knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Esai 11.9 Our Saviour told his Disciples that all things which he had heard of his Father he had made knowne unto them Ioh. 15.15 and yet a little after he telleth them that many other things he had to say unto them which they could not beare till the Spirit of truth came who should guide them into all truth Ioh. 16.12 13. noting that the Spirit when hee came should enlarge their hearts to a capacity of more heavenly wisedome than they could comprehend before For we may observe before how ignorant they were of many things though they conversed with Christ in the flesh Philip ignorant of the Father Ioh. 14.8 Thomas of the way unto the Father Ioh. 14.5 Peter of the necessity of his sufferings Matth. 16.22 The two Disciples of his resurrection Luk. 24.45 all of them of the quality of his Kingdome Act. 1.6 Thus before the sending of the Holy Ghost the Lord did not require so plentifull knowledge unto salvation as after as in the valuations of money that which was plentie two or three hundred years since is but penurie now Secondly in a greater measure of strength for Spirituall obedience They who before fled from the company of Christ in his sufferings did after rejoyce to be counted worthy of suffring shame for his name or as the elegancie of the originall words import to be dignified with that dishonor of Christians Act. 5.41 For suffering of persecution for Christ and the triall of faith by diverse temptations is in the Scriptures reckoned up amongst the gifts and hundred fold compensations of God to his people Mark 10.30 Phil. 1.29 Heb. 11.26 Iam. 1.2 1 Pet. 1.6 7. No man saith our Saviour putteth new wine into old bottles that is exacteth rigid and heavie services of weake and unqualified Disciples and therefore my Disciples fast not while I am amongst them in the flesh But the dayes will come when I shall be taken from them in body and shall send them my holy Spirit to strengthen and prepare them for hard service and then they shall fast and performe those parts of more difficult obedience unto me Matth. 9.15 17. Now farther touching this sending of the Holy Spirit which together with Christs intercession was one of the principall ends of his ascending up unto the right hand of power it may be here demanded why the Holy Spirit was not before this exaltation of Christ sent forth in such abundance upon the Church The maine reason wherof next unto the purpose and decree of God into which all the acts of his wil are to be resolv'd Eph. 1.11 is given by our Savior Ioh. 14.16 Ioh. 16.7 Because he was to supply the corporall absence of Christ and to be another comforter to the Church Of which Office of the Spirit because it was one of the maine ends of his mission and that one of the chiefe workes of Christs sitting at Gods right hand I shall here without any unprofitable or impertinent digression speake a little First then the Spirit is a comforter because an Advocate to his people for so much the word signifies and is else where rendered 1 Ioh. 2.1 Now he is called another comforter or Advocate to note the difference betweene Christ and the Spirit in this particular There is then an Advocate by Office when one person takes upon himselfe the cause of another and in his name pleads it Thus Christ by the Office of his Mediation and intercession is an Advocate for his Church and doth in his owne person in heaven apply his merits and further the cause of our salvation with his Father There is likewise an Advocate by energie and operation by instruction and assistance which is not when a worke is done by one person in the behalfe of another but when one by his counsell inspiration and assistance enableth another to manage his owne businesse and to plead his owne cause And such an Advocate the Spirit is who doth not intercede nor appeare before God in person for us as Christ doth but maketh interpellation for men in and by themselves giving them an accesse unto the Father emboldning them in their feares and helping them in their infirmities when they know not what to pray Eph. 2.18 Heb. 10.15.19 Rom. 8.26 Eph. 3.16 First then the Spirit as our Advocate justifieth our persons and pleadeth our causes against the accusations of our spirituall enemies For as Christ is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods justice to plead our cause against the severitie of his Law and that most Righteous and undeniable charge of sinne which he layeth upon us so the Holy Spirit is our Advocate at the tribunall of Gods mercie enabling us there to cleere our selves against the temptations and murtherous assaults of our Spirituall enemies The world accuseth us by false and slanderous calumniations laying to our charge things which we never did the Spirit in this case maketh us not onely plead our innocencie but to rejoyce in our fellowship with the Prophets which were before us to esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world to count our selves happy in this that it is not such low markes as we are which the malice of the world aimeth at but the Spirit of glory and of God which resteth upon us who is on their part evill spoken of 1 Pet. 4.14 Satan that grand accuser of the brethren doth not onely load my sinnes upon my conscience but further endeavoreth to exclude me from the benefit of Christ by charging me with impenitencie and unbeliefe But here the Spirit enableth me to cleere my selfe against