only blesse God but the Text saith They lifted up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground Why because the book of the Law was read to them and expounded How comes it to passe that their hearts were so taken with it now to hear the book of the Law expounded to them Surely it was because they were newly returned out of their Captivity and now they came into their owne Land and heard the Law of God opened to them they blessed his great Name bowed their faces to the ground worshipping him This day my brethren witnesseth to us our great deliverance and returne from our bondage It was not long since that wee could have either Ordinances or Truths or Religious exercises but onely according to the humors of vile men But now through Gods mercy a great deliverance is granted to us as this day witnesseth that wee may come and have free liberty to exercise our selves in the Law of our God O doe you blesse the Lord and bow your faces to the ground worshipping of him In the 12. vers of that Chap. we read that after they had heard the Law read and expounded to them they went their way to eate and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth Why Because saith the Text they had understood the words that were declared unto them I hope if God shall please to give in assistance unto this work many of you shall goe away hereafter from this Assembly rejoycing because you will come to know more of Gods mind revealed in his word then formerly And this will be the comfort of your meat and drink and of your trading and the very spirits of all the joyes of your lives As the sweetnesse of the fruit comes from the graft rather then from the stock so your comforts and the blessings of grace in you must come from the word ingrafted in your soules rather then from any thing you have in your selves In the first vers the Text saith that all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate to desire Ezra to bring the book of the law and to read it and to open it unto them Behold it is thus this day in this place here are a great company met together perhaps some to know what the businesse will be some for novelty and some for other ends howsoever come unto us you are and we hope many for this end that you might have the booke of the Law read opened unto you Now we expect that from you which is said of them ver 3. And the ears of all the people were attentiâ—e unto the book of the law when it was read opened to them And truly that attention that you now begin withal doth promise unto us that we shall have an attentive auditory But that is not all let us have further a reverential demeanor and carriage in the hearing of the Law as it becomes those that have to deale with God in it The Text saith vers 5. that when Ezra opened the book of the Law all the people stood up We doe not expect the same gesture from you but by way of Analogie we expect a reverentiall demea nour in the carriage of he whole worke as knowing we are to sanctifie Gods Name in it And as those people after the first dayes exercise were so encouraged that they came again the second day for so the Text saith vers 13. On the second day were gathered together the cheife of the fathers of all the people the Priests and the Leviâ—es unto Ezra to understand the words of the Law so I hope God will so carry on this worke that you shall find encouragement too to come again and again that you may know more of the mind of God and that this work shall not be only profitable to the younger and weaker sort but to the Fathers to the Priests and Levites too Let it be with you as it was with them according as you have any truth made known unto you submit to it yeeld to it obey it presently and then you shall know more of Gods mind He that will doe my will shall know my doctrine to be of God Thus did they for vers 14. when they found it vvritten in the book of the Law that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh moneth This was one passage of the Law that was expounded how they should keep the feast of Tabernacles and what booths they should make the people went forth presently unto the mount and fetched Olive branches and Palm branches and branches of thick trees and made themselves booths every one upon the roofe of his house In this Prophesie of Hosea you shall find many sutable truths to the times wherein we live the Lord grant you obedient hearts to what shall be delivered I must not retard the work nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of Scripture I will say no more of that but this to interpretation of Scripture a Scripture frame of heart is necessary a heart holy heavenly sutable to the holinesse heavenlinesse that is in the word as it was said of Tullies eloquence that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could set out the excellency of it So it may be said of the Scriptures spiritualness nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it and because the authority of Scripture is dreadfull wee desire the prayers of you all to God for us that his feare might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are menfull of errour and full of evill yet howsoever wee may not bring any Scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads nor any evill of our own hearts This wee know to be a dreadfull evill It was a fearfull evill for Lucifer to say I will goe and ascend up be like the Highest it is as great an evill for any to seek to make the Highest to become like Lucifer for so do they that make the Scripture come down to justifie any erroneous opinion or any way of evill they goe about to make the blessed God and the holy Ghost to be the fathers of lies It is counted a great evill in a Common-wealth to put the Kings stamp upon false coine and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error upon a conceit of a mans owne is certainly a great evill before the Lord and it was for this that God did make the Priests vile and contemptible before the people because they were paâ—tiall in the Law Mal. 2. 9. And for you my brethren our prayer shall be that the feare of God may fall upon you likewise that you may come to these Exercises with Scripture-frames of heart What frame of
authority actively or passively and yet this argument doth not serve the turne There is a great deale of difference between authority abused men that are in authority commanding here the difference lies not in authority abused but in that which is no authority at all For there is no authority that we are subject to now but as I have said heretofore according to the Laws and constitutions of the Countrey where we live Not to the commands meer wils of men till it be brought to a Law are we bound in conscience to submit no way neither actively nor passively though it be a good thing that is commanded Conscience doth not bind to it earatione to yeeld to it because it is commanded till it be brought to a Law Now when things are brought into a Law be according to the agreements and covenants of the place and countrey wherein we live And then suppose this authority be abused there be an ill Law made then I confesse if that Law be of force wee must either quit our selves of the Countrey or else submit or suffer for then the power of God is in it though it be abused and we are to be subject to all powers When then it comes once to be a power to be a Law it is authority though abused and we must yeeld obedience to it either actively or passively But we must enquire whether it be a power It is not because the man that is in authority commandeth it except he command it by vertue of that authority which is according to the nature and condition of the fundamental constitutions of the Countrey where he liveth Now in the Primitive times they submitted themselves to suffer when they could not do the things that were commanded as to deny Christ because by the constitutions of that Countrey they had such a kinde of power given to them a legal power to proceed against them so that they had a power in their way given them and they had authority but they abused it in that they did And therefore the Christians were so willing rather to suffer any thing than to resist and were ours the same case wee should do so too if once it come to passe that mischiefe be established by a Law though it be mischiefe yet if we cannot obey it actively we are bound to suffer or else to quit the Countrey one of the two if it be urged upon us We may seek what we can to get it alleviated but we must either do or suffer if once it be framed into a Law otherwise we are not bound in conscience bound wee may be in regard of prudence and in regard of preventing other disturbances but conscience doth not bind to wils of men but binds to Laws Thus much still for the satisfaction of Conscience in this case But to come to what I brought this in for The Christians were wonderfully encreased at this time Now we know this is the point We are to rejoyce when the Church is increased and to esteeme it as the great blessing of God when they are made as the sand upon the sea-shore There is an admirable place for this in Psal 72. where there is a large prophesie made of the Kingdome of Christ and of his Glory in this particular ver 8. He shal have dominion from sea to sea and from the rivers to the end of the earth then ver 11. All Kings shall fall downe before him and all Nations shall serve him and ver 17. His name shall endure for ever and shall continue as long as the sunne and men shall be blessed in him all Nations shall call him blessed Now marke upon this how the Saints rejoyce and bless God VVhat shall all Nations come in and serve Christ shall there come multitudes in and joyne with the Church Oh blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wonderous things and blessed be his glorious name for ever and ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen saith the Church of God then let all the Saints send forth their eccho Amen yea and Amen to this that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Christ this is that they are affected with this is that they desire much as if they should say this is a blessed thing indeed My brethren this is a good and consely sight in a gracious eye to see multitudes come in to flock to Christ and to his Ordinances It is true indeed the spirit of Antichrist that is in many makes them that they cannot look upon his but with a malevolent eye and their hearts do vexe and rage and fiet at this as much as at any thing they love scattering of them up and downe but to see people come flocking to Ordinances to see multitudes come in and joyne themselves to Christ this they cannot endure The same malicious spirit that was against Christ that we reade of in the Acts of the Apostles yea and in the Gospel too wee finde it still in such kinde of men Marke that Text Act. 13. 44 45. There it is said that almost the whole Cittie came together to hear the word of God to heare a Sermon Now the Pharises when they saw the multitude they were filled with envie Why what hurt was there done They saw no hurt done but meerely saw the multitude and they speake against those things that were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspeming When they saw the multitude they could have borne it otherwise Marke againe the vile spirits of the Pharisees that envied at the multitude that followed Christ himselfe not onely did they envy at the Apostles for they might be factious and singular men in their esteem but what say you to Christ himselfe John 12. 19. The Pharisees said behold perceive yee how ye prevaile nothing behold the world followes him Certainly the same Pharisaical spirit hath beene a prelatical spirit in our dayes We know it hath beene matter enough for a godly painful conscionable Minister to be outed of all he hath at an instant and his mouth to be stopped meerly upon this though they had nothing against him no not for their own Laws but because he was a popular man and multitudes followed him What a dangerous thing hath it beene of late times for men to be popular that is to bee such as multitudes shall come and flock to the word preached by them Certainly it is an evil spirit for the promise of God to his Church is that there shall come multitudes and joyne with the people of God in the way of his Ordinances Yea but it may be they do not envy at all that multitudes should follow that that is good but it is the humour and pride of such men to have multitudes to follow after them Take heed first of putting this off with such a plea. Consider whether it will hold at that great day The Devil
