given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Oh the unsearchable depth of my loving Saviour's love and the infinite value of my Redeemer's death upon whom fell the chastisement of our peace and on whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Oh who would not in a full eareer run and leap out of himself into the bosom of my crucified Lord in whose arms we may receive the solacing embracements of his infinite love None but he can bring us unto God for none but he can grant rest unto our souls As I live I will never seek any other Peace-maker among Angels or Saints in heaven or earth to make my peace with Heaven than him that is the King of the Saints Who though he accounted it no robbery to be equal with God yet for our sakes for my sake did humble himself to death even to the death of the Cross whereby having made our peace be hath freed us from all that 's ill and hath made us partakers of all that 's good He hath freed us from all that 's ill The blessed fruit of an happy peace is a well grounded security which whosoever is at peace with God enjoys Num. 17.23 enjoys a safe protection under his wings Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Subtilty cannot prevail against those whom the Lord hath resolved to bless nor power overcome whom the Lords stretched out arm will support What forces of arms of the mightiest man can resist the powerful arms of the Almighty or what wisdom of the wisest worldling can oppose the wisdom of the wisest God And if all these fail what can the Accuser of the brethren invent whereby to bring us into condemnation The Serpents head is bruised by the Womans Seed and Sin hath lost its sting for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Condemnation nor separation from the love of God Satan and the world may assault but with little good success The flesh and sin may labour to entice us but to little purpose Death and the grave may seise upon us but 't is but for a short time In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us And thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Forasmuch then as that the Lord hath troden the wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone to free us from all ill Be ye oh be ye who are the Lords redeemed cautelous and circumspect in your conversation that by the errors of your ways and continual transgressions you incense not his wrath against you nor provoke the eyes of his glory Sudden destruction will assuredly surprise that soul that sin keeps at odds with God and Hell gapes wide open for such as will not be reclaimed It was Joram's proposition to Jehu Is it peace And it was Jehu's reply to Joram What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jesabel and her witchcrafts are so many Out of doubt while we persist in wickedness adultery idolatry pride avarice sacriledge extortion oppression bribes perjury I might be endless we cannot be at peace with God and therefore lie ever open to the shot of general dangers As we are unfit through our obliquities to press into Gods presence here so is it impossible for us keeping the same path to be admitted into his glotious presence hereafter or to escape that deserved vengeance that comes swiftly from him to whom vengeance belongeth that driveth more furiously than did Jehu the son of Nimshi Break off then your sins to be at peace with God and Gods peace be with you So shall you receive large immunities as to be free from all ill so to be partakers of all good which is the second effect of this peace The largeness of my Gods bounty and my Saviours merits are not to be comprehended by humane capacity it is infinite Ponder the Apostles reason for this ample favour extended unto us and then let our souls rejolce Gods liberality is propounded in this wise He that spared not his own Son Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things It cannot enter into my head to conceive how that the Lord will withhold what tends to our felicity being he gruâ—g'd not to give us what he loved best his onely Son He gave him without our demand and will therefore give all things without our desert What Paul said to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. I say to you that are reconciled to God All things are yours whether things present or things to come and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's The Lord giveth grace and glory saith the Psalmist Grace here Glory elswhere In a peaceable Commonwealth all things flourish men do plentifully enjoy themselves and plenty of all things without interruption whereas the discord and dissentions of factious Licentiates by rebellion against their Prince lays a gap open for ruine to enter upon them So when upon our address to God we have obtained a peaceable condition when we have laid down our arms or weapons intending no more to sight against Heaven when the Mediator of the New Testament by interposing himself betwixt God and us hath concluded an everlasting and unchangeable peace then then in very deed no good thing will be denied us There is no want to them that fear him Psal 34. This is most true For by this peace we are adopted the sons of God and heirs of glory whereby there is conveyed unto us by the eternal constitution of the Possessor of all things a just title to all things to blessings both temporal and eternal the treasures of his graces are conferred upon us the storehouse of his riches is ever open to us and the pure crown of immortality and royal diadem of glory is laid up for us For us who shall depart in peace according to Gods word and whose eyes shall see his salvation One word to you to whom a sinful life is far more pleasing than that that befits a Christian's Your iniquities separate between your God and you and deprive you of all that 's good I call you from Isaiah what he did from the Lord Children of transgression and a seed of falshood whose end cannot be good whilst you walk in those crooked paths wherein whosoever goeth shall not know peace Rectifie your ways alter your wild courses conform your selves to the will of God your Creator accept the Covenant of peace and live accordingly so shall your souls live Isa 55.7 Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Then blessed shall ye be in the city and blessed shall ye be in the field blessed shall ye be in the
heartily cry in a low straine of humility Pecoav◠against thee thee 〈◊〉 O Lord have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight If we can confidently set up our whole rest in our Redeemers alsufficiency we may presume that according to his promise he will extend his mercy and his favour unto all of us For this very purpose did he send his Son unto us that he might be well pleased with us in him in whom alone he is well pleased and was content from all eternity with the death of his Son to manifest in the fulness of time his good will towards men This is the reason why the Prophet Isaiah cals the year of Christs Nativity Isa 61.2 or the whole time of the Gospel The acceptable year of the Lord for the Lord accepts of us in him and no otherwise than as we are in him and being in him he gives us of his good will a secure conduct through all the various casualties of mortality wherefore saith the holy singer Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous Psal 5.22 with favour wilt thou compasse him as with a shirld To make good this his good will further unto us he hath together with his Son made us a deed of gift of all things Rom. 8.32 For he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all would not but with him also freely give us all things Should I go about to describe the immense amplitude of my Gods liberality my words would rather extenuate than enlarge it not being able to reach to so holy a slrain as the excellency and worth thereof requires His love beside his gifts is boundless without all limits of time from eternity to eternity I use the Apostles words as wanting of mine own for a fit expression he did praedestinate us before the foundation of the world unto the Adoption of Children Eph. 1.5 6 7. by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Whereupon it is to be infer'd that without Christ there is no hope of mercy God in him expresses his good will to us in him we are elected by him called through him saved In solo dilecto suo Jes◠Christo Robertus Stephous in glos Deus charos sibi reddit quotquot in hoc selegit faith Stephanus in his gloss as many as God hath selected out of the world to be a peculiar people to himself are indeared unto him in his dear Son So that every one that belongs to the election of grace according to the dispensation of his immortal riches may truly say as Abraham did to Sarah it may be well with me for thy sake and my soul shall live because of thee The Lord when he looks upon his Son and on us in him remembers mercy You may be pleased to call to mind what use the rain-bow serves for which is a pregnant figure of Christ our Saviour whereby we are inform'd to use the words of a reverend Prelate that when either the dark blackness of ugly sin Dr. Babington Bish of Worcester in Gen. 9. or the thick clouds of grief and adversity do threaten unto us any fearful overthrow we should clap our eyes upon our rain-bow Christ Jesus and be assured that although that blacknesse of sin be never so great yet in him and by him it shall be done away and never have power to undo us Although those mists and fogs of adversity be never so thick yet shall they by him as by a hot and strong sun be disperst and never able to drown us The greatest rain we know shall end ere it come to such a flood again and so shall these things before we fall Ecce signum behold Christ is put for a sure signe and token of Gods good will towards men But now I will close neerer and shew what in his good will he hath done for our souls I can pass by Gods sending of his Son as presupposed being the occasion of this blessed ditty but I can never pass by our restitution unto grace by him the greatest act of good will that ever was for when sin had overblackt us with such deformities as left no part cleare when we stood in direct point of diameter to his holyness and could not avoid the sentence of condemnation through his tender mercy the day-spring from on high did visit us and the light of his countenance did shine upon us to give light unto us that sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the wayes of peace Whereby we now stand on firmer and fairer terms of happiness and prosperity than before our first declination There is a more established safety in the condition we have by Christ in Christ than in that first wherein we were lest unto our selves For we fell from that first from this last we cannot and being fallen from that a better a surer cannot be compassed but by him Soul and body were so debilitated through the corruption of our degenerated nature and we so desperately praecipitate in sinful deliberations as that we could not help our selves in this time of need Potui per me sancte Pater offendere sed non valui per me placare saith Aug. in his Manual O my God I could easily offend thee Aug. Manuale cap. 8. by my self but by my self never appease thee nor expiate my offence God therefore unwilling to strive with man for ever who for ever without his mercy he found inclin'd to mischief in a relenting affection remembring we are but dust Pathetically pities our case and in his good will sends us a Redeemer for which the Angels sing Beleeve me O ye servants of my God beleeve me my God can as soon cease to be God which is impossible as cast away his eyes of pity and mercy from us but like as a father pitieth his children Psal 103. so doth the Lord the Workmanship of his hands Blesse the Lord O my soul saith David and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies Boys Postil Ephes 3. The love of God saith one in his Postils is like a Sea into which when a man is cast he neither seeth bank nor seeleth bottom Accordingly saith the Apostle The length the breadth the depth and the height of this love passeth all humane knowledge And as his love is thus without all measure greater by infinite degrees than that of Jonathan to David so are his favours innumerable It was a Martyrs speech worthy registring to posterity To
souls for himself For the first Sinners despair because they cannot be perswaded of mercy only viewing the severity of God and poring upon that Alas I have offended God and am afflicted in conscience I have deserv'd to be a fire-brand of Hell but yet consider the sweet goodness of God he is just to damn stubborn sinners but to such as humble themselves and with penitent hearts beg for mercy he is a gracious God witness Manasses Magdalen Paul c. For the latter Satan will tell thee thou may'st take thy liberty follow thy pleasures needest not be so precise for God is merciful The remedy is to consider not only the mercy but the severity of God also Remember how severely he hath dealt with the Jews for their Rebellion against Christ and his Gospel with David for the matter of Vriah with Moses for striking the Rock when he should only have spoken to it c. For as the act of seeing is hindered both by no light and by too much so the light and comfort of conscience is hindered either by not seeing of mercy or by seeing nothing else but mercy which causeth presumption Here is to be refuted the wicked opinion of the Manichees and Marcionites who held that there were two Beginnings or to speak plainly two Gods one good full of gentleness and mercy the other severe and cruel this they made the Author of the Old Testament and the other of the New But the answer is 1. That Scripture maketh one and the same God both bountiful and full of goodness and the same also severe 2. And though severity and mercy seem to be contrary yet that is not in respect of the Subject for the Divine Nature is not capable of contrary and repugnant qualities But in regard of the contrary effects which are produced in contrary Subjects Like as the Magistrate is not contrary to himself if he shew mercy unto those that are willing to be reformed and be severe in punishing obstinate offenders Or as the Sun by the same heat worketh contrary effects in subjects of a diverse and contrary disposition and quality To conclude then Who have goodness and who have severity If thou repentest and obeyest the Gospel thou art an happy man the sweetness of God and his goodness is to thee But if thou beest a profane unbelieving impenitent wretch and dyest in this estate the most just God will in his great severity cast thee into Hell 1 Sam. 25.29 as out of the middle of a sling The Lord God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third Ezra 8.22 Psal 18.25 26. and to the fourth generation The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful Psal 34.15 16. And with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry The face of the Lord is against them that do evil Psal 101.1 to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee O Lord Rom. 11.22 will I sing Behold the goodness and severity of God Of the Mercy of God Mercy as it is referred to God Movet enim pium judicem fragilitas considerata peccantium Cassied Exod. 34. is the Divine Essence inclining it self to pity and relieve the miseries of all his Creatures but more peculiarly of his Elect Children without respect of merit God is most glorious in mercy Shew me thy Glory saith Moses It follows what it was The Lord God merciful and gracious c. In this he is superlative and outstrips Mercy is 1. General 1. In helping his Elect and comforting 2. In scattering and confounding their Enemies 2. More particular 1. In promising 2. In performing And these are the Flagons of wine to comfort distressed souls Mercy is an Attribute in the manifestation of which as all our happiness consists so God takes greatest complacency and delights in it above all his other works He punishes to the third and fourth Generation but shewes mercy unto thousands Exod. 20.5 6. Therefore the Jewes have a saying That Michael flies with one wing and Gabriel with two meaning that the pacifying Angel the Minister of Mercy flies swift but the exterminating Angel the Messenger of wrath is slow The more mercy we receive the more humble we ought to be 1. Because we are thereby more indebted 2. In danger to be more sinful worms crawle after Rain 3. We have more to account for But alas even as the glorious Sun darting out his illustrious beams shines upon the stinking Carrion but still it remains a Carrion when the beams are gone so the mercy of God shines as I may say upon the wicked but still he remains wicked For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting The Lord is good to all Psal 100.5 Psal 145.9 Micah 7.18 and his tender mercies are over all his works He delighteth in mercy I proceed no further in these only add That for a Creature to believe the infinite Attributes of God he is never able to do it thoroughly without supernatural grace Of the Sacred Trinity De Trinitate THat God should be Three in one and One in three this is a Divine Truth Impossibile est per rationem naturalem ad Trinitat is Divinarum pâ—rsonarum cognitionem pervenice Aquin. Du Bartas ex Lombard Sens. lib. 1. dist 2. more certainly to be received by Faith than to be conceived by Reason for it is the most mysterious of all the Mysteries contained in the Bible which our Divine Poet sings thus In Sacred Sheets of either Testament 'T is hard to find an higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to discuss More useful known unknown more dangerous Some damnable Hereticks especially the Jewes at this day hold an indistinct Essence in the Deity without distinction of persons We assert a real distinction there is but there can be no separation If any stumble at the word Trinity and say it cannot be found in the Scriptures I answer yet the Doctrine is if not according to the letter yet according to the sense Besides there is expresly the word Three 1 John 5.7 from whence Trinity comes The Hebrews of old Siâ—rectè dicuntur tres Elohâ—m etiam recté dici possit tres Dii nam Elobim Latinè sonat Dii vel Deus Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.1 were no strangers to this Mystery though their posterity understood it not Moses Gen. 1.1 Dii creavit Elihu Job 35.10 God my Makers Solomon Eccl.
