spirits senses which are in the head are there placed as in a Watch-tower or Councell-chamber to consult and provide for the good of the whole the eye seeth the eare heareth the tongue speaketh the fancie worketh the memory retaineth for the welfare of the other members and they have all the same care one for another Fourthly He is our Advocate and Mediatour he is the onely practicer in the court of heaven and therefore he must needs be full of the businesses of his Church It is his office to dispatch the affaires of those that come unto him and crave his favour and intercession to debate their causes and he is both faithfull and mercifull in his place and besides furnished with such an unmeasurable unction of Spirit and vast abilities to transact all the businesses of his Church that whosoever commeth unto him for his counsell and intercession hee will in no wise cast them out or refuse their cause And this is one great assurance we may take comfort in that be our matters never so foule and unexcusable in themselves yet the very entertaining him of our counsell and the leaning upon his wisdome power fidelity and mercy to expedite our businesses to compassionate our estate and to rescue us from our owne demerits doth as it were alter the propertie of the cause and produce a cleane contrary issue to that which the evidence of the thing in triall would of it selfe have created And as we may observe that men of extraordinary abilities in the Law delight to wrestle with some difficult businesse and to shew their learning in clearing matters of greatest intricacie and perplexitie before so doth Christ esteeme himselfe most honoured and the vertue and wisedome of his Crosse magnified when in cases of sorest extremitie of most hideous guilt of most blacke and uncomfortable darknesse of soule which pose not onely the presumptions but the hope faith conjectures thoughts contrivances which the hearts of men can even in wishes make to themselves for mercy they doe yet trust him whose thoughts are infinitely above their thoughts and whose wayes above their wayes who is there among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God When the soule can goe unto Christ with such complaints and acknowledgements as these Lord when I examine my cause by mine owne conscience and judgement of it I cannot but give it over as utterly desperate and beyond cure my bones are dried my hope is cut off I am utterly lost my sins and my sorrowes are so heavie that they have broken my spirit all to peeces and there is no sound part in me But Lord I beleeve that thou knowest a way to make dead bones live that thy thoughts and waies are above mine that thou knowest thine owne thoughts of peace and mercy though I cannot comprehend them that thy riches are unsearchable that thy love is above humane knowledge that thy peace passeth all created understandings that though I am the greatest of all sinners and feele enough in my selfe to sinke me as low as Iudas into hell yet thou hast not left me without patternes of all long-suffering of thy royall power in enduring and in forgiving sinnes And now Lord though thou afford me no light though thou beset me with terrours though thou make me to possesse the sinnes of my youth yet I still desire to feare thy name to walke in thy way to wait upon thy counsell I know there is not in men or Angels so much wisdome compassion or fidelity as in thee and therefore if I must perish I will perish at thy feet I will starve under thy table I will be turned away and rejected by thee who hast promised to cast away none that come unto thee I have tried all wayes and I here resolve to rest and to looke no further thou that hast kept such a sinner as I am out of hell thus long canst by the same power keep me out for ever upon thy wisdome and compassion who canst make dried bones to flourish like an herbe and broken bones to rejoyce and sing I cast the whole weight of my guilty spirit into thy bosome I emptie all the feares cares and requests of my distracted and sinking soule I say when a man can thus powre out himselfe uâ—to Christ he esteemeth the price and power of his bloud most highly honoured when men beleeve in him against reason and above hope and beyond the experience or apprehensions they have of mercy for Christ loveth to shew the greatnesse of his skill in the salvation of a Manasse a Mary Magdalen a crucified Theefe a persecutour and injurious blasphemer in giving life unto them that nailed him to his Crosse the more desperate the disease the more honourable the cure Fifthly He is our Purchaser our Proprietary wee belong unto him by grant from the Father Thine they were and thou gavest them unto me and by payment from him unto the Father yee are bought with a price There is no good that concernes the Church that he hath not fully paid for with his owne pretious bloud And Christ will not die in vaine he will take order for the accomplishing of that redemption which himselfe hath merited And this is the greatest argument of his care and fidelitie that he is not as a servant but as a Lord and his care is over His owne house An ordinary advocate is faithfull onely ratione officii because the dutie of his office requireth it but the businesses which he manageth come not close unto his heart because he hath no personall interest in them but Christ is faithfull not as Moses or a servant onely but ratione Dominii as Lord in his owne house so that the affaires of the Church concerne him in as neere a right as they concerne the Church her selfe so that in his office of intercession hee pleadeth his owne causes with his Father and in the miscarriages of them himselfe should lose that which was infinitely more pretious than any thing in the world besides even the price and merit of his owne bloud These are the grounds of the great care of Christ towards his people And from hence we should learne faith and dependence on Christ in all our necessities because we are under the protection and provision of him who careth for us and is able to helpe us A right judgement of God in Christ and in his Gospell of salvation will wonderfully strengthen the faith of men Paul was not ashamed of persecutions because he knew whom he had beleeved hee doubted neither of his care or power and therefore hee committed the keeping of his soule unto him against the last day and therefore when all forsooke him he stood to the truth because the Lord forsooke him not The reason why men
of the Booke of God and he that obeyeth not doth despise for the Lord calleth disobedience rebellion stubbornenesse and a rejecting of his word 1 Sam. 15.22 23. He that persisteth in any knowne sinne or in the constant omission of any evident dutie fighteth against Christ himselfe throweth away his owne mercy stoppeth his eares at the entreaties of the Lord and committeth a sinne directly against Heaven And if he so persist God will make him know that there is flaming fire prepared for those that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes. 1.8 Therefore whensoever we come unto the Word read or preached wee should come with an expectation to heare Christ himselfe speaking from heaven unto us and bring such affections of submission and obedience as becommeth his presence Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith unto the Churches I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speake peace unto his people Christs sheepe discerne his voyce in the dispensation of the Gospell and will not know the voice of strangers And this was the honour of the Thessalonians and the men of Berea that in the preaching of the Word they did set themselves as in Gods presence expecting in it his authoritie and receiving it in his name Dareth any man to rush with a naked weapon into the presence of his prince and with scorne to throw backe his owne personall commands into his face againe And shall wee dare to come armed with high thoughts and proud reasonings and stubborne resolutions against the majesty of the Lord himselfe who speaketh from heaven unto us Receive with meeknesse saith the Apostle the ingrafted Word which is able to save your soules The word doth not mingle nor incorporate and by