And of whose House it may be well said There is in it bread enough large mercies and comforts to the hungrie and wearied soule that comes to seeke them Drinke is good for a thirstie body but wilt thou not remember of thy soule and heare him who hath said I haue drinke to giue whereof whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst againe If we haue no appetite but naturall of things concerning the body what difference betwixt vs and the beast But a spirituall and renewed man is he not knowen in his spirituall appetite and desires such as was that man according to Gods owne Heart expressing his spirituall appetite this way As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soule for thee O God Garments are steedable to the naked But remembring thy soule heare him who calleth you to come and buy of him garments to couer your filthy nakednes that yee bee not a spectakle of shame in the sight of God Man and Angell With which garments whosoeuer shal not be found cled in that Day shall cry but in vaine to hils and mountaines to fall vpon them cover them from the face of the Lamb. Gold is profitable hauing for this life the owne necessary vses But harken to him who hath to giue thee fine gold tryed by the fire euen that better and induring substance which cannot be taken from thee again So as the Lord led his people of old from things temporall to things spirituall and from types to trueth so let him take vs by the hand by him let vs be led from these earthly things to spirituall things And frō the things of this life to the consideration earnest desire of the better things of that life to come There is another word also to bee marked heere There fell out many changes which were grievous to this people their owne sins bred them great disquiet As change in their policie desolation in their cities great change in the face of their Church vpon their Priesthood And when their Temple and Priesthood was restored againe it was a griefe to such as remembred the dayes of old to see the last no wayes answerable to the glory beauty of the first This doctrine therfore proponed by the Prophet is to comfort them against all such griefs to settle establish their hearts against all changes whatsoeuer and it is this cast the eyes of your faith toward IESVS CHRIST the great High Priest to come and there your soules shall finde rest IESVS CHRIST who was represented in the figure of the Law is exhibit in the fulnes of time As he came in the world for this end to saue sin ners so is he the only stay of the Hearts of sinners and in him is perfite remedie against all those griefes and tentations that rise here in this world by reason of sin to oppresse the hearts of sinners Heere all things are subiect to change and alteration he that is knit to him stayes vpon a rocke with a defiance of all these worldly changes althogh the world should be turned vpside down the moūtains rolled in the mids of the great deep yet can he not be moued In no thing that is here can there be found cōtentment in him the soul hath ful delight And when a man is as it were chased hūted with griefs on all hands with his many sins with the devils tentations somtimes with the ingratitude malicious doing of men It is euen vpon such a wearyed and distressed body that Christ calleth saying Come to me and I will ease you and refresh you we would therefore hearken to the sweet call of IESVS CHRIST and labour to follow the Saints and seruants of God seeking onely and finding this way contentment to our soules Heere God by his Prophet willeth his people to looke ouer all that blacke cloud of ceremonies to IESVS CHRIST I desire saith Paul to know nothing but IESVS CHRIST and him crucified he is to me both in life and death an advantage Whom haue I saith Dauid in Heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for euer Where shall we go to saith Peter hast not thou the words of eternall life What further can I wish sayth old Simeon hauing gotten Christ in the armes of my body and soul both and s◅ene my saluation in him Now let thy servant go in peace Therefore as this is noted to be the great sollicitude and care of the Church to inquire for him Tell mee O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest So if thou will proue thy selfe a true member of this Church and be partaker of this onely consolation inquire for him seeke him out while he may be found be homely with him seeke to be daylie farther conioyned with him in him shall ye finde perfite ease and contentment In these three Verses commeth to be considered first the preface that is vsed next the speech which is deliuered containing so many excellent points concerning the Messias both in his person and office In the Preface Iehoshua and his fellowes they are bidden hearken and advert vnto that which is to bee spoken Iehoshua was immediatly of before wakened to attention when the Lord hauing absolued him giues his direction to him speaking vnto him with vehement and earnest protestation Now hee is wakened to attention againe and bidden giue eare to the graue speech following concerning the Messias Although this with the former be but one continued Sermon he that heard of before hath need to heare still he that was wakened of before hath neede to be wakened againe And these graue and great mysteries vttered by the mouth of God himselfe they craue vpon our part great attention When God speakes our eares should be ready to heare In the volume of thy Booke saith Dauid it is written of me This volume of the Booke of God is the Law of God The first words whereof is Hearken Israel The seale of all the letters written to the seuen Churches is Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth to the Churches No man hath his care so ready to hearken but he hath neede continually to be put vpon to waken him vnto attention And the meanes of this doing are many vpon the Lords part his word a principall his word sometimes in the mouthes of old men sometimes in the mouthes of yong men to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes with a mourning sound sometimes with a ioyfull sound to waken thy hearing Sometimes it comes in a mysterie as a sealed letter and sometimes the mysterie is revealed and the booke opened to waken thy hearing Sometimes he that cryes in thy eare takes a rod in his hand of some inward or outward affliction wherewith he choppes
iniquity of that land in one day 10 In that day saith the Lord of Hostes shall ye call every man his neighbour vnder the vine and vnder the sigge tree THe Prophet in this Chapter goeth on in comforting the people of God with the assured hope and expectation of the accomplishment of that worke of their begun deliuerie from the captivity of Babylon incouraging them to goe forward in the building of the house of God not looking to nor regarding the outward face and appearance of things how vnlikely soeuer but lifting their eyes to the consideration of h◅ infinite wisedome power and loue who hath promised vnto them this pledge of his favour that his Temple shall bee againe set vp in the middes of them and they shall inioy these same outward ensignes of his blessed presence All which for their sinnes in their banishment and captiuity were vtterly put downe and defaced Among the rest of these things which were in the peoples eyes and occurred to their consideration to discourage them this was not one of the least the present estate condition of the Priesthood which had lost all the former glory and dignity to them it appeared a thing altogether impossible that euer their Priest and Priesthood should recouer the wonted beautie To meet with them in their doubtful cogitation and to raise their hearts with comfort in this same particular There is in the beginning of this chapter a vision concerning Iehoshua their high Priest who althogh he be as in the vision he is represented vile and contemptible partlie in regard of the malice of Sathan that pursueth him partly in regard of his owne pollution and sinnes which are the mater of Sathans assaults and accusations Yet is the Lord him self euen the Messias the great Mediatour and Advocat of his Church broght in pleading for him And in this pleading so prevailing that Sathan gets the foyle and is rebuked Iehoshua is made free and absolued His filthy garments are taken from him a crown for his head and the ornaments besitting the Priesthood are rendred to him In the Chapter conteining this heauenly comfortable vision there are two chiefe and principall points The one is the speech of God in the mouth of his Prophet anent Iehoshua the high Priest And the second is the translation of his speech from Iehoshua the Type to the great high Priest of the House of God IESVS CHRIST Wherein is set down the happy estate and condition of his Church and people vnder him But leauing the first part of the Chapter let vs deale with the last three Verses wherein that which hath beene formerly spoken of the Leviticall Priesthood to be restored in the person of Iehoshua is now declared to haue the accomplishment in the person of Iesvs Christ then to come and now exhibite of whom Iehoshua was the type for the Lord our God would not haue his people abide or rest in the externall shadow of that ministery but that in it they should consider what was figured and looke to IESVS CHRIST who was to come And heerein may be considered 1. That the Maiesty and dignity of that Priesthood before the captivity was very great 2. In the time of the captivity the honour of that Priesthood was laid as it were in the dust and casten to the ground The visioun representing that time brings in Iehoshua cled in filthy garments in a base vile estate 3. After the captivity the Lord as a signe of his mercifull returne to his people he restoreth the Priesthood again And yet neither the glory of Priest nor Temple was thought answerable to that which was of before Heere therefore comes in the peoples consolation to looke in through all these Types to the glory and dignity of the Priesthood of IESVS CHRIST to come with which in dignity and maiesty cannot enter in cōparison the Leviticall Priesthood then standing now abolished 1. The Priest and Priesthood then was glorious in their owne forme of glory and splendor But all the glory which they had was but a shadow And the end of it was to point at the glorious Priesthood of IESVS CHRIST 2. That Priesthood with the glory of it was subiect to alterations and decayes But the Priesthood of IESVS CHRIST