the Father of lies It is true indeed I have a naughty flesh the seeds of all mischiefe in my nature but the first means which brought me hereunto was the beleeving of thy lies and therefore I will no longer entertaine thy hellish reasonings against mine owne peace I have a Spirit which teacheth me to bewaile the frowardnesse of mine owne heart to denie mine owne will workes to long and aspire after perfection in Christ to adhere with delight and purpose of heart unto his Law to lay hold with all my strength upon that plaâ—ck of salvation which in this shipwrack of my soule is cast out unto me These affections of my heart come not from the earthly Adam for whatsoever is earthly is sensuall and devillish too And if they be holy and heavenly I will not beleeve that God will put any thing of heaven into a vessell of Hell Sure I am he that died for me when I did not desire him will in no wise cast me away when I come unto him He that hath given me a will to love his service and to leane upon his promises will in mercy accept the will for the deed and in due time accomplish the worke of holinesse which he hath begun Thus the Spirit like an Advocate secureth his clients title against the
mans whole selfe to be consecrated as a kinde of first fruit unto God being sanctified by the Holy Ghost There is no man actually belonging unto the Kingdome of Christ who hath not all these holy affections wrought in him and maketh conscience of them as of his calling and the duties of his life Wee see then that Holinesse is the badge of Christs subjects they are called The people of his Holinesse Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase consecrated unto him and his service as a kinde of first fruits The livery of Christs servants is a parcell of the same holy Spirit with which his owne humane nature was clothed All the vessels and ministeriall instruments of the Tabernacle were anointed with the holy oyle and the house of the Lord was an house of holinesse to signifie that every Christian should bee by the Spirit of God sanctified because he is a Temple and every member because it is a vessell and instrument for the Masters use The Spirit of holinesse is that which distinguisheth and as it were marketh the sheepe of Christ from the wicked of the world yee are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise yee have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God Holinesse setteth us apart for Gods service for his presence and fruition protecteth and priviledgeth us from the wrath to come in the day when he shall separate betweene the pretious and the vile and make up his jewels without this no man can either serve or see or escape God either doe his will enjoy his favour or decline his fury All our services without this are but Dung and who would thanke that man for his service who with wonderfull officiousnesse should bring nothing but heapes of dung into his house If a man could powre out of his veines rivers of bloud and offer up every day as many prayers as thoughts unto God if his eyes were melted into teares and his knees hardned into horne with devotion yet all this if it be not the fruit of holinesse but of will-worship or superstition or opinion of merit and righteousnesse it is but as dung in Gods sight Wherefore lyest thou upon thy face there is an accursed thing in the campe What-ever sinne thy conscience tels thee lyeth next thy heart and warmes it so that thou art unwilling to part from it take heed of bringing it into Gods presence or provoking him with thy services for he will throw them backe like dung into thy face What hath my beloved to doe in mine house seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no more vaine oblations incense is an abomination unto mee c. Till a man put away the evill of his doings and cleanse himselfe all his worship of God is but mocking of him and prophaning his ordinances In vaine did the Marriners pray while Ionah was in the ship in vaine did Ioshua intercede while the accursed thing was in the campe A man shall lose all which he hath wrought in Gods worship and have neither thankes nor reward for it so long as he harboureth any uncleane affection in his heart and will not yeeld to part from it Any sinne which wasteth the conscience as every great and presumptuous sinne doth in whomsoever it is unqualifieth that person for the kingdome of heaven Grace maketh a beleever sure of salvation but it doth not make him wretchlesse or secure in living though there be not an extinguishment yet there is a suspension of his right upon any black and notorious fall that man must not dare to lay claime to heaven that hath dared in a presumptuous manner to provoke the Lord. Our holinesse is not the cause of our salvation but yet it is the way thereunto he which by any wasting and presumptuous sin putteth himselfe out of that way must by repentance turne into it againe before hee can hope to finde out heaven for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. He that is an hundred miles from his owne house notwithstanding his proprietie thereunto shall yet never actually enter therein till he have travelled over the right way which leads unto it There is an Order à primo ad ultimum in the salvation of men many intermediate passages betweene their vocation and their glory Justification repentance sanctification as a scale or ladder betwixt earth and heaven he that fals from his holinesse and purity