fields and Vineyards to be spoyled and in wrath to commit them to their fury even so through sin we fall into a most cruell bondage far passing that of Aegypt or Babylon both for the misery it selfe as also for want of meanes of deliverance Now this Captivity is foure-fold The first Captivity is under Originall corruption whereby the Mind is captived in the chaines of ignorance errour and vanity The Will is manacied with perversenesse the Affections with contrariety violence insolency and importunity and by the daily fruit of this by actuall transgressions we bring our selves into a great bondage as the Israelites were by the Philistines who had not so much as a weapon among them The second Captivity is under Satan 2 Tim. 1. at the end Luke 11.21 Ephes 2.2 3. Wherein he deales no lesse cruelly with those whom Spiritually he possesses then he did with those whom he bodily possessed ☞ Depriving them of the use of their membâ—rs Tongues Eares Eyes making them to offer violence to themselves and to cast themselves into fire and water And this cruell bondage under these two might be shewed by many particulars as that they command most base and ignominious services they give no rest to their vassails day nor night The third is the dominion of actuall transgression and sinfull corruption and affections under which the wicked serve a most sore bondage One being a slave to Lust another to Pride another to his Belly a fourth to Honours ☞ another to Passion and Pride and thus have the greatest Monarches been slaves As Alexander and Heliogabulus The fourth bondage is of Mortality and the Grave called by St. Paul the bondage of Corruption Rom. 8. With all the attendants Sicknesse paines diseases death it selfe and to these might be added the bondage of the Law Object But it may be asked Whither since all are under this bondage shall they be delivered from the same Answ To which is answered That this Captivity is either felt and lamented Or it is not to the first only the benefit belongs not to the second Vse This serves to abate First all carnall Prerogatives for it doth levell the Scepter with the Matrock for all entring into the World by the same passage and springing out of the same root are alike and being borne of a Bond-man and bond-woman must needs be bound O that Princes Nobles Wise Rich and Beautifull would consider this Ier. 9.24 For what would it availe to be all these and yet to be in vassalage to some conquering Power The knowledge of this Note made Theodosius rejoyce and praise God more for making him a Christian then an Emperour knowing that Religion brought that to him and took that from him which all the Scepters in the World could not To what purpose is it for men to talke of their Nobility when lost by attainter and for a Prince taken Captive to brag what he was is but vanity and vexation and this is right our condition Vse Second let us labour all to apprehend this misery by a serious meditation of it that wee may know our Naturall misery that we are not free-men but bond slaves This is most necessary to prepare in us a desire to be freed and to be stirred up to seek and use the meanes of it And till this be wrought in some measure wee neither shall seeke remedy nor have any right to any thing Christ hath done But how great is the blindnesse of men any outward misery affects us but no inward or Spirituall Simile If thou sawest one enjoyned a taske to digge in the hardest Mine fed with water and bread and after many miserable dayes and veeres so spent should for his hire be thrown from some steepe Rocke Wouldst thou not judge his care most miserable yet there is none of us but by nature our estate is more wretched while after many weary yeeres spent in the slavery of sin and Satan we should receive for our pay death and damnation yet who considereth this Labour then for pardon of sin and release of bondage for till such time thou canst live no more in Peace then a condemned man in Prison dayly expecting his Execution If such a one should build purchase and keepe a stirre in the World all would pitty his folly and madnesse and yet wee deale more madly for our Soules and Saluation Vse Third this serves for comfort to all that feele their bondage and sigh under it thou canst no sooner be weary of thy condition but thou shalt find a Ransommer Math. 11.28 Rom. 7. Wretched man who shall deliver thee Thanks be to God for these sakes Christ came Esa 61.3.4 5. And thus much of the misery described by the first particular the remedy followes Deliverance sutable to the Misery Here is two points First of the kind or manner of our Deliverance Second of the Measure of it For the first we must know that there are foure kinds of wayes for delivering Captives First by Exchange Second by free Manumission Third by force and violence Fourth by price and Ransome The first of these hath no place in our Deliverance for whom or for what should the exchange bee But for the other three means though they are differing yet do all sweetly agree and concurre in our deliverance For if we look into the Originall and fountain of our deliverance It streames from the most free and everlasting love of God yea from the bowels of compassion in our God pittying us in our misery Luke 2.75 76 77 78. Againe if we consider Satan who did cruelly detain us in bondage we are delivered by force Colos 1.16 17. And Luke 11.27 Christ buckled with Satan and spoyled his holds and triumphed over him Colos 2.14 15 16. and 30. If we respect the justice of God which was offended and so had justly given us over to thraldome We are delivered by the all-sufficient ransome and satisfaction which Christ made and paid whereby Gods wrath is appeased the Law fulfilled and through the efficacy of the said death and resurrection in the hearts of Gods children by the Spirit of God the power and dominion of sin is abolished his strength abated and man endewed with the strength of God to encounter against sin And thus much of the kind and manner of Deliverances Now followes the Measure which is not fully as yea in regard of actuall enjoying the same Not that there is any defect in our Deliverer nor that any dammage shall ensue to us thereby but this is so disposed of as may turne to Gods greater glory and our further good When Davids Embassadours were disfigured with their shorne beards and curtayled cloathes they were not meet presently to come into his Presence but were enjoyned to stay for a time Even so being deformed and mangled with Sin Simile and ugly Lazars we are unfit to come into that glorious presence till we be wholly stripped of the Old man and clad with the New which will not
