Superiour suppose it never so mischievous they must fly up on it without question asked So as if one of them were talking with an Angel if his Superiour call him he must instantly come away Yea if the blessed Virgin vouchsafe her presence to one of the brethren if his Superiour call him he must presently break away from her and obey him as he writes to the brethren of Lusitania and a thousand such To what end name I these follies but by Popish and wicked superstition to condemn our heavinesse in Gods Commandements They must shut their eyes of reason and discretion to obey their Superious We must dispute all in our obedience which ought to be absolute Their wicked commandements must not be laid in any scales to be weighed We will weigh all Gods Commandements in our own false ballances and so they become too light and unworthy of obedience 4. There is not the most heretical doctrine or opinion that ever was that found not Patronage and protection in the corrupt reason of man Not to speak of damnable Arrians or Nestorians or mad Manichees come to the heresie that now reignes and see the truth hereof in it Quest. Why hath the leaven of Popery spread and soured the whole lump of the Christian world and enlarged and fixed it self in all Countries for so many hundred yeares that even in Countries above a hundred yeares reformed it gets round and neither severe Lawes can master it nor time cast it out Answ. Surely because it is a devise of humane reason upholding humane reason and upheld by corrupt reason which first set it up See it in parts and in whole First for the parts 1. Seemes it not good reason to choose defend and stick unto our forefathers religion for so the old Idolaters thought Jer. 44. 17. they would still sacrifice to the Queen of heaven because their fathers did so But Paul would not consult with flesh and bloud in matter of religion nor Abraham with humane reason This their reason also is as absurd in true reason as if a sonne were bound to put out his eyes because his father was blind or never to enjoy liberty because his father was in prison or dyed in a dungeon 2. The doctrine of merit and justification by workes runs with nature as Luke 18. 18. in the young Pharisee Master what good thing c. for fain would it finde some goodnesse in it self to demerit God whereas the second Commandement saith God shewes mercie to thousands in them that love him and keep his Commandements The Lords Prayer also teacheth us to pray for daily bread A likely thing that he can merit life eternal that cannot merit a crum of bread 3. The Intercession of Saints and worshipping Images stands onely on the legs of humane reason against divine wisdome Carnal men would see their god and turn his glory into the similitude of a calf or other creature And is it not reason we should have Mediators For why should every rude fellow thrust into the Kings presence and not first make way by some of his Court But divine wisdome saith there is but one Mediator and that we must come to the King by the Prince onely and it is high treason to come by any other 4. Carnal reason teacheth that every man is full of doubting and therefore no man can certainly believe the remission of sinnes or be assured of his own salvation But divine reason teacheth us that this doubting destroyes not faith but exerciseth it and in our Creed we believe remission of sinnes and eternal life which is more than to believe in general as devils doe Secondly for the whole doctrine and religion of Popery how plausible is it to the natural man For 1. What easier faith than to believe as the Church doth no matter what without any knowledge or faith of their own How at one blow cut they off all paines in getting assurance holding or increasing of faith 2. What an easie principle is it that to be ignorant is to be devout and that it is vain labour which is spent in the Scriptures as Hosius saith and that they are the books of Hereticks and they Hereticks that read them What need we be at any paines to read study and meditate in the book of God night and day as the Saints have done How was the Holy Ghost deceived yea and holy men who have studied in Gods Law night and day 3. How pleasing iâ— it to nature to deny it to be so corrupt as it is to say it is but half dead and being a little helped can keep the Law and come out of Gods debt whereas Eph. 2. 1 and 5. what can a dead man doe but rot 4. How pleaseth it nature to offer release from sin from hell from pâ—rgatory for money Who would not whore swear prophane the Sabbath resist Magistracy riot c. if for a little money he may have licence What hypocrite would not give thousands of Rams yea the first-born of his body for the sin of his soul Mic. 6. 7 5. Whereas the Word layes a continual care of keeping the heart and thoughts how doth that doctrine please nature that unlooseth it from this care that requires no pain to keep the heart or to keep out the first motions of sin which they say is no sin Which makes many sinnes venial in their nature put away with a light sigh a knock on the brest or an Ave Mary that a man may lye in sport or officiously by equivocation that to 〈◊〉 a small thing is but a venial sin Sâ—lomon saith a fool makes a mock of sin To conclude that must be a natural and sensâ—el religion which any thing but Gods Word sets up and holds up but this is neither set up nor held up by it for where Gods Word comes down goes Popery It could never â—bide the breath of Gods mouth which blasts and destroyes it 5. Where doctrine is truly taught and believed natural reason raiseth strong ramparts against the practise of it Foâ— else why doe many Protestants walk after the lusts of their hearts as the Gentiles Eph. 2. 3. but because they captivate the Commandement to their own reason and limit and confine the wisdome of God within the bounds of their own carnal wisdome 1. Our Gentry have reason to say that the word in general is the rule of good life but bring this rule close home unto them to reform their fashions to leave their strange apparel and painting their vain discourses their idle complements their gaming their service of pleasure and unfruitful spending of their times Oh now they have reason to scorn and chafe against the rule and him that holds it before them What reason he should be so strict lesse reason they should be as strict as he They know how to put on their clothes how to behave themselves every where and are wiser than to follow such rules as would make
could have imitated them But while he was in the world to shew that his kingdome had no similitude nor correspondency with the Pomps of earthly kingnomes in his progresse he gets on an asse and in'stead of a saddle of state he had poore mens clothes spread under him But when he shall shew his glory he shall ride upon the Clouds as on an horse with such attendants and majesty as all the Potentates on earth were never capable of nor shall be able to behold 6. In amplitude and absolutenesse They will be free Monarchs and Commanders their will and every word of theirs must be a Law but never was any kingdome absolutely Monarchicall but Christs all earthly kings ever held in fee of him By me Kings raigne Prov. 8. 15. Never any other included all kingdomes of the world in it and under it but this Never any to whom all Princes were subject but this Never was there any of them which shall not be broken to pieces by this little stone if it stand in opposition against him Dan. 2. 45. 7. In dispensing justice 1. They must judge by evidence and proofe by the sight of their eyes and hearing of their eares but he shall not do so Isai. 11. 3. For he shall try and discerne the reynes and secrets of all hearts and shall judge things as they be not as they seem David judged according to the hearing of his eare rashly against Mephibosheth Christ shall not do so 2. They can pronounce their subjects just and innocent but he can make them innocent and just communicating his own righteousnesse to them which no Prince can do 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made to us righteousnesse 8. In meanes of upholding and maintaining 1. They must winne holds as David Sions for t and enlarge themselves by force of armes dint of sword multitude of souldiers But Christ sends but twelve unarmed poor men who wonne and subdued the whole world with the word onely in their mouthes such a word as was the greatest enemy to the world and corrupt fashions of it This is the weapon mighty under God to cast down holds 2. They if they want men money munition must despaire of attaining or retaining their rights But Christs kingdome being neither set up nor held up by military power shall be upheld by the invisible and secret power of the spirit If all worldly power be against it never despaire it thrives best in opposition 9. In things to be attained In them the best things are honour pleasure externall prosperity and this for a time But Christs Kingdome stands not in meat or drink but in righteousnesse peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost in grace here and glory hereafter The wealth of Christs subjects is to be rich in grace rich in good works his honour to be of the stock and lineage of Christ his pleasure a patient and painfull expectation of the pleasures at Gods right hand And these being eternall the kingdome of Christ must needs be eternall now this being the glory of the kingdome of Christ we have need of faith to discerne it and a great measure of humility before we can resolve to become subjects of it The theefe on the Crosse asking Christ to remember him in his kingdome Augustine askes him What Royalty doest thou see Seest thou any other crown than that of thornes any other Scepter than Iron nayles any other purpl than bloud any other Throne than a wooden Crosse any other guard than executioners Was there now so great faith in Israel Let our faith touch the top of this Scepter let us submit our selves to his word for the present and cast our eye beyond the present upon his second comming when we shall see him ride upon a white horse not upon garments but upon the Clouds in power and great glory entring not Jerusalem but the stage of the whole world to render unto every man even Kings according as they have done in the flesh good or evill III. David was called and anoynted to be King but between that and the installing or enjoying of his kingdome he had many troubles doubts and feares that made him stagger and say I shall surely one day fall by the hand of Saul So was the true David Jesus Christ annoynted with the fulnesse of the Spirit and called to be King of his Church but before his installation into his Kingdome many afflictions persecutions feares yea death it self overtooke him for our sakes Isai. 5. 3. Wherein he said My God why hast thou forsaken me So must it be with us who must be content to suffer before we can raigne to be crowned first with thornes as Christ was and stand with Christ on Mount Golgotha before we come to Mount Olivet see Act. 14. 22. It is so ordained by God that we should make our way through a straite to state through thornes to Roses through troubles to rest through stormes to the haven through vertue to glory through conquest to triumph through warre to peace through the Crosse to Heaven And this processe God the father strictly observed with his beloved Sonne as was necessary Luk. 24. 26. Phil. 2. 8 9. he was humbled therefore God exalted him And this is the Lords honour to honour his servants raised from the dunghill that they may know the way to glory lies by humility IV. It was ever the lot of the Church to have in it secret and inbred enemies as David and Christ had even such as eat bread at his table and dipped in the dish and these have alwayes proved more mischievous than open and forraigne enemies The Church ever had hypocrites and false brethren Satans spies who professing the same Christ and religion eating bread at the same table of the Lord and making shew of friendship in the communion of Saints joyning in the hearing of the word and prayer yet watcht the haunts of Gods servants to spy their weaknesse and where they ly open to advantage Every one sees they advantage not themselves but by all meanes undermine the Gospell and professors so as the silly dove of Christ can find no rest for the soale of her foot And never was the Church so wounded as in the house of her friends Cant. 1. 5. The sonnes of my mother were angry against me This being the estate of the Church to be hunted as the silly hare from one Mush to another and no where safe it must make us 1. more wary 2. desire our rest 3. love that promise Come with me from Lebanon c. Cant 4. 8. V. Comfort the Church That Jesus Christ is the true David 1. We have a strong deliverer and deliverance David pulled the sheep out of the Lyons mouth and the Lamb out of the paw of the Beare 1 Sam. 17. Christ the true David hath delivered his chosen flock out of the power of Satan death and damnation 1 Cor. 15. 27. 2. Be
and externall sensible sacrifices which all had end by Christs onely sacrifice upon the Crosse but spirituall sacrifices such as Calves of the lips Heb. 13. 15. The sacrifice of a broken heart Psal. 51. 17. Of almes with which God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. Of mortification Rom. 12. 1. and of good works and duties of all sorts Of prayer Psal. 141. 2. Now before any of these sacrifices can finde acceptance we must all put on holy and spirituall garments Never was any priest or performance pleasing without his garments the use of which was to cover and adorne Quest. What garments must we put on Answ. Jacob before he could get his fathers blessing must put on his elder brothers garment Gen. 27. 15. so must we put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 13. 14. Quest. How Answ. Put on whole Christ as the Priest all his garments 1. By making him our own we must weare our own garments Speciall faith unites to Christ and marrieth us to him that he is ours and we his 2. Cover thy selfe with the sacrifice of his death Adam having sinned covered his nakednesse with skins of dead beasts signifying that all his sinfull posterity must cover themselves with the sacrifice of Christ dead the righteousnesse and perfection of which is the linnen Ephod in which thou being wrapped must offer up thy sacrifice 3. Array thy selfe with his virtues to adorne and deck thee This is the broydered coat which thou must weare of manifold virtues and graces which as jewels and ornaments must shine in thy life as the many glistering stones did in the brestplate So the Apostle Ephes. 4. 24. Put on the new man created after God in righteousness and holinesse 4. Put on Christ by Christian profession Our apparrell is seen and makes us known to others Servants make themselves known by the cloth they weare whose they are The Priest must put on the Plate on his forehead and we are commanded to carry the name of God and the Lamb on our foreheads Rev. 14. 1. that men may never see our faces but therein read the holinesse and innocency of our conversation 5. Put on the girdle Have thy loines girded Luke 12. 25. Stand in a readinesse 1. To all duties of Christianity 2. To all acceptable sacrifices of faith repentance prayer praises obedience 3. to offer up our selves by life or death to the glory and praise of God We had need be thus begirt that we may stand to the confession and profession of the truth not knowing when or what trialls will come besides that the world nor pleasure nor lusts seldome find us unprepared And can he be a good subject who is alwaies unprepared for his Princes service but ever ready to serve his enemys III. From the being arrayed with these garments the poore members of the Church have a ground of much comfort in respect 1. Of their head so arrayed 2. Of themselves and in respect of themselves considering those garments 1. In the generall 2. In the particulars First in respect of our high Priest Jesus Christ thus gloriously arrayed 1. In the Ephod we see his mighty power who carries his Church upon his shoulders of power and protection Alas where should we lie if our Lord did not lift us up and beare us up But now we never need to discourage our selves by casting what shall become of the Church or religion if such and such projects prevaile for so long as we are on Christs shoulders we are safe 2. In the Pectoral behold the ardent surpassing love of Jesus Christ to his Church For as he carries us on his shoulders by his power so he carries our names on his heart by his love This our true high Priest cannot forget his saints when he seems to turne his back on them but still hath their names before his eye And this is the happinesse of the Church in which she may well rest her selfe that according to her prayer Cant. 8. 6. Christ setteth her as a seale on his heart and as a signet on his arme How is it possible to forget that which is sealed on the heart How can the eye look off the signet on the arme For a signet because it is most precious is most carefully kept and being upon the arme of Christ what arme can pull us off from him Object Oh that I might know my happinesse to be set on Christs heart Sol. If thou wouldest be set as a signet on the Lords arme become the Lords servant and be faithfull in this service See Hag. 2. 23. O Zerubbabel my servant I will set thee as a signet 3. In his Miter we see our high Priest crowned with honour and glory above all men and Angels And all the Church must say as Psal. 132. 18. On him let his Crown flourish And if the dignity of the head be the honour of the members and the power of the head the safety of the members then from hence we have no small consolation 4. In his Plate we see holinesse engraven on his forehead that all our senses and thoughts must be fixed in the forehead of our onely high Priest from whom all holinesse floweth to his Church Oh what matter of joy is it to see that we in our selves so foule every way in our nature in our course and shut out of heaven where no uncleane thing commeth have in him a fountaine of holinesse set open for us For he is made to us of God wisedome sanctification c Secondly in respect of themselves by meanes of Jesus Christ the members of the Church thus arrayed enjoy sure and stable consolation For 1. In generall they all afford us this comfort that through Christ our high Priest we are beautifull and glorious yea our beauty is made perfect through his beauty Psal. 45. 9. The Queen stands in most royall and costly garments Never had Salomons Queen in all her royalty such sweet perfumed and precious garments as hath the spouse of our true Salomon For 1. Those were provided by Salomon Kings daughters in thy precious garments but these provided by Christ out of his wardrobe and will not endure any other garment or ornament brought or procured elsewhere 2. Those were materiall gold silver and precious stuffe out of earth but ours are spirituall and heavenly What the glorious robes of the Church are see Isa. 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord for he hath clothed me with garments of salvation and covered me with a robe of righteousnesse and decked me as a bride with Jewels What is gold silver silk pearles to righteousnesse holynesse life immortality and glory 3. Those were corruptible and soon cast off but these never weare nor teare For all the sonnes and daughters of God are clad with incorruption and immortality and are heires of eternity Now it were no small comfort that we being so naked and foule wallowing in our bloud and filthinesse or covered