remaines vnchangeable and is euerlasting 3. That the people should not rest vpon these shadowes and to comfort them against all mutatiōs whatsoeuer There is no solide nor stedfast way but one looke to IESVS CHRIST In him as the Father hath declared himselfe well pleased So in him only doth the soule of the beleeuer finde sound peace and contentment The Lord our God who typed IESVS CHRIST in the Law and deliuered him in figures to the people in that Leviticall seruice althogh he hath remoued the types And we haue IESVS plainly and simply deliuered to vs in the Word and Sacraments Yet remaines there in his Church some teaching of this kinde and nature wherein by outward we are led vnto inward and by earthly wee are carryed vnto spirituall things And in things concerning this life is shadowed vnto vs things eternall and which concerneth the life that is to come The glory of the Temple of old was great But what was it in comparison of the glory beau ty of the spirituall House of IESVS CHRIST who is fairer then the children of men The glory and Maiesty of the high Priest of old was great but what was it compared with the glory and Maiestie of our high Priest But these types are away What remaines yet and shall remaine in the Church to the end of the World of that kinde of doctrine Euen thus much Hast thou any delight or pleasure in the beautifull shape or frame of this World or any of the Creatures that are therein Should thou rest there No This World and the shape and fashion of it will goe away But thinke that all these things being but shadowes they cannot by many degrees come to the resēblance of that delight these euerlasting pleasures in the life to come for the which as thy soule should earnestly seek so except thou get assurance to be partaker of them it had beene better for thee neuer to haue beene borne The glory and Maiesty of earthly Kings is great yet all their glory followes them but to their graue But O how great is that glory to bee crowned in Heauen to be cloathed with fine white robes hauing palmes in their hands in signe of victory And all this glorious estate is promised to the meanest subiect of the Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST Bread is comfortable to an hungrie body but as the hunger of the body may make thee say to him Lord giue vs this day our daylie bread So knowing the want of thy soule should thou not run with a petition for it to him who hath said I haue hid Manna to giue you
to see men with such pleasure and delight run vpon their owne euerlasting destruction The day of decision is comming when these who were heere in the eyes of the World men wondred at and of contempt shal be made in the eyes of these same men men wondred at for the greatnes of that glory which they shall inioy And the comparing of these two together shal be one of the stripes of the wicked and a degree of their torment Are not these the men whom we so despised and in contempt wondred at and now how wonderfull is the glory and blessed estate which they are brought vnto The Priests and they that serue at the Altar of God may be heere also in a speciall manner called men wondred at For if contempt follow the generall calling of Christianity surely in the highest degree it followeth that speciall calling And if ye regard the subiect of their ministery It is the matter of wonder to man and Angell The substance of all both in old and new testament being these same points of the mysterie of godlines which Paul reckons forth in the first of Timothy Of the which subiect because the verses following speake clearely and comfortably Let vs hauing now but shortly past ouer this Preface come to speake of them This speach concerning Messias his comming and suffering and the fruits of it He beginneth with a Behold Behold I will bring forth my Seruant the Branch Esay speaking of his Conception and Birth beginneth his speach also with a Behold Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Son The Angell of the Lord sent to the sheepheards to declare his Birth mentioneth the same with a Behold Behold I bring vnto you tydings of great Ioy which shal be to all people for vnto you is borne this day in the Citty of Dauid a Saviour which is CHRIST the Lord. When old Simeon who waited for the Consolation of Israel got CHRIST in his armes he spake of him to his Parents Ioseph and Mary thus Behold this Babe is appointed for the falling and rysing of many in Israel When Iohn the Baptist his fore-runner seeth him approach vnto him he wakens the hearts of all that were there to an earnest consideration of his Person and office with a Behold Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the World All this is to signifie as concerning the Messias these things First that his sending in the World his Incarnation and the manner of it his execution of his Priestly office being both the Priest and the sacrificed Lambe for the Father saith to him Thou art to me a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec And yee haue heard Iohn say of him that he is the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the World All these were a disclosing and revelation to the World of the greatest mysterie that euer was And therefore the Spirit by his Prophets and seruants cryeth so oft Behold it looke to it and consider of it This mysterie althogh it beganne to be revealed to Adam in that first promise of the seed of the Woman to tread down the head of the serpent Yet in regard of the fuller manifestation it remained then but a secret This mysterie all the time of the Legall seruice and obscure ceremonies thereof it was but as a sealed booke And as Iohn sayeth when he saw there was none to open the sealed booke he weeped till the Lambe came So all mankinde might haue weeped for euer if the Lambe had not come in the fulnes of time and opened this Booke revealed this mysterie That now that same may be the song of the Church and people of GOD which ye haue in the Apocalypse 5 Chapter 13. vers Blessing and glory and honour and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euer and euer Secondly in this Booke behold we are sent to looke to the degrees of the revelation of this mysterie his Conception marvailous his Nativity althogh in a base place yet glorious The Angels of Heauen singing about the same his office my Servant saith God The Servant of the Father in a speciall kind of Service his suffering he was that ingraven Stone The fruite of his suffering I will take away the iniquity of my people in one day Thirdly by this behold we are led in all this Mysterie as in a cleare mirrour to looke and consider 1. the deepnes of the Wisdome of God in finding out such a way of mans safety which was the wonder of Man and Angell 2. The deepnes of the loue of God to man whereof there could be no such demonstration as this To giue his onely begotten Sonne to be his ransome 3. The deepnes of the Fountaine of the refreshing mercies of God opened in the House of Dauid for vncleanenesse Here is first matter of reproofe to vs all that we being called to behold this great Mysterie kept close in former time we care no more for it nor accompt no more of it then if it were a commō and base matter 2. As GOD hath proceeded and gone on in the degrees of this revelation so the World hath gone on in the degrees of ignorance and contempt And so old Simeon his prophecie will proue true This Babe is appointed for wrack and falling of many and that vpon their owne default Thirdly we being so oft called vpon by the Spirit to behold this great Mysterie And in this Mysterie revealed so many great things ye must not thinke that we are called to an idle contemplation and beholding But we must so behold him and looke to him as we may be blessed in our sight He is in his Temple stand not amased to behold him afarre off But if thy soule with Simeon wait for the consolation of God come neare take him in thy armes imbrace him by faith so shall thy soule goe in peace when God cals for it thou shall be blessed in thy life blessed in thy death and blessed for euer after this For they that once truely apprehend him he will neuer part with them till he bring them to that same place whereof he spake to the thiefe that hang on his right hand euen the Paradise of God He is in the preaching of the Word as it were lifted on his Crosse. Behold him not afarre off but come neare hand put thy finger in the hole of his side in the print of the naile that is let thy soule by Faith so rest vpon his mercies and passion that thou may say My Lord my God my Savior He is among you not that ye should be alienated from him standing afarre off as idle gasess but come neare hand and lay thy head in his bosome I meane not bodily but spiritually this way First let thy faith rest vpon him as the perfite sacrifice for
yet heere is the supply of all Art thou set vpon the right Stone vpon Iesus Christ hee shall make thee ouercome it may be with fighting combat euen to the going downe of the Sunne to the end of thy life yet in the end thou shalt prevaile And as the going downe of the Sun is Ioyfull to the man that hath beene wearied in the fields with labour all day long for then he goeth to his rest So shall the Lord make the latter end of his owne ioyfull after their wearisome combat in this life they shall then rest from their labors and be in glory for euer A third stone or rock we read of Num. 20. chap. In the day whē the people wanted waters were ready to perish for thirst Moyses striking that rock with his rod forthwith there came abundāce of water wherof the people drank and were satisfied we cannot erre in the signification of this stone for the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 10 cha giues vs the same in expres words affirming that this stone or rock is Iesus Christ. And hereby are we informed of these things 1. that al mankind should haue perished for euer And for them not a drop of refreshment could haue beene found if the Lord himselfe had not demonstrate and pointed out this Rock euen IESVS CHRIST his Sonne Secondly from him flowes rivers of spiritual waters euen abundance of consolations to refresh the weary heart Thirdly as Moyses got no water from the Rock till he touched it with his Rod So must thou stretch out the Rod of thy Faith and therewith touch CHRIST or els thou canst draw no vertue from him althogh he be a Rocke for abundance of spirituall waters in him yet he is not so called as though he were hard intractable and