of conscience though hee be not quite downe the ladder and hath the whole worke to begin againe as much as ever yet doubtlesse he shall never get to the top till he recover the step from which he fell And if in this case it be true that the righteous shall scarcely be saved O then where shall that man appeare whom God at the last shall finde without this garment and seale upon him When there was a tempest he who slept and least thought of it was throwne into the sea and when the day of wrath shall come those that have neglected their estate most shall doubtlesse be in the greatest danger And therefore we should labour to goe to Gods throne with our garments and our marke upon us for all other endowments our learning our honours our parts our preferments our earthly hopes and dependencies will none follow us but wee shall live to see either them or the comforts of them depart Achitophel had wisdome like an oracle of God but he liv'd to see it bid him quite farewell for hee died like a very foole or childe who when he may not have his owne will will be reveng'd upon himselfe Haman had more honour than the ambition of a subject usually aspires unto and yet he liv'd to see it bid him farewell and died the basest death which himselfe could devise for his most hated and despised enemie Iehoiakim a King liv'd to see his Crowne take its leave and was buried with the buriall of an Asse and drag'd like carrion out of the gates of the Citie There will be nothing at last left for any man to cast his trust upon but God or Angels or our fellowes and if then God be against us though all which remains were on our side alas what is an handfull of stubble to a world full of fire but yet there will not be that advantage but the combate must be single betweene God and a sinner The good Angels rejoyce to doe Gods will and the wicked will rejoyce to doe man any mischiefe these will be only readie to accuse and those to gather the wicked together unto the wrath of him that sitteth on the Throne O what would a man give then for that holinesse which hee now despiseth what covenants would such a man be content to
of our persons natures lives actions adoption hope victory resurrection salvation glory O what a price was that which procured it O what manner of persons ought we to bee for whom it was procured The fifth thing to be spoken of about the Priesthood of Christ I shall dispatch in one word which is the Duty wee owe upon all this First then wee should not receive so great a grace in vaine but by faith lay hold upon it and make use of it Let us feare saith the Apostle lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to come short of it for unto us was the Gospell preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.1 2. God in Christ is but reconcileable unto us One with us in his good will and in his proclamation of peace When two parties are at variance there is no actuall peace without the mutuall consent of both againe till wee by faith give our consent and actually turne unto God and seeke his favor and lay hold on the mercy which is set before us though God be one in that hee sendeth a mediator and maketh tender of reconcilement with us yet this grace of his is to us in vaine because wee continue his enemies still The Sunne is set in the heavens for a publike light yet it benefiteth none but those who open their eyes to admit and make use of its light A court of justice or equity is a publike sanctuary yet it actually relieveth none but those that seek unto it Christ is a publike and universall salvation set up for all comers and appliable to all particulars Ioh. 3.16 Hee is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 Hee tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 But all this is not beneficiall unto life but onely to those that receive him Onely those that receive him are by these mercies of his made the Sonnes of God Ioh. 1.12 without faith they abide his enemies still God in Christ publisheth himselfe a God of peace and unity towards us Gal. 3.20 And setteth forth Christ as an all-sufficient treasure of mercy to all that in the sense of their owne misery will fly unto him Revel 22.17 But till men beleeve and are thus willing to yeeld their owne consents and to meete his reconciliation towards them with theirs towards him his wrath abideth upon them still for by beleeving onely he will have his sonnes death actually effectuall though it were sufficient before O therefore let us not venture to beare the wrath of God the curse of sinne the weight of the Law upon our owne shoulders when wee have so present a remedie and so willing a friend at hand to ease us Secondly we should labour to feele the vertue of the Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ working in us purging our consciences from dead workes renewing our nature cleansing us from the power and pollution of sinne for when by the hand of faith and the sweete operation of the Spirit wee are therewithall sprinkled wee shall then make it all our study to hate and to forbeare sinne which squeezed out so pretious bloud and wrung such bitter cries from so mercifull a high Priest to live no longer to our selves that is secundum hominem as men 1 Cor. 3.3 Hos. 6.7 After our owne lusts and wayes but as men that are not their owne but his that bought them to live in his service and to his glory 1 Cor. 6.19 20 2 Cor. 5.14 1 Pet. 4.2 All that wee can doe is too little to answere