received in and through him and in the receiving of him even in the believing on his name unto which also his Gospel is his arm or power sent forth 1 John 5. 11 12. Col 1. 14 15 19. and 2. 2 9. with John 17. 4 5. 1 Peter 1. â—1 Hebrews 1. 3. and 9. 24. 1 Joh. 1. 1 2. Hebr. 7. 23. 25. c. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Joh. 14. 3. Rom. 8. 17 18. Phil 3. 3. 9 10. 21. In him is manifested the righteousness of God in that promise and Oath unto David That of the fruit of his Loynes according to the Flesh God would raise up Christ to sit on his Thrrne In that God hath made that Jesus of the seed of David after the Flesh both Lord and Christ and set him on his Holy Hill on his Right Hand in that Glory of his Father in which also he shall gloriously appear in due time to take to him his great power and reign till all enemies be subdued and then deliver up the Kingdome to God his Father He is already raised and entered into his glooy and shall no more return to corruption And as so raised and exalted with the Right Hand of Power is called the sure mercies of David in whom God hath manifested his truth to David and that he will not lye unto David or fail him of a man to sit on his Throne for ever Acts 2. 25 36. and 13. 32. 37. compared with 2 Sam. 7. 12. 16. 1 Kings 2. 4. and 8. 25. with 2 Sam. 23. 5. Psal 89. 19. 37. and 132. 11. Isa 55. 3 4. 6. In him likewise is the body and truth of those manifold figures tipes and shadowes under the law as to instance in some few He in that body raised from the Dead is the true Temple and Sanctuary which the Lord hath pitched and not Man John 2. 19. 22. Hebrews 9. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 1. In whom the fulness of the God-head dwells bodily that so of his fulness we may receive Col. 2. 9. John 1. 16. As also the Great Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession and so the Minister of the holy things of that true Tabernacle of his own body Heb. 1. 2. And in comming into him others are made of the Spiritual House and holy Priesthood as before is shewed He is the body and truth of all signified in those tipical offerings of the Lord made by fire yea of all those Sacrifices Atonements and Offerings for sin in that offering of his own body once for all in which the Father hath smelt a savour of rest for ever and which he ever lives to present and now to appear in in the presence of God for us He is the true Ark and treasury of all Grace and Truth for the Law came by Moses discovering sin witnessing and leading to the better hope in Christ and this whole Testament was kept in the Ark with divers other things But gâ—â—câ— and truth in the forgiveness of sins charged by the Law and the fulfilling all the Tipes and shadowes of it came by Jesus Christ and is now manifested as kept and treasured up in him in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge that with him they may be given and opened to us and so he is the true mercy seat answering to the tipical one which covered the Ark of the Testament that charged with sin and concluded under curse and whence also the oracle came forth He is the propitiation or covering the atonement and reconciliation for our sins and not for our sins onely but also for the sins of the whole World He is our peace and being so is also the way by and through which God is gracious and speaks graciously to men yea the Oracle by whom he hath spoken and through which he speaketh to us in these last dayes Yea in him the Oyl for anointing to service and light for directing in all our worship even in the man Christ Jesus and so brought to us in the revelation of him in the Doctrine of God our Saviour in which dispensation of the fulness of times God hath gathered together all things in one even in Christ and so given us the manifestation of the truth of all those former Oracles Prophesies Tipes and Shadowes in the testimony of Jesus of the seed of David after the flesh delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Of this truth of all former witnesses and shadowes and so of the righteousness of God in them as now come forth in Christ the Church may be said to be the Pillar and ground not so as to uphold or support the truth in a proper sense To be put to that charge and hard service is proper to the makers and worshippers Idols the imagined Deities and Rocks of mens chusing which indeed are no Gods but vanity and lyes and therefore cannot bear up support or save them that look to the nor can they stand by themselves but must be born up and maintained by them that make and worship them And prove so heavy a burthen to the weary beast that they are not able to support maintain defend and save them Isa 46. 1 2. 5. 7. Jer. 10. 5. c. But the portion of Israel is not like them for he is the former of all things The truth of God in Christ as now raised from the dead iâ— the begetter maintainer and upholder of his Chruch Isa 46. 3 4. Jeremiah 10. 10. c. with James 1. 18. 1 Timothy 4. 10. In the Lord they have righteousness and strength Isaiah 45. 20. 25. But their work to which also they are begotten and strengthned of him is so to keep retain and bear upon them the writing of this manifestation of the truth of God in the tidings and patterns of it so fair and without spot that others may see and read it in their word and conversation and so instrumentally also through him that worketh in them mightily to maintain and defend it in the World To watch in all things to keep the commandement delivered to them without spot unrebukable c. That the truth of the Gospel may continue with others So Paul was a chosen Vessel to Christ to bear his name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel to keep the Faith and that the truth of the Gospel might continue with others Acts 9. 15. 2 Timothy 4 7. Gal. 2. 5. And so he instructs Timothy to watch in all things to the keeping this charge 1 Tim. 6. 12 13 14. and 2 Tim 4. 5. And all believers so to shine as lights in the World as a City set on a Hill as a Candle on a Candle-stick holding forth the word of life in word and conversation That it may be seen and read of all men Matthew 5. 14 15 16. Philippians 2. 15 16. And as in old time a pillar was used for a witness remembrance of Gods gracious appearances Gen. 28. 11. 18. 22. and 35.
to his own hearts lust as Psalm 18 12. Isaiah 66. 3 4. God now left him to it in just judgment to him which though he did he could yet have restrained the influence of it from falling on David or turned it on his own Head as after he did or some other way yet now he suffered it to light on David for good and holy ends What God did in it was Holy and Good and meant for good to David though what Shimei did was sinfull and meant for evil to which agrees that general affirmation The wrath of man shall praise him Note still it s the wrath of man which directly or of it self worketh not the righteousness of God But it s of God to make it turn to his praise and to restrain that remainder thereof which might not do so Psalm 76. 10. with James 1. 20. But there are other judgments for punishment correction and purging of sin that God is more immediately and directly the authour of which he doth as it were by himself without such evident and visible use or imployment of instruments as in the fore-mentioned and so is more properly and directly affirmed to be the maker of them as the with-holding rain giving want of bread smiting with blasting and mil-dews sending the pestilence after the manner of Egipt taking away their Horses and making the stink of their Camps to come up into their Nostrils a judgment now uponus overthrowing some of them as he overthrew Sodom c. See Jer. 14. 22. with Amos 4. 2 6 12. 2 Sam. 24. 14 15. Likewise many of those extraordinary or unusual sicknesses weaknesses and deaths wherewith God punisheth a people for stubborness in iniquity in not timely judging themselves as 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. Are more immediately and directly his own hand done by himself without such use of instruments as before So of that sickness unto death and threatned with it on Hezekiah Isaiah 38. 1. He saith verse 15. He namely the Lord hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it And of this latter sort of judgments is the breach spoken of in the Text the Lord made it even by himself without evident and discernable use of instruments by an immediate and sudden stroke And such is also that which we have this day to lament as to the immediate and direct hand of the maker in it though he did it not by a sudden stroke as there but by pining sickness yet he hath done it himself from day even to night he hath made an end of him as to us and our present injoyment and personal usefulness of him in this world The Lord our God hath made this breach upon us Let the consideration hereof be of use 1 To astonish us and make us silent before him from murmuring or disputing according to the frowardness and unsubmittedness of our own hearts and from our â—aâ—n thoughts and imaginations in which we are ready to be proposing to our selves some way or other of our own to put off the evil or grievance from us that we may not bear the indignation of the Lord as those that have sinned against him It s the Lord let us â—ow before him and be humbled under his mighty hand he is against whom we have sinned and who only can heal us and bring us forth to the light to behold his righteousnes The immediateness of his hand in it leaves us the more without room or colour to wander with our eyes into corners or to reason or dispute indeed such a behaviour under his hand when lifted up is very evil and unseemly when yet its evident evil instruments are iâ—ployed in the judgments executed It s good for us then not to look to consider or to have to do with them but â—o acquaint our selves with him to draw near to God to receive the correction out of his hand and be at peace quietly enduring it as his hand and waiting for him as Jâ—b David and others But now his hand lifted up as it is is more eminent to humble and meaken our spirits and make us silent before him And it shews greater iniquity and hardness in it if it have not that effect If now we will be froward or murmer we have none to wrangle with or look upon but the Lord If we would vindicate our selves or seek to excuse or plead our innocency we have none whose judgment we might therein seek to disanul But the Lord. If any way we would lift up our selves as if we felt nothing or could set it light or make it light we have none so to lift up or harden our selves against But the Lord against whom none ever hardned himself and prospered we may well say with Hezekiah What shall we say Himself hath dâ—ne it And with Job Bâ—hold I am vile what shall I answer thee I wil lay my hand upon mine mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no farther Let us then put our mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope and be silent before him and with reverence wait upon him who doth all these things To which 2 This consideration affords us incouragement That it is the Lord even that great and â—aithful Creaâ—or who when we had marred and destroyed our selves and were dead in sins and trespasses yet so loved uâ— as to send his own Son to be the propitiation for our sins that his Kingdom might come to us and we might live under iâ— through him yea all this that through him we might be saved And it 〈◊〉 him that by the Grace of God tasted death for every man and 〈◊〉 all these things in the same wisdome mercy and faithfulness that he might bring us to God Having obtained power in the name of the father so to execute judgment because he is the Son of man It is the Lord let him do what he will Yea the Graciousness Faithfulness and Goodness of his Government and his worthiness to be submitted to appears in this That it is his Kingdom that ruleth over us even in all things That he hath not left us under the hand will or power of our enemies but still we are in his hand with whom is mercy and power to save and heal Come therefore let us return to the Lord let us prepare to meet him in the way of his judgments He hath smitten he will heal After two dayes he will reâ—â—ive us and the third day we shall live in his sight Yet likewise 3 This consideration serves to warn and admonish us to be sensible of some displeasure provoked and some great reproof in it to us That it may be diligently listned to and received by us For though its much better to fall into the hands of the Lord then into the hands of men whose tender mercies are cruelties Yet when taking us unto his own hands he is provoked to make such breaches to correct so sharply himself it
But Jesus the Lord to testifie of him unto us and so to hold forth and witness repentance and remission of sins in his name and for us to remember acknowledge wait upon and seek unto him and not our selves in them Thus we read of Johns baptizing them with water as well as his verbal preaching That it was to manifest Christ to Israel not to manifest Israel to Christ or to themselves or one another but to manifest Christ to them as the Son of God the Saviour of the World John 1. 29 31. And so all the people that heard and the Publicans justified not themselves but God owned and acknowledged the truth of his testimony and grace in Christ in being baptized with the baptism of John Luke 7. 29. Likewise the Apostles baptizing the Nations of the Gentiles with their word or doctrine and also with water in his name it was in order to the discipling them unto Christ and to that purpose to witness repentance and remission of sins in his name to them not to witness themselves repentance and remission of sins in them or in their name or any other for them But in the name of thaâ— Jesus of Nazareth that was dead but is alive for evermore compâ—re Mat. 28. 18 19. with Luke 24. 46 47 48. And so the Supper of the Lord is a commemoration and shewing forth not of our graces and excellencies but of the Lords death till he come 1 Corinthians 11. 23 26. That we might therein acknowledge remember and be instructed and led into such a discerning of the Lords body as therein to examine and judge our selves as we have hinted upon that place before So likewise all our prayers to him and confessions of him are to this great end That we and others might be led into and filled with the knowledge of him that therein we may be strengthned with all might in the inner-man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that so we may be rooted and grounded in love and filled with all goodness and with all the fulness of God through the knowledge and faith of him All his ordinances as ordained and delivered by him testifie of him and lead to him and are given us that we might remember him in them as in all his wayes Now this being the end of all we are therefore directed to Gods testimony concerning Christ as to the vision of all visions and foundation and key of knowledge unto all ordinances for helping our understandings in and directing to the right observance and usefulness of the things required in them And therefore also for our understanding who they are that walk as they have the Apostles for an example we are instructed to consider not so much or firstly as a rule to know them by the outward appearance in the zealous observance of this or that circumstance but the end of their conversation which is Jesus Christ The same even the mighty God and our Saviour Yesterday and to day and for ever In what he hath done and is become himself in his own body for us in which he is the Son of God the Saviour of the World of man-kind without difference or respect of persons as all are in themselves and as from Adam in a like consideration wholly sinful and miserable by nature And in what he is now doing as the great and powerful Mediator between God and men In which he is the living God the Saviour of all men that through him they might believe and be saved And especially the Saviour of them that through that grace to man-ward bringing salvation wherewith he prevents every man in due time do believe And in what he will do in his eternal judgment at his second and glorious appearing and kingdome In which he shall gloriously appear The mighty God and our Saviour the Savioâ—r to the utmost of all the Israel of God that through his love love him and wait for his appearing they shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation and shall not be confounded World without end when all that now are incensed against him shall be ashamed Thus is Jesus Christ in these three great things testified of him in the preaching of the Cross the ground and end of all ordinances and so the end of the conversation that is ordered aright The things principally minded and aimed at in all things Phillipians 3. 17 20 21. Hebrews 13. 7 8. 2 There are also some ordinances that are more weighty then others even of those that are of his appointment for us to remember and wait upon him in yet some are to be chiefly preferred for our exercise and earnestly to be attended to and striven for to be kept without spot viz such as more directly tend to the end of all and are more plainly discovering it and leading to it and are appointed as the more choice instruments and means thereto yea they are such as include others and in which the discovery of the ground and use of others is brought unto us as the ordinance of baptizing with water is included in the work or business of Preaching the Cross of Christ being an outward way or seal to be used for witnessing repentance and remission of sins in his name for and to them as verbally preached in the gospel And therfore also the ground end and use of that ordinance is discovered in the Doctrinal Preaching of the Cross whence also the Apostle prefers the Preaching of the Cross before that ordinance of baptizing with water and was glad he baptized no more himself least any should say he baptized in his own name and gives this as the reason why he was so indifferent how few he baptized with his own hands For saith he Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel that is not onely nor so much to baptize the main business that he was sent especially to look too was the preaching of the Gospel Or thus He was not otherwise sent to baptize then as that is a thing included in the work or business of preaching the Gospel as a lighter thing in the work or service required of them to that purpose and therefore alwayes so to be used as may be subservient to the greater For saith he The preaching of the Cross That as distinguished from and in some sense opposed to the other ordinance as by it self considered as 1 Peter 3. 21. The baptism that saveth answerably to the figure there alluded to is not the putting away the filth of the flesh viz. the outward baptism But the answer of a good conscience towards God which stands in this that Christ hath dyed yea rather is risen again and is on the Right Hand of God making intercession for us and through him God justifieth the ungodly compare with that of Peter Romans 8. 32 33 34. with chap. 4. 5 2â— 25. and 5 1 Hebrews 9. 14 and 10. 19 22. So here not baptizing with water but the
in graciousnesse that when any mans drawings back are come to that height that his soule â—â—â—â—ake no pleasure in them but that he is provoked to put them away for such iniquityes as by which they have sold themselves from him yee he doth not presently give them a bill of divorce Isa â—â—o But is yet following them in their wanderings while yet it is to day with such discoveryes of his Son and the riches of provision in his house even for prodigalls that have wasted all they had and forfeited all and with such reproofs of instruction as might make them ashamed to see if yet they will repent and remember from whence they are fallen and look back towards him who is yet waiting to be gracious to them and if any by all this goodnesse yet be ashamed and say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not then he is gracious and saith deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome and he will farther open to him the treasures and fat things of his House and lead him into the understanding and usefulnesse of his truth in Christ and he shall returne to the dayes of his youth as Ez. k. 43. 10 11. Jer. 2. and 3. tet Job 33. 23-28 For therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious blessed are all they that yet in the way of his judgements wait for him For the Lord is a God of judgement He is the Lord our God his Judgements are in all the earth who hath made this Breach upon us I shall briefly propound for our farther usefulnesse of this these severall positions of instruction contained in this acknowledgement that it is the Lord and avouchment of him to be their God as Deut. 26. 17. 1. That he whose hand had made this Breach upon them and whose Kingdome in it did rule over them is the Lord our God that hath for ever the only right to dispose off and judge us 2. That he is yet able to save to preserve yea to deliver even when we are ready to perish 3. That he is then ready and willing to save nigh at hand especially to such as seek him 4. He it is and he only to whom from these considerations we may be and in looking to him are encouraged to fly for help and refuge He is the Lord our God 1 He that hath done it is the only Lord that hath for ever the onely right to dispose of and judge us He even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath committed all judgement to the Son and executeth all his judgements present and eternall by him even as now in mans nature exalted as we have shewed before and so Jesus Christ as now actually made flesh in a body prepared for him in our nature and through sufferings in the same body glorified with the Father with whom all this was vertually present and of force from the beginning of the world He even the Man Christ Jesus in the Name of the Father for all the Scriptures bear witnesse of him as it is he that hath done it as we shewed in the second instruction propounded to be considered in the text so he had the only right to do it for he is Lord of all and hath for ever in the name and majesty of God his Father the only right to dispose of and judge us not only by right of creation as Psal 95. 7. and 100. 3. for so all are his from the beginning for he was in the beginning with God and that word was God by him and for him were all things made that were made John 1. 1 2 3. Collossians 1. 16. and so he is the proper Lord and Heir of all things by right of creation and according to his divine and eternall generation but not only so nor is that all meant in those places in the Psalmes forementioned but also by right of redemption in which there is a new creation for our nature made and perfect in him for us he is Lord of all to the glory and praise of God the Father Pbill 2. 6. 11. For when we by reason of sinne were justly banished from his Kingdom in the righteous sentance of his Law and equity of his Justice shut out as accursed from him and by reason thereof must needs have been leâ—t under the power of Satan and dominion of death for all our strength was as water spile on the ground that cannot be gathered up againe even then when we were sinners and without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly and according to the prupose and grace given us in him from the beginning of the world in which he in due time tasted death for every man He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us As it is written cursed iâ— every one that hangeth on a Tree For therein he suffered and satiâ—fied the judgment of this world That judgment of banishment that came on us by the offence one so that his resurrection was for our justification and by the power of it in the vertue of his sufferings all men are given him and all judgment committed to him and power to execute judgement also because he is the Son of Man 2 Samuell 14 14. with Hebrews 2. 9. 14. Galatians 3. 13. John 12. 27. 31 32. 5. 22. 27. Romans 5. 18. By him the Kingdome of God is brought unto us for to this end Christ both dyed rose and revived that he might be Lord of all so that he is the Lord our God by right of purchase and redemption for he gave himselfe a ransome or price of redemption for all to be testified in due time and hath obtained an eternall redemption and release of all mankind from under the curse of the Law and so from under that necessary slavery to Sin Death and Satan into which we were fallen so that the Father holds no man under that condemnation or sentence of banishment as they were fallen under it but hath committed all judgment to the Son that through him they might be saved and that by him they may be righteously judged according to the Gospell according to which this is the only condemnation that when light is come men love and choose darknesse rather Therefore to day while it is called to day if ye will hear his voyce harden not your hearts but let us kneel before the Lord our Maker that hath bought us with the ransom of his owne body which the Father prepared him to that purpose for by the vertue of that ransome and so by means of his death 2 He hath yet power to save us even when by our iniquities and sinnings against the grace of God by him bringing salva ion to us we have deserved to be cut off in his righteous judgement according to the Gospell yea when we have procured to our selves such judgements as in which we are ready