Third the godly their sayings and doings For the first the word of God is a Scandall in either part of it whither the Law or the Gospell The Law is to many a Scandall either through ignorance or wilfulnesse Thus the Iewes were Scandalized through a carnall zeal they bare to the Lord thus Rom. 7. The Law is a Scandall to out corruption which while the Law restraines it rages more and takes occasion to work Concupiscence and death Thus also the impossibility of the Law is a great Scandall to ignorant men they not conceiving how it should be just with God to command things impossible to corrupt nature But chiefly the Gospell and Christ are great Scandals in the world in so much that Christ pronounced them blessed that were not scandalized at him Math. 11. And wee have divers particular examples in this case John 6.61 and 66. Math. 15.12 Some are Scandalized at the person of Christ because outwardly it was contemptible some at his familiar conversing with sinners some at his ordinary kind of dyet some for speaking against traditions some for derogating from Moses and the Law some at his sufferings and death some at the Doctrine of justification of spirituall eating his flesh and at the secret and free worke of Gods drawing men to him Ioh. 6. Some are offended at the diversions that arises through the Gospell called for this end Fire Some are offended at the crosse that followes Christian Profession Againe many are offended at the condition and quality of the Church as well in regard of the Preachers thereof that they were simple unlearned Fishermen not learned Rabbins and now the Preachers thereof mean men and no great wise men for the world Some are offended at the Believers that they are few not many and those of the meanest sort Not many wiâ—e noble c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27. Some are offended at the Worship and service of God These with more which might be added doe shew how true this is but without any default on the truth sake for so deere and precious ought the word of truth and every part thereof be to us that though the whole World should be offended yet it may not be concealed and made marchandise of Indeed the manner of handling of some parts of it as of Predestination may minister offence justly but that is not in the Doctrine but in the indiscretion of men handling it amisse Secondly as the word and worship of God is a great Scandall so are the works of God For man not being able to conceive the reason of them for God doth not give a reason as Job speakes yet man thinking to measure them by the line of his crooked judgement is offended at the varying from the same Thus David was offended at the worke of God in smiting Vzzah and was grievously troubled at the worke of God in the prosperity of the wicked and affliâ—tion of the Godly Psal 37. and 73. So was Ieremy and Habbacuck So are many calling into question the Providence of God by this meanes Some are offended to see the wicked as live in pleasure so die in Peace without disturbance when as yet the godly besides the evill in their lives time have much bitternesse of soule and body in their death Of all these the Prophet Hosea speakes excellently Hosea 14. and the last verse The wayes of the Lord are Righteous the Righteous shall walke in them but the wicked shall stumble at them Thirdly Gods children in their practices are an eye-sore and offence to the ungodly what ever they doe or say they are not pleased Neither Iohns Austerity nor Christs Lenity did please the Iewes and this in some is through ignorance while good is taken for evill and evill for good Others of malice while good is disgraced with reproachfull names and evill is varnished with goodly pretences and amiable names yet what hath the Righteous done but that the poore sheepe if she drinke must be counted a disturber of the water Thus Ahab was offended with Elias Ahaziah and Iehoram with Elizeus Ahab with Michaiah Daniel offensive to Darius Courtiers but God forbid that the Righteous should forsake his Integrity for all these things And thus we haue seene the divers kinds of Scandall against others either God or men The Scripture also shewes how men are Scandals to themselves because by corrupt words affections and lusts they doe make themselves at least to saker and be slothfull in the way of Salvation insâ—aring themselves in sins As Math. 5.29.30 and 9. verse The knowledge of these things are necessary for the informing of our minds and reforming of our judgements and for direction in the whole course of life that knowing them wee may avoid them But the further use of it will appeare in that that followes Having spoken sufficiently of the first point let us come to the second The second point is the Misery for least Christ might be thought to speake of a light or unnecessary matter he doth forewarne that it is most weighty as being not the least cause of the miseries and judgements of God on the world And this is set down in the word Woe woe which comprehends all evils Ezech. 