cleerely So shall euery particular mans comfort be the greater There was a time as it is not vnknowne I hope to any man in this Auditorie when the Iewes onely were the people of GOD To whome as the Apostle saith the Adoption and the Glorie and the Couenants Rom 9. 4. and the giuing of the Lawe and the seruice of GOD and the promises appertained They onely were the Children all other Nations whatsoeuer but dogges Math. 15. 26. The bread belonged to them the most that other people could haue was but the crums falling from then Table What should I proceede in amplifying of this point I spake of it at large in a former exercise Serm. 7. vpon the eleuenth verse when I shewed that the Iewes were Christs owne though they receiued him not As for vs the Gentils what were we The Apostle Ephe. 2. 12. tells vs that we were Alians from the common-wealth of Israell strangers from the Couenants of promise hauing no hope beeing without GOD in the world It is worthily thought a singular fauour of God that Iacob was preserred before Esau the yonger brother Gen. 25. 23. before the elder yet were both sonnes What a kindness grace bounty no wordes are able to expresse the worth of the thing is it to make seruants Sonnes to adopt them for children that of themselues were no better then dogges The Iewes thought it a strange matter and a great wrong to their Nation that the Gentils should bee taught the worde of God Will hee goe to them that are dispearsed among the Grecians Ioh. 7. 36. say they of our Sauiour and teach the Grecians And when the Apostle Paul tolde them that hee was appointed to preach the GOSPELL to the Gentils they were not able to indure it but sared like madde men crying out casting off their clothes and Act. 22. 23. throwing dust into the ayre What speake I of the Iewes that might easily bee blinded with enuy and pride We heard euē now what account was to be made of the Gentils by the testimonie of the truth it selfe Therefore our Sauiour directly affirmeth that He was not sent bat to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell And accordingly Mat. 15. 26. when hee sends forth his Disciples to preach hee forbids them to goe into the way of the Gentils or Mat. 10 5. to enter into the Citties of the Samaritans This opinion was so deepely settled in the hearts of the Apostles Act. 10. 28. that Peter thought it vnlawfull for him to impart the Gospell to the Gentils Yea so generall was this conceite that after Saint Peter had by the commandement of God preached to Cornelius hee was accused for Chap. 11. 23. it as guiltie of some hainous crime Such was the estate of vs that were Gentils by nature wee were so farre from beeing Sonnes that we were not admitted to haue the lowest office or place in the house of God Now by the comming of Iesus Christ this honour is vouchsaf't vs that euery one of vs that beleeues in him doth thereby become the childe of God They that before might not bee admitted to wash dishes in the kitchin may now seede on the Lords owne dish at his table There is now no difference betwixt Iewe and Grecian but all are one in Gal. 3. 28. Iesus Christ It is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith and circumcision through faith But some man Rom. 3. 30. perhaps will say that this Prerogatiue was alwaies afforded the Gentils for whom it was lawfull to ioyne themselues to the Iewes and to be made one with the people of God It is true indeede that the Gentils were neuer so excluded but that if they offered themselues to bee circumcised they might be receiued and numbred amongst the Iewes What new fauour then is vouchsaf't them by the comming of Christ A full right and interest to all the promises of euerlasting life which before generally did not concerne them Now the Gospell offers our Sauiour Christ no lesse to the Gentils If not more then to the Iewes Hee came to his owne for to them he was Act. 13. 46. first and principally sent his owne receiued him not the Multitude Rulers and People refused to take him for their Messiah and Sauiour What then Shall his comming be to no purpose The Iewes indeede had a conceite that none but they or at the most such as adioyned themselues to them could bee the Sonnes of God But they were much deceiued For as many a◠will now beleeue in Christ though they bee no Iewe◠by nature or profession are made the Sonnes of God What remaines then but to put you in minde of that exhortation of the Prophet Esay Reioyce O barren that Isai 54. 1. diddest not beare break forth into ioy and reioyce thou that diddest not trauell with childe for the desolate hath more Children then the married wife saith the Lord Let me adde to this the caueat of the Apostle and I will conclude this point Beholde the bountifulness and Rom. 11. 22. seueritie of God toward them which haue fallen that is which receiued him not seueritie but towards thee bountifullness if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els shalt thou also be cut off Wee haue that honour happy men if wee can keepe it and if wee will wee may It were in vaine to speake generally of the Gentils in this place The exhortation belongs to this Kingdome this Citie this Auditorie Wee are all Gentils hauing no interest in those ancient priuiledges of the Iewes yet are wee vouchsafed by fauour to bee the Sonnes of GOD if by faith we trust in IESVS CHRIST Can wee despise or neglect so rare a kindness so great an honour Doe wee preferre the profits the pleasures the aduancements of this World before the Inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Let vs remember what wee were men without God without hope See what wee are people to whome Iesus Christ hath a long time offered and doth euery day euen now at this hower in this place offer himselfe Consider what wee shall bee if wee will be the Sonnes of God Heyres of Heauen Will none of these things moue vs Oh the senseless desperateness of men O the wilfulness of them that will not learne None receiue Christ but they that beleeue in him It is not enough to giue him the hearing or to bee perswaded that hee is the sauiour of the world they only are sonnes that truely rest vpon him without hope or desire of any other helpe All such whether they bee Iewes or Gentils haue the Prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of GOD. What All Yea all without exception of any man woman or childe whatsoeuer Wee heard as much erewhile out of the Apostle There is neither Iewe nor Gal. 3. 28. Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in CHRIST IESVS Doe
you marke how Saint Paul layes out the point in diuers particular differences that hee may take away all exception and doubt Looke but two verses before and you shall see he speakes of the matter wee haue now in hand of beeing the Sonnes of God for yee are all saith hee to the Galathians Ver. 26. that belieued in CHRIST the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESVS Who may shut out any where the Apostle sets open the doore to euery one Me thinkes if any sort were to be excepted against seruants especially should bee excluded The Apostle naming seruants meanes not such as wee haue among vs which serue for wages or be apprentices for tearme of yeeres but bondslaues who were wholly their maisters and reckoned as part of their substance to bee employed and disposed of by sale or otherwise as it pleased them whether themselues woulde or no. Euod 21. 21. This the Apostle himselfe knew very well and therefore he forgets not to mention seruants where hee hath occasion to intreate of these differences By one spirit 1. Cor. 12. 13. saith he are wee all baptized into one body whether wee be bond or free Know ye that what good thing so euer any man doth saith the same Apostle other where that same Eph. 6. 8. shall hee receiue of the Lord whether hee be bond or free These are still remembred because by reason of their meane account in the world they might bee much doubted of That appeares by an other place of Saint Paul where hee doth especially apply himselfe to assure seruants that beeing in CHRIST they are safe and well enough though they contitinue slaues still Art thou called saith hee beeing 1. Cor. 7. 21. 22 a seruant care not for it yet if thou maist bee free vse it rather Hee that is called in the Lord beeing a seruant is the Lords free man It is euident then that the condition of a mans life bee it neuer so base cannot keepe him from this Prerogatiue of beeing the Sonne of GOD if hee beleeue in Christ Is it not an admirable kindness an incredible fauour that bondslaues whome the World accounts of as they doe of their cattle and housholde stuffe should be vouchsaf't the honour to become the sonnes of God Hee that would esteeme it a great part of happiness to bee made a free man in the world hath offer made him of beeing the Sonne of God That which I say of this one kinde of difference the baseness whereof seemes to hinder a man from beeing made the Sonne of God I beseech you conceiue and apply to all other like matters which bring contempt or neglect of men in the world Pouertie lameness blindness deformitie meaneness of parentage simpleness of capacitie and all other naturall Chrysost in Ioa. â—omil 9. imperfections and infirmities whatsoeuer are couered with the riches beauty nobilitie and wisdome of Christ in as many as trust in him Goe out quickly Luke 14. 21 into the streets and lanes of the Cittie saith the Lord that made a great supper and bring in hither the poore and the maymed the hault and the blind What doest thou vexing thy selfe with the consideration of thy meane estate Set thy thoughts vpon the honour thou mayest attaine to Lift vp thine eyes that are cast downe vpon thy bodily imperfections and feede thy selfe with the sight of heauen that is offered thee Art thou ashamed because thou bearest no armes to make thee a gentleman Throwe thy selfe into his armes who will make thee the Sonne of the most high Poore and miserable men most miserable because they refuse to be happy sit without the church doores begging of an halfe-penny whereas they might come in and obtaine a Kingdome For as many as receiue him haue a Prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God We finde euery day by common experience in our selues and others that if a man haue a Sonne that is blinde lame deafe dumbe or any other way deformed hee will bee ready and desirous to take some course if hee be his heyre to settle his inheritance vpon some other of his Children Surely I thinke the man is hardly to bee found that if hee had no heyre would adopt such a one for his Sonne to succeede him in his Inheritance How should wee then valewe the inestimable fauour of God that makes offer of an Adoption and Inheritance to the most contemptible wretches that liue vpon the face of the earth Heere is loue heere is bounty The fauours of the greatest Princes are but fancies not so much as shadowes if you compare them with the kindness of God I confesse they had neede to looke to their owne estate Their Dominions and their treasures are finite The greatest Monarchy that euer was diuided amongst as many as woulde accept of it could afford but very small shares to euery one Oh that all men would receiue Iesus Christ There is roome enough wealth enough in heauen to giue full content to as many as can desire it Come then I beseech you let vs settle forward to meete Iesus Christ that wee may receiue him Let Non magna relinquam Magna sequar-Ouid metamorph lib. 7. not Farmes Oxen or wiues holde vs backe They are no great matters wee shall leaue They are infinitly great wee shall attaine to Is it not better to exchange them now while wee may doe it with such profit then to forgoe them no man knowes how soone when wee can make nothing of them What is it wee mislike To be Sonnes No man is so base or so foolish as to thinke bondage better then freedome To bee the Sonnes of God It were against reason and nature not onely against Religion to refuse such an honour What should I say Eyther wee beleeue not that there is any such Prerogatiue to bee had or wee thinke it is not worth the paines we must take to get it Wee dare not bee knowne of the former for the very shame of the world seeing we professe Christian Religion If wee pleade the later our owne heart will condemne vs which if wee bee once perswaded that there is any such thing esteemes of eternall glorie in heauen as the greatest happiness that can bee obtained or imagined But what if the paines bee nothing in comparison of the courses that wee would set our selues to the obtaining of this honour let vs see what they are and then iudge What is then required of vs that wee may become the Sonnes of God The holy Euangelist hath answered vs that Beleeuing in CHRIST will make vs the Sonnes of GOD. What it it to beleeue in CHRIST To trust in him or to rest vppon him For as we haue learned out of this twelfth verse As many as receiue Christ by beleeuing in his name haue the Prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God Can any man looke for I will not say such a Kingdome but the least kindness that may bee vpon easier or better conditions
of How often is our Sauiour called God Thomas acknowledgeth him to be so when he saith vnto him d Ioh. 20. 28. My Lord and my God allnding questionless to the ordinary title which is giuen to God in the old Testament The Lord thy God e Exod. 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God f Leuit. 19. 10. I am the Lord your God g Deut. 4. 2. The commandements of the Lord your God And in a word the same Chapter affords vs the like examples 15. or 16. times So doth h Act. 20. 28. the Apostle Paul call him Take heed to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood Who purchased the Church with his blood but Iesus Christ Him therefore doth the Apostle call God And â—n another place he doubteth not bodly to affirme that Christ is God ouer all to be blessed for euer Of him it is that i Rom. 9. 5. Heb. 1. 8. the same Apostle saith Thy throne O God endureth for â—uer not only calling him God but professing him to â—e that God which in the beginning created heauen Verse 10 â—arth Thou Lord in the beginning laydst the foundation of of the earth I wil end with that in the l Reuel 4. 8. Reuelation The foure beasts ceased not day nor night sying Holy holy holy Lord God almighty But how should we be assured that by this Lord God Almightie Iesus Christ is signified That which followeth will put the matter out of doubt m Chap. 14. 8. which was and which is and which is to come For this â—â—â—he Title which is giuen to our Sauiour twice in the first Chapter of the same booke This also the 24. Elders presently after confirme when worshipping the same partie whom the foure beasts had honoured they speake thus Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory â—ap 4. 11. honour and power for thou hast created all things Aske the holy Apostle S. Paul who is the Creatour of all things Heâ—â— hath answered already that the Lord which laid the foundation of the earth is IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God The same testimonie of him giueth our Euangelist in the next verse same one Heb. 1. 10. By him were all things made Iohn 1. 3. What should let then but we may conclude that Iesus beeing so often called God in Scripture is in deed very God The like I say of the title Lord by which the 70. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that name Iehouah which is neuer attributed to any in the Scripture but onely to the true God neither indeede may it in any sort For it signifieth him This is spoken not the Greeke â—ut of the Hebrew word that hath his being of himselfe that giues to all things whatsoeuer being they haue yea it implieth such a being as is alwayes one the same euen eternall without beginning without ending without chaunge without successioÌ„ Now if this name be ascribed to our Sauior by holy Ghost how can it be doubted but that hee is very God And doth not o Iere. 33. 16 Ieremie ascribe it to him when he saith This is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse or as it may better be read He that shall call her is the Lord our righteousnesse It is out of question that the Messiah is there spoken of whom the Prophet called Iehouah The Lord Or if any man will needes apply it to the Church he shall call her The Lord our righteousnesse which yet hath no warrant nor any great reason let him remember that the Church cannot haue this title but onely in respect of Christ her husband and head as she is also called Christ p 1. Cor. 12. 12. As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of the body which is one though they be many yet are but one body euen so is Christ that is the Church of Christ which being considered with her Head Christ is vouchsafed his name because she is his body Let vs come to the new Testament and leauing those places where the Disciples and such as intreate fauour for their curing of our Sauiour call him Lord because neither their word is any warrant for doctrine and it may be sayd they spake to him by that name as wee ordinarily doe when wee say Sir which indeede was common among the Grecians Let vs take such textes onely as can admit neither of these exceptions Of which kinde are the salutations vsed by the Apostles in the beginning of their Epistles q Rom. 1. 7. Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Where not onely our Sauiour is tearmed Lord but acknowledged to be the Author and giuer of Grace and peace with God his Father But it were a vaine thing to heape vp many testimonies to this purpose No man can look into the writings of the Apostles but he shall see them in euery page Being the Lord then he must needs be God What should I stand vpon euery particular at large Who is the God of glory but Iehouah the great God of heauen and earth For so is he called that appeared to Abraham r Gene. 12. 1. 2 in Genesis The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham s Act. 7. 2. saith the holy Martyr Saint Steuen Aske the enemies of Christ the Iewes and they will tell you with one voice that this was the great God of Israel And yet the Apostle Paul giues this title to our Sauiour Christ where he saith that if the princes of this world had knowen the wisedome of God in the mysterie of our redemption t 1. Cor. 2. 8. They would not haue crucifiâ—d the Lord of glory Hereto belongs that Title u 1. Tim. 6. 15 the King of kings and Lord of lords And whereas some vaine men gouernours of some small part of this little spot of earth doting vpon their owne imagined greatnesse haue either giuen themselues this vnlimited title or accepted it being giuen by the palpable flattery of their base vassals yet alwayes the wiser sort tooke iust occasion thereby rather to scorne their presumptuous folly then to bee drawen into any admiration of their glorious power But the Lord Iesus our blessed Sauiour hath this name by good right as hee of whom â—ll the Kings of the earth hold their Crownes and Prou. 8 15. 16 Scepters By mee x saith hee that is the wisedome oâ— God Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice By mee Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth y Psal 2. 8. Verse 9. For to him hath God giuen the heathen for his inheritance and the vtmost parts of the earth for his possession He shall crush them with a Scepter of Iron and breake them in peeces like a potters
