I check my selfe I shall go to Heaven and there newes will come thick thick thick When others came to him and pressed him with importunity to tell them his judgement concerning the future state of the Church saying to him That he had travelled much in the Revelation and they were perswaded God had revealed something more then ordinary to him What do you thinke Shall we have Popery once againe or no Hee answered You shall not need to feare fire and fagot any more but such dreadful divisions will be amongst Gods people and professors as will equalize the greatest persecutions A man met him neer his house and called to him O Mr. Carter what shall I doe My Wife is entring into her Travell and I thinke shee will dye with very fear Sayes he to the man Make haste run to your Wife and tell her I am going to my Closet as fast as I can to pray for her bid her not faint but be of good comfort The man ran to her and told her what had passed Presently her feares vanished God gave her strength shee was delivered immediately and very safely and her Husband came back to my Father as I remember before he came out of his Closet to tell him what God had done Another time a poor man met him by the way and cryed to him piteously Mr. Carter What shall become of mee I work hard and fare hard and yet I cannot thrive I continue bare and know not how in the World to live Hee answered him You want one thing I will tell you what you shall doe Work hard and fare hard and Pray hard and I warrant you thrive There dwelled in his Parish a Tanner a very godly man and one that had much communion with my Father This man as he was very busie tawing of a Hide with all his might not so much as turning aside his head any way My father coming by accidentally came behinde him and merrily gave him a little clap upon the back hee started and looking behinde him suddenly blushed Sir saith he I am ashamed you should finde me thus To whom my Father sayd again Let Christ when he comes finde me so doing What sayes the man doing thus Yes saith my Father to him Faithfull in the duties of my Calling Being at Dinner in Ipswich at one of the Magistrates houses diverse other Ministers being at the Table One amongst the rest who had years enough learning enough to have taught him more humility was very talkative bragged of his parts and skill and made a challenge He sayd to them Here are many learned men do any of you propound any question in Divinity or Philosophy and I will dispute with you and resolve and satisfie you fully All the Table but he himselfe were silent a while Then my Father when he saw no body else would speak sayd to him calling him by his name I will go no further then my Trencher to puzzle you Here 's a Sole Now tell me the reason why this Fish alwayes living in the salt water should come out fresh My Gentleman could not say any thing to it and so he was laughed and shamed out of his vanity A certaine man came to him and made his moane Saith he I have lost the greatest Freind I had in the World I had in a manner my livelihood from him My Father answered him When the Fountaine dryes up in one place God will open it in another To me he sayd once John God hath alwayes brought water for me out of the hard flinty rock Those covetous hard-hearted men who have beene enemies to my person and Ministry have many times come in and given me countenance and maintenance My elder and onely dear Brother a blessed Instrument in the church of Christ being dead my Father took care of his eldest Son he sent him to Cambridge and walking with him towards the Stable took his last leave of him in these words in Latine Cave mi fili fastum ignaviam Antichristum i. e. My Son beware Pride Sloth Antichrist He would say a Traveller must have a Swines belly an Asses back and a Merchants purse Meaning to fare with all dyet to beare all injuries and to provide for vast expences Wee are Pilgrims and Travellers here and we must prepare for Want Wrongs and spoyling of our Goods It may wel be sayd of him Semper erat ubi non erat His heart was where his head is and where now his soule is in Heaven His whole life was nothing else but a Communion day I have often thought that old Jacob lived in him I am sure the spirit of God breathed as much in him in his words writings holinesse dropped from his Pen in every ordinary Letter that he writ in his actions Soliloquies as in any man of later times He was alwayes distilling precious precepts exhortations instructions consolations into those with whom he had to converse A godly Woman told me once That she had been servant to a religious Gentleman to whose House my Father did often resort and that she was won to Christ at first by the heavenly speeches and sweet principles which dropped from him as she was warming his Bed and waiting upon him in his Chamber A man he was most just and exact in his dealings he put a clause into his Will for the carefull payment of his debts And when my Sister Eunice and I his Executors enquired wee could finde nothing that he owed except to the Smith for shooing of a Horse or two In his Library I found two or three Books I beleeve not one of them worth a groat upon which he had written This Book is borrowed of such an one Let it be restored or if the Owner cannot be found allow something to the poor for it and that liberally Once being in a journey many miles from home in changing a peice of Gold at a Shop he tooke a halfe crowne peice in stead of a shilling neither he nor the Shopkeeper minded it As soone as hee came home he found that he had taken a halfe crowne for a shilling He could not rest but next day he took a long journey on purpose to that Towne to carry back that halfe crown againe He was of a sweet milde and gentle nature and of a gracious spirit A loving and faithfull Husband and an indulgent Father if he failed in any thing it was in his carriage to his Servants for truely he did not carry himselfe as a Master to Servants but as a familiar friend to his freinds He would make them to sit down with him and drinke to them at meat He and my Mother were marryed together well-nigh sixty yeares and I am confident in all that time there never was a distastefull word betweene them And indeed how could there be Hee lived with her as a man of knowledge he was a wise faithfull and tender guide and she was humble and meek did reverence and highly esteem him Every word
Norwich For so he had given order before he dyed that his body should not be put in the Coffin till his Son John came God carryed me through the journey in hard weather and through his good providence I arrived at Belsted early on the Tuesday And going to the house of mourning I found the body of my deceased Father still lying upon the Bed They uncovered his face Sweetly he lay and with a smiling countenance and no difference to the eye between his countenance alive and dead save onely that he was wont to rejoyce and blesse me at my approach now he was silent I fell upon his face I confesse and kissed him and lift up my voice and wept and so took my last leave of him till we meet in a better World In the afternoon February 4. 1634. at his interring there was a great confluence of people from all parts thereabouts Ministers and others taking up the words of Joash the King of Israel Oh my Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof Old Mr. Samuel Ward that famous Divine and the glory of Ipswich came to the Funerall brought a mourning Gowne with him and offered very respectively to Preach his funerall Sermon now that such a Congregation were gathered together and upon such an occasion But my Sister and I durst not give way to it For so our Father had often charged us in his life time and upon his blessing that no Sermon should be at his buryall For sayd he it will give occasion to speak some good of me that I deserve not and so false things will be uttered in the Pulpit Mr. Ward rested satisfied and did forbeare But the next Friday at Ipswich he turned his whole Lecture into a Funerall Sermon for my Father in which he did lament and honour him to the great satisfaction of the whole Auditory Gloria fugientes sequitur Glory is like a shadow follow it and it will fly away fly from it and it will follow For humility hee was most eminent Humble in his habite humble in his company for though his gifts called him before great men yet his most ordinary converse was with those of inferiour ranck in whom he saw most of the power of Godlinesse He writ very much but hee left nothing behinde him save what is Printed and his Exposition of the Revelation and a Petition to King James for the taking away of burdensome Ceremonies out of the Church nothing else but a few broken Papers which I suppose he look'd upon as Waste paper Surely he burnt the rest when hee saw his appointed time draw neer meerly out of a low opinion of himselfe and gifts