exceede all creatures such eminencie as we must adore because wee cannot comprehend it for they are wonderfull Euen the name of wonderfull be longs vnto them as appeares by the answer that was giuen to Manoah in the booke of Iudges when hee enquired after the name of the Angell which appeared Why askest thou after my name seeing it is wonderfull It were easie to shew how this title fits Christ by running through the whole story of the Gospell which to euery part setteth a marke of wonder to his birth to his life to his death to his resurrection to his ascention I will instance only in his birth because we now solemnize the memory thereof In that appeare three great wonders 1. That natures so farre distant as God and Man should bee ioyned in one person 2. That the nature of man should be conceiued in a Virgins wombe that neuer knew man 3. That she should being her selfe conceiued in sinne conceiue a Sonne without sinne Were there no other wonder these were enow to style Christ wonderfull and to make it one of his peculiar titles But because the Fathers following the Septuagint and the Caldee haue coupled these words Wonderfull and Counsellour together and made of them but one title and their opinion is made probable by the Hebrew Text and the other titles which are all compounded Almighty God Father of Eternity Prince of Peace I will so ioyne them and handle them as one title whereof there are two parts Counsellour and Wonderfull Christ is a Counsellour And here also marke the odds betweene mortall Princes and this our King mortall Princes and their Counsell are distinct persons the weakenesse and the idlenesse or both of mortall Princes wits maketh them to vse the counsell of others as it is euident in all States whereupon is grounded that prouerbe of Salomon In the alundance of Counsellours there is welfare But here our King is the Counsellour also hee is both King and Counsell And that which the Apostle hath out of the Prophet Who euer was his Counsellour may well be applied to him His vnderstanding is so large so cleare that it reacheth to all things and pierceth into the depth of all as St. Paul describeth it Heb. 4. and by it hee meaneth Christ as it appeares by the close of his speech The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword and entreth in to the diuiding of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts all things are naked before his eyes And Dauid sheweth that the night and the day to him are all one and the darkenesse is as cleare as the light And as such is his ability so is his care answerable His wits are not idle He that keepeth Israel doth neâ—ther slumber nor sleepe as it is Psalm 121. His eyes are vpon his charge from the beginning of the yeare till the end thereof as it is Deut. 11. Not a Sparrow lights vpon the ground without his prouidence So that he needes no counsell besides his owne he well deserues the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom Aristotle alledgeth that Verse out of the Greeke Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let vs come nearer the Point You haue heard that he is a Counsellour but whereof I cannot expresse better than by two of his vsuall titles the Wisedome the Word of God He is Consiliarius ad intra and ad extra beeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Iohn comprehendeth both in that sentence The Son which is in the bosome of the Father and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath declared himself vnto vs so is become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our Sauiour Christ Those things which I haue heard of my Father being Consiliarius ad intra haue I opened vnto you as Consiliarius ad extra and so Prouerbs 8. Wisedome describeth her selfe as a Counsellour both ad intra and ad extra with God and to the world But what is the Matter of this Counsell surely the principall is the Conenant betweene God and his Church which St. Paul Heb. 6. calleth the vnchangeable Counsell of God and God in the Prophets speaking of the Kingdome of Christ calleth it his Counsell not excluding all other secrets of God for Christ is priuy to them all He is the Lambe mentioned in the Reuclation that only can open the sealed Booke of Gods hidden Mysteries especially those that concerne his Church Now Christ as the Wisedome of God was of counsell when this Mysterie was resolued on before all time he was of counsell with God and when God was pleased to reueale it then Christ also became the Counsellour vnto men as he was the Word of God These two things are comprehended in his Counsellourship and in regard of both these may hee bee called wonderfull It was a wonderfull course that this wisedome of God found out to worke the Redemption of man by coupling of these Natures and satisfying Mercy and Iudgement and that by Man without sinfull man And as the course is wonderfull so likewise is the communicating thereof seeing the power of God vseth such weake instruments When wee behold the meanes wee cannot but wonder at the effects when wee see such heauenly treasures in earthen vessels and see such efficacie of the one shine through the infirmity of the other and behold the euidence of the spirit in the foolishnesse of preaching and see it casting downe of strong holds and captiuating vnto Christ euery thought this must needs make it wonderfull And wonderfull certainly will we acknowledge him to be if we consider these things for that is