consequence doth not change nor save the soule but when it is received with meeknesse that is when a man commeth with a resolution to lay downe his weapons to fall downe on his face and give glory to God he that is swift to wrath that is to set up stout and fretfull affections against the purity and power of the Word to snuffe against it and to fall backward like pettish children which will not be led will be very slow to heare or to obey it for the wrath of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God A proud hearer will be an unprofitable liver Ever therefore come unto the word with this conclusion It may be this day will God strike me in my master veine I am an usuall profaner of his glorious name a name which I should feare for the greatnesse and love for the goodnesse and adore for the holinesse of it hee will peradventure lay close to my conscience that guilt which himselfe hath declared to be in this great sinne that whatsoever is more than yea and nay is sinne unto me and whatsoever is sin is Hell to my soule I am a vaine person a companion of loose and riotous men It may bee the Lord will urge upon my conscience the charge of his owne word not to companie with fornicators to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse not to follow a multitude to doe evill and that though hand joyne in hand yet sinne shall not goe unpunished I am unprofitable loose and rotten in my discourse and hee will ply mee with his owne authority that for every idle word I must render an account I am full of oppression and unjust gain and the Lord will now urge the instructions of Nehemiah the restitution of Zacheus upon me In these or any other the like cases if a man can come with Saint Pauls temper of hart not to consult with flesh and bloud but Lord what wilt thou have me to doe or with the answer of Samuel Speake Lord for thy servant heareth or with the resolution of Cornelius I am here present before God to heare all things that shall bee commanded of God I am come with a purpose of heart to cleave unto thy holy will in all things Here I am in my sinnes strike where thou wilt cut off which of mine earthly members thou wilt I will not arme it I will not extenuate it I will not dispute with thee I will not rebell against thee I will second thee in it I will praise thee for it This is to give God the glorie of his owne Gospell It is not to part from a little monie towards the maintenance of the word or to vouchsafe a little countenance to the dispencers of it and yet alas how few are there who repay unto the ministers of the Gospell that double honor which God and not they hath given unto them but to part from our lusts and to suffer our old man to be crucified which giveth honour to the Word If a man had thousands of rammes and tenne thousand rivers of oyle and would bee content to part from them all for Gods worship If a man had children enough and in a famine of the word would buy every sermon which hee heareth with the sacrifice of a Sonne yet all this would not give glorie enough to the ordinance of God Men naturally love their lusts the issue of their evill hearts better than their lands or the children of their body if Herods son stand in the way of his ambitious security it were better to be his Hog than his childe The losse of cattell and fruits and water and light and the first-borne of all the land was not enough to make Pharaoh let goe his sinne hee will once more rush into the midst of a wonderfull deliverance of Israel and venture his owne and his peoples lives for but the bondage of his enemies and the satisfaction of his lust To doe justly then to love mercy and to walke humbly before God to acknowledge his name in the voyce of the minister and to put away the treasures of wickednesse out of our hands this onely is to give God the glory which is due unto his Word Mic. 6.6 10. Secondly the Gospell is glorious in the promulgation publishing of it unto the world And this may appeare whether we consider the initiall Promulgation in Christs owne personall preaching Or the plenary Revelation thereof in the sending of the holy Ghost to those selected vessels who were to carry abroad this treasure unto all the world For the former wee may note that there was a resemblance of state and glory observ'd in the preaching of Christ. A Forerunner sent to prepare his way and to beare his sword before him as a Herald to proclaime his approach and then at last is revealed the Glory of the Lord. And thus we may observe how we sent his Harbingers before his face into every Citie and place whither he himselfe would come that so men might prepare themselves and lift up their everlasting gates against this Prince of Glory should enter in When one poore ordinary man
generall motion from the supreme so in the motions of grace in the soule the proportion of all the rest a riseth frō the measure of our spirituall and saving light The more distinctly and throughly the spirit of a mans mind is convinc'd of the necessity beauty and gloriousnesse of heavenly things the more strong impressions therof wil be made upon all subordinate faculties for we move towards nothing without preceding apprehensions of its goodnes which apprehensions as they more seriously penetrate into the true and intimate worth of that thing so are the motions of the soule thereunto proportionably strengthen'd As the hinder wheeles in a Coach ever move as fast as the former which leade them so the subordinate powers of the soule are overrul'd in their maner measure of working towards grace by those spirituall representations of the truth and excellency thereof which are made in the understanding by the light of the Gospel Thus the Apostle telleth us that the excellency of the knowledge of Christ was that which made him so earnest to winne him the knowledge of the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings was that which made him reach forth and presse forward unto the marke and price of that high calling which was before him Thirdly the Glory of the Gospell of Christ with his Spirit may be considered in regard of the matters which are therin contain'd namely the Glory the Excellencies the Treasures of God himselfe We all saith the Apostle with open face behold as in a Glasse that is in the spirituall ministration of the Gospell having the veile of carnall stupidity taken away by the Spirit The glory of the Lord. What glory doe we here behold but that which a glasse is able to represent Now in speculo nisi imago non cernitur nothing can be seene in a glasse but the image of that thing which sheddeth forth its species thereupon and therefore he immediately addeth we are changed into the same image from glory to glory and he elsewhere putteth these two together Man is the image and the glory of God for nothing can have any thing of God in it any resemblance or forme of him but so farre it must needs be glorious But how doe we in the Gospell see the Image of God who is invisible The Apostle expresseth that else-where God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Christ is the Image and expresse Character of his Fathers glory as the impression in the wax is of the forme and fashion of the seale there is no excellencie in God which is not compleatly adequately and distinctly in Christ so that in that glasse wherin we may see him we may likewise see the glory of the Father Now the Gospell is the face of Iesus Christ that which as lively setteth forth his grace and Spirit to the soule as if he were present in the flesh amongst us Suppose we that a glasse could retaine a permanent and unvanishing species of a mans face within it though hee himselfe were absent might we not truly say this glasse is the face of that man whose image it so constantly retaineth So in asmuch as Christ is most exactly represented in his Gospell so that when we come into his personall and reall presence to know even as we are knowne we shall be able truely to say this is indeed the very person who was so long since in his Gospell exhibited to my faith sic ille manus sic ora gerebat it is therefore justly by the Apostle called the face of Iesus Christ and therefore the Glasse wherein we see the Image and glory