men and brethren the end of our preaching and seruice in the gospell that by the sound of this trumpet we may gather amongst you an army vnto Iesus Christ and may traine you and arme you and leade you foorth to the battell of the Lord. Now therfore in the former part of this verse there are three things of vs to be obserued Three things to be obserued in the former part of the verse First what our calling or condition is in the seruice of Iesus Christ we are his army Secondly with what affection the subiects of Christ goe foorth to fight for him with great deuotion or willingnesse Thirdly how they are attired and armed for this battell in the excellent beauty of holynesse A christian life a continuall warfare 2 First then we are to remember that a Christian life is a continuall warfare and that there are enemies against whom we are still to lie in campe and to maintaine fight and with all watchfulnesse and circumspection to looke vnto our selues and to fortifie and strengthen our fortresses and holdes that we be neither surprised by their craft nor surcharged by their power Satan the chiefest enimie of Christs kingdome Satan the deuil the chiefe of these enemies c Iob. 1.7 compasseth the earth to and fro d 1. Pet. 5.8 goeth about like a roaring lyon still seeking whom he may deuour A mightie dangerous aduersary great in power wily in practise bould in attempt fierce in charge instant and importunate in fight weerisome in continuance manifold in all his actions a very Protêus turning and winding himselfe into all fashions and formes and shapes sometimes a fearefull Dragon sometimes a flattering Mermaide and any thing to serue his turne An expert and beaten souldiour knowing all stratagemes and policies of warre A skilfull and cunning fisher knowing all maner of baites for all kindes and for all seasons hauing as Cyprian saith e Cypr. de exhortat martyrij by long experience and practise learned all meanes and waies to cozen and deceiue vs applying himselfe to the seuerall ages of men to their estates and degrees their places and callings their humours and affections omitting no occasions no oportunities that he can any way apprehend to subuert and ouerthrow vs. The world a speciall instrument whereby Satan fighteth against vs. 3 A speciall instrument that he vseth to this purpose is the world with the tentations whereof we are so enuironed and beset on euery side and finde them still so lying in our way that we may seeme to walke amongst bryers and thornes nay amongst adders and serpents the biting and stinging whereof it may seeme vnpossible to escape Seldome or neuer are we free but that he assaieth vs either by the men of this world or by the things of this world to hold vs backe from doing good and to draw vs on to the committing of euill He seeketh to winne vs to euill by the euill examples of the world that whilest we are ashamed to goe alone to heauen we may with the multitude goe that a Mat. 7.13 broad and easie way that leadeth vnto destruction He discourageth vs from goodnes by the offence and displeasure sometimes of friends sometimes of great men that whilest we loue men more then God we may by pleasing of men fall away froÌ„ God He trieth vs by the reproches and slaunders the mocks and taunts the twitings and vpbraydings of the world that the irkesomenes thereof entring into our soules like arrowes into our bones may make vs weary of folowing vertue and godlines whereby we become subiect vnto such disgrace He raiseth trouble and persecution that the danger of life and goods the feare and dread of fire and sword of imprisonment and banishment may driue vs away from our reioycing in the crosse of Christ The things of this world strong temptations 4 Now by the things of this world he strongly tempteth vs and vseth the allurements of profit and gaine of pleasure and delight of preferment and glory of the world as three mightie engines wherewith vniuersally he oppugneth the whole nature of man and as with bullets of â—ron battereth and beateth downe the castles and towres that seeme inuincible and striketh the very b Reuel 9.1 starres from heauen to earth extinguishing in men the light of the spirite that hath most clearely shined quenching the zeale that hath most feruently burned preuailing with men to pull downe in themselues that which God hath builded vp to make sale of Faith and shipwracke of conscience and to become runnegates and apostataes yea and sometimes persecutors of the Gospell which they themselues haue professed The motiue whereof the deuill saw to bee so strong as that thereby he would needs trie the strength of our Sauiour Christ a Mat. 4.8 Luc. 4.6 shewing him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them and saying If thou wilt fall downe before me and worship me they shall be all thine And surely hereby he winneth many to fall downe before him and to worship him by sinne and vnrighteousnes and wilfull breaking of the commandements of God For the compassing of their vniust and sinfull desires of the things of this world yeelding themselues at his will to become vassals and slaues to couetousnesse extortion vsurie falsehood to whore dome and filthinesse to gluttony and drunkennesse to ambition flatterie hypocrisie enuie and all maner lewd and euill works content to admit a wound in the conscience for a peny in the purse and for the pleasure of the body to destroy the soule and for the kingdome and glory of this world to loose the glorious kingdome of Iesus Christ Satan strong against vs by the lust and concupiscence of our owne harts 5 We see how dangerous an enemie we haue to deale withall but yet the danger is much the greater for that in our own bosomes we cary a fire to burne our selues a false Tarpeia conspiring with the enemie to betray her owne father a treacherous Dalilah flattering her owne husband to bereaue him of all his strength and to deliuer him bound into the hands of them that seeke his life I meane the corruption of our owne nature the frowardnesse and vngratiousnesse of our owne harts the venome poison that we bring with vs nourish in vs euen froÌ„ our mothers wombe which as a troubled fountaine or rather as a raging sea is still casting vp mire and dirt and sending foorth the motions and lusts of sinne which are euermore ready to open the gates to the enemie to let him in vpon vs by the seeing of the eie by the hearing of the eare by the tasting of the tongue and by all the parts and powers both of our bodies and of our soules For what are all these but gates and doores and windowes whereby sinne and death if we preuent it not doe enter in vpon vs and take fast hold of vs 6 Thus
