saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Here we have the first Person the Father who spake from heaven as is plaine by those words My beloved Son He who hath a son must needs be a father We have here also the second Person the Son of whom the Father spake and who is expresly mentioned And so also is the third Person the Spirit the holy Spirit or Holy Ghost who came down in the likenesse of a Dove All these three are here so described and set forth as that they plainly appeare to be distinct each from other So the distinction of the Father and the Son is evident from that 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. where it 's said that God sent his Son by God there must needs be meant the Father and the Person sending must needs be distinct from the Person sent so consequently the Father and the Son are two dictinct Persons And by the same reason so are also the Father and the Holy Ghost for the Father sends the Holy Ghost is sent The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send c. Joh. 14. 26. And so also the Son and the Holy Ghost are by this reason proved to be two distinct Persons the Son being the Person sending and the Holy Ghost the Person sent I will send him unto you saith Christ speaking of the Comforter that is the Holy Ghost Joh. 16. 7. How these three Persons are distinguished one from another is not so necessary to be known as that they are distinguished neither may we be over-curious to inquire into it but thus much the Scripture doth manifest unto us concerning the distinction of these divine Persons that the Father is from none the Son is from the Father and the Holy Ghost both from the Father and the Son This is cleare from the places already alledged 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. Joh. 14. 26. 16. 7. And this is sufficient to shew not only that they are distinguished but also how they are distinguished Secondly as they are three distinct Persons so they are one the same God This appears by that Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost except the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost were each of them God we might not baptize nor be baptized in their Name For it is not lawfull to baptize or be baptized in the Name of any but God Were ye baptized in the name of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 13. And again v. 14 15. I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius least any should say that I had baptized in mine owne name Paul we see abhorred this as most vile sacriledge as a robbing of God of his honour that any should be baptized in his name So that prayer 2 Cor. 13. 24. The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all that also proves these three Persons each one of them to be God for prayer is to be made only unto God Call upon me Psal 50. 15. Now if they be each one of them God then there being no more Gods then one they must needs be one and the same God The Godhead of the Father is confessed by all the Godhead of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I shall prove more fully and distinctly hereafter in their places this proof may suffice for the present Vse Seeing therefore this mystery of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity of three Persons being one God and one God three Persons seeing I say this is revealed unto us in the Scriptures let us not doubt of the truth of it much lesse deny it but let us firmly assent unto it and believe it Let us not say as Nicodemus did in Joh. 3. another case How can these things be There are many things in Religion which are above reason though not against reason Surely it is the greatest reason that can be that we should believe God concerning himself For can we know God better then he doth himself And shall we not then believe what God doth say and testifie of himself We are not able to comprehend how it is well but let us believe that it is because so much is revealed Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but things revealed unto us Deut. 29. 29. There are many things in nature the reason whereof we know not yet do we not therefore doubt of the things themselves though we cannot tell how they came to be so yet we are assured that so they be The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Joh. 3. 8. Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child Eccles 11. 5. Scrutaeri hoc temeritas est credere pietas nesse verò vita vita aeterna est Bern. de Consid l. 5. c. 8. Bernard speaking of this mystery saith well To inquire into it above what is revealed is rashnesse to believe it is piety to know it is life even life eternall THE FIFTH SERMON GEN. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God GOd being to make a solemne Coveant with Abraham and so both to promise all manner of blessings unto him and to require sincere and intire obedience of him premiseth this that he is God Almighty that so Abraham might be incited both to obey him and to trust in him The Almighty God In the Originall it is El Shaddai which are two names of God and both of them import might and power El is a name of God as may appear by that Eli Eli c. Mat. 26. 46. that is My God my God c. The word doth signifie as much as might or power as it 's rendered Mic. 2. 1. or mighty as Ezek. 31. 11. And thus when it is used as the Name of God Aquila a Greek Interpreter renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mighty As for the other word Shaddai some derive it from Shadad to wast and destroy as if the word imported thus much that as God by his Almighty power made all things so by the same power he is able to destroy all Joel 1. 15. As a destruction from the Almighty shall it come in the Hebrew there is an elegant Paromasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ceshod misshaddai Others take the word as compounded of asher dai that is that is sufficient as if God were therefore called Shaddai because he hath all sufficiency in himself hath no need of any other but is able to supply the wants of all Neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Act. 17. 25. The Greek Interpreters called the Septuagint or Seventie sometimes translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that
into Canaan to be laid there Act. 7. 15 16. These Patriarks had not any superstitious opinion of that Land as the Jews of late times have and so the Papists have of Churches and Church-yards but they both shewed themselves to die in faith not doubting but that God at length would perform the promise that he had made concerning the Land of Canaan and also they looked at that Land as a type of heaven where eternall rest is prepared for all Gods elect people 2. In the time of the old Testament God shewed unto his people that there is a life everlasting in the world to come by examples of some whom he took and translated out of this world into the other without death intervening Thus it is said Gen. 5. 24. that Enoch wnlked with God and he was not for God took him That is he was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11. 5. So Eliah was taken up alive into heaven as we read 2 King 2. These examples shew that besides this life here in this world there shall be another hereafter in the world to come 3. After that Abraham Isaac and Jacob were dead God stiled himself the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Jacob Exod. 3. 6. Now as Christ said unto the Sadduces God is not God of the dead but of the living Mat. 22. 32. God so stiling himself their God shewed that both their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being reunited should live for ever And thus is life everlasting proved by the old Testament But the new Testament is more full and expresse to this purpose Christ hath brought life and immortality to light thorough the Gospell 2 Tim. 1. 10. Before Christs coming life and immortality lay hid it was but darkly discovered but now by the Gospell it is brought to light it is clearly revealed The places of the New Testament â— in which everlasting life is expressely mentioned are so many that it were endlesse and they are so obvious that it is needlesse to recite them Now everlasting life is begun here but perfected hereafter 1. It is begun here He that believeth on the Son hath not shall have but hath everlasting life Joh. 3. 36. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life John 5. 24. Everlasting life as begun here is the life of grace of which that is meant 1 John 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life that is from the death of sin to the life of grace because we love the brethren that this life of grace is life everlasting by inchoation S. John shews immediately after v. 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life in him So that eternal life doth abide in the children of God whilest they are here it is here begun in them 2. It is perfected hereafter and therefore it is said in the Text in the world to come life everlasting because the fulnesse and perfection of it is not here in this world but in the world to come In respect of the soul this life is perfected immediately after its separation from the body For it is a grosse and monstrous opinion that some both in former times and also in these times have maintained Vide Aug. de Heres cap. 83. Calvin de Psychopanncuhia that the soul doth either die with the body or doth sleep when it is out of the body This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise said Christ to the believing malefactor Luke 23. 43. We know tht when this earthly house of our Tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 1. And the spirits or souls of just men departed out of this life are called the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12. 23. In respect of the body everlasting life is perfected when the body is raised up and of corruptible and mortall becomes incorruptible and immortall And in this respect both in the Creed and also in the Scripture everlasting life is put after the Resurrection of the body See Dan. 12. 2. and John 5. 29. because at and by the Resurrection everlasting life is consummated and made perfect in respect of the whole man both soul and body Now as everlasting life in respect of it's inchoation and beginning here is called the life of grace so in respect of it's consummation and perfection hereafter it is called the life of glory That which is called the Crown of life Revel 2. 10. is called the Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. And that which in other places is termed eternall life is termed eternall glory 1 Pet. 5. 10. The life of grace here and the life of glory hereafter differ not in kind but in degree Grace is an inchoation and beginning of glory and glory is a consummation and perfection of grace What a life this everlasting life considered in its fulnesse and perfection the life of glory is only they fully and perfectly know who do enjoy it It is a glory that shall be revealed Rom. 8. 18. It is not revealed yet but shall be hereafter This life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. It doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 John 3. 2. But thus much the Scriptures plainly shew that this life is admirable Christ when he cometh shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve 2 Thes 1. 10. And that it consists in a clear vision of God and a full fruition of him Now we see thorough a glasse darkly but then face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. When he shall appear we shall be like unto him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3. 2. Christ pronounceth the pure in heart blessed because they shall see God Mat. 5. 8. And he also makes the happinesse of the Angells to consist in this that they alwaies behold the face of God Mat. 18. 10. The Queen of Sheba thought Solomons servants happy that they did continually stand before him and hear his wisdome 1 King 10. 8. What a happinesse then is it to be for ever in the presence of God and to enjoy immediate communion with him Such is the happinesse of the life to come as that it shall be free from all evill and full of all good 1. It shall be free from all evill both evill of Posse non peccare sin and evill of affliction 1. There shall be no sin there Adam had a possibility of not sinning but there shall be an impossibility of sinning the best here are imperfect but there all imperfection is Non posse peceare abolished just men are made perfect Heb. 12. 23. Now if sin even in
vain in their imaginations Rom. 1. 21 and their foolish heart was darkned True it is the nature of God is of that infinite perfection that it is incomprehensible we can never attain to the full knowledge of it It 's reported of a Philosopher called Symonides that Cic. de Nat. Deor being asked what God is he desired a daies time to deliberate and consider what to answer after that he desired two dayes and then four and so still he doubled the time confessing that the more he did inquire into the nature of God the further he found himselfe from attaining to the knowledge of it And so it will be with us although we have a far clearer light to search by then he had Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection Job 11. 7. No it cannot be the adequate and comprehensive knowledge of God to know him to the very utmost of his perfection is peculiar to God himself none but God can thus know God neither men nor Angels are capable of this knowledge For God is infinite and every creature is finite and nothing that is finite can adequately and fully comprehend that which is infinite besides our knowledge of God here in this life is very weak and imperfect in comparison of what it shall be hereafter in the world to come Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live said God to Moses Exod. 33. 20. Now saith S. Paul we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face now know I in part but then shall I know even as in the same manner but not in the same measure also I am knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. we must not therefore as Oecumen in Heb. 11 6. one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curiously busie our selves about Gods essence but we must be wise unto sobriety Scrutator Majestatis opprimetur à gloria He that will be over presumptuous to prie into Gods Majesty shall be overwhelmed with his glory but yet so far forth as God hath been pleased to reveal himselfe we must study and indeavour to know him and this we may and must know concerning God that as the Text doth tell us he is a Spirit The words were spoken by our Saviour and that upon this occasion he was discoursing with a woman of Samaria who by what he had already said unto her perceived him to be some extraordinary person and therefore she propounded a case of conscience unto him and desired to be resolved by him viz. which was the right and true place of Gods worship for about this the Samaritans had a controversie with the Jewes they worshipping God in a certaine mountaine which they had as their Fathers had done before them the Jewes on the otherside affirming that Jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship Our Saviour first let her know that the Jewes were in the right they having Gods VVord for their warrant for that God in his VVord had appointed Jerusalem for the time then present to be the place of his VVorship but withall â—e told her that the hour was at hand when such difference of places should cease and instead of that ceremoniall and carnall VVorship that was then in use there should be a more pure and spirituall Worship consisting not so much in outward performances as before but more in the inward devotion of the heart and spirit and he gives a reason why God requires such a Worship viz. because it is most agreeable to his nature God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Object But may some say this reason is of no more force for the time of the Gospell then for the time before For Gods nature was the same before he was then a spirit as much as now he is therefore no more reason to worship God in spirit now then before Answ Yes some more reason there is for though God were the same before that he is now yet he did not so clearly and fully make himselfe knowne before as now he doth and therefore though before he did require to be worshipped in spirit divers places there are to this purpose in the Old Testament some of which I shall alledge anon yet now he requires it much more Thus having shewed the coherence of the Text I will propound the Doctrine in no other termes then the Text it self doth contain in it viz. That Doct. God is a Spirit But what is meant by Spirit The word spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath many significations and is very variously taken The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the Hebrew ruach which signifie spirit are somtimes used for breath Ezek. 37. 