Job 14.14 The Creature therefore must wait all the daies of their appointed time untill their change come Now the time when this shall be is here very significantly called the Manifestation or Revelation of these Sons of God which word of the Apostle is in Travel as Rebecca with a Twin of Interpretations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it may be taken not only in a Passive sense as some will have it but also in an Active Consider it first Actively These Sons of God that is The Angels shall be sent forth by Jesus Christ and employed in an eminent Work of Revelation four several waies First They shall break open the Chambers of Death and bring out the naked Bodies of the whole Race of Mankinde that have been there shut up and laid to sleep from the beginning of the World not one shall be missing Secondly They shall gather all the Saints which are God's Jewels together Mal. 3.17 and leave the Wicked which are the dross and dregs of the World by themselves thereby manifesting the one from the other each side to receive a Sentence from the Righteous Judge according to their Works Thirdly That Righteous Judgment which shall then pass must also have its manifestation according to the Apostles word Rom. 2.5 Rom. 2.5 And who but these Sons of God shall be the Messengers and Instruments of Justice at that day So saith Jesus Christ himself in the Parable of the Tares the Reapers that is Mat. 13.30 the Angels have their charge given them not only to gather the Tares together but to binde them in bundles to burn them and as for the Wheat they must bring that safely into the Barn Fourthly and above all these Sons of God shall be employed in the manifestation of the Son of man when he comes in his Glory for they shall in effect proclaim the Name of the Lord before him unto all the World as once it was when he passed before Moses being in a Cleft of the Rock Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God Ex. 34.6 7 merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children Ps 50.3 unto the third and fourth Generation A fire shall devour before him and the Lord shall descend from Heaven as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 4.16 with a Shout a Shout that will make the Earth to quake and the World to ring and with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God And what doth this imply but that these Sons of God shall minister unto Jesus Christ at that day in the manifestation of his Glory The Scripture we know speaketh often of the Manifestation and Revelation of Jesus Christ and his Glory 1 Cor. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.7.13 1 Pet. 4.13 c. And though it be most true that the Lord will then make himself known by the Judgment which he then executeth and by his appearing in his peculiar Glory yet doubtless the innumerable multitude of the Heavenly Hostes that attend upon him at his comming will also make his Praise glorious else would not the Wisdom of God have so contrived it that his Appearance should be also made solemn and formidable by reason of his Attendants that wait upon him And to this purpose the Apostle speaks expresly 2 Thes 1.7 So Beza renders it Act. 14.27 15.4 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven But how With his mighty Angels in flaming fire or by his mighty Angels as the Preposition there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth also signifie And thus we see how these Sons of God shall be Active in the great Work of Manifestation at the last Day But then secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also as hath been said to be rendred in a Passive signification Thus these Sons of God shall themselves be manifested and that in two respects first of their Nature secondly of their Number First Their Nature shall be made manifest to the World for though they have appeared often under several Forms sometimes in the shape of Men sometimes like unto flaming fire for the comfort of the Godly and terrour of the Wicked yet doth it not clearly appear thereby what they are Spirits indeed they are Glorious and Heavenly and Immortal Spirits created after the Image of God of marvellous Agility excellent in Strength able to do Wonderously beyond the power of all other Creatures in the World Yet this and all else that we know of them doth not argue but that there will be a more perfect knowledge of them at the time of their Manifestation then shall it appear plainly what Relation they stand in unto God how they come to have cognizance of things done upon the Earth how they have been present in the Assemblies of the Saints and assistant unto them in the solemn duties of Divine Worship and Service 1 Cor. 11.10 then shall it be known and manifested how and wherein they have been a Guard to the people of God to keep them in all their waies and to conclude then shall they more freely and familiarly converse with men not keeping themselves at a distance as he did who reproved Maneah Judg. 12.18 saying Wherefore enquirest thou after my Name seeing it is secret So that a clear manifestation there will be of them in this regard Secondly Mat. 25.31 Their Number or whole Multitude shall then be also manifested For the Lord Jesus shall come with all his holy Angels not only with his Legions Mat. 26.53 Judg. 5.14 Es 40.26 Mat. 26.53 but his holy Myriads attending upon him He will bring out his Hosts by number saith the Prophet calling them all by Names as a General doth his Souldiers on a Training day not one of them shall fail Well may it therefore be called the Manifestation of the Sons of God when there shall be such a general Appearance of them The Lord among them as in the Holy Place Ps 68.17 Psal 68.17 Thousand thousands ministring unto him and ten thousand times ten thousands standing before him And thus have I given my sense of this Particular also which I submit to the examination of the Church it being I confess somewhat singular the Place being taken generally so far as the narrow extent of my poor Reading doth reach for the manifestation of the believing Saints of whom indeed the Evangelist speaketh after the like manner 1 John 3.2 1 John 3.2 which hath inclined Expositours to give the same Interpretation here Now saith he are we the Sons of God it should rather be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Children of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him
what it is for the Son to deliver up the Kingdom to the Father It is even that which the Apostle saith Phil. 2.10 then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all whence it followeth that this subjection is the same with the delivery up of the Kingdom An interpretation therefore here seems to be necessary that the Son may be acknowledged to be subject to the Father and yet nevertheless that he may be said to have an everlasting Kingdom which may be called the Kingdom of the Son because then at the Name of Jesus every knee must bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the Earth When all things do confess the Lord Jesus and are made subject unto him whether it be by constraint or by consent then shall the mystery of one God be made manifest unto all and all praise shall redound unto the Father of whom are all things that so when preaching that is the creatures service in proclaiming the Name of God shall cease the one onely God may be known in the mystery of the Trinity For when all rule and all authority and power shall bow the knee to Christ then shall the Son manifest himself that it is not he of whom are all things but that he is his Son and that in him he himself is to be seen according to his own words Joh. 14.10 Joh. 14.10 This then is the subjection and the yeilding up of the Kingdome Christ subjecteth himself unto the Father proclaiming the Father to be he of whom are all things confessing also that he himself is of him For so great Majesty and Glory will appear in the comming of the Son that all the powers of Heaven and company of Angels may possibly look upon him as God alone But our Saviour when he shall say I am not he that is the Father but his Son he delivers up the Kingdome to the Father and yet continueth to be King still Herein then I say is manifested both his subjection and his delivery up of the Kingdome because when he professeth that he himself is of the Father he confesseth that whatsoever he hath is of the Father ascribing unto him the glory of being the complement of all things Besides this the same Saint Austin adds yet another sense concerning Christs delivery up of the Kingdome to the Father interpreting the said Kingdome for the people of the Kingdome that is his charge of the Elect Saints which he received of the Father not suffering one of them to be lost Ad Oro. Cont. Priscillia cap. 7. tom 6. Cum tradiderit Regnum Deo Patri id est cum perduxerit sanctos suos ad contemplationem Patris c. He shall deliver up the Kingdome to the Father that is when he hath brought all his Saints to behold the Glory of the Father and his own Glory which he had with the Father before the World was Now whether we understand the Apostle in this sense or that other before either of which we may safely adhere unto and unto one or both of them without question must the words of the Apostle be reduced we may conclude infallibly that Christs delivery up of the Kingdome to the Father shall not deprive him of that power and authority which he had before over his Church but that he shall continue to be King thereof unto all eternity August eodem loco Quod autem dicit Apostolus deinde finis cum tradiderit Regnum Deo Patri ibi finem non consumentem sed perficientem significat And whereas the Apostle saith then cometh the end when Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome c. That is not to be understood of the end bringing with it destruction and dissolution but rather that which bringeth perfection wherein shall be a clearer demonstration of Christs Power and Wisdome in the governing of his Church then is possible now to be discerned For as Luther upon these very words of the Apostle saith well Est idem hic in Terris regnum quod postea in Coelis futurum erit nisi quod jam contectum oculis nostris non pateat It is the same Kingdome here upon Earth which shall be hereafter in Heaven but that we are not able now abiding in this mortal and sinful estate to perceive it being hidden from our eyes I could multiply Authours both Ancient and Modern who do all agree in this that when Christ delivers up the Kingdome to the Father he then onely layeth down his Mediatorial Office not continuing any longer the Fathers Deputy in the governing of his Church but that his Kingdome notwithstanding shall everlastingly be the Same The same in the manifestation of his Wisdome Power Love Goodness towards his redeemed people to all eternity Onely how and wherein he will exercise the Authority of a Head over his Church otherwise then is before related there is none that is wise unto sobriety that will speak of it or be inquisitive after it Such knowledge is too wonderful for us it is high we cannot attain unto it Now therefore let all the ends of the Earth that is Application all the Inhabitants of the World farre and near Look unto Jesus and be saved Consider him in his Divine Nature Es 45.22 as he is begotten of the Father from eternity to eternity consider him also in the several works of creation continual preservation and future restauration of all things look unto him in his relation to his Church what he hath been is and eternally will be without any variableness or shadow of turning you 'll finde him in all that which the Apostle here proclaims him to be the same yesterday to day and for ever Look unto him then I say that you may more and more long after his apperance love him and delight in him Look unto him that you may follow his example an example equivalent with all Rules of righteousness in those things which he did and commanded though not altogether in those things which he did but commanded not What better object can you have to fix all the thoughts of your hearts upon He is the pattern set for your imitation according to the depth of Divine Wisdome He is the gift of God to the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 4.10 a greater gift then which though God be great in power and infinite in love he hath not to give Eph. 1.6 He is the beloved in whom the Father is well pleased deliciae Dei humani generis the darling of the Almighty Hag. 2.7 Ps 45.2 Cant. 5.10 and the desire of all Nations fairer then the children of men white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand white in his Divine Nature according to the sense of some late Expositours which was the brightness of his Fathers substance and red in his humanity being of the same substance with
the Lord Jesus Christ in order to the preservation of his Creatures A Doctrine it is that is profitable for Conviction for Encouragement and Instruction For conviction of many sinful practises too frequently appearing in these times to the great dishonour of Christ and his Government over the World and for the encouragement and instruction of all the faithful people of God who desire to walk worthy of that preservation which they enjoy under his Government First then this plainly layeth open the gross blindness that hath come upon many who notwithstanding think they see clearly When men will freely acknowledge this great Jehovah the Lord of all to be the sole Fountain of Being unto all Creatures both in Heaven and in Earth And yet in the several changes and revolutions that come upon the World have their thoughts fixed upon second Causes or such it may be as they have framed to themselves not at all regarding the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands as if he were now no more then a mean Spectatour and had nothing to do in the various Transactions of his Creatures about him How impiously do some after the manner of the Heathen ascribe unto Fortune that good or ill success which attends upon their undertakings It was my good fortune saith one Si fortuna volet fies de Rhetore Conful si volet haec eadem fies de Consule Rhetor that brought me to this Honour to this Estate wherein now I am It was my hard hap saith another that I met with such a cross and that I am fallen into this misery even as the Poet once said If Fortune Will thou may'st of Poor be Consul made And if that will thou must unto thy former Trade This you 'l say is not as becometh Christians but behold yet more Abominations some there are yea too many who when they go about a matter of any great Import either to free themselves from some sad disaster as they call it or to enterprize a Design which they conceive may be for their advantage will usually like unto Heathens for the Scripture notes it as a part of their Infidelity consult with Astrologers a sort of people who if they will keep themselves within their own Sphere would have the Approbation of all that are wise but being excentrick they are the very Pest of a Common-wealth and when the success appeareth their Stars forsooth must be Idoliz'd as the cause of that which doth befal them And how unworthy alas is this of that Faith which we do profess But behold yet greater Abominations It is an Abomination souc'd in the very dregs of Heathenism when people will in time of any loss danger or distress of what kind soever it be not look up to him who is and alwaies was the great Preserver of men and upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power but consult with Witches and Conjurers for a supply and preservation And this alas is too commonly found amongst those that call themselves Christians As for the Heathen they were not ordinarily wont unless it were the ruder sort in plain down-right terms Acheronta movere Ab Aves Aspiciendo that is to seek to the Devil for help They had their Auspicium which was by flying of Birds to divine of their successes And they had their Aruspicium by looking into the Entrails of Beasts appointed for Sacrifice Ab Aras Inspiciendo Ezek. 21.21 to the same purpose as it is said of the King of Babylon that he looked into the Liver Ezek. 21.21 when he took up a Divination for Jerusalem They had also their Tripudium taking a conjecture of what should befall them by the rebounding of Corn thrown upon the ground to Chickens Quasi terripudium seu terripavium from whence the Southsayer was called Pullarius And their Augurium which was a Prediction from the chirping or chattering of Birds as also by the founds and voices which they heard they knew not whence Ab Avium Garritu All which and many more though abominable enough yet were not so bad as knowingly and willingly to seek for a remedy or supply so directly from the Devil which they do that consult with those who they are assured have for such ends and purposes made a compact with him To all whom it may be said is it because there is not a Divine Providence that ordereth and governeth the World nor a power in Heaven to help and to deliver Or rather is it not because you are faithless and have no confidence in this great Preserver of men that you betake your selves to the Devil and his Angels for help A most wicked and Atheistical Generation who deny the Lord that bought them and run a whoring after Satan to worship him with a most execrable Idolatry For it may well be said such persons they revolt from God to the Devil howsoever they plaister up their impiety with untempered Mortar as that they seek Gods help though by the means of the Magician But terrible is that threatning which the Lord hath denounced against these wretched people Lev. 20.6 The Soul that turueth after such as have familiar Spirits and after Wizzards to go a whoring after them I will even set my face against that Soul and will cut him off from among my people Bishop King upon Jonas Add unto this that common foolish Opinion as a reverend Bishop of our times hath well observed and I shall render it in his own words If ever Tempest arise more then common experience hath enured us unto especially with the havock and loss either of life or limb in our Selves our Cattel or Housings forthwith the judgment is given as if the Lord of Heaven and Earth were fallen asleep and minded nothing there is doubtless some Conjuring And what then is Conjuring A pestilent commistion convention stipulation betwixt men and Devils Men and Devils what are they Look upon the Sorcerers of Egypt for the one they cryed in the smallest Plague that was sent and past their cunning to remove this is the finger of God their power is limited therefore Look upon the Martyrings of Job for the other for though the Circuit of Satan be very large even to the compassing of the whole earth to and fro yet he hath his daies assigned him to stand before the presence of God for the renewing of his Commission And besides Oviculam unam auferre non potuit He could not take one poor sheep from Job till the Lord had given him leave saying Put forth thine hand Nor enter into the Herd of Swine Matt. 8. without Christ's permission To conclude therefore with the same learned Writer Whether Men or Devils be ministerial Workers in these Actions all cometh from him who is the Judge of all as from the higher Supreme Cause whose Judgments executed thereby no man can either fully comprehend or reprehend justly He professeth no less of himself Es 45.7 Es
the Same Yesterday to Day and for ever Fourthly We may upon the Consideration of this Doctrine see how absurd and foolish that Dream is of a certain Vbi a Place of confinement for the Souls of the Faithful who lived and died Yesterday in that long tract of time under the Law and before it which place is by the Papists called Limbus Patrum for in regard the work of Redemption was not fully accomplished by Jesus Christ till he had suffered Death upon the Cross therefore say they all those Patriarchs and Prophets and Holy men of old from the beginning of the World unto that time could not enter into Heaven but were shut up in some lower parts of the Earth bordering upon Purgatory which say they is next door to Hell For saith Bishop Mountague as if some of their Masters had been soon sent thither to take a survey thereof they do quarter out that infernal Clime into four Regions And this place amongst the rest which they have assigned unto the Fathers they determine to be the uppermost Fringe as the Word Limbus signifies or the verge of Hell It is not my purpose to descend so low as to examine the particulars of this their Subterraneous Chorography I believe the Vanity thereof is Visible enough to all that have not their Eyes put out with the smoke of Purgatory Rather let the strength of our present Doctrine be set in opposition to this fond dream of that false and Apostatical Church of Rome which hath obtruded many such like idle Fopperies upon those poor people that are bewitched with her Sorceries and then let all mankinde judge which is the Truth True it is Bishop Mountague of Nor. they make much boast of Antiquity in the upholding of this their fabulous Limbo though as learned an Antiquary as any possiby that ever was in their Conclave affirmeth that Antiquity will not own it Nevertheless if it should it shall be of no Value with us if it clash with the Divine Oracles of the Holy Scriptures They tell us that the Souls of the godly are in the bundle of Life with the Lord their God 1 Sam. 25.29 1 Sam. 25.29 Ec. 12.7 And that the spirit returns unto God that gave it Ec. 12.7 That the Soul of Lazarus was carried by the Angels who always behold the face of God in Heaven Mat. 18.11 into Abrahams Bosome Luk. 16. Luk. 16.22 And therefore it is well observed against the Rhemists upon that place that Limbo being supposed to be under the Earth and Lazarus's Soul from Earth was carried upwards If he went to Limbo the Angels were not well acquainted with the Way in that they carry him above the Earth when they ought to have carried him to a place underneath the Earth Add hereunto what a world of Absurd ities would follow if this Pepish devise should pass for currant Act. 15.11 How could Saint Peter say Act. 15. We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Luk. 20.38 How could the Patriarchs be said to live with God if they were banished out of his Sight Luk. 20. And if this Limbo be the Brim or Hem of the damned places how is it said that the Glutton in Hell saw Abraham afar off with Lazarus in his Bosome and that there was a great Gulfe and Distance between the Damned's place and that wherein Lazarus abode As for Abraham it may be collected clearly from Heb. 11.9.10 that he immediately after Death was received up into Heaven Heb. 11 9.10 according to his expectation Contented he was with his flitting Tabernacles while he continued as a Sojourner here in this Life because there was a City to come after this Life that would be firm and steddy wherein he looked to be admitted and which should make full amends for all his wearisome Peregrinations Where we may see that that City having Foundations which the Holy Patriarch by Faith expected is by an Antithesis set ad oppositum to those Tabernacles which he formerly lived in with Isaac and Jacob whereby is intimated that he was not received into any other building after his death then that which is permanent Into which City he being received it must necessarily follow that all the faithful people of God who were transported by Angels into his Bosome as Lazarus was were there received and entertained likewise Moreover because this Parable is much perverted by the Papists to their sinister sense when Abraham opposeth Lazarus's Comfort to the Glutton's Torment it is evident that he being in infinite Torment the other was in infinite Joy which because it cannot be but in Heaven A term appropriated by the Holy Ghost to the Ages of the Church before Christ But not fit to be used now in the time of the Gospel Gerard. Rom. 5.15 as in the Lord's Presence-Chamber it followeth that the †Bosome of Abraham is the Rest that his faithful and right begotten Children have in Heaven In fine That which chiefly I have to say against this absurd errour is this viz. That it derogateth from the Merits of Jesus Christ making him not to be of yesterday and his death to be effectual onely à parte post to those that come after him An Opinion therefore to be Anathematized by all the Churches of the Saint yea further the Sin of Adam is by this means contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 5.15 made more powerful to Condemnation then Christ's Righteousness can be unto Salvation for the Sin of Adam casteth his Wicked and Unbelieving Posterity into Hell immediately after Death whereas by their Doctrine the Communication of Christ's Righteousness with them that believed in him could not immediately after Death lift them up into the Kingdom of Heaven How this can stand with Christ's honour or how it agreeth with the aforesaid Scripture let the Jesuites themselves tell us if they can Objection Well but yet the Scripture notwithstanding they affirm will bear them out in this their opinion for saith the Apostle Heb. 9.8 The way into the Holiest of all was not made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing Heb. 9.8 Upon which place these Limbonians do much harpe for the maintenance of their foolish errour collecting as they think very strenuously that the way to Heaven was not open before Christ's Passion and therefore the Patriarchs and good men of old must needs have some other place of rest assigned unto them for their abode until that time Solution A short Answer to a vain Cavil may suffice briefly then let it be observed The Apostle saith not the way to Heaven was shut up while the first Tabernacle was standing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not yet clearly manifested Whereby he gives us to understand that the people of God under the Old Testament knew the way to Heaven but darkly viz. through the vail of Types But withall that they knew there was