we may not f Rom. 10.14 call vpon him in whom we do not beleeue but his meaning for all that is that we shall call vpon saints though we may not beleeue in them The word of Christ is that as there is but one God so there is but g 1. Tim. 2.5 one mediatour betwixt God and man but his meaning for all that must be that all the saints of heauen must be our mediatours vnto God The worde of Christ is that we shall not h Exod. 20.4 make a grauen image to fall downe to it or to worship it but we must thinke that he meant that we should make vs grauen images to fall downe before them to worship them to offer and pray vnto them What impudent men are these and how hard is their forehead that will goe about to perswade vs that Christ hath a sense and meaning so directly contrary to that that he speaketh And yet they forsooth must be taken for the iudges of the scriptures and whatsoeuer Christ saith we must beleeue nothing but according to that meaning that they will make of it because as one of them saith if a man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome he hath the true sense of scripture although he cannot see how it agreeth with the words Let vs detest these hypocrites more and more and let these things so palpably lewde and absurd teach vs to stop our eares against those a Rom. 16.18 faire words and flattering speeches wherewith they send their sirens and mermaides abroade to beguile and seduce the harts of simple men Yea and let vs cleaue so much the more stedfastly vnto the iudgement of the word of Christ because we see that for the mainteining of their bad cause they are forced so grosly to abuse the same When we see the text of scripture so plaine for our selues that in words it affirmeth the same that we teach and so pregnant against them that they are faine so absurdly to wrest it to serue their turne how can we doubt but that the iudge of truth speaketh on our part and that their setting vp of another iudgement seate is nothing else but an appeale from the sentence of this iudge Let them prosecute their appeale but we will rest in the word and sentence of him whom God hath set vp to be the iudge amongst the heathen Christ a iudge to be reuenged of them that are disobedient vnto him Who last of all because he is the iudge shall award iust damnation to them that are disobedient and will not submit themselues to be guided by his iudgment And though happely they be such as professe his name yet being enemies to his word they are enemies vnto him and shall receiue their iudgement accordingly as who indeede pretend the name of Christ not to honour Christ but by pretence thereof to serue and set vp themselues The furie of Christs wrath against his enimies 13 The prophet nowe hauing set foorth Christ as the iudge of all nations returneth againe to declare his wrathfull indignation and furie against his enimies And to that purpose he addeth He shall sill all with dead carkeises c. Where he compareth him to a bloudie conquerour who hauing gotten the victorie and hauing now the law in his owne handes killeth and slaieth without mercie so that the earth is in a maner couered with the multitude of dead men But what the earthly conquerour doth by crueltie the same Christ heere is brought in as doing by iust iudgement Onely by these termes of bodily slaughter we must vnderstand those both corporall and spirituall both temporall and eternall destructions wherewith Christ shall reward the pride rebellion of them who either in himselfe or in his members oppose themselues against him And if it be a fearefull thing vnto vs to fall into the handes of tyrants who practise these cruell and horrible executions vpon mens bodies how dreadfull a thing should it be vnto vs to prouoke the wrath of him that shall bring this fearefull damnation both vpon bodie and soule Are we mooued to conceiue the bodies of slaine men lying in heapes vpon the ground and doth it not mooue vs to consider the multiude of the world casting themselues heape-wise and headlong vnder the sword of Iesus Christ and dying by his hande And if we naturally abhorre to imagine our owne bodies lying among the carkeises of dead men to be deuoured of wilde beasts and to be as carion for kites and rauens how vnnatural are we to our selues when by contempt of Christ and his commandements we suffer our selues to lie amongst the heapes of wicked men in the damnation of sinne to become the pray and spoile of the diuell and his angels and with them to be partakers of euerlasting fire a Heb. 10.31 It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is not so gracious and louely vnto them that seeke him but he is as sharpe and seuere vnto them that will not be guided by his worde How Christ hath giuen experience of his wrath in the destruction of the great monarches and potentates of the world 14 Which seueritie the prophet againe denounceth not onely to the baser sort but also to the greatest and mightiest amongst men when he saith that he shal strike the head or him that is the head ouer great countries For by these wordes he describeth the great monarches and princes of the worlde who hauing many and great countries vnder their dominion should in the pride of their greatnesse resist the kingdome of Iesus Christ but yet for al their might should not escape the deadly stroke of his reuenging hand And hereof we finde many notable examples in the stories of the church wherein wee may behold howe vengeance hath followed princes and great men to strip them of their crownes and dignities to bring them to contempt and shame to destroy them by horrible and fearefull death who haue abused their state and greatnesse against Christ and sought thereby the ouerthrow of his church It woulde be too long to discourse of Herode who thinking by the death of Christ to gaine the assurance of the kingdome of Iudea to himselfe was by Caius the emperour depriued of his kingdome and ended his life an exile and banished man of Pontius Pilate who condemning the righteous sonne of God to vndeserued death became afterwards the butcher and murtherer of himselfe of the other Herode who killed Iames and would haue killed Peter also who for his pride was striken by the angell of God and denoured being yet aliue of vermine and lice Looke vnto the Heathen emperors of Rome who were indeed the heads ouer great countries and who practised the greatest opposition against the kingdome of Christ and see whether there were in a manner any of them that so did vpon whom the hand of Iesus Christ was not manifestly to be seene Nero the emperour
set them foorth to derision and scorne and in a word shall bring vpon them vtter confusion that they shall be no more able to rise against him then the footestoole is to rise against him that treadeth vpon it 13 Now the full accomplishment hereof appeareth not vntill the day come that Iesus Christ shall come to iudge both quicke and dead but yet euen since the time that he tooke possession of the right hand of God he hath not ceased to giue vnto his Church some experience and tast of this glorious power in fighting against them that haue fought against him striking the Scepter of Princes in peeces and casting their crownes to the ground bowing downe their backes and making them spectacles of infamie and confusion that haue shedde the bloud of his saints and magnified themselues against his church What shoulde I heere discourse vnto you of the Herodes and Pilates Neroes Deoclesians Maximines and other tyrants and persecutors of Christ and his Church vpon whom the reuenging hande of Iesus Christ hath so apparantly and pregnantly shewed it selfe that the world could not but giue glory vnto God and say a Exod. 8.19 It is the finger of God b Psal 118.23 The enimies of Christ ouerruled to serue for the vse and good of him and his this is the Lords dooing and it is maruelous in our eies 14 To leaue this to his proper place in the end of this Psalm what shall I say moreouer that howsoeuer satan bend himselfe and practise his malice against the kingdome of Christ and his instruments euen some at the mouth for very mad rage and fury against the church intending the vtter extirpation of the name of it and therefore infinitely butchering and killing both men and women old and young high and low that doe take in their mouthes the testimony of Iesus Christ yet Christ alwaies hath his hooke in their nostrells and sitteth at the sterne of their malice limiting their power ouerruling their purposes ordering all their courses in such sort that they can doe nothing but what he seeth to be expedient and profitable for his A footestoole for ease and helpe And as the footestoole serueth for the ease and helpe of him that vseth it vntill being past vse it is hewed in pieces to be cast into the fire euen so the enimies of Christ and his kingdome though they conceiue not so themselues nor appeere so vnto vs yet are forced to serue for the benefite and good of gods elect vntill God hauing done by their hand what he thinketh good they be cut off by the sword of his iudgement and cast into euerlasting fire Valerianus the emperor of Rome a most bitter and deadly enemy to the faith of Christ vsing all most barbarous and sauage cruelty towards them that professed the same by the iust iudgement of him whom in his members he thus persecuted was ouercome and taken in battell by Sapores the King of Persia who pulled out his eies and bound him in chaines and led him about with him as a prisoner and when he was to ride vsed him for a footestoole and trode vpon his backe to take aduantage to get the more easily to his horse and in the ende caused his skinne to bee flaied off and his body to be sprinkled with salt and so made him die the same cruell death wherewith hee had before martyred many innocent and righteous persons onely for the profession of Christian faith Beholde heere as in a glasse howe Christ maketh his enimies subiect and seruant vnto him from the beginning he telleth vs a Ioh. 16 33. I haue ouercome the worlde b 12.31 the prince of this world is cast foorth and Saint Paul saith c Col. 2.15 He hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them by his crosse The enimies then are ouercome alreadie and all the power that is against vs is but as the strugling and striuing of a conquered aduersarie which though hee bee ouercome is suffered for a while to liue for the vse and aduantage that is to be made of him He hath pulled out their eies they see not their owne waies their d Esa 37.28 going out and comming in are directed by his hande He hath chained them vp they cannot stirre further then he giueth them the libertie of the chaine hee hath broken their armes they strike and cannot kill he hath striken out their teeth they bite and cannot hurt and whilest they minde nothing but the fulfilling of their owne malitious and wicked designements they are made will they nill they by the secret and most mighty hand of Christ to serue for the setting foorth of his maiesty and power and prouidence for the furthering of the piety and faith of his elect in this world and their saluation and glory in the world to come Euen satan himselfe the captaine of these rebells and enemies of Iesus Christ is made his vassall and slaue and lieth at his foote as a dog fast tied not to stir but at his pleasure And because the victory of Christ is ours also in him e Rom. 16.20 the God of peace treadeth satan vnder our feet He is made an instrument to further our saluation f 2. Cor. 12.7 The buffetings of satans messenger are vsed to keepe vs from being exalted by pride least by pride we should fall away from God g Ambros de paeâ—â—en lib. 1. cap. 13. By the commaundement of Christ saith Saint Ambrose the deuill is made the keeper of him whom he thinketh to make a pray Euen against his will he secondeth and serueth the will of the God of heauen He is deluded and in his biting woundeth himselfe and armeth against himselfe him whom he thought to weaken and ouercome He causeth vexation to the body but to the preseruation of the soule Thus this viper hangeth at our hands and yet woundeth vs not we put our hand into the hole of this aspe and he stingeth vs not we drinke of his deadly poison and it hurteth vs not nay of his poison is made a spirituall triacle and preseruatiue against poison Now if the case be thus with satan himselfe the head much more shall it be so with his members They are troden vnder the feet of Christ and cannot be hurtfull vnto vs. Whilest they lade vs with reproches they honour vs whilest they afflict and vexe vs they put palmes into our handes and crownes vpon our heads and garments of righteousnes vpon our backes and the night of their persecutions maketh the starres of Christian vertues and of the graces of God to shine the cleerer in vs to the glorie and praise of God So it is with the rest Sinne it selfe is the drawing on of righteousnesse the worlde is the subiect and matter of our victorie and glorie the curse an occasion of blessing the a Gal. 3.24 Lawe a schoole-maister to Christ death the gate
the Gospell with horrible persecutions they dulled their swords with slaughter and daunced their horses in blood but nothing would serue their turne the dint of their swords entred not so deepe into mens bodies as the word of Christ did into their soules raysing vp stil a new ofspring vnto Christ to vpbraid their folly and madnesse in raging and fighting against God The diuers effect of the word of Christ. 4 But the power of this word appeareth further in the seuerall effects that it worketh both a 2. Cor. 2.15 in them that are saued and in them that perish being to the one the sauour of death vnto death to the other the sauour of life vnto life as the Apostle speaketh for we must know that the Scepter and kingdome of Christ hath vnder the imperiall stroke thereof two sorts of men the one loiall and louing subiects the other traiterous wilfull rebels The power of the word of Christ as touching reprobates and wicked men To the one it is a Scepter of gould to gouerne them but it is a Scepter of iron to destroy the other for of rebels and wicked men the Prophet saith b Psal 2.9 Thou shalt smite them with a rod or Scepter of iron and shalt breake them in peeces like a potters vessell The word of Christ is indeede vnto them as c Ier. 24.29 a hammer to breake them in pieces as d Ier. 5.14 a fire to burne and consume them as e Reuel 19.15 a sword to kill them and cut them off as f Ier. 25.15 a potion of wrath to poyson them and as a mightie tempestuous winde sent foorth in anger from the Lord renteth and ouerthroweth the tall and mightie trees and turneth them vp by the rootes so the word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God vndermineth the foundations of the wicked casteth their houses downe vpon their heads and after it is once gone foorth neuer ceaseth as a canker fretting and eating vpon them vntill it haue quite consumed them to nothing Yea and in the meane while howsoeuer words seeme to be but winde yet this winde of the Lord oftentimes we see astonisheth the harts of such reprobates and castawaies appaleth their faces conuinceth and frighteth their consciences confoundeth their vnderstanding and as an arrow in their sides galleth and vexeth them they seeke to pull it out and it will not be but as a fury it foloweth them and tormenteth them and as the sheepe tangled in the bryers the more they stirre the faster they are tyed and the deadly poyson which they haue conceiued they strengthen more and more to their owne destruction To be short as the sentence of the iudge is the death of the malefactor vpon whom it is pronounced so the word of God is the death of the wicked man it bindeth him fast with the cords of iudgement it kindleth a fire round about him which g Esa 30.33 the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone causeth to burne for euer This is the Scepter of Christ this is the power of his word Let vs not resist it let vs not despise it least the iudgement thereof fall vpon vs as the stone of a mightie rocke to grinde vs to dust and powder Let vs not deceiue our selues Our pompe and our pride will not beare vs out against the hand of him that sitteth at the right hand of God We are but flesh the edge of his sworde will easily pearce vs we are but dust and ashes the breath of his displeasure will easilie blowe vs away and we shall come to nought If the sweetenesse of earthly things haue so enchanted bewitched our taste that we finde no sweetenesse in the comforts of the worde of life if we set more by a Num. 11.5 the Leekes and Garlike of Egypt then by angels food the heauenly Manna he will fill our mouthes with grauell and sande and gall and wormewood that is bitternes and sorow shall be our end The mightie power of Christ in his worde for the sauing of his elect 5 Againe the power of this scepter and word of Christ appeareth no lesse for the sauing of his elect The Apostle calleth b Rom. 1.16 the Gospell the power of God vnto saluation and the c 1. Cor. 1.21.24 preaching of the crosse of Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God to saue them that beleeue Heereby he calleth vs conuerteth vs quickneth vs feedeth vs comforteth vs stablisheth vs and guideth vs to himselfe Heereby he dissipateth and scattereth the mistes of ignorance and errour enlighteneth the blinde eies subdueth proude and rebellious affections softeneth the stony and vnpearceable hardnesse of mens harts changeth lions and woolues and beares and tigers into meeke and harmelesse lambes and dooues worketh in man another nature another disposition another will another heart euen then when his heart seemeth to be vnmooueably setled against God Thus therefore we reade d Heb. 4.12 The word of God is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen vnto the diuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and the marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that e 1. Cor. 14.24 when yee prophecie saith Saint Paul and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all and is iudged of all and so the secrets of his heart are made manifest and he falleth downe and worshippeth God and saieth God is in you indeed Thus the hearts of the two disciples f Luc. 24.32 burnt within them whilest Iesus openeth vnto them the Scriptures the officers sent by the Pharisies to apprehend Christ whilest they heare his preaching are turned to another minde and giue glorie vnto him and say a Ioh. 7.46 Neuer man spake like this man the Iewes at the hearing of Peters sermon are b Act. 2.37 pricked in their heartes and say vnto the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do they were so affected with this word that they c Act. 2.45 soulde their possessions and goods and forsooke all that they might giue themselues wholy vnto Iesus Christ So mightily hath it preuailed and ouerruled the mindes of men against nature and reason and learning and wisedome and custome and whatsoeuer else is stronge to holde men in the liking of those things which they haue once receiued and folowed as that they haue beene content to renounce the deuotions which their forefathers had so long imbraced to cast away the gods which themselues had deuoutly serued to stoppe their eares against the contrarie motiues and perswasions of father and mother to harden their harts against the kneelings and weepings and embracinges of wife and children to forgoe their friends and countenance their honours and inheritances yea and their liues also rather then loose that peace and ioye of
commandeth them Wherefore this deuotion and zeale we must require in our selues if we will be thought to beare to him that affection that we ought to doe If we be willinglesse and without deuotion in his seruice and follow him in such sort as if we were loth to take to much paines or to goe to far we must take heede least he say of vs as he said of the Laodiceans a Reuel 3.15 I would thou were either hot or cold but bicause thou art neither hot nor cold but lukewarme I will spue thee out of my mouth And surely this is the sinne of these times wherein we liue wherein there is much professing of the name of Christ and little loue to Christ himselfe We haue the gospell more in our mouthes then in our harts Religion is made to serue mens purposes when they themselues haue little purpose of religion Policy hath ouermaistred piety and the world more preuaileth then the word and godlynesse is sold for gaine and their appeereth in vs so little hart towards Christ that wee may iustly perswade our selues that the blinde conscience of former ages shall accuse and condemne the carelesse learning of our age They changed deuotion into superstition but wee haue changed it into presumption and wilfulnesse The fruites of their deuotion wee haue turned to sacriledge theft and whilest we condemne them for misbeliefe wee condemne our selues by wicked life We measure our religion by mens liking and whilest we are loth to go to farre we are farre to short of that we should be Whilest we auoid to be accounted foolishly precise we continue licentiously grossely prophane We heare the worde of Christ but where is our zeale in hearing of it How easely are we withholden from it by euery trifling excuse and can like better in time of holie exercise to sit at cardes by a warme fire then to sit with God in a colde church If we serue him in the forenoone it is well it is too much to serue him againe in the afternoone If we do him deuotiō in the church it is more then needeth to do him any at home And thus wee abridge Christ of his worship and stint him at our pleasure Our willingnes is but when we will and our deuotion is but panges and fittes and lasteth no longer then standeth with the folowing of our owne delights And if any thing happely at any time doe mooue vs yet is it but as a flash of lightning which sodainly appeereth and by and by vanisheth away as if it had neuer beene And to be short farre are we of from that zeale of the honour of Christ that studie and care of godly life eschewing of the corruptions of the world that should make a difference betwixt the seruants of Christ and the children of this world 14 But where is in the meane time that great deuotion that the prophet speaketh of and how shall wee perswade our selues that those things are verified and fulfilled in vs which are thus foretold of the people of Iesus Christ Which if we cannot how shall we perswade our selues that we are his Let vs therefore leaue our lame and halting religion and a Heb. 12.13 make streight steps vnto our feete that we may walke vprightly with the Lord and b Act. 11.23 with purpose of hart cleaue stedfastly vnto him Let not men heare more in our words then they see in our deeds but if we will professe our selues to be his let it appeere in our true piety and deuotion towards him He requireth of vs to be c Rom. 12.11 feruent in spirit d Tit. 2.14 zealous of good workes e Gal. 4.18 earnest in good things not onely receiuing the truth but also f 2. Thess 2.10 the loue of the truth that we may be saued It is to small purpose that we haue the truth if we loue it not and if we loue it loue will breede deuotion and deuotion will yeeld all duety vnto the God of truth The souldiours of Christ attired and armed with the goodly beautie of holine◠15 Now volentary men freely and of their owne accord offering themselues to the seruice of their princes and captaines are wont to set foorth and shew themselues in all gallantnesse and brauery that their person and condition wil admitte Apparell armour horse and other furniture are prouided in the best sort they may euerie one striueth by this meanes to commend himselfe and to winne the greatest fauour in his captaines eies To the emulation and folowing of this affection the prophet heere calleth vs and as earthly souldiours studie in this sort to gratifie the desires and to please the eies of their earthly princes and captaines so he teacheth vs howe we are inwardly and spiritually to garnish and decke ourselues that we may be gracious in the sight of our heauenly captaine in the day of the mustring of his army And to this purpose hee nameth an armour or attire which hath little grace or glorie with the worlde but with singular grace commendeth vs vnto the eies of God This is that which he calleth the excellent beautie of holines Where I read excellent beautie to expresse the force and importance of the plurall number For in the Hebrew it is not beautie but beauties as to signifie that holinesse conteineth in it all true beautie is the summe of all those ornaments and graces wherewith the people of Christ are to decke themselues that they may be goodly and glorious in his sight So that whereas wee are all naturally desirous to be faire and beautifull the prophet heere instructeth vs what beautie it is that is most of all to be desired and wherewith aboue all other we should specially seeke to grace our selues For as for outward grace and beautie either in the feature of the body it selfe or in things applied to adde comelinesse vnto it what is it in it selfe but a fading floure corrupted by sicknesse withered by yeeres and confounded by death And if withall the soule be a harbour of vicious and euell affections a sinke of sinne and vncleannes what is all this goodly beautie but as varnish vpon rotten woode and as a faire painted visour vpon a foule wrinkled and deformed face 16 The beauty therefore which the prophet here commendeth is that wherein we are approoued with the Lord who accepteth vs not for any outward glory but for the vertue and good quality of the hart It is holinesse that draweth the eies of God vnto vs and whereby we are louely and pleasing in his fight aboue other men Holines consistath in two thinges Now holynesse consisteth partly in the putting of and eschewing the corrupt maners and conuersatlon of the world and partly in putting on those affections and conditions of vertue and grace whereby we cary the image and semblance of our captaine Iesus Christ The things that were holy in the law were seuered from all prophane and
euill men so swarme euery where in the world that the promise made to Christ seemeth to be of small effect h Math. 11.19 Wisedome shall surely be iustified of her children who though they appeare but few vnto vs yet are exceeding many in the eies of God so that we need not thinke we goe alone or be the worse perswaded of the way wherein we goe because we see but few to walke therein Let vs goe on forward in faith and patience and we shall see that the l Ioh. 14.2 many mansions in our fathers house shall haue men to furnish them and that the church of Christ is not so barren but that thereby he shal breede k Heb 2.10 many children vnto glorie 22 Secondly the morning dew waiteth not for man nor is wrought by mans hand Our second birth the worke not of man but of God onâ—ly but descendeth from the Lord and falleth many times in such sort as that we see it is come but know not when or how it came Euen so is that generation and new birth whereby we become the children of God It is not wrought by the hand or power of man but this worke also descendeth from the Lord. It is the hand of God the inspiration of the holy ghost that worketh in you men and brethren that chaunge whereby you are newly created and borne the people of Iesus Christ Indeede we speake the words vnto you which tend to the conuerting and regenerating of the hart but what can our words doe in your harts if there be not the worke of some other power that is mightier then our words The husbandman may manure and till the ground but it is not he that can make the fruite a 1. Cor. 3.6.7 Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the encrease and neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease That that we doe goeth no further then to the outward man and our words make but a sound in the eare of the body but they that are inwardly taught to the conuersion of the soule they are b Ioh. 6.45 all taught of God It is a secret and hidden worke our eies see it not our eares here it not our vnderstanding cannot sufficiently conceiue it nay they cannot throughly conceiue it in whom it is c Cypr. de cardin Christi operibus As the lightning breaketh the cloudes saith Saint Cyprian and with the suddaine flashing doth not so much enlighten as astonish the eie so a man is sometimes touched with I know not what motion and perceiueth himselfe to be touched and yet beholdeth not him that toucheth him There are spoken vnto him certeine secret wordes inwardly which he is not able to vtter so that he cannot doubt but that he is neere him yea within him that mooueth him and yet showeth not himselfe that 〈◊〉 may see him as he is This is that which our sauiour Christ saith d Joh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth so is euery one that is borne of the spirite And hence it commeth which we else where also reade by the words of Christ e Mar. 4.26 so is the kingdome of heâ—en as if a man should cast seede in the ground and should sleepe and rise vp night and day and the seede should spring and grow vp he not knowing how We sow the seede but we know not how it groweth and though we know not how it groweth yet in the end we see and perceiue that it hath growen Thus we comfort our selues that though we cannot giue successe vnto our owne labours yet we loose not our labour but the spirite of God as it were in the hart of the earth fostereth and cherisheth the seede that we sow and quickneth it to bring foorth fruite and out of the wombe of Gods eternall election still raiseth vp a newe youth and ofspring to serue in the Lordes campe and to receiue the promises of grace and saluation by Iesus Christ It resteth that for the growing of this seede in our harts wee praie vnto him c. The fourth Sermon vpon Twelfth day Verse 4. The Lord hath sworne and will not repent Thou art the Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec THis verse setteth foorth vnto vs the calling of Iesus Christ to the office of priesthood Christ both in humilitie and maiestie our priest and mediatour vnto God where by he is be come our redeemer and aduocate with the father that in the kingly height and maiestie of Iesus Christ there may be nothing to dismay vs seeing we know that both in his humilitie and in his maiestie he is made our priest and mediatour to reconcile vs and bring vs vnto God The Scripture woont to qualifie the dread of Gods maiestie with the consideration of his mercie And thus is the Scripture woont to qualifie the glorious and dreadfull maiestie of God with the consideration of his gracious and most mercifull inclination towards vs that we may learne so to reuerence him for his greatnes as that by his goodnes wee bee allured to loue him and by praier to seeke vnto him assuring our selues that he a Esa 57.15 Who is high and excellent that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is the Holy one that dwelleth in the high and holy place yet is with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life vnto them that are of a contrite hart b Psal 138.6 Though the Lorde be high saith Dauid yet hath he respect vnto the lowly and c Psal 102 1â—.19.20 out of the heauen he beholdeth the earth to turne him to the praier of the desolate and to heare the mourning of the prisoners and to deliuer the children of death 2 Thus Iesus Christ is described vnto vs sitting in glorie at the right hand of God and yet stowping downe to the compassion of our infirmities that the conceite of his greatnesse may be no terrour vnto vs but rather a ground of exceeding great comfort whilest we stande perswaded that he who by mercy is so readie to succour vs is by power so able to do for vs whatsoeuer pleaseth him There is nothing more fearefull then the guiltie conscience of a sinner which is still running away from God and hiding it selfe as Adam did vnlesse it be embouldened and established by the acknowledgement and assurance of his fauour and good will And hence it came to passe as hath beene before touched that they who no otherwise cosidered of Iesus Christ but in his maiestie sitting at the right hand of God conceiued of him a doubtefull and distrustfull feare and shadowed themselues vnder the winges of other mediatours and hidde themselues vnder the patronage and intercession of saints and angels that by them they might haue accesse
and entrance vnto God They liued in the darke and sawe not that light of faith whereby wee are taught to a Heb. 4.16 goe with boldnes vnto the throne of grace assuring our selues that the b Ioh. 15.7 words of Christ abiding in vs c 14.13 whatsoeuer we shal aske the father in his name he will do it that the father may be glorified in the sonne To which coÌ„fort we are instructed by the doctrine of the priesthood of Christ whose consecration and enstalment to this office the prophet describeth vnto vs in this verse Fiue things to be obserued in this verse of the priesthood Wherein we may first obserue the confirmation of this office by the irreuocable oath of God Secondlie the office it selfe which is priesthoode Thirdly the person to whom it is assigned Thou that is Iesus the sonne of God Fourthly the continuance of this priesthood which is for euer Lastly what order of priesthood it is namely after the order of Melchisedec 3 As touching the first this protestation by oath serueth according to the matter in hande The oath of God a significacation of 〈◊〉 vnchangeable and irreuâ—â—able purpose to set foorth the vnchangeable counsell of God for the establishing of the priesthood of Christ to bee the onely meanes for euer of attonement and peace betwixt God and vs. It is alwaies vsed in Scripture to note Gods immutable purpose and setled determination that shall neuer be reuersed For the wordes of God sometimes implie conditions and exceptions and hee saith thus and thus it shall be but with limitation namely things continuing as they be but so that if the case be altered with vs he will also after the course of his dealing towards vs. Thus he saith by the prophet Ieremie d Ier. 1â— 7 I will speake sodainely against a nation or against a kingdome to placke it vp and to roote it out and to destroie it But if this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them And I will speake sodainely concerning a nation and a kingdome to builde it and to plant it But if it doe euill in my sight and heare not my voice I will repent of the good that I thought to do for them According to the tenure of these wordes God saide of Niniue a Ion. 3.4 Yet fortie daies and Niniue shall be destroied when notwithstanding vpon their repentance God spared them and turned backe his hande whereby hee had threatned to destroy them On the other side God speaketh vnto Eli thus b 1. Sam. 2.30 I saide that thine house and the house of thy father shoulde walke before me for euer but nowe the Lord saith It shall not be so for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised Thus the wordes of God sometimes though in termes they seeme absolute yet in meaning are conditionall and whether they bee for good or euill they stande or fall according to the good or euill that they finde in vs. But where God putteth to his oath there is no reuocation and what he hath once sworne he neuer repenteth him thereof nor goeth back from it And indeede God neuer repenteth him of any thing God indeed neuer repenteth him the repentance that is attributed vnto him is some change in his actions no change in himselfe whether spoken with oath or without oath but bicause where the actions doings of God are altered towards vs there seemeth to vs to be some alteration in God himselfe the scripture in this case by the phrase of repentance somewhat submitteth it selfe to our conceite when as indeed God foreseeing all things before they come to passe and c Act. 15.18 knowing all his works from the beginning of the world doth nothing but d Esa 25.1 according to his counsells of old nothing but what from euerlasting he had decreed and purposed with himselfe But in those things wherein the oath of God is vsed there is no shew of variablenesse nor shadow of change but his words and deeds both in semblance and substance are perpetuall and euerlasting 4 And to this vsage of an oath God for our sakes vouchlaseth to submit himselfe Why God yâ—â—ldeth â—â—arre vnto vs to vse an â—ath the more to stirre vs vp to the embracing of his wordes and the more strongly to chalenge and hinde our credite and assent to those thinges which he speaketh Now strange it is that God should need to sweare and that his worde whereby he made the world should not in the worlde be sufficiently beleeued without an oath But because he seeketh our saluation he laboureth by all meanes to preuaile with vs that wee may hearken vnto him And as for Marcions cauill that it is an indignitie for God to sweare Tertullian answereth c Tertuâ—â—â—nt Maâ—â—ionâ—â— 2. There is nothing vnwoorthie of God that furthereth man to beleeue God The things that are necessarie for man are woorthy of God because there is nothing so woorthy of God as the saluation of man is God sweareth sometimes in iudgement sometimes in mercy 5 God therefore vseth an oath sometimes in threatning of iudgement sometimes in prounsing of mercy sometimes in extreme wrath and furie sometimes in compassion and louing kindnesse The one way it is matter of extreme horrour and dread the other of singular and vnspeakeable comfort When God sweareth in wrath what is his oath but the sealing vp of irreuocable damnation the verie opinion whereof is sufficient to astonish our harts and to confound all the senses and powers both of bodie and soule For what is it but euen hell it selfe for a man to conceiue that he hath God for his vowed and sworne enimie who by his oath hath bounde himselfe to destroy him so that now there is no remedie but to vndergo that iudgement at which the angels themselues do tremble and quake and are not able to stande vnder the burden of it Thus when the people of Israell prouoked the Lord and increased their rebellions from day to day the Lord was so farre mooued at length that a Psal 95.11 he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest When by his prophet he called them to b Esa 22.12 weeping and mourning and sackcloth that by their repentance they might pacifie the Lord and they contrariwise as it were to despight the Lord gaue themselues to ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine and in scorne of the prophets words cheered one another saying Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die the Lord saied vnto them in forme of an oath c Vers 14. If this iniquitie be purged from you till ye die Which Hebrew maner of swearing if we will expresse it is as much as to say As truly as I liue or am a iust and
them to serue his turne as who hath it in his hand to destroy them at his owne will The maiestie of Christ shoulde more affect vs then the power of earthly princes And therefore the maiesty and power of Iesus Christ should much more affect and moue vs then all the power and greatnesse of earthly princes and the feare of him should be stronger to conteine and hold vs within the bounds of duety and faithfullnesse towards him then the feare of any secular power should be to remooue vs from the same a August in Psal 75. Terribiles sunt reges saith saint Austen sed super omnes terribilis qui terret reges Kings are greatly to be feared but he is fearefull aboue all that maketh kings themselues afraide If we feare kings because they can destroy vs how much more shall we feare him that is able to destroy kings Earthly kings can but destroy our bodies neither can they do that but when as the Lord will giue them leaue but this king hath power ouer bodie and soule and is able when he will to destroy both b Mat. 10.28 feare not them saith Christ that kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but feare him that is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell fire 7 Againe it is to be obserued how the prophet setteth downe a certaine time determined by Iesus Christ for the execution of his wrath A day appointed for the execution of the wrath of Christ For this is imported in that that he saith In the day of his wrath Wherby he calleth vs to patieÌ„ce to a quiet contented expectation of the reuealing of the Lords hand that we take it not amisse if the Lord do not so soone manifest his wrath against his enimies as we desire and looke for We see it oftentimes fall out that the enimies of Christ and his church infinitely storme and rage against his name and Gospell and yet in the meane time all thinges goe with them according to their owne desire They murther the righteous and innocent and wash their feete in the bloude of them that giue anie testimonie vnto the faith of Christ and the Lorde in the meane time maketh as if he saw it not and holdeth his hand as if he cared not what were done by them This sometimes wee woonder at and are amazed in our mindes to see that God suffereth those thinges to bee done to poore innocent soules for his sake and doth not straightwaies drawe his sworde and bring foorth his weapons for the reuenging of their cause But the prophet willeth vs alwaies to consider that the Lorde hath appointed a daie for the manifesting of his wrath against his enimies which as in wisedome and iudgement hee hath determined so in wisedome also hee will obserue and keepe the same In the meane time their courses are not vnknowen vnto him but he appointeth both which way and how far they shall goe and disposeth their goings to good ends and vses howsoeuer the same be not alwaies apparant to our eies But that which the Lord hath appointed they cannot passe they cannot goe beyond it where he hath set thenet they shal be taken where he hath digged the pitte they shall certeinly fall and shall not escape the plague that he hath prepared for them Howsoeuer therefore they reioyce in their present successe against the iust and comfort themselues in the assurance of their owne estate as if heauen and earth were sworne to serue their will yet as Dauid saith a Psal 37.13 the Lord laugheth them to scorne because he seeth that their day is comming the day that shall strip them of all their glory and turne their light into darkenesse and giue them the full reward of b Zepha 2.10 their pride whereby they haue reproached the iust and magnified themselues against the people of the Lord. Let vs therefore in this be halfe submit our selues vnto the wise dome of the Lord and not prescribe vnto him when or how he shall glorifie himselfe in the deliuerance of his people or in the destruction of his enemies And seeing the impieties and blasphemies of the wicked conteine far more wrong and offence vnto the maiestie of God then they can doe vnto vs and yet he is content in respect of himselfe to for beare and to defer his wrath let vs not maruell that he is so slow in the mainteining and instifying of our cause that vseth so great sufferance and patience in his owne The day of wrath sâ—â—ially to be vnder siood of the day of iudgement or the ast day 8 But this day of wrath as it hath relation vnto all those daies of particular iudgements wherein God in this world from time to time taketh open reuenge vpon wicked men and persecutours of his church so it must be extended also to that c Reuel 6.17 great day of wrath wherein shal be the consumation and full accomplishment of all iudgment Which saint Paul calleth also a Rom. 2.5 the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God and saint Peter b 2. Pet. 3.7 the day of iudgment and of the destruction of vngodly men Which is therefore specially so called because God shall then in speciall manner make his iudgement to appeare vniuersally vpon all the wicked so that there shal be no deniall of his hand For now although the wrath of God doe oftentimes light vpon the wicked in such sort as that plainly men that haue eies may discerne vpon them the hand of the sonne of God whom they haue dispised yet the world wilfully blindeth it selfe and will not behold or acknowledge therein the work of God but rather impute all to mishap and fortune and ouersight and therefore through hardnesse of hart feare not to goe forward in the same waies wherein they haue seen others to fall before them Thus children tread in their fathers steps and successours follow the cruelties and vngodly courses of their predecessours without any doubt or feare at all of their vnexpected and fearefull end Although therefore that God doe thus set foorth his iudgement by many dreadfull examples euen in this life yet it is to the most as if he iudged not because men will not take it to be his iudgement Againe albeit many there be that are thus made spectacles of the wrath of God in this world yet many there are also that seeme to goe to their graues in peace as if God had taken no notice of them or vnderstood not what they had done against him Prosperitie and honour accompany them to their end and the world cannot discerne but that they are blessed and happie men But that day of iudgement shall reforme all this errour when as they that now refuse to see or to acknowledge the power and worke of God in those executions which hee performeth in this world shall haue their eies opened to