in our common speech we know when a promise is to any we use to say remember such a one Calv. And hence because the promise was made to David therefore as Calvin observes he is pleased in the midst of the verse in medio virtus here lyes the best part Gods promises But methinks I smell a Papist raising this doctrine out of these words That we are aided by the suffrages of the dead Saints Thedoret Remember David Dead Saints they are that raise it For we do not consider David here barely as Theodoret doth but as one to whom belong'd the promises as I said before I passe over this dead doctrine of the dead and turn back to the words of spirit and life Lord remember David The Kingly Prophet we see prayes to God he goes not to Angels or Saints for they are not as he well did know to be invocated Psal 73.25 Wherefore David saith whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee And again Ex profundis out of the deeps have I cried unto thee O Lord. I wonder that the Papists condemn him not of immodesty or presumption but albeit they are so full of modesty it is but Pythagorical that shameless modesty they rob God of his honour No wonder as Corvinus forgot his name they forget their manners But I say Give Caesar what is Caesars Angels are not to be invocated Mat. 4.10 but God alone The Papists distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meer Sophistry Both services are due to God Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Moreover Rom. 10. how shall they call on them on whom they have not believed If they call on Saints they must believe in Saints and what is this but to make Christ and his sufferings not to be the compleat object of justifying faith I onely name this Solomon learned otherwise from his father to make God the chief defender of his faith to whom he should pray Lord. Here also I observe a secret confession of Gods love in promising to David of Solomons hope in obtaining God is faithful and ready to promise and as faithfull and ready to perform Solomon both faithful and ready to receive A Looking-glasse for Kings and all others hoc facite vivite do the like and live Four divinity Lectures or Lectures of divine morality for Kings spring from Solomons Petitioning to the Lord in this manner drawn together from the contents of his Petition First that Church and Kingdom are in the hand of God to be disposed of as pleaseth him The most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whom soever he will He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords By me Ksngs reign saith Wisdom Kings are Gods Vicegerents here on earth Dan. 4.32 Revel 19.16 who beare the stamp of the divine Majesty they are in his stead his servants Populum gubernando saith Thomas notwithstanding his other paradox Pro. 8.15 Therefore advisedly he runs not to man he seeks not to get a Kingdome by violence or by the strength of flesh and blood for there is no King saved by the multitude of an host Rom. 13. he trusteth not to the broken reedes of Egypt cursed is he that trusteth in man he learn'd this lesson from his father that vain is the help of man vain also the help of Princes Jerem. 17.5 Put not your trust in Princes but the name of the Lord is a strong tower Thus he acknowledgeth Gods supremacie Lord. Secondly as the first establishing of Church and Policie is in Gods power so is it he that causeth a flourishing Church and Policie As he gives the being so also the welbeing Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Psal 127. Arena sine culce indeed it may well be called Labour in vain except the Lord keep the City the watchmen wake but in vain This was Davids song for his son Solomon That King therefore that will have a flourishing Church and Common-weal must pray to God for it with all humility and submission This is via regia a Kings high-way Solomon hath chalk't it out Here observe his voluntary allegiance to God Lord. Thirdly Kings sons are to have a special care of the charge that their fathers leave behind with them as Solomon had here of Davids Therefore they must pray and do all that can be done for the welfare of their subjects so that they must not be slack in matters of Religion but very zealous it is that unicum necessarium David hath lead him the way the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up and Solomon was not far behind him he follows the tract And good reason The Crown can never be kept without good subjects the subjects can never be good without true Religion Solomon prayes for both and that is the next way to get both And David Peace be within thy walls Psal 122. and prosperity within thy Palaces the effect of both Both these Care and Zeal jump together in one peacefull King to root out Idolatry and plant true Religion What follows Peace and Prosperity Fourthly here is an Emblem of his hope joyn'd with innocency this made him pray to the Lord with heart of grace He knew the Articles If thy children will keep my Covenant and my testimony then their children shall sit upon the throne for evermore He found himself yet to have a good conscience for God will not hear the prayer of the wicked Therefore his innocence confirmed his hope Yet afterward he fell away whether wholly or no we conclude not uncharitably of him with the Papists whereby the bond was forfeited 1 King 11. the promise disanull'd and yet God was more merciful than he sinful for the Lord would not take all the Kingdom from Solomon nor his seed for Davids sake Mat. 1. Neither was Davids seed being in captivity quite cut off for Christ descened from the line of David according to the flesh and hence is called the Son of David and now reigns for evermore according to Gods promise and so is Davids Lord. This I touch by the way It is requisite then that Kings should have care to serve God continually in the integrity and innocencie of their heart If they fall from God God falls from them and then he will either rend their Kingdoms as he did Solomons or pull down both King and throne and lay their honour in the dust If not but that they will keep Gods Commandments and maintain Religion as David did as David shall they prosper all the dayes of their life This Solomon intended and in this intent cried he Lord remember David In these words again do but observe Solomons Sampson-like faith he presseth God with his promise his faith works upon that Since God was so gracious to promise Solomon
true things themselves Neither do they fill and satisfie the minde of man Pleasure is like lightning simul oritur moritur sweet and short And dolor est etiam voluptas Men first itch then scratch then smart Learning the more we know the more we would know Honour contents not the poor labourer would be written Yeoman the Yeoman a Gentleman the Gentleman a Knight the Knight a Baron the Baron a Lord the Lord an Earl the Earle a Marquesse the Marquesse a Duke the Duke a Prince the Prince a King the King a Caesar Aut Caesar aut nullus Caesar an Alexander and Alexander would be a God Vnus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis Aestuat infoelix augusto limine mundi All the worlds army consists of two wings 1. Prosperity on the right hand 2. Adversity on the left hand And prosperity assaults more dangerously than adversity for as Anstin Homo victus in Paradiso victorim stercore Job Gregor Mundum oomparat nuci cassae quae si cultro veritatis aperiatur nihil intus invenire quam vanitatem inanitatem Et D. Johannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quo non aliter atquae in Medeae sinu versamur Orbis hic nihil aliud est quà m scelerum officina Publica in quâ vel Lycurgum ad nequitiam commoveri posse videâ—tur The world is so full of evils as that to write them all would require another world as great as it self Nam quid longa dies nisi longa dolorum colluvies Initio vitae cecitas oblivio possidet Progressu labor dolor exitu error omnibus It may be said of an old man as one of a marriner Nec inter vivos nec inter mortuos Epictetus spake more like a Divine than a Philosopher Homo calamitatis fabula infelicitatis tabula Though a King should conquer all the world yet he gets but a needle-point a mote a mite a nit a nothing The world promiseth many things but performes nothing All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life That is pleasure profit preferment the worldlings Trinity To the same purpose the Christian Poet Ambitiosus honos opes foeda voluptas Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet Every sin we commit in this world will be as a fury to torment us in the next It was a clear heart that gave so bold a forehead to that holy Bishop who durst on his death-bed professe I have so lived as I neither fear to die nor shame to live Love not the world neither the things that are in the world 1 John 2.15 Kingdoms Remotâ justitiá quid sunt Regna nisi magna latrocinia quia ipsa latrocinia quid sunt nisi parva regna It was the Pirates answer to the great Macedonian Alexander who had taken him the King asking him how he durst molest the seas so he replied with a free spirit how durst you molest the whole world But because I do it with a little skip onely I am called a thief thou doing it with a great Navy art called an Emperor It is reported that it was a custom among the learned Nations Clem. Alex. l. 7. that he who should be King must also be a Priest so much they adjudged Religion to import the felicity of Kingdomes Hence the Persians counted them most happy that were most godly 8 Paâ— as testifieth Xenophon We may well say with Cicero why should we be inamoured with our selves since we have neither overcome the Spaniards with numbers the French with strength the Carthaginians with craft nor the Greeks with art but onely with Piety and Religion The Poets all acknowledge that the gods all forsook to succour Troy Dii multa neglecti dâ—deâ—e Hisperiae mala lactuosae Plutarch lib. â—e Exilio for the adultery of Paris The neglect of God brings many sorrowful evils to mankinde The Lacedemonian Ambassador commended his countrey to Ptolomy because that with them there was no envy for all were equal nor covetousnesse for all were common nor idlenesse for all did labour Which three will or may be in time the wrack and ruinous down-fall of any land Kingdoms after the manner other things have but their time to flourish in and so again decay For no Kingdom or Empire upon earth were it never so flourishing or great was ever yet so assured but that in the revolution of time after the manner of other worldly things it hath as a sick body been subject to many strange innovations and changes and at length come to nothing Yea and all the States in the world have their critical days and Clymacterical years beginnings and dissolutions at Gods appointment Ruines of Kingdoms may be known before-hand Junius Quast Pol. 5. not by Apodictical and demonstrative necessity but by Topical probability A skilful Physician by the cause of the disease doth fore-judge of the death of a sick Patient what sort it shall be and why then should not a wise Governour of the republick foresee the Sun-setting of a Kingdom yea in every City there are certain pulses from whose faint and languishing motions Suâ—â—onius we may divine fearful fates to hang over them Sith Seneca himself saith that the luxury of banquets and garments are the tokens of a sick City It is reported that before the death and destruction of Domitian a crow cried in the Capitol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are evil So also that vultures renting in pieces the young unfeathered Eagles portended death to Tarquinius superbus It is good for Kingdomes to have their eyes opened that they may see the day-break before the Sun-shine and dark night before the cock-crow The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord Rev. 11.15 and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Not for a thousand years onely as the Millenaries Jews Upon their Nation is that fully verified Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia They were a people signally prosperous incorrigibly flagitious and God hath made them in publique judgements most notorious Abused mercy turns into fury Their dispersion for this sixteen thousand years and upwards is such as that one of their own Rabbines concludeth from thence that their Messias must needs be come and they must needs suffer so much for killing him O the severity of God! and O the obstinacy and misery of this hard-hearted people Such is their stubbornness that they curse us Christians in their daily prayers Maledic Domine Nazaraeis They stick not to say that rather than we should have any benefit by their Messiah they would crucifie him an hundred times over Yea they have been ever such bitter enemies to Christians and so they continue that among the Turks every Visier and Basha of State useth to keep a Jew of his private counsel Blunts Voyage p. 114. whose malice wit and experience
