Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Text (10 of 13)

Exposition of the Apostles Creed · Text (10 of 13)

p. 378The vses to be made hereof, are these. VVhen S. Peter had set downe the change that shall be at the comming of Christ, and that heauen and earth must be purged with fire, he makes this vse thereof. Seeing all things must be dissolued, what manner of men ought we to be in holy conuersation & godlines? 2. Pet. 2.11.2 Pet 2:11and the reason is good. For if heauen & earth must be changed and purged at Christs comming, then much more ought we to be changed, & to put off the old man of sinne, & to become new creatures created after the image of God in righteousnes and true holines. If the bruit creatures must be renewed by fire, then much more are we to labour that the fire of Gods spirite may burne vp sinne & corruption in vsus, & so change vsus that we may be ready for him against his cōming: els heauē & earth it selfe shal stand vp in iudgemēt against vsus to our condemnation. Secondly the consideration of this, that the world shall be consumed with fire, teacheth vsus moderation and sobrietie in the vse of Gods creatures, as in costly buildings, gorgeous attire, and such like. VVhat madnes is this, to bestow all that we hauehave on such things, as at the day of iudgement shall be consumed with fire. For looke whatsoeuer abuse shall come to Gods creatures by our follie, the same shal then be abolished. Thirdly we must consider that the cause why heauen & earth must be consumed with fire, is mans sinne by means wherof they are made subiect to vanitie & corruption. Here thē we hauehave iust occasion to acknowledge the greatnes & wretchednes of our sinnes. If any of vsus had but seene the Iewes leprosie, it would hauehave made vsus to wōder: for the contagion thereof did infect not only the whole mā, but his garmēts also that were about him, & somtime the walls of his house: but howsoeuer we cānot now see that leprosie amōg vsus, yet we may p. 380see a worse. For the leprosie of our sins doth not onelyonly infect our garmēts, & the things about us, with our bodies, but euen the high heauēs & the earth are slained with the contagion thereof, and are made subiect to vanitie and corruption: yea by sinne in us the most glorious creatures in them, as the Sunne, Moone, and Starres are become subiect to vanitie. Oh then, how wretched is the heart of man, that makes no bones of sinne, which is the most noisome thing in all the worlde, the stinke whereof hath infected both heauen and earth. If we could consider this, we would not be so slacke in humbling our selues for the same as wee are. Wee can not abide to looke on a poore lazar full of blanes and sores, but if wee could see our sinnes in their right colours, they would make us seem unto our selues ten thousād times more ougly then any lazar man can be, the contagiō thereof is so great & noisome, that the verie heauens which are many thousand miles distant from us, are infected therwith. Yet here we are to know, that this fire shall not consume the substance of heauen and earth, but onelyonly change the qualitie, and abolish the corruption which our sinnes hauehave brought upon them.

The fourth point to be considered, is the manner of the last iudgement, in which wee may obserue two things: I. who shall be iudge: II. the proceeding of this iudge. The first is expressed in this article; From thence hee shall come to iudge▪ Hee, that is▪ Christ Iesus the second person in trinitie: For the father hath committed all iudgement unto him. It is indeede an action common to all the three persons in trinitie, but yet the execution thereof appertaines unto the sonne. The father indeed doth iudge the world, but yet by the sonne. But some may obiect,Mar. 19.28. that the Apostles shall sit on …velve thrones and iudge the twelve tribes of Israel. And S. Paul saith, The saintes shall iudge the world. 1. Cor. 6.2.1 Cor 6:2How then is this true, that Christ is the onelyonly iudge of the world. Answer. The authoritie of iudgement and giuing sentence at the last day is proper to Christ alone, and doth not belong either to the Apostles, or to the saints: and they shall iudge at the last day only as witnesses and apprpouers of Christs p. 380iudgement: at the great day of assise beside the iudge the iustices on the bench are also in a maner iudges, not that they giuegive sentence, but because by their presence they approoue and witnesse the equitie of the sentence of the iudge: so the definitive sentence doth belong to Christ: and the Apostles and saintes doe nothing but approoue his righteous sentence.

The whole proceeding of the last iudgement may be reduced to seuen pointes or heades. The first is the comming of the iudge in the cloudes. Here at the first it may be demaunded why Christ holdes the last iudgement rather on earth then in heauen. Ansvver. He doth it for two causes. One, the creature to be iudged hath sinned here upon earth: and he proceeds after the maner of earthly iudges, who hold their sessions and assises there where trespasses are commonly committed. The seconde, because the deuill and his angels are to be iudged, and it is a parte of their punishment to be cast out of heauen. For no uncleane thing may come into this heauenly Ierusalem, and therefore they now remaine in the lower parts of the world, & there must be iudged. Furthermore the second comming of Christ is sudden as the comming of a thiefe in the night. He will come when the worlde thinketh not of him as the snare doeth on the birde.Luk. 21.35.Luke 21:35 The consideration whereof must teach us the same duties which our Sauiour Christ taught the men of his time. First hee teacheth them what they must not doe: For hee knowing all things knewe also the disposition of mans heart, and therefore saieth, Take heede to your selves, least at any time your hearts be oppressed vvith surfetting and drunkennesse, and the cares of this life; least that day come vponupon you unavvares. For these sinnes benumme the heart, and steale away all grace. This exhortation in these our daies is most needefull. For mens heartes are like the smithes sti…hie, the more they are beaten with the hammer of Gods worde, the harder they are. Secondly hee teacheth them what they must doe: Watch therefore (saieth hee) and pray continually: That yee may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe, p. 381and that ye may stand before the sonne of man. But you will say: how may wee be founde worthy to stande before Christ at that day? Answere. Doe but this one thing: for your liues past be humbled before God, and come unto him by true, hearty, and unfained repentance, be changed and become newe creatures: pray unto him earnestly for the pardon of your sinnes in Christ, and pray continually that God will turne your heartes from your olde sinnes euerie day more and more: and then come the last iudgement when it will, ye shall be founde worthy to stand before Christ at his comming. The repentant sinner is hee, that shall finde fauour in the sight of God at that day. The consideration hereof may mooue us to change our liues. Those which were neuer yet humbled for their sinnes, let them now begin: and those which hauehave alreadie begon, let them goe forwarde and continue. But the deuill will crie in the hearts of some men, that this exhortation is as yet needelesse: for the day of iudgement is not neare, because all the signes thereof are not yet passed. Answere. Suppose the day of iudgement be farre off, yet the day of thy death can not be so: for the common saying is true, to day a man, to morrow none. Now looke as death leaveth thee, so shall the day of iudgement finde thee. Impenitent Cain died long since, and yet the day of iudgement when it commeth, shall finde him impenitent still. The same thing may be saide of Saul, Achitophel, and Iudas. They died desperately and impenitent, and the Lord shall finde them so at his comming. So it will be with thee, whatsoeuer thou art that repentest not. Death may come upon thee the next day or the next houre, therefore watch and pray. Prepare thy selfe against the day of death, that at the day of iudgement thou maiest be …ounde worthy to obtaine fauour in the sight of the Lorde. Securitie doeth ouerwhelme the vvorlde, but let us for our parts learne to prepare our selues daily: For if the day of death do leaue thee unworthy, then the Lord Iesus at his comming shall find thee unworthy: and the deuill shal stand before thee & accuse thee, thy conscience shall condemne thee, & hell shalbe ready to p. 382swallow thee up. If this admonition take no place in thy heart, then at the day of iudgement it shall stand against thee, and be a bill of inditement to thy further condemnation.

The second point followeth, that Christ after that hee is come in the cloudes shall sit in a throne of glorie as the soueraigne iudge of heauen and earth,Mat. 25.31.Matt 25:31 after the manner of earthly kings, who when they will shew themselues unto their subiectes in maiestie, power, and glorie, use to ascende into the thrones of their kingdomes, and there to shewe themselues and appeare in state vntounto all the people. Now what this throne is▪ and how Christ sittes in the same, the scripture hath not revealed, and therefore I will not stand to search. Yet here must we further marke, that this appearance of his in endlesse glory and maiestie shalbe most terrible and dreadfull to the ungodly,Dan. 7.9.Dan 7:9 and therefore in Daniel his throne is said to be like a flame of fire, and at the verie sight hereof men shall desire the mountaines to fall upon them and the hilles to couer them.

The third point is the citing of all men and of the angels before his maiestie in that daie, there to answer for themselues. This citing shall be done by the voice of Christ, as he himselfe saith:Ioh. 5.28.John 5:28 In that day all that are in the graues shall heare his voice, and they shall come forth. And here we are to consider two things: I. the power of this voice: II. the ministerie whereby it shall be uttered. For the first, No doubt the power of this voice shall be unspeakable, and therefore it is compared to a trumpet,Mat. 24.31. 1. Thes. 4.6.Matt 24:311 Thess 4:6 the loudest and shrillest of all musicall instrumentes; and to the crie of the mariners, whose manner hath bene in the doing of any businesse with all their strength at one instant to make a common shout. And sensible experience shall manifest the force thereof. For it shall cause all the deade euen from the beginning of the worlde to rise againe, though they hauehave lien rotten in the earth many thousande yeres: and all uncleane spirites shall be forced and compelled will they nill they to come before Christ, who shalbe unto them a most fearefull and terrible iudge, neither man nor angell shal be able to absent or hide p. 383himselfe: all without exception must appeare as well high as low, rich as poore: none shalbe able to withdraw themselues, no not the mightie Monarches of the earth.

