth iustifie vs before God, but such a faith as Saint Iames meaneth: and works doe iustifie vs before men: but such works as Saint Paul meaneth, workes deriued from a true faith. For as wisedome is iustified of her children, and as by our words we shall bee iustified, 1. Mar. 1. 19. and by our words we shall bee condemned: Mat. 12. 37 So by our workes wee shall bee iustified, that is, they shall be our witnesses, what we are in heart, and what in faith. But by faith onelie wee are iustified, and made righteous in the sight of God. Rom. 4. 24.

Secondly, Secondly. Iustification is proper vn­to Gods elect onely, so that all pro­phane and godlesse people are out of possibility to be iustified & made righ­teous in Gods sight. This is proued by the witnesse of Saint Paul, Rom. 8. 30. Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated, them also he called and whom hee called, them also he iustified.

[Page 239]Thirdly, Thirdly. Iustification is a righteous­nesse in the sight of God, that is, such as haue a true, a liuing, and a sauing faith, and by that faith doe apprehend the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, God is content to accept such in the righte­ousnesse of his sonne, to obscure theyr sinne, and to make them appeare and stand before him, as actually iust, by this imputatiue righteousnes, Imputatiue righteous­nes. as if they had wrought it personally, and in the practise of their owne liues. If any man demaund, how can these things bee? I answere, Rom. 8. 33. 34, It is God that iustifieth, who shal condemne? Rom. 8.

Of the temporary death, and of the seuerall Estates of saluation, and dam­nation. Chap. 7.

DEath is a separation, or ab­sence of the Soule from the Body, What death is. whereby the bo­dy is reduced to his first matter Earth, and the soule [Page 248] brought to a sence eyther of iustice or mercy. To vnderstand this better, wee must consider death in these respectes. 3. Respects, First, his original or first being. Second­ly, his powerful & general continuance. Thirdly, his end, or the death of Death. The originall cause that gaue Death life, was sinne: 1 Sinne the cause of death. and therefore when as Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit, & thereby committed sin, then had death his first beginning. For though Adam did not at the instant of the act dye, yet at the very instant of the sinne, was hee made mortall & subiect to the power of death: When A­dam was made mortal Gen. 1. 16. 17. for so God foretold him, that whensoeuer hee did eate, he should dye; and from this badde beginning was Death first deriued. 1 King: 17. 18: So the womā of Sarephath could acknowledge that her sin was the cause of her childes death: & so haue all the Children of GOD vnderstood of death, and of the cause thereof. And S. Paul calleth Death the wages of sinne: Rom. 6. 16. as if it were a necessary care in the iustice of God, that al that haue committed sin should haue the recompence & wages thereof, Death.

[Page 249]Now the cause of this cause of death, The cause of sinne. was the Diuell, who enuying the pro­sperity of our nature, suggested his tēp­tations to our first parents, by whose disobedience wee are all made mor­tal. So sayth Salomon: Wisd. 2. 24. Through enuy of the Diuell came de [...]th into the world, and they that hold of his side, proue it.

And from these two Parentes, The two parents of death. the Diuell and sinne, was death deriued, from whom hee had his being and be­ginning.

Secondly, Secondly: wee must consider death in the passage of his life. or in his powerfull continuance: That is eui­dent in this respect, that Death hath a generall power ouer all flesh, the which he doth execute vpon all, with­out respect had either to the greatnesse or goodnesse of any, And therfore is Death called the way of all the Worlde, and the way to our Fathers, Gen: 15. 15 because as our Fathers are gone the way of death, Ioshua, 23▪ 14. so must wee after them; and our po­sterity after vs, for euer. For though death bee but one, and his office the cutting off the liues of all the World; [Page 250] yet it is but an easie performance, ha­uing the diseases of our flesh, The power of death, and infi­nite other occasions to attend him in his deadly office. His power then is generall ouer all, being limited by GOD and time onely; who though hee bring all flesh to corruption, yet no flesh can corrupt him, or procure fauour in the strict execution of his office.

The ende, Thirdly, or the death of Death, is the liuing righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, which hee wrought by his owne death, in his owne person. And therfore saith the Prophet Hosea, Hos. 13. 14. Death is swallowed vp in victory. 1. Cor, 15. 25. And S. Paul sayth: that Christ Iesus must raigne till hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feet, and that the last enemy that shall bee de­stroyed is death. Ver. 26. Therefore that Apostle insulteth ouer death: O death (sayth he) where is thy sting? O graue, where is thy victory? Vers. 55. Verse 55, The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. Vers. 56. Verse 56. But thankes bee vnto God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Verse 57. Wherefore it is euident that God by [Page 251] his Sonne Christ, hath giuen man vi­ctory ouer sinne and death. By whome wee haue victory o­uer death. And whereas before wee were all the ser­uants of sinne, and the slaues of death, wee are now made conquerours, that were slaues; and despise them that did commaund vs. This happy alte­ration dooth reach benefite to all the faithfull, but not to all men: therfore is it limited and doth reach to such particulars onely, as are in Gods elec­tion. The diffe­rence God vseth in the giuing of his giftes For though God cast the beams of his Sunne vpon euery mans face a­like, and distributes▪ his temporall blessings (scatteringly as it were) with­out any heedfull respect, where they fall; yet those fauours that are eter­nall, and import a perpetuity of hap­pinesse, hee giueth them to his be­loued elect onely, barring all the re­probate from spirituall and eternall grace. In what respect death is not destroyed, hut made immortall And, therefore though the death of Christ hath disarmed death & blunted his weapons that haue woun­ded holy men: yet are those weapons still sharpe, and that Death still liuing, and made immortall against them [Page 252] that haue not receyued the image of the Lambe of God. For though al men enter their graues alike, yet with dif­ferent condition, Mat. 9. 25. holy and good men enter their graues, as their houses of rest, wherin they quietly sleepe, and for a time repose in rest and safety; In what case the wicked die. but the wicked enter their graues as felons doe their prisons, to be reserued to a day of much more terrible iudgement. There­fore sayth the wise man: Eccle. 41. 1. 2. The remembrāce of death is very bitter to some, and accep­table to other. For so the godly make it their day of hope, but the wicked their day of feare. Death is the day of hope and of feare. Death then in these di­uers respects of good and badde men, hath a sting, and wants it; is deade, yet liuing and by opening the gate of tem­porary death, Death ope­neth the gate of life. doth admit the entrance eyther of eternall life, or eternall death: the one, the happy condition of Gods chosen, the other the most miserable state of the reprobate & damned. And as this life we breath is but a sacrament or little resemblance of that which is to follow: This life a resemblāce of life eter­nall. so the terrour of a temporary death, hath no proportion with the [Page 255] torments of euerlasting death, Death a re­semblance of life. where­in both body and soule shall suffer such ffliction, as is beyond the power of imagination, infinite in measure, No man can report those ioyes, those tor­ments. infi­nite in manner. To vndertake to report heauen and hell, saluation and damna­tion, is not in my purpose, or in the power of any man, This I know, that both are infinite, heauen is infinite in time and happinesse, hell is infinite in time and torment. Heauen & hell are both infi­nite in time, infinite in measure. The one (as Gods resemblance) is infinite good, the other (as the diuels) is infinite euill: the one is hoped, the other feared; to which two all mankind must take their last resorte, and by the gate of death passe theyr temporall life to one of those two eter­nities.

Of Gods glory. Chap. 8.

GOd created all things, by his power, Gods glory the purpose of Gods worke. but to his glory: for that was the holy end forwhich he created all thinges. For as waters that are deriued from the sea, are againe direc­ted to the sea. So all things that are, be­ing deriued from the mighty power of God, returne their duty, seruice & the honour of all their actions to God, dis­charging euery seruice in the main O­cean of Gods glory. [...]he which though it receyue not augmentation of honor, (being infinite) by the supply of any creature, yet all creatures being his own it doth please him to force euery crea­ture to giue some proofe and testimo­ny of Gods iustice or mercy, whereby God may receiue glory in their ac­knowledgements. God is glo­rified in a double ma­ner. God then is glorified in all his workes, but in a double maner, [Page 262] he is principally glorified in the works of mercy, God is glo­rified in a double manner. he is glorified also in his iudg­ments. For the first, that he is principal­ly glorified in mercy, is testified by S. Paul, where he sayth, that God, that hee might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy, which hee hath prepa­red vnto glory. Rom, 9. 23. By which place apeareth that the riches of Gods glory cōsisteth principally in the vessels of mercy, God is principally glorified in the worke of mercy. and that God doth so loue his Saints, that he esteemeth their glory, his glory, and doth dignify himselfe in their aduance­mentes. And therefore did not God chuse the Israelites, and made them his peculier people, Why God did chuse the Israe­lites. that by Gods most powerfull deliuering them, and by their demonstrations of duty and thankefull seruice, God might be honored (in the memory of his greatnesse) ouer all the world, Dut. 26. 18. 19. and receiue glory in the report of his admirable protection. God is glo­rified in his iudge­mentes. God is also glorified in his iudgments. And therfore the reprobate and damned, though in their liues they rather care to disho­nor God their creator, God wil be glorified by the dam­ned. yet wil God be honored in the punishment of their liues, & force them to giue demonstrati­ons [Page 263] of his iustice & holines: or God cā turn their purposes to his own end, and make that set forth his glory which was intended against him. So saith holy Da­uid; Psal. 66. 10. 11. 12. that the consultatiōs & determinatiōs of the wicked turn to Gods glory. For God wil be glorified in all, and those that wil not giue him glory for mercie, hee will cōpel them to giue him glory for iudgement: Note. & thogh God esteem it the grea­ter honour to be glorisied in the witnes­ses of his mercie, (because in Gods na­ture mercie is preheminent, and doth triumph:) yet is it much to the glorie of God, that the witnesses of his iudgemēt, shall be prompted by their lamentable experience to acknowledge that God is infinite, How the damned set forth Gods glory. both in power and iustice. All men then are the Trumpets of Gods glorie, all giue him glorie though not all alike: the glorie of God beeing the ende for which all things were created. Therefore when the holy Angels (Gods Messengers,) brought the blessed ty­dings of Saluation, Luke. 2. 14. and a Sauiour, the court of heauenly Assistāts praised God with this acclamation: Glory be to God, in the high Heauens, and peace in Earth, [Page 264] and towards mē good wil. Glory pro­per to God, In which place the heauenly Souldiers commended to men good will, to the world peace; but glory to God, as a seruice proper & pe­culiar to God onely. And S. Paul admo­nisheth that euery circumstance of our life be directed to Gods glorie: 1. Cor. 10. 33. Whether yee eate or drinke (saith he) or whatsoeuer yee do, do all to the glory of God. 1. Cor. 10. 31. And God by the Prophet Ieremie forbiddeth al men to glory in anything saue God; as if God were the only ob­iect of al glory: Ier 9. 23. 24 Let not (saith he) the wise man glory in his wisedome, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich mā glory in his ricbes; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he vnderstādeth & knoweth me, &c. Thus ought we both to glo­rifie God, and to glory in God: for if we glory in any thing but God, we are con­demned, & if wee glorifie any but God, To glory in glorifying God. we are likewise condemned. He is our strength, and the light of our counte­nance, he hath ordayned vs for his glo­ry; and if wee glorifie him here on earth with vs, he will glorifie vs with himselfe inheauen; but if wee neglect to glorifie [Page 265] him that is our glory, hee will glorifie himselfe in our destruction, and make vs (in the feeling tormentes of our con­demnation) Those that glorifie God shall be graced by him. glorifie him with this ac­knowledgment that he is a God of most soueraigne maiesty, and that he is most gracious in his mercy, God is ho­noured in the acknow­ledgement of Diuels & wicked men. but most terrible in his iudgmēt. And with this acknow­ledgement will God bee honoured of the Diuels, and the damned whose vn­sufferable torments in their condemna­tion shall bee arguments of proofe to conclude Gods glory.