Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A85870
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XI choice sermons preached upon severall occasions. With a catechisme expounding the grounds and principles of Christian religion. By William Gay B.D. rector of Buckland.
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Gay, William, Rector of Buckland.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing G397; Thomason E1458_1; ESTC R209594
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189,068
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322
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the most Samuel was a Priest and a Prophet Melchizedek was a Priest extraordinary though not of any kindred known Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 c. Et Aug. quaest 46. ex vet Test Denying Samuel to be a Priest confesseth him a Levite Et de civ dei lib. 17. c. 4. saith Samuel officio functus Sacerdotis Iudicis Melchizedek a Priest and a King David a King and a Prophet onely Christ was all three together a King a Priest and a Prophet That hee was a King there is proof Rejoice O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King cometh Zac. 9.9 which words are applyed to Christ Mat. 21.4 That he was a Priest there is proof Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek Ps 110.4 which words are applyed unto Christ Heb. 7.17 That he was a Prophet there is proof The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet Deut. 18.15 which words are applyed unto Christ Act. 3.22 That he should be a King there was reason his people are obnoxious to much weaknesse many dangers mighty enemies who else could be able to protect and guard them he must be their defender That he should be a Priest there was reason his blood was precious the blood of Christ saith St. Peter who else could be worthy to have the offering of that sacrifice hee himself must be the sacrificer That he should be a Prophet there was reason his mysteries are unsearchable the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 who else could be able to teach and instruct to direct and inform his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is sufficient for these things he must be their Doctor See how well the name Christian in some good measure may also agree with thee that doest professe it Be thou a King to subdue and conquer thy corruptions and to reign and rule over thine inordinate affections lusts and passions And think not this a base Kingship or mean rule for he that ruleth his own minde is better then he that winneth a Citty Prov. 16.32 Be thou a Priest to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ The Calves of thy lips as the Prophet Hosea speaketh Hos 14.3 The sacrifices of praise as the Apostle expresseth it Hebr. 13.15 even prayers and praises and thanksgivings Be thou a Prophet to exhort and encourage to virtue and goodnesse to dehort and discourage from sin and wickednesse Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in you in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs Col. 3.16 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works and let us exhort one another Heb. 10.24 Otherwise if instead of reigning and ruling over thy corruptions thou suffer them to reign and rule over thee making thy will thy Law and following thine own hearts lusts even with greedinesse If in stead of offering holy acceptable sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ thou offer the uncleannesse of thy heart the prophaness of thy mouth the wickednesse of thy hands If in stead of abetting virtue and abating vice thou back vice and beat down virtue then whosoever thou art thou doest but usurp the name of Christian and in the mean time provest thy self to be Antichristian because thy practise is contrary to Christs profession And so much for the first generall part or branch of the Text the sufferer Christ both what he was in his person God and Man and what he was in his office Christ the Anointed King Priest and Prophet of his Church The second generall part or branch is his sufferings hath suffered The Apostles words here do seem to mee like to a Riddle Christ hath suffered as if he should say a-read thou if thou canst what he suffered And why Saint Peter thou that didst follow him farther then others canst not thou tell us or thou that didst love him more then others wilt not thou tell us what he suffered Surely I doubt not thou canst tell his sufferings but they are so many that in this thy short Epistle thou wilt not It may be also thou wouldest tell his sufferings but they are so grievous that in thy passionate love thou canst not therefore thou doest content thy self thus abruptly to deliver them in this unperfect broken speech Christ hath suffered And how then alass how then shall I Infandum renovare dolorem renew this unspeakable grief or utter this unutterable sorrow Or if I could doe it Quis duri miles Ulissi temperet à lacrymis What hard hearted Sonne of hard heartning Satan could refrain teares or abstaine from weeping What woes and lamentations what cryes and exclamations what complaints and sorrows what wringing of hands what knocking of breasts what weeping of eyes what wayling of tongues belong to the speaking and hearing of this dolefull Tragedy Horresco referens vox faucibus haeret Even in the prologue I tremble and at the first entrance I am as at a non plus that I know not with what wofull gesture to act it with what moanfull voice to pronounce it with what mournfull words with what patheticall speeches with what emphaticall phrases with what interrupted accents with what passionate compassionate plaints to expresse it The multiplicitie of the plot and the variety of the acts and scenes is so intricate that my memory failes to comprise it the matter so important and the story so excellent that my tongue failes to declare it the cruelty so savage and the massacre so barbarous that my heart failes to confider it wherefore I must needs content my self with the Apostle here to speak but unperfectly of it and think this enough to say Christ hath suffered And well may I think this enough for behold what perfection there is in this seeming unperfect speech For to say indefinitely he suffered without any limitation of time what is it but to say that he alwaies suffered without exception of time And so indeed the Prophet speaks of him namely that he was a man full of sorrows Is 53.3 Full of sorrows as if no part of his life were free from suffering Again to say only he suffered and nothing else what is it but to say that he alwaies onely suffered never resisted never rebelled And so also of him it is said He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb dumb before the shearer so opened he not his mouth Act. 8.32 And when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not 1 Pet. 2.23 And again to say precisely he suffered what is it but to say that he was a right and proper sufferer namely that he suffered not constrainedly what he could not choose which is not suffering but compulsion but voluntarily what he might refuse which properly is to be termed suffering that he suffered himself to suffer and suffered the Jews to make him suffer having power to quit himself if hee would and not to
suffer Indeed such a true and proper sufferer he was for so himself confesseth I lay down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Joh. 10.17 And again to say plainly he suffered what is it but to shew his innocencie that he had not offended For if hee had been a malefactor or offender it should have been said rather he was punished or he was executed And so it is most true for so it followeth in the next words of the Text the just for the unjust And again to say peremptorily he suffered what is it but to set him forth by the way of excellency for the chief and archsufferer and that not onely in respect of the manner of his sufferings that he suffered absolutely so as never did any but also in respect of the measure of his sufferings that he suffered excessively so much as never did any And so also wee may well understand and take it For to him doth well belong that lamentation of the Prophet Lam. 1.12 O vos omnes qui transitis attendite videte si dolor est ullus sicut dolor meus O all yee that passe by attend and see if there be any sorrow like to mine Behold then in saying nothing else but Christ hath suffered 1. He implyeth that he alwaies suffered constantly without intermission 2. That he onely suffered patiently without opposition 3. That he properly suffered voluntarily without compulsion 4. That he innocently suffered wrongfully without just condemnation 5. That he principally suffered excessively without comparison And is it not enough then that he saith Christ hath suffered but will ye yet ask what Nay but I pray you be satisfied and rather of the two ask what not For what sufferings can ye think on which he suffered not Sufferings in birth he suffered them Sufferings in life he suffered them Sufferings in death he suffered them Sufferings in body he was diversly tormented Sufferings in soul his soul was heavie unto death Sufferings in estate he had not where to rest his head Sufferings in good name he was counted a Samaritane and a devillish Sorcerer Sufferings from heaven he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou for saken me Sufferings from the earth he findeth for his hunger a fruitlesse Fig-tree Sufferings from hell he is assaulted and encountred with the Devill himself He began his life meanly and basely and was sharply persecuted he continued his life poorly and distressedly and was cruelly hated hee ended his life wofully and miserably and was most grievously tormented with whips thorns nails and above all with the terrors of his Fathers wrath and horrors of hellish agonies Ego sum qui peccavi I am the man that have sinned but these sheep what have they done So spake David when he saw the Angel destroying his people 2 Sam. 24.17 And even the same speech may every one of us take up for our self and apply to Christ and say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this sheep what hath he done Yea much more cause have we then David had to take up this complaint For David saw them die whom he knew to be sinners we see him dye who we know knew no sin David saw them dye a quick speedy death we see him die with lingering torments David saw them dye who by their own confession was worth ten thousand of them wee see him dye for us whose worth admitteth no comparison David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortall men we see mortall men crucifying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 How then have not wee more cause then David to say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this innocent lamb what hath he deserved to be thus tormented But let us not goe on with Davids words to adde as he doth there Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my Fathers house Let us not desperately offer our selves to condemnation when we see redemption fairly freely fully offered unto us rather let us sing Maries Magnificat My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour Let us take heart of grace courage and comfort in faith for Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing that was against us and hath nailed it to his crosse and hath spoyled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in the same cross Col. 2.14 And so much for the second generall part or branch of the Text his sufferings hath suffered The third and last part is the occasion of his sufferings for sins Look how largely he spoke before of his sufferings in a generall word hath suffered meaning all sufferings so largely he also speaketh of the occasion of his sufferings in a generall word for sinnes meaning all sins But take this all with this restraint namely for all mens sins And let this all againe bee thus expounded for all mens sins competently and sufficiently but onely for all the Elects sins actually and effectually For first it appeareth that he suffered for no sinnes of his own for the Text here denyeth him to have any in that it calleth him just the just for the unjust And it is also plain that he suffered not for lost Angels sins for he in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 And why not them as well as us seeing they were the more noble and excellent creatures They were celestial spirits we earthly bodies dust and ashes They were immediate attendants upon God as it were of his privy chamber we servants of his lower house of this world farther remote from his glorious presence Their office was to sing Haleluiahs songs of praise to God in the heavenly Paradise ours to dresse the Garden of Eden which was but an earthly Paradise They sinned but once and but in thought as is commonly held but Adam sinned in thought by lusting in deed by tastting in word by excusing Why then did not Christ suffer for their sinnes as well as for ours or if for any why not for theirs rather then ours Even so O Father for so it pleased thee Mat. 11.26 We move this question not as being curious to search thy secret counsels but that wee may the more fill our hearts with admiration of thy goodnesse towards us and be the more tankfull for thy favour joyfull in thy mercy and cheerfull in thy love acknowledging ourselves more bound unto thee for that we have received more bounty from thee then even thine Angels thy noblest creatures So then Christ hath suffered for the sinnes of Mankind onely and that as aforesaid of all Mankind if we respect the sufficiency of his sufferings so that if any be not benefited by it the defect and fault is not in it but in their not apprehending and applying it Else why is it thus largely said in this indefinite speech