Furthermore this voice shall be uttered by angels. As in the Church Christ useth men as his ministers by whome he speakes unto his people:Mat. 24.31.Matt 24:31 so at the last day he shall use the ministerie of angels, whome hee shall sende forth into the foure windes to gather his elect togither: and therefore it is likely that this voice shalbe uttered by them. And by this which hath bene saide, we must be mooued to make conscience of all sinne. For there is no avoiding of this iudgement, we can not absent our selues, no excuse will serue the turne: euen the most rebellious of all creatures whether mā or angell shall be forced to appeare: and therefore it stands us in hand, while wee hauehave time in this life, to looke unto our estates, and to practise the duties of Christianitie, that when we shall be cited before his glorious maiestie at the last day, we may be cleared and absolued.

The fourth point is the separation of the sheepe from the goates, the good from the bad; for when all the kinreds of the earth, & all uncleane spirits shall stand before Christ,Mat. 25 32.Matt 25:32 sitting in the throne of his glorie: then as a good shepheard hee shall separate them one from another, the righteous from the wicked, & the elect from the reprobate. He which knoweth the heartes of all men, knoweth also how to doe this, and he will doe it. This full and finall separation is reserued to Christ, and shall not be accomplished till the last day. For so it is in the parable, that the tares must grow with the wheate till haruest,Mat. 13.30.Matt 13:30 and then the reapers must separate them, and gather the wheate into the barne, but the tares must be burned with unquenchable fire. By the consideration of this one point, wee learne diuers things: I. that in the Church of God in this world good and badde are mingled togither, elect and reprobate: and we are not to imagine any perfection of the Church of God upon earth, as many hauehave dreamed, which when they could not find, they hauehave therefore forsaken all assemblies. I confesse indeede that the preaching of the word is the Lords fanne, whereby p. 384he clenseth his Church in part, but yet the finishing of this worke shall not be before the last iudgement. For when the ministers of God hauehave done all that they can, yet shall the wicked be mingled with the godly. Therefore the Church is compared to a barne store, where is both wheate and chaffe: & a corne field where there is both tares and good corne: and a draw net, wherein is both good fish and bad. Secondly, whereas this separation must not be before the end of the world, hence we learne the state of Gods church in this life. It is like a flock of sheep mingled with goates, & therefore the condition of Gods people in this worlde is to be troubled many waies by those with whome they liue. For goates use to strike the sheepe, to annoy their pasture, & to make their water muddie that they can not drinke of it:Eze. 34.18▪Ezek 34:18 therefore wee must prepare our selues to beare all annoiances, crosses, and calamities that shall befall us in this world by the wicked ones, among whome we liue. Thirdly we are taught, that howsoeuer the goates and the sheepe be very like, & feed in one pasture, & lie in one fold all their life time: yet Christ can & will seuer them asunder at the last day. Therefore considering as wee are borne of Adam wee hauehave the nature of the goate, yea of the wild beast, & not of the sheep, it stands us in hand to lay aside our goatish conditions, and to take unto us the properties of the sheepe of Christ which hee expresseth in these wordes, My sheepe (saith he) heare my voice, I know them, & they follow me. And the properties are three;Ioh. 10.27.John 10:27 to know him, to be known of him, and to follow him, namely in obedience: and he that finds them all in himselfe, weareth the brand and marke of the true sheepe of Christ: but contrariwise they that make profession of Christ, & yet therewithall ioyne not obedience, howsoeuer the worlde may account of them, they are but goates & no sheep. Let us therefore with the knowledge of Christ ioyne obedience to his word, that when the day shall come that the goats must be separated from the sheep, we may be found to be in the nūber of the true sheep of Christ. Wee may deceiue men both in life & death, & beare them in hand that we are sheepe, but when the iudgement shall p. 385come, we can not deceiue Christ: he it is that formed us, he knowes our harts, & therfore cā easily discern what we are.

The fift thing is the triall of eueryevery mans particular cause, a point especially to be considered. For as at the barre of an earthly iudge, the malefactour is brought out of prison and set before the iudge and there examined: euen so in that great day shall eueryevery man without exception be brought before the Lord to be tried. But how shal this trial be made. Ans. By workes: as the Apostle saith, Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, 2. Cor. 5.10.2 Cor 5:10that every man may receiue the thinges vvhichwhich are done in his body according to that hee hath done, whether it be good or evil. And the reason is, because workes are the outward signes of inward grace and godlinesse. And though we be iustified by faith alone without workes, yet may we be iudged both by faith and workes. For the last iudgement doeth not serue to make men iust that are not, but onelyonly to manifest them to be iust indeed, which were iust before and in this life truely iustified. The consideration of this very point should moue us all to repent us of our sins past & to reforme our selues throughout, & to be plentifull in all good works. And undoubtedly if wee seriously thinke upon it, it will holde us more straitly to all good duties, then if with the Papistes we held iustification by workes.

Furthermore in this triall tvvo things must be skanned: I. how all mens workes shall be made manifest. II. by what meanes they shall be examined. Of the manifestation of eueryevery mans vvork S. Iohn speaketh,Rev. 20.12.Rev 20:12 And I saw (saith he) the deade both great and small stande before God, and the bookes were opened: and another booke was opened, which is the booke of life, and the dead were iudged of these things which vvere written in the bookes according to their workes. God is saide to hauehave books not properly, but because al things are as certen and manifest to him, as if he had his Registers in heauen to keepe rolles and recordes of them. His bookes are three; the book of Prouidence, the book of Iudgement, the book of Life. The book of his providence is the knowledge of all particular things past, present, to come. Of this the Psalmist p. 386speaketh, Thine eyes did see me when I vvas vvithout forme: for in thy booke vvere all things vvritten vvhichwhich in continuance vvere fashioned, Psa. 159.16.vvhen there was none of them before. The booke of iudgement is that whereby he giues iudgement: and it is two-folde. The first is Gods knowledge or prescience, in which all the affaires of men, their thoughts, wordes, and deedes are as certenly knowen and set downe, as if they were put in bookes of record. Wee may forget our sinnes, but God keepes them in a register; he knovves them eueryevery one. The seconde booke is eueryevery mans particular conscience, which also brings to remembrence and testifies what men hauehave done and what they hauehave not done. The booke of life is nothing els but the decree of Gods election,Isa…. 4.3. in which God hath set downe who be ordained to life eternall.

Now the opening of these bookes is a thing wherin the endlesse power of God shall most notably shewe it selfe. For when we shall stand before the iudgement seate of Christ, he then knowing all things in his eternall counsell, shall reueale unto eueryevery man his owne particular sinnes, whether they were in thought, worde, or deede, and then also by his mightie power hee shall so touch mens consciences, that they shall a fresh remember what they hauehave done. Now indeede the wicked mans conscience is shut up as a closed booke, but then it shall be so touched, and as it were, opened, that he shall plainly see and remember all the particular offences which at any time he hath committed; & his very cōscience shall be as good as a thousand witnesses; whereupon hee shall accuse and utterly condemne himselfe. The consideration of this ought to terrifie all those that liue in their sinnes: For howsoeuer they may hide them from the worlde, yet at the last day God will be sure to reveale them all.

Now after that mens workes are made manifest, they must further be tried whether they be good or euill. And that shall be done on this maner. They that neuer heard of Christ must be tried by the law of nature, which serues to make them inexcusable before God. As for those that liue p. 387in the Church they shall be tried by the Law and the Gospell, as Paul saith, As many as have lived in the law, shall be iudged by the law. And againe,Rom. 2.12▪ vers. 16.Rom 2:12 At the day of iudgement God shall iudge the secrets of our hearts according to his gospell. And By faith Noah builded an arke, Heb. 11.7.Heb 11:7whereby he condemned the olde world. If this be true, then we must in the feare of God heare his word preached & taught with all reuerence & make cō science to profit by it. For otherwise in the day of iudgement when all our workes shalbe tried by it, the same word of God shall be a bill of indi…ement, and the fearefull sentence of condemnation against us. Therefore let us be humbled by the doctrine of the lawe, and willingly embrace the sweete promises of the gospell: considering it is the onelyonly touchstone, whereby all our wordes, thoughts & workes must be examined.