of our Salvation which we should not frustrate his desire which we should satisfie and our own interest and benefit which we should be so wise as to promote to the uttermost of our power therefore arise and walk up and be doing Secondly 2 Motive As we must walk worthy of God who hath called us to his Kingdom and glory so should we walk worthy of our calling wherewith we are called 1 Thess 2.12 Eph. 4.1 1 Thess 5.5 and what are we called Wee are the Children of the Light and the Children of the Day we are not of the Night nor of Darkness whereupon the Apostle inferreth Let us not sleepe as do others but let us watch and be sober Brethren let me freely speake to you we vaunt our selves very frequently that live under a glorious light and whatsoever others have been before us we regard it not Wee are the Men Our lot is fallen unto us in this time to know more of the Mysteries of Heaven then hath been known in former Ages Well be it so but then our service must be answerable Rom. 12.1 it ought to be as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Reasonable service not reasonable as most of us make it confining it within those narrow and easy boundaries which our false deceitful hearts have devised but reasonable it must be viz. Such as is rather sutable to men grown up in a Gospel-stature then that which is fit to be done by those who were but the Children of Yesterday under the Paedagogy of the Law We are the Lords dayes-men he hath singled us out for special service his eye is continually upon us and we have much work to do it behoves us therefore to look about us for we shall be inexcusable if we be found negligent in the day of the Lord. 3 Motive Thirdly therefore consider the length of your way that you have to walk and the multitude of businesses that you have to do and then see whether you have not need to use well the Light of this day without which you can never be able to finish your course with joy You have I say a great journey to go viz. through all the wayes of God's Commandments before you can get to Heaven Ps 119.96 And these Commandments are exceeding broad yet must you traverse them in their whole breadth having respect unto every particular circumstance so far as you are concerned therein In this journey there must be no picking and chusing of our way according to our own fancies nor turning aside from any one Commandment for he that turneth away from the holy Commandment 2 Pet. 2.21 it had been better for him that he had never known nor entred into the way of Righteousness at all And now alas how is it possible for a poor weak Creature blinde and lame such are we all the best of us all of our selves to walk steddily in this way and to continue in it to the end unless he hath the light of this day to go before him which alone is ordained of God to be a conduct therein especially considering withall the variety and multitude of businesses that are to be done in the way Bishop Reinolds Let us take notice of them as they are prepared to our hands by a skilful Workman one of a thousand Christ saith he hath service much more then enough to take up all the Might strength studies abilities times callings of all his servants businesses towards God and himself worship fear Communion Love Prayer Obedience Service Subjection Businesses towards and for our selves watchfulness repentance Faith Sincerity Sobriety Growth in grace Businesses towards other men as instruments and fellow-members exhortation reproof direction instruction mourning rejoycing restoring relieving helping praying serving in all wayes of love so much evil to be avoided so many slips and errours to be lamented so many earthly members to be crucified so much knowledge and mysteries to be learned so many vain principles to be unlearned so much good to be done to my self so much service to be done to my brother so much glory to be brought to my master every Christian hath his hands full of work and can all this be done without light Or will you stand all the day idle as if you had not been hired at all into the Lord's Vine-yard but still continue in the market-place of the World amongst those that are without But be it known unto you you have been hired and the penny of eternal life hath been offered unto you again and again therefore woe unto you if you stand out any longer As yet there is day light for you to come in but you know not how soon it will expire Which indeed ought also to be thought upon by us as another special Consideration to quicken us in our way 4 Motive This day I say will have an end and we know not how soon the mystery of God will be finished and the Oath fulfilled that time shall be no more This nevertheless we know that there is an appointed time to man upon earth and that his dayes are as the dayes of an hireling Job 7.1 that is very short and uncertain so that how short this day of the Gospel may be to us we cannot tell and many times it is made shorter then the dayes of our lives being through God's just indignation taken from us leaving us in the darkness of our own foolish hearts and under the power of the Prince of darkness because we chuse darkness rather then light Very needful then it is to hearken to the advice which the Lord giveth Joh. 12.35 Walk saith he in the light while you have the light least darkness come upon you And also to follow his example I must saith he work the work of him that sent me Joh. 9.4 Ps 19.5 while it is day the night cometh wherein no man can work We see daily that the Sun in the firmament hath his rising and setting he cometh forth of his Chamber in the morning like a Bridegroom and retires again at even Thus in like manner is it with the light of this day it came forth De umbraculo suo out of its place where it lay shadowed before in the Tabernacle of Moses or if you will De thalamo for the word will bear both out of the Presence-Chamber of the God of Heaven where it was trimmed after the form of a Bridegroom in a more gorgeous manner then formerly it had been and being come forth hitherto like a strong man he hath run his race bearing down all opposition driving before it the darkness of Judaisme Hellenisme Paganisme Papisme and Atheisme and what ever it be that is contrary to sound doctrine But being in a race it will have an end and we may probably conjecture that it is well neere finished For as the coole of the day doth foretell the approaching of the night so that coldness
for the sake of Christ and his Churches And now give me leave to premise an Apology for some things in this Treatise against which especially there may seem to lie some exceptions First I may possibly be adjudged too inconsiderate in fixing the Epistle to the Hebrews upon St. Pauls account because it doth not clearly appear as it is commonly conceived that he was the Authour thereof Secondly It may be said that here are sundry things inserted which have no natural co-incidency with the principal subject that is pretended As to the first of these Exceptions I know well there hath been some doubt made concerning the Authour of this Epistle for it hath been much controverted a long time whether it was Barnabas or Clemens Romanus or Saint Luke c. But for Saint Paul few were inclinable to entitle him unto it their reason was The style and idiom hereof seems to vary much from that which the Apostle ordinarily used in his writing neither doth he own it himself by setting his mark upon the front of it as he doth in all the rest of his Epistles but chiefly because the Writer of this Epistle acknowledgeth Heb. 2.3 that he had learned the Doctrine of Salvation from others which saith he was confirmed unto us by them that heard it Whereas the Apostle with very great confidence professeth that he never received if of men nor was taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ which last exception is indeed the most material Gal. 1.12 but answered sufficiently by a late Writer as may appear in the margine Doctor Hammond The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us is not to be restrained to the writer onely but so as to comprehend those to whom he writes uti patet Tit. 3.3 Eph. 2.5 Neither is it any new or strange thing for St. Paul to confirme the truth of the Gospel by the testimony of others and tradition from them which saw and heard See 1 Cor. 15.3 Hereupon it seems that doubts have risen concerning this matter And it is further conceived by some that it would savour of too much curiosity to resolve such doubts For so long as we believe the Holy Ghost to be the Enditer what need we perplex our selves about the Writer As When a Prince will vouchsafe to send a Letter to any of his Subjects it would ill become them to be inquisitive with what pen it was written rather we should say of this Epistle as once it was said of the Book of Job Ipse scripsit qui haec feribenda dictavit Ipse scripsit qui illius operis inspirator extitit He writ these things that dictated them unto the Writer c. Nevertheless though it be granted that it may not be of absolute necessity to make too curious inquiry after all those Pen-men and actuaries whom the Holy Ghost employed in that excellent service of being the perpetual Registers of the great Council of Heaven yet neither are they to be quite neglected We rejoyce in the message of good tidings that is brought unto us yet that hinders not but that we may make the messenger welcome and if he be missing though his presence should not add to the Authority of the message yet we would seek him out that we might gladly know him Here in an Epistle sent unto us from God and the messenger is supposed to be missing Let now the name of God be magnified and his will herein revealed be embraced by us as it is meet with all acceptation But if the knowledge of the instrument by whom it is handed to us may any whit conduce to Gods glory in the removal of prejudices against the truth herein revealed or in the conviction of the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ such as were the Arrians of old and the Socinians of late it is not fit that we should balke it especially when it is hinted unto us by the spirit it self in the holy Scriptures To say nothing of the Title prefixed to the Epistle it being no part of the Canon neither having been generally used by the Churches of Christ therefore not argumentative though it must be confessed it hath Antiquity to plead for it To let pass also the Salutation in the close which as the Apostle Saint Paul saith 2 Thes 3.17 is his token in every Epistle so he writes which might be more material but that it may be said Others in imitation of him do use the same Valediction too we have a more sure word of testimony whereunto we should do well to take heed and that is this Saint Peter the Apostle of the circumcision in his second Epistle which he writes unto the scattered Hebrews who were of his peculiar charge though dispersed into sundry remote Regions calling them therefore Strangers in regard of the places of their abode far distant from their own Country hath by a singular providence of God positively testified that his beloved Brother Paul and no other was the Writer hereof And to this purpose he gives us a plain demonstration 2 Pet. 3.15 Where he speaks of an Epistle of Paul written unto these scattered Hebrews which Epistle was it seems at that time extant and in high estimation among the faithful and which with other of Saint Pauls Epistles he commendeth as of equal Authority being as he saith written by him according to the Wisdom given unto him Now this Epistle there mentioned is very probably the same which in the Scripture goeth under the Name of the Epistle to the Hebrews otherwise how is the Church the pillar and ground of truth in holding out all the Oracles and whole Counsel of God if she hath been negligent in so eminent a part of her Depositum commended unto her by the Authority of two chief Apostles or as one saith lose Pauls Epistle and keep Peters that makes mention of it which is not with any colour of reason to be imagined We may therefore hereupon conclude that it evidently appears Saint Paul was the writer hereof But for that he here altereth his style and doth not put his Name unto this as he doth unto the rest of his Epistles there are sundry probable conjectures commonly for it given First the Jews had conceived against him a very great prejudice and least they should thereupon have rejected his writing with indignation he changeth his wonted style and omitteth his usual Introduction of Paul an Apostle c. Not regarding himself so that the word of God might run and be glorified Moreover he was design'd to be Apostolus Gentium the Apostle of the Gentiles as appears Gal. 2.7 8. Therefore thought it best here to conceale his Name and to waive his ordinary title least he should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assume to himself also the Title of Apostolus Hebraeorum the Apostle of the Hebrews which properly belonged to another And therefore though he might in an extraordinary way be employed by the Holy Ghost in writing this Epistle
life Celestial but to have power to transmit the Influences of the Sun into other Corporeal Substances here upon Earth it would surely make the whole Creation to stand amazed and applaud the happiness of Mankind that it should be exalted to so great a dignity But behold here a greater wonder in Heaven a humane body is actually taken up into the Throne of Glory Crowned with Divine Majesty and Honour hypostatically united to the Divine Nature by virtue whereof the Holy Spirit drops down abundantly into the hearts of men making them all wheresoever it comes like unto God in Wisdom Righteousness and true Holiness and fruitful in all good works No wonder indeed that the Angels stoop down 1 Pet. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in respect of his personal being but quoad essentiam absolutam because the Essence of the Son is the very same that the Essence of the Father is desiring to look into the Gospel when they have such a blessed and glorious Pattern of it there before them in the Mount of God But this I say is the honour that Christ hath done unto us and therefore surely a mighty engagement lies upon us to give unto him also what honour we possibly can he sought not to dignifie himself or to make himself in any respect better when he took upon him our Nature for he was from everlasting God in the best and highest degree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very God in all the daies of Eternity so high that he could not be higher so great that he could not be greater so good that he could not be better but for our sakes he was made flesh and dwelt among us that we poor dust and ashes might dwell with him in Glory Ascribe we therefore unto him the excellency of his Merit let us be thankful unto him and speak well of his Name for his Name indeed is excellent and his praise above Heaven and Earth his Name also is wonderful therefore to be had in reverence by all them that are round about him wonderful in his Essence yesterday to day and for ever And having also done wondrously well for us as hath been said Now then let all the people praise him let all the people praise him by worshipping him with a divine Adoration by a zealous appearance for him against his Enemies by a ready hearkning to the Voice of his Word And thus have we done with this second Consequent of this Doctrine viz. With a confideration of it in reference to the people of God Lastly Seeing it is so that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever in respect of his Divine Nature Then let all the Enemies of this Eternal Son of God cover their faces with shame who have not only called into question this his Honour but with the Sophistry of Hell in the sight of all the World and before the Sun have most impiously and impudently argued against it Such were Cerinthus Ebion Sabellius Samosatenus Arius Photinus and all those Alogi of old such have been Servetus Socinus Valentinus Gentilis and their followers of late all of them professed and open Enemies against the Godhead of Christ It hath been already said that it is a duty incumbent upon all the faithful people of God zealously to vindicate the name and Dignity of the Son of God against all his Enemies But we shall now see how he himself doth marvellously appear in his own vindication for it may well be said of him as it is in Job He is wise in heart Job 9.4 and mighty in strength to maintain his own Glory and therefore whosoever they be that harden themselves against him shall not prosper They shall perish but he shall endure they shall consume into smoak shall they consume away but he is the same and his years shall have no end We use to say proverbially of the Moon which is called the faithful Witness in Heaven that she will still keep on her course Ps 89.33 though all the Dogs upon earth should stand barking at her Assuredly the Lord Jesus Christ will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same God still yesterday to day and for ever though the foolish man reproacheth him daily and the tumult of those that rise up against him ascendeth continually But will he indeed be the same Ps 74.22 23. We may then conclude upon it infallibly that he will as he hath ever done make all his Enemies the Spawn of the old Serpent his inveterate Adversary to lick the dust Not to speak here of those who are Enemies against Christ as he is Mediatour of which sort I believe the World is full and it is to be feared that too many who even eat of his bread Ps 41.9 do lift up the heel against him Let us consider how his hand hath been stretched forth against those that have denied his Godhead Cerinthus the first that we read of that vomited out this Blasphemy viz. That Christ was but a meer man and not co-eternal with the Father against whom the Evangelist S. John as Irenaus reports it was inspired by the Holy Ghost to write that Gospel which goeth under his name See Doctor Featly in his Dipper dipt This Cerinthus as some Historians write resorting to a common Bath where he met with the said Evangelist was crushed to death by the fall of the house as soon as the beloved Disciple who made hast to shun him was got out of the door Julian the Apostate whom all Generations shall call cursed being wont in a scoffing manner to call the Lord Jesus the Galilaean and the Carpenters Son gave out threatnings that upon his return from the Parthian War wherein he was then engaged he would utterly destroy all those that believed in Christ But he was before his return cut off in a most eminent manner Vengeance not suffering him to live wounded he was mortally in the said Battel uncertain whether by an Angel or man which when he perceived he filled his hand with his own blood and threw it into the aire uttering these words Vicisti Galilaee vicisti Thou hast overcome Galilaean thou hast overcome Eusebius c. c. And when his filthy Soul was about to disgorge it self out of his body he grumbled out with a hollow voice the Devil then as it is like ceasing upon him this horrid Blasphemy Saturato te nunc Nazarene Now satisfie thy self O Nazaren A little before the death of this bloody wretch Libanius Julian's Teacher in Paganism scoffingly asked a Christian Scholemaster what the Carpenters Son was then working for his Disciples he Prophetically answered Parat Juliano Loculum He prepareth a Coffin for Julian who was about that instant time smitten by the just hand of the Almighty Julian Uncle to the aforenamed Julian used commonly the like blasphemy against Jesus Christ and being willing in what he could to vent his malice against him rush'd
