his sufferings which are expressed by stripes Esai 53.5 and our resurrection with him noted in the budding of a dry rod. Or lastly noting the sanctifying and fruitfull vertue of his word which is the rod of his strength Vpon it also was the Mercie seate to note that in Christ is the foundation of all that mercie and atonement which is preached unto men But in two things principally did it signifie Christ unto our present purpose First It was overlaid within and without with gold and had a Crowne of gold round about it Exod. 25.11.37.2 denoting the plentifull and glorious Kingdome of Christ who was crowned with glorie and honor Heb. 2.7 Secondly it had rings by which it was carried up and downe till at last it rested in Salomons Temple with glorious and triumphall solemnitie Psal. 132.89 2 Chron. 5.13 So Christ while he was here upon earth being anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good Act. 10.38 and having ceased from his workes did at last enter into his rest Heb. 5.10 which is the heavenly Temple Revel 11.19 Now this carrying of the Ark into his resting place denotes two things First a finall conquest over the enemies of God For as the moving of the Ark signified the acting and procuring of victorie Iosh. 6.11 20. So the Resting of the Ark noted the Consummation of Victorie And therefore the Temple was built and the Ark set therein in the dayes of Salomon when there was not an emendicated or borrowed peace depending upon the courtesie of the neighbor nations but a victorious and triumphall peace after the great victories of David and tributarie subjection and homage of all the Canaanites which were left in the Land 2 Chro. 8.7 8.9.26 2 Sam. 7.9.12 Psal. 68.29 Secondly it notes the conferring of gifts as we see in that triumphall song at the removall of the Arke being also a prediction both of that which literally hapned in the raigâ—e of Salomon and was mystically verified in Christ Psal. 68.18 Thus Christ our Prince of peace being now in the Temple of God in heaven hath bound hell sinne and death captive and hath demolished the wals of Iericho or the Kingdom of Satan throwne him downe from heaven like lightning and passed a sentence of judgment upon him And hath received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost and given gifts unto men Act. 2.32 35. before his entring into his rest it was but a promise and they were to waite at Ierusalem for it Act. 1.4 but after his departure and intercession at his Fathers right hand it was powred forth in abundance upon them Ioh. 14.16.16.7 And we are to note that as it began with his sitting there so it continueth as long as he shall there sit It is true all Holy Scripture which God ordained for the gathering of his people and for the guidance of them in the militant Church is already long since by the Spirit dictated unto holy and selected instruments for that purpose inspired with more abundance of grace and guided by a full and infallible Spirit but yet we must note that in those holy writings there is such a depth of heavenly wisedome such a sea of mysteries and such an unsearchable treasure of puritie and grace that though a man should spend the longest life after the severest and most industrious manner to acquaint himselfe with God in the revelations of his word yet his knowledge would be but in part and his holinesse after all that come short of maturity as the enemies are not all presently under Christs feete but are by degrees subdued so the Spirit is not presently conferred in fulnesse unto the members of Christ but by measure and degrees according to the voluntary influences of the head exigences of the members So much of the Spirit of grace and truth as we have here is but the earnest and hansell of a greater summe Ephes. 1.14 The seed and first fruits of a fuller harvest 1 Ioh. 3.9 Rom. 8.23 Therefore the Apostle mentions a growing change from glorie to glorie by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 3.18 Wee must not expect a fulnesse till the time of the restitution of all things till that day of redemption and adoption wherein the light which is here but sowen for the Righteous shall grow up into a full harvest of holinesse and of glory But here ariseth a question out of the seeming contradiction of Holy Scripture It is manifest that the Spirit of Christ was in the Church long before his Ascension The Prophets spake by him 1 Pet. 1.11 The ancient Iews vexed him Esai 63.10 Iohn Baptist was even filled with the Spirit to note a plentifull measure for the discharge of his Office Luk. 1.15 and yet S. Iohn saith That the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified Ioh. 7.39 To this I answere that the Fathers were sanctified by the same Spirit of Christ with us difference there is none in the substance but onely in the accidents and circumstances of effusion and manifestation As light in the Sunne and light in a starre is in it selfe the same originall light but very much varied in the dispensation It was the same truth which was preached by the Prophets and by Christ but the Apostle observes in it a difference sundry times and in sundry manners hath God spoken by the Prophets but unto us by his Son that is more plentifully and more plainly unto us than unto the Fathers Heb. 1.1 Ioh. 16.25 Therefore though it be true that Abraham saw Christs day as all the Fathers did though he haply being the Father of the faithfull more than others in which respect Eusebius saith of them that they were Christians really and in effect though not in name yet it is true likewise that many Prophets and Righteous men did desire to see and heare the things which the Apostles saw and heard but did not Matt. 13.17 namely in such plaine and plentifull measure as the Apostles did They saw in glimpses and morning stars and prefigurations but these the things themselves They saw onely the promises and those too but afarre off Heb. 11.13 these the substance and gospell it selfe neere at hand in their mouth and before their eyes and even amongst them Rom. 10.8 Gal. 3.1 Ioh. 1.14 1 Ioh. 1.2 3. They by Prophets who testified before-hand these by eye-witnesses who declared the things which they had seen and heard Act. 1.8.22.10.41 Therfore it is said that Christ was a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and yet in the end of the world that he appeared to take away sinne by the Sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9.26 to note that the Fathers had the benefiâ— but not the perfection of the promises Heb. 11.40 for the Apostle every where makes perfection the worke of the Gospell 1 Cor. 2.7 Eph. 4.13 Heb. 6.1 So then after Christs sitting on the right hand of power the Holy Spirit was more
completely sent both in regard of manifestation and efficacie than ever before The difference is chiefly in three things First In the manner of his mission To the old Church in dreames and visions in figures and latent waies But to the Evangelicall Churches in power evidence and demonstration 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Therefore it is called the spirit of revelation and knowledge which discovereth and that unto principalities and powers by the Church the manifold and mysterious wisedome of God in Christ Eph. 1.17.3.10 Therefore the Spirit was sent in the latter dayes in wind and fire and tongues and earthquake all which have in them a selfe-discovering propertie which will not be hidden Wheras in the time of the Prophets God did not in any such things save onely in a low and still voyce reveale himselfe 1 Kings 19.11 12. Secondly In the subjects unto whom he was sent Before onely upon the inclosed garden of the Iewes did this winde blow but now is the Spirit powred upon all flesh and this heavenly dew falleth not upon the fleece but upon the whole earth And therefore our Savior opposeth Ierusalem and the Spirit Ioh. 4.21 23. Every beleever is of the Israel of God every Christian a Temple of the Holy Ghost no people of the earth secluded But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted no place uncleane but every where pure hands may be lifted up Thirdly In the measure of his grace At first he was sent onely in drops and dew but after he was powred out in showres and abundance Tit. 3.6 and therefore as I have before observed the grace of the Gospell is frequently expressed by the name of Riches to note not onely the pretiousnesse but the plentie thereof in the Church And it is here worth our observation that the Spirit under the Gospell is compared to things of a spreading multiplying and operative nature First To water and that not a little measure to sprinckle or bedew but to Baptize the faithfull in Matth. 3.11 Act. 1.5 and that not in a font or vessell which growes lesse and lesse but in a springing and living river Ioh. 7.39 Now water besides its purging propertie is first of a spreading nature It hath no bounds nor limits to it selfe as firme and solid bodies have but receives its restraint by the vessell or continent which holds it so the Spirit of the Lord is not straightned in himselfe but onely by the narrow hearts of men into which he comes Ye are not straitned saith the Apostle in us that is in that ministerie of grace and dispensation of the Spirit which is committed to us but in your owne bowels which are not in any proportion enlarged unto that abundance and fulnesse of heavenly grace which in the Gospel of salvation is offered unto you Secondly Spring water is a growing and multiplying thing which is the reason why rivers which rise from narrow fountaines have yet by reason of a constant and regular supply a great breadth in remote channels because the water lives Wheras in pits and torrents it groweth lesse and lesse so the graces of the Spirit are living and springing things the longer they continue the larger they grow like the waters of the sanctuary Ezek. 36.25 and the reason is because they come from a fountaine which is all life Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 14.6 Col. 3.4 Thirdly as water multiplies in it selfe so by insinuation and mollification it hath a fructifying vertue in other things Fruitfull trees are planted by the waters side so the Spirit searching and mollifying the heart maketh it fruitfull in holy obedience Ezek. 11.19 20. Fourthly water is very strong in its owne streame we see what mighty engines it moveth what huge vessels it rouleth like a ball what walls and bulwarkes it overthrowes so the spirit of God is able to beate downe all strong holds which the wit of man or the malice of Satan can erect against the Church The horses of Egypt are flesh not Spirit saith the Lord not by might nor by power but by my Spirit noting that that which might and created power could not doe the Spirit of the Lord was able to effect And this strength of water serves to carry it as high as its owne spring and levell so the Spirit will never cease to raise the hearts of his people till it carries them up to their fountaine and spring-head in heaven Secondly The Spirit is compared to the rushing of a mighty winde The learned observe that before Christs time God spake unto men in a soft still voyce which they called Bath Koll but after in the time of the Gospell by a mighty wind noting thereby both the Abundance of his Spirit which he would powre out in the latter dayes and the strength thereof as of a rushing winde Though a man have walls of brasse and bars of iron upon his conscience though he set up fortifications of fleshly reason and the very gates of hell to shut out the Spirit of grace yet nothing is able to withstand the power of this mighty rushing winde Who art thou O great mountaine Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine c. Zech. 4.7 No mountaines no difficulties can prevent the power of Gods Spirit He hath strength to pull downe the strongest oppositions and to enable the weakest condition unto the service which he will have done Though there be mountaines betweene Israel and their deliverance yet the blinde and the lame and the woman with childe and her that travelleth with childe together will he strengthen to climbe over the precipices of the highest mountaine Ier. 31.8 Thirdly The Spirit is compared to Fire noting likewise both the multiplying or diffusive property thereof turning every thing into its owne nature and the mighty strength thereof wherby it either cleanseth or consumeth any thing that it meets with If thou art stubble it will devoure thee if stone it will breake if gold it will purge thee The hard heart it can melt and the foule heart it can purifie Lay downe thine heart under the word and yeeld it to the Spirit who is as it were the artificer which doth manage the word he can frame it into a vessel of honour but if thou resist and be stubborne against the Spirit in the word know that it is but the crackling of a leafe in the fire if thou wilt not suffer it to purge thee thou canst not hinder it to torment thee nothing is more comfortable nothing more consuming than fire nothing more comfortable than the light warmth and witnesse of the Spirit nothing more terrible than the conviction condemnation and bondage of the Spirit Now this difference in the measure of the Spirit may be seen in two things First in a greater measure of knowledge They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord Ier. 31.34 And the earth shall be full of the
which a created nature joyned to an infinitie and bottomlesse fountaine could receive From hence therefore wee should learne to let the same minde bee in us which was in Christ to humble our selves first that wee may bee exalted in due time to finish our workes of selfe-deniall and service which wee owe to God that so wee may enter into our Masters glory For he himselfe entred not but by a way of bloud Wee learne likewise to have recourse and dependance on him for all supplies of the Spirit for all strength of grace for all influences of life for the measure of every joynt and member He is our treasure our fountaine our head it is his free grace his voluntarie influence which habituateth and fitteth all our faculties which animateth us unto a heavenly being which giveth us both the strength and first act wherby we are qualified to worke and which concurreth with us in actu secundâ— to all those workes which wee set our selves about As an instrument even when it hath an edge cutteth nothing till it be assisted and moved by the hand of the artificer so a Christian when hee hath a will and an habituall fitnesse to worke yet is able to doe nothing without the constant supply assistance and concomitancie of the grace of Christ exciting moving and applying that habituall power unto particular actions He it is that giveth us not onely to will but to doe that goeth through with us and worketh all our works for us by his grace Without him wee can doe nothing all our sufficiencie is from him But it may bee objected if wee can doe nothing without a second grace to what end is a former grace given or what use is there of our exciting that grace and gift of God in us which can doe nothing without a further concourse of Christs Spirit To this I answer first that as light is necessarie and requisite unto seeing and yet there is no seeing without an eye so without the assisting grace of Christs Spirit concurring with us unto every holy Dutie wee can doe nothing and yet that grace doth ever presuppose an implanted seminall and habituall grace fore-disposing the soule unto the said Duties Secondly as in the Course of naturall Effects though God bee a most voluntary Agent yet in the ordinary Concurrence of a first Cause hee worketh ad modum naturae measuring forth his assistance proportionably to the Condition and Preparation of the second Causes so in supernaturall and holy operations albeit not with a like certaine and unaltered constancy though Christ bee a most voluntary head of his Church yet usually he proportioneth his assisting and second grace unto the growth progresse and radication of those Spirituall habits which are in the soule before From whence commeth the difference of holinesse and profitablenesse amongst the Saints that some are more active and unwearied in all holy conversation than others as in the naturall bodie some members are larger and more full of life and motion than others according to the different distribution of Spirits from the heart and influences from the head This then affords matter enough both to humble us and to comfort us To humble us that wee can doe nothing of our selves that wee have nothing in our selves but sinne All the fulnesse of grace is in him and therefore whosoever hath any must have it from him as in the Egyptian famine whosoever had any corn had it from Ioseph to whom the granaries and treasures of Egypt were for that purpose committed And this Lowlinesse of heart and sense of our owne Emptinesse is that which makes us alwayes have recourse to our fountaine and keepe in favor with our head from whom wee must receive fresh supply of strength for doing any good for bearing any evill for resisting any temptation for overcomming any enemie For beginning for continuing and for perfecting any Dutie For though it bee mans heart that doth these things yet it is by a forraigne and impressed strength as it is iron that burnes but not by its owne nature which is cold but by the heate which it hath received from the fire It was not I saith the Apostle but that grace of God which was with mee To comfort us likewise when wee consider that all fulnesse and strength is in him as in an Officer an Adam a treasurer and dispencer of all needfull supplies to his people according to the place they beare in his bodie and to the exigence and measure of their condition in themselves or service in his Church Sure wee are that what measure soever hee gives unto any hee hath still a residue of Spirit nay hee still retaineth his owne fulnesse hath still enough to carry us through any condition and according to the difficulties of the service hee puts us upon hath still wisedome to understand compassion to pitie strength to supply all our needs And that all this hee hath as a mercifull and faithfull depositarie as a Guardian and husband and elder brother to imploy for the good of his Church that he is unto this office appointed by the will of him that sent him to lose nothing of all that which is given him but to keepe and perfect it unto the resurrection at the last day That God hath planted in him a Spirit of faithfulnesse and pittie for the cheerfull discharge of this great Office given him a propriety unto us made us as neere and deare unto him as the members of his sacred body are to one another and therfore whosoever commeth to him with emptines and hunger and faith he will in no wise cast them out it is as possible for him to hew off and to throw away the members of his naturall body to have any of his bones broken as to reject the humble and faithfull desires of those that duly waite upon him Againe from this Exaltation of Christ in his humane nature wee should learne to keepe our vessels in holinesse and in honor as those who expect to bee fashioned at the last like unto him For how can that man truly hope to bee like Christ hereafter that labors to bee as unlike him here as hee can Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot saith the Apostle So may I say shall I take the nature of Christ that nature which he in his person hath so highly glorified and make it in my person the nature of a devill If a Prince should marry a meane woman would he endure to see those of her neerest kindred her brethren and sisters live like scullians or strumpets under his owne eye Now Christ hath taken our nature into a neerer union with himselfe than marriage for man and wife are still two persons but God and man is but one Christ. Death it selfe was not able to dissolve this union for when the soule was separated from the body yet the Deitie was separated from neither it was the Lord that lay
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Esai 11.9 Our Saviour told his Disciples that all things which he had heard of his Father he had made knowne unto them Ioh. 15.15 and yet a little after he telleth them that many other things he had to say unto them which they could not beare till the Spirit of truth came who should guide them into all truth Ioh. 16.12 13. noting that the Spirit when hee came should enlarge their hearts to a capacity of more heavenly wisedome than they could comprehend before For we may observe before how ignorant they were of many things though they conversed with Christ in the flesh Philip ignorant of the Father Ioh. 14.8 Thomas of the way unto the Father Ioh. 14.5 Peter of the necessity of his sufferings Matth. 16.22 The two Disciples of his resurrection Luk. 24.45 all of them of the quality of his Kingdome Act. 1.6 Thus before the sending of the Holy Ghost the Lord did not require so plentifull knowledge unto salvation as after as in the valuations of money that which was plentie two or three hundred years since is but penurie now Secondly in a greater measure of strength for Spirituall obedience They who before fled from the company of Christ in his sufferings did after rejoyce to be counted worthy of suffring shame for his name or as the elegancie of the originall words import to be dignified with that dishonor of Christians Act. 5.41 For suffering of persecution for Christ and the triall of faith by diverse temptations is in the Scriptures reckoned up amongst the gifts and hundred fold compensations of God to his people Mark 10.30 Phil. 1.29 Heb. 11.26 Iam. 1.2 1 Pet. 1.6 7. No man saith our Saviour putteth new wine into old bottles that is exacteth rigid and heavie services of weake and unqualified Disciples and therefore my Disciples fast not while I am amongst them in the flesh But the dayes will come when I shall be taken from them in body and shall send them my holy Spirit to strengthen and prepare them for hard service and then they shall fast and performe those parts of more difficult obedience unto me Matth. 9.15 17. Now farther touching this sending of the Holy Spirit which together with Christs intercession was one of the principall ends of his ascending up unto the right hand of power it may be here demanded why the Holy Spirit was not before this exaltation of Christ sent forth in such abundance upon the Church The maine reason wherof next unto the purpose and decree of God into which all the acts of his wil are to be resolv'd Eph. 1.11 is given by our Savior Ioh. 14.16 Ioh. 16.7 Because he was to supply the corporall absence of Christ and to be another comforter to the Church Of which Office of the Spirit because it was one of the maine ends of his mission and that one of the chiefe workes of Christs sitting at Gods right hand I shall here without any unprofitable or impertinent digression speake a little First then the Spirit is a comforter because an Advocate to his people for so much the word signifies and is else where rendered 1 Ioh. 2.1 Now he is called another comforter or Advocate to note the difference betweene Christ and the Spirit in this particular There is then an Advocate by Office when one person takes upon himselfe the cause of another and in his name pleads it Thus Christ by the Office of his Mediation and intercession is an Advocate for his Church and doth in his owne person in heaven apply his merits and further the cause of our salvation with his Father There is likewise an Advocate by energie and operation by instruction and assistance which is not when a worke is done by one person in the behalfe of another but when one by his counsell inspiration and assistance enableth another to manage his owne businesse and to plead his owne cause And such an Advocate the Spirit is who doth not intercede nor appeare before God in person for us as Christ doth but maketh interpellation for men in and by themselves giving them an accesse unto the Father emboldning them in their feares and helping them in their infirmities when they know not what to pray Eph. 2.18 Heb. 10.15.19 Rom. 8.26 Eph. 3.16 First then the Spirit as our Advocate justifieth our persons and pleadeth our causes against the accusations of our spirituall enemies For as Christ is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods justice to plead our cause against the severitie of his Law and that most Righteous and undeniable charge of sinne which he layeth upon us so the Holy Spirit is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods mercie enabling us there to cleere our selves against the temptations and murtherous assaults of our Spirituall enemies The world accuseth us by false and slanderous calumniations laying to our charge things which we never did the Spirit in this case maketh us not onely plead our innocencie but to rejoyce in our fellowship with the Prophets which were before us to esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world to count our selves happy in this that it is not such low markes as we are which the malice of the world aimeth at but the Spirit of glory and of God which resteth upon us who is on their part evill spoken of 1 Pet. 4.14 Satan that grand accuser of the brethren doth not onely load my sinnes upon my conscience but further endeavoreth to exclude me from the benefit of Christ by charging me with impenitencie and unbeliefe But here the Spirit enableth me to cleere my selfe against the Father of lies It is true indeed I have a naughty flesh the seeds of all mischiefe in my nature but the first means which brought me hereunto was the beleeving of thy lies and therefore I will no longer entertaine thy hellish reasonings against mine owne peace I have a Spirit which teacheth me to bewaile the frowardnesse of mine owne heart to denie mine owne will workes to long and aspire after perfection in Christ to adhere with delight and purpose of heart unto his Law to lay hold with all my strength upon that plaâ—ck of salvation which in this shipwrack of my soule is cast out unto me These affections of my heart come not from the earthly Adam for whatsoever is earthly is sensuall and devillish too And if they be holy and heavenly I will not beleeve that God will put any thing of heaven into a vessell of Hell Sure I am he that died for me when I did not desire him will in no wise cast me away when I come unto him He that hath given me a will to love his service and to leane upon his promises will in mercy accept the will for the deed and in due time accomplish the worke of holinesse which he hath begun Thus the Spirit like an Advocate secureth his clients title against the
of their adoption which is the hansell and earnest of their inheritance and thereby begetteth a lively hope an earnest expectation a confident attendance upon the promises and an unspeakable peace and security thereupon by which fruits of faith and hope there is a glorious joy shed abroad into the soule so ful and so intimately mingled with the same that it is as possible for man to annihilate the one as to take away the other For according to the evidence of hope and excellencie of the thing hoped must needs the joy there from resulting receive its sweetnesse and stability By all this which hath been spoken of the mission of the Spirit in such abundance after Christs sitting at the right hand of God wee should learne with what affections to receive the Gospel of salvation for the teaching whereof this Holy Spirit was shed abroad abundantly on the Embassadors of Christ and with what heavenly conversations to expresse the power which our hearts have felt therin to walke as children of the light and as becommeth the Gospell of Christ to adorne our high profession and not to receive the grace of God in vaine Consider first that the word thus quickned will have an operation either to convince unto Righteousnesse or to seale unto condemnation as the Sunne either to melt or to harden as the raine either to ripen corne or weeds as the Scepter of a King either to rule subjects or to subdue enemies as the fire of a Goldsmith either to purge gold or devoure drosse as the waters of the sanctuary either to heale places or to turne them into salt pits Ezek. 47.11 Secondly according to the proportion of the Spirit of Christ in his word revealed shall be the proportion of their judgment who despise it The contempt of a great salvation and glorious Ministery shall bring a sorer condemnation Heb. 2.2.4 If I had not come and spoken unto them saith our Savior they had not had sinne Ioh. 15.22 Sins against the light of nature are no sins in comparison of those against the Gospell The earth which drinketh in the raine that fals often on it and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars is rejected and nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7 8. Thirdly even here God will not alwayes suffer his Spirit to strive with flesh there is a Day of Peace which he calleth our day a day wherein he entreateth and beseecheth us to be reconciled but if we therein judge our selves unworthy of eternall life and goe obstinately on till there be no remedy he can easily draw in his Spirit and give us over to the infatuation of our owne hearts that we may not be cleansed any more till he have caused his fury to rest upon us Ezek. 24.13 We see likewise by this Doctrine wherupon the comforts of the Church are founded namely upon Christ as the first comforter by working our Reconciliation with God and upon the Spirit as another comforter testifying and applying the same unto our soules And the continuall supply and assistance of this Spirit is the onely comfort the Church hath against the dominion and growth of sinne For though the motions of lust which are in our members are so close so working so full of vigor and life that we can see no power nor probabilities of prevailing against them yet we know Christ hath a greater fulnesse of Spirit than we can have of sinne and it is the great promise of the new covenant that God will put his Spirit into us and thereby save us from all our uncleanesses Ezek. 36.27 29. for though we be full of sin and have but a seed a sparkle of the Spirit put into us and upheld and fed by further though small supplies yet that little is stronger than legions of lust as a little salt or leven seasoneth a great lump or a few drops of Spirits strengthen a whole glasse full of water Therefore the Spirit is called a Spirit of judgment and of burning because as one Iudge is able to condemne a thousand prisoners and a little fire to consume abundance of drosse so the Spirit of God in and present with us though received and supplied but in measure though but a smoaking and suppressed fire shall yet breake forth in victory and judgment against all that resist it In us indeed there is nothing that feeds but onely that which resists and quencheth it But this is the wonderfull vertue of the Spirit of Christ in his members that it nourisheth it selfe Therefore sometimes the Spirit is called fire Esai 4.4 Matth. 3.11 and sometimes Oyle Heb. 1.9 1 Ioh. 2.27 to note that the Spirit is nutriment unto it selfe that that grace which we have received already is preserved and excited by new supplies of the same grace Which supplies we are sure shall be given to all that aske them by the vertue of Christs prayer Ioh. 14.16 by the vertue of his and his Fathers promise Ioh. 16.7 Act. 1.4 and by the vertue of that Office which he still beares which is to be the head or vitall principle of all holinesse and grace unto the Church And all these are permanent things and therefore the vertue of them abideth their effects are never totally interrupted Fiftly and lastly this sitting of Christ at the right hand of God noteth his intercession in the behalfe of the whole Church and each member thereof Who is he that condemneth saith the Apostle it is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 But of this Doctrine I shall speake more fitly in the fourth verse it being a great part of the Priesthood of Christ. I now proceed to the last thing in this first verse the continuance and Victories of Christs Kingdome in these words untill I make thy foes thy footstoole Wherin every word is full of weight For though ordinarily subdivisions of holy Scripture and crumbling of the bread of life be rather a loosing than an expounding of it yet in such parts of it as were of purpose intended for models and summaries of fundamentall Doctrine of which sort this Psalme is one of the fullest and briefest in the whole Scriptures as in little maps of large countries there is no word wherupon some point of weighty consequence may not depend Here then is considerable the terme of duration or measure of Christs Kingdome Vntill The Author of subduing Christs enemies under him I the Lord. The manner thereof ponam and ponam scabellum Put thy foes as a stoole under thy feete Victory is a relative word and presupposeth enemies and they are expressed in the text I will but touch that particular because I have handled it more largely upon another Scripture and their enmitie is here not described but onely presupposed It shews it selfe against Christ in all the Offices of his Mediation There is enmity against him as a Prophet Enmity against his Truth
