many degrees out-going old famous Achitophel 2 Sam. 16. 21 23. the Seditious that love to make divisions and sow discords and plant an inveterate odium in the hearts of King and Prince and people against all the godly and faithfull in the Land with all evill Counsellors against the Lord Nah. 1. 11. Psa 2. 2. and flattering bloody Edomitish Doegs Ps 52. Beloved what a griefe is it to think that by the ennumeration of particulars not this Doctrine alone should be so clearely and fully demonstrated by twenty severall sorts of offendors that there are many Temple-defilers within the Temple of God but also that in our English Church and Temple such Temple-vermine should swarme at this day wherefore to descend to some short application 1. Prayer becomes us with complaints to God that dwells in his Temple Prayer that he would looke downe from Heaven and behold that he would not make us to erre from his waies and harden our hearts from his feare but returne for his servants sake that he would rent the Heavens and come down with demonstrations of zeal strength and sounding of bowels with terrible unexpected workes of wonder with Gospell-blessing that he would not be wroth very sore nor hold his peace at these things nor afflict us very sore Pray O remember not against us former iniquities let thy mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Prayer with fasting and deepe humiliations become all that love Gods house in these our daies untill God raise up some Nehemiahs that they may cleanse Neh. 13. 8. Gods Temple 2. We should not be scandalized hereby but remember that in the great house of Gods Church there are Vessels of severall sorts and rather be purging our selves from these them forsaking and deserting the true Church of God if a man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell unto honour 2 Tim. 2. 17. 20 21. sanctified and meet for the Masters use and Prepared unto every good worke 3. And then the zeale of Gods house should eate us up though there be many things in these troublous times that befall us or may feare us and distresse us from without yet the care of all the Churches should somewhat come 2 Cor. 11. 28 29. upon us especially upon Christs faithfull and painfull Ministers whatever befalls the Churches we should lay it to heart as if it befell our selves the fire of consuming zeale for Christs honour the Gospells purity the Churches safety should melt and fashion us to that of blessed Paul Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not 4. Lastly attending to our owne growth in Faith Prayer love and hope we should have compassion of some making a difference Jude 21. 22 23. and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire hating even the Garments spotted by the flesh not hating the men but hating the filthy affections and lusts which pollute the man and come from the flesh mans nature corrupted hating them first in our selves all envie and vye in Religion vaine-glory self-seeking self-self-love pride spirituall strife emulation variance self-pleasing in our gifts and parts and dis-union of heart c. for who can number all wisedome love and sincerity will by these direct enough Thus of the second Doctrine The third Doctrine is this that God will certainly punish all defilers and violaters of his Temple with punishments proportionable to their sin they are not all of a sort nor all alike guilty and God that will doe no man wrong that he should have the least ground of entring an action against him the righteous God will deale out his punishments accordingly What punishments you will say or how doth he punish these sinners Ans 1. Their workes shall perish though themselves may be saved 1 Cor. 3. 13. 15. yet so as by fire the fire of the Word and Spirit in the day of the Gospell in the powerfull opening and application of the bright and burning truthes thereof such a day as this when now you are before the Lord hearing this Text Preached upon this fire shall these defilers passe through and their errours and their ill worke they have made in Gods building their wood hay and stubble burne to ashes and their persons humbled and purified be saved the Lord grant it you need no other Purgatory you will thinke this hot enough and this or none will doe the deed The Pontificians would faine finde their Purgatory-dreame in this Scripture and they shall finde their Purgatory to purifie or consume-them not the Purgatory they seeke but the Purgatory God hath prepared for such Temple-wasters and Temple-defilers such foule beasts this is the breath of Christs lips this is the brightnesse of his coming which shall consume and destroy that man of sin they are in Purgatory and the fire now burnes hot upon them and so it will upon all the rest of the Templepollutors afore-named Doâ— you not see the Angels of God many of the Seraphims Esa 6. 6 7. with live-coales in their hands taken with the Tongs from off the Altar and laying them upon the mouthes of many faithfull able Ministers many an Esay 2. They shall faile of their ends their folly shall be manifest to all 2. Tim. 3. 