offended in Christ than the fore-mentioned Iewes or Pharises were is to compare our liues conuersations and practice with our Sauiours doctrinall precepts especially with those fundamentall ones solemnely vttered by him in the Sermon vpon the Mount Matth. 5. Amongst which this is a principall and peremptory one I say vnto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heauen vers 20. Now from entring into the Kingdome of heauen which is the Kingdome of happinesse nothing can barre vs vnlesse wee be offended in Christ who is the way and doore vnto it Is there any amongst vs that seeketh as earnestly after the prayse of men or after any honour that commeth not from GOD alone as the Iewes mentioned Ioh. 12. Ioh. 5 Is there any amongst vs as couetous as the Pharises were mentioned Luke 16 If any such there be eyther in this or any other Christian Congregation be they many or few all and euery of them are as farre from the Kingdome of Heauen altogether as much offended in Christ as the fore-mentioned Rulers Iewes and Pharises were Is there any amongst vs of disposition towards his Brother or Neighbour or towards any professing the name of Christ as implacable or irreconcileable as the Scribes and Pharises were towards Publicans and sinners Let such a man if any such there be know and remember that whilest hee continueth in this mood he is as much offended in Christ as they were and if hee so continue our Sauiour Christ will bee as much offended at him in the last Day as at those that crucified him Is any man as carefull for the things of this life as these Iewes were Hee is as farre from the Kingdome of Heauen and the happinesse here promised as the Iewes yea as the Heathen were It is our Sauiours inference not mine Take no thought saying What shall wee eate or What shall wee drinke or Wherewith shall wee bee cloathed For after all these things doe the Gentiles seeke For your heauenly Father knoweth that yee haue need of all these things Matth. 6. 31 32. His Precept for our direction followeth But seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall bee added vnto you Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it selfe vers 33 34. This is the perpetuall Law of the Euangelical Iubile whose obseruance was prefigured in the legall obseruation of the seuenth yeere of rest or the yeere of Iubile In both which yeeres as you heard before the Iewes were forbidden to sow or reape commanded to rely vpon Gods extraordinary blessing in the sixth yeere and to rest contented with such things as should grow of their owne accord in the seuenth yeere of rest or yeere of Iubile Not to sow at all or not to reape in these two yeeres was a temporary Law meerely legall or ceremoniall The morall Law hereby prefigured and perpetually to bee obserued by vs Christians is That wee buy so as if wee possessed not that in sowing or reaping or in whatsoeuer other businesse concerning this life wee vse the world as if wee vsed it not That our prime and chiefe care bee in seeking the Kingdome of God or matters of the life to come That euery present day wee take more payne and care in imploring Gods blessings vpon our present and future labours than in contriuing meanes or disposing of labours in worldly coniecture most auaileable for procuring our ends or that good which wee seeke This practice and method our Sauiour had inioyned vs in that prayer which hee hath taught vs. First wee pray that Gods name may bee sanctified and that his Kingdome may come that his will may be done in earth as in heauen and in the next place that he would giue vs bread this day for to morrow and the dayes following that is as the Apostle saith to cast all our care on him who careth for vs all But what auayles it vs to know by how many wayes and meanes wee may bee offended in Christ vnlesse wee know withall by what meanes possible these or the like offences may be auoydable It is true and therefore our Sauiour teacheth a compendious way or meanes for auoyding offences As first in this very Chapter Matth. 11. vers 29. Learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules To the same end or purpose are all those places of Scripture addressed which exhort vs to humility to deny our selues to take vp our Crosse and follow Christ. Of these and other good rules to this purpose you may reade at large Luke 14. 90. But others happely will say What auayleth it to propose these good rules vnto vs vnlesse it bee in our power to practise them Wee beleeue it as a dictate or maxime of faith that God giues grace vnto the humble or vnto such as for sake all and deny themselues but what is this to vs vnlesse wee may likewise be assured that God will eyther giue vs grace or some free-will or naturall power to deny or humble our selues Here indeed were the true and fruitfull issue of all these intricate controuersies which in later yeres haue much troubled the peace of the Church as well the Romish as the Reformed The controuersies I meane of Election and Reprobation betweene the Lutherans and the Caluinists betweene the Arminians and the Gomarists as also the controuersie concerning concurrence of Grace and Free-will prosecuted with eager and bitter contention for these many yeeres betweene the Iesuites and the Dominican Friers But of this radicall controuersie about Free-will a poynt necessary to be knowne and yet inwrapped with as many vnnecessary intricate disputes and on all parts as illâ—stated and handled for the most part as any other question whatsoeuer I shall haue fitter occasion to speake at large when I come to handle that argument concerning our seruitude to sin which must be the entrance vnto our knowledge concerning Iesus Christ and him crucified vnto both which these discussions vpon this Text haue beene premised 91. At this time I will onely acquaint you with that which I haue elsewhere deliuered as the true meane betweene the contrary opinions of the Lutherans and the Caluinists betweene the Iesuites Dominicans betwixt the Stoickes and the Pelagians in the poynt of free-will or power of man to worke or not to worke his owne saluation The meane is that albeit man hath no freedome of will or ability to doe that which is good or to dispose his heart for the better receiuing of Grace yet hee hath a true possibility or freedome of will to doe or not to doe something required by God which thing being done by man God will dispose his heart and make it fit for his grace The same thing not being done or neglected
to true and perfect happinesse can be perfected and accomplished vntill this corruptible haue put on incorruption and these our mortall bodies become impassible and immortall As for those externall comforts or supplyes which are necessary to that small portion of happinesse which we haue in this life as meate drinke apparell and the like wee shall haue no need nor vse of them in the life to come In that life wee shall bee so fully happy within our selues and in the fruition of God as wee shall neede nothing without vs nothing besides Gods presence and the fruition of our selues The want or penurie of any thing vsefull in this life is a degree or part of misery but not to neede them not to want them is a portion of true felicity And for this reason happely it is that amongst all the good workes and miracles which our Sauiour did wee neuer reade that he made any needy beggers exceeding rich in worldly riches because riches are neither vsefull nor necessary to that happinesse wherevnto all his miracles doe leade and draw vs but as he did neither make nor promise to make his followers rich so hee would not suffer any of them whilest hee liued heere on earth to continue in want or penurie These euils or degrees of misery in this life he often preuented by miracles when they were ready to befall them 18. Here we are by the way to consider that whilst our Sauiour was bodily present with his Disciples and followers none of them were in want or need but he instantly relieued them If any fell sicke he presently cured them if they were in danger by Sea they could no sooner cry out Master wee perish but he as soone checked the winde with the breath of his mouth and turned the storme into a calme he did not suffer them so much as to weepe or mourne but rather ministred continual matter of ioy and comfort vnto them Nay as wee reade Mark. 2. vers 18. It was a solaecisme for them to fast whilest he was with them When Iohns Disciples or the Pharises came vnto him and demanded of him Why doe the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharises fast but thy Disciples fast not Iesus said vnto them Can the Children of the Bridegroome fast whilest the Bridegroome is with them As long as they haue the Bridegroome with them they cannot fast but the dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those dayes Thus you see a great difference betwixt the estate of his Disciples whilest he was with them and whilest hee was taken from them the one was an estate of ioy and contentment without bodily grieuance or molestation the other had his ioy and internall comfort mixt with sorrow of bodily discontentments What was then the reason of this difference Surely it was our Sauiours will and pleasure in affording these contentments which did accompany his bodily presence here on earth to exhibit a perfit Map or Modell of that fulnesse of all ioy and contentment which wee shall be made partakers of by his bodily presence with vs in heauen So then for conclusion of the first poynt and for more commodious passage vnto the second our Sauiour by the miracles here mentioned and the like did openly and euidently declare himselfe to be the Author Lord and free doner of all these three rankes or sorts of good things which the Heathen by light of nature saw to be requisite or necessary for the attainement of true felicity or in the fruition whereof in full and perfit measure true and perfit happinesse did consist 19. First for these externals which the Heathens call Bona fortunae as meat drinke apparell or means necessary for maintenance of life without which wee can rather receiue no contentment than be throughly contented with them albeit our Sauiour gaue them in lesse measure than worldly mindes desire them yet his bounty in bestowing of them did herein farre exceed the magnificence of greatest Princes in that hee herewith pleasured his Disciples without any grieuance vnto others This was a foundation of publike happines which no Monarch or State-founder could euer lay in that no man did euer fare a whit the worse because his followers or fauourers how many soeuer they were did fare the better For thus our Sauiour plentifully fedde multitudes of people in the Wildernesse without occasioning any dearth or scarcity of bread or victuals vnto such as remained in the townes or villages The reliques or offalls of the Feasts that hee made were alwayes greater than the prouision it selfe Once wee reade of his feeding fiue thousand men with seuen Barly-loaues and two Fishes and the fragments or broken meate was seuen Baskets full Marke 8. vers 20. Another time of his feeding fiue thousand men with fiue loaues when there remained twelue baskets full of fragments Nor did this his bounty extend onely in cases of necessity or for preuenting want or penury but vnto matter of delight or decency For as hee fed thousands of people in the Wildernesse where no food was to be had for them without miracle so to grace the marriage feast at Cana in Galilie hee turned water into wine not of the worst sort but of the pleasantest and cheerefullest taste Thus when tribute or pole-money was vniustly exacted of him hee did not demand a beneuolence from those men on whom hee had wrought those mighty cures or whom hee had otherwise benefited extraordinarily Hee supplyeth himselfe and Peter with this necessary from a Fish which had no more vse or need of money whereof the Romane Caesar had want than the poore Indian had of the Spaniards gold So that albeit he sent his pole-money to Rome with others yet was there not one penny lesse in Iury than there was before 20. But to come to the second sort or ranke of good things which the Heathens by light of nature saw necessary vnto felicity as bona corporis what greater bodily happinesse could befall the blinde or lame than for the one to be restored vnto his perfit fight the other to the right vse of limbes What could the deafe more desire than to be able to heare or the Lepers than to be cleansed from their leprosie What so great a bodily blessing if any at all besides could be bestowed vpon the dead as to be restored to life againe Yet those and many like blessings our Sauiour bestowed vpon all that were not offended in him by his meere word thereby shewing himselfe to be the Lord and disposer of all the blessings or parts of happinesse which concerne the body And Iohns Disciples might heare and see the parties here mentioned made thus farre truely happy by him Happy they were in respect of all other men happier by much than those men which still continued blinde or lame or leprous or deafe or in that estate of death from which our Sauiour raysed these dead here
his soule Againe if one man giue another poyson the other may be said to haue poyson giuen him or to be Grāmatically passiue But it is one thing to haue poyson giuen him another to be poysoned This latter includes a real passion or bodily mutation though from better to worse from life to death He that hath a medicine giuen him is in common speech termed a Patient and is Grammatically passiue But euery one that is thus farre passiue as to haue a medicine giuen him is not instantly medicined cured or healed for this includes a reall operation or amendment of that which was amisse in the body In like manner in as much as our Sauiour preached the Gospell equally and indifferently to all all that heard him might bee alike truely and literally said to haue had the Gospell preached vnto them if wee respect onely the Grammatical sense and signification of the word But it is one thing to say that all had the Gospell preached vnto them and another thing to say all were Euangelizati For this latter was peculiar only to the poore in spirit They only tooke this stampe or impression of the Gospell which was preached to all Briefely the originall phrase doth literally and naturally import as true or reall an alteration or transmutation in the soules of such as were poore in spirit as the former miracles heere mentioned did in the bodies of the blinde the lame the deafe the Leprous or dead Now it is not said that the blind had their sight proffered or promised vnto them or that the lame were onely made to walke or the Leapers cleansed onely in hope or by way of promise But all of them were truely and actually cured of their infirmities of body and so no question were the poore in spirit as truely cured as truely healed of their infirmities of their soules They had beene as truely dead vnto the life of the spirit as those whom Christ is heere said to haue raised vp were vnto the life of the body But now they are raised vp to newnesse of life enlightened to see the truth and enabled to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And whereas before they had beene the bond slaues of sinne wherewith their soules were more foulely stained or tainted than these Leapers bodies were with leprosie they are now freed and cleansed from the guilt and raigne of sinne and made the seruants of righteousnes Thus much is included in these last words Pauperes euangelizantur and this transmutation of their soules was or might haue bin as conspicuous or obseruable to Iohns Disciples as the changing of Sauls mind or spirit was vnto the Israelites after Samuel had anoynted him King 1. Sam. cap. 10. ver 9. This Interpretation of this place is made vnto our hands by our Sauiour himselfe the best Interpreter of his owne words for so hee saith Luke 6. ver 20. Blessed be yee poore setting his eyes on his Disciples for yours is the Kingdome of God This blessing of Interest in the Kingdom of God here bequeathed by our Sauiour vnto the poore is in effect the same with these words in my Text Pauperes euangelizantur of which their Interest in the Kingdome of God is the true reall and formall effect For the Gospell is called the Kingdome of God because it instateth such as receiue the impression of it that is the Euangelizati in the Kingdome of God or of heauen The Kingdome of God in Scriptures is twofold and hath two importances Sometimes it importeth the Kingdome of Grace which the poore in spirit attaine vnto it in this world Somtimes it importeth the Kingdome of Glory which no man shall attaine vnto but in the world to come The Kingdome of Grace there bequeathed had two parts the one ordinary to continue throughout all ages which did consist in the raigne or soueraignty of the spirit ouer the flesh the other extraordinary yet vsuall in that time and did consist in the raigne or soueraignty of such poore men as Christs Disciples were ouer Satan and his angels And this part of the Kingdome of grace or this effect of it was more conspicuous and visible vnto others and was one of those workes or miracles which Iohns Disciples might heare and see and make faith or true relation vnto their Master Now the blessednes heere promised by our Sauiour or so much of it as men are capable of in this life consisteth in the former part of the Kingdome of Grace that is in the soueraignty of the spirit ouer the flesh Both parts of this obseruation are set forth vnto vs by our Sauiour Luk. 10. vers 17 18 19. The Seuentie returned againe with ioy saying Lord euen the Diuels are subiect vnto vs through thy name And hee said vnto them I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heauen Behold I giue vnto you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and ouer all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any meanes hurt you Notwithstanding in this reioyce not that the Spirits are subiect vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen All the poore which are heere said to be Euangelizati were thereby instated in the Kingdome of Grace and made the sonnes of God as it is written Ioh. 1. ver 12. As many as receiued him to them gaue hee power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a priuiledge or faculty to be the sonnes of God and heyres apparent vnto the Kingdome of Glory This is all one as to haue their names written in the Booke of life 21. But heere the Iesuite at least the Moncke or begging Fryer who takes the pouerty which he voweth to be an Euangelicall perfection containing in it a title of merit to the blessednesse heere mentioned would reply that by the poore mentioned Lu. 6. v. 20. the poore in spirit only are to be vnderstood though not expressed because the poore in spirit are expressed by Saint Matthew who relates the selfe-same story Chap. 5. which Saint Luke doth in that 6. Chap but in as much as the story or relation heere in my Text is not the same with either of the former two it will not so cleerely follow that the poore in spirit are here onely to be vnderstod Yet it is a rule in Logicke and it is a rule of reason Quaecunque conueniunt in al◠quo tertio conueniunt etiam inter se. From which rule it will cleerely follow that if as well these words of my Text as those of Saint Luke chap. 6. vers 20. be but Euangelicall expressions of one and the same Propheticall prediction in which the poore in spirit are to be vnderstood this my Text must be meant of the poore in spirit as well as those other words of Saint Luke or Saint Matthew But of the consonancy of the Euangelist and the Prophet by Gods assistance hereafter 22. You haue heard and I make no question but you doe beleeue That whatsoeuer your
returned before hee preached the acceptable yeere of the LORD in Nazareth cannot so easily be gathered from the circumstances of the Euangelist but as all Interpreters I thinke agree this Answer was giuen within the compasse of that yeere wherein our Sauiour was baptized Now this was the last Legall Iubile which this people were to enioy and the first beginning of the Euangelicall Iubile which was to continue here on earth vntill the Worlds end to bee fully accomplished in the World to come So that this great mystery of our eternall Rest and Ioy in heauen had first a shaddow in the Law to wit the Legall Iubile Secondly a Picture in the Prophet Isay or in the History of Hezekias and his miraculous deliuery from the Assynians Thirdly a liue body in the Gospell or dayes of the Messias euery-way answerable to the picture drawne by the Prophet The first conception of this liue body or Euangelicall Iubile was from the day of our Sauiours Baptisme and the birth of it from the deliuery of our Sauiours Sermon vpon the Mount Fourthly the accomplishment ful growth or perfection of this liue body is to be expected onely in the life to come where our Ioy our Rest and Peace shall be for measure boundlesse and for terme endlesse Now according to these seuerall degrees of shaddow of picture of life and growth one and the same Scripture euen according to its natiue and literall sense may be often verified and fulfilled All the former Prophesies likewise concerning the planting of the Wildernesse with pleasant Trees though actually fulfilled according to the importance of the parabolicall or Emblematicall sense in that yeere of Iubile which Iesus of Nazareth did proclaime shall not bee finally accomplished vntill the beginning of that Iubile which shall haâ—e no end Thus much is specified Isay 60. vers 20 21 22. Thy Sâ—â—ne shall no more goe downe neyther shall thy Moone with-draw it selfe for the Lord shall bee thine euerlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people shall bee all righteous they shall inherit the Land forâ—euer the Branch of my planting the works of my hands that I may bee glorified A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time This last verse though partly fulfilled in the conuersion of whole Nations by our Sauiours Apostles and Disciples made Citizens of the new Ierusalem descending from Heauen at our Sauiours Baptisme shall not be accomplished vntill these Trees of Righteousnesse be transplanted into the Heauen of Heauens and set there by the Tree of Life Then shall the least sprig that hath been truely ingraffed into the stock of Iacob the meanest â—â—â—ne of Abraham by faith become more fruitfull in himselfe than Abraham was in his posterity and a greater King and Lord of more than Dauid or Salomon in their prime Thus much is included in that saying of our Sauiour Marke 10. vers 29 30. There is no man that hath left house or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life If the least of them that forsake all for Christs sake grow in this life into an hundred how great or strong a Nation euery small one that is not in this life offended in him shall after this life ended become is vnexpressable But we beleeue our Sauiour that the least and smallest of such as forsake all for him and the Gospell shall haue life eternall And wee beleeue Gods Word that life eternall is more than tenne thousand liues temporall though a thousand liues of a mans own be much more worth than a million of other mens liues whereof we might hope to be Lords and Disposers 80. That other Prophesie likewise before mentioned Isay 35. vers 4. though literally verified at Gods first comming into the World to be made man and then punctually fulfilled when IESVS of Nazareth GOD and MAN came to Iohns Baptisme is to be finally accomplished when the same Iesus shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Then shall hee manifest himselfe to be God the Auenger and God the Recompencer by pronouncing that Sentence from which there shall be no appeale Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels The former part of this Sentence shall proceed from him as hee is God the Rewarder of all such as diligently seeke him The latter part of this Sentence Goe yee cursed c. proceedeth from him as hee is God the Auenger In that accomplishment of dayes which shall vtterly abolish all night and not before shal that other part of the same Prophesie Isay 35. vers 5 6. bee likewise finally accomplished Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall bee vnstopped c. The eyes of many blinde were opened at the time when this Answer was giuen yet not the eyes of all the blinde men then liuing which were not offended in Him but onely the eyes of all the blinde throughout Iudea and neighbour-Regions that came vnto him without offence At his second comming the eyes of all that after perpetuall darkenesse haue beene finally shut vp by death shall bee opened to see the glory of God so opened to see it without offence as they shall neuer be shut againe neuer bee depriued of this beautifull vision In that day shall all the halt and lame that haue not bin offended in him eâ—â—n such as neuer enioyed the vse of limbes from their coÌ„ming out of the wombe vnto their going vnto their graâ—e become more strong agile than the Hart and mâ—re swift and nimble than the Roe Then shall the eares and tongues of all that haue beene borne deafe and dumbe be so vnstopped and vnloosed as vpon the first opening they shall bee enabled to hold consort with the Quire of Angels to descant vpon those hidden mysteries and Prophetique Songs about whose literall sense or plaine Grammaticall meaning there hath beene much discord amongst greatest Criticks and amongst Schoole-men continuall iarres This is all which I haue at this time to say concerning the three particular Branches proposed in the beginning of the second generall Obseruation which was thus What satisfactioÌ„ this answer of our Sauior The blinde receiue their sight c. could giue to Iohn or his Disciples or to any that doubted whether Iesus of Nazareth was He that was to come Somewhat more is to be said concerning the Conclusion Blessed is he whosoeuer shall not be offended in mee MATTH 11. VERS 6. Blessed is hee whosoeuer shall not be offended in mee THe vniuersality