2.20 It is a word of one sorrowing which in great griefe and lamentation is usually taken up of mourners whither for themselves or for others And Christ doth here partly expresse the heavinesse of it by that is added It were better a Mill stone were hang'd about ones neck and he cast into the Sea So that here it is used figuratively being a Metonymya of the effect for the cause For a great and lamentable evill which is to come on the world through Scandals For it must needs be a most fearfull calamity wherby not one or two but the whole world should be driven to an effeminate kind of mourning because the judgements on the same are universall and grievous Object But some may say where is this evill and sorrow Answ To this answer is made That Christ heere speakes not of the mourning which would be but of that which should bee He speakes of the certainty of the evill and how men sbould be affected in and with the same Object But the World sees it not and therefore laments it not Answ The wicked are carelesse and secure and so the outward man and the flesh have the appetite they have no Spirituall eye to discerne when the eâ—tate of the World is truely miserable But the faithfull whose eyes God hath opened to see these evils they sigh and testifie their sorrow by sighing as the Prophets while they cry'd out the judgements of God to the secure people themselves mourned and fasted Crying my leannesse my leannesse I am pained at the heart Esay 24.16 Habacuk 3.2 and 16. verses Ier. 4.19 20. Ier. 9.112 Esa 22.4 Luke 1â— 21 Christ wept for Jerusalem when it laughed fasted while it feasted he foresaw the evils to come when as they would take no notice of
6. Esay 54.9 10. If the World shall not be drowned againe because God hath said it no more shall an afflicted Soule be cast away Yea Ier. 31. at the end Ier. 33. If Gods Covenant with Day and Night and with Sunne Moone and Starres can be broken then may the truth of Gods promises faile Nay they shall not though Heaven and Earth passe 2 Salve is Christ Iesus bloud The second Soveraigne Salve that Christ cures withall is the plaister of his own heart bloud He doth not only help by promising but he performes it it-selfe He doth not only give the Receits but he makes it and affords the Ingredients which grow alone in his garden Hereby Christ takes away the guiltinesse of sin and eases the Conscience and heart of that burden that did crush it Esa 53.3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. at the end Iohn 1. The Lamb of God Heb. 9. How much more shall the bloud of Christ c. Yea whereas there are three great wounds and running sores in Man First guiltinesse of Adams sin Second Corruption of Nature Third actuall disobedience Christ the heavenly Physitian doth cure all those ☞ The first by his Death The second by the holinesse of his Nature imputed The third by his obedience to the Law 3 Is the working of the spirit The third Plaister Christ afford and provides is the effectuall worke of his Spirit which is as a defensive and disperser and consumer of all the Corrupt humours that they grow not to a head These takes away the dominion of Sin and eats out the Core of Corruption drying up the filthy streames of sin and opening a new spring for Holinesse and Sanctification This Plaister is taught Rom. 6.2 3 4. Phil. 3.10 Heb. 9.14 4 The Intercession of Christ The fourth and last effectuall Remedy is the Intercession of Christ for whereas there are two things which are ready to cause the sore to breake out againe being healed To wit our daily sins and our failings and coldnesse in our best actions The Intercession of Christ doth help both these For he doth thereby daily remember his death to God his Father that it may be effectuall for 〈◊〉 our siâ—s past and to come and he doth forthwith as the great high Priest take his Censer and step into the gap when at any time we have made a breach And for our Prayers he doth perfume them with his sweet Incense Revel 8.4 5. Vse To reach us whither to run in all our miseries not to the deceitfull confections of the Romish Church which are like the Plaister and Salves of many dishonest Surgeons They do but venome and cause the sore to rankle But let 〈…〉 to Christ who is able and willing hâ—â—ever excluded any comming to him for bodily 〈…〉 in the â—â—guish of sâ—â—â—â— he hath said He would not breake the broken Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. O then let us beseech him with David to heale us and he will restore us Psal 38. How ready is he to imbrace heale the widest gaping wounds as of Manasseh the sinfull Woman the prodigall Child yea many of the murtherers of himselfe whereby they murthered themselves in Soule hee healed Secondly Let it teach us thankefulnesse How is the bodily Physitian honoured and rewarded Much more the healer of thy Soule Psal 103. Luke 17. Remember the Leaper that was clensed he requires no other gift He shewed great love to thee and all Man-kind that he stayed not for sending but he came to visit us Which is strange in the World to see the Physitian seek to the Patient and not the Patient rather to the Physitian O then should we not love our Physitian should wee not follow his direction which is being healed Goe thy way and Sin no more And seeing Christ hath made his Minister the Apothecary to temper and administer these Heavenly Physicks how should wee seeke to their Shops the places of Gods worship how should all that are diseased come and lye down at this Poole of Bethesda wayting till the Lord effect our cure there God opens his Schoole of Physicke and Surgery Examine what comes from thee what thy Pulse is Observe thy heart if any Lust of uncleannesse Ambition or Covetousnesse like a Plurisie vex thee here mayst thou have a veyne opened If any Fever of malice vex thee it may be abated If any swelling of Pride and Vain-glory it may be taken away Doth any Vitall part wast in thee or any Spirituall Consumption ceaze on thee as if any defect in thy Liver that the Word turne not to good nourishment or if thy Lungs be naught that thou growest cold and feeble in Prayer here mayst thou have remedy Doth the Palsie Lethargie Apoplexie or such stupifying diseases creepe on thee heere mayst thou have those grosse and tough humors expelled Doth loathsome Leprosie begin to rise up in botches here it may be cured O then seeing there is such Soveraigne confections why is not the sore of my daughter healed Let it not be said of Israel as it was of Babell We would have cured her and she would not be cured Least the Physick of the Word not prevailing God send his scaring Iron and make Incisions Yea excisions which God for bid Vse Lastly Ministers and Spirituall Physitians are admonished how and whom they heale to wit the Broken and not the whole Ezec. 34.16 Wee must take heed how we draw a dead skin over the wound before it be thoroughly searched For as we may not wound and gall the wounded with sharpe wine of threats and rebukes so neither may we power in Oyle into festered sores and daâ—be with untempered Morter ☞ wee must take heed we sley not the Soules which we should revive and quicken those we should kill Ezech. 