to all her Children by the meanes of Pastors and Teachers which the Apostle delivers unto us Ephes 4. 11. where he saith When hee ascended up on high bee led captivitie captive hee gave gifts unto Men c. He therefore gave some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the Body of Christ that henceforth we be not Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive For the first it doth keepe and preserve the Tables of Truth in three respects 1. It keepes the letters of the Scripture 2. The true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes 3. The Authoritie of the Scriptures First It keepes the letters of the Scriptures for the Scripture is the chiefest rich Iewell and Treasure that Christ hath left his people therefore it hath beene the care of the Church the Spouse to preserve and keepe the Scripture as the chiefest Iewell and Treasure left of her husband Christ we see in experience if a man leave a Iewell or some other treasure with his wife when he goes into a farre countrie she will be carefull to keepe it till he come home againe shee will locke it up or lay it in some Boxe or Chest so because the Scripture is a rich Iewell left unto the Church by her Husband Christ therefore there can be no doubt but the Church was carefull at all times to preserve and keepe it to this purpose Exod. 25. 16. The Lord commanded Moses to make an Arke of Shittim wood to put the Tables of the Covenant in that is the written Law of God and why should they put it into an Arke or Chest of Cedar But because it is the durablest wood which will not rot to teach us that the Lord would have the Scriptures preserved therefore S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 4. That the Lord hath of trust committed the Oracles of Truth unto the Iewes which were the Church of God so that it is the dutie of the Church to preserve and keepe them None hath done it but the Church which hath not failed in any point If a tender mother should have a spring that she and her Children live by to drinke of how carefull would she be to kepe it from all annoyances so because the Scripture is as a Spring that the Church lives by and drinkes of she and her children Therefore there can be no question but that the Church hath beene carefull to keepe it from all annoyances It hath beene an opinion of the Papists that the Scripture was corrupted by the Iewes in the Originall Text but if this opinion were true it were enough to bring in Atheisme and all prophanenes for no body can deny but if that the letters of the Scripture were corrupted in the Originall then that which is translated cannot be right Here then to confute this opinion of the Papists which is enough to bring in flat Atheisme and superstition I will shew you divers arguments and reasons to proove that the Scripture hath not beene corrupted which because it is a point of learning and a high one therefore as God when he gave the Law to the People came downe upon the Mount as low as might bee to deliver it to them so I will come downe as low as I can to make it plaine to your Capacities who heare me The first Is drawne by comparison from a King There is no King that would suffer his Statute lawes to be corrupted in the fundimentall Points and his publike Records if hee could helpe it but God is our King and the Scripture is the statute-Statute-Law of God and his publike Records whereby he makes his Will knowne to Men and governes them and therefore can we thinke that the Lord will suffer any to corrupt it seeing he hath Power in his hand to help it unlesse we thinke that God hath lesse care than an earthly king would have of his lawes Iosephus reports and also Eusebius of a certaine Poet that tooke upon him to apply a Holy sentence to a wrong end who was stricken with blindnesse till he made confession of his fault And of another that tooke a peece of Scripture to make a jest of it who was taken with a phreneticall madnesse and hardly ever recovered againe Now therefore if God doe punish those that do prophane the Scripture then how much more will he punish them that doe corrupt it seeing God hath set this seale to it This God makes good Revel 22. 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this book If any Man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any Man shall take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life therefore who durst meddle to corrupt it The second reason is drawen from the Promise of Christ in Matth. 5. 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth perish one jot or one title of the Law shall not escape till all things be fulfilled now by the law he meanes the written Law of God here we have the promise of Christ that as long as Heaven and Earth indures there is not one jot or title of the Law that shall be corrupted The third is taken from the continuall practise of the Prophets Apostles and of Christ himselfe that still send the People of God to the Scriptures as the most sincere Iudges as Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. and Christ Iohn 5. 39. saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to have Eternall Life they are they which testifie of me So wee see that Christ the Prophets and Apostles call us to the Scriptures as to the sincerest Iudge Now if the scriptures had beene corrupted and depraved they would not have sent us to them for there is no man that will send his servant to sea but hee will tell him the danger of it and of the Shelves Rockes and Sands and where they be that so hee may avoyde them so if the Scriptures had beene corrupted Christ the Prophets and the Apostles would not have sent us to the Scriptures but would have told us where the Rockes and Shelves and where the dangers had beene nay if Christ had knowne the Scriptures had beene corrupted he would have made it knowne or if
in the life of a Christian first that a man is justified by it before God secondly that he is thereby sanctified in this world thirdly that hee must live by his faith and fourthly that hee must die in faith wee raised from hence two points of exhortation the first was that wee labour to get faith whatsoever it cost us because wee are justified by it before God and sanctified by it in this world If a man goe to market and hee heare hee may have good advantage by buying of such and such commodities hee will not sticke at it whatsoever it cost or whatsoever the price be And even so seeing faith doth bring us such advantage let us not sticke at the price of it whatsoever it cost us our pleasures our ease or much labour The second point of exhortation was that wee labour to keepe and to nourish it by all meanes now because there bee divers faiths and lest the divell should deceive us with a dead faith as the mother was with the dead childe instead of her living therefore wee will speake of the divers kinds thereof For as wee must labour for it so wee must looke it be the true faith if a king should have a servant and should send him into his Treasurie and he should bid him take silver and gold or what jewels he would have and whatsoever he wanteth the servant would surely looke he had the key and the right key too or else hee might turne and turne and never the better so when God doth offer such rich treasures in the Gospell then the next thing is we must looke to it that we must have a right key that is true faith or else wee may turne and turne and never the better and therefore that we be not deceived we are to consider generally there be foure kinds of faith 1. Historicall faith 2. Temporary faith 3. Miraculous faith 4. True saving faith First Historicall faith is when a man beleeves the history of the Bible to be true without application of it that is cannot apply the word of God to the comforting of his conscience to the directing of his life nor to the humbling of himselfe This hath no grace in it it is no worke of God but it ariseth from the light of nature for as wee beleeve other stories so also wee may beleeve this and assentunto it and therefore no grace of God Iames 2. the divels have this kinde of faith they beleeve the Scriptures that there is a God and therefore tremble now he doth not so because he is illuminated by Gods Spirit but by the light of nature by this he knowes it and therefore a man may have this faith and not true faith Here we are to note a strange malice of the divell that he would keep from men that which he beleeveth himselfe for hee beleeveth that there is a God and beleeveth the word of God to bee true and that there is a hell to torment and yet many men beleeve not this they do not beleeve there is a God or that there is a hell or that the Scriptures bee true and therefore they come short of the faith of the divell have no grace and therefore it cannot be true faith A man may beleeve there is a God that he is a just God that the word of God is true that there is pardon for sinnes rewards for the Godly punishments for the wicked and yet this is not the true faith for it failes in two things first is failes in the true resolved grounds of faith for as the Schoolemen say True faith never rests till it come at his resolved ground to rest on God for as they say faith doth not beleeve the resurrection of the body because Peter or Paul wrote and the rest of the holy men but true faith doth beleeve it because God spake it so that true faith rests on God as the last ground So 2 Peter 1. 21. saith he For the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost so these holy men did not write the Scriptures in their owne name but they wrote them as the Pen-men and Secretaries of Almighty God and therefore we are not to rest in them because they wrote them but because God spake them and it is his will and all Scripture is given by inspiration of God Tertullian hath a saying and that is this That the Kings and Princes of this world when they would have their Lawes knowne to men they send it by Shreeves to proclaime and make it knowne to them so saith he the Prophets and Apostles be as it were the Shreeves and Officers of Almighty God to make Gods Lawes knowne unto men And as another learned man saith namely Augustine That it is true that Christ did write the Scriptures but not in his owne Person for he is the head but the Prophets and Apostles did write them as the very parts of Christ the very hands of Christ or the fingers of Christ to write the Scriptures for whatsoever Christ would have written to his people concerning his will he hath wrote by his Prophets and Apostles Ezek. 9. 8. Christ is there described to haue an Inckhorne of a writer at his reines Christ had his Inckhorne at his backe to write his last will and testament to his people when hee turned his backe upon them even when he was departed And therfore wee see that true faith in the last resolution staies on God it doth not rest on the Scriptures because Peter and Paul and the rest of the holy men of God spake it but because God hath taught it Therefore here wee may consider the ground of an historicall faith generally to beleeve the Scriptures and the Reason why men beleeve the Bible and in their common speech talke of it is because they never heard otherwise since they were borne but that the Scriptures were true So that it doth not arise from the true ground The second thing that historicall faith doth faile in is because it wants particular application of the word of God it doth assent to it that it is true but it goes no further it beleeves there is a God but not beleeve hee is a God to him it beleeves there is pardon of sinnes but not that his sinnes be pardoned and that God is just but not to him This is a maine defect in this Faith it doth not apply the word of God in the body there be two sorts of veines some of them bee sucking and drawing the meate into the stomacke to concoct the other carrying the strength of it into every part of a man so true faith like to these sucking veines carrieth the word downe into a mans heart and applyeth it unto him In the Gospell when Christ spake to his Disciples generally that one of them should betray him straight-way they said every one Is it I Master Is
little of this oyle of glaâ—nesse Therefore no marvell though men cannot be merry if they want this oyle for if they have it it will make them rise at midnight to sing Psalmes and will make them sleepe sweetly in the time of trouble Therefore it is our comfort whatsoever Christ hath done in the worke of redemption God will accept of it The third point is who it was that did anoint him It was God as Psalm 45. God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes so Peter Act. 2. 36. Let all the house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him Lord and Christ In the Law wee see one man anointed another as Moses anointed Aaron Samuel anointed Saul and Elias anointed Elisha but it was God that did Anoint Christ Of this there be three Vses First seeing God hath anointed him he is the Lords Anointed therefore we must take heede we doe no injury and wrong to Christ as Psal 105. 15. Touch not mine Anointed c. if hee bee Gods Anointed take heed we doe not wrong him Why may a man doe wrong and injury to Christ I answere with Paul Heb. 10. He that sinneth willingly there is no repentance for him but a fearefull looking for of judgement If men sinne and will not repent but live in them without repentance and commit sinnes against their knowledge wittingly and willingly grieving God trampling and treading under foot the bloud of the sonne of God in the dust and making it of none effect Secondly that seeing he is Gods Anointed take heede we doe no injury or wrong to Christ in his members for a man doing wrong to a Christian may doe wrong to Christ in his members it is Saint Pauls doctrine 1 Cor. 8. 12. When yee sinne so against the brethren and wound their weake conscience ye sinne against Christ Thirdly seeing God hath anointed him therefore wee must anoint him our hands must follow the hands of God wee see in the Gospell the woman got a boxe of costly ointment and did powre it on Christ as he sate at the Table so we must doe get a box of ointment and powre it out on Christ and so anoint him Bernard shewes there be three sorts of ointment First to anoint the feete of Christ as the woman that we read of Luk. 7. 46. so a Christian must begin at the feete of Christ first And with what must he anoint him first with the oyle of contrition griefe and sorrow for his sinnes to sit downe at the feete of Christ and to lament and mourne for them there is no ointment that is bought at the Apothecaries shop so sweete to us as this oyle of contrition is to Christ Secondly wee must anoint the head of Christ as the woman wee read of Matth. 26. 