promised that neither life nor death shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ our Lord Rom. 8. ult 2. And secondly If thou knowest Christ to be thine thou art sure to dye a blessed death Reve. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. c. because that day and houre thou diest that day thou art sure thy soule shall be with Christ in paradise for to all that know Christ savingly death is but the harbenger to bring their Cyprian soules to Christ Ejus est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire saith a father let him fear death that is loth to go to Christ do not thou feare that desirest to be dissolved and to be with Christ Death to thee is but as thy fathers horse to cary thee to thy fathers house or like Iosephs Chariot ratling with its wheeles ready to carry old Iacob to his son Ioseph so is death ready to carry thee to thy Saviour Iesus Alas our misery lies in our life morimur dum non morimur not in our death therein lies all our happynesse for we shall not die but live still onely we shall exchange the place of our living instead of Egypt to live in Canaan instead of earth to live in heaven Now are wee afraid to live No life is sweet then feare we not to die for that brings the sweetest and most happy life and will make an exchange of a life of misery for a life of glory Indeed to them that know not Christ O how bitter is death It must needes sting them like a serpent because they go from all their hapinesse to all their misery Death of it selfe is bitter but herein lies the sting and strength of death to all out of Christ in that it is entailed to eternall death they may say as once Elisha did 2 Kings 6. 32. Behold the murtherer death is come to take away mine head And is not the sound of his Masters feet even of the divel and hell behind him mori non metuo said one sed damnari metuo I feare not to die but I feare to be damned When Saul was told by Samuel as he took him to be to morrow thou shalt be with me therefore what else but in heaven yet the newes pleased him not his conscience preached otherwise to him but Saul fell all along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him 1 Sam. 28. 20. so Belshazzar did read the hand writing before Daniel read it and trembled for his conscience told him there could come no good newes from heaven to such a wretch as he was And verily herein lyes the sad condition of all men that know not Iesus Christ savingly That though they may make themselves merry and be pleasant in their lives yet death makes them miserable they shall lye down in sorrow Esa 50. 11. And though now Christ seemes like a roote out of a dry ground having nothing in him why they should desire him Esa 53. 2. for though he hath made rich promises yet not of such things as they care or desire to be rich in and with such hard conditions too as seem unreasonable even the parting with their dearest lusts yet at death what would men give for assurance that Christ were theirs Would they not prefer this knowledge before all earthly blessings As Severus said if I had a thousand worlds I would now give them all to be found in Christ As crock-back Richard the third in his distresse cryed a Kingdome for a hors O then they will cry a Kingdome for a Saviour CHAP. XII A Reproofe of those that know nothing of Iesus Christ Vse 1 IF this be so that we ought to study to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified then they are justly to be reproved that know nothing of Iesus Christ and him crucified There are five sorts of them who know nothing or very little of Iesus Christ and him crucified First the heathens who are the greatest part of the world and of whom there are milions of milions at this day who want the meanes of knowledge and can never attaine salvation for if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. And they are without hope Eph. 2. 12. Qui cuiquam salutem promittit sine Christo nescio utrum ipse salutem habere potest in Christo Aug. Acts 17. 31 Ir is true some conceive it is a sinne in Heathens to want habituall knowledge of Christ because it was in Adam in innocency and it had beene his duty so to have acted if God had commanded him as now he doth command all men Therefore habituall knowledge of Christ seems still to be required even of heathens Yea and actuall applicatory knowledge of all to whom Christ is revealed because the want is their sinne for which they shall be damned John 16. 9. Mark 16. 16. But where the Gospel is not revealed as among the Heathens there it seemes not a sinne for we are not bound to act that which God never revealed to Adam nor since There is Lex interna id est internus Deiconceptus and externa or revelata Now Gods secret will is not our Law but his will revealed Leges factae instituuntur cum promulgantur Rayner Panth. Some indeed think the moralized heathens that walked by the light of nature were saved as Chrys Clemens Alexand. Erasmus Casauhon and others but Christ tels us the contrary Act. 4. 12. Though in comparison of us that have the meanes they are said to have no sin Ioh. 15. 