Mat. 27. I ought never to despair of the grace of God Quia semper inveniam Deum benigniorem quà m me culpabillâ—rem Bern. Deserentes se non desâ—rit sed impios quaeritqui eum non quaerebaut Ambros Origen Hom. 1. In Genes Calv. lib. cui titul de Fr. Spira Geâ—vae in prefat let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression Desperation Despair is Sathans Master-piece it carries men headlong to hell as the Devils did the herd of swine into the deep Non tantos peccatum quantos desperatio perdit My punishment saith Cain is greater than I can bear Or mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven In either sense he sins exceedingly and worse perhaps than in slaying his brother whether he murmer against Gods justice or despair of his mercy Mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven Mentiris Cain saith an Auncient Cain did not say so because it was so but it was so because he had said so Nemo desperet videns similitudinem suam magis esse cum Diabolo quà m cum Deo Posse se iterum recuperare formam imaginis Dei quia non venit salvator vocare justos sed peccatores in panitentiam Fraciscus Spira beeing in a deep despair for renouncing the Gospels Doctrine which he did once so stoutly profess said he would willingly suffer the most exquisite tortures of hell fire for the space of 10000 yeares upon condition he might be well assured to be released afterwards He further added in that hellish and horrible fit That his dear children and wife for whose sake principally he turned away from the Gospel to embrace this present world appeared now to him as hangmen hags and torturers In fine that his abominable fault had deserved Non modò damnationem sed etiam aliquid gravius damnatione acerbius Unhappy Spira denied his Lord but once but many there be that have not only denied him often but in some sort desied him also Like Pilate crucifying the Lord Jesus to give life unto Barabbas a Murtherer that is to Sin which slayeth the soul Mention is also made of a covetous Oppressor that made this Will viz. I give my goods to the King my body to the grave and my soul to the Devil Thus the timorous are carried to more precipitate resolutions through despair than the temerarious through inconsideration so violently are they tost in the sea of dangers that have lost their anchor of hope Vnless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence Psal 94.17 Vers 18. Vers 19. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Charity Charity may fitly be compared to the precious stone Pantarb Philostr in vit Apoâ—onii l. 3. c. 14. spoken of by Philâ—stratus a stone of great beauty and of strange property so bright it is and radiant that it gives light in the darkest midnight and that light is of such admirable vertue that it bringeth together the stones which it reacheth into heaps as if they were so many hives of bees But nature lest so precious a gift should be undervalued hath not only hid this stone in the secret bowels of the earth but hath also put into it a property of slipping out of the hands of those that hold it Nisi providâ— ratione teneatur unless they hold it fast indeed Charity is accepted and uncharitableness condemned in the smallest matter Non ex munere animus munâ—rantis est aestimandus sed ex animo munus Buxt Epist It is not the quantity of the gift but the affection of the giver it is not the quantity of that which is denied to be given but the heart of him that denies it which the Lord takes notice of For there is both 1. Charity in the heart viz. that affection of love which makes us to hold our neighbours dear and to desire and seek their good in every thing which is dear unto them and that for Christ his sake according to the will of God 1 Cor. 13. where are the properties of Charity at large described 2. And Charity in the hand viz. the actions and duties of love as 1 Tim. 1.5 according to that 1 Joh. 3.18 Now therefore when it troubles us to part with the least imaginable benefit as too much for them who have nothing when crums of bread which fall from our table are denied when a cup of cold water is denied how told is Charity is it not crumbled into a lesser nothing than those crums Charity believeth all things Not that it is so credulous as to take up every thing for truth upon a common and ungrounded report that 's no commendation in any man much less in a godly man Therefore the meaning is De quolibet praesumendum bonum nisi constet de contrario Dav. Charity interpreteth every thing in the best sense that it will bear and makes the fairest construction which every mans case and condition will admit It is a rule in the Civil law Supponitur esse bonns qui non probatur esse malus He is supposed to be an honest man who was never proved otherwise Exuberat charitas saith Ambrose Charity overfloweth It is Puteus Rehoboth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puteus platearum vel latitudinum puteus latitudinis the Well of breadth which name we read to be given by Isaack to a Well which his servants digged Gen. 26.22 For Charity doth spread abroad her waters wheresoever is need of them Alexander Quintus Pope of Rome said of himself That when he was a Bishop he was rich when he was a Cardinal he was poor and when he was Pope he was a beggar And plainly so it is with many who the richer they are still are the poorer in respect of their charity It were a vain thing to fear when a child is conceived lest the spirit should not find the way into it and lest the bones should not grow in him And no less vain is their fear who are troubled lest by giving to the poor their estate should decay that either themselves or theirs should be brought to misery But well said he Non timeatur in his expensis defectio facultatum Leo Serm. 10. de Quadrag quoniam ipsa benignitas magna substantia est nec potest charitati deâ—sse materies ubi Christus pascit pascitur In omni hec opere illa intervenit manus quae panem frangendo auget erogando multiplicat That is In these expences let not a failing of means be feared because bounty it self is great wealth neither can the matter of bounty be wanting where Christ himself feedeth and is fed In every such work that hand is a fellow-worker which increaseth bread by breaking it and by giving multiplieth A small charity shall not want a reward De gradib
the hearts of all that should read those stories Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now if any Anabaptistical Humorist who hath a company of Phanatique toyes whiffling about his understanding should censure me for inforcing Bowing and Kneeling I have no more to say to him than this Being that God is the Creator and Redeemer of soul and body that therefore as well with the body as the soul we are to worship him by kneeling bowing and that especially when the act of our Redemption is presented unto us by visible signs as it is in the Lords Supper I conclude this with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible and onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen I follow still the Angels strain and pitch my thoughts on the second part the words are these And on earth peace From the time of Mans capital apostasie effected by the cunning project of the subtile Serpent all the creatures of God were at odds with Man affected with reciprocal enmity The fiery Dragon had set the world on fire Combustion and Confusion the two extremities of distempered Passion came on after Hence by reason of the perpetual opposition of the creatures Iniquity did abound and the love of many waxed cold The burden of these disturbances was so ponderous that all things did groan under it So many blustering storms did succeed one upon the neck of another as that the world seemed to despair of peace Mans wicked disobedience was taken so ill at Gods hands as well he might as that he was incensed against him and his posterity and for their sake cursed the earth Here then we find Man in hostility with God with himself with his brethren with all Gods creatures both in heaven and in earth So that he is excluded felicity whereof he was before possessed inviron'd with that deplorable misery which he then could not and we now cannot without Christ Jesus avoid His rebellion against God caused the creatures to rebell against him He neglecting his Creator is both by the Creator and creature neglected His falling from the Lord made the Lord and the servants fall out with him Because the sons of Adam had such aspiring minds as to seek after that which is proper unto God Peace is therefore departed from the sons of Adam Now there was no peace within none without until the Prince of peace Jesus Christ by grace put a period to the mutinous disposition of ill-affected humors until he had so salved the matter betwixt God and us as that all things might work together for the good of us that are the elect of God Wherefore as the Dove after the â—sswaging of the waters of the Deluge brought an Olive branch into the Ark of Noah so Christ as innocent as a Dove came unto the world and brought Peace and Reconciliation with him into the Ark of God which is his Church floating in a restless Ocean of intestine troubles Who was no sooner come but the Heavenly Courtiers invite us men on earth to give glory unto God in Heaven because that the God of Heaven did by his own Son send peace on earth to men For when he came he brought peace to us when he departed Zanch. he left his peace with us Qui pacem dicit dicit uno verbo omnia bona saith Zanchius Who names but peace comprehends in one word all that 's good And indeed all that 's good did in and through Christ descend to us from the Infinite Good out of the inexhaustible treasures of whose uncomprehended fulness we have all received Since then O my God that my soul and discursive faculty must now be fixt upon all that 's good refine I beseâ—ch thee my diviner thoughts and let not all that 's good be in any wise tainted by any unhallowed imperfections of mine Assist with thy Divine power in setting out this Olive-branch of Peace fetcht from Heaven that may in time spring up unto eternal life Our Saviour the Everlasting Son of the Father and blessed Peace-maker of Heaven and Earth wrought for believing men such as shall receive him by faith for whose sake he came into the world a foursold inviolable Peace Viz. 1. Peace with our God 2. Peace with our selves 3. Peace with one another 4. Peace with all the creatures First he wrought our peace with God What befell Adam for his insolent behaviour and disobedience against the Author of his life no son of Adam that hath but the least sense of misery can be ignorant of Upon the apprehension of the transgression he found himself and we since our selves miserably plung'd in a depth of inselicity for by the offence of that one man that first man all became enemies to God and God an enemy to all Thus God and man stood off at a distance never to come together but by a mediation Whereupon the God of mercy that delights not in the death of a sinner unwilling to see so noble a creature perish everlastingly provides and sends a Mediator that Son of his who was in his own bosom to reconcile us unto himself to bring us unto the bosom of his Father ratisying such a league as may if it were possible outlast Eternity Hence it was he took our flesh upon him whereby being God and Man he might bring man to God Oh the hardness of my stony heart saith Bernard in a heavenly extasie Bern. Vtinam Domine sicut Verbum caro factum est ita cor meum carnem fiat I would to God my God and Lord that as the Word was made flesh so were my heart hereby to be seelingly apprehensive of thine infinite mercy in granting pardon to my sin and peace unto my soul through the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Christ is our Peace Eph. 2.14 our Peace in the very abstract By him our eternal quiet is procured Gods consuming wrath appeâ—sed and by his light are our feet guided into the way of peace A Jesuite spake it and to speak truth 't is Gods received truth Ex inimicis amicos ex servis filios ex filiis irae haredes regni fecit nos per Christum Deus God the God of peace hath made us through Christ that of being his enemies his friends of being his servants his sons of being sons of wrath heirs of a Kingdom not subject to mortality Buâ—lest an headstrong credulity arising out of a flattering misconceit should draw some into a precipitate presumption of concluding themselves to be reconciled to God and restored to favour though they persist in sin and infidelity Learn this Orthodox truth grounded on that of the Apostle That they only who are justified by faith and sanctified by his Spirit have peace with God Rom. 5.1 through our Lord Jesus Christ Happy is that soul alone that hath faith it hath Christ Happy
should have been taken from him but left all other thoughts and did cleave to his masters side with an inseparable resolution As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee So must we be to Christ in whom God hath manifested his good will to us and say as Peter did To whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Gods Mercy is like Daniels goodly tree Dan. 4. whose height reacheth unto the heavens and the sight thereof to all the earth whose pleasant fruit all mortal men do taste and eat and under the shadow of whose fair leaves they take rest and comfort To the defence and succour of this tree must we run in storms and extremity and not then only but at all times lest with ungrateful Popelings we go about in the fairest sunshine to lop the branches Of pions memory is that last speech uttered with the fierce zeal of a dying Martyr burnt in a Tun in Smithfield in the presence of Henry the Fourth King of England Mercy Lord Jesus Christ mercy And of him that with lifted-up hands and singers flaming with fire cried to the people None but Christ none but Christ for ever Cry then ye braving Merit-mongers and say not with the Laodicean Church We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when as your consciences tell you as theirs did Ye are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Learn with the Prophet Jeremy to say It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Make it the height of your ambition with the Apostle to be found in Christ Lam. 3.22 not having your own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith And since the bowels of Gods compassion and good will to us do yearn upon us and the merits of our blessed Saviour are so effectual as to justifie in his sight let all the world conclude with David Thy loving kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 And with the Angels here acknowledge our salvation to proceed from Gods good will Our Justification thus effected a main work of Gods goodness towards man there follows upon the very neck of it our Sanctification And here we find the Well of Gods Mercy to be like Jacob's deep to which whosoever cometh with a thirsting soul may freely drink of the water of life Since then O God thy Mercy and thy Goodness is of that depth that no Mortal is able to found it and it able to satiate all with thy good Spirit that as by thy Son we are justified in thy sight so by thy Spirit we may be sanctified for Holiness becometh that house wherein thou dwellest O Lord. Know then that by an eternal constitution of Gods predestinating will some were ordained to be vessels of dishonor some of honor Those of dishonor are Reprobates and câ—st-aways who spend their days in prophaneness and end in never-ending pains But those of honor are the Elect who being made to be perpetually glorified among the blessed Angels that kept their first station have here their conversation tanquam in coelo as in heaven and following the conduct of that sanctisying Spirit that makes them holy and acceptable to the most Holy end in never-ending happiness The first are passed in silence our speech must be of the latter whom God by special grace vouchsafes to grace with such endowments as fit them for glory There are none begotten by a natural generation exempted from the contagion of sin neither can any in truth glory of a pious conformity of their wills Papists presume upon a natural ability to gain acceptation at the hands of God and Pelagians have given that goodness to remain in our wills which doth not both which whilst the wheel is turning and the sum of all their misfortunes is cast up sleep supinely in carelesness and boast vainly in security Divine truth hath discovered our nakedness and shame so that the naked truth without all contradiction is that what characters of goodness were imprinted in our nature by the hand of our Creator were by the hand of man that catcht hold of the forbidden fruit quite obliterated and blotted out insomuch that unless the same power take us in hand again and put upon us the stamp of a new creation we shall never alter those crooked and wry dispositions which by our offending disobedience we have contracted The life of a Christian doth challenge an higher parentage than from earth when the beauty thereof is marred and the emoluments departed And here the Lords good will hath not been deficient but superabundant above what we are able to ask or think for out of the plentiful treasures of his grace hath he supplied our defects First he sent his Son and behold now he sends his Spirit His Son to free us from condemnation from which otherwise we cannot be free his Spirit for our regeneration which is an act of Divine power whereby being born of God we are reduced to the obedience of his Name Isa 63.18 1 Pet. 2.9 and made like unto him Holy as he is holy hereby becoming the people of his holiness as saith the Prophet and as that Saint of God the Apostle Peter speaks A chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people What was written upon the plate of the holy Crown of pure gold belonging to the Priest in the Levitical law is by the singer of God engraven in Capital letters in the hearts of his Saints HOLINESS TO THE LORD Exod. 99.30 Which inward holiness makes them zealous of good works that are like to Pearls as one saith found here below but carry a resemblance of Heaven in their brightness and orient colours To which end our Saviour gave this precept Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Those sacred actions of obedience that have their original dependencie upon the Divine operation of Gods Spirit in the heart please God wonderfully He is glorified by them and in them his soul takes great pleasure Cui prius non beneplacitum erat in hominibus Theophil nunc pro beneficiis refocillationibus hominum habet opera in quibus quietem habet faith Theophilact on these words God who at first was highly offended with men for their apostacy accepts the good deeds of men though himself be the Author of their good for favours and refreshings wherein he is well pleased As I breathe Christians I cannot but admire the good will of God who dwelling in that light unto which there can be no access would vouchsafe to shine upon us who are darkness in the very abstract or would lift up the light of his countenance upon us whom sin had made so contemptible In good earnest I am transported much more
This fire of the Spirit must be fetcht from heaven Lumen de lumine from the Father of lights who giveth his Spirit to them that ask it By water because of its clensing cooling 2. Ezek. 36.25 Joh. 3.5 refreshing and fructifying vertue and quality Indeed many are washed with the water of baptism that are not washed with this water Simon Magus of whom it is said Fonte quidem lotus sed non in pectore mundus Let us ever say with the woman of Samaria But with more sensibleness than she did Lord ever give us of this water then shall we be clean and fit for the holy Jerusalem He is said to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15.26 to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formal and essential part of man So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no composition falleth And this in effect is the Apostles Argument What man knoweth the things of a man 2 Cor. 2.11 save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God That is none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his own Essence and Nature That was a sweet promise I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 The best thing upon the basest What can God do more for his people This is to give them all good things in one so many are the benefits we receive by the Spirit Eph. 5.9 Delicata res est Spiritus Dei therefore we must observe and obey his motions We should lay our selves as instruments open to the Spirits touch submitting to his discipline as Paul did who said I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Which requires a great deal of self-denial Serpents they say can do no hurt in water no more can that old Serpent where the holy Spirit dwells This is the Instructer which teacheth us the Spirit of life which quickens us the Advocate which speaks in us the Comforter which relieves us and the everlasting Fountain and Spirit of truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us Your Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.11 Luke 11.13 Eph. 4 â—â— will give good things to them that ask him Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption De Sacrâ Scripturâ I Will not stand to search how ancient Writing is Exod. 24. wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the Law in two Tables But because we find that Moses wrote all the Word of the Lord and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the Old World However we see the care that God hath taken for the publishing of his Will to the Church which he hath done both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life than what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the Word giveth understanding to the simple Scripture is twofold 1. Inward called Scriptura Cordis 2. Outward called Scriptura Testimonij The inward Scripture of the heart is that which the Spirit of God immediately writeth in the fleshly tables of the hearts of all the Sons of God and by this all that are to be saved are taught of God Jer. 31.33 Hebr. 8.10 2 Cor. 3.3 The outward Scripture of the Testimony is that which was inspired by the Holy Ghost and committed to writing by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to preserve and transmit sound and saving doctrine by their pens to all Posterity Of this latter Moses was the first writer in the world as may be proved by the Evangelist Luke 24.27 Hence we conclude that our Religion grounded in these writings is the old Religion even as old as the day of mans creation and fall whereas all other Religions are but of yesterday nay the gods themselves worshipped by Heathens and Turks were long after the time of Abraham There is no Question more worthy satisfaction in Divinity Appâ—llatur ab Arminio Instrumentum Religio tis than that which enquireth into the Authority of Scripture 1. For all Religion depends upon it and wavering in this principle openeth a wide door to beastly Epicurism Devilish Atheism and all contempt of Religion and Justice 2. If the heart be not perswaded that the Scriptures be of God it will easily reject hearing reading practise and all the means of salvation 3. The doubting of this cutteth off all faith Rom. 14.23 and the comfort and strength of faith for a man must first believe Gods Word to be true Titubabit sides si Scripturarum vacillat authoritas Aug. before he can believe it to be true to him and what comfort in temptation without the Sword of the Spirit or what peace in terrour of Conscience without the Word which is the Well of salvation 4. The doubting of this cuts off all self-denial mortification and sound repentance for who will abandon his carnal delights and pleasures and undertake the strict course of godliness that doth doubt whether the Scriptures be the Word of God or not But it is clear that the Scriptures are the Word of God 1. The Lord professeth them to be his own words Isa 55.11 Mic. 2.7.2 The Prophets begin with the Word of the Lord and the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.23.3 The matter of the Scriptures they treat of the great works of the eternal God as Creation Providence justice and mercy both temporal and eternal c. Speaking of great mysteries above the reach of humane wisdom yea of things contrary to natural wisdom Searching the heart and discovering the thoughts Hebr. 4.12 And containing most ample and large promises of a blessed and eternal happiness by faith in the Messiah Amongst us Stephen Langton Arch-bishop of Canterbury first divided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them Robert Stephens into Verses Goodw. Catal. pag. 109. But not much commended by Scultetus who saith Imperitissimè plerunque dissecans which Covenant none could make or can make good but only God himself blessed for ever 4. Concerning the Instruments and pen-men of Scripture Their extraordinary calling infallible assistance 1 Pet. 1.11 unblameable conversation 2 Pet. 2.21 sincerity and uprightness in writing sparing neither others nor themselves their stile together with their joint-consent
Adam as thou damnest all by the first I say Zach. 3.2 thou art not love and shalt light short of my love O hellish blasphemy The Lord rebuke thee Our recreation or redemption is a greater might and mercy than all the rest for in the creation God made man like himself but in the redemption he made himselfe like man Māgna est redemptio cum et precium datur et pecunia non videtur Tertul. Illic participes nos fecit honorum suorum hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum In making the world he spake the word onely but to redeeme the world Dixit multa et fecit mira Passus est dura verba duriora verbera The Creation of the world was a work as it were of his fingers Psal 8.3 But redemption is called the work of his Arme Psal 98.1 Also it is a greater work to bring men from sin to grace than being in the state of grace to bring them to glory because sin is far more distant from grace than grace is from glory By Christ we have a plenary redemption of soul and body out of the clawes of Satan As the bird is in the fowlers net so were we in the Devils snare but we may say with them in the Psalme the net is broken and we are delivered yea we are delivered eternally we shall never fall into that bondage again The afflictions whereunto we are incident in this life viz. Sickness poverty malevolent tongues imprisonment death it self c. are temporal but our redemption and joy are eternal Let that comfort us in all the calamities of this life We love them that obtain a temporal redemption for us If a young man be bound prentise to an hard Master for fourteen or twelve yeares and if one should buy out his Apprentiship and set him free would he not take himself much beholden to him If thou wert a Gall-yslave under the Turk and one should rid thee out of it wert thou not much beholden to him We were bound Prentises to Sathan he kept us in his snare at his will and pleasure being his bondmen we should have remained in hell-fire world without end Now Christ Jesus hath redeemed us and made us the free-men of God and Citizens of heaven how are we indebted to him Christ hath brought us out of the Gally of sin and damnation therefore let us sound forth his praises all the dayes of our life In the work of redemption God layes naked to us the tendrest bowels of his Fatherly compassion For by giving us his Son he shewed us all his love at once as it were imbodyed All other spiritual blessings meet in this as the lines in the center as the streames in the fountaine If the Centurion were held worthy of respect because he loved our Nation said they and built us a Synagogue What shall we say of Almighty God who so loved our soules that he gave his onely begotten Son c. The end of our redemption is to serve God we are redeemed from our old conversation not to our old conversation we are bought with the blood of Christ not to serve the Devil our selves the flesh the world we have served them too much already from henceforth we must serve God Heb. 9.14 Christ hath therefore broke the devils yoke saith one from off our necks Servati sumus ut serviamus that we may take upon us his sweet yoke and not carry our selves as sons of Belial Serve we must still but after another manner as the Israelites did when brought out of the Egyptian bondage yet thou shalt keep this service saith Moses Exod. 12.25 Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20 By his own blood Christ entred in once into the Holy place Hebr. 9.12 having obtained eternal redemption for us In whom we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred Rev. 5.9 and tongue and People and Nation Reconciliation It is the note of Chrysostome upon the phrases of reconciling and making peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 3. in Colos that the one implieth an enmity the other a war and it is elsewhere asserted that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodliness of men and consequently against men for all their unrighteousnesse and ungodliness in this respect it is that all men by nature are children of wrath So long as man stood in his integrity there was Pax amicitiae a peace of amity and friendship between God and man but when man sought out many inventions God was most justly provoked to anger Thus at first and ever since sin hath proved the make-bate the kindle-coal that incendiary between the Creatour and his creature The meditation of which may convince us of 1. The odious nature of sin Pro. 6.19 No persons more abominable than the contentious Solomon justly declameth against him that soweth discord among brethren That beatitude of our Saviour Mat. 5.9 carrieth in it according to the rule of contraries a curse Cursed are the peace-breakers for they shall be called the children of the Devil But oh how accursed and hateful a thing is sin which hath broke the peace not between man and man brother and brother only but God and man father and son Let our anger wax hot against that which causeth his wrath to wax hot against us 2. The miserable estate of a sinner Caelestis ira quos premit miseres facit Sen. Trag. because he is under the wrath of God Divine anger is an unsupportable burthen No wonder if the Psalmist put the question who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Psal 76.7 Not Angels in heaven Jude 6. Nor great men on earth Rev. 6.15 16. David seeling some drops or sparks of this anger saith there was no rest in his bones by reason of it Those that do not feel have cause continually to be in fear Mind this against Socinians But now by Christ we are not onely reconciled to God but God is also reconciled to us there being a pacification of Divine wrath by Christs death Under the Law the High-Priest made an attonement for the people Levit. 16. So did Christ for his people God and man were fallen out Christ made us friends God was displeased with us he pacified his wrath towards us which the Father by an audible voice winesses from heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son In quo hominibus bona volu◠Euthym. in whom I am well pleased That is as Cajetan and others Habeo in
ambition promised him for when one seeing him give away all his present inheritances said what Sir will you make your selfe a beggar No saith he I will reserve hope for my self But certainly Hope is a greater and better possession unto the people of God here than all the great and good things which they possesse Put as much into their hands as you can there is more than that put in their hearts by hope A child of God lookes over all his possessions and pitcheth upon expectation as his portion The estate which a believer hath in the promises is more than the estate he hath in possession Riches in the promise is better than riches in the chest There is no enjoyment but that in Heaven where we shall enjoy all that ever was promised so good as hope for what is promised Fides intuetur verbum rei spes autem rem verbi Luther Unto faith must be annexed hope faith makes a Christian hope nourisheth and sustains a Christian Spes alet agricolas Jam mala finissem letho sed credula vitam Spes foveâ— melius cras fore semper ait It is our duty patiently and cheerfully to wait and hope for a mercy promised cheering our selves up with such hope as do they that bear with their cookes making them to stay long for their dinner in hope thereby to fare the better Hope is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 As a ship cannot be without an anchor no more can we without hope The ship is the soul of a Christian the anchor is Hope the sea where it is tossed is the world and the place whereinto the anchor is cast is heaven As the anchor in a storm or tempest holdeth the ship fast that it is not tossed up and down nor shaken with wind and waves So doth hope the ship of our souls in the tempestuous sea of this world Onely an anchor goes downward this upward that into the bottome of the Sea this into the top of Heaven Anchora in imo spes in summo The hopes of the wicked are not long liv'd they are soon dashed and disappointed Pro. 11.7 It 's likened to a spiders web Job 8.14 a little thing a beso in easily and speedily sweeps away the house and inhabitant together such is the hope of the wicked it s suddenly ruin'd That 's true hope that runs out into holynes for faith and hope work a suitableness in the soul to the things beleeved and hoped for 1 Joh. 3.3 c. Let us desire God to encrease our hope and to strengthen it daily more and more That this anchor being in heaven already may put us in an assured hope of heaven And the Lord in mercy so fortify this grace that no storms of afflictions may be ever able to prevail against it Lord increase our hope This I recall to my mind therefore have I hope For we are saved by hope Lam. 3.11 Rom. 8.24 but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth Why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that We see not then do We With patience Wait for it If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 Prov. 14.32 But the righteous hath hope in his death Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 Which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Presumption There are two sorts of persons saith a learned Divine among others observable in the Church namely infirmi glorioli weak Saints and presumptuous hypocrites Ille vincit qui gratiam Dei sperat non qui de suâ virtuâ—e praesumit Tertul. Quicquid à vabis minor extimesciâ— major hoc vobis Dominus minatur these are usually cast down with an apprehension of their own sinfulness these are commonly lifted up with an opinion of their own righteousnesse Those abhore themselves as the worst of sinners these boast themselves to be the best of Saints Those account themselves to be nothing but sin these think themselves to have no sin Presumptuous sinners promise to themselves the future vision of Gods face whilest they go on in the wilfull breach of Gods law They perswade themselves that their condition shall be happy though their conversation is wicked Impudently laying as full claim to heaven as the exactest Saint Presumption usually springs from the false reasonings which are in the minds of men Concerning 1. The freeness of Gods grace in electing 2. The fulness of his mercy in forgiving 3. The worthiness of Christs blood in redeeming Thus is the sweetest honey turned into gall by bad stomachs the most wholesome Antidotes become poison to wicked men and the precious supports of a lively faith are abused to be props of presumption by arrogant hypocrites Origen did too much presume of the mercy of God when he carried sticks to an Idol Damascene when he did service unto Mahomet Cranmer when he did subscribe to the Pope Aaron when he made the calfe and Solomon when he fell to idolatry yet these men were prompted on either by passion and perturbation within or temptation from without The greatest example we have of a godly person falling into presumptuous sin is David for we see him with all crast and subtilty studying how to accomplish that which the very light of nature condemns and when he hath so done we see him covering and excusing of it Oh there the Philistines were upon this Sampson and his strength was gone there presumptuous sins did for awhila prevail over him When the heart at any time Saith Dr. Preston deliberates and yet that word is not sufficient to expresse it Of Gods alsufficiency But when the heart works according to its own proper inclination and then wilfully disobeye the Lord in any commandment certainly then it casts God away Austin calls sins of Presumption Peccata vastantia conscientiam sins that lay waste the conscience This is that great transgression that wickednesse with a witnesse He that heareth the words of the curse Deut. 29.19 20. and yet blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I Walk in the imagination of my heart to addâ— drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven The soul that doth ought presumptuously Num. 15.30 31 the same reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from among his people Because he hath despised the Word of the Lord and hath broken his commandment that soul shall utterly be cut off his iniquity shall be upon him Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19.13 Châ—ys in