wonderfull which is aboue the reach of the vnderstanding Wee see the first royall title and Christs first royall vertue which is his Wisedome The second followeth which is his Power Primò opus est consulto deinde cum consulueris maturè opus est facto said the Heathen Orator for as it is true that Vis consilij expers mole ruit sua so is it no lesse true that if wisedome â—aue not strength to execute her designes it is fruitlesse Therefore our King is as well armed with power as furnished with wisedome So that he is able to execute whatsoeuer he doth resolue Therefore his second style is The mighty God El of it selfe signifieth mighty but it is communicated to others besides the true God to Angels to Men that are tâ—e Lieutenants of God or vsurpe the state of God all these haue a power but it is but a weake power in comparison and it is often times checked and curbed limited and stinted The Angels that are great in power are no farther powerfull than to doe Gods will much more are men at Gods controll Hee refraineth the spirit of Princes and maketh the stoutest of them to know that they are but men The story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel who was for seuen yeares cast out of his Pallace to
this chastisement seeme not for the present to bee ioyous but grieuous yet afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby See a great gaine in this death by it I which serued God at first only in the law of mind come thereby to serue God also by the same law working in my members Somthing I get by it but not so much as I would for my mortification leaueth too much life in my flesh and the old man is too strong irrecouerably to die by my strokes Therefore what I cannot doe should I not be glad when God is pleased to doe it pleased so to dissolue this bodie of sinne that it may cease from sinning yea be brought to that case that it may be fit for a glorious Resurrection And is not this a great Gaine the happiest seed time that promiseth the best Haruest that euer man can looke for When I die I sowe my bodie in corruption but when I rise I reape the same bodie againe in incorruption when I die I sow my bodie in weaknesse when I rise I reape it againe in power when I die I sow my bodie in dishonour when I rise I reap it againe in honour finally when I die I sowe it a naturall bodie but when I rise I reape it a spirituall And is not this gaine and this is the gaine of death Foolish were that Husbandman that would spare his seed and lose his Haruest but much more foolish were I if I should bee vnwilling to die that know death is the seed of such a Resurrection You see what my bodie gaineth by death my soule gaineth much more the grace I haue doth but set an edge vpon the desire of that I shall haue and hope deferred is the languishing of the soule but a desire accomplished is as a tree of life If I delight to behold Christ in the Looking glasse to heare him in the Riddle of his Word how shall I bee rauished with him when I shall see him face to face and heare him speake without Parables O my soule when thou thinkest hereon canst thou do lesse then break forth into Saint Pauls words I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ which is much better for mee It is good I confesse to bee in the Kingdome of Grace but much better to be in the Kingdome of Glorie Suffer mee sweet Iesu to desire the best I know the best should bee the vpshot of my desires I heare King Dauid say O how plentifull is thy goodnes which thou hast laid vp for all them that feare thee and that thou hast prepared for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Lord I hunger I thirst for these things to bee satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house I would drinke my fill out of the riuers of thy pleasures And seeing my soule cannot come to these except it come to thee for the good of my soule I desire for a time to bee freed from my bodie that my soule may attaine that blessednesse by which my bodie also in her due time shall be more blessed If my bodie gaine and my soule gaine when death putteth them so asunder how great will the gaine be when after death they shall both conioyne their gaines together and each shall communicate his good vnto the other When death approacheth mee it shall not be accounted either a thiese or a murtherer Let wicked men who haue their portion in this life and beyond this life expect no other good so account of death And well they may for it robbeth them of all that they account good and bereaues them of that which they account life But death cannot deale so with mee for it hath no power ouer my goods and ouer my life I lose nothing but that which I am willing to leaue I will at all times leaue the flesh pots of Egypt to bee fed with Manna and forsake the muddie waters of Nilus to drinke of that water that streamed from the Rocke it shall neuer grieue me to change the food of men for Angels food And for this mortall life why should it bee pretious vnto me that hindreth mee from that which is immortall No let this life die that death may be my entrance into that life that life which is indeed life the life of Saints yea the life of God By death I gaine this life because by death I come to Christ who by grace is my life here and when I die will be my life of glorie The yong mans Meditation vpon Death grounded vpon Wisdome 4. VERSES 7 8 9 10 11. Though the righteous be preuented with death yet shall he bee in