13.18.19 20 21 22. For so to doe brings death and was a cause of destruction to the old people of God Lament 2.13 14. O the misery of a Land through foolish and flattering Physitians And thus much of the second Metaphor declaring our misery with the remedy correspondent Vers 28. Recovering of sight to the Blind This is the third comparison or Metaphor expressing our misery by a word fetched from the defect of bodily sight and applyed to the Mind This shall not need much to be insisted in because partly it hath been handled before as a branch of our Spirituall Captivity Yet because the Scripture is most frequent in the use of this as much delighting in it it shall be profitable a little to view the Spirituall blindnesse by that of the body the understanding is the eye of the Soule and the informer and director to the Will affections and so to all our actions now therefore for it to be bâ—ind who sees not the great inconveniences thereof For if the eye be darknesse how great is that darknesse and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch now the Scripture doth exceedingly beat of the minds
are not his brethren with us Mark 6. But if we shall consider That Christ is King or Priest to none to whom he is not a Prophet and he is not a Prophet to those that contemn his Ordinance of Preaching then men shall he made to give due respect to the same Vse Third as touching the Ministers they ought not to be daunted if they see the proue contemn their Ministery for let them remember that they as Christ were sent to the poore so that if one or two poore embrace our Doctrine we have wherein to rejoyce Ezech. 2.5 Doct. Out of these words may be raised another profitable observation to wit What was the matter of Christs Doctrine to wit the Gospell and not the Law For this cause came he out of the bosome of his Father Iohn 1. The Law was given by Mâ—ses c. So that this doth â—ichly commend the Office and benefit of Christ for the Gospell farre surmounts the Law Object But it may be said Did not Christ teach the Law Math. 5. and other places as to the young-man Luke 29. Answ To this answer is made Hee did it â—â—t as his chiefe Office but as a preparing of men thereby to the Gospell for as the proper office of a Carpenter is â—o build not to pull downe Simile and of a Physitian to heale not to make sicke yet they are forced oft to doe both Even so was CHRIST Simile He saw that the Law was so taught as that men were made to trust in it to looke for Salvation by it as being possible to bee kept and so to exclude all helpe and necessity of any other Saviour So that most needfull it was that Christ should shew that the Law rightly understood was impossible to bee kept that so they might seeke Salvation else-where This being remembred to returne to the Point to wit The excellency of the Gospell it will soone appeare by the riches and benefits it brings with it As first Pardon of Sins Secondly gift of Righteousnesse Thirdly adopâ—ion of Sons Fourthly acceptance into the favour of God yea unto life everlasting Fiftly gift of the Spirit Faith Hope Patience Love Holinesse c. Sixtly freedome from the Curse of the Law Hell Death and dominion of Sin Seventhly Communion with the blessed Trinity 1 Joh. 1. at the beginning Eightly accesse unto the throne of Grace Ninthly Peace of Conscience Perseverance Sanctification of all afflictions with all other riches of Christ all which are wrought by the Gospell which how great they are may be seene by the contrary or the want of them as to bee under the guiâ—t of Sin wrath of God Children of Satan Curse and Death bondage sting and wo me of Conscience debarred Gods presence and reserved for the fearefull sociâ—ty of Satan And as the excellency of the Gospell doth partly appeare hereby so will it further by considering how it differs from the Law For the Law first is Naturall second the Gospell is Supernaturall both for matter and the manner of Revealing Ioh. 1.18 Colos 2.16 1 Cor. 2.7 Had not he wiâ—dome of God found out this meanes of Salvation and published the same all the wits of Men and Angels had not been able to have devised such a way whereby Gods justice might bee fully satisfied and yet infinite Mercy extended to miserable Man Secondly The Law and Gospell differ in the way that leads to Righteousnesse and Salvation For the Law sayes by Doing The Gospell ☞ by Beleeving The Law teaches it must be done by our Selves The Gospell admits and sets forth Another Philip. 3. Gal. 3. Rom. 10.5 6 7. Thirdly they differ in the manner and nature of the Promises annexed to either For the Legall requires the condition of our Righteousnesse and that every way perfit But the Evangelicall requires not our own but accepts anothers nor exacts Perfection in us but only Syncerity Rom. 4. By debt and freely distinguishing the Law and the Gospell Fourthly They differ in their effects for the Law causes wrath Increases sin gives not strength to doe the things Commanded But the Gospell brings Peace Righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 the Ministery of the Spirit This is largely and excellently taught 2 Corinth 3. Vse The knowledge of these things are most necessary First they shew the excellency of the Ministery of the new Testament 2 Cor. 4.1 2 3. So that the Ministers thereof need not to be ashamed Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God to Salvation Ephes 3.7.8 9. And hereby the