anger so God is angry with us many times and would kill us but the true Ionathan Iesus Christ doth interpose himselfe and labour to mitigate his anger by presenting his wounds and body before God therefore when wee cannot lift up our voyce to God nor our hearts as wee should yet Christ makes intercession his body speakes when we cannot speake and his blood crieth when we cannot cry Now I shall not need to shew you the manner how Christ makes intercession for us having spoken of it but a little before and therfore I will now proceed without any repetition to the second end why Christ ascended Secondly That hee might more powerfully and more mightily administer and governe his Church for therefore God hath exalted him that he may rule the whole world for the good of the Church as the people rejoyced exceedingly at the crowning of Salomon so wee may much more rejoyce that Christ is all in all and that hee sits at the right hand of God for the good of the Church Now by foure actions Christ doth governe in his Church 1 He drawes people to himselfe 2 He doth guide and governe them 3 He doth exercise them with crosses and troubles 4 He doth protect and defend them against all their enemies First He doth draw and pull people unto himselfe and brings them to Faith and Repentance and an estate of grace that they may be saved so Christ saith to Ierusalem Matth. 23. 37. How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not to the same effect also Ioh. 11. 52. It was said of him That hee dyed not for that nation onely but that hee should gather together in one the children of God which were scattered abroad so then it is Christ that doth gather and draw us there is not any man living that is able to draw himselfe out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell into the kingdome of grace and state of blessednesse it must be Christ onely that must draw him therefore it is said in the Acts that There were added to the Church daily such as should be saved so it was not they themselves that drew themselves out but it was Christ by his Word and by his Spirit that did draw them and pull them out of their sinnes and brought them to an estate of grace Now is there any man thus drawne out of his sinnes into an estate of grace let him know it is the hand of Christ that did draw and gather him for Christs sitting in heaven is as powerfull to draw and pull men out of their sinnes as the Adamant is to draw Iron to it Wherefore when men see themselves thus drawne out of their sinnes and pulled out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell they may say as Iudas did Ioh. 14. 22. What is the cause thou shewest thy selfe to us and not unto the world even so we must admire the goodnesse of Christ and say Lord what is the cause thou hast pulled us out of the kingdome of the devill and pit of hell and hast brought us to an estate of grace to Faith and to Repentance there was nothing in us Lord but it was thy good pleasure and meere mercy to doe it Now the meanes wherby he drawes and puls men unto himselfe is especially by the Preaching of the word and Gospell therefore Saint Paul saith Eph. 4. 12. he gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints and for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ c. so Esai 53. 1. the Word of God is called the Arme of God because that even as men doe draw and gather with their armes things to themselves so the Lord doth draw and gather men to himselfe by the preaching of the Gospell so it is the Arme of God to draw men out of the estate of damnation into an estate of salvation and out of the kingdome of the devill into the kingdome of Christ Hereof wee may make these profitable Vses following First seeing the preaching of the Gospell is the Arme of God to draw men unto himselfe therefore faithfull Ministers must remember that they bee the hand of Christ to draw and to pull men out of their sinnes Chrysostome compares Preachers to a number of servants in a great shop of whom some bee in one place and some in another yet all comes to the common boxe and is for the advantage of the master so saith hee this world may bee compared to a shop wherein some of the Preachers are in one place and some in another imployed in preaching and yet all must come to the common boxe all must turne to the advantage of our Lord and Master they must not turne it to themselves and to their owne advantage but they must labour to draw and to pull men to God because this is the ordinary meanes to draw them by Secondly seeing the preaching of the Word is the Arme of God to draw and pull men to God therefore wee must hold us to the meanes and keep close to them that so we may be brought to an estate of grace to faith and repentance and so to be saved It may be objected All come to the means but all are not drawne and gathered to God a number hang in their sinnes still I answere though thou doe not finde thy selfe to be drawne to God presently yet doe not neglect but come still for if thou dost despise it and come not at it then it is not possible that ever thou shouldst bee gathered and brought into the state of grace but if wee come to the meanes then wee may have hope that one day God will draw us unto himselfe though not at the first houre of the day yet hee may at the second and if not at the second yet at the sixth and if not at the sixth yet at the last houre of the day Therefore we must wait on the meanes and attend that till God give his blessing unto it Iohn 5. we see a lame man came to the poole to bee helped of his diseases and lay there a long time for he was intercepted by one or other that did step in before him yet hee continued still because there was meanes of his helpe and at last Christ came and did help him so when we come to the meanes to the preaching of the Word and come a long time and we see others catch away the blessing others are drawne to faith and to repentance and to an estate of grace and we are not yet let us not tarry at home for then wee may die in our sinnes but let us come to the meanes and waite and attend on it and then at last we shall finde Gods blessing upon us
wicked be in that they shall desire the hils to fall upon them and to cover them from the presence of Christ as it is Revel 6. and what a griefe will it be to them to see the godly goe to heaven into joy and happinesse when they must be tormented in hell Philosophers say That no Element is weightie in his owne place as let a man be in the bottome of the Sea and have the Sea on his backe hee shall not feele the weight of it but take him out of the Sea and put a pailefull or a bucketfull of water on his head and then he shall see how weightie it is so this world being the proper place of sinne men feele not the weight of it because it is in his owne Element but bring it to the judgement barre of God and then they shall feele the weight and burthen of it SERMON XLIX MATTHEVV 25. 34. Then shall the King say unto then on his right-hand Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world IT is a busie time and I hope ye have learned that all businesse must yeeld to the Lords businesse Exod. 34. 31. the Lord saith Six dayes shalt thou worke and in the seventh day thou shalt rest both in earing-time and in the harvest thou shalt rest It is a worthy example we have 1 Sam. 6. 13. where it is said And the men of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley and they lifted up their eyes and saw the Arke and rejoyced to see it but afterwards they did fling downe their sickles left their labours and went and offered burnt offerings So we must doe at these times when the Sabbath commeth lay aside our labours and performe the dutie that God requireth at our hands and thus much to prepare us Now concerning the last Iudgement we are come to the last point the last day we spake of the Conviction of the offenders that all the wicked shall be convicted of all their sinnes that they have committed and then shall come the sentence of the Iudge which will be most joyfull and welcome to the godly and dolefull heavie and unwelcome to the wicked In the sentence of the Iudge we observe three things 1. The Quality of the sentence 2. The Order of the sentence 3. The Sentence it selfe First The qualitie of the Sentence that it is the finall and last sentence because it shall be the last which shall be pronounced therefore it shall be unrevocable for looke how the sentence passeth so we shal be found in weale or in woe for ever and ever never to be altered and changed As long as we live here we may finde mercie and favour with God if we repent our sinnes lay hold on Christ by faith and be brought into an estate of grace yea and although it be but the day before this judgement come but if once the sentence be passed all mercy is excluded and the gates of heaven and Hell shall be shut up and every man shall be so found in weale or woe for ever ever to abide and continue We see the five foolish virgins came knocked at the gate but because they came too late they were excluded so likewise Esau sought the blessing and that with teares as Heb. 13. and yet went without it because he sought it not in time this time of life is the time of Mercy and grace therefore we must seeke it in this world for it will be too late when once the sentence of the judge shall be pronounced It is a fit resemblance as long as a man hath a stone in his hand to fling he may incline the motions thereof this way and that way but if it be once throwne then he cannot so as long as we live here we may dispose of our selves this way or that way but if once the finall sentence of the Iudge be out it cannot be revoked or altered therefore it is good to repent as soone as may be and to lay hold on Gods mercy offered in Christ One compares the time of life to a drawbridge if a man should make a goodly house with gardens and walkes and all things needfull for it and make a drawbridge to it and this should be the order of the house that when the drawbridge were downe every man that would come might dwell there but if they did attend their profit and pleasure till the bridge were drawen up that there were no way to enter in they should be excluded so men may enter into the Kingdome of God in this life as long as the drawbridge is downe that is as long as there is life but if the drawbridge be once taken up that is if this life be once ended and the sentence pronounced it will bee too late to enter all such loyterers shall be excluded and shut out Therefore while we live heere it must be our wisedome to repent of our Sinnes to seeke for Gods favor in Christ for if once the finall and last sentence be pronounced it can never be altered and changed this is the qualitie of the sentence Secondly The Order of the Sentence For the order of the sentence it is first pronounced to the just Come yee blessed and then to the wicked goe ye cursed Divers Divines doe diversly conceive of this some thinke that the reason why the sentence is pronounced first to the just is because the Lord is more inclined to mercy than to judgment as Matth. 3. he will gather his corne into his barne and then he will burne the chaffe with unquenchable fire So because that the Lord is more inclined to workes of mercy which is most agreeable to his nature than to workes of justice this some thinke to be the reason why sentence is pronounced to the godly first There be others thinke that the Reason why the sentence is pronounced to the godly first is that it might be for the more comfort of the just because they should not be terrified with the terrible and dreadfull sentence pronounced against the wicked when he shall chase and drive them all into Hell So it is out of the tendernesse of Christ that sentence is given to the godly first But I take it that this order of the sentence is because the godly shall judge the World they shall be assessors with him at the day of judgment and sit in judgment with him which is the reason why the sentence is pronounced to the godly first Now that the Saints shall judge the World it is plaineby Scripture as Matth. 19. Christ saith that they which follow him in the regeneration shall sit on twelve Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel so also 1 Corinth 6. 2. saith the Apostle doe ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world and againe in the 3 vers know ye not that we
me So this is the Reason of the Assignement The Popish Church lay hold on these words and would prove thereby that their workes merit at the hands of God because Christ gives heaven to those that doe good to his servants and because they shall be judged by their workes To which I answer although this be the reason why the Lord assignes heaven to them that they did workes of mercy and although we shall be judged by our workes yet workes are not the meritorious cause of it why he gives us heaven but the signes and tokens who be the persons so qualified that shall have heaven such as love Christ and shew mercy to his needy members and doe good to them I will cleere it you by an example The King of England makes a promise to bestow on his subjects a great reward out of his bountie and there came before him his subjects and his enemies and he saith to his subjects I will bestow this gift on you for when I was in France ye did attend on me and shewed your love to mee â—ow this gift shewes who be the subjects of the King and who be the enemies So at the last day when the good and bad shall be before Christ and Christ shall tell them this is the reason why I bestow heaven on you because I was hungry and yee gave mee meat this is not the cause of it but it shewes onely who be the persons that God hath assigned heaven to to those that love him and regard him in his members therefore one sayes well Christ shewes not for what he bestowes heaven in this place but on what kinde of persons he will bestow it And Chrysostome saith though the Saints doe a thousand such things as these yet they deserve nothing at the hands of God it is his bountie to bestow heaven on them for so small and meane things as these So then we see workes are not the cause why Christ assignes heaven to us And there be foure grounds for it The first groundâ— is from the estate and condition we be in all are servants Therefore whatsoever we doe is but our dutie and if it be our duty we cannot merit any thing at the hand of God So saith Christ Luke 17. 10. When yee have done all these things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to doe Therefore the very estate and condition that wee are in doth shâ—w that wee cannot merit any thing at the hands of God And Chrysostome saith No man is able to shew such an holy conversation of life to deserve any thing at the hands of God but when he hath done all he is but an unprofitable servant The Papists reply against this and say That although a man cannot merit any thing being in the estate of a servant yet if of a servant hee become a friend hee may merit Now that hee may bee a friend it is plaine by the words of Christ Iohn 15. 15. Hence call I you no servants for the servant knoweth not what his master doth but I have called you friends and in the verse before Yee are my friends To this I answer we are servants still though it please God to accept of us as his friends we are only made friends by acceptance in the merit of Iesus Christ which alters not the former condition of duty and service as may be proved by these places Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sinne yee are made the servants of righteousnesse and in the 1 Pet. 2. 16. he exhorteth them As free and not using the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God And Christ saith Ioh. 15. 19. Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you therefore because we be servants still and remaine in the same estate and condition wee cannot merit any thing but when wee have done all wee doe but our dutie The second ground is our owne impotencie that we are not able to doe any good thing of our selves much lesse can wee merit anything Now that we can doe no good thing it is plaine by the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am And 2 Cor. 3. 5. saith he Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God So Phil. 2. 13. For it is God that worketh in you both the will and the dead even of his good pleasure Now then if all we doe is by the power of grace and if it is God onely which worketh both the will and the deed then we are beholding to God for it and God is not beholding to us Origen saith well No workes of man can deserve any thing at Gods hand because they cannot thinke any good or doe any good but it must be from God The Papists reply and say that God may give a man grace which he may so husband as that hee may deserve any thing at Gods hand and they make it plaine by this similitude A father gives a farme to his son and gives him a stocke now the sonne may so raise the stocke and play the good husband as he may purchase any thing that the father hath in like manner say they God may give a man grace and hee may so husband it as he may purchase any thing at Gods hand To this I answer If a father should give his sonne a farme and a stock to use and when he had done so his childe could not earne a penny but it must be the father and the son could not stirre a foot or a hand without the father then the father is not beholding to the sonne but the son to the father This is the case betweene God and us for when he gives us any grace he must give us a second grace to use and to imploy it wel and therefore it is manifest we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands it is the doctrine of the Schoole-men and Aquinas makes it plaine hee puts the question and resolves it saith he A man may receive a benefit from another and may deserve it at his hands as a man may give one an house which he may deserve but if a man when he hath given another an house must give him also power to use the house and wisdome to governe the same that man cannot be beholding to him that receives but the receiver must needs be beholding to him that gave it so although God give a man grace which he cannot use well unlesse he also give him power to use it Therefore God is not beholding to us for any thing but we are to God and therefore we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands The third ground is our imperfection that in every thing we doe we sinne against God and if we sinne against him then we cannot merit any
thing at his hand it is the doctrine of their owne Schoole-men that a sinner cannot merit but we bee all sinners against God therefore we cannot merit any thing Now that we bee all sinners it is plaine by the Scriptures Iob 9. 3. If be would dispute with him hee could not answer him one of a thousand So Lament 3. 22. It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed c. Saint Ierome saith Who is it that hath not sinned and if a man hath broken but one of the Commandements hee is guilty of the whole Law therefore no man can merit any thing at Gods hands The fourth ground is a disproportion betweene our workes and Gods justice For merits are grounded on Commutative justice as they say and Aristotle saith That commutative justice is equally to give weight for weight so much for so much but there is no proportion betweene our works and Gods justice for Saint Paul saith that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed to us Rom. 8. 18. One saith well if a man should suffer all the sufferings that the people of God had done from Adam till this present time having all the vertues of the holy men yet he were not worthy of the glory of heaven if a man should live a thousand yeeres and spend them all religiously hee did not deserve to be in heaven halfe an houre To this the Papists have devised a subtill answer say they It is in justice that God should give heaven to the best men not by a proportion so much for so much but because God will bestow heaven on some body therefore it stands with the justice of God rather to bestow it on the godly than on the wicked I answer this is sophisticall that tels us it is justice that God should give heaven to some body but what justice is it it is not to give so much for so much weight for weight It is not commutative but distributive justice and therefore there is a disproportion betweene our workes and Gods justice Againe the Papists are overthrowne in their owne argument for they say it was commutative justice not by an Arithmeticall but a Geometricall proportion I answer commutative justice to give weight for weight so much for so much is not that but it is according to distributive justice not by Arithmeticall but by a Geometricall proportion seeing he must give heaven to give it to the best men So the answer of the Papist is sophisticall Now in these words are foure things to bee observed 1. That the Iudgement at the last day shall passe according to workes 2. That good workes shall be reported and rewarded 3. That they shall workes of mercy 4. That they shall bee such workes of Mercy as are done to Christians because they are Christians First The Iudgement at the last day shall be according to works Therefore looke what our workes be such shall be the judgement that shall passe on us So Rom. 2. 6. saith the Apostle Who will reward every man according to his workes So also Revel 20. 18. it is said And they were judged every man according to their workes And Matth. 12. 36. saith Christ But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of Iudgement So then the judgement shall passe according to works but mistake me not I doe not say according to the merit of our workes for we deserve nothing but according to the qualitie of our workes Saint Gregory shewes out of Psal 7. It is one thing that God should render for a mans workes and another thing to render according to mans workes If God render according to a mans workes then it will bee well for good workes and evill for evill workes I but here a question may be made seeing wee shall be judged according iâ— workes what shall faith doe then I answere Faith is all in all for Faith is proposed as the price of our Redemption to the Iustice of God because we are saved by Faith And Acts 18. 31. it is said Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saved and thy houshold and Ephes 2. 6. the Apostle saith by Grace are ye saved through Faith not of your selves And so 1 Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the Salvation of your soules So then we are saved by Faith In summe there bee two speciall properties in Faith First It makes us the sheepe of Christ it gathers us to him and sets us at his right hand and moreover it makes us of the Sonnes of Adam the Sonnes of God this is the power of Faith Secondly It makes our worke acceptable before God as Heb. 11. it is said By Faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice than Caine so Faith makes our workes acceptable before God I but seeing wee are saved by Faith why is there no mention of it then I answere because there shall bee a declaration of the just judgement of God Now Faith is secret in the heart of a Man and workes bee open therefore a man shall not bee judged by the secret and hidden graces that is in his heart but by the Effects and Fruits which are open and manifest to the World The use is that seeing wee shall bee judged according to the fruites and not to the secret graces that are in us therefore wee must joyne to our faith good workes for looke what our workes be such shall bee the verdict that shall passe upon at that day therefore Iames 2. saith he O man shew me thy faith by thy workes Thou sayest thou hast faith and thou talkest of faith but let mee see it let it appeare in thy life and conversation joyne good life to it and so Luke 5. 20. it is said that Christ saw their faith and he healed them Hee did not onely see with the eyes of his Divinitie but hee saw their faith by the effects and fruits of it for they laid the sicke man on a bed and did breake through the roofe of the house and let him downe to Christ Therefore as one saies well it is faith that is seene and visible that saveth us not that which is secret and close in the heart but it must bee visible shewed by workes Gen. 27. Isaac would not blesse Iaakob by the voyce or by his speech but hee feeles and handles him and when hee found they were Esaus hands he blessed him so Christ will not blesse Christians by the voyce when they shall say I am a Christian I am a professor but he will handle them and feele them If hee finde their hands to be Esaus hands that is his beloveds hands that they have done good and have beene open to the poore Saints and ready to minister to their necessities then the Lord will blesse them and entertaine them into his