7. And with what with the oyle of devotion with the best dutie and service we can doe unto him if we know any thing that will please God best that we should doe Thirdly we should anoint the body of Christ as Ioseph of Aramathea did he bought a great deale of sweete spices to anoint the body of Christ and so we must do but with what should we anoint the body of Christ with the oyle of compassion and if there be any of the members of Christ that stand at need we should be ready to shew compassion on them our hands must follow the hands of God as hee anointed Christ so must wee Fourthly to what end he was anointed We all know he was anointed to be a Prophet a Priest and a King now there were three sorts of men anointed in the Law first Prophets as Elias anointed Elisha to bee a Prophet in his roome â— Kings 19. 16. secondly Priests were anointed as Aaron and Eleazer his son thirdly Kings were anointed as Saul and David 1 Sam. 10. In the time of the Law two of these offices fell out to bee in one man as Melchisedech was a Priest and a King and David was a Prophet and a King Ieremie was a Priest and a Prophet but all these offices were not in any one man untill Christ came in whom these were fulfilled the other anointings were but Types and shadowes he was the substance Christ was anointed to all these offices He was a Prophet to teach us his Fathers will a Priest to make atonement for us and intercession A King to raigne over us to defend and protect us First he is a Prophet to declare the will of God Christ hath declared the will of God to his people and therefore he is a Prophet so saith Peter Act. 3. 22. that Moses said to the Fathers the Lord your God shall raise up unto you a Prophet even of your Brethren like unto me ye shall heare him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you so saith the woman of Samaria Sir I perceive thou art a Prophet c. All other Prophets did teach but part of Gods will but hee hath revealed his whole will and therefore Christ is the great Prophet of the Church as Luke 7. 16. when they saw Christ had raised up that man that was dead they glorified God and said a great Prophet is raised up among us and God hath visited his people It is said Matth. 4. 16. The people that sate in darkenesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is risen up all the Prophets that were before him were as little lights to him hee was the great light that made all things If a man set up a candle it will give light in one roome set up a torch and it will give a greater light but what are all these lights to the light of the Sunne so all the Prophets that were before Christ were but all little lights to this and pointed to Christ he was the great light that made all things manifest The use is that seeing Christ is the great Prophet of the Church therefore wee must heare him Ast. 3. 23. Saint Peter saith That every person which shall not heare that Prophet shall bee destroyed out from among the people therefore he that doth despise and will not heare him speaking unto us that person shall be cut off and destroyed So Heb. 2. 21. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation c. And therefore seeing he is the great Prophet of the Church we must heare and regard him I shewed you in the morning it was a sweet thought in God Matth. 21. 38. when hee had sent his servants the prophets they beate them and killed them and stoned them at last he sent his sonne It may be saith he they will reverence him it was a sweet thought in God that not withstanding they had done all to his servants they
Esai 53. 11. of Christ hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall bee satisfied and therefore if men bee brought to God if they live a holy life if they bee conscionable in their waâ—â—s and carefull to please God in their courses then this will satisfie Christ But if wee live in our sinnes in our prophanenesse in our lusts still then it shall grieve Him that ever he was borne into the world sweate in the garden died and shed his blood on the Crosse for us Thirdly wee are to consider of the manner of his death that it was in the greatest extremity that might be so Paul saith Philip 2. 8. Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient to that cursed death on the crosse and so in Esai 5 3. 12. it is said He hath powred out his soule unto death c. Now the greatest extremity that Christ suffered may make us consider of two things First the greatnesse of our sinnes And secondly the greatnesse of Gods mercie First wee may consider the greatnesse of our sinnes that when wee have sinned against God nothing will bring us into favour againe but it must cost blood and the blood of the Sonne of God therefore howsoever men make but a light matter of sinne yet when we have sinned all the powers of Heaven and earth cannot bring us into favour againe all the Angels in heaven cannot doe it nor all the blood of the Saints but it must bee the blood of the Sonne of God that must doe it if the king should make a law that if a man told a lye or sowre an oath or committed a sinne he should lose a droppe of his blood how afraid would he be of sinning Now when we sinne although it doth not cost us blood yet it cost the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore wee should bee afraid to sinne lest wee bee more wastfull of the blood of Christ than of our owne Secondly wee are to consider of the greatnesse of Gods mercie that when wee had sinned hee would send his owne Sonne to die for us as 1 Iohn 4. 10. Herein is Love not that wee loved God but that hee loved us and sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for our sinnes and so in Rom. 5. 8. But God setteth out his love towards us seeing that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us and therfore seeing God hath so loved us that he was content to part with his Sonne for us let us never sticke to part with our sinnes and lusts to serve him but we see it otherwise that God doth not sticke to part with his sonne to die for us and yet we sticke to part from our sinnes to serve him The second way that faith doth stirre up holy motions is because it doth combine and knit us unto Christ so it is by combination by being made one with Christ for as from the head doth flow into the rest of the members life even so Christ doth extend unto us his graces and vertues In the second of the Kings wee see that when the dead body of the Prophet did touch the dead body of the man life came into him much more if we went downe into the grave of Christ and touched him wee shall live being joyned with the living body of Christ who hath gloriously and triumphantly overcome death hell and the divell We see in experience that if a man would have water flow into his field he will make a trench and dig into the ground till he comes at the fountaine and then the fountaine will flow water into the field even so if men would have the graces of Christ to bee distilled into them let them never be at rest till they have joyned themselves to Iesus Christ and then hee will distill all his graces and vertues into them so faith never leaveth us till it brings us unto Christ Now the use of this point is that seeing we are sanctified in this world by faith as we find other uses thereof so we should labour to find this use and benefit of it and therfore whereas men thinke that some are too precise and too strict it is a sure thing that unlesse we be sanctified in this world we cannot be justified before God and yet do not looke to be sanctified before men And therefore search thy selfe oh man or woman I pray thee art thou brought to the hatred of sinne Or is it weakned in thee Doest thou labour to lead an holy life in the sight of men here Then thou art justified in the sight of God but if thou livest in sin and makest no conscience in thy waies but livest loosely never then looke to be justified in the sight of God It is a good observation that a learned man hath out of the eighth of the Romans of the golden chaine saith he There be foure Linkes of it two he hath in his owne hands and two he hath put out to us to lay hold on the two linkes that he hath in his hands are Predestination and Glorification the first and the last linkes and the two middle he hath left for us to lay hold on Vocation and Iustification and therefore doe thou oh man cast out thy hands and lay hold on these two linkes that thou mayst be called and justified that so thou maiest be glorified in the world to come This is comfortable that God hath left these two linkes for every man whereby hee may be drawne up to Heaven The third vse of faith is that which Paul speaketh of here Rom. 1. 17. The just man shall live by his faith so a man must not onely be justified by faith in the sight of God and sanctified in this world but he must live by his faith as Paul saith Thus I live yet not I now but Christ liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loved mee and gave Himselfe for mee A man may live the life of nature without faith hee may buy and sell and doe the workes of his calling hee may eate and drinke c. But he cannot live the life of grace without faith the greatest part of men care not to live in faith but they desire to die in faith They would die a comfortable death like Balaam that would desire to die the death of the righteous but care not to live so strict a life therefore if men doe not care to live in faith they cannot die in faith for this is the true use of faith to live by it so the prophet Habakuk saith the just shall live by his faith a man that hath lived by it hee shall die in faith also Heb. 11. 39. it is said all those dyed in Faith because as they had lived in faith so they died in faith too therefore if wee will die in faith wee must labour to live in faith and then
these were to follow the waies of their wicked fathers then how ready shold we be therfore to be like our heavenly Father God is mercifull and we be unmercifull ready to forgive us the injuries and wrongs that wee doe to him and wee backeward to forgive the injuries and wrongs that our brethren doe to us hee is holy and wee be unholy and therefore I marvell that we doe not blush to call God Father and yet walke in the steps of the divell God is holy and thou art prophane God is mercifull and thou art cruell This is the second instruction The third is that seeing God is our Father therefore wee must trust in him and rely on him as a Father we must labour to moderate the cares of this life because we have one God to take care for us Matth. 6. 25. our Saviour saith Bee not carefull what yee shall eate or what yee shall drinke nor yet for the body what ye shall put on c. and verse 32. he giveth a reason why wee should take no care for your heavenly Father knoweth that yee have need of all these things and out of his Fatherly care will make a supply of them by such good meanes as hee hath appointed therefore wee must wholy rely and trust on him If wee see a young man eager of the world carking caring scraping and gathering together riches men may say this man hath no Father to provide for him So if wee see men scraping gathering carking and caring for the things of this life surely wee may feare God is not his Father for if he were hee would rest upon him Chrysostome saith if a man were going to a feast would hee take care for meat if one were at a fountaine would hee take care for water God of his Fatherly care will provide a table for us and as a rich fountaine will make a supply of all our wants therefore we have no cause to carke or care for the things of this life let this bee thy comfort that if God bee our Father hee will provide for thee This therefore condemnes the scrapers and misers of this world that care not by what meanes they can get it or by what bad course they have it and therefore they doe not rest on God as a Father It is true indeed there is a provident care to bee had for the things of this life but this same carking and distrustfull care is that which the Scriptures condemne The fourth is that all the chastisements that come upon us we take as from the hand of a loving Father and patiently beare them so wee see Psal 39. 9. I was dumbe and said nothing because it was thy doing So 1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And Luk. 22. 2. Father if thou wilt take away this cup from mee neverthelesse not my will but thy will bee done So every crosse and affliction we should take as a cup tempered and reached out by the hand of a loving Father and therefore wee should patiently beare it Wee see in experience if a stranger beat a child the child will murmur at it but if a Father correct it it will patiently beare that so if God bee a stranger to us then we will murmur at his corrections but if God be our Father then we will patiently beare his loving chastisements The fifth instruction hence is that seeing God is our Father we should bee content to part with any thing wee have to give unto Christ wee read in the story of Samson that when his Father and Mother was going to the wedding he went aside to looke on the carcase of the Lion which hee had killed where hee found a swarme of bees and hony whereof he did eate and gave to his Father and Mother so we should doe going to the heavenly wedding wee should give such good things as wee have seeing we cannot give them to Christs owne person let us give them to his needy members and Christ will accept it as done unto himselfe as Mat. 25. 45. Forsomuch saith he as ye have done it unto one of these little ones ye have done it unto mee Seeing God is our Father therefore all Christians are our brothers and wee should love them for our Fathers sake So Mal. 2. 10. Have wee not all one Father and hath not one God made us why doe wee transgresse every one against his brother and breake the covenant of our God and Father therefore seeing God is the Father of us all we must love them and regard them so Ioh. 8. 42. If God were your Father saith Christ then ye would love me so we may say if God were your Father then ye would love Christians but because yee hate and despise them therefore it is evident that God is not your Father The second thing that was observed was matter of comfort first that seeing God is our Father therefore wee are called to a greater dignity and honour than this world can afford us for it is the greatest preferment in the world to bee called the Sonnes of God and therefore 1 Ioh. 3. 1. hee bringeth it in with an ecce Behold what love the Father hath shewed on us that wee should bee called his Sonnes and therefore David to this purpose saith 1 Sam. 18. 23. Seemeth it a light thing unto you to bee the Sonne in law to a King Now then if it be such a matter to bee Sonne in law to a King what an honour is it to bee Son to the King of Kings to God if wee consider wee bee but dust and sinfull and the children of the divell therefore as David saith 1 Sam. 18. 18. Who am I and what is my life and the familie of my Father in Israel that I should bee Sonne in law to the King So wee may say Lord what am I or what is my Fathers house that this honour should bee put upon me to bee called thy Sonne And therefore whatsoever our estate be here in this world it is a great comfort to us to bee one of the Sonnes of God the greatest dignity that this world can afford I shewed you lately that it is the greatest goodnesse and mercy of God to put honour upon his servants that even Kings are glad of this favour and howsoever men cannot away with such now but despise and contemne them yet one day at the day of judgement or of their death to have honor with the meanest of Gods people they would bee glad if they could have but a looke and therefore it is a greater comfort to be one of Gods sonnes and daughters than to have all this world The second comfort is that seeing God is our Father therefore he will bee a Father to us as 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will bee a Father unto you and not in name but a Father in deed to us hee will performe the duty of a Father there
the defect here is not in the power of man but in the glasse for hee was as able to powre out all of it as one drop but the glasse could not receive it Againe God cannot doe any thing that implyes contradiction as to cause a thing to bee and not to bee as the Sunne to shine and not to shine all at one time or a body to be in a place and not to be or to be in divers places at one time The uses are for Instruction and Comfort The first Instruction is that seeing God is Almighty all men must stoope and bow before him in the consideration of his great power as Esa 25. 3. Therfore shall the mighty people give glory unto thee the city of the strong nations shall feare thee Ier. 10. 7. Who would not feare thee O King of nations For to thee appertaineth the dominion for among all the wise men of the Gentiles and in all their kingdomes there is none like unto thee So Psal 95. 6. Come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker therefore the great power that is in God must humble us bring us low and make us fall downe before him Secondly that seeing God is Almighty labour to make him thy friend and to be in his favour for nothing is almighty in this world but God wee see how men labour to bee in favour with Noblemen thinking thereby to procure some great matter to themselves but there is none greater than God therefore labour to have his favour This is that a Christian desires above all the things in this world so David Psal 4. 6. Lord saith hee lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and that shall make my heart more glad than they that have their corne and wine and oyle increased So Psal 80. 19. Turne us O Lord God of hostes cause thy face to shine upon us and wee shall be safe In which Psalme it is thrice repeated as the onely desire of a Christian Thirdly that seeing God is Almighty therefore above all things take heed we doe not sinne against and offend him for all the creatures are not able to doe the thousand part of that hurt that God can doe unto thee why then are men commonly so afraid of great men and of the hurt they can doe to them our Saviour tels them whom to feare Luk. 12. 4. saith hee Feare not him that can kill the body and after that is able to doe no more but feare him that is able to destroy both Soule and body and to cast them into hell fire him wee ought to feare therefore the power that is in God should make us afraid to offend him Wee see Iob saith Gods judgements were fearefull to mee and I could not bee delivered from his highnesse so we see the consideration of the power that was in God made Iob stand in awe of him a number of men never stand in awe of God are never afraid of his great power indeed they feare an earthly power are afraid of breaking the Princes lawes and the commandements of men but O that men could bee afraid of the great power that is in God who is able to destroy both soule and body Fourthly seeing God is Almighty therefore in all extremities wee are to rest and relie on the power that is in him for howsoever men runne here and there for helpe yet no man is able to helpe but hee A Christian must beleeve that God is able to helpe by meanes as Noah was saved in a wooden Arke and Moses in an Arke of reed so likewise wee must beleeve that God is able to helpe us without meanes against meanes or beyond meanes and above the meanes so as with the Apostle Paul we may say If God be on our side who can be against us Now the next thing observed was comfort First that seeing God is Almighty therefore our Salvation is in the hands of God if it were in our owne wee might lose it but seeing it is in Gods keeping it is safe as 1 Pet. 1. 5. it is said Wee are kept by the power of God In the time of mans innocency Adam had the keeping of his owne Salvation it was in his owne hands and hee lost it but now it is in Gods keeping and therefore we are sure we shall not lose it seeing his power is Almighty Secondly that seeing God is Almighty therefore wee shall bee safe under his protection so David saith Psal 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my Salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid And Psal 23. 4. Yea though I should walke through the valley of the shaddow of death yet I will feare none evill for thou art my God and thou art with mee If God bee our friend wee need not to care who is our foe for Gods power is Almighty Thirdly that seeing Gods power is Almighty therefore all his promises shall bee fulfilled in due time so Gen. 21. 1. Now the Lord visited Sarah as hee had said and the Lord did unto her according as hee had promised And Gen. 18. 14. saith the Angell shall any thing bee hard unto the Lord therefore seeing all Gods promises shall bee performed in due time and nothing is hard for him comfort thy selfe therein for hast thou a promise that God will raise thee out of the grave to glory and happinesse or hast thou any other promise it is most sure it shall be fulfilled in the due time by God Fourthly that seeing God is Almighty therefore we shall not need to doubt or feare but that hee is able to destroy our adversaries power whosoever shall rise against him or us Rev. 18. 8. Therefore shall her plagues come one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall bee burne with fire for strong is the Lord our God which shall condemne her SERMON VI. ACT. 14. 15. That yee should turne from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are therein COncerning the Almightinesse of God which is His first Attribute we have already spoken now wee come to the second which is Maker of Heaven and earth I will directly fall upon the point without any repetition onely remember wee that the more power there is in God the more is our true comfort for when a man knowes that all the power that is in God is for his good then the more there is in God the more is his comfort As if a man should see a great deale of armour laid up in the hands of his friend he might thinke it were the better for him he shall be the safer by it but if he see a great deale in the hands of his enemie this may strike a terrour into him so if we can finde that God is our Father and
God so we should returne all to him againe by publike thankefulnesse for them as Paul saith in this place that we should turne from these vaine idols to the living God that made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is because he made them therefore we should goe backe againe in the consideration of it and returne thankes to him Thirdly seeing God made all things wee should not looke upon his workes without great consideration of them as his workes of mercy or judgement If a workeman make an excellent worke it is a great indignity and injury offered to the workeman to passe by it slight it not to looke on it or regard it so seeing the Lord hath hanged as it were the chamber of this world with many goodly workes of his mercy and judgements it is a great injury and indignity offered unto God for men to passe by them and never to looke upon them so God complaines Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operations of his hands therefore hee shall breake them downe and not build them up so it is a great sinne to passe by his wonderous workes and not to looke upon them and consider of them The third point is how hee made them By no instrument but by his word as Psal 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth Now wee are not to thinke it was a vocall word of God but it was his commandement Psal 33. 9. For he spake and it was done hee commanded and it stood or was created So Psal 148. 5. Hee commanded and they were created Solomon when hee builded the Temple had thousands of workmen to doe it but God when hee made the world made it with his word therefore we may see the excellent power of the word of God that let him but speake and there is a new heaven and an earth and a sea and skie and beasts and birds for the use of man Therefore the Centurion saith well Matthew 8. Doe but speake the word and thy servant shall be whole So we must learne to acknowledge the excellent power of the word of God that if hee say to sicknesse depart it shall depart if to health come it shall come looke what God speaketh shall be done as it is said in the Psalme he sent out his word and healed them Secondly seeing God made the world with a word wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that there is never a creature save man but doth yeeld to the Word of God the Lord hath spoken ten words in his Law nay many more in the gospell unto us and yet what adoe is there an almighty power must ioyne with the word to bring a sinner to repentance therefore wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that the creatures yeeld to the word of God and yet sinfull man cannot submit to a thousand words of God to bring him to repentance The fourth point is what hee made the world of and that was of nothing Hebrewes 11. 3. Through faith wee understand that the world was made by the Word of God so that the things wee see were made of things that did not appeare Philosophers say of nothing nothing can hee made It is true in Nature but not in regard of Gods power In Nature indeede there is no Artificer that can make any thing unlesse he hath matter to make it of as a Smith cannot worke without Iron and a Mason must have stone and a Carpenter must have timber but God is able to make all things of nothing The use is first that seeing God did make the world of nothing hee is able to make a man somewhat when he is nothing he is able to give grace where there is none to create faith where there is no faith and to worke repentance where there is none so saith Paul 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And therefore if God be able to make the world of nothing he is able to make a man something that is nothing in himselfe Secondly seeing God is able to make the world of nothing he is able when we are nothing in our worldly estates to raise us up of nothing and to make us great men in the world so faith Hanna 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. The Lord killeth maketh alive bringing downe to the grave and raising up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalieth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set them amongst Princes Thirdly seeing God made the world of nothing so let us know the world would dissolve and come to nothing againe if God should not uphold it for naturally all things dissolve into that they were made of as a man made of dust so naturally turnes and comes to dust againe so Ice being made of water it turnes to water againe and Snow being made of raine it dissolves to it againe so the world being made of nothing would come to nothing if God should not uphold it Therefore how much are wee bound to God for every houres continuance of this world which Heb. 1. 3. is said to be upheld by his mighty power and word Fourthly seeing he made the world of nothing wee may see the meanes of our beginning that it was of nothing and therefore howsoever some swell with greatnesse of their Ancestors and of their Nobility yet we see the meannesse of our beginning wee came of nothing therefore this may serve to humble us how great soever we be Abraham hee confessed he was but dust this did humble him and were know the dust was made of nothing which should serve to humble us in that all our greatnesse came of nothing The fifth point is â— what estate God made this world in in exceeding good estate Genesis 1. 25. therefore if there be any creature that is not good or hath any defect in it we are to thanke our selves and our owne sinnes as we see in a clocke if there be any alteration or stop in the little wheeles it is because there was first a stop in the great wheeles for the little ones doe depend on the greater wheele so that if there bee a stand in that there is a stand in the little wheeles in like manner if there be any defect in the creatures or if there be any that be not good it is because there is a defect and a failing in us for man is as the great wheele of the Clocke therefore if hee bee out of order no marvell though the creatures be so also Hence we may learne that if there be any which be not good or have defect in them wee may
Prophet of the Church and how he is the Priest hath beene shewed already it remaineth now to shew you how he is a King for it is nothing to admit him to bee the Prophet or to be our Priest unlesse we admit him to be our King Now that he is the King of the Church can no doubt for Psal 2. it is said I have set my King upon the holy hill of Sion and Zech. 9. he sayes O Daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee c. And Luk. 1. 32. the Angell saith He shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the Sost High and the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David and hee shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his kingdome shall bee none end so we may see it is plaine that Christ was a King indeed Christ did refuse to bee a King Ioh. 6. 15. because they would have made him a temporall king there he departed into a Mountaine but when he was before Pilate Ioh. 18. 38â— Pilate asked him if hee were a King Christ telleth him For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the World that I should beare witnesse to the truth Now there be foure Kingly duties that Christ doth exercise towards his Church First Hee doth gather and draw Subjects to himselfe by his Word and Spirit it is not with the Kingdome of Christ as with the kingdomes of the world for first they be constituted and gathered and then they have a king set over them as we see in David his kingdome was constituted before hee was king but Christ hath not a Subject in his Kingdome but he must draw him for ther is no man that is born a subject of his kingdome but he must draw him out of another kingdome out of the kingdome of the divell to make him a subject in his kingdome so we have it Who hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare sonne we see that Christ must draw us out of another kingdome to make us subjects in his Kingdome Iob. 10. 16. Other sheep have I also which are not of this fold them also must I bring This is a peece of his Kingly care to draw aliens and strangers unto himselfe to make them subjects in his Kingdome we see in experience if a goodly Kingdome be set up and great priviledges belong unto it men wilseeke to be subjects of it and yet Christ hath set up a kingdome and there are few that seeke to bee subjects of it notwithstanding all the kingdomes in this world are not like to it in regard of the glory and excellency and of the goodly priviledges that doe belong to it yet what ado hath Christ to make men his subjects he is someitmes drawing of a man twenty or thirty yeares ere he can make him a subject of his Kingdome Here wee are to consider the infinite goodnesse of God to us that when we were under the kingdome of the divell at ods and war with him yea even when wee were at defiance with him then hee was not contented till he had drawne us home to himselfe to be made subjects in his Kingdome here wee may wonder and admire at his goodnesse that when men were at warre and at defiance with him hee laboreth then to draw them unto repentance as Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Thou shalt live even when we be in our sins the Lord sheweth compassion unto us Act. 12. 7. When Peter was in prison and asleepe in his chaines the Angell of the Lord came and smote him on the side and bad him arise and the chaines fell off from his hands as the Angell brought him out of prison into the City and threw the Iron bolts from him so the Lord doth to us wee lie in our sinnes asleepe hee comes and strikes us in our consciences not on our sides brings us through the Iron gate places of danger and never rests till he have brought us into the Citty to make us subjects to his kingdome that were formerly ever subjects to the divels kingdome The second Kingly duty of Christ is That he governs his people by just and equall Lawes Psal 45. 6. he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy kingdome is a Scepter of righteousnesse Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse c. And Esai 7. The increase of his government and peace shall have no end he shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth and for evermore so Christ is our King to governe us by just and equall Lawes this is the Kingly office of Christ therefore every one that will bee a subject to Christs Kingdome must be ruled and governed by his Lawes wee see men can be contented to be subjects to his Kingdome c. yet they will not be governed and guided by his Lawes for they will sweare though Christ saith Sweare not all he hath made a Law that we should not lye yet men will lye he commanded that men should not prophane the Sabbath and many will prophane it but every one that is a subject to Christs Kingdome must live by the Lawes of Christ it is a great fault that men professe themselves to bee Christians and yet will not bee ruled by his Lawes Ioh. 19. 7. The Iewes said they had a Law and by that Law Christ ought to dye Indeed it was a Law of their owne making for there is no Law of God to put an innocent and harmelesse man to death but it was a Law of their owne so wee make a Law to our selves that men may sweare or lye and whatsoever become of our neighbours looke to our selves but it is of our owne devising it is no Law of God the old Souldiers bowed the knee to Christ and yet they spit in his face they set a crowne of thornes on his head and put a reede into his hand so it is with the world still though they call him their father and king yet they will not bee ruled by him but even as it were spit in his face and set a crowne of thornes on his head this is that which the world cannot away with nor brooke that he should bee their king to governe and guide them they can be contented he should dye for them to save them but cannot indure that Christ should rule or raigne over them Luk. 19. assoone as Christ came amongst them they said Wee will not have this man to raigne over us so Psal 2. Let us breake their bonds and cast away their cords they cannot abide to bee tyed to Christ to bee tied to prayer and to holy duties this is such
3. Faith Adoration as Heb. 1. 6. When he brings his first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels worship him Invocation as by Stephen who called on God and said Lord Iesus receive my spirit so of Saul Act. 9. 14. it is said that hee bound all that called on the name of the Lord. Faith as Iohn 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me to which purpose is that Act. 17. 3. Therefore wee may see by these arguments that Christ is God and to take heed of this brutish opinion of the Arrians Now what be the consequents of this that he was not a bare man but he was God also who did redeeme us There bee divers reasons why he onely should redeeme us First because he that did redeem us must beare the burthen of al the sins due to al men that hath beene and shall be now there was none that could doe this because the wrath of God was infinite save Christ Iesus for let the wrath of God come upon the Angels they are not able to beare nor stand under the burthen of it but it will presse downe and sinke them as low as Hell Secondly he that should redeeme us must pay a price Incomparable better and more worth than the bodies and soules of all men that ever were now there was none that could doe this but God and therefore he must bee God who redeemed us Thirdly he that should redeeme us must put on all our sinnes even all the sinnes that had been committed and shall be from the beginning of the world to the latter end and apparell himselfe with them but there is no man no Angell able to doe this and to stand before God unlesse there be infinite goodnesse in him to countervaile the justice of God therefore it must be God that must doe it The second branch is that we doe beleeve he is the onely Sonne of God not by creation as the Angels spoken of Iob 1. 6. nor by adoption and grace as men Ioh. 1. but by communicating his nature and essence to him Now this doth commend the goodnesse and mercy of God to us that when wee had sinned against him and had no way to redeeme our selves he having but one Sonne and his onely begotten Sonne yet gave him to dye for us so to redeeme us The uses are first seeing Christ is the only Son of God let us labour to become one with him and then we shall also be the sonnes of God as Ioh. 1. 12. But as many as received him to them he gave power to be the sonnes of God and Gal. 3. 26. For ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus I know there is never a one here present but could be contented to be the sonne of God let us then labour to bee with Christ by faith and so we shall become the sonnes of God for hee draweth all his members into the same dignity with him David accounted it a great matter to be the sonne in law to a king so Moses to be a sonne to Pharaohs daughter howsoever he refused it afterward Now if it bee such a great matter to bee sonne in law to an earthly king much more is it to bee a sonne to God therefore what a comfort is this to such poore people that are one with Christ by faith howsoever they bee hated and despised at the hands of wicked men 1 Ioh. 3. 1. hee bringeth it in with an ecce Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that we should be called the sonnes of God All the world doth not know what a great blessing it is to be the sonnes unto God wee see how great men will talke of their nobility and of their great descent but alas what is all this if we be not the sonnes of God therefore thinke this with thy selfe I am a great man in the world and come of a noble blood and a great descent but what is this unto me unlesse I bee the sonne of God And therefore let us labour to bee one with Christ and then as Christ was raised from the dead so he will raise us up together with him and wee shall be found the sonnes of God Secondly seeing Christ is the onely Sonne of God wee may see the horriblenesse of our sinnes and the greatnesse of them that when wee had sinned all the creatures in heaven and earth could not doe it but it must be the Sonne of God he must come downe take our nature upon him and dye for us Augustine saith O man by the great price that was paied for thee thou maiest consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes that they cost the bloud of Christ the Sonne of God If a man should commit an offence and all the nobles should kneele on their knees before the king for him and could not get release but that it must be the kings sonne onely that must doe it hee must shed his blood take the place of a malefactor be arraigned condemned and executed in his roome all men would conceive that this was a horrible fact that must be the cause of this this is our case when we had sinned all the heavenly powers could not bring us into favour againe but it must be the Sonne of God hee must take our roome and place bee arraigned condemned and executed for us therefore sinne is no small matter neither must wee esteeme of our sinnes slightly but consider with our selves that great are our sinnes that hath brought this on Christ Thirdly we should heare his voyce it is the charge the God giveth Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him and therefore it is a great sinne to despise the voyce of Christ in the ministery of his Word Saint Paul sheweth what a great sinne it is saith he God spake by the Prophets at sundry times and in divers manners but now he hath spoken in these last times by his Sonne and therefore in the second Chapter he exhorteth us To take heede of it that wee doe not let it slip for if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Therefore seeing Christ is become a Prophet of the Church let us take heede we doe not despise his Word or voyce It was a holy thought in God when the Church of the Iewes had killed the Prophets beaten and despised them I will send my Sonne it may be they will reverence him it was a sweet thought in God to doe so And therefore let us take heed we doe not despise the voyce of Christ Ioh. 5. 28. it is said The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God even the dead cinders and ashes of men that have been rotting in the graves many thousand yeeres they shall startle and
it is a corruption that men are loth to part from any thing for good uses and yet they will part from their money to vex a good Preacher or a good Christian so many can be content to part with their money to buy Cards or Dice but they will not part with any to buy a Bible therefore Hosea 2. 9. saith the Lord I will returne and take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wooll and my flax c. because they bestowed it on Baal on bad uses to spend it on their lusts we see the bad servant in the Gospell that hid his talent in a napkin when his master came to take account of him there came an extent to him to take away his talent and then to binde him hand and foot and to cast him into utter darknesse Now if this came upon him for hiding his talent what shall become of those that abuse their talents and put them to bad uses Thirdly the ware he sold Christ the riches and glory of the world the greatest treasure on earth in regard whereof Paul counts all things to bee dung and drosse and yet Iudas sold Christ for a trifle so many men sell Christ the riches of the world for a trifle because men doe not know the true value of Christ and of his graces which if they did they would not lose the possession of him for a thousand worlds but they would take heed of the selling of Christ Now this ware was unlawfull to be sold for the Canon Law saith that it is unlawfull to sell a spirituall thing therfore Saint Peter saith to Simon Magus when hee would have bought the holy Ghost with his money thy money perish with thee Act. 8. Now Christ is the fountaine of all spirituall things therefore to sell him it was unlawfull Secondly the Canon Law saith that it is unlawfull to sell that of which the right belongs to another If a man have right unto a thing he may sell it but Iudas had no right to sell Christ for he was to dispose of himselfe saith he I have power to lay downe my life and I have power to take it up againe And therefore seeing hee was to dispose of himselfe it was unlawfull for Iudas to sell him Thirdly as Divines say there be things of inestimable value and prise which nothing in the world can countervaile therefore to sell those things it is unlawfull As first the gifts and graces of the Spirit as Acts 8. Simon Magus would have bought the Holy Ghost Secondly the kingdome of heaven is unlawfull to be sold for Mat. 13. it is likened to a pearle that a man goes and sels all that he hath to buy Thirdly the Soules of men be unlawfull to be sold as Matth. 16. it is said What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soule all the world it not comparable to it Fourthly to sell the loving favour and kindnesse of God is unlawfull as in the Psal 63. 3. saith David Thy Loving kindnesse is better than life to sell a mans life is unlawfull for as the Devill saith of Iob Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life surely nothing in the world was comparable to Christs life therefore to sell him it was unlawfull Lastly very nature abhorreth that a man should be sold to punishment and paines it had beene much if Christ had beene sold for a slave but that he was sold to the greatest paines and torments the paines of the Crosse this was the greatest indignitie that might bee Iudas is condemned of all men for selling his Master for thirty pence But O what doe men now but even sell heaven and happinesse for a penny matter for a little profit and pleasure and although men cannot sell Christ to the Priests yet they sell their soules to the Devill for trifling things therefore when men will be readie for a little pleasure or a little profit for a penny matter to sell heaven and happinesse what doe they but sell Christ Now in all our bargaines we should consider two things 1. What we gaine 2. What we forgoe It may be we may gaine a little wordly ease and peace and lose our peace with God we may gaine favour with men but lose favour with God and then we make but a bad match for his favour is more worth than all the world besides therefore the world makes but a bad match of this to forgoe Christ heaven and happinesse for a little transitory and fading things of this world so Iudas match was but a bad one to forgoe his Master for thirty pence Fourthly What the price was he was sold for thirtie pence the price of a slave if he had sold him for thousands the sinne had beene lesse but to sell Christ the riches and treasure of the world for a trifle for thirty pence this made the sinne the greater Now these peeces of silver in Hebrew bee Shekels of which there be two sorts the Shekels of the Sanctuary and the common Shekels as we may see Levit. 27. 25. and Numb 3. 47. Now the Shekels of the Sanctuary were double the weight of the common Shekels halfe as much more to teach us that in all the matters of Religion we must give God down-weight as he gives us down-weight of his blessings so we must give him downe-weight of our service and dutie that we are to performe unto him Now the ordinary and common Shekel was but fifteene pence so the price that Christ was sold for was the price of a slave And this was done to fulfill the Scripture Zech. 11. 12. So they weighed for my price thirtie peeces of silver and the Lord said unto me Cast it unto the Potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them and I tooke the thirtie peeces of silver and cast them to the Potter in the house of the Lord. Now there be two reasons why this price is specified First seeing Christ stood in our roome and place and tooke on him our sinnes it was to teach us that God esteemed no better of us than slaves therefore howsoever we set an high price of our selves yet wee were no better than slaves in Gods account Secondly to shew the great sinne of Iudas that he would be so vile to sell Christ for a trifle Esau is condemned of all men that he would sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Heb. 12. 16. and Prov. 28. A wicked man saith Salomon will transgresse for a morsell of bread every little matter will make him sinne I know all men condemne Iudas for selling his Master for a trifle but how much may we be condemned to sell heaven for trifling things Indeed we cannot sell Christ to the Priests for thirtie peeces of silver but yet wee sell our soules to the devill for a penny
Esai 53. wee are all like sheepe that are gone out of the way To this purpose is that of Chrysostome If thou wilt be a Iudge set up a throne in thine owne heart and arraigne thy selfe God hath not made thee a Iudge of another man but of thy owne life thus the arraignment of Christ should teach us to arraigne our selves Thirdly the manner how judicially under a colour of law as if they did intend justice whereas they intended nothing lesse under this colour they condemne the innocent and I would it were not so still in the world that under the shew of law they destroy the innocent that it was so of old appeares 1 King 21. where Ahab killed Naboth under colour of law and Act. 7. 23. Steven was before Ananias yea and now also are there a number of such Caiphas's in the world that will say they doe nothing but law and yet under the colour thereof destroy the innocent but this may be a comfort to a Christian that though he be condemned in the court of man yet hee is cleare in the great court of God where he shall be acquitted from all unjust taxations Now there be foure testimonies of Christs innocency First that they sought picked matter against Him they had none before they had taken him now they seeke matter against him and therefore they examine him of his Disciples and of his Doctrine thinking thereby to picke out something that they might lay to his charge and finde him guilty thereupon but hee who was the wisedome of the Father staves them off and keepes them from taking any occasion from his words by his wise and discreet answer as shall appeare if we take into consideration these two things 1. His holy concealement 2. His holy defence First for His holy concealement he doth not discover his Disciples but answers onely for his Doctrine not a word of them hee might have said One of them betraied him and another had denied him and that they all fled from him and ranne away but because he could not speake any good of them therefore Hee rather would say nothing would to God men would thinke of this when they speake of their neighbours if they cannot speake any good of them rather not to speake at all but it is a corruption in nature that men had rather speake of their neighbours vices than of their vertues contrary to that precept Tit. 2. to speake evill of no man Secondly His holy defence he defends his doctrine and sends them to al the common people that they might testifie of it saith hee I spake openly to the world I ever taught openly in the Synagogues and in the Temple whither the Iewes resorted continually And in secret places have I said nothing aske them that heard me he cared not who should judge him though if were his enemies which should teach us that wee should so live as that our enemies can have no just cause against us so Paul carried himselfe 1 Thes 2. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you and the Prophet 1 Sam. 12. 3. Behold saith hee here am I witnesse against me before the Lord and before his annointed whose exe have I taken c Secondly that they sought for witnesses against him there were enow of witnesses for him but they seeke for witnesses against him if they had asked Nicodemus he could have told that no man could have done those miracles except God were with him So if they had asked the blinde man Ioh. 9. 33. or the people Mark 7. 37. they would have told them Hee hath done all things well or the officers and sergeants and they would have answered Never man spake like this man Ioh. 7. 46. they might have found enough to cleare Christs innocency but they were bent the other way The third was that they got witnesses but their witnesses did not agree for howsoever the Priests had plotted the matter and put into their mouths yet they disagreed so let men take heed how they bee false witnesses they may plot the matter and yet be confounded in their speech and so bring a reproch to themselves and let such remember what is written Prov. 19. 9. That a false witnesse shall not be unpunished c. Now the Evangelists declare the matter further by an example of two false witnesses that came in against him the one alleaging this man said I can destroy the Temple of God and build it againe in three daies Marke relates it we heard him say I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands and in three daies I will build another made without hands Now the Spirit of God calleth them false witnesses for though Christ spake some such words yet it was contrary to this sense and meaning for they spake of the materiall Temple and Hee of the Temple of his body And this must make us take heed how we report the words of Christ lest wee be false witnesses against him as the Papists are who literally taking these words This is my body say that the bread is the reall body of Christ as he was borne of the Virgin Mary Christ meaneth spiritually that it is a signe of his body though they take it for the materiall body of Christ so also the Arrians are false witnesses because Christ saith My father is greater than I they say Christ is not equall with the Father but he spake in regard of his humanity The fourth testimony of his innocencie was that Hee was condemned for the truth for he said he was the Sonne of God as he was indeed and so he died an innocent man But why doth Christ inlarge this answer for two causes 1. To comfort himselfe 2. To terrifie his enemies First to comfort himselfe that howsoever hee stood now as a poore prisoner arraigned and condemned at their barre yet one day they shall come before him to be arraigned of him there he doth comfort himselfe with future glory now as Christ did comfort himselfe even so should all Christians in the time of their afflictions when they be sicke poore and in distresse whatsoever thy estate be meane or poore yet one day thinke I shall be with God where I shall not want anything thus Christ comforts his Disciples Matth. 19. Verely I say unto you that when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his majesty ye which have followed mee in the regeneration shall sit upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel so Stephen comforts himselfe when a showre of stones came about him in that he saw heaven open and Christ standing at Gods right hand ready to helpe him and receive his soule Secondly to terrifie his enemies for howsoever they thought themselves great men yet one day they were to have Christ to bee their Iudge even this same poore Iesus O that the world would thinke
of this that this Iesus whom they have despised and condemned shall bee their Iudge at last Now I thought to have passed over the condemnation of Christ and to have spoken little of it but we must doe as the Goldsmith who will not lose the least fine of his gold but he will gather it up so we should not lose the least thing or circumstance touching Christ but should gather all up as in the Law wee read the Lord commanded that the ashes and cinders of the burnt offerings should be gathered up and laid in a cleane place in like manner wee should doe gather up the very ashes and cinders of the sufferings of Christ wherefore our hearts must bee the cleane place to lay them up in that so wee may thinke of the great love of Christ to us and be provoked to love him againe who hath loved us and washed away our sinnes Now Christ was condemned in two courts in the Ecclesiasticall before Annas and Caiphas and in the Temporall before Pilate the one whereof was a forerunner of the other and the reason is because the gouernment was not in the hands of the Iewes who could not put any to death but in the hands of the Romans under whom Pilate was the chiefe governour therefore wee will onely speake of the condemnation of Christ under Pilate where we will observe these foure things 1. How many times Pilate sought to deliver Christ. 2. What was the meanes he used 3. What made him stand so stiffe for Christ. 4. What drew him on to condemne Christ contrary to the light of his judgement First how many times Pilate laboured to cleere Christ before hee condemned him and that appeares to bee foure severall times first when they accused him saying they had found this man perverting the people and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar saying that he is Christ our king Pilate asked him saying Art thou the king of the Iewes unto which he answered and said Thou saiest it then said Pilate to the high Priests and to the people I finde no fault in him indeed it is true that he is a king but his kingdome hee saith is not of this world therefore Caesar neede not to bee afraid of him I see no cause of death in him you say hee is a king what though it is of no worldly kingdome as Caesars is but it is a kingdome of another world therefore Pilate laboured to free Christ at this time Now in the answer of Christ to Pilate we observe two things First that hee doth professe hee is a king this is that same good confession Paul speaketh of 1 Tim. 6. 12. who under Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession therefore seeing Christ is a king wee must so accept of and receive him as to bee ordered by him in our life and conversation and governed by his Lawes because hee is the King of the Church and of all the world it is the sinne of the time that men can be contented to have Christ to bee their Saviour and redeemer to save them by his bloud but they cannot abide to have him to be their King as Luke 19. they say Wee will not have this man to rule over us so men now adayes can be contented to have Christ to teach and to preach to them but they cannot abide to have him to be their King to rule or raigne over them in their life and conversation but for this cause was he borne and for this cause did he die therefore if thou wilt ever raigne with him in the kingdome of glory thou must be ruled by him in the kingdome of Grace Secondly he saith his kingdome is not of this world it doth not consist in the pompe and glory of this world for Christs kingdome is of another world in heaven a kingdome above the clouds of glory and happinesse Which must teach us that seeing Christs kingdome is not of this world they that be subjects of Christ must not looke for especially worldly matters or preferments therefore in sicknesse paines troubles and afflictions we must say my kingdome is not of this world but above the clouds it is an heavenly kingdome a kingdome of glory and happinesse my comfort is laid up there when sicknesse and troubles are come upon a man hee must carry up his thoughts and say though I am sicke poore in distresse and disgrace yet it shall not alwayes be so with me for my kingdome is not of this world If the heire of a great King should be in a strange place and hardly used there he would gather up his thoughts and think with himselfe I am but a stranger here and therfore they use me hardly but when I come home againe into mine owne kingdome then it shall be otherwise with me so when wee bee hardly used here we must consider that wee are strangers and therefore they doe hardly use us but when we come at our Fathers house we shall have more comfort than this world can afford us Againe seeing our kingdome is not of this world but a heavenly kingdome the glory whereof farre exceeds all the transitory things of this life therefore wert thou a subject of the best kingdome of the world know it is nothing unlesse thou be a subject of Christs kingdome it is nothing to bee a citizen of the best citie in the world unlesse thou be a citizen of the kingdome of Christ Therefore labour to be a subject in the kingdome of grace to live by faith to be obedient to Gods Commandements to be patient in troubles and then thou shalt be a subject in the kingdome of glory The Queene of the South came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Salomon which when shee came and heard she thought it a great preferment to be one of his subjects saith shee Happie are thy men happie are these thy servants which stand continually before thee c. Now if it were a happie thing to be a subject in that kingdome much more is it a happie thing to be a subject in the kingdome of Christ therefore let us labour to bee subjects to Christ in the kingdome of grace that wee may be subjects in the kingdome of glroy The second time that Pilate laboured to free Christ and to set him at libertie was after he had sent him to Herod it is said That he called together the high Priests and the rulers of the people and said unto them yee have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people and behold I having examined him before you have found no fault in this man concerning those things whereof ye accuse him no nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and loe nothing worthy of death is done unto him This ye see is the second time that Pilate sought to deliver Christ Which may teach us to be constant in a good course although things doe not succeed
was the golden Key that did open heaven to all true beleevers our sins did shut up heaven but the death of Christ is as a Key to open heaven therfore blessed be God for the death of Christ because he hath made heaven open to us Act. 7. 56. Steven before his death saw heaven open and Christ standing at his right hand ready to receive him So it is a sweet comfort to a Christian when he comes to die that hee seeth heaven open and Christ standing at Gods right hand ready to receive him If a man should come to a Kings Palace and finde all the doores shut and locked up fast and a friend should come and put into his hands a key that hee might goe from chamber to chamber till hee came to the Kings Presence this would be a great comfort So the death of Christ is as a golden key to open heaven to us that wee may come into the Presence-chamber of God therefore blessed be God for the death of Christ Secondly it was to shew that the Ceremoniall Law was abrogated by the death of Christ The Priests must not offer any more sacrifices for now all the ceremonies had an end and by his death is cancelled the hand-writing that was against us as it is Ephes. 2. 14 15. He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of Partition betweene us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances for to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace therefore who ever shall bring in againe any of the Leviticall ceremonies either in whole or in part he doth set up the veile that Christ hath taken downe Act. 15. 28. the Apostle saith It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us to lay no other burthen upon you than that which is necessary therefore it is a dangerous thing to bring in the Leviticall ceremonies againe Saint Ierome saith well Thou sayest that it is not a dangerous thing to bring in the Leviticall ceremonies but I tell thee and proclaime against thee that that man which shall bring in these ceremonies hee casteth himselfe head-long into the pit of hell The Schoole-men doe distinguish the Ceremonies into three times First as Thomas Aquinas saith there was a time when the ceremonies were profitable and that was before Christ because they were commanded of God Secondly after Christs death they were dead but not deadly till the Gospell was planted And then lastly they were both dead and deadly and therefore it is a dangerous thing to bring in these ceremonies againe in whole or in part Thirdly to shew that by that he had cancelled or torne downe the veile of our sinnes that made a separation betweene God and us that wee could not see the face of God as Esay 59. 2. But your iniquities have made a separation beâ— weene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare Now they are taken downe and he hath hanged up another veile in the roome thereof that though our sinnes have hid Gods face from us yet in the death of Christ they are taken downe he having hanged up another veile in place of the other to looke thorow and behold us the veile of his flesh as Saint Paul saith Hebr. 10. 20. for when God looked on us he looked thorow the veile of Christs flesh or else if he had looked upon us in our selves there is such a deale of sinne and corruption that it would have made God to abhorre us and to that end Christ with the veile of his flesh hath covered all our sinnes as the Prophet David speakes Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquities of thy people and covered all their sinnes The fourth Reason was to shew that the veile of ignorance was taken away in the Law for the Law was covered with a veile which was the reason why Mâ—ses face was covered with a veile as Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 3. 13. but by the death of Christ this veile is taken away in the preaching of the Gospell And therefore seeing this veile is taken away if men remaine ignorant how will they answer it at the day of judgement The Papists hang up another veile and what is that but the veile of an unknowne tongue they reade the Scriptures to the people in a tongue they doe not understand and so set up the veile againe that Christ hath taken downe therefore let them looke how they will answer this to Christ at the day of Iudgement The second thing is the rending of the stones how the stones did cleave asunder at the death of Christ which hammers and other instruments could not cleave therefore we may see what stupiditie and hardnesse of heart there is in us that the stones did cleave and the earth quake at the death of Christ and yet we are never moved nor stirred at it therefore let us pray to God that the death of Christ may bee powerfull to move and to stirre up our hearts Thirdly The graves were opened and the bodies of the Saints which slept arose and went into the holy Citie and appeared to many even men that had been dead along time that were dissolved to dust and ashes by the power of Christs death the graves did open and they did rise againe to shew us that all the Saints one day shall rise by the power of Christs death the graves shall open Death cannot keepe them downe but they shall rise againe which is an excellent comfort to a man in misery all that the world can doe is to take away life which when it is gone they turne to dust and ashes yet a time will come when the Saints shall be raised to joy and glory the graves shall be opened by the power of Christs death for as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly and then was cast upon the drie land when the Lord spake unto the Whale so Christ will speake to the earth to the sea and to the beasts that have devoured men and they shall give up their dead and as the graves did open by the power of the death of Christ so all the people of God at the time that God hath appointed shall have their graves opened by his power and death and their bodies shall rise by the power of Christs resurrection to everlasting happinesse and glory The next thing is The effects and fruits of Christs death whereof because I have spoken often heretofore I may bee the shorter in it at this time The first is that Christs death doth free us from eternall death Iohn 3. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne to die for us that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but have everlasting life So also Iohn 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you
the power of God is in all places but the humanitie of Christ is confined to one place onely therefore this cannot bee the true sense indeede it is said Matth. 26. 64. Neverthelesse ye shall see the Sonne of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and comming in the Clouds the meaning whereof is expressed afterwards chap. 28. 18. that all power and authoritie is given unto him of God Secondly the Right hand of God is taken for The goodnesse and glory of beaven and happinesse as Psal 16. 11. At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore but it cannot be so taken in this place for though it bee true that Christ is blessed in the kingdome of heaven in joy and happinesse yet this is common to all the Angels and Saints for they enjoy all the pleasures in heaven but to sit at the right hand of God is peculiar to Christ onely as it is Heb. 1. 13. To which of his Angels said he at any time Sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole Thirdly the right hand of God is taken for the Next place to God in dignity and honor Rule and government It is the manner of Kings and Princes when they doe advance any to office next themselves to set them at their right hand as 2 King 19. Salomon caused a seate to be set for the Kings mother and set her at his right hand And Psal 45. 9. it is said Vpon thy right hand did sit the Queene in a garment of gold so to sit at the right hand of God is to be in the next place to God in Dignity and Honour in Rule and Government And this is heere meant for this sitting at the right hand of God is nothing else but a dignity and honour given him of the Father whereby hee is indued with a power to rule and governe all things immediately both in heaven and earth Secondly how hee is said to sit at the Right hand of God and that is because he is in the highest place next to God in dignitie and honour administration and government of this whole world and also particularly of the Church of God so to sit at the Right hand of God implyes two things First That Christ is in the next place to God in dignity and honour as Phil. 2. 9. saith the Apostle Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given a name unto him above all names that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of both things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth which is to bee understood not onely of the outward gesture and reverence to bee used at the Name of Iesus but chiefly of the internall soveraignty and authority of Iesus because hee should set his throne above all thrones in that all powers shall bee subject to him both in heaven and earth and so all knees shall bow unto him Secondly That hee is in Rule and Government in the highest place next to God Ephes 1. 20 21. it is said That God hath set him at his Right hand in heavenly places farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is to come and hath made all things subject under his feet and hath appointed him over all things to be the head to the Church These bee the two things implyed in his sitting at the Right hand of God whence wee are to take notice of two things First That Christ hath enobled our nature and hath lifted it up above Angels and Archangels therefore seeing Christ hath thus dignified and enobled the nature of man in setting it above Angels and Archangels what shall wee answer to God if wee abase it and bring it below the meanest of the creatures I doe not say below the Sunne and Moone and Starres which are constant in their motions and courses but below the dumbe creatures for they doe moderate themselves in their appetites they will take no more meat and drinke than will doe them good and will bee moderate in their sleepe therfore what shall wee answer to God for our excesse But I would to God we could stay here Christ hath lifted up our nature above the Angels and we imbase it and bring it below the devils for when men bee ruled by the devill they make themselves slaves to him and so bring themselves below the devill as wee see hee could no sooner bid Adam eat but he did eat and Caine kill his brother but he kils him and Iudas betray his Master but he betrayed him so he can no sooner bid men sweare but they will sweare or lye but they will lye or prophane the Sabbath but they will doe it therefore when men are thus ruled by him what is it but to make themselves slaves to the devill and then how shall men answer this injury and wrong done to Christ we read Prov. 31. 4. Bathsheba saith to her sonne It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drinke wine nor for princes to drinke strong drinke lest they drinke and forget the law so is not for Christians to sweare to lye to deceive one another to prophane the Sabbaths for Christ hath graced them and therefore they must take heed they doe not disgrace their selves Christ hath innobled their nature and set it up above the Angels and therefore they must take heed they doe not disgrace it by a sinfull life Secondly we are to take notice that seeing Iesus Christ is in the next place to God in administration and government so he is in honour not onely next unto God but also hath all at his command hee is the ruler and governour of this whole world and therefore will governe it for the good of the Church and of his people and one day thou shalt blesse God and bow thy knees and thanke him that hee hath put the government into his hands Rom. 8. 24. it is said that all things shall worke together for the best or good of them that love him the whole world shall winde and turne to his good if a man be a friend to God and love him there be number of strange turnings and motions in this world all which shall turne and winde unto the good of the Church as in a clocke there be some wheeles turne one way and some another way they being crosse and contrary one to the other and yet by the skilfull and cunning workeman they turne all to one end to make the clocke goe so in this world there be many strange turnings and motions that seeme to runne crosse and contrary one to the other yet by the skilfull workeman Iesus Christ all is carried to the good of the Church therefore great is the comfort that the Church may have by this for what shall the Church doe in the time of trouble runne to Christ and pray him to turne all
heart of a sinner to thinke that the paines of hell are everlasting for when they have lien a thousand yeares it shall be as if it were the first day they came thither wee see if a man bee on the racke or hang by the hand or foote or put his hand into fire hee would not long indure it for the gaining of a world much more to lye in torment for ever and ever againe if a man lye on a soft bed and have his friends to attend him when hee is sicke yet hee turnes himselfe tosses and tels the hours of the night and wishes that it were day and if hee could be rid of that paine hee would part from any thing then consider what a paine and torment it is to lye in hell where one shall not have a soft bed to lye on nor friends to attend one but shall have the Divels to torment one and shall have no allaiment of paines but bee tormented for ever and ever But seeing sinne is temporary how doth it stand with the Iustice of God to punish sinne eternally I answer two wayes First every sinne is eternall according to the intention of the doer for if wicked men should live eternally they would grieve God eternally and to this purpose Gregorie sayes well wicked men would live ever to weary and to grieve God with their sinnes therefore it is justice in God that seeing a sinner sinnes eternally in his own intenlion to punish it eternalâ—y The second answer is because we sinne against an infinite thing and therefore it must have infinite punishment Now because it cannot bee infinite in regard of the degree seeing men bee but finite and are not capable of infinite torments at one time Therefore it is infinite in the continuance of it The uses are First seeing hell fire is the portion of sinners therefore as a man will take heed of fire and water and be afraid to goe into it how much more should wee bee afraid to meddle with sinne seeing it is the cause of it If a man goe to hire a porter to carry a burthen the porter will first peise it and fâ—ele the weight of it which if hee sees hee cannot beare it shall not come on his backe for any mony so before we meddle with sinne we must peyse it and consider the waight and burthen of it whether we bee able to live in everlasting fire and if wee feele wee cannot then let us not have to doe with sinne in any case If there should bee a law made that for every lye wâ—e told or oath wee did sweare and for every one wee did deceive or slaunder wee should hold one of our hands in scalding leade or in flaming fire but halfe an hower how afraid would men bee to breake the Kings law Now the truth is that every sinne we commit against God if we doe not repent of it carry it up into the crosse of Christ and seeke reconciliation in his blood we shall not have our hand or foote to bee in fire halfe an hower but every part of us for ever and ever shall bee tormented in hell fire Secondly seeing hell fire is the punishment of sinne and the estate that every wicked man must passe into therefore wee may see the madnesse of men to bee carried away with the pleasures and delights of sinne as with a streame which bee but for a season and to lye in hell for ever and ever for it One sayes well that a sinner is like to Pharoahs dâ—eame which was interpreted by Ioseph the 7 fat kine were 7 yeares of plenty the 7 ilfavored were 7 yeares of famine the leane and ilfavored kine did eat up the sat that is the 7 yeares of want did devoure all that they had gathered together in the 7 yeares of plenty so this is the estate of a sinner all the time that a sinner liveth here is the 7 yeares of plenty and when hee goes out of this world then commeth the 7 yeares of famine O if it were but so all were well but it shall bee 7 hundred thousand yeares nay it shall bee for ever and ever in hell fire One compares the pleasures of sinnes to the Streames of Iordan that the fishes are delighted with play and skip in but at last are carried away not into the dead Sea so many are delighted with the pleasures of sinne and take their solace in it but at last are carried away into the dead Sea but into the Ocean of Gods wrath into the lake of fire and brimstone The fourth punishment or paine of the wicked is their association with the devill and his angels one would have thought there had beene punishment enough of the other O but they shall not onely goe to hell but they shall dwell with these hellish fiends the devill and the damned this is all the company that they shall enjoy doth it much aggravate their punishment Augustine saith if thou art not afraid of the place that thou shalt goe to consider the fearefull and dreadfull company that thou shalt dwell with as Dan. 4. Nabuchadâ—ezzar was driven from his palace to eate grasse and to live among the beasts what a fearefull judgement was this to live with Oxen but what is it in comparison with the other to be cast out of the presence of Christ and to dwell among the devils and damned It was the custome of a certaine country if one had murthered a man he was taken and tyed to the dead man his hands were tyed to the dead mans hands and his feet to the dead mans feet and there he lay bound till hee was poisoned with the stinke of the dead man but alas this is nothing to that which the wicked shall undergoe for if they doe not repent and turne to God while they live here they shall be bound and tyed to the devils to lye in paines and torments for ever what heart would not bleed to consider this O that wee had grace to thinke of it and care to avoide it Wee see Matth. 15. that there was a woman came to Christ and said unto him Have mercy upon me O Sonne of David for my daughter is miserably vexed with a devill now if shee were vexed thus with one devill here on earth what will it be when a man shall be tormented with all the devils in hell fire wee see what it is for a man to have his deare friend or his childe possessed with a devill though it bee but for a time what a grievous terrour then will it bee to bee tormented with the devils for ever and ever So also if a house bee haunted with devils one would not dwell in it for any thing nay not lye in the house a night O but what a torment will it be to be tormented in hell to dwell with all the devils and hellish fiends for
seede that is the thornes sucke and draw away the heart of the ground that the good seede cannot thrive and prosper so the cares for the things of this life and about our worldly businesse doe sucke away the heart of the Spirit Fourthly by negligence for if we doe not stir up the fire lay the brands together and blow it it will quench and goe out so if men be negligent and doe not stirre up the graces of God that are in them and lay as it were the brands together and blow them the Spirit of God wil quench in them Therefore the Apostle exhorts 2 Tim. 1. 6. To stirre up the gift of God in him Origen Hom. 15. saith if God should kindle a fire to heat thee and it were like to goe out wouldst not thou lay the brands together stirre it up and so nourish it so God hath kindled a fire in our hearts by his Spirit therefore wee must not through negligence let it dye and goe out but stirre up the graces of God that are in us that they do not quench these be the foure meanes that will quench the spirit therefore corrupt nature is the greatest enemy to the graces of God in us that can be Chrysostome saith well No man hath any hurt but it is in himselfe in this case all the hurt that the spirit of God hath in us is by our selves by our earthlinesse and by neglecting of good things and for want of stirring up the graces of God that be in us The second conclusion is That a man may have common graces of the spirit such as are common to good and bad to the Elect and reprobate these a man may lose as first a man may be inlightned and indued with Heavenly knowledge and talke wisely of high points and yet he may lose this because this is a common grace as Heb. 6. 4. there were some that were inlightned and had tasted of the good Word of God and of the power of the world to come who neverthelesse may yet fall away Secondly there may bee a feeling of good things a man may have a desire to be saved and to behold God in glory as Balaam had Num 23. a man may lose these because they be common graces therefore it is a good observation of one That the wicked may taste of the Heavenly power and of the good Word of God but these bee not the things they live by as a Cooke that dresses a dinner hee may taste of the meate and licke his fingers but it is not that he liveth by he liveth by somewhat else so a reprobate may taste of the good Word of God and have feeling of good things as quietnesse of conscience and other of Gods favours and yet neverthelesse he shall not be saved thereby they shall not bee able to bring him to life everlasting Thirdly a man may have restraining grace and be restrained from a number of sinnes or a man may have the spirit of governement as Saul had and yet hee may lose it as we see 1 Sam. 10. 14. The Spirit of God departed from Saul so a man may bee fitted for a calling and discharge it wisely and yet may lose this because it is a common grace for all common graces a man may lose The third conclusion is That there be peculiar graces proper to Gods elect these shall never be lost as Regeneration Sanctification and Iustification which may comfort a Christian who though hee may lose his wife and children his goods and life yet if he hath the spirit of God hee cannot lose that and there is foure grounds for it The first is the promise of God as that Psal 89. 30 31. saith God But if his children forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements if they breake my Statutes and keepe not my commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with strokes yet my loving kindnesse will I not take from him c. The second is the Power of God as 1 Pet. 1. 5. saith the Apostle of the Faithfull which are kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation The third is the Prayer of Christ Iohn 17. 20. I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve in me through their Word so then this prayer of Christ was not onely effectuall for Peter and for the rest of the Apostles but also effectuall for all the Elect people of God The fourth is the nature of the Spirit which is alwayes as a seede remaining in them 1 Iohn 3. 9. so Christ saith Iohn 4. that the water which he should give them should be a Well of water springing up to Eternall life All these foure grounds doe confirme unto us that if a Man hath received the grace of God proper to the Elect hee shall never lose it totally nor finally and therefore this conclusion stands good though a man may lose common graces yet he shall not lose them which are proper to the Elect. Yet lest any man should presume let mee tell you first though such a one cannot lose the spirit yet he may lose the measure of the spirit and be brought to a low ebbe in himselfe there may be a shrewd abatement of this grace as Revel 2. Christ saith to the Church of Ephesus Remember from whence thou art fallen why the Church was not fallen from an estate of grace but it was fallen from a great measure of grace to a lesser from a great degree of it from a great measure of Care Love Faith Repentance and Zeale so a Christian though hee bee not quite deprived of the Spirit and have a totall losse thereof yet may want of the measure may finde a great abatement of it in himselfe Secondly A man may lose the comfort of the Spirit though he cannot lose the Spirit yet he may bring himselfe into a poore case by his sins that he may have as little feeling of the spirit and comfort as if hee had no presence of the Spirit as a man may have joynts but they may bee so benumbed with cold as a man cannot feele nor have use of them so a man may have the spirit and yet may be so benumbed with sinne that he may have no more feeling of the spirit nor comfort than if hee had not the spirit Thirdly A man may have the Spirit and yet may lose the working and operation thereof he may be overruled by the flesh as a man may have life in him in a dead sound and yet no operations so a man may have the Spirit and yet he may want the operations and workings of it this is the greatest extremitie that a Christian can be in Fourthly Though a man may lose the feeling of the Spirit the comfort operations and workings thereof yet it is but for a little time
elect Angells are pure and Holy and cannot lye Now for the Booke of Iudith that is a storie devised for the Credit of the Iewes for there was never such a King as is there spoken of amongst the Iewes nor such a high Priest nor so long a time of tranquillitie and peace for so many yeeres together as is spoken of Chap. 6. 7 8. And for Ecclesiasticus Chap. 24. 12. there the eternall wisedome is said to bee a creature Therefore hereby it may appeare that although there bee some good things in them yet they rast of the vessell of earth whence they came and shew that they came not from heaven as the Canonicall did therefore the Church had good reason and ground not to receive these Bookes as the Scripture and also to preserve the true Canon of the Scripture without addition or subtraction and indeed it is well when the two Testaments may meet together without parting that their lippes may kisse each other to joine Moses and Christ the Law and the Gospell together seeing that the last words of the Old Testament ends with a Curse and the New beginneth with a blessing this is the generation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of David the Sonne of Abraham The uses are Seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true rule and Canon of the Scripture without addition or distraction wee should blesse God and bee thankfull that hee hath not left us without a rule in so many worldly distractions where Kingdome is set against Kingdome one learned man against another in such varietie of opinions yet hee hath not left us without a guide to direct both our lives and consciences in the right way if wee will obey it as it is Esai 8. 29. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so Iohn 5. 39. saith Christ search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee to the same purpose also 2 Pet. 1. 19. saith hee Wee have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Therefore we see that God hath given us a rule to direct us by in the time of distraction and danger If one should have a long jorney to goe and one should put into his hand a glasse that would shew him every step hee should take that hee might not step one step awry how thankfull would this man bee such a glasse is the Scripture for wee have a long journey to goe from earth to Heaven wherefore the Lord hath put this glasse into our hands that is hee hath given us the Scripture to shew us every step which wee should take that if wee set but one foot awry wee may see it Therefore how thankfull should wee bee to God for it Act. 17. 11. when Paul had preached the word there being opposition amongst them they got to the Bible and searched out the truth of the matter whether it were so or no whereupon it is said many of them beleeved So when the learned men and preachers have oppositions there being distraction and diversities of opinions amongst them the Lord hath given us a rule Wee must to the Scriptures Therefore thankes bee to God hee hath not left us to erre and wander but hath given us a direction to guide us Augustin saith well concerning this point if there bee any distraction or opposition about this thing or that thing let Christ bee the Iudge for hee speaketh in the Scripture therefore this is an excellent blessing which we are to bee thankfull for that God hath given us a Rule to walke by The second use is seeing God hath given us a rule to walk by therefore no man can excuse himselfe and say I would have done it if I had knowen it or if some body had told it mee or if I had a rule to goe by Now there is no man can excuse himselfe and say hee hath not a Rule for God hath left him one in his word which makes all unexcusable as Iohn 15. 22. Christ speakes If I had not come and spoken to them they should not have had sinne but now their sinne abideth so if God had not left us a rule and a direction to guide our selves by in the Bible wee should have had no sinne but because God hath given us such a rule to walke by therefore if wee walke not according to it wee have no cloake for our sinne Seeing God hath left us a rule to walke by It must bee our wisedome to make use of this rule in our thoughts speeches and actions Wee see a man is much the better that hath a rule to worke by for hee will stick it at his backe worke by aime and not by ghesse so Psal 119. 33. saith David Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end As if hee should say let mee but know thy will and I am contented to doe it If once wee know Gods will wee must direct all our speeches and actions to bee ruled by it It is a great infamy to any man to come into an order and not to hold him to his order as to bee a Soldier or a Scholler but much more to bee a Christian and yet not to humble ones self to the rules of Christianitie how just shall our condemnation bee the Rule of Gods Word teacheth a man to bee temperate and not to bee overtaken with surfeting and drunkennesse to bee mercifull to deale conscionably in our wayes and not to mispend our time to repent of our sinnes and therefore when men will not hold them to their rule to live temperatly walk holily and to make conscience of their wayes to deale truly and justly with men to take heede they doe not mispend their time to repent them of their sinnes if they doe not these things they are fallen from their rule and shamed in that they hold not to it Augustin saith there bee a number of things that seeme to bee straight but bring them to the rule and then wee may see their obliquities so there bee a number of things that seeme to be straight and good but lay them to the Rule bring them to the Scriptures and to the Law of God then wee may see a number of obliquities in them and how short they come of the Rule as 1 King 17. when Elias applied himselfe to the Child 's dead bodie his face to the Childs and his hands to the Childs hands then did appeare the dissimilitude between them and how short the Child came of him So when we shall compare our actions with the Law of God then wee shall see the dissimilitude and disproportions betweene them and when wee see how short
Levit. 4. 3. there was a sacrifice appointed for the Ignorance of the Priests and People and Habakuk 3. the Prophet intitles a prayer for the Ignorances Therefore the Church may bee ignorant of some things as the Church of Ierusalem was Acts 11. 10. The Church was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till they were informed by Peter and in Cyprians time there was rebaptising held in the true Church So in Augustines time it was held as a thing needfull to salvation for Children to receive the Lords Supper contrary to Saint Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. Let a Man examine himselfe therefore it is out of question their may be errors in the true Church But the difference is twofold First that they doe not erre in the foundation their errours doe not strike at the heart and let out the life-blood of religion but it is like the scratching of a Thorne and therefore it remaineth Holy in the foundation Secondly Though it fall into errour it is so assisted by the Power of grace as it doth not rest till it recover againe as mud being throwne into a fountaine rests not till it workes it out and settles againe so though the Church fall into errour it is so assisted by the power of grace as that it recovers againe as Iohn 16. 11. saith Christ When hee is come that is the Spirit He shall lead you into all Truth that is possesse them with all truth and lead them in all Truth Peter himselfe did not know all for he was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till he saw the vision And then it was revealed unto him so though the Church of God be ignorant for some time it shall not so continue but the Holy Ghost will lead it into all truth Now with the holinesse of their Faith they must joyne holinesse of life as 2 Pet. 1. 5. saith he moreover joyne with your Faith vertue and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. with saith there must be joyned good life as of 1 Tim. 1. 19. saith S. Paul of some having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith hath made Shipwracke they were not wise enough to joyne to the holines of their faith holines of life but cast away a good coÌ„science made no conscience of known duties and so made shipwracke of all the pretious graces that they had imbarked In the 2 Thes 2. 10. it is said Because they received not the love of Truth that they might be saved therefore did God send them strong delusions that they should beleeve lies Therefore if men will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved it is just with God to send them strong delusions to beleeve lyes therefore it must bee our care that with holinesse of our faith we joyne a Holy life Secondly the Church is holy by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as 1 Cor. 1. 30. it is said Christ is made to us of God the Father wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption so Christ is not onely our justification but our sanctification for his holinesse is imputed to us In the Law as wee may see Rom. 11. 16. In the first fruits all the rest was sanctified though they â—â—re not brought into the Temple nor presented before God yet by thâ— first fruites the rest was made Holy by a certaine power to the eateâ— and users of them so because Christ is the first fruits that was offered to God in all the puritie that might bee therefore the Church of God is made holy by relation from him To this the Schoolemen agree for saith Aquinas every imperfect thing presupposeth some certaine thing that is perfect that it might be helpt all our holinesse is unperfect in our selves therefore it must bee made perfect by the holinesse of Christ In all accusations of the Divell and conflicts of our consciences wee should come to God and say Lord though I am a sinner uncleane and have infinite wants in my selfe yet in my Head Christ I am sanctified and made Holy so that whatsoever I want in my selfe it is made good in him We see chrystall though it have no light nor lustre in it selfe yet set it in the Sunne and it receiveth the Sunne beames so although we have no light nor manner of lustre in our selves yet if we be brought to Christ wee receive all the graces of Christ therefore in the Revelation the Church is said to bee apparelled with the righteousnesse of Christ Thirdly the Church is holy by inherent holinesse because there is never a true member of the Church but doth labour to be holy though they be incumbred with a number of sinnes Therefore Heb. 3. they are called holy brethren and Esay 65. 12. It is said of them and they shall call them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord for it is the care of every true member to be holy though they be troubled with many incumbrances weaknesses and sinnes Therefore whosoever thou art that art not holy at all for wee cannot obtaine to bee perfectly holy in the estate of corruption labour to bee holy in some measure use the meanes and have care to rid and remove thy sinnes for otherwise thou art no true member of the holy Church A man may live in the Church till his flesh rot or his eyes fall out of his head and yet be no true member of the Church no more than a wodden legge is a true part of a Mans body which though it moove and goe with the body yet may be laid in the fire when the body is in safety because it is not joyned to it to draw life and motion from it in like manner a man may live in the Church and bee no true member thereof because hee is not joyned to Christ nor can approve himselfe to his owne conscience or to the conscience of others therefore as it is the care of every true member to be holy so it must be the care of us that are in the Church Fourthly the Church is holy because there be the meanes of holinesse It is not so holy as Corah Dathan and Abiram said Numb 16. 3. to Moses and Aaron ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy Thus to have no neede of Magistracie and Ministerie were a dangerous errour for any to thinke for the Church hath neede of all the meanes of holinesse though there be some beginnings of it yet they have neede of Moses and Aaron of Magistracie and Ministery as Psal 77. 20. it is said that The Lord led the People of Israel like Sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron the Lord led them with great tendernesse and respect hee led them like sheepe but it was by the hand of Moses and Aaron as long as the Church is in her Pilgrimage it hath neâ—de of all meanes of holinesse to guide and
downe as a ground Heb. 4. 9. that there remaines a rest for the People of God here in this world they have a great deale of trouble therefore Habbak 1. 13. the Prophet complaineth Wherefore dost thou looke upon the transgressour and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than himselfe so Psalm 34. 19. David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord doth deliver them out of all so here is the stay of a Christian though he hath a great deale of trouble and affliction yet there remaineth a rest for the people of God One saith well all Gods works were good who when he had laboured six dayes rested the seventh day so saith he if thy workes are good which thou doest then after thy labour thou shalt have rest when the wicked shall have neither rest nor peace The Children of Israel when they were in the wildernesse endured sore labour but here was their comfort that their labour tended to Canaan to give rest unto them as it is Ier. 30. 2. He walked before Israel to cause him to rest so though the People of God have sore labour forty yeares together yet because they bee in the way to Heaven and to the kingdome of God where they shall have rest endlesse comfort and bee free from all both bodily and spirituall labours they should be comforted now it is a labour for mee to preach to get learning but then all these things shall cease and we shall bee infinitely indued with all heavenly knowledge as 1 Cor. 12. 9. saith Saint Paul Now we know but in part prophecie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be abolished so the Prophet Esay saith Wee shall be all taught of God therefore who would not but endure a little labour here seeing hee shall have eternall rest Philosophers say that All things rest when they come at their proper place but heaven is the proper place of Gods people where they shall have rest therefore let us be contented to take a little labour and paines that we may have rest in the life to come If a king should say to us goe walke in such a high way cole-pit or in such a mine but a few dayes after which ye shall be free from all labours then I will keepe and maintaine you for ever who is there but would bee contented to take any paines and labour for a little time that so he may be freed from everlasting torment so seeing the Lord will one day free us from all our labours if we will bee contented to labour here in this world and to doe that which the Lord commandeth us we shall one day bee free from all labours and shall rest in the kingdome of God It was the manner of the ancient Romans that if any man had gone out to warres and had returned safe home againe he should ever after bee kept without labouring any more so the Lord hath sent us out to warre against our sinnes lusts and the devill after which when we returne home to heaven we shall be freed from all our labours Thirdly wee shall be freed from originall sinne and the fruits of it in the time of this life what is it that a Christian would not give to bee free from originall sinne and the fruits thereof indeed a prophane man is loth to part from his sinnes which he cannot live without no more than a fish can live without the water as wee heard in the forenoone but Christians will part with their meat and drinke with any thing to bee rid of it for they desire above all things to bee rid of corruption so Paul cryeth out Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of this death After this life wee shall no more displease God but be free from originall sinne which is the corruption of nature now it may be repressed but not quite abolished till the day of death as the Childe was rent and torne by the devill when hee departed out of it so sinne will deale with us but here is the comfort that in the life to come wee shall be freed from it and the fruits of it and shall no more grieve God as Iosh 10. 25. when he had discomfited the five kings he did not kill them by and by but put them into a cave and rolled a great stone on them to keepe them in untill he had made an end of killing of his enemies then he commanding them to roll away the stone from the Caves mouth they brought out these kings that the chiefe of his men might set their feet on their necks ere he killed them in like manner our great captaine Iesus Christ will doe by originall sinne and the fruit thereof in us which shall not be quite killed in this life but subdued brought under put into a cave as it were and great stones rolled upon it that is by repentance obedience and prayer it shall bee subdued here and then at the day of judgement Iesus Christ shall abolish it when hee shall make us set our foot on the neck of it then the people of God shall say as it is 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the sting of sinne is death and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks bee to God that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Fourthly we shall be freed from all worldly authority and power then there shall be no king but God shall bee all in all as it is 1 Cor. 15. 27. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Sonne himselfe likewise be subject unto him that did subdue all things under him that God may be all in all so then all the kingdomes of this world shall give place to it therefore how joyfull shall it bee when God shall raigne over us wee see when Salomon was crowned king 1 King 1. 40. how joyfull the people were it is said that they rejoyced with great joy so that the earth rang with the sound thereof but how much more joyfull shall it bee when all kings shall come and lay downe their crownes at Gods feete when God shall raigne over the house of Sion Psalm 91. it is said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce c. therefore what a comfort will this bee to the people of God when God shall reigne over them so Esai 24. 23. it is said When the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and glory shall bee before his ancient men so Esai 52. 7. saith he How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of them that declare and publish the glad tidings of peace and salvation saying unto Sion Thy God reigneth so the people of God shall bee freed from all worldly powers and bad government when God shall