meanest Preacher of the Gospell is become greater then Iohn Baptist namely in regard of his Office Because they are publishers of these glad-tydings accomplished by Christ Vse Second this shewes the happy condition of the faithfull now Math 13. Luke 10. Blessed are the eyes that see those things which you see c. Heb. 12.17 18 19. Vse Third it admonishes all Christians of their duty and that they take heed they neglect not the same Heb. 2.1 2 3. If they escaped not that transgressed the Law much lesse shall they that offend against the Gospell For Christ is the Prophet whom who so will not heare must be destroyed Acts 3. at the end God suffered evill entreaty of his Servants but after he had sent his Son and they had despised him presently he tooke away the Vineyard Woes were denounced against Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum wherein is shewed that their state should be worse at the day of Iudgement then Sodome and Gomorrha Vse Fourth this teaches the simple to distinguish the Law and the Gospell the knowledge whereof is the key of the whole Scripture as whereby all the wiles of the Papists may be discovered and avoided They commonly teach that the Gospell is the new Law and a more perfit Law whence they inferred their Doctrines of Counsell and works of Supererogations But alas if the Gospell were a more perfit Law it were wofull tydings to all mankind Hereby also may appeare that the Law and Gospell cannot be joyned in the point of Iustification for as these two are quite contrary To to do a thing by our selves and to do it by another to have a thing by desert and to have it of free gift and such are the Law and Gospell in the justification of a sinner To Preach deliverance to the Captives That which before was set down in generall only both in regard of the Benefit as also of the Misery of man this same after the usuall manner of Scripture is described more particularly and as opposites set together doe make each other more conspicuous so is it here a Misery and a mercy a defect and a supply And as the disease is before the remedy so it must first be handled and it is expressed in the word Captives wherein as before the outward and bodily Captivity is used to expresse and declare our inward miserable Captivity and bondage Captives As God sold his people into their Enemies hands suffered their houses to be pulled down the
be but by death So that Gods wrath is already removed the guilt and condemnation of sin is taken away with the dominion Only the reliques remaines and bodily death but so as they shall no whit hinder our full deliverance So that true it is we must Dye Simile that the truth of Gods threats may take place which once denounced could not bee revoked but as Assuerosh though hee could not revoke the sentence of Death sent against the Iewes yet hee sent forth another Edict whereby he armed the Iewes against their Enemies Simile Even so God at the suit of Christ made another decree whereby wee might be armed against our enemy Death so that though we dye yet hee prevailes not against us by reason of the great change that is made in Death For whereas his Power was extended to whole-man Soule and Body hee is altogether restrained of the one and whereas his Power was perpetuall it is now limitted to a very short time Yea whereas Death and Sin were the greatest friends they are set at greatest oddes For as Death came in by Sin so Death is made the destroyer of Sin Simile like as the Worme that breeds in the Tree kills the tree Before Death was the Divels Serjeant to arrest us and to carry as without bayle to perpetuall Prison but now it is made the Lords gentleman Usher to conduct us to Heaven Before it was said Thou shalt Dye and not Live now it is sayd Dye that thou maist no more dye but Live eternally Vse Let us apply this for our Instruction First wee are taught hereby to walke worthy this Deliverance Luke 1.74 Upon this ground are made all Exhortations in the Scripture Rom. 12.1 2. 1 Pet. 1.17 18. It had been better otherwise never to have beene delivered 2 Pet. 2. at the end Math. 12. When the Divell is cast out of a man hee seekes rest c. And if a Bond-man be escaped and catcht againe more bonds are laid on him the eye of his Keeper more observes Hee that once escapes Fire and Water and will cast himselfe into them is well worthy to perish Simile Hee that is once set at liberty out of Prison and will run into ryot againe till hee be cast in the second time hee may lye till he rot Shall Christ breake our bonds and wee make new ones Shall hee kill Sin and take away the sting of it and shall we put life and sting againe into it When the Israelites were delivered from Babell how did they Watch build with one hand and prepare to fight with the other to defend their Liberty and as Ezâ—â— reasoned Chap. 9.9 That when as wee were bond-men thou O God forsooke us not in our bondage and seeing thou hast stayed us from being beneath for our Iniquities and hast given us such a Deliverance shall wee returne to breake thy Commandements wouldst not thou be angry till thou hadst consumed us so that there should bee no more escaping Even thus ought we and must we reason with our selves Nay what can we say if wee resist not Sin Have we not a Promise wee shall vanquish When we were weake unskilfull in battell nay wilfull not listing to fight and our Enemies were strong resolute and well appointed no marvell if wee turned our backe But now that the advantage is to us and disadvantage to our Adversaries what can wee say if we faint who will pitty that man that suffers himselfe easily to be spoyled of his goods by Robbers having on himselfe good armour and well weaponed and being stronger then the Thiefe Let us then stand fast and not betray our Liberty but oft meditate of the bitternesse of our former bondage one that being long in Prison and there fed of scraps if being delivered he passe by and sees other at his old dyet hee partly trembles partly his stomack rises at it and so should it be with us Secondly This doth admonish us of Thankefulnesse No benefit to this Exod. 12. The night of their Deliverance out of Egypt was solemnly to be kept Yet this was nothing and therefore to be forgotten in comparison of the Deliverance from Babell Ierem. 