profaned Psal 89. 38. 39. 40. 42. 43. his Crown by casting it to the ground Thou hast broken down all his hedges and brought his strong holds to ruin Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries Thou hast turned the Edg of his Sword Thou hast made his glorie to cease c. Therefore this prophesied Kingdom can not be meant of the old David or any of his posterity but only of Christ in whom only this Davidical Kingdom still resteth and shall last on earth as long as the Sun endureth Of this Kingdom of Christ as he is the Son of David are those prophecies to be understood Ps 72. He shall come down like rain upon Psal 72. 6. the mowen grass or fleece of wool This is said of the secret birth of Christ of a Virgin without noyse or clamor He shall have dominion unto 8. the ends of the earth So had not any other of Davids posterity All Kings shall fall before 11. him and all Nations shall serve him This is not verified of any King but only Christ Prayer 15. shall be made ever to him or for him by his institution and dayly shall he be praised his name shall endure for ever as long as the Sun and men shall be blessed in him all Nations shall call him blessed any man that is but of meane progress in Religion may easily apprehend that these speeches can fit none other but Christ even Balaam an Heathen and a Magician Num. 24. 2 when the Spirit of God came upon him prophecied of a Star to come out of Jacob and a Scepter 17. out of Israel The Star signifieth the Heavenly or Divine part of Christ which should condescend to take flesh from Jacob. The Scepter signifieth the Kingdom of this Heavenly Star or Son of God so incarnate or as he is the Son of Jacob or Israel and so it must signifie the Kingdom of Christ Neither is the Gospel silent concerning the universal Kingdom of Christ in this world The Angel said He shall reigne over the house of Jacob Lu. 1. 33. for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be Regi Deâ— Mcrituro Naz. Ambr. no end This was said of Jesus as he is the Son of Mary therefore of the Man Christ The Wise men of the East call him King and they offer Gold Frankincense and Myrrhe as to a King and to a God and to a Mortall as the Fathers generally agree The news of this Kingdom came to Rome in the days of Nero and is reported by a Suet. in Vospat c. 4. Ioseph de Bel. Iud. l. 7. Suetonius That by an old Prophecie it was foretold That about those times there should come out of Judaea some who should have dominion over the whole world This by flatterers was applied to Vespasian though he thought it to be meant of another and not of himself and therefore caused inquisition to be made among the Jews for the posterity of David to be put to death so did his Son Domitian and when two of them were brought before him of mean condition he asked them what estates they had they answered they had but b Iugera Euseb Hist l. 3. c. 20. Paul Oros l. 7. c. 7. 39 Acres of Land then he looked on their hands and perceived them to be hard and brawny with labour and so dismissed them as contemptible Herod beleeved the Prophecy of Christs Kingdom but mistook the manner of it and therefore slew the infants to prevent it What else can be the meaning of those sayings in St. Johns Gospel The word was made Ioh. 1. 14. flesh He came into the world and the world was made by him He came unto his own therefore 10. 11. Ioh. 3. 35. the world was his The Father hath given all things into his hand This is said of the Son now incarnate Thou hast given him power over all flesh This was said before his passion and that also Mat. 11. 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father This power was given to him as man for by his God-head all was his before there is also mention of a Kingly prerogative annexed to his manhood wheÌ„ it is said The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive Mat. 9. 6 sins and this is so high that in the Apocalyps he is called The Prince of the Kings of the earth Rec. 1. 5 so the greatest Potentates on earth are but his subjects Neither did his Kingdom cease whilest he was dead and buried there was no Interstitium no Inter regnum or Interval of his Dominion for neither was the union of the God-head and man hood in him dissolved by death indeed the body and soul were parted each from the other but yet so that they did convene in Vno Tertio for they were both held in the hands of the Father or God head as when one draweth a sword out of the scabbard and holdeth the sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other Christ said at the point of his death Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Lu. 23. 46. therefore neither could his soul be detained in Hell or wheresoever it was as it is said Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hâ—ll nor Act. 2. 24. 