of his workes of mediation on earth and that he is now in the execution of those other offices which remaine to bee fulfilled by him in heaven for the application of his Sacrifice unto us for having in the resurrection justified himselfe hee thereby rose for our justification likewise Rom. 4.25 For if the debt had not been taken quite off by the suretie it would have lien upon the principall still And therefore the Apostle proveth the resurrection by this that Gods mercies are sure Act. 13.34 Whereas if Christ were not risen from the dead wee should bee yet in our sinnes and so by consequence the mercies of David should have failed us 1 Cor. 15.17 18. And for this reason it is as I conceive that the Lord sent an Angell to remove the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher not to supply any want of power in him who could himselfe have roled away the stone with one of his fingers but as a Iudge when the Law is satisfied sendeth an officer to open the prison-doores to him who hath made that satisfaction so the Father to testifie that his Iustice was fully satisfied with the price which his Sonne had paid sent an officer of heaven to open the doores of the grave and as it were to hold away the hangings while his Lord came forth of his bed-chamber Secondly it assureth us of our resurrection for as the head must rise before the members so the members are sure to follow the Head The wicked shall rise by his Iudiciary power but not by the vertue and fellowship of his Resurrection as the faithfull who are therefore called Children of the Resurrection Luk. 20.36 1 Cor. 15 20-23 Thirdly it doth by a secret and spirituall vertue renew and sanctifie our Nature Rom. 6.4 For the acts of Christs mediation in his sufferings and victories are spiritually appliable and effectuall in us unto answerable effects His death to the mortification of sinne Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 1.7 And his resurrection to the quickning of us in holinesse Eph. 2.5 Col. 2.12 Fourthly it comforteth us in all other calamities of life which may befall us hee that raised up himselfe from the dead hath compassion and power to deliver us from all evill and to keepe us from falling This is the summe of Iobs argument God will raise me up at the last day therefore undoubtedly hee is able if it stand with my good and his owne glory to lift me up from this dunghill againe Iob 19.27 And this is Gods argument to comfort his people in patient waiting upon him in their afflictions because their dead bodies shall live and they that dwell in the dust shall awake and sing Esai 26.19 Lastly it serveth to draw our thoughts and affections from earth unto heaven Because things of a nature should move unto one another Now saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for a Saviour even the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body and make it like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe To him with the Father and the Holy Ghost three persons and one God bee all honor glory Majesty and thanksgiving for ever Amen FINIS Errata PAge 16. line 2. for rejoyceth reade rejoycest p. 31. l. 30. for That r. The. p. 43. l. 7. for that r. the. p. 49. l. 6. dele Our p. 52. l. 23. for world r. word p. 64. l. 25. for to give r. not to give p. 65. l. 2. dele At. p. 82. l. 35. for wrested r. rested p. 148. l. 3. for deliberation r. deliberating p. 154. l. 21. for stones r. stones p. â—59 l. 22. for acquit r. acquaint p. 191. l. 11. for exhaleth r. extracteth p. 195. l. 21. dele onely p. 197. l. 18. for Heralds r. Harbingers p. 221. lines 21.25 for matter r. master p. 225. l. 28. for And r. An. p. 261. l. 15. for world r. word p. 327. l. 24. for frequenting r. frequent p. 387. l. 28. for us r. it p. 388. l. 29. for he r. heed p. 399. l. 1. for reconciliation r. revocation l. 12. r. leaveth it not p. 444. l. 2. for because r. but because A Table of such places of Scripture as are by the way briefly opened or paraphrased in this Exposition and the former three Treatises T noteth the Treatise and P the Psalme GEn. 3.15 T. 439 Gen. 6.5 6. T. 274 Gen. 8.21 T. 274 Exod. 15.3 P. 493 Numb 14.17 T. 274 Numb 20.12 P. 190 Numb 23.21 P. 450 Deut 4.19 T. 284 Deut. 6.5 T. 202 2 Sam. 3.25 P. 400 1 King 21.20 T. 278.279 2 Chron. 6.41 P. 163 Iob 21.16 T. 51 Psal. 2.9 10. P. 12 13. Psal. 37.16 T. 77.369 Psal. 37.25 T. 26 Psal. 62.10 T. 98 Psal. 78.37 T. 110 Psal. 87.4 P. 372 Psal. 89 27. P. 17 Psal. 89.35 P. 80 Psal. 109.6 P. 486 Psal. 119.18 19. T. 435 Psa. 119 64-125 P. 308 Psal. 126.1 P. 209 Psal. 132.8 P. 163 Psal. 144.11 P. 23 Eccles. 1.15 T. 68 Eccles. 5.10 17. T. 72. Eccle. 6 1-3.7-10 T. 73. Eccles. 7.29 P. 354 Eccles. 10.2 P. 484 Esay 13.7 8. P. 498 Esay 28.16 T. 484 Esay 33.22 P 94 Esay 53.10 P. 31 Esay 57.20 P. 138 Ier. 1.11 12. T. 49 Ier. 2.13 T. 16 Ier. 3.19 P. 233 Ier. 8.8 P. 215 Lam. 3.39 40. T. 176 Ezek. 3.3 P. 162 Ezek. 18.20 P. 444 445 Ezek. 33.31.32 P. 68 Hos. 5.11 P. 59 Hos. 5.12 T. 42 Hos. 7.14 T. 311 Hos. 7.16 T. 302 Hos. 8.7 T. 302 Hos. 8.14 T. 426 Hos. 9.8 P. 251 Hos. 9.11 T. 43 Hos. 10.11 T. 422 Ioel 3.17 T. 50 Amos 8.2 T. 49 Mic. 7.19 20. P. 122 Nahum 1.10 P. 493 Habak 3.9 P. 387 Zeph. 1.8 P. 149 Hag. 2.7 T. 389 Hag. 2.14 T. 307 Zech. 5 6-11 T. 49 Mal. 4.2 P. 51 Matth. 4.4 P. 6 Matth. 6.24 P. 21 Matth. 9 15-17 P. 43 Matth. 11.11 P. 178 Matth. 13.22 T. 59 Matth. 15.28 T. 489 Matth. 23.29 P. 56 Matth. 26.5 P. 316 Matth. 26.39 P. 426 Matth. 10.21 T. 413 Luke 1.36 P. 384 Luke 2 40-52 T. 423 Luke 22.32 T. 351 Luke 24.46 P. 30 Iohn 1.16 T. 400 Iohn 1.17 P. 183 Iohn 1.18 P. 169 Iohn 3.18 T. 131 Iohn 4.22 P. 136 Iohn 6.44 P. 12 Iohn 7.38 P. 40 178 Iohn 7.39 P. 37 Iohn 8.56 T. 57 Iohn 10.4 P. 257 Iohn 11 48-50 T. 219 Iohn 13.27 T. 267 Iohn 14 20-23 T. 487 Iohn 15 1-5 T. 464 Iohn 16.7 P. 236 Iohn 16.10 P. 30 Iohn 16.21 P. 50 Iohn 17.4 T. 420 Iohn 17.13 P. 437 491 Iohn 17.15 P. 434 435 Act. 9.7 P. 381 Act. 28 28. P. 136 Rom. 5.10 P. 430 Rom. 5.13 T. 370 Ro. 5.14 T. 136 137 370 Rom. 6.3 T. 144 Rom. 6.11 T. 144.275 Rom. 7.8 T. 131 Rom. 7.12 T. 133 Rom. 7.14 15. T. 278 Rom. 8.29 30. T. 447 Rom. 8.32 T. 485 Rom. 13.9 T. 414 Rom. 13.10 P. 328 1 Cor. 2.14 T. 118 1 Cor. 3.21
generall motion from the supreme so in the motions of grace in the soule the proportion of all the rest a riseth frō the measure of our spirituall and saving light The more distinctly and throughly the spirit of a mans mind is convinc'd of the necessity beauty and gloriousnesse of heavenly things the more strong impressions therof wil be made upon all subordinate faculties for we move towards nothing without preceding apprehensions of its goodnes which apprehensions as they more seriously penetrate into the true and intimate worth of that thing so are the motions of the soule thereunto proportionably strengthen'd As the hinder wheeles in a Coach ever move as fast as the former which leade them so the subordinate powers of the soule are overrul'd in their maner measure of working towards grace by those spirituall representations of the truth and excellency thereof which are made in the understanding by the light of the Gospel Thus the Apostle telleth us that the excellency of the knowledge of Christ was that which made him so earnest to winne him the knowledge of the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings was that which made him reach forth and presse forward unto the marke and price of that high calling which was before him Thirdly the Glory of the Gospell of Christ with his Spirit may be considered in regard of the matters which are therin contain'd namely the Glory the Excellencies the Treasures of God himselfe We all saith the Apostle with open face behold as in a Glasse that is in the spirituall ministration of the Gospell having the veile of carnall stupidity taken away by the Spirit The glory of the Lord. What glory doe we here behold but that which a glasse is able to represent Now in speculo nisi imago non cernitur nothing can be seene in a glasse but the image of that thing which sheddeth forth its species thereupon and therefore he immediately addeth we are changed into the same image from glory to glory and he elsewhere putteth these two together Man is the image and the glory of God for nothing can have any thing of God in it any resemblance or forme of him but so farre it must needs be glorious But how doe we in the Gospell see the Image of God who is invisible The Apostle expresseth that else-where God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Christ is the Image and expresse Character of his Fathers glory as the impression in the wax is of the forme and fashion of the seale there is no excellencie in God which is not compleatly adequately and distinctly in Christ so that in that glasse wherin we may see him we may likewise see the glory of the Father Now the Gospell is the face of Iesus Christ that which as lively setteth forth his grace and Spirit to the soule as if he were present in the flesh amongst us Suppose we that a glasse could retaine a permanent and unvanishing species of a mans face within it though hee himselfe were absent might we not truly say this glasse is the face of that man whose image it so constantly retaineth So in asmuch as Christ is most exactly represented in his Gospell so that when we come into his personall and reall presence to know even as we are knowne we shall be able truely to say this is indeed the very person who was so long since in his Gospell exhibited to my faith sic ille manus sic ora gerebat it is therefore justly by the Apostle called the face of Iesus Christ and therefore the Glasse wherein we see the Image and glory of God as it is the same light which shineth from the Sunne upon a glasse and from a glasse upon a wall so it is the same glory which shineth from the Father upon the Sonne and from the Sonne upon the Gospell so that in the Gospell we see the unsearchable treasures of God because his treasures are in his Sonne Therefore that which is usually called Preaching the Gospell is in other places called Preaching the Kingdome and the riches of Christ to note the glory of those things which are in the Gospell revealed unto the Church It containeth the glory of Gods wisdome and that wisdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold and various wisdome as the Apostle speaketh who therefore calleth Christ and his Gospell by the name of Wisdome wee preach Christ crucified to those that are called the power of God and the wisdome of God and we speake wisdome amongst them that are perfect wisdome to reconcile his owne attributes of mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace which by the fall of man seemed to be at variance among themselves wisdome in reconciling the world of obstinate and rebellious enemies unto himselfe wisdome in sanctifying the whole creation by the bloud of the crosse and repairing those ruines which the sinne of man had caused wisdome in concorporating Christ and his Church things in their owne distinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water in their remotest degrees wisdome in uniting the Iewes and Gentiles and reducing their former jealousies and disaffections unto an intimate fellowship in the same common mysteries In one word wisdome above the admiration of the blessed Angels in finding out a way to give greater satisfaction to his offended justice by shewing mercie and saving sinners than he could ever have received by either the confusion or annihilation of them It containeth the Glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good-will towards men which brought glory to God and to the earth peace for the Gospell is as it were a Love-token or commendatory Epistle of the Lord unto his Church God left not himselfe without witnesses of his care and evidences of some love even to those whom he suffered to walke in their owne wayes without any knowledge of his Gospell he did them good he gave them raine from heaven and fruitfull seasons so even they had experience of some of his goodnesse the goodnesse of his providence for hee is the Saviour of all men but the Gospell containeth all Gods goodnesse as a heape and miscellany of universall mercy I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercie Gods speciall and gracious mercy the mercy of his promises in Christ doth convey unto the soule an interest in all his goodnesse nay it maketh all things good unto us so that we may call them ours as gifts and legacies from Christ. He hath given to us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse the world and life and death and things
and to heale and prevent back-slidings for the time to come Fourthly that he might be fit for so meane and humble a service there was a lessening and emptying of himselfe he was contented to be subject to his owne Law to be the childe of his owne creature to take upon himselfe not the similitude onely but the infirmities of sinfull flesh to descend from his throne and to put on rags in one word to become poore for us that we through his povertie might be made rich Amongst men many will be willing to shew so much mercy as will consist with their state and greatnesse and may tend to beget a further distance and to magnifie their heighth and honour in the mindes of men but when it comes to this exigent that a man must debase himselfe to doe good unto another that his compassion will be to a miserable man no benefit except he suffer ignominie and undergoe a servile condition for him and doe as it were change habits with the man whom he pities what region of the earth will afford a man who will freely make his owne honour to be the price of his brothers redemption yet this is the manner of Christs Care for us who though hee were the Lord of Glory the brightnesse of his Fathers Majestie and the expresse Image of his Person did yet humble himselfe to endure shame and the contradiction of sinners that he might be the Author and finisher of our faith Fifthly There was not onely an humbling or metaphoricall emptying of himselfe in that he made himselfe of no reputation but there was likewise a reall and proper emptying of himselfe he therein testified his wonderfull Care of the businesses of man that for them he put himselfe to the greatest expence and to the exhausting of a richer treasure than any either heaven or earth could afford besides yee were not redeemed saith the Apostle with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vaine conversation but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot That which no man will bestow upon himselfe and that which was in nature and might justly in love have beene neerest to Christ himselfe even the soule in his body and the bloud in his veines he was contented to make a sacrifice for them who powred it out as the bloud of a malefactour Sixthly besides this great price which he paid to his Father for us hee hath opened another treasure of his Grace and Spirit out of which he affordeth us daily supplies and putteth into our hands as it were an heavenly stocke for the better negotiating and improvement of our salvation Hee setteth up his Spirit in our hearts thereby conversing and communing with us teaching us the trade of the citizens of heaven and of laying up treasures there where our finall abode must be of having our conversation and commerce with innumerable companies of Angels and with the spirits of just men made perfect and withall that generall assembly or Church of the first-borne which is inrolled in heaven Lastly to all this he addeth Preparations and provisions for the future for us he doth not onely give but he prepareth things for those that love him and what ever is wanting now he will make it up unto us in the riches of his glory It was for our expediencie that hee left the Church on earth in regard of his carnall presence and went unto his Father againe Hee was not beholden to change oâ— place for his owne glory for his heaven was within him as a fountaine and indeed it is his presence which maketh heaven to be the place of glory therefore Saint Paul desired to depart and to be with Christ noting that it is not heaven but Christs presence which is the glory of the Saints Therefore I say it was for us that he went to heaven againe for their sakes saith he I sanctifie my selfe it is expedient for you that I goe away Expâ—dient to seale and secure our full and finall redemption unto us for as the Leviticall Priest entred not into the holiest of all without bloud so neither did Christ into heaven without making satisfaction hee first obtained eternall redemption for us and then he entred into the holy place and expedient to prepare a place for us that the glory which is given to him hee may give unto us that being raised up together we may likewise sit together with him in heavenly places for when the head is crowned the whole body is invested with royall honour Hee by the vertue of his Ascension opened the kingdome of heaven for all beleevers even the Fathers before Christ entred not in without respect unto that consummate redemption which hee was in the fulnesse of time to accomplish for his Church As a man may be admitted into an actuall possession of land onely in the vertue of covenants and under the intuition of a payment to be afterwards performed Thus we see in how many things the abundant Care of Christ doth shew it selfe towards the Church And as there are therein all the particulars of a tender care so by the Gospell likewise doe all the fruits and benefits thereof redound unto the faithfull First in the Gospell he feedeth and strengthneth them even in the presence of their enemies he prepareth them a table and feedeth them with his rod and according to their comming out of Aegypt he sheweth unto them marvellous things And therefore our Saviour calleth his Gospell The childrens bread It is that which quickneth which strengthneth them which maketh them fruitfull in spirituall workes Secondly He upholdeth them from fainting if their strength at any time faile hee leadeth them gently and teacheth them to goe As Iacob led on his cattell and his children softly according as they were able to endure so Christ doth lead out his flocke and hold his children by the hand and teach them to goe and draweth them with the cords of a man that is with meeke and gentle institution such as men use towards their children and not to their beasts and with bands of love As an Eagle sluttereth over her young and spreadeth abroad her wings and taketh them and beareth them on her wings so doth the Lord in his Gospel sweetly lead on and institute the faithfull unto strength and salvation he dealeth with them as a compassionate nurse with a tender infant condescendeth to their strength and capacitie when we stumble he keepeth us when we fall he raiseth us when we faint hee beareth us in his armes when wee grow weary of well-doing the Gospell is full of encouragements to hearten us full of spirit to revive us full of promises to establish us full of beautie to entice us when we seeme to be in a wildernesse a maze where there is no issue nor view of deliverance even there he openeth a doore of hope and allureth and speaketh
those men who stand at defiance with the power of Christ speaking in his servants The Apostle saith there is no escape left for those who neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 And yet this is the constant folly and cry of naturall men We will not have this man to raigne over us Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us But First Every man must be subject to some King either Christ or sinne for they two divide the world and their Kingdomes will not consist And the subjects of sinne are all slaves and servants no liberty amongst them Ioh. 8.34 Whereas Christ makes all his subjects Kings like himselfe Revel 1.6 and his is a Kingdome of Righteousnesse peace and joy Rom. 14.17 Secondly If men by being the subjects of sinne could keepe quite out from the judgment and Scepter of Christ it were something but all men must one way or other be subdued unto him either as sonnes or as captives either under his grace or under his wrath As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to mee Rom. 14.10 11. Hee must bee either a savor of life or of death either for the rising or the fall of many in Israel either for a sanctuary or for a stumbling block All must either bee saved by him or judged by him There is no refuge nor shelter of escape in any Angle of the World for his Kingdome reacheth to the uttermost corners of the earth and will finde out and fetch in all his enemies Thirdly the matter were not great if a man could hold out in the opposition But can thine heart endure or thine hands bee strong saith the Lord in the day that I shall deale with thee Ezek. 22.14 What will yee doe in the desolation which shall come from farre when you are spoiled what will yee doe where will you leave your glory what will become of the King whom you served before It may bee thy mony is thine idol and thou art held in thraldome under thine owne possessions But what will remaine of a mans silver and gold to carry him through the wrath to come but onely the rust thereof to joyne in judgment against him It may bee thou servest the times and fashions of the world rejoyceth in thy youth in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes But thou must not rise out of thy grave in thy best cloaths nor appeare before Christ like Agag gorgeously apparelled Thou must not rise to play but to be judged It may bee thou servest thine owne lust and anothers beautie but what pleasure willt there be in the fire of lust when it shall bee turned into the fire of Hell or what beauty wilt thou finde on the left hand of Christ where the characters of every mans hellish conscience shall bee written in his face Thou servest thine owne vainglorie and affectations but what good will it bee to bee admired by thy fellow prisoners and condemned by thy Judge In one word thou servest any of thine owne evill desires foolish man here they command thee and there they will condemne thee they are here thy Gods and they will bee there thy devils The Second particular in the description of Christs Kingdome is the greatnesse and neernesse of his person unto David My Lord. David calleth him my Lord upon a double reason by a Spirit of Prophesie as foreseeing his incarnation and nativitie out of the tribe of Iuda and stock of Iesse and so hee was Davids Sonne and by a Spirit of Faith as beleeving him to be his redeemer and salvation and so hee was Davids Lord. A virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne there we see his incarnation and descent from David and shall call his name Immanuel God with us there wee see his Dominion over David As man so he was his Sonne and as Mediator so he was his Lord. As Man so he was subject unto Mary his Mother and as Mediator so hee was the Lord and Savior of his Mother Luk. 2.51 Luk. 1.46 47. As Man hee was made for a little while lower than the Angels that hee might suffer death but as Mediator God and Man in one person so he was made much better than the Angels all the Angels of God were his subjects to worship him and his Ministers to waite upon him Heb. 2.7.9 Heb. 1.4.6.7 So then the pronoune Mine leads us to the Consideration of Christs Consanguinity with David as he was his Sonne and of his Dignity above David as hee was his Lord. From hence wee learne That though Christ was Man yet hee was more than a bare man For jure naturae no Sonne is Lord to his Father Domination doth never ascend There must be something above nature in him to make him his Fathers Soveraigne as our Savior himselfe argueth from these words Matth. 22.42 45. Christ then is a Lord to his people he had Dominion and was the salvation of his owne fore-fathers A Lord. First By right of the Creation For hee is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.17 which the Apostle makes the argument of his Soveraignitie To us there is but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him 1 Cor. 8.6 Secondly By a right of Sonship and Primogeniture as the chiefe the first borne the Heire of all things Hee is not in the House as Moses was a Servant but a Sonne over his owne House Heb. 3.5 6. That is hee was not a Servant but Lord in the Church as the Apostle else where gives us the same distinction We preach Christ Iesus the Lord and our selves Servants 2 Cor. 4.5 For in the Scripture phrase the first borne notes Principality Excellencie and Dominion I will make him saith God my first borne higher than the Kings of the earth Psal. 89.27 So in Iob The first borne of death is the same with the King of terrors Iob 18.13 14. and so the Apostle saith That the Heire is the Lord of all Gal. 4.1 and therefore from his primogeniture and designation to the inheritance of all things he inferreth his preeminence and honor even above the Angels Col. 1.18 Heb. 1.2.4 Thirdly By the right of his Vnction Office and mediatorship unto which he was designed by his Father He was to have in all things the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1. 18 19. Where by fulnesse either wee must understand fulnesse of the God head bodily as the Apostle speakes Col. 2.9 Or fulnesse of the Spirit of Grace which S. Iohn speakes of Iob. 1.16 Ioh. 3.34 And in both respects he is a Lord over all in one by the Dignity of his Hypostaticall union in the other by the grace of his heavenly unction and in both as Mediator and head in the Church Therefore the Apostle saith That God hath made him Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 and by the accomplishment of his office
his sufferings which are expressed by stripes Esai 53.5 and our resurrection with him noted in the budding of a dry rod. Or lastly noting the sanctifying and fruitfull vertue of his word which is the rod of his strength Vpon it also was the Mercie seate to note that in Christ is the foundation of all that mercie and atonement which is preached unto men But in two things principally did it signifie Christ unto our present purpose First It was overlaid within and without with gold and had a Crowne of gold round about it Exod. 25.11.37.2 denoting the plentifull and glorious Kingdome of Christ who was crowned with glorie and honor Heb. 2.7 Secondly it had rings by which it was carried up and downe till at last it rested in Salomons Temple with glorious and triumphall solemnitie Psal. 132.89 2 Chron. 5.13 So Christ while he was here upon earth being anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good Act. 10.38 and having ceased from his workes did at last enter into his rest Heb. 5.10 which is the heavenly Temple Revel 11.19 Now this carrying of the Ark into his resting place denotes two things First a finall conquest over the enemies of God For as the moving of the Ark signified the acting and procuring of victorie Iosh. 6.11 20. So the Resting of the Ark noted the Consummation of Victorie And therefore the Temple was built and the Ark set therein in the dayes of Salomon when there was not an emendicated or borrowed peace depending upon the courtesie of the neighbor nations but a victorious and triumphall peace after the great victories of David and tributarie subjection and homage of all the Canaanites which were left in the Land 2 Chro. 8.7 8.9.26 2 Sam. 7.9.12 Psal. 68.29 Secondly it notes the conferring of gifts as we see in that triumphall song at the removall of the Arke being also a prediction both of that which literally hapned in the raigâ—e of Salomon and was mystically verified in Christ Psal. 68.18 Thus Christ our Prince of peace being now in the Temple of God in heaven hath bound hell sinne and death captive and hath demolished the wals of Iericho or the Kingdom of Satan throwne him downe from heaven like lightning and passed a sentence of judgment upon him And hath received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost and given gifts unto men Act. 2.32 35. before his entring into his rest it was but a promise and they were to waite at Ierusalem for it Act. 1.4 but after his departure and intercession at his Fathers right hand it was powred forth in abundance upon them Ioh. 14.16.16.7 And we are to note that as it began with his sitting there so it continueth as long as he shall there sit It is true all Holy Scripture which God ordained for the gathering of his people and for the guidance of them in the militant Church is already long since by the Spirit dictated unto holy and selected instruments for that purpose inspired with more abundance of grace and guided by a full and infallible Spirit but yet we must note that in those holy writings there is such a depth of heavenly wisedome such a sea of mysteries and such an unsearchable treasure of puritie and grace that though a man should spend the longest life after the severest and most industrious manner to acquaint himselfe with God in the revelations of his word yet his knowledge would be but in part and his holinesse after all that come short of maturity as the enemies are not all presently under Christs feete but are by degrees subdued so the Spirit is not presently conferred in fulnesse unto the members of Christ but by measure and degrees according to the voluntary influences of the head exigences of the members So much of the Spirit of grace and truth as we have here is but the earnest and hansell of a greater summe Ephes. 1.14 The seed and first fruits of a fuller harvest 1 Ioh. 3.9 Rom. 8.23 Therefore the Apostle mentions a growing change from glorie to glorie by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 3.18 Wee must not expect a fulnesse till the time of the restitution of all things till that day of redemption and adoption wherein the light which is here but sowen for the Righteous shall grow up into a full harvest of holinesse and of glory But here ariseth a question out of the seeming contradiction of Holy Scripture It is manifest that the Spirit of Christ was in the Church long before his Ascension The Prophets spake by him 1 Pet. 1.11 The ancient Iews vexed him Esai 63.10 Iohn Baptist was even filled with the Spirit to note a plentifull measure for the discharge of his Office Luk. 1.15 and yet S. Iohn saith That the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified Ioh. 7.39 To this I answere that the Fathers were sanctified by the same Spirit of Christ with us difference there is none in the substance but onely in the accidents and circumstances of effusion and manifestation As light in the Sunne and light in a starre is in it selfe the same originall light but very much varied in the dispensation It was the same truth which was preached by the Prophets and by Christ but the Apostle observes in it a difference sundry times and in sundry manners hath God spoken by the Prophets but unto us by his Son that is more plentifully and more plainly unto us than unto the Fathers Heb. 1.1 Ioh. 16.25 Therefore though it be true that Abraham saw Christs day as all the Fathers did though he haply being the Father of the faithfull more than others in which respect Eusebius saith of them that they were Christians really and in effect though not in name yet it is true likewise that many Prophets and Righteous men did desire to see and heare the things which the Apostles saw and heard but did not Matt. 13.17 namely in such plaine and plentifull measure as the Apostles did They saw in glimpses and morning stars and prefigurations but these the things themselves They saw onely the promises and those too but afarre off Heb. 11.13 these the substance and gospell it selfe neere at hand in their mouth and before their eyes and even amongst them Rom. 10.8 Gal. 3.1 Ioh. 1.14 1 Ioh. 1.2 3. They by Prophets who testified before-hand these by eye-witnesses who declared the things which they had seen and heard Act. 1.8.22.10.41 Therfore it is said that Christ was a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and yet in the end of the world that he appeared to take away sinne by the Sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9.26 to note that the Fathers had the benefiâ— but not the perfection of the promises Heb. 11.40 for the Apostle every where makes perfection the worke of the Gospell 1 Cor. 2.7 Eph. 4.13 Heb. 6.1 So then after Christs sitting on the right hand of power the Holy Spirit was more
owne vices But now first the power of Christ in his Church is universall there is in him all power and no weaknesse no power without him or against him and therefore no wonder if from a fulnesse of power in him and an emptinesse in his enemies the argument of continuance in his kingdome doth infallibly follow for what man if hee were furnished with all sufficiencie would suffer himselfe to be mutilated and dismembred as Christ should if any thing should prevaile against the Church which is his fulnesse Againe this power of Christ is supported with wisdome it can never miscarry for any inward defect for the wisdome is proportionable to the power this All power and that All the treasures of wisdome Power able by weaknesse to confound the things which are mighty and wisdome able by foolishnesse to bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and both these are upheld by righteousnesse which is indeed the very soule and sinewes of a kingdome upon which the thrones of Princes are established and which the Apostle makes the ground of the perpetuitie of Christs kingdome Thy throne O God is for ever and ever a scepter of righteousnesse is the scepter of thy kingdome Hebr. 1.8 Thirdly the quality of Christs kingdome is to be a Growing kingdome though the originals thereof be but like a graine of mustard-seed or like Eliahs cloud to a humane view despicable and almost below the probabilities of subsistence the object rather of derision than of terrour to the world yet at last it groweth into a widenesse which maketh it as catholike as the world And therefore that which the Prophet David speakes of the Sunne the Apostle applies to the Gospell Rom. 10.18 to note that the Circle of the Gospell is like that of the Sunne universall to the whole world It is such a kingdome as groweth into other kingdomes and eats them out The little stone in Nebuchadnezzars vision which was the Kingdome of Christ for so Ierusalem is called a stone Zech. 12.3 brake in peeces the great Monarchies of the earth and grew up into a great mountaine which filled the world Dan. 2.34 35. for the kingdomes of the earth must become the kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Revel 11.15 Therefore the Prophets expresse Christ and his kingdome by the name of a Branch which groweth up for a standard and ensigne of the people Esay 11.1.10 Zech. 3.8 A branch which growes but never withers It hath no principles of death in it selfe and though it be for a while subject to the assaults of adversaries and forren violence yet that serves onely to trie it and to settle it but not to weaken or overturne it The gates of hell all the powers policies and lawes of darknesse shall never prevaile against the Church of Christ he hath bruized and judged and trodden downe Satan under our feet He hath overcome the world he hath subdued iniquitie hee hath turned persecutions into seminaries and resurrections of the Church he hath turned afflictions into matters of glory and of rejoycing so that in all the violence which the Church can suffer it doth more than conquer because it conquers not by repelling but by suffering And this shewes the sacrilege and sawcinesse of the Church of Rome which in this point doth with a double impiety therefore pervert the Scriptures that it may derogate from the honour of Christ and his kingdome And those things which are spoken of the infallibility authority and fulnesse of power which Christ hath in his body of the stability constancie and universalitie of his Church upon earth doth arrogate onely to the Pope and his See at Rome As the Donatists in S. Augustines time from that place of the Spouse in the Canticles Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocke to rest in Meridie excluded all the world from being a Church save onely a corner of Africa which was at that time the nest of those hornets So because Christ sayes his Church is built upon a rocke and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it therefore the Romanists from hence conclude all these priviledges to belong to them and exclude all the famous Churches of the world besides from having any communion with Christ the Head That scornefull expostulation which Harding makes with that renowned and incomparable Bishop under whose hand hee was no more able to subsist than a whelpe under the paw of a Lion shall wee now change the song of Micheas the Prophet Out of Sion shall come the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem and sing a new song out of Wittenberg is come the Gospell and the Word of the Lord from Zurich and Geneva may most truely and pertinently be retorted upon himselfe and his faction who boldly curse and exclude all those Christian Churches from the body of Christ and the hope of salvation who will not receive lawes from Rome nor esteeme the Cathedrall determinations of that Bishop though haply in himselfe an impure diabolicall and intolerable beast as by their owne confessions many of them have beene to be notwithstanding the infallible Edicts of the Spirit of God and as undoubtedly the Word of Christ as if S. Peter or Saint Paul had spoken it an arrogancie than which there is scarce any more expresse and characteristicall note to discerne Antichrist by It is true that Christs regal power doth alwaies shew forth it selfe in upholding his Catholike Church and in revealing unto it out of his sacred Word such necessary truths as are absolutely requisite unto its being and salvation but to binde this power of Christ to one man and to one See as if like the Pope he were infallible only in S. Peters chaire is the meere figment of pride and ambition without any ground at all raised out of a heape and aggregation of monstrous presumptions of humane and some most disputable others most false conceits of which though there be not the least vestigia in sacred Scriptures yet must they be all first wrested in for indubitate principles and laid for sure foundations before the first stone of Papall authoritie can bee raised As first that the externall and visible regiment of the whole Church is Monarchicall and that there must be a predominant mistresse Church set over all the rest to which in all points they must have recourse and to whose decisions they must conforme without any hesitancie or suspition at all whereas the Apostle tels us that the unity of the Church is gathered by many Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4.11 12 13. for as if severall needles bee touched by so many severall Loadstones all which have the selfe-same specificall vertue in them they doe all as exactly bend to one and the same point of heaven as if they had beene thereunto qualified by but one so in as much as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers come all instructed with one and
beleeve his kingdome of glory and salvation but they shall be made subject to the sword of his wrath and that without any hope of escape or power of opposition for God himselfe shall do it immediatly by his owne mighty power Hee will interpose his owne hand and magnifie the glory of his owne strength in the just confusion of wicked men So the Apostle saith that The Lord will shew his wrath and make his power knowne in the vessels fitted for destruction Rom. 9.22 Two meanes the Apostle sheweth shall be used in the destruction of the wicked to effect it The presence or countenance and the glorious power of the Lord 2 Thes. 1.9 The very terrour of his face and the dreadfull Majesty of his presence shall slay the wicked The kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe captaines and the mighty men those who all their life time were themselves terrible and had beene acquainted with terrours shall then begge of the mountaines and rockes to fall upon them and to hide them from the Face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Revel 6.15 16. Esai 2.10 whence that usuall expression of Gods resolution to destroy a people I will set my face against them O then how sore shall the condemnation of wicked men bee when therein the Lord purposeth to declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glorious strength of his owne almighty arme Here when the Lord punisheth a people he onely sheweth how much strength and edge he can put into the Creatures to execute his displeasure But the extreme terrour of the last day shall be this that men shall fall immediatly into the hands of God himselfe who hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me and I will recompence Heb. 10.30 31. And therefore the Apostle useth this expostulation against Idolaters Doe we provoke the Lord to jelousie Are we stronger than he 1 Cor. 10.22 Dare we meete the Lord in his fury doe we provoke him to powre out All his wrath Psal. 78.38 He will at last stir up all his wrath against the vessels that are fitted for it And for that cause he will punish them himselfe For there is no Creature able to bring all Gods wrath unto another there is no vessell able to hold all Gods displeasure The Apostle telleth us that wee have to doe with God in his Word Heb. 4.13 but herein he useth the ministery of weake men so that his Majesty is cover'd and wicked men have a veile upon their hearts that they cannot see God in his Word When thy hand is lifted up namely in the threatnings and predictions of wrath out of the word they will not see for it is a worke of faith to receive the word as Gods word and therein before-hand to see his power and to heare his rod Mic. 6.9 Other men belye the Lord and say it is not he But though they will not acknowledge that they have to doe with God in his word though they will not see when his hand is lifted up in the preparations of his wrath yet they shall see and know that they have to doe with him in his judgements when his hand falleth downe againe in the execution of his wrath So the Lord expostulateth with them Ezek. 22.14 Can thine heart endure or thine hands bee strong in the dayes that I shall deale with thee The Prophet Esay resolves that question The sinners in Sion are affraid fearefulnesse hath surprised the hypocrites namely a fearefull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation as the Apostle speakes Heb. 10.27 Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Esai 33.14 that is in the words of another Prophet Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger His fury is powred out like fire and the rockes are throwne downe by him Nahum 1.6 Confirmations of this point we may take from these considerations First the quarrell with sinners is Gods owne the controversie his owne the injuries and indignities have beene done to himselfe and his owne sonne the challenges have beene sent unto himselfe and his owne Spirit And therefore no marvell if hee take the matter into his owne hands and the quarrell so immediatly reflecting upon him if he be provoked to revenge it by his owne immediate power Secondly revenge is his royalty and peculiar prerogative Deut. 32.35.41 from whence the Apostle inferres That it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.30 31. And there are these arguments of fearefulnesse in it First it shall be in Iudgement without mercy Iam. 2.13 there shall be no mixture of any sweetnesse in the cup of Gods displeasure but all poison and bitternesse there shall not bee affoorded a drop of water to a lake of fire a minute of eafe to an eternity of torment Secondly it shall be in fury without compassion In humane judgements where the law of the state will not suffer a Judge to acquit or shew mercy yet the law of nature will force him to cōpassionate grieve for the malefactor whom he must condemne There is no Judge so senselesse of anothers miserie nor so destitute of humane affections as to pronounce a sentence of condemnation with laughter But the Lord will condemne his enemies in vengeance without any pittie I will laugh saith the Lord at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth Prov. 1.26 Thirdly it shall bee in revenge and recompence in reward and proportion that is in a full and everlasting detestation of wicked men the weight whereof shall peradventure lye heavier upon them than all the other torments which they are to suffer when they shall looke on themselves as scorned and abhorred exiles from the favour and presence of him that made them For as the wicked did here hate God and set their hearts and their courses against him in suo aeterno in all that time which God permitted them to sinne in so God will hate wicked men and set his face and fury against them in suo aeterno too as long as he shall be Judge of the world Thirdly this may be seene in the inchoations of hell in wicked men upon the earth When the doore of the conscience is opened and that sin which lay there asleepe before riseth up like an enraged Lion to fly upon the soule when the Lord suffers some flashes of his glittering sword to breake in like lightening upon the Spirit and to amaze a sinner with the pledges and first fruits of hell when he melteth the stout hearts of men and grindeth them unto powder what is all this but the secret touch of Gods owne finger upon the conscience For there is no creature in the world whose ministerie the heart doth discerne in the estuations and invisible workings of a guilty and unquiet spirit Fourthly the torments of wicked angels
the promise of Christs comming yet their damnation sleepeth not but shall come upon them soone enough even like an armed man Be not ye mockers saith the Prophet lest your bands be made strong Atheisme and scorne of Gods judgements will make him binde them the faster upon us he will get the better of the proudest of his enemies Wee may mocke but God will not be mocked Hee that shooteth arrowes against the Sunne shall never reach high enough to violate it but the arrowes shall returne upon his owne head Contempt of God and his threatnings doth but tye our damnation the faster upon us and make our condition the more remedilesse The rage and wrestling of a beast with the rope which bindes him doth make the knot the faster Nay there is no Atheist in the world but some time or other feeleth by the horrours of his owne bosome and by the records of his owne conscience that there is a consumption decreed and a day of slaughter comming for the buls of Bashan Againe others I have knowne acknowledge indeede the terrour of the Lord but yet goe desperately on in their presumptions and that upon two other dangerous downefals First they thus argue peradventure I belong to Gods Election of Grace and then he will fetch me in in his time and in the meane time his mercy is above my sinnes and it is not for me to hasten his worke till he will himselfe O what a perversenesse is this for the wickednesse of man to perturbe the Order of God His Rule is that we should argue from a holy conversation to our Election and by our diligence in adding one grace unto another to make it sure unto our selves not to argue from our Election to our calling nor to neglect all diligence till our Election appeare It is true the mercy of Christ is infinitely wider than the very rebellions of men and it may be hee will snatch such a wicked disputer as this like a brand out of the fire But then know withall that every desperate sin thou dost now wilfully run into will at last cost thee such bitter throwes such bloudy teares as thou wouldest not be willing with the least of them to purchase the most sweete and constant pleasure which thy heart can now delight in And in the meane time it is a bloody adventure upon the patience of God for any man upon expectation of Gods favour to steale time from his service and to turne the possibilitie of the mercy of God into an occasion of sinning The Ninivites gathered another conclusion from those premises Let man and beast be covered with sackecloth and cry mightily unto God yea let them turne every one from their evill way and from the violence which is in their hands and the ground of this resolution was this Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that wee perish not And the Prophets teach us to make another use of the possibility of Gods mercy Rent your hearts and not your garments and turne unto the Lord your God for he is gratious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindenesse and repenteth him of the evill Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behinde him c. and againe Seeke ye the Lord all ye meeke of the earth seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger But then secondly there are not wanting desperate wretches who will thus hellishly argue against the service of God It may be the decree is gone forth and I am rejected by God and why should I labour in vaine and goe about to repeale his will and not rather since I shall have no heaven hereafter take the fill of mine owne wayes and lusts here Thus we finde the wicked Epicures conclude Wee shall dye tomorrow and therefore let us eate and drinke to day Nay but who art thou O man who disputest against God who rather choosest to abuse the secrets of God that thou maiest dishonour him than to bee ruled by his revealed will that thou maist obey him Let the potsheards strive with the potsheards of the earth but let not the Clay dash it selfe against him that made it Remember and tremble at the difference which our Saviour makes even amongst the wicked in hell It shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrah and for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement than for those cities which have heard and despised him Wicked men are treasuring up of wrath and hoording up of destruction against their owne soules every new oath or blasphemie heapes a new mountaine upon their conscience every renewed act of any uncleannesse plungeth a man deeper into hell giveth the divell more hold fast of him adds more fuell unto his Tophet squeezeth in more dregges and woefull ingredients into the cup of astonishment which he must swallow Doubtlesse a sinner in hell would account himselfe a blessed creature if hee did not feele there the weight and worme of such and such particular sinnes which with much easinesse he might have forborne nay which without paine and labour hee could not commit We see Dives in hell begg'd for but a drop of water to coole his tongue in that mightie flame Now suppose a man in a burning fornace what great comfort could he receive from but a drop of water against a fornace of fire Certainely the abatement of so much paine as the abiding of one drop would remove could in no proportion amount to the taking away the punishment of the smallest sin of the least idle word or unprofitable thought and yet in that extremity there shall not bee allowed a drop of refreshment against a lake of fire O that men would therefore in time consider what a woefull thing it is to fall into the hands and to rowze up the jealousie of the living God that because he will doe thus and thus unto obdurate sinners they would therefore in time humble themselves under his mightie hand and prepare to meete him in the way of his judgements For certainely no sooner doth the heart of a Sinner yeeld to God but hee meeteth him in his returne and preventeth him with goodnesse his heart likewise is turned within him and his repentings are kindled together With much more delight will he put a man into the armes of Christ than forâ—e him under his feet He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men he taketh no pleasure in the death of a sinner but he delighteth in mercy The last thing observed was the Manner of this victory expressed in those words Ponam and ponam scabellum To put and to put as a stoole under Christs feet Now this expression that the conquest of Christs enemies shall bee but as the removing of a stoole into his place noteth unto us two things First the easinesse of Gods victory over the
not Chariots nor multitudes of weapons yet he hath a Rod a Branch an Angell of Gods presence which can open the Sea and give an issue to the greatest dangers which can turne the enemies rage into his owne ruine There is no enemie so close so dangerous so unavoidable as our owne lusts Now the Lord promiseth to deale with the sinnes of his people as he did with the Aegyptians wee know their tyranny he subdued with many plagues their first-born the strength and flower of the Land he slew before and those who afterwards joyned themselves against his people he drowned in the bottome of the Sea so saith the Prophet He will subdue our iniquities he will purge them away the power and strength of them he will abate by his Spirit and as for those remainders thereof which are yet behinde and rebell against his grace hee will cast all of them into the depths of the Sea that is hee will remove them utterly away from us he will drowne them in everlasting forgetfulnesse he will not only blot them out that they may not be but he will not remember them neither which is in some sort to make them even not to have beene And which yet makes the assurance of all this the stronger the ground of it all is onely in God himselfe his Covenant and Mercy Now though our condition alters yet his mercy is still the same If the root of the Covenant were in us then as we change that also would vary too but the root is in Gods owne grace whose mercy is therefore without repentance in himselfe because it is without reason or merit in us Now lastly this Foot-stoole under Christs feet in regard of his enemies noteth unto us foure things First The extreme shame and confusion which they shall everlastingly suffer the utter abasing and bringing downe of all that exalteth it selfe against Christ. In victories amongst men the part conquered goes many times off upon some honourable termes at the very worst when they are led captives yet they goe like men still but to be made a stoole for the Conquerour to insult over to licke the dust like a serpent and move out of holes like the wormes of the earth to be so low as not to have any further degree of calamity or dishonour left unto which a man may be debased this is the extremitie of shame It is noted for the greatest indignity which Bajazet the grand Signior ever suffered when Tamerlane his adversary trampled upon his necke and of Valerian that cruell persecutour of the Church that he was trod under foot by Sapores the Persian King and after stayed like a beast It notes the extremest degree of revenge which hath no mixture of mercy or compassion in it So that by this we see the enemies of Christ and his kingdome shall be put to utter and everlasting shame That as the faithfull in that great day of their redemption shall lift up their heads and have boldnesse in the presence of the Lambe so the wicked shall fall flat upon their faces and cleave unto the dust when the bookes shall be unseal'd and the consciences of men opened and the witnesses produced and the secrets of uncleannesse reveal'd on the house-top and the mouthes of the wicked who here for a little while dispute against the waies of Christ and cavill at his commands shall be everlastingly stopped when men shall be like a deprehended theefe as the Prophet speakes then shall their faces be as a flame full of trembling confusion and astonishment The very best that are finde shame enough in sinne how much they who give themselves over unto vile and dishonourable affections Secondly hereby is noted the Burden which wicked men must beare The foot-stoole beareth the weight of the body so must the enemies of Christ beare the weight of his heavie and everlasting wrath upon their soules Sin in the committing seemes very light no bigger than the cloud which the Prophet shewed his servant but at last it gathers into such a tempest as if the soule make not haste it will be swept away and overwhelmed by it weighty bodies doe with much difference affect the sense according to the difference of places wherein they are That vessell or peece of timber which when it is on the water may be easily drawne with the hand of man on the land cannot be stirred with much greater strength So is it with sin upon the conscience in the time of committing it nothing more easie but in the time of judging it nothing more unsupportable A wilde Asse in the time of her lusting traverseth her wayes with much petulancie and snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure no man can turne her but in her moneth that is when she is burdened with her foale shee then feeleth the event of her former lustfulnesse and will easily be overtaken so the wicked in sinne however for the time they may beare it out with much mirth and cheere up their hearts in the daies of their pleasure yet when sin is come to the birth and so fully finished that it is now ready to bring forth death unto the soule they shall then finde that it is but like the roll which the Prophet swallowed sweet to the palat but bitter in the belly like a cup of deadly poison pleasant in the mouth but torment in the bowels On whomsoever the Sonne of man shall fall with the weight of his heavie displeasure hee will grinde him to powder That must needs bee a heavie burden which men would most joyfully exchange for the weight of rockes and mountaines to lye everlastingly upon their backes And yet the wicked at that great day shall all in vaine begge of the mountaines and rockes to fall upon them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lambe shall rather choose to live eternally under the weight of the heaviest creature in the world than under the fury of him that sitteth upon the Throne Thirdly herein likewise is noted the relation of a just and equall Recompence unto ungodly men The Lord useth often to fit punishments to the quality and measure of the sinnes committed Hee that on the earth denied a crumb of bread in hell was denied a drop of water Man who being in honor would needs affect to bee as God was thereby debased to become like the beasts that perish Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire and perished by strange fire from the Lord. Sodome and Gomorra burnt in unnaturall lusts and they were drowned in an unnaturall tempest of fire That Apostate in S. Cyprian who opened his mouth against Christ in blasphemie was immediatly smitten with dumbnesse that he could not open it unto Christ for mercy Eutropius the Eunuch when hee perswaded the Emperor to take from malefactors the benefit of refuge at the Altars did therein prevent his owne mercy and beg away the advantage of
moment of time upon the abuse or right improvement whereof dependeth the severall issues of their eternall condition though the Lord say expresly Bee not conformed to this world they that walke according to the course of the world walke according to the Prince of the power of the aire The Lord will punish all such as are clothed with strange apparell who take up the fashions of idolaters or other nations or other sexes as that place is differently expounded Nature it selfe teacheth that it is a shame for a man to weare long haire nay Nature it selfe taught that honest Heathen to stand at defiance with the sinnes of his age and not comply with the course of the world upon that slight apologie as if the commonnesse had taken away the illnesse that which committed by one would have been a sin being imitated after a multitude were but a fashion To conclude this particular The Apostle is peremptory Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor covetous nor theeves nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God and the consciences of many men who yet will never yeeld to the conclusion cannot choose but subsume as the Apostle goes on such are some of we nay and such we will be too But now if we should bespeake these men in the word of the Prophet Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob they should finde at the last their reasons to be like themselves vanity and lighter than nothing that the Word of the Lord will at last prevaile and sweepe away all their refuge of lyes Secondly the power of the Word towards wicked men is seene in Affrighting of them there is a spirit of bondage and a savour of death aswell as a spirit of life and libertie which goeth along with the Word Guilt is an inseparable consequent of sinne and feare of the manifestation of guilt If the heart be once convinced of this it will presently faint and tremble even at the shaking of a leafe at the wagging of a mans owne conscience how much more at the voice of the Lord which shaketh mountaines and maketh the strong foundations of the earth to tremble If I should see a prisoner at the barre passe sentence upon his Judge and the Judge thereupon surpriz'd with trembling and forced to subscribe and acknowledge the doome I could not but stand amaz'd at so inverted a proceeding yet in the Scripture wee finde presidents for it Micatah a prisoner pronouncing death unto Ahab a King Ieremie a prisoner pronouncing captivitie unto Zedekiah a King Paul in his chain preaching of judgment unto Felix in his robes and making his owne Judge to tremble It is not for want of strength in the Word or because there is stoutnesse in the hearts of men to stand out against it that all the wicked of the world do not tremble at it but meerly their ignorance of the power evidence thereof The Devils are stronger and more stubborne creatures than any man can be yet because of their full illumination and that invincible conviction of their consciences from the power of the Word they beleeve and tremble at it Though men were as hard as rocks the Word is a hammer which can breake them though as sharp as thornes and briars the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them though as strong as kingdomes and nations the Word is able to root them up and to pull them downe though as fierce as Dragons and Lions the Word is able to trample upon them and to chaine them up Thirdly the power of the Word is seene towards wicked men in that it doth judge them Sonne of man wilt thou judge wilt thou judge the bloudy Citie saith the Lord yea thou shalt shew them their abominations To note that when wicked men are made to see their filthinesse in the Word they have therby the wrath of God as it were seal'd upon them He that rejecteth mee the Word which I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day saith our Saviour And if all prophecie saith the Apostle and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all hee is judged of all and the secrets of his heart are made manifest Nay the Word doth in some sort execute death and judgement upon wicked men Therefore it is said that the Lord would smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips would slay the wicked And againe I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slaine them by the words of my mouth And therefore the Word of the Lord is called fury by the Prophet to note that when wrath fury is powred out upon a land they are the effects of Gods Word If a pestilence devoure a city and a sword come and gleane after it it is the Word only which flayes they are but the instruments which are as it were actuated and applied by the Word of God to their severall services Therefore it is that the Prophet saith that wise men see the voice of God and heare his rod. A rod is properly to be seene and a voice to bee heard but here is a transposition and as it were a communication of properties betweene the Word of God and his punishments to note that towards wicked men there is a judging and tormenting vertue in the Word For judgement saith our Saviour am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde If it be here objected that Christ saith of himselfe The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them and that he came not to condemne the world but that the world through him might bee saved I answer that there are two events of Christs comming and by consequence of his Gospell The one principall and by him intended the other accidentall and occasionall growing out of the ill disposition of the subject unto whom he was sent The maine and essentiall businesse of the Gospell is to declare salvation and to set open unto men a doore of escape from the wrath to come but when men wilfully stand out and neglect so great salvation then secondarily doth Christ prove unto those men a stone of offence and the Gospell a savour of death unto death as that potion which was intended for a cure by the Physitian may upon occasion of the indisposednesse of the body and stubborne radication of the disease hasten a mans end sooner than the disease it selfe would have done So that to the wicked the Word of God is a two-edged sword indeed an edge in the Law and an edge in the Gospell they are on every side beset with condemnation if they goe to the Law that cannot save them because they have broken it
present and things to come all are yours saith the Apostle Death it selfe and persecutions are amongst the legacies of Christ unto the Church and a portion of all that goodnesse with which in the Gospell shee is endowed It containes the glory of Gods power and strength for it is the Power of God unto salvation as hath beene declared It containeth the glory of Gods grace The grace of his favour towards us and the grace of his Spirit in us The Law was given by Moses but grace came by Christ that is favour in stead of Gods fury and strength in stead of mans infirmitie for because man was unable to fulfill the Law therefore the Law came with wrath and curses against man but in the Gospell of Christ there is abundance even a whole kingdome of grace the Apostle saith that by Iesus Christ grace raigned there is grace to remove the curse of the Law by Gods favour towards us so that on all sides the Law is weake unable by reason of mans sinne to save and unable by reason of Gods favour to condemne and there is grace to remove the weaknesse of man by Gods Spirit in us for though our owne spirit lust unto envie or set it selfe proudly against the Law of God yet hee giveth more grace that is strength enough to overcome the counterlustings of the flesh against his will and to enable us in sincerity and evangelicall perfection to fulfill the commands of the Law Lastly it containeth in some sort the glory of Gods heavenly kingdome in that therein are let in the glimpses and first fruits the seales and assurances thereof unto the soule by the promises testimonies and comforts of the Spirit And therefore it is frequently called the Gospell of the kingdome and the mysteries of the kingdome of God namely that kingdome which beginneth here but shall never end As if a man borne in Ireland bee afterwards transplanted into England though he change his countrey he doth not change his King or his Law but is still under the same government so when a Christian is translated from earth to heaven he is still in the same kingdome in heaven it is the kingdome of glory mended much by the different excellencie of the place and preferment of the person in earth it is the same kingdome though in a lesse amene and comfortable climate the kingdome of the Gospell These and many other the like things are the glorious matters which the Gospell containeth Here then wee see how and wherein we are to looke upon God so as that wee may abide his glory and bee comforted by it wee must not looke upon him in his owne immediate brightnesse and essence nor by our sawcie curiosities prie into the secrets of his unrevealed glory for he is a consuming fire an invisible and unapprochable light we may see his back-parts in the proclaiming of his mercy and wee may see the hornes or bright beames of his hands in the publishing of his Law but yet all this was under a cloud or under the biding of his Power His face no man can see and live Wee must not looke upon him onely in our selves Though wee might at first have seene him in our owne nature for we were created after his Image in righteousnesse and true holinesse yet now that Image is utterly obliterated and we have by nature the Image onely of Satan and the old Adam in us we must not looke upon him onely in mount Sinai in his Law lest the fire devoure us and the dart strike us thorow we can finde nothing of him there but rigour inexorablenesse wrath and vengeance But we must acquaint our selves with him in his Sonne wee must know him and whom he hath sent together there is no fellowship with the Father except it be with the Sonne too we may have the knowledge of his Hand that is of his workes and of his punishments without Christ but we cannot have the knowledge of his bosome that is of his counsels and of his compassions nor the knowledge of his Image that is of his holinesse grace and righteousnesse nor the knowledge of his presence that is of his comforts here and his glory hereafter but onely in and by Christ we may know God in the World for in the Creation is manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may bee knowne of him namely his eternall power and God-head But this is a barren and fruitlesse knowledge which will not keepe downe unrighteousnesse for the wise men of the world when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and held that truth of him which was in the Creation revealed in unrighteousnesse Wee may know him in his Law too and that in exceeding great glory when God came from Teman and the Holy One from mount Paran whereabout the Law was the second time repeated by Moses his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise his brightnesse was as the light c. But this is a killing knowledge a knowledge which makes us flie from God and hide our selves out of his presence and fight against him as our sorest enemies and come short of his glory therefore the Law is called a firy Law or a fire of Law to shew not onely the originall thereof for it was spoken out of the middest of the fire but the nature and operation of it too which of it selfe is to heap fire and curses upon the soule and therefore it is called the ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.7 But now to know the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ is both a fruitfull and a comfortable knowledge wee know the patterne we must walke by we know the life we must live by we know the treasure wee must be supplied by we know whom wee have beleeved wee know whom wee may be bold with in all straits and distresses wee know God in Christ full of love full of compassion full of eares to heare us full of eyes to watch over us full of hands to fight for us full of tongues to commune with us full of power to preserve us full grace to transforme us full of fidelity to keepe covenant with us full of wisdome to conduct us full of redemption to save us full of glory to reward us Let us therefore put our selves into this Rocke that Gods goodnesse may passe before us that he may communicate the mysteries of his kingdom and of his glory unto us that by him our persons may be accepted our prayers admitted our services regarded our acquaintance and fellowship with the Lord increased by that blessed Spirit which is from them both shed abroad in his Gospell upon us Now lastly the Gospell of Christ is glorious in those ends effects or purposes for which it serveth And in this respect principally doth the Apostle so often magnifie the glory of the Gospell above
the Law The Law was a glorious ministery as appeares by the thunderings and lightnings the shining of Moses his face and trembling at Gods presence the service of the Angels and sound of the trumpet the ascending of the smoke and the quaking of the mountaine but yet still the glory of the Gospell was farre more excellent a better Covenant a more excellent ministery The Law had weaknesse and unprofitablenesse in it both termes of diminution from the the glory thereof and therefore it could make nothing perfect But that which the Law could not doe in as much as it was weake through the flesh the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus which is a periphrasis of the Gospell as appeareth 2 Cor. 3.6 did doe for us namely make us free from the law of sin and death So then the Law was glorious but the Gospell in many respects did excell in glory 2 Cor. 3.10 To take a more particular view of the spirituall glory of the Gospell of Christ in those excellent ends and purposes for which it serveth First It is full of light to informe to comfort to guide those who sate in darknesse and the shadow of death into the way of peace Light was the first of all the creatures which were made and the Apostle magnifieth it for a glorious thing in those other luminaries which were after created 1 Cor. 15.41 How much more glorious was the light of the Gospell The Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A marvellous light and therefore the kingdome of the Gospell is exprest by light and glory together as termes of a promiscuous signification Esay 60.1 2 3. Of all other learning the knowledge of the Gospell doth infinitly excell in worth both in regard of the object thereof which is God manifested in the flesh and in regard of the end thereof which is flesh reconciled and brought unto God A knowledge which passeth knowledge a knowledge which bringeth fulnesse with it even all the fulnesse of God a knowledge so excellent that all other humane excellencies are but dung in comparison of it What Angell in heaven would trouble himselfe to busie his noble thoughts which have the glorious presence of God and the joyes of heaven to fill them with metaphysicall or mathematicall or philologicall contemplations which yet are the highest delicacies which humane reason doth fasten on to delight in And yet we finde the Angels in heaven with much greedinesse of speculation stoope downe and as it were turne away their eyes from that expressesse glory which is before them in heaven to gaze upon the wonderfull light and bottomlesse mysteries of the Gospell of Christ. In all other learning a Devill in hell the most cursed of all creatures doth wonderfully surpasse the greatest proficients amongst men but in the learning of the Gospell and in the spirituall revelations and evidences of the benefits of Christ to the soule from thence there is a knowledge which surpasseth the comprehension of any angell of darknesse for it is the Spirit of God onely which knoweth the things of God It was the devillish flout of Iulian the Apostate against Christian Religion that it was an illiterate rusticitie and a naked beliefe and that true polite learning did belong to him and his Ethnick faction and for that reason he interdicted Christians the use of Schooles and humane learning as things improper to their beleeving religion a persecution esteemed by the Ancients as cruel as the other bloudy massacres of his predecessors To which slander though the most learned Father might have justly returned the lye and given proofes both in the canonicall bookes of holy Scripture and in the professours of that religion of as profound learning as invincible argumentation and as forcible eloquence as in any Heathen Author for I dare challenge all the Pagan learning in the world to parallel the writings of Clemens of Alexandria Origen Iustin Tertullian Cyprian Minutius Augustine Theodoret Nazianzen and the other champions of Christian Religion against Gentilisme yet he rather chooseth thus to answer that that authoritie which the faith he so much derided was built upon came to the soule with more selfe-evidence and invincible demonstration than all the disputes of reason or learning of Philosophie could create Though therefore it were to the Iewes an offence as contrary to the honour of their Law and to the Greekes foolishnesse as contrary to the pride of their reason yet to those that were perfect it was an hidden and mysterious wisdome able to convince the gain-sayers to convert sinners to comfort mourners to give wisdome to the simple and to guide a man in all his wayes with spirituall prudence for what ever the prejudice of the world may be there is no man a wiser man nor more able to bring about those ends which his heart is justly set upon than hee who being acquainted with God in Christ by the Gospell hath the Father of wisedome the Treasurer of wisedome the Spirit of wisedome and the Law of wisedome to furnish him therewithall It is not for want of sufficiencie in the Gospell but for want of more intimate acquaintance and knowledge thereof in us that the children of this world are more wise in their generation than the children of light Secondly another glorious end and effect of the Gospell is to be a ministration of Righteousnesse a publication of a pardon to the world and that so generall that there is not one exception therein of any other sin than onely of the contempt of the pardon it selfe And in this respect likewise the Gospell exceeds in glory If the ministration of condemnation saith the Apostle bee glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3.9 It is the glory of a man to passe by an offence and the Lord proclaimeth his glory to Moses in that he would forgive iniquitie transgression and sinne that is multitudes of sinnes and sinnes of all degrees Exod. 34.7 And thus the Lord magnifies his mercie and thoughts towards sinners above all the wayes and thoughts of men even as the heavens are higher than the earth because he can abundantly pardon or multiply forgivenesses upon those who forsake their wayes and turne to him Esay 55.7 8 9. and therefore justifying faith whereby we rely upon the power of God to forgive and subdue our sinnes is said to give glory to God Abraham staggered not at the Promise through unbeleefe but being strong in faith hee gave glory to God namely the glory of his power and fidelity Rom. 4.20 21. Ye shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I have given them saith the Lord to Moses and Aaron because yee beleeved me not to sanctifie mee in the eyes of the children of Israel that is to give me the glory of my power and truth for to sanctifie the Lord of hoasts signifieth to glorifie his power by fearing him
forgiven thee There is no worldly affliction goeth closer to the life of a man than sickenesse and yet as in the midst of laughter the heart of a wicked man is sorrowfull because it is still under the guilt of sinne so in the midst of paine and sorrow the heart of a godly man may be cheerefull because his sinnes are forgiven To conclude this point we may for our better encouragement in so necessary a dutie lay together these considerations First in point of honour we should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell for the Gospell is a Christians Glorie and therefore ought to bee preserved in his heart as his chiefest priviledge The Spirit of God will not endure to have holy things profaned as if they were common or uncleane Belshazzer converted the consecrated vessels of the Temple into instruments of luxurie and intemperance but the Lord temper'd his wine with dregges and made them prove unto him as cups of trembling and astonishment Herod polluted the sepulchers of the Saints with a sacrilegious search of treasures presum'd to have beene there hidden and God made fire rise out of the earth to devoure the over-busie searchers Antiochus ransack'd the Temple of the Lord Heliodorus emptied the treasures of their consecrated monies Pompey defiled the Sabbath and the Sanctuarie Crassus robb'd the house of God of ten thousand talents But inquire into the event of these insolencies and we shall finde that true then of which latter ages have given many examples and are still likely to give more that stollen bread hath gravell in it to choake those that devoure it that ruine is ever the childe of sacrilege that mischiefe setteth a period to the lives and designes of prophane men Now then if the Lord were thus jealous for the types of his Gospell how thinke wee can he endure to see the Gospell it selfe dishonoured by an unsuteable profession or the bloud of the Covenant trampled under foot as if it were a common or uncleane thing In the contempt of the Gospell there is more dishonour done unto every person of the blessed Trinity than can be by any other sinne An undervaluing of the Fathers wisdome that great mysterie and counsell of redemption which was hidden from former ages and what an indignity is it unto him for a man to shut out the light of the sunne that so hee may enjoy that pittifull benefit of darkenesse to gaze upon the false glistering of rotten wood or of earthly slime the deceit wherof would bee by the true light discovered And undervaluing of his wonderfull love as if he had put himselfe unto a needlesse compassion and might have kept it still in his owne bosome A scorne unto the Sonne of God when wee suffer him to stand at our doores with his locks wet with the dew of heaven to put his finger into the hole of the locke as if he desired to steale an entrance upon the soule to emptie to humble to denie himselfe to suffer the wrongs of men and the wrath of God and after all this to have that pretious bloud which was squeezed out with such woefull agonies counted no other than the bloud of a common malefactor nor that sacred body which was thus broken discerned from the bodies of the theeves which were crucified with him An indignitie beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Grace when wee suffer him to waite daily at our Bethesda our houses of mercy and all in vaine to spend his sacred breath in the ministerie of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our soules that we would be contented to bee saved and we shall harden our hearts and stop our eares and set up the pride and stoutnesse of our owne reasonings till wee doe even wearie him and chide him away from us Now this is a certaine rule God will not lose any honour by mens sinnes if they refuse to give him the glory of his mercy he will shew the glory of his Power and justice in treading downe the proud enemies of Christ under his feet As they that honour him shall be honoured so they who cast any disgrace upon his truth and covenant shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Secondly to avoid Scandall The Gospell is the light of a nation And sinnes in the light as they are committed with more impudence so likewise with more offence An offence or scandall tending unto sinne in misguiding the weake in heartening and confirming the obdurate in opening the mouthes of adversaries to revile our holy profession and a scandall tending unto sorrow in wounding the hearts of the godly and vexing their righteous spirits with a filthy conversation Thirdly wee should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell even in respect to the state for the Gospell is the foundation of true peace and tranquility in a common-weale and those who shew forth the power thereof are as it were Lions about the Throne of their King By righteousnesse the Throne is established but sinne is a reproch unto any people One Ioseph in Egypt is a store-house to all the kingdome one Elisha an armie of chariots and of horsemen unto Israel one Moses a fence to keepe out an â—oundation of wrath which was breaking in upon the people one Paul an haven an anchor a deliverance to all that were in the ship with him And now Si stellae cadunt venti sequentur If the starres fall we must needes looke for tempests to ensue if the salt be infatuated we cannot looke that any thing should be long preserved If Christians live as if they had no Gospell or as if they had another Gospell what can wee expect but that God should either plague us or forsake us either send his judgements or curse his blessings Lastly the Gospell makes sinne more filthy if it doe not purge it as a taper in the hand of a Ghost makes him seeme more gastly than he was before Sweet ointment causeth ranke and strong bodies to smell worse than they did before So the sweet savour of the Gospell maketh the sinnes of men more noisome and odious in the nostrils of the Almightie And therefore wee see what a fearefull doome the Apostle pronounceth against those who having tasted of the good Spirit of God and been illightened and in some sort affected with his grace doe yet afterwardâ— fall away even an impossibilitie of repentance or renovation From which place perversly wrested though the Novatians of old did gather a desperate and uncomfortable conclusion that sinne committed after regeneration was absolutely unpardonable to avoide the danger of which damnable and damning doctrine some have boldly questioned both the Author and authenticalnesse of that Epistle yet all these inferences being denied wee learne from thence this plaine observation That precedent Illumination from the Gospell of Christ doth tend much to the aggravation of those sinnes which are committed against it And therefore in all
dispensation toward one and other the giving of saving knowledge to one people and with-holding it from others was not grounded upon any preceding differences and dispositions thereunto in the people but onely in the Love of God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to bee a speciall people unto himselfe above all people that are upon the face of the earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because yee were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you c. The Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse for you art a stiffe-necked people Your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood mold time and they served other gods There was no difference betweene them and the Gentiles from whom I gathered them Fiftly that the Gospell was hidden from others in God his owne will and counsell was the cause of it Hee forbad men to goe into the cities of the Gentiles neither were they to goe unto them without a speciall gift and commission The same Beneplacitum was the reason of revealing it to some and of hiding it from others Even so ô father for so it seemed good in thy sight If all these particulars bee true needs must we both admire the inscrutablenesse of Gods judgments towards the Gentiles of old for no humane presumptions are a fit measure of the wayes and severities of God towards sinners And also everlastingly adore his Compassions towards us whom hee hath reserved for these times of light and out of the alone unsearchable riches of his grace hath together with principalities and powers in heavenly places made us to see what is the fellowship of that great mysterie which from the beginning of the world was hidden in himselfe Thirdly in that the Lord doth send forth the Gospell of Christ out of Sion into the world wee may further observe that the Gospell is a Message and an invitation from heaven unto men For for that end was it sent that thereby men might bee invited and perswaded to salvation The Lord sendeth his Sonne up and down carrieth him from place to place he is set forth before mens eyes he comes and stands and calls knocks at their doores and beseecheth them to bee reconciled Hee setteth his word before us at our doores and in our mouths and eares He hath not erected any standing sanctuary or city of refuge for men to fly for their salvations unto but hath appointed Ambassadors to carry this treasure unto mens houses where hee inviteth them and intreateth them and requireth them and commandeth them and compelleth them to come into his feast of mercy And this must needs bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unsearchable riches of grace for mercy pardon preferment life salvation to goe a begging and sue for acceptance and very unsearchable likewise must needs bee the love of sinne and madnesse of folly in wicked men to trample upon such pearles and to neglect so great salvation when it is tendered unto them O what a heavy charge will it bee for men at the last day to have the mercy of God the humility of Christ the entreaties of his Spirit the proclamations of pardon the approches of salvation the dayes the years the ages of peace the ministers of the word the booke of God the great Mysterie of Godlinesse to rise up in judgement and to testifie against their soules Lastly in that the Gospell is sent from God the Dispencers thereof must looke unto their mission and not intrude upon so sacred a businesse before they are thereunto called by God Now this call is twofold Extraordinary by immediate instinct and revelation from God which is ever accompanied with immediate and infused gifts of this wee doe not now speake And Ordinary by imposition of hands and Ecclesiasticall designation Whereunto there are to concurre three things First an Act of Gods providence casting a man upon such a course of studies and fashioning his minde unto such affections towards learning and disposing of him in such Schooles and Colleges of the Prophets as are congruons preparations and were appointed for nurseries and seminaries of Gods Church It is true many things fall under Gods providence which are not within his allowance and therefore it is no sufficient argument to conclude Gods consent or commission in this office because his wisedome hath cast mee upon a collegiate education But when therewithall hee in whose hands the hearts of all men are as clay or wax to bee moulded into such shapes as the counsell of his will shall order hath bended the desires of my heart to serve him in his Church and hath set the strongest delight of my minde upon those kindes of learning which are unto that service most proper and conducent when measuring either the good will of my heart or the appliablenesse of my parts by this and other professions of learning I can cleerly conclude that that measure and proportion which the Lord hath given mee is more suteable unto this than other learned callings I suppose other qualifications herewith concurring a man may safely from thence conclude that God who will have every man live in some profitable calling doth not onely by his providence permit but by his secret direction lead him unto that service whereunto the measure of gifts which he hath conferred upon him are most suteable and proper And therefore secondly there is to bee respected in this Ordinary mission the meet qualification of the person who shall bee ordained unto this ministerie For if no Prince will send a mechanick from his loome or his sheers in an honorable Embassage to some other forraigne Prince shall wee thinke that the Lord will send forth stupid and unprepared instruments about so great a worke as the perfecting of the Saints and Edification of the Church It is registred for the perpetuall dishonor of that wicked King Ieroboam who made no other use of any Religion but as a secondary bye thing to bee the supplement of policie that he made of the Lowest of the People those who were really such as the Apostles were falsly esteemed to be the scumme and offscouring of men to bee Priests unto the Lord. Now the Qualities more directly and essentially belonging unto this office are these two Fidelitie and Abilitie The things saith the Apostle which thou hast heard of amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithfull men who shall bee able to teach others also Wee are stewards of no meaner a gift than the Grace of God and the Wisedome of God that grace which by S. Peter is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold Grace and that wisedome which by S. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifold wisedome of God Wee are the depositaries and dispencers of the most pretious treasures which were ever opened unto the
and to compose those differences thereabouts which doe so much perplex the world Secondly for those places which in their meaning are easie to be understood but in their excellent and high nature hard to be beleeved as all Articles of faith and things of absolute necessitie are in their termes perspicuous but in their heavenly nature unevident unto humane reason the office of the Church is not to binde mens consciences to beleeve these truths upon her authoritie for wee have not dominion over the faith of men neither are we lords in Christs flock and how shal any scrupulous minde which is desirous to boult things to the bran be secure of the power which the Church in this case arrogates or have any certaintie that this society of men must be beleeved in their religion who will allow the same honor to no society of men but thēselves But in this case the office of the Church is both to labour by al good means to evidence the credibility of the things which are to be beleeved to discover unto men those essentiall and intimate beauties of the Gospel which to spirituall mindes and hearts raised to such a proportionable pitch of capacitie as are suteable to the excellency of their natures are apt to evidence and notifie themselves and also to labour to take men off from dependance on their owne reason or corrupted judgement to worke in their heart an experience of the Spirit of grace and an obedience to those holy truths which they already assent unto with which preparations and perswasions the heart being possessed will in due time come to observe more cleerely by that spirituall eye the evidence of those things which were at first so difficult so then the Act of the Church is in matters of faith an act of introduction and guidance but that which begetteth the infallible and unquestionable assent of faith is that spirituall taste relish and experience of the heavenly sweetnesse of divine doctrine which by the ministery of the Church accompanied with the speciall concurrence of almighty God therewithall is wrought in the heart for it is only the Spirit of God which writeth the Law in mens hearts which searcheth the things of God and which maketh us to know them Thirdly for those places which are difficult rather to be obeyed than to be understood The worke of the Church is to enforce upon the conscience the necessitie of them to perswade rebuke exhort encourage with all authority Which should teach us all to love the Church of Christ and to pray for the peace and prosperity of the walls of Sion for the purity spiritualnesse power and countenance of the Word therein which is able to hold up its owne honour in the minds of men if it be but faithfully published we should therefore studie to maintaine to credit to promote the Gospell to encourage truth discountenance errour to stand in the gap against all the stratagems and advantages of the enemies thereof and to hold the candlestick fast amongst us to buy the truth and sell it not betray it not forsake it not temper it not misguize it not This is to be a pillar to put the shoulder under the Gospell of Christ. And surely though the Papists boast of the word and name of the Church as none more apt to justifie and brag of their sobrietie than those whom the wine hath overtaken yet the plaine truth is they have farre lesse of the nature thereof than any other Churches because farre lesse of the pure service and ministration thereof for in stead of holding forth the Word of life they pull it downe denying unto the people of Christ the use of his Gospell dimidiating the use of his Sacrament breeding them up in an ignorant worship to begge they know not what in all points disgracing the Word of truth and robbing it of its certaintie sufficiencie perspicuitie authoritie purity energie in the minds of men And this is certain the more any set themselves against the light and generall knowledge of the Word of truth the lesse of the nature of the Church they have in them what-ever ostentations they may make of the name thereof The last thing observed in this second verse amongst the regalities of Christ was Imperium his rule and government in his Church by his holy Word maugre all the attempts and machinations of the enemies thereof against it Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies that is Thou shalt rule safely securely undisturbedly without danger feare or hazard from the enemies round about their counsels shall be infatuated their purposes shall vanish their decrees shall not stand their persecutions shall but sow the bloud of Christ and the ashes of Christians the thicker they shall see it and gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues and be horribly amazed at the emulation and triumph of a Christians sufferings over the malice and wrath of men The kingdome of Christ is two-fold His kingdome of glory of which there shall be no end when hee shall rule over his enemies and tread them under his feet and his kingdome of grace whereby hee ruleth amongst his enemies by the scepter of his Word And this is the kingdome here spoken of noting unto us that Christ will have a Church and people gathered unto him by the preaching of his Gospell on the earth maugre all the malice power or policie of all his enemies Never was Satan so loose never heresie and darknesse so thicke never persecution so prevalent never the taile of the Dragon so long as to sweepe away all the Starres of heaven or to devoure the remnant of the womans seed The gates of hell all the policie power and machinations of the kingdome of darknesse shall never root out the Vine which the Father hath planted nor prevaile against the body of Christ. His Gospell must be preached till the worlds end and till then he will be with it to give it successe Though the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers gather together against the Lord and his Christ yet they imagine but a vaine thing and hee that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorne The grounds of the certainetie and perpetuitie of Christs Evangelicall Kingdome is not the nature of the Church in it selfe consider'd either in the whole or parts for Adam and Evah were a Church at first a people that were under the law of obedience and worship of God and yet they fell away from that excellent condition And the Prophet tels us that except the Lord had left a very small remnant the Church had beene all as Sodom and like to Gomorrah But the grounds hereof are First The Decree ordination and appointment of God Psal. 2.7 Acts 10.42 Hebr. 3.2 and wee know what ever men project the counsell of the Lord must stand Secondly Gods Gift unto Christ Aske of mee and I wil give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. Ps. 2.8
mans whole selfe to be consecrated as a kinde of first fruit unto God being sanctified by the Holy Ghost There is no man actually belonging unto the Kingdome of Christ who hath not all these holy affections wrought in him and maketh conscience of them as of his calling and the duties of his life Wee see then that Holinesse is the badge of Christs subjects they are called The people of his Holinesse Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase consecrated unto him and his service as a kinde of first fruits The livery of Christs servants is a parcell of the same holy Spirit with which his owne humane nature was clothed All the vessels and ministeriall instruments of the Tabernacle were anointed with the holy oyle and the house of the Lord was an house of holinesse to signifie that every Christian should bee by the Spirit of God sanctified because he is a Temple and every member because it is a vessell and instrument for the Masters use The Spirit of holinesse is that which distinguisheth and as it were marketh the sheepe of Christ from the wicked of the world yee are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise yee have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God Holinesse setteth us apart for Gods service for his presence and fruition protecteth and priviledgeth us from the wrath to come in the day when he shall separate betweene the pretious and the vile and make up his jewels without this no man can either serve or see or escape God either doe his will enjoy his favour or decline his fury All our services without this are but Dung and who would thanke that man for his service who with wonderfull officiousnesse should bring nothing but heapes of dung into his house If a man could powre out of his veines rivers of bloud and offer up every day as many prayers as thoughts unto God if his eyes were melted into teares and his knees hardned into horne with devotion yet all this if it be not the fruit of holinesse but of will-worship or superstition or opinion of merit and righteousnesse it is but as dung in Gods sight Wherefore lyest thou upon thy face there is an accursed thing in the campe What-ever sinne thy conscience tels thee lyeth next thy heart and warmes it so that thou art unwilling to part from it take heed of bringing it into Gods presence or provoking him with thy services for he will throw them backe like dung into thy face What hath my beloved to doe in mine house seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no more vaine oblations incense is an abomination unto mee c. Till a man put away the evill of his doings and cleanse himselfe all his worship of God is but mocking of him and prophaning his ordinances In vaine did the Marriners pray while Ionah was in the ship in vaine did Ioshua intercede while the accursed thing was in the campe A man shall lose all which he hath wrought in Gods worship and have neither thankes nor reward for it so long as he harboureth any uncleane affection in his heart and will not yeeld to part from it Any sinne which wasteth the conscience as every great and presumptuous sinne doth in whomsoever it is unqualifieth that person for the kingdome of heaven Grace maketh a beleever sure of salvation but it doth not make him wretchlesse or secure in living though there be not an extinguishment yet there is a suspension of his right upon any black and notorious fall that man must not dare to lay claime to heaven that hath dared in a presumptuous manner to provoke the Lord. Our holinesse is not the cause of our salvation but yet it is the way thereunto he which by any wasting and presumptuous sin putteth himselfe out of that way must by repentance turne into it againe before hee can hope to finde out heaven for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. He that is an hundred miles from his owne house notwithstanding his proprietie thereunto shall yet never actually enter therein till he have travelled over the right way which leads unto it There is an Order à primo ad ultimum in the salvation of men many intermediate passages betweene their vocation and their glory Justification repentance sanctification as a scale or ladder betwixt earth and heaven he that fals from his holinesse and purity of conscience though hee be not quite downe the ladder and hath the whole worke to begin againe as much as ever yet doubtlesse he shall never get to the top till he recover the step from which he fell And if in this case it be true that the righteous shall scarcely be saved O then where shall that man appeare whom God at the last shall finde without this garment and seale upon him When there was a tempest he who slept and least thought of it was throwne into the sea and when the day of wrath shall come those that have neglected their estate most shall doubtlesse be in the greatest danger And therefore we should labour to goe to Gods throne with our garments and our marke upon us for all other endowments our learning our honours our parts our preferments our earthly hopes and dependencies will none follow us but wee shall live to see either them or the comforts of them depart Achitophel had wisdome like an oracle of God but he liv'd to see it bid him quite farewell for hee died like a very foole or childe who when he may not have his owne will will be reveng'd upon himselfe Haman had more honour than the ambition of a subject usually aspires unto and yet he liv'd to see it bid him farewell and died the basest death which himselfe could devise for his most hated and despised enemie Iehoiakim a King liv'd to see his Crowne take its leave and was buried with the buriall of an Asse and drag'd like carrion out of the gates of the Citie There will be nothing at last left for any man to cast his trust upon but God or Angels or our fellowes and if then God be against us though all which remains were on our side alas what is an handfull of stubble to a world full of fire but yet there will not be that advantage but the combate must be single betweene God and a sinner The good Angels rejoyce to doe Gods will and the wicked will rejoyce to doe man any mischiefe these will be only readie to accuse and those to gather the wicked together unto the wrath of him that sitteth on the Throne O what would a man give then for that holinesse which hee now despiseth what covenants would such a man be content to
and to love any of thy words Thy Law is my Counsellor I will bee ruled by it it is my Physitian I will bee patient under it it is my Schoolemaster I will bee obedient unto it But who am I that I should promise any service unto thee and who is thy Minister that hee should doe any good unto me without thy grace and heavenly call bee thou therefore pleased to reveale thine owne Spirit unto mee and to worke in mee that which thou requirest of mee I say if a man could come with such sweete preparations of heart unto the word and could thus open his soule when this spirituall Manna fals down from heaven he should finde the truth of that which the Apostle speaketh Ye are not straitned in us or in our ministerie wee come unto you with abundance of grace but yee are straitned onely in your owne bowels in the hardnesse unbeliefe incapacity and negligence of your owne hearts which receiveth that in drops which falleth downe in showres Note 3. As it is a divine so it is a secret and undiscerned Birth As the winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but caust not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So saith our Savior is every one that is borne of God Ioh. 3 8. The voluntary breathings and accesses of the Spirit of God unto the soule whereby hee cometh mightily and as it were cloatheth a man with power and courage are of a very secret nature and notwithstanding the power thereof bee so great yet there is nothing in apparance but a voyce of all other one of the most empty and vanishing things As Dew fals in small and insensible drops and as a Childe is borne by slow and undiscerned progresses as the Prophet David saith Fearefully and wonderfully am I made Such is the birth of a Christian unto Christ by a secret hidden and inward call Vocatione Altâ as S. Austen calleth it by a deepe and intimate energie of the Spirit of grace is Christ formed and the soule organized unto a spirituall being A man heares a voyce but it is behinde him hee seeth no man hee feels a blow in that voyce which others take no notice of though externally they heare it too Therefore it is observable that the men which were with Paul at his miraculous conversion are in one place said to heare a voyce Act. 9.7 and in another place not to have heard the voyce of him that spake unto Paul Act. 22.9 They heard onely a voyce and so were but astonished but Paul heard it distinctly as the voyce of Christ and so was converted Note 4. As it is a Divine and secret so is it likewise a sudden birth In naturall generations the more vast the creature the more slow the production an Elephant ten years in the wombe In humane actions magnarum rerum tarda molimina great workes move like great engines slowly by leasure to their maturity but in spirituall generations Children are borne unto Christ like Dew which is exhaled conceived formed produced and all in one night Paul to day a Woolfe to morrow a Sheepe to day a Persecutor to morrow a Disciple and not long after an Apostle of Christ. The Nobleman of Samaria could see no possibility of turning a famine into a plentie within one night neither can the heart of a man who rightly understands the closenesse and intimate radication of sinne and guilt in the soule conceive it possible to remove either in a sudden change yet such is the birth of men unto Christ Before shee travelled shee brought forth before her paine came she was delivered of a man-Childe The earth bringeth forth in one day and a nation is borne at once It is spoken of Ierusalem the mother of us all Esai 66.7 8. VERSE 4. The Lord hath sworne and will not Repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck FRom the Regall Office of Christ and the Administration thereof by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit to the conquering of a willing people unto himselfe the Prophet now passeth to his sacerdotall office the vigor and merit whereof is by the two former applied unto the Church Therefore wee may observe that though the tribes were interdicted confusion with one another in their marriages Num. 36.7 Yet the Regall and Leviticall Tribes might interchange and mingle blouds to intimate as I conceive that the Messiah with relation unto whose lineage that confusion was avoided was to bee both a King and a Priest Thus wee finde Iehoiada the Priest married Iehoshabeath the Daughter of King Iehoram 2 Chron. 22.11 And Aaron of the Tribe of Levi tooke Elishâ—ba the Daughter of Amminadab who was of the tribe of Iuda Exod. 6.23 Numb 1.7 In which respect I suppose Mary and Elizabeth the Wife of Zatharie the Priest are called Cousins Luk. 1.36 In the Law indeed these two Offices were distinct Our Lord saith the Apostle sprang out of the Tribe of Iuda of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Heb. 7.14 And therefore when King Vzziah incroached on the Priests Office hee was smitten with a Leprosie 2 Chron. 26.18 21. But amongst the Gentiles amongst whom Melchizedek is thought to have beene a Priest it was usuall for the same person to have been both King and Priest The words containe the Doctrine of Christs Priesthood The Quality of it Eternall The Order not of Aaron but of Melchizedek The foundation of both Gods immutable decree and counsell hee cannot repent of it because hee hath confirmed it by an Oath I shall handle the words in the Order as they lie The Lord hath sworne Here two things are to bee enquired First how God is said to sweare Secondly why hee swears in this particular case of Christs Priesthood The former of these the Apostle resolves in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.17 Hee interposed in or by an oath namely himselfe for that is to bee supplied out of the thirteenth verse where it is said that bee sware by himselfe So elsewhere it is said that he sware by the excellency of Iacob that is by himselfe Amos 8.7.6.8 By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord that in blessing I will blesse thee Gen. 22.16 The meaning is that God should denie himselfe which hee cannot doe 2 Tim. 2.13 and should cease to bee God if the word which hee hath sworne should not come to passe So that usuall forme as I live is to be understood let me not be esteemed a living God if my word come not to passe so elsewhere the Lord interposeth his holinesse I have sworne by my Holinesse that I will not lie unto David Psal. 89.35 As impossible for him to breake his word as to bee unholy For the second question why God swears in this particular I answer First and principally to shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The immutable and irreversible certainty
this service And this promise is twofold First the promise of a great seed which by the execution of his office hee should gather unto himselfe and of a great conquest over all his enemies God conferred this hoâ—our upon him to be the King of a mighty People whom he should save and sanctifie to himselfe They were given unto him Psal. 2.8 Iohn 17.6 so that unto his Fidelitie Mercie and Power here is further added a Propriety to the thing which hee saves and who would not use all fidelitie in his owne businesse all mercy towards his owne seed all the power he hath to deliver his owne House from the fire and Christ was faithfull as a Sonne over his owne house whose house are wee Heb. 3.6 Secondly there was the promise of a great Glory and Crowne which the nature he had assumed should in his Person receive after the fulfilling of his Service After he had beene a little while lower than the Angels hee was to bee crowned with Glory and Honour Heb. 2.7 and therefore we may bee sure that hee hath fulfilled all righteousnesse and done for his Church all which hee was to doe upon the Earth because hee is gone and wee see him no more for his sufferings were to goe before and his glory to follow 1 Pet. 1.11 This is the Apostles argument why we are not in our sinnes but delivered from them because Christ is risen 1 Cor. 15.17 Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 And it is his argument againe why wee ought to hold fast our profession and to come boldly to the Throne of Grace for help in time of neede because wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Heb. 4.14 15 16. Fifthly as hee had a Promise from the Father to encourage him so he had a Nature from us to incline him unto the execution of his Office He was made of a woman made like unto us in all things sinne onely excepted tempted and afflicted as we are and so there are two things which the heart of a beleever may rest upon in him in any discomforts First his Sympathie for besides his Essentiall mercy as he is God there was in him a mercie which he learned by being like unto us In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that hee might be a mercifull and a faithfull high Priest Heb. 2.17 Such was his compassion towards the hunger of the multitude Matth. 15.32 because hee himselfe knew what hunger was Matth. 4.2 and such was his compassion towards the sorrowes of Mary and Martha Iohn 11.33 35. because he himselfe was acquainted with griefe Esay 53.3 and such was his compassion towards Peter in that state of desertion wherein he lay Luke 22.61 because he himselfe knew what it was to be forsaken Matth. 27.46 And this is the Apostles assurance that we shall obtaine mercy and grace to helpe in time of neede because hee had a feeling of our infirmities and was tempted as wee are Heb. 4.15 16. Secondly His consanguinitie He is not ashamed to call us brethren He is our Goel our Kinsman and therefore our Redeemer Heb. 11. Ruth 3.9.4.4 And will not repent Many things God hath said which hee hath revoked as the destruction of Ninive the death of Ezekiah and the like which implying a tacite condition fit in the particular cases to be conceal'd upon the varieties of that God might bee said either to persevere or to repent Ier. 18.7 8.26.13 19. God is ever most unchangeable in all his wayes counsels and purposes they stand for ever Nothing can fall out to make God more wise more mercifull more provident more powerfull than hee was before and therefore nothing can make him truely to change his will or to repent of his former actions or resolutions There is with him no variablenesse nor shadow of changing He is not a man that hee should repent I the Lord change not Iam. 1.17 1 Sam. 15.29 Mal. 3.6 Only in mercy unto our weaknesse God condescends unto the manner of humane expressions retaining still the stedfastnesse of his owne working which receiveth no variation nor difference from the contingencies of second causes He speaketh according to our capacitie but he worketh according to his owne counsell so that God is then said to repent when that which he once willed to be hee after by the counsell of the same will causeth not to be therein not changing his owne counsell but onely willing the change of the things that the same thing for this period of time shall be and then shall cease As when a rope is fixed to either side of a River by the same without any manner change or alteration in it I draw the boate wherein I am backward or forward so the same will and counsell of God stands constant and unmoved in the severall mutations of those things which are wrought or removed by it Now then when not onely the counsell of God is immutable in it selfe but also hee hath ordained some Law Covenant or Office which hee will have for ever to endure without either naturall expiration or externall abolishment then is God said not to repent To apply this to the present businesse the Apostle speaking of a new covenant which is established upon this new Priesthood of Christ for the Priesthoods and the Lawes goe both together the one being changed there is made of necessitie a change of the other Heb. 7.12 maketh the introducing of this new Covenant which is founded upon the Oath of God to make the preceding covenant old and transitory In that hee saith A new Covenant he hath made the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8.13 And hee saith peremptorily that it was therefore disannul'd because of the weakenesse and unprofitablenesse thereof Heb. 7.18 and this he affirmeth even of the morall Law that law the righteousnesse whereof was to be fulfilled in us by the Spirit of Christ namely in sincerity and in love which is the bond of perfection and the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 8.3 4. For the full understanding then and applying the words to the priesthood of Christ and the Law of Grace or the second covenant thereupon grounded it will be needfull to resolve these two questions First whether God hath repented him of the Law which was the rule and measure of the Covenant of workes Secondly upon what reasons or grounds the immutabilitie of the second Covenant or Law of grace standeth For the first of these the Psalmist telleth us that the Commandements of God are sure and that they stand fast for ever and ever Psal. 111.7 8. and wee may note that the same forme of speech which the Lord useth to shew the stability of the new covenant The Mountaines shall depart and
of sinnes for making compensation to the justice of God which had beene in sinne violated and to propitiate him againe So that in this regard a Priest was to be a middle person by Gods appointment to stand and to minister betweene him and men in their behalfe to be impartiall and faithfull towards the justice and truth of God and not to be over-ruled by his love to men to injure him and to be compassionate and merciful towards the errours of men and not to be over-ruled by his zeale to Gods justice to give over the care or service of them And such an High Priest was Christ zealous of his Fathers righteousnesse and glory for hee was set forth to declare the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 and he did glorifie him on earth by finishing the things which he had given him to doe Ioh. 17.4 Compassionate towards the errours and miseries of his Church for hee was appointed to expiate and to remove them out of the way Col. 2.14 Touching this Priest-hood wee will thus proceed First to enquire into the Necessitie we have of such a Priest Secondly what kinde of Qualifications are requisite in him who must be unto us such a Priest Thirdly wherein the Acts or Offices of such a Priest-hood doe principally consist Fourthly what is the Vertue fruits ends events of such a Priest-hood Fifthly what are the Duties which the execution of that office doth enforce upon us or what uses wee should make of it In these five particulars I conceive will the substance of most things which pertain unto the Priesthood of Christ be absolved For the first of these wee must premise this generall rule there can be no necessitie of a Priest in that sense which is most proper and here intended but betweene a guiltie creature and a righteous God for if man were innocent in his relations towards God hee would stand in no need of an Expiation and if God were unrighteous in the passages of mans sin there would not be due unto him any just debt of satisfaction This being premised I shall through many steps and gradations bring you to this necessitie of Christs Priest-hood which wee inquire into First every creature is unavoidably subject to the Creator for he made all things for himselfe and all is to returne that glory to him for which he made them Pro. 16.4 Rom. 9.21 And this subjection of the creature to the Creator doth suppose a debt of service to the will of the Creator Impossible it is and utterly repugnant to the quality of a creature not to be subject to some Law and indebted in some obedience or other to him that made it Omne esse is propter operari it is a certaine rule in creatures that God giveth every creature a Being to this end that it might put forth that being in some such operations as hee hath fitted it for and prescribed it to observe The most excellent of all creatures that excell in strength are Ministers to doe his pleasure and to heare his voice Psal. 103.20 21. and all the rest have their severall lawes and rules of working by his wisdome set them in the which they wait upon him and according unto which they move like Ezekiels wheeles by the conduct of an invisible Spirit and by the command of a voyce that is above them as if they understood the Law of their Creator and knew the precepts which they doe obey Ezek. 1.25 26. Psal. 104.19 No creature is for its selfe onely or its owne end for that which hath not its being of its selfe cannot be an end unto it selfe in as much as the end of every thing which is made is antecedent to the being of it in the minde and intention of him that made it The end of things is as a marke fixed and unmoveable in the purpose of the supreme cause the creatures as the arrow ordered by a most wife and efficacious providence some through naturall and necessary others voluntary and contingent motions unto one and the same generall end the glory and service of the Creator Secondly no creature is in its being or in any those operations and services which to God it owes intrinsecally and of it selfe immutable It is Gods owne peculiar honour to bee without variablenesse or shadow of changing Iam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 There was a time when the Sunne stood still and moved backward and was filled with darknesse as with an internall cloud when the Lions have forgotten to devoure and the fire to consume and the Whales to concoct God can as he will alter the courses of nature let goe the reines and dispence with the rules which himselfe had secretly imposed upon the creatures to observe which shewes that they are not in themselves immutable That constancie which in their motions they observe is from the regular government of that most wise providence which carries them to their end without any turning Ezek. 1.17 but when his glory requires and his will commands it the mountaines tremble the sea cleaves asunder the rivers runne backe the earth opens the Lawes of nature stand still for a while without any execution as if they were suspended or repeal'd by him that made them and therefore in that place things are said to move by a voice which is above them namely by the command of the supreme cause Ezek. 1.24 25. Thirdly man being in his nature and formall constitution a reasonable creature was appointed by God to serve him after a reasonable manner out of judgement discretion and election to make choice of his way above all others as being most excellent and beautifull in it selfe and most convenient and advantageous unto man therefore our service is called a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and David is said to have chosen the way of truth and the precepts of the Lord Psal. 119.30 and Moses to have chosen the afflictions of Gods people and the reproches of Christ before the pleasures of sinne or the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And hence it is that Holinesse in the phrase of Scripture is called Iudgement he shall convince the world of judgement Ioh. 16.11 and he shall bring forth judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Noting that the Spirit of holinesse ruleth and worketh in the children of obedience by a way of reason and conviction therefore hee is called a Spirit of Iudgement Esay 4.4 And for this cause God did not set any over-ruling law or determinating vertue over the operations of man as of other creatures that so he might truely worke out of the conduct of judgement and election of will Fourthly there is no deviation from a reasonable service or true active obedience properly so called for the obedience of brutes and inanimate creatures is rather passive than active which hath not some intrinsecall pravity in it and by consequence some fundamentall demerit or obligation unto punishment for Guilt is the proper passion of sinne resultant out of it and therefore inseparable from
and victorie to encourage him none of which shall be allowed the wicked in hell who shall not onely bee the vessels of his vengeance but which will bee as grievous as that the everlasting objects of his hatred and detestation which made I say even the Sonne of God himselfe notwithstanding all these abatements to pray with strong Cries and bloudy drops and woefull conflicts of soule against the Cup of his Fathers wrath and to shrink and decline that very worke for which onely hee came into the world Thirdly to praise God for that great honour which hee hath conferred upon our nature in the flesh of his Sonne which in him is anointed with more grace and glory and filled with more vast and unmatchable perfections than all the Angels in heaven are together capable of for though for a little while hee was made lower than the Angels for the purpose of his suffering yet hee is now sat downe on the right hand of the Majesty on high Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him Heb. 2 6-9 1 Pet. 3.22 Heb. 1 4-13 And for the infinite mercy which hee hath shewed to our soules bodies and persons in the sacrifice of his Sonne in our reconciliation and favour with him in the justification of our persons from the guilt of sinne in the sanctification of our nature from the corruption of sinne in the inheritance reserved in heaven for us in the Communion and fellowship wee have with Christ in his merits power Priviledges and heavenly likenesse Now saith the Apostle wee are Sonnes and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee â—ike him for wee shall see him as hee is 1 Ioh. 3.2 From these things which have been spoken of the Personall Qualifications of our High Priest it will bee easie to finde out the third particular inquired into touching the Acts or Offices of Christs Priesthood or rather touching the parts of the same Action for it is all but one Two Acts there are wherein the execution of this office doth consist The first an Act of Oblation of himselfe once for all as an adequate sacrifice and full compensation for the sinnes of the whole world Heb. 9.14.26 Our Debt unto God was Twofold As we were his Creatures so wee owed unto him a Debt of Active Obedience in doing the Duties of the whole Law and as wee are his prisoners so wee owed unto him a Debt of passive obedience in suffering willingly and throughly the Curses of the Law And under this Law Christ was made to redeeme us by his fulfilling all that righteousnesse who were under the precepts and penalties of the Law our selves Therefore the Apostle saith hee was sinne for us that is a Sacrifice for sinne to meete and intercept that wrath which was breaking out upon us 2 Cor. 5.21 Herein was the great mercy of God seen to us that hee would not punish Sinners though he would not spare Sinne. If hee should have resolved to have judged Sinners wee must have perished in our owne persons but being pleased to deale with sinne onely in abstracto and to spare the sinner hee was contented to accept of a Sacrifice which under the Relation and Title of a Sacrifice stood in his sight like the body of sinne alone by it selfe in which respect hee is likewise said to bee made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Now that which together with these things giveth the complete and ultimate formality of a Sacrifice unto the death of Christ was his owne willingnesse thereunto in that hee offered himselfe And therefore hee is called the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world because hee was dumbe and opened not his mouth but was obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 Christs death in regard of God the Father was a necessary death for hee had before determined that it should bee done Act. 4.28 Thus it is written and thus it behov'd Christ to suffer Luk. 24.46 The Sonne of Man must bee lifted up Ioh. 3.14 And therefore hee is said to bee a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world in regard of Gods Decree and preordination But this gave it not the formality of a Sacrifice for God the Father was not the Priest and it is the Action of the Priest which giveth the being of a Sacrifice to that which is offered Againe Christs death in regard of men was violent They slew him with wicked hands and killed the Prince of life Act. 2. â—3 3.15 And in this sense it was no Sacrifice neither for they werâ—â—ot Priests but butchers of Christ. Thirdly his death in regard of himselfe was voluntarie I lay down my life no man taketh it from mee but I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it againe Ioh. 10.17 18. And this oblation and willing obedience or rendring himselfe to God is that which gives being to a Sacrifice Hee was delivered by God Act. 2.23 Hee was delivered by Iudas and the Iewes Matth. 27.2 Act. 3.13 and hee was yeelded and given up by himselfe Gal. 2.20 Eph. 5.25 In regard of God it was Iustice and mercy Ioh. 3.16 17. Rom. 3.25 In regard of man it was murther and crueltie Act. 7.52 In regard of Christ it was obedience and humility Phil. 2.8 And that voluntary act of his was that which made it a Sacrifice Hee gave himselfe for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling savor Eph. 5.2 His death did not grow out of the condition of his nature neither was it inflicted on him by reason of an excesse of strength in those that executed it for he was the Lord of glory but onely out of mercy towards men out of obedience towards God and out of power in himselfe For omnis Christi infirmitas fuit ex potestate By his power hee assumed those infirmities which the oeconomic and dispensation of his Priesthood on the earth required and by the same power hee laid them aside againe when that service was ended And this I say was that which made it a Sacrifice As martyrdome when men lay down their lives for the profession of the truth and the service of the Church is called a Sacrifice Phil. 2.17 If it bee here objected that Christs death was against his owne will for hee exceedingly feared it Heb. 5.7 and prayed earnestly against it as a thing contrary to his will Matth. 26.39 To this I answer that all this doth not hinder but commend his willingnesse and obedience Consider him in private as a Man of the same naturall affections desires and abhorâ—encies with other men and consider the cup as it was calix amarituâ—â—â—â—s a very bitter cup and so hee most justly feared and declined it as knowing that it would bee a most woefull and a heavy combate which hee was entring upon but consider
for themselves The Lord is not at our left hand to succor us in our idlenesse and negligence but at our working hand to give successe to our honest endeavors The sword of the Lord doth not fight without the sword of Gedeon Iudg. 7.18 In the miracles of Christ when hee fed and feasted men hee never created wine or bread of nothing but blessed and so changed or multiplied that which was by humane industry prepared before Our Savior had fish and bread of his owne and yet hee would have his Disciples put in their net and catch and bring of their owne to note unto us that Gods power and providence must not exclude but encourage mans industry Ioh. 21.9 10. Hee protecteth us in viis nostris non in praecipitiis in our wayes not in our precipices or presumptions Psal. 91.11 So long then as the Church is valiant and constant in withstanding the enemies of her peace prosperity God is undoubtedly with her to blesse that courage and to strengthen that right hand so long as Moses held up his hand God fought for Israel There was Ioshuas sword and Moses his hand or prayer and upon those Gods blessing Exod. 17.12 13. And they were all to concurre If the sword should cease the Prayer would doe no good for God will not bee tempted If the Prayer faint the sword is in vaine for God will not bee neglected As in a curious Clock stopp any wheele and you hinder the whole motion If God promise to bee present Ioshua must promise to bee couragious Iosh. 1.5.6.9 Secondly to note unto us the care and militarie wisedome of Christ our Captaine to meete with and to prevent our enemies and to intercept their blowes against us for wee may observe in the Scripture that Satan plieth the right hand of the Church laboureth to weaken and assault us where there is most danger towards him Let Satan stand at his right hand Psal. 109.6 That is either give him over to the rage of Satan that hee may bee hurried to execute his will or set Satan to hinder him in his mischievous intents Thus Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua the high Priest to resist him Zech. 3.1 Noting the assiduous and indefatigable endeavors of Satan to resist disappoint and overthrow the workes of the worthies in Gods Church I would have come unto you even I Paul once and againe but Satan hindered us 1 Thess. 2.18 And to divert the strength of men upon his service And therefore to rebuke him and to shew to the Church that our strength is from him and due unto him hee also stands there to outvie the temptations and impulsions of Satan These are the two expositions which are given of these words The Lord at thy right hand Now though of all places of Scripture there is indeed but one literall sense yet when two are given which both tend unto the same generall scope and are suteable not onely to the analogie of faith but to the meaning mainely aimed at by the Holy Ghost in the place and when there is no apparant evidence in the face of the Text for preferring one before the other I thinke it is not unfit to embrace both and so something I shall touch upon both senses Shall strike through or wound or make gore bloudie Kings in the day of his wrath The word is Hath stricken through Kings It is a Prophesie of things future spoken as of things to bee done To strike thorow notes a complete victory and full confusion of the enemie an in curable wound that they may stagger and fall and rise up no more and that affliction may not arise a second time Nahum 1.9 1 Sam. 26.8 The onely difficulty is what is meant by Kings for which wee must note that the Kingdome of Christ is spirituall and his warre spirituall and therefore his enemies for the most part spirituall Therefore I take it wee are hereby to understand the most potent enemies of Christ whether spirituall wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes. 6.12 2 Cor. 10.4 Or Carnall as heathen and wicked men Psal. 2.8 9. The fat and the strong enemies of the Church Ezek. 34.16 Our spirituall enemies in Scripture are called Kings Satan the Prince of this world the God of this world the Prince of the power of the aire The King of the locusts c. Sinne and originall concupiscence is a King Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies And the Earthly enemies of Christ are called Kings The ten Hornes that is ten Kings make warre with the Lambe The Kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and his Christ and Death which is the last enemie is a King The King of Terrors that raigneth over men Aâ—d over all these Kings doe the victories of Christ reach Some by Kings understand the Romane emperors who are called Kings 1 Pet. 2.13.17 And their overthrow for persecuting the Church But since all sorts of Christs enemies are called Kings in Scripture and all of them doe push at his Kingdome in the Church I see no ground why wee may not by Kings understand them all with their subjects armies and associates As in great victories the Lords and principall men are said to be overcome when the servants and souldiers are routed and slaine In the Day of his wrath That is when time hath ripened the insolency and malice of the enemie when his fury is fully stirred up and provoked when the just and full time of his glory is come That it may appeare that they are overcome not by time or chance or humane power or secular concurrence but onely by the power of his wrath hee will doe it Christ is never destitute of power but in wisedome hee hath ordered the times of his Church when to have his Church suffer and beare witnesse to him and when to triumph in his deliverances So the meaning of this clause is this when the day of recompence is come when the sinnes and provocations of his enemie is ripe when the utmost period of his patience is expired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fixed and unmoveable day which hee hath set bee the probabilities never so poore preparations never so small the expectations never so low the meanes in humane view never so impossible yet then by his wrath hee will utterly and incurably wound his enemies both spirituall and temporall that they shall not rise a second time He shall judge amongst the Heathen The word judgement noteth both Government and Punishment The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 There to judge noteth government The Lord standeth up to plead and to judge his people Esai 3.13 That nation whom they serve will I judge Gen. 15.14 There to judge noteth punishment Here it is taken
are likely to assault them to teach them in every condition as well possible as present how to walke acceptably before God Phil. 4.11 13. Another great enemie of the Kingdome of Christ is the lust of our owne evill nature The carnall minde is enmitie against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 Phil. 3.8 Enmity in grieving vexing and quenching the holy Spirit in us and lusting enviously against his grace Iam. 4.4 5. And here also Christ overcommeth by the prevailing power of his Spirit giving us more Grace demolishing the kingdome of sinne and judging the prince of this world which before did rule in the children of disobedience And this he doth by the judgement Seat and Scepter of his Spirit in the heart for the judgement of the Spirit is too hard for the principality of Satan Ioh. 16.11 The Spirit of Christ is a victorious Spirit He bringeth forth his judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Esai 4.4 Hee worketh out by degrees the drosse and impurity of our nature and services First by faith fixing upon better promises and hopes than lust can make 1 Ioh. 5.4 Heb. 11.24 26. Secondly by watchfulnesse eying corruptions and so stirring up those arguments and principles which are strongest against them Iob 31.1 Psal. 39.1 Thirdly by leading us to more acquaintance with God in knowledge love and communion Iob 22.21 1 Ioh. 1.3 and so fetching more wisedome and strength from him for this is the way that wee get all our strength even by learning of him Phil. 4.12 Fourthly by inclining the heart to hate and to complaine of corruptions to bemone it selfe as Paul and Ephraim did Rom. 7.23 Mark 9.24 Ier. 31.18 19. Fifthly by bringing the heart into the light there to approve and judge its actions Ioh. 3.20 by setting it alwayes in Gods eye that it may not sinne against him Psal. 16.8 Sixthly by convincing the heart of the beauty and excellencie of Grace of the unlikenesse of sinne to God and so making the soule more full of desires for the one and against the other Esai 26.8 Ezek. 36.31 and thus kindling lust against lust Gal. 5.17 Seventhly by being alwayes a present Monitour and Watchman in the soule to supply it with spirituall weapons and reasonings against the temptations of lust Esai 30.31 Ioh. 14.26 Lastly in one word by daily supplies from the residue of Spirit which is in our head whereby according to the proportion and exigence of the members he floweth into them Mal. 2.15 Phil. 1.19 This is that seed that leaven that vitall instinct which is ever in the heart setting it selfe against the workings and life of lust and by little and little wasting it away as fire doth water The grand instrument of Satan and lust who are the two leaders in this warre against Christ is the wicked world The power malice wisedome learning or any other either naturall or acquir'd abilities of evill men for even in an earthly respect by the word kings we are not onely to understand those Monarchs and princes of the earth who set themselves against Christ but all such as excell in any such worldly abilities as may further that opposition It notes the strength policie pride and greatnesse of minde or scorne of subjection which is in the heart against Christ. So that king heere stands in opposition to subject they who reject Christs yoke and breake his bonds asunder and will not have him to raigne over them those are the kings in the Text. And these also will hee smite through and confound by the Power of his Word and the strength of his arme The Lord gave the Word great was the company of those that published it Kings of armies did fly apace and she that tarried at home divided the spoile Psal. 68.11 12. Tophet is ordained of old for the king it is prepared Esai 30.33 Come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eate the flesh of kings and the flesh of captaines and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great c. Revel 19.17 18. As for those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luk. 19.27 Be wise now ye kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling kisse the Sonne lest he bee angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Thus the Lord overthroweth his Churches enemies and protecteth it against al their greatest preparations most formidable power And this he doth severall wayes sometimes by diverting their forces from his Church into some other necessary channell or ambitious designe of their owne Thus Rabshakah and his hoast were called from Iudah 2 King 19.7 8. so the Lord promised his people that when they went up to appeare before him thrice a yeere he would divert the desires of their enemies from their land Exod. 34.24 Thus Iulian the Apostate having but two maine plots to honour as he supposed his government and his idols withall the subduing of the Persian and the rooting out of the Galileans as he called them was prevented from this by being first overthrowne in the other for the prosperous successe of which expedition he vowed unto his idoll-gods a sacrifice of all the Christians in the Empire as Gregorie Nazianzen relateth Sometimes by infatuating and implanting a spirit of giddinesse and distraction in the enemies of his Church making them destitute both of counsell and courage When God would punish Babylon which was a type of the enemies of Christs Kingdome hee made their hearts melt that they should bee amazed at one another and their faces should be like flames Esay 13.7 8. that is not onely pale like a flame but rather as I conceive full of varietie of fearefull impressions and distracted passions nothing so tremulous so various so easily bended every way with the smallest blast as a flame so their feare should make their bloud and spirits in their faces to tremble quiver and varie to come and goe like a thinne flame in them so God threatneth to mingle a perverse spirit to make the spirit of Egypt faile in them and their wisedome to perish Esal 19.1 2 3 14 17. and thus likewise the Lord dealt with Iulian in that Persian expedition he put a spirit of folly in him to burne his ships and so to put a necessity of courage in his people as the old Gauls did against Caesar and then to leave them all destitute of necessary releefe Sometimes by ordering casualties and particular emergencies for the deliverance of his Church a thing wonderfully seene in the histories of Ioseph and Ester Thus as a man by a chaine made up of sâ—verall links some of gold others of silver other
condemne and punish them Whence wee may note That Christs victorie over his enemies shall bee by way of pleading and disceptation His military is likewise a judiciary proceeding grounded upon righteous and established Lawes Therefore the day of Gods wrath is called a time of vengeance and recompence for the Controversies of Sion Esai 34.8 To shew that the Lord doth not take vengeance but by way of debate And therefore when hee punisheth hee is said to plead with men The Priest said not where is the Lord and they that handle the Law knew mee not c. Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your Childrens Children will I plead Ier. 2.8 9. So to plead and to take vengeance goe together Ier. 51.36 And the Lord is said to reprove with equitie and to smite the earth with the rod of his mouth that is to convince and argue before hee doth punish Esai 11.4 as wee see in the case of Sodom Gen. 18 21-33 Herein the Lord sheweth that all our misery beginnes at our selves That if wee perish it is because we would not take his counsell nor be guided by his will That hee did not sell us to any of his creditors but that for our iniquities we sold our selves Esai 50.1 In humane warres though never so regularly and righteously ordered yet many particular men may perish without any personall guilt of their owne Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi But in these warres of Christ there shall not a man perish till hee bee first convinc'd by a judiciary proceeding of his owne demerit Every mouth must bee stopp'd and all the world by the evidence and acknowledgement of their owne conscience become guilty before God before his wrath shall seise upon them The Lord sent Noah to preach before hee sent a floud to destroy the old world He argued with Adam before he thrust him out of Paradise The voyce goeth ever before the rod Mich. 6.9 This course our Savior observed towards him who had not the wedding garment First convinced him till hee was speechlesse and then cast him into utter darknesse Matth. 22.12 13. And this course the Lord tooke with his people when hee punished them Esai 5.3 4. Amos 2.11.3.7 For hee will have the consciences of men to subscribe and acknowledge the justnesse of his proceedings and to condemne themselves by their owne witnesse when hee entreth into judgement hee doth it by line and plummet Esai 28.17 In proportion to the meanes of grace neglected to the patience and forbearance abused to the times of grace overslipped to the purity of the Law violated and profaned We must take heed therefore of continuing Gentiles of being aliens from that commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise of living without God in the world No man can with hope or comfort say Enter not into judgement but hee who is the Lords servant and of his houshold wee must be all ingrafted into the naturall Olive and become the seed of Abraham Iewes by covenant before Christ will bee our peace or reconcile us unto his Father Rom. 2 29.11.17-24 Gal. 6.16 Eph. 2 11-14 Hee shall fill the places with dead Bodies This notes the greatnesse of the victory that none should be left to bury their dead There shall be an universall destruction of wicked men together in the day of Gods wrath they shall be bound up in bundles and heaped for damnation Matth. 13.30 Psal. 37.38 Esai 1.28.66.17 And it notes the shame and dishonor of the enemie they shall lie like dung upon the face of the earth and shall bee beholding to their victors for a base and dishonorable buriall as wee see in the great battell with Gog and Magog Ezek. 39 11-16 Hee shall wound the Head over many Countries Either literally Antichrist Rev. 17.2.18 Who taketh upon him to bee oecumenicall Bishop and Monarch and to dispose of crownes and dispence Kingdomes at his pleasure Or spiritually Satan who is the Prince of this World whose head Christ was to crush and tread under our seete Gen. 3.15 Rom. 16.20 Or figuratively the Head that is the counsell and power of many nations which shall at last appeare to have been but a vaine thing Psal. 2.2 1 Cor. 1.19 What sense soever wee follow the maine thing to bee observed is that which wee handled before that Christ will in due time utterly destroy the greatest the highest the wisest of his enemies And therefore this may suffice upon this verse VERSE 7. Hee shall drinke of the Brooke in the way therefore shall hee lift up the Head SOme understand these words in the sense of the two former for a figurative expression of the victories of Christ and they in a twofold manner Some by brooke understand the bloud of the adversarie with which the way should bee filled as with a streame and by drinking hereof the satiating refreshing and delighting himselfe in the confusion of his enemies for the Lord is eased when his enemies are subdued Esai 1.24 Others that hee should pursue his victorie with such heate and importunity that hee should not allow himselfe any times of usuall repast but should content himselfe with such obvious refreshment as should offer it selfe in the way and should immediatly lift up his head againe to pursue the enemie at the heele and in this sense there is no more new matter here intimated than that which hath been before handled Others understand the meanes whereby Christ should thus lift up his head and exalt himselfe above all the enemies of his Kingdome namely by his Passion and sufferings by death destroying death and him that had the power of death which is the Devill I will not undertake to define which sense is most agreeable to the place it being so difficult But upon occasion of this latter which I thinke is more generally embraced I shall speake something of the meanes and ground of Christs victories over his enemies and of his government in his Church namely his sufferings and resurrection He shall drinke of the brooke in the way By Brooke then or Torrent we may understand the wrath of God and the rage of men The afflictions and sufferings which befell Christ. And this is a very frequent Metaphore in holy Scriptures to understand afflictions by water Psal. 18.4 5.42.7.69.1.124.4 5. So the wrath of the Lord is called a streame and a lake Esay 30.33 Revel 19.20 In regard of the rage and irresistiblenesse thereof Sternit agros sternit sata laeta boumque labores and in regard of the turbidnesse and foulenesse thereof for Gods wrath is full of dregs Esay 51.17 Psal. 75.8 It is said in the History of Christs passion when he was going to wrestle with that woefull agony in the garden that hee passed over the brooke Cedron Ioh. 18.1 And we may observe in the History of the Kings that when the good Kings Hezekiah and Asa and Iosiah purged the Citie and the Temple of idolatry
the Lord is said to be at the Right Hand of his Church 485 Christs enemies kings 487 All praise and honour to bee given unto God for the Power and Office of Christ. 489 Christ is present and prepared to defend his people from their enemies 491 Christ in his appointed time will utterly overthrow his greatest enemies 493 Satans enmitie is in Tempting 494 Satans enmitie is in Accusing 495 How the Spirit of judgement overcommeth corruptions 495 How Christ overcommeth his potent adversaries in the world 498 There is a constituted time wherein Christ will be avenged of his enemies 502 1. VVhen sinne is growne to its fulnesse 503 which is knowne by its Vniversality 504 which is knowne by its Impudence 504 which is knowne by its Obstinacie 504 2. VVhen the Church is throughly humbled and purged 506 3. VVhen all humane hopes and expectations are gone 506 Christs victories are by way of pleading and disceptation 509 A torrent of curses betweene man and Salvation 515 The Necessity of Christs Sufferings 522 The Greatnesse and Nature of Christs Sufferings 521 522 The Power and vertue of Christs Resurrection 524 AN EXPOSITION OF THE HVNDRETH AND TENTH PSALME PSALME 110. vers 1. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole CHRIST IESVS the Lord is the Summe and Center of all divine revealed truth neither is any thing to be preached unto men as an object of their faith or necessary element of their salvation which doth not some way or other either meete in him or refer unto him All Truths especially divine are of a noble and pretious nature and therefore whatsoever mysteries of his Counsell God hath been pleased in his Word to reveale the Church is bound in her ministerie to declare unto men And Saint Paul professeth his faithfulnesse therein I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsell of God But yet all this Counsell which elsewhere he caâ—s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the testimonie of God he gathers together into this one conclusion I determined not to know any thing amongst you that is in my pâ—eaching unto you to make discovery of any other knowledge as matter of consequence or faith but onely of Iesus Christ and him crucified And therefore Preaching of the Word is called preaching of Christ and Ministers of the Word Ministers of Christ and learning of the Word Learning of Christ because our Faith our Workes and our Worship which are the three essentiall elements of a Christian the whole dutie of man and the whole will of God have all their foundation growth end and vertue only in and from Christ crucified There is no fruit weight nor value in a Christian title but only in and from the death of Christ. The Word in generall is divided into the Old and New Testament both which are the same in substance though different in the manner of their dispensations as Moses veild differ'd from himselfe unveild Now that Christ is the substance of the whole New Testament containing the Historie Doctrine and Prophesies of him in the administration of the latter ages of the Church is very manifest to all The old Scriptures are againe divided into the Law and Prophets for the historicall parts of them doe containe either typicall prefigurations of the Evangelicall Church or inductions and exemplary demonstrations of the generall truth of Gods justice and promises which are set forth by way of Doctrine and Precept in the Law and Prophets Now Christ is the summe of both these they waited upon him in his transfiguration to note that in him they had their accomplishment First for the Law hee is the substance of it hee brought Grace to fulfill the exactions and Truth to make good the prefigurations of the whole Law The ceremoniall Law he fulfilled and abolished the morall Law hee fulfilled and established that his obedience thereunto might be the ground of our righteousnesse and his Spirit and grace therewith might bee the ground of our Obedience And therefore it is called the Law of Christ. 2 For the Prophets he is the Summe of them too for to him they give all witnesse He is the Author of their Prophesies they spake by his Spirit and he is the object of their Prophesies they spake of the grace and salvation which was to come by him So that the whole Scriptures are nothing else but a Testimonie of Christ and faith in him of that absolute and universall necessitie which is laid upon all the world to beleeve in his name It is not onely necessitas praecepti because wee are thereunto commanded but necessitas medii too because he is the onely Ladder betweene earth and heaven the alone mediator betweene God and man in him there is a finall and unabolishable covenant established and there is no name but his under heaven by which a man can be saved In consideration of all which for that I haue formerly discovered the Insufficiency of any either inward or outward principle of mans happinesse save only the Life of Christ I have chosen to speake vpon this Psalme and out of it to discover those wayes whereby the Life of Christ is dispenced administred towards his Church For this Psalme is one of the cleerest and most compendious prophesies of the Person and Offices of Christ in the whole Old Testament and so full of fundamentall truth that I shall not shunne to call it Symbolum Davidicum the Prophet Davids Creed And indeed there are very few if any of the Articles of that Creed which we all generally professe which are not either plainely expressed or by most evident implication couched in this little modell First the Doctrine of the Trinitie is in the first words The Lord said unto my Lord. There is Iehovah the Father and My Lord the Sonne and the sanctification or consecration of him which was by the Holy Ghost by whose fulnesse he was anointed unto the Offices of King and Priest for so our Saviour himselfe expounds this word Said by the sealing sanctification of him to his office Ioh. 10.34 35 36. Then wee have the Incarnation of Christ in the word My Lord together with his dignitie and honor above David as our Savior himselfe expounds it Matth. 22.42.45 Mine that is my Sonne by descent and genealogie after the flesh and yet my Lord too in regard of a higher sonship We have also the Sâ—fferings of Christ in that he was consecrated a Priest v. 4. to offer up himselfe once for all and so to drinke of the brooke in the way Wee have his Eluctation and conquest over all his enemies and sufferings his resurrection he shall lift up his head his Ascension and Intercession sit thou on my right hand And in that is comprised his Descent into Hell by S. Pauls way of arguing That he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth Eph. 4.9
Wee have a Holy Catholick Church gathered together by the Scepter of his Kingdome and holding in the parts thereof a blessed and beautifull Communion of Saints The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse from the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Wee have the last Iudgment for all his enemies must bee put under his feete which is the Apostles argument to prove the end of all things 1 Cor. 15.25 and there is the day of his wrath wherein he shall accomplish that judgment over the heathen and that victorie over the Kings of the earth who take counsell and bandie themselves against him which he doth here in his word beginne We have the Remission of sinnes comprised in his Priesthood for hee was to offer Sacrifice for the remission of sinnes and to put away sinne by the Sacrifice of himselfe Eph. 1.7 He. 9.26 Wee have the Resurrection of the Bodie because he must subdue all his enemies under his feete and the last enemie to bee subdued is death as the Apostle argues out of this Psalme 1 Cor. 15.25 26. And lastly wee haue life everlasting in the everlasting merit and vertue of his Priesthood Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek and in his sitting at the right hand of God whither he is gone as our forerunner and to prepare a place for us Heb. 6.20 Ioh. 14.2 and therefore the Apostle from his sitting there and living ever inferreth the perfection and certaintie of our salvation Rom. 6.8.11 Rom. 8.17 Eph. 2.6 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 15.49 Phil. 3.20 21. 1 Thess. 4.14 Heb. 7 25. 1 Ioh. 3.2 The Summe then of the whole Psalme without any curious or artificiall Analysis wherein every man according to his owne conceite and method will varie from other is this The Ordination of Christ unto his Kingdome together with the dignitie and vertue thereof v. 1. The Scepter or Instrument of that Kingly power v. 2. The strength and successe of both in recovering maugre all the malice of enemies a Kingdome of willing subjects and those in multitudes unto himselfe v. 2 3. The Consecration of him unto that everlasting Priesthood by the vertue merit whereof he purchased this Kingdome to himselfe v. 4. The Conquest over all his strongest and most numerous adversaries v. 5 6. The proofe of all and the way of effecting it in his sufferings and exaltation Hee shall gather a Church and hee shall confound his enemies because for that end he hath finished broken through all the sufferings which hee was to drinke of and hath lifted up his head againe Vers. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Here the Holy Ghost beginnes with the Kingdome of Christ which hee describeth and magnifieth â— By his unction and obsignation thereunto The Word or Decree of his Father The Lord said 2 By the Greatnesse of his person in himselfe and yet neernesse in bloud and nature unto us My Lord. 3 By the Glorie power and heavenlinesse of this his Kingdome for in the administration thereof he sitteth at the right hand of his Father Sit thou at my right hand 4 By the Continuance and Victories thereof Vntill I make thy foes thy footstoole The Lord said Some read it certainly or assuredly said by reason of the affinity which the originall word hath with Amen from which it differs onely in the transposition of the same radicall letters Which would afford this observation by the way That all which Gods saies of or to his Sonne is very faithfull true For which cause the Gospell is by speciall Emphasis called The Word of Truth Eph. 1.13 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A faithfull saying worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 Or most worthy to be beleeved and embraced For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied unto the Gospell signifie Ioh. 1.12 Ioh. 3.33 Act. 17.11 Being opposite unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13.46 But the principall thing here to bee noted is The Decree appointment Sanctification and sealing of Christ unto his Regall Office For the Word of God in the Scripture signifies his Blessing Power Pâ—easure Ordination Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4.4 That is by that command which the creatures have received from God to nourish by that Benediction and Sanctification which maketh every Creature of God good unto us 1 Tim. 4.5 Gods saying is ever doing something his words are operative and carry an unction and authoritie along with them Whence we may note That Christs Kingdome belongs to him not by usurpation intrusion or violence but legally by order decree investiture from his Father All Kings raigne by Gods providence but not alwayes by his approbation They have set up Kings but not by mee they have made Princes and I knew it not Amos 8.4 But Christ is a King both by the providence and by the Good will and immediate Consecration of his Father He loveth him hath given all things into his hand Ioh. 3.35 He judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to his Sonne Ioh. 5.22 That is hath entrusted him with the oeconomie and actuall administration of that power in the Church which originally belonged unto himselfe He hath made him to be Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 Hee hath ordained him to bee Iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 Hee hath appointed him over his owne house Heb. 3.2.6 He hath crowned him put all things in subjection under his feete Heb. 2.7 8. Hee hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 Therefore hee calleth him My King set up by him upon his owne holy hill and that in the vertue of a solemne decree Psal. 2.6 7. But wee must here distinguish betweene Regnum naturale Christs naturall Kingdom which belongeth unto him as God coessentiall and coeternall with his Father and Regnum oeconomicum his Dispensatory Kingdom as he is Christ the Mediator which was his not by Nature but by Donation and unction from his Father that hee might be the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace a King of Righteousnesse unto his people In which respect he had conferr'd upon him all such meete qualifications as might fit him for the dispensation of this Kingdome 1 God prepared him a Bodie or a Humane nature Heb. 10.5 and by the grace of personall and Hypostaticaâ—l union caused the Godhead to dwell Bodily in him Col. 2.9 2 He anointed him with a fulnesse of his Spirit not such a fulnesse as Iohn Baptist and Stephen had Luk. 1.15 Act. 7.55 which was still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of a measure or vessel a
completely sent both in regard of manifestation and efficacie than ever before The difference is chiefly in three things First In the manner of his mission To the old Church in dreames and visions in figures and latent waies But to the Evangelicall Churches in power evidence and demonstration 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Therefore it is called the spirit of revelation and knowledge which discovereth and that unto principalities and powers by the Church the manifold and mysterious wisedome of God in Christ Eph. 1.17.3.10 Therefore the Spirit was sent in the latter dayes in wind and fire and tongues and earthquake all which have in them a selfe-discovering propertie which will not be hidden Wheras in the time of the Prophets God did not in any such things save onely in a low and still voyce reveale himselfe 1 Kings 19.11 12. Secondly In the subjects unto whom he was sent Before onely upon the inclosed garden of the Iewes did this winde blow but now is the Spirit powred upon all flesh and this heavenly dew falleth not upon the fleece but upon the whole earth And therefore our Savior opposeth Ierusalem and the Spirit Ioh. 4.21 23. Every beleever is of the Israel of God every Christian a Temple of the Holy Ghost no people of the earth secluded But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted no place uncleane but every where pure hands may be lifted up Thirdly In the measure of his grace At first he was sent onely in drops and dew but after he was powred out in showres and abundance Tit. 3.6 and therefore as I have before observed the grace of the Gospell is frequently expressed by the name of Riches to note not onely the pretiousnesse but the plentie thereof in the Church And it is here worth our observation that the Spirit under the Gospell is compared to things of a spreading multiplying and operative nature First To water and that not a little measure to sprinckle or bedew but to Baptize the faithfull in Matth. 3.11 Act. 1.5 and that not in a font or vessell which growes lesse and lesse but in a springing and living river Ioh. 7.39 Now water besides its purging propertie is first of a spreading nature It hath no bounds nor limits to it selfe as firme and solid bodies have but receives its restraint by the vessell or continent which holds it so the Spirit of the Lord is not straightned in himselfe but onely by the narrow hearts of men into which he comes Ye are not straitned saith the Apostle in us that is in that ministerie of grace and dispensation of the Spirit which is committed to us but in your owne bowels which are not in any proportion enlarged unto that abundance and fulnesse of heavenly grace which in the Gospel of salvation is offered unto you Secondly Spring water is a growing and multiplying thing which is the reason why rivers which rise from narrow fountaines have yet by reason of a constant and regular supply a great breadth in remote channels because the water lives Wheras in pits and torrents it groweth lesse and lesse so the graces of the Spirit are living and springing things the longer they continue the larger they grow like the waters of the sanctuary Ezek. 36.25 and the reason is because they come from a fountaine which is all life Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 14.6 Col. 3.4 Thirdly as water multiplies in it selfe so by insinuation and mollification it hath a fructifying vertue in other things Fruitfull trees are planted by the waters side so the Spirit searching and mollifying the heart maketh it fruitfull in holy obedience Ezek. 11.19 20. Fourthly water is very strong in its owne streame we see what mighty engines it moveth what huge vessels it rouleth like a ball what walls and bulwarkes it overthrowes so the spirit of God is able to beate downe all strong holds which the wit of man or the malice of Satan can erect against the Church The horses of Egypt are flesh not Spirit saith the Lord not by might nor by power but by my Spirit noting that that which might and created power could not doe the Spirit of the Lord was able to effect And this strength of water serves to carry it as high as its owne spring and levell so the Spirit will never cease to raise the hearts of his people till it carries them up to their fountaine and spring-head in heaven Secondly The Spirit is compared to the rushing of a mighty winde The learned observe that before Christs time God spake unto men in a soft still voyce which they called Bath Koll but after in the time of the Gospell by a mighty wind noting thereby both the Abundance of his Spirit which he would powre out in the latter dayes and the strength thereof as of a rushing winde Though a man have walls of brasse and bars of iron upon his conscience though he set up fortifications of fleshly reason and the very gates of hell to shut out the Spirit of grace yet nothing is able to withstand the power of this mighty rushing winde Who art thou O great mountaine Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine c. Zech. 4.7 No mountaines no difficulties can prevent the power of Gods Spirit He hath strength to pull downe the strongest oppositions and to enable the weakest condition unto the service which he will have done Though there be mountaines betweene Israel and their deliverance yet the blinde and the lame and the woman with childe and her that travelleth with childe together will he strengthen to climbe over the precipices of the highest mountaine Ier. 31.8 Thirdly The Spirit is compared to Fire noting likewise both the multiplying or diffusive property thereof turning every thing into its owne nature and the mighty strength thereof wherby it either cleanseth or consumeth any thing that it meets with If thou art stubble it will devoure thee if stone it will breake if gold it will purge thee The hard heart it can melt and the foule heart it can purifie Lay downe thine heart under the word and yeeld it to the Spirit who is as it were the artificer which doth manage the word he can frame it into a vessel of honour but if thou resist and be stubborne against the Spirit in the word know that it is but the crackling of a leafe in the fire if thou wilt not suffer it to purge thee thou canst not hinder it to torment thee nothing is more comfortable nothing more consuming than fire nothing more comfortable than the light warmth and witnesse of the Spirit nothing more terrible than the conviction condemnation and bondage of the Spirit Now this difference in the measure of the Spirit may be seen in two things First in a greater measure of knowledge They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord Ier. 31.34 And the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Esai 11.9 Our Saviour told his Disciples that all things which he had heard of his Father he had made knowne unto them Ioh. 15.15 and yet a little after he telleth them that many other things he had to say unto them which they could not beare till the Spirit of truth came who should guide them into all truth Ioh. 16.12 13. noting that the Spirit when hee came should enlarge their hearts to a capacity of more heavenly wisedome than they could comprehend before For we may observe before how ignorant they were of many things though they conversed with Christ in the flesh Philip ignorant of the Father Ioh. 14.8 Thomas of the way unto the Father Ioh. 14.5 Peter of the necessity of his sufferings Matth. 16.22 The two Disciples of his resurrection Luk. 24.45 all of them of the quality of his Kingdome Act. 1.6 Thus before the sending of the Holy Ghost the Lord did not require so plentifull knowledge unto salvation as after as in the valuations of money that which was plentie two or three hundred years since is but penurie now Secondly in a greater measure of strength for Spirituall obedience They who before fled from the company of Christ in his sufferings did after rejoyce to be counted worthy of suffring shame for his name or as the elegancie of the originall words import to be dignified with that dishonor of Christians Act. 5.41 For suffering of persecution for Christ and the triall of faith by diverse temptations is in the Scriptures reckoned up amongst the gifts and hundred fold compensations of God to his people Mark 10.30 Phil. 1.29 Heb. 11.26 Iam. 1.2 1 Pet. 1.6 7. No man saith our Saviour putteth new wine into old bottles that is exacteth rigid and heavie services of weake and unqualified Disciples and therefore my Disciples fast not while I am amongst them in the flesh But the dayes will come when I shall be taken from them in body and shall send them my holy Spirit to strengthen and prepare them for hard service and then they shall fast and performe those parts of more difficult obedience unto me Matth. 9.15 17. Now farther touching this sending of the Holy Spirit which together with Christs intercession was one of the principall ends of his ascending up unto the right hand of power it may be here demanded why the Holy Spirit was not before this exaltation of Christ sent forth in such abundance upon the Church The maine reason wherof next unto the purpose and decree of God into which all the acts of his wil are to be resolv'd Eph. 1.11 is given by our Savior Ioh. 14.16 Ioh. 16.7 Because he was to supply the corporall absence of Christ and to be another comforter to the Church Of which Office of the Spirit because it was one of the maine ends of his mission and that one of the chiefe workes of Christs sitting at Gods right hand I shall here without any unprofitable or impertinent digression speake a little First then the Spirit is a comforter because an Advocate to his people for so much the word signifies and is else where rendered 1 Ioh. 2.1 Now he is called another comforter or Advocate to note the difference betweene Christ and the Spirit in this particular There is then an Advocate by Office when one person takes upon himselfe the cause of another and in his name pleads it Thus Christ by the Office of his Mediation and intercession is an Advocate for his Church and doth in his owne person in heaven apply his merits and further the cause of our salvation with his Father There is likewise an Advocate by energie and operation by instruction and assistance which is not when a worke is done by one person in the behalfe of another but when one by his counsell inspiration and assistance enableth another to manage his owne businesse and to plead his owne cause And such an Advocate the Spirit is who doth not intercede nor appeare before God in person for us as Christ doth but maketh interpellation for men in and by themselves giving them an accesse unto the Father emboldning them in their feares and helping them in their infirmities when they know not what to pray Eph. 2.18 Heb. 10.15.19 Rom. 8.26 Eph. 3.16 First then the Spirit as our Advocate justifieth our persons and pleadeth our causes against the accusations of our spirituall enemies For as Christ is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods justice to plead our cause against the severitie of his Law and that most Righteous and undeniable charge of sinne which he layeth upon us so the Holy Spirit is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods mercie enabling us there to cleere our selves against the temptations and murtherous assaults of our Spirituall enemies The world accuseth us by false and slanderous calumniations laying to our charge things which we never did the Spirit in this case maketh us not onely plead our innocencie but to rejoyce in our fellowship with the Prophets which were before us to esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world to count our selves happy in this that it is not such low markes as we are which the malice of the world aimeth at but the Spirit of glory and of God which resteth upon us who is on their part evill spoken of 1 Pet. 4.14 Satan that grand accuser of the brethren doth not onely load my sinnes upon my conscience but further endeavoreth to exclude me from the benefit of Christ by charging me with impenitencie and unbeliefe But here the Spirit enableth me to cleere my selfe against the Father of lies It is true indeed I have a naughty flesh the seeds of all mischiefe in my nature but the first means which brought me hereunto was the beleeving of thy lies and therefore I will no longer entertaine thy hellish reasonings against mine owne peace I have a Spirit which teacheth me to bewaile the frowardnesse of mine owne heart to denie mine owne will workes to long and aspire after perfection in Christ to adhere with delight and purpose of heart unto his Law to lay hold with all my strength upon that plaâ—ck of salvation which in this shipwrack of my soule is cast out unto me These affections of my heart come not from the earthly Adam for whatsoever is earthly is sensuall and devillish too And if they be holy and heavenly I will not beleeve that God will put any thing of heaven into a vessell of Hell Sure I am he that died for me when I did not desire him will in no wise cast me away when I come unto him He that hath given me a will to love his service and to leane upon his promises will in mercy accept the will for the deed and in due time accomplish the worke of holinesse which he hath begun Thus the Spirit like an Advocate secureth his clients title against the
all he had for it the Saints did earnestly contend for it and take the kingdome of heaven by violence Though they suffered the losse of all for Christ yet they counted godlinesse great gaine still In a shipwrack I throw my goods over-board and get my life for a prey in this case I come no loser to heaven vita sibi merces a mans life is sufficient treasure in such an adventure We are all by nature in maligno positi every man is a sea and a tempest to himselfe as impossible to escape ruine as to put off himselfe Now in the Gospell Christ sheweth a man a way to get out of himselfe and so to escape the tempest sheweth a way how with him he shall walke upon the sea and not sinke how he shall be in the world and not of it nor swallowed by it O how willingly will the man who is convinced of his danger cast off every thing which would presse him downe and account it a plentifull deliverance to have his soule saved from such a tempest of wrath as was falling upon him We see what hazards men runne to get temporary riches to the bottome of rocks for diamonds to the bowels of the earth for gold and silver such affections have the Saints had towards the Gospell If they must digge in mines for Christ as it was an usuall condemnation Christiani ad metalla they were most willing so to doe they had a treasure there which the Emperour knew not of they had infinite more pretious wealth from thence than he If they must fetch Christ in the fire or wrestle for him as for a pretious price with the wilde beasts of the earth if they be not suffered to weare Christ except they put off themselves how willing how thankefull are they for so rich a bargaine Looke to your life said the Governour to Saint Cyprian that blessed martyr be not obstinate against your owne safetie but advise well with your selfe fac quod tibi praeceptū est saith the holy man in re tam justa nulla est consultatio Sir you are my Judge you are none of my counsellour doe the office which is committed to you in so righteous a cause there is no further need of consultation Take pitie upon your selfe and sacrifice and save your life said the officers to Polycarpe no saith the martyr this eightie six yeares I have served Christ and he hath done me no harme I will not doe what you perswade m◠That rich and blessed Virgin in Basil who was for Christianitie condemned to the fire and was offered if shee would worship idols to have her life and state safe restored unto her was obstinate in her resolution Valeat vita pereat pecunia I shall have more life in Christ than in my selfe all the Emperours all the Physitians in the world cannot make my life which I have in my selfe so long to morrow as it is to day but in Christ my life is not onely an abiding but an abounding life I shall have more of that by losing mine owne my life in him is an hidden life free from all injuries and persecutions of men I shall have more riches in him than in my selfe even unsearchable riches which can never be stollen away because they can never be exhausted It is as possible for theeves to draw out the mines of India or to steale away the Sunne out of his orbe as for any humane violence to take away Christ from a man Alike honourable was the answer of Frederick the Elector of Saxonie who being prisoner to Charles the fifth was promised enlargement and restitution of dignitie if he would come to Masse Summum in terris Dominum agnosco Caesarem in coelis Deum In all Civill accommodations I am ready to yeeld unto Caesar but for heavenly things I have but one Master and therefore I dare not serve two Christ is more welcome to me in bonds than the honours of Caesar without Christ. Such acceptation hath the Gospell found amongst renowned Worthies heretofore and the like entertainment should we all give unto it even preferre it above our greatest glory and as the Thessalonians did receive it with joy in the middest of afflictions abide with Christ in his temptations esteeme his Gospell glorious as the Starres are in the darknesse of the night or as a torch which blazeth most when it is most shaken This alone it is which proves our love to Christ to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincere and incorrupt when wee embrace his Gospell for it selfe and can therein in any condition see Christ full of glory grace and truth when a man can with Saint Paul not rejoyce onely in the name and profession of the Crosse of Christ but in conformitie and obedience thereunto in that vertue of the Gospell which crucifies him unto the world and the world unto him In dayes of peace and religion men may easily afford to magnifie the Gospell because they get by it The Persians who had the bloudy decree held would have beene the slaughterers of the Iewes yet when leave was given to that people to deliver themselves from the malice of Haman even many of them turned Iewes themselves because the feare of that people fell upon them We may observe this affection in the woman of Samaria the first reason why shee gave some heed to Christ speaking of his water of life unto her was because shee should thirst no more nor come thither to draw So long as Ephraim might have her worke and her wages together shee was contented to doe God some service like an Heifer which loveth to tread out the corne that is while shee hath no yoke on her necke no muzzell on her mouth while she is not put to plow but to easie and pleasant service shee is willing to yeeld unto it To note that it is but base and hypocriticall obedience which is supported by no other than present rewards They seeke me daily saith the Lord of the hypocrites among his people and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnesse But the end was that they might have their owne wils and as it were oblige God to reward them and therefore as soone as God seemeth to neglect them and their services they proudly expostulate with him and even twit him with their workes Wherefore have wee fasted and thou seest not c. This then is the proofe of our sincere love unto Christ which is not raised upon mercinarie respects when we can receive the Gospell with persecution Persecution is amongst Christs legacies a part of the Churches portion and of Gods gifts unto her no man that will live godly can be without them Even in Abrahams house which was at that time if not the sole yet the most glorious Church on the earth there was a Persecutour and as it was then so is it now saith the Apostle The Saints of
God ever have beene and ever will be to the worlds end esteemed for wonders and markes and mad-men and proverbs of reproch And hereby the Lord doth provide to make his Gospell more glorious because hee giveth men hearts to suffer scorne and reproch for it To receive the word in affliction and yet with joy is an exemplary thing which maketh the sound and glory of the Gospell to spread abroad Now then if persecution bee thus an appendant to the Gospell every man must resolve to receive it in some affliction when he must be put to discard his wicked companies to shake off his flattering and sharking lusts to forsake his owne will and wayes to runne a hazard of undeserved scorne disreputation and misconstructions in the world and yet for all this to set an high price upon the pretious truths of the Gospell still is not this to receive the Word in much affliction And surely till a man can resolve upon this conclusion I am ready to be bound and to die for the name of Iesus I count not my life much lesse my liberty peace credit secular accommodations deare so I may finish my course with joy Lord my will is no more mine but it shall be in all things subject unto thee hee can never give such entertainment to the Word as becommeth so glorious a Gospell All his seeming profession and acceptation is but like the Gadarens courtesie in meeting of Christ which was onely to be rid of him Matth. 8.34 Lastly we should from hence learne a further Christian dutie which is to adorne this glorious Gospell in an holy conversation This use the Apostle every where makes of the Gospell of Christ that wee should walke as becommeth the Gospell that we should in all things adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour that we should walke worthy of him who hath called us unto his kingdome and glory that we shew forth the vertues of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light that we should not receive so great a grace as the ministery of reconciliation in vaine but that wee should walke sittingly to the holinesse and efficacie of so excellent a rule as becommeth a royall nation a people of glory a peculiar and selected inheritance even zealous of good workes It was once the expostulation of Nehemiah with his enemies should such a man as I flie from such men as you such should be our expostulation with Satan and our owne lusts should such men as wee are who have the Gospell of Christ for our rule conforme our selves unto another Law Is not this the end why the Gospell is preached that we should live unto God Doth it become the sonne of a King to goe in ragges or to converse with meane and ignoble persons Now by the Gospell we have that great honour and priviledge given us to be called the sons of God and shall we then walke as servants of Satan Would any Prince endure to see the heire of his crowne live in bondage to his own vassall and most hated enemie Herein is the greatest glory of the Gospell above the Law that it is a Law of life and libertie a Word which transformeth men into the Image of Christ and maketh them such as it requireth them to be So that to walke still according to the course of the world as we did before is as much as in us lies to make the Gospell as weake and unprofitable as the Law How doe you say we are wise saith the Prophet and the Law of the Lord is with us Certainely in vaine made he it the pen of the Scribe is in vaine That is the priviledge of having the oracles and ordinances of God committed unto us will doe us no more good if we walke unworthy of so great a grace than if those ordinances had never beene written or revealed to men Here then it is needfull to enquire in what manner we are to adorne and set forth the glory of the Gospell To this I answer that the first and greatest honour wee can doe unto the Gospell is to set it up in our hearts as our onely rule by which we are to walke that we preferre it above all our owne counsels and venture not to mingle it with the wisdome and reasonings of the flesh that wee raise up our conversation unto it and never bend it unto the crookednesse of our owne ends or rules As yee have received Christ Iesus the Lord so walke yee in him saith the Apostle that is fashion your conversation to the doctrine of Christ let that have the highest roome and the over-ruling suffrage in your hearts There is all wisdome in the Gospell it is able to make men wise unto salvation that is there is wisdome enough in it to compasse the uttermost and most difficult end And what can the reasonings of the flesh contribute to that which was all wisedome before and which can throughly furnish a man unto every good worke This glory Saint Paul though a man of great learning of strong intellectuals of a working and stirring spirit qualities very unapt to yeeld and be silent did at the very first revelation thereof give unto the Gospell Immediatly saith he I conferr'd not with flesh and bloud I did not compare the Gospell of Christ with the principles of my carnall wisdome I did not resolve to dispute against Gods grace or to conforme unto this mystery no farther than the precepts of mine owne reason or the coexistence of mine owne secular ends and preferments would allow but I captivated all my thoughts and laid downe all the weapons of the flesh at Christs feet resting onely on this Word as a treasury of wisdome and yeelding up my whole heart to be in all things ordered by this rule It is an horrible boldnesse in many men to wrest and torture and distinguish the Gospell into all shapes for their owne lusts sake As we see what shifts men will use to make the way of life broader than it is by looking upon it thorow their owne multiplying glasses what evasions and subterfuges sinne will finde out to escape by when the letter of the Word presseth sore upon them O how many sinnes might men escape how wonderfully might they improve the Image of Christ in their hearts if they did with David make the Law their counsellor and weigh every action which they goe about those especially which they have any motions of reluctancie in the spirit of their minde unto Non in statera dolosa consuetudinum sed in recta statera scripturarum not in the deceitfull balance of humane custome but in the balance of the Sanctuary the holy Scriptures If they would seriously remember that they must alwayes walke in Christ Coloss. 2.6 make him the rule the way the end the Judge the companion the assistant in all their workes that as the members of the body doe