bruised the head of the Serpent and brake the head of the Leviathan in the midst of the waters sporting with him that sported therein with the staffe of his Crosse and the rod of his power his eternall power and God-head Rom. 1. Who then shall lay any thing to our charg It is God that justifieth who shall condemne It is Christ that died yea rather which is risen againe and sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us as we have it in that brave challenge graciously set downe and couragiously sent forth by that Champion of God and trumpet of the Gospel the Doctor of the Gentiles and vessell of election in plaine scorne and open defence of spirituall wickednesse in highest places We joy in God we joy over death we joy in God we joy over sinne we joy in God we joy over the grave we joy in God we joy and crow as it were over hell and Satan with all the powers of that infernall kingdome and may safely tread upon Serpents and Scorpions as the Apostles did without hurt and danger in the name of Christ and strength of our redeemer that hath set up his crosse as a glorious Trophy in the midst of the Nation to the everlasting reproach and eternall confusion of the Dragon and his angels Of this we have both an embleme and example an Embleme in the woman that was cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet an example in the Apostle when he brake forth into that triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore saith God by the mouth of his Servant Qui gloriatur in me glorietur let him that glorieth glory in me that he understandeth me and that he knoweth me who sheweth mercy and judgment and righteousnesse upon the earth Jer. 9. Give me leave then to put you in mind of those everlasting joyes which shall never be taken from you not of meat and of drinke not of harp and viol in the luxury of the greatest feasts but of God and of Christ the Word and his Spirit Quo nihil speciosius quo nihil pretiosius in the sweet language of that incomparable Father then which nothing is more amiable and specious for grace and beauty nothing more admirable and pretious for substance and value lest it be said of you as it was of the Pharisees Luk. 7. 32. Cantavimus non Saltastis we have Piped unto you but ye have not Danced we have Sung unto you but yee have not rejoyced you may peradventure have joyed in the pleasant noise of musicall instruments yee have not rejoyced at the Word of God and sound of his Gospell in sober dances of Spirituall rejoycings with this he is pleased with that he is grieved in this he is glorified in that he is dishonoured and sometimes mightily blasphemed I will not deny but that we may rejoyce in the outward comforts of humane life and take pleasure in the very creature joy in health joy in beauty joy in wealth joy in safety joy in Arts and Sciences Tongues and Languages friends and favours priviledges and preferments the gifts of nature and the graces of the Spirit whereby we are enabled to promote the honour of God and benefit of his Servants In these we may rejoyce in these we may triumph as they are blessings of our heavenly Father and pledges of his love so it be with a twofold Caution and respect the one of thankfulnesse in the right acknowledgment of divine bounty from whence they come the other of subordination in the reall intendment of divine glory whereunto they runne For that is finis debitus as Aquinas speaks and ought to be the maine aime of our best faculties and most eminent perfections In this sense we interpret the words of St Paul and are to understand that deprecation of the Apostle God forbid I should rejoyce in any thing but the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ not primarily and wholy but conditionally and moderately in order to Christ and the advancement of his glory And therefore as Aristotle said when they brought him two sorts of wine the one from Rhodes the other from Lesbos with allusion to his Scholars Menedemus and Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That of Rhodes is good but this of Lesbos is the sweeter So do I professe of earthly joy and heavenly joy corporall joy and spirituall joy the joy of the Creature and the joy of the Creator that may be good this is better that may be pleasant this is sweeter that may be usefull this is needfull and such as ought most to be desired Faine would I draw you to it that your hearts may rejoyce and your joy may be full when that which is perfect shall come and that which is imperfect shall be done away For in his presence there is fulnesse of joy and at his right hand there are pleasures for ever more But where I faile let Augustine go on and make supply with his gaudete in one of his Sermons de Verbis Domini Gaudete in Domino non in saeculo Gaudete in veritate non in falsitate Gaudete in spe aeternitatis non in store vanitatis rejoyce in the Lord not in the world rejoyce in the truth not in falshood rejoyce in the hope of life and glory not in the flower and flourish of Pride and of vanity All this is strongly enforced by the Word of God which indeed is mighty in operation and sharper then a two edged sword to divide betwixt the Soule and the Spirit the joynts and the marrow the world and your heart the earth and your affections I might send you to the Prophet David for ample direction who writes many Psalmes of this argument with a jubilate in Deo O be joyfull in the Lord all yee Lands serve the Lord with gladnesse and come before his presence with a song And with a Venite exultemus in Domino O Come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our Salvation let us come before his presence with thanks-giving and shew our selves glad in him with Psalmes But I shall leave you to a shorter compendium out of the Apostle Philip. 