in their places minister content to the mind of man In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth Gen. 1.1 Heb. 11.3 Psal 145.10 Through faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear All thy works shall praise thee O Lord. Of Light and Darkness Lux. ESt qualitas corporis lucidi quâ ipsum lucidum est alia illuminat agitque in ea non est substantia sed accidens seu affectio corporis Light was that bright quality immediately created by God Calv. and inherent in some meet subject Or the first day which God could make without means as Calvin well observeth This Light was the first ornament of the visible world and so is still of the hidden man of the heart the new creature The first thing in Pauls commission was to open mens eyes and to turn them from darkness to light To dart such a saving light into the soul as might illighten both organ and object So as that they who erst were darkness are now light in the Lord and do preach forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Light is not a body nor as some will have it a substance but an accident Non constar ex lumine 〈◊〉 qâ—id sit naturâ— laminis The truth is no man can tell what it is of any certainty An admirable creature it is surely a divine and heavenly thing than which nothing is more desirable nothing more profitable There are two excellent uses of Light 1. To refresh men by the sight of the earth and the things thereon Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the Sun 2. To set us upon serious employments Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening It is called the wings of the morning because it diffuseth in an instant the whole Welkin over In a word The most noble among inanimate creatures is Light Tenebrae As Light is the most noble among inanimate creatures so the contrary to iâ— Darkness is a defect and deformity The darkness mentioned Gen. 1.2 which covered that confused heap God created not for it was but the want of light The darkness in Egypt was extraordinary Exod. 10. when God did so thicken the Air that they might take notice of it not only by the eye but by the hand when they could rather feel than see what was next unto them so that for three days space they stirred not from their places So was also that in Judea at Christs suffering Mat. 27.45 This darkness some think was universal not onely over all the land of Jury but over the whole earth and so the Text may be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tiberius say they was sensible of it at Rome Dionysius writes to Polycarpus that they had it in Egypt And it should seem that the great Astronomer Ptolomy was so amazed at it that he pronounced Either Nature now determineth or the God of Nature suffereth Sol non fert aspectum illum miserandum quem sine rubore fronte Judaei irnident saith Aretius Aret. The Sun hid his head in a mantle of black as ashamed to behold those base indignities done to the Sun of righteousness by the sons of men Darkness is either Natural or Metaphorical Darkness of Nature properly and literally so called is the absence of Light when the Sun taketh its leave of our horizon and all things are envelloped in the sable mantle of the night then we justly say it is dark Darkness used in a horrowed sense serveth in Scripture to represent a state 1. Of ignorance in divine matters 2. Luk. 1. â—â— Eph. 5â—â— when the mind is destitute of spiritual knowledge unacquainted with the mysteries of salvation 2. Of misery and that of all sorts Temporal Psal 107.10 Isa 50.10 Mat. 22.13 Spiritual Eternal 3. Of iniquity In this respect it is that the power of sin ruling in mens hearts is called The power of darkness Col. 1.12 Eph. 5 11. Rom. 13.12 13. The works of sin which they act in their lives are called The works of darkness And especially flagitious enormities such as rioting and drunkness c. To say that God dwelt in darkness till he had created light was a devilish sarcasme of the Manichees for God is light it self and the Father of lights and ever was a Heaven to himself ere ever the mountains were brought forth or ever he had formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting being God Hell is called utter darkness being an expulsion from the blessed presence of God who is mentium lumen And God said Gen. 1.3 4.2 Cor. 4.6 Let there be light and there was light And God divided the light from the darkness God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Of Night and Day Night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NIght is so called in Hebrew Ps 104.20 21. from the yelling of wild beasts therein according to that of the Psalmist Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Varre the young lyons roar after their prey In Greek à pungendo quia ad somnum pungit Or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strike to which the Latine answers Nox à nocendo Some say of an Hebrew word which signifies to rest because men take their ease and sleep then So the Psalmist Man goeth forth unto his work vers 23. and to his labour until the evening It is a time of silence and fit for designe so sings the Poet Statuunt sub nocte silenti Ovid. Met. 4. Fallere custodes foribúsque excedere tentant The Jewes divided the Night into four watches Mark 13.35 1. Even 2. Midnight 3. Cock-crowing 4. The Morning The Romans divided their Night into ten parts viz. 1. Crepusculum Godw Antiq. The dusk of the evening 2. Prima fax Candle-tinning 3. Vesper The night 4. Concubium Bed-time 5. Nox intempesta The first sleep 6. Admediam noctem Towards Midnight 7. Media nox Midnight 9. De média nocte A little after Midnight 9. Gallicinium Cock-crowing 10. Conticinium All the time from Cock-crowing to the Break of day The darkness God called Night Gen. 1.5 Psal 63.5 Psal 16.7 Psal 42.8 Psal 119.55 O God I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night-watches My reins instruct me in the night-seasons The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day-time and in the night his song shall be with me and my prayer unto the God of my life I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy law
of the earth it causeth an inward warmth to it and so maketh it very fruitful In which respects the Rabbines say That one day of snow doth more good than five of rain Gregory allegorizing those words Gregor Job 38.22 sheweth that earthly treasures are treasures of snow We see little children what pains they take to rake and scrape together snow to make a snow-ball Right so they that scrape together the treasure of this world have but a snow-ball of it so soon as the Sun shineth and God breatheth upon it and so entreth into it by and by it cometh to nothing He saith to the snow Be thou on the earth Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow Job 37.6 Cap. 38.22 Psa 147.16 He giveth snow like Wooll Frost It is the excess of cold by the blowing of the coldest winds which are sometime called the breath of God These congeal the waters and turn them into ice contracting them into a narrower room Hence it is that as any Countrey is more Northerly so it is colder the Sea also is frozen and unpassable The hoar-frost heateth and drieth the cold and moist earth nipping the buds of trees Vnde pruina dicitur à perurenda Hence also perhaps is that Psal 147.16 He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes Cinis monet ignem subesse quem foveat By the breath of God frost is given Job 37.10 and the breadth of the Waters is straitued Dew Est vapor subtilior tenuior qui levi miti frigore in terrae aut herbarum superficie adeo compactus est tum adeaâ— fovendum recreandumque à flacciditate aestu contract â tum ad juvandum terrae foecunditatem tum etiam ad aërem ipsum in quo versamur refrigerandum These round orient pearls that come from heaven in a clear night do sweetly refresh whatsoever groweth in fields and meadows The dew 1. It comes when the air is clear 2. It refresheth and cherisheth the dry and fady fields plants and herbs thereby recover life and beauty 3. It allayeth great heats and moisteneth and mollifieth the earth that it may fructifie Who hath begotten the drops of dew Job 38.28 Isa 26.19 Thy dew is as the dew of herbs I will be as the dew unto Israel As the dew of Hermon Hos 14.5 Psal 133.3 Prov. 3.20 and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion By his knowledge the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew Of all these Meteors watery windy fiery whether pure or mixed c. I say with Brentius Fides non in ordinem operis sed in Authorem oculos suos dirigit All these are of the Lord and faith seeth God in all Fowls of Heaven It is very observable that birds though they have more of the earth than of the other three elements for out of the earth was every fowl of the air formed as well as every beast of the field Gen. 2.19 yet are light which is a wonder delighting in high-flying which is innate to them Of Birds mentioned in Scripture these are some The Eagle Called the Queen of fowls She is famous 1. For her loftiness Aquila non captat muscâ—â— she minds great things flies and petty things she looks not after 2. Swiftness of flight and motion 3. Strength herein they are the chief of all have wings 4. Sagacity looking intently upon the Sun without being dazled and by that property makes proof of her young ones A 〈◊〉 â—nectus Prov. 5. Vivacity renewing her youth and health till she come to be very old Aug. observeth that when her bill is over-grown that she cannot take in her meat she beateth it against a Rock Excâ—tit onus rostri striking off the cumbersome part and thereby recovereth her eating Thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Psal 103 5. Peacock Priding himself in his feathers and is all in changeable colours like friends now adays as often changed as moved Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacocks Job 39.13 Pelican Reported to open her breast with her bill and feed her young ones with the blood distilling from her Therefore an Hiereglyphick of piety and pity among the Egyptians However a melancholy bird living in lonely places and crying out dolefully I am like a Pelican of the Wilderness Psal 102.6 Ostrich Called by reason of his bigness Elianâ— Cumâ—interim tot â coâ—poris mole promiâ—eat Plin. Peremptores potius quam Parentes Struthio-Camelus He is very swift of foot but so foolish that being pursued if he can hide his head only so as to see no body he thinks himself safe and that no body seeth him though his great bulk be all in sight Her leaving her eggs makes her the Hieroglyphick of unnatural and careless therefore cruel Parents The Ostrich Job 39.13 which leaveth her eggs in the earth c. Raven Their young ones are fed of God when forsaken of their dams and lest bare and destitute For out of their dung and carrion saith Aristotle brought before to the nest ariseth a worm which creepeth to their mouth and feedeth them Who feedeth the young Ravens which cry Psal 147.9 I forbear to mention any more Only much of Gods wisdom power and goodness may be seen in these inhabitants of the air in the admirable variety of their colours tunes tastes c. Also to these creatures God sends us to learn setting before us as in a picture the lively resemblance of many excellent vertues which we ought to pursue and practice The fowls of the air they shall tell thee Job 12.7 Jer. 8.7 Mat. 6.26 The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they Of the Earth BY earth I understand not that great material mass made up of the two heaviest elements earth and water whereof all terrestrial and celestial bodies were made Gen. 1.2 But the earth as distinctly severed from the other parts of the world which was not made untill the third day vers 10. Elementum siccae frigidaeque naturae densum in medio mundi collocatum râ—undum in proprio loco immobile The earth is round as an apple is notwithstanding some knots and bunches in it and therefore naturally apt for motion as the heavens are that yet therefore it should stand firm and unmoveable is admirable It is upheld by the infinite and Almighty power of God The air will scarce bear a feather because it will descend unless kept up by a breath of wind Ponderibus librata sais and yet this vast globe of earth and water hangs as a Ball in the air Terra pilae similis nullo fulcimine nixa Ovid. Aere sublato
and frequently iterated purified not the conscience did not abolish trespasses merited not celestial blessings But the Word of the Oath after the Law Heb. 10.14 did constitute Christ for ever a Priest to purifie the conscience to abolish trespasses to merit celestial blessings For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified As one therefore said to David Thou art worth ten thousand of us so we may say of Christ our High-Priest because God did swear Thou art worth ten thousand worlds of the other And such an High-Priest became us Thus much for the manner of Christs taking the holy order of Priesthood which was by Covenant by Oath both binders His executing of this place is in the next place to be considered which as the former deserves our most reverend regard Fidelity and assiduity both commend the undertakers of a weighty matter and both are met in Christ for the important work of our Redemption by grace All his force was ever bent that way to ruine our adversaries and raise us In the administration of his Priestly office he practised it offerendo intercedendo by Sacrisicing by Interceding which were the two things that held most of that Order in continual imployment He stood our friend without the least flinching usque ad aras to the very death when we stood in opposition to God to him to our selves Before he presented himself an Oblation to the Father of Spirits he prepared himself for it by a most submissive humiliation a most sincere obedience by most zealous supplications and a most exquisite sense of humane infirmities all which out-stretch the limits of all thoughts of man He suffered the brightness of that glory which he had with the Father before the world was for a time to suffer an eclipse He was without form and comeliness and when men saw him Isa 53.2 there was no beauty that they should desire him His entertainment in the world was but discourteous and poor At his first entrance he was laid in a manger and after though he was Lord of Heaven and earth yet had be not whereon to lay his head Necessity forc'd him to fly and oft to hide himself because his hour was not yet come to save his life Uncivil language slanderous reports extream indignities were heapt upon him These were the several stiles wherewith the wicked world was pleased to honour him A Samaritan a Glutton a Wine-bibber a Seducer a Traitor a Friend to Publicans sinners a Devil at least one possest of a Devil yet all this made him not tread one step awry from the hallowed paths of a filial obedience for notwithstanding he was a Son Heb. 5.8 Schola crucis schola lucis yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered He suffered the first part of his Passion in a Garden for sin where sin was first committed where he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he was raised up by the unresisted power of his Almighty working Soon after was he betrayed apprehended bound and forsaken Betrayed to expiate our treason in Adam Apprehended to restore us Captives unto liberty bound to dissolve the chains of our sins Forsaken to perform the work of satisfaction and redemption all alone by himself He was arraigned condemned whipped and crowned with thorns Arraigned by Jew and Gentile He stood there for both their sakes to exempt them from the Tribunal of the Judge of all the world Condemned to justifie us in the sight of God by his incomparable innocence Whipped to deliver us from the spiritual corporal and eternal scourge which we deserved Crowned with thorns to 1. Signifie his pacification of God for our ambition in Adam 2. His meriting for us an eternal crown 3. His collecting a Kingly people out of the most thorny and burtful nations which as a crown should compass God about in serving and honoring of him 4. His bearing of our thorny cares that we might quietly repose our trust in him He was clothed with a Purple garment and in his hand was there put a Reed both intimating he was a King though both done in derision Isa 63. The first shews he was that Warriour forespoken by the Prophet Who is this that comes from Edom with red garments The other that he was he that should break the Serpents head For 't is the observation of some learned that a Reed is most mortal to a Serpent and therewith were men used to kill them Besides that by it as by a Pen he did obliterate the hand-writing in the Lords Debt-book that was against us He suffered in Golgotha and naked too in Golgotha a place of dead mens bones where malefactors suffered to raise up the banner of righteousness and salvation even in the place of death and condemnation But he suffered there naked too to satisfie for our first parents transgression who were spoiled of the garment of Innocency and perhaps to shew how we should enter into Heaven as Adam into Paradise naked in body but clad in soul with innocency with immortality In a word 't was to expiate our shameful nakedness to which our first sin exposed us And this is the naked truth of the Truth This done all was not done for which Christ came into the world for 't was but preambulatory to a greater work ensuing what was hitherto done for hereby was he compleatly sitted to give himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 There did therefore succeed this 1. The offering up of his Body by the effusion of his precious Blood upon the high Altar of the Cross where he suffered the loss of his life the price of our Redemption without blood there being no remission Heb. 9.22 View him there and he is just as the Prophet did describe him Isa 53. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Here he was lifted up to answer the elevation of the Sacrifices of the Old Law all types of him Isaac represented him in umbra in the shadow when the substance followed even in this point so did the Brasen Serpent they are the words of our Saviour As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness There it was Vide vive here Crede vive even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Joh. 3.14 He was lifted up in the air that he might overcome the Prince of the air and the Spiritual wickednesses in high places triumphing over them in it He was lifted up in the air to hang on a tree that as death by a tree entred into the world so on a tree it should be destroyed and life brought back again and besides that he might bear the curse of the Law Col. 2.15 being made a curse for us
tam grave pendet onus Of this great wonder the Philosophers after much study can give no good reason because ignorant of this that God hath appointed it so to be Psal 104.5 Heb. 1.3 The Poets fable that Atlas beareth up heaven with his shoulders the Lord our God by his Word alone beareth up heaven and earth Non fundamentis suis nixa subsistit terra nec fulchris suis stabilis perseverat Ambros l. 1. Exam. c. 16. sed Dominus statuit terram fundamento voluntatis suae continet The earth hath no pillar God hath not hanged it upon any thing but himself who is indeed infinitely more than all things The greatness of this work of God saith Merlin appeareth hereby that men cannot spread aloft the thinnest curtain absque fulchris without some solid thing to uphold it and therefore this must needs be the finger of God and an Argument of his Almightiness That was an odd conceit of Plato's that the earth was a kind of living creature having stones for bones rivers for veins trees for hairs c. But that was worse of Aristotle teaching the worlds eternity The earth is the element which is so much beneath man that he treadeth it under his feet is called terra à terendo from breaking and wearing And yet this which is so trampled upon abideth when man passeth away Eccl. 1.4 The earth as a Stage whereon the several generations act their parts and go off as the center of the world and seat of living creatures it stands firm and unmoveable The earth standeth saith Hugo de sanct vict Vt venientes mittat In Eccl. Hom. 1. pertranseuntes portet discedentes recipiat To send away those people that come to bear those that are passing away and to receive those that are gone And God said Gen. 1.9 10. Job 26.7 Psal 104.5 Eccl. 1.4 Hebr. 1.3 Let the dry land appear and it was so And God called the dry land Earth He hangeth the earth upon nothing He hath laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever The earth abideth for ever that is untill the end Vpholding all things by the Word of his power Earth-quakes These subterraneous thunders are caused say some when sulphureous and nitrous veins being fired upon rarefaction do force their way through bodies that resist them Where if the kindled matter be plentiful and the mine close and firm about it subversion of hills and towns doth sometimes follow if scanty weak and the earth hollow or porous there only ensueth some faint concussion or tremulous and quaking motion Others tell us for Philosophers dispute much about it this is the reason in nature When there is a strong vapour included or imprisoned in the bowels of the earth that vapour seeking vent maketh a combustion there and so the earth shakes Histories are full and many mens experience can give instances of such terrible shakings of the earth In the dayes of Vzziah King of Judah Antiq l. 9 c. 11. Amos 1.1 Zech. 14.5 so terrible was that earth-quake that the people fled from it Of the horror of it Josephus relateth and telleth us That half a great Hill was removed by it out of its place and carried four furlongs another way so that the High-way was obstructed and the Kings Gardens utterly marred At Bern Folan Syntag. 841. Anno 1584. near unto which City a certain Hill carried violently beyond and over other Hills is reported by Polanus who lived in those parts to have covered a whole village that had 90. families in it one half house only excepted wherein the Master of the Family with his Wife and Children were earnestly calling upon God At Plevres in Rhetia Alst Chronol Anno 1618. Aug. 25. the whole town was overcovered with a Mountain which with its most swift motion oppressed 1500 people In Herefordshire Camd. Brit. Anno 1571. A great hill lifted up it self with a huge noise carrying along with it trees flocks of cattel sheep-coats c. God by such extraordinary works of his sheweth his justice and displeasure against sin as also his special mercy to his praying people I will shake the heavens Isa 13.13 Psal 18.7 and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger Then the earth shook and trembled the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth Stones A stone is nothing but hardned earth and hath the properties of the earth out of which it is generated Viz. 1. Siâ—city Citiùs è Pumice aquam Prov. or dryness Hence it was a miracle to bring water out of the Rock 2. Frigidity or coldness As cold as a stone we say 3. Gravity or heaviness As it is nothing but a product of the earth so it hath an inclination to descend to fall downwards Stones are naturally scattered upon the face of the earth hindring Travellers One part of Arabia was called Arabia Petrâ—a because it was full of stones and so uneasie either for tillage or travel Lopis à ladeâ—do pede 〈◊〉 haber They lie naturally hidden in the bowels of the earth or under the earth and are a trouble to the husbandman in tilling the ground And they are so dangerous that the Latine word is derived from hurting the foot They sank into the bottom as a stone Exod. 15.5 Minerals Many precious things are digged out of the earth as Gold Silver Brass Effodiuntur oyes c. Iron c. which God hath there hid and men have found out Though the vein lie low and far out of sight yet Mortals are quickly become Metallaries Some of the Ancients have wished that we had never found out these metals Et Plutonem brevi ad superos adducturos because of the great abuse of them Strabo saith that Phaletius feared lest in digging for Gold and silver men would dig themselves a new way to Hell and bring up the Devil amongst them Some sâ—y that he haunteth the richest mines and will not suffer them to be searched sure it is that by the inordinate love of these metals he drowneth many a soul in perdition and destruction Remember we that these things though never so much admired are but that which the basest element yields the guts and garbage of the earth It is observable that God appointed the Snuffers and Snuff-dishes of the Sanctuary to be made of pure Gold to teach us to make no account of that that he put to so base offices and is frequently given to so bad men Yet there is no hurt in having these metals so they have not us and get within us so we make not our gold our God saying to the fine gold Thou art my confidence Crates the Theban Philosopher is said to have cast his gold into the Sea to avoid as he pretended the hurt it doth man-kind saying Ep. ad Julian
Mount Tabor where he shall be transfigured for ever Give thy possession on earth for expectation in Heaven Not as that French Cardinal who said He would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Man is to be considered in a four-fold estate In statu 1. Confectionis as he was created 2. Corruptionis as he was corrupted 3. Refectionis as he was renewed 4. Perfectionis as he shall be glorified In the first estate we give to man a liberty of nature Adamus habuit pâ—sse si vellet sed non habuit velle quod posset In the third we grant a liberty of grace for if the Son make you free ye shall be free indeed And in the fourth estate we confess a liberty in glory All the doubt betwixt us and the Papists is of the second estate how man corrupted is renewed how he cometh into regeneration after degeneration And yet herein we consent that the will of man is turning unto God and in doing good is not a stock or stone in all and every respect passive for every man is willingly converted and by Gods grace at the very time of his conversion he willeth his own conversion And so the will of man is in some sort co-worker with grace for this cause Paul exhorteth us not to receive the grace of God in vain And to this purpose that saying of Austin is very remarkable Qui fecit te sine te nen justificabit te sine te Fecit nescientem justificat volentem The difference then is this they write that our will is a co-worker with grace by the force of nature we say that it works with grace by grace we will indeed but God worketh in us both to will and to work Man is called earth thrice by the Prophet Jeremiah Cap. 22.29 O earth earth earth hear the Word of the Lord that is as Bernard expounds Earth by 1. Procreation 2. Sustentation 3. Corruption Alas what is man Nothing I had almost said Somewhat less than nothing embarqued nine months in a living vessel at last he arives in the world Lord of the Land yet weeps at his possession in infancy and age fourfooted in youth scarce drest makes not his Will till he lie a dying and then dyes to think he must make his Will O quà m contempta res est homo nisi supra humana se erexerit Tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2.7 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul After the man is the woman made Gatak as a yoke-fellow standing on even ground with him though drawing on the left side Mulier quasi mollior the weaker vessel therefore to bo born withal Origen speaks somewhat contemptibly of women When Christ came into the Coasts of Tyrus and Sidon In Mat. 15.22 Behold a Woman Mira res Evangelista A strange thing O Evangelist that is the Author of transgression the mother o sin the weapon of the Devil the cause of our expulsion out of Paradise But Christ honoured women in lying in the womb of a woman He appeared first to women after his Resurrection and made them Apostolas apostolorum Apostles to preach his Resurrection to the Apostles There have been women of special note Sarah the Mother of the Faithful Hester the Nurse and preserver of the Faithful Women that ministred to Christ of their own substance c. There have been learned women Theano Crotoniatis was a Philosopher and a Poor too Pythagoras learned his natural Philosophy of his sister Themistocleas Clem. Alex. Olympia Fulvia Morata an Italian of the City of Ferrara taught the Greek and Latine tongues at Heidelberg Anno 1554. Aratha read openly in the Schools at Athens Leoptia wrote against Theophrastus c. Neverthelesse neither is the man without the woman 1 Cor. 11.11 neither the woman without the the man in the Lord. Mans Body PVulchrum corpus infirmis anima Isocrat est tanquam bonum navis malus gubernator The Philosophers say in respect of the substance of the body it consists most of earth and water but in respect of the vertue and efficacie it consists more of fire and ayre and so the body is kept in an equal temperature in the operation of the elementary qualities Omnia operatus est Dominus in pondere numero mensurâ that the humours may keep a proportionable harmony amongst themselves if this harmony be broken it bringeth destruction to the body As if the heat prevail then it bringeth Feavers if the cold prevail then it bringeth Lethargies if the moist prevail then it bringeth Hydropsies So that the extreme qualities heat and cold must be temperate by the middle qualities moist and dry For the body of man is like a Clock if one wheele be a misse all the rest are disordered the whole fabrick suffers Bodine observeth that there are three regions within mans body besides all that is seen without answerable to those three regions of the world Elementary Etherial and Caelestial His entrails and whatsoever is under his heart resemble the elementary region wherein only there is generation and corruption The heart and vitals that are divided from those entrails by the Diaphragma resemble the etherial religion As the brain doth the heavenly which consisteth of intelligible creatures Austin complaineth that men much wonder at the high mountains of the earth Hugo waves the sea deep falls of rivers the vastnesse of the Ocean the motion of the Starres Et relinquunt seipsos nec mirantur but wonder not at all at their wonderful selves And truly the greatest miracle in the world is that little world or rather Isle of man in whose very body how much more in his soul are miracles enow betwixt head and feet to fill a volume The body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 24.44 Head The head is the most excellent part of the body therefore the chief part of any thing is called the head Christ is called the Head of the Church and the Husband the head of the Wife And Israel is promised upon obedience to be made the head and not the taile Hence we uncover our head when we do homage to any man to signifie that our most excellent part reverenceth and acknowledgeth him In the head our reason and understanding dwells and all the senses are placed in the head except the touch which is spread thorow the whole body Besides the head is supereminent above the rest of the body and giveth influence to it There is also a conformity betwixt the head and the rest of the body And thus it is betwixt Christ and his Church he hath graces above the rest of his members he giveth influence and grace to them and he is like them The hair of the head as also the nails is an excrement 1 Cor. 11.14 and not to be