presumptuously into a Christian Oratory and there with a most abominable profanness pissed upon the holy Table Consecrated for the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist But he was suddenly pursued by a just judgment of God and taken with a terrible disease his Bowels rotting within him the Excrements no more went from him by their natural passages but that cursed mouth which had been the Trumpet of blasphemy was the passage of them Arius that arch enemy of Jesus Christ even when by the strength of his Faction he had so far prevailed that he was ready to make his Triumph over the truth of God concerning the Deity of Christ in the publick Court of the Emperour was forced to withdraw himself as some think by reason of a terrible affrightment that then fell upon his Conscience so the Centurists relate it whereby thinking to recollect himself by hardning his heart or as it is generally reported endeavouring to disburthen Nature his inward parts which as I may say were very wickedness and all his Bowels gushed out so fearfully perishing with a kind of death fitting for such a blasphemous and filthy wretch Nestorius his Tongue rotted in his mouth being eaten with worms Cent. 5. cap. 5. wherewith he had blasphemed Christ He held that the honour of Christs Godhead was conferred upon him as a compensation of his Merit Valens also that Neronical Tyrant was exceedingly mad against Jesus Christ of whom Histories record that in favour of Arianism he executed most horrible cruelty upon the Orthodox Christians persecuting them from Country to Country giving liberty to all sorts of people to profess what Religion they pleased excepting such who maintained the Doctrine of the Eternal Deity of the Son of God resolving by all waies and means to root it out of the World and when he could not prevail Cent. 4. cap. 7. he forced a great multitude of those that professed that Doctrine into a Ship causing the Ship to be set on fire in the midst of the Sea Cent. 4. cap. 10. So furiously was he enrag'd in his cruelty towards the faithful Servants of Christ But behold how visibly the just judgment of God did appear against him sundry waies His Son being desperately sick was by the earnest prayer of Basil the Great that faithful Bishop of Caesarea restored to health beyond expectation Valens thereupon being convinced of his impetuous malice against Christ renounced his Heresie and seemed to repent of his cruelty Cent. 4. cap. 4. quietly submitting himself to the truth as it was preached unto him by that good Bishop but within a short time after he returned again to his former Biass endeavouring also to perswade Basil himself to be an Arian whose consent when he saw he could not obtain he commanded an Order to be drawn up for his banishment whereto being about to affix his name suddenly was his Pen in a miraculous manner shivered to pieces yet still persisting in his resolution he called for another and a third to both which happened the like remarkable Accident a fearful horrour at length seizing upon him he was forced against his will to retract that banishment His rage nevertheless encreasing still more and more against the poor Church of Christ upon the account only of Christs eternal Godhead the revenging hand of God in the end overtook him for being engaged in a War against the Gothes and wounded with an Arrow he betook himself into a poor Shepherds Cottage which being set on fire by the Gothes he there miserably perished The like judgment also befel one of his Attendants who threatning a certain holy man called Aphraates for his zeal and faithfulness in advising the Emperour to forsake his Arianism was in a very signal manner pursued by the vengeance of God for the Emperour willing him to go and make ready for him his Bath whilest he was preparing it suddenly being stricken with madness he leap'd into the Caldron of scalding water and with fearful howlings wofully died his former Menaces so falling deservedly upon his own Pate In a word the Persecution that was in those times only for this Cause of Christ raged so much through the whole Eastern parts especially Constantinople that scarce was there any of the Heathens Nero Domitian Decius or others that did or could in their greatest fury shew greater cruelty then the Arians did But the jealous and the righteous God who hath said his Glory he would not give unto another did not then suffer with impunity his Glory to be taken from him by sinful men for a miraculous hail was sent from Heaven upon those parts of an extraordinary bigness like stones in hardness which destroyed multitudes both of men and Cattel overthrew Cities and with a great Famine was Phrygia then utterly ruin'd Thus hath the Lord from Heaven with his out-stretched arm appeared visibly in the vindication of his great and glorious Name and will surely do the like again whensoever it shall seem good unto him for he is the same still without any change at all so that the World may say This hath the Lord done and it is marvellous to behold verily he is a God that judgeth the Earth And now briefly to make some Application of this There hath been and still is a Generation of men in these times of whom it may be said as it was of Belshazzer Though they know all this Dan. 5.22.23 viz. That God hath most remarkably manifested his displeasure from Heaven upon the World for this great rebellion against the Crown and Dignity of Jesus Christ yet do lift up themselves against the Lord of Heaven and the God in whose hand their breath is and whose are all their waies they will not glorifie And oh that England would look about her that this Treason against the Lord Jesus Christ be not sound therein for if this Iniquity should be marked before the Lord as an indeleble blot upon our Church and State it would undoubtedly be the fore-runner of an over-spreading Desolation The time hath been not long since when Socinianism grew to a very great height among us not that it was publickly professed God forbid we should ever be guilty of such a Racevian Impudency but it had taken such degrees that he who was most skilful to maintain it and could propose doubts most Sceptically about the Deity of Christ Satisfaction for sin and Imputation of Righteousness was amongst a sort of unstable Athenian Novelists who were the Ringleaders of the late Sect of Seekers best accounted of for subtlety and acuteness of Learning yea and Books also too many were printed and prepared for the Press containing most damnable blasphemy against the Son of God insomuch that high time it was to put a stop to the current of this pestilent Heresie And therefore was there a Canon expresly set forth against it in the year 1640. confirmed by the Kings Authority But afterwards when a purer Reformation was cried up and great
that put their trust in him The second Interpretation of the TEXT Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever In a reference to the whole CREATION Adsis O JESV HEnce it is that Christ calls himself the Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.11 the first and the last Being so in this sense as well as in that before-mentioned The first because he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1.16 The last Col. 1.16 in that he is after all things Or He shall stand the last on the earth as that place of Job may be rendred or with the last Job 19.25 Es 41.4 Col. 3.11 as the Prophet phraseth it that is continuing with or ruling this whole World to the end of it He is All and in all saith the Apostle in point of eternal salvation all meritoriously all efficiently all sufficiently so likewise is he All and in all in respect of the World and the Creatures therein for all had been nothing without him and all would fall to nothing without him the same good hand of his Power running constantly without the least Retractation or Interstitium through the whole from first to last which clearly demonstrates him what the Text proclaims him to be viz. The same yesterday to day and for ever That is The same in the work of Creation The same in the work of Preservation The same in the work of Restauration According to this triple Distribution of Time here in the Text Yesterday to day and for ever Let us therefore now consider these distinctly by themselves that we may so far as God shall be pleased to enable us take an exact view of the unchangeable power of the Lord Jesus in order to the Creatures CHAP I. How the Text is Applicable to Christ in the work of Creation JEsus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same mighty God or the only He as the word signifies in the work of Creation he is that great Jehovah as it hath been made to appear that Ens entium The beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 Not in a Passive sense but Active that giveth a Being to all Creatures Therefore when this Jehovah saith of himself Es 48.12 I am he Es 48.12 I am the first I am also the last He presently inferreth Mine hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens when I call them they stand up together Ob. But we are to believe will some say according to the Tenor of our Creed that the Father is the Creatour of Heaven and Earth Sol. I answer True but that is not to be taken exclusively of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for as there is a Divine Order between the Persons in the Trinity so this Order is the same towards the Creatures as it is amongst themselves Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa Talis agendo qualis existendo The same in working as in their existency one with another the Father is of himself the Son is of the Father the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son so first the Counsel and Decree of the Father precedeth then the Son produceth that Decree into Act P.R. the Jesuit in his Treatise of Mitigati on against Dr. Morton tels us that Bellarmine Valentia c. Charge Calvin with Arianism for holding that Christ as he is the second person of the Trinity cannot properly be called the Creatour of Heaven and Earth for that say they implieth that he is not God nor equal to his Father Heb. 1.2 then the Holy Ghost maketh it effectual to all those ends and purposes for which it was ordained not as if there were any priority among them either in respect of Dignity or Time but the only wise God being the God of Order and delighting therein this Order is held in all proceedings amongst those three Heavenly Estates as it were who are not either in their Actions or Existence subordinate one to another but only co-ordinate one with another Excellently therefore according to this Rule is this Order in the work of Creation described by Arnobius an Orthodox Writer of the Fourth Century Ipse dixit facta sunt hoc est per verbum Dei facta sunt Patre loquente Filio creante Spiritu Sancto animante He spake and it was done that is By the Word of God were the Heavens and the Earth finished and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth the Father decreeing the Son creating the Holy Ghost quickning Or as Basil the Great at the same time sweetly interprets it In creatione cogita principalem causam corum quae fiâ—nt Patrem conditricem Filium perfectricem Spiritum Sanctum In the work of Creation ever conceive the first Mover thereof to be the Father the working cause to be the Son the perfecting to be the Holy Ghost True it is the Father is said to work by the Son for by him that is the Son saith the Apostle Heb. 1.2 God made the World yet that will not necessarily imply as the Arians impiously construe it that the Son is only ministerial or instrumental to the Father herein as a Servant is to his Lord for this Preposition Per doth sometimes also signifie the very primary efficient cause of a thing that is acted or done v.g. A man may be said per liberum arbritrium by his free-will to undertake a Design his will though cannot be counted as his Instrument in the matter he undertakes but it is the efficient Mover of his undertaking And when a work-man per rationem Idaeam Artis that is by his skill doth perfect some rare artificial Piece we do not say that his Reason or Skill was either his Tool or his Servant that he used in his Work but the very Spring or Principle from whence the Work received its full and whole composure and formality which is so far from being an Impeachment of the Work-mans credit that it rather tends to his greater glory So when the Father is said by the Son to create the World the Son is not thereby subjected to the form of a Servant unto the Father as he was when he undertook to redeem the World but is declared thereby to be in all points 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Co-worker with him as the efficient cause of the Creation to the glory of the Father 1 Cor. 1.24 he being the wisdom of God and the power of God as saith the Apostle And yet to make this clearer we shall find that the said Preposition is in Scripture sometimes used with a reference also even unto the Father v.g. 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful 1 Cor. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son 2 Cor. 1.1 And 2 Cor. 1.10 Paul calls himself an Apostle of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the will of
as if he could not have been perfect without his Creatures for he was from all Eternity ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently pleased with his own Perfection but willing he was that other things might have a Being to the end he might communicate his Goodness unto them And as he began this Work for that end so he continued still the same for his Goodness extended over all the World He is good unto all saith David and his tender mercies are ever all his works Ps 145.9 Psal 145. His Power in like manner was the same from first to last without Diminution or Augmentation without weariness or fainting he rested not that is He ceased not till he had finished all and then pleased himself upon the Sabbath-day rejoycing in all the Works that he had made And now to sum up this whole matter Jesus Christ we see is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same in the work of Creation First The same with the Father in that eternal Counsel and Decree from whence all things had their first Rise and Original Secondly The same with the Father in the execution of that Decree framing and fashioning every Creature in his Rank placing them all in their several Stations exactly according to the primary Pattern and Tenour of that Decree Thirdly The same without any Coadjutour in the mighty Work that he undertook his own and only Omnipotent Fiat gave a Being to the World and all the parts of it without which they had never been Finally The same from first to last without any variableness or shadow of turning exercising his Divine Wisdom Goodness and Power throughout the whole Creation Many are the Inferences that might be derived from this Consideration but we shall not extend our Discourse beyond the due boundary of the Text Only somewhat we will observe that may be for further edification First then this Doctrine may lead us to a further knowledge of our Lord and great Redeemer JESUS CHRIST for saith the Apostle Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Walk we therefore about this Creation go round about it tell the parts thereof mark well the beauty of the Frame the admirable Order of this great and goodly Fabrick consider the several Palaces that are set therein for Angels for Men and the various lustre which the Lights do transmit there being one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars that we may know it for our selves and tell it to the Generations following that Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised his Greatness is unsearchable Ps 145.3 It is indeed unto all the faithful people of God whose hearts are raised up to a spiritual elevation a most pleasing kind of Geography as a reverend Bishop of our Church calls it in this large Map of the created World Bishop of Chi. in the Celestial and Terrestrial Globe to contemplate the Creatour for the works of the Lord are great saith the Psalmist sought out by all them that have pleasure therein Ps 111.2 But when in their search they happen to light upon the soot-steps of the Creatour by the whisperings of his Spirit which is very frequent and common unto them O what an incomparable pleasure is it then to pursue the Tract Hos 6.3 and to follow on to know the Lord So doth the Psalmist in the fore-cited place His work saith he is honourable and glorious Ps 111.3 and then followeth His righteousness endureth for ever Which way of Divine Speculation through the Creatures whereby we may ascend in our Meditations above every name that is named Ps 83.19 to the knowledge of him whose Name alone is Jehovah hath God himself caught us As when he instructed Job and would convince him of his rashness and folly in his peremptory Argutations making him also sensible of his own Almighty Power he brings the work of his Creation into remembrance before him Job 38 39 40 41. viz. Things in Heaven things in Earth and things in the Deep When we shall now therefore consider the Heavens not only this lower Heaven which in some sense may be called our Heaven wherein we and other poor mortal Creatures do breath which we may feel with our hands and wherein the Arm of the most High is many times stretched forth in mighty Winds and roaring Thunders and blazing Comets able to make the very Pillars of the World to tremble yea and to cool the courage and daunt the Spirits of all Atheistical Caligula's But those above especially which we see with our eyes at a greater distance so great that it is a wonder saith a Contemplative Divine we can look up to so admirable a height Bishop Hall and that the very eye is not tired in the way ascribed unto God by David as his Peculiar with this distinguishing term of Appropriation Ps 8.3 Thy Heavens Psal 8.3 Those which are the curious and exquisite Master-pieces of God's fingers Amos 9.6 for there saith the Prophet hath he built his Stories that is his Spheres or Ascentions from the Moon which is the lowest to the Stars which is the highest that can be discerned by men on Earth in which regard it may be though it be commonly taken for David's Night-meditation these two are only mentioned Ps 8.3 comprizing all the rest When we consider further the wonders of God in the Deep wherein saith the Psalmist Ps 104 25 26. are things creeping innumerable both small and great Beasts There go the Ships those moving Islands which bring the several Nations of the World into acquaintance one with another which suck the abundance of the Seas Deut. 33.19 Es 23.3 and Treasures hid in the Sand which reap the Harvest of the Water far surpassing the harvest of the Ground the artificiallest Wonder that ever was framed There goeth that Leviathan the wonder of that Nature the King over all the children of Pride made to play therein Job 41. whose wonderful parts and comely proportion is admirably described by the Tongue of the Learned Bishop King upon Jonas even the learnedst Tongue that the Holy Ghost had as one skilful in Scripture-learning sweetly expresseth it Yea there are the goings of the great God himself whose Name is Wonderful for the Sea is his and he made it Ps 95.5 and his Spirit still moveth upon these waters as it did formerly For as a King he sitteth upon the Water-floods saith the Psalm his power and providence walking constantly in state upon the Surface of them Ps 29.10 And though the proud Waves do rage that the very Mountains shake at the swelling thereof because they are stinted in their Current Job 38.10 11. Ps 104.9 and cannot with a full carrere turn again to cover the Earth yet he still keeps them under
