A Golden Chain, Text 1 (9 of 13)

A Golden Chain · Text 1 (9 of 13)

p. 397The second point is, that Christ went apart from his disciples, and ascended vpward toward heauen in their sight. For the right vnderstanding of this, sundrie speciall points must be obserued. The first, that the lifting vp of his bodie was principally by the mightie power of his godhead, and partly by the supernaturall propertie of a glorified bodie, which is to mooue as well vpward as downward, without constraint or violence. The second, that Christ did goe from earth to heauen really and actually, and not in appearance onelyonly. The third, that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples. The fourth, that he went locally, by chaunging his place and going from earth to heauen, so as he is no more on earth bodily,Ma…h. …8.20. as we are now on earth. It may be obiected, that Christ made a promise that hee would bee with his Church to the ende p. 398of the world. Answ. That promise is to be vnderstood of the presence of his spirit, or godhead, not of the presence of his manhood. Againe it may further be alleadged, that if the godhead be on earth, then must the manhood be there also, because they are both vnited together. Answ. It is not true, that of two things conioined, where the one is, there must the other be also. For the sunne it selfe, and the sunne-beames are both ioyned together, yet they are not both in all places together. For the bodie of the sunne is onelyonly in the heauens, but the sunne-beames are also vponupon the earth. The argument therefore followes not: Christs manhood subsists in that person which is eueryevery where: ergo his manhood is eueryevery where.Vide Thom. contra Gent. li. …. …. 49. And the reason is, because the Sonne of God subsists not onelyonly in his diuine nature, but also by it: whereas he doth not subsist at all by the manhoode, but onelyonly in it: for he subsisted before all eternitie, when the manhood was not. Nay rather because the manhood doth subsist by the person of the Sonne, therefore the person extends it selfe further then the manhood which is assumed and sustained by it; and hath his existing thence. For that very thing whereby any other thing either essentially or accidentally is, extends it selfe further then the thing whereby it is. As the humane nature whereby Peter is a man, extends it selfe further then to Peter, namely to all other men: and the whitenesse whereby the snow is white, extends it selfe further then to that snow which a man holds in his hand.

The third point is, that in the ascension a cloud tooke Christ from the fight of his disciples.Act. 1.9.Acts 1:9 And whereas he caused a cloud to come betweene their sight and himselfe, it signified vntounto them that they must now be contented with that which they had seene, and not seeke to know further what became of him afterward: and the same thing is taught vntounto vsus also: we must content our selues with that which God hath reuealed in his word, and seeke no further specially in things which concerne God. For the like ende in the giuing of the law in Sinai,Exod. 19.9.Exod 19:9 God appeared in a cloud: and when he did manifest his glorie in the temple which Salomon made, a thicke cloud filled the same.

The fourth point to be considered,Luk. 24.50. Act. 1.9.Luke 24:50Acts 1:9 is concerning the witnesses of his ascension, which were his owne disciples in the mount of Oliues at Bethanie, and none but they. Now it may be demanded, why he would not hauehave all the whol natiō of the Iewes to see him ascend, that so they might know that he was risen againe, and beleeue in him. Answ. The reason may be this: it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion, wherof this article is one, should rather be learned by hearing, then by seeing. Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight, that they might the better teach others which should not see: wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith, is hearing.

The vses to be made of Christs ascension, are of two sorts: some are comforts to Gods Church and people, and some are duties. The comforts are especially foure. The first is this: Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen, to lead captiuitie captiue;Eph. 4.8.Eph 4:8 a most worthie benefit. By captiuitie is meant, first sinne and Satan, which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition: secondly death and the graue, which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies. And he leads them all captiue two waies: first in himselfe, in that he beganne his triumph vponupon the crosse, as I hauehave shewed, and continued the same till his p. 399very ascension: secondly in all his members, because by his mightie power being now ascended, he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan; which he manifesteth eueryevery day by killing the corruption of their natures,R…m. 16.20. and the rebellion of their flesh. But it may be demaunded, how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue, considering the deuill raignes eueryevery where, and the world, and death, and hell. Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees. First, it is ordained by God, secondly it is foretold, thirdly it is wrought, fourthly it is applied, lastly it is accomplished. The ordaining of it was before all worlds: the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament: the working of it was vponupon the crosse, and afterward: the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse: and it is onelyonly in part in this life; that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan, he againe may bruise his heele: the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement. From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church, there are many duties to be learned. First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners, which abound among vsus in eueryevery place. Whosoeuer they be, that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes, and hardnes of their hearts; they must know this, that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan, of hell, death, and condemnation: and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be (for it is Gods truth) if he hauehave not repented of all his sinnes, he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall, yea a very drudge of the deuill. Now then, what wilt thou doe in this case? The best thing is, to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels, vnderunder whome thou liest bound, and that not onelyonly in himselfe, but in his members. Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ, he will free thee from this bondage. Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes, and in thy grosse ignorance: & seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie, let vsus seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage: he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vsus frō it; therfore if we refuse this benefit, our state will be the more damnable. A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon, and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore, and takes off his bolts, and bids him come out; if he refuse and say that he is well: may it not be thought that he is a madde man, and will any be sorie for his case? No surely. Well, this is the state of all impenitent sinners. They lie fast fettered and bound vnderunder the power of sinne and Satan, and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage: he hath set open the prison dore, and hath vnlocked our fetters: if we refuse to come out, and lie still in our sinnes, there remaineth nothing for vsus but euerlasting thraldome. Let vsus therefore in the feare of God, if we hauehave a care of our owne soules, receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vntounto vsus by Christs ascension.

Secondly, in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan, here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes. There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare, yet must he not be discouraged. For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners, and hath pinnioned them fast, so as all p. 400the power they hauehave, is in Christs hand: and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vsus, yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vsus. Therefore we may safely cast our care vponupon God, and not feare ouermuch. Hence also we may learne a third dutie. There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth, and what the bloode of Christ meaneth, but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature, he will say with Paul that he is sold vnderunder sinne, and in regard thereof will crie out with him also, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death? yea it will make his heart to bleede within him. Nowe what shall he doe in this case? surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension, which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature, and labour to feele the benefit thereof: and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill, and tread Satan vnderunder his feete. …. Ioh. 3.…. Rom. 16.20.John 3Rom 16:20And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde, must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them.

The second benefit of Christs ascension is, that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vponupon his Church, as it is saide in the place before mentioned, He ascended vp an high, &c. he gaue gifts vntounto men, that is, the gift of the knowledge of Gods word, the gift of preaching, and prophecie, and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church. The consideration of this, that Christ who is the fountaine of grace, and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge, should be mindfull of vsus and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church, must cause eueryevery one of vsus who hauehave receiued any gift of God (as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion) to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same. There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts; seeing we hauehave nothing, but that which we hauehave receiued. For to this ende Christ ascended, to giuegive gifts vntounto men, and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be, are not our owne, but we had them from Christ; and we are stewards of them a while, for the good of others. The more the Lord giueth to a man, the more he requireth at his hands; and as for such as hauing good gifts abuse the same, their sinne is the more grieuous, and their daunger the greater. Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled hearts, shall want Gods blessing vponupon them. For he giueth grace to the humble. The high hills after much tillage are often barren, whereas the low vallies, by the streames of waters passing through them, are very fruitfull: and the gifts of God ioyned with a swelling heart are fruitlesse; but ioyned with louelove and the grace of humilitie, they edifie.