of God as it is the same light which shineth from the Sunne upon a glasse and from a glasse upon a wall so it is the same glory which shineth from the Father upon the Sonne and from the Sonne upon the Gospell so that in the Gospell we see the unsearchable treasures of God because his treasures are in his Sonne Therefore that which is usually called Preaching the Gospell is in other places called Preaching the Kingdome and the riches of Christ to note the glory of those things which are in the Gospell revealed unto the Church It containeth the glory of Gods wisdome and that wisdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold and various wisdome as the Apostle speaketh who therefore calleth Christ and his Gospell by the name of Wisdome wee preach Christ crucified to those that are called the power of God and the wisdome of God and we speake wisdome amongst them that are perfect wisdome to reconcile his owne attributes of mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace which by the fall of man seemed to be at variance among themselves wisdome in reconciling the world of obstinate and rebellious enemies unto himselfe wisdome in sanctifying the whole creation by the bloud of the crosse and repairing those ruines which the sinne of man had caused wisdome in concorporating Christ and his Church things in their owne distinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water in their remotest degrees wisdome in uniting the Iewes and Gentiles and reducing their former jealousies and disaffections unto an intimate fellowship in the same common mysteries In one word wisdome above the admiration of the blessed Angels in finding out a way to give greater satisfaction to his offended justice by shewing mercie and saving sinners than he could ever have received by either the confusion or annihilation of them It containeth the Glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good-will towards men which brought glory to God and to the earth peace for the Gospell is as it were a Love-token or commendatory Epistle of the Lord unto his Church God left not himselfe without witnesses of his care and evidences of some love even to those whom he suffered to walke in their owne wayes without any knowledge of his Gospell he did them good he gave them raine from heaven and fruitfull seasons so even they had experience of some of his goodnesse the goodnesse of his providence for hee is the Saviour of all men but the Gospell containeth all Gods goodnesse as a heape and miscellany of universall mercy I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercie Gods speciall and gracious mercy the mercy of his promises in Christ doth convey unto the soule an interest in all his goodnesse nay it maketh all things good unto us so that we may call them ours as gifts and legacies from Christ. He hath given to us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse the world and life and death and things
of the worke but onely the willingnesse the loving and obedient disposition of the heart and therefore I passe over those failings and weaknesses which discover themselves for want of skill or strength and not of love praising the endevours and pardoning the miscarriages Thus doth the Lord deale with his children Fourthly if we be Christs he will pray for us I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine c. so that wee shall be sure to have helpe in all times of need because we know that tho Father heareth his Sonne alwayes and those things which in much feare weaknesse and ignorance we aske for our selves if it bee according to Gods will and by the dictate and mouth of the Spirit in our heart Christ himselfe in his intercession demandeth for us the same things And this is the ground of that confidence which we have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will hee heareth us and we have the petitions that we desire of him For as the world hateth us because it hateth him first so the Father loveth and heareth us because he loveth and heareth him first Fifthly if wee be Christs then hee will teach us and commune with us and reveale himselfe unto us and lead us with his voice He calleth his owne sheepe by name and leadeth them and putteth them forth and goeth before them Because Israel was his owne people therefore he shewed them his words The Law was theirs and the Oracles theirs when hee entreth into covenant with a people that they become his then he writeth his Law in their hearts and teacheth them This is the Prophet Davids argument I am thy servant give me understanding Because I am thine in a speciall relation therefore acquaint me with thee in an especiall manner The earth is full of thy mercy there is much of thy goodnesse revealed to all the nations of the world even to those that are not called by thy name but as for mee whom thou hast made thine owne by a neerer relation let mee have experience of a greater mercy Teach mee thy Statutes Sixthly if we be his he will chastise us in mercy and not in fury though he leave us not altogether unpunished yet he will punish us lesse than our iniquities deserve he will not deale with us as with others Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have driven thee yet I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure I will correct thee to cure but not to ruine thee The second thing considered in the words was the Present condition of the people of Christ which was to be military men to joyne with the armies of Christ against all his enemies As he was so must we be in this world no sooner was Christ consecrated by his solemne Baptisme unto the worke of a Mediatour but presently hee was assaulted by the Tempter And no sooner doth any man give up his name to Christ and breake loose from that hellish power under which hee was held but presently Pharaoh and his hoasts Satan and his confederates pursue him with deadly fury and powre out flouds of malice and rage against him Hell and death are at truce with wicked men there is a covenant and agreement betwixt them Satan holdeth his possession in peace but when a stronger than he commeth upon and overcommeth him there is from that time implacable venomâ— and hostility against such a soule the malice power policie stratagems and machianations of Satan the lusts and vanities the pleasures honours profits persecutions frownes flatteries snares of the wicked world the affections desires inclinations deceits of our owne fleshly hearts will ever plie the soule of a Christian and force it to perpetuall combates There is in Satan an everlasting enmitie against the glory mercy and truth of God against the power and mystery of the Gospel of Christ. This malice of his exerciseth it selfe against all those that have given themselves to Christ whose Kingdome he mightily laboureth to demolish by his power persecuting it by his craftinesse and wily insinuations undermining it by his vast knowledge and experience in palliating altering mixing proportioning and measuring his temptations and spirituall wickednesse in such manner as that he may subvert the Church of Christ either in the purity thereof by corrupting the doctrine of Christ with heresie and his worship with idolatrie and superstition or in the unity thereof by pestering it with schisme and distraction or in the liberty thereof by bondage of conscience or in the progresse and inlargement thereof endevouring to blast and make fruitlesse the ministery of the Gospell And this malice of Satan is wonderfully set on and encouraged both by the corruption of our nature those armies of lusts and affections which swarme within us entertaining joyning force and co-operating with all his suggestions disheartning reclaiming and pulling backe the soule when it offers to make any opposition and also by the men and materials of this evill world By the examples the threats the interests the power the intimacie the wit the tongues the hands the exprobrations the persecutions the insinuations and seductions of wicked men By the profits the pleasures the preferments the acceptation credit and applause of the world By all which meanes Satan most importunately pursueth one of these two ends either to subvert the