because as Lyra saith that the Levites sung them on the steps or degrees whereby they went up to the Temple for indeed we read that there were such steps whereof if we beleeve Lyra there were fifteen which opinion as unlikely with Luther I passe over But it is probable that they were sung in an high place where they that were appointed to sing might be both better heard and seen As for the time when they were sung it is thought they were sung at the departure of the people out of the temple for an up-shot to their divine service therefore called songs of degrees or ascensions for songs of conclusions because short However Sine periculo bÃc erratur and therefore more fit to conclude with all If it be thus we see the antiquity of this custom of concluding with a Psalme I return to the Author as he was in office in that therefore he was a King that was the inditer of this Psalme we learn this That Rex pâ—us est reipublicae opnamento Kings and Magistrates should be godly They are to have the practice of piety Many I think have it lying by them or in their hands few indeed have it in their hearts Many would have it if they did know how this is the way yet godly wisdom the practice will follow and this is gotten by going to God Mat. 7.7 God doth give the Spirit of wisdom to such as earnestly desire it Ask and it shall be given you Solomons request to God was for wisdom and he gave it him and more than that None was than more wise then Solomon the Queen of Sheba came from the farthest bounds of the earth to hear him discourse And none was then more wealthy or in so great prosperity Prov. 3.16 Bona throni and bona scabelli because none more wise The way then to prosper is to obtain wisdom of God Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Again I gather from hence That Kings and Governours should not dispose the wisdom which God bestows on them to their own private ends but they must make others of the same rank their sons their subjects partakers of it as here David and Solomon did ut Regis ad exemplum that they might conforme themselves to the like godly courses Which may be a counterblast to all those bastards of the whore of Babylon that have snapped at the credit of some Princes witnesse K. James of blessed memory saying that he was more fit to be a Divine than a King Blind leaders of the blind why not both I mean not my profession In that they are filled with so great a measure of divine knowledge above others they are fitter to be Kings David was a King and a Prophet so was Solomon why should the like then be accounted a fault in others Furthermore he that is the Principal Member of Gods Church within his own dominions should be soundly grounded in Gods word and able to render an account of his faith How were it possible that he and his house with Joshuah should serve the Lord truly if he were ignorant of the points of Religion or of those things wherein he is to serve him Kings must serve God as well as others Reges ut reges saith Austin Worship him all ye gods Psal 97.7 Aug. It was Gods own command Deut. 17.18 where he setteth down what a King must do And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them c. Lastly from this ariseth another observation That Kings and Governours ought to pray for divine Knowledge and Wisdom For in their Kingdoms they are Judges of Ecclesiastical and Civil matters except they wilfully give up their titles of right How can they judge righteously if they be ignorant of the matters whereof they are Judges They must scan matters over and over and sift them for it is the honour of Kings to search out a matter Be wise now therefore O ye Kings Prov. 25.2 Psal 2.10 Psal 119.104 be instructed ye Judges of the earth But how is this gotten Through thy precepts I get understanding saith David Here I limit not my self to Kings but what I say of their duty I say of all Christians for they are Kings through Christ The use then is this Revel 1.6 How far from pleasing God are such as neglect this so great a duty and so great a good that whereas they may have wisdom for the asking or whereas if by asking they obtain it they should use it to the edification of others all is neglected hence instead of pious songs such as Davids Solomons the world is filled with swarms of Pamphlets Let us therefore pray that God would teach all of us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome And this for Preface to what ensues The words are short and sweet being a breviary of the whole Psalm which is partly petitional non voz sed votum from this first verse to the eleventh and partly repetitional of Gods promises non votum sed vox from the eleventh verse to the end all which is sweetly compiled in these words Lord remember David and all his afflictions Two things are here recommended to Gods remembrance viz. David and his afflictions Luth. But what David Not bare David without either welt or gard not David materialiter but David formaliter saith Luther as he was godly David as unto whom God passed his word and promise that when thy dayes shall be fulfilled speaking to David by the Prophet Nathan and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and I will est ablish his Kingdom 2 Sam. 7. he shall build an house for my name and I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for ever And this is it that is comprised in this verse and enlarg'd in the rest Therefore saith he remember David that is the promises made to David We can have no better exposition of Scripture than scripture 1 Kings 8.28 Solomon in another place prayes for the same Therefore now Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my father that thou promised'st him saying there shall not be cut off unto thee a man from my sight as the originall is to sit on the throne of Israel but on condition so that thy children take heed to their way that they walk before me as thou bast walked before me And now O God of Israel let thy word I pray thee â—e verified c. Again
3. q. 26. art 1. Simpliciter perfectivè yet the Angels and Saints also must be our Mediatours dispositive ministerialiter They are much beholden to this distinction of principal and ministerial Some unskilful Physicians give one drink or one medicine for all diseases so these men apply this distinction of Principal and Ministerial to salve up all soars among them Christ is the chief Head of the Church the Pope is a ministerial head under him So Christ is the Principal Mediatour Angels and Saints are Ministerial Yet if a woman should hear she had a chief husband and a ministerial husband she could hardly endure it They might as well say there is one principal God but many ministerial Gods under him as to say there is one chief Mediatour and many ministerial The Mediatour between God and man Confes l. 10. cap. saith Austin must be both God and man He must have Aliquid simile Deo aliquid simile hominibus that he may mediate between them both If he were only man he could not go to God if he were only God he could not go to man As for Angels they be neither God nor man therefore they cannot be our Mediatours As for the Saints in Heaven they be half-men they have souls but as yet they have no bodies and they are not God therefore they cannot be our Mediatours Nay properly to speak the Holy Ghost the third person in the glorious Trinity cannot be our Mediatour for though he be God yet he is not man much less can the Angels or Saints be our Mediatours Besides the Mediatour of the New Covenant hath established the Covenant with his blood It is Christ alone that by the blood of his cross hath set at peace all things in heaven and in earth And no Testament is of force without the death of the Testatour Let them prove that any died for us besides Christ and then we will acknowledge other Mediatours As he trode the Wine-press alone so he is Mediatour alone It is Sacriledge to adjoyn others to him Therefore as he took the pains alone so let him have the honour alone Moreover Christ is Mediatour not only of Redemption as the Papists grant but of Intercession also of which in due place He being so near us in the matter of his Incarnation will never be strange to us in the business of Intercession Christ then being the sole Mediatour Let us not cry with those Idolaters O Baal hear us But ask the Father in the Sons name and say O Christ hear us Who prevails more with the King than the Kings Son Let us not leave the Son and go to Servants For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and men 1 Tim. 2.5 the man Christ Jesus Of Christs Kingly Office THE name Christ doth belong to our Saviour by special excellency he being as none else ever was a King a Priest and a Prophet The works of Christs Mediation Dr. Reynolds were of two sorts 1. Opera Ministerij works of service and ministery for he took upon himself the form of a servant and was a Minister of the Circumcision 2. Opera potestatis works of Authority and Government in the world We must here again distinguish saith that reverend Author between Regnum naturale Christs natural Kingdom which belongs to him as God coessential and coeternal with the Father and Regnum Oecononicum his Dispensatory Kingdom as he is Christ the Mediatour which was his not by Nature but by Donation and Unction from his Father that he might be the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace and a King of Righteousness unto his People In which respect he had conferr'd upon him all such meet qualifications as might fit him for the dispensation of this Kingdom For God prepared him a Body Heb. 10 5. or a Humane nature Not an aëry or Phantastical body as some Hereticks dreamed but a body in all substantial things like to ours differing only in one accidental thing and that is sin And God ordained him a soul too The Deity did not supply that office as Apollinaris did imagine Col. 2.9 And besides by the grace of Personal Union caused the Godhead to dwell bodily in him He anointed him with a fulness of his Spirit Plenitudo vasis fontis Joh. 3.34 not with the fulness of a vessel such as the Saints had a fulness for themselves only But a fulness without measure which hath a sufficient sufficiency and redundancy for the whole Church He did by Solemn promulgation proclaim him King unto the Church This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him He hath given him a Scepter of righteousness Psa 45.6 Rev. 1.16 Psal 2.9 and hath put a sword in his mouth and a rod of Iron in his hand He hath honoured him with Embasladors to negotiate the affairs of the Kingdom 2 Cor. 5.20 Which shews that Ministers are Sacred persons not to be violated upon pain of Gods heavy displeasure Do my Prophets no harm He hath given him the souls and consciences of men Psal 2.8 Joh. 17.6 even to the uttermost parts of the earth for the territories of his Kingdom The Object of Christs Kingdom of Grace are all Nations He hath given him power concerning the Laws of his Church Rom. 3.27 A power to make Laws the law of faith To expound Laws as the Moral Law And to abrogate Laws as the Law of Ordinances He hath given him power of judging and condemning enemies Joh. 5.27 Luke 19. â—7 Lastly He hath given him a power of remitting sins and sealing pardons And all these royal Prerogatives belong unto him as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well Man as God Mat. 9 6. Joh. 20.23 Whence we may note That Christs Kingdom belongs to him not by usurpation intrusion or violence but legally by order decree and investiture from his Father And as he came rightly by it so also his government is not with rigour but righteousness Therefore let us submit to his government and though we be within the Walls of the Church yet let us not flatter our selves in our sins thinking for all this that Christ will be merciful unto us for his Scepter is a Scepter of righteousness he must punish sin wheresoever he finds it Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Tell ye the daughter of Sion Psa 2.6 Mat. 21.4 Psal 2.12 Behold thy King cometh unto thee Kiss the Son Of Christs Priestly Office Sacerdos sacer dux docens orans offerens Q. habens sacram dotem Not a name of reproach and contempt but of exceeding great honour in the book of God There was a worthy and glorious Priest-hood in time of the Law there was an high-priest in goodly apparel clothed with a white linnen Ephod that had a Miter on his head a fair breast-plate on his breast on which was written the names of
faith were alone Tanquam sponsus cum sponsà in Thalamo howbeit it is such a faith as works by love 3. He that can rightly distinguish betwixt Law and Gospel let him praise God for his skill and know himself to be a good Divine For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in heaven Ideo moralis lex vocatur quia de moribusâ—est omni beminum generi semper communis Zanch. The Moral Law it is eternal and albeit some special duties of certain commandments shall cease when we come to heaven yet the substance of every one remaineth We live by the same Law in effect as the Saints above do and do Gods Will on earth as they in heaven The ministerials of this Law shall pass away together with this life the substantials shall pass into our glorified natures and shine therein as in a Mirrour for ever Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets Mat. 5.17 Ne minima quidem litera Luth. Rom. 3.31 I am not come to destroy but to fulfill For verily I say unto you It is easier for Heaven and earth to pass than one title of the Law to fail Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law For the Law is holy and just Cap. 7.12 and good Lex Talionis Lex Talionis Aâ—â—st quandâ— quis idem patitur quod alteri fecit Vocatur à Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi reciproâ—â— mutua passio à verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est vicissim patior A Latinis Talio jus talionis quia talia tribuuntur qualia quis fâ—cit Aulus Gâ—llius in Histor aut alteri praestitit Vnde apud Gellium dicitur retaliare quasi talia retribuere qualia alter secit De hoc jure etiam in sacris literis extat preceptum Moses exigit vitam pro animo oculum pro oculo Christus in Evangeliâ— inquit quâ— mensurâ— metieritis remetietur vebis Et Propheta Esaias vae tibi qui spolias alterum quoniam ipse spâ—liaberis What wouldest thou have done with me said Tamerlane to the fierce Bajazet Turk hist fol. 220. then his prisoner had it been my fortune to have fallen into thy hands as thou art now in mine I would said Bajazet have inclosed thee in a Cage of Iron and so in triumph have carried thee up and down my Kingdom Even so said Tamerlane shalt thou be served One Perillus gave to Phalaris King of Cicile Necenim â—ex justor â—lla est Quamnâ—cis artisicâ—s arte pâ—riâ—â— sâ—â— an hollow or brazen Bull wherein to scortch and torment men by fire praising the device with this commendation That the noise of the tormented would be like the bellowing of a Bull. But there was a due reward unto the inventour for the first trial was made of himself God usually retaliates and dealeth with men according to the manner