soule did before shelter whole flocks of evill affections when hee came out the tide was driven back the streame turned the center of his heart altered his forrest discovered his lusts scattered and subdued What ailes this man Hee hath but heard an houres discourse the same which others heare and their tide riseth the higher by it Certainly these Devils were not cast out these streames were not turned back but by the finger of God himselfe When the minister of Christ shall whisper in the ears of a dead man whom no thunder could have awakened and hee shall immediatly rise up and give glory to God when Christ shall call men to denie themselves to get above themselves to hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and their owne life to sell all that they have to crucifie and be cruell to their owne members to pull out their right eyes to cut off their right hands to part from those sinnes which before they esteemed their choicest ornaments and from those too which before they made their chiefest support and subsistence to stand at defiance with the allurements or discouragements of the world to bee set up for signes and wonders for very proverbs of skorne and objects of hatred to those of their owne house to receive persecutions as rewards and entertaine them not with patience onely but with thankfulnesse and rejoicing to bee all their life long in the midst of enemies put to tedious conflicts with the powers of the world and of darknesse to beleeve things which they have not seen and to hope for things which they doe not know and yet maugre all this to refuse to consult with flesh and bloud to stand still more in awe of Gods word than of any other thing certainly that which with the voice of a weake man bringeth such great things to passe must needs bee Virga virtutis a Rod of strength A Rod like the Rod of Moses which can lead us through such seas as these to one whom wee have never seen nor knowen before Esai 55.5 Secondly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the justification of men as it is Sceptrum Iustitiae a Scepter of Righteousnesse a word of reconciliation a Gospell of salvation a Law of the Spirit of life a ministration of the Spirit of life and of Righteousnesse an opening of prisons and a proclaiming of liberty unto captives in these respects likewise it is full of power There was a mighty power in the Law of God typified in those thundrings and terrors with which it was administred upon mount Sina the Apostle calleth it a Schoolmaster to scourge and drive us unto Christ and the Psalmist an iron Rod able to breake in pieces all the potsherds of the earth And we know boies in a Schoole doe not apprehend so much terror in the King as in their Master Yet in comparison of the Power of the Gospell the Law it selfe was very weake and unprofitable able to make nothing perfect The Power of the Law was onely to destruction the Power of the Gospell for edification The Law could onely hold under him that was downe before it could never raise him up againe Now the power is farre greater to raise than to kill to forgive sinnes than to bind them Herein is the mighty strength of Gods mercy seen that it can passe by iniquities transgressions and sinnes To preach the Gospell of Christ in his name and authority is an evident argument of that plenary power which is given unto him both in heaven and earth And the very dispensing of this word of reconciliation which is committed unto the Ministers of the Gospell how basely soever the ungratefull world may esteeme of them hath honored them with a title of as great power as a man is capable of to bee called Saviors to have the custodie of the keyes of heaven ministerially and instrumentally under Christ and his Spirit to save the soules and to cover the sinnes of men Now then that word which from the mouth of a weake man is able to reconcile a child of wrath unto God and by the words of one houre to cover and wipe out the sinnes of many yeares which were scattered as thick in the soules of men as the starres in the firmament must needs bee virga virtutis a Rod of strength Thirdly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the sanctification of men as it is Sceptrum cum unctione a Scepter which hath ever an unction accompanying it As it is a Sanctifying Truth an heavenly teaching a forming of Christ in the soule a making of the heart as it were his Epistle by writing the Law therein and manifesting the power and image of Christ in the conscience If a man should touch a marble or adamant stone with a seale and taking it off should see the print of it left behinde hee could not but conceive some wonderfull and secret vertue to have wrought so strange an effect Now our hearts are of themselves as hard as the nether milstone when then a holy word so meekly and gently laid on upon them shall leave there an impression of its own puritie when so small a thing as a graine of mustard-seed shall transforme an earthy soule into its owne nature when the eyes and hands and mouth of Christ being in the ministerie of his word spread upon the eyes and hands and mouth of a Childe shall revive the same from death when by looking into a glasse wee shall not onely have a view of our owne faces but shall see them changed into the image of another face which from thence shineth upon us how can wee but conclude that certainly that word by which such wonders as these are effected is indeed virga virtutis a Rod of strength Fourthly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the Perservation and Perseverance of the Saints as it is Virga germinans a Rod like Aarons Rod which blossomed and the blossomes perished not but remained in the Ark for a Testimony of Gods power For as those buds or the Manna in the Ark did not perish so neither doth the word of the Gospell in the hearts of the faithfull The Apostle saith that wee are kept by the power of God unto salvation and S. Iude that Gods power keepeth the Saints from falling and presenteth them faultlesse before the presence of his glory and what is this power of God whereby hee doth it but the Gospell of Christ which S. Peter calleth semen incorruptibile uncorruptible seed and the Spirit of Christ which S. Iohn calleth semen manens an abiding seed If I should see a tree with perpetuall fruit without any variation from the difference of seasons a tree like that in S. Iohns Paradise which every moneth did bring forth fruite of twelve severall kindes I should conclude that it had an extraordinary vitall power in it so
present and things to come all are yours saith the Apostle Death it selfe and persecutions are amongst the legacies of Christ unto the Church and a portion of all that goodnesse with which in the Gospell shee is endowed It containes the glory of Gods power and strength for it is the Power of God unto salvation as hath beene declared It containeth the glory of Gods grace The grace of his favour towards us and the grace of his Spirit in us The Law was given by Moses but grace came by Christ that is favour in stead of Gods fury and strength in stead of mans infirmitie for because man was unable to fulfill the Law therefore the Law came with wrath and curses against man but in the Gospell of Christ there is abundance even a whole kingdome of grace the Apostle saith that by Iesus Christ grace raigned there is grace to remove the curse of the Law by Gods favour towards us so that on all sides the Law is weake unable by reason of mans sinne to save and unable by reason of Gods favour to condemne and there is grace to remove the weaknesse of man by Gods Spirit in us for though our owne spirit lust unto envie or set it selfe proudly against the Law of God yet hee giveth more grace that is strength enough to overcome the counterlustings of the flesh against his will and to enable us in sincerity and evangelicall perfection to fulfill the commands of the Law Lastly it containeth in some sort the glory of Gods heavenly kingdome in that therein are let in the glimpses and first fruits the seales and assurances thereof unto the soule by the promises testimonies and comforts of the Spirit And therefore it is frequently called the Gospell of the kingdome and the mysteries of the kingdome of God namely that kingdome which beginneth here but shall never end As if a man borne in Ireland bee afterwards transplanted into England though he change his countrey he doth not change his King or his Law but is still under the same government so when a Christian is translated from earth to heaven he is still in the same kingdome in heaven it is the kingdome of glory mended much by the different excellencie of the place and preferment of the person in earth it is the same kingdome though in a lesse amene and comfortable climate the kingdome of the Gospell These and many other the like things are the glorious matters which the Gospell containeth Here then wee see how and wherein we are to looke upon God so as that wee may abide his glory and bee comforted by it wee must not looke upon him in his owne immediate brightnesse and essence nor by our sawcie curiosities prie into the secrets of his unrevealed glory for he is a consuming fire an invisible and unapprochable light we may see his back-parts in the proclaiming of his mercy and wee may see the hornes or bright beames of his hands in the publishing of his Law but yet all this was under a cloud or under the biding of his Power His face no man can see and live Wee must not looke upon him onely in our selves Though wee might at first have seene him in our owne nature for we were created after his Image in righteousnesse and true holinesse yet now that Image is utterly obliterated and we have by nature the Image onely of Satan and the old Adam in us we must not looke upon him onely in mount Sinai in his Law lest the fire devoure us and the dart strike us thorow we can finde nothing of him there but rigour inexorablenesse wrath and vengeance But we must acquaint our selves with him in his Sonne wee must know him and whom he hath sent together there is no fellowship with the Father except it be with the Sonne too we may have the knowledge of his Hand that is of his workes and of his punishments without Christ but we cannot have the knowledge of his bosome that is of his counsels and of his compassions nor the knowledge of his Image that is of his holinesse grace and righteousnesse nor the knowledge of his presence that is of his comforts here and his glory hereafter but onely in and by Christ we may know God in the World for in the Creation is manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may bee knowne of him namely his eternall power and God-head But this is a barren and fruitlesse knowledge which will not keepe downe unrighteousnesse for the wise men of the world when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and held that truth of him which was in the Creation revealed in unrighteousnesse Wee may know him in his Law too and that in exceeding great glory when God came from Teman and the Holy One from mount Paran whereabout the Law was the second time repeated by Moses his glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise his brightnesse was as the light c. But this is a killing knowledge a knowledge which makes us flie from God and hide our selves out of his presence and fight against him as our sorest enemies and come short of his glory therefore the Law is called a firy Law or a fire of Law to shew not onely the originall thereof for it was spoken out of the middest of the fire but the nature and operation of it too which of it selfe is to heap fire and curses upon the soule and therefore it is called the ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.7 But now to know the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ is both a fruitfull and a comfortable knowledge wee know the patterne we must walke by we know the life we must live by we know the treasure wee must be supplied by we know whom wee have beleeved wee know whom wee may be bold with in all straits and distresses wee know God in Christ full of love full of compassion full of eares to heare us full of eyes to watch over us full of hands to fight for us full of tongues to commune with us full of power to preserve us full grace to transforme us full of fidelity to keepe covenant with us full of wisdome to conduct us full of redemption to save us full of glory to reward us Let us therefore put our selves into this Rocke that Gods goodnesse may passe before us that he may communicate the mysteries of his kingdom and of his glory unto us that by him our persons may be accepted our prayers admitted our services regarded our acquaintance and fellowship with the Lord increased by that blessed Spirit which is from them both shed abroad in his Gospell upon us Now lastly the Gospell of Christ is glorious in those ends effects or purposes for which it serveth And in this respect principally doth the Apostle so often magnifie the glory of the Gospell above
and reall conveying the blessing it selfe desired without all contradiction saith the Apostle the lesse is blessed of the greater Hebr. 7.7 and such was this of Melchisedek Benedictio obsignans a seale assurance and effectuall confirmation of the promise before made Gen. 12.2 3. Sixthly in what manner he received Tithes I answer with Calvin that he had Ius decimarum and received them as testifications of homage duty and obedience from Abraham for the Apostle useth it as argument to prove his greatnes above Abraham which could be no argument in the case of pure gift Since gifts quâ—tenus gifts though they prove not a generall inferioritie in him that receives them yet they prove that in that case there is something which may be imputed and which deserves acknowledgement But in this particular all the acknowledgements are from Abraham to Melchisedek Besides nothing was here by Abraham or Melchisedek done after an arbitrary manner but Extraordinario spiritus afflatu ex officio on both sides as learned Cameron hath observed Lastly in what sense hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. without father mother or genealogie I answer with Chrysostome that it is not meant literally and strictly but onely the Scripture takes notice of him as an extraordinary man without signifying his line beginning end or race as Tiberius said of Rufus that he was Homo ex se natus that so he might be the fitter to typifie Christs person and excellencie in whom those things were really true which are onely quoad nos spoken of the type of whose beginning end or parentage wee neither have nor can have any knowledge These things thus premised it will bee easie for you to preoccupate those observations which grow betweene the Type and the Antitype which therefore I will but cursorily propose Note first that Christs Priesthood is such as did induce a kingdome with it for Melchisedek was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God This Saint Hierom and from him Ambrose report to have been meant by the order of Melchisedek namely Regale Sacerdotium that Christ was to be a Royall Priest By way of merit purchasing a kingdome of his Father and by way of conquest recovering it to himselfe out of the hands of his enemies this mystery was obscurely intimated in the marriages allowed between the regall and sacerdotall tribes of Iuda and Levi which confusion was in the other Tribes interdicted as I have before observed Note secondly that Christ by offering up himselfe a Sacrifice unto God is become unto his people a King of Righteousnesse or the Lord our righteousnesse in which sense he is called The Prince of life Act. 3.15 that is he hath all power given him as a Prince to quicken and to justifie whom hee will Ioh. 5.20 21. And this comes from his Sacrifice and perfect obedience to us imputed and by us with faith implyed and apprehended for having fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law and justified himselfe by rising from the dead he became being thus made perfect the Author of righteousnesse and salvation to us Heb. 5.9 We had in us a whole kingdome of sin and therefore requisite there was in him that should justifie us a kingdome of Grace and righteousnesse That as sinne raigned unto death even so might Grace through righteousnesse raigne unto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.21 and therefore wee are said to be justified by the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 22. that is such a righteousnesse as is ours by gift and grace not by nature Rom. 10.3 and such a righteousnesse as God himseâ—fe did performe though in the humane nature in our behalfe Act. 20.28 Phil. 2.6 7 8. And this is the ground of all our comfort the best direction in all our miseries and extremities whither to flie A King is the greatest officer amongst men and his honour and state is for the supply defence and honour of his people He is Custos Tabularum the Father and the Keeper of the Lawes If I want any of that justice and equity of which his sacred Bosome is the publike treasure I may freely beg it of him because he is an Officer to dispence righteousnesse unto his subjects so also is Christ unto his Church I finde my selfe in a miserable condition condemned by the conscience of sinne by the testimony of the Word by the accusations of Satan full of discomforts God is a God of justice and all fire my selfe a creature of sin and all stubble Satan the accuser of the brethren who labours to blow up the wrath of God against me In this case what shall I doe Surely God hath set his King on Sion and he is a King that hath life and righteousnesse to give to mee that hath grace enough to quench all sin and the envenomed darts of Satan in whom there is erected a court of peace and mercy whereunto to appeale from the severity of God from the importunity of the Devill and from the accusations and testimonies of our owne hearts And indeed he had need be a King of righteousnesse that shall justifie men for our justification is in the remission of our sins and to pardon sins and dispence with Lawes is a regall dignitie and God taketh it as his owne high and peculiar prerogative I even I am he who blotteth out thine iniquity for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Esay 43.25 No man or Angell or created power no merit no obedience no rivers of oyle nor mountaines of cattell no prayers teares or torments can wipe out the staines or remove the guilt of any sinne I onely even I and none else can doe it None but a Divine and Royall Power can subdue sinne Mica 7.18 And this is a ground of a second comfort that being a King of righteousnesse he is rich in it and hath treasures to bestow that as we have a kingdome a treasure and abundance of sin so we have a King that hath alwayes a residue of spirit and grace that hath a most redundant righteousnesse from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 A mans faith can never over-grow the righteousnesse of our King If we had all the faith that ever was in the world put into one man all that could not over-claspe the righteousnesse of Christ or be too bigge for it As if a man had a thousand eyes and they should one after another looke on the Sunne yet still the light would be revealed from eye to eye or as if a man should goe up by ten thousand steps to the top of the highest mountaine yet he could never over-looke all the earth or fix his eye beyond all visible objects but should still have more earth and heaven discovered unto him from step to step so there is an immensitie in the righteousnesse and mercy of God which cannot be exhausted by any sins or overlooked and comprehended by any faith of men As God dotâ—