statutes and Ahab confirme idolatrous counsels by his owne practices the Prophet shewes how forward the people are to walke in them Mich. 6.16 Therefore it is that our Saviour saith of the best sort of wicked men Those who with gladnesse and that is ever a symptome of love received the Gospell that yet in time of persecution they were offended and fell away Matth. 13.21 To note unto us that when Christ is forsaken because of persecution the imaginary love which was bestowed upon him before was certainly supported by no other ground than that was is contrary to persecution namely the countenance and protection of publike power Secondly a great part of men professe faith and love to Christ meerely upon the rules of their Education The maine reason into which their religion is resolv'd is not any evidence of excellencie in it selfe but onely the customes and traditions of their fore-fathers which is to build a divine faith upon an humane authoritie and to set man in the place of God certaine it is that contrary religions can never be originally grounded upon the same reason that which is a true and adequate principle of faith or love to Christ can never be sutable to the conclusions of Mahumetisme or idolatry now then when a professed Christian can give no other account of his love to Christ than a Turke of his love to Mahumet when that which moveth an Idolater to hate Christ is all that one of us hath to say why he beleeveth in him certainly that love and faith is but an empty presumption which dishonoureth the Spirit of Christ and deludeth our own soules There is a naturall instinct in the minde of man to reverence and vindicate the traditions of their progenitours and at first view to detest any novell opinions which seeme to thwart the received doctrine wherein they had beene bred and this affection is ever so much the stronger by how much the tradition received is about the nobler and more necessary things And therefore it discovereth it selfe with most violence and impatiency in matters of Religion wherin the eternall welfare of the soule is made the issue of the contention We finde with what heaâ—e of zeale the Iewes contended for the Temple at Ierusalem and with how equall and confident emulation the Samaritans ventured their lives for the precedencie of their Temple on mount Gerazim and took an oath to produce proofs for the authority therof and yet all the ground of this will-worship was the tradition of their Fathers For our Savior assures us that they worshipped they knew not what and onely tooke things upon trust from their predecessors The Satyrist hath made himselfe merry with describing the combate of two neighbor townes amongst the Egyptians in the opposite defence of those ridiculous idoles the severall worship of which they had been differently bred up unto And surely if a prophane Christian and a zealous Mahumetan should joyne in the like contention notwithstanding the subject it selfe on the one side defended were a sacred and pretious truth yet I doubt not but the selfe same reasons might be the sole motive of the Christian to vindicate the honor of Christ and of the other to maintaine the worship of Mahomet I meane a blinde and pertinacions adhering to that Religion in which they had been bred a naturall inclination to favor domesticall opinions a high estimation of the persons of men from whom by succession they have thus been instructed without any Spirituall conviction of the truth or experience of the good which the true members of Christ resolve their love unto him into And this we finde was ever the reasons of the Iewes obstinacy against the Prophets they answered all their arguments with the practice and traditions they had received from their Fathers Ier. 9.14.11.10.44.17 Act. 7.51 Thirdly the heart may be misperswaded of its love to Christ by judging that an affection unto him which is indeed nothing but a selfe love and a desire oâ— advancing private ends The rule whereby Christ at the last day will measure the love or hatred of men unto him is their love or hatred of his brethren and members here Mat. 25.40 45 for in all their afflictions Christ himselfe is afflicted Peter lovest thou me feed my sheepe make proofe of thy love to me by thy service and compassion to my people And how many are there every-where to be found whose love unto themselves hath devoured all brotherly love who take no pitty either upon the soules or temporall necessities of those with whom they yet pretend a fellowship in Christs owne body who spend more upon their owne pride and luxury upon their backs and bellies their pleasures and excesses yea bury more of their substance in the mawes of hawkes and dogs than they can ever perswade themselves to put into the bowels of the poore Saints surely at the day of judgment how-ever such men here professe to love Christ and would spit in the face of him who with Iustin Martyr should say they were not Christians it will appeare that such men did as formally and â—â—properly denie Christ as if with Peter they had publikely sworne I know not the man The Apostle plainly intimates thus much when he sheweth that the experiment of the Corinthians ministration to the necessity of the Saints was an inducement unto the Churches to praise God for their professed subjection to the Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 9.13 Againe as Christ is present with us in his poore members so likewise in the power of his ordinances and in the light and evidence of his Spirit shining forth in the lives of holy men If then we are as impatient of the edge of his word when it divides betweene the bone and the marrow when it discerneth and discovereth our secret thoughts our bosome sinnes our ambitions uncleane and hypocriticall intents if the lives and Communion of the Saints be in like manner an eye-sore unto us in shaming and reproving our formall and fruitlesse profession of the same truth as Christs was unto the Iewes certainly the same affections of hatred reproach and disestimation which we shew unto them we would with so much the more bitternesse have expressed unto Christ himselfe if we had lived in his dayes by how much that Spirit of grace against which the Spirit which is in us envieth was above measure more abundantly in him than in the holiest of his members If you were of the world saith our Savior the world would love their owne but now I have called you out of the world I have given to you a Spirit which is contrary to the Spirit of the World therefore the world hateth you And this is evident when men hate another meerly for that distinction which differenceth him from them they much more hate him from whom the difference it selfe originally proceedeth We see then that they who openly professe Christ may yet inwardly hate him because the ground
men on the earth The Gospell is the Patent and Charter of a Christian all that hee hath to shew for his Salvation the treasure of his wealth and priviledges all that he hath to boast in either for this life or another the armory of a Christian all that he hath to hold up against the temptations and conflicts of his sorest enemies the only toole and instrument of a Christian all that he hath to doe any action of piety charity loyalty or sobriety withall the onely glasse of a Christian wherein he may see his owne face and so learne to deny himselfe and wherein he may see the face of God in Christ and so learne to desire and to follow him So that upon the matter for any man to be ignorant of the Gospell is to unchristian himselfe againe and to degenerate into a heathen Powre out thine indignation upon the heathen that know thee not Ignorance makes a man a very heathen This I say and testifie saith the Apostle that you henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanity of their mind for you have not so learned Christ. It is not the title nor the profession which maketh a man a reall Christian and distinguisheth him from other heathen men but the learning of Christ in his Spirit and Gospell For as he who was onely outwardly and in the flesh a Jew might be uncircumcized in his heart so he who is onely in title and name a Christian may be a heathen in his heart and that more fearefully than Sodome and Gomorrah or Tyre and Sydon because he hath put from himselfe the Salvation of the Lord and judged himselfe unworthy of eternall life Lastly if there bee indeed such power in the Gospell wee should labour to beare witnesse unto the testimony which God giveth of his Word in a holy conversation It is a reproach cast upon the ordinances of God when men doe in their lives denie that vertue which God testifieth to be in them Wicked men are said to crucifie Christ againe to put him to shame to make God a liar not that these things can so really bee but because men in their evill lives carry themselves as if indeed they were so And in this sense the Gospell may bee said to bee weake too because the pride of men holds out against the saving power thereof But these men must know that the word returneth not empty unto God but accomplisheth some worke or other either it ripeneth weeds or corne There is thunder and lightning both in the word if the one breake not a heart the other will blast it if it bee not humbled by the word it will certainly bee withered and made fruitlesse Shall the clay boast it selfe against the fire because though it have power to melt wax yet it hath not power to melt clay Is it not one and the same power which hardneth the one and which softneth the other Is not the word a sweete Savor unto God as well in those that perish as in those that are saved Certainly there is as wonderfull a power in adding another death to him who was dead before which upon the matter is to kill a dead man as in multiplying and enlarging life And the Gospell is to those that perish a Savor of death unto death such a word as doth cumulate the damnation of wicked men and treasure up wrath upon wrath If it doe not convert it will certainly harden if it doe not save it will undoubtedly judge and condemne The Lord doth never cast away his Gospell hee that gave charge to gather up the broken meate of loaves and fishes that nothing might bee lost will not suffer any crumme of his spirituall manna to come to nothing Yet wee finde the Lord giveth a charge to his Prophets to preach even there where hee foretold them that their words would not bee heard Thou shalt speake all these wordes unto them but they will not hearken to thee thou shalt also call unto them but they will not answere thee Sonne of Man I send thee to the Children of Israel to a rebellions nation they are impudent Children and stiffe hearted Yet thou shalt speake my words unto them whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare for they are rebellion it selfe They will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto mee For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted Certainly when the Lord taketh paines by his Prophets to call those who will not heare hee doth it not in vaine they shall know at length that a Prophet hath been amongst them Therefore as the Apostle saith that the Gospell is a sweet Savour even in those that perish So wee finde those messages which have contained nothing but curses against an obstinate people have yet been as honie for sweetnesse in the mouth of those that preached them I did eate the roule saith the Prophet and it was in my mouth as honie for sweetnesse and yet there was nothing in it written but lamentations and mourning and woe Ieremie did not desire the woefull day but did heartily say Amen to the false Prophets in their predictions of safety yet in regard of his ready service unto God and of that glory which God would worke out unto himselfe in the punishment of that sinfull people the word of Prophesie which was committed unto him was the joy and rejoicing of his heart so that in all respects the Gospell of Christ is a word of power and therein wee doe and must rejoice Wee observed before that this Rod of strength is both Sceptrum Majestatis and Pedum Pastorale Both the Scepter of Christ as hee is a King and his Pastorall staffe as hee is a Bishop It denoteth the Administration of Christs Kingdome which consisteth in the dispensing of his Gospell as it is a word of Majesty and of care So then here are as I before observed two observations yet remaining to bee noted out of these words Virga Virtutis the Rod of thy strength The first that the Gospell of Christ accompanied with his Spirit is a word of great glory and Majesty For wee must ever make these concomitants wee preach the Gospell saith S. Peter with the Holy Ghost sent downe from heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 And indeed the Spirit is peculiar to the Gospell and not belonging to the Law at all if wee consider it alone by it selfe under the relation of a distinct covenant For though as it proceedeth out of Sion that is as it is an appendix and additament unto the Gospell it tend unto liberty and so cōmeth not without the Spirit yet by it selfe alone it gendreth nothing but bondage And therefore when the Apostle sheweth the excellency of the Gospell above the Law hee calleth one a ministration of death and of the letter the other a ministration of the Spirit and life To shew that properly the Spirit belongeth unto the Gospell of grace
peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever VERSE 3. Thy people shall be willing in the Day of thy Power in the Beauties of Holinesse from the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth THe Prophet before shewed the Raigne of Christ over his enemies hee now speaketh of his Raigne over his people and describeth what manner of subjects or souldiers Christ should have I will not trouble you with varietie of expositions occasioned by the many Metaphors and different translations but give in a few words those which I conceive to be most literall and pertinent to the place Thy people that is those whom thou dost receive from thy Father and by setting up the standard and Ensigne of thy Gospell gather to thy selfe Shall be willing the word is willingnesses that is a people of great Willingnesse and Devotion or as the originall word is elsewhere used Psal. 119.108 shall bee free will offerings unto thee The Abstract being put for the Concrete and the plurall for the singular notes how exceeding forward and free they should be as the Lord to signifie that his people were most rebellious saith that they were Rebellion it selfe Ezek. 2.8 So then the meaning is Thy people shall with most readie and forward cheerefulnesse devote consecrate and render up themselves to thy governement as a reasonable sacrifice shall bee of a most liberall free noble and unconstrained spirit in thy service they shall bee Voluntaries in the warres of thy Kingdome In the Day of Thy Power or Of thine Armies by these words wee may understand two things both of them aiming at the same generall sense First so as that Armies shall bee the same with Thy people before In the Day when thou shalt assemble thy Souldiers together when thou shalt set up thine Ensignes for them to seeke unto that is when thou shalt cause the preaching of thy Gospell to sound like a Trumpet that men may prepare themselves in armies to fight thy battels then shall all thy people with great devotion and willingnesse gather themselves together under thy Colours and freely devote themselves to thy militarie service Secondly so as that by Power or Armies may bee meant the Meanes whereby this free and willing Devotion in Christs people is wrought that is when thou shalt send foorth the Rod of thy strength when thou shalt command thy Apostles and Ministers to goe forth and fight against the kingdomes of Sinne and Satan when thou shalt in the dispensation of thine Ordinances reveale thy Power and spirituall strength unto their Consciences then shall they most willingly relinquish their former service and wholly devote themselves unto thee to fight under thy banners and to take thy part against all thine enemies In the Beauties of Holinesse This likewise wee may severally understand Either in thy Holy Church Which may well so bee called with allusion to the Temple at Ierusalem which is called The Beauty of Holinesse Psal. 29.2 and a Holy and Beautifull house Esai 64.11 and a glorious high throne Ier. 17.12 And hither did the tribes resort in troopes as it were in armies to present their free will offerings and celebrate the other services of the Lord. Or else wee may understand it Causally thus In the Day of thy Power that is when thou shalt reveale thy strength and Spirit and in the Beauties of Holinesse that is when thou shalt reveale how exceeding beautifull and full of lovelinesse thy Holy wayes and services are then shall thy people bee perswaded with all free and willing devotion of heart to undertake them Or lastly thus as the Priests who offered sacrifices to the Lord were cloathed with Holy and Beautifull garments Exod. 28.2.40 or as those who in admiration of some noble Prince voluntarily follow the service of his warres doe set themselves forth in the most complete furniture and richest attire as is fit to give notice of the noblenesse of their mindes for beautifull armor was want to bee esteemed the honor of an armie So they who willingly devote themselves unto Christ to bee Souldiers and Sacrifices unto him are not onely armed with strength but adorned with such inward graces as make them Beautifull as Tirza comely as Ierusalem faire as the Moone cleâ—re as the Sunne and terrible as an armie with banners All which three Explications meete in one generall which is principally intended that Holinesse hath all beauties in it and is that onely which maketh a man lovely in the Eyes of Christ. From the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth There is a middle point after those words The Wombe of the Morning which may seeme to disjoine the clauses make those words referre wholly to the preceding In which relation there might bee a double sense conceived in them Either thus In the Beauties of Holinesse or in Holinesse very beautifull more than the Aurora or wombe of the morning when shee is ready to bring forth the Sunne And then it is a notable metaphor to expresse the glorious beautie of Gods wayes Or thus thy people shall bee a willing people from the very wombe of the morning that is from the very first forming of Christ in them and shining forth upon them they shall rise out of their former nakednesse and security and shall adorne themselves with the beautifull graces of Christs Spirit as with cloathing of wrought gold and rayment of needle-worke and shall with gladnesse and rejoycing with much devotion and willingnesse of heart bee brought unto the King and present themselves before him as Voluntaries in his service But because the learned conceive that the middle point is onely a distinction for convenient reading not a disjunction of the sense I shall therefore rest in a more received exposition Thy Children shall bee borne in great abundance unto thee by the seed of thy word in the wombe of the Church as soone as the morning or sunne of righteousnesse shall shine forth upon it As the dew is borne out of the coole morning aire as out of a wombe distilling down in innumerable drops upon the earth so thine elect shall bee borne unto thee by the preaching of thy word and first approach of thy heavenly light in innumerable armies And this explication is very suteable to the harmonie of Holy Scripture which useth the same metaphors to the same purpose in other places The Remnant of Iacob saith the Prophet shall bee in the middest of many people as a dew from the Lord. And Christ is called the Bright-morning-starre and the Day-spring and the Sunne of Righteousnesse and time of the Gospell is called the time of Day or the approach of Day So that from the wombe of the morning is from the heavenly light of the Gospell which is the wing or beame wherby the Sunne of Righteousnesse revealeth himselfe and breaketh out upon the world as the rising Sunne which rejoyceth like a Giant to runne
to the wayes of grace as there is in any The consideration whereof may justly humble us in our reflexion upon our selves whom neither the promises of heaven can allure nor the bloud and passions of Christ perswade nor the flames of hell affright from our sinnes till the Lord by the sweet and gracious power of his holy â—â—irit subdue and conquer the soule unto himselfe If a man should rise from the dead and truly relate unto the conscience the woefull and everlasting horrors of hell if a mans naturall capacity were made as wide to apprehend the wrath fury and vengeance of a provoked God the foulenesse guilt and venome of a soule fuller of sins than the heavens of stars as the most intelligent divels of hell doe conceive them If an Archangell or Seraphim should be sent from heaven to reveale unto the soule of a naturall man the infinite glory of Gods presence the full pleasures of his right hand the admirable beauty of his wayes the intimate conformity and resemblance between his divine nature in himselfe the Image of his holinesse in the creature the unsearchable and bottomlesse love of Christ in his Incarnation and sufferings the endlesse incomprehensible vertue pretiousnesse of his bloud and prayers yet so desperately evill is the heart of man that if after all this God should not afford the blessed operation and concurrence of his owne gratious Spirit the revelation of his own arme and power upon the soule to set on those instrumentall causes it would be invincible by any evidence which all the cries and flames of hell which all the armies and hosts of heaven were able to beget There is no might or power able to snatch a man out of the hands of his sin but onely Gods Spirit Notable are the expressions which the holy Ghost every where useth to set forth this wretched condition of the heart by nature wilfulnesse and selfe-willednesse We will not hearken we will not have this man to raigne over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wils in one Rebellion and stubbornenesse stoutnesse of heart contestation with God and gain-saying his Word Impudence stiffenesse and hard-heartednesse mischievous profoundnes and deepe reasonings against the Law of God pertinacie resolvednesse and abiding in mischiefe they hold fast deceit obstinacie and selfe-obduration They have hardned their neckes that they might not heare Impotencie immoveablenesse and undocilenesse their heart is uncircumcised they cannot heare there is none that understandeth or seeketh after God scorne and slighting of the messages of the Lord where is his Word Where is the promise of his comming Incredulity and belying the Lord in his Word saying it is not he Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Wrestling resisting and fighting with the Word rejecting the counsell of God vexing and striving with his holy Spirit ye have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost Rage and fiercenesse of disordred affections despising of goodnesse trayterous heady and high-minded thoughts Brutishnes of immoderate lust the untamed madnesse of an enraged beast without any restraint of reason or moderation In one word a hell and gulfe of unsearchable mischiefe which is never satisfied It is impossible that any reasonable man duly considering all these difficulties should conceive such an heart as this to be overcome with meere morall perswasions or by any thing lesse than the mightie power of Gods owne grace To him therefore we should willingly acknowledge all our conversion and salvation So extremely impotent are we O Lord unto any good so utterly unprofitable and unmeet for our Masters use and yet so strongly hurried by the impulsion of our owne lust towards hell that no precipice nor danger no hope nor reward no man or Angell is able to stop us without thine owne immediate power and therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name onely be attributed the glory of our conversion Againe by this consideration we should be provoked to stirre up and call together all our strength in the Lords service to recover our mispent time to use the more contention and violence for the kingdome of heaven when wee consider how abundant wee have beene in the workes of sinne in the pursuing of vast desires which had neither end nor hope in them O how happie a thing would it be if men could serve God with the same proportion of vigour and willingnesse of mind as they served Satan and themselves before I was never tired in that way I went on indefatigably towards hell like a swift Dromedary or an untamed heifer I pursued those evill desires which had vanity for their object and misery for their end no fruit but shame and no wages but death But in the service of Christ I have a price before mee an abiding Citie an enduring substance an immarcescible crowne to fix the highest of my thoughts upon I have the promises of Christ to strengthen me his Angels to guard his Spirit to lead his Word to illighten me In one word I have a soule to save and a God to honour And why should not I apply my power to serve him who did reach forth his owne power to convert me A long way I have to goe and I must doe it in a spanne of time so many temptations to overcome so many corruptions to shake off so many promises to beleeve so many precepts to obey so many mysteries to study so many workes to finish and so little time for all my weaknesses on one side my businesses on another mine enemies and my sinnes round about me take away so much that I have scarce any left to give to God And yet alas if I could serve God on earth as he is served in heaven if I had the strength of Angels and glorified Saints to doe his will it would come infinitely short of that good will of God in my redemption or of his power in my conversion If God should have said to all the Angels in heaven there is such a poore wretch posting with full strength towards hell goe stand in his way and drive him back againe all those glorious armies would have beene too few to blocke up the passageâ— betweene sin and heâ— without the concurrence of Gods owne Spirit and power they could have returned none other answer but this we have done all we can to perswade and turne him but he will not be turned If then the Lord did put to his owne power to save me great reason there is that I should set my weake and impotent faculties to honour him especially since hee hath beene pleased both to mingle with his service great joy liberty and tranquillity here and also to set before it a full a sure and a great reward for my further animation and encouragement thereunto The fourth thing observed in this Verse was the attire wherein Christs people should attend
mans whole selfe to be consecrated as a kinde of first fruit unto God being sanctified by the Holy Ghost There is no man actually belonging unto the Kingdome of Christ who hath not all these holy affections wrought in him and maketh conscience of them as of his calling and the duties of his life Wee see then that Holinesse is the badge of Christs subjects they are called The people of his Holinesse Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase consecrated unto him and his service as a kinde of first fruits The livery of Christs servants is a parcell of the same holy Spirit with which his owne humane nature was clothed All the vessels and ministeriall instruments of the Tabernacle were anointed with the holy oyle and the house of the Lord was an house of holinesse to signifie that every Christian should bee by the Spirit of God sanctified because he is a Temple and every member because it is a vessell and instrument for the Masters use The Spirit of holinesse is that which distinguisheth and as it were marketh the sheepe of Christ from the wicked of the world yee are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise yee have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God Holinesse setteth us apart for Gods service for his presence and fruition protecteth and priviledgeth us from the wrath to come in the day when he shall separate betweene the pretious and the vile and make up his jewels without this no man can either serve or see or escape God either doe his will enjoy his favour or decline his fury All our services without this are but Dung and who would thanke that man for his service who with wonderfull officiousnesse should bring nothing but heapes of dung into his house If a man could powre out of his veines rivers of bloud and offer up every day as many prayers as thoughts unto God if his eyes were melted into teares and his knees hardned into horne with devotion yet all this if it be not the fruit of holinesse but of will-worship or superstition or opinion of merit and righteousnesse it is but as dung in Gods sight Wherefore lyest thou upon thy face there is an accursed thing in the campe What-ever sinne thy conscience tels thee lyeth next thy heart and warmes it so that thou art unwilling to part from it take heed of bringing it into Gods presence or provoking him with thy services for he will throw them backe like dung into thy face What hath my beloved to doe in mine house seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no more vaine oblations incense is an abomination unto mee c. Till a man put away the evill of his doings and cleanse himselfe all his worship of God is but mocking of him and prophaning his ordinances In vaine did the Marriners pray while Ionah was in the ship in vaine did Ioshua intercede while the accursed thing was in the campe A man shall lose all which he hath wrought in Gods worship and have neither thankes nor reward for it so long as he harboureth any uncleane affection in his heart and will not yeeld to part from it Any sinne which wasteth the conscience as every great and presumptuous sinne doth in whomsoever it is unqualifieth that person for the kingdome of heaven Grace maketh a beleever sure of salvation but it doth not make him wretchlesse or secure in living though there be not an extinguishment yet there is a suspension of his right upon any black and notorious fall that man must not dare to lay claime to heaven that hath dared in a presumptuous manner to provoke the Lord. Our holinesse is not the cause of our salvation but yet it is the way thereunto he which by any wasting and presumptuous sin putteth himselfe out of that way must by repentance turne into it againe before hee can hope to finde out heaven for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. He that is an hundred miles from his owne house notwithstanding his proprietie thereunto shall yet never actually enter therein till he have travelled over the right way which leads unto it There is an Order à primo ad ultimum in the salvation of men many intermediate passages betweene their vocation and their glory Justification repentance sanctification as a scale or ladder betwixt earth and heaven he that fals from his holinesse and purity of conscience though hee be not quite downe the ladder and hath the whole worke to begin againe as much as ever yet doubtlesse he shall never get to the top till he recover the step from which he fell And if in this case it be true that the righteous shall scarcely be saved O then where shall that man appeare whom God at the last shall finde without this garment and seale upon him When there was a tempest he who slept and least thought of it was throwne into the sea and when the day of wrath shall come those that have neglected their estate most shall doubtlesse be in the greatest danger And therefore we should labour to goe to Gods throne with our garments and our marke upon us for all other endowments our learning our honours our parts our preferments our earthly hopes and dependencies will none follow us but wee shall live to see either them or the comforts of them depart Achitophel had wisdome like an oracle of God but he liv'd to see it bid him quite farewell for hee died like a very foole or childe who when he may not have his owne will will be reveng'd upon himselfe Haman had more honour than the ambition of a subject usually aspires unto and yet he liv'd to see it bid him farewell and died the basest death which himselfe could devise for his most hated and despised enemie Iehoiakim a King liv'd to see his Crowne take its leave and was buried with the buriall of an Asse and drag'd like carrion out of the gates of the Citie There will be nothing at last left for any man to cast his trust upon but God or Angels or our fellowes and if then God be against us though all which remains were on our side alas what is an handfull of stubble to a world full of fire but yet there will not be that advantage but the combate must be single betweene God and a sinner The good Angels rejoyce to doe Gods will and the wicked will rejoyce to doe man any mischiefe these will be only readie to accuse and those to gather the wicked together unto the wrath of him that sitteth on the Throne O what would a man give then for that holinesse which hee now despiseth what covenants would such a man be content to
it It cannot be that a creature should of it selfe and out of the corruption of its owne reason and judgement choose to relinquish the service of him to whom it is naturally and unavoidably subject and by that meanes become altogether unprofitable abominable and unfit for the Masters use and for those holy ends to which it was originally ordered but it must withall incurre the displeasure and thereupon provoke the revenge of that righteous Creator who out of great reasons had put it under such a service Fifthly By all this which hath hitherto beene spoken it appeares that God is not unjust but most holy and righteous First in making a Law for man to observe when hee forbade the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evill to shew that man had nothing by personall immediate and underived right but all by donation and indulgence Any Law God might justly make the obedience whereof hee gave the creature an originall power to performe by reason of the naturall and necessary subjection of the creature unto him Secondly in annexing a curse and penalty to the violation of that Law which for the declaration of his glorious justice hee might most righteously doe because of the inevitable demerit or liablenesse unto censure from the disobedience of that Law resulting Thirdly in making man in such a mutable condition as in the which he might stand or fall by his owne election because hee would be obeyed by judgement and free choice not by fatall necessitie or absolute determination Sixthly here then comes in the fall of man being a wilfull or chosen transgression of a Law under the precepts whereof he was most justly created and unto the malediction wherof he was as necessarily righteously subject if hee transgressed for as by being Gods creature he was subject to his will so by being his prisoner he was as justly subject unto his wrath and that so much the more by how much the precept was more just the obedience more easie the transgression more unreasonable and the punishment more certaine Now by this fall of man there came great mischiefe into the world and intolerable injury was done by the Creature to him that made him First his dominion and authoritie in his holy command was violated Secondly his justice truth and power in his most righteous threatnings were despised Thirdly his most pure and perfect Image wherein man was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse was utterly defaced Fourthly his glory which by an active service the creature should have brought unto him was lost and despoiled So that now things will not returne to their primitive order and perfection againe till these two things be first effected First a Satisfaction of Gods justice And secondly a Reparation of mans nature which two must needs be effected by such a middle and common person as hath both zeale towards God that he may be satisfied and compassion toward man that he may be repaired such a person as having mans guilt and punishment on him translated may satisfie the justice of God and as having a fulnesse of Gods Spirit and holinesse in him may sanctifie and repaire the nature of man And this person is the Priest here spoken of by David Here the learned frame a kinde of conflict in Gods holy Attributes and by a libertie which the Holy Ghost from the language of holy Scripture alloweth them they speake of God after the manner of men as if he were reduced unto some straits and difficulties by the crosse demands of his severall attributes Justice called upon him for the condemnation of a sinfull and therefore worthily accursed creature which demand was seconded by his truth to make good that threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Mercy on the other side pleaded for favour and compassion towards man wofully seduced and overthrowne by Satan and peace for reconcilement and pacification betweene an offended Judge and an undone creature Hereupon the infinite wisdome and counsell of the blessed Trinitie found out a way which the Angels of heaven gaze on with admiration and astonishment how to reconcile these different pleas of his attributes together A Priest then is resolv'd upon one of the same blessed Trinitie who by his Fathers ordination his owne voluntary susception and the holy Spirits sanctification should be fitted for the businesse He was to be both a Surety and a Head over sinfull men to suffer their punishments and to sanctifie their natures in the relation of a surety to pay mans debt unto God and in the relation of an Head to restore Gods Image unto man and thus in him mercie and truth have met together righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Psal. 85.10 So then the necessitie which man fallen hath of this Priest here spoken of is grounded upon the sweet harmony and mutuall kisses of Gods Mercy Truth Righteousnesse and Peace which will more distinctly appeare by considering three things First God did purpose not utterly to destroy his creature and that principally for these two reasons as we may observe out of the Scriptures First his owne free and everlasting love and that infinite delight which he hath in mercy which disposeth him abundantly to pardon and to exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Mic. 7.18 Exod. 34.6 7. Psalm 103.8 Esay 55.7 Ier. 9.24 Secondly his delight to be actively glorified by his creatures voluntary service and subjection Herein is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit Iohn 15.8 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that hee turne from his way and live Ezek. 33.11 He delighteth most in unbloudy conquests when by his patience goodnesse and forbearance he subdueth the hearts affections and consciences of men unto himselfe so leading them unto repentance and bringing downe their thoughts unto the obedience of Christ he loveth to see things in their primitive rectitude and beautie and therefore esteemeth himselfe more glorified in the services than in the sufferings of men Hee loveth to have a Church and generation of men which shall serve him in the middest of all his enemies The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob Psalm 87.2 namely because hee was there more solemnely worshipped and served And therefore he resolved not to destroy all men lest there should be no Religion upon the earth When the Angels fell they fell not all many were still left to glorifie him actively in their service of him but when Adam fell all mankinde fell in him so that there was no tree of this Paradise left to bring forth any fruit unto God and this is most certaine God had rather have his trees for fruit than for fuell and for this reason he was pleased to restore mankinde againe These are the causes why the Lord would not utterly destroy man but these alone shew not the necessitie of a Priest to come betweene God and man
enriched to be stedfast unmoveable abundant in the worke of the Lord to doe his will as the Angels in heaven doe it yet in many things they faile and have daily experience of their owne defects But here is all the comfort though I am not able to doe any of my duties as I should yet Christ hath finished all his to the full and therefore though I am compassed with infirmities so that I cannot doe the things which I would yet I have a compassionate advocate with the Father who both giveth and craveth pardon for every one that prepareth his heart to seeke the Lord though he be not perfectly cleansed 1 Ioh. 2.2 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Secondly Against the pertinacie and close adherence of our corruptions which cleave as fast unto us as the very powers and faculties of our soule as heat unto fire or light unto the Sunne Yet sure we are that he who forbad the fire to burne and put blacknesse upon the face of the Sunne at midday is able likewise to remove our corruptions as farre from us as he hath removed them from his owne sight And the ground of our expectation hereof is this Christ when he was upon the earth in the forme of a servant accomplished all the Offices of suffering and obedience for us Therefore being now exalted farre above all heavens at the right hand of Majestie and glory he will much more fulfill those Offices of Power which he hath there to doe Which are by the supplies of his Spirit to purge us from sinne by the sufficiencie of his grace to strengthen us by his word to sanctifie and cleanse us and to present us to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle He that brought from the dead the Lord Iesus and suffered not death to hold the head is able by that power and for that reason to make us perfect in every good worke to doe his will and not to suffer corruption for ever to hold the members It is the frequent argument of the Scripture Heb. 13.20 21. Col. 2.12 Eph. 1.19 20. Rom. 6.5 6. Rom. 8.11 Thirdly against all those firie darts of Satan wherby he tempteth us to despaire and to forsake our mercie If he could have held Christ under when he was in the grave then indeed our faith would have been vaine we should be yet in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. But he who himselfe suffered being tempted and overcame both the sufferings and the temptation is able to succor those that are tempted and to shew them mercie and grace to helpe in time of need Heb. 2.17 18. Heb. 4. 15 16. Lastly against death it selfe For the Accomplishment of Christs Office of redemption in his resurrection from the dead was both the Merit the Seale and the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20 22. Thirdly The sitting of Christ on the right hand of his Father noteth unto us the actuall Administration of his Kingdome Therefore that which is here said sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole the Apostle thus expoundeth He must raigne till he hath put all enemies vnder his feete 1 Cor. 15.25 And he therefore died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living namely by being exalted unto Gods right hand Rom. 14.9 Now this Administration of Christs Kingdome implies severall particulars First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The publication of established Lawes For that which is in this Psalme called the sending forth of the rod of Christs strength out of Sion is thus by the Prophets expounded Out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Esai 2.3 Mich. 4.2 Secondly The conquering and subduing of subjects to himselfe by converting the hearts of men and bringing their thoughts into the obedience of his Kingdome Ministerially by the word of reconciliation and effectually by the power of his Spirit writing his Lawes in their hearts and transforming them into the image of his word from glorie to glorie Thirdly Ruling and leading those whom he hath thus converted in his way continuing unto their hearts his heavenly voice never utterly depriving them of the exciting assisting cooperating grace of his holy Spirit but by his divine power giving unto them all things which pertaine unto life and godlinesse after he had once called them by his glorious power Esai 2.2 Ioh. 10.3 4. 1 Cor. 1.4 8. Esai 30.21 1 Pet. 2.9 2 Pet. 1.3 Fourthly Protecting upholding succouring them against all temptations and discouragements By his compassion pittying them by his power and promises helping them by his care and wisedome proportioning their strength to their trials By his peace recompencing their conflicts by patience and experience establishing their hearts in the hope of deliverance Heb. 2.17 Ioh. 16.33 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 1.5 Phil. 4.7 19. Rom. 15.4 Fifthy Confounding all his enemies First Their projects holding up his Kingdome in the midst of their malice and making his truth like a tree settle the faster and like a torch shine the brighter for the shaking Secondly Their Persons Whom he doth here gall and torment by the Scepter of his word constraining them by the evidence thereof to subscribe to the Iustice of his wrath and whom he reserveth for the day of his appearing till they shall be put all under his feete In which respect he is said to stand at the right hand of God as a man of warre ready armed for the defence of his Church Act. 7.56 Fourthly the sitting of Christ on the right hand of God noteth unto us his giving of gifts and sending downe of the Holy Ghost upon men It hath been an universall custome both in the Church and elsewhere in dayes of great joy and solemnitie to give gifts and send presents unto men Thus after the wall of Ierusalem was built and the worship of God restored and the Law read and expounded by Ezra to the people after their captivitie it is said that the people did eate and drinke and send portions Nehem. 8. 10 12. The like forme was by the people of the Iewes observed in their feast of Purim Ester 9.22 And the same custome hath bin observed amongst heathen Princes upon solemne and great occasions to distribute donations and congiaries amongst the people Thus Christ in the day of his Majestie and Inauguration in that great and solemne triumph when he ascended up on high and led captivity captive he did withall give gifts unto men Eph. 4.10 Christ was notably typified in the Ark of the Testament In it were the Tables of the Law to shew that the whole Law was in Christ fulfilled and that he was the end of the Law for Righteousnesse to those that beleeve in him There was the golden pot which had Manna to signifie that heavenly and abiding nourishment which from him the Church receiveth There was the Rod of Aaron which budded Signifying either the miraculous incarnation of Christ in a Virgin or
sophisticall exceptions of the adversarie and when by temptations our eye is dimmed or by the mixture of corruptions our evidences defaced he by his skill helpeth our infirmities and bringeth those things which are blotted out and forgotten into our remembrance againe Secondly an Advocate admonisheth and directeth his client how to order and solicite his owne businesse what evidences to produce what witnesses to prepare what offices to attend what preparations to make against the time of his hearing so the Spirit doth set the hearts of beleevers in a right way of negotiating their Spirituall affaires maketh them to heare a voyce behinde them furnishing them with wisedome and prudence in every condition How to grapple with temptations how to serve God in all estates when to reprove direct counsell comfort when to speake and when to be silent when to let out and when to chaine up a passion when to use and when to forbeare libertie how to prosecute occasions and apply occurrences unto Spirituall ends every where and in all things strengthning and instructing us to mannage our hearts unto the best advantages of peace to our selves and of glory to our Master Esai 30.21 Col. 1.9 10. Phil. 4.12 13. Eph. 4.20 21. Thirdly an Advocate maketh up the failings of his client and by his wisedome and observation of the case picketh out advantages beyond the instructions and gathereth arguments to further the suite which his client himselfe observed not So the Spirit when we know not what to pray when with Iehoshaphat we know not what to doe when it may be in our owne apprehension the whose businesse of our peace and comfort lieth a bleeding doth then helpe our infirmities and by dumbe cries and secret intimations and deepe and unexpressible gronings presenteth arguments unto him who is the searcher of hearts and who knoweth the minde of the Spirit which we our selves cannot expresse Thus as an infant crieth and complaineth for want of sleepe and yet knoweth not that it is sleepe which he wanteth as a sick man goeth to the physitian and complaineth that some physick he wanteth but knoweth not the thing which he asketh for so the soule of a Christian by the assistance of the Spirit is enlarged to request things of God which yet of themselves doe passe the knowledge and understandings of those that aske them Rom. 8.26 27. Eph. 3.19 Phil. 4.7 1 Cor. 14.15 Secondly the Spirit is a comforter by applying and Representing Christ absent unto the soule againe For first the Spirit carrieth a Christian heart up to Christ in heavenly affections and conversation Col. 3.1 3. Phil. 3.20 as a piece of earth when it is out of its place doth ever move to the whole earth so a sparkle of Christs Spirit will naturally move upward unto him who hath the fulnesse in him A stone though broken all to pieces in the motion will yet through all that perill and violence move unto the center so though the nature of man abhorre and would of it selfe decâ—ine the passages of death 2 Cor. 5.4 yet the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be taken asunder that by any meanes he might be with Christ who is the center of every Christians desire Phil. 1.23 Secondly the Spirit bringeth Christ downe to a Christian formeth him in his heart evidenceth him and the vertue of his passion and resurrection unto the conscience in the powerfull dispensation of his holy ordinances Therefore when our Savior speakes of sending the holy Spirit he addeth I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come to you when the world seeth me not yet ye see me This noteth the presence of Christ by his Spirit with the Church but there is more than a presence there is an inhabitation At that time you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Ioh. 14.18 20. Thirdly the Spirit is a comforter by a worke of sweet and fruitfull illumination not onely giving the knowledge but the love and comfort of the truth unto a Christian making him with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of God and therby transforming him into the same image from glory to glory The light of other sciences is like the light of a candle nothing but light but the knowledge of Christ by the Spirit is like the light of the Sunâ—e which hath influences and vertue in iâ— And this is that which the Apostle cals the Spirit of Revelation in the knowledge of God for though there be no Propheticall nor extraordinary revelations by dreames visions extasies or enthusiasmes yet according to the measure of spirituall perspicacie and diligent observation of holy Scriptures there are still manifold revelations or manifestations of Christ unto the soule The secret and intimate acquaintance of the soule with God the heavings aspirings and harmony of the heart with Christ the sweete illapses and flashes of heavenly light upon the soule the knowledge of the depths of God and of Satan of the whole armor of God and the strong man of conflicts of Spirit protection of Angels experiences of mercie issues of temptation and the like are heavenly and constant revelations out of the word manifested to the soules of the faithfull by the Spirit Lastly and principally the Spirit is a comforter in those effects of joy and peace which he worketh in the heart For joy is ever the fruite and Companion of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Act. 13.52 and the joy of the Spirit is like the intercession of the Spirit unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 not like the joy of the world which is empty false and deceitfull full of vanity vexation insufficiency unsuâ—eablenesse to the soule mingled with feares of disappointment and miscarriage with tremblings and guilt of conscience with certainty of period and expiration but cleere holy constant unmixed satisfactory and proportionable to the compasse of the soule more gladnesse than all the world can take in the increase of their corne and wine Psal. 4.7 And this joy of the Spirit is grounded upon every passage of a Christian condition from the entrance to the end First the Spirit worketh joy in discovering and bending the heart to mourne for corruption For it is the Spirit of grace and supplications which maketh sinners mourne and loath themselves Zech. 12.10 11. Ezek. 36.27.31 and such a sorrow as this is the seed and the matter of true joy our Iosephs heart was full of joy when his eyes powred out tears upon Benjamins neck As in wicked laughter the heart may be sorrowfull so in holy mourning the heart may rejoyce for all Spirituall afflictions have a peaceable fruite This was the first glimpse and beame of the Prodigals joy that he resolv'd with teares and repentance to returne to his Father againe For there is a sweete complacencie in an humble and Spirituall heart to be vile in its owne eyes as to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweete Sacrifices we know were to be offered
up with joy Mal. 2.13 and of all Sacrifices a broken heart is that which God most delighteth in Psal. 51.16 17. there is joy in heaven at the repentance of a sinner and therefore there must needs be joy in the heart it selfe which repenteth in as much as it hath heavenly affections begunne in it Therefore as the Apostle saith Let a man become a foole that he may be wise so may I truly say let a man become a mourner that he may rejoyce If it be objected how one contrary affection can be the ground and inducement of another and that he who feeleth the weight of sinne and displeasure of God can have little reason to boast of much joy To this I answere First that we doe not speake of those extraordinary combates and grapplings with the sense of the wrath of God breaking of bones and burning of bowels which some have felt but of the ordinary humiliations and courses of repentance which are common to all Secondly that such Spirituall mourning and joy are not contrary in regard of the Spirit nor doe one extinguish or expell the other As black and white are contrary in the wall but meete without any repugnancie in the eye because though as qualities they fight yet as objects they agree in communi conceptu visibilis so joy and mourning though contrary in regard of their immediate impressions upon the sense doe not onely agree in the same principle the grace of Christ and in the same end the salvation of man but may also be subordinated to each other as a darke and muddie color is a fit ground to lay gold upon so a tender and mourning heart is the best preparation unto spirituall joy Therefore our Savior compareth Spirituall sorrow unto the paines of a woman in travell other paines growing out of sicknesse and distempers have none but bitter ingredients and anguish in them but that paine groweth out of the matter of joy and leadeth unto joy so though godly sorrow have some paine in it yet that paine hath ever joy both for the roote and fruit of it Ioh. 16.21 and though for the present it may haply intercept the exercise yet it doth strengthen the habit and ground of joy as those flowers in the spring rise highest and with greatest beautie which in winter shrinke lowest into the earth I trembled saith the Prophet in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Hab. 3.16 Secondly the Spirit doth not onely Discover but heale the corruptions of the soule and there is no joy to the joy of a saved and cured man The lame man when he was restored by Peter expressed the abundant exultation of his heart by leaping and praising God Act. 3.8 for this cause therefore amongst others the Spirit is called the oile of gladnesse because by that healing vertue which is in him he maketh glad the hearts of men The Spirit of the Lord saith Christ is upon me because the Lord anointed me to preach good tydings to the meeke he hath sent me to binde the broken hearted Esai 61.6 and againe I will binde that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick Ezek. 34.16 Now this healing vertue of Christ is in the dispensation of his word and Spirit and therefore the Prophet saith the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 where the Spirit in the word by the which he commeth and preacheth unto men Eph. 2.17 1 Pet. 3.19 is called the wing of the Sunne because he proceedeth from him and was sent to supply his absence as the beame doth the Suns and this Spirit the Apostle calleth the strengthner of the inner man Eph. 3.16 Thirdly the Spirit doth not onely heale but renew and revive againe when an eye is smitten with a sword there is a double mischiefe a wound made and a faculty perished and here though a Chirurgian can heale the wound yet he can never restore the faculty because totall privations admit no regresse or recovery but the Spirit doth not onely heale and repaire but renew and reedifie the spirits of men As he healeth that which was torne and bindeth up that which was smitten so he reviveth and raiseth up that which was dead before Hos. 6.1 2. and this the Apostle cals the Renovation of the Spirit Tit. 3.5 whereby old things are not mended and put together againe for our fall made us all over unprofitable and little worth Rom. 3.12 Prov. 10.20 but are done quite away and all things made new againe 2 Cor. 5.17 The heart minde affections judgment conscience members changed from stone to flesh from earthly to heavenly from the image of Adam to the image of Christ Ezek. 11.19 1 Cor. 15.49 Now this renovation must needs be matter of great joy For so the Lord comforteth his afflicted people Esai 54.11 12 13. Fourthly the Spirit doth not renew and set the frame of the heart right and then leave it to its owne care and hazards againe but being thus restored he abideth with it to preserve and support it against all Tempests and batteries And this further multiplieth the joy and comfort of the Church that it is established in Righteousnesse so that no weapon which is formed against it can prosper Esai 54.14.17 Victory is ever the ground of joy Esai 9.3 And the Spirit of God is a victorious Spirit His judgment in the heart is sent forth unto victory Matth. 12.20 and before him mountaines shall be made a plaine and every high thing shall be pulled downe till he bring forth the head stone with shoutings Ezek. 4.6 7. To Stephen he was a Spirit of Victory against the disputers of the World Act. 6.10 To the Apostles a Spirit of liberty in the prison Act. 16.25 26. To all the faithfull a Spirit of joy and glory in the midst of persecutions 1 Pet. 4.13 14. Fifthly the Spirit doth not onely preserve the heart which he hath renewed but maketh it fruitfull and abundant in the workes of the Lord Gal. 5.22 Rom. 7.4 And fruitfulnesse is a ground of rejoycing Esai 54.1 Therefore they which are borne of God cannot commit sinne that is they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers or artificers or finishers of iniquity because they have the seed of God that is his Spirit in them which fitteth them as seed doth the wombe or the earth to bring forth fruite unto God Partly by teaching the heart and casting it as it were in the mould of the world fashioning such thoughts apprehensions affections judgements in the soule as are answerable to the will and Spirit of God in the word so that a man cannot but set his seale and say Amen to the written Law partly by moving animating applying and most sweetly leading the heart unto the Obedience of that Law which is thus written therein Lastly those whom he hath thus fitteth he sealeth up unto a finall and full redemption by the Testimony
In opinion by adulterating it with humane mixtures and superinducements teaching for Doctrines the traditions of men In affection by wishing many divine truths were razed out of the Scriptures as being manifestly contrary to those pleasures which they love rather than God In conversation by keeping downe the truth in unrighteousnesse and in those things which they know as brute beasts corrupting themselves Enmity against his Teaching by quenching the motions and resisting the evidence of his Spirit in the word refusing to heare his voyce and rejecting the counsell of God against themselves There is Enmitie against him as a Priest by undervaluing his Person Sufferings Righteousnesse or Merits And as a King Enmity to his Worship by profanesse neglecting it by idolatry communicating it by superstition corrupting it Enmity to his wayes and service by ungrounded prejudices mis-judging them as grievous unprofitable or unequall wayes and by wilfull disobedience forsaking them to walke in the wayes of our owne heart And this is a point which men should labour to trie themselves in for the enemies of Christ are not onely out of the Church but in the midst where his kingdome is set up v. 2. Esay 8.14 And indeed by how much the more dangerous it is by so much the more subtil wil Satan and a sinfull heart be to deceive it selfe therein for this is a certaine truth that men may professe and falsly beleeve that they love the Lord Iesus and yet be as reall enemies unto his Person and Kingdome as the Iewes that accused and the Heathen that crucified him Hee was set up for a signe to be spoken against for a rocke of offence and a stone of stumbling which the very builders themselves would reject False brethren amongst the Philippians there were who professed the name of Christians and yet by their sensuall walking and worldly mindednesse declared themselves to bee enemies to the crosse of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. To honour the bodies of the Saints departed with beautifull sepulchres is in it selfe a testimoniall of sincere love and inward estimation of their persons and graces and therefore the Holy Ghost hath recorded it for the perpetuall honour of Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that they embalmed the body of Iesus and laid it in a new sepulcher Ioh. 19 38-41 yet our Saviour pronounceth a woe against the Scribes and Pharisees because they built the tombe◠of the Prophets and garnished the sepulchres of the righteous Matth. 23.29 The fault was not in the fact it selfe but in the hypocrisie of the heart in the incongruitie of their other practices and in that damned protection which by this plausible pretext of honour to the Prophets they laboured to gaine to their persons and approbation to their attempts against Christ in the mindes of the people who yet ordinarily esteemed Christ whom they persecuted a Prophet sent from God They professe If we had beene in the dayes of our Fathers wee would not have done as they did But our Saviour reproves this hypocriticall perswasion by shewing first that it was no strange thing with them to persecute Prophets but a nationall and hereditary sinne and therefore they had no reason to boast of their descent as their manner was Luke 3.8 Ioh. 8.39 or to thinke that Gods mercies were entail'd unto them since by their owne confession they were the posteritie of those that had killed the Prophets and secondly that they did fulfill the measure of their Fathers that is that which their Fathers had beene long and leasurely a doing they now did altogether in one blow for it was the same Christ whom they persecuted in his person and their fathers in his Prophets and therefore though they seemed to honour and revive the memory of those holy martyrs yet upon them should light the guilt of all the righteous bloud which had ever beene shed in the Land inasmuch as their malice was directed against that fulnesse of which all the Prophets had but a measure If by severall enemies a man be severally mangled one cuts off a foot another an hand another an arme and after all this there come one who cuts off the head and yet bestows some honourable ceremonies upon those members which the rest had abused he shall justly suffer as if he had slaine a whole man inasmuch as his malice did eminently containe in it the degrees of all the rest and that pretended honour shall be so far from compensating the injury that it shall adde thereunto an aggravation of base hypocrisie Thus as the Iewes when they thought they did honour and admire the Prophets did yet harbour in their brests that very root of fury and had that selfe-same constitution of soule which was in their fore-fathers who shed their bloud so in our dayes men may say and thinke that they love Christ and court him with much out-side and emptie service may boast that if they had lived in the dayes of those unthankfull Iewes they would not have partaked with them in so execrable a murther and yet interpretatively and at second hand shew the very same root of bitternesse and rancorous constitution of heart against him in his Spirit and ordinances which was in those men when they cried Away with him crucifie him crucifie him Many grounds there are of this grand misperswasion of the heart in its love to Christ which I will but touch upon The first is the generall acceptation and continuance which the Gospell of Christ receiveth amongst the Princes of this world who in Christian Common-wealths doe both by their owne voluntary and professed subjection and by the vigour of their publike lawes establish the same Now this is most certain that as in all other sciences there cannot be transitus à genere in genus the principles of one will not serve to beget the conclusions of another so here especially if a spirituall assent and affection be grounded upon no other than humane inducements it is most undoubtedly spurious and illegitimate That reason which the Pharisees used to disswade men from beleeving in Christ Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees beleeved on him Ioh. 7.48 is one of the principall arguments which many men have now why they doe beleeve him because the Rulers whose examples and lawes they observe more upon trust than triall doe lead them thereunto and therefore wee finde amongst the Iewes that those very men who when the Government of the whole twelve Tribes was one did all consent in an unity of religion upon the distraction of the kingdome under Ieroboam were presently likewise divided in their observance of Gods worship and they who before were zealous for the Temple at Ierusalem were after as superstitious for Dan and Bethel the Prophet giveth the reason of it They willingly walked after the commandement namely of Ieroboam Hos. 5.11 no sooner did the Prince interpose his authoritie but the people were willing to pin their opinions and practices upon his word If Omri make
