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A39885
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God's goodness to this Israel in all ages being the substance of some sermons on Psalm LXXIII, I/ by J.F., minister of the gospel.
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J. F. (James Forbs), 1629?-1712.
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Wing F1443; ESTC R32028
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not too mean an Employment for them to bring this Message to the Shepherds Luk. 2.8 9 10. Fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord verse 13.14 And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And that good old Man Simeon verse 28 29. When he had seen the Child Jesus he took him up in is Arms and blessed God saying Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of they people Israel Christ himself being come they might now know that God was a great Lover of Mankind now they had an ample proof of his faithfulness in making good what he had long before promised Now they might be sure that Shadows would flee away the Substance being come Now they might be assured of the downfal of the Devil's Kingdom witness the silencing the Oracles of Jupiter Apollo and Hecate as also the locking up the Temple of Janus 3. God's goodness to the primitive Church was in furnishing them with Pastors according to his own Heart the greatness of which Mercy may appear from the Consideration of these Circumstances 1. The number of primitive Church-Officers was perfect and compleat for species and kind there was none wanting which her Condition did then call for Of extraordinary Officers there were Twelve Apostles Acts 1.1 Seventy Evangelists particular Churches had their ordinary Officers to wit Bishops i. e. Pastors and Teachers to whom the Administration of Ordinances and Oversight of the Flock was committed Presbyters or Elders who were to look to the Peoples Manners and Government of the Church 1 Tim. 5. And Deacons who were to take care of the Poor Acts 6. begin 2. There was then a parity and equality of all Officers in their kinds Amongst the Apostles none claimed a Superiority over the rest Peter's Supremacy was then unknown as the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were given to him Matth. 16.19 so also to the rest Joh. 20.23 The very affectation of pre-eminence was in those days distastful to Christ Matth. 18.1 2 3 4. and 20.25 26 Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be chief among you let him be you Servant even as the Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister And as it was distastful to Christ so also to themselves Matth. 20.21 22 23 24. When the ten heard what the Mother of Zebedee's Children had asked for her two Sons they were moved with indignation against them And as one Apostle was not over the rest of the Apostles so there was a parity between Bishops and Presbyters i. e. ordinary Preaching and Ruling Officers or Elders they were not two distinct Offices nor Officers as may appear from Act. 20.17 with 28. whom he had called Presbyters v. 17. he calls Bishops v. 28. 2. From Philip. 1.1 he directs the Epistle to the Bishops and Deacons Philippi being but a City it cannot be imagin'd that there were Metropolitan of Diocesan Bishops in the plural number in it therefore the Bishops there spoken of were only ordinary Church Officers This is the observation of Chrysostome on the Text. 3. From Tit. 1.5 with 7. For this cause left I thee in Crete to ordain Presbyters for a Bishop must be blameless This for must either be a reason of what is in the preceding verse or it signifies nothing the qualifications required in both are the same therefore they are not distinct Officers 4. From 1 Pet. 5.1 2. The Apostle exhorts the Presbyters to watch over their Flocks v. 5. taking the oversight of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishoping it over them The Work of both is the same and therefore the Office is the same 5. From Ephes 4.11 12. where all sorts of Officers both extraordinary and ordinary are reckon'd and if Lord Prelates be neither Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors nor Techers They are none of Christ's Creatures but of Humane Institution 6. From 1 Tim. 3.1 to v. 8 begin where the Apostle gives Rules for the Examination and Ordination of a Bishop and then immediately he passes to the Office of a Deacon without so much as mentioning any thing of a Presbyter as taking it for granted that Bishop and Presbyter were one and the same the Rules for Examination and Ordination of both are the same And thus you see God was good to the Primitive Church in giving her such Officers as did neither Lord it over one another nor over the Lord's Heritage A Third circumstance of this Mercy was the extent of the Apostolical Commission Matth. 28. Go Preach the Gospel to all the World whereas formerly it was confin'd within the compass of the Land of Judea such is the goodness of God to the Sons of Men now that he is not willing any should perish but all should come to the knowledge of the Truth See Act. 10.28 34 35. Mark 16.15 Luke 24.47 Act. 1.8 and 20.21 Rom. 1.4 5. 4. He did furnish the Apostles with variety of eminent Gifts and Graces suitable to their Work they had such a Gift of Preaching that they needed not Read or Study but they spake by immediate Inspiration from the Holy Ghost Gal. 1.11 12. Eph. 3.3 At one of their Sermons three Thousand were Converted Act. 2.41 At another five Thousand Act. 4.4 They had a Spirit of Prayer they needed not a Book to read a Prayer by a set form They had the Gist of working Miracles Matth. 10.8 By laying on of hands they could confer the gift of the Holy Ghost upon others Act. 8.17 and 10.44 and 19.6 In matters of Faith that concerned the Salvation of Sinners and the Church's Edification they were acted by a Spirit of infallibility Joh. 16.13 They could inflict corporal Punishments upon notorious Hypocrites and Blasphemers Act. 5.9 10. and 13.11 2 Cor. 10.6 They were endued with a prophetical Spirit whereby they could foretel things to come Rom. 11.5 26. 2 Thess 2.2 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Tim. 3.1 Joh. 16.13 The whole Book of the Revelation is prophetical 4. Consider the Church it self and God's goodness was great to them in these respects 1. Of Ordinances 2. Order and Government 3. Of the Purity and Simplicity of the Truth in those days 4. Of their Gifts 5. Their Graces 6. Perseverance 7. Sufferings 1st They had no Ordinances but what were of Divine Institution these also were divinely Administred and a glorious Presence of God was that that did highly beautifie all their Administrations Act. 4.31
Heavenly-minded and insisted much on such things as might make the Christians Dead to all things here below such a one was Polycarpus who thus answered the Proconsul pressing him to deny Christ These Eighty Six Years I have served a good Master and why should I now deny him At another time thus I do even long for the Teeth of the devouring Beasts they 'll only grind us in a Mill that we may be Wheat fit for our Masters Table And Ignatius thus I covet nothing that can be seen with Bodily Eyes so that I may but enjoy Jesus Christ Let the Fire the Cross the Beasts the breaking of Bones convulsion of Members bruising of the whole Body and the torments of the Devil seize upon me provided I may be partaker of Christ 2. The evidence of this may be evinced if we consider how that through their means the Gospel did so triumphantly conquer and captivate the Hearts and Affections of so many hundreds and thousands to the obedience of Christ that of Rev. 6.2 was applicable to their times I saw and behold a white Horse and he that sat on him had a Bow and a Crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer The Gospel was then spread abroad into many several Nations There was almost no place where the Christian Religion was not profest Plinius reports That the number of Christians did so encrease notwithstanding of Persecution that few or none did frequent the Idols Temples and Sacrifices Tertullian said all the other Monarchies have their Bounds and Limits only Christ's Dominion was spread over all and had no Bounds whence he proved That Christ could be no other but the Son of God And as the same Author relates If they had all forsaken the Towns of the Heathens they had left them almost desolate Sanguine fundata est ecclesia Sanguine crevit 3. The greatness of the Mercy did appear in this That the Lord did raise up some of very great eminency to plead their Cause against Enemies of all sorts 1. Quadratus Aristides Apollonius Melito Asianus Justin Martyr and Tertullian did learnedly plead against Persecutors and Presented their Apologeticks to the Emperors 2. Origen and Celsus did manage their cause against the Heathens 3. Justin Martyr against the Jews in his Book called Dialogus cum Tryphone 4. Tertullian both against Jews and Gentiles 5. Irenaeus and Tertullian against Hereticks 4. As they strenuously contended for the truth against all Enemies so they laboured mightily to keep the Churches at peace among themselves especially Irenaeus and Polycarpus who kept the Western and Eastern Churches in concord notwithstanding of their difference about keeping of Easter the one pleading it should be kept on the Sabbath the other on the same Day that the Jews of old did observe let it fall to be the Sabbath or ay other Day of the Week in this Pacificatory Work they prevailed much and were very successful till Victor Bishop of Rome took upon him to excommunicate them of the East Anno 200 5. They were such as did with all seriousness call aloud upon the Churches to consider the things that were of greatest concernment to them in that Estate Rev. 6. At the opening of every Seal they called thus Come and see 1. That this was nothing but what was Prophesied of before 2. Come and see i. e. consider that these things do not befall you by chance or Fortune but take special notice of the Hand of God in all these providential Occurrences 3. Come and see that Persecutors are limited they cannot go beyond their Commission no further than Providence permits A Horse and a Rider is the Type of every one of the four first Seals to signifie that the reins of Persecutors are not upon their own Necks but were wisely ordered and guided by the Hand of a skillkful Rider 4. Come and see your own sins as the procuring cause of all these Persecutions and Punishments inflicted upon you Cyprian Lib. 4. Epist 4. Quicquid patimur peccata nostra meruere dum viam domini non tenemus nee data nobis ad salutem caelestia mandata servamus fecit dominus noster voluntatem patris at nos non facimus domini voluntatem patrimonio lucro studentes superbiam sectantes aemulationi ac dissentioni vacantes There were these particular sins which he acknowledged to be amongst them 1. In general they did not walk so close with God as they should have done nor did they study exactness in keeping the Commands of God according to the pattern of Christ 2. They did with two much eagerness pursue after the World 3. They were Proud 4. There were Emulations Dissensions Envyings and Divisions amongst them 5. They were not so plain-hearted and faithfull in their dealings as they should have been Simplicitatis fidei negligentis 6. They denied themselves of the World in Words only but not in Deeds saeculo verbis solis non factis renunciantes 7. Every one sought to please himself displeasing others Unusquisque sibi placentes aliis non placentes 5. Come and see the ends of God in all this 1. It is to declare his Holiness and Righteousness he cannot away with Sin in any how near or dear so ever to him 2. To humble them for their Sins 3. To exercise their Graces 4. To discover Hypocrites 5. That the Truths of the Gospel might be sufficiently confirmed and commended to after Ages and succeeding Generations After the Martyrdom of so many there needs no new Miracles to make us believe the Gospel 6. That they might be Patterns to us in point of Suffering demeaning our selves as they did 6. Come and see the ends of God in delaying so long to give them deliverance 1. Because Wicked Men had not yet filled up the measure of their Sins 2. He had a mind to honour some more of his Servants with the Crown of Martyrdom Rev. 6.10 And it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season until their fellow servants also and brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled When the scrowl of them that God had marked out for Sufferings was made up then they might expect Deliverance Histories do relate that in these purer primitive times before the Apostacy of Rome all their Ministers were Martyrs till Sylvester the first in Constantine's days 4. God was very good to his People in those days in giving them now and then some breathing time and respite from the heat of Persecution as after Domitian's Death they were not troubled for one whole year's time under Commodus and Heliogabalus they were free from Persecution after Decius they had Peace for forty years together It 's very observable That their Sufferings were little or nothing at all under some that were otherwise most notoriously Wicked and they suffer'd greatly from some that were otherwise morally good Magistrates to wit Hadrian that was called Restaurator Orbis and Trajan call'd