bolde with your good liking I doubt not to declare the point more fully and plainely by the opening of these two things what adoption is how God hath adopted vs. Adoption if wee consider the Adoption word for the nature of it is nothing else but choosing to a mans selfe whatsoeuer it bee that is chosen From this generall signification the word is applyed to note that particular choyse of sonnes or children The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth the particular and signifieth an appointing of children The word being vnderstood it is no hard matter to knowe the nature of the thing it selfe which not to stand vpon any curious definition is a choosing or taking of them for our Children which by nature are not ours So as wee heard Iacob made choise of Iosephs sons Ephraim and Manasses Pharaohs daughter tooke the childe of an Hebrew whome shee knew not Mordicai chose Esther his Vncles daughter to bee his childe Let vs apply this to our owne Adoption The father that adopteth is God the childrē to be adopted are men and women If they must become the children of God by Adoption it is cleer they are none of his by nature Whose then I am a shamed and affraide to vtter it Our Lord himselfe hath told vs discouering the naturall estate of all men in describing the Iewes Wee Ioh. 8. 41. are not borne of fornicatiō say they to our sauiour We haue one father which is God But what doth he answere them Ver. 44. Ye are of your father the Deuill If the Iewes Gods owne children after an especiall manner yea his first borne were notwithstanding the children of the Diuell surely no man in his naturall estate can be the childe of God Rom. 9. 4. They had the Adoption they had the Couenant Other people had nothing affoorded them by God but those generall helpes which are common to all by nature What becomes of these children of the Diuell As many of them as beleeue in Christ are by Adoption made the sons of God Being sons they haue withal conuaied vnto them not onely an interest and claime to their fathers estate be it neuer so great but also the inheritance of heauen If we be children we are also heyres This passeth the ordinarie course of Adoption A man may adopt many sonnes and yet not make them all heyres I doe but name these things now They shall be amplified if it please God in the next point where the Prerogatiue must be declared In the meane while let vs go forward to shew How we are adopted There are two things that offer themselues to be considered in respect of the party that adopteth The generall motiues why he will adopt The particular reason why he will make choise of this or that person The generall motiues are ordinarily two either simply default of naturall issue or at the least want of such children as are fit for such an estate or inheritance I confesse it was otherwise with Iacob who had sonnes enouw of his own body The case was extraordinarie hee directed by the spirit of prophecie to make choise of them to that dignity But ordinarily the motiues are such as I named and in likelihood were the same or one of thē in Pharaohs daughter Mordecat What place had they in our adoption by God Certainly none at all Touching the former which is the more cōmon of the two was God without issue If he had bin seeing himselfe is eternall as with out beginning so without end he needed not feare the decay of his house for want of Posteritie to succeede him Dauid was to be gathered to Psal 132. 11. his fathers therefore it was a singular fauour to him that he should haue children to sit vpō his throne after him But he that neuer dyeth neuer groweth weake or weary hath no neede of a successor or assistant in his kingdome But he had issue euen a sonne the brightness of the glory the ingrauen forme of the fathers person Milk is not so like to milke as that son is to that father being in nature all one with him differing in nothing but that the one is the father not the sonne the other the sonne not the Father But perhaps he might be vnfit for the managing of such an estate succession to such a father Go to let vs for the better setting out of these points imagin a succession conceiue of God for a while as of a mā The vnfitnes in a son for succession is either from the weaknes of his body that he is not likely to leaue issue behind him or for the badness of his cariage want of capacitie dissoluteness in gouernment or some such matter This son of God that I may not dwell too lōg vpon this point nor speak any thing with out due reuernce of his maiesty was euery way so qualified fitted to his fathers minde that it was impossible I will not say that any adopted sonne should come neere him but that greater fitnes could be desired or imagined This is my beloued sonne saith the father of him Mat. 3. 17. Chap. 17. 5. in whom I am well pleased And he repeats that testimony the second time at his transfiguration It was not for neede then as it is with men that the Lord vouchfaf't to thinke vpon adopting of sonnes But admit the case had so stood with him that it had bin requisite for him to make him sonnes by Adoption What is vsually the reason of mens particular choyse Is it not an affection or liking that the partie hath to some one rather then to another There may sometimes be some other respects but this is the commonest and best setting that of kinred aside Consider a little the dealing of our God in this behalfe Must he choose som creatures to be his sonnes and ioynt heires with his owne naturall son He hath thowsands and ten thowsand Dan 7. 10. thowsands of Angelles round about his throne Glorious in their nature Obedient in their seruice Holy in their desires Neuer a one of these is chosen to this fauour of Adoption It may be the Lord intendes to shew the riches of his mercy by extending compassion to thē that are in miserie Behold the Angels that ly 2. Pet. 2. 4. lud ver 6. in darkenes reserued to the iudgement of the last day Is there any mans estate more desperate Haue any creatures greater need of succor Can there be more pitty shewed to any They are left in that damnable estate The Lord turnes his face away from their misery and casts his eyes of compassion on our wretchednesse So makes he difference betwixt men and Angels Hee will adopt men rather thē Angels because his loue is greater to men then to Angels Our Adoption then proceede◠no◠for the generall motiues or the particular respects from any other spring then the loue of God who adopteth vs making vs
God Let mee reason with thee a little and take that I shall say in good parte For I doe it not to weaken thy perswasion but to strengtheÌ„ thy faith Hast thou euer confidered this point seriously and debated it aduisedly with thine owne heart Dost thou truly discerne and acknowledge that thou art naturally the child of the Diuell What Doost thou start at this Doe I seeme to wrong thee in abasing thy estate so much Thou art content to say thou art a sinner and it may bee thou doost indeed thinke thy selfe to haue deserued the wrath of God but thou canst not abide to haue it thought that thou wert at any time the Sonne of the Diuell This opinion would disgrace thee too much and affright thee too sore It were a harde matter for thee indeed euer to beleeue that God woulde make thee his Sonne if thou hadst this perswasion of thy selfe that thou art the childe of the Diuell I I am naught saist thou as other men are and I haue neede of Gods mercy and I hope hee will bee as good to mee as to any other But neuer thinke to make me beleeue that I am so bad Then indeed I had small cause to hope for any fauour at the handeâ— of God Tell me I beseech you Are not these the very thoughts of your hearts Doe you not thus flatter your soules If you knewe throughly what you are it were vnpossible you should so easily beleeue what you may bee But perhaps though you are not willing to knowe the worst of your selues in your estate by nature yet you are desirous to vnderstand the vttermost of the honour you may aâ—taine to by grace Well let vs conferre of this a little How many weekes or daies or houres haue you spent in the search of this Adoption which is vouchsaf't you in Christ Haue you learnd what it is to bee a Sonne Haue you made any estimate of the inheritance that is promised Doe you knowe the difference betwixt a seruant and a Sonne Is not al your trust in the plea of seruants If I doe my good will saith one I knowe God will accept of it What though I be ignorant of the mystery of my redemption Alas I am no Diuine no Scholler not booke learned God lookes for no such greate knowledge of mee I can tell that I must loue God aboue all things and my neighbour as my felfe If I doe this I am sure God will bee mercifull to mee and I shall goe to heauen O the blindnesse the wilfull blindnesse of ignorant men How long will yee despise the kind offer of the Lord When will yee begin to consider what honour he hath vouchsaf't you When will you haue any care to vnderstand your own happinesse The Lord God would haue you his Sonnes you wil continue obstinatly in the conditioÌ„ of seruants Hee would bestow heauen vpon you as an inheritance you will needes haue it as wages Hee offers to giue you title to it by adoption you striue to lay clayme to it by your owne purchase Would you choose to be seruants rather then Sonnes if you had any knowledge of these 2. estates You haue heard somewhat of the ioyes of heauen and you haue accordingly a plaine confused motion of the good estate of them that are there From hence ariseth a kinde of desire to bee partakers of those pleasures and by the flattery of selfe loue some manner of perswasion that ye shall enioy them But yee are as farre from knowing what it is to bee the sonnes of GOD as I shewed you were from beleeuing that you are the Children of the Diuell Is it any wonder then that wee make so light account of it who can desire that hee knowes not Where mens treasures are there also their hearts are Mat. 6. 21. Who is there that had not rather bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter then the brother of Iesus Christ To whome doth it not seeme a greater honour to bee the sonne in lawe of Saul then the adopted sonne of God A Lordshippe vpon earth is counted more worth then a kingdome in Heauen O the basenes of our thoughts O the error of our iudgement O the vilenesse of our affection wee bury our selues in the earth liker wormes then men Wee esteeme more of the pleasures of sinne for a season then of the euerlasting Heb. 11. 19. ioyes of God in Heauen Wee haue greater desire to the vaine titles of worldly honour then to the high prerogatiue of the sonnes of God prophane Esau Gen. 25. 32. that sold his brithright for a messe of pottage was a holy man in comparison of vs. Hee was driuen to the sale by a kinde of necessitie Wee by wantonnesse depriue our selues of this dignitie Hungeâ— made him part with that which was demaunded of him Fulnesse makes vs despise that which is offered to vs. It was in his conceite but a temporall possession that hee should haue enioyed It is an eternall inheritance that wee might possesse He remained Isaacs sonne still though hee lost his birth right wee by neglecting the prerogatiue of sonnes are vtterly shut out of Gods presence and fauour It were som what yet if we might be seruants For there is no place in the house of God that is not honourable But the case stands so with vs that we must either be sonnes or nothing I am sory the time cuts me off that I cannot follow and presse these matters as the worthiness and necessitie of them requires The Lord vouchsafe a blessing vpon that which hath bin spoken and prepare vs to a farder meditation of it in hearts to his owne glorie and our present and euerlasting comfort in Iesus Christ To wnome with the Father c. THE NINTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 12. But to as many as receiued him to them he gaue the Prerogatiue c. THere are two thinges that ordinarily make men colde and negligent as in the pursuit of that they haue some minde to so in the desire of that which is offered ignorance of the worth thereof and a conceite that to them it will bee of small vse or profit To what end shoulde a man spend his time and labour in the search of that which when hee hath found it is not worth the taking vp and carrying away Or though perhaps it bee of some value in it selfe yet if I know not how to make any benefit of it I were as good spare my paines as lose my labour That neither of these two hinderances might holde vs from receiuing Christ by faith that we might become the sonnes of God and heires of euerlasting life in heauen In my last exercise I shewed both the excellency of this prerogatiue in it selfe and the inualuable profitte that would arise to vs thereof What greater honour can there possiblie bee imagined then to bee heyres apparant to the kingdome of heauen what higher aduancement can the conceite of men or
I was before hee was or before him And I am before him but I am before hee was passeth my vnderstanding Yet by this our Sauiour would teach vs that in respect of his nature he is alwayes one and the same not like vs first Infants then Children afterwardes youthes in the strength of our age and life men in the decay of it old men and at last no men Thy yeeres ô my God f Psal 102. 24 saith the Prophet are from generation to generation Thou hast afore time laide the foundation of the Earth and the Heauens are the workes of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure euen they all shall waxe olde as dooth a garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall bee changed But thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not fayle That this is spoken of our Sauiour Christ g Heb. 1. 10 the Apostle sheweth by proouing his God-head from that place To speake truely and properly we can not say of God either that Hee was or that hee is to come but onely that He is Therfore when Moses would needes knowe his name God answered h Exod. 3. 14 So rather then by the future I AM that I AM. Also hee sayd Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israell I AM hath sent mee to you It is hee onely that is as well because hee is of himselfe without dependance vpon anie other as also for that hee is absolutely without any change in himselfe whatsoeuer As for vs wee so are that in a manner wee are not because we neuer continue any time in the same estate without some alteration If we could as plainly see and as certainely iudge of the inward parts of a man as wee can of his outward countenance we should soone perceiue that hee is continually waxing or waning so that hardly can we thinke of any man that He is but while wee are thinking hee is not in the ende of our thought as short a moment as it is altogether the same that he was in the beginning thereof But our most glorious Sauiour IESVS CHRIST being eternall without beginning without middle without end is alwaies most perfectâ—y the same was is and is to come are in him without all kind of difference though to our weake capacitie it hath pleased him to vouchsafe so to speake of himselfe for our better instruction Come now thou that desirest to be for euer ioyne thy selfe to him of whose daies there shall neuer be end They that by faith become one with the Lord Iesus shall be sure to bee one with him in continuance look not back what thou hast not been heretofore but look forward what thou shalt be hereafter Father i Ioh. 17. 24 saith the sameour Sauiour I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am But where was he when he spake this In his humane nature vpon earth And there the Disciples at that time were as well as he But by his God-head he was euen then also in heauen where hee will haue all to be with him who beleeue in him k Ioh. 3. 16 that they may not perish but haue life euerlasting This testimony of the Euangelist concerning our Sauiours eternity was sufficient to stop the mouthes of those first Heretickes and to settle the faithfull in the true beliefe therof But Satan not discouraged by this fayle l Anno. 290 som 200. years after stirred vp the turbulent pestilent spirit of Arius a man of Alexandria in Egypt to call the Godhead of our Sauiour again in question It is Father The Word that became flesh shewed himselfe by his glory to be the Sonne of God Is it not the VVord of whom it followeth The onely begotten Sonne Verse 18. which is in the bosome of the Father hath manifested God Verse 3. vnto vs By the VVord all things were made By the Sonne u Heb. 1. 1. 3 sayth the Apostle He made the world And againe x Col. 1. 16 By him were al things created which are in heauen which are in earth What neede more words Our Euangelist sheweth through the whole Gospel that he speaketh of no other word then the Sonne of God These things are written y Ioh. 20. 31 sayth hee that ye might beleeue that IESVS is the CHRIST the Sonne of God Leaue we therfore these shifting blasphemies let vs labour to settle our harts in the assured belief of our Sauiour Christs diuine eternity To which purpose it shal be sufficient for vs to remeÌ„ber that which we heard ere while out of the * Psal 102. 27 Psalme Thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile that testimony of Christ himself a Reuelat. 1. 8 I am A Ω the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come euen the Almighty What can the sottish heatheÌ„ the stubborn Iews or the brutish Turks now say Come ye that deride and persecute the true religion of the Lord Iesus you great wisards that despise all men as barbarous in comparison of your selues Are not you they that worship stocks and stones instead of the true God Are not the Parents of your greatest and auntientest gods easily to be knowen named I am ashamed to speak it but your folly wil not suffer it self to be hidden b Tertullian in Apolog. cap. 25 Were not the sepulchers graues of your soueraign god Iupiter the rest to be seene for many years by all men when you sottishly honoured them for gods in heauen whose carcases lay rotting amongst you in the earth But our God is eternall without beginning without middle without ending He became man in time he was God before all time he died was buried But he ouercame death rose again ascended in his body visibly vp to heauen Look not my brethren that I should discourse at large of these matters I haue bin too long already and I shall haue fitter opportunitie hereafter if God wil. Let the Iewes with all their malice the Romans with all their power deuise what vntruths practise whatsoeuer cruelty they are able our God sitteth in heauen and laugheth them to scorne causing his religion to continue in despight of both and thereby assuring vs of his owne eternall being for euer and euer As for the Mahometan though hee be incredibly shamelesse in lyes blasphemies yet hee is driuen to confesse that often in his sensless Alcoran that Iesus our God was holy vertuous wonderful in miracles a great Prophet of the Lord. Would the wretch Mahomet haue yielded so much to our Sauiour if euidence of truth coÌ„tinued so powerfully had not wruÌ„g it out of him But how could he be holy or not most prophane if hee made himselfe the Sonne of God and were not we should be as voide of sense as his absurde Alcoran if wee should
which is then should not bee God If you say with Arius that hee was created you deny that the beginning of all creation is truely described by Moses when he saith g Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created heauen and earth For if that you say bee true the most excellent part of the creation was already past namely the making of him by whom all these things afterward were created Who taught this strange Diuinity Where is any such thing recorded in any part of Scripture Who is so shamelesse as to say he hath it by reuelation Who so senselesse as to beleeue him that will say so This is our wisedome to know what it hath pleased God to reueale to vs in the Scripture either expresly or by consequence and to accompt nothing else a matter necessary to bee beleeued So then when we read or heare that our Sauiour was with God wee learne thereby that hee is himselfe God For what can be bee but God that had his being before and without all creation The word perhaps troubles thee because he is said to haue beene with God and therefore as it may seeme not God but an other An other Thou saiest well h Tertullian contra PraxeaÌ„ cap. 8. For hee is indeede in person as I aunswered once before another But where thou saiest not God thou â—rt deceiued vnlesse by God thou vnderstand the person of the Father VVith God signifies distinction of person not diuersitie of Nature Therefore i some learned Diuines by with thinke the holy Ghost meant to note his coniunction with Hilar. de Triit lib. 2. God the Father whereby they are one in vnitie of the same Diuine substance To which also they apply that which followeth in this Chapter where k Iohn 1. 18. The onely begotten Sonne is said to bee in the bosome of the Father and that l Ioh. 14. 10. 11 Chapter 14. I am in the Father and the Father in me yea m Epiphan â—aeres 93. saith one He is so with God that hee is in the substance of God and his very nature Wherfore if at any time thou beest disquieted by the word with as if it â—mplied some difference betwixt God and the Word remember that God signifies the person of the Father â—rom whom the Sonne is truly and really distinguisht â—et not by the nature of his Godhead which is one in both but by the property of his being the Sonne in which the Father and hee are alwayes not one but two â—he one the Father the other the Sonne And this last point concerning our Sauiour Christs person n Tertullian contra PraxeaÌ„ cap. 12. is manifestly vndoubtedly prooued by this part of the verse For it cannot bee imagined that any thing beeing in all respects one and the same should bee saide to bee with it selfe or in it selfe The word was with God If there be no distinction betwixt the word God how can it be conceiued that the word was with God I shall neede to spend the lesse time and paines in this matter because none but o August de haer cap. 4. the Sabellians euer made question of it They deceiued themselues and other men with an vnlikely fancy against euidence of Scripture that God was but one person called in diuers respects sometimes the Father sometimes the Sonne sometimes the holy Ghost But what respect can make this speech reasonable if there be but one person in the Godhead Let vs consider the point a little better Dauid was in regard of his gouernment a king in respect of his sonne Salomon a father in relation to his wife Bersheba an husband for his generall nature a man May I say of him because of these diuers respects that the father of Saelomon was with Dauid or with the man meaning Dauid Would not a man laugh at the absurditie of such a speech It cannot be then but that hee which was with God was really distinct or was truely and indeed another from him with whom hee was No respect will free the speech from a iust imputation of absurditie if the partie spoken of bee one and the same as well for person as for nature I reserue the farder handling of this matter till I come to the end of the verse following where I purpose if it please God to deliuer the doctrine of the holy Trinitie It may also farder be gathered that the Euangelist in saying The word was with God would haue vs to vnderstand that he p Gal. 4. 4. which in the fulnesse of time appointed by God tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary was till that time with God though vnseene and vnknowen to the world not as if he were not there still for euen while he was here vpon the earth he was also at the same time continually in heauen q Ioh. 3. 13. 17. 23. The Sonne of man which is in heauen and I will that they be where I am but because he came into the world where before he had not beene in the nature of man Heereto belongeth that which is other-where written by the r 1. Iohn 1. 2. 3. same Saint Iohn VVee declare vnto you the eternall life which was with Father and was made manifest to vs. Hee was with the Father from euerlasting he appeared in the world at the appointed time So is he now againe with God because he is no longer visible on earth as sometimes he was We may also adde hereunto that Å¿ Ambros de incarna domini Greg. Nysten de fide ad Simplic Rupertus aâ— hunc locum Cyril Hieorosol Cateches 11. this being with the Father implies the glory he had and hath with him as if he should haue said The word which was in the beginning was at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father equall to the Father Why seeke you the Creator amongst the Creatures If you desire to know where the VVord was consider that he was at the right hand of God the Father partaker of that glory which the Lord neither will nor can giue to any which is not the same God with him But of this enough Let vs come to the last part of the verse And the VVord was God or as the Greeke words lie God was the VVord but our tongue will hardly beare that kind of speech vnlesse the sense be altred For if you say God was the VVord an English man will conceiue that you tell him what God was and not what the Word was The Greeke and Latine may well beare such placing of the words the English will not yet perhaps it had beene plainer euen in the Greeke to haue set the words in order as the sense of them was intended and to haue said The word was God But the Euangelist as I noted once before vpon occasion followed an elegancie of speech which had bin lost if he had kept the naturall order of the words In the beginning was the
vessell Therefore are they aduised and charged to kisse the Son least he be angry to their destructiō Verse 12. There is good cause then why he should be stiled the Lord of lords and King of kings What though he be the Lambe meeke and tender yea bound and slaine yet * Reuel 17. 14. shall he ouercome the 10. kings that fight against him For he is the Lord of lords and King of kings yea a Reuel 19. 16. he hath that name written vpon his garment vpon his thigh The king of kings and Lord of lords His glory his strength shew him to be no lesse And can we doubt whether hee bee God or no If I should recite the Attributes or Epithets which being proper to God are belonging to our Sauiour Christ If I should but name those admirable effects of his which are aboue the strength of any and all creatures the time would sooner faile me then varietie of matter which doth offer it selfe to me so plentifully that it is harder to find where to make an end thē what to say Do you wonder at the eternity of God as a thing not to bee reacht vnto by the conceit of man Behold him that is b Reuel 1. 8. A Ω the beginning the ending which was which is and which is to come What say I was is is to come Thus indeed hath it pleased our gratious Sauiour to speake of his eternall being to our capacity But let vs heare him speake more like himselfe that is more like God c Iohn 8. 58. Before Abraham was I am This is a speech better beseeming his maiesty For nothing can be properly said of him concerning his being but onely that he is That which was either is not at all or at the least is not in all respects the same that it was That which is to come as yet either hath no being at all or surely no such being as is signified it shall haue in time to come But what stand I repeating that which before I deliuered Let vs passe from this infinitenesse in time which wee call eternitie and come to another like attribute which wants a name but belongs to quantity and might be tearmed Immensitie if our eares and vnderstanding were acquainted with it As eternity signifies the infinitenesse of God in time so doth Immensitie in greatnesse d Isai 61. 8. Thus saith the Lord The heauen is my throne and the earth is my footstoole There is no number of yeeres that can expresse the Lords Eternitie no compasse of place that is able to containe his Immensitie e Psal 139. 7 Verse 8. Whither shall I flee from thy presence saith the king of Israel that had choice enough of roome wherein to hide himselfe If I ascend into heauen thou art there If I he downe in hell thou art there Let me take the wings of Verse 9. Verse 10. the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea yet thither shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me But what need many particulars Hee that is present in heauen and in earth can be shut out of no place whatsoeuer our Sauiour is ascended into heauen yet is he still present with his children here in earth f Matth. 28. 2◠Behold I am with you till the end of the world By his power you wil say not by his presence Doubtlesse an infinite power such as protecteth the Church of Christ cannot be in a finite nature Let vs heare him speake more plaine g Matth. 18. 20 Whersoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Or if this also may applied to power yet that place is without exception h Iohn 3. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe frō heauen the Son of man which is in heauen He came downe frō heauen because being God he became man he was for all that still in heauen because being man he ceased not to be God Therefore also while he was aliue on earth before his passion he doubted not to auouch that hee was euen then in heauen i Iohn 17. 24 Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold that my glory Where is that to be seene but in heauen For so hath our Sauiour said himselfe before in that prayer And now glorifie me thou father with thine Verse 5. owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Not as if heauen or neuer so many heauens were able to conteine that his infinite glory which can be no way bounded by any meanes but because there i◠shews it self most apparātly Shal I need to add hereunto his power or rather Almightinesse k Reuel 1. 8 I am A Ω the beginning the ending saith the lord which is which was which is to come euen the Almighty And twice afterward in the same booke he is called l Reu. 4. 8. 11. 17. The Lord God Almighty But if the Scripture had not said any such thing of him yet his admirable works sound out his power glory The heauens m Psal 19. 1 sayth the Prophet declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands Yea the signs which he did in the sight of his friends enemies were so high aboue the power of man that they may assure vs n Ioh. 20. 31 that our Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God But of these in the Gospell oftentimes hereafter if it please God euen God the Sonne IESVS CHRIST of whom we speake But ere I proceed any farder I must againe encounter the Arians who bend all their forces to ouerthrowe the God-head of our Sauiour Christ Do you not perceiue say they that although hee be called God yet he is not so indeed by nature but by fauour Haue you not obserued that in the second clause where the true God is spoken of there the article is added in the text o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word was with the God as you would say The true God but here in the third part the same article is omitted as if the holy Ghost would haue vs know thereby that he hath his God-head such as it is onely by grace and that diuers from him that is the true God O that foolish men should take such paines to kick against the prickes and to procure their owne destruction Can there be more force in the omitting of one poore letter to make you denie our Sauiours diuine nature then in so many reasons to wring out of you a confession therof p Origen in Ioa. lib. 2 Too much curiosity in an opinion of this learned obseruation hath deceiued you Is not Iesus Christ the true God because the article is not added Or is the article neuer omitted where
of reason could neuer be attained to without reuelation from God But this is not the armour a Christian trusts to Thy bulwark must bee the shield of faith borne vp and held out by some strong rest of holy scripture The word was God Saith our Euangelist By it were all things made Let Satan cast his fiery and poysonous darts against vs This shield quencheth the fury and killeth the strength of their fire and poyson As for his distinctions and respects wherby he sweats and tyres himselfe to proue that our Sauiour is but God by fauour not by nature because he is imploied in such an office not because he is eternally begotten of God his father they are sparkles that keepe a cracking with more feare then hurt and venom that raiseth a few Pimples in the outer skin with more trouble then danger Keepe thee close vnder the shield of faith and though Satan make thee stagger yet hee shall neuer ouerthrow thee Being then thus armed at all points with an assured perswasion of our Sauiour Christs diuine nature and hauing beaten the enemy that charged vs with such force and fury let vs peaceably and carefully consider with our selues what vse wee may haue of that fort which wee now possesse in safety Is this Sauiour of ours God eternal infinite in wisedome in power in holinesse in all worth and perfection Surely then may wee truely and bodly say that p Psal 89. 19. God hath layed help vpon one that is mighty more mighty to rescue his people out of the hands of sinne and Satan then Dauid was to free the people of Israell from the Philistines and all other that oppressed them Are they mighty that are against vs Hee that is with vs is more mighty Doe you not heare the Apostle as it were defying all the world in confidence of this assistance r If God saith he be on our Rom. 8. 31. side who can be against vs What though hee speakes of God the Father Is not the Sonne our Sauiour the same God of the same power Me thinkes I am encouraged by this meditation to dare Satan and to bid him battaile to his face Let him not spare to magnify the iustice of God to amplifie the grieuousnesse of my sinne to lay out to the vttermost the furiousnesse of Gods displeasure to set before me the weakenesse of my estate to recken vp as it were on his fingers the huge summes of my debt what is all this If Iesus Christ be God Though the iustice of God will not bee corrupted by feare pity bribery or flattery yet it will bee satisfied If the wrath of God be infinite against my sinne an infinite sacrifice may appease it I haue nothing to pay But he that is God is all-sufficient Å¿ Mic. 67. Will not the Lord bee pleased with thousands os Rams nor with ten thousand riuers of oyle t Heb. 10. 4. â—â— 12. Is it vnpossible that the bloud of Buls and Goates should take away sinne Yet u Act. 20. 28. hath Iesus Christ who is God by his owne blood entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs. God x saith the Apostle hath purchased the Church with his owne blood What though y Mâ—c 6. 7. the Lord will not accept my first borne for my transgression Will he also refuse the sacrifice of his owne first begotten yea * Ioh. 1. 18. of his onely begotten which is in his bosome No no he hath proclaimed him from heauen a Mat. 3. 17. to be his sonne that beloued one in whom he is well pleased Now the sufficiency of this worthy sacrifice ariseth not from the bloud of man though it be more excellent then that of buls or goates but froÌ„ the inualuable worth of the person whose blood is sacrifice Could the bloud of Isaac of Abell or of Adam while he was innocent and holy haue beene a sufficient ransome for sinne committed against the infinite maiestie of God Looke how much it lacks of infinitenesse in valew so much it lacks also of worth to make satisfaction For no finit sum can discharge an infinit debt But as God himselfe so sin against God is infinit Multiply any finit nuÌ„ ber though neuer so great that which proceeds of it wil be but finit And whatsoeuer is finite imagine it as great as you can in number or measure is no neerer infinitnes then the least point or fraction that can bee conceiued For there is no kinde of proportion betwixt them else should finit infinit be al one Because that which hath any part of it finit being compouÌ„ded of finite parts put together must of necessity it selfe be vnderstood to bee finite For the parts make the whole and that taketh it nature from these Now who knows not that the holinesse and nature of man is finit Such therfore would the whole lumpe bee if all that is or can bee in al men were gathered together into one How then can a sacrifice which is but finite make due satisfaction for sin that is infinite And that which I speake of men I would haue vnderstood also of all creatures whatsoeuer Angels or other For since their nature and worth is finit it is as farre from infinitenesse be what it will in comparison of the valew of other finite things as nothing is from all that which is from that which is not There is then nothing at all left wherein wee may haue any trust or hope of hauing satisfaction made to God for vs but onely the inualuable sacrifice of our Sauiour Iesus Christ b Heb. 10. 14 VVho with one offering hath consecrated for euer them that are sanctified c Ioh. 1. 29. Behold saith he that was sent to shew him the lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world But whence hath our blessed Sauiour this inestimable valew I know not saith one neither will I trouble my head about it I beleeue his sacrifice was sufficient and that serues my turne without any further adoe Oh my brethren let vs not be so vnkind to our blessed sauiour so vnthankfull to God the father so contemptuous against the holy ghost so retchlesse of our owne saluation Is it not monstrous vnkindnesse to haue so incompatable a fauour done thee and not to labour to know that which is most honorable to him that did it How shalt thou worthily lift vp thy heart to praise and magnifie the Father that sent his sonne for thy redemption if thou neglect to vnderstand how glorious he was whom hee sent At the least despise not the wisedome and prouidence of the holy spirit as if hee had troubled himselfe in vain with setting his Secretaries on worke to pen the particulars of thy saluation for thy full satisfaction and comfort Well let all this goe If thou beest not ashamed of so vnreasonable vnkindnesse vnthankfulnesse contemptuousnesse yet bee afraid least thou lose that which thou thinkest
commandement when hee appointed the foundations of the earth Then was I with him a nourisher and I was Ver. 30. dayly his delight reioycing alway before him But least any man should be so obstinate that this testimonie cannot resolue and satisfie him I will adde hereunto the witnes of q Psal 102. 25. another Prophet who calling vpon the Sonne of God speaketh thus of him Thou hast afore time layd the foundation of the earth and the heauens are the worke of thy hands If you doubt whether this bee spoken of the Sonne or no the holy Ghost shall assure you that it is by the pen of Saint r Hâ—b 1. 10. Paul who alleageth this place and applyeth it to our Sauiour Christ Of whome also hee had affirm'd a little before that God made the world by him It may be some man would knowe the reason why our Euangelist being to describe our Sauiour as the Creator of the world doth not vse the same kinde of speech which Moses doth and which also is common in the Scripture to that purpose Why doth hee not more particularly recite the things that were created by him and set out his glory therein at large as Moses doth I will tell you in as few words as I can And first I say of both questions together that therefore Saint Iohn did not speake either so or so largely as Moses had done before because Moses had so done and his purpose was not the same that Moses had in his writing More particularly and more plainely I say farther of the former doubt first that it is true and manifest that whereas Å¿ Gen. 1. 1. Moses named expresly the heauen and the earth our Euangelist sayeth in generall All things It is also cleere and certaine that ordinarily in the Scripture where God is spoken of as a Creator there the same things are mentioned Wee heard erewhile seuerall places to that purpose you may finde more at your leasure Wee preach vnto you sayth t Act 14. 25. the Apostle Paul to the men of Listra That yee should turne from these vaine things to the liuing God which made heauen and earth So u Isay 37. 16. sayth Hezekiah Thou art God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauen and the earth So x Ier. 32. 17. Ieremiah Thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power yet saith our Euangelist By him were all things made Why so As well because by these words all that Moses sayd might and would easily be conceiv'd as also for that he would haue euen those things to be vnderstood whereof Moses had made no expresse mention Therefore also doth y Col. 1. 16. the Apostle Paul speake otherwise of the creation then Moses where hee sayth of our Sauiour Christ By him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they bee Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers then follow the very wordes of our Euangelist All things were created by him Thus hath Saint Paul taught vs how to expound Saint Iohn All things visible and inuisible Of the later Moses sayth nothing expresly but rather by his particular description of the visible parts of the world seemes to tell vs that hee spake of them onely So might our Euangelist also haue been vnderstood if hee had so spoken whereas now wee are to expound him of both according as the Apostle directs vs. But why doth not Saint Iohn as the least follow Moses course and describe the particulars at large Because Moses was the first that euer writ that historie of creation and writ it of purpose to giue knowledge of it to all posteritie But our Euangelist neither needed doe that which which was perform'd so excellently so long before by another and intended not to set out the historie but rather to apply it to the present occasion Hee had also a more worthy matter to handle whereunto hee hasted the redemption of the children of God by the promised Messiah our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Giue mee leaue I pray you a little to consider the glorie of our heauenly redeemer and to insult ouer all such miscreants Iewes and Turkes as despise his gratious offer of saluation and refuse him as not worth the trusting in Whom dost thou contemne whose helpe doest thou thinke scorne of Canst thou not beleeue in him when thou considerest him in the Virgins wombe yet beleeue in him when thou beholdest him in the bosome of God what could he be but mortall that was made of mortall flesh Nay rather what could hee bee but immortall that made both flesh and spirit Thou sayest Hee is accursed that maketh flesh his arme and can hee be blessed thinkest thou that refuseth to make God his strength Shall the clay say to the potter Thou art of no power Shall not so presumpâ—uous a Clod of bak't earth bee broken all to peeces and beaten to dust That thou liuest mov'st breath'st that thou art that thou canst bee thus vnthankefull it is his and only his goodnes What doost thou plotting and deuising to ouerthrow his religion Beholde hee will take a way thy breath from thee and then all thy thoughts shall perish Doest thou not quake and tremble at the fearefull sound of the thunder that hee made Doest thou not flee away hide thy face from the flashes of lighting that come from him * Osc 2. 8. Doost thou not knowe that it is hee that giues thee Corne and Wine and Oyle and multiplies thy siluer and thy golde which thou wastest in making warre against him How long wilt thou proceed to harden thy wicked heart to thine owne destruction The weakest and meanest of his creatures a Exod. 8. 19. 25. Flies and Lice are stronger then all thy bandes of Ianizaries If the meditation of our Sauiour Christs Almightie power in creating all things will preuayle nothing at all with them but to 〈◊〉 urage them the more let vs leaue them to his iust indignation and apply the knowledge of this doctrine to the encrease of our owne faith and comfort And first let vs hearten our selues against the reproches and scornes of the weake and ignorant world They beleeue not in Iesus Christ Noe maruaile For they see him not but in the wombe in the manger on the Crosse in the graue They see but a peece a it were or rather the bark only of the tree of life But we to whom the same Lord that created the eyes of our bodies the naturall light of our vnderstanding hath giuen also the supernaturall light of faith beholde him a farre off euen beyond the beginning of the world and looking through the rinde of his humane nature see the pith and substance of his euerlasting Godhead not what it is but that it is Why shuld it be thought strange for men to relie wholly vpon him that made them Let me
dispatch of some businesse e Gen. 24. 7. He shall send his Angells with thee saith Abraham to his seruant and againe The Lord before whome I walke will send his Angells with thee and prosper thy Iorney The books of the old Testament are full of examples to this purpose Yea the new also affords not a few f Mat. 1. 20. 2. 13. 19. The Angell of the Lord appeared to Ioseph in a dreame once twice thrice g Luk 1. 11. There appeared vnto Zachary an Angell of the Lorde Therefore it is our of all question that the Angells had a beginning of their being by creation and whatsoeuer had so tooke that beginning from him without whome nothing was made that was made In the acknowledgment of this h Heb. 1. 6. when the Lord brings his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith i Psal 97. 7. And let the Angels of God worship him Wil you see this homage as it were and seruice perform'd Before his conception k Luk. 1. 26. the Angell Gabriell was sent to giue notice of it After his coÌ„ception before his birth l Mat. 1. 20. an Angell appeared to Iosoph to testifie that his conception was by the holy Ghost Presently after his birth m Luk. 2. 9. the Angell of the Lorde brought newes therof to the Shepheards about Bothlehem Yea straight way there was with the Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God for his comming into the world Which was the mysterie that the Angells as n 1. Pet. 1. 12. Saint Peter tels vs desired to behold After his temptation in the wildernesse o Mat. 4. 11. The Angels came and ministred vnto him I might go forwarde in this kinde but what needes it His they are and at this commaund to bee imployed The Sonne of man shall send foorth his Angels q Mat. 24. 31. Hec â— Mat. 13. 41. shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Wilt thou take a view now of some little part of thy happines by beleeuing in Iesus Christ the maker of all things and namely of these holy Angels Looke about thee then and behold them guarding thee and attending vpon thee on euerie side r Psal 91. 11. 12 Hee hath giuen his Angells charge ouer thee to keepe thee in thy wayes They shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote a gainst a stone It is thought to be a goodly matter in the world for a man to be waited on with a great traine of nis followers people gaze vpon such an one and hee himselfe oftentimes dotes vpon his owne greatnes So many proper men in so braue liueries decked with rich cognizances of silke siluer or golde clad in veluet or Satin set out with chaynes of golde scarfes brooches armed with gilt rapiers and daggers in a word what can bee supposed to bee wanting either for glorie or for safety Shall I compare one of these wonders of the world with a poore Christian that beleeueth truely and soundly in Iesus Christ Thinke not scorne of the comparison whosoeuer thou art All the braue rie of thy gallantest followers is but beggerie being compared to the glory of the meanest of his attendaÌ„ts The gold and siluer of thy Retinue glisters in the eyes of them that gaze vpon it Thou hadst need haue a faire day and a bright shunshine or else halfe thy shew wil be vtterly lost It is not so with him whom thou despisest one of his Angels is able to inlighten any place in the darkest night Å¿ Luk. 2. 9. As the Shepheardes were watching their flockes by night the Angell of the Lord came vpon them and the glorie of the Lord shone about theÌ„ What is become of thy glistring in the night time Torches and candles are the light of thy glory take them away and all is nothing There is not so much ods betwixt a black flint a well watered diamond as betwixt the least glimpse of the Angels brightnes and the greatest light of thy seruants brauerie Doost thou boast of thy multitude How canst thou for shame if thou remember how the Prophet Elisha was attended t 2. King 6. 17. Behold the mountaine was full of horses and Charets of fire round about Elisha Dost thou heare The mountaine was full Alas a little hill will holde all thy followers Thou art faine to stretch them out to the vttermost by two and two that they may make som shew The Prophet had the mountaine full Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer euerie one of his children He names no certaine number that wee may knowe the charge is common to all And though all cannot bee in all places at once yet is no place without great multitudes of them u Dan. 7. 10. Hee hath thousand thousands mini string vnto him and ten thousand thousands standing about him But admitte as some men teach I thinke without sufficient warrant that euery man had his proper Angell and no more many thousands of men might not bee compared with such a guard for safetie x 2. King 19. 35. The Angell of the Lord went out and slew in one night an hundred fourescore and siue thousand in the Camp of the Assyrians Yea the very appearance of an Angell is not without dread and terror y Luk. 1. 12. When Zachary saw the Angell hee was troubled and feare fell vpon him So was Ver. 29. 2. 9. the Virgin Mary so were the Shepheardes And yet the messages they brought to these were full of comfort and ioy To * Luk. 1. 13. Zacharie word was brought by the Angell That his prayer was heard The Angell assured the noly Virgin That shee had found fauour with God And Ver. 30. 2. 10. hee that came to the Shepheards Brought them tidings of great ioy that should be to all the people If his presence were fearefull to them for whose comfort hee was sent what will it bee to them against whome hee comes as an Enemie for their destruction Who then would not cast himselfe for his protection and saluation vpon him that was the Creator of these glorious and mighty Angels Wouldst thou be honorably attended Behold the Angels ready to waite vpon thee a Heb. 1. 14 For they are all ministring spirits sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall bee heires of saluation Would'st thou be safely guarded a Psal 103. 20. The Angels excell in strength c Mat. 28. 2. Beholde there was a great Earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rowled away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre wherin our Sauiour was buried and sat vpon it and his countenance was like lightning Ver. 3. and his rayment white as snowe and for feare of him the keeâ—ers were astonied and became as dead men What if they Ver. 4. bee not ordinarily to bee seene
the lesse because they are generally so well knowne to all men and describ'd somewhat largely in the hystorie of the creation Yet thus much I may and must say that if wee did more aduisedly consider either the whole frame of the world how each part serueth and beautifieth other or the particular creatures euerie one by themselues wee should discerne the power and wisedome of the Creator in a farre more excellent sort then euer yet wee sawe it But I will not enter into so large a fielde least the varietie of most admirable workemanshippe make mee forget my selfe and stay mee too long in the course of my present iorney to the ende of this whole verse Onely I will commend to your priuate meditation for this purpose the later ende of the booke of Iob from the beginning of Chapter 38. to the ende of 41. Where the Lord himselfe from heauen thunders out a wonderfull description of his diuine power and wisedome in the varietie of his workes and the incredible strength of some speciall creatures to the vtter confusion of m August de â—aeros cap. 46. the wicked Maniches who blasphemously gaue the glorie of these wonders to an Idoll of their owne senselesse deuising and setting vp But they that haue either the light of true reason or the direction of the holy spirit cleerly see and willingly acknowledge that the least and meanest creature in the world could neuer haue beene but by the infinit power of God and being is a sufficient proofe of that power by which it is This I speake the rather because n Aâ—crroes aly some learned fooles being inforced by the light of nature to discern the Creator in the creatures and yet being not willing to assent to the truth of Religion in the Scripture haue presumed to denie both the creation and prouidence of God in the smaller and inferiour creatures and in ordinary matters of no great moment Why so Because forsooth they were too base for God to make or meddle with O the nicenesse of vaine men As if the Sun that shineth out of the heauens were defiled or abased by casting of his beames vpon any place though neuer so homely or vncleanely But of the prouidence of God vpon some fitter occasion hereafter For the creation of such small and meane creatures wee haue authoritie of Scripture to assure vs they are GODS workemanshippe and strength of reason to proue that they are worthie to bee acknowledged for his And for Scripture what better warrant can wee desire then the testimony of the holy Ghost by o Gen. 1. 20. Moses in the report he makes of the first creation God said Ver. 24. Lette the waters bring foorth in aboundance euery creeping thing that hath life And of the earth afterward God said Let the earth bring foorth the liuing thing according to his kind cattell and that which creepeth There is not any creature in the Sea or on the Land of lesse woorth then that which creepeth Is it not a part of the Serpents punishment to go on his belly p Gen. 3. 14. Because thou hast done this thou art accursed aboue all cattell and aboue euery beast of the field vpon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life Is there any baserfood then the dust of the earth And yet that is the ordinary meate of such thinges as craul vppon the land As for those that creepe in the water mudde and slyme is their ordinary sustenance Yet are both the one and the other created by the Lorde Therefore also haue they their part in praising and magnifying their heauenly creator q Psal 148. 10. Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and feathered foules Yea they are not only the creatures of God but howsoeuer for a time they were ceremonially vncleane by nature cleane good So did the Lord himselfe teach and informe r Act. 10. 10. Peter by a voice from heauen The holy Apostle was hungry and while meate was dressing for him fell into a trance wherein he saw a vessell come downe from heanen in which were amongst verse 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. other creatures creeping things Then there came a voice to him willing him to kill and eate Is not this a sufficient proofe of their creation and cleanness They came now downe from heauen and Peter was will'd to eate of them But Peter remembring that they were forbidden to bee eaten as vncleane began to excuse himselfe The Lord to cut of all obiections answers him againe The thing that God hath purified pollute thou not This was so done thrice saith the Text. Why so often but that all doubt of their vncleannesse might be cleane taken away Well say you let them be cleane forvse especially in acase of necessity yet they are not worthy to be held for the creatures of God Not worthy and yet haue being mouing and life Any one of these were sufficient to make them shew some part of his greatnesse from whom they are Take the least of the 3. Is there not an infinit difference betwixt not being and being Or can any power lesse then infinit giue being where there is none Do not all things as it were speake sound out the excellency of being when they feare and striue against nothing more then least they should not bee What hath made some profane wretches that had no hope of life after their death in this world to wish that they might liue though it were but in the forme nature of Todes or Spiders It is an old and true obseruation euen of the heathen that euery thing is naturally desirous to continew its being by all meanes possible But these fond wise men shall be condemned by some like themselues Let vs heare Pharaohs in chaunters giue in their verdict When they all crauled with lice saw that God who had suffered the Diuel for a time to deceiue them with vaine shewes would no longer endure his and their damnable presumption they cried out to Pharaoh Å¿ 〈◊〉 3. 19. This is the singer of God Surely if making lice of dust be not dishonourable to God but the wretched sorcerers are inforced to acknowledge his power in them what madnes is it to deny him the creation of the smallest and meanest things Yet I would not be so vnderstood as if I thought that euery kinde of such creatures was made at the first creation within the compass of those six daies It is enough for vs to beleeue and acknowledge that all things had their being from God both for their nature and their properties and that no kind of creature hath bin is or shal be at any time bred but according to the appointment of the Lord and by the meanes which he from the beginning ordained fitted to that purpose Thence it is that diuerse liuing creatures are daily bred of dust mudd slyme and such like Not as if these
can doubt but life was always in him who only liues of himself giues life both tēporal spiritual to al euē to euery one that hath it But because this maner of giuing life is an effect of Godhead so common to him with the Father and the holy Ghost and not a matter belonging properly to his person nor any worke of his mediatorship I will leaue it as not intended in this place and come to a second consideration of life being in him from all eternity as in the mediator betwixt God and man In what respect then may it be truly and fitly said that life was in him from all eternity In respect of the eternall decree of God whereby he determined to restore to life those whome hee chose therevnto by the mediation of his Sonne the word of whom we speake Of this f Rom. 8. 29. 30 the Apostle speaks Those whom he knewe before he did also predestinate to bee made like to the image of his Sonne that he might bee the first borne among many children Vpon this predestination as the Apostle adds followeth calling iustifying and at the last glorifying which is the highest degree of the life that is in Christ But in g Eph. 1. 3. 4. an other place hee speakes more plainely Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ As he hath chosen vs in him be-before the foundation of the world Therefore doth the Apostle Peter ascribe the appointing of the meanes and the execution of it according to the appointment to the foreknowledge of God h Act. 2. 23. Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked being deliuered by the determinate counsaile and fore knowledge of God The same is acknowledged by the ioynt confession of the Apostles where they say that Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the people of Israell gathered them selues together against the holy Sonne of 4. 27. 28. God Iesus whom God had annointed to doe what soeuer the hande and counsaile of the Lorde had determined afore to bee donne VVorthily then doth Saint Iohn avouch that life was in him yea before any time was life was in him i Gal. 4. 4. VVhen the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne Life did not then begin to be in him but to shew it selfe to be in him k Rom 3 25. God set him forth by his incarnation to be apropitiation Life was in him before in regard of Gods eternall counsaile but not discouered nor manifested to the world no nor those works of his which were to bring life performed Yet euen thē was life in him If it seeme to any man somewhat ouermuch to go so far for the Euangelists meaning let him shorten his iorney containe him selfe within the compasse of the world created Shal we not find sufficient reason of this speech In him was life though wee goe not out of the world yes out of doubt very sufficient For seeing many worthy Patriarchs and holy Prophets many true Israelits Sonns of Abraham by faith as well as by nature departed out of this worlde before our Sauiour came into it to performe the foreappointed worke of redemption either these must haue died without life so alwaies continue dead or there was life in him before he was incarnat l Luk. 10. 24. Many Prophets and Kings desired to see and heare him at the Apostles while hee liued heere saw and heard Surely then they were not ignorant of him and that life was in him But did they not see him By one iudge of the rest Your Father Abraham m Ioh. 8. 56. saith Christ reioyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad And yet what name I one seeing wee haue a cloud of witnesses that compasseth vs round about n Heb. 11. 1. 2. 3. c. sounding out the same assurance of fayth that we now haue and looking for the same promises to bee fulfilled which wee beleeue and knowe to haue beene performed to the vttermost Was not our God o Mat 22. 32. the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Was not our Sauiour their Sauiour p Rom. 4. 11. Gal. 3. 16. Dooth not our interest wee haue in Christ depend vpon our being the children of Abraham q Heb. 13. 8. VVas not Iesus Christ yester-day is hee not to day shall hee not bee the same for euer Then may wee safely and truely conclude that there was life in him before he was in the nature of man But howsoeuer it be true certaine that life was in him both from all eternity in regard of the counsaile of God which is as ancient as himselfe in effect in respect of them that from time to time were partakers of it euen from Adam to Iohn Baptist yet it was then most properly in him when hauing taken our nature vpon him he ouercame death and him that had power ouer it the Deuill This was that which those Kings Prophets desired and longed to see This was that which good olde Simeon so reioyced at that he was ready to depart out of this life with full satisfaction and contentednesse when he had seene the promised Messiah in the nature of man Lord r Luk. 2. 29. 39 saith he now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eies haue seen thy saluation The holy man had a long time beleeu'd by faith that saluation was to come and in hope with patience waited for the comming of it but he neuer saw it til that time Indeed how should he For it was neuer to be seene till then How could it be For it neuer was fully perfitly till then It was not enough for the Son of God that he had infinite power as God to giue life to whom he would to repair the ruins of his image in man by clensing him frō sin cloathing him with righteousnes by raising him frō death as he first breath ed the soule of life into him by vouchsafing him a place in heauen which was at his command that had made it Al this I say would not serue the turne that the Euangelist might say as he doth In him was life For the Lorde God Father Son Holy ghost had appointed another course of giuing life another meanes of saluatiō not to be perform'd by the Son of God sitting in heauē but to be wrought here vpō earth in the same nature that had sind was dead He that made mā holy righteous at his creatiō could by the same powr haue restord to him his original righteousnes in a momēt But it pleas'd him to doe it after an other maner wherof more hereafter in due place To say al at once seing by man cam death God would haue life to come by mā no otherwise Let it be graunted may some man say that
father There was a man of Beniamin The new Testament is full of the like examples some of them wee heard before a few more will suffice There Ioh. 5. 5. 2. 1. was a mâ—â— there saith our Euangelist speaking of the poole at â—ethesda There was a man one of the Phaâ—ises Aâ—â— 5. 1. 10. 1. A certaine man named Ananias There was a certaine man in Caesarea I mâ—ght rehearse many more of the same kinde but these are more then enow and by this I thinke wee haue sufficient warrant to conclude that the holy Ghost in this History of Iohn speakes as hee doth ordinarily in other places of the like kinde without any intent to signifie his nature of whom he speakes and this is the simplest and Plainest interpretation of these former words The later Sent from God offer these two things to our consideration who sent what this sending was What needs any question of the former may some man say Doth not the Euangelist speake plaine enough and tell vs that God was the sender Hee was sent from God But we learned in the beginning of this Gospell that the worde God somtimes signified the diuine nature which is but one and the same in all three persons sometimes some one of them And we haue here the more reason to make this inquirie because one of the persons namely the second is he of whome Iohn was to witnes Not to vse more words then neede wee are directed by Iohn himselfe to vnderstand this of GOD the Father This I prooue by this our Euangelist in this present chapter where he reports part of the Baprists tesimonie touching our Sauiour in this sort He that sent mee to baptize with water he said vnto me vpon whom thou Ioh. 1. 33. shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Who is this that sent Iohn to baptize Not the diuine nature For he is distinguisht from the Sonne and the holy Ghost who can it be then but the Father God the father gaue Iohn a token whereby he should know the Sonne that was the Messiah the comming downe of the holy Ghost and his abiding on him S. Mathew sets out the point as distinctly The second Person is in the water newly baptized the third sits vpon him in the likenes of a Doue the first proclaimes him from heauen This is that my Sonne Mat. 3. 17. that beloued one in whome I am well pleased As if hee should in plaine tearmes haue said to Iohn This is hee of whome I sent thee to beare witness The like distinction for the Father and the Sonne wee haue in Saint Luke where Zachary the father of Iohn prophecying Luke 1. 76. of his sonne sayeth that hee shall be called the Prophet of the most high namely of God the Father as it appeares by the speech of the Angell Gabriell to the virgin Mary Hee shall be called the Sonne of the most verse 32. high Then followes Iohns office Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord namely the Lord Iesus for whome Iohn prepared the way But how did God the Father send him Surely hee may well bee said to haue bin sent in regard both of his person and of his office His person as it is wel knowne I will but point at the particulars was after an extraordinarie manner from GOD as I saac was giuen to Gen. 18. 10. Abraham and Sarah by him His father and mother were both striken image and she also barren insomuch Luke 1. 7. that when shee was conceiued with childe contrarie to her expectation and beyond all likelihood and naturall possibilitie shee hid her selfe fiue monethes till shee might bee more sure of that which to Ver. 24. 36. many would seeme vnpossible and to take away too much occasion of speech from the common sort For his office it was assigned him by GOD and notice also of that Assigâ—ment giuen to his father before the child was conceiued Hee shall goe before him saith the Angell in the spirit and power of Elias Neither was he only thus foreappointed for this excelâ—ent office but when the time came that hee should enter vpon it he receiued a speciall commission and warrant from God for the execution thereof The worde Luke 3. 1. 2. of God came to Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernesse It is to no purpose to spend time in seeking how this worde came whether by any inward motion of the spirit onely or by some outward vision also wee may safely be ignorant of such matters hath not pleased the holy Ghost to reueale in the scriptures yet if wee may lawfully ghesse it seemes most likely that it was without any such outward shew because the Euangelist makes no mention of it in setting downe the History This last sending onely is thought by some to bee signified in this place If they had said no more but chiefly I should ensily haue assented to them Now they say onely I doubt whether they haue any sufficient warrant so to restraine the holy Ghosts words or no and therefore thinke it most conuenient to allow them as large an extent as they will reasonably beare You looke perhaps that I should now proceede to deliuer the Enangelists meaning and accordingly to adde such proofe and exhortation as may helpe vs forward in the embracing of the Gospell But I thinke it fittest to forbeare that for a time till I haue expounded the other part of the verse that I may take all together It followeth then to speake of the name and why the Euangelst records it The name as it soundeth in our language hath little resemblance of the originall whence it commeth Which if any man thinke a fault let him take heede that he doe not rashly condemne the holy Ghost who in the Greeke hath had small care to expresse the Hebrew sounds following continually the custome howsoeuer not answering the originall tongue Shall I need to bring any particulars for proofe of that I say Looke ouer the new Testament and wheresoeuer you finde the name of any Prophet where the Greeke differs from the Hebrew you haue an example of that which I affirme Begin with Moses if you will and so goe forward to Malachy You shall finde that the holy Ghost keepes one and the same course in naming of them without respect of their significations or sounds The reason of this is that the parties were wel known to the Iewes by those names according as the 72. Interpreters had translated them after the manner of the Greeke tongue Other languages Except perhaps the Flemâ—sh by the same warrant haue iustly taken the same liberty and not doubted as they needed not to fit the He. brew and Greeke names to the fashion of their seuerall tongues So that if any man shall either curiously affect or superstitiously obserue the nature and sound of those names which
of it in this place First wee see that in the next verse before it is of necessarie vse Hee was not the light Take away the Article and reade it thus Hee was not light or a light This were to Ioh. 5. 35. affirme a direct vntruth contrarie to the Scriptures For Iohn as our Sauiour himselfe hath testified of him was a burning and a shining candle Therefore must wee so conceiue the Euangelist that hee denies him to haue bin The light not a light or light Secondly the doubling of the Article and applying it both to the Substantiue light and the Adiectiue true whereas vsually it belongs onely to the former in the nature of the tongue and practise of the Scripture notes vnto vs some thing more then ordinarie of that kinde Mat. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof there is speech This is that my Sonne that belouedone If the Article had bin left out in the later word any sonne might haue bin signified by that voice from heauen for ought the words necessarily imported But the repeating of it ties it as it were to the Person of our Sauiour Christ who was the onely naturall sonne of God his father And this is so much the more to bee considered because it is very rare in the Scripture to find examples of it Well then How shall wee translate it That was the light the true light These words expresse the Euangelists sense to the full yet leaue the Greek text vnblemished by putting the first and last words in a different letter from the rest as it is well obserued in our common translation that euery man may know what is in the Originall and what is added to set forth the holy Ghosts meaning according to the propertie of the seuerall tongues into which the Hebrew and Greeke are turned for the peoples vnderstanding But of the translation in this former part of the verse enough that which I haue to say concerning the later part I thinke best to reserue till I haue spoken of the distribution of the whole and come to the seuerall handling of that clause by it selfe In seeking out the distribution I doe not inquire into how many parcels or members the matter of it is to bee diuided which is commonly signified by that tearme distribution but I am to search first whether the whole verse be one proposition or sentence or els two In the first verse to make that I say plaine we had three seuerall propositions 1 The Worde was in the beginning 2. the Worde was with GOD 3. the Worde was GOD The second verse contained but one The same Worde was in the beginning with GOD. For although there bee at the least two diuers points in that sentence The Worde was in the beginning and the Worde was GOD yet they are comprised in one proposition So are they also in this verse which I now expound That was the true light the light inlighteneth euery man that cōmeth into the world Yet perhaps these two make but one proposition in the Euangelists writing If any man bee desirous to know why I cast this doubt here rather then in any of the former verses all which in a manner haue more sentences then one hee is to vnderstand that none of them afforded the like cause of doubting euery one hauing the seuerall propositions so distinct that they could not well bee tied altogether in one But heere the case is otherwise as you shall presently see For those wordes in the later part which haue a full sense in themselues may notwithstanding reasonably seeme to belong to the former part and to make vp the Antecedent or Subiect of the sentence Beare with mee I pray you a little in these tearmes I avoide them all I can and now I am forced to vse them I will doe my best to make you vnderstand them Euery sentence or proposition hath something as the ground and matter some other thing as an appurtenance to that which is eyther affirmed or denied of it As in the first verse The Words is the cheefe matter that which is auoucht of the worde is that hee was GOD. The worde therefore in that sentence is the Antecedent or Subiect GOD is the Consequent Attribute or Predicate Let me not trouble you too much with these words of Art but rather apply them as shortly as I can to the matter I haue in hand How this verse may well consist of two diuers sentences and what they are I signified before Let mee shew now in what sort they may bee shut vp both in one which may thus be done That light which inlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world was the light the true light The Antecedent or Subiect is The light which inlighteneth euery man c. Of this light it is affirmed that it was the true light Both the words will beare this disposing of the verse and the sense will bee good and fit yea I may say more The speech of the Euangelist may seeme more perfect in it selfe and to haue lesse neede of any supply if wee so vnderstand it For both the Greeke and the English may conueniently and easily bee conceiued if wee so reade and expound the verse without the expresse adding of any oher worde but That in the English The Greeke needes absolutely none at all Yet I rather choose to diuide the verse into two distinct propositions partly for the consent of all interpreters of it which I haue reade but especially because beeing so diuided it seemes to depend better vpon that which went before That light of which Iohn came to beare witnesse was the true light Which light also inlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world If any man list to take it the other way he may shew the agreement of it with the former in this sort Iohn was not the light That light which inlighteneth euery man c. was the true light Now this light is CHRIST as the Euangelist had said verse 4. That was the light of men But the other interpretation ioines somewhat more close to the later part of the verse going immediately before But was sent to beare witnes of the light That light was the true light c. The verse then hath two seuerall propositions or sentences to bee handled seuerally each by it selfe That was the light the true light First of the words what is meant by True What the Article being doubled imports Then of the Euangelists meaning and the Doctrine of the place Truth in the Scripture is commonly taken as the nature of the worde requires for that which is contrary to falshood Cast off lying saith the Apostle and let euery one Ephe. 4. 25. speake truth to his neighbour Sometimes it is put for that which is opposite to the shadowes of the Lawe The Ioh 1 17. lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by IESVS CHRIST And this sense hath also warrant from the vse of
dead were raysed vp Neither were these things done once onely but often and ordinarily Some that were borne blinde had eyes and sight giuen them when Ioh 9 1. they were growen to mans estate Some that had Chap. 11. 39. 44 lyen in the graue till they were thought to bee putrified were quickned by his voyce and made to liue againe vpon the earth to the amazement of al that knew them I appeale now to the iudgement of all indifferent men What could the world imagine in this case To deme that such miracles were wrought it was absurd and senselesse Their owne eyes refuted them Should they haue excepted against the trueth of that which seemed to bee done Triall by sense would haue conuinced them Perhappes they might ascribe them to naturall causes All reason Physicke and Phylosophy disclayme that power Must wee not of necessitie confesse vnlesse we will bee altogether shamelesse that none but God was able to doe such wonders was it possible then hee should not bee knowne I see wee are all readie to inueigh against their blindnesse if they could not their peruersnesse if they would not knowe him And I confesse they deserue to bee infamous for it to all posteritie But it is more honour to rescue a friende then to kill an enemie More wisedome to looke that there bee nothing in our selues worthy or such iust blame then to reprooue the faults of otheâ— men It was the sinne and shame of those times that the Messiah liuing in that sort amongst men was acknowledged by fewe or none of them Are men in these dayes excusable you will say I. They are perswaded that Iesus is indeede the Sauiour of the world Whence aryseth this perswasion It is rather suckt in with our nurses milke then receiued by the instruction of our teachers Wee hould it because it is commonly beleeued not because it is certainely true Wee heare not of any other meanes and therefore wee are content to accept of these They are not chosen by vs vppon our owne iudgement but taken vpon common credite We follow the tyde and streame of the flood being readie to turne with the water whensoeuer it shall ebbe I would to God olde experience did not cause new doubt It is an imputation that lyes vpon our Nation generally as the writers of histories record that we coÌ„quer easily and loose as easily wee get many Townes and Forts yea sometimes Kingdomes but wee hold them not long God forbid it should bee so in religion Our acknowledging of the truth is not so commendable or blessed as our deniall would bee shamefull and cursed But I must remember not so much to what purpose I speake as what our Euangelist directes mee to speake yet I could not but touch here by the way though I bee bound for another place Let it bee my fault so it bee your benefitte I come now to the amplification of the worlds vnkindnesse and ignorance that it was made by our Lord and yet would not know him Wherein ere we meddle with the matter that is principally intended wee must cleere this doubt for the better vnderstanding of â—he text How the creation of the world can bee applied to argue the sinne of men in not acknowledging Ieus Christ for the Messiah This scruple hath made diuers writers expound this whole verse of the naturall knowledge which is to bee had by the consideration of the Creatures But there is no reason to leaue â—o many good proofes as drawe vs the other way to follow this one likelyhood in so vncertaine a path I might say so straying from the truth which is here propounded to all men For out of question as it hath beene shewed the world cannot iustly bee condemned for not knowing GOD because indeede they did knowe him in the creatures or for ignoraunce of the Messiah by those meanes which were neuer able nor intended to giue knowledge of him Therefore it is agreeable to reason and diuinitie rather to seeke how wee may aunswere this doubt then because of it to forsake a manifest truth in exposition First them wee say Saint Iohn condemnes the world of ignorance and vnkindnesse that they acknowledged not our Sauiour liuing amongst them conuersing with them though hee were indeede the verie maker of them and author of their being But you will aske me how they should discerne any such matter by his carriage and behauiour in the world Therefore I aunswere secondly to that point wherein the whole cause of doubting lyes that the miracles which our Sauiour wrought from time to time in the sight of all the world were euident proofes that hee could bee no other but the great Commaunder of heauen and earth Did hee not ouer rule the course of nature Did hee not giue sight hearing health and life by his bare worde Damsell I say vnto thee arise and straight way the Mat. 9. 41. mayden that was dead arose and walked Hee cried with a loud voyce to Lazarus Come forth Not as if hee could Ioh. 11. 43. make him that had lyen foure dayes in the graue heare without life but that all men present might knowe that hee vsed no other meanes to put life into him but his commandement onely Who could worke such wonders but hee that had power aboue and against the course of nature How could he by any meanes better assure them that it was he that made the world then by taking the same course in changing nature that hee had followed before in creating nature God sayd let Gen. 1. 3. there be light and there was light Young man sayeth Christ I say vnto thee arise and hee that was dead sate vp Luk. 7. 14. 15. and began to speake Might not these courses haue taught and assured the world that hee whom they sawe and heard commanding death it self and doing whatsoeuer it pleased him by his word was the same by whome all things were created Consider then the slouthfull carelesnesse or the wonderfull blindnesse of the worlde that knewe not him that had made them Why should they be so carried away with the vaine pleasures or toylesome businesse of this life as not to bestowe some little time in the consideration of so straunge and admirable a personage Say they might bee this day extraordinarily imployed in their worldly affayres that they could not haue a minutes leasure to bethinke themselues of the wonders wrought by him They sawe the like againe next day day after day for the space of three yeares together and vpwardes It was hard if in so long a time they could not steale one hower or two to aduise with themselues and their friendes of so extraordinarie a matter Well let vs yeeld so much to their manifolde occasions in their ordinary imployments What will they aunswere for themselues coÌ„cerning those miracles which our Sauiour wrought vpon their Sabbaths Will they saye they had no leasure from their businesse on those dayes For very
of the sonnes of the Diuell his owne children and giuing vs a sound and certaine title thereby to the inheritance of his glory in heauen And shall I neede to vse many words in amplifying so rare a kindnes in setting out so inestimable a benefitte Small fauours require inlarging infinite blessings will not admitte it They by amplification may bee made greater then they are these the more you speake of them the lesse you make them For what is it but a diminishing of that which is infinite to atteÌ„pt in any kind of manner I say not to inlarge but euen to expresse it He that striues to speake much and almost makes no ende of commending that which is excellent seemes to haue perswaded himselfe and to desire that other men should beleeue that hee hath spoken all that can be said in the matter As for me I professe the contrary assuring my selfe and you that when I haue said all that possibly I can deuise I shall be as farre from the infinitnesse of the benefit as when I first began to speake of it Yet may it somewhat helpe our conceyt of the matter though it cannot come neere the excellency of the thing And with this perswasion let vs a little consider the prerogatiue of this Son-ship There is a great opinion and not without good cause of the estate of our first paâ—â—nts Adam and Eue while they were in Paradise before their fall They had the image of God wherein they were created shineing Gen. 1. 26. in them so gloriously that all the fishes in the sea the foules in the aire the beasts in the earth and euery thing that moueth and creepeth on the earth were subiect and obedient to them What adoe haue wee in our estate as now it standeth to make not Beares or Lions but those of whome we haue necessary and continuall vse horses and other cattle to performe any kind of seruice to vs The whip the goad the wand the spur the yoke the bit all the meanes of terror and extreamity that wee can possibly deuise cannot preuaile so much against these tame creatures as autority and maiestie did in them with those beasts that are now most fierce and cruell The Prophet Dauid though he were a King of great command ouer Gods owne free people yet when he considered those little poore seruices which the creatures in our present estate such as it is ordinarily doe vs and the gouernement wee haue ouer them breaks out into an exclamation of wonder What is man saith he to the Lord that thou art mindfull of him and Ps 8. 4. the Sonne of man that thou visitest him How would hee haue esteemed Adams rule ouer the creatures that values our gouernement of them so highly What should I speake of their familiarity with God who vouchsaf't himselfe to talke with them to informe and direct them It is recorded as a singular fauour and honour done to Moses that the Lord spake vnto him face to face as a Exod 33. 11. man speaketh to his friend How were our first Parents fauoured honoured that were to haue ordinary conference with him from time to time But to come to the point for which al this is alledg'd what was their estate for all these honors fauors but the condition of seruants They were threatned with death death both of body and soule if they transgrest the bounds that were set them Of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day thou Gen. 2. 17. eatest thereof thou shall dy the death Put case they had coÌ„tinued in obedience to God their Creator according to their allegeance duty What could they haue lookt for but either a confirmation of that estate which they then inioyed or at the most the reward of their seruice the wages for their worke They could neuer haue attained to this dignity To be the Sons of God And is it not a prerogatiue trowe you to be brought by Christ into a more excellent estate then that which Adam in his innocency and glory had iust cause to wonder at Blessed may we say was the day and houre Oh the goodnesse power of God that brings light out of darknes that euer Adam harkened to the voice of his wife perswading him to eate of the forbiddeÌ„ fruit Not that either the sin was small to transgress the commandement of God or that it was the purpose of Adam in sinning to be occasion of so great a blessing But for that the Lord of his meere affection loue according to his owne former counsaile predestination turned misery to happines death to life We were seruants to a bountiful and gratious Lord we are made Sons to a most kind louing Father Our seruice if it had beene neuer so good could haue procured no more but wages Our Son-ship conveies vnto vs assurance of a goodly inheritance There is no seruant though hee bee put in neuer so great trust haue neuer so much autority bee neuer so highly in the Princes fauour like Daniell in the prouince Dan. 2. 48. of Babell or Ioseph in the Kingdome of Aegypt but is many degrees inferiour to the Kings Sonne Gen. 41. 40. Moses was a most faithfull seruant in the house of the Lorde and disposed of all things after the direction and to the especiall liking of his master Such as his seruice was such was his honor He had the gouernmeÌ„t of the people of God committed to him no man might refuse Heb. 3. 5. to yeeld obedience or demaunde a reason of that which hee commaunded VVas hee therefore comparable to Christ who ruled as the Sonne ouer his owne Verse 6. house VVhat was Abrahams eldest seruant to his youngest Sonne VVhat was Ioab to Salomon Dauid was a man of no meane imployment vnder Saul of no small desert toward him and his whole estate yet when he was earnestly perswaded by his fellow seruants to enter into the Kings alliance by marriage what answere made hee Seemeth it to you a light thing saith Dauid to bee a Kings Sonne in lawe Did it seeme so 1. Sam. 18. 23. great a matter to so worthie a seruant to become Son in law to a King and can wee thinke it a little honour to bee made the Sonnes of God Saul though hee were a King was but a man Dauid though hee were a seruant in condition was a King in true vertue Wee are men nay wretches wormes nothing Hee that will adopt vs is God most mightie most glorious euen Iehouah himselfe Dauid though hee should become Sonne in lawe to the King could haue no title to the Kingdome by that aduancement Our Son-ship makes heauen Gauel kind giues euery one of vs a ful intrest to the inheritaÌ„ce If yee bee Sonnes yee are heyres Moses could not looke for any Rom. 8. 17. such preferment though Pharaohs daughter tooke him for her Son And yet it is
recorded by the holy Ghost Exod. 2. 10. as a certaine proofe of his faith and trust in God that when he came to age he refused to be called the Sonne of Heb. 11. 24. Pharaohs daughter Indeed he was but to be call'd so For Pharaohs daughter had not liberty to adopt whom she list Well might she be at the charge of his nursing and allow him maintenance like a Princess and honour him with her fauour and countenance but shee could not giue him any right to the Crowne of Aegypt If then it were so greate an honour to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter that Moses for refusing of it is registred to all posterity as a man that preferred the seruice of God before the glory of the world what a prerogatiue is it To be the Sonne of God Dauid when he was vrg'd and prest by the continual perswasion of many Courtiers to put himselfe forward and become the kings Sonne in lawe excuseth himselfe by his pouerty the meanness of his reputation Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kings Sonne in lawe seeing I 1. Sam. 18. 23. am a poore man and of small reputation It is no great matter for a kings Sonne to marry a kings daughter There is no disparagement in the match to the wife no increase of honour to the husband But if a man of meane estate and birth be admitted to such aduancement by marriage how is he preferred how is hee honoured It shall be fit therefore and needfull to the ende wee may the better conceiue the excellency of our prerogatiue in being made the Sonnes of God to consider as the high estate to which we arise so the lowe degree from which we were raised Was it not in euery mans iudgement greater preferment for Ioseph to be made ruler of all Aegypt then for Putiphar to haue beene aduaunced to the same honour and autority Ioseph was taken from prison at the lowest step or rather not neere the stayer-foot Putiphar was already aboue the midst of the grees and could almost reach the top from whence he stood Let vs then cast downe our eies from the glorious estate of the Sonnes of God to the Shall I say meane or base conditiō The words are too light To the wretched fearefull damnation of the Sonnes of the Diuell Oh that I were able to vtter or you to conceiue either the misery in which we were plunged or the maiestie to which we are aduaunced It was cast in Ionathans teeth as a foule reproche by his angry Father that He was the Son of a wicked rebellious woman And cōtrarywise Salomō 1. Sam. 20. 30. rekons it vp amongst his titles of honor that he was the Sonne of Dauid The parables of Salomon the Sonne of Prou 1. 1. Dauid For as the dignity of the master is a credit to the seruant and the ones dishonour the others disgrace so much more as the bond betwixt them is neerer the glory or shame of the Father is the reputation or discredit of the Sonne Who is so vile so wicked so odiour as the Deuill His former happinesse makes his present misery the greater as heate opens the pores of the body and prepares a way for the more cold to enter He is cast out of the presence of God for euer he is vtterly forsaken of all vertue and goodnes Hee hath neither power nor will remaining to doe any good Hee repines against God he enuies the Angells hee seekes continually the destruction of men Such as the Father is such are the Sonnes Haters of God despisers of Angells murderers of men both others and themselues too Are these meete persons to bee made the Sonnes of God Surely as the children of Israell profest of themselues that when the Lord turned the captiuity of Sion they Psal 126. 1. were like them that dreame so is it with mee in the meditation of this incredible alteration Am I that was the child of the Deuill become the Sonne of God Haue I a title to heauen to whō hel had iust intrest Shal I raign in the glory of Christ that seru'd most basely in the bōdage of Satan I am not worthy O Lord to bee called thy Sonne It is more honour then I durst hope for or Luk. 15. 19 almost desire to be made one of thy hired seruants There are a greate many degrees betwixt these two estates It were much that thou shouldst at all receiue mee into seruice Yet if it please thee to vouchsafe mee that fauour the meanest or lowest place or office in thy Palace were to good for mee To bee a door-keeper in thy house It were a seruice sit for thy holy Angells not for mee a prophane man If thou wouldst needes of thy wonderfull bounty preferre me higher thou might'st make mee free at the most and so ridde thy hands of me Will not all this serue but must I haue the prerogatiue to bee thy Sonne too Me thinks I should but dreame of these fauours and not possesse them indeed they are so farre beyond not only expectation but credit too Peter when the Angell came to deliuer him out of prison the night before hee Act. 12. 9. 10. should haue beene executed though hee arose and followed his guide passing the first and second watch going through the iron gate which opened by it owne accord yet still thought that hee had but seene a vision and could not perswade himselfe that he was indeed set at liberty How much more vnlikely is it that poore miserable damned Sonnes of the Diuell should find such fauour as to be made the Sonnes of God Sarah laughed as at a thing vnpossible when the Gen. 18. 12. LORD told Abraham that shee should beare him a Sonne and the worthy matrone of Shunem that entertained 2. King 4. 16. the Prophet Elizah when he promist her the like blessing from the Lord could not be perswaded of the truth thereof Oh my Lord thou man of God saith shee doe not ly vnto thy handmayd Is it as straunge for a woman though shee bee old to haue a Sonne as for a man to become the Sonne of God This is that mystery which the Angels desired to behold As if they coulde 1. Pet. 1. 12. not satisfy themselues with thinking on it This was the Ioh. 8. 44. prerogatiue which some of the Angels could not abide should be vouchsaf't to men but murmured against 2. Pet. 2. 4. God for it rebelled to aduance themselues whereby they lost both their place and their honour It is not so easy a matter my brethren to beleeue this point as it is commonly thought to bee And whereas it is so generally receiued for truth of all that professe themselues to be Christians I am wholly of opinion that it is rather a light perswasion then a grounded beleefe Doost thou beleeue that as many as trust in Christ are thereby the Sonnes of
bee ignorant that hath had any desire to learne vnlesse like a man that lyeth in a ditch and streâ—cheth out his hands calling for helpe to all them that passe by hee refuse to set one finger to the ground for the raysing of himselfe Doo wee then despise so great an happinesse Though wee could bee so vnthankefull to God and yet that were monstrous yet howe canne wee bee so iniurious to our selues What shall I say Or vpon what shall I lay the blame It would bee verie strange and haâ—sh to most men if I should accuse them of not beleeuing Who would not be foreman of the Iurie to finde him guilty who would make daintie to giue sentence against his life that doth not beleeue whatsoeuer is deliuered in the Gospell Not beleeue sayeth one Hee is worse then a Turke or a Iewe that beleeues not I confesse it seemes scarcely credible to my selfe that any man professing religion should not beleeue But I holde it altogether vnpossible that a man should indeede bee perâ—waded in his heart that by beleeuing in Christ hee shall become the sonne of God and yet should bee altogether carelesse of beleeuing It is not vnlikely that wee haue a generall opinion of the â—uth of the Scripture but either wee neuer markt or neuer considered this and such like points that we might be throughly rooted and grounded in the bleefe therof O that I might intreat so much of you all and euery one as that you wold be pleased to bestow a little time â—n the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no question but if once you did stedfastly beleeue it you would neuer giue ouer till you had made your selues sure of so happy and blessed an estate The Prophet Esay considering a little the backewardness of the Iewes in receiuing saluation by the promised Messaih and a great forwardness to other matters reproues them for it in this sort Wherefore doe yee lay out siluer saith hee and not for Isay 55. 2. bread And your labour and are not satisfied May not we insâ—ly take vp the like complaint against the peruersenesse and vnto wardnesse of this age Doe not men beate their braines spend their spirits breake their sleepe wast their time shorten their liues by carking caring for the momentary trash of this world We rise erly we go late to bed we fare hardly we cloth our selues simply we toile moile like horses al for nothing What is all the wealth in the world to the riches in heauen What are all the possessions of the earth to the inheritance of that kingdome What is all the honor that the world can heape vpon a man in comparison of being the Sonne of God If it continue with thee as long as thou continuest aliue yet leaues thee when thou diest whereas that heauenly preferment abides with thee attends vpon thee after death or rather lifts thee vp and carries thee aliue to heauen For what though this sinfull earthly carcasse be destroyed yet the soule mounts immediatly vp to heauen taking possession of that inheritance and inioying it with al freedome comfort in assured expectation of proportionable glory wherewith the body in due time shall be clothed and beautifyed And doe wee still lie groueling vpon earth Wee shewe thereby whose children wee are vpon thy belly shalt thou goe said the Lorde to the olde serpent the Diuell and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life See Gen. 13. 14. if wee doe not as much as may bee resemble him in this curse Wee roote and digge into the earth like Moles and feed vpon the white and yellow clay which with infinite labour and no small daunger we rent out of the very bowells thereof yea a shame to bee spoken though wee are not ashamed to doe it our immortall soule that hath nothing in it of any affinity with earth imploies her vnderstanding bestowes her affections perswades incourages strengthens thrusts forward her seruant body to so wearisome and so fruitlesse a labour Think you that a miserable wretch wheÌ„ he sits in his counting house looking ouer his bonds when his vsury mony will come in let them be as many thousand pouÌ„ds as they are hundred pence can take half that comfort in his trash that a poore Christian doth in his meditation when hee finds himselfe to be the Sonne of God Set thy selfe vp to the chin in the heapes of thy gold tumble and wallow in the midst of all thy pe lfe shouell it vp by bushells into quarter sacks stuff thy chists as full as thou canst till the sides and bottome are ready to fly out reccon vsury vpoÌ„ vsury to the vtmost farthing but heark doost thou not heare a fearfull voice that cries out vnto thee O foole this night they shall fetch away thy soul from thee then whose shal these Luk. 12. 20. treasures be that thou hast prouided What a man of thy state and aboundance in a moment come to nothing quaking and trembling at the very thought of it in the midst of al thy wealth Wouldst thou do so couldst thou do so if thou knew'st thou wert going to a most glorious kingdome in heauen Is it possible any man of indifferent discretion should be loth to change a Chamber in an other manâ— house for a royal palace in his own Realme and gouernment But why should I so much distrust your capacities or suspect your aflections I see you are able to compass great matters and haue strong desires to those things you like if I may but entreate so much of you as to vouchsase a little time to the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no doubt but you will both conceiue and affect it I doe not goe about to depriue you of any naturall faculty but as it were to lead you to the right vse of it I seeke not to roote out your affections but to grift vpon them such seions as may bring forth pleasant and lasting sruit Is thy vnderstanding great Here are greate mysteries in the search whereof thou maist imploy it For what wit what iudgement what conceit is able to sound the depth or valew the worth or comprehend the extent of this honour To bee the Sonne of God Is thy capacity but weake What is plainer what is easier then to vnderstand that by beleeuing in Christ thou shalt bee made the Sonne of God and ioynt heire of heauen with Christ Yea this doctrine wil teachthee how to satisfy thy most insatiable desires Doth ambition prick thee forward with loue of honour Why wilt thou not set thy minde on that which is true honour indeed The foolish vanity of men hath bewrayed itselfe that the conquest of the whole world would not suffice them All the autority and glory that the Emperours of Rome attain'd to could not quench their thirst of honour but that some of them would needes be worshipâ— as Gods If they could once haue attained the dignity of being the
diuine nature that created them or no. First the Euangelists authority is enough to put the matter out of question For hee that being directed by the spirit of God could not erre would neuer haue brought this for a proofe thereof if it coulde iustly be excepted against Yet because as I haue shewed there might bee other reasons of this speech and some doubt therefore whether it were the Euangelists purpose to proue that or no let vs take some other course for our full satisfaction To which end let vs alwaies remember that Moses x Gen. 1. 1. in the beginning of the Scripture laies this as a maine foundation of religion that God created heauen and earth Who can doubt then â—ut it is a sound reason to proue our Sauiour to be God that All things were made by him For if it be truâ— that God was the maker of all things whomsoeuer wee finde to haue made all things him we knowe thereby to be God Therefore the Apostle Paul preaching to the heathen and perswading them to forsake their Idolles and to turne to the liuing God shewes who he is by this effect of creation VVe preach vnto you saith the y Act. 14. 15. Apostle that vee should turne from these vaine Idols vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth and the sea and all things that in them are Worship him * Reuel 14. 7. saith an Angel from heauen that made heauen and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters By this doth a 1. Chro. 16. 26 Dauid distinguish the true God froÌ„ Idols All the Gods of the people are Idols but the Lord made the heauens Is not this the proofe of the power of God whereby he magnifieth himselfe and amazeth b Io. 38. 4. 5. c. Iob with the brightnesse of the glory thereof By this doth Ezechiah coÌ„clude that he is the true God Thou art very God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the heauens and the earth Will you heare the c Isay 3. 16. 48. 12. 13. Lord himselfe I am I am the first and I am the last Surely my hand hath laâ—d the foundation of the earth my right hand hath spanned the heauens when I call them they stand vp together Let d Heb. 1. 10. the Apostle Paul end this controuersy who to proue our Sauiours Godhead brings the place of the e Pâ—a 102. 25. Psalme Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes From hence then we may certainly and necessarily conclude that the Word the promised Messiah our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ is true God For by him were all things made and nothing can be made but by God onely This f August in Ioâ— tract 1. the Arians denied because they sawe themselues driuen to confesse that all things were made by Christ whom they will not ackâ—owledge to bee God equall to the Father Therefore they deuis'd this shift that our Sauiour did indeed creat all things yet not as a principall worker but as an instrument And to this they say the Euangelist directed vs when hee sayd that All things were made g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him For that by which a thing is done is an instrument in the doing of that thing and not the doer of it If these men had not blinded their owne eyes with a preiâ—dicat conceite against Godhead of our Sauiour they might easily haue seene the fondnesse and falsenesse of this blasphemous exception The folly of it I shew'd before when I made it manifest that it is all one to say All things were made by him and Hee made all things The falsenesse of it may appeare thus The scripture sayeth the same of God which is here affirm'd of Christ that this or that was by him and yet I hope they will not dare therefore to conclude that God in those matters was not a principall efficient cause but an instrumentall For example h Rom. 11. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle sayth That all things are by God What As an instrument who is then the principall essicient that imployes God as his instrument i 1. Cor. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Eph. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. The same Apostle affirmeth of himselfe that hee was called to bee an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God If the will of God bee but an instrument wee are content to require no more honour for our Sauiour so you allowe him to bee one with God in nature as the Will of God is which indeede is God himselfe What say you k Gal. 1. 1. to that place where the Apostle pleades for the authoritie of his Apostleshippe because it is by Iesus Christ and God the Father I doubt mee wee shall hardly finde any principall efficient at all where both the Father and the Sonne are instruments How absurdly then not onely impiously doe the Arians conclude from this word by that our Sauiour Christ is not God But you brethren haue beene better instructed then to giue eare to such blasphemies that I holde it altogether needlesse to bring any father proofe of the matter then I deliuered in my last exercise or to vse any word of exhortation to beleefe in him whom wee cleerly discerne to be God al-sufficient To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost the same God the most mightie and gracious Creator of all thinges let vs alwayes remember to ascribe all glorie power and dominion and to performe all obedience for euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 4. In him was life and that life was the light of men 5 And the light shineth in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not IT is a cleere truth in natural reason and a rul'd case in diuinitie that as all thinges proceede from God as the first cause of their being so they are all referr'd to God as the last ende why they are In him l Acts. 17. 28. sayeth the Apostle wee liue and moue and haue our being And to conuince the Heathen by the light of nature hee addes As also certaine of your owne Poets haue sayd m Aratus in Phaenomen For wee are all his generation To whom then doe wee owe our selues and whatsoeuer wee are or haue but to him onely Witnesse for nature the wisest of all the Philosophers the Stoikes for diuinitie he n 1 King 4. 29. â—0 that was wiser then the wisest of the Heathen o Pro. 1. 12 16. 4. Salomon the preacher King ouer Isreal in Ierusalem The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yet so for his owne sake that p Psaâ— 8. 34. the Prophet is forced to cry out When I behold the heauens the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast crealed what is man say I that thou art mindefull of
him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him That his gratious reguard of man whom the Lord sets in the next place to himselfe may the better appeare as the first worke of Creation was for his seruice so the second of Regeneration was for his saluation This wee learne of our Euangelist q Ioh. 20. 31. who tels vs that the ende of writing the Gospell was That wee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that by beleeuing wee might haue life through his name See I pray you how Saint Iohn hath loyned these two endes together the former is the glorifying of Iesus Christ as the Sonne of God the later the procuring life to men by faith in him According to these two endes the Euangelist hath framed this beginning of his Gospell First r Ioh. 1. 1. 2. he describes Iesus Christ vnto vs as hee is in himselfe God euerlasting Then hee shewes what hee is to vs. A creator of vs when wee were nothing a Sauiour to vs when Ver. 3. wee were worse then nothing Of the former points we haue heard out of the three former verses now of the Ver 4. 5. later out of these two that follow Whereof wee may sitly make these two parts a description of the Messiah as the aâ—tor of Life in the fourth verse and the former part of the fift His intertainment by men in the later part of the same verse In the description oâ—r Euangelist declareth first what hee was in the nature of his mediation verse 4. then what in regard of the effect verse 5. Concerning the nature of that his office two points are to bee considered First that In him was life 2. that That life was the light of men The effect is that The light shineth in darkenesse But how was this light intertaind Or rather this light found no entertainement The darkenesse comprehended it not Now for the better vnderstanding of these points First according to my custome I wil examine the words then expound the meaning of the Text. For the wordes in the first clause for I will take euery one seuerally by it selfe we must consider both what life the Euangelist speaks of and why hee speakes in that manner saying In him was life Why hee sayth In him was life rather then He was life why was rather then Is seeing it is as true and plaine that Hee is life as that life was in him But what is this life hee speakes of Looke not that I should trouble you or my selfe with refuting or so much as reciting the diuers strange interpretatioÌ„s of Heretickes foolishly grounded vpon that manner of reading which couples the former part of this verse with the later ende of the third That which was made was life in him I shewed in my last exercise that if this had beene intended by the Euangelist hee would rather haue said All things that were made were life in him Surely the manifold and different expositions that so many heretickes haue made of these wordes so read and the absurd errors and blasphemies they haue gathered from them may well seeme a sufficient reason to discredite such a kinde of reading as hath no better warrant then the coniectures of men Howsoeuer the vulgar Latine retaine it with the mislike of many learned Papists Å¿ August in Ioa. tract 1. Ambrosde fide lib. 3. cap. 3. and in Psal 36. Theophyl ad Ioa. 1. The Manichees deuis'd two senerall and almost contrarie interpretations of them The Arians a third The Macedonians a fourth Heracleon a fist and euerie one of these an erroneous doctrine sutable to his exposition Yea t Origen lib. 3 in Ioan. the best sense that is giuen of the words so read is so curious and sub till that it rather shewes the witte and learning of the Interpreters then the meaning of the Writer And perhaps it were but lost labor for the greatest part of this auditorie to take paines and spend time in striuing to make them vnderstand it Wherefore leauing those nice points to another kinde of exercise and auditorie let vs take the wordes plainely and simply as they offer themselues to bee conceiv'd of all men Who if they haue any knowledge at all of the Scripture or of religion by reading or hearing by this word life vnderstand one of these two things Either the naturall life whereby all liuing creatures are sayd to liue or the spirituall life by which they that are regenerate by the spirite of God liue spiritually in this world by grace and in the world to come by glorie Let vs see some examples of the word in these senses out of the Scripture For the naturall life wee haue the very beginning of it in Moses u Gen. 1. 20. God saide Let the waters bring foorth in abundance euerie creeping thing that hath life And afterward Let the earth bring foorth euerie liuing thing according Ver. 24. to his kinde Of man it is particularly written that x Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a liuing soule So sayth y 1. Cor. 15. 45. the Apostle alluding to that place The first man Adam was made a liuing soule This is that life which the Lord threatned hee would take away by the floud Behold * Gen. 6. 17. sayth hee I will bring a floud of waters vpon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder the heauen In this sense the word is not so common in the newe Testament I thinke not once in this whole Gospell in other places some times a Luk. 8. 15. Though a man haue abundance his life standeth not in his riches b Act. 17. 25. God giueth to all life and breath in all things c 1. Cor. 15. 19. If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ And as this signification of life is rare in the new Testament so is the other for spirituall life in the old yet now and then vnder the title of this present life the life to come is also implyed Behold d Deu. 30. 15. 19. 20. sayeth Moses I haue set before thee this day life and good death and euill Afterward life and death blessing and cursing And in the next verse The Lord thy God is thy life and the length of thy dayes In the Psalme oftner and playner e Psal 16. 11. Thou wilt shewe mee the path of life f Psal 36. 9. With thee is the well of life So in g Pro. 2. 19. the Prouerbes All they that goe vnto her returne not againe neither take they hold of the wayes of life h Pro. 6. 23. Corrections for instruction are the way of life That one booke affordes vs more examples of this kinde then all the olde Testament beside But the new is full of them euery where i Mat. 7. 14. 18. 8. The way is narrow
Angelles deuise then for the children of the diuell to bee made the sonnes of God As for profitte what should I speake of it Where is it to bee found if it bee not in a kingdome especially such a kingdome as is furnisht and full fraught within it selfe with all thinges belonging either to commoditie or pleasure Wee haue had nowe a weekes time to bethinke our selues whether wee will bee the children of God or no. What speake I of a weeke We haue the most part of vs had many weekes and moneths and yeeres yea some of vs some scores of yeers to coÌ„sider with our selues whether wee will accept of this offer which Christ makes vs in his fathers name or noe Wee haue beene or might haue beene acquainted with these mysteries a long time euer since wee came to yeeres of discretion Is it not high time wee had aduised and resolued of the matter Is there such doubt or hazard in the choyse that wee neede take so long a daye to giue our aunswere Doo wee make question whether it bee a prerogatiue or noe To bee the sonnes of GOD If naturall affection canne worke any thing with vs to whome owe wee more loue then to him by whome wee haue our beeing If wee reguarde iustice and equitie to whome doe we rather appertaine then to him that first made vs of nothing So glorious an inheritance were in reason to be songht for by al possible meanes though it were not offred An inheritance being offered were in kindnesse to bee accepted though it were not so glorious And doe wee yet draw backward Are wee still vnresolued Which of vs doth not with a certaine iust disdaine condemne the idle excuses of those men who beeing bidden to the marriage of the Kings Sonne would suffer themselues to be carried a waie with such vaine imployments I haue bought Luk. 14. 18. afarme saith one and I must needes go out and see it I pray thee haue me excused Hast thou bought a farme Nay rather it should seeme the farme hath bought thee Art thou so tyed to it that thou canst not bee without the sight of it for a dinner time Other men take Farmes to serue them for their profite Thou hast bought one to serue it to thy vnrecouerable losse Is anie man so madde as to lose the fauour of a prince for the sight of a Farme Another saith He hath bought fiue yoke of Oxen and must go proue them Ver. 19. and therefore prayes to bee excused Excused Seemes it a matter that will admitte any excuse to refuse the kindnesse of a prince for the triall of a yoke of Oxen Durst thou send thy Land-lord such an answere Wilt thou leaue the honor thy prince vouchsafes thee to be serued at his owne Table that thou maiest go waite vpon Oxen They are not yoakt so fast one to another as thou art to euery one of them Let me put thee in minde of an aunswere made by our Sauiour Christ in a case not vnlike to this He cald one to followe him who would needs go first burie his father What said he to him Let the dead bury Luk. 9. 60. their dead but goe thou and preach the kingdom of God So may I say to thee Let beasts looke to beastes goe thou and enioy the princes presence and fauour it is not this mannerly excusing of the matter that wil serue the turne The party whom our Sauiour called went not rudely away to bury his father but demaunded leaue that hee might goe Lord suffer mee first to goe and bury my father Ver. 59. Who shall make this excuse for thee Shall wee that are the messengers of God to you in this businesse seeke to excuse so high a contempt against our Lorde and Master Alas if we should it would but little avail you well might we make our selues guilty of your sinne but wee should neuer acquit you of it Farmes and oxen to be preferred before the dinner of a King at the marriage of his Sonne O the bouldnesse brutishnesse of men Can yee for shame dare yee for feare alleage such excuses The indignitie you offer the King is so great that there will be no means to appease his anger And yet what is a guest to a Sonne A marriage dinner to an inheritance If it bee so monstrous an vnthankfulnesse not to come to a feast when the King bids vs what is it not to accept of a kingdome when it is offered Shall seeing of a farme or trying of Oxen drawe vs a way from taking assurance of so greate an estate VVhat if thou haue marryed a wife 〈◊〉 4. 20. Canst thou not come to GOD because of that Thou maist bee both an husband and a Sonne bring thy wife with thee shee shall also bee adopâ—ed the child of God Thou shalt not need to make her any ioynture or assigne her any dower out of thy land she shall be ioint heire of the kingdom with thee There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor Gal. 3. 28. free there is neither male nor female For yee are all one in Iesus Christ There are in al states many places of honor office whereof the husband is capable but the wife doth not so much as partake with him in the titles And what kingdome or Common-wealth euer equalled women to men Onely God hath vouchsaf't one and the same prerogatiue to both that they may both become the children of God But the amplyfying of this matter belonges rather to the next point concerning the equality of this dignitie To bee the sonnes of God then to this whereof I nowe entreate touching the prerogatiue it selfe With the loue whereof if any man before were not inflamed Yet I hope his affection now is kindled Sure I am it will bee if hee doo but enter into a due consideration of the matter For how is it possible that a man should so much hate himselfe as not to desire to bee his sonne whose seruantes the greatest Princes of this worlde haue alwayes acknowledged themselues to bee What is it then that wee preferre before this Sonneshippe It hath beene offered vs and almost thrust vpon vs a long time and often The dignitie of it according to the weake conceite and capacity of man hath beene declared and set out vnto vs. How is it come to passe that wee haue not layd hould on so extraordinarie a fauour so long a time Are wee loth to take the paines vnreasonable is that excuse in a matter of so great worth and in this matter vntrue also as the condition propounded euidently sheweth Beleeue and bee a Sonne Yet perhaps this pretence might carry some better colour with it if it were not made by them who take infinitly more paines for things infinitly lesse in valew Shall wee plead ignorance either of our owne estate or of the exceliency of that prerogatiue Wilfull ignoraunce rather increaseth then excuseth the fault And who can