godly by drawing them away from Christ to apostacie formalitie hypocrisie spirituall pride and the like or else to Discomfort them with diffidence doubts sight of sinne opposition of the times vexation of spirit and the like afflictions And these oppositions of Satan meet with a Christian in every respect or consideration under which he may be conceiv'd consider him in his spirituall estate in his severall parts in his temporall relations in his Actions or imployments and in all these Satan is busie to overturne the Kingdome of Christ in him In his spirituall estate if he be a weake Christian he assaulteth him with perpetuall doubts and feares touching his election conversion adoption perseverance christian liberty strength against corruptions companies temptations persecutions c. if he be a strong Christian he laboureth to draw him unto selfe-confidence spirituall pride contempt of the weake neglect of further proficiencie and the like There is no naturall part or facultie which is not aimed at likewise by the malice of Satan for Christ when hee comes takes possession of the whole man and therefore Satan sets himselfe against the whole man Corporeall and sensitive faculties tempted either to sinfull representations letting in and transmitting the provisions of lust unto the heart by gazing and glutting themselves on the objects of the world or to sinfull executions finishing and letting out those lusts which have beene conceived in the heart The phantasie tempted
soule did before shelter whole flocks of evill affections when hee came out the tide was driven back the streame turned the center of his heart altered his forrest discovered his lusts scattered and subdued What ailes this man Hee hath but heard an houres discourse the same which others heare and their tide riseth the higher by it Certainly these Devils were not cast out these streames were not turned back but by the finger of God himselfe When the minister of Christ shall whisper in the ears of a dead man whom no thunder could have awakened and hee shall immediatly rise up and give glory to God when Christ shall call men to denie themselves to get above themselves to hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and their owne life to sell all that they have to crucifie and be cruell to their owne members to pull out their right eyes to cut off their right hands to part from those sinnes which before they esteemed their choicest ornaments and from those too which before they made their chiefest support and subsistence to stand at defiance with the allurements or discouragements of the world to bee set up for signes and wonders for very proverbs of skorne and objects of hatred to those of their owne house to receive persecutions as rewards and entertaine them not with patience onely but with thankfulnesse and rejoicing to bee all their life long in the midst of enemies put to tedious conflicts with the powers of the world and of darknesse to beleeve things which they have not seen and to hope for things which they doe not know and yet maugre all this to refuse to consult with flesh and bloud to stand still more in awe of Gods word than of any other thing certainly that which with the voice of a weake man bringeth such great things to passe must needs bee Virga virtutis a Rod of strength A Rod like the Rod of Moses which can lead us through such seas as these to one whom wee have never seen nor knowen before Esai 55.5 Secondly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the justification of men as it is Sceptrum Iustitiae a Scepter of Righteousnesse a word of reconciliation a Gospell of salvation a Law of the Spirit of life a ministration of the Spirit of life and of Righteousnesse an opening of prisons and a proclaiming of liberty unto captives in these respects likewise it is full of power There was a mighty power in the Law of God typified in those thundrings and terrors with which it was administred upon mount Sina the Apostle calleth it a Schoolmaster to scourge and drive us unto Christ and the Psalmist an iron Rod able to breake in pieces all the potsherds of the earth And we know boies in a Schoole doe not apprehend so much terror in the King as in their Master Yet in comparison of the Power of the Gospell the Law it selfe was very weake and unprofitable able to make nothing perfect The Power of the Law was onely to destruction the Power of the Gospell for edification The Law could onely hold under him that was downe before it could never raise him up againe Now the power is farre greater to raise than to kill to forgive sinnes than to bind them Herein is the mighty strength of Gods mercy seen that it can passe by iniquities transgressions and sinnes To preach the Gospell of Christ in his name and authority is an evident argument of that plenary power which is given unto him both in heaven and earth And the very dispensing of this word of reconciliation which is committed unto the Ministers of the Gospell how basely soever the ungratefull world may esteeme of them hath honored them with a title of as great power as a man is capable of to bee called Saviors to have the custodie of the keyes of heaven ministerially and instrumentally under Christ and his Spirit to save the soules and to cover the sinnes of men Now then that word which from the mouth of a weake man is able to reconcile a child of wrath unto God and by the words of one houre to cover and wipe out the sinnes of many yeares which were scattered as thick in the soules of men as the starres in the firmament must needs bee virga virtutis a Rod of strength Thirdly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the sanctification of men as it is Sceptrum cum unctione a Scepter which hath ever an unction accompanying it As it is a Sanctifying Truth an heavenly teaching a forming of Christ in the soule a making of the heart as it were his Epistle by writing the Law therein and manifesting the power and image of Christ in the conscience If a man should touch a marble or adamant stone with a seale and taking it off should see the print of it left behinde hee could not but conceive some wonderfull and secret vertue to have wrought so strange an effect Now our hearts are of themselves as hard as the nether milstone when then a holy word so meekly and gently laid on upon them shall leave there an impression of its own puritie when so small a thing as a graine of mustard-seed shall transforme an earthy soule into its owne nature when the eyes and hands and mouth of Christ being in the ministerie of his word spread upon the eyes and hands and mouth of a Childe shall revive the same from death when by looking into a glasse wee shall not onely have a view of our owne faces but shall see them changed into the image of another face which from thence shineth upon us how can wee but conclude that certainly that word by which such wonders as these are effected is indeed virga virtutis a Rod of strength Fourthly the Gospell of Christ is a Rod of strength in the Perservation and Perseverance of the Saints as it is Virga germinans a Rod like Aarons Rod which blossomed and the blossomes perished not but remained in the Ark for a Testimony of Gods power For as those buds or the Manna in the Ark did not perish so neither doth the word of the Gospell in the hearts of the faithfull The Apostle saith that wee are kept by the power of God unto salvation and S. Iude that Gods power keepeth the Saints from falling and presenteth them faultlesse before the presence of his glory and what is this power of God whereby hee doth it but the Gospell of Christ which S. Peter calleth semen incorruptibile uncorruptible seed and the Spirit of Christ which S. Iohn calleth semen manens an abiding seed If I should see a tree with perpetuall fruit without any variation from the difference of seasons a tree like that in S. Iohns Paradise which every moneth did bring forth fruite of twelve severall kindes I should conclude that it had an extraordinary vitall power in it so
