they the neerer vnto euerlasting life surely nothing at al because they were without Christ who only is the ladder by which life descendeth from God to vs we ascend to liue with God The necessitie of the knowledge of Christ And heereby we may see how necessarie a thing it is for vs to vnderstand the mysterie of Iesus Christ not thinking it sufficient as many doe historically to knowe and formally of custome to celebrate the memorie of his birth and death and resurrection and ascending into heauen but searching out the fruites and effects thereof enquiring after that grace and saluation which he hath brought vnto vs therby that so we may know what cause we haue of this solemne reioycing and our reioycing may be not onely according to the flesh and outward man but much more inwardly in spirit and conscience whilest that being assured that Christ is our Lord we finde in him comfort of peace towards God and of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and certaine hope of the fauour and loue of God towards vs both in life and in death by that mediation and attonement that he hath wrought Christs demeaning and abasing of himselfe to make attonement for vs. 5 Which attonement that he might worke he woulde become of the sonne of God the sonne of Dauid both waies a kings sonne according to his Godhead the sonne of the great king of heauen and earth according to his manhoode the sonne of king Dauid but yet both in his birth life and death far demeaned beneath all kingly state the tabernacle of Dauid being now fallen downe onely the ruines thereof remaining the branches and armes of that goodly tree being now cut off only the roote or stump left as it were in a drie and barren ground Marie his mother of the house of Dauid is maried to Ioseph of the house of Dauid also but of no better state but a poore carpenter and of so small estimation that in the citie of Dauid for his wife yea being with childe great with childe yea traueling with childe and childe bearing he coulde finde no better entertainement but that the mother must be chambered in a stable and the childe cradeled in a cratch or manger as if they had beene to base to receiue that common curtesie that in such a case is vouchsafed to the meanest and other mens horses were to be thought woorthie of as good place as they The profitable learning of Christ beginneth at his humiliation and weakenes 6 Now heere are we to beginne in the learning of Christ if we will learne him fruitefully and to our comfort If we beginne at his maiestie it will confound vs if we first looke to the brightnesse of his glorie it will blinde our eies his terrors shall make vs afraide and wee shall not dare to come vnto him And therefore some whilest they haue immediately fastned their eies vpon the highnesse and maiestie of Christ sitting at the right hand of God haue beene discouraged and driuen away from him wheras he is our only mediatour to bring vs vnto God haue deuised and set vp other mediators to bring them vnto him This was the errour of Poperie which embraced the storie of Christs incarnation and death but neuer taught the vse thereof and left men in an opinion as if Christ according to the maner of earthly princes were of that austeritie and statelinesse that they might not presume directly to come vnto him but must vse the solicitation and intercession of other saints that were neere about him But from this error we shall be free if we begin with Christ where we ought to doe We must acquaint our selues with him in his weakenes and then he shall not seeme dreadfull to vs in his strength we must be conuersant with him in his humility and that shall minister vnto vs boldnesse to go vnto him in his glorie If we scorne to sitte with him in the stable and to learne of him in the manger if we neglect the comfort that we should receiue by his humbling abasing of himselfe for our sakes the beames of his glorious light sitting now in the maiestie of the godhead shall seeme vnto vs as flames of fire readie to consume vs if we approch vnto him As therefore we know how we our selues are borne little and weake and so grow from infancie to childehood and from childehood to ripe age and full strength euen so must Christ haue his beginning and proceeding in vs. We must embrace him swadled in the manger and grow vp with him euen from his cradle and childehood and continue the decourse of his whole life and see therein how as Hilary saith a Hilar. de Tri. lib. 2. Omnes naturae nostrae contumelias transcurrit He ranne through all the contumelies and disgraces of our nature We must behold him b Esa 53.2 without forme or beautie c Psal 22.6 a worme and no man the scorne of men and contempt of the people poore and despised in meaner state then the d Math. 8.20 foxes that haue their holes and the birdes of the aire that haue their nests whereas he had not where to rest his head e Esa 53.3 a man full of sorowes hauing great experience of infirmities worne and spent with watching fasting and traueling continually bearing the reproches and gainsayings of proud men bought and solde by treacherie and falshood calumniously and slanderously accused condemned spitted at crowned with thornes in mockerie and derision nailed to a crosse accounted with theeues and murtherers pearced with a speare imprisoned in the graue The beholding of these things shall prepare and fortifie our sight that with eagles ere 's without dazeling wee may looke vpon this f Mal. 4.2 sunne of righteousnesse now shining in his strength For we thus conceiue that Christ hauing vndergone all these things for our sakes and being ours in his birth and in his life and in his death is ours also now that he is raised againe from the dead and g Rom. 8.34 that he sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs and therefore that h Heb. 4.14 hauing so great an high priest for vs entred into heauen and i ibid. 9.24 appearing in the sight of God for vs euen Iesus the sonne of God wee may with boldnesse goe vnto the throne of grace to receiue mercy and to finde grace to helpe in time of neede And thus shall we be enabled to beare k 2. Thess 2.8 the brightnesse of his comming and l Luc. 21.28 to lift vp our heads for ioy that our redemption and full deliuerance is at hand when other men shall be at their wits end with perplexitie and feare and shall say m Apoc. 6.16 vnto the mountaines and rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne c. Now then let Marcion the heretike obiect that
not a mediatour 14 Christ himselfe not our priest onely but also our sacrifice Now that the sonne of God our mediatour and priest might haue a meete sacrifice to offer in our behalfe he tooke vnto him our body and flesh and demeaned himselfe to the condition of our nature which although in it selfe it be but of small price to offer vnto God yet being ioyned into one person with the sonne of God becommeth thereby of infinite woorth because it is the body of the sonne of God For we cannot doubt but that the body of the sonne of God the sufferings and death of the sonne of God are a sufficient expiation redemption of the sins of men As therefore against the priest so against the sacrifice there is no exception because the priest himselfe is also the sacrifice For it is otherwise here thē in the former priesthood of Aaron bicause there the priest was one thing and the sacrifice another but here the priest and sacrifice are both one whilest Christ himselfe the son of God f Tit. 2.14 giueth himselfe for vs g Heb. 7.27 offereth vp himselfe h Heb. 9 26. putteth away our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe Seing therfore both the priest the sacrifice are of so infinit worth value The intercession of Christ auaile able by has owne woorth the praier of mediation which this priest vttereth by vertue of the sacrifice which he hath offered cannot but be in the highest degree acceptable to the Lord and make them accepted also whom thereby he commendeth to the Lord. Such was the praier that Iesus Christ powred foorth vnto his father immediately before his passion beholding now in spirit the acceptation of the sacrifice which he was about to offer and by vertue thereof entreating and making intercession for them for whom he offered not onely his Apostles but all that a Ioh. 17.24 the father had giuen vnto him and b vers 20. by their word should beleene in him Who afterward hauing finished all things which he had to do and to suffer for vs here on earth ascended into heauen there thence foorth to doe the office of a priest c Heb. 9.24 by appeering in the sight of God for vs. Christ ascended into heauen still continurth a priest for vs and for euer 15 For he hath not by his ascending into heauen put of the care of his redeemed or left them to themselues but euen yet he sitteth at the right hand of God to plead our cause and to be our me diatour that by his intercession our sinnes may be forgiuen vs the loue and fauour of God may be yeelded vnto vs and our praiers may be gracious and acceptable in his sight And what is his verie sitting at the right hande of God in that flesh wherein he hath performed the satisfaction and attonement for our sinnes but a continuall remembring the Lord of that that in the same flesh he hath done for vs thereby as it were with strong and mightie voice crauing for vs mercie and grace and the defence of Gods blessed hande to preserue keepe vs vntill he bring vs vnto that inheritance whereunto he hath redeemed vs. And this continuall intercession for vs the prophet heere noteth in that he saith that he is appointed to be a priest for euer For where as in the former testament the priests could not cōtinue d Heb. 7.23.24 by the reason of death this man because hee endureth euer hath an euerlasting priesthood There is one died another came in place and by succession of priests was the continuance of that priesthood but this priest needeth no successour because although hee once died yet being raised againe from the dead hee liueth for euer and is euer present with God by himselfe to doe the office that hee hath taken vpon him to make intercession for vs. Christ a priest after the order of Melchisedec 16 And this eternitie of priesthood is againe implied in that that he addeth that Christ is a priest after the order of Melchisedec Of which fully to speake would require a long discourse but I wil briefly knit vp that which is most needful to be spoken In the holy scripture therefore we read of two orders of priesthood only two Two orders of priesthood the one a Heb. 7.11 the order of Aaron the other as heere we reade the order of Melchisedec The order of Aaron togither with the earthly tabernacle was but b Hebr. 9.9.10 a figure for that time whereby were offered gifts sacrifices that could not make holy concerning the conscience him that did the seruice which onely stoode in meates and drinkes and diuers washings and carnall rites c Heb. 7.19 which made nothing perfect but serued onely for an introduction to abetter hope and to d Gal. 3.24 schoole men vnto Christ. Which hauing but the e Heb. 10.1 shadowe of good things to come when for the time it had serued the vse whereunto it was appointed and now the truth and substance was reuealed in Iesus Christ ceased vtterly and became of none effect and profited them nothing at all that were exercised therein There remaineth therefore thence foorth no other priesthood faue onely the order of Melchisedech the title where of resteth onely and entirely in Iesus Christ The figure of Melchisedec how it is to be applied 17 For the application of which figure of Melchisedec if we will goe safely we must tread no other steps but those which the holy ghost hath marked out vnto vs as for mens presumtions we cannot safely build vpon them neither is their word any warrant to iustifie vnto vs their owne conceipts What there is in the story of Melchisedec to be applied vnto Iesus Christ the holy ghost in the seuenth to the Hebrews prosecuteth at large And first in his name and titles we may see the whole mysterie of Christ briefely comprised For Iesus Christ is indeed the true Melchisedec that is by interpretation f Heb. 7.2 king of righteousnesse not onely for that he is righteous himselfe but because he is as the prophet calleth him g Ier. 23.6 the Lord our righteousnesse who h 2. Cor. 5.21 when he knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him whose people are called i Esa 61.3 trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord bringing foorth the k Phil. 1.11 fruites of righteousnesse to the glory and praise of God He is also l Heb. 7.2 king of Salem that is king of peace accordingly as the prophet also tearmeth him m Esa 9.6 the prince of peace because he is the procurer and mainteiner of our peace at whose birth the angells sound out n Luc. 2.14 peace vpon earth who going to his death bequeathed vnto his a legacy of peace o Joh. 14.27 peace I leaue
that God is alwaies ready to yeelde vs fauour and grace comming to him in his name How may we comfort our selues in affliction and distresse lifting vp our eies to heauen and saying He sitteth in my behalfe at the right hand of God who is able to doe all things for me His eies are alwaies ouer me his care is alwaies for me his mouth is neuer shut from soliciting and pleading my cause with God the father There is nothing so grieuous in my sinnes but his bloud is able to acquit it nothing so high in the gifts of God but his intercession is able to obteine it He hath taken me to be his he wil not suffer me to perish but will preserue and keepe me for euer God the father grant vnto vs c. The fifth Sermon Vers 5.6.7 5 O Lord he that is at thy right hand shall wound euen kings in the day of his wrath 6 He shall iudge amongst the heathen he shall fill all with dead carkeises he shall wound the head ouer great countries 7 He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift vp his head THese verses serue for declaration of that that we read in the first verse For heere is shewed howe Iesus Christ set vp in the maiestie of his kingdome exerciseth his power for the confusion of them that refuse him for their king and denie to stoope vnto his scepter vntill that be performed which is there promised that all his enimies shall bee made his footestoole This is the generall drift of these wordes but more particularly we may obserue heere set foorth concerning Iesus Christ the seueritie of his wrath What points we are to obserue in these three last verses the extent of his gouernment his authoritie of iudgement the prosecution of his victorie and after all accomplished his triumph and glory Of all which I will speake as the course of the wordes themselues doth giue occasion 2 As touching the first the prophet in the fift verse turning his speech to God the father speaketh to this effest O Lord he to whom thou saiedst sit thou on my right hand c. after that thou shalt haue exalted him to that fulnesse of maiestie and power shall in the day that he shall appoint for the execution of his wrath strike through and wound with a mortall wound not onely the viler and baser sort and as it were the common souldiers but euen the captaines themselues yea the very kings potentates of the world whosoeuer they be that shall oppose themselues against him refuse to yeeld their neckes to the bearing of this yoke A double end of Christs sitting at the right hand of God Where at the first sight there is giuen vs occasion to consider a double ende of Christs sitting at the right hand of God The one concerneth the saluation of his faithfull people the other the destruction of rebells and enemies The one yeeldeth great comfort and assurance of hope and the doctrine thereof is proper to them that beleeue in Iesus Christ and incline their eares to his words and apply their feete to walke in his waies to whom it cannot but yeelde great matter of confidence towards God to bethinke themselues that they haue such an high priest and mediatour as sitteth at the right hand of God in so great acceptation with God in the height of the glory of God in all souerainty of power and dominion ouer all creatures both in heauen and earth Why should I doubt but that my praiers are heard of God when he that sitteth at the right hand of God is there alwaies ready to intreate for me Why should I feare least my sinnes condemne me when he that sitteth at the right hand of God is ready to pleade his satisfaction for my sinnes What can the deuill do against me when he fighteth for me that sitteth at the right hand of God He is my redemption and life that sitteth at the right hand of God and therefore how shall death or hell be able to doe me harme Who will accuse me when as he hath acquitted me who will condemne me seeing he hath sealed a pardon for me To be short it is riches in pouertie health in sicknesse ioy in sorow safety in danger life in death faithfully to remember and hartely to imbrace Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God the father Blessed is the man whose hart Iesus Christ possesseth by this faith but he that accepteth not of this great grace by faith and obedience of the gospel vnhappy is he and thrise vnhappy howsoeuer according to the course and condition of this world he seeme to be most happy 3 For Christ as to his that receiue and loue him he is gratious and louely Christs sitting at the right hand of God full of terrour to rebellious and vnthankfull men and sitteth at the right hand of God for their defence and safety so to them that vnthankefully refuse him or rebelliously fight against him is full of terrour and feare full of wrath and rigour and sitteth at the right hand of God to be reuenged of them wounding and killing and not sparing euen the very kings and monarches of the world that are not reconciled vnto him He is not onely a lambe to saue but also a lion to destroy He hath not onely a scepter to gouerne but also a sword to kill a Psal 2.10 Be wise now therefore saith Dauid O ye kings vnderstand ye that are iudges of the earth Kesse the sonne least he be angry when his wrath shall sodainly burne blessed are they that trust in him but woe to them that haue despised him a Mat. 3.12 He hath his fanne in his hand saith Iohn Baptist and he will purge or make cleane his floore and gather his wheate into his garner but the chaffe he will burne with vnquenchable fire And who are this chaffe but the wicked and vngodly but sinners and vnbeleeuers and hypocrites who in the field of this world and in the floore of the church liue and grow togither with the good corne with the faithfull and iust securely flattering themselues for that they haue place to grow in the Lordes vineyard whereas in the meane time to God-ward they are vnprofitable and good for nothing bringing foorth no good fruite being void of faith and a good conscience yeelding no true deuotion no sound obedience vnto Iesus Christ when notwithstanding they honest and grace themselues with the profession of his name Vnto them Christ shall adiudge a portion in the fire that neuer shal be quenched He shall say at the last day not onely b Mat. 25.34.41 Come ye blessed inherite the kingdome but also Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire c 2. Thess 1.7 The Lord Iesus saith saint Paul shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angells in flaming fire to render vengeance vnto them that know not God and that obey not vnto the
them to serue his turne as who hath it in his hand to destroy them at his owne will The maiestie of Christ shoulde more affect vs then the power of earthly princes And therefore the maiesty and power of Iesus Christ should much more affect and moue vs then all the power and greatnesse of earthly princes and the feare of him should be stronger to conteine and hold vs within the bounds of duety and faithfullnesse towards him then the feare of any secular power should be to remooue vs from the same a August in Psal 75. Terribiles sunt reges saith saint Austen sed super omnes terribilis qui terret reges Kings are greatly to be feared but he is fearefull aboue all that maketh kings themselues afraide If we feare kings because they can destroy vs how much more shall we feare him that is able to destroy kings Earthly kings can but destroy our bodies neither can they do that but when as the Lord will giue them leaue but this king hath power ouer bodie and soule and is able when he will to destroy both b Mat. 10.28 feare not them saith Christ that kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but feare him that is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell fire 7 Againe it is to be obserued how the prophet setteth downe a certaine time determined by Iesus Christ for the execution of his wrath A day appointed for the execution of the wrath of Christ For this is imported in that that he saith In the day of his wrath Wherby he calleth vs to patieÌ„ce to a quiet contented expectation of the reuealing of the Lords hand that we take it not amisse if the Lord do not so soone manifest his wrath against his enimies as we desire and looke for We see it oftentimes fall out that the enimies of Christ and his church infinitely storme and rage against his name and Gospell and yet in the meane time all thinges goe with them according to their owne desire They murther the righteous and innocent and wash their feete in the bloude of them that giue anie testimonie vnto the faith of Christ and the Lorde in the meane time maketh as if he saw it not and holdeth his hand as if he cared not what were done by them This sometimes wee woonder at and are amazed in our mindes to see that God suffereth those thinges to bee done to poore innocent soules for his sake and doth not straightwaies drawe his sworde and bring foorth his weapons for the reuenging of their cause But the prophet willeth vs alwaies to consider that the Lorde hath appointed a daie for the manifesting of his wrath against his enimies which as in wisedome and iudgement hee hath determined so in wisedome also hee will obserue and keepe the same In the meane time their courses are not vnknowen vnto him but he appointeth both which way and how far they shall goe and disposeth their goings to good ends and vses howsoeuer the same be not alwaies apparant to our eies But that which the Lord hath appointed they cannot passe they cannot goe beyond it where he hath set thenet they shal be taken where he hath digged the pitte they shall certeinly fall and shall not escape the plague that he hath prepared for them Howsoeuer therefore they reioyce in their present successe against the iust and comfort themselues in the assurance of their owne estate as if heauen and earth were sworne to serue their will yet as Dauid saith a Psal 37.13 the Lord laugheth them to scorne because he seeth that their day is comming the day that shall strip them of all their glory and turne their light into darkenesse and giue them the full reward of b Zepha 2.10 their pride whereby they haue reproached the iust and magnified themselues against the people of the Lord. Let vs therefore in this be halfe submit our selues vnto the wise dome of the Lord and not prescribe vnto him when or how he shall glorifie himselfe in the deliuerance of his people or in the destruction of his enemies And seeing the impieties and blasphemies of the wicked conteine far more wrong and offence vnto the maiestie of God then they can doe vnto vs and yet he is content in respect of himselfe to for beare and to defer his wrath let vs not maruell that he is so slow in the mainteining and instifying of our cause that vseth so great sufferance and patience in his owne The day of wrath sâ—â—ially to be vnder siood of the day of iudgement or the ast day 8 But this day of wrath as it hath relation vnto all those daies of particular iudgements wherein God in this world from time to time taketh open reuenge vpon wicked men and persecutours of his church so it must be extended also to that c Reuel 6.17 great day of wrath wherein shal be the consumation and full accomplishment of all iudgment Which saint Paul calleth also a Rom. 2.5 the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God and saint Peter b 2. Pet. 3.7 the day of iudgment and of the destruction of vngodly men Which is therefore specially so called because God shall then in speciall manner make his iudgement to appeare vniuersally vpon all the wicked so that there shal be no deniall of his hand For now although the wrath of God doe oftentimes light vpon the wicked in such sort as that plainly men that haue eies may discerne vpon them the hand of the sonne of God whom they haue dispised yet the world wilfully blindeth it selfe and will not behold or acknowledge therein the work of God but rather impute all to mishap and fortune and ouersight and therefore through hardnesse of hart feare not to goe forward in the same waies wherein they haue seen others to fall before them Thus children tread in their fathers steps and successours follow the cruelties and vngodly courses of their predecessours without any doubt or feare at all of their vnexpected and fearefull end Although therefore that God doe thus set foorth his iudgement by many dreadfull examples euen in this life yet it is to the most as if he iudged not because men will not take it to be his iudgement Againe albeit many there be that are thus made spectacles of the wrath of God in this world yet many there are also that seeme to goe to their graues in peace as if God had taken no notice of them or vnderstood not what they had done against him Prosperitie and honour accompany them to their end and the world cannot discerne but that they are blessed and happie men But that day of iudgement shall reforme all this errour when as they that now refuse to see or to acknowledge the power and worke of God in those executions which hee performeth in this world shall haue their eies opened to