of life the graue the putting off of mortalitie and corruption To be short b Esa 11.9 There shall be nothing to hurt or to destroie in all the mountaine of the Lordes holinesse c Ioh. 10.28 nothing to pull the sheepe of Christ out of his handes but d Rom. 8.28 all things worke togither for good and for the best to them that loue God And why so Because all the enimies of Christ that is to say all our enimies are become his footestoole and in him a footestoole vnto vs. And thus shall Christes enimies serue for his vse for the vse of his Church vntill the daie come that that which is heere prophecied shall be perfectly fulfilled when all the enimies of Christ nowe alreadie ouercome shall be vtterly destroied and abolished when there shall be none to tempt vs none to trouble vs when sinne shall bee quite done awaie when e Reuel 20.10.14 the diuell and the beast and the false prophet and death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire that burneth for euer when f Reu. 7.16.17 20.4 God shall wipe awaie all teares from the eies of his when they shall hunger no more thirst no more when the sunne and heate shall no more light vpon them and there shall be no more death nor sorow nor crying nor any more paine but g 1. Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all 15 To conclude h Psal 74.3 God will for euer destroy euerie enimie that doth euill to his sanctuarie all tyrants persecutors oppugners of his Church Howsoeuer they seeme to haue power in their handes euen at their owne will yet Christ sitteth aboue them at the right hand of God they shall be made his footestoole confusion shall be their portion as in al ages God hath shewed and will shew vnto the end and specially in the end as remaineth further to bee spoken at the ende of this Psalme God the father graunt vnto vs for his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ his sake the grace of his holie spirit whereby through the knowledge of his holie word we may framed to the obedience of his holy will that wee may serue him faithfully and truely according to his commandement the whole course of this life that when it shall please him to take vs out of this mortall life we may be made partakers of that eternall life and blessednes which he hath promised in the world to come through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. To God the father God the sonne and God the holie Ghost be all honour glorie praise dominion might maiestie and power both nowe and for euermore Amen The second Sermon the same day in the afternoone Verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod or scepter of thy power out of Sion be thou a ruler or beare thou rule in the middest of thine enimies IN the former Sermon wee haue seene the sonne of Dauid installed and enthroned to the seate and maiestie of his kingdome In this second verse is set foorth the meanes whereby and the maner how this kingdome is founded and established Foure things to be obserued in the second verse First therefore we are to obserue from hence what it is whereby the subiects of this kingdome are gathered vnto Iesus Christ and gouerned vnder him which is the rod or scepter of his power Secondly from whence this scepter proceedeth the Lord shal send it Thirdly whence it hath his gooing foorth out of Sion Fourthly what successe and worke it hath he thereby beareth rule in the middest of his enimies 2 Now we see Christ heere brought in imperiall maner bearing his scepter in his hand for the scepter is one of the ensignes of princely maiestie The scepter an ensigne of princely maiestie Monarches and kings are woont to weare in their hand a rod or scepter in token of soueraigne and roiall authoritie and thereby to import that they in respect of whom they are kings are vnder their power and subiect to their stroke Thus therefore Iesus Christ whom God hath exalted and lifted vp to bee the Monarch and Lord of the whole worlde and hath assigned vnto him all power both in heauen and earth is saide to haue his scepter whereby hee doth exercise and declare his power for the building vp and gouerning of his Church Which scepter is called in the Psalme a Psal 45.6 the scepter of his kingdome whereby namely he exerciseth and administreth his kingdome And that we may vnderstand what this scepter is it is called also b Esa 11.4 the scepter or rod of his mouth which in the same place and elsewhere is termed also c ibib 2. Thess 2.8 the breath of his lips the breath of his mouth Now what is it that proceedeth from the mouth and is formed with the breath but only the word The word of Christ therefore is the Scepter of his kingdome The Scepter of Christ is his word The word of of Christ why called the Scepter of his power And it is here called the Scepter of his power because therein appeareth his might and power working great and wonderfull things beyond the opinion and expectation of the world Which we may obserue both in the course and passage that this word hath had through the world and in the speciall effects and works that it hath wrought and doth worke in this passage The power of Christ appearing in the passage of his word through the world 3 We see how in the beginning it went forth as the Sunne no power could hinder the going of it It was put into the mouthes not of Philosophers and Oratours but poore fishermen and tentmakers and toulegatherers and by their hand being men of no commendation to the world subdued more nations to the kingdome of Christ then sword and battell could euer bring in subiection vnto the great Empire of Rome The world did striue against it and it ouercame the world the Scepters of Princes strooke at it to beate it downe and Princes scepters gaue it way whether they would or not They bound the preachers of it but it selfe was as the winde which cannot be bound nor stayed from his course Neither policie nor strength could hinder it but that it ouerthrew their customes cast downe their idols stopped the mouthes of their oracles and wrested from their deuils a confession of the power of God and so went on with victory and triumph till it had set vp the kingdome of Christ in the vtmost coastes and borders of the earth And haue not our own eies men and brethren seene the experience hereof in these latter times when Emperors and Princes and Popes and Prelates and the multitude of the world labored to put out the the light of the Gospell beginning againe to shine amidst the darkenes of Popery and by all their labour could auaile nothing They had countenance and counsell and strength they persecuted the professers of
and stronger the right hand then the left And therefore more commonly more fitly we vse the right parts then the left and finde them pliable and able to many matters to which the left doe vs little steede or none at all and we holde it a preposterous and vnorderly peruerting of natures course and an vnsightly thing when by euill custome a man hath his left hand more easie and readie for his vse then his right hand is And this strength of the right hand the holy Ghost hath relation vnto when to set foorth the speciall power of God exercised in any glorious worke it expresseth the same as performed by his e Psal 98.1 118.15.16 right hand as in infinite places of Scripture we may obserue In ciuill vse it is a matter of honor to be set at the right hand He that sitteth at the princes right hand is deemed to be next in honour to the Prince And in this regard f 1. King 2.19 Solomon sitting on his throne caused a seat to bee brought for his mother comming vnto him and set her at his right hand And vnto this alludeth that speech concerning the spouse Psal 45. a Psal 45.9 At thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold c. Whereby is imported the singular honor that Christ doth vnto his spouse the church Whether way soeuer we vnderstand the right hand Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in all most full brightnesse of the glory of God and in all soueraignty of power and dominion ouer all creatures both in heauen and earth so that the godhead in the man Iesus Christ ruleth and gouerneth all things administreth guideth mainteineth the church purchased by his bloud and to be short executeth all iudgement by his hand Whereupon it is said Iohn 5. b Ioh. 5.27 The father hath giuen him power to execute iudgement in that he is the sonne of man and Act. 17. c Act. 17.31 He will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed The man Iesus Christ saith Iohn 17. d Ioh. 17.5 Glorifie me O father with thine owne selfe with that glorie which I had with thee before the world was The man Iesus Christ saith Math. 28. e Math. 28.18 All power is giuen vnto me both in heauen and earth Of Iesus Christ concerning his manhood it is saide f Eph. 1.20.21 Ephes 1. God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and dominion and euerie name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come hath made all things subiect vnder his feete c. And againe Phil. 2. g Phil. 2.9 God hath highly exalted him and hath giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth c. Behold this is our Sauiour It is not without cause that we put our trust in him who is able to doe all things for vs because h Math. 11.27 Iohn 3.35 What comfort we haue by Christs sitting in heauen in our flesh all things are committed vnto him And thus hath God exalted and honoured our nature and flesh in the person of Iesus Christ that wee may not doubt now but that there is a way prepared for vs into heauē seeing that our flesh is sitting at the right hand of God Let it not dismay vs that our flesh is here subiect to the crosse tribulation that it is afflicted with hunger thirst worne out with trauell and labour dried vp with weeping and teares vexed with sicknes and paine fainted with heat deadded with colde tortured and slaine with fire and sword cast into the pit and consumed to dust and ashes Iesus Christ in this flesh of ours endured hunger and thirst was humbled and afflicted with fasting and weeping was exercised with sorowe and paine he was buffeted with fistes scourged with rods pricked with thornes pearced with nailes wounded with speare appaled by death shut vp in the graue and yet the same flesh nowe sitteth in heauen at the right hand of the maiestie of God And in what condition a Tertul. de resurrect carnis Pignus totius summae illuc quandoque redigendae As a pledge saith Tertullian to assure that the whole remainder of our flesh shall one daie be brought thither Whereupon he notablie inferreth Feare not flesh and bloud yee hane in Christ taken possession of heauen and of the kingdome of God or if any denie heauen to you let them denie Christ himselfe to bee in heauen O sonne of God the euerlasting brightnes of the glorie of God what was there in corruptible flesh that should mooue thee to haue that respect vnto it that thou shouldest thus lift vp the dust of the earth and exalt it aboue the highest heauens what coulde flesh profit thee or do thee good that thou shouldest vouchsafe vnto it so great a blessing But this was his mercie and loue towards vs when there was nothing in vs that might deserue his loue that wee might learne to honour him that hath so highly honored vs and might vnderstande that these bodies of ours redeemed with his most precious bloud and called to the hope of so great glorie are of more sacred and precious account then that they shoulde be prostituted vnto sinne and made brothell houses of filthines and vncleannesse and abused to be made the iustruments for the performing of our vnlawfull and sinfull desires It shoulde be alwaies a strong reason to mooue vs to the sober and holy vsage of our bodies to remember that Christ in our flesh sitteth in heauen and our bodies are appointed to sit with him for howe shall we thinke them to be meete for heauen if wee by wilfull sinne disgrace them and make them viler then the earth The maiestie of Christ sitting at the right hande of God an assurance of safetie both to the Church in generall and to all the members thereof 10 Now this height and maiesty and power of Iesus Christ serueth also to giue vs comfort and assurance of safety in all dangers both of the church in generall and in speciall of our selues In the shakings of the world in the totterings and staggerings of empires and kingdomes in the mutations and alterations of states and common wealthes in the middest of the whirlewindes and stormes and tempests of troubles at the sight whereof the world standeth amazed and vnder the burthen whereof it groneth yet Christ still sitteth at the right hand of God and in all things interposeth his hand and by his diuine prouidence and wisedome so gouerneth all things that howsoeuer things seeme to goe by hap and at all aduenture without the stedfast guiding of any directing hand yet indeede there is not so much as the moouing of a foote
common vse no vncleane thing might be suffered to touch them that so they might remaine pure and vndefiled to the vses of the Lord. Euen so we whom Christ a Ioh. 15.19 hath chosen and b Gal. 1.4 giuen himselfe to deliuer vs from this present euill world that he might make vs c 2. Tim. 2.21 vessells of honour sanctified and meete for the vses of the Lord should d Iam. 1.27 keepe our selues vnspotted of the world by e 2. Pet. 1.4 flying the corruption that raigneth therein by lust and abhorring those polluted and vncleane courses in the lothsome filthinesse whereof the world walloweth and tumbleth it selfe to the great offense and displeasure of almighty God And surely so long as the contagion and filth of the world cleaueth fast vnto vs and we frame our selues to the fashion and behauiour thereof there can be nothing so lothsome and hatefull vnto vs as we our selues are lothsome vnto God And therefore God himselfe in this sort aduiseth vs a 2. Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and seperate your selues and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord. Whereupon the apostle thus exhorteth in the beginning of the next chapter b 2. Cor. 7.1 seeing then we haue these promises let vs clense our selues frō all fithines of the flesh of the spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God In which words he expresseth both those parts of holines which I mentioned before calling the one the clensing of our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite the other the growing vp to full holinesse or the fulfilling and perfiting of our sanctification in the feare of God Which fulfilling of our sanctification standeth in clothing from day to day both inwardly our conscience and outwardly our conuersation with pietie and the feare of God thereby to c 1. Pet. 2.9 set foorth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenes into his maruelous light And this the Apostle Saint Paule calleth d Rom. 13.14 Gal. 5.16 the putting on of the Lord Iesus Christ teaching vs thereby not onely to attire our selues by faith with his merites and righteousnes that thereby we may be iustified in the sight of God but also by holines to expresse in our life the example that he hath laied before vs that by our good workes and godly life it may appeere that we haue Christ dwelling and ruling in our harts Which the same Apostle elsewhere more particularly describeth saying e Col. 3.12 put on as the elect of God holy and beloued tender mercie kindenesse humblenesse of minde meekenes long suffring c. And againe f 1. Thess 5.8 Let vs which are of the daie be sober putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet 17 These and such like are the ornaments whereby the church of Christ is to him that loueth her g Cant. 5.9 Holines our attyre when we come to the place of the Lords assemblie goodly as the morning faire as the moone pure as the sunne and to her enimie terrible as an armie with displaied ensignes Thus attired and armed we shoulde come and present our selues in this place of the assemblie of the Lordes armie not in hautines and presumption not in vaine and wanton apparell not in the care of decking our selues to the eies of the worlde the follie whereof in this generation nowe long agoe stinketh in the nostrels of the Lorde but in humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde in meekenesse and quietnesse of spirite in innocencie and simplicitie of hart in a sacred feare and reuerence of that high maiestie before which we present our selues If we come not thus prepared wee are but spots and blots in the Lords assemblie and we are to feare the same exception to be taken against vs as was taken against him that came to the wedding supper without a wedding garment a Math. 22.12 friend howe cōmest thou in hither not hauing on a wedding garment For what is the wedding garment but euen the beautie of holinesse which the prophet heere commendeth as the attire of the Lords armie That therefore our comming may be gratefull to the Lord and without danger to our selues let vs haue this sentence of the prophet in our mindes and remember alwaies to appeere before the Lorde in the beautie of holinesse in true deuotion humblenesse of minde obedience loue b 1. Tim. 1.5 out of a pure hart and a good conscience and faith vnfained so the Lorde seeing in vs the shadow and picture of his beautie shal take delight and pleasure in vs whereas otherwise by hypocrisie and sinne our being heere is but abhomination before him 18 Now followeth the latter part of this verse Thy youth shal be as the dew vnto thee from the wombe of the morning Where the words being very obscure in the Hebrew text are diuersly translated Vpon searching and comparing of diuers iudgements I haue set downe that which I take to be most fit And verie answerable heereunto is that which is written by the prophet Micah c Micah 5.7 The remnant of Iacob shall be among manie people as the dew from the Lorde and as the little mistling droppes vpon the grasse which doe not waite for man nor hope in the sonnes of Adam By which wordes the prophet foretelleth the mightie increase of the church amongst the Gentiles whose multitude shall be as the small dew and little drops that fall from heauen without number and that this shall come to passe not by any power or worke of man but by the gracious hand of almightie God euen as hee onely without the helpe of man causeth the shewers and dew to fall vpon the earth To which verie purpose I take it the wordes of our prophet here are likewise to bee vnderstoode The multitude of the armie of Christ and by what hand they are raised vp vnto him for hauing before declared how Iesus Christ shall haue his armie to ioyne with him in fight against his enimies he addeth heere in what multitude they shall come and by what hand they shal be raised vp vnto him They shall be innumerable as the dewe which by the onely hand of God is brought foorth from the wombe of the morning where the prophet by a metaphor nameth it the wombe of the morning where the morning dewe is secretly formed and from whence it commeth as children from the wombe Againe the name of youth by another figure importeth not meerely yoongnesse of age but the persons themselues that are yoong by the like phrase of speech as we are woont to say The youth were gathered togither the youth were sporting themselues c. Youth they that are newly newly borne againe to Christ 19 By youth then are meant the young frie
gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 4 Let vs remember these things that wee deceiue not our selues in that which wee pretend of our glorying and reioycing in Iesus Christ with great solemnitie wee celebrate his natiuitie and birth wee keepe holy daies we feast it with daintie fare wee braue it with our best attire we forbeare our ordinarie labours and all as in the honour of Iesus Christ But if we despise his Gospell and tread his worde vnder our feete if wee cast his commaundements behinde our backes and refuse to be guided by his direction if vnder pretence of keeping holiday to the Lord we seeke our owne will and folow our owne carnall and corrupt desires and regard no more in our harts but with the Israelites to d Exod. 32.6 sit downe to eate and to drinke and to rise vp to play what is there in that that we do but that which God elsewhere reprooued in them e Esa 29 13.1◠This people drawe neere vnto me with their lippes and honour me with their mouthes but their hart is farre from me Men deceiue themselues and make a way to their owne destruction when they fancie Iesus Christ to be so mercifull a Sauiour as that vnder him they may doe what they will and liue as they list ignorant carelesse consciencelesse sauouring of nothing but of the flesh and of the worlde and yet in the ende be nothing hindered from comming vnto him And this is the common errour of many that liue vnder the name of Christians They call him their Lorde Iesus but liue as if they acknowledged him onely Iesus to saue them Christ not onely Iesus to saue vs but also the Lord Iesus to rule and gouerne vs. and not the Lord Iesus to rule and gouerne them Thus they diuide Iesus Christ and where they list they accept of him and otherwhere reiect him But Christ is not diuided neither will he be Iesus to saue where he is not Lord to rule If wee will receiue him we must receiue him entier and whole a 2. Pet. 2.20 the Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ. If we denie vnto him that subiection dutifull obedience whereby we should approoue that we take him for our Lord he shall be vnto vs a Lorde indeed and not a sauiour we shall feele his power and not finde his mercie his sword shall ouerrule vs that would not be content to be ruled by his word We remember the sentence of Christ b Luc. 19.27 Those mine enimies that would not haue me to raigne ouer them bring them hither and slare them before me Let vs assure our selues if we yeelde not vnto Christ his kingdome to raigne ouer vs he taketh vs for his enimies and howsoeuer we now call him c Ioh. 1.29 the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world yet at that great day of his appeering the conscience of our vnfaithfulnesse and rebellion shall make vs to d Renel 6.16 say vnto the mountaines and rockes fall vpon vs and couer vs from the sight of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe To this purpose Christ hath forewarned vs e Mat. 7.22 Manie shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name cast out diuels and in thy name done many miracles and then I well professe vnto them surely I neuer knew you away from me yee workers of iniquitie And againe f Luc. 13.25 When the goodman of the house is risen vp and hath put to the doores and yee shall begin to stande without and to knocke saying Lord Lord open vnto vs and he shall answere and say I know yee not whence yee are then shal yee beginne to say Lord we haue eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes be shall say vnto you I know you not whence yee are depart from me yee workers of iniquitie If we be workers of iniquitie the Lord of righteousnes hath no place for vs to dwell with him Earthly dignities are no exemptions from the seruice of Christ nor defence against bis wrath 5 Furthermore it is expressed that this wrath of Christ is extended vnto kings and princes that wee may vnderstand that with God there is no respect of persons and that our earthly prerogatiues whereby wee seeme so farre to excell others are no dispensations or charters of libertie that lesse dutie should be required of vs then of those that are inferiours vnto vs. Earthly state swelleth and puffeth vp the mindes of men and in their pride they thinke scorne to be tied to any rules for the ordering of their life They holde it a wronge vnto them to haue dutie vrged vpon them as vpon other men and it must not be expected of them to serue Iesus Christ further then their leisure and liking will giue them leaue But therefore as I haue saied the prophet heere nameth kings as subiect to the wrath of Christ that no height of men may perswade them that they haue any priuiledge whereby they are exempted from seruing the Lord but rather that the highest are most in sight and specially marked of God and in the contempt of Christ are subiect to so much the greater wrath by how much the more it cōcerneth them not onely themselues to be religious and dutifull vnto him but also both by their authoritie and by their example to forward those that liue vnder them to doe honour vnto his name Kings persecuting the church are subiect to the wrath of Christ and shall do no more then he seeth good 6 But yet the prophet heere specially intendeth those potentates kings that professedly oppose themselues against Christ and his Gospell according to that that he speaketh in another Psalme a Psal 2.2 The kings of the earth stand vp and the rulers take counsell togither against the Lord against his annointed Which is applied by Saint Peter in the fourth of the Acts b Act. 4.27 Against thine onely sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herode and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israell haue gathered them selues together and is further also to be applied to all other tyrants and persecutours of the church Now hereby the holy ghost would strengthen our mindes against the terrour and feare of the princes and great men of this world that wee may not be ouermuch troubled or dismaied when we see them banding and bending themselues against the church of Christ inasmuch as we know that be they neuer so great they are subiect to the hand of him that sitteth at the right hand of God so that howsoeuer they fume and rage and by their power seeme to threaten ruine to heauen it selfe yet they can doe nothing but as it pleaseth Christ to vse