of the incense out of the Angels hand before God notes the complacency that God takes through Christ in the obedience of his Saints Put these together and see whether Christ do not bring forth pleasant fruit All the Vineyards in the world cannot shew such grapes for pleasantnesse as these are 2. He brings forth profitable fruit The wine that comes out of this Vine doth chear and refresh and strengthen and make glad and that not the outward man but the soule and conscience also which no other wine can do If I should go over all these fruits againe and shew you the advantage which beleevers have by them you would then say they were profitable fruits Healing fruits and strengthning fruits and quickning fruits They remove all fears they bring in all joy c. 3. He brings forth plenty of fruit I have named many but I have named but a few in respect of what I might name All the graces of his Spirit are the fruits which he brings forth saith love meeknesse perseverance c. All the promises are his fruits eternity will be too short to measure all the fruits which grow on this Vine This is the second resemblance 3. In regard of the shadow which he casts over the Church The Vine is a shadowy plant it is in regard of the 〈…〉 fittest of any plant for sâ—adowing 〈…〉 Arbors of the vine Micah 4. 4. 〈…〉 shadow to his Church The Scripture calls hiâ— a shadow Esay 32. 2. A hiding place from the winde a covert form the tempest the shadow of a great rock in a weary land the words are spoken of Christ as is clear from the first verse Behold a King shall reigne in righteousnesse he who is there called a King is afterwards called a shadow I sate under Cant 2. 3. his shadow so Jesus Christ is called the Churches onely shadow 1. He is a shadow to defend them from his Fathers wrath God is in himself a consuming fire So the Apostle Heb. 12. 29. His anger is declared against all the sinnes of men He can as well cease to be as cease to be displeased against sinne in whomsoever it is Now Jesus is the Beleevers shadow to preserve him from being burnt by his wrath Yea Christ hath by satisfying his Fathers Justice for sinne quenched this wrath as to beleevers and this satisfaction is such a thick shadow that whensoever the beleever retreats to it and sits under it the wrath of God cannot reach him to hurt him the Screen of Christs perfect satisfaction doth continually stand between God and the beleever to preserve him from the fury of Divine anger The wrath of God must kindle upon Christ before it can kindle upon the beleever and upon Christ it cannot kindle He hath once born the wrath of God and by bearing it hath for ever quenched it Since Christ hath made himselfe a sacrifice for sinne once God hath many wayes declared that he is well pleased with him Abide under his shadowy vine ye that are beleevers the wrath of God cannot come neeâ—e you 2. He is a shadow to defend them from the deâ—isâ— rage Satan is full of rage against the godly They have broke out of his prison they have renounced his service they have proclaimed perpetual war against him and his kingdom they have by the grace of conversion blotted his Name out of their hearts this fills him with rage against them He is continually way-laying them he is daily fighting with them he never ceaseth to tempt them that he may destroy them 1 Pet. 5. 8. Jesus Christ is a shadow to preserve his Church from the fury of this destroyer By his death he hath broken his head Col. 2. 15. By his intercession he doth safegard his from all the attempts he makes upon them Luke 22. 31 32. The devil must overcome Christ he must pluck off all the leaves of this Vine before he can devoure the soule of a beleever Retreat to Christ by faith when Satan hunts you and continue here and you may laugh at Satan and all his assaults 3. He is a shadow to defend them from the fury of men The world is a bitter enemy to the servants of Christ They cannot walk after the fashion of the world they cannot but reprove the wickednesse of the world both by their lives and by their speeches too as they have occasion This makes the men of the world madde against them you may see this both in the Old and in the New Testament In the Old Testament Gen. 19. 9. they were ready to tear Lot in pieces because he reproved their filthy wickednesse In the New Testamen◠〈…〉 4. because the godly cannot drink of 〈…〉 â—â—ters they do therefore do they 〈…〉 Jesus Christ is a shadow to preserve them from the worlds fury He did by his death obtaine victory as well over the world as over the devil John 16. 33. and he doth shadow his Church in the world from the rage of the world Some particular members of his Church are perhaps overcome by the world but the body of the Church can never be overcome And for the particular persons or Churches that are ruined by them their ruine tends to their own personal salvation and to the preservation of the whole body the blood of particular persons or Churches is a sanctified seed which tends to the enlargement of the Church Universal 4. In regard of the influenâ—ial Communications from him to the Branches This is that which is especially meant in this place beleevers are compared to the Branches Christ to the Vine As the Vine doth communicate sap and nourishment to the Branches so doth Christ communicate spiritual sap and nourishment to beleevers All the Churches springs are in Christ Psal 87. 7. Beleevers have nothing but what comes from him Beleevers can do nothing that is good but by assistance from him He is the strength of their strength the wisdome of their wisdome God hath put all their stock and portion into his hands They have their dependance on him they have all their supply from him This is that which is laid down ver 5. of this Chapter Without me or severed from me ye can do nothing Of this I shall speak more in the next Doctrine 3. The excellency of Christ above all other vines He hath the preheminence in these seven respects 1. Christ is a Vine immediately of Gods planting Other Vines are the plantations of men 'T is true In the Creation God did by the Word of his power without the help of any creature cause the Vine as he did all other plants to spring Gen. 2. 4 5. But since the creation of man upon the earth these plants are the work of his hands We read of a vineyard planted by Noah after the flood Gen. â—9 20. and we see that since to this day vines are still set by the hands of men But Jesus Christ â—s the meer plantation of God alone God prepared him a body
soules nourishment The milk of the mothers breast was not more nourishing to the new-borne Ver. 2. infant then the Doctrine of the Gospel is to the souls of regenerated Christians 2. God had sanctified these to be the meanes of their spiritual growth As the childe grows by sucking the milk of the breast so do Christians grow by drinking in the Doctrine of Ibid. the Gospel 3. The Doctrine of the Gospel containes in it the sweetnesse of the love of God and of Jesus Christ towards them that beleeve he that hath tasted of this sweetnesse cannot but thirst after Ver. 3. it 4. By receiving into their hearts this doctrine they should have the closer communion with Jesus Christ To whom coming as to a living stone ye as lively stones are built up c. This he confirmes by an argument taken out of the Old Testament which is here cited and improved to illustrate the thing in hand This is in the Text wherefore it is contained in the Scripture Behold I lay in Sion c. Two things are considerable in the Text. 1. The denomination or litle given to Christ A chief corner stone 2. The Explication of this Title by the properties of it These are two 1. He is an Elect or chosen stone 2. He is a precious stone I shall first begin with the denomination A chief corner stone The sum is this The Church of God is here compared to a spiritual edifice or building Every true beleever is compared to a mystical stone in this building And Christ is here resembled to the Corner stone The Note from that first particular will be this viz. Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the chief Corner stone of the spiritual structure of Gods Church Both Prophets and Apostles and Christ himself give ample Testimony to this truth 1. The Prophets which were before Christ do bear witnesse to this See Esay â—8 16. From this Testimony my Text is borrowed Behold I lay in Sion fâ—r a â—â—undation a stone a tryed stone a preciouâ— corner stone a sâ—â—â—e foundation And the Prophet David long before him Psalme 118. 22. speaking of Christ hath these words The Stone which the builders refused i◠〈…〉 bâ— Headstone of the Corner 2. The Apostles which succeeded Christ they concur with the Prophets See that famous Testimony which is given before the greatest of Christs adversaries by Peter and John two of his Apostles Though Peter was the onely spokeâ—man yet doth John also agree with him Acts 4. 10 11. Be it known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus of Nazareth doth this man stand here before you whole This is the Stone which was set at nought by you builders which is become the Head of the Corner Hear also the Testimony of Paul which is both full and clear to this purpose Eph. 2. 20. Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner stone 3. We may adde to these the Testimony of Christ himself hear it from his own mouth as it is recorded by three of the Evangelists Mat. 21. 42. Mark 12. 10. Luke 20. 17. Jesus said unto them did you never read in the Scriptures the Stone which the builders refused is become the Head of the Corner In the mouth of all these witnesses is this truth fully established Two things I shaâ—l here open 1. In what respects Christ is compared to the Corner stone 2. How he excels all other corner stones 1. For the first Christ is called the Corner stone in foure respects 1. In regard of sustentation The corner stone doth uphold the whole building if the corner of the house fall the whole structure comes to the ground The Holy Ghost speaking of the slaughter of Jobs children saith There came a winde from the Wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead Job 1. 19. Some stones may drop out of the middle of the building and yet the building may stand but if the corners or foundation shrink the whole fabrick is dissolved Jesus Christ is the susteiner and upholder of his Church Therefore he is called the foundation stone as well as the corner stone Esay 28. 16. He is the great pillar that beares up his Elect. The Churches peace the Churches grace the Churches comfort the Churches salvation are all upheld and maintained by him Solomâ—n reared up two pillars of brass in the Porch of the Temple the one he called Jachin that is he shall establish the other Boaz that is strength 1 Kin. 7. 