made the Author a man of God perfect thorowly furnished unto all good workes and as became a faithfull Steward of the manifold grace of God he endeavoured to teach the whole counsell of God and to store men with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding I desire that both thou and I and all Gods people may so reade these his labours that it may farther our growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ to whose grace I commend thee being Woodstreet November 6. 1638. Thine in him ARTHVR JACKSON A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST In His neerenesse to GOD In His calling In His qualification In His execution of his calling In three Sermons Being the leading Sermons to that Treatise called the Bruised Reed preached upon the precedent words By the late Reverend and learned Divine RICHARD SIBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE ISA. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tidings unto the meeke LONDON Printed by G M. for N Bourne and R. Harford and are to be sold at the south entrance of the Royall Exchange and at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head-Alley in Pater-noster row MDCXXXIX A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST MAT. 12.18 Behold my servant whom I have chosen my Beloved in whom my soule is well pleased I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall shew judgement to the Gentiles he shall not strive nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets c. THE words are the accomplishment of a prophesie taken out of Isaiah 42. as we may see by the former verse That it might bee fullfilled Now the occasion of bringing them in here in this verse it is a charge that Christ gives verse 16. That they should not discover and make him knowne for the miracles he did he withdrawes himselfe he was desirous to be concealed he would not live to the view overmuch for he knew the rebellious disposition of the Jewes that were willing to change their governement and to make him King therefore he laboured to conceale himselfe all kinde of wayes now upon this charge that they should tell no body hee brings in the Prophet Isaiah prophesying of him Behold my servant c. hee shall not strive nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streetes Other Kings labour that their pomp and magnificence may be seene but he shall not mind ostentation he shall not be contentious nor clamarous for these 3. things are meant when he saith he shall not strive nor crie neither shall his voice be heard in the streetes he shall not yeeld to any ostentation for hee came in an abased state to worke our salvation hee shall not be contentious nor yet clamarous in matter of wrong there shall be no boasting any kinde of way as wee shall see when wee come to the words you see then the inference here The inference in the Prophet Isaiah is to comfort the people and to direct them how to come to worship the true God after he had declaimed against their Idolatry as we see in the former chapter Behold my servant c. Great Princes have their Embassadours and the great God of Heaven hath his Son his servant in whom hee delights through whom and by whom all intercourse betweene God and man is It is usuall in the Prophesies especially of Isaiah that Evangelicall Prophet when he foretells any thing comfortable to the people in the promise of temporall things he riseth to stablish their faith in better things by adding thereto a prophesie and promise of Christ the Messias to insinuate thus much I will send you the Messias that is a greater gift then this that I have promised you therefore you may be sure of the lesse as the Apostle reasons excellently Rom. 8. If hee spared not his owne sonne but delivered him to death for us all how shall hee not with him give us all things So here I have promised you deliverance out of Babylon and this and that doe you doubt of the performance alas what is that in comparison of a greater favour I intend you in Christ that shall deliver you out of another manner of Babylon Behold my servant whom I have chosen and in Isa. 7. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bare a sonne c. I will send you the Messias God shall become man therefore I will not stand for any outward favour or deliverance whatsoever So he goes to the grand promise that they might reason from the greater to the lesse There is another end why in other promises there is mention of the promise of the Messias to uphold their faith Alas wee are unworthy of these promises wee are laden with sin and iniquity It is no matter J will send you the Messias Behold my servant in whom my soule delighteth and for his sake I will delight in you I am well pleased with you because I am well pleased in him therefore be not discouraged All the Promises are yea and Amen in Iesus Christ For all the promises that be though they bee for the things of this life they are made for Christ they are yea in him and they are performed for his sake they are Amen in him So much for the occasion of the inference in the Evangelist Saint Matthew and likewise in the Prophet Isay. To come more directly to the words Behold my servant whom I have chosen my Beloved in whom my soule is well pleased c. In the words you have a description of Christ his nearenesse to God Behold my servant whom I have chosen my Beloved in whom my soule is well pleased And then his calling and qualification I will put my Spirit upon him And the execution of that calling He shâ—ll shew judgement to the Gentiles Then the quiet and peaceable manner of the execution of his calling He shall not strive nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets c. Behold This word is as it were a Beacon lighted up to all the rest in all the Evangelists you have this word often repeated and the Prophets likewise when they speake of Christ there is no Prophesie almost but there is this word Behold Why Not to spend time in the variety of acceptions but to speake of it as may serve for the present purpose The use of it in the Prophet especially out of which these words are taken was to present Christ to the hearts of the people of God then therefore he saith Behold for Christ was present to the Beleevers then he did profit before hee was hee did good before he was exhibited because he was the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world he was yesterday as well as to day and to morrow as well as to day yesterday to day and the same for ever
he was present to their Faith and present to them in Types and Sacrifices and present in Gods acceptation of him for them therefore the Prophets mount up with the wing of Prophesie and in regard of the certainty of the things to come they speake as if they were present as if they had looked on Christ present Behold my servant and Behold a Virgin c. But that is not all another use of this word Behold was to call the peoples mindes from their miseries and from other abasing objects that dejected them and might force despaire why doe you dwell upon your unworthinesse and sin raise up your mindes Behold my servant whom I have chosen c. This is an object worth beholding and admiration especially of a distressed soule that may see in Christ whatsoever may comfort it A third end of it is to raise the minde from any vulgar common base contents you looke on these things and are carried away with common triviall objects as the poore Disciples when they came to the Temple they stood wondering at the stones what wondrous stones what goodly building is here so shallow minded men they see any earthly excellencie they stand gazing Alas saith Christ doe you wonder at these things so the Prophet here raiseth up the mindes of men to looke on an object fit to be looked on Behold my servant c. So that the Holy Ghost would have them from this saving object Christ to raise satisfaction to their soules every way are you dejected here is comfort are you sinfull here is righteousnesse are you led away with present contentments here you have honours and pleasures and all in Christ Jesus you have a right to common pleasures that others have and besides them you have interest to others that are everlasting pleasures that shall never faile so that there is nothing that is dejecting and abasing in man but there is comfort for it in Christ Jesus he is a salve for every sore a remedie for every maladie therefore Behold my servant This word Behold it is a word of wonderment and indeed in Christ there are a world of wonders every thing is wonderfull in him Things new are wonderfull and things rare and things that are great that transcend our capacity are wonderfull that that stops our understanding that it cannot goe through them vulgar things we see thorow them quickly but when wee see things that stay our understandings that raise our understandings higher and that are more capacious then our understandings here is matter of admiration and wonder Now whatsoever may make wonderment is in Jesus Christ whose name is Wonderfull as it is Isaiah 9.7 therefore the Prophet saith Behold My servant Christ is called a servant first in respect of his creation because being man as a creature hee was a servant but that is not all He was a servant in respect of his condition servant implies a base and low condition Philip. 2. Christ tooke upon him the forme of a servant he emptied himselfe he was the lowest of all servants in condition for none was ever so abased as our glorious Saviour And then it it a name of office as well as of base condition There are ordinary servants and extraordinary as great Kings have their servants of state Christ besides his abasement he was a servant of state he was an Ambassador sent from the great God a Prophet a Priest and a King as we shâ—ll see afterwards an extraordinary servant to doe a peece of service that all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on the Earth joyned together could not performe this great master-piece of service was to bring God and man together againe that were at variance as it is 1. Pet. 3.18 to bring us to God we were severed and scattered from God his office was to gather us together againe to bring us all to one head againe to bring us to himselfe and so to God to reconcile us as the Scripture phrase is Now it being the greatest worke and service that ever was it required the greatest servant for no creature in the world could performe it all the Angells of Heaven would have sunke under this service to have undergone satisfaction to divine justice for the Angels themselves when they sinned they could not recover themselves but sunke under their owne sinne eternally thus wee see how he is Gods servant who set him a part and chose him to his service And then he was a servant to us for the Sonne of man came to minister not to be ministred unto he washed his Disciples feet hee was a servant to us because he did our worke and suffered our punishment we made him serve by our sinnes as the Prophet saith he is a servant that beares an other mans burthen there was a double burthen of obedience active and obedience passive he bore them both hee came under the law for us both doing what wee should have done and indeed sarre more acceptably and suffering that wee should have suffered and far more acceptably hee being our surety being a more excellent person he did beare our burthen and did our worke therfore he was Gods servant and our servant and Gods servant because he was our servant beâ—â—use he came to do a work behoovefull to us Heerein appeares the admirable love and care of God to us wretched creatures heere is matter of wonderment If we looke to him that was a servant If we looke to that in God and him that made him stoope to be a servant If we looke to the manner of the performance of this service If we look to to the fruit of that service they are all matter of wonderment If we look to the person that was this servant the Apostle in Philip. 2. will tell you he thought it not robbery to be equall with God yet he tooke upon him the shape of a servant was not this wonderfull for God to become man the glorious God to abase himselfe to bee a servant God-Man glorious God and base servant for the living God to dye for the incomprehensible God to be inclosed in the wombe of a Virgin for glory it selfe to be abased for riches to become poore what matter of wonderment is here the very Angels stand at a gaze and wonder they pry into these things his name may well be Wonderfull There are foure notable conjunctions that are especially wonderfull two in us and two above us One in us is the conjunction of so excellent a thing as the soule breathed in by God the soule of man is an admirable thing the world is not worth it in the judgement of him that gave himselfe for it that this should be joyned to a peece of earth indeed I am wonderfully made saith David in regard of his body but the conjunction of the soule and body together so excellent a substance to so base a thing as earth to a peece
are by it are from Heaven the truth we have and grace from the truth come from Heaven yea and Christ the Author of all is from Heaven and they all leade to Heaven Which should teach us with what minds to converse in the hearing and reading of these things with heavenly affections And it shewes likewise why worldlings and base people are no more affected with the things of the Gospell because it is the Kingdome of Heaven If it were of the world we should have it sought with eagernesse enough though it were a lesse matter then a Kingdome but it is a Kingdome of Heaven remote from flesh and blood there must be a new Spirit to worke a new sight and a new taste to worke a change in the heart of man and then he shall know the things of the Kingdome of Heaven He must come out of the world that will see this Kingdome as in Reve. 18. Come out of Babylon A man must come out of Antichrists Kingdome to see the basenesse of it he cannot see it in the middest of it so we must come out of the world if we would see the glorious Kingdome of Christ it is a heavenly Kingdome Therefore the greatest potentates of the world must abase themselves there is no greatnesse in the world can helpe them to this heavenly Kingdome But why should the Gospell and the state of the Church in the New Testament bee called the Kingdome of Heaven and receive the date now was it not the Kingdome of Heaven before J answer it is the manner of the Scripture to give titles to things from the glorious manifestation of them things are said to bee when they are gloriously manifested The Mystery of Christ is said to be revealed now in the time of the Gospell it was knowne before to Adam and Abraham and the rest but now there was a more apparent glorious manifestation of it therefore now the manifestation of Christ and the good things by him they are called a Kingdome before it was kept inclosed in the pale of the Iewish Church it was vailed under Types it was hid in promises that were darke and obscure but when Christ came all was taken off and Christ was unvailed It is said in the Gospell The Holy Ghost was not given yet because Iesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was given before but not so fully and plentifully So there was a state of Heaven before men were saved before the comming of Christ But it was not called the Kingdome of Heaven it was not a state of liberty and freedome from the bondage of ceremonies c. And there is reason that there should be violence offred to this state and meanes and grace wrought by it it is a Kingdome it is no great wonder that a Kingdome should suffer violence especially such a Kingdome as the Kingdome of Heaven What is in a Kingdome There is first of all freedome from slavery and danger a Kingdome is an independent state there is none above it he that is a King is free independent and supreame Then againe a Kingdome is a full state there is aboundance and plenty of people and good things in a Kingdome Againe in a Kingdome there is glory and excellency where is it to be had else all the glory and sufficiency and contentment that Earth can