rest For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time nor that is measured by number of yeares But wisdome is the gray haire vnto men and an vnspotted life is old age c. He pleased God and was beloued of him so that liuing amongst sinners he was translated Yea speedily was he taken away lest that wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his soule WE would be immortall wee cannot be all sinners are doomed to die yet of a mortall life who doth not desire the longest tearme who would haue his Spring to proue his Autumne and be gathered before he is ripe It is vnpleasing enough to nature that it must bee dissolued but then to bee dissolued when soule and bodie begin each most comfortably to enioy the other must needs be most bitter It is now my case in the quicknesse of my sense must I taste of that potion mine eies must be closed when they doe but begin to iudge of colours and my eares doe but begin to iudge of sounds and they must be shut vp also my pallat hath but tasted and set an edge vpon my desire and I must away and leaue these delicates to others others must enioy whatsoeuer worldly thing I haue and the wormes must enioy me enioy my bodie And for my soule scarce hath it beene initiated with knowledge after which it thirsteth naturally scarce hath it giuen proofe of her vertue wherein it delighteth principally but I am taken from this Schoole wherein I thought to prooue wise from this Theater whereon I hoped to bee exemplarie but vnlearned as I am and vnrenowned I must yeild and my name must be buried with my Coarse What shall I say to all this and against this euill what is my comfort Surely I must calculate mine age a new and iudge better of Gods intent herein Gods Kalender is not like mans a thousand yeares to him are but as one day and one day to him as a thousand yeares Let a wicked man liue a thousand yeares because he is a wicked man his thousand yeares are but a day nay the worst part of a day that is the night for the euening and the morning did make the first day Let a good man liue but a day and because he is good he
not temporall but eternall so likewise the condition of it is not worldly it is Peace Divus Nerua saith Tacitus duas res olim insociabiles coniunxit imperium libertatem Hee spake with the most that ascribed so much vnto Nerua but of Christ is may be most truly affirmed that where he raignes there is peace and free liberty for euery Subiect It is too vsuall with men the wiser they are the more to bee turbulent and disquieters of States the more power they haue the more to tyrannize it is not so with our King but hee that is wonderfull for Counsell mighty for Power bends both his Counsell and his Power to worke Peace that peace which is the portion of his Church and which none partake beside the members thereof This Prophet hath peremptorily pronounced There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God Esay 57. Hee compares them to the Sea still raging and foming casting out their owne shame Salomon vnto vanity adds vexation of spirit You may see it in the particular case of all wicked men that sure they haue no rest They haue no rest ab intra they neuer can light vpon that which doth sistere appetitum which maketh them range in their desires in their endeauours neuer finding where to settle and ab extra too they are vnquiet for the whirle-winde of God driueth them like chaffe and like a floud it driueth them downe the streame And indeed how should they bee quiet that are compared vnto the sea which when there is no storme cannot stand still but hath his flux and reflux And no wonder for it is the subiect of the Moone than which nothing is more changeable A fit Embleme of the world vpon which whosoeuer dependeth cannot be stable when the world it selfe is so vnstedfast But no greater argument can be brought for their want of quiet than that which is taken from the nature of peace and the nature thereof is insinuated in the word wherewith the holy Ghost in the Hebrew tongue expresseth it no tongue doth so vsually fit words to things and giue vs a notion of the things by the words Now the word Shalom which signifieth Peace doth in the roote containe two significations the one of Perfection the other of Retribution and these two comprehend the full nature of peace wherein there is first perfection What perfection is I will shew you corporally that you may the better conceiue it spiritually God hath made the eye to see and the eare to hear the eye seeth colours the eare heareth sounds that betweene those obiects and these senses there may be quiet the sense must be in good temper and the obiect such as will giue content if the sense bee sound and the obiect pleasing there groweth peace betweene them but if eyther the obiect bee not proportioned to the eye to please it and so likewise the sound to the eare or if the eare and the eye be vnsound so that it cannot endure the obiect then groweth vnquietnesse As it is thus bodily so spiritually there is an obiect that must be entertained by vs and wee must be fit to entertaine it Gods Word and his Workes If our senses be so sanctified that we can behold them and they doe so testifie Gods will to vs that we receiue comfort by them then there is Peace Apply this vnto the godly and you shall finde that the things of God doe alwayes giue them content and they delight to solace themselues in them yea though the crosse goe withall and they are exposed to worldly troubles yet euery good man is Medijs tranquillus in vndis Et si fractus illabatur orbis impauidum ferient rumae As for the wicked it is not so with them for eyther they want those senses whereby they should entertain Gods gracious countenance when it is present with them and so peace faileth in them for want of that wherewith they should receiue it or else if God giue them senses to see him they see nothing but Iustice and Wrath in him and so in regard of the obiect they haue no peace stupidity and senslesnesse of Gods iudgements which sometimes doth befall them especially in prosperity maketh a shew of peace but indeed it is nothing lesse For if so bee the parts of our body and powers of our soule doe not worke vpon their proper obiects and in working finde content there is not the nature of peace peace so farre as it consists in perfection Which vnderstood spiritually is nothing else but grace grace is the first kinde of peace which belongs vnto the Church Besides this peace of perfection there is a peace of retribution Euery Commandement as it hath his precept so it hath his sanction also and as we are commanded in the one so wee haue a promise in the other Glory is promised for grace and the seruant to whom the master saith Well done shall enter into his Masters ioy he shall haue peace for peace yea peace vpon peace the peace of heauen heaped vpon that peace which he had in earth which is nothing else but the reward of godlinesse You see the two branches of peace perfection and retribution of both these Christ is Prince Hee is the Author both of grace and glory the true King of Salem Ephes 2.14 the true Salomon the true Noah whom St. Paul calleth our Peace Luke 2.14 Luke 10.5 at whose birth the Angels sung In earth peace whose first Sermon that he commanded his Apostles to preach was Peace be to this house who taking leaue of his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 gaue them Peace when he went to his death Luke 24.36 when he rose from the dead finally as the Apostle saith Slew hatred and set at one all things both in heauen and earth The Prophets euery where speak of his Kingdome as of a Kingdome of peace Read Psalm 72. Esay 32. c. That the inheritance wee shall haue is eternall you heard before But the inheritance of the wicked is eternall also Goe ye cursed shall the Iudge say into euerlasting fire and they haue a worme that neuer dyeth but theirs is a miserable eternity an vnquiet inheritance hunger and thirst nakednesse and paine chaines and vtter darkenesse weeping and gnashing of teeth are their portion and where these are what trouble is there not But ours is a better eternity it is a peaceable one as wee shall euer bee so shall we euer be at quiet at quiet passiuely nothing shall disquiet vs at quiet actiuely we shall disquiet none Wee shall be pacati and pacifici sit at rest our selues and disturbe none It shall be so in heauen fully in earth it should be so in a good measure for Gods will should be done in earth as it is in heauen and we should begin our heauen here vpon earth We should beginne to exercise the Peace of Perfection and foretaste the Peace of Retribution that so we might haue a good experiment
they ascended and descended vpon him when God brought his first begotten into the world Heb. 1. that was done which he commanded Let all the Angels worship him Mat. 17. And what did the Saints Moses and Elias came to him in the Mount and conferred with him about his death many also rose out of their graues and appeared in the holy City There remaines onely the place where God dwels and those blessed Spirits that also was shaken more than once for more than once did it open as we reade in the Gospell and in the Acts. You doe not doubt by this time but that the vppermost Heauen was shaken which was shaken so many waies Onely that shaking was answerable to the subiect it was without all corruption Come we now to the second Heauen that also had a shaking a double shaking Mat. 2. there appeared a Starre that was neuer seene before at Christs Birth which drew the Wise-men to seeke out him that was borne King of the Iewes And at his death the goodliest Starre in the Firmament I meane the Sunne lost his light when the Moone was at full Which sight was so strange to the Philosophers at Athens that as the Story saith it drew from Denys the Areopagite that memorable saying Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissoluetur either the God of nature is ouercharged or is disposed to end the world Tertullian obserues that the Romanes did register this Eclypse in their Chronicle I say nothing of the renting of that Heauen too Acts 7.55 for the vppermost could not be opened without opening the second also that the Doue might descend that St. Stephens sight might ascend and see Christ standing at the right hand of God The third Heauen remaines that also was shaken for Christ commanded the windes and they were calme hee suffered not the ayre to transmit the Species but was inuisible yea hee commanded it not to giue breath and to giue breath to men as pleased him you finde it in the storie of those that came to apprehend him Iohn 19. Enough of the Heauens the first part of the great world Onely obserue Acts 2. ver 17 18 19 20. that that which out of Ioel St. Peter obserues was in part performed in this shaking of Heauen The second part of the great world is the Earth The Earth in the beginning was one confused