The sixt pointe in the proceeding of the last iudgement, is the giuing of sentence, which is twofolde: the sentence of absolution, and the sentence of condemnation, both which are to be obserued diligently, that we may receiue profit therby. And first of al Christ shal begin his iudgemēt with the sētēce of absolutiō, which shews, that he is ready to shew mercy & slow to wrath. In this sentence wee are to consider foure pointes: I. a calling of the elect to the kingdome of heauen: II. the reason thereof: III. a reply of the elect: IV. the answere of Christ to them againe. The calling of the elect is set downe in these wordes,Mat. 25.34.Matt 25:34 Come yee blessed of my father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. And the wordes are to be obserued one by one. Come ye blessed] Though Christ now sit in glorie and maiestie in iudgement, yet hee ceaseth not to shew his tender affection of louelove unto his chosen. And this ouerthroweth the opinion of the Church of Rome, which would hauehave us rather to come vntounto Christ by the intercession of saints, then by our selues immediatly, because he is now exalted in glorie and maiestie. But mark, when he was heare on earth, hee saide, Come vntounto me all yee that are heavy laden and I vvill ease you. And when hee shall be most glorious in maiestie and power at the day of iudgement, p. 388hee will then also say, Come ye blessed of my father: and therfore we may resolue our selues, that it is his will now, that we should come unto him without any intercessiō of saints. Yee blessed of my father] The elect are here called the blessed of God, because their righteousnes, saluation, and all that they hauehave springs of the meere blessing of God. Nothing therefore must be ascribed to the workes of man. Inherit] that is, receiue as your inheritance: therefore the kingdome of heauen is Gods meere gifte. A father giueth no inheritance unto his sonne of merite, but of his free gifte: whereupon it followes, that no man can merit the kingdome of heauen by his workes. The kingdome] that is, the eternall estate of glorie and happinesse in heauen: therfore in this life we must so use this worlde, as though we used it not: all that we hauehave here is but vaine and transitorie: and all our studie and endeauour must be to come to the kingdome of heauen. Prepared) Here note the unspeakeable care of God for the faithfull. Had he such care to prouide a kingdome for his children before they were? then wee may assure our selues, he will hauehave greater care ouer them now when they hauehave a being. For you) that is, for the elect and faithfull. Hence it appeares that there is no uniuersall election whereby God decrees that all and eueryevery man shal be saued. Indeed if he had said, Come ye blessed of my father, inherite the kingdome prepared for all but received of you, it had beene something, but he saieth onelyonly, Prepared for you: and therefore all were not chosen to saluation.

The reason of this calling, is taken from workes as from signes, in these wordes, For I vvas hungry and yee gave mee meate, &c. When he saith, for I was hungry, hee meanes his poore members upon earth: and thereby he signifies unto us that the miseries of his members are his owne miseries. Thus the Lord saith in Zachary,Zach. 2.8.Zech 2:8 He which toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. And when Saul was going to persecute them that called on the name of Christ in Damascus,Act. 9.4.Acts 9:4 hee cried from heauen, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And this is a notable comfort to Gods Church and people,Heb. 4.15.Heb 4:15 that they hauehave an high priest that is touched p. 389with the feeling of our infirmities: and if hee accompt our miseries his owne miseries, then no doubt hee will pity our estate and make us able to beare the worst. And yee gave mee meate) Here wee note, that the principall workes of men are those which are done to the poore members of Christ: wee are indeed to helpe all in as much as they are our verie flesh and the creatures of God; the rule of S. Paul being remembred, Doe good to all, but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith. Gal. 6.10.Gal 6:10Many are of mind that the best works are to build Churches & Monasteries, but Christ tells us here, that the best work of all is to relieue those that be the liuing members of his mysticall body.

The third point is the reply of the saints to Christ againe in these wordes, Lorde, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? &c. They doe not denie that which Christ auouched, but doe, as I take it, standing before the tribunall seat of God, humble themselues, hauing stil an after consideration of the infirmities and offences of their liues past. Here note then, that it is a Satanicall practise for a man to bragge of workes and to stand upon them in the matter of iustification before God. And wee must rather doe as the saintes of God doe, abase our selues in regard of our sinnes past.

The last point is the answere of Christ to them againe, in these wordes, Verily, I say unto you, in as much as yee did it to the least of these my breethren, you did it to me. A most notable sentence: and it serueth to teach us, how wee should and ought to behaue our selues in doing workes of merciemercy, which are duties to bee perfourmed in this life. We are not to doe them of any sinister respect, as for praise of men or commodity, but wee must propound unto our selues the party to whome wee doe any good, and in him looke on Christ, and so doe it, as unto Christ and for Christes sake onelyonly; and this is a good worke indeede. Christ saith, Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall not loose his reward. It is but a small gift, but yet the maner of doing it,Mar. 10.42▪Mark 10:42 namely in the name of a disciple, that is, in respect that he is a member of Christ, p. 390doth make it an excellent worke of merciemercy. It is a speciall marke of a childe of God to shew mercy on a christian because he is a christian. If any would know whether he be a christian or no, let him search himselfe, whether he louelove a man, and can doe good unto him, because he is a childe of God, and a member of Christ: For this is a plaine argument, that he also is the childe of God. Many can louelove, because they are loued againe, but to lo…e for Christ his sake, is a worke of Christ in us and a speciall gift of God.

The sentence of condemnation followes in the seconde place: and it containes foure points: I. the reiection of the ungooly: II. the reason of their reiection: III. the defence which the wicked make for themselues: lastly, the answere of Christ to them againe. The reiection of the wicked is uttered by a terrible sentence, Away from mee yee cursed into hell fire. The use hereof in generall is twofold. First it serves to awake and excite all men and women in the worlde whosoeuer they be that shall heare it, to looke unto their owne estates. It is wonderfull to see what great securitie reigneth eueryevery where in these our daies. Men goe on in sinne from day to day and from yere to yere without repentance, nothing at all fearing the sentence of condemnation at the last day; like unto many which for the obtaining of other mens goods are neither by the feare of arraignment or imprisonment kept in good order. The occasions of securitie are twofolde: I. the prosperitie of the wicked who of all men liue most at ease without trouble, either in body or in minde. II. Gods patience and long suffering, as Salomon saith, Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily, Eccles. 8.9.Eccl 8:9therefore the hearts of the children of men is fully set in them to doe evill. But to avvake all those which liue in this securitie, they must remember that howsoeuer the Lord God doth now deferre his iudgement, yet there is a day wherin he wil no way shew mercy & long suffering, when they shall heare this fearfull sentēce of condēnation pronounced against them, Away from me ye… cursed. The second use is to the godly: It serues to nurture them & to keep thē in awe before god: & no doubt, this was p. 391a principall cause why this sentence▪ was here penned by the holy ghost. A wise master of a family will checke his seruant, and if the cause require, correct him in his childes presence, that the childe it selfe may learne thereby to feare and stand in awe of his father: so Christ the most carefull and wise gouernour of his Church hath set downe this sentence of condemnation against the wicked, that the children of God in this world whensoeuer they shall heare or reade the same, might be mooued thereby to stande in great feare of God, and more dutifully perfourme obedience to his commaundements. Away from me] Here wee may learne, what a blessed thing it is for a man to hauehave true fellowship with Christ in this worlde. For in the day of iudgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him, and driuen away from his presence. Now hee that would hauehave fellowship with God after this life, and escape that punishment, must seeke to hauehave it in this life: and hee that will not seeke to hauehave fellowship with him in this life, shal neuer hauehave it after in the day of iudgement. Again, let us mark that it is nothing to draw nere unto Christ with our lippes, if the heart be not with him: for such as come nere with the lippe and hauehave kept aloofe in the heart, shall heare the sentence pronounced▪ Away f…om me ye cursed ▪ & shall be seuered as farre from Christ as hell from heauen. Therefore let us not content our selues with formall profession, but open the dores of our heartes that the king of glory may come in. Yee cursed.] They are cursed who are borne in sinne and liue in their sinnes, and all the daies of their liues so perseuere to the last gaspe without seeking recouerie. Whosoeuer he be that is in this estate, the curse of God hangeth ouer his head, and will so do till hee get reconciliation with God in Christ. This being so, aboue all things in this world we must labor to be at peace with God, and neuer cease nor be quiet with our selues till we hauehave the same wrought and sealed in our hearts. For before such time as we be in Gods fauour, his fearfull curse hangs ouer our heads, & if we so perseuere without repentance, the day will come when we shall heare this fearefull p. 392sentence pronounced against us: Away from me ye cursed into hell fire. What hell fire is, we must not curiously search, but rather giuegive our whole endeauour to learne how we may auoid it: as when a mans house is on fire, his care must be, not to search how it came, but rather how to quench it: yet we are to know thus much, that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame, but it signifies the seazing of the fearful & terrible wrath of God both on body and soule for euer. For howsoeuer the body be subiect to burning with fire, yet the soule being spiritual can not burn; & therfore hell fire is not a materiall fire, but a grieuous tormēt fit resembled therby. Prepared for the divell and his angels.) There is in eueryevery mās heart by nature this corruption: whereby when he sinneth, he thinkes that there is no daunger but all is well, having as Esai saieth, made a covenat with hell. But here consider, that although the deuill was once an angell of light, yet when he had sinned, he could not escape hell: it was prepared euen for him. Now then shall ungodly men which are not halfe so wily thinke to escape?

Nowe followeth the reason of their reiection in these wordes: For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate, &c. Hence we learne these two points: I. that all mans religiō & seruing of God is in vaine, if so be we shew no cōpassion towarde the poore members of Christ, in feeding, clothing, lodging, & visiting of them. For we must thinke, that many of those against whom this reason shalbe brought, did know religiō & professe the same, yea they prophesied in the name of Christ, & called on him, saying, Lord, Lord: & yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them, because they shewed no cōpassion toward the mēbers of Christ, & therfore it is a principall vertue, & a speciall note of a christian, to shew the bowels of cōpassion towardes his needy breethren. Here againe we note, that it is not sufficient for us to abstaine frō euil, but we must also do good. For it is not said, I was an hungred and ye tooke meate from me, but, When I was hūgry ye gave me no meat. They are not charged with doing euill,Mat. 3.Matt 3 but, for not doing good. S. Iohn saith, The axe is laid to the root of the tree, & the reason followes, not because p. 393the tree bare euil fruite, but because it bare not good fruit: therfore it must be cast into the fire. This condemnes a bad opinion of all worldly men, who thinke that all is well, & that God will be mercifull unto them, because they do no man harme. Thus we see how the deuill blindes the eyes of men▪ for it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement to say, I hauehave hurt no man, unlesse we further doe all the good we can.

