the Holy Spirit sent by Christ procured by the death of Christ the Angells at this Feast attend us therefore it must needs be joyfull no joy comparable to the joy of a Feast this is not every Feast this is a marriage Feast at which we are contracted to Christ Now of all Feasts marriage Feasts are most sumptuous this is a marriage Feast for the Kings Son for Christ himselfe and therefore of necessity it must be full of all choice varieties and of the sweetest of things of the most excellentest of things and of the quintescence of things Here is all joy that belongeth to a feast Here it is to be had with Christ what acquaintance can be more glorious then that which is to be had between Jesus Christ and a christian soule when we have hope of better things to come then we finde the sweetnesse of this communion No harmony in the world can be so sweet as the harmony maintained between Christ and the soule When we have this and are made one with God in Christ our joy must needs then be unspeakable When the contract is once made between the soule and Christ there cannot but be aboundant joy when the soule is joyned with Christ by faith it cannot but solace it selfe in a perpetuall jubile and a perpetuall feast in some degrees Againe for a Feast ye have the choicest garments as at the marriage of the Lambe White and fine linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints When God seeth these robes upon us and the spirit of Christ in us then there is a robe of righteousnesse imputed and a garment of sanctity whereby our soules are cloathed so this is a Feast that must have wonderfull glorious attire and when this marriage shall be consummated we are sure to have a garment of glory put upon us This was signified in old time by the Jewes in the Feast of the Passeover not to name all resemblances but onely one or two The Lambe for the Passeover you know was chosen out of the flocke from amongst the rest foure daies before the time appointed for that Feast So Christ is the true Paschall Lambe chosen of God before the foundation of the world was laid to be slaine for us Againe Manna was a type of Christ it came from Heaven to feed the hungry bodies of the Israelites in the wildernesse even so came Christ sent from God the Father to be the eternall food and upholder of the soules and bodies of every one of us Manna was white and sweet so is Christ white in righteousnesse and holinesse and also sweet to delight the soule Manna fell upon the tents in the night And Christ came when darknesse was spread over all the world God gave Manna freely from Heaven so Christ was a free gift and he freely gave himselfe to death even to the cursed death of the crosse for us All both poore and rich they gathered Manna Christ is a common food for King and subject all take part of Christ neither Jew nor Gentile are exempted but all may come and buy freely without money Of this Manna he that had least had enough so here he that hath least of Christ though he take him with a trembling hand yet he shall have enough for Christ is his whosoever hath the least grace if it be true and sound hath grace enough to bring him to eternall life The Jewes wondred at the Manna saying what thing is this So it is one of Christs names to be called wonderfull Isaiah 9. 6. Grace and favour from Christ is true spirituall Manna to the soule Manna fell in the wildernesse even so musst we remaine in the wildernesse of this wretched world untill we come to Heaven Christ is Manna to us and very sweet in the conveyance of his Word and Sacraments When the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan the Manna ceased not before so when we come to Heaven the Elects purchased possession we shall have another kind of Manna for our soules we shall not there feed on Christ as in the Sacrament no but we shall see him face to face and know as we are knowne In the wildernesse of this world it is fit God should convey this Heavenly Manna to the soule whatsoever way he pleaseth Manna could not fall untill the Israelites had spent all the provision they brought with them out of Egypt and we cannot tast of that heavenly Manna of our Father untill our soules are drawne away from all worldly dependencies and carnall delights then indeed Manna will be sweet and precious What is this heavenly Manna what is Christ and his Father what is the word and Sacraments to a depraved vitious heart stuffed full with earthly vanities alas it loatheth all these As none tasted of Manna but those that came out of Egypt so none shall taste of Christ but those that are not of the world that are come out of Egypt out of sinne and darknesse Manna fell onely about the tents of Israell and in no other part of the world but only there that none might have the priviledge to eate of it but Gods peculiar chosen ones Christ falls upon the tents of the righteous and none shall taste of this blessed spirituall food but such as are the Israell of God such as are of the Church such as feele the burthen of sinne and groane under it oh the very taste of this heavenly Manna is sweet to their soules and to none but them Thus yee see the Feast that Christ maketh for us in Mount Syon and that this Manna doth typifie Christ with all his benefits Againe the hard rocke in the wildernesse when it was strucken with the rod of Moses presently water gushed out in abundance which preserved life to the Israelites so Christ the rocke of our salvation the strength of his Church the rocke and fortresse of all his Saints when his precious side was gored with the bloudy lance upon the crosse that the blood gushed out and in such a manner and such abundance that by the shedding thereof our soules are preserved alive He is both Manna and the rocke of water Manna had all in it so had the rocke and all necessities are plentifully supplied by Christ The Church of God hath alwaies had bread to satisfie spirituall hunger it never wanted necessary comfots It is said Rev. 12. When the Church fled into the wildernesse God fed her there alluding to the children of Israell fed by Manna The Jewes did not want in the wildernesse nor the Church of God never wanted comfort though in the midst of the persecution and oppression of all her enemies When Elias was in the wildernesse he was fed The Church of God shall not onely be fed in her body but in her soule for Christ hath hidden Manna for his Elect this doth typifie the exceeding joy of the Church the hidden Manna that neither eye hath seen nor eare heard of neither
bloud and in that the love and mercy of God in Christ in giving him to death for us and Christs love to give himself to satisfie Divine Justice these be the things intended which onely the soule sees and apprehendeth And so all things in the Church indeed are mysteries the incarnation of Christ the union of both natures that Christ should save the world by such a way as he did that he should bring us to glory by shame to life by death to blessing and happinesse by being a curse for us it is a mystery to bring contrary out of contrary That so glorious a person as God should be covered with our weake and sinnefull nature it was a mystery the Jewes stumbled at it light came and the darkenesse could not comprehend the light And as Christ was a mystery himselfe so the Church is a mystery that God should so much delight in a company of poore men the off-scowring of the world to make them temples of his holy Spirit and heires of heaven men that were under the scorne of the world this is a mystery so all is mysticall the head the members the body the Church and every particular point of Religion there is a mystery in repentance no man knoweth what sorrow for sin is but the true gracious person no man knowes what it is to believe but he that hath an heart to believe no man knoweth what peace of conscience and joy of the holy Ghost is but those that feele it so that is a mystery And therefore great is the mystery of godlinesse saith the Apostle not onely in the points themselves but even the practice of Religion is a mystery too Repentance and Faith and new obedience and love and the comforts of Religion are all mysteries there is a vaile upon them in all these points that a carnall man cannot see them You see then in what sense there is a vaile of the things and in what sense there is a vaile on mens hearts that is either the things themselves are hid or if the things be open they want sight and light of knowledge and they want faith to believe Beloved we live in times that the object is cleare to us the things themselves are made cleare as who knoweth not what Christ is and the notion of the incarnation and of the union with him wee know them notionally they be opened and revealed to us very clearely all the articles of faith and misteries of Religion so that there is no obscurity in the object the things are cleare specially in these places of knowledge But yet notwithstanding there is a vaile upon the soule The soule of every man that is not graciously wrought upon by the spirit of God hath a vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe First of all of Ignorance There is a vaile of ignorance in many and in all men naturally a vaile of ignorance of spirituall things for unlesse they be revealed they can never be knowne to Angels themselves The Angels themselves know not the Gospell till it be opened and therefore they be students in it continually and the best men in the world know nothing in the Gospell further then it is revealed but there is a vaile of ignorance upon them that know these things notionally because they do not know them as they should know them they doe not know them in propria specie spirituall and heavenly things as spirituall and heavenly things they doe not know spirituall things as spirituall things they have a humane knowledge of spirituall things Those that want grace they know the Grammer of the Scripture and Divinity and they know how to discourse as Schoolemen doe from one thing to another and to argue they know the Logicke and Rhetoricke of the Scripture but they sticke in the stile there is something they are ignorant of That is they have not an eye of knowledge as wee call it they doe not see the things themselves but onely they see things by another bodies spirit and they have no light of their owne And so no man knoweth naturally but the children of God what originall sinne is what corruption of nature is nor knowes sinne in its owne odious colours to be filthy and to be dangerous as it is to draw the curse and vengeance of God upon it this is not knowne but by the spirit revealing the odiousnesse of sinne that the soule may apprehend it as Christ did when he suffered for it and as God doth A gracious man seeth it as God seeth it because by the spirit of God hee seeth the filthinesse and odiousnesse of it and the danger it draweth after it And so in any points of Religion naturally a man sees not them spiritually as they are and as God sees them but he seeth them by a humane light hee seeth heavenly things by a humane light notionally and meerely to discourse of them he seeth not intritively into the things themselves he seeth them sub aliena specie under another representation then their owne onely a godly man seeth spirituall things as the spirit of God and seeth them as they are knowes sinne as it is knoweth grace to be as it is and knoweth faith what it is to believe what it is to have peace of conscience and the pardon of sinnes he knoweth these things in some sense intritively though not so as he shall doe when he shall see these things in heaven when he shall see face to face There is a great difference in it hee sees them intritively in respect of the knowledge of other men though he sees but in a glasse in regard of the knowledge hee shall have in heaven As Saint Paul saith for wee see but as in a glasse but he that sees in a glasse seeth more life then he that sees the dead picture of a man So though we see but in a glasse heavenly things yet wee see them better then those that see them in a dead notion though it be nothing to the knowledge wee shall have in heaven yet it is incomparable above the knowledge of any carnall naturall man upon the earth Againe naturally men have vailes of ignorance upon the most divine things of spirituall things such as is union and as is the communion between Christ and us and the mystery of regeneration in the new creature such as is the joy in the holy Ghost the inward peace of conscience I will not name the particulars to insist on them but give you onely an iustance though they know the notion of these things yet they are altogether ignorant of them their knowledge is a meere outward light it is a light radicated in the soule It is not as the light of the Moone which receiveth light from the Sunne but it is a light radicated and incorporated into the soule as the light of the Sunne is by the spirit it is in the soule it is not onely upon the soule but in the soule the heart sees