45. I form the Light and create Darkness I make Peace and creat Evill I the Lord do all these things And in the 54 of the same Prophecy Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the Coals in the fire Es 54 17. and him that bringeth forth an Instrument for his work and I have created the Destroyer to destroy Destruction cometh from the Instrument the Instrument from the Smith the Smith and all from this great Wise and Almighty Governour of Heaven and Earth who rideth upon the Heavens as upon a Horse and by his power ruleth the raging of the Seas the noise of his Waves and the madness of the people Away therefore with these Abominations let them not be once named amongst us as becometh Saints That they should indeed be found among the Heathen it is no marvel But alas alas that such as make their boast of Jesus Christ and are ready alwaies by a verbal profession to ascribe unto him the Governance of the World should be thus besotted so impiously by their practice to derogate from him and that under so clear and glorious a Light as now shineth What Tongue or Pen can express it without a bitter Lamentation Again are not the great Repinings and Murmurings which are to this very day found amongst factious Separatists against the most remarkable and reiterated Dispensations of Heaven in the Restauration of our Civil Government according to the ancient Constitution of this Realm a great dishonour unto Jesus Christ As if he were to be directed by such poor Worms how to sway his Scepter and to manage his Power It was an Atheistical word of that wretched Alphonsus King of Spain who said That if he had stood by Christ when he created the World he would have shewed him how to order it better then now it is And is it not now I beseech you a sin of a high nature by continued grudgings at these Revolutions that have come upon us in effect to spurn at Divine Providence and to quarrel the Government of Christ because it is not according to some mens humours and expectations Princes of the earth we know do usually love to maintain their unlimitedness and Prerogative which is due unto them and do not like it that any should make a Scrutiny into the secret of their Sovereignty How much more should poor dust and ashes beware of prying into or descanting upon the Prerogative of Heaven The Lord Jesus Christ will certainly notwithstanding all the unkinde Recalcitrations of sinful men continue still to be the same in guiding and governing and preserving the World according to that wise and holy Decree which hath been enacted from all Eternity he will shake and over-turn root up and pull down and build and plant again as seemeth good unto him and that by such waies and means and instruments which though they may seem strange and harsh unto flesh and blood shall serve in the end to make the Beauty of his Providence the more glorious Here therefore give me leave a little to treat with these discontented people Do ye well to be angry And will you be angry still Will you draw out your anger to all Generations Surely it will be folly and shame unto you for Anger resteth in the bosom of fools Ec. 7.9 saith Solomon And what alas are you angry for Is it as it is to be seared it is because you are crost in the promoting of such a temporal Interest which you had contrived which yet according to your own principles is not of an absolute concernment to the Kingdom of God Or whom are you angry with Is it the persons of men that have been instrumental in bringing to pass this great Alteration that is come upon us A small matter it seems will make you angry and as vain and fruitless will the success of your anger be unto you There was as it hath been observed a certain people in Affrick who being troubled with the North-wind driving heaps of Sand upon their fields and dwelling places they gathered an Army of men to fight against it but with so ill success that themselves were also buried under Hills of sands Xerxes the Persian Monarch having received a loss by the rage of Hellespontus himself more mad then the Sea caused Fetters and Manicles to be cast into the waters thereof as if he would make it his prisoner and binde it with links of Iron at his pleasure Darius did the like upon the River Gynde when it had drowned him a white Horse he threatned the River to divide it into so many streams and so to weaken the strength of it that a woman great with child should go over it dry-shod It is not unlike as the said Authour makes the Comparison to the folly of our daies some people must not be cross'd but will fall to murmuring and repining But as God asketh Sennacherib Whom hast thou railed upon or whom hast thou blasphemed So may these be asked Whom are ye angry with who hath displeased you Are you angry with the Saw or with him that lifteth it What is Aaron that you murmure at him And for a conclusion hereof consider well that place of the Prophet Es 40.22 c Es 40.22 23. It is he for in the sequel you shall find that your anger reacheth at him that sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers That stretched out the Heavens as a Curtain and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in That bringeth the Princes to nothing much more Usurpers he maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity who saith and who shall contradict him Yea they shall not be planted yea they shall not be sowen yea their stock shall not take root in the earth he shall also blow upon them and they shall wither away and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble Let therefore the advice of the Prophet prevail with you who saith Ps 75.5.6 7. Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiff neck for promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the Desart but God is the Judge he putteth down and setteth up another And say not any more how comes it to pass that God hath brought this turn upon us that our Mountain which was made so strong and from which we thought never to be removed is now utterly overthrown that destruction cometh upon destruction Where is that Providence that ruleth all things For you do not enquire wisely concerning these matters Stand still rather and see the Salvation of God Surely Destructions are come to a perpetual end their memorial shall be perished with them For why Jesus Christ is the same still in guiding governing and preserving the whole Creation and will so continue unto the end Besides these before-mentioned there are sundry others also who disclaim Christ's Sovereignty over them Such are the Covetous the Ambitious the Proud the Worldly
wise and carnal Politician What subjection do all these yield unto this great Preserver of men Though in him they live and move and have their being though they be under his protection every day Act. 17.28 yet they will not be subject unto him the God in whose hand their breath is and whose are all their waies Dan. 9.23 they will not glorifie The covetous Earth worm grovels upon his Dunghil saying to his Wedge of Gold Thou art my confidence and as Riches encrease so is his Soul more and more prostituted to his Mammon Job 31.24 Pro. 10.22 never considering that it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich nor remembring that the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and that he giveth it to whomsoever he will Doth the ambitious man that hunts greedily after honour acknowledge Christ's absolute Sovereignty when he will not content himself with that Station wherein Divine Providence hath put him but breaks over all bounds Civil Natural Spiritual aspiring still higher and higher beyond his proportion of strength and ballast of wisdom for the management of his acquired Interest which undoubtedly will either involve him in a Snare to his eternal perdition or else precipitate him here into many woful miseries As for the proud and vain-glorious man who exalts himself like the Pharisee proclaiming his Merits to the World Luke 18.11 12. and brow-beating others with overly looks of contempt and disdain he I say not closely and sliely disclaimeth Christ's Sovereignty but above all others is most guilty of an impudent and arrogant encroachment upon his Prerogative Royal Ps 138.6 and accordingly doth the Lord look upon him afar off in his due time giving a check to his folly making him to know his distance and that wherein he deals proudly Ex. 18 11. he will be above him In fine the profane Politician also that hath been trained up in the Schole of Machiavel and is become a profest and perfect Disciple of his great Patriarch Achitophel is very busie in his contrivances carrying on his unrighteous projects with much confidence and security as if Providence it self were blinde and that he who formed the Eye could not see and he that teacheth man Knowledge were altogether ignorant And thus do poor Creatures make bold with the Lord of the whole Earth withdrawing from him their subjection though they could not one moment subsist without him But O what a sad account will such presumptuous wretches make at the great Day when they shall come to stand before the Tribunal of this great Lord of Heaven and Earth They shall then finde that their preservation here hath been but a reservation they flourish and prosper awhile but it is that they may be cut off for ever Secondly In that Jesus Christ abideth continually the Governour and Preserver of the World here is matter of Instruction to be learned which Instruction shall be branched out into Three Particulars First It may teach all the faithful people of God not to be dismaied at the appearances and apprehensions of Death or of the troubles that come upon them here in this World Secondly It is a Lesson and inducement to draw poor Creatures to a constant dependance upon Divine Providence Thirdly It may let all sorts of people see their own nothingness in respect of a Spiritual standing in Grace and Holiness First then 1 Branch seeing that the Lord Jesus Christ takes a constant care of the World is the same yesterday to day and for ever in preserving the Work of his own hands what need they who may be well assured of his everlasting love unto them be afraid of death Or be daunted at the troubles that may sometimes come upon them or the World about them Concerning the first of these we may for our comfort know that Death was none of those Creatures that received a being from this Prince of the Creation Wisd 1.13 whose design was ever to uphold and maintain his own Workmanship against whatsoever might be destructive unto it But the Apostle tells us which way Death came in It entred saith he Rom. 5.12 into the world by sin This Thief and Robber then came not in at the door but foolish man lets in sin which came creeping upon him by a Serpentine Insinuation Et sicut mors intrat per peccatum â—a peccatum exit per moriem and Sin like a false Traitour makes way for this Cut-throat the Devils Emissary who no sooner in but he shews himself a Tyrant thrusts Life and Immortality into Darkness Plaies Reakes and makes what havock he pleaseth all the whole Race of Mankinde being in danger for ever to be swallowed up by him But when the Lord Jesus Christ who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every Creature findes this pragmatical Intruder so busily trampling upon the Work which he had made Gen. 1 26. Ps 139.14 Es 9.6 especially that Work which with such infinite Wisdom and power was wonderfully formed after his own Image whose Name is Wonderful he cannot suffer this Stranger thus to spoil his Labour but as he began it in Wisdom so he will in Mercy preserve it And therefore out of pure love to his own helpless Creatures he undertook to vindicate it against the Assaults of Death sending forth his Challenge with Indignation as hot as fire in these words O Death I will be thy death Hos 13.14 O Grave I will be thy destruction And not only speaks it but acts it too enters into a Combat with him And here may poor Creatures stand amazed to behold this admirable Duel a Duel of so great Import that the Victory which attends thereupon must carry with it the perpetual Monarchy of the whole World First then Christ hath a body prepared for him Heb. 10 5. that so he might be a fit Combatant with Death In this Body he appears Armed with the Breast plate of his own Righteousness though indeed loaden also with the sins of all the Elect 1 Pet. 2.24 for he bore our sins in his own Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to the Tree and on the Tree which was the field where this Combat was fought and carried them with him also to the Grave yea to Hell which is that Land of separation appointed for them mentioned Lev. 16.22 and there left them with the Devil from whom they had their first Original Lev. 16.22 Death on the other side being set on by the Devil for the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 He was under his command finding a Body in his way ready to give him the Encounter and finding sin also upon it wherein his great strength was wont to lie makes use of his old Plot and stratagem which never before failed him layeth hold upon Sin and with it mortally wounds the Lord Jesus Christ Where alas is now the hope of the Creatures being rescued from under
be burnt up which implies a total Abolition of the Heavens and of the Earth How then can there be such a Restauration For answer to this Objection if a late Writer may be heard he will tell us that this place of S. Peter is to be understood of the Destruction of Judaea and not of the end of the World Which suggestion of his I shall not for my part insist upon it being an unwarrantable Interpretation differing not only from the Prophet before and the Apostle himself after him in the 7th Verse where he clearly expresseth presseth his meaning to be of the general Conflagration as it were of the Heavens and of the Earth at the Day of Judgment That which I have to say unto the Objection shall be folded up in a twofold Reply Answ 1 First We see the Apostle speaks there of Heavens in the Plural Number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comprehending all Heavens So that if the place be to be taken in that sense as that the Heavens and the Earth shall so pass away 1 Reg. 8.27 Es 63.15 Heb. 12.28 as to be no more then we must conclude also that even the Heaven of the Blessed which is the Heaven of Heavens the Habitation of Gods Holiness and Glory shall be altogether taken away likewise But that is a Kingdom which cannot be moved therefore surely it is not so to be understood Answ 2 Secondly Whereas the Apostle speaks of the Dissolution of these inferiour Heavens being on fire and their passing away with a great noise of the Elements also melting with fervent heat and the burning up of the Earth and the Works that are therein the meaning is not as if the substance of these Creatures shall be annihilated and reduced to nothing but only that their present Form and quality shall be changed For first the Quintessence of the Heavens is not combustible by any Elementary fire if the Apostles sense should be taken with a reference to any such kinde of fire it being a most certain Maxime Coelum à subcoelestibus nihil patitur that is Heaven cannot fall under the power of any thing that is below it self for being next unto the Angels the prime Agent in Nature it cannot possibly be Passive And if it were subject to any such Consumptive fire then should that fire which is a far more ignoble Creature have a Being in its greatest height and glory when the Being of the Heavens is under a Decay which is too great an absurdity to be imagined by any that take pleasure in searching into the great Works of the Almighty Yea more considering that the constant Product of such fire is nothing else but Ashes it will follow that when the Heavens and the Earth are consumed the Ashes thereof must remain in the presence of God as if he favoured only the Dust of the Creatures But doubtless in stead of Ashes there shall be a glorious Beauty upon the face of Nature at that Day which beauty even that very fire that shall then visibly flame out shall also be a means through the mighty working of the most High to bring forth We will not too curiously search into the nature of that fire possibly it may be such as that wherein God appeared unto Moses in the Bush but consumed it not Ex. 3.2 and connatural with that which took up Elias into Heaven not destroying his body but changing it into a glorious estate 2 Reg. 2.11 In both which Apparitions as in many more the Ministry of Angels was imployed whom as the Psalmist speaks God maketh a flaming fire And therefore when the innumerable multitude of these Angels shall appear at the last Day waiting upon the Lord Jesus when he comes in his Glory well may Heaven and Earth be then said to be in a flame and as it were all on fire But let the Nature of that fire be as it is ordered by the Wisdom of the Creatour far surpassing our shallow Apprehensions being sparkles of those everlasting Burnings that are in himself This fire at that day shall put a new Form and Quality upon the Heavens and the Earth But how Or what I say again we know not neither is it indeed fit for us to know while we are in this our present estate This we know because God hath promised it there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness that is it may be such Heavens and such Earth at least as there was in the beginning wherein Adam dwelt when he was in his Innocency This also we know that the Angels who are this flaming fire as they are now employed by God in the Ordering Guiding and Governing the Heavens and the Earth which now are so they shall in the end be instrumental in making all things new for they shall take away every thing that doth offend and like unto fire separate the Precious from the Vile which will necessarily bring on a perfect Renovation and this Renovation is that which will surely be the Dissolution of the former both Heavens and Earth so as they shall not be remembred nor come into minde according to the word of the Prophet Es 65.17 Add unto this the melting of the Elements which the Apostle also mentioneth a plain Metaphorical expression what doth it imply but that they shall be brought into a new form even as Mettal when it is melted loseth not its substance but only the faeculency and dross is taken away and the Mettal transformed into another shape then it had before And thus in like manner the Prophet David when he had spoken Ps 102.26 of the perishing of the Heavens doth declare what his meaning thereof was in the words immediately following viz. All of them shall wax old like a Garment Ps 102. 26. as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed He speaketh not of other Heavens but the old changed into better The wrong side of the Vesture is for the present only discernable but the day shall come when it shall be seen in all its Glory Unto this we have the concurrent assent of Expositours both Ancient and Modern whose words because they are so clear and pregnant in the confirmation hereof I judge it fit to intersert them at large as I finde them Holy Hierom upon Isaiah writes thus Extrema illa Coelorum mutatio erit tantum renovatio illorum promotio in meliorem statum That is The change which shall be of the Heavens at the last Day will be nothing else but their Renovation and a promotion of them to a better estate And in his Commentary upon the 102 Psalm writing on these words They shall perish and wax old as a Garment gives his judgment thus Coelorum iste interitus non erit abolitio corum sed reformatio redintegratio that perishing of the Heavens shall not be their Abolition but their Reformation and Redintegration So likewise S. Augustine on the same
is the place of the Angels that sinned and which kept not their Principality Jud. v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.4 but left their own habitation as the Apostle S. Jude speaketh whom God threw down into Hell delivering them into Chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgment I do not nor dare not say as some that one ground of God's election of men unto life was to fill up that place in his Presence which was made void by casting out the reprobate Angels and that such a number of elect Saints shall come in their stead and no more These are but the froathy Conceits of men of corrupt mindes who will be wiser then Daniel Ezek. 28.3 and no secret must be hidden from them But this I say that in this particular also as well as in the former the Parallel holds between the Land of Canaan and the Celestial Inheritance for as God did plant his own chosen people in that good Land Deut 7.1 from whence he drove out the Heathen that were the Inhabitants thereof Nations greater and mightier then they So will he surely bring his Saints into that heavenly Country which he hath promised to give unto them from whence those Angels whose height was like the height of the Cedars in comparison of such a poor shrub as man is were for their Rebellion driven into perpetual banishment Amos 2.9 Moreover as Heaven which God will give unto his people at the last day being purchased and prepared for them by Jesus Christ may in some respect be likened unto Canaan such as hath been mentioned so that new Earth which is also to come may in like manner be resembled unto it It is not safe to speak of what we have not seen nor to make other discoveries concerning this matter then such as the Holy Ghost hath already made This we may say seeing there shall be a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness we may affirm it shall undoubtedly be a good Land Abounding I say not again with Milk and Honey but with such store of Delights as are proper for Glorified Saints who shall stand in no need of any bodily sustenance from the Creature as they do here in this life And what a good Land will this be when there shall be nothing in it that doth offend all the Carkasses of the Reprobate purged out of it and that Curse which God laid upon it at the beginning quite taken away It shall also be a large Land even the whole compass of the Earth shall at that day to the uttermost parts of it be the Saints Inheritance that promise being then perfectly fulfilled Ps 37.11 Mat. 5.5 viz. That the meck shall inherit the earth That which is now the place of the Canaanites and of the Hittites and of the Amorites c. That is to say of all the Wicked and Unbelievers in the World shall be unto the Godly for an everlasting Possession and that in a more noble and more excellent way then it is now unto any whom for the present Mammon dandles upon his knee as his most beloved Darlings Nay further when there shall be no more Sea as it is said Rev. 21.1 which place according to the concurrent judgment of sundry Divines is to be understood literally as well as figuratively That fire whatsoever it may be at the Worlds end possibly drying it quite up this earthly Inheritance will certainly be then much more enlarged far beyond the narrow extent of what hath been before possessed by the Sons of men Behold then O ye Children of men what a Glory is prepared for you by Jesus Christ at that great Day of Restauration Glory in Heaven and Glory in Earth Glory for your Souls and Glory for your Bodies wherein you will have the advantage of the glorious Angels in a special resemblance of Jesus Christ whereof they are not capable Phil. 3.21 for your Bodies though they be vile for the present in regard of their Original shall then be made like unto Christ's glorious Body and your Bodies and his also being Originally taken out of the earth the earth also shall be given you as a measure of Glory above that of the Angels for your Inheritance Go up now to Pisgah and in a Spiritual Rapture take a view of your Inheritance before you enter into it An Inheritance glorious and honourable wherein you shall be Co-heirs with the Lord of Glory an Inheritance safe and sure free from all Intrusions and Encroachments of the World the Works of the Devil being all destroyed 1 John 3.8 2 Pet. 3.10 and the Works of the Earth utterly burnt up that is all the Oppressions Pollutions Snares Insinuations Persecutions of wicked men and Devils which formerly troubled you come to a perpetual end an Inheritance Durante vitâ to hold so long as Eternity it self lasteth where there are many Mansions common to all those that are accounted worthy to obtain that World for Meum Tuum these terms Mine and Thine which make such a strife in this World shall not then be once named amongst them as a Language out of use and improper for that Country which is a place of Glory What shall be mine shall be then Yours that now read what is here written and what shall be yours though you be now Princes of the Earth shall then also be mine though I be now of a lower degree for we shall be all of a Society in this Inheritance Fellow-heirs and Fellow-citizens together and of the Houshold of God united according to a most perfect Pattern by an indissoluble Bond even as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father John 17.21 yea more united together in them as our Center wherein all the Lines of our Union and Fellowship do meet for so much doth the same Text witness unto us What shall we then say to these things If Heaven and Earth with all that is therein desirable will satisfie us we shall be fully and perfectly happy And now let us admire and adore the Lord for this his constant and unchangeable Goodness and for his wonderful Works which he hath done from the Beginning and will also do to the Worlds end even unto all Eternity for the Children of men Certainly who so is wise amongst us will observe these things and ponder this Superlative exceeding weight of Glory that is prepared for them which whosoever doth with a quiet and holy dependance upon God for it they shall understand more of the loving kindnesses of the Lord far surpassing that which is here but poorly and with a narrow and straitned Spirit revealed unto them But as for the Tools of the Earth that will not leave their folly but most unthankfully like the people of old who despised that good and pleasant Land Ps 106 24 that Land of Desires Psal 106.24 will suffer themselves to be bewitched with this present evil World and putting away from
