AN EXPLICATION OF THE HVNDRETH AND TENTH PSALME WHEREIN The severall Heads of CHRISTIAN Religion therein contained touching the Exaltation of Christ the Scepter of his Kingdome the Character of his Subjects His Priesthood Victories Sufferings and Resurrection are largely explained and applied Being the Substance of severall Sermons preached at LINCOLNS INNE By EDWARD REYNOLDES sometimes Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford late Preacher to the foresaid Honorable Society and Rector of the Church of Braunston in Northhampton-shire LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Robert Bostocke and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings Head 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LORD COVENTRY Baron of Ailsborough and Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England c. Most Noble Lord IT was the devout profession which Saint Austin once made of himselfe when speaking of the great delight which hee tooke in Ciceroes Hortensius as containing a most liberall exhortation to the love of wisdome without any bias or partiality towards sects he affirmeth that the heate of this his delight was by this onely reason abated because there was not in that booke to bee found the Name of Christ without which Name nothing though otherwise never so polite and elaborate could wholly possesse those affections which had beene trained to a nobler studie And Gregory Nazianzen that famous Divine setteth no other price upon all his Athenian learning wherein hee greatly excelled but onely this that hee had something of worth to esteeme as nothing in comparison of Christ herein imitating the example of S. Paul who though hee profited in the Iewish Religion above many others yet when the Sonne of God was revealed in him laid it all aside as losse and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord. The consideration of which sacred affections in those holy men together with the many experiences of your Lordships abundant favor hath put into mee a boldnesse beyond my naturall disposition to prefix so great a name before these poore pieces of my labours in Gods Church Other argument in this booke there is none to procure either your Lordships view or patronage than this one which that good Father could not finde in all the writings of Plato or Cicero that it hath that High and holy Person for the Subject thereof the knowledge of whom is not onely our greatest learning but our Eternall Life In this confidence I have presumed to present unto your Lordship this publike Testimony of my most humble duty and deep obligations for your many thoughts of favour and bounty towards me not in my selfe onely but in others unto whom your Lordships goodnesse hath vouchsafed under that respect to overflow The Lord Iesus our eternall Melchisedek meet your Lordship in al those honorable affaires which hee hath called you unto with the constant refreshment and benediction of his holy Spirit and long preserve you a faithfull Patrone of the Church which hee hath purchased with his owne blood and a worthy instrument of the justice honour and tranquilitie of this kingdome Your Lordships most humbly devoted Ed. Reynolds To the Reader CHristian Reader when I was first perswaded to communicate some of my poore labours to the publike my purpose was to have added unto those Treatises which were extant before so much of these which I now present unto thy view as concerneth the Elogies of the Gospell of Christ the instrument of begetting the life of Christ in us for little reason had I considering mine owne weakenesse the frequent returnes of that service wherein these pieces were delivered and the groning of the presse of late under writings of this nature to trouble the world a second time with any more of my slender provisions towards the worke of the Sanctuary in this abundance which is on every side brought in But finding that worke grow up under mine hand into a just volume and conceiving that it might bee both more acceptable and usefull to handle a whole Scripture together especially being both of so noble a nature and at first view of so difficult a sense as this Psalme is than to single out some verse and fragment by it selfe I therefore resolved once more to put in my Mite into the Treasurie of the Temple which though for no other reason may yet I hope be for this cause accepted because it beareth the Image and Inscription of Christ upon it Some passages therein are inserted which were delivered in another order and on other Scriptures and some likewise which were delivered in other places and on other occasions which yet being pertinent to the series of the discourse I thought might justly seeme as naturall parts and not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incoherent and unsuteable pieces Such errors as have escaped in the presse and the unfitnesse of some of the Titles of the Pages which in my farre absence from the presse while most of the booke was under it were ordered by others who attended upon it I shall desire thee courteously to passe by those greater slips which may haply perturbe the sense I have noted together So submitting my poore labours to thy favourable Censure and commending thee to the Blessing of God I rest E. R. A Table of the Contents CHrist Iesus the summe of Holy Scriptures Pag. 1 The Ordination of Christ unto his Kingdome 6 The Qualifications of Christ for his Kingdome 7 The Qualitie of Christs Kingdome 9 How the will is drawen unto Christ. 11 Subjection unto the Kingdome of Christ. 12 How Christ is a Lord to his people and to his fore-fathers 17 The right hand of God 22 Christs sitting at Gods right hand noteth 1 His glorious Exaltation 23 All strength from his exciting and assisting grace 25 2 His accomplishing all his workes on earth 29 3 The actuall Administration of his Kingdome 33 4 The giving of gifts unto men 34 The Arke how a Type of Christ. 35 How the Spirit was given before Christ and how after 37 The difference was in the Manner of his mission pag. 39. The difference was in the Subjects to whom hee was sent pag. 39. The difference was in the Measure of his grace in regard of knowledg p. 42 The difference was in the Measure of his grace in regard of strength p. 42 The Reason of the Spirits Mission How the Spirit is a comforter to the Church 43 1 By being our Advocate and how 44 2 By representing Christ absent to the soule 47 3 By a sweete and fruitfull illumination  4 By unspeakable and glorious joy 48 How the Spirit worketh this joy in the heart 49 By his Acts of Humbling By his Acts of Healing By his Acts of Renewing By his Acts of Preserving By his Acts of Fructifying By his Acts of Sealing Enmitie against Christ in all his Offices 56 Grounds of misperswasion touching our love to Christ 1 The countenance of Princes and publick Laws 59 2 The
of their adoption which is the hansell and earnest of their inheritance and thereby begetteth a lively hope an earnest expectation a confident attendance upon the promises and an unspeakable peace and security thereupon by which fruits of faith and hope there is a glorious joy shed abroad into the soule so ful and so intimately mingled with the same that it is as possible for man to annihilate the one as to take away the other For according to the evidence of hope and excellencie of the thing hoped must needs the joy there from resulting receive its sweetnesse and stability By all this which hath been spoken of the mission of the Spirit in such abundance after Christs sitting at the right hand of God wee should learne with what affections to receive the Gospel of salvation for the teaching whereof this Holy Spirit was shed abroad abundantly on the Embassadors of Christ and with what heavenly conversations to expresse the power which our hearts have felt therin to walke as children of the light and as becommeth the Gospell of Christ to adorne our high profession and not to receive the grace of God in vaine Consider first that the word thus quickned will have an operation either to convince unto Righteousnesse or to seale unto condemnation as the Sunne either to melt or to harden as the raine either to ripen corne or weeds as the Scepter of a King either to rule subjects or to subdue enemies as the fire of a Goldsmith either to purge gold or devoure drosse as the waters of the sanctuary either to heale places or to turne them into salt pits Ezek. 47.11 Secondly according to the proportion of the Spirit of Christ in his word revealed shall be the proportion of their judgment who despise it The contempt of a great salvation and glorious Ministery shall bring a sorer condemnation Heb. 2.2.4 If I had not come and spoken unto them saith our Savior they had not had sinne Ioh. 15.22 Sins against the light of nature are no sins in comparison of those against the Gospell The earth which drinketh in the raine that fals often on it and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars is rejected and nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7 8. Thirdly even here God will not alwayes suffer his Spirit to strive with flesh there is a Day of Peace which he calleth our day a day wherein he entreateth and beseecheth us to be reconciled but if we therein judge our selves unworthy of eternall life and goe obstinately on till there be no remedy he can easily draw in his Spirit and give us over to the infatuation of our owne hearts that we may not be cleansed any more till he have caused his fury to rest upon us Ezek. 24.13 We see likewise by this Doctrine wherupon the comforts of the Church are founded namely upon Christ as the first comforter by working our Reconciliation with God and upon the Spirit as another comforter testifying and applying the same unto our soules And the continuall supply and assistance of this Spirit is the onely comfort the Church hath against the dominion and growth of sinne For though the motions of lust which are in our members are so close so working so full of vigor and life that we can see no power nor probabilities of prevailing against them yet we know Christ hath a greater fulnesse of Spirit than we can have of sinne and it is the great promise of the new covenant that God will put his Spirit into us and thereby save us from all our uncleanesses Ezek. 36.27 29. for though we be full of sin and have but a seed a sparkle of the Spirit put into us and upheld and fed by further though small supplies yet that little is stronger than legions of lust as a little salt or leven seasoneth a great lump or a few drops of Spirits strengthen a whole glasse full of water Therefore the Spirit is called a Spirit of judgment and of burning because as one Iudge is able to condemne a thousand prisoners and a little fire to consume abundance of drosse so the Spirit of God in and present with us though received and supplied but in measure though but a smoaking and suppressed fire shall yet breake forth in victory and judgment against all that resist it In us indeed there is nothing that feeds but onely that which resists and quencheth it But this is the wonderfull vertue of the Spirit of Christ in his members that it nourisheth it selfe Therefore sometimes the Spirit is called fire Esai 4.4 Matth. 