comfort I haue ouercome the world not the Deuil The Prince of this world is cast out not sinne not death both which are cast into the lake nor temptation not persecution for by Christ we are more then conquerers All these may molest vs but cannot hurt vs they may make warre vpon vs but we may plucke vp our hearts seeing we fight against conquered enemies and are through his strength that hath loued vs sure of victorie before we strike a blow Let not vs forget the consolation in that although our enemies may nible at our heeles yet the seed of the woman hath broken their heads for vs. Vers. 39. And we are witnesses of all things which he did in the land of Iudaea and in Ierusalem whom they slewe hanging him on a tree The Apostle hauing witnessed of such facts of Christ as testified him the great Prophet of his Church affirmeth in these words of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles that they were witnesses not onely of the things formerly vttered but of all things else not onely which Christ did in Iudea and Ierusalem but also which he suffered among them and so defendeth to lay downe his Priestly office in this verse and his kingly office in the next That the Apostles were such witnesses of all things which Christ did and suffered in Iudaea and Ierusalem will appeare to him that considereth that it was one of Christs first actions in his office after his baptisme to call his disciples who presently left all and followed him to the end that they might be oculate witnesses of his mightie workes of his life of his death and resurrection and that they might be ear-witnesses of all the gratious words which proceeded out of his mouth to which purpose he tooke them after a sort into his family that by their domesticall and familiar conuerse with him all the while he liued in the execution of his office they might be furnished to this testimonie hence is it that Iohn saith We sawe his glorie namely in his doctrine and workes and the things which we haue heard and seene declare we vnto you Many worthy points concerning this witnesse of the Apostles were here to be deliuered but that I referre them all to the 41. and 42. verses where we shall as fitly and more fully handle the same And now proceede to the matter witnessed namely the Priestly office of Christ in these words whom they slewe hanging him vpon a tree wherein are to be considered 1. The person that was put to death whom 2. the persons that put him to death they slew namely of Iudea and Ierusalem 3. the kind and manner of his death slewe hanging him on a tree 4. the vse of Christ his crucifying First the person that was put to death was Iesus Christ whom we haue heard to be Lord of all anointed with the holy Ghost and power to worke most powerfull miracles who went about doing good and neuer harm◠with whom God so was as he neuer was with any creature before nor euer shall be hereafter who subdued mightily the very deuills themselues with one word for all this hee was killed and slaine Quest. But how could the Lord of life be subdued of death yea he that did onely good and was with out all sinne which is the mother of death Ans. Christ the mediator must be considered in his two natures 1. the Godhead ◠the manhood and in that he died it was according to his manhood so Peter saith hee died according vnto his flesh for his bodie was dead being separated from his soule and his soule suffered the sorrowes of death But yet we must conceiue that he suffered not in such a manhood as was a naked and bare flesh such as ours but such as was inseparably vnited and knit to the godhead and therefore the Apostle saith that God shed his blood that is not the Godhead but such a person as is both God and man Secondly although he had no personall sinne to bring him to death yet had hee sinne imputed vnto him euen the sinnes of his whole Church which he willingly tooke vpon himselfe so as God reckoned with him not for the sinnes of one man but of all his Church and esteemed him as a captaine sinner till the price was paid and men reckoned him among sinners and esteemed him an arch-malefactor Quest. But doth not this crosse the power of Christ immediatly before mentioned whereby he controlled the deuils themselues that wicked men should thus farre preuaile against him Answ. No but it argueth a voluntarie laying downe of his power for the time of his suffring for at his apprehension he could haue commanded twelue legions of angels but that the Scriptures must be fulfilled yea and this laying aside of his power was the most powerful work that euer he wrought by which he more foyled and broke the deuills power and forces in men then euer by any shewing himselfe the true Sampson who more mightily preauailed against his enimies in his death thē in all his life Hence note 1. how Christs righteousnesse is witnessed hee went about doing good and ye◠hee is slaine and teacheth that Christ himselfe deserued not death but hee endured it for some other that had deserued it and indeed Christ died for vs and in our stead that we should not die Obiect But how could he beeing innocent suffer for vs sinners or how standeth it with equitie that God should punish the innocent and let the guiltie goe free Answ. We must consider Christ in his death not as a debter but as a surety or pledge betweene God and vs who hath vndertaken our whole debt and therefore he suffereth not as guiltie in himselfe but in the roome of vs that were guiltie now it standeth with the course of iustice to lay the debters action vpon the suretie beeing 1. willing 2. able to pay the debt as Christ was Secondly we may gather hence the hainousnesse and odiousnesse of our sinnes it was no trifle nor a matter of small desert that the Lord of glorie the onely sonne of God yea God himselfe must shed his blood for and yet what a small reckoning is made of foule and open sinnes Thirdly take notice also of the loue of God who to free vs would lay the chastisement of our peace vpon his deare sonne that so his iustice might be satisfied Obiect But how could his iustice be satisfied who was infinitely offended with such a finite short death as Christs was Answ. By reason of the dignitie of the person who suffered beeing God as well as man that suffering was in value eternall though not in duration or continuance Lastly we haue here the two natures of Christ liuely set before vs the one most powerfull and glorious in mightie miracles which forced legions of deuils to flie before it the other beaten downe with wrongs and iniuries euen to the death it selfe and it was meete that
of God casting out the strong man not onely out of his but of our possessions that he might take vs vp for his owne vse spoyling him of his kingdome and weapons for vs yea and in vs. And hence as out of a well of consolation we shall drawe this comfort to our selues that looke as the gates of hel could not preuaile against him our head no more shall they euer bee able to preuaile against vs his members although they neuer so fiercely and forcibly assayle vs. And if spirituall enmities shall not be able to cut vs short of our saluation much lesse shall temporall dangers for by vertue of this resurrection also euen in the most troublesome deepes when the waues of sorrowes ouertake one another and goe ouer our soules when with Ionas we are readie to say we are cast from the face of the Lord euen then wee haue hope to rise out of such euills and because our head is aboue in short time comfortably to swimme out Adde hereunto that death it selfe nor the graue shall stand betweene vs and home for this rising of Christ is both the cause and confirmation that we shall rise againe If the head be risen so shal also the members if Christ the first fruits of them that sleepe be raised so shall also the whole bulke and bodie of beleeuers if we beleeue that Christ is risen from the dead euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him and if the same spirit which raised Iesus from the dead dwell in vs then he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies for Christ hath not redeemed the soule alone from death but the body also els had this second Adam bin inferiour to the first if not able to saue by his rising al that which was lost by the fall of the former Oh how would this meditation well digested sweeten the remembrance of death and the graue when a Christian shall consider that looke how it was with Christ when his soule and bodie were separated yet both of them were vnited to the dietie which brought them together againe euen so I am taught by the Scriptures that when my soule and bodie shall be separated yet shall neither of them be sundred from Christ my head but he will reunite them like louing friends that they may participate in his own glory How would this meditation bring the soule not only to be content but to desire to be dissolued be with Christ accounting that the best of all The third benefit befalling vs by the resurrection of Christ is that because Christ is risen we know it shall not only goe well with vs but with all the Church of God the prosperitie of which so many as would prosper must reioyce in for hence it is that Christ calleth a church out of the world which after a sort riseth euen out of his owne graue hence is it that beeing ascended on high hee gaue gifts to men for the gathering and preseruing of his Church hence is it that the church shall alwaies haue the light of the Gospel Pastors Teachers and the Ministrie till we all meete to a perfect man hence is it that this Church shall be defended from Wolues and Tyrants seeing none is stronger then hee nor able to plucke any of his sheepe out of his hands Let the Church be pressed it shall neuer be oppressed Let the Kings of the earth band themselues and forces against it the Lord hath set his Sonne vpon his holy mountaine and hee shall crush them like a potters vessel Let Heretikes and Antechrist send armies of Locusts Iesuites and seducing vagrants to wast the Church and bereaue it of the truth and light leading to life they shall only seduce such as whose names are not written in the booke of life and of the Lamb for seeing Christ is risen so long as â—e who can die no more liueth hee will preserue his darling hee will send out the starres that are in his right hand for her releefe who like Dauids worthies shall break through the hosts of the enemie and bring the pure waters of the well of life as we are for euer thankfully to acknowledge in those worthy restorers of our religion Lastly let floods of persecution rise and swell so as this doue of Christ cannot find rest for the sole of her foot one meanes or other Christ will vse for her helpe for hee will either send her into the wildernesse or the earth shall helpe the woman and drinke in the waters that they shall not hurt her or hee will prouide for her one of the chambers of his prouidence as hee did for Ioash against the rage of Athaliah wherein shee shall be safe till the storme be blowne ouer These are the principall benefits procured vs by Christs resurrection which belong not vnto all but only to such as are risen with him Quest. How shall wee know that we are risen with Christ that they may assuredly belong vnto vs Answ. The Apostle setteth himselfe to resolue this question Coloss. 3.1 where he maketh the seeking of things aboue where Christ is an infallible marke of our rising with him for as when Christ was risen he minded not things below any more but all his course was a preparation to his ascention to which all things tended so now if thou be risen with him heauen will be in thine eye and thine affections are ascended thither where Christ is if Christ were on earth thou mightest fix thy soule and senses here on earth and yet be a Christian but seeing he who is thy head is in heauen thou that art a member of him must be there also And as Christ while he continued vpon earth after his resurrection liued a kind of supernaturall and heauenly life so if thou be risen with him thou liuest not the life of nature but hast begunne the life of grace and an heauenly conuersation Quest. But how shall I know whether I liue by this heauenly life or no Answ. There be two speciall notes to discerne this truth by the former is the dissimilitude and opposition which it hath with the life of sinnefull naturall men vpon earth the latter is the similitude and agreement it hath with the life of Saints and glorified men in heauen Concerning the former the naturall man will follow and pursue things which tend to a sensuall and naturall life he will beate his braines for gold and siluer meate and cloath goods and lands for himselfe and his as for heauen he will haue nothing to doe there till he be dead and for the way thither he careth not to know it till he be dying at the soonest But the spirituall man he coueteth after spirituall things the power of Christs spirit where it is present will lift vp his heart be it neuer so heauie to seeke the kingdome and the righteousnesse of it and he seeketh after the wisedome
shame in thy face and sorrowe into thy heart in earnest accuse the securitie of thy soule the deadnesse of thy spirit the hardnesse of thy heart the vnthankefulnes of thy whole life say with thy selfe Ah my folly that haue neglected my mercie so long alas how haue I hated instruction how vnkindly haue I dealt with so louing and patient a God I see now that it is high time to looke to the maine businesse of my life to make vp my peace with God to get my pardon sealed I will hie me to the throne of grace I will henceforth lay hold of life eternall I see now that there is one thing necessarie and that is the good part which I will choose and which shall neuer be taken from me Now we come to the second point propounded which is the last of this worthy sermon namely what is the condition of euery one that hath attained this excellent grace of remission of sinnes and that is to be a blessed and happie man for such a one hath part in Christ and with him of forgiuenesse of sinnes in which Dauid Psal. 32.1 placeth blessednesse Quest. But how can this man be a blessed man seeing hee is compassed with a bodie of sinne and death and subiect vnto infinite afflictions then whom no man is in this life more miserable no sort of men more perplexed inwardly with sence of sinne none more outwardly disgraced for well doing Answ. There be three degrees of blessednesse 1. In this life when God bringeth his children into the kingdom of grace and giueth them his Sonne and with him their whole iustification and sanctification in part 2. The second degree is in the end of this life when God brings the soules of the faithfull to heauen and their bodies to the earth safely to be kept vntill the last day 3. The third in and after the day of iudgement when hee bringeth both soule and bodie into the glorie prepared for the elect Of this last which is happinesse by way of eminencie the two former are certaine forerunners he that hath attained the first hath also assurance of the last and must needs be a blessed man not only in time to come but euen for the present whether we respect his outward estate or inward For his outward estate Gods blessing neuer faileth him but affoardeth him all good things and that in due season and in due measure his riches are often not great but euer pretious and his little shall nourish him and make him as well liking as the water and pulse did the Iewish children in Chaldaea The same prouidence which watcheth to supplie all his good keepeth him from all euill it pitcheth the Angels round about him to guard his life let him be persecuted hee is not forsaken his losses become his gaine his sicknesse is his phisicke his heart is cheared euen in trouble which maketh that part of his life comfortable his soule is bound vp in the bundle of life with God death shall not come before hee can bidde it heartily welcome yea let violent death come it shall not be to him deadly slaine he may be but not ouercome victorie attendeth him and blessednesse euery where abideth him But all this is the least part of his blessednesse for if we looke yet a little more inwardly into him we shall see the boundlesse extent of his happinesse farre more large whether we respect the spirituall miserie hee hath escaped or else the spirituall good which with the pardon of his sinnes hee hath attained for on the one hand hee hath escaped the heauie wrath of God due to sinne and so is discharged of an infinit debt healed of a most deadly poyson and pardoned from a fearefull sentence of eternall death and perdition readie to be executed vpon him and on the other hee hath obtained a plentifull redemption hee hath purchased the pearle receiued Christ with his merits and graces such as are wisedome faith hope whence issue our peace and ioy of heart which is heauen before heauen for in these stand the kingdome of God and the comfort of a good conscience which is a continuall feast By all which it appeareth that hee is no small gainer that hath got his part in Gods mercie reaching to the remission of his sinnes Vse 1. We are here admonished to open our eyes that we may more clearely see and growe in loue with the felicitie of the Saints which the most see not because 1. it is inward the glorie of the spouse is like her head and husbands glorie she is all glorious within 2. because of their infirmities frailties which wicked eyes altogether gaze vpon 3. because of their afflictions wherewith they are continually exercised If the tower of Siloam fall on any of them they are thenceforth greater sinners then all other men holy Iob because hee was afflicted cannot avoid the note of an hypocrit euen among his owne friends and visiters And no meruaile if the members looke thus blacke when the sunne looketh vpon them seeing their head Christ himselfe was reiected because they sawe and iudged him to be plagued and smitten of God But we must looke beyond all these as the Lord himselfe doth who in his iudgement goeth beyond the outside and pronounceth sentence according to the grace which himselfe worketh within Let vs imitate our Lord Iesus who notwithstanding all the infirmities yea and deformities of his Church pronounceth of her that shee is all faire and no spot is in her not because there are none but because all are couered and none are reckoned and imputed vnto her yea let vs remember that the pure and holy spirit of God is contented notwithstanding much blackenesse to take vp his lodging in those hearts where he findeth raigning sinne dispossessed Now how farre are they from the mind and iudgement of this blessed Father Sonne and Spirit who haue nimble eies to spie out euery infirmitie of Gods children to blase them nay rather then they will not accuse and slander them can of themselues coine raise vp and impute vnto them that wherof they are most innocent Assuredly these are of neere kindred to the devill who is the accuser of the brethren And surely were Christ on earth againe euen this most innocent lambe of God should not want accusers wherein are so many of Cains constitution who hate their brethren because their workes are good and so many sonnes of men who seeke to turne the glorie of God in his children into shame Alas religion is at a lowe ebbe alreadie and not so reckoned of as it should be by the forwardest and yet so malitious is the deuill in his instruments as vnlesse this smoaking flaxe also be quenched we can see nor heare of any hope or treatie of peace the beautie of Gods people goeth disgraced vnder titles of nicenesse precisenesse puritie holy brotherhood and the like To goe ordinarily to sermons is to bee a sermon-munger
