Milke for children, or, A plain and easie method teaching to read and write together with briefe instructions for all sorts of people ... : as also an appendix of prayer / by Lambrocke Thomas.

Applic.

That first there shall be a Judgement, a general Judgement of all at the last day, may teach us all carefullnesse in faith and holinesse to prepare for it, to rep••nt us of

our sins done to others d, not to repine at injuries done unto us by others e: as knowing there is a righteous Judge shall take due cognizance of both, which is Christ. When secondly, that he is the Judge, labour should we to be found in him, as without whom all is but as losse f, and but in him no life at all g. To avoid whose severer sentence and happily to hand his milder one, see we that we dis∣please not this Judge, but labour we in all we may to please him h. That thirdly, Christ shall certainly come from heaven, though uncertaine it be where he shall judge, may prompt us to prepare for him, when and wherever he comes. From that uncertainty of his coming gathering that this is our certaine duty at all times to looke for his coming, patiently to waite for that his coming i. Then fourthly, that come he shall to judge quicke and dead, may hint us the impartiall proceeding at this Tribunall, when now there will be no excuse of appearance, no shifting off this appearance, but that all shall appeare. Let then all duly prepare for it. Labour to be of the number of the godly, who then shall be called to glory, and be carefull not to be of the number of the ungodly shall then go into condemnation: which

may teach us by well living to love the presence of Christ, who then shall pre∣sent us to this glory, and not by ill living to incur that condemnation: but as of fire the tormenting Agent to be as much affraid of doing or committing sinne the cause of this torment, as of running headi∣ly into the fire the tormentor.

Come we now next to expound the third part of the Creed, which some make all the Articles following, othersome onely that one that next followes which is the

VIII. Eighth Article, I beleeve in the holy Ghost: where is to be considered these two particulars, as first what or who the holy Ghost is, and then secondly, what we must beleeve as touching the holy Ghost. As to the first, The holy Ghost is a Spirit as God is, and is even the same or that very God that is a Spirit k, is the third Person in the Trinity, distinct from the other two, also distinct persons, Father and Son, a reall subsistence, though one be the substance of all three, and that God l. He is called Spirit because of his spirituall being, not that more a Spirit he is then or Father or Son, but that spired or breathed he is by them both, and breathes in the hearts of Gods chosen. And holy he is cal∣led

not that properly he is more holy then any of the rest of the Persons, (for they also have this like Title or attribute of ho∣ly, both the Father m and the Son n are termed holy, yea men o, women p, Angels q have sometimes this Epithet of holy, but that his proper office it is to sanctifie and make holy r, by him to acknowledg Christ, of him to receive what ever gift or grace he hath, he rules s, he leades t, he regene∣rats u, he teacheth w, he comforts x, he confirmes y. And as he is this all, so 2. this all must we beleeve, this ought to be every particular mans Creed, as of Father and of Son, so also of the holy Ghost, I beleeve, must be every ones Profession, of every one of them, of this third Person the holy Ghost, as well as of the first or second Father or Son, to beleeve as we have said a distinct person a true God, equall to both Father and Son, though a distinct subsistence, a∣nother person, yet for substance the same God: though proceeding from Father & Son, all three one God from whom all good cometh z, yet as holy Ghost the third Person, the distributer & dispenser of that good, as of knowledge a, utterance b, love, joy, peace ^d, and the whatever like gifts and graces holy men are endued with.

Notes

• d

  ••uk. 12. 58.
• e

  1 Cor. 4. 4.
• f

  Ph••. 3. 78
• g

  Rom. 8. 1.
• h

  2 Cor. 5. 10.
• i

  Hab. 2. 3.
• k

  Jo. 4, 24,
• l

  Act. 5, 3, 4. 1 Jo. 5, 7,
• m

  Jo, 17, 11,
• n

  Act 4, 30
• o

  2 Pet, 1, 21,
• p

  1 Pet, 3, 5,
• q

  Mark, 8, 38,
• r

  1 Cor, 12, 3, & 11
• s

  Act, 2, 4,
• t

  Rom. 8, 14,
• u

  Mat, 3, 11,
• w

  Jo, 16, 13,
• x

  Act, 5, 41,
• y

  Jo, 14, 16.
• z

  Jam, 1, 17,
• a

  1 Cor, 2, 12.
• b

  Act 2, 4.
• c Cal. 5, 22.