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A29699 Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to publick view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...; Golden key to open hidden treasures. Part 2 Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680. 1675 (1675) Wing B4953; ESTC R11759 249,733 284

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Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a Dunghill c. Here God's Glory wonderfully shines out of their Sufferings Here this poor blind Idolatrous Heathen Prince is forced to confess that there is no God like Israel's God Basil and Tertullian do well observe of the Primitive Martyrs that divers of the Heathen seeing their zeal courage and constancy glorified God and turned Christians Religion is that Phoenix which hath always revived and flourished in the ashes of holy men and Truth hath never been so honoured and gloriously dispersed as when it hath been sealed by the blood of the Saints This made Julian to forbear to persecute non ex clementia sed invidia not out of piety but envy because the Church grew so fast and multiplied as Nazianzen well observes We read that some times the Sufferings of one Saint have begot many to the love of the Truth We read that Cicilia a poor Captive Virgin by her gracious behaviour in her Martyrdom was the means of converting four hundred to Christ Justine Martyr was also converted by observing the chearful and gracious Carriage of the Saints in their Sufferings And so Adrianus seeing the Martyrs suffer readily and joyfully such grievous torments asked why they would endure such misery when they might by retracting free themselves Upon which one of them cited that Text Eye hath not 1. Cor. 2. 9. seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Upon the naming of this Scripture and seeing of them suffer so willingly chearfully and resolutely such a Divine Power took hold of his heart that he was converted and afterwards became a Martyr Now God and Christ and Truth and Religion are never more honoured than when poor souls are soundly converted Surely the Crown of Martyrdom is a Glorious Crown and every soul won over to God by a dying Martyr will be as an Orient Pearl and Precious Diamond in his Crown of far more value than that Adamant found about Charles Duke of Burgundy slain by the Switzers at the Battel of Nantz sold for twenty thousand Duckets and placed as it is said in the Pope's Tripple Crown O A 7. 55 56 57. what fore●asts of Glory what ravishments of Soul have many of the Blessed Martyrs had in their sufferings for Christ Holy Lord stay thy hand I can bear no more said one of the Martyrs like weak eyes that cannot bear too great a light Is it not a high honour to a King to have such Captains and Champions as will not yield to their Sovereign's enemies but stand it out to the uttermost till they get the Victory though it cost them their lives to get it yet no mortal King can as Christ doth put spirit courage and strength into a Subject only we may well conceive and conclude that such Valourous Soldiers as are ready to hazard their lives for their Sovereign serve a good Master Thus do suffering Christians and Martyrs give Persecutors to understand that they serve a good Master and that they highly prize him who hath done more and suffered more for them than their dearest Blood is worth and who enables them with courage constancy and comfort to endure whatsoever for his names sake can be Rom. 8. 37. inflicted on them and therein to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 More than Conquerors or above Conquerors How can that be can a man get more than the Victory The meaning is we do over overcome super superanus that is triumph or overcome before we fight we are famous and renowned Conquerors we easily conquer we 2 Cor. 2. 14. conquer by those things which are used to conquer us we beat our enemies with their own Swords as Julian sometime said being confuted by Heathen Learning Martyr and Piscator expound it thus we do more than overcome that is we obtain a Noble a famous Victory And is not this a great honour to Christ the Heb. 2. 10. Captain of our Salvation The invincible courage of suffering Christians puts life and spirit into others In an Army valorous Leaders much animate the rest of the Soldiers and embolden them to follow their Leaders Now you know the Church is an Army with Banners and suffering Ministers and suffering Saints Cant. 6. 4. are as Leaders they couragiously and victoriously make the onset and other Christians by their pious examples are pricked on to follow them so far as they are followers of the Lamb. But Twelfthly Consider That all the Sufferings and Persecutions that you meet with on earth shall advance your Glory in Heaven Quisquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae saith Augustine The more we suffer with and for Christ the more Glory we shall have with and from Christ Rom. 2. 6. the more Saints are persecuted on earth the greater shall be their reward in heaven Look as Persecutions do encrease a Christian's Grace so they do advance a Christian's Glory in Heaven the Martyrs shall have the highest Degree of Glory for though God doth not reward men simply for their Works namely for the merit of them yet he rewards according to their Works and proportions the degree or measure thereof according to the kind of work which on earth is done and according to the measure of Grace whereby he enables men to do it Now Martyrdom is the most difficult the most honourable and the most acceptable Work that on earth can be done and therefore in heaven Martyrdom shall be crowned with the highest degree of Glory on this ground they who set down the different degrees of Celestial Glory by the different Fruits which the good Ground brought forth some thirty some sixty and some a hundred Mat. 13. 8. fold apply the hundred fold which is the highest and Mat. 19. 27 28 29 Keep your eye upon the recompence of reward as Moses did Heb. 11. 26. and as Christ did cap. 12 2. as Paul did Rom. 8. 18. This will work you 1. To walk more holily humbly thankfully 2. To live more chearfully and comfortably 3. To suffer more patiently freely resolutely 4. To fight against the world the flesh and the devil more stoutly and valiantly 5. To withstand Temptations more stedfastly strongly 6. To be contented with a little 7. To leave the world Relations and friends more willingly 8. And to embrace death more joyfully greatest Degree of Glory to Martyrdom Doubtless God's suffering Servants and amongst them especially his Martyrs shall sit down in the chiefest Mansions and in the highest Rooms in the Kingdom of Glory According to the Degrees of our sufferings for Christ will be the degrees of our Glory What shall we have says Peter that have suffered so many great and grievo●● 〈…〉 ngs for thy name that have forsaken all and followed thee Veri●y says our Saviour every one that hath forsaken
that the many weaknesses that hang upon you and the decays of Nature that dayly do attend you seem to point out an approaching dissolution I shall at this time give you this one word of Counsel viz. That every day you would look upon Death in a Scripture-glass in a Scripture-dress or under a Scripture-notion That is First Look upon death as that which is best for a believer Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N●c Christus nec caelum patitur hyperbolen saith one here it is h●rd to hyperbolice a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better The Greek is very significant far far the better or far much better or much more better 't is a most transcendent expression Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth A Saint's dying day is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness In respect of pleasure peace safety company glory a Believer's dying day is his best day I have read of one Trophonius that when he had built and dedicated that stately Temple at Delphos he asked of Apollo for his recompence that thing which was best for man The Oracle wished him to go home and within three days he should have it and within that time he died It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients That is not a death but life which joyns the dying man to Christ and that is not a life but death which separates a living man from Christ But Secondly Look upon Death as a remedy as a cure Death will perfectly cure you of all corporal and spiritual Vltimus morborum medicus mors diseases at once the crazy body and the defiled soul the aking head and the unbelieving heart Death will cure you of all your ails aches diseases and distempers At Stratford-bow in Queen Mary's days there was burnt Act. and Mon. Fol. 1733. a lame man and a blind man at one stake the lame man after he was chained casting away his crutch bad the blind man be of good comfort for death saith he will cure us both thee of thy blindness and me of my lameness And as Death will cure all your bodily diseases so it will cure all your soul distempers also Death is not Mors hominis but Mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sin Death will work such a cure as all your Duties Graces Experiences Ordinances Assurances could never do for it will at once free you fully perfectly and perpetually from all sin yea from all possibility of ever sinning more Sin was the Midwife that Pecc●tum erat obstetrix mortis c. mors sepu●chrum pec a●i Ambrose de bono mortis c. 4 brought death into the World and death shall be the grave to bury sin and why then should a Christian be afraid to die or unwilling to die seeing Death gives him a Writ of ease from infirmities and weaknesses from all aches and pains griefs and gripings distempers and diseases both of body and soul When Sampson died the Philistines also died together with him so when a Saint dies his sins die with him Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death as the worm kills the worm that bred it so death kills sin that bred it But Thirdly Look upon death as a rest a full rest a believer's dying day is his resting day It is a resting day Rev. 14. 13. Job 3. 13 to 17. 2 Thes 1. 7. Micah 2. 10. Jer. 50. 6. from sin sorrow afflictions temptations desertions dissentions vexations oppositions and persecutions This world was never made to be the Saints rest Arise for this is not your resting place they are like Noah's Dove they can rest no where but in the Ark and in the Grave In the grave saith Job the weary are at rest Upon this very ground some of the most refined Heathens have accounted Mortality to be a mercy for they brought their friends into the World with mournful Obsequies but carried them out of the world with all joyful sports and pastimes because then they conceived they were at rest and out of Gun-shot Death brings the Saints to a full-rest to a pleasant rest to a matchless rest to an eternal rest But Fourthly Look upon your dying day as a reaping day Now you shall reap the fruit of all the prayers 2 Cor. 9. 2. Gal. 6. 7 8 9. Isa 38. 3. Mat. 25. 31 to 41. that ever you have made and of all the tears that ever you have shed and of all the sighs and groans that ever you have fetched and of all the good words that ever you have spoke and of all the good works that ever you have done and of all the great things that ever you have suffered When Mortality shall put on Immortality Eccles 11. 1. 6. you shall then reap a plentiful Crop a glorious Crop as the fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost As Christ hath a tender heart and a soft hand so he hath an Iron memory he punctually Mat. 10. 24 25. remembers all the sorrows and all the services and all the sufferings of his people to reward them and crown them Rev. 22. 12. But Fifthly Look upon your dying day as a gainful day there is no gain to that which comes in by death Phil 1. Eccles 7. 1. Phil. 1. 23. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain A Christian gets more by death than he doth by life to be in Christ is very good but to be with Christ is best of all 'T was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth but 't was the top of Blessings for Paul to be with Christ in heaven Seriously consider of a few things First That by death you shall gain incomparable Crowns 1. A Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 2. A Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. 3. An Incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. 4. A Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Now there are no Crowns to these Crowns as I have fully discovered in my discourse on The Divine Presence to which I refer you But Secondly You shall gain a Glorious Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. It is your father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom But death is the young Prophet that anointeth them to it and giveth them actual possession of it They must put off their rags of Mortality that they may put on their robes of Glory Israel must first die in Egypt before he can be carried into Canaan There is no entring into Paradise but under the flaming sword of this Angel Death that standeth at the Gate Death is the dirty Lane through which the Saint passeth to a Kingdom to a great Kingdom to a glorious Kingdom Heb. 12. 28. Dan. 2 44. cap. ● 3. Rev. 19 7. to a quiet Kingdom to an
almighty power and unsearchable wisdom and other divine excellencies of his be duly weighed we cannot but acknowledg that as his sacrifice is perfect in it self so it is sufficient to make us perfect also Christ's body was given up as a price and ransom and offered up as a sacrifice for our sins and that we might be sanctified and made holy Christ by the offering of his body once for all has purchased of his father grace and holiness for all his redeemed ones Christ agrees with his father that he will lay down an incomparable price for his chosen ones and then he further agrees with his father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has laid down an invaluable price The will of God the father was that Jesus Christ should have a body and that that body of his should be offered up that his Elect might be sanctified and saved Now to this Christ readily answers Loe I come to do thy will From what hath been said from Psal 40. compared with Heb. 10. we may very safely and roundly conclude that it is most clear and evident that there was a Covenant compact or agreement between God the father and Jesus Christ concerning the Redemption of fallen man This I shall more abundantly clear up before I have said all I have to say about the Covenant of Redemption that is under our present consideration But The Ninth Scripture is that Psal 89. 28. My mercy The 9. Proof will I keep for him for evermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him with whom why with our dear Lord Jesus of whom David was a singular type There are many passages in this Psalm which do clearly evidence that it s to be interpreted of Christ yea there are many things in this Psalm that can never be clearly pertinently and appositely applied to any but Jesus Christ for a taste see vers 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty mighty to pardon to reconcile to justifie to save to bring to glory suitable to that of the Apostle Heb. 7. 2 5. He is able to save unto the uttermost that is to all ends and purposes perfectly compleatly fully continually perpetually Christ is a thorow Saviour a mighty Saviour Isa 63. 1. Mighty to save there needs none to come after him to finish the work which he hath begun vers 19. I have exalted one chosen out of the people which is the very Ad plenum E 〈…〉 mus ad p●se ●um St●pulensis title given to our Lord Jesus Isa 42 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect or chosen one in whom my soul delighteth vers 20. I have found David my servant Christ is very frequently called by that name as being most dearly beloved of God and most highly esteemed and valued by God and as being typified by him both as King and Prophet of his Church vers 10. With my holy Se● Jer. 3● 9. Hos ● 5. Ex●● 34. 23. oyl have I anointed him suitable to that of Christ Luk. 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor and therefore we need not doubt of the excellency authority certainty and sufficiency of the Gospel vers 27. I will make him my first born higher than the kings of the earth Christ is the first born of every creature and in all things hath the preheminence vers 29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven This is C●los 1. 18. It cannot be understood of David's seed for Solomon's Throne was overthrown chiefly spoken of Christ and his Kingdom The aspectible heaven is corruptible but the Kingdom of heaven is eternal and such shall be Christ's seed throne and kingdom vers 36. his seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me Christ shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands And his throne as the sun before me that is Isa 53. 10. perpetual and glorious as the Chaldee explaineth it shall shine as the sun Other Kingdoms and Thrones have their times and their turns their rise and their ruines but so hath not the Kingdom and Throne of Jesus Christ Christ's dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall Dan. 7. 13 14. not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed I might give further instances out of this Psalm but enough is as good as a feast Now saith God I have made a Covenant with him so then there is a Covenant that God the Father hath made with Christ the Mediatour which Covenant the father engages to the son shall stand fast there shall be no cancelling or disanulling of it God the father hath not only made a Covenant of Grace with the Saints in Christ of which before but he has also made a Covenant of Redemption as we call it for distinction sake with Jesus Christ himself My Covenant shall stand fast with him that is with Christ as we have fully and clearly demonstrated But The Tenth Scripture is that Zach. 9. 11. As for thee And thou also died with the blood of thy Covenant when I ●ave sent out thy prisoners out of the Cistern in which there are no waters Trem. also by the blood of thy Covenant or whose Covenant is by blood I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Here God the father speaks to Christ with relation to some Covenant between them both and what Covenant can that be but the Covenant of Redemption All the temporal spiritual and eternal deliverances which we enjoy they swim to us through the blood of that Covenant that is passed between the father and the son by vertue of the same blood of the Covenant wherewith we are reconciled justified and saved were the Jews delivered from their Babilonish captivity The Babilonish Captivity thraldom and dispersion was that waterless pit that dirty dungeon that uncomfortable and forlorn condition out of which they were delivered by vertue of the blood of the Covenant that is by vertue of the blood of Christ figured by the blood Exod. 24. 8. ●sa● 7● 20. Heb. 13. 20. that was sprinkled upon the people and by vertue of the Covenant confirmed thereby Look as all the choice mercies the high favours the noble blessings that the Saints enjoy are purchased by the blood of Christ so they are made sure to the Saints by the same blood by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners Whatever desperate distresses and deadly dangers the people of God may fall into yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the Covenant By these ten Scriptures it is most cleare and evident that there was a Covenant a compact and agreement between God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ concerning
wonder for the knowledg that is communicated to Jesus Christ the great Prophet of his Church is not by Dreams or Visions or Revelations of Angels as to the Prophets of old but by a clear full intimate view and beholding of the Godhead the fountain of all sacred knowledg Rev. 5. 6. And I beheld and loe in the midst of the throne and of the The Lamb stands because 1. Prepared to perfect the work of Redemption 2. To help 3. To judg 4. To intercede four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth The Lamb slain opens the Prophecies and foretells what shall befall the Church to the end of the world The discovery of the secrets of God in his word are the fruit of Christ slain ascended and anointed as the great Prophet of the Church The Lamb wanted neither power nor wisdom to open the seven seals and therefore he is said to have seven horns and seven eyes Seven is a number Dan. 7. 24. Isa 35. 5. Mat. 28. 18. Colos 2. 3 9. of perfection Horns signifie power eyes signifie knowledg or wisdom both joyned together argue a fulness and perfection of power and wisdom in Christ so that we have here a lively representation of the three fold office of Christ His Sacerdotal or Priestly office in the Lamb as slain his Royal or Princely office in the horns and his Prophetical office in the eyes But Thirdly God the father promises to make him a King yea a mighty King also The Kingly office speaks might and power Christ is a King above all other Kings he is a King higher than the Kings of the earth he is the Psal 89. 27. Rev. 1. 5. Rev. 17. 14. prince of the kings of the earth he is Lord of Lords and ki●● of kings I remember Theodotius the Emperour and an●●●er Emperour did use to call themselves the vassals of of Christ and 't is most certain that all the Emperours Kings and Princes of the world are but the vassals of ●is great King Christ is not only King of Saints but Rev. 15. 3 4. Rev. 12. 5. Dan. 7. 17. he is also King of Nations There was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him God by promise hath given Psal 2. 8. him the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession The Monarchs of the world have stretched their Empires far Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom in Strabo reached as far as Spain The Persians reached farther Alexander farther than they and the Romans farther than them all but none of all these has subdued Rom. 10. 18. Rev. 11. 15. Mat. 28. 18. Joh. 3. 35. 1 Cor. 15. 27. the whole habitable world as Christ has and will All power is given unto him both in heaven and in earth The father loveth the son and hath given all things into his hand and the father also hath put all things under his feet The Government of all the world is given to Jesus Christ as God-man All the Nations of the earth are under the Government of Christ he is to govern them and rule them and judg them and make what use he pleases of them as may make most for his own glory and the good of his chosen Now God the father promiseth to invest My King in a peculiar way Decre●um Scri●●um Promulgatum Jesus Christ with this Kingly office Psal 2. 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion These words are spoken by God the father of his son Jesus Christ In a promissory way God the father anoints Jesus Christ as Zion's King and therefore it cannot but be the highest madness folly and vanity for any sort or number of men under heaven to seek or attempt to pull that King of Saints down whom God the father hath set up Christ rules for his father and from his father and will so rule in despight of all the rage and wrath malice and madness of men and devils yet have I set my king Heb. I have anointed Where the sign of Christ's inauguration or entrance into his Kingdom is put for the possession and enjoying thereof Christ was anointed and appointed by his father to the office and work of a Mediator and is therefore here called his King There is an Emphasis in the word I Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion Isa 40. 15 17. I before whom all the nations of the earth are b●● as ● drop of a bucket and as the small d●st of the 〈…〉 I before whom all nations are as nothing yea less than nothing I by whom Princes rule and Nobles even Pr●v 8. 16. all the Judges of the earth I that rule the Kingdoms of men and give them to whomsoever I will and Dan. 4. 17. who set over them the basest of men I that change times and seasons and that remove Kings and set Dan. 2. 21. up Kings I that can kill and make alive save and dan●● D●ut 32. 39. bring to heaven and throw down to hell I am he that hath set up Christ as King and therefore let me see the Nation the Council the Princes the Nobles the Judges the Family the person that dare oppose or run counter-cross to what I have done Again the Lord in a promissory way approves and establisheth this King by a firm decree Psal 2. 7. I will declare the decree not the secret decree but the decree manifested in the word I the son of God will by my everlasting Gospel proclaim my father's counsel concerning the establishment of my Kingdom I will declare that irrevocable decree of the father for the setting up of his son's Sceptre contra gentes point blank opposite to that decree of theirs vers 3. The Decree of God concerning the Kingly office and authority of Christ is immutable and in effect as irrevocable so much may be collected out of the propriety of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those things are that are most irrevocable in the course of nature Again the Lord in a promissory way extends the dominion of Christ to the Gentiles and to the uttermost parts of the earth vers 8. So far should the enemies of Christ be from ruining his Kingdom that God the father promiseth that all the inhabitants of the earth should be his and brought into subjection to him not only the Jews but all the inhabitants of the earth shall be subjected to Christ's Kingdom the elect he shall save and the refractory he shall destroy He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river even to ●he ends of the earth Again the Lord in a promissory way declares the power prevalency and victory of Christ over all his enemies vers 9. Thou shalt break