God and Man are enemies the reconciler of both must have an interest in both behold Jesus Christ God and Man John 20.19 Gâ— to my Brethren and sayâ—nte them I ascend to my Father and year Father to my God and 〈◊〉 God When Christ shall enter our appearance in his Name and shall say to his Father Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me This shall make God and Man friends againe And me thinkes the consideration of this should make us all friends How this that you have heard first is a Mysterie considering the premisses you will easily grant it The whole Gospel is a Mysterie Coloss. 2.2 it is the Mysterie of God and of Christ Magnum Sacramentum say the Rhemists following the vulgar as by the Conventicle of Trent they must but the word in it own Language speakes a Sacred Secret Thâ— {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Gor. 1.7 Though the Gospel be every where preacht yet is it not by every one understood 't is still a Mysterie The naturall man faith the Apostle perceiveth not the things of God none but they to whom it s given understand this none but the Sparituallâ— To you faith Christ is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdoms note Mysteria 〈…〉 regis and then they that know know but in part but darkly the rest know nothing 2 Cor. 4.3 4. The Gospel is hid to those that are lost Now whatsoever in the Gospel is most mysterions the inoarnation of the Some of God is more yet Secondly 'T is a great Mysterle both in the making and in the maâ—festing of it First in the making That God should be made Man Had he come in the shape of an Angel or in the beautie and glory of any other Creature above or under the Sunne or had he come in the beautie and power of our nature or as on Mount Tabor betweene Moses and Elias when his face was as the Sunne and his garments as the Lightning this had beene abasement enough but to come in the flesh of man which is but dust and ashes oh this is that de basement beyond expression Every precious thing is abased by mingling with a worse and still the worse the thing is wherewith mingled the more the debasement If then Gold be abased by being mingled with Silver much more when mingled with rust or Iron or with the drosse of Lead This debasement of Christ oh it is infinitely more then if the Soâ—ne of the greaâ—st 〈◊〉 in the World should if it were possible he might be turned into the basest Creature on the face of the earth See Proverbs 30.4 Who bath ascended up into Heaven or desconded Who bath gathered the Winds in his fists Who bath bound the Waters in a Garment Who bath established all the ends of the Earth What is his 〈◊〉 and what is his Soâ—es Name of thou canst tell You may reade the first Letter of his Name in Isay 9.6 Wonderfull And wonderfull he was and did â—derously when he appeared unto Manaaâ— Judgers 13.18 19. Bâ— all the Wonders that ever were Creation and all from thence and that which shall be last of all but not least of all the Resurâ—ection from the dead must give place to 〈◊〉 You have here the highest pitch of Gods Wisdoâ—e Goodnesse Power Glory and Mercie if any thing may be said to be highest in that which is infiâ—te and exempt from all measure and dimension Dan. 2.11 'T is a 〈◊〉 thing a sayâ— Chaldeans to the Question propounded them by the King of Babel and none can shew the like except the gods whose dwelling is not in flesh But here the raritie lyes in the contrary He who is over all God blessed for ever is come in our flesh c. 2 Chron. 6.18 But will Gad in very deed dwell with 〈…〉 earth Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe him how much lesse this house that I bâ— built Words of wonder But see here a greater matter the Sonne of God is made the sonne of man cloâ—thed with our flesh and 〈…〉 Deus â—asciâ—ur the great Jehâ— is become a 〈…〉 sagens where Eternitie hath put on our moâ— He that is incorporeall is cloathed with our flesh the Ancient of dayes is become an infant Made of a Woman borne of a 〈…〉 that it was given for a signe unto belâ— long before the accomplishment a figue of Gods owne châ—ing one Ray of the Wonders in the depth breath on the beight above Isa. 7.14 Bohold a Virgin shall 〈◊〉 a Sonne and shall 〈◊〉 his name Emanuel That the Sonne of God should be made the some of 〈◊〉 made of a woman yea that woman which he himselfe made That her Wombe then and the Heavens now should containe him whom the Heaven of Heavent cannot containâ— That he should be both God and Man in one Person and both distinctly and so have a Father in Heaven without a Mother and on Earth a Mother without a Father That his Father should be greater then hee and yet hee equall to his Father That â—ee should be before Abraham and yet be borne well-nigh two thousand yeares after him That hee should be Davids sonne and yet Davids Lord That hee should have neither beginning nor end of dayes c. Let Egypt cease to talke of her Mole-hils of Brick Ephesus of her Temple Babyloâ— of her Walls Rhodes of her Colosâ—e here is a Wonder infinitely beyond all God is made flesh Nay more Secondly made manifest in the flesh {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} What may be knowâ—e of God saith the Apostle Rom. 1.20 is manifest in the Creatures but here you have God made manifest in the flesh of Man God himselfe is hid from our eyes Isa. 45.15 Truly O Lord thou art hid from our eyes So that God himselfe is a Mysterie and that which makes the Mysterâ— the greater God is hâ—d with Light Hee dwells saith the Apostle In Light maccessible 1 Tim. 6.16 But what have wee to doe with an hidden God a God that cannot will not be seeâ— Make us gods say the people unto Aaron may goe before us Exâ— 32. Behold here God not onely made but made manifest in the flesh And behold here a lower degree of abasement Men especially if great howsoever abased cannot endure to have their basenesse knowne Oh tell it not in Gâ—h Even Naoâ— in her distresse is ashamed of her Name Call mâ— no more beautifull but bitter far the Aloâ—ghtie hath dealt bitterly with me Ruth 1.20 But Christ is not onely made flesh but made manifest in the flesh yea so sarre from being ashamed of it that a little before his death hee gives a Charge to have it preached all over the world And if the incarnation of Christ be a Mysterie so great a Mysterie them must wee learne silently to 〈…〉 it s no shame to be ignorant of the things wee cannot know nay ' â—is Docta ignorantia Câ—lv Wee
before him in his Temple for ever A sweet meditation especially in the time of sicknesse and in the houre of death against the crawling wormes and the place of silence I know saith Iob that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my skin Wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within me Iob 19.25 26 27. O what meanes doe many use to keepe themselves aliâ—e yea to preserve the bodies of their friends being dead from putrifaction they imbalme them in Spices and lay them up in Marble yet all will not do the bodies of Kings and Queens must yeeld to rottennesse onely a good life makes our bodies immortall Fifthly Our bodies shall bee spirituall 'T is sowne saith the Apostle a naturall body 't is raised a spirituall body For then they shall bee sustained by the Spirit without meat and drinke not as Moses on the Mount for fortie dayes onely but for ever and ever and whereas now the flesh lusteth against the Spirit there being a Law in the members rebelling against the law of the minde Then the body shall bee subject to the Spirit and in all things attend on him Sixtly and lastly This body saith the Apostle is sowne in weakenesse it riseth in power whereas now wee are weary of kneeling in prayer weary of Prayer it selfe Insomuch that Aaron and Hur must attend Moses to hold up his inseebled hands but then shall our bodies bee able to performe their owne actions without desatigation they shall then bee able to move themselves any way with ease upwards downwards backwards forwards more easily then now to lift up an hand and hee shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body according to his mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Yea not onely man but the Heavens and the Earth shall in that day bee as it were new borne Behold saith God I create a new Heaven and a new Earth So it is likewise in 2 Pet. 3. Whereas the Heavens now give raine and snow c. then they shall exhibit Christ Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall yee see the sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and comming in the clouds of Heaven Whereas the Heavens are now ever whirling and wheeling about alwayes winding up the thread of mans life then they shall stand fast for ever the Heavens shall rest from their motion and receive a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie The ayre shall be purged from obscurity the fire from consuming quality the water from putrifaction the earth from weeds and all hurtfull creatures yea from barrennesse she shall bring forth as before the Fall without labour and Husbandry And all this for the comfort of the Saints who are to passe this way into Heaven in their long white Robes as Princes through some Gallerie into their Chambers of Presence Then this Earth howsoever now a Valley of Teares shall be unto us a Doore of Hope in the Valley of Achor The wicked shall see this and by it as through a Crevise the glory of Heaven but themselves shut out of both But when shall this regeneration of the Creatures be When the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory First Christ shall come to judge the quick and dead so it is said Acts 10.42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is hee which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead So againe in the 17. Chapter verse 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that hee hath raysed him from the dead And so wee beleeve Hee knowes all even our most secret thoughts Hell and destruction saith Salomon are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonnes of men All things are naked and broken up before him and as hee knowes all so hee is able to punish and that not the body onely hee can cast both body and soule into Hell Revel. 20. Whosoever was not found written in the Booke of the Lambe was cast into the Lake of fire First this should teach us feare and trembling Knowing the terrors of the Lord saith the Apostle Paul wee perswade men And saith the Apostle Peter if yee call him Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man according to his workes passe the time of your sojourning here in feare 1 Peter 1.17 Secondly learne from hence to looke to your Packes see what Wares you carry with you for in that Day all must be opened Thirdly learne hence to agree with your adversarie while you are in the way If you were to dye to morrow what would you doe to day how spend your time And yet you may dye sooner Take heed At the Tree falleth there it lyes Fourthly Art thou injured slandered mifused any way Remember a Day is comming wherein all must stand at Christs Tribunall You saith Corah with his Complices unto Moses and Aaron you take too much upon you Numb. 16. And what doth Moses answer To morrow saith hee the Lord shall shew who are his And 1 Cor. 4.3 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I shon'd be judged of you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine owne selfe for I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord Therefore judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have prayse of God Fifthly Art thou afraid to appeare before the Judge Remember it is thy Saviour the dyed for thee If Pharaohs Butler feared not to got before him because Joseph had assured him of Libertie how comfortably then are wee to appeare before the Judge being alreadie assured all shall goe well with us Hee is our Judge who is our Saviour and Mediatour a most comfortable Meditation I am your Brother saith Joseph unto his Brethren I am your Brother Joseph This could not but comfort them howsoever conscious of their injuries done him So it is here Sixthly It Christ must be our Judge how warily then and holily are wee to live now that wee may not be ashamed at his Comming Peter being on the Seas and seeing his Master on the yonder shoare girds his Coat about him One would thinke hee should rather have cast his Coat from him No no hee was to appeare before his Master and hee would appeare comely 2 Cor. 5.10 For wee must all appeare before the Iudgement-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body
favour Away then with all Bildads and Zophars who would draw hard conclusions on Gods people in their affliction as if God loved them not Oh let their mouthes be tyed up in silence for ever Blessed saith my Text is the man that indureth tentation and who can curse where â—od hath blessed See here with admiration the goodnesse and graciousnesse of our God who though he might command our obedience both active passive upon the allegeance we owe unto him is yet pleased to suger his precepts with sanctions with propositions promises of reward He blesseth us as the good old father Ephraim and Manasseth with his hands a-crosse How happy are wee to serve so good a Master but how happy shall we be if wee doe him good service Is there any among you who being in troubles is thereby offended whose feet begin to slip whose treadings are almost gone O looke out with Moses to the recompence of reward so shall you hasten home and sweeten your thoughts by the way as you goe the dayes are sharp but then they are short the wayes are soule but not long Heaven is hard at hand and a day is comming will make amends for all your sorrowes and sufferings hold on and the Crowne is yours Afflictions are tryalls and these as wee would be blessed wee must indure yea if wee indure them neither sinking under them nor shrinking from them we shall be blessed Blessed is the man that indureth tentation and why blessed the proose of the proposition followeth for when he is tryed he shall receive a crowne of life c. And here you see the blessednesse of the patient man First defined Secondly assured 1. 'T is defined 'T is a Crowne of life A Crowne speakes State and Dignity whatsoever we are now we shall ere long be Kings and walke in long white Robes You saith Christ that have followed mee in the Regeneration that is in the day of new birth to all the world in the day of Restauration of all things shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 But what is a Crowne without life Better saith Salomon be a living Dag then a dead Lion True but the patient man shall have at last not only a crown but a Crowne of Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Honcesorth is laâ—d up for mee a Crownâ— of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Indge shall give me at that day and not to me onely bus unto them also that love his appearing So then Howsoever wee have here beatudinem viatoâ—nm such and so much happâ—nesse as belongs to Travellers yet is the fulnesse the heaghe of blessednesse behinde beatitudo patriae wee are now the sonnes of God 1 Joh. 3.2 Neverthelesse it doth not appeare what we shall be but when Christ shall appeare we shold appeare in glory with him Above saith the Apostle are such things as neither eye hath seene ner eare heard nor ever came into the heart of 〈◊〉 to conceive The sum of all is Gods beatificall vision In Heaven is the perfection of all good things fulnesse is the perfection of measure everlastingnesse is the perfection of time infinitenesse the perfection of number immutability the perfection of state immensity the perfection of place immortality the perfection of life and God the perfection of all Psal. 16.11 In thy presence as fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there we pleasures for evermore See here the extreame folly of worldly men who for perishing and vexations vanities are content to part with a Crowne of immortall Glory Worse yet are they who for the pleasures of sâ—e which are but for a season momentanie yeâ— abortive perishing are they bud forfeit eternall blessednesse Wee laugh at little children when they let goe things of worth for trifles rattles a nut an apple but certainly many among us are much more childâ—sh They let goe Heaven and all the riches joyes and happinesse thereof for things that can doe them no good may doe them much hurt and when all is done cannot abide with them See here againe a ground of patience and cheeresull suffering your losses are many and great but if you have not lost Heaveâ— you have lost nothing Maries better part is that which cannot be taken away Your crosses are many and great remember there is a Crowne of life behinde c. Wherefore as the Apostle Colos. 3. take your affections off from things here below and set them on things above looke to the Crowne of life reserved for you Amid all crosses and in the houre of death live in the comforts of this hope and raise your mindes accordingly live like those that doe beleeve and expect an Heaven Heb. 10.34 For yee had compassion of me in my bonds and tooke joyfully the spâ—yling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an induring substance See here a crosse with a Crowne But what assurance wee see blessednesse defined but how is it assured The assurance is two-fold 1. In regard of promise God hath said 2. In regard of those to whom the promise is made They that love him First God hath said Blessed is the man that indureth tentation for he shall receive a crowne of life Hath God said it and shall not he doe it He saith the Apostle is faithfull who hath promised Againe all his promises in Christ are yea and amen If we confesse 1 Ioh. 1.9 God is faithfull to forgive a strange argument one would thinke we should rather feare revenge then expect forgivenesse of sinne from the Justice of God But God is as just in performing the mercy he hath promised as in executing the vengeance he hath threatned See here a sure ground of hope the word and promise of our never-failing God a sure ground I say wherein hope which is our Anchor may strongly fasten to secure our soules in any tempest as to hope without a promise or upon a promile otherwise then it stands is to let our Anchor hang in the water or catch in a wave and so to expect safety So to depend upon the promise of God and so as the promise is made is to settle to stay to save our selves against all stormes Wherefore take the Lord at his word Cast not away your hope saith the Apostle Heb. 10.35 36. And why because there is a promise whereby with patience and doing the will of God we shall bee saâ—e amid all surges here and at last happily arrive on the shores of peace What say some will you have us to stand where no bottome is will you have us to hang in the ayre Oh slow of heart to beleeve doth not the world earth and sea depend on the Word of God as you may see Heb. 11.2 Through faith we understand that the worlds are framed by the Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things which 〈◊〉 appeare