sendeth his Angels to fetch them and he helps them in their combat we must not therefore feare overmuch There is a naturall feare of death death wrought upon Christ himselfe God-man not only death but such a death he was to be left of his Father and lie under the sense of the wrath of God the seperation of that soule from the body he tooke upon him was terrible and therefore he saith If it be possible let this cup passe from me that was nature and without it he had not bin true man But that I say is that grace may be above nature death is a time of darknesse it strips us of earthly comforts friends callings imployments but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold on the victory of Christ in time to come when death shall be only swallowed up in victory and then the glorious state to come to which death bringeth us so that here faith must be above sense and grace above nature and therefore I beseech you let us labour for it There be two sorts of men to whom I would speake a little First those that in a kind of bravery seeme to slight death men of base spirits as we call them fooles vain-glorious spirits empty spirits Is there any creature unlesse in Christ able groundedly to slight so great an enemy as death armed with a sting of sinne and attended with hell and damnation The Romish and divellish spirits are terrible but if thy sinnes be not pardoned it is the most terrible thing in the world to die for there is a gulfe afterwards what shall we say then of single Combatants that for vain-glory are prodigall of their lives that for a foule word a little disgrace will venture on this enemy that is armed with sinne and if they dye they dye in sinne And which is the miserable condition of him that dyes in sinne his death opens the gate to another death which is eternall They say they have repented but there is no repentance of a sinne to be committed Canst thou repent of a sinne before it bee committed that is but a mockery of God And what saith the Scripture Is it not the most terrible judgement under heaven to dye in our sinnes A man that dyes in sinne dyes in hell he goeth from death to hell and that eternall I wonder therefore that the wisedome of flesh and bloud should take away mens wit and faith and grace and all so much as to slight death and repentance as if it were so easie Now beloved death is a terrible thing it hath a sting and thou shalt know it if thou hast not grace to feele the sting of it whilst thou livest when thou dyest the sting will revive then thy Conscience shall awake in hell Drunkennesse and jollity takes away sense of sinne but sinne will revive and conscience will revive God hath not put it into us for nought death is terrible if not disarmed before hand And if thou goe about to dye without disarming it before it will not be out-faced It is not an enemy to be scorned and slighted and therefore be Christians in good earnest else leave profession and perish eternally for wee must all dye and it is a greater matter than we take it but if we be true Christians it is the sweetest thing in the world an end of all misery a beginning of true happinesse an inlet to whatsoever is comfortable blessed are they that are in the Lord by faith and them that dye in the Lord their death is better than the day of life Our Birth-day brings us into misery and therefore let me speak to true Christians and bid them be ashamed of fearing death too much which of an enemy is become a reconciled friend This may in the next place yeeld great consolation to those that are in Christ Jesus that death by Christ is swallowed up in victory and the rather because the holy Ghost meaneth more than a bare victory over death Death is not onely subdued but is made a friend to us As Psalme 110. it is said his enemies shall bee his footstoole Now a footstoole is not onely trampled upon but an helpe to rise And so death is not onely subdued but it advanceth Gods Children and raiseth them higher It is not onely an enemy but a reconciled friend for he doth that which no friend in the world can doe It ends all our misery and is the inlet into all happinesse for eternity And whatsoever it strips us of here it giveth us advantage of better in another world It cuts off our pleasures and profits and Company and Callings here but what is that to our blessed change afterward to our praysing of God for ever to the Company of blessed soules and the profits and pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore And therefore it is not onely conquered but to shew the excellency of his power hee hath made it a friend of an enemy and the best friend in the world It indeed seperates soule from body but it joyneth the soule to Christ so that the conjunction wee have by it is better than the separation if the Conjunction makes us partake of our desire I desire to be dissolved saith St. Paul but that is not well translated I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all so that it is not onely not an enemy but a friend and therefore the Apostle makes it our joyncture part of our portion all things are yours Why you are Christs and Christ is Gods what are ours things present things to come life death And well may death be ours because sinne is our enemy that remainder that is kept in our nature to exercise us and humble us and fit us for grace as Austin saith I dare be bold to say it is profitable for some to fall to make them more carefull and watchfull and to prize mercy more so that not only Death but sinne and the devill himselfe is ours for his plots are for our good God over-shooteth him in his owne Bow Hee will give them over to Satan saith the Apostle that they may learne not to blaspheme yet though they have a spirit of blasphemy by the humbling of their bodies they be taught not to blaspheme so that not onely death but sinne and hee that brought sinne into the World the Devill are become our friends This being so it may be for speciall comfort that wee not feare the King of Feares The Devill hath great advantage by this affection of feare when it is set upon this object Death Overcome death and all troubles are overcome who will fear any thing that hath given up himself to God Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life The Devill knoweth that well enough Therefore feare not saith Christ them that can kill the body feare causeth snares saith Solomon snares of Conscience But if a man
hath overcome the the fear of death once what more is to be done What if they take away life they cannot take away that that is better than life the favor of God If we dye in the Lord we dye in the favor of God which is better than life and we shall be found in the Lord at the day of judgement and shall bee for ever with the Lord in heaven and therfore this is a ground of resolution in good causes notwithstanding all threats whatsoever because death it selfe is swallowed up in victory The worst the world can doe is to take away this Nature of ours when they have done that they have done all they can and when they have done that they have done a pleasure That is not to be feared saith Tertullian that frees us from all that is to be feared What is to be feared in the world every sicknesse every disgrace why death frees us from all We doe see every day takes away a peece of ones life and when death commeth it overthroweth it selfe for the soule goeth presently to the place of happinesse the body sleepeth awhile and death hath no more power He that beleeveth in mee saith Christ hee shall not see death but is past from death to life He shall not see spirituall death but as he lives in Christ shall dye in Christ and rise againe in Christ He that hath the life of grace begun shall have it consummate without interruption It s a point of wonderfull Comfort that death is so overcome that we bee in heaven already And it is no hard speech but stands with the truth of other points for are not Christ and we all one his body is there and is not he the head of his mysticall body hee that carried his naturall body will not hee carry his mysticall body thither too will hee bee in piece-meale in heaven Therefore we are in heaven already the best part of us We are represented in heaven for Christ represents us there as the Husband doth the Wife He hath taken up Heaven for us Christ cannot be divided as Austine saith we sit in heavenly places already with Christ And what a comfort is this that while wee live we are in heaven and that death cannot hinder us from our Resurrection which is the restoring of all things And therefore as the Apostle saith Comfort one another with these things These things indeed have much comfort in them Let us labour then to bee comfortable this use the Apostle makes of it and fruitfull in our places upon consideration of the victory we have by Christ 1 Cor. 15. It is an excellent Chapter that largely proveth Christs victory as the cause of our victory because hee is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest Finally my bretheren bee constant immoveable alwayes abound in the works of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. He raiseth that exhortation of fruitfulnesse and constancy from this very ground of the victory Christ hath gotten by death O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory thanks bee to God through Jesus Christ And therefore be constant immovable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord Make that use the Apostle doth of fruitfulnesse to God for Christ that we can thinke of death and sinne the devill and all his malice and not be afraid yea thinke of them all with comfort that we be not onely freed from their tyranny but they bee our friends Christ hath the Key of Hell and Death a saying taken from the custome of Governours that carryed the Key he hath the Government and Command of Hell and Death Now if Christ hath command of Death he will not suffer Death to hurt his Members or triumph alwayes over them he will keep them in the grave Our bodies are safe in the grave the dust is fitted for a heavenly for another manner of body than we have now and Christ that hath the Key will let them out againe Therefore trust awhile till times of restoring come and then we shall have a glorious soule and glorious body as the Apostle saith I beseech you think of these things and get comfort against the evill day And to that end be sure to get into Christ that wee may bee in Christ living and dying and bee found in Christ For what saith the Scripture Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. It is an argument of blessednesse to dye for the Lord but if it be not in the Lord it is to no purpose If there is granted this happinesse of dying for the Lord it is well but blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Why they rest from their labour Death takes them off from their labours All their good Workes goe to heaven with them So saith the Spirit whatsoever the Flesh saith and there is no resting till that time their life is full of troubles and combers and therefore labour to get assurance that wee are in Christ that wee bee in Christ and dye in Christ and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ How besotted are wee to put away preparation of Death till it comes he that forgets Christ and getting into Christ all his life time it is Gods just judgment that he should forget himself in death We see how a villaine that hath no care of his owne life may have power of another mans life And therefore labour to bee ingraffed into Christ by faith and that we may know it by the Spirit of Christ prevailing in us over our naturall Corruptions more and more As the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the spirit of life the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death the condemning law of sinne If the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the head be in us in any measure it frees us from the condemning law of sinne that it carrieth us not whither it would then wee may say with comfort There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed us from the condemning tyrannizing law of sinne and death Sinne hath no Law It is in us as a subdued Rebell but it sets not up a Throne Some hope to bee saved by Christ and yet they set up sinne a Throne in the soule Sinne biddeth them defile themselves and they must obey it This is a wofull estate how can they expect to dye in the Lord but such as are freed by the Law of the Spirit of life New Lords new Lawes When Kings Conquer they bring fundamentall Lawes and when wee are taken from Satans Kingdome into the Kingdome of Christ the fundamentall Lawes are then altered Christ by his Spirit sets up a Law of believing
THE GLORIOVS FEAST OF THE GOSPEL OR Christ's gracious Invitation and royall Entertainment of Believers Wherein amongst other things these comfortable Doctrines are spiritually handled Viz. 1. The Marriage Feast between Christ and his Church 2. The vaile of Ignorance and Vnbeliefe removed 3. Christs Conquest over death 4. The wiping away of teares from the faces of Gods people 5. The taking away of their Reproaches 6. The precious Promises of God and their certaine performance 7. The Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures 8. The Duty and comfort of waiting upon God Delivered in divers Sermons upon Isai 25 Chap. 6 7 8 9 Verses BY The late Reverend Learned and faithfull Minister of the Gospell RICHARD SIBBS D. D. Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher at Grayes-Inne London Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4 5. Wisdome hath builded her house she hath hewen out her seven Pillars She hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens she cries c. Who so is simple let him turne in hither c. Come eate of my bread and drink of my wine that I have mingled c. Perused by those that were intrusted to revise his Writings London Printed for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard neare the little North-doore 1650. TO THE READER SO much of late hath been written about the times that Spirituall Discourses are now almost out of season Mens mindes are so hurried up and downe that it is to be feared they are much discomposed to thinke seriously as they ought of their eternall concernments Alas Christians have lost much of their Communion with Christ and his Saints the heaven upon earth whilst they have woefully disputed away and dispirited the life of Religion and the power of Godlinesse into dry and saplesse Controversies about Government of Church and State To recover therefore thy spirituall Relish of savory pradicall Truths these Sermons of that excellent man of God of precious memory are published Wherein thou art presented 1. With an invitation to a great and wonderfull Feast the Marriage-Feast of the Lambe An admirable Feast indeed wherein Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God is the Bridegroome where every Beleever that hath put on the Lord Jesus the wedding garment is not onely the Guest but the Spouse of Christ and the Bride at this Wedding-supper Here Jesus Christ is the Master of the Feast and the Chear and Provision too He is the Lamb of God the Ramme caught in the thicket Hee is the fatted Calfe when he was sacrificed Wisedome killed her beasts Prov. 9. 2. At his death the Oxen and Fatlings were killed His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drinke indeed And that thou maist bee fully delighted at this Feast Christ is the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the Valley he is a bundle of Mirrhe a Cluster of Camphire his name is an ointment poured out and his love is better than Wine In Christ are all things ready for Christ is all in all And great is the Feast that Christ makes for Believers for it is the Marriage Feast which the great King makes for his Sonne The great designe and aime of the Gospel being to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and give him a name above every name Great is the company that are bid Luke 14. 6. Jews and Gentiles God keeps open house Hoe every one that thirsteth come and whosoever wil let him come and freely take of the water of life Great is the chear that is provided every Guest here hath Ashers portion royall dainties and bread of fatnesse Here 's all excellent best wine wine upon the Lees well refined Here 's fat things yea fat things full of marrow Here 's the hidden Manna the water of life and the fruit of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paâ—â—dise of God All that is at this Feast is of the best yea the best of the best Here 's variety and plenty too here 's bread enough and to spare Caligula and Heliogabalus their Feasts who ransack'd the earth aire and sea to furnish their Tables were nothing to this And above all here 's welcome for every hungry thirsty soule hee that bids thee come will bid thee welcome he will not say eate when his heart is not with thee the invitation is free the preparation great and the entertainment at this Feast suiting the magnificence of the great King is full and bountifull All which is at large treated of in these excellent Sermons which are therefore deservedly intituled The Marriage Feast between Christ and his Church We read of a Philosopher that having prepared an excellent Treatise of happinessâ—… and presenting it unto a great King the Kâ—â—â—… answered him Keep your Book to your selfe I am not now at leasure Here is an excellent Treasure put into thy hand doe not answer 〈◊〉 I am not now at leisure Oh doe not let Christ stand knocking at thy heart who will come and sup with thee and bring his cheare with him Oh let not a deceived heart turne thee any longer aside to feed upon Ashes feed no longer with swine upon Husks while thou mayst be filled and satisfied with bread in thy fathers house But this is not all if thou wilt bee pleased to peruse this Book thou wilt finde there are many other usefull seasonable and excellent subjects handled besides the Marriage-Feast 2. Jesus Christ hath not only provided a feast because hee is desirous that all those for whom it is provided should come to it which onely they doe that believe he takes away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe from off their hearts and here you shall finde this skilfull Preacher hath excellently discoursed what this vaile is how it naturally lyes upon all and is onely removed by the Spirit of Christ And if the Lord hath destroyed this covering from off thy heart we doubt not but the truth of this heavenly Doctrine will shine comfortably into thy soule 3. Jesus Christ to make his bounty and mercy further appeare in this Feast hee hath given his Guests the Bread of life and hath secured them from the feare of death They need not feare there 's no Mors in ollâ at this Feast wee may feast without feare Jesus Christ by his tasting of death hath swallowed it up in victory Christ doth not make his people such a feast as it is reported Dionysius the Tyrant once made for his flatterer Damocles who set him at a Princely Table but hang'd a drawne sword in a small thread over his head But Christ would have us triumph over the King of Feares who was slain by the death of Christ and wee thereby delivered from the bondage of the feare of death At other Feasts they were wont of old to have a Deaths head serv'd in amongst other Dishes to minde them in the
he will break off you also And indeed for their pride and haughtinesse of minde they are at this day broken off Christ that walks between the seven golden Candlesticks did never say that the Church of Smyrna or Ephesus should alwaies remaine a visible Church to the eyes of the world neither were they for to this very day they lie under bondage and slavery to the Turke The Mount hath bin alwaies visible though not alwaies alike gloriously visible for there will be a time when the Church shall fly into the wildernesse where then shall be the glorious visibility of the Church there is a time when all shall follow the beast the Papists themselves confesse that in Antichrists time the Church shall scarce be visible The essence of a thing and the quality of a thing may differ The Church is a Church and visible but not alwaies equally and alike gloriously visible yet those that had spirituall eyes and did looke upon things with the spectacles of the Scripture they could alwaies declare the Church was visible for from the beginning of the world the Church had alwaies lustre enough sufficient to delight and draw the elect and so shall have to the end of the world though sometimes the Church may have a mist before it as Austin speakes It is no wonder that thou canst not see a mountaine for thou hast no eyes But the Papists have seen this mountaine as they have alwaies bin bloody persecutors of the Church they have seen enough to confound them For we have nothing in our Church but they have the same onely ours is refined and freed from Idolatry Wee have two Sacraments they have seven Wee have Scripture they have traditions which they equall with it Wee have Scriptures pure they corrupt So that our Church was in the midst of theirs as a sound and more uncorrupt part in a corrupt body This mountaine is the Church Rev. 14. 1. The Lambe standeth upon Mount Sion and with him a hundred fourty and foure thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads Christ standeth in the Church and standing in Mount Sion he is accompanied with those that his Father hath given to him before the world was therefore those that belong to this holy Mountaine they are Christs And in this Mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make a feast for all people And this feast is a royall feast a marriage feast wherin the joy and comfort of Gods people are set down by that which is most comfortable among men The founder of the feast is the Lord of hoasts It is onely he that is able to prepare a table in the wildernesse that is mighty and of ability to feast his Church with a spirituall and holy banquet We all live at his table for the feeding of our bodies but much more in regard of our soules He can make a feast for the whole man for he is Lord of the conscience and he is to spread a table for the whole world nay more if there were so many he can furnish a table for ten thousand worlds he is the God of all spirituall comforts and the God of all consolation He is infinite and can never be drawne dry for he is the fountaine of eternall life All graces and comforts in the Scripture are called the comforts and graces of the holy Spirit because God is the giver of them by his Spirit Who can take away the wound of a guilty conscience but he that hath set the conscience in the hearts of men Hee if hee pleaseth can take away the burden of a grieved conscience and supply it instead thereof with new and solid comforts He knoweth all the windings and turnings of the soule where all the paine and griefe lieth and he cannot but know it because he onely is above the soule He is therefore the fittest to make the soule a feast he only can do it and he will do it In this Mountaine shall the Lord of Hoasts make a feast Why is he called the Lord of Hoasts It is an usuall terme to set forth the glory of God to make his power and the greatnesse of his Majesty known amongst the children of men He shall make a feast for all people Those that are invited to this glorious feast are all people none excepted none excluded that will come in to Christ some of all sorts of all nations of all languages this hath relation to the time of the Gospel The Church at first had its being in particular families but afterwards more inlarged The Church at the first was of the daughters of men and the sonnes of God the children of the Church mingled with a generation of corrupt persons that would keepe in no bounds but after Abrahams time there was another generation of the Church that so it was a little more inlarged Then there was a third generation a divided generation consisting of Jewes and Gentiles So that when Christ came into the world the bounds of the Church began to inlarge themselves more and more so that now it is in this happy condition Come ye all unto me all that are heavy laden both Jewes and Gentiles all are invited whosoever they are nothing is now uncleane Act. 10. 15. Christ is come and hath made to all people a feast of fat things it must be a feast and of fat things for all the world shall be the better for it The Jewes shall be converted and the fullnesse of the Gentiles shall come in And yet it is no prejudice to any particular man because the things ye are to tast of are spirituall Go to all the good things in the world the more one hath of them the lesse another must have because they are earthly and so are finite but in spirituall things all may have the whole and every man in particular Every man enjoyeth the light of the Sunne in particular and all enjoy it too So the whole Church and onely the Church injoyes the benefit and comfort of this feast but under the name of this Church come all the elect both Jewes and Gentiles and therefore it must be the Lord of Hoasts that can make such a feast as this is a feast for all people No other is able to doe it This feast is a feast of fat things full of marrow and of wine on the lees well refined the best that can be imagined the best of the best A feast is promised a spirituall feast The speciall graces and favours of God are compared to a feast made up of the best things full of all varieties and excellencies and the chiefe dish that is all in all is Christ and all the gracious benefits wee by promise can in any wise expect from him All other favours and blessings whatsoever they are are but Christ dished out as I may so speake in severall offices and attributes he is the originall of comfort the principle of grace and holinesse all is
included in Christ Aske of him and yee shall obtaine even the forgivenesse of your sinnes peace of conscience and communion of Saints Aske of Christ as of one invested with all priviledges for the good of others but yet this is by his death he is the feast it selfe he is dished out into promises have you a promise of the pardon of sinnes it is from Christ wouldst thou have peace of conscience it is from Christ justification and redemption it is from Christ the love of God is derived to us by Christ yea and all that we have that is good is but Christ parcelled out Now I will shew why Christ with his benefits prerogatives graces and comforts is compared to a feast First in regard of the choice of the things In a feast all things are of the best so are the things we have in Christ whatsoever favours we have by Christ they are choice ones they are the best of every thing pardon for sin is a pardon of pardon the title we have for heaven through him is a sure title the joy we have by him is the joy of all joyes the liberty and freedom from sin which he purchased for us by his death is perfect freedome the riches of grace we have by him are the only lasting and durable riches take any thing that you can if we have it by Christ it is of the best All worldly excellencies and honours are but meere shadowes to the high excellencies and honour we have in Christ No joy no comfort no peace no riches no inheritance to be compared with the joy peace and inheritance which we have in Christ whatsoever we have by him we have it in a glorious manner And therefore he is compared to fat to fat things full of marrow to wine to wine on the lees that preserveth the freshnesse of it the best wine of all that is not changed from vessell to vessell but keepeth its strength And indeed the strength and vigour of all floweth from Jesus Christ in covenant with us The love of Christ is the best love and he himselfe incomparably the best and hath favours and blessings of the choisest Againe as in a feast besides choice there is variety so in Christ there is variety answerable to all our wants Are we foolish he is wisdome have we guilt in our consciences he is righteousnesse and this righteousnesse is imputed unto us are we defiled he is sanctification are wee in misery he is our redemption If there be a thousand kinds of evils in us there is a thousand waies to remedy them by Jesus Christ Therefore the good things we have by Christ are compared to all the benefits we have in this world in Christ is choice and variety Are we weake he is meat to feed us that we may be strong he will refresh us he is the best of meats he is marrow so are our spirits faint he is wine thus we have in Christ to supply all our wants he is variety There is a plant among the Indians called by the name of Coquus the fruit thereof serveth for meat and drinke to comfort and refresh the body It yeeldeth that whereof the people make apparell to cloath themselves withall and also that which is phisicall very good against the distempers of the body And if God will infuse so much vertue into a poore plant what vertue may we expect to be in Christ himself He feedeth our soules to all eternity puts upon us the roabes of righteousnesse heales the distempers of our soules there is variety in him for all our wants whatsoever He is food physicke and apparell to cloath us and when we are cloathed with him we may with boldnesse stand before the Majesty of God He is all in all He is variety and all There is something in Christ answerable to all the necessities of Gods people and not only so but to their full content in every thing Againe as there is variety in a Feast so there is sufficiency full sufficiency We beheld the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth And being full of grace He is wise and able to furnish this heavenly banquet with enough of all sorts of provisions fit for the soule to feed upon Ther 's abundance of grace and excellency and sufficiency in Christ And it must needs be because he is a Saviour of Gods owne sending Labour not therefore for the meate that perisheth but for the meat that the Son of God shall give you for him hath God the Father sealed That is sent forth for this purpose to feed the Church of God As there is an all-sufficiency in God so in Christ who by the sacrificing of himselfe was able to give satisfaction to divine justice Therefore saith he My flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed That is spiritually to the soule he is food indeed and can satisfie Gods justice If we consider him as God alone he is a consuming fire or as man alone he can do nothing But considered as God-man he is meate indeed and drinke indeed And now the soule is content with that which Divine justice is contented withall though our consciences be large yet God is larger and above our consciences Therefore as there is variety of excellency so is there sufficiency and fulnesse in Christ what he did he did to the full He is a Saviour and he filleth up that name to the full His pardon for sinne is a full pardon His merits for us are full merits His satisfaction to divine justice a full satisfaction His redemption of our soules and bodies a full redemption thus all he did was full A Feast is for company it is convivium there is converse at it So Cicero preferres the name of convivium among the Latines before the Greeke name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this Feast is not for one we are all invited to it the excellency of Christs Feast consisteth in the Communion of Saints for whosoever takes part of it their spirits must agree one with another Love is the best and chiefest dish in this Feast the more wee partake of the sweetnesse of Christ the more we love one another Christ by his spirit so works in the hearts of the children of men that bring a thousand together of a thousand severall nations and within a little while you shall have them all acquainted one with another if they be good there is agreement of the spirit and a sympathy between them there is a kindred in Christ He is the true Isaack the death of Christ and the bloud of Christ is the ground of all union and joy and comfort whatsoever the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience will procure that peace of conscience that shall be a continuall Feast unto the soule This Feast must needs be wonderfull comfortable for we do not feast with those that are like our selves but we feast with God the Father and
truths are revealed they give way to their owne proud scornfull hearts they know not the love of the truth God knoweth what a jewell the Truth is and since they despise it God giveth them up to believe lies and take heed practice what we know and love what we know entertaine it with a loving affection A loving affection is the Casket of this jewell if we entertain it not in love it removes from us its Station and being gone God will remove us into darknesse And remember it is God that taketh away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe And therefore make this use of it to make our Studies and Closets Oratories not to come to Divine Truths to out-wrastle the excellency of them with our owne wits but to pray to God as you have Psal 119. Open mine eyes and reveale thy truth And St. Paul prayeth for the Spirit of Revelation 1 Ephes 19. And so desire God to reveale and take away the vaile from us that he will open divine Truths to our soules that since he hath the Key of David that opens and no man shutteth that he would open our understandings to conceive things and our hearts to believe He hath the onely Key of the soule we can shut our souls but cannot open them againe so we can shut our hearts to divine Truths we can naturally doe this but open them without the help of the Spirit we cannot He can open our understandings as he did the Disciples He can open our Hearts to believe he can doe it and will do it If we seek to him he will not put back the humble desires of them that feare him And therefore for heavenly light and heavenly revelation all the teaching of the men of the world cannot do it If we know no more than wee can have by Bookes and men that teach us wee shall never come to Heaven but wee must have God teach the heart as well as the Braine hee must teach not onely the Truths themselves as they bee discovered but the love of them the faith in them the practice of them and hee onely can doe this hee only can teach the heart hee onely can discover the bent of the heart and Satans wiles that cast a cloud upon the understanding the Spirit onely can doe it and therefore in all our endeavours labour to get knowledge and joyne holinesse and divine grace and pray to God that he would reveale the mystery of salvation to us But how shall we know whether we have this heavenly light and revelation or no Whether the vaile be yet upon our hearts or no I will not be long in the point Wee may know it by this The Apostle Peterâ—aith â—aith to expresse the vertue of Gods power he hath called us out of darknesse to his marvelous light The soule that hath the vaile taken from it there is a marvelling at the goodnesse of God a wondering at the things of faith And the soule sets such a price upon divine things that all is dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ Wherefore is it that thou wilt reveale thy selfe to us and not unto the world as admiring the goodnesse of God What are we what am I that God should reveale these things to me and not to the world that many perish in darkensse and shadow of death though they heare of divine things yet they teaching rebellion and unbeleife are not moulded to them and so perish eternally There is a secret admiration of the goodnesse of God to the poore soule and a wonderment at spirituall things Oh how sweet is thy law saith David And teach me the wonders of thy law and joy unspeakable and glorious and peace that passeth understanding these things be high to the soule by the taste of what they have they wonder at that little and at that they looke for and are carried with desire still further and further which is a farther evidence they that have any spirituall knowledge they be carried to grow more and more and to enter further and further into the Kingdome Where there is not a desire still till they come to the full measure that is to be had in Jesus Christ there is no knowledge at all certainly a gracious soule when once it sees it desires still to feele the power and vertue of Christ in it as Paul counted all dung in comparison of this knowledge to know my selfe in Christ and feele the power of his death in dying to sin and vertue of his resurrection in raising me to newnesse of life it was Saint Pauls study to walk still to the high price of Gods calling and where that is not no grace is begun And againe where divine light is and the vaile taken away it is the sanctified meanes for God works by his owne instruments and meanes and they be able to justifie all courses of wisdome Wisdome is justified of her children By experience they be able to say the word is the word I have found it casting me downe and raising me up and searching the hidden corners of my heart I have found Gods Ordinances powerfull the word and Sacrament I have found my hope faith strength and spirituall comfort and therefore I can justifie them for I have found tasted and relished of these things which worketh that upon the soule which Christ did on the body I finde mine eyes I finde my deafe eares opened I can heare with another relish then before I finde a life and quickning to good things though it be weake I had no life at all to them before I find a relish which I knew not before So that there be spirituall senses whereby I am able to justifie that these things be the things of God So that they that have divine truths can justifie all the ordinances of God by their owne experience As Peter answered when Christ asked him will you be also gone be gone said Peter Whether should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life I have found thy words efficacious to comfort and strengthen and raise and shall I depart from thee who hast the words of eternall life And so take a soule that the spirit of God hath wrought upon aske whether they will be carelesse of meanes of salvation not to pray or heare or receive the Sacrament by these have I eternall life conveyed God hath let in by these comfort and strength and joy and shall I leave these things no I will not whether shall I goe thou hast the words of eternall life Are we able to justifie these things by the sweetnesse wee have found in them then certainly God hath shined upon the soule and together with strength and light conveyed sweetnesse to the soule A godly man seeth things with life his sight worketh upon him it is a transforming sight as the Apostle saith wee all behold the glory of God and are changed Sight of light
and life goeth together with a christian as Christ saith he is the light of the world and the life of the world First light for life commeth with light and light conveyeth life All grace is dropt into the will through the understanding and wheresoever Christ is life he is light because true knowledge is a transforming knowledge but if religion be not knowne to purpose it hardens and makes worse We are now by Gods good providence come to farther businesse to partake of these mysteries yet it should be the desire of our soules that our eyes may be opened that in these divine and precious mysteries he would discover hidden love which is not seen with the eyes of the body they may see and taste and relish his love and goodnesse in Jesus Christ that as the outward man is refreshed with the elements so the inward man may be refreshed with his spirit that they may be effectuall to us that we may justifie the course God takes so farre as to come charitably and joyfully to them THE Fourth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 7 8. I will destroy in this Mountaine the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations He will swallow up death in victory c. WE have heretofore at large spoken of the spirituall and eternall favors of God set out in the former Verse In this Mountain will the Lord of Hosts make a Feast of fat things While our soule is in the body it is much guided by our fancy spirituall things are therefore presented by outward and conveyed to the soule that way onely we must remember that there is a farre greater excellency in the things themselves than in their representation for what is all Banquets fatnesse with Marrow Wine on the Lees to the joy and sweetnesse of Religion begun here and accomplished in the world to come In Christ there is nothing but all Marrow and sweetnesse in Religion that may refresh a man in the lowest condition if hee can but have a taste of it Now because the spirituall things of Christ doe us no good as long as they are hid therefore the Holy Ghost setteth downe a Promise That God will take away the covering cast on all people and the vaile spread over all Nations But there be some things that will dampe all mirth Now here is security against them that our joy may bee compleat and this in the next verse to which I now come Hee will swallow up death in victory hee will wipe away teares from all faces The Prophet having spoken of a great Feast before an excellent Feast sets forth here the services of that feast what is it that accompanies it First of all there shall be light to discover the excellency of the feast the vaile is taken away and a knowledge given to know divine things in a spirituall manner Then which will damp all feasts the feare of death is taken away He will swallow up death in victory and wipe away all tears that is all sorrow the effect is put for the cause This is an excellent promise an excellent Service in this spirituall banquet Suppose a man were set at a Feast furnished with all Delicates royally attended Cloaths suitable and had a Sword hung over his head ready to fall upon him it would cast such a dampe on his spirit as would spoile the joy of this feast So to heare of Spirituall excellencies and yet death and hell and damnation comming along alas where is the comfort you speake of And therefore to make the feast more perfect there is not onely light and knowledge but removall of it ever may dampe the feast So this must needs come in to comfort all the rest He shall swallow up death in victory and wipe away tears from all faces Death is here represented to us under the word victory as a Combatant as one that we are to fight withall a Captaine And then here is the victory of him Christ overcomes him and overcomes him gloriously It is not onely a Conquest but a swallowing of him up Usually God useth all sorts of enemies in their owne kinde he causeth them that spoile to be spoyled them that swallow up to be swallowed up So Death the great swallower shall be swallowed up Beloved Death is the great King of Kings and the Emperor of Emperors the great Captaine and ruling King of the world for no King hath such Dominion as Death hath it spreads its government and victory over all Nations he is equall though a Tyrant As a Tyrant spares none he is equall in this he subdueth young and old poore and rich he levels Scepters and Spades together he levels all there is no difference between the dust of an Emperor and the meanest man he is a Tyrant that governeth over all And so there is this equity in him he spares none He hath continued from the beginning of the world to this time but he is a Tyrant brought in by our selves Rom. 5. Sin let in Death it opened the doore death is no Creature of Gods making Satan brought in sin and sinne brought in death So that we be accessary our selves to the powerfull stroak of this prevailing Tyrant And therefore sinne is called the cause of death Sinne brought in death and armeth death the weapon that death fights with and causeth great terror it is sinne The cause is armed with the power of the wrath of God for sinne the feare of hell and damnation So that wrath and hell and damnation arming sinne it bringeth a sting of it self and put as venome into death All cares and feares and sorrowes and sicknesses are lesse and petty deaths harbingers to death it selfe but the attendants that follow this great King are worst of all As Rev. 6. I saw a pale horse and death upon it and after him comes hell what were death if it were not for the Pit and Dungeon that followeth it So that death is attended with hell and hell with eternity Therefore here is a strange kind of prevailing There is no victory where there is no enemy and therefore death must needs be an enemy yea it is the worst enemy and the last enemy Death is not planted in the forlorne hope but it is planted at last for the greatest advantage and is a great enemy what doth death It depriveth us of all comfort pleasure communion with one another in this life callings or whatsoever else is comfortable The grave is the house of oblivion Death is terrible of it selfe even to nature as Augustine saith where it is not swallowed up of Christ for it is an evill in it selfe and as I said armed with a sting of sinne after which followes Hell Now this death is swallowed up When the Scripture puts a person upon death it is not uncomly for us to speak as the Scripture doth The Scripture puts a persouupon death and a kind of triumphing spirit in
Gods children over death Oh death where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory death is the greatest swallower and yet it is swallowed up by Christ death hath swallowed up all and when it hath swallowed up it keepeth them It keeps the dust of Kings Subjects great and small to the generall day of judgement when death shall be swallowed up of it selfe It is therefore of the nature of those that Solomon speaks of that cry give give and yet is never satisfied like the grave yet this death is swallowed up in victory But how commeth death to be swallowed up Christ will swallow up death in victory for himselfe and his First of all because sin brought in death our Saviour Christ became sinne a sacrifice to his fathers justice for sinne he was made sinne for us he was made a curse for us to take away the curse due to us and sinne being taken away what hath death to doe with us and hell and damnation the attendants on death nothing at all Therefore Coll. 2. upon the crosse Christ did naile the law and sinne and the devill there he raigned over principalities and powers which were but executioners let loose by reason of our sinnes And God being satisfied for sinne the devill hath nothing to doe with us but to exercise us except it be for our good So that he hath swallowed up death because by his death he hath taken away sinne and so the power of Satan whose power is by sinne And therefore it is excellently set downe Heb. 2. 14. He also tooke part of flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill So Christ by death overthrew Satan that had the power of death because by death he tooke away sinne the sinnes of all and bare our sinnes upon the crosse and was made sinne for us that knew no sinne he is ours if we believe For then Christ is given to a particular man when hee believes Beloved Christ upon the crosse did triumph over all our spirituall enemies sinne and death and all It was a kingdome of patience You know there is a double kingdome of Christ a kingdome of patience and a kingdome of power Christ on the crosse suffering punishment due to sinne overcame the law and the devill and sinne which is the kingdome of patience the kingdome of power he hath in heaven If Christ were so able in his kingdome of patience to conquer our greatest enemies what will he doe in his kingdome of power As Paul reasoneth Rom. 5. If by his death we are saved much more now he triumphs in heaven and appeares for us is he able to convey greater matters to us If Christ in the daies of his flesh did conquer how glorious will his conquest be at the day of judgement Now Christ hath conquered all in his owne person as our head then he will conquer for us in his mysticall body what is now done in his person shall be done in his members In the meane time faith is our victory his conquest over death our victory his victory over all our spirituall enemies is our victory every one that believeth is a conquerour of death though he die because he sees it conquered in Christ his head and as it is truly conquered in him so Christ will conquer it in all his members For as Christ in his naturall body is gone to heaven there to appeare in our behalfe so shall mysticall Christ be wholly in glory he will not leave a finger we shall all triumph over all our spirituall enemies as Christs naturall body is glorious in heaven as our head so shall also his mysticall body be You see then how death is swallowed up by Christ as our surety as the second Adam upon the crosse and truly swallowed up in him and by faith this victory is ours and time will come when in our owne persons it shall be swallowed up in victory This might be inlarged but I haste to make use of it Marke I beseech you how death is swallowed up by Christ in his owne person for our good he gave a great way to death for death seised on him upon the crosse death severeth soule from body death had him in his owne cabinet his grave for three daies nay this great King and tyrant death had a great conquest over Christ himselfe but here was the glory of this victory when death this great conquerour of the world had Christ upon the crosse and in his owne dominion in the grave where he rules and raignes consuming and swallowing up all death was faine to give up all and Satan thought to have had a great morsell when he devoured Christ but there was an hooke in his divine power that catched him that when he thought to have swallowed up Christ was swallowed up himselfe his head was then broken he never had such a blow as by Christ on the crosse when he was overcome being a scorne of the world visibly yet invisibly in Gods acceptation of that sacrifice and in a spirit of faith Christ triumpheth over Satan death was subdued even in his owne kingdome and that makes the victory great Death by seising on Christ without right Christ hath freed us from the evill of death when it had right to us Death hath lost all its right by fastening on Christ and so is become as a Drone without a sting so the great swallower of all is swallowed up it selfe at last by Christ Now for comfortable use of it First let us consider that God oftentimes giveth a great deale of way to his greatest enemies God useth a stratagem of retiring he seemes to retire and give liberty to his enemies but it is to triumph and trample upon them with greater shame he will tread them to dust afterward Christ gave death a great deale of liberty he was crucified and tormented then had to the grave and there he lay And this was to raise a greater triumph over this great prevailer over the world and death it selfe It is continued so in the Church Doth not he give way to the enemies of the Church they may come to say ahah ahah so would we have it Now the poore children of God are where we would have them but then comes suddaine destruction God to make his victory more glorious and more to discover their cruelty comes upon them when they be in the top of pleasure and the Church in the bottome of abasement then God swalloweth up all in victory as Christ did death when it seemed to have bin it selfe victorious This is a very comfortable consideration for if death be overcome when it seem'd to overcome Christ what need wee feare any other enemy Christ hath broken the net as an Eagle or great bird and the rest escape by him You may inlarge this in your owne meditations hee will swallow up death in victory
the matter that interrupteth his joy may be taken away Those that will be joyfull and not search to the bottome must needs with shame be brought backe to sorrow When wee will joy to purpose let us judge our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord mourne for our sinnes and then lay hold upon the promise that all they that mourne for sinne shall be comforted And blessed are they that shed teares here for all teares shall be wiped away Wee are subject to wrong our selves both good and bad for the good thinke if they be in misery they shall be ever so the bad if they be in prosperity they shall allwaies be so and they blesse themselves in it Now the the joy of the hypocrites is as the crackling of thornes and the griefe of the godly is but short and therefore let not the wicked foole themselves with groundlesse hopes nor the godly vex themselves with needlesse feares but put off conceitednesse of the long continuance of troubles time is but short and ere long God will wipe away all teares from our eyes No mists no clouds shall be extended to heaven the state in heaven shall be like the state of heaven there is no cloud there but all pure all serene Therefore in Christianity consider not their beginning but their ends Marke the end of the upright for the end of the upright is peace Psal 37. 37. Wayes have their commendation from the terme in which they end If by any meanes I may attaine the resurrection of the dead saith Paul Phil. 3. 11. Through thicke and thinne faire and foule rugged windes dry or bloudy death If by any meanes I may come to the resurrection of the dead the first degree of glory all is well it s a good way that ends well Non qua sed quo consider not what way he brings us to heaven but whither he brings bs If he bring us to heaven through a valley of teares it s no matter for in heaven all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And therefore Christianity is called wisdome And this wisdome is justified of her children What is the chiefest point of wisdome To looke home to the end and to direct all meanes to that end He is wise that is wise for eternity The wicked will have their payment here But woe to them that laugh for they shall mourne saith Christ Luke 6. 25. They will not stay for ground of joy hereafter but will have present payment But though the wayes of Christians be foule and wet with teares yet blessed are they for God will wipe away all teares from their eyes comfort one another with these words THE Sixth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And he shall swallow up death in victory and God will wipe away teares from all faces that the rebukes of his people may be taken away from off the earth for the Lord hath spoken it YOu have heard heretofore of a feast provided for Gods people the founder of it being God himselfe who only can indeed comfort that which is specially to be comforted the soule and the conscience he being above the conscience The place where the feast is kept is Mount Syon the Church of God the delicacies are described by fat things wine refined on the lees c. The best of the best that can be thought of which is Christ with all his benefits who is bread indeed and drinke indeed that cherisheth and nourisheth the soule to life everlasting And because there should be nothing to disturbe the solemnity of the feast he promiseth to destroy the face of covering to take away the vaile spread over all nations the vaile of ignorance and infidelity to shine upon the soule and fill it full of knowledge and heavenly comfort And because there can be no comfort where death is feared being the greatest enemy in this life therefore he will swallow up death in victory and all that makes way for death or attends death and when this is taken away all the attendants vanish with it God will wipe away all teares from all faces Because the best things have not the best entertainment in the world nor the best persons God promiseth that the rebukes of his people shall be taken away from off the earth what they are they shall be knowne to be These be very great matters and therefore there is a great confirmation they have a seale and what is that The Lord hath spoken it The last day I shewed that Gods children shall shed teares and that they have cause to do it I will now inlarge it a little It is the condition of men since the fall in Paradise before there was no cause of teares nothing was out of joynt all inframe there was no sinne therefore no sorrow therefore no apprehension of sorrow And so in heaven there shall be no teares because no cause of it they shall be as farre from heaven as the cause This life is a valley of teares a life of misery and therefore we shed teares here And wee want no cause of it as long as sinne is in the world and sorrow and misery that followeth sinne Our own sins and the sins of others our owne miseries and the miseries of others And surely a child of God finds this the greatest cause of mourning in this world that he hath a principle in him alwaies molesting him in the service of God he cannot serve God with that chearfulnesse his unfeelingnesse that he cannot be so sensible of God dishonoured by himselfe and others is his burthen hee is grieved that he cannot grieve enough he can find teares for other things matter of this enough as the heathen man could say A man loseth his estate and hath teares for them but forceth teares for other things which are the true ground of griefe a child of God hath a remainder of corruptions which puts him on to offend against God and hinders him in his service in the liberty and chearfullnesse of it And this he complaines of with Paul and others Miserable man that I am not for his affliection though that was much but who shall deliver me from this body of death I will here adde a case Some say they cannot weep but they can grieve whether then is it necessary or no to weepe Teares are taken for the spring of teares griefe all griefe shall be taken away Teares are but the messengers of griefe and often times the deepest apprehension that takes things deepely cannot expresse it in teares In some the passages fetching the conceit to the heart are made more tender that they can weepe Now the griefe of a Christian is a judiciall griefe a rationall griefe not onely sensible teares must have sensible griefe but a Christians griefe is a sensible judiciall griefe hee hath a right judgement of things that cause sorrow willeth it and teares are onely an expression of it But how shall I know whether
the end of a promise is to support the soule till the performance God doth not onely reserve great things for us in another vvorld but to comfort us in the vvay doth reach out to us Promises to comfort us till vvee come thither There is a time when he will performe them and not onely a time but there are likewise promises of performance at that time the promises of these great things shall be performed The next thing is that God will stirre up in his Children a disposition suitable That is the Grace of waiting As great things were promised before so the soule hath a grace fit for it Wee have waited for thee And as they wait for them while they are in performing so they shall enjoy them Wee have wayted for thee and wee will bee glad in thy salvation We shall so enjoy them that we shall joy in them Good things when they be enjoyed they bee joyed in Againe wee shall rejoyce in our salvation wee shall glory in our God After they bee a while exercised in waiting then commeth performance then they bee enjoyed and they bee enjoyed with joy in glorying in God For that is the issue of a Christian when hee hath what hee would enjoy when hee enjoyeth it with joy when the fruit of it is that God hath his glory and therefore the heart can rejoyce in his salvation Then there is a day as for the exercising of his people here by waiting So there is a day of performing promises In that day That is a day of all dayes When that day commeth then all Prophecies and Promises shall be accomplished to the uttermost But before that great day there is an intermediate performance of Promises assisted by waiting to drop comfort to us by degrees He reserveth not all to that day there be lesser dayes before that great day As at the first comming of Christ So at the overthrow of Antichrist the Conversion of the Jewes there will be much joy but that is not that day these dayes make way for that day VVhensoever Prophecies shall end in Performances then shall bee a day of joying and glorying in the God of our salvation for ever And therefore in the Revelations where this Scripture is cited Revelations 21. 4. is meant the Conversion of the Jewes and the glorious estate they shall enjoy before the end of the world We have waited for our God and now we enjoy him I but what saith the Church there Come Lord Iesus come quickly there is yet another come Lord till wee be in heaven So that though intermediate promises bee performed here yet there is another great day of the Lord to be performed which is specially meant here The last thing considerable in the words is the manner of expression They are expressed full of life and with repetition to make them sure and more certaine In that day it shall be said this is our God wee have waited for him he shall save us He bringeth them in speaking these words of affection Indeed when wee come to enjoy the performance of Gods gracious promises if we should live to see the fulnesse of the Gentiles come and Jewes called wee should speake of it againe and againe Affections are large and few expressions will not serve for large affections It will be no tautology to say This is our God wee have waited for him Beloved times are yet to come which may much affect the hearts of the Children of God Howsoever we may not live to see the performance of these things yet wee shall all live to see that day of Judgement and then we shall say This is our God wee have waited for him VVee now see God in the Promises and then wee shall see him face to face whom wee have waited for in the Promises and we shall see him in heaven for ever Loe this is our God we have waited for him VVhile we live here we are in state of waiting wee are under Promises and a condition under promises is a waiting condition a condition of performance is an enjoying condition VVe are in a waiting condition till our bodies be raised out of the grave for when vve dye vvee vvait for the resurrection of our bodies VVe may say as Jacob vvhen he vvas dying I have waited for thy salvation VVe are in a vvaiting condition till body and soule bee joyned together at the day of judgement for ever And therefore vve should labour to have those graces that are suitable for this condition The things vve vvait for are of so transcending excellency as glory to come that they cannot bee vvaited for but the spirit by the things vvaited for fitteth us to vvaite for them A man cannot vvait for glory of soule and body but the Spirit that raiseth up faith to believe and hope to vvait vvill purge and fit and prepare him for that glorious condition He that hath this hope purifieth himselfe as hee is pure Oh it is a quickning waiting and a purging waiting it is efficacious by the Spirit to fit and purifie his soule suitable to that glorious condition hee waits for Where that is not it is but a conceit a very slender apprehension of the glory to come will make men better He that hath hope of heaven and happinesse under glory it will make him suitable to the place hee looketh for THE Eighth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. He shall swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away teares from off all faces and the rebukes of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day loe this is our God wee have waited for him and be will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation TO come closer to the particulars It shall be said in that day loe this is our God The mouth of the Lord hath spoken gracious things before hath promised a Feast and an excellent Feast Gods manner is first of all to give promises to his Church why his goodnesse commeth from his goodnesse his goodnesse of grace commeth from his goodnesse of nature He is good and doth good Now the same goodnesse of disposition which we call bounty that reserveth heaven and happinesse for us in another world the same goodnesse will not suffer us to be without all comfort in this world Because the knowledge and revelation of the glory to come hath much comfort in it Therefore in mercy he not only intendeth performance of glory but out of the same fountaine of goodnesse he intendeth to reveale whatsoever is good for his Church in the way to glory So that promises of good come from the same goodnesse of God by which he intendeth heaven For what moved God to come out of that hidden light that no man can come into and discover himselfe in his sonne The word in his promises to reveale his
that be enough to drive us from profession of Religion without grace Sometimes good men by their failings and fallings out they fall into sinne and fall out and that is a scandall to wicked men Oh say they who would be of this Religion when they cannot agree among themselves This is a great hinderance and stop It is a scandall and rubbe in the way not so much in themselves wee are full of scandall our selves catch at any thing that we may except against the best waies there is a root of scandall in the hearts of all because men will not goe to hell without reason Now because wee are easie to take offence rather then wee will be damned without reason it is not easie to hold out Besides this Satan plies it with his temptations from affliction and from scandall he amplifies these things in the fancy who would be a Christian Yee see what their profession is And so hee maketh the way the more difficult And then againe looke at our owne disposition to suffer to hold out to fix there is an unsetlednesse which is a proper infirmity in our natures since the fall we love variety wee are inconstant and cannot fix our selves upon the best things and wee are impatient of suffering any thing Wee are not onely indisposed to doe good but more indisposed to suffer any ill the spirit must helpe us over all this which must continue all our life long till wee be in heaven something or other will be in our way now the Spirit of God must helpe us over all these afflictions We shall never come to heaven to overcome afflictions and scandals and temptation which Satan plies us here withall And then to overcome the tediousnesse of time this needeth a great deale of strength now this grace of expectance doth all And therefore it is so oftentimes stood upon in Scripture in Isaiah and in the Psalmes how often is it repeated Psal 77. last Wait on the Lord if he tarry wait thou The Lord will wait for them that wait for him and it is the character in Scripture of a Christian Moses he saith such as waited for the consolation of Israell before Christ came in the flesh such a one is one that waiteth for the consolation of Israell To have a gracious disposition and a grace of waiting was the character of good people Now since the comming of Christ the character of the New Testament is to wait for Christs appearance There is a Crowne of glory for me and not onely for me but for all them that love his appearance That is an ingredient in waiting when we love the thing we wait for And so Titus 2. last The grace of God that teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily and justly and soberly in this present evill world looking for and waiting for this glorious appearing of Jesus Christ So that looking with the eye of the soule partly on the first comming of Christ which was to redeeme our soules and partly upon the second which is to redeeme our bodies from corruption and to make both soule and body happy it makes a man a good Christian For the grace of God on the first teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and looking for Christs appearing maketh us zealous of good workes You have scarce any Epistle but you have time described for looking for the comming of Christ As Jude Preserve your selves in the love of God and wait for the comming of Christ So that as there be gracious promises and a long day for them God vouchsafeth grace to wait for the accomplishment of them Now as God giveth grace to wait so he will performe what wee waite for As they say here wee have waited that is the speech of enjoying God will at length make good what hee hath promised and what his truth hath promised his power will performe Goodnesse inclineth to make a promise truth speakes it and power performeth it As you shall see here Wee have waited c. In God there is a mouth of truth a heart of pitty and an hand of power these three meeting together make good whatsoever is promised Hee will fulfill the desires of them that feare him The desires that God hath put into his Children they be kindled from heaven and he will satisfie them all out of his bowells of pitty and compassion hee will not suffer the creature to be allwaies under the racke of desire under the racke of expectation but hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him And therefore learne this for the time to come Though wee waite God will performe whatsoever wee waite for And therefore loe wee have waited for him As there is a time of promising so there is a time of performing as there is a seed time so there is a time of harvest There is a succession in nature and a succession in grace as the day followeth the night and the Sabbath the weeke and the Jubile such a terme of yeares and as the triumph followeth the warre and as the Consummation of Marriage followeth Contract so it is a happy and glorious condition above all conditions here on earth Therefore in this text you have not onely the seed time of the Christian wee may sow in teares and an expectation as in sowing But here is likewise the harvest of a Christian as there is time of sowing so there is time of reaping as time of waiting so of injoying Wee have waited and now loe we have what we waited for But why doth not the Holy Ghost set downe a certain time but leaveth it indefinite In that day God keepes times and seasons in his owne power the point of time in generall he leaveth it There is a day but the point and moment of time he keepeth in his owne power It is enough to know there is a day and a day that will come in the best season Gods times is the best time When judgments were threatned upon the wicked they say Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall die So Saul to morrow thou shalt die and was he the better So where there is a certain time of Gods comming in judgement godly men would not be the worse and wicked men never the better Thetefore God reserveth it indefinite In that day There is a day and it is a glorious day a day of all dayes a day that never will have night a day that we should thinke of every day That day by way of excellency And before that day there be particular dayes in this world wherein God sheweth himselfe and fulfills the expectation of his children to cherish the grand expectation of life everlasting As in times of trouble they expect of God and wait for deliverance in Gods time and they must be able to say Loe wee have waited Because it is a beginning and pledge of the great performance that shall be consummate at that
that setteth up his rest here whosoever saith I have enough and will now take contentment in them he is a foole There is a rest for Gods people but it is not here Neither rest in any measure of grace or comfort What is faith to sight we have hope an Anchor and Helmet that keepeth up many a soule as the Cork keepeth from sinking What is this hope to the fruition of what we hope for Here we have love many love tokens from God I but what is love to union Ours is but a love of desire we are but in motion here we lye in motion onely and our desires are not accomplished what is this love to the accomplishing of the union with the thing beloved for ever Here we have Communion of Saints but what is this communion of Saints to Communion with God for ever We have infirmities here as others which breedeth jealousies and suspition I but we shall have Communion in heaven and there shall be nothing in us to distast others but everlasting friendship yea our Communion shall be with perfect soules Our Communion of Saints here is our heaven upon earth but it is Communion with unperfect soules Peace we have I but it is peace intermixt It is peace in the midst of enemies There we shall have peace without enemies Christ doth now rule in the midst of enemies In heaven he shall rule in the midst of his friends So that we can imagine no condition here though never so good but it is imperfect And therefore rest not in any thing in the world no not in any measure of grace any measure of Comfort till we be in heaven but waite for the time to come and rejoyce in hope by which we are saved Wait still and though we have not content here yet this is not our home this is a good refreshment by the way As when the Children of Israel came from Babylon they had wells by the way as in Michae they diged up wells So from Babylon to Ierusalem we have many sweet refreshments But they be refreshments far off the way God digs many wells we have brests of Consolation to comfort us I but they are but for the way And therefore let us answer all temptations and not take contentment with any thing here It is good but it is not our home Cui dulcis peregrinatio non amat patriam If we have eternity love heaven we cannot be over much taken with any thing in the way And so for the Church let us not be over much dejected for the desolation of the Church but pray for a spirit of faith which doth realize things to the soule and presents them as present to the soule seeth Babylon fallen presents things in the Scripture phrase and in the words Babylon is fallen for as much as all the enemies of the Church fall Mighty is the Lord that hath spoken and will performe it And as the Angell saith it is downe So time will come ere long when it shall be said It is downe The Church shall be gathered and then Loe this is our God It was the comfort of the beleeveing Jewes that the Gentiles should come And why should it not be the comfort of the Gentiles that there be blessed times for the ancient people of God when they shall all cry and say Loe this is our God We have waited for him long and he will save us Therefore be not over much discouraged for whatsoever present desolation the Church lyeth under If it were not for this we were of all men most miserable as Paul saith But there be times to come when we shall rejoyce and rejoyce for ever and make boast of the Lord if it were not we were of all men most miserable Howsoever happinesse is to come yet of all persons he is most happy that hath Christ and heaven The very fore-taste of happinesse is worth all the world the inward peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost the beginings of the Image of God and of happinesse here is worth all the injoyments of the world Aske of any Christian whether he will hang with the greatest worldling and be in his condition he would not change his place in grace for all his glory And therefore set heaven aside the very first fruits is better then all the heaivest of the world Let us therefore get the soul raised by faith to see her happinesse we need it all for till the soul get a frame raised up to see its happinesse here specially in the world to come it is not in a frame fit for any service it will not stoop to any base sinne where the affections are so possest they look upon all base courses as unworthy of their hope What I that hope to rejoyce for ever with God in heaven that am heir of heaven that have the Image of God upon me that am in Covenant with God to take any beastiall course to place my happinesse in things meaner than my selfe that have God to delight in a God in Covenant that hath taken me into Covenant with himselfe So I say in all solicitations to sinne get our selves into a frame that may stand firme and immovable In all troubles let us know we have a God in Covenant that we may joy in him here and rejoyce with him in heaven for ever hereafter FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE A. APPETITE page SPirituall Appetite how it may be gotten 16 17 18 19 B. All is of the best in Christ 8 BOUNTY Gods Bounty cause of promises 111 Wee should honour Gods Bounty 29 C. Great is the Cheare at Gospell-Feast 8 Spirituall chearefulnes 25 CHURCH The Church is an excellent society 3 Compared to a mountaine 4 Christian 's estate best 27 Holy Company 20 Comfort of the Scriptures 101 Controversies judged by Word of God 100 Scriptures are preserved from Corruption 103 God can effect things by Contraries 154 D. Spirituall Digestion 23 DEATH Death King of Feares 56 Spares none ib. is arm'd by sinne ib. attended on by Hell ib. is terrible to wicked men 64 a friend to the godly 66 Death of Christ hath conquered Death 59 60 Death is conquered though a Believer dye 63 64 Duillists their sinne and folly 65 E. Divine Efficacy of Gods Word 101 Emnity between two seeds 91 Emptinesse of soule fits for Christ 32 Of spirituall Exercise 19 Experience of Gods Word that its true 102 F. Gospell is a Feast 5 God is Founder of this Feast 6 Christ in the Jewish Festivals 15 Spirituall Famine 20 Feare of Death unbecomes a Christian 62 63 67 G. Guests invited to the Gospel-feast 7 Christs righteousnesse our wedding garment 12 H. Largenesse of heart fit for this Feast 16 In Heaven full performance of promises 122 123 124 Hopes upholds the heart in wayting 125 I. Ignorance on all men naturally 35 Infidelity shamefull 105 Interest in God cause of joy 160 161 162 Joy in God 158 159 Joy and griefe
of the former Verse I will now speak of the next that followeth And I will destroy in this Mountaine the face of covering cast over all people and the vaile spread over all nations to swallow up death in victory the Lord will wipe away teares from all faces and the rebukes of his people shall be taken from the earth for the Lord hath spoken it These depend one upon another being the severall Services of the Feast He promiseth a Feast in the sixth Verse And what be the severall Services He will destroy in this mountaine this Church the face of covering cast over all people c. Hee will take away the vaile of Ignorance and unbeliefe that they may have speciall sight of heavenly things without which they cannot relish heavenly things they can take no joy at this Feast And then because there can be no Feast where there is the greatest enemy in force and power he swallowes up death in victorie Death keeps us in feare all our life time that that swalloweth up all Kings and Monarchs the terror of the World Death shall bee and is swallowed up by our head Christ and shall be swallowed up by us in victory In the meane time we are subject to many sorrowes which cause teares for teares are but drops that issue from that cloud of sorrow And sorrow we have alwayes in this world either from our sinnes or miseries or simpathy in teares of that kinde Well the time will come that teares shall bee wiped away and the cause of teares all sorrow for our owne sinnes for our own misery and for simpathizing with the times wherein we live Our time shall bee hereafter at the day of the resurrection when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes God will performe that office of a mother to wipe the childrens eyes or of a Nurse to take away all cause of grief whatsoever else it cannot be a perfect feast I but there is reproaches cast upon Religion and religious persons it goeth under a vaile of reproach and the best things are not seene in their owne colours nor the worst things they go under vizards here But the time will come that the rebukes of his people shall be taken away The good things as they are best so shall they be knowne to bee so And sinne and base courses as they are bad and as they are from Hell so they shall be knowne to be every thing shall appear in its owne colours things shall not goe masked any longer And what is the seal of all this The seal of it is The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it truth it selfe hath spoken it and therefore it must needs be Jehovah that can give a being to all things he hath said it Wee have heard why the Church is called a Mountaine He will destroy or swallow up as the word may signifie the face of covering or the covering of the face the vaile which is the covering of the face and particularly exprest in that terme alwayes the vaile that is spread over all Nations God will take away the spirituall vaile that covers the Soules of his people that is between them and divine truths It hath allusion to that of Exodus 34 about Moses when he came from the Mount he had a vaile for the people could not behold him hee had a glory put upon his face that they could not look upon him with a direct eye and therefore he was faine to put a vail upon his face to shew that the Jews could not see as Paul interprets it 2 Cor. 3. 15. To this day saith hee when Moses is read there is a vaile put upon their hearts they could not see that the Law was a Schoole-master to bring to Christ the Ceremoniall Law and the Morall Law God had a blessed end by the curse of it to bring them to Christ They rested in the vaile their sight was terminated in the vaile they could not see through to the end and scope of it Neverthelesse when they shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away From the words consider first of all that naturally there is a vaile of ignorance upon the soule Secondly God doth take away his vaile and God by his Spirit onely can doe it Thirdly that this is onely in his Church And where this vaile of ignorance is taken off there is feasting with God and spirituall joy and delight in the best order And where it is taken off there is none of it First of all by nature there is a vaile of covering over all mens spirits To understand this better let us unfold the termes of vaile a little There is a vaile either upon the things themselves that are to bee seen or upon the soule which should behold them The vaile of things themselves is when they be hidden altogether or in part when we know part and are ignorant of part And this vaile upon the things ariseth from the weak apprehension of them when they are not represented in cleare expressions but in obscurity of words or in types When we see them onely in types or obscure phrases which hideth sometime the sight of the thing it selfe The manner of Speech sometimes casteth a vaile on things for our Saviour Christ spake in Parables which were like the cloud darke on the one side light on the other darke towards the Egyptians light towards the Israelites So some expressions of Scripture have a light side that onely the godly see and a darke side that other men good wit as naturall men see not Againe there is a vaile upon the Soule and upon the Sight if the things be vailed or the sight vailed there is no sight Now the soule is vailed when we be ignorant and unbeleeving when we are ignorant of what is spoken and revealed or when we know the termes of it and yet beleeve it not Now this vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe continueth in all unregenerate men untill grace takes away the vaile Besides before a thing can be seene the object must not onely be made cleare and the eye-sight too but there must be Lumen deferens a light to carry the object to the eye If that be not wee cannot see As the Egyptians in the three dayes of darknesse had their eyes but there wanted light to represent the object And therefore they could not goe neare one to another it is the light and not sight if there be sight and no light to carry and convey the object we cannot say there is sight That which answereth to this vaile is the vaile of Scripture whereby heavenly things are set out by a mistery a mistery is when something is openly shewed and something hidden When something is concealed as in the Sacrament they be mysteries we see the bread we see the wine but under the bread and wine other things are intended the breaking of the body of Christ and the shedding of his