blockish as men hewne out of hard okes reioyce in such an open and glorious face of Iesus Christ Yea with the Prophet account it our Blessednesse to dwel in the Lords house where we may euer praise him because hereby wee come nearest vnto the life of iust and perfect men in heauen to the which while wee frame our selues afore-hand wee haue entred into some degree of their blessednesse as also of our owne Thus farre wee hetherto discouered those beautyes of the house of God both in respect of Persons present and holy thinges performed which if men could see with bodily eyes as they cannot bee perceiued but by such as haue cleared eies they would excite admirable loue and affection towardes them Now we are to intreat of the priuiledges and benefits which Gods people reape by frequenting the same and the rather that such as perhaps little regard the glory of God shining in his ordinances brighter then the Sunne in his strength might yet for their owne aduantage and profitte bee perswaded with diligence and reuerence in this his house to seeke the face of the LORD Now although the priuiledges be as manyfold in number as excellent in their quallity yet I will content my selfe to note foure of them and these foure rather then any other because I see them to bee such as moued in the Prophet Dauid aboue all other these holy and ardent desires as in euery of them will plainely appeare First the benefit of light and instruction The first work that the Lord doth in these little worlds as once in the great is to seperate light and darknes in such as are in Christ created againe vnto good workes For which purpose the Lord him-selfe by his spirit becommeth the Schoolmaister of his people teaching them to know him in himselfe in his Christ to beleeue to worke and walke Heere in his house setting a coppy to all maisters of familyes what to doe in their houses hee openeth his treasures of wisdome and teacheth no triuiall matters But first for their necessitie matters of life and death Second for their dignitie such misteries as flesh and blood can neuer attayne vnto partly concerning God as the doctrine of the Trinity Partly concerning Christ as of his incarnation conception vnion of his natures and partly concerning our selues As our resurrection life eternall all which are matters of faith Third for their vse such as perswade the truth preserue frō error raize such as are faine strengthen those that stand comfort the afflicted pacifie the conscience confirme the certaine hope of life eternall and deliuer the deeds of it into our hands indeed the benefit of our redemption and whole saluation by Christ were little worth without these holy meanes whereby it is reuealed and applyed vnto vs. This is that benefit which our Prophet expresseth in the beginning of the verse following For the LORD GOD is the Sunne That is look what the Sunne is to the World that is the LORD GOD to his Church the Sunne of the World is not so necessary to lighten the day as this Sunne of the Church to lighten the darkenesse and dungeon of the soules of men without w c seeing all our heauenly lght is from it our estate is far more vncomfortable then that of the Egiptians in their three daies darkenesse for here no man can all his dayes stirre out of the place where his naturall corruption hath sette him And where shines this Sun but in the church this is the Goshen where this light is In the ministry especially it displayeth the beames of it Secondly necessary prouision both for sustenance and safety of soule and body First for the susteining of the soule heere is milke and stronger meat here wee haue the Lord pouring out all his goodnesse Here the great King prepareth a great supper killeth his fatlings prepareth his milke and wine spreadeth his table setteth on it Iesus Christ the bread and water of life whose flesh is meat indeed whose blood is drinke indeed Here he by his ministers inuiteth and intreateth men to y e banquet here he filleth the hungry and thirsty soule with good things worketh new strēgth of life and grace as reioycing in God peace of good conscience ioy in the holy Ghost watchfulnesse against sinne comfort in tribulation quicknesse and strength in good duties boldnesse in good causes and a life led and finished in faith and obedience Here the Lord clotheth the naked soule and putteth on it the Lord Iesus Christ whose righteousnesse becommeth the costly and comely rayment of it Heere hee inricheth the poore soule with treasures of grace and godlynesse Heere by the fire of his spirit hee warmeth and reuiueth the staruen soule Here is the tree of life for the sicke soule the leaues whereof serue to cure the nations In a word Christ offered and receiued in the Ministry is food and Phisicke cloth and warmth wealth and health life and length of daies yea all in all vnto the soule of all his beleeuing ones And 2. for bodily food and rayment with other necessaries for the life present although those who ar without y e church inioy them yet they haue them not in that speciall blessing and comfort as the members of the church who 1. haue them by vertue of that special promise First seeke the Kingdome of God and other things shal be cast on you 2. hold them by a right and title in Christ and 3. are taught how to imploy them to the glory of the giuer all which make these blessinges good to them as they are in them-selues Secondly for perfection and safety 1. Spiritual here is a shadow sweete refuge against the whole wrath of God appeased by Christ here we see sin subdued death vanquished righteousnes purchased great deliuerance wrought for the soules of beleeuers here we haue strength in temptation and victory ouer our selues for here is Gods grace reueled which is sufficient for vs. Now this saluation of God is not elswher to be heard off but in the tidings which we bring nor reuealed vnto any but the true members of the church In Mount Sion in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance As for temporal perfection whereas when men are cast out of the sight of God as vnbeleeuers who are without the pale of Gods protectiō they ly opē vnto the sword famine captiuity to the dogs to teare to the foules of heauen the beasts of the field to deuour so on the contrary the neerer God the surer of safety for iudgements flye farre frō God Hence is it that to the members of the church safety is promised vnder the shadow of the winges of the almighty especially while they are in the performāce of publick duties before the Lord and it is worthy our obseruing that the Lord in making that law of the three feastes wherein all the men three times euery yeare must repaire before the Lord
tender mother accounts it not enough to bring forth her child except shee also nursse and cherish it vp vnto mans estate So hath the Lord in these sacraments to shew the aboundant sweetnesse of his loue in Christ after hee hath in the word preached made the couenant of grace knowne vnto men hee also doth most surely seale it vp vnto their soules by those seales of the righteousnesse of faith The former sealing vp their vnion ingrafting and fellowship with Christ from whom as from a roote they draw and sucke the moysture of grace without which they are but dead and withered branches The latter assuring their continuall grouth and encrease in him till they become tall trees of righteousnesse and both of them further helping both our vnderstandings as glasses by which we see clearer into the mistery of our redemption as also our memories as monuments before our eyes with which sence of learning our God would haue vs taught as well as by the other of hearing as in the third place both of them not onely spurring vp euery beleeuer to the performing of the couenant but also strengthening him to euery good duty whereby hee may magnifie this grace of God Thirdly for prayer how vnspeakable is the glory of GOD rendred by the Church gathered together and how wonderfull are the blessings which are vouchsafed the Church from God in and by meanes of this holy dutie especially when they are assembled in the house of prayer In the former regarde is it sayd by the Prophet Praise waiteth for thee in Sion For what greater honour can befall the Lord then first in petition to bee acknowledged the giuer of euery good and perfect gift to bee depended vpon for all comfort instruction and euery good grace to bee acknowledged the author and finisher of our faith the beginner and accomplisher of all our workes in vs and for vs and in the confession of our indignity and misery euen the best to haue his free grace amplified and his prerogatiue yeelded him whose priuiledge it is to say I will forgiue Secondly in prayses to be magnified by his whole Church for the fruites of his free loue manifestlie shining in his workes of creation redemption preseruation and saluation of his Church yea and when his people haue done all they can in way of thankfulnesse for them yet euen the best of them shall acknowledge that they cannot finde what to render vnto him for his vndeserued loue Thus the Tribes goe vppe to Ierusalem to praise the name of the Lord. In the second respect what a singular priuiledge is it that wee haue leaue giuen vs by our requests to speake and commune with our God and where-as the riche treasures of grace and good things are with him surely kept as vnder locke and key how happily may wee by this meanes vnlocke and open them all vnto our selues Yea that when wee cannot by any thing in vs or from vs demerite the least blessing wee beeing lesse then the least mercy yet if wee can but lift vppe one request of faith wee haue preuayled and ouer-come God himselfe in the greatest And if the prayer of one righteous man can preuaile so much as the scriptures testifie of Moyses Iacob Elias how much more when two or three consent togither in priuat prayer But when publike prayer is presented vp by many yea the whole church how can that but exceed in strength For as in experience we see many flowers bound together yeeld the stronger sent and compound water is sweeter thē simple many sticks make a great fire and vnited force more forceable so euery christian alone and a part in this duty is acceptable vnto God but when many ioyne in holy society they are much more pleasing vnto him much more ioyfull among them-selues and much more mutually incouraged to the practises of piety loue one towards another Publike breaches are soone made vp if many Moysesses stand vp in the gap Publike peace if it be wanting is speedily and happily procured when many Eliases lift vp requests vnto the Lord euery one of which are as strong as the Horsemen and Chariots of Israel Publike blessings are easily obteyned when many Iacobs wrastle together with the Lord Fully resolued not to lette him goe vntill hee haue giuen them a blessing The publike ministry is successefully both setled and exercised when the Saints striue with their Ministers by prayers to God for them and when the faithfull labour together in praier for the same purpose The priuate necessities also of any one priuate member of the Church are sooner supplied by the instance and importunity of the whole and such as cannot come vpon their owne feet as the man sicke of the palsie are lette downe by the cordes of the churches prayer and sette before Christ. A powerfull and preuayling thing is it with the Lord when a number of beleeuers are in one place and one accord of one heart and one soule as it were in many bodies to whom hee hath giuen one heart and one way yea one pure language to cal on his name and serue him with one shoulder Fourthly if vnto the three former we shal ad the last part of the ministry performed in our holy meetings we shall see both the glory of God further inlarged the benefit of the church amplified For here we haue also to our vnspeakable good the Keyes of the Kingdome opening and shutting heauen the power of binding or loosing of sinners The authority of deliuering to Satan the obstinate sinners and releasing the penitent Now what glory is it to the almighty when his iust sentence is before hand denounced against the vngodly of the earth Where by him-selfe is cleared in his iudgement and the sinner more iustlie wrapped vp in the bandes of death which he had no care to preuent And on the other side no lesse comfort it is for the humble soule in the same Ministerie of the Word preached to bee fully released from sinne and absolued from all his vnrighteousnesse and assured that whatsoeuer such sentence is rightly pronounced in Earth is ratified also in Heauen These thinges beeing of such an high nature as in which the publicke worshippe of GOD is performed to his so great glorie and our own so great good no marueil if Dauip be so instant in his desire yet these things were after a sort vailed and but shadowed in that ministry of the sanctuary For the Arke it selfe was with curtaines and there lay no high way vnto it no not for Dauid him-self only men must look towards it in their prayers And within that Arke were hidde and chested vppe the tables of the couering representing the VVord read and preached In the Tabernacle also was the golden potte of Mannah a speciall type of our Sacraments and the rod of Aaron shadowing the rod of the church Discipline How much more should wee were wee not so
pleasure vnto them because their hearts and affections are carryed vnto and set vpon things below In like manner did the loue of God and Christ take vp the heart of any man as euery member of the true Church is sicke of this loue the sweetnesse of the exercises of religion in which it is more and more conueyed into beleeuing soules would bee sweeter then wine that is then most tastefull outward delights Nay this loue would shew it selfe stronger then death nothing but death if death it selfe can dissolue it much water cannot quench it many floods cannot drowne it that is Many crosses afflictions trialls cannot vtterly ouer-come or extinguish it Yea a mans whole substance will bee contemned in regarde of it This sparckle of heauenly fire and seruencie will constraine a man to cleaue vnto the Lord in his ordinance and groweth in time to such a burning desire of the glory of God as is able to carry a man beyond himselfe yea euen to consume him as Dauids zeale to Gods house did consume him And would to God all such secure Christians would at length begin to conceiue of their danger which is fearfull to such eyes as can behold it For first they are for the present destitute of the spirit of God and so of all sauing graces and lye vnder a fearefull damnation Which truth is euident in that wheresoeuer the spirit of God delighteth to dwell there hee stirreth vp the heart to some good measure of cheerefulnesse in well-dooing and keepeth it in a readinesse and preparednesse to euery good worke For the office of the spirit is not onely to enlighten the eye of the soule that it can behold the beauties of Gods house which it could neuer prie into before but also to worke the will and make it of vnwilling a willing wil. So as if before the presence of the spirit a man were as loth to heare pray read as a Beare to the stake now he is changed by that spirit which will not be idle and is become a man wanting often power and abilitie but to wil that which is good is present with him the reasonings of the flesh are partly subdued the vnreadinesse which foiled his good duties before is in part foiled according to the measure of knowledge and faith is the measure of his obedience daily increased which things whosoeuer hee bee that findeth them not in himselfe hee hath not the spirit of Christ and consequently is none of his 2. They are lead by the spirit of sathan who ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient whose old pollicie it is by this very perswasion of ease to keepe such from the pure worship of God as hee would make seruiceable in all manner of vnrighteousnesse When the Lord had commanded all Israell that they should appeare before him to worship him in spirit and truth at Ierusalem the diuell deuised a tricke of which hee made Ieroboam his instrument which indeed turned to the corruption of all the ten tribes with most horrible idolatrie He pitties the paines of the people and it is too much for you to goe up to Ierusalem It is a more easie course and cutte to make two Calues and set vp one at Dan and an other at Bethel and worship there By this argument drawne from their ease hee wonne all the people of God from their allegeance and seruice of their true GOD to the worship of two Calues and yet all was but out of pollicie for hee feared if the people should goe to Ierusalem to worship that their hearts would bee turned to their LORD euen to Rehoboam Euen so the Diuell hauing taken captiue vnder his power such as are wilfullye departed from GOD hath no waye to keepe them vnder his girdle but by keeping them from sacrifizing at Ierusalem hee feareth if they should diligentlye frequent the holy assemblies and ioyne with other of the people of GOD in the word prayer and Sacraments that by this meanes they would returne to their naturall Lord. And therefore hee dayly suggesteth and perswadeth them to fauour them-selues it is too great paines to goe to Church you can pray at home read at home goe some time to Church to auoyde danger of lawe and reproche of men and it is enough And as hee then preuailed that the people went euen to Dan so at this day a number make Chappels of ease of their owne houses others can pray as well as their horses I had like to haue sayd but on their horse backes as in the Church whom for my part I can easily beleeue 3. They haue a seale of perdition vpon them whosoeuer forsake carelesly the assemblies of Gods people here in earth they shall certainely bee seperated from them when too late they shal wish they had been wiser then to haue accounted their wayes foolish Let vs not forsake our fellowship as the manner of some is saith the holy Apostle Why what danger is there now and then to keepe from Church I hope we may bee good Christians for all that The Apostle tells vs a reason because this is a with-drawing of our selues to perdition It is to walke in the high waye to destruction And indeede what other can such sworne enimies of Christ looke for when cold Christians are sent away with such colde comforte euen from the dooing of those duties which the other eyther neglect or contemne for if the Lord threatneth his people that although they might serue him in some outward seemely sorte yet if they did it not with cheerefulnesse and a good heart they should serue their enemies if such shall bee sent away with a cursse on their heads can such as will neither haue part nor fellowship in this businesse euer looke to bee heyres of blessing Let them repent therefore of these their wickednesse and praye GOD that if it bee possible the thought of their hearts may bee forgiuen them Lastly what paines takest thou here but for thine owne profit thinke not that thy godlinesse benefiteth GOD but thy owne selfe as thy Atheisme hurteth not him but thy owne soule Thou hereby bringest thy selfe where thou mayest beholde the face of thy GOD whereby thy paines is plentifully returned with recompence This face of God when it was yet vayled did so draw the hearts of ancient beleeuers that neither distance of place nor difficultie of way nor tediousnesse of weather nor weaknesse or wearinesse of body could with-holde them from the beholding of in the place where hee had put his name And is the sight of the face of the Lord so happilye vncouered in our Ministerie not worth the paines of looking vpon thy paines in this behalfe may entitle thee to all the priuiledges of Gods people before mentioned And if those were not inough for thee yet the God whom thou seekest if thou so seeke him as hee is found of thee hee is liberall and louing inough to make thy cup to runne ouer