and way of their wickedness The sin and suffering oft meet in some remarkable circumstance Babylon hath blood for blood Jacob cometh as the elder to Isaac and Leah cometh as the younger to Jacâ—b He that denied a crumb wanted a drop Asa that set the Prophet in the stocks had a disease in his seet Sodom sinned in fulness of bread and it is expresly noted that their victuals were taken from them by the four Kings Their eyes were full of uncleanness and they were smitten with blindness They burned with lust and were burned with fire They sinned against nature and against the course of nature fire descends and consumes them Sisera annoy's Gods People with his Iron Charets and is slain by a nail of Iron Jesabels braâ—s that devised mischief against the innocent are strew'd upon the stones By a Letter sent from Jezreel she shed the blood of Naboth and by a Letter from Jezreel the blood of her sons is shed Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomons Temple the seven years work of so many thousands therefore he is turned a grazing and seven seasons pass over him The blasphemers in the Revelations gnaw their tongues through pain and Dives was tormented in that part chiefly Cyprian yielding the reason of it Quia lingua plus peccaverat Thus God delights to give men their own to pay them home in their own coyn to remete them their own measure to beat them with their own weapons to over-shoot them in their own bows and to shape their estates according to their own patterns When it is thus know the sin by the judgement and silence murmuring Adonibezek an Heathen observed As I have done God hath done to me With what judgement ye judge Mat 7.2 ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again The Gospel THE word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of to bâ—â—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuntius 〈◊〉 unutium Evangelium signifieth glad-tidings that is the proper notation of the Original word And the same may our English word Gospel admit for Spel in ancient signified speech Gespel then is a good speech Or quasi Gods-spell Gods power or charm to call us to be Christians as Romans 1.16 The Gospel is the Power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth It is sometimes taken for the Sacrifice which the Heathen offered to their gods It is so used in Xenophon Homer Odyss for joyful news And sometimes for the reward which is given to him who bringeth glad-ridings In Scripture it is taken for glad-tidings in general For the history of Christ But by an excellency it is restrained to signifie The most joyful message of salvation And sometimes for the publishing of the Doctrine of Christ Consider the Gospels 1. Antiquity 2. Excellency It is at least as old as Moses which was the first writer that we read of The Athenians thought it to be a new Doctrine Yet it is as ancient as Moses nay as Adam for the Doctrine of the Gospel was in Paradise The Law was before the Gospel yet the Gospel is more worthy than it darkness went before the light the night before the day yet the day is more glorious than the night All creatures were made before man yet man excelleth them all The Sword-bearer goes before the Major yet he is not greater than the Major All things are not to be esteemed by their precedency and priority in the world There cometh one after me said John yet in honour and dignity he is before me So the Gospel cometh after the Law yet it is more excellent than the Law In the Law there is nothing but matter of fear in the Gospel of love in the Law God is against us in the Gospel he is Emanuel God with us The Law curseth the Gospel blesseth The Law is a denunciation of wrath of a curse against us because of transgression only the Gospel is an annunciation of mercy and forgiveness That breatheth forth only a cold blast a North-wind of
threatening this sendeth forth a warm gale a South-wind of Promise The office of the Law is to accuse and terrifie of the Gospel to heal and comfort Finally the Law is a killing Letter but the Gospel a quickning Spirit Great and many are the blessings brought upon the world even upon the heads of those who unfainedly believe the Gospel Viz. 1. Reconciliation with God not only of God unto us but of us unto God which is the staying or taking away that enmity against God and those hard thoughts of him which lay burning and working in our inward parts together with kindling of a spirit of love towards him and the raising of an honourable opinion in us of him in the stead thereof 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Rom. 5.10 Col. 1.21 2. Justification or righteous-making in the sight of God setting us free from all guilt demerit and imputation of sin whatsoever Act. 13.38 39. Rom. 3.21 22. 5.9 3. Adoption or relation of Son-ship John 1.12 13. Rom. 8.14 15. Gal. 3.26 4.6 7 c. 4. Mortification of the body of sin and death which is in us The Gospel ministers wisdom and strength to do it Rom. 6.3 4 5. Col. 3.3 5. 1 Pet. 4.1 5. Our vivification to a more excellent life an inspiration of a new principle of vital motions and actions far more honourable and august than our former Rom. 6.4 Jam 1.18 Eph. 2. 6. Peace with God that of Conscience also Rom. 5.1 Act. 10.36 Rom. 10.15 Eph. 3.17 7. Redemption and deliverance from the wrath and vengeance to come 1 Cor. 1.30 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 1 Thes 1.10 8. The Gospel lifts not up the world with the hope and expectation of a Redemption or deliverance from the wrath which is to come but of an investiture and possession also of the glory which is to come Yea it carries on them who believe so far in the ways of righteousness and peace until they be ready to enter into the city of the great King Col. 1.12 Act. 20.32 Hence the Gospel must needs be a doctrine of â—oy Many of the Jews whom the thunders of Sinai the terrours of the Law moved not John Baptist wins with the Songs of Sion To which put pose S. Cyril mystically interpreting those words of the Prophet Micah 4.4 That every man should sit under his vine and under his fig-tree observeth that Wine is an emblem of joy the Fig-tree of sweetness and by both is shadowed that joy which the Evangelical doctrine should produce in those who sit under the preaching of it Indeed those doctrines which reveal God and Christ can only give solid comfort unto the soul and these doctrines are no where made known but in holy Writ and they are most clearly delivered in the Gospel The Gospel holds forth the New Covenant that constellation of Promises so called not simply but in respect of the discovery of it as we call some places the New world Unto this Covenant the Sacraments are the Broad-seal and the Spirit is the Privy-seal This Covenant was a great chearer to Davids heart 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure Which is all my salvation and all my desire Also Christs Testament and last Will And this is the comfort of Gods elect that Heaven is conveyed unto them by legacy All that God requires of us is to take hold of his Covenant and to receive his gift of righteousness And this also he hath promised to cause us to do writing his law in our hearts c. And truly the Gospel is chiefly promissory yea it is a Promise and that such as hath many Promises in the womb of it and those as the Apostle Peter calls them 2 Pet. 1.4 exceeding great and precious not of temporals but spirituals nay eternals Fellowship with God remission adoption eternal life what not are the choise and precious benefits which the Gospel revealeth and offereth to us So that it is a treasury of divine riches a storehouse of the souls provision a Cabinet of heavenly pearls all things truly good and justly desireable being contained in and conveyed to us by it Besides the preaching of the Gospel is the bell whereby we are called to eternal glory As by the sound of a trumpet the people were called together in the time of the Law so this is the Silver-trumpet sounding in our ears whereby we are called to the Kingdom of Heaven The common opinion is and the most antient Copies say as much that Matthew wrote his Gospel eight years after Christ Mark ten Luke fifteen and John forty two Plato when ready to die blessed God for three things 1. That he made him a Man 2. That he was born in Greece 3. That he lived in the time of Socrates David Chytraus also blessed God for three things 1. That he had made him a Man and not a Beast 2. That he had made him a Christian and not a Pagan 3. That he had his education under those excellent Lights Luther and Melancthon Austin wished but to have seen three fights 1. Romam in flore Rome in the flourish 2. Paulum in ore Paul in the Pulpit 3. Christum in corpore Christ in the flesh But greater is our happiness in enjoying the Gospel Vers 17. Mat. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things whiâ—h ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them We have the Turtles voice the joyful sound the lively Oracles The Sea ab out the Altar was brazen and what eyes could pierce thorow that Now our Sea about the Throne is glassie like to Chrystal cleerly conveying the light and sight of God to our eyes All Gods Ordinances are now so cleer that we may see Christs face in them and be transformed into the image and similitude of Christ Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace Luk. 2.10 Rom. 10.15 and bring glad tidings of good things Repeâ—t ye Mark 1.15 and believe the Gospel Christs Humiliation Incarnation The Scripture tells us how that man comes four ways into the world Aug. Serm. 20. de Temp. 1. By the help of man and woman so all are usually born 2. Without any man or woman and so the first man was created 3. Of a man without a woman and so was Eve made 4. Of a woman without a man and so was Christ born So that Christ birth differs from the birth of others He that was more excellent than Angels became less than Angels Vt nos aquaret Angelis minoratus est ab Angelis He that laid the foundation of the earth and made the world was himself now made Factor terra factus
sinful and diseased parts of the Soul for as in Original sin there is the seed plot of all evil so in Regeneration there is the Root of all actual Graces Therefore who ever will have the comfort of Sanctification must look that they have not only illumination in their minds but also renovation of their hearts It s no advantage with the Toad to have a Pearl in the Head and poyson all over the body Gods children are called Temples of God and of the Holy Ghost now as the Temple consisted of three parts viz. Sanctuarium sanctum and sanctum sanctorum so doth man the body is as the outer Court the Soul as the holy place and the Spirit as the most holy and Sanctification as a golden vein must run thorow all these When we fall into Sin we are like unto a man which falls upon a heap of stones and into the mire such a one may be quickly washed but not so soon healed even so Justification is at once but Sanctification comes on gradually For it is with man as it was with the house wherein was the fretting and spreading Leprosie mentioned Levit. 14.41 c. For though that House might be scraped round about and much rubbish and corrupt materialls be removed yet the Leprosie did not cease till the house with the stones and timber and morter of it were all broken down So 't is with man Grace may do much and alter many things that were amiss in him and make him leave many sins to which he was formerly given but to have Sin wholly cast out and left that is not to be expected These reliquiâ—â— vetustatis as Austin calls them remain till this earthly Tabernacle of his body be by death pulled down and dissolved There is an outward and an inward Sanctification he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Judas seemed to be a Saint yet he was a Devil Let us intreat the Lord to sanctifie our hearts as well as our hands our Souls and Consciences as well as our tongues That is true Sanctification that begineth at the heart and from thence floweth to all the parts What should we do with a fair and beautiful Apple if the core be rotten A straw for an outward glorious Profession if there be no truth in the inward parts Libanius the Sophister reports that a Painter being one day desirous to paint Apollo upon a Laurel board the colours would not stick but were rejected out of which his Fancy found out this extraction that the chaste Daphne concerning whom the Poets feign that flying from Apollo En peragit cursus sarda Diana snos who attempted to ravish her she was turned into a Laurel Tree could not endure him even in painting and rejected him after the loss of her sensitive powers Indeed good Souls do even to death resent the least image and offer of impurity The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thess 5.23 But ye are washed 1 Cor. 6.11 but ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God To receive an inheritance among all them who are sanctified Act. 20 32. Adoption A child of God is two wayes By 1. Nature 2. Grace The child of God by nature Adoptio est gratuita assumptio personae non habentis jus in haereditate ad participationem hereditatis So the Civilians define it is Christ as he is the eternal Son of God A child by grace is three ways 1. By creation thus Adam before his fall and the good Angels are the children of God 2. By personal union thus Christ as he is man is the Child of God 3. By the grace of Adoption thus are all true believers In this grace of adoption there be two acts of God One is Acceptation whereby God accepts men for his children The other is Regeneration whereby men are born of God when the Image of God is restored in them in righteousness and true holiness The excellency of this benefit is great every way for Titulo redemptitionis adoptionis 1. He which is the child of God is heir and fellow-heir with Christ and that of the kingdom of heaven Rom. 8.17 And of all things in heaven and earth 1 Cor. 3.22 He hath title in this life and shall have possession