27. could the grave retain his body so as to hinder its reuniting with the soul as it is said It was impossible that he should be holden of death we find also both in his life time and in the very lowest degree of his humiliation and death all Creatures acknowledging his Soveraignity He commanded the winds of the air He walked on the Sea the Fishes brought him tribute the Earth did quake The Sun was darkned in Heaven Angels ministred unto him Divels were dispossessed by him Graves gave up their dead bodies and Paradise it self as it seems sent back the souls of sleeping Saints The Kingdom of Christ in this world is acknowledged both by Romanists and also by those Protestants that are of the Presbyterian persuasion although I conceive they both err in the circumstance and manner thereof for the Romanists place the Throne of Christ in their Roman Consistâ—rie and in the Infallible Chayr but that Throne will not agree with the words of the Psalmist because all Kings and Nations have not fain before it and many who heretofore acknowledged it have since utterly rejected it so that the Roman Catholick or universal Throne hath not increased of late nor the universality thereof doth-last as long as the Sun or days of Heaven Neither will the Presbyterian Vestry be suteable with the Universal Throne of Christ although some have said that the Presbytery is his Throne and that it is to be set up by the sword but so is not the Sion of Christ the Prophet reproves the Jews for building up Sion in blood it may be reasonably suspected that all the former Mich. 3. 10. and present indeavours and
plura quam scio and Non me pudet ut fatear nescire quae nescio i. e. Those things which we understand not in holy Scripture are far more then what we do understand Neither are we ashamed to acknowledg our ignorance Neither should any Christian be abashed to acknowledg his ignorance in these profound Mysteries lest by falsly boasting of knowledge they may truly discern blindness as some who because they would not be thought to be pur-blind pretend to see what they do not S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 14. 38. If any be ignorant let him be ignorant This he said not to discourage ignorant people from acquiring knowledge but to restrain the ignorant from boasting of more knowledg then they have So Beza very pertinently expoundeth those words Ignarus suam ignorantiam Bâ—za in loc agnoscat nos imperiti locum peritorum occupent i. e. That ignorant and unlearned men should hold and esteem themselves to be so and not usurp the places and Offices of the skilful This is good Counsel for some in these times I wish our gifted-Donatist-Sermon-makers would consider it Now what particular Doctrines the Christian Doctors confessed to be too hard for them and incomprehensible by their learning is next to be shewed CHAP. 3. More concerning our ignorance in Points Theological Of Predestination and of the Trinity The presumption of some men in their over-much boldness in handling those Mysteries SAint Peter tells us that in S. Pauls Epistles some things are hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3. 16. Rom. 11. 16. and so S. Paul himself acknowledged when he cryed O the aepths of the riches and wisedom of God that his judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out it is evident also that the Apostles themselves were both ignorant and unbeleeving for a long time concerning the Mystery of the Death and of the Resurrection and of the Kingdom of Christ until the Holy Ghost descended on them at the Feast of Pentecost No marvel then if the greatest Theologs in the world are yet to seek in many matters of our Religion Who knows in what state place or condition souls departed are although some confidently talk of Lymbus and Purgatory who can tell when Christ will return from Heaven unto earth except our new Millenarians will teach us What man living understandeth the Apocalyps Bodinus tells that when Calvin was asked his opinion of it he answered that he knew not what so obscure a Writer meant for though Bod. Method c. 7. it be called a Revelation as having been made known to the holy Writer thereof yet by others it is accounted Obvelatio a veiling of Mysteries Some are confident that there shall be a general conversion of the Jews and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some indeavours are now in hand in order to it because the Apostle saith All Israel shall Rom. 11. 26. be saved yet how many Millions of Jews have departed this life in their infidelity since St. Paul wrot As for the meaning of those words learned Origen thus writeth a Orig. in Ro. lib. 8. cap. 1â— Quis ille Israel sit Deus solus novit unigenitus ejus si qui amici ejus sunt ad quos dicat i. e. None knoweth but God and those to whom he telleth it Concerning the grievous passions of Martyrs and the Pressures of other holy men Salvinus saith b Salv. de â—ub lib. 1. Quare Deus talia patiatur non est humane imb cilitatis cognoscâ—re i. e. Why God permiteth such oppression man cannot finde out How have those words of Christ Joh. 6. and Mat. 26. Except ye eat the flesh of Son of the man c. And Take eat this is my body how have they exercised and posed the Christian world both of reformed and unreformed Catholicks and so have even the words and form of Consecration of the Eucharistical Elements Finally how hath the Doctrine of the Sabbath in the fourth Commandment tortur'd both our own and other Theologues which Epiphanius and Austia expounded so as to be understood of Christ and verily except Christians do so apprehend it we cannot render a sufficient reason of our rejecting the Jewish Sabbath but if therein we understand Christ to be the Sabbath Then we may boldly say with Austin c Aug. cont Adimant c. 3. Sabbatum non est repudiatum a Christianis sed intellectum i. e. That Christians do not reject the Sabbath but do more truly understand it then the Jews do or did which I wonder that our Reforming Teachers do not hint now especially when we are become so strict Sabbatizers on the eighth day Touching the difficulties in the Doctrine of the holy Trinity and of Predestination and other Misteries Let us see what the ancient and most learned Divines thought Austin saith d Aug. confes l. 13. De Tem. Ser. 189. Soliloq c. 31. De verb. Apost Ser. 20. Trinitatem quis non loquitur quis intelligit Angeli in caelo Trinitatem scire non possunt diunt Quis est Rex gloriae And Trinitas tua tibi soli integre nota est quis cognovit te nisi tu te and so he concludeth Tu ratiotinare ego mirer tu disputa Ego credam i. e. Many talk of the Trinity but who understands it The Angels in Heaven do not comprehend it for they said Who is the King of glory The Trinity is known only to God for who hath known him but himself therefore Psal 24. 8 whilst others argue and dispute I will only admire and beleeve Thus he As concerning the Mystery of Gods Predestination and Election Origen inquiring why Jacob was loved and Esau hated before they Ro. 9. 13. were born thus answereth e Orig. in Gen. Homil. 12. Supra linguam nostram est dicere supra auditum vestrum i. e. That it was above his Eloquence to declare and his Auditors knowledg to understand Thus this Learned man acknowledged his insufficiency in these high Mysteries although at another time he tells us f Rapit nos desiderium ad ea quae magis obscura sunt disserenda Orig. in Num. ho. 13. That he had a more earnest desire to study and handle the greater difficulties in Scripture then the easier parts So we finde in Austin and Prosper many such passages whereby they acknowledg their nescience in such high matters As 1. Why an Infant at the very birth of it was found to be possessed with a Devil 2. Why one obtaineth the grace of Christianity and Baptism and another not 3. Why God punisheth one and forbeareth another when both are in the same fault 4. Why God granteth not the grace of Perseverance to some unto whom he hath given the grace of Christian Charity 5. Why he suffereth the children of some holy men to depart out of this life without Baptism or any knowledg of Christianity and yet so disposeth that the children of his very enemies and
any form of prayers used by the Christian Church that ever it was said Domine Jesus ora pro me Lord Jesus pray for me was never said nor never will be in any Church Catholick therefore the Apostle when he mentioneth Christs praying writeth circumspectly as it were on purpose to prevent this error saying Heb. 5. 7. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers thereby limiting the time of Christs praying to be before his death Indeed we find often mention of his prayers on earth by all the four Evangelists but not one of them Mat. 14. 23. Mar. 6 46. Luc 22. 32. Ioh. 14. 16. speaketh of any prayer of Christ after his resurrection nor any Apostle mentioneth his praying after his Ascension The Socinians would have us beleeve that Christ Sacrificeth or prayeth in Heaven because themselves do not beleeve that Christ is the Supream God for one of their arguments against his God-head is this That the Supream God doth not pray Therefore because Christ prayed they say he is not God This was an old cavil of the Arians and was often answered by the Fathers as I have partly shewed before One saith b Iustin Mart. n 32. Quaest ad Orth Christus crebrius orabat ut inde homo esse appareret because as another saith c Theod. in Ro. 8. 34. ut Deus non perit sed suppeditat So Chrysostom answered d Chrys Hom. 32. Antioch Christus orabat ut homo nam Deus non orat and Austin often e Aug. in Ps 20. Ps 34. Ps 87. Secundum quod verbumest non orat sed exaudit humanitas interpellat Divinitatem and again Habes Majestatem ad quam ores humanitatem quae oret prote orat verbum caro factum and in another place Christus oravit non secundum formam Dei sed secundum forman servi i. e. Christ prayed only as he was man as he was made flesh as he was in the form of a servant his God-head did not pray But is prayed unto c. If it be demanded why Christ doth not pray in Heaven as he did on earth before his death We answer 1. He prayed before his death because till then he had not paid our ransom by his precious blood and death 2. Because he had fully satisfied the Justice of the God-head before his Ascension even to the utmost farthing therefore after this satisfaction there could be no need or use of further praying 3. When he ascended he took possession of Heaven not only for himself or for his own proper humane nature but also for and in the behalf of his whole mystical corporation and every member thereof therefore now no need of praying for that for neither do we petition for things that are already granted and by us obtained and possessed Our Saviour after his meritorious life and perfect obedience Active and after his satisfactory death and thereby his perfect obedience passive whereby the Covenant and Law was fully performed and executed had no cause at all in his own or our behalf to petition but might and did justly challeng Heaven as due to himself and in him to his whole body and every member thereof But then if Christ do not pray for us it would be inquired what the meaning is of those Scriptural words which signifie his acts and demeanour in Heaven and seem to imply his praying as when he is called a Priest Heb. 7. 17. should not a Priest pray So he is called our Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. and our Mediator Rom. 8. 3 4. 1 Tim. 2. 5. And he is also said to make intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. To this we answer First For his Priesthood in Heaven that it is a Priesthood only according to the order of Melchisedech Heb. 6. 20. Therefore it must correspond to that Priesthood only and no other now we find not any act of Priesthood performed by Melchisedech but only Blessing of Abraham Gen. 14. 19 for there is no mention of his praying or sacrificing Therefore the only Priestly act of Christ in Heaven is blessing the children of Abraham And this he doth not verbally or affectionately only but really and effectually by pouring down manifold blessings favours and graces and wonderfully protecting and supporting his Abrahamites or Church here on earth in all assaults and persecutions Secondly For his intercession The Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7. 25. which doth not signify any supplicating intreating or oral pleading for us but only that in Heaven he is for us or standeth and is present or appeareth for us as is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 24. i. e. To appear in the presence of God for us that is to be ready and at hand to succour us yet not by way of supplication for his intercession is real not oral he claimeth Heaven as due to himself and in him to all the memmers of his body mystical and this by vertue of his obedience active and passive He there presenteth the first fruits that is his own holy body and soul which he took from man as free from all matter of reprehension immaculate and innocent because he was incarnate he performed the Law and suffered death for us he overcame Death and Hell and ascended and sitteth at the right-hand of the God-head so that he is not now a petitioner for but a possessor of all glory and power and hath earned Heaven both for himself and us It is said of him Heb. 12. 24. That his blood speaketh better things then that of Abel blood doth not speak literally or orally but as Abels murther did really require vengeance on Cain so the blood of Christ doth really require acquitment of us by his full satisfaction to Divine Justice and this standing or appearing is that by which he is said to offer himself in Heaven Heb. 9. 25. Thirdly When he is called an Advocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2. 1. and a Mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2. 5. This Mediation and Advocateship of Christ in Heaven doth not consist in verbal mediating and pleading for us as Advocates in Courts do for the Holy Ghost is also called Paracletus Joh. 14. 26. yet no man will say that he pleadeth for us verbally or by intreating Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4. 6 and praying no more doth Christ because Divine Justice is not satisfied by praying for if prayers or verbal pleadings could serve our turn then Christ's prayers on earth had beē sufficient to have procured our Salvation and so might have freed him from his bitter Passion and Death Indeed before his Passion he mediated for us Precario by the intercession of prayer but now after the Consummatum est that he hath performed all that the God-head required to be done and thereby hath brought salvation for us and fully paid for it his Mediation
in his own body 1 Pet. 2. 24. And St. Paul often That therefore God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8. 3. That he Rom. 8. 3. hath abolished in his flesh the emnity Eph. 2. 15. That he hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1. 21. 22. That we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 10. This Scape-goat was to be sent into the wilderness the Gentiles by a fit man Levit. 16. 21. That is Christ was to be delivered and made known to the Gentiles by such men as are fitly qualified and inabled with endowments to teach the Gentiles in the mysteries of Christ Our Lord himself gave Apostles Prophets Eph. 4. 11. 1 Tim. 2. 7. Evangelists Doctors St. Paul stileth himself a Doctor or Teacher of the Gentiles these were Fit men indeed Verily they are too blame that send unfit men and blind guides to carry Christ to the people Bishop Goodman lately affirmed in his book that of his own knowledg some in these times have been sent to preach Christ who though not bodily blind could never write nor read It is reported of the learned French Divine Pet du Moulin that he hartily wished that the French King would grant him a general licence to preach though it were with a condition of preaching in a Fools Coate this condition is now performed for many in these times preach in a fools coate if their coats be their own Fourthly The High Priest was to carry the blood of the sacrifice into the most Holy place and to sprinkle it on the mercy seat seven times Levit. 