what love he beares us that he hath honoured us so much that creatures of a more excellent ranke then we are even the Angels should be serviceable to us in Christ And all is that we should be full of thankfulnesse But you will say What need the Guard or attendance of Angels to Christ or to us to Head or members considering that God is able to guard us with his Almightie Power It is true The creatures that God hath ordained in their severall rankes they are not for any defect in God to supply his want of power but further to enlarge and demonstrate his goodnesse He is the Lord of Hosts therefore he will have Hosts of creatures one under another and all serviceable to his end His end is to bring a companie to salvation to a supernaturall end to happinesse in the world to come and he being Lord of all he makes all to serve for that end He could doe it of himselfe but having ordained such rankes of creatures he makes all to serve for that end for the manifestation of his power and of his goodnesse not for any defect of strength in himselfe He could doe all by himselfe he could have beene content with his owne happinesse and never have made a World but he made the World to shew his goodnesse and love and respect to mankind So he will have Angels attend us though he watch over us by his owne providence this takes not away any care of his but hee shewes his care in the attendance of Angels and other creatures he useth them to convey his care and love to us But you will say How can the Angels helpe our soules any kind of way they may helpe our outward man or the State where we live but what good doe they to the inward man I answer The inward man is especially subâ—ject to the Spirit of Christ it is God that bowes the necke of the inward man But yet notwithstanding if the Devils can suggest sinne Angels are as strong as Devils and stronger and wiser too they are wiser then the Devill is malicious and stronger then the Devill is powerfull Whatsoever they can doe in evill the good Angels can in good Therefore no question but they suggest many thoughts that are good they are not onely a Guard about us but they are Tutors to teach and instruct us they minister good thoughts and stirre up good motions and suggestions They worke not upon the heart of man immediatly to alter and change it that is proper to God but by stirring up motions and by way of suggestion as the Devils doe in ill so they in good Therefore it is sayd they comforted our blessed Saviour which I suppose was more then by their presence So they comfort Gods children by presenting to their thoughts wee know not how the manner is mysticall it is not for us to search into that good motions by stirring up to good onely the altering and changing of our dispositions that is proper to the holy Spirit of God Let us often thinke of this what a glorious head we have for whose sake the Angels attend upon us in all estates whatsoever even till wee come to heaven And this should stirre us up to labour to bee made one with Christ all the good we have any way is by the interest we have in Christ first he holds it in Capite if we have not a being in our head Christ we can challenge nothing in the world no attendance of Angels for the Angels are at variance with us out of Christ we see presently after the fall the Cherubin was set with his sword drawne to keep the entrance of Paradise from whence Adam was shut to shew that presently upon the fall there was a variance and a mighty distance betweene the Angels and vs. But now the Angels no longer shut Paradise no they accompany us in the wildernesse of this world to the heavenly Canaan to Paradise they go up and downe Iacobs Ladder they attend upon Christ and for his sake they are ministering spirits for the comfort of the elect so that all things are reconciled now in Christ both in heaven and earth Angels and men It should stirre us up to get interest in Christ so that we may have interest in all these excellent things that first belong to Christ and then to us Whatsoever is excellent in Heaven or Earth belongs to the King of all which is Christ and to the Queene of all the Church and the time will come that there will be no excellencie but Christ and his Church All whatsoever is in the world is nothing it will end in Hell and desperation all other excellencies whatsoever This should teach us likewise to carry our selves answerable to our condition to take a holy state upon us we should think our selves too good to abase our selves to sinne to be slaves to men to flesh and blood be they what they will be to the corruptions and humours of any man since we have Angels to attend upon us we are Kings and have a Kingly Guard it should move us to take a holy state upon us it should force a carriage sutable to Kings that have so glorious attendance Undoubtedly if we had a spirituall eye of Faith to beleeve and to know this answerable to the things themselves and their excellencie it would worke a more glorious disposition in Christians then there is to carry our selves as if we were in Heaven before our time Oh that we had cleare eyes answerable to the excellencie of the priviledges that belong to us Againe it should teach us not to despise the meanest Christians seeing Angels despise not to attend on them Shall we disdain to relieve them that the Angels doe not disdaine to comfort To comfort and relieve one another it is the worke of an Angel Shall any man thinke himselfe too good to helpe any poore Christian Oh the pride of mans nature when the more glorious nature of the Angels disdaine not to be our servants and not onely to great and noble men but to little ones even to Lazarus What a devillish qualitie is envie and pride that stirres us up to disdaine to be usefull one to another especially to those that are inferiours We know it was the speech of wicked Cain Am I my brothers keeper Shall I stoupe to him Flesh and blood begins to take state upon it Alas if Angels had taken state upon them where had this attendance bin The Devils that kept not their first standing being proud spirits they disdained the calling they had the good Angels humble themselves God himselfe as it is Psal. 113. disdaines not to looke on things below When the great God became man shall we wonder that Angels should attend upon the nature that God hath so honoured What a devillish sinne then is envie and pride and disdaine Let these considerations move us to be out of