that it were hard to get any good from him No he is meek and gentle easie to be entreated Thogh he be a Rock yet the smallest touch of Faith will draw healing vertue from him Althogh the Rod of thy Faith be weake and smal like a bruised reed yet he will not breake the bruised reed nor extinguish the smoaking flax Stretch out thy withered hand and touch him with thy weake faith thou shalt draw waters of refreshment and comfort from him Fourthly we reade in the 4 Chapter of Iehoshua of a heape of stones which Ioshua set vp in a testimony that Israell had past with dry foot thorow Iordane These stones are also a representation of IESVS CHRIST tovs who is set vp as a great signe of God to vs by whom we haue passage to eternall life by him we shall escape all dangers by him shall we goe with dry foote without feare through the valley of death and shal be brought to that Land of rest euen that promised Land Feare not saith he little flocke It is my Fathers will to giue you the Kingdome Fiftly we reade in the first booke of Samuel and 17 Chapter of a stone wherewith David killed Goliah This stone also hath a representatiō of IESVS CHRIST who hath overthrowen the Devill led captivity captiue bound that strong one And it is hee in whose strength we are able to prevaile Sixtly in the second Chapter of Daniel we reade of a stone was hewed out of the mountaine without hands wherein there is proper resemblance of his nativity and manner of bringing foorth in the World being brought from the Wombe of the Virgine without the company of man by the worke of the Holy Ghost It is not my purpose to digresse Let it therefore be sufficient that all these places haue beene mentioned to make out this first reason wherefore IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone Euen because in him is truely fulfilled all which by a stone or stones in the old Testament was prefigured The second reason why IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone is Because he is that Rocke vpon which his Church is founded and builded This the Apostle telleth vs in the first to the Corinthians and 3 Chapter Another foundation can no man lay then that which is already laide that is IESVS CHRIST Let the Papists abuse as they please it is of himself he meanes when speaking to Peter he saith Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock that is vpon me that am the Rocke will I build my Church vpon which shee being builded the gates of Hel shall not prevaile against her The words of the confession of Peter referres vs to CHRIST himself Thou art saith he the Son of the liuing God Vpon him the Sonne of the liuing God who is God made man in time is founded and builded the Church It is of him that these words of Dauid are to be vnderstood in the 118 Psal. The stone which the builders refused is made the head of the corner He is in his birth Daniel his Stone hewen out of the mountaine without hands In his passion he is this grauen Stone of Zacharie all full of eyes In his résurrectiō he is Esay his Stone a Stone laid in Sion that whosoeuer beleeues in him shal not be confounded He is to vs the rock of our faith that fundament wherevpon the true Church and euery member thereof is built This reason would be well considered whereby 1. ye may perceiue that this hath beene of before the craft and malice of the Deuill to make them who by profession were the builders of the House of GOD misknow the foundation and neglect the principall Stone of the building Was not Caiphas and his Priests the professed builders for the time and what did they they reiected with despight and cast away Iesus Christ so that Barrabbas was of more accompt in their eyes then he But in his resurrection hee was lifted vp and declared to bee the chiefe Stone of the building This same craft and malice of the deuill doth still rage in the world Is it not to be seene in the Antichristian Church making them to reiect and cast aside the chief Stone foundation of the building euen Iesus and to build vpon the foolish inventions and traditions of men a building althogh it appeare to rise high yet shall it be Babell it shall come to confusion Let it be farre from vs to thinke that flesh and blood can bee sufficient for the Church to build vpon There is no foundation but this pointed by the Finger of God Behold the Stone that I haue laide the same is Iesus Christ the Lord. Secondly as the Church in generall is a building set vpon this Stone foundation so euery member of the Church is a builder And he would take heed how he buildeth The instrument of thy building is Faith he cannot build that wanteth Faith hauing Faith build vpon the right ground let thy Faith take hold of Iesus Christ. The more thou growest in Faith the faster thou art built vpon
Dauid in his 32 Psal. saith not Blessed is the man that is not a sinner no man is blessed that way but blessed is hee whose sins are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not his iniquity I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude and thy sinnes like a mist Esay 44 Chapter Clouds and mists which appeare for a time are by the brightnesse of the Sunne vtterly dispersed When God looks vpon thee through the bright Son of Righteousnesse IESVS CHRIST all thy sinnes like a mist and cloude goeth away The King Ezechiah saith Esay in his 38 Chapt. That the Lord had casten his sinnes behind his backe That thing a man will not remember nor regardeth not he turneth away his face from This is the gracious doing of our God with his people his amiable face is toward their persons his back is turned vpon their sinnes They shall neuer come in his eye nor be remembred of him The Prophet Micah in his seuenth Chapter saith That the Lord casteth the sinnes of his owne in the bottome of the Sea alluding to Pharaoh his chariots whom he drowned in the red Sea so that they were neuer seene againe aliue to trouble his people So will the Lord drowne in euerlasting oblivion the sinnes of his owne that they shall neuer meet them to effray or disquiet them Heere is then the comfortable fruit of the sufferings of Christ pointed out vnto vs. God himself the engrauer of this Stone hath as it were with his owne finger written vpon his crosse Remission of sins and taking away the iniquitie of all that beleeue in him Adam and his wife put forth their hands and tooke of the fruite of that forbidden tree wherevpon followed nakednes and shame Stretch out thy hand and take of the fruite of this tree Remission of sinnes which groweth vpon the Crosse of Iesus Christ. Righteousnes and life eternall shall follow Remission of sinnes that great and maine benefite earnestly to bee sought for of vs all For since all are borne sinners and liue in sinne if a man obtaine not remission of sinnes it had beene better for him neuer to haue beene borne or being borne it had bin better for him to haue beene a beast nor a man for the death of the beast is the end of all miserie to it But the death of a man dying in his sinnes is the beginning of such miserie and woe as shall neuer haue an end There is no burden nor weight comparable to the burden of sin that hangeth so fast on and presseth down The burden of sicknes of long and heavie sicknes is a heauie burden The burden of shame and ignominie a heavy burden which maketh Dauid so earnestly cry to God in his 119 Psalme to deliuer him from that shame which he feared and his sin had deserued The burden of disdaine and contempt a heavy burden We are counted saith the Apostle the off-scowrings of the World The burden of povertie and want a heavy burden And therefore Iacob vowed that God should be his God if he would giue him food and rayment And Agur the son of Iakeh desired the Lord not to presse him with the burden of povertie lest he should blaspheme him But of all these burdens none of them can compare with the burden of sinne lying vpon a mans conscience vnpardoned And that made the Kingly Prophet laying aside his royaltie earthly pleasures of his Kingdome to cry out Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiuen Seeing therfore we haue often at the desire and entisements of the deuil eaten of the bitter fruits of sin which althogh they looke pleasant at the first yet shall proue bitter as gall and wormewood Let vs resort to this tree to IESVS CHRIST crucified and eate of this fruite and liue euen remission of sinnes in his death And that thou may know that thou hast true lie tasted of this fruit and that it is no presumption but the assurance of faith that draweth in this comfort to thy soule of the remission of sinnes Consider first if thou can looke to God the Author of it who for Christs sake hath taken away thy sinnes and forgiuen thy iniquitie Secondly by dailie teares humiliation mourning and weeping for sin labour to increase thine assurance I water my bed with teares saith Dauid Thirdly let euery one that saith he hath gotten from God remission of sinnes of many sinnes and great sinnes change the tenor of his life endeavour to walke more holy lie And then although death when it commeth strip thee naked of all the pleasures that are heere yet thou being made naked and free of sinne thou shalt not bee found in that great day as the wicked are but shal be covered with the white rayment of the righteousnes of IESVS CHRIST THE THIRD SERMON ZECHARIAH 3. Chap. and 10. verse 10 In that day saith the Lord of hostes shall ye call euery man his neighbour vnder the vine and vnder the figtree THe last point contained in these words is in the last verse and that is of the happie estate of the Church and Kingdome of Christ vnder him so gracious and comfortable a Head As remission of sins and taking away iniquitie is a consequent of his suffring and of this deep engrauing of the stone so this peaceable estate is a necessary consequent of remission of sinnes for all that haue remission of sins in the death and suffering of Christ of necessitie they must haue peace with God peace in their owne heart and soule which passeth vnderstanding tranquillity and rest which is the beginning of heauen heere for we who beleeue doe enter presently in our rest The words of the verse if they shal be considered with some respect to the temporall deliuerie of the people from Babylon and their full restitution from the captivity as was both prophecied and performed then they offered this comfort vnto them that albeit the dayes by past haue beene vnto them dayes of woe and miserie dayes of weeping and lamentation wherein they haue beene brought in a strange countrie at the rivers of Babel to shed teares for hearing the enemies deride their Hebrew songs and in the remembrance of Sion that was of before so beautifull and glorious yet when the Lord should returne to shew himself the captain Defender of his Church and should loose their yoke and bonds that day and time of their libertie is to bring with it a great glorious change being broght to their owne home and country where before they were in Babel Lying vnder their owne Vine and Figtree where before they lay at the rivers of Babel each neighbour speaking comfortablie to an other where of before they were forced to heare the rayling and out-cryings of the children of Babel And all these in the appointed time of God did so gratiously come to passe that albeit in the dayes of their