afford Now in that the state of the Church by reason of the glorious Gospell is called a Kingdome First it is a free state as indeed the Word doth make us free from former bondage In particular the Gospell of Christ it frees us from Jewish bondage and from all kind of bondage spirituall If the Sonne make you free yee are free indeed A Christian is above all he is over sin and Satan and the Law he is free supreame and independent all are under him A Christian as a Christian he is under none but Christ under no creature The spirituall man judgeth all things yet hee himselfe is judged of no man I speake not of civill differences But as a Christian is a member of Christ and a citizen of the Kingdome of Heaven he hath a kind of independent state his conscience is onely subject to God and Christ but all earthly things he commands they are under him And 2. the staâ—e of a Christian is a full state God is his Christ is his All things are his so much as shall serve to bring him to Heaven that which is truly good is directly his and indirectly all other things are made his by Christ who hath the authority and power and strength of a King to command all things to worke together for his good death and sinne and all that befalls him are thus his And then he hath a spirit of contentment in the want of good and of patience in the suffering of ill that he can doe all things as St. Paul saith through Christ that strengtheneth him What he wants in outward things he can fetch supply from the promises of the Gospell he can fetch supply from Christ and from the state to come and what he wants in other things he hath in grace which is better 3. It is a state likewise of glory and excellency but it is a spirituall glory and therefore it consists together with outward basenesse and meanenesse it is a glorious state to be the Sonne of God to be heires of Heaven heires of all things in Christ by the Spirit of Christ in him he rules over all How glorious is the Spirit of God in a Christian in the time of temptation and affliction when he hath a Spirit ruling in him that is stronger then the world and all oppositions whatsoever The state of a Christian is glorious even in this world in the beginnings of it What then is the glory that is to be revealed on the Sonnes of God in the day of revelation It cannot enter into our thoughts it is above our expression nay it is above our imagination and conceit Thus you see there is great cause why the Kingdome of Heaven should suffer violence When Crownes and Kingdomes are laid open to people with hope of getting them especially such a one as the Kingdome of Heaven is it is no wonder if there be violence offered to get them The next thing is the affection of those that seeke after this Kingdome it is violent The Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence How doth the Kingdome of Heaven the Gospell and meanes of grace suffer violence First because when these good things were revealed by Iohn Baptist and then by Christ and after by the Disciples and Apostles many thronged into the Church which is the gate of the Kingdome of Heaven they all pressed to be of the Church to heare the Word of God They hung as it were upon the word of Christ upon his mouth they pressed so that they trod one upon another and it
adds to our comfort that whatsoever Christ did for us he did it as chosen hee is a chosen stone as Saint Peter saith 1. Peter 2.6 A precious corner stone though refused of the builders yet precious in Gods sight Was Christ a chosen servant of God and shall not we take Gods choise Is not Gods choise the best and the wisest Hath God chosen Christ to worke our salvation and shall we choose any other Shall we run to Saints mediation to the Virgin Mary and others for intercession which is a part of Christs office Who chose Mary and Peter and Paul to this worke there is no mention in Scripture of them for this purpose But behold my servant whom I have chosen God in Paradice did choose a wife for Adam so God hath chosen a husband for his Church he hath chosen Christ for us therefore it is intollerable sacrilegious rebellion and impudency to refuse a Saviour and Mediator of Gods choosing and to set up others of our own as if we were wiser to choose for our selves then God is we may content our selves well enough with Gods choise because he is the party offended Besides it is folly to goe out from Christ where there is all fulnesse and content to leave Gods chosen servant and to goe to any other servant to any broken vessell God rests in this servant as Pharoah did in Ioseph the second person in the Kingdome therefore let Gods choise and ours agree And this directs us also in our devotions to God how to carry our selves in our prayers and services to offer Christ to God Behold Lord thy chosen servant that thou hast chosen to bee my Mediator my Saviour my all in all to me he is a Mediator and a Saviour of thine owne choosing thou canst not refuse thy owne choise if thou looke upon me there is nothing but matter of unworthinesse but look upon him whom thou hast chose my head and Saviour Againe if Christ be a chosen servant O let us take heed how we neglect Christ. When God hath chosen him for us shall not we think him worthy to be imbraced and regarded shall we not kisse the Sonne with the kisse of love and faith and subjection he is a Saviour of Gods owne choosing refuse him not What is the reason that men refuse this chosen stone They will not be laid low enough to build upon this corner stone this hidden stone the excellencie of Christ is hidden it appeares not to men men will not be squared to be built upon him stones for a building must be framed and made even and flat men stick out with this and that lust they will not be pared and cut and fitted for Christ if they may have their lusts and wicked lives they will admit of Christ but wee must make choise of him as a stone to build upon him and to bee built on him wee must be made like him we like not this laying low and abasing therefore we refuse this Corner stone though God hath made him the corner of building to all those that have the life of grace here or shall have glory hereafter The Papists admit him to be stone but not the onely stone to build on but they build upon him and Saints upon him and works upon him and traditions but he is the onely corner stone God hath chosen him onely and wee muâ—â— choose him onely that wee may bee framed and laid upon him to make up one building so much for that Behold my servant whom I have chosen My Beloved in whom my soule is well-pleased How doe we know that these words in the Prophet Isaiah are fitly appliable to Christ By the greatest authority that ever was from the beginning of the world by the immediate voice of God the Father from Heaven who applies these words in Isaiah to Christ Mat. 3. in his inauguration when he was baptised This is my Beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased this is that my Sonne that beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beloved Sonne so beloved that my soule delights in him he is capable of my whole love I may powre out my whole love upon him in whom I am well pleased it is the same with that heere in whom my soule delighteth the one expresseth the other How and in what respect is Christ thus beloved of God First as he is God the Sonne of God the engraven Image of his Father so he is primum amabile the first lovely thing that ever was when the Father loves him he loves himselfe in him so he loves him as God as the second person as his owne image and character And as man he loves him for as man he was the most excellent creature in the world he was conceived fashioned and framed in his mothers wombe by the Holy Ghost It is said Heb. 10.5 God gave him a body God the Father by the Holy Ghost fashioned and framed and fitted him with a body therefore God must needs love his owne workmanship Againe there was nothing in him displeasing to God there was no sinne found in his life any way therefore as man he was well-pleasing to God he took the man-hood and ingrafted it into the second person and inriched it there therefore he must needs love the Man-hood of Christ being taken into so neare a union with the God-head As God and man Mediator especially hee loves and delights in him in regard of his office he must needs delight in his owne Ordinance and Decree now he decreed and sealed him to that office therefore he loves and delights in him as a Mediator of his owne appointing and ordaining to be our King and Priest and Prophet Againe hee loved and delighted in him in regard of the execution of his office both in doing and suffering In doing the Evangelist saith hee did all things well when hee healed the sick and raised the dead and cured all diseases whatsoever he did was well done And for his suffering God delighted in him for that as it is in Iohn 10.17 My Father loves me because I lay downe my life and so in Isaiah 53. He shall divide him a portion with the great because hee powred out his soule unto death and in Philip. 2. Because he abased himselfe to the death of the Crosse God gave him a name above all names therefore God loves and delights in him for his suffering and abasement It is said of Noah Gen. 8.21 that he offered a sacrifice after the flood and the Lord smelled a sweet savour of his sacrifice and thereupon hee saith I will not curse the earth againe so God loves and delights in Christ as he offered himselfe a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour wherin God rests he felt such a sweet savour in the sacrifice of Christ he is so delighted in it that he will never destroy mankind hee will never destroy any that beleeve in Christ the sacrifice of Noah
servant to do our worke for us to suffer for us to beare the burthen of our sinnes upon the tree to become our husband to bestow his riches upon us to raise us to the same condition with himselfe and withall to be such a one as God hath chosen out to love and delight in as the best object of his love and most capable of it and for us not to solace and delight our selves in him that God delights in when God delights in him for our sake God loves and delights in him for the worke of salvation and redemption by his blood and shall not wee love and imbrace him for his love which is for our good What good hath God by it but onely the glory of his mercy in saving our soules through Christ Therefore if God love him for the good he doth to us much more should we love him for the fruit of it that wee receive our selves It should shame us therefore when we finde dullnesse and coldnesse upon us that wee can heare of any thing better then of Christ and arguments concerning Christ are cold to us alas where is our love and joy and delight and when we can make no better but a carnall use of the incarnation and other benefits by Christ we should therefore desire God to shed the love of Christ into our hearts more and more that we may feele in our soules the love that hee beares to us and may love God and Christ againe for that that hee hath done for us Hence we have also a ground of estimation of Christians to be excellent persons doth God valew poore sinfull soules so much as to give Christ for them to become a Saviour doth he delight in Christ for giving himselfe for them and shall not we love one another whom God and Christ so loves But if God love and delight in those that are in Christ with the same love and delight that he hath in him how shall I know that I am in Christ and that God thus delights in me Briefly a man may know that hee is in Christ if he find the Spirit of Christ in him for the same Spirit when Christ tooke our nature that sanctified that blessed masse wherof he was made when there was an union betweene him and the second person the same Spirit sanctifies our soules and bodies there is one Spirit in the head and in the members therfore if we find the Spirit of Christ in us we are in Christ and he in us Now this Spirit is renewing Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature all is new old things are done away the old manner of language the old disposition old affections old company all old things are past all is new and if a man be a new creature hee hath right and title to the new heaven and new earth let us examine the worke of grace in us if there be no change in us we have no present interest in Christ we have to do with him because he is still woing us to be in him but as yet we have no title to him The very beholding of Christ is a transforming sight the Spirit that makes us new creatures and stirres us up to behold this servant it is a transforming beholding if wee looke upon him with the eye of faith it will make us like Christ for the Gospell is a mirrour and such a mirrour that when we looke into it and see our selves interessed in it wee are changed from glory to glory a man cannot looke upon the love of God and of Christ in the Gospell but it will change him to be like God and Christ for how can we see Christ and God in Christ but we shall see how God hates sin and this will transforme us to hate it as God doth who hated it so that it could not bee expiated but with the blood of Christ God-man so seeing the holinesse of God in it it will transforme us to be holy when we see the love of of God in the Gospell and the love of Christ giving himselfe for us this will transforme us to love God when wee see the humility and obedience of Christ when we looke on Christ as Gods chosen servant in all this and as our surety and head it transformes us to the like humility and obedience those that find not their dispositions in some comfortable measure wrought to this blessed transformation they have not yet those eyes that the Holy Ghost requireth here Behold my servant whom I have chosen my Beloved in whom my soule delighteth I will put my Spirit upon him Now wee come to the qualification of Christ for his calling in these words I will put my Spirit upon him that is I will cloath him with my Spirit I will put it as it were upon him as a garment Now there were divers degrees of Christs receiving the Spirit at severall times for hee was conceived by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost did sanctifie that blessed masse whereof his body was framed in the wombe of the Virgin he was quickned in the wombe in his conception by the Holy Ghost and he was graced by the Holy Ghost and led by the Spirit in all things before his Baptisme but afterward when he came to set upon his office to be the Prophet and Priest and King of his Church that great office of saving mankind which he did not solemly set upon till hee was thirty yeares old then God powred upon him a special portion of the Spirit answerable to that great calling then the Spirit lighted upon him Christ was ordained to his office by the greatest authority that ever any was ordained from the beginning of the world for at his Baptisme when he was ordained and set apart to his office there was the Father from heaven uttered an audible voice This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and there was Christ the partie baptized and installed into that great office then there was the Holy Ghost in the forme and shape of a Dove it being a matter of the greatest consequence that ever was in the world greater then the Creation it was fit it should be done with the greatest authority and so it was the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost being present at the admission of Christ into his office this is especially here intended though the other bee included I will put my Spirit vpon him that is I will annoint him as it is in Isaiah 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith Christ because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives to open the prison for them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord that is the yeare of Iubile for that was a Type of Christ to preach the Gospell deliverance to all that are in captivity servitude and thraldome under Satan and sin this was