then he could doe if he were on the Earth if the Sun were lower what wouâ—d become of the Earth But being so remote and so farre above he hath opportunity to shine over the greatest part of the Earth at once being greater then the Earth he shineth over more then halfe the Earth at once Christ being in Heaven as the Sunne of Righteousnesse he shines more gloriously over all and we have more comfort and benefit and influence from Christ now in Heaven then we could if he were on Earth Must we needs make him bodily present every where as the Papists doe and other Heterodox strange conceited men in Germanie What need we doe thus when there may be influence from Christ now in Heaven to us on Earth as we see in other things without confusion of his Divine properties to his Body or making his Body as his God-head is Therefore seeke him not bodily any where but in Heaven Those Opinions overthrow three Articles of our Faith at once He ascâ—nded into Heaven He sitteth at the right hand of God and He shall come to judge the quicke and the dead And where is his Body in the meane time in the Sacrament No he is received up in glory Therefore we must have our thoughts in heaven when we are about that businesse we must lift up our hearts as it is in our Liturgie which is taken out of the ancient Liturgie We lift them up unto the Lord we must have holy thoughts raysed up to Christ in Heaven Againe is Christ received up to glory Here is singular comfort considering what I said before that he is ascended as a publike person in our behalfe in our nature for our good Therefore when we thinke of Christ in Heaven think of our Husband in Heaven thinke of our selves in Heaven We are set together in heavenly places with Christ as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. We have a glorious life but it is hid with Christ in Heaven When Christ himselfe shall be revealed our life shall be revealed though we creepe upon the Earth as wormes yet notwithstanding we have communion and fellowship with Christ who is joyned with us in the same Mysticall Body who is now at the right hand of God in Heaven and he that hath glorified his naturall Body in Heaven that he tooke upon him he will glorifie his Mysticall Body for he tooke flesh and blood his naturall Body for the glory of his Mysticall Body that he might bring his Church to glory Therefore we ought as verily to beleeve that he will take his Mysticall Body and every particular member of it to Heaven as he hath taken his naturall Body and hath set it there in glory It is a comfort in the houre of death that we yeeld up our soules to Christ who is gone before to provide a place for us this was one end of his taking up to Heaven to provide a place for us Therefore when we die we have not a place to seeke our house is provided before hand Christ was taken up to glory to provide glory for us Even as Paradise was provided for Adam before he was made so we have a heavenly Paradise provided for us we had a place in Heaven before we were borne What a comfort is this at the houre of death and at the death of our friends that they are gone to Christ and to glory We are shut out of the first Paradise by the first Adam our comfort is that now the heavenly Paradise in Christ is open This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise sayth Christ to the good Theefe There was an Angell to keepe Paradise when Adam was shut out but there is none to keepe us out of Heaven nay the Angels are ready to convey our soules to Heaven as they did Lazarus and as they accompanied Christ in his Ascension to Heaven so they doe the soules of his children Likewise in our sinnes and infirmities when we have to deale with God the Father whom we have offended with 〈◊〉 sinnes let he 〈…〉 comfort from hence Christ is ascended into Heaven to appeare before his Father 〈◊〉 a Mediator for us and therefore God turnes 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 from us we have a friend a favorite in the Court of Heaven the Sonne of God himselfe at his Fathers right hand he makes inteâ—â—â—ssioâ— for us As Ionathan appeareth in 〈◊〉 Court to speake a good word and to plead for David so our Ionathan Iesus Christ but with farre better successe appeares in the Court of Heaven for us continuing our peace with God in our daily breaches perfuming our prayers And there is no danger of his death for He is a Priest for ever at the right hand of God to make intercession for us his very presenting himselfe in Heaven speaks for us As if he should say These persons that aske in my Name they are such persons as I was borne for such as I obeyed for such as I dyed for such as I was sent into the world to work the great wolke of Redemption for for he wrought our Redemption in his abased estate but he applyes it as he is exalted application is as necessary as merit we have no good by the worke of Redemption without application and for that end he appeares in heaven for us and pleads for us For even as there is speech attributed to Abels blood it cryed Vengeance Vengeance so Christ appearing now in heaven for us his blood cryes Mercie Mercie these are those I shed my blood for Mercie Lord The very appearing of him that shed his blood it cryes for mercy at the Throne of Mercie which is therefore a Throne of Mercie because he is there he shed his blood to satisfie Justice to make way for Mercie In the Law the High-Priest after he had offered a Sacrifice of blood he was to goe into the Holy of Holies so Christ after he had offered himself for a Sacrifice he went into the Holy of Holies into heaven to appeare before God And as the High-Priest when he went into the Holy of Holies he had the names of the twelve Tribes on his brest to shew that he appeared before God for them all so Christ being gone into the Holy of Holies into heaven he hath all our names upon his brest that is in his heart the name of every particular beleever to the end of the world to present them before God Therefore when we have to deale with God thinke of Christ now glorious in heaven appearing for us God can denie him nothing nor denie us any thing that we aske in his Name we have his Promise for it It is a ground likewise of contentment in all conditions whatsoever our wants be What if we want comfort houses c. on Earth when we have Heaven provided for us and Glory provided for us when we are already so glorious in our Head Shall not any condition content a man in this world
And certainly if troubles come we should many of us be better then we are now afflictions would be so farre from doing us harme that they would refine us we shall lose nothing but that that doth us hurt that that we may well spare that that hinders our joy and comfort But I say let us comfort our selves in respect of the present state of the Church Christ rules in the midst of his enemies in the midst of crosses and persecutions not to free us alway from them but he rules in turning them to good in strengthning exercising our graces and he rules in the midst of his Church at this time by turning his enemies cruelty to the good of the elect As he ruled in the Israelites when he suffered Pharaoh to goe on in the hardnesse of his heart but he had a time for Pharaohs ruine so Christ hath a time for the persecutors of the Church as he had for all the ten persecuting Emperours that came to fearefull and base ends Was there ever any man fierce against God and prospered sayth Iob. Was there ever any that set themselves against the Church of God and prospered No No It is with the Church as it was with Christ to have looked on Christ hanging and bleeding on the Crosse to have seen him groveling on the ground in the Garden men would be readie to take offence what he the Saviour of the world But stay and see him in the Text assumed to Glory and then there would be no offence taken at Christ. So it is in the Church You see the Church suffers persecution but lay one thing with another see the Church in Heaven with the Head of the Church see the Church advanced see it in glory ere long see it refined and fitted by sufferings to come better out of afflictions then it went in and then none will take scandall at the afflictions of the Church as they ought not at the abasement of Christ for though he was God manifest in weake flesh yet we see he ascended up in glory There is a comfortable speech Ierem. 