He baulked all things that might tend to outward pomp and ostentation He would have no Funerall Sermon He gave order to be buryed not in the Church but in the Church-yard where hee and my sweet Mother that glorious Paire lye interred together without so much or rather so little as a poore Gravestone over them He had learned of Christ to be meek and lowly in heart he was humble in his life and humble in his death and now the Lord hath highly exalted him He kept a constant Diary or day-book in which he set down every day Gods extraordinary dispensations his own actions and whatsoever memorable things hee heard or read that day He cast up his accounts with God every day and his sins were blotted out before he was called to his last reckoning His day of refreshing is come he rests from his Labours Plus vivitur exemplis quam praeceptis saith Seneca Examples of the dead are Sermons for the living And though when I first set Pen to Paper I intended onely to recollect some of his doings and sayings now eighteen yeares after his decease for my owne memory instruction and comfort yet I cannot but conceive that the example of this holy man of God if it be communicated may be usefull and profitable to the Church of God He was a true childe of Abraham and the blessing of Abraham fell upon him I will blesse them that blesse thee saith the Lord and I will curse them that curse thee Not long since I was at Bramford there dwelleth an ancient Gentleman one of great quality my friend and my Fathers old friend he spake thus to me Mr. Carter I have now lived to see the downfall of all your Fathers opposers and enemies There is not one of them but their Families are scattered and ruined Let the Enemies of Gods faithfull Messengers heare and feare and do no more wickedly I cannot but add one thing more It may be truely said of him and his faithfull Yoke-fellow as it is writen of Zacharias and Elizabeth They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse I dare say the World will testifie that neither of them did ever do that thing that was unjust or evill or scandalour or uncomely their Enemies being Judges They were as to men without blemish their life was a sweet savour and they went out of this life as a fragrant perfume I confesse I have drawn his life very imperfectly I must say as the Queen of Sheba the one halfe hath not been told you It will not be long before the Lord Jesus Christ shall open the Books at the last and great day then and there you shall read his compleat Story Prov. 10. 7. The Memory of the Just is and shall be blessed Reader IT is sayd of Christs sayings and doings that if they should bee written every one the World it selfe could not containe the Bookes Farre be it from me to attribute so much to my worthy Father Yet this much I am certaine of that there are many things in his Life and those of very great concernment which have slipped me Therefore I leave these ensuing Pages vacant that so as thou remembrest any of his holy sayings and doings not mentioned before thou mayst write them downe for thine owne benefit and the good of others Isa 58. 1. Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet Joh. 19. 14. Behold your King 1 Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God Revel 13. 8. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the World A RARE SIGHT OR THE LYON Sent from a farr Country and presented to the City of NORWICH in a Sermon upon the Solemne Guild-day June 18. 1650. By IOHN CARTER Preacher of the Gospel And as yet Sojourning in the City of NORWICH Joh. 1. 21. Sir We would see Jesus LONDON Printed in the yeare 1653. TO THE RIGHT WORShipfull Mr. WILLIAM BARNHAM Major of the City of NORWICH As also to Mr. Barnard Church who with much Honour managed the chiefe Place of Magistracy in the said City the last yeare JOHN CARTER Humbly presents this rare Sight AS a Testimony of his respect love and thankfulnesse to them for all their undeserved Favour and faithfulnesse As also because they have
of Ioseph the Husband of Mary his supposed Father Hee descended from David through the loynes of Solomon Saint Luke chap. 3. 23. describes the Pedegree of the Virgin Mary his Mother that bare him shee descended from David through the loynes of Nathâ—n The Husband and Wife were both of the same Family and therefore Christ had a title to the temporall Kingdome Crown and Dignity both by the Fathers and Mothers side Heralds came from the East to proclaime him King there saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes For we have seen his starr in the East Matth. 2. 2. This Pilate subscribed and would not revoke it Iesus of Nazareth the King of the Iewes He was a Lyon true bred But as for this temporall Kingdome and Dominion over Judah the other Tribes our Lord Jesus Christ would not meddle with it Hee had indeed jus ad rem but would never take possession They would have taken him by force to make him King Joh. 6. 15. but he perceiving it departed and hid himselfe in a Mountaine Hee departed from his owne right abdicated the earthly Kingdome and would not meddle with it Therefore secondly By the Tribe of Judah wee must understand the same thing that is signified by Mount Sion and the City of the living God and the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12. 22. And what is that Vers 23. will tell you The generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Heaven The whole company of the Elect who are ordained to life eternall Christ is the King of his Church and the Church is Christs Kingdome The Elect the company of true Beleevers are his subjects and none else Psal 2. 6. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion that is over the Church As Pharaoh made Joseph Governour over all his House so God the Father made his Sonne Jesus Christ King and Governour of the house of God that is the Church of God This Nathanael confesseth in his little Creed John 1 49. Thou art the son of God thou art the King of Israel His peculiar jurisdiction is over the Church Quest But is not Christ a great King over all the Earth Psal 47. 2. Answ Christ hath a twofold Kingdome 1. Regnum potentiae his Kingdome of power by which as God together with the Father and the holy Ghost hee powerfully rules over all Creatures in Heaven and Earth And so all Men and Women in the World are his Subjects yea whether they will or no. 2. Regnum gratiae The Kingdome of grace Whereby as Mediator hee calls and governs his Church and chosen And in regard of this latter he is sayd properly and peculiarly to be the King of his Church and of his Church onely Thus you have seen 1. That Christ is a Lyon a King 2. That he is the Lyon the onely King 3. That he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Now attend to the reason of all together Why must the Lord Jesus Christ be such a Lyon such a King He must be a Lyon a King because he is Mediator of his Church This great and high office of a King was so necessary that the Church could never have been saved except Christ had born it A Mediatour is for the reconciling of parties that are at variance and hee that undertakes the work must be in grace and favour with both parties and he must deal not onely between but with both parties with the party offended and the party offending Here the parties at odds are God and Man God is the party offended Man is the party offending You know how the quarrell began man by transgressing against the Commandement and eating of the prohibited Tree highly provoked God here came in the enmity and man cast under an eternall â—curse and must have remained under the sentence of death for ever without a Mediator to take up the quarrell and make peace The Lord Jesus Christ undertakes this office There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus He therefore must deal and negotiate with both parties and to this end he puts himself upon a threefold office of a Prophet Priest and King 1. And first hee deales with the party offended with God for men This hee doth in his Priestly office Every high Priest saith the Apostle is taken from among men is ordained for men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in things pertaining to God that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sin Here you see he deals with God on the behalfe of men offending and how by offering sacrifices that is by way of satisfaction The sentence was our That day thou eatest that day thou sinnest thou shalt dye certainely Gods justice now could not be satisfied nor any reconciliation made without death no nor without the death of such a person as was without sin without any exception yea such a person as must be God as well as man because the satisfaction must be infinite Jesus Christ is willing Oh the infinite grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to negotiate in this great businesse with his Father and on mans behalfe he doth three things 1. He suffers whatsoever man should have suffered to satisfie God and acquit sinfull man They write of the Lyon that he alwayes hath a quartain ague I am sure Jesus Christ the Lyon of the tribe of Judah hee had a quotidian for us Hee was a man of sorrowes well acquainted with griefe from his birth to the Crosse Yea he dyed a bloody and a most accursed death to appease the wrath of God and slay the enmitty And here the Lyon becomes a Lambe brought as a Lambe to the slaughter and is the very Lambe mentioned in the next Verse which stood in the midst of the Elders as it had been slaine Thus he satisfieth A second businesse he doth for man is as a Priest to pray and intercede to and with his Father that his Sacrifice may be availeable and effectuall to the salvation of his Church I pray saith Christ for these with me now and for all them also that shall beleeve on me Thirdly He doth ingage to his Father that all that the Father hath given him shall beleeve That hee will work faith in them by his Spirit John 6. 