is come into the World Job 3.19 but they love Darkness rather then Light Nevertheless albeit that Yesterday be past and of no account with us in the Time of the Gospel yet it was of some account with Jesus Christ for he was even then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same which is the Second thing to be observed in order to this first Period of time here mentioned in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Same or the onely Hee Yesterday BUt what means the Apostle here by the Same or the onely Hee Yesterday what I say but this according to the sense of the Text which we are now upon and which is the Doctrine that falleth into our present Consideration viz. Jesus Christ the Saviour of his Church in the time of the Old Testament even as now in the time of the Now. A Common Saviour to them and us like as the Salvation wrought by him is called a Common Salvation Jud. v. 4. Then did the Faithful People of God believe that through the grace of the Messiah they should be saved even as we As we now believe that through the same Grace we shall be saved even as they Act. 15.11 For both They and We are fixed upon one and the same Foundation besides which never was there any other laid from the Beginning of the World To this purpose doth â—aint Paul joyn the Prophets of old with the Apostles of late in laying of this Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 Eph. 2.20 which is Jesus Christ the chief Corner Stone insinuating thereby what a sweet Harmony and Agreement there is between them in the Doctrine of Salvation both intending one and the same thing Hence it is that the Apostles do frequently intersert the Testimony of the Prophets that the World might know it was no Novelty which they Preached but a Doctrine professed and maintained in all Ages which was That the way of Salvation was ever the same from the beginning viz by Faith in Jesus Christ and not by the Works of the Law But I hear a Question that must be resolved before we proceed any further least it should stick in the Minds of any to the Prejudging of that which may follow The Question is this Qu. How can this be seeing the Coming of Christ in the Flesh was not till the fulness of Time which the Scripture speakes of Gal. 4.4 could he be a Saviour to any before he was in a Capacity by taking upon him our Nature to suffer Death for the Expiation of Sin Ans 1 I answer first he was a Saviour notwithstanding from the Beginning of the World in two Respects viz. in the Acceptation of the Father and in the Application of the Faithful The Father gave his Approbation of him in that he did acquiesce in all those Sacrifices of old which had their Tendency unto him in which respect he is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13 8 The Faithful also according to that Paedagogy which led them did ever look through all those Mystical Types unto Christ alone expecting Salvation through him for els they were of no use at all unto them Heb. 10.4 The bloud of Bulls and Goates not being able to take away Sin which was indeed the onely Property of the bloud of the Lamb nor any other of those carnal Ordinances making them that did the Service of the Tabernacle perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which was also the Property of the Spirit that should afterwards be poured out abundantly in the Time of Reformation but of this their expectation more may be said hereafter Secondly Jesus Christ did in all the offices of a Mediatour shew himself effectually to be a Saviour to them of old albeit the work of Redemption was not really acted by him in the World till the Time appointed of the Father for it was but sutable to the superlative excellency of his Merit to have its Virtual operation long before his Appearance in the Flesh even as a Prince entituled to a Kingdom by Birth or Prowess is immediately vested with the Power and Government over the People though the Solemnity of his Coronation be for some Wise and Politick ends of State deferred to a longer Season Now therefore to give a clear Resolution in this matter which in truth is but requisite and which will be conducible also to the Confirmation of the Point in hand it shall here be made evident that the Lord Jesus Christ was the same Prophet King and Priest of his Church ever from the Beginning and if upon a due Inquiry we finde it to be so I hope it will then be granted on all hands that he was the Saviour of his Church from the Beginning also The same Prophet ab initio To begin with the first Jesus Christ fulfilled the office of a Prophet in all those Primitiar times of the World making known the Counsel of God unto Men which without him must for ever have been concealed from them and giving an effectual Virtue to those Sacraments which in their Order and Time were instituted and established in his Church Hence is he by the Prophet Esaiah called Wonderful Counsellour for so these two Words are to be joyned as much as to say Es 9 6 A Counsellour that revealeth Wonders and discovers Mysteries the greatest Wonder and profoundest Mystery indeed that ever was viz. of God being reconciled unto Man which hath been the Staff and Supportation of the World in all Ages And in this Counsellour doth the said Prophet with the People of God in that Age challenge a peculiar Interest for we finde it there spoken in the present Tense as a thing already done To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the Government shall be or is or hath been so the Word may be rendred laid upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour I deny not but that it is the manner of Prophets to speak of things to come as if they were presently acted in their sight and this interpretation is commonly given of the Prophet in this place unto which I do willingly Consent But withall I conceive that hinders not but that the People of God then might be Apprehensive of the present Spiritual Benesit which they had by Christ and in this regard might the Prophet render it in the present Tense The Septuagints translation differs from our Latine and English Version bringing in these Words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Messenger of the great Counsel he that brought the Tidings of Salvation from Heaven the best that ever was heard of in the World even that which was the result of an eternal Decree enacted in the Privy Council of the Almighty This Counsel I say the Lord Jesus Christ hath imparted ever from the Beginning for how els could Adam Henoch Noah Abraham David or any other in those several Ages of old
was saith Bishop Reynolds to be a middle Person to stand and minister between God and Man in their behalf to be impartial and faithful towards the Justice and Truth of God and not to be over-ruled by his love to Men to injure him and to be compassionate and merciful towards the errours of men and not to be over-ruled by his Zeal to God's Justice to give over the care and service of them And such an high Priest was Christ zealous of his Fathers Righteousness and Glory for he was set forth to declare the Righteousness of God Rom. 3.25 And he did Glorifie him on earth by finishing the things which he had given him to do Rom 3.25 John 17.4 compassionate also towards the errours and miseries of his Church for he was appointed to expiate and to remove them out of the way Col. 2.14 Now since Christ was ordained thus for the good of men Col. 2.14 can it be imagined that he had a care only of that sort of men that came after him into the World and none at all of those that had been before Was Abraham the Friend of God and David the man after Gods own heart of no reckoning with him If so let that accursed Opinion of the ancient Gnosticks the first-born of the Devil have a Licence to pass without controll that no man was saved all went to Hell unto the 15 year of Tiberius Caesar wherein it was from Heaven revealed concerning Christ This is my beloved Son hear him Or was there some other Mediatour before Jesus Christ took upon him our Nature who did execute that Office for 4000 years and then resign'd it up to the Son of God leaving the residue to be done by him in a time which happily may not be half so long Or were all those that lived in that long Tract of time shut up in Limbo when they died from whence they could not be delivered till Christ himself came among them These and such other Carcinomata as Bishop Mountague calls them are rather for Cauteries then curing Salves to work upon we may perhaps meet with some of them hereafter undoubtedly the Lord Jesus Christ was alwaies The man who was is and shall be the Mediatour between God and Man Lastly The high Priest was to offer Gifâ—s and Sacrifices for Sins that so Divine Justice might be satisfied which had been by sin violated Hence it was that as the Apostle saith Heb. 9.22 Almost all things were by the Law purged with bloud Heb. 9.12 and without shedding of bloud is no remission Death was to attend upon Justice as her Executioner but if Justice pass a Sentence at any time and execution follow not upon it Justice vanisheth into nothing and is become a meer Ludibrium for Execution is the very life of Justice Death therefore since he is let into the World by mans sin must do its office that so Justice may live Accordingly did the Priests who were ordained to see that a due satisfaction should be made to Divine Justice and to make an Atonement for the people never come before the Lord without bloud But first they slew the Sacrifice upon the Altar and then took of the bloud Lev. 16.11 15. and brought it before the Mercy-seat within the Veil to testifie the death of the Sacrifice whereupon Sin was expiated and Justice fully satisfied Thus did the Priests under the Law and thus also did Christ without whom all whatsoever they did had been to no purpose their sacrificing of a Lamb had been of no more account with God then the cutting off of a Dogs Neck and there offering an Oblation no better then the offering of Swines bloud Christ therefore I say once for all offered up a Sacrifice which was himself the virtue whereof was alwaies operative to make those former Sacrifices effectual to those ends and purposes before-mentioned and after that by his own bloud he entred into the Holy Place Heb 9 12.10 12. So then Christ it was that was still represented as a slain man in all those Sacrifices of old for a sentence of Death lying upon him through the determinate Counsel and fore knowledge of God made him in all those Ages before Act. 2 23. as good as dead in which regard he is called The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 And because Justice would have Death for satisfaction else must the whole World have immediately fallen under her displeasure therefore in all likely hood the very first thing that died in the World was Christ in a Figure and consequently a Sacrifice from the beginning He was a Sacrifice ready even for Cain to make use of for his good if he had had Faith to apply it as appeareth by the words which the Lord speaks unto him If thou doest not well sin lieth at the door That is Gen. 4.7 a Sacrifice for sin for so the offering for sin is in Scripture frequently called which Interpretation because it may carry with it a sound of novelty Dr. John Harris Harden of Winchester Col. I shall take leave by the way to tell such that as I finde it owned by a late learned and reverend Divine so upon the examining of the grounds whereupon this Interpretation is built it will I doubt not appear to be very probable First God cometh not to deject Cain lower then he was but to raise him up from his dejection as is manifest both by his deigning to give him an Oracle from Heaven and also by the words wherewith he beginneth his speech unto him Why art thou wrath and why is thy Countenance fallen Secondly If the words Sin lieth at the door intend a sudden judgment to seize upon him what coherence can there be between these and the words following which are spoken concerning Abel viz. And thy brothers desire shall be subject unto thee For to read the place thus If thou doest not well thou shalt certainly be punished and thy brothers desire shall be subject unto thee This if there be any coherence at all were to threaten poor Abel more or at least as much as Cain Thirdly The Original word Chateath it is the aforesaid Authours observation as it signifieth Sin so also doth it the Sacrifice for Sin as Hos 4.8 2 Cor. 5.21 Hos 4 8. 2 Cor. 5.21 do witness And it was the custom according to which Moses speaketh as being best acquainted therewith to lay the Sacrifice at the Sanctuary door Vt populum dirigeret ad mediatorem saith Calvin to teach the people to serve God in Christ who is the true Sanctuary This sense therefore upon these Considerations may seem to be very agreeable with the scope of the Holy Ghost in that place so that a Sacrifice was ready for Cain at that time and what Sacrifice was that but Christ the Lamb then slain who alone taketh away the sin of the World and besides it seemeth to be a sacrifice distinct
a time of clearer Light coming which when the shadows were removed and that old Tabernacle taken down should make the way plainer to those that should walk in that Light for the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth certainly signifie this kind of manifestation by Light as we may see in sundry places of Scripture and not such an Apertio portarum an opening of the gates of Heaven as these Popish Phantasticks vainly imagine who do hereby onely manifest their gross Ignorance in that whereas the Apostle saith the way to Heaven was not manifest in regard of knowledge They will against all sense and reason maintain that the way to Heaven was not open in regard of Entry as if the way could not be open to enter because it was not manifesty known Upon which account as one well observeth they may shut out our Christian Infants at this day who do not onely not manifestly but not at all know the way to Heaven and if the way to Heaven be open to them for entry although it be shut in regard of knowledge how much more was it open to the faithful under the Law who as to sufficiency knew the way to Heaven although not so manifesty as we do As for that which hath been Objected out of our Common Liturgy viz. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers I answer they are much mistaken who render the sense of the said words in that manner to the derogation of Christ's merit for if they be interpreted aright they do rather advance the honour of the Lord Jesus in that way and kinde that we have here insisted upon And as Athanasius used them who was the Authour of them then in the least degree detract from it the genuine meaning of them as we use them being this Jesus Christ after his death did open the Kingdome of Heaven to all Believers viz. to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews whereas before it was open onely unto the Jews Lastly Where as it is said by some that though the Fathers were not shut up in Limbo as the Papists fondly dream but immediately after Death were carried up into Heaven yet they were not admitted to that Vbi that place of Glory wherein they have been ever since our Saviour's Ascension I Answer till such time as we can see some constat for this in Scripture we must take leave to declare our Judgment against it rather because the Holy Scripture is so clear that Jesus Christ was the same Yesterday which he is to day we may admire that the least scruple should arise in the thoughts of any that the power of his Resurrection could not put forth the same Virtue to the Saints of old so as to make them Quoad statum separationis as perfectly happy as it doth unto those that have and shall come after We are not to be regulated by the Opinions of Men in this matter whether Antient or Modern though in some other points that are not of so great concernment we may happily afford a willing compliancy In this case we will call no man Father upon Earth for one is our Father which is in Heaven To the Law therefore and to the Testimony whosoever speaks not according to this Word in Order to Christ's Glory and the Salvation of his Church it is because there is no Light in them And now when I was even about to leave this point so to proceed unto that which followeth I have met with a spoke in my way upon which I must stop a little being well assured notwithstanding that my Text will bear down all Opposition that may be raised against it There have been we know in these late times certain strange Opinions scattered about such as have been of pernicious consequence to Religion And if amongst the rest I meet with any which strike at the Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ which our present Text ascribeth unto him I hope I may take liberty to bear Witness against them of how great Name soever the Authours thereof may be that have maintained them I shall forbear to nominate any Persons but doe heartily wish they would seriously consider with themselves how they may for the Church's sake retract that which they have of this Nature so unadvisedly written It hath been maintained and published by one Authour especially of great and eminent Note That the Object of the faith of the Patriarchs and Fathers of old was not Jesus Christ the Mediatour but God alone that is God the Father And that such efficacy as the expiatory sacrifices of the Law had was not so much in reference to the sacrifice to be made of Christ as extrinsecal and affixed by the Divine ordinance and institution of Almighty God Yea that the very Heathen did in those times without Christ even by the light of Nature attain unto such a Knowledge of God as was enough for their everlasting Salvation That these Cockatrice Eggs were hatched by Hereticks of old is well known The Church was much pestred with these Pelagian vermine in former times But that after they have been crushed with the hammer of Divine truth in the hands of Holy Antients and Servants of Christ of late that they should I say be now brought to Light again perking up with such boldness as they do and that among us in this Church who have been taught by terrible things in righteousness to set up and adore the Lord Jesus Christ in his Throne It is and will be surely too great a provocation of God's jealousie against us Having therefore mett with such Assertions as these so destructive to the Piety of the times and so diametrically contrary to the Doctrine that hath been insisted upon being derogatory to the Merits of the Lord Jesus making them useless to the World before the time of his coming I conceive a necessity is laid upon me to protest against them It hath been the great design of Satan at all times to bring the world to be as little beholding to Christ as may be and to that purpose hath he bewitched men with strong delusions one while suggesting to their minds prejudicate opinions concerning the ways of Christ that they are greivous unprofitable and unreasonable ways another while infusing into them Principles of self-sufficiency that so long as they have materials enough of their own to finish their building what need they go to seek in another's Quarry sometimes perswading them that the Saints in Heaven must be his Coadjutours in office to obtain grace for his people here and to help them in time of need again making them believe that after this Life is ended their souls must lie down in Purgatory for a time before they can be carried up into Heaven And why is all this and much more attempted by this grand Adversary the Devil but because as I said he would draw men to have as little dependance upon Christ