30.7 It is even the time of Iacobs trouble but he shall be delivered out of it So we may say This is the time of the Churches trouble but the Church shall be delivered out of it The enemies have their time to afflict and trample upon the Church but Christ hath his time to trample on them Let us wait and expect with comfort better times The Kingdomes of the world will be knowne to be the Lord Iesus Christs there will be a further subjection to Christs Kingdome then ever there was since the first times when the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the conversion of the Iewes shall be Let us comfort our selves with the times to come Christ is in glory and he will bring his Church to further glory even in this world besides eternall glory at the latter day Rejoyce not over me oh mine enemie for though I be fallen yet shall I rise Let not the enemies of the Church insult over-much though the Church be fallen yet she shall rise againe after three dayes sayth the Prophet Christ though he were abased as low as possible he could be yet after three dayes he arose so the Church shall rise out of her troubles after three dayes that is after a certaine time that we know not but the exact time is onely in the hands of Christ but certainely there are glorious times of the Church comming Consider the wonderfull love of Christ that would suspend his glory so long the glory of Heaven was due to him upon his Incarnation by vertue of the union of his humane nature with the divine for that nature that was united to the God-head it must needs have right to glory by that very union What should hinder when it was so neere to God as to be one Person to be taken into the union of the Person Oh but where had our salvation beene then if Christ had entred into glory upon his Incarnation if he had not shed his blood if he had not beene abased to the death of the Crosse Therefore the Schoole-men speake well he enjoyed the presence of God affectione justitiae with the affection of Justice and all Vertues that is he was as gracious from the beginning from his Incarnation for matter of Grace and love of all that is good yet not affectione accommoda There was a neerenesse to God in pleasure and joy and comfort this he denyed himselfe till he was assumpted to glory after his Resurrection and this he did in love to us that he might suffer and be abased to worke out our Salvation that redundance of glory that should have beene upon his Person presently upon the Union it was stayed till his Resurrection that he might accomplish and fulfill our Salvation What a mercie and love was this So it is with the Church it is glorious as it hath Union with Christ Is not the Church a glorious thing that is joyned to Christ that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings the Ruler of Heaven and Earth What is the reason the Church is so abased thâ—n If the Church were not abased it could not be conformed to Christ. Christ that he might worke our Salvation he must be abased and have suspension and stopping of the glory due to him till the Resurrection Of necessitie we must be conformed to Christ as farre as we may and that we may be conformed to him in abasement and suffering there must be a stop of our glory till we be dead and turned to dust untill we rise againe untill Christ come to be glorious in his Saints If Christ as I formerly sayd had shewed all his glory in his abasement hee could never have suffered the Devill himselfe would have done him no harme there had beene no pretence the Pharises would never have persecuted him and hated him if they had seene him to have beene such a person as he was but he veiled his glory that he might suffer If the World did but see the thousand part of the glory that of due belongs to Christians would they revile them and disgrace and maligne and trample on them Certainely they would not This is discovered in Scripture but the World to discover their Atheisme that they beleeve not the Word of God take no notice of it And that the children of God may be conformed to their Head and that way may be made to the malice of wicked men to trample upon them they goe in the shape of miserable men Therefore let us not be discouraged for any abasement we have a glorious life hid with Christ which shall be revealed one day in the meane time in the midst of abasement let us beleeve Glory And let me adde this to the rest As the same Body wherein Christ was spit upon and mangled and crucified in the same Body he rose againe and in the same Body ascended
his sake we have communion with the blessed Angels These things may be of some use but it is not that I mainly intend thus much for the Apparition Now the celebration is a Multitude of the heavenly Host praising God The word signifies singing as well as praise it implies praise expressed in that manner and indeed praising God it is the best expression of the affection of joy The Angels were joyfull at the birth of Christ their Lord. Joy is no way better expressed then in praising God and it is pitty that such a sweet affection as Joy should runne in any other streame if it were possible than the praising of God God hath planted this affect on of joy in the creature and it is fit hee should reape the fruit of his owne garden it is pitty a cleare streame should run into a puddle it should rather runne into a garden and so sweet and excellent affection as Joy it is pitty it should be imployed otherwise then in praising God and doing good to men They expresse their joy in a sutable expression in praising God the sweetest affection in man should have the sweetest imployment the sweetest imployment that joy can have is to be inlarged in love to praise God and for Gods sake to doe good to others See here the pure nature of Angels they praise God for us we have more good by the Incarnation of Christ then they have yet notwithstanding such is their humility that they come downe with great delight from heaven and praise and glorifie God for the birth of Christ who is not theirs but our Redeemer Some strength they have there is no creature but hath some good by the Incarnation of Christ to the Angels themselves yet however they have some strength from Christ in the increase of the number of the Church yet he is not the Redeemer of Angels in some sort he is the head of Angels but he is our Redeemer To us a child is borne to us a Sonne is given And yet see their nature is so pure and so cleare from envie and pride that they even glorifie God for the goodnesse shewed to us meaner creatures then themselves and they envie not us though we be advanced by the Incarnation of Christ to a higher place then they For beloved the very Angels have not such affinity to Christ in this as wee they are not the Spouse of Christ they make not up mysticall Christ the Church doth the