A69028:2217
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milk for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his son, Adoniram Bifield.The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milke for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his sonne, Adoniram Bifield.
London: printed by G.M. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith, 1626
THE CREED. › Article 4 › He descended into Hell.THE CREEDE. › Article 4 › He descended into Hell.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The use of this Article may be,
The vse of this Article may be,
1. To inform us again of the hatefulness of sin, that hath thus abased the Son of God: and withal to show us how great that surpassing love of Christ to us was, that could be content for our sakes, to be thus abased.
1. To informe vs againe of the hatefulnesse of sinne, that hath thus abased the Sonne of God: and withall to shew vs how great that surpassing loue of Christ to vs was, that could bee content for our sakes, to be thus abased.
2. To instruct us especially in two things, Humility and Patience. This is a matchless pattern for us to learn by: how should our hearts fall low, and descend in us, when we hear how many ways Christ hath descended and abased himself for us? this should destroy our pride, and those high thoughts in us, that hinder true lowliness of heart, Phil. 2. Matth. 11. 29. And for Patience, what can we suffer that is comparable to the descension of Christ into Hell in all those senses? Such unworthy creatures are we, as whatsoever God do with us, we cannot descend lower than we are, or deserve to be: and if God have delivered our Saviour from this bottomless ⟨p. 451⟩sea of misery, into which he descended for our sakes, why should we doubt through unbelief or despair? This should teach us to trust upon God, and wait for deliverance from whatsoever distress we do, or can fall into.