kingdome Secondly All our good workes shall bee remembred and rewarded at the day of judgement and Christ will make rehearsall of them there is never a good deed we have done but it shall be remembred and rewarded so that our labour shall not bee in vaine as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. ult so Revel 20. 12. it is said And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes So the Lord hath all the good deeds of his servants written in a booke which shall bee remembred reported and rewarded therefore what a comfort is this to a poor Christian that in the hearing of all the world all his good deeds shall be reported how many painefull Iourneyes they have taken to heare the Word how many houres they have spent in prayer how many teares they have wept for sinne that they have entertained the Saints that they have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke what a great inticement this is to doe good to thinke what honor it is that all their good deeds shall be remembred and rewarded Matth. 26. 15. Christ saith of the woman when she had powred the ointment on him that this which shee had done should bee spoken of her wheresoever this Gospell shall bee preached for a memoriall of her But what is the speech of men to the speech of Christ the praise of men to the praise of Christ when hee shall stand out and make a report of all our good deeds wee have done therefore what a comfort will this be I but have not the people of God sinne I answer they have their sinnes and their great sinnes too even the best men that be but here is the comfort when the day of judgment commeth they shall not bee remembred but pardoned and carried on the shoulders and necke of Christ and our good deeds onely shall be remembred As Esay 33. ult it is said The people that dwell therein shall have their iniquity forgiven So Ieremie 31. 33 34. saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with them and I will write my lawes in their hearts and I will bee their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the greatest to the least saith the Lord and I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Here is the comfort of Christians that all their sinnes shall be forgotten onely their vertues shall be remembred Exodus 34. Moses put a veile on his face that the children of Israel should not see the glory of it but Christ hath hanged a veile over our sinnes that they should not be seene even his holinesse and sanctifie that the world should not see nor behold them for they are all pardoned remitted and covered with the Robe of his righteousnesse Thirdly the judgement which shall passe upon us shall bee according to the workes of mercie and not only workes of mercie but all other good workes shall have a reward as Malach. 3. 16. it is said Then spake they that feared God every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God and thought upon his Name So there was a booke written of all the good deeds of them that did feare God and so Matth. 5. 11 12. saith our Saviour Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Names sake falsly Rejoyce and bee glad for great is your reward in Heaven as also Matth. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my Father which is in Heaven So then wee see all our good workes shall be rewarded But why doth Christ mention onely workes of mercie I answere there be two reasons of it First because the Lord doth not accept of any worke we doe of hearing of the Word of praying nor of any other good dutie we doe if wee doe not shew mercie and compassion to our brethren As 1 Cor. 13. 3. And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I give my body that it bee burnt and have not love it profiteth me nothing and Esay 1. 14. saith God My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed Feasts they are a burthen to me I am wearie of bearing them and the reason was because they did not shew compassion to their brethren as may be gathered out of the 15. verse In like manner the Prophet bringeth in the people expostulating with God and he answering them Esay 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seeft not wherefore have we punished our selves and thou regardest is not c Is not this the fasting that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heavie burthens is let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke verse 6 7. Is it not to breake thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander unto thy house and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh and therefore wee may assure our selves the Lord will accept of none of our workes without we be mercifull to our brethren Secondly because as it is Hos 6. 6. The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice when both may stand together then God will have both But if they cannot he will have mercy shewed hee had rather lose his owne part than a poore man should lose his So the command is Heb. 13. 16. But to doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Such is the tendernesse of God that hee is contented to abate of his owne service rather than man should want of his comfort As Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Hence we see though it be a great dutie that we owe to God yet for mans good hee will bee contented to stay for his owne service Philosophers say that the fire which is farthest remooved is the hottest and most vehement so it is in love that love which is furthest remooved from God is the hottest and the most vehement love of all other It is an easie matter to love God in himselfe O but for a man to love God in his poore distressed members to love him in his poore Saints and People this is the hottest
first propertie The second propertie is that the Church of God is Catholike that is it is generally diffused and spread all the world over This word Catholike is not found in all the Bible yet as long as the sense is there we may retaine and keepe it seeing it is not against any point of our Christian profession As for the signification of it the word is the same both in Latine and Greeke and signifieth generall whence wee inferre the Church of God seemeth to take his name from our Lord Iesus himselfe where hee saith Act. 1. 8. And yee shall bee witnesses unto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Here the observation may bee this that if wee finde new words as long as the sense is not new nor the Doctrine wee may receive them but if both the words and the sense and Doctrine bee new that is if it bee not found in the Scripture then they are to bee rejected and refused therefore because transubstantiation is a new word and the Doctrine is new the sense not being to be found in the Scripture we are to reject it for before the Lateran Councell there was no such thing heard of which brought in both the word and Doctrine and made that a point of faith which before was never dreamt of Now the Church is said to bee Catholike in three regards 1. In regard of Place 2. In regard of Person 3. In regard of Time First the Church of God is Catholike in regard of place for it is not tied to one certaine place countrie or Kingdome but God himselfe hath inlarged and spread it over all the world farre and neere there was a time when it did belong to the Iewes and to those that did joine with them but now Christ hath broken downe the partition wall and hath laid all the world common now hee hath enlarged the Church and spread it all the world over This is that Peter speakes of Of a truth saith hee I perceive that God is no accepter of persons but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him so Christ Matth. 8. saith That many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham Isaak Iacob in the Kingdome of God so Eph. 2. 13 14. but now in Christ Iesus yee which were once a farre off are made members by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us and it is said Revel 7. 9. And after these things I beheld and lâ—e a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long Robes and palmes in their hands So then it is plaine by the Scriptures that the Church is Catholike in regard of place and is not abridged to no one countrey or Kingdome but is spread all the world over Augustine saith well We are not to thinke it was enough for Christ to shed out his most precious bloud for one countrey or Kingdome but it was to win the whole world to himselfe and againe hee saith By that which Christ gave for the redemption of man they may perceive the great price and payment which was his death and bloudshed a thing of so great value or price that it was not for any one country or Kingdome but for all and therefore it is called the Catholike Church The use is first seeing that the Church is Catholike or universall and consists of all countries and Kingdomes therefore we should bee thankfull to God that hath reserved us till this time for wee might have beene born when the light of the Gospell shined onely amongst the Iewes and then wee might have perished in unbeleefe therefore thankes bee unto God in that hee hath brought us forth in a time when the Gospell is preached And seeing it hath pleased God to doe so let us bee wise to lay hold on the good meanes that is layd before us come out of our sinnes and corruptions that so wee may bee saved from them if fish in a pond should bee nigh poisoned with stinking mud and water and one should come and cut a sluce through into fresh water what would they doe but goe out into the fresh water This is our case wee are like to fish in a pond that bee poisoned in the mud and stinking water of our sinnes and corruptions therefore seeing it hath pleased God to cut a sluce and trench through and to open the bosome of the true Church to us where the fresh water is the waters of life and salvation it must bee our wisedome to come out of our sinnes and to lay hold of the good meanes that are set before us Secondly seeing the Church of God is Catholike wherein there is the meanes of grace therefore it must be our consideration to apply our selves to lay hold on it in our life time while wee live heere It is S. Pauls exhortation 2 Cor. 6. 5. I beseech you brethren that you receive not the graces of God in vaine It is a great mercie that God doth offer in the true Church where the meanes of grace are used preaching prayer the use of the Sacraments therefore let us apply our selves to lay hold on it and to get good by it You your selves know that if earthly Paradise were to bee recovered and the Cherubins with the shaking sword removed so that wee might goe in without any danger would you lye down and sleepe would you idle out the time no I dare bee bold to say that you would flye to the trees gather of the fruit and eate of them especially of the tree of life that you might live for ever This is the grace that God doth offer to us for the militant Church is the Paradise of God where there are trees of all sorts therefore what should wee doe not lye down in the dust and idle out the time but apply our selves to eate of the fruit especially of the tree of life to feed on Christ by faith to draw out all his graces that so wee may live for ever Secondly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of the persons for it includeth all sorts of persons rich and poore high and low noble and ignoble wise and foolish bond and free and excludeth none To this purpose saith S. Paul Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus and S. Peter Act. 10. saith I saw a vision of all sorts of birds and beasts and there came a voice too that bad him kill eate by which vision he did understand that God had then sanctified all sorts of men in the bloud of Christ there was
Death Power of the Divell Sinne c. 272. How Christ defends his Church 380. God deferres not good tidings from man 123. * Sinne hath made us so deformed that God doth not acknowledge us 150. Deformities are punishments for sinne 639. Deformities in the member of the Church as bad as that in the members of the body 573. †Pilates endevour to deliver Christ better than Peters 200. †Of Christs descension into Hell 283. Christs Body Soule did not descend into Hell 285. â— 287. Against the Papists Christ did not descend into Hell to Preach to the damned 285. †Suffer paines there ibid. ¶ No Skirts of Hell 286. Places of Scriptures alledged by the adversaries for Christ descension into Hell answered 289. The descension of Christ into Hell nothing else but the captivating of him under death for a time 289. ¶ Two descents of a Christian 290. Christs desertion on the crosse 164. Spirituall desertion what it is 170. †Tryals of good desires 28. Defects in unsound desire of Heaven 498. How the wicked desire grace 506. see Grace No man ought to despaire of Gods mercie 233. ¶ The Divell the Author of all division 478. Why Christ died no ordinary death 212. It was needfull Christ should dye 1. To satisfie Gods Iustice for Mans sinne 2. That our sinnes might dye in his death 3. To seale to true bileevers Gods promises in the Gospell 261 262. Why Christ dyed a painefull death 264 We must be willing to dye when wee have done Gods worke 263. We should labour to dye the servants of God 143. ¶ in peace of conscience 144. * Ill successe Bad example in holy labors should be no discouragements 134. What it was that Christ dranke on the crosse 217. God drawes man out of sinne 379. Perseverance in good duties never failes in obtaining a reward 488. * Duties to God must not abridge our duties to men 231. * E WIcked men get up early to follow their lusts 193. †How the earth shall be renewed 413. The Earth shall be renued in regard of Christ the Godly the wicked 414. The wicked can lay no claime to the Earth when it is renued 415. ¶ Ecce Homo a good memento for a Christian 203. ¶ Of the Disciples that went to Emmaus 316. Actions determined by their ends as a ship governed by the Sterne 407. †Good endevours shall finde Gods blessing 136. * Wee ought so to live as our enemies may haue no just cause of exception against us 195 ¶ Love to our enemies a Christian duty 225. * Five Motives thereto ibid. The wicked alwaies enemies to the friends and followers of Christ 191. ¶ How the true Church may erre 570. The comfortable estate of a Christian never to be forsaken of God 173. ¶ God able to raise from nothing to great worldly estates The exaltation of Christ 291. Christs humility our example 164. * Christs example our iâ—itation 245. †How examples are most fit to move 138. ¶ Bad example 135. Bad example should not transport us from Christ 234. ¶ No exception to bee taken against the two Bookes that shall be opened at the day of Iudgement 440. Excommunication a most fearefull sentence 568. * Whether better to sinne against God or stand excommunicated 568. ¶ VVhy the Disciples eyes that went to Emmaus were held 319. God must open our eyes before we can discerne Christ 335. †F THe great Object of Faith God 41. Two rules to governe our Faith concerning God 478. Faith Historicall 16. Temporary 18. Miraculous 19. Iustifying 20. Two reasons why Faith aloue justifieth 31 What required to a justifying Faith 20. Seven trials of true justifying Faith 22. Five companions of true justifying Faith 25. c. Degrees of true justifying Faith 26. Effects of true justifying Faith 37. There weakenings of Faith The scandall of the Crosse Too much hast to have our desires Tying to our eyes and hands 322. Wherein weaknesse of Faith consists 27. Trials to distinguish a weake Faith from no Faith 28. How to finde out weaknesse of Faith 30. Reasons why our Faith is shâ—keâ— 32. True Faith may be shrewdly shaken 321. †Comforts in weaknesse and want of feeling of Faith 34. Full assurance of Faith 36. He that takes away one main point of Faith takes away all 20. True Faith layes hold on every little word of Christ 311. ¶ True Faith breakes through all lets 126. †True justifying Faith assureth of salvation 31. 33. Wherein Faith is necessary to salvation though judgement be according to works 457. * Our Faith must bee grounded on the Scripture 329. ¶ Faith that is visible saveth 457. ¶ Faith must be in particular 77. * Faith vsefull in the life of a Christian 3. Two waies Faith stirres up holy motions in 〈◊〉 4. All things must be done in Faith 7. Comforts from doing things in Faith 9. Faith upholds 〈◊〉 in Spirituall desertions 11. Worldly crosses 12. The least Faith after a temptation must bee cherished 337. †How to die in Faith 14. After a fall in sinne a Christian must endeavour to rise 337. â— The fall of GODS Children not finall 173. Carefull provision for our families necessarily commanded 230. â— Caesars favour preferred before Gods 210. †Want of the feare of God occasions mens running into all disorder 236. †Christs feare on the crosse a dreadfull feare 153. The causes of Christs feare Gods judgement Death 144. The extremities of Hell fire 469. Hell fire eternall 470. †Hell fire is not naturall fire 468. The extreme torments of the wicked me meant by fire 4â—7 ¶ The Spirit quenched as fire 516. How the flesh may overcome the Spirit 595. The manner how Christ tooke flesh 105. Christ tooke flesh in his Conception Birth 105. How Gods people are said to flow 125. †A man may flie in persecution when hee hath not A calling to stay Sufficient strength to suffer 1â—2 None can forgive sinnes but God 615. How men may forgive sinnes 616. * God forgives sinnes with condition of repentance 617. How a man may know his sinnes are forgiven in particular 618. A Minister forgives sinnes two wayes 346. Forgivenesse of sins a great blessing 608. belonging to this life onely 609. Forgivenesse of sinnes in regard of Vâ—â— free Christ due 612. Forgivenesse of sinnes is without limitation of their Number Greatnesse 614. Comforts from forgivenesse of sinnes 621. God forsakes not his Children prov'd from the Promise Nature Power Vertue of Christs Prayer of God 172. Gods forsaking a man the greatest griefe 164. ¶ God may be said to forsake his Children in the life of nature but never in the lâ—fe of grace 173. A Christian forsaken of God in the sense and feeling of his grace must carry himselfe Mournefully Patiently Holily 175. Christ is forsaking a man when he Growes idle in the use of the meanes Lives in knowne sinnes Feeles a decay of grace 330. Forwardnesse and intrusion into bâ—sinesse needlessely a great fault 78. ¶ Wee