of their profession is not any experimentall goodnesse which they have tasted in him for by nature men have no relish of Christ at all but onely selfe-love and private ends wherby Christ is subordinated to their owne commodities Men are herin just like the Samaritans of whom Iosephus reports that when Antiochus persecuted the Iewes they then utterly disavowed any consanguinity with them denied their Temple on mount Gerosim to be dedicated to the great God and declared their linage from the Medes and Persians but when before that Alexander had shewed favour unto the Iewes and remitted the tribute of every seventh yeare they then claim'd kindred with that people and counterfeited a descent from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasse that thereby they might enjoy the priviledges of those people whom otherwise they mortally hated And so we finde that in the Vastation of the Citie of Rome by the Gothes and Barbarians when there was but one onely refuge allowed the Romanes for the safety of their lives namely to fly unto the Christians Churches those very enemies of Christ and his profession who before had persecuted him and after returned to their malice againe were yet then as hasty to fly unto his Temples and to assume the Title of his Servants as they were after ungratefully malitious in reproaching Christian Religion as if that had been the provocation of those calamities And may we not still observe amongst Christians at this day many men who contrary to the evidence of their judgment and peace of their consciences conforme themselves unto the vanities courses companies of this evill world and like cowards are affraid to adventure on a rigorous and universall subjection to the truth of Christ dare not keepe themselves close to those narrow rules of S. Paul to abstaine from jesting which is not seemly to avoid all appearances of evill to reprove the unfruitfull workes of darknesse to speake unto Edification that their words may minister grace unto the hearers to rejoyce alwayes in the Lord to give place unto wrath to recompence evill with good to be circumspect and exact in their walking before God and all this meerly out of suspicion of some disrespect and disadvantages which may hereupon meete them in the world of some remoraes and stoppage in the order of those projects which they have contrived for their private ends Now if such purposes as these doe staâ—tle men from a punctuall and rigorous profession of the Gospell of Christ and his most holy wayes notwithstanding our vow in Baptisme doe as strictly binde us therunto as unto the externall title of Christianity suppose we that the same or greater disadvantages should now as in the primitive times attend at the naked and outward profession of Christ would not such men as these fall into downright apostacy and deny the Lord that bought them certainly our Savior hath so resolv'd that case in the very best sort of unregenerate men noted in the stony ground when times of persecution happen that they are brought to the triall who it was whom in their profession they loved Christ or themselves the excellencie of the knowledge of him or the secure enjoyment of secular contentments they will then certainly fall away and be offended Matt. 13.21 so profound and unsearchable is the deceitfull heart of man that by that very reason for which men contend for the outward face and profession of Religion because they love their pleasures and profits which without such a profession they cannot peaceably enjoy they are deterred from a close spirituall and universall obedience to the power thereof because thereby likewise those pleasures and profits are kept within such rules of moderation as the nature of a boundlesse and unsatisfiable lust will not admit This is a certaine rule in love that the motions and desires thereof are strong and therefore in any thing which the soule loves it therin strives for excellency and perfection and this rule holds most true in religion because when the soâ—â—e loves that it loves it under the apprehension of the greatest good and therefore by consequence sets the strongest and most industrious desires of the soule upon it Therefore the Apostle saith that the Love of Christ namely that love of him which is by the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts constraineth us to live unto him and to aspire after him who died for us and rose againe Love is as strong as death it will take no deniall It is the wing and weight of the soule which fixeth all the thoughts and carrieth all the desires unto an intimate unitie with the thing it loves stirreth up a zeale to remove all obstacles which stand betweene it worketh a languor or failing of nature in the want of it a liquefaction and softnesse of nature to receive the impressions of it an egresse of the Spirits and as it were an hast of the soule to meet and entertaine it Whence those expressions of the Saints in holy Scripture Comfort me with apples stay me with flagons for I am sick of love my soule breaketh for the longing which it hath unto thy judgments at all times The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee My soule thirsteth for God yea for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God We that have the first fruit of the Spirit groane within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our Bodies O that my wayes were directed that I might keepe thy commandements with my whole heart have I sought thee I have stuck unto thy testimonies I will delight my selfe in thy commandements thy statutes have been my songs my soule fainteth for thy salvation c. By all which we see that a true love of Christ doth excite strong desires and an earnest aspiring and ambition of the soule to walke in all well-pleasing and to be in all things conformable unto him What the Apostle saith of Spirituall hope we may truly say of love which is the fundamentall affection and root of all the rest He that hath it indeed in him purgeth himselfe even as Christ is pure The Love of the World and the things and lusts of the world may indeed consist with the formall profession but no way with the truth or power of a true love to Christ or his government For love is ever the principle and measure of all our actions such as it is such likewise wil they be too Fourthly something like love there may be in naturall men unto Christ grounded upon the historicall assurance and perswasion of his being now in glory attended by mightie Angels filled with all the treasures of wisdome knowledge grace power and other excellent attributes which can attract love even from an enemie and that he hath and still doth procure such good things for mankinde in their deliverance from the guilt of sin and from the wrath to come as of which might
of our progresse in brotherly love is punctually answerable to the growth of our love to Christ. Secondly a true grounded love unto Christ will shew it selfe in the right manner or conditions of it Which are principally these three First it must bee an incorrupt and sincere love Grace bee upon all those that love the Lord Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in incorruption or sincerity saith the Apostle Eph. 6.24 that is on those who love not in word or outward profession and stipulation onely but in deed and truth or in the permanent constitution of the inner man which moveth them to love him alwayes and in all things to hate every false way to set the whole heart the studie purpose prayer and all the activity of our Spirits against every corruption in us which standeth at enmity with him and his Kingdome Secondly it must be a principall and superlative love grounded upon the experience of the soule in it selfe that there is ten thousand times more beautie and amiablenesse in him than in all the honours pleasures profits satisfactions which the world can afford that in comparison or competition with him the dearest things of this world the parents of our body the children of our flesh the wife of our bosome the bloud in our veines the heart in our brest must not onely be laid downe and lost as sacrifices but hated as snares when they draw us away from him Thirdly it must bee an unshared and uncommunicable love without any corrivals for Christ as he is unto us all in all so he requireth to have all our affections fixed upon him As the rising of the Sunne drowneth all those innumerable Starres which did shine in the firmament before so must the beauty of this Sunne of righteousnesse blot out or else gather together unto it selfe all those scattered affections of the soule which were before cast away upon meaner objects Lastly true love unto Christ will shew it selfe in the naturall and genuine effects of so strong and spirituall a grace some of the principall I before named unto which we may adde First An universall cheerefull and constant obedience to his holy Commandements If a man saith Christ love me he will keepe my Commandements and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and make our abode with him Iob. 14.24 There is a twofold love a love which descends and a love which ascends a love of Bounty and beneficence and a love of Dutie and service so then as a father doth then only in truth love his childe when with all care he provideth for his present education and future subsistence so a childe doth then truly love his father when with all reverence and submission of heart he studieth to please and to doe him service And this love if it be free and ingenuous by how much the more not only pure and equall in it selfe but also profitable unto him the commandement is by so much the more carefully will it endevour the observation thereof And therefore since the soule of a Christian knowes that as God himselfe is good and doth good so his Law which is nothing but a ray and glimpse of his owne holinesse is likewise good in it selfe and doth good unto those which walke uprightly it is hereby enflamed to a more sweet and serious obedience thereunto in the keeping whereof there is for the present so much sweetnesse and in the future so great a reward Thy Word saith the Psalmist is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Secondly A free willing and cheerefull suffering for him and his Gospell Vnto you saith the Apostle it is given in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 We see how far a humane love either of their countrey or of vain-glory hath transported some heathen men to the devoting and casting away their owne lives How much more should a spirituall love of Christ put courage into us to beare all things and to endure all things as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 13.7 for him who bare our sinnes and our stripes and our burdens for us which were heavier than all the world could lay on And this was the inducement of that holy martyr Polycarp to die for Christ notwithstanding all the perswasions of the persecutors who by his apostacie would faine have cast the more dishonour upon Christian Religion and as it were by sparing him have the more cunningly persecuted that This eightie six yeares saith he I have served him and he never in all that time hath done me any hurt why should I be so ungratefull as not to trust him in death who in so long a life hath never forsaken me I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 39. Nothing able to turne away his love from us and therefore nothing should be able to quench our loue to him Many waters that is by the usuall expression of the holy Scriptures many afflictions persecutions temptations cannot quench love neither can the flouds drowne it Cant. 8.7 Thirdly A zeale and jealous contention for the glory truth worship and wayes of Christ wicked men pretend much love to Christ but they indeed serve onely their owne turnes as Ivie which claspes an Oake very close but only to sucke out sap for its owne leaves and berries but a true love is full of care to advance the glory of Christs kingdome and to promote his truth and worship feares lest Satan and his instruments should by any meanes corrupt his truth or violate his Church as the Apostle to the Galatians professeth the feare which his love wrought in him towards them I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine Gal. 4 11-16 So we finde what contention and disputation and strife of spirit the Apostles and others in their ministery used when Christ and his holy Gospell was any way either injured by false brethren or kept out by the idolatry of the places to which they came Act. 15.2 Act. 17.16 Act. 18.25 19.8 Gal. 2.4 5. Iude v. 2. Lastly A longing after his presence a love of his appearing a desire to be with him which is best of all a seeking after him and grieving for him when for any while he departs from the soule a waiting for his salvation a delight in his Communion and in his spirituall refreshments a communing with him in his secret chamber in his houses of wine and in his galleries of love By which lovely expressions the Wise-man hath described the fellowship which the Church desireth to have with Christ and that abiding and supping of Christ with his Church feasting the soule with the manifestations of himselfe and
faith worship and obedience dependeth But wee say that as Peter was a foundation so were all the other Apostles likewise Eph. 2.20 Revel 21.14 and that upon the same reason For the Apostles were not foundations of the Church by any dignity of their persons as Christ the chiefe corner stone was but by the vertue of their Apostolicall office which was universall jurisdiction in governing the people of Christ universall commission in instructing them and a Spirit of infallibility in revealing Gods will unto them throughout the whole world And therefore as Peter had the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven to remit or retaine the sinnes of men so likewise had the other Apostles Ioh. 20.23 That Christs charge to Peter feed my sheepe feed my lambes is no other in substance than his commission to them all goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And that the particular directing of it unto Peter and praying for him was with respect unto his particular onely by way of comfort and confirmation as being then a weake member not by way of dignity or deputation of Christs owne regall power to him in the visible Church For all the offices of Christ are intransient and uncommunicable to any other in as much as that administration and execution of them dependeth upon the dignity of his person and upon the fulnesse of his Spirit which no mortall man or immortall Angell is capable of But all this is not enough to bee granted them for the raising their authority But then thirdly we must grant them too that Peter thus qualified was Bishop of Rome for proofe wherof they have no Testimonie of Holy Scriptures but onely humane tradition Cui impossibile non est subesse falsum So that in this which is one of the maine principles they build upon their faith cannot bee resolved into the word of God and therefore is no divine faith Fourthly that hee did appoint that Church to bee the monarchicall and fundamentall see to all other Churches for hee was Bishop as well of Antioch as of Rome by their owne confession And I wonder why some of his personall vertue should not cleave to his chaire at Antioch but all passe over with him to another place Fifthly that hee did transmit all his prerogatives to his successors in that chaire By which assertion they may as well prove that they all though some of them have been sorcerers others murtherers others blasphemous atheists were inheriters of S. Peters love to Christ for from thence our Savior inferres feed my sheep to note that none feed his sheepe but those that love his person Lastly that that long succession from S. Peter untill now hath ever since been legall and uninterrupted Or else the Church must sometimes have been a monster without a head Wee grant that some of the Ancients argue from succession in the Church but it was while it was yet pure and while they could by reason of the little space of time betweene them and the Apostles with evidence resolve their Doctrine through every medium into the preaching of the Apostles themselves But even in their personall succession who knoweth not what Simonies and Sorceries have raised divers of them unto that degree and who is able to resolve that every Episcopall ordination of every Bishop there hath been valid since therunto is requisite both the intention and Orders of that Bishop that ordained him These and a world of the like uncertainties must the faith of these men depend upon who dare arrogate to themselves the prerogatives of Christ and of his Catholike Kingdome But I have been too long upon this argument Againe this point of the stabilitie of Christs Kingdome is a ground of strong confidence comfort to the whole Church of Christ against all the violence of any outward enemies wherwith sometimes they may seeme to bee swallowed upon Though they associate themselves and gird to the battle though they take counsell and make decrees against the Lords anointed and against his spouse yet it shall all come to nought and be broken in pieces all the smoake of hell shall not bee able to extinguish nor all the power of hell to overturne the Church of God and the reason is Immanuel God is with us Esai 8.9 10. That anointing which the Church hath received shall deliver it at last from the yoke of the enemie Esai 10.27 Though it seeme for the time in as desperate a condition as a dry stick in the fire or a dead body in the grave yet this is not indeed a sepulture but a semination Though it seeme to bee cast away for a season yet in due time it will come up and flourish againe Zechariah 3.2 Ezekiel 37.11 And this is the assurance that the Church may have that the Lord can save and deliver a second time Esai 11.11 that hee is the same God yesterday and to day and for ever and therfore such a God as the Church hath found him heretofore such a God it shall finde him to day and for ever in the returnes and manifestations of his mercy Which discovers the folly and foretels the confusion of the enemies of Christs Kingdome they conceive mischiefe but they bring forth nothing but vanity Iob 15.35 They conceive chaffe and bring forth stubble Esai 33.11 They imagine nothing but a vaine thing their malice is but like the fighting of briars and thornes with the fire Esai 27.4 Nahum 1.10 like the dashing of waves against a rock like a mad mans shooting arrowes against the Sunne which at last returne upon his owne head like the puffing of the fanne against the corne which driveth away nothing but the chaffe like the beating of the winde against the saile or the foming and raging of the water against a mill which by the wisedome of the artificers are all ordered unto usefull and excellent ends And surely when the Lord shall have accomplished his worke on mount Sion when hee shall by the adversary as by a fanne have purged away the iniquity of Iacob and taken away his sinne hee will then returne in peace and beauty unto his people againe Looke on the preparation of some large building in one place you shall see heapes of lime and morter in another piles of timber every where rude and indigested materials and a tumultuary noise of axes and hammers but at length the artificer sets every thing in order and raiseth up a beautifull structure such is the proceeding of the Lord in the afflictions and vastations of his Church though the enemie intend to ruine it yet God intends onely to repaire it Thus farre as Donec respects Christs Kingdome in it selfe Now as it respecteth the enemies of Christ it notes First The present inconsummatenesse of the victories and by consequence the intranquillity of Christs Kingdome here upon the earth All his enemies are not yet under his feete Satan is not yet shut up
condition and therefore not within the comprehension of an earthly understanding It is a wisedome which is from above The holy Ghost likewise is a Revealer of the Gospell unto the faithfull He was sent that hee might Convince the world not onely of sinne but of righteousnesse and judgement too which are Evangelicall things The spirit searcheth all things even the deepe things of God that is his unsearchable love wisedome and counsell in the Gospell Therefore the Gospell is called The Law of the spirit of life and the ministration of the spirit and the Revelation of the spirit and No man can call Iesus Lord but by the holy spirit that is though men may out of externall conformity to the discipline and profession under which they live with their mouthes acknowledge him to be the Lord yet their hearts will never tremble nor willingly submit themselves to his obedience their conscience will never set to its seale to the spirituall power of Christ over the thoughts desires and secrets of the soule but by the over-ruling direction of the holy Ghost Nature taught the Pharises to call him Beelzebub and Samaritan but it is the Spirit onely which teacheth men to acknowledge him a Lord. Christ is not the power nor the wisedome of God to any but to those who are called that is to those unto whose consciences the Spirit witnesseth the righteousnes which is to bee found in him So then the Publication of the Gospell belongeth unto men but the effectuall teaching and revelation thereof unto the soule is the joynt worke of the holy Trinity opening the heart to attend and perswading the heart to beleeve the Gospell as a thing worthy of all acceptation Thus the Gospell is a Glorious thing in regard of the Originall and Authour of it From whence wee may inferre that what-ever men thinke of the ministerie and dispensation of the Word yet undoubtedly the neglect and scorne which is shewed unto it is done unto Christ himselfe and that in his glory he that receiveth not his Word rejecteth his person and the sinne of a man against the words which we speake in the name and authority of Christ and in the dispensation of that office wherewith he hath entrusted us is the same with the sinnes of those men who despised him in his owne person You will say Christ is in heaven how can any injuries of ours reach unto him Surely though he be in heaven which is now the Court of his royall residence yet hee hath to doe upon earth as one of the chiefe territories of his dominion and in the ministerie of his Word hee speaketh from heaven still He it was who by his Ambassadour Saint Paul came and preached Peace to the Ephesians who were afarre off His spirit it was which in the Prophets did testifie of his sufferings and glory Hee it was who gave manifest proofe of his owne power speaking in his Apostles He then who refuseth to obey the words of a Minister in the execution of his office when hee forewarneth him of the wrath to come and doth not discerne the Lords voice therein but in despight of this ministeriall citation unto the tribunall of Christ will still persist in the way of his owne heart and as he hath beene so resolveth to continue a swearing blasphemous luxurious proud revengefull and riotous person thinking it basenesse to mourne for sinne and unnecessary strictnesse to humble himselfe to walke with God and yet because all men else doe so will professe his faith in the Lord Iesus that man is a notorious liar yea as the Apostle speaketh he maketh God a liar too in not beleeving the record which he giveth of his Sonne which is that hee should wash away the filth and purge out the bloud of his people with a spirit of judgement and a spirit of burning that he should sit as a refiner and purifier of silver purging his priests that they might offer unto the Lord an offring in righteousnesse Hee walketh contrary to that Covenant of mercy which he professeth to lay hold on for this is one of the great promises of the Covenant I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes Hee walketh contrary to the quality of that feare of God which yet he professeth to feele as well as others For the feare of the Lord is a cleane thing He walketh contrary to the vertue of that bloud with which notwithstanding hee professeth to bee sprinkled for the bloud of Christ cleanseth not onely the lives but the very consciences of men from dead workes that is makes them so inwardly labour for purity of heart as that they may not be conscious to themselves of any though the most secret allowed sinne He walketh contrary to the fruitfulnesse of that grace which alone he professeth to boast in for the Spirit of grace which is powred from on high maketh the very wildernesse a fruitfull field He walketh contrarie to the properties of that faith by which alone he hopeth to be saved For true faith purifieth the heart and therefore a pure heart and a good conscience are the inseparable companions of an unfained faith And therefore what-ever verball and ceremonious homage hee may tender unto Christ yet in good earnest he is ashamed of him and dares not preferre the yoke of Christ before the lusts of the world or the reproaches of Christ before the treasures of the world Why should it be treason to kill a Judge in his ministerie on the bench or esteemed an injurie to the state to doe any indignitie to the Ambassadour of a great prince but because in such relations they are persons publike and representative ut eorum bona malaque ad Rempublicam pertineant why should the supreme Officer of the kingdome write Teste meipso in the name and power of his Prince but because he hath a more immediate representation of his sacred person and commission thereunto Surely the case is the same between Christ and his Ministers in their holy function And therefore we finde the expressions promiscuous sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell of Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Gospell sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preaching of Iesus Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My preaching In the vertue of which synergie and co-partnership with Christ and with God as he saveth so we save as he forgiveth sinnes so we forgive them as he judgeth wicked men so wee judge them as he beseecheth so we also beseech saith the Apostle that you bee reconciled and receive not the grace of God in vaine Wee by his Grace and he by our ministerie He therefore that despiseth any conviction out
that it doth not onely sanctifie men but preserve their holinesse in them If it were not for the treasure of the word in the heart every little thing would easily turne a man out of his way and make him revolt from Christ againe How easily would afflictions make us mistrust Gods affection to us and so change ours unto him for this is certaine His Love to us is the originall of our love to him make us murmure repine struggle fret under his hand if in the Gospell wee did not looke upon them as the gentle corrections of a Father who loves us as the pruning and harrowing of our foules that they may bring forth more fruit Except thy Law had beene my delight I should have perished in mine affliction My affliction would have destroied me and made mee perish from the right way if it had not beene tempered and sanctified by thy Word It wrought so with that wicked king of Israel Behold this evill is of the Lord what should I waite upon the Lord any longer what profit is there to walke humbly before him or to afflict our selves before him who will not see nor take knowledge of it but continue to be our enemie still But the Gospell teacheth a mans heart to rest in God assureth it that there is hope in Israel and balme in Gilead that they which beleeve should not make haste to limit or to misconstrue God but waite for his Salvation which will ever come in that due time wherein it shall be both most acceptable and most beautifull Againe how easily would Temptations over-turne the faith of men if it were not daily supported by the Word what is the reason that the sheepe of Christ will not follow strangers nor know their voice that is will not acknowledge any force nor subscribe in their hearts to the conviction or evidence of any temptation which would draw them from God but onely because they heare and know the voice of Christ in his Gospell and feele a spirit in their owne hearts setting to its seale and bearing witnesse to that truth from whence those solicitations would seduce them The Apostle foretold the Elders of Ephesus at his solemne departure from them that grievous wolves would enter in amongst them that some of themselves would arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them And the maine remedie which the Apostle gives them against this danger was I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up c. Noting that it is the Word of God which keepeth men from being drawne away with perverse disputes And the same intimation he gives them in his Epistle unto them Hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in waite to deceive The more richly the word of God in the love and evidence thereof doth dwell in any man and enable him to prove all things the more stedfastly will he hold that which is good and stand immoveable against the sleights and solicitations of men Againe how easily would our owne evill hearts gather a rust and unaptnesse for service over themselves if they were not daily whet and brightned upon the Word of God That onely it is which scrapeth away that leprosie and mossinesse which our soules are apt to contract out of themselves A man may lose all that hee hath wrought all the benefit of what hee hath done already and all the strength to doe any more onely by not abiding in the Doctrine of Christ. Hee onely is no doer of the Word who looketh in it as a man on a glasse and presently forgetteth the image and state of his conscience againe it is onely hee that continueth therein who is a doer of the worke and blessed in his deed He that treasureth up the Gospell in his heart and laboureth to grow rich in the knowledge thereof can never be turned quite out of his way or become an Apostate from the grace of Christ. Lastly it is a glorious Gospell in regard of those noble and majesticall endowments with which it qualifieth the soule of a Christian for there is no nobility to that of the Gospell It giveth men the highest priviledge in the world to bee called the Sonnes of God to bee kings and priests before him to be a Royall priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people a nation of priests Nothing doth so honour a land as to bee the seate of the Gospell It was the honour of the Iewes that unto them were committed the Oracles of God Therefore the Arke is called the Glory of Israel and Christ the glory of Israel and the excellency of Iacob neither is there any thing else allowed a man to glory in save onely this that hee understandeth and knoweth the Lord in his word It putteth magnanimity into the breasts of men high thoughts regall affections publike desires and attempts a kinde of heavenly ambition to doe and to gaine the greatest good The maine ends of a Christian are all high and noble The favour of God the fellowship of the Father and the Son the Grace of Christ the peace of the Church his trafficke and negotiation is for heaven his language the Dialect of heaven his order a heavenly order innumerable companies of Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect A holy man who hath the spirit of his minde raised and ennobled by the Gospell is an Agent in the same affaires and doth in his thoughts desires prayers emulations pursue the same high and heavenly ends for the advancement of the glory of Christ and demolishing the kingdome of Satan with the blessed Angels of God His desires looke no lower than a kingdome a weight of massie and most superlative exceeding glory That which other men make the utmost point even of their impudent and immodest hopes the secular favours and dignities of the world these put lowest under their feet but their wings the higher and more aspiring affections of their soule are directed onely unto heaven and heavenly things They no sooner are placed in the body of Christ but they have publike services some to preach some to defend all to pray to practise to adorne the profession they have under-taken For indeede every Christian hath his talent given him his service injoyn'd him The Gospell is a Depositum a publike Treasure committed to the keeping of every Christian each man having as it were a severall key of the Church a severall trust for the honour of this kingdome deliver'd unto him As in the solemne Coronation of the Prince every Peere of the Realme hath his station about the Throne and with the touch of his hand upon the roiall Crowne declareth the personall
interpretatively in the constitution and preparation of heart the violation of all because they are all grounded upon the same divine authority and directed unto the same saving ends and therefore wee ought not to picke and choose either in the preaching or practising thereof Thirdly we are to answere for the bloud of the people if wee prevaricate if wee let their sinnes alone they will have a double edge to kill them and us both like the mutuall embracements of two in a river which is the meanes to drowne them both Speake unto them all that I command thee be not dismaied at their faces saith the Lord to his Prophet lest I confound thee before them If thou warne not the wicked from his wicked way that hee may live he shall dye in his wickednesse thy bashfulnesse shall doe him no good but his bloud will I require at thy hands Is it at all congruous that men should have boldnesse enough to declare their sinnes to speake them to proclaime them to weare them to glorie in them and that those officers who are sent for no other businesse but in the name and authority of Almighty God to fight against the corruptions of the world should in the meane time hang downe the head and be tongue-tied that men should have more boldnesse to destroy themselves and to doe Satans works than we to save them or to serve God Fourthly we are to speake in the person of Christ and in the vertue of his Spirit We must speake as the Oracles of God and with his words as if he himselfe did by us speake unto the people We must give manifestation of Christ speaking by us that men may be convinc'd that God is in us of a truth and that we are full of power by his spirit that his spirit setteth to his seale to authorize our commission and to countenance our ministery and therefore we must use judgement and might that is spirituall discretion and inflexible constancy against the sinnes of men for these two are contrary to the two grand props of Satans kingdome which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his craftinesse and his weapons of power for where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty his spirit will not be straightned neither will the Lord keepe silence hee that speaketh by the spirit of Christ must speake though not in equality which is impossible yet in some similitude and proportion as he spake that is as those that have Authority and power committed to them for the edification of the Church Lastly a partiall unsearching and unreproving Minister is one of Gods curses and scourges against a place the forerunner of a finall and fearefull visitation The dayes of visitation and recompence come saith the Lord. The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred If a man walking in the spirit and falshood that is professing the worke of a spirituall man and yet betraying his office or in a false and lying spirit prophesying of wine and strong drinke that is cherishing and encouraging sensuall livers in their pernitious courses he shall even be the prophet of this people And therefore when the Lord will punish with an extreme revenge the rebellion of a people against his Gospell who judge themselves unworthy of so great a salvation hee either removeth their Candlesticke and taketh it away from them or else sealeth up the mouth of his Prophets that they may bee dumbe and reprove them no longer and that they may not bee purged any more from their filthinesse or else infatuates their Prophets and suffereth Satan to seduce them and to be a lying Spirit in their mouthes that he may destroy them as wee see in the ruine of Ahab and in the captivity of Iudah Againe as the Ministers of the Gospell must use liberty so must they likewise use sinceritie in the dispensation thereof because it is a glorious Gospell This likewise is the Apostles inference for having spent a whole chapter in this one argument of the glory of the Gospell he presently concludeth Therefore seeing we have this ministery that is the dispensation of such a Gospell committed unto us wee faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonestie that is as I conceive the arts of dawbing and palliating and covering over uncleane courses with plausible reasonings and fleshly apologies which is the use of false prophets not walking in craftinesse that is not using humane sleights or cogging to carry men about with every wind of false doctrine as sinners are very willing to be deceived and love to have it as false prophets say it is nor handling the Word of God deceitfully that is falsifying and adulterating it with corrupt glosses and so tempering it to the palat of sinners that the working searching vertue thereof whereby of it selfe it is apt to purge out and wrestle with the lusts of men may be deaded and so it may well consist with the power of lusts still as Physitians use so to qualifie and allay poison by other correctives and crosse ingredients that it shall serve as an instrument to strengthen us not extinguish life or as immodest Poets may so tamper with the chast expressions of Virgil or Homer as by them both to notifie and in corrupt minds to kindle uncleane lustings but by manifestation of the truth that is by such spirituall and perspicuous demonstrations as under which there cannot subesse falsum there can no falsitie nor deceit lurke commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God that is working not the fancies or humours or fleshly conceits of men which alwayes take the part of sinne but their very consciences which alwayes is on Gods side to beare witnesse unto the truth which wee speake to receive it not as the wit or learning of a man but as the Word and wisdome of God to acknowledge the conviction the judicature the penetration thereof and so to fal down upon their faces and to glorifie God and report that he is in us of a truth and all this in the sight of God that is so handling the Word as that wee may please and approve our selves to his eye whose servants we are and whose worke wee doe This is that which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vncorruptnesse gravitie sinceritie soundnesse of doctrine such as the very adversaries themselves shall not be able to picke quarrels withall or to speake against we must not then make account to adorne the Gospell with our owne inventions or with superstructions of humane wit and fancie though these things may to fleshly reason seeme full of beautie yet indeed they are but like the mingling of glasse-beads with a chaine of diamonds or of lime with pure and generous wine they are indeed but
God ever have beene and ever will be to the worlds end esteemed for wonders and markes and mad-men and proverbs of reproch And hereby the Lord doth provide to make his Gospell more glorious because hee giveth men hearts to suffer scorne and reproch for it To receive the word in affliction and yet with joy is an exemplary thing which maketh the sound and glory of the Gospell to spread abroad Now then if persecution bee thus an appendant to the Gospell every man must resolve to receive it in some affliction when he must be put to discard his wicked companies to shake off his flattering and sharking lusts to forsake his owne will and wayes to runne a hazard of undeserved scorne disreputation and misconstructions in the world and yet for all this to set an high price upon the pretious truths of the Gospell still is not this to receive the Word in much affliction And surely till a man can resolve upon this conclusion I am ready to be bound and to die for the name of Iesus I count not my life much lesse my liberty peace credit secular accommodations deare so I may finish my course with joy Lord my will is no more mine but it shall be in all things subject unto thee hee can never give such entertainment to the Word as becommeth so glorious a Gospell All his seeming profession and acceptation is but like the Gadarens courtesie in meeting of Christ which was onely to be rid of him Matth. 8.34 Lastly we should from hence learne a further Christian dutie which is to adorne this glorious Gospell in an holy conversation This use the Apostle every where makes of the Gospell of Christ that wee should walke as becommeth the Gospell that we should in all things adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour that we should walke worthy of him who hath called us unto his kingdome and glory that we shew forth the vertues of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light that we should not receive so great a grace as the ministery of reconciliation in vaine but that wee should walke sittingly to the holinesse and efficacie of so excellent a rule as becommeth a royall nation a people of glory a peculiar and selected inheritance even zealous of good workes It was once the expostulation of Nehemiah with his enemies should such a man as I flie from such men as you such should be our expostulation with Satan and our owne lusts should such men as wee are who have the Gospell of Christ for our rule conforme our selves unto another Law Is not this the end why the Gospell is preached that we should live unto God Doth it become the sonne of a King to goe in ragges or to converse with meane and ignoble persons Now by the Gospell we have that great honour and priviledge given us to be called the sons of God and shall we then walke as servants of Satan Would any Prince endure to see the heire of his crowne live in bondage to his own vassall and most hated enemie Herein is the greatest glory of the Gospell above the Law that it is a Law of life and libertie a Word which transformeth men into the Image of Christ and maketh them such as it requireth them to be So that to walke still according to the course of the world as we did before is as much as in us lies to make the Gospell as weake and unprofitable as the Law How doe you say we are wise saith the Prophet and the Law of the Lord is with us Certainely in vaine made he it the pen of the Scribe is in vaine That is the priviledge of having the oracles and ordinances of God committed unto us will doe us no more good if we walke unworthy of so great a grace than if those ordinances had never beene written or revealed to men Here then it is needfull to enquire in what manner we are to adorne and set forth the glory of the Gospell To this I answer that the first and greatest honour wee can doe unto the Gospell is to set it up in our hearts as our onely rule by which we are to walke that we preferre it above all our owne counsels and venture not to mingle it with the wisdome and reasonings of the flesh that wee raise up our conversation unto it and never bend it unto the crookednesse of our owne ends or rules As yee have received Christ Iesus the Lord so walke yee in him saith the Apostle that is fashion your conversation to the doctrine of Christ let that have the highest roome and the over-ruling suffrage in your hearts There is all wisdome in the Gospell it is able to make men wise unto salvation that is there is wisdome enough in it to compasse the uttermost and most difficult end And what can the reasonings of the flesh contribute to that which was all wisedome before and which can throughly furnish a man unto every good worke This glory Saint Paul though a man of great learning of strong intellectuals of a working and stirring spirit qualities very unapt to yeeld and be silent did at the very first revelation thereof give unto the Gospell Immediatly saith he I conferr'd not with flesh and bloud I did not compare the Gospell of Christ with the principles of my carnall wisdome I did not resolve to dispute against Gods grace or to conforme unto this mystery no farther than the precepts of mine owne reason or the coexistence of mine owne secular ends and preferments would allow but I captivated all my thoughts and laid downe all the weapons of the flesh at Christs feet resting onely on this Word as a treasury of wisdome and yeelding up my whole heart to be in all things ordered by this rule It is an horrible boldnesse in many men to wrest and torture and distinguish the Gospell into all shapes for their owne lusts sake As we see what shifts men will use to make the way of life broader than it is by looking upon it thorow their owne multiplying glasses what evasions and subterfuges sinne will finde out to escape by when the letter of the Word presseth sore upon them O how many sinnes might men escape how wonderfully might they improve the Image of Christ in their hearts if they did with David make the Law their counsellor and weigh every action which they goe about those especially which they have any motions of reluctancie in the spirit of their minde unto Non in statera dolosa consuetudinum sed in recta statera scripturarum not in the deceitfull balance of humane custome but in the balance of the Sanctuary the holy Scriptures If they would seriously remember that they must alwayes walke in Christ Coloss. 2.6 make him the rule the way the end the Judge the companion the assistant in all their workes that as the members of the body doe
they may blaspheme the name of God and his doctrine Fourthly the Gospell of Christ is honoured by the unitie of the Spirit and concurrent judgements and affections of men toward◠it When all the sincere prosessors thereof doe unanimously strive together and earnestly contend for it when all that ever have been or are acquainted therewith doe glorifie it with their suffrages and subscription Nemo omnes neminem omnes fefellere it must needs be a glorious Gospell if all that ever looked on it doe so conclude Nothing was ever able to deceive all men neither did so many ever combine to deceive others When the Philosophers severally strove for the precedence of their severall sects and every man after his owne order gave the next place unto Plato it was undoubtedly concluded that his was the most excellent because after their owne prejudice and personall respects it was honoured by the equall suffrages of all the rest How much more must the Gospell needes bee glorious which hath the joynt attestation of Angels and all holy men since the world began to honour it withall Therefore when the Apostle proveth the greatnesse of this heavenly mystery he useth a word which importeth the consent of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any doubt or by an universall confession Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse Doth it not much set forth the Glory of a Law that there should be so much wisedome power equitie majestie beautie in the face of it that every true subject in a Realme should concurre in a constant and uniforme love and obedience to it Let us therfore expresse the glory of the Gospell not only in our joynt confessions but in our united obedience thereunto and in our unanimous zeale and contention for it in our brotherly affections and compassions to one another therby for the schismes and disaffections of Christians bring much dishonour upon their holy profession which in all their miscariages doth ever by occasion of the unreasonablenesse of wicked men suffer together with them Therefore the Apostle from the unitie of Christ in himselfe concludeth that such he should be in his members too Is Christ divided hath he divers opinions or hath he the truth of God in respect of persons such as he is such should you bee likewise lest by your contentions you seeme to make another Christ or another Gospell than that which you have received Fifthly the Gospell of Christ is honoured in our studying of it and digging after it in our serious and painefull enquiries into the mysteries of it Saint Paul despised all other knowledge and shooke off every weight that he might presse forward with the more unwearied affections towards so excellent a treasure Surely if men had the spirit of the Apostle or of those blessed Angels which desire to pry into the Gospel of Christ they would not misse-spend so much pretious time in frothy and fruitlesse studies nor waste away that lampe of reason in their bosomes in empty and unnourishing blazes but would set more houres apart to looke into the patent of their salvation which is the booke of God and to acquaint themselves with Christ before-hand that when they come into his presence they may have the entertainement of friends and not of strangers Men that intend to travaile into forraigne kingdomes with any advantage to their parts or improvement of their experience doe before-hand season and prepare themselves with the language with some topographicall observations of the Countrey with some generall notions of the ingenie manners formes civilities entertainements of the natives there doe delight to converse with those men who are best learned in these or the like particulars Surely we al professe a journey to heaven a pilgrimage in this present world to have our conversation now where wee looke to have our everlasting abode with the Lord hereafter Now in the Gospell of Christ we have as it were a map a topographicall delineation of those glorious mansions which are there prepared for the Church we have a taste and description of the manners of that people we have some rudiments of the heavenly language in one word wee have abundantly enough not onely to prepare us for it but to enflame all the desires of our soule unto it even as exiles or captives desire to returne to their native Countrey Now then if wee no way regard to study it or acquaint our selves with it if wee seeme to desire the sight of Christ in heaven and when we may every day have a most blessed view of his face in the Glasse of his Gospel we turne away our eyes and regard it not we doe as good as proclaime to all the world that either our hopes of heaven are very slender or our care thereof little or none at all And this I take for a most undoubted truth that there is so much of the knowledge grace and spirit of Christ and through him of the Father in the holy Scriptures and those onely are the things which make heaven to bee the home and the hope of men as that whosoever neglecteth the study of them and suffereth the Scriptures to lye by him as a sealed booke would bee every whit as unwilling if heaven gates were wide open unto him to relinquish his portion in the earth and to spend his time in the fruition or contemplation of that glorious Countrey Lastly wee honour the Gospell when in our greatest distresses we make it our Altar of refuge our doore of escape the ground of all our hope and comfort the only anchor to stay our soules in any spiritual tempest the only staffe to leane upon in our greatest darkenesse What ever other carnall comforts men may for a time rejoyce in they will all prove but as a fire of sparkes or as a blaze of thornes which can yeeld no solid or abiding light unto the soule When sinners in Sion begin once to be affraid and to be surprized with the fearefulnesse of a guilty soule when the affrighted conscience shall put that dreadfull question in the Prophet to it selfe How can I dwell with devouring fire how can I dwell with everlasting burnings there will no other answere allay the scorching terrour thereof but that in the end of the same Chapter The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity A man may as soone drinke up the water of the sea with spunges or remove mountaines with one of his fingers as be able to draine out these close and incorporated sorrowes which together with sinne doe soake through the whole substance of the soule with vaine companie worldly imployments or youthfull pleasure All these doe but respite them for a time that they may returne the stronger But if thou wilt indeed be comforted sue out thy pardon flye to the court of mercy which is erected in the Gospell This was our Saviours argument to the man that was sicke of the Palsie Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be
forgiven thee There is no worldly affliction goeth closer to the life of a man than sickenesse and yet as in the midst of laughter the heart of a wicked man is sorrowfull because it is still under the guilt of sinne so in the midst of paine and sorrow the heart of a godly man may be cheerefull because his sinnes are forgiven To conclude this point we may for our better encouragement in so necessary a dutie lay together these considerations First in point of honour we should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell for the Gospell is a Christians Glorie and therefore ought to bee preserved in his heart as his chiefest priviledge The Spirit of God will not endure to have holy things profaned as if they were common or uncleane Belshazzer converted the consecrated vessels of the Temple into instruments of luxurie and intemperance but the Lord temper'd his wine with dregges and made them prove unto him as cups of trembling and astonishment Herod polluted the sepulchers of the Saints with a sacrilegious search of treasures presum'd to have beene there hidden and God made fire rise out of the earth to devoure the over-busie searchers Antiochus ransack'd the Temple of the Lord Heliodorus emptied the treasures of their consecrated monies Pompey defiled the Sabbath and the Sanctuarie Crassus robb'd the house of God of ten thousand talents But inquire into the event of these insolencies and we shall finde that true then of which latter ages have given many examples and are still likely to give more that stollen bread hath gravell in it to choake those that devoure it that ruine is ever the childe of sacrilege that mischiefe setteth a period to the lives and designes of prophane men Now then if the Lord were thus jealous for the types of his Gospell how thinke wee can he endure to see the Gospell it selfe dishonoured by an unsuteable profession or the bloud of the Covenant trampled under foot as if it were a common or uncleane thing In the contempt of the Gospell there is more dishonour done unto every person of the blessed Trinity than can be by any other sinne An undervaluing of the Fathers wisdome that great mysterie and counsell of redemption which was hidden from former ages and what an indignity is it unto him for a man to shut out the light of the sunne that so hee may enjoy that pittifull benefit of darkenesse to gaze upon the false glistering of rotten wood or of earthly slime the deceit wherof would bee by the true light discovered And undervaluing of his wonderfull love as if he had put himselfe unto a needlesse compassion and might have kept it still in his owne bosome A scorne unto the Sonne of God when wee suffer him to stand at our doores with his locks wet with the dew of heaven to put his finger into the hole of the locke as if he desired to steale an entrance upon the soule to emptie to humble to denie himselfe to suffer the wrongs of men and the wrath of God and after all this to have that pretious bloud which was squeezed out with such woefull agonies counted no other than the bloud of a common malefactor nor that sacred body which was thus broken discerned from the bodies of the theeves which were crucified with him An indignitie beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Grace when wee suffer him to waite daily at our Bethesda our houses of mercy and all in vaine to spend his sacred breath in the ministerie of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our soules that we would be contented to bee saved and we shall harden our hearts and stop our eares and set up the pride and stoutnesse of our owne reasonings till wee doe even wearie him and chide him away from us Now this is a certaine rule God will not lose any honour by mens sinnes if they refuse to give him the glory of his mercy he will shew the glory of his Power and justice in treading downe the proud enemies of Christ under his feet As they that honour him shall be honoured so they who cast any disgrace upon his truth and covenant shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Secondly to avoid Scandall The Gospell is the light of a nation And sinnes in the light as they are committed with more impudence so likewise with more offence An offence or scandall tending unto sinne in misguiding the weake in heartening and confirming the obdurate in opening the mouthes of adversaries to revile our holy profession and a scandall tending unto sorrow in wounding the hearts of the godly and vexing their righteous spirits with a filthy conversation Thirdly wee should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell even in respect to the state for the Gospell is the foundation of true peace and tranquility in a common-weale and those who shew forth the power thereof are as it were Lions about the Throne of their King By righteousnesse the Throne is established but sinne is a reproch unto any people One Ioseph in Egypt is a store-house to all the kingdome one Elisha an armie of chariots and of horsemen unto Israel one Moses a fence to keepe out an â—oundation of wrath which was breaking in upon the people one Paul an haven an anchor a deliverance to all that were in the ship with him And now Si stellae cadunt venti sequentur If the starres fall we must needes looke for tempests to ensue if the salt be infatuated we cannot looke that any thing should be long preserved If Christians live as if they had no Gospell or as if they had another Gospell what can wee expect but that God should either plague us or forsake us either send his judgements or curse his blessings Lastly the Gospell makes sinne more filthy if it doe not purge it as a taper in the hand of a Ghost makes him seeme more gastly than he was before Sweet ointment causeth ranke and strong bodies to smell worse than they did before So the sweet savour of the Gospell maketh the sinnes of men more noisome and odious in the nostrils of the Almightie And therefore wee see what a fearefull doome the Apostle pronounceth against those who having tasted of the good Spirit of God and been illightened and in some sort affected with his grace doe yet afterwardâ— fall away even an impossibilitie of repentance or renovation From which place perversly wrested though the Novatians of old did gather a desperate and uncomfortable conclusion that sinne committed after regeneration was absolutely unpardonable to avoide the danger of which damnable and damning doctrine some have boldly questioned both the Author and authenticalnesse of that Epistle yet all these inferences being denied wee learne from thence this plaine observation That precedent Illumination from the Gospell of Christ doth tend much to the aggravation of those sinnes which are committed against it And therefore in all
these considerations we should labor to walke worthy of so glorious a Gospell and of so great a salvation Thus have we at large spoken of the Rod of Christs strength as it is Insigne regium or Sceptrum majestatis an Ensigne and Rod of Majestie we are now to speake a little of it as it is Pedum pastorale an episcopall Rod which denoteth much heedfulnesse and tender care This is the Precept which the Apostle giveth unto the Pastors of the Church that they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take speciall heed to all the flocke over which the holy Ghost had made them overseers And the Apostle againe reckoneth Vigilancie or care over the flocke amongst the principall characters of a bishop and hee professeth of himselfe that there did daily lye upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Care of all the Churches And this consideration affordeth us another note out of the words namely That Christ in the ministerie of his Gospell and dispensation of his spirit is full of care and tendernesse towards his Church This Christ maketh one maine point of opposition betweene himselfe and hirelings that these Care not for the flock but suffer the Woolfe to come and to scatter them while they fly away whereas hee keepeth them that none may bee lost and prayeth unto the Father to keepe them through his owne name The Lord committed the Church unto Christ as their Head gave them into his hands not as an ordinary gift wherein he did relinquish his owne interest in them or care of them for hee careth for them still but as a blessed depositum entrusted them with him as the choicest of his Iewels as the most pretious casket amongst all the treasures of the Creation that he should polish preserve present them faultlesse and without spot before the presence of his glory at the last day And for this purpose hee gave him a Commandement of the greatest care and tendernesse that ever the world knew that hee should lay downe his life for his sheepe and should lose nothing of all that was given him but should raise it up at the last day So that now want of care or compassion of Christ towards his Church would be an argument of unfaithfulnesse If he had not been a mercifull high priest neither could he have beene faithfull to him that appointed him for he was appointed to bee mercifull and was by the Spirit of God filled with most tender affections and qualified with an heart fuller of compassion than the sea is of waters that he might commiserate the distresses of his people and take care of their salvations Notably doth this Care of Christ shew it selfe First in the apportioning and measuring forth to every oâ—e his due dimensum and in the midst of those infinite occasions and exigencies of his severall members in providing such particular passages of his Word as may be thereunto most exactly sutable for this sheweth that his Care reacheth unto particular men It is the dutie of a faithfull bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make such a difference betweene men and so to divide or distribute the word aright as that every one may have the portion which is due unto him some are but Lambes in Christs flocke young tender weake easily offended or affrighted others sheepe growne up to more strength and maturity some in his garner are but Cummin seede others Fitches and some harder corne some can but beare a little Rod others a greater staffe or flaile and some the pressure of a Cart wheele that which doth but cleanse some would batter and breake others into pieces some are great with young in the pangs of a loaded conscience in the travaile under some sore affliction or in the throwes of a bitter repentance as it were in fits of breeding or new forming of Christ in their soule and these hee leadeth with a gentle hand Others are as it were new borne past their paines but yet very tender weake and fearefull and these he gathers with his arme and carries in his bosome shewes them that his care doth not onely reach unto the least of his kingdome but that his compassions are most enlarged to those that are too weake to helpe themselves that hee hath brests of consolation to satisfie and delight with abundance the smallest infant of his kingdome Some are broken-hearted and those he bindeth some are captives to those hee proclaimeth liberty some are mourners in Sion and for them he hath beautie and oile of joy and garments of praise some are bruized reedes whom every curse or commination is able to crush and some are smoaking flax whom every temptation is able to discourage and yet even these doth hee so carefully tend and furnish with such proportionable supplies of his Spirit of grace as makes that seede and sparkle of holinesse which hee began in them get up above all their owne feares or their enemies machinations and grow from a judgement of truth and sincerity as it is called by the Prophet unto a judgement of victory and perfection as it is turned by the Evangelist In one word some are strong and others are weake the strong hee feedeth the weake he cureth the strong hee confirmeth the weake hee restoreth hee hath trials for the strong to exercise their graces and hee hath cordials for the weake to strengthen theirs According unto the severall estates and unto the secret demands of each members condition so doth the Care of Christ severally shew it selfe towards the same in his Word there is provision for any want medicine for any disease comforts for any distresse promises for any faith answeres to any doubt directions in any difficulty weapons against any temptation preservatives against any sinne restoratives against lapse garments to cover my nakednesse meate to satisfie my hunger physicke to cure my diseases armour to protect my person a treasure to provide for my posteritie If I am rich I have there the wisedome of God to instruct me and if I am poore I have there the obligations of God to enrich mee If I am honourable I have there the sight of my sins to make me vile and rules of moderation to make me humble If I am of low degree I have there the Communion and consanguinitie of Christ the participation of the divine nature the adoption of God the Father to make me noble If I am learned I have there a law of charitie to order it unto edification and if I am unlearned I have there a Spirit which searcheth the deepe things of God which can give wisedome unto the simple which can reveale secrets unto babes which can command light to shine out of darknes which can give the light of the knowledge of the glory fulnesse and love of God in the face of Iesus Christ which can make me though ignorant of all other things to learne Christ in whom there is more
wisdome more various and admirable curiositie more filling and plentifull satisfaction more proportion to the boundlesse desires of a soule once rectified more fruit and salvation which should bee the end of every Christian mans learning than in all other knowledge which either past or present ages can afford In one word every where and in all things I am there taught how to want and how to abound and how to do all things through Christ that strengthens me A Christian can be set in no estate wherein the abundant Care of Christ over him is not in the Gospell wonderfully magnified And commonly in the greatest straits he sheweth the greatest care as waters runne strongest in the narrowest passages when we walk in darknesse and have no light when we seeke water and there is none and our tongue faileth for thirst then is his fittest time to helpe us and then is our fittest time to stay upon him Israel were deliverd by miracles of mercy from their Egyptian bondage and in the wildernesse conducted by a miraculous presence and fed with Angels food Isaak was upon the Altar and then in the mount was the Lord seene and his mercy stepped in betweene the knife and the sacrifice Iacob in great feare of his brother Esau and then comforted by prevailing with an Angell which was stronger than Esau. Peter in sorest distresse for denying Christ and he the first man to whom Christ sent newes of his Resurrection Paul in the shippe visited by an Angell Peter in prison delivered by an Angell The distressed woman at Christs Sepulcher comforted by an Angell Such as the extremities of the Saints are such is Christs care for their deliverances And this Care is further commended that it proceedeth solely from the grace and compassion of Christ there is no affection naturally in us to desire it there is no vertue in us to deserve it when we were in our bloud well pleased with our owne pollution hee doubled his goodnesse and used a kinde of violence and importunitie of mercy to make us live when we did not seeke after him when wee did not so much as aske whether hee were fit to bee sought when wee were aliens from his Covenant and strangers to his name hee even then multiplied his invitations unto us I said behold mee behold me unto a people that were not called by my name When we were weake full of impotencie when wee were sinners full of antipathy when we were enemies full of obstinacie and rebellion when wee cared not for him but turned our backes and stopped our eares and suffered him to throw away in vaine so many Sermons so many Sacraments so many mercies so many afflictions upon us when we cared not for our selves no man repented or said what have I done even then did hee magnifie his compassion towards us hee cared for us when we neglected our selves and despised him he bestowed his mercy not onely upon the unthankfull but upon the injurious But then a little compassion is enough for those that had deserved none for those that had provoked scorne and displeasure against themselves but herein is the care and tendernesse of Christ abundantly magnified that it hath in it all the ingredients of a most soveraigne mercy that nothing more could have beene done than he hath done for us First for the foundation and original of al mercy there is in him an overflowing of love without stint or measure a turning of heart a rouling and sounding of bowels a love which surpasseth all knowledge which is aâ— much beyond the thoughts or comprehensions as it is above the merits of men Secondly there is a studie and inquisitivenesse how to doe good a debating within himselfe a consulting and projecting how to shew mercy an arguing as it were of his grace with mans sinne and his owne severitie How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together True it is thou hast beene unto me as the Rulers of Sodome and as the people of Gomorrah But shall I be unto thee as I have beene unto them Am I not God and not man shall I change my Covenant because thou hast multiplied thy backslidings The Lord useth such humane expressions of his proceedings with men as if their sinnes had put him to a stand and brought him to difficulties in shewing mercy I said how shall I put thee amongst the children and give thee a pleasant Land c. Thy case is very desperate and thou hast stopped up the courses of my mercy towards thy selfe how then shall I make good my resolutions of compassion towards those that reject and nullifie it to themselves surely there is no way but one to over-rule the hearts of obstinate sinners that they may not turne away any more Thou shalt call mee my Father that is I will put filial affections awful thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from mee I will melt them and trie them saith the Lord for how shall I doe for the daughter of my people The Lord setteth himselfe to study and contrive mercie for his people that as they set up their sinnes as it were in pride to pose his Covenant so he gathereth together his thoughts of mercy as it were to conquer their sinnes Thirdly there is constancie and continuance in this his Care His mercy endureth his compassions faile not but are renewed every morning And therefore the mercies of David that is of Christ for so he is called or the mercies of the Covenant made with David are called Sure mercies they have a foundation the everlasting love and counsell of God upon which they are built they have many seales by which they are confirmed the faithfulnesse the immutabilitie and the oath of God If there were not continuance in his mercies if he were not the same yesterday and to day and for ever in his truth and fidelitie to his Church if hee should change and turne from us as oft as we forsake him if he should leave us in the hand of our owne counsell and not afford us such daily supplies of his Spirit as might support us against the ruinous disposition of our owne nature wee should be children of wrath every day anew But herein doth the abundant care of Christ in the Gospell declare it selfe unto us that though we are wormes in our selves full of weaknesse and of earthly affections yet God hath a right-hand of righteousnesse which can uphold us that though we are bent to back-sliding yet he is God and not man unchangeable in his Covenant with the Persons almighty in his power and mercy towards the sinnes of men both to cover them with his righteousnesse and to cure them by his Spirit both to forgive for the time past
dispensation toward one and other the giving of saving knowledge to one people and with-holding it from others was not grounded upon any preceding differences and dispositions thereunto in the people but onely in the Love of God The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to bee a speciall people unto himselfe above all people that are upon the face of the earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because yee were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you c. The Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse for you art a stiffe-necked people Your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood mold time and they served other gods There was no difference betweene them and the Gentiles from whom I gathered them Fiftly that the Gospell was hidden from others in God his owne will and counsell was the cause of it Hee forbad men to goe into the cities of the Gentiles neither were they to goe unto them without a speciall gift and commission The same Beneplacitum was the reason of revealing it to some and of hiding it from others Even so ô father for so it seemed good in thy sight If all these particulars bee true needs must we both admire the inscrutablenesse of Gods judgments towards the Gentiles of old for no humane presumptions are a fit measure of the wayes and severities of God towards sinners And also everlastingly adore his Compassions towards us whom hee hath reserved for these times of light and out of the alone unsearchable riches of his grace hath together with principalities and powers in heavenly places made us to see what is the fellowship of that great mysterie which from the beginning of the world was hidden in himselfe Thirdly in that the Lord doth send forth the Gospell of Christ out of Sion into the world wee may further observe that the Gospell is a Message and an invitation from heaven unto men For for that end was it sent that thereby men might bee invited and perswaded to salvation The Lord sendeth his Sonne up and down carrieth him from place to place he is set forth before mens eyes he comes and stands and calls knocks at their doores and beseecheth them to bee reconciled Hee setteth his word before us at our doores and in our mouths and eares He hath not erected any standing sanctuary or city of refuge for men to fly for their salvations unto but hath appointed Ambassadors to carry this treasure unto mens houses where hee inviteth them and intreateth them and requireth them and commandeth them and compelleth them to come into his feast of mercy And this must needs bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unsearchable riches of grace for mercy pardon preferment life salvation to goe a begging and sue for acceptance and very unsearchable likewise must needs bee the love of sinne and madnesse of folly in wicked men to trample upon such pearles and to neglect so great salvation when it is tendered unto them O what a heavy charge will it bee for men at the last day to have the mercy of God the humility of Christ the entreaties of his Spirit the proclamations of pardon the approches of salvation the dayes the years the ages of peace the ministers of the word the booke of God the great Mysterie of Godlinesse to rise up in judgement and to testifie against their soules Lastly in that the Gospell is sent from God the Dispencers thereof must looke unto their mission and not intrude upon so sacred a businesse before they are thereunto called by God Now this call is twofold Extraordinary by immediate instinct and revelation from God which is ever accompanied with immediate and infused gifts of this wee doe not now speake And Ordinary by imposition of hands and Ecclesiasticall designation Whereunto there are to concurre three things First an Act of Gods providence casting a man upon such a course of studies and fashioning his minde unto such affections towards learning and disposing of him in such Schooles and Colleges of the Prophets as are congruons preparations and were appointed for nurseries and seminaries of Gods Church It is true many things fall under Gods providence which are not within his allowance and therefore it is no sufficient argument to conclude Gods consent or commission in this office because his wisedome hath cast mee upon a collegiate education But when therewithall hee in whose hands the hearts of all men are as clay or wax to bee moulded into such shapes as the counsell of his will shall order hath bended the desires of my heart to serve him in his Church and hath set the strongest delight of my minde upon those kindes of learning which are unto that service most proper and conducent when measuring either the good will of my heart or the appliablenesse of my parts by this and other professions of learning I can cleerly conclude that that measure and proportion which the Lord hath given mee is more suteable unto this than other learned callings I suppose other qualifications herewith concurring a man may safely from thence conclude that God who will have every man live in some profitable calling doth not onely by his providence permit but by his secret direction lead him unto that service whereunto the measure of gifts which he hath conferred upon him are most suteable and proper And therefore secondly there is to bee respected in this Ordinary mission the meet qualification of the person who shall bee ordained unto this ministerie For if no Prince will send a mechanick from his loome or his sheers in an honorable Embassage to some other forraigne Prince shall wee thinke that the Lord will send forth stupid and unprepared instruments about so great a worke as the perfecting of the Saints and Edification of the Church It is registred for the perpetuall dishonor of that wicked King Ieroboam who made no other use of any Religion but as a secondary bye thing to bee the supplement of policie that he made of the Lowest of the People those who were really such as the Apostles were falsly esteemed to be the scumme and offscouring of men to bee Priests unto the Lord. Now the Qualities more directly and essentially belonging unto this office are these two Fidelitie and Abilitie The things saith the Apostle which thou hast heard of amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithfull men who shall bee able to teach others also Wee are stewards of no meaner a gift than the Grace of God and the Wisedome of God that grace which by S. Peter is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold Grace and that wisedome which by S. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifold wisedome of God Wee are the depositaries and dispencers of the most pretious treasures which were ever opened unto the
first workes lest so excellent a priviledge be removed from us There is no wrath that is wrath to the uttermost but that which depriveth a people of the Gospell and taketh away their Candlesticke from them Thirdly it notes unto us the difference of the two covenants the one out of Sinai and the other out of Sion At first the Law proceeded out of Sinai wherein though the end were merciful yet the manner was terrible and therfore the effect nothing but bondage but after it was sent out of Sion with the Spirit of grace and adoption observed with cheerefulnesse and libertie as by those that know God will spare them as a man spareth his childe that serveth him for in my bond-slave I looke to the perfection of the worke but in my son to the affection and disposition of the heart Lastly it notes unto us that the seat of saving truth the custodie of the promises and Gospell of salvation doth still belong unto Sion to the Church of God Out of the Church there is no Gospell and therefore out of the Church there is no salvation The Apostle saith of children which are borne out of the Church that they are uncleane unto the Church above all congregations of men belongeth this excellent priviledge to be the Treasurer of the riches of Christ and to hold forth the Word of life unto men In which sense the Apostle saith that it is the pillar and the ground of truth not that which giveth being to the Church for the Law must not faile nor perish nor that which giveth authoritie imposeth a sense canonizeth and maketh authenticall is a judge or absolute determiner of the truth for in that sense the Church is held up by the Word and not that by it for the Church is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles namely upon that fundamentall doctrine which they have laid But the Church is the depositary of the truth that orbe out of which this glorious light shines forth unto it appertaines the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Her office and her honour it is to be the Candlesticke which holdeth up the Word of truth to set to her seale unto the evidence and excellencie thereof by her ministery authority consent and countenance to conciliate respect thereunto in the mindes of aliens and to confirme it in the mindes of beleevers to fasten the nailes and points thereof like masters of the assemblies under one principall Shepherd which is Christ in the hearts of men not to dishonour it by their usurped authority above it for by that meanes all controversies of religions are turned not into contentions of doctrine that that may be rested in which doth appeare to have in it most intrinsecall majestie spiritualnesse and evidence but into factions and emulations of men that that sect may bee rested in who can with most impudence and ostentation arrogate an usurped authority to themselves but by their willing submission thereunto to credit it in the affections of men and to establish others in the love and obedience thereunto for the authoritie of the Church is not Autoritas jurisdictionis an authority of jurisdiction above the Scriptures but onely Autoritas muneris an authoritie of dispensation and of trust to proclaime exhibite present the truth of God unto the people to point to the starre which is directed unto by the finger but is seene by the evidence of its owne light To hold forth as a pasquill or pillar that Law and Proclamation of Christ the contents whereof we discover out of it selfe In one word that place sheweth the duty of the Church to preserve knowledge and to shew forth the truth of sacred Scriptures out of themselves but not any infallibilitie in it selfe or authority over others to binde their consciences to assent unto such expositions of Scripture as derive not their evidence from the harmonie and analogie of the Scriptures themselves but only from Ipse dixit because the Church hath spoken it To conclude this point we are to note for the cleere understanding of the office of the Church concerning the holy Scriptures First that some things therein are Hard to be understood as Saint Peter speakes either by reason of their allegoricall and figurative expressions as the visions of Ezekiel Daniel Zechary c. or by reason of the obscure and strange connexion of one part with another or of the dependance thereof upon forren learning or the like but then we must note that the knowledge of such things as these are not of absolute necessitie unto salvation for though the perverting of hard places be damnable as Saint Peter telleth us yet that ignorance of them which groweth out of their owne obscurity and not out of our neglect is not damnable Secondly some things have evidence enough in the termes that expresse them but yet are Hard to be beleeved by reason of the supernaturall quality of them As when we say that Christ was the Sonne of a Virgin or that he died and rose againe there is no difficultie in the sense of these things it is easily understood what he that affirmeth them doth meane by them All the difficultie is to bring the minde to give assent unto them Thirdly some things though easie in their sense to be understood and it may be easie likewise in their nature to be beleeved are yet Hard to be obeyed and practised as repentance and forsaking of sinne c. Now according unto these differences wee may conceive of the office and power which the Church hath in matters of holy Scripture First for hard places in regard of the sense and meaning of the place it is the dutie of the Church to open them to Gods people with modestie and moderation and therein God alloweth the learned a Christian libertie with submission of their opinions alwayes to the spirits of the Prophets so long as they doe therein nothing contrary to the Analogie of faith to the generall peace and unity of the Church to the rules of charitie pietie loyaltie and sobrietie to abound in their owne sense and to declare for the further edifying of the Church what they conceive to be in such difficult places principally intended And further than this no Church nor person can goe for if unto any man or chaire there were annexed an infallible spirit enabling him to give such a cleere and indubitate exposition of all holy Scriptures as should leave no inevidence in the Text nor hesitancie in the mindes of men how comes it to passe that hitherto so many difficulties remaine wherein even our Adversaries amongst themselves doe give severall conjectures and explications and how can that man to whom so excellent a gift of infallibilitie is bestowed cleere himselfe of envie and abuse of the grace of God who maketh not use thereof to expound the Scriptures
and to compose those differences thereabouts which doe so much perplex the world Secondly for those places which in their meaning are easie to be understood but in their excellent and high nature hard to be beleeved as all Articles of faith and things of absolute necessitie are in their termes perspicuous but in their heavenly nature unevident unto humane reason the office of the Church is not to binde mens consciences to beleeve these truths upon her authoritie for wee have not dominion over the faith of men neither are we lords in Christs flock and how shal any scrupulous minde which is desirous to boult things to the bran be secure of the power which the Church in this case arrogates or have any certaintie that this society of men must be beleeved in their religion who will allow the same honor to no society of men but thēselves But in this case the office of the Church is both to labour by al good means to evidence the credibility of the things which are to be beleeved to discover unto men those essentiall and intimate beauties of the Gospel which to spirituall mindes and hearts raised to such a proportionable pitch of capacitie as are suteable to the excellency of their natures are apt to evidence and notifie themselves and also to labour to take men off from dependance on their owne reason or corrupted judgement to worke in their heart an experience of the Spirit of grace and an obedience to those holy truths which they already assent unto with which preparations and perswasions the heart being possessed will in due time come to observe more cleerely by that spirituall eye the evidence of those things which were at first so difficult so then the Act of the Church is in matters of faith an act of introduction and guidance but that which begetteth the infallible and unquestionable assent of faith is that spirituall taste relish and experience of the heavenly sweetnesse of divine doctrine which by the ministery of the Church accompanied with the speciall concurrence of almighty God therewithall is wrought in the heart for it is only the Spirit of God which writeth the Law in mens hearts which searcheth the things of God and which maketh us to know them Thirdly for those places which are difficult rather to be obeyed than to be understood The worke of the Church is to enforce upon the conscience the necessitie of them to perswade rebuke exhort encourage with all authority Which should teach us all to love the Church of Christ and to pray for the peace and prosperity of the walls of Sion for the purity spiritualnesse power and countenance of the Word therein which is able to hold up its owne honour in the minds of men if it be but faithfully published we should therefore studie to maintaine to credit to promote the Gospell to encourage truth discountenance errour to stand in the gap against all the stratagems and advantages of the enemies thereof and to hold the candlestick fast amongst us to buy the truth and sell it not betray it not forsake it not temper it not misguize it not This is to be a pillar to put the shoulder under the Gospell of Christ. And surely though the Papists boast of the word and name of the Church as none more apt to justifie and brag of their sobrietie than those whom the wine hath overtaken yet the plaine truth is they have farre lesse of the nature thereof than any other Churches because farre lesse of the pure service and ministration thereof for in stead of holding forth the Word of life they pull it downe denying unto the people of Christ the use of his Gospell dimidiating the use of his Sacrament breeding them up in an ignorant worship to begge they know not what in all points disgracing the Word of truth and robbing it of its certaintie sufficiencie perspicuitie authoritie purity energie in the minds of men And this is certain the more any set themselves against the light and generall knowledge of the Word of truth the lesse of the nature of the Church they have in them what-ever ostentations they may make of the name thereof The last thing observed in this second verse amongst the regalities of Christ was Imperium his rule and government in his Church by his holy Word maugre all the attempts and machinations of the enemies thereof against it Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies that is Thou shalt rule safely securely undisturbedly without danger feare or hazard from the enemies round about their counsels shall be infatuated their purposes shall vanish their decrees shall not stand their persecutions shall but sow the bloud of Christ and the ashes of Christians the thicker they shall see it and gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues and be horribly amazed at the emulation and triumph of a Christians sufferings over the malice and wrath of men The kingdome of Christ is two-fold His kingdome of glory of which there shall be no end when hee shall rule over his enemies and tread them under his feet and his kingdome of grace whereby hee ruleth amongst his enemies by the scepter of his Word And this is the kingdome here spoken of noting unto us that Christ will have a Church and people gathered unto him by the preaching of his Gospell on the earth maugre all the malice power or policie of all his enemies Never was Satan so loose never heresie and darknesse so thicke never persecution so prevalent never the taile of the Dragon so long as to sweepe away all the Starres of heaven or to devoure the remnant of the womans seed The gates of hell all the policie power and machinations of the kingdome of darknesse shall never root out the Vine which the Father hath planted nor prevaile against the body of Christ. His Gospell must be preached till the worlds end and till then he will be with it to give it successe Though the Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers gather together against the Lord and his Christ yet they imagine but a vaine thing and hee that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorne The grounds of the certainetie and perpetuitie of Christs Evangelicall Kingdome is not the nature of the Church in it selfe consider'd either in the whole or parts for Adam and Evah were a Church at first a people that were under the law of obedience and worship of God and yet they fell away from that excellent condition And the Prophet tels us that except the Lord had left a very small remnant the Church had beene all as Sodom and like to Gomorrah But the grounds hereof are First The Decree ordination and appointment of God Psal. 2.7 Acts 10.42 Hebr. 3.2 and wee know what ever men project the counsell of the Lord must stand Secondly Gods Gift unto Christ Aske of mee and I wil give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. Ps. 2.8
his race shall the succession increase and armies of the Church of God bee continually supplied The words thus unfolded doe containe in them a lively Character of the subjects in Christs spirituall Kingdome Described first by their Relation to him and his propriety to them Thy People Secondly by their present condition intimated in the word Willing or Voluntaries and if wee take Thy People and Armies for Synonymous termes The one notifying the order and quality of the other expressed in the Text and that is to bee military men Thirdly by their through and universall resignation subjection and devotednesse unto him For when he conquereth by his word his conquest is wrought upon the wills and affections of men Victorque volentes Per populos dat jura Thy people shall bee willing The ground of which willingnesse is further added for so chiefly I understand those words The Day of thy Power So that the willingnesse of Christs subjects is effected by the power of his grace and Spirit in the revelation of the Gospell Fourthly By their honorable attire and military robes in which they appeare before him and attend upon him In Beauties of Holinesse or in the various and manifold graces of Christ as in a garment of diverse colours Fiftly and lastly by their age multitudes and manner of their birth They are the Dew of the morning as many as the small drops of dew and they are borne to him out of the wombe of the morning as dew is generated not on the earth but in the aire by a Heavenly calling and by the shining of the morning-starre and day-spring upon their consciences Yee are all the Children of light saith the Apostle and the Children of the day wee are not of the night nor of darknesse 1 Thess. 5.5 I said before that I approve not the mincing and crumbling of Holy Scriptures Yet in these parts of them which are written for models and summaries of Christian Doctrine I suppose there may bee weight in every word as in a rich Iewell there is worth in every sparkle Here then first wee may take notice of Christs Propriety to his people Thy people All the Elect and Beleevers doe belong unto Christ. They are His People They are his Owne sheepe There is a mutuall and reciprocall propriety between him and them I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine His desire is towards mee His I say not as hee is God onely by a right of inseparable dominion as wee are his creatures For all things were created by him and for him And hee is over all God blessed for ever Nor his onely as hee is the first-borne and the heire of all things In which respect hee is Lord of the Angels and God hath set him over all the workes of his hands But as he is the mediator and head in his Church In which respect the faithfull are his by a more peculiar propriety Wee are thine thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy name The Devils are his Vassals The wicked of the world his prisoners The faithfull onely are his subjects and followers His Iewels his Friends his Brethren his Sonnes his Members his Spouse His by all the relations of intimatenesse that can bee named Now this Propriety Christ hath unto us upon severall grounds First by Constitution and Donation from his Father God hath made him Lord and Christ. Hee hath put all things under his feete and hath given him to bee Head over all things to the Church Aske of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Behold I and the Children whom thou hast given mee Thine they were and thou gavest them to mee For as in regard of Gods Iustice we were bought by Christ in our redemption so in regard of his love wee were given unto Christ in our election that hee might redeeme us Secondly by a right of purchase treaty and covenant betweene Christ and his Father For wee having sold away our selves and being now in the enemies possession could not bee restored unto our primitive estate without some intervening price to redeeme us Therefore saith the Apostle hee was made under the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee might Buy out those that were under the Law And againe yee are Bought with a price Hee was our surety and stood in our stead and was set forth to declare the righteousnesse of God God dealt in grace with us but in justice with him Thirdly by a right of conquest and deliverance Hee hath plucked us out of our enemies hands hee hath dispossessed and spoiled those that ruled over us before he hath delivered us from the power of Satan and translated us into his owne Kingdome wee are his free men hee onely hath made us free from the Law of sinne and death and hath rescued us as spoiles out of the hands of our enemies and therefore wee are become his servants and owe obedience unto him as our Patron and deliverer As the Gibeonites when they were delivered from the sword of the children of Israel were thereupon made hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation So wee being rescued out of the hands of those tyrannous Lords which ruled over us doe now owe service and subjection unto him that hath so mercifully delivered us Being made free from sinne saith the Apostle ye become the Servants of Righteousnesse And wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherin we were held that wee should serve in newnesse of Spirit And againe Hee died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe Fourthly by covenant and stipulation I entred into covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Therefore in our Baptisme we are said to bee Baptized into Christ and to put on Christ and to bee Baptized into his name that is wholy to consecrate and devote our selves to him as the servants of his family Therefore they which were Baptized in the ancient Church were wont to put on white rayment as it were the Liverie and Badge of Christ a Testimony of that purity and service which therein they vowed unto him And therefore it is that wee still retaine the ancient forme of vow promise or profession in Baptisme which was to renounce the Devill and all his works the world with the pompe luxury and pleasures thereof And this is done in a most solemne and deliberate manner by way of answere to the question and demand of Christ. For which purpose S. Peter calleth Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Answere or the interrogative triall of a good conscience towards God Hee that conformeth himselfe to the fashions and setteth his heart upon the favors preferment empty applause and admiration of the world that liveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
into pleasant fruit Againe if a man be one of Christs people then there hath a day of power passed over him the sword of the Spirit hath entred into him hee hath beene conquered by the rod of Christs strength he hath felt Iohns axe laid to the root of his conscience and hath beene perswaded by the terrour of the Lord for the comming of Christ is with shaking the conscience hath felt a mightie operation in the Word though to other men it hath passed over like emptie breath for the Word worketh effectually in those that beleeve and bringeth about the purposes for which it was sent To those that are called it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.22 Againe where Christ comes he comes with beautie and holinesse those who lay in their bloud and pollutions before bare naked are made exceeding beautifull and renowned for their beauty perfect through the comelines which he puts upon them He comes unto the soule with beauty and pretious oile and garments of praise that is with comfort joy peace healing to present the Church a Holy Church without spot or wrinckle to his Father Lastly where Christ commeth he commeth with a wombe of the morning with much light to acquaint the soule with his truth and promises and with much fruitfulnesse making the heart which was barren before to flow with rivers of living water to bring forth fruit more and more and to abound in the workes of the Lord. These are the particular evidences of our belonging to Christ in the Text and by these we must examine our selves Doe I finde in my soule the new name of the Lord Iesus written that I am not onely in title but in truth a Christian Doe I finde the secret nature and figure of Christ fashioned in mee swaying mine heart to the love and obedience of his holy wayes Doe I heare the voice and feele the hand and judicature of his blessed Spirit within me leading me in a new course ordering mine inner man sentencing and crucifying mine earthly members Am I a serious and earnest enemie to my originall lusts and closest corruptions Doe I feele the workings and kindlings of them in mine heart with much paine and mourning with much humiliation for them and deprecation against them Is Christ my center Doe I finde in mine heart a willingnesse to be with him as well here in his word wayes promises directions comforts yea in his reproches and persecutions as hereafter in his glory Is it the greatest businesse of my life to make my selfe more like him to walke as he also walked to be as he was in this world to purifie my selfe even as he is pure Hath the terrour of his wrath perswaded me and shaken my conscience out of its carnall securitie and made me looke about for a refuge from the wrath to come and esteeme more beautifull than the morning brightnesse the feet of those who bring glad tidings of deliverance and peace Hath his Gospell an effectual seminall vertue within me to new forme my nature and life daily unto his heavenly Image Is it an ingrafted word which mingleth with my conscience and hideth it selfe in my heart actuating determining moderating and over-ruling it to its owne way Am I cleansed from my filthinesse carefull to keepe my selfe chaste comely beautifull a fit spouse for the fairest of ten thousand Doe I rejoyce in his light walking as a childe of light living as an heire of light going on like the Sunne unto the perfect day labouring to abound alwayes in the work of the Lord Then I may have good assurance that I belong unto Christ. And if so that will be a seminary of much comfort to my soule For first if we are Christs then he careth for us for propriety is the ground of care Hee that is an hireling saith our Saviour and not the shepherd whose owne the sheepe are not seeth the wolfe comming and leaveth the sheepe c. Because hee is an hireling he careth not for the sheepe But I am the good Shepherd and know my sheepe and am knowne of mine because they are mine therefore I am carefull of them He watcheth over us he searcheth and seeketh us out in our stragglings and feedeth us This is the principall argument we have to beleeve that God will looke upon us for good notwithstanding our manifold provocations because he is pleased to owne us and to take us as his owne peculiar people Though the Church be full of ruines yet because it is his own house he will repaire it though it be blacke aswell as comely yet because it is his owne Spouse he will pitie and cherish it though it bring forth wilde grapes and bee indeed meet for no worke yet because it is his owne vine planted by his owne right hand and made strong for himselfe he will therefore be carefull to fence and prune it This is the onely argument we have to prevaile with God in prayer that in Christ we call him Father wee present our selves before him as his owne we make mention of no other Lord or name over us and therefore he cannot deny us the things which are good for us Secondly if wee are Christs then hee will certainely purge us and make the members suteable to the head I sware unto thee and entred into covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine and immediately it followes then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy bloud from thee Every branch in â—e that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit He purifieth to himselfe a peculiar people If wee be his peculiar people and set apart for himselfe as the Prophet David speakes he will undoubtedly purifie us that we may be honourable vessels sanctified and meet for the Mâ—sters use and prepared unto every good worke He will furnish us with all such supplies of the spirit of grace as the condition of that place in his body requires in the which he hath set us Grace and glory will he give and no good thing will he withhold from those who walke uprightly our proprietie to Christ giveth us right unto all good things All is yours and you are Christs Thirdly if we are Christs then he will spare us This was the argument which the Priest was to use betweene the Porch and the Altar Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproch Then will the Lord be jealous for his Land and pitie his people They shall be mine saith the Lord in the day that I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him Of my servant to whom I give wages for the merit of his worke not out of love or grace I expect a service proportionable to the pay hee receives But in my childe I reward not the dignity
constant to any rules Now this division of the minde stands thus The heart on the one side is taken up with the pleasures of sinne for the present and on the other with the desires of salvation for the future and now according as the workings and representations of the one or other are at the time more fresh and predominant in like maner is sinne for that time either cherished or suppressed Many men at a good Sermon when the matter is fresh and newly presented while they are looking on their face in the glasse or in any extremitie of sicknesse when the provisions of lust doe not relish for the present when they have none but thoughts of salvation to depend upon are very resolute to make promises vowes and professions of better living but when the pleasures of sin grow strong to present themselves again they returne like a man recover'd of an ague with more stomacke and greedinesse to their lusts againe As water which hath been stop'd for a while rusheth with the more violence when its passages are opened A double heart is like the boles of a Scale according as more weight is put into one or other so are they indifferently over-rul'd unto either motion up or downe When I see a vapour ascend out of the earth into the aire why should I not thinke that it will never leave rising till it get up to heaven and yet because the motion is not naturall but caused either by expulsion from a heat within or by attraction from a heat without when the cause of that ascent is abated and the matter gathers together into a thicker consistence it growes heavie and fals downe againe Even such is the affection of those faint unresolved desires of men who like Agrippa are but halfe-perswaded to believe in Christ. But now lastly wee must observe that in the day of Christs power when he by his word and Spirit worketh effectually in the hearts of men they are then made free-will offerings Totally willing to obey and serve him in all conditions The heart of every one stirreth him up and his Spirit maketh him willing for the worke and service of the Lord Exod. 35.21 They yeeld themselves unto the Lord and their members as weapons of righteousnesse unto him 2 Chron. 30.8 Rom. 6.19 They offer and present themselves to God as a living Sacrifice and therefore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oblation sanctified by the Holy Ghost Rom. 12.1 Rom. 15.16 Therefore they are said to come unto Christ by the vertue of his Fathers teaching Ioh. 6.45 To runne unto him Esai 55.5 To gather themselves together under him as a common head and to flow or flock together with much mutuall encouragement unto the mountaine of the Lord Hos. 1.11 Esai 2.2 3. To waite upon him in his Law Esai 42.4 To enter into a sure covenant and to write and seale it Nehem. 9.38 In one word To serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28.9 when the heart is perfect undivided and goeth all together the minde will bee willing to serve the Lord. This willingnesse of Christs people sheweth it selfe in two things First in begetting most cordiall and constant Enmitie against all the enemies of Christ never holding any league or intelligence with them but being alwayes ready to answere the Lord as David did Saul Thy servant will goe and fight with this Philistime Hee that is a voluntary in Christs armies is not disheartned with the potencie policie malice subtlety or prevailing faction of any of his adversaries Hee is contented to deny himselfe to renounce the friendship of the world to bid defiance to the allurements of Satan to smile upon the face of danger to hate father and mother and land and life to be cruel to himselfe and regardlesse of others for his masters service Through honor and dishonor through evill report and good report through a Sea and a wildernesse through the hottest services and strongest oppositions will hee follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth though he receive the word in much affliction yet hee will receive it with joy too Secondly in begetting most loving constant and deare affections to the mercy grace glory and wayes of God an universall conformity unto Christ our head who was contented to take upon him the forme of a servant to have his eare bored and his will subjected unto the will of his Father I delight to doe thy will ô my God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal. 40.8 And as hee was so are all his in this world of the same minde judgement Spirit conversation and therefore of the same will too Now this deare and melting affection of the heart toward Christ and his wayes whereby the soule longeth after him and hasteth unto him is wrought by severall principles First by the Conviction of our naturall Estate and a through humiliation for the same Pride is ever the principle of disobedience They were the proud men who said unto Ieremie thou speakest falsly the Lord hath not sent thee Ier. 43.2 And they were the proud men who hardned their necks and withdrew the shoulder and would not heare and refused to obey Nehem. 9.16 17 29. A man must bee first brought to denie himselfe before hee will bee willing to follow Christ and to lug a crosse after him A man must first humble himselfe before he will walke with God Mic. 6.8 The poore onely receive the Gospell The hungrie onely finde sweetnesse in bitter things Extremities will make any man not onely willing but thankfull to take any course wherin hee may recover himselfe and subsist againe when the soule findes it selfe in darknesse and hath no light and begins to consider whither darknesse leads it that it is even now in the mouth of Hell under the paw of the roaring lion under the guilt of sinne the curse of the Law and the hatred and wrath of God it cannot chuse but most willingly pursue any probability and with most inlarged affections meete any tender of deliverance Suppose wee that a Prince should cause some bloudy malefactor to bee brought forth should set before his eyes all the racks and tortures which the wit of man can invent to punish prodigions offenders withall and should cause him to tast some of those extremities and then in the middest of his howling and anguish should not onely reach out a hand of mercy to deliver him but should further promise him upon his submission to advance him like Ioseph from the iron which enters into his soule unto publike honor and service in the state would not the heart of such a man bee melted into thankfulnesse and with all submission resigne it selfe unto the mercy and service of so gracious a Prince Now the Lord doth not onely deale thus with sinners doth not onely cause them by the report of his word and by the experience of their own guilty hearts to feel the weight fruitlesnesse
to love him againe for who can be perswaded of so great a benefit as the remission of sinnes and not be most deeply inflamed with the love of him by whom they are remitted 1 Ioh. 4.19 Luk. 7.47 and lastly by this reciprocall love of the heart to Christ faith becommeth effectuall to worke obedience and conformitie to his will Love is the fulfilling of the Law he that loves God would with all joyfulnesse fulfill every jot of Gods Law if it were possible This is the love of God saith the Apostle that we keepe his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous True love overcomes all difficulties is not apt to pretend occasions for neglecting any service of God nor to conceive any prejudices against it but puts an edge and alacritie upon the spirit of a man he can no more be said to love Christ who doth not willingly undergoe his yoke than that woman to love her husband who is ever griev'd at his presence and delighteth more in the societie of strangers Fifthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the beauty and pretiousnesse of those ample Promises which by the love of Christ are made unto us It is said of Moses that he did chuse and that is the greatest act of willingnesse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and the ground of this willingnesse was he had a respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.25 26. so Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is the shame which would much have stagger'd and disheartened an unresolved man was no prejudice or discouragement unto him to abate any of his most willing obedience and the motive was for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 And Saint Paul professeth of himselfe that he pressed forward hee was not onely willing but importunate and contentious to put forth all his spirits and like riders in a race to rouse up himselfe in a holy fervour and emulation and all this was for the Price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus which was as it were before his face in the Promises thereof Phil. 3.14 so the Apostle assureth us That a Christians Hope to be like unto Christ hereafter will cause him to purifie himselfe even as hee is pure 1 Ioh. 3.3 when a man shall sit downe and recount with David what God hath done for him already Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what God hath further promised to doe for him more Thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come Of a childe of wrath thou hast called mee to an inheritance of the Saints in light and into the fellowship of more glory than can be shadowed forth by all the lights of heaven though every Star were turned into a Sunne I say when the soule shall thus recount the goodnesse of God how can it but bee wonderfully enlarged with thoughts of thankfulnesse and grieved at the slow and narrow abilities of the other parts to answer the urgent and wide desires of a willing soule Sixthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the experience of that peace comfort life liberty triumph and securitie which accompanieth the Spirit and the service of Christ. Nothing makes a man more fearefull of warres than the dangers and hazards which are incident thereunto But if a man can serve under such a Prince whose imployments are not onely honourable but safe if he who is able and faithfull to make good his words promise us that none either of the stratagems or forces of the enemie shall doe us hurt but that they shall flie before us while wee resist them who would not be a Voluntary in such services as are not liable to the casualties and vicissitudes which usually attend other warres wherein he might fight with safetie and come off with honour David had experience of Gods power in delivering him from the Lion and the Beare and was well assured that that God who was carefull of sheepe would be more pitiful to his people Israel and that made him with much willingnesse ready to encounter Goliah whose assurance was onely in himselfe and not in God When a man shall consider what God might have done with him he might have sent him from the wombe to hell depriv'd him of the meanes of grace left him to the rebellion and hardnesse of his evill heart and to the rage of Satan burnt his bones and dried up his bowels with the view of that wrath which is due to sinne and what he hath done with him he hath called him to the knowledge of his will refreshed him with the light of his countenance heard his prayers given an issue to his temptations and a reviving out of bondage fastned him as a naile in his holy place given him his favour which is better than light and spoken of his servant for a long time to come O how readily will the spirit of such a man conclude Lord according to thine owne heart hast thou done all this unto me and I have found so much sweetnesse in thy service above all mine owne thoughts or expectations that now O Lord my heart is prepared my heart is prepared I will sing and rejoyce in thy service Lastly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from that excellent beauty and attractive vertue which is in holinesse Thy Law is pure therefore thy servant loveth it And therefore we finde Christ and his Church doe kindle the coales of love and stirre up those flames of mutuall dearenesse towards one another doe cherish those longing languishing and ravished affections and susspirings of hearts by the frequenting contemplations of each others beautie Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant c. Cant. 1.15 16. These are the principles of that great devotion and willingnesse which is in the people of Christ unto his service And hereby we may make triall of the truth of that profession subjection and obedience which we all pretend unto the Gospell of Christ. It is then onely sound when it proceeds from a willing and devoted heart from purpose fervour and earnestnesse of Spirit for as God in mercy accounts the will for the deed because where there is a willing minde there will certainly be all answerable endevours to execute that will and reduce it into act so he esteemes the deed nothing without the will Cain and Abel did both sacrifice it was the heart which made the difference betweene them let the outward conversation be what it will yet if a man regard iniquitie in his heart God will not heare him Gravius est diligere peccatum quam facere It is a worse token saith Gregory of an evill man to love sinne than to commit it for it may be committed out of
unto obedience If he be grieved and made retire for he is of a delicate and jealous disposition if hee turne his wind from our sailes alas how slow and sluggish will our motion be How poore our progresse Vpon these and severall other the like grounds may the best of us bee possessed with feares discomforts and unwillingnesse in Gods service But yet Fifthly none of all this takes off the will a Toto though it doe a Tanto but that the faithfull in their greatest heavinesse and unfitnesse of spirit have yet a stronger by as towards God than any wicked man when he is at best for it is true of them in their lowest condition that they Desire to feare Gods name Nehem. 1.11 That the desire of their soule is towards the remembrance of him Esay 26.8 that they are seriously displeased with the distempers and uncomfortablenesse of their spirit Psal. 42.5 that they long to be enlarged that they may run the way of Gods Commandements Psal. 119.32 That they set their affection unto God and his service 1 Chron. 29.3 That they prepare their heart to seeke the Lord God 2 Chron. 30.19 That they strive grone wrestle and are unquiet in their dumpes and dulnesse earnestly contending for joy and freedome of Spirit Psal. 51.8.11.12 In one word that they dare not omit those duties which yet they have no readinesse and disposednesse of heart to performe but when they cannot doe them in alacrity yet they doe them in obedience and serve the Lord when he hideth his face from them I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will looke againe towards thy holy Temple Ionah 2.4 He that feareth the Lord will obey his voice though he walke in darknesse and have no light Esay 50.10 So then the faithfull have still thus much ground of comfort that God hath their wils alwaies devoted and resign'd unto him though thus much likewise they have to humble them too the daily experience of a back-sliding and tired spirit in his service and should therefore be exhorted to stirre up the spirit of grace in themselves to keepe fresh and frequent their communion with Christ. The more acquaintance and experience the heart hath of him the more abundantly it will delight in him and make haste unto him that it may with Saint Paul apprehend him in fruition by whom it is already apprehended and carried up unto heavenly places in assurance and representation As long as wee are here there will be something lacking to our faith some mixture of unbeleefe and distrust with it 1 Thess. 3.10 Marke 9.24 corruptions temptations afflictions trials will be apt to beget some feares discomforts wearinesse and indisposednesse towards Gods service The sense whereof should make us long after our home with the Apostle grone and wait for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies for the manifestation of the sons of God for though we are now sonnes yet it doth not appeare what we shall be 1 Ioh. 3.2 should make us pray for the accomplishment of his promises for the hastening of his Kingdome where we shall be changed into an universall spiritualnesse or purity of nature where those relickes of corruption those strugglings of the law of the members against the law of the minde shall be ended those languishings decayes ebbes and blemishes of grace shall be removed where all deficiencies of grace shall be made up and that measure and first fruits of the Spirit which we here receive shall be crowned with fulnesse and everlasting perfection Here we are like the stones and other materials of Salomons Temple but in the act of fitting and preparation no marvell if we be here crooked knottie uneven and therefore subject to the hammer under blowes and buffets But when we shall be carried to the heavenly building which is above and there laid in there shall be nothing but smoothnesse and glory upon us no noise of hammers or axes no dispensation of Word or Sacraments no application of censures and severity but every man shall bee filled with the fulnesse of God Faith turned into sight Hope turned into fruition and Love everlastingly ravished with the presence of God with the face of Iesus Christ with the fulnesse of the holy Spirit and with the communion and societie of all the Saints And so much for the first observation out of the third particular concerning the willingnesse of Christs people There was further therein observed the Principle of this Willingnesse In the day of thy power or of thine armies that is when thou shalt send abroad Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Doctours and Teachers for evidencing the Word and Spirit unto the consciences of men Whence we may secondly observe that the Heart of Christs people is made willing to obey him by an act of Power or by the strength of the Word and Spirit It is not barely enticed but it is conquered by the Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And yet this is not a compulsory conquest which is utterly contrary to the nature of a reasonable will which would cease to be it selfe if it could be compell'd but it is an effectuall conquest The will as all other faculties is dead naturally in trespasses and sins And a dead man is not raised to life againe by any enticements nor yet compell'd unto a condition of such exact complacencie and suteablenesse to nature by any act of violence So then a man is made willingly subject unto Christ neither by meere morall perswasions nor by any violent impulsions but by a power in it selfe supernaturall spirituall or Divine and in its manner of working sweetly tempered to the disposition of the will which is never by grace destroyed but perfected Therefore the Apostle saith that it is God who worketh in us to will and to doe Phil. 2.13 first he frameth our will according to his owne as David was said to be a man after Gods owne heart and secondly by that will and the imperate acts thereof thus sanctified and still assisted by the Spirit of grace he setteth the other powers of nature on worke in further obedience unto his will And therefore the Prophet David praised God that had enabled him and his people to offer willingly unto the service of Gods house and prayeth him that he would ever keepe that willing disposition in the imaginations and thoughts of the hearts of his people 1 Chron. 29.14.18 Therefore the Apostle saith that Our faith standeth not in the wisdome of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore likewise it is called The faith of the operation of God who raised Christ from the dead Col. 2.12 For the more distinct opening and evidencing this point how Christs people are made Willing by his power I will onely lay together some briefe positions which I conceive to be thereunto pertinent and proceed to that which is more plaine and profitable First let us consider the nature of the will which is to
upon his service In the Beauties of Holinesse These words referre to those before and that either to the word People or to the word willing If to People then they are a further description of Christs Subjects or Souldiers they shall be all like servants in Princes Courts beautifully arraied like the Priests of the Law that had garments of beauty and glory and so Schindler expounds it In societate sacerdotum If to the word willing then it notes the ground and inducement of their great devotion and subjection unto Christs kingdome that as the people came up in troopes to the Lords house which was the Beauty of his Holinesse or as men doe flocke together to the sight of some honorable and stately solemnity so Christs people should by the beauty of his banners be allured to gather unto him and flye in multitudes as Doves unto their windowes Which way ever wee understand the words we may from them observe First That Holinesse is a glorious and a beautifull thing The holy oile with which all the vessels of the Sanctuary were to be consecrated was a type of that Spirit which sanctifieth us and maketh us Kings and Priests unto God and it was to be compounded of the purest and most delicate ingredients which the art of the Apothecary could put together Therefore our Saviour still calleth his Spouse the fairest of womâ—n to note that no other beauty in the world is to be compared with Holinesse Therefore our Faith and Holinesse is called a Wedding Garment at which solemnitie men use above all other to adorne themselves with their costliest and most beautifull attire Therefore we are said to Put on the Lord Iesus and to Put on bowels of mercie and humblenesse of minde and meekenesse c. and therefore likewise the Church is compared to a Bride decked in her choicest ornaments and jewels broidred worke silke fine linnen bracelets chaines jewels crownes gold silver perfect comelinesse garments of salvation and of praise robes of righteousnesse c. And Christ the husband of this Spouse the chiefest and most amiable of ten thousand even altogether lovely The Desire of all Nations and the allurement of all hearts that can looke upon him And Ierusalem the palace of this glorious couple described by the most pretious and desireable things which can bee thought on Iaspar the wall gold the pavement pearle the gates pretious stones the foundation and the Lord the light thereof Of our selves by reason of sinne we are full of filthinesse and deformity in flesh and spirit clothed with filthy garments and overspread from the head to the foot with blaines and putrefactions It is only the holy Word of God which maketh us cleane from our filthinesse and from all our pollutions By the washing of water through the Word Christ sanctifieth us that he may present unto himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle that it might be holy and without blemish Ephes. 5.27 And therefore the Apostle Saint Peter exhorteth Christian women to adorne the inner man of the heart with the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God whose pure eye they ought rather to please than the wanton eye of man of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 4. And the truth hereof may bee proved even from the practice of hypocrites themselves for no man will counterfeite villanies and make a shew of the vices which indeed hee hath not except he be desperately thereunto swayed by an humor of pleasing his wicked companions And therefore Saint Austin complaineth of it as of a prodigious corruption of his nature that he did sometimes belie himselfe to his wicked associates and boasted of the wickednesse which he durst not practise No woman will paint her selfe with dung or spread inke upon her face It must be beautifull in it selfe which any man will ordinarily counterfeit so that Holinesse hath the prerogative of an enemies suffrage which is one of the strongest evidences to testifie the beauty and excellency thereof This point will more distinctly appeare if we consider either the Author Nature properties or Operations of this Holinesse First the Author is God himselfe by his spirit The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly saith the Apostle and the God of peace make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will Therefore the spirit is called a spirit of Holinesse by the power whereof Christ rising from the dead was declared to bee the Sonne of God to note the answerablenesse betweene raising from the dead or giving life where there was none before and the sanctification of a sinner Therefore the Apostle calleth it the renewing of the Holy Ghost and the forming of Christ in us the quickning and creating us to good workes By all which we may note that what Beautie the Creation brought upon that emptie and unshaped Chaos when it was distributed into this orderly frame which we now admire or what beautie the reunion of a living soule unto a dead and gastly body doth restore unto it the same beautie doth Holinesse bring unto the soule of a man which was filthy before But yet further we must note that God did not make man as other ordinarie Creatures for some low and inferior use and yet Salomon saith that they were made all beautifull in their time but there was a pause a consultation a more than common wisedome power and mercie revealed in the workemanship of man for God made man for his owne more peculiar delight company and communion one whom hee would enter into a more intimate league and covenant withall The Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for himselfe This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise I will magnifie the beautie of my glorious vertues in those whom I have sanctified for my selfe Thus wee finde what perfect comelinesse the Lord bestowed upon his people when he entred into Covenant with them and made them his owne one which was alwayes to leane on his bosome and to stand in his owne presence Ezek. 16.8 14. The Church is the Lords owne House a Temple in the which hee will dwell and walke it is his Throne in which he sitteth as our Prince and Law-giver And in this regard it must needs bee extraordinarie beautifull for the Lord will beautifie the place of his Sanctuary and will make the place of his feet glorious Now then if by Holinesse we are made Gods building and that not as the rest of the world is for his Creatures to inhabite but as a Temple for himselfe to dwell in as a gallerie for himselfe to walke and refresh himselfe in certainely Holinesse which is the Ornament and ingraving of this temple must needs be a glorious thing for there is much glory and wisedome in all Gods workes Secondly if we consider the
rule to besiege heaven with armies of united Prayers to be mutually serviceable to the City of God and to one another as fellow members Therefore hath the Lord given unto men severall gifts and to no one man all that thereby wee might bee enabled to and induced to worke together unto one end and by Love to unite our severall graces for the edification of the body of Christ Ephes. 4.11 13. Now for the manner of producing or procuring these multitudes it is set forth unto us in two Metaphors A wombe and Dew of the morning Now the birth of Dew is first generatio caelestis That which is exhal'd is an earthly vapor but the heavenly operation changeth it into Dew no art of man is able to doe it It is also undiscerned and secret when it is fallen you may see it but how it is made you cannot see Lastly it is a sudden Birth in a night or morning it is both begotten conceived and brought forth Here then wee have foure notes First that all Christs subjects are withall his Children They are borne unto him Christianity is a Birth except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God There is a Father Christ our Father by generation Behold I and the Children whom thou hast given mee as wee are his brethren by adoption Hee is not ashamed to call us brethren There is a Mother Ierusalem which is above is the Mother of us all And there are subordinate instruments both of one and other the holy Apostles Evangelists Doctors and Pastors who therefore are sometimes called Fathers begetting us in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospell and sometimes Mothers bearing and bringing forth of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you There is a holy seed out of which these Children of Christ are formed namely the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For the heart of a man new borne unto Christ cometh from the word as a paper from the presse or as a garment from a perfume transformed into that quality of spiritualnesse and holinesse which is in the word There is a Vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or formative vertue which is the energie and concurrence of the Spirit of grace with the word for the truth is not obeyed but by the Spirit except a man bee borne of water and the Spirit water as the seed and the Spirit as the formative vertue quickning and actuating that seed hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God There are Throwes and paines both in the Mother and in the Childe much trouble and care in the ministery of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom I travell in paine againe I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares As a woman with Childe by reason of the feare and danger of miscarriages doth abridge her selfe of many liberties in meates physick violent exercise and the like so those who travell in birth with the Children of Christ are put to denie themselves many things and to suffer many things for the successe of their service I will eate no flesh while the world standeth rather than make my brother to offend I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle a teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things I endure all things for the elects sake that they may obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus And there is paine in the Childe too a sinner doth not leave the warmth and pleasure of his former condition without paine Christ comes not without shaking unto the soule There is a New being or nature a corruption of our old man and a formation of the new Old things are done away behold all things are become new the same holy nature the same minde judgement will affections motions desires dispositions spirit wrought in us which was in him Hee that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure as hee is so are wee in this world patient as hee is patient Heb. 12.2 Holy as hee is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 Humble as hee is humble Ioh. 13.14 Compassionate as he is compassionate Col. 3.13 Loving as hee is loving Ephes. 5.2 in all things labouring to shew Christ fashioned in our nature and in our affections There is a new conversation answerable to our new nature that as God is good in himselfe and doth good in his workes Psal. 119.68 so we both are as Christ was 1 Ioh. 4.17 and walke as hee walketh 1 Ioh. 2.6 There is new food and appetites thereunto sutable A desire of the sincere immediate untempered uncorrupted milke of the word as it comes with all the spirits and life in it that wee may grow thereby New Priviledges and Relations the Sonnes of God the brethren of Christ the citizens of heaven the houshold of the Saints New Communion and society the fellowship of the Father and the Sonne by the Spirit fellowship with the Holy Angels we have their love their ministery their protection followship with the spirits of just men made perfect by the seeds and beginnings of the same perfection by the participation of the same Spirit of holinesse by expectance of the same glorie and finall redemption In the meane time then wee should walke as Children of the light or as it is here as Children of the morning The Day is given us to worke in and therefore in the morning as soone as wee have our Day before us wee should endevour to walke honestly Night-workes are commonly workes of uncleanesse violence dishonor and therefore want a cover of darknesse to hide them Theeves use to come in the night 1 Thes. 5.2 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twylight saying no eye shaâ—l see mee and disguiseth himselfe Iob 24.15 In the twylight in the evening in the black and darke night hee goeth to the house of the strange woman Prov. 7.9 The oppressor diggeth through houses in the darke For the morning is to them as the shaddow of death Iob 24.16 17. They that are drunken are drunken in the night 1 Thes. 5.7 Sinnes are of the nature of some sullen weeds which will grow no where but in the side of wells and of darke places But workes of Christianity are neither uncleane nor dishonorable they are beautifull and roiall workes they are exemplary and therefore publike workes they are themselves light let your light shine before men and therefore they ought to bee done in the light If wee bee Children wee should expresse the affections of Children The innocencie humility and Dove-like simplicity of little Children as the Sonnes of God blamelesse pure and without rebuke Children in malice though men in understanding The Appetite of little Children As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby In all impatiencie the breast will pacifie a little infant in all other delights the breast will entice it
follow thee whithersoever thou leadest mee But these are but emptie velleities the wishings and wouldings of an evill heart Lord to me belongeth the shame of my failings but to thee belongeth the glory of thy mercy and forgivenesse Too true it is that I doe not all I should but doe I allow my selfe in any thing that I should not doe I make use of mine infirmities to justifie my selfe by them or shelter my selfe under them or dispence with my selfe in them though I doe not the things I should yet I love them and delight in them my heart and Spirit and all the desires of my soule are towards them I hate abhorre and fight with my selfe for not doing them I am ashamed of mine infirmities as the blemishes of my profession I am weary of them and groane under them as the burdens of my soule I have no lust but I am willing to know it and when I know to crucifie it I heare of no further measure of grace but I admire it and hunger after it and presse on to it I can take Christ and affliction Christ and persecution together I can take Christ without the world I can take Christ without my selfe I have no unjust gaine but I am ready to restore it No time have I lost by earthly businesse from Gods service but I am ready to redeeme it I have followed no sinfull pleasure but I am ready to abandon it no evill company but I mightily abhorre it I never sware an oath but I can remember it with a bleeding conscience I never neglected a duty but I can recount it with revenge and indignation I doe not in any man see the Image of Christ but I love him the more dearly for it and abhorre my selfe for being so much unlike it I know Satan I shall speed never the worse with God because I have thee for mine enemie I know I shall speed much the better because I have my selfe for mine enemie Certainly hee that can take Christ offer'd that can in all points admit him as well to purifie as to justifie as well to rule as save as well his grace as his mercie neede not feare all the powers of darknesse nor all the armies of the foulest sinnes which Satan can charge his conscience withall The second great vertue and fruit of the Priesthood of Christ was ex redundantia meriti from the redundancy and overflowing of his merit First hee doth merit to have a Church for the very being of the Church is the effect of that great price which he payed therefore the Church is called a purchased people 1 Pet. 2.9 Ask of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal. 2.8 when hee made his soule an offering for sinne hee did by that meanes see his seed and divide a portion with the great Esai 53.10 11 12. The delivering and selecting of the Saints out of this present evill world was the end of Christs Sacrifice Gal. 1.4 Secondly hee did merit all such good things for the Church as the great love of himselfe and his Father towards the Church did resolve to conferre upon it They may I conceive be reduced to two heads First Immunitie from evill whatsoever is left to bee removed after the payment of our debt or taking off from us the guilt and obligation unto punishment Such are the Dominion of Sinne. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of Sinne and of Death Rom. 8.2 He that committeth sinne is the servant of sinne but if the Sonne shall make you free you shall bee free indeed Ioh. 8 34-36 Hee that is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1 Ioh. 3.9 That is he is not an artificer of sinne one that maketh it his trade and profession and therefore bringeth it to any perfection Hee hath received a Spirit of Iudgement that chaineth up his lusts and a Spirit of burning which worketh out his drosse Esai 4.4 Mal. 3.2 3. Matth. 3.2 Such is The Vanity of our Minde whereby wee are naturally unable to thinke or to cherish a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Eph. 4.17 The Ignorance and hardnesse of our hearts unable to perceive or delight in any spirituall thing Eph. 4.18 Ioh. 1.5 Luk. 24 25.45 The Spirit of disobedience and habituall strangenesse and aversenesse from God Eph. 4.18 Iob 20.14 Such are also all those slavish affrightfull and contumacious effects of the Law in terrifying the conscience irritating the concupiscence and compelling the froward heart to an unwilling and unwelcome conformitie The Law is now made our counseller a delight to the inner man that which was a lion before hath now food and sweetnesse in it Secondly Many Priviledges and dignities in the vertue of that principall and generall one which is our unitie unto Christ from whence by the fellowship of his holy and quickning Spirit wee have an unction which teacheth us his wayes and his voyce which sanctifieth our nature by the participation of the divine nature that is by the renewing of Gods most holy and righteous Image in us Which sanctifieth our Persons that they may bee spirituall Kings and Priests Kings to order our owne thoughts affections desires studies towards him to fight with principalities powers corruptions and spirituall enemies Priests to offer up our bodies soules prayers thanksgivings almes spirituall services upon that Altar which is before his mercy-seate and to slay and mortifie our lusts and earthly members which sanctifieth all our actions that they may bee services to him and his Church acceptable to him and profitable to others Secondly from this unity with him growes our adoption which is another fruit of his Sacrifice Hee was made of a woman made under the Law that wee might receive The Adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.5 By which wee have free accesse to call upon God in the vertue of his Sacrifice sure supplies in all our wants because our heavenly Father knoweth all our needs a most certaine inheritance and salvation in hope for we are already saved by hope Rom. 8.24 and Christ is to us the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 Lastly there is from hence our exaltation in our finall victory and resurrection by the fellowship and vertue of his victory over death as the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20.49 Phil. 3.21 And in our complete salvation being carried in our soules and bodies to be presented to himselfe without spot and blamelesse Eph. 5.26 27. and to bee brought unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 Now to take all in one view what a summe of mercy is here together Remission of all sinnes discharge of all debts deliverance from all curses joy peace triumph security exaltation above all evils enemies or feares a peculiar purchased roiall seed the gift of God the Father to his Sonne deliverance from the dominion and service of all sinne vanity ignorance hardnesse disobedience bondage coaction terror sanctification
for executing condemnation upon the contumacious adversaries of the Gospell of Christ amongst the Gentiles as in the great victory of Gog and Magog Ezek. 39. Some by Gentiles understand all Enemies both spirituall and earthly Hee shall fill the places with dead Bodies That notes both the swiftnesse of the victory and the greatnesse of the victory That it shall bee so generall and so speedy that the enemie shall have either none left or they that are left shall not bee able nor have leasure to bury their dead Bodies Ezek. 39.11 He shall wound the head over divers Countries That is either the principall of his enemies every where or Satan who is the God of the World that ruleth as Head over the Children of disobedience in all places Or Antichrist the Head of nations the chiefe of Gods enemies Revel 13.7 8.14.8.17.15.18 The Lord at thy right hand According to the two-fold Apostrophe before mentioned here are two observations which I will but touch First that God the Father is worthy to have all the power Majesty and judgement which hee hath given to his Sonne our Mediator for our protection salvation and defence most thankfully and triumphantly acknowledged to him We finde our Savior himselfe praising God in this behalfe that hee had delivered all things into his hand even power to make Babes beleeve on him Matth. 11.25.27 And this S. Paul is frequent in namely in praising and glorifying God for Christ. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee c. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.25 1 Tim. 1.16 17. All the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen to the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.19 20. Hee gave himselfe for our sinnes that hee might deliver us from this present evill world according to the will of God and our Father to whom bee glory for ever and ever Amen Gal. 1.4 5. Every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Phil. 2.11 And reason there is that it should thus bee acknowledged to the Father because hee hath all his Kingdome and power in the Church from the Father All power is given unto mee Hee hath given him a name above every name and this the Sonne hath revealed to us that so hee might manifest the name that is get glory to his Father thereby Ioh. 17.6 7. For in Christ it was God that reconciled the world to himselfe Secondly hee hath it all given unto him in our nature in our behalfe and as our head so that wee in the gifts of God to him were onely respected and therefore wee have reason to praise God for them It was not indeed given to him strictly for it was not to him Beneficium but Onus an office but not a benefit but to him for us or to us in and by him In all the victories deliverances refreshments experiences of Gods power and goodnesse wee must ever remember to praise God in and through his Sonne to acknowledge the power of his right hand which is not now against his Church but against the enemies of his Church For therefore the deliverance of his Church is ascribed to Gods Right hand because hee hath there one to plead to intreat to move his right hand in our behalfe Therefore in all our distresses in all conflicts and temptations wee must by faith looke up unto Gods right hand put him in remembrance of that faithfulnesse righteousnesse atonement and intercession which is there made in our behalfe There wee shall have matter enough to fill our mouths and hearts with praises and triumph and rejoicing in him It is Christ who is at the right hand of God who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Rom. 8.34 35. Here are two arguments of the Churches safety and triumph The Love of Christ and the Honor of Christ. Hee loveth all his to the end But what good can love doe without power Therefore hee that loveth us is exalted by God and hath all power given him for this purpose that his love may doe us good In the conflicts of my corruptions which are an adversary too wise too subtile too numberlesse for mee to vanquish I may yet when I am driven to Pauls extremity rest in his thanksgiving and looking up to Iesus who will be the finisher of every good worke which hee beginnes and seeing him at Gods right hand may triumph in the power and office which God hath given to his Sonne there which is to subdue our iniquities and to sanctifie us by his Truth and by that residue of Spirit which he keepeth for the Church Ioh. 17.17 19. for that Prayer is a Modell as it were and counterpane of Christs Intercession for saith he I come to thee and speake these things in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in them ver 13. that is that they having a specimen and forme of that Intercession which with thee I shall make for them left upon publike record for them to looke on and there finding that their sanctification is the businesse of my sitting at thy right hand may in the midst of the discomforts and conflicts of their corruption have a full joy and triumph in the honour which thou hast given me I am beset with the temptations of mine enemies and persecutions for the Name of Christ In this case I may give God praise for the power which hee hath given to his Sonne I may from mine enemies appeale unto Gods right hand I may like Stephen when the stones and buffets are about my soule looke up by faith see there my Captain standing up in my defence Act. 7.55 I may acknowledge unto God the power given unto his Sonne that though nothing of all this fall upon me without his provision and permission yet sure I am that he hath power and mercy in his right hand that though mine enemies were as strong as a combination and armie of kings yet the Lord at his right hand hath from him in my behalfe received power enough to strike through kings when the day of his wrath is come Note secondly Christ is at the right hand of his people present with them and prepared to defend them from all their enemies present by his Spirit to strengthen comfort and uphold them enabling them to glory and rejoyce in all their sufferings as knowing that they are but for a moment and that which is needfull to purge their faith and to make them beare their shame 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Iam. 1.2 3. Esai 27.8 9. and to glorifie the consequent power of Christ which shall bee revealed to their joy 1 Pet. 4.13 when hee will recompence double to us in mercy and to our enemies in severity Esai 54.7 8.61.7 present by his mighty power and by his Angels to rescue deliver and protect them to bee as a wall of fire as a shield a buckler a rocke a Captaine to his people
if he observe any faculty naked and neglected The actuall and totall breach of any one Commandement Totall I meane when the whole heart doth it though haply it execute not all the obliquitie which the compasse of the sinne admits is an implicite habituall interpretative and conditionall breach of all His soule stands alike dis-affected to the holinesse of every Commandement and hee would undoubtedly adventure on the breach of this if such exigences and conditions as misguided him in the other should thereunto as strongly induce him He that hath done any one of these abominations hath done all these abominations in Gods account Ezek. 18.10 13. There being then in a Christian man a suteable life and vigour of holinesse in every part and a mutuall conspiring of them all in the same wayes and ends there must needs likewise be therein an excellent beauty Thirdly growth and further Progresse in these Proportions for it is not onely uprightnesse and Symmetrie of parts which causeth perfect beauty and comelinesse but stature likewise Now Holinesse is a thriving and growing thing The Spirit is seede and the Word is raine and the Father is an Husbandman and therefore the life of Christ is an abounding life Ioh. 10.10 The rivers of the Spirit of Grace spring up unto Eternity Ioh. 7.36 As Christ hath no Monsters so neither hath hee any Dwarfes in his mysticall body but all his grow up unto the pitch of perfection which it becommeth them to have in him even unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes. 4.12 13. The meaning of the Apostle is that Christ is not alwayes an infant in us as when he is first formed but that he doth Grandescere in Sanctis as Musculus well expresseth it that he groweth up still unto the stature of a man for wheresoever there is faith and holinesse there is ever ingenerated an appetite for augmentation Faith is of a growing and Charitie of an abounding Nature 2 Thes. 1.3 By the Word of truth as by incorruptible seed wee were begotten and by the same Word as by the sap and milke are we nourished and grow up thereby This affection holinesse ever workes as it did in the Disciples Lord increase our faith and in David Strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us Fourthly besides the Rectitude Harmonie and Maturitie which is in Holinesse there is another propertie which maketh the Beautie thereof surpasse all other Beautie and that is Indeficiencie The measure of Christ must be the Rule of our growth but Christ never was overtaken by old age or times of declining He never saw corruption so wee must proceede from strength to strength like the Sunne to the perfect day but there is no sinking or setting of Holinesse in the heart They that are planted in Gods House doe still bring forth fruit in their Old age and are even then fat and flourishing As our outward man decaieth so our inward man groweth day by day Our Holinesse is a branch of the life of Christ in us which doth never of it selfe runne into death and therefore is not apta nata of it selfe to decay for that is nothing but an earnest inchoation and assurance of death That which waxeth old saith the Apostle is ready to vanish away Heb. 8.13 Fourthly and lastly if we consider the Operations of Holinesse that likewise will evidence the Beautie thereof for it hath none but gratious and honourable effects It filleth the Soule with Joy Comfort and Peace All Joy unspeakeable and glorious joy peace quietnesse assurance songs and everlasting joy It maketh the blinde see the deafe heare the lame leape the dumbe sing the wildernesse and parched ground to become springs of water It entertaineth the soule with feasts of fatted things and of refined wines and carrieth it into the banquetting-house unto apples and flagons It giveth the soule a deare communion with God in Christ a sight of him an accesse unto him a boldnesse in his presence an admission into most holy delights and intimate conferences with him in his bed-chamber and in his galleries of love In one word it gathers the admiration of men it secures the protection of Angels and which is argument of more beautie than all the creatures in the world have besides it attracteth the eye and heart the longings and ravishments the tender compassions and everlasting delights of the Lord Iesus I have insisted on those properties of holinesse which denote inward beautie because all the graces of the Spirit doe beautifie inherently But the word properly signifying Decus or Ornatum outward adorning by a metaphor of rich apparell expressing the internall excellencie of the soule notes unto us two things more First that the people of Christ are not only sanctified within but have interest in that unspotted holinesse of Christ wherewith they are clothed as with an ornament So the Priests of God are said to be clothed with righteousnesse and we are said to put on Christ And the righteousnesse of Christ is frequently compared to long white robes fit to cover our sins to hide our nakednesse and to protect our persons from the wrath of God so that to the eye of his justice we appeare as it were parts of Christ as when Iacob wore Esau's garment he was as Esau to his father and in that relation obtained the blessing God carrieth himselfe towards us in Christ as if we our selves had fulfilled all righteousnesse as if there were no ground of contestation with us or exception against us And this is indeed the beautie of holinesse The modell prototype and originall of all beautie Secondly from the metaphoricall allusion as it is usually understood it notes unto us likewise that all the people of Christ are Priests unto God to offer up sacrifices acceptable unto him by Iesus Christ. They have all the priviledges and the duties of Priests To approach unto God wee have libertie to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Iesus to consult and have communion with him to be his Remembrancer for as his Spirit is his Remembrancer unto us hee shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you so is he our Remembrancer unto God to put him in minde of his mercy and promises to make mention of him and to give him no rest To know and propagate his truth this was the office of the Priest to be the keeper of the knowledge and to teach it unto others and this knowledge in the Gospell doth overflow the earth and make every man in a spirituall sense a Priest an instructer and edifier of his brother To offer to him such sacrifices as hee now delighteth in the sacrifices of thanksgiving the sacrifices of a broken and contrite spirit the sacrifices of praise confession good works and mutuall communicating unto one another in one word the sacrificing of a