21. These two Pillars amongst other things did typifie the invincible stability and strength of the Church whereof the Temple was a sign and figure The Lord Jesus Christ is to his Church both Jachin and Boaz he is both the establishment and the strength of his Elect he is that golden pillar that beares up all The Poets have a fictitious conceit of Atlas a great Astronomer that he beares up the heaven upon his shoulders That 's but a fable the great body of the heaven is a burden insupportable to any creature Jesus Christ is really the great Atlas that bears the whole burden of the Church with all its concernments upon his shoulders Eliakim was in this a type of Christ the Prophet saith of him Esay 22. 21 22 13 24. that he shall be fastned as a naile in a sure place and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Fathers house And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Fathers house the off-spring and the issue all vessels of small quantity from vessels of cups to all vessels of flagons This Eliakim was a figure of Christ for Rev. 3. 7. that which is here promised to him is attributed to Christ These things saith he that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and he that shutteth and no man openeth He is that golden naile upon whom all the concernments of the Church both small and great do depend From vessels of cups to vessels of flagons all hang upon him The Prophet Esay foretelling his birth doth attribute this to him Chap. 9. 6. When he saith that the Government shall be upon his shoulder God hath devolved the whole care and weight of his Church upon him and upon him must we roll it 2. In regard of Vnion The corner stone is that Medium by which the walls of the house are united into one building Pull out the corner stones and the two sides of the house are separated one from the other Jesus Christ is he and he alone that doth unite the several stones of the spiritual building one to another This may be considered two ways 1. In reference to the uniting of the Jews and Gentiles Before Christ the Jew and Gentile were divided and separated one from another This separation did commence and begin after the return
hath taken up a prejudice though they be never so deserving Ahabs prejudice against the Prophets of the Lord would not suffer him to heare them 1 Kings 22. 8. 1 PET. 2. 6. XXII SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. Febr. 20. 1652. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Precious I Proceed to the Uses which are 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 1. For Information This teacheth a twofold lesson 1. The exceeding great glory of the Church of Christ. The Scripture tells us that the Church of God is a glorious body Though the Church taken in its more large acception as it contains all visible professors be in many respects lesse glorious because o◠the mixture that is in it it being a field wherein is both wheat and tares Mat. 13. 24 25. Mat. 3. 13. Mat. 13. 48. a barn floore wherein is both good corn and chaff a net in which are fishes good and bad yet the Church of God more strictly taken for the number of them that are effectually called the invisible Church is a very glorious society The Apostle calls it a glorious Church Eph. 5. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's glorious as in regard of the holinesse of the members so chiefly in regard of Christ the glorious foundation A house whose corners are laid with precious stones and whose superstructory stones are all lively stones must needs be glorious Never such a building in the world as the Church of God is See how the Evangelical Prophet describes it Esay 54. 11. O you afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundation with Saphires c. 'T is much like that description which is made of it Rev. 21. 10 11 12 c. Every thing which is in the Church makes for the glory of it Glorious in its members who are cloathed with the glory of God glorious in regard of the worship which is there used and of the Ordinances there dispensed in regard of the Doctrine there there maintained Calvin I remember understands by those precious stones mentioned Esay 54. 11 12. The variety of the gifts and graces of God to his people Paul understands by the same precious stones the doctrine taught in the Church 1 Cor. 3. 11. The Church is glorious both in respect of the doctrine and of the various gifts and graces of God dispensed amongst the members of it But the great glory of all lies in the foundation-stone Jesus Christ That must needs be a precious building which hath its foundation on such a precious stone as Jesus Christ is who it as far above all precious stones and a great deale more then they are above common stones For the setting out of this consider how Christ excels all other precious stones 1. He excels them in largenesse Other precious stones are but of a small dimension and of a very little weight You may put many of the largest that ever were seen into a small Cabinet but Jesus Christ is very great As God he is infinite without dimension filling heaven and earth with his presence See how the Prophet speaks of the infiniteness and incomprehensiblenesse of Christ in regard of his divine nature Esay 40. 12 13. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance That all this is spoken of Christ appeares from verse 11. where he is prophecied of as the Shepherd of his flock 2. He excels them in duration Other pearles and precious stones are of a perishing nature they may be defaced broken dissolved they may lose their beauty There 's a day coming when they shall be melted away into nothing Cleopatra dissolved a pearle of very great worth by the Art of Chymistry and drank it at one draught to her Antonius But Jesus Christ is a durable precious stone Neither time nor eternity will be able to dissolve this stone His beauty cannot be lost or dimished He never will have any flaw or crack or spot in him in the eyes of those that are able to judge aright of him His brightnesse is an unfading brightnesse The heavens and the earth fade and wax old like a garment but Jesus Christ is still the same and his years have no end Heb. 1. 11 12. And 3. He excels them in the multiplicity and perfection of his properties There is not any precious stone that hath all excellencies and vertues in it Some excel in one property some are excellent for another vertue Whether their medicinal vertues be considered or their other excellencies as their colour their forme their roundnesse c. One excels most in this kinde another in that But the vertues and excellencies of all pearls and precious stones meet in Christ Whatsoever perfection is to be found in any created stone the same is to be found in Christ The properties of the Saphire the Diamond the Chrysolite the Sardonix the Amethist and of all other stones meet in Christ alone And then they are all in him in a farre more transcendent manner then they are in any of these His brightnesse is above the brightnesse of the Diamond his whitenesse far exceeds the whitenesse of the Pearl The medicinal and physical properties that are in Christ are far more excellent then those that are in other precious stones Some Pearls they say do strengthen the heart others clear the sight others remove the vertigo or dizzinesse of the head and many other useful properties are recorded by learned men but none of them are so excellent in any of these kindes as Christ is for he removes and heales the distempers of the soule and minde as well as of the body he cures the spiritual eye-sight Rev. 3. 18. He cures the troubles of the conscience which no other precious stone can do being never so artificially used He being rightly applyed and taken cures the soul of sinne removes guilt which none other precious stone can do The neck-lace of pearle cannot cure the wounds of conscience the girdle of diamonds cannot remove tremblings from the spirit the costly jewel in the bosome cannot quiet the heart throbbing for sin or Gods departure all this Christ can do And 4. He excels them in this that he hath no hurtful qualities Other precious stones have a killing quality powder of diamonds they say is poysonful put in the bowels or throat takes away life presently But Jesus Christ hath no destructive quality He is occasion of hurt to none but to him that refuseth him Put all these together and it will appeare that the Church of God which is erected upon and united unto such a precious foundation must needs be a glorious Church 2. The great riches of true beleevers A member of Christ how poore soever he is in regard of outward riches yet he is the richest man in
stinking They defile all that comes neer them whatsoever they meddle with whatsoever toucheth them is defiled by them 2. They that are spiritually dead have no use of any of their spiritual senses The soul hath senses as well as the body but he that is dead cannot use any of these They cannot heare they cannot see they cannot taste they cannot smell they cannot feele they cannot heare Christs voice in the Gospel they cannot see the glory of Christ nor of grace they cannot feel the heavy weight of sinne they cannot taste the sweet and delicate pleasures of Jesus Christ they cannot smell the fragrancy of Christs sweet ointments They have no pleasure in those things that are most plesant in themselves and most desirable to such as are spiritually alive They are to all spiritual things and all spiritual things are to them as if they were not 3. This spiritual death if it be not removed is a certaine forerunner of eternal Death Blessed and happy is he that hath part in the first resurrection of him the second death shall have no power Rev. 20 6. but he that continues still in this spiritual death shall for ever be under the power of the second death the eternal death And this is the state of all such as want Jesus Christ Use 2. That that spiritual life which is in the soul of a beleever shall never totally and finally die It may be at deaths door it may be ready to die so it was with the Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 2. A Christian may be in regard of his spiritual life as a tree in the depth of winter no difference to all outward appearance between him and a dead plant but it is impossible that the spiritual life shall utterly be extinguished because Jesus Christ who is our spiritual life lives for ever Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. hid as in a root for safety and security Because I live ye shall live also John 14. 19. while the root liveth the plant cannot die while the fountaine runneth the streames cannot cease while the olive-trees convey their oyle through the pipes into the lamp the lamp cannot go out A living Christian may grow very weak but he cannot die Jesus Christ must cease to live before the life of grace in a Saint do utterly perish while the cause continueth the effect will Use 3. That there is a true spiritual union between Iesus Christ and a beleever This is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel that Christ and a beleever should be made one it s set out by many examples as of root and branches Iohn 15. init head and members Eph. 5. 