Now then this Spirituall Gospell of Christ is the Scepter of his Kingdome and therefore as it is insigne regium an ensigne of roialty it importeth Glory and Majestie It is a Gospell full of glory Wee may observe that the very Typicall prefigurations of that mercy which is the sole businesse of the Gospell of Christ are in the Scriptures honored with the name of Glory The garments of the Priests being types of the Evangelicall Righteousnesse of the Saints were made for glory and beauty The Tabernacle which was ordaind for an evidence and seale of Gods Evangelicall presence with that people is called by the Prophet David a Tabernacle of honor the place which God did use to fill with his owne glory The Ark of God which was nothing else but Evangelium sub velo the Gospell under vailes and shaddowes is called by an excellency The Glory of Israel which is the attribute of Christ All Kings shall see thy glory The Temple at Ierusalem was the place of Gods Rest This is my Rest for ever here will I dwell Arise O Lord God into thy Resting place thou and the Arke of thy strength It was so called to note first the stability of Gods Evangelicall covenant in Christ it was not to bee changed nor to bee repented of but to bee sure and fixed in Christ for ever His Kingdome a Kingdome which was not to bee shaken his Priesthood a Priesthood which was not to passe away his teaching a teaching which was to continue to the worlds end And secondly to note the delight of God in Christ and in the mercy which through him was unto the world revealed Therein the Lord â—esteth and reposeth himselfe as in the crowne and accomplishment of all his workes And this Temple is called a glorious Rest a glorious high throne a house of glory of beauty and of holinesse It is said at the first Dedication thereof that the Glory of the Lord filled it It was not the gold or silver wherewith before that Dedication it was beutified wherein the glory thereof did consist but in the evidence of Gods presence which at that time was but a cloud whereas the true glory thereof himselfe was a Sunne as the Prophet cals him And with this did the Lord fill the second Temple which for this cause is said to have been more glorious than the former though in the magnificence of the structure farre inferior Now then as the Apostle in a case of just alike proportion useth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a terme of excesse when hee speaketh of the substance in comparison of the type If the bloud of bulls and goates did Sanctify to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the bloud of Christ So may wee in this case If the Types of Evangelicall things were thus glorious how much more glorious must the Gospell it selfe needs bee And therefore as I before observed in other things so in this is it true likewise that Christ and his Gospell have the same attribute of glory frequently given unto them Christ is called the Glory of the Lord and of his people Israel And the Gospell a glorious mysterie a Royall Law a ministration of glory Nay glory it selfe for so I understand that place of the Apostle that yee would walke worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdome and glory that is unto the knowledge of his Gospell for of that in all the antecedent parts and in the verse immediatly following doth the Apostle speake A glory which draweth the study and amazement of the most glorious creatures of God unto it To consider this point more particularly The glory and majesty of the Gospell of Christ appeareth principally in foure things in the Author of it in the Promulgation and publishing of it in the Matter which it containes and in the Ends purposes or uses for which it serves First in the Author of it Many things of small worth have yet growne famous by the authours of them and like the unprofitable children of renowned progenitors hold their estimation and nobility from the parents which begate them And yet from men who are uncleane there will ever descend some uncleannesse upon the workes which they doe But the Gospell is therefore indeed a glorious Gospell because it is the Gospell of the blessed God There is glory in all the workes of God because they are his for it is impossible that so great a workeman should ever put his hand to an ignoble work And therefore the Prophet David useth his glory and his handy worke promiscuously for the same thing The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke to note that there is an evidence of glory in any thing which hee puts his hand unto And yet the Prophet there sheweth that there is more glory in the law of his mouth than in the workes of his hands The Lord is better known by Sion and his name greater in Israel than in al the world besides the more God doth communicate himselfe unto any of his works the more glorious it is Now there is nothing wherein God hath so much put himselfe wherin he may be so fully knowne communicated with depended upon and praised as in his Gospell This is a glasse in which the blessed Angels doe see and admire that unsearchable riches of his mercy to the Church which they had not by their owne observation found out from the immediate view of his glorious presence In the Creatures we have him a God of power and wisedome working all things in number weight and measure by the secret vigour of his providence upholding that being which he gave them and ordering them to those glorious ends for which he gave it In the law we have him a God of vengeance and of recompence in the publication thereof threatning and in the execution thereof inflicting wrath upon those that transgresse it But in the Gospell we have him a God of bounty and endlesse compassion humbling himselfe that he might be mercifull to his enemies that he might himselfe beare the punishments of those injuries which had beene done unto himselfe that he might not offer onely but beseech his owne prisoners to bee pardoned and reconciled againe In the Creature he is a God above us in the Law he is a God against us onely in the Gospel hee is Immanuel a God with us a God like us a God for us There is nothing doth declare God so much to bee God as his mercy in the Gospell Hee is invisible in himselfe we cannot see him but in his Sonne Hee is unapproachable in himselfe wee cannot come unto him but by the Sonne Therefore when hee maketh himselfe knowne in his glory to Moses hee sendeth him not to the Creation nor to mount Sinai but putteth him into a rocke being a resemblance of Christ and then maketh
wisdome more various and admirable curiositie more filling and plentifull satisfaction more proportion to the boundlesse desires of a soule once rectified more fruit and salvation which should bee the end of every Christian mans learning than in all other knowledge which either past or present ages can afford In one word every where and in all things I am there taught how to want and how to abound and how to do all things through Christ that strengthens me A Christian can be set in no estate wherein the abundant Care of Christ over him is not in the Gospell wonderfully magnified And commonly in the greatest straits he sheweth the greatest care as waters runne strongest in the narrowest passages when we walk in darknesse and have no light when we seeke water and there is none and our tongue faileth for thirst then is his fittest time to helpe us and then is our fittest time to stay upon him Israel were deliverd by miracles of mercy from their Egyptian bondage and in the wildernesse conducted by a miraculous presence and fed with Angels food Isaak was upon the Altar and then in the mount was the Lord seene and his mercy stepped in betweene the knife and the sacrifice Iacob in great feare of his brother Esau and then comforted by prevailing with an Angell which was stronger than Esau. Peter in sorest distresse for denying Christ and he the first man to whom Christ sent newes of his Resurrection Paul in the shippe visited by an Angell Peter in prison delivered by an Angell The distressed woman at Christs Sepulcher comforted by an Angell Such as the extremities of the Saints are such is Christs care for their deliverances And this Care is further commended that it proceedeth solely from the grace and compassion of Christ there is no affection naturally in us to desire it there is no vertue in us to deserve it when we were in our bloud well pleased with our owne pollution hee doubled his goodnesse and used a kinde of violence and importunitie of mercy to make us live when we did not seeke after him when wee did not so much as aske whether hee were fit to bee sought when wee were aliens from his Covenant and strangers to his name hee even then multiplied his invitations unto us I said behold mee behold me unto a people that were not called by my name When we were weake full of impotencie when wee were sinners full of antipathy when we were enemies full of obstinacie and rebellion when wee cared not for him but turned our backes and stopped our eares and suffered him to throw away in vaine so many Sermons so many Sacraments so many mercies so many afflictions upon us when we cared not for our selves no man repented or said what have I done even then did hee magnifie his compassion towards us hee cared for us when we neglected our selves and despised him he bestowed his mercy not onely upon the unthankfull but upon the injurious But then a little compassion is enough for those that had deserved none for those that had provoked scorne and displeasure against themselves but herein is the care and tendernesse of Christ abundantly magnified that it hath in it all the ingredients of a most soveraigne mercy that nothing more could have beene done than he hath done for us First for the foundation and original of al mercy there is in him an overflowing of love without stint or measure a turning of heart a rouling and sounding of bowels a love which surpasseth all knowledge which is aâ— much beyond the thoughts or comprehensions as it is above the merits of men Secondly there is a studie and inquisitivenesse how to doe good a debating within himselfe a consulting and projecting how to shew mercy an arguing as it were of his grace with mans sinne and his owne severitie How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together True it is thou hast beene unto me as the Rulers of Sodome and as the people of Gomorrah But shall I be unto thee as I have beene unto them Am I not God and not man shall I change my Covenant because thou hast multiplied thy backslidings The Lord useth such humane expressions of his proceedings with men as if their sinnes had put him to a stand and brought him to difficulties in shewing mercy I said how shall I put thee amongst the children and give thee a pleasant Land c. Thy case is very desperate and thou hast stopped up the courses of my mercy towards thy selfe how then shall I make good my resolutions of compassion towards those that reject and nullifie it to themselves surely there is no way but one to over-rule the hearts of obstinate sinners that they may not turne away any more Thou shalt call mee my Father that is I will put filial affections awful thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from mee I will melt them and trie them saith the Lord for how shall I doe for the daughter of my people The Lord setteth himselfe to study and contrive mercie for his people that as they set up their sinnes as it were in pride to pose his Covenant so he gathereth together his thoughts of mercy as it were to conquer their sinnes Thirdly there is constancie and continuance in this his Care His mercy endureth his compassions faile not but are renewed every morning And therefore the mercies of David that is of Christ for so he is called or the mercies of the Covenant made with David are called Sure mercies they have a foundation the everlasting love and counsell of God upon which they are built they have many seales by which they are confirmed the faithfulnesse the immutabilitie and the oath of God If there were not continuance in his mercies if he were not the same yesterday and to day and for ever in his truth and fidelitie to his Church if hee should change and turne from us as oft as we forsake him if he should leave us in the hand of our owne counsell and not afford us such daily supplies of his Spirit as might support us against the ruinous disposition of our owne nature wee should be children of wrath every day anew But herein doth the abundant care of Christ in the Gospell declare it selfe unto us that though we are wormes in our selves full of weaknesse and of earthly affections yet God hath a right-hand of righteousnesse which can uphold us that though we are bent to back-sliding yet he is God and not man unchangeable in his Covenant with the Persons almighty in his power and mercy towards the sinnes of men both to cover them with his righteousnesse and to cure them by his Spirit both to forgive for the time past
libertie and made himselfe a servant unto all to the Jew as a Jew to the Greeke as a Greeke to the weake as weake and all things to all that by all meanes he might save some and so further the Gospell One while he used Circumcision that he might thereby gaine the weake Jewes another while hee forbade Circumcision that he might not misguide the converted Gentiles nor give place by subjection unto false brethren Who is weake saith he and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not His care of mens soules made him take upon him every mans affection and accommodate himselfe unto every mans temper that hee might not offend the weake nor exasperate the mightie nor dis-hearten the beginner nor affright those which were without from comming in but be All unto All for their salvation The same love is due unto all but the same method of cure is not requisite for all With some Love travelleth in paine with others it rejoyceth in hope some it laboureth to edifie and others it fearâ—th to offend unto the weake it stoopeth unto the strong it raiseth it selfe to some it is compassionate to others severe to none an enemy to all a mother But all this it doth non mentiendo sed compatiendo not by belying the truth but by pitying the sinner It is not the wisedome of the flesh nor to bee learned of men The Scripture alone is able to make the man of God wise unto the worke of Salvation Thirdly with meeknesse for that is the childe of wisedome Who is a wise man saith Saint Iames let him shew out of a good conversation his workes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with meeknesse of wisedome and againe the wisedome which is from above is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie The Gospell is Christs Gospell and it must be preached with Christs spirit which was very meeke and lowly When the Disciples would have called for fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes for their indignitie done unto Christ hee rebuked them in a milde and compassionate manner Ye know not what spirit ye are of A right Evangelicall Spirit is ever a meeke and a mercifull Spirit If a man saith the Apostle be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meekenesse and againe In meekenesse saith the Apostle instruct those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Lastly with faithfulnesse in as much as the Gospell is none of ours but Christs whose servants and stewards we are Christ was faithfull though hee were a Son over his owne house and therefore might in reason have assum'd the more liberty to doe his owne will much more doth it become us who are but his Officers to be faithfull too not to dissemble any thing which the estate and exigence of those soules committed to our charge shall require us to speake not to adde diminish or deviate from our commission preaching one Gospell in one place and another in another but to deliver onely the Counsell of God and to watch over the soules of men as they that must give an account Againe since the Gospell is Christs owne Power wee must all learne from thence two duties first to receive it as from him with the affections of subjects which have been bought by him that is first in hearing of the word to expect principally his voyce and to seeke him speaking from heaven This is the nature of Christs sheep to turne away their eares from the voyce of strangers and to heare him Two things principally there are which discover the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the word First it is a spirituall and heavenly doctrine full of purity righteousnesse and peace touching the soule with a kind of secret