A GOLDEN-KEY TO OPEN Hidden Treasures OR Several great Points that refer to the Saints present blessedness and their future happiness with the resolution of several important questions Here you have also The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ vindicated and improved against men of corrupt minds c. Who boldly in Pulpit and Press contend against those glorious Truths of the Gospel You have farther Eleven serious singular Pleas that all sincere Christians may safely and groundedly make to those ten Scriptures in the Old and New Testament that speak of the general Judgment and of that particular Judgment that must certainly pass upon them all immediately after death The Godhead and Manhood of Christ is here largely proved and improved against all Gainsayers by what names and titles soever they are distinguished and known among us Several things concerning Hell and hellish torments opened cleared and improved against all Atheists and all others that boldly assert that there is no Hell but what is in us Some other points of importance are here cleared and opened which other Authors so far as the Author hath read have passed over them in great silence all tending to the confirmation of the strong and support peace comfort settlement and satisfaction of poor weak doubting trembling staggering Christians By Tho. Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets-New-Fish-street LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the King's-Arms in the Poultrey and at the Ship and Anchor at the Bridg-foot on Southwark side 1675. To his much Honoured and Worthily esteemed Friend Sir NATHANIEL HERNE Kt. Sheriff of London and Governour of the East-India Company Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed upon you and yours SIR MUch might be said were it necessary for the Dedication of Books unto persons of worth interest service and honour this having been the constant practise of the best and wisest of men in all the Ages of the world And therefore I need not make any farther Apology for my present practice What is written is permanent litera scripta manet and spreads it self farther by far for time place and persons than the voice can reach Augustine writing to Volusian Aug Epist 1. ad Vâ—â—â—s saith that which is written is always at hand to be read when the reader is at leysure There are those that think and as they conceive from Scripture grounds too that the glory of the Saints in heaven receives additions and encreases daily as their holy walk and faithful service when here on earth doth after they are gone bring forth fruit to the praise of God amongst those that are left behind them If this be so what greater encouragement can there be to write print preach and to walk holily in this world I must also confess that that general acceptation that my former labours have found both in the Nation and It was a saying of 〈◊〉 concerning his first portraicture I◠〈◊〉 liked I will â—raw 〈◊〉 beiâ—e 〈…〉 this in forreign parts and that singular blessing that has attended them from on high hath been none of the least encouragements to me once more to cast in my Mite into the common Treasury Besides I am not unsensible of your candid esteem of some forme endeavours of mine in this kind neither do I know any way wherein I am more capacitated to serve the glory of God the interest of Christ the publick good reproached truths and the interest of the Churches in my Generation than this as my case and condition is circumstanced And I am very well satisfied that there is nothing in this Treatise but what tends to the advantage comfort support settlement and encouragement of those whose concernment lies in peace and truth in holiness and righteousness throughout the Nations Sir The points here insisted on are of the greatest use worth weight necessity excellency and utility imaginable they are such wherein our present blessedness and our future happiness yea wherein our very all both as to this and that other world is wrapped up It will be Dâ—uâ— 30. 15 19. cap. 32. 47. your life honour and happiness to read them digest them experience them and to exemplifie them in a suitable conversation which that you may let your immortal soul lye always open to the warm powerful and hourly influences 2 Cor. 5. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ambitiously labour we count it our highest honour and glory to â—â— accepted of God of heaven Let it be the top of your ambition and the height of all your designs to glorifie God to secure your interest in Christ to seve your Generation to provide for Eternity to walk with God to be tender of all that have Aliquid Christi any thing of Christ shining in them and so to steer your course in this world as that you may give Mat. 25. 21. up your account at last with joy All other ambition is base and low Ambition saith one is a guilded misery Bâ—rnard Cardinal Burbon would not lose his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Act. and mon. Fol. 899. a secret poyson a hidden plague the Engineer of deceipt the mother of hypocrisie the parent of envy the original of vices the moth of holiness the blinder of hearts turning medicines into maladies and remedies into diseases In the enthronization of the Pope before he is set in his chair and puts on his triple Crown a piece of tow or wad of straw is set on fire before him and one appointed to say sic transit gloria mundi the glory of this Act 25. 23. world is but a blaze St. Luke calls Agrippa's pomp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phantasie or vain shew and indeed all worldly pomp and state is but a phantasie or vain shew St. Matthew calls all the world's glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 4. 8. an opinion and St. Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mathematical 1 Cor. 7. 31. figure which is a mere notion and nothing in substance The word here used intimateth that there is nothing of any firmness or solid consistency in the creature it is but a surface out-side empty thing all the beauty of it is but skin-deep Mollerus upon that Psal The Romanâ— built Virtue 's honours Temples close together to shew that the way to true honour was by Virtue Aug. 73. 20. concludeth that men's earthly dignities are but as idle dreams their splendid braveries but lucid fantasies High seats are never but uneasie and Crowns are always stuffed with Thorns which made one say of his Crown Oh Crown more noble than happy shall the spirit of God the grace of God the power of God the presence of God arm you against all other sins evils snares and temptations as you are by a good hand of heaven armed against worldly ambition and worldly glory Sir you know he was a Saul that said honour me before 1 Sam. 15 30. 2 King 10 16. the people and he was a Jehu that said come see my zeal for the Lord of
out thy transgressions Isa 43. 25. Isa 4â— 22. for my own sake and will not remember thy sins I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy transgressions and as a Cloud thy sins Who is this that blots our transgressions he that hath the keys of Heaven and Hell at his girdle that opens and no man shuts that shuts and no man opens he that hath the power of life and death of condemning and absolving of killing and making alive he it is that blotteth out transgressions If an Under-Officer should blot out an Indictment that perhaps might do a man no good a man might for all that be at last cast by the Judge but when the Judge or King shall blot out the Indictment with their own hand then the Indictment cannot return now this is every Believers case and happiness Secondly To those glorious expressions of Gods not remembring of their sins any more Isa 43. 25. And I Jer. 31. 34. will not remember thy sins And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more So the Apostle For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness Heb. 8 12. and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more And again The same Apostle saith This is the Covenant that I will make with them After those days Heb. 10. 17. That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affiâ—med of God Nihil oblivâ—sci solet praeter injurias he forgetâ—eth nothing but the wrongs that daily are done him by his saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more The meaning is their iniquities shall be quite forgotten I will never mention them more I will never take notice of them more they shall never hear more of them from me though God hath an Iron memory to remember the sins of the wicked yet he hath no memory to remember the sins of the righteous Thirdly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth most and best agree with those blessed expressions of his casting their sins into the depth of the Sea and of his casting them behind his back He will turn again he Mic. 7. 19. will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Where sin is once Pardoned the Remission stands never to be repealed pardoned-sin shall never come in account against the pardoned man before God any more for so much doth this borrowed speech import If a thing were cast into a River it might be brought up again or if it were cast upon the Sea it might be discerned and taken up again but when it is cast into the depths the bottom of the Sea it can never be buoyed up again By the Metaphor in the Text the Lord would have us to know that sins pardoned shall rise no more they shall never be seen more they shall never come on the account more he will so drown their sins that they shall never come up before him the second time And so much that other Scripture imports Behold Isa 38. 17. for Peace I had great bitterness But thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back These last words are a borrowed speech taken from the manner of men who are wont to cast behind their backs such things as they have no mind to see regard or remember A gracious soul hath always his sins before his face I acknowledge Psal 51. 3. my transgressions and my sin is ever before me and therefore no wonder if the Lord cast them behind his back The Father soon forgets and casts behind his back those faults that the Child remembers and hath always in his eyes so doth the Father of Spirits Fourthly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth best agree with that sweet and choice expression of Gods pardoning the sins of his people And I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity whereby Jer. 33. 8. they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me So in Micah Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passes by the transgressions of Mic 7. 18. the remnant of his heritage as though he would not see it but wink at it He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy The Hebrew word Nose from Nasa that is here rendered pardoned signifies a taking away when God pardons sin he takes it shier away that if it should be sought for yet it could not be found Jer â—0 20. as the Prophet speaks In those days and in that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve and these words and passeth by in the afore-cited seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnabâ—â— he passed over of Micah and the 18th according to the Hebrew Vegnober Gnal is and passeth over God passeth over the transgression of his heritage that is he takes no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of business seeth not things before him his mind being busied about other matters he neglects all to mind his business As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lameness or any other defect ot deformity So God beholding in his people the glorious Image of his Son winks at all their â—sa 40 1 2. faults and deformities which made Luther say Do with me what thou wilt since thou hast pardoned my sin and what is it to pardon sin but not to mention sin Fifthly His not bringing their sins into the Judgment of Discussion and Discovery doth best agree to those expressions of forgiving and covering Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered In the Original Psal 32. 1. it is in the plural Blessednesses so here is a plurality of Blessings a chain of Pearls The like expression you have in the 85th Psalm and the second v. Thou hast forgiven the Iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah For the understanding of these Scriptures aright take notice that to Cover is a Metaphorical expression Covering is such an action Sic velâ—â—tur ut in judicio non râ—vel ntur which is opposed to disclosure to be covered it is to be so hid and closed as not to appear Some make the Metaphor from filthy loathsome objects
therefore we read the Text thus He struck Jesus with the palm of his hand that is with open hand or with his hand stretched out Some of the Ancients commenting on this cuff say Let the Heavens be afraid and let the Earth tremble at Christs Crysostâ—m Hom. 81. in John c. 18. patience and this Servants impudence O ye Angels how were ye silent how could you contain your hands when you saw his hand striking at God If we consider him Aug. in Trall 13. saith another who took the blow was not he that struck him worthy to be consumed of fire or to be swallowed up of Earth or to be given up to Satan and thrown down into Hell Bernard saith that his hand that struck Christ was Ber. ser de pas vinc Serm. de pas Ludo de vita Christi armed with an iron glove And Vincentius affirms That by the blow Christ was felled to the Earth And Ludovicus adds that blood gushed out of his mouth and that the impression of the Varlets fingers remained on Christs cheek with a tumour and wan colour If a Subject should but lift up his hand against his Soveraign would he not be severely punished but should he strike him would it not be present death O what desperate madness and wickedness was it then to strike the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whom not only men but the Cherubims and Siraphims Rev. 17. 16. and all the Celestial powers above adore and worship Heb. 1. 6. Those Monsters in that Math. 26. 67. did not only strike Christ with the palm of their hands but they buffeted him also Now some of the Learned observe this difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one is given with the open hand the other with the fist shut up and thus they used him at this time they struck him with their fists and so the stroke was greater and more offensive for by this means they made his face to swell and to become full of bunches all over One gives it in thus by these blows of their fists his whole head was swollen his face became black and blew and his teeth ready to fall out of his jaws Very probable it is that with the violence of their stroaks they made him reel and stagger they made his mouth and nose and face to bleed and his eyes to startle in his head Now concerning Christs sufferings on the Cross I shall only hint at a few things and so close up this particular concerning Christs corporeal sufferings take me thus First The death of Christ on the Cross It was a bitter death a sorrowful death a bloody death the bitter thoughts of his sufferings put him into a most dreadful agony Luk. 22. 24. Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as great drops of blood falling to the ground The Greek word that is here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a striving or wrestling against as two combatants or wrestlers do strive each against other The things which our Saviour strove against was not only the terrour of death as other men are wont to do for then many Christians and Martyrs might have seemed more constant and couragious than he but with the terrible justice of God pouring out his high anger and indignation upon him on the account of all the sins of his chosen that Isa 53 4 5 6. were laid upon him then which nothing could be more dreadful Christ was in a vehement conflict in his soul through the deepest sense of his Fathers wrath against sinners for whom he now stood as a Surety and Redeemer 2 Cor. 5. 21. And for a close of this particular let me say that Gods justice which we have provoked being fully satisfied by the inestimable merit of Christs passion is the surest and highest ground of consolation that we have in this world but for the more full opinion of this blessed Scripture let us take notice of these following particulars First His sweat was as it were blood Some of the Antients looks upon these words only as a similitude or figurative hyberbole it being a usual kind of speech to call a vehement sweat a bloody sweat as he that weeps bitterly is said to weep tears of blood but the most and best of the Antients understand the words in a literal sense and believe it was truly and properly a bloody sweat and with them I close But some will object and say it was sicut guttae sanguinis as it were drops of blood Now to this I answer First If the Holy-Ghost had only intended that sicut for a similitude or hyperbole he would rather have exprest it as it were drops of nature than as it were drops of blood for we all know that sweat is more like to water than to blood But Secondly I answer that sicut as in Scripture-phrase doth not always denote a similitude but somtimes the very thing it self according to the verity of it Take an instance or two instead of many We beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father and their words seemed to them as it were idle tales and they believed them not the words in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same Certainly Christs sweat in the Garden was a wonderful sweat not a sweat of water but of red gore-blood But Secondly He sweat great drops of blood clotty blood issuing through flesh and skin in great abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clottered or congealed blood There is a thin faint sweat and there is a thick clotted sweat in this sweat of Christ blood came not from him in small dews but in great drops they were drops and great drops of blood crassy and thick drops Some read it droppings down of blood that is blood distilling in greater and grosser drops and hence it is concluded as preternatural for though much may be said for sweating blood in a course of Nature according to what Aristotle affirms Arist 〈◊〉 3. de hist Animal c. 29 August h. 14. de civit dei c 24. and Austin saith that he knew a man that could sweat blood even when he pleased it is granted on all hands that in faint bodies a subtile thin blood like sweat may pass through the pores of the skin but that through the same pores crassy thick great drops of blood should issue out it was not it could not be without a miracle Certainly the drops of blood that fell from Christs body were great very great yea so great as if they had started through his skin to out-run the streams and rivers of his Cross But Thirdly These great drops of blood did not only di 〈…〉 llare drop out but decurrere run down like a stream so fast as if they had issued out of most deadly wounds They were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Here is
against God Under the Law if an Oxe gored a man that he died the Exod. 21. 28. Oxe was to be killed Sin hath gored and pierced our dear Lord Jesus O let it die for it O avenge your selves upon it as Sampson did avenge himself upon the Philistines for Judg. 16. 28. his two eyes Pâ—lutarch reports of Marcus Cato that he never declared his opinion in any matter in the Senate but he would close it with this passage Methinks still Carthage should be destroyed so a Christian should never cast his eye upon the Cross of Christ the sufferings of Christ nor upon his sins but his heart should say Methinks pride should be destroyed and unbelief should be destroyed and hypocrisie should be destroyed and earthly-mindedness should be destroyed and self-love should be destroyed and vain glory should be destroyed c. The Jews would not have the pieces of silver which Judas cast down in the Temple put in the Treasury because Maâ— 27. 5 6. they were the price of blood Oh lodg not any one sin in the Treasury of your hearts for they are all the price of blood But Fourthly let the sufferings of our Lord Jesus raise in all our hearts a high estimation of Christ O let us prize a suffering Christ above all our duties and above all our Mat. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26. graces and above all our privileges and above all our outward contentments and above all our spiritual enjoyments a suffering Christ is a commodity of greater value than all the riches of the Indies yea than all the wealth of the whole world he is better than Rubies saith Prov. 8. 11. Solomon and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to him he is that Pearl of price which the wise Merchant purchased with all that ever he had no Mat. 13. 46 man can buy such Gold too dear Joseph a type of the Lord Jesus then a precious Jewel of the world was far more precious had the Ishmaelitish Merchants known so Gen. 27. 37. much than all the Balms and Myrrhs that they transported and so is a suffering Christ as all will grant that really know him and that have experienced the sweet of union and communion with him Christ went through heaven and hell life and death sorrow and suffering misery and cruelty and all to bring us to glory and shall we not prize him When in a storm the Nobles of Xerxes were to lighten the ship to preserve their King's life they did their obeysance and leaped into the Sea but our Lord Jesus Christ to preserve our lives Col. 1. 18. our souls he leaps into a Sea of wrath Oh how should this work us to set up Christ above all what a deal ado has there been in the world about Alexander the great and Constantine the great and Pompey the great because of their civil power and authority but what was all their greatness and grandure to that greatness and grandure that God the father put upon our Lord Jesus Christ when Mat 28. 1â— Heb. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 20. he gave all power in heaven and in earth unto him and set him down at his own right hand Oh sirs will you value men according to their titles and will you not highly value our Lord Jesus Christ who has the most magnificent titles given him he is called King of Kings Rev. 17. 14. cap. 19. 16. and Lord of Lords It is observed by learned Drusins that those Titles were usually giâ—â—n to the great Kings of Persia than which there was none assumed more to themselves than they did yet the holy Ghost attributes these great Titles to Christ to let us know that as God hath exalted Christ above all earthly powers so we should magnifie him and exalt him accordingly Paul casting his eye upon a suffering Christ tells us that he esteems of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. 8. all things as nothing in comparison of Christ All things is the greatest account that can be casâ— up for it includeth all prizes all summs it taketh in heaven it taketh in the vast and huge Globe and Circle of the capacious world and all excellencies within its bosom all things includes all Nations All Angels all Gold all Jewels all Honours all delights and every thing else besides and yet the Apostle looks upon all these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 micae quae canibus vide à Lapide vide Bezam the original word notes the filth that comes out of the entrails of beasts or off all cast to dogs but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dung dog's dung as some interpret the word or dogs meat course and contemptible in comparison of dear Jesus Galeacius that noble Italian Marquess was of the same mind and mettal with Paul for when he was strongly tempted and solicited with great summs of money and preferments to return to the Romish Church he gave this heroick answer Cursed be he that prefers all the wealth of the world to one days communion with Christ What if a man had large demains stately buildings and ten thousand rivers of Oyl what if all the mountains of the world were Pearl the mighty Rocks Rubies and the whole Globe a shining Chrysolite yet all this were not to be named in the same day wherein there is mention made of a suffering Christ Look as one Ocean hath more waters than all the rivers in the world and as one Sun hath more light than all the Luminaries in heaven so one suffering Christ is more all to a poor soul than if it had the all of the whole world a thousand times over and over Oh sirs if you cast but your eye upon a suffering Christ a crucified Jesus there you shall find righteousness in him to cover all your sins and plenty enough in him to supply all your wants and grace enough in him to subdue all your lusts and wisdom enouâ—h in him to resolve all your doubts and power enough in him to vanquish all your enemies and vertue enough in him to heal all your diseases Heb. 7. 25. I have read of a Roman servant who knowing his master was sought for by officers to be put to death he put himself into his master's cloaths that he might be taken for him and so he was and was putâ— to death for him whereupon his master in memory of his thankfulness to him and honour of him erected a brazen Statue but what a statue of Gold should we set up in our hearts to the eternal honour exaltation of that Jesus who not in our cloaths but in our very nature hath laid down his life for us and fulness enough in him both to satisfie you and save you and that to the utmost All the good things that can be reckoned up here below have only a finite and limited benignity some can cloath but cannot feed others can
giver or the taker the inconstancy and slipperiness of it is discernable in the instances last cited It hath raised some but hath ruined more and those commonly whom it hath most raised it hath most ruined Sir if there be any thing glorious in the world 't is a mind that divinely contemns that glory and such a mind I judge and hope God hath given you I have hinted a little at the vanity of worldly glory because happily this Treatise passing up and down the world may fall into the hands of such as may be troubled with that Itch and if so who can tell but that that little that I have said may prove a soveraign salve to cure that Egyptian Botch and if so I have my end Sir Let nothing lye so near your heart in all the world as these eight things 1. Your sins to humble you and abase you at the foot of God 2. Free and rich and soveraign grace to soften and mâ—lt you down Col. 1. 10 11 12 13. Phil. 4. 12 13 14. â—al 2. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 10. Psal 119. 105. Amos 6. 3 4 5 6. â—â—â— 1. 1 2 3 4 5. into the will of God 3. The Lord Jesus Christ to assist help strengthen and influence you to all the duties and services that are incumbent upon you 4. The blessed Scriptues to guide you and lead you and o be a lamp unto you feet and a light unto your paths 5. The afflictions of Joseph to draw out your charity mercy pity sympathy and campassion to men in misery 6. The glory and happiness of another world to arm you and steel you against all the sins snares and temptations that your high places offices and circumstances may lye you open to 7. The grand points in this Treatise which being laid upon your heart by the warm hand of the spirit are able to make you wise unto salvation and to secure your precious and immortal soul against those pernicious and most dangerous may I not say damnable errours and opinions 2 Pet. 2. 1. that are preached printed and cryed up in the vain world 8. The interest of Christ and his people which will be your honour whilst you live your joy and comfort when you come to die and your Crown of 1 Thess 1. 19. 20. rejoycing in the great day of our Lord. Sir I shall not so far disgust you as to tell the world how many several score pounds of your money hath passed through my hands towards the relief refreshment support and preservation of such who for their piety and extreme poverty and necessity were proper objects of your charity but shall take this opportunity to tell you and all others into whose hands this Treatise may fall that of all the duties of Religion there are none 1. More commanded than this of charity pity compassion Prov. 3. 9 10. Eccles 11. 1 2. Gal. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 8. 3 4 5. cap. 9. 1 2. Isa 58. 7. to the 13. ponder upon it Mat. 25. 34 to vers 41. and mercy to men in misery especially to those of the houshold of faith 2. There is no one duty more highly commended and extolled than this 3. There is no one duty that hath more choice and precious promises annexed to it than this 4. There is no one duty that hath greater rewards attending it than this Evagrius a rich man being importuned by Sinesius a Bishop to give something to charitable uses he yielded at last to give three hundred pounds but first took bond of the Bishop that it should be repayed him in another world according to the promise of our Saviour Mat. 19. 29. with a hundred-fold advantage Before he had been one day dead he is said to have appeared to the Bishop delivering in the bond cancelled as thereby acknowledging that what was promised was made good It is certain that one days being in heaven will make a sufficient recompence for whatsoever a man has given on earth Neither shall I acquaint the world with those particular favours and respects which you have shewed to my self but treasure them up in an awakened breast and be your remembrancer at the throne of grace Only I must let the world know that I owe you more than an Epistle and if you please to accept of this mite in part of payment and improve it for your souls advantage you will put a farther obligation upon me to study how I may farther serve the interest of your immortal soul Let the lustre of your prudence wisdom charity fidelity generosity and humility of spirit shine gloriously through all your places offices abilities riches employments and enjoyments for this is the height of all true excellency and that it may be so remember for ever that the eyes of God of Christ of Angels of Jer. 16. 17. Job 34 21. Prov. 5. 21. Jer. 32. 19. Heb. 4. 13. 'T is a saying of the School-men quic quid est in deo est in deo est ipse deus Devils of Sinners of Saints of Good of Bad are always fixed upon you God is all ear to hear all hand to punish all power to protect all wisdom to direct all goodness to relieve all grace to pardon and he is Totus Oculus all eye to observe the thoughts hearts words ways and walkings of the children of men As the eyes of a well drawn picture are fastned on us which way soever we turn so are the eyes of the Lord. Zeno a wise Heathen affirmeth that God behold even the very thoughts of men Athenodorus another Heathen saith that all men ought to be careful of the actions of their life because God was every where and behold all that was done Of all men on earth Magistrates and Ministers had need pray with David Teach us thy â—sal 27. 1. way O Lord and lead us in a plain path because of our enemies or nearer the Hebrew because of our observers in all the Ages of the world there have been Sauls and Doegs who have looked upon God's Davids with an evil Jer 20. 10. eye and watched for their halting there are multitudes that will be still eyeing and prying into the practices offices carriages and conversations of Magistrates and Ministers the more it concerns them to watch pray act and walk like so many earthly Angels in the midst of a crooked perverse and froward Generation Phil. 2. 15. Wise and prudent Governours are an unspeakable mercy to a Kingdom or Commonwealth which Jethro well understood when he gave Moses that good counsel To make choice out of the people of grave and able men such as feared God men of trath hating covetousness Exâ—d 18. 21 22. 〈◊〉 tirum in â—â—a is a maximas true as old and to make them rulers over thousands and rulers over hundreds over fifties and over tens But in the Nations round how rare is it to find Magistrates qualified suitable to Jethro's counsel Alphonsus
King of Spain coming very young to the Crown some advised that seven Counsellors might be joyned to govern with him who should be men fearing God lovers lovers of Justice free from filthy lusts and such as would not take bribes To which Alphonsus replyed if you can find seven such men nay bring me but one so qualified and I will not only admit him to govern with me but shall willingly resign the Kingdom it self to him Wicked policies are ever destructive to their Authors as you may see in Pharaoh Exâ—d 1. 10 22. 2 Sam. 16. cap. 23. 23. Est 7. 10. in Achitophel in Haman c. As long as the Roman Civil Magistrates Senators and Commanders of Armies were chosen into places of honour and trust for their noble descent their prudence and valour their State did flourish and did enlarge its Dominions See Livim Deâ—â—â—â— more in one Century of years than it did in three after these places of honour came to be venal and purchased by concession For then men of no parts were for money promoted to highest dignities whereupon civil contentions were fomented factions encreased and continual bloody intestine Wars maintained by which the ancient Liberties of that State were suppressed and the last Government of it changed into an Imperial Monarchy As long as the chief officers of the Crown of France and the places of Judicature of the Realm were given by Charles the fifth surnamed the wise to men of Learning of Wisdom and Valour in recompence of their Loyalty virtue and merits that Kingdom did flourish with peace honour and prosperity and the Courts of Parliaments See the History of France of France had the honour for their Justice and equity to be the Arbitrators and Umpires of all the differences that happened in those days between the greatest Princes of Christendom But when these places of honour and trust were made venal in the reigns of Francis the second Charles the ninth and Henry the third and sold for ready money to such as gave most for them then was Justice and Equity banished and that flourishing Kingdom reduced to the brim of ruine and desolation by variety of factions and a bloody Civil War The wicked Counsel given by the Cardinal De Lorraign and the Duke of Guise his brother to Charles the ninth King of See the Massaâ—â— of Parâ—â— â—n the Inâ—eâ—tory of France France to allure all the Protestants to Paris under colour of the Marriage of Henry de Bourbon with Margaret de Valois the King's sister to have them all as in a trap for to cut their throats in their beds as they did for the greatest part proved fatal to the King to the Cardinal and the Duke For the King by the just judgment of God died shortly after by an Issue of blood which came out of his mouth ears and nostrils and could never be stopped and the Cardinal and the Duke were both slain by the Commandment of Henry the third in the Castle of Blois The barbarous policy of Philip the second See the 〈…〉 King of Spain to banish two or three hundred thousand Mores with their wives and children under colour of Religion on purpose to confiscate all their Land and to appropriate the same to his demesns was fatal to him and to all the Spanish Nation for by the just judgment of God he was eaten up of lice and the Spanish Nation never thrived since c. Were it not for exceeding the bounds of an Epistle I might shew in all the Ages of the world how destructive the wicked policies of Rulers and Governours have been to themselves and the States and Nations under them c. But from such policies God has and I hope will for ever deliver your soul Sir the best policy in the world is to know God savingly to serve him sincerely to do the work of your Generation throughly and to secure your future happiness and blessedness effectually c. Sir I do not offer you that which cost me nothing or little God best knows the pains the prayers and the Mal 1. 13 14. sâ—â—dy that the midwifing of this Treatise into the world hath cost me in the midst of tryals troubles temptations afflictions and my frequent labours in the Ministry The truths that I offer for your serious consideration in this Treatise are not such as I have formerly preached in Commonly men preach those points first that afterwards they print but not knowing how long the door of liberty may be open I have sent this Treatise into the world Eph. 5. 15 16. â—ol sâ— 4. 5. Eccl â— 9. 10. one place or another at one time or another but such as at several times the Lord has brought to hand and I hope in order to the service and saving of many many souls And should you redeem time from your many and weighty occasions and live to read it as often over as there be leaves in it I am apt to think you would never repent of your pains when you come to die and make up your account with God Sir I must and shall say because I love and honour you and would have you happy to Eternity that it is your greatest wisdom and should be your greatest care to redeem time from your worldly business to acquaint your self more and more with the great and main points of Religion to serve your God to be useful in your day and to make sure and safe work for your soul to escape hell and to get heaven Sir Thomas More one of the great wits of that day would commonly say there is a Devil called negotium business that carries more souls to hell than all the devils in hell beside Many men have so many Irons in the fire and â—uk 10. 40 41 42. When one preâ—ented Antipater King of Macedo â—ia wich a book treating of happiness his answer was on Scholazo I am not at leasure The Duke of Alva had so much to do on earth that he had â—o time to look up to heaven are cumbred about so many things that upon the matter they wholly neglect the one thing necessary though I hope better things of you The stars which have the least circuit are nearest the pole and men that are least perplexed with a croud of worldly business are commonly nearest to God Sir as you love God as you love your soul as you love Eternity as you would be found at Christ's right hand at last and as you would meet me with joy in the great day of the Lord make much conscience of redeeming time daily from your secular affairs to be with God in your closet in your family to read the Scriptures to study the Scriptures and such men's writings that are sound in the faith and that treat of the great things of the Gospel 'T is dangerous crying cras cras to morrow to morrow Mannah must be gathered in the morning the orient Pearl is generated
A gracious Soul looks upon sin with as evil and as envious an eye as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit was upon him O! saith Saul that I was but once well rid of this David and O saith a gracious Soul that I was but once well rid of this proud heart this hard heart this unbelieving heart this unclean heart this earthly heart this froward heart of mine Tenthly Every Godly man complains of his known sins and mourns over his known sins and would be fain rid of his known sins as might be made evident out of many scores of â—cripture 7 Job 21. 51. Psal 14. Hos 2. Eleventhly Every gracious Soul sets himself mostly resolutely valiantly and habitually against his special sins his constitution sins his most prevalent sins Psal 18. 23. I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity Certainly that which is the special sin of a Godly man is his special burden it is not delighted in but lamented there is no sin which costs him so much sorrow as that to which either the temper of his body or the occasions of his life leads him That sin which he finds his heart most set upon he sets his heart his whole soul most against The Scripture gives much evidence that David though a man after Gods own heart was very apt to fall into the sin of Lying he used many unlawful shifts we read of his often faultring in that kind when he was in straits and hard put to it 1 Sam. 21. 2. 8. 1 Sam. 27. 8 10 c. but it is as clear in Scripture that his heart was set against lying and that it was the grief and daily burden of his Soul Certainly that sin is a mans greatest burden and grief which he prays most to be delivered from O! how earnestly did David pray to be delivered from the sin of lying Psal 119. 29. Keep me from the way of lying And as he prayed earnestly against lying so he as earnestly detested it ver 163. I hate and abhor Lying Though Lying was Davids special sin yet he hated and abhorred it as he did Hell it self And he tells us how he was affected or afflicted rather with that sin whatsoever it was which was his Iniquity Psal 31. 10 my life is spent with grief and my years with sighings my strength faileth and my bones are consumed or Moth-eaten as the Hebrew has it here are deep expressions of a troubled Spirit and why all this Mark he gives you the reason of it in the same verse because of mine Iniquity as if he had said there is a base corruption which so haunts and doggs me that my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing He found it seems his heart running out to some sin or other which yet was so far from being a beloved sin a bosom sin a darling sin that it was the breaking of his heart and the consumption of his bones So Psal 38. 18. I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my sin There is no sin that a gracious heart is more perfectly set against than against his special sin for by this sin God first has been most dishonored and secondly Christ most crucified and thirdly the Spirit most grieved and fourthly Conscience most wounded and fifthly Satan most advantaged and sixthly Mercies most imbittered and seaventhly Duties most hindred and eighthly Fears and doubts most raised and increased and ninethly Afflictions most multiplied and tenthly Death made most formidable and terrible and therefore he breaks out against this sin with the greatest detestation and abhorrency Ephraims special sin was Idolatry Hos 4. 17. he thought the choicest gold and silver in the world hardly good enough to frame his Idols of But when it was the day of the Lords gracious power upon Ephraim than he thought no place bad enough to cast his choicest Idols into as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together Hos 14. 8. Isa 2. 20. and chap. 30. 22. True grace will make a man stand stoutly and stedfastly on Gods side and work the heart to take part with him against a mans special sins though they be as right hands or right eyes True grace will lay hands upon a mans special sins and cry out to Heaven Lord Crucifie them Crucifie them down with them down with them even to the ground Lord do justice do speedy justice do signal justice do exemplary justice upon these special sins of mine Lord how down root and branch let the very stumps of this Dagon be broken all in pieces Lord curse this wild â—ig-tree that never more fruit may grow thereon But Twelfthly There is no time wherein a gracious Soul cannot sincerely say with the Apostle in that Hâ—b 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willingly to live honestly gracious hearts affect that which they cannot effect So Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men in all cases in all places by all means and at all times a sincere Christian labours to have a good Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Prov. 16. 17. The high-way of the upright is to depart from evil that is it is the ordinary usual constant course of an upright man to depart from evil An honest Traveller may step out of the Kings high-way into a House a Wood a Close but his work his business is to go on in the Kings high-way so the business the work of an upright man is to depart from evil 'T is possible for an upright man to step into a sinful path or to touch upon sinful facts but his main way his principal work and business is to depart from Iniquity as a Bee may light upon a Thistle but her work is to be gathering at flowers or as a Sheep may slip into the dirt but its work is to be grazing upon the Mountains or in the Meadows but Thirteenthly and lastly Jesus Christ is the real Christians only Beloved he is the Saints only darling 2 Can. 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons ver 8. The vâ—yce of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the Mountains and skiping upon the hills ver 9. My Beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart ver 10. My Beloved spake and said unto me Rise up my Love my fair one and come away ver 17. Turn my Beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether Can. 4. 16. Let my Beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits Seven times Christ is called the Beloved of his Spouse in the fifth of Canticles and twice in the sixth Chapter and four times in the seaventh Chapter and once in the eighth Chapter In this Book of Solomons Song Christ is called the Churches Beloved just twenty