The third point is the defence which impenitent sinners make for themselues in these wordes, Lorde, when saw we thee an hungred, or thirstie, or naked, or in prison, or sicke, and did not minister unto thee? Thus in their owne defence, that which Christ saith they gainsay, & iustifie themselues. Here mark the nature of all impenitent sinners, which is to sooth & flatter thēselues in sinne, & to maintaine their own righteousnes, like to the proude Pharisie in his praier, who bragged of his goodnes & said, Lord, I thanke thee, Luk. 1….10.Luke 1:10that I am not as other men are, extortioners, &c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sortes among us, iustifie themselues in their strong faith, and bragge of their zeale of gods glory, and of their louelove to their brethren, and yet indeede shew no signes thereof. And truly wee are not to maruell when we se such persons to iustifie themselues before men, whereas they shall not be ashamed to doe it at the day of iudgement before the Lord Iesus himselfe.

The last point, is Christes answere to them againe in these wordes: Verily, I say vntounto you, in as much as yee did it not to one of the least of these, yee did it not to me. This sentence beeing repeated againe, doeth teach us the lesson which wee learned before, that when wee are to shewe compassion to any man, especially if hee be a member of Gods Church, we must not cōsider his outward estate or his basenesse, in that he vvantes foode or raiment, but beholde Christ in him, not respecting him as a man, but as a member of Christ. This it is that must mooue us to compassion, and cause us to make a supply of his wants more thē any respect in the worlde besides. And surely when Christ in his members p. 394comes to our do…es and complaines that he is hungry and sicke, and naked, if our bowels came not towardes him, there is not so much as a dramine of the louelove of God in vsus.

The seventh point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is, the retribution or reward in these words: and they shall goe into everlasting paine, and the righteous into life eternall. How doe the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heaven? Answ. By the powerfull & commaunding voice of Christ, which is of that force, that neither the greatest rebell that euer was among men, nor all the diuels in hell shal be able to withstand it. And seeing that after the day of iudgement we must remaine for euer either in heauen or in hell, we are to looke about us, and to take heede unto our hearts. Indeed if the time vvere but a thousand or two thousand yeres, then with more reason men might take libertie to themselues: but seeing it is without end we must be most carefull through the whole course of our lives so to liue & behaue our selues, that when the day of iudgement shall come, we may auoid that fearful sentēce of euerlasting woe & condēnation, which shalbe pronounced against the wicked. And wheras all wicked men shall go to hell at Christs commandement, it teacheth us, willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the worde. For if we rebell against his voice in this world, vvhen in the day of iudgemēt sentence shal be pronounced against us, we shall heare another voice, at the giuing whereof, vve must obey whether vve will or no, and thereupon go to euerlasting paine, whither vve vvould not. Let us therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past, and onelyonly relie upon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all, and for the time to come leade a nevv reformed life.

Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement. Novv follovv the uses thereof, vvhichwhich are either comforts to gods church or duties for all mē. The first comforte or benefite is this, that the same person vvhichwhich died for us upon the crosse to work ou… redemption, must also be our …udge. And hence vve reape tvvo speciall comfortes. I. The people of God shall hereby inioy full p. 395redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life. So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the end of the world saith to his disciples: When you see th…se things, lift vp your heads for your redemptiō draweth nere. Luk 21.18.Luke 21:18Thē he shall wipe all teares from their eies. Secondly, we shall hereby hauehave a finall deliuerance from all sinne. Now what a ioyfull thing it is to be freed from sinne, may plainely appeare by the cry of Saint Paul: Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death? And certen i… is, that he which knowes what sinne is, and seriously repents him of the same, would wish with all his heart to be ou… of this world, that he might leaue off to sinne, and thereby to displease God.

The second comfort is this: the godly in this worlde hauehave many enemies: they are reuiled, slaundred, and oftentimes put to death: well, Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take eueryevery mans case into his owne hand: he will then heare the complaint of the godly, howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie: and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vponupon the earth,Apoc. 6.10.Rev 6:10 according to their praier. This comfort is to be considered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world.

Now follow the duties to be learned of eueryevery one of vsus, and they are diuerse. First, the consideration of the last iudgement serueth to teach all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners, repentance and humiliation for their sinnes, and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vntounto Christ for the pardon of the same. When Paul preached to the Athenians, he willed them to repent vponupon this ground & reason, because the Lord hath appointed a day wherin he will iudge the world in righteousnes. To speake plainly;Act. 17.31▪Acts 17:31 we can be content to heare the worde, and to honour him with our lippes, yet for the most part all is done but for fashions sake: for still we liue in our old sinnes: our hearts are not turned: but in the feare of God let vsus bethinke our selues of the time, when we shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth, and hauehave all our sinnes laide open, and wee p. 396must answer for them all. This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vntounto repentance: and assuredly if this will not mooue vsus, there is nothing in the world will. Secondly, to this purpose Paul saith, If we would iudge our selues, we should not be iudged. Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day?1. Cor. 11.311 Cor 11:31 then in this life iudge thy selfe. Now a man in iudging of himselfe, must performe foure things: I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes: II. he must confesse them before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe, and as a iudge vponupon the bench giuegive sentence against himselfe. Lastly, he must plead pardon, and cry vntounto God as for life and death, for the remission of all his sinnes: and he that doth this vnfainedly shall neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day: but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life, then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come.

Thirdly, by this we may learne one not to iudge or condemne another, as Paul saith, Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come, 1. Cor. 4.3.1 Cor 4:3who lighten things that are hidde in darknes, and make the counsells of the hearts manifest. And Christ saith, Iudgement is mine: and, Iudge not, and ye shall not be iudged. And againe Paul saith to the Romanes, Why doest thou iudge thy brother? Rom. 14.10.Rom 14:10for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ: but some will aske, how doth one iudge another? Answer. Thus: I. when a man doth well, to say of him that he doth euill: II. when a man doth euill, then to make it worse: III. when a thing is doubtfull, to take it in the worst part. And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons, or of their actions.

Fourthly, we must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men. This is the practise of Saint Paul, who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vntounto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust,Act. 24.15.Acts 24:15 endeauoured himselfe to hauehave alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men. His example is worthie our marking and imitation; for fewe there be that vponupon this occasion make any conscience either of dutie to p. 397God or to their brethren.

Fifthly, the last iudgement must stirre vsus vp to a reuerend feare of God, and cause vsus to glorifie him: as the angel saith in the Revelation, Feare God and giuegive glorie to him: for the houre of his iudgement is come. Rev. 14.17.Rev 14:17And doubtles if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord it is this, to remember the fearefull and terrible day of iudgement.

Now hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father, and also of the sonne, it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person, in these words, J beleeue in the holy Ghost. In which we may consider two things, the title of the person, and the action of faith repeated from the beginning. The title is, holy Ghost, or Spirit. It may here be demaunded, how this title can be fit to expresse the third person, which seemes to be common to the rest: for the father is holy, and the sonne is holy: againe the father is a spirit, and the sonne is a spirite. Answer. Indeede the father and the Sonne are as well to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures, as the third person: for all three subsisting in one and the same Godhead, are consequently holy by one and the same holines: but the third person is called holy, because beside the holines of natures, his office is to sanctifie the Church of God. Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a worke of the whole Trinitie, the answeare is, that although it be so, yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the holy Ghost in speciall maner. The father sanctifieth by the Sōne and by the holy Ghost: the Sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the holy Ghost: the holy Ghost sanctifieth frō the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly: and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy. Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit, not only because his nature is spirituall (for in that respect the father is a spirite and the sonne is a spirit;) but because he is spired or breathed frō the father and from the sonne, in that he proceeds from thē both. Thus we see there is speciall cause why the third person is called the holy Ghost.