Secondly, if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giuegive gifts vntounto men; here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene, in that they plead ignorance, and say that they hope God will hauehave them excused for it, seeing they are not learned; they hauehave dull wittes, and it is not possible to teach them now, they are past learning; and hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance, as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne. But marke, I pray you, who it is that is ascended vp to heauen, namely Christ Iesus our Lord, who made thee of nothing. Now was he able p. 401to giuegive thee a beeing, when thou was not, and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule, if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed? and the rather, seeing he is ascended for that end: but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge, thy case is desperate, and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation, and thou bringest confusion vponupon thine owne head. Therfore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods word. Ignorance shall excuse none: it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement. Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant, to giuegive knowledge and wisdome vntounto the simple, & to giuegive gifts of prophecie vntounto his ministers, that they may teach his people. Therefore, I say againe, let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently, and God will giuegive the blessing. Thirdly, whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible, to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers, it seemes to be otherwise. For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen? was it not to giuegive gifts vntounto his Church? what, is Christs hand now shortned? vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues, that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vponupon men in the Church: but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied. The fountaines of learning the Vniuersities, though they are not dammed vp, yet they streame not abroad as they might. Many there be in them indued with worthie gifts for the building of the Church, but the couetousnes of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be. Lastly, seeing Christ ascended to giuegive gifts needefull for his Church, as the gift of teaching, the gift of prophecie, the gift of tongues, of wisdome, and knowledge, the dutie of eueryevery man is, especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning, to labour by all meanes to increase, cherish, and preserue their gifts, and as Paul exhorteth Timothie,2. Ti…. … … foreign. to stirre vp the gift of God, that is, as men preserue the fire by blowing it, so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts and graces of God bestowed on vsus. Christ hath done his part, and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie.

The third benefit that comes by Christs ascension is, that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him: In my fathers house (saith Christ) are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would hauehave told you. I goe to prepare a place for you. Ioh. 14.2.John 14:2For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away.Gen. ….…4. If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise, then how much more did he exclude himselfe from heauen? And the…efore all mankind sinning in him, was likewise depriued of heauen. The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie, cried out that they had sinned, and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud, that their praiers could not passe through.Lam. 3.44.Lam 3:44 And Esai saith, that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vsus. And S. Iohn, that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Ierusalem.Rev. 22.….Rev 22 Now seeing we hauehave shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes, it was requi…ite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vsus to prepare a place, and to make readie a way for vsus. For he is king ouer all, he hath the keies of heauen, he openeth and no man shutteth: & therfore it is in his power to l…t vsus in, though we hauehave shut our selues out. But some may say, if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen; then belike such as died before duplicate page duplicate page p. 400the comming of Christ were not in heauen. Ans. As there are two degrees of glorie, one incomplete and the other complete or perfect, (for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part, and there remaineth fulnesse of glory for them at the day of iudgement, when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together:) so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen. The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithfull from the beginning of the world, but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension. And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood.

The vse of this doctrine is very profitable. First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome, which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification, and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation, and purchase for our selues a place in heauen. But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vsus in the worke of our redemption, whereas in truth not onelyonly the beginning and continuance of our saluation, but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation, iustification, sanctification, glorification, is wholly and onelyonly to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ: and therefore hauing redeemed vsus on earth, he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vsus. Secondly, this serueth to condemne the fearefull, lamentable, and desperate securitie of these our daies. Great is the louelove of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vsus out of hell: and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vsus there: and yet who is it that careth for this place, or maketh any account therof? who forsaketh this world, & seekes vntounto Christ for it? And further, least any mā should say, alas, I know not the way: therfore Christ before he ascended, made a new & liuing way with his own blood, as the Apostle speaketh. And to take away all excuses frō men, he hath set markes and bounds in this way, and hath placed guides in it, namely his ministers, to shew all the passengers a straight and readie course into the kingdome of heauen. And though Christ hauehave done all this for vsus, yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such, that none almost walketh in this way, nor careth to come into this mansion place; but in stead of this, they walke in by waies, according to the lusts of their owne flesh. When they are commanded to goe eastward to Ierusalem, they turne westward an other way: when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen, they turne againe backeward, and goe straight to hell. Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen; but when the houre of death commeth, then they call for the guide; whereas all their liues before, they hauehave runne out of the way many thousand miles: but then, alas, it is too late, vnlesse it be the vnspeakable merciemercy of God. For they hauehave wandered so farre astray, that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe. Yet generally this is the state of most among vsus, whose securitie is so much the more grieuous and fearefull, because Christ hath done all that heart can wish. There is nothing else required, but onelyonly that by his grace we should walke in the way. There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies, but he will graunt, that this is most true which I say. Besides, as by this, we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age: so we may further p. 403learne our owne duties. Is Christ gone to heauen before hand to prepare a place for thee, then practise that which Paul teacheth:Phil. 3.10.Phil 3:10 HaueHave thy aaforeign.conuersation in heauen. The words which he vseth are verie significant, and the meaning of them is: Ye are free-denizens of the citie of God, and therefore as freemen in Gods house, let all your cares and studies, all your affaires and doings bee in heauen. In the world if a man make purchase of an house, his heart is alwaies there: there he pulls down and builds againe: there he makes him orchards & gardens: there he meanes to liue and die. Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vsus (the most blessed purchasse that euer was) and hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paide, euen his own pretious blood: and in this citie he hath prepared for vsus a dwelling place, and made vsus freedenizens of it: therefore all our ioy, and all our affaires ought to be there. It will be said, howe shall a man vponupon earth hauehave his conuersation in heauen. Ans. We must conuerse in heauen, not in bodie but in heart: and therfore, though our bodies be on earth, yet our hearts, ioy, and comfort, and all our meditation must be in heauen. Thus must wee behaue our selues, like good freemen in Gods house. It must be far from vsus, to hauehave our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world.

Thirdly, the consideration of this; that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vsus in heauen, & also hath trained the way with his owne blood, must make euerie one of vsus to striue to enter in at the straight gate, Luk. 13.24.Luke 13:24as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vsus: and that as wrastlers doe, which striue for life and death. Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vsus. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spaine or Turkie, so as if he would but come thither, hee might inioy it; would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea, and of his enemies also, if neede were, that he might come to his owne? Wel, behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vsus in heauen, & there is nothing required of vsus, but that we wil come & enioy it. Why then should men refuse any paines, or feare in the way? nay we must striue to get in. It may be, we shall be pinched in the entrance, for the gate is both strait and lowe, and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behind vsus, and the pleasures of this life; & enter we must, though we should be constrained to leaue our flesh behinde vsus. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worldes. And besides, if we loose it by fainting in the way, our purchase shall be the blacknesse of darkenes for euer with the deuill and all his angels: who therefore would not striue, though he lost his life in the gate? The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies. There is striuing enough for worldly preferment, but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen, he shall hauehave none to beare him company. And where are they that striue to enter in? where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen? where bee the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist.

Fourthly, if Christ hauehave prepared a place for vsus in heauen, then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers, and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter: As straungers and pilstrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soule. He that doth esteeme himselfe as pilgrime, is not to intangle p. 404himselfe with the affaires of this worlde, nor put in practise the behauiour thereof, but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen, as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries, according to the fashion of their owne. And therefore in thought, word, and deede, in life and conuersation, hee must so carrie himselfe, as thereby he may appeare to al the world of what countrie he is. An ancient diuine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire,Tertul. li…. de habit mul. biddeth them consider, whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no: and wheras they adorned themselues with winckles made of other womens haire, he askes them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be, he further demandeth howe it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God. The like may be said of all other sinnes: they that be of Gods house must behaue themselues as freemen there. And when God hath made vsus free, it doth not beseeme vsus to make our selues bondmen of sinne and Satan and of this world.

Fifthly, seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him, here is a good dutie for parents. Many of them are very carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses, and they are not to be blamed therefore: but if they would indeede be good parents to their children, they should first endeauour themselues to get roomes for them in heauen: they that doe this, are good parents indeede. Some will say, howe shall we get this preferment for them? Ans. God hath two houses, his Church, and the kingdome of heauen. The church is his house of grace, heauen is his house of glorie. Nowe if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glorie, then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace: bringing him vp so in the feare of God, that both in life and conuersation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church: and then assure thy selfe, that after this life, he shall be remooued to the second house of God, which is the house of glorie, and there be freeman for euer in the kingdome of heauen. And if thou shalt thus prouide for thy childe, thou shalt not leaue him as an orphan when thou diest, but he shall hauehave God for his father and Christ for his brother, and the holy Ghost his comforter. And therefore first of all and aboue all, remember to make thy child a member of Gods Church. Let the example of Dauid excite all parents hereunto:Ps…l. 8.3.10.Ps 50:8Ps 50:3Ps 50:10 I had rather (saith he) be a dore keeper in the hou…e of God, then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse. For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand …lse where.