in the life to come All Gods sons are heirs not so the sons of earthly Princes Gods children are all higher than the Kings of the earth 2. Again He who is Gods child hath the Angels of God to attend on him and to minister unto him for his good and salvation Heb. 1.14 If Jacob was at such pains and patience to become son-in-law to Laban if David held it so great a matter to be son-in-law to the King what is it then to be sons and daughters to the Lord Almighty As many as received him John 1.12 to them gave he priviledge to become the sons of God Behold 1 John 3.1 what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Consolation The Devil is mans Accuser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in full opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Spirit is his Comforter whose office it is to make intercession in our hearts to God for us and upon our true repentance to make our apology to comfort us by discovering our graces and pleading our evidences which they who refuse to read over and rest upon they do help Satan the accuser taking his part against themselves As it is not meet for a Judge to ride in his own circuit so nor for a doubting Christian to judge in his own case It 's storied that a Minister once could have no rest in his spirit until he went to visit a certain man to whose house coming late in the night and all being in bed except the man alone Truly said the Minister here I am but I know not to what end Yes said the other but God knoweth for I have made away so many childrens portions and here 's the rope in my pocket with which I was going to hang my self But how saith the Minister if I can tell you of one that made away more and yet was saved Who was that saith the man I pray Adam who being a publique person and intrusted with all for his posterity fell and so lost all Thus it is God that shines through the creature and comforteth by the means The soul is apt to seek the living amongst the dead to hang her comforts on every hedge But as air lights not without the sun and as fuel heats not without fire so neither can any thing soundly comfort us without God God who comforteth us in all our tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 that we may be able to comfort them which be in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Grace GRace is twofold 1. Active in God his free favour 2. Passive from God grace wrought in man
him renounce God and Salvation upon which that wretched malicious enemy killeth him with this boast Now he had satisfied his revenge for he had not onely killed his body but damned his soul It is a great depravity in our natures and surely an affection that savoureth of hell to comfort our selves in the sufferings of others But to procure the miseries of others in those extremities wherein we hold an hope to have no society ourselves is methinks a strain above Lucifer and a project beyond the primary seduction of hell Revenge Indignus Casaris irâ— 1. It is an effeminate passion the generous mind disdaineth it as not daining to debase himself These are the worst spirits that are possest with thoughts of revenge Quippe minuti Semper infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas Vltio Hail Vero magni est animi quasdam injurias negligere nec ad quorundam convicia habere vel aures vel linluam Erasm thunder lightning hurt not superiour bodies but inferiour so childish quarrels hurt not great and high minds 2. It is a biting passion like a worm it gnaweth the heart of him that is infected with it 3. It is full of injustice it tormenteth the innocent 4. The execution is not onely painful but dangerous he doth that he wisheth to be undone the fear of justice tormenteth him and the care to hide him those that love him 5. To kill his enemy is not revenge for he feeleth not the power of his wrath which is the end of revenge In true revenge the revenger takes some pleasure and he upon whom he is revenged must feel the weight of his displeasure and repent which he that is killed cannot do Besides to kill is cowardly for though it makes an end of the quarrel yet it wounds the reputation It is a trick of precaution not of courage the way to proceed safely not honourably A wise man will neglect injuries Momus in Lucian tels Jupiter It is in thy power whether any one shall vex or wrong thee One having made a long and idle discourse before Aristotle concluded it thus I doubt I have been too tedious unto you Sr. Philosopher with my many words In good sooth said Aristotle you have not been tedious to me for I gave no heed to any thing you said The manlier any man is the milder and more merciful as David 2 Sam. 1.12 And Julius Caesar who when he had Pompey's head presented to him wept and said Non mihi placet vindicta sed victoria I seek not revenge but victory True it is that private revenge is utterly unlawful unlesse it be in a mans own necessary defence where the case is so sudden that a man cannot call in the help of the Magistrate but must either kill or be killed Otherwise that of Lactantius holdeth true Non minus mali est injuriam referre quà m inferre And that of Seneca Immane verbum est ultio revenge is a cruel word I will conclude this in the words of Ambrose O domine Comment in Luk. l. 10. in illa verba lucae cur emere me jubes gladium qui ferire me prohibes Cur haberi precipis quem vetas promi nisi forte ut sit parata defensio non ultio ut videar potuisse vindicare sed noluisse Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath Rom. 12.19 for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. Murder It is reported of the Bees that aegrotante unâ lamentantur emnes when one is sick Homicidium est injustâ homin is occisio Ames they all mourn And of sheep that if one be faint the rest will stand betwixt it and the sun till it be revived Onely man to man is most pernicious We know that a bird yea a bird of prey once fed a man in the wildernesse that a beast Homo solus sibi inimicus yea a beast of fierce cruelty spared a man in his den Whereupon saith a learned Father Ferae parcunt aves pasount homines saeviunt hence also we may conclude with Solomon Pro. 17.12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man Cypr. serm 6. rather than a fool in his folly Surely if others sins have a woe hanging at their heeles according to that of Job Cap. 10.15 bloody men shall have a woe with a witnesse Nahum 3.1 as those that walk in the way of Cain â—ude 11. The blood of one Abel had so wany tongues as drops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Caryl and every drop a voice to cry for vengeance True neither did the blood nor the earth speak formally the blood had no voice and the ground was silent blood hath no more voice of its own than water hath or than a fish that lives in the water hath but the Lord speakes thus to shew that he will certainly bring bloody sins chiefly the sin of blood to light The justice of God in all ages hath sent out his writ of enquiry after bloody men and for the blood of the innocent Yea God will as it were give a tongue to the earth he will make speechless creatures speak rather than blood shall be concealed Blood may be concealed a long time but blood shall not alwayes be concealed Murder is a crying sin for which God makes inquisition and strangely brings it to light Wonderful are the instances how murderers have met with the hand of revenge some immediately from God others from the civil sword of the Magistrate some from the hand of murderers like themselves and many have done violence to their own lives being haunted and hunted by the furies of their own consciences It was a saying of K. James that if God did leave him to kill a man he would think God did not love him The blood of man violently spilt doth not bring sorth hony-bees to sting hands and face but the monstrous beast called revenge which hath destroyed whole kingdomes The blood of a wicked man Mr. Needlars Expos Not. if innocently shed cryes If Abel had murdered Cain Cains blood would have cryed and called upon God for justice against Abel But Abels blood cryes according to the worth of the person for Abel was a Saint c. Psal 72.14 Psal 116.15 Blood-guiltiness made not onely Cain restlesse Clamitat in coelum vox sanguinis Sodomorum vox oppressorum merces retenta laborum but how terrible also was the voice of it in Judas conscience It did need no tongue no voice no witnesse to accuse it but his own No man accused Judas but in case of blood Judas must accuse himself Mat. 27.3 The burden of it lyes so heavy on the conscience and how strangely doth the Lord bring forth blood by the persons themselves The busy brood of Romes factors are called Jesuites but they may more fitly be called Jehuites Jesus was as meek as a Lamb but Jehu was a man of blood so be they
Andronicus the old Emperour of Greece in his speech to his young Nephew said Forasmuch as I next unto God have been the Author of thy nativity and increase give me my life Turk Hist fol. 172. spare thy fathers head with violent weapon spill not that blood from which thou thy self hast taken the fountain of life Man truly beholdeth heaven and earth and heaven and earth behold mens actions Wherfore make not the heaven and the earth beholders of so wicked an outrage as never man ever committed If brothers blood long ago cryed out unto the Lord against Cain how much lowder shall the fathers blood cry unto the Lord and declare so great a wickednesse unto the earth the sun and starres and make it abhorred of all the Princes of the world Regard my miserable old age which of it self promiseth unto me shortly death Reverence the hands which have oftentimes most lovingly embraced thee yet crying in thy swathing clouts Reverence those lips which have oftentimes most lovingly kissed thee and called thee my other soul c. Charles the ninth of France Author of the bloody Massacre of Paris died of exceeding bleeding Richard the third of this Kingdome and Q. Mary had the shortest raigns of any since the conquest Absolom and Achitophel came to tragical and unhappy ends So did all the Primitive persecutors according to that Psal 55.23 Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes Phidias painted the image of Minerva with his own that none could deface the one but both So hath God imprinted his own image upon man And though its true by the fall it is defaced and abolished yet are there some reliques thereof still abiding which God will not have destroyed Consider if hatred be so damnable what is murder It is the destruction of Gods image of a member of Christ for whom Christ died and a Temple of the Holy Ghost The land is polluted by it and cannot be expiated but by blood If Dives be in Hell for not saving life how shall they escape Hell that destroy it Whose sheddeth mans blood Gen. 9.6 by man shall his blood be shed for in the imagâ— of God made he man The Law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient for murderers of fathers 1 Tim. 1.9 and murderers of mothers Deliver me from blood-guiltiness Psal 51.14 O God Ingratitude Omne dixeris maledictum cum ingratum hominem dixeris To render good for evil is divine to render good for good is humane to render evil for evil is bruitish but to render evil for good is devillish While I hold up his chin to save him from drowning he with his heel should kick me under water Lycurgus the Lacedemonian law-giver would make no law against such Quod prodigiosares esset beneficium non rependere because it could not be imagined that any would be so unworthy as not to recompence one kindnesse with another And the old Romanes decreed that such as were found guilty of this fault should be cast alive to the Cormorant to be pulled in pieces and devoured Ingrato quod donatur deperditur saith Seneca And Amare non redamentem Ille non dignus est dandis qui ingratus est de datis Speed est amoris impendia perdere saith Hierom All 's lost that is laid out upon an unthankful person He buries benefits as the barren earth doth the seed He is as once was said of the Pope like a Mouse in a satchel or a Snake in ones bosom who do but ill repay their Hostess for their lodging An unthankful man is a naughty man nay he is an ugly man Therefore our Saviour fitly yokes them together To the unthankful and to the evil Luk. 6 35. Injury Qui nescit ferri injurias vivere nescit Socrates when one gave him a box on the eâ—r in the market-place said Quà m molestum est nescire homines quando prodire debeant cum gratiâ What an odd thing it is to go abroad without an head-piece Pestifera vis est valere ad nocendum saith Seneca And yet again bars revenge Hydrae uno capite resecto septem alia repullala bant Vnde Proverbium Hydram secaâ— For saith he Quemadmodum praecisae arboâ—es plurimis ramis repullulant ita crudelitas auget inimicorum numerum tollendo For it engageth all their relations against us in the quarrel In a matter of strise saith Basil he hath the worse that carries it And Aristotle himself yieldeth That of the twain it is better to suffer the greatest wrong than to do the least But how many have we like the angry Bee that care not to sting another though it be to the loss of their own lives Whiles we are thus busie in breaking those darts that men shoot from afar against us we are oppressed by the Devil near hand us Nay in thus resisting evil we give place to the Devil whom if by patience and forbearance we could resist he would flie from us Not rendring evil for evil 1 Pet. 3.9 Innocency After that Bajazet and his four sons were made away Turk Hist. fol. 782. at the command of Solyman the Magnificent there remained the youngest but new-born and at nurse who was now upon the death of his father commanded by his said Grandfather to be strangled also The Eunuch sent by Solyman to have done the deed and loth to do it himself took with him one of the Porters of the Court a desperate and otherwise an hard-hearted Ruffian a man thought fit to have performed any villany He coming into the chamber where the Child lay and fitting the bow-string to the Childs neck to have strangled him the innocent Babe smiled upon him and lifting up it self as well as it could with open arms offered to have embraced the Villain about the neck and kissed him Which guiltless simplicity so wounded the stony-hearted man that he was not able to perform the intended butchery of the poor simple Child but fell down in a swoun and there lay for dead Such is the rare force of Innocency Yet we must neither be Foxes nor Asses The Romane rule was Neâ— fugere nâ—â— soqui He that makes himself too much a Sheep shall scarce escape worrying with Dogs Columbine simplicity doth well when it is mixed with Serpentine subtilty A Serpents eye saith one in a Doves head is an excellent ornament Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves Mat. 10.16 Contentation Pirrhus being demanded of Cyneas What he intended after he had won his many great intended Victories answered Live merrily To whom he replied So he might do already would he but be content with his own It is not the great Cage that maketh the Bird sing Nor the great Estate that brings inward joy and cordial contentment As a Bird with a little eye and the advantage of a wing to soar with may see far wider than an Oxe with a greater so the Righteous
royal Diadem higher than the Kings of the earth greater than the four famous Monarchies c. And yet these worthies of whom the world is not worthy these precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold these Jewels of Jesus Christ which are his very glory 2 Cor. 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forti animo mala fer nec his miser esto dolore Are counted the off-scouring of all things esteemed as earthen Pitchers shamefully slighted and trampled upon with the feet of insolency and cruelty Howbeit as stars though we see them sometimes in a puddle though they reflect there yet have their scituation in Heaven so Gods Saints though in a low condition yet they are fixed in the Region of happinesse The Saints that are in the earth Psal 16.3 The excellent Foundation There is 1. Fundamentum fundatum Eph. 2.20 2. Fundamentum fundans 1 Cor. 3.11 The first is a scriptural foundation the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the other is a personal foundation Christ himself Be sure to adde practice to these Mat. 7.24 Fundamentals are few in number Certa semper sunt in puâ—is Tertul. but many in vertue Small in sight but great in weight Every particle of truth is precious as the filings of gold neither may we alter or exchange a letter or syllable in Fundamentals Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.20 Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Rome Rome hath left her seaven mountains to plant her self in Campo Martio Lips de Mag. Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 11. who lyes as it were entombed in her own ruines Lipsius cannot so much as trace the ancient tract of heâ— walls So in respect of her state Ecclesiastical that which was the garden of Eden is now over-grown with weeds and the Daughter of Zion is now become the Whore of Babylon Rome of Christs Spouse is become the strumpet of Sathan of the school of Simon Peter whose being there is yet questionable the school of Simon Magus of the Temple of the Holy Ghost a cage of impure spirits She calls her self Queen but Hierom the purple Whore Once the Church of Rome wrote her lawes in milk but now she writes them in Sunday letters Prayers and teares were once her weapons but now fire and sword And if in shew of peace she turn heâ— destructive instruments into mattocks it is but to play the Pioner and make way for death Roma radix omnium malorum It is the City that is mounted on seven hills and cannot be hid but is apparently discerned and described to be the great City Babylon the seat of Antichrist The sweetest wine turns into the sowrest vineger the whitest ivory burnt into the blackest coale So about the year 1414. Theodoricus Vrias in Germany Iohn Manâ— loâ— com 226. an Augustine Fryar complained not without cause Ecclesiam Romanam ex aureâ factam argenteam ex argenteâ ferream ex ferreâ terream superesse ut in stercus abiret Yea Diput de Rep. l. 1. c. â—â— Matchiavel observed that there was no where lesse piety than in those that dwelt neerest Rome If Franciscus de sanctâ clara and his faâ—tors were the wisest men under heaven and should live to the worlds end they would be brought to their wits end before they could accomplish this works end to make a reconciliation betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt Rome and us for what concord hath Christ with Belial They can never fall in or make musick in one Quire For grosse Idolatry or for fundamental errours onely must we seperate Corruption grew so great in the Church of Rome that it justly occasioned first the Seperation of the Greek Churches from the Latine and then of the Reformed Churches from the Roman And Bellarmine bewails it that ever since we cryed up the Pope for Antichrist his Kingdom hath not onely not increased but hath greatly decreased Dent. on Apoc. 9.11 Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust Esto procul Romà qui cupis esse pius Roma vale vidi satis est vidisse c. Rome hath fallen culpably and shall fall penally Sibylla long since foretold this Tota eris in Cineres quasinunquam Romà faisses in the eight book of her Oracles The ruine of Rome must be like the ruine of Jericho which can never be re-edefied There was something surely in that which we have read that when the warres began in Germany Anno 1619. A great brass image of the Apostle Peter that had Tu es petrus c. fairly embossed upon it standing in St Peters Church in Rome there was a great and massie stone fell down upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claim was left whole so as to be read saving that one peece of the sentence Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was lest fair and entire True it is no easy thing to overturn the Kingdom of Antichrist which like an huge tree hath taken deep root in the earth for many ages and men need not marvel that it is so long a cutting down Especially if we consider that the Lord will still have his Church in combate here in this world to shake it from security Again the Lord for the sins of the Church and want of care of through Reformation in those to whom the Lord hath detected their abominations stayeth the good speed of this glorious deliverance Besides the Lord will have the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdom wrought by leisure that so man may make due regard and consider of so great a work Yet let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly beleeve if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it Yea let us cast our eyes on Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word Whereby we may strengthen our saith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detecting his fraudes and impostures with which for many ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications which in former ages seemed to shake the Kingdomes of the earth esteemed but as wind Moreover how have all the reformed Churches shaken off with detestation his Antichristian yoke and usurped power over the Scripture Church mens Consciences c. And how have many Princes already disclaimed and despised his clawes over them Keeping from him those summes which were wont to warm his holinesse kitchin c. I might also adde how weak all their endeavours and meanes are to prevent finall â—uine viz. Sophistry Knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances warres treasons murders Massacres Powder-plots
Numb 16.37 38 39. Upon the offence of any of the vestals at Rome they had a most excellent way of execution In the Campus sceleratus or field of execution Plutarch in Numa there was made a vault under the earth with an hole left open above whereby one might go down and within it there was a little couch with a burning lampe and a few victuals whether the defiled votary was to be brought through the market-place in a litter so closed up with thick leather that her mournings might not be heard to the moving of pity She being thus brought to the place of execution was let down by a ladder into the hollow cave and the hole presently stopped And the reason why they suffered such a kind of death was because they thought it not fit that she should be burnt with fire which kept not the sacred fire with greater sanctity And it was thought unlawful to punish them by laying violent hands on them because they had in former times served in so holy a function Holiness hath honour Things are called holy Sacrum aliquid dicitur ex co quod ad diviâ—uvs cultum ordinatur Aquin. either by nature as God who is truly alway and only of himself holy Or by seperation or being set apart to an holy use or end Which Origen calleth Sancta Sanctificata by accession of external holinesse from without So Jerusalem is called the holy City because the City of God where he was worshipped And when we stand in our Churches saith Chrysostom we stand in a place of Angels and Archangels in the Kingdom of God and heaven it self which they that prophane think either by talking sleeping laughing playing or any thing else unbeseeming the service of God may justly fear to be whipt like dogs out of the heavenly Temple and City too For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people Isa 55.7 Yet let us not dote upon the Temple of the Lord but reverently adore the Lord of the Temple putting off our shoes from off our feet when we come to stand upon holy ground that is our sensuality and other sins for Quid pedes saith Erasmus nisi affectus quid pedes calceamentâ—rum onere liberi nisi animus nullis terrenis cupiditatibus oneratus Affections are the feet of the soul keep them unclogged Herods Temple at Jerusalem was set on fire by Titus his souldiers that it could not be quenched And at the same time Apollo's temple at Delphos was utterly overthrown by earth-quakes and thunder-bolts Antiq. and neither of them could ever since be repaired The concurrance of which two miracles saith Godwin evidently sheweth that the time was then come that God would put an end both to Jewish ceremonies and Heathenish Idolatry Beleeve me the hour cometh Ioh. 4.21 23. when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Sacriledge Aquinâ—s notes it may be committed Here lego doth signifie as much as adimo or aufero in which sensewe cal him sacrilegum qui legit i. e. qui adimit et aâ—â—ert sacra vel 1. In personam when an Ecclesiastical man is abused 2. In locum when the Church is abused or profaned 3. In rem when things dedicated to holy uses are otherwise imployed And this last kind may be committed three ways Quando 1. Sacrum de sacro aufertur as the consecrated Vessels out of the Temple 2. Non sacrum de sacro if a thief shall break open a Church to steal away private treasure hid therein 3. Sacrum de non sacro when the Church is robbed of her possessions and endowments If many would examine themselves according to this rule they would assuredly conclude they deserve the whip turning claustra into castra This Luther complained much of in his time Luth. in Gen. 47. Homil. in Jocl 3.5 Oâ—im Coenobi is â—aâ—itaâ—ant monstra Papistâ— Nuncin Coenâ—blis habitant et monstra Rapistâ— That even in the Reformed Churches Parishes and Schools were robbed of their due maintenance as if they meant to starve us all Spoliantur Parochiae Scholae non aliter acsi fame necare nos velint The like saith Gualther Non desunt Pseudo-evangelici There want not such False-Gospellers amongst us who restore not the Church her wealth pulled out of the Papists â—ingers But make good that saying of one Pâ—ssidâ—bant Papistae possident Rapistâ— Papists had Church-livings and now Rapists have gotten them A Priest in Jerusalem the City being besieged took all the Goblets and Vessels of silver not so much as sparing the little golden Pitchers which Augustus and his wife sent to the Temple and did distribute amongst the people and said Without â—eâ—r we may use these divine things seeing we fight for God and his Temple therefore he said it was safe for them to drink those things that were kept for the Priests sacrifices He also took the wine and oil and they anointed themselves without fear Non equidem recusabo dicere quae dolor jubet Ioseph de â—eâ— Iud. l. 6. c. 16 Puto si Romani contra noxios venire tardassent aâ—t â—iatu terrae devorandam fuisse civitatem aut diluvio perituram aut fulmina ac Sodomae incendia passuram Sexcenta millia mortuorum portis ejecta quorum sepulturae erant ex oppido ejectio Sacriledge is a very dangerous sin Cacus met with his match when he robb'd Hercules Mercury say the Poets had a mind to steal Jupiter's thunderbolts but durst not meddle lest he should speed as Prometheus had done for stealing fire The Eagle in the fable that stole a peece of flesh from the Altar and carried it together with a live-coal that stuck to it to his nest set his young and all on fire Dionysius that robb'd his God was cast out of his Kingdom though he was wont to boast that he had it bound to him with chains of Adamant And Belshazzar paid dear for drinking in the bowls of the Sanctuary In a word Such do but as the fish that swallows the hook it proving as unfortunate and fatal to them as the Gold of the Temple of Tholose did to Scipio's souldiers of which whoever carried any part away never prospered afterwards I might be large in giving instances this way Only consider what a sad end befell Cardinal Wolsey whilst he sought more to please the King than God as himself said And what a revenging hand of God pursued five of his Servants that were instrumental for him in a sacrilegious enterprise Whereupon Scultetus wisheth Annal. 3 32. Vtinam his similibus exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare I would men would take heed by these and the like examples how they meddle with things once consecrated to God!