Globe of Water and dry Land vpon Gods commandement these two Elements were separated and each appeared by it selfe as wee reade Genesis 1. As then they first were and as they now are so are they here mentioned and so wee must vnderstand them Touching their shaking I might in few wordes referre you to the Psalme Let the Sea roare and the fulnesse thereof Psal 98. let the Flouds clap their hands let the Hils bee ioyfull together before the Lord for he commeth to iudge the Earth c. But I will shew you some particulars out of the New Testament there shall you reade the Earth-quakes that were when Christ was in the flesh the cleauing of Rockes Mat. 27. the opening of Graues which made the Iewes returne from his Crosse knocking their breasts made the Centurion say Of a truth this was the Son of God put the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests to their briberie Mat. 28. lest the Souldiers should bewray what they could not deny As for the Sea that apparently tooke notice of Christ when he wanted Tribute-money he commanded the Sea to supply him and it did by a Fish when Peter Iames and Iohn had laboured all night at Sea and caught nothing he commanded them to cast out their net and the fish came readily and filled it to their great astonishment at another time when their ship was ready to be drowned Christ did but rebuke the waues Mat. 〈◊〉 and presently there followed a great calme Thus apparently did the Sea acknowledge Christ come into the World But because the word that wee render dry Land doth properly signifie a Desert or Wildernesse it is not vnlikely but that these two words doe imply a parallel of that which fell out while Christ conuersed on Earth and that which was wrought at the deliuerance of Israel out of Egypt the Sea then diuided and gaue passage to the Children of Israel vpon dry Land it did more to Christ it became it selfe as dry Land he walked vpon it and made St. Feter to doe so also And as for the Wildernesse it was to Israel no Wildernesse no more was it to Christ they were amongst wilde beasts there and so was hee and neyther was annoyed the Wildernesse yeelded them plenty of food and in the Wildernesse did Christ multiply the Loaues and the Fishes so that after many thousands were fedde the remainder was much more than was the first prouision There remaines one part of the Earth which I haue not yet touched and that is Hell Hell holdeth fast all that come thereinto but it could not hold him when hee descended thither and while hee liued vpon Earth how did the Fiends confesse him obey him come and goe at his pleasure It is cleare then fully cleare that seeing shaking doth signifie an extraordinary manifestation of the Deity working by or on the Creature contrary to their vsuall course the great world and the parts thereof were shaken at the first comming of Christ Let vs see now how true this is of the little world the world of mankind here called all Nations which are distinguished into Iewes and Gentiles both had their shaking The Iewes their whole policie was dissolued I meane that which was peculiar to them whether Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill as Daniel foretold Dan 9. Heb. 12. Gen. 49.10 so St. Paul affirmes both receiued an end by the comming of Christ Iacobs prophecie was then fulfilled The Scepter departed from Iuda and the Law-giuer from between his seete that State was not only shaken but shiuered all to pieces As for other Nations they had their shaking a double shaking a spirituall and a corporall Spiritually their heads were shaken their iudgements were illightened and amazed that euer they should be so sottish as to worship stockes and stones â—say 2. cap. 8. the workes of mens hands yea the Diuels themselues vpon this they threw away their Idols and cursed their forged gods This abrenunciation doth Gregorie Nazianzene Orat. 37. and Austin de Ciuit. Dei vnderstand by this shaking To this shaking of their head wee must adde a shaking of their heart A contagious aire is not purged but by thundering and lightening and a corrupt conscience must feele the terrour of Mount Sinai before it can haue the comfort of Mount Sion The voyce wherein God spake to Elias was a soft voyce 1 Kings 19. but there went before it Fire Winde Earth-quake c. the Peace which you shall heare of hereafter comes not to the spirituall Temple of God without some terrour going before The
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
for they that trust in the Lord are like vnto mount Sion which shall neuer be remoued LOrd guide vs by thy Counsell support vs by thy Power that wee be neyther circumuented nor quelled but by thy direction and protection we may escape both the craft and the force of all our Enemies So shall we euer glorifie thee as our admirable Counsellour and our most mighty God THE FIFTH SERMON The euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace THe Excellencie of Christs Person consists in the indowments thereof which are Regall but Spirituall That they are Regall appeares in his two first titles whereof I haue already spoken and that they are Spirituall it will appeare by the other two whereof I am now to speake Whereof the first sheweth that Christs Kingdome is not of this world He is the Father of eternity the second sheweth that the condition of his people is not worldly Christ is Prince of Peace To begin with the first In the Originall the first of these two titles is so exprest as I haue read it The Father of eternity And the words beare a double sense for either Aeternity is made the Attribute of the Father and so by an Hebraisme The Father of eternity is no more than the eternall or euerlasting Father so some Translations reade it or Aeternity may note that which is subiect to the Father and so the title imports that he is a Father of eternall things and so some Translations reade The Father of the world to come We need not to bee troubled with this variety for the words will beare eyther Translation and both these things concurre in the same person He that is the euerlasting Father is a Father of euerlasting things We will therefore handle both and first shew you that Christ is an euerlasting Father The phrase doth distinguish betweene our Father and our Father the Father of our flesh and the Father of our spirits of whom St. Paul speaketh Heb. 12. Of these two the first is Temporall the other is Aeternall that the first is but temporall wee may gather out of the fift of Genesis where are reckoned vp the longest liued Fathers that euer were in the world but of them all it is said that they begat children and then they dyed they left their children to the world And as they so their posterity come within the compasse of that of Iob Man that is borne of a Woman is but of a short time or as Dauid speakes His dayes are but a spanne long When he hath serued his course he goeth the way of all flesh and sleepes in his graue Neyther is he temporall only in regard that he must dye but also in regard that his affection is mutable Some parents destitute their children inforced by death but not a few put off the affection of Fathers euen in their life and they in that respect also may be termed but temporall Fathers Our Sauiour Christ speaking of the later times telleth vs that the Father shall rise against the Sonne as the Sonne against the Father Saint Paul speaking of former times Rom. 1. amongst other wicked ones reckoneth vp persons that were without naturall affection and it were an easie matter out of Histories to report that many haue dis-inherited many haue murdered many haue deuoured their own children so farre vnnaturall haue they beene In opposition vnto these two cases which apparantly conclude that the Parents of our flesh are temporall temporall in regard that they are mortall in their nature and temporall in that they are mutable in their affections our Sauiour Christ is termed an euerlasting Father death cannot take him from vs for euen in his death wherein notwithstanding his abode was so little that hee saw no corruption the hypostaticall Vnion which made him a father did not cease And as for his affection it is immutable Whom he loueth hee loueth vnto the end of the perpetuitie of his being excellent is that place Esay 63. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting And touching the perpetuity of his louing the Church there speaketh also Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercy towards me 〈◊〉 9. â—â—al 27. are they restrained No they cannot bee restrained For as God in this Prophet speaketh elsewhere Can a Mother forget her child If she can yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord And King Dauid When my father and my mother forsooke me the Lord tooke me vp This is the reason why our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell biddeth vs Call none father vpon earth for that we haue but one father which is in heauen hee liueth when the other dye and when the other hateth he continueth his loue and therefore is deseruedly called the euerlasting Father Two good Lessons are implyed herein the one teaching Piety the other Charity We are taught Piety when we are taught that he whom we obey is our Father for if I be a Father saith the Lord where is mine honour Mal. 1. and Moses to Israel Deut. 32. Doest thou so reward the Lord O thou foolish people and vnwise is not he thy Father that made thee c. And as the very name of Father teacheth Piety so doth the name of Euerlasting teach it much more St. Paul argueth so Heb. 12. If so bee wee honoured the fathers of our flesh which are mortall as is our flesh how much more should we honour the father of our spirits which is immortall as is our spirits Great reason haue we to reuerence this Father that neuer ceaseth to be our Father that hath prouided that euen when we lose our fathers we should yet stil haue our Father haue him for our Father which is the Father of Orphanes It is no small comfort nor weake pillar of our faith that we neuer want a Father yea our double birth readeth vs this Lecture For as we come out of our mothers wombe by the help of our mortall Parents so to signifie that we haue immortall parents we are then borne againe in the Churches wombe Neither doth this title teach vs only Piety but Charity also charity one towards another For whereas our mortall parents extend their consanguinity and affinity but to a few this euerlasing father extends his vnto all Malachy worketh vpon this Haue we not all one Father Cap. 2. wherefore then do you iniury one to another The blood should neuer be cold seeing wee are all kinne in the first degree all brethren sonnes of one father euen of him that is here called the euerlasting father But how commeth Christ to be called father who otherwise is called our brother he being the sonne of God and God being his father as hee is ours If you respect the Communion of