3.11 and sometimes Oyle Heb. 1.9 1 Ioh. 2.27 to note that the Spirit is nutriment unto it selfe that that grace which we have received already is preserved and excited by new supplies of the same grace Which supplies we are sure shall be given to all that aske them by the vertue of Christs prayer Ioh. 14.16 by the vertue of his and his Fathers promise Ioh. 16.7 Act. 1.4 and by the vertue of that Office which he still beares which is to be the head or vitall principle of all holinesse and grace unto the Church And all these are permanent things and therefore the vertue of them abideth their effects are never totally interrupted Fiftly and lastly this sitting of Christ at the right hand of God noteth his intercession in the behalfe of the whole Church and each member thereof Who is he that condemneth saith the Apostle it is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 But of this Doctrine I shall speake more fitly in the fourth verse it being a great part of the Priesthood of Christ. I now proceed to the last thing in this first verse the continuance and Victories of Christs Kingdome in these words untill I make thy foes thy footstoole Wherin every word is full of weight For though ordinarily subdivisions of holy Scripture and crumbling of the bread of life be rather a loosing than an expounding of it yet in such parts of it as were of purpose intended for models and summaries of fundamentall Doctrine of which sort this Psalme is one of the fullest and briefest in the whole Scriptures as in little maps of large countries there is no word wherupon some point of weighty consequence may not depend Here then is considerable the terme of duration or measure of Christs Kingdome Vntill The Author of subduing Christs enemies under him I the Lord. The manner thereof ponam and ponam scabellum Put thy foes as a stoole under thy feete Victory is a relative word and presupposeth enemies and they are expressed in the text I will but touch that particular because I have handled it more largely upon another Scripture and their enmitie is here not described but onely presupposed It shews it selfe against Christ in all the Offices of his Mediation There is enmity against him as a Prophet Enmity against his Truth
feete two manner of wayes Either by way of subjection as Servants unto him and so hee hath dominion over all the workes of Gods hands and hath all things put under his feete So the Apostle saith that God hath set him at his owne right hand in heavenly places farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feete and gave him to bee the head over all things to the Church Which S. Peter expresseth in a like manner Hee is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him Or secondly by way of victorie and insultation and so all Christs enemies are put under his feete Which is the most proper way For the members of Christ are indeed under the head So wee finde that the sheepe of Christ are in his hands No man shall pluck them out of my hand And the Lambes of Christ are in his armes and bosome Hee shall gather the Lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome But the enemies of Christ are under his feete to bee trampled upon till their bloud bee squeezed out and his garments stained with it All the multiplied multitudes of the wicked in the world shall bee but as so many Clusters of ripe grapes to bee cast into the great winepresse of the wrath of God and to bee troden by him who went forth on a white horse conquering and to conquer till the bloud come out of the winepresse even unto the horse bridles And this is an usuall expression of a totall victory in holy Scripture the laying of an adversary even with the ground that hee may bee crushed and trampled upon This was the curse of the Serpent that hee should crawle with his belly upon the dust of the earth and that the seed of the woman should bruize his head And it is the curse of Gods enemies that they should lick the dust and that the feete of the Church and the tongue of her dogs should bee dipped in the bloud of her enemies Thus David put the people of Rabbah under harrowes and Iehu trod Iezabel under his horses feete And therefore the Church chooseth that phrase to expresse the greatnesse of her calamity by The Lord hath trodden under foote all my mighty men in the midst of mee hee hath called an assembly against mee to crush my yong men The Lord hath trodden the Virgin the Daughter of Iuda as in a wine-presse Now this putting of Christs enemies as a stoole under his feet notes unto us in regard of Christ two things First his Rest and secondly his Triumph To stand in the Scripture Phrase as I have before observed denoteth Ministery and to Sit Rest and there is no posture more easie than to sit with a stoole under ones feet Till Christs enemies then be all under his feet he is not fully in his Rest. It is true in his owne person he is in Rest he hath finished the worke which was given him to doe and therefore is entred into his rest Hee hath alreadie ascended up on high and led captivity captive yet in his members he still suffers though not by way of paine or passion yet by way of Sympathy or compassion he is touched with a feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 As by the things which he suffered he learned obedience towards God so by the same sufferings hee learned compassion and thereupon mercy and fidelity towards his members for no man can be more tenderly faithfull in the businesse of another than he who by his owne experience knoweth the consequence and necessity of it And therefore he is said to be afflicted in all the afflictions of his people and the Apostle tels us that the afflictions of the Saints fill up the remainders or that which is behinde of the sufferings of Christ for as the Church is called the fulnesse of Christ who yet of himselfe is so full as that he filleth all in all neither doth the Church serve to supply his defects but to magnifie his mercy so the Churches sufferings are esteemed the fulnesse of the sufferings of Christ although his were of themselves so full before as that they had a consummatum est to seale up both their measure and their merit and therefore our sufferings are called his not by way of addition or improvement unto those but by way of honour and dignitie unto us they shew Christs compassion towards us and our union and conformitie to him but no way either any defect of vertue in his or any value of merit in ours or any ecclesiasticall treasure or redundancie out of a mixture of both very profitable they are for the edification of the Church but very base and unworthy for the expiation of sinne very profitable for the comfort of men but very unprofitable to the justice of God So then though Christ rest from suffering in himselfe yet not in his Saints though the Serpent cannot come to the head yet it is still bruizing of his heele Here then the Apostles inference is good there remaineth therefore rest unto the people of God and that such a glorious rest as must arise out of the ruine of their enemies when the wicked perish they shall see it and rejoyce and shall wash their feet in the bloud of their adversaries The revenge of God against his enemies is such as shall bring an ease with it Ah saith the Lord I will ease me of mine adversaries I will avenge me of mine enemies Esay 1.24 This is the comfort which the Lord giveth his people that they shall be full when their enemies shall be hungry and that he will appeare to their joy when their enemies shall be ashamed This must teach wicked men to take heed of persecuting the members of Christ for they therein are professed enemies to him whom yet they would seeme to worship This is certaine that all the counsels and resolutions which are made against the subjects or lawes of Christs kingdome are but vaine imaginations which shall never be executed He will at last avenge the quarrell of his people and in spight of all the power or malice of hell make them to sit actually in heavenly places with him whom he hath virtually and representatively carried thither alreadie And it should comfort the faithfull in all their sufferings for Christs sake Because hereby they are first Conformable unto him Secondly they are Associates with him Thirdly they are assured that they are in a way to rest for saith the Apostle it is just with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven And inasmuch saith Saint Peter as you are partakers of Christs sufferings when his glory shall be revealed