Now the action of faith which concernes the third person, is to beleeue in him. Which is, I. to acknowledge the H. p. 398Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word. II. In speciall to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter. III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him, for that cause. In these words are comprised foure points of doctrine, which are to be beleeued concerning the H. Ghost. The first, that he is very God. For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone. And no doubt the pennars of the Creed in that they prefixed these words, I beleeue in, before the article of the third person, meant thereby to signifie that he is true God, equall with the father and the sonne, according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues. Peter saith to Ananias: Why hath satan filled thine heart, Act. 5.3.4.Acts 5:3Acts 5:4that thou shouldest lie vntounto the holy Ghost? and continuing the same speach, he chaungeth the tearme onelyonly, and saith, Thou hast not lied vntounto men, but vntounto God. Whereby he insinuateth that the holy Ghost is very God. In the vision of the Prophet Isai, the wordes by him set down are thus: I heard the voice of Iehoua, saying, whome shall I send, Isa. 6.9.Isa 6:9&c. and he said, go and say to this people: Ye shall heare in deede, but ye shall not vnderstand. But Paul quoting the same place, spake on this maner: Well spake the H. Ghost by Esay the Prophet, Act. 28.15.Acts 28:15saying, goe vntounto this people and say vntounto them. Now these places being compared together make it plaine, that the title of Iehovah, agreeth to the holy Ghost. But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke, that the holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God, obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie: I. God knoweth the Sonne: the holy Ghost knoweth not the Sonne: for none knoweth the sonne but the father: Mat. 11.27.Matt 11:27ergo the holy Ghost is not God. Answer. That place excludeth no person in Trinitie, but onelyonly creatures, and false gods, and the meaning is this: None, that is, no creature, or idole god, knoweth the sonne of God, but the father. And the opposition is made to exclude creatures, not to exclude the holy Ghost. Againe they obiect, that the holy Ghost maketh request for vsus with groanes and sighes that cannot be vttered:Rom. 8.26.Rom 8:26 ergo the holy Ghost is not God, but rather a gift of God. For he that is true God can not pray, groane, or sigh. Answer. Pauls p. 399meaning is thereby to signifie that the holy Ghost causeth vsus to make requests, and stirreth vp our heartes to groane and sigh to God: for he said before, we hauehave receiued the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father. Rom. 8.15.Rom 8:15Yet further, they obiect the wordes of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie, saying,Luk. 1.3….Luke 1:3 The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee: and hence they gather, that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God, then he is not God indeede. Answ. As Christ is called the word of God, not a word made of letters or syllables, but a substantiall word, that is, beeing for euer of the same substance with the father: so in this place the holy Ghost is called the vertue of the most highest, not because he is a created qualitie, but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father & the sonne: & therfore God equal with them both. Furthermore they alledge, that neither the Scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vsus to pray to the holy Ghost. Ans. It is not true. For whensoeuer we direct our praier to any one of the three persons, in him we pray to them all. Besides, we hauehave example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God. For Paul saith to the Corinthians,2. Cor. 13.13.2 Cor 13:13 The grace of our Lord Iesus, the louelove of God the father, and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all. And the words are as if Paul had said thus; O father, let thy louelove, O sonne, let thy grace, O holy Ghost, let thy fellowship be with them all. And therefore this first doctrine is true, and as wel to be beleeued as any other, that the holy Ghost is God.

The second point is, that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne. Hereupon the articles touching the three persōs are thus distinguished, I beleue in the father, I beleeue in the sonne, I beleeue in the H. Ghost. This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinctiō. In the baptisme of Christ, the father vttereth a voice from heauen, saying, This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleased: & not the Sonne,Math. 15.16.Matt 15:16 or the holy Ghost. Secondly the Sonne stoode in the water, and was baptised by Iohn, and not the Father, or the holy Ghost. Thirdly, the holy Ghost descended from heauen vponupon p. 400Christ in the forme of a doue; and not the father, or the sonne, but the holy Ghost alone. Christ in his commission vntounto his disciples, saith, Goe teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the father, Matt. 28.19.Matt 28:19the sonne, and the holy Ghost. Now if the holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father, or with the sonne, then it had beene sufficient to hauehave named the father and the sonne onelyonly. And the distinction of the third person from the rest, may be conceiued by this, that the holy Ghost is the holy Ghost, and not the father or the sonne.

The third point to be beleeued is, that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne. For a further proofe hereof, consider these places. Paul saith, Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit: Rom. 8.9.Rom 8:9for the spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any mā hauehave not the spirit of Christ, he is not his, & againe,Gal. 4.6.Gal 4:6 Because ye are sonnes, God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts: where we may obserue that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne. Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father, not onelyonly because he is sent of him, but because hee proceedeth from the father; as Christ saith to his disciples: When the comforter will come, whome I shall send vntounto you from the father, Ioh. 15.26.John 15:26euen the spirit of truth, which proceedeth of the father, he shall testifie of mee. And therefore likewise he is the spirit of the sonne, not onelyonly because he is sent of the sonne, but also because he proceedeth from him. Againe, in the trinitie the person sending doth communicate his whole essence and substance to the person sent. As the father sending the sonne doth communicate his essence and substance to the sonne. For sending doth presuppose a communication of essence. Now the father and the sonne send the holy Ghost: therefore both of them communicate their substance and essence vntounto the same person. Thirdly Christ saith, The holy Ghost hath receiued of mine, Ioh. 14.16.John 14:16which he shall shew vntounto you, namely knowledge and truth, to be reuealed vntounto his Church. Whēce we may reason thus: the person receiuing knowledge from an other, receiues essence also: the H. Ghost receiueth truth & knowledge p. 401from Christ to be reuealed vntounto the Church: & therfore first of all he hath receiued substance and essence from the sonne. But some peraduenture will say, where is it written in all the Bible in expresse words, that the holy Ghost proceeds frō the sōne as he proceeds frō the father. Ans. The Scripture saith not so much in plaine tearmes; yet we must know that that which is gathered forth of thē by iust cōsequēt, is no lesse the truth of God, then that which is expressed in words. Hereupon all Churches, saue those in Greece, with one consent acknowledge the truth of this point.

The fourth and last point is, that the holy Ghost is equal to the father & the sōne. And this we are taught to acknowledge in the Creede, in that we doe as well beleeue in the holy Ghost as in the father and the sonne. And though the holy Ghost be sent of the father & the sonne, yet (as I hauehave said before) that argues no inequalitie (for one equal may send an other by consent) but order onelyonly, wherby the Holy Ghost is last of all the three persons. Againe in that the H. Ghost receiueth from the sonne, it prooues no inferioritie. Because he receiues from the sonne whatsoeuer he receiues by nature, and not by grace. And he receiues not a part, but all that the sonne hath, sauing the proprietie of his person.

Now follow the benefits which are giuen by th H. ghost, & they are of 2. sorts: some are cōmō to all creatures, & some are proper to men. The benefit of the H. Ghost common to all creatures, is the worke of creation & preseruation▪ For all things were created & made, & afterward preserued by the H. Ghost. So Elihu saith, The spirit of God hath made me. And Moses saith,Iob 33.4. Gen. 1▪2▪Job 33:4Gen 1:2 In the beginning the spirit mooued vponupon the waters. The phrase is borrowed from a bird, who in hatching of her young ones sits vponupon the egges, mooues her selfe vponupon them, and heates them. And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his owne power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made, and caused it to bring foorth the creatures. This beeing euident that the holy Ghost hath a stroake in the worke of creation and preseruation, we must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created, and since that p. 402time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person.

The benefits proper vntounto men, are of two sorts: some are common to all men both good and badde, and some proper to the elect and faithfull. The benefits common to all men are diuerse: I. the gift of practising a particular calling. As in the bodie seuerall members hauehave seuerall vses; so in eueryevery societie seuerall men hauehave seuerall offices and callings, and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof, are from the holy Ghost. When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites, it is said he was cloathed with the spirit. Iud. 6.34.Judg 6:34Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle, were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding,Exod 31.3.Exod 31:3 and in all workemanship, to finde out curious workes, to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse; also in the art to set stones, and to carue in timber, &c. By this it is manifest, that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man, but comes by the holy Ghost. And by this we are taught to vse all those gifts well, wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings, that they may serue for the glorie of God, and the good of his Church: and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit, or else liue inordinately, doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of the holy Ghost, which one day they must answeare for.

The second gift common to all, is Illumination, whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word.Heb. 6.4.Heb 6:4 The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts: and the like hauehave all men by nature, to whome the word of God is foolishnes. Paul at his conuersion was smitten blinde, and skales were vponupon his eyes: the like also be ouer the eies of our mindes; and they must fall away before we can vnderstand the will of God. Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eies. And for this very cause hee is called the annointing and eyesalue: for as it doth cleare the eyes,1. Ioh. 2.20. Apoc. 3▪18.1 John 2:20Rev 3:18 and take away dimnesse from them; so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes, that we may p. 403see into the truth of Gods word. This beeing a common gift, and receiued both of good and badde, it standeth vsus in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word, but therewithall we must ioyne obedience, and make conscience thereof, or else that will befall vsus which Christ foretold,Luk. 12.4… ▪Luke 12:4 that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

The third gift of the holy Ghost, is the gift of prophecie,1. Cor. 12.1… ▪1 Cor 12:1 whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures. Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to eueryevery man, yet is it common both to good and badde. For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say, Master we hauehave prophecied in thy name, he shall answer again, I neuer knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquitie. Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie, and hauehave receiued the gift of prophecie, must not herewithall be puffed vp. For if they be not as wel doers of Gods will, as teachers, their gifts wil turne to their further condemnation. As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the floode came were drowned, because they would not obey Noahs preaching: so those that hauehave the gifts of prophecie, and are builders in Gods house, if they build not themselues as well as others, for all their preaching at the day of iudgement, they shal be condemned▪ and therefore it standeth them in hande, not to content themselues with this, that they know and teach others Gods wil, but they themselues must be the first doers of the same.