5. I will cause breath to enter into you in the Originall the word is that which in that language usually signifieth spirit viz. ruach so Iam. 2. 26. The body without the spirit is dead in the Margent for spirit is put breath so Job 33. 4. The Spirit of the Lord hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life saith Elihu there the Spirit of the Lord and the breath of the Almighty are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 termes â—qâ—â—table one to the other Againe somtimes these Greek and Hebrew words which signifie spirit are used for the wind Joh 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth the word translated wind is the same with this in the Text whereas usually else-where it is translated spirit viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the Hebrew ruach in the Old Testament is often thus used viz. for the wind But thirdly the word spirit is after a sort appropriated to an incorporeall substance when Christ after his Resurrection appeared to his Disciples and they thought that they had seen a spirit Behold my hands and my feet said he unto them that it is I my selfe handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Luk. 24. 37 39. and thus by spirit is sometimes meant the soule of man 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit that is your soul so Heb. 12. 23. the soules of the godly separated from their bodies are called the spirits of just men made perfect somtimes by spirit is meant an Angell the good Angells are called spirits Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits and so the evill Angells the Devills when the seventy Disciples came unto Christ saying Lord even the Devills are subject unto us through thy Name Christ answered Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Luk. 10. 17. 20. those whom the Disciples called Devills Christ called Spirits And in this sense viz. as by spirit is meant an incorporeall substance it is attributed to God and he is called a Spirit the name of spirit the spirit the
upon the earth regardeth and there is higher then they In a word let us consider this and comfort our selves with this that things do not come to passe by the will and pleasure of men for then indeed we might well fear what should become of us but by the will and pleasure of God who will order all for his own glory and his peoples good The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereat Psal 97. 1. And v. 8. Sion heard and was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. Vse 7. Finally as in respect of the work of Creation so also in respect of the work of preservation and providence God is to be glorified O blessed be thy glorious Name c. say they for thou hast made the Heavens c. and thou preservest them all Neh. 9. 5 6. So David exhorts saying O blesse God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard who holdeth our soul in life c. Psal 66. 8 9. But still we must remember this that we glorifie God not in word and tongue only but in deed and in truth that we praise him with our lives and not with our lips only Let your light so shine forth before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5. 16. THE EIGHTH SERMON ACTS 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved THese words were spoken by Peter being full of the Holy Ghost v. 7. And he spake them of Christ Jesus Christ of Nazareth v. 10. He told the Jewish Rulers that this Christ is he in whom alone is to be found salvation Neither is there salvation in any other c. Salvation There is a temporall salvation that is a deliverance and freedome from some temporall danger as Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is become my salvation There is also eternall salvation which is called the salvation of our soules 1 Pet. 1. 9. This is a deliverance and freedom from eternall miserie Now its true of temporall salvation that there is not salvation in any other but in Christ onely As Christ is God so it 's he and onely he that can save temporally He is the God of salvation Psal 68. 20. In the Originall it is in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of salvations All manner of salvation whatsoever belongs unto him as the author and worker of it So as Christ is Mediator there is no temporall salvation to be expected but in and through him For in him all the promises of God are yea and in him amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. But here in the Text we are to understand eternall salvation which is usually meant where Christ is spoken of as the purchaser and procurer of salvation And so it is said expresly that he is the Author of eternall salvation Heb. 5. 9. and which is equivalent that he hath obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. In any other Or by any other the Greek Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in like the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being oft put for by But here the phrase seems emphaticall implying that salvation is wholly contained in Christ and not to be found any where but in him only Nor any other Name That is Person as Acts 1. 15. The number of names together were about an hundred and twenty of names that is of persons Vnder Heaven This is not referred to those words nor any other name for no other neither under heaven nor in heaven is given unto men whereby to be saved Whom have I in Heaven but thee Psal 73. 25. But we must referre these words to the word given thus There is no other name given under heaven c. Among men The Angels in heaven never sinning needed none to be given among them whereby to be saved neither did God vouchsafe this mercy unto the Angels that sinned and therefore were cast out of heaven God spared not the Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. This was Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love towards man Tit. 3. 4. To us a child is borne to us a son is given Isai 9. 6. So said the Prophet but not so the Angell not to us but to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luk. 2. 11. The words hold out unto us this conclusion That Salvation is not to be found in any but in Doct. Christ only Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. He ever was and still is and ever shall be the only Author of salvation none ever were nor are nor ever shall be saved but only in and through Christ Jesus This Doctrine of salvation by Christ only hath been revealed from the beginning of the world throughout all ages though in a different manner and by degrees at first more darkly and sparingly afterwards more clearly and fully Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them ye think to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me Joh. 5. 39. By the Scriptures he means the Old Testament for as then no part of the New Testament was written And again in the same Chapter v. 46. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me Moses was the first pen-man of holy Scripture and as Christ himself doth testifie he wrote of Christ And so we find he did and that in his first Book even about the beginning of it He records how immediately after man was fallen Christ was promised to be his Saviour God told the Serpent that the seed of the woman should bruize his head Gen. 3. 15. That is that Christ made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. should destroy the power of that old Serpent the Devill Rev. 20. 2. So also Moses relates how God promised unto Abraham saying And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed that is in Christ Who took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. and is called the Son of Abraham Mat. 1. 1. And we may observe how Christ at first was called more generally the seed of the woman but afterward more particularly the seed of Abraham But further all the Prophets did testifie of Christ and of salvation thorough him only This may be seen in the Prophets themselves if we peruse them diligently and compare their writings with the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists But because this would be a long businesse and it would require much time to demonstrate this in that manner I will only produce two or three places of the new Testament where thus much is clearly asserted Zacharias the Father of John the Baptist having
said Blessed be the Lord God of Israle who hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David where observe that Christ is described still more particularly as being not only the seed of Abraham but of David and so called the son of David Mat. 1. 1. immediately he addes As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luk. 1. 68 69 70. So Stephen speaking to the Jewes Which of the Prophets said he have not your Fathers persecuted And they have slaine them which have shewed before of the coming of the just One of whom now ye have been the betrayers and murtherers Acts 7. 52. Peter also in his Sermon to Cornelius and the rest that were with him speaking of Christ saith To him give all the Prophets witnesse that thorow his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Acts 10. 43. And as Moses and the Prophets did in words testifie that Christ is the only Saviour so from the time of Moses untill the coming of Christ there were many types and figures whereby this was signified Some of these types and figures were extraordinary and transient some were ordinary and permanent Of the former sort was the brazen Serpent which by Gods appointment Moses made and set upon a pole that the people being stung with fiery Serpents looking upon it might be healed as we read in Numb 21. * This was a figure of Christ lift up on the Crosse on whom whosoever being stung by that old Seâ—pent the Devil looketh with the eye of faith he shall be healed Our Saviour himself shewes this to have prefigured him and the benefit that cometh by him As Moses saith he lift up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of Man be lift up that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 14 15. So the cloud which went before the Israelites in the wildernesse when they journeyed and was a guide unto them and when they rested abode over their heads and kept off the scorching heat of the Sun from them this cloud I say of which see Exod. 13. 21 22. was likewise a type of Christ by whom alone we are protected from the fire of Gods wrath and are directed to the heavenly Canaan The Apostle saith that the Israelites were baptized unto Moses in the cloud It was a kind of Baptisme unto them it was to them as baptisme is to us a Sacramentall sign pointing at Christ and shadowing forth salvation by him and him only And so also the Sea as the Apostle sheweth in the same place viz. 1 Cor. 10. 2. the Sea thorough which the Israelites passed when Pharoah and the Egyptians pursued them and were ready to destroy them wherein also their adversaries were drowned as the story is recorded in Exod. 14. Of this nature also was Manna wherewith God did feed the Israelites Exod. 16. The Apostle calls it Spirituall meat 1 Cor. 10. 3. because it had a spirituall signification it signified Christ and the body of Christ even as now the bread in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth that true bread which doth feed the soul unto eternall life as Christ sheweth at large in Joh. 6. So also was the rock out of which God gave drink to the Israelites in the wildernesse Exod. 17. That Rock was Christ saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 4. That is it did represent and signifie Christ like as Christ called the bread in the Sacrament his body and the wine his blood which blood of his was also represented and signified by that water out of the Rock which therefore the Apostle there calls Spirituall drink in respect of the spirituall signification of it These types and figures of Christ I call extraordinary and transient because they were only appointed upon occasion and to continue but for a short time But there were other types and figures of him which were of a more solemn institution and of a more durable nature which therefore I call ordinary and permanent Of this kind was the Passeover or the Paschall Lamb the blood whereof being sprinkled on the doors of the Israelites they were preserved when the first-born of the Egyptians were destroyed Exod. 12. That Lamb was a figure of Christ the Lamb of God Joh. 1. 29. by whose blood we are saved whenas all that are not sprinkled with it shall be destroyed what is spoken of that Lamb Exod. 12. 46. is applied unto Christ and alledged as meant principally of him Joh. 19. 36. So all the sacrifices and other rites and ceremonies of the Law had reference unto Christ and did typifie him as the only Redeemer and Saviour Which are a shadow of things to come saith the Apostle speaking of some of them but the body is of Christ Col. 2. 17. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. Grace in opposition to the Morall Law and truth in opposition to the ceremoniall Law which was but a shadow of those things the truth whereof is in Christ For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things c. Heb. 10. 1. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin v. 4. No it 's only the blood of Christ which was typified by the blood of those creatures that can do it See there what follows in the same Chapter And indeed the scope of the whole Epistle is to shew that the ceremoniall Law did but shadow out Christ and therefore is now abolished Christ being come and having accomplished that which it shadowed Thus in the Scriptures of the Old Testament is Christ set forth as he in whom alone salvation is to be found But much more clearly and fully is this revealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament We use great plainnesse of speech And not as Moses that put a vail over his face c. saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 12 13. The Text in hand doth plainly tell us that there is not salvation in any other c. So Mat. 1. 21. it 's said that therefore he is called Jesus because he doth save his people from their sins And S. John saith God hath given unto us eternall life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. Every where in the New Testament such sentences and sayings are obvious But for the fuller manifestation of the truth of this Doctrine let us further consider that all the links of the golden chain of salvation viz. Election Redemption Adoption Justification Sanctification and Glorification all have reference unto Christ and dependance upon him 1. Election God hath elected such as shall be saved God hath chosen you unto salvation 2 Thes 2.