22. I grant whether it be a sin or no in the Heathens not to know Christ to whom he was never revealed is a question But of this I am sure if their negative infidelity be no sin being ignorantia privationis or negativa yet their positive fidelity is odious in that they trust to dumb Idols to the stock of a tree c. when as the light of nature tels them that they themselves are better then that they trust in by whichlight of nature they shall be judged Rom. 2. 12. yea light of nature tels them a living creature is better then the picture as a lamb in the field or a bird flying in the aire c. are better then a picture of them And yet saith one si accepto spiritu occurrerent ut monstra haberentur 2. The Turks that acknowledge God a father yet deny Christ a Redeemer though they heare of Christ yet despise him reject abuse him and his members and prefer their Mahomet before him whose sin is greater because their own religion is so absurd fleshly and filthy and his rewards all fleshly fitter for swine then men 3. The poore scatter'ed Iewes of whom and for whom Christ especially came to them still Christ is a mystery they acknowledge Moses law and the Prophets but reject Christ as an impostor looke for a saviour to come
not but because he was not justly the High Priest which now was ceased as Calvin Chrysost and Beda CHAP. XXIIII An exhortation to thankfulnesse for Christ revealed in the Gospel IN the last place it is a use of exhortation to stir us up to thankfulnesse to God for the revelation of the Gospel That Christ is preached among us without the knowledge of whom there is no salvation Eccles 11. 7. We rejoice in the light of the Sunne what were the world without it but a dungeon of darknesse but we have much more cause of joy that the Son of righteousnesse doth shine among us with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. For consider that 1. First as Christ is given but to few so he is revealed but to few It is a mystery hid from ages and generations though now manifested to us in this Island He hath not Col. 1. 26. dealt so with every nation Psal 147. 20. nay scarce with any nation as with us The most part of the world never heard of Christ who sit in Egyptian darknesse and the shadow of death against whom The wrath of God is revealed from heaven Rom. 1. 18. but no mercy or glad tidings of salvation have ever sounded in their eares The Gospell is hid from their eyes and they are left blindfolded by the god of this world to their eternall destruction 2 Cor. 4. 3. 4. being strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. Yea it is not above an hundred and odde years ago since England was in darknesse and a sinke of Idolatry and therein our forefathers lived and died witnesse Queen Maries dayes and before But we live in Goshen We that sate in darkenesse now see great light and to us Matth. 4. 16. that sate in the region and shadow of death is light sprang up yea amongst us Christ is not only revealed but more clearly then ever since the world began O what glorious lights almost in every Congregation are daily set upon the candlesticks how many kings and Princes would have been glad to have seen the things that we see but never saw them In the old law Christ was revealed indeed to a few but darkly as to Adam in that dark promise The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head so Abraham saw my day saith Christ and rejoyced Iohn 8. 56. and Moses saw Christ yea glorious amidst reproaches Heb. 1â— 16. yea all the beleeving Jewes saw the bloud of Christ streaming in their bloody sacrifices and they expected a Saviour by the promised seed but darkly as in shadows and glasses Col. 2. 17. they saw Christum velatum we revelatum they saw Christ vaild but we revealed their light was but like a candle under a bushel but ours is set on a candlestick They expected a Saviour indeed but 1. such a one that should be a great king upon earth as appears Act. 1. 6. wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdome to Israel Secondly only for themselves but not for the Gentiles as in Eph. 3. 5. 6. Now it is revealed saith the Apostle that the Gentiles should be partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Thirdly with the observation of Moses Law Fourthly and lastly it was igâ—is umbratalis they knew but little of the manner of his birth death and sufferings resurrection and ascension in respect of us 2 Secondly as it is a blessing bestowed but upon a few so it is a great blessing because when the Gospel is revealed where Christ is preached there God dwels with his speciall and gracious presence He walketh in the midst of his golden candlesticks Rev. 2. 1 we may say of such places as Jacob of his brethren where God appeared this is the gate of heaven this is the house of God Gen. 28 17. Here God is made known unto us in Judah is God known and his name is great in Israel Psal 76. 1. for we enjoy neer communion with him which was the happinesse of Adam in paradise and is the happinesse of the Angels and Saints in heaven where God and his presence is all in all Hence Moses prayed when God said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest if thy presence go not with us carry us not hence saith he Exod. 33. â—4 15. Now what a mercy is it to live in Bethel where God dwels and not in Bethaven among Idolaters Yea here is the Pearle of great Price the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us a Pearle richer then all the mines of gold and silver in both the Indies which if they were in England we would count them great riches yet are not so great riches as is the Gospel In other places may be found the fatnesse of the earth but here is the dew of heaven Here is Manna bread from heaven that is the sweetest bread who cannot but cry Lord evermore give us this bread Here is water out of the rock and that 's the sweetest water who cannot but long with David to drink of the waters of Bethlehem and to be satisfied with these breasts of consolation Here is Paradise as the French Protestants cald one of their Churches and so long as the Gospel is preached among us we live as it were in Paradise and who can but say its good being here yea and here are the glad tydings of salvation preached and what sweeter tidings can Rom. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 21. we hear of yea here is the kingdome of God Matth. 3. because it is the ordinary meanes to bring men to heaven and salvation cald the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. Hence it is that Noahs prayer for Japhets kindnesse was only this God perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. And hence it is that David desired to dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of his life and that he so longed for it when he was deprived of it as appears Psal 27. 4 and 42. 1. and 84. 10. 3. Where Christ is revealed and the Gospel Psal 128. 5. Psal 133. ulâ— is preached there we are sure there be some elect to be saved If three grounds be bad yet one of foure will prove good ground the Gospel seldome or never comes but as a blessing to some Hence Paul desired to come among them with the abundance of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ Rom. 15. 29. Indeed the Act. 18. 10. Rom. 10. 17. Gospel is preached to reprobates but it is as the weeds are watered for the flowers sake 4. Where the Gospel is revealed and where Christ is preached usually outward blessings do accompany The Gospel is called Cornu copia the horn of plenty 2 Sam. 6. 11. 12. Iudg. 17. 13. as when the ark was in Obed-edoms house all his house was blest for the Arks sake as Michâ— said now I know the Lord will blesse me seeing I
one Son without sin but no son without punishment One Sonne sine corruptione but no sonne sine correptione 12. Lastly Christ was crucified in his condēnatiō in that they condemned him Ioh. 19 6. Luk. 13. 24 to death 1. acknowledging him innocent saying I am innocent of the bloud of this just man and then condemning the innocent because he stood in our stead that were nocent and to teach us that we are all by nature condemned men before the Lord till we get our pardon by Christ And lastly that by him we might escape the sentence of eternall condemnation for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. CHAP. IV. The sufferings of Christ at and upon the Crosse HAving finished the sufferings of Christ in his life we now come to his suffering in his death on the Crosse in these words And him crucified For greater love saith Christ hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his freinds John 15. 13. If as the Jewes dream he had come as a great Monarch had trod on nothing but Crownes and Scepters and the necks of Kings and had had the Potentates of the earth to attend his traine it had beene great love to us Yea it had beene some love if he had onely pitied us in our misery and wept for us as David did for Absalom Or if he had pleaded for us and spake a good word for us as Jonathan did for David Or if he had sent an Angel for us Or if himselfe had suffered disgrace reproaches Cant. 2 5. opprobryes c. But greater love he could not show then to dye for us skin for skin and all that a man hath will be give to save his life yet Christs life was not too dear for us the spouse indeed was sick of love but Christ exceeded her for he died for love This is our Pellican that hath nourished and fed us with his bloud Many mothers can endure crying of their children and bearing them with paine that would hardly dye for them but the love of Christ passed the love of women for he dyed for us Yea greater love had Christ towards us then barely to dye for us in three respects 1. A man may dye for another Codrus for the Athenians Curtius to preserve Rome if perhaps it be an honourable death to get renoune after his death as some of the heathens have done 2. If it be an easie death 3. If it be for a dearly beloved freind to whom he hath been much ingaged Scarcely for a righteous man will one dye saith Paul that is that hath lived justly Yet for a good man that hath beene very beneficiall to him peradventure one would even dare to dye and Rom. 5. 8. yet it is but a peradventure neither But first Christ died not an honourable death the people applauding him as they did sometimes the Martyrs But the shamefull death of the Crosse Heb. 12. 2. He endured the Crosse and despised the shame Now dishonour and shame to a noble spirit is as bitter as death it selfe And surely if to live with infamy be worse then death what is it then to dye with infamy It was shamefull in five respects 1. In that they made him carry his owne Crosse or gallowes whereupon he was hanged as when malefactors go with halters about their necks to execution 2. It was shamefull in that he was 1 Ioh. 19. 23. stript naked to the scorne of Angels and men even he that covers the heavens with starres the earth with flowers the beasts with skins and men with raiment even he was stript naked so farre as modesty would permit say some and clothed Rev. 3. 17. 18. onely with his own innocency To teach us we are naked of all righteousnesse and deserve to be stript naked of all comforts earthly and spirituall And that he might cloath us with the robes of his righteousnesse 3. It was shmeful in that he was hang'd a death meet for theeves murtherers and execrable sinners we count it a death too base for noble bloud although they turn traytors and therefore they have liberty to exchange the gallowes for the block To see a King hang'd what a shamefull suffering were it but for God to be hang'd on a gallowes much more The Turks mock us at this day with our crucified God and some of the heathens said they would not beleeve in a hang'd God But the greater his sufferings were the greater was his love and our misery who deserved to hang in hell for ever 4. It was shamefull in that he was hanged with two theeves and in the midst as the Prince of theeves and murtherers and as the greatest malefactor Esay 53. 12. He was numbred among the transgressour◠His good name was as deare to him as ours to us Now which of us especially being innocent could be content to be esteemed as murtherers adulterers theeves or the like Yet perhaps this might figure out the last judgement when repentant sinners shall be set on the right hand and the reprobates on the left as one observeth * the one sort to be saved Sir John Heyward knight the other to be condemned 5. It was shamefull because he was insulted over in his misery as Sampson was mocked by the Philistines at his death he saved others said they but cannot save himselfe Come drwne from the Crosse and wee will beleeve in thee All that see me laugh me Psal 22. 7. to scorne they shoot out the lip c. Secondly as Christ died not an honorable death so he suffered not an easie but a most bitter and painfull death he was Phil. 2. Heb. 12. 2. obedient to death even to the death of the Crosse he endured the Crosse This appeares even in what he suffered from men in his body which yet was lesse then what many Martyrs suffered being rouled naked in a barrel of nailes racked burned c. First before he was laid upon the Crosse They gave him gall and vinegar to drink as Matthew reads it Matthew 27. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or wine mingled with mirh as Mark reads it Mark 15. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one explaines the other That is wine as sharp as vinegar and imbittered with mirh like gall but not gall it selfe as Beza Or rather I think it was mingled with both gall and mirh as Gerard. Some indeed think this no part of his sufferings and that it was not to torment him but ut mors ejus esset celerior so Calvin And Beza thinks the good women brought the wine to chear him and that it was Vinum dulce sweete Calvin in Ioc. Baroni Annal. An. no Christi 34. c. 84. Bera in Ioc. Prov. 31. 6. wine a kind of Nectar and so thinks Baronius according to that of Solomon Prov. 31. 6. Give wine to him that is of a heavy heart But this cannot be for it is not likely
gleaned And Iob awhile may be stript of his goods Children and all his comforts but ere long he doth enjoy them doubled to him even as much more of every comfort as he had before Iob 42. 12 13. 2. But however it shall alwayes worke for our spirituall good By the sad Eceles 7. 3 Heb. 12. 10 Iohn 15. 2. looke the heart shall be made better Like those in the time of the sweating sicknesse that were smitten with Rosemary branches to keep them waking and from sleeping to death though they cryed out at the smart of the blows against those that smot them O you kill me you kill me whereas alas they had beene killed with their disease if they had not been smitten Or as tender mothers that give their children sometimes bitter wormwood and Aloes but t is to kill the wormes or else they would never let their children tast so bitter a potion and likely too it is sweetened with sugar There is a foure fold spirituall good by afflictions to every one that knowes Iesus Christ savingly 1. They keepe the heart tender and humble pliable and buxome to God Remembering my wormwood and my gall my soule hath them in remember ance and is humbled in me Lamenta 3. 19. 20 as they did David when Shemei cursed him and when God chastised him with the pestilence It 2 Sam. 24. me me adsum c. is I have sinned what have those sheepe done And Jonas after he was cast into the sea and restored the second time he could find his way to go right to Nineveh 2. They keepe us from backsliding for else we would lose our graces as too much sunneshine makes the corne to shale and lose its fruit 3. They make us feare to sin that have so smarted for sin The burnt child dreads the fire exellent is that speech of Iob Iob 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done amisse I will doe no more As a child will feare to commit that fault for which he hath well smarted 4. They make us grow in holinesse and weane us from earthly delights as the Israelites bondage made them weary of Egypt They are but Gods pruning knives to let us bleed and purge us that we might bring forth more fruit John 15. 2. like as we see flowers smell sweetest after a shower Or as the burning bush that burned yet consumed not but was the brighter for the fire Or as gold put into fire loseth its drosse but nothing of its substance and is made the purer gold Or as grapes under the presse make the sweeter wine Or as wheat under the flaile hath its chaff beaten off and is the purer corne So are afflictions to all that are in Christ and know Christ theirs They make them like Roses which though sweet alwayes yet they never drop sweet water but when the fire is under them Or as spices when beaten to pouder then they smell the sweetest 3. Thirdly Afflictions shall increase 2 Cor. 4. 17. Mat. 5. 12 our crown of glory the deeper our die is in affliction the better shall we weare our scarlet robes in heaven Rom. 8. 18. I reckon saith Paul our sufferings in this life are not worthy our glory that shall be revealed Chrysost said if one man did suffer all the sorrowes of all the Saints in the world yet they are not worth one houres glory in heaven 4. Fourthly and lastly The knowledge of Christ and him crucisied with a saving applicatory knowledge is most comfortable in the hour of death Such a one can triumph over death saying Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory Because 1 Cor. 15. 56. though death in it self be full of anguish and is the destruction of nature yet if thou art in Christ and knowest Christ is thine the cup is sweetned with good ingredients For thou art sure of two things 1. Thou art sure to die comfortably ordinarily and not fearing but longing for death we know saith Paul when this our tabernacle is broken we have a house not made 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. with hands eternall in the heavens wherfore we sigh and grone to be clothed with our house which is in heaven When I walk through the the valy of the shadow of death saith David I will feare no evil for thou art with me and thy rod and staff comforteth me Psal 23. 4. Luke 2 29 Phil. 1. And Simeon Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eâ—es have seene thy Salvation Yea somtimes before they go into heaven they are rapt up into the third heaven with joy as Paul was in his rapture 2 Cor. 12. though in another manner Some have professed they never felt such joy in all their lives as at the hour of their death Paula that noble Lady when one did read to her Cant. â— 11. The winter is past and the singing of Birds is come yes she replyed the singing of birds is come and so she went singing into heaven another being as they thought in a swound a little before her end they cryed give her some Rosa Solis but she put it back saying I have Rosa Solis you know not off Ambrose said to his friends about him when he died I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live nor yet feare I death because I have a good Lord. Glover from whom God did hide his face long before yet when he was going to the stake said to his frind Austen he is come he is come But you will say Object do such alwayes die comfortably I answer Answ Not alwayes but ordinarily for sometimes God hides his face from his own at death as a just punishment for their want of close walking with God in the time of their prosperity c. and besides we know death is fearfull in its best lookes called the King of feares as is a lion though his teeth and claws be beaten out or as the Hauk to the Partridge who trembles at the very fight of her scattered feathers or like a serpents skin that is formidable though stuft with straw The vertuous Lady Jane when she covered her eyes with her handkerchief and was to ly down on the block to receive the stroake of death she cryed out O what shall I do where is it where is it she was filled so full of feare though her faith failed not yea Christ himselfe feared death with a naturall holy feare Yet I say thou art sure at the least to be freed from despairing feare and to be able John 13. 13. to say with Iob Though he kill me I will trust in him as our blessed Saviour on the crosse stil called the Lord his God when he felt no comfort from God my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And the reason is because Christ hath