Simile 1 The invitation Simile 1 Association with Christ Simile 2 Dissociation from the wicked 2 The commendation Simile First the thing assigned Simile Three properties of the Kingdome of heaven 1 A Kingdome prepared of God Excellencies of heaven before all other Kingdomes 1 For limits 2 For time 3 In regard of defects 4 In regard of tranquillitie Quest. Sol. Vse 1. Our estate better than Adams in sixe things 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vse 2. Simile Vse 3. 2 A kingdome prepared for his Elect. Simile Simile 3 It was prepared of old Secondly the title and tenour Simile SERM. L. Simile 4 The reason of the Assignation Object Sol. Workes not the couse of our obtaining heaven Simile Foure Reasons against the merit of workes Reason 1. Object Sol. Reason 2. Object Sol. Reason 3. Reason 4. Object Sol. 1 The judgement shall be according to workes Quest Sol. 2 1 Properties of Faith 2 Quest Sol. Simile 2 All good workes shall be remembred and rewarded Simile Object Sol. Simile 3 The iudgement shall passe according to workes of mercie Quest 1 Sol. Why the Iudgement passes chiefly by works of mercie 1 2 Gods mercie so great that hee had rather abate of his owne service than man want his comfort Simile Simile Simile Object Sol. Simile Simile 4 The Iudgement shall passe according to works of mercie to Christians Simile Simile 1 2 Simile SERM. LI. Simile 1 An Abdication or Eiection They shall be shut out of Heaven Simile Quest. Sol. A two-fold presence of God Simile How far wicked men desire the presence of God Simile 2 They shal be shut out of the earth Simile Vse 1. Simile Vse 2. Simile 2 Punishment or malediction Vse 1. Simile Simile Vse 2. Vse 3. 3 The estate the wicked shall fall into Foure reasons shewing hell fire not to be naturall fire 1 Damas. lib. 4. cap. ult Reason 2. Reason 3. SER. LII Reason 4. Two reasons of the extremity of Hell fire Reason 1. Simile Simile Simile Reason 2. Simile For ever Simile Simile Simile Simile Quest Sol. How it stand with the justice of God to punish sin eternally Vse 1. 2 Vse 1. Simile Simile 2 A sinner compared to Pharaohs Kine Simile Simile 4 They are ranked with the Divell and his Angels Simile Simile Simile Simile Reasons of the wickeds condemnation First sinnes of Omission as well as Commission damnes Secondly small sinnes damne as well as great ones Thirdly small sinnes are great before God Simile Quest. Why neglect of the Poore is so great a sinne Sol. First what Christ shall doe after the last judgement Simile Simile 2 Simile Simile Simile Quest. Sol. SERM. LIII Simile Secondly the end why he shall render up the kingdome How Christ shall be all in all at the day of judgement 1 2 Simile 〈◊〉 VIII Two reasons whereby to rule our â—aith Reason 1. The devâ—ll the Author of â—ivision Reason 2. 1 That the Holy Ghost is God Proved first by Scriptures Foure Reasons to prove the Holy Ghost to be God Reason 1. Object Sol. Reason 2. 1 2 3 Reason 3. Reason 4. Vse 1. Simile All sinne is a griefe to God Simile Simile Vse 2. How man destroyes the Temple of God 1 2 Simile 1 The Holy Ghost is not a quality or motion in God Sinne against the Holy Ghost 2 He is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne Vse 3 That the Holy Ghost is not onely holy in himselfe but causer of it in others Vse 1. Simile SER. LIV. Vse 2. Simile Fourthly the Holy Ghost will make me holy 1 Iohn 5. 7. Quest. How the Holy Ghost workes holinesse in us Sol. 1 By convincing us of our impuritie Simile Simile 2 By inlightning us Simile Simile 3 By uniting us to Christ Simile 4 By mortifying our sinnes Simile 5 By renewing us Simile 6 By stirring up holy motions in us Simile Quest. Sol. The Holy Ghost is really and actually in us Simile 1 How to come by the Holy Ghost 1 A removall of the false meanes Simile 3 Meanes to come by the Holy Ghost 1 Simile Simile 2 Meanes Simile 3 Meanes 1 Conclusion 1 Cor. 12. 8. Vse 1. 1 Cor. 12. Simile Vse 2. No fulnesse of Spirit in this life Simile Simile Simile The second conclusion ART VIII Simile Quest The least measure of saving grace what Ans. 1. It stands more in desires than actions 2 Simile Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Simile The third conclusion Simile Simile Object Of such who complaine for want of seeling Ans. 2. The third conclusion Simile Object Of fulnesse of spirit that some had Ans. 1. A fulnesse comparative Secondly there is a fulnesse in working different Thirdly a fulnesse may be in regard to some particular act SER. LV The first Consequent Simile Matth. 27. 34. The second consequent Simile 3 How to know that wee have the Holy Ghost The Papists opinion is contrary First to the Scripture Secondly to Reason Simile Thirdly to their owne Divines Simile 5 False marks of the Holy Ghosts being in us 1 Many good parts of nature prooves it not Simile 2 False marke restraining grace Two defects in restraining grace 1 It doth not kill sinne Simile Simile 2 It doth not refraine from all sinnes 3 False marke some kinde of inlightning Colos 3. 10. Quest. Ans Two defects in knowledge 1 Such knowledge is not of a right kinde Speculative knowledge Practicall knowledge 2 Such make no right use of their knowledge 4 False marke an unsound sorrow and repentance Quest. Ans The defects in repentance 1 Sorrow more for the judgment than the sinne 2 Sorrow not for all sinnes 3 Sorrow not for inward corruption S. Augustines wish 1 2 5 False marke an unsound desire of heaven and glorie The defect of unsound desire of heaven First in a fleeting unconstant desire Secondly such desires are idle and lazie ones Thirdly such desires are not earnest ones 2 The true mark 1 Generally two wayes 1 He makes a great change Simile Simile Simile Simile Secondly hee stirs and moves to holinesse Simile Simile Simile 2 Particularly divers degrees of the Spirit Simile Two things a weake beginner must looke to 1 A right worke of the Spirit in foure things First that there be humbling Simile Secondly desire of reconciliation Simile Thirdly it stirs up to lay hold on the Promises Fourthly a setled walking with God 2 There must be a right orâ—er of the worke Simile Strength of action increases according to the strength of the spirit Simile The worke of the spirit mortifying in three things 1 Simile Simile 3 4 Workes of quickning in a strong Christian 1 2 Simile 3 4 Simile SER. LVI How a strong weakned Christian may know the Holy Ghost is in him Simile Quest 1 Sol. The roote is not gone Simile 4 By desires of grace left 1 To grieve that we cannot griev for sinne 2 Desire of reconciliation 3 A desire to beleeve 4 A desire to pleas God in all things Object Sol. 3 By some
prepare a table for us so they say Can God helpe us in sicknesse Can he helpe us in affliction so likewise they presume to sinne and so take away the justice of God for though hee brings his judgements to light every day yet they will not learne to feare and be ashamed And so they soothe themselves as the Prophet complaines That every one that doeth evill is good in the sight of God or he delighteth in them or say where is the God of Iudgement so they take away wisedome and mercy from him as was shewed out of Ieremy But a Christian must beleeve the properties of God that he is powerfull therefore to trust and relye upon him Iust therefore to beleeve his promises wise therefore to be guided by him We may see a worthy example hereof in Hezekiah 2 King 19. 15. When Senacherib went against Ierusalem he told them that hee had destroyed such and such places and countries and their goods and shalt thou be delivered Then Hezekiah came before the Lord told it him spread the writing before him and prayed to the Lord. Thirdly we beleeve that God is our God by the meanes of Christ this is the maine point of all not to beleeve God in generall onely but to bring him home to our selves and to be perswaded that he is our God so the holy people as Esay shewes said This is our God we have waited on him and he will save us If he be our God that then whatsoever is in him as his power wisedome mercie justice love and goodnesse it doth appertaine to us wee shall have the benefit this faith is a comfort and that which God respects Thomas could have no comfort of his Faith till he could say My Lord and my God and Christ when he would comfort his Disciples at his departure saith Goe tell my brethren I ascend to my God and your God to my Father and your Father so if once a man come to this that he can perswade himselfe that God is his God by the meanes of Christ this will comfort and give him more peace than the world can yeeld The use is that seeing God is our God therefore we should respect and love him and be desirous to please him in our courses Mich. 4. 5. For all people will walke every one in the name of his God but we will walke in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever therefore as we doe professe that God is our God we must labour to please him in all our courses be loth to doe any thing that may displease him It was the speech of Delilah to Sampson Iudges 16. 15. How canst thou say thou lovest mee when thy heart is not with me so how can we say that we love God when our courses shew to the contrary it is a pittifull thing to see how men doe not regard God they doe so toile themselves with their labours that so soone as they be set in the Church they are fallen fast asleepe men professe they beleeve God is their God and yet doe not respect nor serve him In the 1 Sam. 9. mention is made of Samuels feast unto the people where one speciall dish given before unto the Cooke is brought forth it was a shoulder set up onely for the king that none but he should have it in like manner it should bee our wisedome so to spend our strength about the world in the weeke time that we reserve a part for the Lords Sabboth to doe him service with Hitherto God hath beene considered as he is in himselfe now wee come to speake what God is in relation and there is a twofold relation of God 1. To the Trinitie 2. To the Creatures First God stands in relation to the three Persons for I beleive in God stands in relation to the Father to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost Here are foure points of Faith to be beleeved 1. That there is a distinction of Persons in the Godhead 2. That there is a divine Person called the Father 3. That he is the Father of Christ 4. That he is our Father by the meanes of Christ First we beleeve that there is a distinction of Persons for though there be but one in Substance Essence and Power yet there bee three distinct persons subsisting in one Godhead as 1 Iohn 5. 7. There be three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and so Matth. 28. in the charge that Christ gave his Disciples when he sent them out to preach in the Name of the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost and elsewhere the Scripture doth teach distinction of Persons as Ioh. 5. 30. I can doe nothing of my selfe as I heare I judge and my judgement is just because I seeke not mine owne will but the will of my Father that sent me so Iohn 14. 26. But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things So then wee see plainely that the Father is a distinct person from the Sonne and the Sonne a distinct person from the Father and the Holy Ghost a distinct person from the Father and the Sonne There is a difference betweene the Faith of a Christian and a Turke the one beleeveth in one God distinct in three persons the other in one God without distinction of persons Now there bee two grounds that overthrow this opinion of the Turkes first it is a rule in Divinitie that whatsoever as God reveales himselfe to be so we must beleeve he is but God hath revealed himselfe to be one God and three Persons therefore so we must beleeve for no man can dive into the bottome of God to know what he is but he must reveale himselfe to us so Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of the Father he hath revealed him and 1 Timoth. 6. 16. saith the Apostle speaking of God Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that no man can attaine to whom never man saw neither can see unto whom be honour and glory everlasting Amen And therefore as a man going into the Sea in danger or to swimme so farre as his Corke will carry him up so farre he may goe safely but if this faile to carry him up he makes a stand and ventures no further in like manner so farre as our Corke will carry us up so farre we may walke safely so farre as we have warrant out of Gods Word but if we have no warrant out of Gods Word let us make a stand and goe no further therefore as God hath revealed himselfe so we must beleeve but he hath revealed himselfe to be one God and three distinct Persons and so wee must beleeve The second ground is that it is not possible to redeeme man without distinction of Persons for God the Father being offended with
God so we should returne all to him againe by publike thankefulnesse for them as Paul saith in this place that we should turne from these vaine idols to the living God that made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is because he made them therefore we should goe backe againe in the consideration of it and returne thankes to him Thirdly seeing God made all things wee should not looke upon his workes without great consideration of them as his workes of mercy or judgement If a workeman make an excellent worke it is a great indignity and injury offered to the workeman to passe by it slight it not to looke on it or regard it so seeing the Lord hath hanged as it were the chamber of this world with many goodly workes of his mercy and judgements it is a great injury and indignity offered unto God for men to passe by them and never to looke upon them so God complaines Psal 28. 5. Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operations of his hands therefore hee shall breake them downe and not build them up so it is a great sinne to passe by his wonderous workes and not to looke upon them and consider of them The third point is how hee made them By no instrument but by his word as Psal 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth Now wee are not to thinke it was a vocall word of God but it was his commandement Psal 33. 9. For he spake and it was done hee commanded and it stood or was created So Psal 148. 5. Hee commanded and they were created Solomon when hee builded the Temple had thousands of workmen to doe it but God when hee made the world made it with his word therefore we may see the excellent power of the word of God that let him but speake and there is a new heaven and an earth and a sea and skie and beasts and birds for the use of man Therefore the Centurion saith well Matthew 8. Doe but speake the word and thy servant shall be whole So we must learne to acknowledge the excellent power of the word of God that if hee say to sicknesse depart it shall depart if to health come it shall come looke what God speaketh shall be done as it is said in the Psalme he sent out his word and healed them Secondly seeing God made the world with a word wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that there is never a creature save man but doth yeeld to the Word of God the Lord hath spoken ten words in his Law nay many more in the gospell unto us and yet what adoe is there an almighty power must ioyne with the word to bring a sinner to repentance therefore wee may wonder at our untowardnesse that the creatures yeeld to the word of God and yet sinfull man cannot submit to a thousand words of God to bring him to repentance The fourth point is what hee made the world of and that was of nothing Hebrewes 11. 3. Through faith wee understand that the world was made by the Word of God so that the things wee see were made of things that did not appeare Philosophers say of nothing nothing can hee made It is true in Nature but not in regard of Gods power In Nature indeede there is no Artificer that can make any thing unlesse he hath matter to make it of as a Smith cannot worke without Iron and a Mason must have stone and a Carpenter must have timber but God is able to make all things of nothing The use is first that seeing God did make the world of nothing hee is able to make a man somewhat when he is nothing he is able to give grace where there is none to create faith where there is no faith and to worke repentance where there is none so saith Paul 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And therefore if God be able to make the world of nothing he is able to make a man something that is nothing in himselfe Secondly seeing God is able to make the world of nothing he is able when we are nothing in our worldly estates to raise us up of nothing and to make us great men in the world so faith Hanna 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. The Lord killeth maketh alive bringing downe to the grave and raising up the Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalieth he raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set them amongst Princes Thirdly seeing God made the world of nothing so let us know the world would dissolve and come to nothing againe if God should not uphold it for naturally all things dissolve into that they were made of as a man made of dust so naturally turnes and comes to dust againe so Ice being made of water it turnes to water againe and Snow being made of raine it dissolves to it againe so the world being made of nothing would come to nothing if God should not uphold it Therefore how much are wee bound to God for every houres continuance of this world which Heb. 1. 3. is said to be upheld by his mighty power and word Fourthly seeing he made the world of nothing wee may see the meanes of our beginning that it was of nothing and therefore howsoever some swell with greatnesse of their Ancestors and of their Nobility yet we see the meannesse of our beginning wee came of nothing therefore this may serve to humble us how great soever we be Abraham hee confessed he was but dust this did humble him and were know the dust was made of nothing which should serve to humble us in that all our greatnesse came of nothing The fifth point is â— what estate God made this world in in exceeding good estate Genesis 1. 25. therefore if there be any creature that is not good or hath any defect in it we are to thanke our selves and our owne sinnes as we see in a clocke if there be any alteration or stop in the little wheeles it is because there was first a stop in the great wheeles for the little ones doe depend on the greater wheele so that if there bee a stand in that there is a stand in the little wheeles in like manner if there be any defect in the creatures or if there be any that be not good it is because there is a defect and a failing in us for man is as the great wheele of the Clocke therefore if hee bee out of order no marvell though the creatures be so also Hence we may learne that if there be any which be not good or have defect in them wee may
could that God would send his Sonne therefore seeing he hath sent him wee must heare him unlesse wee will perish But how can wee heare Christ he is in heaven I answere two waies Christ reacheth his Church here 1. By His Word 2. By the Sacraments First Hee teacheth his Church by his Word for the Word is nothing else but the very voyce of Christ and therefore when wee read the Word wee ought to reverence it as the voyce of Christ speaking to us Secondly he teacheth his Church by the mystery of the Sacraments which when they speake to us in his name it is the voyce of Christ so 1 Pet. 3. 19. By the which Spirit he went preached to the spirits that were in prison c. Christ did not preach unto them in his own Person but by man so Ephes. 2. 17. it is said that Christ came and preached peace to them afarre off and to them that were neere Now Christ did not preach to the Gentiles in his owne Person but by the Ministery of his servants therefore as often as his servants come to us in his name with his word in their mouths it is Christ that teacheth us and then so often as we heare we heare the voyce of Christ as the Church saith in the Can. 5. 2. It is the voyce of my beloved The greatest part of the world do not beleeve this they are not perswaded when the minister speaketh unto them from the word of God that it is the voyce of Christ therefore they condemne it and doe not regard it but when we know that Christ speaketh unto us by the Ministery of his Word or by his servants we should say as Samuel said Speake Lord for thy servant heareth so Psal 85. David saith I will harken what God saith for he speakes peace to his people let the world speake of their pleasures profits and talke what they will of me I will hearke what God saith so a Christian must doe whatsoever the world talke and speake yet he must harke what Christ speaketh unto him Secondly he was Anointed to be a Priest as Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech so Heb. 7. 26. For such an high priest it become us to have which is holy harmelesse undefiled separated from sinners made higher than the heavens Of his Priestly office there bee two parts 1. To reconcile and make us at one with God 2. To make intercession for us In the Law when a man had sinned hee brought an offering to the Priest the Priest must offer for him and so make reconciliation betweene God and him so when we have sinned against God it must bee Christ that must reconcile us and make us at one againe with God But there is a great difference betweene Christs sacrifice and the Priests for the Priests in the Law made an atonement with the bloud of beasts but Christ makes an atonement with his owne bloud there was never a Priest in the Law that would shed his bloud for the best of the people but Christ hath shed his bloud for the meanest of his servants and therefore we have great cause to esteeme of the Priesthood of Christ for all the joy we have in God and hope of heaven hangs on him for when a man hath sinned against God there is no man dare stand before God till Christ hath ingaged himselfe answered God and made him at one with him when a man hath sinned against God all the Angels cannot make Atonement for him nor all the powers in heaven and earth all the gold in Ophir câ—â—â—ot redeeme a soule but it must be Christ with his owne blood that mâ—â—t make reconciliation with God for us therefore wee are highly to esteeme of the Priesthood of Christ for all other comforts and joy depend on it The second Priestly duty is that hee makes intercession for us being entred into the heavens within the clouds to appeare before God and to make intercession for us so we see Heb. 1. 25. Wherefore he is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them so Heb. 9. 24. for Christ is not entred into places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but is entred into the heavens to appeare now in the sight of God for us there bee two bloods that cry unto God the blood of the Martyrs and the blood of Christ the blood of the Martyrs cries for to be revenged but the blood of Christ cries for mercie it cryeth not onely from the crosse for mercy but it cryeth now as freshly within the throne and the vaile as ever it did he makes request for us and as Austen saith hee makes request after this manner Good Lord grant mercy to them Father forgive them I have bought them with my bloud they be my poore servants Therefore here is a comfort to us when wee cannot pray as we ought nor wee have none that can helpe us this is the comfort that we Christians may have that Christ is ascended to heaven and makes intercession for us The use is that seeing we have such a benefit by the high priesthood of Christ it should make us hold fast our profession this is the use that Paul maketh saith he Seeing then we have a great high Priest which is carriâ—â— into heaven even Iesus the Sonne of God Let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and finde grace to helpe in the time of neede therefore let us not doubt but that wee shall be saved Indeede if the matter lay in us then wee might doubt of it but seeing Christ hath undertaken it we must not doubt unlesse wee will be so prophane to thinke that Christ will faile us I but what may a man doe that Christ may undertake the matter for him he must doe as a man that goeth to a Lawyer he tels him his case and he prayeth the Lawyer to undertake the matter for him so a Christian must doe hee must goe to Christ and make his case knowne to him and pray him to undertake the matter and so commit it unto him and then Christ will not faile him SERM. VIII HEBREWES 1. 8 9. But unto the sonne He saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy kingdome Thou hast loved Righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes IN the Anointing of Christ there were five things offered to our consideration first what is meant by the anointing secondly with what he was anointed thirdly what it was that did anoint him fourthly to what he was anointed fifthly what benefit we have by his anointing He was Anointed to bee a Prophet a Priest and a King How Christ is the
in Matthew the devils inquire of Christ Art thou come to torment us before our time the presence of Christ was a torment to the devils so if thou hast a bad conscience his comming and presence will be a trouble to thee when others shall receive comfort by it it will be a terrour to thee What was the reason the Iewes were troubled at the birth of Christ we see Herod had a bad conscience this troubled him but why were they troubled he was their Saviour and redeemer Zech. 9. 9. it is said Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion shout O Daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy King commeth unto thee c. I answere they thought that Christ would not come into his kingdome but it would cost much hardship there would bee much trouble about it therefore rather than they would lose their worldly â—ase or peace they would lose Christ This is the sinne of the world still that if the Gospell hinder their worldly ease or peace they had rather lose Christ and the Gospell than lose their ease and peace so Iohn 11. 47. the Iewes holding a councell together how to kill Christ because they were afraid they should lose their worldly ease say they If we follow this man the Romans will come and take away our kingdome and our nation so that wee may see they had rather lose Christ than lose their worldly ease and peace Of which sinne let us by their example and ruine learne to shunne and beware of the like practise which hath justly brought so long-lasting miserie upon them SERM. XII MATTHEW 2â— 7 8 9. Then Herod when hee had privily called the Wisemen inquired of them diligently what time the Starre appeared And hee sent them to Bethlehem and said Goe and search diligently for the young Childe and when ye have found Him bring mee word againe that I may come and worship Him also When they had heard the King they departed c. THe next thing that I should shew you is how Herod made way out of his trouble for of his trouble you have lately heard First hee calleth the Scribes and Pharisees together to know the place where he should be borne secondly hee inquired of the Wisemen the place and time when he should be borne thirdly when he knew the place and time when Christ should be borne he thought to have killed him so to ease himselfe and make way out of all his trouble but the Lord kept him from touching his person so the wicked and vile men of the world when they be in trouble make way out of it by bad meanes wicked devises coozening and such like The second thing observed was the effects of the inquiry in the Wisemen wherein three things are to be observed 1. The endevour of the Wisemen 2. The blessing of God upon their endevour 3. With what affection they received it First the endevour of the Wisemen when they could not finde Christ at Ierusalem they set themselves upon good advice to seeke him elsewhere they departed from thence though there were two things that might have hindred them 1. Their bad successe 2. The bad example they saw The first thing that might have hindered them was the bad successe they had of their journey for they thought surely to have heard of him at Ierusalem but there was no speech of him yet for all that they departed from thence set themselves with good advice to seeke Christ which may teach us howsoever we finde a bad successe on our holy labours at the first yet to goe on although we cannot finde mortification for our sinnes and such a blessing upon our holy labours as we desire yet let us goe on and set our selves upon good courses still to waite on God till he give us good successe so we see the Church doth Psalm 123. 2. Behold as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistresse so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy on us Shee resolves although thou dost not this day nor the next nor the next yet wee will waite on thee till thou shew mercy in like manner we are exhorted Gal. 6. 9. Let us not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not Therefore the bad successe wee may have must not hinder us for Cantic 3. 1. when the Church had lost Christ Shee sought him in her bed by night where when She could not finde him she gets her out into the lanes and streets shee inquires of the watchmen and although Shee meetes with many discouragements yet Shee never gives over untill She finde Christ and make him sure to her selfe so must we doe if wee doe not finde good successe on our holy labours nor finde Christ at first let us never give over till we have found him and so make him sure It is the impatience of the world that if they cannot finde a blessing upon them at first they will seeke no farther and it was the fault of the Iewes Hag. 1. when they went to build the Temple and were hindred having no good successe in their labours they gave over but it was their sinne they were reprooved for it so David in the 1 Chron. 13. when hee would have brought the Arke of God to his citie the Lord was angry with Vzzah and killed him therefore David was afraide to bring the Arke of God to his owne city but it was his fault and a great weakenesse therefore it must bee our care although God doe not answere us according as wee desire yet to goe on still and never give over untill wee have found his blessing upon us Gen. 26. 19. It is said that Isaaks servants digged in the vale and found a fountaine of living water it may be they digged a fadome and found none it may bee two fadome it may bee three it may bee six and yet found no water but they digged still at the last they found a fountaine of living water so wee may seeke comfort and it may be we shall not finde it this day nor the next day yet let us not give over but goe on still for at last we shall finde a fountaine of comfort Secondly that which might have hindered them was the bad example they saw for the Scribes and Pharisees were learned men skilfull in the Law of God and yet not one of them turned a foote to seeke Christ nor were mooved and yet for all this these Wisemen departed away to seeke Christ which may teach us not to rest on the bad example of any man let him be what he will for though they seeke not Christ nor stirre one foote to finde him yet let us goe on to finde Christ Wee read Mark 5. 18. the man out of whom the devill was cast when others desired him to depart the country he desired to tarry with him still hee
matter a little pleasure or profit therefore in this what doe we but as Iudas did sell Christ for a trifle God give us eyes to see it and hearts to abhorre it Thirdly The manner how Iudas betrayed Christ with a kisse a signe of great love and friendship and therefore Christ saith unto him Luk. 22. 44. What doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse I would it were not so still that men kisse religion and yet betray their brethren kisse religion at the Church and yet betray it at home in their bad life and conversation Fourthly The issue and event When he had sold his Master and had but a little comfort First he bringeth the money againe to the Priests he could not abide it which may teach us to take heed how we come by our money if we come by it well we may have comfort but if badly it will one day lye as heavie as leade on a mans heart Secondly Iudas he comes and confesseth his sinne to the Priests and then he went and hanged himselfe he thought to have carried the matter closely and now he discovered it in the Temple Which may teach us that if we sinne against God though we thinke to carry away the matter closely and cunningly yet there will come a time when we shall discover the matter our selves and make it knowne and say I have beene a drunkard and a bad liver I have beene a whoremaster a covetous person and a deceiver of my brethren And as meat that is eaten by a weak stomacke cannot be at rest till it be up againe so a man cannot be quiet many times till hee have discovered all his sinnes himselfe this is the property of a bad conscience that it will egge a man to commit sinne and when he hath sinned then it wil never be at rest till have it brought a man to desperation Revel 20. 12. it is said that Iohn saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened that is their consciences For howsoever mens consciences may be sealed for a time that they cannot see their sinne yet one day they shall be opened and all the sinnes they have committed brought before them O what a fearefull thing will this be we see Iudas did but reade as it were a leafe or a page of this booke nay he read but as it were two or three lines and could not endure it but goeth out and hangs himselfe if it be so fearefull a thing to reade but a leafe or a page how fearefull will it be when a man shall reade every leafe and page in the booke Men that be of trades when they come to places of search they be unpackt and their fardels opened the searchers come and looke upon their ware when if they finde any false ware there is a forfeiture made of it So wee doe as it were in this world packe up our wares in a fardell in our conscience and when we shall stand before God at the day of judgement then our fardels shall be opened and if there be found any false wares sinnes that we have not repented of we may looke for that fearefull sentence Goe yee cursed c. And therefore every one should take heed what he packs up in his fardell seeing it shall one day be opened Having spoken of the Meanes of apprehending Christ wee are further to speake of the Manner which is laid downe in three Actions 1. In the taking of Christ 2. In the binding of him 3. In the leading him away first to Annas then to Caiphas First the taking of Christ and here two things are implied First The marvellous obduration of the Iews for it was a strange thing that they had the heart to take Christ notwithstanding they saw the works of his Power and of his Mercie First of his Power for so soone as he said I am he they straight went backward and fell to the ground and were fully confounded Secondly the workes of his Mercy in that whereas hee flang them downe yet he let them rise againe whereas he did but cast them to the ground he might have cast them to hell and when Peter had cut off Malchus eare being the busiest to take Christ he sets it on againe and healed it and yet for all this they lay hold on Christ as soon as they were up again although they had felt the power of Christ and had seene the workes of his mercy yet they would not be stopped in their course Which may teach us what a fearefull thing it is to have a hard heart that nothing then can stop and stay a man in the course of sinne neither the judgements nor the mercies of God for as we see at this day though God cast many downe to the ground as it were into their sicke beds and hath graciously raised them up againe and as hee healed Malchus eare hath healed them yet they straight-way stretch out their hands to sinne against God and to grieve him therefore wee see when a mans heart is obdurate and hardened with sin nothing will doe him good so it was in Pharaoh Exod. 8. 15. His heart was hardened and he harkened not to them as the Lord had said so likewise Numb 16. wee see the great judgements that befell Corah Dathan and Abiram that the earth did cleave and swallow them up so that all the people fled away at their crie and yet the next day after on the morrow all the multitude of the children of Israel did murmure against Moses and Aaron saying Yee have killed the Lords people c. Hence we may learne what a fearefull thing it is to have a hard and obdurate heart nothing will move it neither the mercie nor the judgements of God therefore let us pray to God to keepe us from this fearefull condition and to give us a soft heart that when he hath laid his judgements upon us wee may be bettered by them and when we taste of his mercies we may be moved with them and brought to repentance The second thing implied in the taking of Christ is that as he was taken of the Iewes so this should put us in minde of the fearefull taking at the last day for looke how Christ was taken in the Garden so every unrepentant sinner shall bee apprehended at the day of Iudgement the drunkard for his drunkennesse the swearer for his swearing the whoremaster for his whoring and so all unrepentant sinners shall be apprehended yea and it shall be in a more fearefull manner than Christs was For first he was apprehended of the wicked Iewes wee shall bee of the Angels Secondly he was brought before the barre of an earthly Iudge but we shall be brought before the barre of the heavenly Iudge which doth not only judge of the outward deeds and actions but of our hearts and thoughts so hee saith Revel 2. 23.
soule for this is the last charge that Christ gave to us to feed and to nourish our soules but if we neglect starve and famish them how shall we be able to looke on him at the day of judgement Now we come to the third speech of Christ on the crosse which was to the Theefe that was crucified with him wherein two things are to bee observed 1. The occasion of the speech 2. The speech it selfe First the occasion of the speech it was concerning the conversion of the Theefe for there were two theeves crucified with him of whom the one blasphemed and rayled on Christ because hee would not save his body nor asswage or mitigate his paines the other applied himselfe to Christ for the saving of his soule and did not care what became of his body so his soule were saved hee did not pray Christ to pull out they spickes out of his hands and feet nor to asswage his paines but his prayer was for the saving of his soule In which two are figured out all men when the come to die some desire to have their body saved and to have paines mitigated to be restored againe to their health and because they be not some of them murmure against God the other sort desire to have their soules saved and care not what become of their bodies so their soules may bee saved they desire not so much to have health and ease but let all goe so they may have their sinnes pardoned and have the salvation of their soules to come into Gods kingdome Now in the occasion of the speech which was the conversion of the theefe we may observe three things 1. The Party that was converted 2. The time when he was converted 3. The fruits and effects of his conversion First the party that was converted it was a Theefe a notorious offender and a bad liver and a naughty man all his life time yet now he is converted unto God and saved therefore let no man despaire of Gods mercies whatsoever thy sinnes be it may be thou hast been a vile liver all thy life time haply thou hast lived a whooremaster a drunkard haply thou hast been a scoffer of Religion a hater of good things a covetous person a coozener of thy neighbours doe not despaire of Gods mercy if thou canst repent and turne to God thou shalt be saved so Paul saith that it is a worthy saying and worthy of all men to be embraced that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the cheife therefore seeing Christ came into the world to save sinners no man must exclude himselfe from Gods mercy so likewise Ier. 3. 1. saith the Lord If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe unto her shall not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord In like manner 1 Sam. 12. 20. The Prophet speaketh unto the people Feare not yee have done all this wickednesse yet depart not from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your hearts c. So howsoever men have lived wickedly and done badly yet let them not turne away from serving the Lord but let them be desirous to please him to repent of their sinnes and they shall finde mercy with God when Caine had killed Abel he cryes out My punishment is greater than I can beare upon which words Augustine Thou lyest Caine the Lords mercy is greater than any mans sinnes if he can repent Bernard saith well We know right well O Lord thou dost not reject the Theefe that confessed the sinfull woman that wept unto thee nor the Canaanitish woman that did humble herselfe before thee nor the wicked Adultresse brought unto thee nor the Toller or Tribute gatherer that did follow thee nor the Publicane that repaired unto thee nor the Disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thy Tormentors that did nayle thy sacred body to the crosse O Lord all these are fragrant fruits of thy most sweete mercy and by the sent of these sweet ointments we runne unto thee and doe follow thee And from hence wee conclude that no man must wilfully exclude himselfe from Gods mercy Secondly The time when he was converted which is to be considered in three circumstances first it was when others did scoffe and scorne Christ and when the Iewes did mocke raile and revile at him with his fellow theefe then at that time hee was converted This should teach us that we be not carried away with the bad examples that be amongst us that although others set not a flye by Christ nor care for his precious blood which hee hath shed for us but rather despise it yet wee must regard it and set it at a high price and desire to have our parts in him as Gen. 6. the Lord said unto Noah Make thee an Arke when the world attended their pleasures and profits and did what they would hee provided an Arke so doe thou make thee an Arke labour to repent thee of thy sinnes and to turne unto God and to get faith in Christ that thou maist be saved though all the world does otherwise wee see by experience when a flood comes loose things and such as are not rooted and unsetled or light things are carried away with the streame but such as are rooted and setled these remaine the poore theefe was then converted when others did mocke at Christ railing at him and reviling him Secondly when Christ was on the crosse in his greatest humility and abasement not when he was walking on the sea or on the water or working of miracles giving sight to the blind making the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare cleansing of Lepers casting out devils raising the dead not when hee was giving life to others but when others were taking life from him even then the theefe was converted Hereupon Augustine saith well Moses beleeved God but when was it when he spake out of the firy Mount and Abraham was obedient to God to goe out of his countrey and from his kindred into a strange land when God spake from heaven the Patriarches beleeved when he spake in dreames and visions the Disciples and Mary saw the wonderous miracles the Centurion he was converted and beleeved when the veile of the Temple rent when the rockes did flye asunder and when the graves did open but the poore Theefe hee was converted when hee saw none of these wonders but when Christ was in the greatest abasement that might be now if the Theefe was converted to God when Christ was on the crosse in his humility and abasement how shall wee answer to God at the day of judgement that we are not converted to him now he is in his glory As Matth. 12. 41. our Saviour saith That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgement and
feeling of their wants We see Christ complained of his thirst so we may complaine to God of our wants And is it not also as lawfull to complaine to men Yes but wee must be sure to use no unlawfull meanes to ease our selves but wait on God where we may see the difference between a true christian and a man of this worldâ— for the one may desire peace ease wealth and such like but there is a moderation in their desires not to have it with any coÌ„dition but by good means which if they thus obtaine not they can rest contented with the good wil of God so we may desire these things but not against the peace of conscience but the other the men of this world care not what means they use to have their desires as Matth. 4. when Christ was hungry the devill came to him and bade him turne stones into bread so the devill doth still when Christians are in want and necessity he will come to them and bid them turne stones into bread that is use unlawfull meanes put themselves upon bad courses to come out of it but wee must take heed of this if wee have not our desires yet wee must waite on God and be contented with his good will So Psal 123. the Church doth As the eyes of a servant looke to the hands of his master and as the eyes of a maiden to the hands of her mistris so our eyes waite on the Lord our God till he have mercy on us In like manner if we be in want or in any trouble we may desire to come out of it but we must use no unlawfull meanes only waite we must on God and be contented with his good will whatsoever it be in the use of good meanes Thirdly the time of his complaint When all things were accomplished when he had lost a great deale of blood and indured a great deale of paine All this time he held it to himselfe till he had set mans salvation in safetie and made that sure he never complaines of his thirst Wherein we may consider the marvellous love of Christ that till hee had made mans salvation sure did not looke to himselfe such a carefull eye he carried for our good and safetie Which love of Christ to us must teach us to shew the like love to him againe to forget our owne ease profit and pleasures that wee may doe service to him as Ioâ— did I have said he preferred the words of his mouth before my appointed food So Ioh. 4. Christ being weary set himselfe downe on a Well when his disciples were gone into the citie to buy meat in which time came a woman to draw water whom hee did convert after which when his disciples came againe with meat and would have had him to eate he made this answere That it was meate and drinke to him to doe his fathers will He had not so much regard to himselfe as to his Fathers will so it must bee with a Christian hee must passe by himselfe and care not what become of him so God may have glory Wee may see a worthy example hereof in Abrahams servant Gen. 24. 33 who being sent to get a wife for his masters sonne when there was meaâ—e â—et before him he could not eate till he had done his businesse he came about Now if a servant have so much care of his masters businesse that hee would not eate or drinke till hee had done it much more should we be carefull to do Gods will therefore when men have so much regard to their owne case and profit and passe by that which tends to Gods Glory this doth shew that there is not the like love to Christ we see in experience if a childe fall into the fire or water if the mother heare of it what businesse soever she hath shee lets all alone and cannot be at rest till she hath set her childe in safetie againe so it was with Christ he forgate himselfe till hee had set our saluation in safety and then he did thirst and we should shew as neere as may be the like love to Christ againe The fourth was The Event of his thirst Christ being on the crosse complaines of thirst Now is there any that brings him wine to comfort him or drinke to refresh him or water to coole him No but they give him vinegar to drinke And because it was not afflictive enough they gave him it with Hyssope to make it more bitter and sowre Here we may see the vilenesse of the souldiers to give such a draught to Iesus Christ our Lord and blessed redeemer in his extremity we are all ready to condemne them and that justly for it but I pray God we be not the men and women that doe the like For as Christ said vpon the crosse Sitio I thirst so be saith now to all the men and women by his spirit in the world Sitio I thirst what wilt thou stand still and gaze upon him or wilt thou not regard him I dare lay that there is never an one here but would be ready to say Lord what wouldst thou have what is it thou thirstest for Why I thirst not for the wine nor for the strong drinke nor for thy honey or thy milke But O man I thirst for thy salvation thy conversion thy Repentance and for thy faith And therefore seeing we heare that Christ doth thirst what wilt thou doe O man wilt thou give him vinegar to drinke as the souldiers did or wilt thou give him wormewood to drinke or temper a cup of poyson and give him Now the truth is There is no wormewood or gall so bitter to our taste as thy impenitencie hard-heartednesse and the sinnes thou livest in are unto Christ for every sinne we commit we doe as it were put a drop of poyson into a cup for Christ to drinke therefore whereas we condemne the souldiers we had neede condemne our selves and come home to our selves Let us therefore temper a better cup for Christ to drinke on than this let us repent us of our sinnes convert and turne to him this will satisfie Christ Wee reade in the English Chronicles of a Monke that got a Toade and pricked and pressed her inâ—â— a cup of wine and gave it to his Liege-lord to drinke Now I dare say there is never an one here but doth detest the fact But the truth is every sinne we commit we doe as it were temper such a cup of poison for Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer therefore I pray God whereas we condemne them for this vile fact that there be not just cause to condemne our selves SERMON XXIIII IOHN 19. 30. VVhen Iesus therefore had received the vinegar hee said It is finished AMongst the seven last words of Christ this is the sixth in order And it is a Song of Gratulation and a triumphing Song for the worke of mans Redemption and Salvation When Moses had led the children
God to despise you when you come to die therefore it is good to make God our friend whilest we be alive This is the counsell that Christ giveth us Luk. 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse the Fathers take it for the poore that wee should make friends of the poore But the meaning is that we should make God our friend in our life time that we may have a friend of him when we come to die therefore because every man must commend himselfe to God when he dies it is good to please him and to walke holily in all our courses that we may commend with boldnesse our soule to him at the last gaspe Secondly what it was bee commended into the hands of God His Spirit his body he left to Pilates mercy but all his care was for his soule therefore he commends that into the hands of God which may teach us two things first though our bodies dye yet our soules doe live all the Scriptures shew this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it so Revel 6. 9. And when hee had opened the fifth seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the Testimonie which they mainetained so also Heb. 12. 22. For yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the city of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to the congregation and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect So it is a plaine truth in Christianity that though our bodies dye our soules are immortall therefore seeing our soules never dye but shall live for ever how carefull ought we to be for them and to passe our time in holinesse and feare before God as they may live with God for ever in heaven Indeed if our soules might dye our care might bee the lesse but seeing they shall never dye it is a wondrous corruption amongst most to see how they cloath the body feed and physick that runne from market to market to make provision for it which yet must dye and their immortall soules they take no care for therefore one saith well O man of all thy parts take care of thy immortall part that which never dieth Secondly it teacheth us that seeing Christ commended his Spirit into the hands of God wee see what the especiall care of a Christian should bee not to care so much what become of his body so his soule may be saved Christ he left his body to Pilates mercy but he commended his soule into the hands of God so a Christians care must be especially that his soule may be saved that it may come safe into the hands of God what soever become of the body this was the care of the holy theefe Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule it being provided for hee cares not what become of his body we see when a mans house is on fire if he have a pretious jewell he will labour to save that though the rest perish so seeing the soule is the most pretious jewell whatsoever thy labour and paines be labour to lay up thy soule safe in the hands of God as Steven did when a storme of stones came about his eares hee bowed himselfe downe and said Lord Iesus receive my soule all his care was for the saving thereof that it might come safe into the hands of God as if he should say Lord receive my soule I care not what becommeth of my body so that thou save my soule all shall be well this will content me Thirdly the time when he commended his Spirit at the time of his death which was the very close of his life when he was ready to breathe out his last breath which may teach us that every man should make this his practise when hee comes to dye to bee sure to make a holy close of his life then it is a time to commend his soule to God Now there bee other times for a man to commend his soule to God as first in the time of danger and perill so David did when he was in perill of Saul Psalm 31. 5. saith he Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit because I have no body else to commend it to nor no body to trust it with in assurance of safety therefore Lord into thy hands I commend it likewise Psalm 10. 14. the poore committeth himselfe unto the Lord seeing no man regards him nor cares for him hee commends himselfe to the care of God so that the time of distresse and danger is a time to commend our soules to God There is also another time that wee should commend our soules to God and that is daily because our life is uncertaine therefore wee should every morning when we doe rise and every night when we goe to bed not knowing not what will befall us in the day commend our soules to God there bee a number of men in the world that bee greatly overtaken in this they never commend their soules into the hands of God if a nurse goe abroad and leave her childe and doe not commit it to the care of some body to keepe and to looke after it if the childe catch any hurt they will blame the nurse for it so if wee doe not commit our selves our wives and children to God in the morning and at night if any hurt befall them we may thanke our selves for it the blame lieth upon our selves 1 Sam. 18. 28. we see when David came into the host to his brethren they asked him this question with whom hast thou left those few sheepe So we should commend our temporall estate to the keeping of some body where it may be safe and if we should commend that to keeping much more must we commend oursoules to God Now as at these times wee should commit our soules to God yet more especially we must doe it when we come to dye because the devill will then bee busie and wee have a long journey to goe if a man were to passe into France and to carry all his goods with him that hee hath scraped together all his life time hee would looke into what ship hee did commit his goods and if hee had a rotten bottome hee would beware how he committed his goods to it so seeing we are to passe from earth to heaven a long journey we must take heed wee doe not commit our soules to a rotten bottome but bee carefull to lay them up into the hands of God that so they may remaine safe there Fourthly upon what ground he commends his soule into the
though a great deale of sorrow and misery befall him yet one day hee shall see God with his eyes so also David saith Psal 16. 9. Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also resteth in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in the grave neither wilt thou let thy holy one to see corruption and more over this was that comfort that Christ gave to his Disciples Matth. 20. 19. when hee told them of his passion And they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mocke and to scourge and to crucifie him but the third day he shall rise againe Now that which comforted Iob David and Christ must comfort us for as Christ did rise so all his members shall rise and therefore let us conjoyne our selves to Christ whilest wee live here that so wee may dye with Christ and let us lay our selves under him in the grave I meane our lusts and sinnes and then as Christ rose so we shall rise but if thou doe not conjoyne thy selfe with Christ in his death and lye under him in the grave then Christ shall rise and thou shalt lie still in the grave nay it were well if it might bee so for thou shalt rise againe but Christ shall rise to glory and thou to shame Christ shall rise to possesse eternall life and thou eternall death Secondly we shall not onely rise out of the grave but we shall also rise out of trouble for as there is a power of Christ to pull us out of the grave so there is a power of Christ to raise us out of trouble It is an opinion in the World that there is a power of Christ to raise them out of the grave yet they doe not know that there is also a power of Christ to raise them out of their troubles but howsoever this is unknowne to the world yet it should be knowne to a Christian To which effect the Apostle speakes 2 Corinth 4. 10. We alwaies beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall bodies And vers 14. saith he knowing that he which raised up the Lord Iesus shall raise us up also by Iesus and shall present us with you These words are to be understood of raising them out of trouble to comfort them in this world And so 2 Tim. 2. 9. Remember saith he that Iesus Christ made of the seede of David was raised againe from the dead Remember this you that suffer for good causes that as Christ was raised so you shall be raised to comfort and joy out of your troubles so these be the reasons why it was needefull Christ should rise First To assure us that our sinnes are expiated and pardoned Secondly To apply Salvation Thirdly To be an undoubted evidence to us that we shall rise out of the grave and out of our troubles in this world Secondly The time when hee did rise againe and that is exactly set downe the third day according as Christ foretold in the 2 of Iohn I will destroy this Temple and in three daies I will build it againe and Matth. 20 19. the place before mentioned and they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mocke and to scourge and to crucifie him but the third day he shall rise againe and so in this place which I read unto you that he was buried and that hee rose the third day according to the Scriptures Now there is reason why hee rose no sooner and there is reason why he rose no later as that being the fittest time for him to rise in of which I will speake at this time First Because that it might he an evidence to the Iewes that he was truely dead for if he had risen the first day or the second then they would have thought he had beene in a trance or in a sound onely and therefore to cleare this point he did not rise till the third day because all the hope of the pardon of our sinnes hangs on the death of Christ and all the hope of Gods favor and therefore he would have this point sealed to the World and this was the first reason why Christ rose no sooner Secondly That the Disciples might have an evidence of the power of the death of Christ for there was a greater power in Christ to rise againe when he had beene possessed and vanquished of death three dayes than if he had rose the first day And Augustine saith that Christ did more shew his power in rising from death when they had killed him than hee should have done if he had come downe from the Crosse when they â—ad him so there was a greater power of Christ seene in rising the third day than if he should have risen the first day or the second it was a greater matter that hee should recover when all hope was passed the widdowes sonne in the Gospell was raised when he lay upon the Beere to bee carried to burying Entichus when he fell out of the window and the dead man assoone as he did touch the dead bones of Elisha but Christ recovered when hee had beene three dayes together vanquished of death and this doth shew the great power of Christ Thirdly To teach us Christians patience that if wee doe not arise out of trouble the first day or the second yet still to waite with christian patience till the third day that is many dayes together till the time that God hath appointed Therefore if wee be not raised out of trouble so soone as wee desire let us not murmure or grudge against God and be impatient but quiet our selves with the good will of God and waite with patience till the time he hath appointed for our deliverance It is the manner of the world if they be in their troubles but a day or two they say how long Lord how long as if they tarried too long but the patience of Christ must teach us patience and to quiet our selves with the good will of God so David did Psal 123. As the eyes of a servant looke to his master and the eyes of a Mayden to her Mistris so our eyes wait on thee till thou shew mercie and though it be not to day nor to morrow yet we waite on thee till thou shew mercie yee remember that Christ Iesus said to Marie when there wanted wine My houre is not yet come There be two houres God hath his houre and wee have our houre our houre is as soone as wee stand in neede but Christs houre is to helpe when all meanes faile there be many that desire ease and peace and comfort but we must tarrie Christs houre wee must waite with Christian patience till the third day come So much for the reasons why Christ rose no sooner now wee are come to speake why hee arose no later The first reason is To shâ—w that if he had deferred it any longer the Iewes might have
two times there is a time of mercy and a time of judgement therefore doe thou not accompt God unjust though good and bad speede alike he makes the raine to raine on the just and the unjust the Sunne doth shine on both and they drinke all of one fountaine and draw in the same ayre yet doe not thinke God to be unjust because this is the time of mercy but there will come a time of judgement and therefore saith hee O my brethren bee wise an take heede doe not say I did naughtily to day and yet it was well with me and I will doe naughtily to morrow and I hope to doe well too this is but the time of Gods mercy there will come a time of His Iudgement wherein Hee will call thee to accompt for all thy sinnes The third is from the wisedome of God and wise order be hath in the governing of all things for in all well ordered commonwealths there are Assises Sessions and Law-daies and in every city towne and hamlet there are courts to order and determine things if it bee so in all well ordered commonwealths then it must needs be so in Gods Kingdome if this wisedome bee in man that is but finite much more surely is it in God that is infinite and therefore seeing in all well ordered common-wealths there is a time of judgement it holds much more that God should have a Iudgement day to arraigne the whole world in The fourth is from the common consent of all that is of Angels men and of devils Of Angels as we see Acts. 1. 11. Yee men of Galilee why stand ye heere gazing to heaven this Iesus whom ye see taken from you into heaven shall so come as yee have seene him goe into heaven And holy men doe acknowledge thus much as Saint Iohn in the Revelation and Henoch long before did prophesie of it Iude 14. so David Psalm 89. ult For he is come to judge the earth with righteousnesse shall hee judge the earth and the people with equity Yea the devils beleeve it and tremble as Matth. 8. Art thou come hither to torment us before our time therefore seeing there is a common consent of all Angels holy Men and devils it is certaine there shall be a judgement day which granted as needs it must let us make some profitable Vse for our instruction The first use is That seeing there is a judgement therefore wee should reverently stand in feare of it for one day thou shalt rise out of thy grave and shalt stand before Christ in judgement to answere for all thy thoughts words and actions and therefore it is not a light matter but stands every man in hand to bee reverently afraid of the judgement day which Paul cals the terrour of the Lord because it is a terrible thing to stand before God in judgement Wee see what a fearefull thing it is when a theefe shut up in the Iayle is to make his appearance before an earthly Iudge which is but the danger of this life how much more then will is strike terrour into us when accused of our own consciences we are to come before Christ in Iudgement who will judge both soule and body When Paul preached to Felix of temperance and judgement it is said Felix trembled now if he trembled at the name of judgement then how much more oughtest thou to tremble thou that art a cold Christian that hast lived loosely and badly how oughtest thou to to tremble I say hearing of the severity of Christ It is a good saying Saint Bernard hath if thou hast put away all shame which appertaines to so noble a creature as thou art yet cast not away feare for saith he men use to load an Asse and he beares it because he is an Asse but thrust him in the fire or into a pit and he will shunne it because he feareth death and loveth life therefore be not worse than the beast feare death feare hell feare Iudgement Secondly seeing there is a Iudgement day therefore we should be carefull to passe the time of our dwelling here in holinesse and feare because wee shall stand before God in judgement heaven and hell cannot avoide it the mountaines and hils cannot cover and hide us from his presence therefore every man must bee carefull to please God and to passe his time well here because he must stand before God in judgement hereafter Men that goe to markets and faires knowing that their packs shall be opened by the searchers to see what wares they bring will bee carefull what wares they packe up so seeing our packs and fâ—rdels shall bee opened at that day that is our consciences we must bee carefull what we packe and fardell up seeing all shall be discovered wee reade Iohn 11. 7. when there was word given out that it was the Lord that was on the shore Peter did gird his coate to him and cast himselfe into the Sea this was a strange action of Peter one would have thought rather he would have let it alone or have put off his coate but Peter did wisely consider that hee must stand before Christ and therefore that hee might stand seemely before him hee did gird himselfe so seeing wee shall one day stand before God in judgement wee must gird our coates unto us and cast our selves into the glassie sea of this world that so wee may stand seemely before him at that day Thirdly seeing there is a judgement day therefore wee must labour to repent us of our sinnes if we repent of them they shall be forgiven us if we doe not we shall answere for them at that day this counsell Christ doth give us Luke 12. 58. Whilest thou goest with thy adversarie to the ruler as thou art in the way give diligence that thou maiest bee delivered from him lest he bring thee before the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the Iaylor and the Iaylor cast thee into prison I tell thee Thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the uttermost mite so wee are all in the way to the judgement seate whil'st we live here therefore let us make our peace with God repent us of our sinnes and be reconciled to him for if wee doe not hee will deliver us to the Iaylor and we shall be cast into hell and shall never come out It is a good saying of Saint Austine if an earthly Iudge passe sentence against thee and should condemne thee to dye to morrow or the next day tell me what would'st thou doe would'st thou sleepe in thy chaines and fetters would'st thou idle out the time No but thou would'st goe to this friend and to that friend and would'st sell all thou had'st to purchase a pardon and if a friend should say to thee what dost thou meane to runne up and downe and sell that thou hast why thou would'st answere and say I am condemned to dye to