not our own righteousnesse that we must build upon We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 28. By grace ye are saved thorough faith Eph. 2. 8. Not as faith is considered absolutely but as it is considered relatively not in respect of it self but in respect of Christ whom it layeth hold on and receiveth For Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. And He is our peace Eph. 2. 14. and our hope 1 Tim. 1. 1. Christ is the medicine that doth work the cure faith the hand that doth apply it without which application though the medicine be never so Soveraign it can do us no good But herewithall we must remember that faith without works is dead Jam. 2. The same faith that looks at and layes hold on the promises which are Yea and Amen in Christ hath respect to the precepts also see Heb. 11. 7 8 17. And Christ came as to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. so to call sinners to repentance Mat. 9. 13. He came as to save so also to sanctifie see Eph. 5. 25 26. and Tit. 2. 14. In a word Christ is Lord as well as Jesus or Saviour and therefore except we yeeld obedience to him let us not think to be saved by him He is the Author of eternall salvation unto all them and only them that obey him THE NINTH SERMON HEB. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him THe scope of the Author of this Epistle is to shew that the Leviticall Priesthood was but a type and figure of Christs Priesthood and that all the rites and ceremonies of the Law were fulfilled in Christ And in this Chapter more peculiarly is shewed that Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchisedek his Priesthood was much more excellent then that of Aaron who was the first Priest under the Law In the two Verses before the Text it 's noted that under the Law there were many Priests one succeeding another because they were mortall and so one failing another must succeed in his place but that Christ is the only Priest having no Successor nor was there need of any because though he died as it was requisite he should he being both Priest and Sacrifice yet he quickly rose again and liveth for ever Hence he inferreth that Christ is a most sufficient Saviour Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Observe we therefore this Doctrine That Christ is a most powerful and a most sufficient Saviour Doct. He is mighty to save as it is said of him Esa 63. 1. He is a horn of salvation as he is called Luke 1. 69. that is a strong and mighty salvation for so the word horn in Scripture somtimes imports strength and might The Lord shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horn of his Annoynted 1 Sam. 2. 10. And thus David calls God his rock his fortresse and his deliverer his God his strength in whom he would trust his buckler and the horn of his salvation and his high Tower Psal 18. 2. Those many other titles which are heaped up together with it shew what is meant by this horn of salvation So Esa 28. 16. Christ is called a sure foundation It 's safe building upon LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the other Greek Interpâ—â—ters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vâ—lg non festinet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be ashamed him as it there followes Whosoever believeth in him shall not make hast that is not stumble and fall as they are apt to do that make hast The Apostle hath it shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 11. viz. as they use to be whose confidence proves vain who trust in that which does them no good or not so much as they did expect from it And so the Greek Interpreters called the Septuagint render it the words in the Hebrew for to make hast and to be ashamed being somewhat alike in sound and in figure and the sense of them both equally agreeing to this place The power and sufficiency of Christ to save may appeare in these respects 1. He is able to save as well one as another He is not only able to save one or two or a few but all be they never so many Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth saith he Esa 45. 22. It is a light thing saith God unto him that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth Esa 49. 6. See also Act. 13. 47. where this place is cited and expounded of Christ So Simeon having Christ as then a young babe in his armes said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people Luk. 2. 29 30 31. True it is all are not saved by Christ but that is not through defect in Christ nor through any inability in him to save but through the indisposednesse that is in others to be saved The pool of Bethesda had in it vertue sufficient to cure any yet only such were cured by it as after the moving of the water by an Angell did first enter into it Joh. 5. 4. So there is sufficient vertue in Christ to save any yet only such as believe in him shall be saved by him By him all that believe are justified c. Acts 13. 39. To as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sons of God even to them that believed on his name Joh. 1. 11 12. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. 2. He is able to save as wel at one time as at another as well before his Incarnation as since Jesus Christ yesterday to day the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. They that were before Christs coming in the flesh did find the power and sufficiency of Christ to save them as well as they have been since his coming We believe that thorough the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they said Peter speaking of those that were before Christ Acts 15. 11. Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad said Christ Joh. 8. 56. 3. He is able to save as well from one enemy as from another he came for that end that we should be saved from the hand of all our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us Luk. 1. 71. He is able to save from corporall enemies Be not afraid said he unto Paul but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man
shall set on thee to hurt thee Acts 18. 9 10. And he is able to save from spirituall enemies From sin Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. 21. From the Law Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law c. Gal. 3. 13. From death The last enemy that enemy that holdeth out to the last that shall be destroyed is death 1 Cor. 15. 26. And v. 54. c. When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be unto God that giveth us victory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. From the Devill He came to bruise the head of that old Serpent as was promised in the beginning Gen. 3. 15. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he likewise took part of the same that thorough death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill Heb. 2. 14. 4. He is able to save not only for a while but for ever Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation Esa 45. 17. He is the Author of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. He hath obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. 5. He is able to save not only privatively so as to remove all evil from us but also positively so as to confer all good upon us Had Ioseph only been delivered out of prison he would have thought it no small favour this was all that he requested the chief Butler to do for him when he had so comfortably interpreted his dreame unto him But think on me when it shall be well with thee and shew kindnesse I pray thee unto me and make mention of me unto Pâ—araoh and bring me out of this house Gen. 40. 14. But that he should be so advanced as he was this was much more Now whosoever believeth in Christ shall thorough him not only not perish but also shall have eternall life Joh. 3. 16. Reasons why Christ is such a powerfull and sufficient Saviour 1. Because of the dignity of his Person He is the mighty God as he is stiled Esa 9. 6. therefore he must needs be a mighty Saviour God with his own blood did purchase his Church as it is said Acts 20. 28. The blood of Christ is the blood not of a meer man but of that person that is as well God as man and therefore that blood must needs be of infinite value it must needs be of sufficient force to purchase the Church and to work the redemption of it 2. Because both of the greatnesse and also of the willingnesse of his suffering He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruized for our iniquities c. Isai 53. 5. And v. 10. it 's said that his soule was made an offering for sin and therefore he shall see his seed and v. 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied Therefore doth my Father love me saith Christ because I lay down my life that I may take it up again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Ioh. 10. 17 18. 3. By the vertue of his Resurrection Hereby he hath made it appear that our debt is discharged and Gods justice satisfied He was delivered viz. unto death for our offences and rose again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe Rom. 8. 34. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope through the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. 4. By the power of his Ascension He ascended up into heaven to make way for us I go to prepare a place for you saith he Ioh. 14. 2. and in this respect he is called our fore-runner Heb. 6. 20. 5. By the efficacy of his Intercession Being ascended into heaven and sitting at Gods right hand he maketh intercession unto God for us presenting unto him the merit of his death which he suffered for our sinnes * See Heb. 9. 24. And this reason is alledged why Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them So Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Vse 1. Now if Christ be such a powerfull and sufficient Saviour then the more injurious are they of the Church of Rome both unto Christ and unto Christians in setting up other Saviours besides Christ as if he alone were too weak and insufficient to save us But as the Gentiles being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as had many Gods were indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as had no God at all but were without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. so they that will needs have many Saviours have indeed no Saviour they that will not be content with Christ alone for salvation shall neither have salvation by him nor by any other for there is none other by whom to have it There is not salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby to be saved Acts 4. 12. If you will not believe that I am he ye shall die in your sins Ioh. 8. 24. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eat that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatnesse Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shal live c. Esa 55. 2 3. It was the saying of one of the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies and it must be one principall part of our Creed None but Christ none but Christ. Vse 2. Again there being such power and sufficiency in Christ to save here is comfort for all sin-sick soules for all distressed consciences here is incouragement for them to come unto Christ and to roll themselves upon him He is a Physitian able to cure them be their maladies never so great never so grievous He cured Matthew a Publican Zacheus chief of the Publicans Paul a persecutor Mary Magdalen that was possessed with seven Devills and the Thief on the Crosse when he was at the point of death which he suffered for his lewdnesse Doubt not therefore whosoever thou art but he can cure thee also come unto him and say as the Leper did Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Mat. 8. 2. and assuredly Christ will say unto thee
said v. 39. Therefore they sought againe to take him but he escaped out of their hands And this may suffice for the clearing and vindicating of the words and so I may justly inferre from them this doctrinall conclusion That Christ is God truly and properly so called Doct. even one and the same God with the Father For further proof hereof we have many testimonies Esa 9. 6. Christ is called the mighty God though the faithlesse Iewes seek to wrest that Scripture another way See before Serm. 7. of Scripture as that Joh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God By the Word is here meant Christ as is clear by v. 14. and by Revel 19. 13. Christ I say is so called in respect of his divine nature for the Word here denotes the Son the second Person of the Trinity as is evident by 1 Joh. 5. 7. Here therefore it is expresly affirmed that Christ as the Son of God was before his Incarnation before he was Man and that he was God The same also is confirmed by that confession that Thomas made of him My Lord and my God Joh. 20. 28. Thomas did not mean to flatter Christ as the Poet did Augustus calling him his Namque erit ille mihi Deus c. Virgil. God although he knew him to be but a man no he believed what he spake and he knew what he believed Christ approved him for believing as he did only blamed him for being so slow to believe as he was v. 29. Whereas it had been no lesse then Idolatry in Thomas to have called Christ his God if Christ had not been God indeed The Prophet Isaiah taxeth Idolaters for saying to an Idol Deliver me for thou art my God Esa 44. 17. Again the Godhead of Christ is likewise manifest by that Acts 20. 28. Take heed to your selves c. to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood It is Christ who with his blood did purchase the Church yet here it is said that God did it therefore it necessarily followes that Christ is God and so is he plainly called Rom. 9. 5. of whom viz. the Jewes as concerning concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Some would not have this clause referred unto Christ and therefore not to be read thus who is over all c. but to be added as a Doxologie or praising of God and to be read thus God who is over all be blessed for ever Amen But neither will the words so easily bear this sense neither were this so fit a place for such a Doxologie And besides those words as concerning the flesh being spoken by way of limitation and restriction to shew how Christ came of the Jewes viz. not simply and absolutely but only in some respect in respect of the flesh his humane nature as man those words I say sufficiently evince that Christ hath another nature a divine nature and is God and to make that more clear in reference unto him it followes who is over all God blessed for ever Amen And yet further consider that the Apostle is speaking of the Prerogatives of the Jewes and mentions this in the last place as the greatest that of them â—ame Christ and to shew what an honor this was unto them he shewes what an honourable Person Christ is even over all God blessed for ever Amen So Col. 2. 