3. foundation-stone and the superstructory stones Eph. 2. 20. meat and eaters Iohn 6 56. husband and wife Eph. 5. 32. This very doctrine makes it good He could not be our life if he were not united to us and we to him 'T is by vertue of our union with him that we come to draw life from him As the soul and body are united so are Christ and a beleever the whole mystical body is called by his name 1 Cor. 12. 12. so also is Christ speaking of the Church Use 4. Deadnesse of Spirit want of spiritual Activity is very inexcusable in a beleever The ground of this inference is very cleare Jesus Christ is his life Christ hath life enough in him and he is willing enough to communicate more and more of this spiritual life If the fountaine of this life were a meer creature something might be said for thy deadnesse and coldnesse but now seeing Jesus Christ is thy life thy deadnesse is inexcusable in thy self and it is also dishonourable to Christ The life and greennesse of the branches is an honour to the root by which they live Spiritual greennesse and fruitfulnesse is in a beleever an honour to Jesus Christ who is his life Psal 92. 12 13 14 15. The righteous shall flourish as a Palm-tree c. To shew that the Lord is upright c. The fulnesse of Christ is manifested by the fruitfulnesse of a Christian Use 5. It is the duty of a Christian to live comfortably on this Doctrine It affords very much comfort 1. Against the weaknesse of this life in our selves What Christian is there but finds this life very weak in him at some times well when it is weakest in thee it is then strong in Jesus Christ And God looks upon thy spiritual life not only as it is in thee but as it is in Christ 2. Against the fear of the wanting of the Ordinances of life 'T is a great losse to lose the Ordinances Lev. 26. 31. Well though thou lose these yet thou doest not lose thy life These are but the pipes Christ is the Olive-tree These are but the chanels Christ is the fountaine Man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing Thy soul liveth by Christ not by Ordinances They are but the instrumental cause Christ is the efficient 3. Against the feare of Satans workings to destroy this spiritual life 'T is his great designe to take away this spiritual life He labours to stifle it by sinne he stirs up his instruments to remove the Ordinances Well he cannot prevaile He must destroy Christ before he can destroy our life He must either wither the root or he cannot kill the branches Use 6. Let beleevers be careful to carry themselves towards Christ as he who is their life 1. Acknowledge him the Authour of your life 2. Go to him when you want life 3. Strengthen your union with him Eph. 4. 15. 4. Live to him who is your life Rom. 14. 8. Use 7. It should invite all to lay hold on Christ All men are dead by nature There 's no other way to live a spiritual life If Christ be not thy life of grace he will never be thy life of glory COL 3. 4. When Christ our life shall appear then III. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth Lon. June 1. 1651. shall we also appeare with him in glory I Have handled the first Proposition as it relates to the life of grace viz. that Jesus Christ is a beleevers spiritual life I shall now consider of it as it refers to the life of glory and so summe it up into this conclusion viz. Doct. Jesus Christ is the eternal life of every beleever Christ is the everlasting life of all those that are eternally saved As he is their life of grace so he is also their life of glory He is often called in Scripture not only a Saviour but Salvation The salvation of God Luk. 3. 6. An horn of salvation Luk. 1. 69. And all because he is the salvation of all the Elect. I must here put in that Caution which I did before viz. That the Father and Holy Ghost are not to be excluded they are our life as well as Christ The Spirit and the Father are Saviours as well as the Sonne Opera Trinitatis ad
life so the meat that is appointed for the natural life if compared with the meat of the Spiritual life is but a very image of meat Christs flesh is real meat 2. In respect of that typical meat which the Jews had lately spoken of v. 31. Our fathers did eat Manna in the desart c. Our Saviour tells them that that is but typical bread but his flesh is bread indeed it is the real substance of which that was but a meere type and shadow Thus for Explication The Observation is this Doct 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly the food and meat of beleevers Flesh is here put for the whole person of Christ Jesus Christ as he is held out in the Scriptures is the true real and very meat of beleeving Christians Christ as he is propounded in the Gospel dead broken crucified Christ in all his perfection compleatnesse fulnesse is meat indeed to a true beleever 'T is the very scope of this Sermon from v. 27. to v. 59. in which this truth is inculcated over and over againe and all objections answered which the carnal reason and unbeleefe of mans heart can make against it I shall in the Explication of this Doctrine open these things 1. Prove that Christ is a beleevers meat 2. Shew the Analogy between Christ and other meat 3. How this meat is eaten and received I. That Christ is the soules meat This is proved two wayes First from the types of Christ in the Old Testament The Ceremonial Law had many types of Christ Whatsoever is revealed of Christ in the New Testament was some way or other typified of him in the Ceremonial Law There are foure types which did set out Jesus Christ as the souls meat 1. The Manna in the wildernesse The History of the Manna is set down Exod. 16. the people being in some want of provision in the Wildernesse of sinne began to murmur against Moses and Aaron v. 3. God promiseth v. 4. to raine bread from heaven for them which accordingly was done v. 14 15. That this was a type of the feeding vertue of Christ is plainly discovered by our Saviour in this very Sermon v. 31 32. The Wildernesse did typifie the state of the Church in this world and the Manna was a plaine type of Christ the Churches meat 2. The Shewbread The Law and manner of the Shewbread you have at large Lev. 24. 5 6 7. 8 9. There are two things represented by this Shewbread First the multitude of the faithful presented unto God in his Church as upon a pure table continually serving him made by faith and holinesse as fine cakes and by the mediation of Christ as by incense made a sweet odour unto God Secondly the Spiritual repast which the Church hath from and before God who feedeth them with Christ the bread of life 3. The meat-offerings Concerning this Minchah or meat-offering you may reade at large Lev. 2. 1 c. These meat-offerings were of two sorts some were the meat-offerings of the Congregation some of particular persons of these latter there were several sorts mentioned in that Chapter It 's said v. 3. that Aaron and his sons shall have the remnant of the meat-offering that is all of it but that which is burned upon the Altar for a memorial v. 2. Several things were signified by the meat-offerings Being referred to Christ who by the oblation of his own body was our meat offering Psal 40. 6. Heb. 10. 5. they did shadow out our communion with Christ and participation of his death and resurrection by faith whereby he becomes unto us spiritual meat of which the whole Church are made partakers 4. The flesh of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings and others which were given to the Priests of which you read Lev. 7. 15. they were to be eaten the same day it was killed Now what was meant by the eating of the flesh of these sacrifices and of the flesh of the other sacrifices which were given to the Priests to eat vid. Lev. 10. 12 13 14. Surely Jesus Christ who by his flesh as by precious meat feedeth his people who are spirituall Priests unto everlasting life Secondly from the Sacraments of nourishment both of the Old and New Testament There were Sacraments of implantation or initiation and of growth under the Law Circumcision Passeover under the Gospel Baptisme Supper of the Lord. 1. The Sacrament of nourishment under the Old Testament was the Paschal lamb The Law and rites of this are set down Exod. 12. 3 4 5 c. What did this Paschal Lamb signifie but Jesus Christ our Passeover the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world In this Sacrament was Jesus Christ set out as a nourisher He is that precious meat upon which all the true Israel of God feed continually who is therefore called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. 2. The Lords Supper This is the Sacrament of nourishment under the New Testament And herein clearly Christ is exhibited as our spiritual meat His flesh is the bread the wine is his blood As the body is nourished by bread and wine so is the soule by his body and blood nourished and fed to life eternal II. The Analogy between Christ and corporal meat stands in these three particulars Three great ends of meat 1. Corporal meat is for the preservation of the Susientation natural life The natural life is maintained by meat through the concurrence of Gods ordinary blessing 'T is pabulum vitae Hence bread under which all other provision is comprehended is called the staffe of life Esay 3. 1. Keep the strongest man from meat but a few dayes and the life will extinguish and go out 1 Sam. 30. 12. Jesus Christ is the maintainer and preserver of the spiritual life As he gives it at first so he upholds it 'T is by continual influences from him that the life is kept from expiring If he withdraw his influx never so little the soule is at the giving up of the Ghost even halfe dead 2. Corporal meat is for growth 'T is by meat Vegetation that the body is brought from infancy to childhood from childhood to youth from youth to a perfect man Jesus Christ is he that carries on a Christian from infancy to perfection All the soules growth and increase is from Christ So the Apostle Col. 2. 19. From him the whole body having nourishment ministred c. The branches live and increase by vertue of the sap which is derived from the root Christians grow by vertue of the sap which is to them derived from Jesus Christ Every part growes by Christ 3. Meat is a repayer of natures decayes When Reparation by some violent sicknesse the spirits are consumed the body wasted the strength lost meat fitly and seasonably taken helps through the divine blessing to recover all again 1 Sam. 30. 12. his spirit came to him againe Jesus Christ is the repairer of the soules decayes