fulnesse for themselves only Eph. 4.7 1 Cor. 12.11 Rom. 1â— 3 But a fulnesse without measure like the fulnesse of light in the Sun or water in the Sea which hath an unsearchable sufficiency and redundancie for the whole Church Ioh. 3.34 Eph. 3.8 Mal. 4.2 So that as hee was furnished with all Spirituall Endowments of Wisedome judgment power love holinesse for the dispensation of his owne Office Esai 11.2.61.1 So from his fulnesse did there runne over a share and portion of all his graces unto his Church Ioh. 1.16 Col. 2.19 3 He did by a solemne and publike promulgation proclaime the Kingdome of Christ unto the Church and declare the decree in that heavenly voice which came unto him from the excellent glorie This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him Psal. 2.7 Matth. 3.17.17.5 2 Pet. 1.17 4 Hee hath given him a Scepter of Righteousnesse hath put a sword in his mouth and a rodde of iron in his hand made him a Preacher and an Apostle to reveale the secrets of his bosome and to testifie the things which hee hath seen and heard Heb. 1.8 Revel 1.16.2.16 Psal. 2.9 Esai 16.1 Heb. 3.1 Ioh. 1.18 Ioh. 3.11 12.32 34. 5 Hee hath honoured him with many Ambassadors and servants to negotiate the affaires of his Kingdome some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministerie and for the Edifying of his Bodie 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4.11 12. 6 Hee hath given him the soules and consciences of men even to the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and for the territories of his Kingdome Psal. 2.8 Ioh. 17.6 7 Hee hath given him a power concerning the Lawes of his Church A power to make Lawes the Law of Faith as S. Paul cals it Rom. 3.27 Mark 16.15 16. A power to expound Lawes as the morall Law Matt. 5. A power to abrogate Lawes as the Law of Ordinances Col. 2.14 8 Hee hath given him a power of judging and condemning enemies Ioh. 5.27 Luk. 19.27 Lastly hee hath given him a power of remitting sinnes and sealing pardons which is a roiall prerogative Matth. 9.6 Ioh. 20.23 And these things belong unto him as hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well Man as God Ioh. 5.27 For the workes of Christs mediation were of two sorts Opera ministerii workes of service and ministerie for he tooke upon himselfe the forme of a servant and was a Minister of the Circumcision Phil. 2.8 Rom. 15.8 and Opera Potestatis workes of Authoritie and government in the Church All power is given unto me in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 The Qualitie of this Kingdome is not Temporall or Secular over the naturall lives or civill negotiations of men He came not to be ministred unto but to minister his Kingdome was not of this World he disclaimed any civill power in the distribution of lands and possessions he with-drew himselfe from the people when by force they would have made him a King and himselfe that in this point hee might give none offence payed tribute unto Cesar Matth. 20.28 Ioh. 18.36 Luk. 12.13 14. Ioh. 6.15 Matth. 17.27 But his Kingdome is Spirituall and heavenly over the soules of men to binde and loose the conscience to remit and retaine sinnes to awe and over-rule the hearts to captivate the affections to bring into obedience the thoughts to subdue and pull downe strong holds to breake in pieces his enemies with an iron rod to hew and slay them with the words of his mouth to implant fearfulnesse and astonishment in the hearts of hypocrites and to give peace securitie protection and assurance to his people The way wherby hee enters upon his Kingdome is ever by way of Conquest For though the Soules of the Elect are his yet his enemies have the first possession as Canaan was Abrahams by Promise but his seeds by Victorie Not but that Christ proclaimes peace first but because men will not come over nor submit to him without warre The strong man will not yeeld to bee utterly spoiled and crucified upon termes of peace Hence then wee may first learne the great Authoritie and Power of this King who holds his Crowne by immediate tenure from heaven and was after a more excellent manner than any other Kings therunto decreed and anointed by God himselfe Much then are they to blame who finde out wayes to diminish the Kingdome of Christ and boldly affirme that though a King hee could not but bee yet hee might have been a King without a Kingdome a King in personall right without subjects or territories to exercise his regall power in A King onely to punish enemies but not a King to governe or to feed a people But shall God give his Sonne the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and shall men withhold it shall God give men unto Christ Thine they were thou gavest them unto me Ioh. 17.6 and shall they detaine themselves from him what is it that he gives unto his Sonne but the soules the hearts the very thoughts of men to bee made obedient unto his Scepter 2 Cor. 10.5 and shall it then bee within the compasse of humane power to effect as it is in their pride to maintaine fieri posse ut nulla sit Ecclesia We know one principall part of the Kingdome and power of Christ is to cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and that not onely unto conviction but unto obedience as the Apostle shewes to send such gifts of the Spirit unto men as should benefit the very Rebellious that God might dwell amongst them Psal. 68.18 for in as much as Christ came to destroy the workes of the devill that is sinne as the Apostle shewes 1 Ioh. 3.8 Ioh. 8.41.44 and in their place to bring in the worke of God which is faith in him for so that grace is frequently stiled Ioh. 6.29 Phil. 1.29 Col. 2.12 Therfore it is requisite that none of Satans instruments and confederates such as the hearts of naturall men are should be to strong for the grace of Christ. But what then doth Christ compell men against their wills to become subiect unto him No in no wise He hath ordered to bring them in by a way of voluntarinesse and obedience And herein is the wisedome of his power seen that his grace shall mightily produce those effects in men which their hearts shall most obediently and willingly consent unto that hee is able to use the proper and genuine motions of second causes to the producing of his owne most holy wise and mercifull purposes As wee see humane wisedome can so order moderate and make use of naturall motions that by them artificiall effects shall be produced as in a clock the naturall moâ—ion of the weight or plummet causeth the artificiall distribution of houres and minutes and in a mill the
naturall motion of the winde or water causeth an artificiall effect in grinding the corne How much more then shall the wisedome of Almighty God whose weaknesse is stronger and whose foolishnesse is wiser than men be able so to use incline and order the wils of men without destroying either them or their liberty as that thereby the Kingdome of his Sonne shall be set up amongst them so that though there be still an habituall radicall fundamentall indetermination and indifferencie unto severall wayes unto none of which there can bee a Compulsion yet by the secret ineffâ—ble and most sweete operation of the Spirit of grace opening the eyes convincing the judgment perswading the affections enclining the heart giving an understanding quickning and knocking the conscience a man shall be swayed unto the Obedience of Christ and shall come unto him so certainely as if he were Drawen and yet so freely as if he were left unto himselfe For in the calling of men by the word there is a Trahere and a Venire The Father draweth and the man commeth Ioh. 6.44 That notes the efficacie of grace and this the sweetnesse of grace Grace worketh strongly and therefore God is said To Draw and it worketh sweetly too and therefore man is said to Come Againe from hence wee learne our Dutie unto this King the honor and subjection which is due unto him The Father committeth all Iudgment to the Sonne that is hath anointed him with the office and abilities of a King for judgment stands for the whole duty of a King Psal. 72.1 and is therefore frequently attributed unto the Messias Esai 42.1.4 Ier. 23.5 Ier. 33.15 And from thence our Saviour inferres that all men should honour the Sonne even as they honour the Father Iob. 2.22 23. with the same worship reverence subjection For God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of Iesus that is unto that holy thing unto the power and Scepter of that divine Person which is unto us so comfortably manifested in a name of salvation Every knee should bow c. Phil. 2.9 10. This Dutie the Psalmist expresseth by kissing the Sonne Which denoteth unto us 3 things I Love For a kisse is a symbole and expression of love and therefore used by the primitive Christians in their Feasts of Love and after prayer unto God and oftentimes enjoyned by S. Paul as an Expression of Christian Love Insomuch that it was a proverbiall speech amongst the Heathen see how these Christians doe love one another And this is a Dutie which the Apostle requires under paine of the extremest curse that can light upon a man to Love the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 And if any man saith our Savior Loveth Father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me or Sonne or Daughter more than me hee is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 That is hee is utterly unqualified for the benefit of my mediation For hee that hath good by me cannot choose but love me Luk. 7.47 2 To kisse in the Scripture phrase noteth Worship and Service Let the men that Sacrifice kisse the Calves Hos. 13.2 Iob 31.26 27. And thus wee finde the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders and every Creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth worshipping the Lambe and ascribing blessing honor glorie and power unto him Revel 5.8.14 3 To kisse is an expression of Loialtie and Obedience thus Samuel kissed Saul when hee had anointed him King over Israel 1 Sam. 10.1 And therefore the Septuagint and Hierom and from them our Translators render the word which signifieth to kisse by being obedient or ruled by the words of Ioseph Gen. 41.40 And this likewise is a dutie which wee owe unto Christ to be obedient to him to bee ruled by his mouth and by the Scepter of his mouth that is by his word which is therefore called the Law of Christ because it hath a binding power in it Wee are commanded from heaven to heare him Matt. 17.5 And that too under paine of a curse every soule which will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Act. 3.23 Wee should learne therefore to take his Commands as from God for he speaketh his Fathers words and in his name Deut. 18.19 Ioh. 3.34 When Ahasuerus Commanded Haman to put on the Crowne upon Mordecai hee presently executed the Kings pleasure and honored his greatest enemie because the King required it Now God hath made Christ our King and hath crowned him with honor and Majestie as the Apostle speakes and requires of us to kisse this his Sonne and to bow unto his name and therefore bee wee what wee will Princes or Judges or great men of the world who rejoyce in nothing more than in the name of wisedome this is our Wisedome and dutie Psal. 2.10 12. It is too ordinary with great men to bee regardlesse of God and of his waies Yet wee see the wrath of God in his creatures fire tempest pestilence sword sicknesse makes no distinction between them and others how much lesse will God himselfe make when all crownes and scepters and dignities shall be resigned to him and all men shall stand in an equall distance and condition before the tribunall of Christ when no titles of honor no eminencie of station no treasures of wealth no strength of dependencies no retinue traine of servants will accompany a man into the presence of the Lamb or stand betweene him and the judgment of that great day Wee know hee was a King that feared the presence of a persecuted Prophet and hee was a Prince that trembled at the preaching of an Apostle in chaines The word of God cannot bee bound nor limited it is the Scepter which his Father hath given him and wee cannot without opeÌ„ contestation against God resist his government therein over us Hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me saith our Saviour It is Christ himselfe whose Ambassadors wee are and with whom men have to doe in our ministerie And hee will have it so First For our Peace If God should speake againe by the Ministerie of Angels in thunder and fire as he did on mount Sina we would quickly call for Moses Ministers againe Exod. 20.19 Secondly For his owne glorie that the Excellencie may be of God and not of men 2 Cor. 4.7 That it may not be in him that planteth nor in him that watereth but in God which giveth the blessing and increase 1 Cor. 3.7 That it may not bee in him which willeth nor in him which runneth but in God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 That the service cooperation and helpe of the Churches joy might bee ours but the Dominion over mens faith and the teaching of their inner man might be Christs 2 Cor. 1.24 Eph. 4.20 21. Very bold therefore and desperate is the contumacie of
in the grave and he that ascended was the same that descended into the lower part of the earth Matt. 28.6 Eph. 4.10 and shall we then defile this nature by wantonnesse intemperance and vile affections which is taken into so indissoluble an unitie with the Sonne of God Christ tooke it to advance it and it is still by his Spirit in us so much the more advanced by how much the neerer it comes to that holinesse which it hath in him We should therefore labour to walke as becommeth those that have so glorious a head to walke worthy of such a Lord unto all well pleasing in fruitfulnesse and knowledge to walke as those that have received Christ and expect his appearing againe Phil. 1.27 Col. 1.10.2.6.3.4 5. Secondly the sitting of Christ on the right hand of God notes unto us the Consummation of all those Offices which hee was to performe here on the earth for our redemption For till they were all finished hee was not to returne to his glorie againe Hee that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne workes saith the Apostle Heb. 4.10 first he was to execute his Office before hee was to enter into his rest Though he were a Sonne and so Iure naturali the inheritance were his owne before yet he was to learne Obedience by the things which hee was to suffer before hee was made perfect againe Heb. 5.8 9. After hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes for ever that is after he had made such a compleat expiation as should never need bee repeated but was able for ever to perfect those that are sanctified hee then sate downe on the right hand of God expecting till his enemies bee made his footstoole Heb. 10.12 13 14. This is the argument our Savior useth when hee prayeth to be glorified againe with his Father I have glorified thee on earth or revealed the glorie of thy truth and mercy to thy Church I have finished the worke which thou gavest mee to doe and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine owne selfe c. Ioh. 17.4 5. Hee humbled himselfe saith the Apostle and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse wherefore God hath highly exalted him c. Phil. 2.8 9. Noting unto us the Order of the Dispensation of Christs Offices some were workes of Ministrie and service in the Office of Obedience and suffering for his Church Others were workes of power and Majestie in the protection and exaltation of his Church and those necessarily to precede these He ought to suffer and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.26 46. Necessarily I say First by a Necessity of Gods Decree who had so fore-appointed it Act. 2.23 24. Secondly by the Necessity of Gods Iustice which must first be satisfied by obedience before it could bee appeased with man or in the person of their head and advocate exalt them to his glory againe Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.10 Rom. 6.6 11. Eph. 2.5 6. Thirdly by the Necessity of Gods Word and will signified in the predictions of the Prophets Luk. 24.46 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. Fourthly by the Necessity of Christs infinite Person which being equall with God could not possibly be exalted without some preceding descent and humiliation That hee ascended saith the Apostle what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth Eph. 4.9 Therefore it is that our Savior saith The Spirit should convince the World of Righteousnesse because hee was to goe to the Father and should bee seen here no more Ioh. 16.10 The meaning of it is that the Spirit shall in the Ministery of the Word reveale unto those who are fully convinced of their sinfull condition and humbled in the sense thereof a treasure of full and sufficient Righteousnesse by my obedience wrought for sinners And the reason which is given of it stands thus Our Righteousnesse consists in our being able to stand in Gods presence Now Christ having done all as our suretie here went up unto glory as our head and advocate as the first fruits the Captaine the Prince of life the author of salvation and the forerunner of his people so that his going thither is an argument of our justification by him First because it is a signe that hee hath finished the worke of our redemption on earth a signe that hee overcame death and was justified by the Spirit from the wrongs of men and from the curse of the Law Therefore hee said to Mary after his resurrection Goe tell my Disciples I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Ioh. 20.17 that is by my death and victory over it you are made my brethren and reconciled unto God againe Secondly because hee hath Offices in heaven to fulfill at the right hand of his Father in our behalfe to intercede and to prepare a place for us to apply unto us the vertue of his death and merits If hee had ascended without fulfilling all Righteousnesse for the Church hee should have been sent downe and seen againe but now saith he you see me no more for by once dying and by once appearing in the end of the world I have put away sin by the Sacrifice of my selfe Heb. 9.26.7.27 Rom. 6.9 10. He was taken saith the Prophet from Prison and judgment to note that the whole debt was payed and now who shall declare his generation That is hee now liveth unto numberlesse generations he prolongeth his dayes and hath already fulfilled Righteousnesse enough to justifie all those that know him or beleeve in him Esai 53.8 10. Thus wee see that Christs deliverance out of prison and exaltation at the right hand of God is an evident argument that he is fully exonerated of the guilt of sinne and curse of the Law and hath accomplished all those workes which he had undertaken for our Righteousnesse And this likewise affords abundant matter both to humble and to comfort the Church of Christ. To humble us in the evidence of our disabilities for if we could have finished the workes which were given us to doe there would have been no neede of Christ. It was weaknesse which made way for Christ. Our weaknesse to fulfill obedience and that weaknesse of the Law to justifie sinners Rom. 5.6 Rom. 8.3 Heb. 7.18 19. All the strength we have is by the power of his might and by his grace Eph. 6.10 2 Tim. 2.1 and even this God dispenceth unto us in measure and by degrees driving out our Corruptions as he did the Canaanites before his people by little and little Exo. 23.30 because while we are here he wil have us live by faith and fetch our strength as we use it from Christ and waite in hope of a better condition and glorifie the patience and forbearance of God who is provoked every day To comfort us likewise First against all our unavoidable and invincible infirmities every good Christian desires to serve the Lord with all his strength desires to be
enriched to be stedfast unmoveable abundant in the worke of the Lord to doe his will as the Angels in heaven doe it yet in many things they faile and have daily experience of their owne defects But here is all the comfort though I am not able to doe any of my duties as I should yet Christ hath finished all his to the full and therefore though I am compassed with infirmities so that I cannot doe the things which I would yet I have a compassionate advocate with the Father who both giveth and craveth pardon for every one that prepareth his heart to seeke the Lord though he be not perfectly cleansed 1 Ioh. 2.2 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Secondly Against the pertinacie and close adherence of our corruptions which cleave as fast unto us as the very powers and faculties of our soule as heat unto fire or light unto the Sunne Yet sure we are that he who forbad the fire to burne and put blacknesse upon the face of the Sunne at midday is able likewise to remove our corruptions as farre from us as he hath removed them from his owne sight And the ground of our expectation hereof is this Christ when he was upon the earth in the forme of a servant accomplished all the Offices of suffering and obedience for us Therefore being now exalted farre above all heavens at the right hand of Majestie and glory he will much more fulfill those Offices of Power which he hath there to doe Which are by the supplies of his Spirit to purge us from sinne by the sufficiencie of his grace to strengthen us by his word to sanctifie and cleanse us and to present us to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle He that brought from the dead the Lord Iesus and suffered not death to hold the head is able by that power and for that reason to make us perfect in every good worke to doe his will and not to suffer corruption for ever to hold the members It is the frequent argument of the Scripture Heb. 13.20 21. Col. 2.12 Eph. 1.19 20. Rom. 6.5 6. Rom. 8.11 Thirdly against all those firie darts of Satan wherby he tempteth us to despaire and to forsake our mercie If he could have held Christ under when he was in the grave then indeed our faith would have been vaine we should be yet in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. But he who himselfe suffered being tempted and overcame both the sufferings and the temptation is able to succor those that are tempted and to shew them mercie and grace to helpe in time of need Heb. 2.17 18. Heb. 4. 15 16. Lastly against death it selfe For the Accomplishment of Christs Office of redemption in his resurrection from the dead was both the Merit the Seale and the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20 22. Thirdly The sitting of Christ on the right hand of his Father noteth unto us the actuall Administration of his Kingdome Therefore that which is here said sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole the Apostle thus expoundeth He must raigne till he hath put all enemies vnder his feete 1 Cor. 15.25 And he therefore died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living namely by being exalted unto Gods right hand Rom. 14.9 Now this Administration of Christs Kingdome implies severall particulars First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The publication of established Lawes For that which is in this Psalme called the sending forth of the rod of Christs strength out of Sion is thus by the Prophets expounded Out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Esai 2.3 Mich. 4.2 Secondly The conquering and subduing of subjects to himselfe by converting the hearts of men and bringing their thoughts into the obedience of his Kingdome Ministerially by the word of reconciliation and effectually by the power of his Spirit writing his Lawes in their hearts and transforming them into the image of his word from glorie to glorie Thirdly Ruling and leading those whom he hath thus converted in his way continuing unto their hearts his heavenly voice never utterly depriving them of the exciting assisting cooperating grace of his holy Spirit but by his divine power giving unto them all things which pertaine unto life and godlinesse after he had once called them by his glorious power Esai 2.2 Ioh. 10.3 4. 1 Cor. 1.4 8. Esai 30.21 1 Pet. 2.9 2 Pet. 1.3 Fourthly Protecting upholding succouring them against all temptations and discouragements By his compassion pittying them by his power and promises helping them by his care and wisedome proportioning their strength to their trials By his peace recompencing their conflicts by patience and experience establishing their hearts in the hope of deliverance Heb. 2.17 Ioh. 16.33 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 1.5 Phil. 4.7 19. Rom. 15.4 Fifthy Confounding all his enemies First Their projects holding up his Kingdome in the midst of their malice and making his truth like a tree settle the faster and like a torch shine the brighter for the shaking Secondly Their Persons Whom he doth here gall and torment by the Scepter of his word constraining them by the evidence thereof to subscribe to the Iustice of his wrath and whom he reserveth for the day of his appearing till they shall be put all under his feete In which respect he is said to stand at the right hand of God as a man of warre ready armed for the defence of his Church Act. 7.56 Fourthly the sitting of Christ on the right hand of God noteth unto us his giving of gifts and sending downe of the Holy Ghost upon men It hath been an universall custome both in the Church and elsewhere in dayes of great joy and solemnitie to give gifts and send presents unto men Thus after the wall of Ierusalem was built and the worship of God restored and the Law read and expounded by Ezra to the people after their captivitie it is said that the people did eate and drinke and send portions Nehem. 8. 10 12. The like forme was by the people of the Iewes observed in their feast of Purim Ester 9.22 And the same custome hath bin observed amongst heathen Princes upon solemne and great occasions to distribute donations and congiaries amongst the people Thus Christ in the day of his Majestie and Inauguration in that great and solemne triumph when he ascended up on high and led captivity captive he did withall give gifts unto men Eph. 4.10 Christ was notably typified in the Ark of the Testament In it were the Tables of the Law to shew that the whole Law was in Christ fulfilled and that he was the end of the Law for Righteousnesse to those that beleeve in him There was the golden pot which had Manna to signifie that heavenly and abiding nourishment which from him the Church receiveth There was the Rod of Aaron which budded Signifying either the miraculous incarnation of Christ in a Virgin or
when the day is come wherein he will bee patient towards them no longer The Prophet giveth three excellent reasons hereof in one verse Esai 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King hee will save us Hee is our Judge and therefore certainely when the day of triall is come hee will plead our cause against our adversaries and will condemne them Mich. 7.9 But a Judge cannot doe what pleaseth himselfe but is bound to his rule and proceedeth according to establish'd lawes Therefore he is our Lawgiver likewise and therefore hee may himselfe appoint Lawes according to his owne will but when the Will of the Judge and the Rule of the Law doe both consent in the punishing of offendors yet then still the King hath a liberty of mercy and hee may pardon those whom the Law and the Judge have condemned But Christ who shall judge the enemies of his Church according to the Law which himselfe hath made is himselfe the King and therefore when he revengeth there is none besides nor above him to pardon So at that day there shall bee a full manifestation of the Kingdome of Christ none of his enemies shall moue the wing or open the mouth or peepe against him The second thing formerly proposed in this latter part of the verse was The Author of subduing Christs enemies under his feet I the Lord. Wicked men will never submit themselves to Christs Kingdome but stand out in opposition against him in his Word and wayes When Gods hand is lifted up in the dispensation of his Word and threatnings against sin men will not see Esai 26.11 And therefore he saith My spirit shall not alwayes strive with men to note that men would of themselves alwayes strive with the spirit and never yeeld nor submit to Christ. Though the patience and goodnesse of God should lead them to repentance and forewarne them to flye from the wrath to come yet they after their hardnesse and impenitent heart do hereby treasure up against themselves the more wrath and because judgement is not speedily executed their heart is wholly set in them to doe mischiefe Let favour saith the Prophet be shewed unto a wicked man yet will he not learne righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deale unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Certainely if a wicked man could bee rescued out of hell it selfe and brought backe into the possibilities of mercie againe yet would he in a second life flie out against God and while he had time take his fill of lusts againe We see Clay will but grow harder by the fire and that metall which melted in the Fornace being taken thence will returne to its wonted solidity When Pharaoh saw that the raine and the haile and the thunders were ceased though in the time of them he was like melted metall and did acknowledge the righteousnesse of God and his owne sinne and make strong promises that Israel should goe yet then he sinned more and hardened his heart he and his servants and would not let the children of Israel goe Doe wee not see men sometimes cast on a bed of sickenesse brought to the very brinke of hell and to the smell of that sulphurie lake when by Gods wonderfull patience they are snatch'd like a brand out of the fire and have recover'd a little strength to provoke the Lord againe when they should now set themselves to make good those hypocriticall resolutions of amendement of life wherewith in their extremity they flattered God and deceived themselves suddenly breake forth into more filthinesse than before as if they meant now to be revenged of God and to fetch backe that time which sickenesse tooke from them by an extremity of sinning as if they had made a Covenant with hell to doe it more service if they might then be spared All the favours and methods which God useth are not enough to bring wicked men home unto him of their owne wils Though I redeemed them saith the Lord yet have they spoken lyes against me they have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts So many judgements did the Lord send upon Israel in the necke of one another and yet still the burden of the Prophet is Yet have you not returned unto me saith the Lord. Damme up the passage of a river and use all the Art that may be to over-rule it yet you can never carry it backward in its owne channell you may cut it out into other courses and diverticles but no Art can drive it unto a contrary motion and make it retire into its owne fountaine So though wicked men may haply by divers reasons which their lusts will admit be so farre wrought upon as to change their courses yet it is impossible to change themselves or to turne them quite out of their owne way into the way of Christ. There is but a bivium in the world a way of life and a way of death and the Lord in the Ministery of the Word gives us our option I have set before you this day life and death blessing and cursing and hee that beleeveth shall be saved hee that beleeveth not shall be damned To the former he invites beseecheth enticeth us with promises with oathes with engagements with prevention of any just objection which might be made We beseech you saith the Apostle in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God From the other he deterres us by forewarning us of the wrath to come and of the period which death will put to our lusts with our lives And as Tertullian once spake of the Oath of God so may I of his entreaties and threatnings O blessed men whom the Lord himselfe is pleased to sollicite and entice unto happinesse but O miserable men they who will not beleeve nor accept of Gods owne entreaties And yet thus miserable are we all by nature There is in men so much atheisme infidelity and distrust of Gods Word so close an adherencie of lust unto the soule that it rather chooseth to runne the hazzard and to goe to hell entire than to goe halt and maimed unto heaven yea to make God a liar to blesse themselves in their sinnes when he curseth and to judge of him by themselves as if he tooke no notice of their wayes It is not therefore without just cause that God so often threatneth to remember all the sinnes of wicked men and to doe against them whatsoever he hath spoken Wee see then that men will never submit themselves unto the Scepter of Christ nor prevent the wrath to come by a voluntary subjection It remaines therefore that God take the worke into his owne hands and put them perforce under Christs feete They will not submit to his kingdome of grace and mercy they will not
feete two manner of wayes Either by way of subjection as Servants unto him and so hee hath dominion over all the workes of Gods hands and hath all things put under his feete So the Apostle saith that God hath set him at his owne right hand in heavenly places farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feete and gave him to bee the head over all things to the Church Which S. Peter expresseth in a like manner Hee is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him Or secondly by way of victorie and insultation and so all Christs enemies are put under his feete Which is the most proper way For the members of Christ are indeed under the head So wee finde that the sheepe of Christ are in his hands No man shall pluck them out of my hand And the Lambes of Christ are in his armes and bosome Hee shall gather the Lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome But the enemies of Christ are under his feete to bee trampled upon till their bloud bee squeezed out and his garments stained with it All the multiplied multitudes of the wicked in the world shall bee but as so many Clusters of ripe grapes to bee cast into the great winepresse of the wrath of God and to bee troden by him who went forth on a white horse conquering and to conquer till the bloud come out of the winepresse even unto the horse bridles And this is an usuall expression of a totall victory in holy Scripture the laying of an adversary even with the ground that hee may bee crushed and trampled upon This was the curse of the Serpent that hee should crawle with his belly upon the dust of the earth and that the seed of the woman should bruize his head And it is the curse of Gods enemies that they should lick the dust and that the feete of the Church and the tongue of her dogs should bee dipped in the bloud of her enemies Thus David put the people of Rabbah under harrowes and Iehu trod Iezabel under his horses feete And therefore the Church chooseth that phrase to expresse the greatnesse of her calamity by The Lord hath trodden under foote all my mighty men in the midst of mee hee hath called an assembly against mee to crush my yong men The Lord hath trodden the Virgin the Daughter of Iuda as in a wine-presse Now this putting of Christs enemies as a stoole under his feet notes unto us in regard of Christ two things First his Rest and secondly his Triumph To stand in the Scripture Phrase as I have before observed denoteth Ministery and to Sit Rest and there is no posture more easie than to sit with a stoole under ones feet Till Christs enemies then be all under his feet he is not fully in his Rest. It is true in his owne person he is in Rest he hath finished the worke which was given him to doe and therefore is entred into his rest Hee hath alreadie ascended up on high and led captivity captive yet in his members he still suffers though not by way of paine or passion yet by way of Sympathy or compassion he is touched with a feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 As by the things which he suffered he learned obedience towards God so by the same sufferings hee learned compassion and thereupon mercy and fidelity towards his members for no man can be more tenderly faithfull in the businesse of another than he who by his owne experience knoweth the consequence and necessity of it And therefore he is said to be afflicted in all the afflictions of his people and the Apostle tels us that the afflictions of the Saints fill up the remainders or that which is behinde of the sufferings of Christ for as the Church is called the fulnesse of Christ who yet of himselfe is so full as that he filleth all in all neither doth the Church serve to supply his defects but to magnifie his mercy so the Churches sufferings are esteemed the fulnesse of the sufferings of Christ although his were of themselves so full before as that they had a consummatum est to seale up both their measure and their merit and therefore our sufferings are called his not by way of addition or improvement unto those but by way of honour and dignitie unto us they shew Christs compassion towards us and our union and conformitie to him but no way either any defect of vertue in his or any value of merit in ours or any ecclesiasticall treasure or redundancie out of a mixture of both very profitable they are for the edification of the Church but very base and unworthy for the expiation of sinne very profitable for the comfort of men but very unprofitable to the justice of God So then though Christ rest from suffering in himselfe yet not in his Saints though the Serpent cannot come to the head yet it is still bruizing of his heele Here then the Apostles inference is good there remaineth therefore rest unto the people of God and that such a glorious rest as must arise out of the ruine of their enemies when the wicked perish they shall see it and rejoyce and shall wash their feet in the bloud of their adversaries The revenge of God against his enemies is such as shall bring an ease with it Ah saith the Lord I will ease me of mine adversaries I will avenge me of mine enemies Esay 1.24 This is the comfort which the Lord giveth his people that they shall be full when their enemies shall be hungry and that he will appeare to their joy when their enemies shall be ashamed This must teach wicked men to take heed of persecuting the members of Christ for they therein are professed enemies to him whom yet they would seeme to worship This is certaine that all the counsels and resolutions which are made against the subjects or lawes of Christs kingdome are but vaine imaginations which shall never be executed He will at last avenge the quarrell of his people and in spight of all the power or malice of hell make them to sit actually in heavenly places with him whom he hath virtually and representatively carried thither alreadie And it should comfort the faithfull in all their sufferings for Christs sake Because hereby they are first Conformable unto him Secondly they are Associates with him Thirdly they are assured that they are in a way to rest for saith the Apostle it is just with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven And inasmuch saith Saint Peter as you are partakers of Christs sufferings when his glory shall be revealed
an escape from himselfe the priviledge wherof hee did afterwards in vaine lay hold on And thus will Christ deale with his enemies at the last day Here they trample upon Christ in his word in his wayes in his members They make the Saints bow downe for them to goe over and make them as the pavements on the ground They tread under foote the bloud of the covenant and the Sanctuary of the Lord and put Christ to shame here and there their owne measure shall bee returned into their owne bosome they shall bee constrained to confesse as Adonibezek as I have done so God hath requited mee Yea this they shall suffer from the meanest of Christs members whom they here insulted over They shall then as witnesses and as it were co-assessors with Christ judge the very wicked Angels and tread them under their feet They shall take them captives whose captives they were and shall rule over their oppressors All they that despised them shall bow themselves at the soles of their feete They who gathered themselves against Sion and said let her bee defiled and let our eye see it shall themselves bee gathered as sheaves into the floore and the Daughter of Sion shall arise and thresh them with hornes of iron and with hooves of brasse Then saith the Church shee that is mine enemies shall see it shame shall cover her which said unto mee Where is the Lord thy God Mine eyes shall behold her Now shall shee bee troden downe as the mire of the streetes Even so let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them which love thee bee as the Sunne when he goeth forth in his might Lastly herin wee may note the great Power and wisedome of Christ in turning the malice and mischiefe of his enemies into his owne use and advantage and in so ordering wicked men that though they intend nothing but extirpation and ruine to his Kingdome yet they shall bee usefull unto him and against their owne wills serviceable to those glorious ends in the accomplishing wherof hee shall bee admired by all those that beleeve As in a great house there is necessary use of vessels of dishonour destinated unto fordid and meane but yet dayly services so in the great house of God wicked men are his utensils and houshold instruments as footstooles and staves and vessels wherin there is no pleasure though of them there may bee good use The Assyrian was the Rod of his anger his axe wherwith hee pruned and his Saw wherwith hee threatned his people Pharoah was a vessell fitted to shew the glory and power of his name It is necessary saith our Savior that offences come and there must bee heresâ—es saith the Apostle Because as a skilfull Physitian ordereth poysonfull and destructive ingredients unto usefull services So the Lord by his wisedome doth make use of wicked mens persons and purposes to his owne most righteous and wonderfull ends secretly and mightily directing their wicked designes to the magnifying of his owne power and providence and to the furthering of his people in faith and godlinesse VERSE 2. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Rule thou in the mids of thine enemies THis Verse is a continuation of the former touching the Kingdome of Christ and it containes the forme of its spirituall administration Wherin is secretly couched another of the Offices of Christ namely his Propheticall Office For that is as it were the dispensation and execution of his regall Office in the militant Church The summe of this Administration consists in two principall things First in matters military for the subduing of enemies and for the defence and protection of his people Secondly in matters civill and judiciall for the government preservation and honor of his Kingdome And both these are in this Psalme The former in the latter part of this verse Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The other in the third verse Thy people shall bee willing c. and the way of compassing and effecting in the former words of this verse The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength out of Sion Every King hath his jura Regalia certaine roiall prerogatives and peculiar honors proper to his owne person which no man can use but with subordination unto him And if wee observe them wee shall finde many of them as exactly belong unto Christ in his Kingdome as to any secular prince in his First unto Kings doe belong Armamentaria publica the Magazins for military provision and the power and disposition of publike armes Therefore hee is said by the Apostle to Beare the sword because armes properly belong unto him and unto others under his allowance and protection So to Christ alone doth belong and in him onely is to bee found the publike armorie of a Christian man The weapons of our warfare are mighty onely through him Nay hee is himselfe the armour and panoply of a Christian and therefore wee are commanded to put on the Lord Iesus Againe via publica is via regia the high way is the Kingâ— way wherin every man walketh freely under the protection of his Soveraigne So that Law of faith and obedience under which wee are to walke which S. Paul calleth the Law of Christ is by S. Iames called Lex Regia a roiall Law and a Law of Libertie in which while any man continueth hee is under the protection of the promises and of the Angels of Christ. Againe Bona adespota seu incerti Domini Lands that are concealed and under the evident claime of no other person or Lord doe belong unto the Prince as hee that hath the supreme and universall dominion in his countries And this is most certainly true of Christ in his Kingdome if any man can once truly say Lord I am not the servant of any other Master no other King hath the rightfull dominion or peaceable possession of my heart hee may most truly from thence inferre Therefore Lord I am thy servant and therefore Lord my heart is thine True it is Lord our God that other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but now by thee onely will wee make mention of thy name Againe Vectigaliae and Census Tributes and Customes and Testifications of homage and fidelity are personall prerogatives belonging unto Princes and as the Apostle saith Due unto them for that Ministerie and Office which under God they attend upon So in Christs Kingdome there is a worship which the Psalmist saith is Due unto his name They which came unto the Temple which was a type of Christ were not to come empty handed but to bring Testimonies of their reverence and willing subjection unto that worship When Abraham met Melchisedek a figure of Christ as from him hee received a blessing so unto him hee gave an expression of a loyall heart the tenth of the spoiles When the people of Israel entred into
the land of Canaan which was a type of Christs Church which he should conquer unto himselfe if any people accepted of the peace which they were first to proclaime they were to become tributaries and servants unto Israel So it is said of Salomon whose peaceable kingdome was a type of Christs after his many victories that he bond-service upon all the nations about Israel and that those princes with whom he held correspondence brought unto him presents as testimonies of his greatnesse and wisedome So when the wise men the first fruits of the Gentiles after Christ exhibited came to submit unto his kingdome they opened their treasure and presented him with gifts gold frankincense and myrrh Againe Monetarum leges valores the authorizing and valuations of publike coines belong unto the prince onely it is his image and inscription alone which maketh them currant Even so unto Christ onely doth belong the power of stamping and creating as it were new ordinances in his Church nothing is with God nor should be currant with us which hath not his image or expresse authority upon it Neither can any man falsify or corrupt any constitution of his without notable contempt against his royall prerogative Againe Iudicium or potestas judiciaria a power of judging the persons and causes of men is a peculiar royalty the administration whereof is from the prince as the fountaine of all humane equitie under God deposited in the hands of inferiour officers who are as it were the mouth of the prince to publish the lawes and to execute those acts of justice and peace which principally belong to his owne sacred breast And so Christ saith of himselfe The Father hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne and hath given him authority to execute judgement Againe Ius vitae necis A power to pardon condemned persons and deliver them from the terrour of the Lawes sentence is a transcendent mercie a gemme which can shine only from the diadems of Princes Now unto Christ likewise belongeth in his Church a power to forgive sinnes it is the most sacred roialty of this prince of peace not onely to suspend but for ever to revoke and as it were annihilate the sentence of malediction under which every man is borne There are likewise Ornamenta Regia regall Ornaments a Crowne a Throne a Scepter and the like Thus we finde the Romanes were wont to send to those forraine kings with whom they were in league as testimonies and confirmations of their dignity scipionem eburneum togam pictam sellam curulem an ivorie scepter a roiall robe and a chaire of state And the like honours wee finde in the Scriptures belonging unto Christ that hee was crowned with glory and honour and that hee had a Throne and righteous scepter belonging to his kingdome Thus we have seene in severall particulars how Christ hath his Royalties belonging to his kingdome Some principall of them we finde in this place A throne a scepter ambassadours armies for the right dispensing of his sacred power We will first consider the words and then raise such observations as shall offer themselves First what is meant by the Rod of Christs Strength or his Strong Rod It notes a thing which a man may leane upon or lay the whole weight of his body on in his wearinesse But being spoken of Christs kingdome wee take it for a scepter or rod of majestie I will not hold you with the variety of acceptions in Expositors Some take it for the branch that groweth out of that roote of Iesse Some for the wood of the crosse Some for the body of Christ borne of a Virgin Some for the kingdome of Christs power taking the signe for the thing signified Some for the power of his mightie workes and preaching That of the body and of the crosse of Christ except by them wee understand the vertue of Christ crucified I conceive to be not so pertinent to the purpose of the Prophet The rest agree in one But for the more distinct understanding of the words wee may consider out of the holy Scriptures what things were sent out of Sion And we finde there two things First the word of the Lord or his holy Gospell The Law shall proceed out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Mic. 4.2 Secondly the spirit of the Lord which was first sent unto Sion for at Hierusalem the Apostles were to wait for the promise of the Father Act. 1.4 and from thence was shed abroad into the world upon al flesh Act. 2.17 and both these are the power or strength of Christ. His word a Gospell of power unto salvation Rom. 1.16 2 Cor. 4.7.10.4 and his spirit a spirit of power 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Tim. 1.7 which is therefore called the finger and the arme of the Lord Luk. 11.20 Matt. 12.28 Esai 53.1 so by the Rod is meant the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ. Secondly what is meant by Gods sending this Rod of Christs strength It notes the manifestation of the Gospell we knew it not before it was sent The donation of the Gospell we had it not before it was sent the invitations of the Gospell we were without God in the world and strangers from the Covenant of promise before it was sent The Commission of the Dispensers of the Gospell they have their patent from heaven they are not to speake untill they be sent Thirdly what is meant by sending it out of Sion It is put in Opposition to mount Sina from whence the Law was sometimes sent with thunders and fire and much terrour unto the people of Israel Ye are not come saith the Apostle unto the mount that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest c. but yee are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant c. Heb. 12.18.24 and the Apostle elsewhere sheweth us the meaning of this Allegoricall opposition betweene Sina and Sion betweene Sarah and Hagar namely the two covenants of the Law and of Grace or of bondage and liberty Gal. 4.24 25. Sion was the place whither the tribes resorted to worship the Lord the place towards which that people praied the place of Gods mercifull residence amongst them the beauty of holines the place upon which first the gift of the holy Ghost was powred forth and in which the Gospell was first of all preached after Christs Ascension We may take it by a Synechdoche for the whole Church of the Jewes unto whom the Lord first revealed his Covenant of Grace in Christ Act. 3.26 Act. 13.46 Rom. 2.10 Rule Thou that is Thou shalt rule which is a usuall forme to put the Imperative for the future Indicative It is not a command which hath relation unto any service but it is a promise a commission a dignity conferred
upon Christ. In the midst of thine enemies Some understand it of changing the hearts of his enemies and converting them as captives unto his obedience Other understand the wonderfull effect of the power of Christs kingdome that he can by his Word and Spirit hold up his Church in despight of all the enemies thereof round about The Church ever was and will be pester'd with divers kindes of adversaries heretikes and hypocrites and false brethren with profanenesse temptations persecutions spirituall wickednesses and in the midst of all these the Church of Christ groweth as a Lily amongst the thornes Now this In medio noteth two things Dominium plenum and dominium securum A perfect and full governement without mutilation without impediment the Church being amongst the wicked as a rocke in the midst of the sea or as a garrison in an enemies towne Media dominantur in urbe is an expression of such a rule as can no way be hindered or removed The Church of God is a burdensome stone they who goe about to remove it out of that place where Christ will plant it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth should gather together against it Zech. 12.3 A secure and confident governement so in the Scripture phrase In the midst notes confidence and security When the Prophet asked the Shunamite would'st thou be spoken for to the king or to the Captaine of the host she answered I dwell amongst mine owne people that is I am safe and have enough already 2 King 4.13 When they of the Synagogue would have cast Christ downe head-long from the brow of a hill it is said that he passed through the midst of them and went his way that is with much confidence safety and assurance he withdrew himselfe Luk. 4.29 30. As the Prophet was full of security and quietnesse in the midst of the Syrian siege 2 King 6 14-16 The words being thus unfolded wee may observe in them Three of Christs principall Regalities Sceptrum Solium and Imperium The Scepter the Throne and the Power or governement of his kingdome His Scepter is the Word of his Gospell animated by the Power of his holy Spirit and accompanied with the blessing and authority of God the Father who sendeth it abroad into the world His Throne from whence this his Scepter is extended Sion the Church of the Jewes His victorious plenarie and secure governement Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies First the Scepter here is the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ. Christ is a Shepheard towards his Flocke the Church Esai 40.11 A great Shepheard Heb. 13.20 that notes his Power and Majesty over them and a good Shepheard Ioh. 10.14 that notes his care and tendernesse towards his Sheepe Kings in the Scripture are called Shepheards to lead and to feed and to govern the people So David is said to have beene taken from the sheepfolds to feed Iacob and Israel Psal. 78.71 2 Sam. 5.2 and thus Christ is a Shepheard and a King I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feede them Even my servant David I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them Ezek. 34.23 24. Prophets Teachers are in the Scripture likewise called Shepherds Ier. 23.1 4. and so Christ is a Shepheard and a Bishop Ye were as sheepe going astray but now ye are returned unto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules 1 Pet. 2.25 And therefore wee finde in the Scripture that Christ hath two pastorall staves to note his great care and double office in his Church The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want I will feare no evill for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me Psal. 23.4 I tooke unto me two staves the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands and I fed the flocke Zech. 11.7 So then the Rod of Christs strength or his strong staffe doth in these severall relations note unto us three things As it is a staffe of strength so it notes the power of Christ. As it is the Scepter of a King so it notes the majestie of Christ. As it is the staffe of a Bishop or Prophet so it notes the care and superintendencie of Christ over his Church So then this first particular of the Rod of Christs kingdome affoords unto us three observations First that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of power and strength towards the Church Secondly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of Glory and Majesty towards his Church Thirdly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of care and of tendernesse towards his Church First the words of the Gospell with the spirit is full of power and strength No man will denie that Christ in his owne person is full of power And as the power of a Prince is principally seene in his lawes edicts pardons and gratious patents so is the power of Christ wonderfully magnified towards the Church in his Gospell which unto us is both a Covenant of mercy and a Law of obedience We may observe how Christ is frequently pleased to honor his Gospell with his owne titles and attributes And therefore the Apostle speakes of him and his word as of one and the same thing The word of God is quicke and powerfull a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any Creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe That which is the word in one verse is Christ himselfe in another which hath given occasion to some learned men without any constraining reason as I conceive to take the Word there for the essentiall Word of God or the person of Christ himselfe to whom I thinke that appellation is not given by any of the sacred Writers but onely by his beloved Disciple Saint Iohn We know that Christ was crucified at Jerusalem and yet the Apostle saith that he was crucified amongst the Galatians Certainely in that he died he died but once unto sin S. Paul could not doe that himselfe which he curseth others for doing Crucifie againe the Lord of Glory So then at Jerusalem he was crucified in his person and at Galatia in the ministery of his Word One and the same crucifying was as lively set forth in Saint Pauls preaching as it was really acted upon Christs person for Christ is as really present to his Church now in the spirituall dispensation of his ordinances as hee was corporally present with the Jewes in the dayes of his flesh And therefore I say it is that we finde the same attributes given to both Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God and the Gospell else-where the Power of God and the wisdome of God in a mystery to them that are perfect Againe Christ the Lord of glory and the Gospell the Gospell of
if they goe to the Gospell that will not save them because they have contemned it Fourthly the power of the Word towards wicked men is seene in this that it doth ripen their sins and make them so much the more sinfull and so much the sooner fill up their measure If I had not come saith Christ and spoken unto them they had had no sinne but now they have no cloke for their sinne A tree which is fastned unto a wall in which the heat of the Sunne is more permanent and united will bring forth ripe fruit before the ordinary season so a people upon whom the light of the Gospell hath constantly shined and which doth often drinke in the raine which falleth upon it must needs bring forth Summer-fruit sinnes speedily ripe and therefore be so much the neerer unto cursing There is but a yeare betweene such a tree and the fire we shall never finde that the sinnes of Israel and of Juda for which they were at any time plagued with captivitie were so long in ripening as the sinnes of the Canaanites upon whom there did no light shine The Land had rest sometimes fortie yeeres and sometimes fourescore yeeres but we never finde that they were suffered to provoke the Lord to his face foure hundred yeeres together We finde when to Ninive he sent a Prophet to reveale unto them the guilt and merit of their sinnes he then set them a very short time in which they should either forsake or ripen them Yet fortie dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed Fifthly the power of the Word towards wicked men is seene even in the rage and madnesse which it excites in them It is a signe that a man hath to doe with a strong enemie when he buckleth on all his harnesse and calleth together all his strength for opposition When I see a river without any sensible noise or motion I am ready to esteeme it a standing poole but when I looke further and there observe what huge engines it carrieth about and what weighty bodies it rouleth before it I then beleeve a strength in it which I did not see so when I see the Word of Christ rouze up the rage and lusts of men and force them to set up against it strong holds and high imaginations even the wisedome and strength of the gates of â—ell to keepe it out I must needs then conclude that it is indeed Virga virtutis a Rod of strength The most calme and devout hypocrites in the world have by the power of this word beene put out of their demure temper and mightily transported with outrage and bitternesse against the majesty thereof One time filled with wrath another time filled with madnesse another time filled with envie and indignation another time filled with contradiction and blasphemie another time cut to the heart and like reprobates in hell gnashing with their teeth Such a searching power and such an extreme contrariety there is in the Gospell to the lusts of men that if it doe not subdue it will wonderfully swell them up till it distemper even the grave prudent men of the world with those brutish and uncomely affections of rage and fury and drive disputers from their arguments unto stonds Sin cannot endure to be disquieted much lesse to be shut in and encompassed with the curses of Gods word Therefore as a hunted beast in an extremity of distresse will turne backe and put to its utmost strength to be revenged on the pursuers and to save its life so wicked men to save their lusts will let out all their rage and open all their sluces of pride and malice to withstand that holy truth which doth so closely pursue them Thus as beggarly masters deale with their servants or bankrupts with their creditors when they should pay them their monie which they are unable to doe they then picke quarrels and create pretences to with-hold it or as froward men in suits of law when their cause failes endeavour to piece it out with rage and passion so doe wicked men deale with God in his word when they should pay him that service which he therein requireth of them and which they have neither will nor power to doe when he produceth his cause and entreth into controversie with them convincing them in the court of their owne consciences so that they are not able to stand out they have then no other refuge left but either to submit which they will in no wise endure or to flye into the face of the word and withstand it with malice when they cannot with reason Till men can be perswaded to lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse they will never receive the engraffed word with meeknesse For till then it is a binding word which sealeth their guilt and condemnation upon them Lastly the mighty power of the word towards wicked men is seene in altering them in their semiperswasions and semiconversions unto goodnesse in restraining them from those lusts which they dearely love and in forcing them to those externall conformities which have no inward principles to support them The humiliation of Ahab the observation of Herod the incomplete perswasion of Agrippa the forc'd obedience and flatteries of the dissembling Iewes the essaies and offers of hypocrites towards religion the velleities and hankerings of unresolved wills after Christ are notable evidences of the power and majesty which is in the Gospell If I should see a millstone in the ayre not falling constantly and swiftly downe but swag and waver and floate about in a kinde of unresolved motion as if it were in a deliberation which way to goe one while yeelding to its owne weight another while lingering and by fits attempting to ascend how could I sufficiently wonder at that secret vertue and those strange impressions which did retardate the naturall descent of so weightie a body so when I see men who still retaine the principles of their owne corrupt nature which carry them with as strong an impulsion to sinne and hell as a millstone is moved unto its Center hanker notwithstanding after goodnesse and when they yeeld unto their lusts doe it not without much hesitancy and conflict of a naturall conscience I must needes acknowledge a mighty strength in that word which setteth bounds to the raging of so proud a sea From hence then the Messengers of Christ who are entrusted with the dispensation of this Rod of strength may be instructed how to behave themselves in that ministery Few men wil lose any thing of that power which is given them for every thing in its kinde doth affect power Now Christ hath committed unto us the custody of his owne power and therefore we ought to manage it as a word of power able alone by it selfe without the contemperations of humane fancies or the superstruction of humane opinions to worke mightily to the Salvation of those that beleeve and to the conviction of gaine-sayers Our Commission is to
duty of that honour which hee is called unto namely to hold on the Crowne on the head of his Soveraigne to make it the maine end of his greatnesse to study and by all meanes endeavour the establishment of his Princes Throne so every Christian as soone as he hath the honour to be called unto the kingdome and presence of Christ hath immediately no meaner a depositum committed to his care than the very Throne and Crowne of his Saviour than the publike honour peace victorie and stability of his masters kingdome The Gospell is committed to the custody of the Bishops and Pastors of the Church to preach it They are as it were the Heralds and Fore-runners of Christ to prepare his way into the soules of men To the custody of the Princes and Judges of the earth to defend it to be a guard about the person and truth of Christ to command the obedience and to encourage the teaching of it The Gospell is the Law of Christs Throne and the princes of the world are the lions about his Throne set there to watch and guard it against the malice of enemies And therefore it is recorded for the honour of David that he set in order the courses of the Priests and appointed them their formes and vicissitudes of Service Of Salomon that he built adorned and dedicated a Temple for Gods solemne worship Of Iosiah that hee made the people to serve the Lord their God Of Ezekiah that he restored the service and repaired the Temple of God that he spake comfortably to the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord that hee proclaimed a solemne passeover that hee ordered the courses of the Priests and Levites that hee gave commandement concerning the portion of their due maintenance that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord a patterne worthy the admiration and imitation of all Christian princes in spight of the sacrilegious doctrine of those men who would rob them of that power and office which God hath given them for the establishment of his Gospell and it was imitated by the first Christian Prince that ever the world had Lastly the Gospell is committed to the keeping of every Christian to practise it to adorne it to pray for it to be valiant and couragious in his place and station for the truth of it And for a man to neglect these duties is to betray and dishonour the Kingdome of Christ and to degenerate from that high and publike condition in which God had placed him Againe it putteth a spirit of Fortitude and boldnesse into the hearts of men Boldnesse to withstand the corruptions of the times to walke contrary to the courses of the world to out-face the sinnes and the scornes of men to be valiant for a despised truth or power of religion not to be ashamed of a persecuted profession to spread out contra torrentem brachia to stand alone against the power and credit of a prevailing faction as Paul against the contradiction of the Iewes and Peter and Iohn against a Synode of Pharises and those invincible champions of Christ Athanasius against the power of Constantius the frequent synodicall conventions of countenanced heretiks and the generall deluge of Arrianisme in the world Ambrose against the wrath and terrour of the emperour of the world to whom having imbrued his hands in much innocent bloud that holy Father durst not deliver the bloud of Christ. Chrysostome against the pride and persecution of the Empresse Eudoxa Luther against the mistresse of fornications the princesse of the earth and as himselfe professed if it had beene possible against a whole citty full of divels The Christians of all ages against the fire fury and arts of torment executed by the bloudy persecutors of the Church Nay further the Gospell giveth boldnesse against that universall fire which shall melt the Elements and shrivell up the heavens like a role of parchment Herein saith the Apostle is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so we are in this world that is we have his image in us and his love shed abroad in our hearts and therefore wee are able to assure our hearts before him and to have confidence towards him Now he who hath boldnesse to stand before God to dwell with consuming fire and with everlasting burnings who can get the Lord on his right hand and put on the Lord Jesus though he bee not out of the reach or beyond the blow yet is hee above the injurie of the malice of men they may kill but they can never overcome him I am he that comforteth you who art thou saith the Lord that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and forgettest the Lord thy Maker c What an invincible courage was that of Eliah which retorted the slander of Ahab upon his owne face I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house And that of Micaiah against the base request of a flattering Courtier who thought God to bee such an one as himselfe that would magnifie and cry up the ends of a wicked king As the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me that will I speake And that of Amos against the unworthy instructions of Amaziah the priest of Bethel Thou saiest prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy words against the house of Isaac therefore thus saith the Lord Thy wife shall be an harlot in the citie and thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt dye in a polluted land and Israel shall surely goe into captivitie forth of his land And that of Ieremiah who boldly gave the lye to Irijah the captaine of the ward It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans The time would faile if I should speake of the unbended constancy or as the Gentiles stiled it obstinacie of Ignatius Polycarp Iustin Cyprian Pionius Sabina Maximus as those infinite armies of holy martyrs who posed the inventions tyred out the cruelties withstood the flatteries and with one word Christiani sumus overcame all the tyrannies quenched the fire and stopped the mouthes of their proudest persecutors Againe the Gospell putteth a kinde of lustre and terrour on the faces of those in whom it raigneth and maketh them as the Law did Moses to shine as lights in the world and to bee more excellent than their neighbours worketh in others towards them a dread and awfulnesse Though Ieremie were a prisoner cast-into the dungeon and in such extremity as he was there likely to perish yet such a majestie and honor did God even then put upon him and that in the thoughts of the king himselfe that he could not be in quiet till hee consulted with him about the will of the Lord and by his many conferences with him made it plainely appeare that hee stood in
they may blaspheme the name of God and his doctrine Fourthly the Gospell of Christ is honoured by the unitie of the Spirit and concurrent judgements and affections of men toward◠it When all the sincere prosessors thereof doe unanimously strive together and earnestly contend for it when all that ever have been or are acquainted therewith doe glorifie it with their suffrages and subscription Nemo omnes neminem omnes fefellere it must needs be a glorious Gospell if all that ever looked on it doe so conclude Nothing was ever able to deceive all men neither did so many ever combine to deceive others When the Philosophers severally strove for the precedence of their severall sects and every man after his owne order gave the next place unto Plato it was undoubtedly concluded that his was the most excellent because after their owne prejudice and personall respects it was honoured by the equall suffrages of all the rest How much more must the Gospell needes bee glorious which hath the joynt attestation of Angels and all holy men since the world began to honour it withall Therefore when the Apostle proveth the greatnesse of this heavenly mystery he useth a word which importeth the consent of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any doubt or by an universall confession Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse Doth it not much set forth the Glory of a Law that there should be so much wisedome power equitie majestie beautie in the face of it that every true subject in a Realme should concurre in a constant and uniforme love and obedience to it Let us therfore expresse the glory of the Gospell not only in our joynt confessions but in our united obedience thereunto and in our unanimous zeale and contention for it in our brotherly affections and compassions to one another therby for the schismes and disaffections of Christians bring much dishonour upon their holy profession which in all their miscariages doth ever by occasion of the unreasonablenesse of wicked men suffer together with them Therefore the Apostle from the unitie of Christ in himselfe concludeth that such he should be in his members too Is Christ divided hath he divers opinions or hath he the truth of God in respect of persons such as he is such should you bee likewise lest by your contentions you seeme to make another Christ or another Gospell than that which you have received Fifthly the Gospell of Christ is honoured in our studying of it and digging after it in our serious and painefull enquiries into the mysteries of it Saint Paul despised all other knowledge and shooke off every weight that he might presse forward with the more unwearied affections towards so excellent a treasure Surely if men had the spirit of the Apostle or of those blessed Angels which desire to pry into the Gospel of Christ they would not misse-spend so much pretious time in frothy and fruitlesse studies nor waste away that lampe of reason in their bosomes in empty and unnourishing blazes but would set more houres apart to looke into the patent of their salvation which is the booke of God and to acquaint themselves with Christ before-hand that when they come into his presence they may have the entertainement of friends and not of strangers Men that intend to travaile into forraigne kingdomes with any advantage to their parts or improvement of their experience doe before-hand season and prepare themselves with the language with some topographicall observations of the Countrey with some generall notions of the ingenie manners formes civilities entertainements of the natives there doe delight to converse with those men who are best learned in these or the like particulars Surely we al professe a journey to heaven a pilgrimage in this present world to have our conversation now where wee looke to have our everlasting abode with the Lord hereafter Now in the Gospell of Christ we have as it were a map a topographicall delineation of those glorious mansions which are there prepared for the Church we have a taste and description of the manners of that people we have some rudiments of the heavenly language in one word wee have abundantly enough not onely to prepare us for it but to enflame all the desires of our soule unto it even as exiles or captives desire to returne to their native Countrey Now then if wee no way regard to study it or acquaint our selves with it if wee seeme to desire the sight of Christ in heaven and when we may every day have a most blessed view of his face in the Glasse of his Gospel we turne away our eyes and regard it not we doe as good as proclaime to all the world that either our hopes of heaven are very slender or our care thereof little or none at all And this I take for a most undoubted truth that there is so much of the knowledge grace and spirit of Christ and through him of the Father in the holy Scriptures and those onely are the things which make heaven to bee the home and the hope of men as that whosoever neglecteth the study of them and suffereth the Scriptures to lye by him as a sealed booke would bee every whit as unwilling if heaven gates were wide open unto him to relinquish his portion in the earth and to spend his time in the fruition or contemplation of that glorious Countrey Lastly wee honour the Gospell when in our greatest distresses we make it our Altar of refuge our doore of escape the ground of all our hope and comfort the only anchor to stay our soules in any spiritual tempest the only staffe to leane upon in our greatest darkenesse What ever other carnall comforts men may for a time rejoyce in they will all prove but as a fire of sparkes or as a blaze of thornes which can yeeld no solid or abiding light unto the soule When sinners in Sion begin once to be affraid and to be surprized with the fearefulnesse of a guilty soule when the affrighted conscience shall put that dreadfull question in the Prophet to it selfe How can I dwell with devouring fire how can I dwell with everlasting burnings there will no other answere allay the scorching terrour thereof but that in the end of the same Chapter The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity A man may as soone drinke up the water of the sea with spunges or remove mountaines with one of his fingers as be able to draine out these close and incorporated sorrowes which together with sinne doe soake through the whole substance of the soule with vaine companie worldly imployments or youthfull pleasure All these doe but respite them for a time that they may returne the stronger But if thou wilt indeed be comforted sue out thy pardon flye to the court of mercy which is erected in the Gospell This was our Saviours argument to the man that was sicke of the Palsie Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be
effectually that is it doth not consummate nor accomplish any perfect worke but onely in those that beleeve in the rest it proves but an abortion and withers in the blade Secondly with love and readinesse of minde without despising or rejecting it No man can bee saved who doth not receive the truth in love who doth not receive it as the primitive Saints did with gladnesse and readinesse of minde as Eli though from the hand of Samuel a Child as David though from the hand of Abigail a woman as the Galatians though from the hand of Paul an infirme and persecuted Apostle For herein is our homage to Christ the more apparent when we suffer a little childe to lead us Thirdly with meeknesse and submission of heart reverencing and yeelding unto it in all things Wresting shifting evading perverting the word is as great an indignity unto Christ as altering interlining or rasing a patent which the King hath drawen with his owne royall hand is an offence against him Patience and effectuall obedience even in affliction is an argument that a man esteemes the word to bee indeed Gods owne word and so receives it Hee onely who putteth off the old man the corrupt deceitfull lusts of his former conversation and is renewed in the Spirit of his minde is the man that hath heard and been taught by Christ that hath received the Truth in him Againe in as much as the Gospell is the Rod of Christs owne strength or the instrument of his arme who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed and the instrument is no further operative or effectuall than according to the measure of that impressed vertue which it receiveth from the superior cause therefore wee should learne alwayes to repaire unto Christ for the successe of his word For he onely is the teacher of mens hearts and the author of their faith To him onely it belongeth to call men out of their graves and to quicken whom hee will Wee have nothing but the ministerie he keepeth the power in his own hands that men might learne to waite upon him and to have to doe with him who onely can send a blessing with his word and teach his people to profit thereby Another ground of the power of the word is that it is sent from God The Lord shall send forth the Rod of thy strength From which particular likewise wee may note some usefull observations as First that Gods appointment and ordination is that which gives being life majesty and successe to his owne word authority boldnesse and protection to his servants When hee sendeth his word hee will make it prosper When Moses disputed against his going down into Egypt to deliver his brethren sometimes alleaging his owne unfitnesse and infirmity sometimes the unbeliefe of the people this was still the warrant with which God encouraged him I will bee with thee I have sent thee doe not I make mans mouth I will bee with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets Sonne saith Amos but I was an heardsman a gatherer of sycamore fruit And the Lord tooke me as I followed the flock and said unto mee Goe prophecie unto my people Israel And this made him peremptory in his office to prophecie against the idolatry of the Kings Court and against the flattery of the Priest of Bethel And this made the Apostles bold though otherwise unlearned and ignorant men to stand against the learned councill of Priests and Doctors of the Law Wee ought to obey God rather than men Vpon which Grave was the advice of Gamaliel If this counsell or worke bee of men it will come to nought But if it bee of God yee cannot overthrow it lest haply yee bee found even to fight against God For to withstand the power or progresse of the Gospell is to set a mans face against God himselfe Secondly in as much as the Gospell is sent forth by God that is revealed and published out of Sion wee may observe That Evangelicall learning came not into the world by humane discovery or observation but it is utterly above the compasse of all reason or naturall disquisition neither men nor Angels ever knew it but by divine revelation And therfore the Apostle every where calleth it a Mystery a great and a hidden Mystery which was kept secret since the world began There is a Naturall Theologie without the world gathered out of the workes of God out of the resolution of causes and effects into their first originals and out of the Law of nature written in the heart But there is no naturall Christianity Nature is so farre from finding it out by her owne inquiries that shee cannot yeeld unto it when it is revealed without a Spirit of faith to assist it The Iewes stumbled at it as dishonorable to their Law and the Gentiles derided it as absurd in their Philosophy It was a Hidden and secret wisedome the execution and publication whereof was committed onely to Christ. In God it was an Eternall Gospell for Christ was a lambe slaine from before the foundations of the world namely in the predeterminate counsell decree of his father but revealed it was not till the dispensation of the fulnesse of time wherein he gathered together in one all things in Christ. The purpose and ordination of it was eternall but the preaching and manifestation of it reserved untill the time of Christs solemne inauguration into his Kingdome and of the obstinacy of the Iewes upon whose defection the Gentiles were called in Which might teach us to adore the unsearchablenesse of Gods judgements unto former ages of the world whom hee suffered to walke in their owne wayes and to live in times of utter ignorance destitute of any knowledge of the Gospell or of any naturall parts or abilities to finde it out For if these things bee true First that without the knowledge of Christ there is no salvation This is eternall life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifye many Secondly that Christ cannot bee knowen by naturall but Evangelicall and revealed light The naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerend The light shined in darknesse and the darknesse was so thick and fixed that it did not let in the light nor apprehend it Thirdly that this light was at the first sent onely unto the Iewes as to the first borne-people excepting onely some particular extraordinary dispensations and priviledges to some few first fruits and preludes of the Gentiles He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any nation Hee hath not afforded the meanes of salvation ordinarily unto any other people the world by wisedome knew him not Fourthly that this severall
Consider the Church in it selfe and so it is a very vast body but yet consider it comparatively with the other more prevailing malignant part of the world so it is but a little flock as many graines and measures of corne may lie hid under a greater heape of chaffe Secondly the Church now is many comparatively with the old church of the Iewes more are the Children of the desolate than of the married wife Esai 54.1 But not comparatively with the adversaries of the Church in generall Wee see of thirtie parts of the world nineteene are either idolatrous or Mahumetan and the other eleven serving Christ in so different a manner as if there were many Christs or many Gospels or many wayes to the same end Thirdly though Christ alwayes have a numerous offspring yet in severall ages there is observable a different purity and conspicuousnesse according to the different administrations and breathings of the Spirit upon his garden In some ages the Doctrine more uncorrupt the profession and acceptation more universall than in others In the Apostles times there were many borne unto Christ by reason of the more abundant measure of Spirit which was shed abroad upon them Tit. 3.6 In the times of the Primitive persecutions there were many likewise born because God would glorifie the foundations of his Church and the power of his Spirit above the pride of men In the first countenancing of it by Imperiall Laws and favors it was very generall and conspicuous because professed by the obedience and introduced by the power of those great emperors whom the world followed But after that long peace and great dignities had corrupted the mindes of the chiefe in the Church and made them looke more after the pompe than the purity thereof the mystery of iniquity like a weed grew apace and overspread the Corne first abusing and after that subjecting the power of princes and bewitching the Kings of the earth with its fornications Hence likewise wee may learne to acknowledge Gods mercy in the worst times in those ages wherin the Church was most oppressed yet many have yeelded themselves unto Christ. The woman was with Childe and was delivered even when the Dragon did persecute her Revel 12.1.4 and even then God found out in the wildernesse a place of refuge defence and feeding for his Church As in those cruell times of Arrianisme when heresie had invaded the world and in those blinde and miserable ages wherin Satan was loosed God still stirred up some notable instruments by whom hee did defend his truth and amongst whom hee did preserve his Church though they were driven into solitary places and forced to avoid the assemblies of Hereticall and Antichristian Teachers Wee learne likewise not to censure persons places or times God had seven thousand in Israel when Elias thought none but himselfe had been left all are not alike venturous or confident of their strength Nicodemus came to Christ by night and yet even then Christ did not reject him Therefore we must not presently censure our neighbours as cold or dead if they discover not immediatly the same measure of courage and publike stoutnesse in the profession of Christ with our selves some men are by nature more retir'd silent unsociable unactive men some by the engagement of their places persons and callings wherein they are of more publike and necessary use in the Church are put upon more abundant caution and circumspection in the moderate carriage of themselves than other men Paul was of himselfe very zealous and earnest in that great confusion when Gaius and Aristarchus were haled into the theater to have gone in unto the people in that their outrage and distemper but the wisedome of the Disciples and some of his chiefe friends is herin commended that they sent unto him desiring him that hee would not adventure into the theater and that they suffered him not Act. 19.30 31. It is a grave observation which Gregorie Nazianzen makes of that great champian and universall agent for composing the differences and distractions of the Church S. Basil that pro temporis ratione Haereticorum principatu by reason of the prevalencie of adversaries and condition of the times hee did in the controversies concerning the Deitie of the Holy Ghost abstaine from some words which others of an inferior ranke did with liberty and boldnesse use and that this hee did in much wisedome and upon necessary reasons because it was not fit for so eminent a person and one who had such generall influence by the quality of his place and greatnesse of his parts in the welfare of the Church by the envie of words or phrases to exasperate a countenanced enemie and to draw upon himselfe and in him upon the Church of God any inevitable and unnecessary danger And surely if the wisedome and moderation of that holy man were with the same pious affection generally observed that men when they doe earnestly contend for the truth once delivered which is the duty of every Christian did not in heate of argument load the truth they maintaine with such hard and severe though it may bee true expressions as beget more obstinacie in the adversarie and it may bee suspition in the weake or unresolved looker on differences amongst men might bee more soberly composed and the truth with more assurance entertained Againe wee have from hence an encouragement to goe on in the wayes of Christ because wee goe in great and in good Company many wee have to suffer with us many wee have to comfort and to encourage us As the people of Israel when they went solemnely up to meete the Lord in Sion went on from troope to troope the further they went the more companie they were mixed withall going to the same purpose so when the Saints goe towards heaven to meete the Lord there they doe not onely goe unto an innumerable Company of Angells and just men but they meete with troopes in their way to encourage one another All the discouragement that Elias had was that hee was alone but we have no such plea for our unwillingnesse to professe the truth and power of Religion now Wee are not like a lambe in a wide place without comfort or company but wee are sure to have an excellent guard and convoy unto Christs Kingdome And this use the Apostle makes of the multitudes of beleevers that wee should by so great a Cloud of witnesses bee the more encouraged in our patient running of that race which is set before us Heb. 12.1 Lastly It should teach us to love the multitudes the assemblies and the Communion of the Saints to speak often to one another to encourage strengthen one another not to forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is to concurre in mutuall desires to conspire in the same holy thoughts and affections to bee of one heart of one soule of one judgement to walke by one the same
it It cannot be that a creature should of it selfe and out of the corruption of its owne reason and judgement choose to relinquish the service of him to whom it is naturally and unavoidably subject and by that meanes become altogether unprofitable abominable and unfit for the Masters use and for those holy ends to which it was originally ordered but it must withall incurre the displeasure and thereupon provoke the revenge of that righteous Creator who out of great reasons had put it under such a service Fifthly By all this which hath hitherto beene spoken it appeares that God is not unjust but most holy and righteous First in making a Law for man to observe when hee forbade the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evill to shew that man had nothing by personall immediate and underived right but all by donation and indulgence Any Law God might justly make the obedience whereof hee gave the creature an originall power to performe by reason of the naturall and necessary subjection of the creature unto him Secondly in annexing a curse and penalty to the violation of that Law which for the declaration of his glorious justice hee might most righteously doe because of the inevitable demerit or liablenesse unto censure from the disobedience of that Law resulting Thirdly in making man in such a mutable condition as in the which he might stand or fall by his owne election because hee would be obeyed by judgement and free choice not by fatall necessitie or absolute determination Sixthly here then comes in the fall of man being a wilfull or chosen transgression of a Law under the precepts whereof he was most justly created and unto the malediction wherof he was as necessarily righteously subject if hee transgressed for as by being Gods creature he was subject to his will so by being his prisoner he was as justly subject unto his wrath and that so much the more by how much the precept was more just the obedience more easie the transgression more unreasonable and the punishment more certaine Now by this fall of man there came great mischiefe into the world and intolerable injury was done by the Creature to him that made him First his dominion and authoritie in his holy command was violated Secondly his justice truth and power in his most righteous threatnings were despised Thirdly his most pure and perfect Image wherein man was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse was utterly defaced Fourthly his glory which by an active service the creature should have brought unto him was lost and despoiled So that now things will not returne to their primitive order and perfection againe till these two things be first effected First a Satisfaction of Gods justice And secondly a Reparation of mans nature which two must needs be effected by such a middle and common person as hath both zeale towards God that he may be satisfied and compassion toward man that he may be repaired such a person as having mans guilt and punishment on him translated may satisfie the justice of God and as having a fulnesse of Gods Spirit and holinesse in him may sanctifie and repaire the nature of man And this person is the Priest here spoken of by David Here the learned frame a kinde of conflict in Gods holy Attributes and by a libertie which the Holy Ghost from the language of holy Scripture alloweth them they speake of God after the manner of men as if he were reduced unto some straits and difficulties by the crosse demands of his severall attributes Justice called upon him for the condemnation of a sinfull and therefore worthily accursed creature which demand was seconded by his truth to make good that threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Mercy on the other side pleaded for favour and compassion towards man wofully seduced and overthrowne by Satan and peace for reconcilement and pacification betweene an offended Judge and an undone creature Hereupon the infinite wisdome and counsell of the blessed Trinitie found out a way which the Angels of heaven gaze on with admiration and astonishment how to reconcile these different pleas of his attributes together A Priest then is resolv'd upon one of the same blessed Trinitie who by his Fathers ordination his owne voluntary susception and the holy Spirits sanctification should be fitted for the businesse He was to be both a Surety and a Head over sinfull men to suffer their punishments and to sanctifie their natures in the relation of a surety to pay mans debt unto God and in the relation of an Head to restore Gods Image unto man and thus in him mercie and truth have met together righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Psal. 85.10 So then the necessitie which man fallen hath of this Priest here spoken of is grounded upon the sweet harmony and mutuall kisses of Gods Mercy Truth Righteousnesse and Peace which will more distinctly appeare by considering three things First God did purpose not utterly to destroy his creature and that principally for these two reasons as we may observe out of the Scriptures First his owne free and everlasting love and that infinite delight which he hath in mercy which disposeth him abundantly to pardon and to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Mic. 7.18 Exod. 34.6 7. Psalm 103.8 Esay 55.7 Ier. 9.24 Secondly his delight to be actively glorified by his creatures voluntary service and subjection Herein is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit Iohn 15.8 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that hee turne from his way and live Ezek. 33.11 He delighteth most in unbloudy conquests when by his patience goodnesse and forbearance he subdueth the hearts affections and consciences of men unto himselfe so leading them unto repentance and bringing downe their thoughts unto the obedience of Christ he loveth to see things in their primitive rectitude and beautie and therefore esteemeth himselfe more glorified in the services than in the sufferings of men Hee loveth to have a Church and generation of men which shall serve him in the middest of all his enemies The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob Psalm 87.2 namely because hee was there more solemnely worshipped and served And therefore he resolved not to destroy all men lest there should be no Religion upon the earth When the Angels fell they fell not all many were still left to glorifie him actively in their service of him but when Adam fell all mankinde fell in him so that there was no tree of this Paradise left to bring forth any fruit unto God and this is most certaine God had rather have his trees for fruit than for fuell and for this reason he was pleased to restore mankinde againe These are the causes why the Lord would not utterly destroy man but these alone shew not the necessitie of a Priest to come betweene God and man
Secondly God did purpose not to suffer sinne to passe utterly unrevenged and that for these reasons First because of his great Hatred thereunto He is of purer eyes than to behold evill he cannot looke on iniquitie Hab. 1.13 it provoketh a nauseousnesse and abhorrencie in him Psal. 5.6 Zech. 8.17 Revel 3.16 Amos 5.21 22. Esay 1.13 14. Secondly because of his Truth and the Law which he had established against sinne which he will in no wise abolish one jot or tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.18 for it is altogether undecent especially to the wisdome and righteousnesse of God that that which provoketh the execution should procure the abrogation of his Law that that should supplant and undermine the Law for the alone preventing whereof the Law was before established Thirdly because of his terrour and fearefull Majestie for God will have men alwayes to tremble before him and by his terrour to bee perswaded from sinning 2 Cor. 5.10 11. God will for this cause have men alwaies to feare before him because he reserveth to himselfe entire the punishment of sinne Feare him who is able to destroy both bodie and soule in hell I say unto you feare him saith our Saviour Matth 10.28 Luke 12.4 for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God and therefore we ought to serve him with reverence and godly feare because he is a consuming fire Hebr. 10.30.12.28 29. Thirdly adde unto all this the everlasting Impotency which is in man either to satisfie God or to repaire himselfe Gods justice is Infinit which is wronged his glory infinite of which man had attempted to spoile rob him and man is both finite in himselfe and very impotent by reason of sin for to be a sinner and without strength are termes equivalent in the Apostle Rom. 5.6.8 Now then betweene finite and infinite there can be no proportion and therefore from the one to the other there can be no satisfaction man is utterly unable to doe any of Gods will because he is altogether carnall Rom. 8.7 1 Cor. 2.14 and he is utterly unable either to suffer or to breake thorow the wrath of God because he hath not strength enough to endure it nor obedience to submit unto it Now then joyne all these things together and wee shall see the absolute necessity we had of a Priest God will not execute the severity of his Law for thereby the creature should everlastingly lose the fruition of him and he should likewise lose the service and voluntary subjection of his creature And yet he will not abolish his Law neither lest thereby his justice should be the more securely abused his hatred against sinne the lesse declared his truth in all his threatnings questioned and his dreadfull Majesty by men neglected as the woodden king by the frogs in the fable hee will not punish those persons whom he loves because he is pitifull to them he will not passe over the sinnes which he hates because he is jealous towards himselfe Man and sin are as inseparably joyned together since the fall as fire and heat yet God wil have mercy on the man he wil take vengeance of the sin Some course then or other must there be found out to translate this mans sins on anothers person who may be able to beare them and to interest this mans person in anothers righteousnesse which may bee able to cover him Some way must be found out that things may bee all one in regard of man as if the Law had beene utterly abrogated and that they may be all one in regard of God too as if the creature had beene utterly condemned And all this is done in our High Priest On him was executed the curse of the Law by him was fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law for him was remitted the sin of man and through him were all things made new againe The world was in Christ as in its suretie making satisfaction to the justice of God and God was in Christ as in his Ambassadour reconciling the world unto himselfe againe By all which wee see the necessitie which man lapsed had of a Priest to restore him Hence then we may learne first how much we ought to hate sinne which armes the Law Justice and power of God against us As hatefull as it is unto God so hatefull it is in it selfe for hee judgeth uprightly hee seeth things just as they are without passion prejudice or partialitie and as hatefull as it is in it selfe so hatefull should it be unto us as the onely ground of our misery of the creatures vanitie and of Gods dishonour Wee see it is so hatefull unto God that he will most certainly be avenged of it If he spare me yet he will not spare my sin though his owne beloved Son must be punished for it O then why should that be light to mee which was as heavie as a milstone to the soule of Christ Why should that bee my pleasure which was his passion Why should that be in a throne with me which was upon a crosse with him Why should I allow that to be really in me which the Lord so severely punished when the guilt thereof was but imputed to his Sonne Many sinnes there are which others in their practice aswell as Papists in their doctrine and profession esteeme for light and veniall sinnes And veniall indeed they are per exoratorem Patris Christum as Tertullian states the question by Christ who is a prevailing Advocate with the Father But however let not us dare esteeme that a light thing for which Christ died And woe had it beene for men if Christ had not in his body on the tree carried as well the guilt of our idle words our vaine thoughts our loose and impertinent actions as of our oaths execrations and blasphemies If great sinnes were as the speare and nailes certainely small sinnes were the thornes which pierced his head And therefore we should learne with David to hate every evill way because God hates it and suffers it not to passe unpunished to revenge the quarrell of Christ against those lusts of ours which nailed him to his crosse and to crucifie them for him againe for for that end was Christ crucified that our old man might be crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence-forth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.6 Againe wee see by this necessitie of a Priest how deepely we stand engaged to our mercifull God who hath vouchsafed to helpe us in our greatest necessitie How we ought to love him who hath first of all loved us How wee ought in our bodies and in our spirits to glorifie him who hath so dearely bought us How we should like Voluntaries fight for him who overcame for us How thankfull we should be to him who was so compassionate unto us How wee should admire and adore the unsearchable riches of his wisdome and
shadow hath neither being in it selfe nor can give refreshment unto another but dependently on the body to which it belongeth And this appeareth first by their reiteration where the conscience is once purged and there is remission of sin there is no more offring Heb. 10 2-18 for the repeating of the sacrifice shews that the person for whose sake it is repeated is in statu quo prius in the same condition now as hee was in at the time of the former oblation Secondly by their Variety there were both Gifts and sacrifices for sins Heb. 5.1.8.3 buls and goats and calves and lambes Heb. 9.9.12.13 and that shewes that no one thing was fit to typifie the full expiation wrought by Christ whereas he offered but One Sacrifice and by that perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.12.14 And if legall sacrifices would not serve the turne then neither would legall Priests be fit for so great a worke for all the good which the Priest doth is in the vertue of the sacrifice which he brings and this likewise the Apostle proves by many arguments First because of their sinfulnes for they themselves wanted an expiation and therefore could not be mediatours for the sinnes of others Heb. 5.3.7.27 Secondly because of the carnalnesse of their institution They were made after the Law of a carnall commandement that is of a temporary perishable and meerely externall ordinance Heb. 7.16 which prescribed onely the examples and shadowes of heavenly things Thirdly because of their mortality they were not suffered to continue by reason of death wheras our Priest must live to make intercession Fourthly because of their ministery and the revolution of their services which never came to a period or perfection in which the Priest might give over and Sit downe They Stood daily ministring and oftentimes offering their service did daily returne upon them againe whereas Christ after he had offered One sacrifice for sinne for ever sate downe on the right hand of God Heb. 10.11 12. To shew you then the qualifications of this Priest A Priest in general is ordained for men in things pertaining to God to offer sacrifice for the obtaining of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes First then Christ being a Priest must of necessity be a Mediator and a Surety betweene parties that he might have one unto whom and others for whom in whose behalfe to offer a sacrifice Every Priest must be a mediator to stand betweene God and the people and to intercept and beare the iniquity even of their holy things And unto this mediation there must concur the consent of the parties between whom it is negotiated for a mediator is not a mediator of one Now God giveth his consent by laying on him our iniquities and making his soule an offering for sin and thereby declaring himselfe to be One with us And man gives his consent when by faith hee receiveth Christ and so becommeth not only the friend but the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Secondly but every Mediator is not presently a Priest for there is a mediation onely by way of intreaty prayer and request wherein men doe obtaine but not deserve or purchase remission for others such mediators were Ioab and the Widdow of Tekoah in the behalfe of Absalom 2 Sam. 14. and there are mediators by way of satisfaction as Sureties are between the creditor and the debtor and such a mediator was Christ not onely a Mediator but also a surety of a better covenant Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 he was not to procure remission of our sinnes by way of favor and request but hee was set forth to declare the Righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 and such a mediator betweene God and us must needs bee a Priest too for the debt which we owed unto God was bloud Without shedding of bloud there is no remission Heb. ◠22 Thirdly being such a Priest he must have a Sacrifice answerable to the debt which was owed to his Father The debt wee owed was the forfeiture and subjection of our Soules and Bodies to the wrath of God and the curse of the Law God is able to destroy both Soule and Body in Hell Matth. 10.28 It is not to bee understood onely of his Absolute power but of that power which as our Iudge hee hath over us per modum Iustitiae as we are his Prisoners and so obnoxious to the Curses of his Law Therefore our Priest also was to have a Soule and a Body to pay as a surety for our Soules and Bodies Thou shalt make his Soule an offering for sinne Esai 53.10 My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto Death Matth. 26.38 And againe A Body hast thou prepared mee we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Iesus Christ once for all Heb. 10.5.10 His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 So hee was to bee Man that he might have a fit and answerable Sacrifice to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast fitted or prepared a Body for mee that my Sacrifice might bee proportionable to that in the place whereof it stood And thereby as hee is fit for passion so also for Compassion hee was to bee our Kinsman and of our bloud that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Heb. 2.11.14.17 Deut. 18.15 And fit for derivation of his Righteousnesse and transfusion of his Spirit upon us for hee that Sanctifieth and they that are Sanctified are both of one And as it must bee thus fitted to the sinner that it may bee a proper and suteable Sacrifice for his sinne So must it bee perfect likewise First Without blemish or sinne Such an High Priest became us who is Holy Harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 That so hee might offer himselfe without spot unto God and have no need of a Sacrifice for himselfe Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.19 Secondly without any manner of Defect which should stand in need of supplement and contribution from some thing else that of it selfe alone it might bee sufficient and available to bring perfection and salvation unto men and to leave no more conscience of sinne behinde it Heb. 7.19.10.14 Fourthly as there was to bee such a Sacrifice perfect in it selfe and fit for the use and occasion for which it was appointed so there must bee an Altar upon which to offer it unto the Father for it is the Altar which Sanctifieth the offering that is which in regard of God giveth it acceptance and which in regard of Man giveth it vertue merit and value answerable to his occasions This Sacrifice was to be sufficient for the satisfaction of God and for the justification and reparation of Man and both these by meanes of the Altar on which it was offered which was the Divine Nature Through the Eternall Spirit hee offered himselfe without spot unto God and so by his bloud purgeth our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 For Christ as God sanctified himselfe as man
fitted it to the manifestation of his glory and mercy to the reconciliation of him and his creature and to the exaltation of his Sonne secondly the Sonne is willing hee chearfully submitted unto it Heb. 10.9 and freely loved us and gave himselfe unto us Gal. 2.20 thirdly the sinner is willing and accepteth and relieth upon it as wee have seene at large before in the third verse so that there can bee no injury done to any party where all are willing and where all are glorified Fourthly that an innocent person may thus in Iustice and equity suffer for a nocent there is required besides these acts of ordination in the supreme of submission in the surety and of consent in the delinquent first an intimate and neere conjunction in him that suffereth with those that should have suffered Severall unions and conjunctions there are as Politike between the members and subjects in a state and thus is a commonwealth universally sinfull a few righteous men may as parts of that sinfull society be justly subject to those temporary evils which the sinnes of the society have contracted and the people may justly suffer for the sinnes of the Princes 2 Sam. 24.17 and hee for theirs 1 Sam. 12.25 secondly Naturall as betweene parents and children so the Lord visited the sinnes of Dathan upon his little ones Numb 16.27.33 thirdly Mysticall as betweene man and wife so the Lord punished the sinnes of Amaziah the priest of Bethel by giving over his wife unto whoredome Amos 7.17 and wee see in many cases the husband is liable to be charged and censured for the exorbitancies of his wife fourthly Stipulatory and by consent as in the case of fidejussores or obsides who are punished for the sinnes of others whom they represent and in whose place they stand as a caution and muniment against injuries which might be feared as we see in the parable of the prisoner committed to the custody of another person 1 King 20 39-42 fifthly Possessory as betweene a man and his goods and so wee finde that a man was to offer no beast for a sinne offering but that which was his owne Levit. 5.6 7. Now in all these respects there was in some manner conjunction betweene us and Christ He conversed amongst men and was a member of that Tribe and society amongst whom he lived and therefore was together with them under that Romane yoke which was then upon the people and in that relation paid tribute unto Caesar hee had the nature and seed of man and so was subject to all humane and naturall infirmities without sinne Hee was mystically married unto his Church and therefore was answerable for the debts and misdemeanours of the Church He entred into covenant and became suretie for man and therefore was liable to mans engagements Lastly hee became the possession in some sort of his Church whence it is that we are said to receive him and to have him 1 Ioh. 5.12 not by way of Dominion for so we are his 1 Cor. 6.19 but by way of communion and propriety and therefore though wee cannot offer him up unto God in sacrifice for our sinnes yet we may in our faith and prayers shew him unto his Father and hold him up as our owne armour and fence against the wrath of God Rom. 13.14 Secondly there is required in the innocent person suffering that he have a free and full dominion over that from which hee parteth in his suffering for another As in suretiship a man hath free dominion over his money and therefore in that respect he may engage himselfe to pay another mans debt but he hath not a free dominion over himselfe or his owne life and therefore he may not part with a member of his owne in commutation for anothers as Zaleucus did for his sonne nor be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay downe his owne life for the delivering of another from death except in such cases as the Word of God limiteth and alloweth But Christ was Lord of his owne life and had therefore power to lay it downe and to take it up And this power he had though he were in all points subject to the Law as we are not solely by vertue of the hypostaticall union which did not for the time exempt him from any of the obligations of the Law but by vertue of a particular command constitution and designation to that service of laying downe his life This commandement have I received of my Father Ioh. 10.18 Lastly it is required that this Power be ample enough to breake thorow the sufferings he undertaketh and to re-assume his life and former condition againe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it up So then the summe of all is this by the most just wise and mercifull will of God by his owne most obedient and voluntary susception Christ Jesus being one with us in a manifold and most secret union and having full power to lay downe and to take up his life againe by speciall command and allowance of his Father given him did most justly without injury to himselfe or dishonour to or injustice in his Father suffer the punishment of their sinnes with whom he had so neere an union and who could not themselves have suffred them with obedience in their owne persons or with so much glory to Gods justice mercy and wisdome If it be here againe objected that sin in the Scripture is said to be pardoned which seems contrary to this payment and satisfaction To answer this wee must note first that in the rigour of the Law Nâ—xa seqâ—itur caput the delinquent himselfe is in person to suffer the penaltie denounced for the Law is In the day that Thou eatest thou shalt dye and the soule that sinneth it shall die Every man shall beare his owne burthen Gal. 6.5 So that the Law as it stands in its owne rigour doth not admit of any commutation or substitution of one for another Secondly therefore that another person suffering may procure a discharge to the person guilty and be valide to free him the will consent and mercy of him to whom the infliction of the punishment belongeth must concurre and his over-ruling power must dispence though not with the substance of the Lawes demands yet with the manner of execution and with that rigour which bindes wrath peremptorily upon the head onely of him that hath deserved it So then wee see both these things doe sweetly concurre first a precedent satisfaction by paying the debt and yet secondly a true pardon and remission thereof to that partie which should have paid it and out of mercy towards him a dispencing with the rigor of that Law which in strictnesse would not admit any other to pay it for him Thus wee see how Christ hath suffered our punishment Secondly hee did all obedience and fulfilled all actions of righteousnesse for us for such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled
Lords death till hee come 1 Cor. 11.26 For in the ordinances hee is crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 Therefore the Apostle more than once inferres from the consideration of this Sacrifice and office of Christ our dutie of not forsaking the assemblies of the Saints and of exhorting and provoking one another Heb. 3.13.10.24 25. Now I proceed to the last thing mentioned in the words concerning the Priest-hood of Christ and that is about the Order of it Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedek Secundum verbum or secundum morem rationem the Apostle readeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Order of Melchisedeks Priesthood Of this Melchisedek wee finde mention made but in two places onely of the whole Old Testament and in both very briefly the first in the History of Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings when Melchisedek being the Priest of the most high God brought forth bread and wine and blessed him Gen. 14.18 19 20. and the other in this place And for this cause the things concerning him and his Order are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to bee understood Heb. 5.11 It was so then and so it would bee still if S. Paul had not cleered the difficulties and shewed wherin the Type and the Antitype did fully answere which hee hath largely done in Heb. 7. For understanding and cleering the particulars which are herein considerable here are some questions which offer themselves First who Melchisedek was Secondly what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Order Thirdly why Christ was to bee a Priest after his Order and not after Aarons Fourthly why hee brought forth bread and wine Fifthly what kinde of blessing it was with which hee blessed Abraham Sixthly in what manner he received Tithes Lastly in what sense hee was without Father and without Mother without beginning of dayes or end of life First for Melchisedek who hee was much hath been said by many men and with much confidence Some hereticks of old affirmed that hee was the Holy Ghost Others that hee was an Angell Others that hee was Sem the Sonne of Noah Others that hee was a Canaanite extraordinarily raised up by God to be a Priest of the Gentiles Others that hee was Christ himselfe manifest by a speciall dispensation and priviledge unto Abraham in the flesh who is said to have seen his day and rejoyced Ioh. 8.56 Difference also there is about Salem the place of which hee was King Some take it for Ierusalem as Iosephus and most of the ancients Others for a citie in the halfe tribe of Manasse within the River Iordan where Hierom reports that some â—uines of the palace of Melchisedek were in his dayes conceived to remaine Tedious I might be in insisting on this point who Melchisedek was But when I finde the Holy Ghost purposely concealing his name genealogie beginning ending and descent and that to speciall purpose I cannot but wonder that men should toile themselves in the darke to finde out that of which they have not the least ground of solide conjecture and the inevidence whereof is expressely recorded to make Melchisedek thereby the fitter type of Christs everlasting Priesthood Secondly what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is as much as the state condition or prescribed Rule of Melchisedek and that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the power of an endlesse life Heb. 7.16 Not by a corporeall unction legall ceremony or the intervening act of a humane ordination but by a heavenly institution and immediate unction of the Spirit of Life by that extraordinary manner whereby hee was to bee both King and Priest unto God as Melchisedek was Thirdly Why was hee not a Priest after the order of Aaron The Apostle giveth us an answere Because the Law made nothing perfect but was weake and unprofitable and therefore was to bee abolished and to give place to another Priesthood Men were not to rest in it but by it to bee led to him who was to abolish it Heb. 7.11 12. as the morning-starre leadeth to the sunne and at the rising thereof vanisheth The ministery and promises of Christ were better than those of the Law and therefore his Priest-hood which was the office of dispencing them was to be more excellent likewise Heb. 8 6. For when the Law and covenant were to bee abolished the Priesthood in which they were established was to die likewise Fourthly Why Melchisedek brought forth bread and wine The Papists that they may have something to build the idolatry of their masse upon make Melchisedek to Sacrifice bread and wine as a Type of the Eucharist I will not fall into so tedious a controversie as no way tending to edification and infinite litigations there have been between the parts already about it In one word Wee grant that the Ancients doe frequently make it a Type of the Eucharist but onely by way of allusion not of literall prediction or strict prefiguration as that out of Egypt have I called my Sonne and in Rama was there a voyce heard which were literally and historically true in another sense are yet by way of allusion applied by the Evangelist unto the History of Christ Matth. 2.15.18 But wee may note first it is not Sacrificavit but Protulit hee brought it forth he did not offer it up Secondly he brought it forth to Abraham as a Prince to entertaine him after his conquest as Iosephus and from him Cajetan understand it not as a Priest to God Thirdly hee if hee did offer he offered bread and wine truely these men onely the lying shapes thereof and not bread and wine it selfe which they say are transubstantiated into another thing Fourthly the Priest-hood of Melchisedek as Type and of Christ as the substance was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priesthood which could not passe unto any other either as successor or vicar to one or the other and it was onely by divine and immediate unction but the Papists make themselves Priests by humane and ecclesiasticall ordination to offer that which they say Melchisedek offered and by that meanes most insolently make themselves either successors or vicars or sharers and co-partners and workers together with him and his Antitype Christ Iesus in the offices of such a Priesthood as was totally uncommunicable and intransient Heb. 7.24 and so most sacrilâ—giously rob him of that honor which hee hath assumed to himselfe as his peculiar office Fifthly what kinde of blessing it was wherewith Melchisedek blessed Abraham To this I answer that there is a twofold Benediction The one Charitativa oâ—t of love and so any man may blesse another by way of euprecation or well wishing The blessing of the Lord bee upon you we blesse you in the name of the Lord Psal. 129.8 the other Autoritativa as a King a Priest an extraordinary superiour and publike person by a way of office and to the purpose of effecting
are likely to assault them to teach them in every condition as well possible as present how to walke acceptably before God Phil. 4.11 13. Another great enemie of the Kingdome of Christ is the lust of our owne evill nature The carnall minde is enmitie against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 Phil. 3.8 Enmity in grieving vexing and quenching the holy Spirit in us and lusting enviously against his grace Iam. 4.4 5. And here also Christ overcommeth by the prevailing power of his Spirit giving us more Grace demolishing the kingdome of sinne and judging the prince of this world which before did rule in the children of disobedience And this he doth by the judgement Seat and Scepter of his Spirit in the heart for the judgement of the Spirit is too hard for the principality of Satan Ioh. 16.11 The Spirit of Christ is a victorious Spirit He bringeth forth his judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Esai 4.4 Hee worketh out by degrees the drosse and impurity of our nature and services First by faith fixing upon better promises and hopes than lust can make 1 Ioh. 5.4 Heb. 11.24 26. Secondly by watchfulnesse eying corruptions and so stirring up those arguments and principles which are strongest against them Iob 31.1 Psal. 39.1 Thirdly by leading us to more acquaintance with God in knowledge love and communion Iob 22.21 1 Ioh. 1.3 and so fetching more wisedome and strength from him for this is the way that wee get all our strength even by learning of him Phil. 4.12 Fourthly by inclining the heart to hate and to complaine of corruptions to bemone it selfe as Paul and Ephraim did Rom. 7.23 Mark 9.24 Ier. 31.18 19. Fifthly by bringing the heart into the light there to approve and judge its actions Ioh. 3.20 by setting it alwayes in Gods eye that it may not sinne against him Psal. 16.8 Sixthly by convincing the heart of the beauty and excellencie of Grace of the unlikenesse of sinne to God and so making the soule more full of desires for the one and against the other Esai 26.8 Ezek. 36.31 and thus kindling lust against lust Gal. 5.17 Seventhly by being alwayes a present Monitour and Watchman in the soule to supply it with spirituall weapons and reasonings against the temptations of lust Esai 30.31 Ioh. 14.26 Lastly in one word by daily supplies from the residue of Spirit which is in our head whereby according to the proportion and exigence of the members he floweth into them Mal. 2.15 Phil. 1.19 This is that seed that leaven that vitall instinct which is ever in the heart setting it selfe against the workings and life of lust and by little and little wasting it away as fire doth water The grand instrument of Satan and lust who are the two leaders in this warre against Christ is the wicked world The power malice wisedome learning or any other either naturall or acquir'd abilities of evill men for even in an earthly respect by the word kings we are not onely to understand those Monarchs and princes of the earth who set themselves against Christ but all such as excell in any such worldly abilities as may further that opposition It notes the strength policie pride and greatnesse of minde or scorne of subjection which is in the heart against Christ. So that king heere stands in opposition to subject they who reject Christs yoke and breake his bonds asunder and will not have him to raigne over them those are the kings in the Text. And these also will hee smite through and confound by the Power of his Word and the strength of his arme The Lord gave the Word great was the company of those that published it Kings of armies did fly apace and she that tarried at home divided the spoile Psal. 68.11 12. Tophet is ordained of old for the king it is prepared Esai 30.33 Come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God That ye may eate the flesh of kings and the flesh of captaines and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great c. Revel 19.17 18. As for those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luk. 19.27 Be wise now ye kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling kisse the Sonne lest he bee angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Thus the Lord overthroweth his Churches enemies and protecteth it against al their greatest preparations most formidable power And this he doth severall wayes sometimes by diverting their forces from his Church into some other necessary channell or ambitious designe of their owne Thus Rabshakah and his hoast were called from Iudah 2 King 19.7 8. so the Lord promised his people that when they went up to appeare before him thrice a yeere he would divert the desires of their enemies from their land Exod. 34.24 Thus Iulian the Apostate having but two maine plots to honour as he supposed his government and his idols withall the subduing of the Persian and the rooting out of the Galileans as he called them was prevented from this by being first overthrowne in the other for the prosperous successe of which expedition he vowed unto his idoll-gods a sacrifice of all the Christians in the Empire as Gregorie Nazianzen relateth Sometimes by infatuating and implanting a spirit of giddinesse and distraction in the enemies of his Church making them destitute both of counsell and courage When God would punish Babylon which was a type of the enemies of Christs Kingdome hee made their hearts melt that they should bee amazed at one another and their faces should be like flames Esay 13.7 8. that is not onely pale like a flame but rather as I conceive full of varietie of fearefull impressions and distracted passions nothing so tremulous so various so easily bended every way with the smallest blast as a flame so their feare should make their bloud and spirits in their faces to tremble quiver and varie to come and goe like a thinne flame in them so God threatneth to mingle a perverse spirit to make the spirit of Egypt faile in them and their wisedome to perish Esal 19.1 2 3 14 17. and thus likewise the Lord dealt with Iulian in that Persian expedition he put a spirit of folly in him to burne his ships and so to put a necessity of courage in his people as the old Gauls did against Caesar and then to leave them all destitute of necessary releefe Sometimes by ordering casualties and particular emergencies for the deliverance of his Church a thing wonderfully seene in the histories of Ioseph and Ester Thus as a man by a chaine made up of sâ—verall links some of gold others of silver other
inchoate as all those penall defects of our nature which neither were sinnes nor grounded upon the inherence of sinnes for hee tooke not our personall but onely our naturall defects And these were either corporeall as hunger thirst wearinesse and the like or spirituall as feare griefe sorrow temptations c. consummate were those which he suffered at last And these likewise were either corporeall as shame mockings buffets trials scourgings condemnation an ignominious and a cursed death Or spirituall and those were principally two First a punishment of Dereliction My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Matth. 27.46 There was some kinde of separation betweene God and Christ during the time of his sufferings for sinne in that cursed manner For understanding wherof we must note that he had a fourfold Vnion unto God First In his humane Nature which was so fast united in his person to the divine that death it selfe did not separate it either from the person or from the deitie It was the Lord that lay in the grave Secondly In Love and so there was never any separation neither but when hee hanged on the Crosse hee was still the beloved Sonne of his Father in whom hee was well pleased Thirdly In the Communion of his Spirit and Holinesse and in that regard likewise there was no disunion for hee was offered up as a lambe without spot or blemish Lastly In the fruition of the light of his countenance and of his glory and favor and in this respect there was for the time of his sufferings a dereliction subtractione visionis non dissolutione unionis by the withdrawing of his countenance not by the dissolving of his union Hee looked upon Christ as a God armed against the sinnes of the world which were then upon him Secondly There was a punishment of malediction Hee did undergoe the curse of the Law hee did graple with the wrath of God and with the powers of darknesse hee felt the scourges due unto our sinnes in his humane nature which squeezed and wrung from him those strong cries those deepe and woefull complaints that bloudy and bitter sweate which drew compassion from the very rocks And surely it is no derogation to the dignity of Christs person but on the other side a great magnifying of the Iustice of God against sinne of the power of Christ against the Law and of the mercy of them both towards sinners to affirme that the sufferings of Christ what-ever they were in specie in the kinde of them were yet in pondere in their weight and pressure equally grievous with those which we should have suffered for being in all things save sinne like unto us and most of all in his liablenesse to the curse of the Law so farre as it did not necessarily denotate either sinne inherent or weaknesse to breake through in the person suffering why hee should not bee obnoxious to as great extremities of paine I see no reason for no degree of meere anguish and dolor can bee unbefitting the person of him who was to bee knowne by that Title A man of sorrowes And surely farre more indignity it was to him to suffer a violent death of body from the hands of base men than to suffer with patience obedience and victorie farre sorer stripes from the hand of God his Father who was pleased upon him to lay the iniquity of us all For the second thing proposed Why Christ suffered these things The Scripture giveth principally these five reasons First to execute the decrees of his Father Act. 4.27 28. Secondly to fulfill the prophesies prefigurations and predictions of Holy Scriptures Luk. 24.46 Thirdly to magnifie his mercy and free love to sinners and most impotent enemies Rom. 5.8 Fourthly to declare the Righteousnesse and truth of God against sinne who would not bee reconciled with sinners but upon a legall expiation Rom. 3.25 For although wee may not limit the unsearchable wisedome and wayes of God as if hee could no other way have saved man yet wee are bound to adore this meanes as being by him selected out of that infinite treasure of his owne counsell as most convenient to set forth his wonderfull hate of sinne his inexorable Iustice and severity against it his unsearchable riches of love and mercy towards sinners and in all things to make way to the manifestation of his glory Lastly To shew forth his owne power which had strength to stand under all this punishment of sinne and at last to shake it off and to declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 For though Christ did exceedingly feare and for that seeme to decline and pray against these his passions yet none of that was out of jealousie or suspicion that hee should not breake through them But hee feared them as being paines unavoidable which hee was most certainly to suffer and as paines very heavie and grievous which hee should not overcome without much bitternesse and very woefull conflict Now for a word of the last Clause Therefore shall hee lift up the Head Wee may hence observe that Christ hath conquered all his sufferings by his owne power As in his passion when hee suffered hee Bowed downe his head before-hand and gave up the ghost with a loud voice to note that his sufferings were voluntary Ioh. 19.30 So in his resurrection hee is said to lift up his head himselfe to note that hee had life in himselfe that hee was the Prince of Life that it was impossible for him to be held under by death as we were by the Law Rom. 7.6 And that his exaltation was voluntary likewise and from his owne power for he was not to have any assistant in the worke of our redemption but to doe all alone Ioh. 2.19.5.26.10.17 Act. 3.15 If it bee objected that Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of his Father and that hee raised him up Rom. 6.4 Act. 13.33 To this I answer that this was not by way of supplement and succor to make up any defect of power in Christ but onely by way of consent to Christs owne power and action that so men might joyntly honour the Sonne and the Father Ioh. 5 19-26 Or by the Glorie of the Father wee may understand that glorious power which the Father gave unto his Sonne in the flesh to have life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 annexing thereunto a command to exercise the same Power Ioh. 10.18 Or hee is said to bee raised by himselfe and his Father both because that Holy Spirit which immediatly quickned him Rom. 1.4 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 3.18 was both his and his Fathers It was not any personall thing wherein the Sonne differ'd from the Father which raised Iesus from the dead but that Spirit which was common to them both To conclude then with the consideration of those great benefits and that excellent use which this resurrection of Christ doth serve for unto us First it assureth us of the accomplishment
moment of time upon the abuse or right improvement whereof dependeth the severall issues of their eternall condition though the Lord say expresly Bee not conformed to this world they that walke according to the course of the world walke according to the Prince of the power of the aire The Lord will punish all such as are clothed with strange apparell who take up the fashions of idolaters or other nations or other sexes as that place is differently expounded Nature it selfe teacheth that it is a shame for a man to weare long haire nay Nature it selfe taught that honest Heathen to stand at defiance with the sinnes of his age and not comply with the course of the world upon that slight apologie as if the commonnesse had taken away the illnesse that which committed by one would have been a sin being imitated after a multitude were but a fashion To conclude this particular The Apostle is peremptory Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor covetous nor theeves nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God and the consciences of many men who yet will never yeeld to the conclusion cannot choose but subsume as the Apostle goes on such are some of we nay and such we will be too But now if we should bespeake these men in the word of the Prophet Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob they should finde at the last their reasons to be like themselves vanity and lighter than nothing that the Word of the Lord will at last prevaile and sweepe away all their refuge of lyes Secondly the power of the Word towards wicked men is seene in Affrighting of them there is a spirit of bondage and a savour of death aswell as a spirit of life and libertie which goeth along with the Word Guilt is an inseparable consequent of sinne and feare of the manifestation of guilt If the heart be once convinced of this it will presently faint and tremble even at the shaking of a leafe at the wagging of a mans owne conscience how much more at the voice of the Lord which shaketh mountaines and maketh the strong foundations of the earth to tremble If I should see a prisoner at the barre passe sentence upon his Judge and the Judge thereupon surpriz'd with trembling and forced to subscribe and acknowledge the doome I could not but stand amaz'd at so inverted a proceeding yet in the Scripture wee finde presidents for it Micatah a prisoner pronouncing death unto Ahab a King Ieremie a prisoner pronouncing captivitie unto Zedekiah a King Paul in his chain preaching of judgment unto Felix in his robes and making his owne Judge to tremble It is not for want of strength in the Word or because there is stoutnesse in the hearts of men to stand out against it that all the wicked of the world do not tremble at it but meerly their ignorance of the power evidence thereof The Devils are stronger and more stubborne creatures than any man can be yet because of their full illumination and that invincible conviction of their consciences from the power of the Word they beleeve and tremble at it Though men were as hard as rocks the Word is a hammer which can breake them though as sharp as thornes and briars the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them though as strong as kingdomes and nations the Word is able to root them up and to pull them downe though as fierce as Dragons and Lions the Word is able to trample upon them and to chaine them up Thirdly the power of the Word is seene towards wicked men in that it doth judge them Sonne of man wilt thou judge wilt thou judge the bloudy Citie saith the Lord yea thou shalt shew them their abominations To note that when wicked men are made to see their filthinesse in the Word they have therby the wrath of God as it were seal'd upon them He that rejecteth mee the Word which I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day saith our Saviour And if all prophecie saith the Apostle and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all hee is judged of all and the secrets of his heart are made manifest Nay the Word doth in some sort execute death and judgement upon wicked men Therefore it is said that the Lord would smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips would slay the wicked And againe I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slaine them by the words of my mouth And therefore the Word of the Lord is called fury by the Prophet to note that when wrath fury is powred out upon a land they are the effects of Gods Word If a pestilence devoure a city and a sword come and gleane after it it is the Word only which flayes they are but the instruments which are as it were actuated and applied by the Word of God to their severall services Therefore it is that the Prophet saith that wise men see the voice of God and heare his rod. A rod is properly to be seene and a voice to bee heard but here is a transposition and as it were a communication of properties betweene the Word of God and his punishments to note that towards wicked men there is a judging and tormenting vertue in the Word For judgement saith our Saviour am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde If it be here objected that Christ saith of himselfe The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them and that he came not to condemne the world but that the world through him might bee saved I answer that there are two events of Christs comming and by consequence of his Gospell The one principall and by him intended the other accidentall and occasionall growing out of the ill disposition of the subject unto whom he was sent The maine and essentiall businesse of the Gospell is to declare salvation and to set open unto men a doore of escape from the wrath to come but when men wilfully stand out and neglect so great salvation then secondarily doth Christ prove unto those men a stone of offence and the Gospell a savour of death unto death as that potion which was intended for a cure by the Physitian may upon occasion of the indisposednesse of the body and stubborne radication of the disease hasten a mans end sooner than the disease it selfe would have done So that to the wicked the Word of God is a two-edged sword indeed an edge in the Law and an edge in the Gospell they are on every side beset with condemnation if they goe to the Law that cannot save them because they have broken it