Sonnes of men the incorruptible and precious bloud of Christ the exceeding great and pretious promises of the Gospell the word of the Grace of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Now it is required of stewards that a man bee found faithfull that hee defraud not Christ of his purchase which is the soules of men nor men of their price and priviledge which is the bloud of Christ that hee neither favour the sinnes of men nor dissemble the truth of God that hee watch because hee is a seer that hee speake because he is an oracle that hee feed because hee is a shepheard that hee labour because hee is a husband-man that hee bee tender because hee is a mother that hee bee carefull because is a father that hee bee faithfull because he is a servant to God and his Church in one word that he bee instant in season and out of season to exhort rebuke instruct to doe the worke of an Evangelist to accomplish and make full proofe of his ministery because he hath an account to make because hee hath the presence of Christ to assist him the promises of Christ to reward him the example of Christ his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Bishops and Martyrs of the purest time who have now their palmes in their hands to encourage him It was Christs custome to enter into their Synagogues on the Sabbath-dayes and to read and expound the Scriptures to the people It was S. Pauls manner to reason in the Synagogues and to open the Scriptures on the Sabbath dayes Vpon Sunday saith Iustin Martyr All the Christians that are in the cities or countries about meete together and after some Commentaries of the Apostles and writings of the Prophets have been read the Senior or President doth by a Sermon exhort the people and admonish them to the imitation and practice of those divine truths which they had heard read unto them And S. Austen telleth us of Ambrose that hee heard him rightly handling the word of God unto the people every Lords day Yea it should seeme by the Homilies of S. Chrysostome that hee did oftentimes preach daily unto the people and therefore wee frequently meete with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yesterday this and this I taught you And Origen intimateth this frequency of expounding the Scriptures in his time if saith hee you come frequently unto the Church of God and there attend unto the sacred Scriptures and to the explication of those heavenly commandements thy soule will be strengthened as thy body with food And our Church in her Ecclesiasticall Constitutions hath provided for the continuance of so faithfull and pious a custome injoining every allowed Preacher to have a Sermon every Sunday in the yeare and in the afternoone besides to spend halfe an houre in Catechizing the yonger and ruder sort in the Principles of Christian Religion The neglect of which most necessary dutie no man can more bewaile nor more urge the necessity thereof than those who looking abroad into the world have experience of more thick and palpable darknesse in the mindes of men concerning those absolutely necessary Doctrines of the passion merits and redemption of Christ and of faith in them than men who have not with their owne eyes observed it can almost beleeve And that too in such places where Sermons have been very frequently preached I will close this point with the asâ—ertion and profession of Holy Austen Nothing saith he is in this life more pleasant and â—asie than the life of a Bishop or Minister if it be perfunctorily and flatteringly executed but then in Gods sight nihil turpius miserius damnabilius and it was his profession that hee was never absent from his Episcopall service and attendance upon any licentious and assumed liberty but onely upon some other necessary service of the Church Touching the abilitie required in the discharge of this great office there are as I conceive two speciall branches thereunto belonging First Learning for the right information of the consciences of men that men may not pervert the Scripture Secondly Wisedome or spirituall prudence for seasonable application of the truth to particular circumstances which is that which maketh a wise builder For this latter it being so various according to those infinite varieties of particular cases and conditions which are hardly reducible unto generall rules I cannot here speake but referre the Reader to the grave pious counsels of those holy men who have given some directions herein For the other two great workes there are which belong to this high calling Instruction of the Scholer Conviction of the Adversarie Vnto the perfection of which two services when wee duly consider how many different parts of learning are requisite as knowledge of the tongues for the better understanding of the holy Scriptures by their originall idiome and emphasis of the arts to observe the connexion and argumentation and method of them of ancient customes Histories and antiquities of the Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romanes without insight whereinto the full meaning of many passages of holy Scripture cannot bee cleerly apprehended of Schoole learning for discovering repelling the subtilty of the adversaries a thing required in a Rhetorician by Aristotle and Quintilian insomuch that Iulian the Apostate complained of the Christians that they used the weapons of the Gentiles against them and threfore interdicted them the use of Schooles of learning Lastly of Histories and Antiquities of the Church that wee may observe the succession of the Professors and Doctrines hereof the originals and sproutings of heresie therein the better to answere the reproaches of our insolent adversaries who lay innovation to our charge I say when wee duly consider these particulars wee cannot sufficiently admire nor detest the saucinesse of those bold intruders who when they have themselves need to bee taught what are the first Principles of the Oracles of God become teachers of the ignorant before themselves have been Disciples of the learned and before either maturity of years or any severe progresse of studies have prepared them boldly leape some from their manuall trades many from their grammar and logick rudiments into this sacred and dreadfull office unto which heretofore the most learned and pious men have trembled to approach To these men I can give no better advice than that which Tully once gave unto Aristoxenus a musitian who would needs venture upon Philosophicall difficulties and out of the principles of his art determine the nature of a humane soule Haec magistro relinquat Aristoteli canere ipse doceat Let them spend their time in the worke which best befits them and leave great matters unto abler men Thirdly and lastly unto this call is requisite the imposition of hands and the authoritative act of the Church ordaining and setting apart and deriving actuall power upon such men of whose fidelity and ability they have sufficient evidence
be a Free agent or mover to have ex se and within it selfe an indifferencie and undeterminatnesse unto severall things so that when it moves or not moves when it moves one way or other in none of these it suffers violence but workes according to the condition of its owne nature Secondly we may note that this indifferencie is twofold either habituall belonging to the constitution of the will which is nothing else but an originall aptitude or intrinsecall non-repugnancie in the will to move unto contrary extremes to worke or to suspend its owne working or else actuall which is in the exercise of the former as objects present themselves and this is twofold either a freedome to good or evill or a freedome to will or not to will Thirdly notwithstanding the will be in this manner free yet it may have its freedome in both regards so determin'd as that in such or such a condition it cannot doe what it should or forbeare what it should or cannot doe what it should not nor forbeare what it should not Man fallen without the grace of God is free only unto evill and Christ in the time of his obedience was free wholly unto good Man free to evill but yet so as that he onely doth it voluntarily he cannot voluntarily leave it undone Christ free onely to good yet so as that he doth it most freely but could not freely omit the doing of it Fourthly the will worketh not in this condition of things unto morall objects without some other concurrent principles which sway and determine it severall wayes so that the will is principium quod the facultie which moves and the other principium quo the qualitie or vertue by which it moves And these qualities are in naturall men the flesh or the originall concupiscence of our nature which maketh the motions of the will to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the will of the flesh and in the regenerate the Grace and Spirit of Christ so farre forth as they are regenerate Fifthly as the will is ever carried either by the flesh or the spirit to its objects so neither to the one or the other without the preceding conduct and direction of the practicall judgement whether by grace illightned to judge aright or by corrupt affections bribed and blinded to misguide the will for the will being a rationall appetite never moveth bu◠per modum judicii upon apprehension of some goodnesse and convenience in the thing whereunto it moves Sixthly the judgement is never throughly illightned to understand spiritual things in that immediate and ample beautie and goodnesse which is in them but only by the Spirit of Christ which maketh a man to have the selfe-same minde judgement opinion and apprehension of heavenly things which he had so that Christ and a Christian doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinke the same thing as the Apostle speakes Phil. 2.5 By the which Spirit of grace working first upon the judgement to rectifie that and to convince it of the evidence and necessitie of that most universall and adequate good which it presenteth the whole nature is proportionably renewed and Christ formed aswell in the will and affections as in the understanding as the body in the wombe is not shaped by peece-meale one part after another but all together by proportionable degrees and progresses of perfection So that at the same time when the Spirit of grace by an act of heavenly illumination is present with the judgement of reason to evidence not the truth onely but the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ thereunto it is likewise present by an act of heavenly perswasion and most intimate allurement unto the will and affections sweetly accommodating its working unto the exigence and condition of the faculties that they likewise may with such libertie and complacencie as becomes both their owne nature and the qualitie of the obedience required apply themselves to the desire and prosecution of those excellent things which are with so spirituall an evidence set forth unto them in the ministery of the Word As by the same soule the eye seeth and the eare heareth and the hand worketh so when Christ by his Spirit is formed in us for the Spirit of Christ is the Actus primus or soule of a Christian man that which animateth him unto an heavenly being and working Rom. 8.9 10 11. 