16. 14. This is the principal ceremony of all and teacheth us the full intent and purpose of all the Jewish Sacrifices and how only they could be useful and beneficial to the Jews and to us also and how the true and substantial Atonement or reconciliation of God with man was to be made For The Mercy Seat signified and represented the Body of Christ the Messiah it was therefore called the Mercy Seat because in Christ only the God-head doth acquiess and rest fully pleased and satisfied and in him only expresseth the grand mercy of remitting our sins It was called the Propitiatory because by Christ only the God-head is reconciled and made propitious to man t' was also called the Oracle because as God spake to Moses from this Mercy Seat Numb 7. 89. So he intimated thereby that in after times he would speak to us by his Son as is said Heb. 1. 2. and by the same God-head we are commanded to hear him Mat. 17. 5. Upon this Mercy Seat was the blood of those Piacular Sacrifices to be sprinkled This signified that all the Jewish Sacrifices and blood of beasts were not of any value or force at all to acquit and redeem man but only as they related to Christ as shadows and representations of the blood of Christ that the blood of beasts did not at all propitiate of themselves until they were reduced and by Faith brought home to Christ so that those Jews which offered the blood of beasts without the faith of Messiah and looked no further then upon the beasts only nor did consider and beleeve that the Messiah was to pour out his own blood for them and that those Sacrifices were ordained for none other end but to acquaint them and dayly put them in mind of their redemption by the death of their Messiah and so to nourish continually their Faith and hope in him Their Sacrifices were vain For the Jewish Altar represented the Cross and the Sacrifices thereon signified Christ the word Altar was used for the highness of it ab altitudine God did therefore appoint them to Sacrifice on a plat raised higher then the common ground because it might adumbrate Christ lifted up on the Cross So that those Jews who in their sacrificing did not by faith consider this sacrificed no better then the Heathens did and upon this very reason God condemned their sacrifices and moreover professed that they were odious unto him for so he saith I have no delight in the blood of Bullocks Isa 1 11. 13. bring no more vain oblations He that killeth an Isa 66. 3. Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut of a Dogs neck or as if he offered Swines blood or as if he blessed an Idâ—l for although these Jewish sacrifices were appointed by God yet are they rejected by the same God because a Isychius in Levit. Judaei tantum literam considerabant The Jews did not sacrifice with the faith and consideration of Messiah to be the Grand Sacrifice They considered only the bare letter and outside in the precept of sacrificing without consideration of the Spirit and meaning thereof Therefore the Psalmist saith Sacrifices and Offerings thou would'st Ps 40 6. not that is God would not have them to be considered for any worth or efficacy in themselves as if they were the ultimate duty and perfect performance of that precept of sacrificing whereas indeed those sacrifices were of no worth at all except only as they related to Christ This St. Paul cleerly declareth It is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins It follows But a body hast Heb. 10. 4. 5. thou prepared for me that is The Son of God assumed his body or flesh from us that therein he might perform the grand sacrificing for sin Hence it is that the blood of the Jewish sacrifice was to be sprinkled on the Mercy seat that is on Christ for what else can be the Seat of the Mercy of the God-head but only Christ in whom only God is appeased satisfied and well pleased In a word No blood could satisfy the Justice of the God-head and reconcile God to man but only that blood which was sprinkled on this Mercy Seat viz. on the blessed body of the Son of Man The blood of the Sacrifice was to be sprinkled seven times on the Mercy Seat Lev. 16. 14. This signified that the blood of Christ made a perfect reconciliation and was sufficient to expiate for all times and ages from the beginning of the world to the end thereof because all times are included in this number of seven there are but seven dayes created All times are but those seven dayes reiterated As the Jewish Sacrifices were instituted only to be a representation of Christ's Sacrifice so our Christian Sacrifices of prayers are an aftermemorial thereof for we ask petition and pray for all things in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Jewish Liturgie was only Sacrifice The Christian Sacrifice is only prayers those are the calves of our lips The Jews were limited to a certainty and set form of Sacrifices they might not sacrifice any beast but only of the Neat Sheep and Goat nor any foul but only Doves None other beast though never so great or