9. it is said of Christ that in him doth dwell all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen ad loc really and substantially And 1 Tim. 3. 16. God was manifested in the flesh that is Christ being God and as God invisible assumed flesh was made man and so in the flesh as man was made visible and manifest See Joh. 1. 14. So Heb. 1. 8. Vnto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever What can be more plain then this that Christ the Son of God is here stiled God even that God whose Throne is for ever and ever And thus also 1 Joh. 5. 20. of Christ is it said This is the true God and eternall life immediately before these words is Jesus Christ mentioned neither can they without violent perverting of them be referred to any other Thus are there many places of Scripture where Christ is expresly termed God the name of God even the only true God is given unto him There are also many other arguments which the Scripture affords whereby to prove Christs Godhead 1. This is proved by those places where Christ is called the Son of God his begotten his only begotten Son The unbelieving Iewes did acknowledge the validity of this consequence that if Christ be the Son of God viz. properly so called as begotten of God then also he is God onely they denied the antecedent that Christ is thus the Son of God They sought to kill him because he had said that God was his Father making himself equall with God Ioh. 5. 18. They well perceived that Christ did so call God his Father as to make himself God even the same God with the Father For otherwise they themselves did call God their Father Joh. 8. 41. And so Christ hath taught all believers to call God saying Our Father but they knew that Christ did call God his Father in another sense and so he did For God is our Father and we his children onely by adoption God hath predestinated us to the adoption of children c. Eph. 1. 5. But God is the Father of Christ and Christ is the Son of God by generation To him God speaks saying Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal 2. 5. To be thus the Son of God is peculiar unto Christ neither Man nor Angell is capable of this honor To which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Heb. 1. 5. Therefore is Christ in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only begotten Son of God Ioh. 3. 16. 1 Ioh. 4. 9 10. because none but he is the Son of God in that manner Indeed in some sense believers are said to be begotten of God Of his owne will begate he us c. Iam. 1. 18. But this is onely in respect of that renovation which God doth worke in us by his Spirit in which respect we are said also to be partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. But Christ is so begotten of God as to have the same essence nature and substance with God even as he that is begotten of man is man so Christ being properly Intelligentiae istud humanae sensus excludit ut aliquid à naturâ originis suae nascendo diversum sit Quis rogo furor est nativitatem unigeniti Dei ad degenerem ex Deo referre naturam cum nativitas non nisi ex proprietate naturae sit
body as now it is in this life in comparison of what it shall be in the life to come Our vile body word for word according to the Originall it is the body of our vilenesse So that the blessed Mother of our Lord doth therefore magnifie the Lord because he so regarded her being of such low and mean estate in comparison of many others He hath put down saith she presently after in her Magnificat the mighty from their seat and hath exalted them of low degree Where also the word rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them of low degree is that from which is derived the other before mentioned The Rhemists here Vulg. exaltavit humlles also have and hath exalted the humble but not such as are vertuously humble are here meant by the force of the word that is used but such as are of low degree as is clear by this that they are opposed to the mighty such as are of high degree great and eminent in the world Besides what could have been more repugnant to true humility and lowlinesse of mind with which as with other graces we grant the Mother of our Saviour was replenished then to boast of it and to ascribe Gods bounty and favour unto it For these reasons both Jansenius and Maldonate learned men of the Romish Church do ingeniously confesse that not humility of mind but of estate is here meant 3. Whereas they pray unto all Saints departed an honour which is due onely unto God Psal 50. 15. Mat. 6. 9. Rom. 10. 14. this they do above all to our Lords Mother And here first they are no lesse ridiculous then impious in truning the Angels Salutation into a Prayer saying unto her Haile Mary c. wherein as a reverend Writer saith truly and wittily they do at once abuse the Virgin the Angell and the Salutation Againe some of their famous Doctors have So testifies Cassander one of their owne Authors in his Consultation avouched that whereas Ahasuerus promised to Esther the one half of his Kingdom if she would desire it God hath indeed given one half of his Kingdome to the Virgin Mary For his Kingdome consisting of mercy and judgement that part of it which concerns mercy they say he hath given unto her reserving to himselfe the other part concerning judgement or bequeathing it to his Son And thus also they speak in the forementioned Psalter Give O God thy judgement to Psalt B. Mar. Psa 71. the King and thy mercy to the Queen his Mother And the whole Book of Psalmes they have so metamorphosed and changed as instead of Lord to put in Lady and to ascribe that to her which David ascribeth to the Lord As Psal 7. In thee O Lady have I put In te Domina speravi de in i 〈…〉 is meis c. Usqu 〈…〉 Domina oblivis 〈…〉 In maâ—â—s tuas Domina commendo spiritum meum Domina refugium nostrum es in omni necessitate Venite ad eam omnes qui laboratis c. Ibid. Psal 2. my trust deliver my soul from mine enemies And Psal 12. or after the Hebrew the 13. How long wilt thou forget me O Lady And Psal 30. Into thy hands O Lady I commend my spirit And Psal 45. O Lady thou art our refuge in all our necessities And whereas Christ saith Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all that labour c. they apply it to his Mother and say Come unto her all ye that labour c. And if yet any thing can be more grosse they pray unto her to command her Son Bellarmine it seems was ashamed of this impiety for he complaines much of Calvin as being very injurious unto them in offering to charge them in this manner with great indignation he cries Quis nostrûm hoc dicit Cur non probat ullo exemplo Which of us doth speak so Why doth he not prove it by some example Yet their own Cassander for so he carried himself Cassand Consult as one of the Church of Rome though he disliked many things in it testifies that in some Churches publikely they did sing on this wise O O felix puerpera nostra pians Scelera jure Matris impera Redemptori happy child-bearing woman who dost expiate our wickednesse by the right of a mother command our Redeemer Surely if it be possible to dishonour God they do exceedingly dishonour him in presuming thus to honour her whom otherwise so we keep our selves within the bounds of sobriety we ought to honor But I leave this point and come to the other Doct. 2 which the Text doth hold forth unto us viz. That Mary the wife of Joseph was so the Mother of Christ as that neverthelesse when she bare him she was a most pure Virgin conceiving him not by the operation of man but by the power of the Holy Ghost Whereas it is said in the Text of the Holy Ghost it is meant of the Holy Ghost not as the matter but as the efficient in which sense it is said 1 Cor. 11. 12. All things are of God Again though the Holy Ghost only be expressed yet the other Persons of the Trinity are not excluded The Apostle speaking of the Father saith Of whom are all things 1 Cor. 8. 6. If all things be of the Father then Christs body was of him viz. as the worker and maker of it and as of the Father so also of the Son who is the same substance with the Father Ioh. 10. 30. And by whom likewise all things were made Ioh. 1. 3. Now that Mary was thus the Mother of Christ is evident both by the Text and also by that which goes before Mat. 1. 18. and that which followes after Mat. 1. 22 23 24 25. so by that Luk. 1. 34 35. Object It may be objected that Ioseph is called Christs Father Is not this Josephs Son said some of him Luk. 4. 22. Answ I answer They supposed so but it was not so as they supposed That this was but a supposition S. Luke shewes in the fore-going Chapter v. 23. where he saith that Christ was as was supposed the Son of Ioseph not so indeed but only as was supposed Object But may some say Mary her self did call Ioseph Christs Father Thy Father and I have sought thee sorrowing said she to Christ Luk. 2. 48. Answ True but how did she mean that Ioseph was his father not his naturall father that begot him but his legall father as being the husband of his mother Ioseph also was Christs foster-father or nursing-father he who did educate him and bring him up Object But some may yet object if Ioseph were not Christs naturall Father how is Christs Genealogie fetched from Ioseph how is Christ shewed to be the Son of Abraham and of David by this that Ioseph did descend from Abraham Mat. 1. Luk. 3. and from David How doth this follow except as Ioseph did proceed from them so Christ did proceed from Ioseph Answ
hath suffered he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. For we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 15. 16. yea Christ doth account the suffering of his members to be his own suffering Saul Saul why persecutest thou me said he when Saul did persecute Christians Act. 9. 4. v. 5. I am Jesus whom thou persecutest 4. That if we would be conformed unto Christ in suffering we shall also be conformed unto him in glory Rom. 8. 17. and 2 Tim. 2. 11. 12. Therefore S. Peter bids Rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 13. This is the miserie of such as are aliens from Christ that their joy shall be turned into sorrow Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Prov. 14. 13. As the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of a fool Eccles 7. 6. On the other side this is the happinesse of those that are Christs that their sorrow shall be turned into joy as Christ told his Disciples Joh. 16. 20. And see there v. 21. 22. Let us therefore look unto the end of our suffering what it tends to and what will be the issue of it and we shall see there 's reason not to be troubled at it but to rejoyce in it Christ for the joy that was set before him indured the Crosse despising the shame Heb. 12. 2. And there we are bidden to look unto him to imitate him and so to run with patience the race that is set before us Thus by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoahs daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Aegypt And why for he had respect to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. 24 25 26. So Paul professeth of himself saying We faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory whiles we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Caution But our care must be that in respect of the ground and cause of our suffering we be like unto Christ that is that we do not suffer for ill-doing but for well-doing I mean in respect of men for otherwise if God shall contend with us we cannot answer to one of a thousand Job 9. 4. Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements said David Psal 119. 137. Yet in the same Psalme speaking of men v. 86. he saith They persecute me wrongfully So must it be our care to suffer when we do suffer by the hands of men or else we are not conformed unto Christ in our suffering we do not suffer as he suffered for he did nothing for which to suffer No He was holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7. 25. He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2. 22. Which of you convinceth me of sin said he to his most malicious adversaries Joh. 8. 46. They hated me without a cause said he Joh. 15. 25. This man hath done nothing amisse said one of him that was crucified together with him Luk. 23. 41. And so Pilate that condemned him did yet often times as the Evangelists record confesse that he found no fault in him Therefore Non paena sed causa facit Martyrem Non quid quisque patiatur sed quare patiatur attendi debet Aug. if we suffer as Malefactors and evill doers we do not suffer as Christ suffered Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake saith Christ not simply they that are persecuted but that are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my names sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Mat. 5. 10 11 12. for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God indure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye are buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently c. 1 Pet. 2. 19 20 21. If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye 1 Pet. 3. 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye c. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf 1 Pet. 4. 14 15 16. And V. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as to a faithfull Creator THE THIRTEENTH SERMON ISA. 53. 3. A man of sorrowes and acquainted with grief HAving finished one point observed from these words as they cohere with other words both before and after I come now to that which in themselves considered they hold out unto Doctr. us to wit That Christ was a man full of sorrows and of sufferings The whole life of Christ was a continuall suffering his very incarnation was a passion Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God but made himself of no reputation word for word according to the original emptied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself and took upon him the form of a servant c. That the Creator should become a creature God be made man he whom the heaven of heavens cannot containe be inclosed in the womb this was surely a wonderous suffering Again immediately after he was born he was laid in a manger Luk. 2. as if he had not been worthy to have a place amongst men within a few daies after he was circumcised shortly after that he was persecuted by Herod so that to escape the danger he was fain to be carried into another Countrey even into Egypt Mat. 2. For the rest of his life until he was about 30. years old the Scripture speaks but little of it only it shews us that he was with Mary his true Luk. 2. 51. Mother and Joseph his supposed Father and was subject unto them and intimates that he did execute the same trade that
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 31. 2. Are there any outward troubles and pressures upon us Let us consider what Christ hath suffered and how by his suffering he hath reconâ—ised us to God and purchased eternall Redemption for us and therefore we need not fear though the earth be removed and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Psal 46. 2. 3. He that spared not his own sor but gave him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation distresse or persecution or famin or nakednesse or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long counted as sheep for the slâ—ughter Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerours thorough him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Vse 2. Here also is instruction for us not to rely on our own but on Christs sufferings We must turn unto God as with all our heart so with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Joel 2. 12. We must so lay to heart our sins as to be afflicted and mourn and weep our laughter must be turned into mourning and our joy into heavinesse Jam. 4. 9. We must take a holy revenge on our selves for our sinners 2. Cor. 7. 11. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 31. Because we neglect to judge our selves therefore God doth judge us and lay his afflicting hand upon us to bring us to a sight and sense of our sins that we may repent of them and so not perish in them When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. The Antinomians are much wide wrong who wil not have God to afflict his children at all for sin yet the Apostle saith we are chastned of the Lord and chastning presupposeth a fault for which one is chastned And so the Apostle expressely For this cause many among you are weak c. 1 Cor. 11. 30. viz. for their sin in receiving the Lords Supper so unworthily as they did Yet the punishment that God doth inflict upon his children is but castigatory not satisfactory as the Papists would perswade us who hold that men may and must satisfie the justice of God by their own sufferings which they must either voluntarily or els perforce endure only Christ is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2. 2 Only the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins 1 Jo. 1. 7. Only Christs suffering is our satisfaction Vse 3. Again by Christs sufferings we may see the evill and odious nature of sin how exceedingly God doth hate and abhor it in that his justice would not be satisfied but by such sorrows and such sufferings of his own son O let not us love that which God doth so hate Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97. 10. Sin is evill in the sight of God let it be so in ours also he hates sin and therefore let us also hate it let us not make light of that which Christ found so heavy let us remember what he said as he went to the Crosse If they do these things in a green tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 22. 31. If Christ who himself had no sin did so suffer for sin what shal become of those who are ful of nothing but sin wil still go on to fill themselves more more with it O let us look on him whom we have pierced and let us mourn for him that is for our sins by which we have pierced him as one mourneth for his only son be in bitternesse for him as one is in bitternesse for his first born Zach. 12. 10. Vse 3. Finally here we may see the wonderfull love of God and of Christ towards us that rather then we should receive the just recompence and reward of our sins God would give his own Son and Christ would give himself to suffer for us God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. In this was manifested the love of God towards us c. Joh. 4. 9. Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. Amat non immeritò qui amatus sine merito Great cause have we to love God and to love Christ who so loved us when there was no cause to love us but to hate and abhor us God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his son into the world for us 1 Joh. 4. 10. He adds v. 19. We love him because he loved us first It behoves us to do so but so as to testifie our love by our obedience This is the love of God that we keep his Commandements 1 Joh. 5. 3. If ye love me keep my Commandements Joh. 14. 15. And as such was the love of God and of Christ towards us so we accordingly ought to love one another If God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 Joh. 4. 11. Walk in love as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us c. Ephes 5. 2. A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13. 34 35. THE FOURTEENTH SERMON PHIL. 2. 8. And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse THe Apostle exhorting unto unity and concord v. 1 2. as a means conducing thereunto he exhorts unto humility and lowlinesse of mind v. 3. 4. And to incite unto this he propounds the example of Christ whom Christians ought to imitate v. 5. c. Having shewed how Christ humbled himself in being made man he shewes how he humbled himself when he was made man viz. so as to be obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Being found in fashion as a man This doth not import that Christ only had the shape and form of a man but was not man indeed as some Heretikes have maintained Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is true man having true humane
are delivered from Satan Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out said Christ when the time of his death was at hand Joh. 12. 31. For asmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe took part of the same that thorough death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2. 14. The devill is there said to have the power of death though that properly belong unto God for it is he that killeth and he that maketh alive 1 Sam. 26. Deut. 32. 39. because by the malice of the devill man became guilty of sin and so liable unto death Christ by his death hath vanquished Satan and freed those that belong unto him from Satans power Therefore they that believe in Christ are said to be brought from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. and to be delivered from the power of darknesse Col. 1. 13. 3. We have right unto eternall life Had not Christ died we had been uncapable of life that life which is to come This was signified by that Gen. 3. 24. where it is said that Adam having sinned God drove him out viz. of Paradise and he placed at the East of the garden of Eden Cherubins and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life By reason of sin the life to come eternall life which was shadowed by that tree of life was inaccessible unto us we could have no accesse unto it but Christ by his blood hath made a new and living way for us Heb. 10. 20. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance Heb. 9. 15. And in the two verses following is shewed why the new Covenant that God hath made with his people is called a Testament because it is of force by Christs death For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whiles the testator liveth Neither doth this make for the Popish opinion of Limbus Patrum as if before Christs death none did go to heaven and enjoy the happinesse of the life to come For Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. The death of Christ was of force as well before as since Christs coming they that did believe in Christ to come did enjoy the benefit of his death as well as they that now since his coming do believe in him Ob. But may some say notwithstanding Christs death yet still all die Answ True but not so as otherwise had it not been for Christs death they should have died For 1. By the death of Christ all that believe are altogether freed from the second death over such the second death hath no power Revel 20. 6. 2. The first death to believers is as no death but an entrance into life even life eternall Blessed are the dead which die in our Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours c. Revel 14. 13. The souls of the faithfull being separated from their bodies do immediately enter into happinesse which made the Apostle say that to die was gain unto him Phil. 1. 21. And v. 23. that he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which was far better And the bodies of believers shall also in due time be raised up and together with their souls be made partakers of eternall blisse Christ by his death hath overcome death so that they that believe in him shall not be overcome by it not so as for ever to remain under the power and dominion of it I will ransome them from the power of the grave saith Christ I wil redeem them from death O death I will by thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Hos 13. 14. To which place the Apostle alludeth saying O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory And he addes the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But 〈…〉 ks be unto God who giveth us victory thorough Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Vse 1. Here then is consolation for us in respect of the guilt of sin and the fear of wrath as due for sin Do our consciences accuse us doth Satan throw his fiery darts at us The meditation and application of Christs death is sufficient to quiet our consciences and to repell Satan and all his assaults Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Who is he that Turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur qui◠vulnerum Domini recordabor condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8. 33 34. My conscience saies one is troubled but it shall not be orewhelmed for I will remember the wounds of the Lord Jesus Vse 3. But as Christ died for sin so must we die unto sin thus must we be conformed to his death or els we can expect no benefit by it We thus judge saith the Apostle that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. They are therefore most foolish and absurd who think that because Christ died for them therefore they may live as they list As if Christ by his death had purchased not freedome from sin but freedom to sin this is to turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and to deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Jude v. 4. But we have not so learned Christ Ephes 4. 20. our very Baptism doth teach us another lesson The Apostle having said Where sin abounded there grace hath abounded much more Rom. 5. 20. To prevent the abuse of this doctrine he addes presently after What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death c. Rom. 6. 1. 2 3 4. So Col. 3. 2 3. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead viz. unto sin and v. 5. Mortifie therefore your members that are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry This mortifying of sin and dying unto sin imports 1. A serious and setled purpose to eschew sin I said that is I purposed I resolved I will take heed unto my waies that I offend not with my tongue Psal 39. 1. I am purposed
that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal 17. 3. 2. A care to avoid the occasions of sin Depart from me ye wicked for I will keep the Commandements of my God Psal 119. 115. 3. A diligent use of the means whereby to subdue sin Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee Psal 119. 11. Vse 3. As Christ was obedient unto death so we must learne by his example to be obedient also as well in suffering as in doing and that in suffering death it self if God call unto it You have not yet resisted unto blood Heb. 12. 4. As if he should say in obedience unto God you must resist striving as there it followes against sin even unto blood the shedding of your blood if need be so did Christ who is there propounded as a pattern for our imitation Looking unto Jesus c. v. 2. Consider him v. 3. Not that we are to expose our selves to danger when we may avoid it by good and honest means without dishonour to God and his truth When they persecute you in one City flee into another so did Christ counsell his Disciples Mat. 10. 23. And Christ himself did so when some being offended at his Doctrine would have throne him down from the brow of the hill on which the City was built he conveyed himselfe away from them and escaped their hands Luk. 4. 29 30. And so when Paul was like to be apprehended by the Governour in Damascus he was let down in a basket thorough a window and by that means escaped 2 Cor. 11 32 33. But if God call us to suffer if it appear to be his will if it cannot be avoided without dishonouring of God and his Gospell in this case we must be willing to submit unto God and to be obedient unto death as Christ was to lay down our lives for God and for his truth as Christ did Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternall life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a goood profession before many Witnesses I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Iesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandement without spot unrebukeable untill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 6. 12 13 14. As if the Apostle should say Christ bare witnesse to the truth before Pontius Pilate unto death so must we also if need be bear witnesse to it though we die for it He that loveth his life to wit inordinately so as that he will not part with it when God doth call for it but doth preferre it before Gods glory he that so loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternall Joh. 12. 25. See the like saying Mat. 16. 25. 10. 39. And Christ would have all that take upon them the profession of his Name to consider this that for his sake they must be ready if the case so require to forgo whatsoever is neare and deare unto them even life it self So S. Luke shewes us saying And there went great multitudes with him and he turned said unto them If any man come to me hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 25. 26. THE FIFTEENTH SERMON PHILIP 2. 8. Even the death of the Crosse THus the Apostle shews the greatnesse of Christs humiliation and obedience in that he not only humbled himself and was obedient unto death but such a kind of death even the death of the Crosse that is death on the Crosse he was crucified nailed alive to the Crosse and so did hang upon the Crosse untill he died This point then offers it self to be considered That Christ was obedient even to the death of the Crosse In the handling of this point I shall shew 1. That Christ suffered death on the Crosse 2. That this was a great aggravation of Christs suffering 3. What use is to be made of the point For the first That Christ suffered death upon the Crosse it is a thing clearly recorded by all the foure Evangelists So Paul in his Epistles often speaks of the Crosse of Christ that is of Christs death on the Crosse and of Christ crucified See 1 Cor. 1. 18. 23. 2. 2. 8. Gal. 6. 14. Phil. 3. 18. So Peter saith that Christ bare our sins on his body on the tree that is on the Crosse 1 Pet. 2. 24. David also prophecied of this saying They pierced my hands and my feet Psal 22. 16. He spake those words prophetically in the person of Christ as the very beginning of the Psalm doth shew My God My God why hast thou forsaken me which words as the Evangelists record Christ uttered when he was upon the Crosse So v. 18. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Which as appears likewise by the history of the Gospell was fulfilled in Christ when he was crucified Christ also himself did foretell what kind of death he should suffer to wit the death of the Crosse Behold said he to his Disciples We go up to Jerusalem and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief Priests and to the Scribes and they shall condemn him to death And they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucifie him Mat. 20. 18 19. So Joh. 12. 32 33. And I if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me That by his lifting up he meant lifting up upon the Crosse to die upon it the Evangelist immediately declares saying This he said signifying what death he should die Christs death upon the Crosse was likewise typified and prefigured by the brazen Serpent of which we read Num. 21. There the sacred history tells us how God when the Israelites sinned against God and provoked him by murmuring he plagued them by sending fiery Serpents among them but in wrath remembring mercy he commanded Moses to set upon a pole a brazen Serpent the similitude of a serpent made of brasse that whosoever was stung by a fiery serpent by looking up to that brazen serpent might be made whole This brazen serpent so lifted up was a type and figure of Christ lifted up upon the Crosse that whosoever are stung by that old serpent the devill may look up to him with the eye of faith and be saved This Christ himself doth signifie unto us saying As Moses lift up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 14 15. Ob. But it may be objected that among the Jews this kind of death was not in use The Iewish Talmud tells us that Sanhedr c. 7. they had foure kinds of capitall punishments to wit stoning burning killing with the sword and
29 30 31 49. 29. c. And 50. 26. But that was not out of any superstitious opinion that they had as if the welfare of their souls did depend upon the place where they were buried but only to shew that they died in faith being fully assured that God would at length perform what he had promised viz. that he would give them in their posterity the Land of Canaan God will surely visit you said Joseph speaking of this very thing Gen. 50. 25. And besides they looked on Canaan not as a bare earthly Countrey but as a type of heaven To conclude therefore let it be our care to live and to die in faith and then however it fare with us in respect of buriall we are happy our souls enter into â—lisse immediately 2 Cor. 5. 1. And so also shall our bodias at length be made parâ—akers of it 1 Cor. 15. 53. THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON PSA 16. 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell THe Article of Christs descending into hell is grounded upon this Text wherein as S. Peter shews Act. 2. 25. c. David spake concerning Christ And therefore Austin might Quis nisi infidelis negaverit fuisse apud inferos Christum Aug. Epist 99. wel say who but an infidel wil deny that Christ was in hell For this that Christs soul should not be left in hell doth necessarily presuppose that his soul was in hell For it is most irrational and absurd to say that one shall be left there where he never was nor should be All therefore as Bellarmine observes Omnes conveniunt quòd Christus aliquo modo ad inferos descenderit Bell. de Christi anima lib. 4. cap. 6. agree in this that Christ some way in one sense or other was in hell But for the manner how Christ was in hell there is much difference among Divines and all arises from the word hell which some take in one sense and some in another I shall as briefly and perspicuously as I may set down the several opinions that there are about this point confuting those which I hold to be erroneous and confirming that which I judge to be true First therefore because the word Hell is sometimes The first opinion about Christs descending into hell in Scripture used metaphorically for most great grievous affliction which is indured here in this life the sorrows of hell compassed me about saies David Psal 18. 5. So Psal 116. 3. The pains of hell got hold on me Some by Christs descending into hell spoken of in the Creed understand the inward sufferings of Christs soul which of all his sufferings were most grievous But to omit other arguments against this opinion it is sufficiently overthrown by this that these words of David Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell as cited and expounded by Peter in the second of the Acts are the ground of that Article in the Creed for else it hath no ground in Scripture as I think I am sure there is no place which doth so clearly hold out unto us by necessary consequence Christs being in hell as this doth And therefore though Calvin a prime Author of this first opinion and a man most deservedly renowned in the Church of God spake consentaneously to his opinion when in his Commentary upon this sixteenth Psalm he liked not that upon occasion of these words of David any should fall upon the point of Christs descending into hell which is mentioned in the Creed yet I can by no means assent unto him For if not these words of David which we have now in hand no place in all the Scripture I dare say will afford occasion to treat of the Article But it appears that Calvin being a man very acute did well perceive that these words of David Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell as commented upon Act. 2. will not admit that Christs descending into hell should be expounded of the sufferings of Christs soul For by hell in the words of David must needs be meant something that concerned Christ when he was dead Peter tells us that in those words Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell David spake of the Resurrection of Christ Act. 2. 31. Now if this that Christs soul should not be left in hell import that Christ should rise from the dead then it must necessarily follow that Christs being in hell which is implied in Davids words imports something that concerned him being dead And consequently the sufferings of Christs soul which were before his death cannot be meant by it Secondly the Papists take hell here for Limbus The second opinion Patrum as they call it a place where they say the souls of the godly that died before Christ were For they divide hell into four severall regions 1. The hell of the damned the place of eternall torment 2. Purgatory where they say the souls of such are as were not sufficiently purged from their sins whiles they were upon earth and therefore for the thorough purging of them are there in torment equall for the time to that of the damned 3. Limbus Infantium a place where they place such Infants as die without baptisme whom they make to suffer the losse of heaven and heavenly happinesse but no pain or torment 4. Limbus Patrum where in like manner the Fathers before Christ as they hold were suffering no pain but only wanting the joys of heaven To that place say they did Christs soul when it was separated from his body descend to deliver the souls from thence and to carry them to heaven this is their opinion and their exposition of the Article of Christs descending into hell But not now to contest with them about those other regions of hell viz. Purgatory and Limbus Infantium as for this Limbus Patrum it is a place of their own devising we see no ground for it in Scripture but strong reasons against it For 1. Christs death was efficacious to believers before his coming as well as it is now since his coming Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. We believe that thorough the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they said Peter speaking of those that were before Christ He doth but equall us to them in point of salvation thorough Christ 2. The faithfull before Christ did account this life upon earth a pilgrimage and did expect heaven as their country when this life was ended These all died in faith it is spoken of Abraham Isaac and Jacob having not received the promises that is the things promised but saw them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrey And truly if they had been mindfull of that country from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned But now they
feeling there is life as there was in Paul who complained of the corruptions that were in him as grievous and burthensome unto him For I know said he that in me that is in my flesh no good dwelleth For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would do I do not but the evill that I would not that I do I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 18 19 21 22 23 24. On the other side such appears to be alienated from the life of God as are without feeling Eph. 4. 18 19. such as are full of sin and of corruption and yet are nothing sensible of it but like the Angell of the Church of Laodicea think that they are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when as indeed they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. 4. A love of Gods Ordinances As they that have corporall life so also they that have spirituall life will desire food convenient for them whereby their life may be preserved and whereby they may grow As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious Pet. 2. 2 3. 5. Communion with God by prayer The Spirit which is the worker of this spirituall resurrection is the Spirit of grace and supplications Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. Behold he prayeth said Christ to Ananias speaking of Saul after called Paul when a spirituall life was newly put into him Acts 9. 11. The ordinary means whereby this spirituall resurrection is wrought is the Word preached As at the last day the Trumpet shall sound and the dead corporally shall be raised 1 Cor. 15. 52. So they that are spiritually dead are raised by the Trumpet of Gods Word sounding in their ears Verily verily I say unto you saith Christ that the houre is coming and nâ—w is that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5. 25. That is spoken of the spirituall Resurrection as appears by these words and now is even as that which presently after followes v. 28. 29. is spoken of the corporall Resurrection The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth But the corporall Resurrection and the spirituall in this do differ that the corporall Resurrection is compleat and perfect at once In a moment in the twinkling of an eye 1 Cor. 15. 52. But the spirituall resurrection is carried on by degrees by little and little the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4. 16. Therefore they that are already in some measure made partakers of spirituall resurrection must still labour that they may be made more and more partakers of it Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. So much for this point concerning Christs Resurrection That Christ did rise again from the dead I come now to speak a little of the time of his Resurrection the third day and here this point is to be considered Doct. That Christ did rise again the third day So we confesse in the Creed the Scripture is clear express for it Christ fore-telling his resurrection did likewise fore-tell this circumstance of time when it should be Destroy this Temple and after three dayes I will raise it up Joh. 2. 19. From that time farth began Jesus to shew unto his Disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day Mat. 16. 21. So Mat. 20. 18 19. Behold we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief Priests and unto the Scribes and they shall condemn him to death And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and crucifie him and the third day he shall rise again And so much the chief Priests and Pharisees had understood as appears by their words to Pilate Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three dayes I will rise again And therefore they desired to have Christs Sepulchre watched but till the third day Mat. 27. 63 64. All the four Evangelists also do record as that Christ rose again so that he rose again the third day So also Paul preached how that Christ did for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day 1 Cor. 15. 3. 4. It was congruous and meet that Christ should rise again the third day not sooner nor later Not sooner to shew that he was truly dead and for a while under the power of death and the dominion of it which is meant by his being in hell as was shevved before Not later that so he might comfort and revive the drooping and dying spirits of his Disciples who after his death untill they heard of his resurrection mourned and wept Mar. 16. 10. And that he might strengthen their faith which was ready to fail as appears by that Luk. 24. 21. We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel Again it was not only congruous and meet but also requisite and necessary that Christ should rise the third day because so it was 1. prefigured viz. by that which happened unto Ionas his being three daies and three nights in the fishes belly neither more nor lesse signified that Christ should be so long neither more nor lesse in the grave Mat. 12. 40. Ob. If Christ were three daies and three nights in the grave how then did he rise again the third day Answ Those three daies and three nights are taken synecdochically that is not for three whole daies and three whole nights but for part of three daies and part of three nights Christ died and was buried as the Evangelists shew the day before the Jewish Sabbath that is on Friday as we call it towards evening that part of the day is by a synedoche reckoned for a day and to it belongs the night going before the Jews beginning the naturall day which consists of 24. hours at evening Levit. 23. 32. Then Christ lay in the grave the night following and the day after which we call Saturday here are two daies and two nights and so likewise he remained in the grave the night after and rose early in the morning
and his word together As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Isai 59. 21. And how did Cornelius and they that were with him receive the spirit but by the word While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word Act. 10. 44. And therefore Paul having said Quench not the spirit immediately adds Despise not prophecying 1 Thes 5. 19. 20. Prayer also is a means whereby to obtain the spirit Indeed we must first have the spirit in some measure before we can pray to any purpose as was shewed before but prayer is a means to obtain the Spirit in greater measure For God wil give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. They therefore who either restrain prayer before God or pray only in formality or fashion sake thinking it enough if they can read a prayer in a book or say a prayer by rote yea will scorn and deride praying by the spirit these I say plainly shew how little they look after the communion of the holy Ghost I am not against all use of book-prayer or of a form of drayer yet I may say to some in this respect as Paul said to the Athenians that they are too superstitious Whether Act. 17. 22. we pray with a book or without in a set form or otherwise yet must we howsoever pray with the spirit or els our prayer is to no 1 Gor. 14. 15. purpose 4. Do we study to bring forth the fruits of the Holy Ghost The fruit of the spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5. 9. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goonesse faith meeknesse temperance Gal. 5. 22 23. and v. 25. If we live in the spirit let us walk in the spirit that is if we pretend to be indued with the spirit let it appear by our spirituall life and conversation Vse 3. Thirdly and lastly suffer the word of exhortation and but a word Let this be our desire and care our study and indeavour that we may have the communion of the holy Ghost We have seen the excellency the commodity and the necessity of this communion let us not despise that which is so excellent nor undervalue that which is so commodious nor neglect that which is so necessary VVe have also seen the marks whereby to try whether we enjoy this communion in any measure or no and withall meanes whereby to obtain it let us labour to find those marks in our selves and let us have a care to use those means For so an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Chrsst 2 Pet. 1. 11. The eight and twentieth SERMON MAT. 16. 18. And upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it CHrist having asked his Disciples whom men did say that he was they answered that some said that he was John the Baptist some Elias some Ieremias or one of the Prophets he asking them again whom they did say that he was Peter in the name of them all answered Thou art Christ the Son of the living God VVhereupon Christ commending that confession said Blessed art thou Simon Bar Jona for flesh and blood hath hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Vpon this rock The Papists make much ado about this place think it a Rock for them to build the Popes supremacy upon For by the Rock here mentioned they understand Peter and they will have the Church built upon Peter and so upon the Pope as being they say Peters Successor But first the Scripture shewes Christ and only Christ to be the foundation of the Church Thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation c. Esa 28. 16. Which to be meant of Christ appears by S. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 5 6 7 8. And S. Paul is plain and peremptory Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. Object Some may object that Eph. 2. 20. Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles Answ But first that makes nothing for Peter more then for the rest of the Apostles and for the Prophets also and so makes nothing for the Papists 2. It is meant in respect of Christ who was foretold by the Prophets and preached by the Apostles To him give all the Prophets witnesse said Peter Acts 10. 43. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord said Paul 2 Cor. 4 5. So that Rev. 21. 14. where it is said that the new Jerusalem had twelve foundations Fundamenta igitur hujus muri sunt quia ipsi doctrinâ suâ exemplo aeterâ—ae tranquillitatis securitatis causa fuerunt electis Riber ad loc and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb that I say by the confession of Ribera a Iesuite is meant in respect of their Doctrine and example as they preached Christ and were followers of him 1 Cor. 11. 1. Here therefore by Rock is not meant Peter but Christ whom Peter confessed or which is to the same effect the confession which Peter made or the faith whereof he made confession Thus Augustine Chrysostome Theophylact and others have expounded it and those of the Ancients that have interpreted it of Peter are to be understood as meanning not his person but his faith and confession viz. in respect of Christ the object of it Theophylact 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. ad Mat. 16. 18 the latest of the Ancients doth well shew the meaning both of them and of the Text it selfe The Lord saith he doth answer Peter and give him a great reward to wit that the Church should be built upon him For because Peter confessed him to be the Son of God he saith This confession which thou hast confessed shall be the foundation of Believers so that whosoever will build the house of faith must lay this confession for a foundation 2. Though the words in the Originall for Peter and Rock be neer akin yet rhey are different 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words and shew that Christ meant different things by them For otherwise Christ would have said Thou art Peter and upon thee or and upon this Peter I will build my Church Ob. It may be objected that the word in the Syriask Tongue which Christ used is
as he calls them v. 1. mentioneth this as one of them the Resurrection of the dead And therefore also in the Creed wherein those principles of Christian doctrine are contained among other articles is that of the Resurrection of the body and mark of the body for there is also a Resurrection of the soul as hath been shewed * before but that is a metaphoricall Serm. â—0 in the beginning Resurrection The soul being since the fall of Adam naturally dead in sin is said to rise again when the life of grace is infused into it but the Resurrection of the dead spoken of in the Text is in respect of the body as appears by the words immediately following and of eternal iudgment For the Resurrection of the body is previous to the last judgement and accompanied with it The point then to be insisted on is this That the Resurrection of the body is a fundamentall Doct. point of Christian Religion It is necessary for all to know and believe that the bodies of the dead shall rise again This is a great mystery naturall reason cannot reach to the knowledge of it will not yeeld assent unto it When Paul preached at Athens the most famous Academie in the world for humane learning the Philosophers encountred him and some called him a babler and others said He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Act. 17. 18. v. 32. it 's said again And when they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said we will hear thee again of this matter they would demur upon it and not be forward to believe it So Eusebius relates that the Heathens persecuting Euseb Hist l. 5. c. 1 Christians burnt their bodies to ashes and cast them into the river insulting over them and upbraiding them with their belief of the Resurrection saying Let us see now if they will rise again Yea among the Jews Gods peculiar people who had the Oracles of God committed unto them there was a sect of the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection of the dead Mat. 22. 23. The same day came to him the Sadduces which say that there is no Resurrection So Act. 23. 8. For the Sadduces say that there is no Resurrection Yea and also among Christians there have been some who have said that there is no Resurrection of the dead some such there were among the Corinthians as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 15. 12. And it seems that Hymeneus and Philetus were of this opinion for the Apostle speaking of them saith Who concerning the truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. In that they said The Resurrection is past already it seemeth that they would only have a Resurrection of the soul here but no Resurrection of the body hereafter But mark the denying of this article the Resurrection of the body is called by the Apostle an overthrowing of the faith Whatsoever we believe if we do not believe this that the dead shall rise again is all in vain and to no purpose as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 15. 12. c. Now the Resurrection of the dead is proved two waies as we see by those words of our Saviour to the Sadduces Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. 1. The power of God proves that the Resurrection is possible and may be Power belongeth unto God Psal 62. 12. Even such power as that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can either ask or think Ephes 3. 20. And therefore as the Apostle said Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise again the dead Act. 26. 8. In the very beginning of the Creed we professe that we believe God Deus non aâ—iâ lege credendus est quam ut omnia posse crâ—datur Tertul. de Resurr c. 11. to be almighty and that he is so the Scripture plainly and plentifully testifies and it hath been abundantly demonstrated * Serm. 3. before Now if God be Almighty he can do all things and if all things then this the raising up of the dead He that could make the body of the dust can Vtique idoneus est reficere qui fecit Quanto plus est fecisse quà m refecisse inâ—â—ium dedisse quà m reddidisse Eta restitutionem carnis faciliorem credas institutione Tertul. ibid. Potest utique eadem potentia quâ de nihilo cuncta fabricatus est reddere quae fueraut quia multo minus est restituere quod fuerit quà m facere quod non fuiâ— Hieron ad Pammach surely raise it up though it be turned into dust He that could make all things of nothing can undoubtedly raise up the body which though it be dead and have suffered never so many transmutations yet is it not turned into nothing 2. The Scriptures shew that the Resurrection is certain and shall be that as God can raise the dead so he will do it Job made no question of it For I know said he that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within me John 19. 25. 26 27. True it is the words there in the originall as in many other places of that book are so concise as that they render the sense obscure and are subject to divers expositions so that both the Jewish Commentatours Mercerus in loâ— and also some among Christians carry the sense another way but the most understand the words of the Resurrection neither do I see any other exposition that doth so well agree with them Daniel also spake of the Resurrection of the dead saying And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt Dan. 12. 2. By awaking these out of the dust of the earth he means the rising again of the dead And whereas he saith that many shall it is not so to be taken as if all should not for many sometimes are opposed not unto al but only unto few So it 's said Rom. 5. 19. that by the disobedience of one man of Adam many were made sinners that is all but those all are many and so are they that shall awake out of the dust of the earth as all that sleep there shall So the Prophet Esay likewise doth sing the same ditty Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Isai 26. 19. And that parable in Ezekiel chap. 37. where by the raising
custome among the Jewes to wash the dead body before they did bury it as appears by that Acts 9. 37. Whom when they had washed Tarquinii cor pus bona faemina lavit unxit Ennius they laid her in an upper chamber The same custome also was among the Heathens The Jewes used also to imbalme the dead as appears by Ioh. 12. 7. and 19. 39 40. The Heathens also have used the same especially the Egyptians as both forraigne History sheweth and also sacred Gen. 50. Now though the Heathens did use these ceremonies vainly and superstitiously yet no question but the people of God had respect therein to the Resurrection shewing by these ceremonies which they used about the dead that they believed that the dead shall rise again Now there is no need of such ceremonies for that end the Article of the Resurrection being by the Gospell more fully manifested then before Yet this is of perpetuall observation that the bodies of the dead be decently buried as being in due time to be raised up againe Vse 2. Secondly this point touching the Resurrection doth teach us not to lament immoderately for the dead Lawfull it is to mourne in this case nature requires it and grace doth not forbid it as not extinguishing naturall affections but only rectifying them and setting bounds unto them Yea the Apostle reckons it among the grossest sins to be without naturall affection Rom. 1. 31. The Saints have expressed their affection in this kind Abraham mourned for Sarah Gen. 23. 2. Joseph fell upon his fathers face and wept when he was dead Gen. 50. 1. The godly made great lamentation for Stephen Acts 8. 2. Yea Christ himself wept at the grave of Lazarus Joh. 11. 35. Whereupon the Jewes that were present said Behold how he loved him v. 36. But this affection of sorrow for the dead must be moderate and that as in other respects so in this that the dead even in respect of the body do not perish for ever but at length shall rise againe This argument the Apostle useth to this purpose But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others that have no hope For if we believe that Jesus died and rose againe even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4. 13 14. Vse 3. The consideration of this point touching the Resurrection of the dead is of great force to comfort us in all afflictions and to animate us against the fear of death it self This did support Iob in his greatest extremity as appears Job 19. 25. 26. 27. by the words before cited and so it may well support all that truly fear God as Iob did Death which is the worst that can befall them is but as the pulling down of an old ruinous house to build it againe in a more excellent and glorious manner Or as if a statue of brasse or any other mettall being full of rust and decayed with age should be cast into a furnace and melted that so it may be made more pure and perfect then before Death in Scripture is often termed sleep as when a man sleeps he awakes again and rises up more lively and vigorous then he was before so shall the godly arise after death and be in a condition incomparably better then this which here they are in The Apostle shewes what a difference there is betwixt the body as now it is and as it shall be in the Resurrection It is sowne in corruption it is raised in incorruption It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weaknesse it is raised in power it is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. The hope of this Resurrection did incourage the Saints and servants of God to indure the greatest torments that their inraged adversaries could inflict upon them They were tortured not accepting of deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 35. Vse 4. Finally seeing there shall be a Resurrection of the dead it behoves us to labour whiles we are here that we may attaine unto a blessed Resurrection hereafter the Resurrection of life Joh. 5. 29. which is the Resurrection of the just Luke 14. 14. There shall indeed be a Resurrection of all both of just and the unjust Acts 24. 15. But as Christ said of Iudas It had been better for him that he had not been borne so may I say of the wicked It were better for them that they should not rise againe because they shall rise unto condemnation John 5. 29. But as for the righteous they shall so rise as to shine like the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Mat. 13. 43. Let us labour that we may be partakers of this Resurrection And to this end we must here have our part in the first resurrection that Rev. 20. 6. of the soul from the death of sin to the life of grace and then the second death shall have no power over us More particularly first we must be incorporated into Christ by faith For he is the Resurrection and the life he that believeth in him though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never die viz. eternally Iohn 11. 25. Christ is already risen from the dead and entred into glory and so in due time shall all that belong unto Christ that are members of his body He will change their vile bodies and make them like unto his owne most glorious body Philip. 3. 21. 2. But if we would be thus conformed unto Christ in glory and happinesse we must be conformed unto him in grace and holinesse Every one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as he is pure 1 Iohn 3. 3. Paul having said that he believed that there shall be a Resurrection both of just and unjust addes And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men Acts 24. 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace shall be upon them and mercy Gal. 6. 16. The five and thirtieth SERMON LUK. 18. 30. And in the world to come life everlasting LIfe everlasting is the conclusion of the Creed and so S. Peter calls it the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. For the words of the Text they were spoken by our Saviour and that upon this occasion Peter having seen how a certain rich man was rather willing to forfeit his portion in the world to come then to forgo his wealth that he had here in this world said unto Christ Lo we have left all and followed thee v. 28. Then Christ let him and the rest of his Disciples know that neither they nor any others should loose any thing by parting with all for his sake but should be well recompenced for it even here in
this world and much more in the world to come And he said unto them Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or Parents or brethren or wife or children for the Kingdome of Gods sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting v. 29 30. The point to be observed is this That as there Doct. is a temporall life for all here in this world so there is an eternall life for some hereafter in the world to come Both the Old and the New Testament beare witnesse to this truth life everlasting is asserted in both yet more sparingly and obscurely in the Old Testament more frequently and clearly in the New Testament As for the Old Testament I do not find that everlasting life is expresly mentioned in it save only once viz. Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life c. Yet though not in such expresse words the Old Testament doth afford many proofs that after this life there is another life to come not as this induring only for a time but for ever God did shew this unto his people first by types figures and resemblances As first the tree of life mentioned Gen. 2. 3. That was a type and figure of everlasting life as appears by that Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life c. And so Rev. 2. 7. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God In these places by the tree of life is meant eternall life whereof that tree called the tree of life was a figure What further use that tree was ordained for is over-curious and not necessary to inquire As for that Gen. 3. 22 23. where it is said that Adam having sinned God cast him out of Paradise least he should put forth his hand and take of the tree of life and eat and live for ever that I say the best Expositers take as spoken onely in respect of that opinion which Adam had viz. that if he did eat of that tree he should never die like as when God said as is there related Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evill it was spoken ironically in respect of that which the Serpent said unto the woman that if they did eat of the forbidden fruit they should be as Gods knowing good and evill Gen. 3. 5. Some have thought that if man had eaten of the tree of life he should have thereby been free from death But certainly the tree in it selfe could have no such vertue in it onely God appointed it as a Sacramentall signe of everlasting life and man having by his transgression made himself unworthy of the thing God would not suffer him to meddle with that whereby the thing was signified 2. The Sabbath spoken of in the fourth Commandement and in other places of Scripture did also prefigure eternall life it was a figure of that everlasting Sabbath or rest for so the word Sabbath doth signifie as much as rest which the godly shall keep in heaven This is evident by the Apostles discourse Heb. 4. where having spoken of Gods rest when the workes of Creation were finished in memory whereof God instituted the Sabbath he saith v. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God the word there rendred a rest imports as is noted in the Margent a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keeping of a Sabbath So that in the very word there used there is a manifest allusion to the Jewish Sabbath as a type of that Sabbath or rest there spoken of viz. eternall in the world to come Which is further evident by that which followeth v 11. Let us therefore labour to enter into that rest c. 3. The Land of Canaan into which God brought the Israelites after that he brought them out of Egypt as is recorded in the book of Ioshua that likewise did typifie heaven and that rest which the Israelites after a long and wearisome travell in the wildernesse enjoyed in that Land did typifie that rest which the Saints having passed thorough the wildernesse of this world shall enjoy in heaven This also is clear by comparing the words of David Psal 95. 11. with the Apostles discourse upon them Heb. 4. 7 8. David saith that God being provoked by the Israelites that came out of Egypt sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest And David alledgeth this to deter others in after ages from provoking God in like manner saying To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. Psal 95. 7 8. The Apostle hence proveth that by Gods rest cannot be meant the Land of Canaan or rest in that Land for that the people to whom David spake were then in that Land and did enjoy that rest and so the Israelites had done long before Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David To day after so long a time viz. that the Israelites had rested in Canaan as it 's said to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts For if Iesus that is Iosua as the margent noteth who brought the Israelites into Canaan had given them rest then would he not afterward have spoken of another day That is if that rest in Canaan which Josua as their Captaine and Leader brought them into had been all the rest which God intended for his people then he would not so long after by David have said To day c. threatning them that except they were obedient unto him they should be debarred from entring into his rest This argues that God by his Rest meant another rest viz. an everlasting rest in heaven whereof that rest in Canaan was but a figure Thus the Apostle there immediately infers There remaineth therefore a rest unto the people of God v. 9. and addes v. 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest least any man fall after the same example of unbelief And hence it was that the Patriarkes did make such account of the Land of Canaan Jacob caused Joseph to swear that he would not bury him in Egypt where he died but carry him into Canaan and bury him there Gen. 47. 29. 30 31. And the same charge he gave to all his sons immediately before his death Gen. 49. 29. c. And they did what he enjoyned them as is related Gen. 50. where also v. 25. is shewed how Ioseph likewise made his brethren to swear that they would carry his bones with them into Canaan when they went And Exod. 13. 19. it is said that Moses took the bones of Joseph with him when he and the Israelites went out of Egypt Stephen also shewes that so the rest of Jacobs sons though they died in Egypt were carried
be either eternally happy or eternally miserable it would make us to passe our time of sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. And to give diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. Now that we may be partakers of everlasting life 1. We must know that by nature we are estranged from it and have no right unto it For by nature we are dead in trespasses and sins and are the children of wrath Ephes 2. 13. 2. We must be translated out of Adam into Christ For in Adam all die and in Christ must all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5. 11 12. 3. Holinesse of life here is requisite for the obtaining of the happinesse of the life to come God will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in wel-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evill Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9. Be not deceived God is not mocked as a man soweth so shall he reap He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shal of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6. 7 8. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. I 'le only adde this in a word to you that are parents As you have been instruments under God whereby your children obtain a temporall life so labour to be instruments whereby they may obtain eternall life As nature doth teach you to provide for them in respect of this life so let grace teach you to provide for them in respect of the life to come As you are careful to bring them up in learning and trades that they may live a while here so be carefull to bring them up in the Eph. 6. 4. nurture and admonition of the Lord that they may live for ever hereafter The six and thirtieth SERMON JUDE V. 3. That you should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the This Sermon was preached at the Fast which in respect of errours heresies was kept March 10. 1646. Saints THe writer of this Epistle was Iude or Iudas as John 14. 22. or Judah as the word is in the Old Testament they are all one and the same name though diversly pronounced As there were two of the Apostles that were called Iames viz. James the son of Zebedeus the brother of Iohn and Iames the son of Alpheus the Lords brother Zanchius de Scripturâ Non connumeratur inter Apostolos Mat. 10. Judam Apostolum non lego sed Iscariotem Gal. 1. 19. that is his near kinsman so there were also two of them that were called Iudas viz. Judas Iscariot that betrayed Christ and Judas the brother of James viz. James the son of Alpheus and he it was that wrote this Epistle I marvell much at a learned Divine who thinks that the Author of this Epistle was no Apostle and saies that he finds no Judas to have been an Apostle but only Judas Iscariot Nothing to me is more clear then that this Jude or Judas was one of the twelve Apostles viz. the same that is called Thaddeus Mar. 3. 18. and Lebbeus Mat. 10. 3. For Luk. 6. 16. amongst the Apostles is expresly mentioned Judas the brother of James and so also Acts 1. 13. And the writer of this Epistle stiles himself Jâ—de the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James This Apostle after the inscription v. 1. and the salutation v. 2. tells them to whom he writes how desirous and carefull he was to write unto them and for what end v. 3. Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints And he shewes why there was such need that he should thus write unto them and exhort them v. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousnesse and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will adde no more concerning the Epistle but will come to the words of the Text That you should earnestly contend The simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verb of which this here used is a compound signifies to strive as they used to do in the Olympian games or such like exercises wherâ—â—n by wrestling running and the like they did strive for mastery as the word is rendred 1 Cor. 9. 25. It is used metaphorically Col. 4. 12. for striving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God by prayer it is rendred labouring fervently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Compound in the Text is more imphaticall the Preposition addes to the signification of the word and increaseth the force o 〈…〉 And therefore it is well rendred not simply to contend but to contend earnestly For the Faith There is faith by which we believe Fides quâ creditur thus is faith taken Româ—â— 1. justified by faith and so in many other places There is also faith which we believe viz. The Doctrine of Fides quae creditur Faith thus it 's said that Paul preached the faith which once he destroyed Gal. 1. 23. And so is it here taken for faith whereby we believe is infused into us but it is faith which we believe that is delivered unto us Delivered viz. first by preaching and then by writing The Apostles did deliver the faith to the Primitive Christians both wayes Gal. 1. 23. Ioh. 20. 31. But to the Christians of succeeding ages they delivered the Faith only by writing for being dead they could not deliver it by preaching neither can we tell what they preached but onely by seeing what they have written Therefore this delivering of the faith here spoken of as it concernes us and the Church ever since the Apostles times must be understood of delivering by writing As for Popish unwritten Traditions how groundlesse they are and how injurious to the written Word of God I shall shew more anon Once That is fully and perfectly as 1 Sam. 26. 8. Let me smite him I pray thee with the speare to the earth at once and I will not smite him the second time Heb. 10. 10. it is expressed once for all This is not so to be taken as if the faith were not again and again even continually while the world lasteth to be delivered but it must be no new faith that