Nation so vnlikely to receiue the Gospell as they Rom. 11. 8. God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber c. vnto this day No people vnder heauen doe beare so bitter hatred to Christ and the Gospell as they doe daily in their Synagogues they blaspheme and curse Christ. 3. Neuer was there any Nation so vnlikely that God should shew this mercy vnto as the Iewes For what people euer did beare so euident markes of Gods wrath and indignation as they haue done What people was euer so like to be a people that God hath hated and accursed and reiected as they Which makes the Apostle to say 1. Thess 2. 16. Wrath is come vpon them to the vttermost These things considered we may wonder that the Lord should euer vouchsafe them that honour as to make them his stewards to put them in trust with the keeping of all his treasure and with the dispensing of it to his whole family but specially we may wonder that euer the Lord should now shew them that mercy againe to become his people No maruell though the Apostle calls this a mysterie Rom. 11. 25. Well hath the Lord reuealed to vs any reason of this why he should thus farre forth honour this nation yes surely 1. They haue thus reiected the Gospell not of meere malice but ignorantly out of a blinde zeale And now brethren I woâ—…e that through ignorance ye did it as did also your fathers Acts 3. 17. In persecuting the faithfull they thought they did God seruice Iohn 16. 2. They had in them the zeale of God euen then Rom. 10. 2. 2. The purity and life of Religion which they shall discerne in the Gentiles shall be a meanes to draw them as the Idolatry and other sinnes of Christians hath beene the meanes to harden them thus long Saluation is come vnto the Gentiles for to prouoke them to iealousie that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercy Rom. 11. 11. 31. But thirdly the chiefe Reason is that ancient and vnchangeable loue which God did beare to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the Couenant he had made with them With Abraham the Lord had made this euerlasting Couenant Gen. 17. 7. and 22. 18. In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This Couenant made with their fathers is oft alledged for the reason why God shewed such mercy vnto this Nation I will remember my Couenant with Iacob and also my Couenant with Isaac and also my Couenant with Abraham will I remember and will remember the land Leuit. 26. 42. And Ezek. 16. 60. Neuerthelesse I will remember my Couenant with thee in the daies of thy youth and I will establish vnto thee an euer lasting Couenant And this is alledged by the Apostle for the onely reason why they were trusted with Gods Oracles Rom. 3. 3. What if some of them did not beleeue shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without effect And why notwithstanding the fearefull Apostacie wherein now they lye God will shew mercy to them againe and make them his people Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe if the roote be holy so are the branches The Vse of this Doctrine is 1. To conuince the Religion of the Papists Who though they do apishly and superstitiously imitate the Iewes in those things which God hath forbidden them to imitate them in for all their pompeous seruice and ceremonies are vsed in imitation of the Iewes and it is euident that God hath long since abrogated that ceremoniall worship Ioh. 4. 21. 23. the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father But the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth yea he hath condemned the vse of it Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 5. 2. yet do they deny that honour to the Church of the Iewes which our Sauiour here hath giuen vnto it For 1. They receiue sundry bookes for the Old Testament which the Church of the Iewes neuer acknowledged Whereas all the Scripture of the Old Testament is called their Law all the Oracles of the euer-liuing and iust God in the Old Testament were committed to them and they faithfully kept them to Christs time or else Christ or the Apostles would haue taxed them for this rather then for any other corruptions yea to this very day they do keepe them truely and faithfully insomuch as though their Rabines haue giuen very many false and blasphemous interpretations and glosses yet they cannot be charged in any of their writings to haue corrupted the Text by adding one word or letter vnto it or by taking or diminishing one word or letter from it 2. They hold Rome to be the mother Church vnto all the world to which all other Churches are to conforme themselues and from which they are to receiue direction whereas we haue heard that honour belongeth onely to the Church of Ierusalem 3. They haue very many things in their Religion which they hold for matters of saluation their whole Hierarchy and many Doctrines also that they teach which neuer came from the Church of the Iewes Whereas it is very euident and certaine that though they can pretend neuer so great antiquity for any thing they hold if they cannot proue it was taught and receiued in the Church of the Iewes it cannot be of God To teach vs how to stand affected to the people and Nation of the Iewes 1. We should obserue and wonder at the fearefull iudgement of God vpon that Nation not onely in that slauery bondage and contempt they haue liued in for these sixteene hundreth yeeres but specially in that strange obstinacy and hardnesse of heart that hath beene thus long vpon them For if God haue thus dealt with that people for their sinne and contempt of his Gospell which of all people in the world he loued best and had most obliged himselfe vnto how can we hope to escape if we sin as they haue done This vse the Apostle makes Rom. 11. 21. if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee 2. We should obserue and wonder at the truth and mercy of God who for his promise sake hath so strangely preserued that Nation and people all this while insomuch as they remaine at this day an exceeding great people 3. We may not hate their name and Nation but loue them and pray for them and vse all meanes to further their conuersion Sundry forcible Reasons there be to mooue vs vnto this 1. The affection that Gods good and godly seruants yea Christ himselfe did beare vnto this people not withstanding their sin and obstinacy See Pauls affection to them his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel was that they might be saued Rom. 10. 1. and 9. 2 3. he had great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in his
then said yee shall not adde vnto the word which I command you neither shall yee diminish ought from it Deut. 4. 2. but now they giue a perfect direction to the whole Church that shall be to the end of the world It is said that the whole houshold of God is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes. 2. 20. Yea the Apostles are called the foundations of the new Ierusalem Apoc. 21. 14. 3. That had additions made to it in euery age to this neuer shall be any Therefore the Apostle Iohn who liued to see all the bookes of the New Testament written and the whole body of the Canonicall Scripture perfected and to giue his testimony to them all concludes his booke of the Reuelation which is the last of them all and of the same and no more diuine authority then all the rest and so sets his seale to the whole Canon I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall add vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Reu. 22. 18. Therefore the Apostle obserues this difference betwixt the former times and the times of Christ Hebrewes 1. 1 2. At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake in old time to our fathers by the Prophets in these last daies hee hath-spoken to vs by his Sonne 1. We haue a more excellent and perfect teacher giuen vs then they had they had the Prophets we haue the Sonne of God himselfe 2. Then God reuealed his will at sundry times now all at once In which respect also thirdly it is to be marked that he calls that time wherein Christ and the Apostles liued the last dayes as Acts 2. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 20. And the ends of the world 1. Cor. 10. 11. Why are they called so so many 100. yeares so many ages before the worlds end Surely because there shall be no more alteration made in Religion the will of God shall be no further reuealed then it was then there shall be no more additions made to that which Christ hath taught vnto his Church The Reasons of this Doctrine are three 1. It is a part of Christs Mediatorship and one of the offices whereunto he was called and anointed of his Father to be the Prophet and teacher of his Church so Peter interprets and applies that place of Moses to be meant of Christ For Moses truely said vnto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise vp vnto you of your brethren like vnto me him shall yee heare in all things whatsoeuer hee shall say vnto you Acts 3. 22. yea he is called the onely Doctour and teacher of his Church Matth. 23. 8. 10. One is your Doctour to wit Christ. 2. There was no want of ability in him to reueale the whole will of his Father to the Church For Iohn 1. 18. Hee is in the bosome of his Father and knew all his secrets and Col. 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge 3. There was no want of faithfulnesse in him he was faithfull in his office as Moses Hebrewes 3. 2. yea more faithfull then Moses Heb. 3. 5 6. This Doctrine serues for the improouing and conuincing of three errors First Of the Papists that deny the perfection of the Scriptures and still adde traditions and vnwritten verities vnto them Christ hath taught vs all things and whatsoeuer he taught vs he taught it in his owne life time and in the daies of the Apostles And whatsoeuer he taught in his owne person is contained in the Scriptures Luke 24. 27. 45. Whatsoeuer the Apostles taught is contained in the Scriptures Acts 26. 22. The Scriptures before Christ and his Apostles had put the last hand vnto them and reuealed all the will of God were perfect and sufficient to keepe men from damnation Luke 16. 29. To make them wise to saluation 2. Tim. 3. 15. so as the Church then needed no traditions nor indeed might receiue any how can they then be vnperfect now The second error to be improoued by this Doctrine is of them that make too light account of sundry things that Christ taught by the Apostles iudging them temporary and abrogating them at their pleasure and esteeme the direction that God gaue to his Church vnder the Law in matters of his seruice more cleere and perfect then that which he hath giuen to his Church vnder the Gospell and that more is left to the power and discretion of the Church now then was then They grant that then nothing was to be done without Gods particular direction neither by the Church According to all that I shew thee after the patterne of the Tabernacle and the patterne of all the instruments thereof euen so shall yee make it Exod. 25. 9. neither by the Magistrate Dauid not as a King but as a man of God a Prophet commanded the courses of the Priests c. 2. Chron. 8. 14. And of the Musitians that were imployed in the Temple it is said that it was done according to the commandement of Dauid and of Gad the Kings Seer and Nathan the Prophet for so was the commandement of the Lord by his Prophets 2. Chron. 29. 25. but now they say there is more liberty giuen to the Church then was in those daies But this conceit is euidently ouerthrowne by this Doctrine We haue heard that Christ hath taught vs all things that concerne Gods worship indeed not expresly euery thing that belongs to the circumstances of Gods worship no more did he vnder the Law no expresse direction was giuen for the houre when the morning and euening sacrifice should be kept for setting vp the Synagogues or Pulpits for the forme of buriall and marriage but he hath giuen vs rules to direct vs in all these things and those more cleere and certaine and sufficient to resolue vs in all our doubts and to decide all controuersies that may arise about them then they had vnder the Law The third error is theirs that hold and put holinesse in sundry superstitious customes touching buriall fasting c. for which they haue no warrant but the tradition of their fathers as the Apostle speakes of many other vanities 1. Pet. 1. 18. The second Vse is for reproofe of them that are ignorant in these daies of the Gospell when all things are so cleerely and fully reuealed that the simplest person which with an honest heart shall vse the meanes of knowledge God hath giuen may attaine to a greater measure of knowledge of these daies it is prophecyed that the earth shall bee filled with the knowledge of God as the waters that couer the sea Esay 11. 9. If then God vnder the Law did so much abhorre ignorance in the Minister Hos. 4. 6. in the people Esay 27. 11. how much more in vs now if he required then that all should be instructed before they came to
as well at home as at Church they can pray and read good Books out of which they may learne more then they shall do at Church But such I would haue to consider Psal. 87. 2. The Lord loueth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob And the example of Dauid who though he could serue God as well in priuate as any of these and had also with him in his banishment both a Prophet 1 Sam. 22. 5. and a Priest 1 Sam. 23. 9. yet did he for all that long for the publike worship and bewailed greatly the want of it Psal. 84. 1. 3. Of those that though they do not absent themselues from the Church as the foure sorts I haue mentioned yet do separate themselues from the Church-assemblies in some parts of the publike worship Three sorts specially are reproued by this doctrine 1 They that seldome or neuer receiue the Sacrament which is of all other the most solemne part of Gods publike worship and in frequenting whereof all the faithfull both vnder the Law and Gospell haue shewed most zeale as in this Text and the other Examples mentioned in this doctrine we haue shewed 2 They that care not to come to the beginning of Gods publike worship and to tarry till the end 3 Such as being present either sit as dumbe persons when the Congregation singeth or are downe on their knees at their priuate prayers when the rest of the Congregation are hearing Gods Word or by their sitting when the rest of the Congregation kneeleth or standeth at prayer do openly professe a separation from the Congregation in that duty THE EIGHTIE THIRD LECTVRE ON MARCH V. MDCX. IOHN IIII. XLVI XLVII So Iesus came againe into Cana of Galile wher he made the water wine And there was a certaine noble man whose sonne was sicke at Capernaum When he heard that Iesus was come out of Iudea into Galile he went vnto him and besought him that he would come downe and heale his sonne for he was at the point of death IN the three former Verses we haue heard of our Sauiours returne out of Iudea into Galile In these that I haue now read is set downe the first miracle that he wrought there after his returne And in this History foure principall things are to be obserued First the occasion of the miracle Verse 46 47. Secondly the manner how this miracle was wrought Verse 48. 50. Thirdly the fruit and effect of this miracle Verse 51. 53. Fourthly the conclusion of the History Verse 54. In the occasion of the miracle which is set downe in the two first Verses three things are obserued by the Euangelist First that Christ came into Cana Verse 46. Secondly that a certaine Ruler had his sonne sick at Capernaum Verse 46. yea so sick that he was euen ready to die Verse 47. Thirdly that this Ruler hearing of Christs returne out of Iudea into Galile came to him to Cana and besought him to go down to Capernaum to heale his sonne Verse 47. Now for the first many Interpreters haue coniectured that the reason why Christ returning into Galile went first to Cana was this That he might confirme them of Cana in the Faith that was begun in them by the miracle he had wrought there at the wedding because in this place that miracle is mentioned But there is no good ground for that coniecture for first we cannot find that any in Cana receiued good by that miracle but the contrary rather Iohn 2. 11. This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana a towne of Galile and shewed forth his glory and his Disciples belieued in him intimating that none else did so Secondly the reason of his comming to Cana now might well be this that comming out of Iudea into Galile through Samaria and of purpose leauing Nazaret Cana was the next towne in his way as will appeare to any that shall looke in the Mapp of Iudea Thirdly the reason why the miracle is here mentioned might well be this to distinguish it from another towne of that name which was also in Galile in the tribe of Asher vpon the coasts of Tyre and Sidon of which we read Iosh. 19. 28. and where the faithfull Cananite of whom we read Matth. 15. 22. did dwell But why then will you say is his comming into Galile mentioned here by the Euangelist Surely to declare the occasion that was offered vnto Christ of doing this miracle So soone as euer he was come into Galile while he was at Cana the first towne that he abode in the Ruler dwelling at Capernaum which was about fifteene of our miles from Cana hearing of his being there came vnto him And this is the first thing that is obserued in the occasion of the miracle which we will thus passe ouer The second is that a certaine Ruler had his sonne sicke at Capernaum He is called in the originall not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the vulgar Latine that translateth it regulus a petty King seemeth to haue read it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one belonging to the King To what King will you say Surely not to Caesar of whom the high Priests said Iohn 19. 15. We haue no King but Caesar for the officers that Caesar appointed to gouerne vnder him were vsually Gentiles but this was a Iew as appeareth by Christs speech to him Uerse 48. He was then an officer to Herod Obiect Why but that Herod that liued now Herod Antipas sonne to Herod the first that liued when Christ was borne was no King for after the death of Herod the Great the Emperour to preuent rebellion diuided the Kingdome of Herod into foure parts betweene the three sonnes that Herod had left and gaue two parts to Archelaus his eldest sonne and the other two to Philip and Herod two of his younger sonnes Herods part was Galile and he is therefore called Tetrarch of Galile Luke 3. 1. that is one that had the gouernment of a fourth part of the Kingdome namely of Galile Answ. The answer is that though he were but Tetrarch yet both the people generally that were vnder his gouernment did call him King and in Galile he did rule as a King and his authority was euery whit as great as his fathers had been And therefore also the Euangelist Matthew that Chap. 14. 1. calleth him Herod the Tetrarch Uers. 9. calleth him King Well then this Ruler this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an officer of King Herod yea as the Syriacke which is the most ancient translation of the new Testament hath it he was the Kings Deputy one that ruled the Country vnder the King or in the Kings absence A great man he was as may further also appeare by the great family he kept Verse 53. and by this that sundry of his seruants came forth to meet him to bring him tidings of his sonnes recouery Verse 51. yet this great man hath his sonne sick yea sick vnto death which to such a man