well obserued they had not beene so grossely mistaken in him as they were Secondly the tyrannie of the deuill ouer those whom he possessed is expressed in that the text saith they were oppressed by the deuill Now therefore how miserably the deuill tyrannizeth where God giueth him leaue we shall see by the Scriptures in sundrie particulars As 1. In that his malice spareth not old nor young but tyrannizeth ouer young children tearing and renting and bruising them as Luk. 9.39.42 and if he be so cruell to children hee will vse no great curtesie to those that are elder 2. Sometimes he oppresseth men by multitudes for although ten thousand men are not able to resist one of these wicked spirits yet to shewe his malice hee will set euen a whole legion vpon some one poore creature as Mark. 5.9 3. As tyrants doe with their vassals force them to any thing which euen themselues abhorre so Satan forceth demoniaks to such things as were they themselues they would not abide to heare of he maketh them rent off their cloathes and runne starke naked he causeth them to banish themselues out of the societie of men and liue among the graues yea and as tyrants sometimes maime their captiues of one member sometimes of another so the deuill sometimes strikes them dumb sometimes deafe sometimes altogether sensles whence it is that we reade of dumbe and deafe spirits yea of some raging spirits that neuer leaue renting and tearing the poore creature till he be left for dead 4. Hee is not content that himselfe play the tyrant ouer them but he maketh them also tyrants against mankinde loosing their chaines breaking their fetters and making them so fierce and cruell as no man for feare of his life dares come neere them How the man possessed ranne vpon the sonnes of Sceua and wounded them appeareth Act. 19.16 5. That nothing may be added to his crueltie he forceth them to be most cruell against themselues to cast themselues sometimes into the fire sometimes into the water and to beat themselues with stones continually Quest. What reason is there why the Lord should not onely suffer Satan to possesse his creature but also thus tyrannically to abuse and torture it at his pleasure Ans. 1. Because the word teaching what a malicious enemie Satan is men will not beleeue it and therefore it is iust with God that we should see and sometimes feele to our cost and experimentally be taught what furious hatred and irreconciliable crueltie our deadly enemie carrieth incessantly against vs. 2. That men might conceiue what an horrible thing it is to be giuen vp wholly to the deuill both body and soule and that in hell there can be nothing but gnashing and tearing and horrors worse then ten thousand deaths where he hath men wholly in his owne dominion If the tyrannie of Satan can be so great here we may conceiue what it is there or at least that it is inconceiueable Looke seriously vpon such a pitifull spectacle as this is and thou shalt not need any such messenger as the rich man would haue sent to his brethren to signifie his miserable estate in hell Let mockers looke vpon such an obiect and then tell vs whether the deâ—uil be so blacke and furious as he is said to be or hell so hote as Preachers make it 3. That the more furious and violent the deuill shewes himselfe the more manifestly might the power of God and Iesus Christ breake out not onely by a word repressing but abolishing it altogether the which power when Christ put forth it so amazed all the beholders that they questioned among themselues saying What a thing is this he commandeth the foule spirits with authoritie and they come out for what other ende did Christ aske the deuils name but to shewe his great power and glorie who by one word cast out a whole legion of them 4. That we might conceiue how mischieuously the deuill inwardly worketh in those minds that he possesseth by sinne which tyrannie of his although it be little felt or perceiued yet is it no lesse nay farre greater farre more dangerous and which we haue great cause both to feare and preuent by so much aboue the other as we account the soule more noble then the bodie and things eternall aboue temporall Now the vse of this point shall be to giue a further tast of Satans tyrannie in the soules of wicked men that they may hence see in part what a wofull estate they are in how they are in the snare of the deuill taken prisoners of him to doe his will which is the most lamentable possession of all For when men are giuen vp of God to Satans power to bee ruled at his will they are out of their right minds and all the qualities and behauiours of madmen are euident in them they are taken with dumbe and deafe spirits and strucke sensles to any thing that good is they are tongue-tied cannot speak a good word cannot open their mouthes to pray or praise God but when Satan looseth their tongues they in rage against Christ blaspheame him in himselfe in his word or in his seruants or else their mouthes are filled with idle filthy and hurtfull speaches which as they are set on fire of hell so euerie where by them kindleth Satan sparkles of dissention which are blowne vp to a whole world of wickednesse As little can they heare any thing that is good their eares are stopped wil heare no voice of God or his seruants their eies are blinded by the God of this world that they cannot see the light of the Gospel shining vpon them 2. Wicked men euen when their bodies are most decently couered runne starke naked like madmen euerie where they teare off and wil not abide vpon them the garments of innocencie the robe of Christs righteousnesse they wil not put on yet see they not nor shame for this nakednesse but as hauing put off all forehead they blush not at any flagitious course nay rather they glorie herein thinking themselues then highly commendable when they sweare rage lie drinke and compasse their filthinesse of any kind most remorslesly In which courses they are driuen headlong by the Devil into a bottomlesse sea of sinne as the swine were into the lake out of which miserable destruction let Christ or his Minister seeke to deliuer them they rage and raile like the deuils that would not be tormented before their time But let them offer to bind them and bring them into order by the yoke of Gods iudgements denounced in the word or by the rod of discipline that they may not hurt themselues and others they breake out with more violence such bonds are but like Sampsons flaxe they lightly cast off all such yokes from them 3. As Satan forceth possessed persons to wound and destroie themselues and others so is hee not contented with any course but such as turne to the wickeds owne ouerthrow and the
that no other would haue answered his question nor setled his conscience now touched with sence of his sinne If hee had sent him to the word that could haue done him no good if hee did not mingle it with faith If to his prayers only the prayer of faith is auaileable If to the Sacraments they must be seales of faith or else doe no more good then seales set to blankes If to a good life it must be the life of faith which the iust must liue by If to the Church to ioyne himselfe to that hee must himselfe be first of the houshold of faith Nay more if to Christ himselfe if hee carrie not faith with him hee is after a sort disabled from doing him any good As hee could doe no great workes in Capernaum because of their vnbeleefe only thy faith in the Sonne of God is the beginning and accomplishment of thy happinesse Adde hereunto that it not only remooueth discomfort but bringeth with it all the â—ound ioy and comfort of our liues whence it is that Christian ioy is called ioy of faith and all the Sonnes of faithfull Abraham tread in their Fathers stepps who saw the day of Christ and reioysed because God hath not only reserued mercie for vs but by the faith which his spirit worketh in our hearts he letteth vs know yea and tast what hee hath done for vs so as hence haue we peace with God and with our owne hearts boldnesse in prayer and not patience only but ioy in sorrow thus giue a man faith once and sinne flieth before him bands of temptations are discomfited afflictions dismay him not death and deadly things are disarmed vnto him faith hath gotten and holdeth Christ his victorie his strength his life yea whilest hee walketh in a thousand deaths the faith of his heart hath filled his soule with that heauenly and spirituall ioy which all the world cannot giue neither can it take away Lastly by this worthy grace of faith we are not only brought into the grace by which we stand receiue increase of it through the communion of Christ his death and resurrection as also the inhabitation of the spirit in our hearts but also we are fitted vnto our glorie for faith assureth euery beleeuer of his saluation and euery beleeuer is kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time 1. Pet. 1.5 Thirdly seeing that this is so speciall a grace of God bestowed but on a few it is worth inquirie by what touchstone a man may know the soundnesse of his faith and that it is much more precious then gold And therefore that a man may not be deceiued in a matter of such moment as this is the Scriptures haue furnished vs with such markes and notes as such who will vse diligence in laying their faith thereunto shall certainely know the truth or vnsoundnesse of it for else why should we be commanded to prooue our selues whether we be in the faith or no vnlesse the beleeuer know that he doth beleeue Againe who be they that know not that Christ is in them but reprobates and can Christ liue in any man and he not know it at one time or other and be able to say with Paul I liue not henceforth but Christ liueth in mee and I know whom I haue beleeued Which if any say Paul might know beeing an Apostle and hauing a reuelation which ordinarie men haue not the same Apostle answereth it 1. Cor. 2.12 when bee ioyneth with himselfe all beleeuers we haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen vs of God Now whosoeuer haue receiued this spirit want not this reuelation who if hee reueale vnto vs any thing that is giuen vs of God then would hee not neglect the greatest gift that euer was giuen vs euen Christ himselfe and life eternall through his name The first marke of sound faith is the seat and dwelling of it and that is an humbled soule that longeth and almost fainteth for Gods mercie in Christ that not feeling faith can bitterly complaine for want of it that striueth against doubting because God hath commanded to beleeue that endauoreth to assent to the promise touching forgiuenesse of sinne with purpose to sinne no more this holy seede is sowne in no other ground but this The second marke are the essentiall properties of sound faith and they are three in number 1. It is most pliable to the word of which it is begotten the Iayler as soone as hee was conuerted would but know of the Apostles what hee might doe it will except against nothing that the word enioyneth it will picke no quarrells but with Abraham riseth early to obey God when if hee had reasoned with flesh and blood hee could haue excepted many things which all the wisedome of flesh could neuer haue answered This is that the Apostle ascribeth vnto it that it establisheth the whole law yea the whole word of God the Law and Gospel by prouoking to cheerefull indeauour in the obedience of them both 2. Sound faith being a subsistance it enableth a man to stand vnder a great burden and not be crusht Psal. 46.2 Therefore we will not feare though the earth be mooued Iob will not let his hold goe if the Lord should smite off his hand yea if hee kill him hee will trust still it resteth vpon Gods arme and truth in all estates in life and death whereas euery crosse puffe of winde of temptation or affliction vnsetleth yea and sinketh the vnbeleeuer 3. It beeing a subsistance of things not seene it careth not how little it see the lesse it seeth the more it beleeueth and the lesse it seeth of men and meanes the more it seeth of God It seeth an Almightie promiser who can doe what he will It seeth him that is true of his word who cannot lie and who cannot but doe what he hath said It seeth a mercifull and louing Sauiour whose eyes are vpon them that trust in his mercie and seeing these it seeth enough Besides it estrangeth the heart from the world which it seeth and seeketh an vnseene countrie Abraham Isaac and Iacob acknowledged themselues rather strangers in this world then inhabitants and that they came into it rather to see it and goe through it then dwell or set vp their rest in it It weigneth the heart from the things belowe as the woman at the well once meeting with Christ she forgetteth her waterpot What careth Zacheus for halfe his goods yea or all wheÌ„ Christ once becommeth his ghest and bringeth saluation to his house And on the contrarie it sendeth vp the heart to those treasures which the eye of flesh cannot see but are reserued to the seekers of the countrie where they are And these are the three worthy properties whereby
nothing more can be added Iob was a iust man fearing God and abstaining from euill Zacharie and Elizabeth were iust before God and walked in all the ordinances of God without reproofe Here two points are to be considered 1. Who is a religious man he that feareth God worketh righteousnesse 2. What is his priuiledge he is accepted of God Religion is a binder and thence hath his name for it both bindeth man vnto God as the former of the points will shewe as also God vnto man as the latter declareth The former band knitting man vnto God is the feare of God which is a peculiar gift of the spirit of God whereby the regenerate feare God for himselfe not so much that they be not offended and punished by him as that they doe not offend him An excellent grace both in regard of the excellent obiect and of the excellent vse of it through the whole life The right obiect of our feare is God himselfe who is 1. omnipotent of power to doe whatsoeuer he will who is able to cast body and soule into hell feare him 2. omnipresent he is all an eie beholding our thoughts words and deedes of which he is both a witnesse and a iudge 3. full of maiestie which euen in a mortall man strikes vs with reuerence 4. full of grace and bountie wee stand in neede of his fauour and bountie euery moment who can turne vs out of all at his pleasure In all which respects we ought to make him our dread But aboue all in that he hath beene so good and gracious a father vnto vs through his Christ we ought to feare to offend him and so turne his loue into displeasure against vs. Now the vse of this grace is manifold As 1. to beat downe pride and high-mindednes against which it is a notable medicine Rom. 11.20 be not high minded but feare Prou. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes but feare God this grace maketh a man come lowe before the Lord as Iacob feaâ—ing Esau came and bowed seauen times before him 2. to cause a man to renounce and restraine himselfe from sinne and therefore the feare of God and departing from euill are often ioyned together Ioseph could not commit the sinne with his Mistris because he feared God the midwiues feared God and killed not the Hebrewes children Nehemiah did not exact vpon the oppresse the people as the former gouernors that were before him because he feared God and whereas the wicked mans seruill feare keepeth him often from open sinnes but not from secret from grosse sins but not from smaller and this of paine not of conscience this grace maketh a man hate pride arrogancie and euerie euill way neuer so small and neuer so secret 3. To destroie false and fleshly feares which foyle euery good dutie and lay open to many sinnes and iudgements it is a propertie of a wicked man to feare where no feare is and not fearing God he feareth euery thing but God the face of man the arme of man the tongue of man whence many a man dare scarse professe religion or if they doe dare shew no power of it for feare of reproach and nicknames and so come to be ranked in the formest band of those which march to hel called the fearefull and that which they feare shall come vpon them euen disgrace of God of men and Angels Ieroboam feared least the people should returne to their owne Master if they should persist in the true worship of the true God and so for the establishing of his posteritie he established Idolatrie but in the very next generation his whole race was extinct The Iewes were afraid least the Romans should come and take their nation and therefore Christ must die but the Romans not long after came with a powder and tooke their nation and so dispeopled and dispersed them as they could neuer be gathered into a nation till this day Pilat feared not God but Caesar but he was not long after cast out of Caesars fauour and slew himselfe Now this grace of God fenceth a man from such fleshly feares which draw on such fearefull falls and mischeefes and preserueth him that neither hope of promotion nor gaine nor ease nor fauour of man who is but a worme shall make him forget the Lord that spred the heauens this feare which is loues keeper holdeth the heart in the loue of God himselfe of his worship of his word of his children and whatsoeuer carrieth his image all which without it either lie or quickly grow as refuse wares out of request 4. To driue away security awak slothfulnes prouoke to watchfulnes stirre vp to prayer keep in a fitnes to profit by the word to tremble at it when God thretneth to reioyce in the promises as those to whom they belong to helpe vs to better our selues by our afflictions as the speach of the conuerted theife to his fellow implyeth that if he had had the feare of God he would being in the same condeÌ„nation haue otherwise caried himselfe towards Christ then he did And in a word to feÌ„ce the heart which is as the market place of a citie against temptation in which speciall vse it is called a wellspring of life to escape the snares of death By all this that hath beene spoken euery man that would seeme religious ought to labour aboue all things for this worthy grace which God specially bestoweth vpon his children with whome he maketh his newe couenant I will put my feare in their hearts neuer to depart from me saith the Lord. Which hath all promises belonging vnto it for a mans selfe for his children for this life present for a better for supplies of euery good for withholding and remoouing of euery euill so as whosoeuer feareth the Lord wanteth not a good and rich treasurie such as all the Indian mines cannot afford yea such as both possesseth himselfe and enteyleth vnto his posteritie the rich blessing of the Almightie Blessed saith the Psalme is the man that feareth the Lord himselfe shall be mightie on earth his children shall be blessed after him his wife shall be as a fruitfull vine riches and treasure shall be in his house he shall want nothing that is good and let his troubles be neuer so great the Lord will deliuer him out of them all Here is a Iewell worth hiding and laying vp in the safest closet of the soule euen in the midst of the heart for there God layeth it and calleth for the heart to make roome for it Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such a heart in them to feare mee Isa. 8.13 Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts and let him be your dread Another bond whereby man is knit vnto God is the working of righteousnesse an immediat fruit of the feare of God Where must be considered 1. what this righteousnesse is and then 2. what is the working of it For the
wheresoeuer this loue is it must needes be attended with a feare to displease him 2. By professing him to be thy Lord as seruants by their liuerie or cognisance speake and proclaime to all men to whome they belong so if Christ be thy Lord thou must not be ashamed of him but be euer speaking of him commending his goodnesse thou must glorie of such a seruice accounting it thy greatest honour that thou art become his seruant thou must defend his name where euer thou hearest it called into question thou must suffer with him and take part with him in affliction an vnfaithfull seruant is he that can be dumbe in his Masters dishonour but especially if his Master be assalted and in danger then to forsake him when he hath most neede of him 3. By acknowledging thy selfe to be countable vnto him for all thy wayes and for all thy receites the seruant not beeing at his owne hand must goe about no businesse but his Masters whatsoeuer matter of trust he receiueth from his Master it is not his owne he is faithfully to discharge himselfe of it by a true and iust account Thus therefore must thou reason the case with thine owne heart what am I now in my Masters worke had I commandement from him did his word or warrant set me about the busines which is now in my hands Againe what gifts haue I receiued of bodie minde wealth authoritie credit I am to be counteable for all all the tallents I haue are his If I gaine nothing I am vnprofitable If I gaine I must be profitable vnto him 4. By absolute obedience vnto his will reuealed Thus himselfe beeing to giue his law beginneth thus I am the Lord thy God thou shalt doe thus and thus other Lords and Kings must be obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command contrarie vnto him onely he must euer by Kings themselues be obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will reuealed Which may be considered in three heads 1. It is his will that we beleeue in him Ioh. 6.40 this is the will of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him not onely beleeuing his word to be true but leaning vpon him onely for thy saluation If a Master should promise a seruant that if he will but beleeue him and seeke to please him he will prouide â—or him for euer it would adde cheerefulnes to such a seruant and he would thinke none of his Masters commandements burden some but yet we hauing larger and surer promises are slow of heart and hand to beleeue or yeeld obedience 2. It is his will that we shewe forth this faith of our hearts in the fruits of sanctification 1. Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God euen your sanctification Colos. 1.10 filled with the knowledge of his will and walke worthy of the Lord c. thou must not onely speake for but liue to the credit of thy Master in thy speach actions attire eating drinking and whatsoeuer else cary thy selfe like a Christian else thou discrediâ—est thy Masters house and dishonourest himselfe Were not he a notable traytor that beeing sworne of the Kings guard and professing all seruice to the King should instead of the kings armes and coate wear the enemies so the thing it selfe speaketh against him who professeth Christ his Lord and yet neuer appeares or sheweth himselfe in the streete or abroad but in Satans liuery his swearing his couetousnes his filthinesse his lying his whole life lead in all intemperance bewrayeth to whom he hath giuen himselfe to obey 3. It is his will also that wee obey as well in suffering as in doing his pleasure and the reason is plaine he is my Lord I am but a seruant if he please to buffit and blow mee I must with all meeknesse submit my selfe yea and more be thankefull for his gouernment 2. Sam. 15.26 If he say I haue no delight in thee let him doe whatsoeuer seemeth â—â—od in his eyes 1. Sam. 3.18 When the Lord had threatned heauie things against Heli his whole house he answered It is the LORD let him doe whatsoeuer seemeth good in his eyes I was dumb and opened not my mouth saith Dauid because thou LORD didst it Psal. 39.9 Thus must we obey Christ as a Lord giuing vp our bodies and soules vnto him by liuing vnto him and dying vnto him and this is the Apostles ground we are the Lords and therefore none of vs liueth vnto himselfe and none of vs dyeth vnto himselfe but liuing and dying we are the Lords otherwise what a trifling and mockerie were it only to yeeld him a title of Lord or Master and denie him his seruice Why call ye mee Master Master and doe not the things I speake Luk. 6.46 All which if it be true how few shall find Christ a Sauiour for how few make him their Lord few there are that esteeme this welbeloued aboue other welbeloueds not a few are ashamed of him and his profession many whitliuerd souldiers are danted with Peter at the speaches of silly and simple persons most men neuer looke to the hands of this Lord to acknowledge either receit of talents or returne of accounts fewest of all obey him in faith who yet are ouercarried with presumption of his fauour or in true sanctification though they can pretend it or in patience if they could get out of his hands if it were by flying to the deuill for helpe Well if Christ haue no more but a title of a Lord from thee thou shalt haue but a title of saluation from him and not the thing it selfe and if a name that thou liuest coÌ„tent thee when thou art but dead the time commeth that when thou commest to seeke thy name among the number that are saued by him thou shalt find thy name left out of that role and set in the number of those that shall die in their sinnes Secondly if Christ be the Lord of all then haue we obtained much freedome by him both from all spirituall bondage and all that tyrannie which those hard Lords sinne death hell Satan exercised ouer vs our Lord hath payed the vttermost farthing and wrought a glorious redemption for vs and hee hauing thus set vs free wee are free indeed both from the guilt the punishment and seruice of sinne We are free also from all Papall bondage for wee haue but one Lord in heauen who can saue and destroy to whom simple obedience belongeth and to whome the conscience is onely subiect The man of sinne indeede would be Lord of all and maketh lawes to bind conscience where God hath left it free but as the Scriptures acknowledge but one Lord no more doe we and say more that we cannot serue two Masters commanding such contrarie things We are also hence freed from the feare of all earthly Tyrants if we belong to this Lord for if he stand with vs who can be against vs Matth. 10.28 Feare
not them which can kill the bodie onely but him who can cast both bodie and soule into hell The true feare of him will eate out all those false feares of men Thirdly If Christ be Lord of all then we and all beleeuers are fellow seruants and therefore ought to liue and loue together making no dissention or scisme in our Masters house which is the Apostles reason Ephes. 4.4 perswading the Ephesians to keepe the vnitie of faith because there is one Lord. This shall be done if all of vs who professe Christ could learne to denie our selues to follow his will not our owne or other commanders yea to follow his blessed example learning daily of him to be humble and meeke patient and tender hearted one to another forbearing and forgiuing offenders hard to exasperate and easie to be intreated And these things should we rather striue in that according to the Apostles precept the same minde might be in vs which was in Iesus Christ. Phil. 2.5 Vers. 37. Yee know the word which came through all Iudea beginning in Galily after the baptisme which Iohn preached The holy Apostle here beginneth the confirmation of that which he had formerly spoken that Christ is the Messias and Lord of al to prooue which he beginneth orderly with the Historie of his life and death of which euen these Gentiles could not be ignorant therefore he saith yee know the word Where if it be asked how they should come to know the doctrine of the Gospel seeing the Apostles were not yet turned to the Gentiles and Peter was now sent extraordinarily to teach them concerning Christ which had bin in vaine if they knew the word before we must obserue that by the word here is not meant the word preached as in the former verse but as the word is different in the originall so also is the signification and betokeneth rather a thing done then a word vttered as Matth. 18.16 By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery word or fact be confirmed Luk. 2.15 Let vs goe to Bethlem and see this word that is this thing which the Lord hath brought to passe The plaine sence then is this Ye know the word that is the same of Christ which was quickly dispersed through all Iudaea in the mouthes of common men Which fame that they should not mistake him or themselues he describeth 1. by the place where it arose beginning in Galily 2. by the time when it most preuailed after the baptisme which Iohn preached which some expound thus after the baptisme of Christ by Iohn which he preached that is administred but the naturall sence is after the doctrine which Iohn preached concerning him for vsually in the new Testament by Iohns Baptisme especially which Iohn preached is meant all his doctrine and his whole Ministerie Matth. 21.25 The baptisme of Iohn whence was it that is the doctrine as the words after imply Why did yee not beleeue him and all men held Iohn for a Prophet Marke 1.4 Hee preached the baptisme of repentance vnto remission of sinnes that is the doctrine of repentance for 1. else were it improperly said to preach baptisme 2. Iohns doctrine was this repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Act. 18.25 Apollos knew onely the baptisme of Iohn that is his doctrine and therefore is it said in the next verse that Priscilla and Aquila tooke him home and shewed him the way of God more clearely And in Acts. 19.3.4 Into what were ye baptised that is into what doctrine were ye initiated and instructed they said into Iohns baptisme that is into Iohns doctrine the which interpretation notably freeth that hard text from the false collection of Anabaptists who thence would gather that those were by Paul rebaptised who were formerly baptised by Iohn but the difficultie will be remooued if the words of Paul be wisely distinguished from the words of the Euangelist and writer of that historie Iohn baptised saith Paul the baptisme of repentance that is taught the doctrine of repentance saying that they should beleeue which when they heard namely they which heard by Iohns ministerie they were baptized into the name of the Lord Iesus namly by Iohn not by Paul Then addeth the Euangelist vers 6. And Paul put his hands on them and the holy Ghost came on them and furnished them with such gifts as they by their owne confession ver 2. had not heard of before And thus according to the plaine sense of other Scriptures is that difficult place made verie plaine also But why is the ministerie and preaching of Iohn called his baptisme Answ. Because his doctrine was first of all sealed with the seale of baptisme in which regard as his person is called the Baptist so is his doctrine by the name of baptisme Quest. But why is this circumstance of place noted that this fame beganne in Galilie Answ. 1. To note the accomplishment of that prophesie in Isai. 9.1 which also was obserued by the Euangelist Matthew 4.14 2. To shewe that this fame was no bare or vngrounded rumor but raised vpon iust cause for Iesus was baptized by Iohn not farre from the borders of Galily about Enon Ioh. 3.23 And presently after he returned by vertue of the spirit and came into Galily preaching the gospel of the kingdome Mark 1.14 and made no ende till he had taught all their cities in all their synagogues Luk. 4.14 adde to his baptisme and doctrine that he wrought his first miracle of turning water into wine at Cana a towne of Galilie and that he called his disciples in Galilie all which beginnings must needes raise a rumor and fame of him which as Luke reporteth went through all the adiacent region round about 3. This circumstance notably befitteth this argument to prooue him Lord of all both Iewes and Gentiles because he begunne and was so famous in Galily of the Gentiles Quest. But was not Christ sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel did he not come to his owne how then did he beginne his ministerie in Galilie of the Gentiles Ans. Galilie of the Gentiles is so called not because it was not in Iudea but 1. to distinguish it from an other Galilie which was also in Iudea and called Galilaea inferior in the tribe of Zabulon where Nazaret was scituate But this was called Galilaea superior or Gentium in the tribe of Nephtali not farre from Capernaum 2. Because there were twentie cities in Galilie giuen by Salomon to Hyram a Gentile 1. kin 9.11 3. because beeing in the extremitie of Palestina neare the sea and not farre from Tyrus and Sidon they were euer mixt with many Gentiles that were forreyners besides that they were so seated within that countrie in Salomons time as they could neuer after be remooued 4. M. Iunius thinketh it to be so called not only because of the abundance of Gentiles there but also because it was a most populous countrie full of
to finish their course holding out in well doing vnto the ende Thus if we shall doe we shall be conformable vnto Iesus Christ acceptable to God our Father profitable to our brethren here on earth and shall treasure to our selues an excellent weight of glory in heauen But how many be there who hauing receiued many talents and charge to traffique with them bury their gifts and forget their charge against whom the fearefull sentence is not only passed but halfe executed alreadie his talent is taken from the slothfull seruant there now remaineth nothing but the binding of him and casting him into hell And would this were not too true not in many Ministers only but euen in numbers of priuate Christians who haue had both gifts and calling to teach and pray in their families but haue wilfully lost them for want of the carefull vse of them Now more specially this going about of Christ doing good standeth in two things The former in curing the deadly diseases of mens soules by most holy and sauing doctrine reuealing his Fathers whole will and teaching the things of the kingdome not coldly as the Scribes but in most powerfull manner so as his verie enemies were forced to say neuer man spake as this man doth The latter in curing the bodies of men also by most powerfull miracles one kind whereof which was most eminent namely the healing of Demoniaks is put for all the rest in the words following by both which meanes he shewed himselfe a mercifull Sauiour and the cheife Phisicion both of soule and bodie and in one word the verie healing God Of both which points we are to speake something seeing the former is the principall and included in this latter and these latter were but seruants vnto the former It is true that the Iewes were more affected with his miracles then with his doctrine insomuch as they were often wholly carried after him for the bread and belly sake Which seemeth to be the reason why the Apostle Peter speaketh more plainely of these as beeing better obserued and more sparingly of his doctrine which was not so great a rayser of his fame as these were but it must not be so with vs who look for saluation by his most holy doctrine but cannot by his miracles And first for his Doctrine the calling of our blessed Sauiour beeing to seeke and saue that which was lost to reduce the lost sheepe of the house of Israel vnto the fold to finde the lost goat to call sinners vnto repentance how all his life was thus taken vp were too long in euery particular to manifest To omit his priuate life which was nothing but an encreasing in wisedome and fauour with God and man After his solemne and publike inauguration he shewed himselfe a perfect mirrour of goodnesse both in the more generall parts of his propheticall office as also in the more speciall practises of it For the former how faithfull was he in all the house of his Father not as Moses who was but a seruant but as the Sonne who from the bosome of his Father brought and deliuered a most perfect word of truth yea who was not only the bearer of it but the verie author of all truth And therefore according to his power and commission reformed the law corrupted with false glosses of the Pharisies and established it preached the Gospel and dispersed it by himselfe his Apostles and other teachers after them raised by himselfe and fitted with gifts thereunto for the gathering of the Saints instituted and ministred the Sacraments of the new Testament after the abolishing of the old framed and prescribed a perfect forme of prayer vnto which all ours must be squared deliuered as Moses a patterne of the Temple and all things therein namely an absolute forme of externall gouernment for the perpetuall vse of the Church for the well ordering and cutting off disorders in it And for the latter how carefull was he to take all occasions to instruct particular persons in the will of his Father nay not only to take but euen seeke them that so he might make offer of the greatest good that euer men in this world could meete withall If his Disciples only speake of bread hee telleth them he hath other bread that they know not of If a poore woman meete him while she goeth to draw a bucket of water he preacheth vnto her of the water of the well of life If hee looke vpon the sunne he takes occasion thence to instruct those who were about him that he is the light of the world and that whosoeuer follow him walke not in darknesse If hee see but a little child hee thence taketh occasion to instruct his followers in the doctrine of humilitie innocencie and meeknesse If he doe but heare of his mother and brethren hee taketh occasion to shew his spirituall kindred and acquaintance And in both these how meekly gently humbly yea and compassionatly did hee carrie himselfe towards those that were any way teacheable howsoeuer in publike and against gainsayers he taught with maiestie and as one hauing authoritie Besides this how boldly and diligently went he about preaching the will of his Father in the midst of dangers discouragements and reproaches which were raised against him not only when they lay in waite to catch him in his speach but euen to attach his person to mischeefe him How often did the Iewes take vp stones to stone him how did the people assault him to throw him downe headlong from the toppe of an hill how many other deadly dangers escaped he and yet in the midst of death could not be discouraged nor ouercome of their mallice but ouercame their euill with goodnesse Vnto which most holy course of doctrine if we adde his most innocent life in which was no spot or error it addeth also grace and glorie to his doctrine Neuer went any before him or can doe after him doing good as he did for he neuer did otherwise no word or deede euer proceeded from him but was answerable to the lawes perfection so as the Church may wel sing out his beavrie from toppe to toe which is euery way matchlesse and incomparable Secondly Christ went about doing good by many miraculous actions all of them directly tending to the good of man The especiall vses of them all were three First to confirme the truth of his diuine person Ioh. 10.24 tell vs plainely if thou beest the Christ to which Iesus answered The workes which I doe beare witnesse of me and againe If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeue me not and Ioh. 2.11 This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galilie and shewed forth his glorie Secondly to confirme the truth of his office thus the Iewes could sometimes confesse that he was a teacher sent of God Matth. 22.16 and Nicodemus affirmed that no man could doe such things vnlesse God were with him and Ioh. 6.14 Then the men
Ghost to whom whatsoeuer we doe the Lord doth accept and account of it as done to himselfe 3. We haue in the worst of all Gods image which is louely our owne nature which should drawe vs to respect if not the man yet manhood or humanitie in him and for ought that we know to the contrarie by the rule of charitie we must hope that they may participate in the death of Christ as well as our selues Lastly we are prouoked to doe good by that blessed reward which God of his mercy hath promised to all those good and faithfull seruants who when their master shall come shall be found well doing And healed all that were oppressed of the deuill for God was with him The Apostle proceedeth to prooue that Christ was anointed with the holy Ghost and with power because he was able to rescue out of the hands of the deuill such as he oppressed and played the tyrant ouer God hauing in iustice put them vnder his power Now although Christ did most powerfully spoyle Satan of his dominion which hee had in the soules of men this beeing the maine cause of his appearing that hee might loose the workes of the Deuil there yet the words here vsed in the originall restraine the sence to the curing of the bodies of men which being possessed were most miserably captiuated tormented and vexed by the deuil The word healing is first and properly applied to the bodie and the word translated oppressed is neuer vsed elsewhere in the Scripture but once in Iam. 2.6 and there is taken for bodily oppression and not spirituall for such is mans miserie by the fall that by Gods iust permission his bodie and soule which before were sweet habitations of Gods holy spirit are both of them become harbors and roostes for deuils and wicked spirits and these sometimes strike the minde with lunacie and frensie and sometimes abuse the bodie of man to the hurt of it selfe and others Hence is it that the Scripture giueth vs example of some out of whom Christ cast out but one deuil as Mark. 1.23 and the Cananitish womans daughter Matth. 15.22 of others out of whom hee cast out moe as out of Marie Magdelen seauen and out of the man that kept among the graues verie many for they said they were a legion which though it be a certaine number put for an vncertaine yet must the number be very great for some account a legion to be twelue thousand and fiue hundreth And the least I read it accounted is six thousand sixe hundreth sixtie and sixe And this may cast downe the pride of flesh which is readie to puffe vp it selfe seeing that now the verie bodie by the forsaking of God and his iust desertion of it is or may become the habitacle of a whole legion of deuils and wicked spirits And againe to vphold his hope in the midst of so many enemies it may be obserued that as God suffreth many euen a legion of Deuils to hurt one man so hee hath many good Angels to pitch about a godly man to helpe him against them Neither doth the Scripture speake of one speciall Angel assigned to euery speciall man but for our more full comfort that they are all set about vs to keepe vs in our waies and that all of them are ministring spirits for the good of those that are heires of saluation When God opened the eyes of Elisha his seruant he saw multitudes euen a mountaine full of them set as it were in battell arraie for the defence of them beeing but two Now in these words three points must be considered First that there were many possessed with deuils whom Christ healed Secondly that those who were so possessed were wonderfully oppressed the deuil exercising a wofull tyrannie ouer them Thirdly that the power of Christ was mightily manifested in their deliuerance For the first of these We read of many that were in those daies possessed both in Iudea in Galily and the coast of the Gadarens Which occasioneth the moouing and resoluing of two questions 1. Why the Lord suffreth the Deuill to take vp and possesse the bodies of men For we must not conceiue that Satan hath any such power further then it is granted him from God Hereunto I answer that the Lord in great 1. wisedome 2. iustice and 3. mercie doth permit this vnto Satan 1. Many are of the sect of the Saduces in this behalfe and will not beleeue that there are Angels or Deuils or resurrection till they see in such wofull spectacles as these are sencible demonstrations of it in effects aboue nature 2. Hee iustly permitteth it paâ—tly to punish the sinnes of the parties themselues possessed partly also the sinnes of others as either such as they belong vnto or others who often sustaine great harme from such parties 3. In great mercie hee propounds vs such examples of his displeasure partly that we might be more watchfull against sinne attended with such fearefull euents and partly to make vs flie to Christ the seed of the woman and cleaue fast vnto him that by his power Satan may be troden vnder our feete 4. Further such spectacles shew that the very Deuils themselues are Gods creatures and part of that great hoast all which serue vnder their Lord to punish his enemies sinne Many wicked persons are hence giuen vp by God vnto the Deuil as the condemned person is deliuered into the hands of the hangman that he might execute the Lords most righteous sentence thus is that wicked spirit which haunted Saul called the spirit of the Lord because hee was the minister of God to execute that iudgement vpon him And these are the Lords ends herein which hee would haue carefully obserued in all ages and that men should not look vpon such examples without returne of glory to God and reaping good to themselues Satan I grant propoundeth vnto himselfe another end which is to delight himselfe in the vexation and torment of such miserable men but yet for the former causes and to heape vp the damnation of the deuils themselues he suffreth them by their own most wicked wills to bring his most righteous will to passe The second Question is why there were so many possessed in Christs time aboue all the times before him Answ. 1. Because the Deuil knew his time was short and that the Sonne of God was euen now appearing to destroie the workes of the deuil and therefore hee more bestirred him then euer before So likewise in these last times hee applieth his worke and shall doe euery day more busily then other as his time draweth faster on Rev. 12.12 The Deuil hath great wrath knowing that his time is but short 2. That there might be iust occasion offered to Christ to manifest himselfe to be the true Sonne of God and the promised seed who should manifestly breake the serpents head according to al the prophecies of him which one point had the Iewes
mischeife of so many as are within their power and reach hee makes them beat themselues with stones continually cast themselues into fire and water that is into all perills and desperate sinnes wound their owne bodies destroie their health shorten their liues through their intemperate and greedie pursuit of sinne but most of all wound their consciences and let out the verie life-blood of their soules And that their damnation may be more and seuere hee stirres them vp to kill and destroy whomsoeuer they can meete withall by drawing in companions and partners in their wickednesse calling them to cast in their lot with them that so they may all perish together What a wofull captiuitie then are many in that yet see it not How many possessed persons are in euery corner who yet will spit at the mention of the Deuil in defiance of him why should supersticious sim-people be so afraid of bodily possession as that when they neesed or open their mouthes to take meate they vsed to fence their mouthes with the signe of the crosse least the deuil should get in at that doore and we neuer feare spirituall possession to fence our selues against it If we saw the deuil raging and tyrannising striking a person dumb and blind racking his ioynts and winding his bodie at his pleasure we would commiserate his state and we could not be so profane but to send vp prayers for his release as esteeming death it selfe a more desirable condition then so to liue But when we see lewd wretches no better then deuils incarnate wholly subdued vnder the power of the deuil ruled wholly at his will and euery way in an estate more miserable yet are we void of compassion towards them and affection in our selues We rather turne their mad pranks into a iest then turne to God in prayer for their recouerie so little we see or sauour of the things of God and his kingdome Those that are bodily possessed or mad shall be kept bound cheyned watched diligently from hurting themselues or others but many of these Beldems are at libertie in place and power to hurt and destroy many with themselues which is a manifest proofe that this wofull condition is little beheld and bewayled by the most few or none complaine of it few or none seeke the cuâ—e of it though euery man neede it as beeing naturally thus possessed euen from his childhood But because men if they be not openly and outragiously wicked with an high hand thinke themselues free enough from all spiritual possession and out of the reach of this doctrine we will therefore goe a little further to shewe that numbers in the world who make fairer shew then the former as though this strong man were quite cast out by a stroÌ„ger theÌ„ he are not yet got out of his power but possessed disposed by him and ruled at his will and pleasure For first who would thinke him possessed that can fall downe on his knees make a solemne profession and confession of Iesus Christ that he is the Sonne of God and the most high and make loud praiers vnto him as acknowledging him to be the Lord of glorie and yet all these are the speaches and behauiours of a man possessed not with one or two but with a legion of deuills What doe the deuills honour Christ who feare nothing more then that he should be honoured and hate nothing so much as he No but all this confession and worship was by constraint partly because they knew him a Prince and a Iudge whose power they could not resist and partly they flatter him to obtaine more gentle entreatie at his hands then they deserued so many a man professeth Christ but you shall obserue at least he may himselfe that many foule spirits breath in him for although he know Christ as the deuills did yet he obeyeth him not he would faine resist him if hee were strong enough to make his part good against him which because he cannot doe he will giue him faire words and call him Lord and Master he will pray to him in sickenesse or distresse but it is but to get out of his hands and keepe his wonted hold still If the power of Christs word come neere him hee can beginne to accuse Christ and Christian profession of vnpeaceablenesse and tormenting him before the time for what time would please these that Christ should come vnto them he can aske Christ and his ministers what they haue to doe with him and Christ shal be blamed because he cannot be at peace for him if he would let him alone all should be well and quiet but the ministrie and discipline are intollerable let Christ preach and he will preach him too so it be such a Gospel as bringeth no repentance or ameÌ„dment of life to himselfe but he may remaine where he was euen in the graues alreadie lodged with death When he cannot doe the greater mischiefe that he would he will doe the lesser if he can if he cannot hinder the ministerie he can deprave it wherein as in all the rest he shewes himselfe at the command of that wicked spirit who when he could no longer torment the man would drowne the swine Secondly although the deuill might be forced through the power of Christ to acknowledge him the holy one of God so as themselues might continue deuills still yet who would thinke him guided by any other then a good spirit of God that should extoll the seruants of Christ their persons their ministerie their doctrine for would any conceiue that the father of lyes would praise the truth and yet marke what a large testimonie the deuil himselfe in the maid gaue of Paul and Silas These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluatioÌ„ and this she did many dayes Why did not the deuill know that they were the greatest enemies he had vpon earth yes he did but he must somtimes transforme himselfe into an angel of light he must colour all his lyes with some truth which is vndeniable he can lay all his falshoods vpon appearance of truth as his eldest sonne Mahomet enlarged the praises of Christ and his Disciples to ouerthrowe Christian religion withall he hath his fetch to make men beleeue there is an agreement betweene Christ and his Apostles and himselfe or that they needed his testimonie who therefore put him to silence and would receiue no commendation from him but for praises returned sharpe rebukes Euen so many men can praise good men and ministers before their faces whom they knowe to be deadly enemies to their vices not for loue of their vertues but least they should vse them and can call them honest men to trie if by that they can hinder them from doing the dutie of honest men as the deuils called Paul and Silas the seruants of God least they should shewe themselues so by dispossessing them Besides they would seeme heerein to be better then
his grace the latter of which maketh the former soueraigne vnto vs and appeareth in two actions in remoouing from vs the next causes of all our diseases namely our sinnes For as the Phisicion in working a cure first remooueth the distempered humors of his patient which are the matter of the disease so doth our heauenly Phisicion imply that this is the beginning of his cure and therefore often his first word is Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and his last word is goe and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee 2. By taking our diseases vpon himselfe which no Phisician doth or can doe but this Lamb of God taketh away the sinnes of the world by taking them vpon himselfe for hee bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes and sinnes in the bodie of his flesh euen to the crosse where they were fastned with him buried them in his graue yea cast them into hell and there left them by which most glorious triumph of his the snares and fetters wherewith we were chayned to death and the Deuil are broken and our soules as a bird are escaped Hence note 1. That no man can cast a deuill out of a possessed partie or euer did as a principall efficient cause but as an instrument and that onely by this power of the Lord Iesus to whome all power in heauen and earth is giuen and to whom all the honour of this power must be ascribed for what power can countermand Satans but onely Gods I grant Satan may giue place to Beelzebub and depart his habitatioÌ„ for his greater aduantage and forsake a bodie to get faster hold vpon the soule or to delude many beholders but such hostile conquest ouer satan argueth a mightie power of God which all the deuils in hell cannot resist Secondly that whosoeuer finde themselues any way molested of Satan must hasten themselues to Iesus Christ who onely can batter down the holds of the deuill and worke their deliuerance Feelest thou thy selfe held vnder any spirituall captiuitie or bondage doth the lawe of euill present with thee toyle thee with heauines and vnchearefulnesse to any thing that is good seest thou in any measure Satans secret traines working against thy saluation oh come vnto Christ not faintly as the father of the possessed child Mark 9.22 Master if thou canst doe any thing helpe vs but with confidence as the leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me whole or as the Centurion onely speak the word rebuke these dumbe and deafe spirits within me and thou who onely canst make the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blind to see and the lame to leape for ioy set me at libertie worke my enlargement chase away these spirituall enemies and thou that art the sonne set me free and I shall be free indeede Againe art thou in any affliction of bodie or mind or goods or name yea be it in the case of sorcerie or witchcraft against thy selfe or any of thine or whatsoeuer belongeth vnto thee looke vp vnto Christ he can command fire water windes seas diseases death the deuills themselues and if he see it good for thee he can checke all thy grieuances he is of no lesse power now in his glorie at his Fathers right hand then he was in his humility vpon earth and yet when he was at lowest he could command legions of deuills nay legions of angels as at his apprehension much more can he now command and rebuke the former and pitch the latter round about them that feare him so as without his wil all the deuils in hell cannot make one haire of thy head to fall Thirdly hence are ouerthrowne sundrie superstitious and wicked opinions and practises verie riâ—e in the world As 1. such Popish minded persons as thinke that by certaine words and amulets deuills may be driuen away deseases healed c. And for this they alleadge that in the new Testament onely by naming Iesus such cures were effected To which I answer that it is too grosse a conceit to thinke that there can be any vertue in words to driue away diseases much lesse deuills or to conceiue that by the pronouncing of words but by the vertue and power of Christ working by the Apostles and miraculously put forth with those words both diseases and deuills gaue place and so the parties were healed 2. Such as thinke that by the applying of consecrated things as they call them deuills are scared away as by holy water salt hallowed candles reliques of Saints the signe of the crosse images fashioned in such or such a place All which howsoeuer verie ordinarie in the Church of Rome yet indeede are no better then sorcerie and charming and the verie practises of those who while they will driue the deuil from others plainly prooue that themselues are spiritually possessed by him in that they will cast out deuills by Beelzebub the Prince of deuils They obiect for these reliques that a souldier that was to be buried was reuiued by touching the dead bones of Elishah 2. Kin. 13.21 But this was a miracle wrought by the finger of God to confirme the truth preached by that worthie Prophet and is not to be ascribed to the touching of the bones which in themselues nor at any other time had any such vertue They alledge also the example of the woman hauing the blooddie issue who was cured by the touching of Christs garment whereas that disease was cured not by the corporall touching of his skirt but by the spirituall touching of himselfe which was by the hand of her faith and therefore our Sauiour said be it vnto thee not according to thy feeling but according to thy faith They alleadge also Act. 19.12 That from Pauls bodie were brought to the sicke napkins or handkercheifes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirits went out of them Which things had no such power in them but only that it pleased God by such weake meanes to produce miracles for the confirmation of that holy doctrine preached by Paul And therefore the text ascribeth these miracles not to the garments of Paul but to God himselfe who by the hands of Paul wrought them vers 11. Whence we may conclude that whosoeuer vse any such meanes as these shew themselues not only superstitious and wicked but most foolish and ridiculous to thinke that any bodily substance whatsoeuer can worke vpon or violence a substance which is not bodily such as the deuils is It will be alleadged that experience sheweth that such meanes as these preuaile to these intents and purposes which we grant to be true but that is by Satans subtelty who often dissembleth a flight as though he were forced by an exorcist to depart or else indeed goeth away that men might be confirmed in their impietie and grow more madde vpon such wicked and vnlawfull meanes 3. Others who when Gods hand is any way vpon them or theirs especially if they conceiue
righteous man done which of them could accuse him of sinne or might not hee haue taken his enemies booke vpon his shoulder and haue bound it as a crowne vnto him yes verely the Apostle hath told vs in the words before what Christ had done hee had gone about spent all his life in doing good vnto the Iewes but they returned him euill for good to the greefe of his soule and therefore as Dauid lamenteth the death of Abner how died Abner his hands were not bound nor his feete cheyned but as a man falleth before wicked men so did hee fall that is Abner was a valiant and worthy man and so would haue acquitted himselfe if hee could haue mette his enemie face to face and had not beene wickedly and trecherously slaine by Ioab euen so Christ continued a worthy person although according to the counsell of God hee fell before wicked men through malice and enuie and as Dauid amplified both the sinne and the punishment of such a wretch as so cowardly slew Abner when he said know ye not that this day a great Prince is fallen in Israel euen so the sinne of the Iewes was hereby heightned that a great Prince fell in Ierusalem and the seueritie of Gods iudgement lyeth heauily vpon them till this day in that both a mightie God and innocent man was withall extremitie of rage and furie pursued euen vnto the death Fourthly note in these Iewes what an inbred malice there is in wicked men against Christ and his members for it is neuer without matter to worke vpon if it cannot accuse iustly of euill it can vniustly condemne for doing good this Christ sheweth Ioh. 10.32 Many good workes haue I done for which of them do ye stone me They answer him no but they stone him for blasphemie so something shal be pretended as blasphemie treason mutinie faction or some such thing and a forme of lawe shall be followed nothing in the world is more easie then to finde out a lawe to put Christ to death by for that is the conclusion of all wicked lawes Christ and his members must die by them but whatsoeuer be pretended against them it maketh much for the glorie of God the patience of his Saints and the iust ouerthrowe of his enemies that whatsoeuer the godly suffer at the hands of the wicked it is for most part causles in themselues and consequently vniust in the other Let such as professe the Lord Iesus take notice hereof and content themselues if they finde returne of euil for good it was their Lords case and the seruant can looke for no better entertainement then his Lord findeth Let vs not be wearie of well-doing although it breed vs hatred of the world as knowing that the same spirit of malice is gone out into the world and doth breath in numbers that followe the way of Caine who slew his brother because his workes were good as all those titles of reproach cast vpon Gods children lowdly convince as that they are Church-gadders holy brethren too nice and precise persons the which and the like tearmes if a man sing but a Psalme in his family he cannot avoide well needes must Christians suffer let their care be to suffer onely as Christians and for well-doing for it is no shame to suffer as a Christian and seeing it is the will of God that they must suffer it is better saith the Apostle to suffer for weldoing then as euill doers many receiuing indignities from men will say if I had deserued such and such things it would neuer haue grieued me but Christians must be in a contrarie note it would grieue me if I had deserued such things as I suffer at the hands of men but I reioyce in that I haue not deserued them The third point is the manner kind of Christs death in these words and hanged him on a tree Quest. Why was Christ rather to die on the crosse thē by any other kind of death Ans. Some say that because mankind was foyled in the first Adam by means of a tree it was meet it shold be restored by the second Adam vpō a tree which although it be but inconsequent yet this the Scripture affirmeth that Christ on the crosse as vpon a glorious chariot of triumph rescued his Church foyled the deuill spoyled principalities and powers made an absolute conquest against all the enemies of mans saluation and that it was meete he should thus doe by this manner of death we want not stronger reasons out of the Scriptures As first This was the counsel of God Acts. 2.23 for the Iewes did nothing against him but by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God which counsel of God oueruled the matter brought it to this passe strangely for the high Priests had accused Christ with blasphemie had produced witnesses against him in that cause yea had his owne confession that he was the sonne of God which they tooke for blasphemie yet for this could they not put him to this kind of death seeing the blasphemer by the lawe of God must be stoned not crucified and so had Christ beene if the power of death had beene in the hands of the Iewes as not long before it was but the prouidence of God ouerruleth the matter so as he must be brought before the Romane gouernour and a newe action of treasonable affecting the kingdome be laid against him whence it was that Pilate asked if he were the king of the Iewes and he answered yea vpon which answer he was condemned to the most cruell death that was in vse among the Romanes for of those three kinds of death burning heading and crucifying this last was the most seuere and shamefull to which the chiefe malefactors were sentēced and that Christ was executed as an arch-traytor the inscription on the crosse containing the crime for which hee was condemned plainely sheweth Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes that no man could looke vpon or read that writing but he should presently conceiue Christ a malefactor in the highest kinde of treason and rebellion Secondly this kind of death was aunciently prefigured as also foreprophesied it was prefigured by Isaac laid bound vpon the wood and the other sacrifices which all were laid on the wood to bee consumed by fire by the lifting vp of the shoulder of the peace offering Leuit. 7.20 by the shaking of the breast of the same to and fro which as some say signifieth the spreading of our Sauiours hands vpon the crosse but especially by the lifting vp of the brasen serpent in the wildernesse which as Christ saith shadowed his owne lifting vp vpon the crosse Ioh. 3.14 Againe this kind of death was also foreprophesied Psal. 22.17 they peirced or digged my hands and feete it was foretold also by himselfe Matth. 20.19 They shall deliuer him to the Gentiles and they shall mocke him and scourge him and crucifie him and that it was necessarie that this
but Christ besides suffered the whole wrath of God due to mans sinne they suffred in way of Christian dutie and seruice but hee to make a sacrifice of expiation of sinne they hauing their sinnes remooued and taken off from them but hee bare all theirs and all beleeuers sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree Howsoeuer therefore humane wisedome stumbleth at this death of Christ yet must we by the eye of faith labour to espie glorie in ignominie esteeme of the crosse as an honourable chariot reioyce in a triumph made as the Iewes scoffe by an hanged man thus shall we see the foolishnesse of God wiser then man and the weaknesse of God stronger then man thus also shall we imitate the holy men of God who looking backe to the crosse of Christ could see him thereon triumphing spoiling principallities breaking down partitions reconciling God and man yea man and man both Iew and Gentile into one bodie vpon his crosse sâ—aying hatred and procuring perfect peace Secondly seeing it is cleare in the text that Christ died not for his owne sinnes it is cleare that hee died for the sinnes of his elect vnto whom this vertue of his death must be applied and this two waies 1. to their humiliation 2. to their consolation Both of them grounded hereupon that Christ was thus crucified for thee without which application the knowledge of Christ crucified excelleth not that in the deuils themselues For the former if Christ died for thee then wast thou the cause of his death thou crucifyedst him thou art as faultie and blame worthy for his death as euer was Iudas Pilat the Iewes or the Soldiers thy sinnes were the nayles and the speare and thy selfe wast one of them that pearced him which consideration seriously thought of will be forceable to cast downe the proud conceits of those for whom Christ must be thus humbled and cannot but bring bitternesse of spirit to him that truely conceiueth that himselfe deserued that death which Christ not deseruing indured for him yea and to haue beene held vnder the wrath of God for all eternitie if Christ had not freed him vrge this point vpon thy conscience to bring thy selfe to the bewayling of thy sinnes oh it was my pride that stript Christ starke naked it was the sinne of my soule that made his soule heauie vnto the death my corruptions were the cordes that bound him my malice my contempt of God my ignorance my wofull courses were the thornes and nailes that wounded him he all this while standing in my roome and stead Thus is it prophesied of beleeuers in the new Testament that when the spirit of grace shall be powred vpon them they shall looke on him whom they haue pierced and lament for him that is by faith they shall looke to Christ whom by sinne they haue pearced and this shall be an effectuall meanes to lead them further into the practise of repentance Thus Peter when hee would bring downe the stifnesse of the Iewes told them that they crucified the Lord of glorie which when they heard they were pricked in their hearts and said men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued Popish preachers so handle this matter as to stirre vp compassion towards Christ hatred of the Iewes and Iudas and the soldiers but we must labour by it to come to the hatred of our owne sinnes or else we shall come behind the Iewes themselues For the latter If Christ was thus crucified for thee then also be thou of good comfort for many things were nailed on the crosse with him euen all thy inditement all thy sinne originall and actuall the curse hell and death it selfe died with him if thou beest a beleeuer the some nailes which were driuen into his hands and feete were driven into thy sinnes so as thou maist looke vpon the crosse as the Israelites did vpon the brasen serpent and thereby be cured of all the sting of sinne and deadly sicknesses of thy soule thou maist behold his ignominie as thy glorious roabe his arrainment thy absolution his binding thy freedome his abasement thy advancement his nakednesse the couer of thy shame his death thy life and his Fathers forsaking of him an assurance that thou shalt neuer be forsaken Only this knowledge of Christ crucified in speciall for thee is it that can settle the conscience in peace when thou knowest and beleeuest that all thy personall particular sinnes were hung on the crosse with Christ and that hee in thy roome suffred for them that which in Gods acceptation was as much as if in thine owne person thou hadst borne the curse of the law for all eternitie The most content themselues generally to know that Christ died for sinners but neuer care to know what this particular application meaneth The Popish doctrine also is an open aduersarie to this most comfortable perswasion of iustifying faith but it behooueth him that would haue the right vse of this doctrine neuer to be at rest till hee can come to say with the holy Apostle who loued mee and gaue himselfe for mee Gal. 20.20 and with Thomas after hee had seene the impressions of the wounds in his hands and side my Lord and my God Thirdly seeing that of the two maine things in this death 1. merit 2. the efficacie none shall haue his part in the former that hath not in the latter our care must be if we would find life in this death of Christ neuer to be at rest vntill we find the fruite and effect thereof in some sort in our selues The most powerfull fruits of iâ— are reduced to two heads the former is an ingrafting of vs into the similitude of his death for hee died that we after a sort should die with him The latter is a framing in vs the qualitie of his life for therefore hee died for vs that we should liue vnto him both of these are required to the right knowâ—ledge of Christ crucified ioyned Eph. 4.24 and enioyned him that would know Christ as the truth is in Christ called the casting off of the old man and the putting on of the new What it is to be planted into the similitude of the death of Christ the Apostle sheweth namely when our old man is crucified with him but when is that done the next words answer when the bodie of sinne is destroyed that is not when sinne is restrained or some sinnes cut off but when originall sinne that is the old man is killed in all the parts and members of sinne when men haâ—e abhorre and grone vnder their corruptions yea euen their smallest and sweetest sinnes this is a fruit of Christs death and noted to be in all those that are Christs when it is said that they crucifie the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Quest. But how are these lusts crucified by the death of Christ Answ. Not only by that deadly blow which Christ hath giuen them by his death but also
it neither distrust his power and grace when we are in the deepest of our distresse 5. That seeing it was his pleasure to submit himselfe to the lowest estate of humiliation before his exaltation we might also with more cheerefulnesse content our selues to suffer euen any abasement with him and for him before wee looke to raigne with him The words of the verse containe two things 1. The assertion of Christ his resurrection Him God raised vp the third day 2. The manifestation or euidence of it and caused that he was openly shewed The former part is laid downe in fowre distinct points 1. the person raised him 2. the person raising him God 3. the action it selfe raised 4. the time when the third day First the person raised is Christ where first it will be demanded how Christ can be said to be raised seeing he consisted of a diuine and a humane nature whereof the first could neither fall nor rise and for the second that also consisted of soule and bodie the former of which beeing the principall part died not but was in paradise Seeing then neither the deitie nor the soule of his humanitie nor his person did rise but only his bodie how can Christ be said to be raised Ans In sundry other places of Scripture besides this we meet with such synechdochicall phrases and formes of speach wherein somewhat is attributed to the whole which is proper but to one part and that ascribed to the whole person which belongeth but to one nature which commeth to passe by reason of that strait and personall vnion of the two natures in Christ. Thus we read that God purchased his Church by his owne blood and that the Lord of glorie was crucified of the sonnes beeing in heauen and in earth at one time of Christs beeing before Abraham was of his beeing omnipotent c. All which are spoken of the whole person but properly are to be referred to the seuerall natures to which they doe agree Thus the Apostles sometimes expound them and teach vs so to doe 1. Pet. 3.18 Christ was mortified according to the flesh and quickned according to the spirit 2. Cor. 13.4 Hee died according to the infirmitie of his flesh and was quickned according to the power of God and to helpe our conceit herein serueth that schoole distinction which saith that whole Christ is said to doe this or that which the whole of Christ did not yea our owne common forme of speach saith a man is dead whose soule liueth and a man is a sleepe when his bodie only sleepeth 2. We haue hence to note that the same bodie was raised which had beene laid downe in the graue and no imaginarie bodie neither any other bodie for it for neuer was any other laid there before Of all which himselfe against all Heretikes giueth sufficient euidence as in the manifestation following remaineth to be cleared 3. That this person raised was not a priuate person but the same who had as a publicke person beene abused accused condemned and executed and now as a publike person also raised from the dead in whom all his Church and euery member of it rose againe for whosoeuer haue interest in his death haue their part also in this resurrection 4. Here is a further thing in this person to be noted then euer was in any the first Adam was a roote also and a publike person when hee sinned hee sinned for himselfe and vs and hauing sinned and we in him hee died away and left vs in that sinne and beeing dead we heare no more of him and the Scriptures though they record at large the histories of the holiest men that haue liued yet when once they come to this that such or such a man died we heare no more of him but with Christ it is not so who was not only as another Sampson who bewraied the greatest power in his death but herein vnmatcheable and pearlesse that hee did greater things after his death then euer hee did in all his life insomuch as Augustine was wont to say that the faith of Christians was Christs resurrection We must not then content our selues with common people that Christ is dead for all and no more but fasten our eyes vpon his resurrection so much the more diligently by how much it is easier to beleeue that hee was dead then that hee rose againe And what other thing can more fitly be collected from that practise of all the Euangelists who in other things while some of them omit one historie some another or else some of them breifly point at and lightly touch and passe ouer some other histories all of them set themselues of purpose to be copious and large in this of Christs resurrection that the faith of beleeuers might be firmely grounded herein and the rather because no benefite of his resurrection none of his death and without the certaine apprehension hereof all preaching and hearing and faith were in vaine and we our selues were yet in our sinnes To which Apostolicall practise this of our Apostle is not vnsutable in this place in hand who while hee almost in one word maketh mention of the death of Christ hee at large prosecuteth and prooueth the truth of his resurrection The second point is to consider the person that raised Christ. Him God raised that is God the Father Act. 2.24 And haue crucified and slaine whom God hath raised and 3.15 Yee haue killed the Lord of life whom God hath raised from the dead More plainely is this worke attributed to the mightie power of the Father of glorie working in Christ and raising him from the dead Eph. 1.17.20 and to him at whose right hand hee sitteth so Rom. 4.24 We beleeue in him which raised our Lord Iesus Christ from the dead Obiect But Christ raised himselfe Ioh. 2.19 Destroie this Temple and in three daies I will raise it againe and hereby was hee mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raising himselfe from the dead Rom. 1.14 In like manner is this resurrection of his ascribed to the holy Ghost Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him which raised vp Christ c. therefore the Father raised him not Answ. Here is no contrarietie the Father raised him and hee raised himselfe For 1. there is but one deitie of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which is the common foundation of all their actions 2. There is but one power common to them all three and this is the power that Christ challengeth he hath to lay downe his life and take it vp againe 3. There is but one common act in them all three for the putting out of this power vnto any externall action without themselues of which Christ speaking Ioh. 5.19 saith whatsoeuer the Father doth the same things doth the Sonne also In these respects holdeth the speach of the Apostle These three are one that is these three 1. in the true and reall distinction of their
persons 2. in their inward proprieties as to beget to be begotten and proceede and 3. in their seuerall offices one to another as to send and to be sent these three are one in nature and essence one in power will and one in the act of producing all such actions as without themselues any of them is said to performe Secondly although here is no contrarietie yet here is an order in the working or administration of the person to be obserued for the Father as the first efficient in order raiseth Christ as man by the Sonne as a second efficient in order and by the holy Ghost as a third For as it is in all the matter of creation so is it in all the workes of redemption they are ascribed vnto the Father especially not because they agree not vnto the other two persoÌ„s but because he after a peculiar manner worketh them namely by the Son and by the holy Ghost but they not by him but from him and so neither this or any other such place where it is ascribed to the Father to raise his Sonne Iesus must be coÌ„ceiued either as making Christ as the Sonne inferiour in power to his Father or as excluding his owne mightie power in raising himselfe for they shewe onely the order of the persons but make no inequalitie in essence or power or will or working Thirdly where the Sonne is said to be raised of the Father it must not be vnderstood of the person of the Sonne but in respect of his nature assumed that is his humanitie Whence obserue that as the former point shewed that Christ was a true man because he was in the state of the dead whence he was raised so this consideration sheweth him to be a true and glorious God and notably concludeth that which the Apostle aimeth at who would hence prooue him to be Lord of all in that by his owne power he raised himselfe from death and so mightily declared himselfe the Sonne of God and Lord of all blessed for euer This is it which maketh him the fit obiect of our faith and if he had not expressed himselfe as well a true and perfect God as a true entire man we ought not to haue beleeued in him we beleeue not then as the Iewes scoffingly say in a crucified God but in a God raising and exalting to glorie by his owne omnipotent power an assumed humane nature euen then when it lay vnder the curse of all the sins that euer haue or shall be committed by the true members of the Church the which thing no power of man or angel nor any created nature could euer turne hand vnto could euer haue stood vnder and much lesse haue swumme out with conquest and victorie neither indeede had he himselfe if there had remained the least sinne of any of the elect to haue beene accounted for wee neede then no other signe to be giuen vs to prooue his dietie but this signe of Ionas and when the Iewes demanded a signe why he tooke such authority vpon him he gaue them no other but sent them hiâ—her destroy this temple and I will reare it in three dayes Ioh. 2.18.19 c. The third point is the raising it selfe wherein 3. points are to be opened 1. the necessitie of Christs rising 2. the manner 3. the fruit or ends of it First it was necessarie that Christ should rise aâ—gaine in three respects 1. For the accomplishment of things foreappointed and foretold it was from all eternitie decreed and appointed by God and therefore it behoued Christ to rise from the dead the third day Luk. 24.46 and it was impossible that he should be held downe of death Act. 2.24 Againe the Scriptures must necessarily be fulfilled all which beat vpon these two points 1. his sufferings 2. the glorie that should followe And more specially all those predictions and types of his resurrection inforced this neâ—essitie Psal. 16.10 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue which our Apostle prooueth cannot be meant of Dauid whose bodie sawe corruption but that Dauid spake concerning him Isa. 53.10 when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seede and prolong his dayes Besides his owne prediction of his resurrection must either be fulfilled or he could not haue beene the onely true Prophet of his Church for himselfe had said that the Iewes should slay him and crucifie him but the third day shall hee rise againe Matth. 20.17 and this the high Priests and Pharisies remembred well when they came to Pilate and said Sir we remember that this deceiuer while he was aliue said within three dayes I will rise command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure c. Adde hereunto that all the predictions of his ascension of his triumph and of the last iudgement depended hereupon Further the types which foreshadowed his resurrection must not be frustrate but answered in the truth of them as that of Izaak bound vpon the wood but yet reserued aliue whome his father receiued from the dead after a sort of Sampson escaping the reuenge and malice of his enimies by carrying away the gates wherein he seemed fast shut of the two goates one slaine for sinne the other a scape goat shadowing Christ both slaine for sinne and yet escaping of the two sparrowes the one killed the other let flie and the most expresse of all that of Ionah which Christ himselfe mentioneth Matth. 12.39 and most properly applyeth to this verie purpose 2. It was necessarie in respect of himselfe whether we consider the excellencie of his person or of his office For his person hee was by nature the eternall Sonne of God the Lord of life and glorie and by no better meanes could hee be discerned to be this true and naturall Sonne of God or the resurrection and life then by raising himselfe from death to life by his most glorious power Hence it was that himselfe a little before his death prayed in these words Father glorifie thy Sonne As for his office as he was set out by his Father to be a perpetuall Mediator betweene God and the Church so was hee to be an euerlasting King of glorie of whose kingdome there must be no ende according to that prophesie of Daniel 7.27 The kingdome of the most high is an euerlasting kingdome And according to the oath of the Lord recorded Psal. 89.36 I haue sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile Dauid his seede shall endure for euer and his throne as the sunne before mee hee shall be established for euermore as the moone and as a faithfull witnesse in the heauen Selah 2. Hee must be also a Preist for euer after the order not after the order of Leui or Aaron but of Melchisedech without beginning or end of daies and this also the Lord had sworne vnto his sonne and could not repent that hee should be a preist for euer wherein the
preisthood of Christ is aduanced aboue all the preists that euer were who hauing receiued their office in time in time also ceased their office with their life but Christ his preisthood was not limited in any time but was euery way eternall They were many who succeeded one another because they were not suffred to endure by death But this man because hee endureth for euer hath no successor but an euerlasting preisthood They were made Preists after the law of the carnall commandement but hee after the power of the endlesse life that is hee was not made a Preist by the law namely ceremoniall which established for a time dying and vanishing things signified by the name of flesh but hee was made by the efficacie of the word and oath of his Father which gaue him endlesse life and perpetuall duration so as neither death it selfe nor the graue could hold any dominion ouer him when they seemed to haue clasped him fast in their bands which yet were powerfull inough to haue held downe any or all other men in the world besides himselfe and the Apostle to the Hebrewes giueth a double reason why hee must necessarily outliue death it selfe the former because hee must not onely make a perpetuall oblation that need no repetition but also hee must liue euer to make intercession and that perpetually without which the Apostle implieth that hee had not perfectly saued his people This is most clearly prooued Rom. 8.34 It is Christ who died yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh requests for vs and Hebr. 9.24 Christ is entred into the very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs which appearance of his in heauen with his merits hath the force of the most effectuall prayer that euer was The latter is that hee may not only make one offring for sinne as those Preists did many but that hee may alwaies liue to apply it as they did not and see that his people haue the benefite of it not only before God for the appeasing of his wrath but also for the purging of their consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God as the same Apostle noteth Hebr. 9.14 and in the last place to bestow vpon euery beleeuer the spirit of faith whereby they may apprehend apply his sacrifice to their owne saluation Neither doth it any whit impeach the eternitie of Christs preisthood because foure thousand yeares almost of the world were passed before hee suffered for howsoeuer the execution of it was not all those ages after the beginning of the world yet the vertue efficacie and benefite of it reached to the first beleeuer that euer was in the world Adam himselfe whose faith in this seede of the woman saued him Abraham also saw his day and reioysed and the holy Ghost feareth not to call him the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world namely 1. in Gods counsell and decree 2. in the vertue and efficacie of his sacrifice 3. in regard of Gods acceptation of it for beleeuers 4. in the types and shadowes of it whereof the ceremoniall law was full And much lesse doth that hinder it from being eternall in that after the day of iudgement it shall cease when we shall stand no more in need of Preists or Sauiours for howsoeuer the execution of this office shall then cease yet the vertue and efficacie of it shall last for euer and euer 3. Hee must be also the perpetuall Prophet of his Church the vnchangeable Doctor of his Church the Apostle of our profession who must constantly send his spirit to lead vs into all truth raise vp teachers and hold them in his right hand for the gathering of the Saints vntill we all meete in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ so as it is cleared that no part of his offices could admit that hee should abide vnder death and therefore necessarily in this second respect must rise againe Thirdly It was necessarie hee should rise again because hee was so to die as that thereby hee must ouercome yea and destroie death which he had not done if he had laine conquered of death still in the graue yea more he must so die as that he must giue eternall life to his sheepe and by his death merit it put and hold them in possession of it for euer all signified in the phrases following they shall neuer perish neither shall any take them out of my hands which could neuer haue beene accomplished if himselfe had perished and had beene left in the hands and house of death But hence hath hee brought his Church strong consolation in that beeing risen from the dead hee hath fully ouercome death satisfied for euery sinne of euery beleeuer and risen from vnder all that waight of sinne and death which would haue oppressed vs for euer yea euen himselfe if hee had left one of our sinnes that beleeue in his name vnsatisfied for Out of this that hath beene spoken commeth to be answered that obiection that seeing Christ by his death paid the price of sinne vnto God what need we more of him we can be but acquitted and discharged Answ. The prouiding of the most soueraigne plaister is not enough to worke a cure but the applying of it also Neither was it sufficient for Christ to performe the former part of his priesthood namely satisfaction for sinne if he had not added the latter thereto which is the application of it This latter maketh the former ours and comfortable vnto vs. And both these the Apostle affirmeth of Christ Rom. 4.25 Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification where by iustification is meant by a Metonimie the application of iustice The second point propounded to be considered of in the rising of Christ is the manner of it which will appeare in three things the 1. concerning his soule the 2. his bodie the 3. his whole humanitie standing of both First the soule of Christ which on the crosse was separated from the bodie commended into the hands of his Father and translated that same day into Paradise was by the mightie power of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost brought backe into his dead body lying in the graue quickened it and made it a liuing bodie moouing and sensible in it selfe and vnto others Secondly the selfe same bodie which was borne of the Virgin Mary educated in Egypt and Galilie which was apprehended condemned crucified and laid in the graue came out of the graue a liuing bodie God by the ministerie of the Angels remoouing all lets loosing the bands and apparell of death from off his blessed bodie by the earthquake tumbled away the stone that held him downe droue away the souldiers for feare who would haue assayed to haue killed
keepe them lowe in their owne eies as also prouoketh them to walke awfully in regard of God and watchfully ouer their hearts and liues still groaning to God vnder their daily infirmities By this meanes out of the eater commeth meate as was said in Samsons riddle Iud. 14.14 2. Death is not now to Gods children as it was to Christ ioyned with a sence of Gods anger against it or paying a debt to the iustice of God for it were against the rule of Gods iustice to require the paiment of the same debt twise but wherein they haue a sweete sense of Gods fatherly loue wherein sinne is perfectly to be abolished whereby way and entrance is made vnto life euerlasting where we shall be with God and Iesus Christ which is best of all The Saints of God in these regards haue rather desired thē feared it for what man hauing bin tossed a long time vpon a dangerous sea would feare the hauen or who beeing wearied with the trauells of the day would feare to goe to his rest at night 3. Sence of hell keepeth in vs an hatred of sinne and a longing after heauen yea how beneficial the terrors of conscience are to Gods children were too long here to discourse The speach is as true as common the way to heauen lyeth by hell gates 4. The Deuill maketh vs flie to God our helpe and relie vpon his strength yea when men by no other meanes wil be drawn God setteth the deuill in their necks to dragge them to heauen as a graue Diuine speaketh 5. All the euills in the world worke to the best to them that loue God and hasten them to the fruition of the victorie obtained by Christ they weigne them from the world and the loue of it And whereas they are as prone to pitch their tabernacles here belowe as others God vseth these as meanes to keep his from being of the world euen while they are in it They conforme them to Iesus Christ their head and traine them in the imitation of him both in patience and obedience Now how could any of these parcells of Gods curse against the sinne of man or mans cursed sinne it selfe bring to any such sweete and profitable fruits but by the ouerruling power of Iesus Christ who bringeth life out of death light out of darknesse and who only can make his owne wise out of ranke poyson to sucke most sweete and soueraigne preseruatiues which who doth not hee neuer as yet knew the benefit of Christ his resurrection The second sort of blessings procured to the Church by Christ his resurrection is the fruition of good things which it putteth vs in possession of euen in this life by giuing vs our first fruits and a sweete taste but vpheapeth our measure after this life when our haruest commeth and we admitted to feed fully at the supper of the lambe The benefits which I will mention are three First we are confirmed hereby in the whole truth of all our religion the maine foundation of which laid by all the Prophets and Apostles is that Iesus Christ the sonne of Marie was the Sonne of God the true Messias perfect God and perfect man and so indeed hee was such a one as hee was foretold to be one that was to die and yet saw no corruption one who must make his soule an offering for sinne and yet must surviue to see his seede and prolong his daies one that had power to laie downe his life and power to take it vp againe In a word one that was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit that is by vertue of his dietie raysing that flesh vp againe Let all the Iewes and Atheists in the earth dispise the indignitie of his death we with the Angels will admire the glorie of his resurrection The second benefit is that hence we are assured that our 1. Iustification 2. Sanctification 3. perfect saluation is not only obteined but applied vnto vs. For our iustification before God by meanes of Christ his resurrection hee brought into vs an euerlasting righteousnesse in that hee not only bare our burden vpon himselfe but bare it away from vs for what is his resurrection else but his actuall absolution from our sinnes which were imputed vnto him and for which he subiected himselfe vnto the death Whence we grow vp in full assurance that the whole price is not only paid to the vttermost on Christs part but that the satisfaction is accepted also on his Fathers whose iustice would neuer haue absolued him if all the bills and writings which were to be laid against vs had not beene fastned to the crosse and so cancelled and fully discharged so as now we may with the Apostle hold out a flagge of defiance and challenge our righteousnesse for who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe And the same Apostle thirsting after that righteousnesse which is by faith in him counteth all things losse and donge saue only to know him and the vertue of his resurrection 2. From this resurrection of Christ issueth our sanctification which is our first resurrection or raising of our soules from the death of sinne because in euery reconciliation making must be two conditions 1. A forgetting vpon satisfaction of all old wrongs and iniuries 2. A binding from future offences the former Christ effecteth by his death the latter by his resurrection into the which whosoeuer are grafted they cannot henceforth serue sinne but beeing risen with Christ they seeke the things which are aboue where Christ sitteth they cease further by sinne to offend as such who are begotten to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead and for this cause our Sauiour was carefull after his departure hence to send out his spirit in more plentifull and abundant manner then before that hee might continually inspire his people with ardent desires after the beginnings of that life eternall vnto which Christ himselfe is risen who then manifest themselues members of such an advanced head when this new life manifesteth it selfe in them Thirdly our perfect saluation is also hence fully assured vs for if our Lord Iesus hath foyled all the powers of hell death and darkenesse in himselfe when he was yet dead how much more doth he it for vs his members beeing now aliue if he could driue backe and disperse all spirituall enmities euen when he was in hell it selfe after a sort how much more now beeing ascended farre aboue all mooueable and aspectible heauens for we must not behold the victorie triumph of Christ as performed onely in and for himselfe but as the ground and pledge of the victorie and conquest of all the beleeuers in the world Looke vpon this sonne of Dauid prostrating the great Goliah of hell for all the Israel
rather had good assurance of this which is present and in stead of wishing and wayting tremble at the mention of Christ his comming againe Yet most of these men professors of Christ all of them baptized into his name and all of them will be reputed as good Christians as the best But all this forenamed course hath no sauour or rellish of heauen all that take it vp minde nothing but earthly things and the end of it without timely repentance will be damnation The fourth generall point is the time of Chists resurrection set downe in the text to be the third day To vnderstand which we must knowe that Christ lay not in the graue three whole naturall dayes each of them standing of 24. houres for then he should haue laine 72. houres and haue risen also on the fourth day whereas he lay not in the graue aboue 39. houres and rise on the third But the Scripture vseth a grace or forme of speach whereby two parts of dayes are called by the whole and three dayes put for the time which passed in three seuerall dayes euery day hauing his night belonging vnto him The first day of the three saith Augustine is to be reckoned by his latter part in which Christ was dead and buried not passing three houres of the foure and twentie yet so as both the night before when the Iewes day begunne and the most of that day was spent in taking examining whipping misusing condemning and executing him The second day is to be accounted wholly and perfect from the euening of the day before the passeouer to the euening of the Saboath following standing of full 24. houres The third day is to be accounted from the former part of it beginning at the euening of the Iewish Saboath for Christ lay all night neere twelue houres in the graue and rose in the morning betime about the midst of that naturall day standing of 24. houres And thus is Christ truly said to haue risen the third day Now that Christ should rise the third day and no sooner nor later these reasons shew 1. Hee must rise the third day according to the Scriptures For they had foretold this to be the particular time Hos. 6.2 After two daies hee will reuiue vs and in the third day hee will raise vs vp namely in his owne person for we also were raised with him as we haue seene The Scriptures had also further figured this distinct time in the type of Ionas who hauing laid three daies and three nights in the bellie of the whale was the third day cast on the drie land as our Sauiour himselfe while hee was yet aliue expounded of himselfe Math. 12.40 As Ionas was in the bellie of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the Sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth 2. It pleased him not to rise sooner hee would not presently come downe from the crosse nor reuiue himselfe before hee was buried nor rise presently after hee was laid downe as hee easily could because he would manifest that hee was truly dead as also because hee would lead his Church into some suspense therefore he rose not till the case seemed desperate Luk. 24.21 We trusted that it had beene hee that should haue deliuered Israel and as touching all these things this is the third day that they were done Again hee would no longer deferre his rising 1. least he should vtterly haue endangered the faith of the Disciples which in that short time was sore shaken as not only the former example but the heauinesse of the Disciples themselues to beleeue the newes of it and the wilfulnesse of Thomas plainely bewrayeth 2. Because vpon this euent and keeping touch in this very circumstance of time he had laid all the credit of his person ministerie doctrine miracles life and death For when they come to aske him a signe to prooue himselfe the Messiah he referreth them to this euent after his death that when they had destroied the Temple of his bodie if hee did raise it either after or before the third day or did not on that day raise it they should neuer take him for the Messiah And of this verie circumstance Angels and men had taken notice from his owne mouth Luk. 24.7 when the women came to the sepulchre to seeke Christ after he was newly risen the Angels told them hee was risen he was not there and further wisheth them to remember what he had said to them while he was with them that the third day hee must rise againe nay not only his freinds but his verie enemies had got this by the end and therefore came to Pilat saying sir we remember that this deceiuer said that hee would rise the third day let vs take such order that the last error become not worse then the first 3. The blessed bodie of Christ was not to enter into the least or lowest degree of corruption and therefore hee would lie no longer in the house of corruption Quest. But how could his bodie be preserued so long seeing Lazarus his bodie and our bodies in that time enter into many degrees of it Answ. Christ was indeed balmed and sweetned with odours but all this could not haue preserued him if his soule and bodie had not now beene freed from sinne the mother of corruption Obiect But hee had sinne imputed vnto him Answ. Yea but hee had ouercome all that and slaine it on the crosse for had he not destroied it himselfe had beene destroied by it and subdued for euer vnder the corruption of it In all which regards that is verefied which himselfe beeing risen affirmed Luk. 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behooueth Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day Other things the Euangelists obserue in this circumstance as that it was the first day of the week that is the first day wherein he had created the heauens and the earth and wherein he would create now a new heauen and a new earth and as before he had set vp a meruailous frame of the world but since exceedingly shaken and defaced by sinne he would now restore the world againe and repaire the ruins of it by abolishing sinne as formerly he had filled heauen and earth with the glorie of his power in creation so would he now fill them with the glorie of his power in redemption which is a second creation Hence is it that that day is now conuerted into the Christian Sabbath and called the Lords day or if you wil Sunday but not as the heathen in honour of the sun but as Christians in honour of the the Sunne of righteousnesse Againe the Gospel noteth that this our glorious Sunne rose about sunne rising earely in the morning or a little before it Matth. 28.1 To shewe vnto vs 1. the power of his Godhead who could while his bodie was dead performe the promise which he had
made aliue euen in the instant of which he had spoken 2. The impotencie of his enemies who although they watched him sealed him vp laid an heauie stone vpon him were euery way cautelous to keepe him down till the third day was past and he not stealing away secretly in the dead time of the night but rose with noise and warning euen in the morning yet could they no more stay him then they could the sunne from rising and running his course 3. The benefit which the world of beleeuers obtaine by his rising againe set down by the Euangelist Luk. 1.78 Through the tender mercie of our God the day spring from an high hath visited vs 79. To giue light to them that sit in darkenesse and to guide our feete into the way of peace The Chronologers further obserue that this was the day wherein Moses lead the Israelites through the sea wherein all the troupes of Pharaoh and his hoast were drowned Euen so our Lord Iesus this third day lead all the Israel of God out of the spirituall Egypt of blindnesse and filthinesse but gloriously triumphed ouer all the bands of Satan sinne and death all which were sunke like a stone into the bottomelesse pit of hell Other obseruations concerning this day might be inserted out of authors which because I see no sound ground for them out of the Scriptures I will omit them that I may now come to the lessons which out of this circumstance wee may drawe for our further instruction First we learne hence that all the promises of God shal be in due season accomplished whatsoeuer may seeme to come betweene them and vs For seeing Christ beeing dead both could and did performe his promise to his Church will not hee much more beeing aliue and in his glorie doe it The Israelites had a promise of a good land they must in the meane time suffer much oppression in Egypt for the space of 430. yeares together but the selfe same night when the tearme was expired they went out against the heart and yet at the entreatie of Pharaoh and his people In like sort Ioseph had a dreame that the Sunne and Moone and the 12. starres should worship him in the meane time he must be cast into the pit and dungeon where he can see neither sunne moone nor starre many dayes and yeares passed wherein he saw nothing but the cleane contrarie yet in the due season of it this dreame was accomplished And the reason is because 1. God is true of his word hee cannot lie nor repent and 2. he is able to fulfill whatsoeuer passeth from his mouth for shall any thing be hard or impossible to God or shall any power or death or the graue it selfe falsifie it Leane thy selfe then vpon this truth of God hast thou a promise of outward or inward peace health wealth or any other good thing which thy heart can wish hold this promise fast in the midst of thy heart wait for the accomplishment of it it shall not faile thee so farre as thy Father seeth good for thee if it be delaied and deferred euen this also shall turne to thy best Hast thou a promise of life euerlasting hold it by the faith of thy soule as the ayme and end of all thy faith religion for all the miseries of this present life shall not be able to defeat thee of it Hast thou the promise of the resurrection of the bodie after death sticke to this article of thy faith also nothing could hinder the rising of thy head no more can let but the members shall be where the head is not the graue not fire not water not the bellyes of beasts or fishes but they shall giue vp their dead and further the accomplishment of the word of their Creator The second obseruation is that as the Lord of life raised not his Sonne as soone as he was dead but he must lie in the graue two dayes yea and the third also till his case seemed desparate to the Disciples themselues euen so may the members of Christ lie long in the graues of their miserie yea so long as their case seemeth desperate and all that while the Lord not onely deferreth but seemeth to denie their helpe and vtterly to neglect them Abraham had the promise of a sonne by Sarah he looked euery yeare for him ten twenty yeares together nay till the thirtieth yeare till it was not with Sarah as with childing-women in so much as she laught when she heard it the case in nature was desperate who would haue thought but that God had forgotten his promise which Abraham himselfe in all that time if God had not shoared vp his faith might haue forgotten but though long first yet at length the Lord found out a time fit enough to bring his word to passe Dauid in like manner had the promise of the kingdome but in the meane time hee was so traced and hunted by Saul that he said in himselfe I shall surely one day fall by the hands of Saul but howsoeuer the Lord still deferred his promise he knewe not how to breake it the kingdome was rent from Saul and giuen to him that was better then he Now the cheife reasons of this dealing of the Lords with his children are these 1. In Gods delayes there is a seasonable time for all the graces which he giueth to be set on worke such as are faith patience hope prayer all which cease in the accomplishment Secondly he will haue his childrens case often desperate that his owne hand may be acknowledged in giuing them vnexpected deliuerance How could Israel but acknowledge his outstreached arme in their deliuerie when they saw nothing but the mountaines before them the enemies behind thē and the sea as a wall on either side and if the Lord had deliuered them before they came into the bottome of the sea as he easily could haue done the glorie of his worke had been obscured which all ages since haue admired and extolled till this day How did Ionah and the Niniuites acknowledge the finger of God in calling him to that ministerie when as he seemed vtterly cast away beeing buried in the whales belly three dayes and three nights for when by the powerfull word of God the fish was commanded to cast him on the drie ground what a worthy fruit of conversion it had in them generally the history doth declare What great glorie the Lord wonne to himselfe by sauing Daniel not from the den but from the lyons teeth in the denne and the three children not from the furnace but the verie fire in the furnace it appeareth in that the verie heathen Kings themselues made publike edicts that no God but Daniels and no God but Sadrachs c. should be worshipped through all their dominions because no God could deliuer their worshippers as he had done Thirdly the Lord often longer absenteth himselfe from his owne children that when he is returned they might make
men bethinke themselues and then tell vs whether the holy Gospel beeing the power and arme of God to saue euery beleeuer the glad tidings of saluation and word of life can make the world worse then it is For if that be the vse of it our blessed Sauiour was farre ouerseene to leaue his glorie of heauen to take our flesh and in it to submit himselfe to the obedience of the whole lawe and to the suffering of the whole curse of it for our disobedience if by all this he leaue the world or make the world worse then he found it How shal it be true that is written of him that the Sonne of man came not to destroy but to seeke and saue that which was lost if the preaching of him make the world worse then it was we will easily graunt that the Gospel beeing a great light it daily discouereth that corruptiō and darkenesse which before lay hid as the sun rising manifesteth all those things which were wrapped vp in the darkenes of the night But to say that sinne is the more because it is more seene by the light of the Gospel is a fancie or if sinne it selfe in these dayes of the Gospel by the multiplication of people be multiplied shall we say the gospel is the cause or rather the malice of men who peruert it to their owne destruction taking occasion by it to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Let not vs therefore looke as the olde idolaters in Ieremies time who told him plainly that they would not heare the word that hee spake in the name of the Lord for while they serued the Queene of heauen they had plentie of victualls and were well and felt none euill but since they left to burne incense vnto her it was neuer well with them they had scarsenesse of all things and were consumed by the sword and by famine and therefore they were resolued to doe as their Fathers did But let vs with thankfulnesse cast our eyes vpon the grace of God that hath appeared and learne as it teacheth to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Many other allegations of simple people against this ordinance I might alleadge but they are well met withall by some others and my selfe haue elsewhere answered many of them and therfore referring the reader thither I content my selfe with these fewe for the present and conclude this point with this exhortation to these poore seduced people that considering the strait charge and commandement that lyeth vpon vs to preach in season and out of season they would be willing to picke out their dutie therein implyed which is to be diligent yea swift to heare to attend as earnest suiters at the gates of wisedome for their owne good to lay vp instruction as they would treasure gold and to call after the wisedome of God revealed in this ordinance without which neuer was any made wise to saluation And let them further know that seeing God doth not extraordinarily saue men where the ordinarie meanes are afforded or offered the neglect of this meanes is to despise great saluation and to make themselues vnworthie of life eternall And from the euidence of truth I avouch against euery soule that turneth his eare from hearing the word preached that he despiseth the pardon of the king of heauen he rufuseth life saluation offred he chooseth death and forsaketh his owne mercie he is no sheepe of Christ for then would be heare his voice and if he were borne of God he would heare the words of God Secondly the obiect of this ordinance or what we must preach and that is Christ. The scope of the whole Scripture is Christ and it is wholly resolued into him The Lawe that is a schoole-master to Christ for by convincing of sinne and making the sinner exceeding sinnefull it leadeth him forth of himselfe to seeke saluation in Christ. The Gospel preacheth nothing but Christ and him crucified for sinne 1. Cor. 2. We preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God Hence is it called the Gospel of Iesus Christ and the word of Christ not onely because it is from him beeing God as an efficient cause and preached by him as the cheife teacher of his Church but also for the materiall cause which is Christ. The Apostle Paul calleth it the word of truth not onely for the truth of it but because it publisheth that eternall truth Iesus Christ as also the word of the crosse not onely because the crosse ordinarily attendeth the faithfull preaching and profession of it but because the matter of it is Christ crucified Quest. What is it to preach Christ Answ. It standeth in two things 1. In plaine manner to teach the doctrine of Christ concerning his person his natures his offices and the execution of them from his incarnation to his ascension 2. In powerful manner so to apply this doctrine to euery hearer that euery one may feele a change to follow both in his heart and life For to teach only the Historie of Christ his doctrine his miracles his life his death is not the full teaching of Christ for thus the vnbeleeuing Iewes know Christ and the Infidell Turkes can easily come to this knowledge of him But to teach Christ as the truth is in Christ is to apply euery particular to the heart of a sinner that he may be framed to conuersion and repentance which is the most difficult labour of the ministerie and most to be striuen in Many teachers who can choose hard texts and make learned discourses and shewe much dexteritie of wit reading and humane literature haue not thus learned Christ themselues nor can after such a liuely manner teach him to others And pitty it is to see that whereas so great an Apostle as Paul who wanted not Arts tongues and humane learning desired to knowe nothing but Christ and him crucified among the Corinths themselues it should be the studie of many men to shew the knowledge of any thing rather then of Christ and how they may paint out themselues rather then Christ in their preaching Is not the end of preaching to make Disciples of Christ was it instituted to please the eare or to pricke and pearce the heart Let the minister therefore striue to ransacke the hearts of men with whom hee is to deale that discouering their secret things they may fall downe and say God is in him indeed Let him thinke hee hath spoken the word of Christ when hee hath both taught him and led his hearers vnto him And this will not be done but by the plainnesse of words and euidence of the spirit It is thought a reproach to preach a plaine sermon whereas indeed that is the best sermon which teacheth Christ most plainely 1. By true interpretation of Scripture 2. By wholesome sauorie and proper doctrine gathered thence 3. By sound application of
of their head and their blessed estate manifested to all the world both men and Angels and euen in the eyes of the wicked themselues therefore although they enioy God already in paâ—â— and the beginnings of the life to come and such as are dead in the graue rest with the Lord and enioy his glorie in their soule yet are they not fully happie nor can be till this day breath on them and this their morning awake them to their perfect glorie As for the wicked although they are alreadie condemned 1. in Gods counsell before all worlds 2. by the word wherein their sentence is read declared and published 3. in their owne consciences the iudgement of which forerunneth the finall iudgement 4. by certaine degrees of insensible plagues that are vpon them as hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde wilfulnes in their wickednes malice against God and good men hatred of the light and meanes of saluation 5. by the horrible torment of the soules of such as are in hell with the deuil and damned ones yet doth the full viall of Gods wrath remaine to be powred vpon them the final executioÌ„ manifestation of their endles miserie is reserued till this day of iudgement when the bodie shall be reunited to the soule and both deliuered to the deuill as their head by him to be tormented together as they haue beene inseparable friends in sinning together Vse Let euery man make account of this iudgment high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned the mightiest Monarch shall not be able to withdrawe or absent himselfe vnlesse his power be aboue the power of Christ the iudge the poorest soule that euer sawe the Sunne shall not be neglected the most rebellious of all creatures men or Angels must of force appeare and that not by a procter or advocate but in his owne person for euery man must giue accounts of himselfe vnto God None can be forgotten no not through the passing of thousands of yeares Caine died many thousand yeares since Iudas many hundreths yet both must appeare the one for killing his innocent brother the other for betraying his innocent Master No excuse will serue the turne the Friars plea we are exempted Lord will doe no good here no nor that which all mens courts must needes excuse absence by that the partie is dead for this iudgement seat is set vp for the quicke and the dead God must for his glorie truth and iustice bring euery man to this tribunall that if hee haue beene good and faithfull hee may haue his time of refreshing and be put into the perfect state of happinesse in soule and bodie And contrarily if he haue beene hard hearâ—ed and impenitent he may know the waight of Gods iustice and power and be in full state of endlesse and easelesse miserie both in soule and bodie Oh then what great cause hath euery man to forecast this day and expecting it to prepare for it rather then to betake theÌ„selues to that Epicurean profane practise of mockers who put far from them this euill day saying wher is the promise of his comming we see all things alike since the beginning he makes but smal hast And thus because iudgement is not speedily executed they resolue theÌ„selues on a most wicked course not knowing that as a snare it shal come vpon theÌ„ when they least look for it and that though slowly yet he will come surely and make theÌ„ know what it is to abuse his patience which should lead them to repentaÌ„ce Now followeth the manner of this iudgement and that is comprehended in three things 1. it shall be glorious and powerfull 2. iust and righteous 3. strict and accurate For the first it is said that the Sonne of man shall come with power and great glorie yea in the glorie of the Father that is such as belongeth to his Father with himselfe but to no creature else The clouds and the aire shall be as a fierie chariot to carrie him with admirable swiftnesse his traine and attendants shall be the Archangel making his way by the sound of a trumpet which the vâ—rie dust and ashes shall heare and follow and all the other Angels of heauen from whose multitude power and glorie this comming shall be wonderfully glorious and yet the Iudge himselfe shall surpasse them all in glorie and brightnesse and as the sinne doth darken all the lesser starres so shall his most admirable glorie obscure them all This appearance may be shadowed by the comming in of earthly Iudges to hold assises through their circuit attended with the honourable nobles iustices and gentelmen of the country yea with the high Sheriffes power besides all their owne followers by which great state and attendance they are both honoured and aided as becommeth such publicke Ministers of iustice as also are made formidable to daunt and quell malefactors Or rather looke as Princes going to their Parliament to make lawes put on their royall robes and shew themselues in their greatest glorie euen so shall this great King of glorie comming to require the obedience of his lawes cloath himselfe with such a roabe of glorie as the brightest sunne shall not endure to behold neither the heauens nor the earth shall be able to see this glorie but shall shrinke at it and melt away with a noise Rev. 20.11 Iohn saw a great white throne and one that sat vpon it from whose face fled aâ—way both the earth and heauen and their place was found no more Thus may we in some darke resemblance something conceiue of this glorie of the Iudge of all the world vnto which the consideration of the persons that shall be iudged by him addeth not a little moment for not only small but great must stand before him It is indeed a great honour among 〈◊〉 to be deputed the Lord high Steward vnder a King whose office is to sit in iudgement vpon a noble man what an height of glorie then is it for the Sonne of God to sit in iudgement and call personally before him not nobles only but all the Kings and Monarchs that euer the earth bare If there be such preparation and state amongst men for the triall but of some one noble man what glorie may we conceiue must attend the mightie God whilest hee bringeth to their triall not only 〈…〉 persons but all the most powerfull Monarches and Potentates that euer were or shall be to the end of the world This consideration ministreth comfort to the godly seeing he commeth to iudgement who is able perfectly to free them from all miserie able to strike off their bolts of sinne to acquit them from terrors of conscience feares of death the graue the deuill and hell it selfe hee commeth from heauen for their release who hath troden all his enemies vnder his feetâ— and all this glorie is for their saftie and happinesse who wish and waâ—te for the appearing of this mightie God And on the contrarie it serueth
to strike the wicked and vngodly with terror and dread seeing the Lord Iesus shall come from heauen in such power and maiestie and all to iudge and condemne them whom when they shal see arraied with vengeance against them no meruaile if they be driuen to their wits ends yea as it is with guiltie malefactors when they see the iudge comming in so honourably attended so shall it be here this very glorie of Christ shall strike them with feare horror and amazednesse and force them to all miserable and unauaileable shifts and to wish if it were possible that the rocks would fall vpon them and crush them to peeces so as they might neuer come before his presence for the great day of the Lord which is to all the wicked of the world a blacke day a cloudy day a dismall day this day is come and they cannot abide it Secondly this iudgement shall be righteous and according to the truth Rom. 2.2 We know that the iudgement of God is according to truth Heb. 1.8 Thy throne O God is for euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a righteous scepter Thou louest righteousnesse and hatest iniquitie Hitherto is to be referred that of Daniel 7.9 who saith that this iudge shall sit vpon a great white throne alluding to the white Ivorie throne of Salomon but infinitly more glorious the whitenesse be rekoning the puritie and righteousnesse both of the Iudge and the iudgement for euery man shall receiue according to his workes Here shall be no conceilment of things for he will bring euery secret into iudgement hee will lighten all things that are hid in darknesse and make the counsells of the hearts manifest Here shall be no daubing or saluing vp of bad matters in corners no pleading of lawyers who craftely cloud the truth of causes for gaine no respect of persons no fauouring for the sake of any freinds nor feare of foes or any displeasure Here shall be no inducement by gifts which blind mens eyes to peruert iudgement the purest gold of Ophir shall guild no matters here for what shall gold or siluer pearles or Iewells doe when heauen and earth shall be on a light fire Here shall be no sanctuaries nor priuiledged persons or places to hinder the course of iustice hence shall be no appeales but euery person shall receiue an eternall sentence of euery cause according to the truth and equitie of it for else the Iudge of all the world should not doe right Vse 1. To comfort Gods children who in this world are herein conformed vnto Christ for the most part causes and sentences passe against them and their light is darkned their innocencie by the might and mallice of the wicked troden down but then shall they be sure of the day God will cause their vprightnesse to breake out as the sun in his strength for when wickednesse shall turne the sinner into hell righteousnesse shall deliuer their soules from death 2. To teach them to possesse their soules in pacience when they see the confusions that are in the world to beware of reuenge but commit all as Christ himselfe did to him that iudgeth righteously We must be content for a while to see our righteous waies depraued our good repaied with euill by euill men and be so farre from thinking hence that there is no prouidence or care in God ouer his children as that we must necessarily conclude hence this iudgement day Obserue the rule Eccles. 3.16 When thou seest in the place of iudgement wickednesse and iniquitie in the place of iustice thinke in thy heart surely God will iudge the iust and the wicked for there is a time for euery purpose and worke and Chap. 5.7 If in a countrie thou seest oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice be not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth it The same ground doe the Apostles often lay to raise this same exhortation vnto patience in enduring wrongs as Philip. 4.5 Let your patient mind be knowne vnto all men the Lord is at hand Iam. 5.7 Be yee also patient and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth neere As if these holy men had said with one mouth looke not to haue your right here in this world as neither the wicked haue their hyre but wait the appointed time as the husbandman doth for the weekes of haruest and this time is the comming of the Lord before which time neither is the full recompence of righteousnesse giuen to the Saints nor punishment rendred vnto the wicked in the full measure of it Grow not wearie of well doing though ye meete with nothing but discouragements no◠out of loue with the practise of pietie although the world hate you for it as it did your head before you for in due season yee shall reape if ye faint not 3. This teacheth men carefully to looke to all their workes and waies that they be iust and iustifiable such as will hold water as we say For there is a day of triall when all those causes which they haue by mony freinds or wicked pollicie contriued and ouerwaied in shall be brought about againe into a cleare light and put into the ballance of equitie it selfe where they shall be found too light And thinke seriously with your selues how causes words and actions will abide the triall o◠that day which euen for the present can bring no sound comfort to the heart but rather heauinesse to the heart accusation and guiltinesse to the conscience feare in the thoughts and shame in the face if any man should know how impiously and iniuriously they haue beene contriued how many oppressions wrongs cruelties vsuries reuengefull suits only commensed to make men spend their goods and loose their peace how much of many mens estates would giue a loud witnesse against their owners but that men will not so long before hand trouble themselues with such thoughts Well looke to thy selfe whosoeuer thou art If thy conscience now accuse 〈◊〉 or can accuse thee but thou wilt either stifle it or stop thine eares against the crie of it know that it hath a voice and will doe good seruice to this iudge one day a thousand witnesses cannot doe more then it will doe it will bring backe old reckonings which Christ hath not reckoned for and set them in order before thee when thou that canst find none now shalt haue leysure inough to looke into them but all to the breaking of thy heart and increase of thy torment that thou didst not till too late looke into thy reckonings Now to all such as mind hereafter to look into so maine a business as this is I will for the present commend only one rule whereby they may discerne whether their actions will abide the triall that abideth them and that is this If the word of God doe now approoue them they will then be iustifiable but whatsoeuer word or
the naturalnesse and soundnesse of it may be discerned of such as are willing to try the same The third marke or note of true iustifying faith is by the attendants and companions of it for this beeing as Queene among the vertues goeth not alone but with all the traine of vertues as hand maids attending vpon her The cheife of them are these fowre 1. A true knowledge of the word of God acknowledging it in part and in whole to be the truth of God and that himselfe is straitly bound to beleeue and embrace the same and that he hath a speciall part in the promise of grace and life by Christ in which grace he resteth himselfe daily growing vp in the certaintie and assurance of his salvation 2. A sound ioy of the heart which the Apostle Peter calleth vnspeakeable and glorious breaking out into thankefull praises in that the Lord hath begunne his happinesse by making Christ his wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The poore blind and lame persons of whom wee reade in the Gospel neuer leaped more ioyfully when they had met with Christ and had their eyes opened and their limbs restored by him theÌ„ he that hath met with him receiued him into his heart to enlighten him to quicken him and to heale him of all his infirmities How gladly did Zacheus receiue Christ with what ioy of heart findeth any man the hidden pearle how did the Enuch converted goe away reioycing And all this is because they can valew such a commoditie as this is which they see God hath made their owne for if they either knew it not or not to bee theirs they could not thus ioy in it 3. Christian hope is another handmaid of faith for so the Apoâ—stle teacheth Rom. 5.2 beeing iustified by faith wee haue peace c. we reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God For this is the speciall worke of hope to wait for and reioyce in the expectation of the glorious appearing of the Lord Iesus And hence is it that whereas vnbeleeuers are glewed to the earth and cannot thinke of heauen but either with sorrowe or a formall and false ioy and what meruaile is it that those who haue no better should set their hearts vpon the worse beleeuers haue preserued in them a willingnes to leaue this world and to be with Christ which is best of all yea so sweete is their present tast of Christ through faith and hope that they are vnquiet till they bee filled with the fruition of his fullnesse being often in his absence sicke of loue and pine away till they bee with him whom their soule loueth 4. An assured trust relying vpon God beleeuing his word of promise to raise and feede the heart of threatning to shake it and cast it downe and submitting it selfe to the counsell and good pleasure of God because his faith hath let him see the truth the wisedome the equitie and righteousnesse of all these Such a mans heart setteth nothing aboue God in prosperitie it distrusteth not but hath God for his God in aduersitie it endeauoureth in all things to walke with God it is a sweete vsher and disposer of the whole life so as it is most obedient to the word and most full of comfort and sweetnes to it selfe The fourth marke or note of true faith is taken from the infallible fruits and effects of it which are many I will onely note fowre of the principall First it frameth and fitteth the owne habitation it purifieth the heart it suffereth not vncleane thoughts vnlawfull lusts or wandring motions to harbour there it guideth the affections of loue hatred ioy sorrowe and the rest that a man loue nothing more or so much as God and his image he hateth not mens persons but their sinnes no mans sinne so much as his owne he reioyceth in nothing so much as in doing the will of God this is as his meat and drinke he sorroweh for nothing in the world so much as for offending so good and patient a God This pure heart also guideth the words with wisedome and maketh it his chiefe studie how to preserue with faith good conscience in euery thing Secondly faith worketh by loue Gal. 5.6 both towards God and towards man towards him that begate and him that is begotten yea and him that is yet not begotten This loue of God expresseth it selfe 1. in much thankefulnesse vnto him who hath loued vs first who hath giuen so much euen his Sonne and all things with him pertaining to life and godlinesse who hath forgiuen vs so much and to whom many sinnes are forgiuen they must loue much who hath done so great things for vs by becomming our portion our treasure and our cheife good 2. In shame for our vnkindnesse vnto him both before and euen since we knewe this his loue in Christ and haue beene acquainted with his wayes taking vp with shame in our faces sorrowe into our hearts for the sinnes of our youth and of our age against the lawe the rule of righteousnesse but especially against the glorious Gospel which of all other are least obserued 3. In desire of that blessed fellowship of his when and where we may neuer sinne against him any more accounting one day within his holy of holies better then a thousand besides and much more to be euer with the Lord and to enioy the pleasures at his right hand for euermore to be at home with him and sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob yea with Iesus Christ himselfe should make vs grone in our soules and say with Dauid Oh when shall I appeare in this thy presence The Spirit saith come and the Spouse saith come Euen so come Lord Iesus come quickly The loue of men by which faith worketh discouereth it selfe not only in iust dealing with them as we would be dealt by which many ciuill men endued only with ciuill righteousnesse haue excelled in nor only in mercifull distribution of outward comforts for the releeuing of the bodies of our brethren yea and of our enemies which hardlier goeth downe with the vnconuerted then the former but also in shewing most loue vnto their soules in helping forward their conversion and saluation For so soone as any man is conuerted hee will strengthen the brethren Faith wheresoeuer it liueth it loueth and loue beeing an hand giuing out mooueth men conuerted to counsell exhort rebuke admonish comfort pray and waite when God will giue vnto others the grace of repentance As soone as Andrew was called hee bringeth his brother Simon to Christ. No sooner had Christ found Phillip but Phillip finding Nathaniel hee bringeth him to Christ. The woman at the well no sooner heareth that Christ was the Messiah but shee bringeth all the citie In finding this treasure the Christian cannot hide his ioy neither can any mans ioy be so full vnlesse hee with others reioyce together For it is not here as in earthly things which the more
redemption and saluation with the meanes of it and blessings accompanying the same And indeed this is the summe or epitome of all Gods mercie in which the Lord crowneth his Saints with compassion a mercie which reacheth vp to heauen and draweth them out of the most miserable thing in all the world which is to lie vnder the curse and danger of sinne and consequently vnder the endles displeasure of the Almightie Which point beeing euen as the one thing necessarie to be knowne and attained I will stand a little longer vpon it hoping to spend my time well in setting downe these fiue points 1. the necessitie of remission of sinnes 2. the benefits of it 3. the Lettes of it 4. the helpes to it 5. the companions of it by which as by so many notes we may know we haue it and so we will adde the vse of the whole doctrine First the necessitie of it will appeare if we consider 1. the multitude and abundance of our sins which are to be remitted beeing for number as our haires and as the sand of the sea which is numberlesse which cannot be other seeing we drinke in sinne as the fish doth water that is incessantly for the fish ceasing to drinke in water ceaseth to liue neither can we cease to sinne till we cease to liue Nay seeing our very best actions hold no correspondence with the law of God and in strickt iustice are no better then so many sinnes this consideration exceedingly multiplieth our sinnes in that not only in fayling in but in doing of our duties we sinne incessantly against our God 2. If we looke vpon the danger of sinne we shall better see the necessitie of remission It is a filthie leprosie which infecteth the bodie and soule the thoughts speaches and actions it maketh a man a loathsome creature in the eyes of God it maketh God our enemie who is the fountaine of life and whose lightsome countenance is better then life yea it maketh God depart from his creature and destroie the workes of his owne fingers it layeth the sinner open and naked to all the wrath of God to all the curses of the law in this life and in the life to come It setteth him as a bute against whom the Lord in anger shooteth out of his quiuer all the arrowes of his displeasure It is the only thing which vnremitted maketh the sinner absolutely vnhappie and euery way most accursed Neither doth the whole heape of sinne only make the sinner so miserable but any one sinne euen the least vnpardoned would for euer hold the sinner vnder perdition And more all the men that euer were or shall be in the world were neuer able to rise from vnder the burthen of one sinne if it were imputed vnto them and yet the most of the world see no part of this danger of sinne and therefore no such necessitie of the remission of it 3. Consider thy owne insufficiencie if thou hadst the strength and power of all men and Angels to satisfie for the least sinne and if we cannot satisfie for any what remaineth but a fearefull perdition from the Lord and from the glorie of his power if all be not remitted In one word the sinner who hath not got his discharge sealed is without all safetie in his life all sound comfort in his death and at the iudgement day shall haue the sentence of euerlasting torment with the Deuil and his angels awarded him before men and angels The second point is the benefits issuing from it and these are 1. peace of conscience an immediat fruit of our iustification by faith and reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace with God and it was ordinarie with our Sauiour to ioyne them together as Luk. 7.47 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee goe in peace This benefit the most know not what it meaneth but hee that hath the feeling of the wrath of God against his sinne and seeth nothing but an angrie face of God burning like a consuming fire hee that is so straitned as hee can thinke no other thing but that the Lord in his iust iudgement hath cast him quite away this man as of all other torments that can be suffered in the world hee lyeth vnder the greatest so nothing in the earth can content or comfort him but only the sence and perswasion of Gods fauour Now the conditions of peace with his God are the most ioyfull tydings in all the world as is the vnexpected newes of a pardon to a malefactor readie to execution for high treason against his prince 2. The right and possession also of life euerlasting â—or if we be estated vnto life eternall by our iustification and righteousnesse before God then are we so also by remission of sinnes because these two are confounded in the Scriptures and are the same Whence it is that the Apostle Rom. 4.7 beeing to prooue the point of iustification of a sinner before God without the workes of the law citeth the text Psal. 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered And further if our whole redemption put vs in possession of euerlasting happinesse so doth also remission of sinne seeing the Apostle in sundrie places confoundeth these two and expoundeth one by the other Eph. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Coloss. 1.14 In whom we haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes And it must needs follow that if they who are iustified and sanctified are also glorified then they haue attained the beginnings of their glorie who haue attained remission of sinnes 3. The benefit of Christs intercession which meriteth all our good for hee prayeth not for the world but those that are giuen him out of the world and this is no small benefit seeing no part in the prayer of Christ no part in his death hee will not endure death for him for whom wil not vouchsafe to pray 4. Consolation in affliction strength in temptations and assured comfort in life and death are the sweete fruits arising from remission of sinne For 1. although afflictions entred with death into the world by sinne and in their nature are testimonies of Gods wrath yet sinne being remitted they proceed no further from God as a iust iudge reuenging sinne but from a mercifull father either for triall of vs and our graces or for chastisement to keepe vs from perishing with the world to make vs hate sinne the more to drawe vs nearer him in invocation and prayer to force our affections out of this present world to fray others from sinne by our example to conforme vs to the image of his Sonne and to shewe his mightie power in our weakenesse by turning them to our best And thus from the former consideration ariseth to the beleeuer euen in darkenes a great light 2. From hence obtaineth the beleeuer notable strength and sense against the fierie
world doe thus disquiet themselues who make their liues more vncomfortable then they need I answer this is indeed one of Satans greatest bolds but such a snare as God leadeth his children out of in safetie whome he teacheth that it is their happinesse to goe to heauen though alone rather then to hell with companie Marie will sit her downe though alone at Christs feete if shee cannot get her sisters companie shee knoweth it is the good part that shall neuer be taken from her And for those especially if they be Ministers who should most aduance this care but disgrace it as a needlesse vexation of the spirit let them know that the Lord Iesus was of another mind who pronounced blessednesse on those that mourne now and promised that they should be comforted and farre are they from the guidance of that spirit who hath taught vs that of all sacrifices none is comparable to that of a broken spirit and contrite heart which the Lord neuer despiseth IV. Now follow the helpes to the obtaining of remission of sins As 1. thou must become a member of the Church Isa. 33.24 The people that dwell there shall haue their sinnes forgiuen And Chap. 62.12 They shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Now to know a mans selfe a true member of the Church the Prophet Dauid giueth two infallible notes Psal. 15.2 The former in regard of God to walke vprightly and sincerely as in Gods presence and vnder his eye and the latter in regard of men to exercise righteousnesse both in word and deed 2. Consider seriously of the nature of sinne how odious it is in it selfe how vile it maketh thy selfe in the sight of God how it keepeth away all good things how it procureth al euill how proaâ—e thy selfe art vnto it yea euen after grace receiued this will bring thee to the iudging and accusing of thy selfe to the confession and forsaking of thy sinne which is the high-way to find mercie Prov. 28.13 for the former Psal. 32. I said I will confesse my sinne and thou forgauest mee the iniquitie of my sinne And for the latter it is plainely implied in Christs reason Ioh. 5.14 Goe thy waies now thou art whole but sinne no more least a worse thing follow The fellon that hath beene in prison endured the miserie of his yrons hath beene condemned and with the rope about his necke in feare of present death if he haue escaped hee will take heed of comming into the like miserie againe and he that hath found this grace in truth cannot by turning againe to his sinne turne it vnto wantonnesse 3. Carefully vse the meanes which the wisedome of God hath left to beleeuers for the attaining and assuring of this grace of remission As namely 1. the Ministerie of the word which in the right vse of it is the ministrie of reconciliation in which the Lord offreth conditions of peace remission of sinnes and life euerlasting 2. As also of the holy Sacraments which are the seales of remission of sinnes to all beleeuers worthily receiuing the same Matth. 26.28 and 3. another speciall meanes is feruent prayer for pardon of sinne aboue all things in the world Drowsie Protestants esteemeth slightly of pardon of sinne euen as they doe of sinne it selfe which they thinke easily blowne off with a Lord haue mercie But the tender and distressed conscience that seeth and combateth with the danger sueth for pardon as one that would speed A poore fellon on the gallows readie to be turned off would thinke a pardon the welcomest thing in all the world but the hardnesse and drowsinesse of mens hearts euery where argue that they be a verie few that find this rare grace vnlesse we will say that the greatest blessednesse that liuing man is capable of can be giuen to him that sleepeth on both sides that neuer thinketh of it and neuer maketh means after it V. The companions of remission of sinnes whereby it may easily be discerned are fiue 1. The daily exercise of true repentance in all the parts of it as First in iudging ones selfe for sinne past and present and this was apparent in Paul himselfe who looking backe to his former estate reckoned himselfe a captaine sinner and the chiefe of all sinners he saw in himselfe many sinnes and great sinnes which needed great mercie and much forgiuenesse the which one consideration kept him vnder continually and fostered in him the grace of humilitie when as otherwise through his aboundance of gifts and revelations he might haue exalted himselfe out of measure Secondly in watchfulnes and feare of sinne in time to come according to our Sauiours holy counsell Thou art now made whole goe thy way and sinne no more Thirdly in daily purging and clensing from knowne and secret corruptions many are the places wherein the pardoning and purging of sinnes are ioyned as inseparable Ier. 33.8 I will cleanse all their iniquitie yea I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they haue sinned against mee 1. Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse our sinnes faithfull is he to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all our vnrighteousnesse This was the summe of the baptisme that is the doctrine which Iohn preached euen amendement of life for the remission of sinnes neuer hope of remission vnlesse thou hungrest after this grace of repentance for the Lord will not be mercifull to that man that blesseth himselfe in his sinnes but if the wicked returne from his sinnes he shall liue and not die Ezech. 18.21 2. The second companion is gladnesse and cheerefulnesse of heart yea an vnspeakeable ioy that the Lord hath done so great things for his soule and made him so happie as to bring him from such extremitie of miserie to partake in the wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption of Christ for can a man haue a gift bestowed vpon him of more price and vse then all the kingdomes of the world and neuer find his heart made glad in it or is it possible that he that findeth the pearle can goe away without ioy The Eunuch beeing conuerted went away reioycing and if euery beleeuer must reioyce in another mans conversion much more must he in his owne The third is loue and thankfulnesse to God which are enforced by this excellent grace Luk. 7.47 The poore woman that stood weeping behind Christ loued much because much was forgiuen her Psal. 116.1 I loue the Lord because hee hath heard my voice and wherein the Lord had thus gratiously dealt with him the whole Psalme teacheth especially vers 8. Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eyes from teares my feete from falling Now if Dauid for a temporall deliuerance from Saul in the wildernesse did thus prouoke his heart to the loue of God how should the consideration of our spirituall deliuerance from sinne death and all hellish powers blow vp these heauenly sparkles in vs And what can so liberall a loue beget in a