is both meat and drink compleat nourishment The body cannot live with meat if drink be wanting nor can it subsist by drink onely without meat Bread without drink would dry up the blood drink without meat would in a little time drown the body A mixture and fit proportion of both keeps it in health Jesus Christ is both these compleat and perfect nourishment Well may the Apostle say that Christians are compleat in him Col. 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is in himselfe every way compleat and those that adhere to him are perfectly compleat in him V Take notice of the truth of Christ humanity Marcion Eutiches Saturnius Maniches hold that Christ was man onely in appearance The Scripture doth both assert the God-head and Man-hood of Christ The two natures are personally united never to be separated His Name shall be called Emmanuel Mat. 1. 23. And the truth of the Man-hood is asserted in many places The Word became flesh and dwelt among us Joh. 1. 14. To us a childe is born Esay 9. 6. As other Scriptures so the Text doth clearly assert his humanity for it makes mention of his flesh and blood The God-head hath neither flesh nor blood but the Man-hood hath both He is perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting VI. How injurious are the Papists to the people of God that deny them his blood They take away from the Laity as they call them the blood of Christ in the Sacrament And by this meanes do in effect deny them nourishment As the body stands in need of meat as well as drink and of drink as well as meat so doth the soul As they wrong Christ in transgressing his institution who appointed the cup as well as the bread Matth. 26. 26 27. so they are very injurious to the Church in taking away the one half of their spiritual food Abhor their Doctrines blesse God you are freed from the sacrilegious soul-robbers They that deprive you of Christs blood depâ—ive you of life for except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Joh. 6. 53. yea indeed he that takes away Christs blood takes away whole Christ from the soul VII The wickednesse of the Socinian doctrine that makes nothing that Christ did to be meritorious for us but onely exemplary This is a soul-damning doctrine Christ is our meat and drink He died not onely to teach us to suffer but to be meat and drink to keep us from starving yea to feed us up to eternal life VIII The miserable condition of those that want Christ Nothing can keep them from starving who either have not or will not use this meat and drink The condition of Lazarus was sad as to his outward man when he had neither meat nor drink Luke 16. Hagar and her childe were in a miserable condition when the bread was eaten and the bottle empty Gen. 21. 15 16. That condition of that desolate widow of Sarepta 1 Reg. 17. 11 12. was very sad far worse is theirs who want Christ the starving of the soul is worse then the pining of the body IX None fare so delicately as beleevers That rich glutton fared deliciously every day Luk. 16. 19. What were his delicacies to this He had the creatures to feed upon beleevers feed on God himself Nabal it s said when he had his sheep-shearers made a feast like the feast of a King 1 Sam. 25. 36. you read of Ahasureus his great feast Esth 1 4 â— You reade of Solomons daily provision 1 Reg. 4. 22 23. this was very great But the beleeving beggar hath better provision then this What is the flesh of foules to the flesh of Christ What is the blood of the grape to Christs blood This is a beleevers daily food They have not onely panem potum Domini but they have panem potum Dominum X. The folly of those that do either feed themselves or perswade others to feed upon their own works and duties The Papists set mens works and duties before themselves and others as their spiritual meat and drink They make the righteousnesse of man their meat and drink 1 This doctrine is derogatory to Christ To make any thing besides Christ the soules meat and drink is to deny him to be meat at least sufficient and perfect meat He will either be our onely food or not our food at all Christ is incapable of all other mixtures As the Apostle argues about grace and works so may we argue in this matter about Christ and works Rom. 11. 6. If by grace then it is no more of works c. If Christ be our meat and drink then are not works our meat and drink otherwise Christ is no more Christ and if works be our meat and drink then is not Christ our meat and drink otherwise works are no more works 2 This doctrine is prejudicial to the soule It is indeed a soul-starving doctrine Our works cannot feed us The Prophet tells us Esay 44. 20. that the Idolater feedeth on ashes Our best works and duties are not meat and drink but ashes 'T is as impossible that the body should live upon ashes or other such trash as that the soule should live upon its own works Our works have no nourishing vertue in them If a Sonne shall ask bread saith our Saviour of any of you that is a father will he give him a stone Luke 11. 11 12. The Papists are unnatural fathers to their children When they ask them bread they give them a stone when they ask fish they give them a serpent and when they ask an egge they give them a scorpion A mans best works are Stones Serpents Scorpions yea they are poyson to him that makes them his food You reade of a severe threatning of Rabshakeh against the people of God 2 Reg. 18. 27. He would make them eat their own dung c. The Papists put this threatning into practise upon all their followers in a spiritual sense They make them eat their own dung c. Indeed our best works and duties in the account of strict justice are no better Mal. 2. 3. I will spread dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemne feasts A person had better never do any good works then make him his spiritual meat and subsistence XI Behold here the excellency of Jesus Christ He is meat and drink He is indeed compared to all things that are excellent he doth farre excel whatsoever he is compared unto He is as far above all other meat and drink as the best meat and drink are above the coursest pulse and the muddiest water See this excellency in a few particulars 1. Christ is spiritual meat and drink All other meat and drink is onely corporeal 'T is so in its own nature and 't is so in regard of the subject it nourisheth not the soule but the body onely All their delicacies do not
2. 10. To shew that this eternal 〈…〉 from him 1. He hath merited this salvation for the Elect 'T is his purchase 2. He keeps it for them and them 〈…〉 1 John 5. 11. 3. He will actually put them into full possession of it when he returnes from heaven in the latter end of the world of which he speaks John 14. 3. Thus much for the first particular namely the extent of that salvation of which Christ is said to be an Horn. He is the salvation of the Elect Privatively from all evil Positively to all good till he have brought them to heaven the place of eternal salvation 2. Why Christ is called an Horn of salvation That we may come to the full understanding of this let us consider how the word is used in Scripture Now we finde that this word doth Metaphorically denote two things especially 1. Glory and dignity So we finde it used Lam. 2. 3. where the Church complaining of the misery which had befallen her hath these expressions The Lord hath cut off in his fierce anger all the Horn of Israel That is whatsoever was glorious or excellent in Israel God hath now removed So we may see cleerly if we reade the first verse The Lord hath cast down from heaven unto earth the beauty of Israel he hath covered the daughter of Sion with a cloud c. and then it follows He hath cut off all the Horne of Israel The glory of God manifested in his appearings when he brought Israel out of Egypt is expressed by this Metaphor Hab. 3. 3 4. His glory covered the heavens c. His brightnesse was as the light He had hornes coming out of his hand c. So Psal 9â— 10. My Horn saith the Psalmist shalt thou exalt like the horn of an Vnicorn that is thou shalt encrease my glory and dignity 2. Serength and Power So 't is used Lam. 2. 17. He hath set up the horn of thine Adversaries saith the Church that is he hath encreased the power and strength of thine Adversaries So when God threatens to weaken the power of Moab he doth it by this Metaphor Jerem. 48. 25. The Horn of Moab is cut off and his arme is broken The breaking of the arme doth fully expound the cutting off of the Horn. And when God promiseth to give his people power to subdue their enemies he useth this expression Micah 4. 13. Arise and thresh c. for I will make thine horne Iron Now then when Christ is called an Horn of salvation the meaning of the Holy Ghost is 1. The glory of his salvation 2. The strength of his salvation First The glory of his salvation Jesus Christ is a glorious Saviour and the salvation which he brings to his people is a glorious salvation in three respects 1. Consider the person of Christ. God raised up many hornes of salvation for his people when they were in distresse The History mentions them Neh. 9. 27. According to thy manifold mercy thou gavest them Saviours which saved them Gideon and Jepthah and Sampson c. they are called Saviours because they saved instrumentally the people of God from their enemies But they were but mean Saviours in respect of Christ his person 〈…〉 They were but men He God 〈…〉 person Though his glory was 〈…〉 eyes of carnal men yet they that had spiritual eyes did behold it John â— 14. We 〈…〉 glory the glory as of the 〈◊〉 begotten of the Father If the person of Christ be compared with the persons of other saviours it will appeare that he is a glorious Saviour All other horns of salvation were but wooden horns Christ is a golden Horn of salvation 2. Consider the nature of the salvation it self 'T is spiritual salvation 't is eternal salvation All those hornes of salvation which were raised up in sundry ages for the defence of the Church were but horns of outward salvation and of temporary salvation They saved onely the outward man and that neither but for a time The Church was in as much peril after they had wrought salvation for them as ever they were before When Gideon was dead the children of Israel fell into as great danger as they were in before So after the death of Jepthah and after the death of Sampson they were overwhelmed with as great hazards as before as you may reade in the story in the book of Judges But now Christ is a Horn of salvation to their soules as well as to their bodies He saves them from their spiritual enemies Sinne Satan as well as from men He saves them from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. And then he saves them for ever The Church never can be never will be in that danger again as they were before this Horn of salvation was raised He hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. 3. Consider the glorious manner of the working of this salvation Never any salvation so glorious at this There are three things in it 1 He saved the Elect by his own power The power by which all other hornes of salvation delivered the Church was by a power one of themselves the strength they had was none of their own but the power by which Christ saved and still saves his Church is from himselfe the Divinity impowered the Humanity Psal 98. 1. His own right hand and his own holy Arme hath gotten him the victory 2 He saved the Elect solely Other horns of salvation had the concurrence of many besides themselves Gideon and Jepthah and Sampson c. They blew the trumpet and gathered multitudes to assist them in the battels which they fought for the salvation of the Church All Israel came after them But this Horn of salvation wrought the Churches deliverance alone Esay 63. 3 5. I have troden the wine-presse alone c. He had no other Horne to help him He entred the field and fought the battel alone and by himself obtained the victory 3. He saved the Church by his own death Other hornes of salvation delivered the Church by the death of the enemy Ehud slew Eglon but he himself did not die Iudges 3. 21 22. Gideon shew Zeha and Zalmunna the enemies of Israel Judges 8. 21. but he himself was not slain But now this Horn of salvation got the victory by dying his Crosse was his Conquest He triumphed over principalities and powers on the Crosse as the Apostle speaks Col. 2. 15. He subdued all the horne of the 〈…〉 of his blood 〈…〉 life his grave is our victory 〈…〉 do fully prove that Jesus 〈…〉 salvation that is a gloriouâ—â—â—lvation 〈…〉 first Secondly The strength of his 〈…〉 Christ is a strong Saviour the salvation 〈…〉 he works for his people hath strength in it He hath raised up a mighty salvation for us so some translations render this text To this agrees that of the Prophet Psal 89. 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the
others but an unmeasurable fulnesse of all grace A fulnesse of redundancy which from him might flow out to all the Elect for the filling of them with a fulness of sufficiency Of this the Scripture speaks John 3. 34. and Iohn 1. 16. In all these respects God hath raised him up to be a Horne of salvation Thus much for the opening of the Doctrine The Uses of this Doctrine Vse 1. For Information in two things First The miserable condition of those that are without Iesus Christ Who are without Christ Not onely Jewes and Turks and Pagans but all unbeleevers in the Church Whosoever is without true saving faith is without Christ 'T is faith that makes Christ Actually ours Faith unites us to Christ and Christ to us Their misery is very great Christ is a horn of salvation the onely Horn of salvation he that is without Christ is without salvation God hath put the salvation of men into Christs hands 1 Iohn 5. 11. He hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Sonne And he that hath the Sonne hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not life ver 12. God himself cannot save him that is without an interest in Christ He hath set down this way of salvation and he cannot deny himself It is a question amongst the Schoolmen whether God could have saved sinners without Christs satisfaction They generally conclude upon good grounds that he might but now 't is not so much as a question God hath resolved that whosoever is saved shall be saved by Christ and without mutability he cannot save men another way Better never to have seen the light then to die without an interest in Christ And he that doth not beleeve truely in him hath no saving interest in him Iohn 3. 18. How shall I know whether I do truly beleeve or no I shall here to help you lay down a twofold note of true faith 1. It is a heart-purifying grace This effect of faith the Apostle mentions in Acts 15. 9. Whosoever hath true faith in Christ will find his heart purified and cleansed thereby The efficient cause of the purification of the heart is the Spirit of God who is called the Spirit of Sanctification 2 Thes 2. â—3 The 〈◊〉 cause is Christs blood 1 Iohn â— 7. The instrumental cause is faith This grace purifies the hearâ—â— as it is an instrument whereby the blood of Christ which purifies is conveyed to the soul and as it doth take hold upon the promise of cleansing the promise is I will sprinkle clean water Ezek. 36. 25. Faith applies this promise and improves and so purifies the heart If you have not purification of heart you have not faith and if you have not faith you have not Christ as a Horne of salvation Now that heart may be said to be purified that hath these three properties 1. If it bewaile impurity Impurity that is truly lamented is in Gods account as if it were removed Rom. 7. 23 24. If thy pollution be thy greatest burden thy heart is purified in Gods sight 2. If it be cautious of every thing that may defile A heart that is purified dares not willingly come neere any defiling puddle it will avoid occasions temptations of defilement Iob 31. 1. Carefulnesse of shunning defilement is an infallible note of purification 3. If it be through inadvertency defiled it will not be quiet till it be made clean A purified heart cannot lie in any uncleannesse when God hath once discovered it to him Thus David when he saw his pollution with what earnestnesse doth he run to the Laver that he may be washed Ps 51. 2 7. 2. Saving faith hath very high and precious thoughts of Christ This character is laid down by the Apostle in 1 Pet. 2. 7. No unbeleever can truly have precious thoughts of Christ nay they have low thoughts of him as 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. and Cant. â— 9. Try your faith by this note Now if Christ be truly precious 1 He shall reigâ—â— and rule over thee His precepts will be as precious as his promises His Sovereignty will be as precious as his sacrifice his yoke will be as desirable as his merits the Apostle opposeth saith and disobedience 1 Pet. 2. 7. Where Christ is disobeyed he is not beleeved in 2 If Christ be truly precious to thee his dishonours will pierce thy soul The dishonours done to him in his truths worship government will be a greater grief to thy heart then all the dishonours that are done unto thy selfe 3 If Christ be truly precious to thee it will be thy meat and drink to do him any service Thou wilt make it thy study to set him up and to make him great where ever thou comest 4 If Christ be precious to thee all his Ordinances will be precious Thou wilt have a high esteeme of his Word of his Sacraments of his Sabbaths and that for his sake who hath instituted these things If it be not thus with thee thou art an unbeleever and if an unbeleever thou hast for present no saving interest in him that is the horne of salvation Secondly The impossibility of the perishing of any of the Elect. Their eternal salvation is a thing of absolute certainty They can never perish They may seem to be lost sometimes in their own apprehension I said saith Jonah I am cast out of thy sight Jonah 2. 4. He was in his own eyes as if he had been a cast-aâ—ay 〈…〉 impossible it should be so as in other 〈…〉 so in this because Christ is the horne of their salvation He that hath wrought their salvation is able to preserve salvation for them and them for salvation If Christ be able to save you ye shall be saved When you look upon that in your selves that may seem to hinder your salvation look upon that that is in Christ to maintain your salvation You shall be as certainly saved as Christ himself is saved Father I will that they whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory c. John 17. 24. Your salvation is now fully accomplished he that was able to accomplish your salvation is able much more to apply it now it is accomplished Consider these seven Notions to make this out 1 Christ will not lose the merit of his blood nor be deprived of the end of his death and he must do both these if one of his Elect should miss of salvation 2 Christ did not conquer for the Devil but from the Devil Christ will not be at the charge and cost of redemption and when he hath done suffer the devil to go away with the spoile 3 Christ will not impoverish himself to enrich the Devil and impoverished he should be if one of the Elect should perish for every Saint helps to make up his mystical fulnesse So the Apostle tells us Eph. 1. ult 4 Iesus Christ will not rob his Father to enrich the Devil Now if
members of the Primitive Church are said to be Acts 4. 32. but there is a real spiritual union between them â—in them and thou in me John 17. 23. This Priviledge is proved as by other expresse Scriptures so by this Metaphor As the corner stone and the superstructories are united in one building so Christ the corner stone and all the living stones built upon him are made one mystical house The Apostle mentioneth this from this very similitude Eph. 2. 20 21. Christ and beleevers are made one holy Temple onely there is this difference between that union which is between Christ the corner stone and the living stones and the corner stone and superstructory stones of material buildings Every beleever is as neerly united to Christ as any beleever In other buildings some stones are more neerly united to the foundation then others are but in this building every Beleever is equally united to Christ the corner stone 4. The horrible pride of the Papists They are so intollerably proud as to apply this Title to the Pope making him the corner stone of the Church They apply that in Esay 28. 16. to the person of the Pope as if he were the foundation of the Universal visible Church They say that the Pope is in the Church as the Sun is in the firmament and that the ruining and shaking of the Pope would be the shaking and ruining of the whole Church The Scripture teaches us a better foundation Both Prophets and Apostles were ignorant of this Romish foundation they built not on the Pope but on Christ Eph. 2. 20. The Pope is the corner stone of the Apostatical Church not of the Apostolical Church He is the foundation stone of the adulterate Church not of the chast Church he is the foundation of the Synagogue of Satan not of the Spouâ—e of Christ The Church would be sure to fall if it had so weak and so wicked a foundation as that man of sinne is Christ did not say upon thee Peter but upon this rock will I build my Church Mat. 16. 