captivity their sorrow was exceeding great yet the day of their deliuerie brought with it greater abundance of joy and a gladnes more exceeding And thus they confesse themselues in the 126 Psalme When the Lord say they brought againe our captivity we were as men in a dreame It was a worke so farre beyond our expectation that we doubted whether we were waking or sleeping Our mouthes were filled with laughter our tongues and words did show vs joyfull men yea the worke was so great and marvailous as at the sight thereof the very Heathen was amased and moued to cry out and say Surely the Lord hath done for this people marvailous and great things In the signification of the wordes as they are referred to the glad day of the deliuerie of the people from their bodily trouble and captivitie these things wold be obserued First as it is true of Christ and his suffering so is it also of his members and people The day of his ingraving a darke day The day of his suffering vpon the Crosse a blacke day the Sunne covered his face but the day of his resurrection a glorious day such a day saith Paul as in it he was manifestlie declared to be the Sonne of God It was so with this people heere They had a black day of captivitie but a glorious day of deliuerie It is true of all his people these that are in covenant with him Although they haue a darke day of trouble and affliction yet there succeedes vnto it a cleare day of comfort Albeit they lying in the graue of affliction it appeare not what they are yet being raised by Gods hand it shal be not onely sensible to themselues but manifest to others that they are the children of God Secondly althogh all this life were an continued day of trouble yet there is a day comming that shall recompense all which is the day of the glorious libertie of the Sons of God Let vs therefore hold fast these comforts which Dauid out of his owne sense and inspired by the Spirit hath laid in register to vs. To the righteous that is to them that are made righteous in IESVS CHRIST there shall arise Ioy in trouble light in darknesse God will not alwayes frowne vpon his owne but though weeping be in the euening Ioy shall come in the morning Thus the people liued in an hard and miserable case being in Babel yet in regard of the promises made to them many of them liued in hope of the cleare day of their deliverie And therefore they can say in their mournfull song at the rivers of Babel Let my hand forget to touch the harp and my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I ioy before I see the deliverance of Ierusalem past But when the day came according as it was promised then are they not onely ioy full in their owne deliverie but in that same 126 Psalme they register out of their experience a sentence to stand to the perpetuall comfort of the Church and all the members thereof that shall goe vnder whatsoeuer crosse heere They that sow in teares shall reape in Ioy. Take it therefore and vse it as an vndoubted consolation The teares of the Saints shall haue a succeeding Ioy This is not so generall as all teares shall haue comfort and all that weepe shall haue ioy Esau had teares and Iudas had teares and the hand of the Lord vpon most wicked men will expresse teares But mark the phrase of the Church heere It is not they that sow teares but they that sow in teares or with teares They that in the day of Gods visitation doe sow with teares the confession of their sinnes they that sow with teares a true acknowledgement of their owne deserving They that sow with teares their prayers and supplications to GOD from whom commeth the reliefe of his owne They that sowe with teares their holy promises and vowes of amendment Assuredly although the seed-time be dolorous the haruest shal be fruitfull pleasant they shall reape remission of sinnes they shall finde from GOD a ioyfull deliverie The LORD in the beginning after he had destroyed the World with water being againe pacified hee setteth downe in the 8. Chapter of Genesis a vicissitude of these things while the world lasteth There shall be seed-time and harvest cold and heate sommer and winter day and night al 's long as the earth remaineth It is euen so with the Church of GOD and members thereof Al 's long as the earth remaineth cold and heate sommer and winter darkenesse of trouble light of deliverie weeping and reioycing till in end they bee brought to that perpetuall day and all teares bee wiped from their eyes But leauing this of the temporall deliverie because the speech hath beene hitherto of the Messias and his Kingdome Heere mention is made of the secure and peaceable estate of the subiects thereof And that this may bee the more cleare comparison is borrowed from the peaceable and quiet estate of subiects dwelling in a temporall and earthly Kingdome vnder a temporall and earthly King The peaceable estate of subiects in a worldlie Kingdome is set out this way When a man may without harme or interruption call his neighbour vnder his Vine and vnder his Fig-tree In the dayes of warre or time of oppression of enemies men draw apart to holes and holds and haue not these free meetings In the dayes or time of pestilence neighbour doth not call neighbour but neighbour skarreth with neighbour yea the friend with his friend the father with the sonne the man with his wife In the dayes or time of famine neighbour doth hardly call or invite neighbour lest as the wise Virgins said to the foolish there bee not sufficient for vs and you both But heere is the peaceable and happie estate of a Kingdome when openly without feare when familiarly without danger when vnder the vine and figtree in plentie without scarcitie hauing the Creatures of God not onely to necessitie but to delectation a neighbour may invite and call his neighbour and peaceablie enioy the benefite of God As this is in generall the description of the peaceable estate of the subiects dwelling in a Kingdome and vnder a King whom God doth blesse with peace So haue you a notable example agreeable to the same description in the Kingdome of Salomon Of which it is said in the first Booke of the Kings and fourth Chapter That all Israel from Dan to Beersheba dwelt safely vnder his vine and vnder his figtree all the dayes of Salomon Before wee come to the translation of this speech to the Kingdome of Christ something would be spoken of the comparison that forasmuch as the Spirit of God doth here borrow and take comparison from the peaceable estate of earthly Kingdomes to shadow out the peaceable and prosperous estate of the spirituall Kingdome of the Messias that
THREE EXCELLENT POINTS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I. The Nativity of our Lord IESVS CHRIST II. His bitter sufferings for the sinnes of his people III. The fruites flowing therefrom to those that by Faith apprehend him ALL PROPHECIED BY ZACHARIAH in the 8. 9. and 10. Verses of the third Chapter of his Prophecie and explained in three Sermons preached at Edinburgh by Master PETER HEWAT being Minister there IOHN 5. 29. Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me 1 PET. 1. 10. 11. 10 Of which saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched diligently who prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you 11 Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was to come did signifie When it testified before hand the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART Anno 1621. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE DAVID AIKINHEID LORD Provest And to the right Worshipfull Robert Dowgall Iohn Maknaght William Dick and Henry Morison Baillies Iohn Byres Deane of Gild Peter Somervell Thesaurer and to the remnant of the Councill representing the body of the good Town of EDINBVRGH COmfortable and powerfull is that confirmation to our faith in the Messias which is drawne from ancient Scripture when wee see that all which was fore shadowed in the Law and fore-spoken by the Prophets hath the due and full accomplishment in our Lord Iesus Christ. Who being God manifested in the flesh was in the fulnes of time for the sinnes of his people crucified at Ierusalem And thereafter declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of holines by the resurrection from the dead To this end it is that the Lord Iesus himselfe biddeth vs search the Scriptures for they testifie of him He meaneth there of ancient Scripture wherof there is no part which beareth not cleare and evident testimony of him To Adam hee was promised Noah made petition for his sonne Iaphet that he might be perswaded to come to the tents of Sem that is to the Church and family of the Messias Abraham saw his day and reioyced in it Isaac was a speciall type of him who as he was the sonne of laughter and gladnes so Iesus Christ was the ioy of the sonnes of men And as he bare on his shoulders the timber wherewith he should haue bene burnt in a sacrifice So Iesus Christ bare on his back the Crosse whereupon he was crucified Iacob spake notably of him and from his seed the Scepter did not depart till he came in the flesh Moses prayed to send him who was to be sent Iehoshua hath but the name of a Saviour in type who fighting the Lords battels and leading the people through Iordan to the promised Land resembleth our strong and mighty Chiftan that Lyon of the tribe of Iuda who subdueth his enemies leadeth captivity captiue and carrieth his people through the raging and swelling Iordan of the troubles of this life to that promised rest All the refreshment which the people had vnder Iudges fighting for them and rescuing them from their oppressours was but a shadow and a glasse to looke vnto that rest which is to be found vnder the Messias who putteth his people in such safetie that the red Dragon with his power cannot come neere to pursue The holy line is kept and closeth the booke of Ruth with Dauid the sonne of Iesse for no other purpose but to point at the Messias the Son of Dauid according to the flesh Samuel by the direction of God anointed Dauid to be King who was the type of Iesus Christ in his actions and sufferingt But the seruant of Iesus Christ as he is the Messias And therefore he acknowledgeth him to be his Lord. He is called the sweet singer of Israel And they who will looke earnestly to his Psalmes shall find how secretly he tuneth his harpe and how heauenly and melodious his song is when he singeth of the Messias to come his kingdome his subiests and the great benefit which his people inioy vnder him The Queen of Seba came to visit Salomon the son of Dauid to see the ordor of his house and found her sight aboue the report But behold Iesus Christ greater then Salomon Ezra writing the history of seuen of Daniel his weekes which make fourty nine yeares is leading the people to look to the end when shall come the holy One who shall make an end of sin and finish transgression to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring an euerlasting righteonsnes Nehemiah goeth on in the same course writing the history of seuenty yeares In the eighteen yeares history of Esther is it not remarkable to this pùrpose that while as the sword was aboue the heads of the people of God ready drawne as it were to cut off their memory Esther is raised vp as a comfortable instrument of their deliuery So when the sword of Gods vengeance was drawne to cut off the whole race of Adam with an euerlasting destruction in commeth Iesus Christ not looked for of Angels nor expected of man who setteth his people at freedome and deliuereth them who were subiect to that feare Iob was afflicted many wayes in his goods in his children in his wife in his body in his conscience yet is his head holden vp and he kept from despair by the faith which he hath in the Messias still hoping with the eyes of his soule body both to see his Redeemer When the Prophets come in is not this the summe of all their Prophecy He that readeth Esay may read in him all the points of the Evangell of Iesus Christ. Euery one of the succeeding Prophets holding fast the same point And the nerer they draw to the time of the rising of that bright Star the more clearly they spoke of him So that the last of the Prophets being Malachie his last breath is of Iohn the Baptist the forerunner of Iesus Christ. And so Christ himselfe telleth you that all the Prophets and the Law prophecied vnto Iohn and that by Elias of whom Malachie spoke is vnderstood Iohn When the Lord Iesus came himself all his actions and especially his sufferings were the accomplishment of Scripture which was written of old Vpon the mountaine of his transfiguration there is seen talking with him Moses and Elias to testifie the sweet concent and harmony betwixt him the Law and the Prophets And the subiect of their conference saith Luke was of his death which he should accomplish at Ierusalem After his resurrection in that powerfull Sermon of his which made the hearts of the hearers to burne within them Did he not begin at Moses and the Prophets and expound vnto them in all the Scriptures these things that were written concerning him it would take a long time and fill many pages to goe through all These few words to them that are wise in the
vpon thee to waken thy hearing and sometimes there may arise◅ for the sinnes of people the strange noyse and horrible sound of the Antichristian Locusts to waken mens hearing to bring thē to remorse of their former carelesse hearing and make them thinke and say O how vile and blasphemous things are we compelled with our cares to heare who would not hearken to the voice of our God in his pure and holy Word The people were thus way handled at the rivers of Babel being forced to heare the despightfull wordes of their enemies reproaching their seruice of GOD and that because they did not hearken to the voyce of their GOD being at home in their owne Land Thus it is manifest that no man hath his care so ready and bent but he hath need still to be wakened and stirred vp to heare what GOD sayeth to him Moreouer there is no man so perfite a Scholler in the Schoole of CHRIST but hath neede daylie to heare and in hearing to learne al 's long as he liueth And should not as it is in this Text the gravity of the matter and the great and weighty mysteries coming from God to vs in the mouthes of his servants provoke vs diligently and attentiuely to heare My heart sayeth Dauid is indyting a good matter I speake of the things which I haue made touching the King hearken sayeth he for my mouth will vtter wisedome and statutes divine Hearken sayeth the Lord heere to Iehoshua And the argument is in the matter proponed in the wordes following being a speech of the Messias of his person his office his sacrifice and the good that shall come thereby to his people This word of the Preface wakening Iehoshua to attention it would be marked first for descriuing of a great and common sinne so common that who can say he is free of it GOD hath spoken and his Sonne IESVS CHRIST by whom hee hath spoken in these last times hath cryed alowd vnto vs but we haue not heard him This is the depraved condition of the eare of all the sonnes of Adam The smallest whisperings of the Deuill that old serpent are good language to vs to which we harken readily But the loud cryings and callings of our God are past with a deafe care And that to God we haue not hearkened is it not evident in this no man hath turned out of his way It may be well said that it wil be the superscription of our plague and iudgment when euer it shall come because we would not heare the Lord speaking to vs. A sin which not onely brings on plague and iudgment but a thing worse nor the plague euen the stopping of the Lords eare that he will not heare thee calling to him in the Day of thy Iudgement For albeit a man be plunged in a great deepe yet so long as he may haue commoning with God and interchange speech with him his estate can not be counted hard Ionas lying in the deep of the Sea inclosed in the belly of the whale yet herein was his comfort My voice came to God and he heard me But they that wilfully close their eare and will not heare GOD when hee speakes they close vpon themselues the doore of comfort God hath promised a meeting this way They shall cry to me euen in the day of their trouble but I will not heare them Let vs seeke from him the touching and opening of our eare which hath beene so long closed Ler vs seeke the reformation of our eare that we who haue beene swift to heare the Deuill speaking to our great hurt in soule and body may once resolue to heare our God speaking to our well If thou be one of the Israell of God remember it is written of thee in the first wordes of the booke of God Hearken Israell Sacrifice and burnt offering he craues not of thee Happie is he that may come in and say a bored and prepared eare thou hast giuen me to heare thy Law It was a signe of a perpetuall servitude of old the boring of the eare So it is a signe of that seruice wherein is true freedome and libertie a ready and open eare to heare and in hearing to follow the counsels and directions of God And we that haue so long sleeped and either mistaken or misregarded the voice of our God Would God we once learned the lessoun that old Eli gaue to Samuell that wee might come before him with this disposition and say Speak Lord for we thy seruants are ready to heare Another vse would be made of this discourse concerning the hearing of the Lords voice that seeing trouble and affliction is one of the Lords meanes by which he openeth the eare Then should it draw euery man and woman to a careful examination of them selues how they haue profited in the schoole of affliction and profited in this lesson of better and more carefull hearing of the Word of God None want their owne visitations and afflictions And althogh Gods end in inflicting be as hath bene said to open the eare to heare better yet it may be said of vs all we haue come out of this fornace al 's deafe and dull in hearing as euer we were of before Pharaoh made many faire promises in the dayes of his calamity that if the judgement were remoued he would heare better and hearken to the voice of God in Moyses bidding him let the people goe Yet the judgement being remoued he returned to his owne fashion and counts as little of Gods Word as he did before his trouble When troubles particular hath not mended our hearing it argueth our disease to be great when the presages of such change and alteration as may be the remouing of our candlestick being before our eyes yet mendeth not our hearing an argument of a farther confirmed disease Shall none of these moue vs The Lord he can speake lowder yet and hath a voice to put forth that can make the earth and the inhabitants thereof to tremble The voice of Eli to his sonnes was but soft but God told him hee had a voice to put forth the sound whereof would make all their eares to tingle And as the Disciples who in their drowsines would not be wakened with their masters voice were wakened with the staues and swords of their enemies So where the sound of the word hath past as a base thing and when all Gods doing hath not mended mens hearing what wonder althogh the time come when he that spake as a Lambe shall roare as a Lyon And when the Lyon roares the beasts of the forrest tremble And that the Lord so put forth his voyce in his Iudgement as no flesh shal be able to repell the sound of it Who can expect otherwise There is a sort of hearers who in their hearing are so dainty whose eares are so itching and are so continually attending novelty that if they heare not each
