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A29912 Twenty five sermons. The second volume by the Right Reverend Father in God, Ralph Brownrig, late Lord Bishop of Exeter ; published by William Martyn, M.A., sometimes preacher at the Rolls.; Sermons. Selections Brownrig, Ralph, 1592-1659.; Martyn, William.; Faithorne, William, 1616-1691. 1664 (1664) Wing B5212; ESTC R36389 357,894 454

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to distinguish the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New They counted them a Carnal people feeding only upon earthly promises No their estate was spiritual and the promise heavenly and all partakers of one glorious Messias 4. Conceive them ut Assessores Iudicii This Transfiguration is a representation of his last Comming in glory Then these Saints Moses and Elias shall assist his Judgment The Law and the Gospel shall then appear against their contemners and give in evidence against prophane sinners Oh! we think to see Christ only all in mercy No know Moses will appear and his Law shall be charged upon thee and the doctrine of the Prophets Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust Ioh. v. 45. That Law of holiness is not abolished but is in full strength yet till Christ shall forgive it thee Moses grew not weak or sickly but continued in full vigor till God buried him so the Law hath an eternal obligation and force upon thee and will accuse thee till Christ dischargeth it As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. ii 12. 3. These two Moses and Elias appear respectively to the Apostles who were now present at this Transfiguration for three reasons 1. To correct an errour in them They dreamed of Christ's Kingdom to be earthly and temporal The appearance of these Citizens shews the nature of this Kingdom Heavenly Citizens must have an Heavenly King Should Christ raign here what would become of Moses and Elias the Saints departed They are banish'd from this Kingdom No sure they must sit down with Abraham in that Kingdom Ye are come unto the heavenly Ierusalem and to the spirits of just men Heb. xii 22. 23. The consideration of these Citizens must raise us to the acknowledgment of an heavenly Inheritance They sought a City to come 2. To confirm a truth They had made a noble Confession of Christ's Divinity See how Christ confirms them now by the acknowledgment here of two glorious Witnesses As Christ to Nathaniel Believest thou because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree thou shalt see greater things then these Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Ioh. i. 50. 51. They shall have Moses and Elias two great Witnesses to confirm it to them Thus God honours and rewards and confirms the Faith of his servants 3. To enforce a duty Moses and Elias assist him in glory These were the most laborious and faithful servants of Christ and how are they now honoured It urgeth upon them that holy imitation Moses he was Faithful in the house of God Elias he was Zealous and Jealous for his glory Both ventured their lives in God's Cause Moses encountred Pharoah Elias Ahab Both Zealous in God's Worship now they appear in rest and glory These great Zelotes were most eminent Favourites It chalks out to the Apostles the way of getting high into Heaven Those who labour and toyl in his work burn in Zeal for his Glory pledg their lives in his Cause give up the fullest account and improvement of their pains these are his choyse ones these follow the Lamb where ever he goes As David's Worthies they were alwayes about him placed in greatest command stand upon Record so here these who encountred Gyants Pharaoh Ahab Iezabel these are they who are highly honoured 4. These two appear respectively to the people and their judgment of Christ. There were three opinions common among the Jews of Christ 1. A blasphemous opinion 2. A more moderate opinion but yet unworthy of him 3. A partial and superstitious opinion All these are corrected by this Apparition 1. They had a blasphemous opinion of him that he was an Impostor a transgressor of the Law a blasphemer This man blasphemeth Matth. ix 3. See here Moses and Elias justifie him bear witness to him associate and protest their Communion with him Had he been a transgressor a profaner of the Sabbath Moses would not have owned him much less honoured him Had he been a blasphemer as they charged him Elias who burnt in Zeal for God's glory would he have a-dored him Now then that these Saints of such authority among the people do they acknowledg him Surely he is no transgressor no blasphemer 2. The people more moderately yet most unworthily judged him to be but some Prophet Whom do men say that I the Son of man am Some say that thou art Iohn the Baptist some Elias and others Ieremias or one of the Prophets Matth. xvi 13 14. That was the best they thought of him A great Prophet is risen up among us Luc. 7. 16. This was well but yet too low for Christ. The Devil can be content we should yield him thus much if we stay there The Turk's attribute so much to him No here we see the main Prophet Elias he adores him as Lord of the Prophets to whom all Prophets ministred ushered in foretold All the Prophets were enlightned by him all were sent by him Elias and Samuel and all stoop to him 3. The Jews had a superstitious opinion of Moses that none could exceed him They would not allow Christ to be Moses his equal Thou art his Disciple but we are Moses Disciples We know that God spake unto Moses as for this fellow we know not whence he is Ioh. ix 28 29. See here Moses whom they dote upon he gives precedency to Christ he vails and bowes and prostrates to him Thus the Jews superstitiously advance some Saints to prejudice Christ. Abraham Art thou greater then our father Abraham which is dead and the Prophets are dead whom makest thou thy self Ioh. viii 53. Whereas Abraham desired to see one day of Christ so did Moses Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which ye see Luk. x. 24. that is Christ in the flesh As S. Paul of himself What is Paul what is Apollos So what is Moses in compare with Christ So much of the Persons 1. Duo Two 2. Duo homines Two men 3. Hi duo These two Moses and Elias Next is Secondly The Manner of their Presence They appeared in Glory In it two things 1. It is a real Appearance 2. It is a glorious Appearance I. It is a real Appearance not an apparition of fancie or some Vision to the mind but a true real personal Appearance of these two Saints 1. It is propounded and sealed up with a word of certainty and assurance Behold importing not onely admiration but evidence and assurance 2. The eyes of the Apostles give evidence of this Appearance It is said When they were awake they saw his Glory and the two men that stood with him And S. Peter and S. Iohn affirm they were eye-witnesses of all this Glory 3. The Actions ascribed to these men are real and bodily talking speaking all bodily
who can strike terror into the conscience who can affright the soul. 2. From the Nature of these fears They are supernatural and spiritual and so must be cured by answerable comforts Outward applications cannot cure inward maladies But spiritual comforts are from God onely The spirit of a man may sustain all other infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear Prov. xviii 14. Sicknesses losses natural and humane means may relieve us in them but these apprehensions that come from heaven and upon sense of Gods Majesty they are of another nature As balls of wild-fire ordinary water will not quench them so these flashes from heaven are not extinguish'd with sublunary comforts 3. The Grounds of these fears cannot be removed but by God and so by consequence not the fears themselves Secret guiltiness conscience of sin apprehension of Gods wrath they betray us to these fears Now none but God can free us from these Guilt it is an obligation and recognition in which the soul is bound over to answer to Gods Tribunal These fears like an Hue and Cry are sent out against us none can recall it till God makes stay of it I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Iob vii 20. This will appear in these three respects 1. In those sins that are not punishable by mans judgement yet the guilt of these will haunt the conscience 2. In those sins that are not discernable by mans observation when no eye sees us or can accuse us yet then the soul is troubled and perplexed As Cain he had an easie escapal there was none but his father upon earth yet saith he Every one that findeth me shall slay me Gen. iv 14. 3. In those persons who are subject to no mans censure Kings and those who are in respect of man lawless and uncontroleable as David was yet he cryes out Against thee have I sinn'd Psal. li. Thus the woman in S. Ioh. viii though all her accusers forsook her yet she stood still trembling before Christ expecting his doom or absolution Application 1. It must teach us to discern the true cause and original of these spiritual anxieties We must know they are the terrors of the Almighty Do as Rebeckah Why am I thus enquire of the Lord Gen. xxxv 22. If we come to these conjectures 'T is a chance as the Philistims said we shall never think of those courses that will do us good Nature will answer if we seek help of her as the King of Israel did to Naaman's messenger See he sends to me to recover a man of his leprosie Am I God 2. It shews the insufficiency of all other means to recover our spirits thus dismayed Some other means may for a time cast us into a slumber like Opium to a sick body it will stay the sourse of the disease for a time but it will break out again with greater violence There are three wayes of bodily cures Either 1. We allay the pain Or 2. Stupefie the part affected Or 3. Remove the cause So some outward worldly means may for a while allay and mitigate these fears and anguishes As Pleasure Saul gets an Harper to chase away the evil spirit Or Employment Cain falls to building of Cities to drive away his terrors Or Company the noyse and din of that may out-noyse our fears but this is no cure Others go about to stupefie the part to benum and dead and sear conscience to make it sensless and brawny Yet this cures not but heals onely and skins-over the wound of conscience The cure cannot be effected here but by removing the cause which is the apprehension of Gods power against us 3. It should make us careful to avoyd the causes and occasions of such spiritual fears which by all humane means are irrecoverable Those diseases that have Parabilia medicamenta are not so dangerous men are not so shie of them but suppose that a disease were in it self deadly and but one medicine in the world could cure it and that too in the hand and skil of one only Physician how careful would we be not to endanger the running into that malady These fears of conscience they are like the Kings-Evil none can cure it but the King all other helpers are Physicians of no value The Conscience may like the woman in the Gospel who had spent much upon Physicians but was never the better nay the worse she suffered much from Physicians it may seek out for case elsewhere but all in vain till God remove its terrors As they said of Leprosie that it was not to be cured by the Art of the Physician but it was left to the hand of God so we may say of Sin and the fears that arise in the soul because of it Secondly Another observable Consideration is from the present and speedy Act of relieving and recovering of these Saints They being cast into fear and perplexity they are not suffered to lye under it and to be swallowed up of it but a speedy present help is from God reach'd out unto them they are raised and comforted Observe as God wisely suffers his children to be overtaken with fear and perplexity so he graciously orders it that they shall not perish in these amazements but that they shall have a timely and seasonable recovery This he doth 1. In much pity and tenderness to them No mother hastens more to catch up her child that is fallen then God hastens to relieve his children He taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Psal. xxxv 27. He loves to see them in a joyful comfortable condition Isa. liv 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Vers. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer This he doth 2. In care lest they should be swallowed up and overwhelmed with grief and fear●… Isa. lvii 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made Vers. 18. I will restore comforts unto him and to his mourners S. Paul how careful was he lest the excommunicated C●…rinthian should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 2 Cor. ii 7. Much more is Christ. God hastens to recover such S. Peter being much dejected for his denial a message is speedily sent to him by the Angel Go your way tell his Disciples and Peter that Christ is risen Peter thought himself cast off and forgotten see here a special ●…idings directed to him 3. He measures out these fears and anguishes to his children in a just proportion they shall undergo no more then is fitting for them 1. Suitable to their weakness and what they can bear God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able 1 Cor. x. 13. He wrestles with Iacob but