these things which I say are true both for the necessity and excellency of this foode they will be effectuall to stirre you up to labour more after this foode that endures to everlasting life So much for that Which the Sonne of man shall give you for him hath God the Father Sealed To come now to the possibility of attaining this food which is the third argument our blessed Saviour useth to enforce upon us this injunction to labour for the food that endures to everlasting life Hope stirreth up endeavour as we see in marchandizing though when wee venter beyond the seas we commit all to winde and water as they say and it is doubtfull what the issue may be yet we hope and that sets us on worke So the poore Husbandman but that he hopes to have a comfortable issue to have a harvest he would never set himselfe to worke Now heere is hope and hope on a better ground a great deale for hee that makes other things successefull he hath given Christ for this purpose and Christ you see heere hee gives himselfe which the Sonne of man shall give you Heere is all that we may ground and found our hope upon heere is will heere is power and here is authority to give it Heere is will Christ will give it why because he is the Sonne of man What use is there of these words in this place why doth he not say which the Sonne of God shall give you O the Sonne of God without the Sonne of man is indeed a Fountaine of good things but he is a sealed Fountaine alas of no comfort our comfort is in Emanuell God-Man all our comfort is to be brought back to God from whom we fell in Paradise and we must bee brought backe againe to God by God but unlesse God had become man man had never come backe againe to God therefore all the union and communion we have with God it depends on this first union of Christ with our nature that the Sonne of God became the Sonne of man as Saint Austine saith for now the next union that we become the Sons of God it comes from this that God became man and therefore he saith heere the Sonne of man shall give it you you need not climbe up to Heaven to fetch this food that endures to everlasting life for the Sonne of God is come downe from Heaven to Earth to take the nature of man and in that to die in that to satisfie Gods wrath and so to become this blessed and everlasting food The Sonne of man the second Adam as by one man we all come to misery so by the second Adam by man wee are restored to a blessed condition againe therefore he saith heere the Sonne of man because in the humane nature all our salvation was wrought indeed the worth and efficacie of our salvation comes from the divine nature but it was wrought in mans nature the divine nature could not worke it alone But I will not dwell on this The Sonne of man shall give it you you neede not feare it God is become man on purpose to give it you we may now boldly go to a Mediator which is made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh wee should have feared and trembled if hee had onely beene God but now all grace and comfort is hid in this nature of ours in Christ if Christ had not tooke this poore wretched nature of ours upon him it had beene a hatefull nature to God God hated the nature of man but now because the Sonne of God is become the Sonne of man our nature is become lovely in the eyes of God and not onely lovely but it is filled in him with all grace and of his fullnesse wee receive grace for grace Hee will give it therefore because he is the Sonne of man Heere is will I but what power and strength hath he to give it He is so the Sonne of man as that hee is also the Sonne of God therefore we are said Acts 20. to bee redeemed with the blood of God Christ by his eternall Spirit by his God-head offered himselfe a Sacrifice for sinne so that he can give it because he is God But what authority hath he He is Sealed to doe it that 's the third that is he hath authority for authority is here expressed by Sealing Now Christ is said to be Sealed first because there is the impression of God upon him even as the seale imprints in the wax the likenesse of that which is in it so God hath imprinted in Christ his owne likenesse he is the Image of God for Christ as he is God is the character of his Father and his humane nature is likewise as like God as nature can expresse we saw saith the Apostle his glory the glory as of the onely begotten Sonne of God we saw a kinde of divinity in him as much as humane nature could receive the likenesse of God sparkeled in him therefore hee is said to be Sealed but that is not all nor the principall here meant Againe secondly the use of a seale is to appropriate and distinguish from other things so Christ is Sealed that is God hath appropriated him to be his owne Sonne and to be a Mediator of his owne appointing and hath distinguished him from all others by a blessed annointing and qualification of him above all he is as Saul amongst the rest higher then all he is as Aaron annointed with the oyle of gladnesse but above his fellowes and yet for his fellowes from him distills the blessed ointment of grace it is powred on his head first and descends from him downe to all the skirts of his garment to all his members So heere is in this Sealing likenesse distinction and appropriation But especially by Sealing heere is meant authority for a thing sealed is not onely to distinguish and appropriate to a mans use but to authorize also as a Magistrate that hath the Kings broad Seale he is authorized so Christ he hath Gods Seale God hath authorized him to be a Mediator and as hee was fore-ordained before all worlds as the Apostle Peter saith to be the head of them that should be saved and to be their Mediator so when the fullnesse of time was come when he came in the flesh hee was authorized by the greatest testimony that ever was by the blessed Trinity God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost at his Baptisme This is my beloved Sonne heare him saith a voice from Heaven there was the Father the Sonne in the voice the Holy Ghost in the Dove there was the whole Trinity so he was authorized from Heaven And then he was authorized by his miracles God gave him power to worke those workes which none could doe but a Mediator therefore he saith if you beleeve not me yet beleeve me for my workes sake He was authorized also by his Resurrection as the Apostle saith in Rom. 1.4 He mightily declared himselfe to be
in the creature for Christ must bee received with a beggars hand and it will aske much labour to deny a mans selfe for proud flesh will alwaies have somewhat to trust to either in it selfe or in the creature So that these two may well stand together labour and gift we are taught to pray Give us this day our daily bread God will give us our daily bread we must not therefore stand still and doe nothing but though God will give it yet he will give it in the use of meanes in the use of our lawfull callings so heere God will give us this spirituall food yet he will give it in labour it is his ordinance and whatsoever hee gives he gives not in idlenesse but in obedience to his ordinance he will have us to labour in the use of the meanes in reading hearing receiving the Sacrament praying meditating and the like to have a part in Christ this blessed gift Nay because he will give Christ therefore laâ—our the one enforceth the other the like reason Moses giveth the Israelites Fight saith he for the Lord hath given them into your hand â—hey might say if our enemies bee given into our hand why should we fight yes fight the rather be incouraged to fight because you shall be sure to conquer so heere Labour for the meate that endures to everlasting life for the Sonne of man will give it therefore labour because he will give it in labouring we shall bee sure to have it do that which belongs to thee and thou shalt be sure to have that which belongs to God thou shalt finde Christ and Heaven and glory and all in the use of the meanes But he gives nothing without labour there can be no good done in earthly things without labour and doe you thinke to have Heaven without labour No spirituall things are against the streame Heaven is up the hill there must be labour there must be striving against corruptions within and against temptations without and our labour it is a happy labour it is not a barren labour our labour is not in vaine in the Lord as the Apostle saith wee that labour for the food that endures to everlasting life we labour for somewhat but worldlings that beate their braines and tire their spirits and rack their consciences and weare out their bodies it is all for nothing it is for that which is vanity and vexation of spirit for that which they must leave behind them A true Christian to encourage him to take all the paines that may be hee labours for something it is a hopefull and not a barren labour And beloved blessed are we that we can have this food for our labour that since the fall wee can recover by the second Adam a better estate then wee had by the first And our blessed Saviour to the end he might distinguish true Christians from Hypocrites enjoynes this duty of labouring so much the more for we have many in the Church that thinke to have Christ and his benefits without labour as if Heaven would drop into their mouthes they can say that God is mercifull and Christ died for us but you shall in the meane time finde them carelesse of reading of hearing of praying of the Communion of Saints c. are idle in working out their salvation with feare and trembling negligent in selling all that they have for the Pearle will part with nothing for Christ I say to distinguish these Hypocrites from true Christians therefore he saith Labour to shew to us that onely they that labour for Christ in the use of all good meanes that labour for the true knowledge of him and for faith to receive him that sell all for him that take paines to grow in grace and in union with Christ that make him their best portion in the world and delight in him it is they onely that have interest in Christ onely the painefull Christian is the true Christian. Therefore I beseech you as you would have it discerned that you are not Hypocrites in the Church bee stirred up to use all sanctified meanes to know Christ to beleeve in him to know that you are in a communion with him that you belong unto him Be not discouraged you shall have rest ere long There is a rest for the people of God as the Apostle saith to the Hebrewes Indeed so long as we are heere below there is labour joyned with wearinesse for we have great conflicts with corruptions and temptations with enemies within and enemies without but be of good comfort we shall at last come to a rest to a rest perpetuall and everlasting It is true in Heaven there shall be labour for we shall be alway praising God but it shall be labour without wearinesse labour without conflict there shall bee no corruption within nor no divell without Satan could enter into Paradice below but hee shall never enter into that heavenly Paradice therfore be incouraged to labour for a while though it be tedious because of corruptions and temptations yet there is a rest for the people of God an eternall Rest. FINIS VIOLENCE VICTORIOVS In two Sermons By the late Reverend and Learned Divine RICHARD SIBS Doctor in Divinity Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grayes-Inne GEN. 32.26 I will not let thee goe except thou blesse mee 1 COR. 15.57 Thankes be unto God which giveth us the victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. LONDON Printed by G.M. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1639. VIOLENCE VICTORIOVS MAT. 11.12 From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force IOHN Baptist and our blessed Saviour gave mutuall testimonies one of another hee witnessed of Christ before hee came and our Saviour Christ gives witnesse of him here The occasion of this you have in the second verse Iohn being in prison sends two of his Disciples to Christ to know whether he were the Christ or no not that Iohn did doubt but to confirme his Disciples Christ returnes a reall and a verball answer Tell Iohn saith he what ye have seene and heard c. and then he closeth up all Blessed is he that is not offended with me Upon this occasion Christ enters into a commendation of blessed St. Iohn Baptist even unto a comparative commendation amongst them that were borne of woemen there had not yet risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist not so much in eminency of grace though that may have a truth as in regard of the dispensation of his Ministery Iohn living in more glorious times For the excellency of the Church is from Christ he doth ennoble and advance times and places and persons Bethlehem a little Citty yet not a little Citty in regard that Christ was borne there and saith Christ Happy are the eyes that see that which your eyes see every thing is advanced by Christ. So Iohn Baptist in regard of his office being
the immediate fore-runner of Christ was greater then all that were before him yet he saith the least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then be not in grace but in prerogative in regard of the revelation and manifestation of more things For Iohn Baptist died before he saw the death and resurrection and ascention of Christ accomplished before he was glorified Therefore in regard of these prerogatives the least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is in the Church of the New Testament is greater then he It is a rule that the least of the greater is greater then the greatest of the lesse Iohn was greater then the greatest of them that were before him but lesser then the least of those that were after him Then Christ commends Iohn from the efficacie of his Ministery From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force so you see how the words depend upon the former For the points wee are to consider in them First here you have the state of the Church in the New Testament It is a Kingdome and the Kingdome of Heaven together with the quality of the meanes whereby it comes to be a Kingdome the meanes of grace the Gospell The Gospell and the people that are wrought on by the Gospell in the New Testament they are both called the Kingdome of Heaven Then secondly here is set downe the affection of those people that seeke this Kingdome at that time and so forward to the end of the world the disposition of the persons is they are violent The third is the issue or successe of this eagernesse and violence though the manner be violent yet the successe is good the violent take it by force The fourth is the date or time when it begins and how long it continues it beares date from the preaching of Saint Iohn Baptist to the end of the world untill now that is to the end of the world as it was said till now in the Evangelists time so posterity may say untill now from the first comming of Christ till his second comming while there is a Gospell preached which is the Ministerie of the Spirit the Spirit will bee working and there are such glorious things in the Gospell that there will bee violence offered so while there is a people to bee gathered and a Gospell to be preached to gather them and a Spirit that workes by that Gospell there will be violence in the Church offered to the meanes of salvation First The state of the Church together with the meanes the Gospell preached it is called The Kingdome of Heaven Besides others there are three maine significations of these words The Kingdome of Heaven First the famous leading proper signification is the state and place where God himselfe and his people are most glorious The Kingdome of Heaven all the other significations end in that But secondly because all that shall come into that glorious Kingdome they must bee Kings here first in the state of the kingdome of grace which consists in righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in the graces and comforts of the Spirit therefore the state of grace comes to have the name too of The Kingdome of Heaven And thirdly because grace in this world cannot be attained without an order and meanes and dispensation from God hereupon