therefore the Jews called it a Sabbath of Sabbaths or Regina Sabbathorum the Queen of rests 4. Gods own distinction raining no Manna that day 5. Other holy dayes were memorative or figurative only but this was both memorative and figurative which Bellarmine marks 6. Other feasts might be transferred to it but it might be transferred to none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. The whole Week takes denomination from it and is called a Sabbath Luk. 18.12 that is in the Week Now our Christian Sabbath or religious rest is called a Sabbath-day by our Saviour Mat. 24.20 Called therefore also the Lords day Rev. 1.10 as one of our Sacraments is called the Lords Supper and the Table of the Lord because instituted by him Yet with grief be it spoken it is so observed by some that it may more fitly be stiled Dies Daemoniacus quà m Dominicus Alsted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. But let every one of us sanctifie it that is keep it spiritually rejoycing in the meditation of Christs law more than the rest of our bodies For external rest alone may be called the Sabbath of the Oxe or of the Ass but the internal or secret rest is true consecrating of a Sabbath It is observable that though upon all days Christ was operative and miraculous Dr. J. T. yet chose he to do many of his miracles upon the Jews Sabbath And many reasons doubtless did concur and determine him to a more frequent working upon those days of publick ceremony and convention amongst which these may be two 1. That he might draw off and separate Christianity from the yoke of Ceremonies by abolishing and taking off the strictest Mosaical Rites 2. And that he might do the work of abrogation and institution both at once So that he hath dissolved the bands of Moses in this and other instances principally in the sacred command for the Sabbath-day that now we are no more obliged to that rest which the Jews religiously observed by prescript of the Law Col. 2.16 For that which now remains moral in it is that we do honour to God for the Creation and to that and all other purposes of Religion separate and hallow a portion of our time Concerning the Lords day which now the Church observes it was set apart in honour of the Resurrection And he who keeps that day most strictly most religiously he keeps it best and most consonant to the designe of the Church from whence it had its positive institution the ends of Religion and the interest of his soul The works that may be done on the Sabbath are those of Piety Charity Necessity In Scripture he that gathered sticks was paid home with stones Num. 15. The first blow given the German Churches was upon the Sabbath-day which they carelesly observed And Prague was lost upon that day Sanctifying the Lords day in the Primitive times was a badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Servâsti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Sabbath The answer was returned Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian and may not do otherwise That holy man Johanna Dâ—ùsius when the Sabbath-day approached put upon him his best apparel and welcomed the Sabbath going forth to meet and salute it with Veni Sponsa mea Come my sweet Spouse He was glad of it as the Bridegroom of the Bride Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy Exod. 20.8 Kingdom of God There is the Kingdom of God's 1. Power 2. Grace 3. Glory For the first His throne is lofty and dominion large It being his powerful government generally over the whole world and every particular in it even unto the sparrows on the house top and hairs on our head which he preserveth and disposeth of according to his own will and royal decree Of this Psal 103.19 Psal 145.13 Mat. 10.30 Hereunto Devils and all creatures whatsoever are subject The second signifies his special gracious government and rule over the Elect whose hearts he enlightneth and guideth by his Spirit effectually moving them to believe his promises and do his will Of this Luk 17.21 Rom. 14.17 And by the third understand his blessed and glorious estate wherein he reigneth with millions of Saints for ever and ever full of heavenly majesty and felicity Of this 1 Cor. 6.9 Luk. 22.16 Called heavenly 2 Tim. 4.18 Now of these two latter the one is the means the other the end for grace is the way to glory holiness to happiness Therefore Seek ye first the kingdom of God Mat. 6.33 and his righteousness Gods Presence There is a twofold presence of God in his people 1. Felt and perceived 2. Secret and unknown Sometime God is not only present with his people but also makes them sensibly perceive it as Simeon and therefore his mourning was turned to mirth and his sobs to songs Again sometime God is present but not felt and this secret presence sustains us in all temptations it ever leaveth life in our souls like the tree wherein life remains when the leaves are gone Fear thou not Isa 41.10 for I am with thee Church-Order and Discipline Order THe Church of God is not a Den of Confusion but an House of Order Ceremonies are of two sorts some are typical others are of order Those are abrogated not these saith Peter Martyr The Ceremonies of the Law were primò mortales postea mortuae Légalia faerunt ante passionem Domini viva statim post passionem mortuae hodie sepulta Augâ— postremò mortiferae So that to leave Christ for them or to join Christ with them is the plain way to destruction Yet such is the nature of misguided zeal that under colour of weeding out Superstition it will pluck up by the roots many plants of Paradise and acts of true Religion God is the God of order therefore it is good to have respect in the Church to things both real and ritual For Ordine servato mundus servatur at illo Neglecto pessùm totus orbis abit Order being kept the World is kept but when That is neglected all the World 's gone then Faith and Order that is saith one Doctrine and Discipline these two make the Church fair as the Moon cleer as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners Our Saviour caused the people whom he fed to keep order in their sitting on the grass they sate down rank by rank as rows or borders of beds in a garden so the Greek imports whereupon an Expositor noteth Ordinatim res in Ecclesia faciendae Order must be observed in the Church Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 Reproof Wise men ever take a freedom of reproving especially when vice is bold and daring for when Modesty dies Vertue is then upon the vanish Seasonable speech falling upon a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation Friends as Bees are killed with the honey of Flattery but quickned with the
that we hold or do out of bare ignorance of the truth But Heresie is an Errour and more having these three things in it Viz. 1. In regard of the matter it must be in some great and fundamental truths 2. It is accompanied with pertinacy and obstinacy after clear light offered 3. There is in it a taking of pleasure or delight It is numbred among the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.20 Hereticks like the dog in the fable lose the substance of Religion while they gape too earnestly at the shadow Fire proves gold the furnace vessels tribulation friends wars good subjects Permittit Deus haereses ut qui probati sunt appareant and schisme or heresie the true Christian Therefore it behoves that there be heresies in the Church as it is necessary there should be poison and venemous creatures in the world because out of them God will work medicines 1 Cor. 11.19 Tertullian compares hereticks to the sepiae a kind of fish who lest they should be taken of their pursuers cast behind them abundance of black matter and so escape out of sight Epiphanius was semper haereticorum acerrimus oppugnator And Knox the Scottish Divine he so fully answered all his adversaries objections Lot Com. Heresie is exceedingly infectious and for most part mortal hence the Italian Proverb Jealousie Frensie and Heresie can hardly be cured Tit. 3. 〈…〉 that one of them said I see all our shifts will serve nothing before God they serve us in so small stead before men All heresies are found to flow saith Chemnitius either from the superstitious pride of Samosatenus or from the sophistry of Arrius or from the ignorance of Aelius These mens wits will better serve them to devise a thousand shifts to elude the truth than their pride will suffer them to acknowledge it And here St. Pauls rule takes place A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself See Hos 4.17 Blasphemie Blasphemers set their mouths against heaven Blasphemous speeches Leviter volant sed non leviter violant and their words are stout against God Such are all desperate speeches imposing upon God any thing unbeseeming of his Majestie which he can by no means away with The Church-Historian reports of Julian the Apostate that when he was wounded in the battel against the Parthians he took of his blood Theod. l. 3.6.20 Niceph. l. 10. c. 35. and threw it up to heaven he stretcheth out his hand against God saying in derision of Christ O Galilaean thou hast overcome This outward gesture of his body expressed the secret indignation of his minde And indeed blaspheming of God Vicisti Galilaeâ— properly taken is ever joyned with an intent to cast reproach upon God Amalachitâ— Israelitas in exitu de Egypto vel ob lassitudinem vel ob legalem immunditiem extra castra degentes â—cciderunt corum circumcisionem amputatam in subsannationem Dei projecerunt in coelum Euseb l. 2. c. 6. And it is observed by Hierom who saith he received it from the tradition of the Jews that the Amalekites who were professed enemies to them did lie upon the watch to take all advantages against them In their march from Aegypt to Canaan and when at any time they turned aside out of the way either because of legal uncleannesse or upon any natural necessity they would fall upon them and slay them which being done they cut off that member which had the seal of the Covenant Circumcision upon it and with their hand stretched out threw it up toward heaven as if they would challenge God himself to revenge their blasphemy of him and the contempt of that sacred institution Such was the blasphemy of Caius Caligula that he set up his picture in many places and claimed mens prayers unto himself and dedicated the Temple in the holy City to his proper use translating and consecrating the name to new Caius as a famous God This was far beyond the Bishop of Constantinople who onely desiring to be called Universal Gregory the great calls it Nâ—mâ—nistud blasphemia It is a sin against the light of Nature which Princes have severely punished some by searing their lips with an hot iron and others with death The very Turks cannot endure them that wound the eares of heaven but punish the Christians their Prisoners when they through impatience or desperateness do blaspheme Christ But how piercing is it to the heart of God and his people visible vengeance hath fallen upon such wretches and they have come to a fearful end Mr. Anno 1553. in Helvetia at a town 3. miles distant from Lucerna on a Lords day under the town-wall The truth of this relation is farther attested by others Iob Tincelius Philip Loincerus Theat Hist p. 142. Isa 37.23 Psal 42.10 Psal 56.7 Trapp in his Exposition on Malachy recites a terrible story out of Andrew Musculus concerning a desperate Dice-player who having lost a great deal of money swore that if he lost the next cast he would sling his dagger at the face of God He lost it and in a rage threw up his daggar with all his might toward heaven The daggar vanished in the ayr and was seen no more five drops of blood fell down upon the table where they were playing which could never be washed out part of it is still kept in the town for a Monument and the blasphemer was fetcht away presently body and soul by the Devil with such an horrible noise as affrighted the whole town The other two came to a miserable end shortly after Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high even against the holy one of Israel As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me where is thy God Shall they escape by iniquity in thine anger cast down the people O God Types ΤΥΠΟΙ A Type is a shadow of things to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Typus vestigium figura exemplar forma signum rei futurae Sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subostentio obscura repraesentatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 umbra Heb. 9.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that was in the Ceremonial Law were types of our Saviour Christ and of the Kingdom of heaven The Sanctuary a shadow of heaven the Tabernacle of Christs body the High-Priests of Christ Their sacrifices types of his the brazen serpent a figure of him c. They had the shadow and we the substance The Levitical Ordinance is also called a figure or Parable That is such a form of service as intimated some greater matter than to the sense appeared And called upon the people to look through the type to the truth of things through the history to the mystery When the sun is behind the shadow is before when the sun is