that Wherefore when they were freed from these three things they sung and they had cause so to doe Secondly they sung when they came out of the land of Egypt because they were not only in bondage in Egypt but in bondage under such a King as they were For consider who it was they were in bondage unto and then to be delivered from such a one you will see a great deale of cause of singing First They were bondslaves to a King of another Nation Sometimes Country and kindred sake moves compassion but being they are another people to whom I have no relation but only to serve my own turn of them it is no matter what becomes of them let become of them what will I will have my will satisfied Secondly They were bondslaves to a King that ruled by an arbitrary government there was but only his will for the Law he would impose what work and taskes he pleased how many bricks they should make and when he pleased take away their straw and yet tye them to the making of so many He governed them not by Law but by Will Thirdly They were in bondage under a cruell King for the King of Egypt in the Scripture is called a Dragon for his cruelty Ezek. 23. 3. I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon Fourthly They were in bondage to a King that was an unnaturall King unnaturall in this that whereas the predecessors of the Israelites had saved Egypt from perishing saved the King and his family from destruction yet now without any regard to what was done in former times by their predecessors having this power over them he oppresses them in such an unnaturall way so as not to care what becomes of them Fiftly they were in bondage under a King that extreamly hated them that is a sad thing The text saith Gen 43. 32. The Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is abomination to to the Egyptians Sixtly They were in bondage under a wilfull King under one who was extreamly set upon his will we scarce read of any one that ever was so set upon his will as this King was therefore they expresse this in their song which they sung when they came out of Egypt Exod. 15. 9. blessing God that they were delivered from such a wilfull Prince as he was In the 9. ver four times he saith I will I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoile I will draw my sword and the 5. time my lust shall be satisfied upon them but of this before to be slaves to such a one so wilfull was a very hard condition the like wilfulnesse hath beene already noted of the King of Babylon and none the like to these two the Text speakes from their deliverance in part from under the King of Babylon also as if he should say you did sing when you came up out of Egypt merrily and joyfully because you were delivered from such a cruell wilfull King you shall sing so again for you shall be delivered again from as cruell and wilfull a King as he was for though not all the ten Tribes came back yet it was in part fulfilled by many of them Lastly They were in bondage under a suspicious and jealous King lest they should grow to a head and so rise against him one that thought he could not confide in them It is a sad thing when there are such suspitions between King and people or people and King that they cannot tell how to confide and trust one in another VVell might they sing therefore in the dayes of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt Thirdly They sang when they came up out of the land of Egypt because they were freed from what hindered them in the exercise of Religion Hence Moses told Pharaoh that they must goe three dayes journey in the wildernesse to sacrifice unto the Lord their God they could not sacrifie in Egypt therefore when they got freedome to sacrifice to God this being a great mercy they sang praises Fourthly They sang because their deliverance out of Egypt was wrought with a mighty hand The Lord hath triumphed gloriously hath been gloriously glorious so the words are And ver 6. 7. marke what the Text saith Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power The hand of God is God strength but the hand of God in power is a greater expression Thirdly Gods right hand in power Fourthly the right hand of God is glorious in power this is a mighty expression surely great was the work of God in their deliverance Yea and further ver 16. it is said by the greatnesse of his arme not onely Gods hand but his arme and the greatres of his arme was in this work And ver 7. In the greatnesse of thine excellency Mulititudine celsitudinis excellentiae superbiae elationis in the greatness of thine excellency in the multitude of thy height of thy elation of the lifting up of thy self in a kind of pride for the word that is translated excellency there signifies pride too Now God did this in the multitude of his excellency that is he did such a work toward his people as had a multitude of glorious works in it which if you could analyse anatomize you should find a multitude of glorious excellencies in it Well might they sing when God did manifest himself thus All these will afford us excellent and sweet observations by and by Further they sang when they came up out of the land of Egypt because this mercy was the fulfilling of a promise made long before Therefore the Scripture telleth us That at the end of 430. years even the selfe same day the hoasts of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt which hath reference to a promise and sheweth us that God kept his word to a very day Hence in vers 2. of that 15. of Exod. He is my God I will prepare him an habitation my fathers God and I will exalt him As if hee should have said O Lord thou didst make promises to our forefathers now thou hast fulfilled those promises thou art our God and our Fathers God This made them sing so merrily 6. It was a mercy that was got by much prayer for Exo. 3. 7. it is said they cryed unto God by reason of their afflictions there were many cries sent up to God before their deliverance and now being delivered this made them sing 7. It was a mercy that came after a sore and long bondage Lastly It was a mercy that they had in order to that great mercy of leading them into Canaan therefore this they mention as the especiall cause of the joy of their hearts in the 13. vers Thou hast guided thy people in thy strength to thy holy habitation and ver 17. thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance The holy Ghost speaks here as if the thing were done already
concern the outward man except God will come in with his owne institution But when it cometh to the ordering of the heart and there is a spirituall efficacy expected as in all Church ordinances there must be and that authority by which they are executed giveth a great influence into them now nothing can goe beyond its principle therefore it must have a divine institution to give it its efficacy It may here be demanded whether hat not God appointed over us a particular civill government as he did over the Jews That our government and all lawfull government of other Nations is appointed by God we must conclude is a certain truth But not so appointed by God as the government of the Jewes was And the reason is this because the Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes was involved in one and therefore the Apostle speaking of the Church hee saith they were Aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel It was meant of the Church state There was such a kind of Paedagogy under the Law that the Church and State were involved in one for Christ would be the head of the Church and Common-wealth too and appoint them lawes And so their government was imediately from heaven Now for us That we should have a government according to the rules of wisdome and justice that indeed is appointed by God God would have us have a government But he leaveth the ordering of that government to generall rules of prudence and justice So that now it is lawfull for any Kingdome or Country to agree together and according to the rules of wisdom and justice to appoint what government they wil as vvhether it shall be a Monarchy or an Aristocracy or a Democracy and to limit this according to Covenant of agreement as whether that the fundamentall povver shall be vvholly put out or any part reserved hovv farre this or that Man or society of Men shall have the Managing of it and the like then so farre as it is agreed upon vvee are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively but no further are vvee bound to obey any Man though he be in authority yet vvee are not bound to obey him either actively or passively conscience is not tyed Though those men be in authority yet it is no resisting of authority at all not to do what they would have Yea though the thing be lawfull they would have yet if it be not according to the law of the kingdom to the first agreement I may be bound by the rules of prudence to save my selfe but it is not authority that binds me to obey out of conscience For we must of necessity distinguish between men in authority and the authority of those men Wherefore so long as wee seeke but to keepe authority in the right channell that it flows not over the banks we cannot be charged for resisting the government God hath set over us though we do not obey the wills of those who are set over us and therefore there is no cause that we should fear that God should say to England upon this ground Loruhamah hee will have no mercy To proceed But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah The people of Israel they might say Hosea thou art a Preacher indeed what preach nothing but judgment nothing