Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/198

i 7 6 KING JAMES THE S E X T 2 Tim. 2.-26. Eph.2. 1,2. 3. Rom. 5. 14, Rom. 6. 23. John 3- 5. Rom. s- 1. rhii. 1 . 2 S . Gen. 3.9. Gen. 3.15. Gen. iz. 3. Gen. 15-5,6. 2 Sam. 7. 1 2, 13. Efai.7. 14.. Efal. 9. 6. Hag 2.6. 7. Johns. 56. unto fin, in fameikle that death everlafting lies had, and fall have power and dominioun, overall that have not been, arnot, or fall not be regenerated from above , quhilkregeneratiouniswrochtbethepowerofthe holieGhoft, working in the hattes of the elect of God, aneaflured faith in the promife of God, reveiled to us in his word , be quhilk Faith we apprehend Chrift Jefus , with the graces and benefices promifed in him. 4. Of the Revelation of the promife. FO R This we conftantlie beleeve , that God , after the feirfull and horrible defection of man fra his obe- dience , did feek Adam againe , call upon him , rebuke his fin , convict him of the fame , and in the end made unto him ane moll joy full promife, to wit, that the feed of the woman fuld break down the Serpents head , that is , he fuld deltroy the works of the devill. Quhilk promife , as it was repeated , and made mair cleare from time to time : fo was it imbraced with joy , and maift conftantlie received of all the faith- full, from Adam to Noe , from Nog to Abraham , from Abraham to David, and fo foorth to the incar- natioun of Chrift Jefus , all (we meane the faithful! Fathers under the Law) did fee the joyfull daie of Chrift Jefus , and did rejoyce. 5. The continuance , increafe, and prefervationn of the Kirk. Ezech.6.6, TTT'E Maift conftantlybejceve, that God preferved , inftru&ed, multiplied, honoured, decored, & Gen ^.'1,2. ** from death called to life , his Kirk in all ages fra Adam , till the cumming of Chrift Jefus in the flefh. Exod'i" 7 ' ^w^rabam he called from his Fathers cuntry, him he inftrucled , his fcede he multiplied, the fame he 20. ' marveil ou Hie preferved , and mair marvcilouflie delivered , from the bondage and tyrannic of 'Pharaoh , to 23.+. 1 ' 3 ' them he gave his Lawes , conftitutions and ceremonies , them he pofleiled in the Land of Canaan , to them 1 sam. 1 6.. 1 ' a f ter Judges and after Saul , he gave David to be King , to whome hee made promife , that of the fruite of 1 skm 1 2 ^' s l°y ncs fold ane fit for ever upon his Regall feat. To this fame people from time to time he fent Prophets, 2 kin. i 7 . ' to reduce them to the right way of their God : from the quhilk oftentimes they declined, be Idolatry , and 2 3 kin. 17. albeit that for their ftubborne contempt of Juftice , he was compelled to give them into the hands of their eni- zKing.t?.' niies, asbefoirwasthreatnedbethemouthofAf(?/?x, infa-meiklethatthehaly Cittie was deftroyed, the Den't^sl Temple burnt with fire , and the haill Land left defolate the fpace of lxx. zears : Zit of mercy did he reduce 3*. 4«. them againe to Jerufalem , where the Cittie and Temple were reedified , and they againft all temptations lcc. m ' ' and aflaultes of Sathan did abide , till the Mcffias came , according to the promife. Dan.ji. 2. s Ezt. 1. 1, Sec. Hag. 1. 14. Zach. 3. i. j Q 6. Of the incarnation of Chrift Jefiis. U H E N The fulncs of time came , God fent his Sonne , his eternall Wifdome , the fubftance of £uk +■ ^ V^ his awin glory, in this warld, quha tuke the nature of man-head of the fubftance of woman , to wit , of a Mat. 1.' it' Virgihe, and that be operatioun of the holic Ghoft : And fo was borne the juftfeede of 2)<2z;/<J/, theAngel Rom 2 ! 1 ',, of the great Counfell of God , the very Meffias promifed , whome we confefle and acknawledge, Emmanuel, jot' i.'i 2 ,+5, ver y God and very man , two perfit natures united , and joyned in one perfoun. Be quhilk our Confeflioun we condemne the damnable and peftilent herefies of t^Arrius , Marcion, Eutyches, Neftorius, and fik uthers , as either did denie the eternitie of his God-head , or the veritie of his humaine nature , or confounded them , or zit devided them. 1 Tim. 2. 5. 7. Why it behooved the Mediator to be very God and very Man. w all our Salvation fprings and depends. 1 / E Acknawledge and confefle , that this maift wonderous conjunction betwixt the God-head and the 4,5,6. yy man-head in Chrift Jefus , did proceed from the eternall and immutable decree of God , from quhilk 8. ElecJioun. EpheCi.ii. T^ OR that fame Eternall God and Father, who of meere grace elected us in Chrift Jefus his Sonne, be- EpheiiV.^', ST foir the foundation of the warld was laide, appointed him to be our head , our Brother, ourPaftor, and He'b 2. 7 , s. g rCat Bifliop of our fauls. Bot becaufe that the enimitie betwixt the Juftice of God and our fins was fik , that Pfa b "' "o na ^ em ^ e " ^ e cu ^ ' or m 'g^ lt k- ave atta i ne d unto God : It behooved that the Sonne of God fuld defcend iFei. 2 24. unto us, and take himfeif a bodie of our bodie , flefh of our flefh , and bone of our bones, and fo become the pfal ?3o. S 3. Mediator betwixt God and man , giving power to fo many as beleeve in him to be the Sonnes of God, as him- 1 Tim L )'. felfe dois witnefTe. I paffe up to my Father , and unto zour Father , to my God , and unto zour God. Be T°h'i'T q u hilk maift holie fraternitie , quhatfaever wee have tynt in t^Adam , is reftored unto us againe. And for Rom. s. 17! thiscaufe, ar we not affrayed to call God our Father , not fa-meikle becaufe he lies created us (quhilk we Rom 9 '?. 15. have common with the Reprobate) asforthat, that he lies given to us his onely Sonne, tobeour Brother, Aa' V i" an d S iven unt0 us g race ' to a cknawledge and imbrace him for our onlie Mediatour , as before is faid. It be- hooved