16.14 Now this of ours farre exceeds both the other as being but temporary and bodily Deliverances from Miseries ceazing on the body which Death would have ended And yet for this how doth the Psalmist stirre up the people Psal 107. To thankefulnesse verses 1 2 8 13 16 21 31. Nay it is to bee observed that the Scripture speaking of Deliverance from the bondage and guilt of Sin calls all Creatures to rejoyce with Man for this his happinesse and the fruit of it Esa 44.22.24 Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it c. Esa 49.13 And sure great cause have wee Psal 116.8 Therefore he inferres in the first and 2d. verses That he will love the Lord dearely and that he will walke before God in the Land of the living And in other places meditating of it He breaks forth Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him What was the Lord God more tyed to us then to the Angels falling yet passing by them in wofull misery hath vouchsafed us mercy Simile As if a Noble man and a Peasant being both Traytors the King should cause judgement to be executed on the Noble man and yet pardon the mean man yet thus hath God dealt with us Vse Let us then labour earnestly with our own hearts to frame them to true thankfulnesse Let us consider who was the Lord that he should look on such dead Dogs as we are And if Elizabeth could cry out in admiration whence is it That the Mother of my Lord should visit me what ravishment of affection should possesse us Let us acknowledge this unfainedly and give him the glory of his Power Wisdome Goodnesse Justice Truth Holinesse for all these appeare in our Deliverance Let us study to expresse thankfulnesse by avoiding what is displeasing to God and by doing that may please him Otherwise if forsake good and cleave to evill wee shall bee cast off from God and all goodnesse and shall be tyed by an inseparable bond to all perfection of evill as a just and befitting recompence of our own choyce Vse Third the meditation of this Deliverance offered in the word Preached shou d cause that the messengers thereof should be entertained with all willingnesse and thankfulnesse Esa 52.7 8. And because this is not thought of it is that men are so dull and heavy in entertaining the word and the Ministers thereof And thus much of the first particular Now followes the second Verse 18 To Heale the broken hearted Herein by a second comparison the misery of man is set forth with the remedy by the benefit of Christ Where first of the Misery This broken heartednesse is a fruit of sin and Corruption whereby the heart as with a mighty burden is bruised yea so heavy it is that God affirmes of himselfe that he is pressed with
26.13 Then we feele our wounds Acts 2.37 This Light is wrought by the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. By the Preaching of the Word Acts 26.18 A representation of this Christ gave in the Blind man Iohn 9. For what was that Clay tempered with spittle which annoynted his eyes but the Ministers men made of Clay the word of God is like the spittle came out of Christs mouth An unlikely matter to open Eyes So is the Preaching of the word by silly men Vse To learne with what diligence we should tend the Ministery of the word it should be so much esteemed of us as Christ himselfe to whom we have no other accesse to Christ then in and by this Sure great is the blockishnesse of the World If a man have any disease in the bodily eye what running and seeking is there and a diligent and willing applying of things prescribed but to Cure the minds blindnesse no regard is had to that Second content not our selves with any Knowledge but such as is effectuall and hath such fruits as the opening of the bodily Eye hath If one long shut up in Prison afflicted with bonds and chaines should suddainly understand his bonds were loosed the doore opened so that he might fly and yet did not move himselfe to get out All would judge such a one blind both in body and mind even so is it here we boast of our chaines and as if not being sure enough bound to Satan we cast more bands on our hands and feet and put our necks into his Iron yokes Let us then thinke to whom wee make our selves servants by sinning to whom we give our hands when they are used to fighting or filching to whom we lend our Eyes when used to wantonnesse our Eares when used to idle and filthy talke our Tongues when used to slandering and lying our Members when abused to uncleannesse In all these and the like we give our selves vassails unto Satan And that we may grow into a more earnest hatred of Sin let us a little consider the Misery of this Captivity there are some kind of servitudes that have some refreshing and ease as such as are borne Servants or bought do find either through a meekenesse of their Masters nature or through their diligence to please receives some kind usage and recompence or protection as we have examples in Scripture But there is another sort of servitude as when one serves an Enemy as being taken in warre even for his Country or kindred and profession is used with all discourtesy Now this is our estate we are taken by Satan our arch Enemy whose hatred is unspeakable because we were made in the Image of God his envy unresistable because the Lord meant good unto Mankind and neglected the Angels fallen Now then what an Enemy provoked by ancient hatred incensed with daily envy at our good what I say such a one can and will doe all these indignities must they look for that are taken Captives of them Ioseph endured a hard bondage but yet at length found favour and advancement But we while we are Captives to Satan are without hope of comming thence and of ever satisfying our cruell Tyrant or of being benefited by him Ioseph was not urged to forsake his Religion but this is all the intent of Satan thereby to make us as odious to God as himself and to make