heere his faith flourisheth and bringeth forth brotherly kindnes or then they are more estranged from him being not of that society yet here his faith flourisheth bringing forth euen toward them Charity Hee that this way flourisheth he is imped in the Stock IESVS CHRIST he that flourisheth not he is saith the Apostle blind and cannot see farre off Hee hath forgotten that hee was purged from his old sinnes THE SECOND SERMON ZECHARIAH 3. Chap. 9. and 10. verses 9 For behold the Stone that I haue laid before Ioshua vpon one stone shall be seuen eyes behold I will engraue the grauing thereof sayeth the Lord of hostes and I will remooue the iniquity of that land in one day 10 In that day saith the Lord of hostes shall yee call euery man his neighbour vnder the Vine and vnder the fig-tree IN these last two Verses are set downe fiue excellent points concerning the Messias First a new Name giuen vnto him and it is a name of strength and firmenesse whereas the former two appeared names of weakenes a Branch and a Servant This is a name of strength and solidity he is a Stone and a Stone laide downe by the hand of GOD himself Secondly a new picture prefiguring of this Stone vpon this Stone shal be 7 eyes 3. A proper word of the suffrings of IESVS CHRIST whereas his father is brought in saying And I will ingraue the grauing thereof sayth the Lord of hostes 4 The comfortable fruit and effect of his passion in the remission of sins I will saith the Lord remooue the iniquity of the Land in one day 5. The great tranquillitie and peaceable estate that the subiects of this Kingdome shall inioy vnder this gratious King set downe in a borrowed speech In that day shall euery man call his neighbour vnder the Vine and vnder the fig-tree The first point is of this new Name giuen to the Messias he is now called a Stone and a Stone laide by Gods owne hand A Stone vpon which whosoeuer is not solidely builded he shall breake the neck of his soule and perish eternally This name was giuen to him of before by Esay in his 28 Chapter Behold sayth the Lord I lay in Sion a Stone a tryed Stone a sure foundation hee that beleeueth shall not make haste And the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle and second Chapter brings in the Lord speaking of him Behold in the same maner Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner Stone elect and precious he that beleeueth in him shall not be cōfounded This Stone Gods hands laide before Iehoshua to signifie that the ground and foundation of the heavenly Ierusalem is IESVS CHRIST 2. He laide him before Iehoshua the high Priest who serued in the Leviticall sacrifice First to signifie that the eye of their faith should be perpetually toward him 2. That all that seruice and daylie shedding of blood should so respect him that vnles it be builded on this ground the Messias the Lambe to be slaine his Blood that is onely able to pacifie the wrath of God if all be not laide vpon this Altar and vpon this stone which God himselfe hath laide downe it is all but foolish and in vaine We must heere a little examine the reasons of this Name giuen to the Messias both in the Old and New Testament which may be taken vp this way First he is called a Stone because hee is the maine scope of all Scripture whatsoeuer was formerly prefigured to the Patriarches by stones or a stone is in him truely fulfilled and accomplished We read in the 28 Chapter of Genesis of a stone that the Patriarch Iacob being weary in his Iourney laid his head vpon and sleeping there he saw that heauenly vision of the Ladder the one end whereof touching the ground the ◅oppe of it reached to the Heauen wherevpon he saw ascending and descending the Angels of God This Stone is CHRIST vnto whom we are sent in all our wearines to lay our head vpon him and there to rest Cast thy care vpon God and he shall provide for thee commit thy way to him Although this Stone vnto the World appeare to be but a hard resting place yet there is soft resting vpon it He that casteth his care vpon him and reposeth vpon this Stone he shall find him first a ready accesse to heaven a Ladder whose top reacheth to Heauen CHRIST himselfe is that Ladder Secondly he that casteth his care vpon him and reposeth vpon him shall find the Angels ready to minister vnto him Thirdly he that resteth this way and casteth his care vpon him shall find by him strength to prevail against all the mutations and tedious things of the world It is a word serving 1. to slay in vs faithlesse care 2. to direct vs the right way to seek rest and ease to our soules against both tormenting cares and cruciating feares And 3 heere is our great comfort that the writing on this Stone are euen these same words of God spoken to Iacob in his wearisome Iourney for he that layeth his head this way and committeth himselfe to God through IESVS CHRIST he shall euen read vpon this Stone these comfortable words I am with thee I will keepe thee I will not leaue thee vntill I haue done that which I haue spoken vnto thee A second Stone we reade of in Exod. 17 Chapter when Moyses praying for Israel that they might prevaile against Amalek he being wearyed his hands waxing heavy they tooke a Stone and put it vnder him and he sate thereon And Aaron and Hur supporting his hands his hands were stedfast vntill the going down of the Sunne This Stone hath also a representation of IESVS CHRIST who is called heere The Stone that the Lord hath laide Our prayers must be vpon this Stone founded vpon this ground vpon Iesus Christ his Commandement his merite or els they are but weake and feeble and can do no good If our faith take fast hold on him and our hearts be lifted toward him then doe we prevaile against Amalek the deuill the world and the flesh But when our faith waxeth feeble and our heart falleth downward then doe they prevaile against vs. And of the example of Moyses wee are to make these vses First to consider that by reason of the great burden of flesh and corruption which we carrie we are subiect to great wearinesse in the best and most spirituall exercises Secondly meanes of wakening and stirring vp would be vsed Aaron at the one hand and Hur at the other a Sermon this day another the next day the Word at the one hand the Sacramentat the other hearing sometime conference at another And all such means would be vsed to hold vp the heart that growes faint and feeble in spirituall exercises Thirdly although there be much wearinesse many imperfections great infirmitie
to see men with such pleasure and delight run vpon their owne euerlasting destruction The day of decision is comming when these who were heere in the eyes of the World men wondred at and of contempt shal be made in the eyes of these same men men wondred at for the greatnes of that glory which they shall inioy And the comparing of these two together shal be one of the stripes of the wicked and a degree of their torment Are not these the men whom we so despised and in contempt wondred at and now how wonderfull is the glory and blessed estate which they are brought vnto The Priests and they that serue at the Altar of God may be heere also in a speciall manner called men wondred at For if contempt follow the generall calling of Christianity surely in the highest degree it followeth that speciall calling And if ye regard the subiect of their ministery It is the matter of wonder to man and Angell The substance of all both in old and new testament being these same points of the mysterie of godlines which Paul reckons forth in the first of Timothy Of the which subiect because the verses following speake clearely and comfortably Let vs hauing now but shortly past ouer this Preface come to speake of them This speach concerning Messias his comming and suffering and the fruits of it He beginneth with a Behold Behold I will bring forth my Seruant the Branch Esay speaking of his Conception and Birth beginneth his speach also with a Behold Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Son The Angell of the Lord sent to the sheepheards to declare his Birth mentioneth the same with a Behold Behold I bring vnto you tydings of great Ioy which shal be to all people for vnto you is borne this day in the Citty of Dauid a Saviour which is CHRIST the Lord. When old Simeon who waited for the Consolation of Israel got CHRIST in his armes he spake of him to his Parents Ioseph and Mary thus Behold this Babe is appointed for the falling and rysing of many in Israel When Iohn the Baptist his fore-runner seeth him approach vnto him he wakens the hearts of all that were there to an earnest consideration of his Person and office with a Behold Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the World All this is to signifie as concerning the Messias these things First that his sending in the World his Incarnation and the manner of it his execution of his Priestly office being both the Priest and the sacrificed Lambe for the Father saith to him Thou art to me a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec And yee haue heard Iohn say of him that he is the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the World All these were a disclosing and revelation to the World of the greatest mysterie that euer was And therefore the Spirit by his Prophets and seruants cryeth so oft Behold it looke to it and consider of it This mysterie althogh it beganne to be revealed to Adam in that first promise of the seed of the Woman to tread down the head of the serpent Yet in regard of the fuller manifestation it remained then but a secret This mysterie all the time of the Legall seruice and obscure ceremonies thereof it was but as a sealed booke And as Iohn sayeth when he saw there was none to open the sealed booke he weeped till the Lambe came So all mankinde might haue weeped for euer if the Lambe had not come in the fulnes of time and opened this Booke revealed this mysterie That now that same may be the song of the Church and people of GOD which ye haue in the Apocalypse 5 Chapter 13. vers Blessing and glory and honour and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euer and euer Secondly in this Booke behold we are sent to looke to the degrees of the revelation of this mysterie his Conception marvailous his Nativity althogh in a base place yet glorious The Angels of Heauen singing about the same his office my Servant saith God The Servant of the Father in a speciall kind of Service his suffering he was that ingraven Stone The fruite of his suffering I will take away the iniquity of my people in one day Thirdly by this behold we are led in all this Mysterie as in a cleare mirrour to looke and consider 1. the deepnes of the Wisdome of God in finding out such a way of mans safety which was the wonder of Man and Angell 2. The deepnes of the loue of God to man whereof there could be no such demonstration as this To giue his onely begotten Sonne to be his ransome 3. The deepnes of the Fountaine of the refreshing mercies of God opened in the House of Dauid for vncleanenesse Here is first matter of reproofe to vs all that we being called to behold this great Mysterie kept close in former time we care no more for it nor accompt no more of it then if it were a commō and base matter 2. As GOD hath proceeded and gone on in the degrees of this revelation so the World hath gone on in the degrees of ignorance and contempt And so old Simeon his prophecie will proue true This Babe is appointed for wrack and falling of many and that vpon their owne default Thirdly we being so oft called vpon by the Spirit to behold this great Mysterie And in this Mysterie revealed so many great things ye must not thinke that we are called to an idle contemplation and beholding But we must so behold him and looke to him as we may be blessed in our sight He is in his Temple stand not amased to behold him afarre off But if thy soule with Simeon wait for the consolation of God come neare take him in thy armes imbrace him by faith so shall thy soule goe in peace when God cals for it thou shall be blessed in thy life blessed in thy death and blessed for euer after this For they that once truely apprehend him he will neuer part with them till he bring them to that same place whereof he spake to the thiefe that hang on his right hand euen the Paradise of God He is in the preaching of the Word as it were lifted on his Crosse. Behold him not afarre off but come neare hand put thy finger in the hole of his side in the print of the naile that is let thy soule by Faith so rest vpon his mercies and passion that thou may say My Lord my God my Savior He is among you not that ye should be alienated from him standing afarre off as idle gasess but come neare hand and lay thy head in his bosome I meane not bodily but spiritually this way First let thy faith rest vpon him as the perfite sacrifice for
proper effect thereof which is to transferre take away the sins of the people Of the suffrings of Christ there is heere two words 1. they were according to the determinat counsell and appointment of his Father for speaking of them he sayth I graue the grauing of this Stone 2. his suffrings were weighty and grievous if ye consider first the hand that laide them on it was the Hand of God angrie for the sinnes of man If yee consider next the manner and measure there was no light nor superficiall doing heere but it was a profound and deepe sinking and ingraving As for the first word albeit in the suffrings of Christ there were many agents and instruments The Deuils malice the Iewes rage Iudas treason Pilate his seeblenesse in yeelding to their vnreasonable desire the souldiers spight of whom he suffered many things yet this remaineth alwayes firme and sure Nothing befell vnto him but according to the determinate counsell and decree of his Father The Apostles althogh they were a long time very blind in the matter of his Kingdome and vnderstood not that his way to triumph was by the Crosse yet after his ascension hauing receiued according to his promise the Holy Ghost looke to the testimony that they gaue of his sufferings in the 4 of the Acts speaking to God in their prayer they say Against thy holy Child IESVS whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together but what to doe to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done Then heere is the Father giuing CHRIST to this suffering and CHRIST giuing himselfe which would be well marked and considered of vs for otherwise wee can haue no solide comfort of his Crosse. The Father giuing him he whose providence stretcheth it selfe to the meanest things of the earth without whose will a sparrow whereof two are solde for a farthing falleth not to the ground Thinke yee that without his speciall will and decree one drop of that blood which was more precious then all the Creatures of the world could fall to the ground CHRIST that sayth truely of himselfe The Father and I am one and If I please I may call for Legions of Angels to defend me from the malice of men Thinke ye that the power of the deuill or man could haue made him subiect to such pain if he had not willingly submitted himselfe to it That ye may therefore haue comfort in his suffring heare him tell you No man taketh my life from me but I yeeld it heartily and lay it downe willingly for your sake It is a great providence of God that ruleth the worke of his Sonnes suffering according to his determinate Counsell that heereby thou may learne to bow the knees of thy soule and worship him As GOD almighty who hauing made man of nothing was able when he had lost himselfe to finde out the way of his safety 2. As GOD infinitly wise that found out a way how his iustice might be satisfied and man also saued and so you may haue recourse to him still as that Fountaine of all good the streames of whose mercie are euer flowing and can neuer be dryed vp for heere mayst thou reason with the Apostle He that without thy knowledge and deseruing gaue his owne Sonne to indure such suffring for thee if thou hast gotten his Sonne and if thou be in him what can he deny thee that thou shalt aske in his Name But let vs consider in this word Behold I sayth the Lord of hostes doe graue the grauing of this Stone The weight and gravitie of the suffering of CHRIST In this worke of mans redemption there was no collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne But the Father laying him before him as the obiect of his wrath by reason of our sinnes the burdens whereof he tooke vpon him he spareth him not he striketh at him and woundeth him deep and to the heart with the weapons of his wrath and iudgement and hee leaueth him not vntill his Iustice bee satisfied to the full he forbeareth him not nor suffereth him to get vp his Head till he hath payed the last farthing of the debt and say vpon the Crosse consummatum est The pleasure that our first Parents tooke in sinning hee payed well for them by paines and suffering For their wandring and lustful eyes lusting after that forbidden fruite his eyes shed many teares Their heads were lifted vp in pride against God his Head was crowned with a crown of thornes to the effusion of his Blood for their delicacie in their taste hee got vineger in his thirst to drinke But all this may be thought but external for their drinking of the cup of sin to the impoysoning of their soule he had a cup set to his Head of the hot wrath and anger of God which made him cry out Father if it be thy will let this cup depart frō me This is a doctrine would be marked of vs to tell vs 1. that man hauing sinned there is no remeed but the Iustice of God must be satisfied to the full Which satisfaction man not being able to make himselfe God taketh it of his own Son And therefore it is a cōfortles doctrine that would haue thee turne thy eyes any other way or would put in any thing betwixt the eye of thy soule that perfect satisfaction that he hath taken of his own Son for thee Secondly Christs suffering to the full the Hand of God lying vpon him and his wrath to the extremitie which made him a heauie soule yet his Fathers loue was not separat from him that oracle remained alwayes true He is my beloved Son his soule was neuer far from God but he is able in his greatest agonie to say My God my God And the like of this shall neuer come to passe in any man that shal be sent to suffer for his own sins for in Gods brest there is no spark of loue nor favor toward them that is an absolute sentence which can admit no mitigation Go ye to the devil his angels in their brest there is no spark of trust to say My God but a perpetuall desperation an eternall separation of the soule from God And therfore if the rich glutton is broght in being in hell pitying the souls of his brethren vpō earth Learne much more euerie one while it is time to pity your owne soules Heare Moyses and the Prophets heare Christ himselfe and while his Armes are stretched out runne vnto him that he may hide thee from the wrath of God saue thee from that place of torment where there is no cōfort nor end of paine Thirdlie all these suffrings of Christ althogh they are infinite in weight yet are they finite in time and therfore the loue of his Father and his hard handling
could well subsist because he was to get vp his head and to wrestle out from vnder all this paine and grief And heerein is offered to vs a great word of comfort that seeing all the troubles that wee sustaine in this life are finite both in weight and time For what is our life but a moment And the Lord who afflicteth vs knoweth our mould and our shape that we are but dust Then although the Lord to thy sense intreate thee hardlie yet he is still to thee a louing Father in regard of that glorious end that he hath appointed for thee whervnto momentanean troubles shall succeed an infinite weight of Ioy and glory As the gravitie of Christ his sufferings is pointed at in the inflictor God himselfe so also in the phrase of speaking whereby his suffring is imported it is not a light nor superficiall going over but a deep sinking and graving so deepe that of him are the wordes of Ieremy to be vnderstood Consider yee that passe by if there be any dolour like vnto my dolour The wordes of Dauid in the 129 Psal. The plowers haue drawne deep furrowes vpon my back And the words of Esay in his 50 Chapter I giue my backe to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the haire The deepe ingrauing of this Stone look to it this way The thornes making impression in his Head the scourges making deepe furrowes in his backe the nailes piercing his hands and feete the souldiers speare going through his side to his Heart so that water and blood came forth And yet a deeper ingraving then all this the plough of the wrath of God went deeply through his Soule made so deep a furrow that he did sweat Blood for water Now looke to and consider the grauen Stone and therein see great matter of feare there being heere the most fearefull declaration of Gods wâ—…ath against sin that euer was giuen great mater of loue being herein The greatest declaration of loue that could be offered to mankinde Secondly he was so deeply grauen that although his paine and suffering be away and ended yet the print of his suffering is not away but remaineth fresh in the eyes of his Father as meritorious for all them that shal be safe Thirdly hee was so grauen that he might take vs and graue vs vpon his brest vpon the palmes of his hands neuer to be forgetfull of vs but to present vs blamelesse before his Father Let the suffrings therefore and Crosse of IESVS Christ be drawne in our hearts not lightly nor superficially but deeply grauen that we may say with the Apostle We desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified The fourth thing mentioned in these verses is the happy fruite and effect that followeth vpon the suffering of IESVS CHRIST it is expressed this way I will sayth the Lord remoue the iniquity of the Land in one day The grauing of Christ although painfull to him for a time yet pleasant and comfortable to his Church for euer For it is by reason of his sufferings that God his Father hath giuen this declaration I wil take away and put forth of my remembrance the iniquity and sinnes of all that repent beleeue in him his stripes were many his grauing deep his sufferings infinite in weight although not in time Therefore though thy sinnes were neuer so many and thy iniquities neuer so great they are all wel payd for Thou being in him needest not to feare death hell nor condemnation In the words expressing this benefite of taking away the peoples sinnes two things are to bee marked The one is of the perfection of the worke All sinne and iniquitie shal be taken away And the other is of the circumstance of time in that day As for the first there is promised heere the perfect taking away of sin and iniquity And how doth this agree with the manifold complaints of the Saints in the Scripture of the abiding of iniquitie and with the experience euen of these who beleeued remission of sinnes and taking away of iniquities in the Blood of Iesus Christ. Doe not the Saints in Scripture complaine of sinne cry out vnder the burden of sinne craving daylie the renovation and purgation of their heart And who hath not reason with Dauid to say If I should reckon my iniquities they are moe in number then the haires of my head And who knoweth the errours of his life Hath there beene and is there manifold sinnes euen in the best children of God how doth God then performe this promise saying that the day of his Sonnes death shal be a day wherein he will take away all the sin and iniquitie of his people for answer to this When God is said in Scripture to take away the sinne and iniquity of his people two things are imported The one is that which hath the proper respect of sinne which accuseth and condemneth vs before God the guiltinesse of it that is taken away And so to take away sinne is to forgiue sin to cover sin not to impute sin In the meane time there remaineth in the corrupt nature of man the mater of sinne the nourishments of sinne sinfull concupiscences wherewith the Elect of God haue a daylie strife not suffring this remnant sin to reigne in their mortal bodies Secondly by the words of this promise is imported that the remission of thy sinnes that great benefite acquired by the death of Christ is full absolute and perfect although the renovation be not as yet perfect His merite taketh away all the guiltinesse of thy sin so that thou art free of condemnation althogh at the first all corruption be not mortified slaine into thee So that both these are the speeches of a renewed man the one of the assurance of faith there is no condemnation to me the other of the complaint of sin the flesh lusteth against the spirit and this holdeth them in a continual exercise striuing to a daylie mortification till in end sin as it is perfectly forgiuen so it may be perfectly slaine and abolished and left as a carcase without motion life or senses The other worde heere is of the circumstance of time God saith he will do this in one day And the day meant of heere is the day of the slaughter and sacrificing of his Sonne It may then bee demanded was there no remission of sinnes till the day of his death Is he not that that Lambe spoken of in the Apocalypse 13. that was slaine from the beginning was not the sinnes of faithfull Patriarches Prophets and Servants of GOD taken away in the vertue of that same Blood althogh the day of the actuall shedding of it was not as yet come For laying open this matter ye must consider about the suffring of Iesus Christ four things 1. The ordaining of it by God the Father as the mean
captivity their sorrow was exceeding great yet the day of their deliuerie brought with it greater abundance of joy and a gladnes more exceeding And thus they confesse themselues in the 126 Psalme When the Lord say they brought againe our captivity we were as men in a dreame It was a worke so farre beyond our expectation that we doubted whether we were waking or sleeping Our mouthes were filled with laughter our tongues and words did show vs joyfull men yea the worke was so great and marvailous as at the sight thereof the very Heathen was amased and moued to cry out and say Surely the Lord hath done for this people marvailous and great things In the signification of the wordes as they are referred to the glad day of the deliuerie of the people from their bodily trouble and captivitie these things wold be obserued First as it is true of Christ and his suffering so is it also of his members and people The day of his ingraving a darke day The day of his suffering vpon the Crosse a blacke day the Sunne covered his face but the day of his resurrection a glorious day such a day saith Paul as in it he was manifestlie declared to be the Sonne of God It was so with this people heere They had a black day of captivitie but a glorious day of deliuerie It is true of all his people these that are in covenant with him Although they haue a darke day of trouble and affliction yet there succeedes vnto it a cleare day of comfort Albeit they lying in the graue of affliction it appeare not what they are yet being raised by Gods hand it shal be not onely sensible to themselues but manifest to others that they are the children of God Secondly althogh all this life were an continued day of trouble yet there is a day comming that shall recompense all which is the day of the glorious libertie of the Sons of God Let vs therefore hold fast these comforts which Dauid out of his owne sense and inspired by the Spirit hath laid in register to vs. To the righteous that is to them that are made righteous in IESVS CHRIST there shall arise Ioy in trouble light in darknesse God will not alwayes frowne vpon his owne but though weeping be in the euening Ioy shall come in the morning Thus the people liued in an hard and miserable case being in Babel yet in regard of the promises made to them many of them liued in hope of the cleare day of their deliverie And therefore they can say in their mournfull song at the rivers of Babel Let my hand forget to touch the harp and my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I ioy before I see the deliverance of Ierusalem past But when the day came according as it was promised then are they not onely ioy full in their owne deliverie but in that same 126 Psalme they register out of their experience a sentence to stand to the perpetuall comfort of the Church and all the members thereof that shall goe vnder whatsoeuer crosse heere They that sow in teares shall reape in Ioy. Take it therefore and vse it as an vndoubted consolation The teares of the Saints shall haue a succeeding Ioy This is not so generall as all teares shall haue comfort and all that weepe shall haue ioy Esau had teares and Iudas had teares and the hand of the Lord vpon most wicked men will expresse teares But mark the phrase of the Church heere It is not they that sow teares but they that sow in teares or with teares They that in the day of Gods visitation doe sow with teares the confession of their sinnes they that sow with teares a true acknowledgement of their owne deserving They that sow with teares their prayers and supplications to GOD from whom commeth the reliefe of his owne They that sowe with teares their holy promises and vowes of amendment Assuredly although the seed-time be dolorous the haruest shal be fruitfull pleasant they shall reape remission of sinnes they shall finde from GOD a ioyfull deliverie The LORD in the beginning after he had destroyed the World with water being againe pacified hee setteth downe in the 8. Chapter of Genesis a vicissitude of these things while the world lasteth There shall be seed-time and harvest cold and heate sommer and winter day and night al 's long as the earth remaineth It is euen so with the Church of GOD and members thereof Al 's long as the earth remaineth cold and heate sommer and winter darkenesse of trouble light of deliverie weeping and reioycing till in end they bee brought to that perpetuall day and all teares bee wiped from their eyes But leauing this of the temporall deliverie because the speech hath beene hitherto of the Messias and his Kingdome Heere mention is made of the secure and peaceable estate of the subiects thereof And that this may bee the more cleare comparison is borrowed from the peaceable and quiet estate of subiects dwelling in a temporall and earthly Kingdome vnder a temporall and earthly King The peaceable estate of subiects in a worldlie Kingdome is set out this way When a man may without harme or interruption call his neighbour vnder his Vine and vnder his Fig-tree In the dayes of warre or time of oppression of enemies men draw apart to holes and holds and haue not these free meetings In the dayes or time of pestilence neighbour doth not call neighbour but neighbour skarreth with neighbour yea the friend with his friend the father with the sonne the man with his wife In the dayes or time of famine neighbour doth hardly call or invite neighbour lest as the wise Virgins said to the foolish there bee not sufficient for vs and you both But heere is the peaceable and happie estate of a Kingdome when openly without feare when familiarly without danger when vnder the vine and figtree in plentie without scarcitie hauing the Creatures of God not onely to necessitie but to delectation a neighbour may invite and call his neighbour and peaceablie enioy the benefite of God As this is in generall the description of the peaceable estate of the subiects dwelling in a Kingdome and vnder a King whom God doth blesse with peace So haue you a notable example agreeable to the same description in the Kingdome of Salomon Of which it is said in the first Booke of the Kings and fourth Chapter That all Israel from Dan to Beersheba dwelt safely vnder his vine and vnder his figtree all the dayes of Salomon Before wee come to the translation of this speech to the Kingdome of Christ something would be spoken of the comparison that forasmuch as the Spirit of God doth here borrow and take comparison from the peaceable estate of earthly Kingdomes to shadow out the peaceable and prosperous estate of the spirituall Kingdome of the Messias that
the voice of the world nor of any thing that is in the world that will bring quietnes It is the voice of IESVS CHRIST come from Edom with his red garments dyed in his Blood that quieteth the heart saying peace be vnto thee And no rest to a disquieted soule till she come to take vp this voice and say I know it is the voice of my beloued The great end of Christs comming in the world was to deliuer men from feare and put them to rest Before this peace come to a man where can hee turne him or what way can hee looke but he hath cause of great feare If he looke vp he hath cause of great feare is not God his enemy Is it not a fearefull thing to fall in his hands who is a consuming fire The man that is not in Christ and partaker of this peace how dare he looke to God If he looke below hath he not matter of feare for hell enlargeth it selfe and openeth the mouth wide If he looke behinde him hath he not matter of feare for then is the multitude of his by-past sinnes following him like an armie If he looke before him hath hee not matter of feare for O how fearefull is death to a man that is not reconciled with God If he looke to the creatures either aboue or beneath what hath he but matter of feare for how can they be in friendship with him who is not in friendship with their GOD and Creator But a man comming to Iesus Christ and by a true faith ingraft in him as a branch in the stock He hath peace within that passeth vnderstanding When he looketh to God in Christ he is his Father and so he is at peace with him his Father to whom he may safely trust commit himselfe to whom in his end and at his death he may say Father into thy hands I commit my spirit When he looketh to hell it troubleth not his peace because there is registrat in his soule this sentence infallible There is no condemnation to me that am in Iesus Christ. When he looketh to his sins they may appeare as Pharaohs hoste to follow him but they shal neuer overtake him The Lord hath drowned them in the bottomlesse depth of his mercie When he looketh to death death troubleth not his peace death can no◅sting him death can not take his peace from him But by death shall he come to a more full possession of his peace if he looke to the Angels they are his guard if he looke to the inferiour creatures they are his seruants and in league and covenant with him And so as it is said heere of the subiects of a peaceable worldly Kingdome Euery man shall call his neighbour vnder his Vine and vnder the Fig-tree so that man that is a subiect of the spirituall Kingdome of Iesus Christ he may say I will lay me downe quietly and rest in peace for thou art my Lord and my God thou hast reconciled me to thy Father Since thou art with me I feare not the world the flesh sinne nor the deuill Now for as much as all men are such louers of externall peace that rather or men dwell vnder a King and in a Kingdome where there is daylie found bellicous instruments the trumpet and the drumme the thundering of the canon the pitifull cry of them that are put to the edge of the sword they would choose rather with the losse of their commoditie to goe and dwell where they may haue peace And many vpon this same respect haue changed their residence Let vs learne this point of wisdome for our soule that we may say rather then we liue vnder the noise of the Law and thunder of the threatnings of it the noise of Gods Iudgement the fearefull cry of our conscience we will rather goe and choose to dwell in this Kingdome and bee subiects of this King where there is such peace and rest Happie is hee that is alreadie a subiect of this Kingdome seek to draw to it for there is no true rest peace nor tranquillity but heere The second thing pointed at heere of the subiects of this Kingdome is their safetie and protection and that is figured by lying vnder the shadow of a tree a vine or a fig-tree As the two former are conioyned The Lord forgiueth sinne vpon which followeth ioy and peace of heart so whom the Lord forgiueth and to whom he giueth peace them he taketh as his owne in his protection so that they rest safely vnder the shadow of his wings These the Prophets conioyneth in his 84 Psalme The Lord is a Sunne and shield to his owne by the one signifying that he is comfort and ioy to his owne and by the other signifying that he is their safety protection all they vpon whom hath shined the beames of the louing countenance of God to whom God hath showne his pleasant face they liue vnder his tuition in security against all dangers and assaults The same two as conioyned are comfortably expressed in the words of the 27. Psal. The Lord is my light and my saluation he hath shined vpon me like a bright Sunne Then followeth his security by reason of this divine protection Whō shall I feare when the wicked euen my enemies come against me they stumbled and fell though an hoste should come against me I will not feare though warre should be raised yet in this will I trust He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high hee shall rest vnder the shaddow of the Almightie And to tell how sure this protection is he bringeth in example of one of the most fearefull dangerous euils that can come to man that is the pestilence And to expresse the terror of it he giueth it many names it is called the fearefull pestilence it is called the snare of the Fowler it is called the feare of the night and the arrow that slieth by day And yet there is promised to the man that trusteth in God safetie and protection in the midst of the rage of the plague From this particular he would draw a generall he that resteth in the secret of the most high he who is a member of this Kingdome of Iesus Christ he dwelleth in safetie he lyeth vnder the shadow of his owne tree free from all sort of euill But this appeareth to bee against common sense and experience for they who haue inward peace haue not alwayes outward quietnes And the dearest children of God haue beene and are subiect to great outward mutations and troubles How standeth this doctrine of their protection and safety from outward euils with their day lie experience in the contrair may not a godlie man die by the sword by famine by pestilence Doth a mans Religion and the feare of God put a man in that assurance that he may say I can not feare the sword famine nor pestilence For answer to