so great love Love to emptie himselfe to humble himselfe to bee God in the flesh to bee God on a Crosse to take off from us the hatred fury and vengeance of his Father to restore us to our primitive purity condition againe Why should it be esteemed a needlesse thing to bee most rigorously conscionable exactly circumspect in such a service as unto which wee are engaged with so infinite and unsearchable bounty Hee payed our debt to the uttermost farthing drunk every drop of our bitter Cup and saved us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 throughly why should not wee labour to performe his service and to fulfill every one of his most sweete commands to the uttermost too Thirdly wee should learne to walke before him with all reverence and feare as men that have received a Kingdome which cannot bee moved Heb. 12.28 And with frequent consideration of the high Priest of our profession that we may not in presumption of his mercy harden our hearts or depart from God Heb. 3.1.8 But in due remembrance of the end of his Sacrifice which was to purchase to himselfe a peculiar people be zealous of all good workes Tit. 2.14 Fourthly we should learne confidence and boldnesse towards him who is a great a faithfull and a mercifull high Priest this use the Apostle makes of it Seeing we have a great high Priest-let us hold fast our profession-and come with boldnesse unto the throne of grace Heb. 4.14 15 16. And againe Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Iesus-and having an high Priest over the house of God let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Heb. 10 19-22 Fifthly wee learne perseverance and stedfastnesse in our profession because he is able to carry u◠through and save us to the uttermost This is that which indeed makes us partakers of Christ. Wee are made partakers of him if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end Heb. 3.14 The considering of him of his perseverance in finishing his owne worke and our faith and his power and ability to save us to the uttermost will keepe us from fainting in our service and the profession we have taken Heb. 12.2 3.10.23 Sixthly we have hereby accesse to present our prayers and all our spirituall Sacrifices upon this Altar sprinkled with the bloud of that great Sacrifice and liberty to come unto God by him who liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 In him wee have accesse with confidence by faith Eph. 3.12 Therefore the Lord is said to have his eyes open to our Prayers to hearken unto them 1 Kings 8.52 Because hee first looketh upon our Persons in Christ before hee receiveth or admitteth any of our services Lastly wee ought frequently to celebrate the memorie and to commemorate the Benefits of this Sacrifice wherein God hath been so much glorified and wee so wonderfully saved Therefore the Lord hath of purpose instituted a sacred ordinance in his Church in the roome of the Paschall Lambe that as that was a prefiguration of Christs death expected so this should to all ages of the Church bee a resemblance and commemoration of the same exhibited So often as yee eate this Bread and drinke this Cup yee shew forth the
comfortably unto us Thirdly he healeth our diseases our corruptions our back-slidings easily are the best of us misled out of the right way drawen and enticed away by our owne lusts driven away by the temptations of Satan the frownes or follies of the world possest with carnall prejudices against the wayes of God as if they were grievous unprofitable and unequall wayes apt to take every pretence to flinch away and steale from the eye of God apt to turne aside into every diverticle which a carnall reason and a crooked heart can frame unto it selfe for a corrupt heart is like a wilde beast that loveth confusa vestigia to have intricacies and windings in his holes it cannot away with strait paths but loveth to wrie and pervert the â—ule of life In these cases it is the care and office of Christ to gather that which was scattered to seeke that which was lost to bring againe that which was driven away to binde up that which was broken to strengthen that which was sicke and to restore by his Spirit of meeknesse those which are overtaken with a fault his Gospell is like the trees of the Sanctuary not for meat onely but for medicine too Fourthly as hee healeth our diseases and giveth us strength so in the mids of enemies and dangers he removeth our feares and giveth us comfort and refreshment I will make with them saith he a Covenant of peace and I will cause evill beasts to cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the wildernesse and sleepe in the woods When the Assyrian shall be in our Land and shall tread in our Palaces then shall hee raise up seven shepherds and eight principall men namely the Ministers of his Gospell in abundance to establish the hearts of his people against all dangers This is that Shilo who should bring tranquilitie and peace into the Church even when the Scepter should depart from Iuda When the heart is full of doubts and distresses disquieted with the feare of Gods displeasure accused by the Law pursued by the adversary and condemned by it selfe then doth he still the raging of the sea and command the evill spirit to be dumbe then doth he wipe away teares from the conscience and refresh it with living waters even with the sweet communion of his Spirit and with the abundance of his graces Lastly hee keepeth a continuall watch over us by his spirituall presence and protection As Iacob testified his great care for the good of Laban that the drought consumed him by day and the frost by night and that sleepe departed from his eyes so doth the Lord commend his care towards the Church in that he is the keeper or the watch-man of Israel which doth neither slumber nor sleepe His presence is with his people to guide them in their pilgrimage and unto which they have daily recourse for comfort and establishment In that great tempest when Christ was asleepe in the ship his Disciples awaked him and expostulated with him Master carest thou not that we perish But when hee had rebuked the wind and the sea hee then rebuked them likewise hee had another storme of feare and unbeleefe to calme in their hearts who could not see him in his providence watching over them when his body slept The grounds of this great Care which Christ in his Gospell testifieth towards his Church are these First He is our kinsman there is affinitie in bloud and therefore a naturall care and tendernesse in affection wee know amongst the Jewes when a woman had buried an husband without fruit of his body the next of the kindred was to take care of her and to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance And if any man had waxen poore and sold any of his possession the neerest kinsman was to have the first option in the recovery and redemption of it And from hence the Apostle argueth to prove the mercifulnesse and fidelitie of Christ in sanctifying or bringing many sonnes unto glory for I take those phrases to be in that place equivalent because he was not ashamed to call us brethren but was made in all things like unto us And wee may observe that in the Scripture he hath almost all the relations of consanguinitie to note that his care is universall and of all sorts He is a Father Behold I and the children which thou hast given me and the care of a father is to governe to nourish to instruct to lay up for his children He is as a mother he carrieth his young ones in his bosome he gathereth them as a hen her chickens hee milketh unto them out of the brests of consolation And thus he hath a care of indulgence and compassion Hee is a Brother Goe to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and unto my God and your God And the care of a brother is to counsell advise and comfort A brother is borne for adversity Lastly hee is a Husband yee are married to him who is raised from the dead and that word compriseth all care to love to cherish to instruct to maintaine to protect to compassionate to adorne to communicate both his secrets and himselfe A father may maintaine his childe but hee cannot suckle it a mother may give it a brest but shee cannot ordinarily provide it a portion a brother can give counsell but he cannot give himselfe unto his brother A husband may comfort his wife but it becomes him not to correct her There is no degree of neerenesse that hath power enough to answer al the offices of love but in one point or other it will be defective Therefore Christ is set forth unto us under all relations of bloud and unitie to note that there can no case or condition of the Church be supposed wherein the care of Christ shall be impotent or deficient towards it wherein he is not able to correct to nourish to instruct to counsell to comfort to provide for it Secondly He is our Companion in sufferings he himselfe suffered and was tempted and this the Apostle maketh a maine ground of his care towards us and of our confidence in him wee have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted as we are onely without sinne and therefore he is able to succour those that are tempted and to take compassion on those that are out of the way because he was compassed with such infirmities as were much lesse grievous than the weight of sinne Thirdly He is our Head and so is One with us in a neerer relation than that of affinitie in a relation of Vnitie for he and his members make but one Christ. And being head hee is the seat of Care and the fouâ—taine of influences into the rest of the body all the wisedome
follow thee whithersoever thou leadest mee But these are but emptie velleities the wishings and wouldings of an evill heart Lord to me belongeth the shame of my failings but to thee belongeth the glory of thy mercy and forgivenesse Too true it is that I doe not all I should but doe I allow my selfe in any thing that I should not doe I make use of mine infirmities to justifie my selfe by them or shelter my selfe under them or dispence with my selfe in them though I doe not the things I should yet I love them and delight in them my heart and Spirit and all the desires of my soule are towards them I hate abhorre and fight with my selfe for not doing them I am ashamed of mine infirmities as the blemishes of my profession I am weary of them and groane under them as the burdens of my soule I have no lust but I am willing to know it and when I know to crucifie it I heare of no further measure of grace but I admire it and hunger after it and presse on to it I can take Christ and affliction Christ and persecution together I can take Christ without the world I can take Christ without my selfe I have no unjust gaine but I am ready to restore it No time have I lost by earthly businesse from Gods service but I am ready to redeeme it I have followed no sinfull pleasure but I am ready to abandon it no evill