prepared for thee thus every Christian must comfort himselfe with the hope of Heaven Secondly it is no meane kingdome because it is prepared for his chosen and Elect. The kingdome of this World God hath prepared for the good and the bad both together therefore sometimes wicked kings doe raigne but this kingdome he hath prepared for sanctified and holy people onely as Christ saith Iohn 3. Except a man be borne againe aâ—new â—e cannot enter into the Kingdome of God So this kingdome he hath prepared for the Elect onely Davidâ—aith â—aith Psal 111. 5. He hath given a portion to them that feare him We see this World that God hath made it for good and bad how it is walled in with the sea and covered with the Heavens and the Sunne and Moone and Starres to give us light Birds Fishes and Beasts to feede us with Trees and Plants for the use of us O but it is a speciall portion that hee will bestow on them that feare him therefore when we looke on the kingdomes of this World we may say this is not the kingdome that God hath prepared for his Elect and chosen onely but together with them for his enemies also but there is a glorious Kingdome that God hath prepared onely for his Elect and chosen and therefore why doe we not gather up our hearts and labour for it It is the madnesse of the World to spend all their strength in labouring after toyes and trifles Naboth would not part with his possessions God forbid saith he that I should part with the inheritance of my father or the Lord keepe me from giving the inheritance of my father so we should say when wee meete with temptations in the world to draw us out of this way Lord keepe me from giving the inheritance of my father Esau is condemned by the mouth of all men for that he sold his birthright for a messe of pottage so how worthily shall many a one bee condemned that will sell heaven for a little pleasure and profit for a penny or a halfepenny matter for a little beere or for a draught of strong drinke even for toyes and trifles Thirdly it was prepared for the Elect before the foundation of the world for before we were God loved us and prepared this kingdome for us before we looked on the Sunne he did regard us therefore it was not our merits that was the cause why God did bestow this kingdome on us but his free love in Christ which makes the gift the greater 1 Sam. 25. saith Nabal Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men whom I know not I but heere is the love of God that when wee were strangers and enemies unto him then he prepared heaven for us it is a good saying that a learned man hath when I had no beginning thou thoughtest on mee and when I was nothing thou did'st prepare for mee and therefore it was nothing in my selfe that was the cause of it but it was thy mercy and goodnesse to me Secondly in the Assignation wee considered the title to his Kingdome it is a title of Inheritance therefore it is the best title and tenure and the surest that any man can hold by for so long as a man liveth so long his inheritance holds good if hee could live for ever and ever therefore seeing we shall have it by such a tenure wee may assure our selves we shall have it for ever and ever And here wee may with holy admiration admire Gods mercies to us as 2 Sam. 7. 18. David doth admire Gods kindenesse to him Who am I Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought mee hitherto and yet was this a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servants house for a long time to come so wee may much more admire the goodnesse and the kindnesse of God to us in that he hath prepared such a kingdome for us we may say as David said Lord God who am I and what is my fathers house I am but a poore sinfull man and thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while and wee must stirre up our selves to looke after it and to take heede we be not carried away with the streame of corruption therefore Augustine saith well Lord I am contented to endure any torture or any paine to indure imprisonment or the racke or whipping or burning so that I might bee but in heaven one day in like manner should wee bee contented to endure trouble and paine a little while heere that wee may bee in heaven for ever and ever SERMON L. MATTH 25. 35. For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirstie and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke me in c. I Shewed the last day of the blessed and happie estate that all the people of God are called to at the day of Iudgement that they shall have no lesse matters than a kingdome and a kingdome prepared for the elect and that as a peculiar portion from the beginning of the world which should greatly set on foot the desires of a Christian to heare the blessed and the sweet voice of Christ calling them to come and possesse this kingdome Matth. 21. 12. it is said The kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force So none but violent people can get heaven it is a metaphore taken from a souldier that breakes into a Towne who although he be beaten backe and on the ground yet up againe he gets and never leaves till he enter the towne so they must be valiant men that must enter into heaven though they be driven backe and laid on the ground yet they must up againe and at it and never leave till they have gotten heaven yea although hell lay in our way we should breake thorow it and goe to heaven such a royall kingdome it is furnished with all good things Saint Ierome saith It is a great labour to goe to heaven but the reward is greater for they shall be where all the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Christ himselfe is and where the joy shall bee unspeakable so it is no lesse matter that God will bestow on his people than a kingdome Now we come to the fourth thing observed in the sentence of remuneration the Reason of it For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I thirsted and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged me I was naked and yee clothed me I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto me Then shall the righteous answer saying Lord when saw wee thee an hungred and athirst or naked and so forth The answer is Insomuch as you have done it to my servants and to my members you have done it to
love and most difficult Now since all our good workes shall be remembred and more especially our workes of mercie Therefore it is a good thing for a man to feede the hungrie to cloth the naked to visit the sicke and let us meditate with our selves in this case as David said 2 Sam. 7. 2. I dwell in a house of Cedar and the Arke of God remaines within curtaines so we should say I dwell in a goodly house and many of Gods people have not a house to put their heads in I lie in a soft bed when many of them have not a bed to lie on I have good food when they have not a bit of bread to eate So then it is a good thing for a man to go out of himselfe to consider the wants of other and to shew mercy to them especially at this time because God hath beene mercifull unto us in giving us seasonable times to inne the fruits of the earth to our comfort and giving to us the appointed weekes of the harvest as Ierem. 5. and giving of us strength to undergoe our labours we see Numb 31. 49. when the captaines had beene at warre and were returned home againe they muster their men and finde not a man lost therefore they bring an offering and offer it to the Lord in thankefulnesse for it so we should doe every one looke into his family and number his men and when hee sees that there is not one of them hath miscarried but that he hath his number still give thankes to God for it and as God hath beene mercifull to us so to bee mercifull to our brethren I but some will say I am a poore man and cannot feede the hungry cloath the naked nor as Christ speaketh doe any great matter what shall I doe I answer that the least and smallest matter that is done in true love to Christ shall not want his reward if it be but a draught of drinke or visite of the sicke so Christ shewes Matth. 10. 42. And whosoever shall give unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drinke onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward so we see Luk. 21. the poore widdow that cast into the treasurie but two mites was more accepted than them that cast in of superfluitie it is not the great quantitie that is accepted but with what affection for the smallest thing done Christ will accept if it be done in love Exod. 35. we see the people brought gold and silver and brasse and silke ramskins and goates haire and so forth for the building of the Tabernacle Origen saith well on that place Grant Lord saith he that I may bee found to bring something to the building of thy Temple that I may bee found to being a little gold to make the mercy-seate on or the Arke or to make the candlestick or a little silver to make the pillars on or a little brasse to make the bosses on or a little silke to make the curtaines on a little goates haire that so I may not be found empty to have brought nothing to the building of thy spirituall Temple So what a griefe may it be at that day when Christ shall say here is the gold silver brasse silke or the goats haire that such a man and such a woman brought and I shall be found to bring nothing what a shame and what a griefe I say will this bee therefore will I ever beseech God to give me the grace that I may be found able to bring something and bestow it on Gods spirituall house that it may bee a comfort to me at that day and let every man be exhorted to doe what they can out of true love to God and compassion to his poore members and no question it shall bee accepted though it be but a little goates haire wee see Math. 21. when Christ rode to Ierusalem every man was ready to doe him service and honor some strowed their garments in the way some cut downe boughs and branches to make way for his comming so doe thou if thou have not changes of garments to strow yet cut downe a boughe or some little branch bestow something on Christ on the Church of God on his poore Saints people and God will accept it for as it is 1 Cor. 8. if there be but a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that which hee hath not therefore let men doe what they are able and God will accept of it though it be but a little Fourthly the judgement that shall passe upon us at the day of judgement shall bee of such workes of mercy as are done to Christians because they are Christians it is good thing to doe good to all as Salomon saith Eccl. 11. cast thy bread on the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it though it seeme to thee to be lost and to bee cast away yet thou shalt finde it againe But especially doe good to Christians because they be Christians as it is Gal. 6. 9. doe good to all especially to the houshold of faith and so Rom. 12. 13. the Apostle exhorts to distribute to the necessities of the Saints for that which is done to the Saints is done to Christ himselfe thus 2 Sam. 9. David makes inquirie if none of the house of Saul was left for Ionathan was dead unto whom hee could shew no kindnesse therefore hee makes inquiry to see if any of his race were left that hee might shew kindnesse to them for Ionathans sake so Christ is in heaven wee cannot bestow our bread or our cloth on him O but there are a number of his brethren and servants here in want and in need these wee must feede cloath and shew kindnesse to for Christs sake againe though we are to doe good to all yet especially to Christians because they are Christians for there is such a neere conjunction betweene Christ and Christians that their wants hee takes to bee his wants their injuries and wrongs to bee as done to him Therefore one saith well that Christ takes all the injuries and wrongs that are done to his servants as if they were done to himselfe as Acts 9. Saul persecuted the Church and Christ cries out of heaven Saul Saul why persecutes thou mee Saul kicked at the foote and the head cries out of heaven why dost thou persecute mee such a neere conjunction there is betweene Christ and his members that all the injuries and wrongs that are done to them are accounted as done to Christ and all their wants to bee his wants Therefore tell me O man or woman if Christ should hang on the crosse and crie out and say I thirst what wouldst thou doe Let him thirst still nay wouldest thou not rather bring him wine or milke to comfort him this is the same case still for when a
the true glasse of the Word of God there sinne will appeare in his true proportion and right quantitie But why is the neglect of doing good to his poore members so great a sinne I answere because in neglecting of them wee condemne Christ for they be the members of Christ and so Saint Paul saith 1 Corinth 8. 12. Now when ye sinne against the bretheren and wound their consciences yee sinne against Christ the contempt of Christ is lapped up in the contempt of his servants It is a good thing therefore for a man to bee mercifull and pittifull especially to the poore Saints and people of God and to relieve them in their wants and necessities so farre forth as a man is able and occasion shall be offered Saint Iames tels us that there shall be judgement mercilesse to him that shewes no mercy and Matth. 3. It is said Blessed art the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie therefore it is a good thing for a man to shew mercie to the Saints and People of God and thus much of the reason Now we come to the last point and that is what shall become of Christ and what be shall doe when he bee hath finished up the last judgement This Saint Paul shewes us 1 Cor. 15. from the 24. verse to the 28. the sâ—mme whereof is this He shall render up his kingdome to God that he may be all in all In which two things offer themselves to be observed 1. What he shall doe He shall render up his Kingdome to God 2. The End of it that God may be all in all First what â—e shall doe he shall render up the Kingdome to God Now this may be conceived two wayes First he shall render up the Kingdome that is all the Children of God the Elect and chosen hee shall bring them to God and deliver them to him that hee may blesse them and receive them into Heaven that he may be made partaker of all the glory that is prepared for them and he shall present them to God in the merits of his death and say Father these bee they that I have prayed for in the Mount swet in the Garden dyed for on the crosse and shed my most pretious blood for Therefore Father râ—â—eive them and blesse them hitherto have I kept them in thy Name thus hee shall render up the kingdome unto God when hee shall bring all the godly and holy people to the contemplation and beholding of the great glory prepared for them We heard out of Gen. 27. 3. how Ioseph tooke certaine of his brethren and did present them to Pharaoh so the true Ioseph Iesus Christ shall carry all the Elect and chosen people of God present them before him and desire him to receive them into glory and to bestow the best of Heaven upon them so Christ shall render up the Kingdome Wee read in Philemon when Onesimus had runne away from his master Saint Paul meets with him and sends him backe againe to his Master with a letter in his hand to the end his Master might receive him but Christ will doe much more for us hee will not onely send us with a letter in our hands to God but hee will take us by the hand and present us to God in the merits of his death that God may receive and blesse us Secondly he shall render up the kingdome that is his governement and office Now we cannot come to God without a Mediator all that we doe now is by meanes of a spokes-man but when Christ shall bring us home to God when we shall bee brought to Heaven then wee shall have recourse unto God without a spokes-man then we shall not need a Mediator and thus Christ shall render up the kingdome that is hee shall give up his office and his government into the hands of God A learned man thus expresseth it there is a number of Rebels that bee up in Armes against the king who makes his sonne Generall and sends him out to subdue the Rebels to shew mercy to those that would submit themselves to him and to execute and put to death them that would not which when the kings sonne hath done he returnes home againe to his father and tels him that he had done what hee was sent for and then renders up his Generalship to live with his father as he did before so God hath sent his Sonne here into the World to reconcile unto himselfe all his Elect people and to subdue his enemies when Christ hath performed this then he delivers up his office and lives with the Father as before Adam in the time of his innocency and Communion with God was without a Mediator so when wee are all brought home to God againe into Heaven then wee shall have communion with God without a Mediator Now because this is a hard point and that which some Divines stumble at therefore I will make it as plaine as I can A man that hath sore eyes he will have silke to hang before them or he must have a glasse to see by but when his eyes bee well hee will take away the glasse and lay aside his silkes so as long as wee were in our sinnes wee could not deale with God but wee must have our silkes it must bee by a Mediator but when our sinnes shall be healed then wee may lay aside our silkes and we shall see the face of God without a Mediator But here a question may be made some may may say How shall Christ render up the Kingdome seeing it is said Luk. 1. 33. that of his kingdome there shall be no end so Daniel 2. it is said His Kingdome shall not passe to another To this I answere His Kingdome shall continue still but not in the same forme the forme shall be altered for now he raignes as Man then as God now the glory of the Godhead is shadowed by the Manhood and then the glory of the Manhood shall be darkened by the Godhead not that the Manhood of Christ shall noâ— remaine or that the glory of it shall bee lesse than now but it shall be obscured as it were by a greater light I will make it plaine by a similitude light a candle in a darke night and it shines and giveth light but bring it into the bright Sunne-shine and the brightnesse and splendor of the Sunne darkens the light of the candle though it have the same light that it had before so though there bee the same glory in the Manhood of Christ that was before yet the glory and splendor of the Godhead shall so farre goe beyond the Manhood of Christs former manifestation as it shall darken that glory and thus much for the first point Secondly The End why he shall render up his kingdome to God that he may be all in all Here God is not all in all for there are many excellencies in the World Angels
doves much more will he be angry with them that pollute his spirituall Temple with their sinnes and corruptions and vile lusts The second thing that we are to beleeve concerning God the holy Ghost is That he is person really subsisting and distinct from the Father and the Sonne And here we are to observe two things First That the holy Ghost is a Person or a reall subsistence and not a quality or motion in God as certaine heretikes hold but hee is a Person that hath reall subsistence by himselfe which we may see by divers acts that he doth as to send the Prophets and Apostles and give spirituall gifts and graces Esay 48. 16. it is said The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me therefore because the holy Ghost is said to send he is not a quality or a motion but a person So also Acts 13. 2. The holy Ghost said Separate me Paul and Barnabas for the worke whereunto I have called them So then it is plaine by the Scripture that the holy Ghost is person and not a qualitie or a motion in God Now two wayes the holy Ghost is taken in the Scripture for the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost as Matth. 12. Christ shewes He that sinnes against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world not in the world to come A man may sinne against the Person of the holy Ghost and yet may be forgiven but the sinne that is here spoken of is the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost and in other places of the Scripture it is taken for the person of the holy Ghost Secondly the holy Ghost is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne Matth. 28. 19. Christ saith to his Disciples Goe teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and so also 1 Iohn 5. 7. he shewes there are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one furthermore Matth. 3. when Christ was baptised there was the voice of the Father saying This is my welbeloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and the holy Ghost descending on Christ in the likenesse of a Dove so it is plaine by the Scripture that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the Father and the Sonne Now the use hereof is briefly that as we feele the power of God the Father in our creation and the mercy of the Sonne in our redemption so also we must labour to feele the worke of the holy Ghost in sanctifying of our hearts and quickning of us to all holy duties there were some as wee may reade of in the Acts that did not know there was a Holy Ghost but if we feele our hearts to be sanctified and the power of the holy Ghost to quicken us this is an argument to us against all heretikes to prove there is a holy Ghost The third point that we are to beleeve is that the holy Ghost is holy in himselfe and that he is the causer and effecter of holinesse in others So Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost that is no man is able to doe any thing that is pleasing to God but by the holy Ghost and vers 11. saith he All these things worketh even the selfe-some Spirit distributing to every one severally as he will So the holy Ghost is not onely holy in himselfe but he is the cause of holinesse in all the people of God The uses are first seeing the holy Ghost makes men holy there is never a man that hath one deep or dram of holinesse in himselfe but the holy Ghost must worke it in him as Ezek. 37. we see the dead bones were scattered all the field over till the Spirit of God came into them then there was a noise a clattering and running together of the bones so we be scattered all the field over and lye like dead bones till the Spirit of God come into our heart then there is a noise and a clattering together of the bones then men begin to stirre in the life of holinesse therefore doth any man desire spirituall graces and is often in prayer doth any man find in himselfe holy motions to good let him comfort himselfe for such desires are of and by the Spirit of God it is the holy Ghost that workes them in him for no man hath a dram or a drop of holinesse in himselfe but it is the holy Ghost workes it in him Secondly seeing it is the holy Ghost that makes men holy as often as we feele any good motions or good desires we may know from whence they come that it is the holy Ghost which is the beginner and worker of them If a man lye in a trance and neither moves nor stirres if one layes his eare to the man and heares him breath he may say there is life in the man even so although a man be not able to stirre in the life of holinesse yet if he doe but breath that there be good thoughts and good motions and good desires this is a token that there is the life of grace in him and that the holy Ghost hath begun to worke in him there is the beginning of grace in him SERMON LIV. IOHN 14. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you FOure points yee heard wee are to beleeve concerning the holy Ghost first That the holy Ghost is God secondly That he is a person and not a motion or a qualitie in God but hath a reall subsistence and that hee is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne thirdly That he is not onely holy in himselfe but he is the Effecter and Causer of holinesse in others and that no man hath one dram or drop of holinesse in him but it is wrought by the holy Ghost The fourth point which we are at this present to handle is that He is not onely the causer of holinesse in others but I must beleeve that he will particularly make me holy and give me such a measure of sanctitie as shall be meet and fit for me This is properly the faith of a Christian which herein goeth beyond the faith of all others the devils doe beleeve that the holy Ghost is God and that hee is a Person that hath reall subsistence and that he is a distinct Person from the Father and the Sonne and they doe beleeve that the holy Ghost is the causer of holinesse in all the faithfull people of God but they doe not beleeve that he will worke holinesse in them But here is the faith of a Christian to appropriate the holy Ghost to himselfe so they have not faith onely
