jot or tittle of his word shall fail He is slow to anger and long suffering to the wicked to exercise his own patience Hee may be also slow in comforting and rewarding his children that he may exercise their patience He may be long sometimes but he is alwaies true sure and certain in his longest delay Fear and tremble therefore thou that art forborn in sinne thou doest but heap up wrath against the day of wrath God hath leaden feet but iron hands he is slow to punish but severe in punishing But be not afraid in the day of grace and mercy for blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 He that hath begun this good work in you will perform it Phil. 1.6 In due season ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 16.9 But the especiall cause no doubt for this time taken for this great matter the coming of the holy Ghost was because of the greatness of the feast and muchness of the assembly to the intent that the greater good might be done and with the greater speed This was Christs common practise he was born in private and so indeed he lived for a while but when his time of revealing himself was come he frequented the solemnest assemblies and thrust himself into the thickest throngs What feast was there which he went not unto Ye will say he went not up openly but privately to the Jews feast of Tabernacles Joh. 7.10 True yet not with intent to hide but to proclaim himself there for when half the feast was done he went up into the temple and taught ver 14. And in the last and great day of the Feast he stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink ver 37. He suffered at the feast of Passeover and had his title written over him in three languages for publick notice sake He sent the gift of the holy Ghost at the feast of Pentecost one of the three solemn feasts of the year when all the males must appear before the Lord Exod. 23.17 that his Gospel might be suddenly and largely spread Thus Wisdom cryeth without and uttereth her voice in the streets Prov. 1.20 The Wisdom the Word the Son of God taketh all occasions to gather many unto him and to do publick good Let not this love then want acceptance neither let his example want observance let not his love want acceptance but as he freely calleth so let us freely come and flee and flock unto him as the Doves unto their windowes Is 60.8 And let not his example want observance To do good and to distribute forget not Heb. 13.16 Whiles wee have time let us do good unto all men Gal. 6.10 Not seeking our own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10.33 So much of the time The other circumstance is the persons or parties They were altogether with one accord in one place Wee may note their quality who they were and their exercise whereabout they were 1. Who they were It appears in the whole passage of the former Chapter Namely the Apostles Disciples who were to publish the Gospell and to be pillars and foundation-stones of the Christian Church Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chiefe corner stone Eph. 2.20 Behold their exaltation behold their humiliation Behold their exaltation Their calling is high They are laborers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 Their indowment also is high they are indowed with God they have a visible receit of God the Holy Ghost Kings do command bodies states lives yea even of these that are so eminent I mean the priestly order For the King is supream 1. Pet 2.13 Therefore they are crowned with crowns of Gold inriched with gemms But these were to rule yea to raise and revive souls and therefore are crowned with such a Crown as never was any but the King of Kings even the visible Crown of the Holy Ghost The Prophet Elijah was carried up into Heaven by fire whether natural or supernaturall true or seeming it may be doubted But these Priests even upon earth both were carried by and did carry the true celestiall fire the holy Ghost God was the portion of the Leviticall priesthood by way of inheritance and remuneration And the Holy Ghost is the portion of the Christian priesthood by way of existence of exhibition of inhabitation and of operation Behold their honor then and deny not that the elders that rule well are worthy of double Honor. Yea though any of us in himself deserve dishonor yet let our calling be honored for this prime honors sake Again behold their humiliation For that they might minister they are first ministred unto that they might give they do first receive They have a commission but they may not put it in execution untill it be sealed They were to give and minister the Holy Ghost by predication Go preach the Gospel to every Creature Mar. 16.15 by ordination I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordain Elders in eevry City Tit. 1.5 by absolution Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes yee retain they are retained Joh. 20.23 Therefore that they might minister in this eminent manner they must receive this excellent measure they must have their mission filled and their commission sealed with that great broad seal of Heaven And therein is their humiliation For it teacheth them not to run before they are sent nor like Ahimaaz 2 Sams 18. to be importunate to be sent when they have no word put in their mouth nor any tidings to tell For no man taketh this honor to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 but rather to say with Moses who am I that I should goe Exod. 3.11 and with Saint Paul who is sufficient for these things 2. Cor. 2.16 and with Isaiah to expect some of that heavenly fire A cole from the Altar to touch their lips before they say Here am I send me Is 6.6 And it may teach both them and others for them to acknowledge that they are but sawes and axes instruments in the hand of the workman And that neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase 1. Cor. 3.7 Yea that we have this treasure in earthen Vessells that the excellencie of that power might be of God and not of us 2. Cor. 4.7 And so much of their quality who they were Secondly note their exercise whereabout they were They were all with one accord in one place Here is no businesse expressed but no doubt it was not for idlenesse much lesse for ill exercise that they were together but for that which did belong unto their calling as is mentioned ver 46. But especially no doubt their businesse was the expectation of this which now was fulfilled even to observe that charge that was given them that they
filled Chap. 2. ver 4. yea so abundantly filled that each one was able to fill multitudes For by Saint Peters preaching the same day there were added to the Church about 3000. soules ver 41. Thus this heavenly fire hid since the world began and from all ages Col. 1.26 now breaking forth sheweth most heat and light Thus our Zacheus for that name whether you expound it Just or Pure may well stand for him who is the fountain of all Justice and purity recompenseth his former hoording and sparing by giving fourfold Thus the holy and precious oile of gladnesse powred upon the head of the Church runneth down to the skirts of his clothing even to all his members and parts For saith Saint Peter here ver 16. This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall be in the last daies saith God that I will powre out of my spirit upon all flesh And this is that which is cited Heb. 8.11 They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know ye the Lord for all such know me from the least of them to the greatest Thirdly not to like end was the Holy Ghost before come or given For before he was given to foretell things to come and to be done now to tell and declare things done and finished Before to set forth the shadow of good things to come now to minister the substance of the things themselves Before to teach men but now we may say in some sort to teach Angells For now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places is made known by the Church the manifold wisdome of God Eph. 3.10 And in the ministry of the Gospell the things are now shewed which the Angells desire to behold 1. Pet. 1.12 Before it was to prepare the bride for the marriage of the Lamb Now it is to keep the keies of the bridechamber dore to bind and loose open and shut I will give thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shal be loosed in Heaven saith Christ to Saint Peter Mat. 16.19 For which causes I doubt not it is that the least of the Kingdom of God that is as aforesaid after this third and full revelation of the Trinity is said to be greater then John the Baptist whose time was but a little before it Mat. 11.11 What followeth then for our instruction out of this inlargement of the holy Spirit to us but this that we also be inlarged in the holinesse of our spirits unto him that as he hath abounded unto us so we may abound unto him and that as he to us so we to him be renued In our manner Not with eye service as men-pleasers but heartily as to the Lord. Col. 3.23 In our measure Rich in faith rich in good works In our end Not minding earthly things but having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 But how was this new and great coming of the Holy Ghost It was in or under signs and figures types and emblems For the Son came to take our nature because he was to stand in our room to act our cause therefore his coming must be hypostaticall he must be that he seems to be The Word was made flesh Joh. 1. But the Holy Ghost was to renew us into his nature that we might be partakers of the godly nature 2 Pet. 1.4 therefore it sufficeth that his coming be symbolicall not becoming or being what he shews but shewing what he is his properties and effects As excellently here hee doth in three notable symboles or signs Namely Wind Fire and Tongues And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing and a mighty wind c. To seek all the agreements between these shaddows and their substance were to attempt that impossibility 2 Esd 4.5 Weigh me the weight of the fire or measure me the blast of the wind Expect not all then but be content with some And first of the wind The Wind hath two especiall properties Secretness and Activeness First Secretness and that both in its arising and its working 1. Secretnesse in its arising It is so secret that it cannot be known for I will rather believe Christ who telleth me that I cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth Joh. 3.8 then I would yeeld to the wisdom of man if all Philosophers could as indeed they cannot agree together to tell me from whence it cometh God bringeth them out of his treasures Ps 135.7 No doubt out of those treasures of light and and might knowledge and power the light which no man can attain unto 1 Tim. 6.16 And secondly it hath Secretness in its working too for it unsensibly pierceth the sensible joynts and bones Zephyrus quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitam ferens and worketh sensible refreshing on the unsensible herbs and plants And to the Holy Ghost also is secretnesse proper both in his beginning or arising and in his working In his beginning for we say he hath a beginning of personality though not of nature A beginning from the Father and the Son not in time being coeternall but by proceeding Whereof the proceeding of the stream from the fountain of the heat from the fire and of the light from the sun is all too short and weak expressions and yet these in time we are still together And in his working also he is secret Entring in to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and the joynts and the marrow Heb. 4.12 And as the true Zephyrus breathing breath of lives upon all the plants which the heavenly father hath planted and that unsensibly as the wind blowing when and where and how he listeth The former secresie is for our admiration the greater it is the farther we must stand from it For qui scrutatur majestatem opprimetur à gloria He that searcheth Gods majesty shall be oppressed of his glory It is enough to cry out O the deepness of this secret The latter is for our examination for we must prove our selves whether we are in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 If we live in the spirit we must walk in the spirit Gal. 5.25 And as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Rom 8.14 Again Activenesse also is another property of the wind It is active constantly strongly subtilly variously 1. Constantly for it is alwaies in motion its being consisteth in action for it is not wind if it do not blow And though it be not in all places alwaies alike perceived yet never can it be said to be in no place at all 2. Strongly for it bendeth the pliant plants but breaketh or overturneth the stiffe and sturdy oaks 3. Subtilly for it findeth the chaffe in the middest of the wheat and purgeth and scattereth it quite away 4. Variously for it bringeth sometimes lightning sometimes rain
body 7. It was but an Oaken bough wherein Absaloms head was entangled but it was a sharp thorny bush wherewith Christs head was wreathed 8. In a word Absaloms story was a right Tragedy for it began merrily he invited his brethren to a Feast but it ended mournfully he and his followers were put to the sword but Christs story was more and worse then tragicall for his birth his life his death began continued ended with no mirth at all but with continuall mournfull misery But that I may proceed orderly in this my discourse I propose these three chief parts or points of the Text to be observed 1. The sufferer Christ 2. His sufferings hath suffered 3. The cause of his sufferings for sins Concerning the sufferer we are to consider who hee was and what he was who in his person what in his office The former the Prophet plainly sheweth Is 9.6 Unto us a child is born and unto us a Sonne is given Parvulus a Child that noteth his humanity Filius a Sonne that noteth his Deity Parvulus a Child even man of the substance of his Mother born in the World Filius a Sonne even God of the substance of his Father begotten before the World Parvulus a Child behold his humility She brought forth her first born Son and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a manger Luk. 2.7 Filius a Son behold his dignity When he bringeth in his first begotten Son into the world he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 That hee was man there is proof It is enough to the purpose to say seeing it is a saying undenyable he was born he lived he dyed That he was God there is proof St. Peter saith They killed the Prince of life Act. 3.15 and St. Paul saith they crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Yea that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood Act 20.28 That he should be man there was reason For man had sinned therefore man must be punished By a man came death therefore by a man must come the resurrection of the dead Man was the offender therefore man must be the satisfier Angels could not do it they had no bodies to suffer the bruit sensible creatures could not do it they had no soules to suffer The insensible creatures could not doe it they had no sense to suffer therefore man having body soul and sense must do it for he had sinned in all and he could suffer in all That hee should bee God there was reason yea double reason First that his sufferings might be sufficient and againe that his merits might bee sufficient That his sufferings might be sufficient For the sin of man was infinite I mean infinitely punishable If not infinite in number infinite offences yet infinite in nature every offence infinite because against God who is infinite No creature could therefore satisfie for it but the sufferer must be God that so his infiniteness might be answerable to the infiniteness of mans yea all mens offences And again that his merits might be sufficient he must bee God for sufficient merit for all Mankinde could not be in the person of any meer man no not in Christ himself considered only as a man For so all the grace he had he did receive it and all the good he did he was bound to doe it for he was made of a woman and made under the Law Gal. 4.4 therefore in fulfilling it hee did more then that which was his duty to doe he could not merit by it no not for himself much lesse for others considered only as man therefore he must also be God that the dignity of his person might adde dignity and virtue and value to his works In a word Deus potuit sed non debuit homo debuit sed non potuit God could but he should not man should but he could not make the satisfaction therefore he that would doe it must be both God and Man Terris crutus ab igne as the Prophet speake h Zac. 3.2 Is not this a firebrand taken out of the fire In a firebrand there is fire and wood inseparably mixed and in Christ there is God and Man wonderfully united He was God else neither his sufferings nor his merits could have been sufficient And if his could not much lesse any mans else for all other men are both conceived and born in original sin and also much and often defiled with actuall sin Away then with all such doctrines of prayers and Masses for the dead and whatsoever other merit or satisfaction of man for no man may deliver his brother nor make agreement to God for him for it cost more to redeem their souls so that he must let that alone for ever Ps 49.7 He was man even God became man by a wonderfull unspeakable and unconceivable union Behold God is offended by mans affecting and coveting his wisdom and his glory for that was the Devils temptation to our first Parents ye shall be as Gods and man is redeemed by Gods assuming and taking his frailty and his infirmity Man would be as God and so offended him therefore God becomes man and so redeemeth him Away then with all pride and disdain scorn and contempt of our brethren despise not hate not revenge not him that compares himself unto thee or lifts himself above thee pursue him not with fury prosecute him not with rage but rather seek to reconcile and winne him with kindnesse meeknesse and humility so did God deal with man his proud daring and too too high comparing creature Because man in pride would be a God therefore God in love became a man And so you have one particular concerning the sufferer namely who he was in his person God and Man Again as aforesaid we are to consider what hee was in his office the Text doth yeeld it in the name Christ This name or title Christus was wont to be given to three sorts of dignities or degrees Namely to Kings Priests and Prophets and that because the signification of that name that is Anointed did belong to them for those three degrees were wont to be consecrated and confirmed with the ceremony of Anointing so was Aaron Anointed to be a Priest Jehu to be a King Elisha to be a Prophet And of them all the Psalmists words may be understood Psal 105.15 Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed But never was this name so properly given to any as to him of whom my Text speaketh For if any were Anointed with material oyl hee was Anointed with spiritual oyl the oyl of gladness if any were Anointed abundantly he was Anointed superabundantly above his fellows if any were Anointed temporally he was Anointed eternally Thou art a Priest for ever saith the Psalmist Whose Kingdom shall have no end saith the Nicen Creed If any were Anointed for any of those three dignities or degrees it was for one of them or but for two at