9. that is all the Elect but evill men and seducers will waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived they shall not yet deceive the Elect. You 'le say many of the choicest Christians cleave to them and many of them are the precious servants of Christ Iesus we cannot be otherwise perswaded for them I said but even now they may be saved but their workes shall perish themselves shall be saved yet so as by fire and for the rest marke it that was their ayme to get the choice Christians those whose hearts are for Christ and Heaven their designe is mostly upon any in whom any worke of Grace appeares So have all deceivers ever that they might glory in their flesh as our Apostle according to the wisdome given unto him hath written Gal. 6. 13. but they shall not compasse their end they 'le returne perceiving the strangers voice these gracious foules thought it had been Christs voyce which they heard in these men in those their errours but finding at length their mistake and under the sheeps-skin of gifts and graces perhaps shew of Scripture manifestation of the Spirit finding the bloody wolfe of errour and falshood that soul-murthâ—rer they will embrace the truth and follow Christ perhaps hearing this you will for a while be froward for who can be willing to think he is in an errour or is deceived but Christ and his Father hold you in their hand and you cannot wrest your selves thence Another end they have they would be great and of same in the Church of God but their folly shall be manifest to all not only to the Elect but to all that will not deny the light of their reason and doe hold the Scripture
And whereas I hear of some that say did ye ever hear of Nations converted in the Scripture those be strange conversions the conversions of whole Nations I answer did you ever read the Scripture and yet passe by those famous prophesies concerning the Church under the New Testament All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord And shall glorifie thy name Psa 86. 9. Again In the last dayes the mountain of is by the same spirit and rightly by true Christians called a Church It is base and from a spirit of foul-tonguednesse to call it a steeple-house it is a familiar trophe and most significant to call the thing containing by the name of the thing contained And on the contrary do you not say significantly the Pot boiles when you meane the Broth in the Pot And you have not bread to finde your house And we call those publique places of Iudicature where publique Courts use to be kept by the names of those Courts as the Common-Pleas the Chancery the Court of Wards it is no abusive or improper speech That Place is Publique whereunto any one may resort without leave of any and without danger of being a trespasser and liable to an action of Trespasse Such is this place we are now in but such is not this or that mans House Parlour or Barne Christ requireth and loveth the publike Wisdom cries without in the streets in the chief place of concourse in the opening of the gâ—es Prov. 1. 20. 21. Though the private meetings of Christians used Christianly have a promise yet Gods glory and power was never so seen there as in the publique Psa 63. 2. nor have they such a promise Mat. 28. 20 21 And publique Ordinances are for the publique not for the private thus of the Morall use of the Temple The Ceremoniall use was for Sacrifice for receiving all the instruments and furniture of the worldly Sanctuary in all it was for signification and for shadow so the thing signified the truth remains though there be no Temple God hath now four Temples Heaven the Heaven of the blessed Heb. 8. and 9. Heb. 9. 11. Christ Ioh. 2. 21. the Christian the Church The two last are meant in this Text. See beloved your calling your dignity it is no small moment to preserve from all manner of sin if we knew our dignity we would not debase our selves we would avoid all unworthy acts all carriage that is below us this is your dignity every Christian is Gods Temple the true Temple the substance of that shadowish Temple The Temple had four things considerable 1. The Fabricke 2. The Furniture 3. The Glory 4. The Ministery that served there 1. For the Fabricke 1. There were the doors or Porch the gates very glorious These signified the hearts of the faithfull made glorious by faith to receive Iesus Christ Psa 24. 8 9. Rev. 3. 20. 2. There was the holy place and the holy of holies answerably 1. The bodies of Christians are Gods Temples his holy place 1 Cor. 6. 19. 2. The Soules of the humble and poor in spirit that tremble at Gods word are the holy of holies or the most holy place Isa 66. 1 2. 2. For the Furniture 1. The mercy-Seat or propitiatory is Christ and his blood apprehended by faith as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 25. God set forth Iesus Christ to be a Propitiatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Properly notes the instrument of propitiation and fitly agrees to Christ by whom God is appeased and pacified through faith in his blood by faith is Christ brought into and dwells in our hearts Faith in Christs blood is that which sets up this Mercy-seat in the Temple of every particular Christians heart Christ by Faith in his blood is the Propitiatory he that believeth in Christ to have Redemption Remission and salvation only through his blood sprinkled and applied to his soul and conscience by Faith and therefore draweth near layeth hold on Christ and applyeth his death and sacrifice unto himself he hath the Mercy-seat set up in his soul otherwise though there be a Christ though there be blood for expiation though both Christ and his blood be proposed of God yet there is no Temple nor Mercy-seat set up to thee or me because thou hast not or I have not this Faith in Christs Blood This Propitiatorie Ex. 25. 17. 1 Kiâ— 8. 9. Heb. 9. 4. or Golden Cover was put above upon the Ark of the Testimony which Ark was a Coffer in which was put the two Tables of stone in which the Law was written this Ark was the Symbole of Gods gracious presence among the people of the Iews it was made of Shittim-wood overlaid within and without of pure gold Two Cherubims covering the Mercy-seat with their wings were set on the two ends of the Mercy-seat from above this Mercy-seat from between these Cherubims God gave his Oracles Answers and he was known and prayed unto under this name and notion O thou that dwellest between the Cherubims Ps 80. 1. this signified God in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing the transgressions trespasses against his holy Law but accepting their persons imperfect obedience to his Commandments presented to him through Christ the Mediator and in Christ beholding them with favour acceptation passing by their sins as expiated covered in whom also their Prayers are heard answers are given to them their hearts find feel him teaching ruling them the holy Angels attend on theÌ„ guard them are their ministers now in the believer this presence of God in Christ on a throne of grace is set up in his heart 2. The Altar of incense placed before the vaile that was by the Ark before the Mercy-seat Ex. 30. 1. 6. 2. This signified Christs intercession and the Golden Censer and Odours of his meritorious sacrifice with which he appears before God as our high Priest Rev. 8. 3. this Altar Censer Odours and high Priest the Believer through the word of Faith even the Gospel receiving and imbracing presents himself and all he doth to God therewith that God may smell a favour of rest towards him he offereth all to God in Christs name in the hands of this consecrated Priest and on this Altar that can sanctifie his gift he puts his prayers into this Golden Censer The vertue also of Christs intercession is in him in the spirit of Prayer 3. The Altar of burnt-offering signified Christ bearing our sins and making reconciliation in whose sacrifice of himself a whole burnt-offering is found ful satisfaction a perfect ransom and price plentuous and eternall Redemption This Altar Heb. 13 10. 10. 5. 8 9 10. is set up in the Christian who by Faith presents before God this Lamb and his Redemption for his Iustification and while he apprehends this Redemption in his soul offers through Christ himself a whole burnt offering to God and all other his spirituall
46. meaning the Old Testament which then was only written he saith Had yee believed Moses yee would have believed me He that refuseth the Old Testament where his lust serves him will doe as much for the New The Evangelists writing of Christ that we might believe on him runs thus this was done that it might be fulfilled which was written The Apostles in their Epistles confirme all they say in matters of faith and holy life out of the Old Testament as to instance in two or three places for all the great point of faith in 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 7. the great point of holinesse of life in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. the great duty of obedience to Parents in Ephes 6. 1 2 3. read the Texts The Scripture of the Old Testament will furnish a Minister of the New Testament the man of God and make him absolute 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. It is for every Christian a more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. 21. than voyces from Heaven it is a light that shineth in the dark untill Christ the Day-starre dawn in the heart of him that takes heed to it 3. But let us come to the New Testament Rom. 13. 4. 3. Magistracy is the Ordinance of God set up for the punishment of evill-doers when Blasphemy and Idolatry false worship Heresie Prophanesse and cursed Oathes are not evill-doing then let the Magistrate have nothing to doe with the first Table it is Gods Ordinance for the praise of them that doe well when the seeking of the Lord Iehovah the use of Christs holy Institutions the profession of his holy Name and Faith the sanctification of his Holy Day and in a word when Piety ceaseth to be well-doing then let the power of Magistracy cease about matters of the first Table the Magistrate is the Minister of God for thy good O Christian as thou art a Christian he is to theâ— for good 1 Tim. 2. 2. 5 6. Out of this Text note to stop the mouthes of all Cavaliers 1. The end of Magistracy is not only that thou maist who art a Christian lead a peaceable and quiet life but the end of that end that thou maist lead it in all godlinesse and honesty 2. For the better attaining to this end thou art bound to pray all manner of Prayer for Kings and all in Authority this duty he cannot doe that holds this errour 3. The reasons on which this rule and exhortation is grounded doe reach out all their strength to this that the Magistrate may being converted to the Truth not only looke to that part of his duty to be the father of the Country and Common-wealth but the Nursing father to the Church not only to see the Peace be kept but to see that Piety flourish all Godlinesse the Reasons are these 1. God will have all men i. e. all sorts of men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Pray for them that coming to the knowledge of the truth they may the better use the Sword to maintaine the truth and restraine and debellate falshood 2. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour that your prayers should be the meanes to bring in Kings and Parliaments States and all in Authority to uphold Godlinesse out of an heart truely inlightened and inflamed with the love of Godlinesse you please not Christ if you pray not for them out of such a principle and to such an end 3. There is but one God both of Kings and Magistrates that are yet without and abuse their power against all true godlinesse and of you why should yee doubt but that he will heare your Prayers and at your Prayers give you Magistrates that shall make it their honour to use their power for God to attaine his main end that is your Godly life as well as your peaceable and honest life as they received it from God who hath ordained Magistracy for the attaining of that main end 4. There is but one Mediator between God and men who gave himselfe a ransome for all that testimony in proper seasons Christ mediates for Magistrates is a ransome for Magistrates is that testimony which as well testified to Magistrates as any other and if any say we have prayed long and prevailed little you must know there are proper seasons full seasons for this testimony to be dispensed and to make that dispensation effectuall therefore pray pray all manner of Prayers for their thorough conversion that they may glory more to see their Dominions all Godly under that one God through that one Mediator by that one Gospell that witnesseth of this Grace by one Faith one common Faith in that only ransome of Christ in one way of his true Worship then to see their Dominions rich and peaceable Why under this one God and this one Christ feeding among you may you not raise up to you seven Shepheards and eight Princes of men say all yea by Prayer of faith we shall doe it 2. For the Ministery they destroy and prophane Gods Temple by their errours diversly 1. Evening the Lords owne Canons for the Examination and Ordination of Ministers or Bishops by the Presbytery The Epistles to Timothy and Titus were written to order Gods house 1. Tim. 3. 15. there are drawn by the Holy Ghost the Church Canons the Constitutions of the Church of the New Testament Christs Directory by the hands and Ministery of that elect Vessell Paul the Apostle In these Canons the Presbytery that is the society of Teaching-Elders or Bishops Paul knew no other Bishops the Assembly of the Elders so the word is used in Act. 22. 5. where our last Translation reads it the estate of the Elders the Elder-ship 1 Tim. 4. 24. 5. 22. 3. 2. 9 10. Tit. 1. 5. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 2. hath the charge of Examination of those that are to be made Ministers and the power of Ordination by imposition of hands they that are to be made Ministers must be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. 2. and they must be ordained by laying on of hands Tit. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 22. their aptnesse to teach must be tryed and examined 1 Tim. 3. 10. having spoken of Bishops before and now speaking of Deacons and that concerning their holding the Mystery of Faith he saith and let these also first be proved also that is as well as those that desire the office of a Bishop they must first be Examined touching their aptnesse and ability to Teach so must the Deacons also about their holding of the Mystery of Faith in a pure conscience Now this Charge of Examination lyes upon the faithfull men the Presbyters that are able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. and the power of laying on of hands or of ordination is in the Presbytery We find this order of men but we finde no other in these Epistles that have any charge over the House of God the Church of the living God Now those overthrow these Canons and