3. All that the Father giveth me i. e. all the Elect shal come to me i. e. they shall beleeve Thus Christ is an agent for man with God And in this Priestly office he purchased his Kingdome Therefore saith God the Father will I divide him a portion with the great and he shal divide the spoyle with the strong because he hath poured out his soule unto death and he was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors Againe secondly it is necessary that he deale and negotiate on Gods part with men and this he doth as a Prophet King 1. As a Prophet He
THE TOMB-STONE AND A RARE SIGHT LONDON Printed by Tho Roycroft for Edw Dod and Nath Ekins and are to be sold at the Gunn in Ivie Lane 1653. THE TOMB-STONE OR A broken and imperfect Monument of that Worthy Man who was just and perfect in his Generations M r. JOHN CARTER Pastor first of Bramford and last of Belsted in SVFFOLK Erected above eighteen years after his decease BY His unworthy Son JOHN CARTER Preacher of the Gospell and as yet sojourning in the City of NORWICH PROV 10. 7. The memory of the Just shall be blessed London Printed in the Year 1653. HERE under this stone lyeth hid a Rich treasure The Precious Dust of that holy man that burning and shining Light M r Iohn Carter first Pastor of Bramford and afterwards of Belsted in Suff With Esther his Faithfull Consort both of them Waiting for a blessed Resurrection 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith 8. Henceforth there is layd up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give mee at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE And that both by the first and also by the second Birth To the truely Noble Worthy and Religious Lady the Lady FRANCES HOBARTE Madam ATYS the Sonne of Croesus the Rich King was dumbe in his Child-hood so continued many years he was never heard to speake a word till Cyrus enter'd Sardis and then the Child seeing a common Souldier running upon his Father with a drawn sword to kill him brake forth into violent and articulate speech O man kill not Croesus So that he who till that time lived mute to himselfe then became a cleare speaker for the saving of his Father This Madam in a sence is my very case I had thought to have been mute in this kind for ever and never to have spoken againe by my Pen in Print Though many and amongst the rest even your Honour have endeavoured often to perswade me to make some poor pieces of mine publike But bring sensible of mine owne weakness I stood out and was resolved forever to forbeare For Iam a Child and cannot speak at least not with that skill and energy that the Printing-presse calleth for Yet now at last seeing my precious Father his name in hazard not of being stained it s not capable of that Nor of being utterly forgotten for his name is written in the Booke of Life with Golden letters and his praise shal be for ever in the Gospel but that his remembrance amongst men after this Generation might have beene cut off by devouring time to save the memory of my Father alive I break silence I annex to his life a piece of mine own The reason why I do so and why I put forth this Sermon rather then any other it is not for any worth that I apprehend in it but because I had a special calling to it So soon as it was preached the Major with the Aldermen and some Ministers came to me and with great earnestnesse desired me to print the Sermon that so they might againe see what they had already heard I did not yeild to them at that time But now seeing that God hath within these fow daies stirred up my Spirit to do something whereby I might honour my Father before I go hence to meet him in another and a better Country I remembred my Friends request and did resolve to answer their desires according to my poore ability though some few yeares after Why I presume to tender this homely peece to your Honour I shal humbly give a short account Partly for my Fathers sake Ioseph to honour his good old Father Iacob brought him and set him before the King Give me leave also Elect Lady to bring my Reverend Father into your Honours presence It will be some grace to him on Earth and had your Ladyship known him you would have honoured him Also because the Subiect is soe suitable to your Honour all the way Your Ladyship loves the sweet perfume of the dead Saints And as for the Lyon it is the Ensign of Nobility and Magnanimity and your Honour bears the Lyon in your own Coat of Armes But as for the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah you bear him in your heart and embrace him with the Arms of your precious faith My Naile and Wheele I presented to your Ladyship out of duty and gratitude onely The Subiect of those worthlesse papers did not so aptly close with your Honours condition they did more immediately concern the Magistracy But in this work of mine my whole designe is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ I set him up before you as an Ensigne which I know your Honour wil with all cheerfulnesse follow Yet further your Honour cannot be ignorant of the frame of my spirit that as the blessed Apostle Paul said concerning his Corinthians so I of your Ladyship Madam you are in my heart Christ lives in your Honour and where so much of Christ appears who can but give Honour Finally As Saint Paul writ to Philemon Thou owest to mee even thine owne selfe In a like phrase I may speake to your Ladyship Iowe even mine ownself to your Honour which I would have acknowledged to the whole world made it out in some particulars but that I feare such is your humility and goodnesse your Ladyship would not have resented it well Accept I beseech your Honour this poor Present with the same Candor it is offered And be assured Madam that I am As Your Honours humble Servant So Your Ladyships faithfull and constant Orator at the Throne of Grace And So shall continue whilest he hath a heart or a tongue to pray JOHN CARTER TO ALL HIS WEL-BELOVED NEPHEWS AND NIECES Even all the Remnant that are yet surviving of his Fathers House WHen Saint Paul called to remembrance the unfeigned faith that dwelt in the Grand-Mother Lois first Hee was easily perswaded that the same dwelt in Timothy the Grand-Child also So truely when I consider the unfeigned faith and holinesse that dwelt first in your good aged Grand-Father and Grand-Mother I cannot but conceive some hope that there is some measure of the same faith and sanctity even in you Now to the end that any of you who being of the elder sort have received any Godly Principles immediately from your Grand-Father and Grand-Mother when they were amongst the living That you I say may the better retain those godly Instructions to the end And that you may teach them to your Children and Childrens Children I do here send you your Reverend and Pious Grand-Father in some measure revived It is I confes but an imperfect and blind delineation of so deserving and perfect a man Consuming time hath worne off much of his orient lustre yet there is so much remaining as hath a great deale of beauty in it enough to