and magneticall vertue whereby the thoughts affections conscience and conversation are turned from their earthly center and drawne up unto him as Eagles to a carcasse Secondly it is a powerfull an edged a piercing doctrine If the word thou hearest speak unto thy conscience if it search thy hart if it discover thy lusts if it make thy spirit burne within thee if it cast thee upon thy face and convince and judge thee for thy transgressions if it bind up thy sores and clense away thy corruptions then it is certainly Christs word and then it must bee received with such affections as becommeth the word of Christ. First with Faith if we conferre with flesh and bloud we shall be apt ever to cavill against the truth For hee that rejecteth Christ doth never receive his word A fleshly heart cannot submit unto a heavenly Doctrine Christ and his Apostles did every where endure the contradiction of sinners But yet hee claimeth this honour over the consciences of men to over-rule their assents against all the mists and sophisticall reasonings of the flesh The Apostles themselves preached nothing but either by immediate commission from him or out of the Law and the Prophets But his usuall forme was Verily I say unto you noting that hee onely was unto the Church the Author and fountaine of all heavenly Doctrine that unto him onely belongeth that authoritative and infallible Spirit which can command the subscription and assent of the conscience that hee onely can say with boldnesse to the soule as hee did to the Samaritan woman Beleeve mee And that therefore no authority either of men or Churches either Episcopall Papall or Synodicall can without open sacrilege usurpe power to over-rule the faith of men or impose any immediate and Doctrinall necessity upon the conscience in any points which are not ultimately and distinctly resolv'd into the evident authority of Christ in his word S. Paul himselfe durst not assume Dominion over the faith of men nor S. Peter neither suffer any Elders amongst whom hee reckoneth himselfe as an Elder also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to over-rule or prescribe unto the heritage of God It is onely Christs word which the hearts of men must stoope and attend unto and which they must mingle with faith that it may bee profitable unto them that is they must let it into their hearts with this assurance that it is not the breath of a man but the message of Christ who is true in all his threatnings and faithfull in all his promises and pure in all his precepts that hee sendeth this ministerie abroad for the perfection of the Saints the edification of his Church and therefore if they bee not hereby cleansed and built up in his body they doe as much as in them lieth make void the holy ordinance of God which yet must never returne in vaine The word of God doth effectually worke onely in those that beleeve It worketh in hypocrites and wicked hearers according to the measure of that imperfect faith which they have but it worketh not
him in his publike Relation as a mediator a surety a mercifull and faithfull high Priest and so hee most willingly and obediently submitted unto it And this willingnesse ratione officii was much the greater because ratione naturae his will could not but shrinke from it It is easie to bee willing in such a service as is suteable to our naturall condition and affections but when nature shall necessarily shrinke sweate startle and stand amazed at a service then not to repent nor decline nor fling off the burden but with submission of heart to lie downe under it this is of all other the greatest obedience It was the voyce of nature and the presentation of the just and implanted desires of the flesh to say Transeat let it passe from me It was the retractation of mercy and duty to say Glorifie thy selfe What-ever my nature desires what-ever my will declines what-ever becomes of me yet still glorifie thy selfe and save thy Church If it cannot otherwise bee than by my drinking this bitter Cup Thy will bee done The second Act in the worke of Christs Priesthood is the act of Application or virtuall continuation of this Sacrifice to the end of the world and that is in the Intercession of Christ unto which there is prerequired a power and prevalency over all his enemies to breake through the guilt of sinne the Curse of the Law and the chaines of death with which it was impossible that hee should bee held The vision which Moses had of the burning bush was an excellent resemblance of the Sacrifice of Christ. The Bush noted the Sacrifice the fire the suffering the continuance and prevailing of the bush against the fire the victorie of Christ and breaking through all those sufferings which would utterly have devoured any other man And this power of Christ was shewed in his Resurrection wherein hee was declared to bee the Sonne of God with power Rom. 1.4 and in his ascension when hee led all his Enemies captive Eph. 4.8 and in his sitting at the right hand of God farre above all principalities and powers Eph. 1.19 20. All which did make way to the presenting of his Sacrifice before the mercy-seate which is the consummation thereof and without which hee had not been a Priest Wee have such an high Priest saith the Apostle as is set downe on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens for if hee were on earth hee should not bee a Priest seeing that there are Priests which offer gifts according to the Law Heb. 8.1.4 It was the same continued action whereby the Priest did offer without the Holy place and did then bring the bloud into the holiest of all Heb. 13.11 For the reason why it was shed was to present it to the mercy-seate and to shew it unto the Lord there So Christs act or office was not ended nor fit to denominate him a complete Priest till hee did enter with bloud and present his offering in the holiest of all not made with hands Heb. 9.24 And therefore he had not been a Priest if hee should have continued on the earth for there was another Priesthood there which was not to give place but upon the accomplishment of his for the whole figure was to passe away when the whole truth was come Now Christs Oblation was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth prefigured in the Priests Sacrificing of the Beast and his entrance into heaven was the Truth prefigured in the Priests carrying of the bloud into the holiest of all And therefore both these were to bee accomplished before the Leviticall Priesthood did give place Here then it will bee needfull for the more full unfolding of the Priesthood of Christ to open the Doctrine of his Intercession at the right hand of his Father The Apostle calleth it the Appearing of Christ for us Heb. 9.24 which is verbum forense an expression borrowed from the custome of humane courts for as in them when the plaintiffe or defendant is called their Aâ—turnie appeareth in their name and behalfe so when we are summoned by the justice of God to defend our selves against those exceptions and complaints which it preferreth against us wee have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the righteous who standeth out and appeareth for us 1 Ioh. 2.2 As the high Priest went into the sanctuary with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast so Christ entred into the holiest of all with our persons and in our behalfe in which respect the Apostle saith that he was Apprehended of Christ Phil. 3.12 and that we doe sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Merit and Efficacie are the two things which set forth the vertue of Christs Sacrifice by which hee hath reconciled us to his Father The Merit of Christ being a Redundant merit and having in it a plentifull redemption and a sufficient salvation hath in it two things First there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an expiation or satisfaction by way of price Secondly there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Inheritance by way of purchase and acquisition Eph. 1.14 Hee was made of a woman made under the Law for two ends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee might redeeme us from the curse under which wee lay and that hee might purchase for us the inheritance which we had forfeited before for so by adoption in that place I understand in a complexed and generall sense every good thing which belongs unto us in the right of our sonship with Christ and that is the Inheritance of glory Rom. 8.17.23 Now all this effected by the obedience of Christs death for in that was the act of impetration or procurement consisting in the treaty betweene God and Christ. But there is yet further required an execution a reall effectualnesse and actuall application of these to us As it must bee in regard of God a satisfaction and a purchase so it must bee likewise in regard of us an actuall redemption and inheritance And this is done by the intercession of Christ which is the commemoration or rather continuation of his Sacrifice He offered it but once and yet hee is a Priest for ever because the Sacrifice once offered doth for ever remaine before the mercy-seate Thus as in many of the Legall Oblations there was first mactatio and then Ostensio First the beast was slaine on the Altar and then the bloud was together with incense brought before the mercy-seate Levit. 