the Apostle saith All things shall worke to the good of them that love God There be many things that seeme to goe against Christians all which yet the Lord turnes to their good the Philistians could not resolve Sampsons riddle but every Christian can as honey came out of the dead body of the Lion so a Christian drawes sweetnesse from the dead body of Christ even in trouble and affliction by perswading of us that God will turne all to our good Thirdly the holy Ghost doth comfort us by perswading of us that God will set an end to all our troubles as it is said Psal 102. That God will arise and have mercy on Sion for the time to have mercy thereon is come even the appointed time is come so also Psal 62. 2. saith he yet hee is my strength and my salvation and my defenceâ— therefore I shall not much be moved Now three wayes the Holy Ghost giveth us comfort in affliction First by perswading us that God will take it away Secondly that if he doth not take it away he will mitigate and asswage it as Psal 18. David saith by my God I have leaped over a wall although God did not take away the wall or though hee doth not make the wall lower yet by the helpe of God I can leape over the wall Thirdly that though he doth not mitigate or asswage it that yet he will give us patience to beare and undergoe it as it is in the Psalme I cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard me and hath renewed my strength therefore we may say with Saint Paul Thankes bee to God who hath comforted us in all our tribulations The second time is In the distresse of Conscience of all distresse there is none like it as Salomon saith Proverb 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can beare Now it is the Holy Ghost that doth comfort a man in this distresse First By perswading us that we are the Children of God Rom. 8. Saint Paul saith The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the Children of GOD whereupon Chrysostome saith if GOD should send an Angell or an Archangell and should tell thee that thou art beloved of GOD and that thou art his Childe would not this comfort thee in this distresse of conscience but God hath not sent an Angell or an Archangell onely to perswade thee that thou art the childe of God but hee hath sent his Spirit into thy heart to beare witnesse unto thy spirit that thou art the Childe of God Secondly by perswading us that there is a seede of grace in our hearts as 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not because his seed remaineth in him and Iohn 8. Christ saith He that beleeveth in mee out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water therefore seeing there is a seede of grace remaining in all the faithfull though they goe astray and wander yet they doe as the sheepe cry unto the shepheard and are not at rest till they be brought home to God So we see David did in the Psal 119. saith he I have gone astray like a lost sheepe Lord seeke thy servant for I have not forgot thy Commandements The third speciall time is at the day of death when all comforts faile us then the holy Ghost comforts us by perswading us that God is our Father and that we are going home to him and are at peace with him Thus Iohn 17. 11. Christ saith I come to thee holy Father keepe them in thy Name even these which thou hast given me And 2 Pet. 3. 12. saith he Looking for and hasting unto the comming of the day of God So it should be comfort to a Christian that by death he is going home to God and that he cannot bee at rest till he come there Secondly The Holy Ghost doth comfort us by perswading that Heaven is opened for us and that the Angels are ready to receive us and that the ending of this life is the beginning of a better We read Gen. 26. 6. when Iaakob was going to Padan Aram he laid him downe to sleepe upon a stone where he saw a vision a ladder reared up that reacht to Heaven the Angels ascending and descending thereupon and Christ ready to receive them at the head of the ladder So Acts 7. Stephan at the time of death saw Heaven opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to receive him such comfortable visions shall the people of God have at the time of death at least such comforts as shall be fit to comfort them in this Thirdly By perswading us that although our bodies rot and consume yet one day they shall rise againe to glory and happinesse so Iob saith I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand the last on the Earth and though after my skin worms destroy my body yet shall I see God with my eyes and Iohn 11. 23. Iesus saith to Mortha thy brother shall rise againe to whom Martha replies I know he shall rise in the resurrection at the last day Therefore howsoever our bodies rot and consume in the Grave yet one day they shall rise to glory and happinesse It is a good meditation of a learned man at the time of death and of thy departure thinke of all the good doctrines that have beene taught thee of good Preachers to comfort thy selfe with them remember that Iesus Christ is the Lambe of God that was crucified and killed for thy sinnes and is ready to receive thee who tooke order in his last Will and Testament for thee as Iohn 17. Father saith he I will that where I am there they be also and to the theefe on the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise So rest thy selfe in this hope and goe thy way to thy Christ goe home to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and to all the holy men departed and such as are behinde shall follow after where we shall all meete together to behold God in glory and sing praises to him world without end So this comfort that we have by the Holy Ghost will stand by us when all comfort will faile The sixth benefit we have by the Holy Ghost is abilitie and power to performe any speciall calling for there is no man that can performe any speciall calling till the holy Ghost hath enabled him as 1 Sam. 10. it is said The Spirit of God came upon Saul and made him fit for governement and Acts 2. the Spirit of God came downe upon the Apostles and made them fit to preach to all Nations so Exod. 38. 2. it is said of Bezaleel that He was filled with the Spirit of God in wisedome understanding knowledge and in all workemanship to finde out curious workes in gold silver and in brasse So there is no
we have Communion one with another First we have Communion with God whereas before we were strangers by nature and had not to doe with God nay there was none that could bring us into favor with him but by Christ so S. Iohn saith in this place and it is said Eph. 2. 13. But now in Christ Iesus ye which were once afarre off are made neere by the blood of Christ so also Heb. 12. 23. saith the Apostle But now ye are come to Mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first borne whose names are in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all This communion is the comfortablest communion that is in this world therefore above all things let us be thankefull to God for it because other communions of this world though the best are not fit to compare with this for to have communion with kings princes and great men in the world with Angels Archangels and Saints and not to have communion with God all this were nothing because In his presence is fulnesse of joy and at his right hand pleasures for evermore We see holy Ruth was contented to forsake her Countrie and kindred and to live a poore life to have communion and fellowship with the People of God so much more we should be contented to leave our sinnes and corruptions and to endure some hardship to have communion with God as David Psal 84. had rather be a meane man in the Communion of Saints than to live in great estate without it the Queene of Sheba pronounced them happy and blessed that did stand in the presence of Salomon but how blessed and happy may they be pronounced that stand in the presence of God and have communion with him therefore above all things labour to have communion with God by his Spirit and doe not deprive thy selfe thereof by thy sinnes but nourish it in your selves by all good meanes Now this communion that we have with God stands in two things first He communicates to us his Wisedome Power Iustice Mercy and Glory so that there is not a drop or dramme of goodnesse in God but it is for the good of his servants and people as his Power to defend them his Wisedome to direct them his Mercie to save them and his Glory to impart to them so Psal 23. David saith The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want and elsewhere The Lord is my light and my salvation the Lord is the strength of my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid so Hannah saith 1 Sam. 2. Hee hath raised up the poore out of the dust and lifted up the begger out of the Dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the World on them so then the People of God have Communion with him in that hee communicates all good things to them The second thing wherein our communion with God stands is that we may communicate all our griefes sorrowes troubles wants and necessities unto him and lay them downe in his lappe therefore in all our wants sorrowes and griefes let us goe to God and he will ease and releeve us as David saith Psal 34. 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered mee out of all my feare so we are exhorted 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care on him for hee careth for you And therefore dost thou want food to feed thy body or clothes seeke to God he will releeve thee dost thou finde troubles art grieved goe to God he will ease thee when a man hath any griefe or trouble in his minde it is an ease to him if he have a trustie friend to breake his minde to and many times there is somewhat that troubles a man that he dares not tell his friend lest hee should upbraid him with it or cast it in his teeth and againe a man may make his mind knowne to his friend who cannot ease him nor supply his wants but if we communicate our griefes to God hee will not cast us in the teeth with them but will ease us and supply all our wants and he is not only able but willing also to helpe us in what thing soever wee stand in need of therefore it is a blessed thing to have communion with God in that a man may communicate all his griefes sorrowes and wants to him Wee see that Adam had communion with God but when hee had sinned against him he lost it and hid himselfe from God therefore when we have communion with God let us take heed that we doe not sinne against him and lose our Communion with him but if wee bee overtaken let us labour to repent and so recover our selves againe this is the first part of our Communion The second part of our Communion is with Christ and indeed wee can have no communion with God but it must be by meanes of Christ for we are all sinners and great offenders so that wee are become enemies to God and there is no way to reconcile us but by a Mediator that is by Iesus Christ Philosophers say that things that be in extremes cannot be brought together but by some middle matter so God and sinnefull Man are two extremes whom none but Christ could bring together Iaakob saw in a vision a Ladder that reacht from Earth to Heaven this Ladder Saint Iohn tells us that brought Heaven and Earth together is Christ so all our communion with God is by meanes of Christ Now in our communion with Christ there are some things that Christ communicat's to us and there are some things that we communicate to him Foure things Christ communicates to us First Himselfe not his Spirit and his graces onely but Himselfe also therefore seeing that Christ giveth Himselfe let us be ready to receive him for this is the greatest blessing that can bee given us as Esay 9. 6. For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a Sonne is given But some man may aske by what meanes is Christ given I answere by our willingnesse in receiving him offered in the preaching of the Word and in the use of the Sacraments Even as a father that meanes to give his childe house and land the father is willing to give it and the childe to receive it in both there is a mutuall agreement so God for his part is willing to give us Christ if we be willing to receive him and by this mutuall agreement Christ becomes ours and then we may say I thanke God Christ is mine even as sure as the meat I eat or the Coate I put on my backe or any lands or livings my father hath left me Secondly the right of his
our sinnes pardoned and then the Lord will raise up our bodies at the last day and give us life everlasting but on the contrary if wee have not communion with the Saints in this life and have not our sinnes pardoned we can never looke that God will raise up our bodies at the day of Iudgement and give us life everlasting Therefore beloved brethren be exhorted to labour to have communion with the Saints here in this World with the forgivenesse of sinnes and then God will raise up our bodies at the day of judgement and give us life everlasting As Revel 20. 6. it is said Blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death shall have no power Hee is a blessed man that riseth out of his sinnes and his corruptions in this life on such a one the second death shall have no power If a man make a bargaine and giveth somewhat in hand some earnest then he expecteth the performance of covenants about the bargaine but if he hath no earnest given him then he lookes for no bargaine so the Lord hath made a bargaine with us to give us Heaven and happinesse after which if hee hath given us earnest somewhat in hand in this life that is the communion of Saints and the forgivenesse of sinnes now then wee may looke to have our bodies raised and to have life everlasting We may expect the rest but if wee have no earnest in hand in this life that wee have not our parts in the Communion of Saints nor the forgivenesse of sinnes then when wee come to die we cannot looke for the blessings in the life to come Moreover in this Article we are to consider divers particulars First We beleeve that although we shall be laid into the grave and dissolved into dust yet that one day we shall rise againe by the power of Christ this is the property of a Christians faith The Heathen doe beleeve that they shall all dye and bee dissolved to dust but not that they shall rise againe now this point of the Resurrection is cleare by Scripture and by Reason First we will prove it by Scripture as Esay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall live even with my Body shall they rise that is when I rise all the dead shall rise so Dan. 12. 2. and many of them that slept in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt so also Paul Acts 24. 15. saith And have hope towards God that the Resurrection of the dead which they themselves looke for shall be both of the just and unjust and so Revel 20. 12. saith he I saw the dead both great and small stand before God so then it is cleare by Scripture seeing all other things are come to passe which the Scripture hath foretold then wee may bee sure that this shall come to passe also in the time that God hath appointed Now the Reasons to proove that there is a Resurrection are five in number 1. From the Power of God 2. From the Iustice of God 3. From the Mercie of God 4. From the End of Christs comming 5. From the Resurrection of Christ First From the Power of God for as Tertullian saith it seemes a harder matter for God to make a man being nothing out of the dust of the Earth than to raise and repaire him out of the dust being something and no question but that the Power of God is able to raise the dead at the resurrection as our Saviour reasoneth against the Pharises Matth. 22. 29. saith he Ye erre not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God c. as who should say the Lord hath Power to raise the dead The second Reason is drawne from the Iustice of God for it is agreeable to Iustice that those that bee partakers in good and evill actions should be also partakers in rewards and punishments but the bodies of men are partners in good and evill actions with the soule therefore the Lord will raise up the bodies of men to reward them that have done well and punish them that have done evill Tertullian saith well Wee must not thinke that God is unjust or slothfull First we may not thinke that God is unjust that he will reward the soule and destroy the body and that he will punish the soule and not the body therefore hee will raise up mens bodies to reward them that have done well and to punish the evill Againe secondly we must not thinke that God is slothfull that he will not put himselfe to that paines to raise up the dead bodies of men to punish them for their sinnes and offences therefore hee will raise our bodies to punish or reward them with our soules Thirdly From the Mercie of God for mercy extends as much as may be to all and this mercy is in men that if they could they would raise all the dead bodies of their friends but the mercy of God is infinitely greater than the mercy that is in men whose mercie extends in goodnesse to all the bodies and soules of men therefore hee will raise them and doe all the good he can to them he loveth as Christ saith Matth. 22. He is the God of Abraham Isaak and Iaakob Hee is not the God of the dead but of the living So he will raise their bodies or else he were God but to one part of Abraham but his mercy extends to both parts therefore he will raise the bodies of dead men Fourthly From the end of Christs comming which was to dissolve the workes of the Divell as it is said Iohn 3. 8. For this purpose appeared the Sonne of God that he might dissolve the workes of the Divell for the Divell first brought in sinne and sinne brought death this was his end for he brought in sinne to bring death upon us And therefore because hee aimed at this Christ came to dissolve this great worke of the Divell which is not done except there be a resurrection of the body therefore the dead shall rise againe Fifthly From the Resurrection of Christ for hee did not rise like a private Person as the Widdowes Sonne did and as Lazarus but He rose as the publike Head of the Church Saint Paul saith That Hee was the first fruits of them that slept so in the rising of Christ all the People of God did virtually rise that which went before in the Head shall follow in the Members as Augustine saith and Cyril saith well that Christ entred into Heaven by the narrow passage of his sufferings and death to make a wide passage for us into Heaven so in Christs rising we rise I but some say It was an easie matter for Christ to rise because He was God I answer it was a hard matter for Christ to rise againe after he was laid into the grave I
It is Iosephs blessing Genes 46. 4. That he should put his hands upon his father Iacobs eyes that is that hee shall not leave them in the time of death It is the tendernesse of many that they cannot abide to bee with their friends at the time of death but wee that bee Christians must labour to overcome this and performe this good duty to helpe and comfort them as much as we can It is said of Abraham Gen. 19. 16. That when the Angels came to his house and were to goe from him he brought them on the way the consideration of which dutie should put us in minde to performe another namely that when wee see them readie to depart we should attend them with good speeches with our prayers and never leave them till we have brought them as farre as we can we reade 2 King when God would take away Elias Elisha would not leave him but attended him till a firy chariot came and tooke him away and so carried him to heaven so we should not leave our friends and neighbours but attend them with good speeches and prayers till God hath received them into heaven a place of glory the very seat of God Secondly the Spirituall use is that as Mary and Iohn gathered to the Crosse as neere him as possibly they might so every man should gather to the Crosse of Christ as neere as possibly he can that when others attend their pleasures profits and their sins yet thou mayest get as neere the crosse as thou canst and joyne thy selfe to Christ that every drop of bloud there may fall upon thy soule and conscience If a man come where there is a fountaine of water if he be a-thirst he will make way to it upon his hands and knees so seeing God hath opened a fountaine for us in the bloud of his Sonne as it is Zech. 13. 1. If we be a-thirst we will creepe upon our hands and knees to make way to this fountaine and drinke of it that so wee may be nourished to eternall life The Papists run to Ierusalem to see the woodden crosse of Christ which when they have done they are never a whit the better for it but doe thou labour to mortifie thy sinnes in the crosse and death of Christ joyne thy selfe to him by a true faith and then thou shalt partake of his crosse eat his body to live eternally and to drinke his bloud to thy everlasting comfort Thus much for the spirituall use The second thing that was observed is The speech of Christ wherein wee observe two things 1. The tenour of his speech 2. The time of it First The tenour of it is Woman behold thy Sonne and to his Disciple behold thy mother as if he should say take this man for thy sonne and hee shall performe the duty of a sonne unto thee in my roome take him to be thy sonne and take this woman to be thy mother Secondly The time when hee spake it when hee was in paines and torments upon the crosse wherein divers things are to be observed First we may see the care of Christ for his mother that he provides carefully for her and therefore commends her to Iohn Which must teach us to be carefull to provide comfortably for those we leave behinde us in this world our wives and our children wee reade to this purpose Hebr. 11. 21. that Iaakob blessed both the sons of Ioseph by faith when he was a dying It is a heathenish saying when I am dead let heaven and earth run together such care for no body but themselves but we who are Christians must have a care of the good of those we leave behind us So Isaak did Gen. 27. 2. I am old saith he and know not the day of my death come and let me blesse thee before I die So likewise Elias saith to Elisha when he was to ascend in a firy chariot What shall I doe for thee before I bee taken from thee I but some may say I have no body to commit my wife and children to I have no friend nor kinsman I answer If thou have no body to commend them to neither friend nor kinsman then commend them to God and he will provide for them if thou layest them downe in the armes of God he will keepe them So saith our Saviour Christ Iohn 17. 11. having none but God to commend his Disciples to when he was to depart this world saith he And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee holy Father keepe them in thy Name So Paul Act. 20. 32. when he had no body to commend the people to he commends them to God when he was to depart from them saith he And now brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up further and to give you an inheritance amongst all them who are sanctified Therefore if wee have no friend nor kinsman to commit those we leave behinde to we must commit them to God and he will provide for them this must be our care when we are to depart this world Secondly this care of Christ may teach us that hee is not onely the Saviour of our soules but of our bodies therefore Luk. 22. 35. our Saviour saith to his Disciples When I sent you out without bagge and scrip and shoes lacked ye any thing And they said nothing so we see Christ did provide for the body and soule this is the reason why Christ did not onely teach the people but he did feede them too to shew that he was not onely the Saviour of the soule but of the body too hee did not onely take care of their soules but of their bodies also this meetes with the common corruption of these dayes in that men commit the care of their soules to God but they are afraid they shall want food rayment and things needfull for this life therefore they will take care for their bodies themselves but it is certaine that if Christ have care of our soules which is the greater hee will have a care of our bodies which is the lesser this Christ teaches us in reason Matth. 6. Is not the life more worth than meate and the body more worth than rayment and is not the kingdome of glory more worth than the things of this life therefore if he give the greater let us not doubt he will stand for to give us the lesser which are the things of this life Thirdly this care of Christ must teach us that we must so performe our duety to God as we doe not neglect it to men and we must so performe our duety to men that wee doe not neglect it to God therefore the Lord hath joyned both together as Mic. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hand surely to doe justly and to
love mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with 〈…〉 As Exod. 25. the Cherubines that did stand upon the Arke did 〈…〉 upon the mercy seate as they did looke with their faces one towards another so wee must performe our duety to God that we doe not neglect our duety to men but in what order must this be performed First wee must doe our duety to God then wee must doe it to men Chriâ—â— was carefull for his mother but it was from the crosse for first he did submit himselfe to the will of his father and was obedient to the death of the crosse after that he was carefull for his mother so we must doe when we have done our duety to God we must be carefull to performe duety of love and kindnesse one to another Fourthly if Christ were carefull for his mother let us not doubt but that he will be carefull for his church Ioseph when he was in Egypt and his father in Canaan saith unto Pharaoh Sir I have a poore father and eleven brethren that are like to starve you have corne enough I pray Sir let mee send for them and let them dwell in the land of Goshen so Christ saith to God his father I have a company of poore distressed servants in the world afflicted and troubled I pray thee send for them bring them home unto thee that they may behold thy glory I but some men may say indeed Christ was carefull for his mother because she was his mother and his good mother too but what is that to me How may I assure my selfe that he will be carefull for me too To this I answer that if we doe the will of God then wee are his brother his sister and his mother so Christ saith Matth. 12. For whosoever shall doe the will of my heavenly father he is my brother my sister and my mother so if we doe the will of God wee are his brother his sister and his mother and as he was carefull of his mother and did commend her to Iohn when hee was to depart this world so hee hath given a charge to this whole world concerning his church to heaven and earth hee hath given a charge to his Angels Psal 91. 11 12. For hee hath given his Angels charge ever thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt nor dash thy foot against a stone Which although it be especially spoken of Christ yet there is not a member of Christ but it concernes too so hee hath given a charge to the whole world concerning his Church Psa 105. 15. Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme so also hee hath given particular men a charge to doe us good even a number we know not of as 1 King 17. 8. When Elias was in distresse at the river and wanted meate and drinke the river being dryed up The word of God came unto him saying arise get thee to Zarephath which is in Sidon and remaine there Behold I have commanded a widdow there to sustaine thee so God hath given a charge to a number of men we know not of to feed us and sustaine us therefore as Christ commended his mother to Iohn so God hath given a charge concerning his Church to Angels to the whole world to particular persons Secondly the time when he spake when hee was in paines and in torments upon the crosse which may teach us when bodily paines be upon us wee should stirre up our selves to doe good to those wee leave behinde us so Christ 〈◊〉 forgate his paines and trouble that was upon him and stirred 〈◊〉 himselfe to doe good I know through frailety of the flesh we shall have little minde to thinke or to speake of any good but Christians must not give place to the flesh but stirre up the graces of God which is in them so Steven Act. 7. comming neere his death when a shower of stones came about his eares kneeled downe and called upon the Name of God old Iaakob also when he came to dye he gathered up himselfe and worshipped towards the end of his staffe and bowed himselfe so a Christian must reare and stirre up the spirit of grace which is in him if a man fill a bottle of ale and fling it into the sea howsoever a man may pull downe the bottle it will rise againe if it be not held by plaine strength so howsoever a Christian man may bee held downe through the paines that be upon him yet as long as there is a Spirit of grace in him it wil shew it selfe at one time or other Thirdly The effects of the speech that from that time forth hee tooke her home to himselfe that is hee tooke her for his mother which must teach us that every one must bee carefull to performe the will of the dead if it be the will of the dead we must be carefull to doe it Gal. 3. 15. saith Paul Though it is a mans testament yet if it be confirmed no man does abrogate it or adde any thing to it so the will of a dead man is not to be disanulled and this is seated in nature that it is an injury and wrong to a dead man when they doe not performe his will as Ier. 35. 6. And I set before the children of Rechab bottles full of wine and said unto them Drinke wine But they said We will not drinke wine for Ionadab our father commanded us saying Yee shall drinke no wine you nor your sonnes fo ever which they observed onely because it was the will of their dead father much more we that be Christians how carefull should we be to performe the will of the dead seeing wee beleeve the Resurrection that we shall all rise againe and then with what faces can we looke on them at that day with what face can the wife looke on her husband and the childe on his father and one brother on another when we have not done their wils but have rather done injury and wrong to them Secondly as Iohn was obedient to Christ in the estate of his humility when he was upon the crosse much more we should be to him in the estate of his glory let us bee carefull to remember his will and commandements and doe them for although he hath not laid it may be the care of wife or of children on thee or of servants yet he hath laid the care of the preserving of thy owne soule and conscience take heed therefore doe not starve or famish it for if we doe neglect thar he puts us in trust to doe how shall wee looke upon him at the day of judgement we see in experience if a man commit a childe to one to nurse if she shall neglect starve and famish the childe how can she looke on the party that did put the childe to her so it is a greater sinne to starve thine owne
ease that they never regard it Therefore it must bee every mans care seeing salvation is finished by Christ to apply and lay hold of it Thirdly seeing salvation and redemption is finished and perfected by Christ we may see what a hatefull and a detestable doctrine the doctrine of Poperie is for they say that every one may finish his redemption without Christ and merit something at the hand of God by his owne workes Notwithstanding all the paines that Christ suffered to redeeme man and so they make the worke of mans redemption of none effect nay the moderatest of them saith that salvation is begunne in Christ but they must finish and perfect it in themselves whereas the Scriptures doth attribute all to Christ onely as Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to the uttermost to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them and Heb. 10. 14. For with one offering hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified so then wee may see that Christ is a perfect Saviour But why then are we commanded to worke out our salvation with feare I answere Christ hath wrought salvation by himselfe alone but we must apply it Secondly the time when he said it is finished which is to be considered in two circumstances First when hee was ready to die and to part with this world then he said It is finished and never till then as if he should say all this while it hath beene a working and a doing and now by my death it is finished Foure thousand yeeres the World was in expectation of it all the Patriarkes and Prophets have looked for it and thirtie three yeeres hee himselfe upon earth was a working of it and never till now when he comes to die to the closing of his life did he crie out It is finished Thus wee may see what a deale of labour and paines it cost Christ to redeeme us He was foure thousand yeeres a preparing it and he was three and thirtie yeeres a working it which doth shew what a great worke the worke of mans redemption was God was but sixe daies a making the World but he was three and thirtie yeeres a long time of redeeming it Hence let us bee instructed that when wee have spent our dayes in Prayer in hearing of the Word reading of the Scriptures in meditation and in much labour and toyle If wee can stand before God with comfort and say at the last gaspe Lord I thanke thee my salvation and redemption is finished and perfected in Christ I have laid hold on him my salvation is sure then wee may have much comfort Therefore should we not thinke much though we spend all our life time in labor and paines if we can say at the last gaspe It is finished for all our paines then are well bestowed We see the Children of Israel wandred up and downe in the Wildernesse forty yeeres together sometimes in the day and sometimes in the night sometimes they wanted bread and sometimes water and they met with fierie Serpents by the way which did sting them yet they went on still till they came to the land of Canaan so wee should bee contented much more though wee live in much trouble and affliction and doe travell in the Wildernesse of this World twentie or fortie yeeres together till we be brought to the heavenly Canaan Secondly when he had encountred with our spirituall enemies with sinne the Divell Death Hell and damnation and had overcome them had made mans salvation and had finished it though all the world were in a conspiracie against him and hee had many combates with the Divell yet he overcame all and at the last gaspe crieth out It is finished Which must teach us that although all the men in the world should conspire against us and though wee endure many temptations of the Divel yet we should breake though all and apply Christ to our selves so Revel 2. Hee that over commeth shall not be hurt of the second death and Matth. 11. 12. Hitherto the kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force So that none but violent people can have Heaven this is a Metaphor taken from Souldiers that seeke to enter in upon a Towne that though the enemie come and beate them downe upon their hands and knees yet they will up againe and never give over till they have gotten their purpose So such violent people onely take the kingdome of Heaven that though they bee cast downe upon their hands and knees by the temptations of the Divell yet they should get up againe and never give over till they have gotten the kingdome of Heaven Thirdly By what actions it was finished Now it hath not relation to that which went before the giving of him vineger to drinke but to the action immediately following and how was it finished In the death of Christ So there is the consummation and finishing of mans salvation and redemption according to the testimonie of the Scriptures Heb. 2. 14. Forsomuch then as the children were partakers of the flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Divell and that he might deliver all those who for feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage And againe the same Apostle Rom. 5. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Now although the Scriptures doe attribute mans salvation and redemption to the death of Christ yet we are not to exclude his life for hee was a working of it all his life time even from his very birth to his death So we see Philip. 2. 5. He tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the crosse All his life long was a preparatory and a working of it And by his death it was accomplished and finished as a man filling of a cup first by a quart then by an halfe and so till the last drop come and make the cup runne over so Christ all his life time by little and little finished mans Redemption and by his death he did perfect it which was as the last drop for all the sufferings of Christ were for mans salvation And his death was that which did finish all The use is twofold First that seeing our Redemption and salvation is finished in the death of Christ we should be thankefull for it for it is a great mercy that God hath made us reasonable creatures and hath given us eyes to see withall hands to handle and feete to goe with but it is a greater mercy that God hath
redeemed us by his Sonne not onely by his life but by his death also And therefore as S. Andrew saith I am more beholding to thee O Lord for the worke of my redemption by the death of thy Sonne than for the power by which I was created therefore if a man should be thankfull for his creation much more should he be for the worke of his redemption for it was a marvellous love of Christ the hee tooke our nature upon him to come into the world to worke our redemption to lose his life to finish and perfect it and therefore how thankefull ought we to be for so great a mercy Secondly seeing our redemption and salvation is perfected and finished by the death of Christ wee may see the grievousnesse and greatnesse of our sinnes that when we had sinned against God all the powers in heaven and earth could not doe it but it must bee Christ that eternall Sonne of God and it was not with his life only but with his death wee thinke much of suffering any little affliction or trouble but Christ must die to expiate sinne and to abolish it whereas neither Angels nor Archangels nor all the Saints and holy men in the world could have done it therfore seeing Christ paid so deare for it we must take heed we doe not account it a light matter to sinne Therefore let us take heed how we grieve him by our sinne seeing hee was contented to lose his life and to shed his heart blood for us SERMON XXV LVKE 23. 46. And when Iesus had cryed with a loud voyce hee said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And having said thus he gave up the ghost OF the seven last words which Christ spake on the crosse this is the last which containes an holy Resignation of the soule and spirit of Christ into the hands of his Father wherein something in generall and something in particular is to bee considered The generall is this That all the speeches and words that Christ did speake on the crosse from the first to the last were holy and good so hee did not onely begin well but did end well also he made an holy close of his life when he came to breathe out his last breath which must teach us what the care of a Christian should be when he is in sicknesse and trouble not onely to begin well but to continue well till he come to dye and breathe out his last breath and then to make an holy close of his life this is that which Christ speaketh of Mat. 24. Hee that continueth unto the end shall bee saved and the spirit of God Revel 2. 10. Bee thou faithfull to the death and I will give thee a crowne of life An Archer though hee ayme and draw well yet if hee in the loose let his hand slip or sinke downe he will be wide of the marke so though we begin and ayme well yet if we start aside or sinke downe when wee come to die wee lose all our glory therefore it must bee our care not onely to begin but to end well also It is in sanctified motions as it is with wheeles that bee swiftest at the first and afterwards slower and slower till the wheele stand still so it is in sanctified motions they bee swiftest at the first and afterward by little and little they abate till at last they dye if they bee not supplied by good meanes therefore it is good not onely to begin well but also to end well too when we breathe out our last breath Iohn 2. Christ set out the best wine at the last But quite contrary it is the manner of the world to bee best at first and worst at last with the people of God it must not be so for if there bee any worst it must bee the first and the best at the last Indeed it is the fashion of the world to begin well and to end ill but the people of God must not doe so they must not onely begin well but also continue well and end well and so make an holy close of their life when they breathe out their last breath and when they shut up their eyes from the light of this world they may see the kingdome of heaven The next thing to be considered is the practice of Christ when hee came to dye In which observe five things 1. To whom he commended his spirit to his Father 2. What it was he commended his spirit 3. When he commended his spirit at the instant of his death 4. Vpon what ground he commended his spirit upon a perswasion that he was his Father 5. What comfort wee may have by the commending of his spirit into the hands of his Father First to whom hee commended his spirit the Text sheweth to his Father When we be alive we commend our selves to our friends in hope of comfort but when we come to die we must commend ourselves to God only therefore as Christ when hee came to dye shut up his eyes and did not looke upon his mother nor his disciples nor upon any beloved but hee did wholly commend himselfe into the hands of his Father in hope of comfort so when wee come to dye wee must shut up our eyes and not comfort our selves in our wives children friends and those we love deareliest but we must commend our soules into the hands of God Yea the people of God have good cause to doe so in regard he is all in all to us as David saith Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee therefore hee cast himselfe upon God in hope of comfort so a man while he liveth may have many friends to commend himselfe to but when hee commeth to dye there is none but God that we can commend our soules to Therefore seeing no man hath any body to commend his soule to at last but God onely it must be our wisedome to keepe God our friend for if we despise him in our health it is just with him to despise and reject us when we come to die We read Iudg 10. 14. when the Children of Israel had forsaken the Lord and followed Baalam and Astaroth and served them in their distresse when they came and cried to God to save them out of the hands of their enemies the Lord said unto them Goe and crie unto the gods whom ye have chosen Let them save you in the time of your tribulation In like manner the Lord will say to us when wee have despised him in the time of our health and have followed our pleasures profits and our old sinnes goe and crie unto the gods whom yee have served see if your money will save and helpe you you that have made your pleasures your belly and your sinnes your God now see if these will helpe you for if ye despised God in your life time it is just with