The fourth common gift of the holy Ghost, is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections, so as they shall not breake out into outragious behauiour. Haman a wicked man, & an enemie to Gods Church, when he saw Mordecai the Iew sitting in the kings gate, & that he would not stand vp nor moue for him, he was full of indignatiō, neuertheles the text saith, that he refrained himselfe. And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife,Hest. 5.10▪ God said vntounto him: I know that thou diddest this with an vpright heart: and the text addeth further, I hauehave kept thee, Gen. 20.6.Gen 20:6that thou shouldest not sinne against me. And thus the Lord giueth to p. 404men, as yet without the spirit of sanctification, this gift to bridle them selues, so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne. For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie? surely because God kept him from it. Againe, in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust, liberall, meeke, continent, &c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature for the common good. Here then if any man aske, how it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuill then others, seeing all men by nature are equally wicked, the answeare may be▪ not as the common saying is, because some are of better nature then others (for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature: the childe new borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued) but the reason is, because God giueth this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others. This must be considered of vsus all. For a man may hauehave the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes, and yet neuer hauehave the spirit to mortifie the same, and to make him a new creature. And this beeing so, we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues. For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuilitie, & to keepe in some of his affections vponupon some occasion (for that a wicked man may doe) but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit of God, not onelyonly bridling sinne in vsus, but al…o mortifying and killing the same. In deede both of them are the good gifts of Gods spirit, but yet the mortification of sinne is the chiefest, beeing an effectuall signe of grace, and proper to the elect.

The fifth grace and gift of the holy Ghost is, to heare and receiue the word of God with ioy. In the parable of the sower, one kinde of badde grounde are they, which when they hauehave heard, Luk. 8.13.Luke 8:13receiue the word with ioy. And this is that which the author of the Hebrues calls the tasting of the good vvord of God, and of the povvers of the vvorld to come. We knowe that there is great difference betweene tasting of meate and eating of it. They that sit downe at the table doe both tast and eate, but they that dresse the p. 405meate doe onelyonly see and tast thereof: so it is at the Lords table. Many there be that hauehave this gift, truly both to tast and eate of the bodie and bloode of Christ offered in the word and sacraments: and some againe doe onelyonly tast and feele the sweetenesse of them and reioyce therein, but yet are not indeede partakers thereof. Now if this be so, then all those which heare the worde of God must take heede how they heare, and labour to finde these two things in themselues by hearing: I. that in heart and conscience they be thoroughly touched and humbled for their sinnes: II. that they be certēly assured of the fauour and louelove of God in Christ, and that the sweete promises of the Gospell doe belong to them: and in consideration hereof they must make conscience of all sinne both in thought word & deede, through the whole course of their liues. And this kinde of hearing bringeth that ioy which vanisheth not away.

Thus much of the benefits of the holy Ghost common to all men both good and bad: now follow such as are proper to the Elect▪ all which may be reduced vntounto one▪ namely the Inhabitation of the spirit, whereby the elect are the temples of the H. Ghost: who is said to dwell in men, not in respect of substance (for the whole nature of the H. Ghost cannot be comprised in the bodie or soule of man) but in respect of a particular operation: and this dwelling stands in two things. The first that the holy Ghost doth abide in them, not for a time onelyonly, but for euer: for the worde, dwelling, noteth perpetuitie. Secondly, that the holy Ghost hath the full disposition of the heart, as when a man commeth to dwell in an house, whereof he is lord, he hath libertie to gouerne it after his owne will: now this disposition of the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost, standeth in fiue speciall & notable gifts, eueryevery one worth our obseruation.

The first is a certen knowledge of a mans owne reconciliation to God in Christ. As it is said in Isai, By his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many. Esa. 53.11.Isa 53:11And Christ saith, This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onelyonly very God, and vvhome thou hast sent Jesus Christ. Ioh. 17.3.John 17:3This p. 406knowledge is not generall, for then the deuils might be saued; but it is particular, whereby a man knoweth God the father to be his father, and Christ the redeemer, to be his redeemer, and the holy Ghost to be his sanctifier and comforter. And it is frō the speciall worke of the H. Ghost, as Paul saith,Rom. 8.16.Rom 8:16 The spirit of God beareth witnes to our spirits, that we are the children of God. And, we hauehave receiued the spirit which is of God, 1. Cor. 2.12.1 Cor 2:12that we might knowe the things that are giuen vntounto vsus of God.

The second gift is regeneration, whereby a man of a limme of the deuill is made a member of Christ, and of a child of satan (whome eueryevery one of vsus by nature do as liuely resemble as any man doth his owne parent) is made the child of God. Except a man (saith our Sauiour Christ) be born againe by water and the spirit, Ioh. 3.5. Math. 3.11.John 3:5Matt 3:11he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen. Iohn Baptist in saying that Christ baptized with the H. Ghost and fire, compares the spirit of God to fire and water. To fire for two causes: I. as it is the nature of fire to warme the bodie that is benummed and frozen with cold: so when a man is benummed and frozen in sinne, yea when he is euen stark dead in sinne, it is the propertie of the holy Ghost to warme and quicken his heart, and to reuiue him. II. Fire doth purge and eate out the drosse from the good mettall: now there is no drosse nor canker that hath so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man, and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man. Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes: I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe, and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man. II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie: euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes, which are the filth of our nature; and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost. By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdō of God, & hauehave the H. Ghost to dwell in him, must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by p. 407the same holy spirit: and if a man would know whether he hauehave this worke wrought in him or no, let him marke what S. Paul saith, They that are of the spirit, sauour the things that are of the spirit: but they that liue after the flesh, Rom. 8.5.Rom 8:5sauour the things of the flesh. If therefore a man hauehave his heart continually affected with that which is truly good, either more or lesse; it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed, and he regenerate: but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne, and the things of this world, he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated. As for example: if a man hauehave all his minde set vponupon drinking & gulling in of wine and strong drink, hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els, it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate, because it affects the things of the flesh; & so of the rest. And on the cōtrary, he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God, in practising the works of charitie & religion, he I say, hath a spirituall and a renewed heart, and is regenerate by the holy Ghost.

The third worke of the holy Ghost is, to gouerne the hearts of the elect: this may be called spirituall regiment. A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne, orders & gouerns it according to his owne will: euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all thē in whō he dwelleth, as Paul saith, they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit, Rom. 8.14.Rom 8:14a most notable benefit: for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth, there he wil be Lord, gouerning both heart, minde, will, and affections; and that two waies: I. by repressing all badde motions vntounto sinne, arising either from the corruption of mans nature, from the world, or from the deuill. II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vponupon eueryevery occasion: so it is saide, The flesh (that is, the corruption of mans nature) lusteth against the spirit: Gal. 5.17.Gal 5:17and the spirit (that is, grace in the heart) lusteth against the flesh; and that after a double sort: first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof: secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion. In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles: The spirit of the Lord: the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding: the spirit of counsell, and of strength: p. 408Esa. 11▪2.Isa 11:2the spirit of knowledge, and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called, because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly, of wisedome, of knowledge, of strength, of vnderstanding, of counsell, and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith, that the fruits of the spirit are ioy, peace, louelove, long suffering, gentlenes, goodnes, faith, meekenes, temperance, &c. all which are so tearmed,Gal. ….22. because where the H. Ghost ruleth, there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace: but among all the inward motions of the spirit, the most principall are these: I. an vtter disliking of sinne, because it is sinne. And that is, when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes, as to his owne, and seeing them▪ is truly sorowfull for them, and disliketh them, and himselfe for them, not so much because there is a place of torment, or a day of iudgement to come, wherin he must answer to God for them all: but as if there were no hell or iudgement, because God is displeased by them, who hath beene vntounto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world, to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes. This is a motion of the H. Ghost, which no man can hauehave but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell. The third, the gift of heartie praier. For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications, because it stirreth vp the heart,…ach. 12.10. & makes it fit to pray: & therefore Paul saith, that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities: for we knowe not what to pray as we ought, Rom. 8.26.Rom 8:26but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vsus with sighes which cannot be expressed. This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue: and he that would know whether he hauehave the spirit dwelling truly in his heart, shall know it by this: A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes, if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same, it is aliue: being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre, it is dead. In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier, but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God, is in a miserable case, and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe: and therefore let p. 409vsus learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God, considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God.

The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is, comfort in distresse, and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he w…ll sende: and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes, Ioh. 15.26. Psal. 45.9.John 15:26Ps 45:9because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse. There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe: I. outward calamities, as when a man is in any daunger of death, when he looseth his goods, his good name, his friends, and such like. The second thing is, a troubled conscience, whereof Salomon saith, A troubled spirit, who can beare it? and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be. When as the hand of God was heauie vponupon Iob, this was the soarest of all his affliction, and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule. Now what is the comfort in this case? Answer. In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vsus, to make vsus reioyce and to fill vsus with comforts that no tongue can expresse. And hereupon, the vngodly man when afflictions befal him, is readie to make away himselfe, because he wanteth the comfort of the holy Ghost.

The last benefit wrought in the hearts of the elect is, the strengthening of them to doe the weightiest duties of their callings: and hence the holy Ghost is called the spirit of strength. Esa. 11.2.Isa 11:2There be diuerse things to be done of a Christian man that are farre beyond the reach of his power; as first, when he seeth his owne sinnes and is truly humbled for them, then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen, and thereby to catch hold on the merciemercy of God in Christ, is the hardest thing in the whole world: and this doe all those know to be true in some part, which know what it is to beleeue. Secondly it is as hard a thing in the time of temptation to resist temptation, as for p. 410drie wood to resist the fire when it begins to burne. Thirdly, when a man is put to his choice, either to loose his life, goods, friends, and all that he hath, or else to forsake religion; euen then to forsake all and to sticke vntounto Christ, is a matter of as great difficultie as any of the former. Fourthly, when a man wanteth the ordinarie meanes of Gods providence, as meat, drinke, and cloathing, then at the very same instant to acknowledge Gods prouidence, to reioyce in it, and to relie thereon, is as much as if a man should shake the whole earth. It is against our wicked nature to trust God, vnlesse he first lay down some pawne of his louelove and merciemercy towards vsus. How then, will some say, shall any one be able to doe these things? Answer. The holy Ghost is the spirit of strength, and by him we doe al things, as Paul saith, J am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me.…hil. 4.12.

Concerning these gifts of the holy Ghost, two questions may be mooued. First, what is the measure of grace in this life. Answer. Small in respect. In this world, we receiue, as Paul saith, but the first fruits of Gods spirit: and the earnest of the spirit. …om. 8.23. …. Cor. 1.22.Nowe the first fruits properly are but as an handfull or twaine of corne, to a whole corne field, containing many acres and furlongs of ground. And the earnest in a bargaine it may be is but a pennie laid downe for the paying of twentie thousand pound. The second question is, whether the graces of the H. Ghost may be wholly lost or not. Answer. The common gifts of the spirit may be lost and extinquished: But the gifts proper to the Elect can not. Indeede they may be diminished and couered as coales vnderunder ashes, and as the sappe in the roote of the tree in the winter season, not appearing at all in the braunches; and the feeling of them may be lost: but they cannot either finally or totally be abolished. It is true that God doth forsake his children; but that is only in part, as he left Ezechias to prooue & try what was in his heart. A mother that loues her child most tenderly,…. Chr. 32.31 sets it downe in the flore, lets it stand & fall & break the face, and all this while shee hides her selfe, not because her purpose is to leaue p. 411her childe quite, or to make it hurt it selfe; but that when shee taketh it up againe, it may louelove her the better. So dealeth the Holy Ghost with men to make them see their own weakenesse & frailtie: he hides himselfe as it were in some corner of the heart for a season, that they may the more earnestly hunger after grace, the want whereof they felte.

The use of this article whereby we confesse that we beleeue in the Holy Ghost is manifold. First, considering that all the giftes which any man hath, whether they be giftes of knowledge in the worde of God, or of humane learning, or againe giftes whereby men are inabled to practise their trades or handicraftes, doe come not from our selues but from the holy ghost, we are taught this dutie. Looke what giftes soeuer we for our partes hauehave receiued of the spirit of God, we must use them so, as they may euer serue for the glorie of God and good of our brethren, and not to the practising & setting forth of any maner of sinne, and by consequent to the seruice of the deuill. For that is as if a man receiuing riches and reuenues of his prince should straight way go to the princes enemie & employ them for his benefite; which were a point of exceeding trecherie.

Furthermore in eueryevery place the greater part of men are blind and ignorant persons both young and olde: and aged folkes as they are ignorant themselues, so they nuzzle up their youth in ignorance. Conferre with them, you shall find that they can say nothing but that which may be learned by common talke, as that there is a God, and that this God must bee worshipped: but aske them further of the meanes of their saluation, and of their duties to God and man, and they will answere you that they are not booke-learned: tell them further that the ordinarie means to bring men to knowledge is the preaching of the word, which if they will not use, they shalbe inexcusable; they will say, alas, we are dull of memorie and can not learne. Well, for all this, thou saiest thou beleeuest in the holy ghost, and hee is thy schoole-master to teach thee: though thy capacitie be dull, yet he is able to open thine understāding: for as there is outwarde teaching by the minister, so the worke of the p. 412holy ghost is ioyned withall to enlighten the conceit of the minde, that they which heare the worde with reuerence may profite thereby and get knowledge. But if for all this men will not learne, but remaine ignorant still, then let them marke the example of the sonnes of Eli: he in some part did rebuke them for their wickednesse, but yet they woulde not obey; and the reason is there set downe, because the Lorde would destroy them. In the same manner howsoeuer we may not iudge of any mans person,1. Sam. 2.25.1 Sam 2:25 yet this may be said, that if men refuse to heare the worde of God when they may, or if in hearing they will not obey, it is a fearefull signe that God will at length destroy them. When a trumpet is sounded in a mans eare, and hee lyes still, not stirring at all, hee is certenly deade. And surely when the trumpet of the gospell is sounded in the eares of our hearts, if we awake not out of our sinnes to newnesse of life, wee are no better then deade men before God. Wherefore the case beeing thus dangerous and the punishment so great, let us labour in time for the knowledge of Gods will, and preuent Gods iudgements before they light upon us.

Thirdly, as the Apostle saith, If we live in the spirite, vvee must walke in the spirit, Gal. 5.25.Gal 5:25that is, if we be dead unto sinne by the power of the holy ghost, and be raised up to newnesse of life, then we must walke in the spirite. Now to walke in the spirite, is to leade our liues in shewing forth the fruites of the spirite.Esa. 44.3, 4.Isa 44:3Isa 44:4 In Esai the holy ghost is compared unto water powred foorth on the drie land, which maketh the willowes to blossome and to beare fruite: wherefore those that hauehave the giftes of the spirit must be trees of righteousnes bringing forth the fruits of the spirit, which (as they are set downe by Paul) are principally nine.

The first fruit is love, which respects both God and man. LoueLove unto God is an inwarde and spirituall motion in the heart, whereby God is loued absolutely for himselfe. This louelove shewes it selfe in two things. I. when a mans heart is set and disposed to seeke the honour and glorie of God in all thinges. II. when a man by all meanes strives and endeauours himselfe to please God in eueryevery thing, counting p. 413it a most miserable estate to liue in the displeasure of God: and the hearte that is thus affected, can hauehave no greater torment then to fall into sinne, whereby God is offended and his displeasure prouoked. By these two signes a man may know whether he louelove God or no, and by them also must hee testifie his louelove. Now our louelove to man is a fruite of this louelove of God: for God is to be loued for himselfe: man is loued for God. This louelove must not be in shew onelyonly, but in deede and action. Saint Iohn biddeth us not to louelove in worde and tongue onelyonly,1. Ioh. 3.18.1 John 3:18 but in deed and trueth. Brotherly louelove doth not alwaies lie hid, but when an occasion is offered, it doeth breake forth into action; it is like fire, which though for a time it be smothered, yet at length it breakes forth into a flame. And so much louelove a man sheweth to his neighbour as he hath, and where none is shewed, none is.

The second fruite is Ioy, when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbor as at his own good: & this is a speciall worke of the holy ghost. For the nature of man is to pine away and to grieue at the good of another; and it is a worke of grace to reioyce thereat. Paul saieth, Reioyce vvith them that reioyce. Rom. 12.15.Rom 12:15And this was the holy practise of the friendes and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth, when Iohn Baptist was borne,Luk. 1.58.Luke 1:58 They came and reioyced with them.

The third fruit of the spirit is Peace. Of this Paul speaketh most excellently, saying, If it be possible, as much as in you is have peace with all men. It is nothing else, but cōcord which must be kept in an holy manner, with all men,Rom. 12.18.Rom 12:18 both good & bad so farre forth as can be. Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the gospell saieth, The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb, & the leopard with the kid, &c. Where note▪ Esai. 11.6.Isa 11:6that in the kingdome of Christ, when a man is called into the state of grace, howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe, as a leopard, as a lyon, or as a beare, yet he shal then lay away his cruell nature, and become gentle and liue peaceably with all men. Now for the practising of this peace, there are three duties especially to be learned & perfourmed: I. rather then peace p. 414shoulde be broken, a man must yeeld of his owne right. When Publicanes came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute, he had a lawfull excuse: for howsoeuer he liued in lowe estate among them, yet hee was the right heire to the kingdome, & therefore was free: neuerthelesse he stood not on his priuiledge, but calleth Peter, saying, Least wee offend them, goe to the sea and cast in an angle, and take the first fish that c…mmeth up: Mat. 17.26, 27.Matt 17:26Matt 17:27and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence: take it, and give it to them for thee and me. Here we see that our Sauiour Christ, rather then he woulde breake the common peace, yeeldes of his owne right: and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him. Secondly when any man shall sinne either in worde or in deed, specially if it be upon infirmitie, wee must auoide bitter invectiues and mildely tell him of his fault, and in all meekenesse and louelove labour for his amendment.Gal. 6.1.Gal 6:1 So Paul teacheth us, saying, If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion, restore such an one with the spirite of meekenesse, considering thy selfe, least thou be also tempted, &c. Beare yee one anothers burden. Thirdly eueryevery man within the compasse of his calling, must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variance. This is a speciall duty of godlines and christianitie, and therefore our Sauiour Christ doeth highly commend such, and pronounceth this blessing upon them,Mat. 5.9.Matt 5:9 that they shall be called the children of God.

The fourth fruite of the spirit is long suffering: and it standeth in two pointes: I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it: II. being angrie doth yet moderate the same, and stay the hotnesse of that affection. For the first, to bridle anger, it is a speciall work of the H. ghost, and the meanes to attaine vntounto it are these: I. not to take notice of the iniuries and wrongs done unto us, if they be not of great moment, but to let them passe, as not knowing them. Salomon saith, It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger. Prov. 19.11.Prov 19:11Now how is that done? It is added in the next words: It is the glory of a man to passe by infirmitie: that is, when a man shall ouershoote himselfe, either in word or in deede, to let it passe either wholly, or till a time convenient, as p. 415though we knew not of it. The second way to deferre and bridle anger is, when a man hath iniuried us either in word or deede, to thinke with our selues that wee hauehave iniured others in the same maner: and for this cause Salomon saith, Give not thine heart… to all the vvordes that men speake, Eccles. 7.23.Eccl 7:23least thou doe heare thy servant cursing thee: For oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others. A man must not listen to euerie mans wordes at all times: but hee is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men, and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like, as it is saide, With what measure yee meete, Mat. 7.2.Matt 7:2it shalbe measured to you againe. This is a thing which few consider. Euill men desire good reporte and woulde hauehave all men speake well of them, whereas they can speake well of none: but indeede they must begin to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them. Thirdly, a man must consider how God dealeth with him. For so often as he sinneth hee prouoketh god to cast him away and to confound him eternally, yet the Lorde is mercifull and long suffering. Euen so when men doe offend and iniury us, wee must doe as God doth: not be angry but fight against our affections, endeauouring to become patient & long suffering as God is with us. The second propertie of long suffering is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse. It is not alwaies a sinne to be angry, and therefore it is said of Christ (in whome was no blemish of sinne) that he was angry:Mar. 3.5.Mark 3:5 yet wee must looke that our anger be moderate and not overlong, as Paul saith, Let not the sonne goe dovvne vponupon your wrath.

The fift fruite of the spirite is gentlenesse, whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euerie man, as Paul saith to Titus, Put them in remembrāce that they speake evill of no man, that they be no fighters but soft, Tit. 3.….Titus 3shevving all meekenesse unto all men, vvhether they be good or badde. This gentlenesse standeth in these pointes: First to speake to euerie man friendly and louingly. II. to salute friendly and courteously. III. to be readie upon eueryevery occasion to giuegive reuerence and honour to eueryevery man in his p. 416place. It is made a question of some whether a man is to salute & speak unto them that are knowen to be lewd & wicked men: but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be curteous to all men both good and badde, yet so as wee approoue not of their sinnes: as for that which S. Iohn saith of false Prophets, Receive them not, neither bid them God speed, 2. Iohn. 10.2 John 1:10it is to be understood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers.

The sixt fruit is goodnesse, which is, when a man is ready to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times upon all occasions. This was to be seene in that holy man Iob▪ he saith, that hee was eyes to the blind, and feete to the lame, Iob. 36.15.Job 36:15a father unto the poore, and when he kn…w not the cause, he sought it out. And S. Paul shewed this fruite most notably after his conuersion, for he saith, that hee vvas made all things to all men that he might save some. 1. Cor. 9.22.1 Cor 9:22Hee was content to undergoe any thing for the good of any man. And as we hauehave heard, the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others, and therfore Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule,Gal. 5.13.Gal 5:13 Do service one to another in love. In these daies it is harde to finde these duties perfourmed in any place. For both practise and proverbe is commonly this, Every man for himselfe, and God for us all: but it is a gracelesse saying, and the contrary must be practised of all that desire to be guided by the spirit.

The seuenth fruite is faith: Faith or fidelitie standeth in these two duties. One to make conscience of a lie, and to speake everie thing whereof we speake, as we thinke it is, and not to speake one thing and thinke another. A rare thing it is to find this vertue in the world now a daies: who is he that maketh conscience of a lie? and is not truth banished out of our coastes, considering that for gaines and outward commodities men make no bones of glosing and dissembling? but alas, the practise is damnable, & the contrarie is the fruite of the Holy Ghost, namely to speake the truth from the heart: and he that can doe this by the …estimonie of God himselfe shall rest in the mountaine of his holinesse,Psal. 15.Ps 15 euen in the kingdome of heauen. The second p. 417point wherin fidelitie consisteth is, when a man hath made a promise that is lawfull and good, to keepe and performe the same. Some thinke it is a small matter to breake promise, but indeed it is a fruite of the flesh; and contra…wise a fruite of the spirite to perfourme a lawfull promise: and a mans word should be as sure as an obligation: and in conscience a man is bounde to keepe promise so farre foorth as hee vvill, to whom the promise is made. Indeed if a man be released of his promise, he is then free: othervvise if wee promise and doe not perfourme, we doe not onelyonly cracke our credit before men, but also sinne before God.

The eighth fruite of the spirit is meekenesse, which is a notable grace of God, when a man prouoked by iniuries doth neither intend nor enterprise the requitall of the same. And it standes in three duties. The first is to interprete the sayings and doings of other men in better part as much as possibly may be. The second when men mistake and misconstrue our sayings and doings, if the matter be of smaller moment, to be silent and patient as Christ was when hee was accused before the high priestes and Pharisies: this being withall remembred, that if the matter be of weight and moment, vve may defend our selues by soft and milde answeres. The thirde is not to contend in word or deede vvith any man, but vvhen vvee are to deale vvith others to speake our mind and so an end.

The last fruite of the spirit is temperance, whereby a man bridleth his appetite or lust in meate, drinke, and apparell. In bridling the lust, these rules must be observed. I. Eating and drinking must be ioyned vvith continuall fasting, after this manner. Wee must not glutt our selues, but rather abstaine from that vvhichwhich nature desireth, and as some use to speake, leaue our stomackes craving. II. A man must so eate and drinke, as aftervvarde he may the better be inabled for Gods worship. Creatures are abused vvhen they make us unfitte to serue God. The commō fault is; on the sabbath day men so pamper themselues, as that they are made unfitte both to heare and learne Gods vvorde, and fitte for nothing but to slumber and p. 418sleepe: but following this rule of temperance these faultes shall be amended. III. This must be a caueat in our apparell, that we be attired according to our callings in holy comelinesse. The Lorde hath threatned to visite all those that are cloathed in straunge apparell.Tit. 2.3.Titus 2:3 And holy comelinesse is this, when the apparell is both for fashion and matter so made and worne, that it may expresse and shew forth the graces of God in the heart, as sobrietie, temperaunce, grauitie, &c. and the beholder may take occasion by the apparell, to acknowledge and commend these vertues. But lamentable is the time, looke on men and women in these daies, and you may see and reade their sinnes written in great letters on their apparell, as intemperance, pride, and wantonnesse. Euerie day new fashions please the world, but indeede that holy comelinesse which the Holy Ghost doeth commend to us is the right fashion when all is done. And these are the nine fruites of the spirit, which wee must put in practise in our liues and conuersations.

Fourthly if we beleeue in the holy ghost, and thereupon doe persuade our selues, that hee will dwell in us: wee must daily labour as wee are commaunded to keepe our vess…ls in holinesse and honour unto the Lorde:1. Thess. 4.4.1 Thess 4:4 and the reason is good. If a man be to entertaine but an earthly prince or some man of state, he would be sure to hauehave his house in a readinesse, & all matters in order against his comming, so as eueryevery thing might be pleasing unto so worthy a guest: well now, behold, wee put our confidence and affiance in the holy ghost, and doe beleeue that he will come unto us, and sanctifie us, and lodge in our hearts. He is higher then all states in the world whatsoeuer, and therefore we must looke that our bodies and soules be kept in an honourable and holy manner, so as they may be fitte temples for him to dwell in. S. Paul biddeth us not to grieve the holy spirite, Eph. 4▪30.Eph 4:30where the holy ghost is compared to a guest, & our bodies and soules unto Innes: and as men use their guestes friendly and courteously, shewing unto them all seruice and dutie: so must wee doe to gods spirite which is come to dwell and abide in us, doing nothing in any case, which may disquiet p. 419or molest him. Now there is nothing so grieuous unto him as our sinnes, and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sinne, least by abusing of our selues, we do cause the holy ghost as it were with griefe to depart frō us. When the arke of the couenant which was a signe of the presence of God, was in the house of Obed Edom, the text saieth, that the Lord blessed him and all his house:2. Sam. 6.11.2 Sam 6:11 but wh…n the holy ghost dwelles in a mans heart, there is more then the arke of the Lorde present, euen God him selfe: and therefore may we looke for a greater blessing. Now then shall we grieue the holy goost by sinning, seeing we reape such benefite by his abode? It is saide, that our Sauiour Christ was angrie when hee came into the temple at Ierusalem, and saw the abuses therein. Now shall hee be angrie for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone, and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone, but are spirituall, figured by that earthly temple, seeing them (I say) abused by sinne, will he not be much more angry? Yea we may assure our selues, he can not abide that. And therefore if wee beleeue in the holy ghost, wee must hereupon be mooued to keepe our bodies and soules pure & cleane. And further to perswade us hereunto, we must remember this, that when we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne, wee make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in. For when Sathan is once cast out, if afterward wee fall againe to our olde sinnes and loosenesse of life, and so defile our bodies, they are then most cleane and neate for him to dwell in: whereupon he wil come and bring seuen other deuils worse then himselfe, and so a mans last ende shall be worse then his beginning. Now what a fearefull thing is this, that the body which should be a temple for the holy ghost, by our sinnes should be made a stable for the devill. Further S. Paul biddeth us, not to quench the spirit. The graces of the holy spirite in this life are like sparks of fire,1. Thes. 5.1▪1 Thess 5:1 which may soone be quenched with a little water. Now so oft as we sinne, we cast water upon the grace of God, and as much as wee can put out the same: therefore it standes us in hand p. 420to make conscience of eueryevery thing wherein wee may offende and displease God. And wee may assure our selues, that so long as wee liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes, the Holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with us. Hee is a pure spirite, and therefore must hauehave an undefiled temple to dwell in.