1 Cor. 6.17 every power of the soule and body is in some proportionable measure enabled to worke suo modo in such manner as is convenient and proper to the quality of its nature to the right apprehension and voluntary prosecution of spirituall things The same Spirit which by the word of grace doth fully convince the judgement and let the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shine upon the minde doth by the same word of grace proportionably excite and assist the will to affect it that as the understanding is elevated to the spirituall perception so the will likewise is enabled to the spirituall love of heavenly things By all which wee may observe that this working of the Spirit of grace whereby we become voluntaries in Christs service and whereby he worketh in us both to will and to doe those things which of ourselves we were not obedient unto neither indeed could be is both a sweet and powerfull worke as in the raising of a man from the dead to which in the Scriptures the renewing of a sinner is frequently compared there is a worke of great power which yet being admirably sutable to the integrity of the creature must needs bring an exact complacencie and delight with it we may frequently in holy Scriptures observe that of the same effect severall things may be affirmed by reason of its connexion unto severall causes and of the severall causalities or manners of concurrence with which those severall causes have contributed any influence unto it As the obedience of Christ was of all other the most free and voluntary service of his Father if we consider it with respect unto his most holy and therefore most undistracted and unhindered will for if it were not voluntary it were no obedience and yet notwithstanding it was most certaine and infallible if we consider it with respect to the sanctitie of his nature to the unmeasurablenesse of his unction to the plenitude of his unseducible and unerring Spirit to the mystery of his hypostaticall union and the communication of properties between his natures wherby what-ever action was done by him might justly be called the action of God in which regard it was impossible for him to sinne In like manner the passive obedience of Christ was most free and voluntary as it respected his owne will for he troubled himselfe hee humbled and emptied himselfe he laid downe his owne life he became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse and yet thus it was written and thus it behoved or was necessary for Christ to suffer if we respect the predeterminate counsell and
Zech. 2.5 And this is the ground of all the Churches comfort that more is with them than against them the enemies have combinations and confederacies of men but the Church hath Immanuel God with them Esai 8.9 10. none can pull Christ from the right hand of God or from the right hand of his people that is none can take away either his power or his love from his people The Church and truth can never bee crush'd and overthrowne no more than a rocke with the raging of the waves they are Heavenly things and therefore nothing of earth or hell can reach to corrupt them It was but a vaine attempt of the Gyants to build a tower to heaven The world was made that there might be therein a Church to worship and contemplate that God which made it therefore in the creation God never rested till he came to a Church to note that that was the end thereof and therefore it is easier to pull downe the world and to shake in peeces the frame of nature than to ruine the Church The Church hath Christ for her husband hee to whom all knees must bend hee whom every tongue must confesse hee who will subdue all things to himselfe so she hath Love Power and Iealousie all three very strong things on her side And therefore the onely way to be safe is to keepe Christ at our right hand to hold fast his truth worship and obedience for so long as we have Immanuel all adverse power is but flesh and all flesh is but grasse withered in a moment when God will blow upon it Note thirdly Christ in his appointed time will utterly overthrow the greatest enemies of his Kingdome and deliver his Church from under the sorest oppressions There is not any one argument in the holy Scriptures more frequently repeated than this of Christs victories prefigured they were in the deliverances of Israel out of Egypt 1 Cor. 10.2 4. In the deliverance of the Arke out of the waters 1 Pet. 3.21 22. in the deliverance of the Iewes from Babylon Revel 14.8 Esai 11 10-12.15 To note that in the sorest extremities and greatest improbabilities God will shew himselfe jealous for his people This victorie is expressed by treading of a wine-presse Esai 63.1 6. when there are none to helpe when the Church is brought to sorest extremities though multitudes meete against her as many as the grapes in a vintage they shall all be but as Clusters of grapes he shall squeeze out their bloud like wine and make his Church to thresh them Lam. 1.15 Revel 14.20 Ioel 3.12 Mic. 4.13 By the dissipation of smoke out of a Chimnie they shall bee as the smoke out of the Chimnie Hos. 13.3 As Athanasius used to say of Iulian the Apostate that hee was but Nubecula quae citò transiret a little cloud which would quickly be blowne away smoke when it breakes out of a Chimnie with a horrible blacknesse threatneth to blot out the Sunne and to invade and choake up all the ayre but a little blast of winde scattereth it and anon nothing thereof appeares By fire consuming thornes and briars Esai 10.17 While they be folded together as thornes and while they are drunken as drunkards that is while they have plotted their counsels and confederacies so curiously that no man dares so much as touch them and while they are drunken with the pride and confidence of their own strength they shall then be devoured as stubble that is fully dry Nahum 1.10 Esai 27.4.31.9 Therefore the Scripture calleth Christ a Man of war Exod. 15.3 Because he is furnished with all Arts of victory Power invincible as a Lion amongst shepheards so is he amongst his enemies Esai 31.4 wisedome unsearchable which must stand v. 1 2. If hee purpose none can disappoint him Esai 14.27 Authority by the least intimation to gather together all the forces of the world against the enemies of his Church If he but hisse unto them they presently come in troops Esai 5.26.7.18 He can command helpe for his people Psal. 44.4 Psal. 71.3 Ier. 47.7 and if that should faile he can create helpe for his people as hee did for Israel when hee wrought miracles to deliver them Psal. 106.22 We may more profitably consider the truth and comfort of this point by discovering it in the severall enemies of Christ and his people First the great enemie of the seed of the woman is the Serpent that great red Dragon whose names are all names of enmity The Accuser the Tempter the Destroyer the Devourer the Envious man furnished with much strength and mightie succour legions of principalities and powers attending on him and with much wisedome which the Scripture calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiles and traines and craftines of Satan And his Arts of destroying men are two To tempt and to accuse His Temptations are twofold either unto Sinne or unto discomfort either to make us offend God or to make us disquiet our selves either to wound us or to vexe us And in all these his Arts Christ our Captain will tread him under our feet and will give his Church the victory at the last either by Arming us with sufficiency of grace and faith in his Victories putting us by his Spirit in minde of his Temptations which taught him compassion towards us who are so much weaker and encouraging our hearts to cry out unto him who is our mercifull and compassionate high priest like a ravished woman in our extremities as Paul did 2 Cor. 12.8 9. stirring up our faith to lay hold on him when we are in darkenesse and our spirit of Adoption to cry unto him when wee are in danger and our spirit of wisedome to solve the objections to discerne the devices of Satan and to prepare and arme our hearts accordingly to wrestle with him Or else by rebuking of him pulling in his chaine and chasing him away and as our second undertaking the combate in person for us when he is ready to prevaile Zech. 3.1 2. Thus he overcommeth him as a Tempter and ever giveth some either comfortable or profitable issue out of them He likewise overcommeth him as an Accuser Satan accuseth the Saints either by way of complaint and naâ—ration of the things which they have done Revel 12.10 which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his laying of crimes to the charge of men Rom. 8.33 and thus Christ overcommeth him by his Intercession and in the hearts of his Saints by making them judge and accuse themselves that they may be able to cleere themselves too 1 Cor. 11.31 2 Corin. 7.11 Or hee accuseth by way of suspition or preconjecture as hee did Iob Iob 1.9 10 11. and herein likewise Christ overcommeth him in his servants by permitting him to tempt and vexe them that they may come the purer out of the fire and by putting a holy suspition and jealousie into them over their owne hearts which may still bee a meanes to prevent them against evils that
the land of Canaan which was a type of Christs Church which he should conquer unto himselfe if any people accepted of the peace which they were first to proclaime they were to become tributaries and servants unto Israel So it is said of Salomon whose peaceable kingdome was a type of Christs after his many victories that he bond-service upon all the nations about Israel and that those princes with whom he held correspondence brought unto him presents as testimonies of his greatnesse and wisedome So when the wise men the first fruits of the Gentiles after Christ exhibited came to submit unto his kingdome they opened their treasure and presented him with gifts gold frankincense and myrrh Againe Monetarum leges valores the authorizing and valuations of publike coines belong unto the prince onely it is his image and inscription alone which maketh them currant Even so unto Christ onely doth belong the power of stamping and creating as it were new ordinances in his Church nothing is with God nor should be currant with us which hath not his image or expresse authority upon it Neither can any man falsify or corrupt any constitution of his without notable contempt against his royall prerogative Againe Iudicium or potestas judiciaria a power of judging the persons and causes of men is a peculiar royalty the administration whereof is from the prince as the fountaine of all humane equitie under God deposited in the hands of inferiour officers who are as it were the mouth of the prince to publish the lawes and to execute those acts of justice and peace which principally belong to his owne sacred breast And so Christ saith of himselfe The Father hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne and hath given him authority to execute judgement Againe Ius vitae necis A power to pardon condemned persons and deliver them from the terrour of the Lawes sentence is a transcendent mercie a gemme which can shine only from the diadems of Princes Now unto Christ likewise belongeth in his Church a power to forgive sinnes it is the most sacred roialty of this prince of peace not onely to suspend but for ever to revoke and as it were annihilate the sentence of malediction under which every man is borne There are likewise Ornamenta Regia regall Ornaments a Crowne a Throne a Scepter and the like Thus we finde the Romanes were wont to send to those forraine kings with whom they were in league as testimonies and confirmations of their dignity scipionem eburneum togam pictam sellam curulem an ivorie scepter a roiall robe and a chaire of state And the like honours wee finde in the Scriptures belonging unto Christ that hee was crowned with glory and honour and that hee had a Throne and righteous scepter belonging to his kingdome Thus we have seene in severall particulars how Christ hath his Royalties belonging to his kingdome Some principall of them we finde in this place A throne a scepter ambassadours armies for the right dispensing of his sacred power We will first consider the words and then raise such observations as shall offer themselves First what is meant by the Rod of Christs Strength or his Strong Rod It notes a thing which a man may leane upon or lay the whole weight of his body on in his wearinesse But being spoken of Christs kingdome wee take it for a scepter or rod of majestie I will not hold you with the variety of acceptions in Expositors Some take it for the branch that groweth out of that roote of Iesse Some for the wood of the crosse Some for the body of Christ borne of a Virgin Some for the kingdome of Christs power taking the signe for the thing signified Some for the power of his mightie workes and preaching That of the body and of the crosse of Christ except by them wee understand the vertue of Christ crucified I conceive to be not so pertinent to the purpose of the Prophet The rest agree in one But for the more distinct understanding of the words wee may consider out of the holy Scriptures what things were sent out of Sion And we finde there two things First the word of the Lord or his holy Gospell The Law shall proceed out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Mic. 4.2 Secondly the spirit of the Lord which was first sent unto Sion for at Hierusalem the Apostles were to wait for the promise of the Father Act. 1.4 and from thence was shed abroad into the world upon al flesh Act. 2.17 and both these are the power or strength of Christ. His word a Gospell of power unto salvation Rom. 1.16 2 Cor. 4.7.10.4 and his spirit a spirit of power 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Tim. 1.7 which is therefore called the finger and the arme of the Lord Luk. 11.20 Matt. 12.28 Esai 53.1 so by the Rod is meant the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ. Secondly what is meant by Gods sending this Rod of Christs strength It notes the manifestation of the Gospell we knew it not before it was sent The donation of the Gospell we had it not before it was sent the invitations of the Gospell we were without God in the world and strangers from the Covenant of promise before it was sent The Commission of the Dispensers of the Gospell they have their patent from heaven they are not to speake untill they be sent Thirdly what is meant by sending it out of Sion It is put in Opposition to mount Sina from whence the Law was sometimes sent with thunders and fire and much terrour unto the people of Israel Ye are not come saith the Apostle unto the mount that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest c. but yee are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant c. Heb. 12.18.24 and the Apostle elsewhere sheweth us the meaning of this Allegoricall opposition betweene Sina and Sion betweene Sarah and Hagar namely the two covenants of the Law and of Grace or of bondage and liberty Gal. 4.24 25. Sion was the place whither the tribes resorted to worship the Lord the place towards which that people praied the place of Gods mercifull residence amongst them the beauty of holines the place upon which first the gift of the holy Ghost was powred forth and in which the Gospell was first of all preached after Christs Ascension We may take it by a Synechdoche for the whole Church of the Jewes unto whom the Lord first revealed his Covenant of Grace in Christ Act. 3.26 Act. 13.46 Rom. 2.10 Rule Thou that is Thou shalt rule which is a usuall forme to put the Imperative for the future Indicative It is not a command which hath relation unto any service but it is a promise a commission a dignity conferred
upon Christ. In the midst of thine enemies Some understand it of changing the hearts of his enemies and converting them as captives unto his obedience Other understand the wonderfull effect of the power of Christs kingdome that he can by his Word and Spirit hold up his Church in despight of all the enemies thereof round about The Church ever was and will be pester'd with divers kindes of adversaries heretikes and hypocrites and false brethren with profanenesse temptations persecutions spirituall wickednesses and in the midst of all these the Church of Christ groweth as a Lily amongst the thornes Now this In medio noteth two things Dominium plenum and dominium securum A perfect and full governement without mutilation without impediment the Church being amongst the wicked as a rocke in the midst of the sea or as a garrison in an enemies towne Media dominantur in urbe is an expression of such a rule as can no way be hindered or removed The Church of God is a burdensome stone they who goe about to remove it out of that place where Christ will plant it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth should gather together against it Zech. 12.3 A secure and confident governement so in the Scripture phrase In the midst notes confidence and security When the Prophet asked the Shunamite would'st thou be spoken for to the king or to the Captaine of the host she answered I dwell amongst mine owne people that is I am safe and have enough already 2 King 4.13 When they of the Synagogue would have cast Christ downe head-long from the brow of a hill it is said that he passed through the midst of them and went his way that is with much confidence safety and assurance he withdrew himselfe Luk. 4.29 30. As the Prophet was full of security and quietnesse in the midst of the Syrian siege 2 King 6 14-16 The words being thus unfolded wee may observe in them Three of Christs principall Regalities Sceptrum Solium and Imperium The Scepter the Throne and the Power or governement of his kingdome His Scepter is the Word of his Gospell animated by the Power of his holy Spirit and accompanied with the blessing and authority of God the Father who sendeth it abroad into the world His Throne from whence this his Scepter is extended Sion the Church of the Jewes His victorious plenarie and secure governement Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies First the Scepter here is the Gospell and the Spirit of Christ. Christ is a Shepheard towards his Flocke the Church Esai 40.11 A great Shepheard Heb. 13.20 that notes his Power and Majesty over them and a good Shepheard Ioh. 10.14 that notes his care and tendernesse towards his Sheepe Kings in the Scripture are called Shepheards to lead and to feed and to govern the people So David is said to have beene taken from the sheepfolds to feed Iacob and Israel Psal. 78.71 2 Sam. 5.2 and thus Christ is a Shepheard and a King I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feede them Even my servant David I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them Ezek. 34.23 24. Prophets Teachers are in the Scripture likewise called Shepherds Ier. 23.1 4. and so Christ is a Shepheard and a Bishop Ye were as sheepe going astray but now ye are returned unto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules 1 Pet. 2.25 And therefore wee finde in the Scripture that Christ hath two pastorall staves to note his great care and double office in his Church The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want I will feare no evill for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me Psal. 23.4 I tooke unto me two staves the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands and I fed the flocke Zech. 11.7 So then the Rod of Christs strength or his strong staffe doth in these severall relations note unto us three things As it is a staffe of strength so it notes the power of Christ. As it is the Scepter of a King so it notes the majestie of Christ. As it is the staffe of a Bishop or Prophet so it notes the care and superintendencie of Christ over his Church So then this first particular of the Rod of Christs kingdome affoords unto us three observations First that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of power and strength towards the Church Secondly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of Glory and Majesty towards his Church Thirdly that Christ in his Gospell and Spirit is full of care and of tendernesse towards his Church First the words of the Gospell with the spirit is full of power and strength No man will denie that Christ in his owne person is full of power And as the power of a Prince is principally seene in his lawes edicts pardons and gratious patents so is the power of Christ wonderfully magnified towards the Church in his Gospell which unto us is both a Covenant of mercy and a Law of obedience We may observe how Christ is frequently pleased to honor his Gospell with his owne titles and attributes And therefore the Apostle speakes of him and his word as of one and the same thing The word of God is quicke and powerfull a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart neither is there any Creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe That which is the word in one verse is Christ himselfe in another which hath given occasion to some learned men without any constraining reason as I conceive to take the Word there for the essentiall Word of God or the person of Christ himselfe to whom I thinke that appellation is not given by any of the sacred Writers but onely by his beloved Disciple Saint Iohn We know that Christ was crucified at Jerusalem and yet the Apostle saith that he was crucified amongst the Galatians Certainely in that he died he died but once unto sin S. Paul could not doe that himselfe which he curseth others for doing Crucifie againe the Lord of Glory So then at Jerusalem he was crucified in his person and at Galatia in the ministery of his Word One and the same crucifying was as lively set forth in Saint Pauls preaching as it was really acted upon Christs person for Christ is as really present to his Church now in the spirituall dispensation of his ordinances as hee was corporally present with the Jewes in the dayes of his flesh And therefore I say it is that we finde the same attributes given to both Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God and the Gospell else-where the Power of God and the wisdome of God in a mystery to them that are perfect Againe Christ the Lord of glory and the Gospell the Gospell of
estate which shall be tendred unto them To admire adore and greedily embrace any termes of peace and reconciliation which shall be offered them To submit unto the righteousnesse and with all willing and meeke affection to bend the heart to the Scepter of Christ and to whatsoever forme of judicature and spirituall government he shall please to erect therein And this magnifies the strength of this Rod of Christs Kingdome that it maketh men yeeld upon any termes when we see the little stone grow into a mightie mountaine and eat into all the Kingdomes of the world when wee see Emperours and Princes submit their necks and scepters to a doctrine at first every where spoken against and that upon the words of a few despicable peâ—sons and that such a doctrine too as is diametrally contrary to the naturall constitution of the hearts of men and teacheth nothing but selfe-deniall and this for hope of reward from one whom they never saw and whom if they had seene they should have found by a naturall eye no beauty in him for which hee should bee desired and this reward too what-ever it be deferred for a long time and in the interim no ground of assurance to expect it but onely faith in himselfe that promiseth it and in the meane time a world of afflictions for his names sake How can we think that a world of wise and of great men should give eare most willingly unto such termes as these if there were not a demonstrative and constraining evidence of truth and goodnesse therein able to stop the mouths and to answer the objections of all gain sayers Of this point I have spoken more copiously upon another Scripture Secondly there is a Conviction unto condemnation of those who stand out against this saving power of the Gospell and Spirit of grace driving them from all their strong holds and constraining them perforce to acknowledge the truth which they doe not love Thus wee finde our Saviour disputing with the Jewes till no man was able to answer him a word and as he did so himselfe so hee promised that his messengers should doe so too I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say nor resist And this promise wee finde made good the enemies of Steven were not able to resist the Spirit by which hee spake And Apollos mightily convinced the Jews shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ And this the Apostle numbreth amongst the qualifications of a Bishop that he should be able by sound doctrine to convince the gain-sayers and to stop the mouthes of those unruly deceivers whose businesse it is to subvert men for this is the excellent vertue of Gods Word that it concludeth or shutteth men in and leaveth not any gap or evasion of corrupted reason unanswered or unprevented Thus wee finde how the Prophets in their ministery did still drive the Jewes from their shifts and presse them with Dilemma's the inconveniences whereof they could on no side escape either there must be a fault in you or else in God who rebuketh you but now what iniquity saith the Lord have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me Have I beene a wildernesse unto Israel or a land of darknesse wherefore say my people we are lords we will come no more unto thee O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against mee I raised up of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites Is it not even thus O yee children of Israel Here the Scripture useth that figure which is called by the Rhetoritians Communicatio a debating and deliberation with the adverse party an evidencing of a cause so cleerely as that at last a man can challenge the adversary himselfe to make such a determination as himselfe shall in reason judge the merits of the cause to require How shall I pardon thee for this and how shall I doe for the daughters of my people Set me in a way determine the controversie your selves and I will stand to the issue which your owne consciences shall make O inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah judge I pray you betweene me and my Vineyard that is doe you your selves undertake the deciding of your owne cause When a band of armed men came against Christ to attach him and at the pronouncing but of two words I am he fell all downe backward to the earth we must needs confesse that there was some mightie power and evidence of Majesty in him that uttered them what thinke wee can he doe when hee raigneth and judgeth the world who did let out so much power when he was to die and to be judged by the world Now Christ raigneth and judgeth the world by his Word and that more mightily after his ascending up on high and therefore he promiseth his Apostles that they should doe greater workes than himselfe had done When I shall see a man armed with scorne against Christ in his Word standing proudly upon the defence of his owne wayes by his owne wisdome and wrapping up himselfe in the mud of his owne carnall reasonings by a few postulata and deductions from Gods Word to bee enforced to stoppe his owne mouth to be condemned by his owne witnesse to betray his owne succours and to bee shut up in a prison without barres when I shall force such a man by the mighty penetration and invincible evidence of Gods Word to see in his owne conscience a hand subscribing to the truth which condemnes him and belying all those delusions which he had fram'd to deceive himselfe withall who can deny but that the rod of Gods mouth is indeed Virga virtutis a rod of strength an iron rod able to deale with all humane reasonings as a hammer with a potsherd which though to the hand of a man it may feele as hard as a rocke yet is too brittle to endure the blow of an iron rod Strange it is to observe how boldly men venture on sinnes under the names of custome or fashions or some other pretences of corrupted reason contrary to the cleere and literal evidence of holy Scriptures the most immediate and grammaticall sense whereof is ever soundest where there doth not some apparant and unavoidable errour in doctrine or mischiefe in manners follow thereupon Men will justifie the cause of the wicked for reward and by dexterity of wit put a better colour upon a worser businesse as hath beene observed of Protagoras and Carneades and yet the Lord saith expressely Thou shalt not speake in a cause to wrest judgement thou shalt keepe thee far from a false matter for God whom thou oughtest to imitate will not justifie the wicked Men will follow the sinfull fashions of the world in strange apparell in prodigious haire in lustfull and unprofitable expence of that pretious
first workes lest so excellent a priviledge be removed from us There is no wrath that is wrath to the uttermost but that which depriveth a people of the Gospell and taketh away their Candlesticke from them Thirdly it notes unto us the difference of the two covenants the one out of Sinai and the other out of Sion At first the Law proceeded out of Sinai wherein though the end were merciful yet the manner was terrible and therfore the effect nothing but bondage but after it was sent out of Sion with the Spirit of grace and adoption observed with cheerefulnesse and libertie as by those that know God will spare them as a man spareth his childe that serveth him for in my bond-slave I looke to the perfection of the worke but in my son to the affection and disposition of the heart Lastly it notes unto us that the seat of saving truth the custodie of the promises and Gospell of salvation doth still belong unto Sion to the Church of God Out of the Church there is no Gospell and therefore out of the Church there is no salvation The Apostle saith of children which are borne out of the Church that they are uncleane unto the Church above all congregations of men belongeth this excellent priviledge to be the Treasurer of the riches of Christ and to hold forth the Word of life unto men In which sense the Apostle saith that it is the pillar and the ground of truth not that which giveth being to the Church for the Law must not faile nor perish nor that which giveth authoritie imposeth a sense canonizeth and maketh authenticall is a judge or absolute determiner of the truth for in that sense the Church is held up by the Word and not that by it for the Church is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles namely upon that fundamentall doctrine which they have laid But the Church is the depositary of the truth that orbe out of which this glorious light shines forth unto it appertaines the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Her office and her honour it is to be the Candlesticke which holdeth up the Word of truth to set to her seale unto the evidence and excellencie thereof by her ministery authority consent and countenance to conciliate respect thereunto in the mindes of aliens and to confirme it in the mindes of beleevers to fasten the nailes and points thereof like masters of the assemblies under one principall Shepherd which is Christ in the hearts of men not to dishonour it by their usurped authority above it for by that meanes all controversies of religions are turned not into contentions of doctrine that that may be rested in which doth appeare to have in it most intrinsecall majestie spiritualnesse and evidence but into factions and emulations of men that that sect may bee rested in who can with most impudence and ostentation arrogate an usurped authority to themselves but by their willing submission thereunto to credit it in the affections of men and to establish others in the love and obedience thereunto for the authoritie of the Church is not Autoritas jurisdictionis an authority of jurisdiction above the Scriptures but onely Autoritas muneris an authoritie of dispensation and of trust to proclaime exhibite present the truth of God unto the people to point to the starre which is directed unto by the finger but is seene by the evidence of its owne light To hold forth as a pasquill or pillar that Law and Proclamation of Christ the contents whereof we discover out of it selfe In one word that place sheweth the duty of the Church to preserve knowledge and to shew forth the truth of sacred Scriptures out of themselves but not any infallibilitie in it selfe or authority over others to binde their consciences to assent unto such expositions of Scripture as derive not their evidence from the harmonie and analogie of the Scriptures themselves but only from Ipse dixit because the Church hath spoken it To conclude this point we are to note for the cleere understanding of the office of the Church concerning the holy Scriptures First that some things therein are Hard to be understood as Saint Peter speakes either by reason of their allegoricall and figurative expressions as the visions of Ezekiel Daniel Zechary c. or by reason of the obscure and strange connexion of one part with another or of the dependance thereof upon forren learning or the like but then we must note that the knowledge of such things as these are not of absolute necessitie unto salvation for though the perverting of hard places be damnable as Saint Peter telleth us yet that ignorance of them which groweth out of their owne obscurity and not out of our neglect is not damnable Secondly some things have evidence enough in the termes that expresse them but yet are Hard to be beleeved by reason of the supernaturall quality of them As when we say that Christ was the Sonne of a Virgin or that he died and rose againe there is no difficultie in the sense of these things it is easily understood what he that affirmeth them doth meane by them All the difficultie is to bring the minde to give assent unto them Thirdly some things though easie in their sense to be understood and it may be easie likewise in their nature to be beleeved are yet Hard to be obeyed and practised as repentance and forsaking of sinne c. Now according unto these differences wee may conceive of the office and power which the Church hath in matters of holy Scripture First for hard places in regard of the sense and meaning of the place it is the dutie of the Church to open them to Gods people with modestie and moderation and therein God alloweth the learned a Christian libertie with submission of their opinions alwayes to the spirits of the Prophets so long as they doe therein nothing contrary to the Analogie of faith to the generall peace and unity of the Church to the rules of charitie pietie loyaltie and sobrietie to abound in their owne sense and to declare for the further edifying of the Church what they conceive to be in such difficult places principally intended And further than this no Church nor person can goe for if unto any man or chaire there were annexed an infallible spirit enabling him to give such a cleere and indubitate exposition of all holy Scriptures as should leave no inevidence in the Text nor hesitancie in the mindes of men how comes it to passe that hitherto so many difficulties remaine wherein even our Adversaries amongst themselves doe give severall conjectures and explications and how can that man to whom so excellent a gift of infallibilitie is bestowed cleere himselfe of envie and abuse of the grace of God who maketh not use thereof to expound the Scriptures
for themselves The Lord is not at our left hand to succor us in our idlenesse and negligence but at our working hand to give successe to our honest endeavors The sword of the Lord doth not fight without the sword of Gedeon Iudg. 7.18 In the miracles of Christ when hee fed and feasted men hee never created wine or bread of nothing but blessed and so changed or multiplied that which was by humane industry prepared before Our Savior had fish and bread of his owne and yet hee would have his Disciples put in their net and catch and bring of their owne to note unto us that Gods power and providence must not exclude but encourage mans industry Ioh. 21.9 10. Hee protecteth us in viis nostris non in praecipitiis in our wayes not in our precipices or presumptions Psal. 91.11 So long then as the Church is valiant and constant in withstanding the enemies of her peace prosperity God is undoubtedly with her to blesse that courage and to strengthen that right hand so long as Moses held up his hand God fought for Israel There was Ioshuas sword and Moses his hand or prayer and upon those Gods blessing Exod. 17.12 13. And they were all to concurre If the sword should cease the Prayer would doe no good for God will not bee tempted If the Prayer faint the sword is in vaine for God will not bee neglected As in a curious Clock stopp any wheele and you hinder the whole motion If God promise to bee present Ioshua must promise to bee couragious Iosh. 1.5.6.9 Secondly to note unto us the care and militarie wisedome of Christ our Captaine to meete with and to prevent our enemies and to intercept their blowes against us for wee may observe in the Scripture that Satan plieth the right hand of the Church laboureth to weaken and assault us where there is most danger towards him Let Satan stand at his right hand Psal. 109.6 That is either give him over to the rage of Satan that hee may bee hurried to execute his will or set Satan to hinder him in his mischievous intents Thus Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua the high Priest to resist him Zech. 3.1 Noting the assiduous and indefatigable endeavors of Satan to resist disappoint and overthrow the workes of the worthies in Gods Church I would have come unto you even I Paul once and againe but Satan hindered us 1 Thess. 2.18 And to divert the strength of men upon his service And therefore to rebuke him and to shew to the Church that our strength is from him and due unto him hee also stands there to outvie the temptations and impulsions of Satan These are the two expositions which are given of these words The Lord at thy right hand Now though of all places of Scripture there is indeed but one literall sense yet when two are given which both tend unto the same generall scope and are suteable not onely to the analogie of faith but to the meaning mainely aimed at by the Holy Ghost in the place and when there is no apparant evidence in the face of the Text for preferring one before the other I thinke it is not unfit to embrace both and so something I shall touch upon both senses Shall strike through or wound or make gore bloudie Kings in the day of his wrath The word is Hath stricken through Kings It is a Prophesie of things future spoken as of things to bee done To strike thorow notes a complete victory and full confusion of the enemie an in curable wound that they may stagger and fall and rise up no more and that affliction may not arise a second time Nahum 1.9 1 Sam. 26.8 The onely difficulty is what is meant by Kings for which wee must note that the Kingdome of Christ is spirituall and his warre spirituall and therefore his enemies for the most part spirituall Therefore I take it wee are hereby to understand the most potent enemies of Christ whether spirituall wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes. 6.12 2 Cor. 10.4 Or Carnall as heathen and wicked men Psal. 2.8 9. The fat and the strong enemies of the Church Ezek. 34.16 Our spirituall enemies in Scripture are called Kings Satan the Prince of this world the God of this world the Prince of the power of the aire The King of the locusts c. Sinne and originall concupiscence is a King Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies And the Earthly enemies of Christ are called Kings The ten Hornes that is ten Kings make warre with the Lambe The Kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and his Christ and Death which is the last enemie is a King The King of Terrors that raigneth over men Aâ—d over all these Kings doe the victories of Christ reach Some by Kings understand the Romane emperors who are called Kings 1 Pet. 2.13.17 And their overthrow for persecuting the Church But since all sorts of Christs enemies are called Kings in Scripture and all of them doe push at his Kingdome in the Church I see no ground why wee may not by Kings understand them all with their subjects armies and associates As in great victories the Lords and principall men are said to be overcome when the servants and souldiers are routed and slaine In the Day of his wrath That is when time hath ripened the insolency and malice of the enemie when his fury is fully stirred up and provoked when the just and full time of his glory is come That it may appeare that they are overcome not by time or chance or humane power or secular concurrence but onely by the power of his wrath hee will doe it Christ is never destitute of power but in wisedome hee hath ordered the times of his Church when to have his Church suffer and beare witnesse to him and when to triumph in his deliverances So the meaning of this clause is this when the day of recompence is come when the sinnes and provocations of his enemie is ripe when the utmost period of his patience is expired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fixed and unmoveable day which hee hath set bee the probabilities never so poore preparations never so small the expectations never so low the meanes in humane view never so impossible yet then by his wrath hee will utterly and incurably wound his enemies both spirituall and temporall that they shall not rise a second time He shall judge amongst the Heathen The word judgement noteth both Government and Punishment The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 There to judge noteth government The Lord standeth up to plead and to judge his people Esai 3.13 That nation whom they serve will I judge Gen. 15.14 There to judge noteth punishment Here it is taken
greater glory The Lord seemeth to neglect to breake up the hedge to sleepe while his Church is sinking as Christ to his Disciples seemed carelesse Mark 4.38 39. so frequently in Scripture the Saints expostulate with God in an humble and mourning debate Why sleepest thou O Lord Arise cast us not off for ever Psal. 44.23 Ier. 14.8 9. But God hath his quare against us too for this infirmitie and haste of ours Why sayest thou O Iacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God That is he hath not taken notice of my calamitie Hast thou not knowne hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary There is no searching of his understanding Esay 40.27 28. He is wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working and therefore he doth not slumber nor sleepe but only in wisdome ordereth times and seasons that there may in the end be the greater glory unto him and in the things done the more beautie Every thing saith Salomon is beautifull in its time if you gather it before it loseth both its beauty and vertue It would bee a madnesse for a man to mow downe his corne when it is in the greene blade Hee waiteth saith the Apostle for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience Iam. 5.7 Now the Prophet assureth us that Light that is comfort refreshment peace deliverance is sowne for the righteous Psal. 97.11 It was sowen for the people of God when they were in captivity though to themselves they seemed as dead men in their graves yet indeed they were dead but as seed in the furrowes which revived againe Psal. 126.5 6. and therefore the Lord likewise like Saint Iames his husbandman is said to wait that he may be gracious to his people Esay 30.18 Though a man suffer never so much injury and be most violently kept out of his owne right yet he must wait till time and mature proceedings have brought on his matters to a triall therefore the Lord calleth it The yeare of recompences for the controversies of Sion Esay 34.8 It is not for private men to order the periods or stints or revolutions of times wherein businesses are to be tried but publike authoritie constitutes that and every man must wait for the appointed time so the Church must not set God the times when it would bee heard or eased but must trust his wisedome and power Ier. 49.19 for there is a set time wherein he will have mercy upon Sion Psal. 102.13 Now this Time is ruled and bounded by these considerations First when the sinne of the enemie is growen ripe and his heart proud and insolent against God and his people when he trampleth upon the poore when he sacrificeth to his owne net when he adoreth his owne counsels when he deifieth his owne condition and thinketh that none can pull him downe then is it a time for God to shew himselfe and to stir up his glory It is time saith David for thee O Lord to worke for they have made void thy Law Psal. 119.126 So outragious they are that their fury runneth over from thy servants to thine ordinances to blot out the very records of heaven the name and feare of God out of the earth And this reason and period of time wee finde frequently in the Scriptures given In the fourth generation they shall come hither againe for the iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full Gen. 15.16 It is not growen to that ripenesse and compasse as I in my wise secret and patient providence will permit O thou that dwellest upon many waters abundant in treasures saith the Lord to Babylon thine end is come and the measure of thy covetousnesse Ier. 51.13 when men have filled up the measure of their sinne then is their end come bee their wealth or safety or their naturall or acquired munition never so great Put you in the sickle saith the Prophet for the harvest is ripe come get you downe for the presse is full the fats over-flow for the wickednesse is great Ioel 3.13 When wickednesse is so great that it filleth all the vessels then is the Lord ready to put in his sickle and to cut it downe It is further demanded when sinne is full To this I answer that there are three things principally which set forth the fulnesse of sinne Vniversality Impudence and Obstinacy First when a whole Land is filled with it that there are none to intercede or to stand in the gap when from Streets to Palaces from Houses to Courts from Schooles to Churches from every corner sinne breaketh forth so that bloud toucheth bloud The Land is full of adulterers saith the Prophet because of swearers the Land mourneth for both Priest and Prophet are profane yea in my house have I found their wickednesse saith the Lord Ier. 23.10 11. when in every place and at every view there are new and more abominations Ezek. 8.17 Ier. 5 1-6 Secondly when sinne is impudent whorish and outragious when there is no feare modesty or restraint but it breaketh all bonds and like a raging sea overrunneth the bankes They declare their sinne as Sodome saith the Prophet and hide it not woe unto their soules Esay 3.9 it is so full that it breakes out into their countenance hypocrisie it selfe is too narrow to cover it This is that which the Apostle calleth An excesse of riot and the Prophet a rushing like an horse into the battell Now when God thus gives a man over sinne will not be long a filling up when lusts breake forth and throng together when from concupiscence sinne goes on to conception and delight to formation and contrivance to birth and execution to education and custome to maintenances and defence to glory and boasting to insensibilitie hardnesse and a reprobate sense then there is such a fulnesse in sinne as is neere unto cursing the very next step is hell Lastly when sinne holds out in stubbornenesse and is incorrigible when the remedy is refused the pardon rejected the peace not accepted Then is sinne come to its fulnesse The sinne of the Amorites was never quite full but when they rejected that peace mercy and subjection to Gods people which was offered them first But when men sinne against those meanes of grace which are sent unto them and leave no remedie to themselves no marvell if the Lord give them over and let in the enemie upon them 2 Chron. 36.16 Therefore we must take heed of finishing sinne for it is not sin but the consummation and finishing of sinne which condemnes a man Now when thus the sinne of the enemie is growne so ripe that it breaketh forth into pride and insultation against Gods people then is the Lords time to shew himselfe I will restore health unto thee saith the Lord to his Church and I will heale thee of thy wounds because