Lastly, hence we may finde remed…e against the tediousnes of sicknes and feare of death. Thou which fearest death, remember that Christ is gone to heuen to prepare a place for thy bodie, where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed Trinitie and all the Saints and angels, though for a while it lie dead and rot in the graue. Remember this also, thou which continuest in any lingring sicknesse, Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee, wherein thou shalt rest in ioy and blisse without all paine or faintnes.

The fourth benefit is, that Christ ascended vp to heauen to send the comforter vntounto his Church. This was a speciall ende of his ascension, as appeares by Christs owne wordes:Ioh. 16.7.John 16:7 It is (saith he) expedient that I goe away, for if I goe not; the Comforter will not come, but if I depart I will sende him vntounto you. And againe;Io…. 14.16. I will pray vntounto the Father, and he shall giuegive you another comforter, which shall abide p. 405with you for euer, euen the spirit of trueth. But some wil say, howe can Christ send his spirit vntounto his Church, for the person sending and the person sent are vnequall; whereas all three persons in trinitie are equall, none greater or lesser then another, none inferiour or superiour to other. Ans. It is true indeede: but we must knowe, that the action of sending in the Trinitie makes not the persons vnequall, but onelyonly shewes a distinction and order among equalls. The father sends the sonne, the father and the sonne both send the Holy Ghost: yet the father is not aboue the sonne, neither the father or the sonne aboue the holy Ghost, but all are equall in degree, though in regarde of order one is before another: and it standeth with reason. For two men that are equall in degree, may vponupon mutuall consent one send another. But it may be further demanded, howe the holy Ghost can be sent which is eueryevery where? Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is eueryevery where, therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance, as of his operation whereby he renueth & guideth the members of Christ. Nowe then, this beeing so, here first we hauehave occasion to consider the miserie of the world. When a man is troubled in his minde (as no vngodly man, but sometime he feeleth the terrour of conscience for his sinnes) then hee labours to remooue it by merie company and pleasant bookes, whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to bee the comforter of his Church: and therefore when wee are troubled in conscience for our sinnes, we should not seeke ease by such slender meanes, but rather seeke for the helpe and comfort of the holy ghost, and labour to hauehave our sinnes washed away and our hearts purified and clensed by the bloode of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like meanes of comfort, neither at the day of death, nor at the day of iudgement shall they stand vsus in stead, or bee able to comfort vsus. Againe, when crosses and calamities fall, the counsell of the minister is not sought for, but the helpe of such as are called cunning men and cunning women is, that is, of charmers, inchanters, and figure-casters: a badde practise. Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit vntounto his Church and people, to be their guide and comforter in their calamities and miseries: and therfore when any man is in distresse, he should hauehave recourse to the right meanes of comfort, namly the word and Sacraments, and there he should find the assistance of the holy Ghost. Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes: when they shall say vntounto you: inquire at them which hauehave a spirit of diuination, and at the southsayers which whisper and murmure:Esa. 8.19.Isa 8:19 Should not a people inquire at their God from the liuing to the dead? to the lawe and to the testimonie. Rebecca,Gen. 25.22.Gen 25:22 when the two twinnes stroue in her wombe, what did shee? the text saith, shee sent to aske the Lord. Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God & seeke to the instruments of the deuill. To goe yet further, god vseth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his dearest children. Iudgement, saith Peter,2 Pet. 4.17. Luk. 13.16.Luke 13:16 beginnes at Gods house. S. Luke saith, that a certaine woman was bound of Satan eighteene yeeres, but what was shee? a daughter of Abraham, that is, a child of God. When the like condition shall befall any of vsus, let vsus remember the ende why Christ ascended vp to heauen: and pray vntounto God that he will giuegive vsus his spirit, that thereby we may be eased and deliuered, or else inabled to perseuere & continue in patience: and this is the true way and meanes to lighten & ease the p. 406burden of all afflictions. And for this cause Paul praieth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might, through his glorious power vntounto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse. Col. 1.10.Col 1:10For to whomesoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue, to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirit. Secondly, if Christ hauehave sent vntounto his church the holy spirit to be our comforter, our dutie is, to prepare our bodies and soules to bee fitte temples and houses for so worthie a guest. If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house, he would dresse it vp and hauehave all things in as good order as might bee: and shall not wee much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne, that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the Holy Ghost whome Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter. The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha, for shee said to her husband,…. King. 4.10. Let vsus make him a little chamber, I pray thee, with walls, and let vsus set him there a bed and a stoole, a table and a candlesticke. Nowe howe much more carefull ought we to be to entertaine God himselfe, who is content to come and dwell with vsus: and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace, that he may lodge, and suppe, and dine with vsus, as hee hath promised; but on the contrarie, if wee defile our bodies with sinne, wee banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts, and inuite the deuill to come and dwell with vsus. For the more a man defileth his bodie, the fitter and cleaner it is for him. And to cōclude this point, let vsus remēber that saying, which is vsed of some, that Christ when he went hence gaue vsus his pawne, namely his spirit, to assure vsus, that he would come to vsus againe, and also hee tooke with him our pawne,Tertul. namely his flesh, to assure vsus further, that we should ascend vp to him.

Thus much for the benefits of Christs ascension: Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued, and they are two. First, we must be here admonished, to renounce the vbiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords supper; as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascensiō into heauen. For it is flat against the nature of a true bodie to subsist in many places at once. Secondly, as the Apostles then did, when they sawe Christ ascending vp into heauen, so must wee doe also: while hee was present with them, they gaue him honour, but when they saw him ascending, they adored him with farre greater reuerence:Luk. 34.52. and so must we now for the same cause bowe the knees of our hearts vntounto him.

Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now followes the third in these words: And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie. In the handling whereof, we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes: secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church: thirdly, the duties that we are mooued vntounto. 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 bodie but a spirit: the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates, whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right handes, whome they purposed to aduance to any speciall office or dignitie. So, King Salomon when his mother came to speake with him,… Ki…g. 2.19. rose vp from his throne, and met het, & caused a p. 407seate to be set at his owne right hand, and set her vponupon it, in token, no doubt, of honour which he gaue vntounto her. To the same purpose Dauid saith, Psal. 45.9.Ps 45:9VponUpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold. And the sonnes of Zebedeus made suit to Christ,Math. 20.Matt 20 that one of them might sit at his right hand, and the other at his left in his kingdome. Now their request was to hauehave the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome. Thus we see it is manifest, that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authoritie and honour: and therfore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things. First, his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie, honour, and glorie: and in this sense it is saide,Phil. 2.…Phil 2 that to him is giuen a name that is aboue all names, that at the name of Iesus eueryevery knee shall bowe. Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome, which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth: So Dauid saith, The Lord said vntounto my Lord, Psal. 110.1…Ps 110:1Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole. Which place beeing alleadged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase, is thus set downe:1. Cor. 15.2…1 Cor 15:2 He shall raigne till he hauehave put all his enemies vnderunder his feete. And to speake in briefe, the scope of the wordes is to shewe, that Christ God and man after his ascension is aduanced to such an estate in which he hath fulnesse of glorie, power, maiestie, and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels. Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued. The first is the place where Christ is thus aduanced, noted in the former article, he ascended into heauen, and sits (namely in heauen) at the right hand of God. The place then where Christ Iesus in both his natures, as he is God and also man, doth rule in full glorie, power, and maiestie; is heauen it selfe. To which effect Paul saith,Eph. 1.20.Eph 1:20 God raised Christ from the dead, and put him at his right hand in the heauenly places. And in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide,Heb. 1.3.Heb 1:3 He sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in highest places. This …oint well considered, serues to discouer the ouersight of sundrie Diuines, which hold and teach, that to sit at the right hand of God, is to be eueryevery where in all places, and not in heauen onelyonly, that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christs manhood: which neuerthelesse the heauens must containe 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 againe and ascended into heauen, and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father. This order is also noted vntounto vsus by S. Paul:Rom. 8.24.Rom 8:24 Who shall condemne (saith he) it is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen againe, who is also at the right hand of God. And S. Marke saith, when Christ was risen againe he appeared to his disciples,Mark. 16.19.Mark 16:19 and after he had spoken vntounto them he was receiued into heauen, and sate 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 therfore an absolute and soueraigne King from all eternitie. Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father, he is coequall and coeternall with him in the regiment of his kingdome: and hath neither beginning, middle, or ending p. 408thereof; yet as Christ is God incarnate, and in one person God-man or Man-god, he began after his ascention and not before, to sit at the right hand of his father: & as S. Peter saith,Act. 2.36.Acts 2:36 was made Lord; partly because as he was God, he did then manifest himselfe to be that which indeede he was before, namely God and Lord of heauen and earth: and partly, because as he was man, he receiued dominion or Lordship from the father, which he had not before; & thereby was euen in his manhood exalted to be king of heauen and earth: and in this sense Christ saith of himselfe,Mat. …8.19.Matt 8:19 All power is giuen to me in heauen 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 Almightie; whereby is signified, that he receiues all the honour, power, & glorie of his kingdome from his father: as he, that is set at the right hand of a prince, receiues the honour & authoritie which he hath, from the prince. Nowe if it be alleadged, that by this meanes Christ shall be inferiour to his father, because he which receiueth honour of another is inferiour to him of whome he receiueth it: the answer is, that in Christ we must consider his person and his office: in respect of his person as he is the eternall sonne of God he is equall to the father, and is not here said to sit at his right hand: yet in respect of the o…fice which he beares, namely as he is mediatour, and as he is man, he is inferiour to the father, and receiues his kingdome from him. As he is God, he is our king and head, and hath no head more then the father: as he is mediatour, he is also our head, yet so as hee is vnderunder the father as beeing his head.1. Cor. 11.3.1 Cor 11:3 And we must not thinke it strange that one and the same thing should bee both equall and inferiour to another, diuers respects considered.