though all this might seem to cross both Nature and Grace both Reason and Religion yet Abraham was willing to obey God in this also and to do what he commanded Gen. 22. so David was a man after Gods own heart which fulfilled all his Wills as the original runs in Acts 13. 22. And it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord c. Luk. 1. 6. 1 Thes 2. 10. Ye are Witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe 13thly Universal Obedience speaks out the strength of our love to Christ and the reality of our friendship with Christ Joh. 15. 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you That Child shews most love to his Father that observes all his precepts and that Servant shews most love to his Master that observes all his Masters commands and that Wife shews most love to her Husband that observes all he requires in the Lord So here c. 14thly Universal Obedience will give most peace rest quiet and comfort to the Conscience Such a Christian will be as an eye that hath no Mote to trouble it as a Kingdom that hath no Rebel to annoy it as a Ship that hath no leak to disturb it Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them But 15thly Mans holiness must be conformable to Gods Holiness Ephe. 5. 1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear Children Math. 5. 48. Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Now God is Righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works and so ought all to desire and endeavour to be that would be saved 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he who hath called you is Holy so be ye also holy in all manner of Conversation v. 16. because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy But 16thly The holiness of a Christian must be conformable to the holiness of Christ Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Now Christ was holy in all things It behoveth us said he to fulfill all Righteousness And this should be the care of every one that professeth himself to be Christs to endeavour to be holy as Christ was holy 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself to walk even as he walked But 17thly Servants must obey their earthly Masters not in some things only but in all things to wit that are just and lawful Tit. 2. 9. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all things What Master will be content that his Servant should chuse how far forth he will observe and do those things which he doth require of him much less may we think that such arbitrary and partial performances will please that God who is our Heavenly Master 18thly The promises of mercy both spiritual and temporal are made over to universal obedience 1 King 6. 12 13. Deut. 28. 1 2 3 Ezek. 18. 21 22 27 28. turn to all these promises and dilate on them c. 19thly One sin never goes alone as you may see in the falls of Adam and Eve Lot Abraham Noah Jacob Joseph Job David Solomon Peter Ahab Judas Jeroboam one sin will make way for more as one little Thief can open the door to let in many great ones Satan will be sure to nest himself to lodge himself in the least sins as Birds nest lodge themselves in the smallest branches of the Tree and there he will do all he can to hatch all manner of wickedness A little wedge makes way for a greater so do little sins make way for greater 20. The reasons of turning from sin are universally binding to a gracious soul There are the same reasons and grounds for a penitent man's turning from every sin as there is for his turning from any one sin do you turn from this or that sin because the Lord hath forbid it why upon the same ground you must turn from every sin for God has forbid every sin as well as this or that particular sin there is the same Authority forbidding or commanding in all and if the Authority of God awes a man from one sin it will awe him from all c. But 21stly One sin allowed and lived in will keep Christ and the Soul a-sunder As one Rebel one Traytor hid and kept in the House will keep a Prince and his Subject a-sunder or as one stone in the Pipe will keep the water and the Cistern a-sunder So here But 22dly One sin allowed and lived in will unfit a person for suffering as one cut or one shot in the shoulder may hinder a man from bearing a burden will he ever lay down his life for Christ that can't that won't lay down a Lust for Christ But 23dly One sin allowed and lived in is sufficient to deprive a man for ever of the greatest good One sin allowed and wallowed in will as certainly deprive a man ōf the blessed Vision of God and of all the treasures pleasures and delights that be at God's right hand as a thousand One sin stript the fallen Angels of all their glory and one sin stript our first Parents of all their dignity and excellency Gen. 3. 4 5. One flye in the box of prccious Oyntment spoyls the whole box One Thief may Rob a man of all his treasure one Disease may deprive a man of all his health and one drop of Poyson will spoyl the whole glass of Wine and so one Sin allowed and lived in will make a man miserable for ever One Mill stone will sink a man to the bottom of the Sea as well as a hundred 't is so here But 24thly One Sin allowed and lived in will eat out all peace of Conscience as one string that jars Will spoyl the sweetest Musick so one sin countenanced and lived in will spoyl the musick of Conscience One Pyrate may Rob a man of all he has in this world But 25thly and lastly The Sinner would have God to forgive him not only some of his sins but all his sins and therefore 't is but just and equal that he should turn from all his sins If God be so faithful and just to forgive us all our sins we must be so faithful and just as to turn from all our sins The Plaister must be as broad as the Sore and the Tent as long and as deep as the Wound It argues horrid Hypocrisie damnable folly and wonderful impudency for a man to beg the pardon of those very sins that he is resolved never to forsake c. Object But it is impossible for any man on Earth to walk in all God's Statutes to obey all his Commands to do his will in all things to walk according to the full bredth of Gods Royal Law Sol. I Answer there is a two-fold walking in all the
when Angels Devils Men shall stand before the Lord Jesus whom God the Father hath ordained to be the Judge of Quick and Dead Act. 17. 31. Now to this great Question I Answer that the sins of the Saints the infirmities and enormities of Believers shall never be brought into the Judgment of discussion and discovery they shall never be objected against them either in their particular day of Judgment or in the great day of their Account Now this truth I shall make good by an induction of particulars thus First Our Lord Jesus Christ in His judicial proceedings in the last day which is set down clearly and largely in Math. 25. 34. to ver 42. doth only enumerate the good works they have done but takes not the least notice of the spots and blemishes of the infirmities or enormities Deut. 32. 4 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. of the weaknesses or wickednesses of his people God has sealed up the sins of his people never to be remembred or lookt upon more In the great day the book of Gods Remembrance shall be opened and publickly read that all the good things that the Saints have done for God for Christ for Saints for their own Souls for Sinners and that all the great things that they have suffered for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake may be mentioned to their everlasting praise to their eternal honour And though the choicest and chiefest Saints on Rom 7. 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Earth have 1. Sin dwelling in them 2. Operating and working in them 3. Vexing and molesting of them being as so many Goads in their sides and Thorns in their eyes 4. Captivating and prevailing over them yet in that large Recital which shall then be read of the Saints lives Math. 25. There is not the least mention made either of sins of Omission or Commission nor the least mention made either of great sins or of small sins nor the least mention made either of sins before Conversion or after Conversion Here in this world the best of Saints have had their buts their spots their blots their specks as the fairest day hath its Clouds the finest Linnen its spots and the richest Jewels their specks but now in the judicial process of this last and universal Assizes there is not found in all the Books that shall then be opened so much as one unsavory but to blemish the Rev. 20. 12. Dan. 7. 10. Num. 23. 21. fair Characters of the Saints Surely he that sees no Iniquity in Jacob nor perverseness in Israel to impute it to them whilst they live he will never charge Iniquity or perverseness upon them in the great day Surely he who has fully satisfied his Fathers Justice for his peoples sins and who hath by his own Blood ballanced and made Isa 53. up all Reckonings and Accounts between God and their souls he will never charge upon them their faults and follies in the great day Surely he who hath spoken so much for his Saints whilst he was on Earth and who hath continually interceded for them since he went to John 17. Heb. 7. 25. Heaven he won't though he hath cause to blame them for many things speak any thing against them in the great day Surely Jesus Christ the Saints Pay-master Heb. 10. 10 12 14. Matth. 18. 24. Col. 2 14. who hath discharged their whole debt at once who hath paid down upon the nayl the ten thousand Talents which we owed and took in the Bond and nailed it to the Cross leaving no back-reckonings unpaid to bring his poor Children which are the travail of his soul afterward Isa 53. 11. into any danger from the hands of Divine Justice he will never mention the sins of his people he will never charge the sins of his people upon them in the great day Our dear Lord Jesus who is the Righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth in the great day of account He will bring in Omnia bene in his presentment all fair and well and accordingly will make Proclamation in that High-Court of Justice before God Angels Devils Saints and Sinners c. Christ will not charge his Children with the least unkindness he will not charge his Spouse with the least unfaithfulness in the great day yea he will represent them before God Angels and Men as compleat in him as all fair and spotless as without spot or wrinkle as without fault before the Throne of God as holy and Col. 2. 10. Cant. 4. 7. Ephe. 5. â—7 Rev. 14 5. unblameable and unreproveable in his sight as immaculate as the Angels themselves who kept their first Estate This honour shall have all the Saints and thus shall Christ be glorified in his Saints and admired in all 1 Thâ—s 2. 10 them that believe The greatest part of the Saints by far will have past their particular judgment long before Heb 9. 27. the general judgment and being therein acquitted and discharged from all their sins by God the Judge of the quick and dead and admitted into Heaven upon the credit 2 Tim. 4. 1. of Christs Blood Righteous satisfaction and their free and full justification It cannot be imagined that Jesus Christ in the great day will bring in any new charge against his Children when they have been cleared and absolved already Certainly when once the Saints are freely and fully Absolved from all their sins by a Divine Sentence then their sins shall never be remembred they shall never be objected against them any more For one Divine Sentence cannot cross and rescind another the Judge of all the world had long since cast all their sins behind his back and will he now set them before his face Isa 38. 17. and before the faces of all the world surely no he has long since cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea bottomless depths of everlasting Oblivion that they might Micah 7. 19. never be buoyed up any more He has not only forgiven their sins but he has also forgotten their sins And Jer. 31. 34. will he remember them and declare them in the great day surely no God has long since blotted out the transgressions Isa 43. 25. of his people This Metaphor is taken from Creditors who when they purpose never to exact a Debt will blot it out of their Books Now after that a Debt is strucken out of a Bill Bond or Book it cannot be exacted the Evidence cannot be pleaded Christ Col. 2. 14. having crost the debt-Book with the red lines of his Blood If now he should call the sins of his people to remembrance and charge them upon them he should cross the great design of his cross Upon this foundation stands the absolute impossibility that any sin that the least sin yea that the least circumstance of sin or the least aggravation of sin should be so much as mentioned by the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth in the process of that
Cor. 5. 10. Heb 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4 5 to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general judgment or to the particular judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed God Jesus Christ has by his own blood ballanced and made up all reckonings and accounts that were between thee and me and thou hast vehemently protested that thou wilt not bring me into Judgment that thou wilt blot out my Transgressions as a thick Cloud and that thou wilt remember my sins no more and that thou wilt cast them behind thy back and hurl them into the depth of the Sea and that thou wilt forgive them and cover them and not impute them to me c. This is my Plea O Lord and by this plea I shall stand Well saith the Judge of Quick and Dead I own this plea I accept of this plea I have nothing to say against this plea the plea is just safe honourable and righteous enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Secondly Every Sinner at his first believing and closing with Christ is justified in the Court of glory from all his sins both guilt and punishment Justification Act. 13. 39. doth not increase or decrease but all sin is pardoned at the first act of believing All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst Believers as to their justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same Righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst Believers Every one is not sanctified alike for some are 1 Cor. 12. 19 1â— 14. 1 Joh 2 1. 12 13 14. stronger and higher and others are weaker and lower in grace As soon as any are made Believers in Christ all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Now that all the sins of a Believer are pardoned at once and actually unto them may be thus demonstrated First All phrases in Scripture imply thus much Esa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Jer. 33. 8. And I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have Transgressed against me Ezek. 18. 22. All his Transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their Vnrighteousness and their sins and their Iniquities I will remember no mâ—re ergo all is pardoned at once But Secondly That Remission of sins that leaves no Condemnation to the party offending is the Remission of all sins for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in 2. At a sinners first Conâ—ersion his sins are truly and perfectly pardoned 1. All as to sin already past 2. All as to the state of Remission they had a perfect right to the pardon of all their sins paâ—t present and to come though not an equal 〈◊〉 the state of Condemnation but Justification leaves no Condemnation Romans 8. 1. vers There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth and ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death to life ergo all sins are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of Condemnation c. Thus you see it evident that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus therefore there is full remission of all sins to the soul at the first act of believing But Thirdly A Believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ Joh. 15. 1. 6. Joh. 17. 21 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And he is still Cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ which covers all his sins and dischargeth him from them so that no guilt can redound to him Isa 61. 10. Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. c. But Fourthly A Believer is not to fear Curse or Hell at all which yet he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned c. But Fifthly Our Lord Jesus Christ by once suffering suffered for all the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of God the Father fell on him for all the sins of the chosen of God Isa 53. 9. Heb. 12. 14. chap. 10. 9 10 12 14. If Christ had suffered for ten thousand worlds he could have suffered no more than he did for he suffered the whole infinite wrath of God the Father the wrath of God was infinite wrath the sufferings of Christ were infinite sufferings ergo Look as Adam's sin was enough to infect a thousand worlds so our Saviours merits are sufficient to save a thousand worlds those sufferings that he suffered for sins past are sufficient to satisfie for sins present and to come That all the sins of Gods Isa 54. 5 6. people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the days of his sufferings did meritoriously purchase perfect remission of all their sins to be applyed in future times to them and by them is most certain But Sixthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only Faith therefore pardon of sin is not suspended until we repent of our sins But Sevently If the Remission of all sins be not at once it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there is some hinderances in the way But a man by the hand of faith may lay hold on all the merits of Christ and the word reveals the pardon of all and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seals and confirms the pardon of all and there is no danger nor inconvenience that attends this assertion for it puts the highest obligation imaginable upon the soul as to fear and obedience Psal 1 30. 3. v. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand ver 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgiveness makes not a Christian bold with sin but fearful of sin and careful to obey as Christians find in their daily experience By this Argument it appears clear that the forgiveness of all sins is made to the soul at once at the first act of Believing But Eightly If new
Fifthly To say peremptorily he suffered what is it but to say that he principally suffered that he excessively suffered To say he suffered What is it but to say he was the cheif sufferer the arch sufferer and that not only in respect of the manner of his sufferings that he suffered absolutely so as never did any but also in respect of the measure of his sufferings that he suffered excessively beyond what ever any did And thus we may well understand and take those words He suffered That lamentation of the Prophet Lam. 1. 12. is very applicable to Christ Behold and see if there be any sorrows like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fiorce anger Now is it not enough for the Apostle to say that Christ hath suffered but will you yet ask what But pray Friends be satisfied and rather of the two ask what not for what sufferings can you think of that Christ did not suffer Christ suffered in his Birth and he suffered in his Life and he suffered in his Death he suffered in his Body for he was diversly tormented he suffered in his Soul for his Soul was heavy unto death he suffered in his Estate they parted his Rayment and he had not where to rest his head he suffered in his good Name for he was counted a Samaritan a Devillish Sorcerer a Wine-bibber an Enemy to Caesar c. He suffered from Heaven when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He suffered from the Earth when being hungry the Fig-tree proved fruitless to him He suffered from Hell Satan assaulting and encountering of him with his most black and horrid temptations He began his life meanly and basely and was sharply persecuted He continued his life poorly and distressedly and was cruelly hated He ended his life wofully and miserably and was most grievously tormented with Whips Thorns Nails and above all with the terrors of his Fathers wrath and horrors of hellish agonies Ego sum qui peccavi I am the man that have sinned but these Sheep what have they done said David when he saw the Angel destroying his people 2 Sam. 24. 17. And the same speech may every one of us take up for our selves and apply to Christ and say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this Sheep what hath he done yea much more cause have we than David had to take up this complaint For First David saw them dye whom he knew to be Sinners but we see him dye who we knew knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. But Secondly David saw them dye a quick speedy death we see him dye with lingering torments He was a dying from six to nine Math. 27. 45 46. Now in this three hours darkness he was set upon by all the powers of darkness with utmost might and malice but he foyled and spoiled them all and made an open shew of them as the Roman Conquerors used to do triumphing over them on his Cross as on his Chariot of State Col. 2. 15. attended by his vanquished Enemies with their hands bound behind them Ephe. 4. 8. But Thirdly David saw them dye who by their own confession was worth ten thousand of them we see him dye for us whose worth admitteth no comparison But Fourthly David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortal men and we see mortal men destroying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. O how much more cause have we then to say as David I have sinned I have done wickedly but this Innocent Lamb the Lord Jesus what hath he done what hath he deserved that he should be thus greatly tormented Tully though a great Orator yet when he comes to speak of the death of the Cross he wants words to express it Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of this death saith he But Thirdly As the sufferings of Christ were very great so the punishments which Christ did suffer for our sins these were in their kinds and parts and degrees and proportion all those punishments which were due unto us by reason of our sins which we our selves should otherwise have suffered Whatsoever we should have suffered as Sinners all that did Christ suffer as our Surety and Mediator always excepting those punishments which could not be endured without a pollution and guilt of sinâ— The chasrisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. And including the punishments common to the nature of man not the personal arising out of imperfection and defect and distemper Now the punishments due to us for sin were corporal and spiritual And again they were the punishments of loss and of sense and all these did Christ suffer for us which I shall evidence by an induction of particulars First That Christ suffered corporal punishments is most clear in Scripture You read of the Injuries to his Person of the Crown of Throns on his Head of the smiting of his Cheeks of spitting on his Face of the scourging of his Body of the Cross on his Back of the Vinegar in his Mouth of the Nails in his Hands and Feet of the Spear in his Side and of his crucifying and dying on the Cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who himself in his own body on the Tree bare our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Rev. 1. 5. And washed us from our sins in his own Blood Col. 1. 14. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of sins Math. 26. 28. For this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Christ suffered derision in every one of his Offices First In his Kingly Office They put a Scepter in his Hand a Crown on his Head and bowed their Knees saying Hail King of the Jews Matth. 27. 29. Secondly In his Priestly Office They put upon him a gorgeous white Robe such as the Priests wore Luk. 23. 11. Thirdly In his Prophetical Office When they had blindfolded him Prophesie say they who it is that smiteth thee Luk. 22. 64. Sometimes they said Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Joh. 8. 48. And sometimes they said He is beside himself why hear ye him Mark 3. 21. And as Christ suffered in every one of his Offices so he suffered in every member of his Body in his Hearing by their reproaches and crying Crucifie him Crucifie him In his sight by their Scoffings and scornful gestures In his Smell in his being in that noysome place Gâ—lgotha Math. 27. 33. In his Tast by his tasting of Vinegar mingled with Gall which they gave him to drink Math. 27. 33. In his Feeling by the Thorns on his Head blows on his Cheeks spittle on his Face the Spear in his side and the Nails in his Hands he suffered in all parts and members of his body from head to foot His Head which deserved a better Crown than the best in
the world was Crowned with Thorns and they smote him on the head Osorius writing of the sufferings of Christ saith That the Crown of Throns bor'd his head with seventy-two wounds To see that Head before which Angels cast down themselves and worshiped as I may say Crowned with Throns might well amaze us To see those Eyes that were purer than the Sun put out by the darkness of death To see those Ears which hear nothing to speak to capacity but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels to hear the Blasphemies of the multitude To see that Face which was fairer than the Sons of men for being born and conceived without sin he was freed from the contagious effects of it Deformity and was most perfectly beautiful Psal 45. 2. Cant. 5. 10. to be spit on by those beastly wretched Jews To see that Mouth and Tongue that spake as never man spake accused for false Doctrines nay Blasphemy To see those Hands which freely swayed the Scepter of Heaven nayled to the Cross To see those Feet like unto fine brass Rev. 1. 15. nayled to the Cross for mans sins Who can behold Christ thus suffering in all the members of his Body and not be struck with astonishment Who can sum up the horrible abuses that were put upon Christ by his base Attendants The Evangelist tells us that they spit in his Face and buffeted him and that others smote him with the palms of their hands saying Prophesie unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee Math. 26. 67 68. And as Luke adds many other things Blasphemously speak they against him Luk. 22. 65. What those many other things were is not discovered only some antient Writers say That Christ in that night suffered so many and such hideous things that the whole knowledge of them is reserved only for the last day of judgment Mallonius writes thus After Caiphas and the Priests had sentenc'd Christ worthy of death they committed him to their Ministers warily to keep till day and they immediatâ—ly threw him into the Dungeon in Caiphas house there they bound him to a stony pillar with his hands bound on his back and then they fell upon him with their palms and fists Others add That the Souldiers not yet content they threw him into a filthy durty puddle where he abode for the remainder of that night of which the Psalmist seems to speak Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness and in the deeps and I sink in the deep myre where there is no standing Psal 88. 6. Psal 69. 2. But that you may clearly see what horrible abuses were put upon Christ by his Attendants Consider seriously of these particulars First They spit in his Face Math. 26. 67. Now this was accounted among the Jews a matter of great infamy and reproach Numb 14. And the Lord said to Moses If her Father had spit in her Face should she not be ashamed seven days Spitting in the face among the Jews was a sign of anger shame and contempt Job 30. 10. They abhor me they flye far from me and spare not to spit in my Face The face is the table of beauty or comliness and when it is spit upon it is made the feat of shame Spitting in the face was a sign of the greatest disgrace that could be put upon a person and therefore it could not but be very bitter to Job to see base Beggars spit in that Face that was wont to be honoured by Princes But this we are not to wonder at for there is no indignity so base and ignominious but the choicest Saints may meet with it in and from this evil world Afflicted persons are sacred things and by the Laws of Nature and Nations should not be misused and trampled upon but rather pitied and lamented over But barbarous Miscreants when they have an opportunity they will not spare to exercise any kind of cruelty as you see by their spitting in the very Face of Christ himself I hid not my Face saith Christ from Isa 50. 6. 2. shame and spitting thou I was sairer than the Children of men Psal 45. 2. yet I used no Mask to keep me fair though I was white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. yet I preserved not my Beauty from their nasty spittle O that that sweet blessed Face of Jesus Christ that is so much honoured and adored in Heaven should ever be spit upon by beastly wretches in this world Secondly They struck him Joh. 18. 22. One of the Officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand saying Answerest thou the high Priest so Because our Saviour gave not the High-Priest his usual titles but dealt freely with him this impious Apparitor or Serjant to curry favour with his Master strikes him with his hand with his rod say some with his stick say others like Master like Man O that that holy Face which was designed to be the object of Heaven in the beholding of which much of the Celestial glory doth consist that that Face which the Angels stare upon with wonder like Infants at a bright Sun-beam should ever be smitten by a base Varlet in the presence of a Judge Among all the sufferings of Christ one would think that there was no great matter in this that a vain Officer did strike him with the palme of his hand yet if the Scriptures are consulted you will find that the Holy Ghost layes a great stress upon it Thus Jeremy He giveth his Check to him that smiteth him he is filled full with reproach Lam. 3. 30. Christ did patiently and willingly take the stripes that vain men did injuriously lay upon him he sustained all kinds of vexations from the hands of all kinds of ungodly ones Thus Micah speaking of Christ saith They shall sinite the Judg of Israel with a rod upon the cheek Mica 5. 1. Hngo by this Judge of Israel understandeth our Lord Jesus Christ who was indeed at his passion contumeliously buffeted and smitten with rods upon the cheek Math. 26. 67. By smiting the Judg of Israel with a rod upon the cheek they express their scorn and contempt of Christ Smiting upon the face the Apostle makes a sign of great reproach 2 Cor. 11. 20. If a man smite you on the face there is nothing more disgraceful saith Chrysostom than to be smitten on the check Christ Hom. 82. in Joh. c. 18. And the diverse reading of the original word do's fully evidence it He struck him with a rod or he struck him with the palm of his han 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some refers to his being struck with a rod or club or shoe or plantofle others say it refers to his being struck with the palm of mens hands Now of the two it is generally judged more disgraceful to be struck with the palm of the hand than to be struck with either a rod or a shooe and
82. 16. are nor by office and Title only as Magistrates are called Gods nor catachrestically and Ironically as the Heathen Gods are called nor a diminutive God inferiour to the Father as Arrius held but God by nature every way co-essential co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost Hold fast all truth but above all hold fast this glorious truth that Jesus Christ is God blessed for ever The Eourth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Gibbor The strong and mighty God God is not only strong in his own Essence but he is also strong in the defence of his people and it is he that giveth all 2 Chron. 16. 9. strength and power to all other creatures There are no men no powers that are a match for the strong God Now this Title is also attributed to Christ Isa 9. 6. El Gibbor the strong God the mighty God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying God doth also signify strong he is so strong that he is almighty he is one to whom nothing is impossible Christ's name is God for he is the same Essence with God the Father this Title the mighty God fitteth well to Christ who hath all the names of the Deity given to him in Scripture and who by the strength and power of his God-head did satisfie the justice of God and pacifie the wrath of God and make peace and purchase pardon and eternal life for all his Elect. The Fifth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Shaddai God omnipotent or all-sufficient he wanteth nothing but is infinitely blessed with the infinite Gen. 17. 1. perfection of his glorious being by this name God makes himself known to be self-sufficient all-sufficient absolutely perfect certainly that man can want nothing who hath an all-sufficient God for his God he that loseth his all for God shall find all in an all-sufficient God Mat. 19. â—9 Esau had much but Jacob had all because he had the Gen. 33. 9. 11. God of all Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia what are Riches Honours Pleasures Profits Lands Friends Augustin This name Shaddai belongeth only to the God-head and to no creature no not to the humanity of Christ yea millions of worlds to one Shaddai God Almighty God All-sufficient This glorious name Shaddai was a noble bottom for Abraham to act his faith upon though in things above nature or against it c. He that is El Shaddai is perfectly able to defend his Servants from all evil and to bless them with all spiritual and temporal blessings and to perform all his promises which concern both this life and that which is to come Now this name this Title Shaddai is attributed to Christ as you may clearly see by comparing Gen. 35. 6 9 10 11. and Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. with Hosea 12. 3 4 5. That Angel that appeared to Jacob See my Treatise on Closet-Prayer opening that Gen. 3â— and that 12. Hâ—s pag. 48 49 50 51. where you haâ—e four Arguments to prove that Jesus Christ is the Angel the man that is there spoken of c. was Christ the Angel of the Covenant Mark you shall never find either God the Father or the Holy Ghost called an Angel in Scripture nor was this a created Angel for then Jacob would never have made supplication to him but he was an uncreated Angel even the Lord of Hosts the almighty God who spake with Jacob in Bethel He that in this divine story is said to be a man was the Son of God in humane shape as is most evident by the whole narration The Angel in the Text is the same Angel that conducted the Israelites in the Wilderness and fought their battels for them Exod. 3. 2. Act. 7. 30. 1. Cor. 10. 4 5 9. even Jesus Christ who is stiled once and again the Almighty Rev. 1. 8. cap. 4. 8. In this last Scripture is acknowledged Christ's Holiness Power and God-head Ah Christians when will you once learn to set one Almighty Christ against all the mighty ones of the world that you may bear up bravely and stoutly against their rage and wrath and go on chearfully and resolutely in the way of your duty The sixth name or Title is Adonai my Lord. Though this name Adonai be given sometimes analogically to creatures yet properly it belongs to God above this name is often used in the old Testament and in Mal. 1. 6. it is used in the plural number to note the mystery of the holy Trinity If I be Adonim Lords where is my fear some derive the word Adonai from a word in the Hebrew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies judicare to judg because God is the Judg of the world others derive it from a word which signifies Basis a foundation intimating that God is the upholder of all things as the foundation of a house is the support of the whole building Now this name is given to Christ Dan. 9. 17. Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for Adonai the Lord Christ sake Daniel pleads here no merits of their own but the merits and mediation of the Messias whom God hath made both Lord and Christ So Aâ—â—s 2. 36. Luk. 1. 4â— cap. 2. 11 12. Heb. 1. 13. Psal 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool Christ applies these words to himself as you may see in that Mat. 22. 24. Jehovah said that is God the Father said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 La-adoni unto my Lord that is to Christ sit thou at my right hand sit thou with me in my Throne it notes the Math. 28. 13. John 3. 35. advancement of Christ as he was both God and man in one person to the supremest place of power and authority of honour and heavenly glory God's right hand notes a place of equal power and authority with God even that Epâ—â— 1. 21. Heb. 1. 3. Luk. 22. 69. he should be advanced far above all principallity and power and might and dominion Christs reign over the whole world is sometimes called The right hand of the Majesty and sometimes the right hand of the power of God until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool This implies 1. That Jesus Christ hath ever had and will have enemies even to the end of the world 2. Victory a perfect Conquest over them Conquerours used to make their enemies their foot-stool Those proud enemies of Christ who now set up their Crests face the heavens and strut it out against him even those shall be brought under his feet 3. It implies ignominy the lowest subjection Sapores King of Persia overcoming the Emperour Valerian in battel used his back for a stirrup when he got upon his horse and so Tamberlane served Bajazet 4. The foot-stool is a piece of State and both raiseth and easeth him that
Adam we were ruined by the second Adam we must be repaired The Rom. 5. 12. humane nature was to be redeemed therefore it was necessary that the humane nature should be assumed The Law was given to man and the Law was broken by man and therefore it was necessary that the Law should be fulfilled by man But Secondly that by this means the justice of God might be satisfied in the same nature which had sinned which was the nature of man Angels could not satisfie divine justice because they had no bodies to suffer the brutish sensible creatures could not satisfie the justice of God because they had no souls to suffer the sensible creatures could not satisfie divine justice because they had no sense to suffer therefore man having body soul and sense must do it for he had sinned in all and he could suffer in all Secondly there are reasons both in respect of God and in respect of our selves why Jesus Christ should be God and God-man also and they are these five First that he might be a meet Mediator between God and man Christ's office as Mediator was to deal with God for man and to deal for God with man Now that he might be sit for both these transactions for both parts of this office he must partake of both natures That he might effectually deal with God for man he must be God If a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him saith Eli to his sons 1 Sam. 2. 25. And that he might deal for God with man he must be man He must be God that he may be fit to transact treat and negotiate with God and he must be man that he may be fit to transact treat and negotiate with man when God spake unto Israel at Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law the people were not able to abide that voice or presence and therefore they desired an Internuncius a man like themselves who might be as a Mediator to go betwixt God and them Exod. 20. 18 19. Now upon his very ground Exod. 20. 18. besides many others that might be mentioned it was very requisite that Jesus Christ should be both God and man Heb. 12. 18. that he might be a meet Mediator to deal betwixt God and man Jesus Christ was the fittest person either in that upper or in this lower world to mediate between God and us There was none fit to umpeire the business between God and man but he that was God-man Job hit the nail when he said Neither is there any days-man betwixt Job 9. 33. us that might lay his hand upon us both There was a double use of the days-man and his laying his hand upon them 1. To keep the dissening parties asunder lest they should fall out and strike one another 2. To keep them together and compose all differences that they might not depart from each other the Application is easie man is not fit to mediate because man is the person offending Angels are not fit to mediate for they cannot satisfie divine Justice nor pacifie divine wrath nor procure our pardon nor make our peace nor bring in an everlasting righteousness upon us God the father was not fit for this work for he was the person offended and he was as much too high to deal with man as man was too low to deal with God The holy Ghost was not fit for this work for 't is his work to apply this Mediation and to clear up the believers interest in this Mediation So then there is no other person fit for this office but Jesus Christ who was a middle person 'twixt both that he might deal with both Christ could never have been fit to be the Mediator in respect of his office if he had not first been a middle person in respect of his natures for saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one but God is one A mediator is not a mediator of one that is of one party but is always of two differing parties to unite them not of one that is 1. Not of one person because mediation implies more persons than one it necessarily supposes different parties betwixt whom he doth mediate Christ to speak after the manner of men lays his hand upon God the father and saith O blessed father wilt thou be at peace with these poor sinners wil◠thou pardon them and wilt thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon them if thou wilt then I will undertake to satisfie thy justice and to pacifie thy wrath and to fulfil thy royal Law and to make good all the wrong they have done against thee And then he layeth his hand upon the poor sinner and saith sinner art thou willing to be changed and renewed art thou willing to come under the bond of the covenant art thou willing to give up thy heart and life to the guidance and government of the spirit then be not discouraged for thou shalt certainly be justified and saved 2. Not of one nature the Mediator must necessarily have more natures than one he must have the divine and humane nature united in his single person or else he could never suffer what he was to suffer nor never satisfie what he was to satisfie nor never bring poor sinners into a state of reconciliation 2 Cor 5. 19 20. with God and 't is farther observable that the Text last cited saith God is one viz. as he is essentially considered and therefore as so he cannot be the Mediator but Christ as personally considered he is not of one that is not of one nature for he is God and man too and therefore he is the only person that is fitted and qualified to be the Mediator and 't is observable that when Christ is spoken of as Mediator his Manhood is brought in that nature being so necessary to that office 1 Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus Jesus Christ was God and man as man he ought to satisfie but could not as God he could satisfie but ought not but consider him as God and man and so he both could satisfie and ought to satisfie and accordingly he did satisfie according to what was prophecied of him Dan. 9. 24. He did make reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness He did not begin to do something and then faint and leave his work imperfect but he finished it and that to the glory of his father John 17. 4. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And 't is good to observe the singularity and oneness of the person mediating not many not a few not two but one Mediator between God and man there was none with him in his difficult work of Mediatorship but he carried it on alone though there are many Mediators among men yet there is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Lyons Wolves Bores and Bears and with all manner of other cruel hurtful beasts and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute and why should we wonder at this when we consider that the whole life of Christ was filled up with all sorts and kinds of sufferings Oh where is that brave spirit that has been upon the saints of old Blessed Bradford looked upon his sufferings for Christ as an evidence to him that he was in the right way It is better If one man did suffer all the sorrows of all the Saints in the world yet they are not worth one hours glory in heaven Chrysostom for me to be a Martyr than a Monarch said Ignatius when he was to suffer Happy is that soul and to be equalled with Angels who is willing to suffer if it were possible as great things for Christ as Christ hath suffered for it saith Jerom sufferings are the ensigns of heavenly nobility saith Calvin Modestus Lieutenant to Julian the Emperour said to Julian while they suffer they deride us saith he and the torments are more fearful to them that stand by than to the tormented Luther reports of Vincentius that he laughed at those that slew him saying that to Christians tortures and death were but sports and he gloried when he went upon hot burning coals as if he trod upon roses 't was a notable saying of a French Martyr when the rope was about his fellow give me that golden chain and dub me a Knight of that noble Order Paul rattled his chain which he bore for the Gospel and was as proud of it as a woman of her ornaments saith Chrysostom do your worst do your worst said Justin Martyr to his persecutors but this I will tell you that you may put all that you are like to gain by the bargain into your eye and weep it out again Basil will tell you that the most cruel Martyrdom is but a trick to escape death to pass from life to life as he speaks for it can be but a days journey between the Cross and Paradise Their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Calender are written in golden letters in Christ's Register in the book of life saith Prudentius Though the Cross be bitter yet it is but short a little storm as one said of Julian's Persecution and an eternal calm follows Methinks said one I tread upon Pearls when he trod upon hot burning coals and I feel no more pain than if I lay in a bed of Down and yet he lay in flames of fire I am heartily angry saith Luther with those that speak of my sufferings which if compared to that which Christ suffered for me are not once to be mentioned in the same day Paul greatly rejoyced in his sufferings for Christ and therefore oftentimes sings it out I Paul a prisoner as you may see by See Act. 23. 17. Eph. 3. 1. cap. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 8. Philem. 1. 9. â— Cor. 11. 23. Rom. 16. 7. Col. 4. 10. â—â—ilâ—m 23. the Scriptures in the margent not I Paul an Apostle nor I Paul wrap'd up in the third heaven Christ shewed his love to him in wraping him up in the third heaven and he shews his love to Christ in suffering for him During the cruel Persecutions of the heathen Emperours the Christian Faith was spread through all places of the Empire because the oftener they were mowed down saith Tertullian the more they grew I am in prison till I am in prison said one of the Martyrs I am the unmeetest man for this high office of suffering for Christ that ever was appointed to it said blessed Sanders Austin observed that though there were many thousand Christians put to death for professing Christ yet they were never the fewer for being slain Cyprian speaking of the Christians and Martyrs in his time said occidi poterant sed vinci Loâ—dâ— Id corda computeth 44 several kinds of toâ—ment wherewith the primitive Christians were tryed Adv. Sacr. cap. 128. non poterà nt they may kill them but they cannot overcome them The more we are cut down by the sword of persecution the more we encrease saith Tertullian Eusebius tells us of one that writ to his friend from a stinking Dungeon and dates his letter from my delicate Orchard Burn my foot if you will said that noble Martyr in Basil that it may dance everlastingly with the blessed Angels in Heaven The young child in Josephus who when his flesh was pulled in peices with pincers by the command of Antiochus said with a smiling countenance Tyrant thou losest time where are those smarting pains with which thou threatnest me make me to shrink and cry out if thou canst And Bainam an English Martyr when the fire was flaming about him said you Papists talk of miracles behold here a miracle I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of Down it is as sweet to me as a bed of roses Lawrence when his body was roasted upon a burning Gridiron cryed out this side is roasted enough turn the other side Marcus of Arethusa when his body was cut and mangled and anointed with honey and hung up aloft in a basket to be stung to death by wasps and bees looked down saying I am advanced despising you that are below Henry Voes kissed the stake Hawks clapped his hands in the flames when they were half consumed John Noys blessed God that ever he was born to see that day and Bishop Ridley called his execution day his wedding day Thus you see a cloud of witnesses to raise and inflame your hearts into a free ready willing chearful and resolute suffering for that Jesus who has suffered so much for you Oh sirs when we see all sorts and sexes of Christians divinely to defie and scorn their torments and tormentors when we see them conquering in the midst of hideous sufferings when we hear them expressing their greatest joy in the midst of their greatest sufferings we cannot but conclude that there was something more than ordinary that did thus raise cheer and encourage their spirits in their sufferings Heb. 11. 24 25 26. cap. 12. 2. and doubtless this was it the recompence of reward on the one hand and the matchless sufferings of Jesus Christ for them on the other hand The cordial wherewith Peter is said by Clemens to comfort his wife when he saw her led to Martyrdom was this Remember the Lord whose disciples if we be we must not think to speed better than our master It is said of Antiochus that being to fight with Judas Captain of the host of the Jews he shewed unto his Elephants 1 Machah cap. 6. v. 3 4. the blood of the Grapes and Mulberries to provoke them the better to fight so the holy Ghost hath set before us the wounds the blood the sufferings the dying of our dear Lord Jesus to encourage us to suffer with all
John 1. 7. imagine that there should be more demerit in any sin yea in all sin to condemn a believer than there is merit in Rom. 8. 1 33 34 35. Christ's righteousness to absolve him to justifie him The righteousness of Christ was shadowed out by the glorious Robes and apparrel of the High Priest That Exod. 30. attire in which the High Priest appeared before God what was it else but a type of Christ's righteousness The filthy garments of Joshua who represented the Church were not only taken off from him thereby signifying the removal of our sins but also a new fair garment Zach. 3. 4 5. was put upon him to signifie our being clothed with the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness If any shall say how is it possible that a soul that is defiled with the worst of sins should be whiter than the snow yea Psal 51. 7. beautiful and glorious in the cyes of God the answer is at hand because to whomsoever the Lord doth give the pardon of his sins which is the first part of our justification to them he doth also impute the righteousness of Christ which is the second part of our justification before God thus David describeth saith the Apostle the blessedness of Rom. 4. 6 7. the man to whom the Lord imputeth reghteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Now to that man whose sins the Lord forgives to him he doth impute righteousness also Take away the filthy garments from him saith Zach. 3. 4. the Lord of Joshua and he said unto him behold I have cansed thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloth thee with change of raiment and what was that change of raiment surely the perfect obedience and righteousness of the Lord Jesus which God doth impute unto us in which respect also we are said by justifying faith to Rom. 12. 14. Gal. 3. 27. put on the Lord Jesus and to be clothed with him as with a garment And no marvel if being so apparelled we appear beautiful and glorious in the sight of God To her that is to Christ's Bride was granted that she should Rev. 19. 8. be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white for the fine linnen is the righteousness of saints This perfect righteousness of Christ which the Lord imputeth to us and wherewith as with a garment he clothed us is the only righteousness which the Saints have to stand before God with and having that Robe of righteousness on they may stand with great boldness and comfort before the judgment-seat of God But Thirdly Know for your comfort that this righteousness of Christ presents us perfectly righteous in the sight of God He is made to us righteousness The Robe of innocency 1 Cor. 1. 30. like the veil of the Temple is rent asunder our righteousness is a ragged righteousness our righteousnesses Isa 6â— 4. are as filthy rags Look as under rags the naked body is seen so under the rags of our righteousness the body of death is seen Christ is all in all in regard of righteousness Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to Rom. 10. 4. them that believe That is through Christ we are as righteous as if we Finis persiciens nen intersicâ—ens Aug. had satisfied the Law in our own persons The end of the Law is to justifie and save those which fulfil it Christ subjected himself thereto he perfectly fulfilled it for us and his perfect righteousness is imputed to us Christ fulfilled the moral Law not for himself but for us therefore Christ doing it for believers they fulfil the Law in Christ and so Christ by doing and they believing in him that doth it do fulfil the Law or Christ may be faid to be the end of the Law because the end of the Law is perfect righteousness that a man may be justified thereby which end we cannot attain of our selves through the frailty of our flesh but by Christ we attain it who hath fulfilled the Law for us Christ hath perfectly fulfilled the Decalogue for us and that 3 ways 1. In his pure conception 2. In his godly life 3. in his holy and obedient sufferings and all for us for whatsoever the Law required that we should be do or suffer he hath performed in our behalf Therefore one wittily saith that Christ Arctius is Telos the end or tribute and we by his payment Ateleis Tribute free we are discharged by him before God Christ in respect of the integrity and purity of his nature being conceived without sin and in respect of his life and Mat. 1. 18. Luk. 1. 35. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Cel. 1. 20. actions being wholly conformed to the absolute righteousness of the Law and in respect of the punishment which he suffered to make satisfaction unto God's justice for the breach of the Law in these respects Christ is the perfection of the Law and the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe Jacob got the blessing in the garment of his elder brother so in the garment of Christ's righteousness who is our elder brother we obtain Eph. â— 4. the blessing yea all spiritual blessings in heavenly places we are made the righteousness of God in him The 2 Cor. 5. ult Church saith Marlorat which puts on Christ and his righteousness is more illustrious than the air is by the sun The infinite wisdom and power of dear Jesus in reconciling the Law and the Gospel in this great mystery of justification is greatly to be magnified In the blessed Scriptures we find the righteousness of Justification to take its various denominations In respect of the material cause it is called the righteousness of the Law In respect of the efficient cause it is called the righteousness of Rom. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 3. 22. Phil. 3. 9. Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 3. 24. Titus 3. 7. Christ in respect of the formal It is called the righteousness of God he imputing of it In respect of the instrumental cause it is called the righteousness of faith And in respect of the moving and final cause we are said to be justified freely by Grace The Law as it was a Covenant of works required exact and perfect obedience in men's proper persons this was legal Justification But in the new Covenant God is contented to accept this righteousness in the hand of a surety and this is Evangelical Justification this righteousness presents us in the sight of God as all fair Cant. 4. 7. as complete Colos 2. 10. as without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. 27. as without fault before the throne of God Rev. 14. 5. as holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Colos 1. 22. Oh the happiness and blessedness the safety and glory of those precious souls who in the righteousness of Jesus Christ stand perfectly rightcous in the sight of God but
Christ which is infinitely better than our own yea better than our very lives may I not say yea better than our very souls The branch Christ Jesus is called Jehovah Tsidkenu the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. And this is his name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESS Where note first to be called by this name is to be so really for Christ is never called what he is not and so he is to the same purpose elsewhere Mat. 1. 23. called Immanuel God with us that is he shall be so indeed God with us so here he shall be called the Lord our righteousness that is he shall be so indeed Secondly observe this is one of his glorious names that is one of his Attributes which he accounts his excellency and his glory Now all the attributes of Christ are unchangeable so that he can as easily change his nature as his name Now remember that this imputed righteousness of Christ procures acceptance for our inherent righteousness when a sincere Christian casts his eye upon the weaknesses infirmities and imperfections that daily attend his best services he sighs and mourns but if he looks upward to the Imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ that shall bring forth his infirm weak and sinful performances perfect spotless and sinless and approved according to the tenour of the Gospel so that they become spiritual sacrifices he cannot 1 Pet. 2. 5. but rejoyce For as there is an imputation of righteousness to the persons of believers so there is also an imputation to their services and actions As the fact of Psal 106. 31. Phineas was imputed to him for righteousness so the imperfect good works that are done by believers are accounted righteousness or as Calvin speaks are accounted for righteousness they being dipped in the blood of Christ tincta sanguine Christi i. e. they are accounted righteous actions and so sincere Christians shall be judged Rev. 11. 18. cap. 20. 12. Mat. 25. 34 35 36 37. according to their good works though not saved for them And 't is observable in that famous process of the last judgment that the supreme judge makes mention of the bounty and liberality of the Saints and so bestows the Crown of life and the eternal inheritance upon them so that though the Lord 's faithful ones have eminent cause to be humbled and afflicted for the many weaknesses that cleaves to their best duties yet on the other hand they have wonderful cause to rejoyce and triumph Heb. 13. 20 21. 1 Cor. 6 11. Mal. 4. 2. that they are made perfect through Jesus Christ and that the Lord looks at them through the righteousness of Christ as fruits of his own spirit The Sun of Righteousness hath healing enough in his wings for all our spiritual Maladies The Saints prayers being perfumed with Rev. 8. 3 4. Christ's odours are highly accepted in heaven Upon this bottom of Imputed Righteousness believers may have exceeding strong consolation and good hope through grace that both their persons and services do find singular acceptation with God as having no spot or blemish at all in them Surely Righteousness imputed must be the top of our happiness and blessedness Rom. 4 5 6. But Ninthly and lastly know for your comfort that Imputed Righteousness will give you the greatest boldness before God's Judgment-seat There is an absolute and indispensible necessity of a perfect Righteousness wherewith to appear before God The holiness of God's nature the righteousness of his Government the severity of his Law and the terrour of wrath calls aloud upon the sinner for a compleat Righteousness without which Psal 1. 5. there is no standing in judgment That Righteousness only is able to justifie us before God which is perfect and that hath no defect nor blemish in it such as may abide the tryal before his Judgment-seat such as may fitly satisfie his justice and make our peace with him and consequently such as whereby the Law of God is fulfilled Therefore it is called the Righteousness of God such a Rom. 10. 3. Righteousness as he requires as will stand before him and satisfie his justice so the Apostle saith The righteousness Rom. 8. 4. of the Law must be fulfilled in us Now there is no other Righteousness under heaven whereby the Law of God was ever perfectly fulfilled but by the righteousness of Christ alone no righteousness below the Righteousness of Christ was ever able to abide the tryal at God's judgment-seat and fully to satisfie his justice and pacifie his wrath A gracious soul triumphs more in the Righteousness of Christ Imputed than he would have done if he could have stood in the Righteousness in which he was created This is the crowning comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that he stands righteous before a Judgment-seat in that full exact perfect compleat matchless spotless pearless and most acceptable Righteousness of Christ imputed to him The Righteousness Râ—m 3. 21 22. cap. 10 3. â—hil 3. 9. of Christ is therefore called the Righteousness of God because it is it which God hath assigned and which God doth accept for us in our justification and for and in which he doth acquit and pronounce us righteous before his seat of Justice There is an indispensible necessity that lies upon the sinner to have such a Righteousness to his justification as may render his appearance safe and comfortable in the day of Judgment Now there is no righteousness that can abide that day of fiery tryal but the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us Paul that great Apostle had as fair and as full a Certificate to shew Phil. 3. 4 5 6. Act. 23 6. 2 Cor. 11. 22. for a legal Justification as any person under heaven had but yet he durst not stand by that righteousness he durst not plead that righteousness he durst not appear in that righteousness before the dreadful Judgment-seat But oh how earnest how importunate is he that he may be found in that great day of the Lord in the Mediatory Righteousness Phil. 3. 9 10. of Christ and not in his own personal righteousness which he looked upon as filthy rags as dross dung dogs meat the great thing that he most strongly insists up on is that he might be clothed with the Robe of Christ's Righteousness for then he knew that the Law could not say black was his eye and that the Judge upon the Bench would pronounce him righteous and bid him enter into the joy of his Lord a joy too great to enter into Mat. 25. 21 23 24 him and therefore he must enter into that when the match is made up between Christ and the soul that soul bears her sovereigns name The spouse of the first Adam and her husband had both one name God called their Gen. 5. 2. name Adam in the day that he made them so the Spouse of the second Adam in the change of her
condition from Christ and Christians are name-sakes caput corpus unus est Christus Aug. The head is called Christ and the members are called Christ â— Cor. 12. 12. Christ is called Solomon Cant. â—â— cap. 3. 1â— in Hebrew Shâ—lomâ—h of peace and the Church is called Shulamite by heâ— Bride-grooms name Cant. 6. 13. a single to a married estate with Christ the Lamb had a change of her name The head is called The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. and so is the Church Jer. 33. 16. In those days shall Judah he saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord our righteousness here is a sameness of name As Christ is called The Lord our righteousness so his spouse is called The Lord our righteousness Oh happy transnomination Christ's Bride being one with himself and having his Righteousness imputed to her is called The Lord our righteousness and therefore they may with the greatest chearfulness and boldness bear up in the great day of account who have the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to them especially if you consider 1. That this Righteousness is of infinite value and worth 2. That Dan. 9. 24. it is an everlasting righteousness a righteousness that can never be lost 3. That it is an unchangeable Righteousness Though times change and men change and friends change and providences change and the Moon Mal. 4. 2. change yet the Sun of Righteousness never changes Jâ—mes 1. 17. in him is no variableness neither shadâ—w of turning 4. That it is a compleat and unspotted Righteousness an unblameable Righteousness and unblemished Righteousness and therefore God can neither in Justice except or object against it In this Righteousness the believer lives in this Righteousness the believer dies and in this Righteousness believers shall arise and appear before the judgment-seat of Christ to the deep admiration of all the elect Angels and to the transcendent terrour and horrour of all Reprobates and to the matchless joy and triumph of all on Christ's right hand who shall then shout and sing Isa 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bride-groom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with jewels Oh how 2 Thes 1. 10. will Christ in this great day be admired and glorified in all his Saints when every Saint wrap'd up in this fine Linnen in this white Robe of Christ's Righteousness shall shine more gloriously than ten thousand Suns In the great day of the Lord when the Saints shall stand before the Tribunal of God clothed in the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ they shall then stand recti in curiâ they shall then be pronounced righteous even in the Court of Divine Justice which sentence will fill their souls with comfort and the souls of sinners with astonishment Suppose Rev. 20. 12. cap. 12. 10. we saw the believing sinner holding up his hand at God's Bar the books opened the accuser of the brethren present the witnesses ready and the Judg on the Bench thus bespeaking the sinner at the Bar Oh sinner Râ—m 7. 12 14 16. Gâ—l 3. 10. sinner thou standest here indicted before me for many millions of sins of commission and for many millions of sins of omission thou hast broken my holy just and righteous Laws beyond all humane conception or expression and hereof thou art proved guilty What hast thou now to say for thy self why thou shouldst not be eternally cast Upon this the sinner pleads guilty but withal he earnestly desires that he may have time and liberty to Mat. 25. 41. plead for himself and to offer his reasons why that dreadful sentence Go you cursed c. should not be passed upon him The liberty desired being granted by the Judg The sinner pleads that his surety Jesus Christ hath by his blood and sufferings given full and compleat satisfaction to Divine Justice and that he hath paid down upon Heb. 10. 10 14. the nail the whole debt at once and that it can never stand with the holiness and unspotted justice of God to demand satisfaction twice If the Judge shall farther object Gal. 3. 10. I but sinner sinner The Law requireth an exact and perfect Righteousness in the personal fulfilling of it now sinner where is thy exact and perfect righteousness Upon which the believing sinner very readily chearfully Isa 45. 24. humbly and boldly replies my righteousness is upon the Bench In the Lord have I Righteousness Christ my Surety hath fulfilled the Law on my behalf The Laws Righteousness consists in two things 1. In its requiring perfect conformity to its commands 2. In its demanding satisfaction or the undergoing of its penalty upon the violation of it Now Christ by his active and passive obedience hath fulfilled the Law for Righteousness and this active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ is imputed to me his obeying the Law to the full his perfect comforming to its commands his doing as well as his dying obedience is by grace made over and reckoned to me in order to my justification and salvation and this is my plea by which I will stand before the Judg of all the world Upon this the sinners plea is accepted as good in Law and accordingly he is pronounced righteous and goes away glorying and rejoycing triumphing and shouting it out sla 45. 25. Righteous Righteous Righteous Righteous In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory And thus you see that here are nine springs of strong consolation that flow into your souls through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto you But The sixth Plea that a believer may form up as to the ten Eccl f 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 3. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. câ—p 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. Scriptures in the Margent that referâ— to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn from the consideration of Christ as a common person a representative head one that represents another man's person and acts the part of another according to the appointment of the Law the acceptation of the Judg so that what is done by him the person is said to do whose person he doth represent And so was Adam a common person and that by an act of God's Sovereignty appointing him in making a covenant with him so to be Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18 19. We were all iâ— Adam as the whole Countrey is in a Parliament-man An although wâ— chose not yeâ— God chose for â—s and he did represent all Man-kind And hence it comes to pass that his sin is imputed unto us and made ours so in our Law an Attorney appears in the behalf
hosts and they were three Irish Kings that rebelled in Henry the second 's days being derided for their rude habits and fashions and they were some of the worst of Cardinals that when they were like to die would give great summs of money for a Cardinal's Eâ—asmus writes that he knew some such Cardinals hat that they might be so stiled upon their tombs And they were the Romans and other barbarous nations that were most ambitions of worldly honour and glory And he was a Julius Caesar whose excessive desire of honour made him to be mortally hated by the Senators and all others God grants no man a pattent for honour durante vita but durante bene-placito as the Lawyers speak during his life but during his own good pleasure All worldly honour and glory is subject to mutability Honours Riches and Pleasures are the three Deities that in these days a world of men adore and to whom they sacrifice morning and evening their best thoughts and these for their unparallel'd vanity may well be called the vanity of vanities Worldly honours Ecâ—lâ—s 1. 2. are but a more conceit a shadow a vapour a feather in the cap without substance or subsistence and yet the most powerful charm of Satan whereby he Iulls men to sleep in the Paradise of fools to cast them when they are awake into the bottomless pit of eternal woe For had not Satan hold them to be the strongest of all his temptations he had not reserved them for his last battery against Mat. 4. 8 9. the constancy of our blessed Saviour as he did And although this roaring Cannon of his could not prevail against Christ the Rock of Ages yet how many cap. 16. 18. thousands in these days are captivated and deluded by the glorious glistering of worldly honours Men of great honour and worldly glory stand but in slippery places Adonibezek a mighty Prince was made fellow-commonner Judg. 1. 7. Dan. 4. 28. with the Dogs And Nebuchadnezzar a mighty Conquerour was turned a grazing among the Oxen and Herod was reduced from a conceited God to the most Act. 12. 23. loathsome of men a living carrion arrested by the vilest creatures upon the suit of his affronted Creator the lice did fully confute his Auditory and triumph over his Throne A great Haman is feasted with the King one Hest 7. 10. day and made a feast for Crows the next In all the Isa 23. 9. Ages of the world God hath taken a delight to stain the pride of all the glory of this lower world see it in a few instances Valerian The Roman Emperour fell from being an Emperour to be a foot-stool to Sapor King of Persia as often as he took horse Bibulus the Consul riding in his triumphant Charriot by the fall of a Tyle-stone from a house was made a Sacrifice before he could reach the Capitol to offer up there the Bulls and Garlands he had prepared Aurelianus The Roman Emperour brought Tetricus his opposite and the brave Queen Zenobia of Palmerina in Triumph to Rome in Golden chains Sejanus That podigious favourite on the same day that he was attended by the Senate on the same day he was torn in pieces by the people Seneca speaking of him saith that he who in the morning was swollen with Titles â—ere night there remained not so much as a mammock of flesh for the hang man to fasten his hook in Belisarius a most famous General under Justinian the Emperour after all the great and famous services that he had done he had his eyes put out in his old age by the See Decad. pag. 649 650. Empress Theodora and at the Temple of St. Sophy forced to beg Date panem Belisario c. Give a crust to old blind Belisarius whom virtue advanced but envy hath brought into this great misery Henry the fourth Emperour in sixty two Battels for the most part he became victorious yet he was deposed and driven to that misery that he desired only a Clerk's place in a house at Spire of his own building which the Bishop of that place denied him whereupon he brake forth into that speech of Job Miseremini Job 19. 21. mei amici quia manus dei tetigit me have pity upon me oh my friends for the hand of God hath touched me he died of grief and want Bajazet a proud Emperour of the Turks whom Tamberlain a Tartarian took prisoner and bound him in chains of Gold and used him for a foot-stool when he took horse when he was at table he made him gather crums and scraps under his table and eat them for his food Dyonisus King of Sicily was such a cruel Tyrant that his people banished him after his banishment he went to Corinth whee he lived a base and contemptible life At last he became a School-master so that when he could not tyrannize any longer over men he might over boys Pythias was pined to death for want of bread who 9. Turk Histâ—ry pag. 220. once was able to entertain and maintain Xerxes his mighty army Great Pompey had not so much as room to be buried in and William the Conqueour's Corps lay three days unburied his interment being hindred by one that claimed the ground to be his Caesar having bathed his sword in the blood of the Senate and his own Countrey-men is after a while miserably murdered in the Senate by his own friends Cassius and Brutus King Guillimer a potent King of the Vandals was 12. Prâ—â—â—ptus reports this of him brought so low as to enteat his friend to send him a spunge a loaf of bread and a harp a spunge to dry up his tears a loaf of bread to maintain bis life and a harp to solace himself in his misery A Duke of Exeter who though he had married Edward 13. Philipâ—le Câ—mines saw him thus beg the fourths sister yet was seen begging bare foot in the Low-countreys The Emperour Nero promoted Tygelenus to the greatest 14. See Tacâ—â—us in Otho's Life dignities of the Roman Empire but it was because he had been the private Agent to his base and lascivious delights for which he was justly deprived of his honours and life by Otho the Emperour By all these instances and many more that might be produced it is most evident that worldly glory is but a breath a vapour a â—roth a phantâ—sm a â—â—adow a reflection an apparition a very nothing Like the Incubâ—s or night mare in a dream you imagine it a substance a weight you grasp at it and awake and 't is nothing Pleasue and wealth will abide a sense or two the one a touch or taste the other a sight of the eyes but this of glory can neither be felt seen or understood The Philosophers are at strife among themselves where to fix it in any being or existence whether in Honorante or in Honorato the