Andronicus the old Emperour of Greece in his speech to his young Nephew said Forasmuch as I next unto God have been the Author of thy nativity and increase give me my life Turk Hist fol. 172. spare thy fathers head with violent weapon spill not that blood from which thou thy self hast taken the fountain of life Man truly beholdeth heaven and earth and heaven and earth behold mens actions Wherfore make not the heaven and the earth beholders of so wicked an outrage as never man ever committed If brothers blood long ago cryed out unto the Lord against Cain how much lowder shall the fathers blood cry unto the Lord and declare so great a wickednesse unto the earth the sun and starres and make it abhorred of all the Princes of the world Regard my miserable old age which of it self promiseth unto me shortly death Reverence the hands which have oftentimes most lovingly embraced thee yet crying in thy swathing clouts Reverence those lips which have oftentimes most lovingly kissed thee and called thee my other soul c. Charles the ninth of France Author of the bloody Massacre of Paris died of exceeding bleeding Richard the third of this Kingdome and Q. Mary had the shortest raigns of any since the conquest Absolom and Achitophel came to tragical and unhappy ends So did all the Primitive persecutors according to that Psal 55.23 Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes Phidias painted the image of Minerva with his own that none could deface the one but both So hath God imprinted his own image upon man And though its true by the fall it is defaced and abolished yet are there some reliques thereof still abiding which God will not have destroyed Consider if hatred be so damnable what is murder It is the destruction of Gods image of a member of Christ for whom Christ died and a Temple of the Holy Ghost The land is polluted by it and cannot be expiated but by blood If Dives be in Hell for not saving life how shall they escape Hell that destroy it Whose sheddeth mans blood Gen. 9.6 by man shall his blood be shed for in the imagâ— of God made he man The Law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient for murderers of fathers 1 Tim. 1.9 and murderers of mothers Deliver me from blood-guiltiness Psal 51.14 O God Ingratitude Omne dixeris maledictum cum ingratum hominem dixeris To render good for evil is divine to render good for good is humane to render evil for evil is bruitish but to render evil for good is devillish While I hold up his chin to save him from drowning he with his heel should kick me under water Lycurgus the Lacedemonian law-giver would make no law against such Quod prodigiosares esset beneficium non rependere because it could not be imagined that any would be so unworthy as not to recompence one kindnesse with another And the old Romanes decreed that such as were found guilty of this fault should be cast alive to the Cormorant to be pulled in pieces and devoured Ingrato quod donatur deperditur saith Seneca And Amare non redamentem Ille non dignus est dandis qui ingratus est de datis Speed est amoris impendia perdere saith Hierom All 's lost that is laid out upon an unthankful person He buries benefits as the barren earth doth the seed He is as once was said of the Pope like a Mouse in a satchel or a Snake in ones bosom who do but ill repay their Hostess for their lodging An unthankful man is a naughty man nay he is an ugly man Therefore our Saviour fitly yokes them together To the unthankful and to the evil Luk. 6 35. Injury Qui nescit ferri injurias vivere nescit Socrates when one gave him a box on the eâ—r in the market-place said Quà m molestum est nescire homines quando prodire debeant cum gratiâ What an odd thing it is to go abroad without an head-piece Pestifera vis est valere ad nocendum saith Seneca And yet again bars revenge Hydrae uno capite resecto septem alia repullala bant Vnde Proverbium Hydram secaâ— For saith he Quemadmodum praecisae arboâ—es plurimis ramis repullulant ita crudelitas auget inimicorum numerum tollendo For it engageth all their relations against us in the quarrel In a matter of strise saith Basil he hath the worse that carries it And Aristotle himself yieldeth That of the twain it is better to suffer the greatest wrong than to do the least But how many have we like the angry Bee that care not to sting another though it be to the loss of their own lives Whiles we are thus busie in breaking those darts that men shoot from afar against us we are oppressed by the Devil near hand us Nay in thus resisting evil we give place to the Devil whom if by patience and forbearance we could resist he would flie from us Not rendring evil for evil 1 Pet. 3.9 Innocency After that Bajazet and his four sons were made away Turk Hist. fol. 782. at the command of Solyman the Magnificent there remained the youngest but new-born and at nurse who was now upon the death of his father commanded by his said Grandfather to be strangled also The Eunuch sent by Solyman to have done the deed and loth to do it himself took with him one of the Porters of the Court a desperate and otherwise an hard-hearted Ruffian a man thought fit to have performed any villany He coming into the chamber where the Child lay and fitting the bow-string to the Childs neck to have strangled him the innocent Babe smiled upon him and lifting up it self as well as it could with open arms offered to have embraced the Villain about the neck and kissed him Which guiltless simplicity so wounded the stony-hearted man that he was not able to perform the intended butchery of the poor simple Child but fell down in a swoun and there lay for dead Such is the rare force of Innocency Yet we must neither be Foxes nor Asses The Romane rule was Neâ— fugere nâ—â— soqui He that makes himself too much a Sheep shall scarce escape worrying with Dogs Columbine simplicity doth well when it is mixed with Serpentine subtilty A Serpents eye saith one in a Doves head is an excellent ornament Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves Mat. 10.16 Contentation Pirrhus being demanded of Cyneas What he intended after he had won his many great intended Victories answered Live merrily To whom he replied So he might do already would he but be content with his own It is not the great Cage that maketh the Bird sing Nor the great Estate that brings inward joy and cordial contentment As a Bird with a little eye and the advantage of a wing to soar with may see far wider than an Oxe with a greater so the Righteous
12. and from the guilt of original sin 2. They are confirmed in the joyful expectation of a perfect holinesse he that was so careful to have his natural body so exquisitely fitted will not certainly neglect his Mystical body the Church being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh but will sanctifie and cleanse it that he may present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wricnkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26 27. Therefore to make us so such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmlesse As our High-Prie st was thus in his original innocent so was he in the whole course of his life undefiled Men and Devils did indeed conspire to bring him within their compasse but could not prevail their guilded Pills of corruption plausible to flesh and blood could not be swallowed down of him his unblemisht foul was of a purer condition than that it should be infected by those foul spirits The Master of Sentences gives a double reason for it Lomb. Sent l. 3. 1. Because it was hypostatically united to the eternal Son of God 2. Because the Spirit was given unto him sine mensura without measure he was full of grace and truth John 1.14 Now it is a rule delivered by Romes Angelical Doctor that Quanto aliquid receptivum propinquius est causae influenti tanto abundantius recipit Aquin. by how much any that receiveth is more near to the flowing cause by so much doth it the more plentifully receive Wherefore the holinesse of our gracious Mediatour is such as being God and man inseperably that he could not possibly be defiled by actual sin The Apostle saith directly that he knew no sin that is experimentally in his own person he is called a Lamb undefiled and without spot Pilate that gave him over into the hands of sinners to be crucified ingeniously confest he could find no fault in him at all that good thief as a father calls him that was crucified with Christ made a good confession when he said We receive a due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse hence there is added to his sacred name the title of righteous Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2.1 for the end why he came into the world was to fulfil all righteousnesse thereby to save sinners Qui caeteros salvos faceret debuit ibse peccato vitio carere saith Augustine Wherefore August Daniel 9. he is said to be the most holy and to have everlasting righteousness So that he gave most compleat and perfect obedience to the Law of God in every point applauded by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased This actual righteousness void of all tincture of evil was not only for himself but was efficacious for us for as many as believe in him to the end of the world for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 For this cause did the Prophet Jeremy foreshew the name whereby he should be called and that is THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Legis finis interficiens perficiens Aug. Jer. 23.6 This makes good that Apostolical assertion we read 2 Cor. 5.21 That he was made sinne for us that is a Sacrifice to expiate our sin who knew no finne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that we have as solid justification to life by his obedience as ever we were subject to death by Adams disobedience for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one Rom. 5.19 shall many be made righteous From this Fountain of grace do flow those streams of peace like those in Paradise that make glad the City of our God Peace with God with our selves with men with all the creatures haven and earth are met together in a blessed league For in him it pleased the Father should all fulnesse of divine graces dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him I say whether they be things in heaven or things in earth Col. 1.20 This serves also for another purpose to be a pattern for our imitation to be holy as he is holy to be undefiled members of that body whereof he is the head to walk before him and be upright with Abraham that believed in him The title of Christian which we all have by him should make us so to adhere to him in a conformity to his life Vt quia sine ipso nihil esse possumus per ipsum possimus esse quod dicimur that because without him we can be nothing by him we may be in truth what we are said to be the words are Bernards I must tell you what Saint Peter told them to whom he wrote his first Epistle Bern. 1 Pet. 2 9. Vilelatens viâ—tus quid â—â—m submeâ—sa tâ—vebris Proderit c. Claud. ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues or praises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him who hath called you out of darnesse into his marvellous light They are the words of Gregory the great in his Epistle to Theodorus Duke of Sardinia Justitiam quam mente geritis oportet coram heminibus luce operum demonstretis the integrity or righteousness ye bear in your mind ye ought besure to express and shew it before men by the light of works which doth justly accord with our Saviours mind Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven The greatest light in the firmament of the Church which is the heaven upon earth Hierom said that he did deligere Christum habitantem in Augustino is Christ himself the light of the lesser lights is but borrowed from him not to be concealed but to be seene to the eyes of the world after the example of the greatest light who hath lest us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 And believe me none are blessed but they alone that with our undefiled High-Priest are in some measure undefiled in the way who after him walk in the Law of the Lord. Ye shall hear how Saint Bernard on the Canticles Censures him that doth not frame his life to the obedience of the Gospel of Christ Dignus plane est morte Bern. in Cant. qui tibi Christe vecusat rivere he is without all doubt worthy of death who denies O Christ to live to thee Good reason then it is that we who are the redeemed of the Lord washed in his blood should in an honourable respect of our potent Redeemer conform our selves to the like strickt godly life he did and not to wallow in the sordid sins of the damned crue from which that we might be withdrawn according to the working of his mighty power Such an High-Priest
him without the camp bearing his reproach for here we have no continuing City Heb. 13.13 14 15. but we seek one to come by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name who is the Author and finisher of our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour glory power and dominion in heaven and in earth by men and Angels both now and for ever world without end Amen The Necessity of CHRISTS PASSION AND Resurrection ACTS 17.3 Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead GLory which is the proper scope of a noble disposition and the intended end of honourable intents did Christ make to be the necessary consequence of his fore-running passion His life seem'd to the worlds eye inglorious in that he affected not popularity so did his death to those that knew not the mystery of our Redemption By general judgment he was reputed the most unhappy breathing he was rejected and despised of men Yet in this his rejected and contemptible condition was sowen his immortal happiness which indeed was sowen in weakness but was raised in power sowen in dishonor but raised in glory For as by the eternal constitution of the Almighty he ought to have been brought to the lowest degree of misery by suffering divers and fearful punishments so ought he not perpetually to abide in that state but at length to be elevated thence to the highest pitch of glory In order to which as Christ must needs have suffered so also must he rise again from the dead The point now by divine assistance to be discust is part of Christs exaltation a theame of an high nature And herein first of the person exalted Christ Christ was exalted according to both natures 1. In regard of his Godhead 2. In regard of his Manhood The exaltation of the Godhead of Christ was the manifestation of the Godhead in the Manhood mightily declaring therein that he was the Son of God Which manifestation was altogether active no way passive the effects produced by him having no other proper agent but God For who could overcome Satan death the world the grave but God And albeit the Divine nature be thus exalted yet it is without all manner of alteration For to speak properly in it self it cannot be made the subject of exaltation but as it is considered joined with the Manhood into the unity of one person For albeit Christ from the very time of the assumption of our nature whereby he was incarnate was both God and man and his Godhead all the time he liv'd dwelt in his Manhood yet from the hour of his Nativity unto the hour of giving up the Ghost and a while after the Godhead did little shew it self The glorious majesty of his Deity whiles he was in the for me and low state of a servant lay hid under the vaile of his flesh as the soul doth in the body when a man is sleeping And in the time of his passion the brightness of the glory of the sun of righteousnesse was obscured as the sun running in the height of heaven oftimes over clouded or eclipsed by a darker body thereby in 〈◊〉 humane nature to undergo the curse of the law and perfect the work of our redemption in subjecting himself to the death even the cursed death of the crosse But as soone as this work was finished and happily accomplished he began by degrees to make known the power of his Godhead in his Manhood And so to rise again Secondly Christ was exalted in regard of his Manhood which consisteth in these two things In depositione servilis suaâ—conditionis in laying down and quitting himself from all the infirmities that 〈◊〉 mans nature which he submitted himself unto except sin so long as he remained in the state of a servant he was subject to weariness to hunger to thirst to fear to death from all which in this state of exaltation he is perfectly delivered his natural body is a glorious body those wounds and stripes which in his body he suffered for our sins remain not in him as testimonies of that compleat conquest to be obtained over his and our enemies But are rather quite abolished because they were a part of that ignominious condition wherein our Saviour was upon the crosse whereof in his glorified state he is not to be partaker Yet if they still remain as some think they do they are no deformity to the glorious body of the Lord but are in him in some unspeakable and to us unknown manner glorified In susceptione donoxum in receiving such graces and qualities of glory as bring with them ornament beauty perfection happiness exceeding the or 〈◊〉 beauty perfection and happiness of any other creature in heaven or earth 〈◊〉 to his soul and body As for his soul look upon the intellectuall part you shall find a mind enrich with as much knowledge and understanding as well in respect of the act as the habit as a creature can possibly be capable of the measure of it being more than all men and Angels put together have Look upon his will and affections you shall find them furnished with the fulness of grace and compleatly adorned with the invaluable riches and incomparable gifts of Gods holy Spirit As for his body it is not now subject to dissolution from being natural it is become spiritual not by the destruction of the essence but by the alteration of the qualities Aquinas Est ejusdem naturae sed alterius gloriae said Thomas for God would not suffer his holy one to see corruption The nature and essential proprietles of a true body as length breadth thickness locality still remain in him the addition of glory and brightness not changing the nature of it so that it is free from all bodily imperfections and made bright and glorious a resemblance whereof was his transiguration on the mount Matth. 17. where his face did shine as the sun and his rayment was as white as the light the purity whereof is unblemished the agility whereof such as is indifferent to move upward or downward the brightness thereof cannot be obscured nor the strength thereof match't by any creature For by his power he shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Hhil 3.21 according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself These gifts of glory in Christ's body are not infinite but bounded within limits because his humane nature being but a creature and therefore finite could not receive infinite graces and gifts of glory To make then infiniteness ubiquity and omnipotency incommunicable attributes of God attributes of Christ's glorified body is to destroy the nature of a body and say that the body of Christ is transformed into the Deity or Deified and that he is all
discrepancy and distinction from the members 2. In a congruity or agreement with them The relation of a natural head to the members doth consist in a discrepancy which is four-fold 1. The natural head differs from the members in regard of eminence and dignity so Christ from the Church and every single member thereof for he is God over all blessed for ever 2. In regard of perfection so of Christs fulness do we all receive 3. Thirdly in regard of Government so Christ by his Spirit ruleth in the hearts of the faithful and they are at his service 4. In regard of influence so there are infused in the soules of the elect the divine and heavenly motions of grace from Christ through whom they are able to do all things It consisteth likewise in a congruity and agreement which is three-fold 1. The head hath a natural conformity with the members so Christ as man with every one of the Church we are of his body of his flesh and of his bones 2. The head and members do agree in ordination to the same end conspiring together for the preservation of the whole entire So Christ is now in glory and the Church presseth forward to that eternal blessedness which in the day of perfect redemption they shall with Christ be actual possessours of 3. The head and the members do agree in contiguity so there is a spiritual contiguity effected by the supernatural operation of Gods Spirit betwixt Christ and his mystical body whereby they are made one they that are joined unto Christ are one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 And hence those supernal graces whose original is God are with the more facility more copiously diffused and the life of grace with heavenly inspirations the more amply distributed to each part the power of which diffusive distribution principally resideth in Christ the head from whom the prime act of all transcendent information doth proceed For further illustration of this first Christ is the head of the Church 1. In all places 2. At all times 3. In every state and condition considered 4. In all Authority He is the head of the Church in all places for he is every where the Deity cannot be excluded neither yet included All places are full of him and yet all places do not comprehend him he is free from the limits of local circumscription and yet every where present Go from his Spirit we cannot Nocte latent mendae sed non Deum Dco o scura clarent muta respondent silenâ—um conâ—â—itâ—tur faith an Ancient we cannot fly from his all-filling presence if we ascend into heaven he is there if we descend into hell be is there if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall his hand lead us and his right hand shall hold us darkness shall not cover us darkness shall not hide us the night shall be light about us for to him the night shineth as the day Psal 139. An uncontroulable demonstration of this ubiquity and special presence of Christ in Spirit is the universality of the Church which is not comprehended as heretofore within the narrow bounds of Jury or the circumference of one Kingdom but the uttermost parts of the earth are his possession his call hath been heard in all Lands and all Nations The sound of the Apostles Doctrine concerning the Kingdom of Christ Rom. 10.18 went into all the Kingdomes of the earth and their words into the ends of the world Vitra Garamantas Indos protulet imperium all sorts of people are in subjection to his dominion This was intimated to Peter in a vision as is by some wittily observed Act. 10. Where he saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowles of the aire The vessel knit at the four corners did denotate the universality of the Church the four corners of the vessel answering the four corners of the world East West North South The several kind of creatures in it call'd by Peter unclean but by God cleans'd signifies the Church of God collected out of all Nations and conditions of men purified with the blood of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit Wherefore pious was that conclusion which Peter hence deducted that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness without respect of persons is accepted with him We read Mat. 24.31 that at the end of the world Christ will send forth his Angels to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other which infallibly is a significant expression of the dispersion of Gods Church through all the quarters of the world We may yet ascend higher Christ is not head on earth alone but in heaven also every sainted and glorified man is a triumphant member of this body of Christ Thus Christ is the head of the Church in all places He is also the head of the Church at all times 1. Before the law for then the Patriarchs our forefathers enjoyed the benefit of the same glorious promises made in Christ Jesus that we now do only the circumstance altered they believing that Christ should be incarnate we that he was 2. Under the Law for all the ceremonies services and sacrifices at that time had reference unto him without whom they could do nothing It were through Christ they were vigorous and for his sake acceptable to God and the persons for whom the sacrifices were offered were not respected so much for those sacrifices as for the Principal intended by them Christ Jesus So that his Spirit was in the faithful then elevating their souls to more sublime objects than there presented to the outward view and guiding their actions to an higher end than there appearing 3. He is the Churches Head after the Law under the Gospel For by the Gospel the power of God unto salvation and by his holy Spirit leading us into all truth and filling us with all eminent graces and Celestial benedictions he governeth the Church Gods flock conducting them to that Kingdom which for them he hath purchased with his precious blood And having since his manifestation in the flesh confer'd upon his people a more ample proportion of gifts the assurance of these dayes in Christ and happy communion with him is more apparent than ever before By him we have accesse unto the throne of grace by him we are made partakers of the divine nature In brief he is the head of the Church by an unrevokable constitution from all eternity and so unto eternity shall last No Pontifical competitour can put him by it no proud Prelate of Rome can partake of this honour proper to himself and which he will not give unto another Thus he is the head of the Church at all times And he is the Churches
in our common speech we know when a promise is to any we use to say remember such a one Calv. And hence because the promise was made to David therefore as Calvin observes he is pleased in the midst of the verse in medio virtus here lyes the best part Gods promises But methinks I smell a Papist raising this doctrine out of these words That we are aided by the suffrages of the dead Saints Thedoret Remember David Dead Saints they are that raise it For we do not consider David here barely as Theodoret doth but as one to whom belong'd the promises as I said before I passe over this dead doctrine of the dead and turn back to the words of spirit and life Lord remember David The Kingly Prophet we see prayes to God he goes not to Angels or Saints for they are not as he well did know to be invocated Psal 73.25 Wherefore David saith whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee And again Ex profundis out of the deeps have I cried unto thee O Lord. I wonder that the Papists condemn him not of immodesty or presumption but albeit they are so full of modesty it is but Pythagorical that shameless modesty they rob God of his honour No wonder as Corvinus forgot his name they forget their manners But I say Give Caesar what is Caesars Angels are not to be invocated Mat. 4.10 but God alone The Papists distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meer Sophistry Both services are due to God Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Moreover Rom. 10. how shall they call on them on whom they have not believed If they call on Saints they must believe in Saints and what is this but to make Christ and his sufferings not to be the compleat object of justifying faith I onely name this Solomon learned otherwise from his father to make God the chief defender of his faith to whom he should pray Lord. Here also I observe a secret confession of Gods love in promising to David of Solomons hope in obtaining God is faithful and ready to promise and as faithfull and ready to perform Solomon both faithful and ready to receive A Looking-glasse for Kings and all others hoc facite vivite do the like and live Four divinity Lectures or Lectures of divine morality for Kings spring from Solomons Petitioning to the Lord in this manner drawn together from the contents of his Petition First that Church and Kingdom are in the hand of God to be disposed of as pleaseth him The most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whom soever he will He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords By me Ksngs reign saith Wisdom Kings are Gods Vicegerents here on earth Dan. 4.32 Revel 19.16 who beare the stamp of the divine Majesty they are in his stead his servants Populum gubernando saith Thomas notwithstanding his other paradox Pro. 8.15 Therefore advisedly he runs not to man he seeks not to get a Kingdome by violence or by the strength of flesh and blood for there is no King saved by the multitude of an host Rom. 13. he trusteth not to the broken reedes of Egypt cursed is he that trusteth in man he learn'd this lesson from his father that vain is the help of man vain also the help of Princes Jerem. 17.5 Put not your trust in Princes but the name of the Lord is a strong tower Thus he acknowledgeth Gods supremacie Lord. Secondly as the first establishing of Church and Policie is in Gods power so is it he that causeth a flourishing Church and Policie As he gives the being so also the welbeing Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Psal 127. Arena sine culce indeed it may well be called Labour in vain except the Lord keep the City the watchmen wake but in vain This was Davids song for his son Solomon That King therefore that will have a flourishing Church and Common-weal must pray to God for it with all humility and submission This is via regia a Kings high-way Solomon hath chalk't it out Here observe his voluntary allegiance to God Lord. Thirdly Kings sons are to have a special care of the charge that their fathers leave behind with them as Solomon had here of Davids Therefore they must pray and do all that can be done for the welfare of their subjects so that they must not be slack in matters of Religion but very zealous it is that unicum necessarium David hath lead him the way the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up and Solomon was not far behind him he follows the tract And good reason The Crown can never be kept without good subjects the subjects can never be good without true Religion Solomon prayes for both and that is the next way to get both And David Peace be within thy walls Psal 122. and prosperity within thy Palaces the effect of both Both these Care and Zeal jump together in one peacefull King to root out Idolatry and plant true Religion What follows Peace and Prosperity Fourthly here is an Emblem of his hope joyn'd with innocency this made him pray to the Lord with heart of grace He knew the Articles If thy children will keep my Covenant and my testimony then their children shall sit upon the throne for evermore He found himself yet to have a good conscience for God will not hear the prayer of the wicked Therefore his innocence confirmed his hope Yet afterward he fell away whether wholly or no we conclude not uncharitably of him with the Papists whereby the bond was forfeited 1 King 11. the promise disanull'd and yet God was more merciful than he sinful for the Lord would not take all the Kingdom from Solomon nor his seed for Davids sake Mat. 1. Neither was Davids seed being in captivity quite cut off for Christ descened from the line of David according to the flesh and hence is called the Son of David and now reigns for evermore according to Gods promise and so is Davids Lord. This I touch by the way It is requisite then that Kings should have care to serve God continually in the integrity and innocencie of their heart If they fall from God God falls from them and then he will either rend their Kingdoms as he did Solomons or pull down both King and throne and lay their honour in the dust If not but that they will keep Gods Commandments and maintain Religion as David did as David shall they prosper all the dayes of their life This Solomon intended and in this intent cried he Lord remember David In these words again do but observe Solomons Sampson-like faith he presseth God with his promise his faith works upon that Since God was so gracious to promise Solomon