Church is the Queene as Christ is the King of all it is married to Christ Angels are not and yet although they see us advanced in diverse respects above them yet they are so pure and free from envie that they joyne in praising God here in love to us Let us labour therefore for dispositions Angelicall that is such as may delight in the good of others and in the good of other meaner then our selves And learne this also from them shall they glorifie God for our good especially and shall we be dull and cold in praising God on our owne behalfe Shall they come suddenly from heaven and cheerefully and willingly and to praise God for his goodnesse to us and shall we be frozen and cold in this duty that is for our good more especially I hasten to that that followes What is the matter of their celebration and gratulation Glory to God in the highest In earth peace Good will towards men There is some difference in the readings some copies have it On earth peace to men of good will to men of Gods good will and so they would have it two branches not three if the word be rightly understood it is no great matter First the Angels begin with the maine and chiefe end of all it is Gods end it was the Angels end and it should be ours too Glory to God on high Then they wish the chiefe good of all that whereby we are fitted for the maine end Peace God cannot be glorified on earth unlesse there be peace wrought for man else conceives God as an enemy by this Peace we are fitted to glorifie God if wee find reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ then the sence of Gods love in the worke of reconciliation will enflame our hearts to glorifie God therefore next to the glory of God they wish Peace on earth Then thirdly here is the ground of all happinesse from whence this peace comes from Gods good will from his good pleasure or free Grace To men of Gods goodwill So if we goe back againe The good will and pleasure of God is the cause and ground of peace in Christ and peace in Christ puts us into a condition and stirs us up to glorifie God so we see there is an order in these three To begin with the first Glory to God in the highest The Angels those blessed and holy Spirits they begin with that which is the end of all It is Gods end in all things his owne glory he hath none above himselfe whose glory to ayme at And they wish Glory to God in the highest Heavens Indeed he is more glorified there then any where in the world it is the place where his Majestie most appeares and the truth is we cannot perfectly glorifie God till we be in heaven there is pure glory given to God in Heaven there is no corruption there in those perfect soules there is perfect glory given to God in heaven Hâ—re upon earth God is not glorified at all by many The whole life of many being nothing but a dishonouring of God by abusing his ordinances trampling upon his Church and children by slighting his word and Sacraments there is little honour given to God in the world but only by a few whom he intends to glorifie for ever and indeed if we will glorifie God here we must raise our thoughts to heaven at that time raise them above the world to heaven where we shall for ever glorifie him where we shall joyne with the blessed Saints and Angels and sing holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts c. In the meane time let me adde this by the way that in some sort we may glorifie God more on earth then in heaven It may seeme a Paradox but it is true that is thus here upon earth we glorifie God in the middest of enemies he hath no enemies in heaven they are all of one spirit here upon earth we live not onely among Devils but among men led with the spirit of the Devill where God is dishonoured and if here we take Gods side and the truth and Gospels side and stand for Gods cause in some sort we honour God more here then we are capable to doe it in heaven where there is no opposition In this respect let us be encouraged to glorifie God what we can here for if we begin to glorifie God here it is a signe we are 〈◊〉 number that he intends to glorifie with him forever
therefore his office is to bring God and man together It is fit it should be so in regard of God who being a consuming fire will no peace with the creature without a Mediator it stands not with his Majestie neither can there euer be peace with us otherwise Now Christ is a fit Mediator being a friend to God as the Son of God and a friend to us taking our nature upon him to be a mercifull Redeemer It was also fit in respect of us it should be so Alas who can dwell with everlasting burnings who can have communion with God who is a consuming fire No we cannot indure the sight of an Angell the Israelites could not indure the sight of Moses when he came from the mout his face shone so can we indure the glorious presence of God who dwelleth in light that none can attaine unto Therefore God derives all good to us in our flesh that though we cannot see God directly in himselfe yet in the flesh we can see God Incarnate we may see the Sunne in the water though we cannot directly looke on that creature without hazard It was a comfort to the Patriarches that they had Ioseph their brother the second man in the Kingdome So it may be to every Christian that now we have the second Person in heaven our brother in our nature he is the Steward of heaven and earth to dispense all Gods treasures to us Will not he acknowledge us that are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh When he tooke our nature for this end to be a mercifull Redeemer It is most suteable to our condition that Christ should be the foundation of our peace If we looke to Christ himselfe he being Gods Sonne and the Sonne of his love for him to make us sonnes and sonnes of Gods love is it not most agreeable that he that is the Image of God should againe renew the Image of God that we lost Iacobs Ladder knit heaven and earth together so Christ knits heaven and earth God and us together You know if a Ladder lye upon the ground it doth no good or if it be kept above it serves for nothing so if Christ were onely God or onely man there could be no Union wrought betweene God and man but now being both he is a fit Mediator betweene both Christ is the foundation of our peace in the gracious Covenant that God hath made with us in all his Offices For as a Prophet he proclaimes peace he preached before 〈◊〉 the time of Noah he published peace as the Prophet of his Church in himselfe when hee lived and by his Ministers when he left the world And as a Priest he did worke our reconciliation offering himselfe a Sacrifice he made a peace betweene God and us and is now in heaven to make intercession betweene God and us And as a King he subdues the corruptions of our soules he puls downe the pride of our thoughts to bring the heart into subjection to him by his mighty power which indeed requires an almighty power also by his Kingly office he rules and governes and subdues all the enemies of his Church without and within You see then without further illustration that Christ is the foundation of our peace by his Incarnation death Resurrection and Ascension This should teach us first that whatsoever entercourse we have with