therefore hath God made choice not of the Object but the Act of faith to be imputed to us for our Justification There is indeed a lenitive cast in to qualifie the sharpness of this corroding and poisonous errour graunting faith not to be the meritorious cause of Justification But why then is the Lord Jesus Christ the Object of our faith so plainly shut out from having any part at all in this matter and why are we told that where it is said we are justified by faith it is not to be taken Tropically and Metonymically for the Object as many Orthodox Writers do interpret it whom I could set in opposition to those that are mustered up for the defense of this Errour if they have at least given that suffrage unto it as is pretended yea and why is such an inference derived from the Apostles frequent magnifying of faith Rom. 4. as to say the Holy Ghost had not bound himself so precisely to those words and syllables viz. of justification by faith if he had not meant to give this Honour unto faith it self but rather to some other thing as it is most uncomely called which faith laieth hold upon Alass alass that any who pretend to have a share in the merits of Christ should in this manner detract from his Glory did the Lord Jesus Christ himself Bear our sins in his own body on the Tree yea become sin for us that his righteousness might be imputed unto us and according to the appointment of his Father be made glorious in our justification and shall not the travel of his Soul be his peculiar satisfaction what is faith it self become false to the justling of Christ out of his Throne whose office it is and ever hath been to advance and promote his Crown and Dignity or rather is not the hand of Joab I meane the malice of the Devil as I said before evidently to be seen going along in this matter In vain it is for any man living to make a flourish and to boast of a constant adherency to the Protestant Profession notwithstanding the fury of late persecutions when there is such a manifest agreement avouched with Rome in this particular viz. of justification by works It seems by common report that the Authour of the Book called Theologia Veterum is of late deceased nevertheless what is here written may stand as an antidote to preserve others from the infection of these postilent errours which if there were nothing else to work in the hearts of those that are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ a loathing of that Anti-christian Synagogue this alone were enough to cause an everlasting separation But I have done and do be think my self what I have done how I have raised up some spirits that may possibly be thought not to be easily laid again whereas my hope is they are rouzed to give Glory to God in consenting to what is written Nevertheless so long as I have Truth on our side I shall not be afraid though an Hoste of adversaries how Potent soever they may prove to be did rise up against mee It is not God knoweth out of any unbeseeming contempt or disrespect of any Person that I have medled in this controversy Learning I do reverence wheresoever it is as much as any shall onely I do wish that it may not be used as a Weapon to fight against Jesus Christ But floreat Veritas Ruat Coelum Let the World go which way it will with me I cannot I dare not betray the Truth by a sinful silence when so fair an opportunity of vindicating it is presented unto me I must confess there hath been in this particular some small digression for having an Errour in chase it hath made me go beyond my bounds But we shall return and take into consideration the second Period of Time here mentioned in the Text with a reference unto this third interpretation of it Consider what hath been said and let us pray that the Lord may give unto us a right understanding in all things CHAP. II. Sheweth the meaning of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to day as it is rendred in the Text according to our Third Interpretation and treateth also of Christ's Oeconomy therein Proposition JESUS CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same or the onely Hee to Day Now herein also two things are to be considered by us First The Denomination of Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly What is predicated of that Time viz. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to Day First the Denomination of the Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. mansuetus ad differentiam noctis quae immitis â—orrida est to Day from whence we may collect The Time of the Gospel is a time of light The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying it which the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not The text we see calleth it a day and it is light we know that formeth the Day without which it vanisheth and cometh to nothing A Day then it is and a light-some day A day which the Lord hath made even the Lord our Light and our Righteousness the Path of that just one having from the beginning been as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day A glorious day wherein is concluded the light of Yesterday For as the light which for the three first dayes of the Creation was dispersed through the Heavens it pleased God to gather and unite into one body of the Sun so that Light of Yesterday which was diffused through so many shadowes and Legal Ceremonies was at last complicated and folded up in Christ the Son of Righteousness who is now in this day of his Power like a strong man running his Race displaying his Beames distilling his Influences filling the Earth with knowledge even as the Waters covers the Seas But let us more particularly behold and see the Glory of this Light First the Light of this Day is the true Light 1 Joh. 2.8 as the Evangelist Saint John calleth it 1 Joh. 2.8 Not like unto that of old which was darkned with the shadowes of the Mosaicall Oeconomy but clear and manifest Lumen illuminans Joh 1.9 A Light that inlightneth every man that cometh into the World non illuminatum not inlightned by Moses or any man in the World Secondly It is a great Light overspreading the whole World shining out into all Nations making a day of Salvation unto all People There were two great Lights which God Created in the beginning the greater Light to rule the Day Gen. 1.16 and the lesser Light to rule the Night Answerably hereunto hath God ordained two great Lights for his Church the lesser Light to rule the time of the Law and the greater to rule the time of the Gospel and as the Evening did precede the Morning in the ordering of the natural
compleating of his most glorious design in this day of his power he will most certainly get himself a name in casting it down and having commanded his Light to shine out of Darkness Joh. 1.5 though the darkness of mens hearts will not receive it yet his Commandment still continueth in force and his word runneth very swiftly In a word true and great and marvellous and invincible is the light of this day concerning which much might be spoken from the predictions of the Prophets who prophecyed of this day and much might be added from the triumphant exultations of the Apostles whose eyes were first opened to see the light of this day but there is no need to undertake any further the clearing of the truth of this point for the day it self doth declare it the Sun which is the light and life of this day being not onely risen but ascended and not onely risen and ascended but fixed in his Meridian never more to descend till time be no more Nescit occasum Let us therefore now come to improve it by some close Applications unto us all whose lot it is to live under this Light First Seeing that this time of the Gospel is such a Lightsome day we then that are the Children of the day are to take notice of those Duties which the day requireth of us First whereof is that we rejoyce and be glad in it Truely Light is sweet saith Solomon and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Eccles 11.7 1. Duty Ec. 11.7 How sweet then and pleasant a thing is it to behold the light of this day wherein the Glory of the Lord is risen upon the Church Es 60.1 as the Prophet foretold it should Es 60.1 That glory which since the beginning of the world was out of the reach and apprehension of any Creature which yet notwithstanding was earnestly longed for by the Holy and faithful Servants of God of old How happy would Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses David Hezekiah Josiah Esaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel c. have accounted themselves to have seen that Glory which is now revealed How full of joy would they have been in the light of this day wherein with open face we behold as in a Mirroir the Glory of the Lord saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 2 Cor. 3.18 Nay wherein all flesh seeth the Salvation of God wherein the Word of God comes with power and evidence and Demonstration wherein the Spirit is shed forth abundantly in the hearts of Believers wherein knowledg covereth the earth even as the waters covers the seas so that God's people now need teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother the sense and meaning of the Shadows and Ceremonies of old saying Jer. 31.34 Know the Lord the Lord whom these things do typifie and so far as such carnal Ordinances are able make known unto you for now is fulfilled that which then the Lord promised saying they shall all know me from the least of them to the Greatest of them The whole Mystery of Godliness is now clearly revealed in so much that they who are endued with the Spirit of God know all things yea 1 Job 2.20 Act. 2.17 even Children and Handmaidens people of all sorts and Sexes understand more fully the Doctrine of Salvation then the Prophets and great Rabbies of old could be able to reach into And therefore it is worth our considering how emphatically the Spirit of God in scripture doth found out this word now in reference to the great glory of this day of the Gospel to that very end that all who are I say Children of the Day may see the Light and rejoyce in it Observe some instances Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is manifested the Righteousness of God Rom. 3.22 2 Cor. 6 2. Rom. 3.22 Eph 3.10 Eph. 3.5 Col. 1.26 1 Joh. 2.8 Now is made known the manifold Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 The Mystery which was hidden from Ages and Generations is now revealed Eph. 3.5 Col. 1.26 The Darkness is past the true Light now shineth 1 Joh. 2.8 Now Now Now implying that now and never before the dawning of this day there was a light in the world to be reckoned of the highest value O blessed and happy Day And for ever and ever blessed be that good Providence of Heaven that hath brought us to see the Light of this Day making it unto us a good Day A Day of good tidings A day of Reconciliation with the God of Heaven A Day of joy and gladness Let us therefore I say again and again rejoyce and be glad in it Let the Children of the World glory some in their carnal wisdom some in their strength some in their riches But let us glory in this that we underl and and know the Lord. Now in this serene and joyful day of his gracious visitation did Abraham with great pleasure and rapture of spirit rejoyce to see this day afar off and shall not we now rejoyce when it is at hand yea when it comes upon us and the Light of it shineth round about us Surely we are not Abrahams Children unless we do the works of Abraham and if herein we do not rejoyce we are not of the Faith of Abraham and consequently shall not be blessed with him Objection But alas you 'll say this day is a day of trouble of rebuke and blasphemy of trouble to the Churches of Christ throughout the world of rebuke for God is angry with the world for sin of Blasphemy the Provocations wherewith God is provoked every day being very great reaching up into Heaven And should we now rejoyce Answer I Answer It is indeed a day of trouble to the people of God and possibly if they had rejoyced more for the consolation which their eyes have seen they had not seen so much trouble upon them as they do this day But nevertheless albeit there be so great and sore afflictions lying upon the Churches which all the Children of the Day must be sensible of yet in the midst of all this sorrow there is cause of rejoycing for why it is not a Night of trouble wherein no succour or comfort can be found but the Light of the Lord so shineth out before his people that they may plainly see his good works which with an out-stretched arme he hath wrought and still doth for their deliverance Ps 112.4 Vnto the Righteous saith the Psalmist Ps 112.4 Ariseth Light in Darkness that is in the darkest times of trouble then hath their light of comfort been wont to arise most And therefore though in some respect the day be somewhat cloudy yet it is not a Dismal Day though the Affliction be great yet the consolations of God are not so small with us but we may glorifie God in this day and rejoyce before him True you 'll say But alas we remember
God and are troubled for his Anger we see is enkindled it smoketh against the sheep of his Pasture By terrible things in Righteousness doth God answer his People now in this day when they call upon him chiding and chastning them very sore should we then make mirth I Answer far be it from us when the Lord God of Hostes calls to Weeping and Mourning c. that we should be of that cross grain'd disposition as to thwart the sad Dispensations of his Providence by giving up our selves to any vain and carnall Delights and when his hand is lifted up to correct and punish that then we should wilfully shut our eyes refusing to see that I say be far from us But I beseech you though this be a day of rebuke Is it not a time also of Love Nay when with rebukes the Lord doth correct his people is there not both love and faithfulness to be found in the bottom of those rebukes which makes them very sweet unto the soul of a Believer Besides can we not distinguish between the sorrowful dispensations of Providence whensoever they come upon us and the glorious dispensations of grace If the former be matter of sorrow the latter are of joy Rejoyce therefore in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoyce Oh but it is a day of blasphemy And who that hath a tender regard to God's glory and the Churches Welfare can chuse but sigh and mourn to see and hear the Abominations that are so frequent this day How alas doth errour and heresie justle with divine truth Yea trample it under their feet And that which encreaseth the sorrow people that profess godliness love to have it so Some make a mock at Sin That which should be the terrour and amazement of the soul as being most of all contrary to God and a worse enemie to the whole creation then all the devils in Hell Fooles at this day do play and dally with it Others make a mock at Holiness Pro. 14.9 either by a profane Diabolical derision of it or els by a false Pharisaical Profession of it thereby to palliate their abominable wickedness Here are some jesting pleasantly with their Maker as he did who would needs drink a Health to his Patron blasphemously calling him his Maker There others sporting themselves with the Holy Scriptures exercising their scurrilous Wits upon those sacred Oracles whereat they should rather tremble and which the glorious Angels do stoope down to adore Alas alas is not the Air polluted with most execrable Hell-invented oaths and that Vnmanly vice of Drunkenness as our late King of never-dying Memory according to the excellent Wisdom given unto him in a Speech of his at Oxford most properly termed it grown Impudent notwithstanding all the good laws in force against it And such Brothelry commonly belched out by a Brutish Generation who yet live under the light of this day that the very Heathens would abhor it And is this a time then thinke you to Rejoyce I Answer For these things indeed let us be humbled and walk mournfully before the Lord let horrour feise upon us as it was with the Holy Prophet Ps 119.53 Ps 119.136 because of the wicked that forsake the law of the Lord Yea let us as he did for these things even swim in tears Ps 119 136. But we must know that this kinde of sorrow and humiliation is to be manifested in denying our selves that natural and lawful joy and liberty we may take sometimes in the free use of the Creatures not at all in quenching our spiritual joy We rejoyce not in iniquity but we rejoyce in the truth this joy no man nor no Devil should take from us because God hath called us to it and calleth upon us for it All this therefore hindereth not but that we may and ought to rejoyce in the Light of this day though there be much affliction upon the Church rebuke from God iniquity and blasphemy among men to be seen in it Secondly 2 Duty suffer the Light of this day to shine in upon your soules that the beams thereof may have their free and clear penetration into every corner of your inner man If ye be Children of light and Children of the day sprung from the womb of the morning you will be still craving after light ambitious of a Conformity to the nobleness of your extraction yea light is your proper element and the more you are swallowed up in it the more comfortable shall your life be unto you Mis-mean me not I exhort you not now to stand gazing after a Light that is too high for your reach or to break through God's pavilion to that light that is inaccessible There is a knowledge too wonderful for poor man which while he is cloathed with mortality yea and in some respect when his mortality hath put on immortality He shall never be able to attain unto Neither do I call upon you to look after those new lights which the varity and darkness of these times do so much cry up and extol for sure I am that which is new in point of Salvation cannot be true A position though much disliked by some giddy heads may well be maintained against Men and Angels Yea whatsoever may be obtruded upon you as a fundamental Light that shall appear in this Noontide of the Gospel to be of so narrow an extent that it hath not or cannot overspread the whole Hemisphere of the Church is most certainly counterfeit a prodigious comet portending some strong delusions rather then a true fixed light derived from the fountain of light For saith Christ himself Luk. 17.24 As the lightning that lightneth from one part under Heaven shineth to the other part under heaven so also is the Son of man in his day Not onely in the great day of his glorious appearance but even in this his day He is not concluded within the narrow confines of Africa as the Donatists of old would have him Nor in the conclave at Rome as the Papists at this day foolishly imagine Nor in the Desart that is in the separation amongst those that now-a-days forsake the Assemblies Nor in their secret Chambers that is in the Conventicles of Schismaticks But his going forth is from the end of Heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it his Church hath infallibly universally been inlightned by him with that knowledge that is necessary to Salvation unto which whosoever shall add is a Deceiver and to be anathematized by all the Churches of Christ Putting away therefore these vanities Let your soules give entertainment to that Light which this Day presenteth unto you And so much the rather because the Prince of darkness hath raised up many foggie noisome palpable mists to obscure this light with which mists the eyes of a multitude of people pretending to Holiness are miserably blinded And now if it be demanded what this light is I Answer First It is the light of Life not a
and worke in so is the Light of this Day set up for other ends and purposes then for people to sit and chat by pardon the Word for such in truth is all the Twanging of Religion upon the Tongues end so much affected in these dayes without doing It is the working Believer that is the onely Believer and whosoever shall say the contrary he is a Deceiver saith St. John For he that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man therefore make a flourish of his Faith though he could remove Mountains therewith Unless he walke in Love nor say he is a Professour unless he be also a Practitioner of Piety A vain thing it is for a man to boast how far he will walke to heare a Sermon unless he will shew out of a good Conversation how far he will walke to do a Sermon Oh it is doing it is doing that is the Ornament of Religion the Crown of a Christian Profession It is the end and sum of all as we may learn from a good Arithmetician when he had cast up all his Accounts Let us heare saith he Ec. 12 13. The conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of man upon which a Reverend Divine of our times glosseth in this manner it is as if he had said I will in two words give you an Abridgement of all that can be spoken A tedious thing it is to write many Books and as tedious to read them but if a man should write a hundred nay read over a thousand This is the upshot and end of all viz. To fear God for his inward Worship and to keep his Commandments for his outward Service Loe this is the end of man the perfection of the creature all that is written tends to this all that 's commanded all that 's promised all that 's threatned all that 's done for or against man in Scripture may be resolv'd into this to stir us up to a holy and upright walking with God and to a working out our own Salvation according to that Light which this Day bringeth unto us And now the better to quicken us hereunto let us take these Perswasions along with us Consider it is the designe First Motive the great designe of the God of Heaven which he hath undertaken this Day against all the Machinations of Hell to save his people from their sins and to rescue them from the common Destruction which the old Serpent called the Devil and Satanas had with deep Subtlety and in the blackest and darkest Caverne of his inveterate malice contrived against the whole race of mankind To bring which glorious design to pass was the Light of this Day with infinite Wisdome formed And being so formed God saw that it was very good good to discover the Counter-workings of the Adversary and Good to guide his people in all their wayes till they have quite escaped the danger and entred into his rest with joy Moreover as he hath begun his design so his desire is very earnest that it might go on and prosper without any let or hinderance from those for whose sakes he undertook it therefore do we finde him very frequently in Scripture calling to this purpose Ps 81.13 Deut 5.29 Luk. 19.42 Oh that my people had hearkned unto me and that Israel had walked in my wayes Oh that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandements alwayes Oh that thou heast known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace c. Thus all the day long he reacheth out his hand and stretcheth out his voice unto us least by our back-slidings and treacherous tampering with temptations in our way we give advantage to the Enemy to interrupt the Lord in this day of his power in the perfecting his work his great work And now I beseech you brethren If the Lord hath of his abundant mercy been careful with all this care for a Company of poor Creatures that were ready to perish setting up such a light so exceedingly helpful unto them in their way as that without it they could never be able to keep themselves upright but must undoubtedly stumble and fall into utter ruine should they not do well then to take heed unto it that they walk in it And should they not do very ill to turn their Backs upon it thereby so much as in them lieth to frustrate the design of the Almighty for their good Consider shall the Lord the great and glorious God declare the vehement desires of his Soul unto us and shall not we regard them That be far from us For us It is but ask and have with God He bids us open our mouth wide and promiseth that he will fill it When he shall therefore wish and desire a thing of us it is but reason that we should readily grant it The wishes and desires of Kings work mightily upon loving and loyal Subjects No difficulty shall hinder the fulfilling of them as when David did but signifie a desire to drink of the water of Bethleem meaning onely if he could have had it with a wish not requiring or so much as intending that any should fetch it with the hazard of their lives yet immediately three of his mighty men brake through the Hoste of the Philistims and drew of the water and brought it unto him Scipio Africanus being in Sicile preparing for his expedition into Africk when one asked him what made him so confident being a young man to equipp a Navy for the invasion of so great a Countrey he presently shewed 300 of his Souldiers that were before him and pointed likewise to a high Tower whose top was prominent over the Sea saying unto him There is not one of these Couragious and stout fellows that you see but without delay would get up to the top of this Turret and throw himself head-long into the Sea if I commanded him And shall mortal man prevaile more to have his desires fulfilled then the Almighty God who ruleth and governeth all things can have with those people that profess subjection unto him Especially when his desire is towards them for their own good Surely if there were that loyalty in our hearts towards God as there ought to be we could not but give our consent unto whatsoever he shall desire Job 22.3 It was well argued by Eliphaz Job 22.3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous or is it gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect What is there can be added to infinite perfection Rather Pro. 9.12 Phil. 2.12 if a man be wise he is wise for himself And it is our own Salvation that we are called upon to work out so that a threefold Cord is here twisted together to draw us to a diligent walking in the light of this day according to God's Commands viz God's design
him with tears to consider the dangerous consequences of such a proceeding and to desist from it whereunto his answer was this I acknowledge it is a very base business but they put it upon me and I cannot avoid it This being witnessed against him at his trial he had not so much confidence then as to deny it Whereby it seems that one while he accounted it a very base business another while after he had gotten preferment by it it was the most Noble and Glorious Act that ever he did in all his life His Indictment also charging him with Malice He replyed that he acted onely as a Counsellour for his fee so that it might be as he said called avaritia not malitia Covetousness not Malice And being told that he demanded judgement against the King He answered His meaning was judgement for his acquittal Yea further when he was in Ireland he did as he said put in a Petition to the Honourable Commissioners that he might have the benefit of his Majesties Declaration at Breda but when he saw his expectation therein to be frustrated by the sentence of death upon him the Case is altered his Death must be a Martyrdom and the Cause for which he suffers the most glorious Cause that ever was agitated for God and Christ since the Apostolical times Just like some sturdy Beggar who at first will seem to be very humble pouring out his prayers for such as will relieve him but if he have not an almes given him according to his asking he presently falls to cursing and banning Let now the best friends this man had judge whether he be to be commended for constancy and fortitude in his Cause or to be condemned for shameful shuffling and halting in it and consequently whether he be a fit pattern for their imitation Had he and the rest of his fellows in iniquity but given testimony of so much self-denial as to have refused that Wealth and Preferment which they gained by their busy actings in their Cause and have kept themselves in that inferiour rank wherein they were before they had brought so much mischief upon us they might possibly not have been so subject to censure as they were but when they coveted feilds and houses and took them by violence oppressed a man and his house even a man and his heritage when they spoiled for themselves as the Psalmist speaketh and like wretched Ahab did kill and also take possession yet in the mean time would be esteemed as the prime patrons of publick liberty and in point of religion Saints of the greatest magnitude in this Hemisphere of the Church Out upon it It was as hateful Hypocrisie as ever was seen under the Sun And I doubt not but those that now justifie it will have their eyes open one day so to account of it Now therefore O foolish people and unwise that are so miserably deluded with vain and empty shadows of holiness and constancy in a pretended cause of Religion be warned betimes and as you love your souls never let them enter into the secret of these men nor be baptised with the baptisme that they were baptised with Away I say with that spirit of Rebellion and Sedition of Division and Delusion that hath too long haunted this Nation Let it from henceforth never be entertained by us any more And if we have not quite lost that antient genuine integrity and goodness of Nature that hath been peculiar to the natives of this Kingdom we will all joyn hearts and hands together to send it packing Consider what hath been said and the Lord give us a right understanding in all things But I hope it is now made evident who they be among us that come neerest to the pattern here presented unto us in the text in being still the same Whether those that have framed the objection which hath caused this dispute or those against whom the objection is framed And now because this Text is in an especial manner intended for the instruction encouragement of the Hebrews to submit themselves to the Scepter of Christ's government I shall out of a friendly zeal for their Conversion make another short Application unto them O yee that were once a people and who shall again we believe be glorious among the Nations be at length informed aright concerning the Messiah whom I hope you will upon a perusal of what is here written if you suffer not prejudice to captivate your judgment account to be this Jesus onely whom your Fathers persecuted and we adore Be wise I say receive instruction concerning his Kingdom here upon earth It is not to be nor ever shall be conformed to the Kingdomes of this world in outward pomp and splendour in expectation whereof you have been hitherto wofully blinded For look what manner of power our Lord exercised over his people yesterday the same doth he to day because he is still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same And whatsoever alteration hath happened therein as it must be confessed some there is and ought to have been upon those termes before mentioned which yet as we have said argueth no inconstancy at all in himself It is a change unto that which is more spiritual and so consequently is his Kingdom at a farther distance from the world then it was before Was it not prophecyed of him that he should be a man of sorrows broken with infirmities Es 53.3 c. And even where his comming is spoken of as a King That though he be just and bringeth Salvation with him yet he is lowly too and should testifie it by the poverty of his appearance not to be mounted in a Princely manner as the Kings of the earth are wont but upon no better steed then a ragged Colt the foal of an asse which surely speakes him to be one that would take no great state upon him And hath not this which is written been this day fulfilled by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this onely Hee Jesus Christ as all else hath been which was yesterday prophecyed of the Messiah why then will you suffer your selves to be deceived by Satan with a fruitles waiting for of I know not what glorious appearance of Another yet to come True it is we also look for another coming of this our great Redeemer and we now call upon one another daily as you have been exhorted heretofore Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand But as it is observed by us from the Holy Prophets and Apostles The Scepter will be changed Bishop King upon Jonas and the government wholly altered from what it was before Then was the Kingdom of Grace now of Glory and Justice Then was the saving now the judging of Souls Then came it in the tongues of Men but hereafter in the trumpet of an Arch-Angel Then with tidings of great Joy to the whole World but that that is to come shall be with Terrour and Amazement to all the kindreds of
and he made it his business to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named Rom. 15.20 24. lest he should build upon another mans foundation So that if one of these Itinerants could run over so great a part of the world we may well suppose that the other twelve might with ease divide the rest of the world among them And now what alas were we mad and desperate Idolaters that God should bring us hitherto That the Lord should say to us who were not his people You are my people and that we should say O Lord thou art our God O what a mercy is it that we the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blinde Mat. 22.9 Luk. 14.21 23. who abode in the streets and lanes of the City yea that we who wandred about in the high-wayes and amongst the hedges should be called to the Wedding-Feast of the King of heaven That unto us who sate in darkness and dwelt in the region and shadow of death Light should spring up Let therefore the name of the Lord be magnified by us poor sinners the Gentiles as the Prophet soretold it should from the rising of the Sun Mal. 1.11 unto the going down of the same And since we are through grace become children of Sion let us take the liberty here to sing one of the Songs of Sion so far as we may be concern'd therein O give Thanks unto the Lord for he is Good For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of gods For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the Lord of lords For his mercy endureth for ever To Him who alone doth great wonders For his mercy endureth for ever Who remembred us in our low estate For his mercy endureth for ever O give Thanks unto the God of heaven For his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord among the Gentiles say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered them out of all lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South not onely to dwell in the house of the Lord here and to see his goodness in the land of the Living but to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of God to all Eternity And let us of this Nation among the rest and above the rest as it is our duty give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name acknowledging his great mercy in that his unchangeable love hath had an extraordinary measure reaching even first unto us Oh how hath the Lord been pleased to send his Gospel upon the wing unto this Nation So wonderfully here prevailing that England hath had this honour in an eminent manner to be the first-born of grace among the Nations Here reigned the first Christian King that ever was in the world King Lucius who submitted to the Law of Christ confirming it by a civil sanction From hence went the first Christian Emperour that put an end to the bloudy persecutions of the primitive Christians Constantine yea and after the general defection from the purity of the faith made by the Romish Church which like the tail of the Dragon threw down to the earth a great part of the Stars of Heaven Here the Reformation of the Christian Religion began first to be established by a Law by the first King that ever cast off the yoke of that Anti-Christian Usurper King Henry the 8. Wherein whether his design was to promote any sinister interest of his own as some imagine or to advance the Kingdom of Christ is not much material for us to know The arme of the Almighty hath hitherto been stretched out for the preservation thereof counter-working all the Machinations of Hell which have been and still are upon the Devil's forge against it Rejoyce therefore in the Lord O England and again I say rejoyce But as it is our bounden duty to ascribe unto the Lord the glory of this mercy and to rejoyce that we are no more strangers and forreiners as the Apostle tells the Ephesians but fellow-citizens with the Saints Eph. 2.19 that is the Jews and of the house-hold of God So we cannot but abhor the treachery of those false brethren among us called Anabaptists who like a brood of Vipers would if it lay in their power but that Gods mercy towards us triumphs over their falsehood disfranchise us of our liberties in the house of our God and rob us of those priviledges wherein the Lord Jesus Christ hath made us free giving us therein equal right with his Israel that was before us because he is still the Same I might instance in sundry of their Anti-Christian tenents tending hereunto But for brevities sake will make mention onely of one that is their Antipaedobaptisme not allowing the Infants of Believers to be admitted into the house-hold of faith by the Sacrament of Baptisme It is not my purpose here to dispute this point at large being out of my way enough hath been written of it already And it hath been found by experience to be a toylsome task to run the wilde-goose chase as a learned divine now with God once phrased it after a well breathed Opinionist they delight in Vitilitigation Mr. Nath. Ward It is an itch as he said that loves a life to be scrubb'd they desire not satisfaction but satisdiction whereof themselves must be judges I shall not therefore say much to this quarelsome people Let them consider how they will answer the Apostle here who avoucheth Jesus Christ to be thee Same to day which he was yesterday Certainly if the infants of the Jews were by virtue of Christs mediatory office to be received into the bosome of the Church and distinguished from those that were without by a Solemn Sacrament of initiation but the infants of Christian parents to whom belongeth the Kingdom of God as as well as to the Jews before must not be allowed to partake of a like priviledge but be reckoned still as dogs as the Scripture calls all that are without Jesus Christ is not the Same according to the Apostles word Neither is his office now of so much use unto his Church as it hath been formerly Of such blasphemy as this not to be mentioned without horrour must this cursed errour be the foundation But let me ask of these deceivers How came it to pass that Christ hath not obtained this priviledge for our Infants as well as he did for the Jews seeing God is not now the God of the Jews onely but of the Gentiles also Surely it must be either because he would not or because he could not To say he would not doth plainly demonstrate his love of us to be less then it was of the Jews which agreeth not with that abundant grace that hath been now revealed in the time of the Gospel To say he could not contradicteth that universal power which the father had given
unto him in heaven and in Earth The exercise of which power he would first have to be manifested in discipling whole Nations of the Gentiles Matt. 28.18 19. receiving them into Covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme as the Jews were by the Sacrament of Circumcision Where the word Nation in order to the Gentiles must without controversie be taken in the same sense as it was with a reference unto the Jews for as the Nation of the Jews was made up of all sorts and sexes old and young so in like manner are the Nations of the Gentiles And because his commission which he then gave unto his Apostles was not formed according to the erroneous fancy of these deluded people who in effect render it thus Go and Disciple all men But thus Go and Disciple all Nations baptising them in the name c. And Children being a part of the Nations we may conclude without any hesitancy that the intent and purpose of the Lord in this commission to his Apostles was that they should wheresoever they came baptise the Children as well as the Parents And seeing he came to break down the wall of partition that was between Jews and Gentiles which was actually done in the execution of this Commission It is not to be imagined that he would by it set up a partition-wall between Parents and their Children so as that they should be at as great a distance the one from the other in point of eternal Salvation as Heaven is from Hell A thing he never did in all the Ages before and undoubtedly whatsoever these Dreamers may blasphemously prate against him He hath not done it now because he is still the Same I will not dwell any longer upon the Conviction of these obstinate people least the more reason be shewed unto them out of the Scripture to lead them into the way of truth they be thereby according to their usual wont the more hardened in their errour The Lord open their eyes that they may see betimes what dishonour they bring unto Jesus Christ in the diminution of his power by their frantick Opinions What disturbance they create unto his Church and consequently what hazard they run notwithstanding their conceited assurance of their own everlasting Salvation We have now done with this second particular viz. Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to day which he was yesterday that is The Same to his Church in the time of the gospel which he was in the time both before and under the Law CHAP. III. Sheweth how JESUS CHRIST shall continue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same for ever Vnto his Church WE should now according to our prescribed method come to speak of the third course or computation of time here mentioned in the Text and of that which is predicated of it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Same or the onely He for ever But to avoid Prolixity which hath already spun out the former parts into a greater length then was intended we shall not distinguish this into several propositions as hath been done with those before Neither indeed can we be able to speak of what shall come upon the Church in the continuation of this day of the Gospel to the end of the world Onely this we can say because the Holy Ghost witnesseth it That persecutions and Afflictions do abide it but withall that Jesus Christ will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto it which he ever hath been Hereupon therefore shall we fix the short remainder of our discourse deriving some inferences from it for the further edification of those that take pleasure in beholding the immutability of the Lord Jesus Observe then In the midst of all the various changes and chances that may come upon the Church to the end of the world Jesus Christ will be unto it still The Same No variableness nor shadow of turning shall ever be found in him either in his Mediation with the Father or in the dispensation of his power among his people But he will be Semper idem Alwayes the Same Now herein we can but speak of the exercise of Christs Mediatory office as we have already done and therefore it will be needless to spend many words about it As he began so he will continue to be the Prophet Priest and King of his Church The same word of truth which he hath revealed he will still continue no addition unto it or diminution from it will he ever suffer his Gospel is an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 1 Pet. 1.25 His word abideth for ever And if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach any other we must therefore much more will he ho'd him accursed Gal. 1.8 He is a Priest for ever according to the oath of God not to be retracted saith the Prophet Hath an unchangeable Priest-hood saith the Apostle Ps 110.4 Heb. 7.24 A Priest established in his Dignity as master and Lord by virtue of his Son-ship not like unto the servants the Priests of Aaron's order Who when they entred into the most Holy place were not there to sit but otherwise to execute their office according to the order prescribed unto them by Moses Heb. 10 11 They stood as became servants saith the Apostle ministring before the Lord. But Jesus Christ when he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and according to the Law entred into the holy place to finish the Atonement Sat down on the right hand of God noting the perpetuity of his office according to the dignity of his person and that he ever liveth which was not possible for any other to do to make intercession Dan. 7.14 Mach. 4.7 His Throne in like manner is for ever and ever His Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth throughout all Generations No Salvation then to be expected for ever Act 4.12 but onely by him No other Name under Heaven given among men from the beginning of the world to the end of it whereby we must be saved For before him as he saith of himself there was no God formed Es 43 10 or rather as it may be rendred nothing formed of God for any such purpose as to be a Saviour Ec. 2.12 Ps 145.11 12. neither shall there be after him What alas can the man do that cometh after the King What He may speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom But to imitate him in his power and his mighty Acts or to compare with him in the Majesty of his Kingdom would not onely be a contempt cast upon his Crown and Dignity but an utter impossibility and a meere vanity for men or angels to attempt it They poor Creatures being infinitely unfit and unworthy must let that alone for ever and they that will expect it of them will finde it to be folly
that Age and to the apprehension of the Prophet though the Judaical observation of Jubilees was to cease long before the expiration of the time that he was insisting upon But enough of this Let us proceed The time of Jacobs going down into Egypt is as hath been said before very remarkable and may be esteemed a fit Epocha for the beginning of these seventy Jubilees The grounds and reasons of which conjecture I do now here offer to consideration First when Jacob went down into Egypt God promised him to make him a great Nation Gen. 46.3 And withall designed that very place for the performance of his word which was there fulfilled For thus Moses tells the people Deut. 10.22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude Whence we may collect this journey into Egypt was the beginning or providential occasion of forming this people into a Nation and whereby God did visibly fore-lay his design of proving himself unto them to be the great Jehovah in giving a being to his Promise made before unto Abraham Therefore very fit to be the Epocha of the Vision and Prophecy concerning this people Secondly Egypt was the place where Israel was first as a Childe trained up under his Fathers discipline and for the sins wherewith they there sinned God made them there to pass under the rod and brought them first into the bond of the Covenant Lev. 17.7 Josh 24.14 Ezek. 23.3 so that in all likelihood there did the time of Jacobs trouble begin which in the purpose of the Almighty was as the Angel here speaketh cut out and pared for this people And as they continued in their undutifulness forgetting the God that formed them so was their trouble also continued afterwards by sundry punishments inflicted on them in their several Generations but especially in the Babylonish Captivity and to this day lengthned out in their present dispersion into all Lands where the Lord hath scattered them And have we not good reason then to suppose that Jacobs going down into Egypt at the commandment of the Lord was eminently subservient to these ends that God might enter upon his work his great work which he had determined concerning this people Somewhat surely there is in it that the Spirit would have us to take special notice of because we find it so often mentioned in the Scripture see Gen. 46.6 Deut. 10.22 Deut. 26.5 Josh 24.4 Psal 105.23 Act. 7 15. It may be said Abraham also went down into Egypt two hundred and sixteen years before Jacob this account therefore of Jubilees may as well begin from that time as from Jacobs going thither A negative answer must hereunto be given For first though Abraham went into Egypt yet it was not at the commandment of the Lord Ps 105.14.15 but as a traveller from one Country to another as his affairs called him and it was but for a short time for he went up from thence again and which is remarkable All that he had he brought away with him Gen. 13.1 But as for Jacob he went not thither but at the express word of the Lord and there he continued till the day of his death and his Posterity removed not from thence till the Lord led them forth with a strong hand and stretched-out arm Secondly when Abraham went thither God had not made known unto him the afflictions that his Posterity should endure in that Land and therefore he might be at his liberty before to go thither or not as seemed good unto him but when once this was revealed unto him Gen. 15. there must then be no more journeying into Egypt by these Patriarchs till the very beginning of that time came which is here by the Angel said to be cut out for this people that is as I have said for their growing up into a Nation and suffering such chastisements which the Divine Wisdome had appointed for them Gen. 26.2 And hence it was very probably that an express inhibition was given unto Isaac that he should not go down into Egypt as his Father Abraham had done though it seems a necessity lay upon him to relieve himself and his family at that time by the plenty of Egypt being put to as hard a strait by reason of a second famine in the Land of Canaan as his Father Abraham was Thirdly Jacobs going into Egypt was a Type of our Saviours going thither one resembling the other in sundry notable circumstances and in that regard is the greater notice to be taken of it To instance First Jacob went thither at the commandment of the Lord so was Jesus carried thither by a Message from Heaven Secondly Joseph was a means of bringing Jacob into that Land so did another Joseph carry Christ into it Thirdly Jacob went down into Egypt that being the Countrey chosen of God for Israels infancy for he grew a lovely Childe there God taught Ephraim to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.1.3 So was the Holy Child Jesus carried into Egypt to be there for a while kept at nurse as I may say with his mother and during his * Sabellicus Historiographus scribit Josephum cum Maria puero Jesu in Aegypto 7. annos exulasse tantum scil temporis debuit implendae Herodis malitiae Minority to have that education as was meet and convenient for him Fourthly Jacob went thither to preserve his life from the Famine Gen. 45.5.7 And Jesus was carried thither to keep him out of harms-way and to preserve his life from those that sought to destroy it Fiftly Jacob and his posterity were to stay there till the time came which the Lord had set for their dismission from thence so Jesus was not to be brought out of Egypt till he was called according to the saying of the Prophet Hos 11.1 Out of Egypt have I called my Son and word brought by the Angel for that very purpose Matth. 2.13.19 These things being so may we not infer that the time of Jacobs going into Egypt was a time of great remark in Scripture and that it is the fittest of all other to make an Epocha from whence these seventy Jubilees are to derive their commencement and beginning Another argument there is yet to be considered for the confirmation of this sense of the Angels words taken from the end or final cause for which these 70 sevens were determined which is here said To finish the transgression and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquity that is that no unrighteousness of what kinde or degree soever whether that single transgression of Jacob in the sinful manner of supplanting his brother Esau or that unnatural cruelty of his ten sons against their brother Joseph or the numberless multitude of sins whereof they have since been guilty or their most execrable iniquity against the Lord of life and his Gospel sent among them