18. Peter whose successor the Pope boasts himself to be did publickly preach Christ not himself the corner stone Acts 4 11. It is no honour but a great disgrace to be a stone of that building whose foundation stone is the son of perdition 5. Behold from this Text the truth of the two natures of Christ The Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is both God and man Both these natures are asserted in this Text. The Divinity is confirmed from the close of the verse He that beleeveth on him shall not be confounded If Christ were not God it were idolatry to beleeve on him No meer creature is without sin to be relied upon without sin And then the truth of his humanity appeares from hence that he is the corner stone of the spiritual building He could not be a part of the spiritual house if he were not of the same nature with the other stones of the building so often as you read faith in Christ required beleeve his God-head and as often as ye heare him called the corner stone of the Church beleeve the truth of his manhood 6. The greatnesse of Christs strength The Scripture doth attribute Almighty power to Christ as well as to the Father His name shall be called the mighty God Esay 9. 6. The strength of Christ appears by the great works he hath done and doth do He set up the world by his power Without him was not made any thing that was made John 1. 3. He doth by his powerful providence govern the world Providence belongs to Christ as well as to the Father My Father worketh hitherto and I work John 5. 17. And then his power appears in this that he is the chief corner stone that upholds the Church if there were not Almighty power in him such a burden would break him to pieces Next to the bearing of his Fathers wrath no such heavy burden as the susteining of all the concernments of the Church Consider what a vast fabrick the Church is it 's a very huge building And then consider what potent enemies it hath a world of wicked men legions of powerful Spirits and then consider how weak every stone is in it self And then consider the multitude of its concernments and it will appear that he that bears up this building must needs be a person of vast and infinite strength Thou hast laid strength saith the Prophet on one that is mighty Ps 89. 17. 7. The nearnesse of Christ to his Church The Name of the Lord is called Jehovah Shammah Ezek. ult ult Christ hath promised to be with it for ever Mat. 28. ult He seemes sometimes to be far off to try how his people will carry themselves in his absence the nature and ingenuity of the childe is best seen in his Fathers absence But though he seem to be at a distance yet he is neere he may be out of their sight but he is never out of their call The Lord is neer to all them that call upon him This Metaphor sheweth this the corner stone is not farre off from the roof and yet Christ is neerer to his people then the corner stone is to the next stone of the building He is not onely with them but in them Iohn 17. 23. Thus much for Information 2. For Exhortation It commends these four things to all us Christians 1. Take heed of building upon any other foundation The Evangelist makes mention of a double foundation which our Saviour speaks of at the close of his Sermon on the Mount Matth. 7. 24. 26. The rocky foundation is onely one namely Jesus Christ or which is all one faith in Christ The sandy foundation is manifold Some build their hopes of salvation on their good works This is the foundation of the Papists They hope to be saved by their doing They may do well to consider what the Scripture saith of this foundation Luke 17. 10. And Romans 9. 30 31 32 33. building on works is not a divine but a humane foundation Some build upon outward profession This is the foundation of carnal professours They may do well to consider what our Saviour saith Luke 13. 26 27. Some build upon their good meanings They have as good a heart to God as the best This is the foundation of ignorant Protestants Whatsoever foundation of salvation grace or comfort besides Christ is laid is a sandy foundation and will appear to be so at the day of judgement The Apostle cuts off all other foundations besides this 1 Cor. 3. 11. He did not speak ignorantly for he saith v. 10. that he was a wise Master-builder They are not wise Master-builders but ignorant botchers that build or teach others to build either hope of comfort or of salvation upon any other foundation In one word all foundations of salvation besides Christ how spacious soever they be will prove at last foundations of damnation Arminian Socinian Popish corner-stones will
He shall come down like the rain upon the mowen grasse This seems to be more agreeable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost especially because of the clause following which is added by way of Explication As the showers that water the earth As the showers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rain and showers differ onely as lesse and more raine signifies smaller showers and showers signifie greater raine Deut. 32. 2. Raine falling in multitude of drops is called a shower That water the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Zarziph which is here translated water is onely used in this place in all the Bible it signifies to water by dispersion to water by drops The showers are dispersed in drops all over the face of the earth in a very regular and artificial way God hath divided saith Job a water course for the overflowings of waters Job 38. 25. The raine is from the cloud spouted out by drops after such a manner that every part hath its share Thus much for Explication The Observation is this Doct. Jesus Christ is to his Church as the rain to the mowen grasse as the showers of rain that drop down upon the earth Jesus Christ is the spiritual raine of his Church Jesus Christ is a mystical shower to the hearts of his people When God gave Christ out of his bosome he did then if ever raine a golden shower upon the world The Prophets do use this Metaphor in their predictions of Christ Esay 45. 8. Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies poure down righteousnesse c. Though it be expressely a prediction of that great return of the Church from their captivity Yet as Calvin well observes it relates to the spiritual Kingdome of Christ when all this should be compleatly fulfilled The heavens did never drop down salvation they never rained righteousnesse so abundantly as when they rained down him who is the Lord our righteousnesse In the handling of this Doctrine I shall open three things 1. What that is which in Christ may be compared to the rain 2. Wherein lieth the resemblance between Christ and rain 3. Wherein lies the disproportion there I shall shew how Christ excels all other raine For the firste This Metaphor of raine doth relate to three things of Christ It respects three particulars 1. It hath relation to his Doctrine It is usual in Scripture for Doctrines to be compared to the raine My Doctrine saith Moses shall 〈◊〉 at the raine my speech shall distil as the dew 〈◊〉 Ordinarily the preaching of the Prophets Deut. â—â— â— â—â— câ—lled Dropping Ezek. 20. 46. Drop thy word â—oward the south and Prophecy Ezek. 21. 2. Drop â—â—y word toward the holy places Prophecy against the land of Israel I finde divers Expositors interpreting that Text of Christs Doctrine Saith Chrysostome the coming down of the rain upon the grasse or upon the fleece of wool as he renders it signifies the preaching of Christ in the Synagogue And certainly Christs Doctrine if ever the Doctrine of any person may be well compared to the raine His Doctrine is from above and it hath all the properties of raine The Prophet makes the comparison Esay 55. 10 11. 2. It hath relation to the spiritual Government of his Kingdome The administration of judgement is many times set out by the descending of the raine Job speaking of himselfe as a Magistrate useth this Metaphor Chap. 29. 22 23. My speech saith he dropped upon them They waited for me as for the raine and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter raine Evill Governours are compared to a parching drought whereby the estates of the Subjects are withered they are like those destroying Gardeners that pluck up the very roots of the herbs but good Governours are like Gardeners that do daily water the flowers and so cause them to thrive Jesus Christ is such a Governour as seeks the wealth of all his Subjects he drops down rain upon them whereby they are multiplied and increase The Prophet speaks of this Hos 6. 3. His going forth is prepared as the morning he shall come unto us as the raine as the latter and former raine unto the earth Christs government tends not to the impoverishing but to the enriching of his Subjects In his dayes shall the righteous flourish verse after the Text. Jesus Christ is not a waster but a waterer of the spiritual estates of those that are under the Government of his Scepter The Psalmist compares his Scepter to dew Ps 110. 3. It hath relation to the influences of his Spirit The influences of Christs Spirit are compared to the raine The Prophet useth this Metaphor to set out the distillations of his Spirit upon his Câ—uâ—â—h Joel 3. 18. It shall come to passe in that day that the mountains shall drop down â—â—to â—iâ—e and the â—illâ— shall flow with milk c. When Jesus Christ hâ—d communicated his Spirit to the Church See whâ—t she saith Cant. 5. 5. I opened to my beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet â—â—â—â—lling myrrh upâ—n the handles of the lock Christ did there come down as the raine by the secret vertue of his Spirit he caused many precious drops to fall upon the soul of his Church Calvin expounds this Text of the secret distillations of Christs grace upon his people so that whether we respect Christs Doctrine or his spiritual Government or the secret influx of his Spirit in regard of all these doth he come down as the raine upon the mowen grasse and as the showers that water the earth This is the first thing Qui respectus For the second Quae propoâ—tio Wherein stands the resemblance between Christ and raine I shall mention three particulars 1. The raine is the immediate and proper work of God The Scripture doth by this put a difference between the true God and Idols Jer. 14. 22. Man can neither set abroach the vessels of heaven to cause raine nor can he stop them when God hath set them abroach The key of the raine hangs at Gods girdle Man may speak long enough to the clouds before they give a drop of moisture but if God do but lift up his finger they are dissolved As he brings forth the wine our of his treasures so doth he draw the raine out of his Cellars Jesus Christ comes down like the raine in this respect for he is the immediate and proper gift of God This raine had never fallen from heaven if God had not of his own accord bestowed it had all the Angels of God been conven'd in an Assembly how to restore lost man they could never have found out this way The Scripture attributes the whole work of giving Christ to God alone My Doctrine is not mine Joh. 7. 16. but his that sent me His Doctrine is from God John 12. 49 His Scepter is from God Psal 110. 2. His King he is called Psal 2. 6. He prepared him a body Heb. 10. 5.
This raine hath no Father but God alone 2. The raine is very useful to the earth Jesus Christ is very useful to his Church Consider this in five particulars 1 The raine hath a cooling vertue When the aire is heated through the scortching beams of the Sunne the raine doth refresh and coole it we find a great cooling after one nights rain even in the heat of Summer Jesus Christ hath a cooling vertue when the soul burnes with lust when it is scortched with fiery temptations one shower from Jesus Christ cools it againe Jesus Christ by the droppings of his Doctrine and by the secret distillations of his grace quencheth the unholy heats of the soule God complaines of his people that they are as an Oven heated by the Baker Hos 7. 4 The best of Gods children finde in themselves such inordinate heats Sometimes they burn with worldlinesse sometimes they are hot with envyings sometimes they rage with passion and distempered anger Jonah had a flame of anger in his soule when he fell so foul upon God Chap. 4. init There 's no way to extinguish such burnings but by the cooling drops of Jesus Christ he sends down a shower upon the heart and â—o brings it to its own temper againe How did Christ cool Paul when unconverted Acts 9. 1 3 4. 2 The raine hath a mollifying nature When the earth is like iron under our feet by long droughts or hard frosts a few good showers supple it and make it tender Psalm 65. 10. David speaking of the earth saith Thou makest it soft with showers Jesus Christ hath a softening vertue sometimes the heart is hardened by the deceitfulnesse of sinne The soul is like the frosty earth no hammers will break it no judgements will dissolve it at such a time a few drops from Jesus Christ will soften it The heart of Peter was once grown as hard as a stone he denies Christ forswears Christ curses himself if ever he knew him Luke 22. 55 56 c. no sooner doth Jesus Christ open the cloud and raine upon him but he melts into teares v. 61. The heart of the Church was once frozen very hard Christ comes and knocks she sleeps he continues knocking she gives him a scornful answer Cant. 5. 2 3. no sooner had he let fall some drops of myrth but she is softened v. 4. Before her bowels were troubled at his knocking but now her bowels are more troubled that she made him knock twice Christs Word and his Spirit have a softening power and vertue the unconverted hardnesse of the heart is mollâ—fied by this rain If Christ would but now drop a few drops from heaven the veriest flint in the Congregation would be turned into a fountaine of waters How comes the stony heart to be turned into an heart of flesh but because these showers fall upon it One good shower of this raine upon the heart of a Judas would make it like melting wax And then 3. The raine hath a cleansing vertue A good shower makes the very chanels cleane store of raine makes the very sinks sweet You observe the fields have a sweet perfume after rain Jesus Christ hath a cleansing and sweetning vertue Those hearts that are as filthy as sinks those soules that are as nasty and stinking as your common shores after a good shower of this raine are both cleane and fragrant Mary Magdalen was a very sink of sinne she was full of devils yet when this raine fell powerfully upon her how cleane was she See what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. What a company of filthy creatures are these Fornicators Idolaters c. yet v. 11. one good shower washeth these cleane Christ hath a cleansing vertue Let the soule be never so leprous or filthy a few good showers from him will make it cleane The Prophet calls him a fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse Zech. 13. 1. And then 4 The raine hath a fructifying vertue The feed which is sowen doth not thrive the grasse in the pastures doth not grow if God withhold raine All the labour of the husbandman comes to nothing if either the former or the latter raine be denied The Psalmist sets out this vertue of the raine Psal 65. 9 10 11 12 13. want of raine brings a famine upon the earth Those three yeares of famine which followed one after another in the dayes of David were occasioned by want of raine 2 Sam. 21. 1. compared with v. 10. The sonnes of Saul were to be hanged till God by sending raine did signifie that he was appeased The raine is the very life of the fruits of the earth the clouds are the sucking-bottle of the fruits of the earth they dwindle if these bottles continue for any space stopped up See Jer. 14. 4 6. There is in Jesus Christ a fructifying vertue He makes the barren soul bring forth and be a fruitful mother of children See v. 16. after the text John 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit The Word of Christ is a fructifying word The Spirit of Christ is a fructifying Spirit the Church is acquainted with the fructifying vertue of Christ therefore she goes to him Cant. 4. 16. if Christ do not raine there will be no fruits but if Christ will drop down his dew the pastures will be green All the labour and paines of the spiritual husbandman will come to nothing if the raine come not down from Christ And if he please to poure down showers let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree Though your heart be as dry and withered as the rod of Aaron was yet if Christ will raine upon it it shall both bud and blossom and bring forth Almonds The husbandman useth to say of his corne in a time of long drought that it is stocked yet that corne when the raine comes will shoot up Grace is sometimes stockt in the soul yet if Christ rain plentifully upon it iâ— will get up and gather strength again Davids grace was stockt when he lay sleeping in his blood and uncleannesse for so many months together yet when God opened this cloud and poured moysture upon him he revived 5. The raine hath a recreating 〈◊〉 It causes a gladnesse and cheerfulnesse in the heartâ— of men and it begets a kinde of brisknesse in the sensitive creatures the birds chirp the beasts of the field rejoyce in their kinde yea there is a kinde of joy in the very inanimate creatures The Prophet speaks of this in Psal 65. 13. The pastures are cloathed with flocks the valleys are covered over with corne they shout for joy they also sing When raine comes after a long drought there is melody made by all creatures in this lower world Jesus Christ hath a cheering vertue he doth fill the soul with joy when he comes down into the soule The heart that was dead and dull and heavy is made pleasant and joyful when these showers fall upon it
for all his members and from him it is communicated to them according to their necessity As we receive out of his fulnesse grace for grace so we receive out of his fulnesse consolation for consolation that is one drop one streame after another in a sweet succession He that hath purchased our comfort keeps our comfort and doth seasonably administer to us according to the exigences of our souls 3. For the third That he is the consolation of Israel onely As he alone is the consolation of his people so is he the consolation of his people alone None but beleevers have a ground of actual comfort in Christ This may be evinced by a threefold Argument 1. The Scripture makes consolation to be the priviledge onely of such Esay 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith their God The Ministers of Christ in the holding out of comfort are confined and determined onely to the people of God The whole current of Scripture runs this way Esay 65. 13 14. Consolation is proper onely to them that are sanctified by grace 2. None but they have any actual interest either in Christs merit or intercession or any of his benefits None but the beleever can say Christ died for me none but the beleever can say Christ intercedes for me both his satisfaction and intercession are confined to them John 17. 9. 19. 'T is true the Elect that are unconverted have benefit in Christs Mediatorship by vertue of which they shall in time be brought in to God but as to actual Application none but the true Israelite hath interest Christ is actually the portion of none but the beleever 3. Jesus Christ is terror to all unbeleevers not in himself but because they reject him He that is the salvation of the beleever is accidentally the damâ—aâ—ion of the unbeleever because he refuseth him John 3. 18. It will be the greatest condemnation of the wicked another day that there was a Christ and they would none of him he is to the unbeleever a stone of stumbling and rock of offeâ—ce 1 Pet. 2 8. They stumble upon him to their own ruine That is a considerable passage which you have in this song ver 34. This childe is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Christ that is set for the rising of the true Israel of God is set also for the falling of the carnal Israelites the condemnation of the unbeleever would have been more easie if Christ had never been Thus much for Explication The Uses of this are Information Exhortation Consolation 1. For Information It teacheth us a fourfold lesson 1. That the state of a beleever is not a â—bsâ—â—â—late estate It is the designe of Satan and his instruments to cast what odâ—um and infaâ—y they can upon the wayes and children of God Amongst many other unworthy reports they raise this that they are uncomâ—ortable and sorrowful ways The devil bears men in hand that if they once become holy they must for ever bid farewell to all joy and pleasure and by this meanes many are affrighted from the wayes of God How false and scandalous thâ—s is the Word of God and the experiences of godly men abundantly shew Her wayes saith the holy Ghost are wayes of pleasanâ—nesse and all her paths are peace Prov. 3. 17. And saith the text Christ came for the consolation of Israel Beleevers through their own carelesnesse do many times droop and go heavâ—â—y but they are never without a ground of true comfort Their consolation is a hidden conâ—â—lation which the eyes of carnal men cannot see and therefore they think they are without it God hath made as full and large provision for the beleevers comfort as for his duty and let Satan out of the envy of his heart suggest what he will to the contrary if there be any consolation in Christ the beleever shall have his poâ—tion of comfort Their present mourning and sorrow doth but make way for the filling of their hearts with a greater measure of comfort Matth. 5. 4. Psal 9â— 11. â— That spiritual consolation is not to be tendred promiscuously unto all Precepts belong to all but promises are appropriated onely to godly mâ—n Men are apt to quarrel with the Ministers of Christ because they do not poure out the comforts of the Gospel upon them They think that they have as great an interest in the consolations of the Gospel as the best of men This Text shews the contrary God hath by positive command bound up his Ministers and they cannot without going beyond their commission tender any of the comforts of the Gospel to such as are unconverted Esay 40. 1. Christ came to be the consolation of none but beleevers Penitential mourning must go before Evangelical comfort This order is observed by the Father in Christs commission Esay 61. 1 2 3. and this method is observed in Christs Ministration Matth. 1â— 28. 'T is as high a breach of duty in a Minister to tender consolation to an unbeleever as to preach terror to a true beleever A man must be a true Israelite before he can look on Christ as his consolation And then 3. Why the beleever is so overwhelmed with sorrow when Christ is withdrawn That Christ doth sometimes absent himself in his gracious presence from his people few of the people of God but are able â—o say by their own experience that upon such withdrawments the soul is exceedingly troubled â—â—ripture examples do fully prove Cauâ— 5 4. the troubling of our bowels notes more then 〈◊〉 â—ouble it was so great that her soul faâ—â—d and sunk within her ver 6. Egressa est anima mâ—â— she was without her soul while she was without her Saviour Thus it was with David Psalme 30. 7. The world wonders at such dejection but there is no cause of wondering for the withdrawment of Christ is the withdrawment of all comfort He is the comfort of their souls and of all other comforts which they enjoy Every thing looks black when Christ is removed That which Judaâ— said to Joseph concerning the affection of his Father to Benjamin Gen. 44. 30. Is much more true of the beleevers affection to Christ his life and all the comforts of his life are bound up in the enjoyment of Christ Their health is turned into sicknesse their riches into poverty their comforts into discomfort when Christ is withdrawn no wonder if their faces look pale and their countenance fall The Disciples were much oppressed with soâ—row when Christ told them of the losse of his bodily presence John 16. 6. Ioseph and Mary had the sorrow of a travelling woman upon them when they had lost Christ but for a little time Luke 2. 48. How much more cause of sorrow is there when Christs spiritual presence is taken away How did Mary weep when she missed the body of Christ in the Sepulchre Ioh. 20. 13. It was a ground of comfort to her all beleevers though she knew it not that Christ
was risen Had not Christ been alive our comfort had bin for ever dead That speech of the Church in another case is truly applicable to this case Lam. 1. 16. Jesus Christ is he that is the only Reliâ—ver of the soul and therefore if the beleevers eyes runne doâ—n with water when he is withdrawn there is no cause of wondering unlesse at this that every tear is not an Ocean 4. That a Christians consolation is a must rich and deare bought consolation What the Apostle saith of our redemption we may well say of our consolation 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. You that are beleevers ye are not comforted with corruptible things but with Jesus Christ himself Your consolation is not bottom'd upon any outward thing but upon Jesus Christ himself Nay consider it Christ became a man of sorrow that he might be made to you a God of comfort He drank up the cup of his Fathers wrath that he might purchase for you a cup of consolation Jesus Christ did willingly power out his own precious blood that he might mingle a cup of strong consolation for the reviving of thy soul The God of consolation hath gone the most costly way infinite wisdome could devise to provide comfort for his Elect. 2. For Exhortation or Instruction This commends many duties to the people of God viz. these six 1. Take heed of bottoming your consolation on any worldly thing It is not unlawful to take moderate contentment in outward comforts God hath given us these things for delight as well as for necessity and we are allowed to rejoyce in them Eccles 5 18 19. But great care is to be taken that we do not place our chiefe consolation in any worldly enjoyment Most men build their comfort on riches honour pleasure or some such thing Gods own children are but too apt to offend in this kinde I might say many things to beat off the heart from seeking comfort in these things As That they are fading consolations The best of earthly comforts is a dying comfort riches honours pleasures friends children are short-lived comforts the soul will live when these are not That they are insufficient consolations They comfort but the lowest part of man What joy can the soul which is a Spirit take in any sensual comfort That they are common and ordinary consolations The bad have as great nay many â—â—mes a greater portion of all these things then the good That they are distressing consolations The bitternesse that is in them is more then the sweet that is in them Iobs bed which he thought should shave been a place of comfort was a place of terrifying Chap. 7. 13 14. There is no comfort in this life but it may and many times doth prove a discomfort Many other things I might say to this purpose but I shall onely say this God hath made none of these things a Christians maine consolation 1 It s a disparagement to Gods wisdome To bottom thy comfort on any wordly thing 'T is as if thou shouldest say the infinitely wise God wanted judgement to chuse the fittest consolation 2 It 's an undervaluing of Christ himself As if he had not enough of all manner of consolations in himself Are the consolations of God small to thee Iob 15. 11. To bottome the great comfort of thy heart on any worldly comfort is to say the consolation of Christ is small to thee 3 It s the way to lose thy worldly comforts Jesus Christ cannot but in honour either strip thee of that comfort or else turne it into a crosse which thou placest thy consolation more upon then upon himself 2. Let the Israel of God live comfortably It is often commanded in Scripture to the children of God to live as a comforted people Psal 33. 1. Phil. 4. 4. The same God which bids you mourne for sinne bids you glory and rejoyce in him Much might be said to presse this duty 1. It is one end why the Scriptures were written John 15. 11. As precepts were given for direction so were promises for consolation 2 It tends greatly to the honour of Religion A mournful sad life dispaâ—â—geth godlinesse as well as a profane life it makes men think there is nothing but sowernesse in Gods wayes 3 It 's a wrong to the Spirit of God It denies one of his works He is given for a Comforter as well as for a â—anctâ—fier Iohn 15. 26. 4 It doth much indispose the soul for the duties of godlinesse An habitual heavinesse of heart makes duties tiresome and unpleasing A melancholy heart is almost as unfit for the service of God as a frothy heart 5 It creates mâ—ny jâ—alousies and sinful surmisings in the soul against God The soule that is continually clouded with melanchâ—ly cannot so heartily close with Gâ—d or coâ—mend his service to others as he might do Mâ—ch might be said to presse this duty on beleevers but â— shall keep to the tâ—xâ— â—hrist iâ— the consâ—lation of Israel and iâ—s some kindâ—â—f dispâ—â—agemenâ—â—o him to walk â—ncheerfully â—t makes men tâ—â—k there is not enough in Châ—â—st to â—â—eer you â—ou are bound to honour Christ as well in this Name The consolâ—â—ion of Israel as in his other â—â—es As you hâ—râ— in Christ many foundations oâ— real comfort so let it â—e your care to preserve and increase actual comfort As it is a sinne to look for comfort more then grace so it is â—npleasing to Christ to be so covetous after grace as to throw aside comfort Your comfortable life honours Christ as well as your holy life 3. Take heed of slighting the consolations of the Gospel We are very apt to look upon the duties of the Gospel as very hard and very prone are we to judge the comforts of the Gospel very mean It was that which Eliphaz charges Iob withal chap. 15. 11. It ariseth from the pride of our hearts We think we deserve great things from God hence we reckon our comforts and encouragements as low things Now amongst many other considerations which do exceedingly greaten Gospel comforts this is one That they are bottomed upon Christ himself To slight the comforts of the Gospel is to slight Christ our consolation Though others perhaps enjoy a greater portion of consolation then thou yet thou enjoyest more then thou deservest yea the comforts which thou accountest small cost Jesus Christ as much sweat and sâ—â—row as theirs did who enjoy the greatest meaâ—â—re of comforts Saith Moses to Korah and his affâ—â—â—ates 〈…〉 it a small thing that God â—hath sâ—parâ—ted 〈◊〉 from the Congregation c Numb 1◠〈…〉 is just God should remove all 〈…〉 as look upon any consolation received from Christ as a small thing 4. Acknowledge 〈◊〉 the fouâ—â—â—â—ion of all your consolation When anâ— beamâ— of comfort is let fall upon the soul how apt are we to neglect the true fountaine of it we look perhaps at our own graces and duties as if our comfort sprung from thence Or else we look onely at the