but wrath to be utterly taken away Is there no mercy at all Is not God a mercifull God Yes saith the Prophet though you be taken away God knoweth how to glorifie his mercy he hath others that he can make to be objects of his mercy though you be destroyed From whence first you see that though God utterly reject some yet in the mean time he hath others to shew mercy unto Therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say thus well I have sinned indeed but God is mercifull What if God be mercifull so he may be though thou be damned and perish everlastingly Yea whole kingdoms nations may perish yet God may be mercifull God hath stil infinite ways to glorifie his mercy Many people in desperate moods lay violent hands upon themselves certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it as if they thought there would be some trouble about it and so God should lose some honour But if you will have your will in this or in any thing else though you be dead and rotten and your souls perhaps in chains of darkness God will have wayes to be glorious in his mercy whatsoever come of you But 2. I will have mercy upon the house of Judah God will alwayes have a Church he will never destroy his Church at once the Lord loveth publique worship in the world Though he will utterly take away the house of Israel yet he will have mercy upon the house of Judah Again Israel might say what will not God be mercifull to us why I pray you what doth Judah get by her worshipping of God in that which you say is the only right way Judah indeed keepeth her selfe to Ierusalem keepeth her selfe to worship in the Temple but what doth she get by it for ought we see Iudah is in as hard an estate and in as low a condition as we nay as we shall see afterward Iudah was in a lower condition than Israel and certainly such kind of expressions as these they would be ready to have against the Prophet Well saith God let Iudah be what she will I will have mercy upon her Though carnal hearts when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of God think that there is no difference between those that are in a good way and themselves that are in the ways of sin yet God will make a difference I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel Many carnal men please themselves with this I see others that are strict that pray in their families that run to Sermons and wil not do thus and thus as others do yet they are as poor in as mean a condition as any others what do they get by their forwardness in religion Are not we in as good a condition as they Well friend though thy carnal heart think there is no difference between him that serveth God him that serveth him not God hath a time to manifest a difference There shall a time come saith God Mal. 3. 18. that you shall returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Iudah Fourthly Judah had at this time many grosse and fearful evils amongst them yea scarcely delivered from Sodomy it will aske a great deale of time to shew you the state of Judah in regard of the horrible wickednesse that was in it yet God saith I will have mercy upon the house of Iudah What is the reason of this Because though Iudah had many grosse evils yet Iudah kept
a Law of Christ to us to walk and live according to the rules of Justice and prudence so wee are bound for conscience in those things but not primarily and so they cannot be said to bind conscience so as Christs Lawes do There are other things that are commanded by man and that especially concerns our question and these are such things as indeed are neither here nor there for the common for the publique good the good of the community doth not at all depend upon them and there is nothing in them but meerly the satisfaction of the wills of those that are in authority above us Now here is the Question How far those Laws bind men and bind Conscience Indeed many poor Christians that are conscientious have been extreamly snared in these things To that I answer That though such things should be commanded to be done yet it they be not done so be it they be not omitted out of contempt nor so as may bring scandall upon the authority that doth enjoyne them and those that doe omit them shall patiently and willingly submit to what punishment the Law of the Land shall require in such things this mans conscience shall not nor need not bind him over to answer before God that he hath sinned against that rule You will say How do you prove that How doth it appeare For that must needs be made out I vvill make it appeare from the Text from the nature of subjection that is required in the Text and from Reason First this Text here in Rom 13. giveth this as the ground why we are to be subject Because saith the Text ver 4. he is the minister of God for thy good So that that which is the speciall ground of our subjection is because they that are in place are ministers for our good But here is then an abuse of their power if they will command what is not indeed tending to the good of the publique but meerly the satisfaction of their own mindes But suppose it be an abuse the Text saith we must be subject 〈…〉 You must do the thing for conscience 〈…〉 be subject we must not resist but be subject The words are We must be subordinate for conscience sake so it may be translated Here is all that is required that I must be subordinate and not resist that is though there be a thing commanded by authority though this authority should be abused yet I may not resist I must be subject If then out of that reverent respect I have to authority though I do not doe the thing yet I doe not forbeare out of contempt It is a thing exceedingly prejudiciall unto me and it is not for the common good but yet I am so carefull that authority shal not be despised that I will keep it secret I will not refuse to do it so as shall be ascandall upon authority And yet further if authority shall so far urge upon me as to inflict punishment because I do not do it I will patiently beare it Now when these three things are done here is that subordination to authority that the Apostle in that Scripture requires And the reason why this of necessity must be granted is because otherwise all the Christian liberty that the Scripture so much speakes of may be utterly taken away in regard of the practice that it is in the power of man wholly to deprive us of it This Scripture cannot be so understood that all that liberty we have in all things in their own nature indifferent should be so under the power of men as that we for the practice and for our conscience too must be tyed that we cannot have liberty no not in secret certainly that is that which is against the judgement of all Orthodox Divines of the Reformed Churches But it may be said who shall be Judge whether things be tending to the publicke good yea or no will you take upon you to judge your self To that the Answer is thus plainly that indeed those that are appointed by Law have the power to judge legally and authoritatively to judge so as to bind others But every man hath liberty so far as concerns his owne act to judge at his perill And that a two-sold perill First at his perill lest he judging himself should sinne against God in this that he should judge that not good for the publique which indeed is good that he should perhaps judge that to be of an indifferent nature that justice and prudence requireth of him Here he mis-judgeth at his perill hee sinneth against the Lord against the rules of justice and prudence and indangereth his own soul if he goe amisse in this Secondly If he mis-judge it is at his perill that comes by the Lawes of men that he is in danger then to suffer what the Laws of men shall inflict upon him And so submitting this way his conscience may have some ease and yet no gap open at all to liberty or any disturbance to any lawfull authority for all this This is necessary for men to know that they may understand aright how to answer that question about Lawes binding of conscience You heare it is the prerogative of Christ our Head so to be our Law-giver so as to lay bonds upon conscience in such a manner as no man can doe the like That is the third Fourthly Christ is the Head of the Church in regard of some even personally so as to come and rule in the world in a glorious manner personally and so they thinke this may be interpreted that Christ shall be a head how said to be appointed we shall speake of when we come unto it that he shall come personally and rule and governe things even in this world As Christ in his own person did exercise his Priestly and Propheticall offices so they thinke in his own person he shall exercise his Kingly power office Which opinion because the further discussion of it I suppose generally you are not able to beare yet therefore in modesty I will forbeare and though out of modesty I shal for the present forbeare yet out of conscience I dare not altogether deny it but so we will leave it to see what trueth may be in this we must expect to have light let in by degrees In these four things then we have the rule of Christ three determined of the fourth only propounded which Christ in time will shew further light unto us in Christ is then the Head Now from all this there followes three consequences that are very usefull 1. Hence we learne that the seeking after the right government of Christ in his Church is not a light matter it doth concern the Head-ship of Christ 2. By what hath been said we shal come to be instructed to know what is properly Antichristian and what not 3. Wee shall come to have light how far the King may be said to be head of the Church These
