of life the graue the putting off of mortalitie and corruption To be short b Esa 11.9 There shall be nothing to hurt or to destroie in all the mountaine of the Lordes holinesse c Ioh. 10.28 nothing to pull the sheepe of Christ out of his handes but d Rom. 8.28 all things worke togither for good and for the best to them that loue God And why so Because all the enimies of Christ that is to say all our enimies are become his footestoole and in him a footestoole vnto vs. And thus shall Christes enimies serue for his vse for the vse of his Church vntill the daie come that that which is heere prophecied shall be perfectly fulfilled when all the enimies of Christ nowe alreadie ouercome shall be vtterly destroied and abolished when there shall be none to tempt vs none to trouble vs when sinne shall bee quite done awaie when e Reuel 20.10.14 the diuell and the beast and the false prophet and death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire that burneth for euer when f Reu. 7.16.17 20.4 God shall wipe awaie all teares from the eies of his when they shall hunger no more thirst no more when the sunne and heate shall no more light vpon them and there shall be no more death nor sorow nor crying nor any more paine but g 1. Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all 15 To conclude h Psal 74.3 God will for euer destroy euerie enimie that doth euill to his sanctuarie all tyrants persecutors oppugners of his Church Howsoeuer they seeme to haue power in their handes euen at their owne will yet Christ sitteth aboue them at the right hand of God they shall be made his footestoole confusion shall be their portion as in al ages God hath shewed and will shew vnto the end and specially in the end as remaineth further to bee spoken at the ende of this Psalme God the father graunt vnto vs for his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ his sake the grace of his holie spirit whereby through the knowledge of his holie word we may framed to the obedience of his holy will that wee may serue him faithfully and truely according to his commandement the whole course of this life that when it shall please him to take vs out of this mortall life we may be made partakers of that eternall life and blessednes which he hath promised in the world to come through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. To God the father God the sonne and God the holie Ghost be all honour glorie praise dominion might maiestie and power both nowe and for euermore Amen The second Sermon the same day in the afternoone Verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod or scepter of thy power out of Sion be thou a ruler or beare thou rule in the middest of thine enimies IN the former Sermon wee haue seene the sonne of Dauid installed and enthroned to the seate and maiestie of his kingdome In this second verse is set foorth the meanes whereby and the maner how this kingdome is founded and established Foure things to be obserued in the second verse First therefore we are to obserue from hence what it is whereby the subiects of this kingdome are gathered vnto Iesus Christ and gouerned vnder him which is the rod or scepter of his power Secondly from whence this scepter proceedeth the Lord shal send it Thirdly whence it hath his gooing foorth out of Sion Fourthly what successe and worke it hath he thereby beareth rule in the middest of his enimies 2 Now we see Christ heere brought in imperiall maner bearing his scepter in his hand for the scepter is one of the ensignes of princely maiestie The scepter an ensigne of princely maiestie Monarches and kings are woont to weare in their hand a rod or scepter in token of soueraigne and roiall authoritie and thereby to import that they in respect of whom they are kings are vnder their power and subiect to their stroke Thus therefore Iesus Christ whom God hath exalted and lifted vp to bee the Monarch and Lord of the whole worlde and hath assigned vnto him all power both in heauen and earth is saide to haue his scepter whereby hee doth exercise and declare his power for the building vp and gouerning of his Church Which scepter is called in the Psalme a Psal 45.6 the scepter of his kingdome whereby namely he exerciseth and administreth his kingdome And that we may vnderstand what this scepter is it is called also b Esa 11.4 the scepter or rod of his mouth which in the same place and elsewhere is termed also c ibib 2. Thess 2.8 the breath of his lips the breath of his mouth Now what is it that proceedeth from the mouth and is formed with the breath but only the word The word of Christ therefore is the Scepter of his kingdome The Scepter of Christ is his word The word of of Christ why called the Scepter of his power And it is here called the Scepter of his power because therein appeareth his might and power working great and wonderfull things beyond the opinion and expectation of the world Which we may obserue both in the course and passage that this word hath had through the world and in the speciall effects and works that it hath wrought and doth worke in this passage The power of Christ appearing in the passage of his word through the world 3 We see how in the beginning it went forth as the Sunne no power could hinder the going of it It was put into the mouthes not of Philosophers and Oratours but poore fishermen and tentmakers and toulegatherers and by their hand being men of no commendation to the world subdued more nations to the kingdome of Christ then sword and battell could euer bring in subiection vnto the great Empire of Rome The world did striue against it and it ouercame the world the Scepters of Princes strooke at it to beate it downe and Princes scepters gaue it way whether they would or not They bound the preachers of it but it selfe was as the winde which cannot be bound nor stayed from his course Neither policie nor strength could hinder it but that it ouerthrew their customes cast downe their idols stopped the mouthes of their oracles and wrested from their deuils a confession of the power of God and so went on with victory and triumph till it had set vp the kingdome of Christ in the vtmost coastes and borders of the earth And haue not our own eies men and brethren seene the experience hereof in these latter times when Emperors and Princes and Popes and Prelates and the multitude of the world labored to put out the the light of the Gospell beginning againe to shine amidst the darkenes of Popery and by all their labour could auaile nothing They had countenance and counsell and strength they persecuted the professers of
a Tertul. in Apologet. ca. 5. dedicator damnationis nostrae as Tertullian calleth him that is the first that made a law to condemne Christians to death after all his villanies and cruelties being condemned himselfe by the Senate of Rome to be whipped to death to auoid this iudgement fled away by night and complaining that he coulde finde neither friend nor enimie to dispatch him but yet professing that as he had liued a shamefull life so he would die a shamefull death fell vpon his owne sword and killed himselfe Domitian who as Tertullian also speaketh was b Tertul. ibid. portio Neronis de crudelitate for his crueltie a piece of Nero was slaine in his chamber by the consent of his owne wife Hadrian was taught to rue his shedding of bloud by a horrible fluxe issue of his owne bloud wherewith he grew in the end to that exceeding torment as that he called for poison sword to dispatch himselfe Commodus a man for his lewdnesse and crueltie likened to those monsters Nero and Domitian was first poisoned by Martia his concubine and afterward strangled by Narcissus Seuerus the emperour was so cruelly tormented in his whole bodie as that he also desired poison to end his life Maximinus was torne in peeces of his owne souldiours Decius was drowned in a quagmire Valerius as was before said was taken by Sapores king of Persia after much indignitie his skin was flated off salt cast vpon his raw flesh so in miserable sort he ended his wretched life Dioclesian killed himselfe Galienus Aurelianus were slain by others Iulian the apostata after all his both violent and wily practises against Christ and his church in battel against the Persians was woūded to death and taking of his owne bloud in his hand sprinkleth it vpward perforce acknowledgeth the iudgemēt of Christ saying Vicisti tandem Galilaee Thou Galilean yet at length hast gotten the victorie These were tyrants and persecutors of the church and in them as in many more which it were to long to rehearse we see the wordes of the prophet verified that Christ should smite and wounde euen the very heads ouer great couniries Yea these our times haue not wanted verie notable and pregnant examples of this iudgement of the Lord. For if wee looke backe vnto them who haue bene the speciall authors of those massacres and murthers that haue beene committed vpon the professours of the Gospell we shall easily perceiue that God hath returned the bloud which they haue shed vpon their owne heades They haue come to feareful ends by lice by fluxe of bloud by poisoning by stabbing hauing first combined themselues to the destruction of the faithfull haue afterwards fallen to conspiring and practising one against another This is the worke of Christ this is his fearefull wrath that men may learne to stand in awe of him and not to abuse their greatnesse and power to the oppugning of his kingdome The vengeance of Christ ceaseth not to pursue and folow his enimies vntill it haue destroied them 15 There followeth now a word or two to be spoken of the last verse He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift vp his head The former part of which words is hard to be vnderstood neither will I take vpon me certeinly to determine the meaning thereof I like best to follow them who construe the same to the like purpose in generall as the words before as if the prophet hauing imported Christs victorie gotten against his enemies would further signifie that as a noble conquerour hauing wonne the battell and put the enemie to flight pursueth and followeth the chase with might and maine and the more instantly to presse them will not turne out of the way to refresh himselfe but is content to drinke of the brooke that he findeth in the way and so cutteth them of one and one vntill they be vtterly wasted and ouerthrowne euen so the sonne of God Iesus Christ with all wrath and furie shall prosecute his enemies and hold them still in chase and pursue them by his diuine power and sword of iudgement so that none of them shall escape but all shall fall vnder his hand Certeine it is that iust vengeance is still waiting at the heeles of the enemies of Christ and ceaseth not to follow them vntill it haue vtterly destroied them They may seeme for a time to flie and to escape their pompe and power may seeme to hide them and to shield them from the Lords hand but in the end he will ouertake them and find them out and pull them out of their holes and set his feete vpon their necks and poure vpon them euerlasting confusion Let no man flatter himselfe let no man be secure in enmitie against the Lord. Present standing is no warrant against future falling The sworde that hath not yet striken yet is gone foorth to strike and shall not returne vntill it a Psal 68.21 wound the head of Gods enimies and the curled pates of them that walke forward in their sinnes b 2. Pet. 2.3 whose iudgement long agone as Saint Peter saith is not farre of and their damnation sleepeth not Christs victorie and glorious triumph ouer all his enimies 16 The last words import the glorious triumph of Iesus Christ hauing now subdued all his enimies and cast them vnder his feete for euer Therefore shall he lift vp his head It may be taken either that Christ shall lift vp or holde vp his head or that God the father shall lift vp the head of his sonne Iesus Christ As holding downe the head betokeneth sorow and shame so the holding or lifting vp of the head betokeneth reioycing and triumph and glorie and full confidence of safetie and assured estate Thus shall Christ lift vp the head by way of triumphing and reioycing when he shall haue taken full vengeance of his aduersaries and freed not himselfe onely but the whole body of his church from the assaults and dangers of all enimies We see now that oftentimes though not in himselfe yet in his members he is faine to hang downe the head and to weare the badges of reproch and shame whilest the vngodly vaunt themselues and goe c Iob. 32 26. looking vpon the sunne and in their harts despise the righteous accounting more vilely of them then of the dust of their feete But the case shal be altered the rising of Christ shall bee their fall the lifting vp of Christes head shall be the casting downe of theirs and it shall be fulfilled which is written a Esa 65.13.14 Behold my seruants shall reivice and yee shall be ashamed behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of hart yee shall crie for sorow of hart and shall howle for vexation of minde We may otherwise vnderstand that God the father shall lift vp the head of Iesus Christ in the same meaning as Pharao is saied b Genes 40.13 to lift vp the head of his chiefe butler that is to aduance him to his place of dignitie and honour Which God the father hath done alreadie vpon his first conquest hauing set him at his right hand as hath beene before declared and more fully shall doe when he shall haue c 1. Cor. 15.27 put all things vnder his feete and shall make his glorie manifest vnto all the world and shall so establish the kingdome that he hath giuen him that thencefoorth there shall neuer be enimie to resist the same To this king Iesus Christ togither with the father and the holy Ghost one God immortall inuisible and onely wise be all praise and honour and glory both now and for euer Amen FINIS
and annointings c. were in some sort separated from other men but as touching inward qualitie where the eie of God looketh they were the same that other men sinners weake vnwoorthie to appeere in the sight of God and therefore were bound to offer not onely a Heb. 7 27. for the peoples sinnes but for their owne also Againe their sacrifices were not such as might yeelde any due satisfaction for sinne For it b Heb. 10.4 was vnpossible as we reade that the bloud of bulles and goats shoulde take way sinne A man hauing committed trespasse brought his offring to the priest He laied his hande vpon the head of the sacrifice as it were there to lay his sinne The brute and dumbe creature was slaine as if it had done the trespasse But what could the bloud of a brute beast auaile to acquite the conscience of him that had offended indeed It was a testimonie that he had sinned because in that name it was slaine but purgation of sinne it could yeeld none and the vttermost that it could doe was but c Heb. 9.13 to sanctifie as touching the purifying of the flesh to perform an outward satisfaction to the church Therefore the praier that was grounded vpon these sacrifices could not be effectuall or strong enough to entreat and mooue the maiestie of God And hence it is that the authour to the Hebrewes saith that d Heb. 7.18 that priesthood was disanulled for the weakenes and vnprofitablenes thereof calling it weake and vnprositable as it is considered meerely in it selfe without respect vnto Iesus Christ figured shadowed therein For al the vse and benefit thereof stood in the reference that it had vnto the priesthoode heere established which by the oath of God is appropriated for euer vnto Iesus Christ Thou art the priest The priest in that priesthood was accepted with God as in figure bearing the person of this priest The sacrifices there were called attonements as implying respectiuely his oblation and sacrifice of himselfe The praier of the priest there was heard for the people as vttered in the name of this mediatour and depending vpon the intercession that he should make The truth of priesthood for forgiuenesse of sinnes belongeth onely vnto Iesus Christ. 12 Therefore the soueraignty of priesthood belongeth properly vnto the sonne of God vnto Iesus Christ who is in that respect called e Heb. 9.15 the mediatour of the new testament wherein God hath promised forgiuenesse of sinnes The excellency of whose person to that purpose the holy ghost in sundry places describeth as that a Col. 1.15 he is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature by whom all things were created both in heauen and in earth both visible things and inuisible whether thrones or dominions or principalitics or powers c. And againe that he is b Heb. 1.2.3 the heire of all things that by him the world was made that he is the brightnes of the glory of God and the ingraued forme of his person bearing vp all things by the power of his word c vers 4. more excellent then the angels c. Thus Saint Iohn also beginneth his gospel as at the first to shew the greatnes of him of whom he writeth d Ioh. 1.1 In the beginning was the worde and the worde was with God and that worde was God c. All things were made by it c. In it was life c. e vers 14. We saw the glory thereof as the glorie of the onely begotten of the father c. In this glory the holie Scripture setteth him foorth vnto vs that we may vnderstand that seeing he is the sonne of God there is in his person no defect but all sufficient perfection for the performance of this worke There was no exception for the father to take against the person of his onely begotten sonne his owne image being the same that he himselfe is because this were al one as to take exception against himselfe If in God there be worth enough to make attonement for man then is there enough in Iesus Christ because Christ is the sonne of God 13 Christ our priest not onely according to has manhood but also according to his godhead Which foundatiō they greatly shake who rest the priesthood and mediation of Christ in his humane nature onely and yeelde not vnto the godhead any part in this execution whereas the whole power and vertue of that that Christ in his manhood hath done for vs ariseth from the godhead the respect whereof being set aside nothing that he hath done can be of sufficient force to worke our peace and to bring vs vnto God And therefore hence doth the scripture teach vs to esteeme the force and power of the sufferings of Christ for that it is f Act. 20 2◠God that hath purchased vs with his owne bloud and g 1. Cor. 2.8 the Lord of glory that was crucified for vs not onely by vnity of person but by act of priesthood mediation whilest as he is the sonne of God he hath giuen himselfe in his manhood to be thus cruelly entreated for our sakes Which the holy ghost very expresly teacheth vs when he saith that Christ not onely by the will and worke of his humane nature but h Heb. 9.14 by his eternall spirit offered himselfe vnto God For if by his eternall spirit that is the power of his godhead he offered himselfe how can it be denied but that by the same eternall spirit and godhead he hath performed the worke and office of a priest So when the Apostle saith that a 2. Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe he plainely sheweth that the godhead of Christ was an agent in this reconciliation and adioyned it selfe not onely as a part of the person but as a partaker of the worke to effect this attonement betwixt God and man Therefore Saint Ambrose saith that he is b Ambros in 1. Tim. cap. 2. ex vtroque mediator a mediatour in both respects as he is both God and man And more plainely he speaketh in another place that c in Heb. cap. 7. Christ both in his godhead and in his manhood being a mediatour for euer betwixt God and man is alwaies liuing to make intercession for vs. So Saint Austen likewise saith that d August orat cont Iudae paga Arianos c. 8. Christ whole man and God the word the soule and the flesh one Christ is made a mediatour for vs. To be short when the auncient e August cons lib. 10. cap. 42. Chrysost Theodoret Theophy Oecumen in 1. Tim. cap. 2. fathers teach that Christ in that he is the priest and mediatour betwixt God and man is and needs must be partaker with them both and so both God and man what is it but a meere contradiction to affirme that Christ according to his godhead is