16 11-15 So Christ was first slasnâ— and then by his owne bloud hee entred into the holy place Heb. 9.12.10.12 That was done on the earth without the gate this in heaven Heb. 13.11 12. That the Sacrifice or obtaining of redemption this the Application or conferring of redemption The Sacrifice consisted in the Death of Christ alone the application thereof is grounded upon Christs death as its merit but effected by the Life of Christ as its immediate cause
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie
they called thee an out-cast saying This is Sion whom no man seeketh after Ier. 30.17 see Ier. 50.11 Ezek. 25.3.28.6 9. Obad. v. 3 4. when the high wayes were waste and the way-faring man ceased and the enemie regarded no man Now saith the Lord will I arise now will I be exalted c. Esay 33.8 11. when the enemies help forward the affliction of Gods people and by their pride and insultation doe double the misery which is upon them then will the Lord returne to them in mercies and be sore displeased with his enemies Zech. 1.15 16. Esay 40.2.47.5 6. Secondly when Gods people are throughly humbled and purged for God useth wicked men but as his staffe or weapon as his fire or fan to correct and purge them Esay 10.12 He intendeth not in his punishments such severity against them as against their enemies if the rod be for the childe the fire is for the rod Esay 27.7 8.9 When men are so smitten that they can returne to him that smiteth them and not revolt more and more for God will not throw any more darts at those who are sunke and dead already when they are stirred in their hearts joyntly to seeke the Lord and to meet him in the way of his judgements and to compassionate and favour the dust of Sion then is the day of his wrath for when Gods time to deliver a people is come he will more abundantly stirre up the hearts of his people to pray for it Psal. 102.16.17 Dan. 9.2.3 whereas when he will destroy a people hee will not suffer his Saints to pray Ier. 14.11 Thirdly when all humane hopes and expectations are gone when a people is so pilled and broken that they have no courage meanes succours or probabilities left then is Gods time to deliver his Church and to punish his enemies The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his Servants when hee seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 Psal. 68.20 109·31 In one word when the preparations and premises as it were unto Gods glory are best ordered and put together then is the day of his wrath come The Church then need not to bee cast downe with the insultation of her enemies since Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever such as hee was ever to his Church such hee is still If hee have delivered his Church from the pride of her enemies heretofore his power truth watchfulnesse compassion is the same still and by faith in them wee may rebuke Satan wee may chide away the weaknesse and feare of our owne hearts wee may rejoice against those that insult over us when they rage most wee may hope their time is short and that it is but the biting of a wounded beast Therefore wee finde the Saints in Scripture arme themselves against present dangers with the consideration of what God hath done for his Church in times past Psal. 68.7 8 74.13-18 Esai 51.9 10 11. Habak 3. And in the confidence of the same truth and power breake forth into a holy scorne of their enemies Mich. 7.8 9 10. Esai 50.8 9. In the sorest extremities wee may fix our faith on God and hee delighteth to bee depended upon alone when all outward helpes and probabilities faile see Esai 41.17 18. Hab. 3.17 18. A million of men came against Asa one of the hugest hoasts of men that were ever read of yet by relying on God they were all delivered into his hand and the reason is added because God hath eyes and strength or as hee is described Revel 5 6. Seven hornes and seven eyes much wisedome and much power to shew himselfe valiant in the behalfe of those that walke uprightly 2 Chron. 16.8 9. Wee should learne likewise to rejoyce and triumph with all thankfulnesse of heart when Christ subdueth the enemies of his Kingdome and giveth deliverance and refreshment to his people When hee maketh his hand knowen to his servants and his fury to his enemies then should all they that love Hierusalem rejoyce Esai 66.10 Thus the Church after they were delivered from the malice of Haman instituted days of joy and feasting Ester 9.22 It is a signe of an evill heart against the peace and prosperity of the Church of Christ to envie or slight or thinke basely of the instruments and wayes whereby Christ delivereth it as wee see in Tobiah and Sanballat Nehem. 4.2 3. Lastly wee should learne wisedome to lay hold on the times and seasons of Gods peace because hee hath a day of wrath too to apprehend the offers and opportunities of grace Christ had been at the Churches dore and had knocked for admittance but neglecting that season hee was gone and much shee suffer'd before shee could finde him againe Cant. 5 2-7 When the Lord speaketh unto us in his ordinances and by the secret motions and perswasions of his holy Spirit wee should not deferre nor put him off as Felix did Paul to some other time but pursue the occasion and set our selves to doe every duty in Gods time There is a time for every worke and it is beautifull onely in its time and therefore fit it is that wee should observe wisely the signes and nature of the times Matth. 16.2 And accordingly proportion our devotions for the Church and our selves It is the worst losse of time to let slip the seasons of grace and spirituall wisedome till it may bee Gods time of mercy is passed over If thou hadst knowen in this thy day the thing that concerne thy Peace But now thy day is over and my day of wrath is come they are now hidden from thine eyes Hee shall judge amongst the Heathen By heathen we are to understand the same with Enemies vers 1. and People Esai 63.6 Meaning all the armies and swarmes of Christs enemies either spirituall or secular The word Gentiles was a word of great contempt and detestation amongst God people as the word Iew is now amongst us a proverbiall word to cast reproach and shame upon men Therefore the Apostle saith of the Ephesians that in times passed they had been Gentiles in the flesh Eph. 2.11 As if by being Christians they had ceased to bee Gentiles or rather that word had ceased to bee a terme of reproach So that Gentile was a word of scorne as Samaritan Ioh. 8.48 or Canaanite Ezek. 16.3 or Publican Matth. 18.17 Luk. 18.11 And therefore wee finde those two still joyned together Publicans and sinners and so the Apostle joyneth these two words Gentiles and sinners Gal. 2.15 So then the word Heathen is added by David to the enemies of Christ to render them the more odious and to expresse their more abject and hatefull condition and therefore when God would cast notable reproach upon his people hee calleth them Sodomites and Gentiles Esai 1.10 Ezek. 2.3 So then the meaning is his most abject and hatefull enemies that are unto him as Iewes and Samaritans hee shall judge that is hee shall