and it hath given some advantage to our adversaries for the King is not the Head of the Church neither as Christ is nor as the Pope claymed it Not as Christ Christ is the Head to governe unlimitedly No limits or bounds are set to the Government of Christ but only his owne minde his owne will It is not so with any Prince in the world he is not so the Head to governe But all Governours have a two-fold limit They are limited by Lawes of God they are limited by the Lawes of man too Neither is he the Head as the Pope challengeth unto himselfe How is that you will say In the fore-named foure things the Pope challengeth holding of doctrines and holding of offices and the like upon him Offices do not so hold upon any Governours upon the King or others as the Pope challengeth to hold upon him How doth he challenge them to hold upon him Thus that all are in him virtually and so to be derived from him to others And indeed in a 〈◊〉 part do many of our Prelates say that 〈…〉 that is that all the offices hold on 〈…〉 and â—o goe from them unto others and hence it is they account all other Ministers but their Curats and they must not pray but as they will and do nothing but what they will Why because they are but them substitutes as if all offices were virtually in them and so came from them unto others whereas every office in the Church even the meanest holds upon Christ the Head Now it is true in the civill State in some sense it may he said that the officers of the Common-wealth are in a kinde virtually in the King he being the supreame but you must not thinke that all are thus virtually in him in Church affaires for if they were virtually in him then he could himself dispence those things that others by virtue of their office can but that he cannot as to give the Sacrament and the like But how is he the head then or in what sense may we quiet our Consciences in acknowledging the King to be the head of the Church Onely thus he is said to be the head because he is the supreame to govern in a civill way not onely the Civill State but even affaires that belong to the Church too We doe not deny the power of Princes even in affaires that belong to the Church And because he is the supreame in that civill power to governe in a civill way by civill Laws so as to see Christ not dishonoured so as to keepe out Idolatry to protect the Church to punish enormities that are there to defend it from enemies In that sense he is said to be the head but that title of supreame Governor being understood in a civil way is more proper To make that a little out unto you that there is some supremacy in this not onely in the civill State but in Church affaires For wee must not exclude the King quite out of all Church affaires as some would do no we doe not but though we would informe your consciences aright yet wee would not by any meanes take away any lawfull power God hath put into him Now that he hath power even in Church affaires there are many reasons that fully move me to be perswaded in it The first that I shall name I think it will least prevail though it be the most ordinary with them that make most doubt of it therefore I will not stand upon it only name it We know that all along among the Jews in the time of the Old Testament the Governours there and Kings and Princes had power in affaires that belong to the Church as well as to the State But this I say I doe not think to be the greatest strength in this point especially to pâ—â—swade them that make any scruple of it they will us that the power there was but Tipicall and the like and sobindeth not now There are therefore other reasons that perswade the same thing The first is this because I finde that in the Prophets where wee have a Prophesie of the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel God doth promise that he will make Kings to be their nursing fathers and Queens to be their nursing mothers Now if they be to be nursing fathers of the Church surely they must have some influence by their power into it Secondly That place in Rom. 13. spealtes indifferently and faith he is the Minister for thy good It doth not say for thiâ— good or that good 〈◊〉 this civill good or Ecclesiastical good but he is the Minister for thy good for all good unto thee so farre as his power can reach It is a hard thing you know if men will put us unto it to shew in the New Testament the power that Kings had because there was then no King but Heathens yet saith he they are Ministers for thy good and speakes to Christians But thirdly and that which yet may seeme to have more in it I finde this in the New Testament that Saint Paul when he was accused by his brethren in matters of Religion hee did appeal unto Caesar Act. 25. 9. who was a Heathen Magistrate his accusation was in matters of Religion in questions about their Law and about one JESUS that was dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive And yet in his answer to those things he appealeth unto Caesar therefore there is somewhat that Caesar hath to doe in over-looking of the affaires of the Church that concerns the wayes of Religion But you will say How can he be a competent Judge Can Caesar a Heathen be a competent Judge in matters of Religion Is it possible Or suppose that a Governour be wicked can he be a competent Judge in matters of Religion I answer the wickednesse of a Governour though he be a Heathen yet loseth not his power he hath still a true and a lawfull power yea he hath some oversight of things that concerne Church affaires How can that be Christianity gives not the authority but enables to execute that authority a Heathen Magistrate hath authority it is his duty to see that Christians be not wronged and if he doth not it is his sin but if he becomes a Christian he is the better able to do what he ought but this puts not the power into him But if a man be wicked and understands not the things of the Church how can he be a judge Thus though the King be not a competent judge of the Principles upon which the Church goes whether right or no he hath not skill to do that being such a one yet he may have ability to judge betweene man and man whether one to the other doth wrong yea or no and that in matters of Religion As thus though he doth not think the Principles upon which they go to be right yet he can judge whether according to those Principlâ— they doe
go to hell The very creatures shall be in hell eternally when wicked men consume them on their lusts being incorporated into their bodies Certainly the creature one day wil have a kind of revenge upon ungodly men divers think that hell will be a turning all creatures into a Chaos into a confusion again as it was at the first and the wicked put into that and so tormented there there shal not be an annihilation but God shall take away the beauty comfort glory of the creature and whatsoevershal be for the torment of ungodly men shal abide and so they shall bee tormented eternally by the creatures they do abuse As in such a building as this is there is lime and stone and morter but now the art of man puts a beauty upon them but suppose all the art of man were taken away from this building at an instant what would become of us then it would bury us in the rubbish of it now it is usefull and delightfull but if the art were taken away it would be our destruction So the creatures of God have much of Gods wisedome power and goodnesse in them which God suffers wicked men to enjoy but God will take away all his wisdome beauty and goodnesse so that nothing but the confusion rubbish of the creature shall be upon the wicked to all eternity I will recover my wooll and my flaxe given to cover their nakednesse Whence observe God gives his blessings to us not for luxury but for necessity I gave them to cover your nakednesse Therefore when our Saviour teacheth us to pray it is for dayly bread or bread which is for our substance so much bread as serves for our substance and that but for a day neither Most are abusive in their desires after and use of the creature they looke at bravery rather then necessity As Cyprian hath an expression It is not the heat of their cloathes nor calor but color the colour is rather regarded by many God lookes now especially that we should cut of our superfluities when our brâ—thren want necessareis To cover your nakednesse It seemes that our nakednesse needs a cover Sin hath made nakednesse shamefull Hence therefore our bodies are called vile bodies those bodies that we study so much to pamper and adorne they are bodies of vilenesse as the Apostle speakes Phil. 3. 21. yea of that vilenesse with an article or of the vilensse to be proud of our cloathes that cover our shame that cover our nakednesse is an unreasonable thing Would you have your bodies adorned labour for godlinesse and then you shall have bodies like the glorious body of JESUS CHRST you may have bodies that shall not need a covering Lastly when abundance is abused it is just with God that we should want necessaries I will take away their corne c. how many are there who have lavished out their estates upon whom you may see Gods judgement so grievous that they want a piece of bread now you often tell your lavish wasting servants they will be glad of a crust before they dye It proves true often of Masters and Mistresses also who out of pride and delicacy of spirit will be so fine brave above their ranks that God doth blast them that they have not to cover their nakednesse Those in the third of Isa who had that gorgeous and brave attire are threatned with baldnesse and grinding with sackcloath ver 24. and such as come to misery by their wasting superfluity have none to pitty them I have read of Alfonsus a King of Spaine who when a Knight falling into want and being arrested for debt there was a petition to the King to succour him I saith the King if he had spent his estate in mine or in the common-wealths service it were reason he should be provided for by me or the common-wealth but seeing he hath spent all in rioâ—ousness let him suffer Consider this you who are so loath to part with your estates for the publicke you murmure at every thing that is required of you for that but you are profuse in expences for your lust God hath wayes to bring you low enough in your estares Ver. 10. And now I will discover her lewdnesse And now that is when I recover my wooll and flaxe I will discover her lewdnesse I will take their covers from their own eyes and from the eyes of others Wicked men and especially Idolaters have divers covers for their lewdnesse There are especially three covers that these people had for their lewdness The first was their outward prosperity do you speak so bitterly against us as if we were Idolaters as if we had forsaken God are we not in as good a condition as Judah who you say hath not forsaken God Secondly Their externall worship is that yet they kept something according to Gods own mind they yet kept the Sabbath and some solemn dayes according to the law this cover they rested in as if they should say What doe you accuse us as if we did not worship the true God have not we Gods service with us and our solemne assemblies Thirdly They had other services which were not Gods yet they did cover them with glorious pompous shewes they had pompous dayes of solemnity pretended for God but being of their own invention they were hatefull Well saith God I will take away your prosperity and I will take away those things you thinke to put me off with I will take away your solemnicies and all the pomp in your services I will discover their lewdnesse The word lewdnesse that comes of Nabal that signifieth to fall it signifies the falling of the spirit low poor vile and unworthy things Hence the Hebrews use that word for a foole one that hath a viâ—e spirit set upon base contemptible things is Nabal a foole Hence that speech of Abigail concerning her husband as is his name so is he he is Nabal and folly is with him The Seventy turne this by another word that signifieth uncleannesse the mixture of their spirits with vile things that make their spirits to be unclean The English word Lewd comes from Loed an old Saxon word which signifieth one that is of a servile disposition of an under spirit some are of servile spirits naturally they are born to a kind of servility bondage they are inclined to baseness and vileness by their natural genius others are of more sublime spirits naturally as if they were borne for great things these people are lewd they have vile spirits forsaking the blessed God his glorious wayes turning to vanities that can doe no good So we say of many they are lewd base fellowes that is they are of such sordid dispositions that they seeke only after such things as have no worth in them satisfie themselves in things beneath the excellency of a man unbeseeming a rationall creature to take content in Act. 18. 14. we finde this word
we were mourning before him There was amongst our brethren in other parts a kind of trumpet of Iubile blown the Lord was then working for us what great deliverance did God grant that very day at Chichester God shews that the mourning of his people doth make way for joy Yea further then indeed is the sound of the trumpet of Iubile sweetest when we are most afflicted for our sins When we are most apprehensive and sensible of the evill of sin then the joy of God the comforts of the Gospel are sweetest to the soul When the trumpet of Iubile is blown in congregations if it meets not with hearts afflicted sensible of sinne they are not delighted with the sweet sound of this trumpet it is not melody in their ears it rejoy ceth not their hearts But let a poore soul be brought down and made sensible of the evill of sinne and Gods wrath then let but one promise of the Gospel be sounded forth how sweet how joyfull is it Again pardon of sin is the only foundation of all Jubiles For this tenth day of the seventh month wherein the trumpet of Jubile was to be sounded was a day of Atonement What is that A day of covering for so the word is of pardon of sin to the people of God Many men keep a continuall Jubile live merrily and bravely doe nothing but eate and drink and play and dance and laugh and cannot endure these fadde melancholy people What is the foundation of this thy Jubile Art thou sure there is an Atonement made between God and thy soule Art thou sure thy sin is pardoned Is this the foundation of thy rejoycing Know it will not last it is not Gods but the Devils Jubile except there be an atonement made between God and thee as the foundation of it Yet further in that the sound of the Jubile was at that time when the day of Atonement was Note this When God hath pardoned us then our hearts are in a fit frame to pardon others Now comes the Jubile and now you must release your lands your debts and forgive those that owe you any thing This is the day wherein God testifieth his mercy in pardoning your sinnes and they might well say Now Lord command us what thou wilt in shewing mercy to our brethren we are ready to pardon to release them to extend the bowels of our compassion towards them for thou hast pardoned our sins The reason of the rigidnesse of the cruelty the hardness of the hearts of men and straitnesse of their spirits to their brethren is this because God hath not witnessed to their souls the pardon of their own sinns an atonement between God and them Their solemn feasts Among their feasts they had three that were especially very solemn feasts more then others And they were The Feast of The Passeover Pentecost Tabernacles These three were very solemn especially in this one regard wherein they are all three united in one thing that is upon these three Feasts all the Males were to ascend up to Jerusalem to worship to the place which God did choose and so you have it Deut. 16. 16. Three times in a yeere shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shal choose in the feast of unleavened bread that was the Passeover and in the feast weeks that was Pentecost and in the feast of Tabernacles But how could the ten Tribes then keep these Feasts for they went not to the Temple You may as well say how had they an Ephod of which Chap. 3. Jeroboam was wise enough to keep the feasts though not in that way God appointed he could tell them the going to the Temple was but circumstance of place From this connection of these three together in this solemnity upon which these three were especially called their solemn feasts there are divers things to be noted First we may see a reason why there were sometimes so many beleevers at Ierusalem An argument is brought by some from that place Acts 21. 20. to prove that there may be in one Church more then can possibly assemble together in one Congregation for the Text saith there Thou seest how many thousands of Iews there are which beleeve how many millions it is in the Originall now say they there could not be so many millions to joyn in one Congregation The answer to this is cleare that the time of which this place speaketh was when the people of the Jews were all assembled together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Pentecost for Chap. 20. vers 16. the Text saith that the Apostle hastned if it were possible for him to be at Ierusalem the day of Pentecost now reading the story on it plainely appears that in that journey in which he did so hasten he did get to Ierusalem at the day of Pentecost and being there at that time no marvail that they said Dost thou not see how many thousands of Iews there are that beleeve For all the males of the people of the Iewes were got together at Ierusalem according to the institution so that they were there by reason of that Law that as yet they submitted to they were not in a Church state at Ierusalem therefore there is no strength in that objection against congregationall Churches Secondly where there is a nationall Church there must be an uniting of them in some way of Nationall worship There is this Nationall worship that the Iews by institution from God were united in three times in a yeare to go up to the Temple to worship And except there shonld be some such kind of individuall worship not in the same species that is as others are praying so are we and as others are hearing so are we for so all the Churches in the world may be joyned but to joyne in one act of worship together as that was of going up to the Temple there must be such a thing And that made the Iews a Nationall Church because we have no such institution now no Nation in the world can in a proper sense be said to be a Nationall Church as theirs was in some figurative sense we may so call it but not in that proper sense as it was among the Iews Thirdly there are some Ordinances that cannot be enjoyed but in the way of Church-fellowship The Iews could not enjoy these feasts as they ought indeed it may be Israel the ten Tribes would make a kind of patched up feast but they could not feast so as they ought unlesse they went to Ierusalem in that way God appointed As among the Iews there were some Ordinances they might enjoy in their Synagogues and private houses but some which they could not enjoy but in the Temple so there are some Ordinances we may enjoy in our families but others wee cannot enjoy but in Church-communion which Ierusalem is a type of A fourth thing observable is these three times wherein they were to go up to Ierusalem
the Church set out by the Jewish way of Feasts though there be mention of the Passeover and new moones and Sabbaths and of the Feast of Tabernacles yet there is no mention of the Feast of Pentecost no mention of keeping a Feast for blessing God for these things Not but that they should doe so but that their hearts should be so carryed up with abundance of spirituall mercies that then all for Christ and for heaven and for eternity their hearts should be wholly set upon spirituall things 7. It was a great ingagement to them to use the creatures when in the first beginning they had dedicated them unto God and in the conclusion of harvest they had solemnized his mercy in giving them the creatures For God did thereby teach them that they might be further engaged to use all creatures for his service As it is a mighty engagement to any man if God give him a heart to dedicate the beginning of a mercy unto God and when he hath got the mercy fulfilled then in a solemne manner he blesseth God for it to make use of this mercy for Gods honour Certainly the reason why many are so loose in their conversations and doe not employ the creatures of God to his glory is because they do not in a solemn manner blesse God for that they enjoy As in your trading suppose you have some comfortable Incomes perhaps you take these comforts and thanke God in a slight manner for them how doe you use them afterwards onely for your selves and for the flesh But when you heare of Incomes of riches flowing in upon you if you can then presently take the first Fruits and give some part to Gods service as a testimony of thankfulnesse and in your families and closets in a solemne manner give God the glory for the good successe you have had in your estate this will be a mighty ingagement to you to use your estates for his service 8. Mark at the first in their preparation they were to bring but a sheafe but afterward Levit. 23. 17. they were to bring two loaves in the first they were to offer one he-lambe without blemish but afterward seven lambes a young bullocke and two Rams c. both burnt-offerings and sinne-offerings and peace-offerings when they had received the full harvest Thence learne though you be forward to give God glory when you are young the first fruit of your years yet when you come to be old you should flourish in the Courts of Gods house First they offered but a little unto God afterward abundance Doe you so I appeale to all old men that are here this day if God did give you any heart to give up your young years to him blesse God for it but now when you are old are you as forward as ever you were You ought to be not onely so but much more abundant in the work of the Lord. Nay cannot others witnesse against you that there was such a time wherein you were more forward and that now you begin rather to temporize The LORD forbid this should be spoke of any old men God expects more afterward then at the first fruits and though nature may decay yet their is a promise that in their old age they shall flourish in the Courts of Gods house and shall manifest the graces of his Spirit much more VVe are ready at the first Fruits to offer unto God some what when his mercy commeth first but when mercy comes afterward more fully we should be more in our offerings You will say what is the meaning of this that there is a burnt offering a sin-offering and a peace-offering in the Feast of Pentecost what is the difference of these three offerings The difference is this The burnt offering was in testimony of their high respect to God they wholly had respect to God in the burnt offering that is they tendred up something to God as a testimony of the high honoraable esteem they had of his Majesty it was wholly to be given up to him Now in the other they had respect to themselves the sin-offering was not to offer a sacrifice meerly to testifie respect to God but to be a typicall signification of Christs sacrifice for sins they were to looke through their sacrifice to Christ and their sin-offering was to be an atonement for their sin The Peace-offering was in thanksgiving for a mercy or when they would petition to God for a further mercy All this must be done in the day of Pentecost But besides this end of Pentecost to solemnize the mercies of God in their harvest there is an other that is constantly affirmed by the Jewes and I finde many Divines making no question of it but I finde it not so clearly laid down in the word They say God in this feast did solemnize the giving of the law and this is their ground because fifty dais after their coming out of Egypt was the time of Gods giving the Law and so they say Pentecost was appointed to blesse God for giving the law The Iews say that God dealt with them as a King should deale with a poor man in prison first hee releaseth him of his bondage and withall tells him that after such a time he will marry him to his daughter now say they will not this man count every day long untill this time come So when God did deliver us out of AEgypt he told us that after such a time he would give us his law and marry us to his daughter which is the law and this is the reason why wee count so disigently the very weeks nay the days as longing for that time when we are to be marryed to the law when the Lord shall grant to us such a mercy From whence we may note that we are not only to keep Gods law but to rejoyce in Gods law not only to look at what is commanded as a duty but as a high priviledg and so blesse God for the law It is a higher thing to love Gods law and rejoyce in it then to obey it Great peace shall they have that love thy law David profest that he loved the law of God more then silver and gold that it was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey combe The Iews at this day do much reioyce when the law of God is read and in their Synagogues when the law of God is brought out they lift up their bodies in a kind of exlatation reioycing that God gave this law unto them Further the time of their Pentecost was the time of the descending of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles as God at that time gave the law by Moses so the Spirit at that time came by Christ to shew that we are in the Gospel to receive the Spirit of God to inable us to fulfill the law They had the letter of the law but in comparison of what we have they had not the Spirit
in a visible church communion to the Jewes and in the spirituall communion of Christ with the soule for the present Of the visible form first Isa 60. 15. I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations I thinke this is not onely meant concerning the spiritual happines of the Saints but that God hath a time to make his visible church to be an eternall excellency and a joy of many generations an excellency that shall never have an end And this their perpetuall condition their enduring happinesse shall arise from three grounds First from the precious foundation that shall be laid upon that Church when it shall be Isa 54. 8. With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord but mark the ground vers 11. Behold I lay the foundation with Saphires all the rubbish shal be taken away it shal not be raised upon a rubbish foundation God will lay the foundations of it with Saphires and then with everlasting mercy he will embrace that Church Secondly that Church shall be in a peaceable condition no rent no division there therefore in a perpetuall condition Esay 33. 20. A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed Why the very words before shew the reason Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation Thirdly this Church shall look wholly at Christ as their Judge and their Law-giver and their King Isa 33. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Churches are ready to change while they mixe other things with the worship of Christ and the lawes of men with his laws but when they can look to him I mean in that which is spirituall as their Law-giver as their Judge and as their King then the happinesse of it shall be perpetuall never to cease in this world the Lord Christ will betroth this Church unto him for ever Though I verily think the holy Ghost aymeth at this in great part yet we are to understand this betrothing for ever further of the spirituall communion the soul hath with Christ When Christ betroths himselfe unto a soule it is for ever the conjugall love of Christ with a gracious soule shal never be broken At the first mans condition was such as man laid hold upon God and let goe his hold but now God lays hold upon man and hee will never let goe his The bond of union in a believer runs through Jesus Christ it is fastned upon God and the spirit of God holds the other end of it and so it can never be broken This union is in the Father who hath laid a sure foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rom. 9. 11. In the Son who loves his to the end Iohn 13. 1. In the Spirit who abides in the elect for ever John 14. 16 17. Esay 54. 10. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee My loving kindnesse shall be more stable with thee and endure longer then the mountains themselves It is as sure as the ordinances of heaven Jer. 31. 35 36. Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night if those ordinances dopart from before mee then the seed of Israel shall cease c. And Jer. 33. 20 21. Thus saith the Lord if you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant You have these three expressions of the abiding of Gods love to his people 1. The continuance of the mountains 2. The continuance of the ordinances of heaven and earth 3. Gods covenant with night and day Here is the bottome of consolation to the Saints They shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. As if God should say the speciall power that I meane to put forth in this world shall be to uphold the spirits of my Saints to bring them to salvation certainly it is so The speciall work that God hath in this world to exercise his power about is to keep Christ and the Saints together Though it be through Gods power that the heavens and the earth be kept up yet if God must withdraw his power from one hee would rather withdraw it from upholding heaven and earth then from upholding one gracious soule that hath union with his Son The union that is between Christ and his people it is too neere an union ever to be broken I remember Luther hath a notable expression about this As it is impossible for the leaven that is in the dough to be separated from the dough after it is once mixed for it turneth the nature of the dough into it selfe so it is impossible saith he for the Saints ever to be separated from Christ For Christ is in the Saints as neerly as the leaven in the very dough so incorporated as that Christ and they are as it were one lump Christ who came to save that which was lost will never lose that which he hath saved Heb. 7. 16. it is said that Christ was made a Priest not after the law of a carnall commandement That is he was not made a Priest as the Priests in the law after a ceremonial way but after the power of a indissoluble life Coeli virture by a celestiall vertue so Calvin upon the place The argument why Christs life is indissoluble rather then the Priests in the law is because they were made by the power of a carnall commandement not by a Celestiall power So those who professe godlinesse according to a carnall comandement in a ceremoniall way may faile vanish and come to nothing in their way of worship as many have done but such as are professors of Religion by the vertue of Gods Spirit in them they have the power of a life indissoluble There are two soul-staying and soul-satisfying grounds to assure of Christs betrothing himselfe for ever First when any soul is taken in to Christ it hath not onely all the sinnes that it hath committed heretofore pardoned but there is a pardon laid in for all sin that is to come There is forgivenesse with thee Psal 130. 4. There lyes pardon with God before hand for all that is to come as well as for that which is past There is no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. That is there is no instant of time after they are once in Christ Jesus wherein it can be said they are under the sentence of condemnation Now were it not that there were a pardon laid before-hand for all sin that is to come there might upon commission of a new sinne be said at that time that now they
King without a Prince Their Church in the four that follow after Though once they were the happiest people upon the face of the earth both in regard of their Civil and Church estate yet now they shall be most miserable This they had brought upon themselves they had set up their Idols in Dan and Bethel Dan is the place of judgement Bethel the house of God so the words signifie there was abundance of corruption both in places of judgement and in the house of God and now there comes upon them abundance of confusion both in their Civill and in their Church state They received their order for both from God himself from heaven and their Laws as well for Cvill as for Church Government which no other people yet ever did in the state manner but they leave Gods instituions and so they are brought into all confusion They shall be without a King How without a King When they were in captivity yet they were under a King the King of Babylon and the Assyrian and now they are scattered under the Government of Kings and Princes still where ever they are They have Kings over them but they have none of their own Nation to be their King and that is the judgement Neither are they governed by their own or rather by Gods Laws and for them to be in slavery under Kings was to them as ill yea worse then to have no King at all It is a sad condition for a people to be so without a King to protect them without a King to maintaine their Laws their Priviledges and Liberties When men reject God from ruling over them it is just with God to put them under the rule of Tyrants of Oppressors of publike enemies unto their state of destroyers The blessing of government is very great if it be right and therefore the Persians were wont after their Governor dyed to let all the people for five dayes be without any governour at all that seeing the inconvenience and mischiefe of being without it they might the more willingly yeeld themselves under Government and be obedient to it when they came under it It is a question among Polititions whether Tyrannie or Anarchy be the better Tyrannicall Government or no Government at all Though Tyrannie except it come to a great extremity may be better then Anarchie yet certainly it is not better then to bring power to be regulated though it be with some trouble That power that at first raiseth power that designes such persons and families to have the power that limiteth that power surely cannot want power to regulate that power that it should not be to its owne destruction But here it is not onely to be without a King but without a Prince too The word that is here translated Prince signifieth a Ruler Judge or Governour and so I finde it often used in Scripture 1 Chron. 27. 31. All these were rulers of the substance Princes the same word that is here used and Nehem. 3. 9. The ruler of the halfe part of Jerusalem the Prince So that by Prince here is meant Judges or any kind of Rulers they shall be without Prince without any Judges or Rulers Though they had no Kings yet if the government had been in the hand of eminent men of Judges over them their condition had not beene so sad Time was not long before that their happinesse did not consist in being under the government of Kings they were in a happy condition before ever these were over them and the first time that ever they came under their government it was upon their own choice and so as God professeth they had rejected him and God sent them their first King in his wrath Therefore their misery certainly did not depend wholly upon being without a King If God restraine not Kings they often desire to encroach upon the Liberties that the Laws of the Land the light of Nature and God himselfe gives Subjects Plutarch tells us a story of Pyrrhus who comming to Athens the Athenians to shew their respect and to give honour to King Pyrrhus let him come into their Castle to sacrifice there to Minerva which was a place they were not wont to let strangers into VVhen he came out of the Castle he told them that he was much engaged to them for that great favour in requitall of which hee told them he would give them this good counsell Take heed saith he that you never let King come more into this place Immitating how easily they may be perswaded to internch upon the liberties of those who come under their power And this should abide for many dayes It did abide for 700. yeares and upward before Christs time in regard of the ten Tribes for from the sixt of Hezekiab to Christ it was so long the tenne Tribes never came under any Governour of their owne in all that time And since Christs time neither Judah nor Israel have had either King or Prince of their own Oh what a blindness is there upon this people how dreadfull is that darkness they are now in That notwithstanding the Prophesie was so cleare that the scepter should not depart from Judah untill Shiloh came and yet now they have been without Prince these 1600. yeares and yet they will not believe that Shiloh is come Thus when God giveth over to blindness and hardnesse things that are never so cleare will not be believed But their confusion in their Church state is more grievous then the other They shall be without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim Two of these foure expresse their being deprived of Gods own Ordinances and the other two their being deprived of their false worship They made a mixture in worship they would have their sacrifice their Ephod but together with them their image and their Teraphim This is mans perversness to make mixtures in Gods worship they will keep something of that which is Gods but they will bring in something of their own too and that spoiles all I have read of an Emperour of Rome that in one Temple he would have Christ and Orpheus worshipped both together And those who were sent into Samaria by the King of Babylon of vvhom we reade 2 Kings 17. 33. They feared the Lord and served their own gods but verse 34. it is said they feared not God that is though they would acknowledge the true God yet they would mix the worship of Idols with the true God and so God rejected all they did not feare 〈◊〉 God at all It is no feare of God except we feare him onely it is no worship of God that is accepted unless we worship him onely It is true the Heathens are content with mixture in their worship you may worship one God and have the worship of another God mixed with it because there is not any one of them who challengeth to himselfe to be the universall good but God
people but the powers of Kings and Emperours the highest powers in the world whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when Christ comes to take the kingdom to himself the Father will set him King upon his holy hill Though the Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord against his Anoynted saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision then shall he speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion yet have I done it though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret vex and rage and gather power together though they blaspheme and say he shall not raigne the Lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them let them do what they can and gather what strength they can oppose to the uttermost they can Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill This is acceptable news it is the joyfull voyce of the Gospel to tell you of Christs comming to raigne in the world Esay 52. 7. How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings What are those good tidings this tidings that saith unto Zion Thy Godraigneth This is the triumph of the Church Esay 33. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our law-giver the Lord is our King for then shall the Churches be delivered from the oppression of all Tyrants in the world And this Kingdom of Christs shall indeed be like Davids kingdome Christ shal be David the King I might shew you the parallels in many things but I will only parallel the kingdome of Christ and of David in these two particulars First David of all the Princes that ever were was one of the most gentle he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects that you shal finde 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet said he are me my brethren and my people Marke how a King speaks speaking to his people he stood upon his feet and said heare me my brethren and my people Thus the kingdome of Christ is set out to us Psal 45. 4. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse Christ shall be a most meeke King hee shall not be a bloody King to his people he shall not be a King â—â—â—ing in viòlence and harshness so as not to care for the love of his people his singer shall not be heavier then the loynes of others but he shall rule his people with all gentleness Therefore the government of Christ is set out 〈◊〉 a sheâ—he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young 〈◊〉 â—his David David and CHRIST are parallel Psal 78. 70. 71. He chose David his servant tooke him from the sheep-folds from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So the Kingdome of Christ Esay 40. having spoken ver 9. of the glad tidings of the Kingdome it followeth He shall feed his flocke like a shepheard he shall gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young When Christ shal raigne he shal have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth he shall not raigne over them without regard to their liberties and what may be for the comfort of their lives the good of his people and his own glory shall be put both in one Secondly David their King in regard of faithfulnesse David was exceeding faithfull to his people and therefore the mercies of God in Christ are called the sure mercies of David because David was found faithfull before the Lord. Psal 45. 4. is the Prophesie of Christs Kingdom the Text saith In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousnesse there shall be righteousness in the Kingdome of Christ This is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us VVe know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised though never so seriously and with never such solemne protestations to performe them I will give you a story or two remarkable for this to shew what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of Princes when there have beene those about them that endeavoured to take of their hearts from performing what they had ingaged themselves to You shall finde in the life of Edward the sixth this story The King sends his Letters to London in the behalfe of the Duke of Somerset the then Protector there were divers of the Lords rose up against him thinking he did oppresse the people and they sent the same time their Letters to London for their aide and assistance hereupon there was a Common Counsell called in the City and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man one George Stadlowe and he speakes thus to the Counsell I remember saith he a story written in Fabians Chronicle of the wars between Henry the third and his Barons at which time the Baronsdemanded aide of the City of London as our Lords do now and that in a rightfull cause for the good of the Common-wealth for the execution of divers good lawes against the King who would not suffer those lawes to be put in execution and the City did aide them and it came unto an open bartell and the Lords prevailed against the King and tooke the King and his sonne prisoners and upon certaine conditions the Lords restored the King his son again to their liberties amongst other conditions this was one that the King should not only grant his pardon to the Lords but also to the Citizens of London which was granted and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratifâ—ed by act of Parliament but saith the story what followed of it was it forgotten no surely nor forgiven neither during the Kingslife the libeties of the Cities were taken away strangers were appointed to be our head governours the Citizens their bodies and goods were given away and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted Again in the history of Queen Maries time we find that Qeene Mary because there was some dispute about her comming to the Crowne at that time she went down into Suffolke to the place where the Duke that then rose up for another was most hated and she being at Framingham Castle the Suffolke men came to her and promised their â—ide upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of Religion which her brother King Edward before had established she promised them there should be no innovation of
his holinesse then any creature in the world not so appointed though other creatures have as much in them naturally to do it This is Gods institution Now mans institution that cometh neere to Gods where there is a setting our post by his post is when man shal take one creature from thousands of others and all those thousands have as much in them naturally and put into them by God to put me in minde of holynesse and to stirre up my heart now this creature shall be separated from the rest and by virtue of an institution put upon it there shall be expected more efficacy in this to stir up my mind and to draw my heart nearer to God then other creatures that onely do it in a natural way here I say is intrenching upon that which belongeth to the government of Christ Therefore I beseech you my brethren be not mistaken in this because I know you are ordinarily led by that speech of the Apostle let all thinge be done decently and in order Understand it aright It is true we must do so and it is a sin not to do things decently and in order in the worship of God but this doth not at all countenance any institution of mans when it comes to be spiritual to draw the heart nearer unto God or God nearer unto the heart by virtue of mans separation of it from common use I might instance in other things in places That there should be a convenient place for Gods worship the light of nature will tell us but when any man shall set one place aside separated from another and shall make the worship of God to be better and have more efficacy to draw men nearer unto God or God nearer unto men then another place that hath as much natural decency and fitness in it as that place hath here it commeth to have the evil By these few instances you may judge of all things when they do come to be institutions in Gods worship and beyond the rule of the Apostle Let all things be done decently and in order This is the second thing of Christs government that all Ordinances all Lawes in the Church must hold on him the Head The third thing in Christs government in the Church is that those Laws that he makes for the ordering and government of his Church do not onely hold on him 〈…〉 such a virtue and efficacy in them comming from the head that they do binde the consciences of men because they come from him that is the head of the Church they do lay bonds upon consciences and that primarily in another way and more efficaciously then any law of any man in the world can Yea they lay such a bond upon conscience that though a thing be commanded that hath no other reason for the command but meerly the will of Christ and that we cannot see to what other good the thing doth tend but meerly because Christ will have it yet we are bound to obey yea and that in secret Yea so farre as the rule goeth wee are bound to do what is required by it though wee should suffer never so much prejudice to our selves Here is the binding power of Christ in binding conscience But there is no law of man doth in this way bind conscience perhaps these things with some others that are to be delivered may at the first naming of them seeme to be somewhat tickle points yet I know there is a necessity and a kinde of absolute necessity to informe the consciences of men in them especially in these times and because they fall so full here in my way I could not out of conscience omit them and yet still if you diligently observe I hope we shall carry on all so as to speake modestly and yet safely and fully too I say therefore the lawes of men are different from the Lawes of Christ It is a part of the head-ship of Christ to lay bonds upon the conscience But what will you say then to that Text of Scripture I suppose it is in every one of your thoughts and would be ready in every one of your mouthes if you were from the Assembly Rom. 13. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Yea ver 5. You must be subject not out of feare of wrath but for conscience sake This Text seemes to imply that the lawes of men do binde the conscience And we finde it by experience how this is urged by many upon every thing there is no kinde of institution of man whatsoever except we can apparently shew it is contrary to the word of God but they thinke by virtue of this Text the consciences of men are bound and so they flie upon men that they are not men of conscience that they will not obey authority In that they doe not submit to authority they sin against their consciences c. You shall have many men that will jeere at those that are so conscionable in Gods commands that seeme to be but little things and in themselves are little things oh they dare not disobey because they are bound in conscience they will jeere at the scrupulosity of their consciences there But when it comes to mans commands then they must obey in the least thing whatever it be though in its own nature it be never so indifferent yet they must obey for conscience sake I shall desire as fully and as cleerly as I am able to satisfie Consciences in this very thing To open therefore that Scripture unto you First you must observe that every one is bound to be subject to the higher powers Mark It is not to the Man first but it is to the Power Let every soule be subject to the higher power where ever this power lyeth It is not to the will of a man that hath power but it is to the power of that man Now the power the authority is that that man hath in a legall way The first must be understood Secondly We must consider in what they must be subject The laws of men are of three sorts Some perhaps command that which is simply unlawfull that we all yeeld the Scripture doth not binde us to be subject there we must obey God rather then man But secondly there are other things that are commanded that are lawfull and they are of two sorts Either such things as do tend by the rules of justice and prudence to the publique good to the good of the Community of which we are members and there we are bound to obey for Conscience sake But still this not according to that obedience we owe to Christ our Head this is secondarily not primarily because commanded by man but because the rules of Justice and Prudence doth require this for the publique good of which we are a community and then because there commeth
and make us look up to free grace not take us off from the practise of any but from relying upon any onely to rely upon free grace in Christ As this is the supernaturall seeking God so it is the most powerfull way of seeking him It is not enough to seeke God by vertue of a promise except vve seek him by vertue of Christ who is the foundation of all the promises VVe seek him because he is mercifull that is one way yea we seek him because he hath promised mercy this is a higher degree but we must go higher yet we must look to his Son in whom all the promises are Yea Amen otherwise though we seek him never so earnestly though we chalenge his promises and cry to him to remember his promises yet if we do not act our faith upon his Son wee may misse in all And herein we sanctifie that great name of God in that which is the great work of his his master-piece as we may say or the great designe hee hath to honour himself in the world here and everlastingly hereafter Certainely though God hath made the creature for his own glory expects we should honour him in beholding him in the creature yet the great design God hath to honour himselfe in and by is in that glory of his that is manifested in his Son to have the children of men behold this his glory and reflect it upon his own face except you give God his glory in this he cares not much for what soever glory you can give him otherwise You must not therfore expect when you seek God that you must have good things from him meerly because he is mercifull you must not thinke that the mercy of God serveth to eike out our righteousnesse Perhaps some will say it is true we are poor sinfull creatures and what can wee expect from God being fin full but we hope that God will pardon our sin and so will accept of the poor services that we perform This is the way that most goe they do as it were imploy Gods mercy in such a worke that God never intended it for that is they would make the mercy of God to eike out their owne righteousnesse and so both put together they think they will serve to be a means of atonement No you mistake Gods mercy the worke of Gods mercy is not this but it is to shew us our unrighteousnesse our misery our unclearnesse to shew us Jesus Christ to draw our hearts to him to emptie us of our selves that wee may wholly rely upon that righteousnesse that is by faith in him and tender up that to the Father for sanctification and attonement that is the work of Gods mercy when it hath this work then it hath the true genuine work indeed The fifth is why here added King True wee must seeke the Lord and Christ but why Christ the King The reason is because Christ in the latter dayes shall be fully honoured in his Kingly power they shall looke upon him not only as Prophet and Priest but as King Hitherto Christ hath bin much honoured in his Propheticall and Priestly office but not so much in his Kingly but in the latter dayes when God shall call home his people the Jewes then Christ shall be fully honoured in his Kingly office The Tabernacle of Christ was raised in the Primitive times according to that speech of St. James we had before Acts 15. 16. God shall raise the tabernacle of David hee puts it as fulfilled then but there is a time when God shall not only raife the tabernacle of David but the throne of David Christ the King shall appeare in glory Ezek. 37 24 25. And David my servant shall be King over them It was spoken upon the union that there should be between Judah and Israel then David my servant shall be King over them David was dead a great while before there is a time that David must again be King that is Christ upon the union of all the Tribes together And againe David shall be Prince for ever when they are brought againe into their owne land David shall be Prince over them for ever saith the Text surely this prophesie is yet to be fulfilled And Luke 1. 32. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdome there shall be no end I know we usually think that this is meant only of his spirituall reign but there is a mistake in it certainly there is to be a fulfilling of this prophesie in a reign that shall outwardly appeare before the children of men which will appea more in comparing this with other Scriptures Revel 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord his Christ and so he shall reign for ever and ever VVhy in a spirituall sense the kingdoms of this world are always the kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ but there is spoken of some famous notable time when the kingdomes of this world shall appeare to be the Lord and his Christs and then he shall reigne for ever and ever after another manner then now he doth Revel 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my throne as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne Mark this Text as one of the most notable of any wee have That kingly rule that Christ hath for the present is upon his Fathers throne he is not yet upon his own in comparison of what he shall be the kingdome that Christ hath now is the joynt reigne of him with the Father but there is a time for Christ to have a Throne himselfe Now that Throne of Christ it may be you will thinke it is in heaven at the day of judgement but we finde 1 Cor. 15. 24. that at that day he comes to refigne the kingdome the words do not seeme to import as if hee came to take it but that then hee doth give up the kingdome unto God the Father therefore there is a time for Christ himself to have a Throne with whom the Saints shall reign Matth. 21. 9. The children cryed out Hosanna to the sonne of David because they looked upon the sonne of David as one who was to reign In these latter dayes CHRIST shall breake the Kings of the earth who stand against him as indeed many yea most of the Kings of the earth have ever stood out to hinder this kingdome of his There will be a mighty shaking of the kingdoms of the earth when this shall be Heb. 12. 26. Whose voyce then shook the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also the heaven quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. 7. God in giving the law shooke the earth but he will shake the earth and the heavenâ— which some Interpreters expounds thus not only the meaner power of