day a new tune a new forme some new and vncouth point of Doctrine at least deliuered in an new and vncouth forme They weary of hearing and haue no pleasure in it to whom let this serue for answere There are in the Word many repetitions of one and the selfe-same thing and they are not idle nor in vaine For 1. the repetitions of the Word serue to helpe thy vnderstanding and confirme thy knowledge 2. Althogh thy knowledge and vnderstanding were good yet is not thy memory weake and ill able enough to reteine ill but to let good things slip through The repetition therefore of the Word serueth to helpe thy memory and strengthen the same 3. Albeit thou would say I vnderstand well enough and my memorie is good enough yet who is able to say my affection is good enough and the obedience of my will is good enough And al 's long as they are not conforme repetition of the same points of the Word is needfull and thy affections hath need dayly to be beaten by the same hammer of the Word till they be brought vnder obedience But for these who weary in hearing because of repetition and would each day heare some new thing Let this be an answere Albeit thou heare euery day that same thing and this day that same thing which thou heard the last day yet thou hearest euery day a new thing insomuch as at euery hearing thou gettest sometimes a new exhortation to an old vertue sometimes a new threatning for an old sinne a new advertisement to learne the old lessoun of repentance All which shall so bee put in the accompts of God against thee as new that if thou shall remaine the olde man euery hearing bringing on a new hardnesse shall induce a new conviction and procure at Gods hands an new and further Iudgement To this attention and hearing are called not only Iehoshua himselfe but the text sayeth his fellowes that sate before him for they are men wondred at By the fellowes of Iehoshua may be vnderstood the whole Church and people of God for all both Priest and people are called to be auditors of the voice of God and of this Sermon the subiect wherof is the Messias in him yee know there is no exception of persons There is not one way for the Priest and another way for the people But one common way of saluation to all and that is in the same Messias The Priest is said to heare two wayes First heare the Worde from GOD as that Worde by which hee looketh to be safe himselfe Secondly so heare from GOD as he who must be Gods mouth againe to the people to deliuer to them evidently and faithfully his Oracles The people are so to heare and embrace as there is no way of safety to soule and body but this which is proponed from the Mouth of God Let not therefore the Priests say It is enough for vs if we instruct the people and tell them what they should doe no thou must sit downe and learne and heare thy selfe if thou thy selfe would be saued Neither let the people say Let the Priests or the Preachers who haue their maintenance thereby seeke the knowledge of these mysteries If thou bee seeking eternall life to thee it is spoken Search the Scriptures it is they that beare testimony of IESVS CHRIST and in him onely is life to be sought and found By the fellowes of Iehoshua may be vnderstood the rest of the Priests that were fellow-labourers with him And as they come in called to hearing vnder this stile and title of Iehoshua his fellowes it is to tell vs that albeit Iehoshua was high Priest and in that place a Type of IESVS CHRIST to come yet hee was not set there that in pride he should lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren but remember they were fellowes in that same worke of God with him The Popish pride is Deuilish his vsurped singularity he hath not of Peter whose successor he will needes be he calleth himselfe a fellow elder with the rest And the Pope will be a god on earth to giue Law to all the rest Albeit it may be thought meet for orders cause that some preside in the reformed Church of God yet they would remember Presbyters are to them as the rest of the Priests were to Iehoshua of whom it is said thou thy fellowes And three things in this kinde of superiority would euer be eschewed 1. Pride for God setteth vp no man that he should swell in conceit that is the brood of the Devill 2. Tyrannie or dominion over their brenhren and the Lords inheritance Thirdly idlenes for they are not set there to looke to themselues and the enlarging of their owne estate but to looke to the flock and people which IESVS CHRIST hath redeemed by his Blood That from the Preface we may come to the words themselues marke the last words wherein these fellowes of Iehoshua are called men of wonder or men wondred at If ye reteine the first interpretation vnderstanding by the fellows of Iehoshua all the faithfull people of God then is there heere a certaine description of the Church and people of God vsed also in other places of Scripture Esay hath it in his eight Chapter 18 verse Behold I and the children which the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israel And the people and children of God are called men of wonder or wondred at that is men contemned and despised of the World yea they are wondred at in their conversation doing as mad men that should follow a course by the rest of the World and not to goe on with them drinking in all sort of sinne with greedines Moyses in leauing the honours and pleasures of the Court of Pharaoh and choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God was hee not heerein a man greatly wondred at For men to account all folly in respect of IESVS CHRIST is not this to the worldly-wise a matter of wonder The mortification of the flesh The contrition and dolor of the heart for sinne The teares of repentance are they not to the prophan of the World matters of wonder It is indeed in it selfe a matter wonderful comming frō the rich mercie and bountie of God which indeed of vs is to be admired that any should be taken out of the rotten race of Adam and entred in this way that leades to the Kingdome of Heauen It is vnto the prophane of the World a matter of wonder to behold this separation not that herein they obserue Gods goodnes but that all things seeme strange to them which savour not of the flesh and of this present World But let each one heere as it were stand wondring at others The naturall and fleshly man wondring at the doings of the Children of God The renewed man that hath receiued illumination from aboue wondring
thy sinnes Secondly let thy Will Reason Iudgement and all be subiect to him Bring all captiue vnder his obedience Thirdly in the day of whatsoeuer griefe lay thy head in his bosome that is rest vpon him Is thy waters like the waters of Mara bitter heere a tree his crosse behold it not afarre off but take it and vse it Cast it in with thy trouble season it with the meditation of his suffering and thy waters shall become sweet vnto thee In speaking now of the Messias the Lord giueth vnto him two Names first he calleth him his Servant Secondly he calleth him the Branch The first Name the Name of a Servant is in divers places of Scripture giuen to the Messias Esay eleuenth Chapter 42. ver 51. Of which Name giuen to him there is sundry reasons First he is so called for his obedience done and performed to his Father In seruants obedience and sidelity is required The eyes of the seruants sayeth Dauid are toward their Masters to wait vpon their will and performe their Commandements No servant was ever found so faithfull and obedient to his Master As IESVS CHRIST this great Servant in the House of GOD was to his Father obedient he was euen vnto the death of the Crosse. The obedience of Isaac is commended that suffered himselfe without resistance to be bound of his Father But to IESVS CHRIST of whom Isaac was the Type there needes no bonds His Fathers will and pleasure was his meat and drinke he knowing that it was his Fathers will that he should die for the sinnes of his people most willingly he went to the Crosse and protested of his willingnes saying No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe willingly Secondly he is called the Servant of God in regard of the assumption of the humane Nature in time albeit the Sonne of GOD from all eternity yet made the Servant of GOD in time because he was made man made of a woman and made vnder the Law Thirdly the Servant of GOD euen for the forme and shape of a Servant which he carried in the time of his exinanition and lurking of his Divinity of which Paul speaketh clearely in the second to the Philippians and 7. verse And himselfe sayeth Mathew 20 Chapter that he came not to be serued but to serue This style giuen to IESVS CHRIST would be considered of first for our consolation that we may safely with confidence commit our selues vnto him who for our cause hath vndertaken such seruice that althogh hee bee now glorious in the Heauens yet is not this a kinde of Service for vs That he interceedes for vs to whom we may boldlie approach hauing no need of the seruice and intercession of Saints Secondly it serues for example to vs that we should learne of Christ to serue to be faithfull to be obedient to submit our will to the Will of God to make his Word and not our affections the rule of our service And it is well said we are servants 1. By the right of creation are we not servants to him of whom we haue life and all things necessary Secondly we are seruants by right of redemption for we being captiue the Son of God hath redeemed vs not with the ransome of golde siluer or corruptible things but with his owne precious Blood Thirdly we are seruants by right of povertie Nothing broght we with vs in this World all that we haue is Gods Iacob vowed service to God if so be he would giue him food and raiment Fourthlie we are servants by right of infirmitie wee were not able to helpe our selues CHRIST is become our Counsellour hee hath learned vs what to doe he hath instructed vs in that which is meet for soule and bodie Let vs seek to serue and obey him The second name or title giuen to the Messias he is called the Branch He is so called hauing respect to the former Prophecies and promises that were made of him that it may be knowne he is no other but the same that was fore-prophecied and promised of before who was to spring and come of Dauid Ieremy 23 Thus is it said of him Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I wil raise vnto Dauid a zealous Branch a King that shall reigne and prosper and shall execute Iustice and Iudgement vpon earth he shall saue Israel and shal be called the Lord our righteousnes The Prophet Esay in his 53 Chapter hath these words of him Hee shall grow vp as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground The meaning is When the family and House of Dauid is become so weake that it is as a dry stock when all appearance of springing or succession that way is gone then the Lord mindfull of his promise and able to performe that which he hath said makes of the same dry stock this Branch to spring and makes him as concerning the flesh comming of the Royall