truely honoureth you JOHN CARTER THE LIFE OF Mr. JOHN CARTER Pastor of Bramford in Suffolk MAster John Carter my deare Father of blessed memory and now a glorious Saint in Heaven was borne at Wickham in Kent neer Canterbury about the yeare of our Lord 1554. He was descended but of meane Parents yet religious and of good repute not able to maintaine him at the University wholly at their own charge One Mr. Rose a rich man in Canterbury as my Father hath told me Surely taking notice of his piety in those his tender years and of his studiousnesse and proficiency in all Learning beyond the pitch of a Grammer Scholar and finding him hopefull likely to prove a precious instrument in the Church of Christ took him into his care and disbursed monyes from time to time as was needfull for his maintenance in Cambridge He was of Clare Hall Pupill to Doctor Byng the famous Civilian Master of that House whose Son Doctor Robert Byng a learned and worthy Gentleman was my Tutor afterwards in the same Colledge when he was first admitted into the Colledge he was presently taken notice of to be of singular learning and ripenesse for one of his yeares He had with the rest of his year a Theme given him to make The Thesis was Frugalitas virtutum maxima When the young Schollars brought in their Themes the Lecturer took them and read them and when he came to Carters Theme he stood a little at a stand at last sayes he before them all here is the best Theme that I ever read and gave him money commended and encouraged him and alwayes after had a carefull eye over him and sought opportunities to do him good After my Father had taken his degrees Batchelor and Master of Arts His Tutor Doctor Byng out of his singular love to him and respect to his learning and piety gave him a Chamber in his own lodgings where he continued a yeare or two which made much to the compleating of him for the work of the Ministry And all that while he continued a gremiall in the bosome and Lap of his Mother the University he had constant meetings with divers of his famous contemporarys and that weekly Doctor Chaderton Doctor Andrews afterwards a Prelate Master Culverwell Master Knewstubs c. and divers others whom God raised up and fitted to send forth into his Harvest to gather his Corn then ripe for the Sickle into his Barne At their meetings they had constant exercises They prayed together they bent themselves to the study of the Scriptures one was for the originall Tongues anothers taske was the Grammatical interpretations another for the Logicall Analyse another for the true sense and meaning another to gather Doctrines Thus led they their severall employments till at last they went out like Apollos eloquent men and mighty in the Scriptures And the Lord was with them They brought in a great Harvest into God's Barne He would not run before he was sent he would not enter upon the exercise of the holy work of the Ministry till he had not only an inward calling but also an outward viz. an assignation approbation and solemne admission by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery When he was ordained the Bishop who in those dayes was primus Presbyter or praeses going about to oppose him asked him this question Have you read the Bible through Yes said he I have read the old Testament twice through in the Hebrew and the New Testament often through in the Greek and if you please to examine me in any particular place I shall endeavonr to give you an account Nay said the Bishop if it be so I shall need to say no more to you Some words of Commendation and encouragement he gave him This passage I had from my Fathers own mouth An. 1583. The Vicaridge of Bramford in Suffolk neer Ipswich fel void Mr. Rose of Canterbury before mentioned procured the presentation of it for my Father from the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury The salary was only twenty Marks per Annum at first afterward the Church raised it to twenty pounds per Annum and that was the most that ever he had there He accepted of it and being settled in it he set himselfe to do the work of Christ faithfully with all his might as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed Every Lord's day he preached twice very powerfully and Catechised the younger sort He preached a Lecture every Thurseday to which multitudes from Ipswich and other adjacent places did resort And God gave such successe to his Ministry that from time to time many were gathered in to Jesus Christ There are many precious Christians that remaine unto this day that acknowledge their conversion was by Mr. Carter's Ministry Before Sermon he prayed very short and ever in the same words After Sermon he was large and full and expressed himselfe with great variety and fervency and alwayes closed with Christs Prayer He was very diligent in visiting the sick especially the poore He never went to the house of a poore creature but he left a Purse-Almes as well as a spirituall Almes of good Heavenly advice and Prayer No poore body ever came to his doore that went away empty And this my dear Mother would see to as carefully as himselfe The Milk of his Cows he gave to the poor of the Town every Saturday throughout the whole yeare I am confident he gave more to the poore every year then the Revenue of his slender Vicaridge came to in all Yet God so blessed him that whilest he was in Bramford he quickly paid Mr. Rose of Canterbury all the money he laid out towards his education in Cambridge and before he left Bramford he purchased about twenty pounds per Annum God's blessing only makes rich He brought up both my elder and only Brother and my selfe at the University in a good fashion and for my selfe I must acknowledge beyond my desert or rank He was Orthodox and sound in his judgement an able and resolved Champion against all manner of Popery and Arminianisme as also against Anabaptisme Brownisme that then did begin to peep and infest the Church and to teare the Seamles Coat of Christ He was alwayes A Nonconformist One of the good old Puritans of England He never swallowed any of the Praelaticall Ceremonies against his Conscience He was often in trouble by the Bishops but God ever raised him up friends that brought him off He was of a peaceable Spirit and never censured any that were conformable if he judged them conscientious and saw any thing of God in them At his first comming to Bramford he saw the travel of his Soule he had a plentifull Harvest many Soules were added to the Church daily by his powerfull Ministry and holy life But after many yeares the people were glutted with Manna and began to loath it there grew a great decay in their first love About the yeare 1615. or something
Angell nor Arch-angell none in Heaven and Earth can be found meet to under-go this Office onely Jesus Christ God-man could beare it You have seene how the Lion Messiah the Prince was annointed within Now secondly I will make out his Title to the Crown He had an externall Unction he was annointed a King The ancient annointing of Kings was an outward manifestation and declaration to the whole World of their undoubted Right and Title to their Kingdomes it was also a publick Assignation And this externall Unction had Jesus Christ not with materiall oyle but he had a full and undoubted right to the Government He was no usurper he had a solemn calling from God the Father to this Office and from him he derived a three-fold right The Kingdome was his 1. By Assignation from the Father Psal 2. 6. I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion Act. 2. 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath â—ade that same JESUS who was crucified both LORD and CHRIST 2. By inheritance Psal 2. 7. I will declare the decree the Lord hath sayd unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Heb. 1. 2. God hath appointed him heire of all things Even the wicked Husbandmen acknowledged thus much This is the heire Mat. 21. 38. 3. By free Donation Psal 2. 8. Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession By this time the first branch or Proposition is true and evident Christ is a Lyon that is A King Therefore as after the anoynting of Jehu they blew with Trumpets and proclaimed saying Jehu is King So here having seen the anoynting I blow the Trumpet proclaim Behold Christ is King Behold Christ is King Branch 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lyon The Lyon of Lyons The most excellent Lyon the onely Lyon Christ is a King and there 's no King but Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 43. â— I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour The cheife Priests sayd We have no King but Caesar Christians must say We have no King but Christ But haply some will object Are there not many other Kings Were there not Kings of Israel and Judah Had not Aegypt their Pharaohs and the Philistims their Abimelechs Do wee not read in Daniel of the head of Gold the Silver breast and armes the Brasse belly and thighes the Iron Legs the four ancient and famous Monarchies Did wee never heare of the Emperours of the West And are there not many Kings at this very day in the World What is there but one Lyon in the Forest I answer with Saint Paul There are Lords many many Kings And Saint Peter mentions The King as supreame and that as an Ordinance But such a King as the Lord Jesus Christ is not in the whole World And I will shew you some differences between Christ the King and all other Kings 1. Christ is the onely absolute supream soveraigne independent King the onely Lord Paramount all other Kings have but a derived delegated power from him Pro. 8. 15. By me Kings raigne saith the Lord Jesus the wisedome of the Father and Princes decree Justice All other Kings are but subordinate Viceroys Lord-Deputies 2. All other Kings are men meer men Jesus Christ is God and man as he is the man Christ Jesus so he is God over all blessed for ever No other King God-Man but he 3. In regard of bounds all other Kings they have Dominion only over some part and a little part of the World Indeed there have been Monarchs that have styled themselves Emperours of the World but they were mistaken two wayes First in their times scarce halfe the habitable part of the World was discovered Secondly Had they had all they layd claime to it was but to the lower and baser part of the World the Earth But the Lord Jesus Christ hath an universall Kingdome Psal 72. 8. He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth v. 9. They that dwell in the Wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust v. 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts v. 11. Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords yea he is King of Heaven and Earth and of all things in them There is no universall King but he 4. In respect of duration All other Kings are men that dye and their Kingdomes have their fatall periods few Kingdomes continue above five hundred years We use to say So many yeares raigned the Chaldeans and Babylonians so many the Medes and Persians so many the Graecians and so many the Romans that I meddle not with the fatall mutations in our Nation The Lord often speaks to earthly Kings in his wrath The Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee saith Samuel to Saul even this day he hath done it and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou And this was the Writing that was written concerning Belshazzar Thy Bingdome is divided and given to the Medes and Persians But unto the Sonne unto the Lord Jesus Christ the Father saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever God the Father speaks concerning his Son as Jupiter is brought in speaking of the Romans His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono Imperium sine fine dedi His seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven His Throne shall be as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithfull witnesse in Heaven SELAH The Angell Gabriel was sent from God to the Virgin Mary with this Oracle Thou shalt conceive bringforth a Son and shalt cal his name Jesus He shal be great and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David And he shall raigâ—e over the House of David for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Jesus Christ is the Lyon The Lyon is a Creature as Pliny writes that lives long to an incredible age but Christ is the Lyon that never dyes And there is no eternall King but Christ You have the second Branch or Proposition I passe to Branch 3. Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah First And according to the Letter He was King of Iudah He had a just right and title to the temporall Crowne and Kingdome He was of the Seed of David according to the flesh lineally descended from his loynes and by undoubted succession the King and Prince being of the Kingly race This will appear by the Genealogies Saint Matthew chap. 1. sets downe the Pedegree
is sent out of the bosome of his Father unto men to open the Book Revel 5. 7. 9. to declare and make knowne the secret counsell and will of God concerning the great work of redemption what a new contract is drawne up between the Father and the Son what Jesus Christ hath done for man how he hath satisfied his debt which he was not able to pay and how God hath accepted of it for all those that do beleeve in him The summ of which negotiation you have John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son i. e. beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 2. As a King To impute and apply that great benefit of Redemption to man and to make it effectuall And to accomplish this he must be a Lyon he must be a King and that for these causes 1. To gaine and gather his Kingdome To gaine them first into the Kingdome of grace and at last to gather them into the Kingdome of glory Now to effect this he must be a Lyon a potent King for he must conquer before he can raigne yea he must make a double conquest 1. Hee must conquer his subjects he finds them all Enemies at first all Rebels it is truely sayd of all the Children of Adam This people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart Now these rebellious hearts Christ must subdue and bring into subjection making them a beleeving a loving a willing people Christ cannot gaine a Subject into his Kingdome but he must first conquer 2. He also must conquer another Lyon the Enemy-Lyon he is described by Saint Peter Epist 1. chap. 5. Vers 8. Your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour In the pawes of this Lyon are all men and women in the World by nature The Prince of the power of the ayre that evill Spirit worketh in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah must conquer that roaring Lyon the Devill before hee can gather a Kingdome and raigne Quest But how doth he conquer the Devill how doth he conquer his Subjects Answ Hee conquerd the Devill as he was God by force and might by his infinite power As man and Mediator hee conquered him by his blood by the merit and efficacy of his passion He took part of our flesh and blood that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. Hee spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly tryumphing over them in it that is in or upon his Crosse Col. 2. 15. Faith seeth Christ upon the Crosse as sitting in a tryumphall Chariot Duo saith Origen in cruce affixi intelliguntur Christus visibiliter sponte sua ad tempus Diabolus invisibiliter invitus in perpetuum Hee conquers the rebellious hearts of his Subjects and gathers together into one Kingdome the Children of God that were scattered abroad by his voice Scepter and Sword By his voice The Lyonesse as the learned write brings forth her Whelps dead and so they continue three dayes then the other Lyon doth set out his voice and roar over them and then they revive and live Christ is the Lyon his people are his Whelps They are all still-borne Dead in trespasses and sinnes Christ lifts up his voice and roares in the Preaching of the Gospel by which he recovers the life of his people Verily verily I say unto you saith our blessed Saviour Joh. 5. 25. The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live By his Sceptor And that is the same even the Preaching of the Gospell Psal 110. 2. The Lord shall send the Rod or the Scepter of thy strength that is the Ministry of the Gospel out of Zion and by it thou shalt rule in the middest of thine Enemies Those that were enemies by that spirituall Scepter thou shalt make them loving Subjects and a willing people vers 3. By his Sword And that 's the same still the Preaching of the Gospell This is the sharpe two-edged Sword that went out of Christs mouth Revel 1. 16. this is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit joynts and marrow This is the two-edged Sword in the hand of the Saints which binds Heathen Kings in Chaines and Nobles in fetters of Iron That is the Gospel brings Heathen Princes and people into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ This is that Sword of the spirit even the Word of God spoken of by Saint Paul And there you have the consummation of the conquest Yes when the spirit seconds the Word when the holy Ghost carries it home to the heart Thus the Lyon the King the Lord Jesus Christ conquers thus he calls his subjects together into one Kingdome by the Word outwardly Preached to the eare and by the spirit effectually working upon the heart moving and sweetly perswading it to obey the calling of Christ 2. Christ must be a Lyon a King to governe his subjects his Church Without Government no Society can stand when there was no King in Israel every man did what seemed good in his owne eyes and all things went to wrack Christ must be a King to give Lawes So Christ There is one Lawgiver even this Lyon and to rule so Christ he rules in the hearts of his people and governs them by his spirit They are led by the spirit of God as many as are the sons of God Judah that is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah is his Lawgiver And he doth not onely give Lawes but that which no King nor Potentate else in the World can do he puts his Law in their inward parts and writes it in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. 3. Christ must of necessity be a Lyon a King to protect and defend his Church people subjects The Lyon will stand to the defence of his young ones even to the death and having the prey in his paw the more any offer to take it from him the faster he holds it So the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Kingdome of Christ is ever beset with Enemies The Heathen rage the people conspire the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed against his Christ They have not onely flesh and blood but Principalities and Powers also the Rulers of the darknesse of this World and spirituall wickednesse in high places to wrestle withall And therefore without a strong Protector this kingdome would soone be dissolved and layd desolate Now the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Lord Jesus