many and lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things Rom. 1.25 Isa 57.15 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Tim. 6.15 16. and we in him Who is blessed for ever The high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy The King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God The blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Psa 89.6 Who in the Heaven can be compared unto the Lord Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord Psa 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever Psa 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Of God his Attributes and Properties THOV canst not see my face said God to Moses for there shall no man see me and live Man could not behold this Vision but be opprest Exod. 33.20 and swallow'd up with Majesty as the sight of the eye is dazled with the Suâ— or a Chrystal Glass broken with the fire The High Priest entring into the Holiest of all darkned it with the smoak of the incense when he went in Pompey who was one that presumed to enter within the Holiest of all not being Priest when he came out being ask'd What he saw answered That the House was full of a Cloud To which the Psalmist Psal 18.17 He made darkness his secret Place his Pavilion round about him were dark Waters and thick Clouds of the Skies As we cannot see the Sun in Rotâ in the Circle but in the Beams so neither God otherwise than in his Words and Works Only if we in borrowed speech for our understanding call him a Spirit though in proper speech so God is not no more than he is an Angel or a Soul which is determined finite and comprehended in some one place as every Angel and every mans Soul is and add unto this Spirit such Attributes as may fully difference him not only from all spirits Humane or Angelical but from all Creatures then we are come as near him as we can and in this Mortality can approach no nearer Of his Eternity God only is properly Eternal that is without beginning or ending without all measure of time Aeternitas est quae nihil habet mutabile Aug. in ibi nihil est praeteritum quasi jam non sit nihil futurum quasi nondum sit quia non est ibi nisi est Mans dayes are but dayes of time God is fixed in Eternity mans dayes are moveable the dayes of God move not Some distinguish thus between these three Tempus est mensura hominum Eternity Evâ—ternity and Time habens principium finem Aeviternitas est Angelorum principium habens sed non finem Eternitas est propria Deo nec principium habens nec finem Eternity is that which is peculiar unto God his are the dayes of Eternity Eviternity is proper to Angels and Spirits which have a beginning but shall have no end Time is the portion and lot of man who hath had a beginning and shall have an end Time is the measure of those things which actually corrupt and change Aeternitas est duratio semper praesens est unum perpetuum hodie quod non transit in praeteritum aut futurum Drexel Eviternity is the measure of things incorruptible and unchangeable not in themselves but by the appointment of God Eternity is peculiar to God in whom it is absolutely impossible any change should be Time hath continual successions Eternity a constant permanency all the dayes of God are but a day Mans day was is and shall be Gods day alwayes is True it is other Spirits are Eternal there is an everlastingness of the Spirits of Men and Angels for having had beginning they shall never have end but that is a gift and of grace and à parte post as the Schoolmen say in respect of future But God is a Spirit absolutely Eternal in his Essence and in his Nature and à parte post ante before everlasting without beginning without succession innovation or termination in regard of which Eternity as being a vast Ocean the little drop which we call time vanishing into nothing and so far is the Eternal Spirit beyond all Spirits of men and Angels Object If it be objected Where is a beginning there is time but in God there is a beginning for the Son and Holy Ghost have their beginning from the Father Answ I answer A beginning is twofold 1. Ordinis Of Order 2. Temporis Of Time They had no beginning in respect of time for that should have excluded Eternity but only a beginning of order which standeth in Eternity the Son being in time as Eternal as the Father Hence is concluded That clear distinction of this uncreated and creating Spirit from all created Spirits of Men and Angels As also that we should not insist or content our selves with such things as time can only afford us but fasten upon him that is Eternity and upon that Eternal happiness with him 1 Sam. 15.29 Psal 90.2 Isa 57.15 Hebr. 9.14 The Eternity of Israel Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth and the World even from Everlasting to Everlasting thou art God the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity the Eternal Spirit Of his Infiniteness In God there is such infiniteness and unmeasurable greatness Spiritus insinitus non corpore non inquam quant tate magnitudine mole sâ—d qualitate virtute bonitate si quid praestantius ab homine de Deo dici vel cogitari potest Comarus that to him nothing can be added neither may any bounds measure or limits be admitted All other Creatures are finite in holiness wisdom life glory c. But he is infinite in all That is infinite 1. Which is without end 2. Which is without bound In both God is infinite as he had no beginning so he shall have no end or period of his Being he is infinite in reference to duration or time and he is infinite in reference to place or extent This is a good Argument to prove there is but one God for there is nothing infinite but God and it is altogether impossible that there should be two Infinites The Heavens cannot hold two Suns much less can the World hold two Infinites Infinity runneth through all the Titles of God He is infinite in Power infinite in Wisdom Justice Righteousness and Mercy Hence it is gather'd That God is incomprehensible and passeth all bounds of created minds and understandings and so cannot fully be conceived of us nor of any but of himself And surely if he be above all the mind can conceive much more beyond all that any
souls for himself For the first Sinners despair because they cannot be perswaded of mercy only viewing the severity of God and poring upon that Alas I have offended God and am afflicted in conscience I have deserv'd to be a fire-brand of Hell but yet consider the sweet goodness of God he is just to damn stubborn sinners but to such as humble themselves and with penitent hearts beg for mercy he is a gracious God witness Manasses Magdalen Paul c. For the latter Satan will tell thee thou may'st take thy liberty follow thy pleasures needest not be so precise for God is merciful The remedy is to consider not only the mercy but the severity of God also Remember how severely he hath dealt with the Jews for their Rebellion against Christ and his Gospel with David for the matter of Vriah with Moses for striking the Rock when he should only have spoken to it c. For as the act of seeing is hindered both by no light and by too much so the light and comfort of conscience is hindered either by not seeing of mercy or by seeing nothing else but mercy which causeth presumption Here is to be refuted the wicked opinion of the Manichees and Marcionites who held that there were two Beginnings or to speak plainly two Gods one good full of gentleness and mercy the other severe and cruel this they made the Author of the Old Testament and the other of the New But the answer is 1. That Scripture maketh one and the same God both bountiful and full of goodness and the same also severe 2. And though severity and mercy seem to be contrary yet that is not in respect of the Subject for the Divine Nature is not capable of contrary and repugnant qualities But in regard of the contrary effects which are produced in contrary Subjects Like as the Magistrate is not contrary to himself if he shew mercy unto those that are willing to be reformed and be severe in punishing obstinate offenders Or as the Sun by the same heat worketh contrary effects in subjects of a diverse and contrary disposition and quality To conclude then Who have goodness and who have severity If thou repentest and obeyest the Gospel thou art an happy man the sweetness of God and his goodness is to thee But if thou beest a profane unbelieving impenitent wretch and dyest in this estate the most just God will in his great severity cast thee into Hell 1 Sam. 25.29 as out of the middle of a sling The Lord God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third Ezra 8.22 Psal 18.25 26. and to the fourth generation The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful Psal 34.15 16. And with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry The face of the Lord is against them that do evil Psal 101.1 to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee O Lord Rom. 11.22 will I sing Behold the goodness and severity of God Of the Mercy of God Mercy as it is referred to God Movet enim pium judicem fragilitas considerata peccantium Cassied Exod. 34. is the Divine Essence inclining it self to pity and relieve the miseries of all his Creatures but more peculiarly of his Elect Children without respect of merit God is most glorious in mercy Shew me thy Glory saith Moses It follows what it was The Lord God merciful and gracious c. In this he is superlative and outstrips Mercy is 1. General 1. In helping his Elect and comforting 2. In scattering and confounding their Enemies 2. More particular 1. In promising 2. In performing And these are the Flagons of wine to comfort distressed souls Mercy is an Attribute in the manifestation of which as all our happiness consists so God takes greatest complacency and delights in it above all his other works He punishes to the third and fourth Generation but shewes mercy unto thousands Exod. 20.5 6. Therefore the Jewes have a saying That Michael flies with one wing and Gabriel with two meaning that the pacifying Angel the Minister of Mercy flies swift but the exterminating Angel the Messenger of wrath is slow The more mercy we receive the more humble we ought to be 1. Because we are thereby more indebted 2. In danger to be more sinful worms crawle after Rain 3. We have more to account for But alas even as the glorious Sun darting out his illustrious beams shines upon the stinking Carrion but still it remains a Carrion when the beams are gone so the mercy of God shines as I may say upon the wicked but still he remains wicked For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting The Lord is good to all Psal 100.5 Psal 145.9 Micah 7.18 and his tender mercies are over all his works He delighteth in mercy I proceed no further in these only add That for a Creature to believe the infinite Attributes of God he is never able to do it thoroughly without supernatural grace Of the Sacred Trinity De Trinitate THat God should be Three in one and One in three this is a Divine Truth Impossibile est per rationem naturalem ad Trinitat is Divinarum pâ—rsonarum cognitionem pervenice Aquin. Du Bartas ex Lombard Sens. lib. 1. dist 2. more certainly to be received by Faith than to be conceived by Reason for it is the most mysterious of all the Mysteries contained in the Bible which our Divine Poet sings thus In Sacred Sheets of either Testament 'T is hard to find an higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to discuss More useful known unknown more dangerous Some damnable Hereticks especially the Jewes at this day hold an indistinct Essence in the Deity without distinction of persons We assert a real distinction there is but there can be no separation If any stumble at the word Trinity and say it cannot be found in the Scriptures I answer yet the Doctrine is if not according to the letter yet according to the sense Besides there is expresly the word Three 1 John 5.7 from whence Trinity comes The Hebrews of old Siâ—rectè dicuntur tres Elohâ—m etiam recté dici possit tres Dii nam Elobim Latinè sonat Dii vel Deus Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.1 were no strangers to this Mystery though their posterity understood it not Moses Gen. 1.1 Dii creavit Elihu Job 35.10 God my Makers Solomon Eccl.
Day As Night is the time of the Suns absence from our Hemisphere so Day is the time of the Suns presence therein They both contain one whole revolution of the Suns motion to the same point of the Meridian in the twenty four hours Day is Natural Artificial The former consisteth of twenty four houres which is measured most usually Exod. 12.29 with Numb 3.13 from the Sun-rising to the Sun-rising or from the Sun-setting to the Sun-setting The latter is from Morning till Night which is the time of light measured out to twelve houres which were not more nor fewer but longer or shorter according to the different proportion of the Days in Summer and Winter which is measured from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting Joh. 11.9 Mat. 20. Which division was in use both with the Jews and Romans The Romans divided their Day into six parts viz. Godw. Antiq. 1. Diluculum The break of day 2. Mane The full morning 3. Ad meridiem The forenoon 4. Meridies quasi medidies Mid-day or quasi merus dies perfect day Noon 5. Demeridie Afternoon 6. Solis occasus Sun-set Day hath its name in Hebrew from the noise and hurry that is therein In Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gentle or tâ—me because it is appointed for tame creatures Or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I desire because it is to be desired In Latine Dies à Deo Zanch. as a divine thing vel à Dio id est Coelo Sole vel à dividendo quod disjungat lucem à tenebris Evening separates by darkness Morning by light So the one disjoyns day from night the other night from day In this vicissitude of Light and Darkness much of Gods wisdom and goodness is to be seen And we ought not to turn the day into night nor night into day without some very special and urgent occasion And God called the light Day Day unto day uttereth speech Gen. 1.5 Psal 19.2 Ps 119.164 and night unto night sheweth knowledge Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments Of the Visible Heavens HEaven is a building of three stories Triplex est coelum cërium sidercum ac aliud his superius invisibile divinum Dam. 1.2 de Orthodox fide The first is the Air and the Clouds up to the Moon The second reacheth all the Planets and Stars The third is called the Heaven of Heavens the place of Gods most glorious residence who filleth Heaven and Earth The Apostle reduceth them to Visible Invisible Col. 1.16 The Visible Heavens are two Starry Airy The Starry Heaven is that vast expanse region where the Stars have their motion Here are the Sun and the Moon those great lights the infinite number of Stars of unconceivable magnitude and motion which we see and we see not This according to the doctrine of Astronomers is distinguished into several Orbs and Spheres in seven of which seven special Stars are said to move and all the rest to be fixed in the eighth The Apostle Jude seems to give a hint of those Planetical Orbs Jud. v. 13. where he justly reproacheth unsetled spirits by the name of wandring stars or planets to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Of this speaks Moses calling it The firmament of the heaven Gen. 1.17 Josh 10.13 Psal 8.3 And in Joshua's time the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven And David When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars whiâ—â— thou hast ordained And again Psal 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work The Airy heaven is the Air with all her regions reaching up to the Moon herein are Winds Clouds Meteors c. This is called by Job Job 26.7 Super mane quod juxta communâ—tà opinionem intelligi debet Vulgo enim totum spatium à terra â—sque ad coelum vacaun pâ—tatur quum plenum aëre sit Gen. 8.2 Gen. 19.24 Psal 8.8 Mat. 6.26 the empty place He stretcheth out the north over the empty place Not that the Air is indeed empty there is no vacuity no empty place in nature Nature will put it self into strange courses to avoid a vacuity Water will ascend to avoid vacuity and it will not descend to avoid vacuity But though the Air be not empty or void taking emptiness strictly and Philosophically for every place hath its filling yet as emptiness is taken largely and vulgarly so the Air may be called an empty place For as when we come into a room where there is no artificial furniture we say it is an empty room so the space between us and the Heavens in a vulgar sense is an empty plâ—ce Of this speaks Scripture when it sâ—th The windows of heaven the rain from heaven The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven It is very probable from the upper region of the air where Meteors be So the birds of the air are called the fowls of heaven Of the Invisible Heavens The Invisible Heaven Eph. 4.10 is that place whither Christ ascended far above all aspectable Heavens Called the Third Heaven the seat of the blessed Saints of the elect Angels and happy souls which are dead in the Lord also Abrahams bosom Yet this is not the place of Gods Essence or infinite Substance 1 King 8.27 for so the Heaven of heavens is not able to contain him But the place of his presence and glory not to consine or limit his glory in but wherein he will make it appear most glorious as a Prince will have some room to shew his state and magnificence in This Heaven is not every where as the Lutherans and some others falsly assert 1. Because then it is no longer Gods seat but God himself For whatsoever is Omnipresent Jer. 23.24 must needs be God as himself proveth Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord 2. The Scripture speaketh of it as a limited and confined place where Gods glory shineth more than in any other place where Christ promiseth the Thief to be with him in Paradise he denieth him to be in hell or earth Here 's a ground of comfort That such a place is made for our rest and habitation wherein to enjoy fully the blessed and glorious presence of God Let us contemn these houses of clay in comparison and desirously exchange this temporal for an eternal and blessed condition 1. Why should we prefer such base Cottages before so Princely a Court Why should we strive for Earth and lose the third Heaven Why should we grieve to leave a Prison for the Palace of God himself 2. Christ is there to be with whom is best of all Yea let us learn contentation with our present estate whatever it is and hear afflictions patiently We are now unknown in a strange countrey but we shall come home to our own inheritance
consolat Abite malâ— cupiditates ego vos mergam ne ipse mergar à vobis But it was indeed for a name as Hierom rightly judgeth calling him therefore Gloria animal popular is aurae vile mancipium a vain-glorious fool However let us make God our chief treasure A friend of Cyrus being asked Where his treasure was Answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Cyrus is my friend Let us answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where God is my friend Whoever hath the Lord for his portion the lines are fallen unto him in pleasant places he hath a goodly heritage He will be all that heart can wish or need require Surely there is a vein for the silver and a place for the gold Job 28.1 2. Psa 17.14 Job 22.25 where they find it Iron is taken out of the earth and brass is molten out of the stone Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure The Almighty shall be thy gold Fountains and Rivers Aristotle assigns this as the cause of the perennity of them â— of their Beginning and Original viz. That the Air thickned in the earth by reason of cold doth resolve and turn into water c. But a greater than Aristotle notwithstanding Averroes his excessive commendation of him Solom viz. That there was no errour in his Writings c. gives us his opinion as it was likewise the opinion of the Ancient Philosophers viz. That they come from the Sea through the Pores and passages of the earth where they leave their saliness behind them Thus God doth by certain issues or vents send forth the waters of the Sea which here and there break out in springs that men and other earthly creatures might have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pindarus stileth it for the satisfying of their thirst Rona à tergo formosissima and for other necessary uses A great mercy the want would more shew the worth All the Rivers run into the Sea Eccl. 1.7 yet the Sea is not full unto the place from whence the Rivers come thither they return again Ad locum unde excunt flumina Psa 104.10 11 revertuntur ut iterum fluant Vulg. He sendeth the springs into the Valleys Which run among the hills They give drink to every Beast of the Field the Wild Asses quench their thirst Fruits Alma Parens tell us Quaelibet herba Dâ—â—m affords all things necessary for man and beast Ad esum ad usum both for food and Physick and both these before either man or beast was created Sing we Hoc mihi pro certo quod vitam qui dedit idem Et velit possit suppeditare cibum Green herbs was a great dish with the Ancients Aristippus told his Fellowphilosopher who fed upon them If you can please Dionysius you need not eat green herbs He presently replied If you can eat green herbs you need not please Dionysius These are called precious fruits Deut. 33.14 and Jam. 5.7 both because they cost hard labour to the husbandman for that is required as well as rain and dew promised And because they are choyce blessings of God for the sustentation of life Diogenes justly taxed the folly of his Countreymen quòd res pretiosas minimo emerent venderentque vilissimas plurimo because they bought precious things as Corn very cheap but sold the basest things as pictures statues c. extream dear for the life of man had no need of the one but could not subsist without the other Let us take heed of undervaluing the food of life and spending money for that which is not bread Isa 55.2 And God said Gen. 1.11 12. Let the earth bring forth grass the herb yielding seed and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind Whose seed is in it self upon the earth Cap. 1.29 30. and it was so And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit whose seed was in it self after his kind and God saw that it was good And God said Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed to you it shall be given for meat And to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the air and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life I have given every green herb for meat and it was so He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel Psa 104.14 and herb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth Worms In the earth are worms housed A worm is one of the meanest creatures and therefore to shew what a poor thing man is he is twice in one place compared to a worm Job 25.6 Thus Christ also bespeaks himself when he took our nature Psal 22.6 Man may be said to be a worm in several respects Look upon him 1. In his original and constitution he is from the earth as the worm is 2. In his natural state and condition he liveth upon the earth and earthly things as worms do 3. Because subject to danger every foot may crush him 4. Because unable to resist or make defence unless the Lord be his shield and a defence to him round about 5. Because he must shortly return into the earth and when he comes to the grave it will be worm to worm Mihi experto credite saith Aug. Believe me who have made trial of it Open a grave and upon the dead mans head you shall find toads leaping begotten of his brains upon his loins serpents crawling begotten of his raynes in his belly worms abounding arising out of his entrails Behold what we now are and what we shortly shall be Behold the Original and filthiness of sin The best are but worms-meat the worms shall cover them who haply were once covered with costliest cloathing Mark 9.44 But take heed of that Worm which never dieth for as out of the corruption of our bodies worms breed which consume the flesh so out of the corruption of our souls this never-dying worm This worm say Divines is a continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul upon its own wilful folly and now woful misery Oh consider this before thy friends be scrambling for thy goods worms for thy body and Devils for thy soul Go not Dancing to Hell in thy Bolts rejoyce not in thy Bondage as many do to whom the preaching of Hell is but as the painting of a toad which men can look on and handle without affrightment I have said to corruption Thou art my father to the worm Thou art my mother Job 17.14 and my sister Mandrakes Before I had passed plants I should have mentioned one strange one in Scripture called Mandrake of which here a word It is a kind of herb whose root hath the likeness of a man The fruit of the root called Mandrake Apples have
threatening this sendeth forth a warm gale a South-wind of Promise The office of the Law is to accuse and terrifie of the Gospel to heal and comfort Finally the Law is a killing Letter but the Gospel a quickning Spirit Great and many are the blessings brought upon the world even upon the heads of those who unfainedly believe the Gospel Viz. 1. Reconciliation with God not only of God unto us but of us unto God which is the staying or taking away that enmity against God and those hard thoughts of him which lay burning and working in our inward parts together with kindling of a spirit of love towards him and the raising of an honourable opinion in us of him in the stead thereof 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Rom. 5.10 Col. 1.21 2. Justification or righteous-making in the sight of God setting us free from all guilt demerit and imputation of sin whatsoever Act. 13.38 39. Rom. 3.21 22. 5.9 3. Adoption or relation of Son-ship John 1.12 13. Rom. 8.14 15. Gal. 3.26 4.6 7 c. 4. Mortification of the body of sin and death which is in us The Gospel ministers wisdom and strength to do it Rom. 6.3 4 5. Col. 3.3 5. 1 Pet. 4.1 5. Our vivification to a more excellent life an inspiration of a new principle of vital motions and actions far more honourable and august than our former Rom. 6.4 Jam 1.18 Eph. 2. 6. Peace with God that of Conscience also Rom. 5.1 Act. 10.36 Rom. 10.15 Eph. 3.17 7. Redemption and deliverance from the wrath and vengeance to come 1 Cor. 1.30 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 1 Thes 1.10 8. The Gospel lifts not up the world with the hope and expectation of a Redemption or deliverance from the wrath which is to come but of an investiture and possession also of the glory which is to come Yea it carries on them who believe so far in the ways of righteousness and peace until they be ready to enter into the city of the great King Col. 1.12 Act. 20.32 Hence the Gospel must needs be a doctrine of â—oy Many of the Jews whom the thunders of Sinai the terrours of the Law moved not John Baptist wins with the Songs of Sion To which put pose S. Cyril mystically interpreting those words of the Prophet Micah 4.4 That every man should sit under his vine and under his fig-tree observeth that Wine is an emblem of joy the Fig-tree of sweetness and by both is shadowed that joy which the Evangelical doctrine should produce in those who sit under the preaching of it Indeed those doctrines which reveal God and Christ can only give solid comfort unto the soul and these doctrines are no where made known but in holy Writ and they are most clearly delivered in the Gospel The Gospel holds forth the New Covenant that constellation of Promises so called not simply but in respect of the discovery of it as we call some places the New world Unto this Covenant the Sacraments are the Broad-seal and the Spirit is the Privy-seal This Covenant was a great chearer to Davids heart 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure Which is all my salvation and all my desire Also Christs Testament and last Will And this is the comfort of Gods elect that Heaven is conveyed unto them by legacy All that God requires of us is to take hold of his Covenant and to receive his gift of righteousness And this also he hath promised to cause us to do writing his law in our hearts c. And truly the Gospel is chiefly promissory yea it is a Promise and that such as hath many Promises in the womb of it and those as the Apostle Peter calls them 2 Pet. 1.4 exceeding great and precious not of temporals but spirituals nay eternals Fellowship with God remission adoption eternal life what not are the choise and precious benefits which the Gospel revealeth and offereth to us So that it is a treasury of divine riches a storehouse of the souls provision a Cabinet of heavenly pearls all things truly good and justly desireable being contained in and conveyed to us by it Besides the preaching of the Gospel is the bell whereby we are called to eternal glory As by the sound of a trumpet the people were called together in the time of the Law so this is the Silver-trumpet sounding in our ears whereby we are called to the Kingdom of Heaven The common opinion is and the most antient Copies say as much that Matthew wrote his Gospel eight years after Christ Mark ten Luke fifteen and John forty two Plato when ready to die blessed God for three things 1. That he made him a Man 2. That he was born in Greece 3. That he lived in the time of Socrates David Chytraus also blessed God for three things 1. That he had made him a Man and not a Beast 2. That he had made him a Christian and not a Pagan 3. That he had his education under those excellent Lights Luther and Melancthon Austin wished but to have seen three fights 1. Romam in flore Rome in the flourish 2. Paulum in ore Paul in the Pulpit 3. Christum in corpore Christ in the flesh But greater is our happiness in enjoying the Gospel Vers 17. Mat. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things whiâ—h ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them We have the Turtles voice the joyful sound the lively Oracles The Sea ab out the Altar was brazen and what eyes could pierce thorow that Now our Sea about the Throne is glassie like to Chrystal cleerly conveying the light and sight of God to our eyes All Gods Ordinances are now so cleer that we may see Christs face in them and be transformed into the image and similitude of Christ Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace Luk. 2.10 Rom. 10.15 and bring glad tidings of good things Repeâ—t ye Mark 1.15 and believe the Gospel Christs Humiliation Incarnation The Scripture tells us how that man comes four ways into the world Aug. Serm. 20. de Temp. 1. By the help of man and woman so all are usually born 2. Without any man or woman and so the first man was created 3. Of a man without a woman and so was Eve made 4. Of a woman without a man and so was Christ born So that Christ birth differs from the birth of others He that was more excellent than Angels became less than Angels Vt nos aquaret Angelis minoratus est ab Angelis He that laid the foundation of the earth and made the world was himself now made Factor terra factus
docetur When God by his Spirit taketh in hand to teach a man he soon becometh a skilful scholar Nescit tarda molimina saith Ambrose Spiritus Sancti gratia The Spirit is not long in teaching those that commit themselves to his tuition Pimenta writes Epist ad Claudium Aquavivum de statu rei Christi apud Indos Orientales that the Barbarians of Ciandegri in the East-Indies seeing the Sun eclipsed Anno Dom. 1600. did fast and weep all day crying out O nos miseros quoniam Draco devoravit solemâ— shewing themselves as great Wizards as the Countrey-lad who watering his Ass when the Moon was going under a cloud presently conceived that his beast had drunk up the Moon But blessed be God the Red Dragon cannot devour our Sun There is nothing so sweet to a good soul as the knowledge of dark and deep mysteries The little Book of the Revelation was in John's mouth sweet as hony cap. 10.10 But as the Unicorns horn separated from the beast if any such Animal be is soveraign but on his head hurtful so is Knowledge as it is sanctified or unsanctified Austin desired no more of God but Noverim te noverim me that I may know my self and know thee Claritas in intellectu quae parit ardorem in affectu That light in the understanding that kindleth the affections is sweet knowledge But knowledge without love is like as rain in the middle region which doth no good to the ground Nummos habuerunt Athenienses ad numerandum scientiam ad sciendum But knowledge is not sufficient unless we have love too Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostles but love edifieth Yet those were foolish persons whom Austin maketh mention of that neglected the means of knowledge because knowledge puffeth up and so would be ignorant that they might be humble and want knowledge that they might want pride This was to be like Democritus who pluckt out his eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness The greatest part of our Knowledge is but the least part of Ignorance yet we are apt to think we know all that 's knowable as in Alcibiades his Army all would be leaders none learners Epicurus said That he was the first man that ever discovered Truth and yet in many things he was more blind than a Beetle Aratus the Astrologer vaunted that he had counted the Stars and written of them all Hoc ego primus vidi said Zabarel Laurentius Valla boasted Which he therefore called Logicam Laurentinam Scire tuum ulbil est Juven that there was no Logick worthy to be read but his And Nestorius the heretick braged that he alone understood the Scriptures and that till his time all the world was benighted But well saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Open thou mine eyes Psal 119.18 that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see Rev. 3.18 Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments 1 Joh. 2.3 Ignorance Ignorance is threefold 1. Purae negationis 2. Privationis 3. Affectata As for that which is by negation when God in wisdom hath denied to us the knowledge of some things it is no sin to be ignorant of them This ignorance was in Christ which knew no sin He was ignorant of the Day of Judgment But privative ignorance is a sin Quia aliud est nescire aliud est nolle scire nescire ignorantia est scire noluisse superbia est Bern. For us to be deprived by the fall of Adam of that excellent light wherein we were created this is a sin and may justly be required of us But affected ignorance is most fatal and damnable It is hell upon earth that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Some Papists make a vertue of Ignorance she is the mother of Devotion whereas in truth she is the mother of Destruction Ye erre saith our Saviour not knowing the Scriptures And Christ shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God Therefore let us not sooth up our selves in our ignorance but labour to be pluckt out of that pit daily more and more Ignorance may excuse à tanâ—o but not à toto When the Sienois having rebelled against Charls the Fifth Vt mitiùs ardeat Aug. Emperor sent their Ambassador to excuse it He not able to apologize for it any other way thought in a jest to put it off saying Shall not we of Siena be excused seeing we are known to be all Fools But the Agent replied That shall excuse you but upon the condition which is fit for Fools that is to be kept bound and enchained He that committed things worthy of stripes though he knew not his Lords will shall be beaten though with fewer stripes Ignorance is the ground and mother of many sins displeasing to God who complains of it and punisheth it And argues that a man hath no interest in the Covenant of grace Ignorat sanè improbus omnis Arist Nay it is the mother in some sort of all sin For in all sins we commit though we be endowed with singular knowledge our understanding for the time is blinded by Satan and our own corruption Diogenes being asked in mockery How it came to pass that Philosophers were the followers of Rich men and not Rich men of Philosophers answered soberly and sharply too Because the one sort knew what they had need of and the other did not Into the second tabernacle went the High Priest alone Heb. 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the ignorances of the people Wisdom Aristotle in many places of his works distinguisheth between Wisdom and Prudence Wisdom he maketh to be a right apprehending of truths in general Prudence Xenophon de dict fact Socrat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an applying them to particular cases and uses But Socrates said That there was no such difference sith he that knoweth good things to do them and evil things to avoid them is to be held a wise man and none else So that true Wisdom draws all into practice teaching men to prove by their own experience what that good and holy and acceptable will of God is Sapiens est cui res sapiunt prout sunt saith Bernard He is the wise man that savoureth things as they are And herein lieth the whole wisdom of a man saith Laetantius Vt Deum cognoscat colat Lib. 3. c. 30. that he know and worship God aright that with a practical judgment he ponder the word and ways of God in order to salvation But alas Of the most that would be knowing men it may well be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Tully says the Proverb went of
everlasting rest Our Saviour is the Author of salvation not to all that talk of him c. But as a Physician is the cause of health to those patients that will follow his directions so Christ is the Author of salvation unto all those that obey him Let us then examine our obedience Christ wills us to avoid sins that cause his Gospel to be ill spoken of By good works to adorn it to stop the mouths of adversaries c. Do we so doth not drunkennesse covetousnesse pride malice and uncleannesse abound As they said and promised to Joshua so let us to Christ Voluntatem eâ— promptitudinem nihil aliud exigit deuâ— Chrys Hom. ult in Mat. Whatsoever thou commandest us we will do and whithersoever thou sendest uâ— we will go Doth Christ command us to abandon covetousnesse which is idolatry and the root of all evil then let us not be glewed to the world Doth he forbid us drunkenness malice pride c. Let us have no fellowship with those unfruitful morks of darkness but rather reprove them let us forsake father and mother c. and follow him for without obedience there is no salvation 1. And let us obey Fully the young man in the Gospel most proudly vaunted that he had kept all the commandments from his youth let us endeavour that we may say so in truth and sincere heart And as Zachary and Elizabeth let us walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless 2. Cheerfully God loves a cheerful giver I was glad saith the Psalmist when they said let us go up into the house of the Lord. 3. Constantly A runner hath not the prize till he come to the Goal A traveller hath not his money till he come to his journey's end Here we are as children growing higher and higher in knowledge faith love obedience c. Let us hold out to the end running constantly in the way of obedience Triplex obedientâ—â— 1 Voâ—i 2. Coâ—formitatâ—â— 3 Resignationis that we may have eternal salvation Obedience is the Touch-stone of Faith As the tree is known by the fruits so Faith by obedience We shoul do by Christ and his Word as some flowers by the sun open and shut with it Behold 1 Sam. 15.22 to obey is better than sacrifice Action As the life of things stands in goodnesse So the life of goodness in action The chiefest goods are most active the best good a meer act Religion as it is communicative like light so it is active like fire Those who rest either in hearing or contemplation alone put Paralogisms that is tricks and fallacies Sophister-like upon themselves and upon their own soules and will prove egregious fooles in the end Therefore it is most safe to follow Davids example Not onely to prick up our ears but also to put our hands unto Gods commandments My hands will I lift up unto thy Commandments Psal 119 48. which I have loved Civil Justice Delphidio Oratori vehementer quendam accusanti Pet. Manâ— in vit Julian pre argumentorum 〈◊〉 tandem exclamanti Ecquis Florentissime Caesar volens esse paterit usquam 〈◊〉 â—â—gare sufficerit Respondet Julianus Ecquis innocens esse poterit si accusâsse sufficiet Justitia 1. Commutativa 2. Distributiva Sicut justum est ut in delinquentes digna debeat vindista procedere itâ— iniquum est Greg. Epist l. 2â— quibusdam afflictionibus quempiam irrationabilitur subjacere Excellent was the Epistle of Adrian the Emperour to Minutius Fundaâ—â—â— the Proconsul of Asia Eâ—scb l. 2. c. 9. in the behalf of the Christians If your Provincial can prove ought against the Christians whereof they charge them and justifie it before the barre let them proceed on and not appeach them only for the name with making outcries against them For it is very expedient that if any be disposed to accuse the accusation be throughly known of you and sifted Therefore if any accuse the Christians that they transgresse the laws see that you judge and punish according to the quality of the offence But in plain words if any upon spite or malice in way of cavillation complain against them see you chastise him for his malice and punish him with revengement Par tibi culpa fuit Par tibi paena subit Nec culpa est levior nec tibi paena minor Righteousnesse exalteth a Nation Prov. 14.34 but sin is a reproach to any people Alms. The sun that fountain of light and heat who continually sends his light and beams upon the earth the earth net being able to return them to heaven again in Oblique line reflects them to us and the other creatures In like manner we whosoever we are being heated by the sun-shine of the Sun of righteousness being we are not able to reflect them upon him must communicate them to our brethren about us Our Aâ—ms should come up before God as the smoke of the incense from the censer of the Angel or the golden Altar before the Throne Man that came naked out of the womb of the earth was even so rich that all things were his Heaven was his roof or Canopie bespangled with goodly starres of all magnitudes Earth his floore The sea his fish-pond The Sun and Moon his torches and all creatures his vassalls And if he lost the fulness of his Lordship by being a slave to sin yet we have Dominium gratificium Gersonâ— Every son of Abraham is heir of the world Freely we having received freely we ought to give Beneficium qui dedit taceat narret qui accipit haec sâ—ilicet inter duos beneficii lex est alter statim oblivisei debet dati alter accepti nunquam He that doth a good turn must instantly forget it but he that receives it must alway remember Charity best appeares when we can say Quantum ex quantillo Lumen de suo lumine c. Ennius Yet still this rule is to be observed Omni petenti not omnia petenti I will so light another mans candle as I will not put out my own Nè dormiat in the sauris â—uis quod pauperi prodesse potest Cypr. Munus bonum est Eleemosyna omnibus qui faciunt eam coram summo deo Idem Qui pauperi Eleemosynam dat deo suavitatis odorem sacrificat Mr. Fox being asked if he remembred a poor man he used to relieve answered The Christian Primitives were no Possessives they sold their possessions and goods and parted to every man that stood in need Non enim â—ta divites saith Chrysoft none were so rich c. Bis dat qui citò dat I forget Lords and Ladies to remember such Liberality implyeth liberty yet many there are like spunges suck up water a pace but they let not fall a drop though they he full till they be squeezed They part with their Penny as with blood out of their hearts Citius aquam ex punice clavam ex
royal Diadem higher than the Kings of the earth greater than the four famous Monarchies c. And yet these worthies of whom the world is not worthy these precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold these Jewels of Jesus Christ which are his very glory 2 Cor. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forti animo mala fer nec his miser esto dolore Are counted the off-scouring of all things esteemed as earthen Pitchers shamefully slighted and trampled upon with the feet of insolency and cruelty Howbeit as stars though we see them sometimes in a puddle though they reflect there yet have their scituation in Heaven so Gods Saints though in a low condition yet they are fixed in the Region of happinesse The Saints that are in the earth Psal 16.3 The excellent Foundation There is 1. Fundamentum fundatum Eph. 2.20 2. Fundamentum fundans 1 Cor. 3.11 The first is a scriptural foundation the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the other is a personal foundation Christ himself Be sure to adde practice to these Mat. 7.24 Fundamentals are few in number Certa semper sunt in puâ—is Tertul. but many in vertue Small in sight but great in weight Every particle of truth is precious as the filings of gold neither may we alter or exchange a letter or syllable in Fundamentals Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Rome Rome hath left her seaven mountains to plant her self in Campo Martio Lips de Mag. Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 11. who lyes as it were entombed in her own ruines Lipsius cannot so much as trace the ancient tract of heâ— walls So in respect of her state Ecclesiastical that which was the garden of Eden is now over-grown with weeds and the Daughter of Zion is now become the Whore of Babylon Rome of Christs Spouse is become the strumpet of Sathan of the school of Simon Peter whose being there is yet questionable the school of Simon Magus of the Temple of the Holy Ghost a cage of impure spirits She calls her self Queen but Hierom the purple Whore Once the Church of Rome wrote her lawes in milk but now she writes them in Sunday letters Prayers and teares were once her weapons but now fire and sword And if in shew of peace she turn heâ— destructive instruments into mattocks it is but to play the Pioner and make way for death Roma radix omnium malorum It is the City that is mounted on seven hills and cannot be hid but is apparently discerned and described to be the great City Babylon the seat of Antichrist The sweetest wine turns into the sowrest vineger the whitest ivory burnt into the blackest coale So about the year 1414. Theodoricus Vrias in Germany Iohn Manâ— loâ— com 226. an Augustine Fryar complained not without cause Ecclesiam Romanam ex aureâ factam argenteam ex argenteâ ferream ex ferreâ terream superesse ut in stercus abiret Yea Diput de Rep. l. 1. c. â—â— Matchiavel observed that there was no where lesse piety than in those that dwelt neerest Rome If Franciscus de sanctâ clara and his faâ—tors were the wisest men under heaven and should live to the worlds end they would be brought to their wits end before they could accomplish this works end to make a reconciliation betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt Rome and us for what concord hath Christ with Belial They can never fall in or make musick in one Quire For grosse Idolatry or for fundamental errours onely must we seperate Corruption grew so great in the Church of Rome that it justly occasioned first the Seperation of the Greek Churches from the Latine and then of the Reformed Churches from the Roman And Bellarmine bewails it that ever since we cryed up the Pope for Antichrist his Kingdom hath not onely not increased but hath greatly decreased Dent. on Apoc. 9.11 Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust Esto procul Romà qui cupis esse pius Roma vale vidi satis est vidisse c. Rome hath fallen culpably and shall fall penally Sibylla long since foretold this Tota eris in Cineres quasinunquam Romà faisses in the eight book of her Oracles The ruine of Rome must be like the ruine of Jericho which can never be re-edefied There was something surely in that which we have read that when the warres began in Germany Anno 1619. A great brass image of the Apostle Peter that had Tu es petrus c. fairly embossed upon it standing in St Peters Church in Rome there was a great and massie stone fell down upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claim was left whole so as to be read saving that one peece of the sentence Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was lest fair and entire True it is no easy thing to overturn the Kingdom of Antichrist which like an huge tree hath taken deep root in the earth for many ages and men need not marvel that it is so long a cutting down Especially if we consider that the Lord will still have his Church in combate here in this world to shake it from security Again the Lord for the sins of the Church and want of care of through Reformation in those to whom the Lord hath detected their abominations stayeth the good speed of this glorious deliverance Besides the Lord will have the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdom wrought by leisure that so man may make due regard and consider of so great a work Yet let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly beleeve if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it Yea let us cast our eyes on Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word Whereby we may strengthen our saith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detecting his fraudes and impostures with which for many ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications which in former ages seemed to shake the Kingdomes of the earth esteemed but as wind Moreover how have all the reformed Churches shaken off with detestation his Antichristian yoke and usurped power over the Scripture Church mens Consciences c. And how have many Princes already disclaimed and despised his clawes over them Keeping from him those summes which were wont to warm his holinesse kitchin c. I might also adde how weak all their endeavours and meanes are to prevent finall â—uine viz. Sophistry Knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances warres treasons murders Massacres Powder-plots
and are instrumental to Christ in that great work like as the Apothecary is to the skilful Physician in curing his patient of a deadly disease They that made Angels or Saints Saviours as Papists do Lib. adve s haeres do as Iraeneus saith abscindere devidere Jesum à Christo Christum à salvatore salvatorem à verbo verbum ab unigenito Vnto us is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Him hath God exalted with his right hand Luke 2.11 Acts 5.31 to be a Prinâ—e and a Saviour for to give Repentance and forgivenesse of sins To the onely wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen Apostles The chief office to which the Apostles were designed by Christ Apostolatus eraâ— functio quae post fundatus semel Ecclesias succâ—ssionem non admisit sed cum ipsis Apoâ—tolis desâ—it Down was to bear witness of him that they might be enabled to the faithful discharge of it he promised he would and accordingly did after his ascension cause them to receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon them If we look upon them with a carnal eye their condition was mean and low there was nothing in them that might render them worthy of so high a Prerogative they were poor rude illiterate despised fisher-men In this respect it is the Apostle saith We have this treasure not in golden or silver but in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 Yet they were to be the first Publishers of the Doctrine concerning Christ come in the flesh yea they were not onely to be the first declarers but in some kind or other sufferers for the truth of that which they did declare And therefore had need to be furnished as aforesaid They were men of holy and exemplary lives Phil. 2.15 men that did shine as lights in the world by their good conversation men whom those grand Apostates and enemies of Christianity could charge with nothing but simplicity It is said that Andrew water'd Achaia James the elder Spain the younger Hierusalem Thomas India Philip Syria Bartholomew Armenia Matthew Aethiopia Simon Mesopotamia Thaddeus Aegypt Matthias Judea John the Evangelist Asia And Peter Pontus Galatia Cappadocia c. Or if you will have what other histories record Thomas preached to the Parthians Medes Persians Germans Simon Zelotes in Mauritania Affrica Brittannia Judas called Thaddaeus in Mesopotamia Mark in Aegypt Bartholomew to the Indians And Andrew to the Scythians Thus their sound went into all the earth Rom. 10.18 and their words unto the ends of the world Paul is pictured with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other Durandus to shew what he was before and after conversion Let Ministers of the Gospel remember it is their duty as well as it was the Apostles to bear witnesse to Christ and therefore be true and faithful asserting only the truth of the Gospel And let people receive with faith what is by them attested with truth that as there is fidelitas in teste so there may be fides in auditore these faithful witnesses may find beleeving eares These men are the servants of the most high God Acts 16.17 which shew unto us the way of salvation Presbyter Talem verè esse decuerat Ioseph Mat. tormentis fortior torquentibus durabilior securior quoque imperantibus ipso etiam pro crematus est igne violentior In laudem Eleezari sub Antiocho Martyris Hodie quidem gravitur advigilatur nequis Presbyter ordinetur qui corporis aliqua parte sit mutilus nè de honestetur Ecclesia Erasm in vit Origen Vtinam pari studio advigiletur ne quis ad hec honoris recipiatur nisi cui mens sit integra mentem turpitur mutilam habet cui deest S. literarum cognitio turpius qui nullo pietatis amore ducitur paulo post totus inclinatur in mundum à Christo praetâ—r titulum alienus The Athenians had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a solemne examination of the Magistrates whether fit to govern or no and of Orators whether of good practice and report otherwise they were dispriviledged and not suffered to speak or plead publikely In Ordination of Presbyters all possible care and caution is to be used Lay hands suddenly on no man 1 Tim. 5 2â— Minister of the Word Wilt thou leap into Moses chaire or rather into Christs Chaire and hast not gifts in some comparable measure to teach the people out of it Certainly one day it will be said to all saucy and insufficient Ministers Friends how came you hither Who made you the dressers of my vineyard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that have no skill to dresse it who made you dividers of my word that mangle it and cannot cut aright who made you builders of my house that know not how to square a stone or frame a piece of timber for my house Dancers have their Schoole saith Nazianzen fidlers and Musicianers are trained up to it and is the Ministry such a light thing that whosoever will as it was in Jeroboams time may be a Minister It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The greatest Doctors in Divinity must be Scholars all the dayes of their life and who is sufficient for these things A Minister must look to three things viz. 1. Qualification for the work 2. Mission or call to the work 3. Execution and discharge of the work To unsent Preachers we may use the Spanish Proverbs Observe what hast that man makes to leave his wits behind him Such bablers do no more good than they Act. 19.13 The Apostle holds it for impossible that any should preach that are not sent let such look to it as run before they are sent presse into pulpits without a Call thereunto Let them remember Nadab and Abihu with their strange fire Core and his complices with their dismal usurpations and Vzzah and Vzziah with their exemplary punishments If they do not they shall smoke and smart for it In Physicis aâ—r non facit seipsum ignem Aquin. sed fit à superiori No man might come uncalled to the King of Persia upon pain of death What then shall become of such as come without a Call to the King of heaven Christ would not let the Devil preach him Quia extra vocationem because as one well noteth he had no calling to such an office A Minister ought to wear out himself in the Lords work both to spend and be spent for the good of souls Some have conceived by that text Joh. 8.57 that Christ had so spent himself in winning souls and weeping over the hardnesse of mens hearts that he seemed to the Jews to be much elder than he was Corruptio optimi pessima Wo to those Ministers that with Elies sons cover black sins under a white Ephod Such are fit for no place but Hell as unsavoury salt is fit for no place
the two Altars in Solomons Temple in the outer Court whereof beasts were sacrificed in the inner Court an Altar of Incense The first representing mortification or slaying of our beastly appetites The second the offering up our prayers Without our spirits be mortified we neither can love to pray nor God love to hear us It was Bishop Hoopers speech before a Christian can be brought to perfection Sic mihi res eadem vulnus opemque feret Ovid. he must first be brought to nothing Unmortified men and women are no creatures fit for God Origen through a grosse mistake made himself an Eunuch Demosthenes put out his own eyes Crates cast his money into the Sea And Thracius cut down his own vines Peccata sepae raduntur sed non eradicantur Sin hath a strong heart and is not easily brought down It is the hardest task in all Christianity yet must be none or we are undone Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication c. Colos 3.5 Solitude A solitary condition is a sad condition a sorrowful condition Indeed there is a solitarinesse which is the sweetest part of our lives when we retire awhile from the world from the throng of men and businesse that we may be more intimate with Christ and take our fill in communion with him This is to go alone that we may meet with God in heaven upon earth But to be so left alone that we cannot meet with men is one of the greatest afflictions upon the earth Such solitary times are sad times There is an elective alonenesse or retirednesse at sometimes very useful for contemplation and prayer and thus we are never lesse alone than when we are alone for then God is more specially with us and we with him It is said Gen. 32.24 Jacob was left alone that is he stayed alone purposely that he might have freer communion with God in that recesse and retirement from the creature So the Church gets her into the clefts of the roks Cant. 2.14 Sed quid prodest solitudo corporis si non sit solitudo cerdis Greg. Isaac into the fields Daniel to the rivers side Christ into the Mount Peter up to the leads or house top that they might pour out their prayers and solace themselves with God in secret Thus it is good for man to be alone from the company of man that he may enjoy more fully the presence of God It 's a desirable solitarinesse to talk with God and with our selves Yet solitarinesse is to be well and carefully managed for Satan is readiest to assault when none is by to assist Neither is there a greater tye to constancy than the society of the Saints This the Heathen Persecutors perceived and therefore banished and confined the confessors to Isles and Mines where they could not come together for mutual edification Communion of Saints is to be accounted a point of practice as well as an Article of belief All solitarinesse therefore is not to be affected because it is the hour of temptation I watch Psal 102.7 and am as a Sparrow alone upon the house top Society God is for society he is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints Psal 89.7 Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two Mark 6.7 He himself came from heaven to converse with us therefore we may not like Stoicks stye up our selves A mild affablenesse and amicable conversation is to be preferred before a stern froward austerity or wild retirednesse Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher a sociable creature or Natures good-fellow Aâ—ist Polit. 1. He that loves to be alone is either a beast or a God Yea one subordinate end of mans creation is that man might live with man in holy society and communion Let two cold flints be smitten together and fire will come forth so let two dul Christians conferre and communicate their soul-secrets and they shall find the benefit of it We see saith a late writer that God will have the sweetest works in nature to be performed with natural help Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades Saith God to Job Chap. 38.21 These Pleiades be the seven starres that have all one name because they all help one another in their work which is to bring on the spring and like seven sisters so are they joined together in one constellation and in one company Now the best time of the year the sweetest warmth cometh with those Pleiades And the best time of our life cometh when we keep together in true love and fellowship Optimum solatium sodalitium There is great comfort in good company Quid sit vera amicitia nondum novit qui vult alium esse mercedem quam ipsam saith Austin Lib de Amicitia What true friendship is he doth not as yet know who desireth any other reward than it self No sooner had the Philippians received the Gospel but they were in fellowship to a day Cap. 1.5 Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur exse As sincerity is the life of Religion so is society the life of sincerity Besides Vis unita fortior Jonathan will not go without his Armer-bearer Christ when to begin his passion in the garden took Peter James and John with him for the benifit of their prayers and company though they served him but sorrily Christs Dove is but one Jerusalem is a City compact together The Church is terrible as an Army with banners the gates of hell cannot prevail against her Unity hath victory but division breeds dissolution Quanto plures boni in amicitia constituti sunt tanto status corum melioratur The more they are that unite so they be good the better it is with them We lose much of our strength in the losse of friends our Cable is as it were untwisted Hence David so much bemoans the losse of Jonathan and Paul counts it a special mercy to him that Epaphroditus recovered 2 Sam. 1. Phil. 1.27 I conclude then It s not so much perfection to live immur'd in a cell as to converse with the world and yet live abstracted from it and dead to it for so did Christ Two are better than one Eccl. 4.9 Way Domine sequemur te per te ad te te quia veritas per te quia via ad te quia vita saith Bernard Christ hath paved us a new and living way to God with his own meritorious blood Heb. 10.20 And his flesh stands as a skreen betwixt us and those everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 There are the wayes of Gods 1. Counsel and Decrees past finding out Rom. 11.33 2. Providence and outward administration Psal 145.17 Psal 77.19 3. Commandments or rules of life of two sorts Ways of 1. Worship 1. Practice Furthermore the way of a man in his walking with God is twofold 1. Internal there is a secret path which the soul treads in converse with God which no eye
There are some who have attained the last degree or step of old age who have not attained the first degree of wisdome And this is sad upon a double account 1 Because it is the duty of old men to shew forth wisdome 2. They have had a great opportunity to gather wisdome a price hath been in their hands though possibly they have not had hearts to make use of it How much time every one bath had such a talent he hath had and he shall be reckoned with answerably Time is not an empty duration God hath filled time with helps to eternity Turpis et ridiculus esi 〈◊〉 clementacius and with meanes to know him the onely true God which is life eternall An old man ignorant is more childish than a child It is bad enough when children and young men are ignorant but to see old men ignorant of the things of God with what teares should we lament it Old men are to be reverenced 1. Propter ipsam atatem Levit. 19.32 2. Propter prudentiam Job 12.12 3. Propter Experientiam 4. Propter Pietatem Pro. 16.31 Canities tunc venerabilis est quando ea gerit quae canitiem decent c. Cgrysost Else it is mucor potius qâ—à m canities As Manna the longer it was kept against the command of God the more it stanke Sâ—epe nigium cor est capâ—t album Mult a 〈…〉 câ—mveniunt in commoda Horat. The white rose is soonest cankered so is the white head soonest corrupted Satan got great advantage against old Solomon Asa Lot and others whom when young he could never so deceive The Heathens can warn us to look well to our old age as that which cometh not alone but is infected with many diseases both of body and mind To live long and dye in a full age is a blessing yet it is infinitely better to be full of grace than to be full of dayes but to be full dayes and full of grace too a venerable spectacle To be full of years and full of faith full of the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Christ this is comely and beautifull beyond all the beauty and comelinesse of youth Such may be truly said to have filled their dayes for those dayes are filled indeed which are full of Goodnesse Semper aliqrid novi ad poâ—taâ— Solet senâ—ctusesse deformis infirma obliviosa edulenta lucrosa indocilis et molesta saith Cato in Plutarch As Africa is never without some Monster so never is old age without some ailement Old age and misery are never seperated Therefore let no man be so besotted as to make that â—he talke of his old age which should be the trade of his whole life I have been young Psal 37.25 and now am old The evil dayes the years when it will be said I have no pleasure in them Eccl. 12.1 Cast me not off in the time of old age forsake me not when my strength faileth Psal 71.9 The World Mundus THE great body of the world Heil Geog. l. 1.31 like the body of man though it have many parts and members is but one body onely A body of so exact a forme and of so compleat a Symmetry in respect of the particular parts and all those parts so beautified and adorned by the God of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab ornatu mundus à munditie that from the Elegancy and beauties of it it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Grecians and Mundus by the Latines both names declaring the composure of it to be full of ornament and all those ornaments conducting mankind of the knowledge of God There is 1. Mundus mundanus Act. 17.24 2. Mundus immundus 1 John 5.19 3. Mundus mundatus 2 Cor. 5.19 There are two sorts of men in the world 1. Of the world Psal 17.14 2. Not of the world John 17.16 The former are opposed to the Citizens of the new Jerusalem Terrigena fratres animam hà bentes triticeam such as have incarnated their souls are of the earth speak of the earth and mind earthly things as if they were born for no other purpose The latter indeed have their commoration on earth but their conversation is in heaven Pearls though they grow in the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they have affinity with the heaven the beauty and brightnesse whereof they resemble That which the soul is in the body that are Christians in the world Chrysost for as the soul is in but not of the body so Christians are in but not of the world Two things occasion fashion in this world 1. Multitude 2. Greatnesse For as Cyprian said Insipit esse licitum quod solet esse publiâ—um Quod est consueâ—um praesumitur esse justum custome is not only another nurture but another nature What is done of many speak the Lawyers is at length thought lawful for any It is an Axiom in the Bible that amity with the world is enmity with God He that is a Parasite to men is not the servant of Christ it is an unhappy thing to converse in the tents of Kedar As in a Chess-play so long as the game is in playing all men stand in their order and are respected according to the place First the King then the Queen then the Bishops c. But when once the game is ended they are all confusedly tumbled into a bagge and perhaps the King is lowest Even so it is with us in this life the world is a Stage or Theatre Vâ—iversus mundus exercet Histriouem whereon some play the part of sicut supra but when our Lord shall come with his Angels to judge the world all are alike great men and mean persons in the same sin shall be bound together and cast as a fagot into hell Let us not then conform our selves according to the greatest for Ego Rex meus is no good plea when God shall reckon with us at the last dreadful day The world is both 1. Transitory and 2. Unsatisfactory The fashion of this world passeth away One of the Kings of Egypt minding one day to ride in pomp caused his Chariot to be drawn with four captive Kings the hindermost of which looking back nodded his head at one of the wheeles which the King observing asked him his reason he answered it did resemble the changable fortune and affaires of the world which the King seriously considering set them at liberty and restored them In mundo nihil constat in orbem vertitur orbis Quidmirum recti quod sit in orbe nihil Yea the ruine of the goodliest pieces in the world Arist Polit. foreshews the destruction of the whole How ill beseeming and unworthy a thing is it then for a Christian to set his heart on the things of this world Omnia praetereunt praeter amare Deum considering that they are vain and transitory rather shews and shadows of things than
of Christendome with their continual intelligence is thought to advise most of that mischief which the Turks put in execution against us I omit what Authors report of them concerning the judgement of God upon their bodies that they are to this day a nasty people much addicted to the leprosie Hence that fable in Tacitus that the Israelites were driven out of Egypt Symmâ Dâ—i bonitate id factum est nè populos ad lepram proclives animal leprosissimum magis ac magis infestaret Theat Nat. p. 354. for that lothsome disease Mind Bodinus his observation He observes it for a special providence of God that in Arabia which bordereth upon Judea there are no swine to be found lest that most leprous creature saith he should more and more infest and infect that people who are naturally subject to the leprosie And therefore some have thought they were forbidden to eat Swines-flesh and Hares-flesh because in diseased bodies it easily turnes to ill humours They are so despicable a people for their unexpiable guilt in crucifying Christ that they are therefore banished as it were out of the world by a common consent of Nations Yea the very Turks themselves so hate them Iudaus sim si fallo that they use to say in detestation of a thing I wish I might die a Jew if so and so But chiefly Gods judgement for their unbelief is upon their mindes as may be read at large Rom. 11. Whence we may observe Note that God in his just judgment gives over such as are enemies to the Gospel to the Devil to be blinded that they cannot convert This is a fearful estate But yet for all this before the end of the world they shall be called That Nation lies under many promises Therefore it is our duty not to despise them nor despaire of their conversion but to pray for them as they did for us when we had no breasts Cant. 8.8 The natural Branches Rom. 11.21 Gentiles Great was the knowledge of the Heathen sages witness the seven wise men of Greece Archimedes of Syracuse who had a name and fame saith Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of humane but of a kinde of divine wisdome So had Socrates so had Apollonius of whom Philostratus saith Non doctus sed natus sapiens that he was not taught but born a wise man These all were the worlds wizards but what came they to Lactantius truly telleth us in the name of the whole community of Christians That all the wisdome of a man consisteth in this Instit l. 3. c. 30. to know God and worship him aright But this they never attained unto The Tyrians had an hand in building the Temple the molten sea stood upon twelve oxen which looked towards East West North and South The new Jerusalem hath twelve gates A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To shew that there is every way accesse for all sorts to Christ who is also fitly called the second Adam the Greek letters of which name as Cyprian observeth do severally signifie all the quarters of the earth He was born in an Inne to shew that he receives all commers His garments were divided into four parts to shew that out of what part of the world soever we come Christ is willing to entertain us Jether an Ishmaelite may become an Israelite and Araunah the Jebusite may be made an exemplary Profelyte The Gentiles saith one were converted by vertue of this prayer Gen. 9.27 as Paul was by Stephens But this text Mal. 1.11 the perverse Jews could never abide to hear of nor can they to this day And therefore it is that they have in their expositions basely depraved it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and corrupted the true sense of it Calling us still Goi Mamzer bastard Gentiles Let us pity and pray for them as Isa 25.7 8. And let us praise God who hath made us Gentiles meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 And take heed we sin not away our light causing God to take his Kingdom from us and give it to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof God shall perswade Japhet Gen. 9.27 and shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Countrey A mans native countrey is pleasant and sweet to all Nos patriae fines dulcia linquimus arva Nos patriae sines Nescio quâ natale solum dulcedine cunctos ducit immemores non sinit esse sui Vlysses was very desirous to see the smoke of his countrey Shall I leave my countery that hath been as a mother to bring me into the world and to nourish me in it A man in conscience by the law of Nature is bound to his own countrey But this world is not our countrey Socrates is highly commended for his answer Omne solum sorti patria est being demanded what countrey man he was he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mundanus the world is my countrey all countreys are alike to me Yet in truth we have no countrey in the world Heaven properly to speak is our countrey and we must seek it Desire a better countrey Heb. 11.16 that is an heavenly Signes Signum est quod seipsum seu sui praeter se aliquid animo repraesentat There are signs 1. Of Gods wrath such are prodigious events 2. Of his power such are Miracles 3. Of his grace such are Sacraments For irreverent using of good means Vzziah was smitten with leprosie Fifty thousand Bethshemites for looking irreverently into the Ark which was a sign of mercy These signes of mercy proved means of misery Signa sunt triplicia 1. Memorativa quae praeteritum aliquid in memoriam reducunt Hujusmodi voluit Deus esse Irieum 2. Demonstrativa quae praesentia monstrant Vt fumus ignem 3. Prognostica quae futura praenunciant ut varius solis color dum occidit Juxta illud Poetae Caeruleas pluvias denunciat igneus Eurus As God hath given us signes and foretokens of a tempest so hath he also of an ensuing judgement and blames those that take not notice thereof sending them to school to the Stork and Swallow Jerem. 8.7 If Elias see but a cloud as an hand arising from Carmel he can tell that great store of rain will follow that the whole heaven will anon be covered Many prodigies there were before the last desolation of Jerusalem A terrible tempest at Rome the same year that Luther began to stir Blood raining at Brixia in Italie in the year 874. for three dayes and three nights c. Gods signes have a voice and words speaking both to our eyes and ears A prudent man foreseeth the evil not by divination or star-gazing but by a judicious collection and connection of causes and consequents As if God be the same that ever as holy just powerful c. If sinne be
that he might the sooner be out of his pain but he half in choler replied that he would not lose the least step of his gate for all the whipping in Paris That which in Christians deserves greatest commendations is an unmoved patience in suffering adversities accompanied with a setled resolution of over-coming themâ— Bishop Hooper seeing a Pardon lying by him to be given him if he would recant Act. Mon. cried to them that stood by If you love my soul away with it His answer to Master Kingston advisinghim to save his life by recanting is worth noting Life indeed is sweet and death bitter But alas consider that the death to come is more bitter and the life to come more sweet Therefore for the desire and love I have to the one and the fear and terror I have of the other I do not so much regard this death nor esteeme this life but have setled my self through the strength of Gods Spirit patienly to passe through the torments and extremities of the fire now prepared for me rather than to deny Gods Word and Truth 'T was resolutely spoken of Bishop Ridley to Latimer at the stake Be of good comfort brother for God will either asswage the fury of the fire or else strengthen us to abide it Newes being brought to John Philpot of his burning the next day he answered undauntedly I am ready God grant me strength a joyful resurrection I might adde abundantly Who puts to Sea for a long Voyage and at a great charge must resolve to hold on his course against all winds and weather or accidents that may offer to stop him So we in Christianity must wrestle with all difficulties rather than quit the enterprise Being once embarqued on we must with a Caesarean confidence and a Spartan resolution to go on with the sword or fall on the sword I am ready not to be bound only Acts 21.13 but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Vox verè Christianorum Martyrdom We must expect persecutions here for how should God wipe away tears from our eyes in heaven if on earth we shed no tears How can Heaven be a place of rest if on earth we find it How could we desire to be at home if in our journey we did find no grief How could we so often call upon God and talk with him if our enemy did sleep all the day long How could we elsewhere be made like unto Christ in joy if in sorrow we sob'd not with him If we will have joy and felicity we must needs feel sorrow and misery If we will go to heaven we must sail by hell If we will embrace Christ in his robes we must not think scorn of him in his rags If we will siâ— at table with Christ in his Kingdom we must first abide with him in his temptations If we drink of his cup of glory forsake not his cup of ignominy Can the head-corner-stone be rejected and the other more base stones in Gods building be in this world set by We are of his living stones be content then to be hewen thereby to be fitted to be joyned to your fellows that suffer We are Gods corn fear not therefore the flail the fan miln-stone nor Oven We are all Christs lambs look to be fleeced and slain Ignatius qui Apostolorum temporibus proximus fuit Quid hoc mali est cujus reus gaudet cujus accusatio votum est cujus poena feli citas Tertul. cum ex Syriâ usque Romam ad bestias duceretur inter alia scribebat O salutares bestiae quae preparantur mihi quando venient quando emittentur quando eis frui licebit carnibus meis De eodem scribit Irenaeus Frumentum Christi sum dentius bestiaerum molor ut mundus Dei panis inveniar King Henry the fourth deposer of King Richard the second was the first of all English Kings that began the unmerciful burning of Christs Saints for standing against the Pope And William Sawtree was the first of all them in Wickliff's time that was burned he suffered Anno Dom. 1400. saith Fox Bishop Hooper in a Letter to Mistris Warcope Dear sister take heed you shall in your journey towards heaven meet with many a monstrous beast Paul fought with some at Ephesus If there be any way saith Bradford to heaven on horse-back 't is Persecution Should we look for fire to quench our thirst Even as soon shall Christs true servants find peace in Antichrists regiment It was likewise his saying At God sent for Elijah in a fiery chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my dross must be purified that I may be fine gold in his sight Queen Anne wife to King Henry the 8. led to the Tower to be beheaded said The King was constant in his course of advancing her For from a Private Gentlewoman to a Marchioness then to a Queen and when he could no higher then to a Martyr Cansa non poena Martyrem facit ait Cyprian Nam ut dixit Gregor Cum Christo crucem periturus latro suscepit sed quum reatus proprius tenuit pro crucifixo non absolvit Aug. Diverso fine fato Bucholc It is one thing to suffer as a Martyr and another thing to suffer as a Malefactor Ibi erat Christus ubi latrones Similis poena dissimilis causa Sampson died with the Philistins by the fall of the same house but for another end and by a different destiny Martyrdom is the lowest subjection that can be to God but the highest honour It brings death in the one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul When one said to a certain Martyr Take heed 't is a hard matter to burn Indeed said he it is for him that hath his soul linked to his body as a Thiefs foot is in a pair of fetters And they loved not their lives unto the death Revel 12.11 Spiritual Warfare Our life is compared to a warfare The chief Captain General on the one side is the Mighty Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Prince of Peace the Conqueror of death hell and sin The grand Captain on our enemies part is the great red Dragon the old crafty Serpent the Governor of Darkness The Lieutenants of the fields are Fleshly Sensuality against Spiritual Reason The Serjeants of the Band are the cursed children of Darkness against the faithful children of Light The common souldiers are the Law of our Members warring against the Law of our Mind the effects of the Flesh against the fruits of the Spirit Sathans souldiers handle such like arms as these The Breast-plate of Injury the Girdle of Falshood the Shoos of Discord the Shield of Insidelity the Helmet of Mistrust the piercing Darts of Cruelty the Canon-shot of spightful Reproachâ—s the Arrows of lying Slanders the Sword of the Flesh c. On the contrary Scripture shews us the
stupendious and admirable and is remembred by many ancient writers Yea the seven wonders of the world were wonderfull being made meerly for a name But well did Agathocles who caused his statue to be composed on this manner Caput de auro innuendo regis dignitatem brachia de ebore Plutarch intimando ejus venustatem Caetera linimenta de aere denotando strenuitatem Pedes verò de terra indicando ejus fragilitatem shewing man hath no firmer foundation than mutability here to ground upon Only heaven is a City which hath foundations whose Maker and builder is God Hebr. 11.10 Beautiful for scituation was Jerusalem in the midst of Judea and Judea in the midst of the earth Sananturilli qui illic infirmi conveniunt the very center and navel of the habitable world say the Fathers Moreover in a cold dry and clear air insomuch as they who come thither weak are made well saith Kimchi Called not only the joy of the whole land because thither the Tribes went up three times a year nor only of the East whereof Jerusalem was held and call'd the Queen Vrbium totius Orientis clarissima but also of the whole earth Psal 48.2 Lumen totius orbis as one calleth it But what is this to the heavenly Jerusalem whose pavement is pure gold and her walls garnished with all precious stones Some define the perpendicular altitude of the highest mountains to be four miles others fifteen furlongs Not far from Geneva is the mountain Jura whose top is much above the clouds The Church also is resembled to a mountain Propter 1. Altitudinem 2. Securitatem 3. Ascendendi difficultatem 4. Immobilitatem Mons à movendo by Antiphrasis quia minime movet The Church is as mount Zion that standeth fast for ever and cannot be removed What then is the excellency of the Church triumphant When Saint Peter was on mount Tabor where he saw but a glimmering of the joyes of heaven he was so ravished with it that he cried out Master it is good for us to be here let us here make our Tabernacles When the Emperor Severus souldiers were for greater pomp in a triumph to put on Crowns of Bayes one Christian souldier wore his on his arme refusing to put it on his head and being demanded the reason answered Non decet Christianum in hac vita coronari Upon this occasion Tertullian wrote his book De corona militis Eternal life is called a Crown for its 1. Perpetuity for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. Plenty as the Crown compasseth on every side so there is nothing wanting in this life 3. Dignity eternal life is a Coronation-day What a rise is here for dust and ashes to be raised to the glory of heaven As the Disciples said did not our hearts burn Do not your hearts leap to think of a Crown Si tanta If the soul saith Austin be content to suffer so much to enjoy things that are made to perish how much more should we be content to suffer for that that cannot perish If men will suffer so much for the flesh what should we suffer for the immortality of the soul for the gaining of heaven for the Crown That was the Motto of the Emperor when he had one Crown upon the sword and the other Crown was on his head Tertiam in Caelis The Sain's may have the Crown of tribulation here but the other Crown the Crown of life that is for another world Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried Jam. 1.12 he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Wicked ones may have many times some flashings of joy but when in the height of it they are then big-bellied and ready to travel of some sorrow contrariwise Christs servants have many griefs and qualmes come over their heart but it is then with them as with women near their time of bringing forth they are in travel with some joy And yet our joy will never be full till we come to enjoy the beatifical vision Our joy here is only in hope and expectation nor can it be full till we come to the fruition of what we expect Hence it is that all we have here is but a tast then we shall drink deep of the river of pleasure Now we have only the first-fruits hereafter our joy shall be as the joy of harvest Now the joy of the Lord enters into us but then it is we shall enter into the joy of the Lord and be as it were swallowed up in the boundlesse ocean of that joy The place of Celestial glory in space is most ample in matter most sumptuous in shew most glorious whose foundations are precious stones and the whole City of most pure gold the gates of Smaragds and Saphires the streets of no lesse price and beauty There is no darknesse for the Sun of righteousnesse which knows not to be hid doth ever send his beams into it Now if the fabrick of the earth which it but a stable for beasts an exile and valley of tears hath so much beauty that it strikes him that contemplates it into admiration and astonishment if the Sun the Moon and Starres shine with such brightnesse what shall then our heavenly Country do not the habitation of servants but of sons not of beasts but of blessed souls How amiable are thy dwellings O Lord of hosts There is nothing present that offends nothing absent that delights Quicquid amabitur aderit nihil desiderabitur quod aberlt Bern. In which place or Quier sit Angels Archangels Principalities powers Dominions Vertues Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims whereof there is such a multitude that Daniel saith Thousand thousands serve him ten hundred thousand assist him Where are all the Patriarch Prophets Apostles Martyrs Virgins Innocents so many that John said they could not be numbred Prefer not then the pleasures of this life which are momentany before eternal Bern. What delights us in this world is transitory but the sorrow that shall ensue upon it is to all eternity The mark at which the Saints should shoot is to be configured to Christs transfiguration Tum Deus implebit animam rationalem lute sapientiae concupiscibilem justitiae irascibilem perfectâ tranquilitate Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2.9 the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Gehenna That there is an Hell is not only clear from testimony of Scripture Deut. 32. Psal 9.18 Psal 11.6 Matth. 23.33 2 Pet. 2.3 4. Jude 6. Facilis descensus Averni c. Virgil. Aeneid l. 6. But also of very Heathens themselves who though they could not tell distinctly as never being acquainted with the Word yet by the glimmering light of Nature they had some fancies and apprehensions of this place of the damned Hence they had one called Pluto the chief person in hell
flesh yet without sin to take away sin Heb. 2.17 18. Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco In all things it behoved him to be mâde like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people who being tempted might be able to succour them that are tempted Now to participate of the nature of Mankind by propagation he was as was requisite born of a Woman an unspotted Maid whose womb was the seminary of our happiness according to the prediction Gen. 3. The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head And not to participate of Mans sin but to be Holiness to the Lord Armin. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost Quo nativitas saith one qua erat supra naturam sed pro naturâ mirabili excellentiâ naturam superans eandem virtute mysterii repararet Whereby the Birth which was above the sphere of Natures activity yet for nature surmounting Nature through the excellence of a miracle might repair the same by the unparallel'd virtue of an admired Mystery Thus the Word was made flesh by whose powerful word Flesh and all things visible and invisible in Heaven and Earth were made To him the Father of Heaven gave the order of Priesthood determining to have no other consideration or price for the ransom of transgressors but his flesh His righteous soul poured out for them should save theirs This was the reason why the Angel named him by command from Heaven JESVS At which reverend and holy Name carrying in it an intimation of our Redemption we the redeemed of the Lord in remembrance of the benefit purchased for as by him 1 Cor. 6.20 with a religious lowliness ought to bow to him the soul the body for the Lord Jesus hath bought both So that I may justifie with a forein Doctor Quòd faelix videri culpa possit quae talem meruit habere Redemptorem That sin may seem somwhat happy that stood in need of and obtained so prevalent so worthy a Redeemer To make good what hitherto hath been said of the Lords Messias I must pitch my thoughts upon two points 1. Upon the manner of ordering Christ Jesus our High-Priest 2. Upon his efficacious execution of this office He was ordered our High-Priest by covenant by oath The first was usual in the ordination of the Levitical Priests Cap. 2.5 My covenant saith the Lord by the Prophet Malachy was with Levi of life and peace This other is peculiar to the Priesthood of the Son of God after the similitude of Melchisedeck's For those Priestwere made without swearing of an oath but this by an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck In the covenant on Gods side with Christ Jesus our High-Priest there are two things The demand of an act to be performed and the promise of a liberal remuneration The thing demanded of him was the laying down of life for the life of the world a voluntary submission to the death of the Cross to free us from the cross of the second death The thing promised upon performance was He should see his seed Isa 53.10 he should prolong his dayes the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand He should remain a Priest time out of mind and that according to the order of Melchisedeck that is by the punctual exercise whereof he should be advanced to the Regal dignity The covenant again on our Saviours side with God consisted also in other two things answerable to the former A free promise of yieldance to the demand of his Father and the acceptation of the promised reward See his reply Heb. 10.9 Lo I come to do thy will O God Which done being the shedding of his blood for the remission of sins to the lowest step of humiliation and exact obedience God did highly exalt him unto glory to be King of righteousness and Prince of peace Mutus fit oportet qui non laudarit Herculem giving him a name which is above every name that at the name of JESVS every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth c. Such was his heroick spirit anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows that He endured the cross and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him Of this joy we with others that believe in him shall one day have an exuberant fruition For to this very end such an High-Priest became us To this Covenant of grace and peace God addeth an Oath which hath its use in this blessed Contract It tends 1. To the ratification of this Priesthood to make it sure 2. To the demonstration of the immutability and dignity of it For the first Albeit no word of God coming from his mouth can be taxt of the least inconstancy yet is he pleased to imitate men in their manner of contracting in matters of moment 1. To raise up our weak hopes to a sublime pitch of assurance in him 2. That our High-Priest trusting to a double Anchor that cannot be removed the one of Promise the other of an Oath might with an undaunted confidence sleight the reproach and undergo the pain that was to befall him For the second Gods oath exempts both this Priesthood and the second Covenant from all immutability containing in it a peremptory implicit decree for their eternity Quicquid juramento confirmat Deus id aeternum est immutabile Whatever God confirms with an oath is perpetual and unchangeable The reason why the Lord did not establish Levi's Priesthood and the first Covenant of Works with the sacred religion of a solemn oath was because he intended it an alteration in time to make the Lord Jesus a Surety of a better Testament not after the Law of a tarnal Commandement but after the power of an endless life By my self have I sworne said Abrahams God to him in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This Seed is Christ proceeding from him after many successions of ages and generations this Blessing is the Redemption of Man-kind by that seed term'd the Son of Man in the execution of his Priestly Office which is irrecoverable A Saviour in solidum by which he is able to save them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost that come unto God by him Faelices nos quorum causà Deus jurare voluit miseros si ne juranti quidem credimus Happy are we for whose sakes God would swear Most unhappy we if when he swears we believe him not but be disobedient It makes also for the dignity and honour of this Priesthood 't is of an higher estimation than that of Levi for unto that were sinners called to this onely the most Holy the Son of God The sacrifices of that though many
he is as man in heaven so he is as man higher than the heavens O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caetumquae proficiscar et cum ex bâc turbd et colluvione discedam Cicer. de sencetute Hebr. 12.24 higher than the heavens which are visible to the eye of man yet in part of the heavens where the God of glory is pleased to make the most ample and immediate manifestation of his glory 't is called the habitation of the highest a new world the new heaven Paradise the heavenly Jereusalem the City of the living God where there are an innumerable company of Angels the general assembly and Church of the first-borne and God the Judge of all and the spirits of just men made perfect There is I say Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant and the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel There our high-Priest presents to the Father the propitiatory sacrifice of himself and sprinkles upon us his purifying blood that is by his powerful mediation he applies unto us who are faithful the saving merits of his never to be forgotten passion by which our mortal sins are freely remitted and we destin'd to a Crown incorruptible that never fades away in the highest heavens Thus are we through him had in perpetual remembrance and accepted of God in the beloved as righteous as if we had never offended When a man indeed looks on things directly through the aire they appear in their proper forms and colours as they are but if they be look't upon through a green glasse they all appear green So when God beholds us as we are in our selves we appear vile and squallid but when as presented before his throne in heaven in the person of our Mediatour our high-Priest after the order of Melchisedeck approved of for his merits then we appear before him as Christ himself holy harmlesse undefiled seperate from sinners and in some respect and measure made higher than the heavens for those that overcome by faith and a good conscience being Kings and Priests by him shall be so honourably esteem'd of Revel 3 21. as to be made sit down as coheirs with him in his throne as he sitteth down with his father in his throne As he vouchsafes us to partake of his merits so of his glory Cap. 5.10 making us unto our God Kings and Priests In lieu whereof let us in all humility with the four and twenty Elders fall down before him thut sitteth on the throne Cap. 4.10 and worship him that liveth for ever and ever And with those ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands celestiall spirits Cap. 5.11.12 13. let us say for of him 't is said worthy is the Lambe that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Vnto thee therefore O our loving Saviour Christ Jesus our high-Priest who art holy harmless undefiled seperate from sinners and made higher than the heavens be ascribed by us as by every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea blessing honour glory and power for ever and ever Amen GLORIA IN ALTISSIMIS OR THE ANGELICAL ANTHEM LUKE 2.14 Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace good will towards men THis is the sacred Anthem which by the heavenly quire of Angelical spirits was most melodiously sung as a pregnant expression of exceeding joy conceived in them at and for the so much desired nativity of our blessed Saviour These ministring spirits I propose as the fittest and compleatest pattern for our pious imitation to whom seeing we are made but little inferiour in regard of the lively image of God imprinted in our soules so be we also but little inferiour to them in expressing the joyes conceived in our hearts I may safely averr without the least smack or touch of Popery that the Angels of God in heaven rejoyce at the good of Gods Church whereof they themselves are apart for such is the spiritual sympathy of their holy affections with ours whose conversation is in heaven though our selves on earth that they bear a part with us in solacing themselves for our happiness The heavens could not hold these Angels from coming to the earth in hast upon the wing to bring the glad tidings of peace and great joy that shall be to all people the sun was anticipated in his course for the Angels proclaim a Saviour ere the sun the worlds eye did discover him That we therefore may not come short of affection if it be possible of them let us in a joyful sense of felicity Psal 103. Incipit à superieribus sinlt in infinis coming unto us by our Saviours coming unto us sing Hallelujah unto God and with David call upon all creatures from the highest to the lowest to publish the praises of the highest Blesse the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word Blesse ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Blesse the Lord all his works in all places of his Dominion Blesse the Lord Kimchi O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Elevate your hearts and voices good Christians in harmonical strains with these blessed spirits setting forth in some measure the exceeding greatness and glory of the love of God extended unto us without all measure Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men This Song doth consist of three parts viz. 1. Glory 2. Peace 3. Mercy The 1. is Glory be to God on high there is the honor the reverend obedience the admiration and the divine worship which we ought to give to God The 2. is And on earth peace this is the effect of the former working in the hearts of men whereby the world appears in its most glorious splendor and transporting beauty being an entire chain of intermutual amity The 3. is Good will towards men this is Gods mercy reconciling man to himself after his perfidious apostacie and ungrateful dissertion from his Creatour Glory peace and mercy then must be the welcome subject of my discourse Glory to God Peace to the Kingdomes of the earth and mercy unto sinful men Gods mercy appears in our Saviours appearing to the world which brought peace on earth for which men and Angels glorify the Lord of glory Glory be to God on high The first part comprehends what ought to be the first and principal aim both of our Christian intention and pious execution wherein if we behave our selves well we shall have a part and portion in that inheritance which Christ with his blood purchased for us Glory be to God on high Gods glory is either divine or humane Gods divine gloty is that which is proper to the divinity incommunicable to any creature Which
the hearts of all that should read those stories Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now if any Anabaptistical Humorist who hath a company of Phanatique toyes whiffling about his understanding should censure me for inforcing Bowing and Kneeling I have no more to say to him than this Being that God is the Creator and Redeemer of soul and body that therefore as well with the body as the soul we are to worship him by kneeling bowing and that especially when the act of our Redemption is presented unto us by visible signs as it is in the Lords Supper I conclude this with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible and onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen I follow still the Angels strain and pitch my thoughts on the second part the words are these And on earth peace From the time of Mans capital apostasie effected by the cunning project of the subtile Serpent all the creatures of God were at odds with Man affected with reciprocal enmity The fiery Dragon had set the world on fire Combustion and Confusion the two extremities of distempered Passion came on after Hence by reason of the perpetual opposition of the creatures Iniquity did abound and the love of many waxed cold The burden of these disturbances was so ponderous that all things did groan under it So many blustering storms did succeed one upon the neck of another as that the world seemed to despair of peace Mans wicked disobedience was taken so ill at Gods hands as well he might as that he was incensed against him and his posterity and for their sake cursed the earth Here then we find Man in hostility with God with himself with his brethren with all Gods creatures both in heaven and in earth So that he is excluded felicity whereof he was before possessed inviron'd with that deplorable misery which he then could not and we now cannot without Christ Jesus avoid His rebellion against God caused the creatures to rebell against him He neglecting his Creator is both by the Creator and creature neglected His falling from the Lord made the Lord and the servants fall out with him Because the sons of Adam had such aspiring minds as to seek after that which is proper unto God Peace is therefore departed from the sons of Adam Now there was no peace within none without until the Prince of peace Jesus Christ by grace put a period to the mutinous disposition of ill-affected humors until he had so salved the matter betwixt God and us as that all things might work together for the good of us that are the elect of God Wherefore as the Dove after the â—sswaging of the waters of the Deluge brought an Olive branch into the Ark of Noah so Christ as innocent as a Dove came unto the world and brought Peace and Reconciliation with him into the Ark of God which is his Church floating in a restless Ocean of intestine troubles Who was no sooner come but the Heavenly Courtiers invite us men on earth to give glory unto God in Heaven because that the God of Heaven did by his own Son send peace on earth to men For when he came he brought peace to us when he departed Zanch. he left his peace with us Qui pacem dicit dicit uno verbo omnia bona saith Zanchius Who names but peace comprehends in one word all that 's good And indeed all that 's good did in and through Christ descend to us from the Infinite Good out of the inexhaustible treasures of whose uncomprehended fulness we have all received Since then O my God that my soul and discursive faculty must now be fixt upon all that 's good refine I beseâ—ch thee my diviner thoughts and let not all that 's good be in any wise tainted by any unhallowed imperfections of mine Assist with thy Divine power in setting out this Olive-branch of Peace fetcht from Heaven that may in time spring up unto eternal life Our Saviour the Everlasting Son of the Father and blessed Peace-maker of Heaven and Earth wrought for believing men such as shall receive him by faith for whose sake he came into the world a foursold inviolable Peace Viz. 1. Peace with our God 2. Peace with our selves 3. Peace with one another 4. Peace with all the creatures First he wrought our peace with God What befell Adam for his insolent behaviour and disobedience against the Author of his life no son of Adam that hath but the least sense of misery can be ignorant of Upon the apprehension of the transgression he found himself and we since our selves miserably plung'd in a depth of inselicity for by the offence of that one man that first man all became enemies to God and God an enemy to all Thus God and man stood off at a distance never to come together but by a mediation Whereupon the God of mercy that delights not in the death of a sinner unwilling to see so noble a creature perish everlastingly provides and sends a Mediator that Son of his who was in his own bosom to reconcile us unto himself to bring us unto the bosom of his Father ratisying such a league as may if it were possible outlast Eternity Hence it was he took our flesh upon him whereby being God and Man he might bring man to God Oh the hardness of my stony heart saith Bernard in a heavenly extasie Bern. Vtinam Domine sicut Verbum caro factum est ita cor meum carnem fiat I would to God my God and Lord that as the Word was made flesh so were my heart hereby to be seelingly apprehensive of thine infinite mercy in granting pardon to my sin and peace unto my soul through the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Christ is our Peace Eph. 2.14 our Peace in the very abstract By him our eternal quiet is procured Gods consuming wrath appeâ—sed and by his light are our feet guided into the way of peace A Jesuite spake it and to speak truth 't is Gods received truth Ex inimicis amicos ex servis filios ex filiis irae haredes regni fecit nos per Christum Deus God the God of peace hath made us through Christ that of being his enemies his friends of being his servants his sons of being sons of wrath heirs of a Kingdom not subject to mortality Buâ—lest an headstrong credulity arising out of a flattering misconceit should draw some into a precipitate presumption of concluding themselves to be reconciled to God and restored to favour though they persist in sin and infidelity Learn this Orthodox truth grounded on that of the Apostle That they only who are justified by faith and sanctified by his Spirit have peace with God Rom. 5.1 through our Lord Jesus Christ Happy is that soul alone that hath faith it hath Christ Happy
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Oh the unsearchable depth of my loving Saviour's love and the infinite value of my Redeemer's death upon whom fell the chastisement of our peace and on whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Oh who would not in a full eareer run and leap out of himself into the bosom of my crucified Lord in whose arms we may receive the solacing embracements of his infinite love None but he can bring us unto God for none but he can grant rest unto our souls As I live I will never seek any other Peace-maker among Angels or Saints in heaven or earth to make my peace with Heaven than him that is the King of the Saints Who though he accounted it no robbery to be equal with God yet for our sakes for my sake did humble himself to death even to the death of the Cross whereby having made our peace be hath freed us from all that 's ill and hath made us partakers of all that 's good He hath freed us from all that 's ill The blessed fruit of an happy peace is a well grounded security which whosoever is at peace with God enjoys Num. 17.23 enjoys a safe protection under his wings Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Subtilty cannot prevail against those whom the Lord hath resolved to bless nor power overcome whom the Lords stretched out arm will support What forces of arms of the mightiest man can resist the powerful arms of the Almighty or what wisdom of the wisest worldling can oppose the wisdom of the wisest God And if all these fail what can the Accuser of the brethren invent whereby to bring us into condemnation The Serpents head is bruised by the Womans Seed and Sin hath lost its sting for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Condemnation nor separation from the love of God Satan and the world may assault but with little good success The flesh and sin may labour to entice us but to little purpose Death and the grave may seise upon us but 't is but for a short time In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us And thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Forasmuch then as that the Lord hath troden the wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone to free us from all ill Be ye oh be ye who are the Lords redeemed cautelous and circumspect in your conversation that by the errors of your ways and continual transgressions you incense not his wrath against you nor provoke the eyes of his glory Sudden destruction will assuredly surprise that soul that sin keeps at odds with God and Hell gapes wide open for such as will not be reclaimed It was Joram's proposition to Jehu Is it peace And it was Jehu's reply to Joram What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jesabel and her witchcrafts are so many Out of doubt while we persist in wickedness adultery idolatry pride avarice sacriledge extortion oppression bribes perjury I might be endless we cannot be at peace with God and therefore lie ever open to the shot of general dangers As we are unfit through our obliquities to press into Gods presence here so is it impossible for us keeping the same path to be admitted into his glotious presence hereafter or to escape that deserved vengeance that comes swiftly from him to whom vengeance belongeth that driveth more furiously than did Jehu the son of Nimshi Break off then your sins to be at peace with God and Gods peace be with you So shall you receive large immunities as to be free from all ill so to be partakers of all good which is the second effect of this peace The largeness of my Gods bounty and my Saviours merits are not to be comprehended by humane capacity it is infinite Ponder the Apostles reason for this ample favour extended unto us and then let our souls rejolce Gods liberality is propounded in this wise He that spared not his own Son Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things It cannot enter into my head to conceive how that the Lord will withhold what tends to our felicity being he gruâ—g'd not to give us what he loved best his onely Son He gave him without our demand and will therefore give all things without our desert What Paul said to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. I say to you that are reconciled to God All things are yours whether things present or things to come and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's The Lord giveth grace and glory saith the Psalmist Grace here Glory elswhere In a peaceable Commonwealth all things flourish men do plentifully enjoy themselves and plenty of all things without interruption whereas the discord and dissentions of factious Licentiates by rebellion against their Prince lays a gap open for ruine to enter upon them So when upon our address to God we have obtained a peaceable condition when we have laid down our arms or weapons intending no more to sight against Heaven when the Mediator of the New Testament by interposing himself betwixt God and us hath concluded an everlasting and unchangeable peace then then in very deed no good thing will be denied us There is no want to them that fear him Psal 34. This is most true For by this peace we are adopted the sons of God and heirs of glory whereby there is conveyed unto us by the eternal constitution of the Possessor of all things a just title to all things to blessings both temporal and eternal the treasures of his graces are conferred upon us the storehouse of his riches is ever open to us and the pure crown of immortality and royal diadem of glory is laid up for us For us who shall depart in peace according to Gods word and whose eyes shall see his salvation One word to you to whom a sinful life is far more pleasing than that that befits a Christian's Your iniquities separate between your God and you and deprive you of all that 's good I call you from Isaiah what he did from the Lord Children of transgression and a seed of falshood whose end cannot be good whilst you walk in those crooked paths wherein whosoever goeth shall not know peace Rectifie your ways alter your wild courses conform your selves to the will of God your Creator accept the Covenant of peace and live accordingly so shall your souls live Isa 55.7 Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Then blessed shall ye be in the city and blessed shall ye be in the field blessed shall ye be in the
are reconciled to God St. Chrys on those words in Colos Chrysost in Cap. 1. Epist ad Cosos it pleased the Father by him that is by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself whether they be things in earth or things in heaven understandeth by things in heaven the holy Angels of God who saith he became enemies to all men by reason of their universal rebellion against the Lord their God But now beare good will to us after we are reconciled to God by Christ and are of the houshold of faith Hereupon it is as our Saviour saith that the Angels in heaven rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner unto God Heb. 1 14. and the Apostle writing to the Hebrews saith they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation They guard such as their proper charge saith devout Perkins that be in Gods favour and carry them as a nurse doth a child in her armes that they dash not their foot against a stone Perkins on Revel 1. Psal 91.11 Wherefore some Christian Philosophers out of Act. 12.15 where speech being made of St. Peter it is said it is not he it is his Angel collect that every elect man of God hath his good Angel to protect him to guide him in all his wayes and upon occasion when it seemes good to God many as Elijah had Thus we are at peace with good Angels as for the bad we must have no peace with them Origen onâ— Rom. 5. for then we shall have no peace with God Origen on the 5. of the Romanes tells us that Ipse supra omnes cateros pacem habet apuà Deum qui impugnatur à diabolo c. he above all others hath peace with God who is ever combating with Satan Warre against Satan procures peace with God Wherefore being he will do us no good the Lord so works as that he shall do us no hurt As for the other creatures all of them are in league with a good man their lesive facultie is restrained by the supreme power from doing violence to the Lords redeemed whereas the wicked are still exposed to the danger of their power The starres in their courses fought for Israel against Sisera Judg. 5.20 The fire did not hurt the three children in the fierie surnace The hungry lyon preyed not upon Daniel in the den Isa 11.6 8 9. lying at the mercy of that ravenous beast A little child saith the Prophet Isaiah shall lead the young lyon the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cocokatrices den neither these nor any of the rest shall hurt or destroy in his holy mountaine in his holy Church It was a most comfortable promise which God made to Judah and Israel and in them to his peculiar people that he would make a covenant for them with all creatures Hos 2.18 the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the creeping things of the ground heaven earth corn oyle and all Yea the child of God shall tread upon the lyon and the serpent and they shall not hurt him Thou shalt be in league saith Eliphaz the Temanite to Job with the stones of the field Psal 91.13 Job 5.23 and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Thus Gods Children in Christ Jesus shall receive no detriment by any thing that God made but by his blessed providence they shall find assistance and comfort from all his creatures Now the God of peace that sent his Son with the Gospel of peace and his messengers with the glad tidings of good things grant that we may live in peace and depart in peace according to his word to leade an everlasting Sabboth of rest in the highest heavens Great mens births are commonly celebrated with the joyful acclamation of their dependants every one being in a readiness to noise abroad the newes that includes happinesse whereby others might be partakers of their joys and excited to do the like in imitation Thus the glorious and blessed Angels the inhabitants of heaven and the immediate attendants of the most high do the birth of the Son of God the King of Kings like wel-bred Courtiers in significant terms divulge the birth of so great a Prince and melodiously express what good what great benefits come by the birth of so good so great a person Which ought to be a forcible incentive unto us after their example to render due honour unto God and â—o worship that day-star which from on high hath visited us with everlasting comforts All the holy Angels of God are obliged to praise him but we much more he restored not them to any felicity for they lost none we lost the primitive goodness of our unblemished creation and yet restored he us He redeemed not them they needed it not nor the wicked Angels that needed it but wrought our redemption when we were enemies worthy condemnation O then let us praise the Lord for his peace and merce for both endure for ever What the Angels sung will serve our turn Glory be to God on high c. The parts of our discourse are 1. The glory we owe to God 2. The peace God sent on earth 3. Gods good will towards men Concerning the two first I have no more to say than what I have already but proceed unto that last and maine point whereupon depend all our future hopes of eternal blisse which is Gods good will and mercy I confesse that the very name of peace is a sweet word and sweeter the work but sweetest that of mercy which is the cause of it Being then that mercy must be the subject of my present meditations first I betake my self to thee O God of mercy and eternal Spirit of truth humbly beseeching thee to enable me by thy gracious illumination and to rectifie the retired cogitations of my soule that whilest I display thy mercy thy goodness thy salvation and when all is done there may be in mens hearts a deep impression of true joy and a perfect sense may be obtained of thy loving kindness and good-will toward them To behold God sitting in his throne of justice is to a sinner most full of dismal horrour but to view him seated in his throne of mercy is to a distressed soule most full of heavenly consolation If there be any that obstinately forget God and carelesly cast behind their backs his sacred ordinances let them expect to be torn in picees of him and none to deliver them let them look to be consumed of that God whose Jealousie burns like fire If there be any that are heartily submissive and sincerely penitent in the sight of our all-seeing God for their enormities let them joy up in abundance for in him there is mercy and plenty of redemption although all of us have highly offended him and multiplyed our transgressions above measure yet if we can
of such difficulty that if he withdraw the supporting assistance of his active Spirit from us we cannot hold out Do we preach 't is as the Spirits gives us utterance do we pray the Spirit helpeth our infirmities do we beleeve he increaseth our faith and helps our unbelief do we live the life of grace Christ liveth in us by his Spirit Are we constant in our profession and holy exercises of Religion that constancy cometh from above by the effectual working of the divine power In all these his grace is sufficient for us and in doing them his Spirit worketh with us Thus much concerning Gods good will towards men expressed in spiritual matters As for his good will in temporal it is as clear as the sun we need no demonstration But because the extraordinary favours of God may not slip out of our memories think upon our deliverance from that intended invasion in eighty eight how that part of the invaders became as weak as water and part were over whelmed in the depths of the sea alive like Pharaoh and his host Think upon that horrid work of darkness the Gunpowder plot how vain the conspiratours were in their imaginations The Lords stretched out arme overcame the one his all-seeing eye discovered the other See thy RegÃna Dierum and by his Providence were both brought to nothing Think upon the Stupendious works of Divine Providence in the wonderful safegarding and happy restoring of our gracious King to which I have abundantly spoken upon occasion Without doubt all these and infinite more are sensible tokens of Gods good will in Christ toward us Wherefore 1. We may with comfort confidently approach to the throne of grace where we may receive of the Father whatsoever we ask in his Sons name for for his sake he will deny us no good thing seeing that in him he beares good will toward us Thus much the occasion of this text may assure us of which is the incarnation and birth of our Saviour It being the foundation of all our joyes and all good things we enjoy By it God comforts Adam the seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Jacob is comforted by the vision of a ladder reaching from heaven to earth and the Angels ascending and descending by it the mystery whereof may be this The ladder is Christ the foot of it on earth noteth his humanity man of the substance of his mother born in the world the top reaching to heaven noteth his divinity Job 19.25 God of the substance of his Father begotten before all worlds perfect God and perfect man by which union of natures he hath joined earth and heaven together that is God and man The going up and down of Angels by the ladder sheweth how by Christ the service of Angels is purchased unto us all which accordeth with that in Joh. 1.51 Verily verily I say unto you faith our Saviour hereafter ye shall see the heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Job again comforts himself in this that his Redeemer of his own flesh as the word signifieth liveth In the Old Testament they which sought to God came to the Ark or Propitiatory and there were they heard and received Gods blessing Now Christ God and man is instead thereof his Godhead being the fountain of all good things and his flesh or Manhood a pipe or conduit to conveigh the fame unto us Wherefore let us rejoyce in God our Saviour and comfort our selves in his good will towards men Moreover 2. We may the better bear temptations and afflictions and slight the assaults of the world That which in Spaniards deserveth the greatest commendations is an unmoved patience in suffering adversity accompanied with a settled resolution of overcoming them This if we attain unto in Christianity will shield us from despair and distrust for we may be well assured that God to his distressed servants is the neerest when he seemeth furthest then sweetest when he seemeth sowrest and then up in wrath to revenge our wrongs when the world doth think he hath forgot us For still he beares goad will towards us Lastly we must acknowledge Gods good will through Christ to be the sole cause of all our happiness It is a true Maxime in Divinity Publisht in Austins time Vniversa salus nostra Aug. Ned. Cap. 34. magna miserecordia tua Our safety on earth our salvation in heaven proceed from thy abundant mercies O Lord. Thus the Father the Son and the holy Ghost do all join together in one immutable resolution to prove their good will towards men The issue whereof cannot be but exceeding good For as Astronomers do well observe that when three of the superiour lights do meet in conjunction it bringeth forth some admirable effects So now seeing that these three infinite lights of the world three persons of the Deity are met together in one good-will towards men this benevolous aspect produceth this admirable effect that all true beleevers shall be hereby exalted into glory For which with thankful hearts we ought ever to pay the tribute of obedience And in assurance whereof to rest in Gods promises which can never faile In his name I end as I did begin To whom as the Angels did before us and duty ever binds us be rendred all honour and glory both now and for ever Amen The Necessity of CHRISTS PASSION AND Resurrection ACTS 17.3 Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead I Am induced by these words to relate the greatest wonder of the world wherein is comprehended the profoundest Mystery of our salvation That the Son of God should become the Son of man that the Lord of glory should come in the forme of an humble and dejected servant that the Sun of righteousnesse should be deprived of light and then that the sole Author of our life should be put to death Weigh but the reason and the wonder is the greater It was for our redemption all this was effected and can there be a greater wonder then that he that knew no sin would putting on mortality suffer unutterable tortures both in soul and body and be content to die to save those that knew nothing but sin certainly there cannot be a greater wonder The most professed enemy to sinners herein did become to sinners the most professed friend He is ready to save who might be more ready to destroy But mercy binds the hands of justice and justice is overcome of mercy The eternal wisdome beholding from above with the gracious eye of pay the forlorne estate of mankind after their apostasy and treacherous violation of the sacred Covenant contrived a project not to be contrived by the Art of man whereby our Redemption should be wrought and liberty obtained Gods love to us did exceed our sins Our sins are not so great are not so many but his love can cover them and his mercy pardon them And where men come
nature he had made ours by grace And here we may be as bold as to conclude we are the sons of God because the natural Son of God assumed body of our body flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that he might be the same with us and we the same with him Thus he became our Kinsman to whom of property by the old Law it did belong to redeem his brethren Which that he might effect he did conquer Death and who could do this but he who is our Life He did vanquish Sin and who could do this but Righteousness it self He did bring into his subjection the Forces of the world and the Powers that rule in the air and who could do this but he that is the Power of God And who is this Life this Righteousness this Power of God but Jesus Christ very God of very God and yet the Son of Man Christ was God and Man Man that sin might be punished in the nature offending yet Man without sin to fulfill that Righteousness which none of us sold under sin can fulfill He was Man that as by the disobedience of the first Adam sin entred into the world so by the obedience of him who is the second Adam righteousness should bring justification to life And as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous By the righteousness of his obedience Active and Passive Active in perfecting all the duties injoined by the Law Passive in suffering the wrath of God the punishment of our disobedience Thus our confusion is taken away and life and righteousness are restored unto us And he was God withal that the Justice of God might receive compleat satisfaction by a punishment that should be infinite or equal to infinite which none but God could give And therefore Christ is said as God to have purchased his Church with his own blood Act. 20. 1 Joh. 3.16 and to lay down his life for us And though his punishment was not so infinite but that it was finite yet it was only finite for time but was for value as it ought to be infinite Thus the Son of True God did bear the burden of his Fathers wrath in our nature which no other Nature ought to do but the soul that sinned which no other but God could do because God is a consuming fire and his wrath unquenchable by any creature Forasmuch as God alone could not die because not subject to passion nor Man alone overcome death because too weak It was requisite that our Redeemer who should die for our sins should be both that by the weakness of the one nature he might submit himself to the power of death thereby to undergo punishment due to sin and by the strength of the other he should by sustaining the Manhood make good his part against death and swallow it up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory But thanks be to God Sarcasmo conflat hostili derisione quâ mors ridenda propinatur saith one that hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And thus much of the Person humbled which is Christ God and Man The next point to be discuss'd is Wherein his Humiliation did consist that is in general He suffered From the time of his nativity to the very hour of his death was he not free from suffering He was no sooner born but Herod sought his life He was subject to the infirmities of our nature sin excepted He was hungry and thirsty weary and faint sorrowful and discontented his poverty was extream though Lord of all and Possessor of heaven and earth he had not so much as whereon to lay his head Grievous was the temptation he suffered by Satans onset infinite were the injuries that were offered him by the cursed brats of Satan both in word and deed In word by false calumnies and forged accusations by contumelious detractions and cursed blasphemies In deed by framing of projects and laying of plots how to take away his life He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him Isa 53. He was despised and we esteemed him not surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrowes Yet we esteemed him stricken smitten of God and afflicted His whole life was a perpetual passion He was never let alone until upon the Cross he gave himself a ransom for all and his enemies never ceased until they drew out his hearts blood which he for our redemption in his loving kindness was willing to part withall He had power in his own hand to lay down his life and he had power to assume it again For albeit his life lay at the stake yet could he were he so disposed command legions of Angels beside his own power which was alsufficient to deliver him either by putting his enemies to flight or by repressing their violence that either they would not or they should not hurt him or by utterly subverting them But being that he came into the world to the end to suffer to compass for us a world without all end he withdrew not his neck from the yoke but set himself forward to bear the iniquity of us all laid upon him Thus Christ was subject to passion but not according to his divine but humane nature For as he is God he is Actus purissimus and cannot suffer but yet he being God suffered in the nature assumed which was capable of suffering that is in his Manhood So that here we have the highest Person and the lowest Humiliation met together Wherefore in this suffering of our Lord there are three things according to Bernards observation specially noted Bernard Opus modus causa In opere patientia in modo humilitat in causa charitas commendatur Patientia singularis humilitas admirabilis sed charitas inestimabilis There are the work the manner of performing and the cause In the work which is suffering his patience is commended in the manner his humility in the cause his charity for charity moved him to suffer with patience and humility His patience is singular none like it his humility admirable none ever came never shall come near it his charity inestimable for it is incomparable All which may appear unto you by presenting to your view his special sufferings immediately preceding his death In these sufferings of our Saviour you may see the foulest act of Treason that ever was committed the greatest Cruelty that was ever heard of both hatcht in the pit of hell Judas his familiar friend comes and betrays him with a false-hearted complement a Kiss his love was only from the teeth outward deceit was in his heart and the poison of asps under his lips but no wonder the Devil was in him Peter his Disciple than whom none more forward in times past to confess him to be
the ordinance of God for He did all things well Wherefore to shew that God keeps his word and that the truth of his promises is infallible He rose again from the dead In regard of us the end of his Rising is threefold Viz. 1. For our Example 2. For our Justification 3. For our Faith c. First for our Example tending to the information of us in the ways of righteousness in the paths of life That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life that the body of sin might be destroyed Resurectione Domini configuratur vita quae hic geritur and that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.4.6 The Resurrection of Christ from the dead should be a pattern for us wherein there is some effective vigor to raise us from the death of sin to a gracious life The power of effecting both is in God A Dâ—o est quod unima vivat per gratiam corpus per Animam That the soul lives by grace and the body by the soul comes from God Aquinas who is the Author of life And saith Ames Christ rising from death is tum demonstratio quam initiatio as well a demonstration as the initiation or beginning of our Rusurrection by whom we pass from death unto life Secondly for our Justification They are the express words of the Apostle He was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. ult For now that he hath gotten the victory over death by reviving he applies by the vertue thereof all the benefits of the Gospel unto us to the exceeding great consolation of our souls Lastly for the establishment of our faith concerning the obtaining of life everlasting For indeed if the Head be risen the members may be sure to rise too and if the Head receive life and glory doubtless the members which have their proper dependunce of him shall receive the like perfection for a glorified Head cannot be without a glorified body Now Christ is the head of the body the Church Col. 1.18 who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he may have the preheminence Of the fulness of whose glory in the day of our perfect redemption we shall all receive a full measure For a Conclusion Communi naturae lege moriuntur homines The sons of men composed of dust and ashes die by the common law of nature Eternity is proper to another world not to this to this Inconstancie The Son of the most High himself when he became the Son of man was subjected to Mortality He pleaded no Prerogative royal to be exempted from that end which God setled in the course of nature Our times upon the Earth may be said to be lasting but not everlasting though in the hands of God Heaven decreed a period to our Lives which we cannot prevent and to which Christ at the appointed houre did submit himself with all obedience not able to avoid it Necessity was laid upon him to pay the dubt to Nature which might serve for a payment of our debt to God yet not respectu peccuti Wâ—ems Protralcture of Gods image in man pag. 43. but respectis poenae this necessity was not in respect of sin He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot but in respect of that punishmenâ— which he did oblige himself to undergo for the sins of men Est illata necessiaâ— Adamò innata necessit as nobis assumpta necessitas in Christo Necessity of death was laid upon Adam for his sin necessity of death is imbred in us and by a voluntary assumption there was a necessity of death in Christ A man willingly gives his word for such a summe for his friend but when he hath willingly given it he must of necessity pay it So Christ willingly took this debt upon him and in the fulness of time when 't was exacted paid it down even his life to God and nature But albeit he thus parted from the world yet God hath raised him up Etiam animalula quaedam typâ— Resurrectionis sunt Lavat in Job 14.12 having loos'd the paines of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it So though the hand of fate by Natures unconfused order reduce us to our first principles yet shall we rise again by the mighty power of our eternal Maker The Judge of all the word hath appointed a day wherein to judge the world to which all must rise And as all must die and after death come to judgment so Christ was once offered to bear the â—ius of many and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second time without sin unto salvation THE BLESSED AMBASSADOR OR THE Best sent into the Basest GALATH. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father GODS love wherewith he hath embrac'd the sons of men in his onely Son is of such large extent as cannot be limited as cannot be measured the breadth and length and depth and height thereof Eph. 3.18 19. doth passe our knowledge Doth passe our finding out The length the breadth the depth of the earth the sea the heavens Mathematicians by their speculations do conjecture but the love of God the most ingenious and judicious cannot it so exceeds so much as conjecture much lesse perfectly know because infinite Would a man part with his only son and alone darling and he content he should die a most ignoble and ignominious death to ransome his servants his cantives his slaves rebels that would cut his throat I cannot be perswaded the world affords such a man such a Phenix there was but one in all the world Abraham found willing to slay his son to rip up his bowels that spruug out of his own when God commanded it Yet the Lord of heaven and earth whose mercies are over all his works sent his only Son to save sinners to dye that by his death we may live Though servants Cantives slaves rebels yet by his Son made Kings Priests Prophets sons and heirs of an eternal inheritance O the depth the height and length and breadth of Gods love He sent his Son forth from him to bring us to him he freely gave him to redeem us from the insulting power of Sathan from the captivity and dominion of sin from the oppressing tyranny of the world to bring us into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God This liberty this sonship is obtained by faith for to as many as beleeve in his name hath he given power to become the Sons of God All ye then that beleeve are no more servants but sons not sons of wrath but sons of God not sons by nature but sons by grace And because sons behold the Lords bounty is enâ—arged toward you the treasures of his graces are open for you the store-house of his riches is
was only guided by an ordinary providence as men now a dayes undertaking journeys stay with their friends at their pleasure guided ordinarily by Gods hand Holy Fear THE FENCE OF THE SOUL GEN. 28.17 And Jacob was afraid AS Esau was coming into the world Jacob had him fast by the heel Rebecca received blows within her by their struglings which that acted ended But here ended not their strife that presaged as a future supplanting so a more inveterate quarrel Esau was first born so he obtained the birthright of nature Jacob came after yet got the birthright of grace The mother was glad to be well rid of both she was much joyed to see them set at liberty who inclosed in the prison of her bowels pain'd her As these agreed not in the womb so not in the world There the division began when together in restraint here it continued and by their enlargement was enlarged The divine Oracle told Rebecca that the elder should serve the younger 't was his love to the one his hate to the other both free This prediction must have been accomplish'd but not without some difficulty First Jacob upon an advantage buyes the Birthright which Esau in a necessity scornfully deem'd unprofitable Grace made Jacob lay about to purchase what Nature denied him It was inevitable the God of Nature determin'd it that way not the other Thus Jacob though a plain man got the start of Esau though a cunning hunter A gracious simplicity ever outstrips worldly craft in the affairs of piety Now having got thus far there wanted nothing to make good his bargain to confirm his interest but his Fathers blessing which he by his Mothers direction hunting after obtained by subtilty whilst Esau hunting after venison came short of through his pleasure The Mother saith Reverend Hall shall rather defeat the Son and beguile the Father than the Father shall beguile the chosen Son of his blessing Jacob must have been blest God decreed it and was Who no sooner went away full of the joy of his new blessing but in comes Esau who sweating for his reward finds nothing but an unexpected repulse Hereat Esau's blood is up and storms he hates Jacob in his heart as Cain did Abel in his hate vows his death nothing hinders it but lack of opportunity Yet Jacob needed not to fear the wrath of an earthly brother whilst sure of the love of his Heavenly Father None needs to be terrified by Man that is in league with God However it behoved the Mother to be as sollicitous in preventing mischief from falling on her beloved Darling as in surreptitiously procuring him a blessing Had he miscarried all her hopes had perish'd Jacob therefore must go one way or other if he stay till his Father die he must die with him and go the way of all flesh 't was Esau's resolution If he go whither his Parents would he is secure this way as well it might is preferr'd To this purpose a new project is set on foot Jacob must have a wife not of the daughters of Heth as Esau these made Rebecca weary of her life but of his own kindred Isaac forthwith calls Jacob to him blesseth him gives him a charge and commands him away to Laban his mothers brother where the Lord did destine him a mate meet for him Away he hyes doubtful and comfortless in the way the earth he made his bed the stone his pillow after this fort he rested his wearied limbs The sun was set his eyes were bound up in the chains of sleep yet there a Vision of Angels is presented to him through the glass of his imagination and Gods promise renewed in a true dream Never was Jacob's heart so light with joy as when his head was heaviest with sleep At length he awakes his thoughts are summon'd up together fear creeps apace on him the place seems dreadful the presence of Divine Majesty whereof he was sensible adds lustre to the place which adds affrightment to his heart The premisses considered his conclusion of the Place is this This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Hitherto have I followed Jacob in his way and with him here will I rest a while This holy Patriarch upon mature deliberation could not but conceive himself happy that he hapned on this holy place Here the demonstration of Gods joyful presence with him and gracious providence over him together with the free promise of safe conduct to him abated the swoln discontents of his suspitious thoughts it never came into his head he should have here that familiar manifestation of the God of Isaac as was vouchsafed him But Gods goodness ever was ever is beyond mans expectation How easie were it for Jacob to miscarry in his way did not the Supreme Power protect him how open did he lie to infinite dangers lying in the open field did not the Lord secure him 'T was the work of that same Mercy that guided him to that place to preserve him safe there where although he was afraid at the first sight after his sleep was over Musculus Buxtorf Heb. Radix yet was his fear without distraction The clearness of his judgment discerning Gods intention in that mystical vision sentenceth the place venerable So Musculus renders the Hebrew text Quà m venerandus est iste locus and Buxtorf How reverend is this place Here I might treat 1. Of Jacob's Fear 2. Of the Dreadfulness or reverence of the place where he was partaker of the Heavenly vision 3. Of the Titles Jacob assign'd the place All meriting points but the first is only intended The Soul which by nature is disfurnished of grace is exposed to dangers as disposed to evil by reason whereof it is subject to fears within to fears without Perils like a circle compass us about we stand tanquam in centro as in the centre of this world every line drawn from the circumference strikes us to the heart and so affrights us Turn which way we will terror meets us fears encounter us Hereat the naked soul appal'd yields unless informed of a better friend than our own wits which always are not about us But Gods gracious presence apprehended in our deepest agonies of fear brings us off undaunted by the light of whose grace we discover things in their native colours which whilst unknown amaze us disturb us Some things trouble us more than they ought to do some which not at all for the anticipating or avoiding whereof that rule holds infallibly true Rebus est demenda persona pull off the masque of things then we shall not so fear them To be quite rid of this passion while we live is impossible Christianity or regeneration qualifieth its force takes it not away Some impression will be left in the mind yet not so deep as will make us despair of succour For all the variety of Creatures Casualties Changes that appear dreadful there is variety of Aid flowing
you The worldlings fear disturbeth the souls quiet and putteth the conscience in a manner out of frame But Jacobs fear which is the fear of God is that to which with David we must be ever devoted Psal 119.38 For take it upon the word of a King Holy and reverend is his Name Psal 111.9 Last of all The setled Christian must fear the Highest Power but as a son a father from whom with Adam he must not flie and quiver 'T is for a godless heathen Emperor through the horror of a guilty conscience to run under a bed at the noise of thunder Gods voice 'T is for a proud Felix to tremble when the last Judgment is urged 'T is for a Simon Magus his heart to quake when rebuk'd for the desire of a Simoniacal purchase It did well enough become desperate Judas in an humour to hang himself out of the way for his treachery to his innocent Master fear and despair did drive him to his wits end But he that is confirm'd in Christianity is of a far better resolution and more gracious temper If he offend as who doth not he is not as are some ungodly high-minded but hath learn'd of the Apostle rather like a good child to fear Nor as others hopeless but is both an importunate suiter unto Heaven for mercy and withall zealously addicted to Pauls exercise Act. 24.16 which is to have a good conscience void of offence toward God and toward men In one word From Jacob's fear in coming unprovided into that place which he imagined to be the house of God Learn we when we come into the house of God Eccl. 5.1 as the Preacher warns us to keep our feet from rushing unadvisedly into it our ears from listning to what doth not become it our tongues from uttering any thing rashly in it our heart from hastily conceiting either superstitiously or prophanely of it the whole man from unreverently abusing it 't is the gate of Heaven And here I make a stand God in mercy grant us his Peace to settle our unquiet minds his Spirit to rule our untamed hearts his Joy to solace our afflicted souls his Grace to rectifie our disordered passions his Fear to restrain our unruly wills That by his Peace we may rest in quiet to his Spirit we may yield obedience with his Joy we may be ever cheered in his Fear we may live and die to live with him for ever To whom Father Son and Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory by Angels by men in heaven in earth world without endâ— Amen ORDINE QVISQVE SVO OR THE Excellent Order 1 COR. 11.3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man and the bead of Christ is God GOD is the God of order and he will have not only some things but all things done in order he commands order commends order delights in order and will have order both in Substantials and Circumstantials in Reals and in Rituals 'T is the Devil who is the Author of disorder and confusion he knows if order go up his Kingdom must go down and therefore he doth his utmost to hinder it Omne ordinatum pulchrum Cant. 6.10 Order is the glory of all Societies A well-ordered Family Army City are comely sights It makes the Church fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners Hence God hath set an Order in heaven an Order in Hell an Order amongst Angels an Order amongst the starres an Order amongst Rational creatures an Order amongst sensitive Creatures the very Bees have a King and ruler over them And as it is the glory so it is the safety Take away this and we shall be all in confusion if there were not an Order in the Sea it would over flow the land and drown all The air would poyson us the creatures destroy us and every man would destroy another It s good then or every man to be bound the best are but in part regenerate and being left to themselves may fall into dangerous sins and errors shall therefore insist upon that which is here by the blessed Apostle propounded viz. A pattern of the most excellent Order This Portion of Divine truth is divided into three heads 1. The head of every man which is Christ 2. The head of the woman which is the man 3. The head of Christ which is God For the First The head of every man which is Christ No man is excluded from subjection unto him in regard of his universal dominion and that imperial power by which he ruleth all creatures after which manner he is the head of every wicked man also and of the Devils themselves which thing they do beleeve and at which they tremble But yet in a more peculiar manner and crytical sence he is the head of every man that is elected to life in regard of his special dominion called Dominium officii the dominion of his office whereby he ruleth in the Church of God in which manner he is the head of every man only that is a lively and real member of his mystical body inseperably united unto him by the inviolable bond of the spirit of grace whether he be Jew or Gentile Barbarian or Scythian bond or free rich or poor Whereupon issues this consequence that Christ being the head of every true member of the Church He is also the head of the whole Church Concerning which these two points are to be handled 1. According to what nature 2. In what respect Christ is the head of the Church As for the first point Christ is the head of the Church according to both natures both his divine and humane both which are two springs whence do flow several Observations In that Christ as God is head I Observe 1. The perpetuity of the Church the gates of hell shall not prevail against it 2. That with all reverent respect obedience is to be rendred by us to Christ in all things 3. That albeit Christ be ascended to his Father and our Father to his God and our God yet is not the Church left destitute of an head on earth for heaven and earth is fil'd with the glorious Majesty of his Deity and the Church with the special presence of his Spirit In that Christ as man is head of the Church I Observe 1. That his affection to us is intimate the sence of our miseries in him accute and he most prompt and inclind to help us in all extremities 2. That we may solace our selves wipe away all teares from our eyes and banish all sorrow from our hearts for that nothing is left Satan to triumph for over us being that Christ in our nature hath overcome Satan As for the second point In what respects Christ is the head of the Church My meditations are grounded upon the relation which the head hath to the members and this consists 1. In a
Saints from professing the Truth so neither did the hideous dealings and tyrannous pursuits affright the Saints and faithful Martyrs of our times who vowed their lives and fortunes to the service of God witness the Saints in the time of the Ten Persecutions witness the English Martyrs in the time of Queen Mary the most Christian resolution of the German Princes who cleaving to the doctrine of Luther forsaking Popery protested that they would defend it to the death Heyl. and hence were first called Protestants I have read that the Prince of Lorain giveth for his Device An armed Arm coming as it were from Heaven and grasping a naked sword to shew that he holdeth his Estate by no other tenure than God and his sword Such may be the Device of the Saints to shew that they hold their Religion and eternal estate on inheritance by no other tenure than God and the sword of his Spirit which is his Word It was Caesar's speech every-where where he fought That he fought for Honour but in one place above the rest for his Life But Gods Saints ever for both Niteris in cassum Christi submeâ—gere puppem Fluctuat at nunquam mergiturâ—lla ratis But he in whose sight precious is the death of his Saints hath his victorious arm stretched out for their protection They are like reeds and tender plants which yield to a surious wind but the blustring storm once overblown recover their former straightness Gad saith Jacob prophetically a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at last So the Church of God dispersed over the earth toss'd to and fro did and shall receive many overthrows but at lastâ—t shall overcome Adhuc in saeculo sumus adhuc in acie constituti c. saith Cyprian We are yet in the world Cypr. yet militant in the front of Gods army like the forlorne hope we fight daily for our lives with Paul we die daily We must therefore husband our opportunity the best we may that we may persevere so in the narrow and strait passage of Praise and Glory If we continue unto the end we shall be assuredly saved For after our storm of misery is past we shall breathe in a free aire in a world without an end Thus you have seen the Conflict of the Saints mark now the issue of it 1. They cannot be overcome 2. They cannot but overcome And this honour have all his Saints First They cannot be overcome for they are defended with the potent arm of the Almighty who never forsaketh them in their extremity but in their greatest weakness manifesteth his strength and granteth deliverance when most desperate He forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever The Israelites in Egypr David preserved by Saul Psal 37.28 the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions den were wonderfully preserved And hence the Saints in all ages since mightily sustained yea even in death some by that God whose hand is not shortned that it cannot save Quosdam aperte liberavit Aug. quosdam occulte coronavit saith Austin on that Psalm Some he openly redeemed and some he crowned in secret The profoundest stratagem though fetcht from the lowest pit of hell cannot work their ruine There is no inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel In God do they put their trust and care not what man can do unto them The Lord of Hosts is with them the God of Jacob is their refuge Nec plus ad dijiciendum praevalet terrena poena Cypr. quâ—m ad erigendum tutela divina saith a Father Earthly tortures cannot prevail more to pull them down than Divine protection to raise them up Though they fall Flebile principium meâ—â—or fortuna sequctur yet shall they rise though they sit in darkness yet shall the Lord be light about them Mic. 7.8 As an Eagle fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings so doth the Lord by his special providence support his Saints and bear them up on the wings of his protection into the land of the living Thus the Saints cannot be overcome Secondly They cannot but overcome There are more and of greater power that fight for them than against them Greater is he that is in them than is he that is in the world Be of good cheer saith Christ who in the Revelation is stiled the King of Saints I have overcome the world Qui pro nobis mortuus semel vicit semper vincit in nobis He that once dying hath overcome for us doth ever overcome in us Cypr. Ep. 9. Wherefore like a potters vessel shall their and our enemies be broken in pieces Kings shall be tyed in fetters of iron and great fear shall be on all people None are able to resist that power by which they fight the battels of the Lord Rather than resist they will adde the wings of fear to the feet of cowardise and flie away The Devil and all will flie away if resisted It was Zuinglius his prophesie Scio veritatem superaturam esse ubi ossa mea in favillam redacta fuerint acciditur quidem Christus fed brevi resurgit ac de hostibus triumphat I know that Truth will overcome Luther even when my bones are consumed to ashes Christ is slain in his Saints but he with them will shortly rise and triumph over his and their enemies A resolute Christian spake it He that suffers for a moment overcomes once but he that always enters the lists to conflict with pain and tortures non vincitur quotidie coronatur is nover vanquish'd but daily crowned Let this add spirit to your heart of grace That when occasion offers it self ye may not be dismayed at the grim countenance of the fiercest adversary nor flinch at the most pinching torments that hell can invent Though the Earth move round as Copernious imagined yet are ye on sure ground on the Rock Christ Jesus And be assured the day will be your own though ye think it long Quo â—ongior pugna hoc corona sublimior The longer the fight the more glorious the trown Cypr. Ep. 16. The consideration of this may make you as the Jews when they escaped pernicious Haman's plot to take away their lives have light and gladness and joy and honor For as the Jews had the killing so shall you with the rest of the Saints have the judging of your enemies their overthrow shall be your rejoycing Be not ye therefore like the Turks Janizaries now more factious in the Court than valiant in the Camp but go out in the strength of the Lord fight the good fight of faith finish your course with joy and lay hold upon eternal life for we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Post pluvias serenitatem pest tenebras lucem post procellas placidam lenitatem post miseriam gloriam mittet Deus The Everlasting God will send unto