company but I mightily abhorre it I never sware an oath but I can remember it with a bleeding conscience I never neglected a duty but I can recount it with revenge and indignation I doe not in any man see the Image of Christ but I love him the more dearly for it and abhorre my selfe for being so much unlike it I know Satan I shall speed never the worse with God because I have thee for mine enemie I know I shall speed much the better because I have my selfe for mine enemie Certainly hee that can take Christ offer'd that can in all points admit him as well to purifie as to justifie as well to rule as save as well his grace as his mercie neede not feare all the powers of darknesse nor all the armies of the foulest sinnes which Satan can charge his conscience withall The second great vertue and fruit of the Priesthood of Christ was ex redundantia meriti from the redundancy and overflowing of his merit First hee doth merit to have a Church for the very being of the Church is the effect of that great price which he payed therefore the Church is called a purchased people 1 Pet. 2.9 Ask of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal. 2.8 when hee made his soule an offering for sinne hee did by that meanes see his seed and divide a portion with the great Esai 53.10 11 12. The delivering and selecting of the Saints out of this present evill world was the end of Christs Sacrifice Gal. 1.4 Secondly hee did merit all such good things for the Church as the great love of himselfe and his Father towards the Church did resolve to conferre upon it They may I conceive be reduced to two heads First Immunitie from evill whatsoever is left to bee removed after the payment of our debt or taking off from us the guilt and obligation unto punishment Such are the Dominion of Sinne. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of Sinne and of Death Rom. 8.2 He that committeth sinne is the servant of sinne but if the Sonne shall make you free you shall bee free indeed Ioh. 8 34-36 Hee that is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1 Ioh. 3.9 That is he is not an artificer of sinne one that maketh it his trade and profession and therefore bringeth it to any perfection Hee hath received a Spirit of Iudgement that chaineth up his lusts and a Spirit of burning which worketh out his drosse Esai 4.4 Mal. 3.2 3. Matth. 3.2 Such is The Vanity of our Minde whereby wee are naturally unable to thinke or to cherish a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Eph. 4.17 The Ignorance and hardnesse of our hearts unable to perceive or delight in any spirituall thing Eph. 4.18 Ioh. 1.5 Luk. 24 25.45 The Spirit of disobedience and habituall strangenesse and aversenesse from God Eph. 4.18 Iob 20.14 Such are also all those slavish affrightfull and contumacious effects of the Law in terrifying the conscience irritating the concupiscence and compelling the froward heart to an unwilling and unwelcome conformitie The Law is now made our counseller a delight to the inner man that which was a lion before hath now food and sweetnesse in it Secondly Many Priviledges and dignities in the vertue of that principall and generall one which is our unitie unto Christ from whence by the fellowship of his holy and quickning Spirit wee have an unction which teacheth us his wayes and his voyce which sanctifieth our nature by the participation of the divine nature that is by the renewing of Gods most holy and righteous Image in us Which sanctifieth our Persons that they may bee spirituall Kings and Priests Kings to order our owne thoughts affections desires studies towards him to fight with principalities powers corruptions and spirituall enemies Priests to offer up our bodies soules prayers thanksgivings almes spirituall services upon that Altar which is before his mercy-seate and to slay and mortifie our lusts and earthly members which sanctifieth all our actions that they may bee services to him and his Church acceptable to him and profitable to others Secondly from this unity with him growes our adoption which is another fruit of his Sacrifice Hee was made of a woman made under the Law that wee might receive The Adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.5 By which wee have free accesse to call upon God in the vertue of his Sacrifice sure supplies in all our wants because our heavenly Father knoweth all our needs a most certaine inheritance and salvation in hope for we are already saved by hope Rom. 8.24 and Christ is to us the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 Lastly there is from hence our exaltation in our finall victory and resurrection by the fellowship and vertue of his victory over death as the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20.49 Phil. 3.21 And in our complete salvation being carried in our soules and bodies to be presented to himselfe without spot and blamelesse Eph. 5.26 27. and to bee brought unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 Now to take all in one view what a summe of mercy is here together Remission of all sinnes discharge of all debts deliverance from all curses joy peace triumph security exaltation above all evils enemies or feares a peculiar purchased roiall seed the gift of God the Father to his Sonne deliverance from the dominion and service of all sinne vanity ignorance hardnesse disobedience bondage coaction terror sanctification
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie