A Golden Chain

yea it will make his heart to bleed within him. Now what shall he do in this case? surely let him remember the ende of Christ's ascension, which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature, and labor to feel the benefit thereof: and then he shall no doubt find that Christ will dissolve in him the works of the devil, and tread Satan under his feet. And thus also those that feel in themselves the law of their members rebelling against the law of their mind, must come to Christ and he will help and sree them.

The second benefit of Christ's ascension is, that he ascended up to heaven to bestow gifts upon his Church, as it is said in the place before mentioned, He ascended up an high, &c. he gave gifts unto men, that is, the gift of the knowledge of God's word, the gift of preaching, and prophecy, and all other gifts needful for the good of his Church. The consideration of this, that Christ who is the fountain of grace, and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, should be mindful of us and vouchsafe such special favor to his Church, must cause everyone of us who have received any gift of God (as there is no man but he hath received his portion) to be humbled in his own eyes for the same. There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts; seeing we have nothing, but that which we have received. For to this ende Christ ascended, to give gifts unto men, and therefore our gifts whatsoever they be, are not our own, but we had them from Christ; and we are stewards of them a while, for the good of others. The more the Lord giveth to a man, the more he requireth at his hands; and as for such as having good gifts abuse the same, their sin is the more grievous, and their danger the greater. Men of great gifts unless they use them aright with humbled hearts, shall want God's blessing upon them. For he giveth grace to the humble. The high hills after much tillage are often barren, whereas the low valleys, by the streams of waters passing through them, are very fruitful: and the gifts of God joined with a swelling heart are fruitless; but joined with love and the grace of humility, they edify.

Secondly, if Christ ascend up to heaven to give gifts unto men; here we may see how many a man and woman in these our days are overseen, in that they plead ignorance, and say that they hope God will have them excused for it, seeing they are not learned; they have dull wits, and it is not possible to teach them now, they are past learning; and hereupon they presume they may live in gross ignorance, as blind almost in religion as when they were first borne. But mark, I pray you, who it is that is ascended up to heaven, namely Christ Jesus our Lord, who made thee of nothing. Now was he able to give thee a being, when thou was not, and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soul, if so be thou wilt use the means which he hath appointed? and the rather, seeing he is ascended for that end: but if thou wilt not use the means to come to knowledge, thy case is desperate, and thou art the cause of thine own condemnation, and thou bringest confusion upon thine own head. Therefore let ignorant men labor for knowledge of God's word. Ignorance shall excuse none: it will not stand for payment at the day of judgment. Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant, to give knowledge and wisdom unto the simple, & to give gifts of prophecy unto his ministers, that they may teach his people. Therefore, I say again, let such as be ignorant use the means diligently, and God will give the blessing. Thirdly, whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible, to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers, it seems to be otherwise. For wherefore did Christ ascend to heaven? was it not to give gifts unto his Church? what, is Christ's hand now shortened? undoubtedly we may resolve our selves, that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient upon men in the Church: but it is for our sins that they are not employed. The fountains of learning the Universities, though they are not dammed up, yet they stream not abroad as they might. Many there be in them endued with worthy gifts for the building of the Church, but the covetousness of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be. Lastly, seeing Christ ascended to give gifts needful for his Church, as the gift of teaching, the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, of wisdom, and knowledge, the duty of every man is, especially of those which live in the schools of learning, to labor by all means to increase, cherish, and preserve their gifts, and as Paul exhorteth Timothy, to stir up the gift of God, that is, as men preserve the fire by blowing it, so by our diligence we must kindle and revive the gifts and graces of God bestowed on us. Christ hath done his part, and there is nothing required but our pains and fidelity.

The third benefit that comes by Christ's ascension is, that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should believe in him: In my fathers house (saith Christ) are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. For by the sin of Adam our entrance into heaven was taken away. If Adam by his fall did exclude himself from the earthly paradise, then how much more did he exclude himself from heaven? And the • efore all mankind sinning in him, was likewise deprived of heaven. The people of Israel being in woe and misery, cried out that they had sinned, and therefore the Lord had covered himself with a cloud, that their prayers could not pass through. And Isaiah saith, that our sins are a wall betwixt God and us. And S. John, that no unclean thing must enter into the heavenly Jerusalem. Now seeing we have shut our selves out of heaven by our sins, it was requi • ite that Christ Jesus our Savior should go before us to prepare a place, and to make ready a way for us. For he is king over all, he hath the keys of heaven, he openeth and no man shutteth: & therefore it is in his power to l • t us in, though we have shut our selves out. But some may say, if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heaven; then belike such as died before 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 the coming of Christ were not in heaven. Ans. As there are two degrees of glory, one incomplete and the other complete or perfect, (for the faithful departed are in glory but in part, and there remaineth fullness of glory for them at the day of judgment, when soul and body shall be both glorified together:) so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heaven. The places of glory were in part prepared for the faithful from the beginning of the world, but the full preparation is made by Christ's ascension. And of this last preparation is the place of John to be understood.

The use of this doctrine is very profitable. First it overthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome, which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our justification, and that we being once justified do further merit salvation, and purchase for our selves a place in heaven. But this is as it were to make a partition between Christ and us in the work of our redemption, whereas in truth not only the beginning and continuance of our salvation, but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation, justification, sanctification, glorification, is wholly and only to be ascribed to the mere merit of Christ: and therefore having redeemed us on earth, he also ascends to prepare a place in heaven for us. Secondly, this serveth to condemn the fearful, lamentable, and desperate security of these our days. Great is the love of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring us out of hell: and withal to go to heaven to prepare a place for us there: and yet who is it that careth for this place, or maketh any account thereof? who forsaketh this world, & seeks unto Christ for it? And further, least any mā should say, alas, I know not the way: therefore Christ before he ascended, made a new & living way with his own blood, as the Apostle speaketh. And to take away all excuses frō men, he hath set marks and bounds in this way, and hath placed guides in it, namely his ministers, to show all the passengers a straight and ready course into the kingdom of heaven. And though Christ have done all this for us, yet the blindness and security of men is such, that none almost walketh in this way, nor careth to come into this mansion place; but instead of this, they walk in by ways, according to the lusts of their own flesh. When they are commanded to go eastward to Jerusalem, they turn westward another way: when they are commanded to go on forward to heaven, they turn again backward, and go straight to hell. Men run on all the days of their lives in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, and never so much as once make inquiry for a resting place in heaven; but when the hour of death cometh, then they call for the guide; whereas all their lives before, they have run out of the way many thousand miles: but then, alas, it is too late, unless it be the unspeakable mercy of God. For they have wandered so far astray, that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way again. Yet generally this is the state of most among us, whose security is so much the more grievous and fearful, because Christ hath done all that heart can wish. There is nothing else required, but only that by his grace we should walk in the way. There was never any that knew the state of the people in these days, but he will grant, that this is most true which I say. Besides, as by this, we are brought to a sight of the desperate security of this age: so we may further learn our own duties. Is Christ gone to heaven before hand to prepare a place for thee, then practice that which Paul teacheth: Have thy conversation in heaven. The words which he useth are very significant, and the meaning of them is: Ye are free-denizens of the city of God, and therefore as freemen in God's house, let all your cares and studies, all your affairs and doings be in heaven. In the world if a man make purchase of an house, his heart is always there: there he pulls down and builds again: there he makes him orchards & gardens: there he means to live and die. Christ Jesus hath bought the kingdom of heaven for us (the most blessed purchasse that ever was) and hath paid the dearest price for it that ever was paid, even his own precious blood: and in this city he hath prepared for us a dwelling place, and made us freedenizens of it: therefore all our joy, and all our affairs ought to be there. It will be said, howe shall a man upon earth have his conversation in heaven. Ans. We must converse in heaven, not in body but in heart: and therefore, though our bodies be on earth, yet our hearts, joy, and comfort, and all our meditation must be in heaven. Thus must we behave our selves, like good freemen in God's house. It must be far from us, to have our joy and our hearts set on the things of this world.

Thirdly, the consideration of this; that Christ Jesus hath prepared a place for us in heaven, & also hath trained the way with his own blood, must make everyone of us to strive to enter in at the straight gate, as our Savior Christ counselleth us: and that as wrastlers do, which strive for life and death. Within this gate is a dwelling place of happiness ready for us. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spain or Turkey, so as if he would but come thither, he might enjoy it; would he not adventure the dangers of the sea, and of his enemies also, if need were, that he might come to his own? Well, behold Christ Jesus hath made a purchase for us in heaven, & there is nothing required of us, but that we will come & enjoy it. Why then should men refuse any pains, or fear in the way? nay we must strive to get in. It may be, we shall be pinched in the entrance, for the gate is both strait and low, and we must be fain to leave our wealth behind us, and the pleasures of this life; & enter we must, though we should be constrained to leave our flesh behind us. For the purchase that is made is worth ten thousand worlds. And besides, if we loose it by fainting in the way, our purchase shall be the blackness of darkness forever with the devil and all his angels: who therefore would not strive, though he lost his life in the gate? The urging of this point is needful in these days. There is striving enough for worldly preferment, but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heaven, he shall have none to bear him company. And where are they that strive to enter in? where is the violence offered to the kingdom of heaven? where be the violent which should take it to themselves as in the days of John the Baptist.

Fourthly, if Christ have prepared a place for us in heaven, then we are in this world as pilgrims and strangers, and therefore must learn the counsel of Saint Peter: As strangers and pilstrimes abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul. He that doth esteem himself as pilgrim, is not to entangle himself with the affairs of this world, nor put in practice the behavior thereof, but to behave himself as a freeman of heaven, as strangers use to live in foreign countries, according to the fashion of their own. And therefore in thought, word, and deed, in life and conversation, he must so carry himself, as thereby he may appear to all the world of what country he is. An ancient divine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered hair, biddeth them consider, whether they must go to heaven with such hair or no: and whereas they adorned themselves with winckles made of other women's hair, he asks them whether it may not be the hair of a damned person or no. If it may be, he further demandeth howe it may beseem them to wear it which profess themselves to be the sons and daughters of God. The like may be said of all other sins: they that be of God's house must behave themselves as freemen there. And when God hath made us free, it doth not beseem us to make our selves bondmen of sin and Satan and of this world.

Fifthly, seeing Christ went to heaven to prepare a place for all that believe in him, here is a good duty for parents. Many of them are very careful to prefer their children to great places and noble men's houses, and they are not to be blamed therefore: but if they would indeed be good parents to their children, they should first endeavor themselves to get rooms for them in heaven: they that do this, are good parents indeed. Some will say, howe shall we get this preferment for them? Ans. God hath two houses, his Church, and the kingdom of heaven. The church is his house of grace, heaven is his house of glory. Now if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glory, then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace: bringing him up so in the fear of God, that both in life and conversation he may show himself to be a member of the Church: and then assure thyself, that after this life, he shall be removed to the second house of God, which is the house of glory, and there be freeman forever in the kingdom of heaven. And if thou shalt thus provide for thy child, thou shalt not leave him as an orphan when thou diest, but he shall have God for his father and Christ for his brother, and the holy Ghost his comforter. And therefore first of all and above all, remember to make thy child a member of God's Church. Let the example of David excite all parents hereunto: I had rather (saith he) be a door keeper in the hou • e of God, then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickedness. For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand • lse where.

Lastly, hence we may find remed • e against the tediousness of sickness and fear of death. Thou which fearest death, remember that Christ is gone to heaven to prepare a place for thy body, where it must be glorified and live forever with the blessed Trinity and all the Saints and angels, though for a while it lie dead and rot in the grave. Remember this also, thou which continuest in any lingering sickness, Christ Jesus hath prepared a place for thee, wherein thou shalt rest in joy and bliss without all pain or faintnes.

The fourth benefit is, that Christ ascended up to heaven to send the comforter unto his Church. This was a special ende of his ascension, as appears by Christ's own words: It is (saith he) expedient that I go away, for if I go not; the Comforter will not come, but if I depart I will send him unto you. And again; I will pray unto the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, which shall abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth. But some will say, howe can Christ send his spirit unto his Church, for the person sending and the person sent are unequal; whereas all three persons in trinity are equal, none greater or lesser then another, none inferior or superior to other. Ans. It is true indeed: but we must know, that the action of sending in the Trinity makes not the persons unequal, but only shows a distinction and order among equals. The father sends the son, the father and the son both send the Holy Ghost: yet the father is not above the son, neither the father or the son above the holy Ghost, but all are equal in degree, though in regard of order one is before another: and it standeth with reason. For two men that are equal in degree, may upon mutual consent one send another. But it may be further demanded, howe the holy Ghost can be sent which is everywhere? Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is everywhere, therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance, as of his operation whereby he reneweth & guideth the members of Christ. Now then, this being so, here first we have occasion to consider the misery of the world. When a man is troubled in his mind (as no ungodly man, but sometime he feeleth the terror of conscience for his sins) then he labors to remove it by merry company and pleasant books, whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to be the comforter of his Church: and therefore when we are troubled in conscience for our sins, we should not seek ease by such slender means, but rather seek for the help and comfort of the holy ghost, and labor to have our sins washed away and our hearts purified and cleansed by the blood of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like means of comfort, neither at the day of death, nor at the day of judgment shall they stand us instead, or be able to comfort us. Again, when crosses and calamities fall, the counsel of the minister is not sought for, but the help of such as are called cunning men and cunning women is, that is, of charmers, enchanters, and figure-casters: a bad practice. Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit unto his Church and people, to be their guide and comforter in their calamities and miseries: and therefore when any man is in distress, he should have recourse to the right means of comfort, namely the word and Sacraments, and there he should find the assistance of the holy Ghost. Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Jews: when they shall say unto you: inquire at them which have a spirit of divination, and at the southsayers which whisper and murmur: Should not a people inquire at their God from the living to the dead? to the law and to the testimony. Rebecca, when the two twins strove in her womb, what did she? the text saith, she sent to ask the Lord. Yet commonly the men of these days leave God & seek to the instruments of the devil. To go yet further, god useth for sundry causes most of all to afflict his dearest children. Judgment, saith Peter, begins at God's house. S. Luke saith, that a certain woman was bound of Satan eighteen years, but what was she? a daughter of Abraham, that is, a child of God. When the like condition shall befall any of us, let us remember the ende why Christ ascended up to heaven: and pray unto God that he will give us his spirit, that thereby we may be eased and delivered, or else enabled to persevere & continue in patience: and this is the true way and means to lighten & ease the burden of all afflictions. And for this cause Paul prayeth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might, through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. For to whomsoever God giveth grace to believe, to them also he gives power to suffer affliction by the inward work of his spirit. Secondly, if Christ have sent unto his church the holy spirit to be our comforter, our duty is, to prepare our bodies and souls to be fit temples and houses for so worthy a guest. If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house, he would dress it up and have all things in as good order as might be: and shall not we much more endeavor to purify and cleanse our souls and bodies from all sin, that they may be fit temples for the entertainment of the Holy Ghost whom Christ Jesus hath sent to be our comforter. The Shunamite was careful to entertain the man of God Elisha, for she said to her husband, Let us make him a little chamber, I pray thee, with walls, and let us set him there a bed and a stool, a table and a candlestick. Now howe much more careful ought we to be to entertain God himself, who is content to come and dwell with us: and therefore we must adorn our bodies and souls with grace, that he may lodge, and sup, and dine with us, as he hath promised; but on the contrary, if we defile our bodies with sin, we banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts, and invite the devil to come and dwell with us. For the more a man defileth his body, the fitter and cleaner it is for him. And to conclude this point, let us remember that saying, which is used of some, that Christ when he went hence gave us his pawn, namely his spirit, to assure us, that he would come to us again, and also he took with him our pawn, namely his flesh, to assure us further, that we should ascend up to him.

Thus much for the benefits of Christ's ascension: Now follow the duties whereunto we are moved, and they are two. First, we must be here admonished, to renounce the vbiquitie and the error of the real and essential presence of the body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lord's supper; as flatly oppugning this article of Christ's ascensiō into heaven. For it is flat against the nature of a true body to subsist in many places at once. Secondly, as the Apostles then did, when they saw Christ ascending up into heaven, so must we do also: while he was present with them, they gave him honor, but when they saw him ascending, they adored him with far greater reverence: and so must we now for the same cause bow the knees of our hearts unto him.

Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now follows the third in these words: And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty. In the handling whereof, we are first to show the meaning of the words: secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to God's Church: thirdly, the duties that we are moved unto. For the meaning of the words: if we speak properly, God hath neither right hand nor left, neither can he be said to sit or stand; for God is not a body but a spirit: the words therefore contain a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates, whose manner and custom hath been to place such persons at their right hands, whom they purposed to advance to any special office or dignity. So, King Solomon when his mother came to speak with him, rose up from his throne, and met het, & caused a seat to be set at his own right hand, and set her upon it, in token, no doubt, of honor which he gave unto her. To the same purpose David saith, Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in a vesture of gold. And the sons of Zebedee made suit to Christ, that one of them might sit at his right hand, and the other at his left in his kingdom. Now their request was to have the two special and principal dignities of his kingdom. Thus we see it is manifest, that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth advancement into authority and honor: and therefore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things. First, his full and manifest exaltation in dignity, honor, and glory: and in this sense it is said, that to him is given a name that is above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authority and government of his kingdom, which spreadeth it self over heaven and earth: So David saith, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Which place being alleged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase, is thus set down: He shall reign till he have put all his enemies under his feet. And to speak in brief, the scope of the words is to show, that Christ God and man after his ascension is advanced to such an estate in which he hath fullness of glory, power, majesty, and authority in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels. Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be observed. The first is the place where Christ is thus advanced, noted in the former article, he ascended into heaven, and sits (namely in heaven) at the right hand of God. The place then where Christ Jesus in both his natures, as he is God and also man, doth rule in full glory, power, and majesty; is heaven it self. To which effect Paul saith, God raised Christ from the dead, and put him at his right hand in the heavenly places. And in the Epistle to the Hebrews it is said, He sitteth at the right hand of the majesty in highest places. This • oint well considered, serves to discover the oversight of sundry Divines, which hold and teach, that to sit at the right hand of God, is to be everywhere in all places, and not in heaven only, that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christ's manhood: which nevertheless the heavens must contain till the time that all things be restored. The second circumstance, is the time when Christ began to sit at the right hand of God the father, which is to be gathered by the order of the articles. For first Christ died and was buried, then he rose again and ascended into heaven, and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father. This order is also noted unto us by S. Paul: Who shall condemn (saith he) it is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God. And S. Mark saith, when Christ was risen again he appeared to his disciples, and after he had spoken unto them he was received into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God. But it may be demanded how this can stand with truth, that Christ should not begin to sit at the right hand of his father before the ascension, considering he is one God with the father, and therefore an absolute and sovereign King from all eternity. Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father, he is coequal and coeternal with him in the regiment of his kingdom: and hath neither beginning, middle, or ending thereof; yet as Christ is God incarnate, and in one person God-man or Man-god, he began after his ascension and not before, to sit at the right hand of his father: & as S. Peter saith, was made Lord ; partly because as he was God, he did then manifest himself to be that which indeed he was before, namely God and Lord of heaven and earth: and partly, because as he was man, he received dominion or Lordship from the father, which he had not before; & thereby was even in his manhood exalted to be king of heaven and earth: and in this sense Christ saith of himself, All power is given to me in heaven and earth. The third circumstance is concerning the person, at whose right hand Christ sits, noted in the words of the article of God the father Almighty ; whereby is signified, that he receives all the honor, power, & glory of his kingdom from his father: as he, that is set at the right hand of a prince, receives the honor & authority which he hath, from the prince. Now if it be alleged, that by this means Christ shall be inferior to his father, because he which receiveth honor of another is inferior to him of whom he receiveth it: the answer is, that in Christ we must consider his person and his office: in respect of his person as he is the eternal son of God he is equal to the father, and is not here said to sit at his right hand: yet in respect of the o • fice which he bears, namely as he is mediator, and as he is man, he is inferior to the father, and receives his kingdom from him. As he is God, he is our king and head, and hath no head more then the father: as he is mediator, he is also our head, yet so as he is under the father as being his head. And we must not think it strange that one and the same thing should be both equal and inferior to another, diverse respects considered.

Now in that Christ's placing at the right hand of his father argues inferiority between the father & him, hence we learn that they are deceived which from this article gather, that in the glorification of Christ there is a transfusion of the proprieties of the godhead, as omnipotency, omniscience, omnipresence, &c. into his manhood. For this is to abolish all inferiority and to make an equality between the creature and the creator.

And whereas again the word Almighty is repeated, it is done upon special reason: because Christ's sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose omnipotency. For in vain were all power in heaven and earth given to him, unless he were omnipotent as the father to execute the same. And therefore the song of the Elders was on this manner, Worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and praise.

The benefits which redound unto us by Christ's sitting at the right hand of God are two, one concerns his priesthood, the other his kingly office. The benefit rising from his priesthood is his Intercession for us: for this is one of the ends why Christ is now exalted in glory, and sits at the right hand of his father; namely to make request in the behalf of all that come unto him, as Paul saith, Christ is risen again, and sitteth at the right hand of God, and maketh request for us. Now that we may rightly understand what his intercession is, we are to consider these points. First to whom it is made: secondly, in what manner: thirdly, whether it be made by Christ alone or no: fourthly, what be the fruits and benefits thereof: fifthly, the duties whereunto we are moved thereby. For the first, Intercession is, to make suite, request, or entreaty in some ones behalf to another: and this is done by Christ for us unto God, as Paul saith, there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, which is the man Christ Jesus. Here at the very first ariseth a difficulty: for in every intercession there be three parties: the person offended; the person offending; the intercessor, distinct from them both. Now if Christ the son of God, make intercession to God for man, then he maketh intercession to himself, because he is true God, which cannot be: howe then shall Christ be mediator? Ans. This point hath so troubled the Church of Rome, that for the resolving of it, they have devised an error, avouching that Christ is mediator only as he is man, not as he is God, which is untrue. For as both natures do concur in the work of satisfaction, so likewise they do both concur in the work of intercession: and therefore a more meet and convenient answer is this: Christ Jesus God-man in both natures, is directly our mediator to the first person the father, as S. John saith, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the just. And thus we have three persons in the work of intercession really distinguished. The party offended is God the Father; the party offending is man: & thirdly the intercessor distinct frō them both is Christ the second person in Trinity. For howsoever in Godhead he & the Father be one, yet in person they are really distinguished, and he is as it were in the middle between the father and us: for the father is God and not man: we that believe in Christ are men not God: Christ himself both man and God. It may be further replied that this answer will not stand, because not only the father is offended, but also the son and the holy Ghost: and therefore there must be a mediator to them also. Answer. The intercession of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediately: now the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost have all one indivisible essence, and by consequent one and the same will: whereupon the father being appeased by Christ's intercession, the Son and the Holy Ghost are also appeased with him and in him. Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinity, but yet immediately and directly to the first person and in him to the rest.