therefore famous in Bethlehem But yet many things were left unrectified which either they did not see or could not help All which may shew us that it is a praise proper to Christ only to be Alpha and Omega Author and Finisher of that he sets about Behold Rev. 21.5 I make all thinks new Read Isa 65.17 18.2 Cor. 5.17 Mutability Princes are like the Sun and great Subjects are like the Dials if the Sun shine not on the Dial no man will look on it Wicked purposes are easily checked not easily broken off Sauls sword is scarce dry from the blood of the Philistines when it thirsts anew for the blood of David Saul rent Samuels garment now David Sauls both were significant the rending of the one signified the Kingdome torne out of those unworthy hands the cutting of the other that the life of Saul might have been as easily cut off Both signes and symptoms of mutability The greatest changes are incident to the greatest persons Rulers of times become captives and they who sate on Thrones live in Prisons Nebuchadnezzars goodly image did degenerate and gradually abase from a head of gold to a breast and armes of silver thence to belly and thighes of brasse to legges of iron and feet of iron and clay All these represented some Kings and Kingdoms falling and others rising upon their ruines till a Kingdom do arise which should never fall The most durable creatures are changeable the heavens are an emblem of continuance yet in a perishing condition and shall be if not totally annihilated yet much altered from what they are as will amount to this They are no more The mountains and rocks change ordinarily by the power of time every mixt body hath the seed of corruption in it and therefore must corrupt naturally though God should not destroy it providentially or judiciarily Man is a very mutable creature In his body suffering every day an alteration perfective or corruptive yea while he is growing stronger hasting not only to weaknesse but to dissolution Farther consider him in reference to his mind we use to say of several men so many men so many minds And for his civil state Quot homines tot sentcutiae of honour power riches and relations day unto day makes report that it is of little continuance Man hath three great changes 1. In his outward condition a change from weaknesse to strength from poverty to riches from sorrow to joy 2. Death is the great change of mankind The Saints change for the better wicked men for the worse 3. At the Resurrection for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Only mortality is the stage of mutability for beyond this world there are no changes Heaven and Hell a state of eternal blessednesse or wretchednesse have no changes in them nor anything that is Heterogeneal or of another kind Heaven which hath light and joy in it hath no darknesse no sorrow at all in it Hell which hath darknesse and sorrow in it hath no light nor joy at all in it Mixtures and changes are made here on earth when our last change is fully come we shall go beyond all changes All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait Job 14.14 till my change come Help Aid or Assistance Many mens helps are like that of Hananiab to Jeremiah cap. 28.13 They break some yokes of wood that they may have the better occasion to make for them yokes of iron There is a two fold help God giveth 1. Common And this Gods people have with the rest of all the world 2. Special Carrying them forth to do gracious acts and to perform good compleatly Without me ye can do nothing John 15. Far were the Romans from helping the oppressed Britains Dan. Chron. when they sent for aid they complained that betwixt the barbarous enemy and the Sea as two kind of deaths they were either murthered or drowned but their implorations prevailed not But the Saints comfort is that where humane help faileth divine beginneth Give us help in trouble for vain is the help of man Psal 60.11 Desolation I will utterly consume all things from off the land saith the Lord I will consume man and beast I will consume the fowles of the heaven and the fishes of the sea This is a threatning against Juda by the Prophet Zephaniah Cap. 1 2 3. the strangest devastation and destruction that ever was for in the plague of Egypt there was the death of the first-born the death of beasts and of the fishes by water turned into blood but I find not that the fowles of heaven were destroyed In the drowning of the world although the beasts of the field and fowles of the air perished yet cannot I collect the destruction of the fishes But in this man and beast and fish and fowle all things are threatned to be destroyed Hierom affirmeth the like of his native Countrey wasted so with warre Vt prater calum et canum et crescentes vipres et condensa siâ—varum cuncta perierint In meâ patriâ deus venter est et in diem vivitur sanctior est illâ— qui ditior that besides air and earth and briars and forrests all was destroyed And that we may not wonder at this severity of God here what he elsewhere saith In my Countrey their belly is their god their glory is in their shame and they minde earthly things And so their end hath been destruction and utter desolation True it is that desolation is the fruit of sin witnesse Sodom which was once as Egypt yea as Eden but is now a place of Nettles and Salt-pits Judea that once Lumen totius Orbis now laid desolate And Babylon a place if we may believe Strabo of incredible fertility and increase yet suffering destruction by thy Medes It were easie to instance in the seven Churches of Asia the Palatinate and other parts of Germany c. Yea such is the hatred God beareth to sin that his hand is upon the insensible creatures for mans sake A fruitful land turneth he into burrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 197.34 Arts and Sciences commendable and cursed Ars. NEmo est quin aliquâ arte praeclarus est Art is twofold of 1 Body 2. Soul Either 1. Cosmetick Amongst other History is much to be conunended as Antedating time and bringing experience without gray hairs Art of Decoration 2. Medicinal Art or Cure 3. Athletick Art or Activity 4. Voluptuary eruditus luxus as Tacitus calls it It is storied that about Astreds time King of England before his instauration there was not a Grammarian sound in his Kingdom to teach him Nulla ars doceri praesumitur nisi intentâ priùs meditatione discatur Artisicium est judicare de arte is a maxime of infallible truth and yet ignorance begets confidence He that teacheth man knowledge Psal 94.10 shall not he know Ingenuity
in us not for a time but for ever for the Word dwelling noteth a perpetuity and is opposed to sojourning And also that he hath the full disposition and absolute command of the heart as a man of that house whereof he is Lord. Which disposition consists in these six notable benefits which are sure evidences of the Spirits being and dwelling in our hearts every one whereof is worthy our serious speculation The first is the illumination of our understandings with a certain knowledge of our reconciliation to God in Christ Jesus This is obtained by the special information of the Spirit he shall teach you all things he shall guide you into all truth John 14.26 16.13 saith the Saviour of the world This knowledge is not of Generals but of particulars that God is our Father Christ our Redeemer the holy Ghost our Sanctifier the Spirit of God faith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 Beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God Worketh in us a sure knowledge of the remission of our sinnes of our reconciliation and peace with God of our adoption into the liberty of the sons of God and faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 now have we received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God that is the righteousnesse of Christ assuredly It is not in man to know assuredly what great things God hath done for his soul without the special instruction of the Spirit called the Spirit of truth And the Spirit of wisdom and understanding Isa 11.2 the Spirit of knowledge The second benefit of the Spirit which discovers his being in our hearts is regeneration wherby our hearts are renewed by receiving newnesse of life and grace The coruptions of our nature are expell'd by the Spirits infusion of supernatural qualities into us whereby we are made new creatures and of the servants of sin and limbs of Satan are made the members of Christ and sons of God Hence he is called the Spirit of life Except a man be born again by water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven saith our Saviour Ezek. 36.25 and Ezekiel doth Prophecy that God would sprinkle clean water upon them and they should be clean and from all their filthinesse would he cleanse them It is the Spirit that doth regenerate us who is here compared to clean water for these two causes 1. As water mollifies dry wood and puts sap into dry trees so doth the Spirit supple and mollifie our hard hearts and put sap of grace into them whereby we are made trees of righteousnesse and bring forth fruits of eternal life Christ saith John 7.38 39. that he that believeth in him as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this saith the text spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive 2. As water doth purifie the body from all filth so doth the holy Ghost wash away our sins and our natural corruptions John 4.14 hence called a Well of living water springing up to everlasting life Again John the Baptist saith that Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire where the Spirit is by consent of Interpreters compared to fire and that 1. As fire doth warm the body being benum'd with cold so doth the spirits our hearts frozen in sin and though dead in sins and trespasses yet by his reviving heat he quickens our hearts and brings us to life again 2. As fire doth purge and take out the dross from the good mettal so doth the holy Ghost separate and eat out the putrifying corruptions of sin out the canker'd and drossie heart of man And thus regeneration is wrought by the Spirit and therefore said to be born of God The third benefit of the Spirit in them to whom he is sent is an union or conjunction with Christ whereby we are made his members Hine baptismus dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and partake of his benefits hereby his graces are in a plentiful manner and an abundant measure distill'd upon us which were in him above all measure hence it is compared to effusion Joel 2.1 John 3.24 I will pour out my Spirit hereby we know saith Saint John that we dwell in him and he in us because he hathi given us of his Spirit The Spirit is the bond of our conjunction descending from Christ the Head to all his members and begetting Faith that extraordinary vertue whereby Christ is apprehended and made our own by special application The fourth benefit whereby the Spirit is known to be sent of God into our hearts is the Spirits governing of our hearts For in whom he is be is Master ordering and disposing the understanding the will the memory the affections and all parts of the body according to his good pleasure for as many as are the sons of God Sam 8.14 Certum est nos facere quod sacimus sed illi 〈◊〉 ut faciamus are led by the Spirit The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Psal 37.23 in token whereof they that are of the Spirit do savor the things of the Spirit Rom. 8.5 that is they affect and prosecute those things that are good And this called spiritual regiment it consists in two things 1. In repressing all evil motions arising either from within as from evil concupiscence corruption of our nature or from without us by the inâ—icement of the world or suggestion of Satan 2. In stirring up good affections and holy motions upon every occasion hereto belong those excellent titles given to the holy Ghost the Spirit of the Lord Isa 11.2 the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and of strength the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord he hath these several attributes because he stirs up in the godly these good motions of wisdom of knowledge of strength of understanding of counsel and of fear of the Lord. In Galat. 5.22 the fruits of the Spirit are recorded there to to be love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance where oever these be the Author which is the holy Gost of necessity must be As for love whose object is God and man God for himself man for God it is a testimony of the Spirits presence in us and rule of us he is sent into our hearts saith Lombard when he is so in us as that he makes us to love God and our neighbour whereby we remain in God and God in us As for joy it is a main work of the Spirit making us to rejoyce for the good of others as for our selves whereas carnal men pine away and grieve expressively for others prosperity As for peace it is that concord which must be kept in an holy manner Immane verbum est ultio Senec. with all men
ye use the best means by an honest vocation to acquire what may be communicated to your wives necessity And thus much for the precept commanding love As love is enjoyned so is bitternesse prohibited The obligation that women have on men in wedlock is that they are bound to good-behaviour towards them Their conversation and society must be ever sweetned with the best delights that pious souls and affectionate hearts can afford This bitternesse that is to be abandoned doth discover it self in the 1. Affections 2. Speeches 3. Actions In the affections when men grounding an advantage on trifling matters take occasion to grow exasperate and harsh to the weaker vessels which frequently ends either in a deadly hatred or in a languishing and remisse love whereas our love ought to be the same still rather more than lesse like Christs love to his Church ever nourishing and cherishing it In speeches when mens words aim at the reproach and contumely of their wives A thing repugnant to peaceful content and wounds a tender nature worse than a sword and strikes deeper into the heart than poisoned arrowes to which reproachful language is by the Psalmist compared Rather than be of another temper moderate your passions and your tongues Pleasing words best befit those lips that often greet one another with an holy kisse Good words if there be but the least spark of grace extant in the heart will make them pliable to the utmost of your desires and their loves reciprocal In action there is a discovery of bitterness And that is when men shall bear an heavy and tyrannical hand over to their wives either by removing them from their oeconomical government or subjecting them unto their vassals or withdrawing from them what their necessity pleads for or the support of their dignity requires These are symptomes of no candid dealing And yet there is a worse expression of bitterness than all this which is when men through impatience shall lay violent hands upon them But for a man to use her discourteously with blowes whom he hath selected out of all the world to be his familiar causing her to forsake all friends for his sake is flat opposite to reason to amity to nature to civility To beat her is to beat himself than which there cannot be a more unreasonable unfriendly unnatural uncivil part Beside Eve was not made of the foot of man to be troden under but of the rib of man that he might hold her as dear as himself Right dear therefore unto you ought to be your wives upon whom the principal part of your temporal felicity hath certain dependance Love your wives and be not bitter unto them And thus much for the second head the head of the woman which is the man Having thus run over the reciprocal duties of man and wife a word and but a word of the third head And the head of Christ is God God is the head of Christ in regard of his 1. Divinity 2. Humanity In regard of his Divinity and that by eternal generation because he is the generative principle of the Son according to that nature he is God of very God being consubstantial and coessential with the Father So that here is a kind of subjection whence the Arrians assume an inequality of essence whose assumption is most blasphemously untrue for here is only a subjection in regard of order which imports no inequality of nature as the woman is not inferiour unto man in nature which is the same in both but in order only by divine constitution so neither Christ to God God is the head of Christ in regard of his humanity and that foure wayes 1. In respect of perfection the perfection of God is infinite the perfection of Christ as man proceeding from the Father is finite 2. In respect of eminency so God is above Christ as man as the Creator above the creature 3. In respect of influence all the divine graces in the humane nature of Christ were originally derived from God from whom every good and perfect gift doth descend 4. In respect of government for he was anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes whereby with the more alacrity he did the will of him that sent him He was fill'd full with the Holy Ghost and so fulfilled all righteousness And thus much concerning these three heads the head of the woman which is man the head of man which is Christ and the head of Christ which is God THE ROYAL REMEMBRANGER OR PROMISES Put in Suit PSAL. 132.1 Lord remember David and all his afflictions AS for the Penman of this Psalme who he should be Expositors aâ—e at variance notwithstanding we may with them are soundest safely Father it on the Father or the Son David or Solomon If on David as Lyra doth the Son put the Fathers work to the Fathers use Faelicis faelix filius ille patris if on Solomon he was thereby his own Fathers Son following his steps happy father happy son David loved God 1 King 2.3 so did Solomon David had a care to instruct his son in the wayes of God Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of his father A president for Kings and their sons For Kings to bring up their sons in the fear of God 1 King 3.3 for Kings sons in the fear of God to obey the King their father Few Kings and few Kings sons are now adayes of this nature happy therefore are these Kingdomes of great Britaine and Ireland that have such a King the son of such a King witnesse daily experience God grant us to make good use of it Well then whether it be David or Solomon the father or the son which was the Author of this Psalm it matters not he was a King and inspired by God yet it seemes rather to be Solomon As for the title of this Psalme it is called Shir Hamagnoloth a song of degrees There is a new song Psal 33.3 there is a song of triumph or thanksgiving for deliverance past such as Moses song after the Israelites had passed through the red sea Exod. 15. Such a song was Deborah's and Baraks after they had delivered Israel from Jabin and Sisera Judg. 5. There is a song of mourning Such a song was Davids for Saul's death 2 Sam. 1. Such a song if we may call it a song is Jeremies Lamentation There is a song of loves whereof we may read Ezek. 33.32 there is a song of joyes such was Hannah's 1 Sam. 2. Such was Elizabeth's John's Mother such was Maries the Mother of Christ such was Zacharies Luk. 1. such was the Angels to the shepheards in the field such was old Simeons Luk. 2. There is Shir Hashirim 1 King 4.32 a song of songs which is Solomons Cant 1. this is but one of a thousand and five which he composed So here is Shir Hamagnaloth a song of degrees Here are fifteen songs of degrees following one the other which are so named
Revel 1. Hence the Angels of the seven Churches are called stars fixt in Christ's right hand tanquam in firmamento as in the firmament of heaven not unlike to that star that directed the three wise men unto Christ Mat. 2. Now when these stars these Pillars of fire by the light of grace which shined in them perceived the grace which was given unto Paul When James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto me And thus I come to the ground or hand of the union the fodder that knit them together grace perceived the grace that was given unto me Grace is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Active or Passive The active is Gods love and free grace ready to grace us The Passive Gods graces Gods gifts whereby we are graced wherewith we are glorified graced here to be glorified hereafter The first is a branch or a blossom of his goodnesse that tree of life that tree of good The last the fruit sweet as honey in the heart as the little book in the Revelation was in Saint John's mouth By that active grace God decreed mans Election Rev. 10.20 ere any thing had a being and by that active grace he doth bestow in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times the riches of his mercy heaven upon earth By it God comes to man ere man can go to God He comes to man with his preventing grace inspiring him with religious thoughts breathing into him the true breath of life and ravishing him with the desire of things supernatural out of natures compasse and sphere of activity that thus man might come to him he comes to man by his preparing grace casting his understanding and will into a new mould that thence he may become a new man wise unto salvation obedient to the death He comes to man by his operating grace God first prepares then works he first makes man capable o◠his works then works on him works in him and works of wonder actually freeing from the tyranny of sin and renewing him in the inward man the understanding will affections He comes to man by his cooperating grace As by his operating grace he moves the will to will that which is good so by this cooperating grace he makes him able to effect what the will desires to work out salvation with fear and trembling He comes unto man by his consummating grace giving him power to be constant to the end till he come to the full period Eternal glory the height of his ambition Heaven Eph. 2.5 Ye are saved by grace Thus God begins by his grace by his grace he doth finish what he hath begun Now beloved this active grace of God distinguished by the diversities of its gracious acts works in man passive grace those heavenly characters of the Deity drawn by the finger of God Some of these are common to the Reprobate with the Elect some proper only to the elect some are saving graces of the Spirit some not Some of these are called gratin gratis data others gratia gratis data gratum faciens Vocation Christian doctrine Prudence in businesses Patience in labour Fortitude in dangers the gift of Prophecy the gift of Tongues the gift of Miracles and such like are gifts of grace but not saving graces of the Spirit neither are these of any moment except God gives the earnest of the Spirit in the heart 2 Cor. 1.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may use the Apostles phrase except they be seasoned with the grace of God I mean the saving graces which make a man acceptable in the sight of God Faith Hope Charity Faith justifies as the hand makes rich Hope maketh not ashamed Charity beareth all things 1 Cor. 13. believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things it never faileth But whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledge it shall vanish away Now all these together are like the sweet Incense in the spoons that were offered by the twelve Heads of Israel at the dedication of the Tabernacle Numb 7.86 Or like Noah's Sacrifice after the Deluge making a sweet favour in the nostrils of God Bernard S. Bernard makes mention of a threefold grace One whereby we are converted another whereby we are aided in fiery trials a third whereby after trial we are rewarded The first is initial whereby we are called the second beneficial whereby we are justified the last is final whereby we are glorified The first is Gods free grace the second is Christs merit the third the reward glory Of the first it is said Of his fulness have we all received Of the two last grace for grace as Bernard expounds it Munera gloriae aeterna merita temporalis militiae Which give me leave to interpret for my self Not for any merit of ours but for Christs merits for us The two first make way for the last the last cannot be obtained while the soul dwelleth in this prison of mortality but the two first with those I have spoken of already make up a perfect man in Jesus Christ in some measure in this life The original of these graces if we would know we must run to God Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Jam. 1. Non per naturam insita sed divinitus data they are transcendent they are given When Christ led captivity captive he gave gifts unto men He poured forth his Spirit saith Joel He gave he poured forth Ephes 1. Joel 2. that is active grace gifts unto men his Spirit that is gifts of his Spirit that is passive grace Grace is given of God by grace A blessed Giver a blessed gift The earth of our hearts brings not forth such branches of vertue but as the earth after Gods curse upon it thorns and thistles I will not here encounter with Papists concerning Free-will in both kinds of Gods graces but leave it to some other David who can better cut off Goliah's head as with the sword of the Spirit as with his own sword and beat them with their own weapons Only let me ask them one question What have we that we have not received 1 Cor. 4.7 And conclude this with that of the Psalmist Not unto us not unto us then O Lord but unto thy Name give the glory Thus we have had a sight of the riches of Gods mercy Now will I shew you the man to whom it was given by grace to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven that we may know who is he and we will call him blessed Therefore as Samuel said of King Saul I apply to our Saul here See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen It is Paul justified sanctified made gracious made glorious 1 Sam. 10. Once a Persecuter now as Saul once among the Prophets a Prophet so Saul now among the Apostles an Apostle by the