their Leo Magnus and ten since him have borne the same name But the Pope must change his kind and be content to be another Beast A roaring and a devouring Lyon we will allow him to be who rents and teares the Saints of God But Christ is the onely Lyon of Judah the onely King of his Church That there is a visible and externall government of the Church distinct from the Politicall by the word and discipline we affirme But Jesus Christ hath ordained it not Monarchicall but Aristocraticall Matth. 18. 17. Acts 20. 17 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. It must be governed by the Bishops Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons in the severall Precincts The whole world is too large a Dioces for any one mortall Creature to take care of The care of all Churches is beyond the strength of any one man Onely the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah can open the Book and read it to all Churches Hee onely can rule and govern all Churches Christ himselfe is present to all his Churches namely by his Spirit which is more to the advantage of all Churches then his bodily presence would be Ioh. 16. 7. And therefore none of the Churches stand in need of the Pope to give Lawes to them or to govern them He is an Usurper and must down Christ is the Lion the onely King of the Church Observ 4. Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah that is lineally descended from the Patriarch Iudah That may seem strange why should not the Messiah have sprang rather out of Reuben Because he was the first-born Iudah was the fourth Son of Iacob The reason hereof you have Gen 35. 22. Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his Fathers Concubine He committed this foule sin and Israel heard it And for this cause he disinherited Reuben and the blessing of the Birth-right fell upon Iudahs head He became the Lyon the Soveraignty and Princedome was his Observe then Sin disinheriteth See this Heb. 12. 16. Least there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his Birth-right 17. For ye know that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Here you have 2 distinct examples to confirm this truth First the Fornicator namely Reuben who defiled his Fathers Concubine and for that was disinherited Secondly Esau was the first-born yet lost the Inheritance the Lordship and Dominion because of his prophanenesse For the sentence was passed from the mouth of God The Elder shall serve the younger Gen. 25. 23. Haply some vile and desperate Sinners will make nothing of this Tush say they let them looke to this that are borne to Lands and great Possessions our Fathers have not a penny to leave us we have no Inheritance to loose What no Inheritance Then are you Bastards and not Sons Then God is not your Father all the true Children of God have a two-fold Inheritance The grace favour and blessing of God in this life and eternall glory in the life to come They be Heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ But to the ungodly the Lord saith Know yee that the unrighteous shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall ever inherite the Kingdome of God Observ 5. For our instruction How miserable deplorable and desperate our condition is by nature so lost as that nothing in Heaven or Earth could recover us but the power strength wisedome goodnesse and courage of such a Lyon as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah We are all borne dead as you have heard and should never have revived if this Lyon had not roared over us We are blinde by nature The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them He is ignorant of God and of Christ and of the will of God concerning mans salvation and in that ignorance must have perished everlastingly if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not opened the Book and unloosed the Seales thereof No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Ioh. 1. 18. We were all by nature under the guilt of sin under the wrath of God we could never have been acquitted we could never have been reconciled but must have lain under Gods fierce anger for ever if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not stepped in between the party offended and the party offending and made peace For Jesus Christ is our peace And to effect this the Lyon was forced to change his Kinde and to become a Lambe a true Paschall Lambe and to be sacrificed for us I beheld saith Saint Iohn verse 6. and loe in the midst of the Throne and of the foure Beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lambe as it had been slaine Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the World Joh. 1. 29. For he is our peace having abolished in his flesh the Enmity And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse having slaine the Enemy thereby We were in the Jaw and Paw of the roaring Lyon who could have snatched us out of his Fangs We had been the Bond-slaves of Satan for ever wee had been Captives in the Prison in the Dungeon of Hell for ever we had been utterly devoured if the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah had not conquered the Lyon of the infernall Pit But when he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no Intercessor therefore his arme brought Salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained him O the depth of our miserie in our naturall in our lost condition Observ 6. That from Genesis to the Revelation the Church of God gives the same coat viz. The Lyon the Armes were given Gen. 49. 9. And the same Ensigne is advanced here again in the Text more plainly The Iewes and the Gentiles have all the same Christ One and the same Lyon Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah And he is the Lyon of the Gentiles also Jewes and Gentiles are all under one Prophet Priest King and Captain All that are saved from the beginning of the World to the end thereof they obtaine Salvation by Iesus Christ There was never any way of Salvation but one The ancient Patriarches and Prophets the ancient Iewes were all Christians when Moses was persecuted in Aegypt he bore the reproach of Christ Heb. 11. 26. When the Israelites sinned in the Wildernesse they tempted Christ 1 Cor. 10. 9. The Prophets from the beginning preached Christ and Salvation by the Messiah onely Christ began at Moses and went through all the Prophets and expounded unto them in all the Scriptures viz. Of the old
hee spake was an Oracle to her and her will ever closed with his Judgment He lived to eighty yeares of age When I the youngest of nine and the unworthiest of all was born he was forty years of age He called me the Son of his age yet lived to see me forty yeares old before he dyed He was much and frequent in secret fasting And when he kept a day hee told none of the house of it save my Mother onely who would not eate that day that he fasted but oft-times she was with him in his retyring Chamber to joyn with him in prayer yet all the Family knew it because at night hee supped not but onely had a Toste and a draught of ordinary Beer to sustaine nature On the Sabbath day he never had any thing rost to Dinner because hee would have none detained at home from the publique Ordinances The Pot was hung on and a peice of Beefe and a Pudding in it that was their constant Lords-day Dinner for well-nigh sixty years His Church at Belssed stood in a very solitary place He alwayes kept a Key of it and would often resort thither all alone A Gentleman once espying him going to the Church-ward on a private day hid himselfe till my Father was past and in the Church then hee came close up to the Church wall desirous to peep in at some Window to see what he did and to listen him if he sayd any thing And the Gentleman told me the last time I was at Belsted that he prayed then read a Chapter and after that prayed largely and very heavenly as if he had been in his Family or in the publique Congregation He vigorously held on the course of his Ministry to the last It may be said of him as of Caleb and Joshua he was as fit for Service in Gods Harvest-field at fourescore as he was at forty Some abatement of bodily strength there was as old Age did steale upon him After his after-noon Sermon on the Sabbath he would be something faint and commonly when he came home he would call for some comfortable Draught and when he had lifted up his eyes to Heaven and taken it he would say to them about him these are Crutches to shore up a ruinous house But in his Intellectuals and Spirituall strength there was no failing I cannot but here intersert a Passage that now comes in my minde Old Mr. Benton of Wramplingham in Norffolke a holy man of God being upon occasion in Suffolke in those parts could not but give a visite to his old friend Mr. Carter of Belsted Being with him he heard him discourse with holy Gravity a mixture of all kind of Learning Solidity and Wit he stood amazed and said Mr. Carter I see you are like the Palm and Cedar that bring forth more Fruit in your Age. I thank you said my Father for telling of me what I should be And now the time of his departure was at hand Some fortnight or three weeks before his translation there appeared some decaies in his Body and his memory did a little faile He would sometimes but very rarely call to go to Sea and to his better Country Yet he sat up from morning to night and walked commonly up and down the Room and never failed the performance of Prayer and other Family duties and so as none could discern any considerable defect in his spirituall or naturall strength Onely this when he had done he would presently call to begin again and say Daughter Eunice for my Mother being dead about two yeares before she was the stay of his house and staff of his Age shall we not go to Prayer and when she should answer him you have been at Prayer already and you are weary he would answer I feare we have not done what we should do It was an ordinary yea a constant passage in every Prayer that God would vouchsafe a mercifull and easie passage out of this life And most graciously did the Lord answer it Febr. 21. 1634. being the day before the Sabbath in the Evening he calls very earnestly for Paper Ink and two Pens for by Gods grace saith he to morrow I will Preach twice But God knowes he was not in a fit condition for Study yet with that resolution he went to Bed and God gave him some rest that night In the morning upon the Sabbath-day he did rise out of his Bed as he used to do came out of his Bed-chamber into the Hall and after Prayer he called for his ordinary Breakfast before he went to the Church for still he held his resolution of Preaching which was an Egge he took it in his hand but alas it would not down Eunice saith he I am not able to go to Church yet I prethee lead me to my Bed I will lye down a little and rest me So he arose up out of his Chaire and walked she supporting of him And when he came to the Parlour-door before he put his foot over the Threshold Oh Eunice sayes he what shall I do Put your trust saith she in that God of whom you have had so much experience who never yet did leave you nor forsake you He said The Lord be thanked So he gather'd up himselfe went to the Beds-side sate downe upon it and immediately composed himselfe to lye down He lifted up one of his Legs upon the Bed without any great difficulty laid down his Body and rested his head upon the Pillow My poor Sister stood by expecting still when he should lift up his other leg she thought he had been fallen asleep And she was not mistaken so it was it proved his last sleep and before she could discern any change in him his Soule had taken its flight to Heaven even into the Armes and Embraces of his blessed Saviour whom he had faithfully served Hee intended a Sabbaths Labour for Christ and Christ gave him rest from his Labour even the rest of an eternall Sabbath When my Sister began to speak to him and lift him she found that his breath was departed and yet no change in his Countenance at all his eyes and his mouth continuing in the same posture they used to be in his sweetest sleeps Thus the Lord gave unto his faithfull Servant the desire of his Soule such an easie passage that his death could not be discerned from a sweet naturall sleep Not many daies before he dyed he called my Sister Daughter saith he remember my Love to my Son John I shall see him no more in this life and remember me to the rest of my Children and Family and deliver this message to them all from me Stand fast in the Faith and love one another This was the last message that ever he sent Hee ended his life with a Doxology breathing out his last with these words The Lord be thanked When he had thus yeelded up his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father my Sister Eunice dispatched a Messenger to me to
a just claim thereunto Mr. Matthew Lyndsey who deceased in the midst of his Majoralty 1650. had the true right to it The Sermon was preached at his request and at his Inauguration He dying it descends by Inheritance upon these his Successors The Sight is very rare indeed but very poorly and meanly set forth Such as it is the unworthy Author humbly tenders to them with apprecation of all Grace Honour and Happinesse A RARE SIGHT OR THE LYON REVEL 5. 5. Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah AT great Solemnities and extraordinary confluences of people it is the ancient use and custome to bring out strange sights and shew farrfetched Rarities This is a solemne day the Cities great anniversary Feast for the Inauguration of the cheife Magistrate Here 's much concourse from several parts I shal therefore at such a time as this being called to stand in the middest of such a multitude produce my Spectacle and present to your view the godliest sight that ever Heaven or Earth afforded a stately and a generous Lion from a farre Countrey Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Concerning which I shall propound two things to your observation the parts of the Text. 1. The Trumpet Sounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold 2. The Sight or Shew presented A rare and strange Living Creature described from His 1. Species kinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Lion 2. Originall pedegree and Country the most noble and best bred Lion in the WORLD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the Tribe of JVDAH These are the parts and particulars of the Text. But I will not tye my selfe strictly and punctually to these or at least I will lay them aside a while and according to my plaine and usuall way I shall concerning this Little yea this great portion of Scripture dispatch these foure things 1. I will speak something of the sence and meaning of the words 2. I will give you the summe substance of all in one generall proposition in one plaine doctrine 3. Then in the third place I will returne to the parts and particulars I will review search and examine them for such speciall observations and Instructions as may be profitable besides the main and generall doctrine 4. And last of all I will as God shall enable me endeavour to make profitable use and application of all I stand heer by call and commission from God It s my duty to lift up my voice like a Trumpet to Usher in this rare spectacle and it is required of you that with Moses you will now turn a side and see this great sight Let him that hath an eare heare and let him that hath an Eye behold And let the Eye of the God of Heaven be upon us all for good and let the Lion of the Tribe of Judah be with us and help us and blesse us Amen 1. And first I am to open and expound the Text. Behold This demonstrative hath singular weight and moment Aliquid repentinum et insperatum demonstrat It points to something that is sudden unexpected unhoped for something that is rare excellent and admirable It hath here in this place a two fold use 1. To excite and stir up attention and intention it calls for your ears and eyes 2. To command Thus Christ made use of it It was his word of command He said unto them In his Doctrine Hearken Behold I command you to attend So here it 's the sounding of the Trumpet it invites it commands you all to fix your Eyes upon this rare and excellent sight which is now comming forth Behold then But first I pray before you look for the Lion Lift up your eyes a little higher to the first Verse There you shall see A Throne set in Heaven and one sitting upon that Throne in great glory Majesty and brightnesse That is God the Father In his right hand he holds a book written within and on the back-side and sealed with 7. Seals V. I. Q. What Book may this be A. It is none other but this Book of the Revelation Would you know the Contents of this Book It is a Propheticall-Historicall Decretall Not onely decreed but as it were ingrossed in the Court-Roules of Heaven It was a great Roule written on both sides for the multitude and variety of matters as containing a compleat History of the Church unto the Worlds end and therefore took up both sides of the Book Volume or Roule It containes the decrees Counsels and will of God concerning the future state and government of the