Nowe in that Christs placing at the right hand of his father argues inferioritie betweene the father & him, hence we learne that they are deceiued which from this article gather, that in the glorification of Christ there is a transfusion of the proprieties of the godhead, as omnipotencie, omniscience, omnipresence, &c. into his manhood. For this is to abolish all inferioritie and to make an equalitie betweene the creature and the creatour.

And whereas againe the word Almightie is repeated, it is done vponupon special reason: because Christs sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose omnipotencie. For in vaine were all power in heauen and earth giuen to him, vnlesse 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 receiue power and riches, R…v. 5.12.and wisdome, and strength, and honour, and glory, and praise.

The benefits which redound vntounto vsus by Christs sitting at the right hand of God are two, one concernes his priesthood, the other his kingly office. The benefit rising from his priesthood is his Intercession for vsus: for this is one of the endes why Christ is now exalted in glorie, and sits at the right hand of his father; namely to make request in the behalfe of all that come vntounto him, as Paul saith,Rom 8.3….Rom 8:3 Christ is risen againe, and sitteth at the right hand of God, and maketh request for vsus. Nowe that we may rightly vnderstand what his intercession is, wee are to consider these points. First to whome it is made: secondly, in what manner: thirdly, whether it be made by Christ alone or no: fourthly, what be the fruits p. 409and benefits thereof: fiftly, the duties whereunto wee are mooued thereby. For the first, Intercession is, to make suite, request, or intreaty in some ones behalfe to another: and this is done by Christ for vsus vntounto God,1. Tim. 2.5.1 Tim 2:5 as Paul saith, there is one God, and one mediatour betweene God and man, which is the man Christ Iesus. Here at the verie first ariseth a difficultie: for in eueryevery intercession there be three parties: the person offended; the person offending; the intercessour, distinct from them both. Now if Christ the sonne of God, make intercession to God for man, then hee maketh intercession to himselfe, because he is true God, which cannot be: howe then shall Christ be mediatour? Ans. This point hath so troubled the Church of Rome, that for the resoluing of it, they hauehave deuised an errour, auouching that Christ is mediatour onelyonly as he is man, not as he is God, which is vntrue. For as both natures doe concurre in the worke of satisfaction, so likewise they doe both concurre in the worke of intercession: and therefore a more meete and conuenient answere is this: Christ Iesus God-man in both natures, is directly our mediatour to the first person the father, as S. Iohn saith,1. Ioh. 2.1.1 John 2:1 If any man sinne, we hauehave an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christ the iust. And thus we hauehave three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished. The partie offended is God the Father; the partie offending is man: & thirdly the intercessour distinct frō them both is Christ the secōd person in Trinitie. For howsoeuer in Godhead he & the Father be one, yet in person they are really distinguished, and hee is as it were in the middle betweene the father and vsus: for the father is God and not man: wee that beleeue in Christ are men not God: Christ himselfe both man and God. It may be further replyed that this answere will not stand, because not onelyonly the father is offended, but also the sonne and the holy Ghost: and therefore there must be a mediatour to them also. Answer. The intercession of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediately: nowe the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost hauehave all one indiuisible essence, and by consequent one and the same will: whereupon the father beeing appeased by Christs intercession, the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are also appeased with him and in him. Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie, but yet immediately and directly to the first person and in him to the rest.

The second point to be considered, is the maner of his intercession vntounto his father. We must not imagine, that Christ nowe in heauen kneeles downe on his knees, and vtters wordes, and puts vp a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father; for that is not beseeming the maiestie of him that sits at the right hand of God. But the manner of his intercession is thus to be conceiued. When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalfe of another; first of al he must come into the presence of the king, and secondly make his request: and both these, Christ performeth for vsus vntounto God. For the first, after his ascension he entred into heauen, where he did present vntounto his father, first of all his owne person in two natures, and secondly the inualuable merits of his death and passion, in which he was well pleased. And we must further vnderstand, that as on the crosse he stood in our roome, so in heauē he now appears as a publike person in our stead, representing all the elect that shal beleeue in him, as the holy Ghost saith,Heb. 9.24.Heb 9:24 Christ Iesus ascended vp into heauen to appeare in p. 410the sight of God for vsus. And for the second, Christ makes request for vsus; in that he willeth according to both his natures, and desireth as he is man, that the father would accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of al that are giuen vntounto him. And that he makes request on this manner I prooue it thus. Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here vponupon earth, the same for substance it continues still in heauen: but here on earth the substance of his request was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with vsus for his merits, as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn, Father, Cap. 17. 24.I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am, that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me: for thou louedst me before the foūdatiō of the world. Therefore he still continues to make request for vsus by willing and desiring that his father would accept his merits in our behalfe. If it be alleadged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie, the answer is, that these actions were no essentiall parts of his praier. The prostrating of his bodie serued onelyonly as a token of submission to God, as Christ was a creature: and the speech which he vsed, serued onelyonly to vtter and expresse his request. Furthermore, a difference here must be marked between Christs passion and his intercession. The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for vsus; and it is, as it were, the tempering of the plaister: the intercession goes further: for it applies the satisfaction made, and laies the salue to the very sore. And therefore Christ makes request not onelyonly for the elect generally, but for particular men, as Paul, Iames, Iohn, and that particularly, as he testifieth of himselfe, saying, I hauehave praied for thee Peter, that thy faith faile not. If any shall say, that Christs willing and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession, the answer is, that in vertue and efficacie it cou…teruailes all the praiers in the word. For whatsoeuer Christ willeth, the same also the father beeing well pleased with him, willeth; and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as a mediatour willeth for vsus at the handes of his father, in effect or substance is a request or praier.

The third point is, that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for vsus. And this I prooue by induction of particulars. First of al this office appertaines not to the angels: They are indeede ministring spirits for the good of Gods chosen: they reioice when a sinner is conuerted; and when he dieth, they are readie to carrie his soule into Abrahams bosome: and God otherwhiles vseth them as messengers to reueale his will:Luk. ….…3. thus the Angel Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest, that God had heard his praier: but it is not once said in all the scriptures, that they make intercession to God for vsus. As for the Saints departed, they can not make intercession for vsus, because they know not our particular estates here on earth, neither can they heare our requests. And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vsus, wee should substitute them into the roome 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 vponupon earth; though withall we should say, that they doe this not by themselues but of God. As for the faithful here on earth indeed they hauehave warrant yea commandement to pray one for another: yet can they not make intercession for vsus. For first, he that makes interc…ssion must bring something p. 411of his owne that may be of value and price with God to procure the graunt of his request: secondly, he must doe it in his owne name: but the faithfull on earth make request to God one for another not in their owne names, nor for their owne merits, but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his own name, and for his owne merits, wee therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God and man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth. And whereas the Papists can not content themselues with his intercession alone, as beeing most sufficient: it argues plainely, that they doubt either of his power or of his will: whereupon their praiers turne to sinne.Iam. 1.6.Jas 1:6

The fruits and benefits of Christs intercession are these. First by meanes of it wee are assured, that those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer: at what time soeuer Christ, beeing now in heauen, and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father, shewes himselfe desirous and willing, and they whosoeuer they are being sinners, should be accepted of God for the same, euen then immediately at that very instant this his wil is done, and they are accepted as righteous before god indeede. When a man lookes vponupon things directly through the aire, they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are: but if they bee looked vponupon through a greene glasse, they all appeare greene: so likewise if God behold vsus as we are in our selues, we appeare as vile and damnable sinners: but if he looke vponupon vsus as we are presented before his throne in heauen, in the person of our Mediatour Christ Iesus, willing that we should be approoued for his merits: then we appeare without all spot and wrinkle before him. And this is the vse Paul makes hereof:Rom. ….…. It is God (saith he) that iustifieth: and the reason is rendred: For it is Christ that is dead, yea or rather which is risen againe, who is also at the right hand of God, and makes request for vsus.

Secondly Christs intercession serues to preserue al repentant sinners in the estate of grace: that being once iustified and sanctified, they may so continue to the ende. For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature, and falls into any particular sinne, then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hand to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore. For he continually appeares before God, and shewes himselfe to be willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man: and this is done, that a man beeing iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace, but for eueryevery particular sinne may be humbled and receiue pardon. If this were not so, our estate should be most miserable, considering that for eueryevery sinne committed by vsus after our repentance, we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God.

Thirdly Christs intercession serueth to make our good works acceptable to God. For euen in the best workes that a man can doe, there are two wants. First they are good onelyonly in part: secondly they are mingled with sinne. For as a man is partly spirit or grace and partly flesh: so are his works partly gratious and partly fleshly. And because grace is onelyonly begun in this life, therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinfull and imperfit. Now by Christs intercession p. 412his satisfaction is applied to our persons, and by consequent the defect of our workes is couered and remooued, and they are approued of God the father.Rev. 8.3.Rev 8:3 In a vision Saint Iohn saw an angel, standing before the altar with a golden censer full of sweete odours to offer vp with the praiers of the Saints vponupon the same. And this signifies, that Christ presents our workes 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 doe any thing that is accepted of God, it is not for our sakes, but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit.

Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen, breedeth and causeth in the hearts of men vponupon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit, as Paul saith,Rom. 8.26.Rom 8:26 He giueth vsus his spirit, which helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vsus with sighes which can not 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 stirres and mooues eueryevery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones vnspeakable to God for things needfull: and this grace is a fruit deriued from the intercession of Christ in heauen by the operation of the spirit. For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens, yet the beames of it descend to vsus that are on earth. So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tied as it were to his person alone, yet the grones and desires of the touched heart, as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull. And therefore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for vsus or no, we neede not to ascend vp into the heauens to learne the truth: but we must descend into our owne hearts and looke whether Christ hauehave giuen vsus his spirit, which makes vsus crie vntounto God & make request to him with grones & sighes that can not be expressed: and if we finde this in our hearts, it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for vsus in heauen. He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament, must not clime vp into the cloudes to looke, but search for the beames thereof vponupon the earth: which when he sees, he may conclude, that the sunne shines in the firmament. And if we would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for vsus, let vsus ransacke our owne consciences, and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in vsus, Abba, Father. As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them, their case is miserable, whatsoeuer they be. For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them, considering these two alwaies go togither; his intercession in heauen, and the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men, moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed, and to crie and to pray vntounto God for grace: and therfore all such, whether they be yong or old, that neuer could pray but mumble vp a few words for fashions sake, can not assure themselues to hauehave any part in Christs intercession in heauen.

The duties to be learned hence are these. First, whereas Christ makes intercession for vsus, it teacheth all men to be most carefull to louelove and like this blessed Mediatour, and to be readie and willing to become his seruants and disciples, and that not for forme and fashion sake onelyonly, but in all truth and sinceritie p. 413of heart. For he ascended to heauen, and there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for vsus, that we might be deliuered from hell and come to eternall life. Wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahashuerosh, for the destruction of all the Iewes, men, women, and children in his dominions: this done, Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued, and the letters of Haman reuoked; shee obtaines her request and freedome was giuen, and contrarie letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to all prouinces where the Iewes were. Whereupon arose a wonderfull ioy and gladnes among the Iewes, and it is saide,Hest 8.1…. that thereupon many of the people of the land became Iewes. Well now, behold a greater matter among vsus then this: for there is the hand-writing of condemnation, the law; and therein the sentence of a double death, of bodie and soule, and Satan as wicked Haman accuseth vsus, and seekes by all meanes our condemnation: but yet behold not any earthly Hester, but Christ Iesus the sonne of God is come downe from heauen, and hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation, and cancelled it vponupon the crosse, and is now ascended into heauen, and there sits at the right hand of his father, and makes request for vsus: and in him his father is well pleased, and yeeldeth to his request in our behalfe. Now then what must we doe in this case? Surely, looke as the Persians became Iewes when they heard of their safetie, so we in life and conuersation must become Christians, turne to Christ, imbrace his doctrine, and practise the same vnfainedly. And we must not content our selues with a formall profession of religion, but search our owne hearts, and flie vntounto Christ for the pardon of our sinnes, and that earnestly as for life and death as the thiefe doth at the barre, when the iudge is giuing sentence against him. When we shall thus humble our selues, then Christ Iesus that sit at the right hand of God will plead our cause, and be our atturney vntounto his father, and his father againe will accept of his request in our behalfe. Then shall we of Persians become Iewes, and of the children of this world become the sonnes of God. Secondly, when we pray to God, we must not doe as the blinde man doth, as it were, rush vponupon God in praying to him without consideration had to the Mediatonr between vsus and him, but we alwaies must direct our prayers to God in the name of Christ, for he is aduanced to power and glorie in heauen, that he might be a fit patrone for vsus who might preferre and present our praiers to God the father,Ioh. 16.2…John 16:2 that thereby they might be accepted and we might obtaine our request. So likewise we must giuegive thanks to God in the name of Christ: for in him and for his sake God doth bestow on vsus his blessings.

Thus much of Christs intercession: the other benefit which concernes Christ kingly office is, that he sits at the right hand of his father for the administration of that speciall kingdome which is committed to him. I say speciall, because he is our king not onelyonly by the right creation gouerning all things created togither with the father and the holy Ghost, but also more specially by the right of redemption in respect of another kingdome, not of this world, but eternall and spirituall respecting the very conscience of man. In the administration whereof he hath absolute power to commaund and forbidde, to condemne and absolue, and therefore hath the keyes of heauen and hell to open and shut; which power no creature beside no not the angels in heauen, p. 414can hauehave. For the better vnderstanding of this which I say, we are to consider, first the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church; secondly his dealing in respect of his enemies. And his dealing toward his owne Church stands in foure things. The first is the collecting or gathering of it: and this is a speciall end of his sitting at the right hand of his father. Christ said to his disciples, I hauehave chosen you out of this world: and the same may truly be saide of all the Elect, that Christ in his good time will gather them all to himselfe that they may be a peculiar people to God. And this action of his in collecting the Church, is nothing els but a translation of those whome he hath ordained to life euerlasting out of the kingdome of darknes, in which they hauehave serued sinne & Satan, into his own kingdom of grace, that they may be ruled & guided by him eternally. And this he doth two waies: first by the preaching of the word, for it is a powerfull outward meanes, whereby he singleth and forteth his owne seruants from the blind and wicked world, as Paul saith,Eph. 4.11.Eph 4:11 He gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some pastours and teachers, for the gath…ring togither of Saints. And hence we learne two things. The first, that eueryevery minister of Gods word, and eueryevery one that intendeth to take vponupon him that calling, must propound vntounto himselfe 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 Ieremie saith,Ier. 15.19.Jer 15:19 to separate the pretious from the vile. The second, that all those which will be good hearers of Gods word, must shew themselues so farre forth conformable vntounto it, that it may gather them out of the world, and that it may worke a change in them, and make them the seruants of Christ: and if the preaching of the word doe not worke this good worke in our hearts, then the ende will be a separation from the presence of God. Christ when he came neere Ierusalem, and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered vntounto him, wept ouer it, and saide,Math. 23.37.Matt 23:37 O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, thou which stonest the Prophets, and killest them that are sent vntounto thee, How often would I hauehave gathered thy children togither, as the henne gathereth her chickens vnderunder her wings, and thou wouldest not. And by this he teacheth, that if the preaching of the word turne not vsus to Christ, it turnes to our destruction.

The other meanes of gathering the Church, and that the more principall is, the inward operation of the spirit, whereby the minde is inlightened, the heart is mollified, and the whole man is conuerted to God. And this ordinarily is ioyned with the ministerie or preaching of the word, as appeares by the example of Lydia. Saint Luke saith,Act 16.Acts 16 God opened her heart to be attentiue 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 conuerted, and saide,Act. 9.6.Acts 9:6 Who art thou, Lord: what wilt thou that I doe? And this is manifest also by experience. There is nothing in the world more contrarie to the nature of man, then the preaching of the word: for it is the wisdome of God, to which the flesh is enimitie. Here then it may be demanded, how it can be in force to turne any man to God. Ans. The word preached is the scepter of Christs kingdome, which against the nature of man by the operation of the holy Ghost ioyned therewith, doth bend and bow the heart, will, and affections of man to the will of Christ.

p. 415The second worke of Christ is, after the Church is gathered, to guide it in the way to life euerlasting. He is the shepheard of his Church, which guideth his flocke in and out, and therefore Paul saith,Rom. 8.14.Rom 8:14 They that are Christs, are guided by his spirit. And by Esai the Lord saith, those his seruants which are turned from idolatrie, he will guide in the way,Esa 30 21.Isa 30:21 and their eares shall heare a voice behinde them, saying, This is the way, walke in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left. Which voice is nothing els but the voice of the holy Ghost in the mouth of the ministers, directing them in the waies of God. The children of Israel were trauelling from Egypt to the land of Canaan full fourtie yeares, whereas they might hauehave gone the iourney in fourtie daies. Their way was through the wildernes of Arabia, their guides were a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: the manner of their iourney was this: when the pillars mooued, they mooued; when the pillars stood still, they stood still: and so long as the pillars either mooued or stoode still, they likewise mooued or stood still. And by all this a further matter, namely the regiment of Christ ouer his Church, was signified. EueryEvery one of vsus are as passengers & trauailers, not to any earthly Canaan, but to the heauenly Ierusalem: and in this iourney we are to passe through the wild and desert wildernes of this world:Isa. 4.5.Isa 4:5 our guide is Christ himselfe, figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud: because by his word and spirit he sheweth vsus how farre we may goe in eueryevery action, and where we must stand, and he goes before vsus as our guide to life euerlasting.

The third worke of Christ is, to exercise his Church vntounto spirituall obedience by manifold troubles, crosses, temptations, and afflictions in this world, as earthly kings vse to traine and exercise their subiects.… When our Sauiour Christ was with his disciples in a shippe, there arose a great tempest vponupon the sea, so as the shippe was almost couered with waues; but he was asleepe; and his disciples came & awoke him, saying, Saue vsus master, we perish. Behold here a liuely picture of the dealing of Christ with his seruants in this life. His manner is to place them vponupon the sea of this world, and to raise vp against the… bleake stormes and flaes of contrarie windes by their enemies, the flesh, the deuill, the world. And further in the middest of all these dangers he for his owne part maketh as though he lay asleepe for a time, that he may the better make triall of their patience, faith, and obedience. And the endes for which he vseth this spirituall exercise are these. The first to make all his subiects to humble themselues, and as it were to goe crooked and buckle vnderunder their offences committed against his maiestie in times past. Thus Iob after the Lord had long afflicted him, and laid his hand sore vponupon him, saith,Iob 39 37. and 42.6.Job 39:37Job 42:6 Behold I am vile: and againe, I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes. In the same manner we being his subiects and people, must looke to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make vsus bend and bow for our sinnes past, as the olde man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age. The second, is to preuent sinnes 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 ouer the fire or ouer the water, as though he would burne or drowne it, whereas his purpose indeede is nothing els but to preuent daunger in time to come. In like manner Christs subiects are bolde to sinne by nature, and therefore to preuent a mischiefe p. 416chiefe he doth exercise them with affliction, and seemes for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church, but his meaning is onelyonly to preuent offences in times to come. The third ende is, to continue his subiects in obedience vntounto his commandements: so the Lord saith, when he would bring his Church from idolatrie:Ose. ….…. Behold, I will stop thy way with thornes, & make an hedge, that shee shall not find her pathes. The holy Ghost here borrowes a comparison from beasts, which going in the way, see greene pastures, & desire to enter in, & therefore goe to the hedge, but feeling the sharpnes of the thornes dare not aduenture to go in. So Gods people like vntounto wild beasts in respect of sinne, viewing the greene pastures of this world, which are the pleasures thereof, are greatly affected therewith: & if it were not for sharpnes of crosses & temptations, which are Gods spirituall hedge by which he keepeth thē in, they would range out of the way, and rush into sinne, as the horse into the battell.

The fourth and last worke 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 whatsoeuer they are: and this he doth two waies. First by giuing to his seruants sufficient strength to beare all the assaults of their enemies, the world, the flesh, and the deuill. For Paul saith, those to whome the Lord hath giuen the gift of faith,Phil. 1.29.Phil 1:29 to them also he hath giuen this gift to suffer afflictions. And the same Apostle also praieth for the Colossians,Col. 1 11.Col 1:11 that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vntounto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse. The euidence hereof we may most plainely 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 wonderfull to see their courage and constancie. For at such times as they hauehave beene brought to execution, they refused to be bound or chained, willingly suffering most cruel torments, without shrinking or feare; such courage and strength the Lord gaue them to withstand the violent rage of all their aduersaries.

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 weake and slender in it selfe, and contrariwise the power of the deuill exceeding great, yet can he not so much as touch the people of God. And he more preuailes 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 aboad for the Church of Christ in this world.

Thus we hauehave seene what are the workes of Christ in gouerning his church: and we for our parts that professe our selues to be members thereof, must shew our selues to be so indeed, by an experience of these works of his in our owne hearts. And we must suffer him to gather vsus vnderunder his owne wing, and to guide vsus by his word and spirit, and we are to acquaint our selues with those spirituall exercises, whereby his good pleasure is to nurture vsus to all obedience. Lastly, we must depend on his ayde and protection in all estates. And seeing we in this land, hauehave had peace and rest with the Gospell of Christ among vsus a long time, by Gods especiall goodnesse, we must now after these daies of peace looke for daies of tribulation: we must not imagine that our ease and libertie will continue alwaies. For looke as the day and p. 417night doe one follow another; so likewise in the administration of the church here vponupon earth, Christ suffereth a continuall intercourse betweene peace and persecution. Thus he hath done from the beginning hitherto, and we may resolue our selues that so it will continue till the end: and therefore it shall be good for vsus in these daies of our peace, to prepare our selues for troubles and afflictions: and when troubles come; we must still remember the fourth worke of Christ in the gouernment of his church, namely that in all daungers he will defend vsus against the rage of our enemies, as well by giuing vsus power and strength to beare with patience and ioy whatsoeuer shall be laid vponupon vsus, as also bridle the rage of the world, the flesh, and the deuill, so as they shall not be able to exercise their power and malice to the full against vsus.

Thus much of the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church and people. Now followeth the second point, namely his dealing toward his enemies; and here by enemies I vnderstand all creatures, but especially men, which, as they are by nature enemies to Christ and his kingdome, so they perseuere in the same enimitie vntounto the end. Now his dealing towards them is, in his good time to worke their confusion, as he himselfe saith,Luk. 19.27.Luke 19:27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne ouer them, bring them hither and slay them before me. And Dauid saith,Psal. 2.9.Ps 2:9 The Lord will bruise his enemies with a rodde of iron, and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell. And againe,and 110.1. I will make thine enemies thy footes…oole, As Iosuah dealt with the fiue Kings that were hidde in the caue;Ios. 10.24.Josh 10:24 he first makes a slaughter of their armies; then he brings them forth and makes the people to set their feete on their necks, and to hang them on fiue trees. So Christ deales with his enemies: he treads them vnderunder his feete, and maketh a slaughter not so much of their bodies as of their soules. And this the Church of God finds to be true by experience, as well as it finds the louelove of Christ towards it selfe. Now he confounds his enemies two waies. The first is by hardnesse of heart, which ariseth when God withdraweth his grace from man, and leaueth him to himselfe, so as he goeth on forward from sinne to sinne, and neuer repenteth to the last gaspe. And we must esteeme of it as a most fearefull and terrible iudgement of God: for when the heart is possessed therewith, it becomes so flintie and rebellious, that a man will neuer rel…nt or turne to god. This is manifest in Pharao, for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vponupon him and all the land of Egypt, yet would he not submit himselfe, saue onelyonly for a fit, while the hand of God was vponupon him: for after, he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea. And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull; because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie, he feeles no miserie. And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing; so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly & finally, a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing & re…oycing. And to come neere to our selues, it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vsus in these our daies. For where is any …u…ning to God by repentance. Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse. We hauehave had the word preached among vsus a long time, but it taketh no place in mens hearts. They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word: nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil, which the more it is beat with the hānmar, the harder it is. p. 418But in the feare of God, let vsus seeke to be changed, and take heede: the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull. Let vsus not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues; a man may hauehave good gifts of God, as the gift of knowledge, the gift of prophecie, the gift of conceiuing a prayer (I say not of praying truly:) and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case; and yet for all this hauehave nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart. For this cause it standeth eueryevery man vponupon to looke vntounto it, least this iudgement of God take hold on him. And that we may auoid the same, we must labour for two things: I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes, and be touched in conscience for them, euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof: this is a token of grace. II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ: we say indeede that we feele it, but it is a very great matter to hauehave an heart that doth open it selfe, and as it were gape after Christ, as the drie and thirstie land where no water is. Though we hauehave knowledge and learning neuer so much, and many other gifts of God, yet if we hauehave not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes, and the want of Christ, and that we stand in neede of eueryevery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes, our case is miserable. And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart, because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie, to kill and confound all those that be his enemies, and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke.

The second way is, by finall desperation; I say, finall, because all kind of desperation is not euill. For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation, it tends to his eternall comfort. But finall desperation is, when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting. Examples hereof we hauehave in Saul that slue himselfe, and in Achitophel and Iudas, that hanged themselues. This sinne is caused thus: So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance, so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vntounto his owne soule: and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart, and the huge waight of them all: whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie. God said to Cain, If thou doe amisse, sinne lyeth at …hy doore. Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts, who so long as they are sleeping stirre not; but beeing awaked, they flie in a mans face, and rend out his throat. In like maner the sinnes which thou committest, lie at the doore of thine heart, though thou feele them not: and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance, God will make thee to feele them once before thou die, and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience, that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell: and therefore it is good for eueryevery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our …innes, and become the friends of Christ, that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements.

And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen & earth, we are bound to performe vntounto him three duties, reuerence, obedience, thankfulnes. For the first, Paul saith,P…il. 1.10. God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names, that at the name of Iesus (which name, is his exaltation in heauen p. 419in full power and glorie) should eueryevery knee bowe. We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently, what reuerence then do we owe vntounto Christ the king of heauen and earth? Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment, when he might hauehave slaine him,1. Sam. 24.6.1 Sam 24:6 because he was the Lords annointed. On then, howe much more ought our hearts to be touched, if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king. Secōdly, we are here taught to performe obedience to him, & to do him all the homage we can. The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed: nowe the Church of Christ is a family, and we are members thereof: therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things: for all his commandements are iust. When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel,1. Sam. 10.…6.1 Sam 10:6 certaine 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 vsus toward Christ our Lord. Wee must hauehave our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vntounto him: if not, we are men of Belial that despise him. If this obedience were put in practise, the Gospel would hauehave better successe in the hearts of the people, and the Lords sabbath would be better kept, and men would beare greater louelove both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe. The third dutie which we owe vntounto him is thankfulnesse, for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vsus. When Dauid waxed olde, and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead, al the people shouted and cried,1. King. 1.34.1 Kgs 1:34 God saue king Salomon, God saue king Salomon, so as the earth rang againe. Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon, and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father, and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand? And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vntounto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie, though it be with the aduenture of our liues.2. Sam 25.15. 16. When Dauid desired to drinke of the water of the well of B…thlem, three of his mightie men went and brake into the hoast of the Philist…ms, and brought him water. Thus they ventured their liues for Dauids sake: and shall not we much more willingly venture our liues to doe Christ seruice in token of thankefulnesse for his continuall preseruing of vsus?

Thus much of the highest degree of Christs exaltation in his kingeome: nowe followeth the last point to be beleeued concerning Christ in these wordes, From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade. And they containe a proofe or a particular declaration of the former article. For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings doe execute iustice in courts or assises …or the maintenance of the state & peace of the kingdome: so Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father, that is, being made soueraigne Lord of all things both in heauen and earth, is to hold a court or assise, in which hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead. Nowe in handling the last iudgement, we are to consider these points: I. whether there shall be a iudgement or not? II. the time of it. III. the signes thereof. IV. the manner of it. V. the vse which is to be made thereof. Of these in order. For the first point, whether there shall be a iudgement or not? the question is needefull: for as Saint p. 420Peter saith,…. Pet …. There shall come in the last daies mockers, which shall walke after their lusts, and say, Where is the promise of his comming? which daies are nowe. The answer to this question is set downe in this article, in which we professe that the comming of Christ to the last iudgement, is a point of religion specially to be helde and auouched. The reasons to prooue it, are principally two: first the testimonie of God himselfe in the bookes of the olde and newe testament, which affoard vntounto vsus plentifull proofes touching the last iudgement, so as he which will but lightly read the same, shall not neede to doubt thereof. The second reason is taken frō the iustice and goodnes of God, the propertie wherof is, to punish wicked and vngodly men, and to honour and reward the godly: but in this world the godly man is most of all in miserie, (for iudgement beginneth at Gods house,) and the vngodly hauehave their hearts ease. W…cked Diues hath the world at will, but poore Lazarus is hunger bitten, full of sores, and miserable eueryevery way. This beeing so, it remaineth, that after this life, ther… must needes be a iudgement and a second comming of Christ, when the godly must receiue fulnesse of ioy and glorie, and the vngodly fulnesse of woe & miserie. This second reason may stoppe the mouthes of all gainesayers in the world whatsoeuer. But it may be obiected, that the whole world stands either of beleeuers or vnbeleeuers, and that there is no last iudgement for either of these: for the beleeuer, as Christ saith, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into iudgement; and the vnbeleeuer is condemned alreadie, Ioh. 5.24. Iob. 3.18.John 5:24Job 3:18and therefore needeth no further iudgement. Ans. Where it is said, he that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement, it must bee vnderstood of the iudgement of condemnation, and not the iudgement of absolution; and he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie in effect and substance three waies: I. in the counsell of God, who did foresee and appoint his condemnation, as it is a punishment of sinne, and an execution of his iustice. II. in the word of God, where he hath his condemnation set downe. III. he is condemned in his own conscience: for eueryevery vngodly mans conscience is a iudge vntounto himselfe, which doth eueryevery houre condemne him, and it is a forerunner of the last iudgement. And notwithstanding all this, there may remaine a second iudgement, which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begunne in this worlde: and therefore the meaning of that place is this; hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged in part, but so as the full manifestation thereof, shall be at the second comming of Christ.

The second circumstance, is the time of his iudgement: in handling whereof first let vsus see what is the iudgement of men, secondly what is the trueth. For the first, two opinions touching this time take place. The first is, that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde, and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned: and nowe since the beginning of the worlde, are passed fiue thousand & almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred. The groundes of this opinion are these. First the testimonie of Elias, two thousand yeares before the lawe: two thousand yeares vnderunder the lawe: and two thousand yeares vnderunder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened. Answer. This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite, but of another. p. 421Elias which was a Iewe no prophet. And wheras he saith: two thousand yeres before the lawe: and two thousand yeares vnderunder the lawe, he faileth. From the giuing of the law to the comming of Christ, was about one thousand and fiue hundred yeares… and from the lawe to the creation aboue two thousand. Now if Elias cannot set downe a iust number for the time past, which a meane man many do, what shal we think that he can do for the time to come? And if he deceiue vsus in that which is more easie to find, how shal we trust him in things that be harder? The secōd reason is this: How long god was in creating the world, so long he shall be in gouerning the same; but he was sixe daies in creating the worlde, and in the seuenth he rested, and so proportionally hee shall bee sixe thousand yeares in gouerning the world; eueryevery daie answering to a thousand yeares, as Peter saith: A thousand yeares are but as one day with God, and then shall the end bee. Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word: as for that place of Peter, the meaning is, that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God:A certen nu… ber put for an vncerten. and we may as well say, two thousand or tenne thousand yeares are but as one daie with God. For Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares, but of a long time. Thirdly it is alleadged, that within sixe thousand yeares from the creation of the world, shall appeare in the heauens straunge coniunctions, and positions of the starres, which signifie nothing els but the subuersion of the state of the world: nay, some hauehave noted that the ende thereof should hauehave beene in the yeare of our Lord, a thousand fiue hundred eightie eight: their writings are manifest: but we finde by experience that this opinion is false and friuolous, and their groundes be as friuolous. For no man can gather by the ordinarie course of the heauens, the extraordinarie change of the whole world.

The second opinion is, that the ende of the world shall be three yeares and an halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist. And it is gathered out of places in Daniel and the Reuelation, abused. Where a time and halfe a time signifie not three yeares and a halfe, but a short time. And therefore to take the wordes properly, is farre from the meaning of the holy Ghost. For marke, if the ende shall be three yeares and a halfe after the reuealing of Antichrist, then may any man knowe before hand the particular monethmonth wherein the ende of the world should be, which is not possible.

Nowe the trueth which may be auouched against all, is this, that no man can know or set down or coniecture the day, the weeke, the monethmonth, the yere, or aa100 yeares.the age, wherin the second comming of Christ and the last day of iudgement shall be. For Christ himselfe saith,Math. 24. 36.Matt 24:36 of that daie and houre knoweth no man, no not the angels in heauen, but God onelyonly may Christ himselfe as he is man knew it not. And when the disciples asked Christ at his ascension, whether he would restore the kingdome vntounto Israel, he answered,Act. 1.7.Acts 1:7 It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons, which the father hath put in his owne power. And Paul saith,1. Thess. 5.2.1 Thess 5:2 Of the times and seasons, brethren, you hauehave no neede that I write vntounto you. For you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lord shall come, euen as a thiefe in the night. Nowe wee knowe that a man that keepeth his house, can not coniecture or imagine when a thiefe will come: and therefore no man can set downe the particular time or age, when Christ shall come to iudgement. p. 422This must we hold steadfastly, and if we read the contrarie in the writings of men, we are not to beleeue their sayings, but account of them as the deuices of men, which hauehave no ground in Gods word.

To come to the third point, namely the signes of the last iudgement, they are of two sorts: some goe before the comming of Christ, and some are ioyned with it. The signes that goe before, are in number seuen, recorded distinctly by the holy Ghost. The first, is the preaching of the Gospel through the whole world. So our Sauiour Christ saith,Math 24.14.Matt 24:14 this Gospell of the kingdome must bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vntounto all nations, and then shall the ende come. Which place must thus be vnderstood; not that the Gospell must be preached to the whole world at any one time, for that (as I take it) was neuer yet seene, neither shall be; but that it shall bee published distinctly and successiuely at seuerall times: and thus vnderstanding the words of Christ, if wee consider the time since the Apostles daies, wee shall finde this to be true, that the Gospel hath beene preached to all the world; and therefore this first signe of Christs comming is alreadie past and accomplished.

The second signe of his comming, is the reuealing of Antichrist, as Paul saith,1. Thess. 2.3.1 Thess 2:3 The daie of Christ shall not come before there be a departure first, and that mā of sinne he disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition, which is Antichrist. Concerning this signe, in the yeare of our Lord 602. Gregory the eight pope of Rome, auouched this solemnly as a manifest trueth, that whosoeuer did take to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Bishop, the same was Antichrist. Now fiue yeres after, Boniface succeeding him, was by Phocas and Emperour entituled, Vniuersall Bishop, pastour of the Catholike Church, in the yeare of our Lord 607. and of all Popes he was the first knowne Antichrist, and since him all his successours hauehave taken vntounto thē the same title of Vniuersal and Catholike Bishop, whereby it doeth plainely appeare, that at Rome hath bin and is the Antichrist. And this signe is also past.

The third is, a generall departing of most men from the faith. For it is saide in the place before named, let no man deceiue you: for the day of Christ shall not come, except there be a departing first. …. The…s. 2 3.Generall departure hath bin in former ages. When Arius spread his heresie, it tooke such place that the whole worlde almost became an Arian. And during the space of 900. yeares from the time of Boniface, the popish heresie spread it selfe ouer the whole earth, and the faithfull seruants of God were but as an handfull of wheat in a mountaine of chaffe, which can scarse be discerned. This signe is in part already past, neuertheles 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 vsus in hād to labour for the knowledge of true religiō, & hauing learned it, most hartily to louelove the same.

The fourth signe is, a generall corruption in manners. This point the Apostle sets downe at large, saying,…. Tim. 3.…. Toward the latter daies shall come perilous times, wherein men shall be louers of themselues, couetous, boasters, proud, cursed speakers, disobedient to parents, vnthankefull, vnholy, and without naturall affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce, despisers of them which are good… traytours, headie, high minded, louers of pleasures more then louers of god, &c. This p. 423generall corruption in the manners of men, is noted by our Sauiour Christ, when he saith, When he commeth he shall scarse sinde faith vponupon the earth. This signe hath bin in former ages, and is no doubt at this day in the world. For it is hard to finde a man that walketh iustly, soberly, and faithfully, doing the duties of his calling to God and man.

The fifth signe of Christs comming stands in terrible and grieuous calamities. For Christs disciples asking him a signe of his comming, and of the ende of the world, he saith,Math. 24.6,1…Matt 24:6Matt 24:1 There shall be warres and rumours of warres, nation shall rise against nation, and realme against realme: and there shall be pestilence and famine and earthquakes in diuers places, and men shall be at their wittes endes. These hauehave bin in former ages. In the first three hundred yeares after Christ, were tenne most fearefull persecutions: and since in Europe the Church of God hath bin wonderfully persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome in the hundred yeares last past.

The sixth signe is, an exceeding deadnes of heart, so as neither iudgements from heauen, nor the preaching of the word shall mooue the hearts of men. So Christ saith, It shall be in the comming of the sonne of man, as it was in the daies of Noe, and in the daies of Sodom:Luk. 17.26.Luke 17:26 they knew nothing till the flood came, and fire from heauen destroied them all. This signe vndoubtedly is manifest in these our daies, howsoeuer it hath beene also in former times. For where are any almost that are mooued with Gods iudgements, or touched at the preaching of the word, nay rather men harden their hearts, and become secure and careles. The small fruit that the word of God bringeth forth in the liues of men, shewes this to be most true.