4. 4. where he gives you a double charge and bids you rejoyce in the Lord with an Iterum dico Againe I say rejoyce that he may awake you from the dreames of secular fancies and bring you to the joyes of Spirituall extasies I scarce remember a place in the Volume of this Book of greater emphasis that doth more insinuate into the heart of men with a sweeter Eccho of forcible ingemination and patheticall instruction then what I last spake unto rejoyce in the Lord and againe I say rejoyce Therefore I wish it may have a deep impression with you and be as nailes fastned by the masters of assemblies never to be removed and forgotten that yet may affect it and that it may lift you up from wordly desires and earthly Cogitations as the Spirit did Ezekiel when it took him by a lock of the haire and brought him to Jerusalem lift you up and bring you on to Jerusalem the vision of peace the fruition of blisse the new Jerusalem the celestiall Jerusalem Jerusalem which is above the Mother of us all Where amongst other songs and doxologies of praise and thanks-giving we may remember this and sing aloud upon our beds with Patriarches and Prophets with Apostles and Evangelists with Martyrs and Confessors with Saints and Angells We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Which the Lord Grant for Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons and one God be ascribed all Power Majesty and Dominion now and for ever AMEN FINIS
the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour There seemes at once to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on our part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords part grace on our part glory on the Lords part goodnesse on our part gladnesse with a sober kind of ravishment and spirituall Extasy Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement 1. That which I shall first observe is the grace and benefit of humane reconcilement Wee have received the atonement Secondly the meanes or conveyance and that is our Lord Jesus Christ Last of all the result or extraction which is delight and glory exultation and jucundity together with the circumstance of time or rather indeed the instance of time not future but present not in expectation but fruition now wee are reconciled and now wee are comforted since the death of Christ and the power of his rising Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement All these have their implicite theses and may be easily resolved into enuntiative positions one That man is reconciled unto God Another Christ is the author of this reconcilement A third Wee ought to joy in God alone through Christ our Mediator and Advocate But I proceed after the method I have delivered and shall begin with my first observation which is the grace and benefit of humane reconcilement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have received the atonement Man is an empty thing and hath nought in himselfe but what he doth receive nec quid nec quale nec quantum as the Logicians speak of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather indeed like that antient chaos which Moses would have to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first of Genesis without forme and beauty a meer solitude and vacuity in so much that a Heathen could say as well in respect of men as of their actions O Curas hominum quantum est in rebus inane St. John tells us wee have received Grace for grace or grace upon grace one grace brings in another and one grace brings in another and one grace drawes in another neither is it mans wisedome but Gods bounty that leadeth to repentance charity meekenesse humility and whatsoever is praise worthy most agreable to that of Bernard Quaevis scintillula in corde accensa c. The least sparke of holy fire kindled in the breast of any Creature must needs arise from the love of God and the infinite grace of his eternall providence Wee receive life in our creation strength in our being knowledge in study comfort in misery patience in trouble help in adversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same hand that framed us must preserve us neither can wee any more releive our selves then wee could at first make our selves as Justin Martyr has observed in his Apology for Christians Formation conservation reformation consummation are glorious acts but from the Lord as fruits of the divine goodnesse not branches of humane impotence which the Apostle has comprised in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our sufficiency is from God in the 2d to the Corinthians But among all the favours that have been bestowed upon us that of reconcilement is most pretious whereby wee are made friends unto God stronger then our enemyes Lords over the Creature and aequall with the Angells that warte on his throne stand in his presence delight in his worship and rejoyce to doe him service St. Origen is so charitable as to extend his mercy to the Divells and would have them to be saved after a thousand Years compleatly ended howbeit we know the worme dyeth not and their fire never goeth out as wee gather from the words of our Saviour in that finall doome and fatall sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire provided for the Divell and his Angels Mat. 25. 48. As for the host of blessed Angels that kept their station they are not said to be truly reconciled because they never departed from their obedience yet are they confirmed by the mediation of Christ and seem to have a two fold advancement one in respect of their knowledge because they look into the mystery of our salvation another in respect of their joy because they delight in the worke of our Conversion That which makes the Scruple touching their reconcilement is taken from St Paul in the I st Chapt. of his Ep to the Colossians where he notes of Christ that he sate at peace with the blood of his Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things on Earth and things on Heaven All which is most unquestionable ought to be understood of the holy Angells not in relation to God but in relation to man not as they are reconciled unto him but as they are reconciled unto us and united more firmely with us under one head which is Christ Jesus And therefore if you consider the words of the Text it is not said they but we not all but some We the Saints of God wee the Sonns of God Queis meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan. Chosen freely drawen sweetly renewed by his word quickned by his Spirit WEE have received the grace of divine love and heavenly atonement Before the Apostacy of our father Adam there was a sweet harmony betwixt God and man but as soon as hee fell and had transgressed he ran away and was cast forth of Paradise at what time there was a breach made and wee became as the Apostle notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only strangers and aliens but foes enemies to the Lord of glory such as despise his grace and despight his goodnesse with the infinite provocations of enormous impieties We grieve him and hee forsakes us We resist him hee abandons us from the brightnesse of his face and the glory of his presence For Sin is abominable to God neither can his pure eyes endure to behold the filthinesse of our Corruptions whereupon saith Isaiah Your iniquities have separated betwixt God and you Hee did so love us that nothing could take him of and make him leave us but our sins Hee did so hate Sinne that nothing could bring him on and make him love us againe but his Son his dear Sonne his only Sonne the death of his Sonne the oblation of his Sonne who gave himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God of a sweet smell and pleasant odour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Your iniquities have made a separation betwixt God and you in the 59th of his prophecy It was for sinne that hee left Israel and it was for sin that he cast the Angells down from Heaven It was for sinne that he drowned the old World and it was for sinne that hee destroyed the workes of his creation Though at first hee took pleasure in
Crosse In death there is misery in blood there is cruelty in a crosse there is shame and notorious infamy All which meet together like three fatall sisters in Conjunction for ill to Christ for good to us the aggravation of his punishments the instauration of our nature that we may be joyned with the Saints above and gathered into the bosome of our heavenly father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the body of his flesh through death and that with blood the blood of his Crosse the blood of his crosse that hath drowned our iniquities the blood of his crosse that hath purged our Consciences the blood of his Crosse that hath destroyed our enemies the blood of his Crosse that hath justified our persons the blood of his Crosse that hath quenched the violence of that flaming sword that hung at the gate of our celestiall paradise to keep us back from the sight of God and the blessed Communion of his glorious Angells Insomuch that Augustine speaking of Satan hath these words victus in patibulo qui vicerat in par adiso He is now overcome in the blood of his Crosse that did first overcome in the garden of paradise The Apostle affirmes we are bought with a price I confesse we are reconciled with a price a great price the price of blood whilst the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and his stripes were our healing for it cost him deare and whatsoever he got for us he purchased at a very high rate our peace with his owne travell our freedome with his owne bondage our favour with his owne disgrace our comfort with his owne punishment our welcome and reception with his owne contempt and dereliction a strange dereliction a grievious dereliction that made him cry and lift up his voyce with anguish of heart and agony of Spirit Eli Eli lammasabachthani my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now me thinkes I stand amazed at the love of God that hath reconciled us with the death of his Sonne the bitter death of his only begotten Son at the love of Christ that hath reconciled us with his blood the voluntary effusion of his owne most pretious blood What shall he not do for us now we are made friends and righteous that did so much for us being enemies and sinners dabit tibi bona sua qui pertulit mala tua saith learned Augustine He must needs bestow his rest upon us that hath taken his burdens upon himselfe The truth is his death is available unto life his life is available unto glory his death plucks us out of Satans hands his life puts us into Gods hand and the protection of his majesty We are absolved by his death we shall be advanced by his life we are saved by his death we shall be kept by his life never to depart from the obedience of his truth when he shall have bound us to himselfe with everlasting mercy in a three-fold cord of faith hope and charity Quem nec satanae ir a nec ignis Nec ferrum potuit nec edax abolexe vetustas as the Poet hath it in another sense which no force shall be able to break no age to consume no power to dissolve nor yet the gates of hell ever to prevaile against It is recorded of St Bernard in his life Guilielmus when Satan came to him in his sicknesse and thought to drive him to despaire with remembrance of his sinnes that he was much troubled at first but afterwards gathering strength said unto him non sum aignus c. I confesse I am not worthy of my selfe neither can I expect to enter heaven by any righteousnesse of my owne but Christ hath a double right unto that glorious kingdome one of inheritance by the father another of purchase by his passion That of inheritance he keeps to himselfe and rests in it that of purchase he gives to me and I lay hold on it with faith and confidence At these words the enemie was confounded and vanished away but the holy father was much comforted and triumph't exceedingly in the merits of his Saviour By this we learne to cast our selves upon God for eternall safety with a perfect abdication of humane infirmity and may justly Condemne the vanity of such as go from the Sunne to the Moone from the lord to our lady from the fountaine of living waters to the broken cisterne of humane emptinesse and from the protection of our Saviour to the mediation of any creature from the temple of God to the temple of idols from the sacrifice of Christ and the satisfaction of his death to the shrines of Diana or the rotten sepulchers of the most holy Martyrs These I might argue and these I might condemne but that indeed they are not so much to be refuted with care and deliberation as to be exploded with scorne and derision The use I shall make of this doctrine is a short expostulation out of St Augustine with à quanta iniquitas quanta perversitas c If the peace of our soules and the reconcilement of our natures be the price of blood the blood of Christ the true Sonne of the everliving God what a pravity what injustice what a phrensy what a madnesse is it to sell againe those soules unto the Divell for a little gaine a little pleasure a little smoke a little honour or any the like shadow of outward meanes and temporall felicity which God hath purchased to himselfe with extreame paine and infinite misery The Argument which the Apostle frames is most considerable and worthy of observation yee are bought with a price and are not your owne Your bodies are his your soules are his that did emancipate and set them free from the strong mans hand and danger of the enemy his by creation his by redemption his in making his in reconciling and therefore he must be glorified in both and loved of both that we may delight in him and he delight in us that we may rejoyce in him and he may rejoyce in us with joy unspeakable and full of glory For if it be life eternall to know God what is it to love God and to have the gracious returnes of love from him againe Without controversy it is the fulnesse of joy and the marrow of blisse as rivers of oyle and floods of peace whereof the Angels drink most plenteously and are continually refresht And therefore saith Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love God and to be loved of God with the sweet reciprocation of mutuall dilection is more then a Kingdome to the Saints the Kingdome of glory the Kingdome of heaven My deare brethren I beseech you with the Apostle or rather I charge you with King Salomon by the hinds and by the roes by the mercies of God and bowels of Christ Jesus by the obedience of his life by the power of his death by his Word and by his Gospel by his Sacraments and by his ordinances by the blood which he shed