of sundry famous and mighty Nations that were of old contemporary with the Jews whose height was like the height of the Cedars and their strength like unto that of Oakes yet hath God destroyed their fruit from above Dan. 2. and their root from beneath We read of a goodly Image that represented the world in its various and successive gallantry by the advancement of its choicest favourites whose head was of gold his breast and his arms of silver his belly and his thighs of brass and his leggs of iron the gold was precious the silver pure the brass glittering the iron strong yet all of them are broken to pieces and become like the chaffe of the summer-threshing floor carried away with the winde that no place can be found for them What is now become of all their policy magnificence prowess which for the time did so ruffle in the world far and near Where are all their Laws that have been so much extolled and their Law-makers to whom wisdome it self was esteemed but as a dutiful hand-maid Why do not the Romans now appear in the vindication of their Numa Pompilius that mirroir of Princes as Plutarch describes him in his dayes Or the Athenians for their Solon Or the Lacedemonians for their Licurgus Or the Cretians for their Minos Or the Carthaginians for their Charondas Or the Egyptians for their Osiris Or the Sâ—ythians for their Zamolxis All famous Law-givers in the several confines of their times and places If the sword of their Law hath lost its edge is not the Law of their sword able to set it again Are all the stout-hearted among them utterly spoiled and can none of their men of might sinde their hands Tenent omnino reliquias Legis suaâ— circomciduntur sabbata observant pascha immolant Azyma comedunt Aug. in Ps 59. No verily for at the rebuke of the God of Jacob have the Chariots and Horse-men of these Nations been cast into a dead sleep Onely the Jews that were the dearly beloved of his Soul who are scattered about in the World notwithstanding all their troubles captivities dispersions Massacres do every where grow rich and populous keep themselves their Laws and Customes unmixed from all others can still deduce their Original and History by infallible testimony from the beginning of the World which no Nation that now is can do the like A very pregnant proof that they are kept by a special providence according to what the Lord hath said of them by the Prophets as namely by Jeremy Jer. 30.10 11.46.28 Fear thou not O my servant Jacob neither be dismayed O Israel for I will save thee from afar Jer. 30.10.11 Jer. 46.28 Amos 9.8 and thy seed from the Land of their captivity though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee And by the Prophet Amos Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull Kingdome meanning whatsoever Kingdome it be continuing in its sin and I will destroy it from the face of the Earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord that is their sins though they be never so great shall not provoke me to root out their name from under Heaven Amos. 9.8 Answerable hereto is that of the Prophet Jeremy whose testimony once more let us hear Jer 31.36.37 Where the Lord useth as vehement asseverations as any we shall likely sinde throughout the whole Scripture If these Ordinances that is of Heaven and the Sea depart from before me saith the Lord Jer. 31.36.37 then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever Thus saith the Lord if Heaven above can be measured and the foundation searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. Observe though their doings which in an ordinary course of divine justice would certainly bring on their utter undoing and would be enough inevitably to ruine all the Nations else in the World besides if they should at any time be guilty of the like yet shall not the anger of the Lord be so enkindled because of them as to cut off the seed of Israel for ever A high expression of an extraordinary favour which nevertheless will exactly be made good to a tittle even to the end of the World because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And here before I come to infer my intended conclusion from the premises Mr. Thâ— Wilton on the Romans give me leave to super-adde the testimony of a faithful interpreter of the minde of God in Scripture concerning this matter who hath written of it within this present Century whose words are these The counsel of the most wise and mighty God in the wonderful preservation of the Jews ought diligently to be considered whereas sundry very ancient people and famous as Persians Chaldeans Trojans Vandals Lombards Gothes Saxons Picts Hunns c. are either quite extinct and destroyed or else being severed and scattered have not so held their own as to keep still their own ordinances and to be able to shew their Original and History in sure record or to preserve themselves for their civil life and religion unmixed with other people whither they came yet behold a strange thing and remarkable the Jews onely notwithstanding their great and long dispersions and manifold calamities desolations and death in sundry Countries where they have been butchered like sheep as in England here at London and Yorke by hundreds and thousands Judaei sunt Librarii nostri Ne forte Pagani dicant nobis vos Christiani literas istas composuistis proserimus codices a Judaeis inimicis ut confundamus alios immicos Codicem portat Judaeus ut idem credat Christianus Aug. Loco Sup. In Graeco quodam codice Basiliensis editionis Object and elsewhere in other Countries knocked down upon heapes and others cruelly spoiled do for all this not onely remain in very numerous multitudes chiefly in Asia and Africa as Master Beza and Grynaus upon certain knowledge do report but do keep their Tribes distinct and unconfounded and their Religion all without commixtion as much as they may reading and searching the Scriptures but with very corrupt construction yet with this fruit and commodity that both their pedegree and descent from Abraham and the Patriarchs may appear and eke by the witness of our books out of which we derive our holy Christian Faith may be justified and cleared from suspicion of imposture and fraud which the Heathenish Philosophers and other prophane atheistical persons cannot now charge us with seeing the people still remain as preservers of those Oracles of God which be the Fountains of our Religion of all which what other thing are we to deem and judge but that they are reserved thus miraculously of God against the time of their conversion and salvation to come hereafter in Gods determinate
Schismatical Covenant p. 229 The Creation the Worke of Christ p 42 The Creatures willing subjection unto Christ p. 53 Of the observation of Christmas p. 198 The Creatures misery under Man p. 65 The excellency of our Creation p. 105 None but the New Creature shall be the Inhabitant of the New Creation p. 107 Against curiosity in searching into those things of God that are beyond our reach p. 19 D. Daniel's seventy weekes interpreted p. 305 The day of the Gospel is a terrible day to all impenitent sinners p. 203 A description of Christs encountring with death p. 78 The Divine Service of the Church of England free from Superstition p. 234 E. The consideration of the Earth may lead us to an admiration of the Glory of God p 49 The great Engagement that lieth upon England above other Churches of the Gentiles to give praise unto God p. 270 Episcopacy proved to be of Divine Right p. 248 Eternity expressed by termes appropriated unto Time p. 6 The force of Example is great to induce likeness of manners p. 2 Examples of Gods Judgements which have fallen upon the enemies of the eternal Deity of Christ p 34 F. Fanatick people make themselves equal with Jesus Christ p. 24 A conviction of those that hold that the object of the faith of the Fathers of old was not Jesus Christ p. 175 To hold that not the object but the act of faith justifieth is a gross errour p. 176 Faith of believers how fixed before the comming of Châ—ist p. 156 A faithful saying uttered in a Sermon at his Majesties Coronation p. 256 How the Father is said to work by the Son p. 43 Of that fire which the Scripture speakes of whereby the Earth shall be burnt up at the last p. 96 To ascribe unto fortune good or ill success is a great sin p. 71 G. The divine generation of the Son of God is a permanent and everlasting generation p. 10 Gentiles instructed p. 268 Gentiles obliged to give praise unto God p. 269 Of the fulness of the Gentiles p. 338 The glory of the life to come described p. 107 How God ruled over man before the floud p. 64 Civil Government is no encroachment upon Christs natural or donative power p 55 Authoritative power or government over men shall be continued to the end of the World p. 66 Government is an ordinance of divine appointment proved both by the written and unwritten Word of God that is by Scripture and nature p 57 The good that ariseth by Government unto mankinde p. 65 H. The several forms of the Heathens enquiring after future events p. 72 That the Heathen did without Christ by the light of nature attain to such a knowledge of God as was enough for their everlasting salvation is a great errour p. 175 The impudent connivence that was given to Hereticks in the time of the late Schism p 37 To consider the Heavens a meanâ— to work in the hearts of men an awful reverence towards the Lord Jesus Christ p 48 The Hypostatical Vnion of two Natures in Christ Divine and humane shall never be dissolved nor the Mystical Vnion between Christ and his Church p. 285 I. Look unto Jesus from the beginning to the end p. 295 Of bowing at the name of Jesus p. 235 The errour of the Jews in following the light of yesterday p. 121 An exhortation to the Jews p. 164 Another exhortation to the Jews p. 262 The calling of the Jews proved p. 299 Of the Jews insurrection under Aelius Adrianus p. 321 The Jews wâ—ful blindness and hardness of heart described p. 335 The Jews continuanâ—e in the World when other great and mighty Nations are utterly extinct p. Ignorance in this day-light of the Gâ—spel condemned p. 202 Of the joy that Christians ought to take in their enjoyment of the Gâ—spel p 184 Julian the Apostate his blasphemy and death p. 34 No justification by the workes of the Law p. 126 K. Government by Kings proved to be the best Government p. 60 King Charles the First commended by those that were his Adversaries p. 248 A saying of his against drunkenness in a Speech at Oxford p. 187 King Charles the Second his zealous forwardness in establishing Religion p. 231 L. The woful effects of pretended liberty of conscience p. 38 New lights not to be regarded p. 188 Of the invincible nature of light p. 182 Of Limbus Patrum p. 170 The Liturgy of the Church of England not taken out of the Romish Missal p 242 The agreement of our Liturgy with the Forms of Primitive Devotion clearly demonstrated p. 244 M. Millenaries and Fift Monarchists refuted p. 103. Miracles not to be expected under the Gospel p. 132 Fift Monarchists may see their errour p. 70 No murmuring ought to be at Divine Providence in disposing the Earth and all that is therein p. 50 Murmurers reproved p. 74 How mutable the children of men are in their workes p. 45 The Mystical Vnion between Christ and his Church shall never cease p. 286 N. The humane nature exalted above the nature of Angels p 32 Gods remarkable judgment on Nestorius p 35 O. The Oracles of the Heathen ceased at the birth of our Saviour p. 266 Oracles from Heaven not to be now under the Gospel p. 129 Order among the Creatures p. 58 P. The errour of the Papists in following the light of yesterday p. 128 The vanity of the Papists in looking unto Jesus in a Picture p. 296 Christian Parents comforted concerning their Posterity p. 281 Prophane Politicians enemies to Christs Sovereignty p. 77 The prophane alarum'd p. 203 Proud persons enemies to Christs Sovereignty p. 77 Poland polluted with Socinianism p. 39 Q. Quakers enemies to Jesus Christ p. 39 Quarrelling against the restoring of lawful Government in this Nation condemned p. 74 R. Our Religion maintained to be the onely true Religion p. 169 An approved remedy to heal the woful distempers and divisions of this Church and Kingdome p. 276 The Creatures future restauration p. 93 Christs Righteousness imputed to us for Justification p. 177 Of the first Resurrection p. 106 The Romish Church guilty of Novelty p. 217 S. Samosatenian Hereticks confuted p. 12 Satan hath no power in the Aire but by permission p. 73 Sectarists justly charged with Superstition p. 231 Consider the wonders of God in the Sea p. 49 Sin of the ungodly is found out by the light of this day p. 207 Sin by the light of this day findeth out the sinner p. 208 Smectymnuus detected p. 253 The cursed blaspemy of Socinians abhorred p. 26 That the Souls of the Patriarchs did not before Christs Ascension ascend into that place of bliss whither the souls of the Saints now ascend is proved an errour p. 174 Of the Suns Eclipse at our Saviours Death p. 266 Of Superstition p. 233 T. The time of the Gospel is a time of light p. 180 A Story of Theodosius p. 30 The godly preserved in the time of trouble p. 80 Of
as he is But I hope I may without offence give in my poor Judgment as I have done concerning this Scripture considering it is not inconsistent at all with the scope of the Holy Ghost therein and being guided hereto by some certain Probabilities First They are Angels we know and a great multitude of them who did at the Birth of Jesus Christ proclaim Peace to the Creature as well as Good-will towards men the Creature therefore may be in expectation of the manifestation of the Angels that this Promise or Salutation given by them might be made good and perfected Secondly It is not without some reason that the Holy Ghost doth use the different terms of Sons and Children in this Scripture viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons in the 19 Verse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children in the 29 Verse especially considering that that which is predicated of each carrieth with it also a great difference too for the manifestation of the Sons of God answers the expectation of the Creature But the Deliverance of the Creature is not there to be terminated but only by the liberty of the Children of God Now there seemeth to me to be some probability that the varying of the terms should imply also in this place a varying of persons viz. The first to be understood of the Angels of God and the latter of the Saints the latter word also being comprehensive of the first and not the first in a true propriety of speech of the latter considering withall what hath been before said that the Creature must have the Angels employed in working their Deliverance but not the Saints Sons being also fitter then Children in the bringing to pass so great a Work as delivering the Creature out of Bondage is like to be More might be added but this shall suffice for the third Observation from this Scripture viz. The time of satisfying the Creatures expectation that is at the manifestation of the Sons of God Fourthly That which is next offered to our View is the manner of the Deliverance of the Creature or to what it shall be reduced at the expiration of its Bondage it shall be delivered into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God For it is but subjected saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope or under hope of a happy change to a better Estate and though this hope deferred maketh the poor Creature to faint yet the patient abiding thereof shall not perish for ever For hope maketh not ashamed especially when it is fixed upon such a sure Foundation Rom. 5.5 as Gods Eternal Purpose which cannot be disanulled A Deliverance therefore shall undoubtedly arise unto the Creature even as there shall be to the Children of God for as in this corrupt estate wherein they are involved for the present by the first Adam they are both together fellow-sufferers so shall they together in their several Capacities be set at liberty and have their Pristine Excellencies restored yea much more enlarged unto them by Jesus Christ the second Adam who being the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End of the Creation the same yesterday Rev. 21.5 6. to day and for ever is of power sufficient to make all things new It is indeed upon the Childrens account that the Creature shall be Interessed in that glorious Deliverance for as the Apostle speaks in another case Doth God take care for Oxen So may we say doth God so respect the Creature that is the frame of Nature that he will vouchsafe for its own sake to beautifie it when it is deformed Or doth he altogether for our sakes that are his Children For our sakes no doubt shall this glorious Work be accomplished that even the Creature it self also may in a free and liberal manner which is earnestly desired by it be subservient unto his Glory And thus we finde the Preposition here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated into is taken by some as carrying the force of another viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Propter which signifieth for so reading the word thus The Creature shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption for the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God that is That the Childrens Liberty might by their service be the more Glorious For as God made the Creature in the beginning for Man and because of him subjected it likewise unto Vanity that so it might not even in the daies of Vanity be superiour to him for whom it was created So will he deliver it again for Man's sake that is for the Accumulation and Illustration of his childrens Glory Though I confess upon the Creature also it self as it is said before shall be conferred a Glory which shall be in the proportion of its Nature a sutable Advancement unto it as the glory of the children shall be unto them And this I conceive in short to be the sense of the Apostle as to this Particular whereby we may see clearly that there shall be a Restauration of the Creature that is as saith S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 Now Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Which words of new Heavens and new Earth as they are used in a certain place by the Prophet Isaiah being spiritually understood Es 65.17 are I confess appliable to the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel under the Kingdom of Christ when it should be so renewed that it should seem to be as 't were a new World old things being done away 2 Cor. 5.17 Types and shadows removed yea the whole Service of the former Tabernacle abolished and all things made new 2 Cor. 5.17 So that in this sense this Prophecy is already fulfilled Nevertheless though the words of the Prophet may be so taken yet we are not to confine the Spirit of God thereunto especially when he hath declared his meaning elsewhere to be of a larger extent as he hath done in this very particular for the Apostle S. Peter in the forecited place Commenting upon the Prophet speaks of the new Heavens and the new Earth as not so much to be seen in this World as in that which is to come his whole Scope in the said Chapter tending thereunto Let then the spiritual sense be acknowledged by us yet that hinders not but that the other sense viz. That there shall really be new Heavens and a new Earth at the last Day may be acknowledged also even as Glory is said to be begun here in those Graces that are shed abroad by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Elect which shall notwithstanding shine forth in its full Splendour in the Kingdom of Glory Objection I hear what is objected unto this viz. That in the Day of the Lord 2 Pet. 3.10 The Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall