gracious words of others in his behalfe will not suffice unless God by their praiers do frame his heart to beleive and move his tongue if God have given him the use of the tongue to Confess that Iesus Christ is the Lord. Corde creditur ad justitiam ore fit confessio ad salutem If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleive in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man beleiveth unto righteousnes and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 9 10. The Universalitie or extent of this Belief or Confession in respect of the parties whom it concernes is most fully exprest in the verse following For the Scripture saith Esa 28. 16. Whosoever believeth on him shall not make haste or not be ashamed And again Joel 2. 32. Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord whether he be Jew or Gentile shall be saved Thus you see that there is an universalitie of the parties or persons which are bound de Jure to make this Confession and an Universalitie of comfortable promises unto all such as make it as they ought that is not in tongue only but with the Heart not in heart only if God have given them the use of the heart and of the tongue or his blessings of memory and understanding 4. That besides this universality of persons confessing Christ with their tongues to be the Lord there is an Universalitie or Totality of duties to be performed by every one that confesseth Christ to be the Lord is evident from Iesus Christ our Lords own mouth Luke 6. 46. Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say This speech infers thus much at least That though all other both Jews Gentiles even every tongue throughout the world had confessed as much as these his present Disciples of which some were temporary some perpetual Professors did yet this would not suffice to make them capable of the reward universally promised to his true Disciples and servants That this confession though made by every tongue besides was not sufficient to make any particular man capable of the reward promised to all his true servants that are capable of his words and sayings which was not ready and willing to do them That every one which heard his sayings and was willing to do them was truly capable of all the blessings which he promised is clear from his words following ver 47 48 49. Who so cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a Rock And when the flood arose the stream brake violently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon a Rock But he that heareth and doth not is like unto a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell and the ruine of that house was great But our Lord and Saviours mind is by himself more fully exprest to this purpose Math. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven The limitation of these words as well for their negative as affirmative extent is this That neither every one nor any one of them which shall confess onely with their tongues that he is the Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven This limitation of the Negative or rather our Assurance of Faith that this negative is thus far to be extended is manifest from the verse following For to prophesie in the Name of Christ is more than to confesse with the tongue only that Christ is Lord. To cast out Divels in the Name of Christ is more then to prophecie in his Name To do many works of wonder in Christs Name is more than to cast out Devils in his Name For to cast out Divels indeed is a wonderful work and yet but One of those wonderful works which then and for many years after were done in Christs Name by such as although they did call Christ Lord Lord as he truly is the Lord of all were not Christs true servants not such as Christ will take notice of or approve as better but rather reject as worse then Infidels in that last and dreadful day when he shall call his servants whether de jure or de facto to a final account For so it is expressed in the words following ver 23 23. Many will say unto me in that day and the more the better so their plea were good Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works And then will I professe unto them I never knew you that is I never approved of you but rather disapproved you and your works as worse then the works of heathens or heathenish workers For unto the Heathens as Heathens he hath not said that he will say in the last day Depart from me Ye Workers of iniquity That the Affirmative extent of his words to such as shall not only with their tongues confess but in heart and practice acknowledge him to be the Lord is as large and ample as his former threatnings to such as either indeed and facts deny him or with their tongues and lips do not confess him to be the Lord his promise in the next words ver 24. will give us full assurance Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock And thus you see The words of our Lord and Savior confirmed by the mouthes of two Authentick witnesses St. Matthew and St. Luke do warrant the truth of these two Universals That never a one of such as onely with the tongue confess him to be the Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That every one which in heart confesseth him though with tongue he cannot confess him to be the Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven For every one which doth the will of his Father which is in heaven and the doing of this his heavenly Fathers will here is not an act of the Tongue but of the heart and of the affections shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven which is the place and seat appointed for all Christs true Servants and onely for them The onely question then remaining is What this Will of his heavenly Father is what it is to do it 5. This will of His heavenly Father is either General whatsoever is expressed in the Ten Commandements in the moral Law or in the Prophets or more Special as it is revealed in Christ or by Christ Did Christ then give us a New Law or other precepts then God by Moses had done
to torment them Yet it is not possible that the entire and uninterrupted possession or the undisinheritable tenor of virtue compleat should alwayes in this life be a sufficient recompence to it self or able to countervail all the costs or grievances wherewith the most virtuous or most Godly men that live may in this life be charged Virtue then or Godliness is in this life a sufficient recompence to it self spe only not re so far as it is the only Way to our union with God or with Christ who is to all the sons of Abraham as he professed himself to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. their exceeding great reward Nor could true Happiness consist in Virtue if our hopes or fruition of it might be terminated with this life In what sense then is Felicity said to consist in Virtue Only so far as our assured hope of a better life after death is unseparably annexed and indissolubly wedded unto the constant practice of Virtue and Godliness in this life Without Assurance of this hope that Magnificent Confidence which the Stoicks put in Virtue was but a vain imagination in respect of themselves And for this reason albeit all of them were more then Christians Hyperbolical Christians in their speculative commendations of Virtue yet many of them were in practice as cowardly as other heathen And no marvel seeing it is This Hope which must strengthen other Graces of God in us enable our spirits to countersway the contrary inclinations of natural fear of death or torments in the day of tryal Cast not away your confidence saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 35 36 Which hath great recompence of reward For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the Will of God ye might receive the promise And again Hebr. 12. ver 1 2. Let us lay aside every weight and the Sin which doth so easily be et us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God As to encourage our selves to do well with hope or conceit of meriting any thing at Gods hand is pride and presumption a natural branch of Popish Superstition So not to strengthen our selves or quicken our patience in the suffering of any bodily evils that for Christ's Cause can befal us with Hope of Reward or certain expectance of a better Sentence to be pronounced by a supreme Judge is but a branch of the blind Stoicks Affection or of his forced and affected Zeal to Virtue And it is no better then a Stoical Doctrine or error which some have taught that we are to do good meerly for goodness sake sine intuitu mercedis without any eye or respect to our reward or recompence It is an error if it be persisted in so much more dangerously heretical in Divinity then theirs was in Philosophy by how much we are more deeply bound then they were not to sever those things by Nicities or speculative Distinctions which God hath indissolubly conjoyned and whose conjunction the Son of God himself whilest he lived on earth hath by his practice and example ratified unto us And St. Paul delivers it as a point of useful doctrine to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4. 13. to comfort themselves against the terrors and assaults of death whether made upon themselves or upon their friends with hope of a resurrection to a better life Now it were impossible for any man to comfort himself with this hope without intuition or respect unto this great reward that God hath to bestow on men For greater reward he hath none to bestow then Life eternal nor is man capable of any like unto it But of this Point more fully when we come to the last point proposed to wit The Sentence or Award of this Final Judgement 8. But now to shut up the First Point concerning the natural Notions which the heathens had and The internal Experiments which every true Christian may have answering to these Notions of a Final Judgment The sum of all is compriz'd by our Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15 16. whose words are a full confirmation of what hath been before observed concerning the Heathens When the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel It was no part of our Apostles meaning that the Consciences of these heathens should not give in their Evidence or accusations until the day of Final Iudgment No their Evidence shall in that day appear more full and publick when God shall Iudge the secrets of the heart but even in this secrecie of the heart there was an Evidence though private yet full enough to themselves of a Judgment to come The Apostles speech is distributively universal every mans thoughts do accuse or excuse him for all his own deeds respectively And no marvel seeing the Notions of good and evil are as naturally implanted in our souls as the Notions of truth and falshood And children so such as have the Tuition of them would be careful so their parents were not more delighted to ripen their wits then to ripen the seeds of morality might as soon be taught to put a difference betwixt things sacred and prophane as between the right hand and the left But this is our miserie that these Notions of good or evil are sooner corrupted and choked then our Notions of truth and falshood Yet however The working of Conscience cannot utterly be choked or deaded in any although the voice of it be oft times unheard although most men seek to stifle it 9. The Internal Experiments which certifie the Christian of a Judgment to come be so frequent and forcible that pains will be better spent in perswading men to take notice of them then in a long discourse of them It is the chief wisdom of a Christian the very life of Christian Sobriety not to exceed so much in mirth though honest harmless and in season nor in the frequency of any business though indifferent and lawful as not to allot the secrets of our hearts and consciences some set hours and times for Audience Multiplicitie of business without interposition of vacancies to this purpose is but like perpetual noise and clamor in a Court of Justice and not to use some retired Interims for examination of our souls is but as if men should continually laugh or brawl whilest the Officers of the Court injoyn peace or silence So often then as we shall perceive our Conscience either expresly to check us or inwardly to
place either expresly or implicitly to direct our prayers to God the Father that he would be pleased to forgive us our sins to be reconciled unto us and bestow such blessings upon us as he hath promised to such as shall be reconciled unto him In the Second place either expressly or implicitly we are to beseech him to forgive us our sins to be reconciled and blesse us for the merits of his only Son who hath made satisfaction for us This is a Point which every Christian is bound expressely to believe that God the Father doth neither forgive sins nor vouchsafe any Term or Plea of Reconciliation but only for the merits and satisfaction made by the sacrifice of the Son of God who by the eternal spirit offered himself in our humane nature upon the Crosse In the next place we are to believe and acknowledge that as God the Father doth neither forgive nor vouchsafe Reconciliation but for the merits and satisfaction of his only Son so neither will he vouchsafe to conveigh this or any other blessing unto us which his Son hath purchased for us but only through his Son not only through him as our Advocate or Intercessor but through him as our Mediator that is through His humanitie as the Organ or Conduit or as the only Bond by which we are united and reconciled unto the Divine Nature For although the Holy Spirit or Third Person in Trinitie doth immediately and by Personal Proprietie work faith and other spiritual Graces in our Souls yet doth he not by these Spiritual Graces unite our souls or Spirits immediately unto himself but unto Christs Humane Nature He doth as it were till the ground of our hearts and make it fit to receive the seed of life But this seed of righteousnesse immediately flows from the Sun of Righteousnesse whose sweet influence likewise it is which doth immediately season cherish and ripen it The Spirit of life whereby our Adoption and Election is sealed unto us is the real participation of Christs Bodie which was broken and of Christs Blood which was shed for us This is the true and punctual meaning of our Apostles speech 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a living soul or as the Syriack hath it Animale Corpus an enlivened bodie but the second Adam was made a quickning spirit and immediately becometh such to all those which as truely bear his image by the Spirit of Regeneration which issues from him as they have born the Image of the first Adam by natural propagation And this again is the true and punctual meaning of our Saviours words John 6. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you are spirit and life For so he had said in the verses before to such as were offended at his words what if you should see the Son of man ascend up where he was before The Implication conteined in the Connexion between these two verses and the precedent is this That Christs Virtual presence or the influence of life which his Humane Nature was to distil from his heavenly Throne should be more profitable to such as were capable of it then his Bodily presence then the bodily Eating of his flesh and blood could be although it had been convertible into their bodily substance This distillation of life and immortalitie from his glorified Humane Nature is that which the Ancient and Orthodoxal Church did mean in their Figurative and lofty speeches of Christs Real presence or of eating His very Flesh and drinking His very Blood in the Sacrament And the Sacramental Bread is called His Bodie and the Sacramental Wine His Blood as for other reasons so especially for This that the vertue or influence of his Bloody Sacrifice is most plentifully and most effectually distilled from heaven unto the worthy Receivers of the Eucharist And unto this Point and no further will most of the Testimonies reach which Bellarmin in his books of the Sacraments or Maldonat in his Comments upon the sixth of Saint John do quote out of the Fathers for Christs Real Presence by Transubstantiation or which Chemnitius that Learned Lutheran in his Books De duabus in Christo naturis and de Fundamentis sanae doctrinae doth avouch for Consubstantiation And if thus much had been as distinctly granted to the Ancient Lutherans as Calvin in some places doth the controversie between the Lutheran and other Reformed Churches had been at an end when it first begun Both Parties acknowledging Saint Cyrill to be the fittest Umpire in this Controversie The end of the Third Chapter A Transition of the Publisher's IT must not be dissembled that I had no Intimation much lesse Commission of the Author's to Insert the Two following Chapters herein this place Yet besides that I knew not of any fitter place where to dispose of them I had these Reasons so to do 1. I held it fit that His Powerful Disputes against the Church of Rome about The Lords Supper in the fourth Chapter and about another Point in the fifth should immediately follow his Learned Argument with the Lutheran 2. The sequence seems very Methodical The Subject of the first Chapter being partly About Christs Exaltation by becoming The Chief Corner-Stone cut out of the Rock or quarrey by his Resurrection from The New Scpulchre lifted up by his Ascension and placed at the Chief Corner by his Sitting at Gods Right-hand and partly about The Union of Christ with true Christians which Union is both a Considerable part of the fourth Chapter and was happily touched upon in the Close of the Third 3. In case any Restive soul should perhaps some faint Dejected Spirit having read Christs Great Exaltation may say Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above Such an one besides the quickenings he may hear from other Remembrancers Saint Peter telling us that we are pilgrims here and Saint Paul that we seek a Countrie and look for a Citie Jerusalem that is Free and that being Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of Gods hous-hold our Conversation or Traffick is to be in heaven for those things which are above where Christ sitteth at Gods Right-hand c. may receive mightie encouragement by Experimenting the Contents of these two next Chapters The avowed neer approach and Intimacie of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Believing and Receiving Christian The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart When the holy Sacramental pledges be in the mouth and Faith in the heart The Word the Eternal Word that was made flesh is nigh indeed For Verily Verily He that eateth my Fesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in Me and I in Him CHAP. 1111. A Paraphrase upon the sixth of St. John In what sense Christ's flesh is said to be truly Meat c. What it is To eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood Of eating and drinking Spiritual and Sacramental And whether of them is meant
exposition of Scriptures doth It requires a greater skill then the skill of Alchymie to extract the true sense and meaning of the holy Ghost from the plausible glosses or expositions which are dayly made upon them But how sincerely soever the word may be delivered by the Pastor it may be corrupted by the hearer Milk as Physicians tell us is turned into purer blood with greater facilitie than any other nutriment so the body which receives it be free from humors but if the stomack or other vitall parts be stuft with Phlegm opprest with Choler or other corruption there is no nutriment which is more easily corrupted or more apt to feed bad humors than milk how pure soever it be Thus though the sincere milk of the word be not only the best but the onely nutriment of soules by which wee must grow up in faith yet if the heart which receives it from the preachers mouth sincere be pestered with corrupt affections it doth not nourish if it do not purge or purifie the corrupt humours but mingle with them they malignifie one another The speciall humours which on the hearers part corrupt the sincere milk of the word and of which every one that will be a diligent hearer must endeavour to purge his soule by repentance are set downe by S. Peter in the same Chapter vers 1. Wherefore laying aside all malice all guile and all hypocrisie and envies and evill-speakings as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word Wee must first then desire the word as Physick to purge our soules That part of the word I mean which teacheth Repentance and denyall of all ungodliness before wee can hope to grow by the milk of it that is by the comfort of Gods promises Unlesse our hearts be in good measure purified by obedience to the Generall precepts or morall duties how sincere soever the milk of the word preached be our desire of it cannot be sincere wee shall desire it or delight in it to maintain Faction or secret pride not to grow up thereby in sinceritie of mind and humblenesse of spirit which are the most proper effects of the milk of the word sincerely delivered and sincerely received SECT II. Of Christs Lordship or Dominion Phil. 2. 11. That every Tongue should Confesse that Jesus Christ is LORD to the Glorie of God the Father Acts 2. 36. Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye Crucified both Lord and Christ Rev. 5. 13. Every Creature in heaven and earth and sea did say Blessing Honour Glorie and Power to Him that sitteth on the Throne and to The Lamb for ever ever The Degrees or Steps by which we must ascend before we enter this Beautiful Gate of the Lords House are Three First What it is to be a LORD Second Upon what Grounds or in what respects Christ is by peculiar Title called THE LORD Third How our Confession or acknowledgment of Christ to be The Lord doth redound to the Glorie of God the Father CHAP. VI. What it is to be a Lord. Though there be many called Lords yet is there but One Absolute Lord. 1. THe Title of Lord whether we take it in the Greek in the Latin or in our English is sometimes a Title only of Respect or courtesie So strangers usually salute men of place or note by the name of Dominus or sometimes of Domination it self And we usually instile the Eldest Sons of Earles by the title of Lords And all the Sons of Dukes even from their Cradles are so instiled Not to vouchsafe them this Title when we mention them were ill manners or discourtesie Howbeit even they which are bound to love them best the very parents of their bodies do not permit them to enjoy the Realities answering to these honourable Titles before their full age and for the most part till they themselves have surrendred them by death The Realitie answering to this title of Lord is Dominion Every one that hath Dominion is a Lord in respect of that over which he hath Dominion and whosoever really is a Lord is so instiled from some Dominion which he exerciseth Dominus in Latin sometimes goes for no more then our English word Owner and this is the lowest or meanest signification of the word Lord. The full Extent or highest value of the word Dominus or Lord must be gathered from the several degrees or scale of Dominion as either from the Extent of the matter or subject over which Dominion is exercised or from the Soveraigntie of Title Dominion as Lawyers define it is A Facultie or power fully to dispose of any corporal or bodily substance so far as they are not restrained by law And by how much a mans power to dispose of what he hath is lesse restrained by law by so much his Dominion over it is the greater and he in respect of it is if not so much a greater Lord yet so much more properly a Lord. But fitting it is in regard of publick good or of posteritie that most mens power to dispose of that which otherwise by full right is their own should be in certain Cases restrained Many are Lords of great Lands and may dispose of their annual profits as they please but yet cannot sell or alienate their perpetual inheritance Others have a more full power to dispose of the houses wherein they dwell a power not only to let or set them for yeers but to sell or give away the perpetual inheritance who yet are by Law restrained utterly to demolish or set them on fire especially if they be inclosed by neighbour Lodgings The Cases are many wherein Dominuim sub altiore dominio est There is a sub ordination of Lordships or Dominions some are Mean Lords some are Chief Lords Even meaner Lords or owners are not to be denyed the titles of Lords albeit they cannot alienate the soil whereof they are owners without licence of the Chief Lord much more are chief or higher Lords to be so reputed because their Dominion or power to dispose of their own Lands is lesse subordinate howbeit in some cases limited by the Rule of Law And this restraint in how few cases soever it be hinders their greatnesse from growing into absolute Dominion Lords they are but not absolute Lords This is a Title peculiar to Kings or Monarches who are so called only in respect of their own subjects or of their own Lands No meere mortal man since Adam was Lord of the whole earth or bare soveraigntie over all men or bodily substances And the greatest of men have been subject or inferiour to Angels 2. To leave other divisions of Dominion to Lawyers All Dominion is either Jurisdictionis or Proprietatis A power of Jurisdiction or a right to the Propertie The former branch of Dominion is exercised only over men or resonable creatures which only are capable of Jurisdiction passive or of Government The later branch which we call
fulfilled until the last Judgement or in the life to come is acknowledged and well observed by a late learned Jesuit And this Interpretation being proffered by a man of that profession I entertain the rather because it affords us a facile and commodious interpretation of all or most of those places whether in the Old Testament or in the New which the Romish Church the Iesuits in special insist upon for the glorious Prerogatives of the visible Church and of the visible Roman Church above all Churches visible How many instances soever or places they bring whether general for the visible or militant Church or for the glory of the Roman Church in special this One Answer will give satisfaction to all They are meant of the visible or militant Church Inchoativè but of the Church triumphant Consummativè They are meant of the visible or militant Church indefinitely that is some particular members of the visible Church have undoubted pledges or earnests of those glorious promises in this life which notwithstanding shall not be either universally punctually or solidly accomplished save onely in the members of the Church triumphant Christs Church whether we consider it as militant or triumphant is an essential or integral part of his Kingdom and as his Kingdom so his Church hath its first plantation or beginning here on earth Both have a right or interest in the glorious promises made to the Church universal neither Church nor Kingdom here on earth can have entire possession of the blessings or prerogatives promised until it be given them by the Great King at the day of Final Judgment Of this rank is that prophecie Jer. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more This Place no man denies was literally verified in the Effusion of the Holy Ghost upon our Saviours Ascension But shall not be punctually and solidly fulfilled until the day of Judgment be past Then the true members of Christs Church shall neither need Tradition nor the written Word they shall be all immediately taught of God and have his Laws most perfectly and indeliblely written in their hearts The gates of hell shall not then in any wise prevail against them not so far as to annoy their bodies or interrupt their peace and happiness Of this intire happiness and perfection the Church Militant had a pledge or earnest in the effusion of the Holy Ghost and all that be true Members of Christs Church have a superficial draught or picture of this entire happiness in their hearts But Christ at his Ascension was so far from annulling the use of preaching or teaching one another that as the Apostle tels us Eph. 4. 11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers more extraordinary then any had been during the time of the Law for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith c. 10. Thus to interpret the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Church indefinitely taken can be no Paradox seeing the predictions of our Saviour himself concerning his Kingdom must of necessity be thus interpreted witness that Prediction to omit others Matth. 16. 27 28. The Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Verily I say unto you there be some standing here that shall not tast of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom The later part of this Prediction or the Experiment answering unto it was exemplified in Peter Iames and John within seven dayes after For these Three were Spectators of his Transfiguration in the Mount And his transfiguration was but a representation or exemplification of that glory wherein he shall appear in the day of Judgment when he shall give these Apostles and all that shall obey his precepts full possession of the Kingdom of God prepared for them But albeit these three Apostles had not onely their eyes but their ears true witnesses of his glory as of the glory of the onely begotten Son of God for so it is said Matth. 17. 2. His face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light and ver 5. A bright cloud over shadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased hear him Yet miserable men had they been for all this if their hopes or expectations had been terminated or accomplished with this transient glorious spectacle or voice Both the voice and the spectacle were but earnests or pledges of that everlasting joy or happiness which they were to expect in the perpetual fruition of the like sights or sounds in the life to come Of this sort or rank is that Prophecie of Esay 2. 4. And he shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people and they shall beat their swords into Plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more There was at the birth of this great Judge a glimps exhibited of this Universal Peace which shall not be universally established before the last and final Judgement All the Nations of the Earth were quiet and free from any noise of War when he came first into the World For Janus his Temple was then shut And after he shall be revealed again unto the World from Heaven there shall be neither Death nor Famine nor the Sword Howbeit even the dearest of his Saints which have lived since his first Birth were to endure a perpetual War in their Pilgrimage here on earth and the end of their War is to make them capable of this everlasting peace 11. Another Prediction of his coming to Judgement there is which must be interpreted according to the former Rule that is Inchoativè or in part of his first coming to visit us in humility and to instruct the World but Completivè or fully of his second coming to Judge the World Mal. 3. 2 3. But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner or purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness So certain and so general is the former Rule of interpretation that not this prediction of Malachi's onely and the like of other Prophets but the fulfilling of them related by the Evangelists cannot rightly be interpreted without the
that both verses may in some Sort be literally meant of the Word Preached or Written Pro modulo that is so far as the Word Written or Preached hath reference or Analogie to the Eternal Word or to his Power here described For the Son of God is seldom if at all enstiled The Word of God without importance of some transcendent relation to the Word of God Written or Preached And from this affinity which the word Written or Uttered hath with the eternal and unutterable Word of God the Word Written or Preached may have some share or portion as it were by Reversion in the Attributes here assigned unto The Word of God But the compleat Subject either of the First Proposition The Word of God is lively or of the second The Word of God is powerful or of the third The Word of God is sharper then any two edged Sword the Word Written or Preached cannot be Nothing can be besides God himself or that Word which St. Iohn saith was in the beginning in whom was Life and whose life was the light of men Nor are the peculiar and special Attributes of God any where in Scripture set forth in a more full and Majestick Character of words then in these words of St. Paul The propositions are in number seven or eight The Subject of all the propositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE WORD is the same And for this reason if any of these Attributes be literally meant of the Son of God or of the Son of God only Completiveè all the rest must be compleatly meant of him He only it is Qui â—anti mensuram nominis implet who rightly fils the Importance of this Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word in that place Admit then the Word Written or Preached may truly be said to be quick and powerful and in some sort not more sharp but more peircing then any two edged Sword for a Sword with one edge may be as sharp as a Sword with two edges but not so piercing but admit the Word of God preached might be more piercing then any Sword yet could it not properly be said to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart or that there is no creature which is not manifest unto it nor can it possibly be imagined to be the Logical Subject of the two last Propositions for the Apostle plainly speaks of a living person Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in HIS SIGHT but all things are naked and open unto the eyes OF HIM 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as our English renders it with whom we have to do as Beza and Calvin had before better expressed it then Erasmus who renders it of whom we speak or then the Vulgar Latine adquem nobis est sermo Of which Latine I know not how to make good English But the Syriack of all most fully All things are opened unto the eyes of him to whom MEN must render an account Every one that hears the Word preached must give an account of the Word which he hears but this account we must not we cannot give unto the Word preached but unto him whose Words they are which we hear or from Whom the Word preached must derive all the efficacy force and power which it hath The full meaning of the Original if any be disposed to have it fully rendred in the Original tongue is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cui à nobis reddenda est ratio to whom we must render our final account such is the usual importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in matters civil or of contract or covenant So saith Athanasius in his Creed at his coming to judge the quick and the dead all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give ACCOUNT for their own works And our Apostle supposeth that this account must be given by every one before he receive his doom for things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 13. So then all men must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must reddere rationem render a final account of their own works And we Christians in special of the Word of God read or preached unto us how far it hath fructified or miscarried in us And this account or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Eternal Word or Son of God by whom God made the world But albeit St. Paul by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 4. mean the self same Person or partie whom St. John doth in the first of his Gospel yet may we hence discover a further Notion or imPortance of the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is the peculiar Title of the Son of God then was before Book 7th Chap. 26. exprest in handling that Point how the word was made flesh or why the Son of God was called THE WORD The Reason was not only because he was the Speaker of the Trinity or the Declarer of Gods Will unto men nor because he was the main Object of all Gods word whether revealed to Moses or the Prophets but specially or most principally for that he was the express Image of God the Father or Verbum internum the full expression of the Wisdom Power and Majesty of the Father And withal more then the Ideal Pattern according to which all things were made For though he be the full expression of the power and wisdom of his Father as he is his only begotten Son from all eternity yet are not all things which are made by him or can be made by him a full expression of his power or wisdom He was begotten not made by his Father and therefore equal to him The world was made by Him not begotten and therefore far inferior to him He is a patern or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things that are made but a patern that cannot be paralleld by them As He was the patern or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom the world was made and so considered by St. Iohn So is He the pattern or exemplary Rule of all the Laws which God hath given to man whether written in their hearts or in the Book of Grace or of Nature The Rule or patern of all the Words which God hath spoken to men by his Apostles by his Prophets or by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Son himself And according to this Notion or importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is by St. Paul called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto whom all men must reddere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 render an account of their words of their works and of their thoughts he being in all respects the most compleat Rule or Exemplar by which all words all works thoughts for which men are to make account are to be valued or censured the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exact measure of all approbation or disprovement of the
accompts to be made or of the words works or thoughts for which we are to render account From this Notion or importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may take a true Notion or scantling of the Attributes or Titles given to the Word of God by St. Paul Heb. 4. and how well they consort with the Word Written or Preached as it hath reference to this Eternal Word The Word of God Written or Preached although in it self it be more powerful then any two edged Sword yet as it is managed or weilded by us his weak Instruments is but as a good sword in an Infants hand but though as uttered by us it doth not exercise its strength upon our hearers yet doth it not utterly perish or lose its efficacy but every Word spoken in his Name though for the present it have no such success as we could wish yet it is not altogether spoken in vain it returns unto him whose Word it is and in his mouth or presence the Word preached by us becomes like Scanderbegs Sword in Scanderbegs hand and shall in the last day recover strength and force from the powerful appearance of this Eternal Word or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that all the glorious Attributes given by St. Paul unto The Word of God are primarily and principally true of the Eternal Word yet secondarily and less principally of the Word preached with reference unto him 14. The Word preached is not altogether dead but lively quick powerful in its operation and shall at the last day be more piercing then any two edged sword and divide between the spirit and the soul A two edged sword may cut the bones and divide the joynts and the marrow it may divide the soul from the body or at least send the soul out of the body before the time by the course of nature allotted But between the soul and the spirit no material sword can make division The most piercing sword though it hath as the Original imports two mouthes to devour yet eyes it hath none to distinguish between the parts which it divides but cuts as it fals or as it is direrected by the eyes and hands of him which weilds it But The Word of God here principally meant seeth all the particles betwixt which it makes division it is a discerner or Judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart how secret soever they be how inseparable soever they be from the soul or spirit though our inward parts be covered with skin with flesh and bones yet are they naked and as it were anatomized for so the Original imports unto the eyes of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom we are to render our account In the first creation he was not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the live Idea or patern unto whose Image men and Angels were created and of whose Excellency the whole world and all the creatures in it are but scattered and broken expressions but withal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the framer or maker of all things visible and invisible for God the Father made all things by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any instrumental help or service after a more excellent and expedite manner then should we suppose or could we imagine such a thing any Architect or skilful Artificer that could be supposed able to frame or make a material building or other work of his profession without any manual labour without any materials or instruments besides the patern or exemplar which he conceives in his mind or imagination In the dissolution of this world or in the erection of the world to come which shall take beginning from the day of our final accompts the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eternal VVord of God shall manifest himself to be not only the live Idaea or patern of Gods moral or eternal Law by which all mankind shall be judged and our accompts either finally approved or disproved but to be withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Law endued with Life with wisdom and power Nor such a Law only but a Living Wise Omnipotent Iudge All these Attributes or the things signified by them with all the rest that can be required in a Law a Rule or Iudge are in Him undivided and according to the Infinitie of perfection Yet that we may the better conceive the infiniteness of his perfection as Law and Judge it will not be amiss to consider these Attributes severally as they are found amongst us 15. Every good Law is a kind of silent Magistrate or Judge and every good and perfect Judge or Magistrate is a speaking Law So they ought to be But these Two Perfections seldom meet in the Government of any well ordered Common-weal or Church on earth In some Nations the written Laws be tolerably good or comparatively very good but the Magistrates for the most part either ignorant in the Laws or unexperienced in applying their true intent and meaning to meet with every transgression or so manacled with Golden Fetters that they have no great list or dexterity to put what they know in execution In other places the Magistrates or Judges are learned and sincere laws to themselves and fit Laws for others to be ruled by were not their good purposes restrained or pinyoned by harsh and obsolete Laws or not well consorting with the times wherein they live This Jargon between wise and wholsom Laws and unskilful or corrupt Magistrates or between religious wise and industrious Magistrates and imperfect partial or naughty Laws hath been in most Ages and Nations so common that many accurate Politicians or Observers of the course of Justice have brought the main Question concerning all State Government to this short issue and submitted it to the touch and tryal of learned dispute Whether it be better to be governed by a dead and silent or by a live and speaking Law That is whether were most expedient for all or most States that the written Law should be above the supream Magistrate or Majesty or the supream Magistrate or Majesty of every Nation above the written Laws But admitting that every Nation had Laws as perfect as the wit of man could devise such as would give contentment to every member that were to be governed by them and Magistrates to put such Laws in execution as sincere as wise as well experienced as industrious as couragious as any in former times have been or can in this life be expected yet the most perfect or absolute Law that can be made by man that can be written though made by God himself could not be able to put it self in execution or to recompence every transgression as it deserves Nor can the wisest the most sincere and industrious Magistrate possibly know every transgressor of the Law or every misdemeanor committed within a little Province or Corporation And albeit the Magistrate only can give life to the Law yet can no Magistrate give life to any Law or put it in
execution according to the Rule of Justice unless he know the transgressor and the quality of his transgression And for this reason even those States which have comparatively the best Laws and the wisest Magistrates admit or rather require and authorize Informers And after the Information given the Magistrate must proceed secundum allegata probata according to the information given by legal and competent witnesses Now to make the Informers and Witnesses alwayes sincere the best Laws and Magistrates are not able The Law of God indeed is a Law most perfect most infallible but no living Rule to see and discern every transgression against it no speaking Rule to give information or testimony against the transgressors of it much less a living Judge to reward or punish every observer or transgressor of it But all the perfections that can be imagined in any Law in any Informer in any Witness in any Judge or manager of Justice are eminently and most perfectly contained in This Word or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom we have to do or to whom we are to render our accompt without any tincture or admixture of their imperfections And thus they all are in Him most perfect not by way of Union or Unition but according to most perfect and indivisible Unitie As all things were made by him without help or instrumental service So all the thoughts all the words and works of men are immediatly known unto him without any Prompter or Informer and every man shal be judged by him according to all his works without any Advocate or assistant As he is the expresse Image or full expression of his Fathers Person and himselfe as truly God as his Father is so he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mensura omnium the exact measure of every thing that can be known that can be done spoken or thought and the just recompence of all deserts He containes an exact proportion or disproportion to every thought word or action that hath proceeded from the heart or mind of man an exact proportion of every thought word or deed that held consort with the Law of the mind or of the spirit an exact disproportion to every rebellious motion that hath been conceived by the Law of the flesh against the Law of the mind and even in this respect he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the Original word oft times imports as much as proportion or an exact measure by which all proportion or consonancy all disproportion or dissonancy may be known or notified As if the Base or Diapason be sound and good every Note or sound of the same instrument doth notifie the measure of its consonancie or dissonancie to it by its own sound And in this sense he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living measure or proportion And every thought or secret inclination of man that is consonant to this living Rule or Law hath more then a Geometrical proportion a live proportion or Sympathie with him And we shall need no other bliss and happines then a true Sympathie and consort with him Every thought or inclination of the flesh that is dissonant to this living Rule or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes more then a dead disproportion a live Antipathie to his puritie and according to the measure of every mans disproportion or Antipathie to this living Rule shall the measure of his wretchednes or infelicitie be In all these and many other respects is the Son of God enstyled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the Judge of quick and dead 16. But doth the Intent or Inference of the Apostle in that fourth Chapter to the Hebrews lead us unto any such apprehension or construction as hath been made of his Attributes It doth if we look not as the Jews did only into the dead Letter but dive into the live sense or meaning of the Spirit or of the Apostle himself His principal scope or aim was to admonish his hearers and in them all that confess Christ to be the Son of God and their Redeemer to be vigilant and careful whilest it is called to day that they do not incur Gods high displeasure or provoke his sentence of utter exclusion from that Eternal Rest whereof that Rest which Joshuah brought the Israelites unto when he gave them possession of the land of Canaan was but the Map or shadow The Israelites without exception had a promise of entring into the land of Canaan and under it a promise of entring into a better Rest But the word preached saith the Apostle vers 2. did not profit them not being mixed with Faith The foolish posteritie of those rebellious Fathers which were excluded by oath from entring into the land of Canaan and were consumed in the wildernes misdeemed that Gods promise of bringing that Nation into the land of their Rest had been accomplished in the conquest of it by Ioshuah or in continuance of like victorious success unto themselves And by this conceit and by the dissobedience which this conceit brought forth against the Son of God revealed the most of this Nation since his manifestation in the flesh have lived and died in a more miserable estate then their Fathers did which died in the wildernes For neither Christian charitie nor the Analogie of Christian faith will permitt us to say or think that all the Israelites which were excluded by Oath from entring into the land of Canaan or of their promised earthly Rest were also utterly excluded from entring into the Kingdom of heaven They as well as we were to render an accompt unto This Eternal Word for he it was which spake to Moses in Mount Sinai but was not then manifested in the flesh nor was the Article of his incarnation expresly or explicitly known to all or most that received benefit by it The accompt which they were to make was not so punctuall nor their examination so strict For that which St. Paul saith of the antient heathens holds true in proportion of the ancient Israelites God saith he winked at these times of ignorance Act. 17. 30 31. but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the world in righteousnes But was not this day appointed in these times of ignorance at which God winked Yes before them but not so fully declared nor the manner of it so distinctly known as since Christs resurrection it hath been From this difference of times and from the different condition of men living since Christs Resurrection and from the diversity of the account which they must render in respect of them which lived before it St. Paul makes that inference Hebrews 4. 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief or disobedience The Israelites fell in the wildernes for their disobedience to Gods word written or spoken they did not so immediatly trespasse against this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
were changeable The life it self and the light of the world was in the Son of God John 13. And now dwelleth bodily in Christ who is God and man and when he shall appear the life which is in him shall be imprinted on us we shall be partakers of the life which is unchangeable And as is life he so is he light it self light unchangeable And when we shall see him as he is our knowledge shall from this vision be as He is without possibilitie of change without decay or diminution God saith the Apostle is Love and when we shall see him as he is we shall become like him in this Attribute also that is as his Love to us was everlasting without beginning so our love to him shall be uncessant unchangeable without ending And what expression of true happiness can be more full then to be everlastingly beloved of him who is Love it self and to love him everlastingly The fruition of all things which we desire or love cannot be so much as the the fruition of him who as he is all things else so is he love it self And as was said before although we have all things else which our hearts desire yet till we enjoy his presence we cannot have our hearts desire we cannot have the accomplishment of our love untill we enjoy his presence who is love it self But some will ask What shall we do that we may enjoy the comfort of his everlasting love and presence The Psalmist hath told us in few words Psal 37. 4. Delight thou in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire But how shall we delight in him whom we have not seen or how should we love him whom we know not We must take notice of our love to God who is invisible from the experience of our love unto our brethren whom we have seen we cannot assure our selves that we delight in him unlesse we delight in his Saints that are on earth This is the Importance of Saint Johns words He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hoth not seen 12. These are the usual Marks or Tokens whereby we are taught to know the truth of Our love towards God and of Our Allegeance to Christ But many there be who call themselves Brethren which have no other bond of brotherhood then Simeon and Levi had Many there be which boast in the Communion of Saints which have no other Union then such as Corah Dathan and Abiram had an Union in Conspiracie against Moses and Aaron against the visible Church and her Governors The Papists will tell you that the Communion of Saints is amongst them in their Church So will the Brownists and other Separatists So will such as live amongst us and yet complain of the burthen of Ceremonies in our Church And how shall men the unlearned specially know which of all these or whether any of these are the true Brethren of Christ or the Saints in which we are bound to delight This as will be replied you may know by their delight in hearing the word for he that loveth God loveth his word he that delights in God delighteth in his word Yea but many delight in the outward letter of the word only or in the word as it is interpreted by Teachers of their own Faction or after their own Fancie men either not able to discern the Evidence of truth or not willing to have it manifested unto them And how then shall any man know whether he love the Lord whether he delight in the Lord by delighting in any of their Societies which pretend themselves to be Christs Brethren to be Gods Saints Surely there is a better way then all these to delight aright in the Lord and to know that we delight in him and yet a way made known unto us by Gods Word A way A direct and plain way which we can not follow but by sincerely delighting in his Word The Word of God doth tell us and all sorts or Sects of men confess it that God is love that he is righteousnesse that he is holinesse that he is the God of all peace that he is good to all that he is merciful and long-suffering Now he that in these things doth imitate God he that is charitable and loving to all he that is merciful and beneficial to all so farre as his means will suffer him he that deals justly and truly with his neighbor he that doth delight in so doing he doth truly delight in the Lord and the Lord in his good time shall give him his hearts desire As there is a sinceritie of Conversation required towards men so likewise there is a Puritie of heart and Conscience towards God and he that delights in this or seeks after this doth delight in the Lord and he only shall truly know that he delights in the Lord or that his hope is stedfast For every one as Saint John saith that hath this hope to wit of seeing God as he is doth purifie his heart as he is pure And our Saviour saith as a blessing to the pure in heart that they shall see God They shall see him in this Life in his Word and in his works and in the life to come they shall see him as he is and be partakers of everlasting life which is the Crown of puritie and holiness CHAP. XXII ROMANS 6. 22 23. But now ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life The Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Of the Accidental Joyes of the Life to come A particular Terrar or Map of the Kingdom prepared for the Blessed Ones in a Paraphrase upon the Eight Beatitudes or the Blessedness promised to the Eight Qualifications set down in St. Matthew Chapter 5. Eternal Life the strongest obligation to all Duties Satans Two usual wayes of Tempting us Either Per Blanda or per Aspera 1. BUt if in the next life we enjoy His Presence who is Life it self who is Love it self who is All in All at whose right hand is Fulness of pleasures for evermore What need is there of any Access of Accidental or Concomitant Joyes It is true There is no need of them for so they should not be Accidental Therefore are they called Accidental because such as enjoy Gods Presence might be fully happy without them So God himself is most happy in himself he is Happinesse it self Yet even in this that he is Goodnesse it self that he is Happinesse it self he communicates both Goodness and Happiness to his Creatures so far as they are capable of them not by any Necessitie but Freely And when it is said that when we shall see him as he is we shall be like him part of this likeness doth herein consist that we shall communicate this Goodness and happiness to others so far as they are capable of it So that the Accidental or Concomitant Joyes of the life to come whose Essence
first ayme and intentions desires to be disobedient seditious or factious to be an Adulterer or murtherer a fornicator a thief or perjur'd man or to look upon his neighbours conveniences with an envious or malicious eye The means by which Satan tempts us or by which our natural affections sway us to do these things in particular as to be disobedient seditious factious or servants to other lewdness are generally Two Per blanda aut per aspera by proposing some things unto us which respectively either promise some contentment to our senses or threaten some loss some pain or vexation This visible world and the things which we see or know by sensible experiment are as Satans Chess-board which way soever we look or turn our thoughts he hath somewhat or other still ready at hand to give our weak and untrained desires the Check and to hazard the losing of our souls and bodies But Faith as the Apostle speakes is the evidence of things not seen And the things that are not seen as the Apostle saith are eternal and these are for number so many and for worth so great that if we be as vigilant and careful to play our own game as he is to play his for every Check which he can give us we may give him the Check-mate And this advantage we have of him that whereas he usually tempts us but one way at one and the same time that is either by hopes of some sensual contentment or by fear of some temporal vexation loss or pain we may at the same time resist his temptations Two wayes both by proposal of some spiritual good or reward much greater then the particular sensible contentment and by representation of some spiritual loss or fear much more dangerous then any evil wherewith he can threaten or deter us from performance of our duty 19. If he tempt us to excesse in meat and drink which is commonly the root whence other branches of Luxury or sensuality spring we may counterpoize this temptation First with that hanger and thirst and other torments incident to this appetite of sense in the life to come And in the second place by our hopes of our celestial food or full satisfaction of our hunger and thirst so we will but hunger and thirst after righteousness And so again if he tempt us to other unclean pleasures of the flesh we may give our inclinations the check by proposing unto them our assured hope of enjoying the society of immaculate Angels and of our espousall to the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus in this life and of enjoying his presence in the life to come And again we may controule our natural inclination to this branch of lewdness by serious meditation on that Divine Oracle Adulterers and Whoremongers God will Judge and judging condemn them to everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 20. If Satan shall tempt us to an immoderate desire of riches the counterpoize to this temptation is likewise two-fold First There is a promise of treasure in Heaven to such as seek after it more then earthly treasure and this is a treasure not chargeable with the like carking care in getting it nor subject to the like inconveniences after it be gotten for there neither rust nor moth doth corrupt nor do theeves break through and steal Besides the heaps of riches even in this life are fruitless for as our Saviour saith in another place though a man have riches in great abundance yet his life doth not consist in them Ten thousand talents cannot adde one minute to the length of his dayes whereas the heavenly treasures are the crown of life Or if the hope of these heavenly treasures cannot oversway mens thirst or longing after earthly treasures you may joyn to this the weight of Saint James his Wo against this sin Chap. 5. 1 2 3. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankred and the rust of them shall be a witness against you But if this were all a rich worldling would reply that he would keep his gold and silver from rust This he may do perhaps whilst he is alive but more then he can undertake after it once come unto Plutus his custody Therefore Saint James adds the rust of it shall eat your flesh as fire or if this be but a Metaphor he speakes no Parables but plainly in the words following ye have heaped treasure together for the last dayes Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth 21. Again if Satan tempt us to do those things which we ought not to do for the favour Or to leave those things undone which we ought to do for the fear of great ones the sacred Armorie affords us weapons sufficient to repell Both temptations The First is that pithy sentence of Saint Paul ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men The Second is that of our Saviour Fear not them who after they have killed the body can do no more but I will tell you whom ye shall fear one that can destroy both body and soul in hell fire yea I say unto you fear him Briefly in all assaults Satan hath only Weapons Offensive as fiery darts he hath none Defensive But if the word of God as our Apostle speakes dwell plentifully in us we have both the shield and buckler to repell his darts and the sword of the spirit to chase him away but this word must plentifully dwell in us we must entertain it in our hearts and consciences not only in our lips and tongues nor let it run out of our mouthes faster then it comes into our ears CHAP. XXIII ROMANS 6. 23. For the wages of sin is death but the Gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Philosophers Precept Sustine Abstine though good in its kinde and in some degree useful yet insufficient True belief of The Article of the everlasting life and death is able to effect both abstinence from evil-doing and sufferance of evil for well-doing The sad effects of the Misbelief or Unbelief of this Article of life and death eternal The true belief of it includes A Tast of both Direction how to take A Tast of death eternal without danger Turkish Principles produce effects to the shame of Christians Though Hell fire be material it may pain the soul The story of Biblis The Body of the second death fully adequate to the Body of sin Parisiensis his Story A general and useful Rule 1. THe heathen Philosopher which knew no temper besides himself no temptation but such as the dayly occurences of what he heard or saw or by some sense of the body had
wanton motions and mimick gestures into wailing and gnashing of teeth And as for you Reverend Fathers or you my much Respected Brethren to whom any charge of others either private or publick is committed Consider I beseech you what places you bear in these Houses of God All of you in your several Charges sustain the place of righteous Job in his Familie for your fatherly care over inferiors Whilest then your Sons thus banquet in their houses every one his day and send and call their friends to eat and drink with them Be you sure the Lord will require at your hands that you be so much more vigilant in your Callings not only in punishing the Chief Offendors in this kind as some of you have begun though this no doubt will be an acceptable sacrifice unto God but even in offering up your evening and morning sacrifice for them according to the number of their transgressions For doubtless your Sons have grievously offended and blasphemed God in their hearts And therefore you must be so much the more diligent to offer up the sweet incense every day For all of us Beloved in our Lord and Saviour see the dayes wherein we live are extraordinary evil and the time must be redeemed by our extraordinary vigilancie sobriety and sanctitie As others double and treble the sins of this present in respect of former times so must we in like proportion increase our industry and diligence fervent prayer good exhortation charitable deeds and sacred functions Thus would you Reverend Fathers go before us in these duties as you do in dignitie God would restore your lost sons to you again and besides Jobs Restitution in this life you shall certainly be partakers of Daniels Blessing in the life to come For thus turning others unto righteousness by your good Examples you shall shine like Starrs for ever God grant you Governors wise hearts thus to rule And all inferiors Grace to follow your good Examples and Advice Amen The Later Sermon upon this Text. CHAP. XXXVI JEREM. 45. v. 5. For Behold I will bring a Plague or evil upon All Flesh saith the Lord but thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest The Second Doctrine propounded Chap. 35. Sect. 4. handled 1. In Thesi Touching the natural esteem of life in general 2. In Hypothesi Of the Donative of Life to Baruch as the Case then stood That men be not of the same Judgment About the price of Life when they be in heat Action and prosperitie which they be of in dejection of spirit and adversitie proved by instances Petrus Strozius Alvarez De Sande Gods wrath sharpens the Instruments and increases the Terror of Death Life was a Blessing to Baruch though it shewed him all those evils from sight of which God took away good King Josiah in favour to him Baruch as man did sympathize with the miseries of his people As a faithful man and a Prophet of the Lord He conformed to the just will of God The Application 1. OF the Two Aphorisms deduced out of the Text The later left before untouched comes now to be handled And it is This. In times of publick Calamitie or desolation the bare Donative of life and liberty is a priviledge more to be esteemed then the Prerogative of Princes Or in other Terms thus Exemption from General Plagues is more then a full recompence for all the Grievances which attend our ministerial charge or service in denouncing them Of this by Gods Assistance I shall treat without further Division or Method more accurate then that Usual One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Of the Natural Esteem of Life or Exemption from common Plagues in General Secondly Of it as the Case here stands with Baruch Vox populi etiam vox Dei est It is the voice of Nature uttering only what is engraven by the Creators Finger in the heart of man and of creatures otherwise dumb Life is sweet and would be so esteemed of all could we resolve to live at home endeavouring rather to improve those seeds of happiness which grace or Nature have sown in us then to encompass large or vast materials of forreign Contentments But unto men whose desires are once diverted from the true End of life unto the remote Meanes destinated for its procurement unto such men as have set their thoughts such Roving Progresses as Pyrrhus did or with the fool in the Gospel are not able to give their souls their Acquietances until they have enlarged their store-houses and laid up goods for many years the attaining of such particulars as for the present they most seek after doth rather whet then satiate their appetite of the like Hence life attended with mean appurtenances becomes either loathsom or little set by because the provision of necessaries actually enjoyed is as nothing in respect of those impertinencies which they have swallowed in hope or have in continual chase The want of these latter unto men wedded unto vast desires is more irksom then the possession of them can be pleasant so that to live without them seems a kind of loss Me-thinks Plinies Hyperbolical or Fabulous Narration of the greedy wild-goose which plucks so eagerly at the roots of what plants I now remember not but so fixt to the ground that she oft-times leaves her neck behind her may be a true Emblem of such mens intemperate pettish hopes usually so fastened to the matters which they much desire that sooner may their souls be drawn out of their bodies then weaned from these Wounds though deep and grievous are scarce felt to smart whilst the blood is hot or the body in motion No marvel then if in the fervent pursuit of honour gain or pleasure men sometimes suffer their souls to escape out of their prison before the flight be discerned In fine as young Gallants for speedy supplies of luxurious expences usually morgage their Lands ere they know their worth So life it self is oftentimes hazarded upon light termes by such as know not what it is to live We have heard of a Souldier so forward to take the advantage which Chance of War had given that he cried out unto his Captain Follow and we shall have a day of them whereas a perpetual night was taking possession of his eyes his entrals being let out whilst he uttered these words I can more easily believe this of an English spirit though not in print because it is upon Authentick Record that Petrus Strozius a famous Italian Commander being shot with a bullet of a larger size under the left pap fell down dead to the ground leaving these words behind him in the air The French King hath lost a true and faithful servant It seems his heart had been too full fraught with swelling Conceits of his own worth I could instance in many did the time permit which have either encountred death with such und antedness or suffered life to be taken from them with so
came to Elijah the Tishbite saying seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me for he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly because he humbleth himself before me I not will bring the evil in his dayes but in his sons dayes will I bring the evil upon his house Such was that Message which Hulda the prophetesse delivered unto Josiahs messengers But to the King of Judah which sent you to enquire of The Lord thus shall ye say to him Thus saith the Lord God of Israel as touching the words which thou hast heard because thine heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I also have heard thee saith the Lord Behold therefore I will gather thee unto thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace and thine eye shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place Yet did the arrowes of Israels and Judahs most inveterate enemies the arrowes of the Aramites and Aegyptians make violent entrance for death into both these Princes bodies long before the time by ordinary course of nature prefixed for dispossession of their souls How then should life be unto Baruch as a welcome Prey being to be fully charged with all these hard conditions and bitter grieviances whose release or avoidance made untimely bloody death become A kind of gracious Pardon unto Ahab and a grateful Boon or Booty to good Josias For what evil did the Lord either threaten or afterward bring upon Iosiahs posteritie or people which Baruchs eyes did not behold Nor did this lease of life and libertie here bequeathed unto him expire till long after Jerusalems glasse was quite run out till after her whitest Towers were covered with dust and all the cities of Judah and Benjamin laid wast till the King the Princes and nobles were led captives or slain and the remnant which War had left in Iudah as a gleaning after harvest disperst and sowen throughout the Land of Egypt never to be reapt but by the Sword which even there pursues them excepting a very small number that escaped Ierem. 44. 28. And what greater evil could Iosias's eyes have seen though he had lived as long as Baruch The Difficulty therefore seems unanswerable How life should be a more grateful prey unto Baruch then it might have been unto Josias 6. But here if we rightly distinguish the Times the Persons and Offices We may easily derive the violent shortning of good Josias his dayes and this lengthening of Baruch's to see the evil which Josias desired rather to be sightless then to see from one and the same loving kindness of the Lord. Josias we must consider was The Great Leader of Gods People and could not but wish their Fall should be under some other then himself It was a Donative more magnificent then the long reign of Augustus that being slain in warre he should go to his grave in peace For this included his peoples present safety whose extirpation had been till this time deferred for his sake though now at length he must be taken out of the way that the Messengers of Gods wrath which could forbear no longer may have a freer passage throughout the Land No marvel if after thirtie one years raign in prosperitie and peace he patiently suffered violent death being thus graced with greater honour then either Codrus the last King of Athens or the Roman Decius purchased by voluntary sacrificing themselves for their people Perhaps the plagues which these men feared might otherwise have been avoided Or it may be the fear it self was but some vain delusion of Satan alwayes delighted with such sacrifices But that Ierusalem and Iudah standing condemned before Iosias's birth were so long reprieved so well intreated for his sake we have the great Judges Sentence for our warrant And therefore the Word of The Lord which Huldah the Prophetess had sent must needs seem good to him It was a message more unwelcome then such a death as Iosias suffered which Isaias brought to his great Grand-father Hezekiah lately delivered from the Assyrian and miraculously restored to life but more forward to receive Presents from Berodash King of Babylon then to render praise and thanksgiving to his God according to the Reward bestowed upon him Behold the dayes come saith Isaias that all that is in thine house and that which thy Fathers have laid up in store unto this day shall be carried unto Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord. And of thy sons which shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon Doth he repine or mutter at this ungrateful Message No But with great submission replies Good is the Word of the Lord which Thou hast spoken And he said Is it not good if peace and truth be in my dayes Isaiah 39. 8. Shall we hence collect that this Good King was of that wicked Tyrants mind who as he had shortened her dayes from whom he had beginning of life so did he envie his Mother Nature should survive him wishing the world might be dissolved at his death and that Old Chaos might be his Tomb God forbid we should wrong the memory of so Gracious a Prince by the least suspicion of such ungracious thoughts Rather his heart did smite him for shewing his Treasury his Armory and other provision wherein he had gloried too much unto the King of Babels Messengers This sin he knew to be such as his Father Davids had been in numbring the Hosts of Israel The plagues now threatened by his God he could not but acknowledge to be most just and great therefore must his mercy toward him needs seem to be in that for his sake who had so ill requited this strange Delivery and Recovery he would yet deferre them But seeing the wickedness of Manasseh and the mighty encrease of this peoples iniquity from Hezekiah's death did earnestly sollicit the Day of Visitation the former adjourning of it must cost Iosiah dear And Gods Arrows being flesht in him No marvel if they return not empty from the blood of the slain or from the fat of the mighty Having begun with so good A King it might well be expected they would make an end of so naughty a people This was he of whom not the people only but the Prophet hath said Under his shadow we shall be safe As he was a shadow without question of that Great Shepheard which was to be smitten ere the flock were scattered upon the occasion of whose death his Disciples likewise said We trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel And for Josias to become the true shadow or the bloody
Meridian and runs away out of their Hemisphere And in his stead a Comet ariseth out of Egyptian exhalations which portends nothing but war and blood This is Jehoiakim whom Pharaoh Nechoh which slew his father hath now appointed to be King over this people for his purpose the successe of whose Raign in general the people might well prognosticate by his life and manners the Epitome of which Iosephus lib. 10. cap. 5. hath given very pithily in two words He was neither religious towards God nor just towards men And yet besides this his natural disposition was particularly incensed against this people for preferring his younger brother to the Crown and so more ready to wreak his spite by reason of his dependance upon the Egyptian out of whose Country he had the Prophet Uriah brought to satiate his thirst of blood Jer. 26. 23. which bloodie Fact of his and the like with their like successe is the train I have pursued in these present Meditations I will conclude them with that of Solomon Prov. 28. 2. For the transgressions of a Land many are the Princes thereof And of Iudah never a good one after Iosiah such they were as might serve to scourge this people until they were cast like Vagabonds and unprofitable Members out of that City and Land which had bred them 10. Thus you see Gods largest Promises have their limits greatest prosperity hath a period and mightiest Kingdomes have their fall You have likewise seen how for the uncircumcised hearts of this people is he slain by uncircumcised hands who had so throughly cleansed Ierusalem and Iudah from all the abominations of the Heathen The Heroical attempts of whose Princely resolution and zeal in restoring the true worship of God unto this people needs not mine it hath the commendations of Gods Spirit who hath been curious in calculating his particular good deeds throughout this Chapter to have been matchless in Davids Race and how then possible to be parallell'd in any other Princes Line And what If through the religious care and industrie of some one or two Princes whom the Lord in mercie had raised up as Lights unto this Land the foggie mists of Superstition Heresie and Idolatry be driven hence This is an Infallible testimonie of Gods former love unto our forefathers no sure Document of our continuance in his favour if yet this Land and People may be taken in the very manner of those capital Crimes which did condemn Iudah his first-born amongst the Nations in the dayes of good Iosiah even whilest it was acquitted from profession of Idolatrie and Superstition What shall it avail us that those forrain hungrie Hell-hounds which brought Commissions of Charter Warrant for hunting out the good things of this Land and made this people a prey for maintenance of the many-headed beast have been long time prohibited to continue their wanted raunge if the Princes which are left within her be as roaring Lions and her Judges as wolves in the evening which leave not the bones until the morrow What availes it that the secular Priests and Jesuite are would God they were transported out of this Land if her owne Prophets be light and wicked persons and her Priests pollute the Sanctuary and wrest the Law Or what shall it avail us that the Light of the Gospel doth shine amongst us if the just Lord be in the midst of us and every morning bring forth judgment unto light and fail not and yet the wicked will not learn to be ashamed Or what avails it that we have cast off all blind obedience to the Sea of Antichrist if we will not suffer Gods providence to be a Rule and Christs word a Light unto our paths but walk on still in the wayes of the heathens making secular observations our chief confidence and worldly policie our greatest trust Or what avails it to have purged our hearts from all conceit of merit if we pollute our hands with bribes Or what availes it to give God the glory in all good actions and yet daily dishonor his name with bad dealings I will speak more plainly What advantageth it us to object unto the Papists that they seek to merit heaven by their works and share with God in the honour of good deeds if they can truly reply upon us That the free Almes of Papists Founders have been by Protestants set on sale unto their brethren Or that secular Appendices and Alliance of Spiritual men devour a great part of that liberal maintenance which was allotted only for Prophets and Prophets children 11. Beloved in our Lord were we our selves without sin without these enormous sins which I have mentioned all of us might freely attempt to stone that filthy Whore and all her foul Adulterers unto death But such of us as seek most to purge the Land of them and seek not withal to cleanse our own hearts of those sins which have procured Gods wrath against it may justly dread lest we find no better success then good Josiah did to provoke the enemie to do more mischief then haply they meant Mistake me not I beseech you as though I misliked such as sollicite severitie against that Nation yet cannot I hope but some will be as jealous of me as these Iews of Iosiah's and Jehoiakim's dayes were alwayes of the Prophet Jeremy whose footsteps I have resolved to follow through good and bad report Give me leave to explain my meaning thus As from my heart I reverence their religious labors who have of late so effectually stirred up our Sovereignes heart to this purpose and earnestly request your heartie prayers unto Almighty God that his Holy Spirit may continually enflame his royal heart with those good motions which have been kindled in it of late so do I desire from the very centre of my soul both that men of place Authoritie Gravitie Learning and Integritie of life may prosecute it and that young Divines whether young in years or manners it skills not would oftentimes even for Sions sake hold their peace or at least be wary where and when they open their mouths in this argument For he that looks into the temper of this present people with a discreet religious not with a turbulent factious eye may easily discerne that many ill tempered and extravagant invectives against Papists made by men whose Persons wanting Authoritie as much as their speeches do Reason do nothing else but set an edge upon our Adversaries sword whilst the light behaviour and bad example of the Inveighers life infuseth courage to their hearts and addeth strength unto their armes In one word Many of our words in this place increase the wrath and many of our lives out of this place increase the number of that Faction 12. Though all of us by Profession are Christs Soldiers yet every Soldier is not fit for any service Albeit I discourage no man I only advise that every man that means to be a valiant Soldier in Christ and would do his
Master good Service in so just a quarrel would first begin to try his Valour in the Reformation of his own life in expelling all dissolute and inveterate lusts all immoderate and unruly desires out of his own heart So shall the words of his mouth and the Meditations of his heart be alwaies acceptable in the sight of the Lord his only strength and his Redeemer In whose strength and valor alone we must assault and vanquish our malicious Adversaries And unless Reformation do certainly judgement will begin at the Houses of God at those living Temples of his which have the platformes of true Religion in them but are not edified in good works Let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree Nor let the meanest amongst us either in Learning Wit or outward Estate think that he can do nothing in this case For if we have but true faith we all know That it is not the resolute Soldiers arm nor these verest Magistrates sword nor the cunningest Politicians head nor the Potent Custom of Law that sets or keeps Kings Crownes upon their Heads but the lifting up of pure hearts and holding up clean hands to him that giveth wisdome to the Wise and strength to the Strong to him which hath the Soldiers arme the Magistrates sword the Politicians Wisdom all Power all Fulness at his disposal Wherefore Beloved in our Lord If either love to God or love to Prince if either love to that Religion which we professe or love unto those pleasant places which we inhabit or the good things belonging to them which we possesse If love to any or all of these can move our hearts as whose heart is there but is moved to some of these Oh let them move them in time unto repentance that we may enjoy these blessings the longer Let us draw neer unto our God and he will draw near to us Let us cleanse our minds and lift up pure hands and hearts unto the Lord for only such can lay fast hold upon his mercie lest our continuance in our own dayly transgressions added to the heavy weight of our predecessors sinnes pull downe Gods sudden judgements upon this Land Prince and People 13. And as for such O Lord as set their faces against heaven and against thee to work wickedness in thy sight and hold on still to fill up the full measure of their forefathers sins and cause the over-flowing vengeance of thy wrath Lord let them all perish suddenly from the earth and let their posterity vanish hence like smoke ere for their provocations wherewith they provoke thee daily the breath of our nostrils thine annointed Servant be taken in those nets which the uncircumcised daily spread for him And let us Beloved whom he loves so dearly seek to fill this Land with the good example of our lives and incense of our hearty prayers That under his shadow and the shadow of his Royal Off-spring we of this place with this Land and People may be preserved alive from all strange or domestick tyrannie Amen CHAP. XLV MATTH 23. verse 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not 1. THe Summe of my last Meditations upon the former verses was That notwithstanding our Saviours Prediction or threatning of all those plagues shortly to befal Jerusalem there was even at this time A Possibilitie left for this people to have continued a flourishing Nation A Possibilitie left for their Repentance That their Repentance and Prosperity was the End whereat the Lord himself did aim in sending Prophets and Wise-men and lastly his only Son unto them The Former of the two Parts The Possibilitie of their Prosperitie and Repentance was proved from the perpetual Tenor of Gods Covenant with this people first made with Moses afterward renewed with David and Solomon and ratified by Jeremie and Ezekiel The Tenor of the Covenant as you then heard was a Covenant not of Death only but of Life and Death of Life if they continued faithful in his Covenant of Death if they continued in disobedience The later Part of the same Assertion viz. That this Peoples Repentance and Prosperitie was the end intended by God was proved from that Declaration of his desire of their everlasting Prosperitie Deut. 5. 29. Oh that there were such a heart in this people to fear me and keep my Commandments alwaies that it might go well with them and their posteritie for ever And the like place Psalm 81. v. 13. Isai 48. 18. These places manifest Gods love and desire of this peoples safety But the Abundance the Strength with the unrelenting Constancie and tenderness of his love is in no place more fully manifested then in these words of my Text. The abundant fervencie we may note in the very first words in that his mouth which never spake idle nor superfluous word doth here ingeminate the Appellation O Jerusalem Jerusalem This he spake out of the abundance of his love But Love is oft-times fervent or abundant for the present or whiles the Object of our love remains amiable yet not so constant and perpetual if the qualitie of what we loved be changed But herein appears the strength and constancie of Gods love that it was thus fervently set upon Ierusalem not only in her pure and virgin dayes or whiles she continued as chaste and loyal as when she was affianced unto the Lord by David but upon Ierusalem often drunk with the cup of Fornications upon Her long stained and polluted with the blood of his dearest Saints which she had even mingled with her Sacrifices Upon Jerusalem and her children when after he had cleansed her infected habitations with fire and carried her inhabitants beyond Babylon into the North-land as into a more fresh and pure aire Yet after their return thence and replantation in their own Land returned with the dog to his vomit and with the washed Sow to wallowing in the mire God would have gathered even as the Hen doth her chickens under her wings c. 2. In which words besides the tendernesse of Gods Love toward these Castawayes is set out unto us the safety of his Protection so they would have been gathered For as there is no creature more kind and tender then the Hen unto her young ones none that doth more carefully shroud and shelter them from the storm none that doth more closely hide them from the eye of the Destroyer so would God have hidden Jerusalem under the shadow of his wings from all those stormes which afterward overwhelmed her and from the Roman Eagle to whom this whole generation present became a prey If so Jerusalem with her children after so many hundred years experience of his fatherly love and tender care had not remained more foolish than the new hatched brood of reasonless creatures If so they had not been
fruit whereby they sought to be like him in Majestie Conscious of this transgression the first Actors immediately hid themselves from his presence And as if this their terror had imprinted a perpetual Antipathy in their posteritie the least glympse of his glory for many generations after made them cry out Alas we shall dye because we have seen the Lord. We stil continue like the off-spring of tame Creatures growen wild alwayes eschewing his presence that seeks to recover us as the Bird doth the Fowler or the beasts of the Forrest the sight of fire And yet unless he shelter us under the shadow of his wings we are as a prey exposed to the destroyer already condemned for Fewel to the flames of hell or as nutriment to the brood of serpents To redeem us from this everlasting thraldome our God came down into the world disguised in the similitude of our flesh made as a stale to allure us with wiles into his net that he might draw us with the cords of Love The depth of Christs humiliation was as great as the difference between God and the meanest man therefore truly infinite He that was equal with God was conversant with us here on earth in the form and condition of a servant But of servants by birth or civil constitution many live in health and ease with sufficient supplies of all things necessary for this life So did not the Son of God his humanitie was charged with all the miseries whereof mortality is capable subject to hunger and thirst to temptations revilings and scornings even of his servants an indignitie which cannot befal slaves or vassals either born or made so by men Or to use the Prophets words He bare mans infirmities not spiritually only but bodily For who was weak and he was not weak Who was sick and he whole No malady of any disease cured by him but was made his by exact and perfect sympathie Lastly He bare our sinnes upon the Crosse and submitted himself to greater torments then any man in this life can suffer And although these were as displeasant to his humane Nature as to ours yet were our sins to him more displeasant As he was loving to us in his death so was he wise towards himself and in submitting himself to this ignominious and cruel death did of two evils chuse the lesse Rather to suffer the punishment due to our sins then to suffer sin stil to reign in us whom he loved more dearly then his own life If then we shall continue in sin after manifestation of this his Love the heinousnesse of our offence is truly infinite in as much as we do that continually which is more distasteful to our gracious God then any torments can be to us So doing we build up the works of Satan which he came purposely to destroy For of this I would not have you ignorant that albeit the end of his death was to redeem sinners yet the only means predestinated by him for our Redemption is destruction of the works of Satan and renovation of his Fathers Image in our souls For us then to re-edifie the works of Satan or abett his Faction is still more offensive to this our God then was his Agony and bloodie Sweat For taking a fuller measure of our sins let us hereunto adde his patient expectation of his enemies Conversion after his Resurrection 15. If the son of Zaleucus before mentioned should have pardoned any as deeply guilty as himself had been of that offence for which he lost one eye and his Father another the world would have taxed him either of injustice folly or too much facility rather then commended him for true Justice or Clemencie But that we may know how far Gods Mercie doth over-beare his Majestie he proceeds not straight way to execute vengeance upon these Jewes which wreaked their malice upon his deare and only Son who had committed nothing worthy of blame much lesse of death Here was matter of wrath and indignation so just as would have moved the most merciful man on earth to have taken speedy vengeance upon these Spillers of innocent blood specially the Law of God permitting thus much But Gods mercy is above his Law above his Justice these did exact the very abolition of these sinners in the very first act of sin committed against God made man for their redemption Yet he patiently expects their repentance which with unrelenting fury had plotted his destruction Forty yeers long had he been grieved with this generation after the first Passeover celebrated in sign of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and for their stubbornesse he swore they should not enter into his rest And now their posterity after a more glorious deliverance from the Powers of darknesse have fortie yeers allotted them for repentance before they be rooted out of the Land of Rest or Promise Yet hath not the Lord given them hearts to perceive eyes to see or ears to hear unto this day because seeing they would not see nor hearing they would not hear but hardened their hearts against the Spirit of Grace Lord give us what thou didst not give them hearts of flesh which may melt at thy threats ears to hear the admonitions of our peace and eyes to foresee the day of our visitation that so when thy wrath shall be revealed against sin and sinners we may be sheltred from stormes of fire and brimstone under the shadow of thy wings so long stretched out in mercie for us Often O Lord wouldst thou have gathered us and we would not But let there be we beseech thee an end of our stubborn ingratitude towards thee no end of thy mercies and loving kindness towards us Amen CHAP. XLVI HEER 4. verse 12 13. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do 1. IF a meer Artist altogether unacquainted with the Mysteries contained in Scripture or with the drift on scope of this Epistle should have dipt upon this Text he would have thought the Author of it had intended some Copia Verborum or Poetical Sylva of Epithites the words be so many and so ponderous And yet there be as many several Propositions almost as there be words And of all these Propositions or this weighty structure of words the Foundation or Subject is but One to wit The WORD OF GOD. About the Attributes or Epithites of This Word though these be many there is no difficultie or matter worthy of any disquisition which is not meerly Verbal or Grammatical The Subject though but One admits or rather requires many Disquisitions all truly Theological worthy the search or paines of a true
God unto which the Israelites would not hearken and The Word of God here in my Text from whom these Hebrewes were almost readie to revolt as is between Moses and Christ as is between the Land of Canaan and the Kingdom of Heaven And who or what then can we imagine this Word of God to be We read sometimes that the Voice of God is a terrible a glorious voice a voice mightie in operation But that I take it was not the voice to which the Israelites would not hearken for that voice so often as God speaks by it will make men hear and fear whether they will or no. But neither that voice nor the voice which called to Moses from the Mercie-Seat nor the voice of God which did daily call unto the Israelites by Moses and the Prophets are any where in Scripture displayed or emblazoned in such propriety of words as import a Living substance endowed with life and sense with power of Disquisition and of Judicature the Perfection of all which properties is attributed to this Word of God here in my Text. There is no one Attribute in this whole Catalogue which doth not bear a lively Character of Majestie of Glory of Power and Wisdome so truly Divine that it cannot befit any meer Creature none but him alone who is the brightness of Gods glory and the express Image of his Person No Living Substance no Living Person is able to sustain or undergo all these Glorious Attributes save He alone who upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power which is the very Character of the Eternal Son of God Heb. 1. 2. Unto the eyes of this Word every Creature that is even the most hidden Secrets of the heart of man the thoughts of Angels are most clear and conspicuous Whence if by the Word of God in this place we understand any thing in the world besides Him by whom the world was made be it the voice of God which the Psalmist describeth to be mightie in operation Be it the voice of God which the Israelites heard in the Mount when they saw no Image be it the voice which called to Moses from the Mercie-Seat or be it the Word of God as by the Instructions of this voice it was written by Moses by the Prophets or Evangelists Or be it the Word of God in general as it was preached by them or by the Ministers of the Gospel it can be but a Creature and being a Creature it is discerned by the eyes of This Word â—â— made by him and without him was nothing made that was made How then were all things made by the Word This he only knowes in particular But thus much we know in general The Father made all things by him not as by any Manual Work-man as the house which the Architect conceives is built by Masons and other Labourers but made by him as by the express Image of his Father or as he is the Idaeal Rule or Patern of all things which the Father made Or all things were made by the Son after such a manner but incomparably more excellent as if we would imagine a curious Architect could erect a stately Palace in a moment without the help of any Hand-Labourer only by casting or contemplating the Idaea or Module of it in his own brain 7. Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports as much as the Latin Ratio And this signification or expression of it is no way opposite rather co-ordinate to all the former And thus Justine Martyr with other Antients express the meaning of S. John 1. 1. As if he had said In principio erat ratio In the beginning was the Rule or Reason of all things Unto all these we may add another Importance of the same word which squares well with all the rest For Ratio in Latin sometimes imports more then can be exprest by our English Rule or Reason For Rationem reddere is more then to give a reason it is as much in English as to render an account And in this sense it is fully equivalent to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the very phrase used by Athanasius in his Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall GIVE ACCOUNT for their own works This phrase or expression of his Belief he took from our Apostle Rom. 14. 12. Every one of us shal give account of himself to God Now Christ is God and this Account we are to give to him as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ever-living all-knowing Rule of that final account which Men and Angels must give to God for all their works for all their sayings for all their thoughts And according to this signification or importance the four former Importances not excludeâ— but presupposed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Text is chiefly and most punctually to be understood For however by the Word of God we must understand only the Son of God to whom alone these glorious Attributes can be ascribed yet our Apostles expression of that which he here intended is more full and more punctually emphatical by much then if he had said The Son of God is quick and powerful in operation c. For his purpose was to display the Attributes of the Son of God not only as he is the Supreme Judge of Quick and Dead but as he is the everliving Rule by which all our actions must be examined by which all accounts must either be approved or disallowed He is a Rule endowed with the perpetual sight and sense of a Witness with incessant activitie of an Accuser or Solicitor with the Life and Spirit of a Judge yea Justice it self armed with power All that can be required to the conviction to the condemnation or absolution of all men are in him according to their utmost perfections In that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Living Rule He is perpetually able to give the Charge home and full for whatsoever Men or Angels are to account for every idle word and thought for such things as the Parties Accomptants cannot think of In that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Living and a Powerful Rule He is able to exact all arrerages of such as do not sincerely acknowledg them and crave pardon for them to the utmost farthing able to sentence ungratious servants which have been unfaithful unto him and cruel unto their fellow servants unto everlasting imprisonment without the assistance of a Jaylor or other Executioner of Justice He is the All-seeing eye and Almightie hand of Justice it self 8. Thus much of the meaning or full importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in the beginning of my Text But we meet with the same word again in the conclusion of it And if you will have the Subject of all the Propositions in my Text which as I told you before some Modern Interpreters have rent asunder by making an Hiatus or chink between the 12 and 13 verses we must
put the two first words and the four last together And so the Expression will appear to be not only more full but a great deal more elegant in the Original then it is in the ordinary Latin or then I know how to make it in our English As thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. About translating the Original in the last words of my Text there is some diversitie amongst Interpreters The Vulgar Latin which the Romish Writers are bound to follow translate the last words thus Ad quem nobis est Sermo that is as they would express the Hebraism De quo Loquimur of whom we speak but much amiss and far from the meaning of the Original Beza much better Cui nobiscum est negotium To the same effect our English doth With whom we have to do But the Antient Gloss much better then both Cui nobis redenda est Ratio to whom we are to render an Account This indeed is the main business which we have to do with the Son of God or he with us And so the Syriack renders it save only that He puts it in the third Person plural To whom men must give an account which words according to the proprietie of that Tongue and of the Hebrew may be taken impersonally to whom account must be given And this Interpretation I find warranted by the Authoritie of S. Chrysostom and Theophylact two of the best Expressors of the Original or Greek Dialect And thus the Original will run clear without any Hiatus or interruption either in the Subject or Foundation or in the structure of the Attributes or several Propositions 9. According to this Importance of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brest-plate the first of Aarons holy Garments made for Glory and for Beauty wherein the High-Priest did bear the names and the judgment of the Sons of Israel and wherein the Urim and Thummim were set was called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning of which is better exprest by the Latine Rationale then I know how to render either of them in English but so called it was with reference to the Son of God as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Abstract as he is Life it self and Light it self not carrying Spectacles on his Brest as the High-Priest did All the knowledg or Light of discovering Secrets which came by the Brest-plate or Rationale or by Urim or Thummim when it was in its prime use was but a glimmering Type or Shadow of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ratio or Verbum Dei The Word of God to whose sight and inspection the most secret thoughts which lurk in the Centre of mans heart the very temper and constitution of our souls are more perspicuous and clear then the inward parts of the Sacrifices were to Legal Priests after they had divided them joint from joint and broken them up For unto this Dissection or Anatomy of Legal Sacrifices our Apostle alludes in this description of the Son of God specially in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are open and naked unto his Eyes Soli Deo Gloria Dr. Iackson Dr. Iackson made Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Newlin Supervisors of his Will and entrusted his Papers with them Dr. Lany See the Preface to the First Book See his Sermons upon Jer. 26. p. 32. See this Book fol. 3716. See fol. 3373 Of the Author of the Work Of the Order of this and other his Works Of the Figuring the Folio Volumes Of the Matter of this Eleventh Book The whole Book consists of Six Sections The Use of the last Section Psa 58. 1 See Stows Annal. fol. 3043. Idem fol. 3044. See Gen. 48. 13 14 17. It is probable that there are distinct Thrones in Heaven Heb. 8. 1 2. See Mr. Mede Places appropriate Job 1. 6. See Mr. Mede upon 1 Cor. 4. 1 Christ was exalted according to both Natures See 8. Book Chap. 15. See 8. Book Chap. 11. See 8. Book Chap. 14. See Book 8. Chap. 1. The difference about the Ubiquitie of Christs Bodie rather Verbal then Real Christs Bodie is not every where A Lutheran Syllogism A Lutheran Objection that proves aut nihil aut nimium See Chap. 11. §. 11. See Book 10. Chap. 55. 56. Besides what may be found in Cyrill of Alex See Cyrill Hierosol in Cateches Mystag 1 3 4. * Hist lib. 5. So. Suetonius in Vespas Viz. At his Resurrection and Ascension See Book 9. Chap. 39. See St. Cyrill Alex. in his Gâ—aphyr on Exodus Of the inconstancie of Vulgar affections See Book 10. Ch 23. f. 3073 John 6. 32 33 41 48 50. c. 1. Cor. 15. 45. So the Church Leiturgie in the words of ministration Three Questions See Book 10. f. 3298 3304. Eating and Drinking meerly Sacramental not meant in St. John 6. 56. The 3d. or main Question Beza's Observation Jansenius and Dr. Hessells his opinion Vid. Tollet in 6. Johan Annot 26. By this Exposition one might as well Communicate by Receiving only the Cup as the Bread only A Rule to know when And may may be changed into Or. A Second Rule when And must be turned into Or. A difficultie arising from the words if literally meant of Sacramental eating The Application relating to the 1 st General Two Duties 1 To examine our selves 2. To Discern The Lords Bodie Of the first part of mans Redemption or the Ransom paid for all See Book 9. Chap. 5. Three Uses of the Doctrine that Christ paid the Ransom for all Joh. 1. 29 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 Heb. 2. 9 2 Pet. 2. 1 See Book 8. pag. 142. Dangerous to Dallie with Gods mercies See Book 10. Chap. 31. Book 10. Ch. 50 A Second Duty to Examine our selves The Second General Though a man be in the house as the Dweller The house may be in the Man as the right owner possessor hous-holder Two Difficulties Joh. 17. 11 21 22 23 26. The former difficulty explained Esai 8. 14. Rom. 9 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Anton. Fernandius Cited in the next Chapter The Second Difficultie explained See Joh. 15. 2 3 4 5 6 7. where the abode is mutuall Joh. 14. 27 Joh. 16. 33 Three Points to be Discussed * Anton. Fernand. Conimb visiones vet Test vis 2. Cap. 28. Gen. fol. 83. Sect. 6. num 9. And Benedictus Ferdinandius Borb Lusit in his 2 d Tom. of Comments upon Gen. Cap. 28. Sect. 2. Num. 8. Fol. 568. saith Rom. Ecclesia est Turris fundatur in Petri confessione at que in Domini promissiore And a little after he cites S. Athanasius Lib. 2. De Trin. Optimè S. Athanasius Unum hoc est immobile fundamentum una haec est felix fidei petra Petriore Confessae Tues Filius Dei vivi c. The 2 d Point Beza's Observation Pineda on Ch. 38. Job vers 6. The 3. Point propounded Paragr 2. See Book 3. Chap. 7. 8.