Church It contains great Mysteries Of the Kingdome and Tyranny of Antichrist of the persecutions troubles and afflictions of the Church in all Ages till Christ shall come the second time and deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father It foreshews the patience and constancy of the faithfull the utter ruine of their Enemies and their eternall glory and faelicity at the generall judgement and Consummation These Mysteries are written in a Book i. e. in Gods eternall Praescience Providence and Decree But this Book is clasped up and sealed 1. For matter most excellent and Divine kept secret from the knowledge of al creatures and with seaven Seales most surely as mysteries of the greatest moment Worth and Certainty Therefore behold vers 2. A strong Angel proclaiming with a lond voice Like a Herauld or Officer Who is worthy for the excellency of his person or for his deserts To open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof To disclose these secret decrees and counsels of God to dive into these most deep mysteries that he may make them know to the Church of God in all ages Who O it 's a hard and difficult matter to open the Book and to loose the Seales Verse 3. None in Heaven No Angel None in Earth No Saint living None under the Earth No Saint departed whose body is under-ground or more generally no creature in Heaven Earth or Sea was able to open the Book to read understand or divulge it Neither to look thereon To have any thing at all to do with it Alas alas This is a sad thing Behold verse 5. John the Divine weeps much Because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book c. He wept much to see himselfe and others deprived of so deep so sweet and so excellent Mysteries but especially to think that God should be deprived of the glory of them What then Shall the Church never know the Contents of that Book Yes yes it shall Behold in the fifth verse a word of Consolation One of the Elders saith unto me weep not One of the body of the Councill of State one of the Assessors one of the glorified Saints representing all the faithfull one to whom the secret of the Lord was revealed He said to John weep not q. d. This is thine infirmity what hast thou forgotten Art thou a Master and Teacher in the Church of God and dost thou
not remember that great Prophet the onely begotten Son of God which is in the bosome of his Father who from the beginning of the World unto the end of it ever leadeth the Church into all needfull Truths Weep not then so much cheer up thy Spirits Order is taken for the opening and revealing of the Book Behold behold Lift up thine eyes now do'st not discover a rare Sight a Lion Behold That Lion of the Tribe of Judah the root of David he hath prevailed to open the Booke and to loose the seven Seales thereof I have now brought you down to my Text your eyes are by this time upon the rare Sight and I shall endeavour to keep them fixed there from henceforth The words read are nothing else but an Elegant Metaphorical description of him who can and onely can open and reveale the Decrees Counsels and will of God to the Church Behold with admiration and joy this is the Lion I finde in the Scripture a three-fold Lion 1. Of the Forest 2. Of the Internall Pit 3. Of the Tribe of Judah 1. A Lion of the Forest Jer. 5. 6. bred in the Woods and Desarts This is a rare and Noble Creature the chiefe among Beasts this is properly called a Lion 2. The Lion of the Infernall Pit that is the Devill called so by way of similitude because he is like a Lion In the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lion springs out of the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decerpere to pluck rent and teare Such is the Devill 1 Pet. 5. 8. Your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 3. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah What is he Indeed it is a Male a Noble Generous and Famous Lion Yet not a Beast as some blasphemous Hereticks have spoken horresco referens in these leprous times no! here we must leave the Letter and understand it Metaphorically It is a Lion not to be found amongst men meere men nor Angels Would you know certainly who it is The next verse will tell you Behold there you shall see standing in the midst of the Elders A Lamb as it had been slaine this is the Lion for verse 9. you shall finde it was this Lamb who was worthy to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof Here the Lion and the Lamb meet in one plainly therefore The Lion or the Lamb is hee that was slaine and hath redeemed us to God by his own blood even the Lord Jesus Christ the root of David He and none other is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Of the Tribe of Judah viz. Of the Posterity of Judah which excelled all the other Tribes in Courage Dignity and Renoune You must conceive that here is an allusion to the Armoriall Ensigne or Armes of that Tribe The Lord commands the children of Israel Num. 2. 2. Every man shall pitch by his own Standard with the Ensigne of their Father's house farre off about the Tabernacle of the Congregation shall they pitch All the while they travailed in the Wildernesse they pitch their Tents as an Army round about the Sanctuary in a Square The Israelites consisted of twelve Tribes And these were divided into foure Regiments To each Regiment three Tribes of which every one had a particular Standard or Banner differing in colour and forme and in the Ensigne a Coat of Armes In the front were Judah Issachar and Zabulon In the Reare Ephraim Benjamin and Manasses In the North-wing Dan Aser and Naphtali In the South-wing Reuben Simeon and Gad. Judah carried a Lion in his Standard Reuben a Man-drake Ephraim an Ox and Dan an Eagle Judah carried a Lion in his Standard The occasion of this Coat of Armes you have Gen. 49. 9. Viz. Jacobs blessing Judah is a Lions Whelp And here you have the originall of Armes GOD was the first King of Heraulds He commanded them also the antiquity and use Armes were tokens or resemblances signifying some Act or Quality of the Bearer In their Banners Shields or Targets they did engrave emboss embroyder or depict some Beast Bird Fish or other thing whose nature and quality did best quadrate with their own There was a kind of sympathy between the Armes and their bearers to note their quality and disposition Such Armes were remunerations for Service bestowed by Kings Emperours and their Generals Hereditary Testimonies of their glorious Merits This armoriall Ensigne the Lion was given to Judah to shew 1. The Courage of that Tribe above the rest and 2. That it should be the governing the Law-giving Tribe 1 Chron 5. 2. For Judah prevailed above his Brethren and of him came the chiefe Ruler And 3. That God had decreed Monarchicall Government for that people when they should be settled in a perfect state And 4. That David as the Type afterwards at the fulness of time the Lord Jesus Christ the Antitype should be born of that Tribe according to the flesh and lineally descended through the Loines of many Kings Successive one to another as to his humane Nature And so came forth the Famous Lion of the Tribe of Judah For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah Heb. 7. 14. And thus you have the sense meaning and exposition of the words 2. I shall now in the second place give you the sum and substance of all in one generall proposition which I will give you in no other termes then the very words of the Text. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah For the evidence and demonstration of this Thesis I will lay it out unto you in three Branches 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is a Lion 2. That he is the Lion 3. That he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Branch 1. The Lord Iesus Christ is a Lion The truth of this with the reason I will give you both together It is both prophesyed and typified Gen. 49. 9. Iuda is a Lions Whelp Iudah this cannot be meant of the person of Judah that 's certaine for he crouched and bowed downe to Joseph his younger Brother and dyed in Aegypt Therefore it must be understood first of the posterity of the Tribe of Judah The Ofspring of Judah shall be a Lion's Whelp but for what cause is he so described Propter dignitatem Regiam The Lion is Rex quadrupedum The noblest of all fourefooted creatures and the King of all beasts Pro. 30. 30. 31. A Lion and a King put together In the 8 9 and tenth Verse of that 49. cap. of Gen. you have a graphicall description of the Kingly power and Soveraignty that should be in the Tribe of Judah many Generations after shewing that Iudah shall meet with many potent and implacable enemies to conflict withall that he shall conquer and subdue them all Ver. 8. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine Enemies Ver. 9. From the prey my Son thou art gone up 1. Iudah shall