God the Father wee should take Christ take our Benjamin our beloved with us we must not offer Sacrifice without the high Priest let us offer nothing to God without Christ there is no entercourse betweene God and us till wee be reconciled in Christ in whom we must offer all our Sacrifices and indeavours Therefore let us not owne an absolute God in our devotious let us thinke of God reconciled in Christ and at peace with us and a Father in Covenant in Christ and then our persons and prayers and all shall be accepted for the Sacrifice of Christ in whom he smells a sweet savour as it is said concerning Noah hee offered a Sacrifice to God a sweet smelling Sacrifice of rest so doth God in Christ he is the true mercy seate in Christ in looking to whom God frees us from the curse of the Law Ierusalem was the glory of the world and the Temple was the glory of Ierusalem but the mercy-seate was the glory of the Temple because that pointed to Christ the mercy-seate in whom we have intercourse with God the Father We conceive not high enough of the Majestie of God when wee goe to him immediatly we must goe to him in his Sonne whom he hath sent and annoynted and set forth as the Propitiation for our sinnes and him hath God the Father sealed he commeth with authority therefore God will be reconciled in Christ we may bind God himselfe when we offer Christ he is the foundation of reconciliation and peace by Gods appointment he is The Prince of peace of his owne annointing therefore we may goe boldly to God to the Throne of grace in Christ. And let us often seriously meditate of the sweet favour and reconciliation stablished now betweene God and us through Christ it is the sweetest meditation First to thinke in what ill tearmes we are with God by nature and then thinke how neare wee are now to God in Christ that wee are at peace with him Me thinks the word is too short there is more meant then is spoken At peace with God in Christ nay nay now we are friends nay we are sonnes and heires fellow heres fellow Kings with Christ for Gods favours are compleat as a God he stablisheth not a peace as men doe onely to doe them no harme that they are at peace with but where he makes a peace he conferres all that is good reconciliation adoption giving us the liberty of sonnes and friends to goe boldly to God as a Father in all our wants let us thinke more of this and improve this blessed priviledge every day Peace upon Earth Why doth he say Peace on Earth Because peace was here wrought upon earth by Christ in the dayes of his flesh when he offered himselfe a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to his Father Because here in earth we must be partakers of it we oft times deferre to make our peace with God from time to time and thinke there will be peace made in another world◠oh beloved our peace must be made on earth We must live godly and righteously and soberly in this present world we must enter into the Kingdome of heaven here Further entrance must be ministred here by growing in grace daily more and more If heaven be not entred into here it shall never be entred afterwards for the Church is the seminary of the heavenly Paradise all that are taken to heaven to be set there for ever they are set in the Church before◠they are planted and grow up there a while under the meanes of
and praying to him and then using the meanes with dependance upon him Let us therefore acknowledge God this way by committing our wayes and affaires to him Wee need knowledge and strength and a comfortable issue for all that is necessay in our affaires let us acknowledge God and fetch all these from him Well the last thing that wee have any use of trusting God withall is when we are dying to trust our soules to commit them to God and yeeld them up to him our depositum to lay it with him He that hath inured himselfe to trust God all his life and to live by faith he will be able at length with some comfort to dye by faith Hee that hath trusted God all his life with all things that God hath trusted him he can easily trust God with his soule and he that hath not inured himselfe to trust God in this life undoubtedly he will never trust God with his soule when he dies it is but a forced trust Thus you see in all the passages of our lives we must learne to trust God and to make use of God for God is so abundant that hee is never drawne dry he joyes when he is made use of it is an honour to him Let us try our selves by that I have said whether we truly trust God or no let us not deceive our owne soules but labour to trust God for all things Let it be our daily practise in the use of meanes look to the course that he prescribes us and then looke up to him for strength and blessing and successe This ought to be the life of a Christian Oculus ad Coelum as they say of the Governour of a Ship he hath his hâ—nd to the Sterne and his eye to the Pole-star to be directed by that so the life of a Christian he must have his hand to the sterne he must be doing that that God prescribes him and hee must have his eye to the Starre to be guided in his course by Gods direction he that doth not this knowes not what it is to trust in God How shall we bring our soules to this so necessary a duty Indeed it is a very hard matter we know what it is to live by our wits by our wealth by our lands but what it is to live by faith in depending upon God few soules are acquainted with that Therefore in the first place learne to know God you see here we must trust in his name We know men by their names God and his name are all one his name is himselfe and himselfe is his name Therefore let us learne to know God as he hath discovered himselfe know him in his workes but especially in his word know him by that worke is he hath discovered himselfe in his word Let us know his promises and have them in store for all assaies whatsoever promises fâ—r grace and for direction in this world God will not faile us nor forsake us he will be in all extremities with us In the fire and in the water and the promises of issue All things shall work for good to them that love God and the promise of his Spirit He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Besides particular promises a world of them in Scripture let us know God in these promises they are our inheritance our portion And if we should go to God and not be acquainted with these he will aske us upon what ground How shall wee bee able to go to God But when we have his promise we may say boldly with the Psalmist Lord remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust We may put God in remembrance not that he forgets but he will have us mindfull of what he promiseth and put him in minde Aâ—d it is an evidence to our soules that he will grant any thing when we have faith to put him in minde of his promise Lord remember thy promise wherin thou hast caused thy servant to trust Lord thou canst not deny thy word and thy truth and thy selfe and they promise and thy name by which thou hast made thy selfe knowne Thus we should know God in his word as it is Psal. 9. They that know thy name will trust in thee oh Lord. We never trust a man till we know him and those that are not good we say they are better knowne then trusted but the more we know God the more we shall trust him And know him in his speciall Attributes that the word sets him out in besides the promises that we may know that he is able to make good all these promises and then wee shall trust him What are those Attributes He hath made himselfe knowne to be All-sufficient what a world of comfort is in that He saith to Abraham I am God All-sufficient walk before me and be perfect take thou no thought for any other thing I am God All-sufficient There is in him whatsoever may be for an object of trust he is All-sufficient he hath power our trust is in the name of the Lord that made Heaven and Earth There is a consideration to strengthen faith there is power enough we beleeve in a God that made Heaven and Earth and there is will to helpe us he is our God and there is skill to helpe us as S. Peter saith he knowes how to deliver it is his practise he hath used it from the beginning of the Chuâ—ch and will to the end hee knowes how to deliver them to protect and stand by them he hath power and will and skill to doe it And then againe he is every wheâ—e he is such a Castle and Tower and defence we have him neere us in all times he is a present helpe in trouble as it is Psal. 46. what an object of trust is here if we had buâ— faith to make use of it Let us therefore know God in his word in his Attributes and this will bee a meanes to strengthen trust as it is Psal. 36. How sweet is thy goodnesse therefore shall the sonnes of men trust under the shaddow of thy wings Why come we under the shaddow of Gods wing Because his goodnesse is sweet he is a fit object for trust The things of this world the more wee know them the lesse we trust them for they are but vaine but there is such infinitenesse in God that the more we know him the more we shall trust him therefore let us grow in the knowledge of Gods word and truth And adde experimentall knowledge it helpes trust marvellously the experience of others and our owne experience when wee see God hath helped his Church in all times especially when they have sought him by fasting and prayer Our Fathers trusted in thee and were not confounded Psalme 22. Therefore if we trust in thee we shall not be confounded So for our owne experience Thou hast beene my God from my mothers wombe I have depended
and watchfully carefully and soberly as becommeth Christians every way So much for that I proceed to the next words Seene of Angels The word is not altogether so fitly translated For it is more pregnant then it is here rendred He was seene It is true but he was seene with admiration and wonderment of Angels he was seene as such an object presented to them should be seene and seene with wonderment it implyes the consequence of sight sight stirres up affection it stirres up the whole soule therefore it is put for all the rest They saw him with wonderment For was it not a wonder that God should stoupe so low as to be shut up in the straits of a Virgins Wombe that Christ should humble himselfe so low to be God in our flesh Was not here exceeding wondrous love and mercie to man kind to wretched man having passed by the glorious Angels that were fallen And exceeding wisedome in God in satisfying his justice that he might shew mercie It was matter of admiration to the Angels to see the great God stoupe so low to be cloathed in such a poore nature as mans that is meaner then their owne This doubtlesse is the meaning of the Holyâ—Ghost they saw it with admiration And because he was their Head as the second Person and they were creatures to attend upon Christ their sight and wonderment must tend to some practise sutable to their condition Therefore they so see and wondred at him as that they attended upon Christ in all the passages of his humiliation and exaltation in his â—ife in his Death in his Resurrection and Ascension They saw him so as they were witnesses of him to men they gave testimonie and witnesse of him so that it is a full word in the intention of the Holy-Ghost Indeed not onely the Angels but all gave witnesse of him from the highest Heavens to Hell it selfe all witnessed Christ to be the true Messias In his Baptisme there was the Trinitie the Father in a Voyce from Heaven the Holy-Ghost in the shape of a Dove He had the witnesse of Angels of men of all rankes Iewes and Gentiles men and women yea the Devils themselves oft times confessed him in the Gospel He was witnessed of all rankes they saw him and gave evidence and testimonie of him that he was the true Messias he was seene of Angels To declare this a little more particularly The Angels knew of Christs comming in the flesh before it was for what the Church knew the Angels knew in some measure When God made the Promise of the Promised Seed the Angels knew of it And in Daniel the Angel speakes of the 70 Weekes therefore before his Incarnation they knew of him But now they saw him with wonderment in our flesh now they had an experimentall knowledge of him For the Angels besides their naturall supernaturall knowledge they have an experimentall knowledge that is daily encreased in them in the Church they see somewhat to admiration continually in the Church in the Head and in the members They knew of the Incarnation of Christ before you know the Angel brought the newes of it before-hand to the Virgin Mary The Angels attended upon Christ from his very infancie the Angels ministred to him in his temptation before his death they comforted him in the Garden he was made lower then the Angels in some sort as it is in Psal. 8. for they came to comfort him he was so low that he had the comforting of Angels Then they saw when he was buried they rolled away the stone By the way in generall it is the Angels office to remoove impediments that hinder us from Christ. A Christian shall have Angels to remoove the stones the hinderances that are betweene Heaven and him rather then they shall be any impediment to his salvation Then wheu he rose there were Angels one at the head and another at the feet and they told Mary that he was risen And then at his Ascension the Angels told the Disciples that Christ should come againe You have the Storie of it at large in the Gospel how from the Annuntiation of his Conception to his Ascension they saw him and attended on him and witnessed of him As soone as ever he waâ— borne when they appeared to the Shepheard what a glorious Hymne they sang Glorie to God on high Peace on Earth Good will to men How joyfull were they of the Incarnation of Christ and the great Worke of Redemption wrought thereby And as I sayd they did not onely see these things but they wondred at the love and mercie and wisedome of God in the Head and members of the Church as we see in diverse places in 1 Pet. 1.12 Wee preach the Gospel which things the Angels desire to looke into The very Angels desire to prie and looke with admiration into the wondrous things of the Gospel So in Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that unto Principalities and Powers in heavenly place might be made knowne by the Church the manifold wisedome of God There is somewhat done by Christ by his Incarnation and Resurrection and Government of his Church that the very Angels looke into and wonder at the manifold wisedome of God in governing his Church his wisedome in electing them and after in restoring mankind And in his manner of dispensation to the Iewes first by ceremonies and then after by the Bodie it selfe Christ in the flesh There is such a World of Wonders in the Governmenâ— of the Church such manifold wisedome that the very Angels themselves looke upon this with admiration and wonder and with great dâ—lâ—ght Shall Angels see and wonder at these things At the love and mercie and wisedome of God in governing his Church in joyning together things iâ— râ—concilable to mans apprehension infinite justice with infinite mercie in Christ that Gods wrath and justice should be satisfied in Christ and thereby infinite mercie shewed to us Here are things for Angels to wonder at ' Shall they wonder at it and joy and delight in it and shall we slight those things that are the wonderment of Angels There are a companie of prophane spirits I would there were not too many among us that will scarce vouchsafe to looke into these things that have scarcely the Booke of God in their Houses They can wonder at a Storie or a Poem or some frothie Device at base things not worthie to be reckoned of But as for the great Mysteries of Salvation that great Worke of the Trinitie about the Salvation of Man-kind they tush at them they slight them they never talke seriously of these things except it be as it were with a gracelesse grace of slighting and scorne they account it a disparagement to be serious in these things they make no Mysteries of that which the glorious creatures the Angels themselves looke upon and prie into even with admiration But it is not to be
that hath such a glorious condition in the eye of Faith to enter into We should not so much as looke up to heaven without comfort Yonder is my Saviour yonder is a house provided for me we should thinke and looke upon heaven as our owne place whither Christ is gone before and keepes a roome for us Here we may want comforts we may be thrust out of house home out of our habitation and Countrey and all but all the world and all the Devils in hell they cannot thrust us out of heaven nor dissolve and breake the communion that is betweene Christ and us they cannot take away either grace or glory from us Therefore we should be content with any condition in this world Christ is ascended into heaven to keep a blessed condition for us Likewise when we thinke of the troubles of this world of the enemies we have here thinke of Christ taken up to glory and thinke of Christs order first he suffered and then he entred into glory so we must be content to suffer first and then be glorious We are predestinate to be comformable to Christ wherein stands our conformitie It is in abasement first and then in glory Christ entred into glory in this order and shall we thinke to come to Heaven in another order then Christ did Shall we wish for a severed condition from him If we be in Christ all that we suffer in this world they are sufferings of conformity to make us sutable to our Head and to fit us for glory And our greatest abasements what are they to the abasement of Christ None was ever so low and there is none so high as he was the lowest in abasement so he is the highest in glory when he was at the lowest in the Grave not onely dead but under the kingdome and command of death then he rose gloriously and ascended Our lowest abasements are fore-runners of our advancement and glory this assumption of Christ to glory should helpe us in this respect In all disconsolations there is a world of comfort hence We must not thinke of 〈◊〉 as if his honours had changed his manners as it is among men that now he is become stately that he doth not regard his poore Church No such matter he regards his poore Church now he is in Heaven as much as he ever did The members here cannot suffer any thing but the Head in Heaven is sensible of it as it is Act. 9 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me The foot is trod upon and the tongue complaines Our blessed Saviour is not like Pharaohs unkind Butler that forgat Ioseph when himselfe was out of prison Christ being advanced to honour now forgets us not here No he is as good Ioseph that was sent into Aegypt to provide for all the Family before hand So this our Ioseph the great Steward of Heaven and Earth he is gone to provide for us all against we come to Heaven he forgets us not he disdaines not to looke on things below he considers every poore Christian he is as mercifull now as he was when he was upon Earth as you have it largely proved Heb. 4.7 He was man for this end that he might be a mercifull High-Priest and he is so in Heaven and pitties all our infirmities it is not here Out of sight out of mind for as I sayd he hath us in his breast I and he is with us by his Spirit to the end of the world He is taken up to Heaven in his Body but his Spirit which is his generall Vicar is here with us to the end of the world I will send you the Comforter and he shall abide alway with you And it is better for us to have the Comforter here without his bodily presence then to have his bodily presence without the abundance of his Spirit as it was better with the Disciples when he was taken up to Heaven and was present by his Spirit then it was before We lose nothing therefore by the ascension of Christ it was for us he was given for us borne for us he lived for us he died for us he rose and ascended to Heaven for our good It is good for you that I goe it was to provide a place for us and to send the Comforter all was for our good whatsoever he did in his abasement and exaltation Againe this administreth comfort in regard of the afflictions of the Church When the Church is under any abasement at the lowest it hath a glorious Head in Heaven and what doth he sit there and do nothing No he sits at the right hand of God rules his Church even in the midst of his enemies If he doe give the chaine to them it is for speciall ends his people stand in need of all that they endure and he measures it even to a Dram whatsoever his Church suffers for they are his members and he is sensible of their sufferings He is a High-Priest that is touched with our infirmities therefore nothing can befall his Church without his government He le ts loose the enemies thus far and then he restraines them and subdues and conquers them making them his foot-stoole The enemies seeme to domineere now and trample on the Church but ere long they shall become the Churches foot-stoole Christ will governe his Church till all his enemies be under his feet He is ascended into Heaven for this purpose and he is fitting his Church by these afflictions for greater grace in this world and for eternall glory in the world to come Therefore let us not take scandall at the present sight of things We stand amazed to see the state of Europe at this time but for our comfort let us consider that Christ is taken up to glory and he sits in Heaven and rules his Church and will guide all these Wartes to a good and gracious end He sits at the Sterne the Ship may be tossed where Christ sleepes but it cannot be drowned the House that is built upon a Rock it may be blowne upon it shall never overthrowne the Bush wherein the fire is it may burne but it shall never be consumed the Church wherein Christ rules and governes it may be tossed it shall never be overcome and subdued Nay by all these things that the Church suffers Christ rules and exerciseth his Churches graces mortifies his Churches corruptions It is necessarie there should be some change standing waters breed Frogges and other base creatures so it is with Christians if there be not some exercise by afflictions what kind of vices grow As we see in these times of peace what kind of lives most men live that we may take up an admiration that God should be so mercifull to continue his Truth to acompanie of proud base carnall persons that lead lives under the Gospel no better then if they were in Paganisme Therefore we cannot looke for any good without further abasesement
this Spirit that worketh this in us and assures us of Gods good pleasure it alters and changeth our dispositions that wee shall have a good pleasure in God for there is a mutuall good pleasure God hath a good pleasure in us as his and we have a good pleasure in God wrought by the Spirit the Spirit not onely witnesseth but worketh this sweet and gracious disposition to God God delights in us and we in God God delights in the Church above all things the Church is his wife and Spouse his body his friends his children and those that have the Spirit of God delight in them too Psal. 16 All my delight is in the excellent and Pro. 8. My delight is in the Sonnes of men saith Christ which he shewed by taking the base nature of man upon him so all that have the Spirit of Christ delight in the Church and people of God All my delight is in the Saints on earth God saith his delight is in his Church Hos. 2. So all that have the Spirit of God they delight in the people of God God delights in obedience more then Sacrifice Gods people that he delights in they yeeld their bodies and soules a Sacrifice to God Rom. 12. They will seeke out what is well pleasing and acceptable to God God accepts them in Christ and he is acceptable to them in Christ Iesus and they seeke out what pleaseth him and is acceptable to him as the sonnes of Isaac sought out what might please their old father what he could relish so Gods children seeke out what duties God relisheth best Thanksgiving is a Sacrifice with which God is well pleased is it so then they will seeke out that that may please him God by his Spirit will worke in them a disposition to please him in all things therefore the people of God are said to bee a voluntary free people zealous of good workes being set at liberty the Spirit infusing and conveying the love and good pleasure of God in Christ to them it sets their wils at liberty to devise to please God in all things they have as David prayes Psal. 51. A free Spirit As God not out of any respect from us but freely from his owne bowels loved us and gave Christ to us and delighted in us so the soule freely without any base respects loves God againe Those therefore that doe duties for base aymes and forced as fire out of a flint not as water out of a spring that duty comes not naturally and sweetly from them God hath no pleasure in them because they have none in God but the good they doe is extorted and drawne from them Let us try our selves therefore if wee have tasted Gods good will towards us we will have a good pleasure to him againe whatsoever is Gods pleasure shall be our pleasure what pleaseth him shall please us If it please him to exercise us with crosses and afflictions and losses what pleaseth God shall please me for when he hath once loved me freely in Christ every thing that comes from him tastes of that free love if hee correct me it is out of free love and mercie all the wayes of God are mercy and truth his way of correction and sharp dealing it is a way of love and free mercy therefore if it please him it shall please me my will shall be his will Againe if wee finde the free love of God to us in Christ it will quicken us to all duties and strengthen us in all conditions but these evidences shall suffice let us search our hearts how we stand affected to God and to the best things wee delight in them if God delight in us And if wee doe not find our selves yet to be the people of Gods delight towards whom God hath thoughts of love as the Prophet speaks what shall we doe Attend upon the meanes of salvation the Gospell of peace and reconciliation and wayte the good time and doe not stand disputing this is that that hinders many their disputing and cavilling that perhaps God hath not a purpose to save me and that the greatest part of mankind goe the broad way c. Leave disputing and fall to obeying God hath a gracious purpose to save all that repent of their sinnes and believe in Christ this is Gospell I will leave secret things they belong to God revealed things belong to me I will desire of God his Spirit to repent of my sinnes and to believe and cast my selfe in the armes of his mercy in Christ and then let God doe as hee please if I perish I will perish in the armes of Christ let us labour to bring our hearts to waite in the use of the means for Gods good Spirit to inable me to see my state by nature and to get out of it by casting my selfe upon Gods love in Christ. And object not the greatnesse of any sinne to hinder the comfort of Gods mercy it is a free mercy the ground of it is from himselfe and not from thee It was free to Manasses that had sinned no man more being a King and being the sonne of a good father his sinnes spread further then ours can doe answerable to the greatnesse of his person being an infinite and free mercy it extends to the greatest sinners let no man pretend any sinne or unworthinesse if he seriously repent if any sinne or unworthinesse could keepe it backe it were something but it is a free mercy and love from Gods owne bowels in Christ. And consider how God offers this in the Gospel and layes a command it is thy duty to have a good conceit of God in Christ We ought not to suspect a man that is an honest man and will God take it wel at our hands to suspect him that he is so and so he maks a shew of his love mercy in Christ but perhaps he intends it not put it out of question by believing if thou have grace to believe the mercy of God in Christ thou makest thy selfe a member of Christ and an heire of heaven thou questionist whether thou bee one that Christ dyed for or no believe in him and obey him and thou puttest that question out of question thou doubtest whether God love thee or no cast thy self upon the love of God in Christ and then it is out of question whosoever hath grace to cast himselfe upon the free love of God he fulfils the covenant of grace stand not disputing and wrangling but desire grace to obey and thâ—n all questions concerning thy eternall estate are resolved all is cleare If these things will not move you then let all men know that live in a sinfull condition that they had better have lived in any part of the world then in these glorious times and places of light for when they heare the love of God in Christ laid open to them if they will come in and receive Christ and cast themselves