the dispensation of the meanes whereby we come to have grace is also called The Kingdome The unfolding the mysteries of salvation in the Gospell is called the Kingdome of God As Christ saith The Kingdome of God shall bee taken from you that is the preaching of the Gospell therefore the Gospell is called the Gospell of the Kingdome and the Word of the Kingdome because by this Word wee come to have grace and by grace glory there is no glory without grace and no grace without the Word one makes way for another The preaching of the Gospell doth cause a Church which is the Kingdome of Christ wherein hee rules by the Scepter of his Word by which Word Christ and all his riches and glory and prerogatives are unfolded and thereby grace is wrought and grace leades to glory This connexion and subordination is to bee observed First for the conviction of those who doe not indeed belong to the Kingdome of Heaven every man is ready to talke of the Kingdome of Heaven and the glory there I but there is a subordination of grace and of the meanes of grace how standest thou affected to the meanes of salvation to the Word of the Kingdome the Word of life The Word of reconciliation for it hath the name from all the excellencies to which it brings us to shew that as we valew life a Kingdome reconciliation and all that is good so we must valew this Gospell or else it is a presumptuous confidence if the priviledges of grace and glory belong to us wee must come to them by these steps those that regard not the Gospell and meanes of salvation they have nothing to do with grace nor glory they are hereby convinced of arrogant folly Againe it is a ground to comfort weake Christians that regard the meanes of salvation and yet feare their falling away be of good comfort whosoever thou art God hath knit and linked these together all the power of earth and hell cannot breake one linke of this chaine conscionable attending upon the meanes and grace and glory will go together Therefore hold on attend upon the meanes of salvation and waite with comfort The Gospell of the Kingdome will bring thee to grace and grace though it be but an earnest but a little measure will bring thee to glory Where God hath begun a good worke he will finish it he will second one benefit with another diligent attending on the meanes with grace and grace with glory In Scripture works have their denomination from that they aime at as the Apostle saith Yee have crucified the old man and yee are crucified with Christ because yee are in doing it and ye shall do it perfectly so we are Saints because wee shall be so we are Kings now because we are in part so and we shall be so fully hereafter so grace is called the Kingdome of Heaven because it is the undoubted way to the Kingdome of Heaven and glory God would helpe our faith by the very title for wee are not elected to the beginnings onely of glory but to the perfection as it is excellently set downe Ephes. 1. We are elected to glory by meanes and beginnings therefore undoubtedly we may hope for the accomplishment when we see the beginnings Why is the state of grace and the meanes of grace and glory it selfe called the Kingdome of Heaven Answ. Because they are all of and from Heaven the one is in Heaven the Kingdome of glory and the other the Kingdome of the Word here and truth and grace which
BEAMES OF DIVINE LIGHT Breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture as they were learnedly opened In XXI Sermons The III. first being the fore-going Sermons to that Treatise called The Bruised-Reed Preached on the precedent words By the late Reverend and Iudicious Divine RICHARD SIBS D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE Published according to the Doctor his owne appointment subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect Coppies ESAY 60 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising PSALM 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will be withhold from them that walke uprightly LONDON Printed by G.M. for N. Bourne at the Royal Exchange and R Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater Noster-Row MDCXXXIX TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN LORD ROBERTS Baron of Truro AND TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LADY LVCE his pious Consort Grace and Peace from Jesus Christ. Right Honourable and truly Noble IT was not so much the Nobility of your blood as that of Grace given unto you from the divine hand which did so much interest you in the love and esteeme of that worthy Servant of Christ and Author of this worke in whom Vrim and Thummim met whose whole course being a reall and vitall sermon sweetly consonant to the tenour of his teaching made him amiable living and honourable dead in the opinion of as many as well knew him This was the thing I suppose which wrought unto him from you as well as from many others of your Noble Stock and Ranke more then an ordinary esteeme and this is that which maketh me in nothing to doubt but that his labours made publique under your names shall be very welcome unto you the worke is answering unto the man and therefore worthy you and your acceptance onely this is the disadvantage that though these Sermons had his owne toung to preach them yet they want his owne pen to commend them unto your Honours I well know that the expressions of holy truthes from a gratious heart by lively voice doe breed deeper impressions in thirsting and reverent hearers then any publishing of them in dead letters can doe yet this we finde in experience that holy and necessary truths this way comming abroad into the Churches of God doe get the advantage to continue longer and to become a more generall good they may stirre up the affections and set on-wards in the course of holinesse where the comforts are sure and the honours honouring everlasting In these ensuing Sermons you have variety the mother of delight and such notable descriptions of the person offices love and life of Christ that by them you may not only be setled in divine assurances to your further comforts but also directed and incouraged both in your inward and outward conversation to follow the example of Christ the most blessed and unerring example unto all Christians This Champion I beseech you both to follow unto your lives end make it your worke to set up Christ and his Religion both in your hearts and in your houses Acknowledge none but Christ in matter of salvation and none to Christ in point of affection let Christ be Christ with you and then if Christ and if not Christ nothing can be worth any thing he will make you worthy indeed he will proove unto you in life and death a Sun a shield even a full and an answerable good with this Christ I leave you and with you these ensuing Sermons to be read and observed for your spirituall furtherance in the enjoyment of eternall life by Iesus Christ desiring the great God of Heaven and Earth to looke upon both you and yours in much grace and mercie giving unto you all the comfort and crown of Religion here on earth and hereafter in Heaven I rest Your honours to be commanded JOHN SEDOVVICK To the Reader Christian Reader THE Word of God is given us as a most pretious treasure and that not for our selves onely but for our children after us and therefore is called Jsraels Jnheritance Deut. 33.4 Moses commanded us a Law even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Iacob All the wealth in the world is but as dirt and trash in comparison of the Word to the people of God Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of mine heart saith David Psal. 119.111 And therefore as they rejoyce in their owne enjoying of it so they doe what they may to assure it to their children when they are dead that it may be entailed upon them and their posterity after them Yea so they doe also with the knowledge of divine truths which they have found in the Word which is not indeed found out by men all at one time but by degrees as Gold is found in Mines as men come to search farther and farther and to dig deeper and deeper for it It was not they know imparted to them for their owne use onely but for the benefit of others the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 and therefore as it comes to them from Heaven they hand it to others that so it may be continued in the Church the ground and pillar of truth for the good of those that shall live in future times This was I hope the chiefe aime of those that have published these Sermons of that worthy Light of our Church Dr. Sibs And surely we have great cause in this regard thankfully to acknowledge their care and paines who both tooke them so exactly from his mouth as he delivered them and then kept them so charity as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a precious thing committed to their trust and have now published them for the common good of all that will make use of them For by this meanes what was delivered to a few may now build up many to farther degrees of knowledge and grace even all the Land over and they that never saw his face may be made sharers in those his labours which only a few were so happy as to heare Being my selfe one amongst others that have found the advantage hereof I was not so hardly wonne as otherwise I should have beene to commend these Beames of divine Light to the respect of others Diverse truths of greatest consequence are exactly handled in the severall Sermons here presented to you as concerning the misery of our naturall estate and the blâ—sse and happinesse of those that are quickned by Christ concerning the necessity of the Word our spirituall Food the Zealous Violence of the Faithfull impressing after it concerning the divers both joyes and sorrowes complaints and Triumphs of Gods children here when they are blacke though comely Cant. 1.5 and concerning their happinesse in death and glory after it and many other whereof these few are onely a taste The study of the Scriptures
of red well coloured earth to a lump of flesh it is a wondrous conjunction But there is a more supernaturall conjunction of man when all of us sinners as we are are knit to Christ our head and head and members make one Christ here is a wondrous conjunction Saint Paul calls it a mystery Ephes. 5. these conjunctions in us are wonderfull But now to goe higher in Christ there are more wonderfull conjunctions for the greatest and the meanest to joyne together for God and man to come together the Lord of all and a servant and such a servant as should be under a curse for the highest of all to come to the deepest abasement for there was no abasement ever so deepe as Christs was in a double regard First none ever went so low as he for hee suffered the wrath of God and bore upon him the sins of us all none ever was so low And then in another respect his abasement was greatest because hee descended from the highest top of glory and for him to be man to be a servant to be a curse to suffer the wrath of God to be the lowest of all Lord whether dost thou descend here is a wonder in these conjunctions Next to Christs abasement was Adams because he was the most excellent being in the state of innocencie and carrying the image of God and being familiar with God for him presently to come into that fearefull condition it was the greatest abasement because it was from the greatest dignity that made the abasement of Christ so great for Lordship to submit to service for God to be man the blessed God to become a curse heere is matter of wonder indeed In Christ againe there was a conjunction of perfect body perfect soule and perfect God and all make one Christ In the Trinity there is a conjunction of three persons in one nature that is a wondrous conjunction but it belongs not to our present purpose here you see there is matter of wonder in the person that Christ should be a servant There is matter of wonder likewise in that from whence he is a servant whence comes it that Christ is a servant It is from the wondrous love of God and the wondrous love of Christ to be so abased it was wondrous love in God to give him to us to be so abased and the wondrous misery we were in that we could not otherwise be freed from for such was the pride of man that he being man would exalt himselfe to bee like God God became man he became a servant to expiate our pride in Adam so that it is wondrous in the spring of it There was no such love as Christs to become a servant there was no such misery as we were in out of which we were delivered by this abasement of Christ becomming a servant so it is wondrous in that regard springing from the infinite love and mercy of God which is greater in the worke of Redemption and Reconciliation then in the Creation of the world for the distance betweene nothing and something was lesse then the distance betweene sin and happinesse For nothing adds no opposition but to be in a sinfull state there is opposition therefore it was greater love and mercy for God when wee were sinfull and so obnoxious to eternall destruction to make us of sinners not onely men but to make us happie to make us heires of heaven out of a sinfull and cursed estate then to make us of nothing something to make us men in Adam for there God prevailed over nothing but here his mercy triumphed over that which is opposite to God over sinfullnesse and cursednesse To shew that the creature cannot be so low but there is somewhat in God above the misery of the creature his mercy shall triumph over the basest estate where hee will shew mercy therefore there is mercy above all mercy and love above all love in that Christ was a servant Thirdly it is wondrous in regard of the fruit we have by this service of Christ the worke of our Redemption to be translated from the kingdome of Satan to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God to be brought out of darkenesse into marveilous light it is marveilous matter of wonder the good wee have by this abasement of Christ Behold what love the Father hath shewed us that wee should be called the sonnes of God Now all this comes from Christs being a servant our liberty comes from his service and slavery our life from his death our adoption and sonship and all comes from his abasement therefore it is a matter of wonderment for the great things we have by it O the depth O the depth saith Saint Paul here are all dimensions in this excellent worke that Christ hath wrought by his abasement by his incarnation and taking upon him the forme of a servant and dying for us here is the height and breadth and length and depth of the love of God in Christ O the riches of Gods mercie the Apostles they stand in a wonder and admiration of this and indeed if any thing be to be admired it is Christ that wondrous conjunction the wondrous love that wrought it and the wondrous fruit we have by it It is the basenesse of our nature we can wonder at shallow things there cannot be a foolery but there will be many about it presently and stand admiring every emptie idle thing that the nature of man is carried away with whereas indeed there is nothing worthy of admiration but the wonderfull love of God O how wonderfull are thy workes saith David of the works of Creation Psal. 8. the worke of Creation and of providence whereby God guides the world are wonderfull and the Psalmist cries out of the folly of men that do not regard the worke of the Lord Psal. 107. Fooles regard not this The workes of the Lord are worthy to bee considered they are knowne of all that delight in them Psal. 111. but if these things bee so wonderfull and to bee regarded and delighted in alas what is all the worke of redemption Great is the mysterie of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. there are mysteries matters of admiration but carnall men thinke these triviall matters they can heare matters of more rarity and when they speake of these things alas they are too wise to wonder tush they know the Gospell well enough whereas indeed as wee see here they are things that deserve the admiration of Angels and as they deserve it so the Angels prie into these excellent secrets in Jesus Christ. Christ was a servant by office and by condition we must not rest in this base condition for he took upon him the forme of a servant that he might be an excellent servant there is both basenesse and excellencie in the word servant for his humiliation was a degree of his exaltation and a part of his advancement if wee regard his
Spirit be put upon him I answer Christ is both God and Man Christ as God gives the Spirit to his humane nature so hee communicates his Spirit the Spirit is his Spirit as well as the Fathers the Spirit proceeds from them both Christ as man receives the Spirit God the Father and the Son put the Spirit upon the man-hood of Christ so Christ both gives and receives the Spirit in diverse respects as God hee gives and sends the Spirit the spiration and breathing of the Spirit is from him as well as from the Father but as man he received the Spirit And this is the reason of it next under the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Christ the mediator was to be the spring and originall of all comfort and good therefore Christs nature must not onely be sanctified and ordained by the Spirit but he must receive the Spirit to inrich it for whatsoever is wrought in the creature is by the Spirit whatsoever Christ did as man he did by the Spirit Christs humane nature therefore must be sanctified and have the Spirit put upon it God the Father the first person in Trinity and God the Son the second they worke not immediately but by the Holy Ghost the third person therefore whatsoever is wrought upon the creatâ—re it comes from the Holy Ghost immediately so Christ received the Holy Ghost as sent from the Father and the Son Now as the Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son so he workes from the Father and the Son he sanctifieth and purifieth and doth all from the Father and the Son and knits us to the Father and the Son to the Son first and then to the Father therefore it is said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost because all the communion we have with God is by the Holy Ghost all the communion that Christ as man had with God was by the Holy Ghost and all the communion that God hath with us and wee with God is by the Holy Ghost for the Spirit is the bond of union betweene Christ and us and betweene God and us God communicates himselfe to us by his Spirit and we communicate with God by his Spirit God doth all in us by his Spirit and we doe all backe againe to â—od by the Spirit Because Christ as a Head as the second Adam was to be the root of all that are saved as the first Adam was the roote of all that are damned he was therefore to receive the Spirit and to have it put upon him in a more excellent and rich manner for wee must know that all things are first in Christ and then in us God chose him first and then he chose us God singled him out to be the Saviour the second Adam and he cals us in Christ. God justified Christ from our sinnes being our Surety taking our sinnes upon him we are justified because hee by his resurrection quit himselfe from the guilt of our sinnes as having paid the debt Christ is the first fruites of them that rise againe we rise againe because he is risen Christ first ascended we ascend in Christ. Christ is first loved we are loved in the Beloved Christ is first blessed we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in Iesus Chrest So whatsoever is in us we have it at the second hand we have the Spirit in us but he is first in Christ God hath put the Spirit in Christ as the spring as the second Adam as a publike person that should receive the Spirit for us all he is first in all things Christ must have the preheminence he hath the preheminence in all both before time in time and after time in election in whatsoever is done here in this world and in glorification all is first in Christ and then in us he is the elder Brother We must understanding this to give Christ his due honour and respect and to know whence we have all we have Therefore the Spirit is said here first to be put upon Christ. Wee have not the Holy Ghost immediately from God but we have him as sanctifying Christ first and then us and whatsoever the Holy Ghost doth in us he doth the same in Christ first and hee doth it in us because in Christ. Therefore in Iohn 14. Christ saith He shall take of mine whatsoever the Holy Ghost works in us hee takes of Christ first How is that Thus The Holy Ghost comforts us with reasons from Christ he dyed and hath reconciled us to God therefore now God is at peace with thee Here the Holy Ghost takes a ground of comfort from the death of Christ. When the Holy Ghost would raise a man up to holinesse of life he tels him Christ thy Saviour and Head is quickned and is now in Heaven therefore we ought to rise to holinesse of life If the Holy Ghost be to worke either comfort or grace or any thing he not onely doth the same thing that he did first in Christ but hee doth it in us by reasons from Christ by grounds fetched from Christ the Holy Ghost tells our soules that God loves Christ first and he loves us in Christ and that we are those that God gave Christ for that we are those that Christ makes intercession for in Heaven the Holy Ghost witnesseth to us the love of the Father and the Sonne and so hee fetcheth from Christ whatsoever he works And hence the worke of the Holy Ghost is distinguished from illusions and delusions that are nothing but franticke conceits of comfort that are groundlesse The Holy Ghost fetcheth all from Christ in his working and comfort and he makes Christ the patterne of all for whatsoever is in Christ the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of Christ workes in us as it is in Christ. Therefore in Iohn 1.13 it is said of his fullnesse we receive grace for grace that is grace answerable to his grace There are three things that we receive answerable to Christ by the Spirit We receive grace that is the favour of God answerable to the favour God shewes his Son he loves his Son he is gratiously disposed to him and he loves us So grace habituall wee have grace in us answerable to the grace in Christ wee have love answerable to his love patience answerable to his Patience Obedience and Humility answerable to that in Christ the Spirit workes a conformity to Christ in all things Likewise in the third place the Spirit assures us of the same priviledges that issue from grace Christ is a Son the Spirit tells us wee are sons Christ is an heire the Spirit tells us wee are heires with Christ Christ is the King of Heaven and Earth the Spirit tells us that wee are Kings that his riches are ours thus wee have grace for grace both favour and grace in us and priviledges issuing from grace we have all as they are in Christ. Even
but they either resist them or quench them and wrong and grieve the Spirit as Saint Paul saith Greive not the Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 5. Men speake or doe somewhat that grieves the Spirit of God in them their conscience being enlightned by the Spirit tels them that they have done that which is naught yet notwithstanding for this or that advantage to please this or that company they will speake or doe that which is ill and then the Spirit that was given in some measure before is grieved at this carnall and sinnefull liberty Therefore if yee would be guided by the Spirit of Christ take heed of all these and of such like courses Another meanes whereby we may come to obtaine the Spirit is Prayer to bee guided by the Spirit of Christ next to Christ himselfe our Saviour is the most excellent thing in the world therefore it is worth the begging and getting Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that aske him Insinuating that wee can aske nothing greater then the Spirit A man that hath a sanctified judgement next the forgivenesse of his sins through Christ hee begs nothing more then the Spirit to witnesse the favour of God in Christ and to fit him for other favours especially to fit us for the world to come God can give nothing greater nor we can beg nothing greater if wee have sanctified judgements then the Spirit of God therefore let us have a high esteeme of the holy Spirit of the motions of it and out of an high esteeme in our hearts beg of God the guidance of the Spirit that he would leade us by his Spirit and subdue our corruptions that wee may not bee lead by our owne lusts and so consequently by Satan that leads us by our owne lusts in the way that leads to perdition So much for that I will put my Spirit c. And he shall shew judgement to the Gentiles After Christ was fully furnished as he was furnished with the Spirit of God and with a commission from Heaven from Father Sonne and Holy Ghost having this high commission and gifts for it by the Spirit he fals upon his office presently we are never fit for any thing till wee have the Spirit and when we have the Spirit it is active and vigorous and working He shall shew judgement to the Gentiles What is meant by judgement here By judgement is meant lawes hee shall declare his lawes his truth and together with declaring the truth of the Gospell which is his Evangelicall law hee shall declare it in the soule and bow the neck of the inward man to the obedience of this his judgement Christ then by himselfe and his Apostles and Ministers shall declare his truth which is the scepter of his governement to the Gentiles and not onely declare it as Princes doe their lawes by Proclamations and Statutes c. but hee shall declare it to the heart by his Spirit Now in the hebrew language ordinarily wise governement is called judgement hee shall declare judgement that is his manner of governement he shall declare it by his Spirit and cause our Spirits to submit to it And indeed grace is called judgement in the phrase of Scripture the grace of sanctification because it is agreeable to judgement to Gods law it is agreeable to it and wrought by it in the soule and it is the best judgement for grace whereby the soule is subject to the judgement and law and rule of God it must needs be the best judgement because it is agreeable to Gods judgement grace judgeth aright of things and subdues all things the affections and inward man to it selfe But why is the word of God called judgement It is called so frequently in the Psalmes and in other places of Scripture because the truth of God shewes what God doth judge Judgement is originally in God who is the first truth and the first good the first truth judgeth best of truthes what is light and what is darkenesse what is truth and what is error what is good and what is ill what is safe and what is dangerous all will grant that God is the first light and the firâ—t truth therefore hee doth originally judge of the difference of things for even as in the creation he put an eternall difference betweene light and darkenesse and severed things that were in the confuseâ— Chaos and established an orderly world that Heaven should be above and earth below that one thing should be above another and all in judgement So in the governing of man-kinde he shewes his judgement by his word and that word shewes how God judgeth of things Lawes shew judgement what is to be done and what is not to be done The Gospell shewes Gods judgement what he will have us beleeve and hope for and how wee must carry our selves in way of thankefullnesses if we doe this then the Gospell the word of God judgeth what shall become of us wee shall be saved if we doe the contrary the word againe judgeth what our state shall be wee shall be damned so it is called judgement because it judgeth what is good and what is ill and because it determineth what shall become of us if we obey or disobey Hereupon it is that the word of God is a glasse wherein we may see our owne condition infallibly what will become of us the Word of God judgeth thus he that lives in such and such sinnes shall come to this end God will inflict these and these judgements upon him Iudgement in the first place is you shall doe this and this because it is good Iudgement in the second place is because you have not done this this shall befall you so the Evangelicall judgement of the Gospell is this He that repents and beleeves shall not perish but have everlasting life but he that armes and furnisheth his heart to rebellion he shall perish in his sinnes He that believeth not is condemned allready the wrath of God hangs over his head So from this that Gods truth is called judgement we may know how to judge of our selves even as God judgeth in his Word wee may see our owne faces and conditions there hee that is a man of death may see it in the Word and he that is appointed for happinesse may there see his condition Againe not onely the Word of God the Gospell which is out of us in the booke of God is called judgement but the worke of God in the soule Sanctification is called judgement hence we may observe what is the most judicious course in the world the most judicious frame of soule when it is framed to the judgement and truth of God being the first truth When a man is sanctified and set in a holy frame it is from a sanctified judgement the flesh is subject to the Spirit heere is all in a gratious
arguments heere in the text for J will draw no other inforce what I have said before J have shewed you what this labour is and rules how you may know whether you rightly labour for this food or no Now to inforce this act consider first the necessity of that our Saviour here injoynes us too it is food It is a strange thing that persons should perswade themselves that they are Christians and yet goe from day to day without refreshing themselves with Christ and with the meditation of the blessed estate they are in by him both in respect of this world and that which is to come without getting strength from Christ against tentations and against corruptions Christ is foode and the promises and prerogatives we have by him are food wee should labour after it every day feede on it every day If a man should aske a man in his calling why doe you take such paines Morning and Evening rising early and going to bed late Hee would answer it is to get bread it is to get food to maintaine my family So should it bee our answer to any that wonder why wee take such paines for our soules why wee labour so after Christ Oh remember we take paines for life to get and mainetaine life and what is so necessary as life And if life bee so necessary food which preserves it must be necessary we see the Patriarks for food left their country and the poore Aegyptians sold themselves and their cattell and all to get food to keepe life We famish eternally except we feed on Christ except we have so much Faith as makes us one with him except by Faith we digest him and get nourishment and streâ—gth from him it will appeare to be so when it is too late ere long nothing in the world will relish us and then if we have not Christ and the things of another life to relish us what will become of us J beseech you consider what opinion and judgement wee shall have ere long of these earthly things and of the better things of another world at the houre of death our judgements will be convinced that the things of Heaven are the best things and if it bee true that they will bee so then why is it not true that they are so now Labour to have the same judgement now With the necessity our blessed Saviour joyneth the excellency of this food It is foode that endures to everlasting life Christ and the good things we have by him are of equall extent and of equall time with our soules if wee labour for earthly things we labour after that which is of shorter continuance then our soules we may out-live our happinesse and what a miserable state is that But if we labour for the food that endures to everlasting life our happinesse is of the same continuance with our soules and that is onely true happinesse If there were such a Tree upon the Earth now as there was in Paradice a Tree of life that whosoever should taste of the fruit of it should live though but on the Earth here to enjoy his sensuall pleasures Oh what would not men give for a little fruit of that Tree though it were to redeeme a little time and to lengthen out a fading base life on earth but much more to live for ever Here is food that endures to everlasting life to such a life as is heavenly and glorious Now blessed be God that since we are cast out of the first Paradice by sinne that now in our relapsed estate God is so mercifull to us as to provide another manner of Tree of life that in Paradice was but a typicall Tree the true Tree of life is Christ and whosoever feeds on him shall not perish but have everlasting life certainely if we beleeved this it could not be but it would wondrously see us on to labour after this meate because it is not onely food that tends to the preservation of life but to life everlasting to a life that endures as long as our soules And let us know that if wee doe not labour for this meate that brings to this life looke what degree of excellency we have had in the ranke of the creatures the same degree we shall have in misery for as the Angels in the degree of excellency were the most excellent creatures but being fallen they are in the same degree of misery that they were in happinesse and are now the most accursed creatures of all others So man as he is a most excellent creature if he feed on the food that endures to everlasting life so if like Nebuchadnezar he fâ—red as a beast on earthly things and forget his soule and affections which are made to close and feede on Christ and better things he shall have the same degree of misery that he hath in happinesse even next to the Divells the most wretched creature that can be What if a man were clad as Aaron was in all his pontificality in his Priestly robes What if hee should feed deliciously every day as Dives what and if he had the wisedome of Salomon the strength of Samson what and if he had all the kingdomes of the world if he have not the food that endures to everlasting life he should bee stripped of all these ere long it is onely Christ and the good things that are to bee had in him and by him that continue everlastingly This should inforce us to labour after this food in the use of all good meanes and before J leave the point consider the reality the truth of these heavenly things of these things wee have by Christ the second Adam all things else are shadowes The food that nourisheth the body it is not food in comparison of that earthly kingdomes are not kingdomes in respect of that earthly sonneship is not sonneship to that earthly riches they are nothing they are vanity in comparison of that earthly inheritance is no inheritance in comparison of the inheritance we have by Christ all other things are but titles of things they are but empty things there is a reality in Christ a truth in the kingdome of grace Alas what is riches what are pleasures what are honours what is sonneship what are all earthly things in comparison of the soule which is an immortall a spirituall an eternall substance they are but shadowes those things that are of equall extent and continuance with the soule and not onely of equall extent but that raise the soule to have communion with God in Heaven with the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost there is the reality there is the truth if we will have the truth of things I am that bread saith Christ afterward in this Chapter and my flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed as if other meat and other drinke refreshed not indeed but were onely shadowes of things Labour therefore for this meate and certainely if so be the Spirit of God once convince your judgements that
of Christianity and who will not If men will goe to Heaven they must be violent they must be at the cost and charges sometimes to venture life it selfe and whatsoever is deare and pretious in the world A man must be so violent that hee must goe thorough all even death it selfe though it be a bloudie death to Christ this discards all luke-warme carnall professors who shake off this violence in all estates of the Church it is almost equally difficult to bee a sound Christian for God requires this violence even in the most peaceable times Now the truth and religion are countenanced by the lawes yet the power of it is by many much opposed Therefore hee now that in spight of reproach in spight of slander will beare the scornes cast upon the Gospell that will goe with Christ without the gate bearing his reproach such a man may be said to be thus violent it is an easie thing to have so much Christianity as will stand with our commodity or with pleasure c. but to have so much as will bring us to Heaven I say it is equally hard in all times of the Church it requires violence to carry us thorough these lesser oppositions Againe God will have us get these things with violence that we may set a greater price on them when we have them when we have things that are gotten by violence that are gotten hardly O we valew them much Heaven is Heaven then things that are hardly gotten and hardly kept are highly prized Againe the excellencie of the thing inforceth violence it is fit that excellent things should have answerable affections Now it being a Kingdome and the Kingdome of Heaven what affection is answerable but a violent strong affection Againe together with the excellencie the necessity requires it for the Kingdome of Heaven it is a place of refuge as well as a Kingdome to inrich us There were Cities of refuge among the Jewes when a man was followed by the avenger of blood he would run as fast as he could to the Citie of refuge and there he was safe so when a guilty conscience pursues us when there is a noise of feare in the heart when Gods judgements awaken us hell is open when a man apprehends his estate and is convinced what a one he is and what he deserves of necessity he will flie to the Citie of refuge and where is that but in the Kingdome of Heaven in the Church happie is he that can but get in at the gate of this Kingdome there is no doubt of his going in further but there must be a striving to enter in at the gate and then there he shall be hid in his Sanctuary as the pursued Doves get into their nests and the Connies hide them in the rock when they get that over their heads then they are safe so a Christian when he is pursued with conscience and with the temptations of Satan he flies to his Sanctuary doe you wonder that a guilty man should flee to his sanctuary and the pursued creatures to their hold and refuge In this respect the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence Herein it is compared to some great rich Citie that hath some great treasure and riches in it and it must be besieged and beleagured a long time and those that can enter into it they are made for ever Or it is like the entrance or gate of a Citie where there is striving and thronging and where besides enemies are that if men strive not they are cut and mangled and killed so it is in the state of this Kingdome when a mans eyes be opened he sees the divell and hell behind him and either he must enteror be damned and being entered it makes him rich and advanceth him for ever so he is strongly mooved to offer violence on both sides if he looke behind him there is the kingdome of Satan darknesse and misery and damnation for as Pharaoh pursued the Israelites when they were got out of his kingdome so the divell pursues a man when he is broken out of his dominion And then before him there is the kingdome of happinesse and glory the feare of that that followes them and the hope of that that is set before them both make them strive to enter into the gate of that Citie What should this teach us First let it be a rule of tryall to know judge of our estate whether we be entred into this gate of Heaven or no our lives are very short very uncertaine let us consider if we be in the way to Heaven what striving what strugling what violence have we ever offered There are a company that regard not the meanes of salvation at all either in private or publique Some come to the Word and heare but they doe not heare it as the Word of God to bee ruled by it but as a discourse to delight themselves for the time to have matter to speake of and to censure not with a spirit of obedience to be guided by it as the Scepter of the Kingdome What violence is this now and then to heare a Sermon now and then to reade a Chapter now and then to utter a yawning prayer betweene sleeping and waking perhaps when thou knowest not what thy selfe saist how then wouldest thou have God to regard it What violence is in the lives of most Christians what strength to enforce good actions how doe they improove the meanes of salvation many meanes are wholy neglected some perhaps they use that may stand with their convenience now and then whereas there must be an universall care of all the meanes there cannot one be neglected without the losse of grace and there must be attendance on them with violence There is none of the meanes can profit us without rouzing and stirring up our spirits we cannot heare nor pray without drawing up and raising up our soules the flesh will stop the comfortable performance of any action else and Satan will kill them in the very birth if he can To search a little deeper doe but compare your courses toward these good things of Heaven with your courses towards the world If there be hope of preferment the doores of great men are sure to suffer violence with favourites The Courts of justice suffer violence to have our right in earthly things The stages and such places are thronged and suffer violence If a man could but over-looke the courses of men abroad in the Citie he should see one violent for his pleasures running to the house of the Harlot as a foole to the stocks Another to the exchange to increase his estate Another to the place of justice to detract his neighbour or to get his owne right perhaps neglecting his title to Heaven in the meane time Another to the Court to get favour to rise to some place of preferment These places suffer violence but what violence doth the poore Gospell indure Alas it
of breaking thorough all difficulties onely such and all such shall obtaine it by force And againe onely the violent because onely they can prize it when they have it They onely can prize grace and Heaven they know how they come by it it cost them their pleasures and profits it cost them labour and danger and losse of favour with men and this paines cost losse it indeares the state of grace and glory to them for God will never bring any man to Heaven till he have raised his affections to that pitch to value grace and glory above all things in the world Therefore onely those shall take it by violence for onely those shew that they set a right price on the best things they weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary they value things as God would have them valued But is not the Kingdome of Heaven and grace free therefore what needs violence to a thing that is free and freely offered I answer because it is free therefore it is violently taken for alas if it were offered to us upon condition of our exact performing of the Law it might dampe the spirits of men as indeed usually such if they be not better informed they end their daies in despaire but being freely offered The Publicans and Harlots saith Christ goe into the Kingdome of God before the proud Pharisees because it is free it is free to sinners that feele the burthen of their sins Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden c. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse they shall be satisfied Thereupon he that hath a guilty conscience he makes haste and offers violence when he heares of free pardon What makes the condition of the divels so desperate There is no hope of free pardon to them what makes men so eagerly to imbrace the Gospell notwithstanding their sinnes Because it is freely offered Thereupon it was that the Gentiles were so glad of it that had beene sinners and under Satans Kingdome before and that makes miserable persons that are humbled with afflictions and abasement in the world glad of it it being so great a thing the Kingdome of Heaven the favour of God and freedome from misery and so freely offered It is so farre from hindring violence because it is free that therefore the humble afflicted soules that desire grace are the more eager after it The proud Pharisees thought the Kingdome of Heaven belonged only to them and therefore they despised Christ and despised the Gospell because it was propounded to sinners and to such meane persons that they thought were viler then themselves but now when the meaner sort of people and others that were abased with crosses in the world saw what a kinde of Gospell it was what great matters were offered and that it was offered freely they justified wisedome and the counsell of God which others despised and pressed for it with violence It is little comfort to heare of the excellency and the necessity of these heavenly things if there were not hope of them Hope stirres up diligence and indeavour in the things of this world what makes men adventure to the Indies east and west They hope for a voyage that shall inrich them all their life hope in doubtfull things stirres up industrie What makes the poore husbandman diligent to plow and to sow â—he hope that he shall have a harvest yet this is under a providence that may guide it another way But spirituall things are more certaine therfore hope in spirituall things must needs stirre up indeavour we need not call them into question And as it stirres up to diligence so it stirres up in the use of the meanes not to give over till we see our hopes accomplished Then in the third place hope of successe that wee shall not loose our labour it inables and strengtheneth us to beare the tediousnesse of the time and the incombrance of afflictions and whatsoever is betweene us and the thing wee expect though wee have not that comfort from God that we would have yet it makes us waite upon God Therefore when hee saith the violent take it by force it is to incourage us the violent eager strong indeavours of a Christian in the waies of God in the meanes of salvation they are no successelesse indeavours He labours for that he knowes he shall have his violence is not in vaine he that is violent in good things hath a promise hee that wrastleth with God shall overcome and he that overcommeth shall have a crowne here is a promise to build on therfore here is incouragement to bee earnest and violent he shall overcome hee shall enter the Castle at the last if he continue striving and give not over Hence there is a difference to be observed betweene the indeavours of a Christian and of three sorts of other men First of all if those only that offer violence to the Kingdome of Heaven that set on it with incouragement shall get it and that by force what a great difference then is betweene them and those that in a contrary way offer violence to the Kingdome of Heaven that is those that wrong Christ in his members and hinder the meanes of salvation what promise have they to speed Surely they have no promise nor hope at all onely their malice carries them amaine in spight because the Gospell reveales their hollownesse and hypocrisie to all men and forceth upon them a necessity to be other men then they list to be for the present therefore they are eager in hating the Gospell There are threatnings enough against such as are violent against the Gospell they are violent in vaine for they kicke against the prickes they run themselves against a stone wall and they shall dash themselves against it Those that have ill will to Sion shall perish there is one sits in Heaven that laughs all their attempts to scorne A Christian hath comfort in his indeavours there is hope of good successe though there be inward and outward opposition he shall prevaile Those that are enemies have nothing but discouragement they shall bee as grasse on the house top that no man blesseth but is cursed of every one no man bestowes a good word on them it is a fruitlesse indeavour they are under a curse Againe it shewes us how to judge of the courses of other men that are violent in other courses about the world A Christian he takes his Kingdome at the last and injoyes it for ever but those that are violent for the world after pleasures after baser things then themselves alas when they have it they have but a shadow and they become shadowes in imbracing it Vanity imbraceth vanity and how soone are they stripped of all If a man by violence scrape a great estate he must
this principle be well layd it is a ground of a Christians courage in all conditions whatsoever it is no matter how many enemies he hath for as Cyprian saith Non potest seculum c. the world cannot hurt him that in the world hath God for his protectour for the Divell hee is crushed already though hee keepe adoe and stirre up stormes he perisheth in the waves as he saith hee hurts himselfe more than any body else hee increaseth his owne torment and so doe all his children The flesh likewise it busles against the Spirit but it looseth and the spirit gaines upon every â—oyle why here is the principle God is with us there is no power can resist God for then God should withstand himselfe the power that the creature hath it is but a borrowed power and if by a borrowed power it should withstand Gods purpose God must be against himselfe his Kingdome must bee divided which is a contradiction Therefore this is the ground of the courage of a Christian in all conditions What is the reason that the Scripture hath that phrase so often Feare not I am with thee as to Paul and Ioshua and the rest because it is the ground of all courage We see weaker creatures than man a Dogge in the sight of his master hee will fight couragiously because he hath a superiour nature by him that he thinkes will backe him And shall not a Christian when he hath layd up this principle that God is with him God incarnate God in his nature when he is a member of God as it were of that person that is God shall he not be couragious when he hath him to looke upon him and to backe him And if God be with us hee is not so with us as to neglect us he is so with us as he hath interest in the cause we have and in our persons hee is with us as one with us nay as in us by his Spirit and whosoever toucheth us toucheth the apple of his eye Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Here is ground of courage in whatsoever may befall us to stand it out in all conditions whatsoever Nothing can sever Christ and a Christian this bodie will never be beheaded Christ will never bee separated from his body hee will not loose the poorest member he hath You see it is the duty of a Christian to be couragious and undaunted in the cause of God and from this ground because God is with him and who can be against him Let all the world bee against God and against the cause that a Christian professeth they doe but kicke against the prickes they dash against a rocke as the waves that breake themselves they doe not hurt the rock a whit they doe but cast stones upward that fall upon their heads againe Therefore it is a desperate cause that malicious spirits manage who have more parts then grace and arme themselves and their wits to hurt the people and Church of God and slander his cause and doe all the hurt they can It is a ground likewise of encouragement in our callings when God calls us to any thing in our places that is good hee will be with us therefore in our places and standing let us doe that that belongs to us let us not feare that we shall want that which is necessary or miscarry any way When Moses pretended he â—ould not speake Who gives a mouth saith God to him Therefore let us take courage not onely in suffering and opposition but in our places and standings God will bee with us hee gives his Angels charge to keepe us in our wayes wee have a guard over us Here is a ground likewise of all contentment in any condition in the world what can be sufficient to him that God cannot suffice God All-sufficient is with thee thou canst want nothing that is for thy good thou maist want this and that but it is for thy good that thou wantest it Those that feare God shall want nothing that is good It is a ground of all contentment God is with them to fill their souls to the utmost He is made for the soule and the soule for him for our end is to have communion with God in Iesus Christ here and everlastingly in Heaven God is fitted for us and we for him Here is fresh comfort for the soule alway hee can fill up every corner of the soule he is larger than our soules Therefore let us be content in what condition soever we are in God is with us therefore let the peace of God which passeth all understanding guard our hearts even from this very ground and conclusion God is with us who can be against us Let Moses be cast into a basket of Bul-rushes if God be with him hee shall not be drowned Let Daniel bee cast into the Den if God bee with him God will come between the Lyons teeth and him Let the three blessed men be cast into the fiery Furnace a fourth shall bee with them and keepe them from the hurt of the flame Let God be with Noah hee shall swim upon the waters and the greater the waters the more safe hee and the neerer to heaven Let God be with us and we may be content with any condition whatsoever Againe let us not be over much discouraged with our infirmities and corruptions If God be with us who can be against us Our corruptions are against us and they are worse to me than the Devill and all enemies saith a poore Christian. Indeed they are for the devill hath no advantage against us but by our corruptions but if thou account thy corruptions thine enemies they are Gods enemies and Christs enemies as well as thine hee will be with thee and thy corruptions shall more and more be wasted for the flesh shall fall before the spirit this Dagon shall fall before this blessed Arke stronger is hee that is in us than he that is in the world The Spirit of God is stronger in us than corruption in us or the world without us it ministers stronger grounds of comfort than all other can doe of discomfort If you bee under the spirit and under grace sinne shall not have dominion over you It may be in you but it shall not have dominion because yee are under the covenant of grace Therefore though corruption be in us for our exercise and humiliation yet it shall not be against us to abridge us of comfort they serve to drive us neerer to God Let none be discouraged Christ came to destroy the workes of the Devill therefore hee came to destroy sinne in us which is the work of the Devill hee came to take away not only the guilt but the very being of sinne as he will at last for if God and Christ be with us who shall be against us But it may be objected by some But I finde not God with me It is true sometimes God hides
pretend we desire Christ to Come and yet notwith standing we are carelesse of getting knowledge and of purging our soules of growing in grace carelesse of being such as Christ may delight to come unto This carelessenesse of fitting and preparing our selves shewes that wee doe but in hypocrisie speake the words when we have no such thing in our hearts Those that desire the Kingdome of Christ and the happy condition of Christians in another world they desire the way of it here that is by fitting and preparing themselves for that estate and indeed it will worke those effects as it is Tit. 2. and other places what is the motive there to live a holy and righteous and sober life Looking and waiting for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. There he inserts a holy life betweene the two commings of Christ shewing that the beleeving the end of both will worke this effect in the change of our lives To be sober to our selves and just to others and holy to God The grace of God hath appeared that is in the first comming of Christ teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. and then looking forward still for the second comming of Christ. So that he beleeves that the grace of God hath appeared in saving our soules by the death of Christ in his first comming and hee that beleeves that hee will come to be glorious after in his second comming certainely he will live justly and soberly and righteously in this present world he will fit himselfe for that estate that hee professeth to desire Let us trie our selves by these evidences in some measure and not thinke our state good till wee can say from our hearts Come But are Christians alwayes in this state of soule that they can say Come I answere they are alway in some degree fitting themselves for Christ but notwithstanding they are not alway so exact and watchfull that they could wish that he should come at this time Take the comparison from a wife a spouse she heartily desires the comming home of her husband yet perhaps sometimes things may not be in so good order as to wish that he were here now nay I have not yet prepared This is the state of careles Christians that have soundnesse of grace and yet are carelesse they desire the comming of Christ and they love the glory of the life to come and indeavour weakely for it yet they are so carelesse some corruption hanges on them that they have not so mortified and subdued as they should doe they are not yet so fitted as they should be Therefore God often rouseth such by afflictions and other courses in this world to weane them more from the love of the world and to prepare us because we are sloathfull and carelesse to prepare our selves So I say that somtimes the best Christians sometimes may be more indisposed then at others by reason of security growing on our soules so weake are we and beset with temptations therefore let none be over-much discouraged with that but let us strive as the Church here to be in such an estate as we may alway say Come Well upon tryall if wee find our selves not so disposed as we should how shall wee carry our selves that we may say Come Let us labour to purge our selves by mortification more more he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe And let us endure Gods purging of us and justifie Gods purging of us by afflictions and thinke that God hath this ayme certainely this is to make me more heavenly minded to rayse my affections up I will therefore beare the anger of God I have deserved it and he hath holy ends in it to make me partaker of his righteousnesse Let us purge our selves by grace and endure the course that God takes to purge us by daily crosses for God aymes by it to weane us more and more from the world And let us labour daily more and more to unloose our hearts from the things below Those that would remoove a Tree they loosen it from the roote of it so our affections are rooted to earthly things therefore wee should labour to loose them daily more and more by the consideration of the uncertainety and vanity of all things they are not that that will sticke to us and give us content when wee shall stand in most need of them here we must leave the things of the world as wee find them here we must part with them Therefore wee should labour to unloose our hearts and to plant and set and pitch them where they may be safe and swallowed up in better things And to this end often meditate of the excellency that shall be in the second comming of Christ oh the glorious time then See the meanes how the Church comes to be stirred up here to say Come Christ saith before that he was the Roote of David the bright morning Starre he sets out himselfe gloriously and the gloriousnesse of that time then the Church hearing what the excellency of that state will â—e then and the excellency of Christ the Church hath desires sutable to those manifestations Therefore let us meditate of the state of the Church what it will be and of the excellâ—â—cy and glory of Christ when heâ— shall comâ— to be glorious in his Saints what a happy condition it will be and to feed our meditations let us be oft in hearing and reading of these things If wee hope for any thing to come in this world as if a young heirâ— that shall have great possessions the more he growes towards yeeres the more hee thinks I shall have this mannor and that hee thinkes of the possessions hee hath so a Christian the nearer hee growes to heaven the more hee thinkes upon and talkes and is willing to heare of that condition that hee shall have The more we are in meditation and to helpe meditation the more we are in thinking and speaking and conferring of these things what will befall us ere long if we be Gods the more our affections will be raised up as we see in the Spouse here upon the manifestation of thâ— excellency of Christ comes this desire after the comming of Christ. This is one reason of the deadnesse of our hearts wee doe not awaken them with such holy thoughts as we should and wee are not under those meanes as wee might oft times There cannot be any thing more â—weet and powerfull to drawe up our soules then meditation in this kind Againe that we may be able to say come let us labour to be more and more spirituall that the holy Spirit may rule our spirits then the spirit is alwayes for Come Nature saith not come because it is above nature I meane nature not corrupt â—aith not Come It is a hidden secret to nature nature saith slay still it hath no desire to it the flesh is contrary altogether but the
Spirit in the Spouse saith Come The Spirit doth all as the soule doth all in the body it acts it and leads it and comforts it and gives beauty to it so the Spirit first knits Christ and us together there is the same Spirit in Christ the head and in the Church there is one common Spirit in head and members And when it hath done so it acts and leads and sanctifies and purifies the Church it acquaints the Church with the good things that God hath given her acquaints her with the deepe meaning of God the love of God in Christ it acquaints God with our desires hee knowes our meaning in our prayers and we know his meaning it acquaints us with the state we shall have after and assures us of it It is the earnest of the Inheritance the Spirit and the graces of it are not onely the earnest but a part of that Inheritance a part of heaven where our bodies shall be spirituall not that they shall turne to be spirits but they shall be ruled wholy by the Spirit as the soule rules the body As it is in a river it is impossible that the streame should run higher then the spring-head from whence it comes so it is impossible that our desires should rise higher then the spring from whence they come the desires of nature cannot goe higher then nature the desires of the flesh are fleshly but spirituall desires as they spring from heaven they have a noble originall and head so they carry to heaven againe Therefore as the Spirit comes from God the Father and the Sonne so it carries us backe againe to the Father and the Sonne as it comes from heaven so it carries to heaven back againe That is one way to know whether our desires be spirituall or no our desire of death and of the comming of Christ if it be from wearisomnesse of life and from afflictions in the world so nature may desire I were better be dead then to be thus as Ionas wished death and the children of Israel and Elias in a passion oh that I were dead c. but if those desires spring from the Spirit then they come from heaven from the consideration of the excellency of the state wee shall have there that it shall be better with us and that death is but a darke passage to a glorious condition We may know our desires are spirituall from the rise of them if they come from spirituall and holy and heavenly considerations the Spirit doth all in the Spouse that is holy and Spirituall Therefore let us give entertainment to the Spirit of God and be where we may have further and further communion with the Spirit in spirituall Ordinances The preaching of Gods holy Word though it be meanely esteemed by the world it is the Ministerie of the Spirit in the hearing of it the Spirit is given if we would have the Spirit let us attend upon the Ministerie of the Spirit And let us study Christ and make him all in all Saint Paul questions with the Galathians saith hee I would know of you how came ye by the Spirit by hearing of Christs Gospel or of the Law preached No it was by the Gospel so that not onely the Ministerie in generall but the Evangelicall Ministerie that unfolds Christ and the infinite love of God in Christ the excellent condition we have in this world and look for in the world to come the Spirit is effectuall with these thoughts to make us holy and heavenly The Law beats downe but the Gospel especially these Evangelicall truths make us spirituall Therefore wee should be willing to heare spirituall points There are a company of men that love to heare curious and nice points and if a Minister be quaint anâ— satyricall and unfold points sutable to their apprehension they can digest this but come to speake of things above nature of Christ and the benefits by him they are spirituall they are remote and transcendent above their nature that they cannot relish them But he that hath the Spirit of Christ of all points there are none to those that unfold Christ and the benefits by him the glory that wee hope for by him in another world And let us not grieve the Spirit but give way to his motions The Spirit is now among us in his Ordinance knocking at our hearts and desiring entertainement let us give way and not quench the good motions that hee stirres up and the Spirit shall be given more and more to us The Holy-Ghost is given to them that ebey him And let us beg the Spirit God will give his holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11. As if hee should say the Spirit is the best thing that God can give you that are evill can give good things to your children but your heavenly Father hath one good thing instead of all he will give his Spirit Therefore when wee find our hearts dead and dâ—ll and earthly and base-minded thinke thus Alas I am a lump of flesh now where is the Spirit of God certainely if I had the Spirit in me I could not be as I am If we love our soules we will take this course wee trifle with Religion else God doth all by the Spirit the Spirit is Christs Vicar here is no need of a Ministeriall head betweene the Spouse and Christ the Spirit and the Spouse are so neere together there is such a conjunction betweene Christ and his Church that where the Spirit is hee stirres up desires of his comming Onely let us attend upon the meanes and Ordinances that hee hath left in his Church And let us consider wee are not for this life we are not to live here alway the child in the wombe is not for that life and when it is in the world it is not for this life there is a third life that we are for An imperfect state rests not till it come to perfection our best is behind let those that are naught feare the second comming of Christ. Let Herod and Iudas and the beast of Rome feare that shall be cast into the burning lake Let Felix tremble the corrupt Judge and all that live in corrupt courses But wee that professe our selves to be Christians and hope for better things in another world let us labour to banish base feares and to this end let us labour to be spirituall and not to be lead by the flesh Whosoever is Christs hath the Spirit of Christ or else he is none of his as it is sweetly and largely and heavenly prooved Rom. 8. We have nothing to doe with Christ unlesse we have his Spirit to stirre up motions and desires of better things then this world can afford FINIS DAVIDS CONCLVSION OR THE SAINTS RESOLVTION In one Sermon By the late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grays-Inne Ieremy 30.21 Who is this that ingageth his heart to approach
David in his Generation served the Counsell or Will of God Now to make a perfect discourse of it wee will speak something of his end He fell a sleep and was gathered to his Fathers and saw Corruption HE fell asleep that is he died for sleep in Scripture it is a middle phrase appliable to good and bad for wicked men in Scripture are said to sleep and good men are said to sleep Only the difference is as the persons are for the sleep of wicked men it is like the sleep of a male factor before his execution that is oft-times tripped in his sleep or like the sleep of a man in sicknesse or in a mad fit his sleep doth but concoct the malignant humour and after he wakes he rageth three times more than he did before So the sleep the death of a carnall wicked man it is but a preparation to his execution it is but the sleep of a distempered man that wakes with more horrour and terrour and rage than ever before indeed properly the death only of the godly is a sleep But to observe something first briefly in generall We see here is a time of dying as well as 〈◊〉 a time of living There is a time to serve God in living and there is a time to yeeld our soules to him as well as a time to serve God in doing the actions and functions of this life Which should teach us this not to fix our thoughts too much on life As there is a time for all things to the living so there is a time to cease to live and therfore to use the world with moderation as though wee used it not knowing that the fashion of the world passeth away It should teach us to serve God as well in living as in dying And it should teach us to do all the good wee can while wee have time David served God while hee lived and hee served God in dying because his death was in obedience but as I said before after death properly there is no service of God but a receiving of wages therefore let us serve God while we live while we have time because there is a time when night will come the night of sicknesse and of death and then no man can work if he would never so faine He fell asleep Why did he not die before hee served God a great while hee did not die when he was first a good man God will have his Children serve out their Generation They must serve out their time As soone as ever we beleeve we have right to heaven but God will have us beare the burthen of the day awhile to bring others to heavn with us to go before others in the example of a godly life to gaine as many as we can To trie the truth of our graces before wee come to heaven whether they be true or no that they may be true tried graces And he will have us perfect before we come to so holy a place hee will have us grow in grac as Ahasueros his wife 's were to bee perfumed and prepared before they came to him It is a holy place that wee hope for a holy condition therfore he will have us by little and little be fitted by the spirit of God Many such reasons there be why God in heavenly wisdome will have us go on here a time before wee come to heaven though as soone as we beleeve we are in the state of salvation as Christ said to Zacheus This day is salvation come to thine house Therefore let us not repine that God will have us live Indeed as soone as a Christian hath faith he hath life in patience and death in desire for hee is impatient to want his crowne oh but here is the time of service and when he considers the eternity of the reward hee shall have after he will bee glad to serve God and he will be ashamed that he can do it no more When hee knowes hee shall have an eternall weight of glory for a little service then hee will deny his lusts and pleasures to serve God in the place hee lives in whether hee be Magistrate or Minister whatsoever to undergo the burden of a little service Againe in that it is said here Then he fell asleep not before till he had served the counsell of God God hath alotted a man a time He hath set him a glasse that must be runne he hath given him a part to act and hee cannot be taken away till that be done hee can never fall asleep till hee have served the counsell of God As it is said in the Gospell concerning our Saviour Christ his houre was not yet come They have laid wait for him but his houre was not come so there may be many snares laid for the children of God by Sathan and his instruments but till their houre bee come all the Divells in hell nor all the Divells instruments on earth cannot shorten a mans life one minute of an houre for hee shall fall asleep when he hath served the counsell of God when he hath done all that God will have him to do Therefore it is ground of resolution let us go on in our places and callings undantedly and wisely too not to tempt God to rush into dangers but I meane without base feare and distrust for wee must serve God to day and to morrow and then wee shall be sanctified Wee must serve God the appointed time that hee will have us to live here and then wee shall fall asleep and not before no creature hath power over the life of man to shorten his dayes The next thing wee will observe from the nature of sleep is that The death of the godly is a sleep in respect of refreshing Sleep doth refresh and repaire and as it were recreate and make a man anew Sleep and rest it is the blessed ordinance of God it is an excellent thing to repaire man so after death nature shall be repaired better we shall rise fresher as it is Psal. 17. ult when I arise I shall bee satisfied with thine image wee shall rise refreshed better than wee lay downe So that as we go to bed then to sleep to cut off all cares so when wee rest in death all cares and feares and terrours all annoyances are cut off Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they rest from their labours insinuating that there is no rest before for to a man that knowes that this world is a work-house and his life a service to God hee thinkes of no rest till he be in his grave so death it is a sleep in regard of that rest Wee rest from the labour of sinne wee rest from the wearisome labour of the body from the labour of afflictions and oppressions from the molestations of other men among whom we live every way this life is tedious and
death rest Againe it is in this respect a sleep because a man goes to bed with assured hope of rising againe and therefore he goes quietly though it be a state of darknesse for the time all the senses are bound up yet hee knowes that in Gods ordinarie providence hee shall rise againe therefore men not only quietly but cheerefully go to bed So there is greater ground to know that wee shall rise againe out of our graves than that we should rise out of our beds for many mens beds have been their graves in some sort I meane they have died in their beds but for the resurrection we have the word of Almighty God that is a God of his word that we shall rise againe and we have it in the pledge of our Saviours resurrection there is no doubt of that Therefore when wee die if wee have faith wee should make no more of death than men doe to goe to bed hoping undoubtedly of an assured and joyfull resurrection The want of faith in that kind makes us backward to this you see in what respect death is said to be a sleep To speak only of those references and relations that are most pertinent between sleep and death David fell asleep and very willingly for he had lived a painefull life he served God both as a private man as a Sheepheard as a King Eccles. 5.12 To a labouring man sleepe is sweet so to a man that hath served God carefully in his calling and kept a good conscience death is very sweete Wee see children that have been playing all day they are loath to goe to bed but to a man that hath wrought all day sleepe is sweete as wise Salomon saith to a labouring man Would we then have death as a sweet rest to us let us doe as David did that is bee painefull and laborious in our particular place and in our generall calling let us be faithfull in them to keep a good conscience and set all in order as much as wee can while we live to leave no seeds of debate when we are gone Some men die carelesly this way in disposing the good things that God hath given them they lay a foundation of perpetuall jarring afterward and so their death is skarsly a sleepe and rest they cannot but bee disquieted when they thinke how they leave things because they were not wise before hand David setled Salomon in his Throne and set all things right before hee died and that made him die not only in rest but in honour in 1 Chron. 29.28 David died in a good old age full of riches and honour And let us labour to get assurance of a change for the betteâ— David his flesh rested in hope because hee beleeved in Christ that Christs body should see no corruption Psal. 16. So if wee would have death sweete as a sleepe let us labour to get assurance by faith in Christ and so our flesh may rest in hope that as Christ raised his owne flesh so he will raise ours Good Simeon when he had seene Christ once Lord now let thy servant depart in peace c. so after we have gotten a sight of Christ to be our Christ our Saviour and Redeemer and have interest in him Lord now let thy servant depart in peace So much for the tearme sleepe It is added besides that Hee was gathered to his Fathers HEâ— was gathered to his Fathers both in regard of his body and in regard of his soule for his body went to the house of the dead the grave and his soule went to his fathers to heaven As I said before of sleepe so of this it is a phrase of Scripture that must bee understood as the persons are When a man dies his body goes to the place or house of all men the house of darknesse the grave but for his soule that goes as the man is to his fathers to hell if hee bee naught to the soules of just and perfect men as the Apostle speakes if he have lived a gracious and a good life and so it must be understood here bâ—cause hee speaks of a blessed man He was 〈◊〉 to his Fathers he meanes not to his immediate fathers but all beleeving men before him that were the children of Abraham his soule went to them his body to the first Mother the Earth out of which it was taken So the Generall is nothing but this that When we die wee are put to our fathers Therefore this should moderatâ— our feare of death and our griefe for the departure of others Why wee are not lost when we die the soule and body is taken asunder it is taken in pieces but both remaine still the bodie goes to the earth from whence it was taken and the soule goes to God that gave it And for our comfort we goe to those that we knew before many of them to our fathers not to strangers Especially in respect of our soules wee goe to our fathers to our next fore-fathers and to our old fathers to Abraham Isaac to Iacob to David to blessed Saint Paul and Peter and all the blessed men that died in the faith And when we are dead wee goe to those that are more perfect than those that wee leave behind us This should moderate our griefe oh I leave my friends behind me my father and mother and childrenâ— it is to goe to better to greater and those that love thee better Thou goest to greater for they are in their pitch they have attained their end they are in heaven and to better they are refined from those corruptions that men here are subject unto and then their love is perfect likewise therefore going to our fathers and not to strangers to those that are better and greater and love us more perfectly why should wee thinke much to die they will bee readie to entertaine us oh the welcome that soules find in heaven and at the day of the Resurrection the sweete imbracings when all the blessed soules that have beene from Adam to the last man shall meete together seeing therefore wee goe to our fathers it should rather make us chearefull Here whom do we live with take them at the best our friends men subject to jealousies and weaknesses our jealousie makes us suspect them and their weaknesses makes us thinke the meaner of them so our love is not perfect nor our graces are not perfect therefore we cannot have perfect love and contentment while we are here But in heaven there shall be no jealousie nor feare nor imperfection which is the ground of jealousie we shall perfectly love them because they shall be perfectly good and they shall perfectly love us because we shall be perfectly good and one shall stand admiring the graces of God in another and that will maintain a perpetuity of love therefore it is want of faith that makes us unwilling to yeeld our soules unto God at the point