race the most comfortable King that euer the World saw But to consider a little of this word the Branch he is so called for these reasons First as a Branch is but a tender and fragill thing so was he borne in infirmity vnder great perill There was no place to lay him in but the Crib and there is he not free of danger but his life incontinent sought Secondly as somtime contrary our expectation of a dry stock or roote a branch will bud out that will flourish and be greene so did he contrary the expectation of man bud out of that dryed stock of the house of Dauid a green and a flourishing Branch Thirdly because in him as in a greene flourishing branch there doth flourish and spring the flowrs the fruits of al excellent vertues And this the Prophet Esay told of him in his eleuenth Chapter The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him and it shall flourish this way The Spirit of wisedome the Spirit of vnderstanding the Spirit of counsell the Spirit of trueth the Spirit of peace and all such excellent vertues Fourthly because as a branch that hath life in it groweth and taketh increasse from day to day So this Branch comming foorth in the World Luke saith of him As he grew in stature so hee grew in wisdome and knowledge in grace with God and man Fiftly although he came out as a small Branch and was in the eyes of men of no reputation yet of a Branch is he become a great tree and wee as dry and withered branches are to be transplanted out of the old stock and by faith be ingraft in him from whom we draw spirituall life and nourishment So sayth he himselfe Iohn 15. I am the Vine and yee are the branches he that abides in me and I in him the same bringeth forth fruit In this stile giuen to
heere his faith flourisheth and bringeth forth brotherly kindnes or then they are more estranged from him being not of that society yet here his faith flourisheth bringing forth euen toward them Charity Hee that this way flourisheth he is imped in the Stock IESVS CHRIST he that flourisheth not he is saith the Apostle blind and cannot see farre off Hee hath forgotten that hee was purged from his old sinnes THE SECOND SERMON ZECHARIAH 3. Chap. 9. and 10. verses 9 For behold the Stone that I haue laid before Ioshua vpon one stone shall be seuen eyes behold I will engraue the grauing thereof sayeth the Lord of hostes and I will remooue the iniquity of that land in one day 10 In that day saith the Lord of hostes shall yee call euery man his neighbour vnder the Vine and vnder the fig-tree IN these last two Verses are set downe fiue excellent points concerning the Messias First a new Name giuen vnto him and it is a name of strength and firmenesse whereas the former two appeared names of weakenes a Branch and a Servant This is a name of strength and solidity he is a Stone and a Stone laide downe by the hand of GOD himself Secondly a new picture prefiguring of this Stone vpon this Stone shal be 7 eyes 3. A proper word of the suffrings of IESVS CHRIST whereas his father is brought in saying And I will ingraue the grauing thereof sayth the Lord of hostes 4 The comfortable fruit and effect of his passion in the remission of sins I will saith the Lord remooue the iniquity of the Land in one day 5. The great tranquillitie and peaceable estate that the subiects of this Kingdome shall inioy vnder this gratious King set downe in a borrowed speech In that day shall euery man call his neighbour vnder the Vine and vnder the fig-tree The first point is of this new Name giuen to the Messias he is now called a Stone and a Stone laide by Gods owne hand A Stone vpon which whosoeuer is not solidely builded he shall breake the neck of his soule and perish eternally This name was giuen to him of before by Esay in his 28 Chapter Behold sayth the Lord I lay in Sion a Stone a tryed Stone a sure foundation hee that beleeueth shall not make haste And the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle and second Chapter brings in the Lord speaking of him Behold in the same maner Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner Stone elect and precious he that beleeueth in him shall not be cōfounded This Stone Gods hands laide before Iehoshua to signifie that the ground and foundation of the heavenly Ierusalem is IESVS CHRIST 2. He laide him before Iehoshua the high Priest who serued in the Leviticall sacrifice First to signifie that the eye of their faith should be perpetually toward him 2. That all that seruice and daylie shedding of blood should so respect him that vnles it be builded on this ground the Messias the Lambe to be slaine his Blood that is onely able to pacifie the wrath of God if all be not laide vpon this Altar and vpon this stone which God himselfe hath laide downe it is all but foolish and in vaine We must heere a little examine the reasons of this Name giuen to the Messias both in the Old and New Testament which may be taken vp this way First he is called a Stone because hee is the maine scope of all Scripture whatsoeuer was formerly prefigured to the Patriarches by stones or a stone is in him truely fulfilled and accomplished We read in the 28 Chapter of Genesis of a stone that the Patriarch Iacob being weary in his Iourney laid his head vpon and sleeping there he saw that heauenly vision of the Ladder the one end whereof touching the ground the ◅oppe of it reached to the Heauen wherevpon he saw ascending and descending the Angels of God This Stone is CHRIST vnto whom we are sent in all our wearines to lay our head vpon him and there to rest Cast thy care vpon God and he shall provide for thee commit thy way to him Although this Stone vnto the World appeare to be but a hard resting place yet there is soft resting vpon it He that casteth his care vpon him and reposeth vpon this Stone he shall find him first a ready accesse to heaven a Ladder whose top reacheth to Heauen CHRIST himselfe is that Ladder Secondly he that casteth his care vpon him and reposeth vpon him shall find the Angels ready to minister vnto him Thirdly he that resteth this way and casteth his care vpon him shall find by him strength to prevail against all the mutations and tedious things of the world It is a word serving 1. to slay in vs faithlesse care 2. to direct vs the right way to seek rest and ease to our soules against both tormenting cares and cruciating feares And 3 heere is our great comfort that the writing on this Stone are euen these same words of God spoken to Iacob in his wearisome Iourney for he that layeth his head this way and committeth himselfe to God through IESVS CHRIST he shall euen read vpon this Stone these comfortable words I am with thee I will keepe thee I will not leaue thee vntill I haue done that which I haue spoken vnto thee A second Stone we reade of in Exod. 17 Chapter when Moyses praying for Israel that they might prevaile against Amalek he being wearyed his hands waxing heavy they tooke a Stone and put it vnder him and he sate thereon And Aaron and Hur supporting his hands his hands were stedfast vntill the going down of the Sunne This Stone hath also a representation of IESVS CHRIST who is called heere The Stone that the Lord hath laide Our prayers must be vpon this Stone founded vpon this ground vpon Iesus Christ his Commandement his merite or els they are but weake and feeble and can do no good If our faith take fast hold on him and our hearts be lifted toward him then doe we prevaile against Amalek the deuill the world and the flesh But when our faith waxeth feeble and our heart falleth downward then doe they prevaile against vs. And of the example of Moyses wee are to make these vses First to consider that by reason of the great burden of flesh and corruption which we carrie we are subiect to great wearinesse in the best and most spirituall exercises Secondly meanes of wakening and stirring vp would be vsed Aaron at the one hand and Hur at the other a Sermon this day another the next day the Word at the one hand the Sacramentat the other hearing sometime conference at another And all such means would be vsed to hold vp the heart that growes faint and feeble in spirituall exercises Thirdly although there be much wearinesse many imperfections great infirmitie
this foundation And therefore Iude saith Edifie your selues in your most holy faith We are therfore to study to the dayly incres of faith adorne our faith with Christian vertues so are we well built our selues by our example we also edify others Thirdly this point wold also be considered telling vs how sure the foundation is and how strongly he buildeth who buildeth vpon it Our Master expresseth the surenesse of this foundation of a mans estate built this way when he saith that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him And 1. sin that draweth to hell shall not prevail to thy condemnation for there is no sin that can divide thee frō the foundation Iesus Christ. 2. the diuell the master torturer of hell he shall not prevaile against thee for he is stronger who holdeth thee and vpon whom thou art built then the Deuill is who would pull thee out of his hands 3. Hell it selfe although it enlarge the mouth and it be open wide yet that is no thing against thee for this building is a building of honour and not of confusion It would be also heere remembred that the Lord IESVS who is the foundation of this building in the 6. Chapter of Luke he saith that in hearing ye are building And as there are two sort of hearers so is there two sort of builders And as they differ in the foundation so the day shall try euery mans building and every mans hearing If ye be idle hearers ye are foolish builders Ye must therefore labour to heare so that in hearing you may be building vpon the Rocke The day of triall will come the showres of trouble and tentation and at last death it self that will try euery mans hearing and euery mans building firme and sure will the estate of that man proue to be who is founded vpon the Rock by faith cleaueth to IESVS CHRIST The fall of hypocrisie in the end will be such as there shal be no more recovery Let vs build vpon this Rock if we build by faith on him heere he hath a faire building for vs in the Heauen Albeit the outward building of the body be daylie falling downe and decaying yet wee being builded in the inward Man vpon IESVS CHRIST we haue assurance of a faire building and house prepared for vs in the Heauens The third reason CHRIST is called a stone because he is our onely refuge our onely comfort and stay in the day of whatsoeuer trouble or tentation There is no Rocke like our God The Name of the Lord is a strong towre and the Righteous runne to it and are safe This Stone which the Lord hath laide downe is firme and sure you may trust to him you may boldly build on him he will not faile what ye lay on him is sure lay the whole repose of your soule vpon him Heere Dauid may haue sure footing Thou hast set my feet vpon a rock Heere Moyses hath vphold for his hands Heere Iacob hath rest for his head By him shall thy feete be preserued from sliding Thy head from dangerous and sorrowfull conceptions and thy hands shal be strengthened to good and lifted vp in prayer to God Last heere CHRIST in comparing himselfe to a Stone would recommend to vs three things in imitation of him 1. humility a Stone is but an humble and base thing 2. firmenesse and stability Be ye so humble that ye be also strong in the faith 3. Patience a Stone will endure much and who euer indured so much as he And was still as a Stone not moued to learne vs patience vnder the Hand of our God and in the day of whatsoeuer crosse or trouble to be silent and still from murmuring because hee hath done it There is a speciall point here wherein you must remember that the comparison holdeth not and in which we must be most vnlike to stones For althogh we should be as a Stone in humility soliditie and patience yet must we not be as Stones in senslesnesse stupiditie for all the stones of this building they are liuely and sensible of the liuely grace and operation of God Men senslesse not vnderstanding nor beleeuing are comparable to stockes and stones And they who are senselesse of Gods grace in this day of the dispensation of Gods grace when it commeth to the day of trouble or ill tydings they are as Stones they are stupide and confounded they are voide of resolution Their heart within them is as a stone cold and comfortlesse Ye read of Nabal in the first of Samuel 25 Chap. In the morning when the wine was out of his head remembring his former folly hee became as a stone that is he was a senslesse beast hee knew not whereupon to resolue nor where to turne him his heart was cold as a stone and voide of comfort We must be as liuely stones founded vpon the Rock And let the showres come and stormes blow we shall stand fast and not be moued And forasmuch as all are stones either vndressed or vnhewen as we came out of Adams quarry or then dressed prepared and made liuely stones of the building of God Of the one we are to say God make of these stones children to Abraham And of the other let him that is once built grow in faith and be still more holy and righteous and still grope faster Iesus Christ. And as he althogh once very low yet was exalted made the head of the corner So althogh thy estate be base and thou subiect to great trouble yet shall this hand who hath placed thee in the building one day lift thee high and giue thee a glorious place in that building whose craftesman and builder is not man but the liuing God himselfe Thus haue ye seen the reasons of this Name giuen to the Messias hee is called a Stone The second point is a new kind of picture or figuring of this Stone And it is this vpon this one stone shal be seuen eyes In the Scriptures of God eyes doe commonly signifie knowledge wisdome aud vnderstanding Where wisdome and knowledge is the eyes of the minde are said to bee illuminate And where wisdome and vnderstanding is not they are darkned and put out It goes in the Scripture for the description of a wise man his eyes are in his head As the eye signifieth knowledge and wisdome So the number of seuen importeth perfection so the seuen Candlesticks and seuen Spirits of God mentioned in the Revelation they are the number of perfection Then the sense goeth this way Vpon this one Stone the Messias shal be seuen eyes that is vpon him shall rest and he shal be filled with the perfect measure of wisdome knowledge and with all the rest of the gifts graces of the Spirit for in him is hid and laide vp the treasure of all heauenly knowledge and wisdome
knowledge of God may be sufficient Amongst the rest of the Prophets our Prophet Zachary being the last except one before the comming of Christ he doth most clearely point him forth He is in this Prophecie that great Angell who taketh the filthy garments from Iehoshua It is he only who taketh from vs the filthy garment of our sin and cloatheth vs with the white garment of his righteousnes It is he who putteth wickednes in an Epha and hath cast a weight of Lead vpon the mouth of it For let vs bury our sins where we will they will rise again except they be buried in the buriall of Iesus Christ from whence they shall neuer rise to our confusion here nor condemnation after this He is that Branch who buildeth the spirituall Temple of GOD. Yea our Prophet is so speciall in his Prophecy of the Messias that he will tell you of his comming in to Ierusalem riding on an Asse He will tell you of the very price for which he was sold and betrayed euen thirty pieces of silver And in end he will conclude his Prophecy with making mention of that glorious comming to Iudgment These three Sermons following are vpon the last three verses of the third Chap. of this Prophet Zachary where in you shall find excellent Propheticall speach of the Messias Here haue you his Natiuity being that Branch of the root of Iesse 2. His suffring being that Stone which the Lord of Hostes himself did ingraue 3. The fruits flowing there from which are the remouing of sin peace of conscience and the inioying of all sort of good I was not of purpose that these Sermons should haue seen the light being conscious of my own insufficiency neither presuming vpon anything that can flow from me But being ouercome by the importunity of a kinde and louing friend who by accident saw my papers to whom I could resuse nothing that was lawfull and possible for me I was content to be requested yea in a manner commanded And seeing they must come forth to whom can they more properly belong then to your L. and town of Edinburgh they being my first fruits of this sort I had with you my birth I was educat in your schooles of learning I serued althogh vnworthy twenty yeares in your publike Ministry From which now being remoued since I can doe you no good by publike preaching I shal be glad if by writing or any other meanes which lyeth in me I may proue in any sort stedable Of these Sermons you were also auditors they being amongst the last which I preached there And so may be best iudged of by you if they be not the same which were deliuered It may please your L. Baillies and Councill in name of the good Town to accept this small propine from one of your own with the like heart and loue wherewith it is offered Whereby if I shall but rub off me the note of ingratitude that your L. doth in any sort like of these trauels I haue gained what I would and will be hereby incouraged to vse my pen oftner that if any good by me can redound vnto others the praise thereof vnder God may be yours with whom I was bred and brought vp Thus praying God to blesse your trauels and make your gouernment prosperous by the propagation of the Gospell among you and procuring the good of your town and Commonwealth I rest Yours as it becommeth of bounden duty Mr PETER HEWAT To the Reader LOuing and Christian Reader I know that the great light and knowledge of this age hath bred itching eares so that he who will giue foorth any thing in publick must expect of his travels more carping and censuring than profiting The food which in the selfe is wholesome for the soule being drawne from the pure Word of GOD is not savorie meat to euery mans taste They must haue strange sawces to waken their appetite and desire of reading But let men wander in their conceits as they please this remaineth sure that they who lay not the foundation of Faith in divinity vpon the Scripture build not vpon the Rock They who presume to vnderstand aboue that which is written remember not the Apostles precept Rom. 12. 13. And they who thinke the Scriptures too shallow to wade in as not affording sufficient matter for their wits to worke vpon sinke in a sea of absurdities and errours You shall not expect in these Sermons following the large handling of these great common places of divinity mentioned in the Title for that you know would require a large volume But a plaine opening of the text adhering therevnto without digression Wherein I will desire you not so much to regard my rude and simple doing as my affection being willing to cast in my myte in the Church Treasure the conscience of my doing being to me a sufficient guard against all calumnies Thus farre onely I am bold to say that if you will take paines to reade you shall finde all that is set downe heere able to abide the touch-stone of holy Scripture And if in any thing I haue erred and gone astray as who can pleade perfection then I say with holy Dauid Psal. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me and it shall bee a kindnesse Let him reproue me and it shal be an excellentoyle which shall not breake my head The Spirit of GOD leade you in all trueth Farewell LECTORI AVTHORI DVlce novum veteri tibi si componere foedus Cernere eventis sit rata dicta suis Mesiae ortum obitum fructum tibi inde fluentem Hîc lege sunt tria te judice digna legi Lectaque digna feres mea ni sententia fallat Lecta feres fidei non malèfida tuae Perge HEWETE Sacri sic mystica pandere Verbi Linguaque si sileat sic tua penna sonet PATRICIVS SANDAEVS Ad D. PETRVM HVATTVM Sermones editurum QVod diae assiduis sacris operere Sionis Laudibus adijciet posthuma fama tuis Scriptaque quod mandes nervosa nepotibus aetas Nescia noctis atrae te repetita canet Durabunt dum Luna micat tua dogmata numen Indidit eloquiis pondus HVATTE tuis Faenerat exigui corpus dona ampla libelli In parvo magnum munere munus inest Io. HALLVS F. VErbis Suada tuis sensu Hermes ludit HVATTE Sicque tuum plenum est numine opus duplici Dulce sonant dulce sapiunt haec scripta nec vlli Non sapient si non invido insipido GVLIELMVS HALLVS THE FIRST SERMON ZECHARIAH 3. Chap. 8. 9. and 10. verses 8 Heare now O Iehoshua the high Priest thou and thy fellowes that sit before thee For they are men wondred at For behold I will bring forth my seruant the BRANCH 9 For behold the stone that I haue laid before Iehoshua vpon one stone shal be seuen eyes behold I will engraue the grauing thereof saith the Lord of Hostes and will remoue the