in a family there is not so much notice taken but if whole families be infected with the plague then all possible care is used Why knows thou not that that flame may begin to appear in one house that will serve to burn down the whole City A wicked man is a very miserable man His triumphing is short but his declining is for ever All his good things will soon be at an end but his evils shall never end His light is quickly put out but when once it is dark with him he shall see the light no more As saith the Proverb of the ancients Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked 1 Sam. 2 4 â—â—… The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickednesse 1 Sam 3. â—â— They that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same Job 4.8 Diligence It is the spirit of action Erasmus saith of Jerom Minima pars vitae dabatur somno minor cibo nulla â—tiâ— Bernard in his studious call whither he had retired himself would oft say to himself Bernard Bernard remember for what end thou camest hither The Author of that useful History The travels of the old Patriarchs Kings and Prophets when he comes to write the motions of Antiochus Epiphanâ—s who was a great King but of a most malitious spirit against the people of God he observes that this Antiochus in pursuance of his bloody designes had run more hazzards and taken more tedious journeys to satisfy his malice and reach his ambitious ends than any of the Saints had done upon any command or service of God upon which consideration he makes this excellent conclusion That wicked men take more paines to go to Hell and eternal destruction than godly men do in the way to eternal life and salvation Grimst Exercitium of ex arceâ— because it â—erives out diseases Rust eats up the steel that 's not used Prov. 10.4 It 's storied of the French Pesant he is very laborious so as he will toil three days in a rock that he may plant one stock of a vine and this labour is the cause of his wealth and no lesse also of his health The hand of the diligent maketh rich Idleness The sloathful man weares the time out in contemplation B. H. Idlenesse is vivâ— hominis â—cpultura he takes no lesse care how to spend time than the wife how to gain by expence Summer is out of his favour for nothing but long dayes that make no haste to their even he loves to have the Sun witnesse of his rising he lyes longer far more for loathnesse to dresse him than will to sleep and after some yawning calls for dinner undrest and having digested it will a little sleep he goes to the market-place to meet some of his companions and stayes with him some idle question as how are the dayes lengthened how kindly the weather is how forward the spring and ends with what shall we do When all the people are gone from Church he is best sleeping in his seat alone he enters bonds and forfeits them by forgetting the day necessity drives him to every action and what he cannot avoid he will yet defer when he is warned of Jury he had rather pay the mulct than appear he had rather freeze than fetch wood and chuseth rather to steal than work he eats and prayes himself asleep and dreames of no other torment but work This man is a standing pool and cannot choose but gather corruption he is a man in nothing but speech and shape A man is said to be idle 1. When he doth nothing is unimployed Mr. Greenbill Oriosus est 〈◊〉 opus Deì 〈…〉 peratur Opus Dei is opus Dici Man is to labor both ad ruborem and ad sudorem Res perfectâ— occupata alterius rei non est capax Senec. But vaâ—iam semper dant oâ—ia mentem 2. When he doth not what he should do 3. When he puts not forth himselfe to do what he ought to do in conscience and according to right reason That is to do as much as he is able to do The evil of idlenesse is great for 1. It 's against the end of mans creation 2. It s a sin against the light of nature which puts every thing upon motion 3. It puts the world which is Gods family out of order 4. It sets a man among the dead an idle man is both unsavoury and unactive 5. It layes a man open to Satan and variety of temptations 6. Idlenesse is the mother and nurse of all lusts Nihil agendo homines discunt male agere 7. It 's against common equity Idle persons in the Commonwealth are like Drones in the hive that eat up the honey from the laborious Bees 8. Poverty and beggery are the issues of it 9. It 's a wasting of precious time and hiding of our Talent Among the Athenians Idleness was actionable at law it was called actio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their enquiry after each man and woman was Quá arte alerent what trade they had to live upon In Marcus Aurclius dayes he having occasion to send a letter two or three days journey from the Town he could not find one idle body in Rome City to carry it they followed their callings so earnestly Calvin said nothing was more troublesome to him than an idle life And when his colleagues earnestly intreated him in his sickness to abstain from writing or dictating he answered What Would ye have me idle when my Lord comes Thou wicked and sloathful servant saith Scripture Aliquid age ut te diabolus inveniat occupttum Nemo casu fit saplens Senec. God puts no difference betwixt an idle and an evil servant Therefore let us not be idle Drones but busie Bees in the Lords work Very sucklings get not their food without much tugging and tiring themselves at the dug Neither grace nor glory will be had with wishing The desire of the sloathful killeth him Prov. 21.25 Why stand ye here all the day idle Mat. 20.6 Mercy Quasi miserum cor Senec. est aegritudo animi ob alienarum miseriarum speciem When the man that fell among thieves lay wounded and half dead The Priest passed by Luke 19. viz. Aaron with his Ceremonies and sacrifices could not help us And the Levite onely looked on him and passed by viz. Moses with the law and moral obedience could not help us But Christ the good Samaritane had compassion on us and helped us How 1. Pouring in wine to wash our wounds justifying us 2. Pouring in oyl to supple and heal sanctifying us Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus Craesus taken prisoner by Cyrus Parcè utere potestate tuà ut din utares Senec de ira and after severe punishment and restraint upon the execution-day being set upon the top of a fagot to suffer death Cryed forth O Solon Solon vera sunt quae dixisti Neminem ante
c. Loe these are the inseperable markes of Popery and the brands of their Divellish religion And these do but hasten their incurable destruction rendring them odious to all Christian States Princes and people yea to Turks and Infidels How is the faithful City become an harlot Isaâ— 1. â—1 22. it was full of judgment righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Thy silver is become drosse thy wine mixt with water Come hither Rev. 17.1 and I will shew thee the judgment of the great where c. Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. Cap. 18.2 Come out her my people Vers 4. that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Pope If the servant of servants be above the King of Kings and Lord of Lords then where is Christs Prerogative Ye take too much upon you O ye sons of Levi. St. Peter had a priority but not superiority or if a Primacy yet not a supremacy over the rest â—â—lv Inst l. 4. c. 6. he had as our Divines acknowledge a precedency in place named for the most part first as the foreman of the quest and aâ—preheminency in grace reputed for his excellent Knowledge and Zeal he was the first Confessour Mat. 16.16 The first preacher Act. 2. The first baptizer Act. 10. The first worker of miracles Act. 3. Austin saith Epist 28. Deus docuit Petrum per posteriorem Paulum yet another addes Etsi ille primus iste praecipuus It was Frederick the Emperor his saying In capite orbis Deus per imperium exaltavit Ecclesiam in capite orbis Ecclesia nunc demolitur imperium Cyprian speakes much against Pope Stephen Epist ad Pomp. assuring Pompeius upon the reading of the Epistle Pope Stephen sent to Cyprian he should Magis ac magis ejus errorem denctare qui causam hâ—reticorum contra Christianos contra Ecclesiam Dei asserâ—re conatâ—r He taxeth him also of impertinencies and contradictions to himself that he did imperitè improvidè scribere Liber erat Mant. Eccl. 2. servile jugum sibi condidit ipse Pondus idem legum vidi ipse volumina quas 〈◊〉 Antiqui potuere patres nec possumus ipsi Neâ— servare atas poterit ventura nepotum Thomas Holland of Exet. Col. Oxf. When he was to take his journey said to the fellowes Commendo vos dilectioni Dei odio papatus superstitionis The Pope imitates Peter to whom he pretends succession in the worst things he cuts off not onely the ear but head he denies Christ but weeps not for it Vzziah though a King must not meddle with the Priests office and Azariah the High-Priest must not intrude himself into the Kings office yet the High-Priest of Rome will have both swords he will be a Priest and a King too he will be for matters of the world as well as for matters of God Boniface the eight shewed himself one day in the attire of a Priest another day in the attyre of a Prince affirming that he was both Bellarmine of late hath somewhat minced the matter that the Pope hath no power in temporal matters directè yet indirectè quoad bonum spirituale he may play Rex Excellent So as a man get into an house it makes no great matter whether directly or indirectly And so as the Pope may depose Princes and dispose of their Kingdoms and butcher them at his pleasure what availeth it whether directly or indirectly I am sure this is indirect dealing by an indirect distinction to break down the wall of partition that God himself hath set up between the Priest and the Magistrate That the Pope exalts himself above all that is called God I prove 1. In that he is not onely in equipage with God in remitting of sins but is made more mighty for God in the creation made but creatures but he can make as many gods as he lust 2. More merciful than Christ which is concluded for this reason It is not read in all the Scripture that Jesus Christ drew any soul out of purgatory but the Pope of his great piety and mercy doth every day an infinite number nay Credat Judaeuâ— Appella Pope Gregory did bring Trajans soul out of hell 3. More wise then God for he can institute a sacrifice alsufficient to save those that Christs sacrifice cannot save 4. Of more authority than God whose word is not authentical without his allowance But what he saith though never so crosse to the Text is Ipsissimum Dei verbum Besides all the names and titles of Christ given him in the Scripture to shew him Lord of the Church are attributed to the Pope the head of Antichristian heresies Bellarmine saith that he is universal Pastour Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium De concâ—â— anâ—ho l. 2. c. 17. Admirabilis Leo de tribu Judae Radix David And those which Antichrist would onely rob him of are Head of the whole body of the Church Bridegroom of the Spouse Foundation of the Church as if one body might have two heads one spouse two husbands at once Moreover mind his horrible pride claiming authority above Kings Emperours Lawes Scriptures yea over men and Angels Their doctrine is that Papa babet imperium in Angelos Daemonas And their practise the like For Clement the sixt in his Bull upon the Jubile 1350. Prorsus mandamus Angelis Paradisi quatenuâ— animam in Purgatorio penitus absolutam in Paradisi gloriam introducant And is not this to make himself a god is not this that beast full of the names of Blasphemie I might adde much I will onely conclude with that saying of Pope Marcellus the second wherein he seemes to be prety ingenious Onâ—ph in vitâ for striking his hand upon the table he uttered these words Non video quo modo qui hunc locum altissimum tenant salvari possunt I see not how any Pope can be saved And that of Pius Quintus Cornel. à Lap. iâ— Num. 11.11 recited by A lapide When I was first in orders I had some good hopes of salvation when I was made a Cardinal I doubted but now that I am Pope I do almost despair 2 Thes 2.3 4. That man of sin The son of Perdition c. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as god sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is god Papists The Pope hath given liberty to some to have all their own rites onely acknowledging his Supremacy but the ground being laid for point of Doctrine it matters not there 's enough gained to make him that had sworn obedience to accept of all the rest They that bear witnesse to themselves as Papists do are not to be heard in their own cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless they compass such a decree as Stratocles did for Demetrius Whatsoever Demetrius will command
the conscience of his faithfulnesse herein being more sweeter as it is more secret In favours done his memory is frail in benefits received never failing He is the joy of life the treasure of earth and no other than a good Angel cloathed in flesh It is said of Augustus that he was ad accipiendas amicitias rarissimus ad retinendas verò constantissâ—mus Euripides saith that a faithful friend in adversity is better than a calme sea to a storm-beaten Marriner The world is full of Jobs comforters and friends miserable ones who instead of comforting reproach vizarding themselves under the cloke of amity when their hearts are no better than lumps of hypocrisie But true friendship is Hercules knot indissoluble And like Mercuries staâ—â—e whereon are placed two snakes both the male and the female alwayes clipping and clasping together One asking a poor man how he would prefer his children his answer was Zenophon Cyrus is my friend But O happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help Psal â—46 5 and whose hope is in the Lord his God Kisse To kisse noteth 1. Worship and service 1 Kings 19.18 2. Duty and obedience Psal 2.12 3. Love and affection As a sign of unity and onenesse Salute one another saith Paul with an holy kisse Rom. 16.16 As it is the fashion among us for men meeting with their friends to shake hands So was it among the Jewes as appears by many places in both Testaments for men to kisse men at meeting and parting The Apostle intends a true conjunction of minds and affections forgetting all former offence This Peter calleth the kisse of charity and Austin Osculum columbinum the Dove-like kisse But there are unholy kisses The unchast kisse of the Harlot The idolatrous kisse of the Israelites to Baal The flattering kisse of Absolom and the trayterous kisse of Joab and Judas Above all its good to kisse him in whose lips grace is seated Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.2 for thy love is better than wine Enemie Wisdom tells us it is good to keep a bit in the mouth of an enemie but much more of our spiritual enemies Fury fights against the soul like a mad Turk Fornication like a treacherous Joab it doth kisse and kill Drunkennesse is the master-gunner that sets all on fire Gluttony will stand for a Corporal Avarice for a Pioner Idlenesse for a Genleman of the company And Pride must be a Captain Let us therefore put on our spiritual armour To love our enemies is a hard task but Christ commands it and it must be done be it never so contrary to our foul nature The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy but the Scripture teacheth better things and God giveth more grace This is our Saviours Precept and this was his practice He melted over Jerusalem the slaughter-house of his Saints and himself Called Judas friend Prayed Father forgive them And did them all good for bodies and souls And all his children in all ages of the Church have resembled him Abraham rescueth Lot that had dealt so discourteously with him Isaac forgives the wrong done him by Abimelech and his servants and feasteth them Jacob was faithful to Laban who changed his wages ten times and alwayes for the worse Joseph entertained his malicious brethren into his house Elisha provides a table for them that had provided a grave for him And Stephen prayes heartily for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and prevailed as Austin thinketh for Pauls conversion In doing some good to our enemies we do most to our selves for God cannot but love in us that imitation of his mercy who bids his Sun to shine on the wicked and unthankful also Love your enemies Mat. 5.44 blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you c. Read Rom. 12.20 21. Money It was and still is a common medler It is the worlds great Monarch and bears most Majesty What great designs did Philip bring to passe in Greece by his gold The very Oracles were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to say as Philip would have them Antipater non tenuis fuit pecuniae ideo praevalidae fuit potentiae saith Egesippus he was a well-monyed man and therefore a mighty man But what security is in money Doth the Devil balk a lordly house as if he were afraid to come in Dares he not tempt a rich man to lewdnesse Let experience witnesse whether he dare not bring the highest gallant both to sin and shame Let his food be never so delicate he will be a guest at his table and perhaps thrust in one dish at his feast Drunkenness Satan will attend him though he have good servants Wealth is no charm to conjure away the Devil such an Amulet and the Pope's Holy-water are both of a force An evil conscience dares perplex Saul in the throne and a Judas with his purse full of money Can a silken sleeve keep a broken arm from aking then may a full barn keep an evil conscience from vexing Hell-fire doth not favour the rich mans limbs more than the poor's Dives goes to hell out of his purple-robes to flames of the same colour The frogs dare leap to King Pharaoh's chamber into his sumptuous pallaces The rich Worldlings live most miserably slav'd to that wealth whereof they keep the key under their girdle Esuriunt in Popina They starve in a Cooks shop The Poet tells us that when Codrus his * A little cottage in the forrest house burns he stands by and warms himself knowing that a little few sticks straw and clay with a little labour can rebuild him as good a tabernacle But if this accident light upon the Usurers house distraction seiseth him withall he cries out of this Chamber and that Chest of this Closet and Cabinet Bonds and Mortgages Money and Plate Strabo saith That Phaletius feared lest in digging for Gold and Silver Effodiuntur opes c. men would dig themselves a new way to Hell Plutonem brevi ad superos adducturos And bring up the Devil among them Gold is that which the basest yield the most savage Indians get servile Apprentices work miserable Muckworms admire and unthrifty Ruffians spend Yet the danger is not in having gold and silver so as these metals have not us Minut. Octav. so as they do not get within us But that is too often verified of which an Antient complaineth and not without cause Divites facultatibus suis alligatos magis aurum consuevisse suspicere quâ—m coelum That rich men mind Gold more than God and Money more than Mercy If wealth be wanting they sit down in a faithless sullen discontent and despair And if they have it they rise up in a corky frothy confidence that all shall go well with them Money answereth all things Eccl. 10.19 Clothing
out of their bellies For which cause also the Hebrews called them Oboth or bottles because the bellies of those women that were thus made use of by the Devil were swelled as big as bottles In the year of Grace 1536. a certain Damsel at Frankfort in Germany being possessed with a Devil and stark mad swallowed down pieces of money with much gnashing of her teeth which monies were presently wrung out of her hands and kept by divers Bucholc Chr. Luther's advice being requested it was this To pray hard for her Vrbanus Regius in a Sermon of his at Wittenberg made mention of a certain Maid possessed by the Devil and when she should have been prayed for in the Congregation the Devil made as if he had been departed out of her But before the next publike meeting Satan returned and drove the Maid into a deep water where she presently perished Melanchton tells a story of an Aunt of his that had her hand burnt to a coal by the Devil appearing to her in the likeness of her deceased husband And Pareus relates an example of a Bakers daughter in their countrey possest and pent up in a Cave she had digg'd as in a grave to her dying day Much like unto that poor creature mentioned Mat. 8.28 It is to be feared the Devil that was cast out of the Demoniacks bodies is got into many mens hearts oft casting them into the fire of Lust and water of Drunkenuess Athanasius had a conceit that the Devil may be driven out of a body by repeating the 68. Psalm Possessed with Devils Mat. 4.24 and lunatick Sorrow Secundum Deum 2 Cor. 7.10 Mundum 2 Cor. 7.10 For the first Sin bred sorrow and sorrow being right destroyeth sin as the worm that breeds in the wood eats into it and devours it So that of this sorrow according to God we may say as the Romans did of Pompey the Great Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is the fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother But the sorrow of the world is that which carnal men conceive Act. Mon. fol. 1901. either for the want or loss of good or for the sense or fear of evil Thus Queen Mary who died as some supposed by her much sighing before her death of thought and sorrow either for the departure of King Philip or the loss of Calice or both Thus Nabal sorrowed To these may be added a third An hellish sorrow a desperate grief for sin Virtus nolentium nulla est as was that of Judas Fained or forced grief is nothing worth He grieved and yet miscarried It was squeezed out of him as verjuice out of crabs But Peter went forth to weep bitterly Gods people are commanded to afflict themselves with voluntary sorrow Some shadow of it we have in Epaminondas the Theban General who the next day after the Victory and Triumph went drooping and hanging down his head And being asked why he did so He answered Blur. Yesterday I found my self too much tickled with vainglory therefore I correst my self for it to day But we have a better example in holy David whose heart smote him and made him smart inwardly saith the text 2 Sam. 24.10 after he had numbred the people The soundness and sincerity of sorrow is shewed by the secrecy of it Ille dolet verâ— qui sine teste dolet He grieves with a witness that grieves without a witness Zech. 12.12 Sorrow is a breaker It breaks no bones but it breaks the heart Worldly sorrow breaks the heart to death Godly sorrow breaks the heart to life Sorrow shortneth the spirit of man that is Sorrow over-acted weakens the whole man and leaves him unable to put himself forth in action Joy is the dilatation or widening of the heart much joy makes the spirit free to act So sorrow is a straitner of it it makes a man narrow-hearted and narrow-handed it stops him in his actings or stays him from acting We commonly say Sorrow is dry 'T is so because it is a drier A broken spirit drieth the bones Pro. 17.22 Aristotle in his book of Long and short Life assignes Grief for a chief cause of death All immoderations saith Hippocrates are great enemies to health We have heard of some whose hearts being filled with vexing cares Quia spiritus tristis exiceat â—ssa have filled their heads with gray hairs in a very short time As some have an art to ripen fruits before nature ripens them so the Lord hath a power to hasten old age before nature makes us old Many troubles in one year may make a man as old as many years Grief is like Lead to the soul heavy and cold It sinks downward and carries the soul with it Mans Mind is like the stone Tyrrhenus which so long as it is whole swimmeth but being once broke sinketh David was decrepit with much grief at seventy years of age Jacob attained not to the days of the years of the life of his fathers as being a man of many sorrows And this some think was the reason our Saviour Christ at little past thirty was reckoned to be towards fifty Lam. 3.1 Joh. 8.57 He was the man that had seen affliction Mention is made of a German Captain at the Siege of Buda Anno 1541. Turk Hist. who seeing the dead body of his unfortunate but valiant Son presented to him a sudden and inward grief did so surprise him and strike to his heart that after he had stood a while speechless with his eyes set in his head he suddenly fell down dead The Casuists and Schoolmen affirm sorrow for sin to be the greatest of all sorrows In 1. Conatu 2. Extensione 3. Appreciatione 4. Intensione Though other Mourning coming down hill having Nature to work with it and nothing to hinder it make more noise Mine eye is consumed because of grief Psal 6.7 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop Prov. 12.25 When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me c. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am in trouble Mine eye is consumed with grief Psal 42.4 yea my soul and my belly For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing My strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed Psal 31.9 10. Desire It is a passion which we have to attain to a good thing which we enjoy not Est voluntarius affectus ut res quae bona existimatur deâ—st vel existat vel possideatur that we may imagine is fitting for us There is a threefold desire 1. Natural 2. Reasonable 3. Spiritual And every one of these by their order are subordinate to another and there is no repugnancie amongst them In Fevers we desire to drink and yet we will not And so in Apoplexies to sleep and yet we will not A mans hand is gangren'd a Chyrurgeon comes to cut it off The
flames and smoke which the horrible mountain of Aetna doth in part represent with that sulpherous Vesuvius in Naples As Cassius reports which belcheth out the inward bowels of the earth with stones flames fumes and ashes and that in such sury as if it imitated the Giants warre and meant to overthrow the God of heaven and all his Saints to draw the sun down to the earth and turn the night into day The burning ashes of this hellish place with the smoke thereof are reported to choake the birds that flie in the aire and with the stones thereof hath overthrown many neighbourting Cities whilest the people sate in the Theatre The variety and acerbity of hells torments cannot be conceived much lesse uttered where there is no order but eternal horror and horrid blasphemies which the unhappy souls break our against God as an enemy against Christ as a Judge against the Saints as Parâ—iall There will be such a noise and tumult that if we here could but hear it it would deprive us of all our senses and strike us as dead as stones Think with thy self that thou must be amongst serpents Draggons Basilisks and other Monsters compast in with horrible forms of Devils who with a perpetual hatred against the damned heap sorrow on sorrow Thomas Bilney a godly Martyr did use before his burning to put his finger into the candle Act. and Mon. to feel how hot the fire was It were good if the desperate sinner who imagines lewdnesse upon his bed would consider how he shall endure to dwell in that unquenchable lake with everlasting burnings I conclude with that savory speech of Bernard Let us go down to hell while we are alive that we may not go to hell when we are dead Let those things seize upon our hearts If we will think of hellish torments while we live it is the way to keep from these torments when we dye Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Mat. 10.28 Where is the place of torment Luk. 16.28 Where is everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Where is outer darknesse and shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 8.12 Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mark 9.44 Where men seek death and shall not find it desiring to die and death flees from them Rev. 9.6 Be warned to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 Eternal joy makes eternity but as a moment as eternal pain will make every moment an eternity Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Eccl. 12 13 14. Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man For God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil FINIS EXERCITATIONES THEOLOGICAE OR Divine Discourses Carefully extracted and orderly digested into XII SECTIONS Wherein these HEADS are handled 1. The Express Character of Christ our Redeemer 2. Gloria in altissimis or the Angelical Anthem 3. The Necessity of Christs Passion and Resurrection 4. The Blessed Ambassador or The Best sent into the basest 5. St. Paul's Apology 6. Holy Fear the fence of the Soul 7. Ordine quisque suo or the Excellent Order 8. The Royal Remembrancer or Promises put in suit 9. The Watchmans watch-word 10. Scala Jacobi or St. James his Ladder 11. Decus Sanctorum or the Saints Dignity 12. Warrantable Separation without breach of Vnion By HENRY HIBBERT Preacher at S. Alhallows the Less London Holding fast the faithful Word Tit. 1.9 Ama Scripturas Sacras amabit te Sapientia Aug. LONDON Printed for and sold by John Clark at Mercers-Chappel in Cheapside near the Great Conduit 1662. THE EXPRESS CHARACTER OF CHRIST Our Redeemer HEB. 7.26 For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens THis small parcel of Sacred truth is the Express Character of Christ our Redeemer as he is in another sense of his Father our Maker Cap. 3. The brightuess of his Fathers glory appeared in him the brightness of his in this He is Lux munds Gloria coeli the Light of this world below the glory of that above Among the whole world of men from Adam until now none arose like him like him shall none arise till he come again His Conception was without sin in the womb of his Virgin Mother so was his Nativity His whole Conversation upon Earth was holy harmless undefiled He was separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Of none of the sons of men may thus much be said because proper unto him who being the Eternal Son of God was by Divine dispensation and the power of the most High made the unspotted Son of Man None but such a one could possibly be an High-Priest to procure a perfect peace for us sinners with our justly incensed God The first Man was the first ordered Priest who for his disobedient disorder in going beyond his Commission and violating the sacred League betwixt God and him was with shame enough degraded 'T is the constant practice of Divine justice what is recorded 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour saith the Lord and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Neither was this Adam's case alone All mankind whose person and cause he did undergo feel the smart of that extream loss This lost the Priestly dignity and that Covenant ceased by reason of transgression So that God was no more their God their King nor they his people or a Kingdom of Priests to him The Priesthood ended there being not any found in the whole world of ability to discharge that function according to the primitive obligation The sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving failed Man forgetting his due respects to his Infinite Creator Invocation on the Name of God by devout Prayers proceeding from a pure heart vanish'd through the corruption wherewith the heart of man was miserably infected In fine the gracious communication which was and to be betwixt God and man received a period by Adam's ejection out of Paradise for his grand apostacie As things then went Mankind was then in a most deplorable state if that People be truly reported blest whose God is the Lord. To hope for a change into a better was but vain unless God did open the bowels of his mercy to recelve us into favour and enter into a new Covenant the former being abolish'd a Covenant of Grace wherefore the Lord commiserating our distress'd condition did set his wisdom on work to find out a way to free us from lamentable perplexities To this purpose a Mediator is appointed by our Judge himself to follicit him as an Advocate for sinners whereby to make up the breachâ— whose part was not as the case then stood to present an Eucharistical sacrifice for benefits conferr'd on mankind nor an oblation of prayers for an augmentation
are reconciled to God St. Chrys on those words in Colos Chrysost in Cap. 1. Epist ad Cosos it pleased the Father by him that is by Christ to reconcile all things unto himself whether they be things in earth or things in heaven understandeth by things in heaven the holy Angels of God who saith he became enemies to all men by reason of their universal rebellion against the Lord their God But now beare good will to us after we are reconciled to God by Christ and are of the houshold of faith Hereupon it is as our Saviour saith that the Angels in heaven rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner unto God Heb. 1 14. and the Apostle writing to the Hebrews saith they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation They guard such as their proper charge saith devout Perkins that be in Gods favour and carry them as a nurse doth a child in her armes that they dash not their foot against a stone Perkins on Revel 1. Psal 91.11 Wherefore some Christian Philosophers out of Act. 12.15 where speech being made of St. Peter it is said it is not he it is his Angel collect that every elect man of God hath his good Angel to protect him to guide him in all his wayes and upon occasion when it seemes good to God many as Elijah had Thus we are at peace with good Angels as for the bad we must have no peace with them Origen onâ— Rom. 5. for then we shall have no peace with God Origen on the 5. of the Romanes tells us that Ipse supra omnes cateros pacem habet apuà Deum qui impugnatur à diabolo c. he above all others hath peace with God who is ever combating with Satan Warre against Satan procures peace with God Wherefore being he will do us no good the Lord so works as that he shall do us no hurt As for the other creatures all of them are in league with a good man their lesive facultie is restrained by the supreme power from doing violence to the Lords redeemed whereas the wicked are still exposed to the danger of their power The starres in their courses fought for Israel against Sisera Judg. 5.20 The fire did not hurt the three children in the fierie surnace The hungry lyon preyed not upon Daniel in the den Isa 11.6 8 9. lying at the mercy of that ravenous beast A little child saith the Prophet Isaiah shall lead the young lyon the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cocokatrices den neither these nor any of the rest shall hurt or destroy in his holy mountaine in his holy Church It was a most comfortable promise which God made to Judah and Israel and in them to his peculiar people that he would make a covenant for them with all creatures Hos 2.18 the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the creeping things of the ground heaven earth corn oyle and all Yea the child of God shall tread upon the lyon and the serpent and they shall not hurt him Thou shalt be in league saith Eliphaz the Temanite to Job with the stones of the field Psal 91.13 Job 5.23 and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Thus Gods Children in Christ Jesus shall receive no detriment by any thing that God made but by his blessed providence they shall find assistance and comfort from all his creatures Now the God of peace that sent his Son with the Gospel of peace and his messengers with the glad tidings of good things grant that we may live in peace and depart in peace according to his word to leade an everlasting Sabboth of rest in the highest heavens Great mens births are commonly celebrated with the joyful acclamation of their dependants every one being in a readiness to noise abroad the newes that includes happinesse whereby others might be partakers of their joys and excited to do the like in imitation Thus the glorious and blessed Angels the inhabitants of heaven and the immediate attendants of the most high do the birth of the Son of God the King of Kings like wel-bred Courtiers in significant terms divulge the birth of so great a Prince and melodiously express what good what great benefits come by the birth of so good so great a person Which ought to be a forcible incentive unto us after their example to render due honour unto God and â—o worship that day-star which from on high hath visited us with everlasting comforts All the holy Angels of God are obliged to praise him but we much more he restored not them to any felicity for they lost none we lost the primitive goodness of our unblemished creation and yet restored he us He redeemed not them they needed it not nor the wicked Angels that needed it but wrought our redemption when we were enemies worthy condemnation O then let us praise the Lord for his peace and merce for both endure for ever What the Angels sung will serve our turn Glory be to God on high c. The parts of our discourse are 1. The glory we owe to God 2. The peace God sent on earth 3. Gods good will towards men Concerning the two first I have no more to say than what I have already but proceed unto that last and maine point whereupon depend all our future hopes of eternal blisse which is Gods good will and mercy I confesse that the very name of peace is a sweet word and sweeter the work but sweetest that of mercy which is the cause of it Being then that mercy must be the subject of my present meditations first I betake my self to thee O God of mercy and eternal Spirit of truth humbly beseeching thee to enable me by thy gracious illumination and to rectifie the retired cogitations of my soule that whilest I display thy mercy thy goodness thy salvation and when all is done there may be in mens hearts a deep impression of true joy and a perfect sense may be obtained of thy loving kindness and good-will toward them To behold God sitting in his throne of justice is to a sinner most full of dismal horrour but to view him seated in his throne of mercy is to a distressed soule most full of heavenly consolation If there be any that obstinately forget God and carelesly cast behind their backs his sacred ordinances let them expect to be torn in picees of him and none to deliver them let them look to be consumed of that God whose Jealousie burns like fire If there be any that are heartily submissive and sincerely penitent in the sight of our all-seeing God for their enormities let them joy up in abundance for in him there is mercy and plenty of redemption although all of us have highly offended him and multiplyed our transgressions above measure yet if we can
with the thought of his dwelling in our hearts whereby whatsoever Satan or our own corruption hath erected there is pulled down and whereby all cursed temptations and suggestions are powerfully vanquish'd When I consider how of impure he makes us pure how of the sons of wrath heirs of an incorruptible crown and how that he takes delight in our imperfectly holy actions wherein if he do but mark what is done amiss they can never endure the trial Our lame and limping Holiness goes for the currant with God in Christ Jesus who in his good will to us accepts the good will for the deed the sincere desire for the pure act Wherefore it was a devout Soliloquy of a retired man Aug. Soliloq cap. 15. turning himself to his gracious God in this meditation Quod cecidi fuit ex me quod surrexi ex te My falling from thee O God proceeded from my self but my rising again to newness of life from thee My unlucky sins make me partaker of great misery but thy mercy and good will of unvaluable felicity The children of Adam after the fall deserve no more to be called the children of God than that famous weather-beaten Bark of Athens to be called Theseus his Ship which at first was built by him but in process of years was so often repaired that it had never a plank the same remaining which it had at first So when God did create us upright we were his whilst we so continued but when our iniquity did compass us about and changed our good disposition into an execrable studiousness to work wickedness when the importunate instigations of the Tempter did set our hearts on fire with the impetuous fury of following sinful resolutions then ceased we to be Gods children But seeing the same hand doth repair us that first made us and the same power make us new creatures that made us creatures we again receive the title of Gods children whose inheritance of his good will is Heaven whose attendants here and companions there blessed Angels whose glory God the glory of his Israel Oh then that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and his mercy towards the sons of men I have something to say yet touching some particular acts whereby God doth express his good will towards men His good will is expressed in matters Temporal Spiritual In Spiritual by a twofold act 1. By preventing us We never minde the Author of our good until himself work us to it As we are gone out of the way so do we run on until the Lord convert us To seek Christ or in his name to call on the Father of mercy and God of all consolation never came into our thought until the Son of God came to seek and to save those which were lost neither now doth come until he by the gracious call of his blessed Spirit invite us by the strong vertue of his magnetical love draw us Aug. Soliâ—â—q eap 33. Idem in Psal 59.10 It was the confession of a religious man to God in private Non te quarebam tu me quasivisti non te invocabam tu me vocasti I sought not thee O Lord thou didst seek me I called not upon thee but thou on me My merciful God will prevent me faith David that is saith Austin of unwilling he will make me willing to do his will Sic semper Domine sic semper gratia tua pravenit me liberant me ab omnibus malis salvans à prateritis suscitans à praesentibus muniens à futuris Thus alwayes saith one O Lord thus alwayes doth thy grace anticipate me freeing me from all mischiefes saving me from dangers past upholding me against dangers present protecting me from all future Again 2. By following us After that God hath altered the perversness of our wills and restrained the corruptions of our inordinate nature his Spirit leaves us not there but prosecutes what he hath begun in us not only inclining us to what may win his favour but directing us and as it were leading us by the hand to Christ Psal 23.6 and in him to do righteous things Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life saith David it followes us close being willing lest we should will in vaine saith Austin on that Psalme It is by the activity of the holy Ghost that new hearts are created in us whereby we will good and new strength confer'd upon us whereby to walk in righteousness This following or subsequent good will of God is spiritually discerned by 1. Preparing of us 2. Working in us 3. Coworking with us By preparing of us Disobedience is so engraffed in our very nature that none but a metaphysical and transcendent power can moderate our head-strong humors To temper us to Gods hand whereby to obey the holy Ghost there is requisite and necessary a superior agency that must keep us in from breaking out without fear or wit into exorbitant abominations In our natural generation there are many proevial and antecedent dispositions and alterations so there are many in our regeneration to be born of God there is a restriction of our unbridled appetites from pursuing things unlawful and prohibited an illumination of our dark minds in things mystical a flexibility of our obstinate hearts to the love and practice of piety and an inclination of our rebellious wills and affections to embrace all that 's good as the Spirit shall direct all which proceeding from the good will of God following us for ever are in them in whom they are discernable and discernable to proceed alone from Gods good will above the course of nature By working in us Of all Agents as God is the most orderly in proceeding so is he the most perfect in working He brings us not into a possibility to be his children by adoption to be holy to be new creatures and so abruptly breaks off but makes us in time actually to be so He doth dwell in us and there works a reformation What in his good will he doth begin in his good will he finisheth He gives us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Our freedom then from the dominion of sin the renewing of our minds wills affections and actions and our assiduous and indefatigable endeavours in Gods services are the peculiar works of the chiefest good without whom we can do nothing and are special expressions whereby to discern Gods following good will towards men By coworking with us Philosophers do ascribe the motions of inferiour bodies to the heavens motion Alsted Physick Inferiora moventur ad motum superiorum saith Alsted these bodies which are below are moved according to the motion of those above Insomuch that if they should cease to move so would these Even such if not greater is our reference to God God sets us a moving in the way to heaven Acti agimus yet such is the debility of our weak and mortal frame insufficient for matters
John 12.31 1 John 3.8 for this purpose the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil The works of the Devil are sin and death for by him came sin into the world and death by sin Again we are hereby freed from the punishment of sin which is death He did bear our griefs and carried our sorrows Isa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his striper we are healed He poured out â—is soul to death and bare the sin of many Now we are freed from the punishment of sin two wayes 1. Directly because his passion was a sufficient and superabundant satisfaction for the sins of the whole world Wherefore Thomas-Aquin Exhibita satisfactionâ— sufficienti tollitur reatus paenae saith Aquinas upon the exhibition of a sufficient satisfaction the punishment is quite taken away So that God cannot punish that again in his servant that he hath already punisht in his Son 2. Indirectly Ambros super Beati immacalati in as much as the passion of Christ is the cause of the Redemption of sin which is the cause of punishment Ille suscepit mortis servitutem ut tibi tribueret aternae vitae libertatem Moreover by the sufferings of Christ our reconciliation with God is wrought and our peace is made with him for ever We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 and that two wayes 1. By removing of sin whereby we were made his enemies Ephes 5.2 2. By offering up himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Lastly hereby the gate of heaven is open for us We have boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus Hebr. 10.19 for he went before us to prepare a place for us that where he is we might be also So that now he hath obtained for us eternal salvation By way of desert he hath deserved that by him we should be saved By way of satisfaction for the greatness of his love out of which he suffered for the dignity of his life which he laid down for us it was the life of God and man and for the generality and weight of sorrows and paines that he suffered for us hence he is a sufficient satisfaction called the Propitiation for our sins Heb. 9.26 Verse 15. At Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus cogi posse negat Hor. Epist 1. 1 Joh. 2.2 By way of sacrifice which was meritorious deserving life for whom he suffered death In the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And by way of redemption for he was engaged for us and paid the utmost farthing for which end he was sent into the world God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 3.17 Saved from sin from the power of Satan from death Hence called our Redemption and we come to be at peace with God and in that peace we enter into heaven to be partakers of those joyes that are at Gods right hand for evermore Having waded thus farre I seale up this discourse with a pathetical conclusion in way of application O how far is the love of God extended to us miserable sinners He was provident before our fall to find out away whereby to be saved after we fell His Son must die to save us from death He must fall into the hands of sinners that we may not fall into the hands of Satan And if he have thus given us his Son how shall he not with him give unto us all things We may conclude for certain we shall want nothing for the furtherance of our salvation since that he with-held not his onely Son from us Let this love of God to us extract love from us to God As he bought us dear with the losse of his Son so must we think nothing too deare to part withal to gain our God We must be content to lose our life and all than to lose our God who is all in all for the gaining of life and all Seeing that Christ ought to have suffered for our sins we may well grieve that we should be the authors of his death and yet rejoyce that we have escaped Gods fearful vengeance by his sufferings Grieve then my beloved for your sins for which Christ died Royard in Postill and go and sin no more And let your soules magnify the Lord and rejoyce in God your Saviour Non gaudere ingratitudinis est non dolere crudelitatis saith Royard not to be glad for Gods mercy and Christ's love in redeeming us is a point of ingratitude not to grieve that we gave occasion of his death is a point of the greatest cruelty Let us then grieve together with him that we may reigne and rejoyce together with him Gods decree is unutterable he ordained that Christ should die and Christ did die He promist it and 't is fulfill'd He revealed it and 't is so come to passe He is as good as his word Heaven and earth shall passe away but not the least tittle of his word shall go unfulfilled What therefore soever God hath determined concerning any one shall certainly fall out so there is no avoidance What he hath denounced against sinners let them expect it for they shall surely have it Our God is a God of truth You may collect out of this discourse that Christ is a perfect and sufficient Redeemer Heb 10.14 on whom alone dependeth our salvation For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified As Moses said to the children of Israel the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace So I may say that Christ onely fought for us we did nothing whereby to acquire a life that is endless Wherefore if we will be perfectly saved rely upon the Redeemer of Israel for he is onely the Captain of our salvation Look up as sometimes the Israelites on the brazen serpent upon him stretched out upon the crosse where he is ready to receive all that come unto him and beleeve in his name Caput Christi inclinatum ad osculandum cor apertum ad diligendum brachia extensa ad amplexandum totum corpus expositum ad redimendum August lib. de virginit he hath his head bended down to kisse you his heart opened to love and affect you his armes stretched forth to embrace you his whole body exposed to redeem you Consider of what great consequences these things are that Christ hath done for your soules weigh them in the ballance of your hearts Vt totus vobis figatur in corde qui totus pro vobis fixus fuit in cruce that he may be wholly fastned to you in your hearts who was wholly fastned for you on the crosse Let us go forth therefore unto
the ordinance of God for He did all things well Wherefore to shew that God keeps his word and that the truth of his promises is infallible He rose again from the dead In regard of us the end of his Rising is threefold Viz. 1. For our Example 2. For our Justification 3. For our Faith c. First for our Example tending to the information of us in the ways of righteousness in the paths of life That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life that the body of sin might be destroyed Resurectione Domini configuratur vita quae hic geritur and that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.4.6 The Resurrection of Christ from the dead should be a pattern for us wherein there is some effective vigor to raise us from the death of sin to a gracious life The power of effecting both is in God A Dâ—o est quod unima vivat per gratiam corpus per Animam That the soul lives by grace and the body by the soul comes from God Aquinas who is the Author of life And saith Ames Christ rising from death is tum demonstratio quam initiatio as well a demonstration as the initiation or beginning of our Rusurrection by whom we pass from death unto life Secondly for our Justification They are the express words of the Apostle He was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. ult For now that he hath gotten the victory over death by reviving he applies by the vertue thereof all the benefits of the Gospel unto us to the exceeding great consolation of our souls Lastly for the establishment of our faith concerning the obtaining of life everlasting For indeed if the Head be risen the members may be sure to rise too and if the Head receive life and glory doubtless the members which have their proper dependunce of him shall receive the like perfection for a glorified Head cannot be without a glorified body Now Christ is the head of the body the Church Col. 1.18 who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he may have the preheminence Of the fulness of whose glory in the day of our perfect redemption we shall all receive a full measure For a Conclusion Communi naturae lege moriuntur homines The sons of men composed of dust and ashes die by the common law of nature Eternity is proper to another world not to this to this Inconstancie The Son of the most High himself when he became the Son of man was subjected to Mortality He pleaded no Prerogative royal to be exempted from that end which God setled in the course of nature Our times upon the Earth may be said to be lasting but not everlasting though in the hands of God Heaven decreed a period to our Lives which we cannot prevent and to which Christ at the appointed houre did submit himself with all obedience not able to avoid it Necessity was laid upon him to pay the dubt to Nature which might serve for a payment of our debt to God yet not respectu peccuti Wâ—ems Protralcture of Gods image in man pag. 43. but respectis poenae this necessity was not in respect of sin He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot but in respect of that punishmenâ— which he did oblige himself to undergo for the sins of men Est illata necessiaâ— Adamò innata necessit as nobis assumpta necessitas in Christo Necessity of death was laid upon Adam for his sin necessity of death is imbred in us and by a voluntary assumption there was a necessity of death in Christ A man willingly gives his word for such a summe for his friend but when he hath willingly given it he must of necessity pay it So Christ willingly took this debt upon him and in the fulness of time when 't was exacted paid it down even his life to God and nature But albeit he thus parted from the world yet God hath raised him up Etiam animalula quaedam typâ— Resurrectionis sunt Lavat in Job 14.12 having loos'd the paines of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it So though the hand of fate by Natures unconfused order reduce us to our first principles yet shall we rise again by the mighty power of our eternal Maker The Judge of all the word hath appointed a day wherein to judge the world to which all must rise And as all must die and after death come to judgment so Christ was once offered to bear the â—ius of many and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second time without sin unto salvation THE BLESSED AMBASSADOR OR THE Best sent into the Basest GALATH. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father GODS love wherewith he hath embrac'd the sons of men in his onely Son is of such large extent as cannot be limited as cannot be measured the breadth and length and depth and height thereof Eph. 3.18 19. doth passe our knowledge Doth passe our finding out The length the breadth the depth of the earth the sea the heavens Mathematicians by their speculations do conjecture but the love of God the most ingenious and judicious cannot it so exceeds so much as conjecture much lesse perfectly know because infinite Would a man part with his only son and alone darling and he content he should die a most ignoble and ignominious death to ransome his servants his cantives his slaves rebels that would cut his throat I cannot be perswaded the world affords such a man such a Phenix there was but one in all the world Abraham found willing to slay his son to rip up his bowels that spruug out of his own when God commanded it Yet the Lord of heaven and earth whose mercies are over all his works sent his only Son to save sinners to dye that by his death we may live Though servants Cantives slaves rebels yet by his Son made Kings Priests Prophets sons and heirs of an eternal inheritance O the depth the height and length and breadth of Gods love He sent his Son forth from him to bring us to him he freely gave him to redeem us from the insulting power of Sathan from the captivity and dominion of sin from the oppressing tyranny of the world to bring us into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God This liberty this sonship is obtained by faith for to as many as beleeve in his name hath he given power to become the Sons of God All ye then that beleeve are no more servants but sons not sons of wrath but sons of God not sons by nature but sons by grace And because sons behold the Lords bounty is enâ—arged toward you the treasures of his graces are open for you the store-house of his riches is
him as unto our Father we come boldly we may come confidently there is nothing more requisite than to put on a good face and a good courage when we sue to God No denial must be taken at the first entrance for this were too dejected pusillanimity The widow in the Gospel through her importunate sollicitation obtained what by a sleight intreaty she could not compasse O let us therefore saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 4. ult come boldly unto the throne of grace that we obtain mercy and find grace in time of need God hath erected a throne of grace where he sits to receive and to hear all suits directed unto him for mercy He hath a Court for mercy as well as for justice where humane merits must not be pleaded but Gods mercy above all advanced if then any child of God who hath been prodigal in mis-spending what God hath given him come but to him in the time of need modestly bold he shall return with a contented mind and shall find rest sufficient for his soul This may be term'd a holy presumption Upon whom should children presume if not upon their parents Upon whom should we be bold if not upon our provident Creator What father of the flesh will give his children a stone for bread or for fish a Serpent If our fleshly parents know how to give good things to their children when they ask of them how much more knoweth our heavenly Father to confer good things to them that rely upon his Providence and cry to him Since therefore we have free accesse to God cry with all boldnesse unto him who will prosper our endeavours and like an indulgent father fill us with good things and will not return us empty away We may come confidently with assured perswasion of his favor and lenity the very name of Father is of force enough to repel out of our minds all diffidence Christ hath obtained this boon for us at the hands of God that we shall have what we ask in his Name What things soever saith our Saviour Christ Mark 11.24 ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them The Lord Qui exprobrat reposcit Tacitus He giveth liberally without upbraiding to them that ask in faith nothing wavering James 1.5 6. The hope of children must rest on the parents care so ours on God And when we come unto him we come not to him as to a severe revenger of sin and rigorous Judge but as unto a most compassionate Father The Spirit teacheth us and maketh us to cry Abba Father Wherefore learn hence upon all occasions Apage terra quod utinam Deus in Caelo jam tecum essem quid enim est in terrâ quod me vel tan tillum retineat Bern. whether in prosperity or adversity to have recourse unto him Whom have we in heaven but thee saith the Psalmist and saith every Christian and whom in earth do we desire beside thee Do we offend he forgives our iniquities are we sick he healeth all our diseases are we in danger of destruction he redeemeth our life and crowneth us with loving kindness and tender mercies are we bitten with hunger he satisfieth our mouth with good things Provoke we him to anger He is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever he deals not with us after our sins nor rewandeth us according to our iniquiries but as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal 103. Then having such free entrance to him and so great hopes of compassing our defires if we come not boldly we come not confidently we are justly worthy to lose our labour and return with shame Let nothing therefore disswade us from calling upon him at all times Remember our Saviours counsel and comfortable promise Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you And if our leisure will not serve us to pour out our souls and to make known our intentions in humble supplications unto the most high in a continued and ample speech we may use a short ejaculation of mind Crebras habere orationes sed brevissimas raptim ejaculatas which is a Prayer short and sweet wherein proceeding from Faith we shall be certainly heard For if we cannot speak we may sob sigh groan and weep unto which God will have a gracious respect The efficacy hereof depends upon the operation of the Spirit in our hearts by whose power we are made to sob to sigh to groan to weep and to cry of whom none are partakers but sons and by whom none but sons cry Abba Father And thus much for the effect of the Spirit in the hearts of the sons of God The last part that remains to be treated of is the ground of the Spirits being in our hearts crying thus Because sons There are sons by nature and so there are no sons of God but one Christ Jesus called the onely begotten Sonne of God and though the regenerate be said to be born of God it is spiritually to be understood of a new creation called regeneration not of any natural descent There are sons of God by creation so Angels and men are called the children of God There are sons of God by Participation Thus Kings and Magistrates are sons to whom he doth communicate some part of his power and Majesty There are sons of God by ageneral Profession of Religion so they who live in the visible Church of Christ professing the true worship of God in Christ Jesus are called sons of God And theâ—e sons of God by adoption or special grace of which sort are all they into whose hearts God sends forth the Spirit of his Son Herein we are to note two things 1. The ground of our Adoption 2. The benefits that redound unto us thereby The ground of our Adoption as of our salvation through the tender mercy of our God is Christ Jesus for for this end came he into the world for this end by his precious blood did he redeem us whereas before we were his enemies and sons of wrath This is exprest in the fourth and fifth verses of this Chapter where it is said that God sent forth his Son made of a woman John 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nonnu to redeem us that so we might receive the adoption of sons As many as received Christ by faith hath he given power or as Nonnus renders it heavenly honour to become the sons of God We must first have spiritual being in Christ which is done by faith ere we can be reputed sons The Apostle tells us Ephes 1.5 6 7. that our sonship was decreed in heaven from all eternity God did predestinnte us saith he unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good
was only guided by an ordinary providence as men now a dayes undertaking journeys stay with their friends at their pleasure guided ordinarily by Gods hand Holy Fear THE FENCE OF THE SOUL GEN. 28.17 And Jacob was afraid AS Esau was coming into the world Jacob had him fast by the heel Rebecca received blows within her by their struglings which that acted ended But here ended not their strife that presaged as a future supplanting so a more inveterate quarrel Esau was first born so he obtained the birthright of nature Jacob came after yet got the birthright of grace The mother was glad to be well rid of both she was much joyed to see them set at liberty who inclosed in the prison of her bowels pain'd her As these agreed not in the womb so not in the world There the division began when together in restraint here it continued and by their enlargement was enlarged The divine Oracle told Rebecca that the elder should serve the younger 't was his love to the one his hate to the other both free This prediction must have been accomplish'd but not without some difficulty First Jacob upon an advantage buyes the Birthright which Esau in a necessity scornfully deem'd unprofitable Grace made Jacob lay about to purchase what Nature denied him It was inevitable the God of Nature determin'd it that way not the other Thus Jacob though a plain man got the start of Esau though a cunning hunter A gracious simplicity ever outstrips worldly craft in the affairs of piety Now having got thus far there wanted nothing to make good his bargain to confirm his interest but his Fathers blessing which he by his Mothers direction hunting after obtained by subtilty whilst Esau hunting after venison came short of through his pleasure The Mother saith Reverend Hall shall rather defeat the Son and beguile the Father than the Father shall beguile the chosen Son of his blessing Jacob must have been blest God decreed it and was Who no sooner went away full of the joy of his new blessing but in comes Esau who sweating for his reward finds nothing but an unexpected repulse Hereat Esau's blood is up and storms he hates Jacob in his heart as Cain did Abel in his hate vows his death nothing hinders it but lack of opportunity Yet Jacob needed not to fear the wrath of an earthly brother whilst sure of the love of his Heavenly Father None needs to be terrified by Man that is in league with God However it behoved the Mother to be as sollicitous in preventing mischief from falling on her beloved Darling as in surreptitiously procuring him a blessing Had he miscarried all her hopes had perish'd Jacob therefore must go one way or other if he stay till his Father die he must die with him and go the way of all flesh 't was Esau's resolution If he go whither his Parents would he is secure this way as well it might is preferr'd To this purpose a new project is set on foot Jacob must have a wife not of the daughters of Heth as Esau these made Rebecca weary of her life but of his own kindred Isaac forthwith calls Jacob to him blesseth him gives him a charge and commands him away to Laban his mothers brother where the Lord did destine him a mate meet for him Away he hyes doubtful and comfortless in the way the earth he made his bed the stone his pillow after this fort he rested his wearied limbs The sun was set his eyes were bound up in the chains of sleep yet there a Vision of Angels is presented to him through the glass of his imagination and Gods promise renewed in a true dream Never was Jacob's heart so light with joy as when his head was heaviest with sleep At length he awakes his thoughts are summon'd up together fear creeps apace on him the place seems dreadful the presence of Divine Majesty whereof he was sensible adds lustre to the place which adds affrightment to his heart The premisses considered his conclusion of the Place is this This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Hitherto have I followed Jacob in his way and with him here will I rest a while This holy Patriarch upon mature deliberation could not but conceive himself happy that he hapned on this holy place Here the demonstration of Gods joyful presence with him and gracious providence over him together with the free promise of safe conduct to him abated the swoln discontents of his suspitious thoughts it never came into his head he should have here that familiar manifestation of the God of Isaac as was vouchsafed him But Gods goodness ever was ever is beyond mans expectation How easie were it for Jacob to miscarry in his way did not the Supreme Power protect him how open did he lie to infinite dangers lying in the open field did not the Lord secure him 'T was the work of that same Mercy that guided him to that place to preserve him safe there where although he was afraid at the first sight after his sleep was over Musculus Buxtorf Heb. Radix yet was his fear without distraction The clearness of his judgment discerning Gods intention in that mystical vision sentenceth the place venerable So Musculus renders the Hebrew text Quà m venerandus est iste locus and Buxtorf How reverend is this place Here I might treat 1. Of Jacob's Fear 2. Of the Dreadfulness or reverence of the place where he was partaker of the Heavenly vision 3. Of the Titles Jacob assign'd the place All meriting points but the first is only intended The Soul which by nature is disfurnished of grace is exposed to dangers as disposed to evil by reason whereof it is subject to fears within to fears without Perils like a circle compass us about we stand tanquam in centro as in the centre of this world every line drawn from the circumference strikes us to the heart and so affrights us Turn which way we will terror meets us fears encounter us Hereat the naked soul appal'd yields unless informed of a better friend than our own wits which always are not about us But Gods gracious presence apprehended in our deepest agonies of fear brings us off undaunted by the light of whose grace we discover things in their native colours which whilst unknown amaze us disturb us Some things trouble us more than they ought to do some which not at all for the anticipating or avoiding whereof that rule holds infallibly true Rebus est demenda persona pull off the masque of things then we shall not so fear them To be quite rid of this passion while we live is impossible Christianity or regeneration qualifieth its force takes it not away Some impression will be left in the mind yet not so deep as will make us despair of succour For all the variety of Creatures Casualties Changes that appear dreadful there is variety of Aid flowing
him that the Supreme Majesty would hold him in such reputation as so friendly to reveal himself to him or to make such large promises of grace as he did which his best endeavours could never compass to merit I think Jacob thought not the news to be too good to be true God told him but too great for a sinful creature to receive from a spotless Creator However beside the glory and largeness of the Promise the rarity of the Apparition did put him into a religious extasie being unacquainted with the Lords designs or with his manner of working But soft a while Should not Jacob the Almighty thus freely opening his heart unto him rather rejoyce than be afraid Is it fit he should be muffled up in a pitchy cloud of dejecting fear who ought to be clothed with the bright garment of refreshing joy Surely did the dead ashes of this grave Father revive his reply I believe would be to no other purpose Paraeus in lot than that of that famous German Divine whom the best learned honour in the dust Sancti quidem laetantur patefactionibus Dei sed cum timore tremore The Saints indeed rejoyce at the gracious presence of the Lord of glory but 't is with fear with trembling When the Majesty of God who is a consuming fire approacheth neer although his mercy raise up their spirits to an height of joy yet the experience of their unworthiness and the exquisite sense of their manifold infirmities beget in them a shivering fear and that fear humility Cicero Cicero Pagan Rome's chiefest Orator averred as much of that fear Nature did possess him of And by the best Divine France ever bred the fear bred by Religion Calv. in loc is entituled Piae submissionis magister the master of a pious lowliness Neither is it without reason God makes his servants to rejoice as the Prophet speaks with trembling but that in an obedient subjection and denial of themselves Psal 63.3 they might embrace and depend upon his favour better as King David saith than life it self Thus having vindicated good Jacobs credit from the unjust taxe or hard censure of the severest Criticks I may make this Application To the Perverse Malefactor Penitent Delinquent Setled Christian Perverse Malefactors must efther fear or perish Necessity is laid upon them to perform the one or undergo the other If through a careless security they shake off all fear of God I see not how they can decline Divine vengeance Wherefore as the Spirit of God terms them children of disobedience because of their obstinate rebellion so because thereby they make themselves liable to his eternal indignation Ephes 2.3 are they called by the same Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children of wrath whereupon the Lord challengeth vengeance unto himself Nemo crimen gerit in pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo Nemesis dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quòd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vengeance â—elongeth unto me and I will recompence As sure as he is in heaven if sinners will not filially fear him for his mercies he will for his justice make them slavishly fear him with a vengeance Look then to your tacklings ye that without fear or wit hurry into manifold impieties Ye heap up wrath against the day of wrath when not a glimpse of comfort shall be vouchsafed you Let the loose Epicure glory in his joyous voluptuousness let the licentious Libertine exult in his ungodly courses let the miserable Wordling rejoyce in his Idol-god of Gold let the luxurious Adulterer whose wandring eye sparkles at the sight of a fond Beauty prostrate himself at the shrine of his bewitching goddess let the revelling Drunkard beset his soul with continual exhausting of intemperate Cups let the light-finger'd Pilferer and deceitful Tradesman with sleight of hand in false weights of measures inrich himself to the impoverishing of others let the debaucht Blasphemer who with execrable oaths tears God and the Son of God in a thousand pieces triumph in his unrighteous dealing let the sacrilegious Sabbath-breaker who makes that day the onely day of his repast and unlawful dalliances cheer up his heart the best he may let the irreligious Prophaner of the sacred Temple of the Lord who buyes and fells within the holy limits cheer up himself with his ungodly gain let the griping Officers whose unjust exactions had wont to creep in under the modest cloke of voluntary courtesie or fair consideration of a befriended expedition now come like Eli's sons Nay but thou shalt give it me now and if not I will take it by force Hall in conscion in Act. 2.37 1 Sam. 2.16 In a word I should be infinite should I insist upon particulars Let the legal Thefts of professed Usurers the crafty Compacts of slie Oppressors the conniv'd at Idolatry of superstitious Papists dare throw down the gantlet to Justice and insolent disobediences do so to Authority without the fear of God yet for all this shall these come to judgment when base fear shall so seise upon their confounded souls that they shall in vain cry to the hills to hide them to the mountains to cover them from the presence of the Lord. Jeer not at this ye obdurate sinners Ask not in derision the Disciples question in a worse sense Domine quando fient haec Master when shall these things be Believe Christians the time 's at hand when all impenitent offenders and flie fellows void of Jacob's fear shall receive their doom to be sent as into utter darkness so into unquenchable fire Next Penitent sinners must fear the Almighty hence a token of their conversion but not despair Whose fear albeit it be somewhat servile at first the nature of it is changed into a better condition or abolished They are led saith one by the Spirit from the fear of Slaves through the fear of Penitents Chrysoft to the fear of Sons Hence faith Chrysostom doubtless upon this gradation Geheunae timor Regni nobis adfert coronam The fear of Hell which is servile brings us at length a Diadem of glory Be not ye therefore in a melancholy mood dismaid ye afflicted souls humbled in the sight of God for sin The true fear of God it advanceth you to perfection Doubt not to be encountred by a strong opposition yet fear none but that God that can cast both soul and body into hell A truly Noble spirit reported That who feareth the most High feareth neither flesh nor blood principalities nor powers the rulers of the darkness of this world nor spiritual wickedness in high places Origen gives the reason Origen Non corporis robore sed fidei virtute pugnatur non jaculis ferreis sed orationum telis victoria quaeritur We fight not by the strength of body but of faith we conquer not with darts of steel but of prayer Let not your heart be troubled neither let is be afraid said Christ to his Disciples say I to
you The worldlings fear disturbeth the souls quiet and putteth the conscience in a manner out of frame But Jacobs fear which is the fear of God is that to which with David we must be ever devoted Psal 119.38 For take it upon the word of a King Holy and reverend is his Name Psal 111.9 Last of all The setled Christian must fear the Highest Power but as a son a father from whom with Adam he must not flie and quiver 'T is for a godless heathen Emperor through the horror of a guilty conscience to run under a bed at the noise of thunder Gods voice 'T is for a proud Felix to tremble when the last Judgment is urged 'T is for a Simon Magus his heart to quake when rebuk'd for the desire of a Simoniacal purchase It did well enough become desperate Judas in an humour to hang himself out of the way for his treachery to his innocent Master fear and despair did drive him to his wits end But he that is confirm'd in Christianity is of a far better resolution and more gracious temper If he offend as who doth not he is not as are some ungodly high-minded but hath learn'd of the Apostle rather like a good child to fear Nor as others hopeless but is both an importunate suiter unto Heaven for mercy and withall zealously addicted to Pauls exercise Act. 24.16 which is to have a good conscience void of offence toward God and toward men In one word From Jacob's fear in coming unprovided into that place which he imagined to be the house of God Learn we when we come into the house of God Eccl. 5.1 as the Preacher warns us to keep our feet from rushing unadvisedly into it our ears from listning to what doth not become it our tongues from uttering any thing rashly in it our heart from hastily conceiting either superstitiously or prophanely of it the whole man from unreverently abusing it 't is the gate of Heaven And here I make a stand God in mercy grant us his Peace to settle our unquiet minds his Spirit to rule our untamed hearts his Joy to solace our afflicted souls his Grace to rectifie our disordered passions his Fear to restrain our unruly wills That by his Peace we may rest in quiet to his Spirit we may yield obedience with his Joy we may be ever cheered in his Fear we may live and die to live with him for ever To whom Father Son and Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory by Angels by men in heaven in earth world without endâ— Amen ORDINE QVISQVE SVO OR THE Excellent Order 1 COR. 11.3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man and the bead of Christ is God GOD is the God of order and he will have not only some things but all things done in order he commands order commends order delights in order and will have order both in Substantials and Circumstantials in Reals and in Rituals 'T is the Devil who is the Author of disorder and confusion he knows if order go up his Kingdom must go down and therefore he doth his utmost to hinder it Omne ordinatum pulchrum Cant. 6.10 Order is the glory of all Societies A well-ordered Family Army City are comely sights It makes the Church fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with banners Hence God hath set an Order in heaven an Order in Hell an Order amongst Angels an Order amongst the starres an Order amongst Rational creatures an Order amongst sensitive Creatures the very Bees have a King and ruler over them And as it is the glory so it is the safety Take away this and we shall be all in confusion if there were not an Order in the Sea it would over flow the land and drown all The air would poyson us the creatures destroy us and every man would destroy another It s good then or every man to be bound the best are but in part regenerate and being left to themselves may fall into dangerous sins and errors shall therefore insist upon that which is here by the blessed Apostle propounded viz. A pattern of the most excellent Order This Portion of Divine truth is divided into three heads 1. The head of every man which is Christ 2. The head of the woman which is the man 3. The head of Christ which is God For the First The head of every man which is Christ No man is excluded from subjection unto him in regard of his universal dominion and that imperial power by which he ruleth all creatures after which manner he is the head of every wicked man also and of the Devils themselves which thing they do beleeve and at which they tremble But yet in a more peculiar manner and crytical sence he is the head of every man that is elected to life in regard of his special dominion called Dominium officii the dominion of his office whereby he ruleth in the Church of God in which manner he is the head of every man only that is a lively and real member of his mystical body inseperably united unto him by the inviolable bond of the spirit of grace whether he be Jew or Gentile Barbarian or Scythian bond or free rich or poor Whereupon issues this consequence that Christ being the head of every true member of the Church He is also the head of the whole Church Concerning which these two points are to be handled 1. According to what nature 2. In what respect Christ is the head of the Church As for the first point Christ is the head of the Church according to both natures both his divine and humane both which are two springs whence do flow several Observations In that Christ as God is head I Observe 1. The perpetuity of the Church the gates of hell shall not prevail against it 2. That with all reverent respect obedience is to be rendred by us to Christ in all things 3. That albeit Christ be ascended to his Father and our Father to his God and our God yet is not the Church left destitute of an head on earth for heaven and earth is fil'd with the glorious Majesty of his Deity and the Church with the special presence of his Spirit In that Christ as man is head of the Church I Observe 1. That his affection to us is intimate the sence of our miseries in him accute and he most prompt and inclind to help us in all extremities 2. That we may solace our selves wipe away all teares from our eyes and banish all sorrow from our hearts for that nothing is left Satan to triumph for over us being that Christ in our nature hath overcome Satan As for the second point In what respects Christ is the head of the Church My meditations are grounded upon the relation which the head hath to the members and this consists 1. In a
Revel 1. Hence the Angels of the seven Churches are called stars fixt in Christ's right hand tanquam in firmamento as in the firmament of heaven not unlike to that star that directed the three wise men unto Christ Mat. 2. Now when these stars these Pillars of fire by the light of grace which shined in them perceived the grace which was given unto Paul When James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto me And thus I come to the ground or hand of the union the fodder that knit them together grace perceived the grace that was given unto me Grace is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Active or Passive The active is Gods love and free grace ready to grace us The Passive Gods graces Gods gifts whereby we are graced wherewith we are glorified graced here to be glorified hereafter The first is a branch or a blossom of his goodnesse that tree of life that tree of good The last the fruit sweet as honey in the heart as the little book in the Revelation was in Saint John's mouth By that active grace God decreed mans Election Rev. 10.20 ere any thing had a being and by that active grace he doth bestow in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times the riches of his mercy heaven upon earth By it God comes to man ere man can go to God He comes to man with his preventing grace inspiring him with religious thoughts breathing into him the true breath of life and ravishing him with the desire of things supernatural out of natures compasse and sphere of activity that thus man might come to him he comes to man by his preparing grace casting his understanding and will into a new mould that thence he may become a new man wise unto salvation obedient to the death He comes to man by his operating grace God first prepares then works he first makes man capable o◠his works then works on him works in him and works of wonder actually freeing from the tyranny of sin and renewing him in the inward man the understanding will affections He comes to man by his cooperating grace As by his operating grace he moves the will to will that which is good so by this cooperating grace he makes him able to effect what the will desires to work out salvation with fear and trembling He comes unto man by his consummating grace giving him power to be constant to the end till he come to the full period Eternal glory the height of his ambition Heaven Eph. 2.5 Ye are saved by grace Thus God begins by his grace by his grace he doth finish what he hath begun Now beloved this active grace of God distinguished by the diversities of its gracious acts works in man passive grace those heavenly characters of the Deity drawn by the finger of God Some of these are common to the Reprobate with the Elect some proper only to the elect some are saving graces of the Spirit some not Some of these are called gratin gratis data others gratia gratis data gratum faciens Vocation Christian doctrine Prudence in businesses Patience in labour Fortitude in dangers the gift of Prophecy the gift of Tongues the gift of Miracles and such like are gifts of grace but not saving graces of the Spirit neither are these of any moment except God gives the earnest of the Spirit in the heart 2 Cor. 1.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may use the Apostles phrase except they be seasoned with the grace of God I mean the saving graces which make a man acceptable in the sight of God Faith Hope Charity Faith justifies as the hand makes rich Hope maketh not ashamed Charity beareth all things 1 Cor. 13. believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things it never faileth But whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledge it shall vanish away Now all these together are like the sweet Incense in the spoons that were offered by the twelve Heads of Israel at the dedication of the Tabernacle Numb 7.86 Or like Noah's Sacrifice after the Deluge making a sweet favour in the nostrils of God Bernard S. Bernard makes mention of a threefold grace One whereby we are converted another whereby we are aided in fiery trials a third whereby after trial we are rewarded The first is initial whereby we are called the second beneficial whereby we are justified the last is final whereby we are glorified The first is Gods free grace the second is Christs merit the third the reward glory Of the first it is said Of his fulness have we all received Of the two last grace for grace as Bernard expounds it Munera gloriae aeterna merita temporalis militiae Which give me leave to interpret for my self Not for any merit of ours but for Christs merits for us The two first make way for the last the last cannot be obtained while the soul dwelleth in this prison of mortality but the two first with those I have spoken of already make up a perfect man in Jesus Christ in some measure in this life The original of these graces if we would know we must run to God Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Jam. 1. Non per naturam insita sed divinitus data they are transcendent they are given When Christ led captivity captive he gave gifts unto men He poured forth his Spirit saith Joel He gave he poured forth Ephes 1. Joel 2. that is active grace gifts unto men his Spirit that is gifts of his Spirit that is passive grace Grace is given of God by grace A blessed Giver a blessed gift The earth of our hearts brings not forth such branches of vertue but as the earth after Gods curse upon it thorns and thistles I will not here encounter with Papists concerning Free-will in both kinds of Gods graces but leave it to some other David who can better cut off Goliah's head as with the sword of the Spirit as with his own sword and beat them with their own weapons Only let me ask them one question What have we that we have not received 1 Cor. 4.7 And conclude this with that of the Psalmist Not unto us not unto us then O Lord but unto thy Name give the glory Thus we have had a sight of the riches of Gods mercy Now will I shew you the man to whom it was given by grace to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven that we may know who is he and we will call him blessed Therefore as Samuel said of King Saul I apply to our Saul here See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen It is Paul justified sanctified made gracious made glorious 1 Sam. 10. Once a Persecuter now as Saul once among the Prophets a Prophet so Saul now among the Apostles an Apostle by the
none can see him and live Exod 33.20 So terrible the other that the Israelites trembled cap. 19.16 His sight so full of Majesty that Woe is me saith Isaiah I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts cap. 6.5 So full of terror his Voice that the Israelites said to Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die Exod. 20.20 Thus would God come unto us his sight would dash us his voice would daunt us His presence is accompanied with lightning when he speaks he thunders Sinai was in a burning sever before God the Earth was troubled with a shaking ague the floods ran back at his presence the heavens dropt at the first sight Psal 68.8 The voice of the Lâ—rd is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of majesty Namper Câ—dros intelligit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid est eximium in mundo the voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars the voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh c. Psal 29. So that the Lord considering that Man is but flesh as weak as water he refrains from coming but not from sending to us for us Not Angels though ministring spirits as he did before the Law but having an eye to mans imbecility flesh of our flesh bone of our bone Men. Because himself would not thunder he sends Boanerges sons of thunder He sends not Angels spirits but Men-angels messengers Mat. 2. but little inferior to Angels And this he doth for several reasons besides that of his love and care viz. 1. To shew us in what reputation Man is with him He makes men not mean men but his Embassadors to men Such as do reveal his secrets Privy Councellors such as represent his Person a kind of Kings And this honour all his Saints have Psal 149.9 2. To exercise us in that high grace of humility God exalts man to humble man If the Lion roar who will not fear Amos 3.8 If the Lord speak who will not who cannot but obey No thanks to him then But when Man speaks and men obey hoc opus this is the work of humility Here he shews himself a true subject when he yields obedience to Gods word spoken by man albeit in dignity he be far inferior unto him 3. Because it is the surest bond of Amity If one needed not the instruction of another but every one should think himself sufficient of himself such is the pride of man what division what debate what contempt of one another Now this is the surest True-loves knot between man and man Let therefore a man so account of us saith the Apostle as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 SCALA JACOBI OR St James his Ladder JAMES â— 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed ANTIQUITY reports that the statute of Merciery was erected where crosse wayes met to point out to passengers and pilgrims the direct paths they desired to travel So I may conceive of this blessed messenger of God the Apostle James made in the likeness of God In this world we are pilgrims and strangers where we have no abiding City but seek for one to come our way to that City which is the heavenly Hierusalem is through many tribulations and crosses where this Apostle being set up doth shew the way to us wherein we must walk if we will possesse the treasure of our hopes and long'd for felicity And because the way is ascendant leading gradually upward I therefore may compare it to a pair of staires or call it Scalam Jacobi St James his ladder wherein are to be observed 1. The bottome or ground 2. The several steps placed in a due proportion 3. The top or upper part which we aime to arrive at As for the bottome it is that good word of God the Gospel of Christ Jesus which the Holy Ghost by this Sainted Penman is pleased to stile a law describ'd by two singular attributes the one of perfection the other of liberty it is a prefect law of liberty As for the steps they are four the first is Speculation Whoso looketh the second is Perseverance and continueth therein the third is Remembrance he being not a forgetful hearer the fourth is Practice but a doer of the work As for the top of these staires it is the end of this Scripture and shall be I trust of my discourse blessedness this man shall be blessed in his deed I must stand a while upon the bottome of the staires the Gospel of salvation term'd a law the law of the spirit the law of faith the law of the spirit as the prime inditer the law of faith as the prime effect the law of the spirit in regard of the spiritual graces of God produced by it the law of faith as the special duty enjoined us in it Rat io nominis primum inquirenda we are now by the lawes of accurate teaching to enquire specially why the Gospel is called a law and that is 1. Because what is delivered therein to be observed of us is obligatory coming by way of command and having in it the regal stamp of supream authority 2. Because it prescribes punishments to the disobedient transgressors thereof sincere obedience and essectual beleeving in Christ being exacted of us upon pain of death 3. Because it containeth large promises of great rewards to the faithful observers of the sacred contents thereof Bernard as Bernard saith in his Meditations Si tormenta non terreant saltem invitent praemia if threatned punishments do not deterr us promised rewards may the more invite us As it is a law so it is a perfect law perfect in the Author Gods Spirit which is infallible not admitting either Popish legends to delude the People or traditional writs to destroy them Integra est doctrina ac proâ—nde animos redintegrat Jun. Psal 19. Perfect in the manner of delivery divine inspiration as proceeding from the will of God not from the will of man Perfect in operation as converting the soul making wise the simple rejoycing the heart in lightning the eyes and making the man of God perfect thorowly furnished unto every good work Perfect in the contents and matter as full and wanting nothing conducing to the bet tering of our knowledge in the wayes of piety our knowledge contemplative in matters of faith our knowledge practical matters of fact And perfect in the end Gods glory the glory of his mercy
in the salvation of penitent and beleeving soules the glory of his justice in the condemnation of obdurate and perverse malefactors As it is a perfect law so it is a law of liberty oppos'd to the Mosaical which is lex senvitutis a law of thraldome The liberty of this law in respect of our twofold condition is twofold 1. Gracious here in the life of grace wrought by Christ the Son of the everliving God if the Son make us free we are free indeed Joh. 8.36 Wherefore we have a free accesse at all times to call upon the Father of mercys imploring his powerful assistance in holy actions and invincible protection from all evil 2. Glorious in the life of glory called Vindicationis libertas the liberty of compleat redemption the creature being delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God Phrasis qulgatissima est Deum colere Non secus at que agri fertiles inprimis optimi sic Dei cultus fâ—uctus fert ad vitam aternam uberrimos Of this twofold liberty there are these parts 1. A liberty from sin our submission to the Gospel and faithful embracing of the promises of God in Christ frees us both from the raigning power of sin and from the condemning power For being made free from sin we become servants to God and have our fruit unto holiness and the and everlusting life Rom. 6.22 2. A liberty from the yoke of the ceremonial law and bondage of the morall From the yoke of the ceremonial law which was so ponderous as that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear but now by Christ and the law of faith it is blotted out quite abolished and taken out of the way And from the bondage of the moral law in these ensuing particulars 1. From the curse and consequently from the punishment of sin the transgression of the law Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Rom. 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Apostle certifies us that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 2. From the rigour and exaction of the law requiring of us for our justification perfect righteousness inherent in us and perfect obedience to be practis'd by us 3. From the terrour and coaction of the law which ingendereth servile fear in those who are under it and compelleth them through the horror of torment as bond-slaves by the whip or rack to the outward though unwilling performance of it But those that are under the law of grace are zealously addicted to good works and services of God which are over done by them with the free consent of a plous mind the original cause whereof is not any natural disposition but the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us 4. from the instigation of the law for which reason saith Pareus on 1 Cor. 15.56 it hath got the name of the strength of sin whereby sin appears more sinfull which is not caused by any fault in the law in it self good and condemning sin but through the viciousness of our unregenerate nature that takes occasion from the sacred prohibitions of it to transgresse which irritation is accidentall not essentiall to the undefiled law of the righteous Lord. Another part of this liberty is a liberty from death which is twofold the first and the second They that are effectually in subjection to the Gospel the glad-tidings of peace are free from the first death as it is a punishment And from the second over them the second death shall have no power Tollitur morâ— non ne fiat sed ne obsit Aug. To them the nature of the first death is changed and made but transitus ad vitam a passage from death to life it is the end of sin and misery and the beginning of our unspeakable happiness the high-way from the vale of teares to the Kingdom of glory and Celestiall joyes the Period of a mortall life and the innitiation of a life immortal Last of all there is a liberty from Sathan and the world granted to the sons of God adopted in the Son of God the Son of God hath over come the strong man Not imperium Principis but Carnificis à Lapide and bound him as being stronger than he thorough death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil and delivereth them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 Get thee behind us Satan as Christ said to Peter and let the wicked world follow thee which Christ hath over-come Joh. 16. ult And since O loving Saviour we live free men free from sin reigning condemning free from Satan and the world under the easy yoke of thy Evangelical Law and under the protection of thy wings We will with thy disciples follow thee whithersoever thou goest and run after thee whither thy good Spirit shall lead us Thus it is apparent how the Gospel of Christ is a perfect Law of liberty into which whoso looketh and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work shall be blessed in his deed From the bottome of the stairs or ladder we now go up the steps the first whereof is speculation whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty Joh. 5.39 Audite saeculares comparate vobis Biblia animae Pharmaca Chrysost Prono capite propenso collo accurate in trospieere 1 Pet. 1.12 It was a good advice blest be the mouth that gave it Search the Scriptures which is made good by the reasons rendred for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me saith our Saviour hence this search must not be slight this speculation not vain this looking not perfunctory our Knowledge of Christ and eternal life depending on it This is intimated in the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying an exact and accurate prying into a thing as if one to find out somewhat difficult to find out should stand in this posture with his body or head bended towards the earth his eyes contracted and fixed upon some object as if he did intend to look it through and so to inform himself fully Thus when we attempt to look into the abstruse mysteries of divinity to acquaint our selves with the sacred Principles of Religion a superficial view is of no avail Profound matters require a serious and frequent meditation an indefatigable study hence the Apostle St Peter describing the desire of the Angels to know the hidden mysteries of salvation expresseth it by the same word the Angels desire to look narrowly into the things revealed to us by the Holy Ghost a work worthy their and our pains not to be posted over with a careless run but to be stuck close unto and prosecuted until finished and the mind in