us stinke in Gods nostrils The Israelites were in sore bondage in broyling in the fiery furnace in being tyed to a taske impossible in being beaten in having their first borne murthered Yet all these were but outward miseries and bodily and some comfort was in it that these things were exacted of them not to much to reproach or disgrace them as to satisfie the covetousnesse of the Prince But our Captivity is both of body and Soule and is meerely to the reproach of our Persons and to the dishonour of God our Lord and not any way to benefit Satan So that our Captivity is with no lesse cruelty then wee read executed 2 Sam. 12.31 Yea herein is the greatest cruelty exercised where wee are made to bring most wofull Destruction on our owne heads As if some cruell Tyrant should compell one adjudged to Death to gather Wood to build the fire to cast in great store of Pitch and Brimstone and then to cast himself into the Fire with a payre of Bellowes in his hands to kindle the flame most fiercely Even so deales Satan while hee carries us from one Sin to another and heape them together there is nothing but fewell of Gods wrath the adding of new Sin is as Brimstone to kindle it Loe thus in some part may wee conceive the wofull Captivity and the cruelty therein exercised by Satan on all his Vassails let us then tremble at the same let not his alluring baites of Pleasure deceive us which ends in much wofull Misery let us not wilfully heape coales of Fire on our owne heads Vse O what Thankes are due for so great Deliverance O how should wee breath after the same Rom. 7.24 Thus much of this part of mans Misery Now followes the Remedy To Preach Deliverance As Sin in divers regards did perfit the divers degrees of our Miserie so in like manner doth the benefit of Christ and as our Poverty was and is healed by the Propheticall Office of â—hrist Our wounds and Broken-heartednesse by his Priestly office so this by his Kingly the effect of his Priestly And this Point is plainly taught Colos 2.15 Where hee is set forth after the manner of Emperours who led in Pompe their conquered Nation for as their great Pompe was shewed more in the Riches of the vanquished then in the Prowesse and Nobility of them which followed the Emperour sitting in his tryumphing Chariot adorned with Garlands his Souldiers attending making Verses and insult us over the Conquered Even so CHRIST our Generall tryumphed in the Chariot of the Crosse spoyling Principalities and Powers that is all the strength and troupes of Divels Then did hee cancell the Law which was as a Bill obligatory and hath so every way subdued them that the faithfull of Christ have great cause of joy and dare with confidence insult over their enemies and tread on the necke of them as Ioshua made the Israelites on the Cananites 1 Cor. 15.26 The truth as also the manner of this will appeare by comparing it with the Type The acceptable Yeare Alluding to the yeare of Iubilee set downe Levit. 26. Touching which three things are to bee considered First the Number second the Name third the Priviledges Touching the Number it was the Fifty yeares which consists of Seaven seaven weekes It may seeme that God of purpose did not appoint any short time for this Festivity but to have extended the space of it as farre almost as the bounds of Mans life To this end as may probably bee conjectured that wee might understand that this happie estate cannot be attained but wee must passe through
1 Thes 1.3 Describing the three common graces of a Christian the Apostle gives to each one their peculiar property or effect giving to Faith a Worke to Love Labour and to Hope Patience ☞ And this Hope every where is made a Badge of a Christian 1 Cor. 1.10 Rom. 8.24 25. Tit. 2.13 14. Yea this is not only a Badge but it is a part of the Christian Armour and that a chiefe one the Helmet of Salvation to cover the head and to beare of the blâ—â—es Yea also it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.18 19. And therefore it had need be of good Mettall and well tempered Now the grounds of Christian Hope are chiefly three First the merits of Christ for as Faith beleeves justification and forgivenesse so Hope beleeves as I may say Salvation and the possession of the Inheritance And in this regard the Apostle hath conjoyned Faith and Hope in one common description For Christ as well purchased Heaven as pardon of Sin so that as Faith beleeves the one so doth Hope the other especially since Sin being taken away nothing can debarre us Heaven Esa 54 9 10. Ier. 31.34 35 36 37 verses The second ground of Hope is the Truth of Gods Promises not only simply in themselves But confirmed with experience of accomplishment of many past concluding thence that seeing the greatest is accomplished the lesse will much more especially these Promises being ratified with an Oath Heb. 6.16 The third ground is the Pledge of the Spirit the earnest and first fruits and a Seale Now any of these are sufficient with men to put away doubting much more with God If Hope be not builded on these grounds as on a Rock the House will fall as the Papists have given experience when the Tempest hath come on them So that hereby is overthrown both the Hope of the Papist as also of the common people For as it is in Faith so with Hope in the Ideot He hopes well but gets naught because both his Faith and Hope are misgrounded Arising of the ignorance of God and himself While not knowing his deserved misery and cursed corrupt estate he takes himselfe to bee wholly Gods workmanship forgetting how the Divell by his finger hath marred the same And so thinke that God cannot but love him and accept his own handy worke and if happily he know and in some sort confesse this yet presently all is stopped with this that God is mercifull not thinking of his justice without satisfaction whereof there is no place for Mercy Simile But whosoever would not have his Hope deceive him hee must have better grounds then this conceit for as he that for some heynous offence is cast in Prison and for the same hath the sentence of Death passed on him Now for him to have not only a pardon for his offence but also a great revenue assigned him He hath need to have all the Kings Seales and large Charters Even so must every true Christian be able to shew his pardon under the broad Seal of the Word and Bloud of Christ and must also know the Conveyance Title Tenure of Heaven and by what service hee holds it before hee can have an assured Hope especially there being great danger in mistaking the Title for if we claime Heaven any other way then that by which it is offered unto us we can never obtaine it As the Apostle doth notably shew Rom. 9.32 Rom. 10.3 Rom. 4.16 Secondly true Christian Hope doth qualifie a man and fit him that while hee holds this in Reversion hee may daily prepare himselfe for it against it fall and therefore look what conditions are injoyned on his part he will be carefull to perform and what the Word prescribes to be in them that hope for Heaven he doth demonstrate to be in himself As 1 Iohn 3.3 He clenses himself continues in Prayer armes himselfe with Patience puts on the Shoes and all the Christian Armour and where his treasure and purchase is there is his heart talke joy and delight and makes him that he cannot settle himselfe on any thing here below he hath casted so of the fruits of Chanaan that he cannot pitch his Tents in the Wildernesse ☞ this is plainly taught in the example of Abraham who forsooke his own Country c. The reason was He looked for a City whose builder was God Heb. 12.19 The like of Moses Heb. 11.27 And this effect is notably taught Heb. 6. at the end Where is shewed that Hope is the Sacred Anchor that pierces in For as in the storme if the Anchor bee so deeply pitched that by the violence of the Tempest it lose not his hold the Ship safely endures the same So a Christian man having this is secured from Stormes and Raines which the Divell and all his forces can raise And therefore Simile Whereas we see many Christians with every light wind so to be tossed in the World as in the deep Sea and float here and there What is the reason but that they want this Anchor which being pitched in Heaven they might stay themselves till the Tyrannie was passed Esa 26.20 This is as a Pent-house to keep off the dashes And thus having cast Anchor let us apply this a little and so draw to shore Vse Seeing these things are so it is necessary that every one have this Anchor ready especially in these troublous times wherein it is not only hard to hold on in an even course but very difficult for a wise Pylot to escape the Rockes and Sands Wherefore my beloved let us strengthen our weake hands and weary knees let us call back this Hope and expectation which may seeme to be almost banished from among men For why are the Profits of this life so greedily sought after why is there no end of heaping up wealth what meane these common fraud and circumventions one of another Whence is that lust of ruling every where there being no care to profit those over whom they are set Why will many be Pastors and will not feed their Sheepe Why doe men at this day measure the Truth Note not in equity of Conscience and sincerity of judgement out of the Word but by their private profits Why have men cast off all care of seeking the Heavenly Inheritance not being heires of those who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises They heare and partly see that the Godly are of all men most miserable this Hope excepted and they thinking this Hope to be a small comfort and succour against so great a misery they chose rather to imbrace things present leaving Hope for Fooles as they thinke But sure it is not for true Christians so to lead their lives as they that have no Hope not to be groveling on the Earth as Sons of the Earth Wee are borne of God and are Citizens of the Heavenly Inheritance we are as strangers not Denizens why should wee bee curious or inquisitive in a strange Countrey why do we imbrace the place of our Exile as our home But we whither we be called in the Morning or at Noone into the Vineyard let us labour stoutly and let us looke for the penny at the end of the day Neither will the Lord deferre our Hope long For loe He comes and his reward is with him and yet a little while and the Lord will come and not stay Heb. 10. at the end Our Fathers dyed in the Faith foure thousand yeares since and received not the Promises but saluted them a farre off Heb. 11. Our race that we have runne is much shorter It shall not need that we should lie so long in the dust before the Creature be perfitly restored and though it should be long yet our dayes are circumscribed in the compasse of a few yeares Wherefore lâ—t us liâ—◠〈◊〉 thâ—ads that hang downe to the Earth let us with great Ioy behold these everlasting Tabernacles If wee shall feed our selves with this Hope surely wee shall abide in the Love of God in all affliction 2 Thes 1.5 6 7. For this Hope will whet our desire and as a Wife looking for her Husband doth prepare her self and will not be entangled in any businesse much lesse set her affection on any other man So the Faithfull Soule longing for Christ will dispose it self for this Hope Simile though it moderate the desire as touching the time yet it quenches not nor snibs the earnestnesse thereof but it cryes out Come Lord Iesus come quickly For he shall appeare to all that look for him in Faith to Salvation But the to wicked Woe to that day when they shall fly to the Mountaines to fall on them and the Rocks to hide them For if the time of his first comming be so terrible as is expressed in the second and third chapters of Malachi How then will they endure the second Now the same Lord IESUS CHRIST our Lord and our God even the Father which hath loved us and hath giver us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and worke 2 Thes 2.16 17 verses Glory to GOD alone Jmprimatur JOSEPH CARYL 1646. FINIS LONDON Printed by Thomas Forcet for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard and Hannah Allen at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley 1647.