The second point to be considered, is the manner of his intercession unto his father. We must not imagine, that Christ now in heaven kneels down on his knees, and utters words, and puts up a supplication for all the faithful to God the father; for that is not beseeming the majesty of him that sits at the right hand of God. But the manner of his intercession is thus to be conceived. When one is to speak to an earthly prince in the behalf of another; first of all he must come into the presence of the king, and secondly make his request: and both these, Christ performeth for us unto God. For the first, after his ascension he entered into heaven, where he did present unto his father, first of all his own person in two natures, and secondly the invaluable merits of his death and passion, in which he was well pleased. And we must further understand, that as on the cross he stood in our room, so in heavē he now appears as a public person in our stead, representing all the elect that shall believe in him, as the holy Ghost saith, Christ Jesus ascended up into heaven to appear in the sight of God for us. And for the second, Christ makes request for us; in that he willeth according to both his natures, and desireth as he is man, that the father would accept his satisfaction in the behalf of all that are given unto him. And that he makes request on this manner I prove it thus. Look what was his request in our behalf when he was here upon earth, the same for substance it continues still in heaven: but here on earth the substance of his request was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with us for his merits, as appears by his prayer in S. John, Father, I will that those which thou hast given me be with me even where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: for thou louedst me before the foūdatiō of the world. Therefore he still continues to make request for us by willing and desiring that his father would accept his merits in our behalf. If it be alleged that Christ in this solemn prayer used speech and prostration of his body, the answer is, that these actions were no essential parts of his prayer. The prostrating of his body served only as a token of submission to God, as Christ was a creature: and the speech which he used, served only to utter and express his request. Furthermore, a difference here must be marked between Christ's passion and his intercession. The passion serves for the working and causing of a satisfaction to God's justice for us; and it is, as it were, the tempering of the plaster: the intercession goes further: for it applies the satisfaction made, and lays the salve to the very sore. And therefore Christ makes request not only for the elect generally, but for particular men, as Paul, James, John, and that particularly, as he testifieth of himself, saying, I have prayed for thee Peter, that thy faith fail not. If any shall say, that Christ's willing and desiring of a thing cannot be a request or intercession, the answer is, that in virtue and efficacy it cou • teruailes all the prayers in the word. For whatsoever Christ willeth, the same also the father being well pleased with him, willeth; and therefore whatsoever Christ as a mediator willeth for us at the hands of his father, in effect or substance is a request or prayer.

The third point is, that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for us. And this I prove by induction of particulars. First of all this office appertains not to the angels: They are indeed ministering spirits for the good of God's chosen: they rejoice when a sinner is converted; and when he dieth, they are ready to carry his soul into Abraham's bosom: and God otherwhiles useth them as messengers to reveal his will: thus the Angel Gabriel brings a message to Zechariah the priest, that God had heard his prayer: but it is not once said in all the scriptures, that they make intercession to God for us. As for the Saints departed, they cannot make intercession for us, because they know not our particular estates here on earth, neither can they hear our requests. And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for us, we should substitute them into the room of God, because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him, namely, the searching of the heart, and the knowledge of all things done upon earth; though withal we should say, that they do this not by themselves but of God. As for the faithful here on earth indeed they have warrant yea commandment to pray one for another: yet can they not make intercession for us. For first, he that makes interc • ssion must bring something of his own that may be of value and price with God to procure the grant of his request: secondly, he must do it in his own name: but the faithful on earth make request to God one for another not in their own names, nor for their own merits, but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogative belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his own name, and for his own merits, we therefore conclude that the work of intercession is the sole work of Christ God and man not belonging to any creature beside in heaven or in earth. And whereas the Papists cannot content themselves with his intercession alone, as being most sufficient: it argues plainly, that they doubt either of his power or of his will: whereupon their prayers turn to sin.

The fruits and benefits of Christ's intercession are these. First by means of it we are assured, that those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appear righteous before God forever: at what time soever Christ, being now in heaven, and there presenting himself and his merits before his father, shows himself desirous and willing, and they whosoever they are being sinners, should be accepted of God for the same, even then immediately at that very instant this his will is done, and they are accepted as righteous before god indeed. When a man looks upon things directly through the air, they appear in their proper forms and colors as they are: but if they be looked upon through a green glass, they all appear green: so likewise if God behold us as we are in our selves, we appear as vile and damnable sinners: but if he look upon us as we are presented before his throne in heaven, in the person of our Mediator Christ Jesus, willing that we should be approved for his merits: then we appear without all spot and wrinkle before him. And this is the use Paul makes hereof: It is God (saith he) that justifieth: and the reason is rendered: For it is Christ that is dead, yea or rather which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and makes request for us.

Secondly Christ's intercession serves to preserve all repentant sinners in the estate of grace: that being once justified and sanctified, they may so continue to the ende. For when any servant of God is overtaken by the corruption of his own nature, and falls into any particular sin, then Christ's intercession is made as a blessed hand to apply the salve of his death to that particular sore. For he continually appears before God, and shows himself to be willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sins of this or that particular man: and this is done, that a man being justified before God may not fall away quite from grace, but for every particular sin may be humbled and receive pardon. If this were not so, our estate should be most miserable, considering that for every sin committed by us after our repentance, we deserve to be cast out of the favor of God.

Thirdly Christ's intercession serveth to make our good works acceptable to God. For even in the best works that a man can do, there are two wants. First they are good only in part: secondly they are mingled with sin. For as a man is partly spirit or grace and partly flesh: so are his works partly gracious and partly fleshly. And because grace is only begun in this life, therefore all the works of grace in this life are sinful and imperfit. Now by Christ's intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons, and by consequent the defect of our works is covered and removed, and they are approved of God the father. In a vision Saint John saw an angel, standing before the altar with a golden censer full of sweet odors to offer up with the prayers of the Saints upon the same. And this signifies, that Christ presents our works before the throne of God, and by his intercession sanctifies them, that they may be acceptable to God. And therefore we must remember that when we do anything that is accepted of God, it is not for our sakes, but by reason of the value and vigor of Christ his merit.

Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heaven, breedeth and causeth in the hearts of men upon earth that believe another intercession of the spirit, as Paul saith, He giveth us his spirit, which helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for us with sighs which cannot be expressed, but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit, for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God. Now the spirit is said to make request, in that it stirs and moves every contrite heart to pray with sighs and groans unspeakable to God for things needful: and this grace is a fruit derived from the intercession of Christ in heaven by the operation of the spirit. For as the Sun though the body of it abide in the heavens, yet the beams of it descend to us that are on earth. So the intercession of Christ made in heaven is tied as it were to his person alone, yet the groans and desires of the touched heart, as the beams thereof are here on earth among the faithful. And therefore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for us or no, we need not to ascend up into the heavens to learn the truth: but we must descend into our own hearts and look whether Christ have given us his spirit, which makes us cry unto God & make request to him with groans & sighs that cannot be expressed: and if we find this in our hearts, it is an evident and infallible sign that Christ continually makes intercession for us in heaven. He that would know whether the Sun shine in the firmament, must not clime up into the clouds to look, but search for the beams thereof upon the earth: which when he sees, he may conclude, that the sun shines in the firmament. And if we would know whether Christ in heaven makes intercession for us, let us ransack our own consciences, and there make search whether we feel the spirit of Christ crying in us, Abba, Father. As for those that never feel this work of God's spirit in them, their case is miserable, whatsoever they be. For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them, considering these two always go together; his intercession in heaven, and the work of his spirit in the hearts of men, moving them to bewail their own sins with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed, and to cry and to pray unto God for grace: and therefore all such, whether they be young or old, that never could pray but mumble up a few words for fashions sake, cannot assure themselves to have any part in Christ's intercession in heaven.

The duties to be learned hence are these. First, whereas Christ makes intercession for us, it teacheth all men to be most careful to love and like this blessed Mediator, and to be ready and willing to become his servants and disciples, and that not for form and fashion sake only, but in all truth and sincerity of heart. For he ascended to heaven, and there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for us, that we might be delivered from hell and come to eternal life. Wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahasuerus, for the destruction of all the Jews, men, women, and children in his dominions: this done, Hester the Queen makes request to the king that her people might be saved, and the letters of Haman revoked; she obtains her request and freedom was given, and contrary letters of joyful deliverance were sent in post hast to all provinces where the Jews were. Whereupon arose a wonderful joy and gladness among the Jews, and it is said, that thereupon many of the people of the land became Jews. Well now, behold a greater matter among us then this: for there is the hand-writing of condemnation, the law; and therein the sentence of a double death, of body and soul, and Satan as wicked Haman accuseth us, and seeks by all means our condemnation: but yet behold not any earthly Hester, but Christ Jesus the son of God is come down from heaven, and hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation, and cancelled it upon the cross, and is now ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of his father, and makes request for us: and in him his father is well pleased, and yieldeth to his request in our behalf. Now then what must we do in this case? Surely, look as the Persians became Jews when they heard of their safety, so we in life and conversation must become Christians, turn to Christ, embrace his doctrine, and practice the same unfeignedly. And we must not content our selves with a formal profession of religion, but search our own hearts, and fly unto Christ for the pardon of our sins, and that earnestly as for life and death as the thief doth at the bar, when the judge is giving sentence against him. When we shall thus humble our selves, then Christ Jesus that sit at the right hand of God will plead our cause, and be our atturney unto his father, and his father again will accept of his request in our behalf. Then shall we of Persians become Jews, and of the children of this world become the sons of God. Secondly, when we pray to God, we must not do as the blind man doth, as it were, rush upon God in praying to him without consideration had to the Mediatonr between us and him, but we always must direct our prayers to God in the name of Christ, for he is advanced to power and glory in heaven, that he might be a fit patron for us who might prefer and present our prayers to God the father, that thereby they might be accepted and we might obtain our request. So likewise we must give thanks to God in the name of Christ: for in him and for his sake God doth bestow on us his blessings.

Thus much of Christ's intercession: the other benefit which concerns Christ kingly office is, that he sits at the right hand of his father for the administration of that special kingdom which is committed to him. I say special, because he is our king not only by the right creation governing all things created together with the father and the holy Ghost, but also more specially by the right of redemption in respect of another kingdom, not of this world, but eternal and spiritual respecting the very conscience of man. In the administration whereof he hath absolute power to command and forbid, to condemn and absolve, and therefore hath the keys of heaven and hell to open and shut; which power no creature beside no not the angels in heaven, can have. For the better understanding of this which I say, we are to consider, first the dealing of Christ toward his own Church; secondly his dealing in respect of his enemies. And his dealing toward his own Church stands in four things. The first is the collecting or gathering of it: and this is a special end of his sitting at the right hand of his father. Christ said to his disciples, I have chosen you out of this world: and the same may truly be said of all the Elect, that Christ in his good time will gather them all to himself that they may be a peculiar people to God. And this action of his in collecting the Church, is nothing else but a translation of those whom he hath ordained to life everlasting out of the kingdom of darkness, in which they have served sin & Satan, into his own kingdom of grace, that they may be ruled & guided by him eternally. And this he doth two ways: first by the preaching of the word, for it is a powerful outward means, whereby he singleth and forteth his own servants from the blind and wicked world, as Paul saith, He gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the gath • ring together of Saints. And hence we learn two things. The first, that every minister of God's word, and everyone that intendeth to take upon him that calling, must propound unto himself principally this end, to single out man from man, and gather out of this world such as belong to the Church of Christ: and as Jeremiah saith, to separate the precious from the vile. The second, that all those which will be good hearers of God's word, must show themselves so far forth conformable unto it, that it may gather them out of the world, and that it may work a change in them, and make them the servants of Christ: and if the preaching of the word do not work this good work in our hearts, then the ende will be a separation from the presence of God. Christ when he came near Jerusalem, and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered unto him, wept over it, and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou which stonest the Prophets, and killest them that are sent unto thee, How often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not. And by this he teacheth, that if the preaching of the word turn not us to Christ, it turns to our destruction.

The other means of gathering the Church, and that the more principal is, the inward operation of the spirit, whereby the mind is enlightened, the heart is mollified, and the whole man is converted to God. And this ordinarily is joined with the ministry or preaching of the word, as appears by the example of Lydia. Saint Luke saith, God opened her heart to be attentive to the doctrine of the Apostle. And by the example of Paul, when Christ saith, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? at this very speech he is converted, and said, Who art thou, Lord: what wilt thou that I do? And this is manifest also by experience. There is nothing in the world more contrary to the nature of man, then the preaching of the word: for it is the wisdom of God, to which the flesh is enmity. Here then it may be demanded, how it can be in force to turn any man to God. Ans. The word preached is the scepter of Christ's kingdom, which against the nature of man by the operation of the holy Ghost joined therewith, doth bend and bow the heart, will, and affections of man to the will of Christ.

The second work of Christ is, after the Church is gathered, to guide it in the way to life everlasting. He is the shepherd of his Church, which guideth his flock in and out, and therefore Paul saith, They that are Christ's, are guided by his spirit. And by Isaiah the Lord saith, those his servants which are turned from idolatry, he will guide in the way, and their ears shall hear a voice behind them, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left. Which voice is nothing else but the voice of the holy Ghost in the mouth of the ministers, directing them in the ways of God. The children of Israel were traveling from Egypt to the land of Canaan full forty years, whereas they might have gone the journey in forty days. Their way was through the wilderness of Arabia, their guides were a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: the manner of their journey was this: when the pillars moved, they moved; when the pillars stood still, they stood still: and so long as the pillars either moved or stood still, they likewise moved or stood still. And by all this a further matter, namely the regiment of Christ over his Church, was signified. Everyone of us are as passengers & trauailers, not to any earthly Canaan, but to the heavenly Jerusalem: and in this journey we are to pass through the wild and desert wilderness of this world: our guide is Christ himself, figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud: because by his word and spirit he showeth us how far we may go in every action, and where we must stand, and he goes before us as our guide to life everlasting.

The third work of Christ is, to exercise his Church unto spiritual obedience by manifold troubles, crosses, temptations, and afflictions in this world, as earthly kings use to train and exercise their subjects. When our Savior Christ was with his disciples in a ship, there arose a great tempest upon the sea, so as the ship was almost covered with waves; but he was asleep; and his disciples came & awoke him, saying, Save us master, we perish. Behold here a lively picture of the dealing of Christ with his servants in this life. His manner is to place them upon the sea of this world, and to raise up against the • bleak storms and flaes of contrary winds by their enemies, the flesh, the devil, the world. And further in the midst of all these dangers he for his own part maketh as though he lay asleep for a time, that he may the better make trial of their patience, faith, and obedience. And the ends for which he useth this spiritual exercise are these. The first to make all his subjects to humble themselves, and as it were to go crooked and buckle under their offenses committed against his majesty in times past. Thus Job after the Lord had long afflicted him, and laid his hand sore upon him, saith, Behold I am vile: and again, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. In the same manner we being his subjects and people, must look to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make us bend and bow for our sins past, as the old man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age. The second, is to prevent sins in the time to come. A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water; takes it and holds it over the fire or over the water, as though he would burn or drown it, whereas his purpose indeed is nothing else but to prevent danger in time to come. In like manner Christ's subjects are bold to sin by nature, and therefore to prevent a mischief chief he doth exercise them with affliction, and seems for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church, but his meaning is only to prevent offenses in times to come. The third ende is, to continue his subjects in obedience unto his commandments: so the Lord saith, when he would bring his Church from idolatry: Behold, I will stop thy way with thorns, & make an hedge, that she shall not find her paths. The holy Ghost here borrows a comparison from beasts, which going in the way, see green pastures, & desire to enter in, & therefore go to the hedge, but feeling the sharpness of the thorns dare not adventure to go in. So God's people like unto wild beasts in respect of sin, viewing the green pastures of this world, which are the pleasures thereof, are greatly affected therewith: & if it were not for sharpness of crosses & temptations, which are God's spiritual hedge by which he keepeth thē in, they would range out of the way, and rush into sin, as the horse into the battle.

The fourth and last work of Christ in respect of his Church is, that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoever they are: and this he doth two ways. First by giving to his servants sufficient strength to bear all the assaults of their enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. For Paul saith, those to whom the Lord hath given the gift of faith, to them also he hath given this gift to suffer afflictions. And the same Apostle also prayeth for the Colossians, that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. The evidence hereof we may most plainly see in the most constant deaths of the Martyrs of Christ, recorded both in the word of God, and in the Church histories. It is wonderful to see their courage and constancy. For at such times as they have been brought to execution, they refused to be bound or chained, willingly suffering most cruel torments, without shrinking or fear; such courage and strength the Lord gave them to withstand the violent rage of all their adversaries.

Secondly, he defends his Church by limiting the power and rage of all enemies. And hence it is, that although the power of the Church of God on earth be weak and slender in it self, and contrariwise the power of the devil exceeding great, yet can he not so much as touch the people of God. And he more prevails by inward suggestions and temptations, then by outward violence. And if it were not that the power of Christ doth bridle his rage, there could be no abode for the Church of Christ in this world.

Thus we have seen what are the works of Christ in governing his church: and we for our parts that profess our selves to be members thereof, must show our selves to be so indeed, by an experience of these works of his in our own hearts. And we must suffer him to gather us under his own wing, and to guide us by his word and spirit, and we are to acquaint our selves with those spiritual exercises, whereby his good pleasure is to nurture us to all obedience. Lastly, we must depend on his aid and protection in all estates. And seeing we in this land, have had peace and rest with the Gospel of Christ among us a long time, by God's especial goodness, we must now after these days of peace look for days of tribulation: we must not imagine that our ease and liberty will continue always. For look as the day and night do one follow another; so likewise in the administration of the church here upon earth, Christ suffereth a continual intercourse between peace and persecution. Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto, and we may resolve our selves that so it will continue till the end: and therefore it shall be good for us in these days of our peace, to prepare our selves for troubles and afflictions: and when troubles come; we must still remember the fourth work of Christ in the government of his church, namely that in all dangers he will defend us against the rage of our enemies, as well by giving us power and strength to bear with patience and joy whatsoever shall be laid upon us, as also bridle the rage of the world, the flesh, and the devil, so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against us.

Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his own Church and people. Now followeth the second point, namely his dealing toward his enemies; and here by enemies I understand all creatures, but especially men, which, as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdom, so they persevere in the same enmity unto the end. Now his dealing towards them is, in his good time to work their confusion, as he himself saith, Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me. And David saith, The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potters vessel. And again, I will make thine enemies thy footes • oole, As Joshua dealt with the five Kings that were hid in the cave; he first makes a slaughter of their armies; then he brings them forth and makes the people to set their feet on their necks, and to hang them on five trees. So Christ deals with his enemies: he treads them under his feet, and maketh a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their souls. And this the Church of God finds to be true by experience, as well as it finds the love of Christ towards it self. Now he confounds his enemies two ways. The first is by hardness of heart, which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man, and leaveth him to himself, so as he goeth on forward from sin to sin, and never repenteth to the last gasp. And we must esteem of it as a most fearful and terrible judgment of God: for when the heart is possessed therewith, it becomes so flinty and rebellious, that a man will never rel • nt or turn to god. This is manifest in Pharaoh, for though God sent most grievous plagues both upon him and all the land of Egypt, yet would he not submit himself, save only for a fit, while the hand of God was upon him: for after, he returned to the former obstinacy in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea. And this judgment of God is the more fearful; because when a man is in the midst of all his misery, he feels no misery. And as in some kind of sickness a man may die languishing; so where hardness of heart reigns wholly & finally, a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing & re • oycing. And to come near to our selves, it is to be feared least this judgment of all judgments be among us in these our days. For where is any • u • ning to God by repentance. Still men go forward in sin without remorse. We have had the word preached among us a long time, but it taketh no place in men's hearts. They are not softened with the hammer of God's word: nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil, which the more it is beat with the hānmar, the harder it is. But in the fear of God, let us seek to be changed, and take heed: the deceitfulness of sin is wonderful. Let us not be carried away with an overweening of our selves; a man may have good gifts of God, as the gift of knowledge, the gift of prophecy, the gift of conceiving a prayer (I say not of praying truly:) and hereupon think himself in good case; and yet for all this have nothing but an impenitent and flinty heart. For this cause it standeth every man upon to look unto it, least this judgment of God take hold on him. And that we may avoid the same, we must labor for two things: I. to feel the heavy burden of our sins, and be touched in conscience for them, even as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and pains thereof: this is a token of grace. II. We must labor to feel in our own souls the want of Christ: we say indeed that we feel it, but it is a very great matter to have an heart that doth open it self, and as it were gape after Christ, as the dry and thirsty land where no water is. Though we have knowledge and learning never so much, and many other gifts of God, yet if we have not broken hearts that feel the burden of our sins, and the want of Christ, and that we stand in need of every drop of his blood for the washing away of all these our sins, our case is miserable. And the rather we must prevent this hardness of heart, because Christ Jesus in heaven sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authority, to kill and confound all those that be his enemies, and will not submit themselves to bear his yoke.

The second way is, by final desperation; I say, final, because all kind of desperation is not evil. For when a man despaireth of himself and of his own power in the matter of his salvation, it tends to his eternal comfort. But final desperation is, when a man utterly despairs of the pardon of his own sins and of life everlasting. Examples hereof we have in Saul that slue himself, and in Achitophel and Judas, that hanged themselves. This sin is caused thus: So many sins as a man committeth without repentance, so many most bloody wounds he giveth unto his own soul: and either in death or life God makes him feel the smart, and the huge weight of them all: whereby the soul sinks down into the gulf of despair without recovery. God said to Cain, If thou do amiss, sin lieth at • hy door. Where he useth a borrowed speech from wild beasts, who so long as they are sleeping stir not; but being awaked, they fly in a man's face, and rend out his throat. In like manner the sins which thou committest, lie at the door of thine heart, though thou feel them not: and if thou do not prevent the danger by speedy repentance, God will make thee to feel them once before thou die, and raise up such terrors in thy conscience, that thou shalt think thyself to be in hell before thou art in hell: and therefore it is good for every man to take heed how he continues an enemy to Christ. The best course is to turn betime from our • inns, and become the friends of Christ, that so we may escape these fearful judgments.

And whereas Christ in this manner governs all things in heaven & earth, we are bound to perform unto him three duties, reverence, obedience, thankfulness. For the first, Paul saith, God hath exalted him and given him a name above all names, that at the name of Jesus (which name, is his exaltation in heaven in full power and glory) should every knee bow. We dare not so much as speak of an earthly king unreverantly, what reverence then do we owe unto Christ the king of heaven and earth? David's heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Saul's garment, when he might have slain him, because he was the Lord's anointed. On then, howe much more ought our hearts to be touched, if we shall in the least measure dishonor Christ Jesus our Lord and king. Secondly, we are here taught to perform obedience to him, & to do him all the homage we can. The master of the family in all his lawful commandments must be obeyed: now the Church of Christ is a family, and we are members thereof: therefore we must yield obedience to him in all things: for all his commandments are just. When Saul was chosen king over Israel, certain men which feared God, whose hearts God had touched, followed him to Gibea and brought him presents, but the wicked despised him: the same is much more to be verified in us toward Christ our Lord. We must have our hearts touched with desire to perform obedience unto him: if not, we are men of Belial that despise him. If this obedience were put in practice, the Gospel would have better success in the hearts of the people, and the Lord's Sabbath would be better kept, and men would bear greater love both to God and to their neighbors then now they do. The third duty which we owe unto him is thankfulness, for the endless care which he showeth in the governing and preserving of us. When David waxed old, and had made Solomon his son king in his stead, all the people shouted and cried, God save king Solomon, God save king Solomon, so as the earth rang again. Shall the people of Israel thus rejoice at the crowning of Solomon, and shall not we much more rejoice when as Christ Jesus is placed in heaven at the right hand of his father, and hath the everlasting scepter of his kingdom put into his hand? And we are to show this thankfulness unto him by doing anything in this world that may tend to his honor and glory, though it be with the adventure of our lives. When David desired to drink of the water of the well of B • thlem, three of his mighty men went and brake into the host of the Philist • ms, and brought him water. Thus they ventured their lives for David's sake: and shall not we much more willingly venture our lives to do Christ service in token of thankfulness for his continual preserving of us?

Thus much of the highest degree of Christ's exaltation in his kingeome: now followeth the last point to be believed concerning Christ in these words, From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And they contain a proof or a particular declaration of the former article. For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings do execute justice in courts or assizes • or the maintenance of the state & peace of the kingdom: so Christ Jesus sitting at the right hand of his father, that is, being made sovereign Lord of all things both in heaven and earth, is to hold a court or assise, in which he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead. Now in handling the last judgment, we are to consider these points: I. whether there shall be a judgment or not? II. the time of it. III. the signs thereof. IV. the manner of it. V. the use which is to be made thereof. Of these in order. For the first point, whether there shall be a judgment or not? the question is needful: for as Saint Peter saith, There shall come in the last days mockers, which shall walk after their lusts, and say, Where is the promise of his coming? which days are now. The answer to this question is set down in this article, in which we profess that the coming of Christ to the last judgment, is a point of religion specially to be held and avouched. The reasons to prove it, are principally two: first the testimony of God himself in the books of the old and new testament, which afford unto us plentiful proofs touching the last judgment, so as he which will but lightly read the same, shall not need to doubt thereof. The second reason is taken frō the justice and goodness of God, the property whereof is, to punish wicked and ungodly men, and to honor and reward the godly: but in this world the godly man is most of all in misery, (for judgment beginneth at God's house,) and the ungodly have their hearts ease. W • cked Dives hath the world at will, but poor Lazarus is hunger bitten, full of sores, and miserable every way. This being so, it remaineth, that after this life, there • must needs be a judgment and a second coming of Christ, when the godly must receive fullness of joy and glory, and the ungodly fullness of woe & misery. This second reason may stop the mouths of all gainsayers in the world whatsoever. But it may be objected, that the whole world stands either of believers or unbelievers, and that there is no last judgment for either of these: for the believer, as Christ saith, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment ; and the unbeliever is condemned already, and therefore needeth no further judgment. Ans. Where it is said, he that believeth shall not come into judgment, it must be understood of the judgment of condemnation, and not the judgment of absolution; and he that believeth not is condemned already in effect and substance three ways: I. in the counsel of God, who did foresee and appoint his condemnation, as it is a punishment of sin, and an execution of his justice. II. in the word of God, where he hath his condemnation set down. III. he is condemned in his own conscience: for every ungodly man's conscience is a judge unto himself, which doth every hour condemn him, and it is a forerunner of the last judgment. And notwithstanding all this, there may remain a second judgment, which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begun in this world: and therefore the meaning of that place is this; he that believeth not is already judged in part, but so as the full manifestation thereof, shall be at the second coming of Christ.

The second circumstance, is the time of his judgment: in handling whereof first let us see what is the judgment of men, secondly what is the truth. For the first, two opinions touching this time take place. The first is, that the second coming of Christ shall be about six thousand years from the beginning of the world, and that for the Elects sake some of these days must be shortened: and now since the beginning of the world, are passed five thousand & almost six hundred years so as there remains but four hundred. The grounds of this opinion are these. First the testimony of Elias, two thousand years before the law: two thousand years under the law: and two thousand years under Christ. And for the elects sake some of these years shall be shortened. Answer. This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite, but of another. Elias which was a Jew no prophet. And whereas he saith: two thousand years before the law: and two thousand years under the law, he faileth. From the giving of the law to the coming of Christ, was about one thousand and five hundred years • and from the law to the creation above two thousand. Now if Elias cannot set down a just number for the time past, which a mean man many do, what shall we think that he can do for the time to come? And if he deceive us in that which is more easy to find, how shall we trust him in things that be harder? The second reason is this: How long god was in creating the world, so long he shall be in governing the same; but he was six days in creating the world, and in the seventh he rested, and so proportionally he shall be six thousand years in governing the world; every day answering to a thousand years, as Peter saith: A thousand years are but as one day with God, and then shall the end be. Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in God's word: as for that place of Peter, the meaning is, that innumerable years are but as a short time with God: and we may as well say, two thousand or ten thousand years are but as one day with God. For Peter meant not to speak anything distinctly of a thousand years, but of a long time. Thirdly it is alleged, that within six thousand years from the creation of the world, shall appear in the heavens strange coniunctions, and positions of the stars, which signify nothing else but the subversion of the state of the world: nay, some have noted that the ende thereof should have been in the year of our Lord, a thousand five hundred eighty eight: their writings are manifest: but we find by experience that this opinion is false and frivolous, and their grounds be as frivolous. For no man can gather by the ordinary course of the heavens, the extraordinary change of the whole world.

The second opinion is, that the ende of the world shall be three years and an half after the revealing of Antichrist. And it is gathered out of places in Daniel and the Revelation, abused. Where a time and half a time signify not three years and a half, but a short time. And therefore to take the words properly, is far from the meaning of the holy Ghost. For mark, if the ende shall be three years and a half after the revealing of Antichrist, then may any man know before hand the particular month wherein the ende of the world should be, which is not possible.

Now the truth which may be avouched against all, is this, that no man can know or set down or conjecture the day, the week, the month, the yere, or the age, wherein the second coming of Christ and the last day of judgment shall be. For Christ himself saith, of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels in heaven, but God only may Christ himself as he is man knew it not. And when the disciples asked Christ at his ascension, whether he would restore the kingdom unto Israel, he answered, It is not for you to know the times and seasons, which the father hath put in his own power. And Paul saith, Of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall come, even as a thief in the night. Now we know that a man that keepeth his house, cannot conjecture or imagine when a thief will come: and therefore no man can set down the particular time or age, when Christ shall come to judgment. This must we hold steadfastly, and if we read the contrary in the writings of men, we are not to believe their sayings, but account of them as the devices of men, which have no ground in God's word.

To come to the third point, namely the signs of the last judgment, they are of two sorts: some go before the coming of Christ, and some are joined with it. The signs that go before, are in number seven, recorded distinctly by the holy Ghost. The first, is the preaching of the Gospel through the whole world. So our Savior Christ saith, this Gospel of the kingdom must be preached through the whole world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the ende come. Which place must thus be understood; not that the Gospel must be preached to the whole world at any one time, for that (as I take it) was never yet seen, neither shall be; but that it shall be published distinctly and successively at several times: and thus understanding the words of Christ, if we consider the time since the Apostles days, we shall find this to be true, that the Gospel hath been preached to all the world; and therefore this first sign of Christ's coming is already past and accomplished.

The second sign of his coming, is the revealing of Antichrist, as Paul saith, The day of Christ shall not come before there be a departure first, and that mā of sin he disclosed, even the son of perdition, which is Antichrist. Concerning this sign, in the year of our Lord 602. Gregory the eight pope of Rome, avouched this solemnly as a manifest truth, that whosoever did take to himself the name of Universal Bishop, the same was Antichrist. Now five years after, Boniface succeeding him, was by Phocas and Emperor entitled, Universal Bishop, pastour of the Catholic Church, in the year of our Lord 607. and of all Popes he was the first known Antichrist, and since him all his successors have taken unto thē the same title of Vniuersal and Catholic Bishop, whereby it doeth plainly appear, that at Rome hath been and is the Antichrist. And this sign is also past.

The third is, a general departing of most men from the faith. For it is said in the place before named, let no man deceive you: for the day of Christ shall not come, except there be a departing first. General departure hath been in former ages. When Arius spread his heresy, it took such place that the whole world almost became an Arian. And during the space of 900. years from the time of Boniface, the popish heresy spread it self over the whole earth, and the faithful servants of God were but as an handful of wheat in a mountain of chaff, which can scarce be discerned. This sign is in part already past, nevertheless it shall continue to the ende, because men shall continually depart from the faith. And the nearer the end of the world is, the more Satā rageth & seeks to bring mē into his kingdō. Therefore it standeth us in hand to labor for the knowledge of true religiō, & having learned it, most heartily to love the same.

The fourth sign is, a general corruption in manners. This point the Apostle sets down at large, saying, Toward the latter days shall come perilous times, wherein men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, cursed speakers, disobedient to parents, unthankfull, unholy, and without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce, despisers of them which are good • traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of god, &c. This general corruption in the manners of men, is noted by our Savior Christ, when he saith, When he cometh he shall scarce find faith upon the earth. This sign hath been in former ages, and is no doubt at this day in the world. For it is hard to find a man that walketh justly, soberly, and faithfully, doing the duties of his calling to God and man.

The fifth sign of Christ's coming stands in terrible and grievous calamities. For Christ's disciples asking him a sign of his coming, and of the ende of the world, he saith, There shall be wars and rumors of wars, nation shall rise against nation, and realm against realm: and there shall be pestilence and famine and earthquakes in diverse places, and men shall be at their wits ends. These have been in former ages. In the first three hundred years after Christ, were ten most fearful persecutions: and since in Europe the Church of God hath been wonderfully persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome in the hundred years last past.

The sixth sign is, an exceeding deadness of heart, so as neither judgments from heaven, nor the preaching of the word shall move the hearts of men. So Christ saith, It shall be in the coming of the son of man, as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Sodom: they knew nothing till the flood came, and fire from heaven destroyed them all. This sign undoubtedly is manifest in these our days, howsoever it hath been also in former times. For where are any almost that are moved with God's judgments, or touched at the preaching of the word, nay rather men harden their hearts, and become secure and careless. The small fruit that the word of God bringeth forth in the lives of men, shows this to be most true.

The seventh and last sign, set down by the Apostle Paul is, that there shall be a calling of the Jews before the Lord come to judgment: but of the time when this calling shall be, of the manner how, or the number of them that shall be called, there is no mention made of in the word of God. Now it is likely that this sign is yet to come.

These are the signs that go before the coming of Christ, all which are almost past, and therefore the end cannot be far off. Now follows the sign that is joined with the coming of Christ, called the sign of the son of man. What this sign is, we find not in the Scriptures. Some think it to be the sign of the cross; but that is frivolous: some, the glory and majesty of Christ, which shall be made manifest in his appearance: which seems to be otherwise by the very words of Christ. Then (saith he) shall appear the sign of the son of man, &c. and then they shall see him come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory: where he distinguisheth the one from the other. But I rather conjecture it to be the burning of heaven and earth with fire, at the very instant of Christ's coming, mentioned by Peter. We must not here dispute whence this fire shall come, or how it shall be kindled, for that the word of God hath concealed: and where God hath not a mouth to speak, there we must not have an ear to hear.

The uses to be made hereof, are these. When S. Peter had set down the change that shall be at the coming of Christ, and that heaven and earth must be purged with fire, he makes this use thereof. Seeing all things must be dissolved, what manner of men ought we to be in holy conversation and godliness? and the reason is good. For if heaven and earth must be changed and purged at Christ's coming, then much more ought we to be changed, and to put off the old man of sin, and to become new creatures created after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness. If the brute creatures must be renewed by fire, then much more are we to labor that the heat of God's spirit may burn up sin & corruption in us, & so change us that we may be ready for him against his coming: else heaven and earth it self shall stand in judgment against us to our condemnation. Secondly, the consideration of this, that the world shall be consumed with fire, teacheth us moderation and sobriety in the use of God's creatures, as in costly buildings, gorgeous attire, and such like. What madness is this, to bestow all that we have, on such things, as at the day of judgment shall be consumed with fire. For look whatsoever abuse shall come to God's creatures by our folly, the same shall then be abolished. Thirdly we must consider that the cause why heaven and earth must be consumed with fire, is man's sin, by means whereof, they are made subject to vanity & corruption. Here then we have just occasion to acknowledge the greatness & wretchedness of our sins. If any of us had but seen the Jews leprosy, it would have made us to wonder: for the contagion thereof did infect not only the whole man but his garments also that were about him, and sometime the walls of his house: but howsoever we cannot see that leprosy among us, yet we may see a worse. For the leprosy of our sins doth not only infect our garments, and the things about us, with our bodies; but even the high heavens and the earth are stained with the contagion thereof, and are made subject to vanity and corruption: yea by sin in us the most glorious creatures in them, as the Sun, Moon, and stars are become subject to vanity. Oh then, howe wretched is the heart of man, that makes no bones of sin, which is the most noisome thing in all the world, the stink whereof hath infected both heaven and earth. If we could consider this, we would not be so slack in humbling our selves for the same as we are. We cannot abide to look on a poor lazar full of blanes and sores: but if we could see our sins in their right colors, they would make us seem unto our selves ten thousand times more ugly then any lazar man can be; the contagion thereof is so great and noisome, that the very heavens which are many thousand miles distant from us, are infected therewith. Yet here we are to know, that this fire shall not consume the substance of heaven and earth, but only change the quality, & abolish the corruption which our sins have brought upon them.

The fourth point to be considered, is the manner of the last judgment, in which we may obeserue two things: I. who shall be judge: II. the proceeding of this judge. The first is expressed in this article; From thence he shall come to judge. He, that is, Christ Jesus the second person in Trinity. For the father hath committed all judgment unto him. It is indeed an action common to all the three persons in trinity, but yet the execution thereof appertains unto the son. The father indeed doth judge the world, but yet by the son. But some may object, that the Apostles shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And S. Paul saith, The Saints shall judge the world. Howe then is this true, that • hrist is the only judge of the world. Ans. The authority of judgment and giving sentence at the last day is proper to Christ alone, and doth not belong either to the Apostles or to the Saints: and they shall judge at the last day only as witnesses and approouers of Christ's judgment. At the great day of assise beside the judge, the iustices on the bench are also in a manner judges, not that they give sentence, but because by their presence they approve and witness the equity of the sentence of the judge: so the definitive sentence doth belong to Christ: and the Apostles and Saints do nothing but approve • and being present give assent to his righteous sentence.

The whole proceeding of the last judgment may be reduced to seven points or heads. The first is the coming of the judge in the clouds. Here at the first may be demanded, why Christ holds the last judgment rather on earth then in heaven. Ans. He doth it for two causes. One, the creature to be judged hath sinned here upon earth: and he proceeds after the manner of earthly judges, who hold their sessions and assizes there where trespasses are commonly committed. The second, because the devil & his angels are to be judged, & it is a part of their punishment to be cast out of heaven. For no unclean thing may come into this heavenly Ierusalē, & therefore they now remain in the lower parts of the world, and there must be judged. Furthermore, the second coming of Christ is sudden, as the coming of a thief in the night. He will come when the world thinketh not of him, as the snare doth on the bird. The consideration whereof must teach us the same duties which our Savior Christ taught the men of his time. First he teacheth them what they must not do: for he knowing all things knew also the disposition of man's heart, and therefore he saith, Take heed to yourselves, least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, least that day come upon you unawares. For these sins benumb the heart, and steal away all grace. This exhortation in these our days is most needful. For men's hearts are like the smithes stithie, the more they are beaten with the hammer of God's word, the harder they are. Secondly he teacheth them what they must do: Watch therefore (saith he) and pray continually: that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and that ye may stand before the son of man. But you will say: how may we be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Ans. Do but this one thing: for your lives past be humbled before God, and come unto him by true, hearty, and unfeigned repentance, be changed and become new creatures: pray unto him earnestly for the pardon of your sins in Christ, and pray continually that God will turn your hearts from your old sins every day more and more: and then come the last judgment when it will, ye shall be found worthy to stand before Christ at his coming. The repentant sinner is he, that shall find favor in the sight of God at that day. The consideration hereof may move us to change our lives. Those which were never yet humbled for their sins, let them now begin: and those which have already begun, let them go forward and continue. But the devil will cry in the hearts of some men, that this exhortation is as yet needless: for the day of judgment is not near, because all the signs thereof are not yet passed. Ans. Suppose the day of judgment be far off, yet the day of thy death cannot be so: for the common saying is true, today a man, tomorrow none. Now look as death leaveth thee, so shall the day of judgment find thee. Impenitent Cain died long since, and yet the day of judgment when it cometh, shall find him impenitent still. The same thing may be said of Saul, Achitophel, and Judas. They died desperately and impenitent, & the Lord shall find them so at his coming. So will it be with thee, whatsoever thou art that repentest not. Death may come upon thee, the next day or the next hour, therefore watch and pray. Prepare thyself against the day of death, that at the day of judgment thou mayest be found worthy to obtain favor in the sight of the Lord. Security doth overwhelm the world; but let us for our parts learn to prepare our selves daily: for if the day of death do leave thee unworthy, then the Lord Jesus at his coming shall find thee unworthy: and the devil shall stand before thee and accuse thee, thy conscience shall condeme thee, and hell shall be ready to swallow thee up. If this admonition take no place in thy heart, then at the day of judgment it shall stand against thee, and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation.

The second point followeth, that Christ after that he is come in the clouds shall sit in a throne of glory, as the sovereign judge of heaven and earth, after the manner of earthly kings, who when they will show themselves unto their subjects in majesty, power, and glory, use to ascend into the thrones of their kingdoms, and there to show themselves and appear in state unto all the people. Now what this throne is, and howe Christ sits in the same, the scripture hath not revealed, and therefore I will not stand to search. Yet here must we further mark, that this appearance of his in endless glory and majesty shall be most terrible and dreadful to the ungodly, and therefore in Daniel his throne is said to be like a flame of fire, and at the very sight hereof men shall desire the mountains to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them.

The third point, is the citing of all men and of the angels before his majesty in that day, there to answer for themselves. This citing shall be done by the voice of Christ, as he himself saith, In that day all that are in the graves shall hear his voi • e, & they shall come forth. And here we are to consider two things: I. the power of this voice: II. the ministry whereby it shall be uttered. For the first, no doubt the power of this voice shall be unspeakable, and therefore it is compared to a trumpet, the loudest and shrillest of all musical instruments; and to the cry of the mariners, whose manner hath been in the doing of any business with all their strength at one instant to make a common shout. And sensible experience shall manifest the force thereof. For it shall cause all the dead even from the beginning of the world to rise again, though they have lien rotten in the earth many thousand years: and all unclean spirits shall be forced and compelled, will they, nill they, to come before Christ; who shall be unto them a most fearful and terrible judge, neither man nor angel shall be able to absent or hide himself; all without exception must appear, as well high as low, rich as poor: none sh • ll be able to withdraw themselves, no not the mighty Monarchs of the earth.

Furthermore, this voice shall be uttered by angels. As in the Church Christ useth men as his ministers by whom he speaks unto his people: so at the last day he shall use the ministry of Angels, whom he shall send forth into the four winds to gather his elect together: and therefore it is likely that this voice shall be uttered by them. And by this which hath been said, we must be moved to make conscience of all sin. For there is no avoiding of this judgment, we cannot absent our selves, no excuse will serve the turn: even the most rebellious of all creatures whether man or angel, shall be forced to appear: and therefore it stands us in hand, while we have time in this life, to look unto our estates, and to practice the duties of christianity, that when we shall be cited before his glorious majesty at the last day, we may be cleared and absolved.

The fourth point is, the separation of the sheep from the goats, the good from the bad; for when all the kindreds of the earth, and all unclean spirits shall stand before Christ, sitting in the throne of his glory: then as a good shepherd he shall separate them one from another, the righteous from the wicked, and the elect from the reprobate. He which knoweth the hearts of all men, knoweth also howe to do this, and he will do it. This full and final separation is reserved to Christ, and shall not be accomplished till the last day. For so it is in the parable, that the tares must grow with the wheat til harvest, and the reapers must separate them, and gather the wheat into the barn, but the tares must be burned with unquenchable fire. By the consideration of this one point, we learn diverse things: I. that in the Church of God in this world, good and bad are mingled together, elect and reprobate: and we are not to imagine any perfection of the church of God upon earth, as many have dreamed, which when they could not find, they have therefore forsaken all assemblies. I confess indeed that the preaching of the word is the Lord's fan, whereby he cleanseth his Church in part, but yet the finishing of this work shall not be before the last judgment. For when the ministers of God have done all that they can, yet shall the wicked be mingled with the godly. Therefore the Church is compared to a barn flour, where is both wheat & chaff: and a corn field, where is both tares and good corn: and a draw net, wherein is both good fish and bad. Secondly, whereas this separation must not be before the ende of the world, hence we learn the state of God's Church in this life. It is like a flock of sheep mingled with goats, and therefore the condition of God's people in this world, is to be troubled many ways by those with whom they live. For goats use to strike the sheep, to annoy their pasture, and to make their water muddy that they cannot drink of it: and therefore we must prepare our selves to bear all annoyances, crosses, and calamities that shall befall us in this world by the wicked ones, among whom we live. Thirdly, we are taught, that howsoever the goats and the sheep be very like, and feed in one pasture, and lie in one fold all their life time: yet Christ can and will sever them asunder at the last day. Therefore, considering as we are borne of Adam we have the nature of the goat, yea of the wild beast, and not of the sheep; it stands us in hand to lay aside our goatish conditions, and to take unto us the properties of the sheep of Christ, which he expresseth in these words, My sheep (saith he) hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. And the properties are three; to know him, to be known of him, and to follow him, namely in obedience: and he that finds them all in himself, weareth the brand and mark of the true sheep of Christ: but contrariwise they that make profession of Christ, and yet therewithal join not obedience, howsoever the world may account of them, they are but goats and no sheep. Let us therefore with the knowledge of Christ join obedience to his word, that when the day shall come that the goats must be separated from the sheep, we may be found to be in the number of the true sheep of Christ. We may deceive men both in life and death, and bear them in hand that we are sheep, but when the judgment shall come, we cannot deceive Christ: he it is that formed us, he knows our hearts, and therefore can easily discern what we are.

The fifth thing is the trial of every man's particular cause, a point especially to be considered. For as at the bar of an earthly judge, the malefactor is brought out of prison and set before the judge, and there examined: even so in that great day, shall every man without exception be brought before the Lord, to be tried. But how shall this trial be made? Ans. By works: as the Apostle saith, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or evil. And the reason is, because works are the outward signs of inward grace and godliness. And though we be justified by faith alone without works, yet may we be judged both by faith and works. For the last judgment doth not serve to make men just that are unjust, but only to manifest them to be just indeed, which were just before & in this life truly justified. The consideration of this very point should move us all to repent us of our sins past and to reform our selves throughout, and to be plentiful in all good works. And undoubtedly if we seriously think upon it, it will hold us more straightly to all good duties, then if with the Papists, we held justification by works.

Furthermore, in this trial two things must be skanned: I. how all men's works shall be made manifest: II. by what means they shall be examined. Of the manifestation of every man's work, S. John speaketh, And I saw (saith he) the dead both great and small stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged of these things which were written in the books according to their works. God is said to have books not properly, but because all things are as certain and manifest to him, as if he had his Registers in heaven to keep rolles and records of thē. His books are three; the book of Providence, the book of Judgment, the book of Life. The book of his providence is the knowledge of all particular things past, present, to come. Of this the Psalmist speaketh, Thine eyes did see me when I was without form: for in thy book were all things written which in continuance were fashioned, when there was none of them before. The book of judgment is that whereby he gives judgment: and it is twofold. The first is God's knowledge or prescience, in which all the affairs of mē, their thoughts, words, and deeds, are as certainly known and set down, as if they were put in books of record. We may forget our sins, but God keeps them in a register; he knows them everyone. The second book is every man's particular conscience, which also brings to remembrance and testifies what men have done, and what they have not done. The book of life is nothing else but the decree of God's election, in which God hath set down who be ordained to life eternal.

Now the opening of these books is a thing wherein the endless power of God shall most notably show itself. For when we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ, he then knowing all things in his eternal counsel, shall reveal unto every man his own particular sins, whether they were in thought, word, or deed, and then also by his mighty power he shall so touch men's consciences, that they shall afresh remember what they have done. Now indeed, the wicked man's conscience is shut up as a closed book; but then it shall be so touched, and as it were opened, that he shall plainly see and remember all the particular offenses which at any time he hath committed; and his very conscience shall be as good as a thousand witnesses: whereupon he shall accuse and utterly condemn himself. The consideration of this ought to terrify all those that live in their sins: for howsoever they may hide & cover them from the world; yet at the last day, God will be sure to reveal them all.

Now after that men's works are made manifest, they must further be tried whether they be good or evil. And that shall be done on this manner. They that never heard of Christ must be tried by the law of nature, which serves to make them inexcusable before God. As for those that live in the Church, they shall be tried by the Law and the Gospel, as Paul saith, As many as have lived by the law, shall be judged by the law. And again, At the day of judgment God shall judge the secrets of our hearts according to his Gospel. And, By faith Noah built an ark, whereby he condemned the old world. If this be true, then we must in the fear of God hear his word preached and taught with all reverence, & make conscience to profit by it. For otherwise in the day of judgment when all our works shall be tried by it, the same word of God shall be a bill of inditement, and the fearful sentence of condemnation against us. Therefore let us be humbled by the doctrine of the law, & willingly embrace the sweet promises of the Gospel: considering it is the only touchstone, whereby all our words, thoughts, and works must be examined.

The sixth point in the proceeding of the last judgment, is the giving of sentence, which is twofold: the sentence of absolution, and the sentence of condemnation, both which are to be observed diligently, that we may receive profit thereby. And first of all Christ shall begin his judgment with the sentence of absolution; which shows, that he is ready to show mercy & slow to wrath. In this sentence we are to consider four points: I. a calling of the Elect to the kingdom of heaven: II. the reason thereof: III. a reply of the Elect: IV. the answer of Christ to them again. The calling of the Elect is set down in these words, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. And the words are to be observed one by one. Come ye blessed ] Though Christ now sit in glory and majesty in judgment, yet he ceaseth not to show his tender a • fection of love unto his chosen. And this overthroweth the opinion of the Church of Rome, which would have us rather to come unto Christ by the intercession of saints, then by our selves immediately, because he is now exalted in glory and majesty. But mark, when he was here on earth, he said, Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you. And when he shall be most glorious in majesty and power at the day of judgment, he will then also say, Come ye blessed of my father: and therefore we may resolve our selves, that it is his will now, that we should come unto him without any intercession of Saints. Ye blessed of my father ] The Elect are here called the blessed of God, because their righteousness, salvation, and all that they have, springs of the mere blessing of God. Nothing therefore must be ascribed to the work of man. Inherit ] that is, receive as your inheritance: therefore the kingdom of heaven is God's mere gift. A father giveth no inheritance unto his son of merit, but of his free gift: whereupon it follows, that no man can merit the kingdom of heaven by his works. The kingdom ] that is, the eternal estate of glory and happiness in heaven: therefore in this life we must so use this world, as though we used it not: all that we have here is but vain and transitory: and all our study and endeavor must be to come to the kingdom of heaven. Prepared ] Here note the unspeakable care of God for the faithful. Had he such care to provide a kingdom for his children before they were? then we may assure our selves, he will have greater care over them now when they have a being. For you ] that is, for the elect and faithful. Hence it appears that there is no universal election whereby (as some suppose) God decrees that all and every man shall be saved. Indeed if he had said, Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for all but received of you, it had been something, but he saith only, prepared for you: and therefore all were not chosen to salvation.

The reason of this calling, is taken from works as from signs, in these words, For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, &c. When he saith, for I was hungry, he means his poor and distressed members upon earth: and thereby he signifies unto us that the miseries of his servants are his own miseries. Thus the Lord saith in Zechariah, He which toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. And when Saul was going to persecute them in Damasco and else where that called on the name of Christ, he cried from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And this is a notable comfort to God's Church and people, that they have an high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities: and if he account our miseries his own miseries, then no doubt he will pity our estate and make us able to bear the worst. And ye gave me meat ] Here we note, that the principal works of men are those which are done to the poor members of Christ. We are indeed to help all, in as much as they are our very flesh and the creatures of God; but the rule of S. Paul must be remembered, Do good to all, but especially to those that are of the household of faith, Many are of mind that the best works are to build Churches and Monasteries, but Christ tells us here, that the best work of all is to relieve those that be the living members of his mystical body.

The third point is the reply of the Saints to Christ again, in these words, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? &c. They do not deny that which Christ avouched, but do, as I take it, standing before the tribunal seat of God, humble themselves, having still an after-consideration of the infirmities and offenses of their lives past. Here note then, that it is a Satanical practice for a man to brag of works and to stand upon them in the matter of justification before God. And we must rather do as the Saints of God do, abase our selves in regard of our sins past.

The last point is the answer of Christ to them again, in these words, Verily, I say unto you, in as much as ye did it to the least of those my brethren, you did it to me. A most notable sentence: and it serveth to teach us, how we should behave our selves in doing works of mercy, which are duties to be performed in this life. We are not to do them of any sinister respect, as for praise of men or commodity, but we must propound unto our selves the party to whom we do any good, and in him look on Christ, and so do it, as unto Christ and for Christ's sake only: and this is a good work indeed. Christ saith, Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall not loose his reward. It is but a small gift, but yet the manner of doing it, namely in the name of a disciple, that is, in respect that he is a member of Christ, doth make it an excellent work of mercy. It is a special mark of a child of God to show mercy on a Christian because he is a Christian. If any would know whether he be a Christian or no, let him search himself, whether he love a man, and can do good unto him, because he is a child of God, and a member of Christ. For this is a plain argument, that he also is the child of God. Many can love, because they are loved again, but to love for Christ his sake, is a work of Christ in us and a special gift of God.

The sentence of condemnation follows in the second place: and it contains four points: I. the rejection of the ungodly: II. the reason of their rejection: III. the defense which the wicked make for themselves: lastly, the answer of Christ to them again. The rejection of the wicked is uttered by a terrible sentence, Away from me ye cursed into hell fire. The use hereof in general is twofold. First it serves to awake and excite all men and women in the world whosoever they be that shall hear it, to look unto their own estates. It is wonderful to see what great security reigneth everywhere in these our days. Men go on in sin from day today and from year to year without repentance, nothing at all fearing the sentence of condemnation at the last day; like unto many which for the obtaining of other men's goods are neither by the fear of arraignment or imprisonment kept in good order. The occasions of security are twofold: I. the prosperity of the wicked, who of all men live most at ease without trouble, either in body or in mind. II. God's patience and long suffering; as Solomon saith, Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil. But to awake all those which live in this security; they must remember that howsoever the Lord God doth now defer his judgment, yet there is a day wherein he will no way show mercy and long suffering, when they shall hear this fearful sentence of condemnation pronounced against them, Away from me ye cursed. The second use is to the godly: It serves to nurture them & to keep them in awe before God: and no doubt, this was a principal cause why this sentence was here penned by the holy Ghost. A wise master of a family will check his servant, & if the cause require, correct him in his child's presence, that the child it self may learn thereby to fear & stand in awe of his father: so Christ the most careful and wise governor of his Church hath set down this sentence of condemnation against the wicked, that the children of God in this world whensoever they shall hear or read the same, might be moved thereby to stand in fear of God, and more dutifully perform obedience unto his command • ments. Away from me ] Here we may learn, what a blessed thing it is for a man to have true fellowship with Christ in this world. For in the day of judgment the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him, and driven away from his presence. Now he that would have fellowship with God after this life, & escape that punishment, must seek to have it in this life: and he that will not seek to have fellowship with him in this life shall never have it after in the day of judgment. Again, let us mark that it is nothing to draw near unto Christ with our lips, if the heart be not with him: for such as come near with the lip and keep aloof in the heart, shall hear the sentence pronounced, Away from me ye cursed ; and shall be severed as far from Christ as hell from heaven. Therefore let us not content our selves with formal profession, but open the doors of our hearts, that the king of glory may come in. Ye cursed ] They are cursed who are borne in sin and live in their sins, and all the days of their lives so persevere to the last gasp without seeking recovery. Whosoever he be, that is in this estate, the curse of God hangeth over his head, and will so do till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This being so, above all things in this world we must labor to be at peace with God, and never cease nor be quiet with our selves till we have the same wrought and sealed in our hearts. For before such time as we be in God's favor, his fearful curse hangs over our heads, and if we so persevere without repentance, the day will come when we shall hear this fearful sentence pronounced against us: Away from me ye cursed into hell fire. What hell fire is, we must not curiously search, but rather give our whole endeavor to learn how we may avoid it: as when a man's house is on fire, his care must be, not to search how it came, but rather how to quench it: yet we are to know thus much, that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame, but it signifies the seizing of the fearful and terrible wrath of God both on body and soul forever. For howsoever the body be subject to burning with bodily fire, yet the soul being spiritual cannot burn; and therefore hell fire is not a material fire, but a grievous torment, fitly resembled thereby. Prepared for the devil and his angels. ] There is in every man's heart by nature this corruption; whereby when he sinneth, he thinks that there is no danger but all is well, having as Isaiah saith, made a covenant with hell. But here consider, that, although the devil was once an angel of light, yet when he had sinned, he could not escape hell: it was prepared even for him. How then shall ungodly men, which are not half so wily, think to escape?

Now followeth the reason of their rejection in these words: For I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat, &c. Hence we learn these two points: I. that all man's religion and serving of God is in vain, if so be we show no compassion toward the poor members of Christ, in feeding, clothing, lodging, and visiting of them. For we must think, that many of those against whom this reason shall be brought, did know religion and profess the same, yea they prophesied in the name of Christ, and called on him, saying, Lord, Lord: and yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them, because they show no compassion toward the members of Christ, and therefore it is a principal virtue, and a special note of a Christian, to show the bowels of compassion towards his needy brethren. Here again we note, that it is not sufficient for us to abstain from evil, but we must also do good. For it is not said, I was an hungered and ye took from me, but, When I was hungry ye gave me no m • ate. They are not charged with doing evil, but, for not doing good. S. John saith, The axe is laid to the root of the tree, and the reason follows, not because the tree bare evil fruit, but because it bare not good fruit: therefore it must be cast into the fire. This condemns a bad opinion of all worldly men, who think that all is well, and that God will be merciful unto them, because they do no man harm. Thus we see how the devil blinds the eyes of men: for it will not stand for payment at the day of judgment to say, I have hurt no man, unless we further do all the good we can.

The third point is the defense which impenitent sinners make for themselves in these words, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, or sick, and did not minister unto thee? Thus in their own defense, that which Christ saith, they gainsay, & justify themselves. Here mark the nature of all impenitent sinners, which is to sooth and flatter themselves in sin, and to maintain their own righteousness, like to the proud Pharisee in his prayer, who bragged of his goodness, and said, Lord, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, &c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sorts among us, justify themselves in their strong faith, and brag of their zeal of God's glory, and of their love to their brethren, and yet indeed show no signs thereof. And truly we are not to marvel when we see such persons to justify themselves before men, whereas they shall not be ashamed to do it at the day of judgment before the Lord Jesus himself.

The last point, is Christ's answer to them again in these words: Verily, I say unto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. This sentence being repeated again, doth teach us the lesson which we learned before, that when we are to show compassion to any man, especially if he be a menber of God's Church, we must not consider his outward estate or his baseness, in that he wants food or raiment, but behold Christ in him, not respecting him as a man, but as a member of Christ. This it is, that must move us to compassion, and cause us to make a supply of his wants more then any respect in the world beside. And surely when Christ in his members comes to our doors and complains that he is hungry and sick, and naked, if our bowels yearn not towards him, there is not so much as a spark of the love of God in us.

The seventh point in the proceeding of the last judgment is, the retribution or reward in these words: and they shall go into everlasting pain, and the righteous into life eternal. How do the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heaven? Answ. By the powerful and commanding voice of Christ, which is of that force, that neither the greatest rebel that ever was among men, nor all the devils in hell, shall be able to withstand it. And seeing that after the day of judgment we must remain forever either in heaven or in hell, we are to look about us and to take heed unto our hearts. Indeed if the time were but a thousand or two thousand years, then with more reason men might take liberty to themselves: but seeing it is without ende we must be most careful through the whole course of our lives so to live and behave our selves, that when the day of judgment shall come, we may avoid that fearful sentence of everlasting woe and condemnation, which shall be pronounced against the wicked. And whereas all wicked men shall go to hell at Christ's commandment, it teacheth us, willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministry of the word. For if we rebel against his voice in this world, when in the day of judgment sentence shall be pronounced against us, we shall hear another voice, at the giving whereof, we must obey whether we will or no, and thereupon go to everlasting pain, whither we would not. Let us therefore in time deny our selves for our sins past, and only rely upon Christ Jesus for the free remission of them all; and for the time to come, lead a new reformed life.

Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of judgment. Now follow the uses thereof, which are either comforts to God's Church or duties for all men. The first comfort or benefit is this, that the same person which died for us upon the cross to work our redemption, must also be our judge. And hence we reap two special comforts. I. The people of God shall hereby enjoy full redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life. So Christ himself speaking of the signs of the ende of the world saith to his disciples; When you see these things, lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth near. Then he shall wipe all tears from their eyes. Secondly, we shall hereby have a final deliverance from all sin. Now what a joyful thing it is, to be freed from sin, may plainly appear by the cry of S. Paul: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? And certain it is, that he which knows what sin is, & seriously repents him of the same, would wish with all his heart to be out of this world, that he might leave off to sin, and thereby cease to displease God.

The second comfort is this: the godly in this world have many enemies: they are reviled, slandered, and oftentimes put to death: well, Christ Jesus at the day of judgment will take every man's case into his own hand: he will then hear the complaint of the godly, howsoever in this world they found no remedy: and then he will revenge their blood that is shed upon the earth, according to their prayer. This comfort is to be considered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world.

Now follow the duties to be learned of everyone of us, and they are diverse. First, the consideration of the last judgment serveth to teach all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners, repentance and humiliation for their sins, and to move them with all speed to seek unto Christ for the pardon of the same. When Paul preached to the Athenians, he willed them to repent upon this ground and reason, because the Lord hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness. To speak plainly; we can be content to hear the word, and to honor him with our lips, yet for the most part, all is done but for fashions sake: for still we live in our old sins: our hearts are not turned: but in the fear of God let us bethink our selves of the time, when we shall come before the judge of heaven and earth, and have all our sins laid open, and we must answer for them all. This is the point which the holy Ghost useth as a reason to move men unto repentance: and assuredly if this will not move us, there is nothing in the world will. Secondly, to this purpose Paul saith. If we would judge our selves, we should not be judged. Wouldest thou then escape the judgment of Christ at the last day? then in this life judge thyself. Now a man in judging of himself, must perform four things: I. he must examine himself of his own sins: II. he must confess thē before the Lord. III. he must condemn himself & as a judge upon the bench, give sentence against himself. Lastly, he must plead pardon, and cry unto God as for life and death, for the remission of all his sins: and he that doth this unfeignedly shall never be judged of the Lord at the last day: but if we slack and neglect this duty in this life, then undoubtedly there remains nothing but eternal woe in the world to come.

Thirdly, by this we may learn, one not to judge or condemn another, as Paul saith, Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who lighten all things that are in darkness, & make the counsels of the hearts manifest. And Christ saith, Judgment is mine: and judge not, and ye shall not be judged. And again Paul saith to the Romans, Why doest thou judge thy brother? for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ: but some will ask, howe doth one judge another? Ans. Thus: I. when a man doth well, to say of him that he doth evil: II. when a man doth evil, then to make it worse: III. when a thing is doubtful, to take it in the worst part. And by any of these three ways we are not to judge either of men's persons or of their actions.

Fourthly, we must endeavor our selves to keep a good conscience before God and before all men. This is the practice of S. Paul, who in consideration and hope of a resurrection unto judgment as well of the just as of the unjust, endeavored himself to have always a clear conscience both towards God and towards men. His example is worthy our marking and imitation; for few there be that upon this occasion make any conscience either of duty to God or to their brethren.

Fifthly, the last judgment must stir us up to a reverend fear of God, & cause us to glorify him: as the Angel saith in the Revelation, Fear God and give glory to him: for the hour of his judgment is come. And doubtless if anything in the world will move a man to fear the Lord, it is this, to remember the fearful and terrible day of judgment.

Now having spoken hitherto of the first person the father, and also of the son, it followeth in the next place to speak of the third person in these words, I believe in the holy Ghost. In which we may consider two things, the title of the person, and the action of faith, repeated from the beginning. The title is, Holy Ghost, or spirit. It may here be demanded, howe this title can be fit to express the third person, which seems to be common to the rest: for the father is holy, and the son is holy: again, the father is a spirit, and the son is a spirit. Ans. Indeed the father and the son are as well to be termed holy in respect of their natures, the third person: for all three subsisting in one and the same godhead, are consequently holy by one and the fame holiness: but the third person is called holy, because beside the holiness of nature, his office is to sanctify the Church of God. Now if it be said that sanctification is a work of the whole Trinity, the answer is, that although it be so, yet the work of sanctification agrees to the Holy Ghost in special manner. The father sanctifieth by the son and by the holy Ghost: the son sanctifieth from the father and by the Holy Ghost: the holy Ghost sanctifieth from the father and from the son by himself immediately: and in this respect is the third person termed holy. Again the third person is termed a Spirit, not only because his nature is spiritual (for in that respect the father is a spirit and the son is a spirit;) but because he is spired or breathed from the father and from the son, in that he procedes from them both. Thus we see there is a special cause why the third person is called the Holy Ghost.

Now the action of faith which concerns the third person, is to believe in him. Which is, I. to acknowledge the Holy Ghost as he hath revealed himself in the word. II. In special to believe that he is my sanctifier and comforter. III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him, for that cause. In these words are comprised four points of doctrine, which are to be believed concerning the holy Ghost. The first, that he is very God. For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone. And no doubt the penners of the Creed in that they prefixed these words, I believe in, before the article of the third person, meant thereby to signify, that he is true God, equal with the father and the son, according to the tenor of the Scriptures themselves. Peter saith to Ananias: Why hath Satan filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the Holy Ghost? and continuing the same speech, he changeth the term only, and saith, Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Whereby hei nsinuateth that the Holy Ghost is very God. In the vision of the Prophet Isai, the words by him set down are thus: I heard the voice of Jehovah, saying, Whome shall I send, &c. and he said, God and say to this people: Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand. But Paul quoting the same place, spake on this manner: Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the Prophet, saying, Go unto this people and say unto them. Now these places being compared together make it plain, that the title of Jehovah, agreeth to the holy Ghost. But yet the enemies of this truth which think that the Holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God, object out of the Scriptures to the contrary: I. God knoweth the son: the holy Ghost knoweth not the son: for none knoweth the son but the father: ergo the holy Ghost is not God. Ans. That place excludeth no person in Trinity, but only creatures, and false gods, and the meaning is this: None, that is, no creature, or idol god; knoweth the son of God, but the father. And the opposition is made to exclude creatures, not to exclude the holy Ghost. Again they object, that the holy Ghost maketh request for us with groans and sighs that cannot be uttered: therefore (say they) the Holy ghost is not God, but rather a gift of God. For he that is true God, cannot pray; groan, or sigh. Ans. Paul's meaning is thereby to signify that the Holy Ghost causeth us to make requests, and stirreth up our hearts to groan and sigh to God: for he said before, we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father. Yet further, they object the words of the Angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie, saying, The virtue of the most high hath overshadowed thee: and hence they gather, that if the holy Ghost be the virtue of God, then he is not God indeed. Ans. As Christ is called the Word of God, not a word made of letters or syllables, but a substantial word, that is, being forever of the same substance with the father: so in this place the holy ghost is called the virtue of the most highest, not because he is a created quality, but because he is the substantial virtue of the Father and the son: and therefore God equal with them both. Furthermore they allege, that neither the scriptures nor the practice of the Primitive Church doth warrant us to pray to the holy Ghost. Ans. It is not true. For whensoever we direct our prayer to any of the three persons, in him we pray to them all. Besides we have example of prayer made to the holy Ghost in the word of God. For Paul saith to the Corinthians, The grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of god the father, & the fellowship of the holy ghost be with you all. And the words are as if S. Paul had said thus; O Father, let thy love, O Son, let thy grace, O holy Ghost, let thy fellowship be with them all. And therefore this first doctrine is true, and as well to be believed as any other, that the Holy Ghost is God.

The second point is, that the Holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the son. Hereupon the articles touching the three persons are thus distinguished: I believe in the father, I believe in the son, I believe in the holy Ghost. This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinction. In the baptism of Christ, the father uttereth a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: and not the son, or the holy ghost. Secondly the son stood in the water, and was baptized by John, and not the father, or the holy Ghost. Thirdly, the holy Ghost descended from heaven upon Christ in the form of a dove; and not the father, or the son, but the holy Ghost alone. Christ in his commission unto his disciples, saith, Go teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost. Now if the Holy Ghost had been the same person either with the father, or with the son, then it had been sufficient to have named the father and the son only. And the distinction of the third person from the rest, may be conceived by this, that the Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost, and not the father or the son.

The third point to be believed is, that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the son. For a further proof hereof, consider these places. Paul saith, Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit: for the spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is not his. And again, Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of the son into your hearts: where we may observe, that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the son. Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father, not only because he is sent of him, but because he proceedeth from the father; as Christ saith to his disciples: When the comforter will come, whom I shall send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth which proceedeth of the father, he shall testify of me. And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the son, not only because he is sent of the son, but also because he proceedeth from him. Again, in the Trinity the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent. As the father sending the son doeth communicate his essence and substance to the son. For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence. Now the father and the son send the holy Ghost: therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence unto the same person. Thirdly Christ saith, The holy Ghost hath received of mine which he shall show unto you, namely knowledge and truth, to be revealed unto his Church. Whence we may reason thus: the person receiving knowledge from another, receives essence also: the holy Ghost receives truth and knowledge from Christ to be revealed unto the Church: and therefore first of all he hath received substance and essence from the son. But some peradventure will say, where is it written in all the bible in express words, that the holv Ghost proceeds from the son as he proceeds from the father. Answer. The scripture saith not so much in plain terms, yet we must know that that which is gathered forth thence by just consequence, is no less the truth of god, then that which is expressed in words. Hereupon all Churches, save those in Greece, with one confent acknowledge the truth of this point.

The fourth and last point is, that the holy Ghost is equal to the father and the son. And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creed, in that we do as well believe in the Holy Ghost, as in the father and the son. And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father and the son, yet (as I have said before) that argues no inequality (for one equal may send another by consent) but order only, whereby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons. Again in that the holy Ghost receiveth from the son, it proves no inferiority. Because he receives frō the son whatsoever he receives by nature, and not by grace. And he receives not a part, but all that the son hath, saving the propriety of his person.

Now follow the benefits which are given by the holy Ghost, and they are of two sorts: some are common to all creatures, & some are proper to men. The benefit of the Holy Ghost common to all creatures, is the work of creation and preservation. For all things were created and made, and afterward perserued by the holy Ghost. So Elihu saith, The spirit of God hath made me. And Moses saith, In the beginning the spirit moved upon the waters. The phrase is borrowed from a bird, who in hatching of her young ones, sits upon the eggs, moves her self upon them, and heats them. And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his own power cherish and preserve the mass or lump whereof all things were made, and caused it to bring forth the creatures. This being evident, that the Holy Ghost hath a stroke in the work of creation and preservation, we must unfeignedly acknowledge that we were first created, and since that time continually preserved by the benefit even of the third person.

The benefits proper unto men, are of two sorts: some are common to all men both good and bad, and some proper to the elect and faithful. The benefits common to all men are diverse: I. the gift of practicing a particular calling. As in the body several members have several uses; so in every society several men have several offices and callings, and the gifts whereby they are enabled to perform the duties thereof, are from the holy Ghost. When Gideon became a valiant captain to deliver the Israelites, it is said he was clothed with the spirit. Bezaleel and Aholiab being set apart to build the tabernacle, were filled with the spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding, and in all workmanship, to find out curious works, to work in gold and in silver & in brass; also in the art to set stones, and to carue in timber, &c. By this it is manifest, that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man, but comes by the holy Ghost. And by this we are taught to use all those gifts well, whereby we are enabled to discharge our particular callings; that they may serve for the glory of God, and the good of his Church: and those that in their callings use fraud and deceit, or else live inordinately, do most unthankfully abuse the gifts of God, and dishonor the spirit of God the author of their gifts, for which thing they must give an account one day.

The second gift common to all, is Illumination, whereby a man is enabled to understand the will of God in his word. The Jews in the reading of the old testament had a veil over their hearts: and the like have all men by nature, to whom the word of God is foolishness. Paul at his conversion was smitten blind, & scales were upon his eyes: the like also be over the eyes of our minds, and they must fall away, before we can understand the will of God. Now it is the work of the holy Ghost to remove these scales and films from our eyes. And for this very cause he is called the annointing and eye-salve: for as it doth clear the eyes, and take away the dimmenes from them; so doth the holy Ghost take away blindness from our minds, that we may see into the truth of God's word. This being a common gift, and received both of good and bad, it standeth us in hand not to content our selves with the bare knowledge of the word, but therewithal we must join obedience, and make conscience thereof, or else that will besall us which Christ foretold, that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

The third gift of the holy Ghost, is the gift of prophecy, whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures. Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not given to every man, yet is it common both to good and bad. For in the day of judgment when men shall come to Christ and say, Master, we have prophesied in thy name, he shall answer again, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministry, and have received the gift of prophecy, must not herewithal be puffed up. For if they be not as well doers of God's will, as teachers, their gifts will turn to their further condemnation. As the carpenters that built Noah's ark when the flood came were drowned, because they would not obey Noah's preaching: so those that have the gifts of prophecy, and are builders in God's house, if they build not themselves as well as others; for all their preaching, at the day of judgment, they shall be condemned: and therefore it standeth them in hand, not to content themselves with this, that they know and teach others God's will, but they themselves must be the first doers of the same.

The fourth common gift of the Holy Ghost, is Ability to bridle and restrain some affections, so as they shall not break out into outragions behavior. Haman a wicked man, and an enemy to God's Church, when he saw Mordecai the Jew sitting in the kings gate, and that he would not stand up nor move unto him, he was full of indignatiō: nevertheless the text saith, that he refrained himself. And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abraham's wife, God said unto him: I know that thou didst this with an upright heart: and the text addeth further, I have kept thee, that thou shouldest not sin against me. And thus the Lord giveth to men, as yet without the spirit of sanctification, this gift to bridle themselves, so as in outward action they shall not practice this or that sin. For why did not Abimelech commit adultery? surely because God kept him from it. Again in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were just, liberal, meek, continent, &c. and that by a general operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature, for the common good. Here then if any man ask, howe it cometh to pass that some men are more modest and civil then others, seeing all men by nature are equally wicked, the answer may be, not as the common saying is, because some are of better nature then others (for all the sons of Adam are equal in regard of nature: the child new borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that ever lived) but the reason is, because God gives this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others. This must be considered of us all. For a man may have the spirit of God to bridle many sins, and yet never have the spirit to mortify the same, and to make him a new creature. And this being so, we must take heed that we deceive not our selves. For it is not sufficient for a man to live in outward civility, and to keep in, some of his affections upon some occasion (for that a wicked man may do) but we must further labor to feel in our selves the spirit of God, not only bridling sin in us, but also mortifying and killing the same. Indeed both of them are the good gifts of God's spirit, but yet the mortification of sin is the chiefest, being an effectual sign of grace and proper to the elect.

The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is, to hear and receive the word of God with joy. In the parable of the sower, one kind of bad ground are they, which when they have heard, receive the word with joy. And this is that, which the author of the Hebrews calls the the tasting of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come. We know that there is great difference between tasting of meat and eating of it. They that sit down at the table do both taste and eat, but they that dress the meat do only see and taste thereof: so it is at the Lord's table. Many there be that have this gift; truly both to taste and eat of the body and blood of Christ offered in the word and Sacraments: and some again do only taste and feel the sweetness of them and rejoice therein, but yet are not indeed partakers thereof. Now if this be so, then all those which hear the word of God must take heed how they hear, and labor to find these two things in themselves by hearing: I. that in heart and conscience they be thoroughly touched and humbled for their sins: II. that they be certainly assured of the favor and love of God in Christ, and that the sweet promises of the Gospel do belong to them: and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sin both in thought, word, and deed, through the whole course of their lives. And this kind of hearing bringeth that joy which vanisheth not away.

Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and bad: now follow such as are proper to the elect, all which may be reduced unto one, namely, the inhabitation of the spirit, whereby the elect are the temples of the holy Ghost: who is said to dwell in men, not in respect of substance (for the whole nature of the holy Ghost cannot be comprised in the body or soul of man) but in respect of a particular operation: and this dwelling stands in two things. The first, that the holy Ghost doth abide in them, not for a time only, but forever: for the word dwelling, noteth perpetuity. Secondly, that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart, as whē a man cometh to dwell in an house, whereof he is lord, he hath liberty to govern it after his own will. Now this disposition of the hearts of the faithful by the holy Ghost, stands in five special and notable gifts; everyone worthy our observation.

The first is a certain knowledge of a man's own reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Isaiah, By his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many. And Christ saith, This is life eternal that they know thee to be the only very God, and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. This knowledge is not general, for then the devils might be saved; but it is particular, whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father, and Christ the redeemer, to be his redeemer, and the holy Ghost to be his sanctifier and comforter. And it is a special work of the holy Ghost, as Paul saith, The spirit of God beareth witness to our spirits, that we are the children of God. And, we have received the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are given unto us of God.

The second gift is regeneration, whereby a man of a limb of the devil is made a member of Christ, and of a child of Satan (whom everyone of us by nature do as lively resemble as any man doeth his own parent) is made the child of God. Except a man (saith our Savior Christ) be borne again by water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the holy Ghost and fire, compares the spirit of god to fire and water. To fire for two causes: I. as it is the nature of fire to warm the body that is benumbed and frozen with cold: so when a man is benumbed and frozen in sin, yea when he is even stark dead in sin, it is the property of the Holy Ghost to warm and quicken his heart, and to revive him. II. Fire doth purge and eat out the dross from the good metal: now there is no dross nor canker that hath so deeply eaten into any metal as sin into the nature of man, and therefore the Holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eat out the hidden corruptions of sin out of the rebellious heart of man. Again the holy Ghost is compared to clear water for two causes: I. man by nature is as dry wood without sap, and the property of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sap of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man. II. the property of water is to cleanse and purify the filth of the body: even so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sins, which are the filth of our nature; and this is the second benefit of the Holy Ghost. By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdom of God, and have the Holy Ghost to dwell in him, must labor to feel the work of regeneration by the same spirit: and if a man would know whether he have this work wrought in him or no, let him mark what Saint Paul saith, They that are of the spirit, savor the things that are of the spirit: but they that live after the flesh, savor the things of the flesh. If therefore a man have his heart continually affected with that which is truly good, either more or less; it is a certain token that his wicked nature is changed, and he regenerate: but contrariwise if his heart be always set on the pleasures of sin, and the things of this world, he may justly suspect himself that he is not regenerated. As for example: if a man have all his mind set upon drinking and gulling in of wine and strong drink, having little delight nor pleasure in anything else, it argues a carnal mind & unregenerate, because it affects the things of the flesh; and so of the rest. And on the contrary, he that hath his mind affected with a desire to do the will of God, in practicing the works of charity and religion, he I say, hath a spiritual and a renewed heart, and is regenerate by the holy Ghost.

The third work of the holy Ghost is, to govern the hearts of the elect: this may be called spiritual regiment. A man that dwelleth in a house of his own, orders and governs it according to his own will: even so the holy ghost governs all them in whom he dwelleth, as Paul saith, they that are the sons of God are led by his spirit, a most notable benefit: for look where the h. Ghost dwelleth, there he will be Lord, governing both heart, mind, will, and affections; and that two ways: I. by repressing all bad motions unto sin, arising either from the corruption of man's nature, from the world, or from the devil. II. by stirring up good affections and motions upon every occasion: so it is said, The flesh (that is, the corruption of man's nature) lusteth against the spirit: & the spirit (that is, grace in the heart) lusteth against the flesh ; & that after a double sort: first by laboring to ouermaster and keep down the motions thereof: secondly, by stirring up good motions and inclinations to piety and religion. In Isaiah the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles: The spirit of the Lord: the spirit of wisdom and understanding: the spirit of counsel, & of strength: the spirit of knowledge, & of the fear of the Lord. Now he is so called, because he stirs up good motions in the godly, of wisdom, of knowledge, of strength, of understanding, of counsel, and of the fear of the Lord. And S. Paul saith, that the fruits of the spirit are joy, peace, love, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, &c. all which are so termed, because where the holy Ghost ruleth, there he engendereth these good gifts and motions of grace: but among all the inward motions of the spirit, the most principal are these: I. an utter disliking of sin, because it is sin. And that is, when a man hath an eye not so much to another man's sins, as to his own, & seeing them, is truly sorrowful for them, and disliketh them, and himself for them; not so much because there is a place of torment, or a day of judgment to come, wherein he must answer to God for them all: but as if there were no hell or judgment, because God is displeased by them, who hath been unto him a most loving and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungering desire above all things in this world, to be at unity with God in Christ for the same sins. This is a motion of the holy Ghost, which no man can have but he in whom the holy Ghost doth dwell. The third, the gift of hearty prayer. For this cause the Holy Ghost is called the spirit of supplications, because it stirreth up the heart, and makes it fit to pray: and therefore Paul saith, that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought, but the spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs which cannot be expressed. This is an ordinary work of the holy Ghost in all that believe: & he that would know whether he have the spirit dwelling truly in his heart, shall know it by this: A mother carrieth her child in her arms; if it cry for the dugge, and suck the same, it is alive: being observed many days together, if it neither cry nor stir, it is dead. In like manner it is an infallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heaven by prayer, but he that never crieth nor feeleth himself stirred up to make his mone to God, is in a miserable case, and he may well be thought to be but a dead child; and therefore let us learn in prayer unfeignedly to pour out our souls before God, considering it is a special gift of the Holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God.

The fourth work of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is, comfort in distress, and therefore our Savior Christ calleth him the comforter whom he will send: and in the Psalm he is called the oil of gladness, because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distress. There be two things that fill the heart full of endless grief: the first, outward calamities, as when a man is in any danger of death, when he looseth his goods, his good name his friends, and such like. The second is, a troubled conscience, whereof Solomon saith, A troubled spirit, who can bear it? and of all other it is the most heavy and grievous cross that can be. When as the hand of God was heavy upon Job, this was the sorest of all his affliction, and therefore he crieth out that the arrows of the almighty did stick in his soul. Now what is the comfort in this case? Ans. In the midst of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with us, to make us rejoice and to fill us with comforts that no tongue can express out of the word of god and specially the promises thereof. And hereupon, the ungodly man when afflictions befall him, is ready to make away himself because he wants the comfort of the holy Ghost.

The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is, the strengthening of them to do the weightiest duties of their callings: and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength. There be diverse things to be done of a Christian man that are far beyond the reach of his power; as fi • st, when he seeth his own sins and is truly humbled for them, then to lift up the hand of faith to heaven, and thereby to catch hold on the mercy of God in Christ, is the hardest thing in the whole world: and this do all those know to be true in some part, which know what it is to believe. Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation, as for dry wood to resist the fire when it begins to burn. Thirdly, when a mā is put to his choice, either to loose his life, goods, friends, and all that he hath, or else to forsake religion; even then to forsake all and to stick unto Christ, is a matter of as great diff • cultie as any of the former. Fourthly, when a man wanteth the ordinary means of God's providence, as meat, drink, and clothing, then at the very same instant to acknowledge God's providence, to rejoice in it, and to rely theron, is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth. It is against our wicked nature to trust God, unless he first lay down some pawn of his love & mercy to us. How then, will some say, shall any one be able to do these things? Ans. The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength, and by him we do all things; as Paul saith, I am able to do all things through the help of Christ which strengtheneth me.

Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost, two questions may be moved. First, what is the measure of grace in this life. Answ. Small, in respect. In this world, we receive, as Paul saith, not the tenths, but the first fruits of God's spirit: & the earnest of the spirit. Now the first fruits properly are but as an handful or twain of corn, to a whole corn field, containing many acres & furlongs of ground. And the earnest in a bargain it may be is but a penny laid down for the paying of twenty thousand pound. The second question is, whether the graces of the holy Ghost may be wholly lost or not. Ans. The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinguished. But the gifts proper to the Elect cannot. Indeed they may be diminished & covered as coals under ashes, and as the sap in the root of the tree in the winter season, not appearing at all in the branches; & the feeling of them may be lost: but they cannot either finally or totally be abolished. It is true that God doth forsake his children; but that is only in part, as he left Hezekiah to prove and try what was in his heart. A mother that loves her child most tenderly, sets it down in the flour, lets it stand, and fall, and break the face, and all this while she hides her self, not because her purpose is to leave her child quite, or to make it hurt it self; but that whē she taketh it up again, it may love her the better. So dealeth the holy Ghost with men to make them see their own weakness and frailty: he hides himself as it were in some corner of the heart for a season, that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace, the want whereof they feel.

The use of this article whereby we confess that we believe in the holy Ghost is manifold. First, considering that all the gifts which any man hath, whether they be gifts of knowledge in the word of God, or of human learning, or again gifts whereby men are enabled to practice their trades or handicrafts, do come not from our selves but from the holy Ghost, we are taught this duty. Look what gifts soever we for our parts have received of the spirit of God, we must use them so, as they may ever serve for the glory of God and good of our brethren, and not to the practicing and setting forth of any manner of sin, and by consequent to the service of the devil. For that is as if a man receiving riches and revenues of his prince, should straight way go to the princes enemy and employ them for his benefit; which were a point of exceeding treachery.

Furthermore, in every place the greater part of men are blind and ignorant persons both young and old; and aged folks, as they are ignorant themselves, so they nuzzle up their youth in ignorance. Confer with them, you s • all find that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talk, as that there is a God, and that this God must be worshipped: but ask them further of the means of their salvation, and of their duties to God and man, and they will answer you, that they are not book-learned: tell them further that the ordinary means to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word, which if they will not use, they shall be inexcusable; they will say, alas, we are dull of memory, and cannot learn. Well, for all this, thou sayest thou believest in the holy Ghost, and he is thy schoolmaster to teach thee: though thy capacity be dull, yet he is able to open thine understanding: for as there is outward teaching by the minister, so the work of the holy Ghost is joined withal to enlighten the conceit of the mind, that they which hear the word with reverence may profit thereby and get knowledge. But if for all this men will not learn, but remain ignorant still, then let them mark the example of the sons of Eli: he in some part did rebuke them for their wickedness, but yet they would not obey; and the reason is there set down, because the Lord would destroy them. In the same manner howsoever we may not judge of any man's person, yet this may be said, that if men refuse to hear the word of God when they may, or if in hearing they will not obey, it is a fearful sign that God will at length destroy them. When a trumpet is sounded in a man's ear, and he lies still, not stirring at all; he is certainly dead. And surely when the trumpet of the Gospel is sounded in the ears of our hearts, if we awake not out of our sins to newness of life, we are no better then dead men before God. Wherefore the case being thus dangerous, and the punishment so great, let us labor in time for the knowledge of God's will, & prevent God's judgments before they light upon us.

Thirdly, as the Apostle saith, If we live in the spirit, we must walk in the spirit, that is, if we be dead unto sin by the power of the holy Ghost, and be raised up to newness of life, then we must walk in the spirit. Now to walk in the spirit, is to lead our lives in showing forth the fruits of the spirit. In Isaiah the holy Ghost is compared unto water poured forth on the dry land, which maketh the willows to blossom and to bear fruit: wherefore those that have the gifts of the spirit must be trees of righteousness bringing forth the fruits of the spirit, which (as they are set down by Paul) are principally nine.

The first fruit is love, which respects both God and man. Love unto God is an inward and spiritual motion in the heart, whereby God is loved absolutely for himself. This love shows it self in two things: I. when a man's heart is set and disposed to seek the honor and glory of God in all things. II. when a man by all means strives, and endeavors himself to please God in everything, counting it a most miserable estate to live in the displeasure of God: and the heart that is thus affected, can have no greater torment then to fall into sin, whereby God is offended and his displeasure provoked. By these two signs a man may know whether he love God or no, and by them also must he testify his love. Now our love to man, is a fruit of this love of God: for God is to be loved for himself: man is loved for God. This love must not be in show only, but in deed and action. S. John biddeth us not to love in word and tongue only, but in deed and truth. Brotherly love doth not always lie hid, but when an occasion is offered, it doth break forth into action; it is like fire, which though for a time it be smothered, yet at length it breaks forth into a flame. And so much love a man showeth to his neighbor, as he hath; and where none is shown, none is.

The second fruit is Joy, when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbor as at his own good: and this is a special work of the holy Ghost. For the nature of man is to pine away, and to grieve at the good of another; and contrariwise it is a work of grace to rejoice thereat. Paul saith, Rejoice with them that rejoice. And this was the holy practice of the friends and neighbors of Zacharias and Elizabeth, when John the Baptist was borne, they came and rejoiced with them.

The third fruit of the spirit, is peace. Of this Paul speaketh most excellently, saying, If it be possible, as much as in you is have peace with all men. It is nothing else but concord which must be kept in an holy manner, with all men, both good and bad, so far forth as can be. Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the Gospel saith, The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, &c. Where note, that in the kingdom of Christ, when a man is called into the state of grace, howsoever by nature he be as a wolf, as a leopard, as a lyon, or as a bear; yet he shall then lay away his cruel nature, and become gentle, & live peaceably with all men. Now for the practicing of this peace, there are three duties especially to be learned and performed: I. rather then peace should be broken, a man must yield of his own right. When Publicans came to our Savior Christ for tribute, he had a lawful excuse: for how soever he lived in low estate among them, yet he was the right heir to the kingdom, and therefore was free: nevertheless he stood not on his privilege, but calleth Peter, saying, Least we offend them, go to the sea and cast in an angle, and take the first fish that cometh up: and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of twenty pence: take it, and give it to them for thee and me. Here we see that our Savior Christ, rather then he would break the common peace, yields of his own right; and so we must do if we will be good followers of him. Secondly, when any man shall sin either in word or indeed, specially if it be upon infirmity, we must avoid bitter invectives and mildly tell him of his fault, and in all meekness and love labor for his amendment. So Paul teacheth us, saying, If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion, restore such an one with the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, least thou be also tempted. &c. Bear ye one an others burden. Thirdly, every man within the compass of his calling, must be a peace-maker between them that are at variāce. This is a special duty of godliness and christianity, and therefore our Savior Christ doth highly commend such, and pronounceth this blessing upon them, that they shall be called the children of God.

The fourth fruit of the spirit, is long suffering: and it standeth in two points: I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it: II. being angry doth yet moderate the same, and stay the hotnesse of that affection. For the first, to bridle anger, it is a special work of the holy Ghost, & the means to attain unto it are these: I. not to take notice of the injuries & wrongs done unto us, if they be not of great moment; but to let them pass, as not knowing them. Solomon saith, It is a man's discretion to defer his anger. Now how is that done? it is added in the next words, It is the glory of a man to pass by infirmity: that is, when a man shall ouershoote himself, either in word or in deed, to let it pass either wholly, or till a time convenient, as though we knew not of it. The second way to defer and bridle anger is, when a man hath injured us either in word or deed, to think with our selves that we have injured other in the same manner: and for this cause Solomon saith, Give not thine heart to all the words that men speak, least thou hear thy servant cursing thee: for oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others. A man must not listen to every man's words at all times: but he is to think that he hath spoken or done the same to other men, and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like, as it is said, With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. This is a thing which few consider. Evil men desire good report and would have all men speak well of them, whereas they can speak well of none: but indeed they must begin to speak well of others before others shall speak well of them. Thirdly, a man must consider how God dealeth with him. For so often as he sinneth he provoketh God to cast him away and to confound him eternally; yet the Lord is merciful and long suffering. Even so when men do offend and injury us, we must do as God doth: not be angry but fight against our affections, endeavoring to become patient and long suffering as God is with us. The second property of long suffering, is to keep the affection of anger in moderation and compass. It is not always a sin to be angry, and therefore it is said of Christ (in whom was no blemish of sin) that he was angry: yet we must look that our anger be moderate not continuing ouerlong, as Paul saith, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

The fifth fruit of the spirit is gentleness, whereby a man behaveth and showeth himself friendly and courteous to every man, as Paul saith to Titus, Put them in remembrance that they speak evil of no man, that they be no fighters but soft, showing all meekness unto all men, whether they be good or bad. This gentleness standeth in these points: I. to speak to every man friendly and lovingly. II. to salute friendly and courteously. III. to be ready upon every occasion to give reverence and honor to every man in his place. It is made a question of some, whether a man is to salute and speak unto them that are known to be lewd and wicked men: but here we see what our duty is in that we are taught to be courteous to all men both good and bad, yet so as we approve not of their sins: as for that which S. John saith of false prophets, receive them not, neither bid them God speed, it is to be understood of giving an outward approbation to false teachers.

The sixth fruit is goodness, which is, when a man is ready to do good and become serviceable in his calling to all men at all times upon all occasions. This was to be seen in that holy man Job: he saith; that he was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, a father unto the poor, and when he knew not the cause, he sought it out. And S. Paul shown this fruit most notably after his conversion, for he saith, that he was made all things to all men that he might save some. He was content to undergo anything for the good of any man. And as we have heard, the godly are trees of righteousness bearing fruit not for themselves but for others, and therefore Paul in the epistle to the Galatians giveth this rule, Do service one to another in love. In these days it is hard to find these duties performed in any place. For both practice and proverb is commonly this, Every man for himself, and God for us all: but it is a graceless saying; and the contrary must be practiced of all, that desire to be guided by the spirit.

The seventh fruit is faith. Faith or fidelity standeth in these two duties. One, to make conscience of a lie, and to speak everything whereof we speak, as we think it is, and not to speak one thing and think another. A rare thing it is, to find this virtue in the world nowadays: who is he that maketh conscience of a lie? and is not truth banished out of our coasts; considering that for gains and outward commodities men make no bones of glossing and dissembling? but alas, the practice is damnable, and the contrary is the fruit of the holy Ghost, namely to speak the truth from the heart: & he that can do this, by the testimony of God himself shall rest in the mountain of his holiness, even in the kingdom of heaven. The second point, wherein fidelity consisteth is, when a man hath made a promise that is lawful and good, to keep and perform the same. Some think it is a small matter to break promise, but indeed it is a fruit of the flesh; and contrariwise a fruit of the spirit to perform a lawful promise: and a man's word should be as sure as an obligation: and in conscience a man is bound to keep promise so far forth as he will, to whom the promise is made. Indeed if a man be released of his promise, he is then free: otherwise if we promise and do not perform, we do not only crack our credit before men, but also sin before God.

The eight fruit of the spirit is meekness, which is a notable grace of God, when a man provoked by injuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requital of the same. And it stands in three duties. The first is to interpret the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be. The second, when men mistake and misconsture our sayings and doings, if the matter be of smaller moment, to be silent & patient as Christ was, when he was accused before the high priests & Pharisees: this being withal remembered, that if the matter be of weight and moment, we may defend our selves by soft and mild answers. The third, is not to contend in word or deed with any man, but when we are to deal with others, to speak our mind, and so an ende.

The last fruit of the spirit is temperance, whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meat, drink, and apparel. In bridling the lust, these rules must be observed. I. Eating and drinking must be joined with continual fasting, after this manner. We must not glut our selves, but rather abstain from that which nature desireth, and as some use to speak, leave our stomachs craving. II. A man must so eat and drink, as afterward he may the better be enabled for God's worship. Creatures are abused when they make us unfit to serve God. The common fault is, on the Sabbath day men so pamper themselves, as that they are made unfit both to hear and learn God's word, and fit for nothing but to slumber and sleep: but following this rule of temperance these faults shall be amended. III. This must be a caveat in our apparel, that we be attired according to our callings in holy comeliness. The Lord hath threatened to visit all those that are clothed in strange apparel. And holy comeliness is this, when the apparel is both for fashion and matter so made and worn, that it may express & show forth the graces of God in the heart, as sobriety, temperance, gravity, &c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparel, to acknowledge and commend these virtues. But lamentable is the time, look on men and women in these days, and you may see and read their sins written in great letters on their apparel, as intemperance, pride, and wantonness. Every day new fashions please the world; but indeed that holy comeliness which the holy Ghost doth commend to us, is the right fashion when all is done. And these are the nine fruits of the spirit, which we must put in practice in our lives and conversations.

Fourthly, if we believe in the holy Ghost, and thereupon do persuade our selves, that he will dwell in us: we must daily labor as we are commanded to keep our vessels in holiness and honor unto the Lord: and the reason is good. If a man be to entertain but an earthly prince or some man of state, he would be sure to have his house in a readiness, and all matters in order against his coming, so as everything might be pleasing unto so worthy a guest: well now, behold, we put our confidence and affiance in the holy Ghost, and do believe that he will come unto us, and • anctifie us, and lodge in our hearts. He is higher then all states in the world whatsoever; and therefore we must look that our bodies and souls be kept in an honorable and holy manner, so as they may be fit temples for him to dwell in. S. Paul biddeth us • not to grieve the holy spirit, where the holy Ghost is compared to a guest, and ou • bodies and souls unto Inns: and as men use their guests friendly and courteously, showing unto them all service and duty: so must we do to God's spirit which is come to dwell and abide in us, doing nothing in any case, which may disquiet or molest him. Now there is nothing so grievous unto him as our sins, and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sin, least by abusing of our selves, we do cause the holy Ghost (as it were) with grief to depart from us. When the ark of the covenant which was a sign of the presence of God, was in the house of Obed Edom, the text saith, that the Lord blessed him and all his house: but when the holy Ghost dwells in a man's heart, there is more then the ark of the Lord present, even God himself: and therefore may we look for a greater blessing. Now then shall we grieve the holy Ghost by sinning, seeing we reap such benefit by his abode? It is said that our Savior Christ was angry when he came into the temple at Jerusalem, and saw the abuses therein. Now shall he be angry for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone, and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone, but are spiritual, figured by that earthly temple, seeing them (I say) abused by sin, will he not be much more angry? Yea we may assure our selves, he cannot abide that. And therefore if we believe in the holy Ghost, we must hereupon be moved to keep our bodies and souls pure and clean. And further, to persuade us hereunto, we must remember this, that when we pollute our souls and bodies with any manner of sin, we make them even stables and styes for our wretched enemy the devil to harbor in. For when Satan is once cast out, if afterward we fall again to our old sins & looseness of life, and so defile our bodies, they are then most clean and neat for them to dwell in: whereupon he will come and bring seven other devils worse then himself, & so a man's last end shall be worse then his beginning. Now what a fearful thing is this, that the body which should be a temple for the holy Ghost, by our sins should be made a stable for the devil. Furthermore S. Paul biddeth us, not to quench the spirit. The graces of the holy spirit in this life, are like sparks of fire, which may soon be quenched with a little water. Now so oft as we sin, we cast water upon the grace of God, and as much as we can put out the same: therefore it stands us in hand to make conscience of everything wherein we may offend and displease God. And we may assure our selves, that so long as we live and lie in our corruptions and sins, the holy Ghost will never come and dwell with us. He is a spirit most pure and chaste, and therefore must have an undefiled temple to dwell in.

Thus we have heard what is to be believed concerning the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. Now, look as we believe in God distinguished into three persons: so we must remember, that when we perform divine worship to him, we may distinguish the persons, but we are not to sever them: when we pray to the Father, we must not omit the Son or the holy Ghost, but make our prayers to them all: for as in nature they are one, and in person not divided but distinguished: so in all worship we must never confound or sever the persons, but distinguish them, and worship the Trinity in unity and unity in trinity: one God in three persons, and three persons in one God.

Hitherto we have entreated of the first part of the Creed concerning God: now follows the second part thereof concerning the Church: and • t was added to the former upon special consideration. For the right order of a confession did require, that after the Trinity the Church should be mentioned, as the house after the owner, the temple after God, and the city after the builder. Again, the Creed is concluded with points of doctrine concerning the Church, because whosoever is out of it, is also forth of the number of gods children: and he cannot have God for his father, which hath not the Church for his mother.

Question is made what the words are which are to be supplied in this article, the holy Catholic Church, whether, I believe, or, I believe in: and ancient expositors have sufficiently determined the matter. One saith, In these words, in which is set forth our faith of the godhead, it is said, In God the father, in the Son, and in the holy Ghost; but in the rest where the speech is not of the Godhead, but of creatures and mysteries, the preposition In is not added that it should be, in the holy Church, but, that we should believe there is an holy Church not as God, but as a company gathered to God. And men should believe that there is remission of sins, not, in the remission of sins: and they should believe the resurrection of the body not, in the resurrection of the body: therefore by this preposition the Creator is distinguished from the creatures, and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men. Another upon these words, This is the work of God that ye believe in him; saith, If ye believe in him, ye believe him; not if ye believe him, ye believe in him, for the devils believed God, but did not believe in him. Again of the Apostles, we may say, we believe Paul, but we do not believe in Paul: we believe Peter, but we believe not in Peter. For his faith that believeth in him which justifieth the ungodly, is imputed to him for righteousness. What is it therefore to believe in him? by believing to love and like, and as it were to pass into him, and to be incorporated into his members. Now the reasons which some Papists bring to the contrary to prove that we may believe in the creatures, & in the church, are of no moment. First they allege the phrase of Scripture, Exod. 14.31. They believed in God, and in Moses. 1. Sam. 27. 12. And Achis believed in David. 2. Chron. 20.20. Believe in the Prophets and prosper. Ans. The Hebrew phrase in which the servile letter Beth is used, must not be translated with a preposition that ruleth an accusative or ablative case, but with a dative case on this manner, Believe Moses, David, the Prophets: and it doth not impart any affiance in the creature, but only a giving of credance by one man to another. Secondly they allege, that ancient fathers read the article on this manner, I believe in the holy Catholic Church. Answ. Indeed some have done so: but by this kind of speech they signified no more but thus much, that they believed that there was a Catholic Church.

Thus having found what words are to be supplied, let us come to the meaning of the article. And that we may proceed in order, let us first of all see what the Church is. The Church is a peculiar company of men, predestinate to life everlasting and made one in Christ. First I say, it is a peculiar company of men: for Saint Peter saith, Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, and a peculiar people. He speaks indeed of the Church of God on earth, but his saying may be also extended to the whole Church of God, as well in heaven as in earth. Now because there can be no company unless it have a beginning and a cause whereby it is gathered: therefore I add further in the definition, predestinate to life everlasting. Noting thereby the ground and cause of the Catholic Church, namely God's eternal predestination to life everlasting: and to this purpose our Savior Christ saith, Fear not little flock, for it is your fathers will to give you the kingdom: signifying thereby, that the first and principal cause of the Church, is the good pleasure of God whereby he hath before all works purposed to advance his elect to eternal salvation. Therefore one saith well, only the elect are the Church of God. And further, because no company can continue and abide forever, unless the members thereof be joined and coupled together by some bond, therefore I add in the last place, made one with Christ. This union maketh the Church to be the Church: and by it the members thereof, whether they be in heaven or in earth, are distinguished from all other companies whatsoever. Now this conjunction between Christ and the Church is avouched by Saint Paul when he saith, Christ is the head to his body, which is his Church: and when he ascribes the name of Christ not only to the person of the Son but to the Church it self, as in the Epistle to the Galatians. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made: he saith not, and to his seeds, as speaking of many, but, and unto his seed, as speaking of one, which is Christ : that is not the redeemer alone, but also the Church redeemed. For Christ as he is man is not the only seed of Abraham. And this definition of the Church is almost in so many words set down in the Scriptures in that it is called the Family of God, partly in heaven, and partly in earth, named of Christ: and it is also called the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of us all: and, the celestial Jerusalem: and, the congregation of the first borne. Now for the better understanding of the nature, estate, and parts of the Church, two points among the rest must be considered; the efficient cause thereof, C •• s predestination; and the form, the mystical Union.

In handling the doctrine of Predestination, my meaning is, only to stand on such points as are revealed in the word and necessary, tending to edification. And first I will show what is the truth, and secondly the contrary falsehood. In the truth I consider four things; I. what Predestination is: II. what is the order of it: III. what be the parts of it: IV. what is the use.

Predestination may thus be de • ined: It is a part of the counsel of God, whereby he hath before all times purposed in himself to show mercy on some men, & to pass by others, showing his justice on them for the manifestation of the glory of his own name. First, I say, it is a part of his counsel, because the counsel or decree of God, universally extends it self to all things that are: and Predestination is God's decree so far forth as it concerns the reasonable creatures, especially man. Now in every purpose or decree of God, three things must be considered; the beginning, the matter, the ende. The beginning is the will of God whereby he willeth and appointeth the estate of his creatures: & it is the most absolute, supreme, and sovereign cause of all things that are, so far forth as they have being: having nothing either above it self or out of it self, to be an impulsive cause to move or incline it; and to say otherwise, is to make the will of God to be no will. Indeed men's wills are moved and disposed by external causes, out of themselves borrowed from the things whereof deliberation is made, because they are to be ruled by equity and reason: and a man's bare will without reason is nothing. Now God's will is not ruled by another rule of reason or justice, but it self is an absolute rule both of justice and reason. A thing is not first of all reasonable and just, and then afterward willed by God: but it is first of all willed by God, and thereupon becomes reasonable and just. The matter of his purpose is a decreed manifestation of two of the most ptincipall attributes of the godhead, mercy and justice: and that with a limitation or restraint of mercy to some of the creatures, and justice to some others, because it was his good will and pleasure. And we are not to imagine that this is a point of cruelty in God: for his very essence or nature is not justice alone or mercy alone, but justice and mercy both together: and therefore to purpose the declaration of them both upon his creatures over whom he is a sovereign Lord; and that without other respects, upon his very will and pleasure, is no point of injustice. The supreme end of the counsel of God is the manifestation of his own glory partly in his mercy, and partly in his justice. For in common equity the end which he propoundes unto himself of all his doings, must be answerable to his nature; which is majesty and glory and (as I have said) justice and mercy it self.

And because Paul's disputation in the 9. to the Romans gives light and sufficient confirmation to this which I now teach, I will stand a little to open and resolve the same. From the 1. verse to the 6. he sets down his grief conceived for his brethren the Jews, and therewithal, that it might not be thought that he spake of malice, he doth only in close and obscure manner insinuate the R • iection of that nation. This done in the 6. v. he answers a secret objection which might be made, on this manner: If the Jews be rejected, thē the word of God is of none effect: that is, then the covenant made with the forefathers is void: but the covenant cannot be void: therefore the Jews are not rejected. The assumption he takes for granted, and denies the consequence of the proposition. And the ground of his denial is, because there is a distinction between man and man, even among the Jews, whereby some are indeed in the covenant, some not. And this distinction is proved by three examples: the first in this verse, that of the children of Jacob the common parent of all the Jews, some are Israel, that is, truly in the covenant as Jacob was: and some are not Israel. Now it might be further objected, that the Jews are not only the posterity of Jacob, but the seed of Abraham in whom all nations of the earth are blessed: and therefore not to be rejected. And to this Paul answers verse. 7. alleging a second example of the distinction between man and man out of the family of Abraham, in which some were indeed sons, some were not. For the proof of this, first he sets down the words of the text in Moses, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: and secondly makes an exposition of them with a collection on this manner: Al they which are the sons of the promise are the seed of Abraham or the sons of God: but Isaac is a son of promise and not Ishmael: therefore Isaac is the seed of Abraham and heir of the blessing, and not Ishmael. The proposition is in the 8. verse, the assumption in the 9. verse. the conclusion in the 7. verse. Here mark, I. howe he makes a double seed, one according to the flesh, the other spiritual: and two kind of sons, one of the flesh, the other son of the promise or the son of God: for he puts the one for the other. II. that the distinction between Isaac and Ishmael, whereby one is in the covenant of grace, the other not; stands not in their foreseen saith and unbelief, and the fruits of them: but in the purpose and will of God it self. For Isaac is called the child of promise, because by the virtue of it he was borne, and believed, and was adopted the child of God, and made heir of the covenant given to Abraham: and therefore consequently the right of apoption befell him by the mere good pleasure of God, which is the first cause of our salvation, without respect of anything in the person of Isaac. For what God by his promise brings to pass in time, that he most freely decreed before all times. Now considering the Jews might say that Ishmael was rejected, because he was borne of the hand-maid Hagar, whereas they, for their parts descend of Abraham and Sarai; by Isaac the lawful son, Paul adds a third example of the distinction between man and man out of the family of Isaac, in which Jacob was a true son and heir of the promise, and Esau was not. Now the distinction of these two persons is propounded in the 10. verse. and confirmed verse 11, 12, 13. in which are set down three things: I. the time of this distinction, yer the children were borne, and therefore when they had neither done good nor evil. And this circumstance is noted, to show, that God was not moved by any preuision or preconsideration of Jacob's godliness and Esau's profaneness to prefer the one before the other. II. the ende why the distinction was made at this time and not afterward when they were borne is, that the purpose of God which is according to his election might remain sure, not of works but by him that calleth: that is, that by this means it might appear, that when God receives any man into the covenant of eternal life, it proceeds not of any dignity in the man whom God calleth, but from his mercy and alone good pleasure, that his decree of saving the elect might remain firm and sure forever. Hence it is manifest that there is an unchangeable decree of election of some men (for he that takes all and accepts none cannot be said to choose) to salvation, depending upon the alone will of God; and therefore necessarily by the law of contraries, there is an opposite decree of reprobation: for in that God ordaineth some to eternal salvation, he testifies thereby, that his purpose is to pass by some without showing of mercy. III. The author of this distinction, God himself by his purpose before all times, which purpose he made manifest by testimony given to Rebecca, saying, the greater shall serve the younger: that is, the first borne and more excellent according to the flesh, shall loose his birthright and the blessing of his father, and in respect of title to the covenant, be subject to the younger. And because this testimony concerning the freedom and servitude of Jacob and Esau might seem sufficient to prove the election of the first and the rejection of the second, therefore Paul adds a second testimony out of Malachi, I have loved Jacob & hated Esau: that is, I have purposed to love Jacob & to hate Esau. And these words no doubt, are alleged to expound the former place out of Moses, and show that the bondage of Esau was joined with the hatred of God, and the feedom of Jacob with the love of God as tokens thereof.

Against this received exposition of the former words which I have now propounded, sundry exceptions are made. First, that the prerogative of Isaac above Ishmael, and Jacob above Esau, was only in temporary blessings, in that God vouchsafed unto them the right of the land of Canaan. Ans. If these places are to be understood of temporal blessings and not spiritual, then the Apostle hath not fitly alleged the former examples, to prove the rejection of the Jews from the Covenant. For though it be granted, there be a difference between man and man, in respect of earthly blessings, yet doeth it not follow that there shall be the same difference in things concerning the kingdom of heaven. If a father for some cause disinherit one or two of his children, it were absurd thereupon to conclude that he might therefore kill any of the rest. Again, the land of Canaan was not only an earthly inheritance, but also a pledge and figure unto our forefathers of a better inheritance in heavē: and therefore the excluding of Ishmael and Esau from the land of Canaan was a sign that they were excluded from the covenant of grace, and the right of eternal life. Some others say, that by Jacob and Esau are not meant two persons, but the two nations of the Idumeans and the Israelites. Ans. It is a manifest untruth. For it was not possible for two nations to strive in the womb of Rebecca, unless we considered them as they were comprehended under the two heads, to wit, the very persons of Jacob and Esau. And whereas they say that Esau in person never served Jacob, but only in his posterity, the answer is, that Jacob's freedom and perogatives were spiritual, and not temporal, which by faith he saw a far off, but enjoyed not: and therefore proportionally Esau was debased to the condition of a servant in respect of his younger brother, not so much in respect of his outward estate and condition, as in regard of the covenant made with his ancestors from which he was barred. And though it be granted that by Jacob and Esau two nations and not two persons are to be understood, yet all comes to one head, for the receiving of the nation of the Israelites into the covenant, and the excluding of the nation of the Edomites, both descending of Jacob and Esau, serve as well to prove God's eternal election & reprobation, as the receiving and rejecting of one man. Others say that these words, I have hated Esau, are thus to be understood; I have less loved Esau then Jacob. But how then shall we say that Paul hath fitly alleged this text to prove the rejection of the Jew from the favor of God and the Covenant of grace, considering that of men, whereof one is loved more of God, the other less; both may still remain in the Covenant. Lastly, it is alleged that the former exposition makes Ishmael & Esau damned persons. Ans. We must leave unto God all secret judgment of particular persons, and yet nevertheless Paul doth very fitly in there two persons, both descending of Abraham, and both circumcised; set forth examples of such, as for their outward perogatives, are indeed barred from the covenant of life everlasting before god. And again the opposition made by Paul requires that the contrary to that which is spoken of Isaac and Jacob, should be said of Ishmael and Esau. And there is nothing spoken of either of them in the Scriptures which argues the disposition of men ordained to eternal life. Ishmael is noted with the brand of a mocker, and Esau of a profane man.

To proceed in the text, because the doctrine of Paul delivered in the former verses might seem strange unto the Romans, therefore in the 14. verse, he lays down an objection, and answers the same. The objection is this: If God put distinction between man and man, without respect had to their persons, upon his own will and pleasure, then is he unjust: but he is not unjust: therefore he makes no such distinction. The answer is, God forbid. Whereby he denies the consequence of the proposition, on this manner: Though God should elect some to salvation, and reject some others and that upon his will, yet were there no injustice with God. The reason of this answer follows in the 18. verse. God hath absolute power or freedom of will, whereby without being bound to any creature, he may and can first of all have mercy on whom he will, and secondly harden whom he will. For the proof of the first, that God hath mercy on whom he will, he lays down the testimony of Moses, verse. 15. I will have mercy on him on whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on him on whom I will have compassion. And in verse 16. makes his collection thence, that it [namely the purpose of God according to election verse 11.] is not in him that willeth or in him that run • h, but in God that showeth mercy. Whereby he teacheth, that the free election of God in order goes before all things that may in time befall man: and that therefore neither the intentions and endeavors of the mind, nor the works of our life, which are the effects of election, can be the impulsive causes to move God to choose us to salvation. The second, that God hardens whom he will, is confirmed & made plain by the testimony of Scripture concerning Pharaoh, verse 17.

In the 19. verse there follows another objection, arising out of the answer to the former, on this manner: If God will have some to be hardened and rejected, and his will cannot be resisted, then with no justice can he punish thē that are necessarily subject to his decree: but God will have some to be hardened and rejected, and his will cannot be resisted: therefore (saith the adversary) with no justice can he punish man that is necessarily subject to his decree. Here mark, that if there had been an universal election of all men, and if men had been elected or rejected according as God did foresee that they would believe or not believe, the occasion of this objection had been cut off. But let us come to Paul's answer. In the 20. verse he takes the assumption for granted, that some are rejected because God will: and that the will, that is, the decree of God cannot be resisted: and only denies the coherence of the proposition, checking the malipert pride of the adversary, and showing that the making of this wicked and blasphemous collection against the will of God, is as if a man should sue God at the law, and bring him as it were to the bar, and plead against him as his equal, whereas indeed the creature is nothing to the creator, and is absolutely to submit it self to his will in all things. In verse. 21. he proceeds to a second answer, showing that God's will is not to be blamed, because by his absolute sovereignty and the right of creation, he hath power to choose men, or to reject and harden them. And where there is right and power to do a thing, the will of the doer is not to be blamed. Now that God hath this right and power over his creature, it is proved by a comparison from the less to the greater, on this manner. The potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor: therefore may God much more make some vessels of mercy, and some vessels of wrath prepared to destruction. The first part of the comparison is verse. 21. the second part verse. 22, 23. And least any man should think that God makes vessels of honor and dishonor without sufficient and just cause in himself, as the potter may do: therefore he sets down ends of the will of God: he makes vessels of dishonor to show his wrath, and to make manifest his power: and again he condemns no man til he have suffered him with long patience. And he makes vessels of honor that he might declare the riches of his glory upon them. Hence it is manifest, first that the ende of predestination is the glory of God, which is to be made manifest partly in his justice and partly in his mercy: secondly that men are not elected or refused of God, for their foreseen corru • tions or virtues: for then Paul would not have said, the God made vessels of dishonor, but that being so already, he left them in their dishonor.

Thus from the 6. verse of this chapter to the 24. Paul hath described unto us the doctrine of God's eternal predestination, and that by the judgment of Divines in all ages.

The order of God's Predestination is this. It is the property of the reasonable creature to conceive one thing after another, whereas God conceives all things at once with one act of understanding, and all things both past and to come are present with him; and therefore in his eternal counsel he decrees not one thing after another, but all things at once. Nevertheless for our understanding sake, we may distinguish the counsel of God concerning man into two acts or degrees: the first is, the purpose of God in himself, in which he determines what he will do, and the end of all his doings: and that is to create all things, specially man for his own glory, partly by showing on some men his mercy, and upon others his justice. The second is, another purpose whereby he decrees the execution of the former, and lays down means of accomplishing the ende thereof. These two acts of the counsel of God, are not to be severed in any wise, nor confounded, but distinctly considered with some difference. For in the first, god decrees some men to honor by showing his mercy and love on them, and some again to dishonor by showing his justice on them; and this man more then that, upon his will and pleasure, and there is no other cause hereof, known to us. In the second, known and manifest causes are set down of the execution of the former decree. For no man is actually condemned; yea God decrees to condemn no man but for his sins: and no man is actually saved but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter act of the counsel of God, must be conceived of us in the second place and not in the first. For evermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it self, and then afterward the subordinate means and causes whereby the end is accomplished. Again the second act of God's counsel contains two other; one which setteth down the preparation of the means whereby God's Predestination begins to come in execution; and they are two, the creation of man righteous after the image of God, the voluntary fall of Adam and withal the shutting up of all men under damnation: the other appoints the applying of the several means to the persons of men; that God's decree, which was set down before all times may in time be fully accomplished; as shall afterward in particular appear.

Predestination hath two parts, the Decree of Election, the Decree of Reprobation or No-election. This division is plain by that which hath been said out of the 9. chapter to the Romans, and it may be further confirmed by other testimonies. Of some it is said, that the Lord knows who are his: and of some others. Christ shall say in the day of judgment, I never knew you. In the Acts it is said, that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to life everlasting believed. And Jude saith of false prophets, that they were ordained to condemnation.

In handling the decree of Election, I will consider three things: I. what Election is: II. the execution thereof: III. the knowledge of particular Election. For the first, God's Election is a decree in which according to the good pleasure of his will, he hath certainly chosen some men to life eternal in Christ for the pray • e of the glory of his grace. This is the same which Paul saith to the Ephesians, God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: who hath predestinate us to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Now that we m • y the better conceive this doctrine, let us come to a consideration of the several points thereof. First of all I say, Election is God's decree. For there is nothing in the world that comes to pass either universally or particularly without the eternal and unchangeable decree of God. And therefore whereas men are actually chosen, & brought to life everlasting it is because God did purpose with himself and decree the same before all worlds. Now touching the decree it self, six things are to be observed. The first, what was the motive or impulsive cause that moved God to decree the salvation of any man. Ans. The good pleasure of God. For Paul saith, he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy: and, He hath predestinate us according to the good pleasure of God. As for the opiniō of them that say, that foreseen faith and good works are the cause that moved god to choose men to salvation, it is frivolous. For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of gods election. Paul saith, he hath chosen us, not because he did foresee that we would become holy, but th • t we might be holy. And, he hath predestinate us to adoption. Which is all one as if he had said, he hath predestinate us to believe, because adoption comes by believing. Now if men are elected that they might believe, then are they not elected because they would believe. For it cannot be that one thing should be both the cause and the effect of another.

The second point is, that God's election is unchangeable; so as they which are indeed chosen to salvation cannot perish, but shall without fail attain to life everlasting. Paul takes it for a conclusion • that the purpose of God according to election must remain firm and sure; and again, that the gifts and calling of god are without repentance. And Samuel saith, The strength of Israel will not lie or repent. For he is not a man that he should repent. Such as God's nature is, such is his will and counsel: but his nature is unchangeable, I am Jehovah, saith he, and I change not: therefore his will likewife and his counsels be unchangeable. And therefore whensoever the spirit of God shall testify unto our spirits, that we are iustif • ed in Christ, and chosen to salvation; it must be a means to comfort us, and to stablish our hearts in the love of God. As for the opinion of them that say, the elect may fall from grace and be damned, it is full of hellish discomfort, and no doubt from the devil. And the reasons commonly alleged for this purpose, are of no moment, as may appear by the scanning of them. First they object that the Churches of the Ephesians, Thessalonians, and the dispersed Jews are all called Elect by the Apostles themselves, yet sundry of them afterward fell away. Ans. I. There are two kinds of judgment to be given of men, the judgment of certainty, and the judgment of charity. By the first indeed, is given an infallible determination of any man's election; but it belongs unto God principally and properly: and to men but in part, namely so far forth as God shall reveal the estate of one man unto another. Now the judgment of charity belongs unto all men; and by it, leaving all secret judgments unto God, we are charitably to think, that all those, that live in the Church of God, professing themselves to be members of Christ, are indeed elect to salvation, till God make manifest otherwise. And on this manner, and not otherwise do the Apostles call whole Churches elect. II. they are called elect of the principal part, and not because every member thereof was indeed elect; as it is called an heap of corn though the bigger part be chaff. Secondly it is alleged, that David prays that his enemies may be blotted out of the book of life, which is the election of God, and that Moses and Paul did the like against themselves. Answer. David's enemies had not their names written in the book of life but only in the judgment of men. Thus Judas so long as he was one of the disciples of Christ, was accounted as one having his name written in heaven. Now hence it follows, that men's names are blotted out of God's book, when it is made clear and manifest unto the world, that they were never indeed written there. And where Moses saith, Forgive them this sin: if not, blot me out of thy bo • ke: and Paul, I could wish to be accursed, &c. there meaning was, not to signify that men elected to salvation might become reprobates: only they testify their zealous affections, that they could be content to be deprived of their own salvation, rather then the whole body of the people should perish, and God loose his glory. As for that which Christ saith, Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil, it is to be understood not of election to salvation, but of election to office of an Apostle; which is temporary and changeable.

The third point is, that there is an actual election made in time, being indeed a fruit of God's decree, and answerable unto it, and therefore I added in the description these words, whereby he hath chosen some men. All men by nature are sinners, and children of wrath, shut up under one & the same estate of condemnation. And actual election is, when it pleaseth God to sever and single out some men above the rest, out of this wretched estate of the wicked world, and to bring them to the kingdom of his own son. Thus Christ saith of his own disciples, I have chosen you out of the world.

The fourth point is, the actual or real foundation of God's election, and that is Christ: and therefore we are said to be chosen to salvation in Christ. He must be considered two ways: as he is God, we are predestinate of him, even as we are predestinate of the father and the holy Ghost. As he is our Mediator we are predestinate in him. For when God with himself had decreed to manifest his glory in saving some men by his mercy, he ordained further the creation of man in his own image, yet so as by his own fall he should infold himself and all his posterity under damnation: this done, he also decreed that the Word should be incarnate actually, to redeem those out of the former misery, whom he had ordained to salvation. Christ therefore himself was first of all predestinate as he was to be our head, and as Peter saith, ordained before all worlds ; and we secondly predestinate in him, because God ordained that the execution of man's Election should be in him. Here if any demand, howe we may be assured that Christ in his passion stood in our room and stead, the resolution will be easy, if we consider that he was ordained in the eternal counsel of God, to be our surety and pledge, and to be a public person to represent all the elect in his obedience and sufferings: and therefore it is, that Peter saith, that he was delivered by the foreknowledge and determinate counsel of God. And Paul, that grace was given unto us through Christ Jesus before the world was.

The fifth point is, concerning the number of the Elect. And that I expressed in these words, hath chosen some men to salvation. If God should decree to communicate his glory and his mercy to all and every man, there could be no election. For he that takes all, cannot be said to choose. Therefore Christ saith, Many are called, but few are chosen. Some make this question; howe great the number of the elect is, and the answer may be this, that the Elect considered in themselves be innumerable, but considered in comparison to the whole world, they are but few. Hence it follows necessarily, that saving grace is not universal, but indefinite or parti •• lar, unless we will against common reason make the streams more large & plentiful then the very f • untain it self. And this must excite us above all thi • gs in the world to labor to have fellowship with Christ, & to be partakers of the special mercy of God in him, yea to have the same sealed up in our hearts. Benefits common to all, as the light of the sun, &c. are not regarded of any. Things common to few, though they be but temporal blessings, are sought for of all. God gives not riches to all men, but to some more, to some less, to some none. And herupon how do men like drudges toile in the world from day today, and from yere to yere, to enrich themselves. Therefore much more ought men to seek for grace in Christ, considering it is not common to all. We must not content our selves to say, God is merciful, but we must go further, and labor for a certificate in the conscience, that we may be able to say that God is indeed merciful to us. When the Disciples would have known how many should be saved, he omitting the question, answers thus, Strive to enter in at the straight gate.

The last point is, the ende of God's election, and that is the manifesting of the praise and excellency of the glorious grace of God.

Thus having seen what Election is, let us come to the Execution thereof. Of which remember this rule, Men predestinate to the ende, that is, glory, or eternal life, are also predestinate to the subordinate means, whereby they come to eternal life: and these are vocation, justification, sanctification, glorification. For the first, he that is predestinate to salvation, is also predestinate to be called, as Paul saith, Whome he hath predestinate, them also he calleth. Secondly, whom God calleth, they also were predestinate to believe; therefore saving faith is called the faith of the elect. And in the Acts, as many as were ordained to life everlasting, believed. Thirdly whom God hath predestinate to life, them he justifieth, as Paul saith • , whom he hath predestinate, them he calleth, and whom he calleth, them he justifieth. Fourthly, whom he hath predestinate to life, them he hath predestinate to sanctification and holiness of life, as Peter saith, that the Jews were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father unto sanctification of the spirit. Lastly, they that are predestinate to life, are also predestinate to obedience, as Paul saith to the Ephesians, Ye are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them.

This rule being the truth of God, must be observed: for it hath special use. First of all it serves to stop the mouths of ungodly & profane men. They use to bolster up themselves in their sins by reasoning on this manner: If I be predestinate to eternal life, I shall be saved whatsoever come of it, how wickedly and lewdly soever I live: I will therefore live as I list, and follow the swinge of mine own will. But, alas, like blind bayards they think they are in the way, when as they rush their heads against the wall, and far deceive themselves. For the case stands thus: all men that are ordained to salvation, are likewise ordained in the counsel of God to use all the good means whereby they may come to salvation. And therefore all the elect that live in this world shall be called, justified, sanctified, and lead their lives in all good conscience before God and men: and they that live and continue in their own wicked ways disputing on this manner, If I be ordained to salvation, I shall not be damned; ouershoote themselves, and as much as they can, plunge themselves headlong into the very pit of hell. And for a man to live and die in his sins, let the world dispute as they will, it is an infallible sign of one ordained to damnation. Secondly, there be others that think that the preaching of the word, the administration of the Sacraments, admonitions, exhortations, laws, good orders, and all such good means are needless, because God's counsels be unchangeable: if a man shall be condemned, nothing shall help: if a man be saved, nothing shall hinder. But we must still for our part remember, that God doth not only ordain the ende, but also the means whereby the ende is compassed: and therefore the very use of all prescribed means is necessary. And for this cause we must be admonished with diligence to labor and use all good means, that we may be called by the ministry of the Gospel, and justified, and sanctified, and at length glorified. If a king should give unto one of his subjects a princely palace, upon condition that he shall go unto it in the way which he shall prescribe; oh what pains would the man take to know the way, and afterward to keep and continue in it: but behold, the kingdom of heaven is the most glorious and royal palace that ever was; and God hath bestowed the same on his elect: and he requires nothing at their hands but that they would turn their faces from this world, and walk unto it in the way which he hath chalked forth unto them in his word. Therefore if we would have life everlasting, we must come forth of the broad way that leads to destruction, and enter into the straight way that leads to eternal life. We must acquaint our selves with the guides which are the Ministers of the word, that will cry unto us, Here is the way, walk ye in it, when we go to the right hand or to the left. Vocation, justification, sanctification, repentance, new- • bedience, are the marks of the way, and we must pass by them all: and thus our weary souls weltering a while in this wretched world, shall at length be received into eternal joy and happiness.

Touching the knowledge of particular election, two special points are to be skanned: I. whether a man may know his election: II. how it may be known. For the first, Papists are of mind that no man can certainly know his own election unless he be certified thereof by some special revelation from God: but the thing is false and erroneous which they say. When the disciples of our Savior Christ returned from preaching, and shown what wonders they had done, and how devils were subject unto them, the text saith they rejoiced greatly. But Christ answered them again, saying, In this rejoice not, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Whereby he signifies that men may attain to a certain knowledge of their own election. For we cannot, neither do we rejoice in things either unknown or vncerten. Saint Peter saith, Give all diligence to make your election sure. Now in vain were it to use diligence if the assurance of election could not be any ways compassed without an extraordinary revelation. And Paul saith to the Corinthians, Prooue yourselves whether ye be in the faith or not. Where he takes it for granted, that he which hath faith may know that he hath faith, and therefore may also know his election: because saving faith is an infallible mark of election.

The second point is, how any man may come to know his own election. And there be two ways of knowing it. The one is by ascending up as it were into heaven, there to search the counsel of God, and afterward to come down to our selves. The second by descending into our own hearts to go up from our selves, as it were by Jacob's ladder, to God's eternal counsel. The first way is dangerous, and not to be attempted. For the ways of God are unsearchable and past finding out. The second way alone is to be followed, which teacheth us by signs & testimonies in our selves, to gather what was the eternal counsel of God concerning our salvation. And these testimonies are two: the testimony of God's spirit, and the testimony of our spirits, as Paul saith, the spirit of God beareth witness together with our spirits, that we are the sons of God.

Touching the testimony of God's spirit, two questions may be demanded. The first is, by what means the spirit of God giveth a particular testimony in a man's conscience of his adoption. Ans. It is not done by any extraordinary revelation, or enthusiasme, that is, an ordinary revelation without the word; but by an application of the promises of the Gospel in the form of a practical syllogism, on this manner: Whoso • uer believeth in Christ, is chosen to life everlasting. This proposition is set down in the word of God, and it is further propounded, opened, and applied to all that be in the Church of God, by the ministers of the Gospel set apart for this ende. Now while the hearers of God's word give themselves to meditate and consider of the s • me promise, comes the spirit of God and enlightens the eyes, and opens the heart, & gives them power both to will to believe, and to believe indeed: so as a man shall with freedom of spirit, make an assumption and say, but I believe in Christ, I renounce myself, all my joy and comfort is in him: flesh and blood cannot say this, it is the operation of the holy Ghost. And hence ariseth the blessed conclusion which is the testimony of the spirit, therefore I am the child of God.

The second question is, how a man may discern between the illusion of the devil, and the testimony of the spirit. For as there is a certain persuasion of God's fouour from God's spirit; so there be sleights and frauds of the devil whereby he flatters and soothes men in their sins: and there is in all men natural presumption in show like faith, indeed no faith. And this counterfeit mock-faith is far more common in the world then true faith is. Take a view hereof in our ignorant and careless people; ask any one of them, whether he be certain of his salvation or no; he will without bones making, protest that he is fully persuaded and assured of his salvation in Christ: that if there be but one man in a cuntrie to be saved, it is he: that he hath served God always, and done no man hurt: that he hath evermore believed, and that he would not for all the world, so much as doubt of his salvation. These and such like presumptious conceits in blind and ignorant persons, run for currant faith in the world. Now the true testimony of the spirit is discerned from natural presumption, and all illusions of the devil by two effects and fruits thereof, noted by Paul in that he saith, that the spirit makes us cry Abba, that is, father. The first is, to pray so earnestly with groans and sighs, as though a man would even fill heaven and earth with the cry not of his lips, but of his heart, touched with sense and feeling of his manifold sins and off • nces. And this indeed is a special and principal note of the spirit of adoption. Now look upon the loose and careless man, that thinks himself so filled with the persuasion of the love and favor of God, ye shall find that he very seldom or never prays: and when he doth, it is nothing else but a mumbling over the Lord's prayer, the Creed, and the ten Commandments for fashions sake. Which argues plainly that the persuasion which he hath of God's mercy, is of the flesh and not of the spirit. The second fruit is, the affection of a dutiful child to God a most loving father: and this affection makes a man stand in fear of the majesty of God wheresoever he is, and to make conscience of every evil way. Now those that are carried away with presumption, so soon as any occasion is given, they fall straight into sin without mislike or stay, as fire burns with speed when dry wood is laid unto it. In a word, where the testimony of the spirit is truly wrought, there be many other graces of the spirit joined therewith, as when one branch in a tree buddeth the rest bud also.

The testimony of our spirit is the testimony of the heart and conscience, purified and sanctified in the blood of Christ. And it testifieth two ways, by inward tokens in it self, by outward fruits. Inward tokens are certain special graces of God imprinted in the spirit, whereby a man may certainly be a •• ured of his adoption. These tokens are of two sorts, they either r •• pect o •• sins, or God's mercy in Christ. The first are in respect of sins p • st, p •• sent, or to come. The sign in the spirit which concerneth sins past, • s 〈◊〉 sorrow, which I may term a beginning & mother grace of many other gi ••• and graces of God. It is a kind of grief conceived in heart in respect of God. And the nature of it may the better be conceived, if we compare it with the contrary. Worldly sorrow springs of sin, and it is nothing else but the horror of conscience, and the apprehension of the wrath of God for the same: now godly sorrow, it may indeed be occasioned by our sins, but it springs properly from the apprehension of the grace and goodness of God. World • y sorrow is a grief for sin only in respect of the punishment: godly sorrow is a lively touch and grief of heart for sin because it is sin, though there were no punishment for it. Now that no man may deceive himself in judging of this sorrow, the holy Ghost hath set down seven fruits or signs th ••••• whereby it may be discerned. The first is Care to leave all our sins: the second is Apology whereby a man is moved and carried to accuse & condemn himself for his sins past, both before God and men. The third is indignation, whereby a man is exceedingly angry with himself for his offenses. The fourth is fear, least he fall into his former sins again. The fifth is desire, whereby he craveth strength and assistance, that his sins take not hold on him as before. The sixth is zeal, in the performance of all good duties contrary to his special sins. The seventh is reueng • , whereby he subdues his • o ••• least it should hereafter be an instrument of sin as it hath been in • ormer time. Now when any man shall feel these fruits in himself, he hath no doubt the godly sorrow, which here we speak of.

The token which is in regard of sins present, is the combat between the flesh and the spirit, proper to them that are regenerate, who are partly flesh and partly spirit. It is not the check of conscience which all men find in themselves both good and bad, so oft as they offend God: but it is a fighting and striving of the mind, will, and affections with themselves, whereby so far forth as they are renewed, they carry the man one way, and as they still remain corrupt, they carry him flat contrary. Men having the disease called Ephialtes, when they are half asleep feel as it were some weighty thing lying upon their breasts, and holding them down: now lying in this case, they strive with their hands and feet and with all the might they have to raise up themselves, and to remove the weight, and cannot. Behold here a lively resemblance of this combat. The flesh which is the inborne corruption of man's nature, lies upon the hearts of the children of God, and presseth them down as if it were the very weight of a mountain: now they, according to the measure of grace received, strive to raise up themselves from under this burden, and do such things as are acceptable to God; but cannot as they would.

The token that respects sin to come, is Care to prevent it. That this is the mark of God's children, appeareth by the saving of John, He that is borne of God sinneth not, but keepeth himself that the wicked one touch him not. And this care shows it self not only in ordering the outward actions, but even in the very thoughts of the heart. For where the Gospel is of force it brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ: and the Apostles rule is followed, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, &c. think on these things.

The tokens which concern God's mercy are specially two. The first is, when a man feels himself distressed with the burden of his sins, or when he apprehends the heavy displeasure of God in his conscience for them: then further to feel how he stands in need of Christ, and withal heartily to desire, yea to hunger and thirst after reconciliation with God in the merit of Christ, and that above all other things in the world. To all such Christ hath made most sweet and comfortable promises, which can appertain to none but to the elect. John. 7. 37. If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink: he that believeth in me, as saith the Scripture, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life. Rev. 21. 6. I will give unto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely. Now if he that thirsteth, drink of these waters, mark what followeth, John. 4.14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never be more a thirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.

The second is a strange affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God, whereby a man doth so esteem and value, and as it were, set so high a price on Christ and his righteousness, that he accounts even the most precious things that are, to be but as dung in regard thereof. This affection was in Paul, and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure, he first hides it, and then sells all he hath and makes a purchase of the field where it is. Now every man will say of himself, that he is thus affected to Christ, and that he more highly esteems the least drop of his blood, then all things in the world beside: whereas indeed most men are of Esau's mind, rather desiring the red broth then Isaac's blessing; and of the same affection with the Israelites, which liked better the onions and flesh pots of Egypt, then the blessings of God in the land of promise. Therefore that no man may deceive himself, this affection may be discerned by two signs. The first is to love and like a Christian man because he is a Christian. For he that doth aright esteem of Christ, doth in like manner esteem of the members of Christ. And of this very point our Savior Christ saith, he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive the reward of a righteous man. And Saint John saith, Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren: that is, such as are members, even because they are so. The second sign of this affection is a love and desire to the coming of Christ, whether it be by death unto any man particularly, or by the last judgment universally, and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowship with Christ. And that this very love is a note of adoption, it appears by that which S. Paul saith, that the crown of righteousness is laid up for all them that love the appearing of Christ.

The outward token of adoption is New-obedience, whereby a man endeavors to obey God's commandments in his life and conversation: as Saint John saith, Hereby we are sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Now this obedience must not be judged by the rigor of the moral law, for then it should be no token of grace, but rather a means of damnation: but it must be esteemed & considered as it is in the acceptation of God, who spares them that fear him as a father spares an obedient son, esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them, but by the affection of the doer. And yet least any man should here be deceived, we must know that the obedience, which is an infallible mark of the child of God, must be thus qualified. First of all it must not be done unto some few of God's commandments, but unto them all without exception. Herod heard John the Baptist willingly, and did many things: and Judas had excellent things in him, as appears by this, that he was content to leave all and to follow Christ, and he preached the Gospel of the kingdom in Jury as well as the rest: yet alas, all this was nothing: for the one could not abide to become obedient to the seventh commandment in leaving his brother Philip's wife; and the other would not leave his covetousness, to die for it. Vpright and sincere obedience doth enlarge it self to all the commandments, as David saith, I shall not be confounded, when I have respect to all thy commandments. And Saint James saith, he which faileth in one law is guilty of all: that is, the obedience to many commandments is indeed before God no obedience, but a slatte sin if a man wittingly and willingly carry a purpose to omit any one duty of the law. He that repents of one sin truly, doth repent of all: and he that lives but in one known sin without repentance, though he pretend never • o much reformation of life, indeed repents of no sin. Secondly this obedience must extend it self to the whole course of a man's life after his conversion and repentance. We must not judge of a man by an action or two, but by the tenor of his life. Such as the course of a man's life is, such is the man: though he, through the corruption of his nature, fail in this or that particular action, yet doth it not prejudice his estate before God, so be it he renew his repentance for his several slips and falls, not lying in any sin; and withal from year to year walk unblameable before God and men. S. Paul saith, The foundation of God remaineth sure: the Lord knoweth who are his. Now some might hereupon say, it is true indeed, God knows who are his; but how may I be assured in myself that I am his? to this demand as I take it, Paul answers in the next words, Let everyone that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity: that is, let men invocate the name of God; praying seriously for things whereof they stand in need, withal giving thanks, and departing from all their former sins, and this shall be unto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God. Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceed from the whole man: as the regeneration which is the cause of it, is through the whole man in body, soul, and spirit. Again, obedience is the fruit of love, and love is from the pure heart, the good conscience, and faith unfeigned.

Thus we have heard the testimonies and tokens whereby a man may be certified in his conscience that he was chosen to salvation before all worlds. If and desire further resolution in this point, let them meditate upon the 15. psal. and first epistle of S. John, being parcels of Scripture penned by the holy Ghost for this ende.

Here some will demand how a man may be assured of his adoption, if he want the testimony of the spirit to certify him thereof. Ans. Fire is known to be no painted but a true fire, by two notes; by heat, and by the flame: now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame, it is still known to be fire by the heat. In like manner, as I have said, there be two witnesses of our adoption, God's spirit, and our spirit: now if it fall out that a man feel not the principal, which is the spirit of adoption, he must then have recourse to the second witness, and search out in himself the signs and tokens of the sanctification of his own spirit, by which he may certainly assure himself of his adoption, as we know fire to be fire by the heat though it want a flame.

Again it may be demanded on this manner: how if it come to pass that after inquiry, we find but few signs of sanctification in our selves. Ans. In this case we are to have recourse to the least measure of grace, less then which, there is no saving grace; and it stands in two things: an hearty disliking of our sins because they are sins, and a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for them all: and these are tokens of adoption, if they be soundly wrought in the heart, though all other tokens for the present seem to be wanting. If any shall say, that a wicked man may have this desire, as Balaam, who desired to die the death of the righteous: the answer is, that Balaam indeed desired to die as the righteous man doth, but he could not abide to live as the righteous: he desired the ende, but not the proper subordinate means which tend unto the ende; as vocation, justification, sanctification, repentance, &c. the first is the work of nature, the second is the work of grace. Now I speak not this to make men secure and to content themselves with these small beginnings of grace, but only to show howe any may assure themselves that they are at the least babes in Christ: adding this withal, that they which have no more but these small beginnings must be careful to increase them, because he which goes not forward goes backward.

Lastly, it may be demanded what a man should do if he want both the testimony of God's spirit and his own spirit, and have no means in the world of assurance. Ans. He must not utterly despair, but be resolved of this, that though he want assurance now, yet he may obtain the same hereafter. And such must he advertised to hear the word of God preached: and being outwardly of the Church, to receive the Sacraments. When we have care to come into the Lord's vine-yarde and to converse about the wine-press, we shall find the sweet juice of heavenly grace pressed forth unto us plentifully by the word and sacraments, to the comfort of our consciences, concerning gods election. This one mercy that God by these means in some part reveals his mercy, is unspeakable. When sickness or the day of death comes, the dearest servants of God, it may be, must encounter with the temptations of the devil, and wrestle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God, as for life and death: and no man knows howe terrible these things are, but those which have felt them. Now when men walk thus through the valley of the shadow of death, unless God should, as it were open heaven, and stream down unto us in this world some lightsome beams of his love in Christ by the operation of his spirit, miserable were the case even of the righteous.

Thus much of Election, now follows Reprobation, in handling whereof we are to observe three things. I. what it is. II. howe God doth execute this decree. III. how a man may judge of the same.

For the first, Reprobation is God's decree, in which because it so pleased him, he hath purposed to refuse some men by means of Adams fall and their own corruptions, for the manifestation of his justice. First, I say, it is a decree, and that is evident thus. If there be an eternal decree of God, whereby he chooseth some men, then there must needs be another decree whereby he doth pass by others and refuse them. For election always implies a refusal. Again, what God doth in time, that he decreed to do before time: as the case falls out even with men of mean wisdom, who first of all intend with themselves the things to be done and after do them. But god in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth, and it appeareth to be true by the event: Therefore God before all worlds decreed the rejecting of some men.

Now in this decree four points are to be considered. The first is the matter or object thereof, which is the thing decreed, namely the rejection of some men in respect of mercy, or, the manifestation of his justice upon them. This may seem strange to man's reason • but here we must with all submission strike our top-sails, for the word of God saith as much in plain terms. The Apostle Jude speaking of false Prophets saith, that they were of old ordained to this damnation. And Paul saith in emphatical terms, that God makes vessels of wrath prepared to destruction: and that some are rejected, whom he opposeth to them which are elected to salvation.

The second point is the impulsive cause that moved God to set down this decree concerning his creature, & that was nothing out of himself, but his very will and pleasure. He hardened Pharaoh with final hardenesse of heart because he would: and therefore he deceed to do so because he would. And our Savior Christ saith, I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding, and hast opened them unto babes. But upon what cause did God so? It follows in the next words, It is so, O father, because thy good pleasure is such. And if it be in the power and liberty of a man to kill an ox or a sheep for his use, to hunt & kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure: then much more without injustice may it be in the will and liberty of the creator to refuse and forsake his creature of his glory. Nay it stands more with equity a thousand fold that all the creatures in heaven and earth should jointly serve to set forth the glory and majesty of God the creator in their eternal destruction, then the striking of a sly or the killing of a slay should serve for the dignity of all men in the world. For all this, it is thought by very many to be very hard to ascribe unto God who is full of bounty and mercy such a decree, and that upon his very will: but let us see their reasons. First of all they say it is a point of cruelty for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire: the answer is, that by the virtue of this decree God cannot be said to create any man to damnation, but to the manifestation of his justice and glory in his due and deserved damnation: and the doing of this is absolute justice. Secondly it is alleged that by this means God shall hate his own creature, and that before it is: but it is an untruth. We must distinguish between God's purpose to hate and actual hating. Now indeed God before all worlds did purpose to hate some creatures: and that justly so far forth as his hating of them will serve for the manifestation of his justice: but he neither hates them indeed nor loves them before they are: and therefore actual hatred comes not in till after the creation. Whome God hath decreed to love, them, when they are once created, he begins to love in Christ with actual love: and whom he hath decreed to hate, them being once created, he hates in Adam with actual hatred. Thirdly it is objected, that by this doctrine God shall be the author of sin, for he which ordains to the ende ordains to the means of the end: but God ordains men to the ende, that is, damnation: therefore he ordains them to the means thereof, that is, sin. Ans. The proposition being thus understood, he which ordains a man to an ende, in the same order and manner ordains him to the means, is false. For one may be ordained to the end simply, the ende being simply good; and yet not be simply ordained to the means, because they may be evil in themselves, and only good in part, namely so far forth as they have respect of goodness in the mind of the ordainer. Secondly, the assumption is false: for the supreme ende of God's counsel is not damnation, but the declaration of his justice in the just destruction of the creature: neither doth God decree man's damnation as it is damnation, that is, the ruin of man and the putting of him forth to perishment, but as it is a real execution of justice. Thirdly we must make distinction between sin it self and the permission thereof, and between the decree of rejection, and actual damnation: now the permission of sin, and not sin it self properly is the subordinate means of the decree of rejection. For when God had decreed to pass by some men, he withal decreed the permission of sin, to which permission men were ordained: and sin it self is no effect, but only the consequent of the decree: yet so, as it is not only the antecedent, but also the efficient and meritorious cause of actual damnation.

The third point is, the real foundation of the execution of this decree, in just condemnation, and that is the voluntary fall of Adam and of all his posterity in him with the fruit thereof, the general corruption of man's nature. For howsoever God hath purposed to refuse men because it so pleased him, yet when his purpose comes to execution he condemneth no man but for his sins: and sin though it were not in the counsel of God an impulsive cause that moved him to purpose a declaration of justice and judgment, yet was it a subordinate means of damnation: God in wonderful wisdom ordering & disposing the execution of this decree, so as the whole blame and fault of man's destruction should be in himself. And therefore the Lord in the Prophet Ose saith, One hath destroyed thee, but I will help thee: that is, salvation is of God, and the condemnation of men is from themselves. Now whereas many depraving our doctrine say, that we ascribe unto God an absolute decree in which he doth absolutely ordain men to damnation, they may here be answered. If by absolute, they understand that, which is opposed to conditional, then we hold and avouch, that all the eternal decrees of God are simple or absolute, and not limited or restrained to this or that condition or respect. If by absolute, they understand a bare and naked decree without reason or cause, then we deny God's decrees to be absolute. For though the causes thereof be not known to us • yet causes there be, known to him, and just they are: yea the very will of God it self is cause sufficient, it being the absolute rule of justice. And though men in reason cannot discern the equity and justice of God's will in this point, yet may we not thereupon conclude that therefore it is unjust. The sun may shine clearly though the blind man see it not. And it is a flat mistaking to imagine that a thing must first of all be just in it self, and then afterward be willed of God. Whereas contrarise, God must first will a thing before it can be just. The will of God doth not depend upon the quality and nature of the thing, but the qualities of things in order of causes follow the will of God. For everything is as God wills it. Lastly, if it be called an absolute decree, because it is done without all respect to man's sin, then we still deny it to be absolute. For as God condēnes man for sin: so he decreed to condemn him for and by his sin: yet so, as if the question be made what is the cause why he decrees rather in his justice to condemn this man then that man, no other reason can be rendered, but his will.

The last point, is the ende of God's decree, namely the manifestation of his justice, as Solomon saith, The Lord hath made all things for his own sake, and the wicked for the day of evil. And Paul saith, that God made vessels of wrath, to show his wrath and to make his power known.

Thus we have seen what Reprobation is: now follows the execution thereof, for that which God decrees before time, in time he executes. And here a special rule to be remembered is this. Those which are ordained to just damnation, are likewise ordained to be left to themselves in this world, in blindness of mind and hardness of heart, so as they neither shall nor will repent of their sins. The truth of this we may see in God's word. For S. Peter speaking of the priests and Doctors, and chief of the people among the Jews saith plainly, They stumbled at the word, and are disobedient. Why so? the reason is there set down, because they were ordained to it of old. And so Paul saith to the Corinthians, that he handled not the word of God deceitfully, but in the declaration of the truth he approved himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Now hereupon it might be said: howe then comes it to pass that all receive not the Gospel in Corinth; and to this he answers with a terrible sentence, If (saith he) our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish: giving us to understand, that God leaves them to themselves in this world, whom he purposeth to refuse. And the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah saith of the Jews, By hearing they shall hear and not understand, and by seeing they shall see & not perceive, least they should hear with their ears, and see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and so turn and be saved.

The use of this is manifold: first it serveth to overthrow the opinion of carnal men which reason thus: If I be ordained to damnation, let me live never so godly and well, I am sure to be damned, therefore I will live as I list: for it is not possible for me to alter God's decree. Blas • hemous mouths of men make nothing of this and like speeches, and yet they speak flat contraries. For whom God hath purposed in his eternal counsel to refuse, them also he hath purposed for their sins, to leave to the blindness of their minds and hardness of their hearts, so as they neither will nor can live a godly life.

Secondly, this rule doth as it were, lead us by the hand, to the consideration the fearful estate of many people among us. We have had for the space of thirty years and more the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the more plentifully by reason of the schools of learning. But what hath been the issue of it? I doubt not but in many it hath been the means of their conversion & salvation: but to speak generally of the greater part there is little or no fruit to be seen. The most after this long preaching remain as blind, as impenitent, as heard hearted, and as unreformed in their lives as ever they were, though they have heard the Lord calling them to repentance from day today, and from year to year. Well if this rule be the truth of God, as no doubt it is, then I say plainly, that there is a most fearful judgment of God among us. My meaning is not to determine or give sentence of any man's person, of any town or people, nevertheless this may be avouched, that it is a terrible and dangerous sign of the wrath of God, that after this long and daily preaching, there is still remaining a general hardness of heart, impenitence, and want of reformation in the lives of men. The smithes stithie, the more it is beaten the harder it is made: and commonly the hearts of men, the more they are beaten with the hammer of God's word, the more dull, secure, and senseless they are. This being so, it stands every man in hand to look to his own estate. We are careful to fly the infection of the bodily plague: oh then! how careful should we be to fly the common blindness of mind and hardness of heart, which is the very plague of all plagues, a thousand fold worse then all the plagues of Egypt? And it is so much the more fearful, because the more it takes place, the less it is perceived. When a malefactor on the day of assise is brought forth of the iayle, with great bolts and fetters to come before the judge, as he is going all men pity him and speak comfortably unto him: but why so? because he is now to be arraigned at the bar of an earthly judge. Now the case of all impenitent sinners is far more miserable, then the case of this man: for they lie fettered in bondage under sin and Satan; and this short life is the way, in which they are going every hour to the bar of God's justice, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, there to be arraigned and to have sentence of condemnation given against them. Now canst thou pity a man that is before an earthly judge, and wilt thou not be touched with the misery of thine own estate who goest every day forward to the bar of God's justice; whether thou be sleeping or waking, sitting or standing, as a man on the sea in a ship goes continually toward the haven, though he himself stir not his foot. Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts, that, so long as ye run on in your blind ways without repentance, as much as ye can, ye make post hast to hell-ward: and so long as you continue in this miserable condition, as Peter saith,