Bernard Bern. But the Spouse in the Canticles saith that the Pillars of the Church are made of Marble standing on Bases of gold made of Marble therefore strong made of Marble standing on Bases of gold therefore glorious to behold Such the Apostles glorious for their good life for their constancy in faith thus many glorious things are spoken of thee O City O Church of God I may say Helcath-â—azzurim O thou field of strong men many glorious things are spoken of thee Solomon erected two Pillars in the Porch of the Temple that on the right hand he called Jachin that is he shall establish that on the left hand he called Boaz in it is strength by the first is meant if you believe Hugo Peter by the last Paul but give me leave to say all Christ's Apostles were like these two Pillars against the assaults of Satan for the gates of hell did not could not prevail against them shall not cannot against Gods faithful messengers Therefore Elias was called the Charets and horsemen of Israel that is Israels strength So God said unto Jeremy Jerem. 1. Behold I have made thee this day a walled City and a Pillar of iron And besides Pillars I may call the Apostles Lions like those two that stood besides Solomons throne for strength and beauty As strong so high like Kings high and mighty 1 King 10. high like Saul higher by head and shoulders than any other people by head for the understanding the mysteries of Religion by the shoulders to support them near heaven the higher the Pillar the nearer heaven Mighty like Sampson that they may pull down the rotten pillars of the adversaries on their head High to see over being overseers of Gods heritage Mighty because ordained to pull down the strong holds of Satan casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Nemo sibi de suo palpet quâ—sque sibi Satan est and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. High belonging to the most High they must reach to heaven over Nations over Kingdoms Jer. 1.10 Mighty not in Word only but in power and much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 Hence they are called able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 Thus they were and Gods Ministers are as the people of Canaan in respect of the Israelites Deut. 1.28 greater and taller than they who is able to stand before them But let not this make them high-minded for the greater a man is the more he ought to bow down under mercies and humble himself The authority of the Gospel must not be defended with high looks they must not look big about them on the businesse lest the pestilence of Ambition creep in among the Evangelical vertues saith Erasmus on John 6. Erasmus in Joh. 6. Therefore though great and high yet humble like unto Piramids seeming smallest where highest Thus Paul in nothing I am behind the chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 12.11 here 's his greatnesse here 's his height though I be nothing here 's his humility here 's his lowlinesse He is something he is nothing riddle me this Of this after The Pillars of the Tabernacle were upright so as also the Pillars of Solomons Temple So were the Apostles so must Ministers Paul said unto the lame man stand upright on thy feet the Lord said unto the Levites thou shalt be upright and sincere with the Lord thy God upright fide conscientiâ holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience Hence proceed purity of doctrine 1 Tim. 3.9 good endeavour conscionable diligence good example not to be carried away with diverse strange doctrines Heb. 10.23 but holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea Jam. 1.6 driven with the wind and tossed Upright in faith without bending either to the right hand or to the left left they fall and great be the fall of them for by faith ye stand 2 Cor. 1.24 From my former speech I deduce this consequence we may make these Pillars our pillows as Jacob made the stone his Gen. 28. where we may lie down secure sleep quietly without disturbance rest comfortably without annoyance Malè cubans suaviter dormit faeliciter dormiat Here we may find what Jacob found where he lay the gate of heaven I mean Christ I am the door saith he Now let us make this use that we maintain and not budge from the doctrine of the Apostles Take heed faith the Lord Adpenuitatem benefitiorum necessariò sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum Panormkan that thou forsake not the Levites as long as thou livest on the earth Deut. 12.19 Would therefore Papists know our Religion Would they know the Judge of all controversies We produce all the Apostles as witnesses of our Religion every Apostle as a several Pillar and all of them together as an heap on whose doctrine we rely This again is our confession this our profession as Jacob said unto Laban concerning the Pillars that they erected Gen. 31.51 So say we of all and every one of these Pillars behold this heap and behold this Pillar which I have cast betwixt us this heap be witnesse and this Pillar be witnesse that I will not passe over this heap to thee and that thou shalt not passe over this heap unto me for harme If you would know the reason take it their words are Gods words Gods Oracles No buckram * Of Rome Bishop of them all no Jesuites Knights of the Post can passe currant without Gods warrant Thus saith the Lord. In a word let me use a word of exhortation I direct it to such as be Ministers indeed be strong and beautiful in life and doctrine for how beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of salvation be upright in faith and a pure conscience awake awake put on thy strength O Zion Isa 52.1 put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem and as they so shall we be Such honour have all his Saints Psal 149.9 I cannot passe over these Pillars yet yet I will not stay long on them We read that the Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day Exod. 13.21 So doth he now this blessed day this Sunshine of the Gospel go before us in a cloud of Witnesses Prophets Patriarchs Apostles we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 We read also the Lord went before them in a Pillar of fire he goes before us in the Apostles as in Pillars of fire that give light unto us in this night of sin this vale of misery this shadow of death John Baptist was a burning lamp and the Apostles were the light of the world faith Christ Suâ fide sua doctrinà suis operibus luminaria facts sunt By their faith by their doctrine by their works they were made stars
grace that was given him Once a profest Enemy to Christianity now a profest Preacher of the Gospel of grace Once a Subverter of Gods Church now a Converter unto Gods Church On whom I will pass my censure as one did on Origen for his writing Vbi bene nemo melius â—bi male nemb pejus Where he hath done well none did better where ill none worse We read of two names that were given him Saul and Paul Hierom. S. Hierom is of opinion that he was first called Saul and by converting Sergius Paulus to the faith received that name Paul tanquam trophaeum as a victory Others suppose that he being a Pharisee was called Saul but after his conversion Paul that his Religion being changed he changed his name Origen thinks he had two names Origen as Matthew is called Levi and Solomon Jedidiah But it matters not much whether you call him Saul or Paul In both names is contained a Prognostication of good Saul signifies Lent of the Lord Lent of the Lord to try his people lent of the Lord to convert the Elect yet unregenerate lent of the Lord to confirm all in the faith of Jesus Christ praedicando precando by preaching praying by preaching to them by praying for them lent of the Lord to glorifie his Name by doing his will here on earth as it is in heaven As lent of the Lord so lent to the Lord As Hannah said of Samuel I have lent him unto the Lord as long as he liveth he shall be to the Lord. 1 Sam. 1.28 And as for his other name Paul that signifies Wonderful or Rest Wonderful for his Conversion for his Conversation All that heard him preach were amazed Act. 9. Wonderful for his Conversion respecting circumstances Light from heaven shining about him his blindness his falling to the earth going with a bloody mind post-haste to Damascus his hearing of a voice from heaven his trembling and astonishment his receiving of his sight by Ananias Wonderful for his Conversation in preaching in working miracles casting out evil spirits healing the sick whether absent or present Wonderful for patience in tribulation in labours in perils in death in all miseries In a word wonderful for faith See my Waters of Marah for life for doctrine wisdom understanding And here he took up his Rest resting from blaspheming Gods Name resting from persecuting Gods chosen Israel resting from all errors of faith of doctrine of life for a time in grace and now for ever by grace in glory by the grace that was given him And forasmuch as he was of the Tribe of Benjamin we may apply unto him the prophesie and blessing that Jacob gave to Benjamin Benjamin shall raven as a wolf in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil Paul in his youth before his Conversion as a ravening Wolf persecuted and devoured the faithful but being made of a ravening Wolf as quiet as a Lamb he distributed the food of the Gospel unto the world by the grace that was given unto him Baronius speaking of Paul Baronius derives his name from the Latine word Paulus little We read of King Saul how he debased himself Am not I a Benjamite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 9.21 1 Cor. 15.9 Paulus quasi Paululus and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin We read the like of our Saul I am the least of the Apostles that am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God but by the grace of God I am what I am And again I am made a Minister of the Gospel according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me Opulentissima metâ—lla quo um in also latent venae unto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 9. So that Paul thus despicable in his own sight Sen. ep 23. Ruth 2.10 might say unto the Lord as Ruth said unto Boaz Why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldst take knowledge of me Thus you have heard of the Man who was inricht with the rich treasures of spiritual wisdom concerning whom I may demand of you as Pharaoh did of his servants concerning Joseph Can we find such a one as this is a man in whom the Spirit of God is Unto which demand I annex Pharaoh's answer Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this there is none so discreet and wise as thou art O Paul Therefore as Tully was called Phaenix Oratorum the Phenix of Orators Lactantius Phaenix Christianorum the Phenix of Christians and Cyprian the Christian Caesar Why not Paul Phaenix Apostolorum the Phenix or None-such of Apostles For his rare vertues for his invaluable gifts for the light of grace seen known understood perceived of James Cephas and John which when they had seen known understood and perceived they gave unto him the right hand of fellowship And thus I come to the act of union Grace brings in love and love union whereof it is an affection Perceived the grace that was given unto me they gave unto me and Barnabas the right hund of fellowship 1 Sam. 3.8 When they perceived Gods graces to him in him as Eli perceived that the Lord called the child Samuel they gave unto me the right hand of fellowship dextras societatis they made him a right Benjamite by spiritual union a son of the right hand they admit him into their fraternity or as Citizens speak they make him brother of their company Thus they go hand in hand to shew that Birds of a feather flock together Men indued with the same graces called by the same Spirit must be hand-fastned and heart-fastned by the same Gordian knot of love Let me not transcend the limits of these words I take it then that we have infimated here unto us the sweet harmony the consent the sympathy between the Ministers of the Gospel of grace This is pleasant musick in the ears of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Psal 133. The curtains coupled together compassing the Tabernacle typically represented the concord and agreement of Ministers So a garment without seam about Christ the true Tabernacle full of Gods glory in whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily Their agreement must be like unto that of the parts of mans body exprest by Hippocrates one agreement one confluence all consenting being tied and united by the strong ligament of grace or love This union is spiritual therefore it must be an union of spirits an union of unions a meeting of friends exprest by the text fellowship But if you would know what fellowship you may find it Phil. 1.5 a fellowship in the Gospel and ver 27. stedfast in
which the former was a dark shadow is the third Heaven which for the fulness of pleasure and joy is so called Hierom comforting a young Hermite bade him look up to Heaven Paradisum mente deambulare to take a few turns in Paradise by his meditations assuring him that so long as he had Paradise in his mind and Heaven in his thought Tamdiu in eremo non eris He should not be sensible of his solitariness To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life Rev. 2.7 which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Of the Sea Sea THE Sea is the seat and source of waters Mare quast amarum because the Sea-water is bitter and salt There are three things in it specially considerable viz. 1. The turbulency of it so stormy and turbulent that it threatneth to overwhelm all To overwhelm the ships sailing upon it to overwhelm the dry land encompassing of it and it would do both if God did not bound it saying Hitherto shalt thou come but no further here shall thy proud waves be stayed Did not God put an everlasting Law upon it it would be lawless 2. There is a wonderful capaciousness in the Sea the water they say is ten times bigger than the earth the Air ten times greater than the water and the fire than the Air. It is so big and broad so extensive and vast that it takes in all the waters that come off the land into its bosome and yet feels no access 3. The Sea is of mighty strength Though we say Weak as water water is a weak element in one sense yet in another water is a strong element so strong that it bears down all before it and bears all the storms that rage upon it Canutus confuted his flacterers who told him that all things in his Dominions were at his beck and check by laying his command on the sea to come up no higher into his Land but it obeyed him not Illi rebor as triplex Circa pectus erat Horat. Od. 1.1 3 Virgil. qui fragilem truci Commisit pelago ratem Primus nec timuit praecipitem Africum c. Tollimur in Caelum curvato gurgite Gen. 1.10 iidem Subduct â ad manes imos descendimus undâ Hence some have doubted whether Mariners were to be reckoned amongst the living or the dead But wisely said he Qui nescit orare discat navigare He that cannot pray let him go to Sea and there he will learn And the gathering together of the Waters Gen. 1.21 called he Seas Fish The power of God is great in forming the fishes of the Sea Especially if we consider three things about them 1. Their number Inter omaes bestias nibil est faecundius piscibus igitur tranâ—fertur ad multiplicationâ— immensum as tous they are infinite Therefore how emphatically is their encrease exprest When God created them it is said The Waters brought forth abundantly No sort of creatures that multiply so fast as fishes Who is able to report the number of these Sea-inhabitants 2. If we consider their various kinds Naturalists observe that there is no creature upon the earth but hath as I may say its representative in the Sea besides those that have nothing like them on the earth 3. Many of these inhabitants of the waters are wonderful for the vastness and greatness of their bodies The greatest of all living creatures are in the Sea We will only instance in the Leviathan unto whom the Elephant is little Pliny tells of one taken that was 600. foot in length and 360. in breadth Plin. lib. 32. cap. 1. when they swim and shew themselves above water Annare insulas putes saith the same Author you would think them to be so many Islands so many Mountains saith another who also addeth that when they grow old they grow to that bigness and fatness that they keep long in a place Insomuch as ex collectis condensatis pulveribus frutices erumpere cernantur the dust and filth gathered upon their backs seems to be an Island which while shipmen mistake and think to land at they incurre a great deal of danger The great and Wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable Ps 104.25 26. both small and great beasts There is that Leviathan made to play therein Ships The use of ships was first shewed by God in Noah's Ark whence afterwards No art which helps more to enrich a Nation Audax Japeti genus Japhets off-spring sailed and replenished the Islands Of the Low-Countrey-men it is said Peterent Coelum navibus Belgae si navibus peti posset A ship is a fabrick for the Sea a house upon the Sea a moveable house and as it moveth variably so it moveth swiftly the inconstancy of the winds makes the motion of the ship unconstant and the strength of the winds makes the motion of the ship swift Whatsoever they do who are within the ship the ship moves on if they prepare it for motion Labitur uncta vadis abies Virgil. The ship seems willing to be at the Haven as soon as may be Let our souls be like a ship that is made little and narrow downward but more wide and broad upward Let them be ships of desire hasting heaven-ward and then let our days pass away as they can we shall be but the sooner at home Mortality shall appear to be no small mercy There go the ships They that go down to the Sea in ships Psa 14.26.107.23 24. that do business in great waters These see the Works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep c. Homo NVllum animal morosius est nullum majore arte tractandum Senec. quà m homo Nay which is worse Homo homini lupus homo homini Daemon Therefore saith David Let me not fall into the hands of men as though they were like Cadmus souldiers ad internecionem nati Yet man is magnum miraculum mundi Epitome imaginis image Imago mundi in corpore Dei in animâ In mans composition there is a shadow of the Trinity for to make up one man Ea fere bominum natura 〈◊〉 omnes sua mirentur aliena despiciant Julian there is an elementary body a divine soul and a firmamental spirit Here is the difference in God there are three Persons in one essence in us three essences in one person So in the soul there is a Trinity of powers vegetable sensitive and rational The former would only be the second be and be well the third be well and be for ever O excellent Nature in which Cabinet ten thousand forms may sit at once Vocabulum Homo est duorum substantiarum fibula Man is a heavenly thing for his soul though earthly in regard of his body Man being Lord of these graces should sit no longer in the vale of tears but ascend the Mountain of glory he should fly to the Trumpet calling to
cutting off of the foreskin of the flesh set out that of the fore-skin of the heart neither was to be omitted not that of the flesh because faederally enjoined nor that of the heart because Mystically signified by that of the flesh and being the substance of it Circumcise the fore-skin of your heart Deut. 10.16 Circumcision made without hands c. Pascal Lambe As Israel was corporally and typically delivered by the blood of Paschal Lambe so are we spiritually and truly purchased by the blood of Christ our hearts being sprinkled therewith Exod. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the hysop-bunch of faith and our bodies washed with pure water For there was not onely an effusion but an affusion namely to the lintel and door-cheeks with a spunge of hysop And as the blood so sprinkled did assure them of their deliverance from the plague and judgment of God that though never so many were slain among the Egyptians yet none of their first-born should lose their lives the destroying Angel should not enter into their houses even so the blood of Christ sprinkled on our consciences by the spunge of faith keepes away the Devil from us Where this blood is sprinkled the Devil can there have no entrance or possession Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 Manna The Hebrew Manna is quite different and contrary to that of the Apothecaries Exod. 16. which is a Syriack dew and will neither melt with the sun nor putrify in the night neither is it hard nor fit for food which the Israelites Manna was but for Physick onely To this speaks Dr. Browne Pseud Epid. p. 300. what Meteor that was that sed the Israelites so many years they must rise again to inform us Nor do they make it out who will have it the same with our Manna nor will any one kind thereof or hardly all kinds we read of be able to answer the qualities thereof delivered in Scripture that is to fall upon the ground to breed worms to melt with the sun to tast like fresh oyl to be grounded in Milns to be like Coriander seed and of the colour of Bdellium Thus heâ— Certainly it was delicate fare as might beseem Angels to eat if they did eat any at all Such as the Poets fain to be their Nectar and Ambrosia The Nanna came down in the dew so doth Christ the bread of life in the Ministery of the Word Man did eat Angels food Psal 78.25 I am that bread of life John 6.18 Religion and Religious Exercises Religio TRue Religion is a grace of God whereby we know and worship the true God according to his own will In which description here is to be observed The original It is a grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I call it to distinguish it from all false religions which are not from God nor supernal but from men and nature and therefore are called Will-worship Col. 2.23 The Object of true Religion and that 's the true God and things of God and in all the matters of Religion we must keep God in our eye the special way of glorifying God here upon earth and the onely means appointed to make us like unto God Neither is it any thing else but the way unto God and the happy meanes to bring us into communion with God which is true beatitude 1 Joh. 1.3 The Act of it and that 's twofold 1. That whereby we know God And this is the first act of Religion because ignorance leads men every way but unto God Gal 4.8 Act. 17.23 Where there is no true knowledge of God there can be no true worship of God Rom. 10.14 And besides the knowledge of his Divine Nature must frame the right manner of his Worship We must both know what he is in himself and what he is to us Exod. 20.2 Hebr. 11.6 2. The second Act of Religion is that whereby we religiously worship the true God onely for it teacheth that all Divine worship belongs to him alone 1 Sam. 7.3 Mat. 4.10 God is of the nature of those things which must be had alone No man can serve two Masters at once one woman cannot have two husbands at once Now God is our alone Master and a jealous husband who admits of no corrival Furthermore whatsoever is to be worshipped is superior to him that worshippeth But only the true God is superior to the soul of man Saints are our equals Angls our fellow-servants Rev. 19.10 And all the other works of God much more the works of men are far mans inferiors Object The last thing observable in the description is the rule and measure of true Religion which is the will of God Deut. 10.12 Mic. 6.8 Isa 1.22 That 's a Religion not pleasing to God 1. Which hath a wrong rise or spring With too many Religion is passeable as Coyn because it hath the States stamp upon it viz. Custome and formality and not chosen upon mature deliberation 2. Which harh not subjection to the Principles of it viz. Regeneration Faith Sanctification c. Which are Principia constitutionis 3. Which hath other ends than God hath propounded or intended in the same The two heads of Religion or the two main hinges upon which all Religion turneth are 1. Purity of Doctrine or soundness of opinion 2. And cleanness of practice or holinesse of life Here 's the character of a Christian in his compleatnesse these two constitute a perfect man These were typified in the old law by the Vrim and Thummim set in the breast-plate of the High-Priest This Motto fitted not onely the Priests of the Old Testament or the Ministers of the New but befits every Christian every true beleever should bear this upon his breast It is an ill hearing and a sad spectacle when these two are seperated Themselves are in an ill condition and they are fit instruments to make others worse Unfound Doctrine frets like a canker and an unclean life is catching like a leprosie We are aptest to take an unfound Doctrine from those whose lives are clean and we are aptest to imitate their unclean lives whose Doctrine is found The jealous and just God hateth and plagueth halting betwixt two dow-baked duties lukewarmness neutrality and all mixtures in Religion his soul loathes all such speckled birds plowing with an Oxe and an Asse mingled seeds linfey-wolsey garments Levit. 19.19 Those were wretched times Jerem. 2.28 When it was said The tale of Proteus can no longer be a fable when the business of Religion in England may be the Moral Turk Hist fol. 211. according to the number of thy Cities are thy gods O Judah When people multiply to themselves as many religions so I may say as Pigeons 't is more than possible they pursue none to purpose It is said of Tâ—merlanâ— he disliked of no man for his Religion whatsoever so as he did worship but one onely God Creatour of heaven and earth and
all that therein is being himself of opinion that God in Essence one and in himself immutable without change or diversity yet for the manifesting of his omnipotency and power as he had created in the world sundry kinds of people much differing both in nature manners and condition and yet all framed to the image of himself So was he also contented to be of them diversly served according to the diversity of their nature and manners But there is but one true Religion 1. Because there is but one true God the object of true Religion Eph. 4.4 2. Because there but is one end and scope of Christian life and duty and that is eternal blessedness and one way to that mark which is Christ himself and one walking in that way which is Christian practice 3. Because there can be no agreement together of two divers religions no more than iron and clay can be tempered together 2 Còr. 6.14 15 Joh. 4.24 4. Because of the express word of God 1. Commanding straitly that himself be worshipped alone and enduring no compeer Exod. 20.3 2. Prohibiting that no tribe or family man or woman should turn his heart from the Lord to any other God Deut. 29 18. 3. Threatning severely to stretch out his hand upon them that swear by the Lord and by Malcham Zeph. 1.5 4. Executing his wrath and displeasure upon this mixture of Religion spewing out of his mouth those that are neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.16 Popish religion saith Were I to chuse a religion to license lasciviousness and gratifie the flesh it should be the Popish Religion said Sir Walt. Rawl that a lewd miscreant or infidel in the businesse of the Altar partakes of the true holy and blood of Christ that men may save the labour of searching for that it is both easy and safe to beleeve with the Church at a venture the bare act of the Sacrament confers grace without faith that the meer signe of the Crosse made by a Jew or infidel is of force to drive away the Devil that Masse in the very work wrought doth not onely pardon our sins in this life but when we lye frying in purgatory that Almes given merit heaven dispose to justification satisfy God for sin that abstinence from some meates and drinks is meritorious that indulgences may dispence with sin afterward to be comitted that one man may deliver anothers soul out of torments So that he that wants neither mony or friends needs not fear the smart of sins O Religion sweet to the wealthy to the needy desperateâ— Valdus of France Wickliffe of England Hierom of Prague and Luther of Germany framed not a new Church but reformed the old they endeavoured and not without happy success to cleanse and scoure restore and reforme those Churches which were foiled filthily with the blemishes of disorder and errour Cardinal Wolsey when bidden not for to fear the King loved him as well as ever he did said that was not the cause of his sadnesse but had he served God as diligently as he had done the King he would never bave forsaken him in his gray hairs Anselmus A godly person seeing a woman curious about her person to please her lover and himself not so diligent to please his God cryed out O miserable man whom so infinite love blessings and riches cannot provoke to such carâ— and diligence of pleasing God Tertul. as the vilest things do make our industry to please the Devil Religion is the greatest enemy to religion the false to the true Favos etiam vespae faciunt Omnia cum liceant non licet esse pium Wasps also make combs though instead of honey we find Gun-powder Traytours against Kings and Kingdomes must be punished in an high degree and great reason But why when hourely we hear high treason against God goes that uncensured so much as with a word The Egyptians worshipped whatsoever they conceived comely And Zenophanes saith if beasts could paint they would pourtray God to their own shape and feature because they can conceive no further Fourteen principal cities in Germany protested for Luther from whence came the name of the Protestant Religion It was the offer of great Cham the Tartarian Prince Tuus Pontifâ—x meus Pontifex 〈◊〉 tuus Lutherus meus Lutherus eâ—â—o Buâ—â—ing of whom Lipsius reports that when Stephanus the mighty King of Poland was departed sent a Legate to them telling them he would be of any religion if he might reign Of Charles the fifth Emperour it is said his actions that seemed most favourable were the most pernicious to Religion However truth of Religion is not to be judged by the prosperity or adversity of the Professours Religion is rather a setler than stickler in Policy if they work otherwise they labour out of their vineyard and move out of their proper spheare Far then is Religion from overthrowing government or everting the degrees of superiority and inferiority that be among men True indeed we are all one in Christo Gal. 3.28 but not in mundo in Christ but not in the world Christ died indifferently for all that is for servants as well as for masters yet the degrees that be in the world must be retained and acknowledged to the end of the world Yet in all ages Religion hath been slandered Elias was called a troubler Paul an Innovator Luther a trumpeter of rebellion Melanchton a blasphemer of God and his Saints Calvin a Mahometan Zanchius an Anabaptist a Zwenckfeldian a Novatian and what not Contra Sychophantae morsum non est remedium Arminius paved his way first by aspersing the fame and authority of Calvin Zuinglius Beza Martyr and other champions of the truth The Papists reported the Waldenses those ancient Protestants to be Manichees Arrians Catharists c. As they do us to be Libertines Enthusiasts Atheists c. Thus they set their mouths against heaven and their tongue walketh through the earth Psal 73.9 But well said one God will cut out such false tongues Psal 12.3 And broyl them upon coales of Juniper Psal 120.4 However Religion is both the bulwark and beauty muniment and ornament of a land Even as Sampsons strength and glory lay in his hair so doth the strength and glory of a land consist in Gods sincere service which if it should be shaved and deprived of though every shower were a shower of gold saith a Divine every stone in the land a pearle every beggar an honourable Senator every fool as wise as Solomon every weakling as strong as Sampson yet for all our wealth honour strength wisdome and glory we shall sing a doleful Miserere with Phineas wife The glory is departed for Religion is gone If any man among you seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue Jam. 1.26 27. but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows