to the wayes of grace as there is in any The consideration whereof may justly humble us in our reflexion upon our selves whom neither the promises of heaven can allure nor the bloud and passions of Christ perswade nor the flames of hell affright from our sinnes till the Lord by the sweet and gracious power of his holy â—â—irit subdue and conquer the soule unto himselfe If a man should rise from the dead and truly relate unto the conscience the woefull and everlasting horrors of hell if a mans naturall capacity were made as wide to apprehend the wrath fury and vengeance of a provoked God the foulenesse guilt and venome of a soule fuller of sins than the heavens of stars as the most intelligent divels of hell doe conceive them If an Archangell or Seraphim should be sent from heaven to reveale unto the soule of a naturall man the infinite glory of Gods presence the full pleasures of his right hand the admirable beauty of his wayes the intimate conformity and resemblance between his divine nature in himselfe the Image of his holinesse in the creature the unsearchable and bottomlesse love of Christ in his Incarnation and sufferings the endlesse incomprehensible vertue pretiousnesse of his bloud and prayers yet so desperately evill is the heart of man that if after all this God should not afford the blessed operation and concurrence of his owne gratious Spirit the revelation of his own arme and power upon the soule to set on those instrumentall causes it would be invincible by any evidence which all the cries and flames of hell which all the armies and hosts of heaven were able to beget There is no might or power able to snatch a man out of the hands of his sin but onely Gods Spirit Notable are the expressions which the holy Ghost every where useth to set forth this wretched condition of the heart by nature wilfulnesse and selfe-willednesse We will not hearken we will not have this man to raigne over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wils in one Rebellion and stubbornenesse stoutnesse of heart contestation with God and gain-saying his Word Impudence stiffenesse and hard-heartednesse mischievous profoundnes and deepe reasonings against the Law of God pertinacie resolvednesse and abiding in mischiefe they hold fast deceit obstinacie and selfe-obduration They have hardned their neckes that they might not heare Impotencie immoveablenesse and undocilenesse their heart is uncircumcised they cannot heare there is none that understandeth or seeketh after God scorne and slighting of the messages of the Lord where is his Word Where is the promise of his comming Incredulity and belying the Lord in his Word saying it is not he Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Wrestling resisting and fighting with the Word rejecting the counsell of God vexing and striving with his holy Spirit ye have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost Rage and fiercenesse of disordred affections despising of goodnesse trayterous heady and high-minded thoughts Brutishnes of immoderate lust the untamed madnesse of an enraged beast without any restraint of reason or moderation In one word a hell and gulfe of unsearchable mischiefe which is never satisfied It is impossible that any reasonable man duly considering all these difficulties should conceive such an heart as this to be overcome with meere morall perswasions or by any thing lesse than the mightie power of Gods owne grace To him therefore we should willingly acknowledge all our conversion and salvation So extremely impotent are we O Lord unto any good so utterly unprofitable and unmeet for our Masters use and yet so strongly hurried by the impulsion of our owne lust towards hell that no precipice nor danger no hope nor reward no man or Angell is able to stop us without thine owne immediate power and therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name onely be attributed the glory of our conversion Againe by this consideration we should be provoked to stirre up and call together all our strength in the Lords service to recover our mispent time to use the more contention and violence for the kingdome of heaven when wee consider how abundant wee have beene in the workes of sinne in the pursuing of vast desires which had neither end nor hope in them O how happie a thing would it be if men could serve God with the same proportion of vigour and willingnesse of mind as they served Satan and themselves before I was never tired in that way I went on indefatigably towards hell like a swift Dromedary or an untamed heifer I pursued those evill desires which had vanity for their object and misery for their end no fruit but shame and no wages but death But in the service of Christ I have a price before mee an abiding Citie an enduring substance an immarcescible crowne to fix the highest of my thoughts upon I have the promises of Christ to strengthen me his Angels to guard his Spirit to lead his Word to illighten me In one word I have a soule to save and a God to honour And why should not I apply my power to serve him who did reach forth his owne power to convert me A long way I have to goe and I must doe it in a spanne of time so many temptations to overcome so many corruptions to shake off so many promises to beleeve so many precepts to obey so many mysteries to study so many workes to finish and so little time for all my weaknesses on one side my businesses on another mine enemies and my sinnes round about me take away so much that I have scarce any left to give to God And yet alas if I could serve God on earth as he is served in heaven if I had the strength of Angels and glorified Saints to doe his will it would come infinitely short of that good will of God in my redemption or of his power in my conversion If God should have said to all the Angels in heaven there is such a poore wretch posting with full strength towards hell goe stand in his way and drive him back againe all those glorious armies would have beene too few to blocke up the passageâ— betweene sin and heâ— without the concurrence of Gods owne Spirit and power they could have returned none other answer but this we have done all we can to perswade and turne him but he will not be turned If then the Lord did put to his owne power to save me great reason there is that I should set my weake and impotent faculties to honour him especially since hee hath beene pleased both to mingle with his service great joy liberty and tranquillity here and also to set before it a full a sure and a great reward for my further animation and encouragement thereunto The fourth thing observed in this Verse was the attire wherein Christs people should attend
charge even the great men of the world It is true the ministers of the Gospell are servants to the Church In compassion to pitty the diseases the infirmities the temptations of Gods people in ministerie to assist them with all needfull supplies of comfort or instruction or exhortation in righteousnesse in humility to waite upon men of lowest degree and to condescend unto men of weakest capacitie And thus the very Angels in heaven are servants to the Church of Christ. But yet we are servants onely for the Churches good to serve their soules not to serve their humors And therefore we are such servants as may command too These things command and teach Let no man despise thy youth And againe These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authority Let no man despise thee No ministers are more despicable than those who by ignorance or flattery or any base and ambitious affections betray the power majesticall simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. When we deliver Gods message we must not then be the servants of men If I yet please men I were not then the servant of Christ saith the Apostle To captivate the truth of God unto the humours of men and to make the Spirit of Christ in his Gospell to bend comply and complement with humane lusts is with Ionah to play the runnagates from our office and to prostrate the Scepter of Christ unto the insultation of men There is a wonderfull majesty and authority in the word when it is set on with Christs Spirit He taught men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one who had power and authority or priviledge to speake as one that cared not for the persons of men and therefore where ever his spirit is there will this power and liberty of Christ appeare for he hath given it to his ministers that they may commend themselves in the consciences of those that heare them that they may harden their faces against the pride and scorne of men that they may goe out in armies against the enemies of his kingdome that they may speake boldly as they ought to speake that they may not suffer his word to be bound or his Spirit to be straitened by the humors of men Againe we should all labour to receive the word in the power thereof and to expose our tender parts unto it A Cocke is in comparison but a weake Creature and yet the crowing of a Cocke will cause the trembling of a Lion What is a Bee to a Beare or a Mouse to an Elephant and yet if a Bee fasten his sting in the nose of a Beare or a Mouse creepe up and gnaw the trunke of an Elephant how easily doe so little Creatures upon such an advantage torment the greatest Certainely the proudest of men have some tender part into which a sting may enter The conscience is as sensible of Gods displeasure as obnoxious to his wrath as subject to his word in a prince as in a beggar If the word like Davids stone finde that open and get into it it is able to sinke the greatest Goliah Therefore wee should open our consciences unto that word and expect his spirit to come along with it and receive it as Iosiah did with humility and trembling Wee should learne to feare the Lord in his word and when his voyce cryeth in the city to see his name and his power therein Will ye not feare me faith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence who make the sand abound to the sea No Creature so swelling and of it selfe so strong and incroaching as the sea nothing so small weake smoothe and passable as the sand and yet the sand a creature so easily removed and swept away decreed to hold in so raging an Element What in appearance weaker than words spoken by a despised man and what in the experience of all the world stronger than the raging of an army of lusts and yet that hath the Lord appointed to tame and subdue these that men might learne to feare his power Againe it should teach us to Rest upon God in all things as being unto us all-sufficient a sunne a shield an exceeding great reward in the truth and promises of his Gospell The word of God is a sure thing that which a man may cast his whole weight upon and leane confidently on in any extremity All the Creatures in the world are full of vanity uncertaineties and disappointments and then usually doe deceive a man most when he most of all relies upon them and therefore the Apostle chargeth us not to trust in them But the word of the Lord is an abiding word as being founded upon the Immutability of Gods owne truth he that maketh it his refuge relieth on Gods omnipotency and hath all the strength of the Almighty engaged to helpe him Asa was safe while hee depended on the Lord in his promises against the hugest host of men that was ever read of but when he turned aside to collaterall aides hee purchased to himselfe nothing but perpetuall warres And this was that which established the throne of Iehoshaphat and caused the feare of the Lord to fall upon the kingdomes of the lands which were round about him because he honoured the Word of God and caused it to be taught unto his people Whensoever Israel and Judah did forget to leane upon Gods word and betooke themselves to humane confederacies to correspondence with Idolatrous people to facility in superstitious compliances and the like fleshly counsels they found them alwaies to be but very lies like waxen and wooden feasts made specious of purpose to delude ignorant commers things of so thinne and unsoâ—id a consistence as were ever broken with the weight of those who did leane upon them Let us not therefore rest upon our owne wisedome nor build our hopes or securities upon humane foundations but let us in all conditions take hold of Gods Covenant of this staffe of his strength which is able to stay us up in any extremities Againe since the Gospell is a word of such soveraigne power as to strengthen us against all enemies and temptations to uphold us in all our wayes and callings to make us strong in the Grace of Christ for ever a Christian mans knowledge of the Word is the measure of his strength and comfort wee should therefore labour to acquit our selves with God in his Word to hide it in our hearts and grow rich in the knowledge of it In heaven our blessednesse shall consist in the knowledge and communion with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. So that the Gospell and the Spirit are to us upon earth the preludes and supplies of heaven for by them onely is this knowledge and communion begun And that man doth but delude himselfe and lye to the world who professeth his desire to goe to heaven and doth not here desire to know so much of God as he is pleased to afford to
and to compose those differences thereabouts which doe so much perplex the world Secondly for those places which in their meaning are easie to be understood but in their excellent and high nature hard to be beleeved as all Articles of faith and things of absolute necessitie are in their termes perspicuous but in their heavenly nature unevident unto humane reason the office of the Church is not to binde mens consciences to beleeve these truths upon her authoritie for wee have not dominion over the faith of men neither are we lords in Christs flock and how shal any scrupulous minde which is desirous to boult things to the bran be secure of the power which the Church in this case arrogates or have any certaintie that this society of men must be beleeved in their religion who will allow the same honor to no society of men but thēselves But in this case the office of the Church is both to labour by al good means to evidence the credibility of the things which are to be beleeved to discover unto men those essentiall and intimate beauties of the Gospel which to spirituall mindes and hearts raised to such a proportionable pitch of capacitie as are suteable to the excellency of their natures are apt to evidence and notifie themselves and also to labour to take men off from dependance on their owne reason or corrupted judgement to worke in their heart an experience of the Spirit of grace and an obedience to those holy truths which they already assent unto with which preparations and perswasions the heart being possessed will in due time come to observe more cleerely by that spirituall eye the evidence of those things which were at first so difficult so then the Act of the Church is in matters of faith an act of introduction and guidance but that which begetteth the infallible and unquestionable assent of faith is that spirituall taste relish and experience of the heavenly sweetnesse of divine doctrine which by the ministery of the Church accompanied with the speciall concurrence of almighty God therewithall is wrought in the heart for it is only the Spirit of God which writeth the Law in mens hearts which searcheth the things of God and which maketh us to know them Thirdly for those places which are difficult rather to be obeyed than to be understood The worke of the Church is to enforce upon the conscience the necessitie of them to perswade rebuke exhort encourage with all authority Which should teach us all to love the Church of Christ and to pray for the peace and prosperity of the walls of Sion for the purity spiritualnesse power and countenance of the Word therein which is able to hold up its owne honour in the minds of men if it be but faithfully published we should therefore studie to maintaine to credit to promote the Gospell to encourage truth discountenance errour to stand in the gap against all the stratagems and advantages of the enemies thereof and to hold the candlestick fast amongst us to buy the truth and sell it not betray it not forsake it not temper it not misguize it not This is to be a pillar to put the shoulder under the Gospell of Christ. And surely though the Papists boast of the word and name of the Church as none more apt to justifie and brag of their sobrietie than those whom the wine hath overtaken yet the plaine truth is they have farre lesse of the nature thereof than any other Churches because farre lesse of the pure service and ministration thereof for in stead of holding forth the Word of life they pull it downe denying unto the people of Christ the use of his Gospell dimidiating the use of his Sacrament breeding them up in an ignorant worship to begge they know not what in all points disgracing the Word of truth and robbing it of its certaintie sufficiencie perspicuitie authoritie purity energie in the minds of men And this is certain the more any set themselves against the light and generall knowledge of the Word of truth the lesse of the nature of the Church they have in them what-ever ostentations they may make of the name thereof The last thing observed in this second verse amongst the regalities of Christ was Imperium his rule and government in his Church by his holy Word maugre all the attempts and machinations of the enemies thereof against it Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies that is Thou shalt rule safely securely undisturbedly without danger feare or hazard from the enemies round about their counsels shall be infatuated their purposes shall vanish their decrees shall not stand their persecutions shall but sow the bloud of Christ and the ashes of Christians the thicker they shall see it and gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues and be horribly amazed at the emulation and triumph of a Christians sufferings over the malice and wrath of men The kingdome of Christ is two-fold His kingdome of glory of which there shall be no end when hee shall rule over his enemies and tread them under his feet and his kingdome of grace whereby hee ruleth amongst his enemies by the scepter of his Word And this is the kingdome here spoken of noting unto us that Christ will have a Church and people gathered unto him by the preaching of his Gospell on the earth maugre all the malice power or policie of all his enemies Never was Satan so loose never heresie and darknesse so thicke never persecution so prevalent never the taile of the Dragon so long as to sweepe away all the Starres of heaven or to devoure the remnant of the womans seed The gates of hell all the policie power and machinations of the kingdome of darknesse shall never root out the Vine which the Father hath planted nor prevaile against the body of Christ. His Gospell must be preached till the worlds end and till then he will be with it to give it successe Though the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers gather together against the Lord and his Christ yet they imagine but a vaine thing and hee that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorne The grounds of the certainetie and perpetuitie of Christs Evangelicall Kingdome is not the nature of the Church in it selfe consider'd either in the whole or parts for Adam and Evah were a Church at first a people that were under the law of obedience and worship of God and yet they fell away from that excellent condition And the Prophet tels us that except the Lord had left a very small remnant the Church had beene all as Sodom and like to Gomorrah But the grounds hereof are First The Decree ordination and appointment of God Psal. 2.7 Acts 10.42 Hebr. 3.2 and wee know what ever men project the counsell of the Lord must stand Secondly Gods Gift unto Christ Aske of mee and I wil give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. Ps. 2.8
for when he ascended up on high he then led captivitie captive that ignorance and thraldome under which the world was held he triumphed over and gave gifts of his Spirit unto men of all sorts in abundance Visions to the young Dreames to the aged and his gracious Spirit unto all Wee never reade of so many converted by Christs personall preaching which was indeed but the beginning of his preaching for it is the Lord which speaketh from heaven still as by the ministery of his Apostles he thereby providing to magnifie the excellencie of his spirituall presence against all the carnall superstitions of those men who seeke for an invisible corporall presence of Christ on the earth charmed downe out of heaven under the lying shapes of separated accidents And who cannot be content with that All-sufficient Remembrancer which himselfe hath promised to his Church Ioh. 14.26 except they may have others and those such as the holy Scriptures every where disgraceth as teachers of lyes and vanity the Crucifixes and images of their owne erecting therein infinitly derogating from that all-sufficient provision which the Lord in his word and Sacraments the onely living and full images of Christ crucified Gal. 3.1 hath proposed unto men as alone able to make them wise unto salvation being opened and represented unto the consciences of men not by humane inventions but by those holy ordinances and offices which himselfe hath appointed in his Church the preaching of his word and administration of his Sacraments And surely they who by Moses and the Prophets by that Ministerie which Christ after his ascension did establish in his Church doth not repent would bee no whit the neerer no more than Iudas or the Pharises were if they should see or heare Christ in the flesh Therefore it is observed after Christs ascension that the word of God grew mightily and prevailed and that there were men dayly added unto the Church That the Savor of the Gospell was made manifest in every place That the Children of the desolate were more than of the married wife Therefore the beleevers after Christs ascension are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The multitude of them that beleeved and multitudes of men and women were added to the Lord. Ten to one of that there was before Ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations of the skirt of him that is a Iew saying We will goe with you that is shall take the Kingdome of heaven by violence as Saul laid hold on the skirt of Samuels Maâ—tle that hee might not goe from him The Reason hereof is to magnifie the exaltation spirituall presence and power of Christ in the Church while he was upon the earth he confin'd his ordinary residence and personall preaching unto one people because his bodily presence was narrow and could not bee communicated to the whole world For he tooke our nature with those conditions and limitations which belong thereunto But his Spirit and power is over the whole Church by them hee walketh in the middest of the Candlesticks Christs bodily presence and preaching the Iewes withstood and crucified the Lord of glory But now to shew the greatnesse of his power by the Gospell hee goes himselfe away and leaves but a few poore and persecuted men behinde him assisted with the vertue of his Spirit and by them wrought workes which all the world could not withstand Hee could have published the Gospell as hee did the Law by the ministery of Angels hee could have anointed his Apostles with regall oyle and made them not Preachers only but Princes and Defenders of his faith in the world But hee rather chose to have them to the end of the world poore and despised men whom the world without any shew of just reason which can bee by them alleaged should overlooke and account of as low and meane conditioned men that his Spirit might in their ministerie bee the more glorified God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and weake things of the world to confound things that are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen ye and things that are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence But that his own Spirit might have all the honor therefore I was with you in weaknesse saith the Apostle and in feare in much trembling c. That your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God And againe Wee have this treasure in earthen vessells that the excellency of the power may bee of God and not of us not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord. Thus we finde that when the Church was most persecuted it did then most grow and in the worst times it brought forth the greatest fruit to note the power of Christs Kingdome above all the attempts of men A great doore and effectuall is opened unto mee saith the Apostle and there are many adversaries intimating that the Gospell of Christ had great successe when it was most resisted All persecutors as S. Cyprian observes are like Herod they take their times and seeke to slay Christ and overthrow his Kingdome in its infancie and therefore at that time doth hee most of all magnifie the power and protection of his Spirit over the same Never were there so many men converted as in those infant-times of the Church when the dragon stood before the woman ready to devoure her Childe as soone as it should bee borne The great Potentates of the world which did persecute the name of Christ were themselves at last thereunto subjected Non a repugnantibus sed a morientibus Christianis not by fighting but by dying Christians As a tree shaken sheds the more fruit and a perfume burnt diffuseth the sweetest Savor so persecuted Christianity doth the more flourish by the power of that Holy Spirit whose foolishnesse is wiser and whose weaknesse is stronger than all the oppositions and contradictions of men But if there bee such multitudes belonging unto Christs Kingdome is not universality and a visible pompe a true note to discerne the Church of Christ by To this I answer that a true characteristicall note or difference ought to bee convertible with that of which it is made a note and onely suteable thereunto for that which is common unto many can bee no evident note of this or that particular Now universality is common to Antichristian idolatrous malignant Churches The Arrian heresie invaded the world and by the Imperiall countenance spread it selfe into all Churches The whore was to sit upon many waters which were peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues the Kings of the earth were to bee made drunk with the wine of her fornications and all nations to drinke thereof Therefore touching these multitudes in the Church we are thus to state the point
the Lord is said to be at the Right Hand of his Church 485 Christs enemies kings 487 All praise and honour to bee given unto God for the Power and Office of Christ. 489 Christ is present and prepared to defend his people from their enemies 491 Christ in his appointed time will utterly overthrow his greatest enemies 493 Satans enmitie is in Tempting 494 Satans enmitie is in Accusing 495 How the Spirit of judgement overcommeth corruptions 495 How Christ overcommeth his potent adversaries in the world 498 There is a constituted time wherein Christ will be avenged of his enemies 502 1. VVhen sinne is growne to its fulnesse 503 which is knowne by its Vniversality 504 which is knowne by its Impudence 504 which is knowne by its Obstinacie 504 2. VVhen the Church is throughly humbled and purged 506 3. VVhen all humane hopes and expectations are gone 506 Christs victories are by way of pleading and disceptation 509 A torrent of curses betweene man and Salvation 515 The Necessity of Christs Sufferings 522 The Greatnesse and Nature of Christs Sufferings 521 522 The Power and vertue of Christs Resurrection 524 AN EXPOSITION OF THE HVNDRETH AND TENTH PSALME PSALME 110. vers 1. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole CHRIST IESVS the Lord is the Summe and Center of all divine revealed truth neither is any thing to be preached unto men as an object of their faith or necessary element of their salvation which doth not some way or other either meete in him or refer unto him All Truths especially divine are of a noble and pretious nature and therefore whatsoever mysteries of his Counsell God hath been pleased in his Word to reveale the Church is bound in her ministerie to declare unto men And Saint Paul professeth his faithfulnesse therein I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsell of God But yet all this Counsell which elsewhere he caâ—s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the testimonie of God he gathers together into this one conclusion I determined not to know any thing amongst you that is in my pâ—eaching unto you to make discovery of any other knowledge as matter of consequence or faith but onely of Iesus Christ and him crucified And therefore Preaching of the Word is called preaching of Christ and Ministers of the Word Ministers of Christ and learning of the Word Learning of Christ because our Faith our Workes and our Worship which are the three essentiall elements of a Christian the whole dutie of man and the whole will of God have all their foundation growth end and vertue only in and from Christ crucified There is no fruit weight nor value in a Christian title but only in and from the death of Christ. The Word in generall is divided into the Old and New Testament both which are the same in substance though different in the manner of their dispensations as Moses veild differ'd from himselfe unveild Now that Christ is the substance of the whole New Testament containing the Historie Doctrine and Prophesies of him in the administration of the latter ages of the Church is very manifest to all The old Scriptures are againe divided into the Law and Prophets for the historicall parts of them doe containe either typicall prefigurations of the Evangelicall Church or inductions and exemplary demonstrations of the generall truth of Gods justice and promises which are set forth by way of Doctrine and Precept in the Law and Prophets Now Christ is the summe of both these they waited upon him in his transfiguration to note that in him they had their accomplishment First for the Law hee is the substance of it hee brought Grace to fulfill the exactions and Truth to make good the prefigurations of the whole Law The ceremoniall Law he fulfilled and abolished the morall Law hee fulfilled and established that his obedience thereunto might be the ground of our righteousnesse and his Spirit and grace therewith might bee the ground of our Obedience And therefore it is called the Law of Christ. 2 For the Prophets he is the Summe of them too for to him they give all witnesse He is the Author of their Prophesies they spake by his Spirit and he is the object of their Prophesies they spake of the grace and salvation which was to come by him So that the whole Scriptures are nothing else but a Testimonie of Christ and faith in him of that absolute and universall necessitie which is laid upon all the world to beleeve in his name It is not onely necessitas praecepti because wee are thereunto commanded but necessitas medii too because he is the onely Ladder betweene earth and heaven the alone mediator betweene God and man in him there is a finall and unabolishable covenant established and there is no name but his under heaven by which a man can be saved In consideration of all which for that I haue formerly discovered the Insufficiency of any either inward or outward principle of mans happinesse save only the Life of Christ I have chosen to speake vpon this Psalme and out of it to discover those wayes whereby the Life of Christ is dispenced administred towards his Church For this Psalme is one of the cleerest and most compendious prophesies of the Person and Offices of Christ in the whole Old Testament and so full of fundamentall truth that I shall not shunne to call it Symbolum Davidicum the Prophet Davids Creed And indeed there are very few if any of the Articles of that Creed which we all generally professe which are not either plainely expressed or by most evident implication couched in this little modell First the Doctrine of the Trinitie is in the first words The Lord said unto my Lord. There is Iehovah the Father and My Lord the Sonne and the sanctification or consecration of him which was by the Holy Ghost by whose fulnesse he was anointed unto the Offices of King and Priest for so our Saviour himselfe expounds this word Said by the sealing sanctification of him to his office Ioh. 10.34 35 36. Then wee have the Incarnation of Christ in the word My Lord together with his dignitie and honor above David as our Savior himselfe expounds it Matth. 22.42.45 Mine that is my Sonne by descent and genealogie after the flesh and yet my Lord too in regard of a higher sonship We have also the Sâ—fferings of Christ in that he was consecrated a Priest v. 4. to offer up himselfe once for all and so to drinke of the brooke in the way Wee have his Eluctation and conquest over all his enemies and sufferings his resurrection he shall lift up his head his Ascension and Intercession sit thou on my right hand And in that is comprised his Descent into Hell by S. Pauls way of arguing That he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth Eph. 4.9
naturall motion of the winde or water causeth an artificiall effect in grinding the corne How much more then shall the wisedome of Almighty God whose weaknesse is stronger and whose foolishnesse is wiser than men be able so to use incline and order the wils of men without destroying either them or their liberty as that thereby the Kingdome of his Sonne shall be set up amongst them so that though there be still an habituall radicall fundamentall indetermination and indifferencie unto severall wayes unto none of which there can bee a Compulsion yet by the secret ineffâ—ble and most sweete operation of the Spirit of grace opening the eyes convincing the judgment perswading the affections enclining the heart giving an understanding quickning and knocking the conscience a man shall be swayed unto the Obedience of Christ and shall come unto him so certainely as if he were Drawen and yet so freely as if he were left unto himselfe For in the calling of men by the word there is a Trahere and a Venire The Father draweth and the man commeth Ioh. 6.44 That notes the efficacie of grace and this the sweetnesse of grace Grace worketh strongly and therefore God is said To Draw and it worketh sweetly too and therefore man is said to Come Againe from hence wee learne our Dutie unto this King the honor and subjection which is due unto him The Father committeth all Iudgment to the Sonne that is hath anointed him with the office and abilities of a King for judgment stands for the whole duty of a King Psal. 72.1 and is therefore frequently attributed unto the Messias Esai 42.1.4 Ier. 23.5 Ier. 33.15 And from thence our Saviour inferres that all men should honour the Sonne even as they honour the Father Iob. 2.22 23. with the same worship reverence subjection For God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of Iesus that is unto that holy thing unto the power and Scepter of that divine Person which is unto us so comfortably manifested in a name of salvation Every knee should bow c. Phil. 2.9 10. This Dutie the Psalmist expresseth by kissing the Sonne Which denoteth unto us 3 things I Love For a kisse is a symbole and expression of love and therefore used by the primitive Christians in their Feasts of Love and after prayer unto God and oftentimes enjoyned by S. Paul as an Expression of Christian Love Insomuch that it was a proverbiall speech amongst the Heathen see how these Christians doe love one another And this is a Dutie which the Apostle requires under paine of the extremest curse that can light upon a man to Love the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 And if any man saith our Savior Loveth Father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me or Sonne or Daughter more than me hee is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 That is hee is utterly unqualified for the benefit of my mediation For hee that hath good by me cannot choose but love me Luk. 7.47 2 To kisse in the Scripture phrase noteth Worship and Service Let the men that Sacrifice kisse the Calves Hos. 13.2 Iob 31.26 27. And thus wee finde the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders and every Creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth worshipping the Lambe and ascribing blessing honor glorie and power unto him Revel 5.8.14 3 To kisse is an expression of Loialtie and Obedience thus Samuel kissed Saul when hee had anointed him King over Israel 1 Sam. 10.1 And therefore the Septuagint and Hierom and from them our Translators render the word which signifieth to kisse by being obedient or ruled by the words of Ioseph Gen. 41.40 And this likewise is a dutie which wee owe unto Christ to be obedient to him to bee ruled by his mouth and by the Scepter of his mouth that is by his word which is therefore called the Law of Christ because it hath a binding power in it Wee are commanded from heaven to heare him Matt. 17.5 And that too under paine of a curse every soule which will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Act. 3.23 Wee should learne therefore to take his Commands as from God for he speaketh his Fathers words and in his name Deut. 18.19 Ioh. 3.34 When Ahasuerus Commanded Haman to put on the Crowne upon Mordecai hee presently executed the Kings pleasure and honored his greatest enemie because the King required it Now God hath made Christ our King and hath crowned him with honor and Majestie as the Apostle speakes and requires of us to kisse this his Sonne and to bow unto his name and therefore bee wee what wee will Princes or Judges or great men of the world who rejoyce in nothing more than in the name of wisedome this is our Wisedome and dutie Psal. 2.10 12. It is too ordinary with great men to bee regardlesse of God and of his waies Yet wee see the wrath of God in his creatures fire tempest pestilence sword sicknesse makes no distinction between them and others how much lesse will God himselfe make when all crownes and scepters and dignities shall be resigned to him and all men shall stand in an equall distance and condition before the tribunall of Christ when no titles of honor no eminencie of station no treasures of wealth no strength of dependencies no retinue traine of servants will accompany a man into the presence of the Lamb or stand betweene him and the judgment of that great day Wee know hee was a King that feared the presence of a persecuted Prophet and hee was a Prince that trembled at the preaching of an Apostle in chaines The word of God cannot bee bound nor limited it is the Scepter which his Father hath given him and wee cannot without opeÌ„ contestation against God resist his government therein over us Hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me saith our Saviour It is Christ himselfe whose Ambassadors wee are and with whom men have to doe in our ministerie And hee will have it so First For our Peace If God should speake againe by the Ministerie of Angels in thunder and fire as he did on mount Sina we would quickly call for Moses Ministers againe Exod. 20.19 Secondly For his owne glorie that the Excellencie may be of God and not of men 2 Cor. 4.7 That it may not be in him that planteth nor in him that watereth but in God which giveth the blessing and increase 1 Cor. 3.7 That it may not bee in him which willeth nor in him which runneth but in God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 That the service cooperation and helpe of the Churches joy might bee ours but the Dominion over mens faith and the teaching of their inner man might be Christs 2 Cor. 1.24 Eph. 4.20 21. Very bold therefore and desperate is the contumacie of
in dying rising and reviving he became Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.9 Revel 5.12 And thus he is Lord in two respects First A Lord in Power and strength Power to forgive sinnes Power to quicken whom hee will Power to cleanse justifie and sanctifie Power to succor in temptations Power to raise from the dead Power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Power to hold fast his sheepe Power to cast out the accuser of the brethren Power to put downe all his enemies and to subdue all things unto himselfe Secondly A Lord in Authoritie To judge to anoint to imploy to command whom and what hee will He onely is Lord over our persons over our faith over our consciences To him onely we must say Lord save us lest wee perish to him onely wee must say Lord what will thou have me to doe And such a Lord Christ was to his owne fore-fathers They all did eate of the same Spirituall meate and all dranke of the same Spirituall drinke even of that rock which was Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. He was the substance of the Ceremonies the Doctrine of the Prophets the accomplishment of the Promises the joy and salvation of Patriarchs and Princes the desire and expectation of all flesh The Gospell to us a History and narration and therefore delivered by the hand of witnesses to them a promise and prediction and therefore delivered by the hand of Prophets The Apostles entered into the Prophets Labours and were servants in the same common salvation these as sowers and they as reapers these as preachers of the seed hoped and they as preachers of the same seed exhibited The ancient Iewes then were not saved by bare temporall promises neither was their faith ultimately fixed upon Ceremonies or earthly things but as their preachers had the same Spirit of Christ with ours so the Doctrine which they preached the faith and obedience which they required the salvation which they foretold was the same with ours As the same Sun illightens the starres above and the earth beneath so the same Christ was the Righteousnesse and salvation both of his fore-fathers and of his seed They without us could not be made perfect that is as I conceive their faith had nothing actually extant amongst themselves to perfect it but received all its forme and accomplishment from that better thing which was provided for and exhibited unto us For the Law that is the carnall Commandement and outward Ceremonies therein prescribed made nothing no grace no person perfect but the bringing in of a better hope that is of Christ who as hee is unto us the hope of glory so hee was unto them the hope of deliverance for he alone it is by whom wee draw nigh unto God doth perfect for ever those that are sanctified Heb. 7.19 Heb. 10.14 If Christ then be our Lord wee must trust in him and depend upon him for all our present subsistence and our future expectations For he never faileth those that wait upon him He that beleeveth in him shall not bee ashamed And indeed faith is necessary to call Christ Lord. No man can call Iesus Lord but by the Spirit Because other Lords are present with us they doe with their own eye oversee and by their owne visible power order and direct us in their service But Christ is absent from our senses Though I have knowne Christ after the flesh yet henceforth saith the Apostle know I him no more Therefore to feare and honor and serve him with all fidelity to yeeld more absolute and universall obedience to his commands though absent though tenderd unto us by the Ministerie of meane and despicable persons than to the threates and Scepters of the greatest Princes to labour that not only present but absent we may bee accepted of him to doe his hardest workes of selfe-deniall of overcomming and rejecting the assaults of the World of standing out against principalities powers and spirituall wickednes of suffering and dying in his service needs must there bee faith in the hart to see him present by his Spirit to set to our seale to the truth authoritie and Majesty of all his commands to heare the Lord speaking from heaven and to finde by the secret and powerfull revelations of his Spirit out of the word to the soule evident and invincible proofes of his living by the power of God and speaking mightily in the Ministery of his Word to our consciences Therefore when the Apostle had said Wee are absent from the Lord hee presently addes We walk by faith That is we labor to yeeld all service and obedience to this our Lord though absent because by faith which giveth presence to things unseen and subsistence to things that are yet but hoped wee know that hee is and that hee is a rewarder of those that diligently seeke him And indeed though every man call him Lord yet no man doth in truth and sincerity of heart so esteeme him but those who doe in this manner serve him and by faith walke after him If I be a Master saith the Lord where is my feare Malach. 1.6 It is not every one that saith Lord Lord but hee that doth my will that trembleth at my word that laboureth in my service who declares himselfe to be mine indeed For the heart of man cannot have two Masters because which way ever it goes it goes whole and undivided Wee cannot serve Christ and any thing else which stands in Competition with him First because they are Contrary Masters one cannot bee pleased or served without the disallowance of the other The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy that is grudgeth and cannot endure that any service should be done to the Lord. For the Friendship of the World is enmitie against God Iam. 4.4 5. And therefore saith the Apostle If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him and the reason is because they are contrarie principles and have contrary Spirits and lusts and therefore must needs over-rule unto contrary services Secondly because both Masters have employments enough to take up a whole man Satan and the World have lusts to fill the whole head and heart of their most active and industrious servants for the Apostle saith that all which is in the World is lusts And the heart of man is wholy or most greedily set in him to doe that evill which it is tasked withall Eccle. 8.11 The all that is in man all his faculties all his affections the whole Compasse of his created abilities are all gone aside or turned backward there is no man no part in man that doth any good no not one Psal. 14.3.53.3 Christ likewise is a great Lord hath much more businesse than all the time or strength of his Servants can bring about Hee requireth the obedience of every thought of the heart 2 Cor. 10.5 Grace and edification and profit in all the words
enriched to be stedfast unmoveable abundant in the worke of the Lord to doe his will as the Angels in heaven doe it yet in many things they faile and have daily experience of their owne defects But here is all the comfort though I am not able to doe any of my duties as I should yet Christ hath finished all his to the full and therefore though I am compassed with infirmities so that I cannot doe the things which I would yet I have a compassionate advocate with the Father who both giveth and craveth pardon for every one that prepareth his heart to seeke the Lord though he be not perfectly cleansed 1 Ioh. 2.2 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Secondly Against the pertinacie and close adherence of our corruptions which cleave as fast unto us as the very powers and faculties of our soule as heat unto fire or light unto the Sunne Yet sure we are that he who forbad the fire to burne and put blacknesse upon the face of the Sunne at midday is able likewise to remove our corruptions as farre from us as he hath removed them from his owne sight And the ground of our expectation hereof is this Christ when he was upon the earth in the forme of a servant accomplished all the Offices of suffering and obedience for us Therefore being now exalted farre above all heavens at the right hand of Majestie and glory he will much more fulfill those Offices of Power which he hath there to doe Which are by the supplies of his Spirit to purge us from sinne by the sufficiencie of his grace to strengthen us by his word to sanctifie and cleanse us and to present us to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle He that brought from the dead the Lord Iesus and suffered not death to hold the head is able by that power and for that reason to make us perfect in every good worke to doe his will and not to suffer corruption for ever to hold the members It is the frequent argument of the Scripture Heb. 13.20 21. Col. 2.12 Eph. 1.19 20. Rom. 6.5 6. Rom. 8.11 Thirdly against all those firie darts of Satan wherby he tempteth us to despaire and to forsake our mercie If he could have held Christ under when he was in the grave then indeed our faith would have been vaine we should be yet in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. But he who himselfe suffered being tempted and overcame both the sufferings and the temptation is able to succor those that are tempted and to shew them mercie and grace to helpe in time of need Heb. 2.17 18. Heb. 4. 15 16. Lastly against death it selfe For the Accomplishment of Christs Office of redemption in his resurrection from the dead was both the Merit the Seale and the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20 22. Thirdly The sitting of Christ on the right hand of his Father noteth unto us the actuall Administration of his Kingdome Therefore that which is here said sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole the Apostle thus expoundeth He must raigne till he hath put all enemies vnder his feete 1 Cor. 15.25 And he therefore died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living namely by being exalted unto Gods right hand Rom. 14.9 Now this Administration of Christs Kingdome implies severall particulars First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The publication of established Lawes For that which is in this Psalme called the sending forth of the rod of Christs strength out of Sion is thus by the Prophets expounded Out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Esai 2.3 Mich. 4.2 Secondly The conquering and subduing of subjects to himselfe by converting the hearts of men and bringing their thoughts into the obedience of his Kingdome Ministerially by the word of reconciliation and effectually by the power of his Spirit writing his Lawes in their hearts and transforming them into the image of his word from glorie to glorie Thirdly Ruling and leading those whom he hath thus converted in his way continuing unto their hearts his heavenly voice never utterly depriving them of the exciting assisting cooperating grace of his holy Spirit but by his divine power giving unto them all things which pertaine unto life and godlinesse after he had once called them by his glorious power Esai 2.2 Ioh. 10.3 4. 1 Cor. 1.4 8. Esai 30.21 1 Pet. 2.9 2 Pet. 1.3 Fourthly Protecting upholding succouring them against all temptations and discouragements By his compassion pittying them by his power and promises helping them by his care and wisedome proportioning their strength to their trials By his peace recompencing their conflicts by patience and experience establishing their hearts in the hope of deliverance Heb. 2.17 Ioh. 16.33 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 1.5 Phil. 4.7 19. Rom. 15.4 Fifthy Confounding all his enemies First Their projects holding up his Kingdome in the midst of their malice and making his truth like a tree settle the faster and like a torch shine the brighter for the shaking Secondly Their Persons Whom he doth here gall and torment by the Scepter of his word constraining them by the evidence thereof to subscribe to the Iustice of his wrath and whom he reserveth for the day of his appearing till they shall be put all under his feete In which respect he is said to stand at the right hand of God as a man of warre ready armed for the defence of his Church Act. 7.56 Fourthly the sitting of Christ on the right hand of God noteth unto us his giving of gifts and sending downe of the Holy Ghost upon men It hath been an universall custome both in the Church and elsewhere in dayes of great joy and solemnitie to give gifts and send presents unto men Thus after the wall of Ierusalem was built and the worship of God restored and the Law read and expounded by Ezra to the people after their captivitie it is said that the people did eate and drinke and send portions Nehem. 8. 10 12. The like forme was by the people of the Iewes observed in their feast of Purim Ester 9.22 And the same custome hath bin observed amongst heathen Princes upon solemne and great occasions to distribute donations and congiaries amongst the people Thus Christ in the day of his Majestie and Inauguration in that great and solemne triumph when he ascended up on high and led captivity captive he did withall give gifts unto men Eph. 4.10 Christ was notably typified in the Ark of the Testament In it were the Tables of the Law to shew that the whole Law was in Christ fulfilled and that he was the end of the Law for Righteousnesse to those that beleeve in him There was the golden pot which had Manna to signifie that heavenly and abiding nourishment which from him the Church receiveth There was the Rod of Aaron which budded Signifying either the miraculous incarnation of Christ in a Virgin or
And therfore it is called the fulfilling of the Law True love unto Christ keepes the whole heart together and carries it all one way and so makes it universall uniforme and constant in all its affections unto God for unstedfastnesse of life proceeds from a divided or double heart Iam. 1.8 As in the motions of the heavens there is one common circumvolution which ex aequo carrieth the whole frame daily unto one point from east to west though each severall spheare hath a severall crosse way of its owne wherin some move with a swifter and others with a slower motion So though severall Saints may have their severall corruptions and those likewise in some stronger than in others yet being all animated by one and the same Spirit they all agree in a steddy and uniforme motion unto Christ. If a stone were placed under the concave of the moone though there bee fire and aire and water between yet through them all it would hasten to its owne place so bee the obstacles never so many or the conditions never so various through which a man must passe through evill report and good report through terrors and temptations through a sea and a wildernesse through firy Serpents and sons of Anak yet if the heart love Christ indeed and conclude that heaven is its home nothing shall bee able totally to discourage it from hastning thither whither Christ the forerunner is gone before Secondly the true Love of Christ is grounded upon the evidence of that Proprietie which the soule hath unto him And of that mutuall inhabitation and possession which is between them So that our love unto him in this regard is a kinde of selfe love and therefore very strong because Christ and a Christian are but one And the more perswasion the soule hath of this unity the more must it needs love Christ. For wee love him because hee loved us first 1 Ioh. 4.16.19 And therefore our Saviour from the womans apprehension of Gods more abundant love in the remission of her many and great sinnes concludeth the measure and proportion of her love to him But saith he To whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Luke 7.47 Now True Love of Christ and his Kingdome thus grounded will undoubtedly manifest it selfe first in an universall extent unto any thing wherin Christ is present unto his Church First the soule in this case will abundantly love and cherish the Spirit of Christ. Entertaine with dearest embraces as worthy of all acceptation the motions and dictates and secret illapses of him into the soule will bee carefull to heare his voice alwayes behinde him prompting and directing him in the way he should walke will endevour with all readinesse and pliablenesse of heart to receive the impression of his seale and the testimonie which hee giveth in the inner man unto all Gods promises will feare and suspect nothing more than the frowardnesse of his owne nature which daily endevoureth to quench grieve resist rebel against this Holy Spirit and to fling off from his conduct againe Secondly the soule in this case will abundantly love the Ordinances of God in which by his Spirit hee is still walking in the midst of the Churches for the Law is written in it by the finger of God so that there is a suteablenesse and coincidencie betweene the Law of God and the heart of such a man He will receive the word in the puritie thereof and not give way to those humane inventions which adulterate it to that spirituall treason of wit and fancie or of heresie and contradiction which would stampe the private image and superscription of a man upon Gods owne coine and torture the Scriptures to confesse that which was never in them Hee will receive the word in the power majestie and authority thereof suffering it like thunder to discover the forrest and to drive out all those secret corruptions which shelterd themselves in the corners or deceit of his heart He will delight to have his imaginations humbled and his fleshly reasonings non plus'd al his thoughts subdued unto the obedience of Christ. Hee will receive the word as a wholsome potion to that very end that it may search his secret places and purge out those tough and incorporated lusts which hitherto hee had not prevailed against Hee will take heed of hardning his heart that hee may not heare of rejecting the counsell of God against himselfe of thrusting away the word from him of setting up a resolved will of his owne against the call of Christ as of most dangerous down-fals to the soule Lastly he will receive the word in the spiritualnesse thereof subscribing to the closest precepts of the Law suffering it to clense his heart unto the bottome hee will let the consideration of Gods command preponderate and over-rule all respects of feare love profit pleasure credit compliancy or any other charme to disobedience hee will bee contented to bee led in the narrowest way to have his secretest corruption reveal'd and remov'd to expose his conscience with patience under the saving though severest blowes of this spirituall sword In one word hee will deny the pride of his owne wit and if it bee the evident truth of God which is taught him though it come naked and without any dressings or contributions of humane fancie hee will distinguish betweene the author and the instrument betweene the treasure and the vessell in which it comes and from any hand receive it with such awefull submission of heart as becommeth Gods owne word Thirdly the soule in this case will most dearly love every member of Christ. For these two the love of Christ and of his members doe infallibly accompany one another For though there bee a farre higher proportion of love due unto Christ than unto men yet our love to our brethren is quoad nos and à posteriori not onely the evidences but even the measure of our love to Christ. He that loveth not his brother whom hee hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seene saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.20 hee that hath not love enough in him for a man like himselfe how can hee love God whose goodnesse being above our knowledge requireth a transcendency in our love This then is a sure rule He that loveth not a member of Christ loveth not him and hee who groweth in his love to his brethren groweth likewise in his love to Christ. For as there is the same proportion of one to five as there is of twenty to an hundred though the numbers be farre lesse as the motion of the shadow upon the diall answereth exactly to that proportion of motion and distance which the Sunne hath in the firmament though the Sunne goeth many millions of miles when the shadow it may bee moveth not the breadth of a hand so though our love to Christ ought to be a far more abundant love than to any of his members yet certaine it is that the measure
ye shall be glad also with exceeding joy And this joy shall be so much the greater because it shall grow out of the everlasting subjection of the enemie under Christs feet and those whom here they persecuted and despised shal there with Christ be their judges Secondly as it noteth the Rest so likewise the Triumph of Christ when he shall set his feet on the necke of his enemies The Apostle saith that he triumphed over them in his Crosse Coloss. 2.15 And there are two words which have an allusion unto the formes of triumph Expoliation and Publication or representation of the pompe unto the world of the faithfull He spoiled principalities and powers that is He tooke from them all their armour wherein they trusted and divided the spoiles Luke 11.22 The armour of Satan was principally the hand-writing of the Law which was against us or contrary unto us so long as wee were under the full force and rigour of that so long we were under the possession and tyranny of Satan but when Christ nailed that unto the Crosse and tooke it out of the way then all the other panoply of Satan was easily taken from him he was then spoiled of all his weapons and provisions of lust for the world and therewithall the things which are in the world were unto us crucified in the Crosse of Christ so that now by faith in him wee are able to overcome the world to value it aright to esteeme the promises thereof thinne and empty and the threatnings thereof vaine and false the treasures thereof baser than the very reproches of Christ and the afflictions thereof not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall bee revealed in us as being in their measure but light and but momentary in their duration The power and wisdome of Satan was likewise in the Crosse of Christ most notably befooled and disappointed for when hee thought that hee had now swallowed up Christ hee found a hooke under that bait he found that which neither himselfe nor any of his instruments could have suspected that Christ crucified was indeed the wisdome of God and the power of God and that through death hee chose to destroy him who had the power of death 1 Cor. 1.24 Heb. 2.14 Againe he made a shew or publike representation of this his victory and of these his spoiles openly unto the world As the Crosse was his triumphall chariot so was it likewise ferculum pompae the pageant as it were and table of his spoiles for though to a carnall eye there was nothing but ignominy and dishonour in it yet to those that are called there is an eye of faith given to see in the Crosse of Christ Hell disappointed Satan confounded his kingdome demolished the earthly members of the old man crucified affections and lusts abated and captivity alreadie led captive And indeed what triumph of any the most glorious Conquerour was ever honoured with the opening of graves the resurrection of the dead the conversion of enemies the acclamation of mute and inanimate creatures the darknesse of the Sunne the trembling of the earth the compassion of the rockes the amazement of the world the admiration of the Angels of heaven but onely this triumph of Christ upon the Crosse And if he did so triumph there how much more at the right hand of the Majestie on high where he is crowned with glory and honour and at that great day which is therefore called the Day of the Lord Iesus because hee will therein consummate his triumph over all his enemies when hee shall come with the attendance of Angels in a chariot of fire with all the unbeleevers of the world bound before his Throne and with the clamour applause and admiration of all the Saints And this is a plentifull ground of comfort to the faithfull in all their conflicts with Satan sinne temptations or corruptions they fight under his protection and with his Spirit who hath himselfe already triumphed who accounteth our temptations his and his victories ours who turned the sorest perplexities which the world shal ever see into a doctrine of comfort unto his Disciples Luke 21 25-28 When ever then we are assaulted with any heavie temptation to discomforts feares fainting wearinesse despaire sinfull conformities or the like let us not tosse over our owne store nor depend upon any strength or principles of our owne but looke onely by faith unto the victories of Christ and to this great promise which is here made unto him as Head and Captaine of the Church by whom wee shall be able to doe all things and though wee were surrounded with enemies to escape as he did thorow the midst of them all Wee know the Cats unum magnum in the fable was more worth than the Foxes thousand shifts notwithstanding all the which he was caught at the last Our enemies come against us in armies with infinite methods and stratagems to circumvent us this onely is our comfort that we have unum magnum one refuge which is above all the wisdome of the enemie to climbe up unto the Crosse of Christ and to commit the keeping of our soules unto him out of whose hands no man can take them When David went forth against Goliah he did not grapple with him by his owne strength but with his Sling and his stone at a distance overthrew him It is not good to let Satan come too close unto the soule to let in his temptations or to enter into any private and intimate combate with him this was for our Captain onely to doe who we know entred into the field with him as being certaine of his owne strength but our onely way to prevaile against him is to take faith as a sling and Christ as a stone he will undoubtedly finde out a place to enter in and to sinke the proudest enemie we are beset with enemies yea we are enemies unto our selves the burden of the flesh the assaults of the world the firy darts of Satan treason within and warres without swarmes of Midianites troopes of Amalekites the Sea before us the Aegyptian behinde us sinne before Satan and the world behinde either I must runne on and bee drowned in sinne or I must stand still and be hewed in peeces with the persecutions of wicked men or I must revolt and turne backe to Aegypt and so be devoured in her plagues In these extremities the Apostle hath given us our unum magnum Looke unto Iesus he that is the Author will be the finisher of our faith It is yet but a little while he will come and will not tarry he is within the view of our faith hee is within the crie of our prayers hee sitteth at the right hand of power nay hee there standeth and is risen up already in the quarrell of his Saints Act. 7.56 The nearer the Aegyptian is to Israel the nearer he is to ruine and the nearer Israel is to deliverance Though Moses have
soule did before shelter whole flocks of evill affections when hee came out the tide was driven back the streame turned the center of his heart altered his forrest discovered his lusts scattered and subdued What ailes this man Hee hath but heard an houres discourse the same which others heare and their tide riseth the higher by it Certainly these Devils were not cast out these streames were not turned back but by the finger of God himselfe When the minister of Christ shall whisper in the ears of a dead man whom no thunder could have awakened and hee shall immediatly rise up and give glory to God when Christ shall call men to denie themselves to get above themselves to hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and their owne life to sell all that they have to crucifie and be cruell to their owne members to pull out their right eyes to cut off their right hands to part from those sinnes which before they esteemed their choicest ornaments and from those too which before they made their chiefest support and subsistence to stand at defiance with the allurements or discouragements of the world to bee set up for signes and wonders for very proverbs of skorne and objects of hatred to those of their owne house to receive persecutions as rewards and entertaine them not with patience onely but with thankfulnesse and rejoicing to bee all their life long in the midst of enemies put to tedious conflicts with the powers of the world and of darknesse to beleeve things which they have not seen and to hope for things which they doe not know and yet maugre all this to refuse to consult with flesh and bloud to stand still more in awe of Gods word than of any other thing certainly that which with the voice of a weake man bringeth such great things to passe must needs bee Virga virtutis a Rod of strength A Rod like the Rod of Moses which can lead us through such seas as these to one whom wee have never seen nor knowen before Esai 55.5 Secondly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the justification of men as it is Sceptrum Iustitiae a Scepter of Righteousnesse a word of reconciliation a Gospell of salvation a Law of the Spirit of life a ministration of the Spirit of life and of Righteousnesse an opening of prisons and a proclaiming of liberty unto captives in these respects likewise it is full of power There was a mighty power in the Law of God typified in those thundrings and terrors with which it was administred upon mount Sina the Apostle calleth it a Schoolmaster to scourge and drive us unto Christ and the Psalmist an iron Rod able to breake in pieces all the potsherds of the earth And we know boies in a Schoole doe not apprehend so much terror in the King as in their Master Yet in comparison of the Power of the Gospell the Law it selfe was very weake and unprofitable able to make nothing perfect The Power of the Law was onely to destruction the Power of the Gospell for edification The Law could onely hold under him that was downe before it could never raise him up againe Now the power is farre greater to raise than to kill to forgive sinnes than to bind them Herein is the mighty strength of Gods mercy seen that it can passe by iniquities transgressions and sinnes To preach the Gospell of Christ in his name and authority is an evident argument of that plenary power which is given unto him both in heaven and earth And the very dispensing of this word of reconciliation which is committed unto the Ministers of the Gospell how basely soever the ungratefull world may esteeme of them hath honored them with a title of as great power as a man is capable of to bee called Saviors to have the custodie of the keyes of heaven ministerially and instrumentally under Christ and his Spirit to save the soules and to cover the sinnes of men Now then that word which from the mouth of a weake man is able to reconcile a child of wrath unto God and by the words of one houre to cover and wipe out the sinnes of many yeares which were scattered as thick in the soules of men as the starres in the firmament must needs bee virga virtutis a Rod of strength Thirdly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the sanctification of men as it is Sceptrum cum unctione a Scepter which hath ever an unction accompanying it As it is a Sanctifying Truth an heavenly teaching a forming of Christ in the soule a making of the heart as it were his Epistle by writing the Law therein and manifesting the power and image of Christ in the conscience If a man should touch a marble or adamant stone with a seale and taking it off should see the print of it left behinde hee could not but conceive some wonderfull and secret vertue to have wrought so strange an effect Now our hearts are of themselves as hard as the nether milstone when then a holy word so meekly and gently laid on upon them shall leave there an impression of its own puritie when so small a thing as a graine of mustard-seed shall transforme an earthy soule into its owne nature when the eyes and hands and mouth of Christ being in the ministerie of his word spread upon the eyes and hands and mouth of a Childe shall revive the same from death when by looking into a glasse wee shall not onely have a view of our owne faces but shall see them changed into the image of another face which from thence shineth upon us how can wee but conclude that certainly that word by which such wonders as these are effected is indeed virga virtutis a Rod of strength Fourthly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the Perservation and Perseverance of the Saints as it is Virga germinans a Rod like Aarons Rod which blossomed and the blossomes perished not but remained in the Ark for a Testimony of Gods power For as those buds or the Manna in the Ark did not perish so neither doth the word of the Gospell in the hearts of the faithfull The Apostle saith that wee are kept by the power of God unto salvation and S. Iude that Gods power keepeth the Saints from falling and presenteth them faultlesse before the presence of his glory and what is this power of God whereby hee doth it but the Gospell of Christ which S. Peter calleth semen incorruptibile uncorruptible seed and the Spirit of Christ which S. Iohn calleth semen manens an abiding seed If I should see a tree with perpetuall fruit without any variation from the difference of seasons a tree like that in S. Iohns Paradise which every moneth did bring forth fruite of twelve severall kindes I should conclude that it had an extraordinary vitall power in it so
condition and therefore not within the comprehension of an earthly understanding It is a wisedome which is from above The holy Ghost likewise is a Revealer of the Gospell unto the faithfull He was sent that hee might Convince the world not onely of sinne but of righteousnesse and judgement too which are Evangelicall things The spirit searcheth all things even the deepe things of God that is his unsearchable love wisedome and counsell in the Gospell Therefore the Gospell is called The Law of the spirit of life and the ministration of the spirit and the Revelation of the spirit and No man can call Iesus Lord but by the holy spirit that is though men may out of externall conformity to the discipline and profession under which they live with their mouthes acknowledge him to be the Lord yet their hearts will never tremble nor willingly submit themselves to his obedience their conscience will never set to its seale to the spirituall power of Christ over the thoughts desires and secrets of the soule but by the over-ruling direction of the holy Ghost Nature taught the Pharises to call him Beelzebub and Samaritan but it is the Spirit onely which teacheth men to acknowledge him a Lord. Christ is not the power nor the wisedome of God to any but to those who are called that is to those unto whose consciences the Spirit witnesseth the righteousnes which is to bee found in him So then the Publication of the Gospell belongeth unto men but the effectuall teaching and revelation thereof unto the soule is the joynt worke of the holy Trinity opening the heart to attend and perswading the heart to beleeve the Gospell as a thing worthy of all acceptation Thus the Gospell is a Glorious thing in regard of the Originall and Authour of it From whence wee may inferre that what-ever men thinke of the ministerie and dispensation of the Word yet undoubtedly the neglect and scorne which is shewed unto it is done unto Christ himselfe and that in his glory he that receiveth not his Word rejecteth his person and the sinne of a man against the words which we speake in the name and authority of Christ and in the dispensation of that office wherewith he hath entrusted us is the same with the sinnes of those men who despised him in his owne person You will say Christ is in heaven how can any injuries of ours reach unto him Surely though he be in heaven which is now the Court of his royall residence yet hee hath to doe upon earth as one of the chiefe territories of his dominion and in the ministerie of his Word hee speaketh from heaven still He it was who by his Ambassadour Saint Paul came and preached Peace to the Ephesians who were afarre off His spirit it was which in the Prophets did testifie of his sufferings and glory Hee it was who gave manifest proofe of his owne power speaking in his Apostles He then who refuseth to obey the words of a Minister in the execution of his office when hee forewarneth him of the wrath to come and doth not discerne the Lords voice therein but in despight of this ministeriall citation unto the tribunall of Christ will still persist in the way of his owne heart and as he hath beene so resolveth to continue a swearing blasphemous luxurious proud revengefull and riotous person thinking it basenesse to mourne for sinne and unnecessary strictnesse to humble himselfe to walke with God and yet because all men else doe so will professe his faith in the Lord Iesus that man is a notorious liar yea as the Apostle speaketh he maketh God a liar too in not beleeving the record which he giveth of his Sonne which is that hee should wash away the filth and purge out the bloud of his people with a spirit of judgement and a spirit of burning that he should sit as a refiner and purifier of silver purging his priests that they might offer unto the Lord an offring in righteousnesse Hee walketh contrary to that Covenant of mercy which he professeth to lay hold on for this is one of the great promises of the Covenant I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes Hee walketh contrary to the quality of that feare of God which yet he professeth to feele as well as others For the feare of the Lord is a cleane thing He walketh contrary to the vertue of that bloud with which notwithstanding hee professeth to bee sprinkled for the bloud of Christ cleanseth not onely the lives but the very consciences of men from dead workes that is makes them so inwardly labour for purity of heart as that they may not be conscious to themselves of any though the most secret allowed sinne He walketh contrary to the fruitfulnesse of that grace which alone he professeth to boast in for the Spirit of grace which is powred from on high maketh the very wildernesse a fruitfull field He walketh contrarie to the properties of that faith by which alone he hopeth to be saved For true faith purifieth the heart and therefore a pure heart and a good conscience are the inseparable companions of an unfained faith And therefore what-ever verball and ceremonious homage hee may tender unto Christ yet in good earnest he is ashamed of him and dares not preferre the yoke of Christ before the lusts of the world or the reproaches of Christ before the treasures of the world Why should it be treason to kill a Judge in his ministerie on the bench or esteemed an injurie to the state to doe any indignitie to the Ambassadour of a great prince but because in such relations they are persons publike and representative ut eorum bona malaque ad Rempublicam pertineant why should the supreme Officer of the kingdome write Teste meipso in the name and power of his Prince but because he hath a more immediate representation of his sacred person and commission thereunto Surely the case is the same between Christ and his Ministers in their holy function And therefore we finde the expressions promiscuous sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell of Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Gospell sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preaching of Iesus Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My preaching In the vertue of which synergie and co-partnership with Christ and with God as he saveth so we save as he forgiveth sinnes so we forgive them as he judgeth wicked men so wee judge them as he beseecheth so we also beseech saith the Apostle that you bee reconciled and receive not the grace of God in vaine Wee by his Grace and he by our ministerie He therefore that despiseth any conviction out
of the Booke of God and he that obeyeth not doth despise for the Lord calleth disobedience rebellion stubbornenesse and a rejecting of his word 1 Sam. 15.22 23. He that persisteth in any knowne sinne or in the constant omission of any evident dutie fighteth against Christ himselfe throweth away his owne mercy stoppeth his eares at the entreaties of the Lord and committeth a sinne directly against Heaven And if he so persist God will make him know that there is flaming fire prepared for those that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes. 1.8 Therefore whensoever we come unto the Word read or preached wee should come with an expectation to heare Christ himselfe speaking from heaven unto us and bring such affections of submission and obedience as becommeth his presence Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith unto the Churches I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speake peace unto his people Christs sheepe discerne his voyce in the dispensation of the Gospell and will not know the voice of strangers And this was the honour of the Thessalonians and the men of Berea that in the preaching of the Word they did set themselves as in Gods presence expecting in it his authoritie and receiving it in his name Dareth any man to rush with a naked weapon into the presence of his prince and with scorne to throw backe his owne personall commands into his face againe And shall wee dare to come armed with high thoughts and proud reasonings and stubborne resolutions against the majesty of the Lord himselfe who speaketh from heaven unto us Receive with meeknesse saith the Apostle the ingrafted Word which is able to save your soules The word doth not mingle nor incorporate and by consequence doth not change nor save the soule but when it is received with meeknesse that is when a man commeth with a resolution to lay downe his weapons to fall downe on his face and give glory to God he that is swift to wrath that is to set up stout and fretfull affections against the purity and power of the Word to snuffe against it and to fall backward like pettish children which will not be led will be very slow to heare or to obey it for the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God A proud hearer will be an unprofitable liver Ever therefore come unto the word with this conclusion It may be this day will God strike me in my master veine I am an usuall profaner of his glorious name a name which I should feare for the greatnesse and love for the goodnesse and adore for the holinesse of it hee will peradventure lay close to my conscience that guilt which himselfe hath declared to be in this great sinne that whatsoever is more than yea and nay is sinne unto me and whatsoever is sin is Hell to my soule I am a vaine person a companion of loose and riotous men It may bee the Lord will urge upon my conscience the charge of his owne word not to companie with fornicators to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse not to follow a multitude to doe evill and that though hand joyne in hand yet sinne shall not goe unpunished I am unprofitable loose and rotten in my discourse and hee will ply mee with his owne authority that for every idle word I must render an account I am full of oppression and unjust gain and the Lord will now urge the instructions of Nehemiah the restitution of Zacheus upon me In these or any other the like cases if a man can come with Saint Pauls temper of hart not to consult with flesh and bloud but Lord what wilt thou have me to doe or with the answer of Samuel Speake Lord for thy servant heareth or with the resolution of Cornelius I am here present before God to heare all things that shall bee commanded of God I am come with a purpose of heart to cleave unto thy holy will in all things Here I am in my sinnes strike where thou wilt cut off which of mine earthly members thou wilt I will not arme it I will not extenuate it I will not dispute with thee I will not rebell against thee I will second thee in it I will praise thee for it This is to give God the glorie of his owne Gospell It is not to part from a little monie towards the maintenance of the word or to vouchsafe a little countenance to the dispencers of it and yet alas how few are there who repay unto the ministers of the Gospell that double honor which God and not they hath given unto them but to part from our lusts and to suffer our old man to be crucified which giveth honour to the Word If a man had thousands of rammes and tenne thousand rivers of oyle and would bee content to part from them all for Gods worship If a man had children enough and in a famine of the word would buy every sermon which hee heareth with the sacrifice of a Sonne yet all this would not give glorie enough to the ordinance of God Men naturally love their lusts the issue of their evill hearts better than their lands or the children of their body if Herods son stand in the way of his ambitious security it were better to be his Hog than his childe The losse of cattell and fruits and water and light and the first-borne of all the land was not enough to make Pharaoh let goe his sinne hee will once more rush into the midst of a wonderfull deliverance of Israel and venture his owne and his peoples lives for but the bondage of his enemies and the satisfaction of his lust To doe justly then to love mercy and to walke humbly before God to acknowledge his name in the voyce of the minister and to put away the treasures of wickednesse out of our hands this onely is to give God the glory which is due unto his Word Mic. 6.6 10. Secondly the Gospell is glorious in the promulgation publishing of it unto the world And this may appeare whether we consider the initiall Promulgation in Christs owne personall preaching Or the plenary Revelation thereof in the sending of the holy Ghost to those selected vessels who were to carry abroad this treasure unto all the world For the former wee may note that there was a resemblance of state and glory observ'd in the preaching of Christ. A Forerunner sent to prepare his way and to beare his sword before him as a Herald to proclaime his approach and then at last is revealed the Glory of the Lord. And thus we may observe how we sent his Harbingers before his face into every Citie and place whither he himselfe would come that so men might prepare themselves and lift up their everlasting gates against this Prince of Glory should enter in When one poore ordinary man
present and things to come all are yours saith the Apostle Death it selfe and persecutions are amongst the legacies of Christ unto the Church and a portion of all that goodnesse with which in the Gospell shee is endowed It containes the glory of Gods power and strength for it is the Power of God unto salvation as hath beene declared It containeth the glory of Gods grace The grace of his favour towards us and the grace of his Spirit in us The Law was given by Moses but grace came by Christ that is favour in stead of Gods fury and strength in stead of mans infirmitie for because man was unable to fulfill the Law therefore the Law came with wrath and curses against man but in the Gospell of Christ there is abundance even a whole kingdome of grace the Apostle saith that by Iesus Christ grace raigned there is grace to remove the curse of the Law by Gods favour towards us so that on all sides the Law is weake unable by reason of mans sinne to save and unable by reason of Gods favour to condemne and there is grace to remove the weaknesse of man by Gods Spirit in us for though our owne spirit lust unto envie or set it selfe proudly against the Law of God yet hee giveth more grace that is strength enough to overcome the counterlustings of the flesh against his will and to enable us in sincerity and evangelicall perfection to fulfill the commands of the Law Lastly it containeth in some sort the glory of Gods heavenly kingdome in that therein are let in the glimpses and first fruits the seales and assurances thereof unto the soule by the promises testimonies and comforts of the Spirit And therefore it is frequently called the Gospell of the kingdome and the mysteries of the kingdome of God namely that kingdome which beginneth here but shall never end As if a man borne in Ireland bee afterwards transplanted into England though he change his countrey he doth not change his King or his Law but is still under the same government so when a Christian is translated from earth to heaven he is still in the same kingdome in heaven it is the kingdome of glory mended much by the different excellencie of the place and preferment of the person in earth it is the same kingdome though in a lesse amene and comfortable climate the kingdome of the Gospell These and many other the like things are the glorious matters which the Gospell containeth Here then wee see how and wherein we are to looke upon God so as that wee may abide his glory and bee comforted by it wee must not looke upon him in his owne immediate brightnesse and essence nor by our sawcie curiosities prie into the secrets of his unrevealed glory for he is a consuming fire an invisible and unapprochable light we may see his back-parts in the proclaiming of his mercy and wee may see the hornes or bright beames of his hands in the publishing of his Law but yet all this was under a cloud or under the biding of his Power His face no man can see and live Wee must not looke upon him onely in our selves Though wee might at first have seene him in our owne nature for we were created after his Image in righteousnesse and true holinesse yet now that Image is utterly obliterated and we have by nature the Image onely of Satan and the old Adam in us we must not looke upon him onely in mount Sinai in his Law lest the fire devoure us and the dart strike us thorow we can finde nothing of him there but rigour inexorablenesse wrath and vengeance But we must acquaint our selves with him in his Sonne wee must know him and whom he hath sent together there is no fellowship with the Father except it be with the Sonne too we may have the knowledge of his Hand that is of his workes and of his punishments without Christ but we cannot have the knowledge of his bosome that is of his counsels and of his compassions nor the knowledge of his Image that is of his holinesse grace and righteousnesse nor the knowledge of his presence that is of his comforts here and his glory hereafter but onely in and by Christ we may know God in the World for in the Creation is manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may bee knowne of him namely his eternall power and God-head But this is a barren and fruitlesse knowledge which will not keepe downe unrighteousnesse for the wise men of the world when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and held that truth of him which was in the Creation revealed in unrighteousnesse Wee may know him in his Law too and that in exceeding great glory when God came from Teman and the Holy One from mount Paran whereabout the Law was the second time repeated by Moses his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise his brightnesse was as the light c. But this is a killing knowledge a knowledge which makes us flie from God and hide our selves out of his presence and fight against him as our sorest enemies and come short of his glory therefore the Law is called a firy Law or a fire of Law to shew not onely the originall thereof for it was spoken out of the middest of the fire but the nature and operation of it too which of it selfe is to heap fire and curses upon the soule and therefore it is called the ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.7 But now to know the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ is both a fruitfull and a comfortable knowledge wee know the patterne we must walke by we know the life we must live by we know the treasure wee must be supplied by we know whom wee have beleeved wee know whom wee may be bold with in all straits and distresses wee know God in Christ full of love full of compassion full of eares to heare us full of eyes to watch over us full of hands to fight for us full of tongues to commune with us full of power to preserve us full grace to transforme us full of fidelity to keepe covenant with us full of wisdome to conduct us full of redemption to save us full of glory to reward us Let us therefore put our selves into this Rocke that Gods goodnesse may passe before us that he may communicate the mysteries of his kingdom and of his glory unto us that by him our persons may be accepted our prayers admitted our services regarded our acquaintance and fellowship with the Lord increased by that blessed Spirit which is from them both shed abroad in his Gospell upon us Now lastly the Gospell of Christ is glorious in those ends effects or purposes for which it serveth And in this respect principally doth the Apostle so often magnifie the glory of the Gospell above
nothing at all but in the fellowship of the body and as they are thereunto applied by the same common soule which animates them all so Christian men should doe nothing but as parts of Christ and as actuated by the same gracious Spirit which is in him This is the meaning of our being Christians and of that consent which in our Baptisme we yeeld unto the Covenant of Christ that we will not follow nor be led by Satan the world or the flesh that is by that wisdome which is earthly sensuall or devillish but that we will be ordered by that Spirit of regeneration the seale of whose Baptisme wee receive in our sacramentall washing O then what is become of the Christianity of many men who forget that they have beene purged who live as if they had never beene baptized into Christ who lived as if they had never learned Christ What a prodigie and contradiction is it that that tongue which even now professed it selfe to be Christian and said Amen to a most cleane and holy prayer should like those beasts which Seneca speaketh of which by but turning aside their head to some other spectacle doe immediately forget the meat which they seemed most greedily to eat before breake forth presently into blasphemies oathes lies revilings clamours obscenities which are the very fumes and evidences of hell in the heart That those hands which even now were reached forth to receive the sacred pledges and most dreadfull mysteries of salvation which were even now imployed in distributing almes to the members of Christ or in helping to heave and lift up a prayer unto heaven which seemed like the hands of Ezekiels living creature to have wings of devotion over them should suddenly have their wings melted off and fall downe to covetous and cruell practices againe that those feet which in the morning carried men into the Lords Sanctuary and into the presence of Christ should the same day turne the backes of the same men upon the Temple of the Lord and carry them to stews and stages the nurseries of uncleannesse that those eyes which even now seemed to have beene nail'd unto heaven and to have contended with the tongue and the hand which should more earnestly have presented the prayers of the soule to God should almost in the space of their owne twinkling be filled with sparkles of uncleannesse gazing and glutting themselves upon vaine or adulterous objects What is this but for men to renounce their Baptisme to teare off their seale and dash out their subscription from the covenant of grace to deny the Lord that bought them to repent of their bargaine which they had made for salvation and really to dishonour that Gospell which they hypocritically professe This then is the first honour which wee can doe unto the Gospell of Christ when we set it up in our hearts as a most adequate rule of all wisedome and the alone principle of every action Secondly wee continue to honour the Gospell of Christ by walking in Obedience thereunto as our perfect Rule First in the Obedience of faith receiving it and leaning upon it laying hold on the covenant which is therein revealed as on the onely hope which is set before us for this is a great acknowledgement of the glorie and praise of God when we trust in him for salvation Therefore the Apostle having shewed the Glorie of Christ above Moses maketh this principall use of it that therefore we should heare his voyce and take heed of an evill and unbeleeving heart in departing from him Wee saith he are to the praise of Gods Glory who trust in Christ. Secondly in Obedience of life and Holinesse When for the honour of the Gospell we can denie our selves and dishonour our lusts and part from all that wee had before as from dung and drosse and expresse the image of Christ in our conversations This is indeed the true learning of Christ when we shew forth his life in ours when we walke as he also walked when as he was so we are in this world when the same minde judgement affections are in us which were in Christ. Thus the faithfull are said to honour God when they sanctifie his Sabbath and to glorie him when they bring forth much fruit Thirdly we honour the Gospell of Christ by constancie and continuance in our faith and obedience thereunto for standing fast or persisting immoveably in our course without sorrow or repentance is an argument of the excellencie of the Gospell Walke saith the Apostle as becommeth the Gospell that I may heare of your affaires that you stand fast in one spirit Lusts ever bring inconstancie with them and make the soule like weary and distempered bodies never well in any posture or condition wicked men flye like Bees from one flower to another from one vanity to another can never finde enough in any to satiate the endlesse intemperancie of unnaturall desires onely the Gospell being spiritually apprehended hath treasures enough for the soule to rest in and to seeke no farther And therefore falling away from the truth power or puritie of the Gospell is said to expose Christ to shame and to crucifie him againe For as in Baptisme when wee renounce sinne and betake our selves to Christ we doe as it were expose sinne unto publike infamie and naile it on the Crosse of Christ So when we revolt from Christ unto sinne againe and in our hearts turne backe unto Egypt and thrust him from us we doe then put him to shame againe as if hee were either in his power deficient or unfaithfull in those promises which before we pretended to relie upon If Israel as they consulted should likewise actually have rebelled against Moses and returned in body as well as in heart unto Egypt againe what a scorne would it have wrought in that proud nation that their vassals should voluntarily resume their thraldome after so many boasts and appearances of deliverance If a man should relinquish the service of some noble person and apply himselfe unto some sordid matter for subsistence would not the mouths of men be quickly open or their mindes jealous to suspect that however such a man carry an high name and there bee great expectations from attending on him yet in truth he is but a dry matter whom his own servants doe so publikely dishonour So when any men turne Apostates from the power and Profession of the Gospell of Christ presently wicked men are apt to blaspheme and to conceive desperate prejudices against our high and holy calling If any man make a boast of the Law and yet breake it hee dishonoreth God the more for saith the Apostle The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written so then constancie in Christs service giveth him the glory of an honourable master and his Law of a royall law putteth to silence the ignorance of those foolish men who lie in waite to take advantages that
forgiven thee There is no worldly affliction goeth closer to the life of a man than sickenesse and yet as in the midst of laughter the heart of a wicked man is sorrowfull because it is still under the guilt of sinne so in the midst of paine and sorrow the heart of a godly man may be cheerefull because his sinnes are forgiven To conclude this point we may for our better encouragement in so necessary a dutie lay together these considerations First in point of honour we should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell for the Gospell is a Christians Glorie and therefore ought to bee preserved in his heart as his chiefest priviledge The Spirit of God will not endure to have holy things profaned as if they were common or uncleane Belshazzer converted the consecrated vessels of the Temple into instruments of luxurie and intemperance but the Lord temper'd his wine with dregges and made them prove unto him as cups of trembling and astonishment Herod polluted the sepulchers of the Saints with a sacrilegious search of treasures presum'd to have beene there hidden and God made fire rise out of the earth to devoure the over-busie searchers Antiochus ransack'd the Temple of the Lord Heliodorus emptied the treasures of their consecrated monies Pompey defiled the Sabbath and the Sanctuarie Crassus robb'd the house of God of ten thousand talents But inquire into the event of these insolencies and we shall finde that true then of which latter ages have given many examples and are still likely to give more that stollen bread hath gravell in it to choake those that devoure it that ruine is ever the childe of sacrilege that mischiefe setteth a period to the lives and designes of prophane men Now then if the Lord were thus jealous for the types of his Gospell how thinke wee can he endure to see the Gospell it selfe dishonoured by an unsuteable profession or the bloud of the Covenant trampled under foot as if it were a common or uncleane thing In the contempt of the Gospell there is more dishonour done unto every person of the blessed Trinity than can be by any other sinne An undervaluing of the Fathers wisdome that great mysterie and counsell of redemption which was hidden from former ages and what an indignity is it unto him for a man to shut out the light of the sunne that so hee may enjoy that pittifull benefit of darkenesse to gaze upon the false glistering of rotten wood or of earthly slime the deceit wherof would bee by the true light discovered And undervaluing of his wonderfull love as if he had put himselfe unto a needlesse compassion and might have kept it still in his owne bosome A scorne unto the Sonne of God when wee suffer him to stand at our doores with his locks wet with the dew of heaven to put his finger into the hole of the locke as if he desired to steale an entrance upon the soule to emptie to humble to denie himselfe to suffer the wrongs of men and the wrath of God and after all this to have that pretious bloud which was squeezed out with such woefull agonies counted no other than the bloud of a common malefactor nor that sacred body which was thus broken discerned from the bodies of the theeves which were crucified with him An indignitie beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Grace when wee suffer him to waite daily at our Bethesda our houses of mercy and all in vaine to spend his sacred breath in the ministerie of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our soules that we would be contented to bee saved and we shall harden our hearts and stop our eares and set up the pride and stoutnesse of our owne reasonings till wee doe even wearie him and chide him away from us Now this is a certaine rule God will not lose any honour by mens sinnes if they refuse to give him the glory of his mercy he will shew the glory of his Power and justice in treading downe the proud enemies of Christ under his feet As they that honour him shall be honoured so they who cast any disgrace upon his truth and covenant shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Secondly to avoid Scandall The Gospell is the light of a nation And sinnes in the light as they are committed with more impudence so likewise with more offence An offence or scandall tending unto sinne in misguiding the weake in heartening and confirming the obdurate in opening the mouthes of adversaries to revile our holy profession and a scandall tending unto sorrow in wounding the hearts of the godly and vexing their righteous spirits with a filthy conversation Thirdly wee should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell even in respect to the state for the Gospell is the foundation of true peace and tranquility in a common-weale and those who shew forth the power thereof are as it were Lions about the Throne of their King By righteousnesse the Throne is established but sinne is a reproch unto any people One Ioseph in Egypt is a store-house to all the kingdome one Elisha an armie of chariots and of horsemen unto Israel one Moses a fence to keepe out an â—oundation of wrath which was breaking in upon the people one Paul an haven an anchor a deliverance to all that were in the ship with him And now Si stellae cadunt venti sequentur If the starres fall we must needes looke for tempests to ensue if the salt be infatuated we cannot looke that any thing should be long preserved If Christians live as if they had no Gospell or as if they had another Gospell what can wee expect but that God should either plague us or forsake us either send his judgements or curse his blessings Lastly the Gospell makes sinne more filthy if it doe not purge it as a taper in the hand of a Ghost makes him seeme more gastly than he was before Sweet ointment causeth ranke and strong bodies to smell worse than they did before So the sweet savour of the Gospell maketh the sinnes of men more noisome and odious in the nostrils of the Almightie And therefore wee see what a fearefull doome the Apostle pronounceth against those who having tasted of the good Spirit of God and been illightened and in some sort affected with his grace doe yet afterwardâ— fall away even an impossibilitie of repentance or renovation From which place perversly wrested though the Novatians of old did gather a desperate and uncomfortable conclusion that sinne committed after regeneration was absolutely unpardonable to avoide the danger of which damnable and damning doctrine some have boldly questioned both the Author and authenticalnesse of that Epistle yet all these inferences being denied wee learne from thence this plaine observation That precedent Illumination from the Gospell of Christ doth tend much to the aggravation of those sinnes which are committed against it And therefore in all
and to heale and prevent back-slidings for the time to come Fourthly that he might be fit for so meane and humble a service there was a lessening and emptying of himselfe he was contented to be subject to his owne Law to be the childe of his owne creature to take upon himselfe not the similitude onely but the infirmities of sinfull flesh to descend from his throne and to put on rags in one word to become poore for us that we through his povertie might be made rich Amongst men many will be willing to shew so much mercy as will consist with their state and greatnesse and may tend to beget a further distance and to magnifie their heighth and honour in the mindes of men but when it comes to this exigent that a man must debase himselfe to doe good unto another that his compassion will be to a miserable man no benefit except he suffer ignominie and undergoe a servile condition for him and doe as it were change habits with the man whom he pities what region of the earth will afford a man who will freely make his owne honour to be the price of his brothers redemption yet this is the manner of Christs Care for us who though hee were the Lord of Glory the brightnesse of his Fathers Majestie and the expresse Image of his Person did yet humble himselfe to endure shame and the contradiction of sinners that he might be the Author and finisher of our faith Fifthly There was not onely an humbling or metaphoricall emptying of himselfe in that he made himselfe of no reputation but there was likewise a reall and proper emptying of himselfe he therein testified his wonderfull Care of the businesses of man that for them he put himselfe to the greatest expence and to the exhausting of a richer treasure than any either heaven or earth could afford besides yee were not redeemed saith the Apostle with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vaine conversation but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot That which no man will bestow upon himselfe and that which was in nature and might justly in love have beene neerest to Christ himselfe even the soule in his body and the bloud in his veines he was contented to make a sacrifice for them who powred it out as the bloud of a malefactour Sixthly besides this great price which he paid to his Father for us hee hath opened another treasure of his Grace and Spirit out of which he affordeth us daily supplies and putteth into our hands as it were an heavenly stocke for the better negotiating and improvement of our salvation Hee setteth up his Spirit in our hearts thereby conversing and communing with us teaching us the trade of the citizens of heaven and of laying up treasures there where our finall abode must be of having our conversation and commerce with innumerable companies of Angels and with the spirits of just men made perfect and withall that generall assembly or Church of the first-borne which is inrolled in heaven Lastly to all this he addeth Preparations and provisions for the future for us he doth not onely give but he prepareth things for those that love him and what ever is wanting now he will make it up unto us in the riches of his glory It was for our expediencie that hee left the Church on earth in regard of his carnall presence and went unto his Father againe Hee was not beholden to change oâ— place for his owne glory for his heaven was within him as a fountaine and indeed it is his presence which maketh heaven to be the place of glory therefore Saint Paul desired to depart and to be with Christ noting that it is not heaven but Christs presence which is the glory of the Saints Therefore I say it was for us that he went to heaven againe for their sakes saith he I sanctifie my selfe it is expedient for you that I goe away Expâ—dient to seale and secure our full and finall redemption unto us for as the Leviticall Priest entred not into the holiest of all without bloud so neither did Christ into heaven without making satisfaction hee first obtained eternall redemption for us and then he entred into the holy place and expedient to prepare a place for us that the glory which is given to him hee may give unto us that being raised up together we may likewise sit together with him in heavenly places for when the head is crowned the whole body is invested with royall honour Hee by the vertue of his Ascension opened the kingdome of heaven for all beleevers even the Fathers before Christ entred not in without respect unto that consummate redemption which hee was in the fulnesse of time to accomplish for his Church As a man may be admitted into an actuall possession of land onely in the vertue of covenants and under the intuition of a payment to be afterwards performed Thus we see in how many things the abundant Care of Christ doth shew it selfe towards the Church And as there are therein all the particulars of a tender care so by the Gospell likewise doe all the fruits and benefits thereof redound unto the faithfull First in the Gospell he feedeth and strengthneth them even in the presence of their enemies he prepareth them a table and feedeth them with his rod and according to their comming out of Aegypt he sheweth unto them marvellous things And therefore our Saviour calleth his Gospell The childrens bread It is that which quickneth which strengthneth them which maketh them fruitfull in spirituall workes Secondly He upholdeth them from fainting if their strength at any time faile hee leadeth them gently and teacheth them to goe As Iacob led on his cattell and his children softly according as they were able to endure so Christ doth lead out his flocke and hold his children by the hand and teach them to goe and draweth them with the cords of a man that is with meeke and gentle institution such as men use towards their children and not to their beasts and with bands of love As an Eagle sluttereth over her young and spreadeth abroad her wings and taketh them and beareth them on her wings so doth the Lord in his Gospel sweetly lead on and institute the faithfull unto strength and salvation he dealeth with them as a compassionate nurse with a tender infant condescendeth to their strength and capacitie when we stumble he keepeth us when we fall he raiseth us when we faint hee beareth us in his armes when wee grow weary of well-doing the Gospell is full of encouragements to hearten us full of spirit to revive us full of promises to establish us full of beautie to entice us when we seeme to be in a wildernesse a maze where there is no issue nor view of deliverance even there he openeth a doore of hope and allureth and speaketh
of wit joyned with ambition and impatiencie of repulse in vaste desires which hath anciently beene the ground of many heresies and schismes Nothing hath ever beene more dangerous to the Church of God than greatnesse of parts unsanctified and unallaid with the love of truth and the Grace of Christ. Secondly envie against the paines and estimation of those that are faithfull This was one of the originals of Arrius his cursed heresie his envie against Alexander the good bishop of Alexandria as Theodoret reports Thirdly impatiencie of the spiritualnesse and simplicitie of the holy Scriptures which is ever joyned with the predominancie of some carnall lust whereby the conscience is notoriously wasted or defiled Hee that hath once put away a good conscience and doth not desire truth in order and respect to that that thereby his conscience may be illightened purified and kept even towards God will without much adoe make shipwracke of his faith and change the truth for any thriving errour And this impatiencie of the Spirit of truth in the Scriptures is that which caused heretikes of old to reject some parts and to adde more to the Canon of sacred Scriptures and in these dayes to super-adde traditions and apocryphall accessions thereunto and in those which are pure and on all sides confessed to use such licentious and carnall glosses as may hale the Scripture to the countenancing and conformitie of their lusts and prejudices rather than to the rectifying of their owne hearts by the Rule of Christ. Secondly men preach themselves when they make themselves the Object of their preaching when they preach selfe-dependencie and selfe-concurrencie making themselves as it were joynt-saviours with Christ such was the preaching of Simon Magus who gave out that himselfe was some great one even the great Power of God Of Montanus and his scholars who preached him for the Comforter that was promised Of Pelagius and his associates who though they did acknowledge the Name of Grace to decline envie and avoide the curse of the great Councell of Carthage yet still they did but shelter their proud heresies under equivocations and ambiguities Of the Massilienses in the times of Prosper and Hilarie and of some ancient Schoolemen touching pre-existent congruities for the preparations of Grace and co-existent concurrencies with the Spirit for the production of Grace Of the papists in their doctrines of indulgences authoritative absolution merits of good workes justification and other like which doe all in effect out-face and give the lye unto the Apostle when hee calleth Christ an able or sufficient Saviour Thirdly men preach themselves when they make themselves the end of their preaching when they preach their owne parts passions and designes and seeke not the Lord when out of envie or covetousnesse or ambition or any other servile or indirect affection men shall prevaricate in the Lords Message and make the Truth of God serve their owne turnes When men shall stand upon Gods holy mount as on a theater to act their owne parts and as on a step to their owne advancement when the truth of God and the death of Christ and the kingdome of heaven and the fire of hell and the soules of men and the salvation of the world shall be made basâ—ly serviceable and contributary to the boundlesse pride of an Atheisticall Diotrephes Such as these were they who in the times of Constantius the emperor poisoned the world with Arrianisme in the times of S. Cyprian provoked persecutions against the Church and in the times of Israel ensnared the tenne Tribes till they were utterly destroied and blinded the two Tribes till they were led away captive by the Babylonians so horrid are the consequences of taking away the Gospell of Christ from him and making it the Rod not of his strength but of our owne pride or passion Wee must therefore alwayes remember that the Gospell is Christs owne and that will encourage us to speake it as we ought to speake First with authoritie and boldnesse without silence or connivence at the sinnes of men Though in our private and personall relations we are to shew all modestie humilitie and lowlinesse of carriage towards all men yet in our masters businesses wee must not respect the persons nor bee daunted at the faces of men Paul a prisoner was not affraid to preach of righteousnesse and temperance and judgement to come before a corrupt and lascivious Prince though it made him tremble Secondly with wisedome as a Scribe instructed to the kingdome of heaven This was Saint Pauls care to worke as a wise master-builder When Christs enemies watched him to picke something out of his mouth wherby they might accuse him wee finde so much depth of wisedome in the answeres and behaviours of Christ as utterly disappointed them of their expectations and strooke them with such amazement that they never durst aske him questions more So should wee endeavour to behave our selves in such manner as that our ministerie may not be blamed nor the truth of God exposed to censure or disadvantages for sacred truthes may bee sometimes either so unseasonably or so indigestedly and uncoherently delivered as may rather open than stop the mouthes of gain-sayers and sooner discredit the truth than convert the adversary The Apostle saith that we are to make a difference to save some with compassion others with feare This is to speake a word in due season and as our Saviour did to speake as men are able to heare to presse the Word upon the conscience with such seasonable and sutable enforcements as may bee most likely to convince those judgements and to allure those affections which we have to doe withall It is not knowledge in the generall but the right use thereof and wise application unto particulars which winneth soules The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright This is that heavenly Craft wherewith the Apostle caught the Corinthians as it were by guile such Art he useth towards the Philosophers of Athens not exasperating men who were heady and confident of their owne rules but seeming rather to make up the defects which themselves in the inscription of their Altar confessed and to reveale that very God unto them whom they worshipped but did not know Therefore wee finde him there honouring their owne learning and out of that disputing for a resurrection and against idolatry to shew that Christian Religion was no way against that learning or rectified reason which they seemed to professe The like art hee used towards king Agrippa first presuming of his knowledge and credit which he gave to the Prophets and then meeting and setting on his inclinable disposition to embrace the Gospell like the wisedome of the servants of Benhadad unto Ahab They did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him and did hastily catch it and they said Thy Brother Benhadad And the like wisedome he used every where hee denied himselfe his owne
constant to any rules Now this division of the minde stands thus The heart on the one side is taken up with the pleasures of sinne for the present and on the other with the desires of salvation for the future and now according as the workings and representations of the one or other are at the time more fresh and predominant in like maner is sinne for that time either cherished or suppressed Many men at a good Sermon when the matter is fresh and newly presented while they are looking on their face in the glasse or in any extremitie of sicknesse when the provisions of lust doe not relish for the present when they have none but thoughts of salvation to depend upon are very resolute to make promises vowes and professions of better living but when the pleasures of sin grow strong to present themselves again they returne like a man recover'd of an ague with more stomacke and greedinesse to their lusts againe As water which hath been stop'd for a while rusheth with the more violence when its passages are opened A double heart is like the boles of a Scale according as more weight is put into one or other so are they indifferently over-rul'd unto either motion up or downe When I see a vapour ascend out of the earth into the aire why should I not thinke that it will never leave rising till it get up to heaven and yet because the motion is not naturall but caused either by expulsion from a heat within or by attraction from a heat without when the cause of that ascent is abated and the matter gathers together into a thicker consistence it growes heavie and fals downe againe Even such is the affection of those faint unresolved desires of men who like Agrippa are but halfe-perswaded to believe in Christ. But now lastly wee must observe that in the day of Christs power when he by his word and Spirit worketh effectually in the hearts of men they are then made free-will offerings Totally willing to obey and serve him in all conditions The heart of every one stirreth him up and his Spirit maketh him willing for the worke and service of the Lord Exod. 35.21 They yeeld themselves unto the Lord and their members as weapons of righteousnesse unto him 2 Chron. 30.8 Rom. 6.19 They offer and present themselves to God as a living Sacrifice and therefore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oblation sanctified by the Holy Ghost Rom. 12.1 Rom. 15.16 Therefore they are said to come unto Christ by the vertue of his Fathers teaching Ioh. 6.45 To runne unto him Esai 55.5 To gather themselves together under him as a common head and to flow or flock together with much mutuall encouragement unto the mountaine of the Lord Hos. 1.11 Esai 2.2 3. To waite upon him in his Law Esai 42.4 To enter into a sure covenant and to write and seale it Nehem. 9.38 In one word To serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28.9 when the heart is perfect undivided and goeth all together the minde will bee willing to serve the Lord. This willingnesse of Christs people sheweth it selfe in two things First in begetting most cordiall and constant Enmitie against all the enemies of Christ never holding any league or intelligence with them but being alwayes ready to answere the Lord as David did Saul Thy servant will goe and fight with this Philistime Hee that is a voluntary in Christs armies is not disheartned with the potencie policie malice subtlety or prevailing faction of any of his adversaries Hee is contented to deny himselfe to renounce the friendship of the world to bid defiance to the allurements of Satan to smile upon the face of danger to hate father and mother and land and life to be cruel to himselfe and regardlesse of others for his masters service Through honor and dishonor through evill report and good report through a Sea and a wildernesse through the hottest services and strongest oppositions will hee follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth though he receive the word in much affliction yet hee will receive it with joy too Secondly in begetting most loving constant and deare affections to the mercy grace glory and wayes of God an universall conformity unto Christ our head who was contented to take upon him the forme of a servant to have his eare bored and his will subjected unto the will of his Father I delight to doe thy will ô my God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal. 40.8 And as hee was so are all his in this world of the same minde judgement Spirit conversation and therefore of the same will too Now this deare and melting affection of the heart toward Christ and his wayes whereby the soule longeth after him and hasteth unto him is wrought by severall principles First by the Conviction of our naturall Estate and a through humiliation for the same Pride is ever the principle of disobedience They were the proud men who said unto Ieremie thou speakest falsly the Lord hath not sent thee Ier. 43.2 And they were the proud men who hardned their necks and withdrew the shoulder and would not heare and refused to obey Nehem. 9.16 17 29. A man must bee first brought to denie himselfe before hee will bee willing to follow Christ and to lug a crosse after him A man must first humble himselfe before he will walke with God Mic. 6.8 The poore onely receive the Gospell The hungrie onely finde sweetnesse in bitter things Extremities will make any man not onely willing but thankfull to take any course wherin hee may recover himselfe and subsist againe when the soule findes it selfe in darknesse and hath no light and begins to consider whither darknesse leads it that it is even now in the mouth of Hell under the paw of the roaring lion under the guilt of sinne the curse of the Law and the hatred and wrath of God it cannot chuse but most willingly pursue any probability and with most inlarged affections meete any tender of deliverance Suppose wee that a Prince should cause some bloudy malefactor to bee brought forth should set before his eyes all the racks and tortures which the wit of man can invent to punish prodigions offenders withall and should cause him to tast some of those extremities and then in the middest of his howling and anguish should not onely reach out a hand of mercy to deliver him but should further promise him upon his submission to advance him like Ioseph from the iron which enters into his soule unto publike honor and service in the state would not the heart of such a man bee melted into thankfulnesse and with all submission resigne it selfe unto the mercy and service of so gracious a Prince Now the Lord doth not onely deale thus with sinners doth not onely cause them by the report of his word and by the experience of their own guilty hearts to feel the weight fruitlesnesse
to love him againe for who can be perswaded of so great a benefit as the remission of sinnes and not be most deeply inflamed with the love of him by whom they are remitted 1 Ioh. 4.19 Luk. 7.47 and lastly by this reciprocall love of the heart to Christ faith becommeth effectuall to worke obedience and conformitie to his will Love is the fulfilling of the Law he that loves God would with all joyfulnesse fulfill every jot of Gods Law if it were possible This is the love of God saith the Apostle that we keepe his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous True love overcomes all difficulties is not apt to pretend occasions for neglecting any service of God nor to conceive any prejudices against it but puts an edge and alacritie upon the spirit of a man he can no more be said to love Christ who doth not willingly undergoe his yoke than that woman to love her husband who is ever griev'd at his presence and delighteth more in the societie of strangers Fifthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the beauty and pretiousnesse of those ample Promises which by the love of Christ are made unto us It is said of Moses that he did chuse and that is the greatest act of willingnesse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and the ground of this willingnesse was he had a respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.25 26. so Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is the shame which would much have stagger'd and disheartened an unresolved man was no prejudice or discouragement unto him to abate any of his most willing obedience and the motive was for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 And Saint Paul professeth of himselfe that he pressed forward hee was not onely willing but importunate and contentious to put forth all his spirits and like riders in a race to rouse up himselfe in a holy fervour and emulation and all this was for the Price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus which was as it were before his face in the Promises thereof Phil. 3.14 so the Apostle assureth us That a Christians Hope to be like unto Christ hereafter will cause him to purifie himselfe even as hee is pure 1 Ioh. 3.3 when a man shall sit downe and recount with David what God hath done for him already Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what God hath further promised to doe for him more Thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come Of a childe of wrath thou hast called mee to an inheritance of the Saints in light and into the fellowship of more glory than can be shadowed forth by all the lights of heaven though every Star were turned into a Sunne I say when the soule shall thus recount the goodnesse of God how can it but bee wonderfully enlarged with thoughts of thankfulnesse and grieved at the slow and narrow abilities of the other parts to answer the urgent and wide desires of a willing soule Sixthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the experience of that peace comfort life liberty triumph and securitie which accompanieth the Spirit and the service of Christ. Nothing makes a man more fearefull of warres than the dangers and hazards which are incident thereunto But if a man can serve under such a Prince whose imployments are not onely honourable but safe if he who is able and faithfull to make good his words promise us that none either of the stratagems or forces of the enemie shall doe us hurt but that they shall flie before us while wee resist them who would not be a Voluntary in such services as are not liable to the casualties and vicissitudes which usually attend other warres wherein he might fight with safetie and come off with honour David had experience of Gods power in delivering him from the Lion and the Beare and was well assured that that God who was carefull of sheepe would be more pitiful to his people Israel and that made him with much willingnesse ready to encounter Goliah whose assurance was onely in himselfe and not in God When a man shall consider what God might have done with him he might have sent him from the wombe to hell depriv'd him of the meanes of grace left him to the rebellion and hardnesse of his evill heart and to the rage of Satan burnt his bones and dried up his bowels with the view of that wrath which is due to sinne and what he hath done with him he hath called him to the knowledge of his will refreshed him with the light of his countenance heard his prayers given an issue to his temptations and a reviving out of bondage fastned him as a naile in his holy place given him his favour which is better than light and spoken of his servant for a long time to come O how readily will the spirit of such a man conclude Lord according to thine owne heart hast thou done all this unto me and I have found so much sweetnesse in thy service above all mine owne thoughts or expectations that now O Lord my heart is prepared my heart is prepared I will sing and rejoyce in thy service Lastly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from that excellent beauty and attractive vertue which is in holinesse Thy Law is pure therefore thy servant loveth it And therefore we finde Christ and his Church doe kindle the coales of love and stirre up those flames of mutuall dearenesse towards one another doe cherish those longing languishing and ravished affections and susspirings of hearts by the frequenting contemplations of each others beautie Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant c. Cant. 1.15 16. These are the principles of that great devotion and willingnesse which is in the people of Christ unto his service And hereby we may make triall of the truth of that profession subjection and obedience which we all pretend unto the Gospell of Christ. It is then onely sound when it proceeds from a willing and devoted heart from purpose fervour and earnestnesse of Spirit for as God in mercy accounts the will for the deed because where there is a willing minde there will certainly be all answerable endevours to execute that will and reduce it into act so he esteemes the deed nothing without the will Cain and Abel did both sacrifice it was the heart which made the difference betweene them let the outward conversation be what it will yet if a man regard iniquitie in his heart God will not heare him Gravius est diligere peccatum quam facere It is a worse token saith Gregory of an evill man to love sinne than to commit it for it may be committed out of
mans whole selfe to be consecrated as a kinde of first fruit unto God being sanctified by the Holy Ghost There is no man actually belonging unto the Kingdome of Christ who hath not all these holy affections wrought in him and maketh conscience of them as of his calling and the duties of his life Wee see then that Holinesse is the badge of Christs subjects they are called The people of his Holinesse Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase consecrated unto him and his service as a kinde of first fruits The livery of Christs servants is a parcell of the same holy Spirit with which his owne humane nature was clothed All the vessels and ministeriall instruments of the Tabernacle were anointed with the holy oyle and the house of the Lord was an house of holinesse to signifie that every Christian should bee by the Spirit of God sanctified because he is a Temple and every member because it is a vessell and instrument for the Masters use The Spirit of holinesse is that which distinguisheth and as it were marketh the sheepe of Christ from the wicked of the world yee are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise yee have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God Holinesse setteth us apart for Gods service for his presence and fruition protecteth and priviledgeth us from the wrath to come in the day when he shall separate betweene the pretious and the vile and make up his jewels without this no man can either serve or see or escape God either doe his will enjoy his favour or decline his fury All our services without this are but Dung and who would thanke that man for his service who with wonderfull officiousnesse should bring nothing but heapes of dung into his house If a man could powre out of his veines rivers of bloud and offer up every day as many prayers as thoughts unto God if his eyes were melted into teares and his knees hardned into horne with devotion yet all this if it be not the fruit of holinesse but of will-worship or superstition or opinion of merit and righteousnesse it is but as dung in Gods sight Wherefore lyest thou upon thy face there is an accursed thing in the campe What-ever sinne thy conscience tels thee lyeth next thy heart and warmes it so that thou art unwilling to part from it take heed of bringing it into Gods presence or provoking him with thy services for he will throw them backe like dung into thy face What hath my beloved to doe in mine house seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no more vaine oblations incense is an abomination unto mee c. Till a man put away the evill of his doings and cleanse himselfe all his worship of God is but mocking of him and prophaning his ordinances In vaine did the Marriners pray while Ionah was in the ship in vaine did Ioshua intercede while the accursed thing was in the campe A man shall lose all which he hath wrought in Gods worship and have neither thankes nor reward for it so long as he harboureth any uncleane affection in his heart and will not yeeld to part from it Any sinne which wasteth the conscience as every great and presumptuous sinne doth in whomsoever it is unqualifieth that person for the kingdome of heaven Grace maketh a beleever sure of salvation but it doth not make him wretchlesse or secure in living though there be not an extinguishment yet there is a suspension of his right upon any black and notorious fall that man must not dare to lay claime to heaven that hath dared in a presumptuous manner to provoke the Lord. Our holinesse is not the cause of our salvation but yet it is the way thereunto he which by any wasting and presumptuous sin putteth himselfe out of that way must by repentance turne into it againe before hee can hope to finde out heaven for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. He that is an hundred miles from his owne house notwithstanding his proprietie thereunto shall yet never actually enter therein till he have travelled over the right way which leads unto it There is an Order à primo ad ultimum in the salvation of men many intermediate passages betweene their vocation and their glory Justification repentance sanctification as a scale or ladder betwixt earth and heaven he that fals from his holinesse and purity of conscience though hee be not quite downe the ladder and hath the whole worke to begin againe as much as ever yet doubtlesse he shall never get to the top till he recover the step from which he fell And if in this case it be true that the righteous shall scarcely be saved O then where shall that man appeare whom God at the last shall finde without this garment and seale upon him When there was a tempest he who slept and least thought of it was throwne into the sea and when the day of wrath shall come those that have neglected their estate most shall doubtlesse be in the greatest danger And therefore we should labour to goe to Gods throne with our garments and our marke upon us for all other endowments our learning our honours our parts our preferments our earthly hopes and dependencies will none follow us but wee shall live to see either them or the comforts of them depart Achitophel had wisdome like an oracle of God but he liv'd to see it bid him quite farewell for hee died like a very foole or childe who when he may not have his owne will will be reveng'd upon himselfe Haman had more honour than the ambition of a subject usually aspires unto and yet he liv'd to see it bid him farewell and died the basest death which himselfe could devise for his most hated and despised enemie Iehoiakim a King liv'd to see his Crowne take its leave and was buried with the buriall of an Asse and drag'd like carrion out of the gates of the Citie There will be nothing at last left for any man to cast his trust upon but God or Angels or our fellowes and if then God be against us though all which remains were on our side alas what is an handfull of stubble to a world full of fire but yet there will not be that advantage but the combate must be single betweene God and a sinner The good Angels rejoyce to doe Gods will and the wicked will rejoyce to doe man any mischiefe these will be only readie to accuse and those to gather the wicked together unto the wrath of him that sitteth on the Throne O what would a man give then for that holinesse which hee now despiseth what covenants would such a man be content to
and draw it away ever so should the word and worship of God worke upon us in all our distempers and in all our deviations Christ was hungry and faint with fasting it was about the sixth houre and hee had sent his Disciples to buy meate and yet having an occasion to doe his Father service hee forgat his food and refused to eate Ioh. 4.6.8.34 The Love of Children hee that is begotten loveth him that did beget him 1 Ioh. 5.1 with a Love of Thankfulnesse We love him because He loved us 1 Ioh. 4.19 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication Psal. 116.1 With a love of obedience faith worketh by love Gal. 5 6. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 If a man love me hee will keepe my words Ioh. 14.23 with a love of reverence and awfull feare A Sonne honoureth his Father Mal. 1.6 If you call on the Father c. Passe the time of your sojourning here in feare 1 Pet. 1.17 The faith of Children For whom should the Childe relie on for maintenance and supportance but the Father Take no thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall wee bee cloathed For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Matth. 6.31 32. The hope assurance and expectation of Children For as Children depend on their parents for present supply so for portions and provisions for the future fathers lay up for their Children and so doth God for his There is an inheritance reserved for us 1 Pet. 1.4 Lastly the Prayers and requests of Children Because ye are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Note 2. The Birth of a Christian is a divine and heavenly workâ— God is both Father Mother of the Dew by his power and wisedome a Father by his providence and indulgence a mother Progenitor genitrixque therefore hee is cald in Clem. Alex. Metripater to note that those causalities which are in the second agents divided are eminently and perfectly in him united as all things are to bee resolved into a first unity Hath the Raine a Father or who hath begotten the Drops of Dew saith Iob. Out of whose wombe came the Ice and the hoary frost of heaven who hath gendred it None but God is the parent of the Dew it doth not stay for nor expect any humane concurrence or causality Mich. 5.7 Esai 55.10 such is the call and conversion of a man to Christ A heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 the operation of God in us Col. 2.12 A birth not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh noâ— of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1 1â— 1 Ioh. 3.9 Paul may plaâ—t and Apollo may water but it is God that must blesse both nay it is God who by them as his instruments doth both of his owne will begat he us Iam. 1.18 The Miâ—isters are a Savor of Christ 2 Cor. 2.15 It is not the garment but the perfume in it which diffuseth a sweet sent It is not the Labor of the Minister but Christ whom hee preacheth that worketh upon the soule I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God which was with mee 1 Cor. 15.10 It is not good therefore to have the faith of God in respect of persons the seed of this spirituall generation cannot otherwise bee given us than in earthen vessels by men of like passions and infirmities with others Therefore when pure and good seed is here and there sowed to attribute any thing to persons is to derogate from God where gifts are fewer parts meaner probabilities lesse God may and often doth give an increase above hope as to Daniels Pulse that the excellency of the power may bee of him and not of man Though it bee a lame or a leprous hand which soweth the seed yet the successe is no way altered good seed depends not in its growth on the hand that sowes it but on the earth that covers and on the heavens that cherish it So the word borroweth not its efficacy from any humane vertue but from the heart which ponders and the Spirit which sanctifies it When then thou comest unto the word come with affections suteable unto it All earth will not beare all seed some wheate and some but pulse there is first required a fitnesse before there will bee a fruitfulnesse Christ had many things to teach which his Disciples at the time could not carry away because the Comforter was not then sent who was to lead them into all truth they who by use have their senses exercised are fit for strong meate The truth of the Gospell is an heavenly truth and therefore it requires a heavenly disposition of heart to prosper it It is wisedome to those that are perfect though to others foolishnesse and offence The onely reason why the word of truth doth not thrive is because the heart is not fitted nor prepared unto it The seed of it selfe is equall unto all grounds but it prospers onely in the honest and good heart the raine in it selfe alike unto all but of no vertue to the rocks as to other ground by reason of their inward hardnesse and incapacity The Pharises had covetous hearts and they mocked Christ the Philosophers had proud hearts and they scorned Paul The Iewes had carnall hearts and they were offended at the Gospell the people in the wildernesse had unbeleeving hearts and the word preached did not profit them But now a heavenly heart comes with the affections of a Scholer to bee taught by God with the affections of a servant to bee commanded by God with the affections of a Sonne to bee educated by God with the affections of a sinner to bee cur'd by God It considers that it is the Lord from heaven who speakes in the Ministery of the word to him who is but dust and ashes and therefore hee puts his hand on his mouth dares not reply against God nor wrestle with the evidence of his holy Spirit but falleth upon his face and giveth glory unto God beleeves when God promiseth trembles when God threatneth obeyes when God commandeth learnes when God teacheth bringeth alwayes meeknesse and humility of Spirit ready to open unto the word that it may incorporate Lastly from hence we must learne to looke unto God in all his ordinances to expect his arme and Spirit to bee there in revealed to call on and depend on him for the blessing of it If a man could when hee enters into Gods house but powre out his heart in these two things A Promise and a Prayer Lord I am now entring into thy presence to heare thee speake from heaven unto mee to receive thy raine and spirituall Dew which never returneth in vaine but ripeneth a harvest either of corne or weeds of grace or judgement My heart is prepared ô Lord my heart is prepared to learne
him in his publike Relation as a mediator a surety a mercifull and faithfull high Priest and so hee most willingly and obediently submitted unto it And this willingnesse ratione officii was much the greater because ratione naturae his will could not but shrinke from it It is easie to bee willing in such a service as is suteable to our naturall condition and affections but when nature shall necessarily shrinke sweate startle and stand amazed at a service then not to repent nor decline nor fling off the burden but with submission of heart to lie downe under it this is of all other the greatest obedience It was the voyce of nature and the presentation of the just and implanted desires of the flesh to say Transeat let it passe from me It was the retractation of mercy and duty to say Glorifie thy selfe What-ever my nature desires what-ever my will declines what-ever becomes of me yet still glorifie thy selfe and save thy Church If it cannot otherwise bee than by my drinking this bitter Cup Thy will bee done The second Act in the worke of Christs Priesthood is the act of Application or virtuall continuation of this Sacrifice to the end of the world and that is in the Intercession of Christ unto which there is prerequired a power and prevalency over all his enemies to breake through the guilt of sinne the Curse of the Law and the chaines of death with which it was impossible that hee should bee held The vision which Moses had of the burning bush was an excellent resemblance of the Sacrifice of Christ. The Bush noted the Sacrifice the fire the suffering the continuance and prevailing of the bush against the fire the victorie of Christ and breaking through all those sufferings which would utterly have devoured any other man And this power of Christ was shewed in his Resurrection wherein hee was declared to bee the Sonne of God with power Rom. 1.4 and in his ascension when hee led all his Enemies captive Eph. 4.8 and in his sitting at the right hand of God farre above all principalities and powers Eph. 1.19 20. All which did make way to the presenting of his Sacrifice before the mercy-seate which is the consummation thereof and without which hee had not been a Priest Wee have such an high Priest saith the Apostle as is set downe on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens for if hee were on earth hee should not bee a Priest seeing that there are Priests which offer gifts according to the Law Heb. 8.1.4 It was the same continued action whereby the Priest did offer without the Holy place and did then bring the bloud into the holiest of all Heb. 13.11 For the reason why it was shed was to present it to the mercy-seate and to shew it unto the Lord there So Christs act or office was not ended nor fit to denominate him a complete Priest till hee did enter with bloud and present his offering in the holiest of all not made with hands Heb. 9.24 And therefore he had not been a Priest if hee should have continued on the earth for there was another Priesthood there which was not to give place but upon the accomplishment of his for the whole figure was to passe away when the whole truth was come Now Christs Oblation was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth prefigured in the Priests Sacrificing of the Beast and his entrance into heaven was the Truth prefigured in the Priests carrying of the bloud into the holiest of all And therefore both these were to bee accomplished before the Leviticall Priesthood did give place Here then it will bee needfull for the more full unfolding of the Priesthood of Christ to open the Doctrine of his Intercession at the right hand of his Father The Apostle calleth it the Appearing of Christ for us Heb. 9.24 which is verbum forense an expression borrowed from the custome of humane courts for as in them when the plaintiffe or defendant is called their Aâ—turnie appeareth in their name and behalfe so when we are summoned by the justice of God to defend our selves against those exceptions and complaints which it preferreth against us wee have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the righteous who standeth out and appeareth for us 1 Ioh. 2.2 As the high Priest went into the sanctuary with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast so Christ entred into the holiest of all with our persons and in our behalfe in which respect the Apostle saith that he was Apprehended of Christ Phil. 3.12 and that we doe sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Merit and Efficacie are the two things which set forth the vertue of Christs Sacrifice by which hee hath reconciled us to his Father The Merit of Christ being a Redundant merit and having in it a plentifull redemption and a sufficient salvation hath in it two things First there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expiation or satisfaction by way of price Secondly there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Inheritance by way of purchase and acquisition Eph. 1.14 Hee was made of a woman made under the Law for two ends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee might redeeme us from the curse under which wee lay and that hee might purchase for us the inheritance which we had forfeited before for so by adoption in that place I understand in a complexed and generall sense every good thing which belongs unto us in the right of our sonship with Christ and that is the Inheritance of glory Rom. 8.17.23 Now all this effected by the obedience of Christs death for in that was the act of impetration or procurement consisting in the treaty betweene God and Christ. But there is yet further required an execution a reall effectualnesse and actuall application of these to us As it must bee in regard of God a satisfaction and a purchase so it must bee likewise in regard of us an actuall redemption and inheritance And this is done by the intercession of Christ which is the commemoration or rather continuation of his Sacrifice He offered it but once and yet hee is a Priest for ever because the Sacrifice once offered doth for ever remaine before the mercy-seate Thus as in many of the Legall Oblations there was first mactatio and then Ostensio First the beast was slaine on the Altar and then the bloud was together with incense brought before the mercy-seate Levit. 16 11-15 So Christ was first slasnâ— and then by his owne bloud hee entred into the holy place Heb. 9.12.10.12 That was done on the earth without the gate this in heaven Heb. 13.11 12. That the Sacrifice or obtaining of redemption this the Application or conferring of redemption The Sacrifice consisted in the Death of Christ alone the application thereof is grounded upon Christs death as its merit but effected by the Life of Christ as its immediate cause
and reall conveying the blessing it selfe desired without all contradiction saith the Apostle the lesse is blessed of the greater Hebr. 7.7 and such was this of Melchisedek Benedictio obsignans a seale assurance and effectuall confirmation of the promise before made Gen. 12.2 3. Sixthly in what manner he received Tithes I answer with Calvin that he had Ius decimarum and received them as testifications of homage duty and obedience from Abraham for the Apostle useth it as argument to prove his greatnes above Abraham which could be no argument in the case of pure gift Since gifts quâ—tenus gifts though they prove not a generall inferioritie in him that receives them yet they prove that in that case there is something which may be imputed and which deserves acknowledgement But in this particular all the acknowledgements are from Abraham to Melchisedek Besides nothing was here by Abraham or Melchisedek done after an arbitrary manner but Extraordinario spiritus afflatu ex officio on both sides as learned Cameron hath observed Lastly in what sense hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. without father mother or genealogie I answer with Chrysostome that it is not meant literally and strictly but onely the Scripture takes notice of him as an extraordinary man without signifying his line beginning end or race as Tiberius said of Rufus that he was Homo ex se natus that so he might be the fitter to typifie Christs person and excellencie in whom those things were really true which are onely quoad nos spoken of the type of whose beginning end or parentage wee neither have nor can have any knowledge These things thus premised it will bee easie for you to preoccupate those observations which grow betweene the Type and the Antitype which therefore I will but cursorily propose Note first that Christs Priesthood is such as did induce a kingdome with it for Melchisedek was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God This Saint Hierom and from him Ambrose report to have been meant by the order of Melchisedek namely Regale Sacerdotium that Christ was to be a Royall Priest By way of merit purchasing a kingdome of his Father and by way of conquest recovering it to himselfe out of the hands of his enemies this mystery was obscurely intimated in the marriages allowed between the regall and sacerdotall tribes of Iuda and Levi which confusion was in the other Tribes interdicted as I have before observed Note secondly that Christ by offering up himselfe a Sacrifice unto God is become unto his people a King of Righteousnesse or the Lord our righteousnesse in which sense he is called The Prince of life Act. 3.15 that is he hath all power given him as a Prince to quicken and to justifie whom hee will Ioh. 5.20 21. And this comes from his Sacrifice and perfect obedience to us imputed and by us with faith implyed and apprehended for having fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law and justified himselfe by rising from the dead he became being thus made perfect the Author of righteousnesse and salvation to us Heb. 5.9 We had in us a whole kingdome of sin and therefore requisite there was in him that should justifie us a kingdome of Grace and righteousnesse That as sinne raigned unto death even so might Grace through righteousnesse raigne unto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.21 and therefore wee are said to be justified by the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 22. that is such a righteousnesse as is ours by gift and grace not by nature Rom. 10.3 and such a righteousnesse as God himseâ—fe did performe though in the humane nature in our behalfe Act. 20.28 Phil. 2.6 7 8. And this is the ground of all our comfort the best direction in all our miseries and extremities whither to flie A King is the greatest officer amongst men and his honour and state is for the supply defence and honour of his people He is Custos Tabularum the Father and the Keeper of the Lawes If I want any of that justice and equity of which his sacred Bosome is the publike treasure I may freely beg it of him because he is an Officer to dispence righteousnesse unto his subjects so also is Christ unto his Church I finde my selfe in a miserable condition condemned by the conscience of sinne by the testimony of the Word by the accusations of Satan full of discomforts God is a God of justice and all fire my selfe a creature of sin and all stubble Satan the accuser of the brethren who labours to blow up the wrath of God against me In this case what shall I doe Surely God hath set his King on Sion and he is a King that hath life and righteousnesse to give to mee that hath grace enough to quench all sin and the envenomed darts of Satan in whom there is erected a court of peace and mercy whereunto to appeale from the severity of God from the importunity of the Devill and from the accusations and testimonies of our owne hearts And indeed he had need be a King of righteousnesse that shall justifie men for our justification is in the remission of our sins and to pardon sins and dispence with Lawes is a regall dignitie and God taketh it as his owne high and peculiar prerogative I even I am he who blotteth out thine iniquity for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Esay 43.25 No man or Angell or created power no merit no obedience no rivers of oyle nor mountaines of cattell no prayers teares or torments can wipe out the staines or remove the guilt of any sinne I onely even I and none else can doe it None but a Divine and Royall Power can subdue sinne Mica 7.18 And this is a ground of a second comfort that being a King of righteousnesse he is rich in it and hath treasures to bestow that as we have a kingdome a treasure and abundance of sin so we have a King that hath alwayes a residue of spirit and grace that hath a most redundant righteousnesse from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 A mans faith can never over-grow the righteousnesse of our King If we had all the faith that ever was in the world put into one man all that could not over-claspe the righteousnesse of Christ or be too bigge for it As if a man had a thousand eyes and they should one after another looke on the Sunne yet still the light would be revealed from eye to eye or as if a man should goe up by ten thousand steps to the top of the highest mountaine yet he could never over-looke all the earth or fix his eye beyond all visible objects but should still have more earth and heaven discovered unto him from step to step so there is an immensitie in the righteousnesse and mercy of God which cannot be exhausted by any sins or overlooked and comprehended by any faith of men As God dotâ—
of him that is above all and so are a security unto us against all adverse power or feare for what or whom need that man feare that is one with the most high God If God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8.31 When God blesseth his blessing is ever with effect and successe it cannot be reversed it cannot be disappointed Hath he said and shall he not doe it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good Behold saith Balaam I have received commandement to blesse and hee hath blessed and cannot reverse it Numb 23.19 20. Note fifthly from Melchisedeks meeting Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings we may observe the great forwardnesse that is in Christ to meet and to blesse his people when they have beene in his service Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse Esay 64.5 I said I will confesse my sinnes and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne Psal. 32.5 No sooner did David resolve in his heart to returne to God but presently the Lord prevented him with his mercy and anticipated his servants confession with pardon and forgivenesse Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse Psal. 21.3 As the father of the Prodigall when he was yet a great way off far from that perfection which might in strictnesse be required yet because hee had set his face homeward and was now resolved to sue for pardon and re-admittance when he saw him he had compassion and ranne the fathers mercy was swiâ—ter than the sonnes repentance and fell on his necke and kissed him Luke 15.20 We doe not finde the Lord so hastie in his punishments He is slow to anger and doth not stirre up all his wrath together He is patient and long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance hee comes and hee comes againe and the third yeere he forbeares before he cuts downe a barren tree But when hee comes with a blessing hee doth not delay but prevents his people with goodnesse and mercy O how forward ought we to be to serve him who is so ready to meet us in his way and to blesse us Note sixthly from the refection and preparations which Melchisedek made for Abraham and for his men we may observe That Christ as King and Priest is a comforter and refresher of his people in all their spirituall wearinesse and after all their services This was the end of his unction to heale and to comfort his people The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because hee hath annointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent mee to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and a recovering of sight to the blinde to set at libertie them that are bruized and to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord Luke 4.18 19. To provide a feast of fatted things of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Esay 25.6 To miâ—ke out unto his people consolations and abundance of glory Esay 66.11 To speake words in season to those that are weary and to make broken and dry bones to rejoyce and to flourish like an herb Esay 50.4 Psal. 51.8 Esay 66.14 And this is a strong argument to hold up the patience faith and hope of men in his service and in all spirituall assaults we have a Melchisedek which after our combate is ended and our victory obtained will give us refreshments at the last and will meet us with his mercies If we faint not but wait a while we shall see the salvation of the Lord that in the end he is very pitifull and of tender mercy Exod. 14.13 Iam. 5.11 He is neere at hand his comming draweth nigh He is neere that justifieth mee who will contend with mâ—e Let us stand together Who is mine adversary let him come neere to me The readinesse of the Lord to helpe is a ground of challenge and defiance to al enemies Phil. 4.5 Iam. 5.8 Esai 50.8 9. Iob went forth mourning and had a great warre to fight but the Lord blessed his latter end more than his beginning and after his battle was ended met him like Melchizedek with redoubled mercies David Hezekiah Heman the Ezrahite and many of the Saints after their example have had sore and dismall conflicts but at length their comforts have beene proportionable to their wrestlings they never wanted a Melchizedek after their combats to refresh them Rejoyce not against mee O mine enemie when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darkenesse the Lord shall bee a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Mic. 7.8 9. He hath strength courage refection spirit to put into those that fight his battles though they bee but as Abraham a family of three hundred men against foure kings yet hee can cut Rahab and wound the dragon and make a way in the sea for the ransomed to passe over and cause his redeemed to returne with singing and with joy and gladnesse upon their heads I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that shouldest bee affraid of a man that shall dye and of the sonne of man that shall bee as grasse Esai 51.12 Note seventhly from Melchisedeks receiving of tithes from Abraham which the Apostle taketh speciall notice of foure or five times together in one Chapt. Heb. 7.2 4 6 8 9. we may observe That Christ is a receiver of homage and tribute from his people There was never any type of Christ as a Priest but he received tithes and that not in the right of any thing in himselfe but meerely in the vertue of his typicall office so that originally they did manifestly pertaine to that principall Priest whom these represented whose personall priesthood is standing unalterable and eternall and therefore the rights thereunto belonging are such too If it objected why then did not Christ in his life receive tithes I answer first because though hee were the substance yet the standing typicall priesthood was not abolished till after his ministery on earth was finished for his priesthood was not consummate till his sitting at the right hand of God secondly because he tooke upon him a voluntary poverty for especiall reasons belonging to the state of his humiliation and to the dispensation of mans Redemption 2 Corinth 8.9 You will say now Christs priesthood is consummate and hee himselfe is in heaven whither no tithes can bee sent therefore none are due because he hath no typicall priests in earth to represent him I answer though hee bee in heaven in his body yet he is on earth in his ministery and in the dispensation of the vertue of his sacrifice and the Ministers of the Gospell are in his stead 2 Cor. 5.20 and ought to bee received
Zech. 2.5 And this is the ground of all the Churches comfort that more is with them than against them the enemies have combinations and confederacies of men but the Church hath Immanuel God with them Esai 8.9 10. none can pull Christ from the right hand of God or from the right hand of his people that is none can take away either his power or his love from his people The Church and truth can never bee crush'd and overthrowne no more than a rocke with the raging of the waves they are Heavenly things and therefore nothing of earth or hell can reach to corrupt them It was but a vaine attempt of the Gyants to build a tower to heaven The world was made that there might be therein a Church to worship and contemplate that God which made it therefore in the creation God never rested till he came to a Church to note that that was the end thereof and therefore it is easier to pull downe the world and to shake in peeces the frame of nature than to ruine the Church The Church hath Christ for her husband hee to whom all knees must bend hee whom every tongue must confesse hee who will subdue all things to himselfe so she hath Love Power and Iealousie all three very strong things on her side And therefore the onely way to be safe is to keepe Christ at our right hand to hold fast his truth worship and obedience for so long as we have Immanuel all adverse power is but flesh and all flesh is but grasse withered in a moment when God will blow upon it Note thirdly Christ in his appointed time will utterly overthrow the greatest enemies of his Kingdome and deliver his Church from under the sorest oppressions There is not any one argument in the holy Scriptures more frequently repeated than this of Christs victories prefigured they were in the deliverances of Israel out of Egypt 1 Cor. 10.2 4. In the deliverance of the Arke out of the waters 1 Pet. 3.21 22. in the deliverance of the Iewes from Babylon Revel 14.8 Esai 11 10-12.15 To note that in the sorest extremities and greatest improbabilities God will shew himselfe jealous for his people This victorie is expressed by treading of a wine-presse Esai 63.1 6. when there are none to helpe when the Church is brought to sorest extremities though multitudes meete against her as many as the grapes in a vintage they shall all be but as Clusters of grapes he shall squeeze out their bloud like wine and make his Church to thresh them Lam. 1.15 Revel 14.20 Ioel 3.12 Mic. 4.13 By the dissipation of smoke out of a Chimnie they shall bee as the smoke out of the Chimnie Hos. 13.3 As Athanasius used to say of Iulian the Apostate that hee was but Nubecula quae citò transiret a little cloud which would quickly be blowne away smoke when it breakes out of a Chimnie with a horrible blacknesse threatneth to blot out the Sunne and to invade and choake up all the ayre but a little blast of winde scattereth it and anon nothing thereof appeares By fire consuming thornes and briars Esai 10.17 While they be folded together as thornes and while they are drunken as drunkards that is while they have plotted their counsels and confederacies so curiously that no man dares so much as touch them and while they are drunken with the pride and confidence of their own strength they shall then be devoured as stubble that is fully dry Nahum 1.10 Esai 27.4.31.9 Therefore the Scripture calleth Christ a Man of war Exod. 15.3 Because he is furnished with all Arts of victory Power invincible as a Lion amongst shepheards so is he amongst his enemies Esai 31.4 wisedome unsearchable which must stand v. 1 2. If hee purpose none can disappoint him Esai 14.27 Authority by the least intimation to gather together all the forces of the world against the enemies of his Church If he but hisse unto them they presently come in troops Esai 5.26.7.18 He can command helpe for his people Psal. 44.4 Psal. 71.3 Ier. 47.7 and if that should faile he can create helpe for his people as hee did for Israel when hee wrought miracles to deliver them Psal. 106.22 We may more profitably consider the truth and comfort of this point by discovering it in the severall enemies of Christ and his people First the great enemie of the seed of the woman is the Serpent that great red Dragon whose names are all names of enmity The Accuser the Tempter the Destroyer the Devourer the Envious man furnished with much strength and mightie succour legions of principalities and powers attending on him and with much wisedome which the Scripture calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiles and traines and craftines of Satan And his Arts of destroying men are two To tempt and to accuse His Temptations are twofold either unto Sinne or unto discomfort either to make us offend God or to make us disquiet our selves either to wound us or to vexe us And in all these his Arts Christ our Captain will tread him under our feet and will give his Church the victory at the last either by Arming us with sufficiency of grace and faith in his Victories putting us by his Spirit in minde of his Temptations which taught him compassion towards us who are so much weaker and encouraging our hearts to cry out unto him who is our mercifull and compassionate high priest like a ravished woman in our extremities as Paul did 2 Cor. 12.8 9. stirring up our faith to lay hold on him when we are in darkenesse and our spirit of Adoption to cry unto him when wee are in danger and our spirit of wisedome to solve the objections to discerne the devices of Satan and to prepare and arme our hearts accordingly to wrestle with him Or else by rebuking of him pulling in his chaine and chasing him away and as our second undertaking the combate in person for us when he is ready to prevaile Zech. 3.1 2. Thus he overcommeth him as a Tempter and ever giveth some either comfortable or profitable issue out of them He likewise overcommeth him as an Accuser Satan accuseth the Saints either by way of complaint and naâ—ration of the things which they have done Revel 12.10 which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his laying of crimes to the charge of men Rom. 8.33 and thus Christ overcommeth him by his Intercession and in the hearts of his Saints by making them judge and accuse themselves that they may be able to cleere themselves too 1 Cor. 11.31 2 Corin. 7.11 Or hee accuseth by way of suspition or preconjecture as hee did Iob Iob 1.9 10 11. and herein likewise Christ overcommeth him in his servants by permitting him to tempt and vexe them that they may come the purer out of the fire and by putting a holy suspition and jealousie into them over their owne hearts which may still bee a meanes to prevent them against evils that
they burnt the cursed things at the brooke Kidron and cast them thereinto 2 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 29.16.30.14 2 King 23.6 To note unto us that that brooke was the sinke as it were of the Temple that into which al the purgamenta and uncleannesses of Gods house all the cursed things were to bee cast with relation whereunto it is not improbable that the Prophet David by a propheticall spirit might notifie the sufferings of Christ by drinking of that cursed brooke over which hee was to passe to signifie that on him all the faithfull might lay and powre ut their sins who is therefore said to be made sinne and a curse for us 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 As the people when they laid their hands on the head of the sacrifice did thereby as it were unload all their sinnes upon it Now as waters signifie Afflictions so there are two words with relation thereunto which signifie suffering of afflictions and they are both applied unto Christ Matth. 20.22 Are yee able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of or be baptized with that Baptisme that I am baptized with He that drinketh hath the water in him he that is dipped or plunged hath the water about him So it notes the universalitie of the wrath which Christ suffered it was within him My soule is heavie unto death and it was all about him betrayed by Iudas accused by Iewes forsaken by Disciples mocked by Herod condemned by Pilate buffeted by the servants nailed by the souldiers reviled by the theeves and standers by and which was all in all forsaken by his Father So then by drinking of the brooke is meant suffering of the curses and it is frequently so used Ier. 25.27.49.12 Ezek. 23.32.34 Hab. 2.16 Revel 14.9.10 By The way we must understand either the life of Christ on earth his passage betweene his assumed voluntary humility and his exaltation againe or The way between mankind and heaven which by that should of wrath and torrent of curses which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.14 was made utterly unpassable till Christ by his sufferings made a path thorow it for the ransomed of the Lord to passe over Therefore shall be lift up the head It noteth in the Scripture phrase victory electation and breaking thorow those evils which did urge and presse a man before Psal. 27.6 and also boldnesse confidence and securitie to the whole body Luke 21.28 And further it is not He shall be lifted up but He shall doe it himselfe He hath the power of life and the fountaine of life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 10.18 So that following this sense of the words the meaning is He shall suffer and remove all those curses which were in the way between mankinde and heaven and then he shall lift up his head in the Resurrection and breake thorow all those sufferings into glory againe which sense is most punctually and expresly unfolded in those parallel places Luk. 24.26.46 Phil. 2.8 9. 1 Pet. 1.11 He shall drinke of the brooke in the way From hence we may note First that betweene mankinde and heaven there is a torrent of wrath and curses which doth everlastingly separate betweene us and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great and fixed gulfe which all the world can neither wade thorow nor remove The Law at first was an easie and smooth way to righteousnesse and from thence to salvation but now every step thereof sinkes as low as hell It is written within and without with curses which way soever a man stirres he findes nothing but death before him one mans way by the civility of his education the ingenuitie of his disposition the engagement of other ends or relations may seeme more smooth and plausible than anothers but by nature they all runne into hell as all rivers though never so different in other circumstances runne into the sea It is as impossible for a naturall man of himselfe to escape damnation as it is to make himselfe no childe of the old Adam or not to have beene begotten by fleshly parents The Gulfe of sin in our nature cannot be cleansed and therefore the Guilt thereof cannot be removed The Image we have lost is by us unrepairable the Law we have violated inoxorable the Iustice we have injured unsatisfiable the concupiscence of our nature insatiable sinne an aversion from an infinite good and a conversion to the creature infinitely and therefore the Guilt thereof infinite and unremoveable too We should learne often to meditate on this point to finde our selves reduced unto these straits and impossibilities that we cannot see which way to turne or to helpe our selves for that is the onely way to draw us unto Christ. Every man naturally loves to be in the first place beholding to himselfe in any extremity if his owne wits purse projects or endevours will helpe him out hee lookes no further but when all his owne succours have forsaken him then hee seekes abroad It is much more true in the matter of salvation no man ever did begin at Christ but went unto him upon meere necessitie when he had experience of the emptinesse of all his other succours and dependencies we all by nature are offended at him and will not have him to reigne over us till thereunto we be forced by the evidence of that infinite and unpreventable misery under which without him we must sinke for ever This is of all other the most urging argument unto men at first to consider that there is a torrent of curses a sea of death a raigne of condemnation a hell of sinne within and a hell of torments without betweene them and their salvation and there is no drop of that sea no scruple of that curse no title of that Law which must not all be either fulfilled or endured Suppose that God should summon thy guilty soule to a sudden apparance before his tribunall of Justice and should there begin to deale with thee even at thy mothers wombe Alas thou wouldest be utterly gone there even there a seed of evill doers the spawne of viperous and serpentine parents a cursed childe a childe of wrath an exact image of the old Adam and of the bloud of Satan But then here is after this produced a catalogue and history of sinnes of forty fiftie or three score yeeres long And in them every inordinate motion of the will every sudden stirring and secret working of inward lust every idle word every uncleane aspect every impertinencie and irregularity of life scored up against thy poore soule and each of them to be produced at the last and either answered or revenged O where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare if they have not right in Christ And how should men labour to be secured in that right Who would suffer so many millions of obligations and indictments to lye betweene him and God uncancelled and not labour to have them taken out of the way Now the onely way to be brought hereunto
of his workes of mediation on earth and that he is now in the execution of those other offices which remaine to bee fulfilled by him in heaven for the application of his Sacrifice unto us for having in the resurrection justified himselfe hee thereby rose for our justification likewise Rom. 4.25 For if the debt had not been taken quite off by the suretie it would have lien upon the principall still And therefore the Apostle proveth the resurrection by this that Gods mercies are sure Act. 13.34 Whereas if Christ were not risen from the dead wee should bee yet in our sinnes and so by consequence the mercies of David should have failed us 1 Cor. 15.17 18. And for this reason it is as I conceive that the Lord sent an Angell to remove the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher not to supply any want of power in him who could himselfe have roled away the stone with one of his fingers but as a Iudge when the Law is satisfied sendeth an officer to open the prison-doores to him who hath made that satisfaction so the Father to testifie that his Iustice was fully satisfied with the price which his Sonne had paid sent an officer of heaven to open the doores of the grave and as it were to hold away the hangings while his Lord came forth of his bed-chamber Secondly it assureth us of our resurrection for as the head must rise before the members so the members are sure to follow the Head The wicked shall rise by his Iudiciary power but not by the vertue and fellowship of his Resurrection as the faithfull who are therefore called Children of the Resurrection Luk. 20.36 1 Cor. 15 20-23 Thirdly it doth by a secret and spirituall vertue renew and sanctifie our Nature Rom. 6.4 For the acts of Christs mediation in his sufferings and victories are spiritually appliable and effectuall in us unto answerable effects His death to the mortification of sinne Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 1.7 And his resurrection to the quickning of us in holinesse Eph. 2.5 Col. 2.12 Fourthly it comforteth us in all other calamities of life which may befall us hee that raised up himselfe from the dead hath compassion and power to deliver us from all evill and to keepe us from falling This is the summe of Iobs argument God will raise me up at the last day therefore undoubtedly hee is able if it stand with my good and his owne glory to lift me up from this dunghill againe Iob 19.27 And this is Gods argument to comfort his people in patient waiting upon him in their afflictions because their dead bodies shall live and they that dwell in the dust shall awake and sing Esai 26.19 Lastly it serveth to draw our thoughts and affections from earth unto heaven Because things of a nature should move unto one another Now saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for a Saviour even the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body and make it like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe To him with the Father and the Holy Ghost three persons and one God bee all honor glory Majesty and thanksgiving for ever Amen FINIS Errata PAge 16. line 2. for rejoyceth reade rejoycest p. 31. l. 30. for That r. The. p. 43. l. 7. for that r. the. p. 49. l. 6. dele Our p. 52. l. 23. for world r. word p. 64. l. 25. for to give r. not to give p. 65. l. 2. dele At. p. 82. l. 35. for wrested r. rested p. 148. l. 3. for deliberation r. deliberating p. 154. l. 21. for stones r. stones p. â—59 l. 22. for acquit r. acquaint p. 191. l. 11. for exhaleth r. extracteth p. 195. l. 21. dele onely p. 197. l. 18. for Heralds r. Harbingers p. 221. lines 21.25 for matter r. master p. 225. l. 28. for And r. An. p. 261. l. 15. for world r. word p. 327. l. 24. for frequenting r. frequent p. 387. l. 28. for us r. it p. 388. l. 29. for he r. heed p. 399. l. 1. for reconciliation r. revocation l. 12. r. leaveth it not p. 444. l. 2. for because r. but because A Table of such places of Scripture as are by the way briefly opened or paraphrased in this Exposition and the former three Treatises T noteth the Treatise and P the Psalme GEn. 3.15 T. 439 Gen. 6.5 6. T. 274 Gen. 8.21 T. 274 Exod. 15.3 P. 493 Numb 14.17 T. 274 Numb 20.12 P. 190 Numb 23.21 P. 450 Deut 4.19 T. 284 Deut. 6.5 T. 202 2 Sam. 3.25 P. 400 1 King 21.20 T. 278.279 2 Chron. 6.41 P. 163 Iob 21.16 T. 51 Psal. 2.9 10. P. 12 13. Psal. 37.16 T. 77.369 Psal. 37.25 T. 26 Psal. 62.10 T. 98 Psal. 78.37 T. 110 Psal. 87.4 P. 372 Psal. 89 27. P. 17 Psal. 89.35 P. 80 Psal. 109.6 P. 486 Psal. 119.18 19. T. 435 Psa. 119 64-125 P. 308 Psal. 126.1 P. 209 Psal. 132.8 P. 163 Psal. 144.11 P. 23 Eccles. 1.15 T. 68 Eccles. 5.10 17. T. 72. Eccle. 6 1-3.7-10 T. 73. Eccles. 7.29 P. 354 Eccles. 10.2 P. 484 Esay 13.7 8. P. 498 Esay 28.16 T. 484 Esay 33.22 P 94 Esay 53.10 P. 31 Esay 57.20 P. 138 Ier. 1.11 12. T. 49 Ier. 2.13 T. 16 Ier. 3.19 P. 233 Ier. 8.8 P. 215 Lam. 3.39 40. T. 176 Ezek. 3.3 P. 162 Ezek. 18.20 P. 444 445 Ezek. 33.31.32 P. 68 Hos. 5.11 P. 59 Hos. 5.12 T. 42 Hos. 7.14 T. 311 Hos. 7.16 T. 302 Hos. 8.7 T. 302 Hos. 8.14 T. 426 Hos. 9.8 P. 251 Hos. 9.11 T. 43 Hos. 10.11 T. 422 Ioel 3.17 T. 50 Amos 8.2 T. 49 Mic. 7.19 20. P. 122 Nahum 1.10 P. 493 Habak 3.9 P. 387 Zeph. 1.8 P. 149 Hag. 2.7 T. 389 Hag. 2.14 T. 307 Zech. 5 6-11 T. 49 Mal. 4.2 P. 51 Matth. 4.4 P. 6 Matth. 6.24 P. 21 Matth. 9 15-17 P. 43 Matth. 11.11 P. 178 Matth. 13.22 T. 59 Matth. 15.28 T. 489 Matth. 23.29 P. 56 Matth. 26.5 P. 316 Matth. 26.39 P. 426 Matth. 10.21 T. 413 Luke 1.36 P. 384 Luke 2 40-52 T. 423 Luke 22.32 T. 351 Luke 24.46 P. 30 Iohn 1.16 T. 400 Iohn 1.17 P. 183 Iohn 1.18 P. 169 Iohn 3.18 T. 131 Iohn 4.22 P. 136 Iohn 6.44 P. 12 Iohn 7.38 P. 40 178 Iohn 7.39 P. 37 Iohn 8.56 T. 57 Iohn 10.4 P. 257 Iohn 11 48-50 T. 219 Iohn 13.27 T. 267 Iohn 14 20-23 T. 487 Iohn 15 1-5 T. 464 Iohn 16.7 P. 236 Iohn 16.10 P. 30 Iohn 16.21 P. 50 Iohn 17.4 T. 420 Iohn 17.13 P. 437 491 Iohn 17.15 P. 434 435 Act. 9.7 P. 381 Act. 28 28. P. 136 Rom. 5.10 P. 430 Rom. 5.13 T. 370 Ro. 5.14 T. 136 137 370 Rom. 6.3 T. 144 Rom. 6.11 T. 144.275 Rom. 7.8 T. 131 Rom. 7.12 T. 133 Rom. 7.14 15. T. 278 Rom. 8.29 30. T. 447 Rom. 8.32 T. 485 Rom. 13.9 T. 414 Rom. 13.10 P. 328 1 Cor. 2.14 T. 118 1 Cor. 3.21
intendeth to visit another there is no state nor distance no ceremonies nor solemnities observed but when a prince will communicate himselfe unto any place there is a publication and officers sent abroad to give notice thereof that meete entertainements may be provided So doth Christ deale with men he knoweth how unprepared wee are to give him a welcome how foule our hearts how barren our consciences and therefore he sendeth his Officers before his face with his owne Provision his Graces of Humiliation Repentance Desire Love Hope Joy hungring and thirsting after his appearance and then when hee is esteemed worthy of all acceptation he commeth himselfe Looke upon the more consummate publication of the Gospell for Christ in his owne personall preaching is said but to have begun to teach and we shall see that as Princes in the time of their solemne Inauguration doe some speciall acts of magnificence and honour open prisons proclaime pardons create nobles stampe coyne fill conduits with wine distribute donatives and congiaries to the people So Christ to testifie the glory of his Gospell did reserve the full publication thereof unto the day of his instalment and solemne readmission into his Fathers glory againe When he ascended up on high he then led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men namely the Holy Ghost who is called the Gift of God Act. 2.38 Act. 8 20 Ioh. 4.10 and in the plurall number Gifts as elsewhere he is called seven spirits Revel 1.4 to note the plenty and variety of graces which are by him shed abroad upon the Church Wisedome and faith and knowledge and healings and prophesie and discerning and miracles and tongues All these worke one and the selfe-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will And these gifts were all shed abroad for Evangelicall purposes for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this spirit Saint Peter telleth us is a spirit of Glory and therefore that Gospell for the more plentifull promulgation wherof he was shed abroad must needs be a Gospell of Glorie too And this further appeares because in this more solemne publication of the Gospell there was much more Abundance of glorious light and grace shed abroad into the world The Sunne of Righteousnesse in his estate of humiliation was much ecclipsed with the similitude of sinfull flesh the Communion of our common infirmities the poverty of a low condition the griefe and vexation of the sinnes of men the overshadowing of his divine vertue the forme and entertainement of a servant the burden of the guilt of sinne the burden of the Law of God the ignominie of a base death the agonie of a cursed death But when hee ascended up on high like the Sunne in his glory hee then dispell'd all these mists and now sendeth forth those glorious beames of his Gospell and Spirit which are the two wings by which he commeth unto the Churches and under which the healing and salvation of the world is treasured Iohn Baptist was the last and greatest of all the Prophets who foretold of Christ a greater had not beene borne of women and yet he was lesse than the least in the kingdome of heaven that is than the least of those upon whom the Promise of the Spirit was shed abroad for the more glorious manifestation of the kingdome of his Gospell All the Prophets and the Law prophesied untill Iohn but at the comming of Christ they seem'd to bee taken away not by way of abrogation and extinguishment as the ceremonies but by way of excesse and excellency ut stellae exiliores ad exortum solis as the Orator speakes so saith the Apostle Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the Glory that excelleth Therefore the full Revelation of the Gospell is called an effusion of the spirit not in dew but in showres of raine which multiply into rivers of living water for the raine of the spirit floweth from heaven as from a spring and into wels of Salvation and into a sea of knowledge Which attributes note unto us two things First the abundance of spirituall grace and knowledge by the Gospell it should be a River Secondly the growth and increase thereof it should be living water multiplying and swelling up like the waters of the Sanctuary till it came to a bottomelesse and unmeasurable sea of eternall life And to touch that which was before spoken of very glorious are the vertues of the Spirit in the Gospell intimated in this similitude of living water To quench the wrath of God that otherwise consuming unextinguishable fury which devoureth the adversaries with everlasting burnings To satisfie those desires of the thirsty soule which it selfe begetteth for the Spirit is both for medicine and for meate for medicine to cure the dull and averse appetites of the soule and for meate to satisfie them The Spirit is both a Spirit of supplication and a Spirit of grace or satisfaction A Spirit of supplication directing us to pray and a Spirit of Grace supplying those requests and satisfying those desires which himselfe did dictate To cleanse to purifie to mollifie to take away the barrennesse of our naturall hearts To overflow and communicate it selfe to others To withstand and subdue every obstacle that is set up against it To continue and to multiply to the end By this then wee learne the way how to abound in grace and glory and how to bee transformed into the Image of Christ. The beame and light of the Sunne is the vehiculum of the heate and influence of the Sunne so the light of the Gospell of Christ is that which conveieth the vertue and gracious workings of his Spirit upon the soule And therefore we are to seeke those varieties of grace which are for meate to satisfie the desires and for medicine to cure the bruizes of the soule onely upon the bankes of the waters of the Sanctuary that is in the knowledge of the word of truth which is the Gospell of Salvation The more of this glorious light a man hath the more proportion of all other graces will he have too And therefore the Apostle puts the growth of these two together as contributing a mutuall succour unto one another Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Your Grace will inlarge your desires of knowledge and your knowledge will multiply your degrees of Grace And Saint Paul makes the knowledge of the will of God in wisdome and after a spirituall maner to be the ground of fruitfulnesse in every good worke and that again an inducement to increase in knowledge as in the twisting together of two cords into one rope they are by art so ordered that either shall bind and hold in the other As in the heavens the inferior orbes have the measure and proportion of their
generall motion from the supreme so in the motions of grace in the soule the proportion of all the rest a riseth frō the measure of our spirituall and saving light The more distinctly and throughly the spirit of a mans mind is convinc'd of the necessity beauty and gloriousnesse of heavenly things the more strong impressions therof wil be made upon all subordinate faculties for we move towards nothing without preceding apprehensions of its goodnes which apprehensions as they more seriously penetrate into the true and intimate worth of that thing so are the motions of the soule thereunto proportionably strengthen'd As the hinder wheeles in a Coach ever move as fast as the former which leade them so the subordinate powers of the soule are overrul'd in their maner measure of working towards grace by those spirituall representations of the truth and excellency thereof which are made in the understanding by the light of the Gospel Thus the Apostle telleth us that the excellency of the knowledge of Christ was that which made him so earnest to winne him the knowledge of the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings was that which made him reach forth and presse forward unto the marke and price of that high calling which was before him Thirdly the Glory of the Gospell of Christ with his Spirit may be considered in regard of the matters which are therin contain'd namely the Glory the Excellencies the Treasures of God himselfe We all saith the Apostle with open face behold as in a Glasse that is in the spirituall ministration of the Gospell having the veile of carnall stupidity taken away by the Spirit The glory of the Lord. What glory doe we here behold but that which a glasse is able to represent Now in speculo nisi imago non cernitur nothing can be seene in a glasse but the image of that thing which sheddeth forth its species thereupon and therefore he immediately addeth we are changed into the same image from glory to glory and he elsewhere putteth these two together Man is the image and the glory of God for nothing can have any thing of God in it any resemblance or forme of him but so farre it must needs be glorious But how doe we in the Gospell see the Image of God who is invisible The Apostle expresseth that else-where God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Christ is the Image and expresse Character of his Fathers glory as the impression in the wax is of the forme and fashion of the seale there is no excellencie in God which is not compleatly adequately and distinctly in Christ so that in that glasse wherin we may see him we may likewise see the glory of the Father Now the Gospell is the face of Iesus Christ that which as lively setteth forth his grace and Spirit to the soule as if he were present in the flesh amongst us Suppose we that a glasse could retaine a permanent and unvanishing species of a mans face within it though hee himselfe were absent might we not truly say this glasse is the face of that man whose image it so constantly retaineth So in asmuch as Christ is most exactly represented in his Gospell so that when we come into his personall and reall presence to know even as we are knowne we shall be able truely to say this is indeed the very person who was so long since in his Gospell exhibited to my faith sic ille manus sic ora gerebat it is therefore justly by the Apostle called the face of Iesus Christ and therefore the Glasse wherein we see the Image and glory of God as it is the same light which shineth from the Sunne upon a glasse and from a glasse upon a wall so it is the same glory which shineth from the Father upon the Sonne and from the Sonne upon the Gospell so that in the Gospell we see the unsearchable treasures of God because his treasures are in his Sonne Therefore that which is usually called Preaching the Gospell is in other places called Preaching the Kingdome and the riches of Christ to note the glory of those things which are in the Gospell revealed unto the Church It containeth the glory of Gods wisdome and that wisdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold and various wisdome as the Apostle speaketh who therefore calleth Christ and his Gospell by the name of Wisdome wee preach Christ crucified to those that are called the power of God and the wisdome of God and we speake wisdome amongst them that are perfect wisdome to reconcile his owne attributes of mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace which by the fall of man seemed to be at variance among themselves wisdome in reconciling the world of obstinate and rebellious enemies unto himselfe wisdome in sanctifying the whole creation by the bloud of the crosse and repairing those ruines which the sinne of man had caused wisdome in concorporating Christ and his Church things in their owne distinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water in their remotest degrees wisdome in uniting the Iewes and Gentiles and reducing their former jealousies and disaffections unto an intimate fellowship in the same common mysteries In one word wisdome above the admiration of the blessed Angels in finding out a way to give greater satisfaction to his offended justice by shewing mercie and saving sinners than he could ever have received by either the confusion or annihilation of them It containeth the Glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good-will towards men which brought glory to God and to the earth peace for the Gospell is as it were a Love-token or commendatory Epistle of the Lord unto his Church God left not himselfe without witnesses of his care and evidences of some love even to those whom he suffered to walke in their owne wayes without any knowledge of his Gospell he did them good he gave them raine from heaven and fruitfull seasons so even they had experience of some of his goodnesse the goodnesse of his providence for hee is the Saviour of all men but the Gospell containeth all Gods goodnesse as a heape and miscellany of universall mercy I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercie Gods speciall and gracious mercy the mercy of his promises in Christ doth convey unto the soule an interest in all his goodnesse nay it maketh all things good unto us so that we may call them ours as gifts and legacies from Christ. He hath given to us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse the world and life and death and things
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie